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ritsukiayame · 5 years

Text

Blue Crystals

Warnings: Implied rape

Words: 7804

Jun scrolled through Instagram as he walked slowly through the chilly classroom halls. After going through classmates’ aesthetic photos, Sailor Moon cosplay, and colorful recipe videos a bright photo of a soft swirl ice cream appeared. It was sitting in a blue and white striped cup with light blue sparkly sprinkles shimmered all over the white swirl.

Jun eyed at the pretty ice cream and looked through the hashtag. There were already aesthetic photos of the new flavor pouring all over the tag. There was even its own hashtag of people cosplaying as Elsa with the matching confectionary. He clicked on one of the of photos when suddenly the entire world went dark.

“Guess who?” Hands covered Jun’s eyes and he almost fell over by the surprise.

He touched the knuckles and smiled when he knew whose hands belong to. “Tuxedo Mask, is that you?” He pulled the hands away and turned around to see a grinning Ruki scratching his head.

He put his hands on his hips and puffed up his chest. “Not as handsome but yes it is I, Tuxedo Mask!” Ruki laughed nervously after making an embarrassing motion.

Jun giggled and without thinking he hugged him. He hadn’t seen his best friend in so long because of how busy they both were. Especially during the fall season which was at its highest peak and the soccer team’s reputation was on the line. The only time they could really converse was through text or social media. However, because of Ruki’s extreme practice schedule he could only give out a good night text to Jun when Jun waited all night for him to come home safe. Jun felt Ruki’s arms wrap around his waist and held him tighter. “You’re just as handsome as Mamoru shut up,” Jun mumbled proudly knowing he was right as he rested his chin on Ruki’s shoulder.

Ruki chuckled and moved his face to look at Jun without letting him go. His smile was so lovely that it was probably the best thing that happened all day from this cold overcast weather. “How are you doing?” He asked softly. “I’m sorry I haven’t been able to hang out. I didn’t expect soccer season would be intense this year. Our new coach has some… interesting tactics.”

Jun jumped up. He loved hearing everything about Ruki even if it was things that he wasn’t familiar with like sports. “It’s okay! We can talk about it when you’re more free. And you know I’m busy too because we have been training new recruits to our speech and debate team.”

Ruki eyes lit up and slid his hands back to Jun’s wrists and set them to their side. He caressed his fingers across Jun’s knuckles gently. “I want to know about them! Did you find any potential speech stars?”

“Yeah I think so! But we can catch up when we both are free… I missed you.”

Ruki didn’t seem to hear the last thing Jun said but stared at his hand with his phone. He brought the wrist up and looked at the screen and then looked at Jun. “What is this?”

Jun snatched his hand away and turned redder than he was from the piercing cold. “Uh… it’s the new ice cream flavor at Rail’s…”

“Oh my God! We went there for one of our games! Their curly fries are so good by the way. I didn’t know they had ice cream! Wait can I see?”

Jun showed the official Instagram page of the restaurant and tapped over to the ice cream post before showing it to Ruki. Ruki wrapped his arm around his shoulder and Jun realized he was resting his head on Ruki’s shoulder. But Ruki was looking extensively at the phone screen. “Huh… that totally sounds like something you’d get for your Instagram,” Ruki teased.

“No it’s not that! It just looks really good and cute!” Jun retorted.

Ruki laughed. “I know. I’ll take you there and we can try it.”

Jun looked up at him with wide eyes. “Wait seriously?”

“Yup. We need a new place to hang out anyway.”

Jun could feel his heart beating so fast. For some reason this felt like he was offering a date. If only he really was dating him he would have kissed him but he held himself back. “Okay! Maybe then we can catch up- oh also there’s this new show that’s out and it’s called My Hero Academia and it’s really good and-”

“Yo Ruki!” Ruki and Jun turned their heads down the hallway to the source of the booming voice. Manny, one of the forwards of the soccer team, waved his arms with Alex walking up behind him and trying to put his arms down to calm him. “Our meeting is about to start come on!” Manny called again.

Ruki sighed and he pouted at Jun. “Aww I really wanted to hear about this new show.”

“I’ll text you the info later if you want!”

Ruki buried his face in Jun’s shoulder and nuzzled his forehead like a clingy child. “I’m just so sorry… I really wanted to see you.”

“Me too…” Jun replied softly. “But we will right?”

Ruki perked up and nodded. “Most definitely! I promise.”

“RUKI COME ON!” Manny roared which caused a bunch of heads to turn in the hallways.

“ALRIGHT MOM GIVE ME 5 MORE MINUTES!” Ruki roared back. He flashed a cheeky grin and gave a slight wave as the other two boys shook their heads and went into the classroom. Ruki turned to Jun. “I’m really sorry I’ll make it up.”

“Just go it’s okay.” Jun nodded and stroked Ruki’s arm for reassurance. Ruki nodded back and started jogging towards the classroom with his hands in his sweater pockets. For some reason that made him look really adorable. Another thing to add onto Jun’s list of the things he loved about Ruki.

_______________________

Despite it being short, Jun still was happy to see him regardless. Of course he wished it was longer but fate had other things in stored for them. Jun didn’t realized that he had the biggest smile on his face while scrolling through his messages on his phone when Maya slammed her hands on Jun’s desk.

“Jun!”

“Y-yes?” He stammered as he quickly put his phone face down.

Maya blinked. “Were you looking at porn?”

Jun gave her a serious look. He rested his chin on his hands and batted his eyelashes. “Do you really think me, of all people, the cutest and most innocent person in the world, would look at that?”

Maya thought for a second as she put her hands to her chin. “Yes. You're a big contender for watching all the nasties.”

Jun frowned. “How dare you.”

Maya laughed. “So anyways, I was online and I saw this hilarious video and-”

Before she could say anything else, another classmate Neha came up behind Maya and tapped her shoulder. “Hey Maya you coming?”

Maya perked her head to the side. “Coming to what?”

Neha took a step back and had a confused look on her face. “I posted all over social media that I’m having a party tonight. The soccer guys will come with drinks. If you know what I mean… but you in?”

Maya shrugged. “Yeah sure, why not?”

“Alright I’ll see you at 7 then.” Neha was about to leave when she saw Jun and hesitated. “You should come too.”

Jun only responded with nodding but she didn’t even see as soon as she turned. “I don’t think she really meant that.”

“I don’t think she really means anything to anyone so don’t worry.” Maya retorted back.

“But are you going?” Jun asked.

“Probably we will see how much my ambivertness will lead me. Do you want to go?”

“Uh maybe…” Jun looked back at his phone and quickly sent a text to Ruki.

Jun: Hey so Neha says she has a party tonight and mentioned the soccer team is coming with drinks are you going?

“Alright well let me know if you’re going. At least I will know one familiar face if I go.” Maya whipped out her phone and started tapping. “Anyways, this is the video….”

________________________

Jun was one of the first people at the party. He sat on a couch in the basement feeling incredibly isolated with his red cup of water. He kept checking his phone going back and forth at his conversations with Maya and Ruki if they were coming or not. He hated being in situations where everyone knew each other except him. He knew of them, but not well enough to bring up his courage to have a conversation with them.

His phone buzzed and it was from Maya.

Jun sighed silently. Now he had to stay with a bunch of people that he didn’t know or wasn’t comfortable with. He hoped Ruki would get here soon but he didn’t want to send another text to look annoying. Even though he texts him everyday he still had those tight anxious feelings.

A girl with long blonde hair flung her body on top of the backrest of the couch that startled Jun. He looked closer and realized the girl was Romy, one of the more outgoing and popular girls on the cheerleading squad. Romy looked up and flashed a boxy smile. Jun could smell from her she probably had some alcohol in her system already. “Hey I think I’ve seen you before? You hang out with Ruki a lot.”

“Jun,” Jun quipped. “I’m in your English class.”

“... 6th period?”

“Yup.”

“... Oh yeaah Jun! You’re the kid that argued Mr. Roberts about that one jungle book.”

Jun winced. That was not his proudest moment that he almost made his teacher mad over the symbolism in The Heart of Darkness and he wouldn’t stop talking until he made his point final. It was an embarrassing moment for him. “You remembered that?”

“Yeah the way you talked was so cool! I wish I could talk as smart as you.” Then she peered closer and the alcohol smell intensified. “Wow you know, you’re really pretty up close! Is that why Ruki hangs out with you a lot?”

“Wh-what?!”

“Hey do you know his type by the way?”

A roar of loud cheers echoed through the entire house. Everyone around them looked up and started walking toward the stairs.

“Hey the soccer team is here!” Someone shouted.

Romy whipped her hair up and started squealing as she jumped up and down. “Oh my God Ruki is here!” She bobbed towards the small crowd up the stairs.

Jun was the last one to come out. He headed over to the group of people that were crowded around the kitchen. The soccer team stood in the middle of the crowd as if they were a bunch of movie stars. Some of the players were chattering up a storm and others were having their arms around cute drunk girls. Jun scanned the crowd and saw Ruki standing behind Alex who seemed to be in a deep conversation with one of the stoner guys. Jun didn't know how to get his attention without looking like a fool except throw a small wave. He attempted but he didn't see him. Someone shouted to direct everyone back into the basement and Jun involuntarily moved his body with the waves of the crowd.

