Rise of Metaverse Events

In the last two years, COVID-19 has inexplicably changed the way we communicate both in business and in our personal lives. At the start of the pandemic, event planning professionals struggled as events all over the world were indefinitely canceled. Then came the rise of virtual events. From live-streamed workout classes to corporate webinars, the world learned how to adapt to our ‘new normal.’  As we all adapt to the world of virtual events, it only makes sense that technology would adapt along with us. Enter: the metaverse. A term that has seemingly taken over the virtual event landscape in the past year, the metaverse promises to shift the way we experience virtual events forever. So, what is it? And what will it mean for PR and event professionals? Let’s dive in. 

WHAT IS THE METAVERSE?

The metaverse is the future of the digital space. It’s meant to be an immersive online experience—a virtual world just as dynamic as the real world. Remember those futuristic movies where people can become fully immersed in an interactive online space with a pair of virtual reality goggles? Well, we’re not far off from that. 

METAVERSE AND VIRTUAL EVENTS

From software titans like Microsoft to game creators like Roblox, large companies everywhere are working to bring the metaverse to life and turn it into the future of virtual events. Many virtual events fall short of bringing participants the same excitement that physical events provide, but the metaverse will seek to change that. If done right, the metaverse could allow people from around the globe to come together via virtual events without concerns of child care or travel budgets.

According to a recent LinkedIn study, 71 percent of event organizers believe that virtual events deliver a greater return on investment (ROI) than physical events. This is largely due to the fact that unlike physical events, virtual events are “COVID-proof” in that they do not require cancellation when a new surge strikes. Because of this increased level of security, virtual events saw an even higher ROI in 2021. 

HOW CAN PR PROS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE RISE OF THE METAVERSE?

As PR professionals, it’s our job to be on top of the latest trends and use them to our advantage. In 2022, we can absolutely expect the rise of the metaverse and metaverse events to play a pivotal role in the way we interact with one another. As more brands and consumers start to get involved in the virtual world, it will be more important than ever to transition digital campaigns into this space. So, how can PR pros get involved in the metaverse? You can start by digitizing products. By creating digital versions of products and services, PR pros can help brands increase their exposure in this new digital space. 

A great example of a top brand in the metaverse is Balenciaga, who created digital clothing for Fortnite and debuted a short episode of The Simpsons for Paris Fashion Week in which the characters wore outfits from the brand. Virtual brand partnerships are another great way to get involved by creating a collaborative digital experience for consumers. If you haven’t already begun to get involved in the metaverse, the time is now. The future is here, and it’s looking virtual.

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The Importance of Authenticity in PR and Marketing

The way that consumers respond to brand campaigns has shifted tremendously in recent years. For today’s audience, brand authenticity is more important than ever. People are no longer just shopping for products—they’re shopping for brands with a message they believe in. Practicing authenticity in PR and marketing is essential to the success of any brand in today’s culture. But why? And how exactly can we practice authenticity? In this article on the importance of authenticity in PR and marketing, we will answer those questions.

Why Does Authenticity Matter in PR?

In the most basic sense, practicing authenticity means being genuine both behind the scenes and in front of the customers. It’s all about being true to who you are as a brand and conveying that, rather than simply pushing your products onto your target audience. Being authentic as a brand means employing an understanding of your target audience and their values. By tapping into your authenticity, you can instill a deeper level of trust among your customers. In turn, this results in your brand generating more sales and expanding a loyal customer base. 

How to be Authentic in PR and Marketing

Not sure how to improve your brand authenticity? You can start by asking yourself whether your brand exhibits authentic traits like trustworthiness, honesty, and consideration. Then, look at ways to improve upon these traits and make adjustments to help your brand stand out from the rest. 

Now more than ever, consumers are wise to inauthentic gimmicks and can spot them a mile away. If your brand isn’t being true to itself, your sales will be a reflection of that. Let’s talk about some of the best ways to enhance your brand’s authenticity through PR and marketing. 

1. Conversational Marketing

Conversational marketing is a great strategy for building brand authenticity. This involves interacting with customers on your social media accounts in a friendly, down-to-earth way that makes your brand seem more approachable and authentic. Be transparent with your audience about what you stand for, what you believe in, and what your brand is doing to make a difference. Treat them like friends, rather than customers, and you can develop a loyalty that will keep them coming back. 

2. Make sure your website reflects your values

When it comes to implementing brand authenticity, it’s important to ensure that your website represents your values both through its visuals and its copy. From the About Us page to the FAQs page and even your product descriptions, make sure every aspect of your website conveys the authentic message you want your brand to tell the world.

3. Get the whole team on board 

When it comes to being authentic, it’s essential that you get your entire team on board. Your brand values and the way you interact with customers should be clear to everyone on the team, from sales associates to customer support and social media strategists. A bad interaction in one area of your business operation can diminish the authenticity of your brand as a whole in the eyes of a customer. 

By following these simple ways of being authentic in PR and marketing, you can increase your sales and stand out as an authentic brand in 2022. With so many brands getting on board, yours could stand out in a bad way if you don’t. 

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How to Manage Your Client’s Expectations

No one wants a client that's unhappy with the outcome of a PR professional’s work. It can hurt your reputation and relationships with the client. In the PR field, reputation is largely responsible for customer acquisition — meaning the extra effort you take shows. Taking the time to learn about the client in a holistic way provides you and the client with a clear vision of how the partnership will work. Some clients have more need and others, which makes it even MORE important to manage their expectations! 

Here are our tips from The Chi Group about how you can handle your clients’ needs like a pro.

Set Goals With Your Client

While working with a client, it's crucial to set goals so everyone is on the same page. These mutually agreed upon goals help steer the campaign and keep you and your client on track. It's important to help the client understand where they stand in the market. If the client is a smaller company, explain how securing coverage for their size business has worked in the past and where they can expect to see growth. When setting goals it's also important to be honest and authentic. If a client doesn’t feel like they can trust you or vice versa, MAJOR red flag alert.

Never Overpromise

 It’s important to be realistic with your client about what your partnership will look like. While you might not be able to get them on the next red carpet premiere, you can still deliver high-quality publicity. The key is to never over promise what you and your team can accomplish. When you say that you ‘might’ be able to deliver a product in a week, the client hears a yes and suddenly the project that was a possibility can’t be delivered . Allow yourself and your team room for the unexpected and always deliver the best possible results to your client. Be transparent about what your team will accomplish. Trust is crucial to maintaining a healthy client relationship, and you don't want to lose what you've built up all for an unrealistic project to never see the light of day! 

