social media trends

Top social media trends for brands and small businesses in 2022 

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Social media is constantly changing. How we use it and the features available are continuously evolving. Every year social media platforms roll out new features, update layouts, and reshape how we use their platforms. Businesses benefit greatly from the digital age with the opportunity to connect and market their brands to global consumers right at their fingertips. However, to make the most of social media and utilize all its features, it’s important to keep up with the latest social media trends. 

Today we’ve compiled a breakdown of popular social media trends and features by platform that you can use to better market your brand and small business in 2022.

social media, facebook

Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash

Facebook 

Facebook is a huge platform for brands and small businesses with tons of opportunities for customer engagement, brand promotion, and advertising. Four top Facebook trends brands and businesses should be sure to utilize and incorporate into their marketing strategies are: User-generated Content, Longform Posts, Facebook Stories, and Facebook Groups. 

User-generated Content (UGC) is content created by customers that (with permission) you may re-share on your own feed. This type of content is fun for your audience to see their videos, photos, reviews and comments shared by the brands they love. By incorporating UGC into your marketing you’re showing your customers that you value their brand-loyalty and engagement and it creates a greater bond between brand and consumer while bolstering the community. Additionally, UGC is authentic content that is mutually beneficial for both the user and the brand. 

Longform Posts are usually used to promote long ad copies. Typically accompanied by a visual such as an image, banner, or video, longform posts have been shown to perform well. According to research conducted on this topic, long ad copies tend to see “a lower cost per action (CPA)” and provide audiences with more information before they click, leading to a higher chance of engagement. 

To utilize longform posts in your branding use some eye-catching emojis as bullet-points, include a visual and testimonials, and use the longform format to give your audience the full scope of your offerings. 

Facebook Stories are a great way to share quick, short-form content and share videos, images, or links to other content. With Facebook Stories you can easily cross-post your stories to Instagram as well and vice-versa. Facebook Stories also has tools to create unique, eye-catching designs and visual content. To utilize stories in your branding, upload videos, photos, boomerangs and more to create story-specific content for your brand’s Facebook marketing. 

Facebook Groups are a great way to build your brand’s community and promote engagement. Groups can be invite-only or available for anyone to join and use. Brands and small businesses can use Facebook Groups to share tips and tricks for using products or services, generate brand awareness and become a thought leader in your industry, and build a community of loyal customers and followers. 

social media, instagram

Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash

Instagram 

Like Facebook, Instagram is another top social media platform for brands and small businesses. However, unlike Facebook, where text posts and longform content is more prevalent, Instagram is largely dominated by visual media. More focused is placed on eye-catching photos and enticing videos. Three top Instagram trends to take advantage of in 2022 are Story Links, Social Justice, and Collaborative Albums. 

Story Links are a big new feature in 2022 for small businesses. In the past, swipe-up story links were only available to accounts with 10,000 followers or more. However, Instagram has recently lifted this restriction, allowing anyone to include links to content in Instagram Stories. This gives smaller brands the opportunity to direct traffic to other sites and platforms, increasing engagement and sales! 

To utilize Story Links,  just tap on the “add sticker” icon in create mode and select the “link” sticker. You’ll then be prompted to add the redirecting URL and have the option to customize the sticker text.

Social Justice is a hot-topic on social media right now. In 2022, the interest in activism, especially with Gen Z users is high, and social justice advocates are some of the most active users on Instagram. If your brand is connected or aligned with a social cause, charity, or non-profit, this is the perfect time to use your social media presence on Instagram to promote those causes. 

Collaborative Albums are a new interactive feature introduced to Instagram in the Fall of 2021. This feature asks users to share their own Story based on a specific theme. Anyone can create a new theme with “Add Yours” stickers. Brands can use this feature to create challenges or calls to action. Followers can then add their content to the collaborative album. Like User-generated Content on Facebook, Collaborative Albums allows consumers to be involved in the branding and promotion of the businesses they love.  

You might be interested: How Instagram is helping Latina entrepreneurs survive the pandemic

social media, twitter

Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash

Twitter 

Twitter is a platform best known for its short-form content and opportunities for engagement. On twitter, fans are able to interact with celebrities, and content is spread rapidly through re-tweets and hashtags. Brands and small businesses can make the most of Twitter’s features by incorporating the platform into their marketing strategy. Some latest Twitter trends to try out include: Livestream Announcements, Asking Questions, and Relevant Hashtags. 

Livestream Announcements help direct traffic to your latest stream. For brands with many followers this is a great way to get the word out about live virtual events. Brands can also use Twitter to Live Tweet during the streams, so viewers can interact with brands live as they watch. 

Asking Questions is another great strategy to implement on Twitter. Since Twitter is known for it’s quick, short content and “retweets” and “replies”, asking questions on Twitter is a great way to engage in conversation with customers. Ask relevant questions, use questions as an ice-breaker to get larger conversations started, or utilize poll features to better gauge the opinions of your followers. 

