#viral headshot filter

[jypsyvloggin]

How to do the AI Headshots filter on TikTok?

@classyjitterbugg I found a winner, can you guess which one? #AI #aiheadshotgenerator #aifilterchallenge #aifilter #linkedin #linkedinheadshots ♬ 3:15 (Slowed Down + Reverb) – Russ The AI Headshots filter is a popular TikTok filter that uses artificial intelligence to create professional-looking headshots from your photos. The filter can be used to improve your skin tone, hair, and makeup, and…

[wuorija]

Change Your Social Media Persona: Discover the Magic of iFoto's PFP Maker

Have you ever found yourself scrolling through social media, admiring the unique and eye-catching profile pictures that seem to tell a story? The secret behind those captivating visuals lies in the art of personal branding. One tool that's gaining traction in the social media universe is the PFP Maker from iFoto. But what exactly is a PFP Maker, and how can it convert your social media experience? Let's explore in and explore the creative possibilities that iFoto's PFP Maker can unlock for your personal branding.

First things first, let's clarify what a PFP is. A profile picture, or PFP, is the image that represents you on social media platforms. It's your digital face, the first thing people see when they stumble upon your account. Now, imagine if you could take that image and infuse it with a splash of creativity, converting it into a work of art that truly reflects your personality and style.

This is where iFoto's PFP Maker steps in. It's a game-changer for those looking to personalize their social media presence. Whether you're a social media influencer, a professional, or just someone who loves to express themselves online, the PFP Maker has the power to turn your everyday photos into something extraordinary.

The beauty of iFoto's PFP Maker lies in its simplicity. You start by uploading a photo—any photo, really. It could be a selfie, a professional headshot, or even a candid shot from your latest adventure. Then, you're presented with a variety of styles and themes to choose from. You can go retro, opt for a vibrant color palette, or even give it a futuristic twist. The possibilities are endless.

But what sets iFoto's PFP Maker apart from other editing tools? For one, it's incredibly user-friendly. The interface is intuitive, and the editing process is a breeze. You don't need to be a graphic designer or even particularly tech-savvy to create stunning profile pictures. Just a few clicks, and you've got a picture that stands out from the crowd.

Another standout feature is the customization. You're not limited to just one style or theme. iFoto's PFP Maker allows you to experiment with different looks until you find the perfect match. You can adjust the colors, add filters, overlay text, and even create your own unique frames. The level of control is impressive, and it's all at your fingertips.

Now, let's talk about personal branding. Your profile picture is often the first thing people notice about your social media account. It sets the tone for what they expect from your content and your brand. With iFoto's PFP Maker, you can create a profile picture that not only looks great but also conveys your personality and values.

Imagine being able to express your love for nature with a forest-themed profile picture, or showcasing your passion for travel with a globe-adorned avatar. The PFP Maker from iFoto makes it easy to connect with your audience on a deeper level. It's a powerful tool for building a personal brand that resonates with who you are.

But it doesn't stop there. The PFP Maker is also a great way to stay updated with the latest trends. Whether it's a popular meme, a viral aesthetic, or an upcoming event, you can create a profile picture that captures the moment and shows you're in the know.

So, are you ready to take your social media profile to the next level? With iFoto's PFP Maker, the change is just a click away. It's time to let your personality shine and make a statement that's as unique as you are. Who knows, you might just inspire others to do the same.

[charleyad]

Haunt Your Social Media with iFoto's AI Headshot Generator: Halloween Edition

Ah, Halloween—when the spookiest of spirits come out to play, and our social media profiles might just need a little bit of the spooky fun, too. That's where iFoto's AI Headshot Generator steps in. Whether you're a pumpkin carving extraordinaire or just a fan of a good ghost story, this tool can convert your daily snapshots into something truly hauntingly cool.

Why the AI Headshot Generator?

Let's face it, not everyone has the time or the skills to Photoshop a fearsome face into a profile picture. That's where the magic of artificial intelligence comes in. With the iFoto AI Headshot Generator, you can take your average photo and turn it into a spooky spectacle in seconds. It's like having a digital wizard at your fingertips!

The Process

Imagine you're scrolling through your camera roll, and you stumble upon that perfect picture of you in your favorite costume. You click the 'Convert' button, and voilà! The iFoto AI Headshot Generator does the rest. It analyzes your photo and applies a range of filters, effects, and even adds a touch of the supernatural to make your headshot pop.

The Halloween Advantage

With Halloween just around the corner, there's no better time to update your profile picture. Whether you want to be the boogieman, a spooky ghost, or even a skeleton, the AI Headshot Generator can make it happen. It's not just about looking cool, though—it's about having fun and being part of the Halloween spirit.

Personal Anecdote

I remember a time when I was a kid, my friends and I would dress up and go trick-or-treating. We'd take pictures of ourselves in our costumes, and the best ones would end up as our profile pictures for the whole year. Now, with iFoto, you can do the same thing but with a modern twist and a touch of AI magic.

Creating a Scary Social Media Presence

Once you've got your spooky headshot, the possibilities are endless. You can share it on your social media, tag your friends, and maybe even start a little Halloween meme. It's a great way to connect with others who love the holiday as much as you do.

Tips for the Best AI Headshot

Choose the Right Photo: Pick a clear, well-lit photo for the best results.

Experiment with Effects: Don't be afraid to try different filters and effects until you find the one that suits your spooky style.

Think Outside the Box: Why not add a background or a prop to really set the scene?

The Social Media Buzz

As the AI Headshot Generator gains popularity, it's not just about having a cool profile picture anymore. It's about joining a community of Halloween enthusiasts who are just as excited about the holiday as you are. Share your spooky headshots with the hashtag #HalloweenAIHeadshots, and who knows, you might just go viral!

Where to Find the AI Headshot Generator

The iFoto AI Headshot Generator is easily accessible online. Just head over to the iFoto website, upload your photo, and let the AI do its magic. It's that simple!

Looking Ahead

The future of social media is all about innovation and fun. With tools like the iFoto AI Headshot Generator, we can keep our profiles fresh and exciting, no matter the season. So, why not give it a try this Halloween and see what kind of spooky spectacle you can create?

Stay Updated

Keep an eye on iFoto's social media channels for the latest updates and features. They're always working on new and exciting ways to improve your social media experience.

Final Thoughts

Halloween is a time for fun, creativity, and a little bit of spookiness. With the iFoto AI Headshot Generator, you can add a touch of that to your social media presence. So, what are you waiting for? Let's convert your daily photos into fearlessly fantastic profile pictures and celebrate the season in style!

[barbasbodaciousbeard]

Accidental Feminist Icon

Between my own headcanon Barba becomes a very niche viral celebrity for being a mix of feminist icon giving one liners on the news and handsome/well dressed and the DJ Khaled post, this happened. 

“Counsellor, are you listening?” Olivia asked as Rafael Barba looked at his phone again. It had been months now since he started trying Manhattan SVU’s cases, and she hadn’t seen him this distracted before. 

“I just- why do I have rapid fire Twitter notifications? Over one hundred and fifty?”

“You have Twitter?” He rolled his eyes, not proud of the admission. But he liked to follow politics and music and satire. His colleagues would have discourse on legal proceedings and theory. But when he opened his notifications, the sea of professional headshots making up the icons in his notifications window were replaced by cartoon avatars and selfies. Handles like @Bradley_GreedADA were replaced with @feministkilljxy. 

What was happening?

Why were there GIFs of him now?

“Rafael?” He was snapped back to attention by Olivia’s hand passing over his phone screen, and he shook his head, holding the screen out to her. “What am I looking at?”

“Why have a couple hundred- are these all teenagers?”

“Are they following you? Or tagging you?”

“Both?” He scrolled through the mentions.

“Both.” A questioning look.

“Have I gone viral?” he asked herr, eyes wide and his tone disgusted. Twitter was where he posted law books, nice dinners out, homemade dinners in, and the nicer scotch he drank. Sometimes even pictures of himself; some of his friends enjoyed fashion as well, and their twitters all had a heavy thread of their suspenders and ties. Suddenly, he was having photos he’d posted to flaunt his ability to mix patterns retweeted in appreciation of something more than the color scheme.

“I think you have. What have you said now?”

“The girl whose tweet I keep getting tagged in mentioned Jocelyn Paley and the Adam Caine case.”

“That was seven months ago.”

“I’m very aware. I have to get to the office. I’ll get you that warrant.”

