Category: Featured

Technology is an unavoidable part of life these days, and it clearly comes with many advantages. We’re more connected than ever before, and any information you need can be found online in only a matter of seconds. But how does technology affect our mental health? Below, find five ways that the use of technology can actually be a detriment to you mentally.

Excessive use of technology can lead to problems with focus and concentration.

It has been found that the average person checks their phone every 12 minutes, and the day often begins by catching up on social media and phone notifications. Unfortunately, being in this “always on” state actually erodes the ability to focus and concentrate on the task at hand. Constant distractions and interruptions from your phone throughout the day have long-term negative consequences. Luckily, it’s possible to work on this issue by turning off your phone or leaving it in another room when you need to focus on a specific task. 

The use of technology and social media can lead to isolation.

It’s somewhat ironic that although we are all very much connected online these days, this online connection can lead to real-life isolation. One study showed that young adults who were very active on social media were more than three times as likely to feel socially isolated! This social isolation was not seen in young adults who did not frequently use social media. So if you’re a Twitter and Facebook fanatic, be sure to take regular breaks and to connect with the people you care about in person. Although likes and comments can provide a quick dopamine boost, they simply can’t replace real-life interactions and connections with others. To speak to a mental health professional about isolation and other issues, click over to MyTherapist.

The blue light from televisions, computers, and cell phones can cause issues with sleep.

Sleep plays a huge role in our overall health and mood, so anything that disrupts your sleep should be taken very seriously. The light that comes from electronics prevents the brain from producing melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep. This is why you often hear the recommendation to avoid using electronics for at least an hour before bed; this way, your brain is able to keep up its regular sleep and wake cycle and produce melatonin as it should naturally. Staying away from the electronics before bedtime is an easy and effective way to improve the quality of your sleep as well as your mood and energy level the following day.

The use of technology and social media has been linked to increased anxiety.

While the internet is a treasure trove of information and can provide answers to any number of questions, it can also provide its users with unnecessary anxiety. Anxiety can develop as a result of constantly seeing negative or upsetting news headlines online; another source of anxiety is the common practice of typing symptoms you’re experiencing into a search engine to see what type of illness you may be experiencing. In addition, the use of social media can increase anxiety in some people. However, studies show that those who have overwhelmingly positive interactions on social media can actually have lower levels of anxiety, so results may vary depending on a case-by-case basis.

The need to stay connected on social media can lead to depression.

It’s very sad to think that social media platforms, which were originally intended to help people stay connected with others, are now associated with mental health issues such as depression. The reality is that depression and low self-esteem can result when people rely on social media to provide them with validation and affirmation. The need to appear perfect on these platforms can add a significant amount of stress to a person’s life, and it can keep them from enjoying their life in the moment as well. Those who are prone to social comparison can also experience negative emotions and even mental health issues when they use social media regularly. The simple solution is to disconnect and take a break from social media on occasion, or even to stop using social media altogether if you’ve noticed that it has a detrimental effect on your mental health.

The Bottom Line

It’s clear that today’s advanced technology comes with many different advantages and benefits. But just like everything else in the world, there are drawbacks to technology and social media as well. The use of technology has been associated with issues such as not being able to concentrate, isolation, anxiety, depression, and problems with sleep. If your mental health has suffered as a result of technology use, be sure to evaluate the situation or even talk to a mental health professional in order to alleviate the issues you’re experiencing.

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Marie Miguel Biography

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.

In recent years, online counseling platforms have become more prevalent than ever before. And with the current coronavirus pandemic, the idea of receiving counseling services online from the comfort and safety of your own home has become even more appealing. Still, many people wonder whether they can actually benefit from online counseling, or if it’s a waste of their time and money. In this article, we’ll go over the differences between online and traditional counseling services, and we’ll also discuss who is most likely to benefit from online counseling. By the time you’ve finished reading this article, you should have a much better idea of whether or not online counseling is a good option for you!

How does online counseling differ from in-person counseling?

