Facebook or Instagram? How to Choose Your Main Social Media Platform?

By Peter Minkoff

Facebook and Instagram are towering social media giants that also serve as incredible marketing platforms. Social marketing, however, is not just the face-off between these two. Many other social media channels are popping up, while other established networks are also attempting to steal the show. The latter have unparalleled reach, but their success is far from guaranteed.

Due to the rising competition and complex technical dimension, staying on top of the ever-changing social media game can be a daunting challenge.

A plan of attack

Cost-effective social channels empower startups to overcome two of the chief obstacles on the road to success: Limited manpower and constrained budgets. A barrier to entry is low and the playing field is leveled. This is not to say that choices do not matter. On the contrary, they can make or break the whole social media marketing strategy.

First off, note that spreading yourself too thin is not the most efficient approach. Trying to make the most of all platforms tends to bring only mediocre results. Thus, instead of the scattergun tactic, embrace a targeted and focused plan of action. Save work hours, trim your payroll, and utilize platforms that give you substantial ROI. Looking to save time on getting new followers? Some offer to help you get real followers at a good price with Nitreo discount using new growth tools.

After all, each channel is used in different ways and by various groups of people. There are no one-size-fits-all solutions or shortcuts to greatness here. You may already feel overwhelmed and that is fine. Many other companies seek social media experts from agencies like Jason Hornung to help them navigate the labyrinth of decisions. 

Nevertheless, it always pays off to educate yourself.

Name of the social game

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The key to making the right call is figuring out your target audience and the networks they use the most. So, conduct a thorough research. Do not fret if you are off to a slow start: Every little bit of spadework will pay dividends in the long run.

Snapchat, for instance, is a real gold mine for businesses that target millennials. To capture their imagination, brands offer behind-the-scenes photos, engaging video content, and feature interviews with prominent figures.

Furthermore, according to Statista.com, men and women between the ages of 25-54 form the bulk of all Facebook users. Because it captures a slightly older market, this channel might not be the primary platform for companies that cater solely to millennials.

Instagram may sound like a no-brainer as it is used by 500 million people worldwide most of whom run it every single day. However, the latest algorithm update changed the way in which posts are presented. They no longer appear in a chronological order, meaning brands lose some of the control over their branding efforts.

Besides, as Forbes points out, Instagram still has a smaller user database than Facebook.

Amalgam of moving parts

This brings us to the point that the target audience is not the only element that influences your decision-making. The aforementioned Instagram, despite the latest technical hullabaloo, is a sound choice for businesses that post a lot of visual content in order to foster a loyal following.

Then again, there is also image-heavy Pinterest to consider. It attracts one group of users, in particular, women the age of 18-49 and it is teeming with brands that offer products in the food, fashion, décor, and art sector. They do not have much use for platforms like LinkedIn, which facilitates business networking and job searches.

As you can see, the choices are never straightforward and answers are rarely cut and dried. Finally, the list of social networks goes on and encompasses some lesser-known, industry-specific, and even obscure examples. Why would you bother with them? Well, being an early adopter of a new platform can turn out to be something that launches your businesses into the stratosphere. 

As we have already said, it all comes down to discovering where your company fits in the market. This should be your guiding principle if you want to make the social media work for you.

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This listing courtesy of Douglas Elliman

What You'll Be Drinking This Easter Sunday

'Easter is like Brunch where on a Sunday you gather to eat and drink. When joining a group it's good to be easy with what's on the menu, if there is something you want, know to bring it yourself. Our biggest concern is the drinks, while we love a good Bloody Marry, we're a little over Mimosas’, but still want to celebrate with Champagne.

There are people who love to celebrate with cocktails as the end of the night approaches and whether you are pitting the Manhattan vs. Old Fashioned against each other, Easter is a time for a lot of fizz, as it makes for a sparkling occasion, goes great with food, and can be consumed long into the night. Cocktails are great, and you will have to read the room to see if cocktails are called for, but Champagne is low maintenance, and always adds the sparkle we all need.

Being the celebratory drink it is, Champagne is perfect for the traditional, joyful festivities of Easter Sunday. Champagne can be a mystery with treasures to be discovered, well hidden from those who don’t know where to look. These secrets are part of the fun to discover.

If you’re unsure as to what to bring this Easter to Brunch look no further than Moet & Chandon’s 2008 Grand Vintage Brut. After aging 7 years in the historic cellars, this is a perfect springtime opening similar to a bouquet of floral notes of linden, honeysuckle and acacia, citrus nuances of bergamot and mandarin orange zest, and dash of anise and green tomato, give way to flavors of just-ripe stone fruit and scents of pastry and almonds with a slight hint of white pepper.

A bright pale yellow with glimmers of green, its first impression on the palate is vivacious and lively, subsequently extending itself, with an invigorating finish and lingering note of citrus fruit. Incredibly versatile and food friendly, Moët Grand Vintage 2008 is a surprising yet excellent way to elevate unexpected pairing dishes, such as truffled French fries, salted popcorn, fried chicken, and many more to go with your Easter meal. 

