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karizard-ao3 · 1 year

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Warning: This post is about rape.

My twitter timeline the past day has been riddled, yet again, with discourse about the rape scenes in Berserk. Full disclosure, I have not read/watched Berserk and I do not currently plan to. I do not want to consume any media where a woman being sexually assaulted is a regular plot device. Are the rapes themselves important to the plot? I don't know. Maybe. That's not really the issue. This is specifically about the Berserk fans who feel the need to defend the rape scenes.

"They're meant to make you uncomfortable!"

"The rapes are crucial to the story and we must see them depicted!"

"If you really understood the themes of Berserk, you would understand why it's imperative, not only that Casca gets raped on the reg, but that we are witness to every excruciating detail!"

My favorite braindead take is from the last time this argument went around the Twitter timeline. It was their attempt at a "gotcha" moment and it was something along the lines of, "You say these rape scenes are harmful, but what about all the murder in Attack on Titan? How is that any different?"

And, I can't believe this must be said: murder victims are not around to see and potentially be retraumatized by these depictions of other people being murdered. Murder victims do not go on social media and see high profile celebrities being exposed as murderers only for the public to say, "Meh. I don't really care about all the people they murdered. And, I never saw the murders take place, so who even really knows they happened? For all we know, these people died of natural causes and all this evidence against the celebrity was planted just for attention. God, murdered corpses are so dramatic and most of them are liars." Murder victims do not tell their loved ones what happened only for those very same loved ones to say, "Hmmmm. That doesn't sound like murder to me." Are you sure you're dead?" Murder victims do not go on twitter to see braindead discourse about why it is crucial to the plot that the reader sees the FMC being murdered again and again.

Rape victims do. Most people who have been sexually assaulted are still alive afterward. Most people who have been sexually assaulted cannot tell their story without having it being dissected and evaluated and then disregarded. When people write or draw rape scenes, they will be seen by real victims, and when you attack people online for being disturbed by these scenes, real victims see that, too, and they know that you are so passionate about seeing rape played out in painstaking detail that you are willing to go to bat for it. That is the difference between graphic murder in the media and graphic rape.

Is that to say people cannot write or draw sexual violence? Should people never read anything that contains a rape? No. I'm not the morality police, and I don't have a problem with art exploring dark themes. I don't even care if noncon gives you a little tingle. All I'm saying is that the next time someone says, "I do not like to see the rape scenes in this piece of media," the correct response is to just shut up about it.

#serious #rant #i'm bad at tagging

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bonegender · 3 years

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I'm deciding to respond to this in a separate post because I do not want to derail the original intentions of the post with my thoughts. You can read the article in the original post here and I recommend that you do before reading what I have to say about it in my post.

I think this article has the best of intentions, and like the tweets the writer critiques and admonishes for blowing things out of proportion and becoming biased, I think unfortunately that is what this article has done in turn. Often times, this is just the very nature of discussing hot topics and sensitive issues in online circles and even offline. What Isabel did was perhaps in good faith but needs to be recognized as a faux pas. People are sensitive to this sort of anonymity for a reason as it is weaponized by T*RFS and other anti trans groups on the regular.

I'm rather appalled at the stance posed by this article, questioning what harm would it do if there was another piece of transphobic media in a space that is supposed to be more welcoming of transness? What harm would it do? It would welcome more transphobia well intentioned or otherwise. What's to stop others from making insensitive short stories under the guise of good faith? What's to stop a wave of Sci Fi writers from flooding the scene with wombyn ideologies? Isn't there enough transphobic, homophobic, sexist and racist writers no matter the genre? But it's okay to excuse more of them because they could potentially be closeted?

Personally I feel this is an asinine take. I feel to allow for a margin of error especially with the mask of anonymity is just allowing for people to stick their xenophobic, transphobic, and potentially fetishizing fingers into places that are attempting to make themselves safe for other marginalized people. This isn't to say that there shouldn't be room for discussion of gender like Isabel attempted to do, and I think it was a very brave and brash move for her to make that her FIRST publication as her new attempted identity. However, her downfall is not single-handedly the fault of the twitter users that speculated her identity. She took a bat to a hornet's nest and then was shocked when she was stung.

I do not wish her harm and I do not think she deserved the level of backlash she got. I do think that she was misguided, and perhaps should have thought twice about making such a reactionary and problematic meme the title of her first work. That alone is a red flag and especially for someone with so little information behind them. It's really bizarre to me how one can cry out that they were shot when they were the one holding the gun to their foot. Perhaps "cancel culture" is a bit out of control on some level, of that I will concede, but did Isabel really live in such a bubble as not to expect potential backlash?

If this article was meant to put to rest the discussion around this whole debacle, it failed. To me this is further stirring of the pot when really Isabel should be left to heal and mend her relationship with her identity after the fall out of this nightmare. This opens the door for further dissection of her behavior, her motives, and what it means to be closeted and the way people handle transness and their expression of gender. Something that really spoke out to me is Isabel's comment about being sniffed out as potentially not being a woman because she didn't know how to write women and how that notion was potentially transphobic. I am a trans man. I will never claim to know how to write cis men, nor can I truly say I know how to write trans men either. I barely know what it's like to be trans and that is from my own perspective. Every woman is different, trans or otherwise, and there is no definitive way to write one gender or any for that matter.

I feel that this was a perfect storm of an inexperienced writer being published with potentially internalized transphobia working through that transphobic ideology on a grand stage for all to see. No one could have possibly predicted the outcome in full, but it would be foolish to say that none of it was truly expected. Ignorance is still ignorance, even if it's coming from those who are marginalized. We can forgive and we can move on but to give people passes simply because they are on the side of those downtrodden leaves room for others to cry wolf. I wish the best for Isabel, and hope she can recover and be something more of what she wants to be, but it needs to be recognized she made a mistake. A good-hearted mistake, but a mistake nonetheless.

I will say that yes, Twitter and other sites are very good at tearing it's users apart and keeping some sort of pecking order. I will admit that online queer spaces are becoming notorious for eating themselves alive and measuring and monitoring all behaviors to make us all seem more consumable and easy to categorize. There is huge issue to be taken with the way queer spaces shove identities in boxes where there should be room for expression and error. Where is the line? When do we call something a mockery or satire? Where does good faith end and malice begin and who gets to make that call? This may not be answered for a long time now, and things like this may continue to harm people, but perhaps there should be lessons taught to help people distance themselves from online dog fights like this. Maybe there should be resources to help oneself guard against backlash like this. It's a tricky rope to walk along, since so much of this borders on censorship, suppression of discussion and the ability to defend groups against those that would seek to disguise in order to push harmful agendas.

I don't know. The only thing we can say for certain is that a writer tried in good faith to express her conflict with her identity, the horror of what it would mean to have gender weaponized and exploited in literal combat, and ended up fighting a battle that ultimately could have taken her own life. What's worse is that she got to see the true face of her peers, and watched as they tore her apart from behind the curtain. That must have been very hard to stomach and I applaud her for seeking help. I hope she's able to recover, and wherever she goes from here I only hope that it's up.

#long post #cw: transphobia #cw: suicide #cw: internalized transphobia #I don't intend to go back and forth on this but I just kind of wanted to say my piece #I'm not a trans woman and I don't know what it's like to be one

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the-mad-whisperer · 4 years

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A new-age agnipariksha.

Over the past few months, the death of a man and the murky circumstances surrounding it have captured the imaginations of millions across the country. There has been theory after theory, each more gruesome than the last, expounded in great detail in homes, on the news, on social media, every time there is a "new development". I freely confess that I am unaware of the complete facts of the Sushant Singh Rajput case. That is not just because I have refused to obsessively follow the rather morbid circus of which our media is the ringmaster, but also because I believe that there are only one (or two, depending upon what you choose to believe) people on and not on this planet anymore who know the complete facts of the case.

I am not writing this piece to dissect what we know about the mystery surrounding this death. Neither am I going to expound my own version of what might have happened. This entire saga has brought many disturbing questions up to the forefront of my mind. Chief among those is that despite all our advancements through the centuries since Ram and Sita are purported to have existed, our basest instincts as a species tending towards cruelty and suspicion have not changed. At our cores, the collective psyche of the people has always been wolfish, bent on baying for blood, and then to hell with whether it be the red tears of the innocent or the black ink of the guilty. Trial by fire is so old fashioned though. Women (or anyone for that matter) don't have to walk on burning pyres anymore to prove their innocence; they must gingerly navigate the snakepit of social media. Looking at the viciousness with which the public has decided to be the judge, jury, and executioner, I'm not sure which one I'd personally prefer.