There is one very obvious difference between online counseling and traditional in-person counseling: online counseling takes place online, so you will not be sitting in the same room as your counselor. In addition, online counseling uses technology to engage in different types of communication: video chat (considered to be the most effective), phone calls, live chat, and asynchronous messaging. Otherwise, online counseling is very much the same as traditional counseling. In both situations, you are speaking with an educated, trained, and certified professional. The same types of therapy are used in both situations; some common types of therapy are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, and Psychodynamic Therapy.

Is online counseling as effective as traditional counseling?

Online counseling using real-time video sessions has been proven to be as effective as traditional counseling. When it comes to other streams of communication such as phone calls and instant messaging, these tend not to be quite as effective. However, they can be a great addition to online video sessions; these other methods of communication can be beneficial ways to check in between sessions and get quick answers to questions that arise. 

Overall, though, when you join an online counseling platform that supports live video sessions, you can expect it to be just as effective as attending traditional in-person sessions with a counselor or therapist. On average, the benefits of counseling increase the more sessions you attend, whether those sessions are online or in person. For more advice on mental health topics, take a look at https://www.mytherapist.com/advice/.

Who can benefit from online counseling?

Pretty much everyone can benefit from online counseling! In fact, you don’t even need to be living with a mental health disorder to benefit from speaking with a mental health professional. Counseling services are wonderful for anyone who wants to understand themselves on a deeper level, improve their relationships, find their purpose, and work through tough memories and experiences–or even for people who just need an unbiased person to talk to. Because online counseling tends to be much more accessible and affordable than traditional counseling, it’s an especially great choice for those who live in rural areas or have a tighter budget. 

Is online counseling the right choice for you?

Considering that online counseling is as effective as traditional counseling, and that everyone can benefit from the counseling process in one way or another, there’s a very high probability that online counseling is a great choice for you! Of course, you’ll want to do your research to choose the online counseling platform that best fits your needs. Once on the platform, you may want to speak with a couple of different professionals in order to ensure a good fit between yourself and your counselor. Then, when you’ve started the actual counseling process, be sure to commit yourself to it and be prepared to put in the work to improve your mental health. As mentioned previously, the benefits of counseling increase depending on the number of sessions you attend! The longer you engage with the process, the more you’re likely to get out of it.

The Bottom Line

Online counseling platforms are an affordable, accessible, and effective way to improve your mental health. Whether you’re simply looking to gain more self-confidence or if you want to learn how to cope with mental illness, online counseling can be a wonderful way to reach out and get the help you need!

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Marie Miguel Biography

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.

This article is created to provide insight into setting up your gaming server for Steam’s Space Engineers. We will look upon the step-by-step guides on what to do and which gaming server is best suited to host Space Engineers.

Before we start our in-depth guide on setting up your gaming server, we will focus shortly on the game’s background and discuss what a gaming server does. We have gathered all the information you need to understand better how to set up a Space Engineers server hosting so you can do it on your own. So stick around and continue reading to find out.

What is Space Engineers?

Space Engineers is an open-world sandbox game created with the sole purpose of creation, exploration, and survival while scouring the many universe and planets in this open-world space game.

What is a Gaming Server?

As the name implies, a gaming server is a server used to host multiple types of games. For example, have you ever played an MMO game (Massive Multiplayer Online)?. If yes, then there you have it. You have just connected to a gaming server.

How to set up a dedicated gaming server for Space Engineers?

Download Torch 

For this guide, we will be using the torch server. You can get it through keen software or Torch’s community base server.

Extract the zip file

After downloading the zip file next, you need to extract it and run the setup.

Launch the Torch Server

After running the setup, launch the torch server, and keen software will automatically update your server patches.

Create a World 

In the torch’s configuration, click on the new world button and choose your game mode.

Setup the basic settings

After creating a new world, you need to set up some basic settings required to run the game. Generally, here you can adjust all of the things you want your new world to have.

