​Instagram has long been one of the most popular social media platforms and remains so today. Research shows this social media platform has more than one billion active users, making Instagram an attractive platform for marketers.
 
With the addition of Reels in 2020, Instagram transformed from a photo-sharing app to a one-stop platform where you can find all the entertainment you need in one place. To help savvy marketers reach Millennials and Gen-Zers on this social media platform, Allen Marketing Communications, Inc., a boutique travel and lifestyle public relations agency based in New York City, spotlights five new features on Instagram.
 
Stories
Instagram stories are snippets of your day that can be customized with stickers, polls, music, and more. With Instagram’s new update, you can now post a story that’s up to 60 seconds long with no cuts as opposed to the old format of 15-second clips with cuts in between.
 
In addition, you don’t have to worry about customizing each new clip as whatever you add to the story will remain throughout the entire 60 seconds for a smoother playback.
 
Closed Captions
Instagram announced the addition of auto-generated captions for videos on users’ feed earlier this year in an effort to make Instagram more accessible to those in the deaf/hard-of-hearing communities. According to Prestige, “Instagram said in a Twitter post that users will have the option to turn the captions on or off and they are currently available in 17 languages with more to come.“
 
“More recently, Instagram has added AR captions for Reels to make them more eye-catching,” according to Prestige. In addition to the regular closed captions option, there are bubble captions that look like text message chats, mumble captions that come straight from your mouth, and comic captions that give your video a comic book effect.
 
Feed Order
Instagram has recently announced that they would be testing new options for their feed. According to embed social, “the three options are home, following, and favorites; home functions the same as the regular algorithm has these past few years, ranking the content based on how interested it thinks the user will be in the post.” The following tab is the old version of Instagram’s feed, putting all posts in chronological order of everyone the user follows, and favorites only shows posts from the user’s favorites list.
 
This new update allows users to choose whose posts they see, whether they like the current algorithm and want to stick with it, want to switch back to the old chronological feed, or only want to see the posts of their favorites.
 
Hiding Likes
Instagram has allowed users to choose whether they want their followers to be able to see their like count on each post. According to NapoleonCat, “The main reason for giving users this option was to “depressurize Instagram for young people.”
 
Likes became a popularity contest and often affected the mental health of teens using the app, so the goal was to “bring back the joy of posting” (Mikolajczyk 2022) to people who were impacted by like counts. The practice of buying likes is also likely to decrease, meaning there will presumably be less fraudulent accounts on the app.

​Pin Your Favorites
Ever wished you could keep a certain post you loved where everyone could see it, no matter how old it was? Well, now you can, with Instagram’s grid pinning update that allows you to pin three posts or Reels to the top of your grid so users will see them first when they visit your profile. Let your favorite content shine!
 
Instagram is on a path to becoming more accessible and streamlined for users as it adds new features almost every month. Our team of savvy social media and influencing marketers are here to help.  Give us a call.
 
By Marley Merrihew at Allen Marketing Communications, Inc.

 
According to research, only 22 percent of email newsletters are opened by recipients. Newsletters are typically sent at least weekly, and they usually contain details about new products, upcoming sales, and other information that may appeal to customers.
 
As a small business owner, how can you harness the power of the newsletter and reach your clients more effectively? Allen Marketing Communications, Inc., a boutique travel and lifestyle public relations agency based in New York City, shares tips on how to leverage your email newsletter and grow your business in the process.
 
Develop a Newsletter That Readers Love to See
Your newsletter is an important extension of your brand. It’s a marketing tool first and foremost, but it’s also a way to connect with clients and increase engagement. The latter of these directly depends on the quality of the content and appeal of the design, though.
 
If you want to improve both, you can enlist help from freelancers who can write great content and create appealing graphics. You can also take over some of the graphic design tasks yourself by using apps like one that removes the background from images.
 
Cultivate Content That’s Worth Their While
It’s often said that content is king, and that phrase is just as true today as it was the day it emerged. Nothing is more effective in garnering attention and increasing engagement than good old-fashioned, high-quality content. You need to sincerely assess whether your newsletter contains content that is useful to your readers.
 
Rather than writing fluff about product benefits, for example, you can upgrade your content to address real client concerns. Think about why your customers opened the newsletter in the first place — or why they may buy your product at all. What problem do you aim to solve, and what clients do you aim to serve? Answering questions like these can help you develop an effective content strategy.
 
This is the best way to write an engaging newsletter, and it’s also the key to increasing its readership. When your audience knows that they can expect interesting and useful information from your newsletter, they’ll be more likely to share it with friends, and in turn, this will increase your marketing reach. The opportunity for organic sharing is one of the greatest assets of the newsletter format, so it’s important to leverage this potential.
 
Invest in Images That Catch Their Attention
Cultivating high-quality content is just part of the equation when it comes to producing a great newsletter. The email format of a newsletter means that you can invest in its visual appeal, too — and it’s important to do so by creating eye-catching graphics. Data visualization allows you to present important information in an easy-to-understand graphic format, which makes it an ideal addition to any newsletter.
 