Don't Be Afraid to Set Boundaries

Should I answer this email after hours? Do I tell my client I can’t answer their calls during meetings? These are things PR professionals deal with daily as we navigate boundaries. 

Set a limit on your time. This means communicating with your clients what your working hours are. Let them know that when those hours have passed, you’ll be happy to respond once you're back at work. Creating an expectation of how and when to communicate helps issues that may arise later. Another way to set a boundary is by setting a form of communication to use with the client. Sure, your client may prefer to email you all general questions and call if the situation is urgent. However, after five phone calls, three emails and multiple texts, it’s time to set a boundary about how to reach you.

Now that your client knows what to expect from your team, you can carry out a successful PR campaign that is a win for your client AND you! Just don’t forget to not bite off more than you can chew.

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What to Include in Your Crisis Communications Plan

It happened. Maybe someone wasn’t monitoring conversations on social media, or perhaps an employee or customer of the brand flew off the handle. Either way, the company is in a crisis. In the world of PR, crisies aren’t anything new, which is why crisis communications plans are in place for when the inevitable happens. Hubspot explains that a crisis communication plan is a set of guidelines used to prepare for an emergency; starting from when a crisis first emerges all the way to how to prevent it from happening again.

Don’t have a crisis communication plan? Don’t panic… start writing! The Chi Group has gathered below some basic ideas you should address in your plan.

Take Responsibility

One of the first things you can do in a crisis is own it. Doesn’t matter how it came to be, you need to take responsibility. Acknowledge the concerns at hand from others and react immediately (once the PR team has coached them of course). By trying to downplay the situation or pretend it never happened, you're only causing more harm to the company's reputation. The best first steps are to acknowledge what has happened and take responsibility.

Apologize and Keep It Real

The best thing you can do is offer a sincere apology. Along with taking responsibility, this shows that you feel badly about the situation and offer condolence to those who were affected. The apology needs to be public and done soon after a statement is crafted in order to change the narrative. While authenticity is appreciated by everyone, younger generations are expecting authentic responses and actions by brands. Make sure that your apology is authentic, otherwise worries of inauthenticity are other things added to your concerns.

Make a Call to Action

This is where your message comes into play. Something went wrong which means something needs to change, right? The public needs to know that you are doing something to move forward and promote change so the crisis will not happen again. Share the steps that are being taken to correct the issue and be transparent about your process. Authenticity and honesty are the best options when sharing the corrections being made.

Address the Affected Publics

Who will this crisis affect? It’s important to know what the crisis is and how it will affect your business. Communicate all relevant details to your public and be honest and transparent about how this will affect them and what you're doing to solve the issue. If you need to reply, make sure to avoid using phrases such as ‘no comment’  which can introduce suspicion about the issue at hand.

Review and Learn

One the crisis has been resolved, it's time to take a step back. Review how you and your team handled the crisis and what worked well and what needs to be improved on in case it happens again. It’s also helpful to review any crisis prevention plans if they need to be updated or revised.

Moving forward, the focus should be turned to rebuilding your credibility with your publics. This may look like meetings with stakeholders, positive news about the company or updating relevant information about new policies. If it's a customer-facing company, consider collecting customer feedback to see reactions as well as prevent another crisis.

No crisis is ever easy but PR professionals are the experts when it comes to handling them. 

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What You Need to Know About Virtual Events

It's clear, virtual events are here to stay. While they may never replace the IRL events we know and love (or hate… hey we’re not judging), virtual events offer a host of new possibilities that are cost-effective and efficient. Gone are the days of long plane rides and pricey hotels. As 2022 starts in full force, uncertainty about in-person events still linger with the pandemic. Virtual events are still a necessary tool for spreading your message or product.

Know Your Platform Inside and Out

Let's face it, we’ve all sat through a presentation riddled with tech issues. It’s frustrating, embarrassing and deters your attention from what’s happening right in front of you. Seamless technical details are key when the entire event takes place online. 

Not much has changed from the days of in-person events. Before your online event, make sure to run through all technical aspects of the event at least two to three times in advance to prepare. On the virtual side, this means transitions between speakers, polls, and videos. This also means having technical support on hand for issues that do arise. As always, flexibility can make or break an event. With virtual events, it’s necessary to keep all websites and landing pages up to date with the most accurate information.  Attendees are relying on accurate information online such as correct meeting links to access your event.

Keep Your Audience Engaged Online

One of the complications of virtual events is how easily participants can be distracted. PR professionals must meet the new demands of entertainment and interactivity in order to hold attention where in-home distractions and virtual burnout are present. Users are also accustomed to the thrills of in-person events and replicating the engagement online is crucial. Consider sending a virtual event bag to attendees to boost engagement and excitement about the event. These can be sent via email or to the attendee's address. These bags can also include items relevant to sessions at the vent such as conversation starters.

The use of live chat, polls and a Q&A feature can help keep participants engaged in your programming. Built-in features such as these allow participants to feel connected to the event and others there. Consider even adding digital prizes and rewards to add interest! According to Markletic, 49% of marketers said audience engagement was the biggest contributing factor to having a successful virtual event in 2020. 

To add more to the user experience, consider gamification — “the application of game-design elements and game principles in non-game contexts. It can also be defined as a set of activities and processes to solve problems by using or applying the characteristics of game elements.” By creating leaderboards and assigning challenges to complete, participants feel connected to one another, mimicking the closeness of events held in person.

Expand Your Reach Even Further 

Social media has transformed how you can promote your event, especially virtually. By removing travel and physical barriers, the opportunity to meet and create connections through networking is stronger. This also applies to media; journalists are able to “drop-in” to virtual events without transportation issues. A win for you and your clients!

However, some things don’t change whether we're face to face or online. Promoting your event early and often is a must to help drive attendance.

Consider amplifying the vent on your social channels, email marketing and blogs. Include teasers showing speakers, sessions and incentives to help quell fears of virtual event burnout. Of course, solidify the connections that were made with post-event recaps and thank you notes to add to the quality of the event.