Configure your router’s Firewall

Before starting up your game, you must configure your router’s firewall to enable the data from the external servers to reach your server.

Port forwarding

Now what you needed to do is connect to your router. Then in your router settings, find the security setting. Here you will see the port forwarding option. Inside, you have to open specific ports which will enable data access to your game and steam. Open this port for Space Engineers: 27061 (UDP) and for Steam: 8766 (TCP & UDP). Then click create a new rule, Next set the local IP of your computer and the given ports.

Open the game client.

After setting up port forwarding, next is to open the game and select join game. Here you will see your public server where you can join.

Enjoy your own Space Engineers Gaming Server. 

Now you can host and play your very own space engineers server!

Bottomline

Space Engineers is a fantastic game that enables your creativity and instincts to bloom to survive the vast wilderness of space. Now that we have discussed the Space Engineers server hosting and how you can host your server, be guided that hosting a server can be pretty demanding. It requires a pretty powerful computer specification to perform multiple tasks and a fast and reliable internet connection for a smooth ping. But, all in all, this can be an enjoyable experience for you and your friends.

With the closure of traditional brick and mortar casinos due to the Covid-19 pandemic online gambling has become more popular than ever. And esports gambling is leading the way, with so many travel restrictions and ‘lockdowns” in almost every country more and more people have spare time on their hands, they are turning to esport gaming and gambling. The esports world is now being taken very seriously and may even rival more traditional online games such as poker or slots provided by sites such as kasyno.

Almost all of us have heard of esports gaming, if you have children they probably spend hours playing online games each day if they are allowed. But now with such high stakes involved many adults are playing online sports and there is the potential to win big if you are good enough. As with any sport there of course is the potential for gambling, online gambling in the esports world in 2020 surpassed the $14 billion mark. Of course, online casinos make more enticing offers such as deposit incentives or bonus casino offers but they are now recognizing the value of esports betting.

How Did Esport Gambling Begin And Where is it Going?

Esports began with a few friends playing on a Lan connection between friends wanting to play each other late every night at the current games of the time. What they started has now become a massive global phenomenon worth billions of dollars, with professional leagues and tournaments being played daily. With the money pouring in for the online competitions and leagues from sponsors the prize money increased, where there is money and an opportunity so is gambling. Esports betting really got the attention when the legendary game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was released with players and spectators betting on the outcome of matches.

After the initial success of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive an update was released and the world was introduced to “Skins”, this gave players the ability to change the appearance of their weapons. It may not sound a big deal but in the esports world it became an overnight sensation, players were trading the skins for big money. Since the early competitions of CS:GO many other games have been turned into big gambling opportunities for gamers and spectators across the globe.

Esports Are Rapidly Gaining in Popularity And Finance

As games such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Defense of the Ancients 2 became more and more popular, so did the prize money for competitions and tournaments. This also created more opportunities for the gambling world, which is not surprising considering the money at stake. In 2020 alone sponsors including betting companies and developers put some serious money up to be won, here are the top 5 by prize pool:

1. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, $14.75 million prize pool and is expected to rise considerably when live stadium events return after Covid-19.
2. Defense of the Ancients 2, $8.87 million in prize money in 2020 which is massively down from the previous year when players were battling it out for nearly $50 million, but again the lack of live events has affected the revenue stream.
3. League of Legends, $8 million winnings, the most popular esports by viewership it is not known for giving huge checks to the winner, and the satisfaction of winning the cup and competition has become more important.
4. Fortnite, $7.87 million prize pool which is significantly down on previous years due once again to the lack of live esports events. In 2019 the first prize cheque went to a 16-year-old and was for $3 million.
5. Call of Duty, $6.27 million total prize money, popular it seems for a long time now Call of Duty boasts some of the most loyal fans and the annual prize for winning is about $250 thousand.

With so much money at stake, more and more people are taking these competitions and tournaments seriously. There are dozens each year for gamblers to bet not just on the outcome but also in-game betting similar to soccer or American Football.