Relevant Hashtags are super important on a platform like Twitter where hashtags are used as doorways to new audiences. Users searching specific hashtags will come across your content and this can be a great way to draw in new followers. To best utilize hashtags on your content, be sure to use simple hashtags that aren’t generic and don’t overdo it. Using too many hashtags, especially ones that are not relevant to your content will annoy users and decrease your credibility.

You might be interested: Lights, camera, action! Key strategies every Youtube newbie needs to know

youtube

Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash

Other Useful Tips

Live Streaming – People enjoy engaging in live interactions, especially since the pandemic livestreaming has become a way for people to connect and socialize. Use your livestreams as an opportunity to build your community. Be consistent with your streams. Go live on social media at the same times each week or whenever you schedule your streams and be sure to include engaging calls to action for your audiences.

Free Giveaways – People love free stuff! And most will usually exchange contact information for a freebie such as their email. Building up your mailing list is important for any brand or small business, so consider offering something for free on social media to build up that list and potentially obtain some new customers too.

Popular Video Platforms to utilize – Visual media is becoming increasingly important in our lives since the pandemic. As we mentioned, livestreams have become more popular in the past few years, but stories and other short-form video content are also on the rise as social media trends in 2022. Be sure to incorporate some of these video platforms in your branding and marketing strategies this year.

  • IGTV
  • Instagram Reels
  • Twitter Fleets
  • Facebook
  • TikTok
  • Snapchat

Be sure to keep these social media trends in mind as you plan your marketing and branding strategies in 2022!

bullying, antibullying, students,

Bullying online became bigger during the pandemic and added more concern

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Leah Kyaio is a Professional Development Trainer, specializing in the area of diversity and inclusion. She is the CEO of With Respect, LLC, which provides unique expertise, experience, and tools for engaging resistance within the workforce as well as issues where previous diversity work has resulted in divisiveness, violence, or toxic work environments.

Below, Leah shares her expertise on navigating the topic of bullying for minority students during the pandemic, both online and offline. 

Leah Kyaio, personal development trainer and CEO of With Respect, LLC. (Photo courtesy Leah Kyaio)

Throughout the pandemic, children have struggled with keeping connections to their peers strong and healthy. Bullying has always been a concern among school-aged children, and that didn’t just disappear as schools shut down and moved to largely virtual instruction. 

 With the tech-savviness of today’s children, adolescents, and teens, bullying online (cyberbullying) has added a new level of concern for parents and schools. Research indicates that cyberbullying has increased during the pandemic. Bullying online is harder to control, and in most cases the things posted online are out there forever. 

With old-fashioned, offline bullying and cyberbullying remaining an issue even throughout the COVID pandemic, it’s up to parents, teachers, and administrators to pay attention and brainstorm ways to curb the problem.

Minority students often experience a level of bullying that differs from their white peers. According to studies, racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to experience alienation and loneliness, especially in a virtual school environment where isolation is a factor for everyone. As the diversity of schools continues to expand, inclusion takes more and more of a front seat in conversations. This raises the stakes of managing issues like cyberbullying. 

The Sins of the Fathers (and Mothers)

Not only were children grappling with a historic pandemic, but the summer of 2020 brought a civil rights reckoning on the heels of instances of police brutality against the black community. Black Lives Matter and Critical Race Theory started to appear in the news frequently, causing rifts in thought and opinion. Within these heated discussions, the idea of equity in the classroom came under fire. As children watched adults battle it out on and offline, the influence bled into their thoughts and words. As has always been true, children’s actions mirrored that of the world around them. Add to that the stress of the pandemic society and it is logical that cyberbullying increased.  

“It’s integral for quelling bullying to open conversations regarding equity, acceptance, and understanding various minority experiences,” says Leah. (Photo courtesy Leah Kyaio)

Opening the conversation on systemic racism seemed to give license to a myriad of implicit and explicit biases, with students of color more and more in the crosshairs, showing up as questions, crass statements, emphasis on stereotypes, and Oppression Olympics (“I’m more oppressed than you because….”). 

The Internet is Forever 

 Emerging science suggests people’s brains are not done developing until age 25. Kids and teens often show a lack of understanding of the permanency of posts online. They live their lives in social media circles, and whatever they may be experiencing, from pandemic shutdowns to racial tension, peppers their interactions. The result is they have little connection to the idea that what they type today may come back in not-so-good ways later. 

Teaching Respect 

 When working with students, I teach the tools of maintaining respect, not because I like you, accept you, or even know you, but because we are all human. Taking our lives online runs the risk of diminishing our human-ness, in some ways. Students are far more likely to say things and engage in bullying behavior they would never dream of doing in person. The anonymity that virtual interactions sometimes provide leads to harsher words, greater criticisms, and discriminatory actions. 

