5 Top Reasons Your Brand Should Be On Instagram

It is crucial for a company to start and maintain a social media presence. After all, these social media accounts allow your business to engage your target audience, while promoting your band to gain leads and convert customers. While some businesses are weary whether or not they should get an Instagram account in particular, you shouldn’t be. Your brand needs to be on this social media site for a variety of reasons. Check out 5 of them below:

1. It’s Simple

Unlike some other social media accounts, Instagram is a simple way for posting a stream of content. In the past, when businesses wanted to post pictures they had to crop the image in Photoshop on a desktop computer. This was very time consuming. With this particular social media site, though, it’s made specifically for instant smartphone photography. You can crop photos, add a filter and write some text in a matter of seconds. Now, you can even upload videos to the social media site, which is helping to replace even more media platforms.

2. Gives You a Chance to Use User Generated Content

Right now, it’s very popular and trendy for a business to incorporate user generated content into their content. Instead of always providing your own content, you can use images or videos that your customers have already put together. Out of all social media sites, Instagram is really great at letting you access this content and then posting it on your own account. You can even employ contests to have your audience send in content to you.

3. Ability to Develop Relationships With Your Customers

It has been shown over and over again that people will be more likely to click on a link with a person’s face next to it than one that doesn’t have this. This is just an example why a social media site like Instagram is vital to tell your story. Your brand should use this opportunity to post images of you, your staff, your stores, your customers or anything else that really depicts the personality of your company. These pictures will hold the interest of your customers more than any block of text could. That’s why this social media website will help you deepen customer engagement and really get to connect on a personal level with your target audience.

4. Connects with Individuals All Over the World

The customer base that a lot of companies have is based strictly on their marketing budget and the services they can afford through a Los Angeles social media management company. That’s why if you want to reach a wide audience that’s made up of people all over the globe, this social media site is the way to go. It can really help your business expand your reach. In fact, over 65 percent of users live in a country other than the United States. Plus, since it isn’t text-heavy and is mostly made up of pictures, this social media site can overcome any language barrier. Remember, pictures are universal.

5. Drive in Traffic to Your Business

As any Los Angeles social media management company would tell you, the end goal of any social media website is to drive in the amount of traffic that comes to your business. While you can’t share active hyperlinks in the comments and captions on your Instagram photos and videos, you can place an active link in your bio. Then, all you have to do is tell people to click on the link in your bio. When they do that, they’ll be directed right to the page you want on your website. You can change this link as much as you want, strategically driving in your target audience just how you’d like.

It’s clear that social media websites like this one are essential to the success of your brand. If you’re looking for a Los Angeles social media management company to help you tackle this area, come to Bright Age. Here at Bright Age, we are a business that specializes in social media management, web design and search engine optimization. Give us a call at Bright Age to get started.

5 Reasons Why Video Marketing is Essential for Social Media Marketing Success in 2015

Understanding video marketing and social media management in Los Angeles is essential for any new start up in the area or surrounding region. Understanding the importance of video marketing and video advertising is essential to move forward with Bright Age and understanding the importance of social media management Los Angeles is also important.

 

1) The Popularity of Video is Skyrocketing

With the popularity of video media streams skyrocketing it is important to consider the outlets you have available for the content, products or services you have to share. Using both video marketing and social media marketing is one of the best tools to get the content you need shared to the right audience or demographic, regardless of what you have to offer.2) Video is being watched by All DemographicsVideo is one of the most streamed and watched formats of movies and television shows both online and off. Understanding video marketing and social media marketing can quickly become complicated and overwhelmed if you are unsure of the audience or demographic you want to reach. Once you have a targeted age and group in mind it is much easier to move forward with proper promotions and advertisements for the program itself.3) Videos are Catchy and Likely to be Shared

Using videos to build a reputation online is no longer taboo or unheard of within the Internet. Instead, it is now possible to implement video advertising as well as social media marketing with the use of videos released on official websites and communities dedicated to sharing various tools. Taking full advantage of social media is possible with a catchy news story title that is compelling and refreshing to those who are still following your feeds online.

Staying involved as much as possible with your video updates and new shares is a way for you to engage more with others who are following your brand or that believe in your company. The more honest and open you remain when working with new clients and potential customers online, the easier it becomes to handle any potential returns or backlash you may receive in the future. Making a connection with potential clients is essential, as it can often lead to even more tenants who are in need of space.