As an industry, PR professionals need to stay up to date in the changing landscape of virtual events. While the technology has evolved, the mission and expectations are still the same— deliver exceptional events to enhance your client’s exposure. It's not enough to simply put in-person events online. Instead, virtual events are a new and creative way to bring event experience into the home of attendees. Now go create something memorable!

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NFT Trends Every PR Pro Should Know About

If you’ve been keeping up with social media in the past few months, chances are you’ve heard of NFTs by now. This term has been sweeping the internet lately, gaining traction among all types of curious investors. The increasing popularity with the newest trend in technology is inspiring brands around the world to get hop on board. 

As a PR professional, it’s important to understand what all the hype is about so you can help your clients navigate the wild world of NFTs. In this easy-to-read guide to NFTs, our PR experts are breaking down what they are and why you need to know about them.

What Are NFTs?

NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token. So, what on earth is a non-fungible token? It’s a unique digital asset that cannot be duplicated and is traded on the Ethereum blockchain. 

While NFTs are traded through cryptocurrency, they differ from traditional cryptocurrencies in that they aren’t fungible. This means like while any one Bitcoin has the same value as another Bitcoin at one time, NFTs each hold different values.

Another easy way to explain it is that a non-fungible token is a form of digital ledger that can be associated with digital files like files, photos, and videos. Think of it like a one-of-a-kind trading card. While NFTs can really be any kind of digital file, many people use the technology specifically to buy and sell digital art. 

Why Do They Matter?

NFTs are all the rage right now and we can expect this excitement to stick around in 2022. Artists love them because they afford them the opportunity to sell artwork they might not otherwise be able to. Investors love them because they offer a thrilling new investment opportunity. 

Even everyday people who don’t necessarily consider themselves to be ‘investors’ can get a piece of the pie, purchasing digital artwork in the hopes that it might grow in value over time. Because NFTs primarily rely on some type of interesting content, they can be incredibly useful for public relations professionals looking to get their clients’ content out there in a fun and exciting new way. 

NFTs and PR

Now that you know what an NFT is and what the fuss is all about, let’s talk about how you (as a PR professional) can use them to your advantage. 

Here are 3 ways you can support clients with an interest in NFTs: 

1. Continue to learn about NFTs

Simply knowing the answer to ‘what is an NFT’ is not enough. As a public relations pro, it’s important to continue learning about the nuances about this new form of technology. Because we are often tasked with helping our clients unlock new trends to support their business growth, it’s important to continue learning about how this tool can impact them.

2. Inform the press about client NFTs

Just like any live event or physical product, NFTs need press releases and media attention to achieve success for your clients. You can start by building a list of publications with the ability to match your client’s NFT with interested consumers. 

3. Create NFT-Compatible Digital Campaigns

Many people feel that NFTs are much more than just a trend—they’re the future of cryptocurrency. With this in mind, it’s important to be strategic about your digital campaigns going forward. 

When creating digital content, make sure it aligns with this new technology and build connections with NFT marketers to best support your clients as they join the world of non-fungible tokens. 

What Journalists Want To Hear From Your Pitch

In an industry where time equals money, journalists are overwhelmed; Muck Racks’ new report claims the majority receive 5 to 25 pitches a week. The way to make your pitch stand out in an inbox is to tailor your message to what a journalist is looking for. By creating a pitch that is relevant, personalized and straightforward, your clients will be jumping for joy with the placements you’ve secured for them!

Learn more about how you can have your pitch picked up:

Focus On Your Niche

Let’s face it, in such a busy world it can be easy to filter out information that isn’t relevant to us. The same can be said for journalists; if your pitch isn’t relevant to a journalist’s audience, chances are you won’t be hearing back. That’s right, it’s time to say goodbye to being generic! To secure your pitch placement, make sure you know the audience the journalist writes for. When you know your client’s niche, you’ll have a better chance at securing a feature for your client. According to a survey by Cision, 78% of reporters blocked a PR professional after receiving irrelevant pitches… don’t let this happen to you! Account for recent trends in your client’s industry or new achievements that affect the average consumer. Decide what story you want your pitch to tell instead of it reading like an announcement.

Make a Personal Connection

As a PR professional it's always a good time to build relationships with your contacts. Liking a journalist’s tweet or following the types of stories they cover can help you better understand what type of content they’re looking for in your pitch. Journalists pay attention to who shares their work. By creating relationships with journalists, you're more likely to have your email opened and less likely to be seen as spam. Sending two to three personalized and relevant emails will help you achieve better results than over 100 generic ones. While this may feel time-consuming upfront, creating tailored pitches will help you go far in the long run. Your pitch should address the person by their name or the company if you don't know who the writer will be.

Let’s Keep It Real

You’ve narrowed down your niche and selected your audience. Now, let’s keep it real when writing a pitch. It’s time to drop the flowery language and give the writer what they want to see, a story. Brevity is key; hiding the reason for the press release three paragraphs down isn’t beneficial for you or the journalist. Straightforward wording is the way to go when you're competing for a writer’s attention. Concise and clear writing helps keep your press release short and need little editing before it goes to print. To help move the process along, hard facts about the organization or product help ground the pitch and feel authentic. This can also include names of company personnel to interviews, reports and data. Good quotes can also make or break your pitch email. When including quotes, skip the long formal quote from the company exec. Instead, make your quotes sound authentic and bring new value to your pitch. This can include insight on how the company will change the market or what consumers will gain from it. 

While there’s been debate in the world of public relations about sending photos in the email, it seems journalists are looking for extra help in your pitch. Cision’s recent survey notes that fewer photographers in the newsroom mean including photos to be used in your pitch that fit the message of your email.

No one ever said pitching for a client is easy work! With these tricks, you’ll be able to catch the eyes of journalists looking for their next story. In no time you’ll have contacts in your client’s industry to connect with.

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How To Step Up Your Email Marketing Like a PR Pro

Are you looking for new goals for your business in 2022? How about optimizing your email marketing plan? According to Forbes, personalization is now a basic expectation for users, which makes connecting over email even more important. The team at The Chi Group is sharing their go-to secrets for leveling up your next email blast, and how to boost your engagement from the comfort of your email.

