We Need to Talk: Are You As Exhausted by Harvey Weinstein As We Are?

Are you exhausted? We’re exhausted.

Asking ourselves, what’s the point, when every day feels like Groundhog Harassment Day. The rotation of recordings. Men saying nasty shit. You don’t want to listen, but you press play anyway. And you shudder when you think about all of the one-sided conversations you’ve had that sound just. like. that. 

Is your head on your desk? Are you thinking about the times in your youth that someone harassed you and you said nothing. Are you angry at yourself for being too young or too scared to speak up. Mad for not knowing. Mad for knowing better and turning the other cheek anyway. Only to have it grabbed. Are you wondering, did you need that job that much. Did you stay on board for the health insurance. The financial security. Did you laugh it all off because that's how you showed up the next day. And the next.  

Are you wondering how much of yourself you've sacrificed for your career. How many other women have you sacrificed in the process as well. Are you thinking about the story your friend told you about her boss that referred to all female clients as cunts. Or the boss who said he’d love to take you to dinner to talk about your future at the company. The one who wanted to photograph you. Who needed you to come over late at night. Or the male colleague who got you fired when he found out you made more money than him. 

The news cycle about the allegations of rape and harassment against Harvey Weinstein are exhausting. It's likely bringing up years of shit you haven't thought about. Microaggressions. Maybe macro ones.  

We're just like you today. We don't want to read anymore, but we can't look away. We see ourselves in these stories and we keep wondering who will speak up next now that the gates have opened? 

It's OK to feel down. To feel exhausted. To wonder what's the point. 

Five minutes. 

Harvey Weinstein wanted Ambra Battilana Gutierrez to stay for five minutes. We want five minutes of peace.

So what's to be done?  

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Even though one in four women in the United States report experiencing sexism in the workplace, many incidents go unreported. Women fear losing their jobs, being seen as difficult, or think that a lawsuit will prevent them from securing another position. Women in high-level positions don't report harassment, especially when they work for larger companies, because they don't want the information to go public. Similarly, large corporations often settle in mediation to avoid the public shaming of the company name. Some companies have employees sign arbitration agreements upon hiring so that any future legal matters are handled privately.

So what are the best ways to handle and deal with sexism and harassment in the workplace?

SHOULD YOU CONFRONT THE PERP?

It's not your responsibility to school employees. Or teach anyone a lesson. But if you think standing up for yourself is the right move and shows that you can stand your ground professionally and personally, one of the best approaches is to ask the harasser to repeat what they said. The act of making someone repeat and joke or a comment and making clear that you don't find it funny is enough to make it stop. There are some fires that can be put out without dragging your boss into the mix. If confronting the situation head-on is not working, it's time to take next steps. 

KEEP A LOG 

If you are experiencing overt or subtle sexism in the workplace and you know a conversation or confrontation will only make it worse, start tracking it. There are jokes, comments about co-workers' appearances, and more that offend some and not others. If you are experiencing workplace fodder, harassment, or more, that makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to lie to kick it with your co-workers. Meaning: don't let the peer office pressure of being the one employee who doesn't find it funny stop you from tracking incidents. The sexual harassment suits that are taken the most seriously are those with the most data. 

BEING AFRAID TO REPORT IT IS OK. BUT REPORT IT.  

Report it to a supervisor you trust. If you work for a company that is large enough to have an HR department, take it to them. We know this is scary and that you're worried about losing your job. But ask yourself two very important questions: 1. Is any job worth feeling that uncomfortable? 2. Do you want to work for a company that doesn't take harassment complaints seriously? If they are willing to overlook and dismiss concerns of this nature, you can be sure that they do not value you as an employee. 

"Ask yourself: Do you want to work for a co. that doesn't take sexual harassment claims seriously?"

Tweet this. 

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU'RE STONEWALLED?

The reality is, many women who work in both the private and public sector have experienced sexism in the workplace. Part of the issue is that all companies outwardly profess support of women in the workplace as well as a zero tolerance policies regarding sexual harassment and discrimination. Behind closed company doors, it's a little different. If your concerns are going unaddressed and there are no disciplinary actions taken, it's time to talk to an attorney. An employer may be held liable for the conduct of the employee if the employer knew or should have known of the employee’s conduct and failed to take prompt remedial actions. The complaint should be made in person and in writing, and you should keep a copy of for your own records. In the complaint use the log you've created to state specific acts and dates and what effects the harassment is having on your job performance. 

