To hang or not to hang…? That is today’s question as we investigate hanging punctuation!
Actually, we are exploring if opening punctuation marks should sit outside a body of type or should they align with the type?
Hanging punctuation – what is it?
Hanging punctuation is a method of setting the opening punctuation marks outside the margins of a body of type. As a result, it creates a uniform edge, giving it a much cleaner, sharper alignment and feel for easier, uninterrupted reading. Conversely, when punctuation isn’t hung, it creates a visual indent that distracts the eye and makes the type look sloppy and harder to read. It can be applied to any body of text, whether left justified, right justified or fully justified.
According to Wikipedia, it is so-called because the punctuation appears to land in the margin of the text and is not incorporated into the block or column of text.
Hanging punctuation – where did it originate?
As it happens, German inventor, printer and publisher, Johannes Gutenberg developed this style of punctuation when creating his Bible in the 1400s.
How to design hanging punctuation in In Design
InDesign provides great tools for creating hanging punctuation in the bodies of text. We thought we’d share our handy tips on designing hanging punctuation using this software as we use this in the office. So, please take a look at our video or check out the four steps below.
1. Highlight text
2. Menu >Type>Story
3. Check ‘Optical Margin Alignment’
4. Click the icon next to the form field for ‘Align based on size’ or manually input a size until it looks right!
(Insert Video)
We don’t whisper your story. We Scream Blue Murder.
How often do we sit and completely immerse ourselves in birdsong, tapping into our senses and tuning in to what is happening around us? We stop, we take notice, and we listen to the nuances of the plethora of sounds clamouring for our attention.
They are songs for attracting a mate, communicating danger, advertising territorial boundaries, raising the alarm, identifying breeding grounds and defending families, to name just a few.
Each has a distinct bandwidth, length, pitch and complexity, communicating key messages exactly when they should be heard. There are even different dialects.
Birdsong is a communicator – so is marketing
Marketing is about touching your market at the right time with precise messages. Messages pitched at the right level, containing the right words and sprinkled with emotion to make your customers stop, think and engage.
The trick is to create marketing messages that rise above the interference and disruption, so they are recognised and heard, telling your story with the correct narrative and expression.
· What do your customers fear?
· What problems do they have?
· How can you help them with your products or services?
Tune out to tune in
Whether you are chirping, tweeting or singing, create attention. Help your customers get to where they want to be by singing different songs and telling unique stories with a specific set of signals that can be recognised. This is your marketing at its best.
Don’t forget, what is not being said is often more important than what is actually communicated.
Marketing messages that work mean your customers can listen above the noise. They can distinguish between the tweeting and chirping of your competitors to hear the one true message, the one message that resonates with them. Yours. Once they have tuned in, they will be able to hear your message time and time again with the utmost clarity, understanding that to get to where they need to be, they need you to help them.
We don’t whisper your story. We Scream Blue Murder.
Many of us have a love-hate relationship with social media. Many more of us have a favourite platform, and one which we really don’t get on with. But for many businesses, social media is a great way of getting your brand out there. So what do you do if you’re a business owner who really, really, absolutely, categorically hates social media?
Haters gonna hate, but in this day and age of social media being one of the most effective ways to get your business in front of the right audience, there are some things that you can do – indeed, need to do – to get your business out onto social media. Even if you personally couldn’t give two Hootsuites whether your latest post gets 459 or 4 likes.
Here’s a handy hater’s guide to marketing on social media when you hate social media:
1. Play to your strengths
We all know that this is key in anything that we do, and social media is no exception this. Do what you do well within your business, but just do it on social media. So if networking if your thing, go about networking on social media (FYI, LinkedIn is great for this).
If your business thrives on the personal relationships you build with your clients, write your copy and your captions in such a way that that personal touch comes across. And, while you’re at it, make sure you reply to those comments you’re bound to receive from all of the engagement you’ll be creating, too. You’ll soon be building up a rapport with potential future clients on your social media channels.
As with anything, do what you’re good at, and the results will often follow.
2. Concentrate on one thing and do it well
Again, just like other business strategies, social media is often about finding your niche. This could be finding the channel that works for you; Instagram, for example, works really well for brands that are very visual, but may not be the right platform for very dry, technical industries, who may prefer to hang out on LinkedIn.
