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#i also can’t find this image ANYWHERE else but a single pinterest post
henrysglock · 4 months
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and when we finally see this footage??? what then. WHAT THEN!!!
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ofdarklands · 2 years
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i have spent the last month experiencing instagram and i can now give my review:
- Social: 4/10 like trying to have meaningful human interaction through youtube comments. not impossible, but why would you. the fact you have to ‘show reply’ every single time makes finding a funny or interesting comment a chore. can’t find a specific post for your life
- Media: 7/10 pinterest does the ‘finding themed images’ thing much better with less fuss, copyright issues aside. being able to follow tags is interesting but i just ended up seeing the same thing many times for some reason. the desktop version only sometimes works as intended. the radar kept showing me what i suspect is some variation of foot kink even though my search history was only about bookbinding and watercolour. can’t edit or draft posts.
final veredict: it’s not the worst, but i had no fun with it. will probably only check it when i remember to see if an artist that’s not anywhere else posted something. also the mobile version has publicity you can’t avoid so that’s a -1000 instantly
bright spot: found a pretty funny dnd meme page
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kwantified · 4 years
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nct dream on social media!
excluding weibo, messenger apps, and dating apps
note: this is purely my personal opinion. kinda inspired by my irls :)
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mark
he loves to share what he does when he can
on instagram he’s the kinda guy who isn’t really... there
busy boy finding out about news a whole week late
when he posts stories it’s usually like... super vague pictures of music or lyrics he’s working on
probably one or two basic shots of food
AND ESPECIALLY
shares what he’s listening to on spotify I Kid You Not
if mark lee posts a story it’s probably going to be what he’s listening to on spotify
he’s more active on twitter because uh
memes
mostly quoted retweets tbh
his replies are always just “HAHAHAHAHA” or “LMAOOOO” and some goofy one-liner
has mutuals on stan twt because he likes to steal the memes
it’s honestly like ????
tweets mostly in english but korean is always there
you would find him laughing his ass off and why? because one of his mutuals tweeted something off of punhub
“can you perform under pressure?”
“no, but i can perform bohemian rhapsody”
or 
“doctor, it hurts when i do this”
“then don’t do that”
I SWEAR TO GOD THIS DUDE HAS THE FUNNIEST TL
not only because of punhub trust me
he’s mostly on local twt just on about netflix shows and music because he doesn’t have enough to time rlly branch out into one community other than his own
has tried uploading his works on soundcloud but just feels more comfortable uploading covers and stuff on youtube
he’d accidentally get in everyone’s recommended because hey here’s a talented man on the guitar who’s goofy and cute
BUT ANYWAYS
overall since he’s a very busy person he’s not too active, but social media kind of gives him a little laugh every once in a while so that’s great
renjun
say it with me, instagram
the prettiest golden hour selfies
your resident pretty boy
says he Doesn’t Care About Fashion but then posts a body shot of his fit smh
can’t complain because he’s mad fine let’s be real here
he has an account for every single social media out there but isn’t always active on every account
i swear to god he;s made a linkedin account
the way he’s probably made a mf foursquare account…
he’s just such an all-around sociable guy he just has mutuals everywhere
i mean the entertainment industry is all about connections so
go get it reonjeon!
makes an appearance in everyone’s social media like he’s EVERYWHERE
jaemin’s instagram? check. jisung’s tiktok? check! chenle’s twitter? check. he’s in everyone’s mentions fr
his stories are always reposts of other posts and of the stories he’s tagged in
work socmed! he makes his career look so comfy and homey from his posts and stories
was one of those guys who used to be super active on snapchat but gave up after insta stories became a thing
mans stalks more people than you think… he’s just a sly dude
not in a creepy way ofc he just gets pretty lost within the internet
you could actually play any trending tiktok audio and you’d hear him sing along every word in the background… what has this mf been doin??? uhm???
sends posts he thinks are funny to ig and twt gcs
mostly to jisung because he’s the only one who actually leaves SOME sort of reaction whether it be double tapping the text or going ㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎ
likes to visit pinterest every once in a while because it’s like a nice eye cleanse
it’s also good outfit and food inspiration in the cases that he feels like creating something non career related
in general he just likes looking for new ideas and sometimes pinterest is just a great outlet for a visual layout like that
renjun and jisung, THESE TWO
they scour the internet together
goin wild with the crack videos with jisung
jeno
this dude is nowhere
like. he has thousands of followers on instagram and for WHAT
twitter page: empty
snapchat: gave up after insta stories
insta stories: DOESN’T EVEN POST SO WHAT’S THE POINT
but he’s like almost always actively liking everything on your timeline
like... every post on your feed is “liked by jeno and xx others”
WHERE IS THIS DUDE
texting him becomes a game through all the different dm platforms online
like will he open his twitter dms today or will he only answer if you furiously facetime him
some days it’s katalk and somedays he just chooses to ignore you
PURPOSELY SO YOU HAVE TO CALL HIM
anyways when he does post on instagram it’s usually just his surroundings and daily activities
or his cats
yeah
does a lot of things with his friends so you’ll probably find him tagged in the dreamies’ stories
but not anywhere else for some reason
he’s more active on twitter!
he kind of feels more relaxed on twitter since it isn’t based on images
tweets out of context things
like a random “fml” out of nowhere and you’re like okay i guess
pretty vague too
doesn’t really make an effort to make any mutuals because it’s kind of like a vent place for him
stays on private
friends only so... about 30 followers and that’s it
people who follow his Instagram don’t really know his twt so it relieves him a bit
food videos on youtube
not mukbangs but like
very nice cooking videos
like have y’all heard of Nino’s Kitchen
he loves that shit BET
the greatest mix between dry sarcasm, humorous attacks and beautiful food
mans just likes real life interactions i guess
haechan
youtube addict! 
gamer haechan
he could spend DAYS on youtube and just forget about time and space altogether
just finds the best rabbit holes to go into from music to snails to gaming to fancams
also on tiktok but his tiktok is on instagram ya feel
finds it stupid but so, so entertaining
loves watching those makeup and art tiktoks because they’re so well done
humor tiktoks on his explore page
number one edit fanatic
mans loves watching edits on instagram and how they’re so well made like 
he’s truly one to appreciate art
his stories are uploaded on the weirdest times of day
want a video of him serenading the camera at two in the morning? sign yourself up
twitter is lowkey his diary
he just tweets whatever is happening all day errday
sometimes he completely forgets about the existence of twitter altogether so there are days where he’s on twitter every second but there are weeks where it’s just CRICKETS
loves to listen to other people’s playlists
open to new vibes (but no hateful vibes!)
still does snapchat streaks... hm 
and who might he be talking to?
his snapchat streaks are always the same shot of the window or some scenery from his apartment
the kind of guy who snaps you until goddamn 4am
make room for online boyfriend hyuck
goes on twitch for the fun of it when he’s too busy to play
finds it real satisfying to just see the streamers engage with the audience while being real good at what they do
either way he’s just always on youtube but when he isn’t he’s usually just consuming content instead of uploading content
but when he does post anything it’s like quality!!
jaemin
unlike jeno, this man is EVERYWHERE
and when i mean everywhere i mean he’s also on letterboxd (!!!) and soundcloud
maybe this is just an excuse for me to force the jaemin film and photography student agenda
this man has customised every part of every profile on social media
except for linkedin
folks, his instagram is just pictures of everyone else but him
even on soundcloud his self-written songs are sung by other members in nct
his insta stories are the only place you can actually hear his voice
insta stories are just food and friends
and by friends i mean wtf moments at the dream dorm
memes all over twitter
steals memes pretty regularly
like he’d always like the tweets before stealing and those tweets would always end up in your tl so whenever he uses those memes in your convos it’s just like
aHa i see
posts “mood” tweets
mostly replies to other people rather than making his own tweets
loves to do deep dives on youtube because he always discovers the cutest music
also gets the best inspiration from youtube
has a few favourite youtubers and genuinely appreciates their content
again, inspiration
watches lots of movies but doesn’t really leave any reviews so he just gives a few stars (or none) on letterboxd
the kind of guy who’s glued to his phone
i don’t blame him
his phone is full of content
still on snapchat apparently
but he’s the kind of dude that just sends streaks every day and updates his snapchat story like never
his streaks... lmao
usually goes for a black screen with a plain “s” or just a random shot of his bedsheets
but if he considers you a close friend he might get distracted and send you a bunch of videos of him playing with filters
he really does think they’re quite the fascination
maybe he’s just bored lol social media is pretty expansive
chenle
he’s like jeno but gives less fucks
so... instagram and twitter are equally chaotic
such a mood
just makes you go WHAT IS THIS DUDE UP TO
this dude is usually just Chillin
and he gets bored so he just brain farts into twitter
whenever there’s a basketball game he’s watching he’ll fill your entire timeline with out of context reactions
also kind of a random out of context dude who posts things at the weirdest times of the day/night
doesn’t give enough fucks to go on private
gets a lot of followers on twt solely because so many people find his life so fascinating like hm...
what might zhong chenle be doing at this time of day
on instagram it’s kind of a different story because uh he might have to think twice about whether or not he wants a certain picture on his feed
but then again, no fucks
so he’s like meh okay sure i’ll post it
pics of food and places he’s been to and laid back selfies and #tbt type beat
NOT WAYV’S TURN BACK TIME I MEAN THROWBACK THURSDAY
but he does a lot of promo for nct and wayv
get that bag boy!
chenle on instagram is like hyuck on twitter: he can go weeks being completely inactive but one day he suddenly remembers the existence of instagram and posts five pictures in a day
all with either no caption or like the vaguest “ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ” or “哈哈哈哈”
if y’all have seen his weibo then y’all would know his twt would be filled with “哈哈哈哈哈”
mentions everyone (especially jisung) in each and every single one of his insta stories
replies to random comments
eternal chenle menpa how bout that
goes on wattpad and ao3 for the fun of it
actually kind of enjoys some of the work on wattpad... his fav trope is enemies to lovers
that one mutual that casually likes all your tweets
he would literally spam like all your pictures/tweets as soon as you guys become mutuals and it’s sweet
comments on everything
always dragged in jisung’s tiktok antics
knows all the tiktok dances by heart even though it looks like he’s so unbothered
thinks tiktok is cringey but HIGHKEY gets into it
jisung
now this dude is on tiktok but he doesn’t really fetch for clout
he likes doing short freestyles
the challenges are cool too and he’s had a few mutuals on tiktok so that’s nice
but this dude screams TWITTER and YOUTUBE
watches shit like vox and jubilee because it’s so interesting to him
has been through a vsauce phase but eventually got bored because they didn’t upload a lot
youtube is there for his deep dives and curiosities
also is subscribed to a lot of youtubers so his recommended page is super diverse
comments on videos with the most candid thoughts
youtube has been a big part of him honestly especially as a child who didn’t really get a formal education
he’s just kind of learning from the internet
doesn’t bother with instagram because... he can post pictures on twt too...
eventually gets instagram anyways so 
the pictures/videos jisung sends on lysn bubble are literally his insta feed
but on twitter he’s just kind of vibin
says he goes on twt 5 times a day so there we go
likes those generational tweets and tiktoks that go like
“kids born after 2005 will never understand this”
his retweets bruv
he just retweets funny one liner replies from viral tweets
also keeps up with the news (ehem this was the boy on the political section of daily korean news let’s hear it)
rather than just korea he’s pretty interested in international news too so he’s a pretty outspoken guy
doesn’t really do a lot of tweeting himself though since he just kind of goes “헐” or “대박” or “ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ”
him and renjun are youtube buddies just because. yes.
usually spirals into crack compilations
like renjun, he’s also seen pretty often in other members’ mentions
ESPECIALLY CHENLE THIS DUDE WONT SHUT UP ABOUT JISUNG
but he honestly really likes being mentioned and being active online because he’s spent most of his life either practicing or online so
feels like home huh
kinda gen z spirit there lmao
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amphtaminedreams · 5 years
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All The Tattoos I Couldn’t Really Afford
Hi to anyone who’s reading!
