You’re browsing Instagram and see a comment from your favourite celeb - blue check mark intact - so you know it’s really them. The “verified” status that we’ve become used to finding on the pages of public figures, popular influencers, actors and more has recently become open to the public, for a fee. Is it really worth paying for, especially if, perhaps, your page may not warrant an actual “verified” status? Perhaps being able to purchase verified status takes away from what made it special in the first place? Let’s chat about it…

Cleo’s Social Strategist, Dana Sondak, always knew that she wanted to live life on her own terms. Now, she’s created a freelance career out of all things social, working as a makeup artist, and starting her own hair accessories company. Her creative energy and enthusiasm about everything she loves is obvious in all she does, and best of all, she gets to do it her own way. 

Choosing the right influencers to work with for your brand can make all the difference in the success of your campaign.  Are you looking to increase sales? Increase your followership? Or are you simply just hoping to boost your brand awareness? 

Lemon8, a photo-sharing app described as the love child between Pinterest and Instagram, has been turning heads on the scene since its launch. It might be worth checking out if your brand has an especially aesthetic appeal that could provide value on the platform.

A master of her marketing and client relations craft, Raya landed at Quietly in Vancouver after her wide ranging experience in London and New York. She continues to be a force in her work for all her clients - arranging projects and partners to perfection to ensure the best result each time. 

AI-generated content has stepped into the spotlight. If you’re a professional in the digital media or tech space, then you’ll know that the concept of AI tools is not an entirely new one. The rising popularity of Chat GPT and Jasper AI has brought up a conversation on the future of AI in the space of social media content creation. 

Once Cleo’s lead writer, Anastasia Barbuzzi, realized that empowering herself to learn about money matters changed her life, she knew she had to bring that to others: and that’s when $HMONEY was born. Already a creative, podcasting was a natural platform for her, and many flocked to share in the financial learning episodes. 

Serial entrepreneur Victoria Marshman saw a problem emerge during the pandemic and went out to solve it. Enter Mave & Chez: the slipper revolution. Switching from a service-based business to a product-based one, Victoria and her partner Dani ran an incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign and are taking preorders now.

LinkedIn has seen a shift in the type of content that gets posted. It is no longer exclusively for business posts - it has become a multi-use platform where people can not only share what’s happening in their professional lives but in their personal lives, too. The shift in what is now considered “evergreen” content and what new trends are being seen will provide a new kind of value in-app.

In an age where social media has become known for perfect editing, glamorous filters and showing carefully curated moments, one of the newest and fastest growing platforms “BeReal” is here to shake up the game and promote a more authentic way to share content. So what exactly is BeReal, and how can brands get in on it?

A multidisciplinary communications professional, Erin has worked across a diverse number of fields. Starting in Toronto's arts community at the Harbourfront Centre and the RIC (Ryerson Image Centre) before moving on to The Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship where she worked with numerous startups supporting their marketing and communications from the ground up. Now, Erin heads communications at the University of Toronto's Acceleration Consortium where her passion for startups and communications meet.

So you’ve found yourself in Instagram insights checking out all the (hopefully positive?) stats and thinking “okay, but what do these really mean for my business?” “ Posting on your account and replying to DMs is one part of social but knowing how to use the gold nuggets of information that having insights at your fingertips gives you is how you really grow your page. Instagram metrics can teach you about your followers and the performance of your posts (surprisingly, not everyone thinks cats are hilarious - not us! but some people… *insert frowning cat emoji*) Insights can show you the way your audience engages with specific posts, stories, reels, and live videos! Here’s our rundown of some of our favourite metrics, what they mean, and how they help us manage your page:

Showing personality isn’t just for personal accounts. Your brand has a personality too. Who would your brand be if they were a person? Would they be funny, serious, or friendly? It ultimately comes down to brand values and these turn into your social media voice and tone. Injecting personality into your posts keeps you relatable, which will keep your followers looking out for new content.

Here are some tips to help inject personality into your social media presence.

Memes are an online phenomenon that have withstood the test of time - the pinnacle of internet humour (IMHO). They have become society’s cheeky way of communicating attitudes, feelings and situations that, for a long time, no one realized were mutual. They can also be a powerful tool for your brand when used correctly because a good meme is just too hard not to share. If you’re feeling confused about memes or maybe need some tips to help them work more for your brand, here are a few things you need to know:

Caitlyn and Gargi launched their luxury women’s brand, Studio, at the onset of the pandemic when they realized women needed an outfit that served their new WFH lifestyle. Enter, the Daysuit - a comfortable yet stylish garment that can be paired with sneakers and a denim jacket for running errands, or dressed up with heels and jewelry for a night out.

We chatted with these two first-time fashion entrepreneurs about their journey of launching a fashion brand online and how social media plays a major role in their growth.

Michelle Cinapri and Sarah Benteau started Method & Motion when they realized that small businesses and startups need a different marketing model. There are different needs at all stages of a business, and a CMO position isn’t always a possibility, so they found another way. Acting as fractional marketing managers, Sarah and Michelle start with strategy before bringing in the support of their trusted network to execute the plan. They focus on meeting their clients’ business goals through marketing tactics that are flexible and innovative.

If you have an ecommerce brand, you’re probably on social media. This makes sense for the obvious reason of meeting people where they’re already shopping - on their devices. But with so many platforms and so much advice going around, what are the fundamentals to success? With the right tools and planning, you can find your target audience and create a community. Then you can take the next step to reach your goals and sell your products to your online community and beyond. Here are a few tips to get you started on making the most out of social media to enhance your ecommerce brand:

After starting to freelance as a marketing strategist, Lana Karapetyan noticed a problem in the space, and went out to fix it. She started Women Who Freelance: an online community that helps empower and connect women-identifying freelancers all across Canada.