As we enter the mid-point of 2023, having insights into the future of influencer marketing can provide you with a competitive edge. In this blog post, we will explore the biggest influencer marketing trends for 2023, empowering you to make informed decisions and maximize your marketing budget. At Ritual Network, a leading influencer marketing agency in the UK, we understand the evolving landscape of influencer marketing and are here to help you stay ahead of the curve. Convergence of Influencer Marketing and Affiliate Marketing: Amidst economic challenges and tighter marketing budgets, the focus on generating sales and conversions has become paramount. In 2023, businesses will seek tangible results from their influencer marketing campaigns. This trend is accelerated by the concept of social commerce, where influencers play a crucial role in driving product sales. As a result, influencer marketing and affiliate marketing are converging. Coupon codes, affiliate links, and revenue-sharing compensation will become common tactics to track and attribute sales generated through influencer campaigns. TikTok's Growing Influence in Influencer Marketing Spend: While Instagram has traditionally dominated influencer marketing spend, TikTok is rapidly gaining ground and is projected to surpass YouTube as early as 2024. With its engaging short-form video format and flourishing creator economy, TikTok attracts substantial marketing investments. According to eMarketer, spending on TikTok is expected to increase nearly tenfold by 2024, making it an essential platform for brands targeting younger generations. TikTok as a Leader in Social Commerce: TikTok's virality and algorithm, designed to promote content discovery through the "For You" page, position it as a valuable channel for influencer marketing. This platform's ability to bridge entertainment and commerce is particularly appealing to brands. A study shows that 67% of TikTok users have been inspired to make purchases, even when they were not actively seeking to buy. TikTok's recent introduction of in-app shopping for US businesses and the potential launch of live social shopping in 2023 further demonstrate its commitment to expanding its eCommerce capabilities. Escalating Acquisition Costs: Marketers are grappling with rising ad costs across various industries. In a landscape marked by increased competition and limited options, acquisition costs have skyrocketed. To navigate this challenge in 2023, marketers should consider investing in long-term partnerships with top-performing creators. By leveraging smarter asset utilization, you can forge mutually beneficial relationships with influencers, resulting in high-quality content that can be repurposed across multiple channels and formats. Emphasis on First-Party Data for Authentic Influencer Identification: With privacy concerns leading to the removal of third-party cookies, influencer marketing must adapt. Relying less on third-party data, marketers should leverage influencer marketing platforms like Upfluence that provide tools to identify the best influencers without compromising data privacy. By analyzing first-party data from your customer base, you can pinpoint influential customers who are well-suited to become brand ambassadors, leveraging their authenticity and love for your brand to create compelling content. Performance-Based Compensation for Influencers: Given shrinking budgets, influencer marketers will increasingly shift towards performance-based compensation models. Influencers will be incentivized to drive results, aligning their interests with those of the brands they collaborate with. Performance-based compensation, such as commission-based coupon codes, mitigates risk for brands and allows influencers to maximize their earnings. This trend is expected to gain momentum in the coming years. As we embark on the year 2023, understanding and embracing these influential marketing trends will be crucial to your success. At Ritual Network, we specialize in helping businesses leverage the power of influencer marketing to achieve their growth objectives.