Note: states have varying time limits on how far from the date of incident the lawsuit can be filled. You will also need to file with the Federal Government. You have three hundred days to do this. Most lawyers' fees come from a percent of your settlement or verdict. 

For more information on sexual harassment visit the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission to read the Policy Guidance Documents Related to Sexual Harassment.

Links We Love: The Election Is Finally Over

It's Friday. Take a seat and take a breather. This week has been whirlwind, but the election is finally over, we have a new President-elect, and we still have a lot of work left to do. 

But first, read up. Can't create change without being in the know of what's going on now.

Here's an open letter to Secretary Clinton.

Hillary might not have broken the Presidential glass this week, but these 6 women have sure made a dent in the political glass ceiling.

Instagram Stories 2.0 is here.

Sexism is echoing in all places, especially this week. Here's how to fight it at work.

"Trying to be a man is a waste of a woman." Damn right.

Here is one of the things women are rushing to do before Trump takes office.

Do you hate hearing these things at work as well?

We're not ready to say bye to Michelle Obama. Michelle 2020, please.

Facebook, how are some of us dead if we're still writing this? 

You know how you're inspired by bloggers to travel around the world and take amazing photos? This takes it to another level, and it's downright scary.

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Roundtable Talk: How We Really Feel About Additional Social Platforms

Source: @felixcartal

The addition of Instagram Stories raised a few eyebrows last week, not only because the newest arm of the photo-sharing app looked like a carbon copy (minus the dog filters) of Snapchat, but because it was yet another piece of the social layer cake that has many already feeling stuffed. Thanksgiving style. 

There are now a total of five major social players: Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, and Pinterest. Add in the characters that are brand specific-- YouTube if you're in the beauty space, Vine if you're in comedy, and LinkedIn if you're a business, and your social Rolodex is on constant spin. Update one. Then the next. Tweet this. Pin that. Share. Share. 

SHARE.  

It's OK to be tired and over it and at the same time want to keep up. Making the decision to stay off a social media platform can come back to bite you, especially if you're a brand. And for those whose JOB it is to keep up, the job description is as shaky as a fault line. 

For social directors and bloggers the ever-shifting landscape is not only difficult to navigate, but the addition of new platforms can feel completely overwhelming. For some, the challenge is exciting, keeping them on their toes and at constant warp speed. "If you want to work in social," says Priscilla Castro, Social Director here at Create & Cultivate, "you know what kind of a beast you're going to battle. It's not a secret that new platforms are added or that one day, a platform you worked really hard to build up, could all of the sudden become obsolete. But that's the great thing about this space-- regardless of your background, you learn as you go because it's constantly evolving. It's safe to say that it's quite different from when I started working in it 3 years ago." 

That's not to say it's not disheartening. "There's definitely an 'all that work for what?' feeling to it sometimes, but that's also the challenge and where the exciting part of the job is. How to stay relevant. How to be an early adaptor. How to be social, but for business. It's the new communications major." 

Artist Tania Debono who runs the popular Instagram @thewriting also makes a living as a social media strategist. Tania says that "the influx of content is drowning us all."

"The influx of content is drowning us all."

Tweet this. 

Regarding Instagram Stories she believes, "brands with a strong community on Instagram have been trying to find their ‘voice’ on Snapchat for some time, but with the new update many brands and personal brands that haven’t properly broken into Snapchat will abandon the platform to invest time into Instagram as a whole."

For her, "Snapchat has become an after-thought, I want to share more meaningful content on the fly with my Instagram community only. I’ve noticed a decline in updates from people and brands too, and those in my real life community that didn’t invest time in Snapchat are creating brilliant content through Instagram stories."

So how do you decide what your social strategy should be if it's always changing? Or when and if you can KO a platform? 

