A 17-year-old Tennessee high school student is suing his school district and administrators after he was suspended for creating and posting satirical memes directed at his principal on social media.
According to the federal lawsuit filed on July 19, the unnamed student, who is set to begin his senior year at Tullahoma High School, accuses the Tullahoma City School district, now-former Principal Jason Quick and Vice Principal Derrick Crutchfield of violating his First Amendment right to free speech after he was suspended for three days for posting the memes on Instagram.
Attorneys representing the school district and administrators did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
“This case is about a thin-skinned high school principal defying the First Amendment and suspending a student for lampooning the principal on the student’s Instagram page even though the posts caused no disruption at school,” attorneys for the student said in their complaint.
Tullahoma High School in Tennessee.
The student posted three memes that featured Quick on his personal Instagram account in 2022, while off campus and over summer vacation, according to the lawsuit.
The satirical memes featured an image of Quick holding a box of vegetables, with the text, “like a sister but not a sister <33,” an altered image of Quick in a dress with cat ears and whiskers, and one with his face placed on a video game character being held by a cartoon bird.
“The student intended the images to be tongue-in-cheek commentary, gently ribbing a school administrator he perceived as humorless,” Conor Fitzpatrick, the lead attorney representing the student, said in a statement.
The memes that led to a suspension, according to the student’s lawyers.
United States District Court for Central District California
On Aug. 10, 2022, immediately after Crutchfield told the student he would be suspended for five days, the student suffered from a panic attack and experienced sweating, shortness of breath and lost feeling in both arms, the complaint said.
The suspension was later reduced to three days after Crutchfield allegedly told the student he “reviewed” the social media post and believed it to be a more appropriate punishment.
In the statement, Fitzpatrick and other attorneys practicing with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a free speech advocacy group, said the school administrators could not use vague social media policies to punish off-campus acts.
“Principal Quick suspended a student over playful memes — but he can’t suspend the First Amendment,” FIRE attorney Harrison Rosenthal said in the statement.
“As long as a student’s posts do not substantially disrupt school, what teens post on social media on their own time is between them and their parents, not the government,” Fitzpatrick added.
Not so long ago, it may have been inconceivable to imagine how much social media would influence the world, yet we’ve now reached a point where it’s just as unimaginable to think of life without it. Love it or hate it, social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest have changed how we view every aspect of our lives—especially our personal style. There’s no more straightforward example of this than the various fashion aesthics, popular brands, and micro-trends that have become viral sensations overnight.
Admittedly during the summer, there seems to be no shortage of buzzy things to adopt—from swimwear trends to travel trends, the list goes on. But none are more important (in my mind) than the clothing brands everyone is wearing. The benefit of keeping up with buzzy fashion brands is that it is a great way to tap into the cultural moment in a way that’s tailored to your sartorial preferences. You don’t have to buy into every single trend on the internet, but rather just the brands you’re most excited about.
Which leads one to wonder, what fashion brands are trending right now? In search of that answer, I combed through social media and our editorial slack channels to identify the seven most popular summer clothing brands. You’ve likely already seen these brands without realizing it, but I’m breaking down why they are the best for the summer. Trust me when I say there’s something ahead for everyone…
“I cannot even begin to tell you … how far it took me and how it brought me back,” the Academy Award winner said. “I went through something that I thought I would never go through.”
The “Django Unchained” actor did not specify what it was that landed him in the hospital back in April, when his family said that he had suffered a “medical complication.”
In his new video, Foxx acknowledged that “a lot of people” wanted to hear about his status.
“To be honest with you, I just didn’t want you to see me like that, man,” he said. “I wanted you to see me laughing, having a good time, partying, cracking a joke, doing a movie, a television show.”
He added that he didn’t want fans to see him “with tubes running out of me and trying to figure out if I was going to make it through.”
Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas know how to steal time with each other and they are ace at it. The lovebirds were spotted at the ongoing Wimbledon tournament recently.
When Mark Zuckerberg shared a photo on Instagram of his family on July 4, two things stuck out: the billionaire CEO wore a striped souvenir cowboy hat, andthe faces of his children were replaced with happy face emojis.
Zuckerberg’s post was promptly criticized by some who saw the decision to obscure the faces as a reflection of his privacy concerns for sharing pictures of his children online, despite his creating massive platforms that allow millions of other parents to do just that.
Meta, Instagram’s parent company, has long been scrutinized over how it handles user privacy and for the way its algorithms can be used to leadyoung users down potentially harmful rabbit hoes.
But the choice also highlights a broader trend among some social media users, and particularly among high-profile individuals, to be more cautious in sharing identifiable pictures of their children online.
For years, celebrities from KristenBell and Gigi Hadid to Chris Pratt and Orlando Bloom have been blurring images or using emojis to help protect their kids’ privacy on social media. Zuckerberg, too, had previously posted pictures of the back of his daughters’ heads and their side profiles rather than showing their entire faces.
It’s more rare for everyday users to take a similar approach — but perhaps it shouldn’t be.
“By modeling for us that he was careful not to share his family’s location or childrens’ identities, he may be communicating that it is the end users’ responsibility to protect themselves online,”said Alexandra Hamlet, a New York City-based psychologist who closely follows the impact of social media on young users.
Meta did not respond to a request for comment.
Few things are as central to the parenting experience as showing numerous, possibly embarrassing, pictures of your children with anyone who will stop and look. But over the years, a growing number of parents and experts have raised concerns about the risks of sharing these pictures on social media, including the possibility of exposing kids to identify theft and facial recognition technology, as well as creating an internet history that could follow them into adulthood.
Some parents choose to either restrict how much they share about their kids or limit sharing to less public platforms. Others adopt more clever hacks like obscuring their children’s faces.
Leah Plunkett, author of “Sharenthood”and associate dean of learning experience and innovation(LXI) at Harvard Law School, said blocking a child’s face is a symbol that you’re giving them control over their own narrative.
