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The Best SEO Plugins for WordPress (Review Updated for Winter of 2019) http://bit.ly/2DFiQaY In 2019, websites can no longer afford to ignore search engine optimization. Nearly all internet activity starts with search: 93% of all Internet experiences start with a search engine and 39% of ecommerce traffic across the world comes from search. Most businesses have recognized this and adapted accordingly — 61% of companies named SEO as their biggest priority last year. Sure, you can generate leads with PPC campaigns and pay to be a top result. But 80% of people say they ignore the advertisements in search results. Take a moment to analyze your own habits. When you want to do something online, where do you start? If you’re anything like me and the majority of internet users, you start with a search engine. You type in some keywords or phrases and probably don’t scroll past the first few results before clicking on a site. Sounds about right then, that the first five SERPs receive 67.6% of all clicks. In short, you need to be prioritizing SEO and be a top result if you want to have any chance of driving organic traffic to your website. But if you aren’t an SEO expert, where do you begin? Fortunately, there are plenty of great SEO tools available. If you have a WordPress site, there are a number plugins you can install that will really help you out. Which ones? That’s exactly why I developed this list of the best SEO plugins for WordPress. It details my top 8 plugins and how they’ll help you improve your SEO. 1. Yoast SEOThe Yoast SEO WordPress plugin has been around for more than a decade. Over five million websites have installed it, making it one of the most popular options. One of the best parts of Yoast SEO is the ability to create and manage your XML sitemaps. This is much easier than having to code your sitemap on your own, especially if you don’t have much of a technical background. Yoast SEO helps you identify and avoid duplicate content, so you won’t have to worry about being penalized by Google, and it offers templates for titles and meta-descriptions, which will make your pages more appealing in SERPs. You can install the Yoast SEO plugin for free to access all of these features and benefits. But there is also a premium version for $89 annually that gives you upgrades like:
At the very least, I recommend trying the free Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress. 2. The SEO FrameworkThe SEO Framework plugin is another great option for you to consider. I like this WordPress plugin so much because it’s built for smaller enterprises as opposed to massive corporations. Its interface blends naturally when integrated with WordPress, so it feels as though it’s supposed to be there, as opposed to appearing obtrusive. Here’s a look at one of my favorite features on this plugin. The plugin offers a colored scale, showing you exactly how to optimize each post for search engines. All you need to do is hover your cursor over the bars in the SEO column to reveal notes for how to specifically improve certain pages. As you can see from the screenshot above, this note explains how the title can be improved for SEO purposes. The SEO Framework plugin is free and doesn’t have any ads or upsells to pester you while you’re working. Overall, I’m happy with the way this lightweight plugin performs. 3. SEO SquirrlySEO Squirrly is designed specifically for people who aren’t experts in SEO. Other plugins have different ways to access and implement SEO suggestions, but SEO Squirrly brings this to the next level. Take a look at its live SEO assistant feature. Here’s how it works. You just have to input the desired keyword that you’re trying to rank for with the article you’re writing. As you write, green lights and popup suggestions will appear in real time explaining how you can work that keyword into your content. Imagine having an SEO expert standing over your shoulder while you’re writing — that’s what you get with SEO Squirrly. The content reports are another great feature that’s ideal if you’re outsourcing writers or using multiple writers across your company to produce content. These reports give writers additional insight about SEO based on what they wrote. SEO Squirrly also has a tool to analyze your competitors’ content, so you can find ways to outrank their pages. You’ll also be able to track your progress on a weekly basis. 4. Broken Link CheckerGoogle algorithms will penalize you for broken links, so the Broken Link Checker WordPress plugin is extremely valuable for your website. If you’re like me, you have tons of internal and outbound links in your blog content. You can control the pages on your own site, but the status of pages on other websites is out of your hands. Here’s an example. Say you used a quote, image, or statistic from another website in one of your blog posts. But for one reason or another, that other site got rid of that page or merged it with another piece of content without including a redirect. Now you have a broken link on your site. The Broken Link Checker plugin will identify any broken link on your site and make it easy for you to remove, edit, or dismiss the problem with just a couple of clicks. Not only is this great for SEO, but it’s also important in terms of user experience. You don’t want your website visitors to click a link to a broken page. 5. All In One Schema Rich SnippetsAll In One Schema Rich Snippets will improve the way your pages appear in search engine results with rich snippets, which are a brief and more interactive summary of your page. They contain things like pricing, photos, star ratings, or reviews. This popular schema markup plugin can help you add things such as:
