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  • Why you need to get to 1k followers, and fast?

    When a brand partners with an influencer, they’re essentially collaborating with someone who already has their attention and trust for a specific audience. Insted of talking at consumers through traditional ads, brands get to speak through someone their audience already listens to.

    Finding the Right Influencer

    Brands start by identifying influencers who align with their:

    • Audience (shared age, interests, or lifestyle)
    • Values (authenticity, tone, aesthetics)
    • Content Style (video, lifestyle, education, humour, etc)

    They may use tools, agencies, or manual searches to find creators who are a natural fit – because genuine alignment performs far better than forced promotion.

    Reaching Out and Proposing a Collaboration

    After finding a match, brands contact the influencer (or their manager) with a proposal. This might include:

    • A creative brief (what the brand hopes to achieve)
    • Deliverables (how many videos, posts or mentions)
    • Key talking points or hashtags
    • Payment terms or product exchange

    The best partnerships leave room for creative freedom – because influencers know how to connect with their audience.

    Compensation

    The influencer then creates content featuring the brand or product. This could include:

    • A TikTok or Reel
    • A YouTube integration
    • An Instagram Story
    • A full campaign or live stream

    Good collaborations feel authentic, not like ads. The influencer’s tone, humour, and creativity make the promotion feel natural and relatable.

    Tracking Results

    After posting, both sides monitor performance:

    • Views, likes, shares and comments
    • Clicks and conversions
    • Follower growth or engagement rate

    Building Long-Term Relationships

    The best influencer collaborations aren’t one-time posts – they evolve into ongoing partnerships. Brands often turn successful influencers into brand ambassadors, co-create product lines, or feature them in official campaigns.

    Why it works

    Consistency builds trust – and audiences can tell when a creator genuinely loves the brand.

    Getting to 1K followers

    The reason it is important to get to 1k followers on your social media account is because the smallest influencer is considered to be a nano-influencer (1k to 10k followers) and you will have far better engagement levels if your account build is natural and engaging, a brand can sport very easily if your follower are not engaged in your content – building a strong following where your followers resonate with you is important to demonstrate you have traction.

    Build your following consistently and make sure your followers get to know you so that you can represent any brands or product authentically so that you can deliver the expected levels of engagement for your up-coming partnerships.

    To continue this conversation, join Brands Rising

  • We Made It! Our Community is Now on the First Page of Google

    We Made It! Our Community is Now on the First Page of Google

    From today if you search “brands rising” our webpage will come back in Google Search.

    This might sound like a small digital milestone, but it is huge for us, it’s a huge step forward – and it’s all thanks to you, our growing community of creators, thinkers and supporters.

    What this means

    Appearing on the first page of search isn’t just about visibility – it’s about credibility too. It means more people looking for spaces like ours will now be able to find us, join the conversation and share in the ideas that make our community what it is.

    This helps us:

    1. Reach new people who share our pssion for creativity and connection.
    2. Grow faster and attract new voices to the discussion
    3. Strengthen our reputation as a go-to-place for social media insights and creator conversations.

    Every visit, every post and every piece of feedback helped push us there.

    Thank you

    Every comment, gift of gratitude and encouragement made a difference. Thank you for being part of something that’s now visible to the world. Let’s keep momentum going – invite a friend, share your thoughts and help us make this community even stronger.

  • Building a Community? How to make a cross-platform reception.

    You want that one place where everyone can meet, chat and come together that’s mobile first, future proof and easy to use.

    Discord Is the perfect setup for an online community hub.

    Discord has evolved far beyond its gaming roots to become one of the most powerful platforms for online communities – and several key design choices make it the perfect setup for a community hub moving forward – it integrates with everything.

    1. Discord is an all-in-One Community Space

    Discord brings everything a community needs into one place — chat, voice, video, events, file sharing, and automation. Instead of juggling multiple tools like Slack, Zoom, or Facebook Groups, Discord keeps it all together under one roof.

