Digital marketing encompasses many different things. Your website, blog, social media accounts, and more all play an important role in reaching the right people at the right times. Though YouTube is not as popular among businesses as Facebook or even Twitter, it is a powerful tool that can benefit almost any business of any size, regardless of industry or niche. Here, you will learn more about how YouTube works and what you can to do leverage it to your benefit using efforts like YouTube SEO.

YouTube is a Google-Owned Platform

If you’ve been considering the idea of utilizing YouTube as part of your marketing plan, there are two very important things you must keep in mind. First, YouTube is a social media network. It gives absolutely anyone the ability to record and post a video, and others can share, like, or comment on that video collectively. Second, YouTube is part of Google’s massive empire. Google has owned YouTube since 2006 when the search engine giant purchased it for a staggering $1.65 billion. This means that when it comes to optimizing your YouTube channel, you’ll want to follow many of the same SEO practices as you would for your website.

People around the world watch more than a billion hours of YouTube content every day. There are nearly two billion active users, and of these, only about 16% are from the US, which further proves the network’s reach. Since Google purchased YouTube, the two have worked hand-in-hand to provide a better overall experience for internet users around the globe and their 3.5 billion collective daily searches.

Marketing with YouTube

There are two different ways you can market your brand on YouTube.

Become a YouTube creator. YouTube creators are the people behind the videos people watch around the world. They are influencers, demonstrators, entertainers, and others who spend their time making, editing, and uploading videos to be searched and viewed by the masses. Depending on your industry, you could make videos of your own. With the right SEO, people will find your YouTube channel just like they find your website, and before you know it, you’ll have thousands of subscribers.
Become a YouTube advertiser. As the two billion active YouTube users watch their favorite videos, they will occasionally see advertisements. Advertisers pay YouTube to show their ads to viewers during videos much like they pay Facebook or Google to show advertisements to their users. Recently, Google added the ability for marketers to specifically target people who recently searched for a related product or service with their ads, which vastly improves reach, ROI, and conversions.

Many of the people who leverage YouTube to their advantage do both things. Not only do they make their own videos, but they also pay YouTube to display their “commercials” during others’ videos.

Benefits of Adding YouTube to Your Campaign

Aside from extending your reach to more people, there are several other benefits associated becoming a YouTube creator for your business.

Demonstrating a product. Videos do something text and pictures can’t: they allow you to show your audience exactly how a product works. If you have limited distribution channels, this is by far one of the best ways to get the word out, and it’s especially beneficial for businesses like toy manufacturers and clothing designers.
Making your brand the authority in your niche. A YouTube channel also gives you the option to create a solid reputation as an industry expert. Some of the things you can do in this regard involve making short how-to videos, giving your viewers tips on how to get the most of their product or service, and even providing links to other creators’ videos that may provide the same information from a different perspective.
Saving your own bandwidth. Let’s face it – website bandwidth can get expensive, and high definition videos can take up a lot of space and eat up a lot of your bandwidth, causing your entire site to load slowly. When you become a YouTube creator, you can embed your YouTube videos into your website to avoid this.
Solving common problems. Imagine creating a list of FAQs, but instead of posting them on your website in text, you make a video, instead. You can demonstrate the solutions rather than just explaining them, and this is sure to improve the overall customer experience.
Announcing sales or other events. Sales and other events are fantastic for getting some attention for your business, but they only work if people know about them. You can record your most successful events and edit the best clips into a short video.
Giving your brand a personality. A brand with personality is a successful brand, and once again, YouTube is the best way to accomplish this goal. If your bakery, for example, only uses organic eggs from free-range chickens, you can take a trip to the local farm – and take your viewers along with you. This shows your personality and helps you become more relatable to your target audience.
Building a community. Finally, thanks to viewers’ ability to comment on your videos, YouTube is an excellent place for community building. Using YouTube as a sharing platform is vital to your success. Consider a once-weekly vlog (video blog) at the very least and add in a few other videos that show new product launches or even footage of your happy customers.

The benefits of YouTube are far-reaching, and with the right knowledge, a decent camera or smartphone, and the ability to relate to your customers, it’s possible to build your brand more than you ever thought possible just by making YouTube videos.

As you can see, there’s much more to YouTube than meets the eye. Some of the most successful YouTubers of all time have made millions of dollars just by doing what they love to do best, and you can use it to your advantage, too. You might not become a millionaire, but there is a 100% chance that you will extend your brand’s reach, whether you choose to become a creator or an advertiser.