There were more people in the basement now and Jun felt like he had no choice except to sit back on the couch. He took out his phone and looked back at the stairwell to see Alex walking and talking with the same stoner guy and Ruki following him with a giggling and ditzy Romy clinging onto his shoulder.

Jun turned his head away. For some reason it made him sick to his stomach seeing someone treating Ruki like he was a toy. He got out his phone and saw that there was an unread message from Ruki.

“Jun?”

Jun turned around. Ruki finally met his eyes and nodded towards his direction with a smile. Alex also nodded towards him and seemed to motion Ruki to go over. He brushed off Romy and waved at her as he walked briskly towards Jun. “Is this seat taken?”

“No but it's yours if you start now at $19.99.” Jun smiled as he felt like his mood was starting to come back.

Ruki dug his hands in his sweatpants pockets and pulled out his wallet and opened it. “Aw dang it I only got a 5.”

“Fine. You can sit here. It's free on Fridays.”

Ruki laughed and sat close next to him. Suddenly everything became so much better because Ruki was here and he was right next to him. Jun didn't realize he was leaning a little next to him but it didn't matter now because he just felt so much better that he was finally here. Ruki turned to him. “You doing okay?”

“Mhm.” Jun nodded not taking his eyes off of Ruki’s beautiful dark pupils.

“I'm really sorry that we came late.”

“It's okay I got your text,” Jun replied. “Things like that happen.”

Ruki pursed his lips and closed his eyes as if he was slightly annoyed at himself. “I know but I still feel bad because you were waiting. I didn't want to keep you waiting for me.”

Manny shouted something that was followed with a bunch of cheers. He fisted a beer bottle in the air and popped the top open and started pouring into the cups.

Ruki turned back to Jun. “Do you want a drink?”

Jun held up his red cup. He laughed at Ruki’s horrified face. Jun would be the last person on Earth that would get hammered. “Calm down officer it's just water. But no I'm good. Are you going to go get one?”

Ruki shook his head. “I'm not really in the mood for it. I think I'm good.”

Jun continued to look at him as he set his cup down on the floor. Jun brushed his hand on Ruki’s forearm. “Ruki is something wrong?”

Ruki looked at him with a small smile but Jun could tell that his eyes were telling him something different. “Yeah I’m fine. Don't worry about it.”

“You say that and now I’m going to be worried.”

Ruki gave him a small smile. “I'll be fine don't worry. I think.. I just really missed you-”

“HEY LOSERS WE ARE PLAYING SEVEN MINUTES IN HEAVEN!”

The crowd shifted towards the couch area as they made a large circle with the couch included. Two soccer players sat next to both Ruki and Jun squeezing the two of them like the insides of a sandwich. Everyone else gathered around or sat in a circle on the carpet in front of them.

Neha held up an empty beer bottle and explained the rules. “Alright ladies and gents! It's time to get a little taste of heaven!” An echo of “ooohs” and giggles followed from the crowd. “Spin the bottle and whoever it points to is who you get to be with in that closet over there for seven minutes.” She pointed towards the door on the other side of the room. “Don't worry it's big enough just be safe! If you know what I mean…” A louder slew of laughter ensued. “Alright who's gonna go first?”

“Me! Me!” Romy shouted.

Whooping and laughter increased as the girls handed over the bottle. Romy rubbed her hands on the bottle in a suggestive way which excited the boys. She put the bottle in the middle of the circle and spun. Everyone kept their eyes glued on the bottle with cheering. The bottle slowed to a stop pointing to…

“Ruki!!” The crowd shouted his name in perfect unison that it made Ruki jump out of his seat. He looked at every direction and pointed at himself to make sure it was actually pointing at him.

Manny went over to the couch and slapped his shoulder. “Alright dude have fun!”

For some reason that made Jun’s heart sink to all the way to the ground. Air almost stopped flowing through his lungs like he couldn't breathe. Tears were about to form from his eyes until Ruki turned to him. “We are not going to do anything. I'm going to tell her that.”

“Ruki are you sure you want to do this?”

“Come on Ruki! Time is ticking!” One of the players opened the closet door to reveal that it was dark and cramped with shelves full of random junk. Romy strutted towards the door and waved at him.

Jun felt a hand on his shoulder. “Jun come with me.” Jun turned around to see it was Alex. Alex turned to Ruki. “Just go. I'll take care of it.”

Ruki nodded as if he understood what he meant. “Thanks man. I owe you one.” Then he turned to Jun and nodded. His eyes seemed to say to trust him and Jun had no choice but to accept that.

Ruki walked over to the closet as the soccer players scooted both him and Romy into the tight dark space. Neha started the countdown as soon as the door shut. “Have fun guys! Don't get too crazy in there!” she called to them.

Alex motioned Jun to come with him to the back of the basement as far away from the crowd as possible. The rest of the party goers were too busy cheering them on from outside of the closet or drinking more beer. Jun tried to turn his head away but it was making his heart accelerate into a cold sweat. “Jun are you going to be okay?” Alex asked. He wasn't very good at showing his emotions but after know him for about a year Jun could tell he cared despite his cold exterior.

“Yeah…” he lied.

“Listen Ruki is not going to do anything to her. He knows how to keep his limits and he won't do anything stupid. He doesn't want to make you upset-”

“Why are you telling me all of this?” Jun snapped. Alex raised his eyebrows because he had never heard Jun raise his voice like that. “I am not the one in control of what he wants to do it's his life it's his choice.” Jun realized how loud he was when the room got quiet. He turned around and it seemed like people started to give up one by one. He turned back to Alex feeling really guilty. “Sorry.”

“It's fine. I just…” He looked into the distance trying to find the right words. “I know Ruki isn't that stupid. And… he really really cares about you. Like a lot.”

Jun looked at him quizzically. “What do you mean?”

“Like… today even. He got really annoyed that practice went over time. He's usually pretty serious when he gives out instruction but he looked like he was mad. He was almost yelling at everyone to hurry up. Everyone was really uneasy too. When I asked why he said it was because he didn't want to keep you waiting.” Alex took a big sip from his cup as if the beer was just water.

Jun couldn't believe that Ruki was actually annoyed that he wasn't able to see him sooner. Before he could ask Alex anything else a drunk soccer player came up and put his arm around Alex. “Hey Alex who's this?”

Alex nodded towards Jun. “That's Jun. Ruki’s boyfriend. The one we were talking about.”

“Alex!” He could see Alex snickering in his cup. “Don't listen to him I am not his boyfriend,” Jun huffed over his already hot reddened face.

The soccer player laughed and waved his hand. “Nah dude the team always jokes that Ruki has a lover because everytime he looks at his phone he looks like he's smitten so we thought he had a girlfriend but Tom over there saw your name so we joke that you're his boyfriend.” Before Jun could process everything he just heard the player took his hand out and tried to be as formal as possible. “I'm Elgar by the way. I'm the second best on the team.”

“Third. Ruki is the second best that's why he's co captain.” Alex corrected him nonchalantly.

“Okay whatever. Third best.” He said raising up four fingers as Alex put down his pinkie finger to end up with three fingers instead.

The rest of the time Elgar started to talk about his practice routine and his bizarre dreams about being chased by a fly monster that Jun tried hard to pay attention but the idea that Ruki was still in the closet with a drunk girl was on his mind. He battled in between thinking everything would be alright and something happened. But if something did happen to Ruki what could he do? It would have already happened and he wouldn't have any control over it.

“3… 2… 1!” The crowd chanted followed by loud cheers. Jun whipped around to see Neha whip the closet door open. Romy jumped out of the closet looking all dizzy and happy with messier hair like she had the most amazing time of her life. Ruki looked like the exact opposite. He stared at the ground with his hands in his pockets. It was hard to see from the dim lighting but his face looked really flustered and red like after running a marathon. But he also had a look of discomfort and agony as if he went through something horrific. Jun tried to tell himself that his hair wasn't that messy and it was dark so that's why it came out like that.

A couple of guys went up to Ruki and put their arms around his shoulder and started chatting with him what seemed like rounds of congratulations. Ruki only looked up and gave them a smile and one word answers.

Jun found himself walking over. Alex reached out to grab him but he followed him before Jun would do anything rash. Alex grabbed Jun’s wrist and said, “Hold on give it a bit.”

Jun looked back at Alex looking at him with confusion. “Why? He's done.”

“Hey man where you going?” The guy that had his arms around Ruki asked as Ruki pushed him away.

“I just need some fresh air. It was really stuffy in there you know?” Ruki stormed out of his way through the crowd ignoring everyone toward the stairs.

Jun yanked his wrist from Alex before Alex could call out to him. He hurried after Ruki but he couldn't see him anywhere in the house. He walked towards the living room ignoring the gross couple making out on the couch and towards the front door. Outside, Ruki was leaning against the railing on the porch staring out into what was left behind of the setting red sun behind the roofs of the suburbs with the stars starting to appear high above the dark sky.