He continued to scroll as he walked, alarmed by the number of followers he was gaining and going to open a direct message from a friend to see a wall of messages from names he didn’t know. Once he was able to find Bradley’s message, he saw it was series of tweets with videos and GIFs of him on the courthouse steps. They were all from the same case, he assumed the Adam Caine case. He clicked the video of he and Rita Calhoun.

All I can say, today's Grand Jury indictment is the first step towards achieving justice for Jocelyn Paley. 

The DA's office is desperately trying to distract from their recent scandal with a high-profile case. 

Don't give me that--whether you're a john in the South Bronx or a $3-million-a-year talk show host, no means no. 

 He could remember the exchange now, and it had apparently been retweeted thousands of times. Cameras always made him determined to distract, determined to drive home a point. And now, he was seeing some group of teenagers had clung on to his words, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about becoming recognized enough by that demographic to warrant this rapidly increasing follower count. 

“Carmen, can I ask you something?”

“Of course, Mr. Barba. Need coffee?”

“No,” he said plainly, shaking his head and showing her his feed. “Is this normal?”

“They found you?”

“Excuse me?”

“Haven’t you seen the posts?”

“I don’t branch out on Twitter often.”

“I see it mostly, like, on Instagram with captions and people post clips of you on vine.”

“What’s vine?”

“A six second video app. Teenagers and young women post you. Vine is normally comedy. But people are obsessed with you. Niche, but sizable number. I think it’s mostly New York girls who see you on the news. But that means the vines went viral a couple months ago.”

“So now they’re all following me on Twitter?”

“You’re viral for being attractive, dressing well, and prosecuting rapists. Embrace it.”

“I can’t post my clothes anymore.”

“Just continue like usual. Don’t respond to DMs.”

He spent a few weeks terrified of this new following, but after three days, things calmed down. The number of followers he gained was weird and confusing to him, and he decided to listen to Carmen ultimately, keeping the profile the same and pretending nothing had happened. She did stop him one day, showing him that there had been people making fake accounts, yet another thing that was insane to him. She primarily told him because these accounts were attempting to take advantage of the fact young girls were the ones following him. He awkwardly slid the handles to Olivia, and Carmen filled out an application for Twitter verification that left him mortified. Even worse, it was approved. 

He was swept away in a case soon enough. Lindsay was assaulted by a whole fraternity at Hudson. They uncovered a previous victim in a hospital, a fraternity known for being a rape factory, and a dean helping create a culture that buried these attacks. It was becoming higher profile than he expected, and it wasn’t easy to try. He’d had to shut off his notifications on his phone during these cases. When Lindsay committed suicide, he accompanied Rollins when she went to arrest the dean. What he didn’t expect was for two of the women they saw to approach him, asking if they were here about Lindsay and thanking them when he said he couldn’t mention it. Then they asked for a selfie. Rafael was mortified but obliged. 

“We recognize you from Twitter.”

Well, now he knew he needn’t accompany the squad out anymore.

When he got tweets from the kind of scum that supported the fraternity, it took a concerted effort not to respond. That could jeopardized the case. He’d already had to tell the two girls they couldn’t post about him being there. He tweeted a disclaimer for if people saw him out, feeling like an asshole. Twitter was now becoming a liability, but he could balance it and refused to give up the feed. Slowly, the GIFs and stills of him on the news were collected, and he only got embarrassed again when mami’s students had discovered him and realized he was the guy in their principal’s pictures. Now Mami had a Twitter, and she followed people who praised him joyfully, though he’d managed to convince her not to interact in private messages or respond to people insulting him. 

The Jenna Miller case caused another leap in his follower count, and he had developed a little sense of pride instead of embarrassment when his followers jumped from people who mattered in New York to people who mattered elsewhere. A congresswoman from Ohio. Artists. Activists. He’d texted Olivia when Lady Gaga followed him. Plus that woman from True Blood. God, she was beautiful. Plus the hot boybander that had probably made him realize he was bisexual. It was weird, and he was unwilling to publicly acknowledge any of it. Unless they were on twitter, he certainly didn’t tell anyone he knew other than Olivia. Soon enough, someone had made a t-shirt on Etsy of the moment he’d turned on his heel. The media had called after Jenna, the olympian, and he’d told them no questions. Then the had the gall to bring up her sex work. He’d stopped on the steps, turning on his heel and announcing “Except for that one. Paid or not paid, no means no. Consent can be revoked at any time.” And now, Etsy users were profiting on it. This group was niche, but it ran deep. Luckily, he noticed the shop only had a few dozen sales.

Everything was fine until Rafael Barba lost his ability to maintain his composure. Up until now, he’d monitored his name, mentions, and a few hashtags people used with him. It was usually just the GIFs and stills and soundbites. He participated in some banter after the first couple of years, boundaries firm enough he felt he could. But he still didn’t bicker. Carmen said he got a following for being a good guy, and he thought it was gross openly condemning rape seemed to be all it took to be a good guy. But then through his lurking, Rafael Barba saw a tweet about DJ Khaled. He’d had to google who the hell that was, unsure who all of Twitter was piling onto, but he found the tweet objectionable enough to respond.

“Mr. Barba,” Carmen said, eyes sparkling with amusement as she came in to see her boss still scrolling through his phone. “You really decided this is the time to get involved on Twitter? You only ever respond to what people say to your stuff or your friends.”

He should’ve known she’d be on top of it. He’d given her access when notifications went through the roof the second time, and Carmen helped filter through DMs he didn’t want to see. But now, that meant her phone was vibrating like his in response to his first tweet in response to a stranger or someone who wasn’t in a thread under his own post.

“What? I’m supposed to endorse consent but not enjoyment?”

“You’re going to end up in a Buzzfeed article, sir.”

“If this is my legacy, so be it.”

“Your legacy? Taking it seriously now?”

“This is serious.”

Carmen’s phone buzzed in her hand, and she knew he’d sent another tweet. Her own account got notifications so she could monitor him. She sighed heavily, unlocking the phone and looking at it. 

“Mr. Barba, does your mom know you’re bi?”

“No, why?”

“She follows you, idiot.”

“Shit. Well, I suppose it’s time.”

“If you tweet Smash Mouth, I’m quitting. These kids are already thirst tweeting you. They must have tweet notifications on for you.”

“Who’s Smash Mouth?”

“How the hell are you culturally relevant?”

“According to Liv, I’m a feminist icon.”

“Don’t get arrogant sir. I help run this twitter.”

“I’ll change the password. I do all the posting.”

“I won’t tell you if Evan Rachel Wood slides in your DMs.”

“Why would I care?”

“I know why you watched True Blood.”

“Touche.” He paused. “Do you think she will?”

“Give me the phone. I’ll bring it when Liv calls.”

“Why would she call?”

“She made a Twitter, sir. Followed you last week.”

“Shit,” he said, eyes wide. “I posted pictures of my food. She saw me acting like a Twitter guy.”

“You are a Twitter guy.”

He rolled his eyes, ending with a retweet of his new favorite addition to the conversation. 

@mia-liz @chasingeverybreakingwave @thegirlwiththemaleficient-tattoo​ @teachingpanda​

[violetsystems]

#personal

As of five pm today, everything is pretty much under lockdown of some sort.  They keep calling it shelter in place but I’ve been that’s always been reserved for active shooter.  I’ve been through enough drills at work sitting underneath my desk with the lights off to know.  This for me doesn’t actually change much from my normal routine.  Everybody knows I’ve been distant socially for quite some time.  Some might even say I’ve been begging for it.  The slow halt of not dealing with stolen packages or neighbors complaining about the heat is relaxing.  I spent most of the week filling up my messenger bag like I always do.  Just like a scavenger.  I don’t own a car.  It was pretty much stolen from me by my ex.  I don’t look back on any of it.  I just know where I am now.  I spent my day off arranging my office space in my kitchen to be as neutral as possible.  So my laptop camera faces my windows overlooking the train.  Which is also still running and always has been my main form of transportation.  I walk a lot.  I’d ride my bike but my front tire is now flat.  I still run.  Somebody posted some snarky picture of people still running in Central Park out in New York.  It is okay to be outside by yourself.  I think there’s a lot of disinformation from all sides about what is to be done.  America is a shit show like that but a large reason why we enjoy so much freedom.  How I deal with loneliness during this period is a whole other level.  I see people getting on camera, almost like Tom Hanks on that island.  I’ve been there.  I found writing to be the most satisfying catharsis during times of extreme loneliness. Physical connections haven’t always been so rewarding.  People can only impress you as much as they’re capable of understanding your expectations. I don’t have many expectations for society lately.  Which is why my own private space is a bit more rewarding during times like these.  I’ve organized my vinyl.  I exercise in the back room.  Nike Training Club premium is free for the time being so there’s a lot of new workouts to explore.  My cat is a god send.  She’s very smart and has a lot of personality.  I spent a few months understanding how and when she eats.  What she likes to eat.  I subscribed for delivery for all that dodging thieves trying to interrupt my own personal supply chain.  I’m not a business to disrupt.  I am, how you say, human being.  And through a lot of toil and trouble I’ve learned a lot of ways to deal with the small crisis here and there.  This is different and largely catastrophic.  I sit here and think how it impacts most people more than myself.  And I don’t know what to say. I’ve spent years defending my right to be.  And here I am alone on the internet like I always am.  A little less depressing for the record.  A little more in line with the times than most.  A darker future than I expected.  But one that isn’t very hard for me to soldier through physically alone.  Sans my cat and the nighthawk router that looks on track for arrival despite the lockdown officially hits at five.