Similarly, you don’t have to adopt all of the features on all of the platforms. You may find that one grid post a week on Instagram and daily stories is enough; you don’t have to be all singing, all dancing with reels and IGTV if it’s not your thing.
If you spread yourself too thinly, you’ll find that everything is a bit half hearted, and if you’re already erring on the side of hating social media, not getting the results because you’re not doing any one thing well will not be the basis of a long lasting love affair with the socials.
3. You may be pleasantly surprised
Yes we know, it can be super annoying when your mate’s sister’s cousin constantly posts pictures of what she ate for her dinner, and yes we know not everyone is interested in their annoying work colleague’s hundreds of blurry photos from their latest night out, but social media is so much more than that nowadays.
For starters, many people don’t want to be that cliché, and therefore actively work to avoid sharing these sorts of posts. Secondly, if you do really hate social media as much as you say you do, then just use it purely for business purposes. View it as another marketing tool. And do you know what? You may find that talking to your target audience via carefully thought-out posts is actually quite enjoyable. You’ll soon find your (business) tribe. And that can make social media a really rather pleasant place for brands to be.
4. Still hate social media? Get a team of social media lovers (ahem, 24 fingers) to do the dirty work for you
What can we say? Haters really are going to hate. But that’s what we’re here for. There’s nothing we love more than taking a brand and bringing it to life via the medium of social media. As much as you hate social media, we love it, and it really is worth getting in contact and getting us on board to do the dirty beautiful, fun, results-bringing work for you.
After all, when it comes to social media: what’s not to love?
The social media hater’s guide to marketing on social media
24 Fingers
Many of us have a love-hate relationship with social media. Many more of us have a favourite platform, and one which we really don’t get on with. But for many businesses, social media is a great way of getting your brand out there. So what do you do if you’re a business owner who really, really, absolutely, categorically hates social media?
Haters gonna hate, but in this day and age of social media being one of the most effective ways to get your business in front of the right audience, there are some things that you can do – indeed, need to do – to get your business out onto social media. Even if you personally couldn’t give two Hootsuites whether your latest post gets 459 or 4 likes.
Here’s a handy hater’s guide to marketing on social media when you hate social media:
1. Play to your strengths
We all know that this is key in anything that we do, and social media is no exception this. Do what you do well within your business, but just do it on social media. So if networking if your thing, go about networking on social media (FYI, LinkedIn is great for this).
If your business thrives on the personal relationships you build with your clients, write your copy and your captions in such a way that that personal touch comes across. And, while you’re at it, make sure you reply to those comments you’re bound to receive from all of the engagement you’ll be creating, too. You’ll soon be building up a rapport with potential future clients on your social media channels.
As with anything, do what you’re good at, and the results will often follow.
2. Concentrate on one thing and do it well
Again, just like other business strategies, social media is often about finding your niche. This could be finding the channel that works for you; Instagram, for example, works really well for brands that are very visual, but may not be the right platform for very dry, technical industries, who may prefer to hang out on LinkedIn.
Similarly, you don’t have to adopt all of the features on all of the platforms. You may find that one grid post a week on Instagram and daily stories is enough; you don’t have to be all singing, all dancing with reels and IGTV if it’s not your thing.
If you spread yourself too thinly, you’ll find that everything is a bit half hearted, and if you’re already erring on the side of hating social media, not getting the results because you’re not doing any one thing well will not be the basis of a long lasting love affair with the socials.
3. You may be pleasantly surprised
Yes we know, it can be super annoying when your mate’s sister’s cousin constantly posts pictures of what she ate for her dinner, and yes we know not everyone is interested in their annoying work colleague’s hundreds of blurry photos from their latest night out, but social media is so much more than that nowadays.
For starters, many people don’t want to be that cliché, and therefore actively work to avoid sharing these sorts of posts. Secondly, if you do really hate social media as much as you say you do, then just use it purely for business purposes. View it as another marketing tool. And do you know what? You may find that talking to your target audience via carefully thought-out posts is actually quite enjoyable. You’ll soon find your (business) tribe. And that can make social media a really rather pleasant place for brands to be.
4. Still hate social media? Get a team of social media lovers (ahem, 24 fingers) to do the dirty work for you
What can we say? Haters really are going to hate. But that’s what we’re here for. There’s nothing we love more than taking a brand and bringing it to life via the medium of social media. As much as you hate social media, we love it, and it really is worth getting in contact and getting us on board to do the dirty beautiful, fun, results-bringing work for you.