I thought I’d write about my tattoos a lil bit.
Partly because I’d like to talk generally about tattoos and what they mean for people who have dealt with self-harm and poor body image and partly because I get questions now and again about the more practical side of things; who did them, how much did they hurt and probably the most frequent one, how much did they cost (I mean, only my entire livelihood and every last spare pound I had for about 2 years but nbd)? The point being that I can put all this information in one place, especially as I don’t plan to get any more in the foreseeable future. 
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See, as much as I get tired of people I don’t really know commenting on them, I suppose I did kind of bring it upon myself. Facially, I probably look about 15. I get told I'm exaggerating when I say that BUT I WAS STILL BUYING CHILD’S TICKETS ON THE BUS UP UNTIL LAST YEAR BC AIN’T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR £2.60 SINGLES. Where do you live for a bus single to cost £2.60 I hear you ask? In a tory heartland, my friend.
Anyway, the point is that I look pretty young to have a sort-of sleeve and tbh, I am. I’d say that for a lot of people, a sleeve is something you build on kinda throughout your life, not something you plan on getting pretty much the minute you turn 18. That isn’t exactly how it was for me either. I was more like 20 when I started on my left arm, lol. I started on the rest when I was 18 and had known most of the tattoos I wanted to get since I was about 14/15, so for quite a while. I think I always associated a tattooed version of me with a version of myself I liked and respected a lot more than the girl I saw myself as at that age,  but I didn’t realise just how true that would be. The tattoos definitely aren’t the reason I’m so much more body confident than I was back then; I’m at a weight I feel more comfortable in, I’ve learned how to do my makeup better and I think I’ve grown into myself more. Plus, I got my braces off, which helps. The constant fear of having food in my teeth hardly conjures up a sense of nostalgia, lol. On top of that, seeing a wider and more diverse range of faces and body types celebrated online and in the media has definitely helped me too. 
But one thing that I noticed is how much more respect having tattoos gives me for my own body. When you have talented men and women’s art all over you, it makes you feel like less of a body and more of a blank sheet. I think the attention moves away from the parts underneath that you might not like so much to something you don’t necessarily associate with yourself. It helps me to notice myself more objectively, with appreciation taking the place of scrutiny. And with regards to self-harm, on a practical level, I don’t want to damage somebody else’s hard work. 
The first tattoo I actually got, about a month or so after I turned 18 was pretty simple. I found the studio by way of recommendation from someone who’s tattoo I liked, which imo is probably the best route to go down for your first one. Word of mouth is generally a pretty good indicator of what to expect.
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The 5 planet formation on the back of my neck was based on a Tumblr photo I’d saved on my phone, though in the original design I believe the planets were on the person’s chest.
PROTIP: If you’re getting a tattoo based on something you found on Pinterest, Google Images or Tumblr, the best thing to do is first to probably make a note of the artist and ideally ask them for their permission. This is something I wish I’d done at the time; the majority of my tattoos are based on images I found on the sites I just mentioned and saved without thinking and I generally deleted the photos once I sent them to the tattoo artist. Understandably, artists see it as respect thing to credit them and if I do ever come across the designs some of my tattoos are based on, I will of course make sure to add their details to this post, BUT to be completely honest, nobody outside of the internet is that bothered if you copied a tattoo you saw on Pinterest one time. 
I think the best thing to do is to ask your tattoo artist to put their own spin on a design and add to it, which is what I’ve generally done, and that way you should avoid anyone feeling like their work has been stolen. I like that approach anyway, especially if you’re going back to the same person for all your tattoos; it adds a consistency to them. 
This being my first tattoo, there wasn’t really much of a deeper meaning behind it. I liked the way it looked and wanted something simple that could easily be covered. I got this done by dclxvi.tattoo on Instagram, and it cost around £40. In terms of pain, there wasn’t much at all. I thought it was going to be a lot worse from what others had told me, and more than anything I could feel the vibration of the needle. I’d give it a 1/10 on the pain threshold. 
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My second was the quote on my left side over my ribcage which reads “think deeply, speak gently, give freely and be kind”. This came from one of those cheesy typical middle class white people signs we usually put in our kitchens; we currently have about 6 and counting in ours. The full quote is “Think deeply, speak gently, love much, laugh a lot, work hard, give freely and be kind” but I thought that was a bit long winded so I kept the parts I liked. I suppose the meaning meaning of this is pretty self-explanatory, lol! When I was younger and still even now with the people I’m close to, I worry way too fucking much what people think of me. It’s a very cliche saying but at some point, I learnt that what others say about you says more about them than it does about you. From then, I started realising that as long as I know I do my best to treat people well, that’s the important thing and this tattoo is kind of just a reminder of that. IIRC, this one cost about £60 and was with the same artist as my first. She was really lovely and made me feel very comfortable so I went back to her for this one, and my next couple too. Again, even though it was on my ribs, I’d give it a 1/10 for pain.
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I kinda lose track but I’m pretty sure it was over the summer of my 18th that I got the 3 you can see in the photo above, all still by the same artist. The first on this area of my arm was the quote “love yourself so no-one else has to” inside the heart/feminine symbol hybrid. Similarly, it’s quite self-explanatory but if I had to expand on it, it’s just a reminder that it’s not about what other people think and that as long as I’m happy in myself and BY myself, that’s what matters. This was around the £40 mark and I vaguely remember tattoos getting slightly more painful around this point as we’re getting into musclier territory. Not to make out I have guns or anything, lol, but I’ve always found that tattoos that are on top of muscle are the most difficult to sit through, still though I’d give it a 2/10 for pain. Shortly after I got the crystal ball with the quote underneath. The crystal ball is pretty much a copy of a tattoo I found on Pinterest by the tattoo artist Emily Malice/@emilymalice on Instagram:
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I then chose a quote to add underneath it to make it my own which was: “it’s not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves”. It’s the modernised version of a quote from the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar, and basically sums up the idea that if we want something, we have to go and get it ourselves. I’m not really a believer in fate or destiny or the idea that the universe has a bigger plan for us and though that might sound really pessimistic, I find it empowering in that we can go out and make our lives into anything we want them to be. Of course there are things that are out of our hands but for the most part, it’s down to us; I’m on that inner locus of control shit. And yes I remembered that from A-level psychology, lol. On the pain scale, also a 2/10.
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Next was my Lana tattoo. Imagine copious amounts of the heart eyes emoji here. It’s based on this drawing:
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Which I cannot find the artist of fucking ANYWHERE. The image is all over the bloody internet and returned about 30 different results on TinEye but I can’t for the life of me find the original version so if anybody knows, lmk! 
Anyway, it was my first of 2 Lana tattoos and it’s probably my favourite of them all. I’ve been a hardcore stan of this woman since I was about 12 and Video Games went viral (yes, I was a very pretentious 12 year old/general human being) and her music has been my soundtrack to EVERYTHING for the last 7/8 years. I’m a basic bitch and so Born to Die: Paradise Edition and Ultraviolence are still my favourite albums of hers but I wanted to pay tribute to the Lust for Life cover with the flowers in the hair because it represented her moving towards inner peace and contentment and I loved that. 
COST: approx. £70
PAIN: 2/10
That was my last tattoo for a while until about November 2018, from which point onwards I was getting them pretty much constantly up until a few months ago. I was no longer at uni, had a part time job and for the first time had proper disposable income, so I got my first proper “piece” tattoo:
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This one I very shittily designed myself, though the lip part was based on this tattoo by Heidi Kaye/@heidikayetattoo on Instagram:
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The lips were always going to be the centrepiece though it was originally a much bigger design. The idea was that it would be a piece based around the elements, water, earth, air and fire, with the things that represents each being something sentimental to me. Well, apart from the lips which would represent the passion of the fire signs; I just thought they looked cool, lol. On a less shallow note, the butterflies, which represent air (along with the moons), I associate with my mum as she’s always wearing butterfly patterned outfits and jewellery. Yeah, I don’t know how you can claim a whole ass insect either but apparently they’re her thing! And similarly, the scorpion is for my sister; it represents water, scorpio being a water sign. She and I used to watch Orphan Black together and took to affectionately calling each other “sestra” instead of sister like the Ukranian character Helena pronounces it in the show. At one point, I believe it’s season 3, her character hallucinates a scorpion (don’t ask, that show was pretty wack at times), hence the scorpion tattoo. Lastly, the flowers and the agate rock represent earth, which is the home of my sun and moon sign. There were originally going to be a lot more details to the piece but I wanted to keep it on the back of my arm and when I showed it to my new tattoo artist, Matt Cassy (cassytattoo on Instagram), he simplified it for me so that it would fit. It cost around £140 and took the longest time yet, but I’d give it a 1/10 for pain and it’s my favourite tattoo after my Lana one, probably because it’s the most individual.
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Next after this was my sunflower and it took me to one of kindest and most talented people I’ve ever met! I’m pretty sure this was the first one she did for me and from this point onwards, I went back to Bianca Kidd (biancakiddtattoo on Instagram) for 90% of my tattoos. It’s a pretty basic piece but I really wanted a tattoo on my shoulder and preferably something that will never really go “out of style”. Flower tattoos are so simple but the absolute prettiest imo and I don’t think I’ll ever look back on this one and be like “what was I thinking?” I got Bianca to add the stars which were SUPPOSED to be in the form of the constellations of my sun, moon and rising signs, Capricorn, Virgo and what I thought was Scorpio but turns out is actually Cancer. Shoulda known considering how much of a needy, over-emotional twat I am, lol. On the one hand, it seems kinda contradictory to my crystal ball tattoo quote to believe in astrology but on the other, I think there might be something to the time of year a person is born and the environmental factors that come with that (climate, financial patterns etc.) affecting a person’s temperament slightly. It could all be a load of BS, considering the vagueness of most star signs and our tendency to want to agree with positive statements about ourselves, and I DEFINITELY don’t believe in the stars having any impact on your future or fate but it’s still fun to read about either way. Would be even funner if I didn’t have regrets about getting my natal chart wrong and being sure enough that Scorpio was my rising sign to get a tattoo referencing it every time I did, but there you go. If anyone asks, the placement of the stars is TOTALLY. RANDOM.
COST: approx. £140
PAIN: I find that even if a tattoo isn’t in a super painful position, your skin begins to get a little raw and thus more sensitive when it’s under a needle for a long period of time so 3/10
Next was the snakey boy on the inside of my right arm which I got just before Christmas, again by Bianca:
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I don’t have much to say about this one other than it’s pretty much a copy of one I saw on Pinterest that I’d saved quite a while before (unfortunately I can’t find it anywhere now but if anybody does know the source lmk!) because I fricken love snakes and think they’re cute and misunderstood af. Not as cute as cats but definitely up there. Bianca changed it slightly by adding the dots around the rose and we went from there, and the main thing I remember is that this one actually hurt. Close to the armpit and on top of the muscle is a bad combination and I’m totally in awe of the madmen that go right into the pit itself. It cost £80 and for pain I’d give it an 8/10. 
Cop the exact same pose only with the other arm instead, but I also got my mermaid around this time:
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She was done by Polly (biffinx on instagram) who’s an apprentice tattoo artist. If you are looking for a slightly cheaper tattoo, apprentices are a good shout, as they usually charge slightly less, though in Polly’s case are equally as skilled at what they do; you’re also helping them build their portfolio so it’s a win-win situation for both you and the tattoo artist. That being said, make sure you do your research and get someone who’s good at the style you’re looking for before you commit. Instagram is often your best bet, and if not, tattoo shops often have websites with photo galleries showcasing each artist’s work. It might take you a while to find what you’re looking for but you really can’t compromise when you’re talking about something that’s probably going to be on your body forever. NBD. I got the mermaid as a nod to both growing up by the sea and how much I loved to swim when I was younger. I feel like I’m going to end up saying this far too many times but she’s one of my favourites. 