Chandon Sweet Star

Also in the Moet family the Chandon Sweet Star is the newest bubbly to pair with a variety of light bites with your  for any Spring and Summer Brunch. For chic sipping, grab a bottle as a hostess gift for your bestie’s rooftop soirée that will taste great with anything from spicy sushi to decadent donuts – perfect for toasting the arrival of warm weather and sundresses. This bottle goes beyond just Easter but will last you through Summer. We suggest stocking up, as you’ll want these for on the go.

If your still in the mood for a red try a bottlethat's perfect in between seasons wine Ravenswood Old Vine Zinfandel Mendocino County 2014. As Easter sits in before the heat of Summer this medium-bodied ripe Zin with vibrant cherry and cassis layered with notes of toasty oak shining through. Spicy clove and cardamom balance the wine, making it the perfect pair for barbecued lamb this Easter evening. Created by “Godfather of Zin” Joel Peterson, Ravenswood Old Vine Zinfandels showcase the best aspects of their respective terroirs, while maintaining the winery’s “no wimpy wines” ethos.

How Millennials Use Influencer Marketing for Their Business

It’s no secret that millennials now make up for the largest percentage of the population, outnumbering baby boomers in the US alone. It’s also no secrets that they have figured out the balance between work and life and that their spending habits are more focused on the current pleasures such as travel, fashion, leisure, technology and beauty products. They can also be accredited for both being the forefathers of the occupation that goes by the name ‘influencer’ as well as the term itself.

Influencer marketing has therefore become an essential strategy for millennial businesses looking to connect with their target audiences in a more personal and authentic way. Unlike traditional advertising, an influencer marketing company can leverage the trust and credibility that influencers have built with their followers. By partnering with influencers, brands can tap into highly engaged audiences that are more likely to trust product or service recommendations.

There are virtually hundreds of thousands millennial influencers out there, and probably the same number making efforts to become one. Now, the question that poses itself is – how does one manage to make social media platforms their own personal, highly lucrative playground? How do they attract sponsors and more specifically, how do they appeal to their followers and ‘convince’ them into purchasing a certain product and service. Those are the exact questions we’ll be answering today. One final, but in no way less important aspect is the choice of brands they choose to ‘advertize’. Influencer marketing in New York City offers many opportunities to brands who want to reach a wider audience by partnering up with influencers.

The target group

Being part of the millennial generation themselves, these young influencers know ‘their people’. They’re aware that they share at least approximately the same values and interests, so it’s not that difficult to speak to your audience as there is no age gap. The millennial influencer is aware that whatever he wants his followers to respond to is the same type of thing they themselves would respond to.

Aside from that, being the same generation as their followers, influencers immediately have that ‘starting’ vote of confidence and all they have to do from there is gain more credibility.

Investing in content

They don’t respond to paid advertisements and trust only authentic content. That is precisely why the influencer takes the time and effort to create great content – a blog post, a tutorial, a vlog, high-quality and inspiring Instagram posts, even interesting and candid Instastories. Managing these platforms is a full-time job and they never post anything short of perfection.

They know that their followers are not concerned with loyalty, at least not when it comes to whom they follow on social media, so in order to get the numbers up, and not down, they can’t afford risking it with content that leaves something to be desired. They also make sure that their sites are using relevant keywords so that they can easily be searched in the internet like "how tall is tristan tate

Pushing a brand

A true influencer will never allow themselves to be sponsored by a brand they personally don’t like – it’s not good for their image and it makes it that more difficult to be convincing. However, knowing their audience, they will often promote vintage shops, second-hand stores that sell vintage dresses, blouses shirts and more, and often with no reimbursement at all – why? Because it’s good for their image; first, they help and indie brand or a vintage store gain popularity, which will hence ultimately become lucrative for them, and gain points for authenticity as they support brands which they aren’t sponsored by.

This is one of the crucial elements of trustworthiness – making it apparent that you’re a real person and not a sponsored robot. Especially fitness influencers and fashion influencers are very considerate when it comes to brand loyalty.

Staying authentic

Being aware that their peers don’t respond very well to advertisements, making sure a blog post that mentions a particular brand is authentic is paramount to their credibility. They make sure that they’re wearing a certain dress they truly like, genuinely enjoy a vacation, give their honest approval of a certain makeup brand. To take things further, in order to maintain their integrity, beauty bloggers for instance, will often give a negative review of a product, or at least point out certain flaws. One such example is the international You Tube sensation whose channel is called Nikke Tutorials. Even though she has gained massive following and even a collaboration with Ofra cosmetics, this beauty vlogger doesn’t shy away from telling the truth about a product. That’s what makes her followers love her and believe in her opinions.

Speaking of love, another way young influencers pave the way for themselves is by keeping their feet on the ground. That means that communication with audiences is of the utmost importance – replying to messages, not getting on a high horse, answering questions in the comment section, sharing genuine love – it takes all that and much more to keep the love of your audiences.

Rebel with a cause

One final, but in no way less important aspect is the choice of brands they choose to ‘advertize’. Knowing that millennials are increasingly staying away from makeup and cosmetics brands that still test on animals, or retailers who have a history of unethical practices and aren’t committed to sustainability, most smart influencers will stay away from these brands and focus on those with which they have shared values. This is firstly because they genuinely believe in environmental causes and secondly, they don’t want a riot among their following.

How savvy are the influencers you follow and how great is your trust in them?

By Sophia Smith