TikTok stories are TikTok videos that are deleted after 24 hours. If there’s a blue circle around a user’s profile picture, then that story is live. To check out a user’s story, click on their profile picture.

How to post a TikTok story

1. Make sure the most recent version of TikTok is on your device
2. Access your profile page
3. Tap the ‘+‘ button in the center. You can record content or upload videos and photos from your camera roll
4. Personalize your story with sounds and stickers
5. Publish the story to TikTok

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A profile pic is a photo that appears in your online accounts, regardless of whether it’s a social media or professional site. Each social media site has its own unique way of displaying profile photographs as an avatar next to an account name.

Profile pictures are our own conscience representations in the eyes of the world. Psychologists find these photos fascinating because they illustrate how we view ourselves and how we desire to be seen by others.

What does a profile pic say about your personality?

While it’s common for us to select your profile photos at random, it’s not truly random. Instead of images, you share your personality on the internet. A look into your personality and emotional swings may be gained from what you share on social media. How someone is feeling, what they like, and how they act in their life may all be deduced from their profile picture.

If you want to know if someone is extroverted or introverted, conscientious or chaotic, open-minded or closed-minded, pleasant or disagreeable, neurotic or emotionally stable, you may look into their personality qualities as portrayed by their profile pic.

How can you use a profile picture to boost your social media profile?

First impressions are important when it comes to the internet. So, in the blink of an eye, you must make a strong impression to grab attention. The best way to do that is for your image to:

Have a clean background: If the background is too cluttered or intricate, you won’t be able to stand out.

Present your best self: Don’t use a profile picture with your friends, and don’t use a cropped image. Rather, use that photo of you from your previous vacation where you looked amazing.

Wear colorful clothes: Add a dash of color to your outfit so that you may communicate subconsciously with others, utilizing the color you showcase in your profile photo. Studies in psychology have shown that the color of your clothes can affect how people see you. Wearing red or hot pink will make you appear powerful or adoring, respectively. Wear emerald green jewelry to signify riches or progress.

Smile: Smiling is like getting a free facelift; it instantly builds a rapport. When you use it, you appear younger and more personable.

5 tips for creating perfect profile pictures for your social media

When it comes to social media, profile photographs play a significant impact. Accounts that do not have a profile picture are dubious. However, using photographs of poor quality is not a solution.

Take a look at the following technical tips for taking great profile pics:

1. Have a Mini Test Photo Shoot First: Move back and forth for the first few minutes of your photo shoot. Make sure you’re standing in the right spot, the composition looks good, and the picture is clear as a bell. Your eyes should be sharply focused on your picture.

2. Find a Well-Lit Area: Ideally, you want to find someplace with nice lighting, whether it’s in a park or a house. It will brighten your face, enhance your eye color, and illuminate your surroundings.

3. Avoid Hard Light: Your images will look squinty if you use harsh lighting. If you want to shoot self-portraits that are warm and well-lit, the sun setting is the time to do so.

4. Take Vertical Photos: Your clothes, stance, and position will all be better showcased in vertical shots. A vertical photo is preferable than a horizontal one for that.

5. Use Autofocus: Set your camera on autofocus so you don’t have to predict where you’re going to be. Self-portraits taken in areas with a lot of foregrounds should be handled with care. Your images may appear fuzzy if anything is blocking your camera’s lens.

The importance of a profile picture

Having a good profile pic is essential to your social life and networking online. It has an effect on your work prospects as well as your overall career.  Ready to step up your profile pic strategy? Check out our up-to-date guide on social media image sizes when creating your next profile pic.

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People, influencers and brands all use Reels as an engaging and entertaining way to reach their friends and followers. Reels provides a near-endless supply of short video clips produced by everyday people and professionals alike.

What are Instagram Reels?

Instagram Reels are an alternative to TikTok and other micro-video sharing services. Reels started as fifteen-second videos but have since expanded its features to include a ninety-second video length. The app gives users high-end video editing tools and the ability to share their video with the world without needing a high-end computer.

