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Posted by Megan Blahnik

Disappearing Content is the Future of Advertising

Advertising, Content Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Social Media, Social Media For Retail Businesses, Social Media Marketing, Social Media predictions

We’re not really too sure if Snapchat knew exactly what they were getting into with the concept of disappearing content. You know, it being the future of social media and all. But why would we want our content to disappear? It all comes down to the power of relevance.

As we have mentioned in past blogs, the future of content is user intent. Although Facebook and Instagram have become more organized as far as relative content, Snapchat has become king. With the power to choose what we want to see, the only content audiences view is exactly what they want to see; what they intend to see. And not only is appealing to them in the first place, but the fact that it only lasts so long commands more attention than it would if it did not have the ability to disappear.

Much like feeds that seems to tailor themselves to the user’s personality and interests, Snapchat also offers options of different entertainment companies to view their content like magazines, sports channels, teams, models and more. By taking this information into account and storing it in the user’s personalized account, they have specific options to revisit the content whenever they choose until it eventually disappears. This creates a win-win for brands and companies to not have to bombard users with over saturated ads and give a special insight into the exciting lives behind them simultaneously. These channels seem to be one of the most popular features of the application, besides the fact that the filters fuel social lives for friends to share.

How Can It Help You?

So far, the creative and illusive form of content has been used for campaigns and fundraisers through uploaded selfies and relative pictures. According to Blue Baboon Digital, “in 2014 the World’s Wildlife Fund began a Snapchat campaign to raise awareness about endangered species. They launched the #LastSelfie campaign, inspired by the disappearing nature of Snapchat. They included the tagline ‘Don’t let this be my #LastSelfie’ to encourage users of the app to take pictures of their ads and share them with friends.”

Beyond which companies and brands are already featured on this application and utilize its beneficial properties, any are open to use it! The hype of disappearing content not only attracts big businesses due to its popularity but its low cost especially. Snap Ads generally run only $3,000 a month, sponsored lens can be a bit pricier running from $5,000 Mon-Friday, and finally, the discover ads that we have been talking about. Priced at $50,000 currently, Snap decided to drop the rates from $750,000 to make them more affordable with “Live Story” prices at $250,000 in the Discover section.

With many options to choose from, more and more brands and businesses are jumping on board to the Snapchat disappearing platform every day. Depending on how much your budget is for advertising, this is definitely considered to be a wise investment for personal brands as well as clients. Consider how much you want your name out there and what you’re willing to invest for it; this is the future of social media advertising so let’s get with the times.

Posted by Patrick

3 Exciting New Social Media Features You Should Know About!

Social Media 0

The only constant in social media platforms these days is the fact that they are constantly changing, experimenting with new features, copying each other, and adding new and exciting ways of communicating with others and marketing ourselves. With that, we have three exciting new features that have just hit three of the more popular social media platforms that everyone should be taking advantage of, with the exception of Twitter timeouts, that is. ?

Twitter Timeouts

For a while now, Twitter has experienced a bit of criticism concerning incidents of cyber-bullying and abusive behavior by some of its users. Twitter has started cracking down on such behaviors by issuing digital timeouts. A Twitter timeout generally lasts 12 hours, or may be determined on a case by case basis depending upon the infraction. While a user is in timeout, they may still tweet, however only those who follow them will be able to see their content. This is a step in the right direction for protecting social media users and taking a stand against abusing behavior online.

Facebook Jobs Feature

 LinkedIn could be in for some serious competition from Facebook in the job recruiting and searching department. Companies located in Canada and the U.S. can now list job openings on the new job page. Users can apply to the job of their choice for free, and businesses can post job openings for free as well. Applicants are allowed up to 1,000 words as to why they would be a good fit for the position, and they can be reached via messenger by the company they are applying with. Anything a user has made public on their profile will be visible by the prospective new employer. There’s a bit of skepticism as to whether or not his will take off, as many people do not think of Facebook when looking for jobs, however Facebook wants their users to be able to conduct job searches while using their site now. It will be interesting to see if this function really takes off in the next year or so.

