Category: Tips and Tricks

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3 Things I Learned From Tehama Group Communications

By Benjamin Goldberg

Stepping into an internship that I knew almost nothing about, I took it upon myself to become acclimated with the environment and learn the essentials of becoming a professional Account Executive. At first, it felt as if the stress never ended and the feeling of being uncomfortable in a new setting kept growing. As cliche as it sounds, I was able to slow time down, gather all of my thoughts and emotions, and put everything that I was taught to the test. 

Here are three things I learned from TGC:

Time Management

Heading into my second semester of junior year, soon after being awarded dean’s list for the year prior, I thought I understood everything that needed to be done in order to stay on task. TGC quickly made me realize that the tools under my belt needed some improvement. Weekly tasks including team and client agendas, slide decks, timesheets, reports, and team member evaluations are just the base of what needs to be completed. As an Account Executive, you take on the role of the middleman between your team and your client, which also means constant communication, delegation of tasks, and running professional meetings. To stay on top of all of this, TGC has taught me to prioritize tasks based on timeliness and importance to the client. Once I began to prioritize my assignments and tasks as such, the light at the end of the tunnel began to shine brighter. The work I was producing was more thorough and to the best of my ability, making for a more confident self and client. 

Etiquette

Being from sunny Southern California, I never dressed in anything but shorts and a t-shirt, unless for special occasions. Even in my first couple years of college, with GE classes and online school taking up most of my time during the pandemic, there wasn’t a need to dress up. TGC has helped me realize that dressing for success actually helps one feel more confident, present, and attentive. Not only does it allow me to feel this way, but it also allows for the quality and presentation of my work to be more effective and professional. 

Teamwork

Without my team(s), there is no telling where I would be at this point in the semester. As an Account Executive, the sense of feeling that everything you touch is your responsibility creeps up on you quite often. Stress and anxiety levels run high, resulting in a poor quality of work. It is important to remember that your team members are there to help you relieve that feeling. TGC has implemented the standard of “don’t be afraid to ask for help.” Getting help is nothing to be ashamed of, but something to be proud of. It shows that you care about what you do, that you want to get better at it, and in the end, be able to help someone else who was in your shoes at one point. 

As my time at TGC comes to an end, I take it upon myself to reflect on the experiences I had and the lessons I have learned. Not only will these lessons serve me throughout the rest of my college career at Chico State University, but  also travel with me throughout my career post-grad . Everyone has to start somewhere, and to be frank, TGC was the best place to start. 

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You’re Graduating! Here Are A Few Tips To Kickstart Your PR Career

By Alexis Harvey

Congratulations! You’re graduating! You have the whole world ahead of you! But you are stressed! 

The months leading up to graduation are some of the most exciting times of your life, but they can seem daunting at the same time. After all of the excitement settles down, reality sets in, and you have some decision-making to do. Where do you go from here?

It can be difficult to choose what type of PR you want to pursue or where you want to go after graduation. Here are a few ways to make these next couple of months leading up to graduation smooth and headache-free: 

Finding your niche

The best thing about PR is that it is such a diverse industry. One of the most difficult decisions public relations students face is deciding what type of PR best suits their abilities. You should think about your personal interests and unique experiences to find your niche.

A niche is a combination of your professional skills, interests, and fields you want to work in. It can be a whole department of the industry or even a specialty, such as content creation in the realm of digital media. 

Begin by asking yourself a couple of questions: 

What are my greatest strengths? Weaknesses?

What do I love to do?

What do my peers say I am best at in the world of PR?

Some PR specialists thrive in content creation while others may excel in writing. It is important to immerse yourself in all departments of public relations during your time in college to better understand your strengths in the industry. 

Deciding what area of PR interests you the most

Along with finding your niche, it is also important to tap into your personal interests to figure out what area of PR you want to work in. As an intern or in an entry-level position it is important to take this time to expose yourself to all aspects of the industry to figure out what areas of focus you enjoy working on. 

You may consider entertainment PR if you have an interest in working in the world of television, fashion, music, or celebrity culture. Your role would be to represent and promote those within the entertainment world. 

