Bridget Willard | SaaS Marketing Agency

Author: Bridget Willard

  • 7 Selfie Tips That Will Help Your Brand

    Are you reluctant to take selfies? Maybe you hate how you look. We all do. But your mobile device has a great camera. You can do this!

    I started taking selfies as a proof of life, way to celebrate spending time with my friends, and my health; also, my mom likes them.

    We need photos for every network there is from Facebook to LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. It’s an endless list.

    It’s not always convenient to have professional headshot taken or even for a second person to photograph you. And so, the ultimate DIY for the social media enthusiast is the self portrait, forever now known as the “selfie.”

    I’m also a stickler for changing your profile photo / avatar when you make significant changes to your look (hair length, style, color, glasses, etc.)  You do want people to recognize you, right?

    Frankly, sometimes you just feel good and that’s the best time to take one.

    Seven Selfie Tips to Level It Up

    1. Take Your Photo Outside

    This is even better if you can find a plant, tree, or beautiful outdoor location (beach, park, etc). Early mornings and late afternoons seem to lend the best light.

    The neighbor’s green fence was the latest background for my October 2014 LinkedIn, Twitter, and Gravatar avi. People responded well to it.

    2. Look at the Camera

    Actually look into the camera on your phone, not the screen. (Yes, that tiny dot.) This is the hardest thing to get used to.

    Looking into the camera is looking at your viewer. That fosters connection. After all, it’s all about connecting with your audience whether it’s words or photos.

    3. Smile

    Seriously, unless you’re trying out for Top Model or something, we’re tired of the apathetic looks.

    As people, we are wired to mirror expressions. When we see a photo of you smiling, we smile. When we smile, we feel good. That evokes an emotional, subconscious response. That usually translates into positive comments and likes.

    A friend taught me years ago that if you tilt your head to the side and open your mouth, you look like you’re having fun. She’s right.

    Otherwise, think of something that makes you really happy, wait a moment, and then click. Laughing helps, too. My ultimate tip is to close your eyes, think of a secret, open your eyes, and snap.

    I told the guys at Bluehost this and the following tweet with photo was the result.

    4. Ditch the Seatbelt

    I know it feels less conspicuous in the “privacy” of your car’s interior, but it looks bad.

    5. Have Fun

    If you’re trying to convey a certain emotion like sadness, doubt, confusion, or anger, a selfie can do the trick.

    Be creative. Use props if you like. Try a profile, upshot, or downshot. See what you like.

    But, if you’re using this photo for a professional site, be aware that it’s a headshot, showing your face. (Enough said.)

    6. Use Tools

    Almost every smart phone has tools in their camera. These include enhance buttons, filters, and other swanky things. Sometimes it’s easy to put your photo into Instagram, use one of their filters, and then you already have a square avatar.

    If you want to invest in a tripod and phone adaptor, do that. Most phone cameras have timers, too.

    7. Practice Taking Selfies

    Everything gets better with practice. People really won’t give you a hard time, I promise. But if they do, are they really people you want to be around?

    Am I a professional photographer? No. But these are some things I’ve learned along the way.

  • It takes more than tights to be a social media hero.

    Chatting with a friend recently, I said, “Well, it takes more than tights to be a super hero.”

    We both realized, I needed to make this a blog.

    You can’t just install Twitter on your iPhone and think you’re an expert. Expertise comes from a whole world of experience. Experience takes time. I realized this after meeting a lot of people whose pay grade is much higher than mine. A WordPress Nerd is not a SEO Nerd is not a Twitter Nerd. I am a Twitter Nerd. But I digress.

    What does a superhero need besides a pair of tights?

    Superheroes have a mission, a recognizable costume, a song or motto, a sidekick, and superpowers or gadgets.

    You need a mission.

    What is the point of being online? Are you here for revenge or to save lives? Batman or Superman? Your overall mission on social media will determine your tactics.

    Though I don’t necessarily believe you need to write down everything you do and measure it to death, you should have an overall goal. Is it recognition or building a community? Is the end game selling widgets? Do you want to meet people and build friendships?

    You need a costume.

    I once joked that I was wearing so much spandex under a dress, I should be a superhero. Essentially, the superhero’s costume is his persona. It’s his branding.

    The “bat signal” was “just an outline” used on a spotlight. Boy was that ever branding. And the police force in Gotham were thankful for his help. We need a recognizable logo or image. No matter where they saw Superman in the sky, they recognized him. Superman was never mistaken for Ronald McDonald. (more…)

  • The Best App to Bond is Your Face

    Face-to-face communication is undervalued in our always-on mobile lifestyles. What app helps us connect better? Our face. It’s that simple.

    Back in 2014, Buffer held a Twitter chat about company culture. Company culture is still a timely topic — especially with regard to connection. How do you create, cultivate, and curate that culture? What if you’re a remote worker or a work alone?

    Buffer asked:

    “What are some great apps to keep team members connected?”