Instagram Galleries

When Instagram first launched 6 years ago it was pretty basic. Low-resolution square images with filters you could easily share over social media drew in users by the millions. Then Facebook bought Instagram, and it’s changed in ways users first may have never imagined. Images can be high resolution and larger than they once were, and you can even post live video. What’s even cooler, is that a couple months ago Instagram rolled out the option of uploading galleries, or carousel images that showcase up to 10 photos in one post. There’s no choosing which image to share now. You can share a whole string of images to create a story. We wonder what the app is going to come up with next.

With so many social media platforms rolling out new and exciting features constantly, it can sometimes be difficult to keep up. Especially if you’re a small business owner trying to both run your business, and market yourself digitally. That’s why we’re here. We’re a San Diego digital marketing agency that caters to small business owners. We would love to help you turn your small digital marketing budget into a lead generation machine. For more information or a detailed quote call (619) 291-8181 or fill out our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you.

Posted by Patrick

How you can use March Madness to your benefit over social media

Social Media, Social Media for Party Planners 0

March is a glorious month for marketers and sports fans alike. Not only does the month mark the end of winter and beginning of spring, but it also means that college basketball teams nationwide will be competing in the NCAA March Madness college basketball tournament. This is a wonderful opportunity for social media marketers to join in the March Madness conversation as means of promoting their brands. Facebook and Instagram have noticed that such trends surrounding things like the Oscars, the Superbowl, March Madness, and Valentine’s Day have provided excellent opportunities in 2017 for marketers to shine, and bring attention to their brands by joining in on the conversations surrounding these holidays and events.

Last year in 2016 alone, the number of conversations over Facebook surrounding March Madness grew by 40%. This is a hot topic of discussion and debate, and it truly couldn’t hurt to join in on the conversation. So, just exactly how does one join in on the March Madness conversation as means of boosting their small business? We’re so glad you asked! Here are some of our top ideas for using March Madness to boost exposure for your brand.

  • Start a contest: Several local newspapers and businesses find that March Madness provides a fun time to start a contest. While the basketball players are duking it out on the court, you can let customers try to predict who will win each game. You can offer the prize of your choice for the lucky person who wins each bracket.
  • Choose a team: There’s no better way to spark engagement than to pick a team to root for, and post content surrounding your favorite team. Perhaps you will create some custom graphics, or post videos and photos of your favorite team and players. All of this is sure to strike some emotion driven comments, whether viewers agree or disagree with your choice of who to root for.
  • Start a debate: One of the best ways to spark exposure and engagement over social media is to have an opinion, and to post content that expresses your opinion. Having an opinion about who is going to win a game, or the entire March Madness tournament is all it takes to begin a debate. When it comes to college sports, many people are passionately emotional about their favorite teams.
  • Post updates: If you’d rather stay out of limelight when it comes to voicing your opinion, simple updates after each game will suffice in providing your audience many opportunities to get involved in a conversation about a game. You may even want to start a conversation by asking your followers who they think will win an upcoming game and why.
  • Be a good sport: No matter who wins or loses each game, it is important to represent your brand by showing excellent sportsmanship. Reacting in anger over social media over a sporting event may not be the best image you want to portray to your followers on behalf of your brand. Keep things civil and congratulate each team who wins, and you will be projecting a fabulous public image for your business.

 Are you interested in using upcoming events to boost your social media exposure for your brand? Would you like help developing an overall digital marketing strategy? Our social media experts would love to help you. We’re a local San Diego website design, email marketing, PR, social media and search engine optimization firm. It is our mission to make our clients more successful. For more information, or a detailed quote, call (619) 291-8181 or fill out our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you.

 

Posted by Patrick

5 Social Media Trends We’re Excited to See in 2017

Advertising, Business Tips, Content Marketing, Social Good, Social Media, Social Media for Consumer Products, Uncategorized 0

TRENDS 2017 businessman work hard hand touch

2017 is here, and that means there are sure to be a whole slew of brand new technologies, trends and innovative ways in which marketers will be promoting their business this year. We’ve scoured the web to find out more in terms of what we’re to expect this year, and we’ve found some exciting new trends that we’d love to share with you so that you too are in the loop with the latest and greatest in digital marketing to date.

