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kakiokuru · 7 years

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NOBORIZAKA: NOVEMBER RAIN

Chapter Eleven | Unrequited Feelings

It’d have taken a miracle. For Reika, she trained as hard as her tiny body possibly could. Under Nanami’s intense training regiment, not a single second was wasted, not a moment’s rest was allowed, and especially not a fraction of energy was used for anything but focus. Yet, after all the blood, sweat, and tears put in, the reality was, she was marching to her death with Kazumi in tow. The training she was under was less than gentle, working until the group was scolded to leave by the school’s custodial staff. All in all, Reika was lucky that she missed one punch from a very reluctant Yumi, even luckier with the hits that did connect since they were light and gentle to any normal person. Reika had the bruises to show for it too.

“Ahh, I always feel ready for anything after a good, long meal! Thanks for the food Reika!” Kazumi patted her stomach with an overzealous grin. “I bet everyone else will be jealous they didn’t come along! Having gourmet food from a person with your type of budget was amazing!” Kazumi stretched her arms out, thoroughly pleased by the day thus far. Having a well-earned lunch the day after a hard day’s training was the ideal way to go into a big event in her eyes. “The meat will really keep you energized for your fight! Proteins are everything!” Kazumin then proceeded to list the beneficial nutrients and vitamins of the food they just had. It was the one thing that she strived in.

Reika smiled meekly, clutching her tablet. She thought having lunch beforehand may give her stamina, or perhaps make Kazumi happy enough to leap into her position. But the further along they went, the more of her spirit left her body. She felt her heart beating uncomfortably and her gaze was hard to raise from the ground. She was genuinely afraid, all of the confidence and drive just… died as soon as she woke up today. But Yumi said she believed in her so she had to do this. She had to make her proud somehow, hoping that there was some underlying chance that Yumi would look her way. And if that meant being destroyed by a girl who was named for a low class athletic activity then so be it.

“Ah yeah, the fight.” Reika pressed her index finger against the side of her head from habit. Normally glasses would be adjusted this way, but today she had to wear contacts. There were definitely no Maeda-like triggers to be had with her, besides her glasses were expensive. “We should probably have a code, for when you need to step in.” Reika nodded once as she leaned towards Kazumi. “Like a safe word, or as wrestlers would put it; a ‘tag in.’”

“Tag in?” Kazumi tilted her head.

“It’s when one person switches to another fighter during the fight. Sometimes they clap hands or say a certain word.”

“Heh?! I'm only here for when you can’t fight anymore… There's no need, I’ll be there when you can't get up.”

“Wouldn’t it be more reasonable to do it when I need it rather than when I’m already defeated?”

“Maiyan’s plan is to come in after, not during.”

Reika sighed, staring down at the concrete underneath her loafers. “There really isn't a way around this, is there? I'm going to die today.”

Kazumin then gave the president a hearty pat on the back. “Oh, don’t say it like that! No yankee has ever died from a challenge! Naachan told me so. Yankees just take really long naps, like Waka!”

Reika paused in her tracks, darting her attention at the bigger girl. Was she serious? She knew Kazumi wasn’t the smartest but there were no way she was that oblivious. She had to be playing some kind of mind game or wasn’t taking her seriously. “Th-that’s not right at all! My records clearly show that there have been at least one yankee related death from a little over five years ago, during Maeda’s time!” Reika stared at her in firm shock, adamant to disprove the tank. “Nishino-san must be lying to you and a very unreliable source of information if she says things like that because that is blatantly false.”

Her brow visibly twitched. “Naachan isn't a liar.”

“In this case, yes she is a liar. I'm sure this isn’t her first dishonest act towards you.” Reika spat back at her, a little bit more spiteful than she had intended. Surely, Kazumi couldn’t be this naive. “A good friend wouldn’t make a dangerous lie like that.” Reika spoke with her thoughts aloud, even uttering her personal biases that she’d usually keep to herself. This time pertaining to her dislike of the particular girl in question. “Although, Nishino-san isn’t really a good anything if I'm honest…”

That struck a nerve. Kazumi stopped in her tracks with a firm crunch of the thin veil of snow, crossing her arms over her coat in a huff with a large frown painted on her lips. “Naachan is a great friend, I’ve known her since we were in preschool. If she wants to tell me things to spare my feelings then that means she's an even better friend!!” Kazumi practically shouted at the schoolmate in her already naturally booming voice. “Do you think I’m stupid that I really wouldn’t know people could die?! Going through life spouting negative feelings and dark facts will only make you sad, so shut up! You don’t know anything!”

Reika scrunched her face in discomfort upon realizing what she had said and to whom. Nanase was Kazumi’s best friend and therefore would no way would share the same distaste for the former. She wouldn’t even know the president’s situation or why she would have a single reason to dislike Nanase, no one should but Yumi at this point. There was no way her words could be justified–

“You’re only talking smack about Naachan because Waka liked her more back then… That’s unfair! You’re mean!”

Reika’s eyes nearly fell out of her head, snapping wide in disbelief. Her mouth fell open as she could only stammer in the shocking realization. No way… No way Kazumi could have known. No one should have known about her affections for the yankee. No one was meant to know and she couldn’t have been obvious. They were feelings she buried within her so just how? Reika wouldn’t even record it in her personal records, a thing that included even excruciating detail in every other account. From illnesses, to baby photos. But nothing ever on Reika’s sexuality.

“How did you… I-I think you’re confused, Kazumin.” Reika raised her hands in an attempt to feign ignorance. “Something like that would be idiotic to get angry over, besides I’m not–”

“I’m not smart but I’m not stupid. Just because I don’t get high marks on tests doesn’t mean I’m blind! I notice things!! You’re the real idiot here!” Kazumi puffed her cheeks, actually shouting. “Go alone, I didn’t want to fight anyways!!” In a robust huff, Kazumi stomped off in the wrong direction, choosing to go the convenience store route over the path home.

Reika was alone on a Majijo school path.

Rather than fear, she was filled with remorse, regretting over the words she used in a topic that was more personal she was too late to realize. Kazumi didn’t get angry often or easily, but Nanase was her best friend, would kill and die for her. Reika knew that and she still crossed the line. She should have stayed quiet. Being intelligent was a blessing and a curse, more often than not unable to understand social cues and was careless in the way she handled emotions that weren’t her own. Now she had to pay for her mistake, everything was on her completely. There was no running from this.

Walking the trail while fighting her cold feet, Reika kept her head high. By now, the yankees recognized the white top and dark plaid skirt, what school the timid president represented, and why she was here. Fighting up to the gate meant nothing, so no one touched her. In fact, because of the broken knee incident from a few days prior, they backed away and cleared a path for her up until the front doors. The prissy girls are the ones to look for, and Reika was definitely one of the more sophisticated ones among them. They didn’t want to risk it. However, looking into her eyes all you could see was screaming. The knowledge that she could possibly end their teams noble struggle with one fatal misstep weighed heavily on her shoulder. God, she was really doing this.

Reika bit back her hesitation and strode into the school while mustering up some sort of aura of confidence. Once inside, the smell once more hit her like a brick wall. This time it was the overly spicy kick of hot pot broth wafting through the air and into her nose from a classroom as she walked down the hall. She still couldn’t believe the school allowed a gas burner in the middle of a class, even a Japanese charcoal grill for that matter. But the girls who would crowd around the boiling pot quickly made sure to spread news Reika was there, earning her a small audience at her heels. They quickly made sure Reika knew what they were thinking, cursed and slurred, bash and intimidate, anything to make her lose her nerve. All that bounced off her supposed tough skin as she kept herself grounded with Yumi’s pep talk. The girl of her affections was counting on her.

Sooner than later, she let the crowd subtly direct her to the bottom of the stairs. There was no way she could climb them. It was something no one should do unless it was to take on the top, unless they wanted to be beaten down that is. With all the ruckus, one would simply assume Yoga would know and head down. That didn’t stop the Noborizaka president from calling out in a firm voice.

“Iriyama Anna, I’ve come to fight for Noborizaka’s name.”

Loud clacking against the tiled stairs sounded her end. From around the corner, a girl with the most sleek and orderly hair, wearing a purple rayon sukajan appeared with a calm but dark aura around her. Her piercing eyes honed in on the prefect, giving her a hateful and unamused glare. The students behind her all moved two paces back for every step Yoga took, gripping the walls out of fear and respect. Her cold, uncaring eyes scanned the crowd in disapproval. The day had only just started and the atmosphere was already been tainted with malevolent energy sourced from the small fry about.

“The air here is bad.” Yoga stopped mere inches from the class president, gazing around the corridor before meeting her eyes. “Follow.” Was said clearly, before the elder girl glided around her and down the hall to the right.

“A-Ah, yes ma’am.” Reika nodded a couple times, her hand coming up to adjust the missing glasses out of nervous habit and hugging her tablet to her chest as she hurried to follow along.

Three rights, a couple long halls, and a cut through the back courtyard. Reika was given a very generous tour of their derelict excuse of a school. From it, she gauged there were absolutely no teachers, just loose girls doing as they pleased until the school said they could graduate. She had to wonder what merit there was in attending a place like this. What was so appealing about being a yankee and graduating with no education? Reika would never understand.

It seemed like Yoga couldn’t find ‘good air’ until the two were in the gym storage closet. The door shutting behind Reika’s back was the heaviest sound she had heard in a long while, earning a small jolt of fear from her. This gym appeared similar to the one in Noborizaka but the stark difference of cleanliness and overall inventory left an impression. These girls couldn't even have proper equipment for recreational activity. That or they've been stolen or used for unintended purposes. Either way, Yoga deemed this place to have ‘good air’ so Reika has no more than a few minutes to say her prayers.

“You know, I hate dirty things.”

Reika perked up, bringing her attention off of her nerves and to her rival. She did know that, had records saying so. It was why Reika decided to take extra care in her presentation.

Yoga slid her jacket off, neatly hanging it on a hook against the wall. “Dirty faces, dirty clothes, dirty language.” Listing as she turned, she pressed her fists into her hands, cracking her knuckles against her gloved palm. “But you, you’re different.”

Reika felt her uneasy feelings grow with each pop of her opponent's joints, her heart beating loudly in her ears. She had spoken for school assemblies, reported to high position parents and faculty, but nothing gave her nerves like this. “I-I understand.” She quickly emptied her pockets, carefully placing her precious tablet next to her possessions by the door, tying her hair into a neat ponytail with the thin scrunchie on her wrist.

“You understand nothing. You aren’t a yankee.” Yoga raised her hands, pressing them together in front of her chest and prayer position, her signature fighting stance. “You’re barely a fighter. Your aura bears no trace of hostile nature at all and yet you stand before me. You aren't fighting for anyone’s sake. You’re only trying to save face in front of your friends and classmates.”

Reika’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “That’s not–”

“It is, isn’t it? One look at you and I can clearly see that you aren’t a match for even the lowest weeds in Majijo. This is a wasted effort. A waste of everyone’s time.”

“You’re wrong!!” Reika balled her fists, raising them. For once she could feel a small frustration burn inside of her.

“Am I now?” Yoga narrowed her eyes.

“There is someone.” All she could think of was that hand against her head, that warm smile that gave her hope and told her how she was believed in. They tried so hard to prepare her for this moment. She couldn’t let them down. She couldn’t let Yumi down. “There is someone that I’m fighting for.” Her fists clenched deeper into her palm as she felt a wave of emotional adrenaline well up inside her. “Wakatsuki-san is counting on me… she said she believed in me! So, come at me with all you have! I won’t lose!”

Reika took a deep breath, lunging forward towards the Queen. Her fist flew into empty air, her eyes crashing closed the second she moved and unable to realize that the other girl was already a step ahead of her. It earned her a sharp palm against the chest and then an elbow to the spine, sending her directly onto the floor. With the wind knocked out of her, Reika curled into herself as she experienced true physical pain for the first time.

“Fighting for someone’s sake isn’t enough.” Yoga stared down with uncaring eyes.