    2. Safe and inter-operable

    Links can be shared, files and videos can be added meaning everything can be done without exchanging private phone numbers or email addresses keeping everyone safe. Conference calls, phone calls via the app are all possible through a Discord server and link sharing is very fast allowing landing-pages and social media links to be shared quickly.

    3. Customisable and Organised

    Every Discord server can be structured however you like. You can create channels for different topics, set up roles and permissions for members, and use threads to keep conversations focused. This helps communities grow while staying organised and easy to navigate.

    4. Real-Time and Ongoing Conversations

    Unlike forums or traditional social media, Discord offers real-time chatting while keeping past messages accessible. It feels alive and interactive, yet it also serves as a lasting archive where important discussions aren’t lost.

    5. Easy to Join and Engage

    Joining a Discord server takes seconds — no complex sign-up process. Once inside, members can chat, react with emojis, hop into voice channels, or even stream their screens. The simplicity and immediacy help people feel connected and involved right away.

    6. Automation and Integrations

    Discord’s bot ecosystem makes community management effortless. Bots can welcome new members, assign roles, moderate discussions, and even connect to external tools like Google Sheets, Notion, Trello, or Stripe. You can also add AI bots to summarise chats or create content.

    7. Full Control and Ownership

    Unlike social platforms such as Facebook or Reddit, Discord gives you total control over your community space. You decide the branding, rules, and visibility. There are no algorithms deciding who sees what — communication happens directly and transparently.

    8. Accessible and Future-Proof

    Discord works seamlessly across desktop, mobile, and web. It’s constantly improving and expanding beyond gaming into business, education, and local community spaces. That means your community can grow with the platform over time.

    9. Strong Sense of Belonging

    With custom emojis, banners, and server branding, members can help shape the identity of the community. This builds loyalty, engagement, and a feeling of belonging that’s hard to replicate on other platforms.

    Let’s wrap it up…

    Discord combines the best parts of chat apps, forums, and social networks — without the downsides of algorithms or scattered tools. It gives you real ownership, instant communication, and endless ways to customise and grow your community.

    Discord isn’t just a platform — it’s the foundation for the next generation of what you need from an online community hub space.

    If you would like to see a Discord in action, come and join BrandsRising – we will even show you how to do it.

  • Understand the TikTok Audience: 25 Emotional Drivers Behind the App’s Popularity

    TikTok has become one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in the world, captivating millions of users daily. But what makes it so addictive and emotionally engaging? Beyond its short-form videos and algorithmic magic, TikTok taps deeply into human emotions. Understanding the psychological drivers behind why people use the app can offer insights for content creators, marketers, and anyone curious about digital behavior.

    Here are 25 emotional reasons that explain the platform’s immense appeal, broken down in to give bite-sized sections.

    People seeking ‘belonging and connection’

    1. To feel part of a community of like-minded people.
    2. To find others who share similar interests, humour, or experiences.
    3. To feel seen, understood, and validated.
    4. To connect emotionally through comments, duets, and trends.
    5. To experience a sense of togetherness and participation.

    People seeking ‘Seeking ‘self-expression and identity’

    1. To express their personality, humor, and creativity.
    2. To show their authentic self in a space that encourages individuality.
    3. To feel in control of their personal story or image.
    4. To receive recognition, validation, and feedback from others.
    5. To build a sense of identity or belonging through content creation.

    People seeking ‘entertainment or looking for escapism’

    1. To escape boredom, stress, or daily worries.
    2. To experience joy, laughter, and fun in short bursts.
    3. To get quick emotional rewards from entertaining content.
    4. To explore new, surprising, or unpredictable videos that keep them curious.
    5. To take a mental break from reality.

    People seeking ‘inspiration and growth’

    1. To find motivation and encouragement from creators.
    2. To feel empowered by seeing others succeed or share life lessons.
    3. To discover new ideas, skills, and perspectives.
    4. To enjoy the satisfaction of learning in small doses.
    5. To boost self-belief and optimism.