Rich snippets benefit all websites, but they are especially important for ecommerce sites. Users won’t have to go through as many steps to read a review of your products. They can see the star-rating from the search engine results page. Adding rich snippets will tell search engines exactly what information to include in the search results. 6. Rank MathRank Math allows you to manage all of your on-page SEO needs for every type of content on your website. This WordPress plugin is so effective because it’s integrated with Google Search Console, so you’ll see all of the important information directly from your administrative dashboard in WordPress. Rank Math also lets you manage meta tags for things like:
This WordPress plugin will tell you which keywords you’re ranking for, and also show you how many impressions you’re getting for various searches. Rank Math also identifies any errors that Google sees on your site. All of this information is easy to access, read, and digest. Furthermore, Rank Math has features for:
Rank Brain is definitely one of the best SEO plugins for WordPress. It’s great for those looking for a one-stop-shop for all of these features. 7. SEMrush SEO Writing AssistantThe SEMrush SEO Writing Assistant plugin for WordPress isn’t as widely used as some of the other plugins we’ve looked at so far, but it’s still a top choice to consider. SEMrush has one of the best online toolkits available for SEO. The brand is a big name in the SEO industry, so I definitely wanted to include its plugin on this list. In order for this plugin to work, you need to have an account with SEMrush, which you can register for free if you don’t have one. The free account will give you access to just one template, so you’ll probably want to upgrade to the premium plan to use this plugin. The plugin analyzes your content and gives you scores based on how SEO-friendly the writing is. You’ll see text suggestions that will explain how to improve your content for SEO purposes. With the writing assistant, you can also add your target keywords. The plugin will offer recommendations for you based on those keywords. For a great SEO WordPress plugin other websites aren’t really taking advantage of, definitely consider the SEO Writing Assistant by SEMrush. 8. All in One SEO PackThe All in One SEO Pack is well-known and popular. It has more than two million active installations on WordPress. As the name implies, it’s another “all in one” plugin for your SEO needs. One of the reasons why it’s so popular is it’s clean and easy-to-navigate dashboard. The essential features of All in One SEO Pack are free, but you can upgrade to a premium version for $57 per year. If you own multiple websites, you may want to consider a business license, which lets you use this plugin on up to 10 sites for $97 annually. You can even purchase an agency license for $419 per year to use the plugin on an unlimited number of sites. With that said, if you have a basic blog or startup, the free version will likely meet your needs. It’s great for beginners, but I know plenty of advanced WordPress users who use this plugin as well. It’s probably the most similar to Yoast SEO, which we talked about earlier. The biggest difference between the two plugins is the interface and pricing options for organizations of different sizes. ConclusionYour website needs to prioritize SEO. I simply can’t stress that enough. I recommend reviewing my guide on SEO tactics that you need to retire, so you can stop wasting time on strategies that aren’t working. Look, I get it; I’m not expecting you to become an SEO expert overnight. But you should at least be taking advantage of some of the SEO tools available online. If you have a WordPress website, there are countless plugins at your disposal. However, I think it’s best to focus on the top eight that I’ve covered above. There’s something for everyone on this list. Some of these plugins are for specific SEO features, while others encompass a wider range of SEO elements. Either way, I’m confident that you’ll find this guide is a useful reference for adding SEO plugins to your WordPress site. Which WordPress plugins are you using to improve your SEO strategy? Social Media via Quick Sprout http://bit.ly/UU7LJr January 28, 2019 at 12:20PM
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Which Social Media Channels Are Right for Your Business? http://bit.ly/2FUmiAM Once you’ve started internet marketing, the way to success will seem to be endless. And it really will be. Even big brands should always improve their strategies to keep pace with the market tendencies. After the long process of making your website meet all the necessary criteria, it’s time to think of your social media presence. It’s the best way to increase your brand awareness and build relationships with your potential customers. To start your social media marketing, first of all, you need to know which channels are the most useful for your niche. In this post, I’ll tell you how you can choose the social platform to create an effective social media strategy. Social media marketing: Pros and ConsBefore you create your business accounts in different social networks, you should know both all the advantages you’re going to get, and pitfalls you’ll face on your way. Here are the obvious pros:
This list could be even longer, but the most important thing you should have understood is that social media marketing is essential for developing your marketing strategy. Let me tell you about some challenges you’ll face on your way:
