Instagram shares Reels algorithm overview, TikTok tests vanishing video, KFC launches a hotel?</h1> <article> <h1>Instagram shares Reels algorithm overview, TikTok tests vanishing video, KFC launches a hotel?</h1> <p>jessica.little@imperialleisure.com — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 07:36:25 +0000</p> <span>Instagram shares Reels algorithm overview, TikTok tests vanishing video, KFC launches a hotel?</span> <div><p>Instagram has shared a new overview of the key factors it considers when ranking Reels, which can now be up to one minute long. Meanwhile, TikTok is piloting its own vanishing Stories.</p> </div> <span><span lang="" about="https://www.imperialleisure.com/user/10374" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" content="jessica.little@imperialleisure.com">jessica.little…</span></span> <span>Mon, 08/09/2021 - 08:36</span> <div> <div> <div class="responsive_image_wrapper" style="padding-top: 60.869565217391%; overflow:hidden;position: relative;height:0;"></source></source></div> </div> </div> <div><h2>Reel insights</h2> <p>Instagram has shared a new overview of the <a href="https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagram-provides-new-overview-of-how-its-reels-algorithm-works/604418/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">key factors it considers when ranking Reels</a>. As well as common algorithm elements (previous content the user has engaged with, past interaction with the Reel creator), Instagram’s AI system also determines which Reels to show by interpreting the video content “based on pixels and whole frames”. <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/27/22596530/instagram-reels-60-seconds-time-extension" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Reels can now also be up to one minute long</a> (the second time the time cap has been doubled) as the platform aims to replicate TikTok’s short-form video success.</p> <h2>Ephemeral joys</h2> <p>As Instagram chases TikTok, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58095639" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">TikTok is piloting its own vanishing Stories</a> feature with publicly visible comment activity and views. Meanwhile, WhatsApp has enabled its users to send photos and videos that<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/3/22608419/whatsapp-view-once-dissapearing-media-launch-testing-sensitive-info" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer"> can only be viewed once</a> (though, word to the wise: it’s possible to take a screenshot). Both of these launches follow <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/08/03/twitter-fleets-rip/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Twitter's abandonment of Fleets</a>, its own disappearing content feature, which failed to click with users on the less visual and creative platform.</p> <h2>Creator economy gold rush</h2> <p>Influencers are experimenting with multiple platforms and being increasingly selective about the brands they work with as the <a href="https://www.voguebusiness.com/companies/navigating-the-creator-economy-gold-rush" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">creator economy matures</a>. “It’s really important to look at creators as an extension of the brand and not as a digital ad buy or billboard.” Long read.</p> <h2>Google warned by EU</h2> <p>The European Commission has given Google two months to improve its <a href="https://www.phocuswire.com/google-transparency-hotel-and-flight-prices" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">flight and hotel pricing transparency</a> in search results. To avoid sanctions, the search engine must ensure prices are final and any paid influence on ranking should be clear to consumers. The move comes amid broader scrutiny of Google's anti-competitive search practices.</p> <h2>Bucket-list stay</h2> <p>It’s not unusual for brands to delve into other categories, but here’s an extension we didn’t foresee: <a href="https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/kfc-spreads-its-wings-as-it-opens-london-pop-up-hotel/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">KFC has opened a pop-up hotel</a> in London, named 'The House of Harland' after its founder and brand mascot, Colonel Sanders. Settle in and "press for chicken".</p> </div> <div> <div>custom_meta</div> <div>Reel insights<br> Instagram has shared a new overview of the key factors it considers when ranking Reels. As well as common algorithm elements (previous content the user has engaged with, past interaction with the Reel creator), Instagram’s AI system also determines which Reels to show by interpreting the video content “based on pixels and whole frames”. Reels can now also be up to one minute long (the second time the time cap has been doubled) as the platform aims to replicate TikTok’s short-form video success.<br><br> Ephemeral joys<br> As Instagram chases TikTok, TikTok is piloting its own vanishing Stories feature with publicly visible comment activity and views. Meanwhile, WhatsApp has enabled its users to send photos and videos that can only be viewed once (though, word to the wise: it’s possible to take a screenshot). Both of these launches follow Twitter's abandonment of Fleets, its own disappearing content feature, which failed to click with users on the less visual and creative platform.<br><br> Creator economy gold rush<br> A long read. Influencers are experimenting with multiple platforms and being increasingly selective about the brands they work with as the creator economy matures. “It’s really important to look at creators as an extension of the brand and not as a digital ad buy or billboard.”<br><br> Google warned by EU<br> The European Commission has given Google two months to improve its flight and hotel pricing transparency in search results. To avoid sanctions, the search engine must ensure prices are final and any paid influence on ranking should be clear to consumers. The move comes amid broader scrutiny of Google's anti-competitive search practices.<br><br> Bucket-list stay<br> It’s not unusual for brands to delve into other categories, but here’s an extension we didn’t foresee: KFC has opened a pop-up hotel in London, named 'The House of Harland' after its founder and brand mascot, Colonel Sanders. Settle in and "press for chicken".<br></div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Can Google predict who will win the next UK election?</h1> <p>mightyulysses — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:40:37 +0000</p> <span>Can Google predict who will win the next UK election?</span> <span><span lang="" about="https://www.imperialleisure.com/users/mightyulysses" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">mightyulysses</span></span> <span>Fri, 12/04/2009 - 08:40</span> <div> <div> <div class="responsive_image_wrapper" style="padding-top: 56.3%; overflow:hidden;position: relative;height:0;"></source></source></div> </div> </div> <div><p>Google trends is a tool allowing you to see the relative popularity of search terms. If used correctly it can be used to predict national / worldwide phenomena such as <a href="http://www.google.org/flutrends/intl/en_gb/about/how.html" rel="noreferrer">outbreaks of influenza.</a></p> <p>So can it be used to predict the winner of the next UK election? Google trends data shows that Gordon Brown consistently outperforms David Cameron in Google queries. This is contrary to most opinion polls which put the Labour Party firmly behind the Conservative Party. </p> <p>Trends for "Labour Party" vs "Conservative Party" however reveal a much more different picture where the two parties are neck and neck. A <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/uk-heading-for-a-hung-parliament-poll-shows-1831634.html" rel="noreferrer">hung parliamen</a>t, or Labour win dubbed <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jun/09/gordon-brown-parliamentary-labour-party" rel="noreferrer">the great escape</a> as has been suggested in the press might not be such a distant possibility after all.