“Every time you post about your kids, you are chipping away at allowing them to tell their own stories about who they are and who they want to become,” she said. “We grow up making mischief and more than a few mistakes and grow up better having made them. If we lose the privacy of teens and kids to play and explore, and to live and through trial and error, we will deprive them of the abilityto develop and tell stories [on their own terms].”
Noticeably, Zuckerberg did not obscure the face of his infantdaughter, which might suggest less concern with the risks for a baby’s face than a young child.However,Plunkett said artificial intelligence technology can be used to trace a face’s changes over time and may still be able to later connect any child, even a baby, to an image of them when older.
Plunkett believes social media companies can do more, such as offering a setting that automatically blurs kids’ faces or prevents any picture with a child from being used for marketing or advertising purposes.
For now, however, the onus remains on parents to limit or abstain sharing photos of their kids online.
“It’s not just parents – grandparents, coaches, teachers and other trusted adults should also keep kids out of photos and videos to protect their privacy, safety, future and current opportunities, and their ability to figure out their own story about themselves and for themselves,” she said.
Innocently scrolling through Instagram can be a dangerous game for my wallet. You too? I can’t be the only one who finds something they want to buy every time they open the app. From matching sets and bikinis to dresses, tops, and shorts, this last month has left me with a wish list beyond reason and a few too many orders placed.
Of course, keeping my finds all to myself would be selfish, so I’m sharing the best pieces I’ve recently discovered on Instagram with all of you. From the under-$60 shorts approved by one of my favorite fashion girls to the Doen set I need for my upcoming trip to Capri, keep scrolling to see all 13 of my picks and shop them along the way. Sorry, but, also, you’re welcome!
In this photo illustration, the Threads logo by META is displayed on a smartphone with Twitter logo in the background. Threads is the new social network from Meta Platforms which was launched on the 5th of July 2023.
Omar Marques | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Meta’s new Twitter competitor Threads has exploded in growth in its first full day since its public debut Wednesday night, fueled by Instagram’s already massive userbase. The text-based social media platform already has 70 million sign-ups, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Friday.
As of Thursday afternoon, The Verge reported that users had already posted more than 95 million posts and 190 million likes, based on internal company data it had viewed.
Meta did not provide updated engagement metrics for Threads but directed CNBC to Zuckerberg’s announcement on sign-up numbers.
The booming growth is helped along by the fact that Threads is tied to an existing social network, Meta’s Instagram. Users can sign up with their existing handles on Instagram and are able to retain some of their following as others sign up for the app.
“Meta only needs 1 in 4 Instagram users to use Threads monthly for it to be as big as Twitter,” Jasmine Enberg, principal analyst at Insider Intelligence, said in a statement. Twitter reported nearly 238 million monetizable daily active users in its last quarterly earnings report as public company last summer.
The app still has plenty of room to grow, having not yet launched in Europe, where Instagram’s chief said there is still some regulatory complexity to navigate.
Twitter owner Elon Musk appears to have already shown some concern about Threads, as his longtime lawyer Alex Spiro wrote a letter to Meta accusing the company of “unlawful misappropriation” of trade secrets.
“No one on the Threads engineering team is a former Twitter employee,” Meta’s communications director, Andy Stone, wrote on Threads in response to the letter. “That’s just not a thing.”
Still, growth alone won’t be enough to make Threads an alternative to Twitter that withstands the test of time. The app must also show that it can keep users engaged and coming back.
While Twitter is known for being heavily used by journalists, politicians and academics and is a place where news often breaks, Meta’s Threads could have a much broader audience and focus due to its tie-in to Instagram, which has different use cases as a visual-based platform. Plus, Meta has taken steps to de-emphasize political content on Facebook, a policy which, if carried over to Threads, would set it apart from Twitter.
“News hounds and avid Twitter loyalists aren’t likely to defect to Twitter, and Meta will need to keep Threads interesting to maintain the momentum once the novelty wears off,” Enberg wrote. “It’s also not a given that people will use Threads to keep up with news and world events like they do on Twitter, and the culture will be different. But that could work in Meta’s benefit: Even the most engaged Twitter users are fed up with the constant chaos and ad hoc changes, and Threads could offer a nice reprieve.”
Even so, many politicians have already signed up for the service. Axios reported that as of Thursday evening, more than a quarter of Congress’ 535 members across both chambers had created accounts, as well as half a dozen Republican presidential candidates and top White House aides.
Many advertisers who are used to working with Meta are also likely to welcome an alternative to Twitter, especially if they view it as more brand safe. The company has said Instagram’s community guidelines will also apply to Threads.
And lo! On the least useful day of the least useful week of summer, the foretold Twitter replacement emerged at last. Potentially. Threads, billed as “an Instagram app” by parent company Meta, née Facebook, launched on Wednesday and has already racked up some 30 million signups, according to Mark Zuckerberg. That sound you hear? It’s a nation of social media managers weeping, their fresh beach tans fading with every second of exposure to the fluorescing home screen of yet another app.
So, is this the one? Let’s first consider how things are going on Twitter, where over the weekend, the platform’s latest death rattle came in the form of temporary rate limits. Shortly after, the platform announced plans to charge for Tweetdeck, essentially a tax on its most ardent (and by definition, deranged) users. So maybe the time really is nigh. Instagram’s obvious leg up over other “Twitter killer” contenders like Substack Notes and Bluesky is the supposedly built-in network that awaits you on Threads: With one tap, you can send a mass request to follow everyone whom you already follow on Instagram. Less seamlessly, you then have to individually approve everyone requesting to follow you. (In 2023, the height of our technological aspiration apparently requires one to spend the better part of a dazzling summer day pressing “confirm” 500 times in a row.)