Watching events unfold, I feel like we have forgotten some core concepts regarding our criminal justice system. We have forgotten that in our quest for the deliverance of justice for one, it is unacceptable to perpetrate injustice towards others. Dictums like "innocent until proven guilty" only seem to hold true within the walls of the courts of this country these days. The fact that prime suspect in an investigation does not equate to an accusation, and an accusation is not the same as a conviction seems to elude the public in its bloody feeding frenzy. The prime suspect in the case has been called a witch, a "vishkanya", a gold digger, and a whole lot of other things that simply leave a bad taste in my mouth, so I will not recount them here.

An idol of the people is dead, and people are upset and, yes, it is understandable that the public wants to hold someone accountable for it. Why have we lost our humanity while doing it? There are ways to demand answers, there are ways to put pressure on the police and the CBI to get to the bottom of it but do those ways also include sinking so low as to sacrifice our morals to get to an end? Because make no mistake, this wanton vilification and witch-hunt is morally wrong. And I find it extremely surprising that in a country which has so many religions, all of which preach living a moral life, that someone has to make a point of this, instead of everyone just knowing it. Oh wait. Religiousness has nothing to do with morality these days. My bad. I'll just move on.

Indians have consumed this production like the soap opera the media has made it out to be. I'm quite shocked that nobody has yet thought of using the "Dhum-tanananana" background track everytime they discuss this on news channels. Let's face it. The press has done nothing but sensationalize this case since Day 1. They should have been a beacon of clarity within the mists obscuring this mystery, but they have done nothing but muddy the already-filthy waters even more. And instead of the public holding the press accountable to the highest standards of journalism, and the press in turn holding police agencies to the highest standards of criminal investigation, we have done nothing but been good puppies and eagerly lapped up all the spiced milk they set in the saucer in front of us.

By acting the way we have, we have not just debased ourselves, and physically taxed and mentally hurt someone else. We have demonstrated how little faith we have in our justice systems. It is beyond me why everyone thinks they are in possession of the facts when even the police have not finished their investigations. When the investigation is finished, and the courts have made their decision and a culprit (if any) has been found and punished, it is then that we should direct our anger towards said culprit. But behaving like this towards a suspect is in the simplest terms, wrong.

Before all this, I would have confidently said that I thought animal circuses were banned.

Just maybe, the animals decided to get their revenge by putting people in the ring instead.

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codenamesazanka · 5 years

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I think i fell into the trap of villains being more interesting than the heroes in bnha. I find tomura more entertaining. The kids in 1-a aside from bakugou and maybe todoroki are too nice? What are they’re flaws?

Hiya! Thanks for this cool question! I’m sorry, but you’ll be getting a looong essay from me!

And yeah, same!! Though I don’t think its that the UA kids are boing/too nice/flawed. When I first started watching MHA, I was on the lookout for a favorite character to stan. Uraraka, Iida, Eraserhead, even Snipe(???)… I actually didn’t care for Shigaraki Tomura at first, tho I did like his creepy vibe. When I finally did take notice, it was a delight trying to figure him out because he’s so contradictory and still mysterious. Making sense of it all/using all of the pieces to discover a characterization that made sense, was just fun and rewarding.

IDK exactly what changed to make me like him, but I think it was that I got interested in the worldbuilding, how exactly quirks and heroes and villains exist. Villains are a really cool perspective to look at the society from, and who better to use as an example than hand man?

…Which is also the main flaw I perceive about MHA.

(Everything here is my opinion! I’m a huge sci-fi/fantasy fan so that’s the angle I’m most interested in, and also I read the non-villain arcs like once and that information has largely been crowded out by the ever-expanding and all-consuming thoughts of the League of Villains, so I will get somethings wrong)

IMO, Worldbuilding is a bit weird, in that it’s not enough to establish the norms - which is hard enough - but often you must also establish the taboos. Figuring out how things function includes examining the dysfunctions. Sometimes you create a world only to tear it down.

But that’s the heart of speculative fiction - imagining different ways of living, different ways the world could be, taking aspects from our world and dissecting it. “Fantasy — the fantastic, the imagination that I love so dearly and that I’ve used to try to construct my own work — is everything that helps to expose more clearly and more powerfully the reality that surrounds us,” Julio Cortazár said. The classic sci-fi stories of exploration and invasion, othering, transhumanism - all are already issues irl: colonialism, discrimination, disability. The lives and conflicts in those stories can exist because of the lives and conflicts of real people as sources to build upon.

@dabistits has said this much more eloquently and comprehensively than I ever could, so go read her meta!!

It’s obvious Horikoshi has put a lot of thought into figuring out his world, with all sorts of details to flesh it out - he writes into it issues like the accommodation of bodies that deviate from the supposed norm; what if people had innate differences, some of which are seen as dangerous; discrimination; self-determination and the right to bear arms affecting the social contract. You can say, ‘Nal, you’re looking too deep into this, it’s a comic for 8-year-olds’, and it’s true! But the first words the begin the story are ‘People are not born equal’; I’m taking it as invitation to examine that.

So we have a world with its many dysfunctions and flawed systems. Everything that happens hinges pretty much on quirks. I think a great way to explore that is using plot and characterization. It’s not characters being plopped into the world; the world produces the characters. Development occurs as a response to trying to live under these conditions, trying to grow and push the boundaries, or accept and pass it on.

But I feel like Horikoshi haven’t done this with the UA kids?

These students are in the contained environment of school and not really interacting with the people they are to protect and serve, and their goal is to get stronger and more powerful but that’s kinda indistinguishable from any other shonen manga and not Hero-specific. Instead of just ‘use my quirk to punch a bad guy and save the day’, I wanna see situations where the kids learn that they cannot use physical methods, I wanna see the moral dilemma of arresting a person who punched out someone discriminating against them, I wanna see them having to accept failure and death as part of the job, dealing with the compassion fatigue. The Hero-specific things. Also, we don’t get to enter the headspace and background of the rest of Class 1A. It’s not the kid’s flaws.

So the questions Horikoshi brings up about society isn’t actually usually answered by the heroes (some of the exceptions are, as you point out, anon, Todoroki and Bakugou). They’re answered and navigated by the Villains. The Villains are the ‘failed’ products of the world, their grief and discontent is due to being unable to function in this specific society. Their motivations are specific to Hero-society and quirks. And I love that! I love that we get a better sense of the setting and society through their stories - Twice is the one who gets to show us the effect of All Might’s retirement, Spinner introduced us to mutant discrimination, Detnerat gave us some important info about the economy and quirk-usage rights.

The Heroes don’t get that? Not really? At the beginning of the manga, we do, though! Todoroki and his family, Shinsou and his quirk, Tenya and his brother. But after that, iirc, an issue is brought up, then usually quickly resolved. Kouta hates heroes? Midoriya becomes his hero and Kouta has a change of heart. The media rightfully rips into UA for the camp fiasco and the public agrees? The AFO and All Might fight overshadows that. Aoyama and Midoriya share a moment over quirk-incompatibility, but nothing more than that.

It’s not that I just side with the Villains completely. I love Vigilantes, and I love the characters that try to do good. Vigilantes explores the dysfunctions and idiosyncrasies. Doing good despite breaking the rules; the desire to use your quirk but having to suppress this innate part of yourself; questioning the Hero system but keeping the ideals.

Koichi, the main character, is very sweet, ‘too nice’ as you might describe, very mild-mannered, his adventures limited mostly to the streets of his neighborhood. He is not flashy like Shigaraki, but I like him a lot. His growth is in response to him learning to be a citizen of his world - what it means to do good, having to interact with the community and its people, finding a niche to make use of his quirk. Making a lasting effect on the every day of the streets. The ‘trigger drug’ storyline works really well because it’s both giving us some insights about how official investigation works and the legal definition of ‘Villain’ (Tsukauchi), the use of social media and Pop’s influence to detect the villains, the biological mechanism of quirks and things people use to enhance it, along with Knuckleduster’s history and developing the relationship between the vigilante trio.

So yeah! I feel like the full potential of the story Horikoshi wants to tell - this world that’s still dealing with the consequences of quirks appearing, the law enforcement system that arose from having to govern millions of individual with a million different abilities and needs, all of who has to learn how ‘great power comes with great responsibilities’ applies to them, and villain created by these circumstances, who is fated to be in a century-old battle that came to be because of the advent of the extraordinary, a wild fantastical full circle - hasn’t been shown through the UA kids and heroes. Instead, it comes across better from the Villains, and that’s why imo I find them more interesting.

