Vanilla Mist

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Anthony

2019 Social Media Marketing Trends to Look Out For

 

Let’s face it; social media is already ingrained in the day to day lives of people, which is all well and good, especially for businesses who can capitalise on these platforms to market their products and services. The problem is, social media keeps on evolving, and if your company’s social media presence does not keep up, you will be left in the dust trailing behind your competition.

The social media marketing trends this year will likely continue to dictate the market next year with a significant focus on video content and influencers. Aside from these, there are a few predictions for what might be in store for social media marketers in 2019.

Continuous popularity and growth of live videos

When Facebook released an infographic of live video statistics since its release two years ago, the unprecedented numbers prove that there is potential in using live videos as a marketing tool. There is a Digital Agency in Sheffield, for instance, which helps businesses harness the innovations of social media platforms such as live videos to enrich the company’s effort in providing customers with an interactive method to connect via social media live videos.

What’s great about live videos is their authenticity. It offers audiences an unfiltered look into certain business practices, a sort of raw backstage access. Retail companies use live videos to give customers a sneak peek of product launches. Some entertainment sites also promote events through live videos, and it has proven to increase interest among audiences who took the time to view the live video.

Digital speakers and video assistants

Smart speakers are approaching prominence and slowly becoming mainstream. A lot of people who use the technology appreciate the convenience of using voice commands. As such, marketing through social media will also evolve as more people embrace the technology. Examples of this include publishing audio content specifically for these devices. Search engines like Google may also start coming up with algorithms for voice searches.

Social media integration with third-party services

Social media platforms like Facebook continue to integrate their services with third-party websites to provide users with convenient access to applications they use on a daily basis. Expect this trend to continue growing in the coming years. What does this mean for social media marketers? It means that social media platforms are only becoming more popular and dominant as far as gathering information on their users while also helping smaller websites and applications increase their reach.

Video ads will remain prominent

Much of internet traffic goes to video streaming, and all social media platforms make use of this medium to the fullest extent. In the same manner, video advertising through social media is expected to only grow in the coming years. Companies should always include video advertising in social marketing strategies. Video ads on YouTube, a partnership with influencers, in-house interactive video content, and paid endorsements are only some of the popular methods of marketing through social media videos. Expect the trend to continue growing as it is not likely going to dissipate anytime soon.

Clarifying Misconceptions about Fingerprint Jewellery

For many people, a fingerprint bracelet is a novel idea. They know about customised jewellery, but they don’t see that it is possible to take a fingerprint and place it on the jewellery. Unfortunately, people also form opinions about this jewellery without knowing the truth behind it. Here are some ideas about a fingerprint bracelet that are untrue and the truth behind them.

Fingerprint jewellery is expensive

In a way, this is true. Before you say no to this jewellery, you need to know that any other customised jewellery also has the same price tag, or even more. The reason why it is expensive is the uniqueness of the piece. There is nothing else in the world that is similar to what you have. Fingerprints are unique, and no two people could have the same fingerprints. Therefore, if you are the only person wearing that bracelet, why don’t you spend money on it? Besides, you have a lot of pieces to choose from, so there is no need to spend a lot on the most expensive part.

Ready-made fingerprint jewellery is all right

You may find fingerprint jewellery that you need not customise. It seems weird because it is. The idea of having this type of jewellery is for you to give your fingerprint as the basis for making the mould of the jewellery. Buying a ready-made piece does not make sense since the fingerprint is not yours or of anyone you love. The said piece might be cheaper than the customised version, but you don’t want a stranger’s fingerprints on you wherever you go.

It takes quite some time for the jeweller to complete the piece

Customised jewellery, in general, takes time to complete. Jewellers need to be careful in every detail to avoid mistakes. They also want the piece to look fantastic once it is finished. Therefore, you need to be patient when you choose this piece. Besides, it is not like other customised pieces where you only select the designs and the details and approve the final version. For this piece, you need to submit a fingerprint and wait until they’ve finished with the mould before they can start working on the jewellery.

Nevertheless, it only takes three weeks at most to finish the piece. If you are planning to use it soon, you can order in advance to avoid potential problems. You can also ask the store in advance if they can finish the piece on or before the date when you are planning to use it. If they can’t promise you anything, look for other options. You might need to pay more, but it could still be worth it.

Now that you understand the truth behind this piece of jewellery, it is time to consider buying it. Look at the sample pieces of jewellery before making a decision. Compare the cost from one store to another and imagine how the piece would look to the person wearing it, whether it is you or someone else.