Here are some of our top tips to better your email marketing plan:

Make Sure Your Email is Received 

For your campaign to be successful, the emails need to arrive in your contact’s inbox. While this seems like a no brainer, you’ll be surprised  to see the number of emails that never end up being delivered. It’s important to frequently make sure your email list is up to date, so the right people are receiving your next email. Reducing the email bounce rate is also essential to communicating your message. Things such as invalid domain names, incorrect spelling and spam-like content instantly will increase your bounce rate. One easy solution is to verify your domain name to show your contacts that the email being sent is from a legitimate user.

While connections are important in the industry, it’s necessary to know who is opening your emails in order to reach those clients who are actively interested in your latest message. If someone hasn’t opened the majority of your emails, it might be time to remove that person from your lists. Start your spring cleaning early this year.

Craft Your Email Subject Line

We all know how easy it is for our inbox to become cluttered with emails, whether they’re from clients, editors, or from your favorite online retailer. To cut through the clutter, it’s important to have email subject lines that grab the recipient's attention. Forty-seven percent of email recipients decide to open an email based on the subject line, and 69% report an email as spam based on the subject line— meaning your subject line is crucial to the campaign you run. The subject line can also be the main determining factor if the email is opened (aka your open rate), so it’s important to create a short, meaningful and attention-grabbing subject. Use conversational language and don’t forget to craft the pre-header as well.

Speak On An Individual Level 

In 2022, users want personalized and engaging content, even in their inbox. Using phrases in email marketing campaigns such as “hey everyone” or “all of you” imply the email has been sent out in mass quantities, and may remove the feeling of connectivity with your business. Avoid words that relate to a group and instead try to reach your recipient on a personal basis by having your email reach them as individuals. Tips such as using the recipient’s first name, the last time they clicked on your email, or their general location can all help increase both open and conversion rate. Personalizing an email can also involve strategies such as including relevant content, anticipating their need and sending timely content. 

Know When to Send Your Email 

Being in tune with your audience means knowing their lifestyles, how they think and what they need. This can also mean understanding the way they segment their days. For example, mom bloggers who take care of children during the day are unlikely to open email from you at 9 a.m. during the week. For other audiences such as young professionals on their emails at work, this may be the perfect time to connect with them. While there may be trial and error involved, this practice can help your conversion rate, getting no you more traffic and stronger relationships.

Segment Your Contacts

By segmenting your audience, you can learn more about your audience and create even better personalized content in your email. Segmentation involves grouping together recipients or subscribers with similarities. This is another key to personalization and building stronger relationships with your receivers. Minimal effort is clear to recipients and by creating emails for different segments of the population, you can directly speak to their needs or attributes that make them unique and good. Campaign Monitor suggests segmentation could involve geographic location, business to business and content or behavior specific patterns. Once you customize your communication to specific audiences, your emails will be better received and more likely to attract traffic to your content.

Like any form of communication in the industry, email marketing can take time to master the art of engaging users— but that’s never stopped us! Use the tips we provided and showcase your brand’s personality to increase engagement and kick off the new year right.

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4 Instagram Trends You Need to Know For 2022

It’s a new year which means new trends are coming in. PR pros know that they need to be ahead of the curve in order to help their clients win, both online and offline. Instagram is a forever fluid social media platform that is constantly evolving. As we continue to see the steady uptick of all things digital, here are the 6 major Instagram trends that you need to know about for the new year. 

1. The Great Video Merge 

We all know that video content is undoubtedly the most popular feature on Instagram. In the coming year there’s a good chance that IG will move to a more unified approach with feed videos, IG stories, and reel. In fact, Instagram has been quietly testing a vertical version of their Instagram stories feed. 

2. Creator-Led Shopping 

What does this mean? Instagram will widely roll out a native creator affiliate program in 2022 which allows influencers of all sizes to sell products on behalf of brands. It will allow influencers to find products they love, share it with their followers, and influencers get to earn commission for the products they push all inside the app. This will nix the need for contracts and complex agreements. 

3. Video Memes Are Coming in Hot

Video memes are similar to static memes but it is more engaging. Instagram will continue to prioritize the short form videos over the long form videos, hence the success of video memes. Another note to take on video memes is that it can also help with viral content creation. 

4. Brand Personalities Are Key

It’s no longer about just having a pretty looking static post anymore. Now it’s more about making an impact and community conversations. Make sure to bring your voice to Instagram whenever you post. 

There you have it, just like that 2022 ushers in some new trends to keep up with, as if there wasn’t enough already. Nonetheless it’s important to know the trends in order to get a leg up over your competition, whether it’s on social or even simply in business. Time to ring in the new year with these new Instagram trends as we all continue to build our social media footprint. 

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Optimizing Your Social Media Strategy For The Holidays

The holidays are upon us, and you know what that means. It’s time to align your social media marketing strategy with the season! To stand out among your competitors, you need to do a lot more than simply offering discounts. 

Optimizing your social media strategy for the holidays is essential for increasing brand awareness and skyrocketing your sales. Our marketing experts at The Chi Group have rounded up the top tips to help your business sleigh the competition this holiday season. 

Here are the top 4 tips for optimizing your social media strategy for the holidays: 

1. Research, Research, Research

Before you start creating holiday social media content, it’s essential to do research. This means not only researching your competitors, but researching your holiday content from previous years to see what worked and what didn’t. Conducting thorough research can help you decide how to move forward with this year’s holiday social media campaign, as well as guide you on what not to do. 

2. Give Your Brand a Holiday Makeover 

Customers want to see their favorite brands get into the holiday spirit, so don’t shy away from giving your brand a holiday makeover on social media. Change your social media avatars to holiday-inspired photos, post holiday-themed marketing photos of your products to your feed, and showcase your appreciation for your customers. When people see that you’re getting into the spirit of the season, they’re bound to fall more in love with your brand. People love authenticity, and showing holiday spirit helps to give your brand a more authentic face. Make sure you’re using consistent fonts, imagery, and hashtags across all of your social media platforms. Consistency is key!

3. Team Up With Influencers 

With large audiences made up of loyal followers, influencers are some of the most effective tools you can leverage to enhance brand awareness and optimize your profits. Consider collaborating with influencers for Instagram story takeovers and feed posts to garner more attention for your brand during the holiday season. People are always looking for new gift ideas for their family and friends, and are much more likely to trust the opinions of their favorite influencers. When looking for the right influencers to team up with, study their niche to ensure that their followers align with your target audience. 