After all, when it comes to social media: what’s not to love?
LinkedIn has long been the business social media platform of choice. And with business networking and growth at the forefront of the platform’s mind, they’ve got something a little exciting up their shirt sleeve: The business platform has launched their very own digital magazine to give you their LinkedIn best tips. As many businesses begin the process of opening up again post-lockdown, these new insights from LinkedIn will be welcome reading as we all start to move our brands forward again.
What can you expect from the new LinkedIn magazine?
If you want some hints and tips for how to use LinkedIn to your brand’s advantage, the new Ready for Business 2021 magazine is where it’s at. In LinkedIn’s own words:
“Ready for Business 2021 explores everything that’s involved in using digital marketing to drive growth and get your strategy moving. There’s detailed insight on identifying your highest-value audiences and engaging them when they’re at their most receptive. We dig deep into the growing importance of trust and thought leadership content in a post-pandemic world, highlight the changing nature of B2B buyer journeys, and share stories and strategies for how your marketing can inspire, entertain – and engage the ready for business mindset at scale.”
The magazine can either be downloaded or read online, and with an initial flick through of our 24 fingers, it’s packed full of hints and tips for how to do business on LinkedIn. With everything from how we should change our marketing strategies for a post-pandemic world, through to how to create great video ads, there’s something for everyone, and each and every brand can adopt some of the tips from the magazine. The tips include, but are certainly not limited to:
How to gain your follower’s trust by building your brand’s character. This could include being willing to take a stand on things that are important to them and enlisting employees as advocates.
How to develop B2B content that hits the mark, i.e. through carving your niche and becoming a go-to source.
Weighing up the risks and opportunities in rebranding.
Plus much more besides, and plenty of different topics covered so that everyone from newbies to social media through to those brands who are slightly more experienced LinkedIn marketeers can learn something new.https://giphy.com/embed/smA6gFq3A5HjTF9HHd
Why your business needs a presence on LinkedIn now more than ever
With much of the world going digital during this past year, your business needs a presence online. And even if you hate social media, or if Instagram and TikTok aren’t for you, LinkedIn could be the place where you find your tribe.
And the new business growth magazine that the platform is putting out there is proof of this: LinkedIn is very much a business-first platform. It’s where you can network online with peers, colleagues and clients effortlessly, so long as you’re putting the right content out there. The platform’s commitment to putting out a business growth magazine is further proof that it’s serious about helping to move business forward and help them to gain traction on their platform, and you can use the tips in the magazine to do exactly that.https://giphy.com/embed/jbKbdoKJOFusHTjl80
Still not sure how to gain a presence on LinkedIn? We’ve got you
If you’ve read LinkedIn’s Ready for Business 2021 magazine and you’re still all fingers and thumbs about what you should and shouldn’t be doing on the platform, do you want to know the other place where your business should be? That’s right, here at 24 fingers HQ. We can turn our hands to giving you a presence on LinkedIn – or on any of the other social media platforms, for that matter – so that you can enjoy some of that business growth we’ve been talking about. Get in contact if you’d like to know how our hands can help to grow your business in the world of social media.
If social media was a soap, we think it would be Dallas: impossibly wealthy warring clans constantly trying to get the upper hand on each other (though maybe without all the big hair and shoulderpads). That’s certainly the case with Facebook, which has unveiled some of its new tools for the future, after Apple’s latest move on data privacy.
In case you haven’t been watching, (we’ve all been a bit distracted by Gareth Southgate’s lads – come ON England) Apple is working on a little something called App Tracking Transparency, which makes all app data tracking an opt-in choice for consumers.
Facebook doesn’t like it, but rather than cat-fighting in a fountain or stepping out of the shower and saying it’s all a dream, it’s decided to go with the flow and get creative.
Dan Levy, VP Ads & Business Products said in a blog post that Facebook is trialling an option in News Feeds that allows users to tap to browse content from businesses on topics such as beauty, fitness, or clothing, as well as “explore content from related businesses”.
The platform is also looking to improve where adverts are placed, based on the content users are watching – so if you’re hooked on a travel video, you’ll see ads for hotels.
More importantly for small businesses, Facebook is working on a new badge specifically for us micro heroes that will be visible under the main ad field. It aims to capitalise on consumer demand to support smaller, local brands. Amen to that, we say.
