Many Instagram business account owners dread getting Instagram spam comments on their posts. The reason isn’t far-fetched because these spam comments are usually unrelated to the posts made and, in most cases, mislead genuine commenters and followers. These spam comments affect the account owner’s reputation and often cause a loss of followers and customers.

They often wonder “Should I delete spam comments on Instagram? Or should I ignore, block, or delete spam comments on my Instagram business account? Can you view the private Instagram account if they are posting comments?

Let’s find out all about Instagram spam comments, how you get them, how to delete a comment on Instagram, and how to handle them on your business account.

What Are Spam Comments On Instagram?

Spam comments are unsolicited, unrelated, and fishy comments users get on their posts. Bots often post these comments to get users to follow an account or click on a spammy link. You may notice these spam comments on Facebook pages from time to time.

They come in different forms. Sometimes they’re harmless comments from regular users attempting to gain followers for their account, and other times they’re naughty words accompanied by suggestive emojis.

They can also be in the form of financial investment advice or similar comments designed to draw users to a Ponzi website. The goal of spam comments is always to persuade Instagram users to follow an account or click a link to a scam website.

Everyone gets spam comments on Instagram, but celebrities, influencers, or top businesses are more at risk. Small businesses and new accounts are also targets, depending on how much they attract spammers to their profiles.

Read: How Your Emails Can Avoid Being Flagged As Spam.

Why Do You Get Spam Comments On Instagram? Should You Be Worried?

You may get spam comments on Instagram because you use popular hashtags to promote your posts.

Spammers monitor these hashtags to boost followers or scam people through fishy links. They use bots to monitor and drop comments on posts with popular, targeted hashtags.

Also, sometimes these spam comments might be from harmless bots that engage with random Instagram posts to prove they’re not bots.

As harmless as these comments look, you should not allow them on your posts because they are usually unrelated and out of place and, most times, contain fishy, misleading links. Spam comments are enough to make genuine commenters avoid your posts so they’re not scammed or misled.

Should you be worried about spam comments on your Instagram business account? The answer is YES.

Should You Ignore Or Delete Instagram Spam Comments?

Ignoring spam comments is a wrong move for your business’s growth on Instagram. Ignored spam comments make you look incompetent at managing your account. Furthermore, these unwanted comments can get so bad that finding and responding to authentic comments on your posts would be like retrieving pins from a haystack.

Ignoring your customers’ comments on your post is not good for your business; you’ll likely miss out on product/service inquiries and give off a bad customer experience.

To handle Instagram spam comments, delete them as soon as they show up and block the commenters to prevent future spam comments from them. This might be stressful and time-consuming, but it is worth it. It gives you the space to see and respond to comments from real people.

Alternatively, you can avoid the stress of deleting spam comments and blocking the commenters by taking proactive steps to turn off commenting altogether.

Easy Method on How to Automatically Avoid/Stop the Annoying Spam Comments on Instagram Posts?

Deleting comments manually can be annoying, but ignoring them adversely affects your business account and business. That’s why you need to know how to delete comments on Insta.

The best way to handle spam comments on Instagram is to block them ahead of time and prevent the bots from seeing or commenting on your posts. Here is a proven method to stop the annoying spam comments on your Instagram posts:

• Visit your Instagram Profile.
• Click on the three dots, usually in the top right corner of your profile, to go to settings.
• Click on “Privacy.”
• Click on “Hidden Words.” This is where you can hide comments and message requests and even filter out custom words and phrases.
• Click “Manage custom words and phrases.” This is where you add all the spam words or phrases you don’t want to get in your posts as comments. Ensure to separate each word with a comma.
• After you’ve added the spam words and phrases, click “Hide Comments” to turn on the feature on your account.

This method only hides the spam comments from your followers; it doesn’t delete them completely.

To avoid getting the spam comments completely, you can block the sender from commenting on your posts:

• Visit your Instagram profile.
• Tap on the three dotted lines in the top right corner, then Click on “Settings.”
• Click on “Privacy” and proceed to tap “Comments.”
• You’d see the option “Block comments from.”
• Click “People,” which is right beside it.
• Enter the name of the account you want to block and click “Block,” which is next to the name.
• Do this for all the accounts you want to deny access to comment on your posts.

Note: Blocking comments from these accounts doesn’t automatically remove their previous comments on your posts. You have to delete previous spam comments from your posts manually.

Does Deleting Spam Comments Affect Instagram Engagement?

Yes. Deleting spam comments affects engagement on an Instagram post.

Engagements are the activities you get on a post, such as comments, likes, and saves. Thus, deleting spam comments reduces the number of comments on your Instagram post.

This is for the better because a few quality comments are better than too many spammy, useless ones.

Deleting spam comments increases your engagement in some way. It encourages genuine people who were initially discouraged from commenting on your posts because of the spam comments to engage with you finally.

Should You Report Spam Comments on Instagram or Delete them?

You can report or delete spam comments on your Instagram posts, depending on who makes them. You can delete the comments instantly and block the account if the comments are from a bot. Be sure to use the trash can icon as you delete them.

However, if it’s from a real person, you can reply to the comment; state your mind, explain why you don’t tolerate such comments on your posts, and ask them to delete it. If they don’t, go on to report the account and do the same to all future spammers.

This is the polite thing to do and shows your followers that you’re active and constantly monitoring activities on your Instagram business account. However, you would want to hide offensive comments on your account.

Frequently Asked Questions About Instagram Spam Comments

How Can I Stop Instagram Spam Followers?

The best way to stop getting spam followers on Instagram is to set your account to private. That way, you’d review and accept only genuine followers. Although there are ways to view private Instagram accounts, non-followers can only view and not like or comment, and spam accounts will never follow you.

Another way is to stop using excessive, non-relevant hashtags to increase reach and engagement. Spammers have bots set up to follow certain hashtags automatically and will be onto you immediately when you use such hashtags.

Finally, ensure you report and block every spammer you encounter on Instagram. That way, Instagram will fish them out, disable their accounts, and reduce the noise on the platform.

How Can I Stop Spam Likes on Instagram?

Spammers won’t like your posts if they can’t see them. Therefore, the only way to stop getting spam likes on Instagram is to set your account to private, then report and block every spam account that follows you. Also, watch where you post your own comments.

How Can I Stop Spam Comments on Instagram?

To stop getting spam comments on your Instagram posts, you can:

• Put your account on private, so spammers won’t be able to follow and comment on your account.
• Block comments from spam accounts.
• Hide certain spam words and phrases from your posts.
• Filter your posts from certain words.

Does Marking a Comment as Spam Delete It?

When you mark a comment as spam on Instagram, you will no longer see it in your post. But that doesn’t mean the comment has been removed. It simply means the comment has moved to the spam folder. If it is against the community rules, Instagram will review the comment and delete it from your post.

And if there are many reports about the same account, Instagram will restrict or deactivate it.

How Can I Stop Spam Tags on Instagram?

To avoid being tagged in a spam post on Instagram:

• Visit your Instagram profile.
• Tap the three dots at the top right of your profile.
• Click “Settings.”
• Click “Privacy” and proceed to tap on “Tags,” which is right below the “Comments” icon.
• On the Tags page, there are options to allow tags from everyone, people you follow, or no one
• Since you’re sure the people you’re following are not spammers, you can choose to be tagged by them.
• You can also allow tags from everyone but manually approve them before they can appear on your profile.

How Can I Stop Spam DMs on Instagram?

To stop unsolicited and irrelevant DMs:

• Visit your Instagram profile.
• Click on “Privacy,” then “Messages.”
• Choose to receive DMs from only people you follow.

Should I Ignore Instagram Spam Likes?

Getting lots of spam likes is a sign that many fake accounts follow you. It’s not something you should ignore, as it would eventually affect your credibility.
To stop/reduce spam likes, fish out the spam followers on your account and block them all. You might also want to restrict your account from spammers’ access by making your account private and using unique niche hashtags.

Wrapping Up on Instagram Spam Comments on Your Business Account

Keeping your Instagram business account free of spam comments shows you take your business seriously and value your customers’ trust. This eventually pays off when your customers feel free and safe to engage with your posts.

The more genuine engagement you get on your Instagram business account, the more the Instagram algorithm sees that you’re dishing out real value to your followers. This triggers Instagram to show your posts to more people. I’m sure you’ve already figured out that the more your Instagram reach, the higher your chances of lead generation and conversion.

Hopefully, you now understand what Instagram Spam Comments are all about and the ideal step to take when you start getting them. Have you been receiving a lot of spam comments on your Instagram business or creator account? Do you delete Instagram comments when you realize they are spammy? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below so we can discuss it.

The post Instagram Spam Comments – How To Delete A Comment appeared first on Inspire To Thrive.

You are laying on a blanket, between the dunes, at a beautiful sandy beach? You are looking up at the vibrant blue sky and watching those puffy white clouds floating above your head. Image their configurations. When you gaze up at them, they may take the form of a dog? a star? or even an angel ?.  It takes you to another place. Maybe your dream place. You fixate on the subject at hand. It becomes your center of interest. In short, this causes INTERRUPTION.  It’s time to get your head out of the clouds as the biggest productivity killers at work are all around you.

The Biggest Productivity Killers – What Is Your Focus Factor?

Your #1 Performance Killer – Interupptions

Whether you work in the office or at home, you experience interruptions all day. In today’s multimedia fast-paced environment, distractions constantly come at you in all directions.  The biggest culprit is the phone and the internet, which makes you feel the need to respond immediately.

But that luxury comes with a high price tag. Interruptions will distract you and cause you to lose focus on the task at hand.

These are huge productivity killers at work. This can lead to a waste of valuable productive time. And in essence, time is money.

#1 Performance Killers Solution: Increase Your Focus Factor

You need to focus at the beginning of your day. Open your email, listen to messages, examine your to-do list, then prioritize.  Place your tasks into four distinct categories. First, MUST do ASAP, followed by,  MUST do later.  Then, perhaps, “I can delegate this,” or you might have to just say “NO. I can’t get it done today.”

You need an uninterrupted time slot. Schedule a set time in your day and group your return calls, and emails together. Then, create a designated time slot to reply to them at that time.

Doing this will keep you from getting interrupted with each one separately throughout your day. Otherwise, you must keep refocusing your thoughts and priorities and lose precious time. Therefore, it makes it harder to get things accomplished. This can be the worst of the productivity killers.

For example, put the phone on silent. Shut off Instagram messages. Don’t open your email…even if it’s only for an hour. Whenever possible, make your team aware of your scheduled time for replies.

Time management is the greatest tool to increase productivity. You may have remembered this point from the last post on 10 ways to make your team more productive.

Take a break. It’s okay. Sometimes you have to drop everything and walk away.

You need time to refocus. Shake out the cobwebs. That’s why they put water coolers in the workplace. And you thought it was just used as the gossip corner.

Schedule time away from your desk. Plan a lunch date. Take a walk. You need to change your focus, in order to refocus.

Your #2 Productivity Killers At Work – Procrastination

How do You Like to Eat your Peas?

Remember when you were a kid and your mother told you to eat your peas? You did one of two things.

You ate them first and got it over with, so you could enjoy the other favorites on your plate.

Or you ate them last because they don’t taste pleasant and are boring. If you did the latter, you were procrastinating.

Do you tackle a task the same way you eat your peas? We all have a tendency to procrastinate from time to time.

However, when facing a deadline to complete a project, you may not have that luxury. Procrastination leads to poor time management as well.

There are several reasons why you may delay the start of your project. You may be overwhelmed with it and simply don’t know where to start. Fear of falling often causes someone to procrastinate.

Maybe this project theme is not within your field of expertise. Perhaps you’ve reached a stumbling block. Maybe it’s the exact opposite. After all, you could be bored with the entire thing. It just doesn’t “sing”.

Or it could be a physical thing. You may be overtired. You need to take a break, regroup and set it aside and refocus later on.

#2 Performance Solution: Eat Your Peas First!

Be proactive. Jump right in. Eat the peas first!  While getting them off your plate, you can anticipate how delicious the rest of the meal will taste and not have to worry about those yucky tasting peas again.

Then, take that overwhelming project and separate it into bite size pieces.

Start by making a list of the directives. Break them down into segments and assign them each an attainable deadline. This leads to small victories leading up to the final goal. After all, you could use project management software to help you along the way.

To overcome boredom, one must refocus. It’s time to call in the team and brainstorm.

This can inspire spontaneous contributions to project solutions and generates enthusiasm within the group. It can be the catalyst that drives the team to success.

When your body is telling you “I’m burned out. I need time-off”, LISTEN.

Physical tiredness causes your mind to wander, thus avoiding the task at hand. It causes you to lose focus.

It’s time to give your brain a break. Have a snack. If your timeline permits, sleep on it.

Regroup your thoughts tomorrow. Another way to refocus your thoughts is to put them in print. Jot down some key ideas to keep your thoughts and ideas fresh.

If you get interrupted, you can refer to them and immediately pick up from where you left off.

Your #3 Productivity Killer At Work – Inaccurate Plan

If you Fail to Plan – Your Plan will Fail!

As a project leader, you create the pathway to a successful productive plan.

Poor planning produces poor results. If you don’t have an outline, you have no plan. How can you keep your team focused if you have no plan?

If you fail to plan, your project won’t come to fruition. A weak plan is an inaccurate plan and is doomed to failure. It’s a killer.

Lack of dedicated communication with your team, could jeopardize their productivity in the workplace.

In addition, if a team doesn’t have direction and guidance they lose their focus. This could result in missed deadlines and loss of time and money. Likewise, it could be a productivity killer at work!

Poor planning produces poor results. If you don’t have an outline, you have no plan. #productivitytips
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#3 Performance Killer Solutions – Step up the Focus Factor

Can you pat your head and rub your belly at the same time? You tried it, right? It’s not that easy. Consequently, you have to concentrate and focus on what your hands are doing. But, anyone can do each exercise separately.

Why not approach your project the same way? Split your project into two separate stages with two separate deadlines. The end goal of your project will be less overwhelming. It works better for you too.

You can detect any problems or obstacles at midfield, rather than let them creep up on you at the end zone. Plus, your team can work on each segment separately, and keep their focus.

Numerous consultation meetings should be scheduled on a regular basis. Communication today can take many forms; landline telephone, cell phone, text, and email.

By and large, any one of these instruments should allow you the ability to keep the lines of communication open.

In order to maintain an accurate plan flow, you must constantly monitor your team’s productivity.

Finally, begin by learning which form of communication each team member prefers.  It works quickly to get their response.

Then, utilize them when you plan progress and conference meetings. It’s prudent time management.

Hence, it eliminates interruptions and procrastination, the other 2 productivity killers at work.

Productivity Killer Infographic

The following Infographic to avoid productivity killers is brought to you by Wrike online brainstorming collaboration tools.

Productivity tools you need to stay productive today.

In Conclusion: Time Savers In The Workplace

What productivity killers at work are you guilty of today? Which performance tips did you like the most? Do you have any additional tips to save time and be productive?

I’d love to know more in the comments below!

The post 3 Notorious Productivity Killers and How to Fight Them appeared first on Inspire To Thrive.

Long gone are the days when companies could reach their target audience without social media marketing. Today, social media presence isn’t optional, and the market is getting more and more saturated.  You have to keep up with the latest social media marketing trends to reach your audience.

Is any proof needed? Let the numbers speak for themselves: over 90 million small businesses are on Facebook on a monthly basis, and over one million businesses advertise on Instagram monthly.

Social Media Marketing Trends

Not only that but 7% of marketers consider Twitter as the best social media platform for customer engagement, and 94% of B2B marketers distribute content on LinkedIn.

With the great number of brands on social media, Internet users are spoiled with the amount of information they receive daily. Marketers need to find actionable ways to stand out from the crowd.

To outsmart social media algorithms and hook an audience’s attention, marketers should keep up with the changes on social sites.

Knowing the latest trends is a proven way to change your social media marketing strategy and sustain company's success.
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Since the 2nd half of 2023 is here, proficient marketers are looking for current digital trends to create a winning social media marketing strategy for the next year.

1. Gen Z and Social Media Marketing Trends

If you have been focusing on millennials, we have bad news for you then: Gen Z has entered the workforce, and this generation has over 75 million people who are not teenagers anymore – they are consumers who influence $600 billion of family spending.

The good news? As specified in the Nielsen report, 85% of Gen Zers learn about products on social media and 59% of them are more likely to connect with brands online.

For marketers, it’s high time to take Gen Z seriously and connect with this generation. When it comes to hooking Gen-Z consumers, it’s important to understand their social media preferences: favorite platforms, type of content, and messages.

According to an infographic from Upfront Analytics, these people love using Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram, so you’d better adapt your strategies with a focus on these platforms to target Gen Z.