The Noborizaka president was pitiful, coughing and trying to steady her breath again. One move and she already looked done. She could completely tell that Yoga didn’t even use her full force with that hit, only trying to incapacitate her. Was she not worth it? Was she that weak? Either way, how did she really expect to win?

No, no more negative thoughts. Reika wasn’t finished yet, she could endure the pain. This was nothing compared to the near three years of heartbreak. She had to fight back. At least hold out and land one hit. Something to take pride in. With a loud groan, she peeled herself off the dusty floor, holding her chest and gasped out. “I can’t lose, I won’t! She’s relying on me so I refuse to go down like this!”

Another lunge, another sloppy swing. Yoga didn’t need to do anything more than take a step to the right and slap opponent’s back firmly with her palm, sending the girl into the wall with a loud thud. However, as she watched her rival hang off the wall, her words resonated with her, struck a familiar chord that Yoga understood too well. She let out a soft sigh, lowering her hands. This girl was just like her. Pining for the approval of someone who would never pay her even a glance. The need and want to be part of the life of the person she admired so fondly. She pitied Reika, because she was just as Yoga was.

“Give up. That girl isn’t going to want you even if you miraculously beat me. Like I said, a waste of your time.“ Locking eyes with her opponent, she saw a clear reflection of herself behind those deep brown eyes. She liked someone she had no chance with. “Have some self-respect and fight for yourself. Not for someone who might not even pay you special mind after this. At least that way, you have a reason to go on.”

“You’re wrong…” Reika glared at her, moving off the wall. The long-haired girl was basically telling her to give up on her love. Her love is what got her to this point, it’s what drove her to want to change. After everything she had to endure, how could she simply let go? “If there’s even a sliver of a chance, I won’t give up.”

Yoga mentally rolled her eyes. She had to admire her drive but she was so… stubborn. She wouldn’t listen to logic so easily, despite her intelligence. Maybe she did have some yankee in her. Still, Yoga couldn’t help but feel empathy towards the girl she spoke to. However, she was still a challenger. Yoga strode over to her, striking her across the cheek with her swift palm and throwing her on the floor once more with ease. “Take this is advice from someone who experienced a similar situation…” Yoga offered her hand down to the pitiful class president. “Fighting because someone is relying on you will mean nothing even if you win. There is no merit, no drive. No reward if your feelings are unrequited. In the end, you’ll just be disappointed. Save yourself from that and you will be better off.”

Reika looked up at her, taking in her words. Was she saying that she and her were the same? That seemed quite impossible for a bold yankee. Yet, there was clarity in her fighting advice and held truth. “I don't have a single drive to fight if it's not for her…” Reika wiped the blood from her lip, pulling herself up without the extended hand. “For the first time, Wakatsuki-san noticed me seriously when I was chosen to fight.” With simply remembering it, Reika felt her face grow warm as a lump of frustration grew in her throat. “She finally left that no good delinquent. She looked so pained all day until she smiled at me and told me ‘It'll be okay’ and ‘I believe in you.’” Reika felt her eyes begin to water as the frustration began well up and take over her. In a small burst of anger, her fist slammed against the wall with a resounding thud. “Why won't she notice me?! I don’t care if I’m a rebound or whatever!!” Reika’s voice cracked and echoed off the dusty walls, reverberating her emotions with emphasis. “But this… this was the only way… I hate fighting… I hate Nishino! I know how impossible this is but I can’t fail here! I don't want to disappoint her, I can’t!!”

Yoga watched the girl unravel, lowering her gaze for a moment. She understood her frustrations, even if she didn't know the girl formally. She understood them probably better than anyone her enemy came across in her daily life. The desperation of seeing the one you care about not pay you any mind, the painful knowledge of the one you loved was taken by another by someone better, the torturous fear of letting them down, and the soul-crushing rejection when you did. It was the worst, most unhealthy place to put yourself but because you cared, you wanted them happy. Though she could never hate her superior who was like a mother to her. Yoga couldn't live like that that anymore or else she would have ended up like Reika.

Letting a soft sigh out, she pulled a lavender handkerchief from her skirt pocket, offering it to her. “Here.”

Reika looked up with tears streaming down her now red, puffy cheeks, confused by the gesture. Nevertheless, she accepted the cloth, wiping her eyes and cheeks with it. “Thank you…”

Heels clicked against the tile as she paced back to hangers. “Like I said, I hate dirty faces.” Quietly, Yoga retrieved her jacket from the wall and slipped her arms through the sleeves. “Reality is harsh and unforgiving. But living for anyone but yourself will only end in pain. I learned that the hard way when Salt-san told me I shouldn't have bothered fighting Sakura and then being comforted by Otabe.” Yoga flicked her hair out from under her jacket, rubbing her neck with her gloved hand. “Blaming another girl or doing things you hate to look good for a person who won't love you is shameless. One day you'll find a girl who'll look at you and believe in you without needing you to change. It may take a while, and she could be someone you don't expect, but be patient.” There was nothing but sincerity in her voice as she crossed her arms. “But you're smart, You should know that already.”

She was right. All of her words. Reika curled her lips in, feeling her anger melt away with logic replacing it. If she thought back, it really was no one but her own fault things turned out this way. Hating Nanase for doing what she couldn't, having what she couldn't. It wasn't right. She wasn’t even sure if she truly hated Nanase anymore or if it was only pure envy “You're right. I should apologize to Nishino-san… Though, she wouldn't want to hear from me even if I did apologize, would she…” Reika couldn't meet her eye as she spoke, gripping the handkerchief to her chest. “You really think so? Thank you… You know, you're not what I thought you would be.”

“What? A big, angry yankee who is nothing more than a pair of fists?”

“Not at all!” Well, sort of. “I thought the Queens were these great pillars of strength, come strong and not care for talking. Or just be flat…”

The Majijo Queen exhaled, “Normally, I wouldn't care, but you remind me of myself. Whether you take my words or not is up to you. In any case, seeing as brought emotions to a fight and didn’t strike back, this was my victory.” Yoga noted the girls appearance, bruises forming on any exposed skin and a emotional breakdown, the result was obvious.

“You’re wrong!!”

With that loud bellowing but familiar voice, Reika snapped her attention to the door while Yoga turned her head, dropping her hands with an irritated look.

The door slid open with a resounding black and in the doorframe was an idiot, rice grains stuck to her face and an angry pout on her lips. Kazumi in all her food-loving glory. She took one glance at her school president’s bloody lip and her cheeks puffed up in hatred. Fire grew in her eyes, her fists balling at her sides. “You hurt Reika!” Kazumi growled out as she extended her hand with an accusatory finger pointed at the Queen. “I'm going to ‘tag in’! Reika, don’t worry, I'll protect you!!”

“Tag… in?” Yoga furrowed her brow, tilting it to the side with mild disgust. This girl was exactly the thing she hated, from the mess on her cheeks to the yellow smudge– was that a mustard stain on her uniform? The very presence of the tall female was offensive to each of Yoga’s senses. Like Bakamono, she was too dumb to even realize she was shouting at the top of her lungs instead of talking like a regular person. A pest, a noisy one. “Who are you?”

“I'm going to punish you for hurting my friend! Just one, ah, second…” Kazumi patted her skirt pockets, tugging the contents out and scurrying to load them into Reika’s palms. Two lukewarm curry buns, a handful of assorted treats, and a slew of colourful candy wrappers. With a small smile, she raised her hand to the bloody class president. “Reika, watch my stuff okay? We can share afterwards!”

“A-Ahh–… okay?”

Yoga was thoroughly confused. Was she trying to take over the fight? Win for her? Not unheard of but definitely not taken well. For the sake of a team, yankees would throw themselves at anything. But this girl– Yoga didn’t even want to touch her let alone fight. God, this girl was disgusting to be around, probably sticky too. Ugh. She put her hands up in a fighting stance once more. “I’ll make this quick then.”

Raising one finger, she dropped her idiotic grin, replacing it with a scowl and disapproving frown. “I said one second, I'm not ready yet.” Kazumi slowly and carefully used her fingers to brush back the mess of her hair, pulling it up into a neat ponytail with the hair tie around her wrist. “I know, it's my fault I'm late. Reika wasn't suppose to get this hurt. You really went too far, lady.” The idiotic girl’s tone lowered and steadied into a serious intensity as she rolled her sleeves up to her elbows. “I’m late because I was really angry, I ran off on my own and let this happen. And now I forgot why and came back. Then I heard Reika say sorry and remembered.” Kazumi patted Reika’s shoulder before stepping away to face her opponent. “So thanks for that. We’ll talk later, okay?”

“Kazumin…”

With an uncharacteristic smirk, Kazumi faced the elder Majijo girl with her fists raised. “Being beaten by you was a good punishment for her. But I won't let you lay another finger on in her without walking away without a scratch. You still haven’t really won yet. It’s my turn.” Her eyes narrowed into a strong and piercing glare. “You’ll pay.”

Yoga stepped back in surprise. Her aura, her demeanour, her speech, her eyes, everything was different. Dark, powerful, familiar. The same as the legends of a past student who was infamous in Majijo. Was this girl, who still had rice clinging to her cheeks, really a match for her?

Suddenly, without any warning, Kazumi jolted forward, swinging her leg towards the girl's head. A direct hit, Kazumi’s brown leather loafers impacted itself into Yoga’s cheek with enough force to send her into a pile of floor mats and hurdles. Yoga cried out in pain as gripping her cheeks while blood spilled from her lips, but there wasn't a second to recover. Kazumi was ruthless, instantly grabbing her by the hair, slamming her head into the wheeled blackboard against the wall beside them, once, twice, and a third time.

Reika watched in horror as her idiot companion, straddled the opponent after, dropping fist after fist. Was this really what Kazumi was capable, unbridled strength that looked as if it could even scare Yumi? If she was this strong, why did she stop? This was a completely new side that Reika had no knowledge or record of. And it was… strangely appealing.

The horrible onslaught of punches wouldn't let up. Blood pooled out of her victim’s mouth and nose, making a splatter mess with each attack but Kazumi didn't care. Yoga attempted to grab the girl's wrists, but it didn't help. Kazumi saw her attempts and rose to her feet, giving her a swift kick to the side the second she tried to get up. “Don't try it.” Kazumi looked down with a cold glare, watching her groan in pain and sweat with fatigue. “I win.” The tall smirked again, wiping the tiny splash of blood from her cheeks with her thumb.

Kazumi straightened out, staring down at the now unconscious girl before tugging out the black tie from her hair. Turning on her heels, suddenly that familiar idiotic smile appeared as if she had no worry in the world, like she didn’t just beat someone into a bloody pulp. Kazumi raised her fists with triumphant glee, bouncing in place with her eyes beaming with pride. “I win! Reika, did you see? Did you!” Her voice heightened as she shouted with excitement while she rushed over to the beaten class president with her hand extended. “Let's go home! Before the buns get cold!”

After Kazumi stuffed her pockets with the snacks she had her friend hold, Reika took the hand extended to her, more lost than ever. Suddenly she had a million questions floating around her head, unable to grasp one to ask. Kazumi was known to be strong, incredibly so. Except, she had a heart of gold and was known as a newly proclaimed pacifist. Although, Reika didn’t know why. No one did, well, with the exception being Nishino Nanase. If the reason why was because of the attitude she had just displayed , that didn’t make too much sense, even from a yankee perspective. She needed to ask. She wasn’t even sure how to bring it up.

Kazumi may not look it but she was just as complicated and complex it seemed. Her own person with her views, thoughts, and reasons. As she said before, she’s not stupid, only slow. Even right now, she seemed just as distracted by her own thoughts. Understandable. Kazumi pushed the heavy metal door open, holding it open for the school president to exit. “What are you waiting around for? Come on!”

“Ah! Nothing, sorry.” Reika cleared her throat, quickly gathering her tablet and smaller objects and hugging them to her close to her body as she walked to the door. Hesitantly, she glanced over her shoulder to see the Majijo Queen defeated body among the bloodstained mats and felt a knot in her stomach. Fighting was definitely not for her. With Kazumin’s lead, they both managed to building exhausted but victorious.