Factors to consider when choosing a social platformNow, when you know that social media marketing requires a cautious approach, it’s time to circle out things you should consider deciding on the right social platform for your business. Are you B2B or B2C?First of all, you should identify whether you sell to businesses or consumers. The answer will determine what message you should share with your account. Being B2C, you need to take a personal approach and humanize your business to come closer to your potential customers. Your customers want to feel that the product you promote is created by people and for people. Consider your target audience’s lifestyle and reflect it in your posts. Such platforms as Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat are the most suitable for this purpose. B2B businesses usually take a direct selling approach. Other companies won’t be very interested in your workers’ activities and photos. They need to know how you can solve their problems and how much it will cost. DemographicsIf you’re B2C, think of your target audience: who they are, how old they are, what their interests are, etc. Different networks may be popular among different people, and it’s crucial to know your potential customers’ demographics. The age of your audience plays the most significant role. If you have already been running a website for some time, you should have found out this information. But if you haven’t done it for some reasons, it’s time to hurry up. The easiest way to track your visitors’ demographics is to use Google Analytics. One more important factor is their location. Some networks may be extremely popular in one state and be absolutely unknown in another. If your business is international, make sure you don’t overlook channels actively used in other countries. Google Analytics can also help you track this data. Type of content you provideSocial media platforms tend to differ by kind of media you can share there. Instagram and Pinterest are for pictures, YouTube — for videos, SlideShare — for infographics, etc. Rare businesses provide all the types of content on their websites. Most often, people mix just 2-3 forms of content. For example, you can use text, images, and infographics. In this case, you don’t need to create YouTube, as you provide no videos at all. What’s your goal?Getting likes and shares is good, but it isn’t enough. Your social media goals should be connected with your business goals. You can aim at:
Each of these goals involves a different strategy. So, what’s your goal? Choose your social media platform(s)Here’s the list of channels which may bring you great profit if choosing the most suitable for your business. On June 27, Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook community consisted of 2 billion people. The too large number for you to ignore this social network, isn’t it? Perhaps, Facebook is an only platform which is a must for all types of businesses. If you’re still not sure that your visitors are waiting for seeing you on this platform, just check it. With Serpstat Top Pages you can track whether your visitors already share your articles in their Facebook accounts. If they do, why haven’t you created your business account yet? Moreover, it’s very convenient to analyze which types of posts people tend to share most of all. It’ll help you come up with ideas for new content on Facebook. If your business is B2B, or a product you sell is aimed at specific professions, it’s a perfect choice for your social media marketing. You may not necessarily create your business account, but you should have your personal one there. When people see a real person representing the company, they’re more likely to trust you and connect with you. According to Statista, there are about 1 billion monthly active users of Instagram. So, it’ll be a good push tool to such a platform as Facebook. Instagram is a visual platform. It means you can only post photos and videos there. This channel requires a creative approach, as you’ll have to represent your ideas not only with texts but with visual content. Use Instagram to improve your brand credibility. For example, if you’re an IT company, post photos of your staff during the working process or at corporate events. Show people who orchestrate the product you promote. SnapchatAs I’ve started to talk about visual channels, I can’t help but mention Snapchat. This app allows people to send videos or photos to directly their friends or to their Snapchat story. Although there are wide discussions on the best ways of using this platform, there’s one obvious profit you can make out of it. Snapchat provides sponsored geofilters which users can send from specific locations. There are also branded lenses people can use visiting certain places. For instance, if you own a coffee shop, you may design a special lens, which your visitors will apply when using Snapchat in your shop. The best part of it is that you can create your geofilter online. So, if your target audiences’ age is below 34, and your business has some physical address, you know what you should do. Compared with previous visual platforms this one is much more specific. Most people use Pinterest as a source of inspiration when they’re going to create or buy something. This channel will be profitable for creative industries, associated with crafts, fashion, gifts, food, beauty and health, etc. As to demographics, mind that females are the most common users of this platform. Twitter is a social networking service for sharing some information in short messages. It’s one of the best platforms for building a community around your brand. To get more shares and subscribers, post not only your recent articles and news, but also some tips, quotes, or even comment on widely discussed topics: As people mostly use Twitter to share their thoughts on some topics, you can use your account to interact with your customers and find out what they think of your business. YouTubeIf you’re still thinking, whether you should make videos for your business, let it be the beginning point. As YouTube is owned by Google, there are much more chances for their videos to appear in Google’s top search results. Creating unique and engaging videos you can easily go viral, as there are 1.57 billion monthly users of YouTube. QuoraIt’s a question-and-answer website where people ask questions, and everyone can answer them. Quora has several advantages for businesses:
There’s no doubt you should build social media presence for your business. But there’s no need to run accounts on all the social media platforms you know. Choose those which can help you reach your business goals and engage your target audience. I hope I’ve given you an answer to how you can do that. The post Which Social Media Channels Are Right for Your Business? appeared first on Social Media Explorer. Social Media via Social Media Explorer http://bit.ly/2onGYog January 28, 2019 at 09:31AM