It’s integral for quelling bullying to open conversations regarding equity, acceptance, and understanding various minority experiences. The more students understand one another and listen to the stories of their peers, the more compassion and empathy they learn and demonstrate. This instruction should include how to ask questions and stay curious as well as learning the antidote to the language of shame, blame, and judgment. It is the art of emphasizing how words, online and off, can hurt and how to state opinions without making enemies. 

You might be interested: Why words matter: The negative impacts of racial microaggressions

Creating a safe environment for students to learn about one another and speak openly about issues is integral to mitigating the issue of bullying. Compassion and grace are required if there is to be any expectation of change. We can do this by reminding our children that the rules of respect apply to their behavior online as well as offline, that if they wouldn’t say it to a person in front of them, they shouldn’t type it.  

anti-bullying,

“When working with students, I teach the tools of maintaining respect, not because I like you, accept you, or even know you, but because we are all human.” (Photo courtesy Leah Kyaio)

As adults, it is important to remember the trauma that bullying and prejudice can cause and recognize how much more vulnerable minority students become in the virtual world. This can be one of our primary motivations to teach all students how to be respectful.

 Educational institutions are becoming increasingly more diverse related to sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, immigration status, gender identity, and creed. Institutions need to have a secure plan that includes compassion and education to decrease instances of bullying online and off and to support students in learning to manage their virtual experience with respect and dignity.  

About Leah Kyaio

Leah identifies as Two-Skinned, having a Blackfoot mother—a Native American Tribe—and an Appalachian white father. Her early childhood experiences gave her insight into the privilege provided by the white skin she wears. That same early experience and trauma made clear the connection of the historical trauma of her Native heritage. With that early lived experience of white privilege and seeing the disparities across race, gender, and class, she recognized her unique position to be able to speak and teach the tools necessary to engage in deeper conversations in the forever process of mitigating the impacts of systemic oppression. That’s where With Respect LLC was born. Through her business, she does diversity differently, finding that by teaching tools of respect and belonging, the consequential behavior changes lead to dignity and respect across all the -isms.

Yvette Bodden

Become an Awakened-Woman and your Best-Self with author Yvette Bodden

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Yvette Bodden is the Founder and Author of Awakened-Woman, a digital platform designed to inspire and invigorate women. She is also the author of A Journey to Becoming the Best-Self. Her writing seeks to empower and encourage women searching for personal definitions of success to build strong communities through vulnerable and powerful storytelling. 

best self, awakened woman

From Yvette Boden’s website https://awakened-woman.com/2021/07/15/a-summer-reading-list-to-inspire-self-exploration/

Since its launch, Awakened Woman has amassed tens of thousands of followers, with a plethora of articles centered around celebrity profiles, relationships, love, abuse, motherhood, and Latino culture, infused with Yvette’s signature blend of pragmatism and compassion. 

Yvette symbolizes the strength of an empowered Latina woman and her passion for empowering others is endless. As a single mother based in New York City—a metropolis she credits for her open mind—, Yvette regularly channels her own growth experiences. She has contributed to outlets like SmartCoparent and DivorceHub.com that focus on personal crises.

Yvette is also a motivational speaker, channeling her own growth experiences to empower others. In 2021, she was named one of the “Bella Bosses We Admire” by Bella Magazine. 

Healing and becoming your best self post-divorce 

A Journey to Becoming the Best Self, divorce, marriage, post-divorce, Yvette Bodden

A Journey to Becoming the Best-Self by Yvette Bodden.

Yvette made her debut as an author in 2019 with her first book, A Journey to Becoming the Best-Self, published by Black Rose Writing. The book is described as “part memoir and part prescriptive fiction,” and was inspired by Yvette’s own post-divorce path from devastation to joy and received high praise from The U.S. Review of Books. 

“This is a book not just for women faced with divorce, but for anyone searching for meaning in their lives.” –Sublime Book Review

In A Journey to Becoming the Best-Self, Yvette weaves together her own personal narrative with practical advice to show other women how it is possible to find acceptance and joy after losing a marriage. 

“The word ‘divorce’ itself has a negative connotation, and rightly so. It can be one of the most painful life-changing events in anyone’s life. An emotionally crippling event for many women, initially it was nothing less than devastating for me. However, it has been the most significant growth experience in my life,” Yvette wrote. 

A Journey to Becoming the Best-Self is the story of how a woman comes out on the other side of pain much stronger and more beautiful.

You might be interested: What you should be reading and watching this Hispanic Heritage Month 

Her desire to share her own story and experiences in both her book and online platform is to show other women that they are not alone. 

“I did not set out to be an author. The intention for writing this book and creating the AW platform has been to help women feel less alone, and hopeless while empowered to go after the life envisioned. I believe sharing our stories creates connection, helps heal and learn the lessons,” shared Yvette in an Instagram post. 

Yvette Bodden, Awakened Woman

womanawakened: #tbt #ᴛʙᴛ #giselleextravaganza 2019 Book Launch Party was incredibly special. (via Instagram) 

“Awakened-Woman.com is a community built to inspire, empower and encourage you to live your best life. Hopefully, it will plant a seed in others to find their greatness, too.” 