Kazumi stretched one arm over the other to relieve her joints with a satisfied sigh as the two walked along the river bank. “Now that we won, we should go get a nice, big congratulatory meal! I’m thinking grilled meat! What about you?”

Reika looked up at her. “Kazumin… What was that…?”

“Uh, grilled meat? You know the one where you cook yourself on a table grill and tongs and–”

“You were… completely different…” Reika shook her head, trying to expand on what she thought she saw in easier terms for Kazumi. She wanted to know the reason for the completely change in character and the easy revert back to how she is now. “What I saw… it was a different person, in fact. Is this why you stopped fighting?”

She paused. “Ah, that?” Kazumi unwrapped one of her candies from her pocket, popping the sweet treat into her mouth. She swished the candy around her cheeks, crossing her arms. “Sort of. Naachan calls it my ‘youth drama mode.’ It’s cool name isn’t it?” That stupid smile appeared just as quickly as it faded. Her hand came up as she rubbed her neck in thought, her cheek puffing out. “It’s super dangerous… It’s actually how Naachan and I became friends.”

“Is it really?” Reika tried to read her face, to see any details she kept locked away.

Kazumi was a mystery to her. Someone so open and dopey, yet, so secretive and serious behind the face she put up. An open book yet closed, to be judged purely by what’s on the cover, a childish drawing of herself. Reika only knew of the synopsis of her book. A yankee girl who wanted to turn her life around and studied hard for a better future alongside with her best friend. A cliche story at best, but Reika finally realized she never truly understood the full novel. Honestly, with the front Kazumin put up, she never really felt like asking.

“Kazumin, if you don’t mind me asking… May I know why you became a pacifist?”

Kazumi shifted the hard candy around in her mouth, looking down at her with an unsure purse of her lips. “Mm… It’s a really long story though, and really boring…”

“It’s a long walk back, I don't mind–”

“Ahh!! Fine, you pulled it out of me.” Kazumi threw her hands up in a dramatic fashion. She spit the candy out into the snow with a sigh, clearing her throat as her hands fell on her hips. Reika recoiled in surprise, grimacing at the careless and bold act from her teammate.

Kazumi tapped her chin, pursing her lips. “I guess I should start from the beginning…”

Reika scrambled to pull the tablet from her skirt, diligently tapping away at the screen to get the details coming towards her. “Go ahead, I’m ready.”

“Mm, in elementary school, Naachan and I were really good friends. Well, mostly because she was getting bullied a lot, you know? When she moved here for the first time, kid’s called her a lot of mean things so she tried to stand up for herself. But she was really weak, so she got hurt a lot in fights.” Kazumi took a deep sigh as she spoke, trying to remember the important details from so long ago. She never had the best memory, but for Nanase, she tried. “I had to defend her because I was bigger than most of the kids. That’s how we became best friends, even until now!” Her smile grew at the memories, but quickly faded. “But then, you know, Naachan got strong too… And she became a yankee. Where we went to school and grew up wasn’t the nicest area so I guess I saw it coming… Of course I had to follow her. I didn’t want Naachan to get hurt. I made it my mission to make sure she never got hurt!” Nodding firmly, Kazumi tapped Reika’s tablet, adding in a bunch of random letters to her log. “That was our entire middle school life. Naachan and I were a great team. Make sure you put that down!”

“Ah, yeah, of course!” The school president quickly deleted the extra characters.

“Okay, so back to the story… Naachan’s special. She is super fast! Yankee kids soon realized that people couldn’t hit her unless she let them. I was the strongest so to make sure she stayed safe in the end, I did most of the fighting while she distracted whoever was our opponent.” Kazumi loosely punched the air, kicking snow as they walked. “But Naachan is super careless, especially back then. And really mean to her opponents! There was a girl this one time, she had a knife and she tried to stab Naachan…” Kazumi raised her hand, imitating a small stabbing action from memory. “I snapped. All I could see was red, and that girl ended up in the hospital for a real long time. Her friends too, apparently Naachan had to pull me off with all she had. And even when she did that, I struck her too.” Kazumi lowered her voice, rubbing her bicep where faint scars hid underneath her sleeve. “I have a couple scars from that day too. Girls called me a monster, unstoppable. Stronger than Waka is, when I lose control that is. Though I’ve never seen Waka lose control so I’m not too sure one that. Could be equal… Hm…”

Reika looked at her in surprise, lowering her tablet. “Kazumi… I’m sorry…” It must have hurt having to remember something like that. “If it's too much you don't have too keep going–”

“No, no! It's okay! The good part is afterwards! Naachan patched me up and realized she was good at something!” Kazumi waved her hands slightly. “It’s why she came to Noborizaka!” Kazumi grinned at her, seemingly burying her unhappy memories and replacing them with happy ones. “Because I took the stab wound, Naachan decided to be a nurse when she graduated! Well, sort of. She won't admit it to anyone– Don't put that down! It's a secret!” Kazumi reached over, quickly hitting the back button on the tablet haphazardly, erasing parts that weren’t supposed to be erased.

“Hey– Hey! I'm sorry, I’ll fix it.” Reika scrunched her brown, pulling the tablet back and re-entering the missing bits.

“Anyways! When she did get here, she sort of relapsed into bad habits when she started dating Waka… But she still has her goal at heart! I know it!!” Kazumi spoke with pride, shoving her hands in her pocket. “But, after that fight, the one where I put people in the hospital, I was really broken up honestly. I didn't let anyone know about it and it affected me for a while. Depression and all. I know, hard to believe now. Scared to touch people, watched my anger, careful of my surroundings. All that not-so fun stuff. MaiMai was the one who told me about pacifism, said I didn’t have to fight if I didn’t want to. Violence is a choice.” She nodded a couple times, looking at Reika. “Really shined a light on everything.”

“Sounds like MaiMai.” Reika smiled in return.

“You didn’t meet me when I first started going here. But MaiMai was the first friend I made in my first year. She helped me a lot with my depression! I’m always grateful for that! MaiMai showed me that optimism is a great thing to have, and that focusing on the things that have gone wrong and dwelling on the past doesn't help anyone if you aren't looking towards the future.” Kazumi kept her smile as her hand landed on Reika’s shoulder. “By looking at the bright side, facing the future gets easier. Life is already hard as it is, but that doesn’t mean it has to be bad. The little joys matter. And that's the lesson I’m passing to you.”

Reika looked at her in thought. “Kazumin… You really aren’t as stupid as you put off.” Not an insult, and Kazumi didn’t take it that way. Instead, she smiled even brighter at the class president, hugging her arm. Reika couldn’t help but laugh softly, placing her hand on Kazumi’s. “Thank you, really.”

“Little joys matter so that means food! Can we eat now? I’m starving! Grilled meat is a little pricy, but you’re super rich! I’ll pay you back later!!”

“No worries, it’s my treat.”

To be continued…

#Noborizaka: November Rain #Noborizaka #N:NR #Nogizaka46 #Majisuka Gakuen #collab #w.Ali #Multi-chapter #IT'S FINALLY DONE #THIS WAS 9 PAGES OF SUFFERING #THIS WASN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE 9 PAGES #THIS WAS ORIGINALLY 5 #THEN EDITING HAPPENED AND THEN BOOM EXTENSION BY 4 PAGES #HOW #I DON'T KNOW #BUT IT'S DONE

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swifterm · 3 years

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Fastest Growing Ecommerce Businesses USA

In the United States, eCommerce business has turned into a booming industry for several years. Customers spent more than 600 billion USD in just the previous year with US retailers there. So, surely you got the idea of the market volume of e-commerce businesses in the region. Although hundreds of retailers closed up their dreams after struggling heart and soul but couldn’t make them happen. There are still many successful names in our record. We have planned to showcase a comprehensive checklist of some of the fastest-growing e-commerce businesses in the United States.

In this resource, you will find a complete statistic report along with the business type and its social media (Facebook) interaction. Before that, we will try to cover some essential terms likely the latest trends of e-commerce, sales growth, social media engagement ratios, and some more. You may find some similarities with our previous data from the fastest growing e-commerce companies in UK. Hopefully, these will help to get a clear concept with data about the US e-commerce market in detail.

Ecommerce Activities of USA Internet Users

As per research from multiple sources, most of the US people love to find a product and service using the internet rather than going stores physically. In last year, around 80% of the people made the purchase. The number has come from both laptops and smartphones. Here, we prepared a comprehensive report to let you know about the overall activities of USA internet users for e-commerce.

Data Source: GlobalWebIndex and Statista

🔹 82% of people in the USA search online to buy a service or product (any device).

🔹 90% of the users visit an e-commerce site and 76% of them buy something online.

🔹 The data shows, 52% of the buyers use desktop or laptop and 39% do it via mobile devices for online purchases.

Most Emerging Ecommerce Spend by Category

Ecommerce trends are changing with time and taste. It’s not constant always. As per the researched data from Statista, the travel and accommodation category spend the largest amount till the beginning of the year 2020. After that Fashion and Beauty, Electronics & Physical Media, Toys, DIY, & Hobbies, Furniture & Appliances, and other categories come to the list.

Data Source: Statista

🔹 The report shows data from the year 2017. The sales were 274.755 million USD then.

🔹 After one year in 2018, it reached $315.629 million.

🔹 Later in 2019, the amount turned to $365.207 million.

🔹 The projected sales growth for 2020 is 419.879 million USD. For the next consecutive years, it may reach $474.540 million, $524.091 million, $565.696 million, and $599.186 million.

Most Used Social Media Platforms in USA

Data Source: GlobalWebIndex

No doubt, social media is the strongest platform in online business to promote products or services globally. Among the most popular media, Facebook always keeps itself to the peak position for several years in most of the regions in the world along with USA. As per the Global Web Index report, around 74% of the internet users there use this platform each month.

Fastest Growing Online Stores in United States

Among thousands of growing online stores, we picked some of the most unique and popular ones on our list. Let’s have a look one by one!

1. Zaful

Zaful is among the leading online fashion brands loved by millions of people around the world. Apart from the USA, it delivers products to more than 260 countries. From the design, quality, and pricing, you will be a true fan of its creations after checking out its hot collections. Besides this, to get the latest news and fashion trends on women’s clothing, their Facebook page may assist you as a good resource. Since the beginning, it has crossed the landmark of 8.3 million followers and growing up rapidly.

Company Name: Zaful

Headquarters: Hong Kong, China

Founding Year: 2013

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Apparel & Fashion

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: October 27, 2014

Likes & Followers: 8,325,273 +

Page Link: Zaful

2. IPSY

IPSY comes with a view to inspire individuals to express their beauty. It’s one of the largest beauty community, started its journey back in the year 2011 in California, USA. Since then, millions of people are trying IPSY to discover themselves with a beautiful smile. It provides the latest products from brands and allows you to choose the suitable one from them at affordable prices. Their community in social platforms is booming day by day and creating a great impact on their business growth.

Company Name: IPSY

Headquarters: San Mateo, California, U.S.

Founding Year: 2011

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Cosmetics

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: September 19, 2011

Likes & Followers: 5,509,037 +

Page Link: IPSY

3. Steam

Steam is a digital platform for discussing, creating, playing games with over 100 million gamers around the world. It was developed by Valve Corporation in 2003. This platform offers exclusive deals on more or less 30000 games. Besides video game streaming and chat functionality, it also provides automatic updates and features regularly. In social media, Steam has a large community where you will find the news of its latest products and offers.

Company Name: Steam

Headquarters: Bellevue, WA, US

Founding Year: 2003

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Gaming

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: April 16, 2009

Likes & Followers: 4,843,495 +

Page Link: Steam

4. ShoeDazzle

ShoeDazzle comes with a view to making women look exceptional and stylish through gorgeous shoes, handbags, jewelry, and other accessories. In the year 2009, it was founded by the world-famous model and media personality Kim Kardashian and three other businessmen. ShoeDazzle has a great collection of footwear products, including heeled and flat sandals, wedges, pumps, sneakers, boots, bootles, and many more. Besides the types, it sells varieties of clothing, boutiques, bags & accessories products at affordable prices.

Company Name: ShoeDazzle

Headquarters: El Segundo, California, U.S.