AI Lenses for Instagram and Facebook

Much like the Snapchat filters, Instagram and Facebook are now working on AI Lenses for profile pictures that are sure to rival the ever-popular filters on Snapchat, according to Sprout Social. Thanks to the popular Snapchat stories, this trend isn’t going away anytime soon, and we should be seeing much more of it overall social media platforms this year.

More Growth for Snapchat

Last year Snapchat experienced an enormous amount of growth to reach a total of 150 million daily users in 2016, with 41% of US adults aged 18-34 being users.

Automation Turns into Social Media Management

Businesses are starting to see the value in real-time posting and engagement for their social media platforms across the board. This is showing business owners and marketers alike that there is much more value in hiring a social media management firm to actively manage all social media accounts in more real-time than setting up everything with automation, so that it is basically on auto-pilot. Opportunities for reaching more people, getting in on what’s most current, trending and up to date, and being more responsive to followers in real-time is going to be essential in 2017.

Paid Content is King

2017 Trends

Navigating the ever-changing algorithms over Facebook and Instagram have forced marketers into boosting and promoting content in order to reach more people. This trend isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon. If businesses want to reach more people, advertising their content over platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are going to be essential. It will also help to pair this effort with the expertise of a local search engine optimization firm to reach even more people over the Internet, and gain maximum exposure for not only your content, but your company website as well.

Social Media Expertise Demand at an All-Time High

Nine out of ten companies currently report that their employees lack the skill sets needed to effectively execute social media management and marketing in an overall effective way. This is going to push companies to start considering outsourcing their social media management to an experienced marketing firm. This will save companies time, and even money when it comes to managing their social media efforts in a manner that will not only drive sales, leads and ROI, but build a loyal following that is sure to stick with them for years to come.

Social media is constantly changing, which is also changing the way that businesses must market themselves. Gone will be the days of in-house marketing if companies truly want to get an edge above their competition and become power houses over social media and the Internet. For more information, or a detailed quote, call (619) 291-8181 or fill out our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you.

Posted by Patrick

3 New Year’s Marketing Resolutions for 2017

Advertising, Content Marketing, Email Marketing, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Marketing Campaigns, Mobile, Pinterest, ROI in Social Media, SEO, Social Good, Social Media 0

We’re nearly two weeks into 2017, and that means it’s still time to start making and working on some new year’s resolutions that are really going to stick and turn your life around for the better this year. The same can be said for your small business. There are so many new technologies and programs available today when it comes to marketing and promoting yourself, that it may seem overwhelming to know where to start. But nevertheless, if you aren’t marketing your small business in 2017 in new and exciting ways, how do you expect your business to grow? That’s why we’ve come up with a handy dandy list of new year’s marketing resolutions for your small business in 2017.

Revamp Your Website

January is the perfect time to take a look at your website and decide which pages and graphics, messages, etc. need to be updated, and which things can completely go. Giving your website a fresh new look in 2017 is a great way to attract more leads and potential customers. Be sure to hire the right San Diego website design firm who will take the time and attention it takes to ensure that every detail of your website is psychologically designed in a way that will attract more viewers, and bring them into your storefront or office.

Search Engine Optimization

The Internet is changing all of the time, and if you’re not keeping up with SEO, you may not even be visible in the vast digital jungle that is the web. Be sure to hire a professional search engine optimization firm that will not only help you reach the top of Google search pages, but also optimize your SEO in San Diego so you’re targeting customers nearby. Local search optimization is just as, if not more, important than overall SEO–depending upon your business and industry.

Boost Your Social Media Efforts

It’s always a good idea to make sure your social media content is current and up-to-date. If you want to grow a social following, be sure you’re posting relevant content your followers want to see on a consistent basis. Third party articles from companies you’d like to strategically align with are helpful. You may also want to refresh your profile and background images. Be sure to post content that is behind the scenes, without being too personal, and to mix in a bit of fun with your business-related information. Custom graphics, infographics, links to your website, videos and blogs are essential for social media, and not just on Facebook. LinkedIn is great for B2B marketing, while Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and YouTube are growing fast. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed with navigating the ever-changing social media world, we are here to help. We offer social media management services that are sure to save you time, while increasing your following and overall profits. We can even create ads for your own personal Facebook and Instagram campaigns.

