Tuesday, 22 August 2017

Social Media Explained Visually YouTube



So, I was about to note that I think this video, which explains social media, might be aimed at kids...  Then I realised that kids already know what social media is, so it must be aimed at us older generations instead :)  Either way, it takes things back to basics, explains that it's just a way to mix content and conversations, and I couldn't resist adding it to my blog!

Saturday, 19 August 2017

The Most Discussed Issues on Facebook and Instagram in July [Infographic]

The Most Discussed Issues on Facebook and Instagram in July [Infographic]


Article originally published on socialmediatoday.com by Andrew Hutchinson, August 19th, 2017

Facebook has released the latest version of its monthly Hot Topics report, covering the subjects and issues that were most mentioned by Facebook users in July.
The Hot Topics reports are a great reference point for those looking to optimize their Facebook posts and campaigns
 – not only do the reports show you what was being discussed, but who by, in terms of general demographics (male/female, younger/older), which can help provide guidance on what’s resonating amongst your specific target market/s.
So what was gaining traction on Facebook last month?
The Most Discussed Issues on Facebook and Instagram in July [Infographic] | Social Media TodayAs usual, national holidays get a lot of attention on Facebook – which makes sense, people share their thoughts and opinions on such days. 
But they can skew the data somewhat when you’re trying to conduct research on what’s most relevant to your audience – it’s pretty much a given that seasonal events will come up and you need to factor them into your marketing plan where possible.
To make it a little clearer as to what else was resonating, here’s the chart with seasonal holiday mentions removed.
The Most Discussed Issues on Facebook and Instagram in July [Infographic] | Social Media TodayThat makes it a little clearer – though it is relevant to note the popularity of celebrations like Christmas in July and Canada Day, as they may help planning for future campaigns.
In terms of key topics of note, younger men are very interested in the upcoming Conor McGregor/Floyd Mayweather boxing match, while the death of Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington was also a key topic of focus.  
Among older users, you can see that Le Tour de France was popular with older men, while tennis star Kim Clijsters, who was recently inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, was also highly mentioned. Country singer Garth Brooks also got a lot of attention, as did zucchini amongst older women. Not sure what the story is with that.
Over on Instagram, the story was, again, similar, though with more entertainment-related mentions (which is normally how it goes among Instagram users).
The Most Discussed Issues on Facebook and Instagram in July [Infographic] | Social Media TodayThis is likely influenced by the younger user base of Instagram.
As always, Facebook has also provided Hot Topics charts for:

Australia
The Most Discussed Issues on Facebook and Instagram in July [Infographic] | Social Media Today
Canada
The Most Discussed Issues on Facebook and Instagram in July [Infographic] | Social Media TodayThe UK
The Most Discussed Issues on Facebook and Instagram in July [Infographic] | Social Media TodayAs noted, the Hot Topics report is always worth a look – even if you’re absolutely confident you know and understand your target market, there are always smaller trends and shifts within the data that come up, and may help refine your campaign focus in order to generate better response. 

Thursday, 17 August 2017

My philosophy for a happy life | Sam Berns | TEDxMidAtlantic



My favourite quote from this: 'No matter what I choose to become, I believe I can change the world - and as as I'm striving to change the world, I will be happy'.  It just seems to summarise perfectly an incredible philosophy.  Thank you Sam!

Thursday, 10 August 2017

Seth Godin on marketing, storytelling, attention, and the future of work



Great insights from Seth Godin...  Some of the key points I took are:

'Permission marketing is the idea of delivering anticipated, personal, and relevant messages that people want to get'.

Focus on  'working our way to a place of relevance' 'patiently building an asset... and earning attention'

People 'process information by telling themselves a story'

'Redefine authentic self as consistent self'

'We need to find meaningful work'

Tuesday, 8 August 2017

8 Habits of Highly Successful Students




This is aimed at kids at school and is pretty basic, but wow can it be applied to starting a new business too!  It also highlights how much extra experience we really do have over school-leavers, even if they are better at Facebook :)  Nice marketing strategy ideas too...