Despite 65% of consumers expecting brands to promote diversity and inclusion in their online advertising, 53%, on the other hand, feel they aren’t fully represented. Modern consumers now view representation as an important value that brands should prioritize in social media channels, believing that their content should be inclusive.

Great social media content is created with an informed understanding of your brand’s target audience. Maryville University’s post on international science outlines how global businesses and organizations need to understand their customers’ demands. This means companies should meet the demands of their consumers who wish to see content that features diverse portrayals. That being said, social media campaigns should encompass different kinds of people. Brands are tasked with a twofold purpose: to recognize the role they play within the conversation of inclusivity and to highlight unheard voices in appropriate ways.

Here are some ways small businesses can make social media content more inclusive.

1. Work with a diverse marketing team

Though this section doesn’t directly deal with how you can promote diversity in your social media content, it’s still significant. Before you can create an inclusive marketing campaign, you’ll need to first consult the right people that can strengthen your understanding of how diversity should be shown. For small businesses, ensure that your limited workforce employs a diverse marketing team that can offer valuable insights. Because these workers represent different backgrounds and ethnicities, you’re granted a closer look into the values they wish to see on social media, too. For example, female marketing employees can suggest strategies that can democratize content about sporting goods so they’re not male-focused. This change in perspective can help you better cater to the demographic you want to reach.

2. Feature diverse people in your imagery

Businesses should feature diverse people to improve the perception of their brand. Not only that, but by showcasing a range of ages, body types, or races, consumers from underrepresented communities can aspire to become part of an ideal look in mass media. Several beauty companies have limited shade options (with a focus on lighter skin tones), which can be demotivating for shoppers of color. Beauty brand creators like Samantha Ravndahl, however, champion inclusivity in their online marketing campaigns. Auric Cosmetics’ posts on social media are centered on representing a whole range of skin tones, specifically for their foundations. For smaller businesses that don’t have the luxury of creating an extensive product line, you can start by making sure your existing products are endorsed by different people. You may also work with influencers who are people of color or have disabilities, although we advise you to create a thoughtful collaboration proposal if you plan on doing so.

3. Contribute to conversations on important issues

In our post ‘How to Break Into Foreign Affairs Writing’, we discussed the need to identify disparate stories and how they connect to a larger audience— this is so people are given a chance to understand the importance of these issues. The same effort (of boosting lesser-known narratives) should go into your social media content; this is your cue to speak about important issues. For instance, Altra Running opened a dialogue about disordered eating and body shaming with their recent campaign for International Women’s Day. On Instagram, the brand shared stories of women who felt disadvantaged as runners, all because of the male-set standards of health and fitness, with #ThisIsARunnersBody. Ultimately, for smaller businesses, audience engagement is important. Partaking in relevant discussions can inspire your customers to express support or share their own experiences on the matter.

4. Amplify diverse voices through Instagram takeovers

Featuring product models of varying backgrounds shouldn’t be the only option for brands who want to diversify their social media content. After all, customers are interested in features or in-depth content from people who share their ethnicity or sexuality, and Instagram takeovers are a great way to do exactly that. An Instagram takeover essentially means a brand invites a guest or a worker to “take over” the platform for a day or two— and it’s also a low-cost means for small businesses to elevate their content. For example, if you have an LGBTQ+ employee, consider asking them to cover one of the local pride marches. This way, your social media followers are given a chance to immerse themselves in the event. Not to mention, your business gets to amplify voices that aren’t typically heard.

Whether you are a content creator, have a web design agency, run a freelance writing business, or sell your crafts online, you must not forget to make cybersecurity a cornerstone of your creative endeavors. It is important to remember that hackers can use any piece of stolen information for malicious means, so you must make your customers and their data the priority.

Remote work has impacted the media and creative industries as it has become the norm for these types of businesses. Cybersecurity becomes even more important when working remotely due to the decreased protocols and vulnerability to hackers in public spaces. If you start working out of a traditional office, you can also encounter a number of cybersecurity risks. If you don’t have the proper protections in place for your creative business, then you can start with these tips.

The importance of cybersecurity

As a small creative company, you may think that you are not at risk of cybercrime because you don’t stand out like the major enterprises. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The fact of the matter is that hackers often seek out the smaller companies because they know that either you don’t believe that your company is in danger or that you don’t have the resources necessary to protect your operation.