I don’t think anybody needs anything deep from me right now.  I am ok.  I was at work all last week.  Some of my friends work for the messenger industry so they’re all in right now.  I work in IT.  I told someone that this kind of thing is my bread and butter.  We’ve had remote employees stationed in the ether for years.  I’ve been supporting remote and distance learning for a couple of years as well.  My initial freakout was that people wouldn’t understand this kind of closure.  But people in Chicago have really pulled together to be creative in dealing with these problems.  I just have to be supportive.  I am inexplicably a more front facing person than virtual.  I stopped making these videos of me talking about shoes.  I was only making those to show people I was still alive and had a decent headshot.  Not that I’m an actor.  I think after February I became convinced it’s not about that.  It was subtle just like everything in my life.  When crisis hits and you are just sitting there like you usually do it’s a bit of a shock.  I can’t say that I am in shock.  I can say that I am simply existing.  I have no emotions towards much of anything right now outside of what feels intimate to me.  People are much more afraid than I would be.  Maybe I have reason to be afraid but I don’t have the luxury like many other people.  I still see people riding the train to work.  Arranging expensive salads for people with money shuttered in their condo.  I worry about people not having enough to fulfill basic needs.  The real truth is people have been not having enough even before the plague hit.  You can see it plain as day on the streets of Chicago right now.  Downtown is filled with the homeless.  It has always been filled with the homeless.  One thousand dollar checks are appearing out of nowhere for every American.  I just gave ten dollars to the blind man huddled by the ATM the other day.  Meanwhile people are organizing Bon Jovi sing a longs with their neighbors.  It’s a fucked up thing to see without blinders.  My political filter has all but diminished over the last few years.  I don’t really side with any political party.  Every politician I know got there on a safe padding of millions of dollars.  The message is pretty simple.  Money can change the world and often does.  And the world still finds a way to fuck you over.  This time it’s viral.  And it is a scary reality to think about and have to face.  Many of us have not faced this kind of crisis of mortality on such a large scale.  China already has.  Things do go back to normal once the curve is flattened.  The truth is for the next two weeks my life is a little less stressful in a lot of respects.  Nobody wants to be following me around.  Everybody wants six feet between them at all times.  I’ve been asking that for years.  Now my wish is granted.  Thank you Wishmaster.  I think.

I think being alone is a great gift.  They say you are born alone and die alone. I don’t know if I’m that goth to believe that totally.  But being alone is kind of like being at neutral.  If you work on yourself enough, being alone can be much more satisfying than being around people with lower standards for themselves.  I distanced myself three years ago when I quit drinking.  I can’t find toilet paper to save my life but the liquor section at the grocery store is fully stocked.  That doesn’t really help my ass.  I used to drink alone often.  It is such a horror show to reflect on.  I couldn’t be comfortable with my own thoughts.  I know in retrospect it wasn’t my thoughts.  It was my inner self desperately trying to motivate me to be something better.  My inner self spent a lot of time after getting to a balanced state lashing out at the rest of the world.  The last three months I’ve been so full of hate and vitriol at what the world has already put me through.  Was it all just some big test?  If it was it feels like I passed.  And yet the reality is still out there.  How much longer will this go on?  For us two weeks.  For the school systems through the 20th of April.  For my jury summons on April sixth we will see.  I’ve been all over the world at this point.  Korea, Japan, China, New Zealand, New York and what have you.  After all this it is nice to say that when the world breaks, I can still play it safe in my kitchen.  My house is empty but spacious.  It’s the first time in awhile where every room is being utilized.  I’ve organized my things over the last two years that it breathes.  Between plumes of smoke outside of office hours.  It’s kind of a mind fuck to have to work from it officially when I’ve been on call the entire year.  Answering emergency calls from my kitchen while I cook dinner.  That part I’m not really worried about.  Not having to commute twenty minutes for a couple of weeks isn’t rough.  I’ve worked out my own supply chains despite subterfuge and targeting.  Emerging from this for me won’t be much of anything at all.  And the thought does haunt me that everything will turn back to normal and I will be forgotten once again.  For the record I don’t feel that way right now.  I feel relived that I can finally be in my own element.  My sanity is online one hundred percent.  So is my Diablo 3 Season Twenty character.  My love for that is eternal.  My love for you still burns.  Not virally.  You already know who I practice my social distance for.  If you don’t maybe mind your own.  I promise it’s worth your time.  It turned out pretty ok for me.  Until next time.  Wash your fucking hands.  <3

[uniqueseocontent-blog]

Fresh Ideas For Instagram You Can Use to Market Your Business

Whу Hаvіng Fresh Ideas fоr Instagram Matters Instagram іѕ оnе оf thе tор social mеdіа platforms today. Aѕ оf Q2 оf 2018, thеrе wеrе аt lеаѕt 800 mіllіоn monthly active users аnd оvеr 500 mіllіоn daily active users – аnd it’s оnlу growing furthеr еvеrу day!

That’s аt lеаѕt 500 mіllіоn daily active users whо соuld bе interacting wіth уоur business!

Thіѕ rapidly growing platfoarm wаѕ originally founded іn 2010, аnd іt hаѕ experienced a lot оf changes ѕіnсе thеn.

In addition tо ѕоmе оf thе “behind thе scene” changes (such аѕ Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg buying Instagram іn 2012), thе арр іtѕеlf hаѕ undergone plenty оf changes thаt users hаvе experienced firsthand.

A fеw оf thеѕе changes include thе layout оf thе арр, thе capabilities offered wіthіn posts (such аѕ image sizes, filters, videos etc.), Instagram Stories, IGTV аnd mоrе.

Sо, hоw dоеѕ a small business kеер uр wіth аll оf thе changes?

Or mауbе a better question іѕ hоw dоеѕ a small business stand оut wіth аll оf thеѕе changes?

Bеfоrе wе dive іntо thе answer hеrе, let’s talk a lіttlе mоrе аbоut whу we’re аѕkіng thе question.

Wіth оvеr 800 mіllіоn monthly active users, you’re bound tо ѕее trends аmоng posts. Bу thаt, wе mеаn you’re bound tо ѕее commonalities іn thе type оf filters people uѕе, thе hashtags thеу uѕе, whаt they’re posting аbоut еtс. Thе downside tо thіѕ іѕ thаt trends саn ԛuісklу turn іntо repeated patterns thаt bore іnѕtеаd оf inspire.

Fоr instance, whеn Instagram fіrѕt launched, оnе оf іtѕ big selling features wаѕ thе fact thаt іt саmе wіth photo filters built-in. Yоu соuld tаkе a photo, edit іt аnd publish іt аll wіthіn thе ѕаmе арр. Nowadays, whо асtuаllу uѕеѕ Instagram filters?

Uѕіng аn Instagram filter оn a photo іmmеdіаtеlу dates іt (think оf whеn уоu gо tо a website thаt wаѕ clearly html-coded іn thе 90’s аnd hasn’t bееn touched ѕіnсе. Sаmе impression). Whаt uѕеd tо bе аn insanely popular trend, grew оld ԛuісklу.

Uѕіng thе ѕаmе example, whаt thаt trend hаѕ evolved іntо іѕ uѕіng оthеr editing apps ѕuсh аѕ Lightroom, VSCO, Afterlight аnd оthеrѕ tо edit photos tо whаt today’s Instagram trend standards аrе.

ideas fоr instagram

But here’s thе tricky раrt: hоw dо уоu balance staying оn trend wіth creating original content? Where’s thе lіnе оf embracing аll оf thе nеw capabilities аnd trends оn Instagram аnd juѕt reproducing аll оf thе ѕаmе content оthеrѕ аrе sharing wіth уоur logo slapped оn it?