    People seeking ’emotional responses’

    1. To connect with emotionally honest and vulnerable stories.
    2. To experience empathy and compassion for others.
    3. To feel inspired by real people’s experiences.
    4. To find comfort and healing through relatable emotions.
    5. To experience catharsis, a safe emotional release.

    To summarise

    The emotional pull of TikTok goes far beyond entertainment. From fostering connection and self-expression to offering escapism, inspiration, and catharsis, the platform taps into fundamental human needs and desires.

    By understanding these 25 emotional drivers you can really take onboard the make up of the TikTok community and perhaps how you may tailor your pre-recorded Video or Live Stream content to the platform to meet the expectations of users – the platform really is about short form video under 15 second, 1min and under 10minutes for entertainment or trends.

  • My heartfelt first, first ever Guest Blog

    A heartfelt presentation by Jacqui Russell

    1. The Shift

    There’s something changing around us.
    You can feel it — not just in the trends, not just in the algorithm, but in the energy of how we connect online.

    For years, social media has been a place of noise. A place where people shouted to be seen, where we compared our lives, our views, our worth. But lately… something deeper is happening. There’s a movement — a quiet, soulful wave — where people are craving something real.

    And that’s where community begins to rise again.

    People don’t just want entertainment anymore.
    They want belonging. They want a space where they can breathe, feel understood, and be seen without judgment. This is the shift. The trend is no longer about who gets the most views — it’s about who builds the most connection.

    1. The Connection

    When I go live, I don’t just want to speak at my audience — I want to speak with them.
    Because that’s the power of community: it’s not about a spotlight, it’s about a circle of light.

    Think about it — on TikTok, every time we comment, reply, or listen, we’re not just engaging; we’re building bridges.

    Real engagement doesn’t live in the numbers. It lives in the quiet moments when someone says,
    “Your words made me feel less alone.”

    That’s what’s trending now — authentic connection.
    Micro-engagement.
    Heartfelt storytelling.
    Moments that remind us that behind every username is a soul, a human being with hopes, fears, and dreams.

    Community is not built by content.
    It’s built by conversation.
    It’s built by consistency, compassion, and care.

    The Awakening

    Something is awakening in creators right now — especially those who’ve walked through silence, who’ve felt unseen, or who are trying to find their place in this digital world.

    We’re beginning to understand that our voice matters.
    Not because it’s loud, but because it’s true.

    The biggest trend today is not a dance, a sound, or a viral hashtag — it’s authentic energy.
    People are tuning in to frequency, not fame.
    They’re following those who speak with heart, not those who follow formulas.

    That’s the spiritual side of community.
    It’s not just strategy — it’s alignment.
    When your content aligns with who you are, you attract people meant to walk beside you.

    We’re no longer building audiences; we’re building tribes of truth.
    Spaces where we can heal, grow, and rise — together.

    The Responsibility

    With that awakening comes responsibility.
    If we want strong communities, we must ask ourselves: What are we giving back?

    Are we sharing for attention — or for intention?
    Are we offering wisdom, laughter, comfort, or hope?

    The future of online communities depends on how we show up.
    It’s not about perfection — it’s about presence.
    Not about knowing everything — but about listening.

    The digital world is full of noise, but a single voice spoken with truth can cut through all of it.

    When we show up with love, the energy shifts.
    When we collaborate instead of compete, the algorithm becomes irrelevant — because people will always find light.

    The Call to Build

    So now, I want to invite you into something deeper.
    This isn’t about following trends.
    It’s about creating meaning.

    The next era of TikTok — the next era of online creation — will be built by those who lead with heart.
    By those who dare to connect, to speak truth, to build safe spaces where people can grow.

    And it starts with one choice:
    To show up as yourself.
    To post with purpose.
    To share with honesty.

    Because when you do, you give others permission to do the same.

    Let’s rebuild the digital world — not as followers, but as family.
    Let’s use our voices not to impress, but to impact.
    Let’s create a community that heals, uplifts, and reminds us that even across screens, we belong to each other.

