Category Archives: Social Media

Marketing, News, PR and SEO, Social Media, Tech, Technology

Sportradar Expands Operator’s Marketing Reach by Launching Ad:s Paid Social on Snapchat

Sportradar (NASDAQ: SRAD) today announced the integration of its ad:s technology into Snapchat, the Snap Inc. owned visual messaging app, creating a new channel for betting operators to engage and acquire customers using the sports technology company’s paid social media advertising service.

Expanding the ad:s paid social media advertising solution to Snapchat allows Sportradar to connect sportsbook operators with customers amongst the app’s audience of 375 million active daily users and over 750 million monthly active users. Snapchat’s advanced age and location targeting capabilities guarantee that only legally qualified audiences are reached. Snapchat is an important addition to the ad:s portfolio due to its popularity in mature territories such as Western Europe, as well as in the United States, where sports betting is a growing market.

Developed specifically for the sports betting and igaming industries, Sportradar’s ad:s paid social solution uses artificial intelligence to provide operators with a deeper understanding of their customers and the means to serve personalised adverts to individuals across Snapchat’s ad offerings. Using data driven automation and programmatic technologies, ad:s instantly generates millions of advert creatives and highly targets their delivery to sports bettors of legal age on social media, enabling them to provide the right message to the right customer at the right time.

 

Florian Geheeb, Global Director Advertising Sales, at Sportradar said: “More than three billion people worldwide actively engage with social media each month, so operators are increasingly turning to paid social advertising to boost their acquisition campaigns as it’s a great tool for targeting defined customers.

“By integrating our industry specific advertising solution into Snapchat, one of the world’s most consumed and strategically important social media platforms, Sportradar is unlocking a new channel to optimise the marketing performance of sportsbook operators.”

 

Ross Hartnett, Manager, Real Money Gaming at Snap Inc. said: “We’re delighted to have Sportradar’s proprietary ad:s paid social service integrated on Snapchat. This partnership will provide the Real Money Gaming operators the opportunity to dynamically reach millions of sports fans of legal gambling age in legal locations with unique creative, real-time game stats, betting odds and more. By combining Sportradar’s industry expertise with Snapchat’s advertising products, we look forward to continuing to innovate unique user experiences for operators and Snapchatters.”

 

Features of Sportradar’s ad:s paid social media advertising service include campaign management, measurement tools that optimise performance in real time, and automated creative production featuring the latest sports fixtures and betting odds.

Sportradar adheres to the highest standards of socially responsible advertising across its ad:s service, with all campaigns complying with necessary regulations. The ad:s platform has the ability to highly target all adverts to reach only social media users of legal gambling age and Sportradar encourages all of its clients to remove identified ‘at-risk’ individuals from their paid social activity and digital advertising.

Snap Inc. have worked closely with industry stakeholders via forums such as the Betting & Gaming Council’s (BGC) Ad Tech work stream to ensure operators are able to market their service responsibly. BGC members uphold the Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising, whereby paid social advertising must be targeted to those 25+ unless the platform can demonstrate accuracy in targeting those 18+. In addition, Snap Inc. have launched a user-facing tool allowing users to opt out of receiving gambling advertisements on their platform.

 

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ABOUT SPORTRADAR:

Sportradar Group AG (NASDAQ: SRAD), founded in 2001, is a leading global sports technology company creating immersive experiences for sports fans and bettors. Positioned at the intersection of the sports, media and betting industries, the company provides sports federations, news media, consumer platforms and sports betting operators with a best-in-class range of solutions to help grow their business. As the trusted partner of organizations like the NBA, NHL, MLB, NASCAR, UEFA, FIFA, Bundesliga, ICC and ITF, Sportradar covers close to a million events annually across all major sports. With deep industry relationships and expertise, Sportradar is not just redefining the sports fan experience, it also safeguards sports through its Integrity Services division and advocacy for an integrity-driven environment for all involved.

For more information about Sportradar, please visit www.sportradar.com

Marketing, News, PR and SEO, Social Media, Tech

Tappx Celebrates 9th Birthday And Launches Techsoulogy

– A new horizontal brand architecture for five leading advertising, media, and entertainment brands –

Tappx, a leading global AdTech company, proudly announces the launch of Techsoulogy, a new corporate brand that unifies a broad portfolio of companies powering solutions for digital advertising, video content, mobile apps and video gaming across mobile, desktop, and CTV platforms.

