The Dos and Don’ts on Becoming an Efficient Marketer

Marketing is a different animal than it was in the old days. Brands have ditched postcard mailings and highway billboards in favor of content marketing, social media marketing, and all things digital. Blog content creation is a big priority for marketers, as is social media. This is good since more than 70% of internet users over the age of 18 use Facebook, Instagram has over 500 million monthly active users, and Twitter is the place to go if you want to market internationally. The platform has four times the users than the US. We’re not even going to pretend that this article covers all marketing strategies. The first “do” on the list is this is: you have to be a social media marketer. So, how do you become an effective social media marketer?

Make Your Content Unique And Creative

Simply sharing your latest blog post via social media is not enough. In fact, on Facebook, it could be the kiss of death. Posts with links do not have as much likelihood of appearing in your follower’s news feeds as pure text or pure image posts. Since the majority of humans are visually-oriented, the pure image posts perform better on social media. That doesn’t mean you can’t include text within the image, nor does it mean you can’t write compelling copy above the post before you share it. But those link posts; they don’t always make it through. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t post them, but your social content needs to be a mix of educational posts, promotional posts, and purely social posts.

Not only does your content need to be interesting, it needs to be relevant. How do you make sure it’s both? One sure-fire way is to create posts based on events and trends and make sure you post about holidays. There is nothing wrong with appealing to a social user’s sensibilities and emotions. After all, social media is a SOCIAL thing, and people want to be surprised and delighted. One great way to post contextual and relevant visual content is to use PromoRepublic. It has a fully stacked social calendar, and you can pick posts based on your industry. It’s a great tool that lets you publish great content with just a few clicks.

Understand Your Audience

Whether you’re writing blog posts, creating social posts, or creating ads, you have to understand your audience. That means understanding certain key demographics through analytics tools and the close attention you pay to your post engagement. Facebook Insights can give you rich, actionable data without the need to hire an outside analyst to tell you about your existing audience. Facebook Ads Manager can help you target your IDEAL demographic which is important since not every single person who likes your Facebook page is necessarily your ideal customer. Twitter Ads isn’t as robust as Facebook Ads, but you can still target your audience based on gender, keywords, interests, geography, and more. Identifying your audience is the first step to understanding them. Once you’ve identified them, dig deep to find out what pages they like, who they follow, and what sorts of posts they engage with. It takes time, but there’s really no substitute for deep market research.

Other Dos

• Include a variety of content: blogging (especially on diverse topics), infographics, animation, etc. This includes diversity that translates to more readers.
• Make the content sharing process as simple as possible.
• Make certain that your posts are high quality with no blunders, no irrelevant content.
• ENGAGE with your fans and followers.

Don’t Overdo It

Make sure you aren’t posting too often on your social accounts. Generally, 5-7 tweets per day, 2-3 Instagram posts, and 2-3 Facebook posts is plenty if not a little excessive. Your audience research should tell you when your fans and followers are online the most, so schedule your posts for those times. Don’t post the same thing on Facebook at the exact moment you post it on Twitter or Instagram. If people think you’re posting the same thing on all your social platforms, they may only follow one, or they may unfollow you completely. Also, don’t annoy your fans and followers by liking every single one of their posts, retweeting every tweet or “hearting” every IG post. Be moderate and don’t be creepy.

Don’t Neglect Your Profiles

There is a lot of truth to the expression “out of sight, out of mind.” If you stop posting regularly, people will forget about you. And, if you just set-it-and-forget-it, you’re wasting a great opportunity to engage with your social audience. That, no doubt, is the activity that most often leads to conversion. Network just like you do in real life and build relationships.

Other Don’ts

• Don’t plagiarize and directly copy other content. You invalidate yourself completely when you do this.
• Don’t compromise quality for quantity. The bulkier the content doesn’t necessarily mean more the audience.
• Don’t shove a well-known story down the throats of your readers. When you notice a story has been covered a thousand times already, why do you need it?

Being a successful social media marketer means being a successful marketer. Don’t believe us? Check out the businesses and brands on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and tell us that social media isn’t the most effective way to market.