4) Videos create fun and engaging content

Video advertising with the help of Bright Age is a way to have more fun when creating and delivering content to your users and those who are genuinely interested in following your brand and its products. Working together with Bright Age is one way to ensure you are delivering the video content your users and our potential clients or customers may need in the future.

When you are capable of delivering a video that is relevant and also humorous to those it is intended to be watched by, you are much more likely to receive future customers and clients who wish to return. The more relevant your print, television and radio ads are for the services you have to offer, the less likely you have to worry regarding the type of clients you are able to find, as you will often have plenty to choose from before moving forward.

5) Video is Multi-Purposed

With the help of social media management Los Angeles services and tools, it is much easier to share your videos and productions with potential clients and those interested in your work and what you have to offer. Social media management Los Angeles is a way for you to get the video promotion you need regardless of the audience or demographic you are trying to reach on your own.

Facebook Advertising for Restaurants: Pages by Location

Everyone enjoys going out to eat. It is always a wonderful time to enjoy fine dining with friends, family, and coworkers. A funny fact about customers is they don’t understand how Facebook advertising for restaurants plays a critical role in their dining experience.

Many of us rely on social media, such as Facebook, to discover more information about restaurants in which we wish to visit. Without social media, many customers can find themselves lost, not knowing where the location of a local restaurant or franchise may be.

It’s a wonderful time to take advantage of the internet, which has had a significant impact for many restaurants. Social media is a magnificent tool.
With social media, you can accomplish a great deal with your restaurant and its various locations.

Bright Age is a company in Los Angeles which specializes in in the restaurant industry. They know the value of great Facebook marketing and management. There’s no doubt about it: Bright Age has plenty of experience with Facebook marketing and management for many different franchised locations.

Social media a powerful technological advance in this world in order to get your restaurant noticed. As an expert in the restaurant industry, Bright Age understands the sheer importance of Facebook marketing. Facebook advertising for restaurants is highly recommended, especially in the world of social media, which is primarily through Facebook.

After all, there is an incredible amount of people out there who use their computers daily to visit Facebook pages and surf the web.

If you are a restaurant owner, you have to realize that a potential customer who is interested in your restaurant might only encounter the one solitary Facebook page, which does not include the local pages in order for that person to visit.
It is an absolute essential for restaurants to have individual pages for specific locations; for example, if you were in a certain state—let’s just say Pennsylvania—and there are various food chains in multiple areas, you would want to visit the location closest to you.

Through the wonderful art of social media via Facebook, you can create an online community for your restaurant which brings people together. What could be better than inspiring others to come into your specific restaurant location? The atmosphere of your restaurant in a designated location can truly bring a crowd.

Unfortunately, what many business owners do not realize is that Facebook advertising for restaurants is one of the best decisions to create.

Imagine a customer going onto Facebook, only to see one restaurant page. This would be disheartening, as they would not find the following:

• The locations closest to them
• Special offers at the specific restaurant location
• What the age audience typically consists of
• Differing menus
• Grand openings
• Escaping the task of disclaiming ‘at participating locations only’

So, what are the benefits of Facebook marketing for your restaurant? In truth, the benefits are nearly endless.

Here are just a few:

• You can create an online community
• You can individually respond to customer responses
• You can customize and create fun graphics which will entice the Facebook user to visit
• You can post status updates of upcoming and exciting events
• You can manage your Facebook location page directly

Individual Facebook advertising for restaurants will truly work wonders. Try it out!

Snapchat Launches Promoted Snaps: New Social Media Advertising

What’s Up Snapchat?

Social media is an advertiser’s dream: a huge, actively engaged audience that’s sorted by demographic and lifestyle choices. This weekend another platform called Snapchat will take the plunge into social media advertising, permitting paid advertisements to users.

Snapchat works by allowing users to take and send pictures to each other that will appear for up to 10 seconds. Then, theoretically, the picture disappears forever. These “view-once” pictures are not necessarily deleted off the phone, however, a revelation that caused controversy when recently discovered. They’ve also come under fire for facilitating sexting by creating the illusion of temporary photos.

Up until now, Snapchat has only used social media advertising to promote itself, sending out periodic updates to users that highlight new features and perks. But they’re now launching ads to users that will appear in the “recent updates” section.