If your company does become the victim of a data breach, it could mean big trouble for your future. These days, the average breach can cost a company millions of dollars, and you may not have the funds to recover. Even worse, as a new business, you depend on the loyalty of your customers. If it is discovered that you put their data at risk, then they may decide to go to a competitor instead. That stain on your reputation could put your business in danger before you even gain traction.

That is why it is very important that you start protecting your company. That means learning about common threats like phishing scams and malware and also learning the tactics to properly defend your organization. Take the time to educate yourself by reading information online and talking to other small business operators about what they do to protect their customers.

Also, it is important to remember that it isn’t only bad actors that can put your company at risk. Often, human error is behind cybersecurity issues. The creation of weak passwords and the failure to install security updates can be the catalyst to vulnerability to cybercrimes. Learn about these internal threats so you can be protected on all fronts.

Considerations as your company grows

Protecting client information will become even more important as your operation expands and you begin to better understand what your clients truly want. Keep in mind that even if you aren’t collecting credit card and social security numbers, hackers may still want your data. Even email addresses and birth dates can be sold on the black market or used to commit phishing scams against your clients.

As you grow and start working with multiple parties, it is a smart idea to use collaboration software to help your team keep every digital activity in check. In addition to aiding in increased productivity and allowing the easy organization of documentation, many collaboration software packages store the information in the cloud. The great thing about cloud companies is that they often have their own security teams that monitor your data, and they can spot a threat right away before it becomes a bigger issue. If you vet the company and they have secure servers, you don’t have to worry about vulnerability as much and you can focus on running your business.

When your company has reached a point where you have more money to hire additional professionals, you may want to consider adding a department to your small business and bringing in an IT professional. In addition to managing your systems and introducing you to new tech, an IT expert also knows just about every cybersecurity threat, and they can spot a potential problem a mile away. The knowledge of an IT professional can also be helpful when securing the technology that could keep you ahead of your competitors.

Common-sense security

No matter how big your operation becomes, you still need to enact the basic security measures that can keep your company protected against common threats. The most essential of those is to use smart passwords on every program that you use throughout the day. A strong password will have a combination of numbers, letters, and special characters, and it should be paired with a form of two-factor authentication, like a fingerprint or eye scan, that cannot be easily duplicated.

You also need to find a good antivirus program and install it on all computers and remote devices. Use it to run scans every couple of days so that you can catch threats immediately before they can infect your system. Antivirus software is only useful if it is updated regularly, so always be on the lookout for new versions and install them right away to protect against the newest threats.

Finally, take the steps necessary to prevent hackers from accessing your systems and reaching your data at all costs. Be sure to incorporate a firewall that will keep hackers out in the first place. You can often put all of your devices on the same firewall. Then, in the case that hackers can get in, make sure to encrypt all of your data by using a virtual private network (VPN) that makes it so the criminals are unable to read your real information even if they get it in their possession. Both of these solutions aren’t very expensive, but they can be real lifesavers.

As you can see, there are many ways that you can protect your small creative business against the threats of hackers and cybercriminals. Implement these steps today, and you can watch your company grow without worrying about a costly breach.

When it comes to the workplace, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to success. A growing number of employers are beginning to realize that neurodiverse talent can be an asset in the workplace. 

So, what is neurodiversity? Neurodiversity is a term used to describe the range of differences in human brain function and behavioural traits. It refers to the natural variation in the way human brains are wired and includes conditions such as ADHD, autism, and dyslexia.

There are many reasons why employers should be actively seeking out and supporting neurodiverse talent. Neurodiverse employees often have unique skill sets that can be an asset to any business and supporting neurodiversity can help create a more diverse and inclusive workplace which research indicates leads to innovation and creativity.

The benefits

Neurodiversity can be an asset in the workplace because it can help create a more diverse and inclusive environment. Businesses with a diverse workforce perform better than those without, and research indicates that diversity fosters innovation and creativity. When people with different backgrounds and perspectives come together, they’re more likely to come up with new and innovative ideas.