Adrianna Adarme who founded the food blog A Cozy Kitchen says, "I haven't explored Instagram Stories a ton but I do think think it can be really beneficial for people who already have a strong following on the platform; it's sort of nice that it's all in one place."

And that's the general current sentiment. It is "nice" that it's all in one place because shifting gears through the apps is exhausting, for both content creators and consumers. Adds Adrianna, "I don't think it's the end of Snapchat though, I think its core audience was and always will be a teen, early twenty-something audience and I believe they'll continue to use it. I'm testing out both to see what works for me but I already miss the dog filter and stuff." Therein lies the rub. We all fall prey to "testing out both," and before we know it, we've added them all.  

It's something that colleges have taken note of as well. Social Media degrees are becoming more popular than ever, teaching students how to engage audiences through creative content and impactful messaging. 

University of Southern California offers a master's program in digital social media from its journalism school. The degree, according to the program's website, "teaches you leadership and management of social media, digital media, and online communities," so that student, "develop expertise in the practice, theory, and strategies that are essential for success in today's business and social landscape."

But what is impactful one semester, might not be the next. The same goes for your social strategy. 

"While a degree in social media is amazing and useful," says Priscilla, "the curriculum you learned in a semester in college will be obsolete by the time you enter your work field. There is no way to 'do' social media 'by-the-book,' because it's always evolving." 

"There is no way to do social media 'by-the-book,' because it's always evolving."

Tweet this. 

"To do it right," she adds, "you have to move with the ebbs and flows of the space and not dismiss new platforms that will change your day one strategy. Just get with it, get your hands dirty, and create amazing content that you know your audience will love."

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C&C Classifieds Nº9: Beat The June Gloom With A New Job

Each day, we see more and more of our readers asking for more job leads to get them in the right direction to the next step in their career. We've heard you loud and clear, which is why now we're doing our C&C Classifieds twice a month!

This month, we've got rad jobs from Mailchimp, Facebook, Airbnb, Revolve, Pandora, and many others for this round of C&C Classifieds. To get full access to this month's 100+ listings, enter your name and email below and check them out!

7 Key Takeaways from Sheryl Sandberg's Powerful Commencement Speech

When Facebook COO addressed the 2016 graduating class at UC Berkeley last Saturday May 14th, she delivered an incredibly personal speech that didn't shy away from dealing with her late-husband's death. 

Dave Goldberg died suddenly on May 1, 2015, during a trip to Mexico. The commencement speech marked the first time Sandberg spoke publicly about the loss and her experience. She also told that graduates that her work at Facebook helped her focus on something other than her grief and encouraged them to "live as if you had eleven days left." You can watch the incredibly powerful full speech here. 

Here are our 7 of our favorite quotes. 

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How to Use Facebook's New Publishing Platform

Previously only available to big publishers like Buzzfeed, BBC News, and National Geographic, last week Facebook opened up instant articles to all publishers. 

Meaning, as a content provider you are now able to give your readers easier, faster, and more interactive access to your content on mobile while boosting your content’s traffic on Facebook. 

If you are a publisher or are looking to amplify your web content, here are the ways that Facebook’s instant articles can benefit your brand. 

NO BOUNCE: KEEP EYEBALLS ON YOUR CONTENT

With Facebook’s instant articles, your website’s content is easier to access than ever before. 

What we saw with the early instant article adapters was that the load time for an article was practically instant. That's because readers don't have to click through to your site to read the content, and loading isn’t deterred by bandwidth issues or slow wi-fi. An audience is more inclined to stick around if they're not waiting for content to load. So invest in people’s love for instant gratification.

TRACK WHAT YOUR AUDIENCE READS, AND HOW MUCH

Before, you could only see what content was performing best and your UVPM on your site. Facebook’s instant publishing dives even deeper into your analytics to see how far your audience reads into a post and where they're abandoning content and if they're pressing play or interacting with media within the post.

Based on current analytics, Facebook’s instant publishing garners 20% more average reads than regular web content, and these readers are 70% less likely to abandon the article after opening. In part, the proof is in the numbers. Not only will you know how your audience engages with your content, but you can use these analytics to help you create better content. 

Better content=more engagement. 