However, if you are a parent of a child on social media, you may want to monitor their usage.

If you want to bring your business to the next level, you’d better find out new creative ways to communicate with Gen Z on social media. After all, this group of people will dominate the market soon.

2. Lifestyle Photography

Social media content is not just about overly-polished ads. It’s about connecting with your customers in a genuine way, so marketers should show off their products without being too salesy. While marketers use social media ads as a way to reach their target audience and deliver their brand message, there’s a better way to sell on social media.

Although you can upload multiple photos in a single post to demonstrate your product from different angles, it’s better to create lifestyle photos. First of all, it sells the lifestyle, not your product. Plus, it hints at what they can get after buying your product. It’s no wonder people love lifestyle photography.

For example, Lululemon has focus on sports lovers, so the company promotes a healthy lifestyle, and it lays a bet on photos that show how to use its products in its intended environment.

If you publish content that promotes a lifestyle that your buyers associate with themselves, they are more likely to like, comment, and share your content. All in all, it’s a proven way to increase a post’s visibility on social media, and therefore attract more potential consumers.

3. Influencer Endorsements

Modern customers don’t trust traditional ads: 92% of people look for online word-of-mouth recommendations while making purchase decisions. Since customers rely on influencer endorsements, it’s no wonder 39% of companies plan to increase their influencer marketing budgets.

Nowadays world-known celebs like e Jenner work with different brands to promote their products on personal social media accounts. Since these people have a great impact on their following, it’s no wonder brands want to do business with top stars.

Obviously, working with top stars can be expensive: the more followers an influencer has, the more he or she charges for a post. For example, Kylie Jenner makes an estimated $1 million per sponsored post on her Instagram.

The good news? No matter what influencer marketing budget you have, you can collaborate with micro-influencers to spend less money on promoting your product.

Moreover, niche influencers have better engagement, so it’s even more cost-effective for both big and small brands to work with micro-influencers.

When it comes to influencer marketing, the key to success is to find the right influencer with the same target audience, and the engagement rate is social proof.

4. The Rise of Vertical Video In Social Media Marketing Trends

If you wonder whether your business needs video marketing, the short answer is yes: 90% of customers say videos help to make purchase decisions. What is more, 75% of worldwide video viewers use smartphones to watch videos, so there’s a rise in vertical video.

Over the last year, there’s been an 80% increase in time spent watching videos on Instagram or TikTok, and the platform is seeking out alternative ways to keep its users engaged.

In June 2018, Instagram rolled out IGTV, a standalone vertical video application, that allows users to upload video files for up to 60 minutes. Of course reels have become the rage over the past few years on Instagram and now Facebook.

For brands, it’s a perfect opportunity to interact with their followers. From sharing tutorial videos to recording offline events, there are many ways for brands to hook their audiences.

For example, Sephora kills two birds with one stone: by posting how-to videos, they not only educate their followers, but they also promote certain products.

To produce content your customers want to consume, you need to create vertical videos and use IGTV as well as reels and YouTube shorts. No matter what marketing goals you have, there are different video ideas for you to consider.

You can use behind-the-scenes videos to build trust, tutorials to increase brand awareness, product reviews to boost sales, and much more.

Just give vertical videos a try and engage your followers.

5. Ephemeral Content

Who else wants to invest in content that disappears within 24 hours?

At first blush, marketers should focus on evergreen content. It’s proven that you can turn your followers into customers with ephemeral content.

Ephemeral content, also known as short-lived content, is getting more and more popular among users: 400 million accounts use Instagram Stories daily, 2.24 billion users watch Facebook Stories and 63% of social media users watch live-streaming content regularly.

Since this content vanishes after 24 hours, a FOMO (fear of missing out) effect works well. Customers are afraid of missing something important, so they consume ephemeral content. For brands, it’s a perfect way to encourage customers to take any action without wasting much time.

Moreover, you can share content without clogging the main newsfeed up with posts.

Here’s the list of ideas for Stories:

• time-limited offers
• product launch
• behind-the-scenes content
• user-generated content
• breaking news

No matter what social media platform you use for business, whether Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. It’s important to create ephemeral content to interact with your customers and beat social media algorithms.

Since this content vanishes after 24 hours, a FOMO (fear of missing out) effect works well. Customers are afraid of missing something important, so they consume ephemeral content. #socialmediastories
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6. Augmented Reality

With the rise of modern technologies, augmented reality (AR) has gained popularity in recent years. AR creates the illusion that virtual objects are in the same space as real.

Plus, it allows users to be in touch with the real world while interacting with virtual objects around them. It’s no wonder people are interested in AR.

Although most people associate AR with the gaming industry and fun, it has huge potential for eCommerce as well. According to Statista, the augmented and virtual reality market is expected to reach a market size of 209.2 billion U.S. dollars.

Moreover, businesses can use augmented reality to interact with their customers in an interesting and funny way. Here’s a little case study by Michael Kors: it is the first company that has used the AR ad format. The brand used AR to let a shopper try on a pair of sunglasses.

Customers can’t touch the product when they shop online. Thus, augmented reality helps them to see whether your product suits their needs. As a result, consumers make purchase decisions faster.

Whether you allow your potential customers to try new virtual hairstyles or place furniture in their homes, there are limitless possibilities for integrating AR into your business. For brands, it’s high time to jump on the bandwagon and give AR a try.

As you may know, Meta ( formerly Facebook) is heavily now into AR Tech. Mark Zuckerberg had been all over AR. However, after the user’s feedback, Meta will no longer require VR headset users to log in with Facebook accounts.

The Final Thoughts on Social Media Marketing Trends

Social media marketing is constantly changing and evolving. To reach your target audience and engage your social media followers, you need to know what they love. There’s no better way to do it than keeping up with the latest trends is a must. You no longer can be lazy with your social media.

Moreover, the end of 2023 will be here before we know it.. It’s time to adapt your social media marketing strategy to make the most out of your campaign.

What do you think of the social media marketing trends for 2023? We’d love to know more in the comments below!

The post 6 Social Media Marketing Trends To Watch In 2023 appeared first on Inspire To Thrive.

Does your posture affect your day? Your posture health can have a huge impact on you and your business.

Creating your own profitable blog is never an easy experience. You have to dedicate an enormous amount of time and energy to your work in order to ensure you can achieve your goals.

This means that your health and wellness get knocked down to the bottom of your list of priorities.  As you probably have far too many other responsibilities to think about beforehand.

However, this is one of the worst decisions that you can make for the sake of your body and mind. Being in poor health has a knock-on effect on the rest of your life too – including your blog business.

Rather than allowing what you’ve worked so hard for to just slip away as you lose focus and encounter illness, there’s no time like the present to start taking your well-being more seriously.

Working From Home Affects On Our Health and Posture

When we work from home, we may not have access to ergonomic office chairs and desks that keep us in the right position. As a result, many of us end up hunching over our laptops or slouching on the couch to work. Over time, this can place extra pressure on our spines and lead to chronic pain. So next time you’re tempted to work from bed or the couch, remember that good posture is key to a healthy back.

As a business owner or entrepreneur, you likely know exactly how to take care of your business – whether that relates to attracting new customers or getting your finances in order.

However, the drive and focus required to run a successful company mean that many business owners neglect their own well-being. In fact, according to a recent study:

• Almost 50% of small business owners are worried about their mental health.
• 62% of business owners are stressed on a daily basis
• 51% of business owners have trouble sleeping

So, if you’re interested to find out more about how you can stay healthy whilst running your own blog business, then read on. You will uncover a variety of tips and tricks that you can make the most of today.

Reducing Your Screen Time

One of the biggest health risks associated with blogging is the impact that such a large amount of screen time can have on the body and mind.

Staring at your computer screen for hours on end every single day will no doubt begin to cause considerable strain after a short period of time, and this can easily lead to painful headaches and even debilitating migraines.

Reducing your screen time to ensure that your eyes can take a break every once in a while is absolutely essential. It can also be beneficial to use a workspace that makes the most of natural light rather than turning on bright LEDs, as natural light is far gentler.

Get Up Get Moving

Sitting down at your desk for upwards of 40 hours a week can trigger an array of health conditions, most of which relate to either your circulation or waistline. Your circulation will not be able to flow freely as it was originally designed if you are constantly sat down, as the blood will begin to pool at the base of your spine rather than reaching the tip of your toes.

You’re also far more likely to gain weight and experience related side effects as a result of your lack of exercise, so there’s no time like the present to get up and get moving.

There are lots of handy resources online that you can use to motivate yourself, like the best bodybuilding channels on YouTube that detail exercise routines and offer helpful advice to those who want to learn more about fitness.

Does Posture Affect Your Day?

Believe it or not, maintaining good posture is about more than appearing professional when interacting with others, as it can also bring forth health benefits.

The average person will spend more than 18 years of their life sitting down. And, a huge proportion of that, is for office-based workers and those now working from home at their desks.

That’s four and a half hours each day seated at your computer!  (Seven when you count other sitting time).

It can all add up to a huge host of problems with your back if you have incorrect postures and your desk is not set up correctly.

Our spines fall naturally into three slight curves. The neck and the lower back, or lumbar, should form a C-shaped curve, known as lordosis. The mid and upper back should have a smaller reversed C shape, referred to as kyphosis.

The trouble starts when the natural curvature of the spine is consistently forced out of position. And it is due to the way we sit during the working day as more work from home.

The spine is composed of segments and spinal discs that give flexibility, range of movement, and shock absorption to our bodies.

The average person will spend more than 18 years of their life sitting down. Wow! #bloggingcommunity
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The Day As A Blogger or Small Biz Owner Sitting

However, with the modern lifestyle of poor sitting postures, working on computers all day, and bending over our mobile phones, we can alter the natural curvature of the spine. Thus, causing changes that have the potential to significantly alter our quality of life.

Degenerative joint conditions, neck pain, lower back pain, slipped discs and severe headaches are just some of the consequences you may already have experienced.

Sitting all day does affect your posture as a blogger or small business owner.

Take it from me, I’ve been in PT and at a chiropractor last year. And that was after getting steroid injections from all of this!  Sitting for long hours is not good for you. Your posture plays a huge role in it.

Sitting all day does affect your posture as a blogger or small business owner. #InspireToThrive
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How Can Poor Posture Result In Back Pain?

When we work from home, we may not have access to ergonomic office chairs and desks that keep us in the right position. As a result, many of us end up hunching over our laptops or slouching on the couch to work.

Over time, this can place extra pressure on our spines and lead to chronic pain. So next time you’re tempted to work from bed or the couch, remember that good posture is key to a healthy back.

Working and Staying Healthy As Posture Affects Your Day

When it comes to our working day, this isn’t great news. Physical discomfort stops us from focusing properly. This pain affects our productivity.

By getting to understand more about our desks and seating, and how to correctly adjust them so we are sitting right. This will support our backs and we can avoid the discomfort.

This infographic shows the different component parts of an executive office chair. Furthermore,  how you can understand their effect on your posture and working life:

Infographic Design By Autonomous

Other Tips to Help Offset How Posture Affects Your Day

• Invest in a good chair and desk for your home office. You’ll be so happy you did as I did over a year ago now.
• Be sure to take breaks often. Don’t sit for more than 1/2 hour at a time. Stand up, and stretch at least!
• Sit straight while you are working away on the computer.
• Invest in a standing desk so you are not sitting for such long periods of time. You can use both in your office or at another location in your home or office too.
• Schedule your breaks so you don’t forget as I often have done over the years. And then, it was too late and I needed medical attention.

Yes, you can always learn from my mistakes here at Inspire To Thrive! ~ Lisa

Other Tips to Help Offset How Posture Affects Your Day #InspireToThrive
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Also, Take Care Of Your Hearing

Many studies explore the loss of hearing impact on older adults. For example, hearing loss can lead to social isolation, low mood, and more.

However, it’s something you must work to prevent rather than deal with when the symptoms show up later in life – meaning you must try to protect your hearing now, especially if you work in noisy environments.

For example, you should wear hearing protection when necessary and avoid turning up your electronic devices to the highest volume possible.

Prevent Burnout

Another way in which you can protect your health as a business owner is by working to prevent burnout. After all, burnout can lead to a myriad of health issues, such as insomnia and the weakening of your immune system.

Despite this, many business owners often try to push through burnout instead of taking a break- which only causes more problems further down the line.

Fortunately, there are many ways in which you can combat burnout. For example, focusing on growing your team and hiring new staff can help reduce your own workload, meaning that you do not feel quite as much pressure at work.

However, the easiest way to combat this is to simply take a break.

Don’t Skip Lunch Breaks

There’s a reason we’re advised to eat three square meals a day. It can help you stay healthy while keeping your body’s metabolism in check. As a result, skipping lunch in favor of staying at your desk could negatively impact your health, leaving you more vulnerable to sickness.

However, you should also ensure that you don’t eat at your desk either (something which 60% of workers claim to do), as your lunch break is supposed to be a break.

Whether you give yourself an hour or half an hour – use this time to truly decompress and remove yourself from your work as much as possible. For example, you should step out of the office and go for a walk or use this time to chat with colleagues – don’t use it for admin or checking emails.

In Conclusion

With any luck, utilizing the tips described above will help you to regain a sense of health and vitality. These tips will allow you to take your blog business to a whole new level.

How can you reach your full potential if you aren’t feeling as right as rain? Reduce your screen time and exercise often to feel like a million bucks.

Now, what are you doing to sit better throughout your day blogging or working in your small business? How many hours per day do you sit for?

Please leave a comment below and share it on your favorite social media networks.

The post How Does Your Posture and Health Affect Your Day As A Blogger? appeared first on Inspire To Thrive.

Many Twitter users wonder: how does the Twitter algorithm work? The Twitter algorithm changes have even caused some users to leave the social media platform. Welcomingly, many former Twitter users have returned to share their thoughts seeking answers to the new algorithm. However, for other users, these changes are a hindrance and have led them to leave Twitter altogether.

With Elon Musk now at the helm, many more people are curious. Fear not, as we’ve got you covered. Get behind the scenes and learn how to master the Twitter algorithm.

Do not feel lost on Twitter anymore! Let me guide you on how you change your Twitter algorithm and make it work better for YOU.

Your Twitter Settings Effects The Twitter Algorithm Change

The way in which you set your Twitter settings can make a big difference in how you receive tweets. By choosing the latest tweets you will see the LATEST vs. TOP tweets which alter the Twitter algorithm.

Even Elon Musk tweeted about it today:

Very important to fix your Twitter feed:

1. Tap home button.
2. Tap stars on upper right of screen.
3. Select “Latest tweets”.

You are being manipulated by the algorithm in ways you don’t realize.

Easy to switch back & forth to see the difference.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 14, 2022

Furthermore, if you go to your Twitter homepage, it will look like this:

You can change them back and forth at any time to see the differences as Elon pointed out.

Twitter Recommendation Algorithm

According to their own blog, this algorithm is composed of many interconnected services and jobs. While there are many areas of the app where Tweets are recommended—Search, Explore, Ads—this algorithm focuses on the home timeline’s “For You” feed. It works in 3 stages:

1. Fetch the best Tweets from different recommendation sources in a process called candidate sourcing.
2. Rank each Tweet using a machine learning model.
3. Apply heuristics and filters, such as filtering out Tweets from users you’ve blocked, NSFW content, and Tweets you’ve already seen.

Their goal for this ranking is to serve you relevant tweets. It is based on whether you mute or block accounts, edit tweets, mix up accounts so you don’t see all tweets from one account in rapid succession, lower scores if you have negative feedback on a tweet, etc. It’s like your grandmother’s secret sauce.

Twitter Data for Interests from Twitter

Your Twitter Data is one area in which Twitter assumes what you like to see on Twitter. Go to Interests from Twitter. There are 2 columns there.

One of the interests is known for and the other interests are interested in it. The “interested in”  column can go on and on if you spend time on Twitter.

See below for how to change your Twitter interests.

I quickly unchecked a bunch of topics that I am NOT really interested in, but Twitter thinks I am. Hmm, wondering how they assume that.  One was the NFL draft, really? Ever since Tom Brady left the New England Patriots, I lost interest in the NFL.

Another interest that came up was movies and that is not why I’m on Twitter, I don’t look at movie tweets either.

Imagine, the social network Twitter now believes it knows what you like! You can uncheck some of the boxes if you know or feel they are wrong. I just did some myself as I researched this area of my Twitter settings.

Imagine, the social network Twitter now believes it knows what you like! You can uncheck some of the boxes if you know or feel they are wrong. #TwitterTips
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How Does The Twitter Algorithm Work With Your Preferences?  