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How to Use Facebook Automated Rules to Manage Facebook Ads http://bit.ly/2B2TP7x Spending too much time managing your Facebook ad spend? Want to manage your Facebook advertising campaigns more efficiently? In this article, you’ll discover how to use Facebook’s automated rules to save time managing Facebook ad performance. Why Use Facebook Automated Rules to Manage Facebook Ad Campaigns?There are two main phases of Facebook advertising: setup and management. The setup phase is the foundation of your advertising and includes activities such as audience research; creating saved, custom, and lookalike audiences; Facebook pixel and conversion tracking setup; and, of course, creating your actual campaigns in your Ads Manager dashboard. The management phase encompasses all of the activities you do once your campaigns are live and delivering, and your ads are embedded in the Facebook ad algorithm. This is the most important but time-consuming task of running successful ads. Managing your Facebook ads means that you continuously analyze the performance of your ads in each of your campaigns and, based on the findings, implement changes such as tests or optimizations to improve results. Not actively managing ad campaigns is one of the biggest mistakes marketers make with Facebook advertising. If you just set up a campaign and let it run without any analysis or changes, it will decrease in performance over time due to ad fatigue. If you create automated rules in Ads Manager, Facebook will automatically update or notify you of changes to your campaigns, ad sets, and ads, and undertake the actions you specify. They give you more control and reduce the time you have to spend manually managing your campaigns. Creating automated rules involves three main parts:
This article focuses on creating rules to help reduce manual analysis based on the metrics used to measure your return on ad spend (ROAS), as well as other ad analysis metrics. You can apply rules to all of your campaigns, ad sets, or ads, or to specific ones using the Conditions field. While automated rules reduce the time needed to manage your ads, you should still monitor overall performance of your ads to make sure that they’re meeting your marketing goals. Which Facebook Ad Performance Metrics Matter?Before I walk you through how to create different automated rules, it’s worth outlining the metrics these rules will be based on. ROAS is the overall measure of the effectiveness of your Facebook ad campaigns. It’s the most important metric because it tells you how profitable your ads are and their monetary impact on your business. Facebook has two core ROAS metrics: mobile app purchase ROAS, which is linked to your mobile app events, and website purchase ROAS, which is linked to the standard purchase conversion event. If you sell anything online, you should be using the purchase standard event action to track all purchases for volume and value. (Here’s how to install conversion tracking if you haven’t already set it up.) ROAS is expressed as a ratio, so 2.5 would be a 250% return on ad spend, for example. After you’ve analyzed your ROAS at the campaign and then ad levels, the other four core ad metrics to analyze are cost per results, relevance score, frequency, and CPM. For a full, in-depth review of these metrics, click here, and for a complete guide on measuring your ROAS, click here. How to Find Automated Rules in Facebook Ads ManagerNow let’s look at where to find automated rules in Ads Manager and dive into the different rules you can create to save time managing your campaigns. In your Ads Manager dashboard, navigate to the main menu and select Automated Rules under the Create & Manage column. In the Automated Rules dashboard, you’ll see two tabs. The Rules tab lists your rules and whether they’re active or inactive, and the Activity tab shows the history of the changes in your rules. When you first navigate to the automated rules dashboard, both tabs will be empty and you’ll see a message that says “No Automatic Rules.” To create a new rule, simply click the Create Rule button in the top-right corner. The Create Rule window will then appear. From here, set up these four rules to help manage your campaigns. #1: Increase Daily Budget When ROAS Is Greater Than 2This first rule will increase the daily budget for ad sets that are delivering a 2X ROAS. In the Create Rule window, select All Active Ad Sets from the Apply Rule To drop-down menu. Next, under Action, select Adjust Budget > Increase Daily Budget By, and in the field next to it, enter a percentage between 10 and 20. When first scaling, it’s a good idea to start with 10% to implement a slow scale. You can increase it as much as you like, but the higher the percentage increase, the longer your ad sets will take to settle at the new budget in the ad algorithm. Below Action, you’ll find two options: Maximum Daily Budget Cap and Action Frequency. Set a maximum daily budget cap of at least twice your current budget. So if you’re spending $100 per day on each ad set, set a maximum budget cap of $200. Then set your action frequency. This is the minimum amount of time the same action can be taken on a rule. By default, it’s 12 hours. However, increasing the budget by 10% every 12 hours would be too fast, so change the action frequency to Once Daily. Now let’s move on to the Conditions section of the rule. This is what needs to occur for the action you just created to be implemented. In the first drop-down list, select Website Purchase ROAS. You’ll then be presented with a number of conditions such as Greater Than, Smaller Than, Between, and Not Between. Select Greater Than and in the number field to the right, enter 2, which means ROAS greater than 2 (or 200%). Because you only want to scale ad sets that are consistently delivering a 2X ROAS or more, and also exclude the possibility of statistical chance, choose Last 7 Days from the Time Range drop-down