The launch of Techsoulogy coincides with the 9th birthday of Tappx, which has grown rapidly since 2013 to reach 70 staff, and is forecast to surpass EUR 20 million of revenue this year. Tappx will now become part of the Techsoulogy brand while retaining its own name and unique position in the market. This is a major milestone in the company’s story, providing coherence of branding and messaging to a set of companies that have been launched or acquired by Tappx in recent years, with a total headcount approaching 100.

Alongside Tappx, Techsoulogy will be the corporate brand for four other companies focused on multiple complementary media and entertainment verticals including video generation and monetization, contextual advertising, and mobile game development. Each has been brought under the coherent messaging architecture and visual brand identity, with their own subtle twists. The Techsoulogy brand identity was defined with the help of Collaborabrands, and brought to life with words from Fernando Beltrán, visuals from Comuniza, and digital ecosystem development from Branng. Future brands entering the group will also be part of the consistent identity.

 

Daniel Reina, CEO at Techsoulogy and the founder of Tappx, commented:

“We believe this new brand architecture is an ideal model for our diverse companies, providing a common thread between them and creating a framework for us to keep growing and moving into new product categories. Tappx has been the engine behind this expansion, consistently growing in revenue and headcount even through challenging economic conditions, but it’s time for it to be part of something bigger.

“This includes not being afraid to talk about our vision for how technology and humanity will interact. How can we contribute human intelligence to artificial intelligence, and what qualifies us to have our say? As Tappx, we pioneered various initiatives to create a safer, more accessible, and more transparent digital environment at the expense of short-term profit: to help publishers adopt IAB standards; select only trustworthy, direct owned and operated traffic; and enable contextual advertising that improves user experience while protecting privacy. As Techsoulogy, we will do far more.”

 

Fernando Saiz Camarero, CMO at Techsoulogy, added:

“This has been an extensive project that began in mid-2021 when we asked our customers and partners what they value about us. We discovered that alongside our advanced technology, we’re best known for the quality of our people, ways of working, and culture. The team is our most powerful asset, and so we came up with the name Techsoulogy to encapsulate themes of technology, humanity and knowledge. As Techsoulogy, we will constantly explore, learn and improve to achieve more together than we ever could apart.” 

Tappx recorded 97% revenue growth between 2020 and 2021 and is set to grow markedly again this year, with forecasts indicating revenue of at least EUR 20 million in 2022.

Marketing, PR and SEO, News, Social Media

The industry that is using social media to boost engagement

A huge proportion of industries have taken to the online medium to help boost their businesses. As a result of this, all these industries have seen a huge increase in popularity over the past decade or so.

All these industries are not just creating websites however, they are using one of the most powerful marketing tools to boost their online presence, social media.

Social media apps are projected to have an exponential increase in market value over the next decade or so. Platforms like Twitter and  Facebook are now household names but they are not just used by individuals.

One of the most prominent industries that are using this digital marketing technique to not only grow their platform but improve it, is the iGaming industry.

In the UK it is estimated that nearly 50% of people gamble every month, the constant development and improvement in online gambling will see that number increase over the coming years.

Here are two of the most common ways a gambling site will do this:

1. Sharing original content

Online casinos have a wide array of different games available to suit the needs of individual customers. You can play new slot games or classic games on any one of the top slot sites in the UK.

A lot of gambling sites have adapted and upgraded by now producing their original content.

You now have the option of a blog section on many websites, these can be useful if you’re betting on sports and looking for some advice.

Experts are brought in to give their predictions and help readers understand and consider outcomes before they bet. This can establish trust between the company and the customer, given that you are trying to educate them so that they can make the best possible decision.

You could also create video or audio content which is a lot more suitable to the social media format and the users. Video content can amass a large number of views in a very short time frame, getting eyes on your company is the aim of the game and this is one of the most effective ways.

By sharing these links on social media with interested individuals, they can then increase traffic to their website.

A prime example of the effectiveness of this strategy is the cookie company Oreo and their viral tweet during the Super Bowl in 2013.

Having your company’s advert play for a viewership of over 100 million people can lead to your brand skyrocketing in popularity but it comes at a very heavy cost, 3.8 million to be exact. But Oreo did not pay for an ad spot, so how did they benefit from the Super Bowl?

