Social media allows us to connect share and communication in a way we could not envisage even 20 years ago. Twitter allows us to broadcast ideas, opinions, and updates to networks of friends, family, colleagues, and even strangers in an instant. One problem with tweeting (or tweeting immediately) is that it makes you shoot yourself in the foot.

We’ve all done it, hit tweet before a second, minutes, or even hours later. Tweeting requires care and consideration not only for the message you put out, but also because otherwise something like: forgetting to put an apostrophe at the end of a word, a view you used to have but no longer do, or a view you may think doesn’t fully reflect your change in viewpoint, could be misinterpreted by someone reading your tweet. Though there is the option of ‘delete tweet,’ it’s never really gone on the internet.

Think Before You Tweet

The first step to tweeting without regret is simply to pause and think carefully before posting. Emotions can run high online, especially in response to trending news or provocative tweets from others. If you find yourself outraged, amused, or otherwise impassioned by content, there’s a high chance you’ll respond reactively without considering the implications.

Reign in the impulse to vent your immediate thoughts. Sleep on heated issues before commenting publicly to allow yourself time to process information and form a reasoned, constructive argument if you still feel the need to contribute the next day. For lighter content, check whether your humorous observation could land differently than intended.

Adopting a slower approach is crucial. You may have built a Twitter following based on off-the-cuff tweets that perfectly capture a zeitgeist moment, but the stakes get higher as your platform and reach expand. Fair or not, there is greater scrutiny of online opinions expressed by those in positions of influence or leadership. If you do make an impulsive post that you later regret, services like TweetEraser can offer a way to remove the tweet quickly, but it’s always better to prevent hasty decisions in the first place.

Understand Your Digital Footprint

To inform responsible tweeting habits, it’s important to comprehend the longevity of your digital footprint i.e. the accumulated trail of data you leave across web platforms and services. That throwaway joke likely exists in multiple places:

1. On your Twitter profile visible to your followers.
2. In the feeds of users who retweeted it.
3. In Google search results.
4. On sites that aggregate tweets.
5. In Twitter’s firehose of public data for developers.
6. In the libraries of organizations that archive tweets for posterity.

Unlike a spoken comment, your tweets can resurface years later when the context around their intent may be lost. Consider how phrases, sentiments, or stances may age. If you wouldn’t be comfortable standing by the statement for the rest of your career, consider rewording or avoiding posting.

Develop An Authentic Voice

There is an art to finding an authentic voice on Twitter. The platform culture tends towards sarcasm and subversion but straight-talking sincerity can set you apart while still engaging audiences. Take time to nail down messaging that sounds like your brand rather than approximating how you think a founder, investor, or thought leader conveys ideas online.

This avoids the friction of switching between multiple tones as different subjects arise in your feed. If you tweet about work initiatives, personal life anecdotes, and social issues, consistently align these to the same principles and style. An authentic voice minimizes self-censorship regarding tweet deletion as you develop content that credibly represents your perspective rather than chasing trends and baiting controversy.

Create A Private Channel for Draft Tweets

If you second guess whether to post something, a useful technique is running tweets past a trusted contact first. This could be a colleague, friend, or family member who aligns with your values and gives frank feedback on proposed tweets.

Rather than constantly @ mentioning them for approval, create a private Twitter list containing just their handle. Compose tweets but instead of hitting the usual ‘Tweet’ button, select the list name next to it. This posts the draft tweet only to accounts on your private list. If it meets their approval, you can then tweet publicly with confidence. If not, suggestions for improvement can inform the final post.

How to Delete and Unsend Embarrassing Tweets

Despite your best intentions, you may still end up posting tweets that warrant removal even with all the above precautions in place. Here is a guide to minimizing damage once an errant tweet is live.

Delete ASAP

If you spot a problematic tweet on your profile, delete it immediately before it amasses impressions and engagement. Unlike other social networks like LinkedIn which allow soft deletion where content remains visible to you, Twitter erases tweets from their system after removal. So act fast as although caching of data still means copies may well exist online, deleting rapidly gives the content less chance of spreading.

Refrain From Editing Before Deleting

You might be tempted to quickly edit a tweet before removing it to resolve the issue but this can draw more eyeballs through notifications alerting others to changes. Instead, delete first then repost an amended or clarified new tweet. The only exception would be fixing an obvious spelling error but proceed with caution.

Use an Unsend Tool as a Last Resort

A range of third-party applications exists that claim to allow unsending of tweets i.e. removing them from your profile AND the feeds of any users who have already interacted with them. However, be aware that this technology is unreliable. Services tend to exploit loopholes like reporting tweets as sensitive to force content removal so may stop working if Twitter closes these workaround methods.

How Future Tech Could Minimise Tweet Regret

Looking ahead, innovations on the horizon suggest the current paradigm around posting and then deleting online content may shift to give users more direct control.

Built-In Edit Buttons

In September 2022, Twitter announced it had been testing an edit feature that would let users amend tweets after publication. Positioned as a fix for typos, it could equally allow tweaks to phrasing that may otherwise have prompted the removal of a post. However, safeguards like only allowing edits in a short timeframe after posting aim to maintain tweet authenticity and avoid manipulation of viral content.

Blockchain-Verified Posts

Startups are exploring how blockchain technology could enable social platforms where users own their content. The software guarantees tweets remain unaltered from posting by storing them permanently on a distributed ledger. While still deletable by the original tweeter, this immutable record would always preserve the initial phrasing for reference. Readers can verify tweets against the blockchain record giving confidence in their accuracy.

AI Assistant to Refine Tweets

Advancements in AI writing tools hint at the future potential for in-app assistants who review tweets before posting. Language models trained on your unique writing style may flag phrasing that seems out of character or make sentence-level edits to improve clarity. This could mitigate impulsive posts that are reinterpreted negatively or simply too vague. The AI effectively acts as a digital filter encouraging reflection before publishing.