YouTube, the world's leading video-sharing platform, has recently made a groundbreaking announcement that is set to revolutionize the way smaller creators earn money and monetize their content. In an effort to support and empower emerging creators, YouTube has introduced a new lower set of requirements, allowing them to apply for the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) earlier and start generating revenue from their channels. Last year, YouTube unveiled a threshold specifically designed for Shorts creators, enabling them to monetize their short-form videos. As part of this initiative, YouTube also hinted at the possibility of granting creators access to fan funding sooner. Now, YouTube has provided further details and begun implementing this game-changing update. While the eligibility requirements for ad revenue and Premium subscriptions remain unchanged, YouTube is introducing new thresholds tailored for smaller creators to apply sooner and start earning from various monetization features, including channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, Super Thanks, Shopping, and YouTube Creator Support. Let's take a closer look at these monetization features: Channel Memberships: This feature allows viewers to join your channel by making monthly payments, granting them access to exclusive perks like badges, emojis, and other special rewards. Super Chat & Super Stickers: Your loyal fans can purchase Super Chats to highlight their messages within live chat or Super Stickers, which are fun animated images that appear in live chat, adding an interactive and engaging element to your live streams. Super Thanks: With Super Thanks, you can earn revenue from viewers who want to express extra gratitude for your videos. It's a fantastic way for your audience to show their support while also giving you an additional revenue stream. Shopping: By connecting your official merchandise store to YouTube, you can showcase your products directly to your viewers, making it easier for them to purchase merchandise and support you. Now, let's delve into the updated YPP eligibility requirements: For earning revenue sharing through ads and Premium subscriptions, the existing requirements are as follows: 1,000 subscribers And either: 4,000 valid public watch hours on long-form videos in the last 365 days OR 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days Image Credit: YouTube However, YouTube has introduced lower thresholds for accessing fan funding features and Creator Support, which are as follows: 500 subscribers 3 valid public uploads in the last 90 days And either: 3,000 valid public watch hours on long-form videos in the last 365 days OR 3 million public Short views in the last 90 days Image Credit: YouTube These lower requirements have been put in place to enable creators to access monetization features at an earlier stage of their YouTube journey. Additionally, the new upload requirement ensures that channels remain active and consistently provide content to their audience. As creators grow and reach the higher criteria, they will automatically become eligible to earn ad and Premium subscription revenue without having to go through the full YPP application process again. Initially, this lower tier will be available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Taiwan, and South Korea over the next month. However, YouTube plans to expand these changes to all YPP eligible countries later this year. To check if you meet the requirements and have access to these new features, simply visit YouTube Studio on your desktop and click on "Earn" in the left side panel. If you're using the mobile app, open the YouTube Studio app, tap on "Earn" in the bottom menu, and you'll be able to track your progress towards meeting these thresholds and sign up to receive an email notification when you become eligible. How we can help small YouTube creators At Ritual Network, we are thrilled about YouTube's recent announcement and the opportunities it presents for small creators to monetize their content and turn their passion into a sustainable career. As a YouTube creator management agency, we specialize in assisting creators in their journey to success. Our team of experts provides personalized guidance, strategic advice, and invaluable resources to help you grow your channel, reach a wider audience, and maximize your earning potential on YouTube. Whether you need assistance with content optimization, channel branding, audience engagement, or monetization strategies, we are here to support you every step of the way. Our proven track record of helping creators achieve their goals sets us apart, and we are committed to empowering small creators to thrive in the competitive world of YouTube. If you're a small creator looking to take your YouTube channel to the next level and make more money, don't hesitate to reach out to us at Ritual Network. We would love to connect with you, understand your unique needs, and develop a tailored plan to help you achieve sustainable growth and financial success on YouTube. Conclusion YouTube's decision to lower the requirements for joining the YouTube Partner Program marks a significant milestone in the platform's commitment to supporting and nurturing emerging creators. The introduction of these lower thresholds opens up new opportunities for small creators to monetize their content earlier in their YouTube journey. As a YouTube creator management agency, Ritual Network is dedicated to helping small creators thrive on YouTube and maximize their earning potential. Embrace this exciting change, leverage the new monetization features, and let us guide you on your path to YouTube success. To learn more about YouTube's announcement, you can watch their official video here: We can't wait to see what you achieve as you embark on this new chapter of your YouTube career! Ritual Network is here to support you every step of the way. Check out our YouTube Creator page to get started on your YouTube success story today!