In this new digital age, it’s essential for small and large businesses alike to jump on the social media bandwagon. Whether you enjoy social media or not, there are billions of people around the globe who do, and it’s taking over the way that marketing and advertising is conducted moving forward. Therefore, we are here for you, and would love a chance to help make 2017 the best year yet for your San Diego business. For more information, or a detailed quote, call (619) 291-8181 or fill out our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you.

Posted by Patrick

Our Top Marketing Predictions for 2017

Business Tips, Content Marketing, SEO, Social Media, Social Media predictions 0

 

2017 is just around the corner, so while you’re planning your New Year’s Eve parties, your San Diego SEO experts have been gathering together the top marketing predictions we see coming to fruition for 2017, and planning our strategies accordingly. So just what do we see happening in a big way for digital marketing in 2017? Many, many things. Here are some of our top predictions.

Automation Will Be Mandatory

Automation is no longer an option of convenience if you want to succeed in marketing your small business in 2017. Instagram just rolled out a new API which will allow for automation of ads, and hopefully all posts on the platform will follow suit. Pretty much every other social media site has the API for automating posts, and this is going to be key. San Diego small businesses are going to rely on planning and strategizing their content, and scheduling it out via Facebook, Hootsuite, etc. This isn’t going to completely overshadow live posting, but it’s definitely going to be a must if companies want to keep up with content marketing competition.

Snapchat Will Continue to Grow

This social media platform has been growing at a rapid rate, as it should be. Large and small businesses alike are going to have to jump on the bandwagon, or miss out on a very large potential target market.

Targeting Will Be Data Driven

The collection of data by large social media platforms such as Facebook has completely transformed the way customers are targeted and marketed to. Marketing is going to be client-driven and all-inclusive pertaining to their lifestyle as a whole. How do we get this information? Facebook, Instagram, email, personal shopping history, etc. All of this data is going to be used in a cumulative way to really paint a picture of each consumer individually, so that targeting will only become smarter–giving each consumer exactly what they want when they want it.

Investing in Your Marketing Team Will Be Mandatory

If you own a San Diego marketing firm–or employ one to conduct the marketing for your business–a bit of investment into your team is going to be essential in 2017. This is because the heat will be turned up, and the pressure will be on to not only produce great content, but to really engage with your target audience and build a following that is not only interacting with said content, but loyal to your brand. Instilling passion and loyalty in your digital following is a bit of an art combined with science that takes time, blood, sweat and tears, so if you’re not investing in your team, a bigger, better competitor will.

For more information or a detailed quote call (619) 291-8181 or fill out our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you.

Posted by Patrick

6 Digital Marketing Tips for the Holidays

Business Tips, Content Marketing, Social Media 0

With the holiday season in full swing there are several marketing strategies available to tap into the season and the increased web traffic and internet shopping that is happening right now. Below are our top digital marketing tips for your business this season.

Research Keywords Based on Buyer Intent

The best way to reel in more customers is by giving them what they want and fulfilling their unmet needs. This can be done by looking into what they are searching for. You can add a search bar to your own website to help with this, and be sure to deliver. It also helps to know who your buyers are, and to make sure they can find you. This can be done with the help of a San Diego SEO or search engine optimization firm.

Create Social Media Buzz

Whether it’s products or services you provide, be sure to create buzz about it over social media. This includes not only advertising, but offering contests, buyer incentives and deals, and holiday themes surrounding the products and/or services you provide. This can be done through custom graphics, links to products/services on your website, and blogs.

Post Content that Your Holiday Customers Value

Whether it’s a blog, a social media post or a website link, be sure that the content you are posting is valuable to your target market. It doesn’t even have to be product/service specific so long as it is bringing viewers to your social media sites, and website. Reeling them in with a great piece that is relevant to their needs, what you offer and the holidays is a great way to attract more sales.

Decorate your Website with Holiday Themed Additions

This doesn’t mean that you need a complete website overhaul, just some simple add ons that will get your viewers in the holiday spirit and thinking about what they need for their holiday celebrations, gifts for others, etc. This could be done with simple additions to the designs you already have, or a couple of extra landing pages. If you’re not sure how to best execute this, contact a San Diego website design firm.

