You are the best version of yourself.

Any time a mother looks down at her post-partum body and thinks to herself, “I wish I looked like I used to,” or when we see a celebrity flaunting their slender stature shortly after giving birth, our standards of “beauty” rise, and our self-esteem plummets.

There was a time when life was simpler; when selfies were taken with a two-megapixel camera on a flip phone, and you couldn’t tell whether you had a blemish on your face.

Then came Instagram and the first filters; with only a few swipes and taps, we could instantly make our photos look like they were taken by a pro.

But a simple filter wasn’t enough, and now that face and body tuning apps have arrived, the phrase “you, but better” has taken on a whole new meaning. Slimmer, fitter, blonder, bigger lips, and the ideal jawline can all be accomplished before the first cup of coffee.

Is it, however, really you in those photos?

For years, brands and advertisements have tried to persuade us that being ‘beautiful’ entails having the same set of characteristics: lithe, long-haired, flawless eyes, perfect teeth, and the perfect tan.

There’s nothing wrong with trying to look and feel our best, but when we change the color of a sunset or our appearance to better fit a generic definition of perfection, we’re changing what happened at the moment while also losing a piece of ourselves.

Our true beauty lies in our diversity, which ranges from body types to hair colors and beyond.

Women should be open to addressing how topics like cycles, urinary leakage, discharge, and sweat affect us on a daily basis, in addition to being comfortable with how we look.

Let’s get down to it. It’s very popular. The majority of women have or will have their period so they can use period underwear; it’s in our DNA, and one of every three mothers will have bladder leaks.

I wanted to empower women to accept their bodies and have complete trust in themselves when I established Zonas, Australia’s leading leak-proof underwear. When I was a full-time mother of a two-year-old and a five-month-old, and living in Seattle, USA, surrounded by tech start-ups, the idea came to me.

I was out jogging, in reality, I was preparing for a marathon, and I had been having light bladder leakage on occasion, which was humiliating.

Disposable hygiene was the only option, which was unsightly, inconvenient, unpleasant, and hazardous to our environment. I just thought we deserved a little more.

I realized right away that I’d have to develop an entirely new product category for women. I’m very proud of how I took that concept and turned it into a product and now an apparel line that helps women handle the menstrual flow, incontinence, discharge, breast milk leakage, and sweat in a more easy, comfortable, and reliable way, while also reducing the amount of single-use items that end up in landfills and damage our environment.

I had a patentable product after two years of production that involved countless talks with textile engineers, scientists, and industry experts, as well as a sourcing and performing over 1,000 experimental tests.

I then sought feedback on how I could market this line of life-altering underwear. I was told over and over that we’d need supermodels to make supposedly taboo subjects (menstruation and incontinence) acceptable to Australian women and the media.

I refused to accept that this was the only way we could have a presence in the industry, so we’ve enlisted the support of consumers and regular women from all walks of life to model and promote our goods from the beginning. Customers are calling us on a regular basis six years later to participate in our photoshoots that celebrate women of all sizes, ethnicities, and ages. You’ll see every kind of woman, from mothers to athletes, nannies to our business world’s movers and shakers, and they’re all photoshop-free.

 

 

 

5 Rules to Making an Engaging & Conversion Optimized “Explainer Video”

Most explainer videos have a fairly short amount of time to hook the audience’s attention.

If your video isn’t engaging enough, it’s highly likely that your target audience will feel the need of walking away from your business. As a business owner, the last thing you want is to see a customer walking away. 

It’s why the visual strategy & storyboarding in your explainer video should be on-point & convincing. 

Are you wondering what is the best way to create a powerful explainer video that can hook your audience? Do you want an explainer video that can send a convincing message to them? Here are five rules to help you create the conversion-optimized and powerfully engaging explainer video. 

Rule # 1: Create a “Bazinga!” Script 

The script is one of the most important elements of your explainer video. Without a great script, you won’t be able to convince your target audience why you’re the best choice for them. No matter how amazing animations you create or what wonderful visual imagery you utilize in making your explainer video unless it doesn’t have a powerful and highly converting script, you’re less likely going to create an impact. 

So first off, get a powerful script written by a great story-teller or a script copywriter. 

Usually, when you hire a corporate animation company to create an animated video for your brand, they often include scriptwriting within their packages. So have a conversation with the copywriter. 

Rule # 2: Proper Characters 

When your target audience watches your explainer video, they are seeking to readily connect with the brand messaging behind your video. The true essence of that message can be well communicated with your audience when it’s coming from the right characters. For instance, if you’re running a dental business & you want to convey your brand message across to your audience, you will more likely choose a character who dons up a formal doctor attire instead of a business attire or a casual one.