COST: £60
PAIN: 8/10
I also got the other 3 tattoos on my upper right arm during this time. Bianca did the satanic kitty (can’t find the source of the tattoo it was based on! again, if anyone does lmk!), because of course I had to have a cat tattoo, and that was around £50 and a 3/10 on the pain scale. The two shells, which again are a reminder of where I grew up, were done by Terry Weeks (terryweekstattoo on Instagram) and cost £70 for both. I’d give them a 2/10 for pain.
Next were my knee and calf tattoo in February of this year, for which I went back to Matt Cassy:
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He did the two of them for £140 and it took around 3 hours. Palm trees always remind me of California which I absolutely love, and the spider’s web was kinda just because...spooky, ya know? Honestly, I hate spiders and I equally hate that it gave the old man on the bus the inspiration to make the joke (imagine this being said in a strong Dorset accent) “you’ve got ae spiderr on yerr leg” at me that one time on the bus. Plus, I’d give my knee tattoo a strong 9/10 for pain. Realistically, it probably wasn’t any more painful than the inner upper arm tattoos but you have the added burden of suppressing your reflexes; when somebody is carving into the skin on your leg, it really shouldn’t come as a surprise that your knee jerk reaction is to...well, kick that person in the face. Or away from you at least. I also got the elbow pit tattoo on my left arm from Bianca around this time for £160. 8/10 for pain on that one.
And then, there was the 10/10 in March. The things I do for Miss Lana Del fucking Rey.
Because the Just Ride tattoo above my knees HURT. I wasn’t expecting it at all but BLOODY HELL. My tattoo artist actually had to get the numbing spray out for this one. It was, again, the combined effect of it being on top of muscle and the need to resist my reflexes so that I didn’t flinch, which clearly I didn’t do a very good job at, hence the spray. I think my reaction at the time was kind of, what the fuck, has this stuff always existed? But the more you can put off asking for the spray, the better, because used in large quantities it can be pretty dangerous. This was the only tattoo I felt I did need it for because I literally couldn’t sit still and there was a risk of me jogging the tattoo artist, Megan, the amazing @bunnystattoos on Instagram. Her stuff is adorable and she has such a strong vision and brand and if I was going to get another, I’d love to just give her a starting point and see where she’d take it from there. Like, I’m not a Star Wars fan but LOOK at this set she designed for someone else:
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I also got my Dream On tattoo with her in the same session and in total she charged me £110 for both which is pretty reasonable considering how in demand she is (and how much of a total baby I was about the Just Ride tattoo). I chose lyrics from Ride because lyrically, it’s probably one of my favourite songs of hers, plus the opening 30 seconds are pure magic.
Megan also did the linework orchid lady on the back of my arm around the same time:
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I suppose you could say this is my most “meaningful” tattoo, because it was inspired by something my care-coordinator said to me about my diagnosis of BPD. In amongst all the other less than complimentary comments, she told me that it just means we need a little more care and sensitivity than others, like orchids do in comparison to other flowers, but that that doesn’t make us any less deserving of care or less beautiful. Basically, in the right circumstances, we can bloom too. And I liked that. 
This one cost £80 and was about a 3/10 for pain. I can’t find any photos of the tattoo it was based on so for the millionth time, if you do know, hmu.
From April-May I got a shitload of tattoos and to be honest, I can’t really remember what order it was in so I’m going to group them into artists. First, the ones I got from Polly:
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The anatomical heart I got in March and was based on this tattoo by Harry Plane (@harry.plane on Instagram):
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COST: £50
PAIN: 7/10
And the sun and moon kissing was also around £50. 2/10 for pain.
Bianca did a few for me too, starting with the floral design on my lower left arm around March, which was probably my biggest piece yet:
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The floral piece started off as a 4/10 though it creeped up to a 6 the closer it got to my wrist. Going over raised scars is also slightly more painful, something to bear in mind. Along with the Keep It Cute tattoo (6/10) on my wrist:
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It came to £180. 
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Bianca also did the linework of my favourite GIF, like, ever.
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Yes, it’s Go Go Yubari from Kill Bill about to try and maim The Bride, who don’t get me wrong I am perennially rooting for, but come on. It’s an iconic moment in film history Once Upon a Time in Hollywood wishes it could replicate. 4/10 for pain due to it being over scarring, otherwise we’re talking about the kind of placement that’s a reliable 2/10. I also got wrapped into the whole renaissance inspired trend and got Bianca to do me a little cherub gap filler based on this flash sheet I found on Google Images (link to the image found here https://creativemarket.com/Sonulkaster/280110-Angels-and-Cupids-collection.?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=CM):
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I suggested the cigarette as a cheeky little addition, lol! I’d give it a 5/10 for pain, being close to the inside of my arm n all and it set me back around £40. Unfortunately, I don’t have any great quality photos of it that I haven’t already used in the post but here’s one where you can see it a little bit (idk why my hair looks so brown and basically my natural colour in this photo but I DO NOT APPROVE, it is not at all fitting with my wannabe mildly goth aesthetic):
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Finally, we have my last 2 tattoos.
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See, getting my finger tattoos done was an absolute necessity before I went inter-railing and not because I’m an over-dramatic bitch who wanted a little something to make my multitude of me-holding-food photos more aesthetically pleasing (though of course it helped on that count), but because I made the fucking huge mistake of trying to stick and poke them myself. To be fair, they weren’t THAT bad at first. Like I was pretty pleased with them. Buuuut they faded super quickly and I guess that’s the issue with stick and pokes, especially on your fingers, where even professional tattoos are a bit of a flight risk anyway. So, after having to go over them a million times and spilling Indian ink all over my laptop keyboard, I decided to admit defeat and get Bianca to go over them for me. It cost £30 and I’d only give it a 4/10 on the pain scale. After months of having to explain my shitty faded finger tattoos to everyone and convince far too many customers at work that they weren’t just drawn on with a sharpie, I’m finally happy with them. Lesson learnt. Don’t stick and poke kids, especially not near your laptop.
Lastly is my “Wouldst Thou Like to Live Deliciously?” quote that Polly did for me:
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The cost of this tattoo? £30. Having to explain to every person who hasn’t seen The VVitch what it actually says and then what it means too? Priceless. Hotel? Tri-
I joke. It’s actually very annoying having to explain what it says and vague what it means, not because I don’t EXACTLY know but also because I feel like a snobby film hoe (which is quite an accurate description of me) every time I do. The VVitch is super good, guys. Please watch if you’ve got the patience, it’s a slow burn. 
Anyways, I hope anybody who read to the end enjoyed the post and found it informative! If you have any other tattoo questions, shoot me a message and I will definitely respond. I think one of the most common things I get is people saying they’re too indecisive to get a tattoo and that they want one, but are worried they’ll go off it. What I think is that once you get your first, getting a tattoo starts to feel like less of a momentous decision. Like there are tattoos I have that I probably wouldn’t get now but that doesn’t mean I regret them because, although it sounds cheesy, they sort of become a part of you and represent what you liked at the time. The more you have, the less significant one individual tattoo is. At the end of the day, are you ever going to regret getting a tiny rose? Worst case scenario, you can always get a cover up or if you’re brave and rich enough (lol), get laser removal. In terms of aftercare, I’ve always been kind of sloppy. Follow the instructions your tattoo artist gives you but also, if you don’t get time to moisturise them, it’s not the end of the world. TRY not to itch them but one tiny scratch isn’t going to permanently damage your tattoo. 
One thing I will say, though, that’s probably kind of obvious to everyone but me (being the dumbass I am) is that you should NOT go in the sea right after getting a tattoo. It is literally the equivalent of pouring salt in an open wound and whilst it didn’t ruin my Lana, it really fucking stung for about 3 days afterwards. I’m an endless treasure chest of protips, didn’t you know?
Thank you for reading!
Lauren x
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Girl Crush (Ben Hardy!Roger Taylor Imagine)
I wrote this after listening to ‘Girl Crush’ and broke my own heart. 
Also posted on AO3.
Warnings: angst, bits of fluff, bits of swearing, as a whole, very, very lovely. 
Additional details: → Based on the song ‘Girl Crush’ cover version by Harry Styles. It’s on Spotify if you wanna listen to it or maybe I’ll put it down there. 
           → Ben Hardy!Roger Taylor, but you can imagine Roger alone or Ben, if                  you feel like it.
           → Action taking place at present.
PLOT: You are confused as hell while Roger knows for sure that he’s in love with you. So, he puts that into a song. 
                                                        Imagines
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(Credits to Greta Myklegard for the GIF on Pinterest.)
„C’mon, he wants you there more than anyone else.” Brian says, in a final attempt to make you move from the couch you are sitting in this moment. You know he’s in a rush and you are only making things worse for him, but he doesn’t give up. „Y/N, look, we have 40 minutes left and if you think about doing something, you should make a decision right about now. Forget about the argument, it’s the most insignificant thing now for you both.” So many thoughts, so little time. You thought. Brian looks up at the clock on the wall and you feel the urge to tell him to go. You just don’t want to make him be late or annoy him even more. And he, being the sweet guy he is, never admits the fact that you annoy him.
For maybe the millionth time today, your mind travelled back to a particular person. Blue eyes, beautiful blonde hair and, you should add, a big temper even though he acts like this shy boy every once in a while. And you were mad, but having his image in your head helped a bit through the phase. You are a very bad person and Roger is the last person to deserve to be treated like this. That is why staying in your pajamas in your house to spend the rest of the night was a better idea than going anywhere out . You wouldn’t hurt anyone.
„I still don’t hear you saying a single thing.” The curly one says again, somehow resisting to the impulse of pinching your arm or something like that.
„That is because I don’t feel good. I don’t feel comfortable coming tonight. I’ll ruin your moment, I don’t wanna do that.” You say with your thoughts all a mess inside your head.
„Neither does Roger. I saw him today, he clearly was pissed. But you know what? Yours and his pride shouldn’t be bigger than they way you need each other. Remember that you were there everytime.
Bloody hell. He shouldn’t have said that like that.
„Brian.”
„I’m right here.”
„I don’t have a very good feeling about it, but I’ll be back in 12 minutes.” You say and in one second, you’re standing on your own feet. Brian smiles at you, somehow relieved that he didn’t have to spend too much time convincing you or contradict your opinions. You reached your bedroom and put on the most easier to find clothes. It wasn’t a formal thing or something which needed a significant part of care, it was just a little concert in a bar. You combed your wild hair, applied some mascara and lip gloss and you thought you were ready. Phisically, at least. You put your phone in the back pocket of your jeans and then went back to Brian, who was up from the couch, waiting impatiently for you.
„I’m okay.” You assure, but don’t know from where this comes from. You grab your house keys from the coffee table and in a few moments you are in the passenger’s seat in Brian’s car.
Roger. Your mind whispers. While you bite the inside of your cheek, his face appears in front of your eyes. He is so naive. Or, are you naive?
You didn’t have to tell him all those things. It was obvious that he didn’t need any of them, nor was his intention to confuse you. Yet, you are still so confused. Because you have no idea how you should act around him. He does these things … And you don’t know if you’re supposed to accept them or not. He has feelings for you. This is showing on him, it has been for a lot of time now. And somehow, this complicates your situation even more. Roger is a great person. He is a handsome man and an amazing friend, but is this how it should be? His actions towards you have always spoken more for him than his words. How he looks at you when you’re around him, how he tries to make you laugh and how he offers to help you so often you feel almost ungrateful. He’s so nice, it’s almost unbelieveable. You, on the other hand and in comparison, are in doubts and can only create complications with your beliefs.
„This … I think this is not right. Please, why you keep doing those things for me? I-I can’t make up for it, I don’t think I could feel the same for you, Roger. I don’t know, don’t force me.”