Retarget Abandoned Cart Shoppers

There are likely to be many abandoned carts this season, and this doesn’t necessarily mean that these potential sales are lost. A great way to bring back these shoppers is through the use of retargeting ads. Show them the items they left in their cart while they browse other websites, or simply send them an email reminding them of all the goodies they left. Many shoppers just want some time to mull over the items they were tempted to buy, and will come back to make a purchase.

Offer Holiday Incentives

Sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference for buyers. Offering free shipping, gift receipts, holiday wrapping or special holiday sales are often times all it takes to set yourself apart from the competition. This can create a loyal customer base that keeps coming back each and every year. And don’t forget about these valuable customers once the holidays pass. Identify their unmet needs for the new year and market to them in a way that will bring them back each and every month.

If you’d like some more help in executing your holiday campaigns, we’d love to help. For more information or a detailed quote call (619) 291-8181 or fill out our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you.

Posted by Patrick

Outdated Trends to Avoid on Social Media

Social Media 0

Since social media has become a popular past time over the last two decades, we’ve seen many trends come and go. A whole new genre of trends has emerged over the varying social media sites, and there are some trends that, really, should not be trends at all. That’s right. As social media gurus, we’re here to let small business owners and avid social media users know that there are some things that just should be left off social media, as well as some trends that are simply on their way out. If you want to maximize upon your social media posting power, please read the following, and stray from the following list of things we beleive should no longer be posted on social media.

Oversharing and Mood Updates

It appears it’s been common practice for some social media posters to use the platform as their own personal diary, or therapeutic outlet for times of intense emotional stress. While it may feel good to vent over social media, and share your moods, it shouldn’t be broadcast on the Internet for all to see. Have you ever found an old diary, which you thought at the time seemed perfectly acceptable, only to feel completely ashamed and embarrassed about the things you wrote years later? Oversharing on social media is just like that old diary, except you’re not the only person able to read it—and you really want everyone you (and their moms) talking about it? A good rule of practice for social media is to be yourself without sharing each and every detail about your life.

Typical Food from Typical Restaurants

If you’re a foodie and you’re visiting new and exciting hidden gems you want to share with other foodies, that may seem perfectly acceptable to post over social media. That’s also why there are several Facebook groups dedicated to eating and drinking. No one wants to see photos of each and every meal you have had in a day, especially if it isn’t newsworthy or unique. Our best advice for food lovers on social media is to keep the foodie pics designated for your foodie groups, and only post a food picture once in a blue moon, when you have something that is truly mind blowing, and you know that your audience will really swoon over it.

Your Personal Photo Album

This is a tough one, because everyone has a soft spot in their hearts for their significant other, pet, friends, and the infamous selfie. And sure, we all want to share photos of our loved ones over social media, but no one wants to see 50 photos of you and your significant other smooching, or 50 baby pictures that only you cannot get enough of. That’s what photo albums are for, and while we’ve entered into a digital age, social media shouldn’t be your digital family photo album. If you want your audience to see all of your content without filtering it out, keep the cat pictures to a minimum, and only post when something really mind-blowing happens. Some great examples are your baby’s first steps, graduation photos, wedding photos (in moderation) or a video of your pet doing something absolutely hilarious and amazing. And for those who are obsessed with selfies–keep them to a minimum as well, and keep your clothing on. Skimpy selfies can be an unsavory way to market yourself.

Well, that’ all that we have for today. Sure, there are other trends that are annoying to some and on their way out, but these are the most mainstream. This advice goes for all individuals and small businesses who use social media. If you’d like more advice from San Diego digital marketing experts, or a detailed quote call (619) 291-8181 or fill out our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you.

Posted by Patrick

Instagram Offers Shopping and More!

Instagram, Social Media 0

Some exciting new changes are coming to Instagram which should open many new possibilities for all users moving forward. As this platform–owned by Facebook–continues to grow in popularity, more and more features are being added to not only enhance the user experience, but change the way Instagram is used for businesses and marketers alike.

Shop Until You Drop

While Instagram has been growing in popularity for home-based businesses and marketers, it originally did not have the API needed to allow viewers to shop from the platform. All of this is changing with some new Facebook features which are being integrated into the app, such as a “Shop Now” button, and messages linking to sites outside of the app. This has never been done on Instagram before.