list. Next, leave the attribution window at the default and set the schedule to check the rule daily. Leave the Notifications setting as the default with email included and then name your rule. When you’re finished, click Create. To summarize, you’ve created a slow scale rule that will increase the daily budget by 10% every 24 hours of any ad set where the ROAS over the last 7 days is greater than 2. #2: Stop Ad Sets That Fall Below Your Minimum ROASThis rule will turn off ad sets when the ROAS falls below your acceptable minimum. In the Create Rule window, select All Active Ad Sets from the Apply Rule To drop-down list. Then from the Action drop-down list, choose Turn Off Ad Sets. Experience 3 days with the best social marketers. Discover the latest tactics and improve your marketing know-how! When creating an ROAS-based rule, with the action of pausing any underperforming ad sets, you only want to apply the rule across new customer acquisition campaigns that are aimed at generating sales, not awareness campaigns that are “warming up” cold audiences by showing them content. This is because awareness campaigns will have a negative or breakeven ROAS and you don’t want them paused by your rule. Pro Tip: This is where having a consistent and proper campaign naming structure is really helpful. If you name campaigns by their place in your sales funnel—TOF for top of funnel (awareness), MOF for middle of funnel (customer acquisition), and BOF for bottom of funnel (website remarketing customer acquisition)—you can easily exclude all TOF awareness campaigns. In the Conditions section, the first condition you want to set is to target only your customer acquisition campaigns. From the first drop-down list, select Settings > Campaign Name, then choose the condition Does Not Contain, and in the adjacent field, type in TOF. This means the rule will apply only to campaigns where TOF is not in the name, which is all of your customer acquisition campaigns. To properly use this rule, you need to calculate your minimum viable return, which is your lowest acceptable ROAS that still allows you to make a profit on your purchases. To calculate this, you need to find your average Facebook purchase value, cost of goods sold, and gross margin. To keep things simple, suppose you generated 3,000 purchases from your Facebook ads in the last 3 months and they had a $150,000 purchase conversion value. Therefore, the average order value is $50 ($150,000/3,000). It costs $10 to make and ship the product, so you have a $40 margin. This means you have to acquire customers for less than $40 to make a profit on the first purchase. The breakeven point would be 1.25X ROAS ($50 divided by $40) and anything over 1.25 would be profitable. Therefore, 1.26 is your minimum acceptable ROAS. In the Conditions section, click the blue + icon to add another condition to your rule. From the drop-down menu, select Website Purchase ROAS under Most Common. Then choose Is Smaller Than and enter the minimum acceptable ROAS (1.26 for this example). The final condition you want to set is to run this rule only on ad sets that have been running at least 1 week. Click on the blue + icon again and from the first drop-down list, select Time > Hours Since Creation, then select Is Greater Than, and enter 168 (which is the number of hours in 7 days). Finally, under Time Range, select Last 7 Days (this is the default analysis window for ROAS measurement). Keep the attribution window at the default (28-day click and 1-day view) but change the schedule of the rule to check daily, as opposed to continuously. Finally, name your rule and click Create. To summarize, you’ve created a rule that will turn off only your customer acquisition ad sets when the ROAS over the last 7 days falls below your minimum acceptable ROAS. #3: Turn Off Ad Sets When Spend Is More Than 2 Times Your Cost Per Purchase AND There Is Fewer Than 1 PurchaseThis rule helps you better manage your budgets and kill underperforming ad sets. Use it if you have trouble calculating your minimum acceptable ROAS and can’t use rule #2. In the Create Rule window, choose All Active Ad Sets from the first drop-down list. Select Turn Off Ad Sets as your action and move on to the conditions section. Again, as with the previous rule, you only want this to apply to your customer acquisition campaigns. So the first condition is to only include those campaigns by adding a naming condition. In this case, set a condition to exclude your TOF awareness campaigns. The second condition you want to set is an ad set spend level up to two times higher than your current cost per purchase. To do this, select Spent from the first Conditions drop-down list; then select Is Greater Than; and finally, enter your value, which is two times your cost per purchase. So if your current cost per purchase is $20, enter $40 in the Spent condition. The final condition to set is a minimum purchase volume. Again, add in a new condition and from the first drop-down list, select Website Conversions > Purchases (Facebook Pixel). Next, choose Smaller Than and in the field box, enter the number 1. In the Time Range section, select Last 3 Days from the drop-down list and then leave everything else at the default, apart from changing the schedule to Daily. Then add a name for your rule and click Create. To summarize, this rule will turn off customer acquisition ad sets that have fewer than one purchase over the last 3 days and have spent at least two times your cost per purchase. This is a great rule for turning off ad sets that don’t perform well in the first week or those that experience a sudden negative change in results due to ad fatigue issues. #4: Get Notified When Ad Frequency Is Above 2.1This next rule will decrease the amount of time you spend checking your ad frequency. By implementing this rule, you’ll automatically be notified if any ads trigger the frequency condition. This also helps improve your efficiency because you can catch the changes in an ad’s performance faster, and therefore reduce wasted ad spend. In