Jun silently closed the door behind him. When the door locked Ruki turned around and smiled. That sweet smile that made Jun smile back as if it was their secret language. It was finally cool and quiet with just the two of them. The party was behind them now and finally they were alone together. Jun walked towards him as Ruki looked back out into the distance. Jun also mirrored him by slouching on the porch. The sun seemed to sink deeper into the rooftops before the last ounce of light disappeared and it was only the beginning of the evening.

A shiver went up to Jun. He brought his hands up and rubbed his own arms.

“You didn’t bring a warmer jacket?” Ruki asked. There was a slight tinge of sadness in his tone.

Jun had on a light zip up jacket over his thin t shirt but apparently it wasn’t enough. “I thought it would get warmer,” he said as he pulled his arms in tighter. “I get cold easily.”

Ruki chuckled. “I know. And I always tell you that you need to bring a heavier jacket because you’re so thin.”

Jun pouted. “It’s not my fault that I can’t gain weight anymore.”

Ruki got up and locked his arms around Jun. Jun couldn’t stop his giggling fit as he squirmed to get out of Ruki’s arms. But it was so warm and cozy that he felt like this was the safest place in the universe. “You’re right it’s your fault for being so thin so now you can’t get anywhere.” Ruki couldn’t stop smiling as he rested his forehead on the side of Jun’s golden hair.

Jun loved it so much when Ruki did that it felt so intimate even though Ruki was probably playing. Jun scrunched his head up and pretended to be in distress. “Oh no help. I’ve been captured.”

“That’s right. Zhang Junming you’re mine!” Ruki tightened his arms even more around Jun like a barricade and Jun giggled as he turned to face him and wrapped his arms around the waist of Ruki’s plushy sweater. He wanted to be like this for as long as they can, forever if it were possible.

Jun rested his cheek on Ruki’s shoulder. He wanted to ask if anything happened in the closet, but he could feel from him that maybe he didn’t want to know. He didn't know how to even start to ask. In fact, it may have been better to not know what had happened. It might have ended up differently than their relationship now. Even if Jun did find out what difference would it make? It was just one stupid teen game anyway. The Ruki he was with right now, the one that holding so close to him, was the Ruki he knew, not the one five minutes ago.

“Hey,” Ruki spoke softly in Jun’s ear. “Didn’t you say you wanted to try that new ice cream flavor at Rail’s?”

Jun looked up at him feeling the empty cold air from where the warmth of his cheek was. “But isn’t late? And it’s ice cream in fall…”

“But that’s the second best time to eat ice cream! The first one is in the winter.”

“Ruki,” Jun started but Ruki already let go and started heading towards the street. “Can we really just leave the party like that?”

Ruki turned back and called, “If you don’t catch up to the car I’m going to pay for it!”

Jun started sprinting but Ruki already beat him to the car. Jun tackled a laughing Ruki and both of the boys started holding each other for dear life and laughing until their sides hurt.

__________________________

The ice cream was even more magnificent in real life. Pictures didn’t do justice. The ice cream spiraled a perfect swirl with the perfect curl at the top. The sparkly blue sprinkles really did look like it was part of the creamy mixture. It really was like the ice cream version of crystals. It was so pretty and sparkly that Jun was afraid to even poke it.

“If you don't eat it now it's just going to be in a big puddle of shiny goop,” said Ruki coming back from the counter with hot tea.

Jun looked at Ruki wide eyed. “But it's so beautiful. What if I break it?”

“It's meant to be eaten. What else is its purpose?” Ruki took his spoon and rested his head in his hand with a sly smile.

Jun took his spoon and pressed it against his lips. “To look pretty for Instagram?”

Ruki laughed. “Oh my God you would say that.” Then he reached into his pocket to get his phone. “Speaking of Instagram…”

“Wait.” Jun put his hand on Ruki’s arm to stop him but he moved his phone to his other hand to open up the app. “But then everyone would know that we aren't there…”

Ruki scoffed and closed his eyes. “Who cares… no one is going to give a shit,” he muttered.

Jun’s heart almost skipped a beat. That was so unlike something Ruki would say. “Ruki…”

Ruki extended his arm to angle the perfect selfie. “Look up Jun.” Jun looked at Ruki’s camera to see himself and Ruki trying to angle most of the pretty ice cream. Jun quickly posed a peace sign with the spoon awkwardly in his hand. Then Ruki slid his other hand sneakily behind Jun’s back and wrapped gently around his waist and pulled him lightly to get closer in the picture. Jun tried not to show that he was getting red again but kept as cool as he could for the picture.

After a couple of snaps the boys looked at the pictures. Ruki hadn't left his other hand around Jun’s waist but he tried not to think of it. They looked at the photos and landed on one that looked the best out of all of them.

“This one.” Jun pointed. “We look cute in that one.”

“Yeah.” Ruki agreed turning to him. “But you're cute in all of them.” Jun probably lost conscious for five seconds after hearing that. After deciding on a filter they agreed that it was ready to publish. “Let me write the captions and tags. Go ahead and eat first.”

Jun sighed, sad that he had to poke into it. He scooped out a piece and tasted it. He widened his eyes at the first second the confectionary touched his tongue. A shiver went through his whole body but it was a good shiver. It started off extremely milky and creamy that melted so neatly with the after taste of cool fresh mint.

“How is it?” Ruki asked after setting his phone down. He held his other hand around Jun’s waist little tighter and caressed it with his thumb gently.

Jun scooped another bite and nudged the spoon at him, Ruki smiled and leaned down and chomped the whole scoop.

Ruki closed his eyes for a moment to indulge and process the taste. A quick shiver went down his whole body that he let go of his arm around Jun. “Oh man! That is so good! It’s so minty and extra cold!”

“Right?” Jun took another scoop of the ice cream and playfully taunted the spoon of shining blue creamery in front of Ruki’s face. He leaned in before Jun pulled the spoon back into his own mouth in one bite. He shivered at the initial icy bite when the chill moved up to his brain. He scrunched his face at the cold pain. “Arrrg.” He put his forehead on the table trying to internally fight the piercing pain.

“Brain freeze?” Ruki chuckled.

Jun could only nod in pain.

Ruki pushed his steaming mug of hot tea. “Don’t eat it too quick it’s not a race. Here is some ailments to heal you from being frozen.”

Jun turned his head to look up at Ruki who was already scooping himself another bite of the ice cream. He took both of his hands around the warm mug and brought himself to sip the warm bitter tea.

The boys took their time taking in each scoop of the ice cream, sipping tea, and even the basket of curly fries that Ruki ordered later. They sat and talked about whatever was on their mind, even stories of what was going on with the activities they were doing at school. Jun listened intently at Ruki’s locker room gossip and laughing at his attempt to imitate the other players’ distinct voice. When Ruki finished his part of the conversation there was always this silent communication that gave Jun the signal for him to say whatever was on his mind. And as always, Ruki was always listening and commenting when he needed to. Jun finally told him about the new shows he was watching and complaining about all the late night studying he had to do that he realized this might have been the most he’s ever talked in a long time. When he was with other people he was usually closed off like he didn’t want people to get into his life because he felt like he so different from everyone else that people would be turned off from it. But with Ruki, it wasn’t like that. He could tell him anything and he knew Ruki wouldn’t judge or think differently of him. It was a feeling of comfort, something that he cherished everytime he was with him. This was one of the reasons why he loved being with him.

When they were done with the food they noticed that they were the last ones in the entire restaurant. The sun was completely gone with only the street lights that started blinking to life. After a shy bus boy asked them to leave for closing, Ruki turned to Jun suddenly and said, “Do you want to go to the beach?”

Jun blinked. “But isn’t late? It’s really dark.”

“Oh… does that bother you? I’ll be with you the whole time though.”

Something wasn’t right. Usually when it was really late Ruki would ask Jun if he was tired and encourage him to go to bed early. But he didn’t this time. This meant that Ruki really didn’t want to go home. But then again, Jun didn’t want to leave Ruki already either. He couldn’t believe how fast time went by in the restaurant that it felt like they just got there. Jun grabbed Ruki’s arm and nodded.

In a swift movement, Ruki slid his hands and laced his fingers around Jun’s and took him out of the restaurant on their way to the car.

_________________________

____________________________

After a quiet car ride in the dark, they finally reached their favorite spot on the beach. It wasn’t exactly per say on the sandy part of the beach, but it was a cliff that wasn’t very steep and perfectly overlooked the ocean and the rest of the beach. It would have to take a small hike to get to that cliff but was worth it because of the view and no one else seem to have found this spot.

The boys linked arms in silence to rely on each other’s presence in the dark. They listened to the rustle of the grass that glazed against their footsteps. When they reached the edge of the cliff they sat down. The moon was very big and bright that its reflection was so bright that the ocean seemed to sparkle. It didn’t make the night as dark as it was. Jun could see the white beach and the ocean’s crawling waves very clearly. It was such a beautiful sight that he wished that they could go to the beach more often at night. He will have to tell Ruki that later and maybe even more as an excuse to see him.