Marketing and branding have come a long way from where they were just a decade ago. Consumers, especially millennial consumers, prefer to receive information in different ways. Social media plays a crucial role in the economy, with YouTube being one of the clear front runners. Using your YouTube channel for branding and marketing is a brilliant idea, as long as you’re setting your channel up for success.

Use the Right Tags

You should have widgets and links on your other profiles or sites, and be cross posting your content. This will assure that the followers who are already following you on other platforms are exposed to your content. But what about the people who aren’t?

That’s why placing the proper tags on your YouTube videos is crucial. If you aren’t doing so, people aren’t going to find you when browsing YouTube. You’re alienating YouTube users who could become valuable customers. Add as many relevant tags to your videos as possible. Be careful not to use misleading tags, as YouTube considers this a violation of their terms of use.

Give Your Videos a Call to Action

People won’t become customers if you make it difficult for them to browse your products or services. If your videos are subtle, they may not even be aware that you’re offering them. That’s where YouTube’s annotations feature comes in handy. At the end of your videos, include text and an annotation box with a link to your website.

Provide Exclusive Content

If people can see the things they see in your YouTube videos somewhere else on the internet, what’s stopping them from doing so? The content you provide on your YouTube channel should differ significantly from the content you provide on other platforms. People love things like behind the scenes videos that show them what goes on inside of your offices. Exclusive announcements and live demos that they won’t find anywhere else are also big draws.

Complete Your Profile

Branding should be thorough and consistent. A great YouTube channel has more than just videos – it’s also a place to showcase who you are. Make use of the custom banner feature. Create organized playlists, and include links to your other profiles on your channel’s home page. Fill out your bio. Include branded intros and outros for your videos. Let your viewers know who you are.

Avoid Blatant Sales Pitches

The public turns to YouTube for entertainment. If they wanted to watch commercials, they’d be watching regular television. You have a product or service to sell, but you need to make it interesting. After viewing your videos, people should walk away with more than just the knowledge of what you’re selling – they also need some food for thought. Avoid conventional advertisement messages, and focus on what makes you unique.

Collaborate with Other YouTube Creators

YouTube isn’t just a bunch of individuals who keep to themselves. It’s an active, thriving community in which many of the members collaborate. Are you a lifestyle brand? Find a lifestyle YouTuber to work with, and provide them with the opportunity to review your products or services. There’s a YouTube niche for just about everything. Find the most popular creators within your niche, and touch base with them. Your audience will likely grow as a result.

Give Users a Reason to Subscribe

Continuously providing valuable content will keep you relevant on YouTube. If one of your videos surpasses 100,000 views, that’s excellent. What happens when that video tops out? Keeping your channel interesting with entertaining weekly segments or relevant tutorials will inspire people to stay loyal to you. You want your brand to stay fresh in their memories, and become a part of their everyday lives.

Overall, one of the most important things when it comes to using YouTube for branding and marketing is to stay consistent and valuable. With that in mind, it’s time to develop a plan and get to work.

About Author:

With a background in business administration and management, Tess Pajaron currently works at Open Colleges, Australia’s leading online educator. She likes to cover stories in careers and marketing.

With so many people around the world uploading content to YouTube every day, it’s important to make your brand’s channel stand out if you want to be successful and rank well. Not only do you want viewers to be interested in your videos, you also want them to be able to find you easily and quickly. By following some simple steps to optimize your brand’s YouTube channel, you can ensure that you’ll rank for relevant searches and get more views of your videos.

Identify Yourself Clearly at Multiple Points

One of the key elements of branding, no matter what the channel, is to make sure your viewers know who you are. The name of your company should be the title of your YouTube channel, so when people search for your business name, they can easily find you right away. The company name you use should be the one that most people will be searching for, not your official corporate name, unless there is no difference between the two.

For example, Blue Coat Systems chose to title their channel Blue Coat in order to match what their consumers would type into Google. Another way to make sure viewers can identify you is to brand your content with a small logo or your username in a corner of the screen. This will help users to remember your brand name and seek you out again.

Get Your Content Out

Most users do not use the video description field to their advantage. While this section is meant to hold a short description of the video, you can expand it to include more information. Including a video transcript in this field that details the content of your video is a good idea if your videos are tutorials, detailed information about your product, or responses to frequently asked questions from your industry. This will help you rank for searches related to the content covered in the video.

For example, if you have made a video that answers popular questions about vegetable gardening, including a video transcript will help you capture anyone who searches for terms that come up in the video, such as grow better tomatoes. If you are too busy to create your own video transcripts, there are many cheap transcription services online that can transcribe your video for you.

