#there are even more articles on the brown daily herald that are worth reading i think shorter posts tend to get more traction but | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

clairebeauchampfan · 4 years

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Simple Racism? Maybe it’s more complex than that

Looking at the abuse Caitriona Balfe receives on a daily basis from supposedly ‘feminist’ women (′sisters’!? don’t make me larf ) because she has apparently married the ‘wrong’ man, a man who doesn’t fit in with the kind of man they wank over: outrageously handsome, six-pack, boyish charm, outward personality, lots of PDA, financially successful......someone like Sam (aaaaaah.....), it puts me in mind of the great Meghan/Kate debate.

I know a lot of people, particularly Americans and Persons-of-Colour, had an understandable knee-jerk reaction to the way Meghan, an American citizen AND a woman-of-colour, has been treated by the British Press and some of the public. However the way in which she was (unfairly) compared to Kate has more to it than simple racism. Here’s an interesting article from The Atlantic Magazine, 16th January 2020 that explores the issues:

Meghan, Kate, and the Architecture of Misogyny

Policing correct female behavior keeps all women in their place.

HELEN LEWIS

Are you Team Kate or Team Meghan? If you’re anything like me, you don’t want to pick a side—and you don’t think there should be “sides” at all. Yet ever since Meghan Markle married Prince Harry, parts of the media have pitted the former actor against her sister-in-law.

Where Kate Middleton was once depicted as a dull social climber, she is now presented as the epitome of female virtue: a respectable, silent, discreet, and selfless mother. Meghan must therefore be her opposite—a political, manipulative, “woke” careerist.

Essentially, the two duchesses have been assigned to opposite sides of the culture war. All kinds of seemingly unrelated items have become symbols of one side or the other—quinoa, avocados, the English flag, attitudes toward the death penalty—and now Kate and Meghan have been conscripted too.

Kate is held up as an icon for traditionalists, metaphorically baking cookies (as Hillary Clinton once said stay-at-home mothers do), while Meghan has become the emblem of modern womanhood, outspoken and socially progressive. Never mind that they might just be following their own personalities and interests; they have become representatives of two distinct political positions. By carving up the messiness of female lives into a stark binary, the choices open to all women—not just Meghan and Kate—are limited.Women’s lives provide a particularly vivid arena for the clash between traditionalism and modernity because we love to interpret women’s choices as commentary on other women’s choices. The Meghan-versus-Kate clash has echoes of the “Mommy Wars,” the feminist shorthand for how every decision made by a mother is interpreted as a rebuke to other mothers who choose differently—breast- versus bottle-feeding, C-section versus “natural birth,” stay-at-home mother versus “supermom.” (It is notable that Prince William and Prince Harry, despite their own different temperaments and approaches, are not being turned into cultural avatars in the same way.)

There is a long tradition of regulating female behavior by defining women in opposition to one another. It is a familiar pattern in the coverage of American first ladies too: Think Laura Bush versus Clinton or Melania Trump versus Michelle Obama. While researching my history of feminism, Difficult Women, I was struck by a pattern in which “good girls” are promised an escape from misogyny, as long as they are docile and conformist—a pattern that has race- and class-based overtones. When Christabel Pankhurst and Annie Kenney staged the first suffragette protest, in Manchester in 1905, a newspaper article about the ensuing court case condemned their behavior—they shouted and spat at policemen—saying it resembled that of women “from the slums.” The report added: “It was regrettable that such a charge should be brought against persons who ought, at least, to be able to control themselves.” The aristocrat Lady Constance Bulwer-Lytton, another suffragette, wrote in her memoir that upper-class women were inculcated with “a maiming subserviency … so conditional to their very existence that it becomes an aim in itself, an ideal.”

Kate has now been anointed as the standard-bearer of that ideal. Tabloid headlines about her have become noticeably kinder since Prince Harry’s relationship with Meghan was announced. She was once deemed vulgar and hopelessly bourgeois, a schemer who chose to study at the University of St Andrews in Scotland precisely to ensnare Prince William. She and her younger sibling Pippa were the “wisteria sisters”—“highly decorative, terribly fragrant and with a ferocious ability to climb.”

How times change. Kate is now the woman against whom Meghan is judged and found wanting. “Of all the pictures published in this tumultuous week for the Royal Family, one stood out for me,” the Daily Mail’s Amanda Platell wrote on January 10. “It was of a smiling mother-of-three in jeans and a jumper … No tears or tantrums here, just a woman happy with her lot and who understands how to behave as a royal.” (Platell, like many other columnists in British right-wing newspapers, is a recent convert to Katemania, having previously condemned her “wardrobe malfunctions,” long hair, approach to parenting, and flight-attendant mother.)