Why Should You Place Bets on Esports?

Esport betting offers a unique experience to regular gambling, the games you gamble on are so much different from the traditional physical sports we are used to betting on. With esport gambling still in its relatively early years, bookmakers offer some fantastic odds and offers to new and existing clients to help promote esports betting. Some bookmakers will also allow you to place bets without even opening an account. 

Whilst many sports are fast-paced, not many can compete with the excitement of exports which is great for viewing and even better for gamblers. Games or matches can change in the blink of an eye, especially first-person shooter games or high-speed driving game races. This makes it quite hard to predict the results and is in part what draws the appeal of gambling on esports, you also don’t need to play these games yourself as many of the gamblers are not gamers.

Conclusion

Esports has become so popular in recent years, and with the onset of Covid-19 and the ensuing pandemic, many people have been looking for ways to pass the time during quarantine situations. The growth of esports has been a major boost for online gambling sites, which have seen a decline in gambling largely due to live events being postponed or even canceled. With great incentives offered by online bookmakers, and a constant number of competitions being played, which are available to watch live online at any time of the day or night, there is always something to bet on.

If you are unsure of the games being played you can always login or download a copy and get a better understanding of what you are gambling on. It’s also great fun to immerse yourself into the game and gain a better insight into what it’s all about. Who knows you could be the next big thing in the esports world of gaming.

UFC continues to grow in popularity across Africa, with several stars of Mixed Martial Arts born in the continent. Kamaru Usman is hot property at the minute and the Nigerian ace is making as many headlines for a raging battle outside of the octagon as he does for his devastating form inside it.

Hard-hitting Usman from Auchi is the reigning UFC welterweight champion having blasted his way to the top of the division. The 33-year-old dubbed The Nigerian Nightmare continues to dominate opponents and earn rave reviews, but he now appears to have his sights set on the most famous UFC star of them all – Ireland’s Conor McGregor. The leading UFC betting sites are already offering odds on the winner of that clash.

The bout is, at present, nothing more than a rumour but both fighters seem to be keen on taking their war of words into the octagon and settling the score. If they do, you can bet on the winner using your smartphone. This article explains how.

Licenses Owned.

Register

To bet using your smartphone, you must have an online betting account registered with a legal and licensed bookmaker in your region. It is worth researching what’s available to ensure you are betting with the best possible bookmaker that offers lots of sports and betting odds as well as markets, payments and customer service channels.

Here’s how to register with an online betting app quickly;

1. Choose your bookmaker
2. Visit their website
3. Click the register button at the top of the homepage
4. Fill in the registration form
5. Create your unique username and password
6. Your account will be activated

Welcome bonus

All respected betting apps offer new customers a welcome bonus. This acts as an incentive for you to choose one sportsbook over the mountain of competition. The new player promotions may look similar, but some are much better than others. They come in many different forms, and the terms and conditions differ from site to site. You must read the T&Cs in full before accepting any deal. This will ensure you have a strong understanding of what is expected of you as a customer.

Here are some of the welcome bonuses available to you as a new customer;

• Free bet
• Risk-free bet
• Enhanced odds
• Cashback
• Profit boost

Download the app

The leading smartphone betting apps can be downloaded to Android and IOS devices in seconds. You must complete this process only once on each device you wish to use the betting app on. In future, it’s a simple case of logging in to your account and betting.

Here’s how to download a betting app to an IOS device;

1. Open the App Store on your handset
2. Search for your bookmaker’s name
3. Choose the sportsbook option and click Get
4. The app will download and install automatically

Here’s how to download sports betting app to an Android device;

1. Open your device’s web browser and type in your bookmaker’s URL
2. Click the homepage link to download the app
3. Open Settings on your smartphone and allow downloads from unknown sources
4. Open downloads and click the apk file there
5. The app will download and install automatically

Licenses Owned.