Yvette Bodden’s debut novel A Journey to Becoming the Best Self is available for purchase on Amazon. 

YouTube, visual branding

Lights, camera, action! Key strategies every Youtube newbie needs to know

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In 2021, more than 2.3 billion unique users go to YouTube‘s site each month, consuming more than 1 billion hours of video each day. Additionally, 90 percent of people say they discover new brands or products via YouTube. For businesses, this means YouTube is a prime advertising arena and a crucial platform to utilize for branding. 

In our visually driven digital age, video and images are what sells. Potential customers are drawn in by enticing and eye-catching visuals. With the widespread use of smartphones, online videos are easily available at the swipe of a finger.

Society is “moving towards images and video; this is how we want to digest information,” said Toronto coach Matthew Hunt of Small Business Online Coach.

Online videos can also be a more economical form of advertising, giving businesses a great alternative to expensive television commercials. “Web videos reduce the amount of capital that a business needs so that they can create their own commercials, infomercials and other such videos,” Garret Silva wrote in Web Video Mastery.

As a global platform, YouTube draws in audiences from over 100 countries and is available in 80 languages. Currently, 62% of businesses are already using YouTube to post video content. Video content is a great way to increase engagement and develop a relationship with your company’s target audience. Web videos grant companies the opportunity to form an emotional connection with their audience and further encourage brand loyalty as well. 

Entrepreneurs who wish to do more than just keep up with the competition should begin to incorporate online video as part of their marketing strategy. YouTube content can take a variety of forms, from short, information based videos, to advertisements, or longer lectures, web seminars, and series. 

3 Key strategies to get started on YouTube

  1. Have a niche.

“To achieve success on YouTube you must have a niche,” media entrepreneur Jamal Edwards wrote in the Telegraph. The young entrepreneur, who grew up in London and now heads SBTV, is multimillionaire.

Regardless of the product or service being sold, the content should target a specific segment of the online universe.

Latina in Business’s YouTube channel is an extension of our editorial platform. Our niche is minority women entrepreneurs and business owners. We post content such as webcast interviews with Latinx leaders, virtual workshops, and conversations with industry professionals on various topics surrounding business, diversity and inclusion, and entrepreneurship. 

 Instead of trying to reach all audiences, focus your content on one audience. By focusing on a niche, you can target its marketing, maximize brand awareness and achieve more success.

  1. Be memorable.

Entrepreneurs should create video content that is memorable and distinctive as compared with the millions of other clips uploaded daily. Consider that 400 hours of video content is uploaded to YouTube every minute, according to YouTube. With that volume being shared on the Internet, an entrepreneur must figure out how to best resonate with the online community.

Attractive thumbnails are another component that will draw viewers in and keep coming back. Be consistent with your visual brand so that viewers will be able to recognize your content from the rest.

You might be interested: 3 Latest video trends successful businesses use to engage their audiences

  1. Don’t bet the farm on one platform.

It is no secret that YouTube is the most popular name in the world of video platforms. But along with YouTube, other platforms carry video, including Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Vimeo as well as Facebook.

Entrepreneurs should avoid shaping a video strategy focused solely on one platform. Failing to develop a plan involving other platforms puts the entrepreneur at risk if the primary platform fails or changes its business model to the entrepreneurs’ detriment. Consider utilizing other platforms to post varied video content.

Sites like Instagram and Twitter are great for posting shorter clips. Instagram also offers the option of livestreaming, which is great for longer content and engaging in the moment with your audience. Facebook is a good place to reach older audiences and share longer videos, such as reposting past livestreams or information based videos. Vimeo’s user-base is known for its more creative-driven content. Many students and filmmakers utilize this platform to share their short films and creative projects. If your brand is focused on producing creative and experimental visual content or you aim to reach these audiences, this might be a good platform to use. 

Finally, TikTok is the newest and most popular among young, Gen Z audiences. Teens use the platform to create short-form, entertaining content, similar to what Vine used to be before the app shut down. It may be harder to reach audiences on TikTok, but if your brand is young, fresh and targets this demographic, TikTok could be the perfect platform for your brand.

A picture is worth 1000 words when branding your business

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We’ve all heard the phrase before: A picture is worth a thousand words. This couldn’t be more true in our current digital age where visual media has become a key component to how businesses advertise and communicate with clients. As any business owner knows, promoting your company is an integral part of ensuring an organization’s success in a commercial environment. Positive branding allows companies to not only expand, but also attract new clients. While there are a variety of ways to market and advertise a company, one key avenue is visual branding.

4 Interesting ways to promote your business through visual branding

Create a catchy and visually appealing logo or brand image

Many business owners forget that having an attractive logo is one of the first ways to catch a potential client’s eye. There are a variety of free resources online that can help you create a logo for your company, such as Canva. Canva offers a variety of tools and templates that will allow you to create your own personal logo. This is a great option for new, small businesses that may not have the funds to spend on a custom logo. However, if you’re not too artistic and do have the money to spend, enlisting a graphic designer will ensure that you have a one-of-a-kind logo designed that truly conveys your brand messaging.

