Securing Approval for New Cleaning Technologies
As a facility manager, staying up to date on the latest trends and technologies enables you to maintain a clean building. Thankfully, the cleaning industry is continuously innovating in order to meet today’s and tomorrow’s challenges. This has been especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, with new tools being launched and adopted.
Once you’ve identified a cleaning technology that will make your cleaning program more efficient, effective, sustainable or safer, it’s important to be able to confidently sell it to the decision makers within your organization. Read on to learn more about specific technologies to consider and best practices for successful implementation.
Taking Cleanliness to the Next Level
The cleaning industry has come a long way in the last decade, and even more so within the last two years given the emergence of SARS-CoV-2. Today, there are technologies that lend additional support to cleaning professionals. Some make the process of cleaning less strenuous and therefore less injury prone, while others make cleaning more consistent or efficient. The following technologies can help your operation reach its cleanliness goals:
Robotic floor scrubbers
Address your labor challenges and improve productivity with a robotic floor care solution that works in tandem with your employees. A robotic floor scrubber uses advanced artificial intelligence that improves upon safety, allowing it to avoid people and obstacles like staircases and furniture. Additionally, automated scrubbers deliver reports at the conclusion of operation to drive continuous improvement—all while allowing employees to address other high-priority tasks in the meantime.
Electrochemically activated solutions (ECAS)
These cleaning and disinfecting solutions are produced in your supply closet with an on-site generator and only three ingredients: salt, water and electricity. ECAS are just as effective as conventional chemicals but do not contain potentially harmful ingredients that can lead to eye and skin irritation and ECAS are non-irritating to the eyes and skin and contain no added fragrance but are still 99.999% effective at killing germs. Implementing ECAS streamlines worker training and eliminates burns. They are also better for the environment, as eliminating recurring chemical shipments reduces greenhouse gas emissions and plastic waste associated with single-use spray bottles and containers.
Electrostatic sprayers
This process entails spraying an electrostatically charged mist onto various surfaces or objects. The spray itself is a specialized solution combined with air and atomized by an electrode inside the sprayer. Because the spray contains positively charged particles that aggressively adhere to surfaces, the chemical is able to adequately disinfect the covered surfaces. There are even backpack versions of electrostatic sprayers that make it easy for employees to carry the equipment as they disinfect.
Automated vacuum cleaners
Collaborative robot, or “cobot”, vacuums can be used autonomously thanks to their built-in AI platforms, which take the hassle out of manual vacuum sweeping. Many of these systems are powered by advanced commercial operating systems that allow your vacuum to develop its own flight plan for areas that require cleaning. They’re efficient and clean up to 50% better than traditional vacuums.
Cleaning verification programs
Applying a cleaning verification program to your routine can help provide clearer visibility into the compliance and consistency of your cleaning procedures. This will allow you to advance clearer and safer standards of cleaning across your locations, ensuring all building occupants are satisfied, your reputation is upheld and more opportunities to grow your business are revealed.
Tips for Talking about Technology
When attempting to gain approval to implement a new technology in your facility, it’s important to consider the following best practices:
Humanize your pitch.
Framing the technology around the benefits it delivers to those who work in and use your facility is key. For example, many technologies make cleaning more efficient and less strenuous, providing benefits for the organization as a whole as well as individuals.
Once the technology is approved, you will want to also highlight the benefits to those who will be using it regularly. The more your cleaning professionals understand that this technology is working alongside them to increase productivity, rather than hinder or replace manual efforts, the quicker adapting to these changes is likely to occur.
Address safety.
Reflect on how the technology will make the cleaning process safer, and your building safer. For example, robotic floor scrubbers adequately remove chemical and water from floors, thereby reducing the risk of slip-and-fall accidents. Also, having properly measured chemicals prevents unnecessary safety hazards.
Take the environment into consideration.
Discuss how the technology will reduce water, chemical or energy consumption. When chemicals are accurately dispensed, target areas get clean the first time. This prevents you from having to use more chemicals, water and energy for second or third cleanings.
Be ready for questions.
Be prepared to answer detailed questions about how the technology works, why it’s superior to current methods, the cost to implement the technology and anticipated return on investment.
In the COVID-19 pandemic era, there is no time like the present to begin addressing necessary changes to your cleaning program. Rising innovations in sustainability and safety practices have produced game-changing tools you can confidently say will make an impact on the cleanliness of your facility.
You can partner with a building service contractor that prioritizes using high-tech equipment to further enhance your cleaning program. At GSF USA, we care about clean and the people behind clean. Contact our team here and follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook to learn more.
Why Bleeding Control Kits are a “Must Have” for Any Business
Injuries can happen anytime and anywhere, and can result from a wide range of causes, including accidents and intentional harm. When traumatic injuries occur, it is important that as many lives can be saved as possible. Uncontrolled bleeding is the top cause of preventable death in trauma, and approximately 20% of people who died from traumatic injuries could have survived if someone had been able to provide quick bleeding control1.
When someone is faced with treating a person experiencing a traumatic injury, the first instinct may be to panic and freeze, wasting valuable time. Even if someone calls 911 urgently, the victim may be facing an uphill battle by the time he or she receives medical attention. With little training and equipment, the people closest to the scene of an accident can provide aid that helps to control bleeding until first responders arrive2. The greater the number of people who know how to control traumatic bleeding, the greater the chances of survival for victims2.
It is important for organizations to be prepared for unexpected injuries and potential mass trauma situations. Key considerations include understanding risk, overcoming misconceptions, training employees and providing the appropriate equipment.
Understanding Risk
The number one cause of preventable deaths from trauma is uncontrolled bleeding3, which accounts for 10% of all deaths in men and women4. Trauma can occur anytime and anywhere. From falling onto a sharp edge at an unfortunate angle to a mass shooting, risk of mass bleeding can come in many forms, which is why awareness is just as crucial as being prepared.
With heightened awareness around mass bleeding in recent years, initiatives have emerged to help educate people about this issue. For example, the STOP THE BLEED® campaign was developed out of the need to educate the public on lifesaving techniques. The purpose of the campaign is to prepare the public to save lives if people nearby are bleeding severely5. The campaign teaches people to learn quick actions to control serious bleeding, including: call 911, apply pressure with hands, pack the wound and press and apply a tourniquet6.
The Hartford Consensus is another bleeding control initiative. It has developed a framework for minimizing deaths as a result of school shootings, believing that preventing severe blood loss is the primary action in eliminating preventable deaths. The consensus features two major points: redefining the first responder role and training people on bleeding control, including the use of tourniquets7. According to medical professionals, a number of deaths that occurred during the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting could have been prevented had bleeding control been administered by bystanders8. Society has been greatly impacted by recent waves of casual mass shootings and subsequential deaths. Sadly, active shootings are a reality Americans must deal with, which is why understanding how to treat severe bleeding is imperative. The Hartford Consensus believes early hemorrhage control is the key to improving survival9.