Maybe you have an interest in healthcare but don’t want to become a healthcare provider. Healthcare PR would be a great match for you! Healthcare PR reps work with various health organizations, non-profits, pharmaceutical companies, and hospitals. They act as liaisons between these organizations and the mainstream media. 

Technology PR is also a great position for those who enjoy keeping up with the newest technological advancements and gadgets. 

There are an array of PR jobs in different industries so it is important to find the one that is best suited to you.

Remember to keep going and not feel discouraged

This is probably the best advice anyone can receive after graduating from college. Yes, change is quite difficult, especially when it comes to graduating, leaving the place you have called home for the last four years, and deciding what to do next.

After finding your niche and area of expertise it is time to start applying to different jobs in different cities. It can be overwhelming in the beginning but it is important to remember to not feel discouraged. We all know how anxiety-inducing it can be to begin the interview process but it is also such an exciting time. You want to take this time to truly understand what you want out of a career and just because one company turned you down, your dream job may be right around the corner.

As a PR professional you have so many different options, but that is also the beauty of public relations. Being so new to the industry it is the perfect time to try new things. Remember that no matter what path you choose to take, all experience is a valuable experience, so don’t be afraid to begin your journey in public relations. 

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Adobe Illustrator: My 5 Essential Adobe Illustrator Tools


By Miguel Villalobos

Adobe Illustrator is a popular software application that designers and artists use to create different variations of artwork. This program specializes in creating vector graphics and offers many different design tools that are great for creating things such as icons, logos and illustrations. The program can seem overwhelming for people who are just starting out, however, it does get easier over time. Throughout this piece, I will walk you through a few of my favorite tools in Illustrator that have helped me improve my workflow and skills. 

The Blend Tool

The first tool I want to talk about is the Blend Tool. This tool can be found by going to Object > Blend. This tool can help you create unique and interesting blends between multiple objects, and has different settings that allow you to customize your blends as you work. 

Below is an example of using Object > Blend > Make, while using the Smooth Color option. As you can see, it blends the shapes together and creates a gradient.

Here is an example of using the Blend Tool with letters, while changing the options from Smooth Color to Specified Steps. You can clarify how many steps you want between each shape. You can find this by going to Blend > Blend Options.

Smooth Tool

The next tool I want to talk about is the Smooth Tool. The Smooth Tool really lives up to its name. It helps you smooth out paths that may be a little more rough or wonky than you would prefer. It is great for helping sharpen up your attention to detail on different vector shapes. 

In this example, I created a shape with a few rough edges. By selecting the Smooth Tool, and just running it over the anchor points a few times, it will smoothen out the edges for you. 

Type on A Path Tool

The Type on a Path Tool is without a doubt one of my favorite tools in Illustrator. It allows for you to make text write along different paths that aren’t just horizontal or vertical. You can use it for any path that you create, whether it is by using just a plain shape or by creating a path with the Pen Tool.

Here is an example of how the Type on a Path Tool works. You can create a path using any form. For this example, I just used a circle. Using the Type on a Path Tool, you simply click on the path and it will turn your path into a guide for your text. From here, you can manipulate the text and the beginning/end of the path. 

Here is an example of the tool being used on a different path that was created using the Pen Tool. 

The Knife Tool

The next tool I want to focus on is the Knife Tool. The tool is extremely simple, yet extremely effective. It really does exactly what you would expect. It allows you to slice through paths, giving you more precision with your vector shape building. 

As you can see, you can take any vectorized shape, and simply slice through the shape and it will create a new path. You can move or remove the new sliced part of your vector to fast track your process. 

Paintbrush + Brush Library

The Paintbrush Tool is a tool that allows you to hand draw strokes onto your artboard. You can find the Paintbrush Tool on the side panel or by using its shortcut, B on the keyboard. The tool lets you give your projects more of a hands-on aesthetic to them. 

Along with the Paintbrush tool, there is a whole library of different brush strokes you can utilize. You can find the Brush Library by going to Window > Brush Libraries. The Brush Library holds strokes such as watercolor brushes, calligraphic brushes, and even different types of borders that you can expand and vectorize. 

