Travel
Esther Swaty
Moving to Austin, Texas

It’s hard to believe I from Seattle in Austin, Texas on August 8, 2019 and now I’ve almost been here for two weeks. In a way it feels like so much has happened and so little at the same time. The story of how my partner and I ended up in Austin is long and short.

Moving to Austin, Texas
Learning, Social Media
Esther Swaty
Today’s Citizens Must Equip Themselves For The ...

Today, data and algorithms have influence over everything from our democracy, to our homes, to our work. We are in an era of seemingly unlimited technological progress and the speed of innovation requires citizens to be engaged in non-partisan learning and discussion. We don’t have to know everything but we need to know enough to think critically and ask questions about the technologies being developed, as well as be able to hold accountable the individuals and organizations creating them.

Today’s Citizens Must Equip Themselves For The Technological Future

Chronological Order

HOW TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA

With Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram, we expected there would be changes and the recently announced updates definitely have artists, startups and small businesses concerned. Many articles have covered the changes (here, here and here). All I will say is that I believe that this could have a very negative affect on artists, startups and small businesses who may not have a sizable “corporate marketing budget”. Because these individuals and businesses might not be able to afford advertising or boosted posts - the concern is whether their content will continue to be seen and engaged with. Just like we have seen a diminishing use of Facebook by artists and small businesses, this change highlights a growing need for a new platform. I am watching and waiting as I am sure are many of you. Will the new platform be SnapChat? Or is some grand disruptor incubating in a unicorn startup out there? Btw: Has anyone found a way around the fact that Instagram does not let you search hashtag + location for engagement with your target audience?

“Being original doesn’t require being first. It just means being different and better.” - Adam Grant

Until The New Platform Arrives, What Do We Do? You take advantage of every resource at your fingertips to develop rich engagement with your audience. Also, don’t put all of your effort and engagement into one location. Experiment with other platforms such as twitter, snapchat, and periscope.

Highlight Momentum  People want to know influencers, follow trend setters and be a part of innovation. Invite people into the story of you and your brand. Keep your audience updated on the cool stuff you are working on, by sharing your process (not just the final product).

Share Rich Content  Many small businesses, fashion bloggers, etc. cannot afford photo shoots to keep their social media fresh. If you can’t afford a photo shoot, consider supplementing your feed with stock photography.

Stock Photo Websites - Pay  Twenty20: $225 a month (billed annually), 25 images a month Stocksy: individual images that cost between $10 to $100 Adobe Stock Images: limited time offer - Get 10 free Adobe Stock Images iStockPhoto: 25 images a month, between $65-$149

Stock Photo Websites - Public Domain & Creative Commons Zero - Free  Public Domain Archive: free for personal or commercial use. Pixabay: large database of public domain images New Old Stock: vintage photos Unsplash: 10 high quality photos released every 10 days. Flickr Creative Commons: make sure to select “public domain

Experiment With Hashtags Before posting take the opportunity to review trending hashtags and see if your content fits into any of the trending categories. Experiment and test which hashtags increase engagement with your content. Some hashtags that are currently trending: #thatsdarling, #darlingmovement, #darlingweekend.

I hope you find these tips to be helpful. Wishing you a wonderful a week filled with growth + momentum!

By: Esther Maria Swaty