What sets this social media advertising campaign apart from others is that users have the option to choose to view the ads or not, and the ads will disappear after they’ve been viewed. It’s a sort of subtle indictment of the advertising campaigns of neighboring Facebook and Twitter, which forces users to see ads in their newsfeed. Snapchat even added in a company blog post that forcing users to see ads would be “totally rude.”

They also won’t be using members’ data to find the best target audience for ads, saying instead they hope to create a fun throwback to an era before “creepy and targeted” ads.

This new advertising platform has the potential to revolutionize Los Angeles digital marketing. As Snapchat pointed out, creating ads that are less targeted and more generalized requires greater creativity and innovation. Los Angeles social media users will also have the ultimate power to view or ignore ads, which will swing the pendulum away from the advertisers and back towards the users.

According to Tech Times, about 50 percent of Snapchat users are under the age of 17. Los Angeles digital marketing firms will now be tasked with creating content that appeals to younger users without alienating the other, older half of the audience. With over 700 million stories sent daily, there’s certainly plenty of audience to go around.

The rise of Snapchat from a 2011 startup to one of the most popular social media platforms today is evidence of a revolution that will dramatically affect Los Angeles digital marketing. Day by day, Los Angeles social media marketing is rising to the forefront of the most effective ways for advertisers to reach their audiences. Instead of relying on traditional print media, social media platforms will be the advertising medium of the future.

Companies like Bright Age will be the go-to places for advertisers looking to access the Los Angeles social media advertising market. As a digital creative agency passionate about social media, search engine optimization and digital marketing, Bright Age has the social media experience to build online brand awareness and engagement.

Seven Top Ways To Improve Your Social Media Marketing Campaign

Seven Top Ways To Improve Your Social Media Marketing Campaign

Social networking sites help people to stay connected, share entertainment and learn new information through accounts and profiles representing individuals and companies. Many businesses today are using social media sites to network with consumers, build brand recognition and increase their overall online presence. However, not all social media advertising strategies are successful. Making the wrong move can alienate your business. There are several factors to consider when implementing your social media marketing strategies.

Entertainment
One of the main reasons why people log in to their social networking accounts is to seek entertainment. Social media allow people to view photos of their friends, share entertaining posts and repost interesting comments from friends and news sources. When marketing your products and services on social networking sites, make sure text is clear and grammatically correct, photos are clear and compelling and video footage well shot and edited.

Timing
This is one of the most important factors in social media marketing. You can capture your consumer’s attention by providing information about your products and services before the information is made available through other sources. This offers consumers the opportunity to provide feedback and allows time for consumer anticipation.

Advertisement Variations
Post regularly about your products and services. This helps to keep consumers on your page anticipating fresh content. Maintaining the same status update or headline shows that your business does not prioritize social media networking. However, be careful not to inundate consumers with too much information.

Information
Many people use social networking sites as sources of information. It is important to make your social media advertising strategies compelling by providing helpful tips, updates, industry profiles and other helpful information. This will make consumers feel they are gaining something by checking your business posts. Providing useful information regularly encourages friends and people on your network to check your profile regularly since they do not want to miss new announcements.

Interaction
Social networking sites are democratic because anyone can create an account, if they want to. You can exploit the interaction element of social networking sites to market your business. This involves permitting consumers to comment on your posts, submitting photos and interacting with consumers. These interactions allow you to create stronger bonds with your consumers. Monitor your customers’ posts on your profile for questionable word choices, topic themes and other undesirable factors to ensure interactions do not negatively affect marketing goals.

Promoted Posts
While it is free to create a business social media account, creating an account alone does not improve your marketing efforts. To make your social media campaigns successful, consider linking your social marketing efforts with your current marketing campaigns. This will help to strengthen your overall marketing campaigns. For example, offer a free in-store coupon for every customer who posts a picture of your product on his or her social media profile.

Targeting
While social networking sites are democratic, they still allow business owners to target their preferred demographics. Targeting involves seeking friends and followers on social networking accounts who fit the characteristics of your target audience.