Founding Year: 2009

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Shoe & Fashion

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: May 16, 2009

Likes & Followers: 4,516,917 +

Page Link: ShoeDazzle

5. The Mint Julep Boutique

Are you in search of trendy dresses, rompers & jumpsuits, shorts, kimonos, boots & booties, swimwear, and so on? The Mint Julep Boutique has covered all the items along with heavenly handbags, hats & sunglasses, bracelets, and adorable shoes. You will definitely love its flawless style of products and impeccable service. With 4.1 million followers, its Facebook page provides the latest products and offers regularly for the customers. And, the community is increasing every day with new hope.

Company Name: The Mint Julep Boutique

Headquarters: Auburn, Alabama

Founding Year: 2012

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Fashion

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: April 24, 2012

Likes & Followers: 4,143,709 +

Page Link: The Mint Julep Boutique

6. BookBub

BookBub is a large online community, especially for book readers. It provides unbeatable deals in different popular categories, including Bestselling, Biography, Contemporary Romance, Cozy Mystery, and Crime Fiction. You will also find the most popular books on Business, Fantasy, History, Parenting, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Horror. All the lists are being updated in time so that readers get the latest edition of their preferred items.

Company Name: BookBub

Headquarters: Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Founding Year: 2012

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Books

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: January 12, 2012

Likes & Followers: 3,637,714 +

Page Link: BookBub

7. Get It Free

Get It Free shows a unique e-commerce business strategy that offers freebies, samples, coupons, and sweepstakes. It lets you find the best deals at the competitive prices from your favorite brands. The policy of ‘Get It Free’ is made to save the money of consumers. That’s the reason it has been booming with its social media platforms. On Facebook, it got a huge engagement having more than 3.5 million followers within a short period.

Company Name: Get It Free

Headquarters: SAN DIEGO, CA, USA

Admin Organization: Zeeto Group LLC

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Accessories

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: January 14, 2015

Likes & Followers: 3,527,148 +

Page Link: Get It Free

8. Rotita

Rotita is another online fashion destination for smart women. It has an extensive collection of high-quality products from different categories. The most amazing fact is that you will get them at reasonable prices. It has a wide variety of products, including Lace & Mini Dresses, Tees & T-shirts, Sweaters & Cardigans, Pants & Skirts, Jumpsuits & Rompers, Jewelry, and more. To let the customers know the updates, it regularly posts the latest news on Facebook. Till now, it has already over 3.4 million followers there.

Company Name: Rotita

Headquarters: Kowloon, Hong Kong

Founding Year: 2014

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Fashion

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: February 14, 2015

Likes & Followers: 3,426,314 +

Page Link: Rotita

9. Bodybuilding

Started more than two decades ago, Bodybuilding.com has been turned into a great resource for health fitness, fitness accessories, and necessary supplements. It works as a personal trainer and provides possible technology, tools, and support as well. Besides these, you will also get free guidelines through their videos and articles. This is how it helps the audience and became the most-visited fitness site around the world.

Company Name: Bodybuilding

Headquarters: Boise, Idaho, USA

Founding Year: 1999

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Health Supplements, Accessories

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: December 30, 2008

Likes & Followers: 3,328,712 +

Page Link: Bodybuilding

10. Rosewe

Once again, Rosewe brings a unique way to represent fashionable clothing for trendy and smart women. It’s an online apparel store selling amazing Women Clothes, Jumpsuits & Rompers, Shorts, Shoes, Sweaters & Cardigans, Swimwear, and beautiful jewelry items. The design, style, and quality are maintained keeping the targeted audience in mind. That’s the reason, the community is growing up every day.

Company Name: Rosewe

Headquarters: Pudong, Shanghai, China

Founding Year: 2009

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Fashion

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: April 21, 2014

Likes & Followers: 3,252,266 +

Page Link: Rosewe

11. Hulu

Hulu is one of the leading and most popular online streaming services for TV and movies. The Walt Disney Company is the owner of this digital distribution media. It allows users access to most of the linked shows from the US broadcast network. This is the ideal place where all the hit TV series and films you will get together in a box. As per the report, it has gained 30.7 million paid subscribers until February 2020.

Company Name: Hulu

Headquarters: Santa Monica, CA, USA

Founding Year: 2007

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Streaming Services

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: December 22, 2007

Likes & Followers: 3,197,661 +

Page Link: Hulu

12. Amazon Fashion

In the industry of e-commerce, Amazon is the most popular name worldwide. It covers all the possible trendy fashion materials for both men, women, and kids. You can pick from any of your preferred brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Adidas, Denim, Goodthreads, Lark & Ro, Champion, and many more. It offers the hottest deals by price and by your choice as well. Like the other international brands, it has also a large community on various social media, including Facebook. Its Facebook page has crossed the landmark of 3.1 million followers and still growing up.

Company Name: Amazon Fashion

Headquarters: Seattle, WA, USA

Founding Year: 2002

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Fashion

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: August 19, 2010

Likes & Followers: 3,156,020 +

Page Link: Amazon Fashion

13. BarkBox

BarkBox comes with a view to making the world better for dogs and the people who love to be with them. It helps you get the best products, including toys, foods, accessories, and more for them. All the things you will get in a box (known as BarkBox) at a reasonable price. In addition, it offers free shipping inside the 48 United States. Besides this, it has different platforms to serve the dogs for their possible betterment. Some of them are likely Bark Bright for dental care for bad dog breath, Bark Shop to find the best stuff, Bark Park- an outdoor clubhouse, and Bark Retail for having the seasonal collections for them.

Company Name: BarkBox

Headquarters: New York City, New York, USA

Founding Year: 2011

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Dog Products

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: October 26, 2011

Likes & Followers: 2,993,955

Page Link: BarkBox

14. The Bradford Exchange

Are you searching for unique and meaningful gifts for your family, friends, and beloved ones on a budget? The Bradford Exchange helps you get what’s on your heart and bring the most joyful experience. It has a huge collection of various Jewelry & Watches, Apparel, Bags, & Shoes, Wall Décor, Sculptures, Trains & Accessories, Baby Dolls, Gold & Silver Coins, and many more. You will get the latest news on Facebook page where more than 2.9 million audiences belong there.

Company Name: The Bradford Exchange

Headquarters: NILES, IL, USA

Founding Year: 1973

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Jewelry, Accessories

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: January 23, 2009

Likes & Followers: 2,900,523 +

Page Link: The Bradford Exchange

Wrapping Up

USA is undoubtedly the world’s most developed market in terms of e-commerce business compared with other regions. Thousands of companies are trying to pull themselves to dominate the online industry. We tried to showcase the top fastest-growing e-commerce businesses there along with some statistical data. It also includes their Facebook data that represents the engagement and popularity in social media. So, is there anything we missed out here? Let’s share your findings to enrich the list we shared.

We hope you enjoyed this article, intended to help improve our client’s profitability. It reflects the care SwiftERM offer. If you haven’t already done so, then please enjoy a FREE month’s trial and let us know what you think.

#ecommerce fashion couture marketing retail

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eddycurrents · 7 years

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For the week of 28 August 2017

Just one comic stood out as a favourite for me this week; Generations: The Archers - Hawkeye & Hawkeye by Kelly Thompson & Stefano Raffaele. Published by Marvel.

Like the previous Generations one-shots, this follows the formula of a modern day hero sent back in time (or wherever) to interact with their predecessor. Also like the previous one-shots, there’s no explanation as to why or how that’s happening, which is a detriment to the overall plot, but here it’s easy to look past.

The main plot of the issue hinges on a straight-forward enough contest of champions to see the “best marksman alive”, with other characters being drawn to a mysterious island...mysteriously. It’s simple, but it allows Kelly Thompson to do what’s best about this issue and that’s character development. It also helps that there’s a good amount of humour throughout the issue that keeps the dialogue zipping along.

One of the editorial points of the Generations exercise is for modern heroes to learn or be influenced by something from the past (or whenever) heroes and Thompson delivers that in spades with the conversations between Kate and Clint. The mentor/student dynamic is mirrored in the revelation of who’s behind the contest and there’s a nice moment of revelation for Kate.

It’s also really nice to see Stefano Raffaele around again. Especially on a Hawkeye story, since I have fond memories of his art on an earlier Hawkeye series he did with Fabian Nicieza. His work is brighter and cleaner here than then, but it’s no less impressive. There are some very nice panoramas and establishing shots amid strong character work throughout the book, aided by a brighter colour palette from Digikore.

Thompson and Leonardo Romero’s Hawkeye series starring Kate is easily one of my favourite books from Marvel right now, deftly mixing humour, character development, intriguing plotlines, and drop-dead gorgeous artwork and page layouts that remind me of some of the highlights from Matt Fraction and David Aja’s Hawkeye, while still having its own distinct voice and purpose. This Generations one-shot is a natural extension of that, essentially being Hawkeye #9.1, or maybe #12.1 since this story is supposed to continue (kind of) in #13. This one really feels essential if you’re reading the ongoing Hawkeye series.

Quick Bits:

Black Magick #7 largely keeps the numerous plates spinning, advancing the various bits in smaller degrees. All of it brought together by some truly gorgeous art by Nicola Scott & Chiara Arena.

| Published by Image

Faith & The Future Force #2 ups the stakes a few times as Timewalker, Ank, Faith, and friends continue to travel through time to try to stop an “evil robot”. It’s still not clear exactly when the present of the series takes place (I’m guessing before Harbinger Renegade #5, but definitely after the end of the Faith ongoing series), especially since other characters are plucked out of different time frames, and we’re still not given any exposition on exactly who this evil robot is and what he’s doing other than messing with time (erasing Adolf Hitler was apparently one of the first things, eliminating the Civil War another), but it’s still entertaining to see them continually throw larger and larger groups at it with reckless abandon. It’s a fun way to “kill the Valiant universe” without actually killing the Valiant universe.

| Published by Valiant

Jean Grey #6 is the first of two X-dips into magic and the supernatural this week, with young Jean turning to Doctor Strange for help in her trip of self-discovery and preparation for the oncoming Phoenix. We also get to see which “spirit” has been dogging Jean since the first issue. Maybe. I say “maybe” because since the first issue Dennis Hopeless has largely been setting up the possibility that things might not be 100% real. And maybe Jean is just crazy. That’s unlikely, but it’s still possible.

This issue also features some excellent guest art from Paul Davidson. His depictions of the astral plane and trips through the life and times of adult Jean Grey are worth the price of the book alone. It would be nice to see him get some regular work again.

| Published by Marvel

Lady Killer 2 #5 is wow. That’s all I can really say. This is one hell of an explosive end to the series. Joëlle Jones delivers another stunning issue. Do yourself a favour and buy both this series and the first volume. You won’t be disappointed.

| Published by Dark Horse

Optimus Prime #10 gets another of IDW’s Hasbroverse titles up to speed for the First Strike “crossover” that is already underway. That several of the other titles are also still out of sync is a similar problem that Revolution had. The stories are usually very good, but shipping late and out of order ruins momentum and important story beats. Read in a vacuum, though, the individual titles are still excellent and this issue of Optimus Prime is no different.

| Published by IDW

Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers #2, like the first issue, is fun. I was never a fan of the TV shows, but have been greatly enjoying what BOOM! has been doing with the license in comics. Ryan Parrott delivers on a mix of humour, character development, and action, all while Dan Mora continues to show that he should really be one of comics’ breakout talents.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Spawn #277 continues what is shaping up to be one of the most inventive and compelling runs on the title. The team of Darragh Savage and Jason Shawn Alexander have brought an atmosphere of dread and horror to Spawn that I don’t think I’ve seen since the Hellspawn series. I’m really liking this.

| Published by Image

Spider-Gwen #23 is kind of an odd place for a Mary Janes interlude just as the Predators story-arc was hitting a critical point. It’s a decent story by guest creator, Hannah Blumenreich, but it makes me kind of hate MJ. The art is great, though.

| Published by Marvel

Star Wars: Jedi of the Republic - Mace Windu #1 reminds you that you need more Denys Cowan in your life. His art here is a little more restrained than I’m used to, but it still shines throughout this first issue. There’s also some nice humour peppered throughout the script by Matt Owens that lightens the mood for this otherwise action-packed debut.

| Published by Marvel

Uncanny Avengers #26, excluding the Generations one-shots, is one of the first post-Secret Empire stories without said branding to deal with the fallout. It also gives a first step to an idea as to where Jim Zub may be going with the book as he makes it his own, bringing Scarlet Witch back into the fold for the first time since I think Rick Remender’s run, a kind of redemptive arc, but I had thought that a lot of the animosity between her and Rogue had been stitched up. Apparently not. Like the ruins of Avengers Mansion their still camping out in, it gives a sense of rebuilding for the team.