Useful Tips and Advice For Looking After Your Car’s Tyres

If you want to prolong the life of your tyres, continue reading to discover a few handy tips which are well worth keeping in mind.

Useful tips and advice for looking after your car’s tyres:

1. Inspect your tyres on a monthly basis and before embarking on any day trips or road trips

It’s well worth making a habit out of inspecting your tyres on a monthly basis so that you’ll be able to identify any potential problems such as small punctures as quickly as possible. Which will prolong the life of your tyres. Also, make sure to thoroughly inspect all four of your tyres before heading out on a day trip or road trip.

2. Also check the air pressure of your tyres on a regular basis

It’s also a great idea to look into TyrePlus as they can regularly check the air pressure of your tyres as if your tyres are underinflated they may wear out quickly or cause an avoidable accident. As it’s much harder to break on time in an emergency if your tyres are underinflated.

As an added bonus if you ensure to make sure that your tyres are always suitably inflated, your car will require less effort from your engine in order to move your car from a to b, which means that you’ll save a decent amount of money in gas costs.

3. Avoid driving at speed when possible

If you want to prolong the life of your tyres it’s definitely worth keeping to the speed limit and avoiding driving quickly when possible. As the faster you travel, the quicker your tyres will start to wear out. After all, professional race car drivers often have to make use of pit stops in races, as they drive so fast that their tyres won’t last a full race and need to be replaced mid-race.

4. Rotate your car’s tyres positions from time to time

Did you know that you can slightly rotate your tyres front and rear axle positions, in order to decrease accumulative damage to your car’s tyres. Which will ensure that your tyres will wear evenly and will last as long as they possibly can, in good condition, without needing to be changed.

5. Never drive with a punctured tyre

If you notice that one of wheels has a puncture, don’t risk trying to drive your car home or to a mechanic if you have a spare tyre on hand. As the sooner you replace your damaged tyre, the more chance there will be that your local tyre specialist will be able to repair your punctured tyre.

Whereas as you continue to drive with a punctured tyre unnecessarily it’s very likely that your tyre won’t be able to be repaired and that you’ll have to pay a small fortune in order for your tyre to be replaced.

6. Never leave home without a spare tyre

Never make the mistake of leaving your home without a spare tyre as you never know when you’ll accidentally drive over a nail or a sharp object and will be in dire need of a spare tyre, to get you safely home!

If you keep the six tyre tips listed above in mind, you’ll be sure to get plenty of extra miles out of your current set of tyres.

Keeping Your Vegetables Frosty with IQF Packaging

It’s no surprise to restaurants that they need to take utmost care in preparing their meals. Not only does this ensure that the flavour of their products is top-notch, but it also leaves owners with the fear that their products are the cause of illnesses to their customers. An unkempt pantry leading to a lawsuit is sure to be a loss in thousands and potentially tens of thousands in having a disgraced reputation.

Doing your best to keep your vegetables safe and clean from spoilage is a smart way to keep your customer’s healthy and satisfied. If you’re looking for sustainability and richness in flavour, then opting to choose IQF products will be the best way to go.

Food and spoilage

Products bought in the grocery store will usually have a ‘best by’ date indicated. But just as a secret between you and me, depending on the packaging procedure of the product, it can last a little longer than that. Of course, you have to look at the warning signs of spoiled food, seen through the yellowing of leafy vegetables and dark spots that are due to the formation of ice crystals.

Your best friend in this scenario is your senses. Common signs that vegetables are nearing the end of their shelf life is the presence of ice crystals. These can be present if plantsare left in the freezer for too long or if the method of freezing is just through regular means. Once your plants have these signs, it’s clear that they should be in the compost bin.

Are frozen products better than fresh ones?

Fresh isn’t always the best choice, at least when it comes to vegetables and fruit. Frozen products have benefits if you’re looking to buy them from the grocery store. Frozen goods are typically priced lower compared to fresh products, but if you’re buying vegetables that are farmed in remote locations to be shipped to your local grocer, then it’s better to have them frozen. These products are typically picked right before they are fit to be ripe, seeing as the manufacturers consider the long distances travelled by the food.

‘Freshly-picked’ products are often un-ripe when taken from the ground and have less nutritional content compared to frozen goods. If you have the chance, look for IQF vegetable suppliers in the UK which can be a healthier and more affordable choice for your business.

IQF freezing

IQF, or Individually Quick Frozen, products reduce the risk of spoilage by freezing the products at low temperatureswithin a quick timeframe. What would usually be done in ten hours of freezing takes just over two hours, frozen products using this process have fewer ice crystals that eat away at the product’s natural moisture which prevents the occurrence of spoiling. The food then undergoes a process of being blanched in warm water to kill bacteria and enzymes that contribute to spoilage. The method of flash freezing preserves not just the flavour from leaving but keeps the nutrients intact.