Create Engaging Content That Viewers Enjoy

Following best practices only gets you so far on a video sharing platform. The best way to rank higher is to create engaging content that users will enjoy watching and want to share with friends. One of the ways you can perfect your content is by using the insights provided by YouTube. You can see how long viewers are watching your videos before turning them off and improve them based on this data. You can also get insight into the best time to post your videos to get the most views. Incorporate the insights and information you get into the new videos you create to make them better. For example, if viewers are only watching your videos for 45 seconds and then clicking on something else, try to condense the overall length of the video. The data provided by insights tells you the story of how viewers interact with your content, and you can improve the quality of your channel if you take the time to view and interpret them.

832,503,378 views!

Getting your YouTube channel to be a success can take some time, as you experiment with what type of content is most successful and gets the most views. By following the guidelines detailed here, you can make the process of ranking your brand’s YouTube channel much easier and faster.

Video content is one of the most powerful forms of content marketers have available. It can deliver a message with clarity. It can give the viewer the most correct perception that the video maker wants the viewer to have. By giving that perception, the video maker has the ability to sell a view, a thought, or even a product. Businesses use video all of the time to portray the quality of their product or service. For these reasons good marketing plans should heavily involve video content.

Promoting the video content is another story and it can be oftentimes more difficult than creating video. Promoting any content online in general is actually a very difficult thing to do. Youtube is the second largest search engine in the world and it’s whole focus is video content, meaning it’s the largest video promotional platform online. It can seem like rocket science to get a business to do very well on YouTube. The good thing about marketing is you can always look at who’s doing it right and then that can teach you things that you can possibly carry into your strategy. Let’s take a look at some businesses that did a really good job with their YouTube channel.

1: PewDiePie

With more than 30 million subscribers, PewDiePie is YouTube’s greatest success story and one of the many entrepreneurs whose business exists solely on Google’s video platform. Google’s YouTube Partner Program allows content producers to share the revenue earned by their videos, with thousands of YouTube channels earning more than $100,000 per year. PewDiePie has taken this business model to its fullest extreme, producing approximately 2,000 videos in total and earning more than $4 million per year. PewDiePie’s videos consist primarily of himself playing video games, proving that an extremely profitable YouTube business can be created on a shoestring budget. What unexplored YouTube niches could your business take advantage of?

2: Blendtec

If you want to use YouTube to market a mundane product, you have to be creative. Although there are many potential niches on YouTube that haven’t been fully explored, one thing the world doesn’t need is another video about making smoothies. With its brilliant “Will It Blend?” campaign, Blendtec chose a different route and used its blenders to reduce popular gadgets such as mobile phones and iPods to dust. Although the videos were shocking and entertaining, they also served a purpose by illustrating the power of Blendtec’s blenders. This campaign netted Blendtec 744,000 YouTube subscribers.

3: Lay’s

When you want a YouTube video to get a lot of attention and quickly, nothing gives viewers more incentive to watch than a giveaway. In 2012, Lay’s launched its “Do Us a Flavor” campaign, asking viewers to send their ideas for new potato chip flavors. The contest netted a Wisconsin librarian a million dollars and the YouTube video announcing the promotion was viewed more than 12 million times.

4: Williams-Sonoma

Although it is impossible to deny the excitement and buzz of a viral video, sometimes it is better to simply give the public what they want. Williams-Sonoma’s YouTube channel is an example of a content marketing strategy with perfect execution. If you aren’t sure whether a particular grill, food processor, knife set or other product is the right one for you, simply click a video link and see how the product works in the hands of a professional. Switching between YouTube and the Williams-Sonoma website is easy as all of Williams-Sonoma’s videos can be viewed on either website.

5: Apple

If you have a company with a great deal of history, why bother producing new videos when you can repurpose the content you already have? Apple’s product announcements are met with a great deal of hype as gadget lovers can’t wait to see the latest generation of Macs and iDevices. Although Apple displays videos of these events on its official website, they also cross-post the content to YouTube with great results. The recording of Apple’s WWDC 2014 conference was viewed more than 1.8 million times on YouTube. Apple also uploads all of its television commercials to YouTube.

6: PlayStation

Sony designed its PlayStation 4 console from the ground up to generate a steady stream of video content. As you play games, the PlayStation 4 automatically records your activities. When something interesting happens, pressing a single button on the PlayStation 4 controller allows you to save the event as a video and upload it to YouTube or another website. In this way, Sony’s users essentially advertise the company’s products for free. How could you get your customers to work for you?