    Closing Words

    So tonight — or whenever you go live next — remember this:
    You are not just a creator.
    You are a connector of hearts.
    You are a builder of bridges.
    And what you say, what you share — it matters more than you know.

    Because someone out there is waiting to hear your voice.
    Someone out there needs your light.

    So let’s keep showing up — authentically, consistently, and courageously —
    and let’s build this community together.

    Call to Action:

    If these words resonate with you — take a moment to reflect.
    Ask yourself: What kind of community do I want to help create?
    And then, start today.
    Comment, connect, support, share, and speak from the heart.
    Because the real trend, my friends,
    is love in action.

  • Starting… your Personal Brand Journey.

    Starting… your Personal Brand Journey.

    Shortly after deciding to get going with your Personal Brand you will move toward adopting marketing as a process. This is a shift from understanding peoples needs toward promoting your solution and this is a concious decision to offering your own solution.

    When you make this shift you will want to cement your personal brand. Below are five sections that cover essential tools that you will need for your personal brand, starting with your Digital Home.

    1. Foundation Tools (Your Digital Home)

    These tools create your online “base”. They allow you to create a platform that you and more importantly one that you control.

    Domain name and hosting. This is your custom web address (eg., yourname.com) giving you credibility and ownership.

    Website Builder or Content Management System. This lets you design a personal website or portfolio without coding.

    Professional Email. You’re looking for something like “hello@yourdomain.com”, which looks 10x more professional than a free email account with a service provider.

    Analytics. Tracks who visits your site and what content works best. Analytics programmes are installed with the website or installed after the CMS system is installed and it tracks visitors.

    2. Brand Design Tools (Look & Feel)

    A personal brand needs consistency in visuals to make everything across your brand instantly recognisable. This may relate more to styling or branded visuals including perhaps emblems, logo, icons, templates and more. You may have particular fonts / type-face you choose and set colour swatches. The overall idea is to ensure you have a signature style across your branded visuals.

    3. Marketing & visibility Tools

    Marketing and visibility tools help amplify your voice and help more people to discover you. The four things to onboard are content creation, SEO tools, email marketing and social media management.

    Social Media Management will allow you to schedule and anlyse your posts across different platforms. Remember the 3 Rights – Right Content, Right Place, Right Time.

    Email Marketing will allow you to build an audience and maintain direct commuication. This tool allows you to maintain your messaging easliy across a large audience base, allowing you to send a single message to 10,000s of people and allows people to stay in touch on a more periodical basis.

    SEO Tools are used to help you optimise your content to ensure you get the best results and visibility from publishing your content. This includes checkign things like your Domain Authority, your Backlinks, and tools that help you with indexing, crawling and detecting errors on the webpages you publish.

    4. Engagement & Reputation Tools.

    Engagement and reputation tools help to build trust online and manage your online image or reputation.

    Reviews and collecting them is usually important for personal brands along with providing social proof as it demonstrates credibility. Various practical tools can help with this, including commenting, structured reviews and directing people in the real world to your pages.

    CRM & Contact Management Systems help organise leads, clients, suppliers and strategic partnerships you may have formed. There a variety of tools that allow you to do this..

    Link-in-bio’s / Digital Cards typically direct people to your links and profiles allowing you to direct traffic to the correct place and are themselves used as Call To Action’s in content. Visit my Linktr.ee, click the link in my bio, Tap this card, etc.

    5. Growth & Automation Tools

    Growth and automation tools make your brand scalable and more efficient. Automation tools connect apps and reduce manual labour, advertising platforms allow you to increase your reach and analytics dashoards allow you to track performance.across all in one view.

  • Social Media Stats (2025)

    Social Media use is dominated by mobile users where most people access the platforms via a smartphone.

    The UK and US growth has slowed as the market has grown to saturation but the rate of growth remains steady in emerging markets. Users are spreading their attention across many platforms, suggesting a strong competition for the attention of users.