Facebook’s New Hyper-Local Ads will Target People within a Mile of a Business

Facebook’s mobile omnipresence and drive for location sharing abilities has manifested with their new launch of super-targeted local advertising and virtual location targeting that’s geared towards getting consumers to visit nearby brick-and-mortar stores. Before long, physical businesses will have the capability to target ads to potential customers that are within a certain distance of their store’s location, which is essentially known as location targeting. Advertisers can predetermine a radius of their location as small as a mile if they wish and their ads will display on consumer’s web browsers or mobile phones. These new and innovative Local Awareness advertisements will be ready for business owners in the U.S. shortly and worldwide over the upcoming months.

Facebook’s hyper-targeted local advertising has been in the works for a while now. It obtained Rel8tion back in January 2011, which already implemented this type of ad targeting. Then, VP Carolyn Everson had the notion in June 2012 that location-conscious mobile phones could possibly one day facilitate hyper-targeted local Facebook ads, and so the plan took root and moved forward. Although the ads are in real-time, ultimately brick-and-mortar businesses could have the ability to pre-bid to hyper located audiences and reveal them to potential customers as they enter the targeted area.

Today, with more than 1 billion mobile phone users, several of which provide Facebook complete access to their specific location along with laptop users who volunteer key information including their location through their IP address and the city they currently live in, has easily provided Facebook all the information it needs to turn hyper local advertising into a reality. Thanks to its latest launch of its ‘Nearby Friends’ feature, Facebook advertising also has real-time location access on people using that particular tool.

Businesses can select an address from their Facebook page or simply key in their address, set up their radius, age range, gender, add a message and photo, and Facebook advertising will route the targeted ads to people close by. They can even choose to add directions in their ad through a unique button that will automatically launch a map app on the user’s mobile phone.

How easy would it be to simply walk down the block and receive an ad for a nearby clothing store or bar-and-grill that’s located right around the corner from where you are? Undoubtedly the ads wouldn’t be as effective if they included the whole city. But by focusing on consumers within just a mile, Facebook advertising can literally drive people to nearby brick-and-mortar businesses leading to actual sales. That’s cutting-edge marketing and something that local businesses are very interested in and currently can’t get anywhere else.

Ultimately, Facebook could potentially combine its ad network and retargeting capabilities with hyper location targeting so that virtually any business you frequent could target you with a relative ad in Facebook or even another kind of app when you’re close by. But for now, that’s in the future. As always, Facebook continues to seek new and better ways to make money.

It’s crucial to stay on top of the latest social media changes in order to successfully stay in the game. Facebook and other social media platforms are constantly changing. Therefore, if you need help effectively managing your social media platform, let Bright Age help.

Instagram now being used as a Social Media Marketing Tool

Instagram Is Now Being Used as a Social Media Marketing Tool

Instagram is a mobile photo-sharing site that has high potential as an effective social media marketing tool. Instead of only shared daily experiences passed between friends, Instagram can also alert a business’s customers to new sales specials, events or even how-to information related to a certain niche. Instagram paid advertising is now available for business owners as an option for increasing online visibility.

 

Instagram’s Effect on Social Media Marketing

When it comes to social media marketing Los Angeles, an Instagram account can serve as a localized advertising platform for companies in this city and its surrounding boroughs. The main effect of Instagram on social media marketing is the proof that a strictly image-based rather than a mainly text-based social site can be an effective advertising platform. A well-timed and interesting snapshot can catch visitors’ attention just as well as a typed slogan or comment.

 

How Instagram Reaches Targeted Audiences

Instagram users who follow a business’s profile will receive the latest posts from this company, including images and short video clips. While a good percentage of Instagram users access the site through their smartphones or tablets, a desktop version of the site is now available for potential customers who would like to view it with their web browsers. Just as with other forms of social media promotion, a company’s Instagram posts will reach the highest visitor numbers when those posts arr tightly targeted. Background research about a target market’s preferences, likes and common Instagram habits needs to be a high priority.

 

Benefits of Joining Instagram as a Business

Joining Instagram and building a strong profile allows both small and large businesses to reach a wider online audience with a high number of social media savvy members. Word-of-mouth recommendations through Instagram can carry a great deal of weight with frequent Instagram users who have large numbers of followers. Instagram also has features that allow business owners to build and encourage follower engagement. Some popular examples of engagement on Instagram include hosting photo contests, giving out Instagram-exclusive promo codes and sharing followers’ Instagram posts.