Settings Area – if you put in your area you will see tweets around you. This does not mean you won’t see other tweets, but these may come up first if events/news that is being tweeted is happening in your hometown for example.

Go to settings – then content preferences to change yours if you like. In this same area, you check accounts you have muted and unmute now if you so choose to. Oftentimes, you may have forgotten an account you muted years ago because they tweeted too often or annoyed you for another reason.

The Twitter Preferences That Can Make a Difference on Your Twitter Algorithm Changes #TwitterTips
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Notification Settings On Your Twitter Feed

These settings can be set up to see only certain things in your notifications. There, you will l be able to see which of your Tweets have been liked, plus the latest Retweets (of your Tweets), Tweets directed to you (replies and mentions), and your new followers.

You can view your notifications in two ways: All show you notifications for account activity like new followers, Retweets, mentions, and likes. Mentions show you notifications only for Tweets that mention your username.

In addition to your notifications, we will elevate content that we think you’ll be most interested in and contributes to the conversation in a meaningful way, such as content that is relevant, credible, and safe.

Hmm, this last one is interesting as Twitter assumes what we are interested in!

But there is one thing you can do here: Turn on the quality filter on Twitter. When turned on, it filters lower-quality content from your notifications. For example, duplicate Tweets or content that appears to be automated — it does not filter notifications from people you follow or accounts you’ve recently interacted with.

You have the option to turn this on or off in your notification settings.

But there is one thing you can do here: Turn on the quality filter on Twitter. When turned on, it filters lower-quality content from your notifications. #TwitterTIp
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Advanced Quality Filters

You may sometimes receive notifications from certain types of accounts you’d like to avoid. In addition to enabling the quality filter, you can choose to disable notifications from the following types of accounts:

• Accounts that are new (that you don’t follow).
• Twitter accounts that don’t follow you (that you don’t follow).
• Accounts you don’t follow.
• Other accounts with a default profile photo (that you don’t follow).
• Twitter accounts without a confirmed email address (that you don’t follow).
• Accounts without a confirmed phone number (that you don’t follow).

Your Twitter Lists Can Help You IGNORE the Twitter Algorithm Changes!

Now if you don’t like what Twitter is doing with the Twitter algorithm be sure to use Twitter lists. I use these most of the day vs. my main Twitter feed.

You can stay on topic and keep focused while tweeting with your clients, colleagues, and friends.

So if you haven’t used Twitter Lists yet, be sure to start creating them. This post will help you to get started today!

Recently, I was invited to a new Twitter list of women supporting women: It’s a list where other women share your content and you share there if it is relevant to your niche and audience.

(However, I don’t recommend sharing others’ content just for the sake of sharing and reciprocation.)

Now if you don’t like what Twitter is doing with the Twitter algorithm be sure to use Twitter lists. #TwitterTips #InspireToThrive
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Twitter Communities Another Way To Ignore The Main Twitter Feed

Have you tried Twitter Communities yet? Most that I have joined were not active yet except for one on the topic of  SEO. When you join a Community, you can Tweet directly to that group instead of to all your followers. Only members of that community can reply and share your tweets.

You can invite people to your community and you can join other communities as long as you follow the community rules.

1. Be kind and respectful
2. Keep tweets on the topic
3. No self-promotion
4. No spamming allowed

If you start your own community (as a moderator) you can change the description of the 5 rules and how they apply to your community.  

How Does The Twitter Algorithm Work With Trending Topics?

Twitter has been using Trending topics for several years but there is not always a clear answer as to how and why those choose these trending topics.

The question “Why was this trending on Twitter?” was asked over half a million times back in 2020 on Google.

Twitter back in 2020 tweeted about this and blogged about how they are adding more content to the trends on Twitter.

They have now added pinned Tweets and descriptions on trends to help explain why something is trending. These trends do have an effect on the Twitter algorithm and what you see on the Twitter social network.

Twitter goes on to say: “In the coming weeks, you should see brief descriptions added to some trends as well to help add context to the trend. Descriptions will provide straightforward, clearly sourced context around why something is trending.”

No more having to scroll through Tweets to find out why something’s trending.

Starting today, some trends on Android and iOS will show a Tweet that gives context right away. More on Trend improvements: https://t.co/qiGeL9Kg31 pic.twitter.com/Y9nilckl8B

— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) September 1, 2020

Furthermore, I hope they do explain why these tweets are trending to all of us on the fast-paced social media network. It makes many users wonder how does the Twitter algorithm work for them?

Get the eBook or Paperback on How to Tweet and Thrive on Amazon.

Twitter Display Update

You can now change the colors and font size to see the tweets better in your Twitter feed or list. These are nice changes and work both on mobile and desktop.

Go into your display settings on Twitter to see the choices you have available. Twitter is more accessible now to those who have trouble seeing. You can make the font size much larger.

Also, there is a Twitter nighttime setting that sets the background in black.

Do you like these new visible changes with the Twitter display?

Twitter Censorship Stopped By Elon

Yes, Twitter had been censoring tweets before Elon came along. He vows to change this as he believes in free speech.  If you are on any social media network today you will notice that they are all following Twitter with more censorship on their own networks. (Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and even Pinterest! You cannot post anything against climate change or question it on Pinterest or you will be banned.) 

My commitment to free speech extends even to not banning the account following my plane, even though that is a direct personal safety risk

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 7, 2022

One day you are reading a tweet and the next day it is no longer there or the Twitter account has been suspended.

The Babylon Bee has been around for a few years and started with a parody blog. They have grown a lot since that time. The Babylon Bee Twitter account was suspended for a short time recently. However, Twitter lifted its suspension after a few days. Others have not been so lucky.

Big Tech absolutely targets Conservatives. Including the hilarious ones. https://t.co/JTJ0f9lcRG

— BDW (@BryanDeanWright) August 17, 2020

The Babylon Bee wrote about the incident after Twitter reinstated its account.

Twitter Apologizes After Intern Accidentally Sets Coffee On ‘Destroy All Conservatives’ Button https://t.co/8eB9odcaFx

— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) August 18, 2020

You May Be Shadowbanned By Elon

Yes, you may get shadowbanned on Twitter according to Elon’s tweet recently. So what is a shadowban? It’s when a tweet is deboosted and cannot be found unless you search it out like a detective. This may also happen over on Instagram often as well.

New Twitter policy is freedom of speech, but not freedom of reach.

Negative/hate tweets will be max deboosted & demonetized, so no ads or other revenue to Twitter.

You won’t find the tweet unless you specifically seek it out, which is no different from rest of Internet.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 18, 2022

Your Thoughts – How Does The Twitter Algorithm Work

Now, I’d love to know your thoughts on the Twitter algorithm changes and other updates that have been happening recently on the Twitter social media network. Now that Elon Musk is at the helm and named a new CEO, do you think the algorithm will change more?

Have you had your Twitter account suspended or your tweets censored? I would love to know more about it in the comments below.

The post How Does The Twitter Algorithm Work & How To Adjust Yours appeared first on Inspire To Thrive.

Just over a decade ago, it would be hard to imagine what the future workspace would look like. But the early 2010s saw a sudden rise of cutting-edge digital tools as well as digital marketing tools that would transform how people work forever.

Since then, a lot has changed, and these technologies have only improved.

This article aims to help remote workers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners to elevate their workspace and boost productivity with a list of five cutting-edge digital tools including digital marketing tools:

What Is A Digital Tool?

These powerful tools encompass interactive websites, applications, and software that demand user accounts to unlock their benefits.

From tracking your budget to learning a new language, digital tools hold the potential to transform your life and workflow.

Project Management Tools

Project management is a challenging task. It requires excellent people skills, proper time allocation, and knowledge about the work. Integrating these tasks into a single platform makes project management software much more effortless.

Project managers can efficiently plan, schedule, allocate resources, and assign roles. These project stakeholders can use the software to communicate and exchange resources.

Project management software enhances the workspace by facilitating the tracking and planning of project resources, stakeholders, and components. It also simplifies third-party collaboration with time tracking and record maintenance.

Video Conferencing Platform

Much to the dismay of large corporations, going to the office is slowly becoming a thing of the past. This has led to a shift in how organizations communicate. Video conferencing platforms have seen a dramatic rise in popularity, with most meetings now taking place online.

These platforms make it effortless for people in the company to hop on a quick video call to discuss a project or schedule a more significant meeting with the rest of the team. Businesses can easily schedule meetings with partners or vendors thanks to integrations with other tools like calendars.

This technology saves a ton of time, effort, and resources related to business travel.

Granted, in-person communication is still precious. But, businesses are now gearing towards strategic in-person meetings while keeping everyday communication online.

Password Manager

With so many digital tools, businesses are at constant risk of a cyber attack. Employees have various online accounts, and a single slip-up can lead to a lot of trouble for the whole company. Weak and predictable credentials are a leading cause of data breaches. Yet, even Fortune 500 companies still use weak passwords that can be cracked in seconds. One simple and inexpensive solution to this problem is a password manager.

Password managers are increasingly popular tools that significantly improve the level of security in the workplace. Employees can easily manage the passwords for all of their accounts.

Not having to remember passwords by heart leads to stronger passwords.

The password manager can even generate a strong password for you and securely store it where only you have access. Password managers save a lot of time. Some have other advanced security features, like alerting you of phishing sites.

Officer Manager Software/ Digital Tool

Having employees and no physical office has created the “virtual office.” One essential component of the virtual office is an office management tool. These tools allow remote employees to communicate, share, and manage everyday tasks and responsibilities.

However, office management tools are not limited to virtual settings. Employees working in an office also need office management tools to help with payroll processing, HR management, and other essential tasks.

These administrative processes can take up much time, affecting productivity and efficiency.

Office management software like Flanco incorporates several tools to help these processes by automating repetitive tasks, giving managers and employees more time to deal with more personalized issues.

The best thing about these tools is that they can be highly personalized. Organizations in different industries have vastly different needs.

Office management tools are flexible, allowing managers to set rules and critical tasks. Specialized tools also focus on helping specific industries and use cases.

These tools allow remote employees to communicate, share, and manage everyday tasks and responsibilities.
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Marketing Automation Digital Tool

No matter how great a product offers, a business will only succeed if people discover it. Marketing is an essential part of growing a business. Digital tools have opened many doors for business leaders to grow their companies.

Since marketing involves monotonous work, incorporating a marketing automation tool can significantly improve the workspace.

Marketing automation tools can help you to incorporate the data you collect meaningfully and put it to good use. They can generate personalized workflows, assisting businesses to understand customer needs to deliver the right content at the right time.

You can see one of my favorite digital automation tools below in the video in action: 

Final Thoughts On Digital Tools

Today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape makes incorporating cutting-edge tools into your workspace essential for staying competitive and maximizing productivity. These digital tools empower businesses to operate efficiently and effectively.

For example, marketing automation tools and video conferencing platforms facilitate seamless communication and expand reach. In the meantime, office management tools optimize workflows.

By embracing these innovative solutions, you can elevate your workspace and unlock new opportunities for growth in the digital age. Stay ahead of the curve and embrace the power of technology in transforming your work environment. 

What digital marketing tools or other digital tools are you using today for your business? I’d love to hear more about them in the comments below.

FAQs

The post 5 Digital Tools To Boost Your Productivity & Transform Your Biz appeared first on Inspire To Thrive.

The ever-growing presence of social media platforms and online communities and their effectiveness in lead generation has improved lead generation for businesses. Although a crucial lead generation tool, social media is often noisy, and some brands struggle to leverage its marketing benefits. To maximize your lead generation via social media, you must cut through the noise to understand and meet your target audience’s pain points, preferences, and expectations. An effective and productive way to achieve this is by adopting social listening. This strategy effectively maximizes your social media presence and generates quality leads.

To help you generate unending leads from social media, I’ll give you a comprehensive guide on how social listening can help you find leads and increase your sales.

Before that…

What Is Social Listening?

Social listening involves following social media conversations to know when, why, and where your brand is mentioned. It gives you insights into what your customers and followers say about your brand, products, and services.

Social listening helps you study and understand customer and prospects’ pain points and enable you to provide solutions that’ll win your customers’ loyalty and prospects’ conversion.

Businesses use social listening for different purposes, from monitoring brand mentions to curb negative opinions to measuring estimated marketing reach and customer research. One aspect many overlooks is how to use social listening to generate qualified business leads.

Social Listening Can Help You Find Leads

Social listening is a powerful strategy for finding qualified business leads for marketers. It allows you to meet your target audience at their low points (talking about their pain points, seeking solutions online, or lamenting a competitor’s service). It also gives you insights to help you provide solutions to them, making it easier to convert them into paying customers.

With social listening, you can track your brand mentions and acknowledge or resolve positive or negative mentions accordingly. Listening to positive conversations about your brand allows you to accept the accolades and leverage the moment to promote your brand and gain more leads. It also lets you discover and address negative conversations before they hurt your brand reputation. By addressing the negative mentions immediately, you win the trust of your customers and prospects.

Let’s evaluate how you can use social listening to generate quality business leads.

Social listening helps you keep track of what people are saying about your brand and gives you an opportunity to drive leads from such discussions. @positiveequator
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11 Ways To Generate Leads With Social Listening

Here are some critical ways social listening can help you find qualified leads:

Track Brand Mentions

Social listening helps you keep track of discussions about your brand in the social media space. It shows you where conversations about your brand are happening, what is being discussed, and who is championing the discussions.

Entering these conversations when necessary helps you control the narrative about your brand and turn negative views around. It also helps you highlight your products and services and their benefits, which will, in turn, help convert followers to leads.

Conversations around your products or services will also help you improve your offerings to meet customers’ expectations, generating more leads through quality service delivery.

Track Conversations About Your Competitor’s Brand

Another critical way social listening can help you gain quality leads is by giving you insights into conversations about your competitors’ brands. By listening to what your competitors’ customers are complaining about or praising them for, you can improve your products and services to exceed those standards and make your competitors’ customers consider switching.

If you already have superior products, social listening will help you know that and enable you to address the complaints of your competitors’ customers in real-time, convincing them to try your superior products or services.

Social listening helps you monitor conversations around your competitors' business. You have the opportunity to swoop in and market to your competitors' unhappy customers.
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Monitor Industry Trends and Hashtags

Industry trends and discussions help brands to attract quality leads with ease. Industry hashtags are often used when these trends and discussions occur, especially when they refer to popular or novel ideas.

Smart businesses use social listening tools to monitor these trends, develop marketing campaigns, and attract brand engagements and conversions.

Monitor Industry Influencers

Industry influencers are valuable assets a business can use to attract more quality leads. When an influencer discusses a brand, it goes viral almost immediately, as they have many followers interested in the industry.

With a strategic and effective social listening tool like Brand24, you can monitor industry influencers to know when they mention your brand. This helps you discover influencers that speak well about your brand, enabling you to connect with them and get them to represent your brand effectively.

If an influencer comments negatively about your brand, social media listening tools will notify you almost immediately, giving you ample time to correct the narrative before it spreads.

Your ability to use social listening tools to discover and leverage industry influencers to promote your brand, products, and services is key to lead generation.

Social listening tools like @brand24 help you monitor influencers and keep you informed on when they're speaking good or ill about your business, so you can react on time.
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Addressing Complaints On Social Media

Most customers prefer complaining about a product or poor service on social media to telling the brand involved directly. As a smart business owner, you should leverage social listening strategies and tools to discover and address these negative reviews immediately.

The right social listening tools will point you to the platform, thread, and even report where your products or services get negative reviews, allowing you to fix and attract new leads.

Initiating Conversations About Your Industry

You can initiate conversations about your industry on social media and use social listening tools to track your reach. This could mean challenging certain norms in the industry or stating important information that isn’t obvious to most industry followers.

While your post or tweet rakes the engagements, your brand is being mentioned, leading to more people knowing about you and your products or services.

Discovering New Hangout Platforms For Your Audience

With new social media platforms, communities, and groups coming up often, social listening can help you discover new platforms or forums where prospects hang out to discuss industry-related topics.

This enables you to pitch your tent in those places, build meaningful relationships, and get them to know about your products and services.

Knowing Your Target Audience

You can’t create personalized and highly targeted marketing campaigns if you don’t know your target audience, what they talk about, and how they like being approached.

An excellent social listening strategy or technique involves studying the demographics of your target audience and learning how best to create marketing messages that appeal to them.

Monitoring Industry Events

Social listening tools help you follow social media conversations around industry events, conferences, webinars, spaces, and live streams.

Ensure to engage with the participants, contribute to conversations, share relevant insights, and provide answers and solutions to questions from other participants. This helps you build relationships and generate quality leads.

Offering Exclusive Discounts

If you monitor social media conversations about your brand, you’ll see people expressing interest in your products or services.

