In his October 9, 2016 blog about the Baltimore Ravens fourth-quarter loss to the Washington Redskins, former NFL player Dan Birdwell threw in this quote: “You have to play this game just like somebody just hit your mother with a two by four.”

Game or what’s since evolved into gamification perked up again during the pandemic with so many people quarantined at home. Since 1984, companies were urged to use gamification to improve employee engagement and get workers to more clearly define their goals. It was viewed as a novel way to keep score and get more frequent feedback from employees.

There’s a general rule of thumb that people can “learn just about anything” on YouTube – and the entertainment value is high, too. From educational content to silly videos, to elaborate stunts and fun commentary, there’s plenty to experience on the user-generated video sharing site. Recently, though, new and unique topics have been trending on YouTube, underscoring how the platform is both art imitating life and life imitating art. 

Viewers have popularized videos about how to make PPE masks, quarantine lifestyle tips, and fun ways to make it through online education. Meanwhile, reposted content from political leaders related to COVID-19 response are also jumping into the most-viewed videos lineup in a given time frame. In recent remarks to the media, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said her team was monitoring the shift in content and viewership: 

According to some digital media pundits, less than 2% of customers actually make a purchase upon their first visit on a site. This is where remarketing and retargeting come in: both tactics are designed to help businesses reach back to customers who have shown interest in their brand.

That said, it’s easy to confuse the two when devising a digital marketing strategy. Here is a guide to understanding the difference between the two, and advice on how to use these tactics to re-engage with site visitors.

Many people seem to be unaware of the fact that it’s not just Instagram and YouTube where people are able to gain a profit from sharing content. The same thing is also possible on Twitter, as every single account, hashtag, and tweet has an economic market value that anyone is able to calculate.

However, it’s a lot easier to make these calculations for people or accounts that are considered influencers, as they tend to have a higher number of followers, as well as better engagement. As with other social media platforms, the more popular an influencer is, the higher their potential social media-related wages are going to be.

For several years now, the mainstream news channels, including newspapers and TV broadcasts, are no longer the main industries for breaking news stories – especially if it means keeping up with any new developments to those stories in real-time.

All of this is due to the rapid development and increased popularity of social media and has led to traditional media outlets no longer having a monopoly on news and stories. This is especially important for public relations professionals, who used to rely on creating and maintaining relationships with media networks as a way to gain valuable newspaper and primetime TV space. This is no longer the case.

Traditional journalism is dead, just ask the Internet. Except, of course, we know that’s not true, because traditional media – what some like to call Legacy Media – is going strong, maintaining a solid grip on the hearts and minds of millions upon millions of faithful fans and followers.

But what is the role of traditional journalists in the modern age of digital marketing and social media influencers? It’s a strong, vital role, to begin with.

Social media communications has changed the world.

Social media has not only changed the speed at which people can communicate, it has also changed what people say to each other as they fit it into as few characters as possible.

In the world of public relations, digital PR refers to the online marketing strategy utilized by businesses to increase their online presence and boost their brand. Digital PR carries any similarities to traditional PR, but in reality represents an opportunity to reach a broader audience- global, in fact- in a way that offline techniques are unable to achieve. Instead, in order to make the most impact, digital PR uses online strategies such as search engine optimization,  influencer outreach, content marketing, and social media.

Digital PR is a powerful tool capable of boosting a brand’s online presence and visibility. Information is constructed into conversations, and companies are able to speak directly to their target audience 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Better yet, by connecting directly with their target audience, brands can use digital PR to clarify their focus and spread news faster than they have ever done before.