 

No matter what type of fictional person you choose to display in your explainer video, find someone to whom your audience can relate. Choose the right age & clothing style to meet your audience’s requirements. Some animators go the extra length of identifying which facial expressions can be more convincing. Considering all of these features and much more helps video animators create a much stronger connection with their respective target audience. One way or the other, your focus should always be to create fictional characters which are relevant to your business and attention-grabbing. 

Rule # 3: Strong & Confident Voiceovers 

Just like the right animation can make or break the video, a strong voiceover plays an equally important role. Imagine getting briefed on an important project by an unpleasant voice? Will you like to listen to them for a long period of time? After a minute or two, you might feel detached from the main point of view and your mind will start judging the person. Instead of focusing on key takeaways, you will be too involved in thinking about all the “what ifs.” 

It’s why it is highly necessary that you make sure to onboard a voiceover artist who can mesmerize the audience and does not make them cringe. Otherwise, people will choose to click on the close option before they even find their interest in watching your explainer video. 

If you’re planning to hire a professional voiceover artist from Fiverr, then allow me to pull the plug here and now. There’s a huge difference between hiring a professional voiceover artist from a video animation company and a voiceover artist who offers freelance voiceover services on Fiverr. 

Don’t cut corners, choose the right one for your explainer video. 

 

Rule # 4: Focus on the Music & Sound Effects

Imagine watching an animated movie with the worst music and sound effects running in the background. For how long would you prefer to watch the animation? My guess is, not long enough. Although, music & sound effects may appear as a small component of your overall animation. In research performed by some of the best video animators, an animated video with a simple voiceover scored less compared to an animated video that had powerful music & strong sound effects playing in the background. 

So if you’re opting in for high-engagement, make sure your explainer video should have a strong audio. 

Rule # 5: An Accurate “Call-to-Action” 

You can only compel your audience to take action when your animated explainer video offers a strong “Call-to-Action.” Make sure to add an accurate call-to-action in your explainer video so your target audience can make a decision. For example, does your business have a phone number? Do you have a website? Let your audience know about the contact details right at the end of your explainer video.

Take the chance of giving a small nudge in the direction of your choice. If your explainer video has what it takes to keep your audience hooked, then it won’t take long for the video to successfully convert. 

A “Call-to-Action” will simply work as the push your audience requires. 

Concluding Thoughts 

We live in a time where video marketing is at the heart of everything. 

A great video has increasing benefits and one among many is to convince the audience that you’re right for business. Are you struggling with lead generation? Are you unable to connect with your audience in the best manner? Get your brand an explainer video from a recognized video production company. 

Before you know it, your business lead generation process will streamline. 

Common Myths About The Wagyu Beef That Need Busting!

Who says myths and rumors revolve around only politics and the celebrity world? There happen to be food myths as well! Wagyu beef is a term everyone is aware of, even if someone hasn’t had the pleasure of tasting this luxurious beef. Despite the popularity of this beef worldwide, some people still remain skeptical about eating it because of the popular myths circulating around. So we thought we would do some myth-busting!

Wagyu Beef Is Over Priced

If any beef is highly sought after and luxurious in the world, it’s the Wagyu beef! Only four breeds of cattle can produce authentic Japanese Wagyu beef, all of which are raised in Japan’s specific prefectures. The ranchers take special care of these cattle and pay attention to every detail in order to produce high-quality meat. The industry is implementing innovative traceability due to the increasing popularity of Wagyu beef around the world.

Eithers its kobe beef or Miyazaki, The Wagyu beef is given an overall beef quality score after it has been assessed through five very specific grading criteria. The highest quality Wagyu is graded as A5 Wagyu beef as in Grade A for yield and grade 5 in the remaining categories. The strict grading process ensures the beef’s consistency in both quality and authenticity. Thus, the Wagyu beef cannot be produced or graded the same way anywhere in the world, which makes it a one of a kind, reasonably expensive product.

Wagyu Beef Is Just Fat & Fat

The unique marbling on the Wagyu meat is what makes it so special. This marbling is created by intramuscular fat running throughout muscle fibers, which only occurs in Wagyu cattle with proper genes. The Wagyu cattle are fed a high-energy diet that supports intramuscular fat cell growth, which is why, unlike other regular forms of beef, the Wagyu contains a high amount of unsaturated fat and Omega 3s. Due to the high percentage of unsaturated fats, Wagyu beef has the lowest cholesterol levels, ultimately reducing the risk of heart diseases. The fat content in Wagyu beef is healthy for human body energy production and cell growth.