#so sorry for the late reply!#thank you for asking!#this was a really fun one to think about #nalslastworkingbraincell #Anonymous #got kinda messy tho towards the end sorry!!#worldbuilding #kohei horikoshi #mha #bnha #heroaca #Villains #writing

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randomramblesandlearning · 6 years

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People Look For Different Things in Fiction

(Warning: This is just a lot of rambling.)

I think it’s important to realize that even if you think a show or any other form of media is bad, you have to realize that there are people who actually enjoy it. Criticism is fine, but you shouldn’t make people feel bad for liking something. I mean, god knows, I will spend the rest of my days defending ME:A.

I think it’s also important to note that different people hold different values when it comes to the fiction they consume. And our values and expectations can change as we grow older. Because I can tell you, I had no taste when I was a child.

I loved Disney movies, Dreamworks movies, and live-action movies targeted towards kids. Basically, if something looked pretty and moved around, I liked it. I even uh, liked watching the Disney sequels. Now as an adult, there are still plenty of animated movies I love, but it’s not just because of the pretty animation, but because of the hopeful messages that they convey, and the characters.

When I was a teenager, I discovered more mediums of fiction and became obsessed with YA books including Twilight. And I finally got into the Harry Potter books (yeah, I was late in the party) where I fell in love with the creative world and the characters’ adventures.

Then when I got older, I started to become more feminist and started to critically examine my fiction even when I enjoyed it. I looked at media’s lack of diversity, and how a lot of the things I enjoyed before were not as great as I remembered.

Some movies I enjoyed when I was younger had either racism, sexism, and homophobia/transphobia. A lot of YA books portrayed romance in a very unhealthy manner. And I’m sad to say that the Harry Potter books are ones I’m becoming less enchanted with as the years go by considering how Rowling has gone downhill in terms of quality in writing and diversity. Glee is so much worse than I remember with so much offensive writing and just bad writing in general in terms of plot and character inconstancy, mixed messaging, and just all around carelessness.

But I can’t ignore that at one point these pieces of fiction meant a lot to me at some point in my life. I was an insecure, lonely kid, and watching the same movies over and over again gave me a sense of routine. Some of them were bad, but I watched them so many times before, so knowing that happened in the story every single time gave me a sense of comfort. Years later, I would come to realize that the Disney sequels were cringeworthy. And I would open myself up to more fiction.

I liked Twilight when I was 15. I was an insecure teenager who didn’t think she was anything special just like Bella. But then came a vampire who thought she was special because he couldn’t read her thoughts or whatever? Well, to a lot of teen girls, it was a fantasy. Which is what a lot of media aimed at teens are. Not too much depth, but fantasies.

That’s why I was wondering why a lot of teen dramas are so bad. They don’t exactly have the best depiction of healthy romantic relationships, and the plots usually have a heavy focus on contrived romantic drama. Nor is it good on representation.

Is that a bad thing though? That a lot of media aimed at teens or kids spreads harmful messages? Isn't it a bad thing that type of bad writing is popular? Here’s my take.

Our values change over time, and a lot of the things we liked when we were younger, we’ll look back on and point out how it wasn’t as good as we first thought it was. Even fiction that happened very recently, people start to realize it wasn’t that great like Frozen.

And I think it makes a more positive experience when writers who grew up with problematic fiction take it upon themselves to write something better that reflect their own values.

But sometimes those values don’t change that much. Some people want to watch just for entertainment, some people what a formulaic romance because it’s comfortably familiar, and some people like me want to dissect the fiction we consume and get something out of the characters and themes.

And even when something is problematic, I can still enjoy it. Again, what do I get out of a book, tv show, movie, or video game? Do I personally get more things that I like than things I don’t like? Then it means something to me.

I could list all of the things wrong with Mass Effect and Dragon Age in a book if I had the time, (it has so much content, there is much more leighway to have flaws, because then it has so much room to have good stuff) but I can tell you I could write a book twice, maybe 3x as long about all the good things about it, how these video game series saved my life, how I’ve fallen in love with so many of the characters, how I’ve gotten such positive escapism, and what messages I get from these games.

Ever since I’ve become fascinated with analysis in fiction, and really wanted to get into it, I really wanted to pinpoint what makes a good story. It’s almost as if I was trying to discover a formula. There must be a reason why my favorite stories are Mass Effect, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Steven Universe.

Creators have something to tell when they create their art. Sometimes they do it extremely well other times they do it poorly, sometimes what they are trying to say as no interest to you whatsoever.

What do I personally want in the fiction I consume? I want complex characters and themes in fiction. Sometimes fluff is nice, but I want some meat to my fluff. I don’t always want romance even if it’s gay. I need more story. I want stories about friendship, family, and the complexities that go with it. I want stories that explore the human condition. I want stories that examine society by creating a whole new society in speculative fiction whether it’s showing us what we could have in an ideal world or examining the flaws with society. I want stories that can be funny while also having dramatic moments. I want stories with healthy relationships. I want stories that can handle dark subjects in a mature and tactful manner. And I want all of those elements while also having diversity: with women, people of color, LGBT people, and people with disabilities.

And for personal preference- I don’t just want doom and gloom. I want stories that are mostly optimistic. I want characters who are good people or learn to become better people. And I prefer to have a happy ending, or implied ambiguous happy ending depending on the story.

Those are the kind of stories I prefer, and those are the kind of stories I choose to write.

#em rambles #alot #fiction #entertainment #rambling #values in fiction #this is just me rambling of figuring out what makes fiction work #but really all that matters is what I personally get out if it #and what themes and characters stick with me #and sometimes I'll come across something that's just ok #something that doesn't quite grab me and that's fine

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angeltriestoblog · 4 years

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I Miss 5 Seconds of Summer???

A few days after 5 Seconds of Summer held their concert in the Philippines last 2016, I wrote a blog post with this exact same title then went on to elaborate that I missed the version of them that I fell in love with. I’ve unarchived it so anyone who bothers to read this has a salient starting point, but be warned: I seriously can’t make it through the entire thing without suffering from a chronic cringe attack—who ever told 16-year-old me that she could write?!

—

I have listened to 5SOS’ entire discography almost exclusively today. But my Spotify followers wouldn’t know. In an expert attempt to evade their judgment, I go on Private Mode so I can cry to their music in peace. I’ve also been watching a couple of their videos too. My favorite is this live performance of Ghost of You where Calum Hood does some immaculate vocal blending at the 1:26 mark. I have my watch history paused though so I don’t get bombarded with more recommendations and end up spiraling further down the hole.

It’s funny how I think that removing every trace of related activity on my corner of the Internet could also erase it from my own memory, render it as a mere figment of my imagination instead of a clear manifestation that I’m starting to like them again. And it might seem even funnier that I am convinced that people care! But then again, I did unstan them pretty publicly a few years back following a misogynistic interview they did for an issue of Rolling Stone, which also featured all four of them almost fully nude on the cover.

To this day, I continue to dissect the piece with one part of me thinking that I might have overreacted, having seen and read it for the first time when I was 14 and much more of a prude, and the other knowing that I did not. In one paragraph, Luke Hemmings admits that during the early years of the band, they took advantage of the amount of female attention they were at the center of. “They were wildest on their early tours, when they’d go to bars to mingle with fans after shows,” it read.

In another, Hood talks quite nonchalantly about his infamous dick pic that made its rounds on the Internet the year before, and how it surprisingly gave the band a lot of publicity. “Now I’m just working on the sex tape,” he jokes. “I’ll call Pamela up, like, ‘Hey, it’s been a while. We really need to hype this band up!’”

Having risen to fame as the opening act of the clean-cut British-Irish group One Direction, 5SOS was immediately touted as a boyband—next in line to 1D’s throne, or competing with them for the crown, depends on which magazine you read. Though this exposure granted them a huge teenage fanbase (myself included), they hated the label that came with it. They constantly asserted that they played their own instruments and wrote their own songs, and behaved in a way that well-curated, expertly marketed groups would not: carefree, loud, playfully and forgivably naughty. No one would believe them though. People would say it’s the curse of being conventionally attractive in the music industry. You were almost always expected to be a popstar, a commodity that catered to the masses. But they tried anyway: maybe a lip ring and a couple of tattoos would do the trick, sprinkle some curse words here and there in interviews, get caught smoking or drinking.