By capitalising on a power outage in the stadium with a very quick and witty tweet.

“Power out? No problem. You can still dunk in the dark.”

Thanks to some quick thinking, the tweet subsequently went viral and stole the spotlight from traditional tv marketing campaigns.
This is one of the first examples of how the power of social media can be utilised for the benefit of your business.

2. Customer service

Social media is not just a way to attract new customers but also to make sure your current ones are happy. By developing an efficient line of communication gambling sites can answer any worries or concerns as soon as the issue arises.

Traditional methods of customer service are becoming outdated like going through a company’s website or calling a customer representative and ‘patiently’ waiting on hold for an answer. There are two obvious reasons why these traditional methods are becoming outdated.

• Barriers to entry

Although it may not seem like much, for the average person having to navigate from one website to another can prevent them from following through with the task.

• Speed

An average person’s attention span is deemed to be 8 seconds. So if you’re hoping someone will navigate to a company website and fill out a form or stay on hold on their phone, you will be disappointed.

Having the ability to chat with a support team on your most frequented platform within seconds of enquiring, has completely changed the customer service industry for the better.

There are whole teams of people hired with the sole purpose of making sure you have the best possible experience with their site and that all your questions are answered in no time.

This will also allow you to improve brand awareness by personalising the interactions you have with each customer.

One of the best and worst things about social media, depending on how you look at it, is that everything you post will exist forever. Now you can go back and delete posts but everything gets documented, especially if you are a big business with lots of followers.

This gives companies the opportunity to show their customer that they care.

Not all enquiries will come through DM’s, you may be the recipient of a lot of quoted tweets which are in full view of the world. Being compassionate and understanding of people’s concerns will lead to a better and more loyal userbase.

Many businesses from a host of different industries use these platforms as a way to establish their brand and increase their user base. Social media is a very powerful tool, not just for individuals but society as a whole.

There is a reason why it has increased so much in popularity over the past decade and it will continue to grow.

App News, News, Social Media

Snapchat Announces Arrival of Premier League and Women’s Super League Football  

Fans will be able to watch Premier League and Women’s Super League football highlights, goals, behind-the-scenes content and new sport talk shows 

Snap has today announced a renewed content partnership with Sky Sports UK, one of the world’s largest sport broadcasters, to host made-for-mobile, short-form content on Snapchat Discover. 

Sky Sports, a content partner since 2015 with over 1.8 million Snapchat subscribers, will publish highlights from every single Premier League football match, Women’s Super League highlights, behind the scenes content, clips from Soccer AM, Monday Night Football and trusted football news on Snapchat. 

The new content deal, Sky Sports’ biggest with Snapchat to date, also features a new Women’s Super League (WSL) talk show from Sky Sports, The Dub. The show will bring viewers breaking news, insights and clips from the WSL.

Kahlen Macaulay, International Sports Partnerships at Snap said: “We are thrilled to continue strengthening our partnership with Sky Sports to bring more iconic football and sports content to Snapchat. Snapchat offers millions of fans around the world new ways to experience, celebrate and watch the best sports content – whether that’s catching up on goals from the weekend or using an AR Lens to celebrate incredible moments. We can’t wait to bring Snapchatters more great football and sports content as we countdown to a spectacular few months of sport, including the FIFA World Cup 2022.” 

Snapchat Discover reaches a global audience – in the second quarter of 2022, more than 40 Discover channels reached over 25 million global viewers each – from watching goals from the Men and Women’s Euros 2022, to highlights from the upcoming FIFA World Cup and the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Snapchat continues to transform the way sports fans experience and celebrate with their friends.

Jamie Hunt, Head of Digital & Social at Sky Sports said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Snapchat to reach a  highly engaged Gen Z community who talk about and watch sports and football on Snapchat every day. The way fans experience sports has evolved – with many fans using their phones to chat with friends, celebrate wins and access behind-the scenes content during matches. This partnership is therefore a great way to reach this community where they are.”

Other shows included in the deal include NBA talk show from Sky Sports, In The Paint and boxing talk show, Unanimous. These shows will bring viewers the latest news, predictions and topical debates from the world of boxing and NBA. 