Conclusion

Twitter empowers unprecedented direct interaction between individuals, organizations, and even world leaders. This freedom of expression must be balanced with responsibility around posting content mindfully rather than reactively firing off tweets you later regret.

Considering the context, evaluating your voice, and even utilizing emerging technologies can help sustain an authentic presence. But fundamentally, applying discretion before clicking a tweet remains the ultimate tactic to avoid the need to ever hit delete.

The post Tweeting Smart: How to Avoid Regrettable Tweets in the Future appeared first on Green Prophet.

What do you use social media for? To chat with friends, share interesting facts, or read the news? Great, but these powered resources offer far more opportunities than just entertainment and casual interactions. These platforms have become essential tools for developing professional pages, expanding businesses, and generating new orders. Having a strong presence is no longer optional for companies—it’s mandatory. Your clients are already online, scrolling through their feeds, searching for solutions, and engaging with brands.

But not every brand succeeds in standing out. Some struggle to attract buyers, some fail to compete effectively, and others simply don’t know how to interact with their subs. While the reasons for failure may vary, one thing is clear: achieving success requires a solid strategy. Whether through creative content, audience connecting, or leveraging services like Viplikes to purchase important interactions such as followers or comments, you can position your eco-business for growth. In this article, we’ll explore one paid and two free methods to make your eco-brand flourish.

Content Optimization (Free)

Creating amazing content is essential, but it’s wasted effort if users don’t see it. That’s where optimization comes in. Hashtags are one of the simplest tools you can use to make your posts discoverable by your target audience. However, using too many hashtags can backfire, making your content look spammy or desperate.

The key is to focus on quality over quantity. Choose 2–3 highly relevant hashtags for each post, ensuring they align with your audience’s interests and your niche. For example, if your company focuses on sustainable packaging, hashtags like #Sustainability, #EcoFriendly, and #GreenLiving can be effective.

To maximize results, conduct research to identify the hashtags that resonate best with your audience. Test different combinations, track their performance, and refine a strategy over time.

Connect with Users (Free)

Sites thrive on interaction. Entrepreneurs that actively engage with potential buyers build stronger relationships, foster trust, and generate loyalty. Start by responding to comments on your posts, thanking users for mentioning your brand, and answering their questions. These small actions show that you value your audience’s input and care about their opinions.

Additionally, take the initiative to engage on other profiles. For example, if someone posts, “Does anyone know a good eco-friendly product brand?” don’t hesitate to join the conversation. Share your expertise, suggest your brand, and connect with clients.

Investing in Your Page (Paid)

The rapid growth of marketing has given rise to various services designed to help succeed online. One of the most working strategies for accelerating your growth is using sites to purchase targeted boosts for the company’s page.

For instance, if you frequently post links to your website or products, buying instant link clicks can significantly increase traffic. Similarly, you can purchase subs, likes, comments, and shares to enhance your profile’s credibility. These metrics make your page look more established and trustworthy, encouraging organic subs to interact with your posts.

In 2025, investing in such services is a cost-effective way to stay ahead of the competition. Even a modest advertising budget can yield substantial results. For eco-businesses, where building trust and showcasing authenticity are crucial, these paid boosts can provide the foundation for long-term success. By using Viplikes, you can focus on creating meaningful content while letting strategic investments handle the initial growth phase.

Brilliant engagement isn’t just about replying to comments—it’s about creating a community around your brand. Encourage your potential clients to share their stories, post testimonials, and participate in challenges or giveaways. This organic interaction not only strengthens your online presence but also amplifies your reach through word-of-mouth marketing.

The post 1 Paid and 2 Free Viplikes’ Ways to Make an Eco Business Thrive on Social Media appeared first on Green Prophet.

As sustainability becomes a priority for consumers and businesses alike, real estate and property managers have a unique opportunity to highlight their environmental efforts. 

Whether it’s reducing energy consumption, improving waste management, or adopting green construction practices, showcasing sustainability efforts can attract eco-conscious tenants, boost the building’s reputation, and drive engagement. 

One platform that can streamline this process is resustain.com, a solution that enables real estate professionals to manage and promote sustainable initiatives effectively. 

Leveraging social media amplifies these efforts, reaching a broader audience with the power to engage, educate, and inspire.

Why Social Media Matters for Sustainability in Real Estate

Social media channels provide a powerful way to communicate your building’s sustainable practices to a diverse audience.

With billions of users across platforms, social media is ideal for storytelling, visual content, and real-time updates, making it perfect for highlighting sustainability. 

Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and even TikTok can attract followers interested in eco-friendly practices and green building initiatives.

Social media allows you to:

• Connect directly with potential and existing tenants.
• Showcase certifications (such as LEED or ENERGY STAR) and achievements.
• Educate the public about sustainable practices.
• Share real-time updates on improvements and achievements.

Building a Compelling Social Media Strategy

1. Define Your Sustainability Story

Before you start posting, clarify the key sustainable features and practices of your building. Your story might revolve around reduced energy usage, solar panel installation, or smart water management. The aim is to create a cohesive narrative that resonates with your audience. Think about questions like:

• What sets your building apart in terms of sustainability?
• What impact have your sustainability efforts made on the local community?
• How are tenants benefiting from a greener building?

Clearly defining these points will give your audience a reason to care and follow your journey.

2. Utilize Visual Content

People respond best to visual content, making platforms like Instagram and Facebook ideal for showcasing sustainable efforts. Share photos and videos of:

• Renewable energy installations (like solar panels).
• Green spaces around your building, such as gardens or green roofs.
• Energy-efficient lighting or other green technologies in use.
• Recycling initiatives or eco-friendly amenities.