It’s also nice to see Zub reunited with one of his Thunderbolts compatriots, Sean Izaakse. I liked his art there and thought it was a shame he only did a couple of issues.

| Published by Marvel

Vampirella #6 extends Paul Cornell’s run on the series by the first of a two-issue arc. It also sees Andy Belanger of Southern Cross take over art chores, which in itself should make the comic an instant purchase. It’s an interesting trip through Vampi’s psyche personified through dream with some really, really nice artwork.

| Published by Dynamite

X-Men Blue #10 is the second of the X-dips into magic and the supernatural this week, as Beast hooks up with the Goblin Queen again. It also brings yet another alternate X-Men team to the title, since the original five and dimension-displaced, mind-wiped mutants from the Ultimate universe aren’t enough. To his credit, though, Cullen Bunn is really making this work. I’m not as keen on another rehash of the Jean/Scott romance plot, with an added Wolverine stand-in for a love triangle, for what seems like the millionth time. Bunn is very good with the characterizations, but seriously I think this plot has been done to death.

| Published by Marvel

Other Highlights: Animosity #9, Bankshot #3, Black Panther #17, Black Panther & The Crew #6, BPRD: Devil You Know #2, Crosswind #3, Deadly Class #30, Deadpool #35, Doctor Strange & The Sorcerers Supreme #11, Dungeons & Dragons: Frost Giant’s Fury #5, Ghostbusters 101 #6, GI Joe #8, The Normals #4, Paklis #4, Planetoid: Praxis #6, Rapture #4, Ringside #11, Saga #46, Star Wars #35, Thanos #10, There’s Nothing There #4, TMNT: Dimension X #5, Victor LaValle’s Destroyer #4

Recommend Collections: Archie - Vol. 4, Bullseye: Colombian Connection, Copperhead - Vol.3, Jupiter’s Legacy - Vol. 2, Magdalena: Reformation, Old Guard - Vol. 1: Opening Fire, The Other Side - Special Edition, Providence - Act 3

d. emerson eddy is unsure what he made anyone do and might like to apologize for it, maybe, but he doesn’t know what it was. Was it the slightly charred red peppers?

#This Week in Comics #Generations: The Archers #Kelly Thompson #Stefano Raffaele

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wp-yahoo-style-1042-yahoopa-blog · 6 years

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Parents, here's your Black Friday dream sale: Top holiday toys are seeing major discounts at Walmart

Examples of the Hatchimals Hatchibabies Ponette. (Photo: Walmart)

Letters to Santa haven’t even been mailed, yet Walmart is already sleighing it for the season, thanks to a slew of Black Friday savings. We’ve rounded up our favorite gadgets and goodies for grown-ups (and we’ll be updating the list regularly as more offers roll out), but let’s face it: The holidays are all about the little ones.

We’ve gathered our top gifts for children from hundreds of coveted toys on sale at Walmart right now. Shop now before the Hatchibabies sell out — or prices soar again. In addition to the savings — not to mention the smiles on the kids’ faces — you’ll also score free two-day shipping.

The editors at Yahoo Lifestyle are committed to finding you the best products at the best prices. At times, we may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page.

Fisher-Price Think & Learn Rocktopus, (Photo: Walmart)

Fisher-Price Think & Learn Rocktopus Interactive Preschool Toy

Add another one to the list of get-it-before-it’s-gone toys: New from Fisher-Price, this musical octopus invites your children to be the DJ. Set the Rocktopus to “music,” “math” or “game” and let your little one learn about musical sounds, rhythm and basic math skills. Rock out with 15 different instruments you can insert and tap to make a tune, and create music videos with the free app you can download to your phone or tablet. Best for ages 2-6.

Shop it: $48 (was $60), walmart.com

Shop more Fisher-Price toys on sale here.

Electronic Hot Potato Game. (Photo: Walmart)

Electronic Hot Potato Game

One potato, two potato, three potato, four! You’ll want more and more of this reimagined version of a classic childhood game. Just like the original, the goal here is to pass the potato while music plays — and avoid being the one with the spud in hand when the music stops. Your whole family will love working off Christmas dinner while tossing the battery-powered plush potato around the living room. Best for ages 4 and up.

Shop it: $10 (was $20), walmart.com

Shop more electronic games on sale here.

The Hatchimals Hatchibabies Ponette. (Photo: Walmart)

Hatchimals Hatchibabies Ponette

The Hatchimals craze shows no signs of slowing down, and this year, there’s a baby boom! New Hatchimals Hatchibabies have so many surprises — including the possibility of hatching either a boy or a girl. Hug, snuggle and tap your egg until it hatches. Then care for your new hatchiboy or hatchigirl and watch it respond with sweet sounds, color-changing eyes and more adorable features. This set also includes four interactive accessories to engage your Hatchibaby: a rattle, bottle, hairbrush and cuddle buddy. Best for ages 5-8.

Shop it: $40 (was $55), walmart.com

Shop more Hatchimals on sale here.

Little People Share & Care Safari. (Photo: Walmart)

Little People Share & Care Safari

Who needs the zoo when your kids can have their own safari park? Standing at over two feet tall with two sides of play, this new playset is an interactive habitat with a lion, panda, elephant, parrot and more wild animals your kids will roar, tweet, and trumpet for! The set features lights, sounds, actions and songs to teach kids about caring for animals. With easy-to-grasp figures and everything from a zipline to a waterfall, there are endless possibilities for stretching your kids’ imaginations and having loads of fun. Best for ages 1-5.

Shop it: $40 (was $60), walmart.com

Shop more baby learning toys on sale here.

Star Wars Bladebuilders Duel Battler Pack. (Photo: Walmart)

Star Wars Bladebuilders Duel Battler Pack

Star Wars gifts are always in style. This pack of two lightsabers is perfect for a pretend-play playdate as kids imagine joining the Jedi to battle for control of the galaxy. This pack includes two lightsabers, a non-electronic lightdagger, and a connector that can be combined with other lightsabers in the Bladebuilders system (each sold separately). May the Force be with you as your children take over the house in a fun-filled Star Wars frenzy! Best for ages 4 and up.

Shop it: Star Wars Bladebuilders Duel Battler Pack, $10 (was $13), walmart.com

Shop more hot toys under $10 here.

L.O.L. Surprise! House. (Photo: Walmart)

L.O.L. Surprise! House with 85+ Surprises for Ultimate L.O.L. Hangout

It’s no surprise that “surprise” toys are among the most popular presents right now — and L.O.L. Surprise! Dolls are leading the pack. Packaged in plastic balls, these little collectible dolls are shrink-wrapped in a variety of layers that “unzip” to reveal accessories for the doll that’s inside the ball. Walmart has a slew of L.O.L. Surprise! toys on offer for the season, but our favorite is this dollhouse. Not only does it provide the “ultimate hangout” for the L.O.L. Surprise! Dolls that may already be taking over your house; it also comes with plenty of surprises of its own — 85 cute-as-can-be items to furnish and fill the three-story pad. Best for ages 5-8.

Shop it: $189 (was $199), walmart.com

Shop more L.O.L. Surprise Dolls on sale here.

Baby Alive Baby Go Bye-Bye. (Photo: Walmart)

Baby Alive Baby Go Bye-Bye

Only at Walmart, this special bundle of the ultra-popular Baby Alive toys features a sweet little baby girl doll along with the toys, clothes and accessories to care for her — and keep your little one entertained. This baby-on-the-go crawls, talks and wets her diaper! You can dress her, cuddle her, tickle her tummy, feed her and change her, as she moves and speaks 25 sounds and phrases (in English and Spanish). You can even load her up in her baby carrier and take her on adventures around town. Best for ages 2-4.

Shop it: $50 (was $30), walmart.com

Shop more Baby Alive toys on sale here.

Nerf Modulus Ghost Ops Evader. (Photo: Walmart)

Nerf Modulus Ghost Ops Evader

New for the Nerf nerds! “Designed for stealth,” this motorized foam dart blaster comes with a clear base so as to go practically undetected in daylight. Yet when you’re battling it out in the dark, you can light up the night with a green glow by pressing the light activator button. The Ghost Ops Evader comes with a dozen Nerf darts and a barrel extension that lights up when attached to the blaster. Pair it with other toys from Nerf’s Modulus system for endless combinations. Best for ages 14 and up.

Shop it: $28 (was $37), walmart.com

Shop more foam blasters on sale here.

Party Popteenies Party Pack. (Photo: Walmart)

Party Popteenies Party Pack — 6 Surprise Popper Bundle

This six-pack from the popular Party Popteenies series makes for brilliant stocking stuffers or holiday party favors. Pull, twist and pop the Surprise Poppers to reveal a collectible Party Popteenie doll in a burst of confetti. Each stylishly decked-out doll comes with its own accessory — like a yummy slice of cake, a stack of sweet cookies or hip headphones. Best for ages 4-6.

Shop it: $15 (was $25), walmart.com

Shop more Party Popteenies on sale here.

Monopoly Fortnite Edition Board Game. (Photo: Walmart)

Monopoly Fortnite Edition Board Game

Two epic games meet in this of-the-moment version of a classic board game. Players of the Fortnite edition — which was inspired by the ultra-popular video game — claim locations and strive to stay in the game as they go ’round the iconic square board. Instead of Monopoly money, players earn Health Points (HP) as they battle it out by picking up health packs, building walls and damaging their opponents. If you’ve got video game addicts in your house, this is a surefire way to get them to take a break from the screen for some group fun. (Best for ages 13 and up.)

Shop it: $15.88 (was $20), walmart.com

Shop more games and puzzles on sale here.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

18 Meghan Markle-approved beauty products you can actually afford

Shop Walmart’s 10 best electronics deals now for 50 percent off TVs, gadgets and more

Kohl’s has secret Black Friday deals happening right now — here are the best ones

#Black Friday #toys #yahoo shopping #_uuid:5cb25a28-efef-3676-a84c-46392187e9b1 #sales #_lmsid:a0Vd000000AE7lXEAT #Nerf #Star Wars #_revsp:wp.yahoo.style.us #_author:Meredith Barnett #early Black Friday #deals #Monopoly #Hatchimals #shopping #kids #gifts

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unifiedsocialblog · 6 years

Text

The Complete Guide to Using Facebook Messenger Bots for Business

You’ve heard the buzz. Chatbots will replace mobile apps. Chatbots will replace email marketing. Chatbots will replace customer care agents. Chatbots will cut your costs and increase your revenue. And they’re gonna do it all while you sleep.

There’s a lot of hype floating around right now about chatbots in general, and Facebook Messenger bots in particular. It’s no surprise that, according to a survey by Oracle, 80 percent of businesses want a chatbot in place by 2020.

Can bots really do everything they promise? It’s still early days. In the meantime, here are some real world examples and best practices to give you a firm footing in this new landscape.

Bonus: Download a free guide that teaches you how to turn Facebook traffic into sales in four simple steps using Hootsuite.

What are Facebook Messenger bots (a.k.a Facebook chatbots)?

Basically, a chatbot is a piece of automated messaging software that uses AI to converse with people.

Bots are programmed to understand questions, provide answers, and execute tasks. From a customer’s perspective, they’re a friendly and accessible time-saver. Rather than opening an app (let alone downloading one), making a phone call (ew), running a search, or loading a webpage, your customer can just type a message, like they would to a friend.

Chatbots have been around in some form for decades, and currently they exist on webpages, in apps, on social media—you name it.