Jun rested his chin on his knees when Ruki took his seat next to him. “Let me know if you get cold. We can go back to the car.”

“It’s alright I’m fine,” Jun replied. He continued to stare at the scene in front of him. “It’s beautiful here at night.”

“Yeah it is,” Ruki agreed realizing that Jun was talking about the ocean and not himself.

There was a few moments of silence except for the rolling waves in the distance. It was nice that it was just the two of them and the sound of the ocean. Then Ruki broke the silence. “Hey, thanks for not asking what happened back there.”

Jun turned to him. Ruki didn’t look back at him he continued to look out into the distance. He wasn’t sure if the twinkle in his eyes was from the reflection of the moon or it was actually tears. “What do you mean?” He asked. But he knew what it was about, then Jun realized he shouldn’t have asked.

“I mean at the party earlier.”

Jun got up and placed his arms on the grass leaning back. “If you don’t want to talk about it now you don’t have to. You can tell me when you’re ready or even if you don’t want to talk about it you don’t have to.”

Ruki closed his eyes and laid back into the grass. He put his arm across his eyes as if he didn’t want Jun to see what his eyes were emoting. Jun felt like all of the panic rushed to his heart and throat.

“Ruki! Ruki are you okay? I’m sorry if I said anything wrong!”

Ruki grabbed Jun’s arm. Jun’s heart almost broke at the sight. It wasn’t the reflection of the moon that made Ruki’s eyes sparkle. Small tears started forming at the edge of his eyes. “Jun. You haven’t done anything wrong at all. You never have. You’re so amazing and wonderful sometimes I think I don’t deserve you.”

Jun could feel tears welling up in his eyes. He moved his hand and reached Ruki’s hand. “Why.” His voice cracked. “Why would you say that?”

Ruki stared up at the sky. Stars were beginning to appear even though they were hard to see against the bright moon. “Everyone assumes I’m supposed to act or be a certain way because of who I am. I know I talk to a lot of people, I know I get good grades, I know I’m decent at sports, I know I have a lot of girls that ask me out but it’s so overwhelming. It’s like they assume I’m that guy you know? They assume because of that I have to be that person that I play this role and it ends up not being ‘me.’ I’m just pretending to put up this mask in front of everyone because I have to live up to their expectations because they think I am that person. Because I'm ‘nice’ or whatever.” He sighed trying to hold back the tears. It took a moment before he could speak again. He closed his eyes as if he was trying to find the right words. “Romy was one of those people.”

Jun squeezed Ruki’s hand tighter. He tried to push back down the imaginary bile that was up his throat hoping that whatever he heard next wasn’t what he expected.

“I kept telling her no. I kept telling her I don’t want to do this. But she was so drunk. She kept saying ‘But I want this.’” He wrapped his other arm across his eyes hoping Jun wouldn’t see the tears coming down his eyes. “I don’t even know her Jun. I don’t know anything about her other than she’s friends with Amalia and Emily. Yet she kept... kissing me.”

Jun closed his eyes trying to hold himself back. He was prepared but not for what he was about to hear next.

“I kept pushing her back but it was so dark I didn’t want to hurt her either. But she wouldn’t stop. She didn’t just kiss me on the lips. She went everywhere… and….” His words almost became incoherent and Jun could see Ruki’s cheeks becoming wetter that he felt his own tears trickling down his face. “She pulled down the zipper and wouldn’t fucking stop blowing me. I couldn’t do anything I should have pushed her away more but it was like I couldn't move. I never thought… that could happen to me…”

“Ruki.” Jun laid down next to him and wrapped his arms around Ruki’s arm and brushed his forehead against his shoulder. He brought himself into an embrace with Ruki’s arm like curling up next to a pillow. He needed to calm himself down from sobbing as well. He never expected to hear this. It was much worse that he expected. “Ruki I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry it happened to you. You don’t deserve that. You really don’t deserve that. You of all people don’t deserve that to happen to you.”

Ruki turned towards Jun and wrapped his warm arms around him and touched his forehead against his. Now Jun could clearly see the tear stained eyes with blades of grass poking from his cheek. “Why are you apologizing? This isn’t your fault.”

Hearing this made Jun cry even harder. He wasn’t supposed to he was supposed to keep his composure to comfort Ruki. But he couldn’t control it. “But I didn’t do anything. I can’t do anything. Ruki I feel so awful I couldn’t do anything.” He choked in between words.

Ruki wrapped his arms tighter until Jun buried his face in Ruki’s warm soft chest. He kneaded small circles behind his back as he left Jun sob on his chest. “You’re doing plenty. You being here and listening to me is everything to me.” Ruki laughed softly but Jun wasn’t sure if he was also crying more. “This is why I love being with you so much. You’re the only person that doesn’t make me feel like I have to put on a mask. You let me be me. You make me feel like I’m safe and I don’t have to hide anywhere.”

Jun started shaking uncontrollably from the weeping and brought his hands up clinging on to Ruki’s chest. He couldn't believe that someone would hurt him and that hurt Jun more than anything. He held onto the back of his sweater tightly. He quickly wiped his tears but Ruki brought his hands up and gently wiped it for him. It was odd, he should be the one comforting Ruki, not the other way around. “Ruki,” Jun started after catching his breath. “Please. Tell me what you need.”

“What do you mean?”

“If anything like this happens again you have to tell me what to do and I'll do it.” Jun found himself more determined to protect the one he loved the most. His voice carried through that gradual shift of confidence. “I know you always give to others to make others happy but you need them too. You deserve to have the things you want and need. So if there's anything at all, please tell me. Even if it means I have to beat Romy or anyone up.”

“That won't be necessary,” Ruki said quickly. He brought his arms down to Jun’s hands and held them tightly. He rested his forehead again on Jun’s. Jun held his breath at Ruki’s handsome features but felt his heart weep knowing in Ruki’s beautiful eyes more tears were slowly streaming out. “You don’t have to do that for me.”

“Don’t say that!” Jun realized he raised his voice at him and held himself back. “Sorry… I just mean… you give and give to others so much that it will hurt you in the end. I don’t want to see you hurt like this and it’s so unfair that people take advantage of your kindness. You of all people don’t deserve any of that.” Jun could feel tears coming back that was holding him back from speaking in his throat.

Ruki looked shocked from the amount that Jun spoke. He chewed his bottom lip then asked, “Can you promise me you won't tell anyone?”

“Of course.”

Ruki sighed deeply and closed his eyes. A single tear trickled down his eye. Jun brought his finger and wiped it away with his knuckle. Ruki grasped his hand again and caressed it so slowly and so lovingly. “Can I ask you something extremely selfish?”

Somehow that pained Jun’s heart. “Ruki whatever it is I know it is not selfish. Tell me what is it?”

Ruki’s eyes widened in a state of shock. He closed them to let more tears stream down making Jun’s tears follow more. He brought Jun’s fingers so very close to his lips he almost brushed them. “Can you please stay with me? Just for tonight?” He whispered so softly that it was mixed in with the grass rustling in the gentle wind.

Jun brought up his composure, scooted up, and embraced his arms around Ruki’s head and let his forehead touch his chest. It was such a surprising movement that both boys tried to realize what happened. But Jun knew he wanted this intentionally. “I’ll stay with you as long as you want.”

Then he felt shaking underneath his arms. A muffled quiet sob emitted from Ruki. Ruki had always caressed his fingers around Jun’s hair and now Jun was the one to do that for him, It made him feel a little lighter as he comforted Ruki. “What if I asked for forever?” Ruki suddenly asked between his silent crying.

“Then I will stay with you forever.”

Ruki didn’t speak after that. But Jun could feel that he let himself cry because he needed to. How long had he been holding this up? It pained Jun to know that Ruki must have closed himself off like this for so long. Even though Ruki explained the mask he put on for others, he hoped that someday he will take off that final mask and let Jun in to bring him all the comfort he needed in the world. He stroked his hair in circles and without thinking he lightly kissed the top of his head. He buried himself in Ruki’s soft hair and wished to himself that he would never see Ruki hurt ever again.

#short stories #what is riot #writing #writingblr #original work #original fiction #my ocs #ice cream #ruki ayame #jun zhang #alex garza

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canbayinc-blog · 5 years

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Tips for Instagram Marketing and SEO for Your Business

Instagram is no longer a platform just for part time fun. It has opened a new way of marketer for businesses nowadays. On June 20, 2018, Instagram announced in an in-house event that it had reached 1 billion monthly active users after passing 800 million in September 2017 with 500 million daily users.

But, apart from this, it is also true that some companies are having a hard time adapting a new photo-gimmick platform. But, factually, Instagram can be a great platform for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) purpose, and to reach your marketing goals. Instagram has also launched some new features, including Instagram stories and new IGTV platform, which can be very useful for the entrepreneurs as well as marketers.

All you need to do is to make a killer Instagram strategy, which will definitely help you reach your SEO goals. Some of the tips that you can apply for the SEO process using the platform of Instagram can be read in the following points.