To enhance engagement, consider using infographics that detail your environmental impact or the journey towards sustainability milestones.

3. Involve Your Audience

One of the best ways to boost engagement is by involving your audience. Encourage tenants or visitors to participate in sustainable practices and share their contributions on social media. For instance, you could:

• Launch a monthly photo contest encouraging tenants to share sustainable lifestyle tips.
• Share behind-the-scenes tours of sustainable initiatives, like recycling processes or energy-efficient systems, through live videos or stories.
• Hold Q&A sessions with experts or green team members to answer sustainability questions via interactive avatars.

This type of content not only promotes awareness but also strengthens community ties and encourages sustainable habits among tenants.

4. Promote Eco-Friendly Certifications and Achievements

If your building holds any green certifications or has received awards for its eco-friendliness, showcase them proudly. Certifications such as LEED, ENERGY STAR, or WELL are highly regarded in the industry and serve as excellent social proof. You could:

• Create a post series explaining what each certification means and the standards it represents.
• Share a video of the certification ceremony or event.
• Highlight key metrics achieved, such as energy reduction percentages, water savings, or recycling success rates.

Such posts add credibility to your sustainability story and help followers understand the significance of your efforts.

5. Feature Tenant Success Stories

Incorporate tenant testimonials or stories that emphasize the benefits they experience from a sustainable building. 

For instance, a tenant might appreciate the reduction in their utility bills due to energy-efficient systems or the wellness benefits from improved indoor air quality. This personal approach helps potential tenants envision the positive impact of eco-friendly buildings on their own lives.

Creating short interview clips, sharing quotes, or writing mini-case studies can add a human element to your social media content, making it relatable and engaging.

6. Share Educational Content

Educating your followers about sustainability topics strengthens your brand’s reputation as a leader in green practices. Share tips, best practices, and updates related to sustainability. For example:

• Post weekly eco-tips that tenants can adopt at home.
• Share news articles or research studies related to green building benefits.
• Collaborate with environmental organizations to broaden your reach and share expertise.

Educational content builds trust with your audience and can position your building as a thought leader in sustainable practices.

Metrics to Track Success

Tracking the success of your social media efforts helps you understand what resonates with your audience and refine your strategy. Key metrics to monitor include:

• Engagement rates (likes, comments, shares).
• Follower growth on each platform.
• Click-through rates to your website or sustainable initiative landing pages.
• Mentions and shares by tenants or environmental organizations.

Analyzing these metrics will help you identify the type of content your audience engages with most, allowing you to adapt and optimize future posts.

Conclusion

In today’s digital world you need essential online tools for sharing your building’s sustainability journey. With strategic content planning, you can showcase your commitment to the environment, involve your tenants, and inspire others to join the movement. Start today, and watch as your green building gains followers, boosts tenant satisfaction, and strengthens its place as a leader in sustainable living.

The post Leveraging Social Media to Showcase Your Building’s Sustainability appeared first on Green Prophet.

If you believed that you were the self-made genius behind an electric car company, a space launch & telephone company and a hole boring company, wouldn’t you want any debate to take place on your home turf where you set the rules? The strategy behind Elon Musk’s $44 billion purchase of Twitter is up for debate but perhaps this is a good time to give him credit for a long overdue overhaul of social media.

Anyone who has watched social media evolve from Bulletin Board System (BBS) FidoNets to USENET newsgroups through SecondLife and MySpace to Twitter and Facebook will have seen how much social media changed our lives. Twitter played a role in the Arab Spring, Brexit, protests and elections in several nations. At its peak more than 450 million Twitter profiles were active each month. But this number included imposters, alter-egos, doppelgangers, scam artists, trolls, cult-leaders, politicians, oligarchs and bots. This virtual garden of human minds has the same flaw as the original garden of Eden. People have used Twitter as a weapon to destroy lives, spread lies and undermine civilizations.

Twitter’s partial anonymity was a double-edged sword. Until Twitter’s recent purge of journalists, it allowed muckrakers, whistleblowers and vulnerable minorities to speak truth to power without becoming targets for persecution. But anonymity was also like the Ring of Gyges, a shield of invisibility which fed our inner trolls and empowered the dark side of the human heart. 

Some countries allow social media corporations to profit from destructive user content while shielding them from liability. Even when moderation didn’t conflict with profits, Twitter’s rapid pace often left moderators behind. But Twitter’s new CEO seems to believe that the company had too much moderation! Autocrats, subversive influencers, racists and Nazis were invited back even as journalists were banned. 

Mastadon is like Paris in the 1920s

Advertisers who could not afford to taint their brand began searching for other social media platforms. Vulnerable minorities that had relied on Twitter’s imperfect moderation fled for their own safety. Hundreds of thousands of Twitter users were searching for a new online home. 

This influx of new users yearning to be safe reminds us of other places and times when immigrants brought energy and creativity. With its large number of dispossessed artists, musicians and writers, parts of Mastodon resemble Paris in the 1920s. 

What is Mastodon?

Mastodon not a company or a single server. It is a decentralized social network application which allows web servers to join an interoperable social network known as the Fediverse. Eugen Rochko of Germany, also known as Gargon, is the Founder, CEO and lead developer of Mastodon. Christine Lemmer-Webbe, co-author of the ActivityPub specification explains that Mastodon is only one one of many possible implementations of this web communication standard. She shared some helpful documentation on her Mastodon profile:

High level intro to ideas:

Tech tour: https://spritely.institute/news/blast-off-spritely-institutes-tech-tour.html

Computer scientist and opensource advocate Simon Phipps has a good introduction to the Fediverse which includes Mastodon instances and an interoperable family of social network applications such as PixelFed photos, Castopod podcasts and Peertube videos. If Flickr, LinkedIn, Mozilla or Bluesky decide to create ActivityPub compatible services, they can also become part of the Fediverse. Mastodon gained the most attention in recent weeks because it allows favoriting, replying and boosting short text messages which resemble Twitter’s tweets.