The Threads interface is extremely Twitter-like, of course. You can “heart” a post, reply, and repost it not only to your Threads feed (shall we call it the Spool?) but also to your Instagram Feed and your Instagram Stories and, hilariously, on Twitter itself. (Because life is not fair, I believe, sadly, that this is the only form of direct conflict we will see Zuckie and Muskie actually engage in; two billionaires slap-fighting by proxy of app features is proof that our sci-fi reality will be gobs more boring than we can begin to imagine). During my cursory spin on Threads, the only thing that surprised me was the clunkiness of the layout, as if Instagram—birthplace of capital-A aesthetics—couldn’t figure out how to work with so much white space. When I flipped back to Twitter, it felt like looking at an Old Master painting by comparison.
On Threads, as in all of these embryonic new platform wannabes, you’re more likely to notice what isn’t on there than what is—for now. Without bots or trolls or a crystallized top film of brands and ads, there’s relief—and a tantalizing promise of something finally civilized. But the familiarity can overwhelm. At least for now, Threads essentially confines you within your established Instagram network, which is as comforting as it is, well, tedious. Imagine sitting through a roll call of your entire contacts list (except this list came overwhelmingly preweighted in favor of, shall we say, the more visually successful among us). As it turns out, the prevailing theory that social media would be better if it was only limited to the verified deities and people we actually “know” (i.e., care about enough to suffer through their vacation photo dumps) is wrong. After a few hours, you start to really miss the randos.
The irony of Threads is that it’s not so much succeeding at replicating the experience of being on Twitter as it is proving how utterly hostage-esque the experience of being on Instagram has become. Over the past year, we’ve seen IG turn into a force-feeding nozzle trying to pump each of us into a submissive state of endless shopping and mediocre video-watching. The grid is only nominally more junked than Stories, where every other supposed portrait of chummy candor is sandwiched between ads that will probably follow you to your grave. No wonder Threads feels pleasant and twee. That’s how Instagram—and any online place not yet beholden to the economics of platform enshittification—used to be. Back when Bluesky was still the cool new kid in town, I wrote about the potential upside of our great Twitter Diasporic Moment: how new, untilled spaces can restore a sense of fun and chumminess but also the increasingly limited opportunity to experiment with one’s identity. In the face of the ongoing algorithmic deluge, an online self that resists cohesive packaging—that is, branding—paradoxically preserves a sense of true self we can still cling to. We get a few last gasps before the flood.
Threads pretends to be this kind of place, where you can still be anyone you want. But the truth is that your identity here is already spoken for. As many enthusiastic early adopters have already discovered, Meta is only interested in a package deal: if you want to delete your Threads profile one day, you’ll have to erase yourself on Instagram too.
So, once again, it looks like we’re still pretty stuck.
Mark Zuckerberg’s new “Twitter killer” app Threads has officially arrived. And the CEO of its parent company Meta took no time to use it as an opportunity to take a jab at the social media platform owned by his business rival Elon Musk.
Zuckerberg hadn’t tweeted since January 18, 2012, at which time he asked people to “tell your congressmen you want them to be pro-internet.” But on Wednesday, as soon as Threads launched, he posted a popular Spider-Man meme in which two identical Spidermen are pointing at each other.
He didn’t include a caption – but no words were needed.
Zuckerberg and Musk have grown to be social media business rivals, with the two going so far as to agree to fight in a cage match. The meme is seemingly a reference to Threads’ launch, as the app was designed to be a direct competitor with Twitter.
“Our vision is to take the best parts of Instagram and create a new experience for text, ideas, and discussing what’s on your mind,” Zuckerberg said in an Instagram post on Wednesday. “I think the world needs this kind of friendly community, and I’m grateful to all of you who are part of Threads from day one.”
The platform is visually very similar to Twitter, with people posting status updates that can be liked, commented on, reposted and shared.
“Whether you’re a creator or a casual poster, Threads offers a new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations,” Meta’s press release about its launch says. “…Our vision with Threads is to take what Instagram does best and expand that to text, creating a positive and creative space to express your ideas.”
It hasn’t taken long for many people to join the platform. Within the first few hours of its launch, Zuckerberg said that more than 10 million people had signed up, though his ultimate goal is significantly higher.
“It’ll take some time, but I think there should be a public conversations app with 1 billion+ people on it,” he said on Threads. “Twitter has had the opportunity to do this but hasn’t nailed it. Hopefully we will.”
Twitter had about 368 million monthly active users as of December, according to Statista, but the website says that number is expected to drop by about 5% by 2024.
Meta is set to release a rival to Twitter on Thursday, a social media app called Threads it describes as “Instagram’s text-based conversation app.”
The new service, which is available for pre-order in Apple’s App Store and will be released on July 6, has a similar appearance to Twitter, with screenshots of the service showing messages with replies from other users. One screenshot of the app indicates that Instagram users will be able to immediately click to follow the same accounts on Threads, which could help users quickly build large follower bases.
Meta also introduced cheat codes on Instagram to allow people to sign up for a download ahead of time, teasing the release to its billions of users.
Meta’s Instagram is readying a Twitter-like service, which will be available for download on July 6.
On social media, some users are referring to Threads as a “Twitter killer” because of the expectation that many people will migrate away from Twitter in favor of the new social media service.
How do I get a cheat code?
The cheat codes are “Thread” or “Threads,” which you enter into the search box in Instagram.
When you do that, a red “Admit One” ticket will appear on your screen and then move to your search box. If you click on the ticket, it will take you to a website with a countdown clock (which ends on July 6 at 10 a.m. ET). There’s also a QR code.
If you scan the QR code, it will take you to the download page for the app on Apple store.
Is this Meta’s Twitter clone?
The app is billed as an Instagram service, but images posted in Threads’ App Store listing look more like Twitter than the video- and photo-driven platform, Instagram.
Threads is billed as a place where you can “follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things.”
The Threads app appears to allow users to “like” a post, reply to it or repost it, according to images on Apple’s App Store.
Aimee Picchi
In a screenshot of the service, it appears to have a similar interface as Twitter, enabling users to “like,” “reply” or repost other people’s messages.
Yes, the Threads app says you will be able to “keep your username.”