Here is an example of the different types of brush strokes being applied. 

Wrapping up!

Illustrator can be fun and with a little time and effort, it can become easy to use. All the different tools and icons can be intimidating at first, but instead of being afraid, just jump in and play around with them. I mean, what is the worst that can happen?  When you finally learn how to use one, it can feel extremely gratifying. Add that feeling of gratification alongside gaining more overall skills as a designer, and it’s a win-win! Thank you for reading and I hope that you learned something new along the way!

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Preparing For Your Job Interview: Tips And Tricks

By Trenton Taylor

It’s about that time. The school year is wrapping up and college seniors are receiving their tickets to go find real-world jobs. Those tickets are also known as their college diplomas. As we begin to see the slow decline in COVID-19 cases and the increased distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, it is becoming time to bring employees back to the office or to their field, and get things back to normal again. Below I have listed some tips and tricks that will help you ace those intense job interviews, and give you the competitive edge to get that job you have always dreamed of.

Do Your Homework

While finding the right job title is important, finding the right company to have that title under is even more important. Researching the company that you are interviewing will not only get you to understand what you are walking into, but it will also set you apart from anyone else who might be wanting that job. Taking the time to gather information and figure out what ways specifically you can help them sets a wonderful impression on employers or hiring managers.

Interviews are a two-way street

During a job interview, you are trying to learn about the company just as much as they are trying to learn about you. Employers want to see that you are taking the interview seriously and that you are thinking about what the aspects of working there look like. This article on The Balance Careers offers some thoughtful questions that one might ask during an interview:

  • What are some of the challenges facing the company?
  • Where do you see the company in 5 to 10 years?
  • What does success mean to you and this company?
  • What have previous employees in this position gone on to do?
  • I believe I’m a great fit for this company. Is there anything else I can do to dispel any doubts?

These are just a few of the questions that can set you apart from other candidates.

Practice for the cliche questions

At almost any interview that you go to, employers will ask you some of the basic interview questions that help just about anybody get a basic understanding of yourself. These questions include (but are not limited to) asking about your strengths/weaknesses, describing your work style or work ethic, if you work well with others, what sets you apart from the competition, or even the famous “tell me a little about yourself.” Preparing yourself to respond to these questions with talking points that you might have is a good way to boost your confidence before and even during the interview. The key is to not sound rehearsed but to sound confident.

The end of an interview is just as important as during the interview

Following up after the interview is very important to leave things on a good note. When the interview is over, asking your interviewer or hiring manager about the next steps or what to expect will allow you to be prepared for anything you might have to do on your end, such as setting up for a future interview. Another good thing to do is to send follow-up emails to those who interviewed you thanking them for their time while reviewing specific points from the interview. This sets a good work ethic example and shows that you were taking it seriously. Asking for business cards at the end is a good way to get that contact information.

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Basic Tips For Emerging Designers

By: Dylan Lawson

At the end of the day your client has hired you to make their design for them so don’t be afraid to incorporate your own vision.

Design is something that can often be seen everywhere you look; be it phone, billboard, or even a scrap of paper stuck to your car. It’s something that we sometimes hardly think about, yet has been crucial to the success of some of the most powerful organizations on the planet. It’s kinda a big deal, and I’d like to share some simple tips for anyone looking to try their hand at creating a design.

Planning and The Process

So this may seem obvious, but it’s important to know what you want to accomplish in the first place. When starting a project you won’t immediately know every little detail you want to incorporate, so it’s a good idea to start brainstorming what you want to include. Furthermore, it’s imperative that you record every idea you can come up with no matter how small or insignificant, even if it’s just three words on a sticky note. You never know when those three words will be the answer to a huge problem you can no longer solve since you threw away that note and can’t remember what they are anymore! It’s just a bad idea to try and keep everything in your head, Because you can never guarantee you’ll remember it later. 