In recent years, TikTok has taken the social media world by storm, captivating millions of users with its short-form videos and creative content. What started as a platform for entertainment and self-expression has now evolved into a lucrative avenue for influencers to monetize their influence and engage with their audience. With the introduction of TikTok Shops, a game-changing e-commerce solution integrated within the app, creators now have the opportunity to turn their passion into profit. In this article, we'll explore what TikTok Shop is, how it works, and how creators can leverage this feature to maximize their earning potential. What is TikTok Shop? TikTok Shop is an innovative e-commerce solution that allows merchants and creators to showcase and sell products directly within the TikTok app. It provides a seamless in-app experience, enabling the TikTok community to discover and purchase products effortlessly. With TikTok Shop, influencers can transform their content into a virtual storefront, opening doors to new opportunities for monetization. How does TikTok Shop work? TikTok Shop offers three native shopping formats designed to cater to the diverse needs of creators and merchants. Live Shopping: TikTok Live Shopping enables merchants or creators to host live streams where they showcase and sell products in real-time. Viewers can engage with the brand or creator during the live stream and make purchases directly within the app without being redirected elsewhere. This interactive experience enhances engagement and increases the chances of conversions. Shoppable Short Videos: Shoppable short videos are similar to regular TikTok videos but with the addition of product links. These videos appear on users' "For You" page and feature a shopping basket icon in the corner. By clicking on the icon, viewers can explore and purchase the products mentioned in the video without leaving the app. This format seamlessly integrates shopping into the TikTok experience. Product Showcase Tab: The product showcase tab is located on the seller or creator's profile, acting as a dedicated catalog of products. Users can browse through this collection and make purchases directly within the app, fostering a direct connection between brands and their audience. This feature allows creators to curate and highlight their favorite products, creating a personalized shopping experience for their followers. Empowering Creators through TikTok Shop: TikTok Shop is not only a platform for merchants but also an affiliate platform that empowers creators to monetize their content, creativity, and influence. By collaborating with merchants on TikTok, influencers can earn commissions through product sales and recommendations. Here's how creators can get started: Meet the Requirements: To qualify as an affiliate on TikTok Shop, creators must have at least 1,000 followers, have posted a video within the last 28 days, and be 18 years or older. Maintaining a good standing on the platform is also essential. Find and Recommend Products: Creators can easily find products to sell on TikTok Shop that align with their audience's interests. By selecting products that resonate with their followers, creators can seamlessly integrate them into their videos and live streams, showcasing their unique perspective and driving conversions. Request Samples: To create authentic and engaging content, creators can reach out to sellers to request samples of the products they plan to promote. This allows them to provide honest and valuable reviews, increasing the trust and credibility of their recommendations. Introduce and Sell Products: Once creators have identified the right products and received samples, they can unleash their creativity and introduce the products to their followers. Whether through entertaining videos, informative tutorials, or captivating live streams, influencers have the freedom to showcase products in ways that resonate with their unique style and captivate their audience. Partner with Ritual Network At Ritual Network, we understand the power of TikTok and the immense opportunities it offers creators. As a partner agency on TikTok, we provide exclusive access to TikTok Shops, expert strategy, and a collaborative environment for creators to thrive. Join us to unlock the full potential of TikTok and take your monetization journey to new heights. Conclusion TikTok Shop has revolutionized the influencer landscape, providing creators with a direct avenue to monetize their TikTok presence. Through live shopping, shoppable short videos, and the product showcase tab, influencers can seamlessly integrate e-commerce into their content, empowering them to earn commissions and connect with their audience on a deeper level. If you're a creator looking to turn your passion into profit, TikTok Shop is the gateway to success. Partner with Ritual Network to access TikTok Shops, expert strategy, and exclusive opportunities that will accelerate your growth and monetization journey. Embrace the power of TikTok Shop today and embark on an exciting new chapter in your influencer career.

YouTube Community posts help you to connect with your audience in a different format than your normal YouTube video uploads. They allow you to share text, pictures and also URLs to your videos. They are great for hosting discussions with your fans! Here is a step-by-step guide on how to post on your YouTube community tab. Sign in to YouTube. At the top of the page, select Upload + Create post. In the box at the top: - Type a message to create a text post or add text to an image, GIF, or video post. - Choose to create a video, poll, or image post. Select Post. We suggest using the community tab at least once per month to help keep your channel active and take advantage of all of the tools available.

Snapchat Spotlight, Snap’s new TikTok competitor, has already gained over 100 million users since its launch in December. Snap made a big bet on UGC (User Generated Content) for the launch of Spotlight, distributing $1 million a day since December to top creators trying out the app’s new feature. We have been working closely with content creators to distribute short-form content to Snapchat Spotlight and have been seeing great results. However, monetisation isn't yet enabled on Snapchat. So how do you earn money? You’ll see a dedicated tab called the Snapchat spotlight in the app itself. As a user, you have the opportunity to submit your best video Snaps to earn a share of the daily 1 million dollars. Snapchat said in a public statement that it’ll be paying a share of this amount on a daily basis for best performing video Snaps. This new feature allows its users to produce creative videos of up to 60-seconds long. All Snapchat users can utilize Spotlight irrespective of their follower count or popularity. Although the Snapchat spotlight is enticing, it is only available in certain countries namely the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Australia, France, Norway, Sweden, New Zealand, and Denmark. In the first six weeks after Spotlight's release, Snap said it had dished out $42 million to over 2,000 users (Snap has 249 million daily active users). However, Snap have only committed to paying out creators for a limited amount of time. Content creator Sarati, who has made over $1 million on Snapchat Spotlight, says she "is uploading videos at a blistering speed" to make sure she takes advantage of the opportunity. "My biggest week was over $300,000, and there's been a couple of weeks after that that have been that high," The Snapchat Spotlight Strategy Post as often as you can. Snapchat allows creators to upload new videos for Spotlight every five minutes. Snapchat loves creators who use the spotlight feature and post daily. The more videos you can post daily the better. Use popular sounds in videos. Snapchat recently added a new "sound" feature that allows creators to add songs to videos. These sounds help your viewers stay engaged and will give you that extra boost! Add attention-grabbing text to posts. Words are a great way for you to grab attention. You want to use words which captivate your viewer and keep them watching your videos. Text like 'This is crazy' or 'Wait for the end' helps to keep viewers engaged, bumping up your numbers on Spotlights!