Reaching out to them privately and offering them exclusive discounts will encourage them to purchase or become hot leads.

Leverage Social Listening Tools

Social listening tools like Brand24, Hootsuite, and Sprout Social will help you track conversations, set up alerts for relevant keywords, and analyze sentiments to identify potential leads effectively.

When you leverage such a tool, you’ll be more positioned to learn about your prospects and drive conversions.

Top 3 Social Listening Tools for Increased Conversion

Here are the top 3 social listening tools you can adopt to increase social media marketing lead generation and conversion:

Brand24

Brand24 is a powerful social listening tool to monitor and analyze online discussions about your brand. It’s an excellent tool for tracking your brand’s mentions everywhere on the web, including social media, podcasts, Google Play, the App Store, Telegram, and TikTok. Brand24 is a full online reputation management system you can use to gauge sentiments toward your brand.

The social listening tool has several fantastic features, including tracking your competitors, studying their mentions, and understanding what their customers are complaining about, allowing you to provide better services and win them over.

Another essential feature of Brand24 is the ability to identify influencers in an industry, allowing you to collaborate effectively with them.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite is primarily known for scheduling and publishing posts on social media. However, it has a feature that enables it to perform social listening activities, such as brand monitoring, keyword tracking, brand mention tracking, sentiment analysis, competitor monitoring, etc.

Sprout Social

Sprout Social is a robust social media management platform with powerful social listening features. It allows you to monitor, analyze, and engage with conversations and mentions across social media platforms.

It also allows you to conduct competitor, sentiment, and trend analysis to ensure you understand what your target audience wants, further enabling you to deliver an efficient customer experience.

Effective Social Listening Tips

Here are some social listening tips to help you grow your brand, deliver excellent customer experience, and generate quality leads consistently:

Define Your Goals

You must define your goals from the onset to make the most of your social listening activities. Identify the platforms you want to monitor and the information you want to gain from the process.

Choose The Right Tools

There are many social listening tools; ensure to use the ones that deliver on their promises. Social listening tools like Brand24, HootSuite, and Sprout Social help you easily track mentions, analyze sentiment, and identify trends.

Track Brand Mentions

Track all mentions of your brand, products, and services on social media to identify potential issues and complaints and respond promptly to customer feedback.

Also, track the mentions of your brand’s CEO and other notable employees to gauge sentiments and keep your brand’s reputation intact.

Analyze Sentiments

Analyze the sentiment of the brand’s mentions and address them appropriately and promptly.

Pay attention to your brand’s positive, negative, and neutral sentiments, and leverage the insights to make informed decisions.

Engage In Conversations

While social listening is about monitoring brand mentions, it allows you to engage with your audience. When you encounter relevant discussions about your brand or industry, participate and provide valuable insights.

Engaging with your audience shows you’re paying attention to them and can help you build valuable relationships and generate quality leads.

Take Actions Based On Insights

Social listening can only be valuable to your brand when you take action on the insights you gather. Ensure you use the information you get from social listening to improve your products and services, improve your marketing strategies, and deliver an excellent customer experience.

To excel in #sociallistening, you need to define your goals, choose the right tools, analyze sentiments, and more. Here are top effective social listening tips to maximize your lead generation.
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Over to You – How Well Do You Use Social Listening For Lead Generation?

Social listening has become indispensable for businesses looking to generate quality leads, deliver exceptional customer experience, and increase sales. With the right social listening strategy and tool, you can get your brand to compete favorably in your industry while delivering exceptional customer service.

How well have you been using social listening for lead generation? Has it been effective? I hope the insights in this article on how social listening can help you find leads help you improve your social media lead generation using social listening tools like Brand24.

The post How To Use Social Listening To Generate Qualified Leads appeared first on Inspire To Thrive.

Note: Before proceeding to read the first word of the introduction properly, do know that I like my SEO to be simple and effective. That is why I developed a system, a pattern of actions I follow before hitting the publish button (I call it my simple SEO checklist).

I’m saying that, if you came here hoping to find some:

• over-the-top,
• overarching,
• earth-shaking,
• all-encompassing SEO strategy

move on. You won’t find it here. I’m more interested in getting real results than in high-level fluff called “too much planning; too little doing”.

You either rank or you don’t.

If you want the former and hate the latter… continue reading the article,

it begins below…

An Easy SEO Checklist- Your Path To Higher Google Rankings, Every Single Time

Whenever you publish a new article, you have two courses of action before you:

You can sit back, relax, pour some coffee; or whiskey; or whiskey in coffee (you don’t have to be Irish to enjoy their beverages), and wait for Google to recognize your awesome work and give you the rankings you truly deserve.

Or you can get busy, bustle about, and make Google give you the rank you deserve.

I recommend the latter and that’s why I wrote this article. In it, I give my own, simple SEO checklist that I follow to the tee before hitting that blue “publish” button.

This is mostly on-page SEO with a dash of link equity flow- it’s powerful stuff!

So powerful in fact, that if you do the 7 hacks I’m about to show you, you’ll be well on your way to dethroning the current king of the SERPs.

They’re king, but for how long, right?

Number one position- prepare to meet your new lord and master… (your name goes here)

#1- Content-Length- Go For The Average

It’s great and wonderful to have exceptional content because it helps you stand out. But most of the time- it’s not needed.

Google is telling you what they expect to see from your page.

Simply type your keyword into Google, take the first 10 results, and plug them into a free tool called “Hemingway App”.

It’ll tell you the word count of every post. Then you just need to find the average by first adding up the word counts of all 10, and then dividing the number you get by 10.

And that’s the ideal word count you should shoot for.

Bonus tip

The Hemingway app will also let you calculate the average reading score.

This is something to keep in mind because posts that are written in simple English often get picked up to be featured in featured snippets and as voice search results.

Bonus tip #2

I said go for the average, and I stand behind it. If you’re chasing long-tail keywords, there’s no reason to blow up the SERPS every time you publish something new. Quality is important of course, but with long tails, you also need quantity.

However, if you’re trying to target a really popular term, a head phrase that gets a tonne of searches every day and has insane competition- then you need to outdo everyone on the first page. If they write 1000 words, you write 2000. If they write 2000 you 4000 and so on.

Content comprehensiveness is an important ranking factor and it pays to get it right when targeting competitive terms.

If you're chasing long-tail keywords, there's no reason to blow up the SERPS every time you publish something new. #SEOtalk
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#2- Get Your Basic Metadata Right

Note- What? I hope you didn’t think that a simple SEO checklist can fly without some simple metadata. Simple, but powerful! Read below…

I said “basic” but I didn’t say ” weak”, or “not powerful”. Because that’d be a HUGE lie.

The right mixture of the title tag, headline, and URL, with a dash of well-crafted meta description, goes a long way in signaling Google what your page is about and what they should rank you for. (A plugin tool like RankMath can help guide you along the way.)

a) Meta Title For Your Simple SEO Checklist

Meta title, also called SEO title, is the blue link you see in the SERPS when you perform a search.

It’s the second most important on-page SEO factor (after the content itself) and it pays handsomely to write it well.

Here’s how:

• SEO title must be short– Anything over 60 characters or 600 px will be cut off in the SERPs
• Include your target keyword, and at the beginning if possible– if not, don’t sweat it
• Write to get a click— SEO is important, but user engagement is crucial. Tell them what they’ll gain if they click.

Writing good meta titles is an art, NOT a science. Meaning, you can read and reread those tips until you’re blue in the face, but only by practicing and practicing, and then some more will you get proficient with it.

Here’s the SEO title for this post:

It’s short, to the point, promising, and inviting. And it took me a lot of time to learn to write like that.

Bottom line– don’t feel bad if your SEO titles suck the first few times.

Practice makes perfect.

Pro tip:

Use Portent’s tool to visualize what your meta title will look like. You can also see your URL and meta description.

b) URL for a Simple SEO Checklist

Short and sweet.

Really- that’s the advice.

• Short URLs rank better.
• Plus short URLs give a nice overview of the page.
• And short URLs are easy to read.

There is no reason not to be concise because it’s both SEO and UX-friendly.

c) Meta Description

The meta description is your ad copy, your “why” this page exists, and “why” they need to click it.

To write them well, you have 2 options:

a) Expand the SEO title’s message

You have more room here, so make good use of it by telling something more about:

• the awesome gain of clicking on your listing,
• and the huge loss of not doing it.

Also, this is an easy way to insert your keyword here, as it won’t look like keyword stuffing.

Here’s the meta description for this post:

“A simple SEO checklist- for you. Don’t get bogged down with the fluff. Do what matters the most and move on; with your business AND your rankings”

Let’s break it down real quick:

• A simple SEO checklist– my target keyword
• Don’t get bogged down with the fluff– fear of losing precious time
• Do what matters the most- what they get (most bang for their buck)

See? It works!

(But it takes practice to write like that)

b) Use ad copy- literally speaking

If your keyword is a lucrative one, you can bet there’ll be a tonne of ads above organic listings.

Your job is to scan and pick up pattern words; i.e., those that come over and over.

This copy is valuable because it is usually tested to death. Use the words in your meta desc. and you’ll get more clicks- guaranteed

#3 Heading Tags- Relevancy Booster and More

I’ll talk about two types of headers,

• H1
• All other types

a) H1 (the headline)

This is your post’s true headline and is not visible from the SERP itself. So, they have no impact on CTR.

Does that mean you can be careless about writing them? I mean, once they click- they’re in!

And your job is done.

Well, of course not. But you knew that already, right?

Headlines have a huge impact on bounce rate and pogo-sticking, which are crucial user experience signals. Meaning, when people land on your page, the first thing they’re going to see is your headline. And it has to be compelling enough for them to read on.

Like with SEO titles, writing headlines is an art, but here are some basic tips for you to start learning

• Try not to be clever– people hate to think online
• Be explicit and bodacious– Best headlines tell them what they’ll get if they read on; and what they’ll miss out on if they don’t
• Use a target keyword– It’s natural and people expect to see it, as it’s a clue that they’re on the right page
• Don’t use more than one keyword. You can overdo it and people are not stupid

Headlines have a huge impact on bounce rate and pogo-sticking, which are crucial user experience signals. via @NikolaRoza #SEOtips
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Simple SEO Checklist Protip

Coschedule has a great tool that can help you nail some awesome headlines. Make sure you use it.

• Suggested reading: https://conversionxl.com/blog/5-characteristics-high-converting-headlines/

b) H2-H6 (the subheaders)

According to Content King App, keywords in “smaller” heading tags are still a ranking factor. They help you rank better by boosting your post’s relevancy for the keyword you’re chasing.

From that advice, we gather that we should use a keyword wherever it makes sense.

I said and repeat it “Where it makes sense” Please don’t go and try to stuff keywords where they clearly don’t belong.

Header tags are a very small ranking factor and it is probable that when over-optimized, turn into spam signals for

• your page
• your site
• for your brand.

It’s scary, I know. One little element, so dangerous.

Dwell on it for a moment, then continue reading.

Pro tip- use content tables as further relevancy boosters

Tell me:

When you see a typical table of content, what does it usually consist of? Sub-headers turned into clickable anchors. And that anchor, when clicked transports you to parts of the page you want to read.

Well, isn’t it possible that keywords in subheaders, combined with the same ones in the content table (but turned into internal links); send strong relevancy signals to Google about what your page is about and what keyword cluster it should rank you for?

I think it is possible and I think that is the case with content tables. Of course, the effect is small for sure, but it is also free and completely passive, so it’s worth doing.

In other words, the page because more relevant for those keywords and ranks higher for them.

Please don't go and try to stuff keywords where they clearly don't belong. via @NikolaRoza #SEOtips
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#4 Images SEO Image Hack For Relevancy Boosting

Image SEO is SEO 101- that a shameful number of people completely skip over.

Why is that?

Perhaps they think it doesn’t matter? Do or do not, the ranking s stay the same.

Or maybe their reasoning is “We don’t care about ranking in Google Images, so why should we bother”?

Here’s why- well-optimized images boost your entire page’s SEO! How’s that for a reason?

Ahrefs has a great guide, but in the meantime, read these basic tips so you can start optimizing images right away

• Keyword in image filename– like this: keyword-in-image-file-name
• Keyword in alt tag– “Here are seven on-page factors that matter the most”
• No keyword stuffing– Since folks can’t see image SEO, people tend to stuff crap in there. Don’t. Algo’s are trained to spot and punish that kind of shenanigans.
• Use your main keyword once and in your first image.
  For other images further down the page- use LSI’s (synonyms)
• Describe the image- This is good usability for visually impaired people.

Bonus tip

Images help with your SEO a little bit, but you can boost their effect by boosting relevancy.

How?

Place images next to sub-headers, and make sure that the image alt tags contain the same keywords as the sub-headers.

That’s a double signal to Google that your page is about “your keyword”.

• Suggested reading: http://www.hassaankhan.com/blog/2018/02/12/free-stock-photos/

Note– The guide from above is not about image optimization. I already pointed you to Ahref’s guide for that. Above you will learn how to become independent of cheesy stock photos, and how to take images yourself, without expensive cameras and bullion of pricey equipment you don’t have.

Image SEO is one half of the puzzle; image quality is the other half.

Piece them together!

#5- Internal Linking For SEO

Internal links are a wonderful, underutilized part of on-page SEO. This is something I really like because internal linking is my favorite hack to get an immediate SEO boost.

Here are a few tips that will get you pretty far.

a) Link Relevantly

Links are the most important factor for Google. So saying that they pay attention to them is a huge understatement.

In fact, the Penguin algorithm is designed specifically to hunt bad links.

And link relevancy is a telltale sign of link quality. The link that is thematically relevant to your site- helps you.

The one that is off-topic- hurts you.

And get too many of those- you get a penalty.

Now you’re thinking “That’s the case with backlinks, we’re talking about internal linking here“!

The same rules apply! Relevancy must be maintained.

The only difference is that you won’t be demoted because of internal links, but they will be nullified. Meaning they’ll become sterile and won’t pass PageRank and other link goodies.

And link relevancy is a telltale sign of link quality. The link that is thematically relevant to your site- helps you. #SEOtips
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b) Use Anchor Text

This is common advice but it bears repeating as it is important.

You can use keywords with internal links, yes even exact match anchors are fine. Of course, as always in SEO, there’s a cap as to how far you can take it. You don’t want to end up like Matt Diggity and his ergonomic chair disaster.

Here’s a healthy link anchor distributor you can follow, boost your SEO, AND sleep well at night:

• Target anchor- 50%
• Url- 25%
• Generic- 25%

c) Use Internal Link Co-Occurrences

Google uses words around backlinks to determine the link’s relevancy. Because they don’t want to give weight to a non-relevant link.

Hence, the same applies to words around internal links. The difference is that you control the words you so make them count for you.

[d) Your New Post Craves Authority- Give Them What They Want

Google doesn’t assign Page Rank to new posts and pages right away. In fact, they remain sterile for the first 3 months or so. And that’s one of the reasons why posts take their sweet time to start ranking for stuff.

But the thing is- it’s not their fault!

And you should help them.

And here’s how:

Point relevant internal links to your new post right away.

This post is about “on-page SEO”, so I’ll be combing through Lisa’s site

like this: site:inspiretothirve.com on-page SEO

And voila- several dozens of posts ready to share their link equity with their new infant brother.

Now:

Since I’m a guest here (thanks Lisa, it’s an honor) it’s up to her to link to this post and boost it quite a bit.

But this is the process YOU can apply to your site, and I suggest you do because more internal links = fewer backlinks.

The only drawback of this technique is that it can only be used on the posts you care about the most. Because you also don’t want your post to be littered with links.

Ugly and ineffective.

#6- External linking for SEO simple checklist

Question: Did you know that external links are good for SEO?

a) Put Yourself In The Same Tier As The Big Guys With A Simple SEO Checklist

You want to show Google that you hang out with the squeaky-clean dudes in your niche. The ones where if you joined Panda and Penguin together; and Panda brings his telescope and Penguin brings his microscope, they’d still be able to find absolutely nothing. And their eyes would hurt from so much white hat brightness.

You achieve this by linking out to mega-authority sites. It’s the single easiest way to hint to Google- ” yes, I belong”.

Pro tip

Linking out to influencers is the easiest way to start doing outreach. Everyone loves a pat on the back, for a job well done.

For example, when I wrote this article on infobunny.com I like a bunch of influences (including Lisa). But I didn’t do it willy-nilly. I knew I was going to contact them right after the fact.

Here’s my email to Lisa:

And here’s me contributing to her site.

Is it just because I linked to her once?