</p></div> </article> <article> <h1>Meta sells virtual fashion, TikTok tests view history, Instagram allows pinned posts and LinkedIn encourages LOLs</h1> <p>rebecca.yoko@imperialleisure.com — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 11:12:55 +0000</p> <span>Meta sells virtual fashion, TikTok tests view history, Instagram allows pinned posts and LinkedIn encourages LOLs </span> <div><p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Meta is improving on its digital avatars to be more interesting and interactive, as part of their broader push to encourage habitual engagement behaviour within virtual worlds.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> </div> <span><span lang="" about="https://www.imperialleisure.com/user/10384" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" content="rebecca.yoko@imperialleisure.com">rebecca.yoko@i…</span></span> <span>Fri, 06/24/2022 - 12:12</span> <div> <div> <div class="responsive_image_wrapper" style="padding-top: 60.869565217391%; overflow:hidden;position: relative;height:0;"></source></source></div> </div> </div> <div><h2><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Meta launches avatar fashion store</span></span></strong></span></span></span></h2> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Meta is improving on its digital avatars to be more interesting and interactive, as part of their broader push to encourage habitual engagement behaviour within virtual worlds. The platform is testing the use of avatar reactions to Instagram stories, which has been spotted by some users on the app. The option also prompts users who haven’t yet created their alter ego by directing them to customise their avatar character. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>You can now add further self-expression with the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/pfbid0N2jS7UREQN9pPUjmm3uDXyfAirXRP7WQrfcZqurtzeFA92aX53AWKfgEGztVtVnjl" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">launch of an avatar fashion store</a>, which will be accessible across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. The store already features initial collections from high-end fashion houses Balenciaga, Prada and Thom Browne, though a Meta spokesperson stated that items would be priced between $2.99 and $8.99 – an accessible entry point to largely inaccessible brands. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Eventually, digital creators will be able to launch and sell their own fashion lines. It may seem strange that people would spend money to dress their digital characters, but other platforms have seen an increased demand for exclusive items and customisations. Last year, a virtual <a href="https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3136325/digital-gucci-bag-sold-us4000-gaming-platform-roblox" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Gucci bag sold for $4,000</a> on Roblox. It is not uncommon in social media that users use vanity representations to showcase their wealth, status and presence, as seen with exclusive and expensive NFTs. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <h2><span><span><span><strong><span><span>TikTok tests ‘watch history’ feature</span></span></strong></span></span></span></h2> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>TikTok is running a limited test that will enable <a href="https://twitter.com/MattNavarra/status/1537095693915111424" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">select users</a> to see who among their followers has viewed their videos, but only if they opt-in to let their activity be tracked. This is an expansion of TikTok’s current feature, which lets you see who viewed your profile. The value of this feature is debatable, as seen on LinkedIn. TikTok has confirmed that this is a trial, with no plans for a full rollout as yet.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <h2><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Instagram rolls out pinned posts</span></span></strong></span></span></span></h2> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Instagram Chief <a href="https://twitter.com/mosseri/status/1534205524006383616" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Adam Mosseri</a> has noted that Instagram is looking for more ways to give creators control over their profile display. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>After months of testing, the platform has officially rolled out the </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>option to pin posts on your profile. The new feature allows users to pin up to three posts, with the flexibility of selecting both posts and reels. To find a new ‘Pin to Your Profile’ option, go to the three dots function menu at the top right of any post. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <h2><span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>LinkedIn launches ‘funny’ reaction</span></span></strong></span></span></span></span></h2> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>LinkedIn has seen record levels of engagement growth over the past two years and is providing further ways to express emotion, by gradually rolling out <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a528190" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">‘Funny’</a> to the six other emoji response options on posts. Despite seeming out of place on a professional networking site, the reaction was one of the most highly requested features <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/special-edition-we-listened-your-feedback-heres-what-were-tomer-cohen/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">reported in February</a> by LinkedIn’s Chief Product Officer Tomer Cohen. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </div> <div> <div>custom_meta</div> <div>Meta launches avatar fashion store<br><br> Meta is improving on its digital avatars to be more interesting and interactive, as part of their broader push to encourage habitual engagement behaviour within virtual worlds. The platform is testing the use of avatar reactions to Instagram stories, which has been spotted by some users on the app. The option also prompts users who haven’t yet created their alter ego by directing them to customise their avatar character. <br><br> You can now add further self-expression with the launch of an avatar fashion store, which will be accessible across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. The store already features initial collections from high-end fashion houses Balenciaga, Prada and Thom Browne, though a Meta spokesperson stated that items would be priced between $2.99 and $8.99 – an accessible entry point to largely inaccessible brands. <br><br> Eventually, digital creators will be able to launch and sell their own fashion lines. It may seem strange that people would spend money to dress their digital characters, but other platforms have seen an increased demand for exclusive items and customisations. Last year, a virtual Gucci bag sold for $4,000 on Roblox. It is not uncommon in social media that users use vanity representations to showcase their wealth, status and presence, as seen with exclusive and expensive NFTs. <br><br> TikTok tests ‘watch history’ feature<br><br> TikTok is running a limited test that will enable select users to see who among their followers has viewed their videos, but only if they opt-in to let their activity be tracked. This is an expansion of TikTok’s current feature, which lets you see who viewed your profile. The value of this feature is debatable, as seen on LinkedIn. TikTok has confirmed that this is a trial, with no plans for a full rollout as yet.