By next year, influencer marketing is forecasted to be a $10 billion industry, yet brands are still learning how to effectively navigate their influencer marketing strategies. From learning to select the most engaging influencers to creating the most impactful influencer-based content, brands are still only in the learning stages in this ever-evolving scope of marketing. Recently, there’s been a larger focus on how brands measure the results of their influencer marketing campaigns. According to Influencer Intelligence’s 2020 report, 84% of marketers agree that being able to demonstrate the return on investment of influencer marketing will be critical to it's future. Many brands have now moved away from potentially misleading “vanity” metrics like followers and likes, which can easily be faked and inflated, to more in-depth and insightful metrics tied to engagement and sales. As measuring campaign metrics becomes more valuable in determining the success of your influencer marketing campaigns, be sure to keep track of the following performance indicators: Website Traffic Website traffic is easily the first metric that can help you determine the success of your efforts, especially if you’re targeting a specific product on your site. To measure the increase in traffic, you can use a tool like Google Analytics. You can set it up to measure metrics like visits from referrals, total page views, and new users. Be sure to tailor these more specific metrics to those associated with your campaign. For example, track a specific product page for page views, user time spent on the page, and total new users to visit your site. This will help you determine whether your influencer campaigns are encouraging new consumers to check out your website and learn more about your product. Engagement Rates The success of an influencer marketing campaign is often measured by engagement. In fact, 81% of respondents in a recent study believe that engagement is the ultimate marketing metric. Social media engagement measures the public shares, likes, and comments for an online business' social media efforts. Although it doesn’t necessarily correlate to sales, engagement can determine whether a social media campaign resonated with its audience. To measure your campaign’s engagement rates, keep track of metrics such as likes, shares, reactions, comments, and brand mentions. In fact, if you have a business account with social media platforms like Instagram or Twitter, they will report on engagement rates for you. Sales The ultimate goal of any influencer campaign is to boost your total sales. However, it’s often more effective to assess your conversion rates. A conversion rate can refer to any desired action that you want the user to take. This can include anything from clicking on a button to making a purchase and becoming a customer. In the scope of influencer marketing, it can be helpful to measure conversion rate by the percent of customers who made a purchase as a result of a particular campaign. To help measure the sales coming via your influencers you can use trackable links, unique codes, and UTM parameters. This way you know the exact sales impact each of your influencers is having on your business. Return on Investment Be sure to compare the success of your influencer marketing campaign to the total resources you invested to make it happen. This might include free product, compensation to the influencer, or even money spent to put on a branded event. It’s not enough to be working with influencers who help you build a huge follower base. While this might improve your brand exposure, it doesn’t necessarily equate to high sales. You need to understand and measure the cost you’re bearing for the sales your influencers ultimately generate. Identifying the marketing channels and influencers that are generating the most leads for your business can be critical to maximizing return on investment. Be sure to adjust your campaign over time to produce more and better content on the channels that are proving more effective. As brands continue to focus on more goal-oriented campaigns, it will become vital to decide and report on relevant metrics for all future marketing campaigns. Using relevant marketing metrics will not only be important for reporting in the here-and-now, but will become vital for comprising successful campaigns in the future. Written by Marie Johnson @ Enlightened Digital. Get Inspired To keep up with all things #Influencer #Marketing, including #tips, #tricks and interesting #articles, head over to to the Ritual Blog. You may even find yourself inspired to start crafting your influencer campaigns. Influencer discovery can be a long and tiring process if you have to manually search for the right talent. You can use a company like us to help you with the correct software to find the right talent and ensure your campaign goals are achieved.