No

As per her words, I also

• shared her stuff
• commented on her site
• engaged on Quora
• And I write very well (I say decent- my writing is decent, nothing special)

Bottom line– be helpful, be part of the community, give; and in due time you will receive too.

b) Don’t Link Out To Strangers or “Strange Sites”

• Porn
• Pharma
• Gambling

You know it; we all do. Don’t link to any site you wouldn’t want to show to a family member.

Google takes this seriously, so when you link to the good guys- you get bonus points. When you link to bad guys- you get negative points.

c) Page Rank Is Finite- Your Link Count Should Be Too

Page Rank flows through all links, internal and external. That is true for the old PR model but also for the updated version.

The conclusion is simple- limit the number of links on the page.

When you waste PR on unnecessary links you also weaken your internal links which are supposed to be helping you rank.

Because they pass equity throughout your site and help you rank better, especially your money pages which are typically reviews and don’t get backlinks at all.

What are unnecessary links?

Here are 3 sources of unnecessary links and it’s up to you to decide how it applies to your site

#1- Huge Menus

A menu with dozen of links is often viewed, but its links are rarely clicked on. Those remain unused to your dismay and to the despair of every other page that wants to rank, but can’t because it doesn’t have sufficient Page Rank flowing to it.

Solution– make your menu as simple as possible and see your rankings grow across the board.

#2- Bulky footers

Take a look at this miss:

Does it look “right” to you?

It’s wrong!

Dozens of unnecessary links steal PR from other links that need it more. Don’t have a bulky footer. Make it skinny and reap the rewards of a fit-in-shape website

#3- Bad Practice Linking Out

Bad practice is anything that isn’t specific.

For example, people mention SEO somewhere on the page, so they link to Wikipedia’s page on SEO.

Or they mention links and they link to Brian Dean’s backlink guide.

Those links are a waste of PR and everyone’s time because people reading articles about SEO already know what SEO is. And people reading an article on, for example, building links with images know what backlinks are and don’t need to leave your site to relearn it.

Instead, use focused internal/external linking.

For example:

• if I talk about Twitter marketing- I’d link to Lisa’s article
• if I talk about link building- I’ll link to Sandeep’s article (I recently discovered it, it’s great!)

Good practice linking is just plain good sense.

#7- Increase Your Post’s Share Potential

Your post thrives when it’s seen and read by people. That’s how to grow your business.

While that’s true, you don’t have enough time and energy to promote it all the time.

Plus, it isn’t practical.

So what are you to do?

The answer is to let others share.

And the easiest way is to use click-to-tweet boxes to encourage activity.

Here’s how exactly:

Step 1– install the plugin from your WP dashboard (it’s free).

Step 2– Go into the post’s editor and choose a suitable place for your new tweet.

Then, Step 3– open the shortcode generator and write the witty tweet.

Note– If your post is long, space them out a bit. The point is that when someone wants to share, they can easily do it because the click-to-tweet box is nearby.

That’s it, folks. My simple SEO checklist has run its seven-part course. I guess all that’s left is to conclude the article…

“What, there’s a bonus”?

Oh yeah, now that you mention it…

And the easiest way is to use click-to-tweet boxes to encourage activity. #TwitterTips
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Bonus- TF-IDF- Your Secret Weapon To EXTREME On-Page SEO

What is TF-IDF?

The term stands for Term Frequency- Inverse Document Frequency.

Got it?

No?

Yeah, confusing, I know.

TF-IDF is one of the oldest Google ranking factors and one gaining in prominence ever since Google rolled out its latest big updates.

It’s basically a way for Google to determine how relevant a post is to the query, by comparing it with the rest of the web. The relevant documents will contain (in a higher percentage) words and phrases connected to the query, and not those that are unconnected or miscellaneous.

They determine the relevancy by scanning the entire web of documents, but for your purposes, you want to match the relevancy of the first 10 results.

The words they have- you should too. The word they don’t use anywhere but you do- kick them out, now!

To get results, you need a tool (it’s free).

Introducing Site Auditor by Link-Assistant

First, download and install the tool.

Second, get ready to learn.

TF-IDF is a really powerful ranking factor and nailing it right can help you rank without links. So it’s beyond the scope of this article and I don’t want to waste your time.

Instead, I will direct you to a few helpful resources on the topic

• Matt Diggity’s new TF-IDF guide. Learn what it is and what you can do with it
• Learn to use the free TF-IDF tool- by Link-Assistant.

And a helpful video/demonstration:

I urge you to give TF-IDF a try. Only the name is intimidating. The rest is easy. Plus most people have no idea what it is. You use it and get an easy advantage.

Conclusion- Never Before Has On-Page SEO Ever Seemed So Easy, and so Promisingly Powerful…

Simple SEO checklist- 7+1 easy steps.

Do them! Religiously, stubbornly. But do them, even when you think on-page is the smallest part of the SEO equation do them. That it doesn’t matter anymore.

Do them, and watch your new post go far.

It might not shoot to the first page right away. in fact, it certainly won’t.

But it will be primed, pumped, and ready to be promoted to the first page when the time comes.

And you can hasten it is coming with a bit of page aging (out of your control ); and a dash of smart link building (hint: Lisa has a great guide on her site- read it!)

Here’s the thing:

For the most part, whether you rank number #1 in Google, or not- is YOUR choice.

Now, what are you going to do about it? We would love to know more in the comments below! 

Did you follow the simple SEO checklist?

The post The Essential 7- A Simple SEO Checklist For Higher Rankings appeared first on Inspire To Thrive.

Have you caught onto the Facebook stories trend yet? It’s hard to miss – notifications and comments popping up left and right, friends posting updates throughout the day. With the rise of social media stories and reels, your business might want to jump on the bandwagon too.

Not only will it boost your organic reach, but it’ll also spark some comments and conversations on your page. Let’s get started!

A Facebook Story For Pages Rise To The Top

If you go on Facebook often you will notice the stories features encompassing more and more from your friends and businesses. Social media story usage continues to climb since these disappearing stories started way back in 2011 on Snapchat.

What Are FB Stories?

They appear as an image or video on the top right-hand side of your newsfeed or on top of the app on mobile. These stories generate high visibility on Facebook! Facebook stories are predicted to surpass the newsfeed itself for views. You may have noticed a decrease in your page’s reach.

The blue circle around the person’s profile or page is highlighted as seen below. Then, once you click on it you can view it. Finally, after that, it disappears!

Stories disappear altogether in 24 hours unless saved. Sounds like Snapchat right? Yes. Facebook tried to buy Snapchat for $3 billion but was denied so they created their own version of it instead.

At first, Facebook introduced Instagram stories which were so successful, so they did the same on Facebook itself. People were afraid to miss out, (it’s called FOMA) so they checked out stories before anything else on the social networks.

Video Highlight In Facebook Stories

Facebook is introducing the ability to share a video highlight clip to your story, which could drive views of the primary video. They suggest a highlight from your video, which you can quickly edit or leave as-is before choosing to share.

Why Use Stories For Your Facebook Business Page?

The organic reach of Facebook pages has really been going down for years. Therefore, stories give a business page more visibility without costing anything. (yet) Of course, you can advertise on the stories feature now as well in 2023.

Why Else Are Social Media Stories Hot Now?

FOMO – Fear of Missing Out.  If you know you only have a certain amount of time to see your friend’s activity you would check it out NOW, right? That’s the way stories get attention.

It’s a limited amount of time one can see a photo or video. Brands use it for a behind-the-scenes look at their business or products.

No one wants to miss out today!

No one wants to miss out today! #Facebookstories
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With stories, you do not need many followers, it’s about the engagement you have with them. Others can message you thru the Facebook messenger app. Hence, it makes brands and celebrities authentic as viewers can message them.

You can also do ads in the stories format. You can learn more about Facebook stories ads here.

What Others Are Saying About Using Them for Business

Ryan Biddulph from Blogging From Paradise:

“I use Stories to bond more deeply with friends and followers. Stories provide an intimate aspect to your blog and brand. People seem to resonate with these little snippets from your day.

Plus Stories gain higher visibility, receiving ample exposure.”

Arfa from Shemeansblogging.com

My idea behind using Instagram stories is simple. To make my followers engaged by sharing moments, opinions, and content. I have also noticed that my Instagram stories are more effective than my regular Instagram post.

Followers respond to my polls, ask questions and also relate to my life. It’s because I communicate with them, share behind the scenes, and just be authentic. Not just Instagram stories encourage audience interactions but these stories also help to form a deeper connection with your followers.

Interactive stories on Instagram are quick to drive followers to your inbox and that’s where the conversation happens.

With the decline of Organic Reach for a FB Page at its lowest, I use FB Stories to promote new blog articles mostly. Since I started using this method of publication, I have noticed blog bounce rate drop tremendously because I am reaching a more targeted audience….

— ?Bubbie Gunter? (@GunterBubbie) February 26, 2019

How To Make These Stories

You can make them via your phone’s camera but you can also create them in Canva and upload them as an image on the desktop. There are filters and other things you can do like adding text to them.

Next, you can even tag others in your stories. They are very similar to Instagram but with Facebook stories, you can swipe up or down vs. sideways on Instagram. The stories feature on both social networks allow for a lot of creativity.

Making Stories From Your Facebook Page Desktop

Many social media managers may want to create stories via Canva and use the desktop to create stories. You can do it if you don’t have a business manager account. But, I found a workaround from my mobile device for you if you have a business manager account like me.

If you have a circle with a plus sign (+) like one of my Facebook pages I manage below, you can do it right from the desktop. All you do is hit the blue plus button and you can do a story just like you would a post.

But if you are like me and have this showing on your page, you will need a workaround.

As you can see from the above screenshot, there is no circle or blue plus button to do a story on the desktop.

Instead, you can use your mobile device to do a Facebook story. You could still create your story in Canva and send it to your mobile device via email and then download it.

Then, you must log in to your personal Facebook account on mobile. Next, go to your page where you would see this screenshot. Finally,  click on the blue bar you see below to get to where this screenshot directs you.

Add to your page’s story is where you would upload your Facebook story image.

Furthermore, 1080×1920 is the correct size to make your images for stories. If you are doing stories directly from your camera be sure to take the image or video vertically.  Social media stories are vertical graphics/videos.

New Facebook Page Layouts Make Stories Easier To Post

If your page has gone over the new Facebook page layout as most have in 2023 (but not all) you can post stories in 3 easy steps.

Right from your page, you can click the add button to create a story.

More About A Story

• Your Story Archive is available for you to see and go back to view. If you check your Facebook page insights there is a place to check them for stories too. Furthermore, these insights will tell you how many users opened your story.
• Facebook story videos are 20 seconds in length at most. So be sure to do some short videos for your Facebook stories. Instagram stories are as short as well. Both are vertical formats for videos.
• I’d been telling customers to be sure to shoot horizontal images and videos. Now I must explain stories and why vertical is a new way to share on Facebook and Instagram for stories.
• You can add a link to your Facebook stories now. This a great feature to use if you want people to go to your website or landing page.

Why Instagram Stories Rule Too!

Stories on Instagram are very hot as well. Not to mention, they have been helping folks on Instagram engage more with their audience and create a buzz.

Neena from Almost Practical explains:  “You can use Instagram stories in so many ways – provide timely reminders, share an event, or just give a “behind the scenes” glimpse of real life. As a business, it is nice to keep stories relevant to the interests of your audience. But, because they disappear in 24 hours, you can also use stories to connect on a personal level.”

Timing of Your Instagram Stories

In fact, it is important to remember the time you post to Instagram. It is different than other social networks in that viewers like to look at Instagram in the evening. I love using Agorapulse to schedule my Instagram posts.

Now, you can now share Instagram feed posts to stories. Furthermore, this extends the life and visibility of your Instagram stories. Of course, I would pick and choose which you do this new feature with. If you do them all that way people may stop viewing your stories. They won’t have that fear of missing out anymore!  

Add Your Instagram Stories to Facebook Stories

You can also share your Instagram stories right to your Facebook feed. When you are on the Instagram app it asks if you want to do that all the time or just one post. It’s up to you.

Your Turn on Social Media Stories

Now, did you know what FB stories are, and are you using Facebook stories for your business page? Or, have you used stories on Instagram? I’d love to know more in the comments below about how you use them or if you enjoy viewing them!

The post Facebook Stories Helps Grow Business Page Organic Reach appeared first on Inspire To Thrive.

Using top-notch evergreen content SEO tips from day one is smart. Starting a website is easy but attracting more search engine traffic is not without some top-notch SEO tips.

In fact, creating a website is a long-term commitment. You can’t publish 10 or 20 blog posts and wait for oodles of organic traffic to your sites. It won’t really help.

If you don’t update your blog or website regularly, you won’t be able to build a profitable website. It’s as simple as that.

Top Notch Evergreen Tips

That being said, here are 5 evergreen SEO tips you can use to skyrocket your website’s search engine traffic in 2023 and beyond.

How to Drive Oodles of Organic Traffic to Your Website

#1. Optimizing Old Posts To Bring More Search Traffic

Creating new content is not easy. It takes a lot of time. On average, creating a 2,000-word article takes at least 4 to 6 hours depending upon the topic you write.

Therefore, the smartest thing you can do is to update your old blog posts. Next, optimize them for search engines to attract more visitors from search.

If you’re wondering about how you can optimize your old content that sparks a flurry of comments, brings a ton of social shares, and attracts a lot of search engine visitors to your site, use the following tips.

Find and Insert Relevant Keywords for Evergreen SEO

The best way to bring more search traffic to your old blog posts is to perform keyword research to find highly relevant keywords. Next, insert them within your content.

Improve your headlines, add more images or videos, and make sure to include your newly found keywords properly throughout your content.

You can use an SEO plugin like RankMath to help you with this easily as you write or update old content right in your WordPress dashboard.

Ask yourself these questions while updating your old content

• Are there any words I can take out from my old blog posts? If yes, cut them out ruthlessly.
• Have I provided my customers and target audience with the best information I possibly can? If not, provide more useful information.
• Is it complete and informative? If not, keep working on it.

Do Proper On-Page Optimization

On-page SEO is one of the most important SEO factors when it comes to increasing search traffic to your old content. Here are some of the places where you can insert your primary and secondary keywords.

• Title
• Meta description
• Image alt tags
• Subheadings such as h2 and h3
• Add videos
• Use an FAQ section

#2. Always Analyze and Optimize Your Website Loading Times

Whether you know it or not, page speed is a ranking factor in Google’s mobile-first index. If you want to attract more search traffic to your sites, make your website mobile-friendly.

Spy on your website loading times to improve your website speed and overall performance.

You can use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to find out how fast your website is loading. It also shows you how to fix your website performance-related issues to improve your website speed and loading times.

Finally, be sure your internet speed is super fast too!

Here are some of the ways to speed up your website loading times.

Use a good hosting company: No matter what blogging platform you’re using, make sure to use a reliable, secure, and fastest web hosting environment. Hosting plays a huge role that affecting your website loading times and performance.

Use a CDN: A content delivery network (CDN) is simply a network of distributed edge servers that accelerate your content around the world to provide the fastest loading experience to your website, and visitors, no matter where they are.

Optimize images: Most people ignore optimizing their images. If you’re using too many images without actually compressing their sizes, it creates a burden on your hosting servers and affects your overall page loading times.

You can use tools like Smush.it to easily optimize all your images and improve the website loading times drastically.

#3. Attract Inbound Links from Authority Blogs

Did you know why few websites always get 1st-page rankings on search engines like Google? They attract a ton of backlinks.

Hands down, quality backlinks bring you more search engine traffic. But you can’t simply create a ton of spun articles, buy cheap links from Fiverr, or spam other people’s emails to attract inbound links to your website.

Be Sure to Keep Evergreen SEO Tips in Mind

You need to find the RIGHT ways to build high-quality and authoritative links if you want to improve your website’s backlink profile in this post-Penguin era.

That being said, here are some of the proven ways to attract highly relevant and quality links from authority sites.

Use the Skyscraper technique: The skyscraper technique is the term coined by SEO expert Brian Dean from Backlinko which quickly became one of the favorite link-building strategies for most bloggers and SEOs.

It involves 3 simple steps where you first find top-performing content in your industry, create 10x content around it, and promote it to the right people to create more buzz online.

If you want to get more out of it, you can use this beginner’s guide to skyscraper technique to attract more links to your content.

More Top Notch Evergreen SEO Tips In Mind

Attract links from authority sites using the broken link-building strategy: Broken link-building strategy is nothing new to the world of SEO and it is still one of the most effective strategies to attract links from authority sites in your industry.

You can use tools like Link Assistant, Broken Link Checker, etc to easily find a list of all the broken links of any site and connect with those bloggers to replace them with your own blog links.