the Create Rule window, choose All Active Ads and under the action, select Send Notification Only. The condition for this rule is to notify you when the frequency of an ad hits 2.1. Remember, the higher your frequency climbs, the more times your audience is seeing your ad. When it rises over 2, you can start to experience negative changes in ad performance, so now is the time to analyze your results. In the Conditions section, select Frequency and the Is Greater Than parameter and set the condition value to 2.1. For the time range, select Lifetime because frequency is a lifetime metric, starting at 1. Leave the attribution at the default but change the schedule to Daily. Finally, name your rule and click Create. Because this rule affects active ads only, if, based on the findings of your analysis, you decide to create a new ad test and change the creative (for instance), make sure you pause the old ad so it doesn’t keep triggering the rule. To summarize, you’ve created a rule that will send you a notification and email when an ad’s frequency goes above 2.1. You’ll then be able to do further ad analysis to determine what changes to make to your campaign. ConclusionAutomated rules can significantly reduce the amount of time you spend managing your ad campaigns. By implementing ROAS-based rules, you can scale winning ad sets faster and also reduce wasted ad spend by stopping underperforming ad sets earlier than with manual analysis. The frequency rule helps reduce the amount of time you spend checking that metric and will automatically notify you when you may start to encounter ad fatigue issues, highlighted by an increasing frequency. What do you think? Do you use Facebook automated rules? Which of these four rules will help you better manage your campaigns? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. More articles on Facebook advertising:There are 17 tracks of content available to you at Social Media Marketing World. Don't miss this event! Social Media via Social Media Marketing | Social Media Examiner http://bit.ly/1LtH18p January 28, 2019 at 05:01AM
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Let one hero's quest to pet 100 dogs at a dog show inspire you http://bit.ly/2WmRlKt A dog show is already a magical land where dreams come true, but one innovative attendee made a good thing even better. Sally Kuchar arrived at the Golden Gate Kennel Club Dog Show on Saturday with one goal: Pet 100 dogs. It was an optimal place for such an undertaking. The Golden Gate show is a bench show, which means that the dogs hang on on assigned benches (and are available for meet and greets) while they're not being shown. "Folks are encouraged to walk around and familiarize themselves with the breeds, and petting is very, very encouraged," Kuchar explained via email. So Kuchar made the rounds. Throughout the day, she took 100 videos of 100 dogs, each better (or good-er, if you're still into that lingo) than the last. A few highlights: Kuchar said that although she's been to the Golden Gate show five times before, this is the first time she's taken on the 100 dog challenge. "I like doing public challenges because it holds me accountable," she said. As for her favorite dog, that's obviously #100. (It's her own dog, Skippy.) But she did also enjoy #64. "We just got along really well," she said. And for the most part, the dog owners were cool with Kuchar's wholesome project. She only had one weird run-in: "I was having a great conversation with a bulldog's owner and did let her know that I was trying to pet 100 dogs," she said. "She looked at me quizzically and changed the subject." She'll understand once she sees Kuchar's Twitter thread. Social Media via Mashable http://bit.ly/2DCFv97 January 27, 2019 at 01:58PM
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You could win a $1.7 million mansion by writing a standout letter http://bit.ly/2UjxutO You could win a $1.7 million mansion by writing a standout letter
By Chloe Bryan
Broke English majors, take your places. A homeowner in Alberta, Canada is selling her $1.7 million (CAD) home via essay contest. Alla Wagner is searching for a new owner for her 5,000 square foot home, which, according to a report from CNN, has "three bedrooms, three full baths and two half baths, in addition to a wine cellar, panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and a pond." Not bad. Here's how it works: Entrants must write a short letter (maximum 350 words) explaining why they should get the house, then mail or email it to Wagner along with a $25 entry fee. Once Wagner collects roughly 68,000 entry fees — enough to cover the house's value — she will publish a group of semi-finalist essays on social media so people can vote for their favorites. Then, the 500 entries with the most votes will be whittled down by an "independent panel of judges," who will select three finalists. These three finalists will then be interviewed. One of them will get the house. The contest began on Jan. 5, and Wagner plans to run it until April 5. If there are nearly enough entries by then, she'll extend it another three months. If she's nowhere near her goal, she'll cancel the contest and refund everyone's entry fees. As of Friday, Wagner had collected around 5,000 entries. The contest is getting more attention, though, so 68,000 may not be too far away. If you want a $25 mansion, better get that entry in. Social Media via Mashable http://bit.ly/2DCFv97 January 27, 2019 at 10:51AM
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Big Names Buy Social Media Views & That Means You Should Too http://bit.ly/2WoiAEC If you ever needed a reason for why buying views for your YouTube content is a good idea it has to be learning that a large number of big brands, established singing stars, and celebrities do the exact same thing! After all, if channels for those who are not short of firm fans see the benefits in doing this then it must add value. Plus, if you don’t take advantage then your new or unknown channel could easily be left even further behind!