Levy said there are also changes afoot for Facebook Marketplace, as shop and product listings are set to be expanded using the topic/business discovery feeds, and that Shops listings will be extended to Marketplace.
Alongside all that, Facebook Pay tools will be enhanced to make the buying process as seamless as possible.
It might not be as dastardly as JR, but you can’t take your eyes off Facebook for long, as it can sometimes make big changes walloping brands that have come to depend on a particular level of referral traffic or business from its tools.
And when it happens, we’ll be the first to let you know.
We’re 24 fingers, a digital marketing agency and a proud member of the 42 Club, Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, Excel Business Networking Group, the Trusted Business Community, the Organisation for Responsible Businesses and the Rotary Club of Brentwood à Becket. We help companies who are all fingers and thumbs with their social media grow their business and brand. Book your free strategy call here.
Facebook, ever on the lookout for ways to help entrepreneurs of all sizes get a leg up, has come up with a nifty solution for anyone whose marketing tank of inspiration has run dry: the Campaign Ideas Generator.
It might sound a bit Star Trek, but trust us, you will definitely want to boldly go down this black hole.
The boffins at the social media platform said the Generator “provides campaign ideas, pre-made assets and resources that are specific to your small business needs”.
In the Queen’s English, that means access to a host of templates, depending on the business you’re in. All you have to do is click on the corresponding sector – though not everyone is represented – and click on the ‘get campaign ideas’ button.
That brings up three tabs: Campaign Ideas, serving up a slew of ad format ideas, including images and layouts, Data and Insights, which showcases the filters you can use to target your campaign, while Resources offers extra goodies such as case studies.
There’s also what Facebook calls an Organic Post Pack, that includes a variety of post templates for your Facebook page, just in case you’re still in need of a bit more inspo.
Some business owners might look at this feature as a bit Borg – everyone’s assimilated and using the same stuff – but we think it’s actually very nifty, especially when it comes to making sure your brand is coordinated and consistent.
It also gives busy entrepreneurs a bit of breathing space, allowing them to put together an ad campaign that looks good and will reap rewards, without taking up too much of their valuable time and resources. We’re with Jean-Luc Picard and say: make it so.
If you’re feeling a bit “she can’t take any more cap’n!” when it comes to your social media marketing, give us a call and we’ll get you moving at warp speed.
We’re 24 fingers, a digital marketing agency and a proud member of the 42 Club, Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, Excel Business Networking Group, the Trusted Business Community, the Organisation for Responsible Businesses and the Rotary Club of Brentwood à Becket. We help companies who are all fingers and thumbs with their social media grow their business and brand. Book your free strategy call here.
From a certain point of view, social media looks easy peasy: chuck out the odd quote from someone famous here for Facebook, throw together a quick Instagram video on your smartphone and boooom – Robert’s your father’s brother.
Well yes, and then again no… We at 24 fingers towers know there’s a lot more going on than what people scroll through on their feeds. Business posts are a small part of a much bigger overall strategy, crafted pieces of content that serve an important purpose, and analysing whether they’re working is a mammoth task in itself. That’s why we’re going to look at social media audits, why you should have them regularly and what they can do for you.
We heard the sharp intake of breath at the word ‘audit’ but don’t worry, this will be your kind of scrutiny, because its sole aim is to improve your business and boost your bottom line. So, let’s start at the beginning and ask a few important questions.
What is a social media audit?https://giphy.com/embed/26gR0YFZxWbnUPtMA
Put simply, it’s a review of the metrics generated by your business’ social media posts that examines growth, highlights potential opportunities and what you can do to enhance your social media presence.
It helps you identify the bits of your social media campaigns that are working and those that aren’t doing quite so well, as well as spotlighting who you’re reaching, when and where, giving you a deeper understanding of engagement levels and how many sales you’re generating from your content.
Does a social media audit really matter?https://giphy.com/embed/B5RycQcvQSDVcS9fuC
If your business is going great guns, then you might think “probably not” and move swiftly on but we say “woah there Nelly”. Knowing what your top-performing posts are means you’ll get a better insight into what your audience actually likes and prompts them to turn a click into a purchase.
Do they prefer written content or are they gobbling up videos? Are they scrolling during the day (sneakily, and at work like the rest of humankind) or do they hop on in the evening when the shoes are kicked off and the cork’s out of the wine?