7: Nu Skin

When developing a content marketing strategy for YouTube, you should never underestimate the power of playlists. When you visit the Nu Skin YouTube page, you immediately know how to find the content you want, thanks to the large buttons pointing you toward various content headings such as “Product” and “Opportunity.” Dig a little deeper and you’ll find playlists that further segment Nu Skin’s videos into laser-targeted sub-niches. If you aren’t finding the success that you hoped for on YouTube, is it because users can’t find the content they want?

In Conclusion

YouTube marketing takes some real learning from others who have had success. The biggest thing is to test, test, and test. Not everything that works for another business will work for your business. These channels are great examples of what you should do on YouTube and they will really help you promote your video content all over the web.

Every minute, over 100 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube. With such a massive volume of content, it can be difficult to get your channel out there and build an audience. Despite the challenge, it is still possible to grow your channel and become a successful YouTuber – perhaps even to make money in doing so. You only need two things: Determination and know-how. If you can provide the hard work and commitment to growing your YouTube channel, then following the top 10 tricks to be a successful YouTuber below will give you the know-how to reach your goals.

Ready? Great!

Have a Niche: If you want to build an audience then you need to have a plan. Ask yourself, what types of video do you want to make? If you are interested in making Vlogs, comedy sketches, or gaming videos, it’s better to stick to one type of content, at least in the beginning. This way you can perfect your videos easier, avoid the classic “I didn’t subscribe for these types of videos” problem in the comments sections, and get followers. Later, if you want to, you can set up a different channel or introduce new types of content slowly to see the reaction from your fan-base.

Brand Your Videos: Just in the same way that advertisers brand their products in a way which makes them memorable and enticing, you need to take the same approach with both your videos and your channel. Come up with something to say at the end of your videos, a catchphrase that people will instantly connect to your YouTube output. Also, ensure that you have a professional looking banner for your channel page and a water mark which can appear on all of your videos. Brand everything and viewers will be thankful that you take your channel seriously.

Know Your Competition: Take time to research your competitors: People who are making similar types of videos. Adapt the ideas that work, but above all else try and have your own style or approach which differentiates your from the thousands of others offering similar content. This way you will not be accused of being a copycat which can damage the reputation of any YouTuber.

Use Your Annotations: YouTube offers the ability to annotate your videos with messages and links. To build your audience, place annotations on your video to make sure that your subscribers can easily click on a related video on your channel, showcasing your content and broadening your view count.

Make Friends With Analytics: Each channel on YouTube now has access to a range of data which allows you to know which videos are working and which are not. You can quickly identify the type of content people are engaging with through likes, watch-times, and comments. Focus on creating more of this type of content to capitalize on your successes.

Make a Brilliant Channel Trailer: Those who are not subscribed to your channel will be greeted by a channel trailer which showcases what you do. Take time to make something fun and engaging. Sell yourself to your potential audience!

Featured Videos: Just like Facebook does with post promotion, YouTube allows you to pay a little bit of money to get your video featured. This will guarantee that a large number of people see your video. Make sure to pick something that you think people will click on, otherwise it will be a waste of money.

Interaction is Everything: Obviously if your channel receives thousands of comments it will not be possible to answer each one, but, especially in the beginning, it’s important to take the time to show people that you are reading their comments. They will be much more likely to engage with you further as a result.

Use Social Media: A YouTube channel lives and dies by the number of people who are aware of it. Use Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr to promote your channel in other venues. It’s also a great way to interact with fans.

Consistency is King: With so many videos being uploaded, viewers will quickly forget your channel if you don’t keep yourself fresh in their minds. Make sure that you upload regularly and people will be far more likely to return to your content, not to mention that consistent uploads lead to new subscribers discovering your videos.

Building a YouTube channel from the ground up can take time, but if you follow the tips and keep at it, you will develop your audience and expand your reach. Good luck!

About Author:

Melissa Wanger is a freelance Internet marketing specialist and a writer at essayontime.net. She has a solid background in social media, ancient history and cryptography. Now she is pursuing a PhD in integrated marketing communications.

As everyone knows, YouTube is the second biggest search engine in the world. More than 1,000,000,000 unique users visit it each month. No wonder how people can make thousands of dollars by uploading a few “stupid” videos and make thousands of dollars by setting up YouTube Ads and doing nothing else.

What are YouTube Ads?

However, many people are not comfortable showing themselves in videos, because of shyness, lack of security and a handful of other explanations.
What if you’d still like to take advantage of the huge possibilities that YouTube offers? Don’t worry: there is a solution.
You can achieve similar results, if not better, by following the strategies below.

