I worked in the financial industry for 15 years and saw the lack of diversity and inclusivity first hand. In my role as Business Development Manager at INGAGE Biz, I have a unique perspective on the leadership of many companies and how communication reflects the beliefs of those corporations.  

On Friday, June 12th, I joined Goldman Sachs Personal Financial Management Consumer and Investment Management Division’s Vice President Trudy R. Turner, Presenceology’s brand and personal image strategist Mila Yoli da Cruz, and Modern Money Advisor’s President Angela Moore for a discussion on how to create spaces and manage conversations with colleagues and clients.  The panel was hosted by the Financial Planners Association of Miami. 

It was a difficult but important conversation. Only one-third of financial planners in the United States are women. And the numbers are even lower for minorities. A 2018 study by the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning found that less than 3.5% of Certified ...

Part of any good social media marketing strategy includes keeping tabs on where you stand, and Instagram’s Insights feature makes this job that much easier. However, sifting through the data is not always easy or intuitive. Let’s take the complexity out of it by focusing on these top Instagram metrics you should be tracking.

1 - Saves

With Instagram’s decision to try hiding likes, saves, is the new metric to watch. By tapping the bookmark button in the bottom right, users can save a post to review later. Saving indicates a keen interest in the content. Knowing what posts earned a “save” will help you drive your content strategy. To generate even more attention, you can remind followers to save your post in the caption. 

2 - Reach

Reach is another critical metric you should be tracking. With social media platforms changing the rules all the time, reach is a constant that will help you gauge how many people you are reaching. Reach refers to the unique number of users who saw your pos...

During this difficult time, a lot of companies have asked professionals to work from home, and this has created some challenges. For teams that rely on connecting at a physical workplace, suddenly being thrust into a remote atmosphere can seem daunting. The tips below should help make this transition a bit easier for you and your team.

1 - Use the Best Tech Platforms to Connect

There are many great collaboration platforms that can help ease you into remote work. Some of the most widely used and productive tools are:

Slack - for team collaboration, text messaging, updates, and calls. With Slack, you can keep the emails to a minimum and everything in one place for transparency. Use channels to separate projects and keep things organized.

Zoom - for video conferencing. 

Asana - for project management and team collaboration. Asana is great for assigning tasks, assessing where things stand, watching timelines, and keeping everyone on track. 

Google Docs - to share documents, spreadshe...

Did you know that Instagram Stories are a fantastic way to connect with your audience and keep them interested? Not only that, but Instagram Stories can help boost sales and improve brand awareness.

Here is a quick guide to get you started using Instagram Stories for your business.

What Are Instagram Stories?

Launched in 2016, Stories have become a major factor in Instagram’s popularity, overtaking post feeds by a lot. The platform enjoys more than 500 million users per day, making Stories a great way to connect with an existing audience and to grow an even larger one. Stories are essentially slides and videos that expire after 24 hours. 

Boosting Engagement with Instagram Stories Stickers and Live

As Instagram has evolved, the developers have added new features to Stories to make it easier to start conversations, get live feedback and gauge reactions while promoting your brand, and sharing ideas in a fun, authentic way.

Stickers & One-Click Polls

Instagram Stories include dozen...

In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, Facebook has added a new feature to help businesses communicate with their customers about changes in the delivery of services, hours, or availability.

Businesses with temporary changes such as restaurants that cannot serve food in-house can use this feature to let their customers know they are still open for takeout or delivery. Other companies who have changed their services to online options can also broadcast the message on their Facebook page with this new setting.

How to Set Up Temporary Changes to Hours or Services
To make the change on your business Facebook page, go to Page Settings > Page Info > Hours and select “Temporary Service Changes.” You can then choose “Temporarily Closed” or select “Open with Service Changes.” With this selection, you can choose options such as:

• Online Services.
• Delivery.
• Pickup.
• Other Changes.
  