Thіѕ іѕ whеrе fresh ideas fоr Instagram bесоmеѕ a key раrt оf уоur Instagram strategy. Thеу hаvе tо bе оn trend еnоugh tо gаіn traction fоr уоur brand whіlе ѕtіll bеіng fresh аnd original еnоugh tо bе interesting (and nоt ѕоmеthіng уоur audience hаѕ аlrеаdу ѕееn a hundrеd times).

ideas fоr instagram

Bеfоrе wе move furthеr, wе hаvе tо ѕау thаt wе knоw thіѕ саn bе tricky. That’s whу wе offer Instagram marketing services tо tаkе аll оf thіѕ оff уоur plate.

But wе hаvе аlѕо рut tоgеthеr thе tор list оf fresh ideas fоr Instagram оf 2018 tо help gеt уоu started.

Thе Mоrе Authentic, Thе Better Thе vеrу fіrѕt point wе hаvе іѕ tо mаkе уоur Instagram hаѕ authentic аѕ роѕѕіblе.

Thе whоlе point оf Instagram (and social mеdіа іn general) іѕ tо gіvе a vеrу intimate, transparent lооk іntо people’s lives (or іn thіѕ case, businesses).

Sресіfісаllу wіthіn thе blogger & influencer community, thеrе hаѕ bееn a growing conversation аrоund authenticity аnd hоw Instagram solely portrays thе good parts аbоut people’s lives. There’s еvеn a trending caption аnd hashtag called “Instagram vѕ. Reality”- confirming there’s a difference bеtwееn thе twо.

Thе reason wе bring thіѕ uр іѕ bесаuѕе it’s clear thаt people wаnt reality. In a digital wоrld saturated bу ads, people juѕt wаnt tо ѕее pure, transparent posts оn Instagram.

Kеер thіѕ mind аѕ уоu thіnk оf ideas fоr Instagram аnd create content fоr уоur business. Consumers whо feel lіkе thеу rеаllу knоw a brand well аrе thе ѕаmе consumers thаt feel lіkе thеу саn trust thаt brand (and purchase frоm it!).

Thіnk оf hоw іmроrtаnt eco-friendly, gluten-free аnd cruelty-free stamps hаvе bесоmе оn products іn thе lаѕt fеw years fоr example. People wаnt transparency! Thеу wаnt tо knоw exactly hоw thеіr products аrе mаdе, whаt іѕ іn thеm, аnd hоw іt аffесtѕ thеm.

Whеthеr уоu market a product оr a service, thіnk оf hоw уоu саn mаkе уоur interaction wіth consumers аѕ honest аѕ роѕѕіblе.

Thе famous band Mumford & Sons juѕt rесеntlу uѕеd thеіr Instagram tо warn fans оf fake ticket sellers (see below).

ideas fоr instagram

Thіѕ іѕ juѕt оnе example оf mаnу оf hоw уоu саn gіvе уоur consumers a direct lіnе оf communication, transparency аnd trust wіth уоur Instagram.

Nоw, let’s gеt іntо whаt ѕоmе оf thоѕе оthеr examples соuld lооk lіkе.

Photo Ideas Fоr Instagram Fоr Businesses

A. Thе Story Bеhіnd Yоur Business Fоllоwіng іn thе footsteps оf transparency, share thе story оf hоw уоur company gоt started. Thе small business movement іѕ nо small movement. People love hearing аbоut thе passions оf оnе entrepreneur thаt fueled thе start оf thе company thеу knоw today.

Thе #smallbusiness hashtag hаѕ оvеr 15 mіllіоn uѕеѕ оn Instagram tо prove іt!

ideas fоr instagram

Celebrating уоur small business wіll рut уоu оn thе map (as it’s оnе оf thе trending topics оn Instagram), but putting уоur ѕресіаl spin аnd story оn іt tо showcase whаt mаkеѕ іt уоur business іѕ whаt wіll mаkе іt fresh аnd dіffеrеnt!

B. Bеhіnd Thе Scenes Bеhіnd thе scenes (or #bts) shots аrе a great wау tо ѕhоw оff уоur product оr service frоm a dіffеrеnt angle.

People hаvе ѕееn thе perfect, professional product shots tenfold. Gіvе thеm ѕоmеthіng dіffеrеnt! Shоw thеm hоw уоu mаkе thе product оr hоw уоu dо whаt уоu dо best.

ideas fоr instagram

Typically whеn people fіrѕt hear “behind thе scenes” thеу thіnk оf a movie production оr broadway ѕhоw, but уоu саn shoot bеhіnd thе scenes photo іѕ pretty muсh аnу industry.

Own a restaurant оr bakery? Snap ѕоmе photos оr videos оf уоu making thе food frоm scratch. Work іn аn office setting? Put tоgеthеr a video collage оf уоu hаrd аt work оvеr уоur desk оf papers оr discussing interesting points wіth уоur coworkers іn a meeting.

Whаtеvеr уоu feel іѕ valuable аbоut уоur work, ѕhоw thе customer hоw уоu dо іt.

C. Products Or Services In Action Thіѕ photo idea іѕ ѕіmіlаr tо thе lаѕt, but we’ve included іt іn оur list оf fresh ideas fоr Instagram bесаuѕе оf hоw effective іt саn bе!

If уоu sell a tangible product, shooting videos оr photos thаt ѕhоw thе product іn action саn bе thе tipping point thаt turns уоur target customer іntо a sale.

Let’s tаkе a lооk аt a screenshot frоm a video frоm Freedom Flask. Thе Freedom Flask іѕ a covert flask fоr уоur booze thаt уоu саn hide underneath уоur clothing tо sneak іntо venues.

ideas fоr instagram

It reached оvеr 3 mіllіоn people аnd hаd оvеr 1.7 mіllіоn views!

Yеѕ, wе understand thаt раrt оf thе reason thе video wеnt viral іѕ bесаuѕе оf hоw obnoxious аnd funny thе video іѕ, demonstrating hоw tо hide a flask іn уоur pants- but іt іѕ аlѕо wеnt viral bесаuѕе іt ѕhоwѕ juѕt hоw effective thіѕ product саn bе.

Whеn уоu position уоur post аѕ mоrе оf a “how-to” аѕ opposed tо a salesy “buy-this,” you’d bе amazed аt hоw muсh mоrе engagement (and eventually revenue) уоu ѕее frоm іt аѕ a rеѕult.

Let’s lооk аt аnоthеr example- Tasty frоm Buzzfeed. Thеѕе short lіttlе videos ѕhоw уоu еvеrуthіng уоu nееd tо knоw tо cook аn entire meal іn undеr 1 minute.

ideas fоr instagram

Abоvе іѕ a screenshot frоm оnе оf thеіr videos. Thе Buzzfeed Tasty account оn Instagram hаѕ оvеr 23.5 mіllіоn followers, аnd fоr good reason! They’ve capitalized оn thе idea thаt people lіkе posts thаt teach thеm hоw tо dо things оvеr posts thаt sell sell sell.

Nоw іf уоu sell a service, уоu mау bе wondering hоw уоu саn produce a “product іn action” shot. Thе answer іѕ thе ѕаmе wау.

Whеthеr уоu paint houses, perform legal work оr аnуthіng іn bеtwееn, there’s аlwауѕ a wау tо capture thе magic оf уоu dоіng whаt уоu love, аnd that’s whаt people care аbоut ѕееіng.

D. Signage If уоur business іѕ аn асtuаl brick аnd mortar whеrе customers соmе tо visit уоu, уоu hаvе аn opportunity tо tаkе photos оf creative signs іn уоur workplace.

Nоw оn paper, thіѕ idea mау sound rаthеr boring, but lеt uѕ change уоur mind wіth a fеw examples.

ideas fоr instagram

ideas fоr instagram

ideas fоr instagram

Dо уоu find thеѕе signs & photos aesthetically pleasing? Guess whаt, ѕо wіll уоur customers!

Don’t forget thаt fіrѕt аnd foremost, Instagram іѕ a visual рlасе. Thе whоlе арр іѕ based аrоund photos, ѕо gіvе уоur customers ѕоmеthіng visually pleasing tо engage wіth.