„I’m not trying to force you, Y/N, don’t say that. Why is this so hard for you to get? I just want you good, it’s so nice for me to see you smile and all that … But maybe that makes me a damn burden and I can totally understand it.”
Ugh, remembering this day’s events is awful. And the argument. It’s miserable.
„Remember that you were there everytime.” And Brian is right. Not just because he’s more conscious than you, but because it is true. You met Roger and the band he’s in exactly at the bar you are now heading to. It hapenned on a night when you decided to stop studying and stressing over final exams and get out of the house. Your mood was completely shitty, you reckon, and that made you give up for some hours. You entered the bar which was, back then, filled with teenagers who were almost the same age as you, drinking and simply having fun to your disadvantage. You found out that someone’s about to light up the atmosphere with some music only when a group of men became the center of attention. One held a mic, who’s name was Freddie, two of them had guitars, Brian and John and one more, Roger, positioned himself behind a drum set in the back. His messy hair back then was the first thing to catch you attention. When they started singing along with playing their instruments, there was this blast for your ears. They have totally disconnected you from your too full universe. Made you smile while admiring their talent and then cheering with the crowd when they were done. The memory makes you tremble now. It’s been almost two years since. Ever since, you were lucky enough to be present everytime they sang there. You got to know their songs in order and witness the new ones on occasions. They had power, a lot of talent, they were skilled and entertained every single person in the little crowded bar which became, by the way, more and more popular because of them. By having the courage to congratulate them, without even noticing, you became friends. It was an uncertain fact at first, but it became stable on the way. The truth was they were normal people, all in all. Normal people with a passion that brought them together to amaze the others. Music was an important hobby for them, but they have said that it would never be serious enough to make a living out of it.
Oh boy, how wrong they were.
The more people came to watch them playing on different nights and get drunk in addition, the more popular they became. And it just happened for you to be there when a man in uniform offered them the occasion to visit a recording studio. That was it. Everything went smooth, enjoyable and crazy. Absolutely crazy. Their first album followed shortly after that and now they go under the band name ‚Queen’.  
To get along with Roger was an interesting process. He was the ladie’s man with fast hands and drumsticks. But the thing was that he never looked after any woman in particular. He only looked after … Well, you. It was confusing to understand how and why, but you just assmued that you don’t have to explain everything and believed that, eventually, things will clarify. It was easy to say that Roger didn’t give up on his purpose. He never really lost any opportunity to take you out to dinner, flirt with you and smile in that way he does. Although you tried to avoid getting closer and closer, he’s always managed to pull you closer. He didn’t try anything on you still, never kissed you or tell you clearly what was that he wanted. But it was already obvious and the thought, the aspects of it scared you, if it’s to be honest. Why? Is still your question.
Why letting Roger to have you was so confusing and hard to get?
You wish you had an actual answer to that.
There were a lot of guys around you. There was this one, Anthony, who got under your skin a little, unfortunately for Roger. Not that you wanted to be rude. Only God knows, you cared about Roger too much, he earned that from you, but the way Anthony was seemed to feel right. It seemed to feel like it was appropriate for you, while when you were around your blonde one made you feel your skin burning, your stomach squeezing and your hands sweating. Could you name that?
No. You never did.
 „You seriously scare me when you are so deep into your thoughts.” Brian’s voice snaps you back to reality when you realize that you are biting your lower lip hard enough to make the blood spill out. Hopefully, that didn’t happen.
„What? We arrived?” You ask.
„Yeah, we’re here. 20 more minutes.”
You got out of the car, facing the bar. The wind blowing freshened your tenseness. Your hands are squeezed into fists, but there’s barely a thing you could do about that. Still, you manage to move, nervous. The inside of the bar is already full and the smell of alcohol and cigarettes gets to your nose quickly. It’s loud in here, mostly because everyone is excited. The boys are back from tour and decided to have a mini-show back at the bar where it all started. Like a ‚hi there again’ for everyone who watched their performances throughout the years. They were clearly important individuals now.
Brian suggested you to stay near the stage and then he rushed somwhere in the back. No one could call that a backstage because there wasn’t one. It was just a tiny space behind the stage, where they got used to encourage themselves before the show, laugh, have shots and practice a little. You know Roger use to play with his drumsticks there, hitting the air imaginary and throwing them up. Once, one of the drumsticks even hit him in the eye, but he didn’t complain, because he saw that you were secretly looking.
Lovely.
You ordered a glass of something strong for your state of mind and waited patiently. That is all you can do for now. The air is filled with eagerness, people are moving too fast around and there is no trace of your boys. No.
Stay. Don’t you dare to think of leaving.
The crowd started to whisper loudly when the lights dimmed and the little stage was all Freddie’s. He appeared, wearing a not so bold of an outfit as you were used to, smiling and waving to everyone. From behind, there came John, Brian and finally, the ladie’s man. He lifted his hands in the air, along with his drumsticks and smiled warmly. You suddenly felt the need to smile as well, seeing him form afar. He has his hair slightly wavy maybe from the humid air and wears black skinny jeans with a plain white, elbows-lenght shirt. This look makes him be even more handsome, with his white teeth and soft, blue eye. You bite your lip unconsciously.
They start playing and it’s pure bliss. The people are absorbed by them, singing along and dancing around like some super happy freaks. Their hands are quickly in the air, yelling from excitement and spilling their drinks on the floor without being bothered. You stand still, in a poor-lighted corner with your empty galss in your hand, wanting so hard to move and dance with the others. These boys are awesome. But you can’t move, just swing a little from left to right because Roger managed to see you at some point. He seemed a bit shocked until trying to hide it. His drumming was intense, hair being a mess, cheeks flushed and wet lips while he was looking in your direction. You tried to grin, liftting your glass in the air and making him smirk for a bit.
Yeah, your pride wasn’t bigger than the way you needed each other. It’s true, for God’s sake, but you’re a fool for the record and will never admit this.
Only looking at Roger, a last song was heard and then people started to scream again, loving the atmosphere the boys created. They stood on the stage and took all the noise, all that cheering into their souls, breathing fire and joy. You placed your glass on the the bar’s counter and exited your ‚safe’ place, approaching the stage but still being covered by the crowd.
„Alright, we’re not done just yet.” Freddie says in the mic. He looks at Roger from behind his shoulder and continues. „Our friends right here needs to do something. Come here, buddy.” You watch as Roger steps forward. His breathing is fast, you can see. A moment of silence later, he speaks:
„I’ll apologize in advance if I’ll sound like shit, I’m trying though.” His face is all sweaty and red, but he’s so beautiful. With the mic now in his hands, he looks at Brian who jusy enjoyed him. He nods, everyone becomes quiet and you tense up.
A gentle guitar sound is heard and your hands start shaking. Roger finds you in the crowd and while looking right into your eyes, he says:
„This is for my girl.”
 „I got a girl crush …”
 Your heartbeats speed up. Your feet take you right in front of the stage in a desperate attempt to understand what is happening. You know this song. You know this song and it sounds painfully good from his mouth.
 „Hate to admit it but
I got a heart rush
It ain't slowing down
I got it real bad
Want everything she has
That smile and that midnight laugh
She's giving you now”
 You pity him. It’s so lame and unecessary, but you do. Something inside of you flinches and a knot is forming in your throat.
 „I want to taste her lips
Yeah, ’cause they taste like you
I want to drown myself
In a bottle of her perfume”
 Roger is nervous too, you can see that by the way he tightens his grip on the mic. His voice can tremble in any moment, he’s so concentrated as he lays his forehead on the mic head. The lights are all on him, at a decent amount of intensity.
„I want her long blonde hair
I want her magic touch
Yeah, 'cause maybe then
You'd want me just as much
And I've got a girl crush
I've got a girl crush”
 You can barely look around to see everyone watching him in awe. It almost makes a tear drop down your cheek, but you shouldn’t do that. They lift their hands up in the air once again, moving them along with the rhythm.
Oh, Roger …
 „I don't get no sleep
I don't get no peace
Thinking about her
Under your bed sheets”
 Anthony. For a strange reason, Anthony comes into your mind. The music reminds you of how you slept with him for the first time. Roger knows nothing about this, and should never find out. But you feel guilty. On that night, Anthony, although he was hugging you from behind in his bed, wasn’t the one you thought about. Roger was.
 „The way that she's whispering
The way that she's pulling you in
Lord knows I've tried
I can't get her off my mind”
 You couldn’t breathe properly. You’re so nervous and you have any idea why. It’s so frustrating and it makes your face red with feelings. There was this day once, when you cut one of your fingers with a knife while trying to cook something alone. You’ve tried to cook before, but only simple recipes. You swore a lot when the knife slipped in your hand and cut a wound in your finger. You couldn’t stand blood, so you rushed to the hospital to get stitches. You called both Anthony and Roger, maybe one of them was willing to take you back home. And guess who came first.
Not Anthony.
Roger. And he was worried as hell. He checked your finger, the bandage and asked if you were okay. His touches on you were gentle, they were sweet and caring and you remember how warm that made you feel.
 „I want to taste her lips
Yeah, 'cause they taste like you
I want to drown myself
In a bottle of her perfume
I want her long blonde hair
I want her magic touch
Yeah, 'cause maybe then
You'd want me just as much”
 It’s so weird, you feel him so vulnerable. You can’t be pissed anymore, there’s no point in that. Everything in you tells you that you need to go up there and hug him. He doesn’t look at you anymore, he’s looking at the crowd. Some of them are crying, some of them are leaning against each other and dance in silence. Brian plays at his guitar with fine touches. Freddie and John are doing the backing vocals, they murmur together like two birds and you can swear you are in love.  But Roger loves you and he’s trying to get this right for you.
And you feel so bad for it.
„And I've got a girl crush
Oh, and I got a girl crush”
 You try to handle when Roger turns to look at you and dries his lips. His eyes glow, and seeing him this way, you try to smile as beautiful and true as you can. He swallows hard before singing the last notes of the song that made you love him so freaking much.
 „I got a girl crush
Hate to admit it but
I got a heart rush
It ain't slowing down”
 When he finishes, a silent moment goes by. He lets out a shaky breath and then, right there, the crowd begins to applaud and call out his name. And you can’t lose this chance. You clap your hands so hard while he gets your sight and smiles so little. You close your eyes and decide it is time to slow down. All these things for you. Roger Taylor is ruining you right now, but it’s fine as long as you did that too to him.
Trying to calm down from your weak moment, you wait for the bar to empty in order to catch your breath. The need for fresh air is inevitable. Still, you can hold on for a couple of minutes more. Brian, Freddie, John and Roger aren’t anywhere close so you start wandering around. Suddenly, Brian takes your hand and points you forward, where Roger is staying, unable to see you. He is holding his head down and the image is terrible. You nod to Brian and he smiles back at you, trying to send you some boldness. You walk towards Roger and when you are right behind him, your arms wrap around his warm body. He doesn’t jump taken aback, he doesn’t move. Your head creeps on his shoulder where you see him with both of his hands placed on a glass with a dark-colored liquid in it.
„’Drowning your sorrows in alcohol, huh?” You speak in his ear, his bittersweet scent hitting on your senses.
„It’s just Coke. If it was alcohol, then I would’ve been wasted by now in terms of how I’m feeling.” He doesn’t turn his head at you and you can guess it’s because he’s somewhat ashamed.
„Roger?” You whisper. „Look at me, please.”
He does. His eyes find yours and they’re a bit red. Did he cry?  
„We will stare in each other’s eyes now?” He asked with sarcasm. Still, his voice was weak.
You giggled. Then, your hands cupped his cheeks. What followed was shocking for both of you. Lips to lips, you two kissed. It was lingering, a little needy at first and then slow. Your lips were hot, feelings tangled and fingers numb on his skin. He placed his hands on your wirsts, applying pressure as he kept his lips glued to yours. A light strong taste from his tongue was now in your mouth and you immediately knew he lied earlier.