AMPLIFY YOUR BRAND PRESENCE

Your brand is put first. There are header and footer slots for you to add in your brand's logo. That way reader's always know where the content is coming from, and is a way to gain brand loyalty. 

Not only are you able to drive more traffic to your content and gather significant analytics from your audience, but this interface allows for your brand to be recognized at first glance rather than being lost in the midst of all the content circulating Facebook feeds. Write great content and remind your audience where it’s coming from  and you will definitely see more returning readers.

THERE ARE ALWAYS CONS

While Facebook instant publishing feature is amazing, it definitely comes with a small list of negatives. While you can definitely drive more brand awareness and aggregate readers, advertising is minimized and your ability to monetize your content will be affected. It doesn’t mean that you should stop monetizing your website all together, but be aware that any traffic that is driving to your content from Facebook will decrease your advertisers’ traffic. 

If you are using a feature like Shopstyle, you can continue to monetize your content as an alternative for advertisements within your post.

Which brings us to the next con. Before, readers were clicking through from Facebook to your site. Now if they're reading on FB, you might be attracting more eyeballs, but they're Facebook's eyeballs. Meaning, your UVPM is not growing.-- though certainly you can use these new analytics to your brand's benefit. For example, if you can show a brand who is looking to partner that your bounce rate on FB is less than 20% and X number of readers are scrolling to the bottom, that's a great sales point. 

If you still want to grow UVPM, your approach should be multi-faceted-- using the publishing tool to both create brand loyalty, show traction on FB, and drive readers to your site. Play around with what you publish, i.e. whether your content on Facebook is image or content driven. Whether you're posting all your content on the feed, or giving readers to leave the Facebook page. A smart strategy would be to hyperlink to a related piece that lives on your site, and see if you're driving traffic. You can also embed links to your Twitter and other social platforms. 

Give people a reason to stay and read your content on FB, while also giving them a reason to leave. 

One more, though small drawback is that the feature does not support embedded photos. However you can upload your content within Facebook’s backend and tailor how your content looks. Be sure to stay on brand. 

The feature itself is a very promising for content creators who want to amplify their brand and gain in-depth analytics about how their audience interacts with their content. 

To find out more about Facebook instant publishing or to sign up, click here. 

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Instagram Just Pissed Off the Entire Internet

Update 6/3/16: After months of delaying the update that has caused a social media uproar and has been petitioned against to keep the popular social media platform chronological, Instagram's new algorithm is now live to all users starting today. 

FILTER THIS. 

The eighth most popular app in America is piloting a non-chronological feed. In a move that already has a Change.org petition to stop its rollout, Instagram announced the biggest change in its history since adding the video feature in 2013. 

Of the change IG's CEO, Kevin Systrom wrote, “You may be surprised to learn that people miss on average 70 percent of their feeds. This means you often don’t see the posts you might care about the most.”

And then, the Internet exploded. (Sorry, Yeezy, we'll get back to talking about Kim K. mañana.) 

“To improve your experience,” he continued, “your feed will soon be ordered to show the moments we believe you will care about the most.”

Therein lies the problem: “We believe.”  (Also, newsflash: live band videos are actually the worst, please don't put that at the top of my feed.) 

Facebook implemented this strategy first with News Feed, a feature that was introduced seven years ago. The backlash was palpable then as well, until everyone simmered down-- and started spending more time on Instagram, where their feed was still an of-the-moment, choose-your-own-adventure tale. In an over-saturated tech world, where consumers know they are constantly being marketing to, IG still felt authentic. (Plus or minus a Valencia filter or two.) It was curated, not by a team with a computer program crunching out an algorithm, but by you. It was yours.

In an over-saturated tech world, where consumers know they are constantly being marketing to, IG still felt authentic.

Tweet this. 

At our recent pop-up at SXSW there was a lot of talk about putting the “humanity” back into the machine. It’s a reason why Facebook Live is a platform that people are betting on.

What IG is doing, is the opposite. Chronological works because it feels real, even if it is filtered. There is a sense of ownership in what you’re seeing. We don’t need another app optimizing the order in which we see things. Real life isn’t like that. Let us explore for ourselves.