More than a decade ago I joined another decentralized social media called Diaspora. Unfortunately Facebook and Twitter had already drawn many people into their centralized “walled gardens” where few were aware that they were locking themselves, their friends and families into communicating only through these corporations. This profit-first ethos is why you couldn’t use your Android phone to Facetime family on iPhones even during Covid-19 lockdowns. It’s why you couldn’t view friend’s Facebook photos from your Twitter account or browse an friend’s iPhoto album from a Windows PC. Corporations segregated us behind their paywalls of unnecessary incompatibility. We believed we were their customers but we have always been their product.

Twitter said this quiet part out loud on December 18th, 2022 with an announcement that tweets and accounts will be removed for sharing outgoing links to Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon and other competing social media platforms. The announcement was later replaced with a 404: Page not found error but not before convincing more people that Twitter’s new management doesn’t value the free speech of people who aren’t already wealthy and powerful.

Getting started with Mastadon

What is a Mastodon “instance”?

If you’re not old enough to remember email, ask your parents or grandparents but back in the old days people had to choose an email server. Some used one belonging to their company or internet service provider. Others used yahoo.com, aol.com, mac.com, myInternetCafe.com, myUniversity.edu… It didn’t really matter because with rare exceptions, any email could go to and from any email server because the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) wasn’t owned by a single company, it was an international standard.

Mastodon instances are somewhat like email servers or old style bulletin board systems (BBSs.) People in one instance can follow or send messages to people in other instances. Anyone who has set up a BBS, a cloud-based web or MineCraft server is capable of configuring a Mastodon instance. But for most of us the cost of hosting, moderation and security make it more efficient to join and contribute to the running costs of existing one.

How do I choose an instance?

The large number of possible Mastodon “instances” (servers) to choose from presents one of the biggest barriers to joining but it also points to a big advantage. Some instances are focused on a particular region, language or area of interest. Some encourage posting on, maps, animals, art, science, photography or history. Some allow longer posts, some are focused on the needs of writers and journalists, others have a high concentration of tech people. Some prioritize regional content or a particular language. Instances resemble Facebook groups but they are not controlled by a single company. Unlike ad-funded corporate media, Mastodon instances are funded by user donations. Try to find one which uses a donation portal you would trust. If you can’t get into your chosen instance, try another one.

Check local laws

Comedian Groucho Marx quit the Friar’s club with the remark, “I don’t want to belong to any club that would have me as a member!” It’s helpful to choose an instance with a moderation policy that fits your beliefs and the legal requirements of your home. Try to find an instance that is managed by someone who takes moderation and security more seriously than Twitter’s current leadership does. I began with a regional instance which several of my techie friends had already joined. Here is a map of Mastodon instances. And here are some in the Middle East and north Africa:

https://mastodon.com.tr
https://tooot.im
https://mastodon.tn
https://sasa.africa

Mastodon is currently strong in Japan and Europe. The European Commission recently decided to help fund it.

Choose an instance based on your interests

The website https://joinmastodon.org* allows you to search instances by region and area of interest. Here are some which may be of interest to GreenProphet readers:

Climatejustice.rocks
Earthstream.social
Urbanists.social
Fediscience.org

If you can’t get into your chosen instance, try another one. If your chosen instance isn’t working well for you, it is possible to move. Your follows and followers can come with you. Data scientist Danielle Navarro wrote a more detailed look at this and many other aspects of using Mastodon.

*When discussing Twitter’s recent ban, a journalist mistakenly wrote that Twitter had banned “John Mastodon, the founder of a competing social network.” That mistake is now trending as a series of jokes and memes within the Fediverse and a fictional founder account:
https://mastodon.social/@JohnMastodon

How to Say Hello to Mastodon?

Its customary to write an #introduction containing hashtags describing your interests. For me it might be #Environmentalism, #Writing, #History, #Photography, #Science, #Sailing, #A11Y… This post will appear under these hashtags which will help you connect to others with similar interests. But you may wish to “lurk”, listen and watch how people interact before you introduce yourself.

Mastodon currently has a high concentration of gentle and creative people. Women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA, people with disabilities, neurodiverse, artists, musicians, poets, scientists and “Woke” (aka compassionate) people. Mastodon is not a clone of Twitter and many uses hope it will never try to become Twitter. In some ways it’s the opposite of what has become a wretched hive of scum and villainy.

Some people who’ve settled into this kinder place do not want to be reminded of their abusers elsewhere. Mastodon added several million users over the past few weeks. It will certainly face growing pains but kindness is one area where it excels. Users are encouraged to use content warnings (CWs.) They are simple to add and actually increases the chances your post will be “boosted” (retweeted). So you’ll see CWs for politics, book and movie spoilers, images NSFW or displaying direct eye contact. You’ll also see CWs for mentions of Twitter.

It’s also customary to add text descriptions to images for people with limited vision. Mastodon makes it easy to do this. There are no profit-driven algorithms which reward hate-driven engagement, instead ordinary people choose to boost posts from others who perform these simple acts of kindness. One blind user explained that he had seen more text descriptions on Mastodon in 24 hours than he had on Twitter over several years.

Who/What should I follow?

Again there is no one-size-fits-all list of people and hashtags to follow, but here are some which may be particularly interesting to GreenProphet readers:

Hashtags:

#climate

#environmentalism

#deepecology

#socialecology

#renewableenergy

Users:

@JewishConversations@mastodon.world

@islamicarchaeohistories@ohai.social

How to say goodbye to Twitter?