This new valorization of Kate is racially inflected, because Britain’s most durable template of respectable womanhood—the “English rose”—is much less accessible to anyone foreign or dark-skinned. The language used to indicate Meghan’s blackness has been noted by some writers, even as it fails to register with many white Britons: She is “exotic,” “urban,” “straight outta Compton.” The author Afua Hirsch told NPR that mixed-race people see in the coverage of Meghan “very colonial narratives about how we should be so grateful that we were allowed in.” But this “English rose” framing is not an unalloyed benefit for those anointed as the “right” kind of women, either. If minority and working-class women are attacked for being unruly and ungrateful—for not knowing their place—their wealthier white sisters are, in the feminist theorist Catharine MacKinnon’s description, dismissed as “effete, pampered, privileged, protected, flighty, and self-indulgent.”

The pro-Meghan side has also embraced the culture war. She has been presented as a symbol of change—the first person of color in the royal family, an avowed feminist, a divorcée, and a woman with a successful career of her own. But as Nesrine Malik, the author of We Need New Stories, has argued, the radicalism of an actor marrying an aristocrat has often been overstated as a marker of progress. “When black and brown voices heralded the Meghan-Harry wedding as some sort of watershed moment on race it was, to use a problematic word, problematic,” she wrote. Inevitably, there are those who argue that any criticism of Meghan must be driven by racism. Although some of it undoubtedly is, Britain also has a long tradition of deeming royal women unsuitable— yet pointing this out is taken as denialism and white obliviousness.

As a result, much current commentary reads less like scrutiny of the specific situation at hand and more like artillery barrages in a proxy war. The real subject is anxiety over female emancipation and women’s roles in public life. In this framing, any praise for one duchess must be a negative commentary on the other. To be pro-Meghan is to be anti-Kate, and vice versa. Everyone is invited to pick a side, as if choosing a sports team. It is part of a broader trend where political discussions morph into something closer to battles between fandoms.

The trouble with a culture war—the reason there’s never a cease-fire—is that everyone gets what they want from it. One side prides itself on “defending traditional values,” speaking the plain truth about snowflake-Millennial duchesses and sticking up for the Queen (What did she do to deserve this?). The other sees itself as championing diversity and progressive values, standing up to racism and calling out the excesses of the media. Television and radio programs get inflammatory debates; participants burnish their in-group membership; big political arguments are thrashed out on-screen alongside pictures of attractive celebrities in lovely clothes.

But all women lose when women’s lives are boiled down to these simple binaries: selfless mother against ruthless careerist. Meghan is a mother too. Kate has political interests, such as mental health and early-childhood education. Both have nannies and live in homes worth millions. Not everything they do is “sending a signal” or “making a statement”; some of their personal choices are just that: personal choices. By focusing only on the differences between them, we lose sight of the institutions—the royal family and the architecture of misogyny—that constrain them both.

HELEN LEWIS

is a London-based staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Difficult Women: A History of Feminism in 11 Fights

[For the record, like most people here, I was delighted when Prince Harry married Meghan, not least because she was a woman-of-colour, thus making the monarchy at a stroke more inclusive for people-of-colour who might otherwise feel excluded. Which is why I am so disappointed - indeed, pissed off- at them for apparently cutting and running. Britain has made huge strides in the last 60 years to being a more inclusive country, to the point where the second and third most important government ministers (Treasury and Home (Interior)) are people of colour. In a f*cking Conservative government, mind you! A point conveniently overlooked by certain NYT/Guardian journalists who have made a career out of ‘proving’ how racist -and sexist - we Brits are. And yes, I know, much, much remains to be done. We’ve only had two women Prime Ministers, for example...so far.]

#Outlander #caitriona balfe #harry and meghan

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digitalmark18-blog · 6 years

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Top Social Media Trends to Watch Right Now

New Post has been published on https://britishdigitalmarketingnews.com/top-social-media-trends-to-watch-right-now/

Top Social Media Trends to Watch Right Now

The world has never been into social media as much, as it is now. There are more than 3 billion active users on Facebook, LinkedIn and other social platforms. This is almost half of the worldwide population. Many businesses continue to find social media is the most effective way to reach audiences.

We realize it perfectly at Chanty. Building a simple AI-powered Slack alternative, our team has just started sailing in the rough waters of social media. This is how I got curious about the top social media trends for businesses to pay attention to.

I’ve dived into dozens of articles and expert opinions on the topic, picking up the most important social media trends. I’ll briefly review them in this article, providing some case studies. Have a read at the 7 social media trends to pay attention to this year.