A Reel can be created in the Instagram app or video can be imported from another source. The app has editing tools like Speed for making videos slower or faster, and Align to help create seamless transitions between shots. And with the built-in timer, video producers can be sure to capture what’s important.

Instagram provides a library of music licensed for use by Reels that people can choose and add to their video. Modern popular songs often find success first on video-sharing sites. Choosing the exact right fifteen seconds of music can be hard, but Reels makes it very easy to use a popular clip of music that the latest dance challenge videos feature.

How to use Instagram Reels

Instagram Reels is an excellent service for brands as well as everyday people. Brands can use Reels to market directly to their fans and customers. People like to watch entertaining videos, especially from brands they like. Nike gets an estimated 4.5 million views on an average short video shared with their fans.

With over 2 billion monthly users worldwide, Instagram is a very important market most social media manager’s can not afford to miss. Reels continue to grow in popularity every year and social media marketing needs to keep up.

Make your brands’ presence on the internet genuine by entertaining and helping those most interested in your message. A quick How-To guide about your service or showing your product in real-world scenarios are great examples of helping your viewers.

Short videos that are easy to create and share with many people are a great tool for spreading your message. Instagram Reels is a popular marketplace for engaging with friends, fans and customers. A well-made Reel creates value for the brand and the viewer.

Boost your Instagram engagement with Reels

A Reel is more than just a short video shared on a social media website. A Reel is a way for people to connect with other people and organizations in their life, to be entertained and informed. Reels are a modern form of mass communication, anyone can be popular for 15 seconds on Instagram.

Creating marketing content for the internet can be very time-consuming. Sprout Social offers many tools to help you with your social media projects. Check out our tips for Instagram Reels or try out a free 30 day trial.

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What are Snapchat Memories?

Snapchat Memories is your personal collection of saved snaps. Snapchat Memories were announced in 2016 in response to users wanting the ability to save the Snaps they take through the app to Snapchat’s servers.

With Memories, you can create an archive of all of your Snaps to look back on or share again on Snapchat or another platform. The Memories feature was inspired by the popularity of scrolling through old photos with friends and family. Some of the best Throwback Thursday content might be found in your Snapchat Memories.

Snapchat users previously had the ability to save Snaps to their phone’s camera roll, but Memories allows users to save and recall Snaps within the app itself. Memories are now where Snaps are saved unless you update your settings to save Snaps to your camera roll as well.

How to see Memories on Snapchat

Just swipe up from the camera screen in Snapchat to open memories. There’s nothing else to it. Within the Memories section of the app, you can swipe right to see saved stories, your camera roll, screenshots and your “my eyes only” section.

How to save all Snapchat Memories

You can save each Snapchat Memory to your camera roll individually, but that could take ages. The easiest way to save all your Snapchat Memories to your camera roll is to: 

1. Tap the gear icon in the top right corner of the Snapchat app
2. Scroll down and tap Memories
3. In Save Destinations select Memories & Camera Roll

Now your Snapchat Memories will automatically be saved to Snapchat’s servers and your camera roll.

Unfortunately, if you haven’t done this yet, your existing memories must each be saved individually by: 

1. Opening the memory you want to save
2. Tapping on the More Icon (3 dots) in the top right corner
3. Selecting Export Snap
4. Tapping Download

How to recover deleted Snapchat Memories

Did you accidentally delete a Snapchat Memory that isn’t also saved to your camera roll? You’re in luck because there’s a chance the Memory is in your Snapchat data archive. To recover deleted Snapchat Memories you need to:

1. Go to Settings
2. Scroll down and tap My Data and Log-in with your account information
3. Once you’re in, select Memories and submit your request
4. You should get a notification that your request was received 
5. You’ll get an email from Snapchat with a link to download your Snapchat Memories data

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What is BeReal?

The social media application available for download on Android and IOS devices was founded in December 2019 by Alexis Barreyat. The app encourages users to share who they are in the moment. The app is the latest trending social media application that is quickly growing in interest and downloads.

How does the BeReal app work?

Users receive a notification at a random time once a day saying ‘Time to BeReal’. This opens up a two-minute window for the user to post a picture of what they are currently doing. The purpose of this is to capture an authentic, unfiltered snapshot of a user’s life.