There is never a good way to say goodbye. My personal Twitter account has been battened down and nearly untouched since Musk’s takeover but another has suddenly become a magnet for “followers”, most of which are bots who’ve joined since October 2022. 

“The safest way to use computers is still abstinence”
    – Christine Lemmer-Webber (2018)

While this is excellent advice, she also explains that you should not delete your Twitter account. Someone could take your handle and become an imposter. Deleting your account is also not very useful. Elon Musk already has all of your tweets whether or not you “delete the account.” 

Will Mastodon Make Twitter Extinct?

The growth of Mastodon seems to have unsettled Twitter’s leadership. It has already reduced the number of targets for profitable hate. People who parked or deleted Twitter accounts are no longer seeing ads there. But $44 billion won’t disappear overnight

An artist in my family explained how Twitter helped connect freelance artists to commissions. The number of Mastodon users grew rapidly in recent weeks but it remains far below the number on Twitter. I wanted to learn how artists are using this new tool so I joined a small instance which focuses on visual art. It has a strong moderation policy and recently closed to new users in order to remain a stable, well-moderated and gently beautiful art gallery. Artists connect with one another and with those who support their work. Its curator “defederated” from some large and under-moderated instances in order to protect the artists.

People I had known from open-source communities were becoming early adopters of Mastodon. They had fought Microsoft back when its applications trapped users into a closed and outdated operating system. To go against a near-monopoly felt like jousting at windmills. In the end we didn’t beat them and we didn’t join them, they joined us. Microsoft Windows, Apple OSX, Google Android, cloud computing and the internet of things all rely on the work of open-source visionaries.

Twitter may limp along for years with haphazard management slowly bleeding away $44 billion and struggling to find a path that avoids discussing the Mastodon in the room. But its not going away.

Mastodon user @d4doome explained it this way:

It might be an unpopular thought here but I’d like to see both Twitter and Mastodon thrive. They’re different and there’s room for both.

Twitter is like having an apartment in the big bad city and you go out at night to sample the nightlife. It’s scary and dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s a bit sleazy, but it’s exciting and fun.

Mastodon is like having a little cottage in the country and going to the picturesque village pub for a few quiet ales.

You can enjoy both.

Like going to a village pub for a few quiet ales. Critics wondered aloud about the wisdom in purchasing what may become a massive legal liability for a price based on a marijuana meme but if it helped launch global creative communities in Mastodon-themed virtual pubs, it is $44 billion well spent.  Here’s to the man who made this possible. Cheers to Elon Musk!

The post Will Mastodon make Twitter extinct? appeared first on Green Prophet.

If you’re intent on growing your Instagram followers, whether it’s for business use or as an individual – perhaps you’re a budding Influencer?  Staying active on this popular platform is a full-time job!  You need to keep your brand name high in your users’ minds and help it to regularly appear on your followers’ feed.  You also want to be discovered by all of those other Instagram accounts, by using hashtags, posting Instagram Stories, using IGTV and the LIVE feature.  

As well as regular posts, you need to be creative and post relevant, useful information that catches people’s eyes.  It takes time to craft the perfect post, take the best-looking image and decorate it with emojis, symbols and hashtags.  Most people don’t have time to just focus on their Instagram account – but even a few, rushed Instagram posts at random times of the day could cost you dearly.  If you aren’t keeping your followers engaged, they will go elsewhere and worse still, click the dreaded “Unfollow” button!  Don’t forget – for best credibility, your Instagram account needs to be verified, especially if you’re a business or brand. Find out about Instagram verification in this useful link.

How to Schedule Instagram Posts

You may already know that you can schedule Instagram posts and if you didn’t know that – then you do now.  There are various tools available online, and even through Instagram (if your account qualifies) that you could take advantage of to plan your Instagram posts for the future.  Once you’ve spent time scheduling a few, attractive and exciting posts, you free yourself up to get on with other things that matter, such as building your brand or business – or just getting on with your regular tasks of the day.

Why You Should Schedule Your Instagram Posts

In this piece, we’re going to teach you how to schedule Instagram posts using a variety of innovative tools.  Before we do so, let’s recap the benefits of learning how to schedule Instagram posts:

1. You can grow your social media presence and ensure that you’re targeting the right potential followers.  To further boost your profile, did you know that you can also buy Instagram followers for $1?  Alternatively you might want to try buying likes for Instagram and buy Instagram views cheap – but choose a reputable Instagram marketing company in order to do so successfully.
2. It frees up your time so you can focus on other things you want to do.
3. When you book out an hour of your week to plan your Instagram schedule, you can use the time to get creative with your posts.
4. You perfect your posts in the future, and schedule them at times you know when you get the biggest audience engagement.
5. You stay active on the platform, even when you’re not “there”!

How to Schedule Instagram Posts – Tools to Use

There are various online tools designed especially to help you with how to schedule Instagram posts.  They are third-party tools that you need to download, and most are available on the app store as well, which keeps it nice and handy as you only need your tablet or smartphone.

Best Tools for How to Schedule Instagram Posts

We’d recommend the following programs for scheduling your Instagram posts:

1. www.later.com
2. www.hubspot.com
3. www.tailwindapp.com 
4. www.buffer.com
5. www.loomly.com

Let’s go into a little detail on each Instagram schedule tool, some are free, some you have to pay for.

Later

This Instagram scheduling tool is free to use, but if you choose an upgraded package, prices range from $12.50 to $33.33 for the most advanced package.  The beauty of Later is that it’s dedicated only to Instagram and gives you a generous social media planning calendar and the option to simply drag and drop your posts into your planner.  You can also post automatically, or you can publish to Instagram at a later date.  There’s another additional feature attached to Later and that’s the Linkin.bio feature, using this you can link certain Instagram posts to targeted product pages.  We like this Instagram scheduling tool and rate it very highly.

