Facebook and Instagram are massive social media platforms that feel like they have always been around. Many young people can’t remember a time before Facebook or Instagram, but both of these platforms have come from small beginnings and grown over the years to reach their current state. The way we used Facebook and Instagram just a few years ago is different than how these platforms operate today. The main purpose behind each platform is the same, but new features and behind the scenes changes have shaped both platforms over the years. Social media platforms went from primarily communication services to hosting full digital stores with advanced shipping APIs leveling the playing field for ecommerce stores of all sizes. Some recent Facebook and Instagram changes have affected businesses and customers alike meaning all users must adapt to change if they want their content to perform well. By combining new tactics with tried and true methods, businesses and customers can use video and other types of content to successfully grow their presence on both Instagram and Facebook.

Data has become as essential as oil in the business world. Most people understand data is extremely valuable, but not everyone knows how to take raw data and refine it into useful business information.

In Douglas Adams’ book Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a computer is asked to define the meaning of life, and the computer eventually provides an answer of simply 42. The computer presented an answer, but no one understood it. While Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is science fiction, this scene bears a resemblance to how many people view data in real life.

Unless you are able to turn data into valuable information, the data might as well be random numbers. By using various data management processes, your business can extract impactful insights from data.

Since its launch in 2010, Instagram has grown into a worldwide juggernaut in the social media space. In 2019, there were over 1 billion monthly Instagram users, making it one of the most used social media platforms. Instagram is more than just a social media platform though. It is also a business platform, with millions of businesses using Instagram for marketing and more than 72% of users buying a product that they originally saw on the platform. It is evident that Instagram marketing works. Instagram can be a great marketing tool for businesses, but marketing on Instagram is both a science and an art. Below are some tips and tricks to ensure your business gets the most out of marketing on Instagram.

The holiday season is one of the most profitable times of the year for businesses. In years past, brick and mortar stores raked in the most revenue on major shopping holidays like Black Friday, but e-commerce has since claimed the top spot. According to Adobe Digital, over $125.9 billion was spent online between November and December of 2018; that is a 15.2% increase from the same time period in 2017. It is expected that the 2019 holiday season will see even more revenue and you do not want your business to miss out. You may think that only large companies truly cash in during the holidays, but in reality, a business of any size can financially benefit from the holidays. With some preparation and careful strategizing you can increase your business’s e-commerce sales this holiday season.

There are more products and services available than ever before. Technology has allowed companies of the world to produce some incredible innovations for customers to buy. Every product started out as an idea. Someone, somewhere had an idea for a product and made it a reality. There are a lot of steps between having an idea and launching a product. The first is, obviously, to have an idea. Let’s use creating an app or piece of software as an example. This guide will walk you through a few of the tricky steps and situations that come with developing software.

The Internet has certainly changed how we do things. Simple and mundane tasks can now be easily completed with the power of technology. This is very evident in E-commerce. Looking at how and where customers shop shows that online shopping is here to stay. With E-commerce being the catch-all phrase for business done on the internet, a new sub term has popped up: M-commerce. M-commerce, or mobile commerce, is the “buying and selling of products and services over the internet through the use of mobile or cellular devices”. While mobile commerce may be conducted on mobile phones, the term extends to any portable/mobile device that has the ability to connect to a network. This includes tablets, notebooks, or laptops.

The world is always-on, with little to no rest for companies these days. As a result, customers expect brands to meet their needs in real time. This means that the wall between customer and brand is getting smaller. Brands are expected to engage with their customers to build a relationship. Customers want answers to their questions, their feelings heard, and problems fixed. It is up to the brand to connect with customers and there are several ways to accomplish this.