    • There are 5.24 to 5.41 billion social media user identities worldwide
    • This penetrates for roughly 63% to 66% of the worlds global population
    • Around 95% of Internet users use at least one social network each month
    • On average each person uses between 6 or 7 platforms per month

  • The 3 Rights for Maximum Impact

    Make sure you know the three rights, instead of doing three wrongs – Right Content, Right Place, Right Time.

    1. Right Content

    Your message has to match the audience’s needs, interest and emotional state.

    2. Right Place

    Make sure you choose the right platform or channel and it fits the message type and audience behaviour.

    3. Right Time

    Delivered at the moment of the highest relevance or attention. Timing is everything.

    Know the Platforms

    PlatformBest Type of ContentWhy it works
    InstagramVisual storytelling, lifestyle reels, behind-the-scenesPeople browse for inspiration & aesthetics
    TikTokShort, entertaining videos, trends and tutorialsUsers want creativity, humour and authenticity
    LinkedINThought leadership, case studies, professional insightsAudience seeks credibility and networking
    YouTubeLong-form video, reviews, tutorials, storytellingIdeal for depth and education
    X (Twitter)Quick insights, trends, opinions, real-time updatesGreat for conversations and news cycles.
    Email / NewsletterPersonalised updates, offers, deeper storytellingBest for nurturing loyal followers
    Website / BlogSEO-optimised guides, resources, storytellingFoundation for discovery and trust
    *FacebookCommunity posts, events, videos, ads, groups.Wide audience, strong for community building and event promotion.
    *PintrestInspirational images, how-to-guides, infographics.Visual discovery platform, drives traffic and idea-sharing
    *SnapchatShort-lived stories, AR filters, behind-the-scenesYouth-focused, ephemeral content creates urgency and fun engagement
    *ThreadsConcise conversations, personal updates and trending topicsCasual, text-focused engagement, conversation-driven audience
    *RedditDeep discussions, AMAs, niche community postsHighly targetted niche audiences, great for engagement and research
    *WhatsAppPersonal messaging, customer support, group updatesDirect and private communication, ideal for one-to-one or small group engagement.

    Each platform should tell the same story, but in the right way for that place.

    Notes:

    Content Placement Strategy Table

    Re-purpose the content

    Track Performance

    Prioritise Platforms

    Consistency beats volume

    Make a 30 day posting plan – show exactly what to post on each platform day-by-day

  • Is the first page of Search still relevant?

    Dominating the first page of search, literally means you take every entry on the search results for your brand, keyword or key phrase.

    Why do it?

    1. Trust and Credibility
    2. Higher Click-Through rates
    3. More Leads, Sales and Reviews
    4. Brand Protection
    5. SEO Compounds over-time

    The first task for any Digital Marketer

    The first thing a digital marketer will want to do is be found when someone searches for their thing, whether it is a person, product, community or group. This absolutely means having multiple listings for the brand, whether that is a product, person or business brand.

    Methods for dominating the search

    • Homepage (website)
    • Social Media pages
    • Review Platforms
    • News Releases
    • Blog mentions
    • Videos (Short-form, Long-form)
    • Subpages of your website
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Other deep website content

    Think about Ai Search!

    Ai search understands intent and relevance. It supports complex queries that traditional keyword searches would struggle with.

    The source of information depends on the system and includes a combination of sources, including real-time web queries (what’s happening now), pre-trained knowledge, (what it knows) and structured data (databases and internal documents) where f the largest sources are recent articles, reports or blog posts.

    Why the written word matters

    Articles, reports, blog posts (including webpages) all relate to what is traditionally thought of as your visibility online through search marketing. In essence if you have a lack of visibility or exposure on traditional search Ai will struggle to locate data on you, or your brand when it scours the internet.

    Foundation of search

    In this way, dominating the first page of search still remains the foundation and fundamental principle of search and strengthens the notion that a brand should be the authority on its subject.

    First page of search and the skills to achieve this remain top.

  • Hello World.!

    The first post is always hello world!