6 Easy Steps to Create An Awesome Animated Promo Video For Social Media (Using PowerPoint!)

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Do you want to create a promotional video for social media, to be played on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other sites?? Not confident or skilled in video-making and editing? Don't worry! I have you covered.

In this blog post, I'll show you, step-by-step how you to create an engaging promotional video for social media using only Microsoft PowerPoint (and a few other, free web tools). I'll be using my own video as an example - a promotion for my new book, Successful Social Media Customer Service, with animated text and background music. In essence, it's simply a video recording of a PowerPoint presentation, but I think it does looks pretty pro! 

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20 Inspirational Ideas to Kick Start Your Fall Marketing on Social Media (With Real Examples)

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With summer now officially over, the start of a new season is a great time to give your social media profile a refresh and to introduce autumnal ideas into your content strategy. If you're in need of some ideas and inspiration, look no further. Here's how 20 big brands are already making the most of the opportunity:

1. Starbucks uses a time lapse to showcase its new season cup design...

2. Home Depot updates its Facebook cover photo to reflect the fall season...

3. Williams-Sonoma inspires fans with a variety of recipes...

6 simple recipes to celebrate fall's signature flavor: pumpkin! http://wsono.ma/bdMwr

Posted by Williams-Sonoma on Monday, September 28, 2015

4. Dunkin' Donuts injects some humour into an Autumn-themed post...

Even these little guys love our donuts ;) #Autumn

Posted by Dunkin' Donuts on Sunday, September 27, 2015

5. Party City shows off its Fall stock in a collage...

Goodbye summer. Hello autumn! Decorate your home in warm tones with Party City’s fall décor starting at $1.49. Shop now! http://bit.ly/FallDecor_FB

Posted by Party City on Thursday, September 24, 2015

6. Pop Tarts uses humour to promote limited edition products...

This explains why we can only deliver Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tarts once a year. Totally worth the wait. Get them in stores now.

Posted by Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts on Monday, September 14, 2015

7. Whole Foods welcomes customers into the new season...

It's the first day of autumn... Congratulations on making it through the summer heat!

Posted by Whole Foods Market on Wednesday, September 23, 2015

8. Marks and Spencer uses a photo album to promote its new baby range...

Ensure your baby is the best-dressed tot in town this Autumn. The new baby catalogue is available now > http://bit.ly/1NWy1ud

Posted by Marks and Spencer on Monday, September 28, 2015

9. Levis encourages fans to make the most of the summer rays...

10. Panera Bread shares a soup-y factoid...

Your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents knew how to make a mean Autumn Squash Soup. #FoodForThought

Posted by Panera Bread on Friday, September 25, 2015

11. Avis promotes one of its motors with a splash of fall colours...

Welcome fall in style. #FirstdayofFall #SignatureSeries https://goo.gl/3LtnAd

Posted by Avis Car Rental on Wednesday, September 23, 2015

12. Blistex shares its autumn essentials (including its product, of course)....

Autumn officially begins today! We've got our essentials at the ready - have you? :)

Posted by BlistexUK on Wednesday, September 23, 2015

13. Coppertone provides a blank canvas for colouring in...

Colour this picture of falling leaves and a setting sun.

Posted by Coppertone Canada on Monday, September 28, 2015

14. Folgers gets us thinking about the smells of the season...

Fall is in the air, and it smells like Folgers Gourmet Selections® Caramel Drizzle® Flavored Coffee. http://spr.ly/6188ByuG0

Posted by Folgers on Sunday, September 27, 2015

15. Iams shares a cute and funny pet photo...

It's officially the start of autumn, the hide and seek season.

Posted by Iams UK on Wednesday, September 23, 2015

16. Mod Podge shares some crafty fall ideas...

The only question is, which one will you try with your kids first?

Posted by Mod Podge Rocks! on Monday, September 28, 2015

17. Pillsbury shares a Buzzfeed-made fall recipe...

Fallelujah! Time for pumpkin everything including these 3-ingredient Pumpkin Pie Roll-Ups.

Posted by Pillsbury on Friday, September 25, 2015

18. Tetley Tea plays on the colours of fall for a promotional post...

Just like the trees in autumn, our leaves vary in color as well…

Posted by Tetley Tea on Saturday, September 26, 2015

19.  Thermos shares a fan-made fall-inspired graphic...

Iced coffee with spice will always be in season. Sip on! (Credit: Alysha Dawn Illustration)

Posted by Thermos on Wednesday, September 23, 2015

20. Turtle Wax prepares its customers for seasonal spills...

We’ve got your back for Pumpkin Spice Latte spills. #Fall #FirstDayOfAutumn

Posted by Turtle Wax on Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Over to you

Will you be using any of the ideas above, or have you already got your own in the pipeline? Let me know in the comments!

How to STAND OUT on Social Media With Effective Visual Branding (Eve Mattresses Case Study)

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Does your brand have a strong visual presence on social media channels? Do you want to increase brand recognition online?

Using consistent visual design elements in your social media marketing efforts helps people to spot your updates in busy news feeds while simultaneously showing off your business' personality. Ask yourself the following question: Given one quick glance (and that's all most social media content gets!), can people spot your brand amongst dozens of others?

In this blog post, I'll show you examples from Eve, a mattress manufacturer - and how it uses colour, fonts, and composition to make its brand stand out on social, and to convey its core messages. 

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10 "Feel Good Friday" Post Ideas That Fans Will Love You For

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One of the tried and tested ways to conjure up great content for your social media profiles is to give each day a theme - like Motivation Mondays or Throwback Thursdays. In this post, I'm going to give you 10 example ideas for posts on a Friday. By tapping into the mindset of your audience - tired and weary at the end of a working week - your brand can deliver the "pick me up" they need, or the catalyst that drives them happily into the weekend. Without further ado, let's get started:

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5 Ways to Use Timely and Topical Events to Drive Engagement on Social Media (Innocent Case Study)

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Topical events provide brands with an endless, predictable  stream of inspiration for content on social media. As they often tie into the lives of your audience, they're always pretty popular, so it's handy to have a bank of pre-prepared posts that you can schedule for different occasions.

Innocent, the smoothie drinks company, produces some of my favourite examples of "bandwagonning" onto topical and timely events; tailoring the branding and tone to their audience. Take a look at 5 of their most recent examples and use them as inspiration for your own strategy.

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