Place your bets

Now it’s the essential part of the process – placing your bets on the top UFC fights. You can do this using your smartphone if you have registered for an account. Members can place bets quickly and easily. The UFC tab of the mobile site will have all upcoming fights covered with several markets on each. Bet on the fight winner or play one of the specials, including method of victory, winning round, total rounds over/under.

Here’s how to place a bet on UFC using your smartphone;

1. Sign in to your mobile account
2. Click the UFC tab in the navigation bar
3. Select the fight you wish to gamble on
4. Click the odds of your chosen bet, such as fight winner
5. Visit the bet slip and add your stake
6. Confirm your bet

When downloading a betting app to your smartphone and registering for an account, you will receive a free bet welcome bonus after placing your first wager. You can then bet on the UFC fights of your choice, but MMA isn’t the only sport available. The sports navigation bar gives users access to all popular sports, including football, horse racing, tennis and more.

As an employer, you are legally required to provide employees with certain benefits. Apart from these benefits mandated by the law, there are certain other benefits that companies offer to ensure employees have a positive experience working for the company.

These special benefits are called perks and vary from company to company. To ensure employees are content with their jobs, a company may offer them certain perks. While benefits cover basic employee needs, perks are offered by the company to beat the competition. 

Here are six perks that you can offer to enhance employee satisfaction:

Learning & development opportunities

L&D programs help employees to grow in their career and are seen as a major perk by young professionals. Although L&D opportunities fall under perks, they are a necessity. Providing employees growth opportunities helps them perform their jobs better which enhances their performance. 

Moreover, with tools like LMS it is now possible to deliver cost effective learning solutions to employees. By using LMS like Adobe Captivate Prime you can help employees learn a new skill without breaking the bank. This boosts their productivity and increases company revenue as well.

Flexibility to work from anywhere

Allowing employees to choose where they want to work from is a highly desired perk by many. The flexibility to work from home or anywhere the employees feels comfortable allows them to balance their personal and professional life better. This increases their job satisfaction.

By setting clear goals, you can ensure employees know what is expected of them. Keeping this in mind employees can structure their day to get the most out of their time. This employee perk also relieves them from the stress of travelling.

Maternity/Paternity leaves

One of the best perks for employees is maternity and paternity leaves. It can get very hectic for pregnant employees to manage work and take care of themselves. Similarly, male employees need to be around their pregnant wives to support them in their stressful phases.

Being empathetic towards employees in this phase will help build their loyalty towards the organization. Providing this perk can make your company very desirable to young working professionals. 

Employee discount

A lot of product based companies offer employees discounts on buying their products. Offering employees this perk is very beneficial as it increases sales as well as increases engagement with the products.

Employees using company products indirectly become brand promoters and can market the brand through word of mouth publicity. Moreover, it gives the company a chance to internally test products and get genuine feedback from employees.

Free health checkups

Showing support for employee well being is necessary for all companies to ensure employee satisfaction. By creating a wellness program where you tie up with popular hospitals, you can provide free health checkups for employees once/twice a year.

Moreover you can include gyms and yoga centres in the office premises to encourage employees to stay fit and active. For remote employees, you can offer gym membership discounts so they can opt for a centre closer to their home.

Free snacks

Providing free lunch may seem like a stretch for many employers, so instead you can provide them free evening snacks to help them feel refreshed. Post lunch hours make most employees feel very lethargic and disengaged.

Giving them perks like free snacks and an opportunity to bond with other colleagues while enjoying these snacks allows them to have some light-hearted conversations. Connecting with other employees makes them feel happier and allows them to go back to work with a better mood.

Conclusion

You can pick a couple of these perks based on how beneficial these perks are for your company without burning a hole in your pocket. They may not completely brighten the picture but will certainly make employees feel enthusiastic, and develop a sense of satisfaction in them.

Apex Legends was launched in 2019 and saw a huge rise in its teaming fans as more players embraced this game’s uniqueness. The same uniqueness has made it a little difficult for new players to understand the game.

With an ever-evolving map, weapons, and heroes each season, players might struggle to even grasp the basics that’ll help them improve their game in Apex Legends. 