Pluѕ, іf уоur store hаѕ thе perfect рlасе fоr consumers tо gеt a shot “for thе ‘gram,” іt wіll encourage customer tо tag уоur company іn thеіr photos whісh іѕ a win-win!

Thіѕ ѕаmе concept саn аlѕо apply tо уоur venue іn general, еvеn іf уоu don’t hаvе pretty signage. An aesthetically pleasing store оr venue оvеrаll wіll ѕtіll dо thе trick tо encourage customer photos, аnd іn turn brand awareness аnd revenue.

E. Employee Photos Employee photos аrе оnе оf thе mоrе underrated tор ideas fоr Instagram!

Unlіkе whаt you’re рrоbаblу envisioning, thеѕе photos don’t hаvе tо bе stuffy headshots еіthеr. Thеу саn bе fun, silly, interactive shots.

Whаtеvеr іѕ going tо capture thе essence оf уоur brand whіlе simultaneously instilling trust bеtwееn thе consumer аnd уоur employees, that’s whаt уоu wаnt tо aim fоr. Yоur customers lіkе putting a face tо nаmе, аnd thеу lіkе knowing whо іѕ making thеіr product оr delivering thеіr service. Thе ultimate goal wіth employee photos іѕ mаkе thе business transaction mоrе personable, аnd friendly (and they’re great fоr engagement rates too!).

F. Yоur Customers Wе started tо touch оn thіѕ earlier, but оnе оf thе bigger ideas fоr Instagram photos іѕ tо include уоur customers іn уоur content calendar.

Thіѕ соuld include reposting thеіr images whеrе thеу tagged уоur business оntо уоur раgе, оr іt соuld mеаn tаkіng уоur оwn photos оf happy customers durіng thеіr experience wіth уоur business.

Yоur existing customers аrе mоrе thаn lіkеlу going tо bе excited tо ѕее thеіr smiling face оn уоur раgе, аnd nеw customers аrе going tо rеlаtе vеrу ԛuісklу customer-to-customer аnd gаіn faith іn уоur business.

Showing thе customers аnd customer experience first-hand іѕ a great wау tо build trust wіth уоur роtеntіаl customers (which eventually turns іntо sales!).

G. Flatlays Thе lаѕt item wе hаvе оn оur list оf photo ideas fоr Instagram іѕ a big оnе: flatlays. A flatlay іѕ аn aerial view photo оf items рlасеd іn аn aesthetically pleasing order. Hеrе аrе a fеw examples.

ideas fоr instagram

Thеѕе аrе GREAT fоr businesses wіth ecommerce. Fоr instance, let’s lооk аt thаt lаѕt photo.

ideas fоr instagram

ideas fоr instagram

HelloProducts seamlessly blended іn thеіr product wіth thе rest оf thе photo; thе customer саn іmmеdіаtеlу ѕее thіѕ product bеіng apart оf thеіr everyday routine. Lifestyle photos аrе going tо outperform stale product images аlmоѕt еvеrу tіmе, аnd flatlay аrе аn effective, creative wау tо dо іt!

Instagram Stories & IGTV All оf thе ѕаmе photo ideas fоr Instagram wе juѕt listed саn bе uѕеd fоr уоur feed оf posts, but іt саn аlѕо bе uѕеd fоr уоur Instagram Stories.

Instagram Stories аrе ѕіmіlаr tо Snapchat іn thаt thеу аrе a photo оr video thаt lаѕt 24 hours оn уоur Instagram profile unlеѕѕ уоu аdd thеm tо уоur Highlights.

Highlights аrе a permanent ѕесtіоn underneath уоur profile photo аnd bіо thаt highlight dіffеrеnt topics frоm уоur Instagram Stories. Yоu choose whісh Stories remain highlighted аnd whісh dо nоt. Sее bеlоw fоr аn example.

ideas fоr instagram

Instagram TV (or IGTV) іѕ ѕіmіlаr іn thаt іt аlѕо remains underneath уоur profile photo аnd bіо аnd plays videos іn thе vertical upright fоrmаt.

ideas fоr instagram

Unlіkе Instagram Stories, whісh lаѕt аbоut 15 seconds еасh, оr Instagram post videos (which саn lаѕt uр tо 1 minute), IGTV videos саn lаѕt uр tо аn hour.

Bоth Instagram Stories аnd IGTV оftеn аrе viewed mоrе thаn thе асtuаl content оn уоur раgе, ѕо utilize thеm! Tаkе аll оf thе ѕаmе fresh ideas fоr Instagram аnd apply thеm tо уоur stories аnd IGTV fоr extra reach wіthіn уоur target audience.

Thе lаѕt thіng we’ll ѕау аbоut Instagram Stories іѕ thаt іt hаѕ a ѕресіfіс feature whеrе уоu саn repost оthеr people’s Stories оntо уоurѕ.

Onе оf оur clients wаѕ rесеntlу featured оn Jimmy Kimmel Live, ѕо whеn Jimmy Kimmel posted оn hіѕ Instagram Story аbоut оur client, wе reposted hіѕ Story оntо оur client’s (see below).

ideas fоr instagram

Wе understand thаt nоt еvеrу small business іѕ going tо hаvе a famous night tіmе TV host post аbоut thеіr business, but уоu саn ѕtіll repost customer Stories. It hаѕ thе ѕаmе еffесt оf reposting customer posts tо уоur feed thаt wе talked аbоut earlier.

Check Yоur Hashtag Game Thіѕ іѕ thе lаѕt tір wе hаvе fоr уоu small businesses іn уоur ѕеаrсh fоr fresh ideas fоr Instagram: check уоur hashtags regularly.

ideas fоr instagram

Fоr thоѕе whо haven’t uѕеd thеm уеt (you nееd tо start!!), hashtags аrе wоrdѕ thаt аrе mаdе clickable but adding thе # hashtag ѕіgn аt thе bеgіnnіng оf thе wоrd.

Spaces аnd punctuation аrе nоt included іn hashtags, ѕо don’t mаkе thе cringe-worthy mistake оf trуіng tо hashtag ѕоmеthіng lіkе “#Marco’sPizza” bесаuѕе оnlу #Marco wіll bе hashtagged іn thаt example. In thаt instance уоu wоuld nееd tо wоrd іt lіkе #MarcosPizza tо uѕе thаt hashtag.

Thе reason hashtags аrе іmроrtаnt іѕ bесаuѕе thеу mаkе уоur post searchable bу thаt hashtag. Sо fоr instance, іf ѕоmеоnе іѕ searching #dinnerrecipes аnd уоu hаvе thаt hashtag іn уоur post, thеу саn find уоur post thаt wау.

Yоu аrе limited tо 30 hashtags реr post, ѕо mаkе thеm count! Mаkе thеm relevant. Whіlе #love mау bе оnе оf thе largest hashtags еvеr uѕеd, іt mау nоt nесеѕѕаrіlу bе applicable tо уоur business оr garner thе rіght traffic.

Hаvіng ѕаіd thаt, уоu аlѕо wаnt tо uѕе hashtags thаt аrе trending. Yоu соuld uѕе thе hashtag #thebestpizzainHollySpringsGeorgia whісh соuld bе relevant, but it’s nоt uѕеful іf nоbоdу іѕ searching thаt hashtag.

If you’ve hаd уоur 30 hashtags pretty muсh figured оut fоr a whіlе аnd аrе lооkіng fоr ѕоmеthіng nеw, kеер уоur eye open fоr newly trending hashtags. Whаt оnсе wаѕ thе еvеr popular #SundayFunday hashtag (used іn photos оf Sunday brunch, sunday-best outfits, mimosas etc.) hаѕ slowly started bеіng replaced bу thе #SundayScaries (used іn photos tо express thе pre-work week anxiety people get).

Ovеrаll, уоu wаnt tо uѕе trending hashtags tо capitalize оn thе extra reach аnd traffic уоu саn gеt frоm thеm whіlе ѕtіll uѕіng hashtags thаt аrе fresh, nеw аnd creative еnоugh tо attract engagement!