If users post outside of the two-minute window, they will be considered late and will not be able to see others’ photo until after they’ve posted. After posting, users will also gain access to the app’s Discover section.

Users can retake their photos, however, the app will show the number of times a user retakes an image. The app also reveals the number of times the user tried to capture their BeReal moment.

While there is not a ‘like’ option available on the app, users can react to other posts by using their RealMoji, or an emoji featuring their selfie mimicking an emoji reaction. The app has no filters or edit buttons and does not allow videos to be posted. Follower count is also not displayed on the app and neither are ads.

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Snaps, or messages, exchanged via Chat are meant to automatically delete after they are viewed unless users choose to save a Snap. Users can also select how long messages can stay visible after they are sent or if they want to save the messages.

What is Snapchat used for?

Snapchat is used for exchanging messages, pictures and videos with other Snapchat users. Users can also share Snaps with their followers by posting content on their Snapchat profile. Snapchat is known for its camera features and filters. Businesses and brands often incorporate the app into their marketing strategy to take advantage of branded app filters and Snap ads. The app’s other widely used features include:

• Stories
• Facial recognition filters
• Geofilters
• Voice and video calls
• Chat
• Snap Map
• Polls
• Bitmoji

Snapchat lingo

Users on the app often use unique terms to refer to specific app features. Below we answer what some of the most common Snapchat lingo means.

What are streaks on Snapchat?

A Snapchat streak means that two Snapchat friends exchange snaps, or messages, with each other within a 24-hour period for at least three consecutive days. According to Snapchat, the snapstreak number appears next to a fire emoji.

What is quick add on Snapchat?

Snapchat’s quick add feature is where users can add mutual friends or contacts from their phone list. It’s a quick way for users to add their friends without having to search for them.

What is Spotlight on Snapchat?

Spotlight on Snapchat is a dedicated section for discovering popular short-form video content of up to 60-seconds made by users on the app. Users can also filter through trending Snaps, no matter who created them, based on sounds or topics.

What is cache on Snapchat?

Snapchat cache is the saved data on the app which helps Snapchat function faster. Users often clear their cache to free up storage space or troubleshoot issues. According to Snapchat, clearing your cache won’t delete any of your memories, snaps, or chats.

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Instagram Highlight covers are located at the bottom of your Instagram profile, so they will be part of a user’s first impression of your brand.

Strategic use of Instagram Highlight covers is essential for using Instagram Highlights effectively.  

When designing your Instagram Highlight covers, it’s best practice to use colors and filters that not only look great but also give a consistent look and feel to your Instagram page. Try and use color combinations and visuals that fit your brand’s social media style. 

You can edit your Stories Highlight cover by repositioning the image from one of your Stories or uploading a new photo.

Tips for creating Highlight covers for Instagram

1. Brand your highlight covers. Use your brand colors along with icons or words that represent the Highlight well. Think about the colors, fonts, and voice you’re using. Make sure that your Highlight cover designs make sense for your business. 
2. Use high-quality photos. This might seem like a no-brainer, but use high-resolution images for your Highlight covers. Remember that looks are important on Instagram. Your Highlight covers are one of the first things a user sees on your profile so you want to make a good first impression.
3. Be clear, precise and organized. Make your Highlight covers simple and easy to read. Your Highlight cover is not meant to tell the whole story, but rather to entice your audience to find out more. Curate your Highlights covers with a purpose.

How to make Instagram Highlight covers

1. Pull them from your story. In your story, go to Highlight in the bottom right corner and choose the Highlight you want to add. You can also tap new to create a new highlight, then tap add.
2. Create them through your profile. On your profile, tap the +New button to the left of your current Highlights. Then select the Story you want to add to your new highlight.
3. Design a custom Instagram Highlight cover. Use a design tool like Canva to create custom Instagram Highlight covers.

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Competitive analysis and information gathered through competitive intelligence can also identify relevant market insights and important industry trends. The process can also inform business objectives and market strategies related to pricing, performance and more.

What is competitive intelligence research?

The process of competitive intelligence requires researching information to help recognize market factors that make a business or brand stand out.