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Ask this ONE Questions Before You Hire a Defense Attorney

“How many cases have you taken to ‘jury trial’ in the past five years?”

It is a simple question that a lot of lawyers may not be happy to answer. Some may avoid it, some may question you as to why that is important, and some may make some excuse for why they don’t actively take cases to trial.

However, don’t be fooled, this question is an excellent starting barometer in determining whether the lawyer you are interviewing/hiring is actually worth the money you are paying them. Of course, there will be lawyers who take cases to trial but don’t know what they are doing. However, over a five-year period, if they have had at least a couple trials per year, they should at least pass the test of this initial threshold question.

Most people are surprised to learn that the majority of lawyers go years without taking a case to jury trial; that statistic in itself is troubling. In a five-year period, a lawyer who is a competent and zealous advocate for his/her clients is going to run into a few trials; there is no way around it. Any criminal defense lawyer who knows what he or she is doing will tell you that. Here is why:

Plea Bargains Aren’t Always a Bargain

When you are charged with a crime, the state has made an initial determination that they wish to prosecute you. From there, you and your lawyer are entitled to “due process,” meaning that your case gets a fair shake through the court system. Your lawyer will obtain the police reports and all other evidence associated with your case.

Depending on the severity of the charge, the prior criminal history of the defendant, the available range of punishments for the charge, the strength of the case, and last but not least, the general attitude of the Prosecutor’s Office in the county where the defendant is charged, the prosecuting attorney may extend an offer of a plea bargain. A plea bargain is a prearranged punishment in exchange for your plea of guilty to the charge (or oftentimes to an amended lesser charge). However, a plea bargain is not always rainbows and butterflies; not only is it a plea of guilty to a crime, it also can include prison time and other court sanctions, not to mention the stigma attached to admitting guilt in that crime.

Any lawyer who doesn’t go to trial at least a few times per year, by default, ALWAYS PLEADS HIS CLIENTS GUILTY. It’s almost impossible to imagine a scenario where a criminal defense lawyer wouldn’t come across a single innocent person or a single person who wanted to challenge the charge against them. Yet, this is the reality that pervades the criminal defense industry.

A Trial Has Its Benefits

Additionally, there can be GREAT value in going to trial, like winning. For example, say the defendant is charged with murder in the first degree and using a deadly weapon. The defense is that although the defendant did in fact shoot the victim, it was in self-defense. The prosecutor has already made the determination that they are proceeding that it was not self-defense, or else the defendant wouldn’t be on trial. If the defendant entered into a plea bargain, they would be pleading guilty to something, and at the very least they would be on probation, but most likely they would receive a conviction and a prison sentence.

In that scenario, had they gone to trial and explained to the jury that it was self-defense, they could have been acquitted of the charge outright and free to go about their life as usual.

Another value in having a lawyer that takes cases to jury trial can be explained with this example: A defendant is charged with a medium-severity offense. The case against the defendant is “OK,” but it is going to be hard for the prosecution to prove beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury that the defendant is guilty.

Maybe there isn’t a good identification of the suspect, or maybe the evidence as to one of the elements of the crime is weak. In many scenarios, your lawyer can calculate what may happen if you go to trial and lose. If the judge isn’t likely to sentence you to anything worse than what the prosecutor’s plea bargain offer was before trial, then there is value in taking a shot at being acquitted at trial.

Hiring a Fighter Might Get You a Better Deal

Furthermore, there may also be value in going to trial because the prosecutor may be more inclined to make a better offer or to dismiss the case altogether rather than go to trial and lose. There is no risk of the prosecutor losing at trial if he or she is facing a lawyer who always just pleads clients guilty. Therefore, the defendant is ill served by that lawyer’s reputation for avoiding jury trials.

Ultimately, even the top lawyers who take lots of cases to trial still end up pleading out most of their cases. However, those plea bargains are going to be routinely better if prosecutors know that the defense attorney is capable of beating them, and in fact has beaten them in the past at trial. Regardless, hiring your attorney is an important decision, and you shouldn’t be hiring a lawyer who can’t or won’t try your case if it comes to that.