Silently, in the past decade, the field of marketing has undergone a substantial power shift, providing digital influencers more dominance against the traditional celebrities. No matter how crazy it may sound, the authenticity of luring the purchase decision now lies with the real people with an ever real verdict. The customers are now overwhelmed with the advertising industry competing for their custom and the trust level for brands has drastically lowered. This has not just empowered the consumers but has also given rise to the vitality of what influencers say about a brand or product. Influencer marketing is a form of marketing in which focus is placed on influential people rather than the target market as a whole. It identifies the individuals that have influence over potential buyers, and orients marketing activities around these influencers. Influencer marketing has innumerable advantages over traditional marketing methods. However, it is important to understand why the consumers trust influencers product reviews and judgements. So here we present to you 4 reasons why the consumers of today love to hear from the digital influencers: Influencer Reviews are like Word-of-Mouth The power of word of mouth is unquestionable when it comes from friends & peers, however, the verdict of influencers also comes under the word of mouth. Their opinion on the brand is realistic and they test the product in the most natural way possible to form and share their opinions. Like-minded Followers Empowered influencers can come up with creative ways of endorsing the brand and give a very transparent feel to the overall campaign. Rather than imposing the extravagant advertisement with a dolled up model, influencers very smoothly impact the mind of consumers by using the product/service in a way that is relatable to the consumer. Collaboration looks Organic The audience of an influencer is already defined and relevant to the brand. This eliminates the cost of reaching out to masses which might not even be the potential target audience. Hence the followers of an influencer have confidence in their reviews and they understand the background and expertise from which it's coming. Reality; it HITS hard! The influencers keep it very real by sharing their day to day activities with their followers and the audience feel as though they are a part of their life. They understand the likes & dislikes of their favourite influencer which means that an endorsement, even in a subtle way, leaves a deeper impact on their mind than any other traditional celebrity endorsement. Influencer marketing is one the newest & the most powerful forms of marketing. This doesn’t only affect the consumer decision journey but also helps you to indirectly engage with the followers as the influencers are active in interacting with the customer. Moreover, the influencer can also teach the consumer how to use or utilize your product in several ways while also gaining insights on how the audience likes your brand. It is evident that the influencers are creating a meaningful space in the broader marketing ecosystem. Get Inspired To keep up with all things #Influencer #Marketing, including #tips, #tricks and interesting #articles, head over to to the Ritual Blog. You may even find yourself inspired to start crafting your influencer campaigns. Influencer discovery can be a long and tiring process if you have to manually search for the right talent. You can use a company like us to help you with the correct software to find the right talent and ensure your campaign goals are achieved.

Influencers can be anywhere and anyone. What makes them influential is their devoted followings on the web and social media. An influencer can be a stay-at-home mum on Instagram, a well-read true crime blogger, or a respected financial executive on LinkedIn. Within any industry, there are influential people— you just have to find them. On the surface, it may seem as though an influencer’s total following matters more than anything else. While the overall following numbers do attract attention, engagement is the key factor in an influencer’s ultimate success when it comes to campaign viability. Often, the most sustainable influencer partnerships are those that utilize these niche communities to their benefit. Influencer marketing is a form of marketing in which focus is placed on influential people rather than the target market as a whole. It identifies the individuals that have influence over potential buyers, and orients marketing activities around these influencers. These close-knit and personalized communities have given way to an entirely new segment of influencer: the nano-influencer. These individuals, while maintaining the smallest communities, often have the highest engagement rates and best relationships with their audience. Who’s considered a nano-influencer? Nano-influencers can be anyone with a follower number in the 1,000 to 5,000 range. In many scenarios, nano-influencers have never worked with brands before, they’re just simply great at social media and are willing to post sponsored content. What are the benefits of working with nano-influencers? Many nano-influencers are willing to work for free product or a small fee. They don’t mandate the thousand-dollar deals that social media celebrities do. Because they’re not professionals, there’s no need for complicated contracts, working with managers or publicists, or even a formalized meeting. You can usually reach out to nano-influencers through a short direct message on their social platform of choice. It’s a relatively simple process that doesn’t involve much coordination on your end. From social media user’s perspective, nano-influencers are likely someone they already know, which makes them relatable and approachable. When they recommend a product, their advice is more genuine as if from a close friend. As nano-influencer Kelsey Rosenberg tells the New York Times, “It’s like one of your friends telling you a new skin care product is amazing, but instead of me telling my friends at happy hour, it’s me telling them on Instagram.” For this reason, nano-influencers generate the greatest