Although Apex Legends have several similarities with battle royale, one thing that sets it apart is the pace of the game. The speed at which the game is played is another reason why new players struggle. Not to worry though, there are ways you can improve your Apex Legend skills.

If you want to increase your win rate, you would want to stick around for this article as you’ll see some pretty straightforward ways to get better at playing the game.

Choose Your Drop Zone Carefully

Your drop zone has a significant impact on your game. And luckily, you get to choose where you and your team will start the game on the map. Unfortunately, not many players know the significance of their decision as most just jump into hot zones and get decimated.

If you drop close to the center of the map, you’ll find more enemy teams there and would have to overcome them in early game combat while struggling for the limited resources.

If you would want to avoid all these and start more slowly while picking up as many supplies as possible, you would want to drop off closer to the edges of the map or at sites like the refinery, and drill site where you’ll get a sufficient amount of loot.

Practice Strafing and Snapping 

Strafing is aiming when behind cover. Strafing can improve your aim and kill rate in the Apex Legends game. Use the training mode to practice how to position your gun just where an enemy would be when they pop out from their hiding place. Getting a headshot is preferable.

Snapping is the speed and accuracy of entering a shooting space, firing at the opponent, exiting the space, and entering another. The training mode gives you room to practice this helpful skill that you’ll use frequently when fighting opponents.

If you can master these two skills, your kill rate will improve dramatically and you’ll be able to stay alive for longer.

Use Slide Movement

Sliding helps you move faster in the game and can also catch the enemy off guard due to the speed and angle. Sliding will save you a couple of seconds as you move around in the game.

Another advantage of sliding is that it makes it harder for enemies to target you while you’re sliding. This way you can unleash your weapon on them without stress.

Stick to Your Teammates

Do not go off alone trying to be a hero, that’ll only get you killed faster. Stick to your teammates and attack in unison to get a better chance of overcoming difficult enemy squads. 

You also get to have backup fire from your teammates to protect you when you get in trouble. Ensure you communicate often and let others know where supplies and enemies may be hiding.

There is a voice communication system available as well as a more basic ping system that will help you communicate effectively with your teammates. Things like loot, location, enemy hideouts, and exciting areas to go to among others can be pinged and communicated to your squad.

Choose Your Weapons Wisely

Fancy names and builds are not wise ways to choose weapons you’ll carry in Apex Legends. Weapons in the game all have a varying rate of damage and ease of use. Some are more effective in shorter ranges while others thrive in longer ranges.

Knowing the best short and long-range weapons you can have is important. Some of the best short-range weapons in the games are the peacekeeper and r-99 submachine gun. For a longer range, you’ll hardly do better than a charge rifle.

Compensate for the pace of the game by Slowing Down

Except during face-to-face combat or when trying to catch the enemy unawares, you might want to slow down. The game is pretty fast on its own, no need to increase it by rushing through the game.

Take out time to recover if your health is low and when you’re in a safe position like hiding behind a barricade or wall. 

Summary

These 6 tips will improve your Apex Legend skill and help you become a better player. Remember this will take time and patience to accomplish. 

You can use cheats and hacks to shorten your learning curve and dramatically increase your win rate. There are several Apex Legends hacks available at Battlelog’s site.

Thousands of social media marketing tools have sprung up all over the internet. Their number greatly outnumbers the number of social media sites, resulting in a fierce rivalry. The simplest way to explain a social media marketing tool is that it is a website or program that allows you to organize and schedule posts, dig deep into your channel insights, and get you more Instagram likes. 

These marketing tools perform a variety of other tasks such as research, AI-assisted marketing assistance, competitor analysis, and even help with your organic Instagram growth. Since social media marketing is rapidly evolving, these marketing tools have become indispensable, especially if you want to save time by delegating this role to a machine. These tools can be useful even though you have a whole team of social media marketers on your payroll.