Tweaking your strategy, even just a little, after a social media audit could see a huge difference in sales and revenues, and that can only be a good thing. Likewise, if your brand isn’t performing as well as you’d like, you can pinpoint exactly what isn’t working, stop wasting your energy and try something new.
How will a social media audit help?https://giphy.com/embed/TTgdzuFXGvEKCNO6JRC
Good question. First of all, as we’ve just said, it will help you understand your audiences better but it will also inform you where and when to find them. As anyone who has ever been up in the wee small hours, furiously putting together a business marketing plan knows, anything that helps pinpoint your ideal customer is worth its weight in gold.
Second, social media audits will flag up any brand inconsistency, which can be a relatively easy fix but will reap huge rewards if everyone on every platform where you have a presence can recognise you quickly and easily.
That leads us neatly to the third advantage: your brand will be known as credible, reliable and organised (even if you don’t always feel the same). The value from that is, to coin a phrase, priceless.
Finally, a social media audit can help you set defined yet achievable business goals, whether it’s to grow your audience on a particular platform (having discovered that’s where a lot of your customers are lurking), increase sales figures or boost growth by a particular percentage.
When should you have a social media audit?https://giphy.com/embed/l0HlHms47geescn28
It depends. Some companies have them quarterly, while others prefer monthly. What you really ought to be asking is who should carry out your social media audit, because that’s potentially a lot of data to wade through and understand. Luckily, that’s where we come in.
We can crunch the numbers any time you want, whether it’s once a week or once a year, and generate insights into your business that will help shape your next move. We will analyse trends, identify opportunities, tell you where things are going well and offer advice on what to do for campaigns that haven’t quite hit the mark.
Want to get started? Our 24 fingers are flexed and ready to go… Get the ball rolling here.
We’re 24 fingers, a digital marketing agency and a proud member of the 42 Club, Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, Excel Business Networking Group, the Trusted Business Community, the Organisation for Responsible Businesses and the Rotary Club of Brentwood à Becket. We help companies who are all fingers and thumbs with their social media grow their business and brand. Book your free strategy call here
If you have ever said “I’d love to start a business, but I can’t because I’m working full-time” ask yourself, are you using your job as an excuse not to go for it?
As a Business Mentor, who has a specialism in helping people transition from employee to entrepreneur, I can tell you:
You’re not alone in wanting to make the transition
You can start the business you want while you are working full-time
Start a Business When Working Full-Time? The Statistics Speak for Themselves
Most employees in the UK have thought about starting a business at some point or another (me included!). A recent survey claims that 64% of the UK workforce is itching to strike out on their own.
If you add to that research by the Henley Business School , it shows that 25% of all adults in the UK are side hustlers.
Side Hustling is the New Normal
The idea of self-employment is scary.
OK, so you’re following your passion, but what happens if things don’t work out?
Happily, there’s no need to say goodbye to full-time employment just yet!
Striking out on your own doesn’t have to mean turning your back on the (relative) security of a full-time job. There are ways to test out that brilliant business idea and grow your entrepreneurial skills, all whilst keeping up with the 9-5.
It’s called a side hustle. It’s starting a business while you’re working full-time.
And here’s how you can do it….
Manage Your Expectations
If you start a business when you’re working full-time don’t expect it to be a breeze.
First, if you think you haven’t got a lot of free time as an employee, think about how much less time you will have an an employee and an entrepreneur. By accepting the fact that it WILL be challenging and time-consuming from the start, you’ll be better prepared for the highs and lows to come.
Second, if you’re counting on your side hustle bringing in shed loads of money from day one – enough to allow you to wave goodbye to your full-time job within weeks or months – please be aware that it probably won’t.
Use the Time to Plan, Make Mistakes then Plan Again
Starting a business you’re working full-time takes careful and detailed planning.
Planning your time will be paramount. You will have far less time than a full-time entrepreneur to do all the things that will need to happen to turn your idea into a business – and then deliver those products or services to your customers.
You will also need to plan your spending. Starting a business can be done without masses of expenditure, but it can’t be done for free. So you will need to plan carefully how much money are you going to spend on start-up costs, like website design and marketing?
What about planning for the type of customers you want to buy your products or services? Who are your customers going to be, and why will they buy from you? How are you going to deliver your products or services to them?
You don’t have to write a lengthy or complicated business plan, but you do need to answer important questions like these. They will help you gain a full understanding about how your business will work, and how you could eventually transition from employee to entrepreneur.