Traumatic Bleeding Misconceptions
Misconception one: Traumatic bleeding won’t happen at my place of work.
Severe bleeding can result from more common activities than people think. Falling in the workplace due to wet, split, icy steps or loose carpeting can lead to injury, such as neck, head, and back injuries, as well as broken bones, sprains, cuts, and hauled muscles10. Being stuck in heavy machinery is a type of accident that can happen in manufacturing, construction, farm and other industries, which in extreme cases can be deadly. These types of injuries can cause accidents that are responsible for some of the most devastating workplace injuries that can leave a worker permanently disabled or killed11.
Other instances, such as gun violence, are on the rise. In 2021, there were 20,726 gun deaths12. There were also 610 mass shooting events in the United States in 202013. With the frequency of mass shootings on the rise and inherent dangers in many professions, bleeding control kits should be considered for workplaces and public spaces, much like fire extinguishers and heart defibrillators.
Misconception 2: My first aid kit is good enough.
What can be done in the off chance a traumatic injury occurs at your workplace? Would you be comfortable relying on your first aid kit alone until first responders arrive?
First aid kits are typically considered to be helpful in non-life-threatening situations. But when a life-threatening hemorrhage occurs, is your first aid kit going to be able to handle such an event? Bleeding control kits enhance a business’s first aid cabinet. Controlling severe bleeding is a real issue, and bleeding control kits should be considered as part of a comprehensive first aid program.
That’s why organizations like First Aid for Severe Trauma (FAST), an America Red Cross program, are choosing to educate and incite change14. Traumatic bleeding kits, where available and where you choose to place them, could be the key to saving lives15.
Consider rural powerline workers in limited resource settings. If they suffer mass bleeding and must wait for first responders to arrive, a bleeding control kit could be the difference between life and death. But limited resource settings aren’t just in the wild. They can be in the center of a 20,000 square-foot manufacturing plant, lumber mill or warehouse—anywhere it can be challenging to reach someone experiencing a traumatic bleeding event. Each year, about 60,000 Americans die from hemorrhaging16. Depending on the type of hemorrhage, it can take only five minutes to flatline17.
Misconception 3: I have to be missing an appendage to use a torniquet.
Massive bleeding can occur from various injuries, not just losing an appendage. For example, someone could be working a circular saw that kicks back and opens the radial artery on their arm. Arterial bleeding is the most severe and urgent type of bleeding, which can occur due to a penetrating injury, blunt trauma, or from damage to organs or blood vessels18.Arterial bleeding is pumped directly from the heart to the rest of the body. To care for a person bleeding, you should first ensure that the area is safe and begin applying pressure to the wound along with a dressing, and if possible, raise the wound19. Consider using a tourniquet if the bleeding can’t be controlled using pressure and the dressing. This will indicate that the loss of blood is extreme.
Misconception 4: Life or loss of limb.
The concept of saving a life by sacrificing a limb when applying a tourniquet is no longer true, but the use of tourniquets for the control of severe bleeding from traumatic injury remains polarizing. Many people still believe that applying a tourniquet would cause the injured person to lose their limb. Tourniquets can be left on for no longer than two hours, which is why it’s important to mark the date and time of the tourniquet’s application20.
Training for treating injury emergencies and external bleeding
Training is important because people close to the scene of an accident or mass trauma situation will be able to provide aid that helps control bleeding until first responders arrive. While more than 1.5 million people have been trained in emergency bleeding control, there are still millions more who can be educated21.
With all bleeding injuries, a person’s first action should be to identify two factors that will help guide care: the amount of bleeding and the location of the bleeding. While minor bleeding is often easily controlled with a simple adhesive bandage once washed with soap and water, severe bleeding will require someone to determine if the wound is life-threatening or not.
A wound is considered life-threatening if the flow of blood is continuous and steady and if the volume of loss appears large. This can be determined if the amount is about equal to six ounces22. In cases such as this, don’t wait for the blood to accumulate prior to taking action because cuts, regardless of size, can become more severe if, for instance, the person is on certain types of blood-thinning medications such as aspirin23. Do not underestimate the amount of blood loss and be prepared to act immediately.
When caring for a wound, most people confuse the terms “dressing” and “bandage.” A dressing is a clean material used directly on a wound to stop bleeding, which can be a piece of gauze or any other clean piece of cloth. A bandage, however, is material used to protect or cover an injured body part. The bandage can also be used to help keep pressure on a wound. Incidentally, a person can hold gauze dressings in place over a wound with a bandage.
Dressings and bandages lead into the use of tourniquets, which can be administered if the person has severe bleeding, say from the arm or leg24. If applied correctly, a tourniquet should stop the bleeding, although it may cause pain. Always remember that in either case, apply pressure on the dressings using the heel of one hand while the other is stacked on top of the first25. Pressure should be firm, steady and consistent. For use of the tourniquet, apply it two to three inches above the bleeding site and always closer to the heart26. Pull the free end of the tourniquet to make it as tight as possible before securing it. Then twist the windlass, or knob, as tight as possible until the bleeding has stopped before securing the windlass. Always be sure to take note of when the tourniquet was applied27.
Should a tourniquet be unavailable, a person can apply direct pressure with a hemostatic dressing (a wound dressing that contains an agent that promotes blood clotting)28. If the bleeding is severe and located anywhere other than the legs or arms, one can pack the wound and then apply pressure as previously described29. Packing a wound means taking material like gauze or clothing and placing it tightly into the wound prior to applying pressure and a compression dressing30.
Implementing Bleeding Control Kits
There are two kits to consider as part of the Cintas product line: the basic kit and the premium kit.
The basic kit includes a SWAT-T tourniquet, hemostatic gauze, compression dressing, sterile wrapping gauze, one pair of vinyl gloves, a pair of trauma sheers, a skin marking pen, and emergency instructions.
INSERT IIMAGE OF BASIC KIT
The premium kit includes all of the above as well as a vented chest seal and an emergency blanket.
INSERT IMAGE OF PREMIUM KIT
Kit accessibility
On average, EMS response time is eight minutes, whereas death from traumatic injury can happen in as little as five minutes should the wound not be treated properly immediately31.
In the workplace, at least 4 million workers suffer a nonfatal traumatic injury every year32. Organizations should consider making bleeding control kits readily available, and accessible. So, how many kits should exist in the workplace? Each kit is good for one to two patients, and the number of available kits will be dependent on the unique needs of each facility. Businesses should consider making kits available based upon how frequently an area is tread. The kits should be brightly colored and easily distinguishable in traditional settings. Placement of kits is ultimately up to the business and there are many considerations when deciding where to place kits.
Internal communications
It’s important to start a dialogue with employees regarding the benefits and necessity of bleeding control kits as part of a comprehensive first aid program. Workers should be made aware of the location of bleeding control kits and offered training on how to stop severe bleeding. The more awareness of the locations of these products, and with proper training, the greater likelihood there is to apply life-saving measures.