Average Computer Users Are Targeted by Ransomware Attacks

Our everyday lives revolve more and more around computers and technology – it is hard to imagine our daily work, how we entertain ourselves, or even how our kids learn at school without the assistance of computers and the web. Yet, recently, we have started to become painfully aware of the risks, too, as high-profile hacking incidents have brought even major companies to their knees. And even though we would like to think that we do not matter enough to be targeted by hacker attacks, the truth is that the average computer user should worry as much as anyone about the next ransomware attack.

2017 Ransomware Epidemic Strikes Individual Users

Ransomware is the word of the day lately, as a wave of attacks hit thousands of users across countries. It is the malware threat that demonstrates the most rapid growth and the whole world came to know what it was when two major outbreaks occurred within the first half of 2017. WannaCry hit more than 300,000 computers in May and, two months later, a variation of the malware called Petya infected a further 16,500 devices. Even though the impact on major public institutions like the British National Health Service and business giants like shipping company Maersk have overtaken headlines, individual users were also among those affected by the malware attack that demanded payment to unlock their encrypted data.

Getting Informed Is the Best Proactive Strategy

This highlights the need of everyone using a computer and going online – so, basically, every single one of us – to get informed and develop a personal data security approach. You can start by understanding what is at risk: try and identify where you are keeping your data online and how you would classify it. Information like your banking and credit card details, a photo of your passport, or your Social Security number, are much more important than that obscure photo of last year’s vacation, even if they don’t hold the same sentimental value. Protecting your most sensitive data from ransomware attacks by holding it on a secure backup storage device instead of on your computer can help protect you from extortion and identity fraud.

Ransomware Attacks Hit Public Infrastructure

Everyday users are not just impacted by ransomware that hits their personal computers – we are also affected by attacks that target public institutions. A couple of weeks ago, an employee of the Monroe County School District uncovered a ransomware attack that hit the Florida Keys public school computer network. The system remained out of service for five days in a row as IT professionals rushed to get the servers cleaned. The ransomware was a variant called GandCrab, according to a report published on miamiherald.com on September 13, 2018. A few days later, Bristol Airport in the UK also suffered a ransomware attack that forced the staff to close down flight display screens for 48 hours. While the attack did not target the screen system per se, technicians working on containing the attack decided to take them offline to avoid further damage, much to the annoyance of passengers traveling during those days.

Incidents like these will keep happening, as ransomware and malware trends are on the rise. Even though it seems that hackers will be reluctant to turn their attention on an average user, ransomware attacks are much more widespread than we think – so it is better to stay vigilant and be prepared.

The most important knowledge for Social Media Marketing Experts

These days social media marketing experts can earn a valued and lucrative career, particularly as it becomes a necessary arm of any modern company’s communication. They are indeed many companies and organisations that will now pay six figures for the right social media person/expert, but how do you become and expert in this ever-expending digital landscape.

 

Tweeting big!
Becoming a Most people think a social media expert who just posts to Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, but really, it’s all about utilising each of those platforms and of course others to gain and build a big and dedicated audience or fanbase, as well as promoting your brand and personal recognition too. Contrary to popular believe, Social media is definitely not just a numbers game; but it’s dedicating time to an audience and establishing a connection and having engagement through response and regular messaging. Most importantly it’s about creating the best engaging content through all the platforms.

Once you are happy with a clear and good message, the sky is indeed the limit; and hopefully your Tweets are shared and favourited often ; your LinkedIn posts drive gain followers and engagement for you to become an influencer, whilst the big two Facebook and Instagram capture business and other engagement of your audience in many great ways.

But what are the tips and tricks to generate an audience beyond just sharing and posting content?

 Automate your content

Automate social media tasks where possible within reason, as we all know the art of automation on Social Media is to not look like it’s automates, try and keep some of the human and social elements to those automated posts. Automation can include following back, finding new customers and or even sending direct messages. Being automatic will save lots of time and make live and work a lot easier is you get it right.

Direct Is King

Direct messaging can be or is a powerful tool. Simply thanking someone for following you, shows that you are interested and is the start of your relationship with them. And will enable you to send them to social media channels within your brand or indeed to notify them of any subscriptions or offers you may have at that time.