A screenshot of Meta’s Threads, available for pre-order on Apple’s App store, indicates that people will be able to keep their Instagram followers on the new service.
Aimee Picchi
Are there privacy issues?
Meta has been dinged in the past for its privacy policies, with the FTC most recently claiming Facebook misled parents and failed to protect the privacy of children using its Messenger Kids app.
Already, some critics have pointed out that Threads may collect an awful lot of information about its members. In its App Privacy description on the Apple AppStore, Threads provides a laundry list of personal data it may collect on users, including:
Health and fitness
Financial information
Contacts
Browsing history
Purchases
Location
Sensitive information
Some critics have pointed out that it appears Threads will track a large amount of user data, including sensitive information such as financial information and contacts.
Aimee Picchi
Could Threads hurt Twitter?
Some Twitter users are expressing enthusiasm about the new Meta product on social media.
Meta’s new social media app could lure consumers away from Twitter by providing a free service without the issues that are now overhanging Musk’s tech company. Since Musk bought Twitter last year, the platform has seen a spike in hate speech and was rated by the advocacy group GLAAD as the worst social-media service for protecting LGBTQ+ users from harassment.
In its latest tweak, Twitter said Monday that it will require users to be verified before they can use the online dashboard TweetDeck, a service that is popular with corporations because it allows users to manage multiple accounts from one app.
The new policy takes effect in 30 days and appears to be aimed at raising extra revenue because users need to pay to have their accounts verified under Musk’s changes.
Rivalry between Musk and Zuckerberg
Musk’s rivalry with Meta Platforms could end up spilling over into real life. In an online exchange between Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the two tech billionaires seemingly agreed to fight each other in a “cage match,” though it’s unclear if they will actually make it to the ring.
Meta is set to release a rival to Twitter on Thursday, a social media app called Threads it describes as “Instagram’s text-based conversation app.”
The new service, which is available for pre-order in Apple’s App Store and will be released on July 6, has a similar appearance to Twitter, with screenshots of the service showing messages with replies from other users. One screenshot of the app indicates that Instagram users will be able to immediately click to follow the same accounts on Threads, which could help users quickly build large follower bases.
Meta also introduced cheat codes on Instagram that to allow people to sign up for a download ahead of time, teasing the release to its billions of users.
Meta’s Instagram is readying a Twitter-like service, which will be available for download on July 6.
The cheat codes are “Thread” or “Threads,” which you enter into the search box in Instagram.
When you do that, a red “Admit One” ticket will appear on your screen and then move to your search box. If you click on the ticket, it will take you to a website with a countdown clock (which ends on July 6 at 10 a.m. ET). There’s also a QR code.
If you scan the QR code, it will take you to the download page for the app on Apple store.
Is this Meta’s Twitter clone?
The app is billed as an Instagram service, but images posted in Threads’ App Store listing look more like Twitter than the video- and photo-driven platform, Instagram.
Threads is billed as a place where you can “follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things.”
The Threads app appears to allow users to “like” a post, reply to it or repost it, according to images on Apple’s App Store.
Aimee Picchi
In a screenshot of the service, it appears to have a similar interface as Twitter, enabling users to “like,” “reply” or repost other people’s messages.
Yes, the Threads app says you will be able to “keep your username.”
A screenshot of Meta’s Threads, available for pre-order on Apple’s App store, indicates that people will be able to keep their Instagram followers on the new service.
Aimee Picchi
Could this hurt Twitter?
Some Twitter users are expressing enthusiasm about the new Meta product on social media.
Meta’s new social media app could lure consumers away from Twitter by providing a free service without the issues that are now overhanging Musk’s tech company. Since Musk bought Twitter last year, the platform has seen a spike in hate speech and was rated by the advocacy group GLAAD as the worst social-media service for protecting LGBTQ+ users from harassment.
In its latest tweak, Twitter said Monday that it will require users to be verified before they can use the online dashboard TweetDeck, a service that is popular with corporations because it allows users to manage multiple accounts from one app.
The new policy takes effect in 30 days and appears to be aimed at raising extra revenue because users need to pay to have their accounts verified under Musk’s changes.
Rivalry between Musk and Zuckerberg
Musk’s rivalry with Meta Platforms could end up spilling over into real life. In an online exchange between Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the two tech billionaires seemingly agreed to fight each other in a “cage match,” though it’s unclear if they will actually make it to the ring.
Transgender TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney said Bud Light failed to support her or even reach out after she became the focus of conservative backlash stemming from a video she posted featuring a personalized can sent to her by the company.
“For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse, in my opinion, than not hiring a trans person at all,” Mulvaney said in a video on Thursday. “It gives customers permission to be as transphobic and hateful as they want.”
The 26-year-old, who has 10.6 million followers on TikTok, detailed her experience working with Bud Light, a company she said she loved. Mulvaney said she filmed one Instagram video on April 1 with a customized Bud Light can that had her face on it, which she said the company sent her.
“I’m bringing it up because what transpired from that video was more bullying and transphobia than I could have ever imagined,” Mulvaney said.
She said she took time to respond to the backlash because she was waiting for the anger to die down and for the brand to reach out to her — two things that haven’t happened, according to the social media star.
“I should have made this video months ago, but I didn’t and I was scared and I was scared of more backlash,” Mulvaney said. “I patiently waited for things to get better, but surprise, they haven’t really. And I was waiting for the brand to reach out to me, but they never did.”
Mulvaney, who grew her social media presence with her “Days of Girlhood” series, said the hate she’s received because of the collaboration has made her feel personally guilty for what happened and fearful for her safety.
“For months now, I’ve been scared to leave my house, I have been ridiculed in public, I’ve been followed,” the influencer said. “I have felt a loneliness that I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”
She also noted that the online attacks directed at her have reverberated throughout the trans community.
“The hate doesn’t end with me. It has serious and grave consequences for the rest of our community,” Mulvaney said. “To turn a blind eye and pretend everything is okay, it just isn’t an option right now.”
Mulvaney lamented that LGBTQ+ rights and support are still considered controversial.