Just as with any social media platform, keeping Instagram followers engaged is the best way to keep those followers. The social photo-sharing site allows behind-the-scenes glances at a company, particularly at conferences and trade shows. Photos customers and fans post and hashtag with a business’s name can be some of the best forms of Instagram advertising.

Instagram Social Media Tool

Instagram Social Media Tool

The Power of Viral Social Media: Ice Bucket Challenge

The Power of Viral Social Media: Ice Bucket Challenge 

With big-name proponents like Bill Gates getting involved in raising funds for research and treatment, few social media marketing ideas have carried as much weight in recent years as the “Ice Bucket Challenge” campaign to support ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a condition commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease that affects voluntary muscle movement by acting on nerve cells in the brain and spine.

What is the Ice Bucket Challenge, and How Did It Become So Famous?
A movement in which friends nominate one another to either donate money towards the ALS Association or dump a bucket of ice water over their heads, the Ice Bucket Challenge has become so popular in recent weeks that it has garnered millions of dollars in donations for the organization. That money will help provide the means to research and treat Lou Gehrig’s disease on a number of fronts, and the ALS Association could not be more proud, having received over ten times the amount of donations at present than they did at this time in their previous year.

How Has the Challenge Become So Popular?
In a word, the challenge became popular through everyday communication: On a purely voluntary basis, many citizens with no connection to media outlets have driven a movement to help those suffering from ALS.

Indeed, as the Ice Bucket Challenge goes viral, special attention is now being placed on the power of online marketing to bring attention to worthy causes. In recent years, social media has done much to provide first-hand information on a variety of major social events. In the run-up to elections in Iran several years ago, for example, people in other countries could stay up-to-the-minute on news concerning key issues in Iranian civil rights, as Iranian citizens posted information about the election on sites like Twitter and Reddit.

Instead of waiting for op-eds in major newspapers, in other words, citizens of one country were now looking to citizens of another country to provide them with a common viewpoint on their experience. Such is the case with the Ice Bucket Challenge, which relies on the wider population to drive its campaign of awareness and fundraising. For individuals interested in the power of social media to change public opinion, the challenge is so successful that it should be seen as a major case-study in the effectiveness of online marketing.

A Club Where Everyone is Included: Understanding Social Media Marketing
So how is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge a particularly 21st Century idea? The answer lies in the ability of social media companies to sift through information via such means as hashtags. Through the use of codes such as #StrikeOutALS and #IceBucketChallenge on Twitter or Facebook, for example, any person can participate in spreading information about ALS awareness simply by noting their participation in the movement or by nominating friends to participate. As others search out the use of such terms, the movement moves forward on its own while drawing attention from major news outlets.

What Does the Challenge Tell Us About the Future of Social Media?
As examples of the power of people to help one another, movements such as the Ice Bucket Challenge appeal to basic psychological needs in human culture. A sense of belonging and a need to address the greater good are just two qualities that have caused the movement to be so popular with users on sites like Twitter and Facebook. By helping people affected by ALS, individuals on social media sites can participate in making the world a better place. As the movement goes more viral, individuals feel not only a connection to a positive campaign, but also that by sharing information they are introducing awareness to others.

In this way, the future of online marketing is inspiring in its potential for bringing awareness of good acts to a wider population. Even more striking is the grass-roots nature of such movements: As more people participate in awareness campaigns, more collective good can be done than ever in history. That quality alone has made social marketing one of the game-changers in 21st Century society and its truly democratic values.

Foursquare Changes Now Benefit Social Media Marketing Professionals

Social Media Marketing: Foursquare Splits App into Two Separate Experiences

Foursquare is one of the most widely used social media apps worldwide. Since its inception, people have used it to check into their favorite social networks and show off where they have been. The owners of Foursquare have monitored how this app has been used and have perfected it so that it can benefit both social media marketing professionals and average everyday users alike.What Changes Have Been Made?Historically, Foursquare used to be an app that allowed people to share their locations with others on social networking sites. When users went to their favorite stores, restaurants, tourist attractions, malls and parks, they could let their friends know by using their tablets or phones. The app would use these devices’ location tracking features to determine where users were located, and then these individuals could select the option to share. Now, Foursquare has redesigned its app to allow for two different experiences, sharing locations and receiving personalized location recommendations based on users’ preferences, likes and previously visited locations. The name of the portion of the app that is to share locations is called Swarm. Swarm will work like Forsquare did previously before the changes were made. The Forsquare portion of the app, on the other hand, will provide users with personal recommendations.