More bleeding control kits, more lives saved
Accidents in the workplace are as advertised—they are unexpected and unintentional. In other scenarios, injury is alternatively deliberate. In any case, there is no reason to not be prepared in case of emergency. It is with greater awareness and a comprehensive understanding of how and why bleeding control kits are essential tools for any environment that lives may be saved. With bleeding control kits and life-saving education, the number of preventable deaths due to hemorrhaging can decrease.
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Enhancing Water Biology to Combat Waterborne Pathogens
More than 70% of Earth’s surface is covered in water where potentially millions of species live. Contamination in water bodies by waterborne pathogens is a major quality concern worldwide. In fact, more than 10,000 people die every day due to water pollution.
For those involved in aquafarming, it is imperative to understand how pathogens can impact the delicate balance of these ecosystems. Read on to learn more about how to stimulate water’s biology with the right organisms to address harmful pathogens.
The State of Aquafarming
Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish and shellfish either in marine or freshwater environments. The global aquaculture market reached a value of around US $233.4 billion in 2020. With an average annual growth rate of 8.9% since 1970, aquaculture is now considered to be the fastest growing food-producing sector in the world.
While the United States is not a huge aquaculture producer, some global organizations are now launching indoor hatchery businesses to raise salmon and other species. Since the 1960s when salmon farming began globally, the industry has grown substantially. Today approximately 70% of salmon produced worldwide is farmed. In the last 30 years, the aquaculture portion of fish production increased from less than 10% of total production to about 50% today. Some of these organizations are even building vertical farms that use the waste produced by farmed fish to provide nutrients to plants grown indoors.
How Waterborne Pathogens Impact Aquaculture
Whether an aquafarm is located in seawater in Asia or freshwater in the United States, pathogens negatively affect aquafarmers because they degrade water quality. Pathogens are disease-causing viruses, bacteria, fungi or protists. When pathogens infect a host, they can reproduce themselves or, if it is a virus, replicate and spread from one host to infect other organisms.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), when diseases occur in farmed fish or shrimp, their high quantities and close contact can mean that illness spreads faster than it would in the wild. One reason is that because predators are not living in the same environment, diseased fish remain in the water for longer and can put healthy fish and shrimp in danger.
Pathogens present risks to the profitability of aquafarms because of impending losses in production, income, employment, market access or market share, investment and consumer confidence, food shortages and industry failure or closure of the business or industry itself. As a result, the United States has budgeted $375,000 per year to develop a national aquatic animal health plan.
A Microbial Insurance Policy for Water Quality Management
Managing water quality requires oversight of the following:
Ammonia and nitrite levels
The quality of water alone can directly affect marine life health. Exposing shrimp or fish to improper levels of ammonia or nitrite can lead to stress and disease. Overfeeding can increase the presence of ammonia in the water, which is a waste product of animals. Another source of ammonia is fertilizer, according to the Global Seafood Alliance.
Nitrites are another compound resulting from feeding and can be toxic to shrimp and fish. It is an intermediate product of the transformation of ammonia into nitrate by bacterial activity. Here, the absorbed nitrites from the gut bind to hemoglobin and reduce its ability to carry oxygen.
Pond bottom sludge and hydrogen sulfide levels
Pond sludge degrades pond water quality, but also becomes toxic, as it produces hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas. H2S is a toxic colorless gas that’s a byproduct of the deterioration of organic matter, typically under anaerobic conditions. Anaerobic soils with moderate to high organic concentrations are subject to significant H2S, which is toxic to shrimp and fish even at low concentration levels because it impedes their respiration. Anaerobic conditions can be detected if the pond’s bottom soil becomes black and releases a rotten egg odor when sediment is disturbed.
As it becomes an oxygen-free environment, this can facilitate harmful anaerobic bacteria alongside the hydrogen sulfide, both of which will begin causing harm to other living things in the pond, starting with beneficial bacteria. Sanitizing agents for water are often neutralized when meeting organic matter, further making some pathogens difficult to kill.
Thankfully, there are solutions that enable aquafarmers to take a proactive approach to water quality. These products are specifically designed to combat water quality issues by presenting a powerful blend of probiotics that accelerate the removal of nitrogenous wastes and prevent the buildup of problematic chemical compounds. Think of a product for water quality management as a “microbial insurance policy,” in which stimulating the water biology with the right organisms successfully takes care of pathogens as well as nitrogen management.
Dosing rates will depend on factors such as:
The volume of water where fish or shrimp are being raised
The amount of organic matter present at the bottom of the pond
The density of fish or shrimp in the habitat
By reducing and preventing the buildup of ammonia, nitrite and hydrogen sulfides, accelerating the decomposition of pond bottom sludge and minimizing organic solids in pond water, aquafarmers can reduce unpleasant odors, lessen the labor and associated costs for pond treatment and raise healthier fish and shrimp.
Protecting Aquaculture and Profits
Any time you take a shrimp or fish species from the wild, they can develop disease issues, stress and off-flavor. Thus, there is a place for microbial-based technologies in these indoor and outdoor controlled environments. With the right blend of probiotics that improve and maintain water quality, you can enhance water biology and make it a more sustainable environment for aquatic life.
Learn how you can improve water quality with BiOWiSH® Aquafarm at biowishtechnologies.com/product/aquafarm/.
How to Power Your Crop’s Biology
By: NAME, TITLE, BiOWiSH Technologies, Inc.
Farming is a language spoken not only by the farmers themselves, but also in the relationship between crops and the soil they’re planted in. Crops determine how well they will perform according to this language. But how does this relationship between the soil and the crops articulate a thriving biology for the plant? The answer lies within the methods used to produce a good yield amid challenges increasingly faced by the agriculture industry.
The fact that influencing biology can positively impact yield results is rapidly gaining acceptance. Read on to learn more about how to stimulate plants’ natural processes, giving them the essential tools required to survive in complex growing situations.
Four Key Challenges of Farming
Major obstacles that farmers encounter in their effort to run profitable operations include:
Variable Commodity and Fertilizer Costs – The United States, and the rest of the world, is experiencing extremely high prices for fertilizer. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in 2019 the demand for nitrogen fertilizers increased and was recorded as 14,594 thousand metric tons. Demand for phosphate and potash fertilizers grew at higher rates of 1.07% and 1.41%, respectively, in the same period. Farmers are challenged to balance these high input costs with variable prices for the commodities they produce. This has many farmers planning to use less fertilizer to avoid rising costs without negatively impacting the growth and quality of their crops.
Soil Health and Nutrient Deficiency – When plants have easy and balanced access to nutrients found in healthy soil, they thrive. These nutrients include nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, sulfur and more. Unfortunately, soil productivity around the world is suffering. Because the world grows 95% of its food in the uppermost layer of soil, topsoil is one of the most important components of our food system. However, with some conventional farming practices, almost half of the world’s most productive soil has disappeared in the last 150 years, threatening crop yields and contributing to nutrient pollution, dead zones and erosion. In the United States alone, soil on cropland is eroding 10 times faster than it can be replenished.