It’s also important to understand that not everything will, or even should, go to plan. When actually in the moment of putting your plan into action, you may come up with an Idea on the spot or find a limitation you’ll need to work around. It’s very important to be flexible.

Color

In regards to actual design elements, it’s also important to understand the impact color has over people’s perception. Each and every shade will elicit different emotional responses depending on a whole host of circumstances. For example, according to incredibleart.org the color green can evoke a feeling of nature and the environment, or envy and sickness depending where the color is (such as a tree vs. a person “looking a little green”). Similarly the color red can be associated with bravery and passion, yet it can also be negatively linked to fire, blood, and overall danger. 

Hierarchy

Another big aspect of design is hierarchy, the way our eyes are drawn to the piece. As with all art, a design, no matter how complex or simplistic, is composed of different parts. Pieces will always have different levels of importance according to placement, size difference, and even color choice. But regardless it’s always important to control the way information is given to the viewer. Even in cases where you don’t think hierarchy will be a contributing factor, it’s important to look at the hierarchy beyond your design. For example: how does a logo look on packaging as opposed to in a magazine, what about on social media? In almost every case, a design is never solitary and will need to coexist with other elements, so steps should be taken to make sure it is complimented rather than hindered.

Client input

Finally it’s important to consider the circumstances behind the design, specifically whether or not it’s being created for a client. For one, frequent and detailed communication is incredibly important. You are attempting to process something another person is visualizing. Not to mention that different clients will have different levels of understanding over what they want, which can be incredibly precise or imprecise. Consistently staying in contact and receiving feedback is necessary to make sure everyone is on the same page. At the end of the day your client has hired you to make their design for them so don’t be afraid to incorporate your own vision (otherwise they would have done it themselves).

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Virtual Workspace Time Management Tips

By: Emma Bumgarner

Your time as a PR pro or pro in training is valuable, so knowing how to spend it wisely is pivotal to success in the field.

As we approach nearly a year since shifting to virtual learning and remote workspaces, I feel it’s important to revisit some time-management tips. Organizing calendars and deadlines with healthy ways to balance the work-home lifestyle is already overwhelming without everything being strictly online. Your time as a PR pro or pro in training is valuable, so knowing how to spend it wisely is pivotal to success in the field. 

Use different calendars for different things

Personally, I find peace of mind in using three different types of calendars for planning; each with a slightly different purpose. Writing in a planner is a good way to keep track of daily tasks and small deadlines. Something I’ve made a habit of doing is prioritizing and listing my to-do’s and crossing them out once I’ve completed them to help make the list less daunting to look at. When it comes to weekly meetings, I turn to virtual calendars. Having a weekly layout of all my different meetings on the screen in front of me helps me to visualize my free time slots where I know I can step away from the screen. With virtual calendars, you can label the meeting type, sync the calendar between your phone and laptop, and set up notifications to remind you of your meeting starting. The final calendar I use is a wall calendar that holds birthdays, fun events and big deadlines. With this calendar hanging right by my desk, I’m able to visually see upcoming events. Giving different types of calendars different purposes ensures that I’m keeping up-to-date and prioritizing my time better. 

Start early to boost daily productivity

One way to optimize day-to-day productivity is by preparing the night before to get ahead the next day. Waking up early isn’t always easy, especially not when going from home to work or class now involves getting up out of bed and walking a few steps to your desk. Getting to bed at a reasonable time and setting a nighttime routine to help wind-down mentally and physically prepares the body for sleep, which can result in a more restful sleep and ease with awakening in the morning. An article by Meredith L. Eaton on MuckRack brings attention to limiting or turning off notifications and shutting down some social or communication platforms to help you step away. While the article itself focuses on general organizational tips for the PR pro, I like to incorporate these tips at the end of my day so I don’t feel mentally overloaded the next morning. Another thing I make a point of doing is closing all of my tabs at the end of the night and silencing my phone. When you’re able to sleep well, you can wake up easier and give yourself the needed time to get situated and feel fully prepared for the day. 

