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As the saying goes, time is money. Strategic communicators — or small business owners managing their own social accounts — must be intentional about how they spend their finite resources. Let’s dive into some of the pros and cons of the current big players within the social media landscape ➡️ Facebook: Good for reaching  millennials , followed by Gen Z. Over  three billion active  users in 2024. Free built-in toolset for business and basic analytics. Suffers from a low engage

The prevalence of social media in the everyday world have changed how crisis communications professionals must address dire situations. The need for an immediate, well-crafted response is now required to effectively manage crises. Long gone are the days of waiting hours, days or weeks for a first reaction.    Defining crisis:   A  crisis  is an unexpected event that causes uncertainty and poses a legitimate threat to an organization’s mission, bottom line, reputation or stake

The word  persuasion  is often viewed through a negative lens because it has been used to coerce, manipulate and exploit others; however, at its core, it is simply a skill. Persuasion is the act of getting someone else to change their mind or take an action.  Ethical persuasion exists and should be used by practitioners in strategic communications – especially when writing proposals for grants and in overall business communications. To be an effective advocate for your projec

There are countless perspectives that can be written about a singular topic. As strategic communicators, we can leverage our knowledge of our clients' needs to broadcast uniquely compelling messages to the relevant publics. This can result in higher engagement, more purchases and stronger brand loyalty. No audience, no problem! Simply fill out an audience persona worksheet to begin homing in towards the desired target. Keep in mind that the narrower the net cast, the more nic

Why You Should Say ‘Yes’ to New Experiences in College (as told by an Introverted Graduate Student)   You might be thinking, there’s no way this girl is an introvert—she’s got Graduate Assistant of Student Engagement in her LinkedIn bio! While that is my job, that doesn’t erase my own feelings of introversion. I have spent the last six years navigating the college environment with asocial tendencies and would like to share how participating in campus life improved my college

When a star explodes, it leaves behind a dazzling array of elements for future stars and planets to use. The same can be said for social media platforms. When one services ends or experiences fundamental changes, it essentially creates opportunity for new players to enter the social atmosphere. Social media evolve whether we like it or not. Instagram recently ticked off many of its users by updating its iconic square grid into a portrait layout – a change that was purely cosm

Have you ever bought something you didn’t need solely because it was only available for a limited time? You may have been influenced by one of the six principles of persuasion – scarcity.  Let’s be clear, scarcity must be conducted with ethics at the forefront. Failure to do so will damage trust between brand and stakeholders as well as harm public perception/reputation.  How to use scarcity ethically:  Be HONEST. Do not promote a product or service as “limited time” or “limi

If you were online in the fall of 2024, like me, you probably saw a lot of Wicked memes. While many of them were harmlessly amusing, a particular viral moment was damaging to the reputation of one well-known company.  Mattel a prominent American toy manufacturer, found itself in hot water after it mistakenly printed and distributed a link to a pornography website on one of its products traditionally marketed towards children. In collaboration with the theatrical release of Wi

Owala made a splash in the water bottle industry with its innovative product, the FreeSip. While the company is mainly recognized for its unique colorways and convenient drinking spouts, its brand voice is also a staple of its identity. Since going viral in 2023, Owala has grown its online presence through various marketing efforts which were supported by its brand voice and tone. The Voice of Owala: welcoming, conversational, youthful. Owala engages with its digital audience

Companies can increase their audience reach and promote a positive brand image by participating in trending moments on social media. However, much consideration must be given to the message and its intended audience or else negative consequences may occur. For example, Gap posted a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter), calling for unity following the 2020 United States presidential election results. Take a look at a screenshot of the now deleted post below: ↓ The video

Overview Lunchly is a meal kit that was released in September 2024 by notorious YouTube content creators Jimmy Donaldson (MrBeast), Logan Paul, and JJ Olatunji (KSI). All kits include Donaldson’s Feastables chocolate bar, Paul and Olatunji’s Prime hydration drink and either a pizza, nacho or turkey and cracker meal. The company, which is advertised as a healthier alternative to Lunchables, faced scrutiny upon hitting the shelves after dietary experts questioned its nutritiona

Let’s be real, most digital creators desire to make at least a little money from their content, especially as it takes time and resources to bring projects to life. Balancing authenticity while navigating a monetization mindset can be difficult, but rest assured, transparency and engagement can help creators maintain a genuine, mutually beneficial relationship with their audience.  An example of a content creator who has built an online career with a loyal follower base is Ma