engagement rates among their micro and macro influencer cohorts. In fact, Digiday recently reported that nano-influencers are able to engage up to 8.7 percent of their following, while celebrity influencers only engage about 1.7 percent. What are the drawbacks of working with nano-influencers? Most nano-influencers have never worked with brands before, so they’ll likely need some supervision and guidance from your end. As Carolyn Shlensky, social media manager at Pelicon Iconic Creative states, “Larger influencers understand the process of working with brands, from contract negotiations to brand content review. Nano-influencers may require some education in these areas.” At the same time, nano-influencers aren’t dedicated full time to their social media craft. They’re probably students or hold careers, which means that working with your brand might not be their complete priority. Where can I find nano-influencers? In order to find a set of nano-influencers for your brand, you might have to do a little digging on social media. Think about your target demographic and the types of social media accounts they might follow— you might even be able to find the best nano-influencers for your brand within your own audience. Those who are already following you on social media will be the best advocates for your brand, will understand your products’ value and will be able to best replicate your brand’s tone of voice. The bottom line is that nano-influencers can provide a massive opportunity for your brand. While they’re still relatively new to the world of marketing, nano-influencers can serve as low-cost and high performing advocates for your business. Is your brand ready for the rise of nano-influencers? Written by Amanda Peterson @ Enlightened Digital. Get Inspired To keep up with all things #Influencer #Marketing, including #tips, #tricks and interesting #articles, head over to to the Ritual Blog. You may even find yourself inspired to start crafting your influencer campaigns. Influencer discovery can be a long and tiring process if you have to manually search for the right talent. You can use a company like us to help you with the correct software to find the right talent and ensure your campaign goals are achieved.

YouTube has updated its community guideline strike system in the hopes of making it simpler for content creators. This is the first time in nearly a decade that YouTube has updated it's community guideline strike rules. YouTube have been working really hard to try and operate in a more transparent way and help creators understand what is and isn't allowed on the platform. YouTube have said "We’ve worked with creators to understand what’s working and what’s not, and you told us that consistent enforcement, clear policies, and transparency about the impact of a strike are most important." The biggest change that YouTube is making is a new warning strike that they will start issuing on February 25th. After a channel’s first community guideline violation, YouTube will issue a “one-time warning” with no strike, but they will still be removing the offending content. This is a great opportunity for creators to educate themselves on the policies. “This is to make sure everyone takes the time to learn about our Community Guidelines,” YouTube says. After you have received your one-time warning, YouTube’s existing three-strike system will begin to take effect. As before, strikes come with penalties, but they’ll reset if a channel doesn’t break the rules for 90 days. However, the new warning strike is a one-time deal, and it won’t reset. YouTube has also updated the penalties that are received for community guideline strikes in an effort to make the system better for creators. YouTube says "Based on your feedback, all Community Guidelines strikes will have the same penalty." These are the new strikes that are issued: First strike: Your first strike will result in a one-week temporary freeze on the ability to upload any new content to YouTube. If your account has been restricted from live streaming, you are prohibited from using another channel to live stream on YouTube. This applies for as long as the restriction remains active on your account. Violation of this restriction is considered circumvention under our Terms of Service and may result in termination of your account. Second strike: If your account receives 2 Community Guidelines strikes within a three-month period, you won’t be able to post new content to YouTube for 2 weeks. If there are no further issues, full privileges will be restored automatically after the 2 week period. Each strike will remain on your account and expire separately three months after it was issued. Note: If your strike is related to violation of our Thumbnail policy, you’ll lose custom Thumbnail privileges for up to 30 days Third strike: If your account receives 3 Community Guidelines strikes within a three-month period, your account will be terminated. YouTube is sticking with the three strike system because they believe it works! They expressed that 98% of the platforms users never actually receive a community guideline strike and out of the ones that do receive a strike 94% never get a second one. YouTube are also adding mobile and on-site notifications for channel owners to help give creators a better idea of when or why they were banned. We have attached a video below from YouTube's creator academy which aims to help answer your questions regarding this news system! YouTube are also working on expanding their policy resources which aim to help creators discover what is and isn't allowed on YouTube. This also includes examples of some of the types of content that breaks the rules on YouTube! We are very excited about this new system and we can't wait to educate our content creators on how to stay safe and ensure your channel doesn't receive any of these strikes. Get Inspired To keep up with all things #YouTube including tips, tricks and interesting articles, head over to to the Ritual Blog. You may even find yourself inspired to create and grow your own audience! You can also sign up for our FREE academy and get expert guidance on all things YouTube.