Communicate to keep yourself on track

It’s no secret that those in the PR field are often multitasking or have various tasks to attend to. Checking in with peers or colleagues about projects, simple tasks and big, hard deadlines is essential to keeping others and yourself on track. Even just sending yourself or your team a few deadline reminders can help keep the tasks at hand fresh in your mind so that you’re more likely to remember to do them. Setting deadline reminders that pop-up as notifications on your phone is also a great way to communicate to-do’s to yourself. Communicating to yourself and to others what you’ll be working on is a way to hold yourself accountable to the work you need to complete. 

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5 Creative Tools to Help You Design

By Jessie Chen

As we continue to experience the pandemic,it’s important to sharpen our tools. We all have tools that help us get through the day, as a mechanic has their tools, teachers with their educational tools, and we designers have tools too! So let’s go ahead and immerse ourselves into some design tools, because it may help you solve a creative issue. 

“Buckle up and get ready to make digital art at the speed of thought!” – Rob Hooks

Some of you may think these tools are common and you already know them, but we all can learn something new everyday. Now these are some varying tools that may not apply to everyone, but they all have their purpose in the creative field. 

  1. Adobe Capture

Adobe Capture is a great tool. It is a mobile application that is on both Android 

and Apple stores. It’s a really great tool for any designer, whether you’re 

freelancing or with an agency. Some perks are that it can help you figure out what kind of font your client is using, but they might not know off the top of their head. Or, the client didn’t receive it from a previous request from another designer, who didn’t include extra details like fonts and color. Adobe Capture brings up the most closely related font or that exact font. Another helpful tool within this application is the color option. Simply move your camera to your desired spot and it’ll pick out colors that work well together from your camera shot. You can move around the camera, as you move you’ll see at the top of your device the colors change accordingly. It will not set the color until you hit the capture button. There are many other functions within this application, but these are the ones that I found most helpful.

  1. Adobe Color

Adobe Color is a browser application that is really simple to use. You pick a color that you want to use as your main color out of the many options like analogous, monochromatic, or complementary colors, and many more. It’s great for creating your color palettes or helps if you are having trouble creating them! 

  1. Unsplash, Pexels, Pixabay.com

These websites are great to use if you happen to need a photo of professional 

quality and is non-copyright! They’re fabulous websites to check out if you’re in need of filler photos or free photo usage with your designs or websites or layouts.

  1. Behance

Behance is another great website. You can showcase your work or see other 

people’s work. It’s also a place to gain inspiration from in case you happen to hit a mental block and can’t seem to get any concepts out. Additionally, you can join in on conversations on other people’s creative work. Behance is a really a place of opportunity to explore and talk to other designers as well!

  1. Dafont

This website is resourceful for getting fonts or trying out new fonts for your 

creative projects! This site includes both paid and free fonts available for download. You can filter them out to get only free fonts, or however you want to filter out the font selections.

These are some of the creative tools that can help a lot in your projects. Check out the links below to find more tools to use. Also, these tools are optional, you don’t need all of them to be successful!

The 20 best graphic design tools recommended by top digital artists – 99designs

Harry Potter unarmed is a great wizard. But armed with his phoenix feathered holly wood wand, he’s the G.O.A.T! You too may be a very talented graphic designer or digital artist, but by using the right tools the force of your talent can be multiplied exponentially.

15 Tools And Apps Every Graphic Designer Should Have In 2020

The modern era is ruled by technology and internet. Content too has changed form and ideas are now mostly shared through short graphic clips and compelling logo designs. No wonder then that the graphic designer are having a field day. Their job has definitely become more complicated with the customer’s becoming choosier and the competition on all time high.

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Resume Tips for Remote Work

By Breanna Cota

This year has thrown many challenges our way, but it’s important to make sure you are keeping your resume updated and relevant for new job opportunities. Many students and recent graduates are learning how to juggle the new challenges of both learning and working. 

Students are attending most of their courses online and are learning from the many challenges remote learning causes. Individuals who are job hunting will find many careers have moved to the digital space and they must revamp their resume to show how they have accommodated to new challenges

Many tasks you perform at home help keep you organized and productive, yet they are not listed on resumes. Here are some tips from FlexJobs.com to help showcase how you’re working from home and learning from home. These experiences can help build your resume as well as create a competitive advantage. 