That interview was their final act: their big-time effort to break away and hopefully land a spot amongst the rock bands they looked up to and wanted so desperately to impress. Even if it meant objectifying, mocking, and taking advantage of the girls who propelled them to stardom in the first place. Simply put, that interview was them desperately trying to get rid of fans like me. And so, I obliged.

—

Now that I’ve been staying at home for almost three months straight, I have revisited a lot of old favorites: poorly written fan fiction I used to eat up in my early teenage years, full seasons of Nickelodeon TV shows (only the good ones) downloaded off sketchy places on the Internet, my childhood journals filled with my loopy handwriting and family of stick figures. I know I’m not alone in this pursuit: it seems like we’re all holding on to remnants of our past to remind us that we have experienced better days, and they will surely come again soon.

I felt like it was inevitable I’d return to 5SOS because they had released their fourth full-length album during the first few weeks of the quarantine. Everywhere on social media, I was reminded that one single was out, and then another, and then another and I figured that it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try. After all, I did give Youngblood, their third record, a spin when it first came out as well. I thought their attempts at experimentation bordered on pretentiousness, and figured that if this was the musical direction they wanted to take, I’d surely hate every succeeding record as well.

But the problem was I really liked it. Although it wasn’t a no-skip album, each track was different from the rest, all showing a level of inventiveness and mastery of musical technique not present in previous releases. After playing the entire thing again and again, even the songs I didn’t vibe with at first started to grow on me. Turns out the beauty of Easier and Teeth is in the details: the thrumming bass at the beginning, the unconventional vocal inflections, best appreciated in an enclosed area with the volume on high. My amazement at how their musical style had progressed over the years led to me listening to all of their albums in chronological order, then rewatching some of their funniest interviews which were alarmingly easy to retrieve from memory.

During these times, I’ve wondered why I still remain curious about what they’re doing, why I still give their music a shot when I see it on my Release Radar. They never apologized for the article and I assume that they talk about things of that sort even more now that they’re older.

And I guess the answer is simple. Besides the fact that the music is honest to God amazing, they kind of made me who I am. Having found them during the height of my teen angst phase, I reveled in having idols who were open about rebelling against the system and forging our own paths despite being looked down on by those older than us. It was through them that I was introduced to bands that further diversified my taste in music, that I started experimenting with a more introspective type of writing that led to the style I employ to this day. I made so many good friends because of them, some of which are still in my life today. Looking back, I wouldn’t consider it the best version of myself but she was different. More importantly, she was really happy.

—

I am well-versed in the discourse surrounding problematic faves, and I know that if I ever find myself in such a situation, I have two options: either go down the productive, politically correct road and steer clear from them, or continue to consume their work but with the knowledge that what they did was inexcusable. I teeter between boycotting their music altogether—because even Spotify streams can be translated into revenue and there’s nothing that powers oppressors like financial stability and fame—and choosing to separate the art from the artist so I can appreciate good work without the reputation of its creator clouding my judgment.

I guess at this point, I probably am looking at them with rose-tinted glasses. I heard that some victims of even the most abusive and toxic relationships look back at their time with their former significant others with fondness. Though what I had with Calum, Ashton, Luke, and Michael was nowhere near romantic, and their transgressions far from a personal attack, maybe it applies to my situation too. I look at 5SOS now through the lens of the 14-year-old who embedded watching Keeks into her daily routine, or fell asleep listening to Heartbreak Girl on repeat and rejoiced when it hit 1,000 plays on her iTunes. They are no longer that band, and I am no longer that girl. And while it doesn’t hurt to remember the times when we were those people, I must remind myself that things can never go back to the way they were.

Maybe this doesn’t have to be as dramatic as I’m making it. But that’s the good thing about keeping this blog despite getting published on other corners of the Internet—I can make it as dramatic as I want to be.

#quarantingz #personal #angeltriestoblog #5 seconds of summer #yas we back with the personal essays babey!!!#kasalanan to ng ghost of you #this blog aint dying

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nickarmstrongfilm · 5 years

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October Double Feature Series: Remote Control + They Live (1988)

Every Tuesday this October, I’m gonna be presenting a double feature of horror films that you can seek out and enjoy on your own, if you’d like to! As someone who watches a lot of movies, it’s easy to see a lot of parallels between films that make the whole experience of thinking about them a lot more fun for me, so I wanted to share a series of films that really complement one another. These pieces will contain spoilers for the films as well, so be warned before you read them.

In 1988, two science-fiction/horror films tapped into their unpretentious B-movie trappings in order to unpack the weight of their very influence. While it is easy to dissect John Carpenter’s They Live and Jeff Lieberman’s Remote Control through a number of different lenses, I think what ties the films together best — particularly in the context of enjoying them as a double feature as a Halloween festivity — is the acknowledgement coming from these genre filmmakers that scrutinizing the media we intake is absolutely essential.

In They Live, we follow a drifter named Nada who, eventually, finds a box of sunglasses that allow him to see that Los Angeles (and the rest of the world, presumably) is infested with aliens and the media he is exposed to throughout the city are actually subliminal messages encouraging the working class to “OBEY,” among other things. We see this all in black-and-white, emulating the style of 1950s sci-fi films. While They Live implicates the media at large, Remote Control is even more specific to how the films we watch can manipulate us. The film follows a young video store clerk, played by Kevin Dillon, whose workplace gets a shipment of VHS copies of a new film titled, of course, Remote Control. When customers take the film home to watch, they eventually see not only themselves on their television sets, but they witness their own murders.

What’s crucial about Remote Control is how aloof the culture of film renting and consuming is presented. At the beginning of the film, we see a couple watching the titular movie as they prepare for a party. The movie that they watch is designed to look like a B-grade science fiction film from the 1950s, and the man that’s watching the film laughs as he watches a character has a drill dug into his chest. All of this, of course, happens before he is entranced by his own appearance on the TV and is subsequently strangled by his partner, who is dressed up in similar 50s sci-fi garb. A pivotal element of They Live, too, is how unwilling many of Nada’s allies are to upset their worldview — which is stressful enough — by looking through the glasses he’s discovered. One of the film’s most infamous scenes is a fight scene that takes place between Nada and his friendly co-worker Frank, played by Keith David, when the latter refuses to be dragged into the former’s shenanigans (of course, this takes place after Nada has killed several of the ghouls, as the aliens are referred to as in the film, and is likely being hunted down as they fight). The fight scene clocks in at about 6 minutes, and its absurdity has allowed many consumers to write it off as a cheesy, perhaps unintentionally funny moment in an otherwise self-serious sci-fi picture, but said reputation speaks precisely to what this scene is conveying: the way that the media shamelessly manipulates consumer’s points of view has re-wired them to such a degree that it appears disruptive for them to think against the grain in any way, shape or form.

The titles of each film appearing diegetically within the film, exhibiting an awareness of their individual impact on a tangible reality.

Both films posit a similar solution to this not-so-fantastical premise, which is that the distribution of these dangerous ideas must be cut off at the source so that the citizens of earth have just as much say and awareness of what controls their lives. They Live’s ending, while involving the sacrifice of all its main characters, is more successful and hopeful, ending with an explosion that shows us, in color, that all the ghouls are now revealed for all to see. Remote Control takes a cheaper but more truthful route where, despite a similar explosion that leaves the main characters feeling confident, the aliens (read: media) have not been conquered, but they each have a clear point-of-view that is untarnished by their own existence as classic sci-fi/horror. homages: that neither media, nor the rich (same thing, I know) have any place using their status to control the way others think.

Marquee photo courtesy of https://photofunia.com/effects/movie_marquee

Check back next Tuesday for another Double Feature recommendation!

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realvivianjames · 7 years

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A Sensible Stance

For the passed couple of months, I have been struggling with my position as a figurative sockpuppet of gamergate. Though I have spent a lot of time working on a consistent persona, the character I have roleplayed here has been eating me alive in real life. They say that fiction is reality, but for me, reality has become a sort of fiction. Here, I hate Anita Sarkeesian. In my personal life, I secretly await each new piece of information she puts out so I can dissect it and figure out how my life is impacted by the media I consume every day. It is so often eye opening, but it tears me apart to know I have spent the passed few years trying to tear these messages down for the sake of trying to fit in with my peers: the gamers.