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5 Effective Ideas To Generate Leads For Your Content

Do you feel lost when you attempt to consider approaches to create leads for your content? In the wake of Google’s Panda and Penguin redesigns, which managed a shocking hit to numerous sites, the internet searcher monster has not been demure about its craving to see all the more crisp, significant, and unique substance on sites.

You know the rule. “Quality written material makes all the difference,” has been the mantra on many advertisers’ brains for more than a couple of years. I would say, content showcasing has turned out to be extremely successful when done right.

In any case, you likely know all that. What you no doubt truly need to learn is the manner by which to better utilize content showcasing for the lead generation, which asks you to include consumers’ interests into your products or services.

1. E-Books

E-books are a prominent sort of offer used to create leads, instruct clients and prospects, and pick up validity in your industry. You must ensure to pick a subject that will help a prospect go from downloading your e-book to getting in touch with your business. The United States is expected to reach 112 million digital book pursuers by 2020.

The majority of that speaks to an enormous market simply waiting to be tapped, which is the reason making a digital book has turned out to be to be exceptionally successful at catching leads. You don’t have to charge for your digital book. As a free asset, it offers some incentive in advance, improving the probability of bringing leads into your channel.

2. Courses

Video course or instructional exercise – it’s dependent upon whether you choose to shoot and edit the video in-house or contact an expert. You can hold the course live, or post a recording. In any case, request that members share their email address in return for the instructional exercise, so you can send them an email with the video recording that they can always have access to.

People need stimulation. They need something they can get a considerable measure of significant worth from, so you need to make recordings that advance

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How To Make The Most of Your 20s

Shut Off Facebook

Disconnect from social media at least once a week. Take a walk, do some writing, or spend time with loved ones. Technology has become such a necessity that we often lose touch with the natural beauties of life.

Don’t Stress About Love

In your 20s, there’s a good chance you are still figuring out who you are. Don’t worry so much about falling in love. Instead, make it a priority to develop as a person in order to figure out what you need in a companion.

Reconnect With Your Parents

I’ve learned the most about my parents in my two years out of college than I have in all of my previous years. When you are older you can connect with your parents in a way you weren’t able to when you were a child. You can really get to know them as individuals and not just as the people who raised you.

Learn How To Manage Money

Read books, take courses, and develop self-discipline. This is a skill that nobody will teach you and is essential for all adults to have.

Be Ambitious

Chase a dream or invest in your passions. Now is the only time in your life where people will encourage you to be selfish with your needs. You can take a lot more risks at age 20 than when you are older, married, and have kids.

Travel

Meet new people and gain new experiences! This world is huge and diverse and you only get one opportunity to experience it. Immersing yourself in different cultures expands your worldview and intelligence of the world.

Establish Healthy Habits

Your body is like a vehicle. When you eat well and exercise regularly, you are allowing your body to run on the most efficient fuel it can possibly have. Establishing healthy habits not only makes you a healthier person but it establishes a level of self-respect. It also reflects to those around you that you have a strong self of self and see extreme value in yourself.

Learn A New Skill

Learn to play an instrument, sing, or even a new language.

Read Books

Everything you need to know is in a book. Education can be fun! Find a topic that interests you and immerse yourself in it. There’s no excuse to being an uneducated person. If you are a person with a busy schedule, invest in audiobooks. Audiobooks make it incredibly easy to digest information on the go.

Do One Thing That Scares You Every Week

This is one of my favorite practices that I have implemented in my life. Go out and challenge yourself! Talk to that attractive person you see at the grocery store. Confront negative feelings you have toward someone. Go skydiving! Avoiding your comfort zone will lead you toward personal growth.

Build A Network

Recognize that you can’t achieve success in life on your own. A strong network is the most powerful asset you can have. Meet people, be friendly, and develop relationships. Offer value to others and you will receive value in return. Knowing the right people can open a lot of doors for you that will aide in your success.