Don’t be shy, let’s talk

So ok we are not telling you to post 250 twitter posts a day, but of course there is value and advantages for regular posting across all your social media channels. And remember all posts need to be about you, your company or something related to the product or services. For instance if you are a digital marketing company you may decide to post regularly about automated software on  social media.

Remember headlines

To draw attention to your posts, make sure the headline is good, because that is your first carrot for further reading, Headlines on say blogs and LinkedIn announcements need to stand out from the crowds they really need to capture emotion or at least interest from your audience. Remember make it snappy. Think like click bait, without of course the stigma attached. 

How to choose the correct stainless steel nails

Stainless steel nails come in all different shapes and sizes, so how do you ensure you are choosing the right ones for you. It can be a much more daunting task than it first appears. The consequences of using the wrong nail can have a big impact. The first question on everyone’s lips is what size nail do I need to use? The best way to check is to look at the rules and regulations that apply to building in your district but there is a general rule of thumb, no pun intended. This is to use a nail that is three times as big as the material you are nailing through. If you are unsure it is always better to use a nail that is a little too long rather than one that isn’t long enough.

Nails for pneumatic nail guns which are also called fasteners are sold in gauge sizes. The smallest is usually 15 gauge and the largest 23 gauge, the gauge refers to the thickness of the nail rather than the length. You can then have several different lengths in each of the different gauge sizes. So be careful not to confuse the two. 15 to 16 gauge are called finish nails, and these are the largest. You would use these for doors, baseboards and moldings especially for pieces of wood that aren’t visible.

Eighteen-gauge nails which get called brad nails are smaller and do not have quite as much holding power. They are better for smaller pieces of trim as they are less likely to split or damage it. 21 and 23-gauge nails are better known as pin nails they are usually so small that they do not really have a visible head and are used to hold very small pieces of trim and you may tend to use them alongside glue to ensure that everything remains in place. 18 gauge is the most versatile nail of this type.

Another thing that you have to consider is whether the nail will be inside or whether it will be outside where it may have to battle with the elements. If you use interior nails outside, then they are likely to rust and will not do their job for very long. So, there are four types of exterior nail that you need to be aware of.

Electro Galvanized which are steel nails which are given a coat of zinc as this protects them from rusting. They are however not as resilient as some of the other types of exterior nails that are available.

Hot Dipped galvanised nails are dipped in molten zinc as they are being made. This means that they have a much thicker coating of zinc and thus do not rust for many years.

The next option, the stainless steel 304, is a premium product that is guaranteed not to rust.

The final option is the stainless steel 316 nails, these are the hardest wearing of the fasteners. They have chromium, nickel and molybdenum added, this makes them very hard waring and non-corrosive.

Six important things to consider before you find internships abroad

Want to find internships abroad and travel the world whilst learning useful and transferable skills for future employment yet still wanting to further your studies whilst you do it. Then you should consider an internship abroad. You can gain both college credits and invaluable expertise and experience all in one year. You can improve or learn language skills which again will be transferable to the workplace. When you go for a job you will set yourself apart from those who have only been studying or have only worked in part time jobs close to their home. As well as this it will also give you an idea of what you might like to do or not like to do when you enter the world of work.

So, what are the six most important things to consider?

  1. Think about the most popular or realistic places to find an internship abroad
  2. Are Summer internships oversubscribed?
  3. What are the most realistic areas to get work in
  4. How long does an internship typically last?
  5. What do I need to be accepted onto an internship?
  6. Will I get paid?
  1. Placements are available in most developed countries all over the world. China has one of the fastest growing economies and is a country that welcomes US students in any field of work. Australia is another popular destination and one where there is no language barrier. England will also welcome you as an intern in many different areas.
  1. Summer internships are the most popular, you have time to spare without affecting your studies and tourist countries such as China, Australia and England can be grateful of your Summer services.
  1. Any and many areas of business will welcome internships as a way of promoting international business networking and this is also the field that you are most likely to get work in at a later date. Marketing is also another area including graphic design, public relations or advertising. Hospitality is another area that always seems to have positions available especially in the Summer months when tourists descend on many parts of the world.
  1. Placements are very flexible and usually depend on how much time you have and how well you are doing. They usually last between four and six months on average and as you are often working for free or very reduced rates as long as you are adding benefit to the company they will be more than happy to keep you on.
  1. Requirements will vary from program to program, but some common requirements are that you are currently or have just finished your degree program studies. You usually need to be aged eighteen or above with credentials in your chosen field.
  1. Again, whether or not you will get paid is subject to agreement, but the general rule is that you won’t get paid. You are more likely to get free board and lodgings and possibly costs of excursions

An internship is an investment in your future whilst giving you the opportunity to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life whilst seeing different parts of the world and meeting new people. What’s stopping you?