The Equipment

One of the best things about creating high-ranking YouTube videos without showing your face is that you don’t even need to have a camcorder or video camera.

All you have to do is invest into one or two programs and you can create cheap, but extremely professional and engaging videos for years to come. To keep yourself organized create a PowerPoint presentation regarding the video layout.

My favorite tools for doing so are:

Camtasia Studio as screen recording software
Sparkol VideoScribe to help you create fast-drawing videos without any technical or design knowledge
PowToon Animation for creating video animations quickly and easily

With just one of these tools anyone can create “faceless” but engaging videos that look professional and attract lots of views.

Heck, I have a few videos that took me less than 30 minutes to record with Camtasia and have already earned me more than $500 in affiliate commissions. I’m not saying this to brag, just to help you see how powerful these tools can be in YouTube marketing.

What Kind of Videos Can You Create?

At this point you may want to ask what kind of YouTube videos you could create without being present in any of them. Fortunately, there are a lot of options again:

1. Create Tutorial Videos

For creating tutorials, I think Camtasia Studio works the best.

You can create tutorials about a lot of things:

how to install a piece of software online
how to order a certain product from your site
how to sign up for a service you’re promoting
and basically how to do anything online.

2. Create Explainer Videos

You can create explainer videos to show people how something works or to explain a rather boring subject in an easy to understand, engaging way. The animations you can create with Sparkol VideoScribe and PowToon are perfect for this purpose.

3. Response Videos

Another effective YouTube marketing strategy is creating videos where you answer your visitors’ or viewers’ most common questions.

For example you can let people ask their doubts about a certain topic in the comments under your videos or via your site’s contact form and then reply to the most frequently asked questions in a Monthly Video Response.

An extra tip I can give you here is to create a PowerPoint presentation on the subjects you’ll talk about and then record that presentation with Camtasia Studio while you’re narrating. This is one of the easiest and most common ways to create popular “faceless” YouTube videos.

Summary

I hope these strategies will help you create high-ranking YouTube videos without showing your face. They certainly worked wonders for me, and I see no reason why they wouldn’t work for you, too.

And if you can implement these YouTube optimization strategies published before by Brandignity, I’m sure your YouTube channel will become very popular and profitable soon.

Author Bio:

Steven Fabian is the owner of Business Online Guidance, an ultimate resource for “the average person” to start an online business the simplest, shortest and least expensive way. You can find more of his YouTube marketing strategies here.

Are you interested in starting a video marketing campaign? We think that is a great idea! There are tons of benefits to video marketing. Your company can generate even more leads, engage more customers, build brand awareness, increase blog traffic, and so much more.

However, diving into the unknown is often a bit daunting. If you are unsure of where to begin, here are some simple tips and suggestions to get you started.

The best on-camera talent might not be the most obvious candidate. Your marketing and sales professionals are, undoubtedly, good at their job. However, put them on camera and they might not be the most convincing representation of your company. What about the administrative assistant who always greets everyone with a smile? Or the night-shift manager whose natural exuberance seems to be contentious? You may find that your company’s best cheerleader is actually a hidden gem!
Don’t worry about the details, just get started! If you spend tons of time worrying about the tiniest of details, you’re bound to push your start date further and further back on your calendar. Don’t worry about which camera you should use. Don’t worry about editing out all the “mistakes.” Just get your message out there. Start publishing video. Once you get started, be consistent – post regularly.
Be authentic. Viewers will appreciate the passion you have for the topic and the honesty with which you deliver the information. Don’t worry about impressing your audience; just be open and honest. As a result, your viewers will accept you as an authority.
Become a guest author on other blogs. Imbed your videos in articles and reach an even bigger audience. Not only will you form a valuable, long-term relationship with other prominent members of your field, you’ll also entice more readers to visit your blog.
Create video tutorials about various topics in your industry. People love visual, step-by-step demonstrations. The popularity of this type of video has the potential to spread like wildfire.
Start a video contest. A contest is a great way to get user-generated content. Plus, you can make the contest social – encourage participants to share their submission and gather voters.

Do you have any ideas we left off the list? Let us know! We’d love to hear from you!

About Author

Lindsey Davidson does marketing for Custom Corntoss. She recently helped them make a video about how funny cornhole is – watch it here. As a small business, the company is just getting started with video marketing possibilities.

You might think you’re the only one scrolling through Instagram during your lunch break, but you’re not alone. The world’s hooked on social networks. They’re shaping how we communicate, do business, and even sway politics.

But it’s not all ‘likes’ and ‘shares’. Let’s dive into the global trends, impacts, and even the darker uses of these platforms. Grab your smartphone and let’s explore how our planet’s using, abusing, and benefiting from social networks!

