Hello hello, I’m Courtney Bateson, HMG’s new Marketing Coordinator. I am so thrilled that my journey has brought me here, and I can’t wait to dive into this role to give it my all.

Born and raised in the north of England, I’m a lover of all things creative. Traveling, photography and food are my main points of interest and I usually find a way to combine the three in my spare time. I studied Marketing Management at University in Manchester and it was here where I had the opportunity to study abroad. Enticed by the scorching hot summers and the endless supply of BBQ that Texas had to offer, I chose to study at Texas Tech University. Next thing I knew, I was in the high plains of Lubbock, adapting to a new academic system and integrating into a completely different culture. I screamed with excitement when I saw a tumbleweed rolling down the street for the first time – embarrassing, I know.

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As we approach the holiday season, it is important we understand the power of the holidays on our businesses sales. This year alone the National Retail Federation expects sales in November and December to generate $678.75 billion. This is the season for shopping and attracting new customers—don’t miss out on your perfect chance to reach your target audience. Follow these simple steps for the perfect holiday marketing strategy.

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Facebook and Instagram are constantly evolving platforms, therefore, the company continues to update algorithms in order to stay ahead of marketers needs. While these updates provide us with new ways to capture our audience, it is challenging to keep up with the latest capabilities and ensure we are capitalizing on every opportunity. This month, Facebook and Instagram are releasing game-changing updates—here’s what you need to know:

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Influencer marketing seems to be taking the lead as this year’s most “influential” marketing approach. Have you ever noticed someone you follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Snapchat mention different products from time to time? I hate to break it to you, but that influencer you follow was more than likely paid to mention that product on their personal feed. This approach gives companies access to thousands, if not millions, of people they would not have otherwise been able to reach.

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The word “trend” is defined as: “a general direction in which something is developing or changing.” So given that trends are inherently dynamic, the challenge to stay current can be daunting. Industries within the digital sphere require constant adaptation to trends, and identifying them (for which there are many different methods) is always the first step. Keeping up with daily trends is an essential element for creating content that is relevant to your consumers. Diligence here will also better equip you to avoid costly mistakes, through a greater understanding and awareness of social issues and controversy.

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Austin, Texas is famous for its vibrant community of art, music, and culture with hip places like South Congress, Rainey Street, and nature’s finest trails. So it should come as no surprise that many Austinites have gravitated toward Instagram, as their mode of visually expressing the city’s self-described weirdness. Naturally, Austin is also home to many Instagram “celebrities” who remind their followers each and every day why this is the greatest place to live.

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To some, sports is a religion. Strangers band together to celebrate wins, or to reck havoc when teams lose.

Before the introduction of social media, sports were only available live either on the TV or radio. Of course there were post game updates on networks like ESPN or articles posted on major internet news sites, but ultimately, there were no live updates a decade ago. Now, social media is playing a huge role in how we view sports. Continue…

Social media is an ever-changing outlet. Networking platforms have been going in and out of popularity as quickly as Kylie Jenner’s Lip Kits. Who remembers MySpace? I know I do. I would spend hours updating my MySpace layout, thinking I was cool because I knew which codes to put in to make my solid colored background into one that resembled a disco ball. Now that MySpace has phased out, the public has moved on to the more popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. I am now a senior in college, but I began using social media when I was thirteen. Middle school was all about who your top friends were on MySpace, high school was all about being “FB official” and posting funny posts on your BFF’s Facebook wall, and now in college Snapchat and Instagram are the best ways to show everyone from home how much better college is than high school.

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As 2015 sets in at full force, it’s vital for brands and marketers to have an active gauge on which demographics are using social media. Depending on the type of content you’re promoting, knowing which social media network to use greatly affects the success of the campaign or post. The reason is simple – we all want the greatest reach possible.

To break it down, Adweek lays out each social media network and interaction in a handy infographic. It highlights exactly what age group is using each social media site – Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram – in 2015 and what the percent of growth is for each. This early in the year, getting a jump-start on these numbers could greatly improve your social reach as you began to plan campaigns, content, and leverage.
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Being a team of creatives, it’s probably not surprising that we seek to find inspiration in any medium we can. The Internet and social media make that all too easy, especially with platforms like Instagram that bundle amazing content from all over the world into one place. Here’s the rundown on 10 of our favorite Instagram accounts to follow:

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