Once you’ve written a detailed plan, you’ll then need to schedule key tasks, and track your progress regularly.
Want some help with simple plan for your business?
The One Page Business Plan: From Surviving to Thriving in 12 Easy Steps
Not every business owner needs a business plan. But every business owner does need a plan for their business. This is the only one you will ever need.
What’s involved in a big, shiny, ambitious business launch?
Lots of:
Time
Effort
Money
People
If you’re starting a business while you are working full time, you are doing two things: creating something that will enable you to move into running your own business full time AND taking the time to test your ideas without as much risk. So, it’s absolutely fine to start with something very simple and work your way up to something bigger, better and bolder over time.
It’s fine to dream, but when you’re launching a business while working a day job, you probably shouldn’t go too big.
At least, not for now…..
Do What You Do Best and Outsource the Rest
You don’t have to do everything yourself.
In fact, for the sake of time, sanity’s and a successful business I absolutely recommend that you don’t.
There is no rule that says that as a one-person, solopreneur, side hustle business that you have to be expert in everything about business. It’s also a really bad idea to try to be that idea of the ‘perfect’ business owner who knows, understands and can do everything themselves.
That person does not exist and if anyone tells you they do – and that you can do it all on your own – well, to be blunt, they’re a liar.
The best way to get your business quickly off the ground is to invest in other people’s time and professional expertise, whether you hire a social media expert to work on your posts or use an accountant to plan your finances.
Not only will this allow you to focus properly on your business (rather than in it), but using experts means tasks will be completed to a high standard… definitely higher than you (as an enthusiastic amateur) would have achieved yourself!
So, When Is the Right Time to Leave Your Full-Time Job?
If things start going to plan with your new business, it’ll be easy to let your current career slide.
You may have a healthy customer list, you could have found an investor, maybe you’ve got the equipment and you have developed a fantastic set of new skills that will make your venture a success… you’re doing so well that you’re convinced you’ll be the next Forbes success story!
I’m not saying you’re wrong.
But before you take that last step off the side of the cliff and tell the boss goodbye forever:
Take some self-reflection time so you can be sure that, as far as possible, self-employment is the right long-term move for you
Triple-check that you can afford to leave work
Do your best to hold out for any redundancy or ‘goodbye’ money that might be up for grabs
Ready to Take the Plunge and Start Your Business When You are Working Full-Time?
I can help you start your brand-new business, providing an experienced brain to pick and an ear to listen along the way! If you fancy a chat about how I can help you, the way I have helped hundreds of others just like you, book yourself a complimentary Breakthrough Session.
Or, why not download my Prepare to Be Your Own Boss toolkit?
Prepare to Be Your Own Boss: How to Start a Business the RIGHT Way
Starting your own business is ridiculously simple – but starting is only the beginning. Starting is easy. Making it work? Now that’s a whole different story.
We know many business owners wear several hats, from HR to PR and back again and there are some days that really ought to be four times as long, so everything gets done. Fear not, under-pressure damsels in business distress. Like a knight in slimline silver armour, Linkedin’s new features are coming to your rescue and promise will make life a bit easier.
We’re big believers in every little helping, so let’s take a closer look at the goodies (Ed’s note: don’t you mean the Goode stuff? #badumtush)
Supercharge your posts
Taking a shameless leaf straight out of Facebook’s um… book, Linkedin will now allow you to boost a high-performing post to really supercharge your social media post’s engagement.
It might sound like a cue for a song, but Linkedin says all you need are a “click of a button and a few payment details”, it’s a quick and effective way to expand a post’s reach without having to learn any new marketing tools. Nice.
Amplify event promotion and measure the results
If the past year or so has taught us anything, it’s that many of us are more comfortable in front of the camera and crowds than ever before.
If you’re among the businesses using group and community meetings or events as part of your marketing strategy, Linkedin’s Event Ad feature will help promote your event to a new audience, highlighting key details such as date, time, and how to join.
It will also let members know if a mutual connection will be attending, so watch out for talking at the back.
That’s smart enough on its own, but Linkedin’s new features also include an Event Analytics tool that offers insights into the reach, engagement, and companies behind event attendees, crucial information for tailoring or targeting future events.