1.Complete Your Profile on Instagram

The first thing you need to do is complete the profile of your brand on Instagram. Include the logo of your company or pic that perfectly represents your firm in the profile picture. Besides, add the bio and the website link in your company. It is possible that people may not visit your website instantly, but as you will keep on adding the engaging posts, the chances of people visiting your website will increase.

2. Add Engaging Posts

There can be a number of ways to engage the users in your posts. You can repost the photos; like and comment on others’ pics; reply to the comments of users on your posts; add pictures of your company’s events, your services, workers in action, outcomes of your services; and there are a number of other options that you can use to engage the audiences.

For example, if you are a dentist, you can add the pics of teeth before and after the treatment, as you can see in an Instagram profile named @teethbeforeafter. Similarly, you can see a post of @isdentalcare, in which you can see a dentist on work.

But, have in mind, always posting like this may not be sufficient, and you need to add the things, which should retain the interests of the users. You can find a number of examples of the company events on Instagram.

3.Host Contents for Prizes

Hosting the contests is a prominent way to engage the audiences and promote the business or practice, and Instagram has been proven to be an excellent platform for contests.

You are just required to invest a little money for giving a specific number of prizes to the contestants on Instagram, and it will help you get thousands of followers, who may turn to your clients or customers any time. Hosting a contest for prizes means boosting your Instagram influence.

You need to keep in mind that Instagram is a picture-centric platform, and users are here to enjoy some excellent photographs in their feeds. So, your post would be photo-based. Your photo must be catchy and make sure that it should be attractive. Instagram also supports the small videos, so you can use videos also for the contents.

The contests can be run in the Instagram feeds as well as story section.

4.Research Keywords and Hashtags

What keywords and hashtags are being used on Instagram, it is also a subject to pay attention, because this is the aspect, which helps you in reaching the right audiences. Usually, the tools like Google Keyword Planner are used in SEO process to find out the keywords. But, you need to keep some different approach in the case of Instagram.

Of course, you can use some of the keywords as Instagram keywords to use in the posts, or as hashtags (by joining the words and adding it after # symbol), but, it is not sufficient. The reason is people use and search Instagram with a completely different mindset. They actually search for the images or small videos on Instagram and use the keywords accordingly.

A major power of Instagram is its hashtag support without any second thought. You can search according to different criteria when you are looking for the keywords.

First, you can use the words or combination of words, which best define your products, services or the post.

Another option is some trendy keywords. Whichever trendy keywords you feel are suitable according to your posts, you can use them and can attract the right audiences. For example, you can add the trendy keywords in restaurants’ post as you can see the New Year post of Arabella Hotel & Spa, in which it invites people to its restaurant. Apart from the post-related hashtags, the trendy hashtags such as #family, #travel etc. have also been used. Similarly, you can use the hashtags accordingly in your posts if you have some other business also

Apart from the above-mentioned ones, there are the trendy hashtags, which are launched to feature some big or little achievements of the industries. They ask to add the specific hashtags to get features in their accounts, and by using those hashtags, you can get the attention of wide audiences. For instance, in the profile of @teethbeforeafter, you can see the description as “Use the tag #teethbeforeafter to be featured”. In the posts of this profile, you can see the reposts of a number of profiles of dentists who have mentioned this hashtag in their posts along with their profile names.

The hashtags with the names of countries, cities, states etc. are also added by many users, which are helpful to get the random attention of the people who like to explore the posts of the places.

When your posts start becoming popular, some of them appear in the Google or Bing search results, which can help you in your business growth. Another thing is that the popular profiles get the clicks on their website names, which increases the traffic of your website, which is also helpful in increasing the visibility of your website.

5. Use Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories – this is the feature launched by Instagram on August 2, 2016, which was taken by Instagram from its competitor Snapchat. So, Instagram was not the first to launch the stories, but still, it gained a huge success.

According to Kurt Wagner of Recode, ‘Stories’ was Instagram’s smartest move yet. Kurt says in his article, “Instagram has turned a stolen idea into a massive hit.” Time to time, Instagram launches a number of updates in Stories, which are definitely beneficial for the entrepreneur.

#Basic Use of Instagram Stories

Instagram stories appear in a bar at the top of the feed. You can see the stories by entering into the profiles. Whenever someone shares something new, a colorful ring appears around the profile pic. By tapping the profile pic, you can see the story.

You can share images, 15-second videos, text and the Instagram feeds into the stories. More than one story can be shared in a single post, and the stories have the options to mention someone to attract his/her attention towards them; and to add hashtags, location and more. If your Instagram account is connected to Facebook, then you can directly share the Instagram stories to the Facebook stories (except when you share some internal post of Instagram to the story). There are some features in Instagram stories, which have been launched for the business purpose, which will be mentioned next.

#Instagram Stories for Businesses

Understanding the business usage of Instagram, the platform has started some features, which are advantageous for the entrepreneurs. One of the features is Instagram Stories Stickers. You can add location, weather etc. with the help of stickers, but for the businesspersons, the thing that is important is the survey that they can take via sticker option. This can be done with the help of question stickers.

Now, the shopping option can also be added to Instagram stories. According to Instagram’s own survey, “42% of women on Instagram surveyed in the US say they love to shop and consider it a hobby.”

All these options are perfect for increasing traffic on your website.

6.Marketing via Influencers

An excellent method to promote business on Instagram is to be in touch with influencers in order to push your brand messaging. Celebrities, well-known bloggers, or highly connected people can be influencers. So, find influencers and select who is suitable for your niche. Reach out to them and ask if they wouldn’t mind posting content for fees or free merchandise for helping to boost your SEO.

Influencer marketing is undoubtedly one of the most effective methods to promote your business or practice via Instagram and to boost SEO.

To Sum Up

Instagram is undoubtedly an excellent platform to promote businesses and to boost SEO. You can use the above-mentioned methods to promote your business or practices over Instagram.

But, Instagram marketing is a crucial thing and should be done in the way that it could give you the outcomes of the time you are investing in it.

To get the best outcomes, you can take the help of a social media marketing services. You can also take help for assistance of Instagram SEO or any type of social media or digital marketing.

This was originally posted on Tips for Instagram Marketing and SEO for Your Business.

#instagram marketing #Instagram SEO #social media marketing #digital marketing

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dstudiouk · 6 years

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Getting the most out of Instagram

Instagram is hard to ignore, the Facebook owned network, which was launched in October 2010 has over 1 billion monthly users with over 500 million of them checking into the app every day. Initially only available on Apple’s iOS operating system, it took two years for it to appear on Android, by this time Insta - as it’s affectionately known - already had 50 million users, new Android users accelerated the network’s growth, the app was downloaded over 1 million times in its first 24 hours on the Play Store. Later in 2012, Facebook paid $1b in cash and stock for Instagram and has run it independently since.

Instagram & Artists

Instagram has always had a strong focus on developing their app for artists and designers, from the very start, founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, wanted their app to appeal to creatives;

“We knew that creative people would be a great initial audience because they have a photographic eye, even if they’re not professional photographers, and that the professional photographers would be like ‘I don’t know about square photos!”

This trend has continued, you’ve only got to have a look at all the creativity on show in the posts Instagram share on their official account (instagram.com/instagram).

User Demographics

To effectively market to an audience, you’ve got to know and understand the audience. Here’s some numbers;

80% of its users are outside of the US

There are approximately 20 million people in the UK on Instagram

68% of its users are female

95 million photos are shared on the network every day

More than 40 billion photos have been shared in its lifetime

32% of all Internet users are on Instagram

There are 25 million business profiles on Instagram

Internationally, pizza is the most photographed food, followed by sushi

Tips and Tricks

Once you’ve worked out the basics of getting around, including liking people’s posts, commenting and following other Instagrammers, it’s time to post something of your own - and whether you’re new to the network or if you’ve been on there for a while - there’s always something new to learn on how, what and when to post.

The 1, 2, 3 Technique

A simple rule to remember to help you build an audience, for every one post you upload, make sure you comment on two other posts and like three more posts. Liking and commenting on posts is a quick and simple way to get some attention.

Share Your Posts on Other Networks

If you run a Facebook Page, Twitter profile or Tumblr blog, when posting on Instagram, make sure your posts are also being automatically published to your other accounts. This will show any visitors to those profiles that you’re on Instagram and worth a follow. All you need to do is link your accounts from Instagram’s app settings.

Hashtags, mentions and tags

Where would we be in the world without hashtags? The # symbol has become a popular and powerful marketing tool, with many brands claiming a hashtag of their own. You can use up to 30 tags on a post, make them count and use specific hashtags for your content - research the tags others are using for similar content to get ideas, there’s many popular hashtags for different subjects.

You can also mention other Instagram accounts within your post by using the @ symbol in front of their account name. If for example your artwork was created using specific paints, mention the manufacturer in your post - check to see if they have a hashtag of their own too. You can also “tag” an account on your post, this isn’t a mention within the post’s text, but a way of pointing to an account directly on your Instagram image.