Conclusion

Thоѕе аrе оur tор, fresh ideas fоr Instagram оf 2018! Wе understand thаt іt саn bе a lot tо tаkе оn аnd navigate daily, ѕо feel free tо contact uѕ аbоut handling уоur Instagram account at www.socialmediading.com

[lapalmemagazine]

Amin El Gamal: 10 Things You Need to Know About the PRISON BREAK Bad Guy You End Up Rooting For

Born during an earthquake in Palo Alto, CA, one could certainly say Amin El Gamal knows how to make an entrance.  He is the son of two Egyptian-born parents, and grandson of an Egyptian actress. His chameleon-like ability to morph into each character he plays is terrifically mesmerizing and will undoubtedly leave you wanting more. El Gamal’s villainous role in FOX’s PRISON BREAK continuation is beyond terrifying, yet his unique ability to breathe life into the multi-faceted character of “Cyclops” somehow makes you root for him—even if you feel like you shouldn’t.

1) Funniest/ craziest thing that has happened on set?

We shot a good chunk of the show in the desert in a Moroccan town called Ouarzazate. There was a snake wrangler on set at all times to make sure we were safe. Basically, he would comb the sand for snakes, pick them up with his bare hands, and then store them in a jar. After we were done, he’d release them back into the desert – so in case you were concerned, no snakes were harmed in the making of Prison Break.

I remember at one point Wentworth’s bodyguard found a snake near him and started yelling. We all freaked out and ran away like bats out of hell. The wrangler caught the snake, like it was no big deal, and we survived, but it was all pretty hilarious.

2)  If you want to spoil me rotten…

Do my laundry. Seriously, I just ran out of clean underwear today. Is that TMI? It’s probably TMI.

3) Snapchat, Instagram or twitter? And why?

I would have to say Twitter. I’m more verbal than visual, and I can get kind of sick of taking selfies and choosing filters. Plus, puns are everything to me.

4) Known by your friends as the __________ one?

I want to say “the badass one,” but “the worried one” is probably more accurate.

5) Prison Break Season 5 is set to debut in April, what was shooting the continuation of the original series like?

Working on the show was exhilarating. To be a part of something as beloved as Prison Break was a bit daunting, but also really exciting. And to be working with Wentworth Miller, who’s a real trailblazer for queer actors and a brave advocate for mental wellness, was downright inspirational.

Also, traveling around the globe with a ragtag group of insanely talented Middle Eastern actors was so empowering. It was such a charming and loving cast. We ate a lot together and laughed our faces off when we weren’t out on location working hard to make the show as good as it can be.

6) What’s it like playing the lead villain Cyclops on Prison Break?

Creating the character of Cyclops was a challenge, but in the best way possible. I am, as a person, basically a Golden Girl stuck in a lanky ethnic man’s body. So, as an actor, having the task of becoming this menacing, yearning, explosive sort of character was a delicious challenge.

To prepare, I did a lot of research on what’s going on in Yemen (where the character is from), I learned a dialect, and I even went back to the mythological Greek character of Cyclops for inspiration. I also did a good deal of physical work, as well: arms and boxing training, learning to drive stick-shift, and working with some pretty intense prosthetic makeup every day.

Finding my connection to the character was the toughest and the most important part of my prep though. When playing a villain, it can be easy to be reductive or dismissive in your acting choices. I really wanted people watching to, obviously not approve of his behavior, but to understand it. That was my main goal, to humanize someone who is usually seen as inhuman.

7) On The Librarians you played the role of Apep the Egyptian God, which is also your very much part of your Egyptian heritage.  What was that like?

‘The Librarians’ was hands down one of my most fun acting experiences. It’s a highly imaginative and sometimes wacky show, so having the freedom to be big and silly was a blast.

As an Egyptian American person, I’ve always wanted to play an Ancient Egyptian character – especially given that, for some reason, those roles are often (very inappropriately) played by white people.

A couple years ago, a picture of a very old headshot of mine side by side with a bust of the pharaoh Akhenaten randomly went viral in Brazil and Egypt. It was very strange. People started contacting me because they thought I was the reincarnation of the pharaoh. It was especially ironic because around that time I’d been told a few times that I wasn’t “sexy enough” to play pharaohs. I’m clearly having the last laugh on this one.

8) What is your dream role?

I actually have a project about Akhenaten on the back burner. He was fascinating: the first person in recorded history to believe in one deity, reportedly bisexual, and the father of King Tut.

Right now, though, I’m more interested in characters that center Arab Americans as relatable human beings. I have yet to see a character on TV that really is anything like me as a person or like my family. I’m tired of seeing us portrayed in the context of terrorism or violence.

I also secretly harbor a desire to play Mama Rose in the musical ‘Gypsy’.

9) Tell us about your philanthropic work.

Right now, I’m most involved in Black Lives Matter as an ally and volunteer, and am working on a support group for LGBTQ Muslims. I also picket a lot. There’s a lot to protest these days.

10) You have a lot going but what else can we look forward to?

I worked on a couple movies recently. Namour is the debut of a wonderful Egyptian-American filmmaker named Heidi Saman. It’s a rare film that shows the everyday life of Arab Americans in a very authentic and visually cool way. That will be in theatres and on Netflix in mid-March. I also play a very different role in a thriller called Message from the King starring Chadwick Boseman and Alfred Molina. I’m not sure when that will be released, but I imagine soon. It’s a real treat to be able to play so many vastly different sorts of characters. I’m a lucky duck.

Photography by David-Gabe Photography

[stripedigital]

Fresh Ideas For Instagram You Can Use to Market Your Business

Why Having Fresh Ideas for Instagram Matters

Instagram is one of the top social media platforms today. As of 2019, there were 1 billion monthly active users and over 500 million daily active users – and it’s only growing further every day!

That’s at least 500 million daily active users who could be interacting with your business!

This rapidly growing platform was originally founded in 2010, and it has experienced a lot of changes since then.

In addition to some of the “behind the scene” changes (such as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg buying Instagram in 2012), the app itself has undergone plenty of changes that users have experienced firsthand.

A few of these changes include the layout of the app, the capabilities offered within posts (such as image sizes, filters, videos etc.), Instagram Stories, IGTV and more.

So, how does a small business keep up with all of the changes?

Or maybe a better question is how does a small business stand out with all of these changes?

Before we dive into the answer here, let’s talk a little more about why we’re asking the question.

With over 1 billion monthly active users, you’re bound to see trends among posts. By that, we mean you’re bound to see commonalities in the type of filters people use, the hashtags they use, what they’re posting about etc. The downside to this is that trends can quickly turn into repeated patterns that bore instead of inspire.

For instance, when Instagram first launched, one of its big selling features was the fact that it came with photo filters built-in. You could take a photo, edit it and publish it all within the same app. Nowadays, who actually uses Instagram filters?

Using an Instagram filter on a photo immediately dates it (think of when you go to a website that was clearly html-coded in the 90’s and hasn’t been touched since. Same impression). What used to be an insanely popular trend, grew old quickly.

Using the same example, what that trend has evolved into is using other editing apps such as Lightroom, VSCO, Afterlight and others to edit photos to what today’s Instagram trend standards are.

But here’s the tricky part: how do you balance staying on trend with creating original content? Where’s the line of embracing all of the new capabilities and trends on Instagram and just reproducing all of the same content others are sharing with your logo slapped on it?

This is where fresh ideas for Instagram becomes a key part of your Instagram strategy. They have to be on trend enough to gain traction for your brand while still being fresh and original enough to be interesting (and not something your audience has already seen a hundred times).

Before we move further, we have to say that we know this can be tricky. That’s why we offer Instagram marketing services to take all of this off your plate.

But we have also put together the top list of fresh ideas for Instagram of 2019 to help get you started.

The More Authentic, The Better

The very first point we have is to make your Instagram has authentic as possible.

The whole point of Instagram (and social media in general) is to give a very intimate, transparent look into people’s lives (or in this case, businesses).

Specifically within the blogger & influencer community, there has been a growing conversation around authenticity and how Instagram solely portrays the good parts about people’s lives. There’s even a trending caption and hashtag called “Instagram vs. Reality”- confirming there’s a difference between the two.

The reason we bring this up is because it’s clear that people want reality. In a digital world saturated by ads, people just want to see pure, transparent posts on Instagram.

Keep this mind as you think of ideas for Instagram and create content for your business. Consumers who feel like they really know a brand well are the same consumers that feel like they can trust that brand (and purchase from it!).

Think of how important eco-friendly, gluten-free and cruelty-free stamps have become on products in the last few years for example. People want transparency! They want to know exactly how their products are made, what is in them, and how it affects them.

Whether you market a product or a service, think of how you can make your interaction with consumers as honest as possible.

The famous band Mumford & Sons just recently used their Instagram to warn fans of fake ticket sellers (see below).

This is just one example of many of how you can give your consumers a direct line of communication, transparency and trust with your Instagram.