<br><br> Instagram rolls out pinned posts<br><br> Instagram Chief Adam Mosseri has noted that Instagram is looking for more ways to give creators control over their profile display. After months of testing, the platform has officially rolled out the option to pin posts on your profile. The new feature allows users to pin up to three posts, with the flexibility of selecting both posts and reels. To find a new ‘Pin to Your Profile’ option, go to the three dots function menu at the top right of any post. <br><br> LinkedIn launches ‘funny’ reaction<br><br> LinkedIn has seen record levels of engagement growth over the past two years and is providing further ways to express emotion, by gradually rolling out ‘Funny’ to the six other emoji response options on posts. Despite seeming out of place on a professional networking site, the reaction was one of the most highly requested features reported in February by LinkedIn’s Chief Product Officer Tomer Cohen. </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>How Some Brands Use Twitter</h1> <p>mightyulysses — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:35:57 +0000</p> <span>How Some Brands Use Twitter</span> <span><span lang="" about="https://www.imperialleisure.com/users/mightyulysses" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">mightyulysses</span></span> <span>Tue, 07/14/2009 - 08:35</span> <div> <div> <div class="responsive_image_wrapper" style="padding-top: 66.7%; overflow:hidden;position: relative;height:0;"></source></source></div> </div> </div> <div><p>Here's a non-exhaustive of list of how three brands are using Twitter.</p> <h2>Dell</h2> <p>Dell announced that it had made more than $3,000,000 in sales from Twitter followers who clicked through its posts to its web sites to make purchases using their @delloutlet sells refurbished products at reduced prices, and use twitter as a way to message out coupons, clearance events and new information. </p> <p>The incentive to follow @delloutlet is to receive information about reduced priced goods. Dell started to tweet about discounted goods when they had around 11,000 followers. </p> <p>Their followers responded by re-tweeting @delloutlet messages to their followers, and their numbers rose to around 600,000 in two years. Using their propriety tracking technology Dell estimates their twitter account @delloutlet is responsible for $3M of sales. </p> <p>You can find out more from Dell’s website: <a href="http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/archive/2009/06/11/delloutlet-surpasses-2-million-on-twitter.aspx" title="http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/archive/2009/06/11/delloutlet-surpasses-2-million-on-twitter.aspx" rel="noreferrer">http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/archive/2009/06/11/dellou...</a></p> <h2>Square Space</h2> <p>Square space created a “gigantic THANK YOU to all of their favorite Squarespace fans” by offering them an Iphone. All their fans had to do was send a tweet with the #squarespace tag to be eligible to win a new iPhone. </p> <p>Using this approach Square Space became a top trend during the first three days of their campaign. This helped them reach to 35,000 followers. </p> <p>The use of #squarespace hashtags while explaining why one would want to win an Iphone became the viral device for the promotion to spread. </p> <p>This illustrates in very simple, and raw terms how Twitter can be used to promote a brand by offering an incentive.</p> <h2>Spymaster</h2> <p>Spymaster is a social game based on Twitter. Each player becomes a master of a spy ring based upon their Twitter followers list. The more people that follow you and are playing characters in spymaster, the more network is. </p> <p>You can make money, buy guns, assassinate other players, and collect safe houses.</p></div> </article> <article> <h1>See Which Products are Trending on TikTok</h1> <p>shannon.correia@imperialleisure.com — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 09:32:57 +0000</p> <span>See Which Products are Trending on TikTok</span> <div><p>How to keep track of TikTok trends using the Top Products dashboard.</p> </div> <span><span lang="" about="https://www.imperialleisure.com/user/10386" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" content="shannon.correia@imperialleisure.com">shannon.correi…</span></span> <span>Fri, 09/01/2023 - 10:32</span> <div> <div> <div class="responsive_image_wrapper" style="padding-top: 60.9375%; overflow:hidden;position: relative;height:0;"></source></source></div> </div> </div> <div><p>Tick tock, tick tock, there’s no time to waste! The trend cycle on TikTok moves at a rapid rate. Within these cycles, lie many opportunities. So, how can you keep track of these trends and respond in time? Knowing what the popular and trendy products are gives you a head start, along with an idea of your brand’s ranking among audiences and competitors. </p> <p>With millions of daily active users and unprecedented influencing power, TikTok is arguably one of the best places to come across for trending products. But with so much content and data on the app, you may be wondering where to start. <a href="https://ads.tiktok.com/business/creativecenter/pc/en" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">TikTok’s Creative Center</a> offers a treasure trove of insights and tools designed to help brands keep their finger on the pulse. </p> <p>First thing first, go to your desktop. That’s right, you’ll need to view the data from the dashboard via a desktop computer or laptop. From the <a href="https://ads.tiktok.com/business/creativecenter/top-products/pc/en" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Top Products</a> section in the Creative Centre, you’ll be able to see the trending products based on region and category. Location filters allow you to view products in detail. Once you have your ideal location pinned, you can categorise the products to see what’s popular in a particular segment. </p> <p>To dig in deeper, you can also select date ranges and view analytics like click-through rates, impressions, views, and shares. This detailed data is available to view at any time, giving marketers access to a wealth of knowledge.</p> <p>You can also view related videos and hashtags. This can be a springboard for your own brand, inspiring new angles and creative content ideas. Audience insights are also available to help you with targeting and finding better ways to connect with them. With so many insights available, it’s easier than ever to optimise your content strategy. </p> <p>So, what are you waiting for? The <a href="https://ads.tiktok.com/business/creativecenter/top-products/pc/en" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Top Products dashboard</a> is about to become your new best friend. It’ll allow you to keep your finger on the pulse of the fan favourite items via the Top Products dashboard in the TikTok Creative Center. When you’re in the know of all things trendy, you can optimise your content feed and make the most of the opportunities that TikTok offers. </p> <p>Head to the <a href="https://ads.tiktok.com/business/creativecenter/pc/en" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">TikTok Creative Centre</a> and begin your data deep dive today. </p> </div> <div> <div>custom_meta</div> <div>Tick tock, tick tock, there’s no time to waste! The trend cycle on TikTok moves at a rapid rate. Within these cycles, lie many opportunities. So, how can you keep track of these trends and respond in time? Knowing what the popular and trendy products are gives you a head start, along with an idea of your brand’s ranking among audiences and competitors. <br><br> With millions of daily active users and unprecedented influencing power, TikTok is arguably one of the best places to come across for trending products. But with so much content and data on the app, you may be wondering where to start. TikTok’s Creative Center offers a treasure trove of insights and tools designed to help brands keep their finger on the pulse. <br><br> First thing first, go to your desktop. That’s right, you’ll need to view the data from the dashboard via a desktop computer or laptop. From the Top Products section in the Creative Centre, you’ll be able to see the trending products based on region and category. Location filters allow you to view products in detail. Once you have your ideal location pinned, you can categorise the products to see what’s popular in a particular segment. <br><br> To dig in deeper, you can also select date ranges and view analytics like click-through rates, impressions, views, and shares. This detailed data is available to view at any time, giving marketers access to a wealth of knowledge.