    We like apps to do stuff for us. Hey, I’m not against a coffee pot going off on its own at 5:15 a.m., ready for me when I finally surrender to the snooze, but some things just cannot be done with technology alone.

    My answer was:

    “Besides Twitter and email? Your face. We do lunches (at work) and it’s really important to our bonding.”

    We Communicate With Our Face

    I recently wrote about how a continual conversation around a hashtag can keep the conversation going and give you opportunities to deepen your relationship but there’s nothing like face-to-face meetings.

    We communicate in our faces, subconsciously. Emotions like doubt, fear, surprise, happiness, irritation, and anger are easily recognizable. I love to watch people’s faces as they talk to each other. Watching someone else watch someone talk can tell you if they believe them or not. Even from a distance, you can watch a couple and decipher if they’re arguing or bonding.

    Up to 70% of communication is in body language. Wait, what? Yes. This is why in-person conversation is ideal.

    If you can’t meet in person, use video chatting instead. Skype, Facetime, and Google Hangouts all allow for a more natural interaction to take place. In fact, a group of ladies I originally met on Twitter meet once a month (like a virtual meetup) on a Google Hangout. Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel.

    Meeting clients online is great, too. But eventually, taking them out to lunch helps. We make so many decisions, warranted or not, based on seeing someone’s face.

    “These studies have shown not just correlations, but causal evidence that facial appearances influence voting, economic exchanges, and legal judgments. People tend to draw inferences about personality characteristics, above and beyond what we might assume based on things like gender, ethnicity, or expression. Social attributions from faces alone tend to be constructed from how common facial features are within a culture, cross-cultural norms (e.g., inferences on masculinity/femininity), and idiosyncrasies like resemblance to friends, colleagues, loved ones, and, importantly, ourselves.” James Hamblin ~ The Atlantic “The Introverted Face”

    Faces Matter

    Have you heard the expression, “Put your best face forward?” It exists because a lot of us struggle with this. Our resting face, for example, may not show our inner cheerleader. We put our work hat on, concentrate, and are serious. Yet, people will accuse us of being angry, irritated, sad, or unsociable.

    Those of us who struggle with “resting face” issues have to work on our active listening skills. The truth is, sometimes people are boring; though we try to look interested, our face betrays us. Deception is told by the face. Often sarcasm is hard to pickup on unless you see the smirk develop in the corners of their mouth.

    Make Time for Face-To-Face

    In the article “The Dunbar Number, From the Guru of Social Networks,” Drake Bennett mentions that Robin Dunbar’s research indicates the average friendship can survive 6-12 months without face-to-face contact. That’s not very long.

    The bottom line is emails, project management apps, social networks and the like are all great to set up meetings, create deadlines, or serve as touch points, but nothing replaces in-person gatherings.

    Though technology can bring us together, face time is the deciding factor on whether the relationship deepens or dies.

    What do you think?

    Can you keep a relationship alive with text-only communication?

  • The Hashtag Keeps Us Together

    The hashtag keeps us together.Meetups. They’re fun, we all agree, right?

    But schedules don’t always match up, so what’s a girl to do?

    Follow the hashtag.

    And now, boys and girls, I’ll tell you a story.

    In my early days of Twitter, especially with the business account I started in 2009, I really wanted to connect with people in Orange County. While following and listing people for that purpose, I also found a meetup called Social Media Mastermind, Orange County.

    For years, I followed the people, loosely followed the hashtag, and finally started attending this year. It was cool because I felt like I knew some of the people before I actually became part of the group. (That really helps with the anxiety of meeting new people, by the way.)

    One of the long-time #SMMOC members, Dennis Carpenter, recently moved out of state. A business trip brought him back to Orange County and he made time to attend the meetup. (Also, it was nice to see how lovingly greeted he was  — what a group this is. But I digress.)

    “I’m so glad to finally meet you,” I said.

    “But I’ve known you for years!” he said.

    Dennis was convinced that we had met in person before. I had to remind him I started coming to this meetup in January of 2014. (more…)

  • What is real friendship?

    realfriendshipI started thinking about friendship the other day. People often tease me about my “internet” friends or “digital” friends.

    Are they less than?

    To explore this topic, let’s go to the beginning.

    Childhood Friendships

    In early childhood, you may have friends because your moms hang out. You may be in the same class. You may live on the same street.

    Proximity and convenience are the the kick starters to most, if not all, childhood friendships. Whether or not they continue throughout life has more to do with how each person values themselves, their time invested in the friendship, and the time it would take to continue. We grow up, move away, and move on.

    Fortunately, Facebook has allowed many of these childhood friendships to reignite or die of malnutrition.

    Digital Age

    Let’s come back.

    Early Adult Friendships

    Early adult friendships begin because you’re college roommates, co-workers, or you know a friend-of-a-friend. Maybe a group all went to a music festival, camping trip, or toured Europe together. Those friendships usually continue until some or all get married.  (more…)