“There should be nothing controversial or divisive about working with us,” she said. “Caring about the LGBTQ+ community requires a lot more than just a donation somewhere during Pride Month.”
A spokesperson for Bud Light parent company Anheuser-Busch told CBS News in a statement, “We remain committed to the programs and partnerships we have forged over decades with organizations across a number of communities, including those in the LGBTQ+ community. The privacy and safety of our employees and our partners is always our top priority. As we move forward, we will focus on what we do best – brewing great beer for everyone and earning our place in moments that matter to our consumers.”
Anheuser-Busch did not address whether or not it or Bud Light had reached out to Mulvaney since the controversy began.
In a “CBS Mornings” interview on Wednesday, Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth avoided answering whether he would send the personalized can to Mulvaney again if he had the chance to do things over again. He said the company is sending financial assistance to distributors and wholesalers affected by the dip in sales since Mulvaney’s video.
Whitworth also said that the impact on the company’s employees is what “weighs most on me.”
Bud Light has seen a decline in sales since collaborating with Mulvaney, recently losing its long-held spot as the best-selling beer in the U.S.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Nathan Chan is the CEO and publisher of Foundr, a media and education company for young, aspiring, and novice entrepreneurs. He’s had the pleasure of interviewing rock-star business leaders to find out what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur.
I tried many tools and marketing channels. When I shared with entrepreneur friends that I was using Instagram, they all told me it was a terrible channel for business. They said, “Only fitness and fashion brands should be on there.” We’d had an account for three years, set up and managed by an intern, with just a few hundred followers before I jumped in. I started by researching hashtags and writing better captions. This landed us a serious spike in magazine subscriptions. After just 24 hours of testing, I noticed an extra hundred downloads for our magazine. Better yet, we were making an extra $100 to $200 on subscriptions. In the first two weeks, we grew to 10,000 followers back in 2014.
Do you think that kind of growth is still possible today?
Definitely. It all comes down to getting as many influencers or other accounts as possible to share your content and engage your audience. While it might be harder to get followers now, it is vastly easier to get engagement. With the “s4s” model—share for sharing, essentially—all the top Instagram accounts promote one another’s accounts. Even National Geographic has done this. It is an “I’ll share your post if you share mine” concept. Alternatively, money can change hands. This is where you pay another person or account to share your content, or perhaps you send them free products. Either way, to get someone to share your content, there has to be some sort of value exchange. All the top Instagram accounts do this.
If someone is just doing this for the first time, how should they approach it? They probably don’t have a national magazine they can leverage.
First of all, dig deep and think about what you can potentially offer to a partner. Maybe it’s an ongoing promotion, like links in your blog articles or a link to their site from your website resources page. You can always find something worth trading. Or you can just pay like we did in the beginning. To find potential partners, check if they list an email address in the account bio. Often that is an indication that they are open for business. Start small and find a caption and/or image that produces results—and then find other potential partners.
So what is the overall goal of your account? And how has it changed over time?
We’re aiming to build community. But then you need to move that community off the social media platform because Instagram or any other platform could shut down your account. There’s nothing you can do about it at that point. I don’t think it’s wise to rely solely on platforms you don’t own.
For us, the goal has been to build our own media base. We want to grow an email list and a newsletter—whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, you name it—to drive people to our home base and capture their contact info, which allows us to stay in touch, build more trust, and provide more value.
We treat Instagram as a channel, just like any other (SEO, Google, Twitter, Facebook). They’re all marketing channels that allow us to facilitate our relationship with the prospective customer and interest those who want to join our community.
When I first joined, I looked around for accounts that produced the best content in the startup motivational niche. Then I started following them. We usually follow fewer than a hundred accounts and get enough inspiration and ideas for posts we can create or repost. We also have a lot of collaborative partners to help us grow rapidly, too. Now, more than ever, it’s about relevancy. It’s about posting the best possible content that your audience will love, and triggering an emotion that makes them really want to tag their friends, mention their friends, like it, share it, screenshot it, repost it, or make it a screen saver. That’s the whole goal.
From the mountains to the front range of Colorado, the new video series “Colorado Mountain Homes” … [+] takes viewers inside some of the state’s finest homes in some of the best locations.
Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate
When marketing premium homes, real estate videos are king. From Instagram’s 30-second vertical videos that showcase properties to $40,000 estate films with storylines––moving image has become a preferred tool to engage qualified buyers.
While video production is now democratized––anyone can create a short film or even a documentary on a cell phone using apps––real estate firms often look to professional creators for content.
Since 2019, Narr8 Media has produced real estate videos for Slifer Smith & Frampton.For 60 years, Slifer Smith & Frampton has represented Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, and Keystone communities. It recently expanded its reach to the Boulder Valley with the acquisition of Colorado Landmark Realtors, and prior to that, Denver, Aspen, and the Roaring Fork Valley.
Each of the monthly “Colorado Mountain Homes” videos details three to four homes and runs no longer than five minutes. Haws, a former NBC news anchor, scripts and narrates the videos, sometimes appearing on camera. Rollins acts as the creative director, shooting and editing the work. Stringers are hired as needed.
Rollins previously worked in news stations doing marketing and promotion; both partners have also sold homes.
In a recent “Colorado Mountain Homes episode,” Krista Klees, President of Slifer Smith & Frampton Roaring Fork Valley, appears on camera detailing a $25 million 5,000-square foot home at the base of Aspen Mountain. As the narrator, Scott also talks up the home’s features, his voice paired with video of the exterior, interior, and standout features. B-roll of Aspen Mountain completes the tight edit.
The segments also include a “newsy” insight into the local market.
“We mention price points, what inventory is moving, what people are wanting,” says Rollins whose firm has produced more than 200 videos for Slifer Smith & Frampton. In the home Klees brokered, Haws explains that the average price for a single-family home in Aspen has accelerated––from $6.5 million in 2018 to $18.5 million in 2022.