„Is that whiskey I’ve just felt in your mouth, love?”
„Just a little.” He answered, giving you that smirk which, right now, makes you lose your mind.
„Thank you so much, Roger. So, so much. You were beautiful out there. So, damn sweet.” You know your words could be meaningless compared to what he did tonight for you. But this was all you could do. You feel dizzy even tough you barely drank. You assume it’s because of what happened.
„It wasn’t a big thing. I’m not the romantic type, you know?”
„I know. I need some air, do you want to take a walk with me? We need to talk.” You say, not breaking eye-contact for a single second. He dared to intertwine his fingers with yours and then stand up. You hold his hand carefully while guiding him to the exit. The night is chilly just as it has to be to cool you down, but with Roger by your side, your whole body is burning. Confusion is lost, hopefully forever.
Let’s talk about Ben Hardy as Roger Taylor wearing a plain white, elbows-lenght shirt, okay? My heart is too weak for that. I’m nervous about this because I spent a lot of time writing it and I hope you will enjoy. Thank you so much in advance for reading! Heart, reblog, comment, whatever, it will be enormously appreciated and kind of you! Opinions really, really help me and make me wanna continue writing. :)
xoxo, D.
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unifiedsocialblog · 5 years
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10 Ways to Improve Your Social Media Profiles in One Hour or Less
What? Improve all my social media profiles—in one hour. Really?
Yup.
I get it—you’re busy. Or maybe lazy (no judgement).
Either way, you’ve got posts to review, schedule, and publish. Campaigns to declare, launch, and manage. Emails to write and respond to. Countless deadlines for this and that.
And… a boss to please so they’ll feel at ease because ‘you got this’. So your brand shows up just right, for all your social media profiles.
This guide is for you.
Each tip should take only a few minutes. All together, about an hour. Schedule it for this week. You can do that, right?
Clock’s a ticking… what are we waiting for?
Bonus: Get the step-by-step social media strategy guide with pro tips on how to grow your social media presence.
1. Make sure you’re using the right size images
So your brand face will look professional and beautiful—no matter where you show up.
Optimize your profile images on each network. Often, this only takes a quick crop, which you can do in minutes.
Think about, too… where else these images might show up.
For instance…
How will it look expanded? Or small, when showing up in people’s streams? How will it look on mobile compared to desktop?
Each social network states the optimal images sizes. Because they know all thy ways they’ll be seen. Trust them.
This guide tells all. But I’ll summarize a few since you’re on the clock.
Facebook profile picture: 170 X 170 pixels
Facebook cover photo: 828 X 465 pixels
Twitter profile photo: 400 X 400 pixels
Twitter header image: 1,500 X 500 pixels
Google+ profile picture: 250 X 250 pixels (minimum)
Google+ cover photo: 1080 X 608 pixels
LinkedIn profile photo: 400 X 400 pixels (minimum)
LinkedIn custom background: 1584 X 396
LinkedIn cover photo: 974 X 330 pixels
LinkedIn banner image: 646 X 220 pixels
Instagram profile picture: 110 X 110 pixels
Pinterest profile picture: 150 X 150 pixels
YouTube profile picture: 800 X 800 pixels
YouTube cover photo: 2,560 X 1,440 pixels on desktop
2. Use the same profile image on every network
Your brand logo or image should be consistent across all networks.
The more you appear the same in feeds across social networks, the more likely you’ll get and stay top-of-mind. People will think of you before your competitor when they need your product or service.
But if you use different photos and logos you’ll dilute your brand’s visual identity (and recognizability).
3. Make sure your handles are consistent, too
For photos, appearing consistently increases brand recognition.
Same for handles. Also… it makes it easier for others to search and find you.
Want to increases the chances for people mentioning your brand? And, help them find and follow you?
Then make it obvious when they type the ‘@’ sign.
With a simple handle, as close to your personal or brand name as possible.
Just about every social media platform drops down a list in place to help you be clicked.
Now how will you appear in such a list with a mishmash of name, city, area, and any other secret codes. That might work for 007, but you’re not in the spy game, you’re in the buy game.
4. Untag yourself from bad photos and inappropriate posts
Tags are great for talking with more fans. If used right.
But if you’re tagging inappropriate photos or posts, you’ll look like an amateur, instead of a pro. You might face legal woes too.
So… two approaches to make sure you’re using tags best.
Check your photo tag settings
Make sure your settings align with your social media policy.
For your networks you can do some of the following:
See where you’ve been tagged
See who can see your tagged photos and posts
Approve photos you’ve been tagged in before they appear
Remove tags from unwanted photos and posts
Restrict who can tag you in photos
Check each network for what’s available for your strategy.
Review tags regularly
Create a routine to check and review the posts you’re tagged in. Then untag yourself from any bad photos or inappropriate posts.
You might ask.. why not just shut down tagging?
Because:
It’s like hearing your name called out from the crowd
Tags elicit a response from others
You can jump into pertinent conversations
You’ll show up in more places
Tags exist for those reasons, so don’t cut yourself or brand off from being seen more.
5. Be discoverable in a search
Use the right keywords in your profile to be discovered for your business, industry, or niche.
When people do web searches, you want your brand logo to show up above the fold.
It’s easy (and fast) to add the right words to your social profile.
Here’s a couple ways:
Identify the right keywords
Find out what people search for most when looking for professionals in your space. Keyword tools like SEMrush and Google Keyword Planner will help identify the right words and terms.
Use those keywords
Update your social media profiles with the words and phrases identified above.
For: LinkedIn job title, description, experience, and skills sections. Do the same kind of thing for all your social accounts. In your bio, for photos, interests and more.
Don’t just stuff a list of keywords into these sections.
Work them in naturally, like how you talk. The search engine gods will reward and rank you higher. So you’ll show up, not down, the results page.
6. Fill in every field
While you’re adding keywords to your profile, make sure all the fields are filled in.
Why?
So readers won’t perceive you as unprofessional and lazy.
And don’t write gibberish. Write succinct and clear sentences, explaining…
What you or your brand does
What people who follow you can expect to see
Maybe even a clear call-to-action for what they should do next (but that’s outside this hour of power)
Make your words engaging, too, not boring. Here’s some tips I wrote for you.
Also, check this over time. Social networks remove, add, and update fields.
7. Cross promote
There’s probably a field ‘Website” for your social profile.
Most people enter in their website. Makes sense, right?
But you can do better. Use this field to link to your other social profiles—as another form of cross promotion.
Facebook allows you to add multiple website fields
LinkedIn allows you to add your Twitter account
Pinterest allows you to connect to Facebook and Twitter
For the social networks that give you only a single “website” field, mix it up. State a current landing or promo page. Or a new downloadable guide. Update and change it around over time.
8. Test your links
Hey, while you’re in there updating your links—make sure they work, too.
Typos happen. It takes just a sec or two to test them. Otherwise, you’ll confuse users and look lame. And worse, not get those cross promotion benefits.
Test every link on every profile.
That’s it. Next…
9. Build social trust
How? By asking friendlies for reviews, endorsements, and recommendations.
This includes friends, family, past and current clients.
It shows others you’ve succeeded. Readers trust that more than an ad.
You won’t get all these up on your profiles in an hour. This is about asking.
Here’s a few ways.
Use LinkedIn’s endorsements section. People can click to endorse your skills.
Even more powerful are LinkedIn recommendations. When you do ask for these (and you should) make it easier for them.
“Hey Joe, it was great working together on our last project. Think you could write a recommendation for my part? If so, here’s a few questions to make it easy for you.”
What talents, abilities, & characteristics describe me?
What successes did we experienced together?
What I’m good at?
What can be counted on?
Are there any other distinguishing features you think I possess?
What was my impact on you?
What was my impact on the company?
How did I change what you do?
What’s one thing you get with me that you can’t get anywhere else?
What are five words that describe me?
Pro tip: Give love, too. Use those questions to write a recommendation for someone, without them even asking.
For Facebook pages, use their visitor post section. So people can highlight the good work you’ve done.
For Twitter, pin positive tweets to the top of your stream. This allows you to control what visitors see when they first arrive.
There’s plenty of goodness you can create for you and your brand in a few minutes.
10. Pin your best content to the top of your profile
More about pins.
Unlike other posts, pinned one’s stay put. They are the first things people see when looking you up. Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn support pinning.
This is your chance to showcase your best work. Choose wisely. Maybe a key message, a new landing page, a hot offer, or a cool video? Make the most of pinning.
How did that go?
Did you get all those done in an hour?
But I know it was still worth your time. Feels good, right, to have all your social profiles tidy and optimized for your business. I bet your boss will dig it, too.
Easily manage all your social media profiles using Hootsuite. From a single dashboard you can schedule and publish posts, engage your followers, monitor relevant conversations, measure results, manage your ads, and much more. Try it free today.
Get Started
The post 10 Ways to Improve Your Social Media Profiles in One Hour or Less appeared first on Hootsuite Social Media Management.
10 Ways to Improve Your Social Media Profiles in One Hour or Less published first on https://getfblike.tumblr.com/
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cstesttaken · 7 years
Text
15 Common Social Media Questions & Answers
Whether you’re just getting started with social media marketing, or you’re an experienced marketer, there’s always something new to learn. Asking the right questions can improve your chances of success and help you avoid costly mistakes. In order to help steer you in the right direction, we’ve compiled a list of some common social media questions you might be dying to ask.
1. Do I Have to Be on Every Social Network?
Here’s why: As tempting as it is to increase your visibility by jumping on every social network, a lot of times it’s too much to take on. Instead of creating accounts just for the sake having a profile, get strategic with the networks you choose.
An easy way to figure out which social networks to be on is by simply asking where’s my audience’s attention? If they’re not on Pinterest, there’s no need to spend a bunch of time and energy there. Check out our social media marketing guide to help decide which network is best for your brand.
Another good litmus test for which networks to choose is by asking yourself what value you can bring to the network. If you can’t create content that people on the network want to see, put your efforts elsewhere.
For instance, if you have the time and resources to make outstanding videos, then you should definitely have a presence on YouTube so you can share those videos across the networks your audience loves most. If you don’t have the bandwidth for video production, get off of YouTube and don’t feel guilty about not being there.
Remember, you don’t have to take on everything at once. Start out with one or two profiles. If you see success and have time to expand, then slowly add other networks.
2. Do My Social Media Handles Have to Be Consistent?
Here’s why: Not only will it be easier for you to promote your social media handles if they’re consistent, but it will also be easier for fans to find and tag you. When usernames are different across every network, it can get confusing. If you Tweet an Instagram image but you have two different usernames, it complicates things. Inevitably, someone will tag your Twitter name on Instagram or your Instagram name on Twitter and you’ll miss opportunities for engagement.
Today it’s not only domain names that matter; usernames are just as, if not more, valuable in terms of digital real estate. Sites like Knowem tell you whether or not your desired username is available across multiple networks.
If your first choice isn’t available, don’t despair. Get creative. And it’s okay if your social media usernames are slightly different than your URL. What’s more important is that your usernames are consistent across each network. For instance, the toothbrush subscription company Quip was unable to get the username Quip on social media. So instead, they used GetQuip and kept it consistent across all their social channels.
If your exact username isn’t available, don’t sweat it. Use an alternative like “Companyhq” or “getCompany.” One thing you should avoid is adding numbers, characters, underscores or phrases that have nothing to do with your business. Keep your usernames as simple as possible.
3. What Type of Content Should I Share?
Answer: The type of content your audience wants to see.
Here’s why: It all comes down to knowing your ideal customer. If you have a solid understanding of their lifestyle, desires and pain points, it will become much easier to create or find relevant content they’re likely to enjoy and share.