When to Post

There are plenty of studies and advice online as to when and how many times you should post during the day. Most will say at least once and no more than 2 or 3 times in a day. As for when, weekdays are most popular and posts made early to mid afternoon get the most attention, if you want to post more than once a day, make sure you spread your posts out - for example, one early afternoon and a second later in the afternoon, or even early evening.

Plan your posts and make sure you keep a track to see if there is a pattern, you might start to see trends - for example, seeing more likes and comments on posts earlier in the afternoon - if that’s true, change your schedule to post more often during those times.

Post Automatically

Take the manual work out of posting and use a service such as Buffer to schedule and post your Instagrams automatically for you - it will relieve the stress of “I must post this now!” when you’re in the middle of doing something else. To do this you’ll need to upgrade to Instagram Business, which has other benefits.

Upgrade to a Instagram Business Account

When upgrading to a business account you’ll have access to analytics and insights, which can give you invaluable data about your posts. Instagram Business also gives you the option to add a direct email and a direct call button your account, which are both very handy if you’re a business. Finally, upgrading to Business is the only way you can pay for promoted posts - so you if you want to pay to advertise your posts to people who don’t follow you - you’ll need a Business account first.

Manage Multiple Accounts

If you run a business account, you might also have a personal account, you can add multiple accounts on Instagram (within app settings) and switch between them within the app. It’s a nice way to separate your work related posts and your selfies and food posts!

What to post?

The type of images you post will influence the types of followers you gain, for example, if you’re looking to build a community of fellow creatives, post images that will help and inspire others, start discussions with your posts and invite comments. Here’s a few ideas;

Work In Progress shots (#WIP) are a popular post and give your followers an insight into your process and the tools of your trade.

Your work within your studio, a nice insight into where you are when you’re working.

You at work, use the timer on your camera/phone along with a tripod and carry on working, posts with people gain more engagement (likes and comments) than posts without.

Your finished work - of course - in the best possible light and ideally straight on.

Close ups of your finished work, details of paper texture or brush strokes.

Make the Most of your Images

Use Instagram’s editing tools to make sure your images are as good as they can be, shoot your work in natural daylight - but not direct sunlight. Frame your work and hang it on the wall (if possible), or use the growing trend of the flat lay photograph and shoot your work alongside other “stuff” - art materials within the shot is obvious but be creative and add some interest alongside and around your work - flowers, pebbles, toys, fruit, a coffee cup, jewellery, candles, stationary and gadgets are all popular to frame a flat lay.

As with any new project; do your research, experiment where possible and most of all, persevere. The time you put in will be rewarded, Instagram is the perfect network for creatives - it’s been built with you in mind - so sign up, get your work out there and take advantage of the 1 billion users.

Fun fact: I got on Instagram early, so early in fact I managed to get the username, ‘martin’ - however as it didn’t match my other social media profiles at the time, I closed that account and opened a new one in my full name. I still regret that decision! Nowadays you’ll find me actively managing dStudio’s account, instagram.com/dstudiouk

References

https://www.angemillerart.com/blog/2017/8/31/my-best-instagram-growth-tips-for-artists

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instagram

https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/mike-krieger-instagram-co-founder-on-creative-community-210617

https://www.avocadosocial.com/the-latest-uk-social-media-statistics-for-2018/

https://sproutsocial.com/insights/instagram-stats/

https://beebom.com/instagram-tips-tricks/

#instagram #art + framing today #fine art trade guild #instagram for artists

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bizmediaweb · 7 years

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How to Write a Great Instagram Bio: Ideas, Tips, and Examples

While you might already have developed a strategy for your Instagram posts, you may be neglecting a critically important element of your Instagram strategy. Your Instagram profile creates the first impression of your brand and is the backbone of your Instagram presence. It’s also your only chance to provide a clickable link anywhere on Instagram.

Your Instagram bio gives you 150 characters of prime real estate to show visitors who you are, what you offer, and why they should care, so it’s worth investing the time to get it right. With these Instagram bio ideas, you can be sure your profile paints an accurate and compelling picture of your brand on the social network Forrester Research called “the king of social engagement.”

Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps an adventure photographer used to grow from 0 to 110,000 followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear. Plus we’ll show you how you can use Hootsuite to grow your own following on Instagram and other platforms.

What’s included in your Instagram profile

Before you start developing Instagram bio ideas, you need to understand the key components that form the bones of your Instagram profile.

Name

The text you enter in this field appears in bold at the top of your Instagram bio. You should include your brand name, of course, but don’t stop there. This field gives you 30 characters to work with, allowing you to include a variation on your name (such as Saturday Night Live – SNL), or a keyword or two to clarify what your brand is about and help users find you (like Headspace (mindfulness app)).

The name field is included in Instagram searches, so a strategic keyword here can help users find you… but avoid keyword-stuffing, which is a surefire way to turn potential new fans away.

Username

This is your identity on Instagram, and it forms part of your profile URL, so choose carefully! Make your username consistent with your handle on other social networks so it’s easy for users to tag you on multiple networks at once.

Website

This is the only place on all of Instagram where you can post a clickable link. You can change it as often as you like, so you can link to your newest or most important content (like your latest blog post or video), a special campaign, or a landing page that specifically speaks to visitors coming from Instagram. Try using a URL shortener with a tracking code to get real-time statistics on visitors from Instagram.

Bio

Your brand’s bio needs to explain who you are and what you do, convey your brand’s unique personality, and use targeted language to show your ideal audience that they have come to the right place. That’s a big ask for a small space—you only have 150 characters—so you’ll need to get creative and use a few tricks to make your bio stand out.

So, with your other profile elements in place, it’s time to tackle the Instagram bio.

Instagram bio ideas, tips, and inspiration for brands

Embrace the emoji

Even if you feel emoji are too cutesy to use on most of your brand communication, you may want to consider adding them to your Instagram bio toolbox. The emoji you choose—from faces to animals to the more restrained symbols like checkmarks and letters—create a sense of brand personality.

An emoji may not be worth a thousand words, but where character count is tight, the right emoji can tell visitors more about your brand than you possibly could with words alone. Take a look at how Asos uses a string of emoji in the example below to show visitors what to expect from their feed while creating a sense of the brand’s fun-loving approach. (Bonus points for the pointing finger used to highlight the clickable link.)

Note the use of the ghost emoji to introduce the brand’s Snapchat handle, a commonly understood emoji shorthand. Other emoji commonly used this way are the location pin (📍 ) to note your brand’s physical homebase or brick and mortar location, and the envelope (✉️ ) to indicate your email address.

If you’re nervous about dipping your 👣 in the emoji 🌊,, you can start by using emoji as customized bullet points. Seek out an appropriate emoji to introduce each item you want to include in your bio, even if it’s just a simple checkmark.

Break it up with spacing and line breaks

Line breaks and spacing allow you to break your bio into bite-sized chunks of information that are easy for visitors to scan, so you can highlight the most important things about your brand. In the example below, Vancouver blogger Rebecca Bolwitt (a.k.a. Miss 604) combines line breaks and emoji to highlight her personal brand.

Image via Miss 604 on Instagram.

Implementing this formatting can be tricky on your mobile device, especially if you’re using an iPhone or iPad. There are two ways to achieve this look.

Mobile Method: On an iPhone, open up the Notes app and write out your bio as you’d like it to appear, including line breaks. Select all and choose ‘Copy,’ then open up the Instagram app. Choose ‘Edit Profile’ then paste the text from the Notes app into your bio field in the Instagram app and select ‘Done’ to save.

Web Method: Visit your Instagram profile, select ‘Edit Profile’ and space your bio as you’d like it to appear, then click ‘Submit’ to save. Note that when you view your profile on desktop, it will appear without line breaks.

Line breaks and spacing don’t always work the same way for web and mobile views. Since Instagram is primarily a mobile app, you can prioritize the mobile look, but be sure to view your profile on both a mobile device and a computer to make sure it looks okay in both formats.

Use branded hashtags to collect user-generated content

Nothing creates a more compelling brand story than images of real people interacting with your brand. The easiest way to collect those images is to include a branded hashtag in your bio that gives Instagrammers a way to share their content for you to regram on your own feed.

Look no further than the GoPro Instagram account to see how this concept can be used to create a beautiful feed that gets people excited about using your product.

Branded hashtags are not just for products. PayPal combines emoji and a branded hashtag to set up a feed that showcases moving money as a deeply personal service, humanizing the brand.

Image via PayPal on Instagram.

Keep in mind that any hashtags you include in your bio are clickable in the Instagram web interface, but not in the mobile app. For more Instagram hashtags and how to make them work for your brand, check out The Complete Instagram Hashtag Guide for Business.

Include a call to action

Like any good marketing communications, your Instagram bio should include a call to action—what do you want visitors to do after they visit your profile?

Airbnb uses its Instagram feed to showcase tantalizing photos of homes available to book through the service. Since Instagram visitors are sure to have their curiosity about these particular properties piqued, Airbnb’s call to action is simple: “Book from our feed.”

What is your conversion goal for Instagram visitors? If you’re showcasing visually compelling products, like Airbnb, you might want to send visitors directly to a site to buy. But you might also want people to Like your page on Facebook, sign up for your newsletter, or take some other action that aligns with your marketing goals.