A Facebook Messenger bot is a chatbot that lives in Facebook Messenger, meaning it converses with some of the 1.3 billion people who use Facebook Messenger every month.

If you’re on Facebook, you probably already have a Facebook Messenger strategy. A Facebook Messenger bot is how you scale that strategy.

As of the 2018 F8 conference, Facebook has 300,000 active Messenger bots. That’s three times as many as the year prior.

Why use Facebook Messenger bots for business?

There are two major advantages to using a Facebook Messenger bot.

First, there’s a low barrier to entry for both you and your target audience. Facebook Messenger is the third most-used app in the world, used by 68 percent of app users.

And it’s not just for group chats among friends and family. A recent Nielsen survey found that people think messaging is the second-best way to talk to a business. People exchange 2 billion messages with businesses over Facebook Messenger every month.

Compare this to the rest of the mobile app market, where 71 percent of users delete an app within 90 days.

If you want to communicate with your customers, building a Facebook Messenger bot is a lot cheaper than building a mobile app.

The second advantage is that the field is still wide open. While Facebook has 6 million advertisers, there are only 300,000 chatbots. That’s a lot less competition.

Meanwhile, marketing email click-through rates (3.1 percent, on average) haven’t improved in years, and only 30 percent of marketing emails are even opened. Chatbots can help you bypass inbox competition too.

So that’s the context. Let’s break down exactly what a Messenger chatbot can help you do:

1. Reach your audience directly

Headliner Labs found that people are 3.5 times more likely to open a Facebook Message than a marketing email. And since customers can respond (usually by pressing a CTA button—they don’t even need to type), they’re likely to move further down your marketing funnel.

On top of that, Facebook Messenger has sponsored ads, which can be sent to anyone who has previously been in touch with your Page. Yes, this means that you already have a subscriber list. You can use these ads in tandem with your chatbot to target high-intent customers.

2. Save time and money on customer care

Customers expect 24/7 availability, but they hate waiting on hold. They also ask many of the same questions over and over (and over) again.

If you’re spending a lot of time helping people track deliveries, check your return policy, or book appointments, a little automation will go a long way. Free up your focus for the tasks that a Messenger chatbot can’t do.

3. Identify leads

As your bot greets potential customers, it can identify their needs, ask basic questions, (i.e., “What’s your budget?”) and immediately direct high-quality leads to your human sales team.

4. Handle e-commerce transactions

With the right script, bots can do the selling, too. And because everything happens without leaving the comfort of Facebook Messenger, drop-off rates are lower than in a traditional ad-to-webpage pipeline.

Also, conversational commerce leaves room for personalized upselling as the bot makes suggestions. Everything from “Seems your flight won’t be leaving until 4PM. Would you prefer a late check-out?” to “Fries with that?”

5. Re-engage customers

Bots are capable of retaining information, and you can use those details to go the extra mile.

Rather than paying for a barrage of advertising, a Facebook Messenger bot can reach out personally, offering relevant content at the right time. Remind a customer about those cycling shorts still sitting in her cart, or that she sent her mother-in-law birthday flowers this time last year.

How are businesses using Facebook Messenger bots?

Each bot is as unique as the business it serves.

They can help with common customer service questions, like delivery tracking and appointment booking. But they can also drive discovery—suggesting the perfect pair of jeans, booking a direct flight to London, or ordering dinner.

They can upsell by suggesting a t-shirt to go with those jeans, or a bottle of kombucha with that dragon bowl.

They can remind you that you forgot to click purchase on those sneakers.

They can track your delivery, and then check in to see how those jeans fit once they’ve arrived.

They can notify you about an offer they think you’d like, and they’ll remember your size or time zone or nut allergy.

They might even tell you a joke while you’re at it.

Here are a few best-in-class chatbot examples to inspire you.

Marriott Rewards

Marriott’s focus on stellar customer service means that they’ve been at the forefront of the chatbot boom. They created their first Facebook Messenger chatbot in 2016 to help guests link their Marriott and Starwood rewards accounts after the companies merged.

The bot was so popular that Marriott transitioned it into a booking bot: guests can enter their dates in a city, and receive hotel suggestions. This bot also highlights content from Marriott’s magazine, Traveller, integrating useful local information and news for the guest’s upcoming visit.

Separately, last year Marriott created a careers chatbot to target millennial job seekers. “MC” helps prospective candidates find the right job in the right city, and simultaneously provides education on Marriott values and history. This makes a lot of sense coming from a brand that aims to treat its employees as well as its customers.

Sephora

The cosmetics retailer’s Reservation Assistant bot is simple but brilliant.

Sephora offers free makeovers in their stores, and this bot eliminates five steps from the booking process. Implementing it led to an 11 percent higher booking rate. (And a lot more folks buying a purple eyeliner they didn’t know they needed til they saw it in the mirror—customers spent an average of $50 once in-store.)

Bud Light

During the 2017 NFL season, Bud Light promoted its team-branded cans by creating a chatbot that could order and deliver a case of beer in under an hour on game days.

The genius here is a blend of personalization (customers get to pick their favourite team), hyper-locality (geo-targeting allowed the bot to select the best delivery partner for the area), and timeliness (the bot reminded users each game day that it was time to stock the fridge.) This bot saw an 83 percent engagement rate.

Bonus: Download a free guide that teaches you how to turn Facebook traffic into sales in four simple steps using Hootsuite.

Get the free guide right now!

Whole Foods

This bot acts as an extension of Whole Foods’ content marketing strategy by acting as a concierge that drives discovery of recipes based on ingredients. The bot can also help you narrow down ideas by dish type or dietary restriction.

And yes, you can search by emoji.

UNICEF

UNICEF’s U-report bot is built to gather opinions and data from young people around the world on issues that matter to them, with the goal of amplifying their voices to create real policy change. The bot has engaged over 2 million subscribers.

If you’ve ever tried to collect feedback from your customers, take note: chatbots don’t just chat, they can listen, too.

Tools for building Facebook Messenger bots

If all of this has you inspired to create your own chatbot, here are a few solutions to check out, in order from easy to expert.

ManyChat

ManyChat’s interface is one of the least intimidating out there. However, it may be better suited to those making simpler bots—message management can get cumbersome as the conversation gets complex.

On the plus side, ManyChat has plenty of tools that will help you promote your bot and evaluate user analytics. It’s free at first, but after you hit a certain number of subscribers you’ll need to start paying for a Pro account.

Chatfuel

As the largest self-serve platform for building Facebook Messenger bots, Chatfuel has an impressive client list: everyone from TechCrunch to Netflix to the Cincinnati Bengals.

They have an intuitive visual interface for those without a coding background, but developers will like the editable front-end and customization options. While you can build a bot for free, a lot of the more complex (and interesting) tools are only available with Chatfuel Pro accounts.

Conversable

Conversable is the enterprise-class, SaaS platform that will build your bot with you. They work with a lot of Fortune 500 companies (they’re behind the Whole Foods, Pizza Hut, 7-11, and Dunkin Donuts bots, among others). They go beyond Facebook Messenger, and will make sure your conversations are happening across all channels, including voice-based ones (like, for instance, OnStar).

Facebook Messenger for Developers

If you’re up for coding your own Messenger bot, Facebook provides a multitude of resources. And they are always working with their developer community to come up with new ideas to improve the user experience. Sephora and Nike, for instance, are currently testing augmented reality camera effects for their customers.

Facebook Messenger bot best practices

Here are some hard-earned tips from the experts, aimed at those of you who are ready to build your own Facebook Messenger bot.

Set your expectations

No bot can do everything—yet. When you’re designing your first campaign, select one goal or use case for the bot to handle. Popular ideas include customer service, lead identification, product promotion, or discovery.

Keep it simple, and walk before you run.

Set your customer’s expectations

This works the other way, too: often, your bot will be teaching the user how to interact with it as it goes. Alas, utopian-minded people who expect your appointment-booking bot to pass the Turing test may be disappointed. And folks who have no idea what a bot is could be equally frustrated.

Clearly define the chatbot’s role in initial interactions to keep everyone on the same page. Then, throughout the interaction, program the chatbot to take the lead in guiding the user through the experience.

Invite personalization

Segmenting your customers and getting to know them drives engagement. Bots that invite a person to identify their preferences and narrow down options have much higher click-through rates. Build a bot that people genuinely want to interact with.

Get to the point

Bots are still pretty novel, but ultimately the goal here is to save users time. According to Jonathan Schriftman of Snaps (the bot-builder behind Bud Light, Gatorade Edge, and others), there’s a significant drop in users when a bot takes more than five clicks to get to point-of-sale.

Always have a human on-hand

A bot’s success depends on its ability to recognize when a human being is needed. Automated conversations are fabulously speedy and responsive, but they can’t replace human connection.

Customers should have the option, at any point in the conversation, to connect with a person.

Be transparent

While a bot’s ability to store and remember information is one of its most attractive features (everyone wants to feel like a regular!) be up front with users about data retention. What data will be stored? How will it be used? How can a person opt out?

Give your users power over their private information.

Keep learning

Once you’ve built it, integrate your bot into your marketing calendar and your overall Facebook strategy. Your Facebook Messenger bot isn’t replacing email, customer service agents, or apps yet, but it offers features of all three, which means it must be treated like the unique beast it is.

As you test strengths and measure performance, keep an eye on the way chatbots continue to evolve in the marketplace. After all, this is AI we’re talking about. Have we even scratched the surface?

Manage your Facebook presence—alongside all your other social networks—from one dashboard using Hootsuite. Schedule and publish posts, engage your audience, and measure your performance. Try it free today.

Get Started

The post The Complete Guide to Using Facebook Messenger Bots for Business appeared first on Hootsuite Social Media Management.

The Complete Guide to Using Facebook Messenger Bots for Business published first on https://getfblike.tumblr.com/

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bizmediaweb · 6 years

Text

The Complete Guide to Using Facebook Messenger Bots for Business

Can bots really do everything they promise? It’s still early days. In the meantime, here are some real world examples and best practices to give you a firm footing in this new landscape.

Bonus: Download a free guide that teaches you how to turn Facebook traffic into sales in four simple steps using Hootsuite.

What are Facebook Messenger bots (a.k.a Facebook chatbots)?

Basically, a chatbot is a piece of automated messaging software that uses AI to converse with people.

Chatbots have been around in some form for decades, and currently they exist on webpages, in apps, on social media—you name it.

A Facebook Messenger bot is a chatbot that lives in Facebook Messenger, meaning it converses with some of the 1.3 billion people who use Facebook Messenger every month.

If you’re on Facebook, you probably already have a Facebook Messenger strategy. A Facebook Messenger bot is how you scale that strategy.

As of the 2018 F8 conference, Facebook has 300,000 active Messenger bots. That’s three times as many as the year prior.

Why use Facebook Messenger bots for business?

There are two major advantages to using a Facebook Messenger bot.

First, there’s a low barrier to entry for both you and your target audience. Facebook Messenger is the third most-used app in the world, used by 68 percent of app users.

Compare this to the rest of the mobile app market, where 71 percent of users delete an app within 90 days.

If you want to communicate with your customers, building a Facebook Messenger bot is a lot cheaper than building a mobile app.

The second advantage is that the field is still wide open. While Facebook has 6 million advertisers, there are only 300,000 chatbots. That’s a lot less competition.

So that’s the context. Let’s break down exactly what a Messenger chatbot can help you do:

1. Reach your audience directly

2. Save time and money on customer care

Customers expect 24/7 availability, but they hate waiting on hold. They also ask many of the same questions over and over (and over) again.

3. Identify leads

As your bot greets potential customers, it can identify their needs, ask basic questions, (i.e., “What’s your budget?”) and immediately direct high-quality leads to your human sales team.

4. Handle e-commerce transactions

5. Re-engage customers

Bots are capable of retaining information, and you can use those details to go the extra mile.

How are businesses using Facebook Messenger bots?

Each bot is as unique as the business it serves.

They can upsell by suggesting a t-shirt to go with those jeans, or a bottle of kombucha with that dragon bowl.

They can remind you that you forgot to click purchase on those sneakers.