Beyond that, start following influencers in your industry who create outstanding content and share their stuff. Or you can use it to inspire you to write a few blog posts or conversation starters that riff off the topic or expand upon it. You can also search relevant hashtags or check out what’s trending on Twitter and Instagram to understand what people are talking about right now, then join in on those conversations.
Idea generation is the hardest part, so let your audience do it for you. Talk to your followers or ideal customers and ask them what they would like to see. You can also ask your employees to contribute one blog post per month. When you divvy up the work, it becomes less stressful and more thoughtful.
4. How Often Should I Post?
Here’s why: Your posting frequency depends on your resources and audience. Your goal is to get quality content that your audience will love in front of as many eyes as possible. Never sacrifice quality for quantity.
It’s better to put nothing out there than to publish content that’s subpar. If that means you can only post on Facebook three times per week—but they are three really good posts that get a lot of engagement—that’s perfectly acceptable. Just find a consistent schedule that you can maintain.
If you’re struggling to publish on a consistent basis, you can always repurpose content. For instance, if you made a YouTube video, take 30-second segments of it and post them on Instagram. Old blog posts can be Retweeted with new phrasing and imagery.
In fact, you can set a strategy in which every blog post gets shared across every network on day one, a repeat on Twitter on day three, a repeat on Facebook on day eight and so on.
If you share the same content across networks, each post should be phrased differently. For example, LinkedIn doesn’t use hashtags, so you wouldn’t want to copy and paste something from Twitter. An infographic might perform better on Pinterest than on Facebook.
You’ll have to track what kind of content and format does best on each network using social media analytics software. Take that data into consideration when publishing on each platform.
5. What’s the Best Time to Post?
Here’s why: We actually have an entire post on the best times to post to social media. The reality is there is no single best time to post. It all depends on the network you’re using and when your audience is most active.
It’s going to take a little trial and error to get your timing down. A good idea is to use Sprout to schedule your content to be shared at different times and days of the week.
Then dig into your analytics to see which posts are getting the most engagement to get an idea of when the best time to post is for your audience, on each specific network.
6. How Do I Get More Followers?
Answer: By giving people a reason to follow you.
Here’s why: Regardless of which network you’re talking about, it’s the quality not quantity of followers that matters. You need followers who will actually engage with your content, not just add to your follower count.
Since people are bombarded with content from all over the place, you have to give them a compelling enough reason to follow you. You’re not just asking people to follow you. You’re asking for their attention which is a limited resource. Why should they give their attention to you instead of someone else?
There are plenty of ways to earn their attention. For instance, Taco Bell gets people to follow them on Snapchat by sharing exclusive content that fans can’t see anywhere else.
Another approach is to share exclusive industry news and events. This tactic works particularly well on Twitter because 86% of users use it to get news. NFL insider Ian Rapoport gained over 1 million Twitter followers by being a reputable source of the latest news in the NFL.
At this point, the calf injury that sidelined #Falcons DE Dwight Freeney for today's practice is not considered serious, source said.
Another popular tactic is to share coupons, deals and giveaways exclusively for social media followers. National Geographic recently launched their Wild to Inspire Instagram contest where users had to submit videos that showcase wildlife or people making a difference for animals in the wild.
Beyond that, using appropriate hashtags (especially on Instagram) and potentially partnering with influencers for co-marketing campaigns to expand your reach are great ways to get engaged followers. Also, Remember that social media is a conversation, not a broadcast. Respond to your followers and interact with them. Go where they are. Get involved.
7. Does Social Media Affect SEO?
Answer: It can, but indirectly.
Here’s why: One common misconception about social media and SEO is that getting your content shared on social media will help improve your rankings. Google has flat out stated it doesn’t count social shares in its algorithm. Social shares are easy to manipulate, so they aren’t the most reliable metric to decide the value of a piece of content.
However, social media can still help your SEO efforts indirectly. You can use social media to network with influencers like bloggers, editors and journalists. These are all people that can potentially link to your website in their own content, which can help your SEO.
By using social media to build relationships with the right people, you can even land guest blogging or interview opportunities. Just be cautious of spamming people. You don’t want to come right out the gate begging people to link to your content. Instead, build relationships organically by liking, sharing and replying to their content. Build familiarity first, then when the time feels right look for an opportunity to work together.
8. Should I Connect With Everyone?
Here’s why: You don’t always have to “follow back” on Twitter or Instagram or accept every LinkedIn request. Why? Because you’re curating a network. Who you follow says as much about your brand as who follows you. It’s ok to be selective about who you follow.
Here are some ideas on who to follow:
Users you’re genuinely interested in hearing from
Influencers you’re trying to build a relationships with
Loyal customers
People who frequently engage with you on social media or share your content
The downside of following a bunch of people is it makes it difficult to sort through your feed and see the most important messages like mentions of your brand or products. A good workaround is to use a social media management tool to manage your incoming messages. Sprout’s Smart Inbox makes it extremely easy to isolate messages that require a response.
Also keep in mind that you don’t have to follow people to engage with them. You Like Tweets or Instagram posts or leave comments whether you follow them or not.
9. Should I Pay for Social Media Advertising?
Here’s why: On a platform like Facebook, you have to “pay to play” in many cases. In 2016 alone, organic reach dropped 52% for publishers. And with Twitter and Instagram following in the footsteps of Facebook with an algorithmic feed, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to get your content seen organically.
Whether or not you decide to try your hand at social media advertising will depend largely on your budget. If you can afford to spend some money to promote content on social media, it might be worth experimenting with. Decide on how much you’re willing or able to spend first, then create an advertising strategy within it.
Facebook is by far the most popular platform marketers use for social media advertising. In Social Media Examiner’s Social Media Marketing Industry Report, 84% of respondents said they use Facebook ads. However, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram (via Facebook), YouTube and other networks offer advertising as well. Feel free to test out different platforms to see which works best for you.
In addition to getting engagement on your posts and growing your follower count, you can also use social media advertising to generate leads, grow your email list or get more eyes on a piece of content.
10. Do I Need an Editorial Calendar?
Here’s why: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
An editorial calendar is a necessary step in bringing your strategy to life. It can help you stay on track and consistent in messaging across various networks. It can also help you create quality content by planning ahead. When you see the entire month across all networks in one place, it’s easier to edit the copy for strength and consistency.
Also, when you’re planning ahead, you have a better chance of maximizing your impact on social media. You’ll have time to plan a distribution strategy for any upcoming content, instead of doing everything as it happens. For instance, if you know you’re going to launch a contest or sale at the end of the month, reach out to influencers in advance and gain some momentum.
Content will be more likely to go viral if you’ve already lined up influencers to Tweet about your product launch or big announcement the same time you do. Check out this post that outlines four steps for creating a social media editorial calendar.
11. What’s My Social Media ROI?
Answer: The amount you earned from your social campaigns, minus the amount you invested.
Here’s why: Social media ROI can be a tricky subject, and 41% of companies say they have no idea whether or not their social efforts are paying off at all. But calculating the ROI isn’t as difficult as you might think. Read our guide on how to measure social media ROI for a complete step-by-step walk-through.
Keep in mind ROI might look different depending on your goals. If you’re using social media to get leads, your return won’t be the same as it would if you were using it to build brand awareness.
12. I’m in a “Boring” Industry, Do I Still Need Social Media?
Here’s why: Social media isn’t just reserved for athletes, fashion brands and retailers. When it comes to marketing, your goal is to reach your target audience where they’re paying the most attention. And for the past 10+ years, that has been social media. A whopping 78% of Americans have at least one social media profile, so there’s a strong chance your target customers are on at least one of the major networks.
If you’re unsure which network to reach your audience on, we’ve compiled a list of the demographics of some of the most popular social networks. That’ll give you a nice starting point, but also make sure you dive in and get familiar with any network you’re interested in joining.
Remember, social media isn’t an advertising platform for you shout your message as loudly as possible. Instead, use it as a platform to educate and entertain your audience.
For instance, taxes are about as boring as it gets for most non-accounting people. But H&R Block puts together fun social media campaigns that don’t make you cringe at the thought of tax season.
13. Is It OK to Share Promotional Content?
Answer: Yes, but don’t overdo it.
Here’ why: There’s a fine line between using social media to promote your brand, and spamming. If every other Tweet from your company is promoting your products and services, you risk losing your audience. Our Q3 2016 Index found that posting too many promotions is the most annoying action brands take on social media.
Not only that, but 46% of people are willing to unfollow a brand for sending too many promotional messages.
There’s no magic ratio of promotional to non-promotional social media content you should share. You’ll have to find the right cadence for your audience. To be on the safe side, aim to share much more non-promotional content than promotional.
14. Do I Need a Social Media Management Tool?
Here’s why: Native social media apps are great for personal use. In fact, it’s what they were made for. But as a business, your needs are a little different. You often need to schedule content in advance, look at in-depth analytics to measure performance and work in teams. The native social media platforms weren’t built for that, which is the reason why social media management tools like Sprout Social exist.
If social media is an important part of your business (it definitely should be) then you need the right tools to work more efficiently and effectively.
15. Should I Outsource My Social Media Marketing?
Here’s why: For brands that don’t have the resources to put together social media campaigns from scratch, working with an agency can be a smart move. Social media agencies understand the nuances of different networks, and can often help you be much more effective.
On the flip side, you don’t want to take a completely hands-off approach. That’s why often times social media agencies prefer to work with clients, rather than completely take over everything. Nobody knows your brand like you, so you should always have a hand in your social efforts. But there’s nothing wrong with getting help from specialists.
Have a question that’s not answered here? Comment below or Tweet us and we’ll see if we can answer it for you. Remember, there’s no such thing as a dumb question, so ask away!
Source
http://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-questions/
0 notes
minnievirizarry · 7 years
Text
15 Common Social Media Questions & Answers
Whether you’re just getting started with social media marketing, or you’re an experienced marketer, there’s always something new to learn. Asking the right questions can improve your chances of success and help you avoid costly mistakes. In order to help steer you in the right direction, we’ve compiled a list of some common social media questions you might be dying to ask.
1. Do I Have to Be on Every Social Network?
Answer: No.
Here’s why: As tempting as it is to increase your visibility by jumping on every social network, a lot of times it’s too much to take on. Instead of creating accounts just for the sake having a profile, get strategic with the networks you choose.
An easy way to figure out which social networks to be on is by simply asking where’s my audience’s attention? If they’re not on Pinterest, there’s no need to spend a bunch of time and energy there. Check out our social media marketing guide to help decide which network is best for your brand.
Another good litmus test for which networks to choose is by asking yourself what value you can bring to the network. If you can’t create content that people on the network want to see, put your efforts elsewhere.
For instance, if you have the time and resources to make outstanding videos, then you should definitely have a presence on YouTube so you can share those videos across the networks your audience loves most. If you don’t have the bandwidth for video production, get off of YouTube and don’t feel guilty about not being there.
Remember, you don’t have to take on everything at once. Start out with one or two profiles. If you see success and have time to expand, then slowly add other networks.
2. Do My Social Media Handles Have to Be Consistent?
Answer: Yes.
Here’s why: Not only will it be easier for you to promote your social media handles if they’re consistent, but it will also be easier for fans to find and tag you. When usernames are different across every network, it can get confusing. If you Tweet an Instagram image but you have two different usernames, it complicates things. Inevitably, someone will tag your Twitter name on Instagram or your Instagram name on Twitter and you’ll miss opportunities for engagement.
Today it’s not only domain names that matter; usernames are just as, if not more, valuable in terms of digital real estate. Sites like Knowem tell you whether or not your desired username is available across multiple networks.
If your first choice isn’t available, don’t despair. Get creative. And it’s okay if your social media usernames are slightly different than your URL. What’s more important is that your usernames are consistent across each network. For instance, the toothbrush subscription company Quip was unable to get the username Quip on social media. So instead, they used GetQuip and kept it consistent across all their social channels.