4. Use This Time To Give Back

Yes, this time of year is a time when people can expect heavy discounts and holiday-themed gift ideas. That being said, it’s also a time when people are in “family” mode. This means that consumers want to see the human side of your brand, which includes everything from engaging with your followers to giving back to the community. Nowadays, people are gravitating to purpose-driven brands that share their values. The holidays are the perfect time to define your brand mission by giving back to a charitable organization that aligns with your brand. This is a great way to make a difference, engage with your community, and ultimately optimize your profits. 

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How to Use TikTok to Grow Your Business In 2022

If you haven’t jumped on the TikTok bandwagon yet, now is the time to start. Since its inception in 2018, TikTok has exploded in popularity and helped thousands of businesses increase brand awareness and profitability. With over 500 million users from around the world, there is endless potential for growth on the platform. 

Here are some of our top tips for how to use TikTok to grow your business in 2022: 

1. Identify A Niche.

When posting on TikTok to promote your business, it’s important to identify a niche that you can stick to before putting out content. Your posts are far more likely to be seen by your target audience if the branding is consistent and the content is high-quality.

The first step in creating targeted content is identifying your niche and target audience. Once you’ve done this, you can begin to research your competitors and figure out how you can best rise above the ranks to promote your business. 

2. Be Authentic on TikTok

TikTok is a social media app that has gained a tremendous amount of traction in the past few years. One of the reasons it’s done so well in such a short amount of time is because it boasts a level of authenticity that other platforms, like Instagram, don’t have.

If you want to learn how to use TikTok to grow your business in 2022, you have to remember to be authentic. This is the ideal platform to show people not only the products and services you have to offer, but the thoughts and emotions behind your business. 

3. Join popular #Hashtag Challenges.

Using relevant hashtags on your videos is essential for organic growth on the platform, but joining popular hashtag challenges on TikTok can blow up your account overnight. 

Do some research on the trending hashtag challenges and find a way to apply it to your niche. Then, all you have to do is create a fun and engaging video that follows the challenge, making sure to utilize the necessary hashtags in your caption.

4. Collaborate With influencers.

TikTok is filled with its own diverse network of influencers who connect with a broad range of consumers on many levels. Collaborating with TikTok influencers to promote your business can be highly beneficial for increasing brand awareness. 

When identifying the right TikTok influencers to partner with, study their content and their audience to ensure that it matches your target audience. Influencers on TikTok have a loyal base of followers who trust their opinions, so make sure to use this to your advantage in an intentional and authentic way. 

5. Focus on Creating Quality TikTok Content

All of the above tips on how to use TikTok to grow your business in 2022 can have an enormous positive impact on your brand. That being said, none of these strategies will matter if your content isn’t fresh and engaging. 

Many people focus on the quantity of their content, rather than the quality, to get their name out there as much as they can. While consistency is important, quality is even more important. Focus on putting out content that aligns with your brand, engages your audience, and sparks a positive conversation. 

PR Tips and Social Media Tricks at The Chi Group

As long as you follow these tips on how to use TikTok to grow your business, you should be in great shape coming into the new year. With the holidays upon us, make sure to post seasonal content that appeals to your audience this time of year. For more tips on how to grow your business, check out our blog at The Chi Group. 

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PR Trends to Prepare For in 2022

Every year, there are new PR trends that come into play. The preferences of our consumers are constantly evolving and it’s up to us to stay on top of what’s hot and what’s not. After all, trend monitoring is a key part of the job. After collectively going through a global pandemic, it should come as no surprise that things are going to change in a big way. At The Chi Group, we’re here to help you stay ahead of the curve. 

Here are 4 PR trends to prepare for in 2022: 

1. Virtual Events Will Continue to Rise

In the past year and a half, brands all over the world have had to adapt to virtual events in place of live events. While businesses have begun to bring people back into the office, you can expect to see many brands continuing to opt for virtual events as a safety and comfort precaution. Virtual events have been highly effective in engaging consumers and generating leads. Now that people have grown used to this PR tactic, you can count on virtual events being here to stay. Stay on top of things by looking for new ways to engage your customers in exciting virtual events. 

2. Micro-influencers Will Become Essential Marketing Tools

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of a micro-influencer, check out our previous blog on the topic. At a glance, a micro-influencer is an influencer with under 10,000 followers. Unlike their major influencer counterparts, micro-influencers are known to have much more impressive engagement numbers across all social media platforms. As trust and authenticity continue to gain importance in the minds of consumers, micro-influencers will rise as essential marketing tools for brands. If you’re looking to stand out in 2022, consider shifting more of your efforts towards partnerships with micro-influencers with loyal followings of people who trust their opinions. 

3. Brands Will Be Encouraged to Take a Stand

Once upon a time, it was all but unheard of for a brand to take a stand on social and political issues. Nowadays, 70% of consumers want their favorite brands to make a public stance on the issues we face. With social movements gaining more traction than ever through social media, people expect brands to be authentic and stand up for what they believe in. Businesses who have increased their focus on diversity and inclusion are seeing significant increases in profitability. In 2022, you can expect the demand for authenticity to continue to grow.

4. Supporting Nonprofits Will Be More Important Than Ever

Now more than ever, consumers are concerned with giving their money to businesses that are giving back to the community in some way. The global pandemic brought people together and caused an enormous uptick in giving back. Expressing your support for charitable causes is not enough. In 2022, consumers will be looking for donations, corporate sponsorships, and product placement that align with some sort of philanthropic mission. Find one that aligns with your brand and go all in.

There you have it, those are the top PR trends to prepare for in 2022. As long as you keep these upcoming trends in mind and craft your goals accordingly, you can increase your brand’s visibility and profitability in the coming year. 

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How To Write The Perfect PR Pitch

Are you tired of sending out mediocre PR pitches that never get a response? You’re not alone! PR professionals all around the world send out pitches on a daily basis that get tossed into spam without a second thought. Today, our award-winning team at The Chi Group is sharing some of our top tips on how to write the perfect PR pitch. If you’re ready to up your game and start getting responses on your pitches, keep reading. Here are some tips on how to write the perfect PR pitch:

1. Keep It Short & Sweet

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when crafting your PR pitch is turning it into a novel. You might think you need 1,000 words to convey your message, but we can guarantee that nobody is going to read that. If you want to know how to write the perfect PR pitch, an important place to start is the length. Your pitch should not exceed more than 150-200 words at most.