1. Videos are good, live streaming is better

We all know videos rock, right? According to Cisco forecasts, 82% of all consumer internet traffic will be video by 2021. Pre-recorded content works well, but the benefit can be even greater if you incorporate live streaming into your marketing mix. Live streaming makes up 66% of all internet usage, and this number is growing. The options for live broadcasting are endless.

A live streaming case study.

Dunkin’ Donuts’ live tour of the DD test kitchen. Video source.

In 2016, Dunkin’ Donuts, a US coffeehouse company, debuted with its first Facebook Live video. The presenters gave a sneak peek to their “test kitchen” and created a big donut-themed wedding cake. This behind-the-scenes video attracted 48K viewers so far, which is quite an impressive number considering the unpretentious topic of the video.

Here’s a tip. Going “viral” won’t help much if you’re not reaching your target market. Be sure to use content marketing tools, such as Google Analytics to measure ROI.

2. Micro-influencers can work magic

This social media trend might be your safest bet. Influencer marketing is one of the most trusted forms of advertising. Influencers tend to have higher user engagement than content generated by brands. But guess what? Way too often, star campaigns didn’t cover the expenses.

The thing is that celebrities may seem a too far apart from their fans, so they don’t get enough empathy from their audience. However, bloggers who have fewer followers (approximately 10K) are perceived as more authentic and relatable. This helps them to engage more people in their promotional campaigns. So, sorry, dear Kardashian family, we’re turning to everyday people.

A micro-influencer marketing case study.

Banana Republic influencer campaign. Image source.

Banana Republic’s Instagram campaign can serve as a successful example of the micro-influencer marketing. The American clothing retailer works extensively with bloggers who try on its clothing in a variety of settings. By seeking fashion influencers known for their sense of style Banana Republic claimed to reach a large and targeted audience.

There is another advantage of turning to micro-influencers. Having a smaller group of followers, they can afford to keep things personal, responding to comments and messages.

Here’s a tip. Make sure that the influencers you choose fit your target audience. If you work worldwide, remember that the popularity of social media platforms varies by region. For example, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat are banned in China. Instagram, however, doubled its user base in India last year.

3. Tell your story (using ephemeral content)

Ephemeral content tops record levels. Instagram Stories grew up to 400 million daily users. So why do people love the short-lived content? I would say, it’s because of love and fear. First, it plays on the FOMO (fear of missing out). We don’t want to miss any news about summer discounts of our favorite brand, right? Second, people (especially millennials) love authentic connections to brands, which is exactly what ephemeral content offers.

An ephemeral content case study.

The Instagram Story of the Beyond Yoga brand. Image source.

Here’s a typical example of how a retail company uses the ephemeral content. In this Instagram Story, Beyond Yoga features a woman getting through her workout in the branded clothes. This is an effective way to create buzz for a new product.

The ephemeral content provides plenty of possibilities for marketers from unveiling a product line to the behind-the-scenes coverage of a company’s workflows.

Here’s a tip. It’s a good idea to keep your content personal and casual. It shouldn’t take visitors away from the main feed of your social media account.

4. Get a friendly chatbot

Here’s the thing: your customers would love to talk to you. In case you’re busy, they won’t even mind a friendly bot. Since marketers became aware of this, live chats have been an integral part of sales. When customers engage with a brand via chat, they are 4.5 times more likely to make a purchase and far more likely to become loyal clients. The hyper-personalized customer journeys make visitors feel they are special and worth attention.

A chatbot case study.

Kia Motors chatbot. Image source.

Many brands design Facebook Messenger chatbots to answer questions and requests from their potential customers. Above is a common example. KIA, a South Korea automobile manufacturer, introduced a chatbot. It can answer car buyers’ questions and guide them to the vehicle that fits their needs. This feature resulted in 3 times higher online conversion rates.

Chatbots have a bright future, especially since they are entering the financial sector. Reportedly, Citibank is rolling out the first Facebook Messenger-embedded chatbot that will allow customers to access their financial records and conduct transactions. This is considered to herald a new era of mobile banking.

Here’s a tip. Chatbots should be skillfully crafted and work seamlessly on a variety of devices. Be sure they provide good linguistics and are bug-free. This will excite your customers, so they will come again and spread the word about you.

5. Embrace augmented reality

Nearly all talks about augmented reality start with a clause, “It’s not fully there yet.” Indeed, AR seems a lot like a promise. But a very fulfilling one. It has been slowly conquering apps, games,

global positioning systems and… social media. We already feel at home with AR selfie filters

– bunny ears and mustaches used in Facebook or Instagram Stories.

However, in May 2018 Facebook introduced a more advanced AR feature – the camera effects in Messenger. The idea is the following: when users are chatting with your company’s bot, they can click “try on looks”. The command opens up the camera pre-populated with filters and AR effects specific to your brand.

An augmented reality case study.