A pro evergreen SEO tip is to make sure they are all relevant to their website’s content. – Anil Agarwal

Reach out to blogs that do weekly roundups: There are so many blogs in almost every industry that are creating weekly roundup posts where they usually share the best content with their audience (by linking out to other sites).

So your job is to find out a list of all the relevant blogs in your industry which are doing weekly roundups and connect with those bloggers to get links to your site.

#4. Target Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are the wave of the future. These long-tail keywords are great for two reasons;

• They are easier to rank for
• They send you highly qualified visitors from search engines (people who use long-tail keywords while searching tend to mostly buy online)

However, long-tail keywords usually contain 3 or more keywords.

For example:” “best fitness apps for teenagers” is a 5-word long-tail keyword that is easier to rank for when compared to a short-tail keyword like “fitness apps”.

If you’re wondering about how you can come up with better long-tail keywords to increase your organic traffic, here are a few tips for you.

SEO Tools Are Key For Top-Notch SEO

Get access to the right tools: Instead of using tools like Keyword Planner, you can get access to tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, LSI Graph, etc for finding better long-tail keywords that are highly profitable in your industry.

The problem with most free tools like Keyword Planner is that they won’t give you accurate data such as search volume, related keyword ideas, competitor data, etc. That’s why spending money on tools like SEMrush can be helpful for long-tail keyword research.

Ubersuggest is another incredible tool where you can get access to everything from head terms to long-tail keyword phrases. You’ll get hundreds of suggestions from Ubersuggest’s free keyword tool where you can get all the information like search volume, competition, and even seasonal trends for each keyword you are looking for.

Always pick low-competition keywords: Don’t aim for broad keyword ideas with high search volume. It’s really difficult for you to get first-page rankings and drive an avalanche of search engine traffic to your websites by targeting highly competitive keywords.

As a rule of thumb, pick keywords with a search volume below 1000 monthly searches. Hence, you can rank easily even if you’re a new website. Just make sure to keep an eye on important metrics like CPC, Search Volume, and Search volume in the past 12 months.

Also, competition of the keyword is important if you want to find profitable keywords.

Use Google Autosuggest: Google Suggest is probably one of the easiest ways to find long-tail keywords. It gives you keyword ideas that most of your target audience is typing on Google search.

Quick Evergreen Top Notch SEO Tip

If you want to get more out of long-tail keyword SEO strategy, focus on finding multiple long-tail keywords to target within your content. Instead of focusing on just 2 to 3 highly competitive relevant keywords, come up with dozens of easy-to-rank long-tail keywords.

However,  make sure they are relevant to the context.

#5. Simply Create Better Content for Evergreen SEO

Creating great content is the most effective way to generate leads and organic traffic to your sites. Most B2B companies create blogs just for one thing: to generate quality leads.

Instead of writing and generating the content, make sure to create content that educates your customers and target audience so they’ll listen to you. Once you’ve got their attention, it becomes easier for you to sell your products, service, or anything online.

Optimizing your content for evergreen SEO is very important to be found in search.

Here are a few ways you can create great content that naturally attracts more links, organic traffic, and social shares.

Create powerful headlines: Brian Clark from Copyblogger says “80% of people will read your headlines. But only 20% of those people will read the rest of your content”. If you want to create better content, focus on creating magnetic headlines.

You can use tools like the Portent title generator tool, Hubspot headline analyzer, and so on to come up with click-worthy headlines.

Create actionable content: Don’t create content sharing all the tips and techniques under the sun. Instead, create actionable content where your target audience can implement a few things immediately after reading your content.

Remember that, most people read blogs to get answers and find solutions to their problems.

More Ways to Create Better Content

Learn the art of storytelling: Tell stories while creating content. Stories go viral. You can start your introduction with a story you know. Or share your personal experiences to instantly grab your audience’s attention.

Keep updating your posts: Whether you’re writing product reviews, sponsored pages, landing pages, or any important pages, make sure to tweak them continuously with more updated information. Add images, use better headlines, insert relevant keywords, links, and more.

Hence, these are a must if you want to bring more organic traffic to the most important pages on your website. Updating your content becomes evergreen SEO instead of old content with no SEO value.

Final Thoughts on Top-Notch SEO Tips

SEO is constantly changing. Gone are the days when you can get first-page rankings by keyword stuffing, spinning articles, creating doorway pages, etc. Google is getting smarter each day. Google is introducing a ton of new algorithms to give a better experience to users.

So you need to find and use the RIGHT evergreen SEO  techniques such as creating a long-form of content. And of course, attracting quality backlinks and so on, to increase organic traffic to your sites.

Finally, let me know if you have any more top-notch evergreen SEO tips in your mind to add by leaving a comment below.

The post 5 Evergreen Content SEO Tips: Drive Oodles of Search Traffic appeared first on Inspire To Thrive.

Running a popular social media blogging website is an exciting and potentially lucrative career path. it is one that allows you to reach a wide audience, share your passions, and make a living doing what you love.

With countless platforms and endless possibilities for content creation, starting a career in social media blogging can be both rewarding and challenging.

In this blog post, we’ll explore what you need to know to kick off your career in social media blogging. From choosing the right niche to mastering various platforms and building a loyal following.

Step #1. Choose Your Social Media Blogging Niche Wisely

Selecting the right niche is crucial to your success as a social media blogger. Instead of trying to cover every topic under the sun, focus on a specific area that aligns with your passions and expertise. If you are experienced in trading follow the TBR example and write reviews. You have got the idea – focus on your area of expertise.

When choosing your niche, consider the following factors:

• Passion and expertise: Focusing on subjects you’re enthusiastic about and knowledgeable in enables you to create captivating content more easily.
• Demand: Conduct research to confirm that there’s a demand for your selected niche. Seek out existing blogs, social media communities, and online discussion forums where related topics are being discussed.
• Earning opportunities: Investigate different monetization methods, like affiliate marketing, sponsored content, or selling digital products. This will guarantee that your chosen niche offers the potential for generating income.

By focusing on a specific niche, you’ll be better equipped to create content that speaks to your audience’s needs and interests, ultimately leading to a more successful social media blogging career.

Step #2. Master Various Social Media Platforms

Each social media platform has its unique features, user demographics, and content formats. As a social media blogger, it’s essential to understand the nuances of each platform and tailor your content accordingly.

For example, Instagram is ideal for visual content like photos and short videos, while Twitter is perfect for concise, witty text updates.

Experiment with various platforms to determine which ones best suit your niche and content style. Focus on building a strong presence on two or three platforms that align with your target audience and goals.

This will allow you to effectively engage with your followers and maximize your reach.

Step #3. Create Engaging and Shareable Content

The key to success in social media blogging is creating content that captures your audience’s attention. Therefore encouraging them to share it with their networks.

To achieve this, focus on producing high-quality, engaging content that provides value to your followers.

Consider the following tips for creating shareable content:

• Use eye-catching visuals: High-quality images and graphics can make your content stand out in crowded social media feeds.
• Keep it relevant: Stay up-to-date with current trends and news in your niche to ensure your content remains timely and relevant.
• Be relatable and authentic: Share personal stories and experiences to connect with your audience on a deeper level.
• Encourage interaction: Ask questions, create polls, or host giveaways to encourage your followers to engage with your content.

Step #4. Build A Loyal Following

Growing a loyal following is crucial to your long-term success as a social media blogger. To attract and retain followers, be consistent in posting high-quality content and engaging with your audience.

Respond to comments, answer questions, and show appreciation for your followers’ support.

Additionally, collaborate with other influencers and bloggers in your niche to expand your reach and introduce your content to new audiences. These partnerships can help you gain credibility and increase your visibility in the competitive world of social media blogging.

Step #5. Monetize Your Social Media Blogging Career

Once you’ve established a solid presence on your chosen platforms and built a loyal following, it’s time to explore monetization opportunities. Some popular ways to generate income from your social media blogging career include:

• Affiliate marketing: Promote products or services related to your niche and earn a commission for each sale or lead generated through your unique affiliate link.
• Sponsored content: Partner with brands to create sponsored posts, stories, or videos showcasing their products or services in exchange for payment.
• Selling digital products: Create e-books, online courses, or other digital products related to your niche. Then sell them directly to your followers.
• Offering consulting or coaching services: Share your expertise and provide personalized advice or coaching to your audience for a fee.

Wrapping Up

Starting a career in social media blogging can be a rewarding and fulfilling journey. And remember, perseverance and dedication are key. With hard work and passion, you can turn your social media blogging dreams into reality.

However, It took me over a decade to get rolling here on Inspire To Thrive. One piece of advice I would highly recommend is to learn SEO.

It will help you rank better quicker from the get-go. Furthermore, it will have long-lasting effects on your popular social media blogging efforts.

Your Turn

Have you started a popular social media blogging career? I’d love to hear your story in the comments below.

The post Popular Social Media Blogging: How To Start A Career In It appeared first on Inspire To Thrive.

We all know how popular social media content is these days.  Every day, millions of people are creating and sharing content on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms. For some people, social media has become a great way to make money. If you’re looking for a quick way to make some extra cash on the side, then simple video editing is an excellent option for you to make money on YouTube. 

Video editing, in its simplest form, arranges, cuts, and refines raw footage to create a polished and engaging final product. Other video editing techniques include color correcting, adding special effects and transitions, integrating music, enhancing audio, creating animations, etc.

Even though you need some video editing skills to perform on YouTube, sometimes you don’t have to be an expert. You can even make $100 per day on YouTube without making any videos at all. 

With the increasing demand for quality content, video editors have a unique opportunity to capitalize on their skills and generate income.  This article aims to guide aspiring video editors on how to make money editing videos for YouTube. As well as provide valuable insights into the industry.

How Much Does A Video Editor Make?

The earnings of a video editor can vary greatly depending on factors such as experience, location, the type of project, and the client’s budget. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for professional video editors in May 2021 was around $50,000. Freelance video editors make a larger sum of $75000 on average.

On YouTube, the income is typically derived from three primary sources: advertising revenue, sponsored content deals, and affiliate marketing. The amount of money depends on various factors, including channel size, audience engagement, and the number of views per video.

It’s worth noting that some successful video editors have managed to generate six-figure incomes from YouTube alone, while others may only earn a modest income.

However, by diversifying their income streams and leveraging their skills in different ways, video editors can optimize their earning potential.

4 Ways How to Make Money On YouTube With Video Editing

There are several ways in which video editors can make money on YouTube. Some of the most popular methods include:

1. Create Your Own YouTube channel

The most direct way to make money on YouTube through video editing is by creating your own channel. You can upload videos that you’ve edited and monetize them with ads. This is a great way to build an audience and get your name out there.

The drawback of this method is that competition is fierce and you’ll need to create content that stands out from the rest. You’ll also have to generate a significant number of views before you can make any money.

2. How To Make Money On YouTube Fast By Creating Video Content For Other YouTubers

You can offer your services to other YouTubers who need help with their content but don’t have the time or skills to edit it themselves. This is kind of like working on a freelance marketplace as you’ll get paid to edit videos, so you’ll have to negotiate a rate with the client and then deliver the finished project.

You could also approach a few YouTube channels with the same type of content and offer them a package deal. This way, you can work out a rate for editing multiple videos and then have a steady stream of income. It is a great way to make money on YouTube fast.

3. Utilize YouTube Partnership

YouTube allows content creators to monetize their videos through the YouTube Partner Program, which enables ads to be displayed within or alongside their videos. 

To become a YouTube partner, you’ll need to have at least 1000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time over the past year before you can apply. As an official YouTube partner, you’ll earn money for every 1000 views and get 55% of the revenue from ads.

4. Connect Sponsors

As the channel grows and gains a loyal following, you may get offers from companies looking to collaborate. This can involve producing a video that features a specific product or service and earning a commission for each sale generated through their unique affiliate links. 

This is a great way to make money on YouTube, as it’s relatively low-effort, and with the right audience, it can be quite lucrative.

Tips On How To Make Money On YouTube: Video Editing

To maximize their earnings on YouTube and beyond, follow these tips:

Master the Basics

Before diving into the world of video editing, it’s essential to develop a strong foundation in the basics, such as understanding different video formats, working with various video editing software, and learning basic editing techniques.

By mastering the fundamentals, video editors can ensure they have the skills necessary to produce high-quality content that attracts viewers and generates income.

Develop A Unique Style

With millions of videos uploaded to YouTube every day, it’s crucial to develop a unique style that sets you apart from the competition.

Experiment with different editing techniques, incorporating unique visual elements, or develop a distinctive storytelling approach. 

How To Make Money On YouTube By Networking and Collaborating

Building relationships with other content creators and industry professionals can provide valuable opportunities to grow the audience, gain new clients, and learn from others in their field.

This can involve attending industry events, engaging with other creators on social media, and collaborating on joint projects.

Invest In Your Equipment

While it’s possible to edit videos using basic equipment, investing in quality tools can significantly improve your work and help stand out from the competition.

Purchase a high-quality camera, microphone, and video editor with no watermark (as watermarks make your video look unprofessional), as well as invest in ongoing education and training.

Diversify Your Income Streams

As mentioned earlier, you can diversify your income streams and leverage your skills in different ways. Pursue freelance projects, offer video editing services to businesses, or explore other platforms such as Patreon or Twitch. Use them to generate additional revenue and promote your YouTube channel.

Take advantage of different content creation tools and platforms to maximize your productivity, follow trends, get new ideas, and find new ways to increase income.

In Conclusion: How To Make Money On YouTube

There are numerous opportunities how to make money editing videos on YouTube and beyond. Remember that nothing comes easy and it will take plenty of hard work, dedication, and creative thinking to make your channel a success. 

To maximize your chances, keep these tips in mind, and don’t be afraid to experiment, take risks, and explore new techniques.

Have you made money on YouTube? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below and inspire others to make money on YouTube as well.

The post How To Make Money On YouTube With Simple Video Editing appeared first on Inspire To Thrive.

When it comes to WordPress SEO plugins, there’s no shortage of options – The question remains Rank Math vs. Yoast. These are two of the most popular SEO plugins today. Both Yoast and Rank Math SEO plugins offer powerful features and comprehensive solutions for optimizing your website for search engines. But how do you know which one is right for you?

Read on to learn the differences between these two popular WordPress SEO plugins so you can decide which one you want to use in this quick review of the tools.

Rank Math vs. Yoast SEO Plugins

Yoast

Yoast is a comprehensive plugin that offers extensive features for optimizing your content for search engines. It also has a built-in tool for creating XML sitemaps—a type of file that helps search engines index your content—which makes it easy to keep track of all your pages and posts on your site.

Additionally, Yoast provides helpful feedback about how well-optimized each page or post is so you can easily spot potential issues before they become problems.

Rank Math

Rank Math is an alternative to Yoast that came around in 2018. It takes a more stripped-down approach to SEO than Yoast does; however, this doesn’t mean it lacks in features. Like Yoast, Rank Math includes keyword optimization tools as well as sitemap generation capabilities.

What sets Rank Math apart from its competitors is its focus on helping users understand their data by providing detailed analytics insights into their SEO performance and traffic sources. This makes it easier to spot opportunities for improvement.

It helps you to make informed decisions about changes you might need to make in order to increase rankings or visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs).

Pricing and Features of Rank Math vs. Yoast

The biggest difference between Yoast vs. Rank Math is in their pricing models. Yoast offers a premium version that costs $89/year; however, it also has a free version with limited features.

Rank Math, on the other hand, is completely free and offers a robust suite of features with no upcharge. This makes it an attractive option for those on a budget or just getting started with SEO who don’t want to pay for an upgrade.

Ease Of Use & Setup

Both plugins have relatively simple setup processes, but Yoast may be slightly more intuitive and user-friendly than Rank Math.

That said, some users may find the feature-rich nature of Rank Math overwhelming at first glance—but its comprehensive dashboard makes navigation easier once you get familiar with it.

SEO Functionality Rank Math vs. Yoast

In terms of functionality, both plugins include basic SEO features like keyword optimization, sitemap creation, meta-tag editing, canonical URL support, redirect management, and more.

However, Yoast has a few additional tools such as internal linking suggestions and bulk editor that can help optimize your content even further.

So if you need more advanced SEO tools that are easy to use then Yoast might be the better choice here.

Support From Both Rank Math and Yoast SEO Plugins

I’ve found that Rank Math responds more quickly to questions via email than Yoast. And with Yoast, you have to log in to ask questions and then it goes to an email format.

You will need the premium versions in order to get support from these WordPress plugins.

What Comes Free With Rank Math?

• Unlimited Usage
• Seo Titles
• SEO descriptions
• XML Sitemap
• Keyword suggestions and analysis
• Internal link suggestions
• Advanced redirections
• SEO breadcrumbs
• Post previews

What Comes Free vs. Paid with Yoast?