<br><br> You can also view related videos and hashtags. This can be a springboard for your own brand, inspiring new angles and creative content ideas. Audience insights are also available to help you with targeting and finding better ways to connect with them. With so many insights available, it’s easier than ever to optimise your content strategy. <br><br> So, what are you waiting for? The Top Products dashboard is about to become your new best friend. It’ll allow you to keep your finger on the pulse of the fan favourite items via the Top Products dashboard in the TikTok Creative Center. When you’re in the know of all things trendy, you can optimise your content feed and make the most of the opportunities that TikTok offers. <br><br> Head to the TikTok Creative Centre and begin your data deep dive today. </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Tumblr's 15bn pageviews, Vevo: from YouTube to Facebook, SOPA's 3.9m tweets, most tweeted brand at CES & Obama's social campaign</h1> <p>stefano — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:40:55 +0000</p> <span>Tumblr's 15bn pageviews, Vevo: from YouTube to Facebook, SOPA's 3.9m tweets, most tweeted brand at CES & Obama's social campaign</span> <span><span lang="" about="https://www.imperialleisure.com/users/stefano" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">stefano</span></span> <span>Mon, 01/23/2012 - 10:40</span> <div> <div> <div class="responsive_image_wrapper" style="padding-top: 66.7%; overflow:hidden;position: relative;height:0;"></source></source></div> </div> </div> <div><p><strong>Tumblr hits 15 billion pageviews and 120 million users a month</strong></p> <p>The micro-blogging site's CEO, David Karp, <a href="http://thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2012/01/23/tumblr-now-serving-120m-people-15-billion-pageviews-a-month/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">announced that Tumblr now has 120 million users</a>. Its pages are viewed by more than 560 million people, with the US leading with 249 million views, followed by Brasil with 49 million and the UK with 34 million. </p> <p>Karp stated that now that the company has a stable userbase, it will begin to focus on innovative revenue streams. Tumblr currently makes money from submitted pay-themes for users to customise their blogs. </p> <p><strong>Music service Vevo to move from YouTube to Facebook?</strong></p> <p>If you've ever searched for a music video on YouTube, chances are it'll be provided by Vevo. A report by CNET found that <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/blogs/gear-up/facebook-in-talks-to-host-vevo-20120120" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">talks are underway between Facebook and Vevo</a> to move the music video provider to the world's largest social network. Vevo's contract with YouTube ends in a year's time, so a move is imminent, especially with Facebook's new 'listen with..' and Spotify integration.</p> <p><strong>3.9 million tweets for SOPA</strong></p> <p>Last week, <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/twittercomms/status/160071169997946880" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Twitter released some interesting statistics about SOPA</a>'s mentions on the 18th January, the day of the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/18/sopa-blackout-internet-censorship_n_1211905.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">SOPA internet blackout</a>. There were around 3.9 million SOPA-related tweets, with the top 5 terms being SOPA, Stop SOPA, PIPA, Tell Congress and #FactsWithoutWikipedia. The last term highlights the impact Wikipedia's blackout had on the internet, leading to the creation of a hashtag.</p> <p><strong>Motorola, Microsoft and Samsung the most tweeted brands at CES</strong></p> <p>The International Consumer Electronics Show, usually known as CES, is an annual consumer tech tradeshow in Las Vegas. This year's edition saw <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/01/16/ces-2012-stats/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Motorola, Microsoft and Samsung dominate</a>. The first two for their mobile offerings and the latter for its new Smart TVs.<br> Microsoft had the most tweets in a short period of time, largely due to the anticipated farewell speech by CEO Steve Ballmer. You can find all the stats <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/01/16/ces-2012-stats/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">here</a>.</p> <p><strong>White House rallies Americans through social media for Obama's State of the Union address</strong></p> <p>The White House's social media team has been hard at work this week, preparing for <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/44/post/state-of-the-union-address-white-house-mobilizes-social-media-network/2012/01/20/gIQAterLEQ_blog.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">President Obama's annual report to Congress on Tuesday</a>. The speech will be streamed on <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov" title="www.whitehouse.gov" rel="nofollow noreferrer">www.whitehouse.gov</a>, followed by a Q&A from Twitter, Google+, Facebook and a live audience. Administration officials will also participate in an online discussion for everyone to see.</p> <p>Obama's team have always emphasised the importance of social media, which is shown by the strong 12 million Twitter followers, 24.6 million Facebook fans and 274,000 G+ followers. </p> </div> </article> <article> <h1>10 Questions x 10 Creators: Jimena Muchsel</h1> <p>sarah@imperialleisure.com — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 09:44:42 +0000</p> <span>10 Questions x 10 Creators: Jimena Muchsel</span> <div><p>Jimena Muchsel speaks with us about what it’s like to work with brands in our influencer series, where we’re asking 10 creators 10 questions. Jimena posts fitness-focused content along with a dash of lifestyle and comedy. </p> </div> <span><span lang="" about="https://www.imperialleisure.com/user/1480" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" content="sarah@imperialleisure.com">sarah@imperial…</span></span> <span>Tue, 10/03/2023 - 10:44</span> <div> <div> <div class="responsive_image_wrapper" style="padding-top: 56.28%; overflow:hidden;position: relative;height:0;"></source></source></div> </div> </div> <div> <div><a href="https://www.imperialleisure.com/category/blog/social-media" hreflang="en">Social</a></div> </div> <div><p>Jimena Muchsel (<a href="http://www.instagram.com/jimenamuchsel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@jimenamuchsel</a>) speaks with us about what it’s like to work with brands in our influencer series, where we’re asking 10 creators 10 questions. Jimena posts fitness-focused content along with a dash of lifestyle and comedy.