2. Create A Solid Subject Line

There’s an old saying that goes ‘never judge a book by its cover.’ A nice sentiment, but it most definitely does not apply here. The subject line of your email is the first aspect of your pitch that anyone will see, so make it a good one. Try to summarize the most important part of your pitch into roughly 36-50 characters (the sweet spot) and turn it into a killer subject line. The goal is to pull people in and pique their interest, rather than turning them away with a weak subject line.

3. Understand Your Audience

When learning how to write the perfect PR pitch, one of the most important pieces of advice we could offer is to understand your audience. Keep in mind that you are not writing this pitch for you, you’re writing it for them. Don’t just make sure it’s relevant to the recipient, make sure they know why it’s relevant to them.

4. Build a Relationship

Whoever you’re sending your PR pitch to is likely getting about a hundred of them on any given day. So, how do you set yourself apart? Easy. By building a relationship. People are much more likely to pay attention to your pitch if you’re in their network, so never underestimate the power of networking in any industry. If you work on actively building relationships with the recipients of your pitches, you’re already way ahead of your peers.

5. Follow Up… In The Right Way

Is following up an essential part of writing the perfect PR pitch? Absolutely. Does that mean you should send twenty follow-up emails to make sure the recipient has seen your pitch? Absolutely not. Find a happy medium between passively waiting around and aggressively following up—therein lies the sweet spot. When following up, it’s also essential to switch up your pitch each time versus copy/pasting the same email again and again. Keep things fresh and friendly; persistent without being a pest.

If you follow these simple tips on how to write the perfect PR pitch, we guarantee you will see more success than you have in the past. Now get out there and write a stellar pitch that nobody can ignore!

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Social Media Content Ideas to Freshen Up Your Brand

Every once in a while, we all get a little stuck. That doesn’t make you a social media failure, it just means you’re human! If you’re having trouble coming up with new social media content ideas to freshen up your brand, allow us to provide some inspiration.

Here at The Chi Group, our award-winning team of storytellers has helped brands all over the world thrive in their industries. We don’t mean to brag, but we know a thing or two about effective social media. 

Here are 5 social media content ideas to freshen up your brand: 

1. Live Stream Your Heart Out

When someone you follow is live streaming on Facebook or Instagram, they instantly appear at the top of your feed before any of the other stories. Don’t you want to be the first profile that your thousands (or millions) of followers see when they log in? Live streaming has become a favorite method of influencers and brands everywhere for interacting with their followers and establishing a rapport. Whether you’re sharing a sneak peek or answering questions, hop on ‘live’ and try it out for yourself.

2. Host an AMA 

AMA (ask me anything) sessions are great ways of interacting with your followers and allowing your community to get to know you better. Post to your IG story or Twitter feed alerting your followers of your upcoming AMA, then watch as the questions pour in. 

An AMA allows your followers to get to know your brand on a deeper level and provide you with insight on where you can improve and potentially offer more clarity. 

3. Create a Series

Starting a weekly or monthly series is a fantastic way of generating buzz around your brand. For example, some health food brands might share plant-based recipes for ‘Meatless Monday’ each week. 

Not only will this allow you to interact with your followers, but it will give them something to look forward to each week.

4. Initiate a Takeover

If you’ve never heard of a social media takeover, WYD? This involves handing over the reins of your social media handles to an influencer or celebrity in your industry, usually for around 24 hours. This is an incredible way of gaining followers and breathing new life into your social media platforms.

When planning a takeover, it’s essential to choose someone relevant to your target audience. A beauty brand might team up with a major beauty influencer, while it would make more sense for a pasta brand to team up with a famous chef or food blogger.

5. Host a Giveaway… 

...and make it a good one. When it comes to hosting giveaways on social media, the point is to generate buzz and increase awareness surrounding your brand. A coupon for one free box of cookies isn’t exactly going to entice people from far and wide to enter your giveaway. The grand prize of your giveaway should be something that you would be excited to receive, so keep that in mind and make it count. 

Try one (or all!) of these social media content ideas to freshen up your brand and watch your follower count skyrocket. These methods are tried and true, so what are you waiting for? Get posting!

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How Does Public Relations Work

The world of public relations may seem glamorous, from exclusive events to rubbing elbows with some of the most influential people around the world. Indeed that can be true BUT what many don’t see is the amount of work that goes into it on the back end. For the most part public relations involves a whole lot of researching and connecting the dots. You have to be able to pivot with the times and things are changing on a daily basis. 

Publicists work within many different industries and with multiple clients. Each industry and client has their own specific needs and protocols. So it’s important that before you hire a publicist you know what you’re getting into. 

1. Know Your Niche To Know Your Publicist 

There are many industries that publicists work in. You have entertainment (which is the space our agency falls into), healthcare, finance, non-profit, sports, music, fashion, crisis PR, and the list goes on. You first must know which industry your business falls within before you search for a publicist. 

2. Monthly Retainers or By Project

Most publicists or PR agencies will work on a monthly retainer. There will be some that are willing to take on clients by project. Here’s something to keep in mind, if you want a publicist to travel with you on an ongoing basis there will be an additional fee here. It can get quite expensive because not only are they there to support you but they are also seeking for opportunities that can help further your brand awareness. 

3. Public Relations Isn’t Just About Pitches 

Long gone are the days where you send pitches via a fax machine. In fact today, pitching isn’t the only thing that publicists do. Many of them come up with creative campaigns while utilizing their rolodex of contacts. Campaigns can vary from social media to in person events or even brand partnerships. 

4. It’s Not About Press Releases 

Yes your publicist can and will write up press releases but it’s no longer the core of what they do. Press releases can help you on a smaller scale but overall you need to use creative ideas and strategies to get your business/brand out there. 

5. Getting You Front and Center 

Your publicist’s goal is to make sure you are front and center whether it’s in the press or at an event. They already have a working rolodex and most times they know who to connect you with. 

6. Public Relations Won’t Make You Famous 

This one is worth mentioning. Too many people assume that a publicist will make you famous overnight and the hard truth is, No they won’t. Public relations is a long game not a get rich quick scheme. It takes time to build up a brand. The other false assumption is that your publicist will get you onto major global press overnight. That is also not true. Press and media have a different set of rules that don’t necessarily align with what you want. Journalists and press are concerned about reporting the facts, not about how wonderful your business is. 

