bettercallpaul Archives - Page 15 of 49

Guest Post: How to Pick the Right Platform for Your Social Media Advertising

There’s a reason plenty of businesses have embraced social media marketing wholeheartedly: it gives them the chance to reach a wide range of potential customers. Facebook alone had approximately 2.19 billion active monthly users in the first quarter of 2018. Additionally, surveys indicate that people tend to access social media platforms multiple times a day. This gives marketers many opportunities to reach their audience.

Of course, marketers still need to abide by key best practices in order to leverage social media to its full potential. Partnering with experts at a YouTube or Facebook marketing agency can be a great way to learn these practices. This guide will also help you better understand each major platform, and how you can advertise effectively on them.

Facebook

Facebook is one of the most useful social media platforms for marketers, not only because it boasts a high number of users, but also because it offers tools to enhance and monitor a campaign.

Facebook allows marketers to target specific types of people when they run ads, using factors like geography, interests, and demographics to define an audience. Facebook also lets marketers track a wide range of metrics to assess how a campaign is performing.

It’s worth noting that Facebook is helpful because it allows marketers to post several different types of ads, including video ads, carousels, and individual images with text. To start using this platform, create a Facebook Business account.

Instagram

Did you know that 80% of Instagram users say they follow at least one business on the platform? That may be because Instagram lets marketers run visually compelling ads that don’t feel like they’re cluttering a user’s feed.

On a platform like Facebook, where posts can take several different forms, an ad doesn’t always blend into the newsfeed naturally. On Instagram, where the vast majority of posts are pictures or images, ads are more seamless. Brands can also leverage hashtags to attract customers interested in similar products or services.

YouTube

Content marketing is effective because it offers customers genuine value. Video content marketing is helpful because, as long as a potential customer watches a video through to completion, this type of ad lets you maintain engagement for an extended period of time.

Brands can publish videos on YouTube that tell a deeper story or offer more information than a basic image and text ad could. Companies can also monetize their channels with ads from other businesses.

LinkedIn

According to some experts, LinkedIn remains the most effective social media platform for marketing a B2B business. That’s because the user base typically consists of professionals who use the platform to post or find jobs and network with others in their industry.

LinkedIn is unique because you can generally be confident a person using it is willing to interact with a business. In fact, that’s what the platform is designed for. This isn’t the case with other social media sites, where users may typically rely on to stay in touch with family members or friends.

Snapchat

Because Snapchat is particularly attractive to Millennial users, it’s a helpful marketing tool for brands that serve younger customers.

Of course, Snapchat content is designed to disappear after a set amount of time. Instead of using it to publish evergreen marketing content, marketers can use Snapchat for more spontaneous and exclusive advertising tactics. For example, you could publish a short video of a behind-the-scenes event related to your brand. Customers will appreciate the innovative form of advertising you publish on this unique platform.

Deciding which of these platforms to focus on involves evaluating what kind of business you run. If you tend to serve other brands, LinkedIn is essential. If you market to Millennials, you need to be on Snapchat. Facebook, on the other hand, can be useful to companies in a wide range of industries.

As always, it’s important to experiment. The more you play around with different social media marketing tactics and platforms, the easier it is to find out what does and does not work.

About the Author: Rae Steinbach is a graduate of Tufts University with a combined International Relations and Chinese degree. After spending time living and working abroad in China, she returned to NYC to pursue her career and continue curating quality content. Rae is passionate about travel, food, and writing (of course)

My Journey With Video Apps: Vizmato

Developer: Vizmato

Cost: Free (in app purchases)

App Overview (from iTunes): Now you can make great looking videos within minutes! Vizmato is an easy to use Movie maker, that let’s you add filters, themes, music, effects and text to make your videos super cool. Share these videos with your friends on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Whatsapp and other social media channels!

What I Like: The effects you can add are really cool and easy to apply. You can order your scenes however you would like whether on the import or during the edit. Easy to upload to your particular social platform.

What I Don’t Like: You can only have five scenes. No transitions. Not easy to trim clips during editing. Ducking audio is not intuitive. Limited selection for the music. iOS Only. The in app purchases were weak as a selection. The watermark.

What I Think is Special About the App: Did not care for using this app. I cannot recommend.

Sample Video:

#BetterCallPaul – Introducing Video Intern Josh

Josh just graduated from Mason High School, and in the Fall he’s headed to Grand Valley State University to study Film and Video Production. He enjoys soccer, spends an excessive amount of time watching TV and movies, and of course, loves making videos.

Dr. Susan Maples – Writing A Book

Dr. Susan goes into how she got started writing her book , “Blabbermouth” and all that it took to make it happen. And make it happen according to her standards.

To watch the whole conversation: https://wp.me/p8q8pr-1uJ

To order Blabbermouth: https://www.drsusanmaplesspeaker.com/books-and-products

Guest Post: How HR department can improve your business

Many small business owners spend countless hours developing human resource (HR) policies and procedures, especially those lacking an HR department. If this statement defines you, as an entrepreneur, you’d probably instead focus on other elements of your business such as your clients and customer service.