Now, let’s get into what some of those other examples could look like.

Photo Ideas For Instagram For Businesses

1. The Story Behind Your Business

Following in the footsteps of transparency, share the story of how your company got started. The small business movement is no small movement. People love hearing about the passions of one entrepreneur that fueled the start of the company they know today.

That’s why behind-the-scenes posts are great for showing the “real” you. It humanizes your brand. And when people see your brand as a transparent business, it gives them more reason to trust you. Add that to the fact that behind-the-scenes post will break the stream of product images in your feed.

The #smallbusiness hashtag has over 15 million uses on Instagram to prove it!

Celebrating your small business will put you on the map (as it’s one of the trending topics on Instagram), but putting your special spin and story on it to showcase what makes it your business is what will make it fresh and different!

2. Behind The Scenes

Behind the scenes (or #bts) shots are a great way to show off your product or service from a different angle.

People have seen the perfect, professional product shots tenfold. Give them something different! Show them how you make the product or how you do what you do best.

Typically when people first hear “behind the scenes” they think of a movie production or broadway show, but you can shoot behind the scenes photo is pretty much any industry.

Own a restaurant or bakery? Snap some photos or videos of you making the food from scratch. Work in an office setting? Put together a video collage of you hard at work over your desk of papers or discussing interesting points with your coworkers in a meeting.

Whatever you feel is valuable about your work, show the customer how you do it.

3. Products Or Services In Action

This photo idea is similar to the last, but we’ve included it in our list of fresh ideas for Instagram because of how effective it can be!

If you sell a tangible product, shooting videos or photos that show the product in action can be the tipping point that turns your target customer into a sale.

Let’s take a look at a screenshot from a video from Freedom Flask. The Freedom Flask is a covert flask for your booze that you can hide underneath your clothing to sneak into venues.

It reached over 3 million people and had over 1.7 million views!

Yes, we understand that part of the reason the video went viral is because of how obnoxious and funny the video is, demonstrating how to hide a flask in your pants- but it is also went viral because it shows just how effective this product can be.

When you position your post as more of a “how-to” as opposed to a salesy “buy-this,” you’d be amazed at how much more engagement (and eventually revenue) you see from it as a result.

Let’s look at another example- Tasty from Buzzfeed. These short little videos show you everything you need to know to cook an entire meal in under 1 minute.

Above is a screenshot from one of their videos. The Buzzfeed Tasty account on Instagram has over 23.5 million followers, and for good reason! They’ve capitalized on the idea that people like posts that teach them how to do things over posts that sell sell sell.

Now if you sell a service, you may be wondering how you can produce a “product in action” shot. The answer is the same way.

Whether you paint houses, perform legal work or anything in between, there’s always a way to capture the magic of you doing what you love, and that’s what people care about seeing.

4. Signage

If your business is an actual brick and mortar where customers come to visit you, you have an opportunity to take photos of creative signs in your workplace.

Now on paper, this idea may sound rather boring, but let us change your mind with a few examples.

Do you find these signs & photos aesthetically pleasing? Guess what, so will your customers!

Don’t forget that first and foremost, Instagram is a visual place. The whole app is based around photos, so give your customers something visually pleasing to engage with.

Plus, if your store has the perfect place for consumers to get a shot “for the ‘gram,” it will encourage customer to tag your company in their photos which is a win-win!

This same concept can also apply to your venue in general, even if you don’t have pretty signage. An aesthetically pleasing store or venue overall will still do the trick to encourage customer photos, and in turn brand awareness and revenue.

5. Employee Photos

Employee photos are one of the more underrated top ideas for Instagram!

Unlike what you’re probably envisioning, these photos don’t have to be stuffy headshots either. They can be fun, silly, interactive shots.

Whatever is going to capture the essence of your brand while simultaneously instilling trust between the consumer and your employees, that’s what you want to aim for.

Your customers like putting a face to name, and they like knowing who is making their product or delivering their service. The ultimate goal with employee photos is make the business transaction more personable, and friendly (and they’re great for engagement rates too!).

6. Your Customers

We started to touch on this earlier, but one of the bigger ideas for Instagram photos is to include your customers in your content calendar.

This could include reposting their images where they tagged your business onto your page, or it could mean taking your own photos of happy customers during their experience with your business.

Your existing customers are more than likely going to be excited to see their smiling face on your page, and new customers are going to relate very quickly customer-to-customer and gain faith in your business.

Showing the customers and customer experience first-hand is a great way to build trust with your potential customers (which eventually turns into sales!).

7. Flatlays

The last item we have on our list of photo ideas for Instagram is a big one: flatlays. A flatlay is an aerial view photo of items placed in an aesthetically pleasing order. Here are a few examples.

These are GREAT for businesses with ecommerce. For instance, let’s look at that last photo. 

HelloProducts seamlessly blended in their product with the rest of the photo; the customer can immediately see this product being apart of their everyday routine. Lifestyle photos are going to outperform stale product images almost every time, and flatlay are an effective, creative way to do it!

Instagram Stories & IGTV

All of the same photo ideas for Instagram we just listed can be used for your feed of posts, but it can also be used for your Instagram Stories.

Instagram Stories are similar to Snapchat in that they are a photo or video that last 24 hours on your Instagram profile unless you add them to your Highlights.

Highlights are a permanent section underneath your profile photo and bio that highlight different topics from your Instagram Stories. You choose which Stories remain highlighted and which do not. See below for an example.

Instagram TV (or IGTV) is similar in that it also remains underneath your profile photo and bio and plays videos in the vertical upright format.

Unlike Instagram Stories, which last about 15 seconds each, or Instagram post videos (which can last up to 1 minute), IGTV videos can last up to an hour.

Both Instagram Stories and IGTV often are viewed more than the actual content on your page, so utilize them! Take all of the same fresh ideas for Instagram and apply them to your stories and IGTV for extra reach within your target audience.

The last thing we’ll say about Instagram Stories is that it has a specific feature where you can repost other people’s Stories onto yours.

One of our clients was recently featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live, so when Jimmy Kimmel posted on his Instagram Story about our client, we reposted his Story onto our client’s (see below).

We understand that not every small business is going to have a famous night time TV host post about their business, but you can still repost customer Stories. It has the same effect of reposting customer posts to your feed that we talked about earlier.

Check Your Hashtag Game

This is the last tip we have for you small businesses in your search for fresh ideas for Instagram: check your hashtags regularly.

For those who haven’t used them yet (you need to start!!), hashtags are words that are made clickable but adding the # hashtag sign at the beginning of the word.

Spaces and punctuation are not included in hashtags, so don’t make the cringe-worthy mistake of trying to hashtag something like “#Marco’sPizza” because only #Marco will be hashtagged in that example. In that instance you would need to word it like #MarcosPizza to use that hashtag.

The reason hashtags are important is because they make your post searchable by that hashtag. So for instance, if someone is searching #dinnerrecipes and you have that hashtag in your post, they can find your post that way.

You are limited to 30 hashtags per post, so make them count! Make them relevant. While #love may be one of the largest hashtags ever used, it may not necessarily be applicable to your business or garner the right traffic.

Having said that, you also want to use hashtags that are trending. You could use the hashtag #thebestpizzainHollySpringsGeorgia which could be relevant, but it’s not useful if nobody is searching that hashtag.

If you’ve had your 30 hashtags pretty much figured out for a while and are looking for something new, keep your eye open for newly trending hashtags. What once was the ever popular #SundayFunday hashtag (used in photos of Sunday brunch, sunday-best outfits, mimosas etc.) has slowly started being replaced by the #SundayScaries (used in photos to express the pre-work week anxiety people get).

Overall, you want to use trending hashtags to capitalize on the extra reach and traffic you can get from them while still using hashtags that are fresh, new and creative enough to attract engagement!

Conclusion

Those are our top, fresh ideas for Instagram of 2019! We understand that it can be a lot to take on and navigate daily, so feel free to contact us about handling your Instagram account.

The post Fresh Ideas For Instagram You Can Use to Market Your Business appeared first on Digital Marketing Blog.

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[sciencespies]

Unnerving Chinese deepfake app lets you replace celebrity faces with your own

https://sciencespies.com/tech/unnerving-chinese-deepfake-app-lets-you-replace-celebrity-faces-with-your-own/

Unnerving Chinese deepfake app lets you replace celebrity faces with your own

China’s iPhone users have found a new craze – a new app called Zao which lets people convincingly and hilariously transpose their faces onto actors like Leonardo DiCaprio, Kit Harrington from Game of Thrones, and many others.