The Global Reach of Social Networks

You’re now exploring the global reach of social networks and the immense impact they’re having worldwide. It’s a bit like stepping into the Matrix – only instead of dodging bullets, you’re navigating memes, cat videos, and the occasional political ‘debate’.

Let’s start with the networks’ demographics. They’re as varied as a bag of jelly beans and twice as colorful. From Baby Boomers sharing photos of their grandkids on Facebook to Gen Zers making TikTok dance videos, social networks are a veritable melting pot of generations.

Now, let’s get serious – privacy concerns. Social networks are often more revealing than a poorly timed skinny dip. Your data, from your favorite pizza topping to your shoe size, can be up for grabs. It’s a digital Wild West out there, partner, and it’s important to know how to protect yourself.

Cultural impacts of social networks? Well, they’re as significant as the invention of sliced bread – only with more emojis. They’ve redefined communication, rallying people around causes, trends, and movements.

As for digital citizenship, it’s the new black. It’s about behaving responsibly online, a bit like not double-dipping at a party. But it’s also about access – networks’ accessibility is crucial. Whether you’re perched on a mountaintop or tucked away in a small town, social networks are usually just a click away.

Social Networks and Communication Dynamics

In the realm of social networks, you’re not just engaging in casual chats, but you’re also experiencing a shift in communication dynamics, where anyone can voice their opinions and ideas. It’s like a worldwide open mic night but with fewer bad karaoke performances.

Let’s talk about Networked Privacy. It’s the digital equivalent of trying to whisper in a crowded room without anyone overhearing. It’s tricky but achievable. Studies show that 74% of users have tightened their privacy settings in the last year. That’s no small feat, considering the complexity of privacy settings, which are often more complicated than assembling Swedish flat-pack furniture.

Next, Digital Relationships. They’re like regular relationships, but with more emojis. Data suggests that 1 in 5 relationships now starts online. It’s not surprising, considering you’re more likely to get a reply from a text than a love letter tied to a pigeon’s leg.

So, what about Social Networks’ Ethics? Well, it’s like the Wild West out there, with everyone trying to do the right thing while avoiding being shot by trolls. But efforts are being made to instill some law and order. Cyberbullying Prevention has become a top priority for many platforms, with 60% of them implementing stricter rules, proving they care more about user safety than a cat cares about…well, anything.

Lastly, Online Activism. It’s the modern-day equivalent of shouting from the rooftops. Except now, you can shout from the comfort of your couch, wearing pajamas, and reach millions. It’s a powerful tool in promoting social change, just like a rubber chicken is a powerful tool in comedy.

Role of Social Networks in Business and Marketing

Leverage social networks for business and marketing, and you’ll quickly see the potential they offer in reaching a larger audience and boosting customer engagement. Don’t believe us? Let’s dive into the data – after all, numbers don’t lie, but your ex probably does.

Brand authenticity is the golden goose of social networks. It’s the thumbs-up emoji to your ‘you up?’ text at 2 a.m. The data shows that 86% of consumers say authenticity is a key factor when deciding which brands to support. So, don’t be the brand that cries wolf, be genuine.

Now, onto your audience engagement. It’s like the salsa to your nachos. The more you dip into it, the spicier your business gets. A smart content strategy can increase your engagement rate by 23%, that’s like adding guacamole, cheese, and jalapenos all at once – yes, it’s that good!

Customer retention, another crucial element, is the clingy partner of your business. It’s cheaper to keep ’em than to find new ones. Around 65% of a company’s business comes from existing customers. So, don’t ghost them after the first date, keep the conversation going.

And lastly, viral marketing. Think of it as the contagious laughter in a comedy club. It spreads fast and wide, but only if it’s genuinely funny. A single viral post can increase your audience by a whopping 1200%. But remember, no one likes a try-hard. Be authentically hilarious, not hilariously authentic.

Influence of Social Networks on Politics Worldwide

Nearly 70% of the global population is influenced by politics through social networks, so you’re living proof that it’s not just cat videos and memes ruling your feed. Instead, your newsfeed is a battleground for political polarization and, let’s face it, you’re the prize.

Just think about it. Every time you scroll, you’re not just passing time but you’re unknowingly participating in the grand opera of activist mobilization. Those seemingly harmless retweets, shares, and likes? They’re the fuel that feeds the fire of policy influence. It’s a bit like being in a room full of people shouting their opinions at you, except you can’t find the exit and everyone’s wearing clown shoes.