 

Wagyu Is The Same In All Regions

The Japanese Wagyu is produced using four different breeds of cattle: (Shorthorn, Black, Polled, and Brown). It is tracked via nose prints and Cattle ID numbers and goes through a strict grading system.

Australian Wagyu is raised the same way, but the cattle are often crossbred. The cattle are often offspring of the full-blooded and domestic breed, i.e., Red or Black Angus.

American Wagyu is crossbred with Black Angus as well. American and Australian Wagyu will not have the same marbling, texture, and taste as Japanese Wagyu due to crossbreeding and region-based diets.

Myths: Busted!

We hope we have debunked the most popular myths about Wagyu beef. However, you can always find out true facts about the Wagyu beef by asking questions from us at Fine Wagyu. We deal in authentic and genuine Japanese Wagyu beef.

 

 

 

How to Use Facebook Effectively to Promote Your Small Business and Increase Sales

Promoting your products or services, especially in this fierce market where every business – small, medium, or big has a carefully constructed online marketing plan, is no easy feat. These days, without an online brand presence, it is hard for even traditional businesses to thrive. Today’s consumers are over-smart; they search for a brand online before deciding to make a purchase decision.

For a small business, creating a solid online marketing strategy seems very daunting. With all the social media networks available these days, the task of creating an online brand presence has now become easier.

Thanks to social medial, which has made it easier for brands to improve their online presence and increase brand awareness. There are a number of social media networks available; out of them, Facebook remains one of the top social media platforms for entrepreneurs and businesses.

Let’s find out how Facebook can help you to promote your small business and how you can maximize your online marketing efforts with this platform.

Let’s get started.

Facebook – The Largest Online Marketing Channel

Among all social media channels available today, it is important to understand that Facebook is indeed the largest and effective platform that has deep-rooted in our lives. A survey says, 1.59 billion users actively use Facebook, whereas Twitter, the second-largest platform, boasts 400 million users.

Now it is very clear for marketers to create their social media marketing campaigns; they must involve Facebook. And secondly, you need to use the right tricks and effective strategies if you really want to stand out from the rest.

Determine What Facebook Audience Wants

When Facebook was initially launched, it was quite easy to increase your sales, regardless of the type of business – small, medium, or large. This is the reason people didn’t notice when they were being targeted by advertisers. But today, consumers have a better understanding of what is credible and what is not.

Facebook’s audience is a big fan of image content and videos. People are more prone to share visual content on Facebook. However, that doesn’t mean to completely ignore the text-based posts. People will share and comment on text-based posts as well if your brand is offering something of immense value.

Keep in mind, Facebook audiences don’t like spam content, and they don’t even like low-quality or invaluable content. For a brand to flourish, it’s critical that posts are of the utmost quality, engaging, and informative. It’s totally a bad idea to spam your audience with a number of posts that are irrelevant and doesn’t capture their interest. Instead, focus on one or two high-quality and informative posts that actually grab the attention of users and gain more likes and shares.

Post Informative Content

If you want to promote your business on Facebook, it is important to come up with interesting and informative posts to keep your audience engaged. By posting regularly, your audience will develop a clear and better understanding of your products and services. Posting regularly is not important; what matters most is the quality of posts. The information you are providing to your audience should be unique and relevant to your business industry. If you are not sure what your audience wants to see, you can use the feature Facebook Poll and ask people what is in their mind and what type of content they want to see. It will help you come up with more interesting and engaging Facebook posts.

Positive Reviews are a Compelling Way of Advertisement

Facebook users are now able to review brands directly on their official Facebook page. Keep in mind; an honest, positive review plays a key role in strengthening your brand image.  In fact, one positive customer review is better than your branded posts. So, avoid creating salesy posts and self-promotion posts and focus on collecting honest and positive customer feedback. As customer reviews serve as a persuasive and authentic way to promote your products or services. You can offer some rewards, incentives, and giveaways for a positive review.

Conclusion

Whether you are running a logo design company or web design company an online store, or a retail business, it is advised to use Facebook to strengthen your online marketing efforts and promote your business. Your goal should be to create engaging content that people want to read, share, and like to stay in good standing under your customer service. If you follow these strategies, your business will get a lot of real leads and ultimately flourish.

Living in condos – is it best for families or not?

Toronto, a large city loved by the whole world.

That’s right! Toronto is loved by the whole world. The city is the most diverse of them all in all of the Americas. Other than that, it is North America’s fastest-growing city.

Despite all these facts, what makes Toronto a unique city? It is Canada’s financial capital, yes? Yes, it is. What else, it is abundant with skyscrapers just like New York City. It has landmarks and among them is the C.N Tower. Yes indeed. But there is more to just these facts.