Reaching more than 90% of 13-24 year olds in the UK, Snap is further cementing its position as the home for football and sport for Gen Z. The new shows are currently available on Snapchat Discover and can be accessed by searching Sky Sports on Snapchat. 

 

News, PR and SEO, Social Media

Have we seen the death of organic social media marketing?

The number of users viewing organic social media content – the posts that are shared for free to a feed – has dramatically plummeted in recent years. This has led to organic content for business marketing purposes being proclaimed ‘dead’, forcing marketers to abandon organic strategies in favour of paid social media advertising.

However, according to Ben Luff, Social Media Manager at integrated marketing agency PMW, organic social media marketing should still play an important role in any business’s social strategy. Ben explains how and why organic social media has changed in recent years.

“First thing’s first, it’s not all doom and gloom. The good news is organic content isn’t dead – it’s just changed a lot,” said Ben. “It used to be about optimising organic content: researching hashtags and finding the best time in the day to post, based on when audiences were most active. Brands and social media marketers had no problems reaching a high proportion of their followers and getting plenty of engagement on free posts.”

In the past, everyone who followed a brand would receive that company’s posts on their feed. When these users interacted with a post (with likes, comments, and shares) the post would also be seen by their followers, allowing for a ripple effect of new people discovering a brand. These days, according to research carried out by social media management platform Hootsuite, a Facebook post will only reach 5.5% of a company’s followers – even less for brands that have a large number of followers.1 A dramatic decline from the early days of social media marketing.

What’s behind this change?

Ben explains:

“Around 2015, the major social media platforms began using enhanced relevancy algorithms, which prioritise content from a user’s friends and family. This pushed brand content down, meaning companies saw their engagement statistics tank. If you’re not seeing results from your organic content, you can’t just keep posting the same things and hoping it will get better. You need to change your tactics.”

What can brands do to increase their social media reach?

“Two things,” says Ben. “Prioritise authenticity in organic content, and invest in paid advertising – don’t worry, it doesn’t have to break the bank. Although organic content often doesn’t get the reach it used to, it’s still important for businesses to keep their social media feeds up to date.

“An active social media page shows those who have just discovered a brand that the company is in business and cares about connecting with its customers. For small to medium businesses, posting two to three times a week is enough.”

What’s type of content businesses should post?

Ben advises:

“Consumers value authenticity, so leave the sales pitch at the door. Showcase your brand’s personality, get your staff involved and provide value to your customers through informational videos, competitions, and entertaining challenges. When you share a post, platforms like Instagram will show it to a small test audience. The more engagement a post gets from the test audience, the more the algorithm will promote it, both to your brand’s followers, and to new audiences.

“Following the huge popularity of TikTok, the algorithms for other social media platforms have begun to follow suit and prioritise video content. A recent study by social media software company Emplifi found that businesses increased their organic reach on Facebook by an average of 135% just by posting a video instead of a photo.2 Make sure you take advantage of this.”

And, Ben says, businesses shouldn’t be reluctant to build their social media presence and gain momentum using paid social media advertising.

“Most social media marketers now include paid posts in every campaign they run. These ads can be highly targeted to any demographic, and are extremely effective. Advertised posts get pushed out to a wider audience than organic posts, and are great for reaching potential new customers, so they are an excellent tool for quickly building awareness of a brand among its target audience, as well as driving click-throughs to a brand’s website.

“It’s not necessary to spend a fortune. A little can go a long way, and because you can target any audience with laser accuracy, it can yield a very high return on your investment. In the current social media landscape, making this investment really does make sense.

“Ultimately, a great social media marketing strategy is authentic, uses video content to its advantage, and isn’t afraid to enlist the help of paid social media advertising to reach new audiences.”

1 Hootsuite Digital in 2020 study – https://www.hootsuite.com/resources/digital-2020?path=pages%2Fdigital-in-2019#accordion-148291

 

2 Emplifi study Native Facebook Videos Get More Reach Than Any Other Type of Post (emplifi.io)

Digital Skills, Diversity in Tech, News, Social Media

Teen pioneers design the world’s next gen social media networks

Judgement-free, gender positive, no-filter platforms get thumbs up from young Digital Disruptors

A group of young Digital Disruptors tasked with creating a handful of new social media networks have plumped for judgement-free, gender positive, no filter platforms to build a more positive global theme for their futures.