Pests – Farmers must ensure their crops can remain resilient to pests, including invasive weeds, insects or disease-causing microbes. These can begin attacking the plant as early as the moment it’s been planted. Pests reduce the production quality and quantity of crops, as they can feast upon farm produce even at storage level. Moreover, insect saliva can reduce the nutritional quality of produce.
Weather and Climate Change – Agriculture is probably the most weather dependent of all major industries. Without debating the cause, it is becoming clear climate change is all too real and noticeably impacting agriculture. Two of the biggest climate change trends are precipitation patterns and temperature patterns. In terms of temperature, the world is experiencing more extreme heat throughout the year. Earth’s temperature has risen by 0.14° F (0.08° C) per decade since 1880, and the rate of warming over the past 40 years is more than twice that: 0.32° F (0.18° C) per decade since 1981. Moreover, 2020 was the second-warmest year on record based on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) temperature data.
How Microbials Boost Fertilizers’ Capabilities
There are many factors that need to align to produce a good yield. Crops lacking adequate nutrients, strong root systems and ideal growing conditions can lead to a poor yield. It's helpful to think about the symbiotic relationship between plants, soil and native soil microorganisms as a triangle. Every component of the triangle is essential, as plants are greatly impacted by their microbiome. Productive soil provides critical nutrients while retaining moisture and microorganisms in the soil can enhance the breakdown of organic residue and mitigate yield-limiting factors.
Thankfully, there are ways to encourage plants’ natural processes while enhancing the suitability of their environment and soil productivity. When fertilizer is powered by high-quality microbial cultures, these microbials can aid in consistent performance by stimulating the natural processes of plants.
Based on newly developed technology, applying these microbials doesn’t have to change the way farmers apply their fertilizer. Fertilizer manufacturers can now coat solid fertilizer with high-performance microbials or mix the microbials with liquid fertilizers to create an enhanced efficiency fertilizer (EEF) that is ready for use by the farmer. With the right microbials, farmers facing some of the toughest business challenges in recent history are better equipped to reliably grow crops as well as profits.
So, how do they accomplish this? High-quality EEFs strengthen the partnership between the different factors of the triangle by providing microbes for the microbiome that support the expression of different phenotypes. They improve the native microbial activity in the soil, promote soil quality and help the plant to better resist environmental stress. Essentially, they help farmers steer the conversations that are already happening between plants, their soil and soil-based microorganisms.
Confirming the Quality of Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers
While EEFs are intended to support crops, not all of them perform as promised. Some bacteria cannot withstand the journey through the supply chain and thus fail once introduced in the field. Many of these bacterial solutions try to deliver beneficial traits to crops, but this doesn’t ensure the successful expression of these traits given the variability of climate and soils. Plus, standards and regulations around microbial products and claims are loose at best. This makes it increasingly difficult for farmers to vet whether an EEF will be the right fit for their specific crops, geography and budget.
Yet another concern is that some fertilizers that leverage biostimulants can initially increase nutrient availability for several years. However, these products may mine the soil of its nutrients, a process that requires farmers to add more fertilizer to combat nutrient loss in future seasons. While an initial spike in yield can instill confidence in a solution, the nutrient deficiency that happens down the road can seriously impact the bottom line.
This is why it is important to look for EEFs that can perform across a broad range of operating conditions at a low cost by leveraging a plant’s existing traits and enhance residual soil nutrient levels.
Fueling Crop Yields and Profits
The best way to stimulate plants’ natural processes and give them the essential tools necessary to survive in complex growing situations is by addition of high-quality microbials. By selecting enhanced efficiency fertilizers that are produced to incorporate microbials that are proven to build upon the plant’s existing capabilities, farmers can increase nutrient availability, improve plant vigor and ultimately optimize yield potential. While the efficacy surrounding some EEFs is muddled, there are reputable companies taking the time to test and prove that their solutions are capable of boosting crops’ biology at a reasonable price per acre across a wide variety of crops and geographies.
NAME is TITLE with BiOWiSH Technologies, Inc. a global provider of biotechnology solutions for the agriculture, aquaculture, and environmental management industries, including BiOWiSH® Crop Liquid. For more information, visit biowishtechnologies.com.
Enhancing Water Biology to Combat Waterborne Pathogens
More than 70% of Earth’s surface is covered in water where potentially millions of species live. Contamination in water bodies by waterborne pathogens is a major quality concern worldwide. In fact, more than 10,000 people die every day due to water pollution.
For those involved in aquafarming, it is imperative to understand how pathogens can impact the delicate balance of these ecosystems. Read on to learn more about how to stimulate water’s biology with the right organisms to address harmful pathogens.
The State of Aquafarming
Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish and shellfish either in marine or freshwater environments. The global aquaculture market reached a value of around US $233.4 billion in 2020. With an average annual growth rate of 8.9% since 1970, aquaculture is now considered to be the fastest growing food-producing sector in the world.
While the United States is not a huge aquaculture producer, some global organizations are now launching indoor hatchery businesses to raise salmon and other species. Since the 1960s when salmon farming began globally, the industry has grown substantially. Today approximately 70% of salmon produced worldwide is farmed. In the last 30 years, the aquaculture portion of fish production increased from less than 10% of total production to about 50% today. Some of these organizations are even building vertical farms that use the waste produced by farmed fish to provide nutrients to plants grown indoors.
How Waterborne Pathogens Impact Aquaculture
Whether an aquafarm is located in seawater in Asia or freshwater in the United States, pathogens negatively affect aquafarmers because they degrade water quality. Pathogens are disease-causing viruses, bacteria, fungi or protists. When pathogens infect a host, they can reproduce themselves or, if it is a virus, replicate and spread from one host to infect other organisms.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), when diseases occur in farmed fish or shrimp, their high quantities and close contact can mean that illness spreads faster than it would in the wild. One reason is that because predators are not living in the same environment, diseased fish remain in the water for longer and can put healthy fish and shrimp in danger.
Pathogens present risks to the profitability of aquafarms because of impending losses in production, income, employment, market access or market share, investment and consumer confidence, food shortages and industry failure or closure of the business or industry itself. As a result, the United States has budgeted $375,000 per year to develop a national aquatic animal health plan.
A Microbial Insurance Policy for Water Quality Management
Managing water quality requires oversight of the following:
Ammonia and nitrite levels
The quality of water alone can directly affect marine life health. Exposing shrimp or fish to improper levels of ammonia or nitrite can lead to stress and disease. Overfeeding can increase the presence of ammonia in the water, which is a waste product of animals. Another source of ammonia is fertilizer, according to the Global Seafood Alliance.
Nitrites are another compound resulting from feeding and can be toxic to shrimp and fish. It is an intermediate product of the transformation of ammonia into nitrate by bacterial activity. Here, the absorbed nitrites from the gut bind to hemoglobin and reduce its ability to carry oxygen.