Putting personal aside however, you might be wondering what this means for your business? Just like Facebook, the likelihood of a pay to play option for brands to spend the dollars to land at the top of your feed, is high. Valuation based on engagement is still hard to quantify, and money needs to be made. (Figure that out yet Snapchat?)  

How the algorithm will effect how brands interact with followers is clearly yet to be seen, but we can be certain that companies will have to evolve their social strategy to keep up with changing platforms.  Brands will need to engage their followers more in order to stay at the top of their feeds, and possibly, work harder for their attention. In a way, this could do for brands what people feel so strongly against: a matching brand-to-consumer algorithm means that company will have to engage on a human level. If nothing else, it certainly keeps social strategy directors on their toes. 

In a New York Times interview announcing the change Systrom stated: “What this is about is making sure that the 30 percent you see is the best 30 percent possible.”

Which sounds pretty, but some days you don’t want to see the best. Some days you want the worst 10 percent. You want to see the sh*t photo of your friend’s breakfast and feel better about your life.

Some days you want to see the sh*t photo of your friend's breakfast and feel better about your life.

 

Tweet this. 

Arianna Schioldager is Create & Cultivate's editorial director. You can find her on IG @ariannawrotethis and more about her at www.ariannawrotethis.com

Best Practices: How to Engage Users with Facebook Live

IN 2015 FACEBOOK VIDEO AND FACEBOOK LIVE WERE ONLY AVAILABLE TO CELEBRITIES. 

But the Facebook floodgates have been opened to the masses, and the kings of social in Silicon Valley have noticed that the content that performs the best is interactive. 

Facebook Live enables users to share experiences and opinions in real time, from broadcasting events to friends and family, to connecting a brand to people around the world. Consumers are engaged by events happening in real time, and Facebook has seen that on average people will watch a video more than three times longer if it's live, compared to when it is not. Which might be the best reason to start using the platform.

On average people will watch a video more than three times longer if it's live.

Tweet this.

THE BASICS: HOW TO GET STARTED 

To start using Facebook Live, simply click "What's on your mind?" on the top of your News Feed. Select the Live Video icon. 

BEST PRACTICES: DO IT RIGHT, DO IT RIGHT NOW. 

1. Announce ahead of time when you'll be using Facebook Live: Build anticipation and excitement by letting people know when to tune in. 

2. Encourage followers to subscribe so that they get notifications the next time you go live. 

3. Don't go live without a point. There should be a rhyme, reason, and strategy behind your Live. Whether you're answering questions, showcasing how to use a new product, or giving a 360 fashion sneak peek, your audience should understand what the broadcast will be about. An engaging and compelling description is a useful tool for this. 

4. Shoutout to people in real time with their real names. The more involved you make people feel, the stronger the sense of community you build, and the more likely people are to stick around. 

5. Don't go live without a strong connection. People tend to think that using Facebook Live is perfect when they're on-the-go, but a "Broadcast Paused" message can be fatal to the success of your convo.

6. The longer the broadcast the more people you're likely to reach. People will tune in and drop off, but give an audience the opportunity to discover you. Facebook recommends going live for a least five minutes . 

7. Be as creative as you can. If you're CEO of a company, host "Office Hours" where entrepreneurs can ask you questions. If you're a lawyer with a great law practice, host "Beyond the Bar," where law students can ask you about life after law school. If you're a fashion brand, take fans on a tour of your factory and show them your best practices. Maybe you're responding to backlash your brand has experienced. There are so many ways to use Facebook Live and connect it to your other social programs. So start throwing ideas at the wall. 

WHY IS THIS GOOD FOR YOU BRAND?

Fractured attention spans have made capturing and engaging an online audience incredibly difficult. But Facebook Live is real time feedback. You'll see the number of live viewers, the names of people tuning in, and you can respond to real-time stream of comments. It's as close as you'll come to your audience, and they'll appreciate the effort. 

It's putting the humanity back into an online and fabricated "personal" experience. Though you will most likely use strategy, it's showing that there are people behind the machine. There's a reason people tune in longer to real time video-- they want life, personality, and off-the-cuff truth that doesn't come with curated content.