The 15 young digital pioneers put their heads together in a mentored brainstorm session as part of this year’s annual Digital Disruptors’ programme, a three-day event hosted by digital marketers, the Tomorrow Group.

The youngsters, aged 14 to 16, all from south and south-east London, came up with fresh ideas for social media platforms which ranged from employment to fashion.

 

Tina Judic, co-founder and chairman of Tomorrow Group, organiser of Digital Disruptors, said: “This year’s young Digital Disruptors were utterly inspirational, inquisitive, innovative and incredibly hard-working. Their ideas for the next generation of social media networks show that they are determined for a more positive and friendly, less negative and fake view of the world than some platforms are renowned for today.

“It’s always a privilege to host this annual programme which helps young people, who may not know or believe what might be possible for them, to realise that there can be a very bright future ahead.”

 

Four ideas stood out for the panel of judges:

 

  • Itfitz – a fashion platform designed to help people overcome their fears of purchasing online and which focuses on providing a judgement-free, positive network for people to try on an augmented reality of clothes, shoes, hairstyles and nails.
  • Apply – professional network designed to minimise the gender gap and barriers created as a result of professional competitiveness and which places a higher priority on skills and attributes over experience and qualifications.
  • Interlink – a network to educate and develop young people’s skills, reduce procrastination and enable more school aged students to have their say and build confidence through lifestyle lessons.
  • BeWe – a no-filters, moderated network, helping young people to be who they are, in a safe but entertaining environment without the pressure of perfectionism, common in mainstream social media platforms.

 

Prizes from the House of Marley for standout contributions and performance were awarded by the judging panel, made up of  Tomorrow Group’s digital growth, marketing and data technology companies, Found, Disrupt, and Braidr, along with Digital Disruptor charity partners, The Hebe Foundation.

 

Dora Moldovan, co-founder and managing director of Braidr, one of the judges, said: “I was incredibly impressed by how much the young innovators have already learnt about advertising – from influencer to pay-per-click and social. They are social media natives, so I would have expected them to default to this, but they considered real-life scenarios and they crave human interaction.

“I’m also very proud of the Braidr team and our sister companies who took part through mentoring, delivering talks, judging and inspiring the next generation. The opportunity to give back to young people and share our enthusiasm for the digital sector was invaluable and thoroughly enjoyed by all. Credit is due to our chair and the Tomorrow Group for helping to nurture our youthful pioneers and we’re looking forward to doing it all again next year with the next generation.”

 

Amie Buhari, founder and CEO of The Hebe Foundation, said: “It’s been encouraging to have young people back, and face to face for Digital Disruptors, for the first time since the pandemic.

“In a society that often stunts creativity, this project enables our young people to imagine, to dream, and to create; putting their unique stamp on the things that matter to them. The quality of learning from the Tomorrow Group inspires our young people to be positive disruptors in the spaces they inhabit.”

 

The overall winner of Digital Disruptors 2022 is due to be announced in the next few weeks.

London-based Braidr, part of the Tomorrow Group, launched last year and has won some big name customers. The agency acts as an outsourced ‘chief data officer’ for customers, and is the all-important bridge between non-data expert IT and marketing teams.

 

Marketing, PR and SEO, Social Media

5 Ways to Use LinkedIn More Effectively

LinkedIn is a powerful social media platform that can be used in several ways to help you build your business. In this post, we will share five of the best ways to use LinkedIn more effectively. Whether you are just getting started with LinkedIn or you have been using it for a while, these tips will help you get the most out of the platform. Read on to learn more!

Connect With Other Users

One of the most important things that you have to understand about LinkedIn is that it is a platform that helps professionals to connect. While it is true that the platform is also commonly used to find employment, connecting with other professionals is the primary purpose of the platform.

As such, if you want to use a LinkedIn more effectively, you need to begin connecting with other users. But how to get more connections on LinkedIn? Once you have connected with a user they will appear under “My Network”. There are other benefits of connecting with users, such as staying up to date with everything that is going on within your industry, as well as getting recommendations.

Complete Your Profile

To use LinkedIn more effectively one of the first things that you’ll need to do would be to complete your profile. This is something that people will see and it needs to reflect who you are as well as what you can do. There are quite a few things that you need to do to complete your profile and make it look great, as 810 million people use LinkedIn and it can be hard for a beginner to stand out.