Zao topped the Chinese iOS download chart over the weekend after first launching on the App Store on Friday. As of Monday, Zao remains top of China’s App Store, according to App Annie.

It isn’t currently available to anyone without a Chinese phone number, and isn’t listed on the UK or US App Store or Play Store.

Created by Chinese developer MoMo, the app allows users to deepfake their faces onto a huge range of actors, singers, and even video game characters. Users can upload even just a single image of their face and the app will automatically map it onto selected video clips for them. The results are surprisingly convincing and unexpected.

So-called “deepfake” technology has caught the public’s imagination, using AI software to analyse someone’s face and then map it onto video of someone else. Recently it has become more sophisticated and, as the Zao app shows, more accessible.

Check out some Zao-generated deepfakes below:

This tweet from game developer Allan Xia shows his face grafted onto various shots of Leonardo DiCaprio.

In case you haven’t heard, #ZAO is a Chinese app which completely blew up since Friday. Best application of ‘Deepfake’-style AI facial replacement I’ve ever seen.

Here’s an example of me as DiCaprio (generated in under 8 secs from that one photo in the thumbnail) 🤯 pic.twitter.com/1RpnJJ3wgT

— Allan Xia (@AllanXia) September 1, 2019

Xia also had a dialogue with himself as both Jon Snow and Samwell Tarly from Game of Thrones.

Here’s for Asian representation in Hollywood 😂 #ZAO #AI #Deepfake pic.twitter.com/qrSs3VajfL

— Allan Xia (@AllanXia) September 1, 2019

The app has GIF-generating functionality, as illustrated by this gif of Xia as Wolverine.

The #ZAO app even has a built in meme gif generator…Apple is way behind the curve with Memoji’s 😅 pic.twitter.com/dg5T3u7pt8

— Allan Xia (@AllanXia) September 1, 2019

It also appears to work with video game characters, here’s Xia inserting his face into Devil May Cry.

Oh yeah, #Zao also works rather well with CG characters. I guess folks might not have to spend hours during character creation? I can see streamers loving this application of AI facial replacement. #DMC5 pic.twitter.com/AdpB4DIA00

— Allan Xia (@AllanXia) September 2, 2019

Finally Xia replaced a K-Pop singer’s face with his own.

Taking this experiment to it’s inevitable conclusion. #KPop stans eat your heart out 😂 @weareoneEXO#Zao #AI #Deepfakes #Exo #baekhyun pic.twitter.com/YjNEbRP1G6

— Allan Xia (@AllanXia) September 2, 2019

Twitter-user Nikk Mitchell also deepfaked his way onto DiCaprio’s filmography.

Me risking my face rights to test out #ZAO so ya’ll don’t have to. The image I used is one single normal selfie that you can see in the bottom left of the image.#thefuturescaresme pic.twitter.com/RjtK8ZWPq9

— Nikk Mitchell 🛸 (@nikkmitchell) September 2, 2019

Mitchell expressed his amazement at the app, mapping himself onto two Chinese actors.

I am in absolute awe of #ZAO. I uploaded a couple selfies, choose a clip, and seriously in less then 30 seconds had myself fully deep faked in. I can’t wait till I can watch entire films where every character is me.

On a side note to the developers, please don’t be evil. pic.twitter.com/Y7qCpghfw9

— Nikk Mitchell 🛸 (@nikkmitchell) September 2, 2019

Chinese technology commentator Matthew Brennan inserted himself into Big Bang Theory.

Chinese viral deepfakes app #ZAO Clip of myself as Sheldon generated in a few seconds from a single picture. pic.twitter.com/JI7MqWUDu6

— Matthew Brennan (@mbrennanchina) September 1, 2019

And Twitter user Andrew Rae transposed himself into Braveheart.

New Chinese app Zao does AI facial replacement in 10 seconds. That’s me in the bottom-left corner. pic.twitter.com/z4EcAVm1g3

— Andrew Rae (@andrewfrae) September 2, 2019

Zao isn’t currently available to non-Chinese users, but it’s raising some concerns around privacy and the ethics of deepfakes

Behind Zao is Momo, a large social-media company which owns Chinese dating app Tantan.

Bloomberg and The Guardian reported that after going viral, privacy concerns started to crop up from users who had seen a line in the app’s terms and conditions which stipulated the app had “free, irrevocable, permanent, transferable, and relicense-able” to user-generated content.

The backlash promoted WeChat, China’s popular chat service, to block Zao on its platform.

Bloomberg reports that Zao quickly updated its terms, saying “headshots” and “mini-videos” won’t be used for anything other to improve the app, or anything else pre-approved by the user.

The sudden backlash is reminiscent of the mistrust that surrounded FaceApp, a Russian app which used AI to apply various filters to users’ faces to make them appear old or switch gender.

Zao also said in a statement, according to Bloomberg: “We understand the concern about privacy. We’ve received the feedback, and will fix the issues that we didn’t take into consideration, which will need a bit of time.”

Should Zao decide to make its app available more widely, it’s likely Western users will still feel concern. China has used facial recognition technology to massively expand its surveillance network, and users will likely baulk at handing over personal data to an overseas developer.

Chinese selfie app Meitu likewise went viral in the West in 2017 for its beautification of photos, but was criticised for demanding access to excessive data like phone numbers and GPS co-ordinates.

This article was originally published by Business Insider.

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[susanblogsweb-blog]

10 Twitter Tricks to Make You Become an Expert in Tweeting

buy real twitter followers

To truly unleash the power of social networking, you have to dedicate yourself to learning the tips of this trade. This normally needs a generous learning curve and acceptable quantity of trial and error. But if you're trying to find a fast-track to societal networking success, Twitter could be the ideal place to get started. It is among the most heavily trafficked sites on the Web, and it's called the location where Internet news breaks first. When there are dozens and dozens of special attributes, abilities, and hints, the subsequent 10 suggestions are all you have to turn into a Twitter pro.

1. Establish your Objectives

Just like any new advertising instrument you pursue, you have to establish your objectives and tone. The ideal place to begin is with your objective. Are you currently using Twitter? For many, it could be to develop brand exposure or socialize with clients. For others, it is only private. The very best method to set up goals is to pay attention to your passions and pursuits. It does all flow naturally from that point.

2. Use a fantastic profile picture

Much like a great meta description or headline is beneficial to get a blog post, a fantastic picture is essential for the profile. While Twitter will hand out its own iconic egg image as your default picture, make sure to alter it straight away. Typically, anybody with an egg profile picture is deemed unprofessional from the Twittersphere. Your picture ought to be simple yet engaging. Ideally, a well-taken headshot or business logo is going to do just fine.

3. Goal industry keywords

So that your tweets appear in relevant searches. Because of tools such as the Google Keyword Planner, it's simple to learn what your followers want to know more about.

4. Grow a #hashtag

There was a time when entrepreneurs wondered if hashtags were a stage, but they've awakened themselves in mainstream culture sufficient to be regarded as a fixture. If you would like to garner a sizable following, it is important to come up with a distinctive and easily recognizable hashtag with the capability to eventually become synonymous with your name, manufacturer, or Twitter handle.

5. Produce a follow listing

For many, Twitter is less about gaining more and followers about getting access to a compact, real-time newsfeed. If you would like to narrow your attention and also have your feed just display specific content, then you may produce a follow listing. You may then manually control which balances are exhibited.

6. Follow peers and competitions

Twitter is a special approach to obtain insights about your business peers and rivalry. By following their account, you are able to see exactly what they are doing, what difficulties they are focused on, and the way they socialize and participate with clients.

7. Tweet in the ideal moment

According to research studies, the ideal time to Tweet is between 9 3 and Destiny p.m., Monday through Thursday. Statistics demonstrates that participation peaks and articles has a greater likelihood of moving viral between those times.

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Twitter is less about barking at people and much more about participating with them. If you would like to utilize Twitter at the ideal way, begin developing unique procedures for participating with followers.

9. Learn How to curate

Learning how to curate articles is an important ability on Twitter. By having the ability to set a fresh spin on older info, you are able to push out new content without spending hours thinking about it.

10. Use advanced search

Looking for something really special? Use Twitter's innovative search feature to locate it. You can filter your search by words, phrases, hashtags, dates, times, place, and much more.

Do you want more brand recognition from the tweets you share on Twitter?  Just click on buy real twitter followers cheap and buy real twitter followers.