Before you decide if you need a publicist you have to get clear. Everything is about timing and whether or not you have something that your publicist can work off of to further build your brand awareness. If you are just starting out and 1 month into your business you may not be ready for a publicist just yet. But if you have gained some momentum and traction with your brand there can be a good chance that a publicist is needed. 

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What Are Micro-Influencers and Why Are They Important?

In this new digital age where influencer marketing has taken the world by storm, it’s important to understand the various aspects of this powerful marketing tool. When it comes to social media, influencers come in a wide variety of niches and audience sizes. If you work in the digital marketing industry, the term “micro-influencer” is an important one to know.

As a global PR agency that works closely with influencers all over the world, our team at The Chi Group has learned a lot about the power of the micro-influencer. In this short guide to micro-influencers, we will break down what the term means and explain why it’s something you need to know about. 

What Are Micro-Influencers?

To understand what a micro-influencer is, you must first know what an influencer is. Influencers are defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as people who affect or change the way other people behave. In 2021, these are the people with thousands of followers on social media. Influencers regularly partner with brands to market their products, a term labeled as ‘influencer marketing.’ 

In the most basic sense of the term, micro-influencers can be described as influencers with under 10,000 followers. At first glance, you might wonder how someone with such a limited following can be called an influencer when compared against people with follower counts that feature two or three extra digits. However, the power of the micro-influencer is not to be overlooked. 

Why Micro-Influencers Are Essential in Marketing

Many brands put their focus into working with the influencers who have amassed hundreds of thousands of followers, passing over micro-influencers in the process. This is a mistake. Not only can you cut back on significant costs by partnering with micro-influencers rather than big-name influencers, but data shows that micro-influencers get far better engagement across all platforms. 

Because micro-influencers have smaller platforms, they have the unique ability to connect with their followers on a deeper and more personal level. This equates to a stronger level of trust and higher engagement. In fact, a 2018 study showed that influencers with just 1,000 followers generated 85% more engagement than influencers with 100,000 followers. 

One of the main reasons why influencer marketing works is that it’s built on trust and authenticity. Personal interaction goes a long way in developing a connection between follower and influencer. Major influencers with hundreds of thousands of followers aren’t able to interact with their follower base in the way that micro-influencers are, which is what makes the voice of a micro-influencer so powerful. Their follower counts may be significantly lower, but they’re made up of loyal people who trust their opinions. 

Takeaways 

If you’re looking to promote your brand presence and increase profitability, partnerships with micro-influencers can be an invaluable tool for success. You can pay X amount to work with an influencer who has a 10% engagement rate, or pay a fraction of the price to team up with a micro-influencer with an 80% engagement rate. 

This is not to say that there aren’t benefits of working with large influencers, because those partnerships can be wildly beneficial in getting your brand in front of a huge audience. It simply means that you should not underestimate the power of the humble yet mighty micro-influencer. 

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Public Relations vs. Marketing: Which One is Right For You?

For professionals working in the corporate communications industry, there is a common question that we are all asked at some point in our careers: What’s the difference between public relations and marketing? 

While those on the inside might be flabbergasted by the question, it’s easy for people on the outside looking in to get confused by what differentiates the two. Our skilled team of PR experts at The Chi Group is here to clear things up. 

What’s the Difference Between PR and Marketing?

Whether you’ve recently graduated with a communications degree or are looking to switch industries, it’s important to understand the differences between PR and marketing before you can make a decision on which one is right for you. While there are similarities and some companies even combine the two jobs into one team, there are several distinct differences that separate PR from marketing.

Once upon a time, differentiating between public relations and marketing was pretty easy. In the age of social media where platforms like Instagram and Facebook are built on a combination of the two, it’s a little more challenging to decipher where one ends and the other begins.  

If you came for the short answer, we’ll give you a hand: Public relations focuses on promoting the reputation of a brand or company, while marketing focuses on promoting specific products and increasing sales. For the long answer, let’s dive right into it.

What is PR?

The Oxford Dictionary defines public relations as the professional maintenance of a favorable public image by a company, organization, or person. In layman’s terms, PR professionals are responsible for maintaining a positive reputation and building relationships for a brand. 

The target audience for a PR professional consists of shareholders, the media, and the general public. A day in the life of a PR professional may look like writing press releases, monitoring public opinion, creating social media content, and attending press conferences. Success is measured by positive media exposure and public perception. 

What is Marketing?

Marketing is all about making sales and increasing revenue. According to the Oxford Dictionary, marketing can be defined as the business of promoting and selling products or services. Professionals in this arena are responsible for conducting advertising and research initiatives that result in sales for the company or brand. 

For marketing professionals, the target audience consists of current and potential customers. A day in the life of a marketing professional could look like creating new advertising campaigns, creating social media content, conducting SEO research, and monitoring the latest market trends. Success is measured by short term results and revenue increases. 

Which Career Should I Choose?

While public relations is more about long term results and marketing looks more at short term results, both are intertwined in their overall goal of increasing profitability for a company or brand. PR professionals achieve this goal by focusing on perception, marketing professionals achieve it through a focus on sales. You can’t do one without doing a little of the other. 

The choice between public relations and marketing really all comes down to whether your interests align more with selling or influencing opinions. Regardless of which path you choose, it’s bound to lead to an incredibly rewarding career. 

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The Importance of Hashtags in PR

Hashtags are nothing new to the social media scene, but many people still don’t understand the crucial role they play. Much more than a simple metadata tag, hashtags hold the power to connect your brand’s thoughts with a much larger audience. 

Often used to promote user engagement and create value for a business on social media, hashtags have become increasingly important to brand success in recent years. What started as a fun trend has become a necessary component of content strategy. 

With millions of posts on social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter, standing out can be a challenge. Hashtags enable businesses to increase their brand visibility in an easy, searchable way. Let’s dive a bit deeper into how hashtags can help your business and break down the different types of hashtags. 

The Power of Hashtags

Hashtags can be a powerful PR tool when used the right way. They enable brands to extend their reach and social media presence beyond just their followers. By joining the major trending topics across social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram, your brand can connect with a larger audience and reap the benefits of greater visibility. 