Human resources consulting firms take on the challenges you face as an employer, and in these days of recruiting, hiring and retention, HR support is a necessary must! Still, many businesses fear the costs of consultants when in reality the benefits outweigh the expense.

Not depending on the business industry and its employers’ numbers you have an HR consultant or department can help in some of the following ways:

Recruiting – The entire recruiting and hiring process can be harsh and lengthy. One must be savvy in assessing, interviewing, the legalities of pre-employment screening and background checks and compensation packages. HR experts can handle this entire process to improve employee retention and satisfaction.
Policies & Procedures – If you don’t have a set of HR policies, you will be in for a tough time when it comes to labor disputes, employee warnings, and terminations and general company rules. HR specialists can develop your policies based on your needs with your input and also ensure they follow federal and state guidelines.
Forms – Do you know if your job application, written warning forms, and required employee posters are legal and current? HR consultants will ensure they are.
Voice of the Employee – By utilizing employee engagement surveys, HR professionals can gauge the likes, dislikes, and needs of your employees and tell you how to use their feedback to increase motivation and productivity.
Training – Employees want training; they want to be able to advance in their careers. Human resources consulting firms can create training programs and help you implement them onsite or off.

Safety – OSHA requires every employer to ensure a safe workplace environment. It comes with specific policies and procedures, safety meetings and employee awareness. HR experts are versed in these policies and can provide a plan suitable for your needs.
Benefit Packages – These can be complicated and expensive, but HR consultants can help you design benefit packages within your budget. Today’s workforce seeks companies that offer benefit plans to cover health, employee assistance programs (EAPs) and retirement benefits.
Performance Reviews – Along with training, offering annual performance reviews is second in line when it comes to employee desires. They want to know if they’re improving and where they’re strong and weak areas lie. HR professionals can also help you create performance reviews designed for your industry and help you implement employee guidance plans—even mentoring programs.

These are just a few of the ways an HR consulting firm can improve your business—and the employer/employee relationship. Small business owners are knowledgeable about their product and services and know what their target markets are. They also know their customer’s wants and needs but many lack knowledge in the employment arena.

Perhaps the most significant contribution HR advisors can offer taking care of the “human” management side of your company. Employees are not just numbers, and HR experts are educated professionals that can provide a range of services to choose from or take care of all your HR needs.

So, doesn’t matter what kind or size of business you have, for any company it’s essential to have the HR specialist or department. With the help of their correct work, you will gain only impressive results for your company as increasing of the KPI, productivity, and quality of all staff job and growing of your business.

About the Author: Carol James is a writer and senior editor at writing service, so you can order essay template on any topic from EssayLab. She has MA degree in social sciences and writes articles, reviews on the different actual subjects. So, if you have any questions regarding the writing, feel free to ask her.

My Journey With Video Apps: Oringe Inc’s Videohance

Developer: Oringe Inc.

Cost: $3.99

App Overview (from iTunes): Videohance is the ultimate video look editor.

What I Like: You can choose to add effects to one clip or all in one click. Wide variety of styles to choose from. Two types of export options. Easy to move items in an order you like.

What I Don’t Like: Can’t add transitions in the edit itself, have to wait on export. Can’t change the duration of stills as a whole, when importing you have to change duration then. iOS only. A bit pricey for a very limited app.

What I Think is Special About the App: I like how in the import phase you can reframe your pics and videos. That is a nice touch.

#BetterCallPaul – June 2018 Recap

Another exciting monthly recap of great stories. This month we launched videos by Inspired Homes and Staging, Michigan Primary Care Consortium, Ingham County Health Department and ELCA Gathering.

Guest Post: 8 Video Game Marketing Commercials You’ll Never Forget

Video game marketing covers a wide variety of media. From magazines and other printed media to TV commercials and gigantic murals, video games are actually all over. Now, this article will celebrate the best commercials for video games.

Take note, the title says ‘commercials’. It means it has to be aired on the television to be part of this list. The Dead Island trailer, no matter how well-crafted it is, is a trailer. Thus it won’t be featured in this list.

PS3 – Michael

A commercial in memory of a deceased gamer, it takes all of the most popular PlayStation game characters in one epic commercial. Nathan Drake talks to FFXIII’s Lightning, while Assassin’s Creed’s Ezio and MGS’s Old Snake lurk in their respective corners. It’s just such a fitting tribute to a gamer who tragically lost his life too young. What’s even better is that they got the characters’ voice actors/actresses to play their characters in this commercial!

Gears of War – Mad World

Haunting visuals accompanied by haunting music, this commercial definitely sets the tone of the game. It doesn’t really represent the gameplay, but it does showcase the game’s gritty atmosphere very well. The ad shows the protagonist traveling through a ruined city trying to escape whatever threats that are hunting him. The commercial sealed the song’s link to the game. Now, gamers can’t listen to the song without thinking of the game.