HootSuite, SproutSocial, Buffer, Post Planner, and other common marketing tools are just a few examples. We are here to assist you in making a decision from such a large number of choices. Today, we’ll talk about the big differences between the last two of these names, Hootsuite and Buffer.

Pricing 

Comparing the two choices and determining a winner solely on the basis of price was the most challenging task for us. Let’s first describe the choices, and you’ll see why. You can choose from four different plans: starter, solo, enterprise, and venture. You’ll need to update in-app for the venture plan, which has personalized pricing based on your needs. The number of social profiles supported, the number of users enabled, the size of the data library, the content types, and other features vary significantly between these plans. There is, however, no free plan or trial available. 

Buffer’s plans, on the other hand, are split in two. You must first decide whether you want to register for publishing or analytics. There are four publishing plans to choose from: free, pro, premium, and company, which cost $15, $65, and $99 per month, respectively. You’d have to purchase a separate package for analytics. Pro and Premium plans, which cost $35 and $50 a month, respectively, are available. You can see that comparing is difficult. 

Buffer wins if you just want to handle the posting aspect of your posts to get more Instagram likes because it has a free plan for that. As a result, further considerations would have to be considered before a winner can be determined.

Features 

The list of features available on both platforms is equivalent. It’s not as if one has a distinct advantage over the other. However, in order for the whole system to work on Buffer, you must purchase both the Publishing and Analysis plans. Post Planner, on the other hand, does not have a free plan, but it does deliver more in each of its levels. 

Overall, Buffer offers a more comprehensive collection of features for organic Instagram growth, including third-party integration, browser plugins, team management, hashtag manager, and a few others that Hootsuite lacks. As a result, Buffer is the winner of this round.

Customer support availability

There isn’t anything to say about this aspect. Only keep in mind that none of Buffer’s plans provide live chat support. Instead, you have access to a self-service knowledge base that includes FAQs and the Buffer community, as well as email and social media support. 

Apart from the above features, Hootsuite also provides chat support. This is merely a point to consider, not inherently a deal-breaker or a deal-maker.

Utility 

This dimension must be included in all significant comparisons. We like to talk about who a website or piece of software is best suited for in the utility section. Buffer would be the winner in this category if a winner is to be determined. Although both marketing techniques are suitable for companies of all sizes, Buffer is better suited to freelancers. This is due to the inclusion of a free plan in the publishing section, which increases the score dramatically. 

The majority of freelancers prefer a less expensive and, if possible, free option for their assignments, and Buffer satisfies that desire. Apart from software, there are numerous social media marketing companies that can assist you with organic Instagram growth and more Instagram likes. 

Prominent clients 

This is just a minor point. Huckberry, Basecamp, Access Venture, and other companies are among Buffer’s clients. Meanwhile, Microsoft, Nike, and Stanford University, among others, are said to use Post Planner. Buffer has a lower ranking (2.7 stars) on Trustpilot than Hootsuite(4.7).

Conclusion 

We contrasted Hootsuite and Buffer based on five different parameters in this article. However, as both have their own utilities and areas of usage, there is no definite winner. We hope that you can think about the considerations we have compiled for you in order to make a well-informed decision about which software to purchase. 

While this is a completely personal decision, it is necessary to understand the need for the features offered by each application, as well as what those features are oriented towards, in order to make it economically viable. Both of these softwares will assist you in growing your page and will be helpful if you continue to concentrate on developing your social media profiles. Do share your thoughts on this.

At the peak of the digital age today, video marketing is the trending way to market your brand on social media. It is interactive, engaging and comes with the potential to hook your target audience right away. Whether you are an influencer creating your personal brand, or a branded business. Using Instagram videos for brand marketing is your ultimate marketing toolbox. Be it Instagram Live videos, Stories, or IGTV. Video content on Instagram not only increases brand awareness but also gets more engagement and turns in more Instagram followers organically. Further, they allow you to communicate your brand message through unique and creative storytelling that might not be possible as Instagram photos. 

