16 Sep
Blog

Engage With Clients Through Social Media

When people decide if they want to visit your spa, they will use social media for social proof to help decide if you are the right spa for them. If you don't have a strong social media presence, you may lose trust and credibility with potential customers. Discover our best marketing tips for a strong and engaging social media presence that will keep your spa in mind and encourage repeat appointments.

How to connect with customers through social media

1. Reply and engage with any comments

Social media is one of the few digital ways your business has two-way communication with customers that gives you the ability to get feedback, monitor sentiment, and build a relatable brand personality. Part of building this personal relationship is replying to as many comments and direct messages as possible. Fast response times and friendly, helpful delivery are a surefire way to attract and retain new customers.

Authenticity and transparency are the key to building trust and social proof. You engage on a public platform so that others will stumble upon your conversations when they visit your account. If your spa has multiple employees who manage their social media accounts, you may want to create a social media engagement document. This document describes best practices for answering all types of questions so that your voice sounds consistent and professional on all platforms. This document should cover the correct tone, brand voice, and language you plan to use, as well as answer templates for the most frequently asked questions. You may also want to respond optimally to sensitive issues (such as politics, religion, or race) or to customer concerns such as allergic reactions to certain spa treatments or skin care products.

Other topics that may require replies in templates include:

  • Product advice / recommendation requests
  • Concerns about skin reactions
  • Return and Exchange Policy

2. Post at the right time

Which social media platform are your customers most active on? When do you get involved the most? When you can answer these questions, you can maximize your potential for post engagement and reach. By doing some trial and error and analyzing your customers' behavior using data, you can determine your ideal publication times. But guesswork should at some point be replaced by analytical tools to get precise insights into your customers' social media behavior. Social media engagement platforms like Sprout Social or Later are very useful for planning content and recommending the best time to post. Some social platforms like Instagram's business account already have built-in analytics tools.

3. Livestream in questions and answers

As more people become familiar with video calling and working online, live streaming on Instagram or Facebook becomes an attractive option. You can create a Q&A livestream and open the room for questions so you can stay connected with your customers remotely. Watching a live video in your spa room creates a stronger sense of connection as your prospects get a better feel for the spa and give you the freedom to say and do anything. Many people have questions for estheticians and would like to take this opportunity to provide feedback or ask them questions in a low pressure environment. When answering audience questions, you can use the question format to talk about the services and treatments you offer, making the livestream a subtle marketing tool.

Women smile and look at a phone

4. Re-share high quality content

As you interact with your audience and niche, you are likely to stumble upon quality content that your audience would love too. Consider republishing content when it visually integrates with your feed. Make sure what you repost isn't intrusive or completely different from your branding image. Before reposting, contact the original creator to request their reposting permission and offer them credit. Once you have permission, you should create an original signature to update the content and mark the original creator.

5. Use unique content

Use content that highlights what makes your spa unique and why people come to your spa. As you brainstorm content ideas, think about the key messages you want to share, such as:

  • We have special offers on Tuesday evening
  • Our beauticians will be happy to put together a skin care program specifically for your skin type
  • We carry products made from organic ingredients
  • We know about skin care
  • We have trustworthy and highly qualified staff ready to help you

For example, if you decide to create posts to showcase your staff's knowledge of skin care, create educational posts explaining the different skin types or suggesting skin care products. If you want to highlight your employees' skills, you can post a photo of their work with a client with a before and after photo showing results or testimonials from previous clients. This is an excellent option if you or your employees have unique skills or are performing specialized treatments.

Other content ideas are:

  • Post a question sticker on your Instagram story as "Ask me anything!" Invitation to answer all burning questions
  • Post photos of your favorite skin care products
  • Ask your beauticians about their favorite products and tag them in a quote post
  • Post a video, Instagram reel, or TikTok video that shows your audience how to perform a skin care routine in the correct order
  • Set up a “Tip Tuesday” or regular schedule so your audience knows when to expect a certain type of post. Tip Tuesday could be a day to highlight facts about the skin, knowledge of ingredients, or explain treatments and techniques used in your spa

The possibilities are only limited to your imagination!

Since it can be difficult to always create original content, Eminence Organics creates social media packages especially for our spa partners. They contain sophisticated images as well as sample messaging for various social media platforms. Spa Partners can log in and download from the News page and the Downloadable Images page on the Professional site. We hope this will ease some of the content creators' fatigue!

You can use this list of social media tips to build your online audience. Interested in even more resources? Find out how to become an Eminence Organics Spa partner and the benefits we offer, including social media packages and more.