Super Smash Bros – Happy Together

The first ever Super Smash Bros game on the Nintendo 64 had this amazing commercial. It starts out with the classic Nintendo characters Mario, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, and Pikachu all happily frolicking through a field of flowers. All of a sudden, Mario trips Yoshi and it turns into an all-out brawl. Thus begins a popular franchise that now spans consoles and multiple games.

Halo 3 – Believe

A camera pans through a diorama of marines fighting (and losing to?) the Covenant. Everything is still and silent, showing various scenes and faces. That is until it pans to Master Chief’s plasma grenade, and he looks up. It has to be seen to be believed.

Ratchet and Clank – Weapons Testing

A group of teenagers somehow got real-life (not really) weapons from the Ratchet & Clank games. They try the weapons out, resulting in hilarious (and dangerous) situations. From accidentally turning their friend into a chicken to setting a tree on fire, the commercial sure does its job of making people want to play the game.

Mortal Kombat – Mortal Monday

Mortal Kombat’s four versions were released simultaneously, and the date was henceforth dubbed “Mortal Monday”. The release was announced by a slew of TV commercials. A young man shouts “MORTAL MONDAY” interspersed with shots of people running and converging on a crossroad. The crown then watches scenes from the game like they’re watching a rock concert.

Battlefield Bad Company

Another series of ads this time poking fun at or parodying other video games or their ads. One takes a jab at the Gears of War “Mad World” commercial, and another took a shot at MGS’s silly camouflage techniques. They’re funny and worth a watch. Unfortunately, there’s only three of them.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 – ‘Infomercial’

Parodying the infomercials that were popular then, the commercial for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 said the game is able to clean stains, cover bald spots, and chop and dice vegetables. Of course, it can’t, though the sheer outrageousness of the claims is good for a laugh.

Honorable Mentions

The Last of Us – Could You Be the Last of Us?

A mysterious, cryptic narration over an actor’s gradual transformation into Joel, the game’s protagonist. The background and surroundings also decay over the course of the commercial. Then, as the narrator asks one last question, the game’s title is revealed. More than that, the commercial captures the game’s tone and atmosphere. What’s not to like about this commercial?

WoW – “What’s Your Game?” Series of Commercials

These commercials featured popular celebrities such as Ozzy Osbourne, Chuck Norris, and Mr. T. They are reimagined as World of Warcraft characters and at the end, they all ask, “What’s your game?”. It becomes memorable because could you imagine Chuck Norris (or the other celebrities) grinding WoW gold or playing in general otherwise?

And those are the video game commercials you’ll never forget. Enjoy gaming!

Daisy is an SEO | Outreach Content Marketing Specialist, from the Philippines who’s been playing video games since 2006. When I am not working at Playerauctions, I love to read, getting out(hiking, backpacking, and camping)…but unfortunately, I love to spend too much time behind a computer than spending time with friends.

Guest Post: Business Location: 5 Tips to Making Your Clients Comfortable and Content

Having a business where clients come in to interact, purchase goods and explore options provides you with the opportunity to build rapport. Establishing a strong relationship does involve interpersonal skills, but it also means that you must create an environment in which your clients are comfortable and relaxed.

Offer Comfortable Seating

Whether clients will spend time in a waiting area or sit in your office, you must ensure that the chairs are pleasing. For example, Fit Small Business notes the importance of having chairs that both provide support and comfort. Keep in mind that a mix of armchairs and arm-less chairs is best. Some people need the arms for support, and others cannot fit into chairs with arms.

Control the Temperature

Ongaro And Sons suggests the importance of having an appropriate temperature in your office. Clients should not feel as though they have to stack on layers because the environment is freezing, nor should they be covered in sweat by the time of their appointments. If your clients seem uncomfortable, take a look at the number on the thermostat. Adjust it as needed.

Provide Proper Parking

When clients have to embark upon a prodigious journey from their car, they may soon start to seek other business options. While a stroll is enjoyable when the weather is pleasant, those benefits are negated by a rainstorm, a rushed schedule or an uncomfortable pair of shoes. If your business currently does not offer parking, scout out areas for lots. You could also consider offering complimentary valet parking.

Remember Safety

If your company is located in an area that has high crime rates, clients may worry about sitting in an unlocked office or walking through the parking lot. You could require clients to ring a bell to be let in so that they know others will have to do the same. Security cameras in parking lots can’t necessarily prevent crime from happening, but they can offer some level of security.

Fill the Waiting Time

Chances are that your clients may have a waiting period at least some of the times. While you want to make sure that you are seeing clients at the time of their appointment, you should also offer them ways to occupy themselves. Depending upon the nature of your business, you could put a television in the waiting room or spread out some magazines.

Comfortable and content clients are important. When your clients feel good, the transactions are likely to prove more successful.

Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She loves being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise. Meghan finds happiness in researching new topics that help to expand her horizons. You can often find her buried in a good book or out looking for an adventure. You can connect with her on Facebook right here and Twitter right here.

#BetterCallPaul- Melik Brown Conversation “Why Lansing?”

Melik offers his insight on why he likes to be part of the Greater Lansing Community.

For the whole conversation, Go here: https://youtu.be/BYkgv__TECI