Use visually-based social networks

Now more than ever, visual branding is a crucial component to a business’ social media presence. Perhaps in the past, social networks were driven more by written content, but in recent years visual media has become the center focus of most social media platforms. From Instagram to Facebook and Pinterest, images are now doing a lot of the talking for business promotion. As customers, we are drawn to eye-catching photos and while we’re told not to judge a book by it’s cover, it’s hard not to make judgement based on visuals.  The truth of the matter is, the better visuals you have as a company, the better you will look to potential customers.
Pinterest

You can easily use Canva to create no-hassle, eye-catching social media posts. Canvas templates are specifically designed to fit each platform’s proportions.

Utilizing visual branding for your business’ social networks is a great way to draw in new customers. On networks such as Pinterest and Instagram, you have the ability to not only share pictures that are informational sources for your company, but also promote and share other resources you may have, such as pictures of your staff, infographics, company events and the like.  And always keep in mind that your prospects and clients enjoy seeing what goes on behind that scenes at your business—it adds an extra layer of personality and uniqueness to your company and what you deliver!

Turn your client testimonials into images

Yes, clients will usually convey their feedback of your company verbally—not visually.  However, this doesn’t mean you can’t get creative!  Take a quote from a client and using basic tools in Photoshop, Canva, or another image-creating program and devise a simple background and use the quote.  Then brand the image with your logo.  You can then share this simple graphic on your social networks, place it on your website for added “testimonial flair”, or even include it in a brochure.
Enlist the help of stock photos

Stock photos are a great resource that every business can utilize. As a business you do not need to break the bank on professional, high quality photos for your business. May stock photo sites, such as iStockPhoto, allow you to purchase a subscription to access thousands of quality images to compliment blog posts or social media posts. Additionally, there are many free stock photo sites that also provide high-res images for use with attribution, such as Unsplash, Pexels, and Freepik.

By using a stock image you ensure that the file’s resolution will be perfect and you also avoid facing any issues for using a copyrighted image that you find via a Google search. Remember, there are image companies out there that have a staff that simply polices the Internet, looking for any abuse of their owned images.  If you happen to pull one of their images off the Internet and use it without permission and without purchasing the file, you can face stiff fines and even legal action for copyright infringement.
Aside from the benefits of avoiding legal issues, stock photos also allow you to create interesting visual landscapes. Many stock photos are taken by professional photographers who create interesting and creative layouts, such as in the image above. These creative images are eye-catching and exactly the sort of photo that would captivate a potential client scrolling through social media. Many stock photo licenses also allow you to remix and edit their content, meaning you can personalize a stock photo to better fit your company’s brand image.
In closing, always remember that consumers, in general, are visual creatures and they respond better to advertisements, online content, and other materials that have stunning, eye-catching images.  Get creative in how you communicate visually with your clients and prospects and you will be remembered!
This article was originally written by the Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce’s Editorial Team and published in 2014. It has been updated for relevancy. 

hiscec_aboutsmallThe Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce is a business to business membership-based business association focused on providing tools and solutions to members to increase their presence online. The Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce offers Internet marketing services that help you to promote your products/services; to build business relationships and to collaborate with potential clients via an exclusive social network and it helps you to increase your sales using the e-commerce and marketing tools that are available for premium members.

instagram for small businesses, instagram,

How Instagram is helping Latina entrepreneurs survive the pandemic

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The pandemic put most brands into turmoil, if not out of business. It’s a dire situation for all businesses, but the minority-owned businesses bear the brunt. This is especially true for Hispanic-owned businesses, which took a 42% nosedive in sales from February to March 2020 alone. A similar report even suggested that the impacts of the coronavirus would be twice as bad on black- and Hispanic-owned brands than for white-owned businesses.

Despite this outlook, many Latina entrepreneurs weathered the crisis by pivoting their operations. These Latinas turned to Instagram to reach consumers and connect with others in the community. Get to know these three Latina-owned businesses that beat the odds via Instagram.

Cafe Con Libros (Bookstore)

The bookstore closed up shop in early March of 2020 when the pandemic broke out. It was a tough decision for Latina owner Kalima DeSuze since the business relied heavily on their storefront— they sold coffee and pastries. But DeSuze knew that it was the best thing to do in the interest of her staff and customers’ safety.

41-year-old DeSuze took social media, SEO, and e-commerce courses to learn how to effectively use Instagram. Applying what she learned, the bookstore gained 15,000 followers on social media. DeSuze successfully tapped into online retail and created a platform to share books authored by women of color in the process.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Cafe con Libros (@cafeconlibros_bk)


Flower Bodega (Floral Design & Content Studio)

Florist and owner Aurea Sanabria Molaei was forced to rethink her business strategy after the pandemic hit. Her 2020 contracts started to fall through almost all at once. She came up with the idea of creating floral kits instead.