1.Show self reliance and motivation

Working on your own helps show potential employers that you are self sufficient and can be relied on. When you are at home, you may be able to take charge of creating your own schedule, but for some a set Monday-Friday schedule is the way to go. Whichever way works best for you, listing your experience with working on tasks on your own can be seen as a strength for future opportunities.  

2. List programs you are familiar with

Many meetings and events are now held in a virtual space. Listing your familiarity with programs such as Zoom, Google Chat and Dropbox shows that you are capable of working in collaborations from remote locations.

Other programs such as Microsoft Office or Google Suite should also be listed. Many of these office programs are used in physical offices as well as by teams remotely. Showing you have prior experience with such programs gives you an advantage.

3. No WFH experience?

If you have no WFH experience, there are still plenty of opportunities to show how prior tasks and challenges were met in a communal work environment. You can let employers know how you will use your prior knowledge and experience to tackle the challenge of working from home.

Many students have spent countless hours working with programs such as Excel, Word or Google Suite. Showcasing how you used Excel to track projects or Google Suite to communicate with team members on projects can let employers know you have strong communication skills.

Betsy Adrews of FlexJobs states, “While remote-friendly employers will consider an applicant that has never worked remotely before, it’s always a good idea for an applicant that has remote experience to highlight this in their resume as it may ‘give them a leg up.” 

The most difficult part of working remotely is being in charge of yourself. Your boss can’t walk around the office and check on your progress if you are working remotely. It is your responsibility to make sure you are organized and efficient. Without good communication skills and self efficiency, working from a remote location could be a challenge. 

Behind every strong resume is a potential employee eager and ready to rise to the challenge. It is important to make sure your resume is always up to date and filled with relevant information. It’s recommended that you revisit and refresh your resume twice a year.

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Optimizing Your Productivity While Working From Home

By Jamie Kolnes

Ways to make the best use of your time while working remotely.

As we adjust to our new normal amidst the pandemic, our routines need to change. Just because many aspects of our lives feel out of control, doesn’t mean we settle for complete chaos. There are routines and tricks available, in order to condition ourselves into being as productive as possible. Your time is valuable, arguably now more than ever, and creating plans to optimize it can help with a multitude of different aspects in your life. For example, beaumont.org says time management can help with stress management, better sleep, and even being more productive at work. Here are some tips that can help you get started right away. 

Tip 1: Stay Organized

Staying organized is huge when it comes to optimizing your time in a day. When you are organized, there is less time spent thinking about the tasks and objects hanging over you. Knowing where vital objects to your work day are saves precious time and helps tasks get completed at a much faster rate. Your whole day becomes more efficient when you don’t have to spend time finding everyday objects. A great way to maintain an organized state is to hold yourself accountable. Put incentives in place, whether it’s a break to spend time on a hobby, or a treat for yourself. 

Tip 2: Rest Is Important

Making sure that you are well rested is vital to having a productive day at work. In fact, The National Sleep Foundation claims that “Making sleep a priority may advance your career.” There are so many benefits to prioritizing giving your body the rest it needs. Especially when you can argue that it’s good for your work performance. In fact, sleep deprivation causes American companies $63.2 billion a year in lost productivity. Sleep can help you put your best foot forward during the day, and not spend more time on tasks than needed. It’ll also help prevent burnout, and help you enjoy your job more. Having ample rest also improves things like your memory, decision making skills, and, of course, focus.

Tip 3: Create a Schedule

Procrastination is a huge silent killer of productivity. Even though it’s easy to get away with, it leaves you feeling unaccomplished and stressed. Completing tasks early gives you a sense of accomplishment and drives you to do the same in the future. Creating a schedule for yourself each day, with a to-do list of tasks to get done helps. Rank your tasks from most urgent and important to least. It’ll seem less daunting to make the last few tasks “optional.”   Even if only the most important tasks get completed that day, you’ll still feel accomplished. 