They can track your delivery, and then check in to see how those jeans fit once they’ve arrived.

They can notify you about an offer they think you’d like, and they’ll remember your size or time zone or nut allergy.

They might even tell you a joke while you’re at it.

Here are a few best-in-class chatbot examples to inspire you.

Marriott Rewards

Sephora

The cosmetics retailer’s Reservation Assistant bot is simple but brilliant.

Bud Light

During the 2017 NFL season, Bud Light promoted its team-branded cans by creating a chatbot that could order and deliver a case of beer in under an hour on game days.

Bonus: Download a free guide that teaches you how to turn Facebook traffic into sales in four simple steps using Hootsuite.

Get the free guide right now!

Whole Foods

And yes, you can search by emoji.

UNICEF

If you’ve ever tried to collect feedback from your customers, take note: chatbots don’t just chat, they can listen, too.

Tools for building Facebook Messenger bots

If all of this has you inspired to create your own chatbot, here are a few solutions to check out, in order from easy to expert.

ManyChat

Chatfuel

As the largest self-serve platform for building Facebook Messenger bots, Chatfuel has an impressive client list: everyone from TechCrunch to Netflix to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Conversable

Facebook Messenger for Developers

Facebook Messenger bot best practices

Here are some hard-earned tips from the experts, aimed at those of you who are ready to build your own Facebook Messenger bot.

Set your expectations

Keep it simple, and walk before you run.

Set your customer’s expectations

Invite personalization

Get to the point

Always have a human on-hand

A bot’s success depends on its ability to recognize when a human being is needed. Automated conversations are fabulously speedy and responsive, but they can’t replace human connection.

Customers should have the option, at any point in the conversation, to connect with a person.

Be transparent

Give your users power over their private information.

Keep learning

As you test strengths and measure performance, keep an eye on the way chatbots continue to evolve in the marketplace. After all, this is AI we’re talking about. Have we even scratched the surface?

Get Started

The post The Complete Guide to Using Facebook Messenger Bots for Business appeared first on Hootsuite Social Media Management.

The Complete Guide to Using Facebook Messenger Bots for Business published first on https://themarketingheaven.tumblr.com/

0 notes

itswomanswork · 6 years

Text

9 Emerging Content Marketing Trends You Need to Know in 2018 (and Beyond)

Image: Freepik

Content marketing is an integral part of your digital marketing strategy.

In 2017, we saw extensive adoption of content based promotion across all industries. In 2018, the practice will continue to thrive even more; especially in small and medium sized businesses.

Content marketing offers better engagement, better conversions, and usually cost less than other forms of marketing. Besides, with a constantly increasing number of ad-blocker software users across the globe, content marketing becomes the only way to get a message through with assurance. So, this year too, brands will need to focus more on content marketing.

The following 9 content marketing trends will help you reap the maximum benefits out of your content marketing strategy in 2018-19.

Trend #1: Production of more user-friendly content

The number of online users is increasing constantly, so too does content consumption. This has made businesses think that producing more content is the right way to get into limelight through content marketing. In fact, 70% of B2B marketers plan to create more content in 2017 compared to last year. However, that’s only the half solution.

Over the years, Google search algorithms have become better at deciding the relevancy of content. And now search bots are smarter than ever in detecting whether a piece of content is user-friendly or not. Also, relevancy is the prime factor that triggers engagement, which is one of the main reasons why content marketing is done in the first place.

A post shared by Greatist on healthy protein snacks received about 90K shares on Facebook and over 2 million Pinterest shares; all because it was of some value to the target readers. And because of its relevance, now it also appears on the top of search results when you search for ‘protein snack’, ‘healthy protein snack’, and other related terms.

So, when you put efforts into creating more content this year, make it relevant at any cost despite the huge volumes that you plan to produce.

Trend #2: Micro-influencers

Companies have always relied on influencing individuals to increase their brand awareness (hint: celebrity endorsement). However, with the rise of social media in recent years and an increasing number of influencing individuals on these platforms, today, influencer marketing has grabbed the top position in the checklist of marketers.

According to MuseFind, 92% of customers trust influencers more than advertisements and celebrity endorsements.

Consequently, at present, influencer marketing is going through a great upsurge, wherein brands are approaching experts to endorse/review/promote their product on their blog, social media accounts, and other online channels.

In recent time, there have been many campaigns that prove how beneficial influencer marketing can be for a brand; however, the lesson 2016 has taught us is that influencer marketing revolves around trust, and a bigger following doesn’t always bring the better results.

As a result, brands are focusing more on the authenticity of the social influencers, rather than number of followers. According to a New York based fashion store Gigi New York, working with micro-influencers (with small but authentic followings) brought them better engagement than working with popular social influencers.

So, paying heed to micro-influencers will be critical when you formulate an influencer marketing campaign this year.

Trend #3: Content personalization

Today, most companies are using analytics for customer segmentation in order to target specific customer groups in a better way. How Airtel India is helping his customers on Twitter is a great example of devising a content marketing strategy around certain audiences.

All social networks have a distinct structure when it comes to content sharing and promotion. Most of them let you personalize content either with location settings or hashtags. Based on the channel you choose for marketing, make the best use of such features.

How Facebook selects content for its ‘Trending Section’ based on location is a good example of personalizing content for a specific customer segment. If you own a Facebook page and have promoted your updates in the past, then you must have seen how it allows you to target your content to a very specific group of people.

Creating and promoting personalized content in this manner make a content marketing campaign focused, and win more prospects for its high relevancy. This in turn improves engagement, brand recall, and sets you apart from competitors.

Trend #4: Video content

Video content is no new concept, as brands have been using videos as their website banner, in social media updates, email content, etc. for quite some time. And now with better video compression algorithms in place (and at the same time, with the internet’s growing penetration), videos are being used extensively to send across a brand message, promote offerings, or simply for the purpose of engagement.

There are plenty of online and offline tools for video marketing to create and share professional-looking and engaging videos. Use such tools for creating a good number of videos in less time.

While tools can help you in creating videos, engagement can only be built around ideas. For that, you would need to draw inspiration from how other popular brands are running their video marketing campaigns.

youtube

(Nike Women: Better For It Campaign to shed light on the “inner thoughts” women experience at the gym)

While there are a lot of ways to interact with consumers, virtual reality is a booming trend in the world of interactive visual content.

Virtual Reality is a new way to interact with your customer through visual content. It offers a new opportunity to content marketers and increases customer engagement with your brand. While one brand uses VR to help shoppers make the final decision, another uses it to engage the clients in the initial steps.

Trend #5: Live Video

Since a few years back, the digital world has taken note of live videos and since then it has intensified. Here are some stats which will prove the growing importance of live video in the online world.

Facebook users spend 3X more time watching live videos than traditional videos.

The equivalent of 110 years of live video is watched on Periscope every day.

Live videos add an element of fun to an already interactive form of communication. The nature of live video is raw without edits which creates an intimate communication with your audience.

To use live videos to engage your audience you could host Q&A sessions, live interviews, conduct product demonstrations or unboxing, cover events and conferences, etc.

Trend #6: Social media as a source of news

Social media giant Facebook recently faced a series of lawsuits for showing fake news in its trending section. Many are of the opinion that the Facebook’s manipulated trending section also impacted the outcome of the recent presidential election.

All this is happening because people are increasingly relying on social networks as a source of news. A survey done in early 2016 states that already more than 50% of social media users use it as source of news. As per Statista, 61% of digital marketers rely on Facebook to advertise monthly.

Social media has evolved as a popular content marketing channel in the last few years. Facebook and Twitter are already being extensively used for content marketing. Growth of video marketing in recent time also puts Instagram among the most popular content marketing social media channels.

It’s your time to leverage the power of these channels to deliver news. Make sure everything that is talked about your brand in the future gets covered through social media too. And, especially the paid and earned coverage that you get from third party reviewers and sites should be shared on social too.

Trend #7: Internet of Things (IOT)

Brands are now harnessing the power of IOT to provide an authentic brand experience to customers. When you hear about the Internet of Things, the first thing that comes to mind is Alexa, Siri and Google Home.

With the aim of taking direct conversations to another level, IOT has given a great opportunity to brands to become an integral part of a consumer’s lives.

Organizations are now using Alexa to share content with a much wider audience who do not want to be hooked on a device.

Trend #8: Super Niche Content

There is an immense amount of content which is being produced by different brands; the important thing is to produce content which will stand out from the rest.

Narrow your content focus and it will more likely gain traction. Creating super niche content is a result of market saturation. Marketers are creating more and more content every day. According to a recent stat by Kapost, 70% of marketers said they are creating significantly more content than the previous year.

To stand out, marketers need to:

Create extremely creative content with a high chance of going viral

Drill down and create content for a smaller niche

A simple technique for doing so is, instead of writing social media video marketing tips, write video marketing guide for beginners. Data indicates that effective content marketing can increase online store conversation rates by almost 6 times.

How do you grow your business by using this trend? Start by identifying the super-niche of your industry. For instance, if everyone in your industry is discussing travelling, you can find a topic where you can write about travelling for those who have retired.

Trend #9: Ephemeral Marketing

The social media world has changed massively with the trend of ephemeral marketing. First founded by Snapchat and later adopted by every social media channel.

Ephemeral content lasts for 24 hours. This drives the customers to the content as it triggers the FOMO effect (Fear Of Missing Out).

Image: SEMrush

Use ephemeral marketing appropriately for your business. Run a campaign, showcase behind the scenes, give discounts or offers, and engage your customers to your brand by using ephemeral content.

Wrap up

Year by year, new content marketing trends come to the surface and with that changes everything you planned a little while ago.

That leaves businesses with several questions – like what new type of content, channels, and tools the recent technological advancements will introduce?

While it is important to know these trends and capitalize on them, it is equally important to act in accordance to the fundamentals of content marketing, which are,

Reaching out to customers at all possible touch points

Offering them a solution through your content

And, creating a frictionless path that allows users to move toward that solution.

Guest Author: Ankush Mahajan works as a senior digital marketer at FATbit Technologies, one of India’s leading custom web design/development & ready-made e-commerce solutions company. His expertise lies in branding and formulating marketing strategies for business of a number of industries. Follow him on twitter: https://twitter.com/ankushmahajann

The post 9 Emerging Content Marketing Trends You Need to Know in 2018 (and Beyond) appeared first on Jeffbullas’s Blog.

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brendagilliam2 · 7 years

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9 indie mags you should read this summer

If you’re in search of some fresh and inspiring reading material to take on holiday this year (or to read in office with a coffee if you’re not going away), then look no further than these gorgeous magazines.

Large-scale commercial magazine publishing houses may be under pressure from every angle these days, but the independent design magazine scene has never been so exciting, with new titles launching regularly on every esoteric topic you can think of.

We’ve gathered a sterling selection of magazine recommendations from those in the know. So here are nine magazines for you to check out while the sun is still shining…

01. Special Request

Special Request is a new broad culture journal, currently on issue 2

“It is too simple a thing to look at one part of a culture… culture is the combination of many different things working in concert.” This is the mantra by which the beautifully produced journal Special Request operates.

Its lofty ambition is to explore “the entire human experience piece by piece… subjecting it to sometimes forensic, sometimes scathing, sometimes interesting analysis from the world’s finest minds.”

Jeremy Leslie, founder of magCulture, is a fan, and recommends the newly-released second issue, which celebrates the golden age of television across 124 pages of 120gsm offset stock, finished off with a gold-foiled 400gsm cover.

Leslie picks out some personal highlights from the issue: “Antoine de Caunes recalls Eurotrash, Ben Loory and Haruki Murakami offer some new fiction, and the visual highlight is Alex de Mora and Marisha Green’s still-life tribute to Beavis and Butthead,” he says.

“It closes with an image of an old-fashioned cathode ray television set, floating away against a 70s New York skyline.”

02. Berlin Quarterly

European title Berlin Quarterly combines in-depth reportage, literature and visual culture

Calling itself a “European review of long form journalism, literature and the arts”, Berlin Quarterly is a fascinating blend of in-depth reportage, literature and visual culture that Steve Watson, creator of indie mag subscription service Stack, firmly recommends.