But mainly, supporting neurodiverse talent is simply the right thing to do. Individuals with neurodiverse conditions face significant barriers in life, including in education and employment. By hiring neurodiverse individuals and making accommodations for their needs, employers can help level the playing field and foster a more inclusive society. 

Why businesses should support neurodiverse talent

Despite the advantages that neurodiverse employees can bring to an organization, they often face significant challenges in accessing employment opportunities. 

So why are businesses missing out on this untapped talent pool? In many cases, it’s simply a matter of misunderstanding. Many employers mistakenly believe that neurodiverse employees will be unable to meet the demands of their roles, or that accommodating them will be too expensive or time-consuming. 

However, research has shown that these fears are unfounded. A study by Accenture found that organizations with more diverse workforces performed better financially than those without. What’s more, another study showed that companies who proactively recruited and supported autistic workers reported reduced staff turnover rates and improved morale among all employees. 

Similarly, accommodating employees doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive; simple measures such as sit-stand desks and white noise machines can make a big difference to someone with ADHD, for example. And even when accommodations for employees may require slightly more investment upfront, such as providing specialist software, the long-term benefits more than justify the costs. 

It’s also worth remembering that all employees likely need some form of accommodation to be able to do their best work; it’s not just neurodiverse employees who may need support. For example, parents often require flexible working arrangements so they can balance their responsibilities at home with their job demands. Similarly, older workers may need workplace adjustments to accommodate declining vision or hearing. 

The point is, accommodative measures benefit everyone – not just those with diagnosed medical conditions – and businesses should be prepared to provide them for all employees when needed. 

In conclusion

With an ever-growing body of evidence demonstrating the business case for hiring neurodiverse talent, there’s really no excuse for not actively recruiting and supporting employees on the autism spectrum, with ADHD, dyslexia, or any other form of neurological difference. Not only is it the right thing to do from a social responsibility perspective; it makes good business sense too. Everyone deserves a fair chance to find employment opportunities that make use of their skills and strengths.

August 9^th is International Coworking Day. And no—this day isn’t about celebrating your coworkers, but instead coworking spaces. It’s celebrated on August 9^th because on this day in 2005, software engineer Brad Neuberg made a blog post to introduce people to the concept of coworking spaces.

Now popular among freelancers and employees with remote jobs, coworking is a thriving industry; its revenue is expected to double by 2024. This can be attributed to many things: companies that are newly remote post-pandemic, employees choosing to work for themselves, and also employees who have been working remotely but simply want a change of scenery.

If you’re part of a coworking space, here’s how you can celebrate International Coworking Day—and make sure you’re taking full advantage of its perks.

Make sure your coworking space is the best fit

The concept of a coworking space was foreign when it was initially introduced. However, now there are nearly 20,000 different ones in the world. That said, there are typically a good amount of different coworking options—especially if you live in a more populated area. Use this day to weigh the pros and cons of your coworking space options to ensure you’re a member of one that’s the best fit for you.

Join events and seminars

Say you’re part of a coworking space and go to work at it a few times a week. If so, you’re just scratching the surface of interacting with its community. Most coworking spaces offer events, happy hours, seminars, and more. And although your job may be remote and not involve anyone you see at your coworking space in person, that doesn’t mean you can’t connect. Being around other people doesn’t just boost your productivity, but it also opens doors to potential friends, colleagues, along with information about their jobs and fields. Use this day to sign up for an event or seminar to put yourself out there.

Share your thoughts about coworking on social media

Okay, so you’ve made sure your coworking space is the best fit and you’ve signed up for some events. Now it’s time to celebrate this day on social media with the hashtag #InternationalCoworkingDay. Why do you enjoy coworking? What does it add to your life? What’s your favorite coworking spot and why?

These are all questions you can answer on social media to spread the word—and even maybe make some new coworking connections.

Remote work has been on the rise in the last couple of years, but it isn’t right for everyone. If you’re deciding to apply for a remote job and want to make sure it’s the right fit for you, here are five questions you can ask yourself.

1. Are you an independent worker?

This question may seem like a given for working remotely. But independent work isn’t just being introverted or happy with solitude each day; it’s much more than that. Remote jobs require one to be content sitting alone for several hours a day, completing tasks without any in-person support or guidance. Although it’s not the same as in-person communication, managers and coworkers are typically just a chat or video call away. Remote work does force one to become more independent if they’re not already. It requires one to create their own structure day-to-day.