Be clear in asking your visitors to take this step, and be sure it aligns with the link you entered in your profile, which will appear immediately after your bio.

If your goal is to build an Instagram following, your call to action might be simply to ask visitors to follow your feed, or to share their photos with a branded hashtag.

Include your contact information

Imagine a user stumbles across your Instagram account, loves your work, and wants to connect with you in the future. But how?

Include your contact information, like an email address, so users can get in touch directly (rather than leaving a comment on a post and risk it getting lost in a flood of messages).

Highlight what makes you special

What sets you apart from competitors?

A good Instagram business profile accurately describes what your business is and what it does. Part of that are the unique skills or services you provide as a brand. Are you a local business? Is your product ethically made? What other fun facts can you tell users about your brand? This is also a great way to showcase your company’s personality.

Include your hours of operation

While someone could easily search online for business hours, adding this information to your Instagram profile makes your followers’ lives just a little bit easier. And with Instagram’s geo-tagging feature, the platform is often used as a discovery tool by locals looking for local businesses.

With these Instagram bio ideas in hand, you’re ready to create a bio that showcases the best of your brand and compels visitors to like, follow, and even buy, all in 150 characters or less.

Save time managing your brand’s presence on Instagram using Hootsuite. Share video, schedule posts, and monitor all from one dashboard. Try it free today.

Learn More

With files from Kaylynn Chong.

The post How to Write a Great Instagram Bio: Ideas, Tips, and Examples appeared first on Hootsuite Social Media Management.

How to Write a Great Instagram Bio: Ideas, Tips, and Examples published first on http://ift.tt/2u73Z29

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unifiedsocialblog · 7 years

Text

How to Write a Great Instagram Bio: Ideas, Tips, and Examples

What’s included in your Instagram profile

Before you start developing Instagram bio ideas, you need to understand the key components that form the bones of your Instagram profile.

Name

The name field is included in Instagram searches, so a strategic keyword here can help users find you… but avoid keyword-stuffing, which is a surefire way to turn potential new fans away.

Username

Website

Bio

So, with your other profile elements in place, it’s time to tackle the Instagram bio.

Instagram bio ideas, tips, and inspiration for brands

Embrace the emoji

Break it up with spacing and line breaks

Image via Miss 604 on Instagram.

Implementing this formatting can be tricky on your mobile device, especially if you’re using an iPhone or iPad. There are two ways to achieve this look.

Use branded hashtags to collect user-generated content

Look no further than the GoPro Instagram account to see how this concept can be used to create a beautiful feed that gets people excited about using your product.

Branded hashtags are not just for products. PayPal combines emoji and a branded hashtag to set up a feed that showcases moving money as a deeply personal service, humanizing the brand.

Image via PayPal on Instagram.

Include a call to action

Like any good marketing communications, your Instagram bio should include a call to action—what do you want visitors to do after they visit your profile?

Be clear in asking your visitors to take this step, and be sure it aligns with the link you entered in your profile, which will appear immediately after your bio.

If your goal is to build an Instagram following, your call to action might be simply to ask visitors to follow your feed, or to share their photos with a branded hashtag.

Include your contact information

Imagine a user stumbles across your Instagram account, loves your work, and wants to connect with you in the future. But how?

Include your contact information, like an email address, so users can get in touch directly (rather than leaving a comment on a post and risk it getting lost in a flood of messages).

Highlight what makes you special

What sets you apart from competitors?

Include your hours of operation

With these Instagram bio ideas in hand, you’re ready to create a bio that showcases the best of your brand and compels visitors to like, follow, and even buy, all in 150 characters or less.

Save time managing your brand’s presence on Instagram using Hootsuite. Share video, schedule posts, and monitor all from one dashboard. Try it free today.

Learn More

With files from Kaylynn Chong.

The post How to Write a Great Instagram Bio: Ideas, Tips, and Examples appeared first on Hootsuite Social Media Management.

How to Write a Great Instagram Bio: Ideas, Tips, and Examples published first on http://ift.tt/2rEvyAw

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dantanasworld · 7 years

Text

Engage Twitter Audience With These Effective Boosting Tactics

How do you increase your visibility, your followers, and your sales? How can you reach your target audience without having to create a lot of content or relying on a content marketing team? How can you promote your business through unforced, natural-looking posts in social media?

Kris Ruby, the CEO of Ruby Media Group (a public relations and social media agency), wrote in her blog that according to studies, 72% of Twitter users are more likely to convert into buyers from businesses they follow compared to businesses they do not. But with only 140 characters to tantalize the viewer’s attention, Twitter requires more skills in establishing your company as an industry leader.

This is why learning the different tactics to help increase audience engagement is a weapon you must wield effectively before starting your Twitter campaign, or on any social media platform for that matter. Before we break down three of the most effective tactics there are today, let’s tap into how customer engagement is calculated.

How The Interactions Are Measured

From a post by Ana Gotter, she wrote: “Twitter Analytics can provide most of the reporting that you need. You can find your analytics by clicking on your profile picture in the right-hand corner and selecting ‘Analytics’ in the drop down. Under Twitter’s Analytics, you can see data on your:

Number of impressions over a 28 day period.

Your engagement rate over a 28 day period (which divides your number of engagement by your impressions).

Which of your tweets got the most engagement.

What types of engagement you’re getting (you can find this by clicking on specific tweets).

Your average number of link clicks, retweets, likes, and replies a day.

The number of video views your videos have gotten (this is still in beta).

Conversion tracking, which will track interaction and responses to your Twitter Ads.”

Once you have these numbers on your computer screen you can begin to select which tactics will mostly help you ignite customer interaction that would certainly lead to sales conversion. Here are three of the top sales tactics we use at www.neovora.com/, try them out and see for yourself:

1. Hashtags Never Grow Old

Twitter didn’t invent the pound sign, or the ‘hashtag’ icon which became popular and is widely used today. It has been proven that using a hashtag can double user engagement rate, which also helps users to easily find trending topics on the site. This icon is also a great way for anyone to join in a conversation that is already happening or to simply organize a conversation like a Twitter chat. Here’s a few tips on creating a good hashtag:

Aim for a something memorable, unique, and relevant to the content.

Use no more than two tags per post. Studies show more than 2 can actually drop your engagement by an average of 17%

Always use one when participating in Twitter chats.

2. Pin Tweets To Boost Top Posts

Is there a way to keep one tweet at the top of your profile for as long as you need to? Well, of course yes! Pin an important or informative tweet for your followers to see. It’s very simple and easy yet the boosting effect is a smashing hit. Just click the “…” icon on the tweet you want to pin and select “Pin to your profile page.” Neovora has several blogs that can help you promote your brand on social media. Or check out these tips:

Select and pin a tweet with an eye catching image to boost retweet by 35%.

Add a strong call-to-action line since this will serve as an advertisement on your profile, which is totally free.

And by adding a URL in the pinned tweet, you’ll get 86% more engagement.

3. Emoticons Are Cute

A plain block of text, no matter how short it is, can look boring and uninteresting. Consider breaking up the texts with emoticons. These colorful variety of characters and symbols shows playfulness which can give your brand a bit of personality. Some statistics show that emoticons can boost the comment and share rate of your posts. It can also help increase favorites up to 57%.

The post Engage Twitter Audience With These Effective Boosting Tactics appeared first on Neovora.

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neovora · 7 years

Text

Engage Twitter Audience With These Effective Boosting Tactics

How The Interactions Are Measured

Number of impressions over a 28 day period.

Your engagement rate over a 28 day period (which divides your number of engagement by your impressions).

Which of your tweets got the most engagement.

What types of engagement you’re getting (you can find this by clicking on specific tweets).

Your average number of link clicks, retweets, likes, and replies a day.

The number of video views your videos have gotten (this is still in beta).

Conversion tracking, which will track interaction and responses to your Twitter Ads.”

1. Hashtags Never Grow Old

Aim for a something memorable, unique, and relevant to the content.

Use no more than two tags per post. Studies show more than 2 can actually drop your engagement by an average of 17%

Always use one when participating in Twitter chats.

2. Pin Tweets To Boost Top Posts

Select and pin a tweet with an eye catching image to boost retweet by 35%.

Add a strong call-to-action line since this will serve as an advertisement on your profile, which is totally free.

And by adding a URL in the pinned tweet, you’ll get 86% more engagement.

3. Emoticons Are Cute

The post Engage Twitter Audience With These Effective Boosting Tactics appeared first on Neovora.

http://www.neovora.com

#SEO #Neovora

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stoneevans · 7 years

Text

15 Ways to Create Tweets that Get Action

New Post has been published on https://www.home-business.com/15-ways-to-create-tweets-that-get-action/

15 Ways to Create Tweets that Get Action

With so many tweets being delivered to every Twitter user, it can be difficult to get your tweets seen and clicked. Twitter has 320 million current active users and growing so it’s no wonder why the average Twitter user’s tweets aren’t seen (but you’re not average).

Done correctly, Twitter can still be a great source of traffic.