Inside the main living area of Whisper Mountain Ranch, a Boulder ranch set on 144 bucolic acres.
Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate
That video was posted on the home’s dedicated Slifer Smith & Frampton website in February, and the property, listed for $25 million, “went under contract in early April,” Klees says. “The buyers saw the video, and then flew out to see the home.”
Klees adds that anyone can look at “beautiful pictures of a property, but the videos elevate it to that next level––you really start to grasp the essence of a home. It’s a step up from Matterport property tours.” (Matterport is a 3D space capture platform that enables shoppers to explore homes using immersive interactive 3D models.)
Narr8 Media partners with Slifer Smith & Frampton at a corporate level, “which is different than any of our other clients,” says Haws who with Rollins serves clients in major markets charging from $500 to $6,000 per video.
“Narr8 doesn’t seem like a vendor,” says Sara Roberts Slifer Smith & Frampton’s Vice President of Marketing who oversees 320 brokers in 33 offices. “They feel like a part of the company as if they’re our in-house production team.”
A recent video created by Narr8 for the independent Colorado brokerage features an 11,000-square-foot Vail, Colorado home billed as “one of the finest homes ever built in the Rockies.” It’s located in the gated community of Mountain Star. Haws appears on camera driving a cherry red Rubicon Jeep along a mountain-view-packed road leading to the home’s gates.
Inside, he shows off the soaring great room and the stunning vistas. He also rappels off a rock-climbing wall, a grin on his boyish face.
The home sold for $20.25 million in May 2022.
This $9-million Breckenridge home, set on a one-acre ridgeline lot in Shock Hill, was featured in … [+] the show’s second episode.
Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate
During a two-week campaign, the video targeted key metro areas: Denver, Manhattan, Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Greenwich, Boca Raton, Naples, and San Diego. Analytics show that exposure topped out at 88,743 active buyer views with 32,654 of those engaging with the video in some form, including 622 clicks on the property listing site.
“We want viewers who would actually pay $13 million for a home,” says Roberts whose team consists of 10 core staff that includes four marketing managers. There are also 45 marketing coordinators she oversees with the Vice President of Operations.
A Bachelor Gulch Village home that Narr8 filmed in 2021 sold for $16 million within a few weeks after the video was distributed. “That house was a 10 out of a 10,” Haws says of the 10,000-square foot-plus home. “It really hit on all cylinders.” His firm also manages Slifer Smith & Frampton’s YouTube channel.
Narr8 believes it’s found the sweet spot in luxury real estate video production––between the $25-$30,000 estate productions that employ actors and plotted intrigue to grab eyeballs, and 30-second Instagram vertical videos, some being simple slideshows paired with music and text.
“Once a home is priced above $5 million, you start to see unique features, elements that are compelling from a story standpoint,” Haws says. “The higher the price, the more those attributes amplify. An expertly crafted video can showcase that, and also deliver great brand recognition.”
Narr8 Media employs a compact equipment package that includes Sony cameras and numerous lenses, lights, wireless mics, DJI drones, and a 360 omnidirectional camera for novel shots. “We find creative ways to showcase the ‘gee whiz’ features of a home, including shooting multiple angles of rooms,” Rollins says.
Rollins aims for at least one money shot per video.
“I’ll take a camera and punch it through a double-sided fireplace and then crane the camera all the way to show how big the rooms are,” Rollins says. “We have a lot of fun.”
Back in the studio, Haws logs the footage, writes a script, and records voiceovers. Rollins executes the edit, adding music, text, b-roll, and graphics.
Haws estimates that the pair have marketed over $5 billion worth of properties during the past decade––“with 80% of the listings selling within the first six months of a video launch,” he says. Narr8 Media’s analytics show a “watch rate” of three times the industry standard, which is the length of time users view a video.
Roberts is impressed with the firm’s turnaround time that’s sometimes within 24 hours and often within 48 hours after Narr8 leaves a shoot location. “That they’re ready to be anywhere at a moment’s notice is incredible,” she says.
Haws and Rollins credit that nimble efficiency to their television broadcast days when they cut their teeth on breaking news cycles with crushing same-day deadlines.
An array of camera equipment, including drones, are used in the filming.
Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate
Slifer Smith & Frampton brokers have largely embraced the firm’s passion for video. But not every agent is camera ready.
“I am definitely not an on-camera person, it’s not my forte, you know?” Klees says. She was intrigued, however, with how to strike an authentic poise while avoiding appearing scripted.
Haws and Rollins say Klees nailed it.
“They do it quickly so you don’t have time to overthink,” Klees says. Rollins’ adept editing helps as he excises ums and ahs, along with stumbles brokers may make. A teleprompter is used as needed, and Haws sometimes interviews brokers to help put them at ease.
While brokers are not often used in vertical videos, Roberts says she’s now seeing the advantages of that brisk format––what Narr8 terms its “RoofRush” product, a 30-second promo spot often posted on Instagram or TikTok.
“We haven’t dived into TikTok yet, but that’s in the plan,” Roberts says.
In a matchup that no one asked for but nearly everyone would likely watch, Elon Musk could face off against Mark Zuckerberg in a cage fight.
Twitter/Tesla/SpaceX boss Musk earlier this week mocked Zuckerberg’s Meta over reports that its Instagram platform would soon have a feature called Threads to compete with Twitter.
“I’m sure Earth can’t wait to be exclusively under Zuck’s thumb with no other options,” Musk wrote on Twitter, leading to this exchange with a user referencing Zuckerberg’s recent martial arts experience:
Zuckerberg posted a screenshot of Musk’s tweet in his Instagram story along with three words: “Send me location.”
Both billionaires have at least some experience in martial arts. Zuckerberg told podcaster Joe Rogan that he began studying mixed martial arts during the pandemic, saying he liked its “primal” nature.
In 2020, Musk publicly challenged Johnny Depp to a cage fight during the actor’s legal battle with actor/ex-wife Amber Heard. One of the actor’s many text messages read in court was a threat to cut off Musk’s penis amid reports he was having an affair with Heard.