  Those businesses that use Other Changes can post things such as special hours for older adults, access to onlin
...

With so many professionals working from home these days as a result of forced quarantine, security is a top priority. If social media is part of your marketing strategy, use these tips to stay safe, and secure your Facebook account during this heavier than normal usage period.

Use a Strong Password and Never Share Your Login

Facebook urges users to always use a strong password made up of a complex combination of letters, numbers, and symbols (alternating case). Be careful not to use a password that can be easily guessed or has any details from your life (your pet’s name, kids’ birthdates, etc.). 

Never use the same password on other websites and do not share your Facebook or Instagram login with anyone else. Change your password often to stay extra safe.

Turn on Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication helps to keep your Facebook account safe by texting or emailing a code so that only you can log in and make changes. Whenever two-factor authentication is offered, take a...

Social media is a giant that you cannot ignore. More than 3.5 billion people use social platforms every day. That equates to almost half the world’s population, and Facebook is the market leader with 68% of that pie. Facebook averages 2.32 billion active monthly users. If you don’t have a Facebook page for your business yet, you should. 

Below are the quick steps to create your Facebook business page in minutes.

Create Your Facebook Business Page

If the idea of setting up a Facebook business page seems daunting, don’t worry. You can set up one within minutes easily. 

1. Visit the Facebook for Business webpage.
2. Click the Create a Page button.
3. Select your type of business (Business or Brand/Community or Public Figure).
4. Choose a page name; keep it consistent with your other social media platforms.
5. Select a category for your business.

Select a Profile Picture to Represent Your Brand

Your profile image is an essential element of your Facebook business page, choose wisely. Most co...

Since 2019, Instagram Checkout has been in beta testing. It will soon be released to the public and could become your new, best marketing tool, turning followers into instant customers! 

What is Instagram Checkout

Instagram Checkout is an add-on feature allowing users to purchase products without ever leaving the app. Customers can click on a product to see details; then, with one additional tap, they can enter their personal information, pay, and purchase. Instagram Checkout was initially tested using 26 brands, including (Zara, Revolve, Warby Parker, and Nike). Brands who are currently using Checkout love the potential of it.

Instagram Checkout is not currently open to all brands yet, and it is only available in the U.S. Most likely, once it is released to the public, it will also be expanded to other countries.

How Can My Business Benefit from Instagram Checkout?

Once it is rolled out, Instagram Checkout will have tons of features for small, medium, and large businesses. The ab...

Instagram sprung onto the scene with a very simple concept of sharing photos and videos. Since its inception, Instagram has grown into one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, and it is a critical asset for any business’s marketing strategy. 

Instagram’s features are continually changing and upgrading, so it can be confusing to stay on top of what’s new. To get the most out of Instagram, here are the most important features you need to know about.

Instagram Live

One of the most useful features of Instagram is Instagram Live, where you can live stream video content to your audience. You can also turn on commenting or reactions to gain real-time feedback. Live video allows you to authentically connect with your followers and be real. Some good reasons to use Instagram Live are:

• You can broadcast live video for a close-up and personal connection.
• Save your video to Instagram Stories, so if any followers missed it, they can replay.
• Pin your comments to the top o
...

Studies show that 90% of Instagram users follow at least one brand, and most Instagram followers use it to find brands and to shop for products. Since its inception, Instagram has grown into a marketing giant earning the highest engagement rate of all social media platforms. 

Instagram offers companies Instagram Ads, Business Accounts, and even Instagram TV, along with dozens of other tools to increase your brand awareness and organically grow your followers. In just eight quick steps, you can begin using Instagram to expand your reach and stake your claim to some serious marketing influence on the platform.

1 - Research the Best Days/Times to Post

There are dozens of helpful charts online that show you the days and times when the peak number of users are online and engaging on Instagram. Always post each week consistently, so your followers begin to expect your great content.

2 - Create Great Content That is Interesting to Your Audience

Know your audience inside and out. What mak...