Tailwind

This Instagram schedule tool is not free to use.  It costs from $9.99 for the basic package, right up to $49.99 for the most advanced package.  This tool is designed especially for use with the Instagram and Pinterest platforms.  There are lots of excellent features available, such as uploading a large number of images at once and there’s a useful hashtag finder so you can discover the best hashtags to use for your content.  You can also use the Tailwind calendar to plan and preview your posting schedule on one, easy-to-interpret dashboard so you see exactly what your followers see, before you hit the post button.

Buffer

This Instagram scheduling tool has a variety of packages to choose from.  The free package, the pro package ($15), the premium package ($65) and the business package ($99).  If you have other social media networks that you regularly use for business or personal content then it’s a useful tool to download as you can also schedule your posts for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google+.

The tool gives you a useful dashboard and you may also include relevant hashtags.  Additional benefits include an insights area to see what’s worked and what’s not worked for you and there’s an extension for your Internet browser.

Loomly

Another very well-regarded Instagram scheduling tool, Loomly is more expensive, with starting packages at $34 right up to the biggest package which costs a whopping $332 per month, however, if you’ve got the budget this is the very best scheduling tool of all because you can manage all of your content in one place.  It’s not just an Instagram scheduling tool, there’s an abundance of interesting features to explore and you can use this across your social media platforms.  Additionally, there’s an automated Instagram ad feature.  The app provides notifications, so you know when a team member has worked on a post, which makes it great for collaborations.  The app also provides inspirational ideas for your social media posting, including holiday ideas, trends, and events to name a few.

What About How to Schedule Posts on Instagram Using Instagram?

For this feature, you need access to a business page, and you need to have access to the Instagram Creator Studio and to do this, you’ll need to meet the criteria of having 10,000 followers as a minimum.  Here’s how to connect up your Insta account with Instagram Creator Studio.

• Click on this page to access Creator Studio.
• Find the Instagram icon on the screen.
• Login to your account.
• Linke your Instagram account to your Facebook page and if you don’t have a Facebook page, create one on www.facebook.com.
• Once you’ve linked up your accounts, you’re ready to use the Creator Studio which has a scheduling feature.

Use Creator Studio to create your posts, view all of your activity in one place and to gain insights into how well your Instagram posts perform (across all categories, LIVE, IGTV, Stories etc.).  Here’s how to schedule Instagram posts with Creator Studio:

The Creator Studio – How to Schedule Instagram Posts Using Instagram

To schedule your posts in the future login to your Creator Studio account and follow these steps:

• Locate the blue “Publish” button, it’s at the bottom of your screen on the right.
• Select the arrow facing downwards.
• A popup will appear, follow the prompts to select when you want your Instagram post to appear.
• Check that your post is perfectly prepared and then schedule.
• The Creator Studio keeps all of your scheduled content in the Content Library that you can access any time and edit posts if you wish.

More on Instagram Creator Studio in this useful link:  

Final Words on How to Schedule Instagram Posts

Now you know how to schedule Instagram posts, you can streamline your working day to get on with other important things or give your marketing team the tools to work faster and smarter.  Try out some of the tools above to see which one works best for you.

The post Learn How to Schedule Instagram Posts (and Free Up Your Time for Other Things!) appeared first on Green Prophet.

If you want to increase product sales, one of the best ways you can do that is to create buzz around your product with Instagram. If you’re just getting started with the social media platform, then you can use a powerful Instagram bot to help fuel your account growth while you work on the content that generates buzz.

1. Call for (and Use) User-Generated Content

Leverage the following you already have on social. Cross-promote your Instagram account with your other social channels, and announce a call for user-generated content (UGC) to feature on your Instagram account. Create a branded hashtag (#nowaste #worldsoilday #upcycledceramics), and encourage people to use it when they post photos featuring your product on Instagram and other social media channels. Feature at least one a week – and tag the user in it so they get a little shoutout.

2. Offer Discounts

Everyone loves discounts – but what does everyone love more than a discount? An exclusive discount. Create a discount specifically for your Instagram followers that you do not publish elsewhere. You can do the same for people who connect with you on other social media channels, too – so long as you keep the codes unique.

Then, pay attention to which codes are used most often. That way you learn which channel is more engaged with you, and where the majority of your target audience is.

In addition to offering discounts to new customers, you may want to offer a discount to returning customers, too, especially if you have a product where refills and replacements are common because it’s a consumable. All too often businesses tend to focus on customer acquisition, when customer retention is where the profit is. Once someone becomes a customer, do everything you can to keep them one of your customers, while still working to bring in new ones.

3. Host Contests

Contests are a great way to get your products in the hands of people who will use it, get UGC to use in the future, and grow your Instagram following all the same time. There are several ways you can do a contest, depending on what your goals are.

Want to grow your following? Host a contest where people have to follow you to enter. As an extra entry, ask them to tag a friend who may also be interested in entering to win.

Want to increase your engagement? Host a contest where you have people like the post and leave a comment with a hashtag to enter. Then, use the hashtag to track the number of entries and overall engagement. Make the hashtag unique so you don’t count unofficial entries, but keep it related to your brand.

Try a contest where people submit photos of your product in use, and the best ones (by user vote or a panel of judges) are chosen to win a prize. Remember that because this kind of contest requires the most effort, the prize should be larger than if you were to use another type of contest where the entry is easy and takes only a few seconds.

These are the best option if you have a high-dollar product that people aren’t so willing to invest their money on right away. You can also use this approach with influencers by giving them your product for free in exchange for promotions with their audience.

You can run contests back-to-back so you always have something running. This way you are constantly working on improving your engagement and building your tribe. Just take time to look at the results of each contest and make adjustments so you can continue to get a good return on your investment.