2. Are you self-disciplined?

The idea of remote work sounds appealing to many—especially the concept of working in your pajamas, creating your own schedule, and cooking delicious work-from-home lunches. However, remote work is still work. Successfully working from home requires self-discipline and diligence. It requires the ability to work amidst possible distractions in your home—or wherever you’re working. Remember that working remotely is more productive for those who practice these things.

3. Do you have a designated workspace?

You may be interested in working remotely so you can sit on your couch with your laptop all day. And while that may be the most comfortable and efficient for some, it’s imperative for you to carve out your own space, just for work. Create a home office. If you don’t have an extra room available, create a space—even if it’s small—just for your time spent working. You can also look into shared workspaces. Doing so creates consistency and boundaries for yourself as you navigate remote work-life balance.

4. Do you crave flexibility?

The working world has never adjusted to remote work as swiftly and effectively as it has in the past couple of years. This is due to the pandemic and companies having to become remote overnight. With this came flexibility. And with flexibility comes the ability to work from anywhere, create your own schedule, and much more depending on your company policy. If you don’t want to be trapped in a cubicle and want the ability to hop on a plane for your next adventure, it could be the right fit for you.

5. Does your employer promote a healthy work/life balance and remote culture?

This one can easily be overlooked—especially if the company in question has a remote work policy. Unfortunately, just because they’re remote doesn’t mean they promote a healthy remote culture, which includes a healthy work-life balance. For example, just because you work from home doesn’t mean you’re “online” all the time. A healthy work-life balance would include setting boundaries for yourself during workdays. Your employer ideally would be helping you create those boundaries for yourself.

Check out these April Fools’ Day media faceplants. Then, rather that pull some elaborate prank on a coworker, play it safe and kick out some job apps (no joke) or plan to up your skills with an online course—after all, courses are 40% off until Friday at midnight using promo code NOFOOL.

1. Taco Bell “Buys” the Liberty Bell
Back in 1996, a team at Taco Bell put together an elaborate hoax involving the Liberty Bell, a full page ad in six major newspapers and a headline that read, “Taco Bell Buys The Liberty Bell.”

The ad—claiming the purchase of the Liberty Bell was a noble attempt to help reduce national debt—struck a sour note. Thousands of citizens called Taco Bell headquarters and the National Parks Service, and some even took to the press, decrying Taco Bell’s move. (Of course, bad is press is still good press and Taco Bell earned millions in free air time and also saw a big spike in sales that week.)

2. Radio Show Hosts Memorialize Their (Not Actually Dead) Mayor
In 1998, rock station WAAF personalities Opie and Anthony claimed Boston’s then-mayor Tom Menino was killed in a car crash.

Unsurprisingly, the prank was DOA. Menino, who was in fact very much alive, filed a complaint with the FCC urging them to fine the radio station. And for Opie and Anthony, they were quickly fired …only to be later hired on at a station in New York, where their careers propelled into on-air stardom.

3. ABC’s Countdown Clock Leads to Nothing
Remember Happy Endings on ABC? While never a smash hit, the show had a strong following who always hoped for a reboot. That’s where the prank comes in.

Last February, ABC tweeted the link to a countdown clock which would end on April 1st. The end date should have screamed “prank!”, but fans held out hope that the clock was winding down to the announcement of a new season. Instead, at the appointed hour, nothing happened. Happy Endings tweeted, “Happy…April Fools’ Day! Sorry!”

Needless to say, fans were not happy.

4. A TV Reporter Tells Bostonians a Nearby Hill Is an Erupting Volcano
In 1980, Boston’s Channel 7 News broadcast a special bulletin that a Massachusetts foothill was actually an active, erupting volcano, and included spliced footage and audio of then-President Carter claiming this is a “serious issue.”

The reporter ended the special bulletin with a sign reading “April Fools,” but it was already too late. Worried callers rang into the police station throughout the night, and the executive producer responsible for the prank was—you guessed it—fired.

5. A Furniture Company Places a “Sr. Mattress Tester” Job Ad
Chalk this one up as an April Fools’ win: Taking to social media with their job posting, one company used LinkedIn and other sources to play a killer job posting prank.