“It’s a heady mix of essays, fiction, poetry, photography and artwork,” Watson enthuses. “Based out of the German capital, it wears that city’s bohemian reputation on its sleeve.”

It’s definitely worth slipping into the suitcase for when you fancy getting stuck into some meatier content.

03. The Plant

The Plant is produced in Barcelona twice a year

According to its creators, The Plant magazine delivers content by plant lovers, for plant lovers, in a “simple, personal and cozy way”.

It’s currently on its 11th issue, Leslie recommends taking a look. “Horticulture is just a starting point for this magazine, now a mainstay of the indie scene,” he explains.

“Ryan Lowry’s opening photographs of the landscape, cacti and fences of the US-Mexico border set a manifesto-like tone that continues throughout issue 11. Mercedes Villalba looks at the resilience of nature, and Lindsay Sekulowicz examines Amazonian artefacts to learn how humankind has always cultivated nature.”

“Against all this, a guide to growing Aloe Vera may seem prosaic – but this element remains a key part of the magazine,” adds Leslie. The Plant’s team describes itself as “a curious observer of ordinary plants and other greenery”, and this simple love for natural life shines through on every page.

04. Racquet

Racquet says it’s about tennis, but it covers so much more, so beautifully

Rather like The Plant, Racquet is “one of those indie titles that purports to be about one thing (in this case, tennis) but in fact uses that as a prism through which to explore all sorts of things. You’re never quite sure what you’re going to turn the page and read about,” says Rob Alderson, former editor-in-chief of Printed Pages, who now heads up WeTransfer’s editorial division, This Works.

A quarterly title that celebrates the art, ideas, style and culture that surround tennis, Racquet “fondly remembers the swashbuckling sport of the tennis boom of the 1970s and ’80s” and aspires to “restore some of that swagger to today’s game.”

“It looks and feels beautiful – as a lot of indie titles do – but the writing is exquisite and it’s edited really well too, which makes for a perfect print experience,” adds Alderson.

05. Shelf Heroes

Each copy of Self Heroes issue F includes a free Fifth Element woven patch, three postcards and a sticker

A wonderfully simple editorial premise lies at the heart of the intermittently printed fanzine Shelf Heroes, the magazine “created by people who love cinema.”

It’s working its way through the alphabet, and celebrating a diverse batch of films that start with each letter: “Some great, some not so great.” Issue one, as you might expect, was A – with films including Alien, Apocalypse Now, Avatar and American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt.

“Shelf Heroes has now reached the letter ‘F’ – and I can’t wait to dive into Festen, First Blood, Fargo and Four Weddings,” chuckles Watson.

06. The Happy Reader

The Happy Reader is a book-loving collaboration between Penguin Classics and Fantastic Man

A collaboration between Penguin Classics and Fantastic Man, The Happy Reader is a ‘virtual book club’. It’s now on its ninth instalment, which includes a focus on Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island.

“This classic is contextualised by musician Andy Partridge writing about sailor’s songs, a visual taxonomy of messaging flags, and a treasure hunt – although the prize has just been won,” reveals Leslie.

“It’s all fronted with a lengthy interview with model/actress/bookshop owner Lily Cole, all beautifully presented as ever.”

Clearly The Happy Reader is worth a look this summer, as Watson picked it out as well. “I can’t think of better beach reading,” he grins.

07. Pit

Pit is a new magazine for BBQ aficionados

Nothing says summer like a sizzling barbecue, and Pit magazine has capitalised on our enduring passion for cooking outdoors over a open flame with an artisan publication like no other.

According to the team, it’s all about “the smell of smoke in the air, the singed hairs on your fingers and the pink ring on a rack of ribs you cooked at the end of your garden.”

But within that overarching topic, the magazine delves into global cultures: “From the American BBQ to the Polynesian Imu fire pits, Jamaican jerk drums and mackerel grills lining the shores of the glittering Bosphorus in Istanbul.”

Pit plans to release three issues during the (hopefully) warm months of the year, with the second due out in August. “I’m really hoping I can get hold of it in time for the holidays, to give us some inspiration over the coals,” says Watson.

08. Real Review

Real Review issue 4 reviews everything from the EU flag to Japanese boyfriends for hire

The quarterly flagship publication of the Real Foundation, Real Review was named Launch of the Year at the 2016 Stack Awards. Since then, according to Watson, it has gone from strength to strength.

“Its roots are in architecture, but this ingenious review ranges far and wide to challenge the way we see the world,” he explains.

Leslie is also an advocate, drawing attention to the title’s unique format: square, with a vertical fold.

“Real Review deserves praise too for its editorial design and content,” argues Leslie. “It examines contemporary life with a spare and intelligent vocabulary that both tests and thrills. Content and form that should be at utter variance somehow complement each other perfectly.”

09. mono.kultur

Each issue of mono.kultur is dedicated to one artist from various fields

Also hailing from Berlin, quarterly A5 title mono.kultur focuses on art and culture, or more specifically the creative minds who make the most exciting music, film, literature and visual art happen. One at a time.

Each issue features just a single interviewee, carefully selected and beautifully designed. Its online description is a paragon of German efficiency: “Questions and answers. Conversations with the interesting few. In full length and depth, extensive and unfiltered.”

The current issue, 43, is dedicated to artist/musician Fatima Al Qadiri, and it’s Leslie’s final pick. “The presentation is smart but simple, with text and photography clearly defined and separate,” he begins.

“The exciting part is the additional images, printed on a special acetate substrate called Stafix – static electricity makes these ‘stick’ to the pages of the magazine, allowing the reader to peel off and replace images over other images.” What better way to spend your summer?

To explore the indie mag scene in more depth, magCulture will be running its fifth-annual ModMag conference in London on 2 November, an event that never fails to inspire.

The 20 best magazine covers of 2016

5 things every creative needs to know about print design

30 beautiful examples of paper art

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The post 9 indie mags you should read this summer appeared first on Brenda Gilliam.

from Brenda Gilliam http://brendagilliam.com/9-indie-mags-you-should-read-this-summer/

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edwardmoorthy · 7 years

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Many people do not like the built-in music player found on iPhone and iPad. While iPhone’s stock Music App has vastly improved in recent times, it did not find much traction among the music lovers who want something beyond plain music. Luckily, there are many ways to listen to music on your iPhone, and you do not have to rely on iTunes and the built-in Music app.

Apple App Store offers lots of alternatives to the default Music Player and many of them offer features that surpass Apple’s own offering. To help you choose the right music player, we have compiled this list of 7 Best Music Player Apps For iPhone and iPad. All the apps in the list are free and some of them offer additional features through in-app purchases. If you dislike the Music app on your iPhone, we are sure you will find an app that you love, right here, on this list. So read on.

1. Listen

Listen Music Player

Listen is a cool app. You control your music library with gestures. Two-finger swipes let you control volume and scrub through tracks, while taps and single-finger gestures let you switch tracks, share them with friends, play and pause, and more.

The Now Playing screen is minimalist and gorgeous, and searching through your tunes is well-laid out and simple. If you are a tap-happy individual, then this may not be the app for you since there is a lot you can do with just a tap and drag, but if you like a smooth interface where all your actions flow, then give Listen a try.

The free version is great, but if you want premium features, like curated radio stations, then you will have to pay.

[appbox appstore 768223310]

2. SoundShare

SoundShare

This is a collaborative app that connects many different services together, including Apple Music, Spotify, and Deezer. SoundShare is an actual social network you will need to sign up for, and anyone you want to collaborate with will have to do the same. The app allows you to like, comment on, and share music as well as build collaborative playlists with other users.

SoundShare is not really much fun if you are using it on your own, and you will really need to share a streaming service with other users to get the most out of it. For that reason, it is not for everyone, but it is free and bound to tick the boxes if you can convince your friends to sign up too.

[appbox appstore 437060737]

3. Marvis Music Player

Marvis Music Player

The Marvis Music Player is another really nice music player for the iPhone. Except for the list of songs on your device (local, as well as those from iCloud Music Library), everything is displayed in a nice 3 columned view, with album or artist images as the cover. The song list is just that — a list. The app also allows swiping between screens, which is definitely a plus, considering that the navigation icons are just way too small to be accurately tapped all the time. The app has a dark theme by default, and a light theme can be unlocked via an in-app purchase.

The app also uses a unique way of displaying views. Instead of segueing to a new view when you tap on, say, an album, the app expands the album contents right below it, which looks very graceful. However, the app is ad-supported, so get ready for some really intrusive looking banner ads on the bottom of the page. The good news is, you can get rid of the ads with an in-app purchase.

All in all, the app is definitely worth a try if you are looking for a free replacement for the Apple Music app, which does everything a music app should do, and looks good, albeit a little cluttered at times, probably because of the ads.

[appbox appstore 971737469]

4. Musixmatch Lyrics Finder

Musixmatch Lyrics Finder

While it is not the most attractive music player out there, Musixmatch is great if you like to sing along to your favorite songs. It is free but offers in-app purchases for some features. Musixmatch has a database of more than 7 million songs in 38 languages, and while it does not find lyrics for everything in my library, it does for most songs.

You can also use Musixmatch to identify songs you hear around you and display their lyrics. Musixmatch has an Apple Watch app, which can control the iPhone app, display lyrics, and listen to music to identify songs. There is also a Notification Center widget if you want to be able to see lyrics on your iOS device’s lock screen.

[appbox appstore 448278467]

5. Boom

Boom Music Player

This is one music player that brings something completely new to the table. Boom is a music player that offers a variety of really cool predefined equalizers, along with a fully customizable 5.1 surround sound feel to any pair of headphones that you might want to use, including in-ear earphones, over the ear headphones and more. You can choose the type of headphones you are using in the settings for the app.

The devs claim that “Extensive use can cause addiction”, which is actually kind of true. That level of customization in the sound quality is addictive, especially if you listen to music for prolonged periods of time.

The interface of the app is clean, and while it is not really “intuitive”, the app walks the user through the major UI elements, so you can get started off really quickly. You can also swipe left and right to change between tracks.

The app’s sound effects are free to use for 5 days, after which they can be purchased, should the user want to continue using them.

[appbox appstore 1065511007]

6. ARIIA

ARIIA – Music Player

Personally, I love an app with a good UI and ARIIA hits the bullseye with its clean and minimal UI, tasteful color profiles, and a really nice dark and light mode. ARIIA also happens to be a gesture controlled music app, designed specifically to help you listen to your music while you are driving. That is where the gestures come in handy because you cannot really look at your phone screen while driving; or you should not, at least.

ARIIA comes with really easy to use gestures to control your music, so you can swipe left to go to the next song, right to go to the previous song, swipe up with one finger to increase the volume, and swipe down to decrease the volume.

The only drawback I can see with ARIIA is the lack of ability to choose a playlist that you want it to play — that is, unless you first launch the Music app, play a playlist, and then switch over to ARIIA. So, yeah, a bit of a workaround, but otherwise the app is great.

[appbox appstore 974808567]

7. Jet Audio

Jet Audio

This is another free music player for iPhone that has a lot of cool features not available in other apps. Jet Audio automatically hooks into your music library, including songs that are in your iCloud Music Library, and is ready to go the moment you launch it. It also has a dark interface.

The Now Playing view has some great options on the top of the screen, including things like an equalizer, customizable sound effects, as well as a sleep timer so that you can set your music to stop automatically after a particular amount of time.

One really cool feature offered by the app is the ability to create a server that you can access on your computer (over the same network), to upload files directly to your iPhone. However, this does not use any passwords, and anyone who knows your iPhone’s IP Address can easily upload anything they want onto your device, so be careful. The app is free, but you will have to put up with banner ads on the bottom of the screen, which are rather annoying.

[appbox appstore 894888135]

A few last words

While there are many music player apps out there, we believe, these were the 7 best free apps to play music. If you listen to music on your iOS device a lot, try one of them out before you go hunting around for more.

Do you find these apps helpful or are you using something different altogether? Let us know in the comments. We would also like to know about your favorite music players for iPhone, and what features do you use and like the most. Also, do not forget to subscribe for more updates.