And as you know, if your Tweets aren’t driving traffic, then they’re not doing you or your business much good.

That’s why I’ve compiled this list of 15 ways to get your Tweets seen and clicked on by your followers.

1: Add Images

Did you know that tweets with images receive 18% more click-throughs, 89% more favorites and 150% more retweets?

And you can create multiple images for each blog post, using attractive colors, centered headlines and interesting textures.

Don’t forget to add your brand or URL, too.

For a slew of free design tools, check out this infographic: http://feldmancreative.com/2016/08/free-online-design-tools-infographic/

2: Use Faces

Studies show that few things in print or online media captures people’s attention faster than faces, so why not use them?

3: Use Your Own Face

Don’t forget to tweet your own face now and then, especially if you’re using a logo as your profile picture.

You’ll increase the stopping power of your tweet as well as build more of a personal connection with your followers.

4: Use Brackets

This is a great subject line trick as well – include something such as an afterthought in brackets, like this:

“Love the shoes [too sexy!]”

5: Quote Someone

Twitter users love quotes. They can be funny, famous, timely and so forth. When you come across something inspiring or thoughtful, by all means share it.

And if the quote is over 140 characters, feature the quote in an image.

Here are 20 tools to do just that. http://louisem.com/2573/make-picture-quotes-easy

6: Hashtag Your Topic

Your tweets are usually seen only by your followers. But if you add a hashtag or two, your tweet can potentially be found by others as well.

Want to do some hashtag research? Check out http://hashtagify.me/

7: Make Your Tweets Contagious

To get your tweets shared, Jonah Berger, the author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On, says to make them viral using any of the following:

Social Currency – how smart a user looks to others when they share your tweet

Triggers – top of mind content people are triggered to think about

Emotion – focus on feelings rather than function

Public – built to show, built to grow. Think of a brand that puts a red bottom on all of their shoes and you get the idea.

Practical Value – news you can use

Stories – tell stories people want to share

8: Add Emojis and Symbols

Non-text characters make your message stand out. If you’re using a smartphone, you’ll find the emojis right on your keyboard.

If you’re on a computer, you can download a Chrome extension or copy and paste Twitter symbols from a Twitter library such as this one. https://www.piliapp.com/twitter-symbols/

9: Ask Questions

Posing questions to your followers is an effective way to engage people.

Be sure to follow up with everyone who answers you so they know you’re listening.

And you can always highlight answers by retweeting them with your response, keeping them alive and inspiring even more interaction.

10: Use Polls

Twitter Polls are a great tool for attracting attention and engaging followers.

Click the “Add poll” icon beneath the tweet box, add up to four questions, and choose how long you want your poll to run.

11: Thank Profusely and Often

When your fellow tweeters have promoted your content or even contributed to it, thank them. This makes you look like a really nice person, plus it’s great for building relationships.

12: Use @ to Get Specific Attention

If you want someone specific to see your tweet, mention them by including their username preceded by the @ symbol.

13: Use an Image to Grab Group Attention

If you want to get the attention of a group of people, include an image in your tweet. Then when Twitter prompts you with “Who’s in this photo?” you can tag the image with up to 10 users without affecting your character count.

14: Use Twitter Cards

Twitter cards let you include additional media types – such as images, videos, audio and download links – in your tweets.

They’re not the easiest thing to use the first time, though, so you might want to follow along with Twitter’s CMS Integration Guide. https://dev.twitter.com/cards/cms-integration

15: Tweet Multiple Times

Tweets go by so fast, many of your tweets will never be seen.

That’s why you want to tweet about that new blog post of yours several times over the course of a few days.

Bonus: Use ‘Start a Fire’ https://startafire.com/

This service lets you increase the reach of your content as you share free links. Here’s how it works:

First you add a branded badge with content within any link.

Let’s say you’re sharing content from Mashable – you simply add a branded badge to the link.

Next, you share your third party content to increase engagement. After all, a link from Mashable will often get more clicks than a link from your own website.

And by the way, this doesn’t just work with Twitter – it works with Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and several other social media networks.

Lastly, your re-shared links continue to carry your recommendations to new audiences, exposing them to your content.

And you can track, measure and get instant insights on the performance of your third party content, too!

Make the very most of your Twitter time by using these little tricks to get your tweets noticed and shared. If you’re going to be Tweeting, make sure that your song is heard!

0 notes

bizmediaweb · 7 years

Text

How to Write a Great Instagram Bio: Ideas, Tips, and Examples

What’s included in your Instagram profile

Before you start developing Instagram bio ideas, you need to understand the key components that form the bones of your Instagram profile.

Name

The name field is included in Instagram searches, so a strategic keyword here can help users find you… but avoid keyword-stuffing, which is a surefire way to turn potential new fans away.

Username

Website

Bio

So, with your other profile elements in place, it’s time to tackle the Instagram bio.

Instagram bio ideas, tips, and inspiration for brands

Embrace the emoji

Break it up with spacing and line breaks

Image via Miss 604 on Instagram.

Implementing this formatting can be tricky on your mobile device, especially if you’re using an iPhone or iPad. There are two ways to achieve this look.

Use branded hashtags to collect user-generated content

Look no further than the GoPro Instagram account to see how this concept can be used to create a beautiful feed that gets people excited about using your product.

Branded hashtags are not just for products. PayPal combines emoji and a branded hashtag to set up a feed that showcases moving money as a deeply personal service, humanizing the brand.

Image via PayPal on Instagram.

Include a call to action

Like any good marketing communications, your Instagram bio should include a call to action—what do you want visitors to do after they visit your profile?

Be clear in asking your visitors to take this step, and be sure it aligns with the link you entered in your profile, which will appear immediately after your bio.

If your goal is to build an Instagram following, your call to action might be simply to ask visitors to follow your feed, or to share their photos with a branded hashtag.

Include your contact information

Imagine a user stumbles across your Instagram account, loves your work, and wants to connect with you in the future. But how?

Include your contact information, like an email address, so users can get in touch directly (rather than leaving a comment on a post and risk it getting lost in a flood of messages).

Highlight what makes you special

What sets you apart from competitors?

Include your hours of operation

With these Instagram bio ideas in hand, you’re ready to create a bio that showcases the best of your brand and compels visitors to like, follow, and even buy, all in 150 characters or less.

Save time managing your brand’s presence on Instagram using Hootsuite. Share video, schedule posts, and monitor all from one dashboard. Try it free today.

Learn More

With files from Kaylynn Chong.

The post How to Write a Great Instagram Bio: Ideas, Tips, and Examples appeared first on Hootsuite Social Media Management.

How to Write a Great Instagram Bio: Ideas, Tips, and Examples published first on http://ift.tt/2u73Z29

0 notes

bizmediaweb · 7 years

Text

How to Write a Great Instagram Bio: Ideas, Tips, and Examples

What’s included in your Instagram profile

Before you start developing Instagram bio ideas, you need to understand the key components that form the bones of your Instagram profile.

Name

The name field is included in Instagram searches, so a strategic keyword here can help users find you… but avoid keyword-stuffing, which is a surefire way to turn potential new fans away.

Username

Website

Bio

So, with your other profile elements in place, it’s time to tackle the Instagram bio.

Instagram bio ideas, tips, and inspiration for brands

Embrace the emoji

Break it up with spacing and line breaks

Image via Miss 604 on Instagram.

Implementing this formatting can be tricky on your mobile device, especially if you’re using an iPhone or iPad. There are two ways to achieve this look.

Use branded hashtags to collect user-generated content

Look no further than the GoPro Instagram account to see how this concept can be used to create a beautiful feed that gets people excited about using your product.

Branded hashtags are not just for products. PayPal combines emoji and a branded hashtag to set up a feed that showcases moving money as a deeply personal service, humanizing the brand.

Image via PayPal on Instagram.

Include a call to action

Like any good marketing communications, your Instagram bio should include a call to action—what do you want visitors to do after they visit your profile?

Be clear in asking your visitors to take this step, and be sure it aligns with the link you entered in your profile, which will appear immediately after your bio.

If your goal is to build an Instagram following, your call to action might be simply to ask visitors to follow your feed, or to share their photos with a branded hashtag.

Include your contact information

Imagine a user stumbles across your Instagram account, loves your work, and wants to connect with you in the future. But how?

Include your contact information, like an email address, so users can get in touch directly (rather than leaving a comment on a post and risk it getting lost in a flood of messages).

Highlight what makes you special

What sets you apart from competitors?

Include your hours of operation

With these Instagram bio ideas in hand, you’re ready to create a bio that showcases the best of your brand and compels visitors to like, follow, and even buy, all in 150 characters or less.

Save time managing your brand’s presence on Instagram using Hootsuite. Share video, schedule posts, and monitor all from one dashboard. Try it free today.

Learn More

With files from Kaylynn Chong.

The post How to Write a Great Instagram Bio: Ideas, Tips, and Examples appeared first on Hootsuite Social Media Management.

How to Write a Great Instagram Bio: Ideas, Tips, and Examples published first on http://ift.tt/2u73Z29

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