Perhaps you’ve noticed the increasing trend of election interference. It’s the digital version of those annoying people who knock on your door at dinner time, asking who you’re voting for. Except this time, they’re not just knocking, they’re also trying to pick the lock.

And then there’s propaganda dissemination, the crafty, sly fox in this political jungle. Those ‘sponsored’ posts you see? They’re the modern-day equivalent of whisper campaigns. Only now, they’re not whispering, they’re shouting.

Social Networks Impact on Global Education

Throughout your time online, you’ve likely noticed how social networks are transforming global education by offering virtual classrooms, online collaboration, and instant access to a vast array of educational resources. It’s like Hogwarts has gone digital, minus the owls and the potential for turning your classmates into toads.

Digital literacy, once the domain of tech-savvy nerds, is now a must-have skill. Sure, you can’t code your way out of a paper bag, but can you find the square root of 144 on Google? That counts too. Online tutoring has exploded, with E-learning platforms popping up like mushrooms after a rainstorm. It seems every Tom, Dick, and Harry with a stable internet connection is now an armchair educator.

Virtual classrooms are the order of the day. Forget the dingy classrooms with squeaky chalkboards. Now, you get to learn in your pajamas, in the comfort of your own home. And don’t forget the collaborative learning. Remember group projects where you did 99% of the work? Well, online collaboration tools are making it harder for free riders to slink off into the shadows.

The data says it all. E-learning platforms have seen a 900% increase in users since 2015. Online tutoring is projected to reach $132 billion by 2023. And 90% of students find online learning equal to or better than traditional classrooms. But let’s face it, the best part about the digital education revolution? No more ‘dog ate my homework’ excuses.

The Dark Side: Misuse of Social Networks Around the Globe

You’re aware of the benefits, but it’s also important to discuss the dark side: misuse of social networks is a growing problem around the globe. Let’s dive in, shall we? And remember, no need for a snorkel – it’s not that kind of diving.

First up: cyberbullying prevalence. It’s like a viral cat video, but instead of leaving you laughing, it leaves a nasty sting. Studies show that one in three young people have been victims of this digital menace. That’s enough to turn Facebook into Fearbook, right?

Next, we’ve got data privacy concerns. You’d think your information is safer than a chocolate bar at a weight loss convention, but you’d be wrong. Hackers are out there, ready to snatch up your personal info faster than a grandma at a bingo game.

Let’s not forget online addiction issues. The ‘Gram, Twitter, Snap – they’re like digital potato chips, you can’t have just one. And the result? An alarming increase in digital dependence. Now, that’s a status update nobody wants to see!

Moving on to disinformation spreading. It’s like a game of telephone, but with world leaders and important news stories. The result? A distorted truth that could make a Picasso painting look like a photograph.

Lastly, there are identity theft risks. Imagine waking up one day to find out you’re not you anymore. It’s like a bad dream, but instead of waking up, you’re stuck in a Kafka novel.

The Future of Social Networks: Emerging Trends and Predictions

While you’re considering the dark side of social networks, it’s equally crucial to look into the emerging trends and predictions shaping the future of these platforms. And, let’s face it, it’s like trying to predict what your cat will do next. Unpredictable, yes, but not impossible.

Virtual Reality Networking is the new catnip. Imagine, instead of ‘liking’ your friend’s brunch photo, you’re sitting across from them, stealing their bacon. It’s as if you’re there but without the hassle of putting on pants. Data shows VR users are likely to increase by 14.5 million in 2022. That’s a lot of virtual bacon.

Blockchain based Networks are the laser pointer of social media, offering an enticingly secure and decentralized platform. You control your own data, much like how you control the red dot (or do you?). The World Economic Forum predicts 10% of the world’s GDP will be stored on blockchain by 2027. That’s a lot of dots.

AI driven Interactions are the perfect solution for those pesky tasks you’d rather avoid, like weeding out trolls or managing your digital identity. It’s like having your own robot butler, minus the silver tray. Reports suggest 85% of customer interactions will be managed without a human by 2021.

Biometric Authentication is the cat’s meow for security. It’s like a secret handshake but with your face. A Juniper Research study predicts mobile biometrics will authenticate $2 trillion worth of transactions by 2023.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Does the Use of Social Networks Differ Among Various Age Groups?

You’ll find that social media habits vary greatly among age groups. Generation Z’s habits often include constant scrolling and posting, while millennials’ networking focuses on career connections. Adolescents show behavior influenced by peer interaction.

Interestingly, senior citizens online are catching up, bridging the digital divide. It’s like a wild party where everyone’s invited, but each age group hangs out in its own corner. Life’s a hashtag, isn’t it?

