Last week I talked about how writers seem like magicians, because we have the power to create something out of nothing. An important point to note about magicians, though: They don’t really do magic. Instead, they study and practice specific behaviors until they can create that illusion of creating something out of nothing. And of
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A component of my publishing philosophy is: “Wanting to write something does not guarantee that someone will want to read it.” And it comes into play when you write the first marketing materials for your business — many new marketers get excited about a type of writing that doesn’t turn out to be engaging. The
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The post Avoid This Rookie Marketing Habit to Get New Customers Faster appeared first on Copyblogger.
Working in social media marketing can be overwhelming, so you are forced to try to organize and scale tasks as much as you can. Sadly, behind that scaling effort hides another problem: You may ultimately build a routine and do the same thing day after day.
Social media is all about variety though: Tactics change daily, new tools and apps are launched, new opportunities emerge.
Zest.is is the community of digital marketers who curate marketing content for you to easily access highest-quality guides on a daily basis.
What makes Zest stand out is that they have multi-step moderation process that ensures the best quality possible. If you are tired of re-purposed marketing advice, Zest is the place to go. You’ll be impressed by the selection there. Every article is a gem thre!
Let’s get down to the list now! Here are 15 resources to help you get out of social media marketing routine and try something new:
1. Social Media for Business 101 from our own @IMNinjaSuzy
A good place to start, this article organizes what you may already know listing some essential tips and tools.
2. How Hashtags Work from @seosmarty over at @Moz
It’s probably a bit outdated (Google Plus has been steadily given up hashtags since then) but it gives a good overlook of how hashtags operate on different social media sites.
3. How to Generate and Close Social Leads On Twitter from @Growmap
A thorough, in-depth look at building leads using Twitter.
4. The Secret Sauce to Shareable Visual Content Your Audience Will Devour from @sociallysorted
Images are key to social media engagement: Bookmark this guide for tips and tools to help you create irresistible images for your social media updates.
5. How to Promote a Blog Post on Social Media from @JimBoykin via #JimAndAnn show
Do you have a piece of content to promote on social media? Here are the actual steps you need to take to share a URL on social media to generate clicks and engagement.
6. How to Create the Perfect Social Media Post from @PegFitzpatrick
Everything from wording to character limits and images, this article will help you make your social media stand out.
7. How to Promote Your YouTube Channel Like a Pro from @djthewriter via @sproutsocial
A thorough step-by-step guide into marketing your Youtube channel.
8. Video Marketing Checklist: Channels, Tips and Tools from @seosmarty at @ClearVoice
Easy to follow steps on optimizing and enhancing your video before and after uploading it to Youtube.
9. Instagram Marketing: Your Complete Guide to Instagram Success from @lisadjenkins via @smexaminer
A well-structured guide into Instagram marketing as well as some essential tools to get you started.
10. Practical Tips to Reach More People on Social Media via @pakwired
Finally, a quick reminder to keep you out of trouble. Oftentimes, using social media tools may ruin your relationships with your contacts instead of strengthening them, so beware!
I love podcasts because you can listen to them while on the go: When commuting, traveling, etc. They allow for otherwise thoughtless time to be spent efficiently. Here are free social media marketing podcasts to subscribe to:
1. The Science of Social Media By Buffer
Buffer always has great guests to talk about indepth tactics and useful tools. It’s also pretty active publishing new items a few times a month.
2. The Social Media Examiner Show
Social Media Examiner is one of my favorite social media marketing blogs. Targeting business owners, it’s a great resource with always high-quality tutorials. They put every article on voiceover and turn into a podcast. They also regularly invite experts to discuss new social media trends and events.
3. Social Media Social Hour with Tyler J. Anderson
This podcast is very actionable and tactical. Be ready to implement some tips right after listening! Tyler covers a variety of social media networks including Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google Plus, YouTube, Snapchat, Periscope, and more.
4. The #AskGaryVee Show with Gary Vaynerchuk
Focusing on relationship building, this one will be a great motivation for you to start trying new tactics.
5. The Social Toolkit by Social Fresh
Jason Keath @jasonkeath and Jason Yarborough @yarby interviews social media experts on tools and software. It’s a great resource to discover new tools weekly.
Finally, don’t forget to check out our own #JimAndAnn show on both Youtube and iTunes!
The post 15 Resources to Bring Your Social Media Marketing Strategy to the Next Level appeared first on Internet Marketing Ninjas Blog.
Can I really earn a living with digital products and services? The answer is yes, you can. And you can enjoy the personal and professional freedom that comes along with it too. Already prepared to move forward? Here’s how to start your Digital Commerce Academy membership today, so you can learn the strategy and tactics
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This weeks major discussions dealt with the upcoming HTTPs chrome flag change, Facebooks revamp of their video product, Googles testing of new publisher subscription features.
Other noteworthy discussions dealt with best practices for site migrations.
The latest version of chrome is labeling already http password & credit card inputs as not secure. Beginning in October, Chrome 62 will flag any http form and all http pages with a ‘not secure’ warning.