She would scramble to deliver all the kits to customers around New York. After completing deliveries, Sanabria Molaei would host a live floral arrangement class on Instagram, filmed from her studio. Other brands took notice and now ask Sanabria Molaei to do Instagram takeovers and live video sessions to teach floral design.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Flower Bodega (@flowerbodega)


Franca (Ceramics)

It was a massive blow to Jazmin de la Guardia and her business partner when their wholesale accounts shut down, crippling 95% of the business. This was when they decided to look to social media to drive sales up.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by FRANCA (@franca_nyc)


The Franca staff poured their efforts into growing their Instagram account, and it proved to be a success. Online orders started to come in, and their products even caught Michelle Obama’s attention. She commissioned a line of mugs as part of her ‘Vote 4Ever Merch’ collection. 

You might be interested: 3 Marketing challenges Latina-owned businesses face

How you can maximize Instagram for your business

Maintain high-quality visuals

Aesthetics is crucial on Instagram. It’s a photo and video-sharing app, so there’s simply no room for shoddy shots.

Your photos and videos need to look professional if you want to be taken seriously— well-lit, in high-definition, and tasteful. Furthermore, make sure that your posts are cohesive. Choose a theme or color palette that best reflects your brand and stick with it.

Follow a schedule

More than pretty visuals, you need consistency to keep followers engaged on Instagram. This is why you need to plan out your content calendar in advance. In fact, you can even use a dedicated Instagram scheduler to ensure this calendar is followed down to the minute.

Some schedulers also deliver personalized insights that let you know when your followers are most engaged and suggest the best time for you to post. This is especially important given Instagram’s latest update to their algorithm, where new posts are noticed more. 

Take advantage of live videos

Take a cue from the Flower Bodega and the Fashion Designers of Latin America, start doing live videos. This gives you a unique opportunity to showcase your products as well as your brand personality in a more casual and intimate way.

Instagram allows you to broadcast live through the Stories format and even the IGTV format, which lets you upload longer-form videos, too.

COVID-19 put a strain on Latina entrepreneurs, but it’s also proven how their entrepreneurial skills and tenacity can tide them through even the most difficult times.

resources for Latinas in business

10 Free online resources for Latinas and other women small business

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Latinas are unstoppable! That’s why we decided to bring you these 10 free online resources for Latinas in business, to take your business to the next level. Of course, if you are a woman entrepreneur or small business owner, you can also take advantage of these resources! 

resources for Latinas in business

10 Free Online Resources For Latinas In Business

If you’re looking for the best free online resources for Latinas in business, that means you are serious about business! Let us show you the best resources we’ve found so far for Latina business owners.

We know there are a lot of specialized tools out there, but when we are starting with our business we need to save every penny we get. That’s why we wanted to create this list of free resources to help your business grow: 

Marketing Resources

These are some of the most useful platforms to get the marketing part of your business right on your first try.

Hubspot’s Website Grader

free resources,

This free tool allows you to analyze your most important customer touchpoints. It looks at things like SEO or responsive design and gives you a grade from 1 to 100. 

This is a particularly useful tool if you are not sure why you are not getting visitors or conversions. In short, this tool tells you which areas are working and which ones don’t.

SocialOomph

When dealing with multiple social media accounts, this is a very useful tool that can help you keep track of what you post and where. 

This tool also lets you schedule your posts and it offers you a keyword tracker. If you are starting your business and don’t want to lose track of your social media interaction, the free version of Social Oomph is for you.

Google Keyword Planner

free resources

Good ol’ google! This tool is designed to help you deal with everything related to SEO. It gives you some valuable insight into keywords and search trends. This platform can even help you predict if which keywords will work the best for you. It is free to use, but you need to have a Google Adwords account.

Free Digital Design Resources

If you don’t want to invest in a Graphic Designer, we have 3 options that can help you get a professional-looking webpage or post, in minutes.

Canva

free resources

By this time, you should have heard about it. It is a very friendly platform that allows you to create some basic design. The best part is there are a lot of pre-made designs! You can just take one, change text and images, and that’s it! 

Elementor

This is a web design platform that you can use in your WordPress website. It lets you create your page, and add images and text by just dragging boxes.

Once you got your WordPress account you just have to download and install Elementor and you can start improving your webpage. The biggest benefit of this platform is you don’t have to know anything about code or graphic design to create an amazing site.

LogoMakr

When you start a business, getting a proper logo can be expensive. So if you want to have just a quick logo to start your Facebook or Instagram page, you can use Logomakr. This tool lets you make very basic designs, add text and create simple, but colorful logos for your business.

free resources

Business Development Resources

Platforms and resources that can get your business on its feet or support you to make it bigger.

SBA 

The Small business Administration of America helps people to manage, star, build or grow their businesses.

This institution has been with us since 1953, bringing aid, counsel, and protecting small business owner concerns.