</p> <p> </p> <h2>1. What do you love most about being an influencer/creator?</h2> <p>I think the best part about doing social media is when people reach out and say they are inspired by you to start pull-ups or fitness in general! I find it fulfilling that I can influence people in a positive way.</p> <p> </p> <h2>2. What's your biggest challenge as an influencer at the moment?</h2> <p>I think following trends can be a challenge sometimes, or scripting skits to make it enjoyable for the viewer to watch.</p> <center> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxzFFt3S09x/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:16px;"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxzFFt3S09x/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxzFFt3S09x/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">View this post on Instagram</a></div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxzFFt3S09x/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A post shared by Jimena Muchsel (@jimenamuchsel)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></center> <p> </p> <h2>3. Are you full-time or juggling with another job?</h2> <p>I work full-time at Aftershock PC as a Graphic Designer and Content Creator in Marketing, so my job is to help create video ads for Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. So creating content kind of came naturally to me since I had practice! Most of my content is filmed at the weekend.</p> <p> </p> <h2>4. Do you have an agent?</h2> <p>No, I don’t, because to me social media is still kind of my private account and I prefer it to be on a personal basis with people I work with if it is for content.</p> <p> </p> <h2>5. What's your ideal brief and brand to work with?</h2> <p>I love to write funny skits around a product and usually, I prefer gym-related products like gym wear or if food, probably ramen brands.</p> <center> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxuSy9cSpsC/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:16px;"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxuSy9cSpsC/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxuSy9cSpsC/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">View this post on Instagram</a></div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxuSy9cSpsC/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A post shared by Jimena Muchsel (@jimenamuchsel)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></center> <p> </p> <h2>6. What makes a successful collaboration or brand partnership?</h2> <p>I think many companies are trying to hard-sell products a lot, so I try to create content that doesn’t feel too much like an ad and is still entertaining to watch (but still in alignment with the messaging of that company's product).</p> <p> </p> <h2>7. What are your pet hates when it comes to working with brands?</h2> <p>Again, some brands might have a vision, but if I feel that the storyboard doesn’t work, I will tell them directly. Most of the experience is also from Aftershock PC, so I roughly know what works and what doesn’t.</p> <p> </p> <h2>8. How do you stay on top of trends?</h2> <p>I usually just scroll through Instagram reels (not so much TikTok lately) at night to get inspiration, but I always try to think of new ideas. Most of my ideas are pretty spontaneous, because those work better!</p> <p> </p> <h2>9. What are your predictions for the future of influencer marketing?</h2> <p>I think nowadays it’s easier to create content, so maybe more people will become micro-influencers so that companies will have more options to create awareness for their product.</p> <p> </p> <h2>10. Which influencers do you admire and why?</h2> <p>One of the most amazing, hardworking, ambitious and skilled influencers is actually my boyfriend, <a href="http://www.instagram.com/njltheawesome" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@njltheawesome</a> who I endlessly admire for all the things he can do!</p> <center> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cjmd5stjbZM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:16px;"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cjmd5stjbZM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cjmd5stjbZM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">View this post on Instagram</a></div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cjmd5stjbZM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A post shared by Jimena Muchsel (@jimenamuchsel)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></center> <p>Some other inspirations of mine are <a href="http://www.instagram.com/stefaniemillinger" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@stefaniemillinger</a> for her flexibility and dedication, <a href="http://www.instagram.com/littlefitness" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@littlefitness</a> for her strength and balance and <a href="http://www.instagram.com/leestrengthjourney/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@leestrengthjourney</a> for motivating me to push myself! Of course, there are some other influencers I’ve met personally including <a href="https://www.instagram.com/erinongwc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@erinongwc</a>, <a href="http://www.instagram.com/shantayzapada" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@shantayzapada</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/siminlovecheer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@siminlovecheer</a> who always believed in my fitness goals and helped me learn new skills.</p> </div> <div> <div>custom_meta</div> <div>Jimena Muchsel (@jimenamuchsel) speaks with us about what it’s like to work with brands in our influencer series, where we’re asking 10 creators 10 questions. Jimena posts fitness-focused content along with a dash of lifestyle and comedy. <br> What do you love most about being an influencer/creator?<br> I think the best part about doing social media is when people reach out and say they are inspired by you to start pull-ups or fitness in general! I find it fulfilling that I can influence people in a positive way.<br><br><br> What's your biggest challenge as an influencer at the moment?<br> I think following trends can be a challenge sometimes, or scripting skits to make it enjoyable for the viewer to watch.<br> https://www.instagram.com/p/CxzFFt3S09x/<br><br><br> Are you full-time or juggling with another job?<br> I work full-time at Aftershock PC as a Graphic Designer and Content Creator in Marketing, so my job is to help create video ads for Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. So creating content kind of came naturally to me since I had practice! Most of my content is filmed at the weekend.<br> https://www.instagram.com/jimenamuchsel/<br> Do you have an agent? <br> No, I don’t, because to me social media is still kind of my private account and I prefer it to be on a personal basis with people I work with if it is for content.<br><br><br> What's your ideal brief and brand to work with?<br> I love to write funny skits around a product and usually, I prefer gym-related products like gym wear or if food, probably ramen brands. <br> https://www.instagram.com/p/CxuSy9cSpsC/<br><br><br> What makes a successful collaboration or brand partnership?<br> I think many companies are trying to hard-sell products a lot, so I try to create content that doesn’t feel too much like an ad and is still entertaining to watch (but still in alignment with the messaging of that company's product).<br><br><br> What are your pet hates when it comes to working with brands?<br> Again, some brands might have a vision, but if I feel that the storyboard doesn’t work, I will tell them directly. Most of the experience is also from Aftershock PC, so I roughly know what works and what doesn’t.