If you’re interested in buying views then check out this site.
The post Big Names Buy Social Media Views & That Means You Should Too appeared first on Social Media Explorer. Social Media via Social Media Explorer http://bit.ly/2onGYog January 26, 2019 at 04:13PM 5 Ways to Boost Your Blog with Social Media http://bit.ly/2ThYf1M What if your blog was dead before you hit the “publish” button? Our blogs are only successful if enough people are reading them. However, poor marketing means you might be missing out on a lot of customers. Wondering how to get blog followers? Keep reading to learn about five ways to boost your blog with social media! 1. Book Some FaceFacebook remains the gold standard for social media promotion. This is mostly because it is so easy to use. For instance, you can create a Facebook page for your blog. When people “like” that page, all of their friends share it. Furthermore, people can share your blog posts via this platform. Facebook also makes it easy for users to send you messages. This can help readers feel more engaged with you as a writer, making them likelier to spread the word and building your brand credibility. 2. Get Her, TwitterTwitter is a social media platform that embraced a simple rule: “keep it short and simple.” While the character count has been raised to 280, Twitter messages still tend to be short and sweet. This makes it easier for people to scan your posts. Also, Twitter is all about hashtags. You can piggyback off of trending tags to promote your blog. Alternately, you can create your own hashtags and hopefully go viral! 3. Going AutomatedMost people who use social media for promoting their blog post on multiple platforms. The only way to do this successfully is to get automated. WordPress and other tools allow you to quickly publish the same post to multiple platforms. And apps such as Tweetdeck allow you to write and schedule tweets in advance. This lets you post multiple times a day without taking all of your time. Automation also lets you deliberately post at the times your audience is most likely to see the message. This may seem like a small detail, but it is crucial to getting seen. 4. Let’s Get VisualThe verdict is in: Instagram marketing is here to stay. And this is a great way to bring your blog content to life. If you’re not careful, blogs can seem faceless and lifeless. Readers may not know who you are and will not feel engaged by your words. However, Instagram lets you share pictures of your life and your personal journey. Once readers feel invested in the writer, they are likelier to become passionate about what you have written. 5. Link It InLinkedIn is one of the later entries to the world of social media. However, it can be the biggest asset in helping you grow your blog. At the end of the day, LinkedIn is best at linking people with related networks and individuals. You may be able to use it to find guest bloggers that can grow your business. You can also use LinkedIn to “keep up” with other bloggers. By understanding your competition, you can make sure your blog offers what they do not. How to Get Blog Followers: The Bottom LineNow you know how to get blog followers. But do you know how else to use social media? At Social Media Explorer, we are all about bringing your blog to life. To learn more hot tricks, check out our tools and tips today! The post 5 Ways to Boost Your Blog with Social Media appeared first on Social Media Explorer. Social Media via Social Media Explorer http://bit.ly/2onGYog January 26, 2019 at 07:19AM
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Facebook Group Changes: How the Invited Category Impacts Groups http://bit.ly/2HtB2Ii Welcome to this week’s edition of the Social Media Marketing Talk Show, a news show for marketers who want to stay on the leading edge of social media. On this week’s Social Media Marketing Talk Show, we explore YouTube recommendations and Facebook group membership changes with guests Owen Video and Bella Vasta. Watch the Social Media Marketing Talk ShowIf you’re new to the show, click below to watch our latest episode from Friday, January 25, 2019. You can also listen to the show as an audio podcast, found on iTunes/Apple Podcast, Android, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, and RSS. VIDEO For this week’s top stories, you’ll find timestamps below that allow you to fast-forward in the replay above. Over the past few weeks, YouTube has introduced several different search and recommendation features to its mobile apps and desktop page to help with the discoverability of videos. We discuss each of these new tools listed below with our guest co-host, Owen Video (2:43): YouTube Tests New Recommendation Format for Mobile and Desktop: The Verge reports that “YouTube is testing a new recommendation format… that uses blue bubbles to suggest keywords, creators, and related topics to help users browse through videos.” This tool is intended to help users filter recommendations that are more specific and relevant to their interests than the videos that normally appear off to the side. The experimental recommendation format is currently being tested on the mobile apps and the main desktop page by a “small set of people.”