With such requirements as Demonstrated expertise in sleeping under varied conditions and A complete lack of enthusiasm and drive, the India-based furniture company Urban Ladder created a job posting for a bed tester that just had to be too good to be true.

And of course, it was. But because the ad was fun, lighthearted and—most important—didn’t tarnish a national treasure, fake a person’s death or get super fans’ hopes up, it led to some great free publicity for the company.

While we love April Fools’ Day jokes, we don’t post fake ads, only awesome ones. And because we think you deserve to be the complete opposite of a fool, we’re offering 40% off all courses when you use promo code NOFOOL. This deal ends before midnight on Friday, so sign up now!

The seal of approval—introduced by twtw Companies president Erin Carpenter and Accelerating Women founder and CEO Lisen Stromberg—is called “3 Percent Certified.” The program will certify agencies that not only set out to promote equality, but make real changes to their organization along the way.

“We are going to go out and talk to the talent, find out what the talent is experiencing, look at the individual agency’s programs, cultures and community and go beyond that to see what’s the benchmark, not just in the industry but outside the industry,” Stromberg said. “You can find out, how is your agency doing and what can your agency do to make changes?”

When an agency applies for certification, an independent auditing committee will collect information on salaries, the breakdown of men and women in leadership positions, and more. Then, the group will suggest benchmarks along with ways to reach a more balanced agency. If the shop can successfully hit those goals, it will be certified.

“We’re not going to be unrealistic and say to an agency that’s 8 percent women to be 50 percent in a year, but we will have reasonable, attainable goals that will move that needle,” Carpenter said.

“By earning that [certification], you’re sending the message out that says, ‘Hey, this is an agency that really honors and respects diversity, honors and respects respects women,’ and that is a talent-acquisition tool like there is none,” Stromberg added.

While 3 Percent Conference founder Kat Gordon had the idea awhile ago, Carpenter said the organization had to prove that placing more women in leadership roles leads to happier employees and better work cultures. Once the study on what ad women want was complete, it provided the necessary data to kick the certification program off.

The 3 Percent Conference study showed that while 56 percent of women reported they were making an adequate salary ($100,000 a year or more) and 78 percent stated they were satisfied with their current roles, 30 percent have no female leaders to look up to. An additional 60 percent reported that their agency was below the new standard of 11 percent of females holding creative director roles.

At agencies where women make up at least a quarter of the creative leadership, women reported higher levels of job satisfaction, better pay and fewer instances of discrimination than other agencies. For instance, 64 percent said they earn over $100,000, compared with 54 percent of their counterparts at more male-dominated agencies.

“Integration of data and the importance of having analytics to drive what we are talking about just became much more important. It became less abstract and more concrete. We were able to track what happens when the leadership ratio goes up a bit, and we’re seeing a real impact,” Carpenter said.

This article was originally published on Adweek.com on Oct. 26, 2015.

They’re notorious for paying their writers next to nothing, having strict deadlines and offering very little autonomy. But if this is true, why do people write for them? I know exactly why. I wrote for Demand Media Studios for one year. Here’s what it was like:

A Day in the Life

On a typical work day, I’d wake up, go to the coffee shop and log in to DMS’s main page. There was a pool of titles for writers to choose from, and Demand Studios’ style guide details the rules for each format, with how-to pieces typically running as short as 300 words and topical pieces around 500.

Beginning writers could claim 10 articles at once, refilling their queues as needed after assignments are complete. When my ratings went up, I was approved to claim 15 titles at a time. (More on writer ratings later.)

Once I decided which piece to start with, I would assimilate information from the Web and reshape it into a clear, concise piece.

The article titles were generated based on real phrases Google users searched and therefore ranged from the serious, “Missouri Child Abuse Statistics,” to the completely inane, “Why You Should Wear Clean Underwear.”

And, yes, both of these were titles I claimed and wrote. There were usually plenty of writeable titles to choose from, but occasionally I’d come across a dud like “How to Furnish a Giraffe” or “20 Benefits of a 3CQ On the JLRM36.” There were also a thousand iterations of the same article: “How to Dye Your Hair Pink,” “Best Pink Hair Color for Brunettes” or “How to Change Your Hair from Blonde to Pink.”