<br><br><br> How do you stay on top of trends?<br> I usually just scroll through Instagram reels (not so much TikTok lately) at night to get inspiration, but I always try to think of new ideas. Most of my ideas are pretty spontaneous, because those work better!<br><br><br> What are your predictions for the future of influencer marketing?<br> I think nowadays it’s easier to create content, so maybe more people will become micro-influencers so that companies will have more options to create awareness for their product.<br><br><br> Which influencers do you admire and why?<br> One of the most amazing, hardworking, ambitious and skilled influencers is actually my boyfriend, @njltheawesome who I endlessly admire for all the things he can do! <br> https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjmd5stjbZM/<br><br><br> Some other inspirations of mine are @stefaniemillinger for her flexibility and dedication, @littlefitness for her strength and balance and @leestrengthjourney for motivating me to push myself! <br> Of course, there are some other influencers I’ve met personally including @ericongwc, @ShantayZapada, and @siminlovecheer who always believed in my fitness goals and helped me learn new skills.<br></div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Should brands be living on the Edge?</h1> <p>lewis@imperialleisure.com — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 10:27:28 +0000</p> <span>Should brands be living on the Edge? </span> <span><span lang="" about="https://www.imperialleisure.com/users/lewisimperialleisurecom" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" content="lewis@imperialleisure.com">lewis@imperial…</span></span> <span>Mon, 11/19/2012 - 10:27</span> <div> <div> <div class="responsive_image_wrapper" style="padding-top: 66.8%; overflow:hidden;position: relative;height:0;"></source></source></div> </div> </div> <div><p>Ever wondered why certain stories don’t end up in your news feed on Facebook? Why you only get updates from a select few friends and brands? The answer is simple - it’s all to do with their EdgeRank score. EdgeRank is an algorithm created by Facebook, which decides how stories appear in a user’s newsfeed: the higher the score of the story, the more chance it will be shown. However, recent changes to the algorithm have <a href="http://www.jeffdoak.com/facebook-quietly-destroys-half-the-value-of-your-brand-page-overnight/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">caused uproar</a>, with suggestions that Facebook is making it harder for brands to penetrate their fans’ newsfeeds without paying for the privilege. There have even been accusations that this is an attempt to increase the <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/08/17/zuckerberg-facebook-stock-price-painful/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">disappointing stock price of Facebook shares</a>.</p> <h2>How is an EdgeRank calculated?</h2> <p>Every action your friends take is a potential newsfeed story, with Facebook referring to these as ‘Edges’. Every time a friend posts a status update, comments on a status update, tags a photo, joins a fan page, or RSVP's to an event, it generates an "Edge”.</p> <p>Facebook engineers Ruchi Sanghvi and Ari Steinberg <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/22/facebook-edgerank/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">illustrate EdgeRank can be calculated through a combination of three factors</a> -</p> <ul><li> Affinity score - Facebook calculates affinity score by looking at explicit actions that users take, factoring in 1) the strength of the action, 2) how close you are with the person who undertook the action and 3) how long ago the action took place. Affinity score measures not just my actions, but also my friends' actions, and their friends' actions. For instance, if you were to comment on a fan page, it's worth more than if a friend commented, which is worth more than if a friend of a friend commented.</li> <li> Edge Weight - Each category of edges has a different default weight. For instance, comments on fan pages are worth more than likes on the same page. Each action a user takes creates an edge, with each of these edges, except for clicks, creating a potential story. Facebook changes the edge weights to reflect which type of stories they think user will find most engaging, with photos and videos having a higher weight than links.</li> <li> Time Decay - As a story gets older, it’s impact become less keenly felt. As EdgeRank is a running score, when a user logs into Facebook, their newsfeed is populated with edges that have the highest score at that very moment in time.</li> </ul><p>A brand with a higher score on these three factors is more likely to gain greater exposure. Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook <a href="http://newsroom.fb.com/content/default.aspx?NewsAreaId=139" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">claim that they are committed to provide advertisements that are ‘relevant, engaging and have social context’ leading to a ‘better experience’ for it’s users</a>. As there are currently over a billion pages on Facebook, EdgeRank enables brands to only target 'relevant' users to avoid a tidal wave of irrelevant advertisements spamming a user’s newsfeed.</p> <h2>Is Facebook Edging out brands?</h2> <p>Ever since Facebook began displaying the reach of each Facebook post, many have speculated whether Facebook is artificially limiting reach. In September, Jeff Doak <a href="http://www.jeffdoak.com/facebook-quietly-destroys-half-the-value-of-your-brand-page-overnight/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">published a blog post</a> detailing that the average reach of his brand page posts had decreased by 24% from 21st September onwards compared to the previous two months. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-changed-edgerank-algorithm-to-hurt-advertisers-2012-10" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Doak went further in his critique</a>, accusing Facebook of ‘forcing brands into paying to advertise across the social network’.</p> <p>Facebook have responded by explaining that the changes reflect their vision to create more absorbing and dynamic content for users, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-changed-edgerank-algorithm-to-hurt-advertisers-2012-10" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">stating on Business Insider</a> that ‘all content should be as engaging as the posts you see from friends and family’. Further, <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/another-agency-claims-facebook-algorithm-changes-144405" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Tim Peterson on AdWeek comments</a> that although certain posts reach have decreased about 50%, interaction is only down between 0.05% - 0.4%. Instead of brands spamming a user’s newsfeed with unwanted content, the changes to the algorithm have targeted those ‘most likely to like, comment or share it’.</p> <p>The adjustment of EdgeRank should be a catalyst for brands to create campaigns that achieve a better connection with their fanbase than before. However, a downside for altering the algorithm may be that brands increasingly attempt to garner ‘easy’ likes, comments and shares in order to boost their social media reach, without much innovation or variation. ‘<a href="https://www.facebook.com/corporatebollocks" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Condescending Corporate Brands</a>’ page on Facebook is a rich resource for detailing brands who have been tempted and given into the easy like generators. See the images on the right for a couple of examples.