Google sent out mass notifications this week through Google Search Console regarding the warning.
Facebook did its video section to allow its partners to earn significantly more revenue – as much as a 55% increase.
Webmaster World member, Mack, commented:
“I think this is an opportunity for Facebook to get right, something that Youtube is currently getting wrong. The ability to have programs (shows) within a channel. As it stands, if you wanted to effectively do this on Youtube you would need to use multiple channels. If a user has multiple content areas but wants to use one channel to display them it can be confusing.”
In a move mirroring Facebooks’ recent announcement, Google is testing a tool to assist publishers with their subscriptions. The changes will include:
Members discuss best practices for changing domains. Some things to keep in mind include:
Members discuss a site that was migrated, nothing the following points:
The post Chrome October “Not Secure” Flag, Facebook Video Revamp, and More: Weekly Forum Roundup appeared first on Internet Marketing Ninjas Blog.
Just a heads up that our Digital Commerce Academy (DCA) — the resource that gives you real-world instruction on how to build a digital business — will be opening to new students next week for a limited time. Whether you want to launch a side hustle, take your small business to the next level, or
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I love digital business. Nothing else can match it for the freedom, the flexibility, the ability to make a living while only occasionally putting pants on. But. Sadly, it just isn’t true that you can wave your hands around, say a few magic words, and turn the internet into your ATM. The internet has no
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I’ve said for a long time … writers are magicians. We make something out of nothing. We take syllables and turn them into dreams, sights, sounds. Calls to action and detailed plans for shenanigans. And as every magician knows, if you want to perform magic … you have to know a thing or two about
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The post 6 Writing and Productivity Rituals from the Copyblogger Creative Team appeared first on Copyblogger.
As I’ve said before, overcoming perfectionism is not an excuse to publish sloppy or uninspired writing. Content that works for your business is not only clear, accurate, and educational, it also gives insight into your values. And if it doesn’t contain aspects that make it memorable, it’s not going to work. Of course, memorable content
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The post Where to Begin When It’s Time to Edit Your Content appeared first on Copyblogger.
Website security has never been more critical. Hackers, ransomware, and denial of service attacks are all concerns for modern business websites. Nothing will erode your audience’s trust in you faster than visiting your website and getting a security warning, or having Google flash a “You can’t trust this site” message in your search results. Even
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The post 5 Steps to Website Security You Can Trust appeared first on Copyblogger.
This week offers a mix of inspiration, clarity, purpose … and some good, old-fashioned results-oriented copywriting. On Monday, I shared some of the practical, repeatable steps you can use to create an online course that people actually want to buy. (That’s a fun thing to do, by the way, and I totally recommend it.) Brian
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The post How to Create (and Sell) Products People Actually Want to Buy appeared first on Copyblogger.
Your headline draws them in, while your opening copy maintains the magnetic hold. The express benefits give them hope that they may have found the solution they desire. And then you ask for the sale with an explicit call to action. A total win, right? Then why are you still disappointed with your results? You’re
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The post 5 Ways to Convert More Prospects by Making Your Case appeared first on Copyblogger.
Daydreaming is inherently flexible. You don’t need to set aside time for it or plan how to execute it properly. It effortlessly arises and plays out until you shift your focus back to your responsibilities. Last week, I talked about getting more out of your expectations, and today I’m going to talk about a daily
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The post Why You Should Pour Yourself a Glass of Water and Write for 15 Minutes Today appeared first on Copyblogger.
After ebooks, online courses are one of the most popular business models for digital entrepreneurs. The tech is easier to put together than ever. Audiences know that online courses are valuable and have shown they’re willing to pay. And courses are a natural showcase for the authority you build as you develop great content for
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The post The Foundational Elements of Profitable Online Courses appeared first on Copyblogger.
Admit it, you spend well over the healthy amount of time on YouTube. We all do. With so much content, from amateur videos to professional films, being uploaded every day, it is an irresistible distraction and a bit of a productivity hazard… as well as a huge creativity booster!
Youtube is a fantastic platform with a lot to offer. These eight cool YouTube tools will help you get the most of it while being more inspired and productive.
Create a music or music video playlist with this crazy simple tool: queue up songs while you browse YouTube and then play them from the extension button without actually having to watch the videos. You can save playlists and easily control playback.
Listen Video for Google Chrome is another similar extension that lets you listen to Youtube videos without interrupting your work flow. Here are more tools and tips to play with Youtube playlists.
Want to download the actual video? No problem! This is the premier YouTube video downloader that is both simple to use, and reliable. It has both a basic and pro version (I only tried the free one)
Tip: Did you know you can search Youtube for Creative Commons videos? I usually do that to find something awesome to use in my mash-ups (That’s where I use Youtube downloader!) Don’t forget to always credit the original videos and authors!
Do you like to watch things in a smaller window, but with there wasn’t so much distracting light? Then dim your screen using this plugin. It fades out everything but the video, so you can get the movie theater experience from your computer. Being someone who likes running other programs on the side that I monitor (such as video editing software I need to see complete), this is an awesome tool.