Research may involve gathering information from:

• Press and media
• Customer review websites
• Social media profiles
• Competitor websites

What are the goals of competitive intelligence?

The goal of competitive intelligence is to help businesses make informed decisions that can grow their performance. Other goals also include:

• Revealing strengths and weaknesses of competitors’ products or services
• Evaluating market positioning to establish business KPIs
• Mapping competitive advantage to highlight a company’s offerings

Uses of competitive intelligence

The uses of competitive intelligence can range from assisting your sales cycle to enhancing your offering. You can also frame competitive differentiators by putting your business in a positive light. Other uses include:

• Informing product roadmaps
• Crafting better sales pitches
• Enhancing brand messaging
• Identifying competitive benchmarks
• Preparing for new market entry
• Assessing market opportunities

Competitive Intelligence Tools and Resources

• 13 Competitor Analysis Tools to Spy on Your Competition
• How to Perform a Social Media Competitive Analysis
• Strengthen Your Competitive Analysis Strategy with Social Listening
• Creating a Culture of Competitive Intelligence
• How to Build a Competitive Intelligence System that Works

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If so, you may have been shadow banned. 

Social media platforms have publicly denied the practice of shadow banning. But platforms have acknowledged that their algorithms impact what content is prioritized.

So while platforms may not officially shadow ban accounts, their algorithms could still be reducing public exposure to your content without informing you.

What does shadow banned mean?

Shadow banned means that your social content has been blocked or restricted in some capacity without you receiving any notice.

The concept of shadow banning gained popularity around 2018 when politically conservative account owners alleged they were being shadow banned. 

How to know if you’re shadow banned

• Engagement on your content has dropped. If you’ve noticed that your content is suddenly receiving fewer likes and comments, there’s a good chance fewer people are seeing it.
• Your posts aren’t showing up on public feeds. If your posts aren’t showing up on the explore pages or hashtag searches, you’re missing out on potential engagement and new followers.  

How to prevent being shadow banned

• Follow the terms of service. It’s easy to skip the terms of service, but if you think you’ve been shadowbanned, take a look at the terms to see if your account is in violation. 
• Don’t spam content. Social media algorithms don’t like seeing the same thing over and over again. Experiment with different types of content and themes.
• Audit your hashtags. Make sure you are using hashtags that are relevant to your content and aren’t using any banned hashtags. 

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TBT meaning

TBT stands for Throwback Thursday. TBT has become one of the most popular hashtags across social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

TBT history

It’s difficult to determine the exact origin of Throwback Thursday. According to Google search trend history, interest in Throwback Thursday took off in 2012. Depending on where you look, you’ll get a different explanation of how Throwback Thursday got started. What we do know for sure is that brands and individual content creators leverage TBT to increase engagement, grow their audience and boost brand awareness.

Throwback Thursday ideas 

Businesses have used TBT to leverage the emotional connection between a brand and its audience. Here are just a couple of ways brands have leveraged Throwback Thursday:

Xbox showed that #TBT can also be a charming way to show how far you’ve come. TBTs can be a way for both individuals and brands to demonstrate growth or change.

How it started how it's going pic.twitter.com/wX0kPOprt2

— Xbox FR (@XboxFR) October 7, 2020

Best practices for creating TBT content

TBT content is an excellent way to highlight your brand’s personality and further enhance its image. To make sure that you’re getting the best results from TBT remember the following:

• Make sure your content is old. There is no set rule for how old your Throwback Thursday content should be, but make sure your post meets your brand’s criteria for throwback content. If your brand is 100 years old, content from three months ago probably won’t cut it.
• Don’t spam TBT content. You might be tempted to join in on Wayback Wednesday or Flashback Friday but keep your Throwback Thursday for well, Thursday. If you spam your nostalgic content, throwback posts will become less memorable and your audience will start to tune out.
• Look back but think forward. Create TBT content that will not only resonate with your current audience but can also get your brand and legacy in front of new audiences.
• Have fun. TBT content is a great opportunity to flex your creative muscle. Think of fun ways to connect with your audience and look back on your brand’s history.

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