What Are the Psychological Effects of Using Social Networks on Individuals?

You’re building an online identity on social networks, aren’t ya? But hold up, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. It can mess with your self-esteem and create emotional dependence.

Ever heard of cyberbullying? Yeah, it’s that bad. And don’t get me started on privacy concerns.

So, next time you’re scrolling, remember: it’s not just cute dog pics and meme shares, there’s a whole psychology to it.

Stay aware, stay safe!

Are There Any Specific Health Implications Linked to the Usage of Social Networks?

Sure, social networks can lead to digital addiction, making you check your phone every 5 seconds. They can also open the door to cyberbullying impacts, causing you to second guess your every post. You might even experience network induced isolation, where you’re surrounded by online friends but feel utterly alone.

However, moderating your social media diet and fostering healthy online relationships can counteract these negative effects. So, it’s not all doom and gloom in the virtual world!

How Has Social Networking Influenced Language and the Way We Communicate in Real Life?

Ironically, you’re likely reading this on a screen, the birthplace of digital vernaculars and emoji evolution. Social networking’s changed how we communicate, creating new slang and altering texting etiquette.

Studies in cyber linguistics reveal we’re quicker, and more efficient but also less formal. You wouldn’t say ‘LOL’ in a job interview, would you?

Yet, these changes aren’t all bad. They’re just different and continue to evolve as we adapt to our ever-connected world.

Can Social Networks Play a Role in Promoting Environmental Awareness and Sustainability?

Absolutely, you can use social networks to promote environmental awareness and sustainability. Green campaigns and sustainability influencers are increasingly popular. You’ve probably seen eco-friendly hashtags and awareness posts pop up in your feed.

Online activism isn’t just trendy, it’s impactful. Data shows it’s an effective way to spread the word about sustainable practices.

Conclusion

So, you see, social networks aren’t just about sharing memes and vacation photos. They’re powerful tools reshaping communication, business, politics, and education, and unfortunately, even used for misuse.

However, as these platforms continue to evolve, so does our understanding of their potential and pitfalls. You, like millions worldwide, are part of this digital revolution. Remember, your voice matters in shaping the future of these global networks.

Google hangouts has been around for a little while now. Of course it hasn’t been as popular as Skype but it certainly has it’s advantages when it comes to broadcasting something on the web with your audience simultaneously. In this video one newscast uses Google Hangouts to increase viewership and also bring the audience right on the set.

Google Hangouts Video

Google gets serious about Ramadan, with live YouTube streams from Mecca, Google+ Hangouts and more(thenextweb.com)
Google+ App Brings Hangouts to the iPad(pcworld.com)
Google+ Hangouts Get Closed Captioning, Transcripts(mashable.com)

Marketing anything these days is a very difficult road to take. So much clutter and competition in the way you better have a good grasp on what it is that you are trying to convey to your audience. ROI is getting easier to understand but still a sticky road when it comes to search engine marketing especially in the social media space. Let’s not even mention the complexity of the Google algorithm which continues to get even more complex each and every day.

This is a story about how one little (now big) mobile app took the traditional channels for marketing their application which triggered less than desirable outcomes. When I read the TechCrunch story the other day I really wasn’t that shocked. Mobile apps are becoming like websites and they are all over the place now. Do you really still think that just launching yours is going to bring you success? Most apps these days have to really think outside the box a bit to drive visibility. Mobile app marketing is a process that is changing very rapidly and those that win typically have something either really interesting boat loads of personality.

“The day my app (AutoCAD WS) crossed one million downloads on the App Store, the first question that crossed my mind was how did I ever end up doing marketing? I was a techy product manager and never imagined myself in marketing, until my app was in a life or death situation.”

Most app owners will never really know how this feeling actually feels but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be trying to reach a 1 million download mark. Iris Shoor created a mobile that was later acquired by a much larger organization and she gives some extremely valuable information on how she went about marketing a mobile app. Her experiences are amazing to read about especially if you have a mobile application you are trying to market.

First, let’s watch a little YouTube video regarding the mobile app we are discussing.

AutoCAD WS Video

Now let’s talk about what worked and what didn’t for just a moment.

What didn’t work?

Traditional PR agency efforts
Blogger outreach
Lots of writing
Website tweaking

What did work?

Creating interesting content
Focus was humor
Brand connection
Viral marketing
Relationships with current users
Collecting lots of feedback
Language translation for international users

Here is a screenshot of the current website.

To read the entire article click here and channel over to TechCrunch, you will be happy you did.

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