How Foursquare Changes Benefit Social Media Marketing Professionals

The changes have made social media marketing easier than ever before because companies are able to better promote their brands to individuals who are searching for what they want or need and meet target markets. Let’s say, for example, that a company wants to reach out to prospects in the Los Angeles area, this company will then need to contact marketing experts who will engage in providing social media management in Los Angeles. A top quality firm that specializes in social media management in Los Angeles will need to use social networks to target users who frequent places in that town or who reside there. Bright Age digital creative agency in Los Angeles is a fine example of an outstanding marketing firm that will offer such a service to businesses needing to effectively and efficiently reach their clientele. Once targeted ads have been placed and marketing firms have used other techniques to reach out to people in a specific geographic location, the app can recommend these companies to people who actually want to do business.

How the Changes in Foursquare Benefit Average Users

Average users will not have to look far to find the things they want or need. All they have to do is use Swarm to check into all of their favorite places and set preferences in Foursquare, and the Forsquare portion of the app will allow desired places to show up according to preference. Users will always have a good experience and will be more likely to do business with recommended companies because these recommendations will be shown according to taste.

With these mutual benefits, average everyday people will always find what they desire, and they will not have to be bombarded with annoying advertising. Marketing experts will reach their goal of meeting their targeted market much quicker and easier than they ever imagined. No longer are advertising dollars going to be wasted on people who have no interest in a particular product or service.

Bright Age digital creative agency in Los Angeles is a full service firm that specializes in providing social media management services to a multitude of clients in a variety of industries. Company owners who are in need of expert social media management in Los Angeles can contact one of our friendly customer service representatives and receive optimal marketing solutions that will dramatically increase profits. Bright Age digital creative agency in Los Angeles offers exceptional quality services at unbeatable prices. Our professionals are highly trained and make providing social media management in Los Angeles their number one priority. It is our guarantee that nobody walks away unsatisfied.

Using Snapchat as a Social Media Marketing Tool

In order to market successfully online using social media, it is important to continuously evolve a marketing strategy to improve results. Since the field of internet marketing is constantly changing with new technology, it is important for businesses to keep up with these latest trends. Snapchat has emerged as one of the leading photo messaging applications available in the marketplace. It allows users to share photographs and videos with their friends, which are commonly referred to as “snaps”. Users can then socially chat about each photo and video in order to pass the message on to friends. Since an increasing number of users are utilizing Snapchat today, it is growing in importance as a social media marketing tool.

Advantages of Snapchat

Businesses that adopt Snapchat will get to take advantage of an emerging marketplace where customers might be participating. As a growing social media network, it currently has 500 million videos and photos being shared on the channel each day. As proof of the platform’s potential value, Facebook offered $3 billion for the platform in November 2013. Additionally, Google offered the company $4 billion for a buyout. Both times, the company refused to accept the sale and instead took venture capital a month later. In face of being offered such large sums, the confidence of the company’s founders shows that the social media marketing tool is worthy of notice for businesses looking for growth opportunities today.

Using Snapchat

As part of a social media strategy, Snapchat offers businesses a way to share photos and videos of products in a place where customers will visit. By participating in this new channel, businesses can develop closer relationships with their potential and former customers. As part of a social media strategy, businesses should share new product updates, fun activities around their office, and participation in community events. By keeping the tone of posts and other content conversational in nature, businesses will likely be able to reach their target market by using Snapchat. This has the potential to make for more effective social media management in Los Angeles and around the country.

Geofilters

One great advantage of marketing with Snapchat is that it has extensive features that can potentially enable businesses to geotarget customers. By using a feature called geofilters, businesses are able to add a customized sticker to photographs that can only be seen by people within a specific geographic area. This means that images can be customized to an extensive degree to enable businesses to connect with customers in a specific area. By utilizing this effectively, businesses will be able to reach their target market locally at several different places at a time. For example, this could be used for social media management in Los Angeles to display specific photo elements only in the geographic area.

As an effective social media marketing tool, Snapchat will only grow in importance in the coming years. Businesses engaged in social media management in Los Angeles should start taking advantage of this new digital marketing strategy today in order to gain a competitive advantage over business rivals.