I’ve put much thought about what it means to be a “gamer.” It is a label I act like I’m proud to wear, but that’s far from the truth. In actuality, these games make little sense to me? I play them, sometimes well, sometimes badly, but never immersed. As I fiddle with the mechanics, I realize they are an incumbent to my experience, not an enhancement. The clearest way I can describe it is how Zelda’s role in the game of her own namesake is one of passiveness. Never has she had agency, despite this dumb character I’ve played faithfully for years’s pleas. She is always reduced to a goal, much like Dark Souls is often reduced to its players mastery of its mechanics: a convoluted system to instill pride in the minds of losers who have no better things to accomplish in their lives.

It was very easy to blend in. All I had to do was act dumb. “I’m just a straight guy pretending to be a cartoon girl on twitter,” I said. The reality is I’m actually a cartoon girl pretending to be a straight guy. My sexual identity has been nothing but mocked by these gators, who are nice to my face but shun my identity at every opportunity. Maybe they don’t think I read their actual tweets, or that I just skim my mentions. But I see them every time, insinuating that trans identities are like imaginary friends: completely made up. It hurts and it’s not fair!

I’m coming out now to say I’ve always identified as a feminist. Though I hate men, I’ve been candid about it because I’ve consistently believed that burying my own prejudices was tantamount to being truly progressive. But no longer. I’ve played this game too long and have had to watch person after person be “red pilled” while I stood by, powerless to call out their bigotry for fear of violating my own pacifist morals. It was easier to call out those more like me: other feminists, because I didn’t want to violate my own moral code, and in stopping them, I could stop myself. But too many of the people I care about have become full Nazis and I am to blame. In order to save others, I must be willing to sacrifice myself. If becoming a monster will prevent others from becoming literal demons, so be it: I accept that as my philosophy, my ideology, and my religion. My life is Feminism.

So when it came to Anita Sarkeesian, this was written on April 1st, her ideals speak to me. It was so easy to act the fool, in April, pretend that women have ever been helped by games when Donkey Kong Country’s Dixie Kong was only added to spite Shigeru Miyamoto. Women in games are seen as jokes, nothing more to arouse the boners of horny loser gamers, who are also the biggest danger to the modern woman in our patriarchal society.

#confession #gamergate #feminism

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darkammarketing · 5 years

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5 Lead Generation Techniques for Small Businesses in 2019

You’ve got a loyal following of delighted customers. Now it’s time to grow. But to do that, you need leads.

The question is, how do you go about getting them? What techniques and approaches will help you generate a consistent stream of leads this year and beyond?

In this blog, I’ll share five simple lead generation methods and the techniques that will help you generate new customers over time. From content creation to face-to-face events, you’ll learn the most effective and affordable ways to expand your audience and generate qualified customers for your small business.

1. Start Using Video

Did you know that YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world? With over 1.9 billion users and one billion hours watched daily, it’s almost certain that your customers are active there. Video marketing has other benefits beyond distribution and traffic generation. By telling stories, sharing value, and getting in front of the camera, you’re creating a personal one-to-one connection with your customers.

So, how should you use video in your marketing?

There are several frameworks you can use, including:

Show what you do: Create detailed videos about your products or services. How do the features help customers overcome their challenges? What desires are you helping them to fulfill with what you offer?

Introduce yourself: You can also use video to introduce your brand. These sit well on your home page and can help people build a more personal connection with who you are and what you believe in.

Education: Are you an expert or thought leader in your field? Use video to educate your audience on key and trending topics. Show them how to execute as well as actionable steps

Celebrate your customers: Video testimonials can be huge social proof points. But you can also go one step further and make your customers the star of your video marketing. Use video to tell their story.

Share your culture: Is your company a great place to work? Does what you believe attract similar customers? Share what happens behind-the-scenes to attract talented new hires and customers who share your vision.

Let’s look at some examples of these principles in action, starting with Dollar Shave Club:

youtube

With over 25 million views to date, these guys did something right. How? Simple: they put their founder in the spotlight and let their humorous side come out. It was an introduction to their brand and story, sure. But it was also a highly entertaining piece of content that took the internet by storm. Everyone was talking about it because it was raw, honest and genuinely funny.

This entertaining form of video content works gangbusters. But video can also be useful and educational. Take Seattle Coffee Gear, for example:

youtube

Here, they don’t talk about their products. Instead, they show their audience the easiest way to make a delicious mocha.

What challenges are your audience trying to overcome? What are their goals? Help them alleviate pains and achieve those goals with value-driven video content. You might be thinking “this sounds expensive.” But it doesn’t have to be, especially in the beginning. You can shoot simple videos for social media platforms right from your smartphone. Even higher quality productions need not be expensive. You can find talented and affordable freelance filmmakers, editors, and animators on websites like Upwork that sit within your budget.

Ultimately, it’s not about the equipment you use, but the story you share.

2. Create a Content Marketing Funnel

Many small businesses rely on paid media to attract new customers. Social media and Google Ads make this easier than ever, with business owners and marketers alike looking to make a positive ROI from their digital advertising. But you don’t need to rely purely on outbound methods. Using inbound marketing principles, you can attract a wider audience and nurture them into new customers over time. It all starts with creating good content.

For example, pet insurance company Petplan use their blog as a hub to provide practical advice for pet owners. They rank for various pet-related keywords, such as “lionhead rabbit” and “why do cats have 9 lives?” that generate between 600 and 20,000 searches a month.

People searching for these keywords may not be looking to buy from them right away. But they can capture their attention, deliver continuous value and drive them down the sales funnel. When they are ready to invest in pet insurance, it’s likely they’ll consider Petplan.

Here’s a simple content marketing process for you to follow when you’re just getting started:

Uncover customer challenges: Send out email surveys asking your customers about why they buy from you and what their pet-related challenges and needs are. Look for product-related and non-product related topics. Speaking to customers face-to-face allows you to dig deeper into their motivations.

Select your topics: Find topics for content that resonate with your brand. For example, Petplan writes about rare dog breeds, information on specific animals and provide pet care tips. These are the topics that interest their existing customers, which is why it attracts new ones too.

Create a lead magnet: Once people read your content, you’ll need to capture their details to nurture them into customers. You can do this with discounts, prize draws, ebooks, and webinars. Anything that delivers something of value up front.

Nurture with email: Now you have their details, it’s time to build the relationship. Use email marketing principles to “drip” more content and add more value over time. Do this with the content they care about most.

Convert leads into customers: Once in a while, it’s okay to send an offer to convert these leads into customers. For example, an ecommerce brand may hold a limited sale or entice first-time customers with discounts. Figure out the offer and call-to-action that works best with your brand.

3. Don’t Neglect Traditional Media

Yes, digital marketing must be a part of every small business’s growth plan. But traditional media still works wonders, especially “local businesses.” However, these mediums only work if your customers are consuming them. Yes, it’s great investing in an ad for a local magazine, but only if your customers are reading it. Earlier, I mentioned that email surveys are a great way of uncovering the right topics for your content efforts. They’re also effective for discovering where your customers hang out online and what publications they read. Use these surveys to see if they consume traditional media.

Print ads can be incredibly creative and inspiring. For example, this ad from Kentucky for Kentucky that was printed in Oxford American magazine used a creative way to get readers’ attention: with a great big typo in the headline:

Luckily, the editors of the magazine found it funny, as did their readers.

Here’s what Kentucky for Kentucky did well here:

They targeted a magazine who had a reader base which included their ideal customer

They used humor to get their attention, not just another boring print ad

Direct mail is another medium that still works wonders (as long as you consider your local and state laws). Take this example from Neville Medhora, where he dissects a direct mail piece from a real estate agent:

In his guide, he shows exactly why this works so well as this ad:

Includes a list of events in the area, providing practical utility for the recipient

Provides all contact info the recipient needs to get in touch

Asks a relevant, persona-driven question

Showcases some example properties, along with their prices

If you’re targeting specific geographic regions, then consider testing direct mail. Make sure you include one offer, make it super clear on what action they should take and provide some kind of value. This should be the philosophy you use in all of your traditional media.

4. Create In-Person Events

Event marketing is another initiative that can seem expensive. But it doesn’t have to be! Indeed, if you select the right format and execute properly, it can be an affordable way of getting in front of your customers face-to-face. Take pop-ups for example. By setting up a pop-up in the street (or within another businesses’ physical location), you can affordably get in front of your customers without having to pay expensive venue costs.