Toronto is one of those cities that curbed suburban and urban sprawl by mixing housing lots with apartment buildings. Though the city is now spreading beyond its traditional borders, apartment-style housing (particularly condos and lofts) are quite popular and are often constructed in the city.

Moreover, Toronto has earned the affectionate nickname ‘Condoville’ thanks to the number of condos, apartments, and lofts constructed and present. Living in a Toronto Condo with amenities has been the Canadian dream for most Torontonians and immigrants alike in Toronto.

Are more Torontonians going towards living in Condos?

For many Torontonians, owning a detached home is still a dream especially for homebuyers. These days, a growing number of families are looking to settle down and live in condos. When it comes to living in condos, there are many benefits associated with it and there is no doubt the right condo unit being a great place to raise kids.

However, one thing should be kept in mind; not every building is completely equipped to accommodate kids and families.

Those who intend to purchase a condo, they should remember that it is important to carefully examine the needs of their family and be completely aware of the features and amenities that are available and that can be able to serve them well shortly.

Before prospective buyers purchase a condo, they should know some things about family-friendly condos.

A shift in demand

Toronto’s real estate faces challenges in affordability. Housing prices in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) are among the most expensive in both Canada, North America, and the world. Currently, a lot of buyers are in the market looking for studio condos because they are available at affordable prices in comparison to a typical Toronto condo.

Young professionals are not the only ones considering affordable options in housing. Families are also looking for homes and spaces worth their budgets. They are also looking for the same based on their space needs. Hence, condos complete such a requirement.

Preference for an urban lifestyle is boosting the demand for condominium units having larger square footage. With many families used to living in the core part of the city, a move to the suburbs does not appeal to them anymore.

The demand for family-friendly condos is growing and so is the competition. Hence, families looking for a unit that meets their needs is not possible at the moment. Before families decide about the kind of housing best for them, they should always look at the benefits condos have for them.

What benefits families can get by living in Condos?

Families can get the following advantages by living in condos:

1.  It is cost-effective

On one hand, the rising demand for condos has reduced the price gap between detached homes and condo units. Yet, on the other hand, the cost difference is of quite an importance for a lot of families. Raising children today is expensive.

When families have to pay less for their homes, such can make a huge difference in their budget. Such a difference in the budget can reduce financial difficulties and allows families to have something worth enjoying; like higher education expenses, memorable vacation, and the like.

2.  No need to spend a lot of money on their maintenance

Those living in a detached house can understand how expensive it is to live in one, especially if things like the furnace or plumbing need repair. They also need to spend time mowing the lawn, watering the plants, maintaining the lawn, shoveling the snow off the car way, and then spending on repairs.

In a condo, the amount of money needed for maintenance is different from one building to the other. Condo fees often go towards general maintenance. Hence, condo residents will have more time and money for their families.

3.  Convenient living

Transportation costs are high for those who live in the suburbs due to the high commuting time. Living in the city core reduces the time spent in commuting (especially when going to work from home). Also, being closer to school and other amenities adds more to the convenience factor.

Other than that, Urban neighborhoods have a high rate of walkability and offer residents convenient access to urban transportation and transit.

What other things should prospective buyers look for?

Some condos are well designed to meet the needs of families instead of individuals. The following are the factors families should look at when buying a condo:

The condo’s space

Buyers should not just consider the number of bedrooms their family uses in their existing homes. They should look at the amount of living space their families need. Do their kids need a separate space from the living room?

Buyers often underestimate the square footage they will need and also overlook the importance of a functional layout. They shouldn’t be overlooking any of these.

The condo’s storage

Having a family means an accumulation of possessions and this is likely to grow. Among them could be strollers, clothing, toys, books, furniture, etc. A family-friendly condo will provide residents an ample amount of storage space to store these items.

When buyers are considering purchasing a condo unit, they should check all dimensions of closets, overhead cabinets, and storage lockers. If there are a storeroom and a pantry or either present, then its an added advantage.

Amenities friendly for children

Condo complexes having on-site amenities are always at an advantage due to the convenience they provide to residents. If they are friendly for children, then families’ lives are made quite easy. Child-friendly swimming pools, playrooms as well as green space around buildings (especially new projects) are meeting the needs of families.

Other than that, families would consider condos having closer proximity to parks and recreational areas such as playgrounds, soccer fields, basketball courts, skating rings, futsal courts, gyms, and the like.

Conclusion

Families can consider buying a condo, especially the one that is family-friendly, spacious, having a good amount of storage space, near amenities and recreational areas, and most important of all, in a safe area of the city. They can always contact their realtors if they need to find the one that suits their needs in the best way possible.