Pond bottom sludge and hydrogen sulfide levels
Pond sludge degrades pond water quality, but also becomes toxic, as it produces hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas. H2S is a toxic colorless gas that’s a byproduct of the deterioration of organic matter, typically under anaerobic conditions. Anaerobic soils with moderate to high organic concentrations are subject to significant H2S, which is toxic to shrimp and fish even at low concentration levels because it impedes their respiration. Anaerobic conditions can be detected if the pond’s bottom soil becomes black and releases a rotten egg odor when sediment is disturbed.
As it becomes an oxygen-free environment, this can facilitate harmful anaerobic bacteria alongside the hydrogen sulfide, both of which will begin causing harm to other living things in the pond, starting with beneficial bacteria. Sanitizing agents for water are often neutralized when meeting organic matter, further making some pathogens difficult to kill.
Thankfully, there are solutions that enable aquafarmers to take a proactive approach to water quality. These products are specifically designed to combat water quality issues by presenting a powerful blend of probiotics that accelerate the removal of nitrogenous wastes and prevent the buildup of problematic chemical compounds. Think of a product for water quality management as a “microbial insurance policy,” in which stimulating the water biology with the right organisms successfully takes care of pathogens as well as nitrogen management.
Dosing rates will depend on factors such as:
The volume of water where fish or shrimp are being raised
The amount of organic matter present at the bottom of the pond
The density of fish or shrimp in the habitat
By reducing and preventing the buildup of ammonia, nitrite and hydrogen sulfides, accelerating the decomposition of pond bottom sludge and minimizing organic solids in pond water, aquafarmers can reduce unpleasant odors, lessen the labor and associated costs for pond treatment and raise healthier fish and shrimp.
Protecting Aquaculture and Profits
Any time you take a shrimp or fish species from the wild, they can develop disease issues, stress and off-flavor. Thus, there is a place for microbial-based technologies in these indoor and outdoor controlled environments. With the right blend of probiotics that improve and maintain water quality, you can enhance water biology and make it a more sustainable environment for aquatic life.
Learn how you can improve water quality with BiOWiSH® Aquafarm at biowishtechnologies.com/product/aquafarm/.
More than 70% of Earth’s surface is covered in water where potentially millions of species live. Contamination in water bodies by waterborne pathogens is a major quality concern worldwide. In fact, more than 10,000 people die every day due to water pollution.
For those involved in aquafarming, it is imperative to understand how pathogens can impact the delicate balance of these ecosystems. Read on to learn more about how to stimulate water’s biology with the right organisms to address harmful pathogens.
The State of Aquafarming
Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish and shellfish either in marine or freshwater environments. The global aquaculture market reached a value of around US $233.4 billion in 2020. With an average annual growth rate of 8.9% since 1970, aquaculture is now considered to be the fastest growing food-producing sector in the world.
While the United States is not a huge aquaculture producer, some global organizations are now launching indoor hatchery businesses to raise salmon and other species. Since the 1960s when salmon farming began globally, the industry has grown substantially. Today approximately 70% of salmon produced worldwide is farmed. In the last 30 years, the aquaculture portion of fish production increased from less than 10% of total production to about 50% today. Some of these organizations are even building vertical farms that use the waste produced by farmed fish to provide nutrients to plants grown indoors.
How Waterborne Pathogens Impact Aquaculture
Whether an aquafarm is located in seawater in Asia or freshwater in the United States, pathogens negatively affect aquafarmers because they degrade water quality. Pathogens are disease-causing viruses, bacteria, fungi or protists. When pathogens infect a host, they can reproduce themselves or, if it is a virus, replicate and spread from one host to infect other organisms.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), when diseases occur in farmed fish or shrimp, their high quantities and close contact can mean that illness spreads faster than it would in the wild. One reason is that because predators are not living in the same environment, diseased fish remain in the water for longer and can put healthy fish and shrimp in danger.
Pathogens present risks to the profitability of aquafarms because of impending losses in production, income, employment, market access or market share, investment and consumer confidence, food shortages and industry failure or closure of the business or industry itself. As a result, the United States has budgeted $375,000 per year to develop a national aquatic animal health plan.
A Microbial Insurance Policy for Water Quality Management
Managing water quality requires oversight of the following:
Ammonia and nitrite levels
The quality of water alone can directly affect marine life health. Exposing shrimp or fish to improper levels of ammonia or nitrite can lead to stress and disease. Overfeeding can increase the presence of ammonia in the water, which is a waste product of animals. Another source of ammonia is fertilizer, according to the Global Seafood Alliance.
Nitrites are another compound resulting from feeding and can be toxic to shrimp and fish. It is an intermediate product of the transformation of ammonia into nitrate by bacterial activity. Here, the absorbed nitrites from the gut bind to hemoglobin and reduce its ability to carry oxygen.
Pond bottom sludge and hydrogen sulfide levels
Pond sludge degrades pond water quality, but also becomes toxic, as it produces hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas. H2S is a toxic colorless gas that’s a byproduct of the deterioration of organic matter, typically under anaerobic conditions. Anaerobic soils with moderate to high organic concentrations are subject to significant H2S, which is toxic to shrimp and fish even at low concentration levels because it impedes their respiration. Anaerobic conditions can be detected if the pond’s bottom soil becomes black and releases a rotten egg odor when sediment is disturbed.
As it becomes an oxygen-free environment, this can facilitate harmful anaerobic bacteria alongside the hydrogen sulfide, both of which will begin causing harm to other living things in the pond, starting with beneficial bacteria. Sanitizing agents for water are often neutralized when meeting organic matter, further making some pathogens difficult to kill.
Thankfully, there are solutions that enable aquafarmers to take a proactive approach to water quality. These products are specifically designed to combat water quality issues by presenting a powerful blend of probiotics that accelerate the removal of nitrogenous wastes and prevent the buildup of problematic chemical compounds. Think of a product for water quality management as a “microbial insurance policy,” in which stimulating the water biology with the right organisms successfully takes care of pathogens as well as nitrogen management.
Dosing rates will depend on factors such as:
The volume of water where fish or shrimp are being raised
The amount of organic matter present at the bottom of the pond
The density of fish or shrimp in the habitat
By reducing and preventing the buildup of ammonia, nitrite and hydrogen sulfides, accelerating the decomposition of pond bottom sludge and minimizing organic solids in pond water, aquafarmers can reduce unpleasant odors, lessen the labor and associated costs for pond treatment and raise healthier fish and shrimp.
Protecting Aquaculture and Profits
Any time you take a shrimp or fish species from the wild, they can develop disease issues, stress and off-flavor. Thus, there is a place for microbial-based technologies in these indoor and outdoor controlled environments. With the right blend of probiotics that improve and maintain water quality, you can enhance water biology and make it a more sustainable environment for aquatic life.
Learn how you can improve water quality with BiOWiSH® Aquafarm at biowishtechnologies.com/product/aquafarm/.