  • Include whatever industry you are in, as well as where you are located in your headline.
  • Have a great quality photo of yourself, something that looks professional, not something that you would post on Instagram.
  • You should also add a banner, or background image, that gives some indication as to what your profession is.
  • If you are listing skills, try to give an example of them where applicable; if you are a great communicator, don’t list it, instead display it through your writing via your profile.

Join a Group

As mentioned above one of the most effective ways to use LinkedIn would be to connect with other users and a great way to do this would be to join a group. There are many groups available to be joined on LinkedIn, and they are all based on various topics such as industry, topic, or niche. The great thing about these groups is they will connect you with like-minded people.

However, you need to understand that most of these groups don’t allow self-promotion. If you truly want to get the most out of these groups, then you are going to need to participate. This is a big benefit because it means that you’re able to put your skills and expertise on display. This is one of the best ways to get people to view your profile and make connections.

Post Engaging Content

another way that you can connect with people and gain traction on the platform would be by posting engaging content. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the content that you post needs to not only be relevant to LinkedIn but also to the audience that you are targeting as well as the niche or industry that you are in. In other words, don’t treat LinkedIn like Instagram; keep it professional.

With that being said there is one similarity that LinkedIn has to Instagram and that is that visual content is incredibly popular. If you want to use LinkedIn effectively, you are going to need to create engaging content as well as post images and videos. Did you know that videos gain five times more engagement than regular posts? When it comes to images, these get 98% more comments than regular posts.

Be Consistent

Finally, the last tip on this list for using LinkedIn effectively would be to be consistent with your usage of the platform. If you are going to be posting on LinkedIn, you need to post every single day. This is the best way to keep your posts at the top of the feed.

However, with that being said, it does not mean that you should post as much as you can. If you’re posting more than twice a day, this can be a little bit annoying to anyone who has connected with you. Posting once a day is perfectly fine and is the suggested amount to use the platform effectively.

Cybersecurity, News, Social Media

Check Point Software Warns of the Four Most Common Mistakes on Social Networks

Sharing personal information, responding to unsolicited password reset emails, indiscriminately clicking any link and not checking URLs are all mistakes that can lead to your social media accounts being hacked

As of January 2022, more than half of the world uses social media. In other words, we are talking about 4.62 billion people for whom social media is already part of their daily lives and often takes up more of their time than they would like. However, although these platforms can be fun and are a great way of sharing experiences with friends, they also present a potentially dangerous cyber security risk.

So, what dangers do we need to look out for and what are the most common mistakes we make? Check Point Software, a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions globally, highlights the top four risk factors to bear in mind in order to stay safe when using social media:

 

  1. Sharing personal information: this is a very common and dangerous mistake that happens every day on social networks. Cyber criminals are, first and foremost, looking to steal your personal information. Armed with this data they can then launch multiple phishing campaigns or even steal your cash. If we add to this, the fact that most people will use the same login details for different social media platforms, stealing credentials from one, gives hackers potential access to all of your social media accounts. So, it’s vital that you don’t share personal data and that you use different passwords to minimize the damage if you were to become the victim of an attack.
  2. Watch out for unsolicited password reset emails: there are so many social platforms around today that it is very easy to think that at some point there may be an incident with one of them and this is where hackers can take advantage. If you get an email asking you to change your password, even if you have not requested it, your first impulse is to click on the link and reset. This is dangerous, as it can give the cybercriminal access to your entire account. To avoid this, you should go directly to the social media platform’s page (don’t click on the link in the email) and renew your password from the same page (and then do the same for other accounts where you have the same password).
  3. Clicking on any link: Cybercriminals often use links to redirect users to malicious sites. These links can come in the form of an innocent looking email or SMS. If you receive such a link, the best way to protect yourself is to go to the site in question, via your usual browser, and check for any messages there, rather than clicking on a link in an unsolicited email or text message.
  4. Not checking URLs: Another trick that attackers use to steal your data is to change a URL to make it look like the genuine article. Using this technique, hackers can get a user to visit a website they believe to be trustworthy, such as their Facebook page where they are then asked to change their password, to redirect them to a cloned website so that they can steal as much information as they like. We have seen this recently with LinkedIn dominating Check Point’s Brand Phishing Report for the first time, accounting for more than half (52%) of all phishing attempts in the first quarter of this year. To avoid falling for these scams , it is important to check the URLs that you access, making sure that the website has an SSL security certificate. If it does have a security certificate you will see the letter “s” in the address bar. So, it should read: https://. Thanks to this technology, any confidential information sent between two systems is protected and this prevents cybercriminals from being able to access the data being transferred, including information that could be considered personal.