Portable GPS Trackers are Part of a Great Customer Retention Strategy

Gaining customers today is not nearly enough for the average business. Companies today must institute ways to keep customers happy and purchasing more of their products and services. This requires an investment and thinking and time. Businesses must implement those tools and strategies that are customer-centric and that demonstrate to customers that they are the priority. You’re a few of those tools and strategies that can show customers your commitment to them.

Portable GPS Trackers

Portable GPS trackers can be used to track shipping orders to your customers. Inexpensive devices are valuable because they give you an ability to have an up to the second understanding of where packages or parts are. You can communicate this information to your customers so they are never put in a bad position. If there’s an adjustment that needs to be made in terms of delivery time, you can let your customers know this in advance so that they do not have expectations that cannot be met. GPS trackers allowed company to track real time any packages or parts that are in transit.  This ability improves efficiency and effectiveness and is a valuable tool for keeping customers happy.

Improve your communication with customers

You should stay in constant communication with your customers and build a relationship that allows you to understand their wants and needs. You should develop multiple ways where you can interact with your customers that includes calls, email, and social media. Social media is a great way for you to set up an interactive relationship with customers where they can be questions answered, provide feedback, and make complaints. You should provide near immediate feedback to any comments or complaints that your customers make. This way they know that you are aware of the issues and are immediately taking steps to look into and correct it. This level of communication will speak volumes to your customers and make it difficult for them to shop anywhere else.

Always Give Them Good Reasons to Choose Your Company

There are many ways to remind your customers why they choose your company over the competition. This could be because your prices are better, your products and services are of a higher quality than anyone else or that you deliver your products and services to them on time whenever they are ordered. If you were doing any of these things consistently for your customers, then they will have a positive feeling about your organization. However these days, because the competition is so tough, you need to go the extra mile to show your customers how much you appreciate them.

One great way to do this is to offer them random surprise discounts pricing. Picking arbitrary time you need to let them know that you are lowering their bill 10%, let them know that is because your company really appreciates their business and you’re hopeful that you can continue providing them your excellent products and services for the foreseeable future.

Another great idea for customer retention is to occasionally send them nice gifts. You do not have to go overboard on spending, the ideas simply to let them know that they are being fought about and are appreciated for giving you their business. You should do this on a regular basis and certainly often enough that the company understands that this is a business process that will not stop. Individuals love to be recognized and thanked. This is the ideal way for your company to build additional value with customers.

 

How free background checks have transformed the fortunes of small businesses

How free background checks have transformed the fortunes of small businesses

If one were to turn the clock back a few years ago, there was no doubt that recruitment was a major headache for a lot of businesses. We’re not just talking about the process of advertising a job and actually finding a candidate – but more about the validation process.

In short, it was time-consuming and it meant that a lot of candidates either slipped through the net, or were hired when they really shouldn’t have been.

Nowadays, there’s no doubt that free background checks are making life for these smaller companies so much easier. They are providing something of a filter, and making it more difficult than ever for false candidate information to land on their desk.

For example, let’s turn to education. For years, this has been one of the primary ways in which candidates have tried to mislead potential employers. Some might list a completely different grade on their CV, while others might go one step further and state that they have attended a particular college when in reality they really haven’t. Regardless, it was a huge headache for employers to deal with.

Now, the use of a background check can quickly verify all educational information. This is something that can immediately feedback to an employer that they are in fact interviewing someone who is actually qualified for the job – and not just listing the qualifications that they know companies want to hear.

Next on the list are issues like criminal background checks. This is something that can be a bit of a grey area, after all, the society in which we live in suggests that everyone should be given a second chance (and rightly so). However, there’s no doubt that for some roles at least it might not be a good idea to employ someone who has recently been convicted. This is where employers can now quickly tap into a criminal records database, and find out whether someone really does have a clean past. If they don’t, it might not necessarily mean the end of the road in relation to the job in question – this should all depend on the severity of their crime, and when exactly it took place. If it took place three decades ago, many might suggest that it should be ignored. Again, different jobs demand different requirements in this regard, though.

Following on from the above, there’s no doubt that life for employers has become somewhat easier from this recruitment perspective. Not only that, but the fact that potential employees can now check what might be holding them back is of huge significance, and can just make that tiring job hunt a little easier on them. Sure, there are legalities involved when it comes to checking potential candidates, but as long as a company approaches one of these checks with the best intentions, there should be nothing formal from stopping them finding out all of the necessary information about a candidate.