16 Jul
Blog

TiVo Stream 4K Review: Media Streamer Made For Cord-Cutters

TiVo Stream 4K

"With 4K, Dolby Vision, Atmos and Chromecast, the Stream 4K offers a lot of value."

  • Affordable

  • Great remote control

  • 4K, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

  • Chromecast and Google Assistant integrated

  • Only supports Sling for live TV

  • Dolby Atmos support is inconsistent

When TiVo announced the Stream 4K at CES 2020, we were a little surprised. The company, which built its reputation (and arguably an industry) on the invention of the DVR, showed a device that could not record TV shows on a hard drive and could not even be connected to conventional TV sources such as cable, satellite, or free antenna broadcasts.

The Stream 4K is also a price departure from TiVo's past. With an introductory price of $ 50 and no additional fees, the Stream 4K is by far the cheapest TiVo product. But has the company sold its soul to harness the power of the streaming video revolution?

Let's take a look.

What is the TiVo Stream 4K?

TiVo Stream 4KSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Before we go into the full test, let's discuss what the Stream 4K is – and what isn't.

Despite the TiVo branding, the Stream 4K has practically nothing in common with DVR devices such as the TiVo Bolt OTA and the TiVo Edge. It cannot be used in the same household as these other TiVo products to access your DVR recordings or conventional live TV (in case you hoped it could serve as a much cheaper version of the TiVo Mini). But one thing the TiVo believers will not miss: the fee for the TiVo service (since this is not a TiVo DVR).

Instead, it's a $ 50 streaming media dongle that is supported by the Android TV operating system. TiVo has added some proprietary software improvements, but for the most part, the Stream 4K should be viewed as an Android TV.

At an extremely affordable price of $ 50, the Stream 4K may be the best Android TV in the world right now. But it is definitely not a TiVo in the traditional sense.

design

TiVo Stream 4KSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

The Stream 4K looks like a cross between a Google Chromecast and a Roku Streaming Stick +. The main dongle is a small, rectangular device that is designed to resemble TiVo's latest DVR, the Edge, and has the same offset-square look.

TiVo knows a thing or two about remote controls. You could say it's one of the company's greatest strengths.

A flexible HDMI cable makes it easy to connect to the back or sides of a TV, and a standard micro USB cable is powered by the included power adapter. Although it is possible that an available USB port on your TV is used for the power supply, TiVo expressly recommends not to do so.

There is a USB-C port on the side, but it is currently only used to add a third-party Ethernet adapter.

What sets the Stream 4K apart from the streaming dongle competition is its remote control.

TiVo knows a thing or two about remote controls. You could say it's one of the company's greatest strengths. The Stream 4K's remote looks like someone took a regular TiVo remote and shrunk it in their laundry.

The classic peanut shape is retained and is pleasant to hold and use. It contains most of the expected keys such as volume, channel, a special number pad and even the famous TiVo key "Skip". Some of these buttons, like the "Skip" and "TiVo" buttons, work a little differently on the Stream 4K than on the PVRs, but overall this is a very familiar experience.

A notable exception is the Google Assistant button, which replaces the blue voice button. You use this for all voice-based commands.

The only button I wished for was a dedicated play / pause. As with some older Android TVs like the 2017 Nvidia Shield TV and earlier, the central D-Pad button is an "OK" function for menus and a play / pause button when streaming, but sometimes it has to be done twice pressed when you want to pause or play.

configuration

TiVo Stream 4K setup

Setting up Stream 4K is easy with a step-by-step on-screen wizard. Usually, you have to create a TiVo account for TiVo devices as part of the activation process. However, since this is also an Android TV device, you need a Google account to download apps from the Google Play Store and use the Google Assistant.

The only difference from other streaming devices is TiVo's personalization step, which takes you through a range of A or B options using popular TV shows to set a benchmark for your personal taste.

After making about a dozen of these decisions, TiVo's personalization engine offers a number of suggested titles for your My Shows collection. If, like me, you are not particularly enthusiastic about the suggestions, you can always add your own shows and films to your "My Shows" library later.

In the last step you will be asked to select the streaming services to which you have access. Options include Sling, Amazon Prime, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney + as well as Google Play Movies and TV.

Wondering what is the difference between Amazon Prime and Amazon Prime Video? Amazon Prime includes all of the content included in your Prime membership, while Amazon Prime Video is Amazon's paid program – shows and movies that you can only rent or buy.