You might be interested: SBA to Prioritize Smallest of Small Businesses in Paycheck Protection Program

SCORE

SCORE is a non-profit organization and partner of the Small Business Administration. This platform is a huge network of volunteers and business mentors that has helped thousands of businesses to grow or get started since 1964. While they have some paid products, most of their programs are offered at no cost.

Hispanic Online Marketing

While the platform offers many services at a cost, their blog contains a lot of useful resources and network opportunities for Hispanic people.

As they put it, they feature best practices, case studies, and research.

Resources For Training

It is always a smart decision to improve constantly, that’s why we have these free resources for you

Association Of Women’s Business Centers

This is an association that works to give economic justice and business opportunities for women. The AWBC also provides training, mentoring, and business development for women in business. 

National Hispanic Media Coalition

This is a non-profit organization that has helped create new business opportunities for Latin people. They focus specifically on Latin concerns within the entertainment industry.

Ser Mujer

In 2014 Ser Mujer was born as a program to empower women entrepreneurship inside the US. This organization collaborates with other non-profits to provide women with educational and business resources.

Funding Resources For Latinas

There are many banks and companies that offer funding plans for the Latino Community.

Wells Fargo

This famous bank has an interesting funding program focused specifically on small businesses. Here you’ll find tips, tools, and guidance to take your business to the next step.

ACCION.org

ACCION.org provides loans and can help you connect with other business owners. ACCION is a large nationwide nonprofit network in the United States that can guide you to achieve your business goals.

Kapor Capital

Kapor is an Oakland-based fund that provides support to startup companies. They provide business owners with funding, but also with education, innovation, or justice.

Network Resources

Pages and platforms that can connect you with other Latinxs entrepreneurs.

CHCI

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute is dedicated to developing Latino leaders in the business industry. It provides leadership, public services, and advocates for the Latino community in the US.

Hispanic Women’s Corporation

The HWC was founded as a response to all the obstacles Latinas face when trying to start a business. This corporation founded in 1981 aims to share experiences and resources amongst the Latin community.

Latin Business Association

A private non-profit organization that’s one of the most active Latin business communities. This organization represents over 800,000 Latino-owned businesses in California.

Conclusion

Succeeding in business as a Latina is completely possible! And with these free online resources for Latinas in business, you will get the business of your dreams in no time!

Did we leave something out? Let us know in the comments!

Written by the team at Chavez Web Design, LLC

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Sources

How sports-tech entrepreneur Victoire Cogevina is revolutionizing the world of soccer

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Gloria is a Latin word that praises God but also, the highest feeling of triumph in the soccer field. Late Maradona, Messi or Ronaldinho would bring “la Gloria” to their fans and soccer teams with a “scissor” or a long pass but nothing like after converting a goal. That is the moment when your chess feels about to explode, and you are “en la Gloria.” 

Victoire Cogevina, a technology entrepreneur, chose the name GLORIA for the platform that has become the largest social network app in the world of soccer. 

Victoire Cogevina, women in sports tech, GLORIA app

Victoire Cogevina, creator and co-founder of the GLORIA app. (Photo Credit Enrique Tubio)

How GLORIA is revolutionizing the world of soccer 

Victoire’s love for soccer led her to becoming a sports agent and co-founding the first ever female owned and operated agency. (Photo courtesy Victoire Cogevina)

Born in Boston but raised in Argentina, Victoire developed a love for soccer from a young age. Her love for the sport led her to eventually becoming a sports agent and co-founding SR ALL Stars, an international sports agency specializing in the representation of LATAM professional footballers coming into the Major League Soccer. 

SR All Stars became the first ever female owned and operated agency in the soccer world and was recognized as so by FIFA in 2018. During her time at the agency, she also became more and more interested in the area of technology within the sports industry. She quickly realized there was an immense opportunity to build a home for soccer online. With no technical background and no experience fundraising, Victoire moved to Silicon Valley in the hopes of sharing her vision with the people that would ultimately help her build it.  

“In hindsight, I did not know I was choosing the path of most resistance when I decided to pursue a career path that was historically reserved for men. I was lucky to be brought up by a woman that made sure I would never once make my gender an excuse not to go after my dreams. Today, I am aware that my upbringing was an exception to the rule and a privilege most people never get access to – unless they meet organizations founded to fight for them,” Victoire said. 

With the help of investors and her co-founder, Matias Castello, Victoire’s vision soon came to life in the form of the GLORIA app. 

GLORIA is changing the landscape of the soccer world by helping players around the world get their big break and be discovered by scouts and coaches. In a world that is becoming increasingly tech driven every day, more and more athletes are getting discovered through social media and YouTube. Technology is the future, especially for the young generation of today who spend most of their time socializing on Instagram, TikTok, and SnapChat. 