But how can you leverage Instagram’s video content for brand marketing? What are the strategies to attract more Instagram followers to engage with your video content? If you are looking for these answers, then check out the best practices and ways to use Instagram videos for brand marketing that are bound to generate visible results: 

5 Ways to Use Instagram Videos for Brand Marketing

Tag Products

Instagram creator and business accounts come with a unique feature to tag up to 5 products showcased or referred to in the video. These are called Shoppable Instagram posts and are made accessible to you, once your request for Instagram Shopping is approved. Whether you are an influencer, or a business, tagging products is one the best ways to use Instagram videos for brand marketing. You could launch, showcase or show your products in action, or being used by influencers. Further, most Instagram users buy products based on influencer recommendations. Shoppable posts collaborated with influencers therefore, can boost sales for your brand significantly. Also, if you are tagging products in video ads, it intrigues the target audience to explore more of your content and products. As such, your account gets more Instagram followers organically. 

Convey Brand Message Through Impeccable Storytelling

Storytelling is at the heart of marketing your brand on social media. This is because it lets your Instagram followers connect with your brand on a personalized level. It also makes them more likely to buy products or services from you. With Instagram’s multiple content forms – IGTV, Instagram Stories, Reels and Posts – you can leverage the power of brand storytelling to relay your message and vision to your audience. Storytelling on Instagram can take many forms. Be it telling people about who you are and what you do as a brand or your values and your vision for the future. The key idea is to build an intimate connection with your followers so that they remember you. To do so, use narrative captions, post user generated content, build a solid community, initiate conversations and encourage your Instagram followers to participate in them.

Keep it Short and Simple

Instagram videos are already brief with a duration of 60 seconds. However, to leverage its potential for brand marketing, make your point in the first five seconds or so. This is crucial for it attracts your audiences’ attention right away and they are compelled to watch the complete video. Once you have them glued to the video, the brand marketing can follow. Further, crowding the 60-second Instagram video with more information than a user can digest on a single watch is a big and clear NO! Rather, keep your video content simple, crisp and to the point. Not only will it help to relay your message effectively, but also leave an impression of your brand on the audience. 

Use Instagram Video Stories for Branding

If your brand is all about being crisp and succinct, then Instagram Stories is where you should create a large portion of your content. Instagram Stories are short 15-second clips in which you can post both images and videos apart from adding stickers, GIFs, texts and more. To leverage this feature for brand marketing, your focus should be on the visual aspect of your video. A consistent design, tone and template in Instagram Stories creates an impression of your brand on your Instagram followers such that they begin to identify it. Also, since Stories are the first highlight that a user sees when s/he logs in to the Instagram app, you can hook them right away by directing them to your Instagram feed or website. As a result, not only your brand awareness amplifies, but also you get more sales besides getting more engagement on Instagram. 

Leverage IGTV for Branding and Engagement

IGTV is a total gold mine for brand marketing. If you have a verified Instagram profile, an IGTV video on your account could be up to 60 minutes long! This means that there is more space than ever for being creative and convincing. Think of IGTV as Instagram’s very own YouTube where you can create your own channel and post just about anything that contributes to your brand. You can post DIY tutorials, behind-the-scenes videos, vlogs, tips to use your products or customer testimonials. Video marketing through IGTV is useful in more than one way. Firstly, videos generate more engagement as they are interactive. Secondly, like YouTube, you can add hashtags, keywords, and relevant links in the description of IGTV videos. By doing so, you optimize your Instagram channel and let your target audience find you. As such, it increases brand awareness and brings more Instagram followers to your account.

Conclusion

Get ready to utilize Instagram video content for brand marketing like a pro with our exclusive video marketing hacks. With more engagement, more Instagram followers and increased sales, Instagram videos get your target audience to recognize your brand. Not only this, they provide a platform for being creative and telling brand stories that are unique, compelling, effective. As such, with video content, you can establish a personalized connection with your audience and gradually turn them into your regular customers.