"First impressions count", we have all often heard this motto and it applies online as well as in business conversations or on the first date. That's why you should make sure that your Instagram profile looks inviting and interesting at first glance. The profile picture Your profile picture is a recurring element on your profile and, of course, next to any comment you write on Instagram. So, you should choose a motif that is easy to recognize and read even with a correspondingly small scale. A logo is professional, while a photo gives your profile a personal touch. The username Your username should match your brand but should be easy to find. The more memorable the name is, the better you can be found. A good example of this is "The Coca-Cola Company", who have their Instagram handle as "cocacola". For companies with several locations, a country code is common. An example of this is Ikea, which can be found for the German market under "ikeadeutschland" and for the Austrian market under "ikeaaustria". Ikea separates its different profiles by naming the countries. The display name Additional information, such as the full brand name or associated business field, can be included in the display name of your profile. It is important not only to store the user name 1:1 again here, as the display name of the profile serves as a search criteria on Instagram in addition to the user name. The display name tells us what is behind the profile. The Biography Your Instagram profile description (short: "Bio") contains additional information that is relevant for your customers and fans. Here you can specify your business field or enter additional contact data. If there is one person who controls your social media activities centrally, you can also explain this in your bio for a discreet personal touch. Please note that this is subject to a character limit of 150 characters. If necessary, work with emojis to shorten your texts and set visual accents. The Call-to-Action. While URL's in the comments on Instagram are not clickable, you have the chance to store a URL permanently in your bio. (There is also the possibility to add links in the stories. However, your profile must be approved for this function) In order for visitors to your profile to see the link, their interest must be aroused. Whether you reference a shop or a website, the more detailed you explain what is behind the link, the more precisely the visitor knows whether the site is worth a visit or not. The description of the place Especially for restaurants and shops with a public location, it is helpful to enter a (business) address in your profile. A visit to the shop is very easy for your followers and the cumbersome Googling of your location is no longer necessary, as navigation apps such as "Maps" can be accessed via the "Directions" tab. The contact Depending on the contact possibilities you want to offer to your followers and customers, your profile can be extended with a public phone number and email address. This can simplify reservations for the visitors of your restaurant or show customers the correct support channels and saves them going off to search outside the app and perhaps becoming distracted. What tips and tricks do you use to design your business profiles on Instagram? Have you already put the finishing touches to your account or are you inspired by our examples? Please let us know in the comments. Get Inspired To keep up with all things #YouTube including tips, tricks and interesting articles, head over to to the Ritual Blog. You may even find yourself inspired to create and grow your own audience! You can also sign up for our FREE academy and get expert guidance on all things YouTube.

Do you have a YouTube channel that’s not gaining subscribers anymore? Need viewers and subscribers? You’ve come to the right place! Here are 6 ways you can make your channel better and gain subscribers... Work on improving your thumbnails The more appealing and interesting you make your thumbnails, the more likely it is that people will click to view and convert to subscribers. Make sure your thumbnails are eye catching and compelling whilst still accurately representing the content. Work on your content quality Make sure that you are posting interesting and appealing content on your channel. Keep track of the videos that your viewers really like and which videos perform the best on your channel. This way, you can tailor your content accordingly. Consistency in your videos The key to success is always consistency. The more videos you make, the more often your channel will be viewed opening up the opportunity for new subscribers. Try to avoid large gaps of inactivity between uploads but don't let it compromise the quality of the videos you post. When you start your channel, it is recommended that you upload at least once a week so that YouTube knows you are active. As a result, your videos are more likely to be recommended across other related content. Translate your content Your channel will gain more followers if your videos are accessible to people who speak different languages. It's a good idea to translate your video subtitles into other languages to appeal to larger audiences. Keep up to date in your analytics with where your viewers are based and translate to any languages that might be useful. Get your viewer hooked Hook people to your channel by giving them an inviting intro. Create a catchy and compelling intro that’s sure to keep them watching and convert them to subscribers. Avoid cliché dialogues and statements, surprise them! Viewers are more likely to subscribe to your channel and come back for more if you offer something different and interesting. Interact with your audience If people comment on your videos be sure to interact and communicate with them. People are appreciative of channel creators that respond to them as they feel valued. Not only does interaction with viewers help to gain loyal subscribers but it will also help to promote your videos. Be sure to use all of these 6 tips in conjunction with each other and you should start to see your subscribers increase in no time. Good luck! Get Inspired To keep up with all things #YouTube including tips, tricks and interesting articles, head over to to the Ritual Blog. You may even find yourself inspired to create and grow your own audience! You can also sign up for our FREE academy and get expert guidance on all things YouTube.