4. Share How-To Content

Use Instagram videos, slideshows, and Stories to demonstrate how to use your product. Demonstrate how to make the most of your product, and you’ll be encouraging people to buy it while also meeting the needs of your current customers.

Show how to set up and use your product. Show how to fix common issues for easy troubleshooting. You can use an Instagram Slideshow to splice together up to 10 minutes of video, as long as you edit it for flow, since you can combine 10 images or 10 one minute videos.

5. Highlight How to Use Your Product in Various Ways

Continuing with the How-to content, use all of Instagram’s features to show the various ways you can use your product. Bonus points if there are unique ways you can use your product compared to the competition, or out of the box ways you can use it that aren’t obvious to the average user.

Take for instance the Foodsaver. It’s a line of products designed to help you cut food waste by vacuum sealing your food so it lasts longer in the freezer. What many people don’t realize is that you can also use the vacuum sealer to save other things – such as your child’s schoolwork and other items you want to preserve, almost like a laminator. You can create bags for storing just about anything.

Whether you need to generate buzz for a product launch or a seasonal product, Instagram is one of the best places to do it. The audience is generally more affluent than other social media networks, and it definitely has more engagement compared to Facebook or Twitter. What’s more is people come to Instagram looking for things to buy, so if you don’t have a presence for your brand there yet, you should get started right away.

The post How to Create Buzz Around Your Product with Instagram appeared first on Green Prophet.

If you were a student back in 90’s, you could have worked part time at cafeterias and diners to earn some money. There wasn’t much work to find and all updates you got was through college boards or weekend classifieds. Now, it is simply a matter of clicks before you are looking at hundreds of part-time jobs to search through and apply for but many of them might still be far away from your college or it might not be paying so well. One thing has remained static over the years; a student’s budget is always a tight one and some extra amount of money is always appreciated. Here are a few tips for students to earn some decent amount of money:

1. Become a TA– Being one of the oldest, it is still one of most sought-after on-campus jobs; not only does it pay well, but provides plenty of perks like waiving off a part of fee for foreign students. Students prefer it because they get to learn first-hand from the professor and the workplace is nearby as well. There are also a few other on-campus jobs such as a tour-guide, campus tutor, or a library assistant. You can find vacancies posted on the college notice board or ask the employment office for such updates.
2. Connect with apps like Uber and Lyft– If you own a car or motorcycle, you can connect with Uber and work part-time to earn a proper amount; you will have to pay for the gas though. Uber confirms that more than half of its drivers work lesser than 10 hours per week; that is lesser than what most part-time jobs demand. Looking on an even brighter side, you always get to meet new people and explore places.
3. Internships– These are a great source of getting some money and adding valuable experience to your CV. Though most of the internships are full-time, many companies allow to work part-time as well; you can find internships on Indeed, LinkedIn, and Internships for any postings that allow you to work part-time. A number of internships make your CV attractive to the recruiters and also open you up to different avenues.
4. Social Media Entrepreneur– You will find many individuals across all social media platforms who went out there doing what they were good at, and earning money and a name for themselves. If you have passion to live for, you can write or speak about it in posts. If you have a talent that amazes your friends, you can go make a video and see how people like it. People with a quirky sense of humor have tried making memes and they did gain popularity and money through advertising later. You can use your ideas and innovative thinking to create viral memes that may take over your niche community and attract a loyal following. All in all, it will take intense work and hours from your side to maintain a level of standard and to grow.
5. Be a Writer– There are tons of websites online that allow you to write and earn money, but the amount of money depends on how good you actually are. Upwork is the most popular for freelancers to create a profile and let the companies choose them for work based on their credentials and the rate per hour.
6. Various odd Jobs– Babysitting is one of the most common part-time jobs to take up but mostly, females are preferred for this one. There are also various odd jobs you can take up to earn some money; examples being- walking a dog, buying groceries for another, standing in queues for another, mystery shopper , and delivering food for a restaurant. Go on Cragislist and you will find plenty of odd jobs available to work that will get you quick money.
7. Some students learn the stock market, some invest in Bitcoin, others turn to several types of brokers to help them earn cash.
   

The post Ways to make money for students appeared first on Green Prophet.

The unidentified woman put her ex-boyfriend on sale on the online marketplace OLX, and to twist the knife, she posted her offering in the animals section.

“I am selling my ex. His name is Omar Zeitoun. He is good-looking and calm, and he has long hair. He studies English law and drives a motorcycle,” she wrote in her ad, adding that he is “scratch-free”.

The seller declared that she was open to any price offered, explaining that she “didn’t find any section to present him in other than the animals section.”

The offer, which can no longer be found on OLX, grabbed attention on social media after Egyptian photographer Nour El-Din Fkronh shared a photo that captured him standing alongside Zeitoun.

“I bought the lad who was being sold by his girlfriend on OLX,” the photographer wrote in the caption, in which he tagged Zeitoun. Fkronh’s post amassing almost 3,000 shares on Facebook, and a lot of comic commentary.

Soon after, Zeitoun posted a video of himself dancing and goofing around while driving a motorcycle, with a caption that reads, “They say [I’m] for sale.”

Sadly, there is scant intel on what the guy did wrong. And several viewers were clearly crushing on the “product”:

“You’re good-looking, so why are you being sold on OLX?”

Shaking my head at this story, and signing off with a guilty pleasure Love Gone Wrong tune.  Peace out.

Images: Facebook/nour.fkronh

The post Arab woman sells her ex-boyfriend online appeared first on Green Prophet.

The annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca known as Hajj has officially begun. Just search #hajj or #hajj2014 and you’ll see proof on social media sites like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook in the form of posted updates and photos.