“It is clear that social networks play an important part in our daily lives, but we need to be on our guard. Social networks are one of the main targets of cybercriminals and knowing their techniques is the only way to be able to defend oneself properly. Today, on Social Networking Day, it is essential for us to alert users and warn them of the existing risks so that they remain safe from any type of attack through these platforms,” says Ian Porteous, Regional Director, Security Engineering, UK&I at Check Point Software.

 

Social Media

Reddit 101: 6 Tips To Get Started

Among the popular social media platforms, Reddit stands strong, and you might be wondering what makes it distinct from the others.  

Reddit is a social media platform that enables its user base to create and manage their communities, known as ‘subreddits.’ The platform’s slogan is “The front page of the Internet.’ One of the platform’s most appealing features is that all of the content you find is both generated and curated by users.

Apart from the usual news, ideas, and discussions, you can now find photos and videos in this platform. Having said that, you may consider using a Reddit downloader if you want to download a video as a reference or share it with your friends. Although a simple search will provide you with numerous results, it’s important to use a reliable one. 

 

How Reddit Works 

Generally, the platform works as a social aggregation site in which users can curate content they gather online or create. It involves submitting content into their subreddit to allow other users to discuss, leave comments, and vote on the content, driving the most talked about content to the top of the page. In contrast, the less popular ones move down and eventually out of view. 

If you check out Reddit, you’ll find a filtered view of all the safe communities, usually organized by popularity. Once you create your account and log into Reddit, the front page showcases all the subreddits you joined, organized from the most to the least popular.  

 

What Makes Reddit Unique?  

Over the years, Reddit has made waves by shaping the Internet culture, creating memes, paving the way for crowdfunding, and creating the ask me anything (AMA) interview format.  

Among the social aggregation sites that started the social media trend, Reddit was able to survive, continues to grow, and remains true to its audience. One feature that distinguishes Reddit is that its users are eager to learn and explore various topics. Based on the latest stats, many are checking out Reddit, with millions of visits every month.  

Additionally, the vast audience on Reddit is something businesses, both small and large, shouldn’t miss out on. Today, companies, celebrities, and influencers, to name a few, are regularly participating in Reddit. 

 

Pointers On How To Get Started With Reddit  

Once you decide to make the most of what Reddit offers, it’s crucial to fully understand what makes the platform stand out from other social media platforms. Here are some valuable tips you need to get started with Reddit.  

  • Know The Distinct Protocols In Place 

If you’re going to participate in Reddit discussions, whether for personal or marketing purposes, every subreddit has its own specific rules. With this in mind, you need to review the rules before participating in that community. Unable to follow the rules will result in banning.  

  • Decide On A Pseudonym You’ll Use On The Platform  

All users on Reddit utilize a pseudonym, including the founders, admins, and moderators. Unless you’re planning to create a branded account for marketing purposes or manage a profile, it’s best to use a pseudonym when creating a username. 

Even if you create an account for your brand, consider creating a second one with a pseudonym so you can engage and take part in other communities outside of your brand account.  

  • Be Familiar With The Algorithm Of Reddit  

Reddit generally utilizes a voting system that’s scaled with a logarithm to determine the popularity of the content on both the front page of the site and the subreddits. 

If you want your content to gain votes, it’s crucial to make an effort to provide accuracy and quality, especially with the title and description. Additionally, it’d also help if you could gain a positive comment to boost the tone of your submission. 

  • Learn How To Navigate Through Reddit  

Once you have an account on Reddit, it may take time to be familiar with how the platform works, including its features and users.  

Make sure to look for subreddits you genuinely love so you can fully understand the discussions. Learn to recognize the differences between subreddits and engage with authority in discussions you truly understand.

Make an effort and set aside time to fully understand all the features of Reddit, including the settings and sections of your profile. Learn the Reddit terminology so that you appear as if you belong when you participate in debates. You should also know the rules, especially for each subreddit you plan to join or engage in. 