If you're concerned that your preferred streaming service isn't one of the options, you shouldn't. This is simply the list of streaming services that TiVo currently has access to for its personalized streaming app, which we'll discuss next. In the Google Play Store, you can choose from a variety of additional streaming services. A notable exception is Apple TV +.

The TiVo Stream experience

TiVo Stream 4K screenshotSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

The TiVo Stream 4K is incredibly affordable considering that it has both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. However, TiVo would argue that the biggest attraction of Stream 4K is the included TiVo Stream app, and this is an argument with some value.

Much like Apple's TV app tried to create a curated streaming experience that collects content from multiple streaming platforms (including your own Apple TV + if you have a subscription), the TiVo Stream consolidates all of yours Services in a user-friendly interface.

All of the curated content is divided into well-known categories such as movies, TV shows, sports, and children (though strangely no "news" option), and each is divided into deeper categories like "superhero films". This is a great way to search multiple content sources from a single user interface. Equally valuable is the search tool, which, as the name suggests, allows you to search the entire curated content.

It's incredibly affordable considering that it has both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

The stream app is also home to the free, ad-supported live TV platform TiVo +, a collection of hyper-specific channels such as Unsolved Mysteries, Conde Nast Traveler and Food52. You can access these channels using the Guide button or by switching to the Guide view in the Stream app. If you have a Sling subscription, this will also be shown here.

TiVo regards the Stream app as the real “home screen” of the Stream 4K, although you can still access the normal Android TV home screen. In fact, each of these user experiences gets its own button on the remote control. The stream app is triggered via the TiVo button, which is located on the front and center of the remote control, while the Android TV start screen is accessed via a small circular button next to the Google Assistant button.

Do you find these dueling home screens confusing? First, yes. You'll likely stumble around a bit, especially if you've never used an Android TV.

However, you will quickly find that the Stream app is just like any other app in the bigger Android TV experience. It's there when you want it, as is the dedicated button, but it's easy to ignore if you don't find it valuable.

How valuable you find it depends on how many of the supported streaming services you subscribe to. If your only paid subscription is Netflix, the stream app can only offer you Netflix suggestions and everything it can find on its own TiVo + Live TV service.

This pales in comparison to Roku's The Roku Channel, which not only curates among most paid streaming services, but also finds the best free streaming options from a much wider range of services.

Made for Sling, somehow

TiVo

To get the most out of the Stream app, you need a Sling TV subscription. This is currently the only live TV service (except TiVo +) that the app supports. Sling TV effectively replaces the role that cable, satellite or antenna television plays on TiVo's DVRs by allowing the Stream app to access a variety of broadcast channels and broadcasts.

Without a Sling subscription, the Stream 4K is a powerful Android TV with some useful extras. A Sling subscription gets a little closer to the TiVo experience that made the company's DVRs so popular, but with some important limitations.

Sling channels are displayed in the Guide interface, where you can see what is currently playing and what is on the program. However, if you've subscribed to Netflix or another streaming service that contains the same shows as a Sling channel, clicking on future scheduled episodes in the manual will only allow you to watch them immediately instead of seeing the expected Sling recording option.

In a way, that's good. Why wait to record an episode when you can see it on another service now? But I think the guide should give you both options, not just one. The only way to trigger a sling recording of a "double" show is to switch from the Android TV start screen to the standalone sling app and use its instructions.

When you schedule a recording in the Sling app, the Sling manual shows that the recording has been scheduled. However, this information is not shown in the manual of the Stream app.

There is also no way to access your sling recordings via the Stream app. You'll need to return to the Sling app to find, view, and manage it.

performance

TiVo Stream 4KSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Unlike Roku, Amazon Fire TV, or Apple TV, which all have tight control over the software and hardware that delivers their experiences, Android TV can feel a bit like the wild west, with some devices delivering a snappy performance while others feel sluggish.

Fortunately, the Stream 4K is one of the earlier ones, which switches quickly and quickly from app to app, and there was no noticeable delay in using the buttons on the remote control.

This is probably due to the internals of the Stream 4K. It has 2 GB of RAM and 8 GB of onboard storage and can wirelessly stream over 802.11 AC Wi-Fi. But I find the CPU, the Amlogic S905Y2, particularly interesting. This is the same chip that Google is using for its Android TV developer platform ADT-3, and probably the same chip that Google will be using in its upcoming Android TV device, codenamed Sabrina.

If you are an Android TV power user hoping for a cheap alternative to Shield TV, keep this in mind. TiVo does not offer some advanced options, e.g. B. Pass-through for Dolby Atmos or DTS HD. There is also no way to handle switching and exiting apps, a standard feature of most Android TVs.