Facebook-Powered Targeting

Since Facebook owns Instagram, they’re integrating their highly sophisticated ad targeting technology into the app. Business owners and marketers can now choose the demographics for their target audience, and create Instagram campaigns in a tailored way; reaching the right people. In turn, Instagram users will be presented with content from businesses they are most likely to be interested in—creating value for both businesses and consumers. This information is gathered from Instagram users’ Facebook profiles, giving Instagram advertisers a seamless advertising and marketing experience.

Brand New API

These new changes are possible on Instagram thanks to its new API. Now businesses and marketers can schedule and automate Instagram ads. In the past, the API did not support such automation, and everything had to be done live. No news yet as to whether or not this new API will allow for the automation of non-advertised content just yet. Perhaps this will be in the works for the future of the app. While there are several third party schedulers that allow for the scheduling of Instagram posts for future times, the API hasn’t allowed for post automation. Businesses and marketers were previously required to log into their accounts and physically post in real-time to Instagram, even though they had scheduled it to post ahead of time. Automating this process for Instagram ads is sure to cause marketers to rejoice.

Now that Instagram has made these changes, we’re hoping automation for all posts will become a part of their API reality. We could possibly see it grow to become as big, if not bigger, than Facebook in the near future if these changes are made. Are you taking advantage of promoting your business over Instagram? We’d love to help. For more information or a detailed quote call (619) 291-8181 or fill out our contact form. We are a San Diego SEO, marketing and website design firm that specializes in working with small businesses in San Diego. We look forward to hearing from you.

Posted by Patrick

Email Marketing Tips to Increase Leads

Business Tips, Social Media 0

E-mail marketing post it in business man hand

 

As technology forges ahead and marketing strategies become more sophisticated behind that wave of technology, it’s still one of the first online strategies that has remained the most effective at generating leads and reaching targeted customers. That somewhat surprising fact should tell you something about the enormous staying power of email marketing, and the comfort level that marketing strategists have developed for it.

It’s true that email marketing has evolved to become far more sophisticated than broadcasting unsolicited messages, but the fact remains that email is still at the forefront of digital marketing, and is still used to great effect by San Diego digital marketers, San Diego website design firms, and San Diego SEO optimization consultants, among others.

What are business leads?

A lead is an individual has who has indicated at least some initial interest in your company or your product lines in one of several ways. It could have been by downloading an e-book posted online by your company, or someone who filled out a form on the company website, or possibly even someone who attended a huge trade seminar and simply dropped a business card into the fishbowl.

This is way at the beginning of the purchase cycle, and doesn’t amount to much more than simple curiosity. Still, there is a possibility that this curiosity can be fanned into the flames of something much more like genuine interest. Having discovered that initial curiosity, it is the task of the sales and marketing group to gently nudge the lead further and further along the purchase cycle path, until an actual sale is made.

Tips for effective email marketing

The way that marketing strategists can achieve the goal of gently pushing the lead toward the sales funnel is by employing proven techniques related to email design, and to the kind of content which should be included in the email text. If you adopt some of these tips and techniques, you should be able to convert a lot more leads into actual sales.

  • Email subject– the subject of your email is much more important than you might think, and very often cues the lead in on whether or not to continue reading. For this reason, you should craft your subject heading carefully and grab attention quickly. Some suggestions for doing this are by using subjects which call for action, personalizing a subject line, or addressing a specific problem your lead has.
  • Be brief– long, windy emails are almost guaranteed to end up in the circular file, so keep your message concise and appealing.
  • Evoke imagery– whenever possible, try to generate an image in your lead’s mind, because it will give you a much greater chance of success than simple text.
  • Include social media– by including social media links in your emails, you can get readers to share your content with people in their network.
  • Call to action– the best way to keep the lead going forward in the purchase cycle is to be very informative about your products and services. This means your email needs to effectively make use of action words like attend, read, try now, register, and download. If you can get the lead to read your company content about products and services, you will have educated them about what you have to offer.

More information on digital marketing 

MySMN is a digital marketing agency that also does website design, and is a search engine optimization firm in San Diego which can help you with all your design and marketing concern. For more information or a detailed quote, call (619) 291-8181 or fill out our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you.

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