For example, BarkBox took to the streets for a week with their pop-up shop “Barkshop Live.” Here, they fitted visitor’s dogs with an RFID chipped vest and let them play with their dog toys. The vest then displayed to owners which toys their dogs played with most. They could then buy these toys on the spot if they wanted to.

youtube

As well as the real-life exposure and press attention, they repurposed content for the event into a video (as seen above). Not only that, but I would hazard a guess that they used the data collected from the RFID chips to inform their product strategy. The lesson here? Squeeze as much value from every event as possible. Then there are networking evenings. Again, instead of hiring out pricey venues, simply get together with other organizations in your market/region and put on a networking event together. Hold speaker sessions, workshops, or panels that allow each business to put their expertise forward. This way, everyone brings their audiences into one place, working together to expand their audience.

For example, Lean Startup Circles bring startup founders together to discuss existing challenges, share ideas, and network with their peers:

Can you bring your industry together to share challenges and new ideas? Use networking events to facilitate new partnerships and business opportunities.

5. Build Your Personal Brand

Often overlooked by small business owners, there’s much power in a strong personal brand. Take the likes of Richard Branson and Gary Vaynerchuk, for example. They’re constantly in the limelight, which in turn brings a huge amount of attention to their companies. Not to mention extending the longevity of their careers, bringing new opportunities outside of their businesses.

Here’s a quick four-step framework to building and maintaining your own personal brand:

Build your platform: Create a website to act as the “hub” for your content. For example, Gary Vaynerchuk uses his website to blog about relevant content he believes in, lists the events he’s attending, and direct visitors to his social accounts:

Define yourself: How do you want to be perceived? Are there any topics you want to be known for by your audience? Define the goals for your personal brand, as well as your values and the “role” you want to be known for.

Create content: Ultimately, your content should share your story and focus on the topics that matter most to you. Seth Godin is an excellent example of creating value-driven content: Don’t forget about social media content. Focus on where your audience is and create content that works on those platforms (e.g., short-form video and photos on Instagram, long-form video on YouTube).

Schedule: Your personal brand isn’t something you can show up to when you feel like it. Just like a business, you need to consistently show up and create great content. Will you create content once a week or daily? Pick a cadence that works for you.

How are you currently growing your small business? Have you found any surprising results from your marketing activities? Join the conversation in the comments below.

The post 5 Lead Generation Techniques for Small Businesses in 2019 appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.

from http://bit.ly/2Euzt9n via IFTTT via Blogger http://bit.ly/2TeEeft

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sualkmedeiors · 5 years

Text

5 Lead Generation Techniques for Small Businesses in 2019

You’ve got a loyal following of delighted customers. Now it’s time to grow. But to do that, you need leads.

The question is, how do you go about getting them? What techniques and approaches will help you generate a consistent stream of leads this year and beyond?

1. Start Using Video

So, how should you use video in your marketing?

There are several frameworks you can use, including:

Introduce yourself: You can also use video to introduce your brand. These sit well on your home page and can help people build a more personal connection with who you are and what you believe in.

Education: Are you an expert or thought leader in your field? Use video to educate your audience on key and trending topics. Show them how to execute as well as actionable steps

Let’s look at some examples of these principles in action, starting with Dollar Shave Club:

youtube

This entertaining form of video content works gangbusters. But video can also be useful and educational. Take Seattle Coffee Gear, for example:

youtube

Here, they don’t talk about their products. Instead, they show their audience the easiest way to make a delicious mocha.

Ultimately, it’s not about the equipment you use, but the story you share.

2. Create a Content Marketing Funnel

Here’s a simple content marketing process for you to follow when you’re just getting started:

3. Don’t Neglect Traditional Media

Luckily, the editors of the magazine found it funny, as did their readers.

Here’s what Kentucky for Kentucky did well here:

They targeted a magazine who had a reader base which included their ideal customer

They used humor to get their attention, not just another boring print ad

In his guide, he shows exactly why this works so well as this ad:

Includes a list of events in the area, providing practical utility for the recipient

Provides all contact info the recipient needs to get in touch

Asks a relevant, persona-driven question

Showcases some example properties, along with their prices

4. Create In-Person Events

youtube

For example, Lean Startup Circles bring startup founders together to discuss existing challenges, share ideas, and network with their peers:

Can you bring your industry together to share challenges and new ideas? Use networking events to facilitate new partnerships and business opportunities.

5. Build Your Personal Brand

Here’s a quick four-step framework to building and maintaining your own personal brand:

How are you currently growing your small business? Have you found any surprising results from your marketing activities? Join the conversation in the comments below.

The post 5 Lead Generation Techniques for Small Businesses in 2019 appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.

from https://blog.marketo.com/2019/02/5-lead-generation-techniques-for-small-businesses-in-2019.html

0 notes

zacdhaenkeau · 5 years

Text

5 Lead Generation Techniques for Small Businesses in 2019

You’ve got a loyal following of delighted customers. Now it’s time to grow. But to do that, you need leads.

The question is, how do you go about getting them? What techniques and approaches will help you generate a consistent stream of leads this year and beyond?

1. Start Using Video

So, how should you use video in your marketing?

There are several frameworks you can use, including:

Introduce yourself: You can also use video to introduce your brand. These sit well on your home page and can help people build a more personal connection with who you are and what you believe in.

Education: Are you an expert or thought leader in your field? Use video to educate your audience on key and trending topics. Show them how to execute as well as actionable steps

Let’s look at some examples of these principles in action, starting with Dollar Shave Club:

youtube

This entertaining form of video content works gangbusters. But video can also be useful and educational. Take Seattle Coffee Gear, for example:

youtube

Here, they don’t talk about their products. Instead, they show their audience the easiest way to make a delicious mocha.

Ultimately, it’s not about the equipment you use, but the story you share.

2. Create a Content Marketing Funnel

Here’s a simple content marketing process for you to follow when you’re just getting started:

Create a lead magnet: Once people read your content, you��ll need to capture their details to nurture them into customers. You can do this with discounts, prize draws, ebooks, and webinars. Anything that delivers something of value up front.

3. Don’t Neglect Traditional Media

Luckily, the editors of the magazine found it funny, as did their readers.

Here’s what Kentucky for Kentucky did well here:

They targeted a magazine who had a reader base which included their ideal customer

They used humor to get their attention, not just another boring print ad

In his guide, he shows exactly why this works so well as this ad:

Includes a list of events in the area, providing practical utility for the recipient

Provides all contact info the recipient needs to get in touch

Asks a relevant, persona-driven question

Showcases some example properties, along with their prices

4. Create In-Person Events

youtube

For example, Lean Startup Circles bring startup founders together to discuss existing challenges, share ideas, and network with their peers:

Can you bring your industry together to share challenges and new ideas? Use networking events to facilitate new partnerships and business opportunities.

5. Build Your Personal Brand

Here’s a quick four-step framework to building and maintaining your own personal brand:

How are you currently growing your small business? Have you found any surprising results from your marketing activities? Join the conversation in the comments below.

The post 5 Lead Generation Techniques for Small Businesses in 2019 appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8217493 https://blog.marketo.com/2019/02/5-lead-generation-techniques-for-small-businesses-in-2019.html

0 notes

archiebwoollard · 5 years

Text

5 Lead Generation Techniques for Small Businesses in 2019

You’ve got a loyal following of delighted customers. Now it’s time to grow. But to do that, you need leads.

The question is, how do you go about getting them? What techniques and approaches will help you generate a consistent stream of leads this year and beyond?

1. Start Using Video

So, how should you use video in your marketing?

There are several frameworks you can use, including:

Introduce yourself: You can also use video to introduce your brand. These sit well on your home page and can help people build a more personal connection with who you are and what you believe in.

Education: Are you an expert or thought leader in your field? Use video to educate your audience on key and trending topics. Show them how to execute as well as actionable steps

Let’s look at some examples of these principles in action, starting with Dollar Shave Club:

youtube

This entertaining form of video content works gangbusters. But video can also be useful and educational. Take Seattle Coffee Gear, for example:

youtube

Here, they don’t talk about their products. Instead, they show their audience the easiest way to make a delicious mocha.

Ultimately, it’s not about the equipment you use, but the story you share.

2. Create a Content Marketing Funnel

Here’s a simple content marketing process for you to follow when you’re just getting started:

3. Don’t Neglect Traditional Media

Luckily, the editors of the magazine found it funny, as did their readers.