LinkedIn Live gets a boost
Business owners looking to get in on the livestreaming trend went crazy for Linkedin’s Live feature, which saw a more-than 400% YoY increase in the past 12 months or so.
The chaps at the business platform have taken note and unveiled Custom Streaming, a nifty feature that allows members to use the broadcast tools they are most comfortable with, whether that’s Zoom, WebEx or OBS. If Microsoft Teams is your bag, that’s on its way too.
Measure performance on the Go
Linkedin has finally realised many business owners aren’t chained to their computers 24/7 and can get out and about from time to time.
With that in mind, they’ve launched Mobile Page Analytics, sending all the visitor, follower and content insights, including organic and boosted metrics, normally accessible on your desktop, straight to your phone.
If you’re still struggling to get to grips with Linkedin’s new features, give us a shout and we’ll soon have you LinkedIn-ing like a pro.
We’re 24 fingers, a digital marketing agency and a proud member of the 42 Club, Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, Excel Business Networking Group, the Trusted Business Community, the Organisation for Responsible Businesses and the Rotary Club of Brentwood à Becket. We help companies who are all fingers and thumbs with their social media grow their business and brand. Book your free strategy call here.
Instagram has always had a mobile-first approach. Which is great, if you’re out and about and using the app as it was originally intended, to post insta(nt) photos of what you’re up to. But let’s face it, it’s no longer 2010, and in the last ten years or more, many of us are now seeing the benefits of using Instagram for our businesses. As such, wouldn’t it be really, really handy to occasionally be able to post to your Instagram feed from your desktop? Well, we’re here to tell you that with a click of one of our 24 fingers, it’s no longer a pipe dream.
Instagram plans to allow for desktop posting
Although there are lots of features that can be used on Instagram from your desktop, annoyingly, the most important aspect of the platform – posting photos to your Instagram grid – isn’t one of them. Rumour has it though, that Instagram is currently planning to allow users to create posts from their desktop. There are reports that Instagram is working on including a button to post photos directly from your desktop to your Instagram feed.
Initial ideas and images suggest that users will then have the opportunity to edit the image, as you do on the mobile app. This includes choosing the aspect ratio of your image and picking filters, as well as the expected options to add a caption, tag people and add your location information.
Our 24 fingers will be poised to give Instagram a massive high five if this functionality is rolled out to desktop users: it’s been sorely missed by many a business owner who prefers creating social media content from the desktop, for example if your images are stored on an online server or if you’re simply more efficient on desktop than mobile. So let’s keep our collective fingers crossed that Instagram give it the green light.
And until then, how can you post to Instagram from your desktop?
Although it will be fab if Instagram roll out the ability to post from your desktop, this all very much appears to be in the initial stages at the moment – if it happens at all. So until then, what can the desktop lover do to make Instagram work for them?
Well, there are ways and means around it. And our 24 fingers are tapping away at the computer keyboard constantly, making them work for our clients, and regularly posting from the desktop. We may even have our ways and means of posting to your stories from the desktop, too.
Want to know more about how you can post to Instagram from your desktop? Get in touch and you’ll be just a few short clicks away from posting to Instagram directly from your desktop.
During COVID-19 most businesses have relied on their company websites to keep trading, but did you know if you bought your website through companies like GoDaddy or Wix you don’t really own your website? It is not part of your company assets despite it being your primary sales source.
Websites sold through companies like these allow businesses to effectively rent space on the internet. At Media in a Box we think you and your business deserves a better solution that ultimately sees you completely owning your own company website, it’s called Small Business Booster. As part of the launch of this exciting new product one small to medium sized company could win a 10-page SEO optimised website for their business.
Media in a Box will professionally register, design and SEO optimise your website to meet your exacting requirements and once complete hand it over to you, although we can continue to support your website if you wish. The Small Business Booster is inexpensive as websites start from £46 + VAT each month and we offer a huge range of templates to suit all sorts of businesses with 5, 10, or 20-page sites. Our experienced team of web designers will tailor your site to achieve maximum impact and effectiveness in reaching your target customers. Media in a Box offers round the clock support and affordable digital marketing packages specifically designed for the needs of small to medium size enterprises.
Owning and not just leasing a website is key to your company’s continued growth and success. Having your primary source of income as a company asset means you control how it is configured for Search Engine Optimisation.
And remember to register for your chance to win and own a 10-page new website. Simply email us at support@smallbusinessbooster.co.uk with your business and contact details.