• Only 1 keyword suggestion focus per post
• SEO breadcrumbs
• Post previews
• Image SEO that guides you on the right size etc. of image.
• Readability analysis – tells you if paragraphs are too long. Lets you know if you use too much passive voice in your post, etc.
• Snippet preview
• Social media embeds up to 8 on your site
• XML Sitemap

Rank Math Plugin SEO Conflict

As with any plugin, there may be some conflict with other plugs when you install Rank Math or Yoast into your WordPress dashboard. Always check for this. You can always deactivate the plugin and see if any errors go away.

Another way is to deactivate all your plugins and start with the SEO plugin and activate the others one by one to find which one may be the culprit. You may want to change to another type of plugin so you can use your favorite SEO plugin.

Wrapping Up

Both Yoast and Rank Math are excellent options when it comes to WordPress SEO plugins – each offering its own unique set of features and benefits depending on your needs.

While both are great choices in terms of quality and performance, ultimately it comes down to personal preference as well as budget constraints when deciding which plugin works best for you.

So make sure to weigh all your options carefully before making a decision.

Your Choice Rank Math or Yoast SEO

When it comes to choosing the right WordPress SEO plugin for your blog or website, it really comes down to personal preference and what kind of experience level you have with optimizing websites for search engine visibility (SEO).

If you are just getting started then Yoast might be the better choice because it offers more beginner-friendly features while still giving experienced users enough options to customize their site’s optimization strategy.

However, if you want more advanced control over how you optimize your site then Rank Math might be the better choice due to its granular control capabilities and lack of bloatware options found in some other plugins like Yoast.

In either case, both plugins offer powerful tools that can help increase your visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) I’d love to hear from you which SEO plugin you prefer and why in the comments below.

The post Rank Math Vs. Yoast: Which WordPress SEO Plugin is Best? appeared first on Inspire To Thrive.

When you integrate a solid referral program it is a very cost-effective approach to generating more quality leads.  You will also want to be sure to use modern strategies for customer retention strategies for small businesses.

It’s always easier and cheaper to maintain your current customer than to generate a new one. It can cost 5x to 25x higher to retain new customers according to the Harvard Business Review.

What is customer retention?

Customer retention refers to a company’s ability to turn customers into repeat buyers and prevent them from switching to a competitor.

Connecting With Your Customers as Top Strategies for Customer Retention

Email Campaigns With Promotional Offers

We have to remember that our customers have already invested in us. Incorporating promotional offers such as a customer loyalty digital program or discount codes is an easy way to invest in your customers.

The key is not about giving them offer after offer, but you need to make your customers feel like this is an exclusive offer tailored to their needs. There will be times you can gain an insight into your customers through their buying habits and their demographics.

Understanding the handful of different customers that purchase from you means you can tailor unique promotional offers that appeal to them on a one-to-one level. 

A Customer Referral Program

Customer referrals work in two ways. Rewarding your current customers can be incredibly valuable than many other types of marketing, but it also helps to encourage new leads.

When you integrate a solid referral program it is a very cost-effective approach to generating more quality leads. 

Connecting With Your Customers via Social Media

Social media is one of the best approaches to communicating with your customers but it is also a fantastic method to share new products and create a culture that facilitates conversations between your followers and between the business and the consumer.

For example by asking questions and getting answers from them through the use of hashtags or grepping for keywords on Facebook pages. This not only creates a more personal experience but also helps you engage your community which can lead to conversations about products they may be interested in buying!

The conversation is so important because this highlights the business actually reaching out to customers.

These days, it’s easier than ever because you can incorporate hashtags and very simply start asking questions. However, by using a great social media listening tool you can find out what others are saying about your brand or yourself on multiple social media networks or on blogs or news websites.

SMS Marketing as Another Strategy

While this is a seldom-used practice, text messages have high open rates. However, it’s important to show yourself as a trustworthy source. Because of fraud, people are less inclined to click on links.

But have a solid text messaging strategy where you can send messages and encourage customers to come to your website by their own means. Either promotional codes or highlighting a sale that’s due to expire can increase the customer retention level.

This is another part of strategies for customer retention in 2023.

Modern Strategies for Customer Retention – Optimizing Your Digital Marketing

Every marketing channel needs to be optimized accordingly to reach the right audience. These will cover a number of different components such as:

• Campaigns being mobile-friendly.
• Post promotions at the right time for your customers.
• Creating engaging content through video or written word that covers the right keywords.

These little modern components will make a big difference to how you promote yourself and who you engage with, as well as the retention levels.

Retention Strategies for Customers – Offer Added Value

Another great way to retain your current base is to offer added value. By creating something in addition to what you offer, give them something on top of it for FREE.  (Make it so it doesn’t cost you much in time or money, but adds value at the same time!) 

Even if it is something small, they will appreciate the added value. This can be anything from an email newsletter to a free webinar or an informative white paper. Or, how about sending out a Facebook post every Friday with interesting things going viral throughout social media related to their business?

If you sell actual products vs services you may want to send out a FREE sample to your current customer base. Everyone loves something for free.

Surprise and Delight Your Customers

If you want to retain your customer base, it is important that they feel valued. One way of doing this would be surprising them with a thank-you note or small gift.

People love being surprised and sending something special can really make an impression on their behalf! People love being surprised and sending something a little special can do just that.

According to Psychology Today:

By doing something that needs doing and that the loved one may not have the time, resources, or skills to do, a surprise not only gets the task done but can bring the added relief of taking it off the to-do list. Unfinished business is a huge energy drain.

Respond Quickly To Clients

Another great retention strategy for customers is to respond quickly. In this modern world, we can respond via text messages within seconds, on social media, or via email within minutes.

Do not wait over 24 hours to respond to a client. The sooner you can respond, the better. People love to get answers fast today! (The average response time is 12 hours and 2 minutes today from businesses.)

However, if you can beat 12 hours, that’s a plus for your small business.

The Conclusion of Strategies for Customer Retention for Your Small Business

Customer retention will always have a significant impact on your marketing, and the right strategies will help you to create an efficient and amazing solution. When you aim to improve your marketing, there’s a lot to choose from.

The importance of strategies for customer retention cannot be overstated. With every new client, you are creating opportunities for growth and success in your company’s future; but if they go away after just one visit – well then it would seem like all those hours spent on marketing were wasted!

But having a customer that actually comes back to your business will not just bolster your relationship with them, but the right customer will always sing your praises.

Your Turn

What are your strategies for customer retention or your blog reader retention? I’d love to know what’s working or not for you in the comments.

The post Modern Strategies for Customer Retention for a Better Business appeared first on Inspire To Thrive.

If you’re a small business owner, it’s hard to imagine not having a social media profile. But quite often these profiles don’t bring in enough quality conversions. This is often due to the fact that small business owners don’t take the time to look at their profiles and don’t get into the topic of setting up their business accounts to meet the needs of their product or service. That’s why we are going to discuss social media marketing best practices and pitfalls to avoid here today.

I’ve included a video below to help you create content quickly with Canva for your social media marketing.

In fact, it is quite easy to make a profit using advertising campaigns on social networks. It’s worth taking a comprehensive approach to the task and then you can really create a circle of loyal audience and increase brand sales.

Social Media Marketing Best Practices for Small Businesses

There are a number of obvious benefits that can’t be overlooked if you use social media to promote your small business.

We want to focus on a few points that seem important for us to understand and use to get conversions and sales.

1. Expansion of the Audience

It can certainly be argued that social media allows small businesses to gain a large audience that uses it daily.

Reaching that many people who can potentially see your profile offline is simply not possible.

2. Direct Brand Promotion

Social media provides a powerful tool to strengthen your brand in the marketplace. Using social media platforms to spread the word about your product helps you literally build trust with your users.

It also builds the loyalty of your existing audience.

3. Direct Interaction with Customers

Social media was created to facilitate communication between people. Direct interaction with the customer allows a business to respond to comments.

It also promptly solves all problems by providing support for its customers.

4. The Ability to Create Targeted Advertising for Your Target Audience

As social media platforms allow you to use information about user preferences, creating an effective advertising campaign that will be interesting and relevant becomes more affordable.

This also allows you to optimize costs while maximizing conversions.

5. Possibility of Partnership

Working with influencers in social networks allows brands to expand their audience and their involvement.

This work allows us to develop the account and receive direct sales using only it. You should just try it today.

6. Competitor Research

Businesses can easily analyze the activity of competitors and users on their pages, so you can make more informed and competitive decisions on the development of your product.

Pitfalls for Small Businesses with Social Media Marketing Best Practices

Despite the undeniable pluses, like any opportunity social networking brings with it negative aspects of use.

However, many users do not consider them negative but simply try to pay attention to the possible problems that may arise immediately or are just willing to take a little risk for the sake of a positive result in sales conversion.

We can not talk about the disadvantages that may overtake the business owner when running accounts, so we have identified several of the most significant problems in our opinion when working with social networks.

1. Problems with Return on Investment

Measuring the effectiveness of social media for a small business can be quite difficult to determine the amount of a specific return on investment often becomes difficult, especially for beginners.

2. A Large Amount of Time is Spent

In order to work with accounts on social media platforms, a significant amount of time and resources must be spent. Small businesses can face the problem of overload and lack of human resources when trying to work effectively with a brand profile.

Of course, it is possible to buy a social media template and replace some of the features of a professional team with similar services or special applications that help users work with social media.

But often start-up businesses neglect this opportunity and become hostage to the time trap they fall into.

3. Dependence on Updates of Social Media Platforms

Here we are talking about constantly changing and improving social media platforms, which have a direct impact on the formation of coverage and visibility of the business (content).

Also, it is necessary to consider that each update pulls with it your work with adaptation so as not to lose the efficiency of the use of social media platforms.

4. The Risk of Public Conflicts

Often the problem is the inability of a small business to respond to criticism or the wrong way out of awkward situations. Improper interaction with social media can damage the reputation of the brand.

Therefore, it is always worth paying attention to negative comments, and working with customers is a prerequisite when using social media.

At the same time, you need to remember that you can work with any shortcomings, and for each negative side, there is an option how to turn it into a positive one and make your experience of using social networks as comfortable as possible for you and promoting your business.

Social Media Marketing Best Practices For Small Business To Grow

Of course, it’s hard to deny the prospects of using social media for small businesses, and they are quite significant and promising. If you want your audience to continue to grow and you’re ready to attract it, social media platforms can help you maximize the quality of this work and give your business the opportunity for continuous growth.

Also, the biggest bonus of using social media is the opportunity to improve and talk to your customers directly. You will also be able to monitor the metrics of your advertising campaigns and understand how active your customers are in responding to them.

Furthermore, an undeniable and very important opportunity is your brand awareness and reputation. Your small business with the help of social media can become widely known and expand its boundaries of influence accordingly.

Summary of Social Media Marketing Best Practices

To summarize, working with social media for small businesses is definitely worth trying out. Because the opportunities it opens up are much bigger than the problems you potentially have to solve on the way to establishing your brand.

I’d love to hear how your social media marketing has worked out for your small business. Please drop a comment below.

The post Social Media Marketing Best Practices and Pitfalls to Avoid appeared first on Inspire To Thrive.

As a video creator, one of the most important things to consider outside of creating quality content is monetization. With sites like YouTube leading the way in online video, there are other platforms such as Rumble that offer similar features, but do they pay their creators in the same way? In this blog post, we will explore the ins and outs of how Rumble pays content creators vs. how YouTube does.

How Does Rumble Pay Video Creators?

To begin with, Rumble is a video platform that allows creators to upload and monetize their videos. The platform is home to a wide variety of video content, including breaking news clips, funny pet videos, and informative how-to guides.

Licensing Model of Rumble

Unlike YouTube, Rumble operates on a licensing model where videos are sold to media outlets and publishers around the world.

Once a video is licensed, Rumble pays its creators a percentage of the revenue earned from the sale.

Revenue Share Between Rumble and YouTube

Another key difference between the two platforms is the revenue share model. YouTube operates on a 55/45 split where creators keep 55% of all ad revenue generated by their videos, while YouTube retains 45%.

On the other hand, Rumble operates on a 60/40 split where creators keep 60% of any licensing deal, while Rumble retains 40%.

While it may seem like a small difference, it can add up over time, especially for creators with a significant following.

Creator Partner Programs

One feature that is similar between the two platforms is the ability to earn money through their respective partner programs. YouTube’s partner program allows creators to monetize their videos through ads, sponsorships, and merchandise sales.

Rumble’s partner program offers similar options, including branded content deals and advertising revenue.

Lisa, Inspire To Thrive

However, to be eligible for the partner program, creators must have at least one video licensed by Rumble and meet other specific requirements.

Minimum Payment Threshold For Rumble Creators

Another factor to consider in how Rumble pays creators is the minimum payout threshold. On YouTube, creators can receive a payout once they have reached a threshold of $100.

Rumble has a slightly higher threshold at $50, but they offer multiple payment options, including PayPal, bank transfers, and wire transfers.

Extra Incentive for Content Creators On Rumble

Lastly, Rumble offers an added incentive for creators who produce viral videos. Through their creator program, creators can earn additional revenue if their video reaches a certain number of views within a set timeframe.

The program offers a bonus payment on top of the standard revenue share, and creators can earn anywhere from $1,000 to $100,000 depending on how successful their video is.

Rumble Rants Pays Creators Too

Rumble Rants allow fans to tip their favorite creators during live streams. See the video below to see how it works.

Why Numbers Make A Difference

To start earning money from YouTube, a video creator must be a member of the YouTube Partner Program. To apply to make money YouTubers must have at least 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months, or 10 million valid public shorts views in the last 90 days.

However, with Rumble, you do not need a certain amount of followers. But getting more views and people watching your videos will help you to generate more money from the alternative social video network.

Conclusion: How Does Rumble Pay Content Creators vs. YouTube?

In conclusion, while Rumble may operate differently than YouTube in terms of monetization, it does offer creators similar opportunities to earn money.

From licensing deals to the Rumble partner program and creator program, Rumble provides creators with a way to monetize their video content and potentially earn a significant income.

For creators looking to diversify their revenue streams and reach a wider audience, Rumble is definitely worth considering.

Have you started posting videos or podcasts to Rumble? Sign up today for a free account on the video network.

FAQs

The post How Does Rumble Pay Creators Compared To YouTube? appeared first on Inspire To Thrive.

Learning how to self-promote yourself today is essential for being in business and staying in business.

Every time I meet with a new client one of the first things I hear is that “I am not good at promoting myself.” or “I do not know how to promote myself.”

Then, after we talk about it I also learn they do not like seeing their own photos, or videos or hearing the sound of their own voice. After all, you may not want to end up with an egg on your face while promoting yourself!

Now, does this sound familiar to you? It sure does to me!

How To Self Promot Yourself  – One Step At A Time

The key to self-promoting yourself is to become more comfortable and confident in what you do. If you are not confident in what you can offer others, how you can promote yourself?

One way to self-promote yourself is to make yourself THE business. If you are the business you are promoting the business vs. yourself. You put personality into the business. 

People do love working with other people and not the business per se. So if you put your personality into the business it will help you to feel better about promoting it. Hence, it will give your business a personality that others will love.

What Is Your Personal Brand That You Need To Promote?

Whether your name is your business or not, you will need to promote yourself personally. Think about Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, or Warren Buffet. They all own a big brand but you also know their names and who they are.

It’s the image people see of you. A personal brand is the unique combination of skills, experience, and personality that you want the world to see you.

Personal branding is the telling of your own story, and how it reflects your conduct, behavior, spoken and unspoken words, and attitudes.

Therefore, if you promote yourself you get to tell your own story and not have others tell it for you. Hence, it’s imperative you get it right!

Personal branding is the telling of your own story, and how it reflects your conduct, behavior, spoken and unspoken words, and attitudes.
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How To Promote Yourself Today In A Digital World

Today you will need to have a professional photo of yourself to show the world you care. Image is important. If you have an unprofessional photo it will show through in your brand.

Tell your story through social media posts, videos, and blogs. Share who you are, what you do, and why you do it. People will feel like they know you. And once they know you, they will do business with you!

Last week I met with a client who told me “I feel like I know you from Instagram.” She actually contacted me right on Instagram to set up our appointment.

Let Go of Your Ego To Learn How To Self Promote Yourself

I’m a regular reader/viewer of Katie Lance and she says it best when she says “Don’t worry about how you look or sound, most people don’t like how they look or sound so get over yourself!”

I agree with her to just do it. The more you do it the better you will become at doing videos or having your picture taken.

If you wait for the perfect moment to make a video or shoot a photograph it will never come. Days will go by and turn into weeks and weeks will turn into months. – Lisa, Inspire To Thrive

Share Your Stories – Mistakes and Successes

Sharing your own stories of how you made mistakes and what you did to overcome them may help others. They will see you as a resource, a mentor, or a person to follow and learn more.