Start A Marketable Project

It can be anything from starting a YouTube channel to starting your own business. Starting young gives you the freedom to fail so don’t be afraid to pursue new challenges.

Commit To Personal Growth

Think of yourself as a business. If you want to be a successful business you can’t be afraid to invest in yourself. Spend money on personal development classes, videos, or books and commit to becoming the best you you can possibly be.

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5 Ways to Enjoy Festivals With Pets

We might all find ourselves smiling at the sound of the word “festival.” A festival, based on the dictionary, is defined as a celebration of an event. One example is a parade which gathers people from far and wide without restrictions and without prejudice. These are times when you can find people smiling, laughing, chatting and singing, and people are filled with fun and joy.

However, many pet owners have a misconception that a festival is impossible to enjoy when you’ve got to take care of another being. When you’ve got to feed, clean and pay attention to another creature who plays a major role of your life. However, there’s always a way you can have fun with your furry friends.

How do you do it? This article will clearly explain how you can enjoy festivals and parties even with a pet around. It’s a compilation of various personal experiences and stories that will help shed light on this issue.

1. Train Your Pets To Be Crowd-Friendly

One of the best things about having pets, especially dogs, is that you can easily train them to be people-friendly. Pets emulate their owners, since they have the need and desire to be accepted and to be part of a family. The saying “Be Roman in Rome” fits our pets’ personalities very well, so training them to enjoy being part of a crowd can be helpful.

However, if you’re heading to a music festival or somewhere where it’s easy for a pet to get lost, train your pets to always come back to a specific destination. Through training their senses, especially their senses of smell and direction, you will help them to find you again if they wander while you party. However, this concept applies more to dogs than to other pets.

A pet that knows how to find you is a dependable pet.

2. Always Be Ready for Camping

If you’re going to a festival, especially a music festival, it’s best to camp. Camping allows you the liberty to choose your location and gives you the opportunity to enjoy the party while being close to your tent. This way, your pet can also be close to you.

Based on my personal experience, one of my favorite festivals would be the Sziget Music Festival in Budapest. Known to be one of the largest music festivals in Europe, it’s one place where me and my dog always attend together. The trick is that I’ve always left him around the tent, which is close to the river, where he can chill if the day gets too hot. I’ve always placed some food hidden around the tent’s surroundings to allow him to explore and walk around looking for food.

This way, my dog will never become lost, as he always comes back to the food. Even if he’s a few feet away, I can always find him.

3. Leave Enough Food for Your Pet

Our animals thrive on being instinctual, more like the way humans were once upon a time. Even though we base our thoughts and our decisions on logic, the one aspect we can never ignore is the feeling of hunger. Hunger makes us act based on our instincts, and it also changes our thought processes, hence the term “Hangry” came about. Being extremely hungry can lead to the emotion of anger.

The one thing you should always remember is to leave enough food for your pet outside your tent or around it. When your pet gets hungry and there’s no food, it will tend to wander until it finds something to eat. Its sense of smell will take over its behavior, and its need for food will only lead it farther and farther away from the place you left it.

Therefore, in order for your pet to not get lost and for you to not lose your pet, always remember to feed it. Also, situate yourself in a location where there’s plenty of drinking water for your pet.

4. A Tracking Chip for Extra Caution

Our technology has developed far beyond where it was in the 80s, when festivals were symbolized by wild celebration and were places fit for no pet. We have developed technologies that can do things from building artificial organs to tracking people with a simple chip. However, not all chips needed to be implanted in one’s body; advancements in pet monitoring have provided simpler options for pet owners.

You can either opt to use a collar with a tracking device or use an ingestible tracking device. You can find tracking collars for your pets in various high-end pet stores. These trackers are customized, and you can program them either to your phone or to a separate GPS. On the other hand, an ingestible tracker can be given to your pet in its food, and the device is usually pooped out by your pet within a certain duration. Both of these types of devices can be programmed to your phone or monitored using your GPS device.

However, these are rather costly methods, so if you’re considering them, you need to be willing to dig up the budget for the. Before using an ingestible tracker, it would be wise to consult your veterinarian for advice, as you wouldn’t want to harm your beloved pet.