Musk denied seeing Heard when she was married to Depp.
“If Johnny wants a cage fight, just let me know,” he told the New York Times, which noted that he giggled as he said it.
Musk on Twitter said a fight with Zuckerberg would be “hilarious” and added:
I have this great move that I call “The Walrus”, where I just lie on top of my opponent & do nothing
GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ+ media advocacy organization, announced on Thursday that its third annual Social Media Safety Index found that all five major social media platforms — Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Twitter — received low or failing scores on its platform scorecard for the second year in a row — with Twitter receiving the lowest grade in its ability to protect LGBTQ+ users.
“These platforms continue to fail at enforcing the safeguarding of LGBTQ users from online hate speech, fail at providing transparency in the use of LGBTQ-specific user data and fail in expressing commitments to protecting LGBTQ users,” the organization wrote on Twitter.
In particular, transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming users are subject to hate speech and harassment on social media, the report found.
This year, GLAAD’s Social Media Safety Index found that all five major social media platforms – Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Twitter – received failing scores on the SMSI Platform Scorecard for the second consecutive year: https://t.co/IlChGi2Vkmpic.twitter.com/xTCHwQzjKr
According to GLAAD, “the SMSI Platform Scorecard offers an evaluation of LGBTQ safety, privacy, and expression on five major platforms…based on 12 LGBTQ-specific indicators,” which include the ability for users to add pronouns to their bios, public disclosure that a platform does not recommend content to a user based on their inferred gender identity or sexual orientation without their explicit consent and internal corporate structures to actualize the protection of LGBTQ users from harm.
Twitter received only a 33% score this year, down 12 points since Elon Musk took over the platform in 2022, while all other platforms improved their score from the previous year. By contrast, Instagram scored 63%, Instagram 61%, TikTok 57% and YouTube 54% score on the 2023 report.
The SMSI identified issues of inadequate content moderation and enforcement across the board, “harmful” algorithms, and a general “lack of transparency and accountability across the industry, among many other issues — all of which disproportionately impact LGBTQ users and other marginalized communities who are uniquely vulnerable to hate, harassment, and discrimination.”
“Dehumanizing anti-LGBTQ content on social media such as misinformation and hate have an outsized impact on real world violence and harmful anti-LGBTQ legislation, but social media platforms too often fail at enforcing their own policies regarding such content,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah-Kate Ellis.
Additional key findings in the 2023 SMSI include anti-LGBTQ+ online rhetoric leading to harm in offline life, anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech is “an alarming public health and safety issue” and platforms across the board are guilty of a lack of transparency in how they report. Platforms were also found to disproportionately suppress LGBTQ+-centered content through demonitization and content removal.
The SMSI includes “key recommendations” for each of the platforms to improve the climate for LBGTQ+ users.
On Twitter, attacks on LGBTQ+ users have increased substantially since Musk took over, according to a combined report by Media Matters and GLAAD. The report found that retweets of posts from anti-LGBTQ+ accounts that contained “groomer” rhetoric increased over 1200% since Musk’s purchase of Twitter.
In April, Twitter removed a policy against the “targeted misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals.”
“We want our products and platforms to be safe for everyone. We engage with civil society organizations around the world in our work to design policies and create tools that foster a safe online environment,” a Meta spokesperson told CBS News.
“This approach is always evolving, and input from LGBTQ+ safety and advocacy organizations is critical to informing and continually improving Meta’s technologies and programs.”
TikTok said they were “always looking to strengthen our approach” with the help of their users and experts such as GLAAD.
“At TikTok, we’re focused on building a safe and supportive platform where the LGBTQ+ community can keep inspiring and thriving,” said a statement from a company spokesperson. “We’re proud to have strong policies aimed at protecting LGBTQ+ individuals from harassment and hate speech, including misgendering and deadnaming.”
A YouTube spokesperson told CBS News that its policies “prohibit content that promotes violence or hatred against members of the LGBTQ+ community.”
“Over the last few years, we’ve made significant progress in our ability to quickly remove this content from our platform and prominently surface authoritative sources in search results and recommendations. We remain committed to this important work, and we appreciate the thoughtful feedback from GLAAD.”
Twitter’s press email auto-replied with a poop emoji — as has been custom for months since Musk let go of the members of Twitter’s public relations team.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Roll-Em-Up Taquitos and its COO Sam Fonseca follow a deliberate approach to keeping their menu — and business — simple and successful.
“My role is to make sure that our focus is on our taquitos.” says COO Sam Fonseca to Shawn Walchef of CaliBBQ Media. “When you add other things, it actually devalues what we do best. It’s going to take our attention away just even a smidgen for something else.”
In honor of the original inspiration, Mama Karen, Sam Fonseca and team at Roll-Em-Up Taquitos understand the true desires of their customers and strive to surpass expectations with every “Bomb AF” Taquito rolled.
Though they stay consistent to their simplified menu, that doesn’t mean Fonseca isn’t flexible enough to make adjustments necessary to enhance the business.
In a serendipitous meeting with an overzealous customer while working at a previous job, Fonseca quickly understood the importance of listening to customer desires. The customer came to the door early in the morning during a team meeting, thinking the restaurant was open due to the amount of cars in the parking lot.
Sam Fonseca instantly recognized the opportunity to change business hours and attract a new sector of customers by simply allowing employees to fill the parking lot with their cars and opening the doors at 9 in the morning.
Recognizing the immense power of social media storytelling for restaurants, with over 100K followers on TikTok and Instagram for Roll-Em-Up Taquitos, Fonseca has observed a shift in customer behavior. Fewer people these days are connected by shared memories of Saturday morning cartoons or favorite network TV shows, while more are finding connections through social media platforms.
The digital landscape has allowed customers to easily reach out, inquire about Roll Em Up locations, and stay connected with the brand.
“Social media is just this powerful, powerful tool, right, that can reach folks in different countries, in different states.” says Sam Fonseca. “It’s just an amazing marketing tool.”