If you are going to give advice be sure you are taking it too! Don’t do as I say but not as I act. Leading by example will set your personal branding up for success.

Blogging superstar Ryan Biddulph does this well – he tells a story in almost every piece he writes. He has no problem telling you about his mistakes so you can learn from him. Ryan also is out there promoting himself day and night. He really does know how to self-promote himself, right?

Sometimes, this may make you go outside of your comfort zone. It will help you to grow as you are helping others.

How To Self-Promote Yourself – Don’t Be Boastful All the Time

At times you will have to toot your own horn but don’t go overboard here. People will get tired of seeing you boast about yourself day after day. If you do, they will probably stop following or engaging with you. You may end up with egg on your face

But on the other hand, you can’t wait for someone else to toot your own horn when you have earned the right to. Just don’t go overboard and say LOOK at ME, LOOK at ME!

Hence, this is where the 80/20 rule comes into play. Be sure not to talk about yourself more than 20% of the time on social media posts. 80% should be about YOUR audience.

In other words, Make it all about them!

If You Are Still Shy Hire Out for Promoting Your Business

If this all sounds too hard for you still, you can always hire an expert to help promote you. Sometimes it is best to have someone that can be a soundboard and watch out for you along the way.

Oftentimes, hiring out can save you a lot of time to do what you do best in your business. You will have to weigh the pros and cons. Just remember, time is money!

Be Sure to Monitor Your Brand

Lastly, be sure to monitor your brand along the way. Do listen to what others are saying about you and your brand online. As a matter of fact, Google alerts are no longer enough!

You need a brand monitoring tool like Brand24 to monitor various social media networks and blogs. Google alerts only cover news-type sites. Now, you can sign up for FREE below for a 14-day FREE trial on Brand24.

Do you have tips on how to self-promote yourself today? Of course, I’d love to know more tips and tricks in the comments below.

I’d also love to know if you find it hard to promote yourself too.

The post How To Self Promote Yourself Without Getting Egg On Face appeared first on Inspire To Thrive.

Have you ever wondered how to find a phone with a find location by phone number? Maybe you misplaced your phone or had it stolen, leaving you wondering where it might be. You then googled “How to find my device location by phone number.”

Or maybe you have received a call from an unknown number and are curious to know its origin. Or you are worried about your child’s whereabouts.

Either way, the good news is that you can find the location of a phone number with ease using various online tools.

In this blog post, we will provide you with a comprehensive guide on how to find a location by phone number.

If you work in social media or own a business you know how important this can be if your phone is lost or stolen.

What Is Mobile Device Location?

Your mobile device must have location enabled for it to work. It allows your phone to estimate its location from satellite signals, such as a GPS device.

Use The Scannero Tool To Find A Location by Phone Number

The Scannero tool is an online tool that can help you locate a device with an active SIM card and internet connection. All you need is the phone number and access to the Internet.

Simply enter the number on the Scannero website, and the app will quickly identify the location of the device. This tool is particularly useful for finding a lost or stolen phone.

Use Google Maps

Google Maps is also an excellent tool for locating a phone number. Enter the number into the search bar, and Google Maps will pinpoint the location on the map. Most mobile devices come with the geo-targeting app.

However, this method only works if the number is associated with a business listing or public service.

Try TrueCaller

Truecaller is a popular app that allows users to identify callers and block spam calls. In addition, you can also use the app to find the location of a phone number.

The app has a map feature that displays the location of the caller. However, you need to be careful when using Truecaller, as it collects data from users’ phonebooks.

Use Social Media To Find Phone Location

Social media platforms like Facebook can also help you locate a phone number. Facebook has a search bar where you can enter the phone number and effectively track the profile of the person or business associated with that number.

However, this method is only helpful if the owner of the phone number has included it in their Facebook profile or business page.

Contact Your Phone Carrier

Finally, you can also check with your carrier to locate a phone number.

Most carriers have a GPS tracking feature that can locate a phone number. However, it would help if you had a legitimate reason for the search, and there may be fees associated with this service.

Use IFTTT Applets To Find Location By Phone Number

IFTTT is a web automation service for apps. You can use two applets as they are called for free, otherwise, you can subscribe to their premium services for $5.00 per month.

For Example, you can text your lost Android phone to turn the ringer volume up 100%. Another applet is: Send LOST in a sms to your phone to set the ringtone volume at 100% after that you can call your phone from a relative or friends phone to try to find it.

You can also do a search to find other types of productivity applets on their website.

Ways To Safeguard Your Phone If Lost

However, if you lose your phone, you might feel helpless and worried about all your personal information falling into the wrong hands. But fret not, there are ways to safeguard your device if it is lost.

• The first step is to ensure that you have enabled the ‘find my phone location’ feature. This helps you track your phone’s location remotely and can even ring the phone loudly, making it easier to locate.

• Additionally, you can also set a passcode or pattern lock to secure your phone’s data. Taking these steps will ensure that your phone remains safe even if it falls into the wrong hands.

• Be sure to use 2-step authorization on any sites or apps you use on your mobile device for extra security.

In Conclusion: How To Find My Device Location By Phone Number

Finding the location of a phone number has never been easier thanks to technology. The methods listed in this blog post give a wide range of options to select your preferred method. Always remember to only use these methods when you have a justifiable reason and never violate anyone’s privacy.

With the right tools, you can easily find a phone number’s location.

Have you ever lost your mobile device? I’d love to hear if you were able to recover it or not.

*Make sure you are legally allowed to use any spy tools on mobile devices as these can be an invasion of privacy. But in most cases, parents do not need permission from their kids to track them.

FAQS

The post How To Find Location By Phone Number: A Complete Guide appeared first on Inspire To Thrive.

Are you looking for Twitter marketing tips for small businesses you can use today? Although you may have heard of some of these Twitter marketing tips before, some of these best Twitter marketing tips may be new to you. Twitter is a great marketing tool if used right.

This social network is probably the fastest-paced social network out there. Your tweets will not last long so you can post more often here than on any other network.

Top 20 Twitter Marketing Tips

Often many people and businesses get on Twitter to tweet their own stuff. Hence, they look like billboards with ads each day in the Twitter feed. That is called push marketing. Nonetheless, It is not effective on Twitter or any social network for that matter.

For this reason, Twitter is not about tweeting your own marketing messages. Twitter marketing is much more than that.

It’s connecting with others and introducing yourself to new customers every day. Uniquely Twitter is about making connections and showing your value to others on the network. – Lisa, Inspire To Thrive

Remember too, Twitter is not like Facebook and the tactics used on one may not work on the other.

Why Twitter Marketing Tips Today?

Recently Twitter made many changes to its network. You can no longer schedule out tweets like you could in the past with API connections changed with scheduler tools. There were many services you could use to gain followers and generate RTs.

These are quickly fading away with the high cost of the Twitter API since Elon Musk took over the network.

Today being active on Twitter will take more time and businesses will have to get more clever in their Twitter marketing.

Twitter Marketing – Your Customers

You can learn more about your customers via Twitter. See what they are tweeting about and learn how they are thinking. Therefore you can learn what interests them.

You can then tweet about the things that your customers CARE about. They will want to connect with you and follow you. They will become your Twitter fans.

Responding to Tweets Professionally

Be sure to respond to any customer requests. If they are sending really offensive tweets try to respond very professionally and/or try to take it to direct messages or via email if necessary.

Ignoring such tweets will not make them go away. Fast response is key on the Twitter network.

Check Out These First 5 Twitter Marketing Tips!

• Help others with their problems by using the hashtag for their industry term. This will generate more interest in the tweet as others will be able to search via the hashtag.
• Share tips related to your industry. Not just from your own blog or website, but from others too. Remember, sharing is caring. It’s about showing you know what’s what in your industry.
• Also share photos from conferences, travel, products, and other interesting finds from your business. People love photos. It can show more about you in a visual manner.
• Additionally, provide selected highlights from events and conferences you may attend. This shows you are always keeping up with the latest and greatest things in your industry.
• As well as report industry, company, world, and other news that is related to your business. Your followers may not read the same news as you do. It makes you appear as an authority on social media. Feel free to use tweetstorms to have an informational type of post for sharing.

More Twitter Marketing Tips For Small Businesses

• Link to articles and content posted elsewhere and include a summary prior to the link of why you are recommending it. Explaining why is a great way for others to understand your thinking process and with a 280-character count, it is easier now than ever before.
• Likewise post original thoughts on your topic, industry, and business. This shows you can think for yourself and you are human.
• Equally important is to join industry and topic Twitter lists related to your own business. These lists are so important to make Twitter easier and more relevant for many users.
• Feed your tweets into other social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn but use sparingly. No one likes to see the same stuff on all the networks. Why tweet it if you already posted it to Facebook? You can also embed them in your blog posts or website if they are relevant to those places.
• Also, participate in Twitter chats in your industry. Find one or a couple that you can include in your weekly schedule. Being there consistently will help others get to know you and your brand better. I love Madalyn Sklar’s Twitter chats on Thursdays at 1 p.m. She tweets all about #TwitterSmarter.

The Second 10 Top Tips

• Research other prospects on Twitter before connecting with them. Check out their full profiles and other social networks too.
• Give real referrals on Twitter. What goes around comes around. Be sure to be familiar with what you may be referring others to. It’s your WORD.
• Next, spread your tweets throughout the day. Use a tool like the Buffer app or Agorapulse to schedule them out. Hootsuite is another tool many use to do this. However, beware if may cost you now with the API updates.
• Respond to tweets that are related to your industry. Answer other peeps’ questions and surveys on Twitter. That will ensure you are participating in the network. Others will take notice!
• Publish your Twitter ID on all your marketing materials. Website, business cards, newsletters, signs, etc.
• Of course, post discounts and offers on Twitter. But do this ever so sparingly! Only 20% of the time at the most. 80% should be sharing content and other stuff related to your business.
• Equally important is to use keywords in your profile and a fun fact to show off your own personality. Do NOT use hashtags in the profile. That will lead viewers away from your profile page.
• Surely dump the default Twitter avatar and use your own photograph. People relate to real people. They want to know who you are.
• Moreover, follow other experts, companies and competitors, and leaders in your own industry. It will help you keep on top of things.
• Finally, be authentic, genuine, and real. Just be yourself so people will get to know you. For this reason, people tend to buy from people they trust.

Your Turn on Twitter Marketing Tips

The post 20 Valuable Twitter Marketing Tips To Make You Awesome appeared first on Inspire To Thrive.

It’s thought that over 57 million Americans have a side hustle. You may have started your own business from home. You might be working as a freelancer in your spare time, some of us have turned our blogs into successful businesses or branched out into e-commerce sales. Some unique side hustles from home tend to start out small.

They make a little pocket money and give you something to do when you are bored. Others are more than this. You might hope to one day leave work and take your side hustle full-time.

Side Hustle And Your Career

For some people, a side hustle is a necessity. Low-paid work and high costs of living and housing mean that for some of us, one job isn’t enough, even if it’s full-time.

Our unique side hustles pay for birthday presents and luxuries and even cover some of our bills. Modern life means that we often do what we can to make things work, even if it means that we’ve got very little spare time left.

There are even some apps that make you money today.

Career Impact

But, one thing that you might not have considered is the impact that side hustles from home could have on your career. If you have given it any thought at all, it might be because you are worried that your side hustle might mean that you are tired and unfocused at your day job.

However, you might find that your side hustle improves your performance and your prospects.

How A Side Hustle Improves Your Mood

Going to work, day in, day out, sticking to the same routine, and going through the motions can get boring. Over time, doing the same things each day can start to affect your mood and your focus.

You might find that you begin to become depressed, or that you begin to wonder if the career that you used to love is really right for you. This boredom often leads to people leaving good jobs and trying new things. Only to get bored again as soon as things settle.

But, sometimes it’s not your job that’s the problem. You just need to inject some passion into your life. Having a unique side hustle can be great for your mood. It can make you happy and give you something to look forward to.

Being in a good mood when you arrive at work in the morning is never going to be bad for your work performance and relationships.

It Gives You Financial Freedom

There is two main reason people start side hustles from home. One is to follow a dream or to give something a go. The other is financial motivation. We need to work more to earn more money.

If money is tight, and you’ve only got one job and one way to earn it, there is pressure. You need to work as much as you can. You can’t afford to take time off or do anything to risk your job. If a promotion comes up, you need to get it. You have to accept overtime, even if you don’t really want it.

This kind of pressure can ruin any enjoyment you might have had of your job. It can mean that you push yourself too hard and that you start to resent work. It affects your performance and your chances of success.

If work becomes all about money, then it can stop being something that you can love.

Having another way to earn money gives you options. Even if you are only making a minimal amount on the side, it can reduce the pressure and give you more freedom, at work and at home.

Having another way to earn money gives you options. #sidehustle
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How A Side Hustle Improves Your Skills

When we start a new job, we learn a lot quickly. We have to gain new knowledge and practice new skills. Then as time goes on, we stop learning. That’s part of why we get bored.

Your side hustle gives you a fantastic way to learn new skills. You might learn more about social media and other forms of digital marketing. Or, you might gain experience in web design and coding. Finally, you could brush up on your photography or writing skills.

The best thing is, you’ll be enjoying learning again, and your mind will be awakened.

Keeps You Fresh and Improves Your Motivation

Having something else to occupy your mind doesn’t just stop you from getting bored. It can also keep you fresh. You’ll bring all of those new skills to your job, and you’ll find ways to use them, even if it isn’t always obvious.

You’ll push yourself, you’ll try new things, become more motivated and you’ll adapt your style.

This can help you to feel motivated at work again. You’ll feel fresh, and like things are new. In this way, your side hustle can have a massive impact on your career.

Increases Your Chances of Promotion

Promotions, unfortunately, can be hard to come by. Sometimes, we can feel stuck in the same position. It can feel as though you’ve stopped moving forward and you can start feeling as though you are stagnating, standing still, becoming dispirited and uninspired.

You might be desperate to move forward. You might have looked at other options and side steps in your chosen field. A nurse might have considered a DNP and looked at a DNP salary in the hope of moving forward again.

Your side hustle could be useful here. It shows your employer that you’ve got more skills than they’ve seen and that you are organized and able to manage your time.

It shows that you have commitment and passion and that you are the kind of person that does what it takes.

However, selling wrong and your side hustle could make you seem disloyal or like someone keen to move on to new things. Make sure you sell yourself, and the benefits of your side hustle to your career if you want it to work towards a promotion.

It Looks Great On Your CV

Even if you love your job, you might not want to stick with it forever, but you might not want to turn your side hustle into a full-time career either.

If you ever find yourself looking for a new job, having your side hustle and the skills that it has brought you can give your CV (Course of life) a considerable boost.

What is a CV you may be asking? The difference between a CV and a resume lies in the length, layout, and purpose of these documents. CVs have no length limit; resumes tend to be one to two pages long.

A CV details the whole course of the candidate’s academic career; a resume summarizes skills and work experience.

You Could Make Important Connections With Your Side Hustle

A side hustle doesn’t just give you a way to make money and develop new skills. It can also be a fantastic chance to meet new people and make new connections. Some of these connections might be useful at work. Or, they might give you opportunities in the future.

Others might just become good friends, who become part of your support network and offer you friendship, advice, and support whenever you need it.

Your side hustle can lead to lifelong friendships and vital business connections.

Your #sidehustle can lead to lifelong friendships and vital business connections.
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A Side Hustle Sets You Apart from The Crowd

It’s harder than ever to stand out in the workplace. More people than ever before have higher education degrees and qualifications. Hundreds of graduates with almost precisely the same resume apply for every job, and a degree isn’t ever enough to get your resume to the top of a recruiter’s pile.

If you are ever looking for work, your unique side hustle could be what gets you noticed, what helps you stand out, and what gets your foot into the door.

A Successful Side Hustle Can Be A Confidence Boost

Confidence is a tricky thing. It’s tough to build up, but a small slight setback can see it knocked right back down. We all struggle with our confidence sometimes, and it can be hard to find ways to boost it.

Therefore, running a successful side hustle gives you an achievement that can see your confidence skyrocket. Whether you start a blog, create unique items to sell on Etsy, or sell feet pics, you will most likely have some fun along the way while making money and boosting your confidence. It’s all a win-win situation!

Your Turn On Starting Side Hustles From Home

Are you working a unique side hustle today? Have you gone from side hustles from home to a full-time business as I have here? Has it boosted your confidence? I’d love to know more in the comments below!

The post How A Unique Side Hustle Has Massive Impact On Your Career appeared first on Inspire To Thrive.