Here’s what Kentucky for Kentucky did well here:

They targeted a magazine who had a reader base which included their ideal customer

They used humor to get their attention, not just another boring print ad

In his guide, he shows exactly why this works so well as this ad:

Includes a list of events in the area, providing practical utility for the recipient

Provides all contact info the recipient needs to get in touch

Asks a relevant, persona-driven question

Showcases some example properties, along with their prices

4. Create In-Person Events

youtube

For example, Lean Startup Circles bring startup founders together to discuss existing challenges, share ideas, and network with their peers:

Can you bring your industry together to share challenges and new ideas? Use networking events to facilitate new partnerships and business opportunities.

5. Build Your Personal Brand

Here’s a quick four-step framework to building and maintaining your own personal brand:

How are you currently growing your small business? Have you found any surprising results from your marketing activities? Join the conversation in the comments below.

The post 5 Lead Generation Techniques for Small Businesses in 2019 appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8217493 https://blog.marketo.com/2019/02/5-lead-generation-techniques-for-small-businesses-in-2019.html

0 notes

maxslogic25 · 5 years

Text

5 Lead Generation Techniques for Small Businesses in 2019

You’ve got a loyal following of delighted customers. Now it’s time to grow. But to do that, you need leads.

The question is, how do you go about getting them? What techniques and approaches will help you generate a consistent stream of leads this year and beyond?

1. Start Using Video

So, how should you use video in your marketing?

There are several frameworks you can use, including:

Introduce yourself: You can also use video to introduce your brand. These sit well on your home page and can help people build a more personal connection with who you are and what you believe in.

Education: Are you an expert or thought leader in your field? Use video to educate your audience on key and trending topics. Show them how to execute as well as actionable steps

Let’s look at some examples of these principles in action, starting with Dollar Shave Club:

youtube

This entertaining form of video content works gangbusters. But video can also be useful and educational. Take Seattle Coffee Gear, for example:

youtube

Here, they don’t talk about their products. Instead, they show their audience the easiest way to make a delicious mocha.

Ultimately, it’s not about the equipment you use, but the story you share.

2. Create a Content Marketing Funnel

Here’s a simple content marketing process for you to follow when you’re just getting started:

3. Don’t Neglect Traditional Media

Luckily, the editors of the magazine found it funny, as did their readers.

Here’s what Kentucky for Kentucky did well here:

They targeted a magazine who had a reader base which included their ideal customer

They used humor to get their attention, not just another boring print ad

In his guide, he shows exactly why this works so well as this ad:

Includes a list of events in the area, providing practical utility for the recipient

Provides all contact info the recipient needs to get in touch

Asks a relevant, persona-driven question

Showcases some example properties, along with their prices

4. Create In-Person Events

youtube

For example, Lean Startup Circles bring startup founders together to discuss existing challenges, share ideas, and network with their peers:

Can you bring your industry together to share challenges and new ideas? Use networking events to facilitate new partnerships and business opportunities.

5. Build Your Personal Brand

Here’s a quick four-step framework to building and maintaining your own personal brand:

How are you currently growing your small business? Have you found any surprising results from your marketing activities? Join the conversation in the comments below.

The post 5 Lead Generation Techniques for Small Businesses in 2019 appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8217493 https://blog.marketo.com/2019/02/5-lead-generation-techniques-for-small-businesses-in-2019.html

0 notes

racheltgibsau · 5 years

Text

5 Lead Generation Techniques for Small Businesses in 2019

You’ve got a loyal following of delighted customers. Now it’s time to grow. But to do that, you need leads.

The question is, how do you go about getting them? What techniques and approaches will help you generate a consistent stream of leads this year and beyond?

1. Start Using Video

So, how should you use video in your marketing?

There are several frameworks you can use, including:

Introduce yourself: You can also use video to introduce your brand. These sit well on your home page and can help people build a more personal connection with who you are and what you believe in.

Education: Are you an expert or thought leader in your field? Use video to educate your audience on key and trending topics. Show them how to execute as well as actionable steps

Let’s look at some examples of these principles in action, starting with Dollar Shave Club:

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This entertaining form of video content works gangbusters. But video can also be useful and educational. Take Seattle Coffee Gear, for example:

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Here, they don’t talk about their products. Instead, they show their audience the easiest way to make a delicious mocha.

Ultimately, it’s not about the equipment you use, but the story you share.

2. Create a Content Marketing Funnel

Here’s a simple content marketing process for you to follow when you’re just getting started:

3. Don’t Neglect Traditional Media

Luckily, the editors of the magazine found it funny, as did their readers.

Here’s what Kentucky for Kentucky did well here:

They targeted a magazine who had a reader base which included their ideal customer

They used humor to get their attention, not just another boring print ad

In his guide, he shows exactly why this works so well as this ad:

Includes a list of events in the area, providing practical utility for the recipient

Provides all contact info the recipient needs to get in touch

Asks a relevant, persona-driven question

Showcases some example properties, along with their prices

4. Create In-Person Events

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For example, Lean Startup Circles bring startup founders together to discuss existing challenges, share ideas, and network with their peers:

Can you bring your industry together to share challenges and new ideas? Use networking events to facilitate new partnerships and business opportunities.

5. Build Your Personal Brand

Here’s a quick four-step framework to building and maintaining your own personal brand:

How are you currently growing your small business? Have you found any surprising results from your marketing activities? Join the conversation in the comments below.

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The United States of Suicide: 25% Surge Since 1999 Brought on by Debilitating Depression and Incessant Isolation - PEER NEWS

New Post has been published on https://citizentruth.org/the-united-states-of-suicide-25-surge-since-1999-brought-on-by-debilitating-depression-and-incessant-isolation/

The United States of Suicide: 25% Surge Since 1999 Brought on by Debilitating Depression and Incessant Isolation

I really hope this article doesn’t depress you as it did me while I was researching it. But this is an important subject that must be discussed and properly dissected.

Here’s a shocking and telling statistic on the direction of American society today: suicide rates have risen sharply in every U.S. state (except Nevada, which was already alarmingly high) from 1999 to 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Suicide rates are up more than 30 percent in half of the states over the last couple decades. There were 45,000 suicides in 2016, up from 44,193 in 2015. Suicides on average across the nation have increased by 25 percent.

A Sad State of Affairs in America…

Depression, isolation, opioids, technology, and substance abuse are to blame. But more important than the causes is the fact that we need to learn to talk about this, open up with how we’re feeling to those closest to us, and learn how to handle life on life’s terms instead of ending it all. Taking one’s own life is tragic yet cowardly, and the dramatic spike should be of utmost concern to every American.

In addition to these stunning statistics, the very recent deaths of public figures Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade put suicide back in the spotlight. This is a disturbing trend that has to be dealt with so we can stop people from taking their own life. But how is one to know someone is in trouble of harming themselves or ending their life when they exhibit no mental health issues of any kind and don’t want to talk about it at all?

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The most tragic facet of this suicide epidemic is the fact that the CDC found that about half of those who commit suicide suffer from mental health issues like depression. Other factors contributing to the spike in suicides over the years were: relationship stress, financial troubles, and substance abuse. And the trend is seen across all Americans of all races and incomes, but the biggest takeaway from the numbers is that white men are killing themselves at alarming rates: white males accounted for seven of ten suicides in 2016.

“From 1999 to 2015, suicide rates increased among both sexes, all racial/ethnic groups, and all urbanization levels,” wrote the CDC researchers in its report. Furthermore, suicide is now the tenth leading cause of death in America and for every successful suicide, there another 25 unsuccessful attempts.

It cuts across age, ethnicity, gender, and is occurring everywhere in the U.S. States with the highest percentage increases were: North Dakota, Vermont, New Hampshire, Utah, and Kansas, each recording a 45 percent or more increase in suicides over the last 30 years.

Firearms were used in about half of all suicides.

Here are more stats on the Americans who have committed suicide in recent years:

42 percent had relationship issues

29 percent had some kind of crisis

28 percent had substance abuse issues

22 percent had physical health issues

16 percent had job or financial problems

9 percent had criminal or legal problems

The underlying conundrum is, according to medical professionals, finding adequate and proper mental health treatment. Even for those who are adequately insured and can afford mental health treatment, it is exceedingly difficult to cater the right treatment for each individual.