In Conclusion

Our pets are an important part of our lives. They keep us grounded and calm, hence there’s no reason they shouldn’t be at a festival with us. With these tips, you will find it easier to enjoy festivals with your pets accompanying you. However, if you find it a hassle, you can always find a pet-sitter.

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If You Want To Be More Successful, Change Your Reading Habit In This Way

I know you’re probably thinking, “Here’s another article trying to tell me how I can be more successful.” I get it, but just hear me out. We all can gain more knowledge by reading books, that’s a given. They can be helpful when trying to improve your life, but they also help you develop insights, ideas, and a clearer understanding that makes you stand out from others. But you can’t read just anything. You have to read what everyone else isn’t. You have to think in ways that others do not.

Be weary of the bestsellers.

For example, when a book comes out about success and is on the bestseller shelf, it’s hard not to go over and pick it up. I mean, who wouldn’t? It must be full of useful information if it made it onto a shelf like that. What you don’t think about is how many other people picked up that same book and will utilize the information in it to get ahead. That’s what they think at least. If you want to be different and above average, you can’t do what everyone else is doing. The next time you adventure to the bookstore, make a point to walk right past this section. Make your way to the back, towards books that typically get overlooked.

If all you’re going for is a little extra help sounding witty at your work’s cocktail party, go ahead and swipe the bestseller. If you’re looking to make a statement and to stand out, make your way to the back. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at what you find.

Another mistake that a lot of people make is they skim through a book and don’t really take the time to absorb the information in it. Today, everyone wants instant gratification. It doesn’t work that way, take your time.

If you think the way they think, you’ll remain average.

This is a huge problem in our world today, and it doesn’t just necessarily have to do with the books we read. It’s extremely competitive out there and being average just isn’t an option. There is always going to be someone smarter than you. You can play the game of life all you want but being average won’t get you a win. As time goes on, the bar for what is considered average will get much higher. You have to think outside the box to get to the top. Take a look at Bill Gates. Simply put, this man thinks in ways that most others don’t. That’s how he has reached such a high level of success.

When you think outside the box, it allows you to free your mind so you can become more creative when it comes to solving problems. Then instead of just accepting what is, you can start to think about what could be. Maybe you’ve been working towards a promotion at work for months, and you just can’t seem to get it. It’s frustrating of course when you feel like you’ve done everything you can and still haven’t gotten it. You have thoughts that anyone would have: you come to work on time, you meet your deadlines, stay late at the office, work on holidays, etc.

To get where you want to be, you need to break the barrier in your mind from thinking like the average person. Getting outside the boundaries of your head will open new options. You may discover ways you haven’t thought of to get you where you want to be. Starting today, make the choice to be different. You can do it!

Image Credits: Girl Reading Book: Huffington Post,

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If You Don't Want To Become A Toxic Person Unknowingly, You Should Quit This Habit

We’ve all judged someone. Sometimes we don’t even realize we’re doing it, but there is no excuse to justify this behavior. You may judge others because you feel that they are different, because you don’t think they measure up to your standards, or because they don’t think the same way you do. Or, you may jump to conclusions without knowing the whole story.

The truth is, you have no idea what another person has been through or what they’re going through, so you don’t have the right to make judgments.

We usually don’t think about how our negative attitude and actions can make another person feel. Not only should we think about this before making the decision to act or think negatively, but we should also think about how we are going to feel afterward. More often than not, you will feel an overwhelming sense of regret and guilt.

Of course, we don’t want to be the reason someone’s feelings get hurt, but we still act in a way that might cause another pain. However, there is always room to become a better person. Everything we go through in life will teach us something, and so will this.

We should always make a point to change the parts of ourselves that we are not so proud of, because most times our negative actions will come back to bite us if we aren’t careful.

People will always be judgmental, but that doesn’t mean you can’t strive to be better. Always show kindness to others, not only in your actions but your words too.

The next time you find yourself judging someone, think about how you would feel if you were in that position, and you’ll think twice about making that judgment.

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