You might be interested: Venezuelan tech entrepreneur revolutionizes social storytelling with video-sharing app FlickPlay

GLORIA app, soccer

GLORIA app is changing the world of soccer by leveraging the power of social media to help athletes across the world get discovered. (Photo courtesy Victoire Cogevina)

Advocating for women in sports tech 

As a woman in sports tech, Victoire is a passionate and outspoken advocate for gender equality in sports. She currently serves as a United Nations Women speaker fighting for gender equality in soccer and advocating for female footballers and professionals in the industry.  

She is also sharing her professional and advocacy experience with the Women In Sports Tech (WIST) team and fellows. 

WIST’s mission is to drive transformative growth opportunities for women at all stages of their careers throughout the sports tech and innovation landscape, while also introducing middle and high school young women to the wide array of career paths in the industry. Their vision is to be the ultimate global community of women and men that connects women at all experience levels with the business leaders who want to hire them, from internships to board seats. 

woman in sports tech, soccer

Victoire Cogevina speaking on ESPN. (Photo courtesy Victoire Cogevina)

WIST founder is the amazing mentor Marilou McFarlane. The program’s popularity is due in part to her incredibly inclusive and friendly personality, and her welcoming open arms.  

“We are humble, share our own stories of courage and failure freely, and provide a community of mentors and role models to encourage them to join this business, which may have felt intimidating before now. We are multi-generational, mutually respectful women and men working together, and dare I say, we have fun! We are in this business because we love to play and watch sports! We love the sports business and using technology to improve all aspects of the game, on the athlete performance side or the business side. We work in sports tech ourselves, across all categories, and can provide a role model for women in everything from sports tech startups, to business intelligence on the league and team side, to innovations inside larger sports and tech companies like Nike, IBM and Intel”, says Marilou. 

Victoire hopes that the GLORIA app will be a tool and resource for all athletes but especially female athletes who historically have struggled to be discovered in the male dominated soccer industry. GLORIA’s focus is on showcasing players’ talent, regardless of gender, giving female athletes a fair chance to stand out and shine. 

Change is HER: Inspire women to run for public office 

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Currently, women are underrepresented at all levels in the 500,000+ elected offices across the U.S. In fact, women make up 51% of the U.S population, yet less than a third of elected positions. Change is HER is working to change this by inviting and encouraging women to run for public office. 

change is HER

Change is HER campaign is inspiring women to run for public office. (Graphic courtesy She Should Run).

The Problem

One of the factors that prevents women from running for public office is that they simply do not consider themselves qualified. Additionally, women are less likely to be invited and recruited to run for office than men. 

“Being invited or encouraged to run for office leads many individuals who otherwise might never consider the option to suddenly throw their hat in the ring. And women are just as likely as men to respond positively to recruitment as men, but they are asked much less often.” 

Percentage of women and men who are recruited to run for office. (Graphic source: 10 Things to Know about Women’s Representation in the United States)

The Solution

To combat these setbacks, She Should Run, in partnership with award-winning advertising agency BBDO Worldwide, have launched a nationwide public awareness and action campaign to reach 5000 diverse, change-making women who are not yet thinking about running for office but should be. The “Change is HER” campaign targets women who already contribute, every day, to the wellness of their communities, through action, support and care. 

By highlighting their accomplishments, the campaign aims to inspire them to run for public office. Change is HER believes that if a woman has changed someone’s life, they could be one run away from changing many others. If they care, they are already qualified.

The campaign is running across social media using hashtags #changeisher and #sheshouldrun on Instagram and Twitter. 

People are encouraged to the stories of the influential women in their lives and invite them to run for public office. 

Inspire the women in your life, or take the leap yourself 

Change is HER highlights three incredible women in their campaign video; Alexis Sanchez, Olympia Auset and Ebony N.Mayo, who have dedicated themselves and their time to help others, as they are celebrated and encouraged to run for office by those who have witnessed their actions. 

Olympia Auset, Ebony N. Mayo, and Alexis Sanchez are three incredible change-makers in their communities who have been encouraged to run for public office. (Image courtesy Change is HER campaign). 

Olympia Auset dedicates her time to the health of her community, in South central LA, through a low-cost organic grocery program. 

Ebony N. Mayo is an actress and founder of a cigar company who volunteers every weekend with the Brown Bag Lady organization, to help the homeless people of their communities.

Alexis Sanchez is a trans activist who is dedicated to empower transgender youth among other fights.

Their stories are inspiring and uplifting reminders that women have and deserve a place in leadership. Women already occupy workplaces and professions that have the most direct consequence for our daily lives, such as healthcare and education, yet they still are underrepresented in elected positions.

If you know a woman who would be great in elected office, invite her to consider the possibility. It could make all the difference! 

You might be interested: 12 Latina leaders honored in 2020

She Should Run is a nonpartisan nonprofit working to increase the number of women considering running for public office, by identifying and tackling the barriers to elected leadership.

Their programs unveil the many pathways to leadership, guide women toward discovering their “why,” and connect them with a supportive Community who are in varying stages of their own journeys, ultimately building their confidence toward a future run for office.