Ever wonder how people make those great GIF images they share on Reddit and other sites? This is probably how they do it. Giphy is a really easy to use GIF creation extension for Chrome. You just select the portion you want to turn into the GIF, save it, and go. Each GIF can be up to 15 seconds long. If you have been on Tumblr and seen the long line of short GIFs that make up a story? This is definitely what they are using to create them.
Tip: Here are more tools to create and market animated GIFs:
A slow buffer option (now that YouTube no longer has one), auto loop and more, this is an enhancement tool for YouTube that bypasses a lot of the updates that have made the platform less than intuitive in recent years. Available for Chrome.
What is trending right now on YouTube? What has been trending in the past year? What is slowly climbing the ladder of popularity, and how might that impact your own videos? All of these are important questions, and all of them can be answered using the official trending page provided by YouTube.
You can view by category, what is popular on the web, and recent entries. See what is becoming well know right now on their featured videos list on the front page. This is the perfect way of finding out what has been going on lately on the most popular video site on the web.
I am actually using this alarm clock not to forget to watch a video during my lunch time. If I come across a long video in the morning, I just drop it here to make sure my workflow will be interrupted with this video playing right when it’s time to take a break:
Do you have any tools for making YouTube even better? Maybe some hacks for the site itself? We’d love to hear about them, so let us know in the comments!
The post 8 Cool Youtube Tools to Boost Your Creativity appeared first on Internet Marketing Ninjas Blog.
This week there have been some interesting news from Facebook, with announcements that they will no longer be counting accidental clicks and that load time will now be feed ranking factor.
Members also discussed the state of AI and if the current AI techniques are all that they are promoted to be. In Google news, members weigh in on recent changes to the Google Quality Rater Guidelines.
Surfaced on Threadwatch is that Facebooks’ recent action to tackle invalid clicks. Advertisers are excited to learn that Facebook will not longer count accidental clicks. In terms of impact on publishers, Brett Vogel, Product Marketing Manager, states that the ‘vast majority’ of publishes should be unaffected. Facebook also released new reporting on total, billable, and non-billable impressions.
Over on Webmaster World, news is surfaced that Google has recently updated their Quality Rater Guidelines, which is a useful reference guide that webmasters have used through the years to try to get an understanding for how Google may assess content quality.
Webmasterworld Members had a number of interesting comments regarding the recent changes:
Artistotle:
Another question is whether their changes for detecting fake and false news, could have spilled onto other parts of the web and affected the rankings of sites with other kinds of information.
Member nonstop used examples to illustrate that in some cases it is difficult to distinguish between the change regarding “fact” vs. unsubstantiated conspiracy theory, mentioning the following examples:
“There was once a city that was submerged in water called Atlantis”
Fact or unsubstantiated conspiracy theory?
“There was once a boy called Harry who went to school and was able to cast spells”
Fact or unsubstantiated conspiracy theory?
Facebook recently announced a change where it will reward rank faster loading pages over slower loading pages within users feeds. The change will be rolling out slowly during the coming months. Member engine noted that it is strange that they are using an estimate from time of click vs. measuring using their own systems.
From a read of the comments by members, the prevailing view is that this is just a small effort to keep pace with web standards and will likely not do much to reduce the bloat when using Facebook.
Highlighted on Threadwatch is an opinion piece By Gary Marcus, Professor of Psychology at New York University, stating that AI is ‘stuck’, which is interesting when viewed in context of the prevailing views that AI technology including much touted techniques like deep learning are set to disrupt many industries.
Cre8pc mentioned that despite the highly touted capabilities of AI and deep learning, there are some limitations impacting the effectiveness of AI, quoting the following from thinktank RAND Corporation
Algorithms and Artificial Intelligence Agents Influence Many Areas of Life Today
• In particular, these artificial agents influence the news articles read and associated advertising, access to credit and capital investment, risk assessments for convicts, and others.
This Reliance on Artificial Agents Carries Risks that Have Caused Concern
• The potential for bias is one concern. Algorithms give the illusion of being unbiased but are written by people and trained on socially generated data. So they can encode and amplify human biases. Use of artificial agents in sentencing and other legal contexts is one area in particular that has caused concerns about bias.
• Another concern is that increasing reliance on artificial agents is fueling the rapid automation of jobs, even jobs that would seem to rely heavily on human intelligence, such as journalism and radiology.
• Among other risks are the possibility of hacked reward functions (an issue with machine learning) and the inability to distinguish among cultural differences.
Members on the thread seemed to be in agreement with this assessment, quoting member iamlost, who summarizes the sentiments of the group well, ”Everything existing now and for the next decade will require “human-in-the-loop” decision making.”
New SEOchat member charmac2nd conducted a test to try to get a featured rich snippet within their websites target location. So far, the effort has not have been a success and charmac2nd wanted to gather feedback from SEOchat.
Highlights of tips provided by members include:
The post New Facebook Feed Ranking Factor, New Google Quality Rater Guidelines + More: Weekly Forum Update appeared first on Internet Marketing Ninjas Blog.