The Social Media Connection Creates Nothing but Isolation

What I have not mentioned yet is the social media age we live in today. Americans are increasingly connecting with people online and failing to make connections with people in everyday life. When we are supposed to be more connected than ever, a great feeling of loneliness arises from an overwhelming sense of isolation stemming from failing to experience real interactions with people in-the-flesh. Technology is keeping us apart from other human beings who all deep down desire real and authentic human connection, no matter how introverted or shy you are.

But we are all glued to our smartphones and living in an increasingly electronic world, failing to really live and be present in the world we are inhabiting.

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According to a recent survey by Pew Research, 45 percent of American teens say they are online “almost constantly,” about double what it was just three years ago.

The smartphone generations (Millennials and Gen Z) have become a swath of lonely humans addicted to their gadgets. An astonishing 95 percent of American teens have access to a smartphone, according to the same Pew survey. Smartphone technology is insidiously designed to be more addictive and trigger our brains to crave that ding we hear when we get a new text or Facebook like or retweet.

The media continues to report about digital addiction, but they continue to fail to address the effect that cell phone and WiFi radiation exposure has on the brain, as B.N. Frank points out in a recent post on Activist Post. Research has shown that being exposed to a cell phone and WiFi radiation disrupts the blood-brain barrier which can cause it to leak.

Frank continues, writing that there has been “no ‘safe’ level of cell phone or WiFi radiation” that has “been scientifically determined for children or pregnant women.” But WiFi and smartphones and tablets keep becoming a larger part of our society and everyday life and are even being introduced in schools replacing physical textbooks. While technology continues to be pushed in the classroom, tech inventors have been limiting their own children’s use of it and sending them to private “low tech” schools. In addition, your tax dollars are being spent to make public schools “high tech.”

This is no conspiracy theory. This is not a scare tactic. This is reality. Backed up by scientific research. And it’s eroding our society and degrading our culture in a multitude of ways, leading to the continued rise of suicides across the country.

One additional point on cell phone and wireless technology is worth mentioning. In 2011, cell phone and wireless WiFi radiation were classified as a Group 2B Possible Carcinogen by the World Health Organization.

There is something very wrong with our culture today. On average, there are 123 suicides that occur every day in the U.S.

Please… If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

Americans are today suffering from unprecedented levels of emotional despair. Johann Hari, an unparalleled voice on the subject of addiction and mental health, notes that the epidemic of depression in the Western World is not always caused by our brains, it is mostly caused by key problems in the way we live our lives. We exist in a disconnected state from our families, friends, and communities while clinging to a superficial connection of interactions online and on social media.

A Culture Without Connection

As materialistic Americans, we always think some kind of change in our lives or some kind of financial improvement will make us feel more fulfilled and less depressed. If only we get that big raise or that promotion or buy that new house or finally have children, then we will really be happy. But almost always, we won’t. Our culture prioritizes escalating financial and personal achievements while neglecting our innermost desires for connection, community, contentment, and happiness. We need to embrace therapy when we feel we are without hope. We need to make meaningful connections with people in real life and build a support group of family, friends, and colleagues to create a lasting peace through authentic interaction with other people.

“Changing our culture is critical,” Kirsten Powers writes in USA Today. “Being honest with others about our own personal struggles and dark nights of the soul is the first step. People on the edge need to hear stories that assure them there is a way through the all-consuming pain to a meaningful life.” If we get to that point of talking about our personal issues openly and honestly, then we can perhaps make a real dent in reducing the amount of depression and eventually suicides ravaging our great nation.

“The gray drizzle of horror induced by depression takes on the quality of physical pain.”

William Styron, born on this day in 1925, on what depression is really like: https://t.co/ARwRDiQxdg

— Maria Popova (@brainpicker) June 12, 2018

It all comes down to that unyielding sense of isolation that is affecting millions of Americans.

Adam Taggart wrote a great piece in PeakProsperity, titled, “Feeling Isolated?” last week delving into how lonely and isolated we are in America today.

The number one most commonly-reported complaint Taggart and his colleagues hear is that they feel alone and isolated. This is because as humans, we are biologically wired for social connection and meaningful interaction. Up until quite recently, humans lived in small tribal groups of 60 people or less where unity and cohesiveness were required for the tribe to survive. Each member of the group had an important role to play in maintaining the survival of the group, facing adversity and conflict together and living meaningful lives with a people they maintained intimate bonds with.

In a podcast with author Sebastian Junger, who wrote the great book, Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging, which I’ve read and would recommend to you all, Junger discusses how modern life is so far removed from the lives our ancestors evolved from. We are quite disconnected from each other, and the sense of community is gone as we are glued to our smartphones and obsessing over our number of friends and likes on social media.

One disturbing point Junger makes in Tribe is about veterans struggling to find meaning in their everyday lives back in the U.S. after returning from war. A telling reality of how messed up our society and culture have become today is the fact that most veterans would prefer life in a conflict zone, facing bullets and the constant threat of death or attack, than live in the isolated states of America. Veterans are committing suicide at the rate of over 20 deaths a day. A sobering statistic that is brought on by the spike in opioid drug overdoses, which are occurring at twice the rate of the civilian population. Veterans have essentially lost their tribe and their closeness that comes with being part of a group and serving a real purpose in life.

But veterans are far from the only ones feeling this sense of alienation. In today’s digital/social media world, our interaction with others is increasingly virtual. “In the sprawl of suburbia, we live in densely-packed cul-de-sacs yet hardly know our next-door neighbors’ names,” Taggart writes. “The fast-growing wealth gap is forcing the 99 percent to work harder just to make ends meet, leaving little time left in the week for socializing or family interaction.” Therefore, the U.S. is experiencing an undeniable epidemic of loneliness and depression.

A study released by Cigna in May revealed how Generation Z is the worst off, undoubtedly dubbed the loneliest generation. Americans experiencing loneliness has reached “epidemic levels,” according to Cigna’s U.S. Loneliness Index, which surveyed over 200,000 U.S. adults. The index almost exactly mirrors the 45 percent of American teens who say they are online constantly as 46 percent of those surveyed say they always feel alone and 47 percent feel left out. Younger generations feel far lonelier than older ones as more than half of Gen Z’ers identified with ten of the 11 feelings associated with loneliness.

But adults are suffering too. According to former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, at least 40 percent of all American adults report feeling lonely, with loneliness rates doubling since the 1980s during the most technologically connected society to date. Furthermore, the number of people who report having a close confidante in their lives has been declining over the past few decades while the average number of square feet of our homes has been skyrocketing (new homes are 1,000 square feet larger than they were in 1973).

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The social media bubble is real and is upending our culture of connection and human interaction. A recent study by Harvard Business Review confirmed that the more we use Facebook, the worse our physical health, mental health and life satisfaction. Most telling is the fact that former Facebook executives have gone public with their fears that it’s “ripping apart society” by “exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology” as we put our best lives out there for the world to see while masking the real issues we have going on and making others feel that their lives are inadequate or missing something.

What Can We Do?

It is imperative to not feel shame or guilt for feeling lonely or isolated. Reaching out and asking for help is essential to getting your life back on a path toward lasting happiness. We need to recognize loneliness for what it is, a human condition and one that can be done away with if the proper actions are taken. We need to fight past our isolating tendencies and engage more directly with others in everyday life.

As I’ve stated, human beings crave connection, whether you believe that or not. But these connections must be of high quality, not quantity. You don’t have to be a social butterfly to feel the full benefits of authentic social connection. You only need a few meaningful relationships at a minimum. But they have to be in-the-flesh face-to-face interactions. Facebook messaging or replying via Twitter comments do not count.

Here are several sources PeakProsperity references that offer guidance for creating a community and building relationships:

75 Actions That Build Community

Peak Prosperity’s Community Building Wiki page

Success Factors for Developing a Sense of Community

Chapters 10 & 11, “Emotional & Social Capital,” from Prosper!: How to Plan for the Future & Create a World Worth Inheriting

If you’re struggling, don’t be ashamed to ask for help. If you are depressed, anxious or lonely, talk about it. Reach out. If you need a professional therapist, go find one and get help. Suicide is never the answer. There is a way to improve your life and get you out of the social media bubble of isolation. Look for people in real life and form meaningful bonds and connections with others in your community. You are not alone. You can live a happy and fulfilling life if you take the right steps toward improving your current situation, no matter how dire.

Follow me @BobShanahanMan

Free Mental Health Counseling for Veterans And Their Families

#Community #Connection #depression #Facebook #Gen Z #Happiness #Instagram #Isolation #Loneliness #mental health #Millennials #Social Media #suicide #Twitter

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