If your exact username isn’t available, don’t sweat it. Use an alternative like “Companyhq” or “getCompany.” One thing you should avoid is adding numbers, characters, underscores or phrases that have nothing to do with your business. Keep your usernames as simple as possible.
3. What Type of Content Should I Share?
Answer: The type of content your audience wants to see.
Here’s why: It all comes down to knowing your ideal customer. If you have a solid understanding of their lifestyle, desires and pain points, it will become much easier to create or find relevant content they’re likely to enjoy and share.
Beyond that, start following influencers in your industry who create outstanding content and share their stuff. Or you can use it to inspire you to write a few blog posts or conversation starters that riff off the topic or expand upon it. You can also search relevant hashtags or check out what’s trending on Twitter and Instagram to understand what people are talking about right now, then join in on those conversations.
Idea generation is the hardest part, so let your audience do it for you. Talk to your followers or ideal customers and ask them what they would like to see. You can also ask your employees to contribute one blog post per month. When you divvy up the work, it becomes less stressful and more thoughtful.
4. How Often Should I Post?
Answer: It depends.
Here’s why: Your posting frequency depends on your resources and audience. Your goal is to get quality content that your audience will love in front of as many eyes as possible. Never sacrifice quality for quantity.
It’s better to put nothing out there than to publish content that’s subpar. If that means you can only post on Facebook three times per week—but they are three really good posts that get a lot of engagement—that’s perfectly acceptable. Just find a consistent schedule that you can maintain.
If you’re struggling to publish on a consistent basis, you can always repurpose content. For instance, if you made a YouTube video, take 30-second segments of it and post them on Instagram. Old blog posts can be Retweeted with new phrasing and imagery.
In fact, you can set a strategy in which every blog post gets shared across every network on day one, a repeat on Twitter on day three, a repeat on Facebook on day eight and so on.
If you share the same content across networks, each post should be phrased differently. For example, LinkedIn doesn’t use hashtags, so you wouldn’t want to copy and paste something from Twitter. An infographic might perform better on Pinterest than on Facebook.
You’ll have to track what kind of content and format does best on each network using social media analytics software. Take that data into consideration when publishing on each platform.
5. What’s the Best Time to Post?
Answer: It depends.
Here’s why: We actually have an entire post on the best times to post to social media. The reality is there is no single best time to post. It all depends on the network you’re using and when your audience is most active.
It’s going to take a little trial and error to get your timing down. A good idea is to use Sprout to schedule your content to be shared at different times and days of the week.
Then dig into your analytics to see which posts are getting the most engagement to get an idea of when the best time to post is for your audience, on each specific network.
6. How Do I Get More Followers?
Answer: By giving people a reason to follow you.
Here’s why: Regardless of which network you’re talking about, it’s the quality not quantity of followers that matters. You need followers who will actually engage with your content, not just add to your follower count.
Since people are bombarded with content from all over the place, you have to give them a compelling enough reason to follow you. You’re not just asking people to follow you. You’re asking for their attention which is a limited resource. Why should they give their attention to you instead of someone else?
There are plenty of ways to earn their attention. For instance, Taco Bell gets people to follow them on Snapchat by sharing exclusive content that fans can’t see anywhere else.
On today's #Snapchat Menu Hacks, we're counting down the top 5 hacks of 2016. See what made the list on our story. 👻 https://t.co/FiFYlFZLSx pic.twitter.com/ZowJh3eUmO
— Taco Bell (@tacobell) January 13, 2017
Another approach is to share exclusive industry news and events. This tactic works particularly well on Twitter because 86% of users use it to get news. NFL insider Ian Rapoport gained over 1 million Twitter followers by being a reputable source of the latest news in the NFL.
At this point, the calf injury that sidelined #Falcons DE Dwight Freeney for today's practice is not considered serious, source said.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 2, 2017
Another popular tactic is to share coupons, deals and giveaways exclusively for social media followers. National Geographic recently launched their Wild to Inspire Instagram contest where users had to submit videos that showcase wildlife or people making a difference for animals in the wild.
Time's running out to enter our Instagram short film contest to win a trip to Africa and a screening of your film at the @sunvalleyfilmfest. Whether you are a pro or a beginner, show us how the power of film can inspire others to let the wild in. Just post your video with the #WildToInspireContest tag. Here's a look at some of our recent entries – thanks @penguinlord @aravindvivekmohanraaj and @sara234m for submitting! Entries are due 2/15.
A video posted by Nat Geo WILD (@natgeowild) on Jan 30, 2017 at 3:38pm PST
Beyond that, using appropriate hashtags (especially on Instagram) and potentially partnering with influencers for co-marketing campaigns to expand your reach are great ways to get engaged followers. Also, Remember that social media is a conversation, not a broadcast. Respond to your followers and interact with them. Go where they are. Get involved.
7. Does Social Media Affect SEO?
Answer: It can, but indirectly.
Here’s why: One common misconception about social media and SEO is that getting your content shared on social media will help improve your rankings. Google has flat out stated it doesn’t count social shares in its algorithm. Social shares are easy to manipulate, so they aren’t the most reliable metric to decide the value of a piece of content.
However, social media can still help your SEO efforts indirectly. You can use social media to network with influencers like bloggers, editors and journalists. These are all people that can potentially link to your website in their own content, which can help your SEO.
By using social media to build relationships with the right people, you can even land guest blogging or interview opportunities. Just be cautious of spamming people. You don’t want to come right out the gate begging people to link to your content. Instead, build relationships organically by liking, sharing and replying to their content. Build familiarity first, then when the time feels right look for an opportunity to work together.
8. Should I Connect With Everyone?
Answer: No.
Here’s why: You don’t always have to “follow back” on Twitter or Instagram or accept every LinkedIn request. Why? Because you’re curating a network. Who you follow says as much about your brand as who follows you. It’s ok to be selective about who you follow.
Here are some ideas on who to follow:
Users you’re genuinely interested in hearing from
Influencers you’re trying to build a relationships with
Loyal customers
People who frequently engage with you on social media or share your content
The downside of following a bunch of people is it makes it difficult to sort through your feed and see the most important messages like mentions of your brand or products. A good workaround is to use a social media management tool to manage your incoming messages. Sprout’s Smart Inbox makes it extremely easy to isolate messages that require a response.
Also keep in mind that you don’t have to follow people to engage with them. You Like Tweets or Instagram posts or leave comments whether you follow them or not.
9. Should I Pay for Social Media Advertising?
Answer: Probably.
Here’s why: On a platform like Facebook, you have to “pay to play” in many cases. In 2016 alone, organic reach dropped 52% for publishers. And with Twitter and Instagram following in the footsteps of Facebook with an algorithmic feed, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to get your content seen organically.
Whether or not you decide to try your hand at social media advertising will depend largely on your budget. If you can afford to spend some money to promote content on social media, it might be worth experimenting with. Decide on how much you’re willing or able to spend first, then create an advertising strategy within it.
Facebook is by far the most popular platform marketers use for social media advertising. In Social Media Examiner’s Social Media Marketing Industry Report, 84% of respondents said they use Facebook ads. However, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram (via Facebook), YouTube and other networks offer advertising as well. Feel free to test out different platforms to see which works best for you.
In addition to getting engagement on your posts and growing your follower count, you can also use social media advertising to generate leads, grow your email list or get more eyes on a piece of content.
10. Do I Need an Editorial Calendar?
Answer: Yes.
Here’s why: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
An editorial calendar is a necessary step in bringing your strategy to life. It can help you stay on track and consistent in messaging across various networks. It can also help you create quality content by planning ahead. When you see the entire month across all networks in one place, it’s easier to edit the copy for strength and consistency.
Also, when you’re planning ahead, you have a better chance of maximizing your impact on social media. You’ll have time to plan a distribution strategy for any upcoming content, instead of doing everything as it happens. For instance, if you know you’re going to launch a contest or sale at the end of the month, reach out to influencers in advance and gain some momentum.
Content will be more likely to go viral if you’ve already lined up influencers to Tweet about your product launch or big announcement the same time you do. Check out this post that outlines four steps for creating a social media editorial calendar.
11. What’s My Social Media ROI?
Answer: The amount you earned from your social campaigns, minus the amount you invested.
Here’s why: Social media ROI can be a tricky subject, and 41% of companies say they have no idea whether or not their social efforts are paying off at all. But calculating the ROI isn’t as difficult as you might think. Read our guide on how to measure social media ROI for a complete step-by-step walk-through.
Keep in mind ROI might look different depending on your goals. If you’re using social media to get leads, your return won’t be the same as it would if you were using it to build brand awareness.
12. I’m in a “Boring” Industry, Do I Still Need Social Media?
Answer: Yes.
Here’s why: Social media isn’t just reserved for athletes, fashion brands and retailers. When it comes to marketing, your goal is to reach your target audience where they’re paying the most attention. And for the past 10+ years, that has been social media. A whopping 78% of Americans have at least one social media profile, so there’s a strong chance your target customers are on at least one of the major networks.
If you’re unsure which network to reach your audience on, we’ve compiled a list of the demographics of some of the most popular social networks. That’ll give you a nice starting point, but also make sure you dive in and get familiar with any network you’re interested in joining.
Remember, social media isn’t an advertising platform for you shout your message as loudly as possible. Instead, use it as a platform to educate and entertain your audience.
For instance, taxes are about as boring as it gets for most non-accounting people. But H&R Block puts together fun social media campaigns that don’t make you cringe at the thought of tax season.
We like your style @TMobile. Finding deductions allday errday is our version of #UnlimitedMoves #WeDontDance #BlockWithWatson pic.twitter.com/DdKg4A5vZQ
— H&R Block (@HRBlock) February 6, 2017
13. Is It OK to Share Promotional Content?
Answer: Yes, but don’t overdo it.
Here’ why: There’s a fine line between using social media to promote your brand, and spamming. If every other Tweet from your company is promoting your products and services, you risk losing your audience. Our Q3 2016 Index found that posting too many promotions is the most annoying action brands take on social media.
Not only that, but 46% of people are willing to unfollow a brand for sending too many promotional messages.
There’s no magic ratio of promotional to non-promotional social media content you should share. You’ll have to find the right cadence for your audience. To be on the safe side, aim to share much more non-promotional content than promotional.
14. Do I Need a Social Media Management Tool?
Answer: Yes.
Here’s why: Native social media apps are great for personal use. In fact, it’s what they were made for. But as a business, your needs are a little different. You often need to schedule content in advance, look at in-depth analytics to measure performance and work in teams. The native social media platforms weren’t built for that, which is the reason why social media management tools like Sprout Social exist.
If social media is an important part of your business (it definitely should be) then you need the right tools to work more efficiently and effectively.
15. Should I Outsource My Social Media Marketing?
Answer: It depends.
Here’s why: For brands that don’t have the resources to put together social media campaigns from scratch, working with an agency can be a smart move. Social media agencies understand the nuances of different networks, and can often help you be much more effective.
On the flip side, you don’t want to take a completely hands-off approach. That’s why often times social media agencies prefer to work with clients, rather than completely take over everything. Nobody knows your brand like you, so you should always have a hand in your social efforts. But there’s nothing wrong with getting help from specialists.
Have a question that’s not answered here? Comment below or Tweet us and we’ll see if we can answer it for you. Remember, there’s no such thing as a dumb question, so ask away!
This post 15 Common Social Media Questions & Answers originally appeared on Sprout Social.
from SM Tips By Minnie http://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-questions/
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15 Common Social Media Questions & Answers
Whether you’re just getting started with social media marketing, or you’re an experienced marketer, there’s always something new to learn. Asking the right questions can improve your chances of success and help you avoid costly mistakes. In order to help steer you in the right direction, we’ve compiled a list of some common social media questions you might be dying to ask.
1. Do I Have to Be on Every Social Network?
Here’s why: As tempting as it is to increase your visibility by jumping on every social network, a lot of times it’s too much to take on. Instead of creating accounts just for the sake having a profile, get strategic with the networks you choose.