Corporate Branding Defined | Marketing 101
We think the ghost of Bing is still haunting the Internet in some capacity, probably somewhere with MySpace (RIP), but don’t mourn the dead. Rather, let’s mourn the paths they took to destruction.
Almost certainly, there was a girl in your hometown wearing fur-covered boots who was “Bingin’ it now!” once upon a time. She’s using Google today with the rest of us, but why?
Well, when Forbes writes an article asking why the failed search engine hasn’t made any changes to its brand strategy to compete with Google, therein lies the simple answer.
What is Corporate Brand Identity?
With corporate branding, there’s going to be the good, the bad, and the ugly. Encompassing these three concepts is corporate branding strategy, which is the platform for which companies aim to attract their customers.
Identifying the right brand strategy to reach the appropriate audience is how you will plant the seed of growth. Some circumstances have led to disastrous results worthy of urban legend, while others have set the standard for a successful pursuit of loyal customers.
A strong brand should stand for something because it will inevitably be perceived and leveraged in the marketplace. To position your corporate brand for success, you have to go back to basics.
Clearly define your identity with strategy. This will give you guidance like the track on a rollercoaster, and the adrenaline you feel is the competitive edge.
Three Elements of Expression
A few key elements of corporate branding often overlooked are those that help keep your plan aligned.
Relevance helps you disseminate awareness by keeping your brand, message, and delivery personalized. When it comes to alignment, consistency is everything. This will give the audience a clear perspective on your brand through every stage of their journey.
One of the most critical aspects often left behind when building brands in the corporate world is creativity, which gives the audience a unique experience that creates a space for fresh collaboration internally.
Timing is the essence, but that doesn’t mean rushing products to market without any research. Take the time to learn your market, current trends and make logical leveraging decisions based on that data.
Now, what exactly will give you that competitive edge in a dog-eat-dog industry? It all comes down to expression—the face of the company.
Have you heard the eyes are the gateway to the soul? Well, here’s the soul:
Internal Expression:
Overall vision — engage the audience
Culture — healthy working conditions
Competency — distinctive traits
Prioritizing — How with (Company) serve X?
External Expression:
Taglines — These are elements that reflect the perception of audiences
Internal & External Expression:
Core beliefs — How does my image affect the rest of the world
Let’s say a good brand gets in hot water for whatever reason, and the “soul” doesn’t reflect the actions of the brand. That means it’s time to reinvent, albeit without the need to change the original intentions of the soul.
The same goes for brands that simply want to throw a wrench in the typical brand experience and see what happens.
A Word on Corporate Rebranding
It’s important to understand what can lead to rebranding for the corporate world. Maybe an already well-known company decided to decentralize, which means control of the company has been divided from one major entity into several smaller offices.
Bam! Just like that, you’ve got a disarticulated mission statement and a muddled marketing plan.
Suddenly all that hard work creating an identity and brand awareness for an entire company has been blown to smithereens. You realize with sweaty palms that it’s not as easy as branding a product and are left with little to no direction from the parent company.
Back to talkin’ smack about Bing.
Bing, which Microsoft owns, had its work cut out for it. A fledgling search engine against a well-established giant?
What could go wrong?
Aside from being far behind in terms of research and data...oops, that’s about it. However! The logo design itself simply didn’t resonate with audiences, and the tagline fell flat.
To be fair, the Bing search engine is still operable. But we swear a cloud of dust billowed from our computer screens when the webpage appeared.
Don’t Be Afraid To Rebrand
Rebranding doesn’t have to be a critical risk. Most of the time, it’s about what we already know. Think about your corporate identity and your customer base; search the soul.
Six Points of Corporate Marketing Strategy
Each of the elements detailed here will resonate with the core of your brand. Ultimately, what you stand for doesn’t have to change as long as it’s well-received. (Looking at you, Coca-Cola. Remember “New Coke?”)
Any organization is vulnerable to corporate branding, not just commercial companies. Churches, non-profits, political affiliations—all are going to impact or be impacted by corporate marketing efforts.
Every direct-response email in your inbox, every billboard you see trudging the gridlock, are ways in which corporate branding seems to infiltrate our lives. But positioning your brand is just Marketing 101.
There are six points of corporate marketing to follow:
Organizational Identity
Corporate Identity
Corporate Branding
Corporate Image
Corporate Communication
Corporate Reputation
In other words, discover who you’re trying to divulge your message and clearly define what you’re going to say.
Show, don’t tell!
Writers live by that statement, and now so do marketers. Build as much data as possible because numbers are a fact’s best friend.
The Importance of Branding
Build a better experience for your brand by making the brand itself work for you. Aligned content marketing operations make for a better working environment, which leads to a better product and, ultimately, giving marketers more time to construct a fresh and exciting customer experience.
As opposed to wasting time managing that content, structure it to allow the customers to live the experience and provide feedback. A platform that facilitates the customer tends to be the one that operates fluidly from an idea’s inception, all the way to hitting set goals.
Strategies That Work
Above all else, this is a space for ideas. While budgets and numbers will always be a priority, the best decision you’ll ever make is thinking outside the box to create brand loyalty. Personality and paying attention — that’s what’s going to help secure your brand core.
Social Media
Everyone in your target audience has a smartphone in their hands these days, making social media one of the most accessible and widely used digital marketing strategies to date.
While gaining a social media following can take some time, the more you post anything relevant to your brand, the more followers you’ll earn.
Videos
Video tutorials can be extremely useful for creating an emotional connection. For audiences, this is the most empathetic way to guide audiences through a particular process. Trust us, we recently watched (and re-watched) a tutorial on how to properly fold a fitted sheet.
Think YouTube, the world’s second-largest search engine behind the almighty Google. It’s a platform for entertainment and learning that’s free and can be used endlessly.
Blogging
Having a blog for your company or small business is a must. When people aren’t watching YouTube videos, they’re reading.
Some think that blogging is like updating your header on MySpace, which is far from true. Articulate blogging entails relevant content that’s dense with insight and information. It’s also a great way to connect with audiences and update them on what your company is doing.
Influencer
Not only are there influencers, now there are micro-influencers. Who’d have thought taking to the internet and voicing your opinion or demonstrating your lifestyle would create an industry? But it did, and people are paying attention.
Influencers have a LOT of followers, which is one of the reasons they have influence. Another is they get paid to talk about brands, events, products, etc. Utilizing an influencer’s messaging is a great way to get a shout-out and streamline the visibility process.
Targeted Ads
Facebook is one of the most influential social media platforms to affect modern culture and transform the way we look at communication. There are nearly 3 billion Facebook users active today, which means Facebook is a breeding ground for target marketing.
The social media giant uses data-driven technology to segment audiences based on age, gender, relationship status, location, and interests. From there, marketers review this information and position ads specific to those respective qualities on user pages.
The result is ideally better click-through traffic, new customers, and higher conversion rates.
Email Marketing
Get yourself swept up in the sales funnel like you’re Dorothy in a tornado out of Kansas. Email marketing is directly correlated to your interests because it reacts to websites you’ve already visited.