Pilgrims themselves have been contributing to this broadcasting, sometimes with selfies (see here for some good ones and ones featured here), yet many Islamic scholars and clerics are not too happy about it.

Condemning such behavior as “touristy” and calling it “humble-bragging,” they claim that it is muddying understanding of the Hajj and the experience thereof.

Related: How to prepare for a healthy hajj pilgrimage

For an event that is based upon sincerity – to oneself and to one’s God – uploading photos to personal profile pages online and coming up with a dozen hashtags with which to label each of them do not quite seem right.

One sheikh reported to have seen pilgrims raise their hands in a posture of supplication when they are ready for the picture-taking, and dropping their hands immediately after. Just as people often pretend to be a certain way on social media, are pilgrims pretending to be devout when they take these selfies?

The Hajj is a time for meditation and concentration, with the goal in heart and mind to become closer to God. If pilgrims know that Allah seeks their concentrated worship for the week’s duration, then why are they inclined to share their time with another power that we like to call the Web?

Indeed, it is easy to get “caught up” in activities on the web. It seems unlikely that one can really live “in the moment” when the urge to document and upload selfie media is present. I myself have this problem constantly when I’m traveling. (Do I find my camera and take this breathtaking picture of the sunset now, or do I not? Should I just hold still and enjoy it?) Taking a selfie photo or video cannot freeze time, but it can interrupt it.

I am guessing that the majority of the selfies are taken with smartphones, which itself I think presents a problem. You have probably heard someone you know talk about feeling “lost” without his or her phone.

Technology like social media represents connection with the outside world, whereas spirituality requires deeper internal reflection. During the Hajj, pilgrims can “find” a feeling of security and of being at home in the grace and goodness of God alone.

Until just a few years ago, camera phones were not allowed inside the holy mosques at Mecca during the Hajj, although of course they were sneaked in by some pilgrims. Security is said to have since become more lax with the restriction. Hence, the selfie posts have multiplied.

As a non-Muslim, I have not made the pilgrimage to Mecca, so I have no Hajj photography history to speak of. However, imagining myself now as a pilgrim, I would probably want to take pictures, some with myself included in the frame, to preserve the beauty and significance of the event for my memory and, yes, perhaps to share with family and friends. Remember, for many Muslims, the journey is a once-in-a-lifetime thing.

Furthermore, snapping a pic can take mere seconds, especially if uploading to social media sites, with all the bells and whistles of captioning and hashtagging, does not occur. People have different concentration levels; a pilgrim may be completely justified in taking a photo if it is at a time when it will not disrupt his prayer and it seems that he will not be distracting others.

Additionally, some pilgrims who are in favor of taking Hajj selfies have raised the point that sharing those photos and videos on social media expresses Islam in a positive light. Instead of sending a message of terror or extremism in the context of Islam, pilgrimage photos can portray the peace and serenity that the age-old religious tradition – and pillar of faith – represents. In such a photo, non-Muslims may see a foreign land but their Muslim friend’s familiar face at the forefront, making the Hajj and Islam overall more relatable.

So, what do you think? Is taking selfies during the Hajj perfectly acceptable, as it can be chalked up to “a sign of the times,” or do you agree with the critics who call it deplorable? Maybe it depends on the circumstances. Feel free to share your thoughts below!

Image #4 above is most retweeted selfie photo from Hajj 2014 on Twitter

The post Hajj selfie fever rocks the Kaabah in Mecca – but is humble bragging holy? appeared first on Green Prophet.

Everywhere you go in this otherwise beautiful Mediterranean country, and I really do mean just about anywhere, you are bound to come across big piles of trash. In the cities, on train tracks, on the middle of a street, on the beach.

After a while the sight of so much plastic, paper, cans, glass, jars, luggage, furniture, clothing and other waste in overflowing trash cans or informal dump sites becomes so distressing, it’s hard not to push it out of one’s mind. This is my experience, at least.

SelfiPoubella, which joined Facebook on May 16, 2014, less than 10 days ago at time of writing, aims to keep people from ignoring the problem.

The group encourages residents to take a selfie of themselves standing in front of a big trash heap somewhere in the country and then share it on Facebook and Twitter. By using the hashtags #SelfiePoubella (which means Trash Selfie) and the name of the city, town or village in which the photograph was taken, the photos are easy to search.

Related: Another day in Tunisia chasing balls through trash

Amazingly, the SelfiPoubella page already has nearly 12,000 likes and dozens of people are posting images of themselves – boldly exposing themselves for a cause they believe will effect change.

“Show the true face of our streets and the pollution of the environment,” the group urges on their Facebook page. 

Tunisia is making moves to address the trash problem, which is no easy feat. In order to improve waste management, its necessary to have recycling services and a market for recycled goods, along with sophisticated methods of collecting, sorting and distributing waste to extract its remaining value.

In the MENA region, the trash problem is by no means limited to Tunisia. I have first hand experience of trash seeping into every facet of life in Morocco and Egypt, and Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey all battle with waste management as well.

The wealthier Gulf countries have a somewhat better system for sorting waste after dedicating a great deal of time and resources to the problem, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t seen litter in far-flung spaces outside of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s west coast.

The MENA region produces on average 1.1 kilogram of waste per person per day, according to the World Bank, and collectively contributes six percent to the global trash production of 1.3 billion tons every year.

By 2025, that number will reach 2.2 billion tons. That is 2.2 billion tons of trash that has become, because of the addition of synthetic materials designed to make stuff last, more or less incompatible with the Earth from whence it came.

We’re drowning in trash. Our oceans are suffering. Camels are suffering. Birds and other wildlife are suffering. And people are suffering too. So if you live in Tunisia and want to help make the trash issue more tangible, take a selfie, and then share it with the world.

All images via SelfiPoubella

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