An easy way to figure out which social networks to be on is by simply asking where’s my audience’s attention? If they’re not on Pinterest, there’s no need to spend a bunch of time and energy there. Check out our social media marketing guide to help decide which network is best for your brand.
Another good litmus test for which networks to choose is by asking yourself what value you can bring to the network. If you can’t create content that people on the network want to see, put your efforts elsewhere.
For instance, if you have the time and resources to make outstanding videos, then you should definitely have a presence on YouTube so you can share those videos across the networks your audience loves most. If you don’t have the bandwidth for video production, get off of YouTube and don’t feel guilty about not being there.
Remember, you don’t have to take on everything at once. Start out with one or two profiles. If you see success and have time to expand, then slowly add other networks.
2. Do My Social Media Handles Have to Be Consistent?
Here’s why: Not only will it be easier for you to promote your social media handles if they’re consistent, but it will also be easier for fans to find and tag you. When usernames are different across every network, it can get confusing. If you Tweet an Instagram image but you have two different usernames, it complicates things. Inevitably, someone will tag your Twitter name on Instagram or your Instagram name on Twitter and you’ll miss opportunities for engagement.
Today it’s not only domain names that matter; usernames are just as, if not more, valuable in terms of digital real estate. Sites like Knowem tell you whether or not your desired username is available across multiple networks.
If your first choice isn’t available, don’t despair. Get creative. And it’s okay if your social media usernames are slightly different than your URL. What’s more important is that your usernames are consistent across each network. For instance, the toothbrush subscription company Quip was unable to get the username Quip on social media. So instead, they used GetQuip and kept it consistent across all their social channels.
If your exact username isn’t available, don’t sweat it. Use an alternative like “Companyhq” or “getCompany.” One thing you should avoid is adding numbers, characters, underscores or phrases that have nothing to do with your business. Keep your usernames as simple as possible.
3. What Type of Content Should I Share?
Answer: The type of content your audience wants to see.
Here’s why: It all comes down to knowing your ideal customer. If you have a solid understanding of their lifestyle, desires and pain points, it will become much easier to create or find relevant content they’re likely to enjoy and share.
Beyond that, start following influencers in your industry who create outstanding content and share their stuff. Or you can use it to inspire you to write a few blog posts or conversation starters that riff off the topic or expand upon it. You can also search relevant hashtags or check out what’s trending on Twitter and Instagram to understand what people are talking about right now, then join in on those conversations.
Idea generation is the hardest part, so let your audience do it for you. Talk to your followers or ideal customers and ask them what they would like to see. You can also ask your employees to contribute one blog post per month. When you divvy up the work, it becomes less stressful and more thoughtful.
4. How Often Should I Post?
Here’s why: Your posting frequency depends on your resources and audience. Your goal is to get quality content that your audience will love in front of as many eyes as possible. Never sacrifice quality for quantity.
It’s better to put nothing out there than to publish content that’s subpar. If that means you can only post on Facebook three times per week—but they are three really good posts that get a lot of engagement—that’s perfectly acceptable. Just find a consistent schedule that you can maintain.
If you’re struggling to publish on a consistent basis, you can always repurpose content. For instance, if you made a YouTube video, take 30-second segments of it and post them on Instagram. Old blog posts can be Retweeted with new phrasing and imagery.
In fact, you can set a strategy in which every blog post gets shared across every network on day one, a repeat on Twitter on day three, a repeat on Facebook on day eight and so on.
If you share the same content across networks, each post should be phrased differently. For example, LinkedIn doesn’t use hashtags, so you wouldn’t want to copy and paste something from Twitter. An infographic might perform better on Pinterest than on Facebook.
You’ll have to track what kind of content and format does best on each network using social media analytics software. Take that data into consideration when publishing on each platform.
5. What’s the Best Time to Post?
Here’s why: We actually have an entire post on the best times to post to social media. The reality is there is no single best time to post. It all depends on the network you’re using and when your audience is most active.
It’s going to take a little trial and error to get your timing down. A good idea is to use Sprout to schedule your content to be shared at different times and days of the week.
Then dig into your analytics to see which posts are getting the most engagement to get an idea of when the best time to post is for your audience, on each specific network.
6. How Do I Get More Followers?
Answer: By giving people a reason to follow you.
Here’s why: Regardless of which network you’re talking about, it’s the quality not quantity of followers that matters. You need followers who will actually engage with your content, not just add to your follower count.
Since people are bombarded with content from all over the place, you have to give them a compelling enough reason to follow you. You’re not just asking people to follow you. You’re asking for their attention which is a limited resource. Why should they give their attention to you instead of someone else?
There are plenty of ways to earn their attention. For instance, Taco Bell gets people to follow them on Snapchat by sharing exclusive content that fans can’t see anywhere else.
Another approach is to share exclusive industry news and events. This tactic works particularly well on Twitter because 86% of users use it to get news. NFL insider Ian Rapoport gained over 1 million Twitter followers by being a reputable source of the latest news in the NFL.
At this point, the calf injury that sidelined #Falcons DE Dwight Freeney for today's practice is not considered serious, source said.
Another popular tactic is to share coupons, deals and giveaways exclusively for social media followers. National Geographic recently launched their Wild to Inspire Instagram contest where users had to submit videos that showcase wildlife or people making a difference for animals in the wild.
Beyond that, using appropriate hashtags (especially on Instagram) and potentially partnering with influencers for co-marketing campaigns to expand your reach are great ways to get engaged followers. Also, Remember that social media is a conversation, not a broadcast. Respond to your followers and interact with them. Go where they are. Get involved.
7. Does Social Media Affect SEO?
Answer: It can, but indirectly.
Here’s why: One common misconception about social media and SEO is that getting your content shared on social media will help improve your rankings. Google has flat out stated it doesn’t count social shares in its algorithm. Social shares are easy to manipulate, so they aren’t the most reliable metric to decide the value of a piece of content.
However, social media can still help your SEO efforts indirectly. You can use social media to network with influencers like bloggers, editors and journalists. These are all people that can potentially link to your website in their own content, which can help your SEO.
By using social media to build relationships with the right people, you can even land guest blogging or interview opportunities. Just be cautious of spamming people. You don’t want to come right out the gate begging people to link to your content. Instead, build relationships organically by liking, sharing and replying to their content. Build familiarity first, then when the time feels right look for an opportunity to work together.
8. Should I Connect With Everyone?
Here’s why: You don’t always have to “follow back” on Twitter or Instagram or accept every LinkedIn request. Why? Because you’re curating a network. Who you follow says as much about your brand as who follows you. It’s ok to be selective about who you follow.
Here are some ideas on who to follow:
Users you’re genuinely interested in hearing from
Influencers you’re trying to build a relationships with
Loyal customers
People who frequently engage with you on social media or share your content
The downside of following a bunch of people is it makes it difficult to sort through your feed and see the most important messages like mentions of your brand or products. A good workaround is to use a social media management tool to manage your incoming messages. Sprout’s Smart Inbox makes it extremely easy to isolate messages that require a response.
Also keep in mind that you don’t have to follow people to engage with them. You Like Tweets or Instagram posts or leave comments whether you follow them or not.
9. Should I Pay for Social Media Advertising?
Here’s why: On a platform like Facebook, you have to “pay to play” in many cases. In 2016 alone, organic reach dropped 52% for publishers. And with Twitter and Instagram following in the footsteps of Facebook with an algorithmic feed, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to get your content seen organically.
Whether or not you decide to try your hand at social media advertising will depend largely on your budget. If you can afford to spend some money to promote content on social media, it might be worth experimenting with. Decide on how much you’re willing or able to spend first, then create an advertising strategy within it.
Facebook is by far the most popular platform marketers use for social media advertising. In Social Media Examiner’s Social Media Marketing Industry Report, 84% of respondents said they use Facebook ads. However, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram (via Facebook), YouTube and other networks offer advertising as well. Feel free to test out different platforms to see which works best for you.
In addition to getting engagement on your posts and growing your follower count, you can also use social media advertising to generate leads, grow your email list or get more eyes on a piece of content.
10. Do I Need an Editorial Calendar?
Here’s why: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
An editorial calendar is a necessary step in bringing your strategy to life. It can help you stay on track and consistent in messaging across various networks. It can also help you create quality content by planning ahead. When you see the entire month across all networks in one place, it’s easier to edit the copy for strength and consistency.
Also, when you’re planning ahead, you have a better chance of maximizing your impact on social media. You’ll have time to plan a distribution strategy for any upcoming content, instead of doing everything as it happens. For instance, if you know you’re going to launch a contest or sale at the end of the month, reach out to influencers in advance and gain some momentum.
Content will be more likely to go viral if you’ve already lined up influencers to Tweet about your product launch or big announcement the same time you do. Check out this post that outlines four steps for creating a social media editorial calendar.
11. What’s My Social Media ROI?
Answer: The amount you earned from your social campaigns, minus the amount you invested.
Here’s why: Social media ROI can be a tricky subject, and 41% of companies say they have no idea whether or not their social efforts are paying off at all. But calculating the ROI isn’t as difficult as you might think. Read our guide on how to measure social media ROI for a complete step-by-step walk-through.
Keep in mind ROI might look different depending on your goals. If you’re using social media to get leads, your return won’t be the same as it would if you were using it to build brand awareness.
12. I’m in a “Boring” Industry, Do I Still Need Social Media?
Here’s why: Social media isn’t just reserved for athletes, fashion brands and retailers. When it comes to marketing, your goal is to reach your target audience where they’re paying the most attention. And for the past 10+ years, that has been social media. A whopping 78% of Americans have at least one social media profile, so there’s a strong chance your target customers are on at least one of the major networks.
If you’re unsure which network to reach your audience on, we’ve compiled a list of the demographics of some of the most popular social networks. That’ll give you a nice starting point, but also make sure you dive in and get familiar with any network you’re interested in joining.
Remember, social media isn’t an advertising platform for you shout your message as loudly as possible. Instead, use it as a platform to educate and entertain your audience.
For instance, taxes are about as boring as it gets for most non-accounting people. But H&R Block puts together fun social media campaigns that don’t make you cringe at the thought of tax season.
13. Is It OK to Share Promotional Content?
Answer: Yes, but don’t overdo it.
Here’ why: There’s a fine line between using social media to promote your brand, and spamming. If every other Tweet from your company is promoting your products and services, you risk losing your audience. Our Q3 2016 Index found that posting too many promotions is the most annoying action brands take on social media.
Not only that, but 46% of people are willing to unfollow a brand for sending too many promotional messages.
There’s no magic ratio of promotional to non-promotional social media content you should share. You’ll have to find the right cadence for your audience. To be on the safe side, aim to share much more non-promotional content than promotional.
14. Do I Need a Social Media Management Tool?
Here’s why: Native social media apps are great for personal use. In fact, it’s what they were made for. But as a business, your needs are a little different. You often need to schedule content in advance, look at in-depth analytics to measure performance and work in teams. The native social media platforms weren’t built for that, which is the reason why social media management tools like Sprout Social exist.
If social media is an important part of your business (it definitely should be) then you need the right tools to work more efficiently and effectively.
15. Should I Outsource My Social Media Marketing?
Here’s why: For brands that don’t have the resources to put together social media campaigns from scratch, working with an agency can be a smart move. Social media agencies understand the nuances of different networks, and can often help you be much more effective.
On the flip side, you don’t want to take a completely hands-off approach. That’s why often times social media agencies prefer to work with clients, rather than completely take over everything. Nobody knows your brand like you, so you should always have a hand in your social efforts. But there’s nothing wrong with getting help from specialists.
Have a question that’s not answered here? Comment below or Tweet us and we’ll see if we can answer it for you. Remember, there’s no such thing as a dumb question, so ask away!
Source
http://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-questions/
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