</p> <p>For the user, these changes represent a significant shift in how a brand will advertise to them on Facebook. The greater need for engaging, interesting campaigns should in theory result in gripping, varied advertising.</p> <p>In order to remain ahead of the curve, brands must make an effort to understand their audience and establish meaningful strategies to engage and appeal to them, rather than go for easy strategies to drive likes. After all, if your news feed is full of spam, who are you more likely to delete - a friend or a brand?</p> </div> </article> <article> <h1>10 Questions x 10 Creators: @ilzbaby</h1> <p>sarah@imperialleisure.com — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 10:40:29 +0000</p> <span>10 Questions x 10 Creators: @ilzbaby</span> <div><p>Ilhan is a beauty and makeup influencer, who runs her own jewellery brand. She's also a mum to an amazing son. Discover what she loves about being an influencer, how she stays on top of trends and more.</p> </div> <span><span lang="" about="https://www.imperialleisure.com/user/1480" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" content="sarah@imperialleisure.com">sarah@imperial…</span></span> <span>Fri, 11/24/2023 - 10:40</span> <div> <div> <div class="responsive_image_wrapper" style="padding-top: 56.28%; overflow:hidden;position: relative;height:0;"></source></source></div> </div> </div> <div> <div><a href="https://www.imperialleisure.com/category/blog/social-media" hreflang="en">Social</a></div> </div> <div><p>Ilhan <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ilzbaby" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@ilzbaby</a> is a beauty and makeup influencer, who runs her own jewellery brand. She's also a mum to an amazing son. Discover what she loves about being an influencer, how she stays on top of trends and more.</p> <p> </p> <h2>1. What do you love most about being an influencer/creator?</h2> <p>What I love most about being an influencer is definitely the flexibility, the ability to have full control of your schedule is unmatched.</p> <p> </p> <h2>2. What's your biggest challenge as an influencer at the moment?</h2> <p>I feel like the biggest challenge as an influencer at the moment is consistently staying on top of trends and posting content that appeases my followers.</p> <center> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Crd9_CotZyw/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:16px;"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Crd9_CotZyw/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Crd9_CotZyw/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">View this post on Instagram</a></div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Crd9_CotZyw/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A post shared by I L H A N A L B A K R I (@ilzbaby)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></center> <p> </p> <h2>3. Are you full-time or do you juggle with another job?</h2> <p>Although influencing is something I do on a daily basis, I also run my own jewellery brand <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kyrah_ltd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@kyrah_ltd</a>, as well as being a full-time mum to my amazing son.</p> <center> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzeuHYQMDq_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:16px;"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzeuHYQMDq_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzeuHYQMDq_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">View this post on Instagram</a></div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzeuHYQMDq_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A post shared by I L H A N A L B A K R I (@ilzbaby)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></center> <p> </p> <h2>4. Do you have an agent?</h2> <p>Yes, I’m currently signed to Onyx Agency who I've been with for the past 3 years. Being part of an agency honestly feels like having your own little family but everyone is doing the same/similar things as you; therefore you always have other people to relate to and to come up with new ideas.</p> <p> </p> <h2>5. What's your ideal brief and brand to work with?</h2> <p>I enjoy working with all types of brands but my ideal type to work with is anything skincare, makeup and fashion.</p> <p> </p> <h2>6. What makes a successful collaboration or brand partnership?</h2> <p>A successful collab to me consists of professionalism and transparency. I feel like it's important to be able to communicate your ideas and express your creativity.</p> <p> </p> <h2>7. What are your pet hates when it comes to working with brands?</h2> <p>My biggest pet peeve is when brands offer a small selection of items to choose from, I feel as if this can hinder my creativity and most likely won’t end up working with them, as I always try to introduce my followers to brands that represent me the most.</p> <p> </p> <h2>8. How do you stay on top of trends?</h2> <p>I say TikTok and Instagram are the best ways to stay on top of trends - also having a lot of sisters helps as well, they’re always sending me new trends to try out.</p> <center> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cquugi2t84I/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:16px;"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cquugi2t84I/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cquugi2t84I/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A post shared by I L H A N A L B A K R I (@ilzbaby)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></center> <p> </p> <h2>9. What are your predictions for the future on influencer marketing?</h2> <p>I predict that the future of influencer marketing will keep on rising, it's only up from here!</p> <p> </p> <h2>10. Which influencers do you admire and why?</h2> <p>This is a hard one, I honestly admire a lot of influencers but I'd say all the female influencers who are unapologetically themselves & those who keep us all empowered are the ones I admire and look up to the most.</p> </div> <div> <div>custom_meta</div> <div>1. What do you love most about being an influencer/creator?<br><br> ◦ What I love most about being an influencer is definitely the flexibility, the ability to have full control of your schedule is unmatched.<br><br> 2. What's your biggest challenge as an influencer at the moment?<br><br> ◦ I feel like the biggest challenge as an influencer at the moment is consistently staying on top of trends and posting content that appeases my followers.<br><br><br> 3. Are you full-time or juggle with another job? If full-time, at which point did you take the leap to be full-time?<br><br> ◦ Although influencing is something I do on a daily basis, I also run my own jewellery brand @KyrahLtd, as well as being a full-time mum to my amazing son.<br><br> 4. . Do you have an agent? if yes/no, please explain why<br><br> ◦ Yes, I’m currently signed to Onyx Agency who I've been with for the past 3 years. Being part of an agency honestly feels like having your own little family but everyone is doing the same/similar things as you; therefore you always have other people to relate to and to come up with new ideas.<br><br> 5. What's your ideal brief and brand to work with?<br><br> ◦ I enjoy working with all types of brands but my ideal type to work with is anything skincare, makeup and fashion.<br><br> 6. What makes a successful collaboration or brand partnership?<br><br> ◦ A successful collab to me consists of professionalism and transparency. I feel like it's important to be able to communicate your ideas and express your creativity.<br><br> 7. What are your pet hates when it comes to working with brands?<br><br> ◦ My biggest pet peeve is when brands offer a small selection of items to choose from, i feel as if this can hinder my creativity and most likely won’t end up working with them, as I always try to introduce my followers to brands that represent me the most.