Sometimes these redundancies were beneficial, because I could use the same resources for multiple articles and save time on research. At others, the droning nature of this process made me wonder, “What am I doing?”

Writer Ratings and Working with Editors

While at a typical magazine, writers might get radio silence for a bad pitch or a kill fee for a piece that was never published, at DMS the process is a little different.

There is no punishment if you don’t finish a piece; after a certain number of days, the title simply drops back into the pool for others to claim. I frequently “tricked” this system by quickly un-claiming and re-claiming a title to get extra days to work on it.

Once you’ve written a piece and submitted it, however, your work will be rated by an editor for grammar and style, among other things.

In my experience, there was only one round of editing, so if I didn’t fix my piece to that editor’s standards, he or she could reject it and I wouldn’t get another rewrite.

My rating would go down slightly, which could have made it more difficult for me to qualify for more prestigious DMS markets in the future.

Title editors would attempt to weed out subjects that didn’t make sense, but ultimately writers were left to exercise their own judgment on the viability of a topic.

Consequently, there were times I’d write an entire article and have an editor reject it, because they believed I misinterpreted the title or that it should have never made it into the pool.

Conversely, there were times that DMS’ reliance on Google for subject matter worked in my favor, because I’d get to write essentially useless articles and still get paid for them.

However, since Google has improved its algorithms to push articles from content farms to the bottom of its search results, it’s very likely that Demand Studios publishes more interesting topics (with titles that actually make sense) than it did when I wrote for them.

Trying to determine if it’s worth your time to write for a content farm? Here are three major pros and cons based on my experience:

Pros

1. It’s steady pay. This is especially useful for students and beginning writers who may need the promise of quick money to get their careers rolling. I was paid twice a week at DMS, a consistency you won’t find in the nail-biting, invoice-sending world of traditional freelance writing.

2. You get a crash course in time management. In order to get the $15/hour wage at which I valued myself, I had to write one article an hour. I learned shortcuts to finding trustworthy information online and to trust my own instincts. Because of my experience with Demand, speed and accuracy are now ingrained in me, and editors I work with today often praise my ability to generate strong work very quickly.

3. It’s flexible. At DMS, I could claim and write as many or as few articles as I wanted. I could also write anywhere, as long as there was an Internet connection.

Cons

1.) Your byline is lost in the shuffle. Despite having published hundreds of articles, I was virtually anonymous. Most websites that buy articles from content farms are information-oriented, meaning their readers want quick, accurate info rather than a thoughtful reading experience. They don’t care who wrote it—they just want the facts.

2.) You’re a machine, not a person. At DMS, editors were nameless and faceless to the writers, just as we were to them. I never developed any relationships with colleagues, because we were kept anonymous to each other.

3.) You may feel like you’re stuck in a cycle. Every minute I wrote for DMS, I was robbing myself of a minute I could have spent on writing I was passionate about. And, because of the turn-and-burn nature of it, I wound up with few articles strong enough to offer as samples to new, potential clients.

Both content farms and traditional outlets have their risks. Bottom line? Hoping to make it big at a content farm is like working toward becoming a CEO by flipping burgers at McDonald’s.

Yes, it’s possible to work your way up, but it may take many, many years of substandard pay and monotonous work. However, penning articles for a content farm is a consistent paycheck as long as you put in the hours.

Again, I wrote for DMS over two years ago, and it’s very likely that the platform has improved since then. I have read that they’re making strides to filter out un-writeable titles and reward their most knowledgeable writers with higher-paying assignments, and I’m sure that there are some writers who probably enjoy their experience there.

If you are thinking of writing for a content farm, you should weigh the pros and cons listed here against your own research to see if it’s a good fit for you.

Traditional freelance writing, on the other hand, is like starting your own restaurant. It is expensive, scary as hell and there is no promise of success.

You may not make any money at all in the first several months, or even years. However, you get your autonomy and the fulfillment of being the boss from day one—everything can be exactly to your taste.

I applaud anyone who is bold and brave enough to pursue a career in writing, whether it’s content writing, blogging, fan fiction or starting your own ‘zine.

In my experience, it’s not the type of writing you do that determines your success. It’s when you enjoy what you do and operate from a mindset of fullness and gratitude that you will feel the most rewarded.