  • Make An Effort To Comment Or Reply  

The comments on Reddit are essential in terms of how you integrate into the communities. If you don’t comment or respond, you’ll be flagged as a spammer if you’re not cautious. Spend some time commenting on threads on subreddits that you enjoy. You might also want to look at posts rising to the top and contribute your thoughts.  

  • Know The Specifics On How A User Becomes A Spammer  

The difference between Reddit from other social media platforms is the approach to how a user becomes a spammer.  

Some of the things that can make a user a spammer on Reddit include submitting the same content on several subreddits or off-topic content, being unable to comment or reply to comments on your submissions, and frequent submissions to a subreddit, to name a few.  

 

Final Thoughts  

Whether for personal or business purposes, it might be time to consider tapping into what Reddit offers. Reddit is the ideal social media platform to discover the current trends, memes, and viral sensations. It’s also a great avenue to keep abreast with current events and engage in discussions about topics that interest you.

 

Social Media

4 Ways LinkedIn is Becoming More Appealing to Generation Z

In the world of social media, LinkedIn has built up a reputation as a business-focused platform for professionals looking to build contact networks and get ahead in their careers.

This gives a safe but arguably bland brand identity, which is a far cry from the youth-focused dynamism of other platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

However, change is afoot, and LinkedIn is gradually turning the ship around to connect with members of Gen Z. Let’s go over some of the ways this is happening, and what you can do to harness it regardless of your age.

Video is making a splash

While LinkedIn is more focused on the written word than almost any other social network, the arrival of Gen Z professionals is causing a seismic shift towards video.

Such a pivot was inevitable given that members of this generation came of age at a time when streaming services and short-form clips were the norm for creative expression. So it’s natural that they’d also want to see similar solutions available on a platform designed to help them get jobs and build professional relationships.

Being able to record a video which sits on your LinkedIn profile and use this as your calling card, rather than just relying on a dry, written overview of your achievements and ambitions, clearly clicks with younger users.

How to get the most out of LinkedIn

For users, taking advantage of the profile-building features that LinkedIn offers, including the aforementioned video profile option, is sensible. Even if you fall into an older demographic, there’s no reason that you can’t capitalize on what Gen Z employees are harnessing.

For marketers, tools like SalesFlow are empowering, since they allow for campaign automation, letting you connect with prospects from across the generational spectrum and make meaningful improvements to conversions as a result.

Podcasts are providing new avenues for expression

Another type of content that Gen Z-ers have come of age alongside is the humble podcast, and in particular they have seen it go from a niche concern to a mainstream behemoth.

Riding on the coattails of this, LinkedIn has recently introduced its very own network of business-related podcasts, combining both pre-recorded audio sessions as well as live events to which users are able to make contributions in real time.

Indeed this could be seen as a major innovation, with the platform reimagining podcasts as an opportunity for networking and relationship building, rather than just a one-way conversation between the hosts and the audience.

Filtering is keeping social feeds on-topic and uncontroversial

Social media is known for its reactionary nature, and in the past half-decade in particular the prevalence of political discourse has become perpetual to the point of being overwhelming.

Gen Z is not just politically aware, but also attuned to the idea that sometimes it’s better to step back from partisan conversations and avoid all sorts of triggering topics in the process.

LinkedIn has catered to those who just want to use its tools as intended by offering content filtering which is specifically focused around political hot potato subjects. This could remove the toxicity from social media, and make it a bastion of kindness and tolerance, at least comparatively speaking.

Progressiveness is more of a priority

While LinkedIn may enable a politics-free experience for users, that doesn’t mean it is ignoring the more progressive parts of modern social movements, specifically with regards to the world of work and careers.

For example, users are able to better explain why they were out of work for a given period, whether that might be as a result of becoming a parent or taking a career break.

This should all mean that Gen Z users, and every other member of the LinkedIn community, is given a better experience which is more inclusive and less discriminatory.

The last word on LinkedIn

Having been around for almost two decades, you’d expect LinkedIn to be a mature and established platform. Yet because it is clearly willing to move with the times and adapt to appeal to younger audiences, it could actually be more relevant today than ever, and avoid the slow decline that some of its rivals are suffering.