Audio and video quality

If you have a 4K HDR TV, the contents of the Stream 4K should look great, and even more so if your TV also supports Dolby Vision. In a back-to-back test against an Apple TV 4K with a LG OLED TV, I found that the Stream 4K produced pictures that were just as detailed and colorful, whether I was from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Plex streamed.

I had problems getting one of the streaming apps to deliver Dolby Atmos to my A / V receiver or TV

I also managed to outperform my other Android TV, an Nvidia Shield TV for 2019 for $ 150, with slightly more vivid tones.

Oddly, there were some cases where the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen (which is the case when playing movies with a ratio of 2.35: 1 like Ford versus Ferrari) appeared gray and not black. However, this was inconsistent and may have been a bug with the Plex app rather than a problem with the Stream 4K.

I also occasionally encountered screen fades where the signal from the Stream 4K was temporarily interrupted, although this only happened while navigating the user interface and not while streaming video.

The audio quality is great, but Dolby Atmos fans are warned. Despite the fact that the Stream 4K supports a variety of audio formats such as Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS HD and Dolby Atmos, I had problems getting one of the streaming apps to deliver Dolby Atmos to my air conditioner receiver or television.

TiVo's representative admitted that the Stream 4K has not yet received a software update to be compatible with Netflix's Dolby Atmos requirements, and said that this update will be available soon. However, I didn't get a clear reason why Disney + and Amazon Prime were in the same boat.

In a way, this shouldn't come as a surprise. TiVo has brought products to the market in the past – the TiVo Bolt OTA comes to mind – that promised functions such as 4K and HDR but did not have the necessary support for streaming services so that these functions work at least when started.

Since the Stream 4K is clearly Dolby Atmos compatible, it is now a waiting game to see when or if TiVo and the streaming services update their apps to activate it.

Integrated Google Assistant and Chromecast

TiVo Stream 4K remote controlSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Two main advantages of choosing Android TV as a smart TV operating system are Google Assistant and Google Chromecast. Both work well with the Stream 4K, which means that this $ 50 dongle outperforms Google's own $ 69 Chromecast Ultra in every possible way.

I haven't tested the Stream 4K for performance with Google's Stadia game service, but the Chromecast feature was a spell for other tasks like initiating and controlling streams from YouTube or Plex.

Our opinion

Android TV may not be for everyone, but at $ 50, the TiVo Stream 4K is a compelling argument that you should give it a try. With the support of Dolby Vision and a curated viewing experience that should improve over time, the Stream 4K has a lot of potential. The company must keep an eye on its relationships with streaming providers to ensure that the potential is exploited.

Is there a better alternative?

If you're looking for an affordable remote-controlled media streamer, you have a wide choice. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K for $ 50 works with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, has an integrated Alexa function and a library with over 8,000 apps. However, not everyone loves the Fire TV interface, and there is no native casting option for Android or iOS devices.

The $ 50 Roku Streaming Stick + has one of the best smart TV interfaces we've ever used, as well as countless apps. However, Dolby Vision is not supported. Google Assistant or Alexa are not supported (although Roku has its own voice command system). Casting is limited to what you can do with the free Roku app.

Both devices are worthwhile alternatives, but given the unique features of the Stream 4K, I won't call them "better" for the time being.

How long it will take?

This is a difficult question. The hardware is solid, but when it comes to streaming devices, software support plays a much bigger role.

Google likes to update its software regularly and Android TV is no exception. If TiVo stays up to date with these Stream 4K updates, you're in good shape. However, if the Android smartphone world is an indicator, this support may only continue for one or two important updates.

If this is a problem, Roku and Amazon have excellent track records for updates. Nvidia has also remarkably taken care of its Shield TVs, which are updated five years after the launch of the first models.

Should you buy it

Yes. At an introductory price of just $ 50, the TiVo Stream 4K packs a lot of value into a small package. Even if you never use the signature stream app to manage your bingeing sessions, this is currently the cheapest way to get started on Android TV.

Editor's recommendations




27 Feb
Blog

GoPro Media Mod Review: A Must-Have Accessory For Content Creators

Gopro Media Mod review presented cropped

GoPro Media Mod Test: Turn your action camera into a YouTuber dream

"With its latest accessories, GoPro goes beyond extreme athletes to celebrate the vlogger."