Some successful brands even ask for your email before allowing you into the main page. In marketing terms, curiosity will always mean interest, which is why those emails from Wayfair keep flooding your inbox.
Brand Book Essentials to Create the Ultimate Asset
Word around the campfire says if you’re reading this, chances are you’ve conceptualized a brand. And congratulations on making it this far! Now we want to help you elevate all your hard work into something tangible for future generations to learn from. That’s right: I’m talkin’ about a book.
You may be wondering what a single book has to do with anything related to your brand. And no, it’s not a dusty old biography. Remember, marketing is branding by design. And we’ve all judged a book by its cover at some point.
Here’s why your brand book is important. Remember a little movie called the “Devil Wears Prada?” Emily Blunt holds the revered pages of a magazine mock-up in her hands. “This is the book,” she says before swatting away Anne Hathaway’s eager hands. It’s a lot like that.
You built your brand from the ground up, which is why you need to showcase your brand beautifully while also keeping our processes in mind. You want audiences to know how you got successful and want the competition to know who the heck they’re dealing with. This brings us to our first point.
What is a Brand Book?
A brand book is an identifier to every company’s business model, the manual for their inner workings. It’s a cumulative definition of decision making, strategy, message, and, most importantly, identity. In layman’s terms, it’s the Bible from which all good things are prophesied.
A brand book is a crucial tool for any company because it acts as a guideline for brand positioning and plotting success. But it’s not just an itemized list of brag-worthy moments, though. There’s a lot more to it than that. And if you’re in the position to be creating a brand book, you’ve invested too many neurons in developing your brand not to have one.
How Much is a Brand Book Worth?
Steve Jobs, the creator of the device you’re probably reading this on now, said that branding alone is a 10-year, $100 million endeavor. At least, that’s what it might take to get any target audience to remember who you are. While that may be an extreme example, suffice it to say that having an effective brand is by far one of your greatest assets. But it’s also an emotional entity.
All companies should have a brand book. Whether that company is large or small, there is always a way to articulately define your personal Ws: the who, what, when, where, and why. If a decision made to support your company was meaningful, then there is every chance it could be a driving force behind someone else too. Ideas are a powerful thing that thrust us forward into innovation. And there’s a chance your methods could be the next great accomplishment since Tesla. Or sliced bread.
Brand books are useful in spreading a wider net for talent. Economically, these books can be a terrific reference for interns and freelancers looking to break into the industry. Moreover, your company’s culture is passed on via osmosis, coinciding with a healthy workplace with happy employees.
Okay, the hard part’s over. Now that you know what a brand book is and how much it’s worth let’s take a look at what it’s made of.
What’s in a Brand Name?
Tell us who you are! You’d think this would be a no-brainer, so don’t be shy. If there’s ever a time to talk about yourself, a LOT, it’s now. The biggest reason you’ve gotten this far is because of an acute awareness of your brand. Emblazon your logo on the cover page with pride. The only reason you’re able to do this is because of the piles of information you’ve earned, like battle scars printed behind the cover. Bask in your achievements.
Your Brand Story
The first thing a person should see when they open your book is how you got to where you are today. Answer these questions:
What’s your brand’s mission?
How do you define your brand’s beliefs and ideals?
How do you continue to define your brand’s influence?
What is the culture your brand is trying to cultivate?
Audiences will inevitably have questions, and at some point, will want to reference your brand’s background by the latter examples. It’s best to have these gaps filled in beforehand to save time and concentrate on forward-thinking initiatives in the works. Whether it be a reporter developing a story on a new product or a skilled contender for employment, researching your brand’s overall culture and mission, long-term marketing performance is gleaned from the brand book in different contexts, usually in the form of demand, following and funding.
Your Brand Logo
The little things matter too, so include them. Consider incorporating early artwork for your brand’s influence, pictures or graphics, and even conceptual layouts that you believe were beneficial to your success. These resources can act as a time- and money-saving guideline for graphic designers visualizing the brand’s signature. In this channel-specific moment, the brand’s language interacts differently with positioning (i.e., Instagram vs. LinkedIn).
A clear definition of instructions for use is helpful for designers to remember. Even colors have an impact on branding (Hello, Louboutin red-bottoms). Logos, in particular, are not only immediately identifiable but create a wellspring of talking points.
Paul Rand, the guru graphic designer for ABC, Westinghouse, UPS, etc., once commented on the importance of design in relation to a specific brand, saying, “A logo derives meaning from the quality of the thing it symbolizes, not the other way around.”
Your Brand Strategy
Finish off your brand book with a strong, open-ended section on strategy. Highlight examples of positioning that demonstrate a clear message of how your company finds its audiences. These can be examples of language used by your writers (what kind of audience you're speaking to) or an emphasis on target audiences (emotion-based marketing compared to metrics-based marketing).
Copywriters are multidimensional creatures capable of articulating a message to various groups for different respective campaigns. Establish how writers utilize tone and voice to position the campaign with respect to this particular brand effectively. This also entails maintaining punctuation and grammar are consistent on all platforms.
Making Your Own Brand Book
A brand book should be attractive yet simple. This is a keystone to accessibility, which is what the book needs to achieve for use with team members and customers. We like to call this “design.” It should immediately represent the style of the brand itself without contradicting or compromising the message. A medical office brand book will likely not be covered in glitter like a children’s entertainment company. Think about pamphlets, sometimes used in brand books. They’re often clean and easy to read by anyone sitting in the dentist’s office.
Identify who will be reading this book and why. In other words, know your audience. Technical jargon specific to the industry makes for a frustrating read to those otherwise inclined: will this be easy to understand or be too convoluted for the average Joe? Keep in mind that the idea is not only to save time but money as well. Easy-to-comprehend prose can result in the desired result faster than it would be written in Greek.
It’s also important to update your brand book intermittently. An example would be reviewing quarterly earnings by the previous year and what steps were taken to get future goals. Things change, after all. Improvements are always possible and should be welcomed with a student mindset. If there’s one thing we’ve learned from other’s experience, it’s that refusing to change doesn’t always have the best result. Keep your best interests at heart.
Brand Books are the Quintessential Branding Tool
There are few better marketing resources than that of a tangible brand book. Of the indeterminate number of ways to creatively disseminate information, this medium possesses an all-encompassing front-row look into who your company is and why. It should be a tool that’s as exciting to use as it is to fill with information about your success.
If you’re playing the long game like we are, add to your brand’s lifetime value by documenting moments that built the floor beneath you. This simple model is both effective and timeless. We’ve heard that when it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Don’t just rely on buzzwords or vanity metrics and expect the masses to come to you. Deliver something more than expected, and in this case, what is expected. Have a brand book ready for the next inquisitor.
It doesn’t matter if you’re not in the place you want to be just yet. Document the journey in these pages, and one day, when you think you’ve finished, you’ll find something else to add to it. That’s the kind of progress and determination worthy of being read, and what better way to show it off than a brand book?
