This is why we love Babylist Universal Registry: Babylist brings simplicity and empowerment to our lives as mothers during the time that can otherwise be overwhelming.

Here’s how Babylist works:

The online baby registry platform is the Pinterest of baby registries, allowing you to select items from any store, anywhere. This allows mamas-to-be to ask for their favorite car seat from Target and their must-have nursing cover from Etsy. You can even add things money can’t buy such as favors from friends and family like home-cooked meals or babysitting help. Many Millennial moms are turning toward “baby sprinkles” these days, which simplify the idea of a baby shower by making it more intimate and minimalistic. Babylist is the perfect option for moms like this who want indie items from small shops and unconventional gifts like college funds.

Our favorite feature on the Babylist site is the sample registries that it provides. Knowing what to register for can sometimes be a daunting task, but Babylist makes it easy for new moms to find exactly what they’re looking for and to read reviews from other mamas! Take their Minimalist Sample Registry, for example: this lays out all the trendy must-haves for the expecting mama and leaves all the “stuff” you don’t need at the door. Your guests know exactly what to get you to meet your style, and it’s so simple that even grandma and grandpa can find their perfect gift with ease.

Babylist makes the journey to motherhood pleasant, simple, and rewarding. Explore Babylist yourself and create your ideal baby registry today!

The new feature is a deviation from Instagram’s previous video limit of one minute. However, IGTV is for everyone. This means, anyone can be a creator, the platform is not limited to social media stars or celebrities.

Viewers will have options on the videos they want to watch. Swiping through a variety of options, users can choose from the Browse tab, creators they already follow, recommended videos or discover popular videos. IGTV will function as a standard TV would. Opening the app, you will find content playing automatically just as you would see on TV.

This interactive platform will notify viewers of new videos from creators they’ve watched. And much like, YouTube, viewers will be able to subscribe to Instagram Channels. Audiences will still be able to react to videos, leave comments and share the content with their followers.

One of the main benefits of IGTV over its competitors is it considers mobile. The videos are intended to be recorded and uploaded as you would organically use your phone- vertical and full screen.

In addition to the announcement of IGTV, Instagram also thanked their supporters for reaching 1 billion monthly users. With Instagram’s already hefty user base, the app expects IGTV to increase its audience even further and is hoping that increase will eventually lead to monetization via ad revenue.

“Right now we’re focused on building engagement, and there are no ads on IGTV from Day One,” said Instagram CEO, Kevin Systrom. “But that’s obviously a very reasonable place to end up. There will be a way for creators to make a living.”

As more and more viewers move from standard television to online platforms for content, like YouTube, it is only natural Instagram would have skin in the game. YouTube and Snapchat alike, will most likely face certain challenges in retaining its user base with the evolution of competitor apps like Instagram.

If you’re looking to create content with Instagram’s new IGTV, we encourage you to research this new platform and be intentional when posting. Ensure the content you are providing is of value and offers viewers reason to return to your channel.

We also encourage brands looking to connect with these content creators to contact us to connect you with the right influencers for your brand.

1. Blending In With The Crowd

When recruiting influencers for a social media marketing program, brands and agencies often send dozens, if not hundreds, of emails to potential partners.  Emails often include a registration link or another call-to-action.  To set yourself apart from the crowd and enhance your likelihood of securing a spot on the final list of participants, make yourself known to the program organizer.  Send a direct email with your media kit or explanation about why you make the perfect candidate for the program.  Brands look for influencers with authentic engagement, so creating a personal connection with the brand shows you are more likely to create authentic content relaying their message.

2. Poor Communication

Keep in mind most brand employees work normal hours and are constantly connected to email.  Although remote work and flexible hours are perks of the blogger/ influencer career, you must make availability and communication a priority in your business.  Brands expect influencers to respond promptly to emails and inquiries.  Of course, this is important in terms of securing new business because you don’t want to wait too long when an opportunity presents itself, but it’s also important when you’re already involved with a brand.  Companies go through a lot of effort to locate, vet, recruit, and select influencers, and they often see the influencer/ brand partnership as a business transaction.  When an influencer is slow to respond or difficult to communicate with, the brand sees it as a disappointment in the business endeavor.  Prompt communication can make an influencer stand out just as much as it can damage a relationship.

3. Half ***ing Your Programs

Brands often provide very specific goals and talking points for influencers in order to convey specific information about the brand and products to potential customers.  These businesses expect influencers to be just as intentional with their posts as the brands are with their marketing.  Make sure to check and double check the program criteria before delivering the ask.  If you make a habit of hitting every detail of the agreement, chances are the brand will want to continue to work with you on future programs.

4. Just Being “Meh”

When brands work with influencers, they are paying for your service of posting a photo, sharing an affiliate link, participating in an ambassador group, etc.  Generally, an influencer’s service is generating content, brand awareness, or expertise that is shared with his or her audience.  Nothing is more disappointing to a brand than feeling like they paid for something that fell short of their expectations.  Imagine if you bought a grande caramel macchiato from Starbucks and instead you were handed a tall dark coffee with milk?  You’d be disappointed, right?  The same goes for brands: they expect nothing less than what is “ordered.”  What if, in the Starbucks scenario, the barista handed you a venti caramel macchiato with a cake pop on the side all for the price you paid for the drink?  You’d want to keep going back to that Starbucks, right?  It works the same in the brand/ influencer business transaction: if you want to stand out, make a habit of over-delivering on every project, and you will develop lucrative relationships with brands over time.

The best way to interact with brands is to approach the relationship as a mix between a business partnership and a business transaction.  At the end of the day, successful business endeavors are defined as mutually beneficial partnerships.  Essentially, what this means for influencers and brands is that influencers should provide exceptional service to pave the way for continued growth.

What brand relationship strategies have worked in your influencer business?

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In efforts to thwart bots and fake content from posting to social, platforms like Instagram and Facebook are calling for a complete revamp of the way influencers engage with audiences. The new goal of social media is authenticity. This means engaging with your audience in a more human fashion. The way you respond to comments, post videos and engage your followers will determine where you land on their feeds. Essentially, more authentic engagement equals more exposure to your followers.

Scared of getting lost in social cyberspace? Check out the tips below on how to ensure your content stands above the rest.

Carefully curated content and intentional captions

Think about what you want your message to reflect and make sure your caption and hashtags are relevant to the image. If the visual you are posting is a landscape shot, it wouldn’t be fitting to write something that has to do with beauty tips. The purpose of the post is that the image and caption go hand in hand and are relaying your point in a concise and clear manner.

Don’t overdo it with the hashtags

If your hashtag game is too strong, it might be time to hit the benches. Moving forward, sites like Instagram will view posts with more than 5 hashtags per post as spam; sending your page straight into the garbage pile of social. To avoid losing face time with your followers, use hashtags that are most relevant to the post. For example, if you’re an event planner, #eventplanner is more ideal than #weddedbliss. Anticipate the search terms your followers would use to find you.

Don’t say it, show it

Post videos and add to your story. Videos get a lot of traction and signal authentic communication and engagement with your followers. Because Instagram and Facebook aim to encourage video, the platforms reward accounts with video content by increasing the exposure of their posts. Instead of posting static travel pics, set your sites in motion and bring your followers along for the ride.

While it may feel like uncharted waters, the recent updates and algorithms don’t have to feel daunting. Do your research and learn how to stay ahead of these changes. If you have any tips or best practices for these updates, share them in the comments below. Thanks tribe, wishing you happy vibes and sunny skies.

Until next time, xo.

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