  • Integrated microphone

  • Adds HDMI 3.5mm microphone ports

  • Two normal cold shoes

  • Easy to use

  • Still no headphone jack

  • The audio quality is not always better

The GoPro Hero8 Black is already the best action camera you can buy, but it should never reach its full potential. One of the key features promised when it was introduced was to support Mods, a collection of three official GoPro accessories that connect to Hero8 and expand its functionality.

Of these, the $ 79 Media Mod is by far the most important. It not only extends the input / output functions of the GoPro and adds a miniature shotgun microphone, but is also the centerpiece to which the Display Mod and the Light Mod are attached. While we had previously tested the Light Mod alone for our Hero8 Black test, we couldn't use it until we later received a Media Mod attached to the camera.

GoPro's goal with the Media Mod is to consolidate Hero8's position as a capable vlogging camera and break the stereotype that GoPros are only used for extreme sports.

Of course, people have been attaching microphones and lights to their GoPros for years, but there has never been a solution as elegant as the Media Mod. It feels like the most thoughtful accessory that GoPro has made, and one that many vloggers and YouTubers have should find a home.

Set up and use

The Media Mod is a frame that completely encloses the Hero8. You must first remove the Hero8's battery compartment, then the camera is simply slid into the frame and connected to the USB-C port. This single connection powers the Mod's shotgun microphone as well as the USB-C, Micro-HDMI and 3.5mm ports on the back of the Mod.

These exposed connectors mean you won't get GoPro's legendary waterproofing, but it should be able to deal with bad weather. It rained during our test and we found no problems.

The Mod's built-in microphone consists of two, one in the front and one in the back. You can select which one you want to use in the camera settings.

You can connect an external audio source via the 3.5 mm socket. You can choose the type of input from the menu, including activated microphone, deactivated microphone or line-in, as well as the option to add 20 decibels of gain. Note that connecting an external microphone overrides the other audio options.

The Media Mod also adds two cold shoes, one on the top and one on the right. Fortunately, these are standard size shoes, which means that they also work with non-GoPro accessories. This makes it easy to attach an external microphone, monitor, or light – you don't have to buy GoPro's light and display mods if you already have other options.

Audio quality

If you consider the Media Mod just as a means to improve the audio quality with its built-in microphone, you may be disappointed.

Compared to a bare Hero8 Black, the sound quality of the built-in microphone in the Media Mod appears to be more accurate and less subdued. Objectively, it is better and power users will probably prefer it.

However, many people will find the warmer, better processed sound of the Hero8's built-in microphones desirable. The voices are a bit lower and the background noise is reduced compared to what you can hear with the Media Mod, even if it sounds less natural.

Part of the problem is that the Media Mod microphone is not very long. In comparison to an external Rode VideoMic, the difference in direction is clear. The VideoMic was less sensitive to off-axis noise, while the Media Mod microphone had a sensitivity of almost 360 degrees and was only slightly biased towards the front sources.

The option to add an external microphone is part of what makes the Media Mod a worthwhile accessory. However, some GoPro owners would probably prefer a cheaper option that doesn't have a built-in microphone.

Worth the investment?

The Media Mod lays the foundation for making your Hero8 Black a powerful production tool, but there are a few entry barriers.

First, it only works with the new Hero8 Black. Hero7 and older owners are out of luck.

Second is the cost. While $ 79 is barely exorbitant for the Media Mod, fully equipping your Hero8 with all three mods would add $ 210. That is more than half the cost of the camera.

While some Hero8 owners might be hesitant to drop this kind of money to modify a camera that will no doubt be replaced this year, GoPro CEO Nick Woodman Digital Trends has hinted that future hero cameras will have the latest mods would remain compatible.

This is by no means a guarantee, but GoPro at least recognizes that introducing a redesigned, incompatible camera for the next generation would rub customers in the wrong direction.

Our opinion

The Media Mod was designed for a small subset of GoPro Hero8 owners, but this group of people will find it a welcome addition. It solves many of the problems inherent in an action camera in a way that minimizes handling.

As such, the Media Mod may not offer the leap in audio quality that some customers would expect. For those who already have external microphones and want the simplest solution to connect them to their GoPros, this is an obvious choice.

Is there a better alternative?

No. The Media Mod may not be the all-end all-audio solution for you. However, since it makes connecting an external microphone almost effortless, you still need it.

How long it will take?

It's hard to say, but we don't expect the Media Mod to be out of date for at least the next generation or two GoPro cameras. In terms of durability, it feels very good and should withstand wear and tear.

Should you buy it

Yes, if you want to use your Hero8 Black in any situation outside of extreme sports.

Editor's recommendations