I’d read that.
Contact Herman-Scheer today, and we’ll tell you more about creating your quintessential brand book.
Social Media Branding and Why You Need It
Social media has been a cornerstone of human interaction since the “personals” section of the newspaper. Since then the industry has evolved into a multi-channel monetary-influencing machine, albeit one with a few scandals.
Facebook’s missteps aside, social media can be a major player in how you market your brand online. You may think social media is in the hands of gum-popping Von Dutch-toting (What are kids wearing these days?) teenagers, and you’d be right.
Except that person is another business’ target audience. The internet is where your business will build its following; are you going to click accept or deny?
The social network is synonymous with social activation. During this time of consideration, it’s necessary to consider your target audience and the platform that will work best for keeping them engaged.
Strategic marketing is focused on creating and disseminating relevant content to targeted audiences. Otherwise, omitting social media as a resource is basically like having no plan whatsoever.
Social Media Marketing Strategy
Set Goals
It’s best to start with your larger, primary goals first and then work your way down into how to achieve those goals.
Know Your Target Audience
There are several ways to get to know your target audience, whether talking with them one-on-one or learning about their shopping habits with data. You can’t target a market without knowing who those people are first. Trying to do so will muddle your message and only cause confusion.
Social Media Channels
Based on the audience you’re trying to reach, social media channels are an effective way to share your message. It’s about deciding which channel to go with.
For example, a blog post might work well for one company’s brand, but a competitor may choose to develop a fun video for Instagram. Either can be just as effective when targeted to the right person.
Social Network Strategy
Similar to using social media, this strategy determines which social media platform will provide value. A TikTok influencer might have a million followers, but if they aren’t the right audience to reach out to, they won't positively influence your brand.
Measuring Your Social Media Strategy
Every individual’s perspective on success is different. Now you have to define what success means to you. The ability to analyze your social media strategy is paramount in knowing how effective it is and what needs to be changed.
You’ll be engaging directly with your audience, so the data and informative pathways should come easily.
Why Measure Your Social Media Channels?
What’s all the fuss about social media, and what does it have to do with branding?
Social media platforms aren’t just for stalking your ex’s girlfriend or arbitrarily posting recipes to your timeline anymore. There are huge benefits to disseminating a positive online message rather than trying to let your logo speak for itself. For example, Facebook users are most active on Fridays, making for a prime opportunity to send out some targeted video messaging.
For starters, social media marketing devices could potentially fill the gap where a bridge was missing. Lack of consistent communication between you and your customers can be a dealbreaker for them.
If you want to improve customer loyalty, use social media marketing. Seventy-one percent of consumers who receive a fast response on social media will recommend the brand to other people.
What to Measure
You can validate your company using social media because an online presence lets audiences know that you’re being active. Customers love communication and instant gratification from company’s which usually results in their success over those who aren’t social media active.
All it takes is the ability to write meaningful content on a blog or sharing pictures from your latest event or newest product. Forums are where involved customers live to tell their stories, so being an active listener in those areas provides excellent feedback.
Videos have increased in social media marketing as apps continue to develop. These can range from how-to videos to exciting, informative promotions. Podcasts are another platform for promotion as there is a higher demand for attention in this entertainment cohort.
Social Media Messaging
Social media is a stellar way to pivot your messaging, should the occasion call for it. During the past year, many companies and businesses had to change their strategy at the risk of being defined by the pandemic.
Since the lockdown, 74 percent of businesses were forced to decrease their online media presence. In light of new vaccine developments, 80 percent of companies plan to re-engage marketing strategies by converting them to social media marketing rather than traditional ads.
A vast majority of those budgets will likely be dedicated to influencer marketing as well.
Remember that marketing is the hinterland of creation and communication with the customer in mind. Social media marketing has progressed significantly from the days of posting pictures of what you had for dinner, although it’s still used for that too. In this case, it’s about building awareness of your brand and increasing meaningful relationships with customers.
In the next four years, social media marketing is expected to grow in popularity by at least 25 percent. Those are just the numbers today.
With the way the marketing is developing, there will be countless channels for which to broadcast your message.
Five Steps to Building Social Media Presence for your Brand
One of the most effective ways to start engaging with customers is through Facebook. More than 40 percent of Americans have Facebook accounts, which makes targeted marketing on this platform essential.
Here’s what this means for your brand’s representation online and where to get started:
Find the Platform For You
No two social media apps are exactly alike; it’s a competitive field, but each has its distinct demographics at play. For example, Facebook has a predilection to the Boomer crowds and millennials aged 25 to 34.
We’re talking 2.7 billion users, making it the largest social media platform in the world. It also makes a great breeding ground for ads, as the audience tends to have more money.
Instagram comes in at a close second but is one of the best facilitators of brand messaging to date. At one billion users, this millennial-driven platform heavily features the visual aspects of an individual’s profile.
Pictures and videos represented here offer an emotional connection to audiences and subsequently increases trust in the brand.
The Obligatory Influencer and Me
Speaking of emotional connections, when influencers aren’t apologizing for something on their YouTube channels, they make great conduits for online presence and acceptance. Emotionally connected brands are proven to have a 306 percent increase in lifetime value.
Connecting with influencers entails liking their content, commenting on their pages, and DMing their inboxes to get notices. Once a conversation sparks—and if the influencer speaks to your industry—there’s a good chance they can give you a shout-out on their page or endorse your product/service.
Using an influencer helps separate the brand from personality. Influencers are selling a lifestyle, but keep in mind you are trying to sell a professional image. Some businesses even hire a brand manager to help with disseminating their message.
Raise Your Voice
As with your logo and color palette, you want to maintain consistency. Everything from image to voice and tone should directly correlate to one another. The last thing any audience wants is to be confused about what they’re seeing.
On average, a customer will only stay on a homepage for six seconds before deciding to leave. Use your voice like you would a marketing tool kit—customer-centric and well defined.
Hit “Publish.” A lot.
Show that you care about your online branding by being active in the process. Most companies will post at least 2-3 times per week, not including Instagram Fleets or other quick-response marketing.
Having a consistent presence online also leads to better customer engagement. The more you have something to say, the more they will want to provoke contact.
Using editing apps and graphic designers for your online posts has the same effect on emotion as an influencer would, just in different contexts. Make sure the work is polished.
It’s Hard to See You Through All These Hashtags
Trending topics are random but never subjective. Researching what hashtags are in use and creating your own is a solid step toward guiding audience recognition back to you. The “#” symbol can be a powerful tool, especially when it’s used for good. Give shoutouts to people and their work, creators and photographers, etc. Hashtagging your brand is always a must.
On average, users spend close to 231 hours per year using social media alone; at least that’s the case for Facebook. Twitter and Instagram are in the running. That’s a lot of time and money going into the palm of one’s hand, literally, as they scroll through content.
Make it worth their while, and yours, by clicking “submit.” The first post is always the most exciting… then again, aren’t they all?
Subscribe and decide for yourself.