AR for the Facebook Messenger Platform. Image source.

At launch, four brands introduced AR effects for their Messenger experiences: ASUS, KIA, Nike, and Sephora. As an example, Nike is using Messenger to promote a new pair of sneakers. The brand provides users with an exclusive sneak peek at their product. Reportedly, after launching the feature Nike saw higher engagement from users who interacted with these AR experiences.

Though not publicly available yet, AR camera effects in Messenger are to become a common solution for businesses. Meanwhile, Facebook moved on to the next tech endeavor – AR advertisements. The pilot brand partners testing the feature include Sephora, Bobbi Brown, and Pottery Barn.

Here’s a tip. For now, consider incorporating the embed branded AR camera effects into your Facebook messenger bot. The platform works in beta as of August 2018. But you can request access to it, by adding your company to the waitlist. There’s much more to come in AR technologies, so be prepared.

6. Incorporate social advertising

Your social media ads budget can be tight, as in most companies. But as Facebook continues to slash organic reach for businesses, the paid promotion might be your healthy choice. Luckily, Facebook has pioneered some of the most precise ad targeting tools ever. Do you want to target fifty-something, well-to-do, Texas farmers, who like dogs and rodeo? No problem. However, there’s a nuance you should be aware of. 53 percent of people want to see more video content, so make sure video ads fit into your social media strategy.

A social advertising case study.

Kay Jewelers’ video ad. Video source.

This video ad from Kay Jewelers, an American jewelry company, tells a quick but touching story, using just a few seconds of your time. You don’t even need the sound to get the message the company is sending.

Here’s a tip. If you are going to use video ads, be sure your ad has a clear (and, preferably, happy) ending. People view videos more passively on Facebook than they do on YouTube. They won’t have time to interpret your ad if it’s too long or complex.

7. Build communities, connect offline

People have built communities from time immemorial. This human tendency has never been so important for us, marketers, as it is now. Surfing the web, users get tired of automation and being sold to. They want real experiences and interactions. That’s why a loyal community can be a lifesaver for businesses.

Facebook Groups can be powerful for building communities. At Chanty, we started one recently, and it seems like a long and exciting journey is ahead. There are multiple ways to engage people in your community: from asking them for some feedback to building a creative promotion your customers are interested in. Ideally, it all comes to connecting in real life. If possible, take your communities to an offline setting.

A case study online to offline.

Image source.

This is an Instagram post from Kylie Jenner, the owner of a cosmetic company. She founded her business online, and it exploded in popularity thanks in part to social media. In 2016, when the company announced a pop-up store, fans were ecstatic. They finally got a chance to handle the product in-person, try out the colors, and even meet their fashion idol in real life.

Here’s a tip. Create a community for your passionate customers, but don’t try to control it too much. It’s better not to delete posts (unless it’s spam) or sanitize negative feedback. Keep in mind that your community is an extremely useful reality check and feedback mechanism and whenever possible try to find a way to connect offline as well.

Wrapping up today’s top social media trends

We’ve listed the seven top social media trends that you can’t turn a blind eye to. To recap:

Post high-quality live videos. Craft messages you send to viewers and use analytics tools to measure ROI.

Collaborate with micro-influencers, but make sure they are in touch with your target audience. Keep in mind that popularity of social media platforms varies by region.

Use ephemeral content to show the human side of your brand. Keep your stories personal and casual not to distract your visitors from the main feed.

Adopt a friendly chatbot to create a real-time engagement with prospective customers. It should be bug-free and work reliably across devices.

Be prepared for the best AR technologies coming to the social media. Consider joining Facebook AR camera effects beta program or placing an AR advertisement.

Utilize social advertising and paid promotions as the organic reach in social media has extremely declined. Experiment with using video ads, as they tend to resonate better than static image ads.

Build communities, online and offline, and provide them with great content. Consider connecting with your potential and actual clients offline whenever possible.

Did I miss anything from this list of top social media trends? Feel free to leave your comments below. And if you found this article helpful, please share it on your favorite social platform.

Aleksey Chepalov is on the marketing team at Chanty — a simple AI-powered business messenger and a single notification center. This powerful and free Slack alternative is aimed to increase team productivity and improve communication at work.

The post Top Social Media Trends to Watch Right Now appeared first on Top Dog Social Media.

Source: https://topdogsocialmedia.com/top-social-media-trends/

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unifiedsocialblog · 6 years

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Top Social Media Trends to Watch Right Now

1. Videos are good, live streaming is better

A live streaming case study.

Dunkin’ Donuts’ live tour of the DD test kitchen. Video source.

Here��s a tip. Going “viral” won’t help much if you’re not reaching your target market. Be sure to use content marketing tools, such as Google Analytics to measure ROI.