Roll-Em-Up Taquitos embodies the idea of simplicity by focusing on their expertise, engaging customers through social media platforms, and capitalizing on customer connections. Roll Em Up Taquitos continues to flourish, and Fonseca’s approach ensures that the company remains a beacon of culinary excellence, bringing joy to taquito enthusiasts who come to their locations with high expectations.
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More than 350 lawsuits against social media giants TikTok, Meta and others are expected to proceed this year. Sharyn Alfonsi spoke with some of the families suing social media.
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Instagram is a social networking platform that serves as a photo and video archive. Pictures, videos, stories, and other content can be shared. It has grown significantly in popularity as a method of influence-based income for people. Your chances of being approached by a brand for ads that generate more money increase with the number of followers you have.
For Bollywood stars, Instagram has developed into a potent tool for connecting with their followers and sharing snippets of their personal and professional life. Bollywood stars have racked up a sizable Instagram following in the realm of Indian cinema, where popularity knows no bounds. With their intriguing posts and interesting information, these superstars have amassed millions of followers on social media. They provide a unique glimpse into their opulent life, offering amazing fashion choices and behind-the-scenes glances.
Instagram has also evolved into a major promotional channel for Bollywood celebrities. They use it to generate excitement and discussion about upcoming endeavours by releasing teasers, trailers, and posters. They also interact with their audience through live events, Q&A sessions, and competitions, establishing a sense of belonging.
Bollywood stars’ influence on Instagram goes beyond only their enormous fan base and includes corporate partnerships and endorsements. They gain a following of millions of followers thanks to their fame and involvement on the site, making them sought-after brand ambassadors who may sell products or services to them.
Let’s explore these celebrities’ worlds and learn the tales behind their massive Instagram followings.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas (87.7M)
Due to her widespread popularity, active social media presence, powerful demeanour, cross-cultural appeal, and spotlight in the media, Priyanka Chopra Jonas is one of the highly followed Bollywood stars on Instagram. She has a devoted following all over the world due to her success as an actress in both Bollywood and Hollywood.
Priyanka frequently engages with fans by posting information about her daily life, work, and charitable activities. As a UNICEF India National Ambassador, she tackles societal issues and serves as a role model for millions.
Her appeal on the platform has also been boosted by the attention that her varied background and marriage to Nick Jonas have received from the international media. Additionally, she frequently posts adorable photographs of her daughter Malti Marie Chopra Jonas.
Shraddha Kapoor (80.8M)
Shraddha Kapoor’s diverse talents and sincere presence have made her a social media sensation. Despite the fact that she doesn’t have many films out, she has a large following base outside of the acting industry. She captivates audiences throughout the world as a skilled singer and dancer, drawing a wide fan base.
Shraddha Kapoor’s popularity is further boosted by her authentic, uncensored approach on social media. She builds a sincere relationship with her followers by providing behind-the-scenes photos, workout routines, and family moments. Fans respond favourably to her openness to accept her authentic self, which includes sharing photographs without filters.
Alia Bhatt (77.5M)
Due to her flourishing career as a Bollywood actor and her approachable persona, Alia Bhatt has gained a large following on Instagram. She has a sizable fan base thanks to her standout film performances, in her recent movies such as Gangubai Kathiawadi, Brahmastra and Darlings, which translates to a solid presence on the online platform. Alia frequently engages with her followers by posting glimpses into her personal life such as travel, workout regimens, her cute cat Robert and some of her candid moments. Her sense of style and partnerships with well-known brands also draw in fans of fashion. She also makes much makeup or skin-care routine videos along with her sister Shaheen Bhatt.
The actress has also recently become the global ambassador for the famous luxurious brand Gucci and was also recently seen attending the Gucci Cruise fashion show in Seoul, South Korea. She has also made her debut at the Met Gala and is also set to make her Hollywood debut with the movie Heart of Stone, co-starring Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan. These are some of the reasons why her fans and followers love her.
Deepika Padukone (74.1M)
Deepika Padukone is well-known on Instagram for a variety of reasons. She has a huge fan base that is a reflection of her remarkable career as a highly talented Bollywood actress. Deepika is a well-known fashion star who has worked with prestigious brands and is famous for her excellent sense of style.By sharing personal thoughts and behind-the-scenes photos, she actively engages her followers and develops real connections. Deepika has also gained a lot of attention and recognition for her work as a mental health advocate.
Her widespread reputation, which includes Hollywood productions and widespread commercial endorsements, has increased her appeal. The actress was also recently part of the Oscars and Fifa World Cup and has represented the country on many international platforms. The actress has also recently launched her own Indian skin-acre brand and is often seen endorsing it on her Instagram.
Katrina Kaif (72.8M)
There are many reasons why Katrina Kaif has gained popularity on Instagram. To start with, she attracted attention when she launched the cosmetics brand and utilised social media influencers to market the company. She also interacts with her followers by posting updates about her job, workout regimen, and fashion choices.
Being a Bollywood actor, she already had a sizable fan base, which translated into a substantial following on Instagram. After being married to one of the most famous Bollywood actors, Vicky Kaushal, Katrina is often seen sharing multiple posts regarding the candid moments of her life such as wedding pics, celebrations of festivals, her family and breath-taking travel breaks with her husband.
Jacqueline Fernandez (66.8M)
Jacqueline Fernandez has gained popularity on Instagram for a variety of factors. Because of her breathtakingly beauty and impeccable fashion sense, which have established her as a style star, her supporters eagerly anticipate her dazzling picture shoots and dark carpet ensembles. An active Bollywood actress named Jacqueline uses Instagram to document her behind-the-scenes experiences and promotional efforts. She has a sizeable second as a result of her dedication to wellness and fitness. Jacqueline shares her workout routines, yoga positions, and wellness tips with her followers to inspire them to live healthier lifestyles. Jacqueline Fernandez’s fascinating material has helped her establish a solid following on Instagram.
