Instagram is shaping up to be THE major marketing platform, compared to it's beginnings as a photo sharing platform. 

With over 1 billion monthly active users, utilizing Instagram for your business has never been more important. They have taken strides to create a desirable space for both customers and business owners alike.

With updates to Instagram stories and creating shoppable posts, it's no wonder engagement is higher there than on Facebook and Twitter. 

Reach on to learn more about what your business can do to utilize Instagram.

Instagram is constantly changing and updating to appeal to their audiences. While there are some updates that have brands and users up in arms, they have come out with one thing that has everyone talking. 

Instagram TV. This update to Instagram's platform let's users post videos from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. Those who have a bigger following can post videos up to an hour. 

With more of the younger generation "cutting the cord" and heading to YouTube, platforms need to keep up to stay relevant. It is projected that by 2021, mobile video will account for 78% of total mobile data traffic. So the media world is changing direction, literally. 

YouTube is all about horizontal videos, where Instagram is vertical videos only. It helps that it is a growth of Instagram stories, which also work best in the vertical format. 

Read on to see how you should be using IGTV.

Email has revolutionized communication. It has been a wonderful way to get a quick response – you can have a reply in just a few minutes!

While emails were a great invention, they may cause unneeded stress in and out of the workplace.

Are you one of the almost half of Americans that feel the need to check emails in the bathroom to stay on top of them? Then you know the feeling. Emails quickly pile up, drafts go unsent and you lose track of what’s important.

Keeping an organized inbox reduces stress and anxiety and helps you be better prepared for the day. Net Credit came out with a great infographic to help prioritize your inbox.

Waking up to a full inbox is an easy way to start your day off wrong.

Studies show it takes 64 seconds to get back on track after an email notification pops up. More than 1/4^th of the workweek is spent on email with more than 3/4^th of employees becoming more stressed using email.

Continue reading to see how to achieve ‘Zero Inbox’.

Influencer: It’s one of those vague PR buzzwords that everyone seems to overuse. But what is an influencer exactly? And why are these people so important?

An influencer is a person who has an undefinable positive impact on an industry or demographic. These “normal people” often play key roles on social media and have a breadth of contacts with media outlets, consumer groups and industry leaders.

Brands ultimately want to break through to these dynamic people. According to Influencer Analysis, “such individuals are not simply marketing tools, but social relationship assets.”

Today’s top brands use influencers to reach large audiences in an authentic way. Before they do this successfully, they must study their target influencer and know what makes them tick. Here’s how they do it.  

The Anatomy of an Influencer

Jargon: special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand.

Those who work in PR are all too familiar with this term. How many times a day can someone hear the word “influencer” before they’re completely bored?  

No one – especially journalists and consumers -  likes buzzwords.  So why does our industry love to use and overuse them so often?

The good news is that there’s always time to unlearn the drab words that drag our copy down.    

Read more to unlearn these overused words.

Top brands know that an engaging blog is another way to cause chatter online. What better way to speak to consumers than through posts that you write?

The best blogs have a clear mission, speak in an unforgettable voice and are updated often.

This infographic from PR Daily shows just how easy it is to create useful blog posts that your followers will want to read.

Read more to learn how to build a top blog.

Public relations professionals wear a lot of hats and develop a wide array of skills needed to make their clients successful.  Things like pitching and social media contribute to stellar campaigns, but did you know there’s a lot more that goes into refining one area of expertise?

This infographic from PR Daily shows exactly how to achieve the most success in the field.

Continue reading to learn the best tricks of the trade.  

It’s impossible to escape the hashtag these days. The tiny # symbol has successfully infiltrated most social media platforms and is used for a variety of difference reasons online.

Public relations professionals and social media managers alike use hashtags to garner attention to their brands and connect with like-minded consumers on the web. Hashtags are also a fast, easy way to communicate directly with customs and brand ambassadors.  

While the # may seem simple, there is a lot of strategic planning that goes into choosing the right hashtag and using it.

This infographic from the Huffington Post shows how to best use this powerful social media tool.

Read more to Harness Hashtag Power

You can create a social media account in no time. One thing you can’t build overnight? Your brand.

In this day-and- age anything from companies to apps to people can be considered brands, and it takes time and dedication to make your presence relevant on the web.  

This infographic from Lifehack offers a few simple steps for gaining traction online.

What does your brand say about you?

Anyone who works in this industry knows that pitching and PR go hand-in-hand. An interesting, timely pitch sent to the right contact ultimately means you’ll be successful. It also helps you to build relationships with new contacts.

While good pitches can do wonders for your brand, bad pitches can lend your email straight in the trash.

This infographic from PR Daily shows exactly what makes bad pitches unappealing and what you can do to fix your pitch.

Why are people bad at pitching?