<br><br> 8. How do you stay on top of trends?<br><br> ◦ I say TikTok and Instagram are the best ways to stay on top of trends - also having a lot of sisters helps as well, they’re always sending me new trends to try out.<br><br> 9. What are your predictions for the future on influencer marketing?<br><br> ◦ I predict that the future of influencer marketing will keep on rising, it's only up from here!<br><br> 10. Which influencers do you admire and why?<br><br> ◦ This is a hard one, I honestly admire a lot of influencers but I'd say all the female influencers who are unapologetically themselves & those who keep us all empowered are the ones I admire and look up to the most.<br><br></div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>How SOPA, #Occupy, Arab Spring and.... LOLCats reshaped the public sphere - Part 2</h1> <p>stefano — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:00:32 +0000</p> <span>How SOPA, #Occupy, Arab Spring and.... LOLCats reshaped the public sphere - Part 2</span> <span><span lang="" about="https://www.imperialleisure.com/users/stefano" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">stefano</span></span> <span>Wed, 02/08/2012 - 11:00</span> <div> <div> <div class="responsive_image_wrapper" style="padding-top: 57.5%; overflow:hidden;position: relative;height:0;"></source></source></div> </div> </div> <div><p>Note: This is the second of a two-part post. Part one can be found <a href="https://bitly.com/weefpX" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a></p> <p><strong>What do Occupy, Arab Spring & Stop SOPA have in common? – The blackouts</strong></p> <p>All three movements (SOPA, Arab Spring and Occupy) gained significant momentum and widespread media coverage following alleged/actual widespread censorship of content on social media tools and networks. </p> <p>Tunisia censored all of YouTube, Dailymotion, Flickr, Vimeo etc. when they couldn’t remove videos depicting police brutality. The censoring of entire websites <a href="http://karim2k.com/2010/11/moez-souabni-the-smart-guy-that-turns-out-to-be-the-dumbest-of-all.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">lead to questions of why these websites that are used everyday by many are no longer reachable</a>. This eventually lead to protests across the rest of the country (now referred to as Arab Spring).</p> <p>The Occupy movement received widespread mainstream media coverage when social networks began to buzz with <a href="http://www.diningwithsinners.org/2011/09/27/occupy-wall-street/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">theories of a media blackout of the movement and alleged police brutality</a>.</p> <p>SOPA also enjoyed widespread media coverage on the 18th January, when a number of sites voluntarily blacked out their entire sites to protest against the bill.</p> <p>In the case of SOPA, Google Trends offers interesting insight (on the right) about how successful the blackouts were in raising awareness: search queries containing “SOPA” reach an all-time peak on the day of SOPA blackouts. This suggests that more people wanted to know what SOPA is because of the blackouts.</p> <p>An analysis of the frequency of conversations on the blogosphere (on the right) indicates that the conversations peaked on the day of the blackouts. The blackouts, by their very nature, are designed to stop information from spreading. Why did they have the opposite effect when it came to social media?</p> <p><strong>LOLCats and rebirth of the ‘Public Sphere’</strong><br> Ethan Zuckerman has developed a theory called ‘<a href="http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2008/03/08/the-cute-cat-theory-talk-at-etech/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The Cute Cat Theory of Digital Activism</a>’. He argues that the web was invented so physicists could share research papers while Web 2.0 was invented so we can share cute pictures of our cats – a metaphor for sharing rich media (a wordplay originating from the the very popular <a href="http://icanhascheezburger.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">LOLcats</a> site).</p> <p>Zuckerman argues, “With Web 2.0, we’ve embraced the idea that people are going to share pictures of their cats, and now we build sophisticated tools to make that easier to do... There are twin revolutions going on – the ease of creating content and the ease of sharing it with local and global audiences.”</p> <p>Websites such as Twitter, Facebook, Flickr etc. have transformed the traditional boundaries of the public sphere from a physical to a digital space. Zuckerman continues “This is a good thing if you’re an activist. Most [users] don’t identify as activists and might not be engaged with politics. But... they’re interested in seeing cute cats being adorable online.</p> <p>When the government blocks <a href="http://www.meta-activism.org/2011/03/a-media-narrative-of-the-tunisian-revolution/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">DailyMotion</a>, it impacts a much wider swath of [users] than those who are politically active. Cute cats are collateral damage when governments block sites. And even those who could care less about [political] shenanigans are made aware that their government fears online speech so much that they’re willing to censor the millions of banal videos on DailyMotion to block a few political ones.”</p> <p>This is what happened in Tunisia right before the Arab Spring: the government blocked a number of sites including YouTube and DailyMotion, which featured videos of police brutality. The removal of these platforms really grabbed the attention of the majority of the population. After all why on earth would a government want to block a site which shows videos of cute cats? </p> <p>Similarly claims of a reporting blackout of the Occupy movement in the media and a voluntary blackout by the Stop SOPA movement really helped grab the attention of the entire world.</p> <p><strong>What was the role of social media in these revolutions?</strong><br> Could these revolutions have taken place without social media? They probably could have, after all, so many others have taken place before computers existed. </p> <p>But based on what we do know, we can say that social media helped these revolutions by reshaping the public sphere – it has revolutionised the way we share/create content and participate in conversations. It has become so intertwined with our daily lives that when access to these tools is turned off, we sit up and really take notice. An activist's best chances therefore, in countries such as Tunisia or Egypt, are to use these social networks as a tool for activism. Governments often have no way to silence individuals other than by switching off the network for the entire country. The Google Trends and blog mentions relating to SOPA certainly support this thought.</p> <p>Despite the success of Stop SOPA, just days after the bill was stopped,<a href="http://blog.twitter.com/2012/01/tweets-still-must-flow.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer"> Twitter announced that it had implemented measures which allow individual tweets to be blocked across countries</a>. </p> <p>Perhaps now it's time to move the conversation on, what have governments learned from these events and how are they planning to deal with alleged dissent in the future? Perhaps even more importantly, how are social networks policing their platforms and who is holding them accountable?... After all social media has become such an integral part of how we communicate – at the end of the day, who can resist <a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly6begQiyZ1rnbnglo1_400.png" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">a cute cat</a></p> </div> </article> </main></body></html>