The design of your newsletter is an important component of building its appeal. Quality design will increase the appeal of your brand and keep your readers’ attention for longer. You can use pre-made designs from an email marketing service, but you might find yourself in need of additional options. If so, you can try an image background remover and similar tools with other image editing functions to suit your purposes.
 
You can also outsource certain tasks to professionals like a web designer or a graphic artist who can craft a newsletter that’s beautifully assembled. This might cost a little extra, but if it yields higher engagement and readership, it’s a great investment for your newsletter and your brand.

Finally, reach out to Allen Marketing Communications, Inc for your marketing and public relations needs.
 
Guest Post:  Derek Goodman at InBizability

Image via Pexels

 
Sound healing is an up and coming wellness trend that does exactly what it sounds like: helps you heal through sound.  Although ancient Greeks and Tibetian cultures have embraced sounds to heal individuals, this therapy is becoming more mainstream, embracing new technologies such as AI (artificial intelligence) to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia and aches and pains in one’s body. 
 
According to scientists, “the mechanics of hearing are plain and simple, but what we hear, how we hear it, and how we perceive sound is more complex.” (Source:  Dr.Kumo Connected Health Technology).   Allen Marketing Communications, Inc., a boutique travel and lifestyle public relations agency based in New York City, has the latest on the trends you should know to start healing through sound.
 
Bathe in Sound
Sound baths are exactly what they seem like: bathing yourself in sound. Participants of sound baths start by lying in a comfortable position to be able to focus as much on your inner self as possible. Then, the instructor will guide you through the meditation using an instrument, often singing bowls but can also be chimes, gongs, didgeridoo (a type of wind instrument), rattles, or even the human voice, according to Shape.
 
Studies have shown that sound baths are able to decrease levels of tension and anxiety in participants. According to Shape, “Sound baths slow down your brainwaves and put you into a meditative state without you having to put in much effort.”
 
Tuning Fork Therapy
Tuning forks are two-pronged metal forks with a handle, and when banged on a surface they vibrate both physically and audibly. There are forks of different frequencies ranging from high to low; the larger the fork and the lower the frequency the longer the duration of vibration. During a therapy session, the tuning fork can be placed on problem areas or held near your head to hear the vibrations.
 
According to Healthline, “tuning fork therapy can help release tension and energy and promote emotional balance. It supposedly works similar to acupuncture, “using sound frequencies for point stimulation instead of needles.”
 
“Specific frequencies can be used to encourage a specific outcome, like releasing energy blocks, improving sleep, mood or relaxation and relieving ailments,” according to Kansas City Mag.
 
Curated Playlists
Music has been found to have many health benefits, including being more effective than prescription drugs in reducing anxiety before a surgery, according to Healthline. Companies such as Spotify are now offering personalized wellness music solutions.,
 
According to Global Wellness Institute, “The integration of biometric data collected by these digital devices, such as the Fitbit, the Oura ring, and the Apple watch, is being utilized to tailor music, sound, and acoustic resonance therapies to modulate psychology and physiology.”
 
With the advance of technology, we’ll soon be able to have playlists that are curated to our biometric needs! Who knew listening to our favorite song could be a method of therapy?
 
Brain Waves and Sound
Brainwave entrainment, also known as binaural beats, is a method of sound healing that uses pulsing sounds to stimulate your brain into a specific state by encouraging brain waves to align to the frequency of the beat. “Your brain hears the two pulsing tones in each ear and creates a third beat at the difference of the two frequencies, essentially syncing the right and left brain hemispheres,” according to Kansas City Mag.
 
According to Healthline, “brainwave entrainment is supposed to help “induce enhanced focus, entranced state, relaxation, and sleep.” Though more research is needed, one study found that audible brainwave entrainment reduces anxiety, pain, and symptoms of PMS, in addition to improving behavioral problems in children.
 
Sound healing is an important therapy for elderly individuals suffering from dementia to recall important memories.  The psychology of sound is concerned with how our brain interprets each sound, which conveys information about our surroundings and generates emotions and sentiments. (Source: Dr. Kumo Connected Health Technology)
 
“Reminiscence Music Therapy allows those with dementia to recall long term memories, connect with reality in the here-and-now, and connect with others, including family, friends, and caregivers.  These moments of lucidity can not only provide joy and reduce agitation in dementia patients, but they often allow family and friends to experience the person they have lost, providing a sense of closure and fond memories that they can cherish even after their loved one is gone,” according to Global Wellness Institute.
 
Sound healing is an emerging trend embraced by Gen Z to aging Baby boomers.  Our team of savvy travel and lifestyle public relations professionals are here to help savvy markets tap into this wellness trend.
 
By Marley Merrihew at Allen Marketing Communications, Inc.
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