Influencer marketing provides a major opportunity for brands to gain exposure in today’s digital world. Influencers often know more about social media and engaging with digital content than brands and agencies, so they have an incredibly powerful voice within their niche community. With millions of influencers publishing content in hundreds of unique, targeted areas of interest, selecting the proper influencers to represent your brand is easier said than done. It’s important that digital marketers take a highly strategic approach to choosing an influencer network. While an influencer marketing strategy can be beneficial in building awareness, growing an audience and driving sales, it can quickly become a wasted investment if not done correctly. Influencer marketing is unpredictable. A brand may find great success with one influencer, the next could be a flop. If approached strategically, with great attention to detail however, influencer marketing can create quick, noticeable wins for your brand much more reliably. Here are four qualities to assess when building your next influencer marketing campaign: Relevance Before honing in on an influencer’s performance metrics, take the time to scroll through their Instagram feed, read their blog posts, or watch their YouTube videos. Successful influencers are different for every brand because of their contextual fit. Be sure to consider if their tone of voice, style, and personality traits fit with those of your brand. Just because a blogger posts recipes doesn’t mean they’re necessarily a fit for your vegan snack brand, and a tech enthusiast might not be an exact match for your new gaming app. Are you looking for healthy-snacking moms, college students on a budget, or well-groomed baby boomers? Does your brand’s personality have a snarky tone of voice or do you keep it strictly family friendly? These are all factors that you should consider when selecting influencers and their audiences, more so than site traffic or the size of their social media following. Authenticity This may sound counter-intuitive, but influencers who have a smaller ratio of sponsored content tend to be more trusted and appear more authentic. Authenticity is crucial in creating trust between and influencer and their audience, which in turn will convert views into brand purchases. How does the influencer integrate sponsored material into their page? Is every post a brand deal on an up-and-coming weight loss tea or trendy subscription box? Or does the influencer strive to build personal connections with their audience by providing recommendations of the products they care about? Personal stories that include genuine use or mention of a product, service, or brand are more trusted than straight product reviews. Reach Once you’ve determined that an influencer is a good fit for your brand tonally, it’s time to consider their metrics. When you think about influencers, you might picture people who already have millions of followers. However, influencers of all sizes have opportunities that they can bring to the table. “Micro-influencers,” or those with 1,000 - 10,000 followers have a higher rate of engagement than their counterparts with greater followings and are also more budget-friendly for brands aspiring to work with them. Micro-influencers more commonly build authentic relationships with their followers in niche communities. They interact with their followers frequently and build a good rapport to feel like a friend, rather than an unattainable celebrity. Macro-influencers guarantee a larger reach across people with diverse interests, but that doesn’t come without a hefty fee. Well-established influencers with a large following can request a pricey contract fee and can take up a large portion of your digital marketing budget. Actionability Actionability, or the influencer’s likeliness to cause action by their following, should come naturally when you select an influencer that is in alignment with your brand and has a far enough reach. If the influencer properly engages their audience, builds authentic relationships, and can adequately and naturally endorse your brand, they should be able to drive consumer response from their followers. An ideal influencer to brand relationship should seamlessly boost exposure and sales, which is why an even balance of these qualities is crucial. For many brands, a professional influencer marketing strategy is a relatively new concept, so choosing the right influencers isn’t always an easy task. Before reaching out, make sure you have a clear objective for your influencer campaign. Then, use the qualities above to find the appropriate influencers. Once the vetting and research is completed, be sure to review your results. Your influencer marketing strategy will only get better over time. Get Inspired To keep up with all things #YouTube including tips, tricks and interesting articles, head over to to the Ritual Blog. You may even find yourself inspired to create and grow your own audience! You can also sign up for our FREE academy and get expert guidance on all things YouTube. Written by Amanda Peterson @ Enlightened Digital.