With more visibility, your brand is able to create a broader audience, which in turn will increase the likelihood of new leads for your business. By conducting hashtag research and keeping your finger on the pound symbol, you can ultimately increase profitability levels for your business.

Types of Hashtags

Before diving into the world of hashtags, it’s important to understand the key differences between the three primary types of hashtags that exist. 

Brand Specific Hashtags: These are great for creating a lasting impression with your audience. They should be unique, memorable, and representative of your brand’s personality. These types of hashtags are perfect for promotions and events, both short-term and long-term.

Campaign Hashtags: Best when used for a specific product launch or ad campaign, these types of hashtags help to promote user engagement surrounding your campaign. Campaign hashtags hold the power to increase brand awareness and generate a larger reach for your campaign. Many companies will even hold social media giveaways in association with a campaign hashtag to increase usage of the hashtag. 

Trending Hashtags: These can be tricky. Trending hashtags are the hashtags currently being used by millions of users across a social media platform. Oftentimes, trending hashtags are related to current events going on in the world. Before taking part in a trending hashtag, it’s important to ask yourself if your brand can bring value to the hashtag. If so, it can be a great tool in expanding your reach. If not, your post will likely just get swallowed up in a sea of other posts. 

Hashtags can be a tremendous PR tool in promoting user engagement, increasing brand awareness, and improving the overall success of your business. If you want your business to thrive both on and off social media, make sure you understand how to use this powerful tool to your advantage.

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4 Ways PR Has Expanded

Public relations has undoubtedly advanced since the creation of the first press release in 1906. Content creation, event planning, and public speaking are all now considered the responsibilities of public relations professionals. With the pandemic forcing everyone to connect online, and the digital media age making global communication easier than ever, here are four ways public relations has expanded for the benefit of the client as well as the practitioner.

1. Publicity & Press Events

Some of the biggest events of the year, including Apple Inc’s annual conferences, are events created solely to generate publicity for a company or an upcoming product. It’s a big way to garner media attention for a firm but requires a lot of planning, budgeting, and effective execution in order to be successful.

2. Social Media Content Creation

While some firms have positions that are dedicated just to the creation and publishing of social media content, many public relations practitioners are well versed in creative platforms so they can create content for clients if the opportunity arises. Instagram story highlights, animated Facebook posts, YouTube thumbnails, and more are all things that public relations professionals make to ensure cohesion amongst a client’s social media presence.

3. Brand Spokesperson

A public relations practitioner's job of managing the image of a brand sometimes means acting as the company spokesperson. When the need for information arises, the brand spokesperson is the go-to contact for interviews, statements, or quotes made on behalf of the company in its entirety. It is crucial that this person not only understands the company and industry in which they operate but also maintains their own image to be seen as trustworthy in the public eye.

4. Integrated Marketing Communications

As digital media expands and continues to advance, the responsibilities of marketing, promotion, advertising, and public relations positions continue to overlap. The blurring of these lines means that these departments work together more and more to create succinct, coordinated marketing plans on behalf of clients, and each department must understand the unique role they play while also relying on the work of others to be successful. 

Like many industries, public relations and brand management is constantly evolving. What used to be an almost back seat role in the corporate world is now growing to include things like social media content creation, executing company-wide events, and more. As the world continues to adapt to the global health situation, timely and accurate communications will continue to be a necessity, and the role of the public relations practitioner will grow to meet the ever-changing landscape of society.

Top 5 Social Media Mistakes To Avoid

In today’s day and age, social media is one of the most powerful marketing tools a brand can utilize. It can help businesses reach levels of success that they never could have reached otherwise. However, as helpful as social media can be, it can be just as detrimental. From small mistakes that leave customers with questions to big mistakes that tarnish your brand name, all social media mistakes can be avoided. 

As an award-winning global PR agency, our team at The Chi Group has learned quite a few tips and tricks on how to properly manage social media platforms. To help prevent you from making the same blunders we have seen so many times before, we have rounded up the biggest social media mistakes that you should avoid. 

Here are the top 5 social media mistakes to avoid: 

1. Failure to Engage

Social media is not meant to be a one-way street. If you’re simply posting to your social media platforms and then signing off, you’re doing it wrong for so many reasons. First of all, the algorithm on many social media platforms favors posts with more comments. The more you interact with not only your posts, but with other accounts as well, the more visibility your brand will have. 

Secondly, interaction breeds loyalty. It takes only a moment to respond to a fan comment, but it can go a long way in building relationships with your customers. 

2. Taking A One Size Fits All Approach

Various social media platforms have their own unique personalities, audiences, and content types. Posting identical posts to each of your social media platforms is ineffective and will not produce the results your brand is looking for. 

It’s important to learn who your audience is and how they communicate on each platform. By tailoring your messages to be platform-specific, you can make sure your efforts are well-received. 

3. Over-Posting or Posting at the Wrong Times

Both of these can be equally damaging to the success of your social media posts. While it’s important to post frequently, none of your followers want every other post on their feed to be from your account. The sweet spot for most social media platforms is around 1 to 2 posts per day. 

Additionally, make sure you’re making the most out of your posts by posting at the time of day when your follower engagement is the highest. This can vary depending on the age group and geographical location of the majority of your followers, so do your research. 

If the majority of your followers are based in the eastern United States and are active primarily in the afternoon, then your posts are pretty much guaranteed to flop if you’re posting at 4 AM EST. 

4. Focusing Only On Sales 

As a business, it’s expected that the majority of your content is going to be about your products and/or services. However, social media is all about connection. Your followers want to feel connected to your brand, so avoid focusing only on self-promotion.

Switch it up on occasion with thoughtful posts about recent events, relatable insights, and inside looks at the things that matter to your company. With the global pandemic leaving people around the world feeling isolated, it’s more important than ever for people to feel connected through social media. 

5. Using Lackluster Visuals

One of the most important aspects of social media is the visual component. When people are scrolling through their Instagram or Facebook feeds, you have an exceptionally small window of time to capture their attention. If you’re using lackluster stock photos or poor-quality visuals, people are going to scroll right on by. 

Make sure you have a dedicated staff member or agency partner who focuses on creating visual content that is both consistent and high-quality. Poor visual content is not only likely to inhibit your brand from gaining followers, but it reflects poorly on your business as a whole. 

By avoiding these major social media mistakes, you can achieve greater success both on social media and in your business. Work smarter, not harder!