Tip 4: Create a Work Specific Zone

Creating a work specific zone has been a common tip for a lot of us working from home. Just like having a specific place in our homes to eat and sleep, having one to stay focused and “work-minded,” helps with productivity and therefore optimizes the time you have in a day. If you do not have an entire room to dedicate to your work, pick an area of a room, and set it up for each day. Keeping all of your work gear in the same area makes for an easy commute and set up. Pick a quiet, well-lit area that is easy to walk away from a few times a day. Try not to do things like take naps or eat meals at the same place you work. 

I hope you’re able to take a few tips away today and implement them into your own life. They might help you even more than you think. For more useful blogs about working in the public relations field, visit the Tehama Group Communications website.

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Keeping your customers at the forefront during a brand refresh

By Claire Bang

Consumers are being constantly bombarded with ads and messaging from all sorts of companies. Giving your brand a refresh can make your company stand out amongst the competition and allows you to truly hone in on what you want your customers to consider about your company. Full rebrands are a lengthy process whereas a brand refresh only requires some market research and competitor analysis.

According to Stephen Peate from Fabrik “a good brand refresh strategy requires less risk than a total overhaul, and it can still get you the results you need.”

Keep in mind that every brand is different and although some may still require an entire brand overhaul, most brands can benefit from some minor changes to help them provide better content. Here are some simple changes your company can make to rejuvenate your brand without losing loyal customers.

  • Test out new marketing channels

Many brands have experienced success in reaching new markets by using one of the latest social media hits, TikTok. Brands like the U.S. Open Tennis Championships have reached new target markets than they’ve previously had before like millennials and Generation Z. Using sounds that are trending on the app has landed their videos on many users “For You” pages numerous times.

Small businesses have seen positive results on the app as well. Both users who were laid off due to the coronavirus pandemic and existing small companies have used the platform to create business for themselves during these tough times. People like The Carpet Repair Guy have created entertaining content drawing in large followings who just watch him repair people’s carpets in the San Francisco Bay Area.

  • Stop requiring your customer service team to use copy-and-paste responses

When being responded to by a customer service team, template-based messages are preferred by consumers over copy-and-paste responses. After all, if your customer is talking to a human, it should feel like they’re talking to a human and not a robot. 

The human connection that a consumer makes with a representative of a company can really determine how they view the company, and how they talk about the company to others as well. 

When I used to chat with other customers online for the company I used to work for, they really emphasized the importance of being yourself. They encouraged the use of emojis and exclamation points, when they were appropriate, and I believe many customers seemed more comfortable during conversations because of that.

  • Give your online visuals a refresh

You can easily put your company at the forefront by making small changes to the visuals that customers see, bringing them up-to-date with new trends.

Start by deleting anything that is outdated and a customer would have no reason to look at anymore (psst… it’s taking up valuable space on your page). Content like old Instagram highlights and website content that is irrelevant to where your brand is now is included in this.

Your brand can also change specific design elements and colors in your visuals unless those elements accurately define your company to your consumers. Keep in mind that even well known companies have taken simpler, modern approaches with elements, like their logo, that define their company and have had immense success with it.

  • Refine your messaging 

It’s ultimately a company’s choice to decide where they want to stand on relevant issues occurring nationally and there is one company I immediately think of who has made that loud and clear. Ben and Jerry’s.

Ben and Jerry’s had publicly stated over four years ago their stance in regard to the Black Lives Matter movement. To this very moment, they have continued showing their support on so many topics both on their Instagram and with its own dedicated “values” tab on their website.

Make sure the audience you desire is the audience you are actually targeting with the content you put out through these marketing channels. The messaging, voice and tone all decide who the audience is that you reach and how you reach them.

There are so many resources out there that provide even more insightful information on ways to continue improving your brand and its image. Remember that these changes don’t need to happen all at once and can be slowly integrated into the existing work that your brand does. 

At the end of the day, every decision should begin and end with what the customer thinks and wants. Brands exist for the customer and any work done should be based on customer or research feedback otherwise companies are only changing for themselves.