YouTube Rolls Out Updated Voice Search for Android: Earlier this month, YouTube began rolling out an updated, powerful voice search functionality that allows users to navigate different parts of the Android app directly. For example, saying “Show me trending videos” will navigate users to the Trending tab. The “show me” command will also work for Subscriptions, Watch History, and several other sections of the app. The enhanced voice-enabled search functionality is currently limited to Android users only.
YouTube Adds Ability to Swipe to See Next Video on iOS: YouTube rolled out the option to swipe left to skip to the next video, or swipe right to go back to the previous. The update is currently only available for iOS (6S and above) and requires the most recent version of the YouTube app. YouTube plans to bring this feature to Android users too sometime in the future.
YouTube Tests Video Download Recommendation Tool: Android Police reports that YouTube is testing a new video download recommendation tool that provides users with a list of suggested videos that they “might want to make available for offline watching.” While this possible new feature was spotted by a user in Malaysia, the company hasn’t confirmed where it’s being tested nor if it will be more available to more accounts.
Experience 3 days with the best social marketers. Discover the latest tactics and improve your marketing know-how! YouTube Cracks Down on Dangerous Challenges and Pranks: In an FAQ posted to its support site and shared on Twitter, YouTube reinforced that its “Community Guidelines prohibit content that encourages dangerous activities that are likely to result in serious harm” and explicitly extended this warning to “dangerous challenges and pranks,” calling some of them out by name. (19:06)
The company states that such content has “no place on YouTube” and it’s giving creators a 2-month grace period to clean up their channels before such content will result in a strike. Those who get three strikes in 90 days will lose their YouTube accounts altogether. Facebook Rolls Out Changes to Group Memberships: Facebook released a new set of parameters around adding people to Facebook groups, and who can be counted toward a group’s total member count. The company updated group invitations such that users will have the option to accept or decline to be added. It also added a new Invited Section to groups’ member lists that show people who have been invited to join but haven’t accepted. These people won’t be counted toward the group’s total member count until they accept. (26:59)
In the next few weeks, Facebook says admins will be able to send one notification to invited people to remind them to accept or decline the invitation to join their group. Facebook Makes Pages More Transparent and Accountable: Facebook announced additional steps in how it handles page content that goes against its Community Standards and policies. Starting this week, page admins will see a new tab that shows when Facebook removes certain content that goes against its Community Standards and when it reduces the distribution of posts that have been rated false by a third-party fact-checker. (41:21)
In the weeks ahead, Facebook will also update its recidivism policy such that pages removed for violating its Community Standards will be prevented from using new or duplicate pages to continue the same activity. Facebook Adds New Ways for Advertisers to Control Where Their Ads Appear: Digiday reports that Facebook is developing new brand safety tools that allow brands to more effectively manage where their video ad content appears outside of Facebook. The main focus will be on Facebook’s Audience Network, the platform’s option to expand advertiser reach beyond the platform itself to participating apps and websites. (45:39)
Facebook Tests LOL, New Video Feed of Memes That Targets Teens: Facebook is currently testing another product designed to win the highly sought-after teen market over to its platform. Rather than releasing a new app or site this time, Facebook is experimenting with a video feed called LOL within its main product that focuses on exclusively delivering memes. (48:00)
Instagram Confirms There Haven’t Been Any Changes to the Algorithm: Instagram debunked a viral post claiming that the social network’s algorithmic feed is limiting the reach of certain accounts to just 7% of their followers and asking people to like or comment on the post to bump up its rankings in the feed. (49:50)
The exact wording varies, but the pleas are always directed towards “small business owners” presumably just like or similar to the account sharing the memes. Instagram assured users via tweet that it has “not made any recent changes to feed ranking” and that it will “never hide posts from people you’re following.” Want to catch our next show live? Click here to subscribe or add our show to your calendar. There are 17 tracks of content available to you at Social Media Marketing World. Don't miss this event! Social Media via Social Media Marketing | Social Media Examiner http://bit.ly/1LtH18p January 26, 2019 at 05:07AM
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Everything You Need To Know About Web Hosting http://bit.ly/2DxNBy9 In order for your website to be live on the Internet, it needs to be hosted. If you’re creating a website for the first time, move “set up hosting” to the top of your to do list, if it’s not already there. Already own and operate a website? Did you rush into a plan without understanding how everything worked first? Maybe you feel like you’re fine with the host you picked at random. Makes sense — until you run into a problem with your website, you might not even think twice about your hosting plan. However, you don’t want to wait until that happens. It’s better to educate yourself on web hosting now so you can find the best option before anything goes awry. This will make your life much easier down the road. Regardless of your situation, you’ve come to the right place. This beginner’s guide on web hosting will help you feel confident picking the host that’s right for you and your goals. What is web hosting?Let’s start with the basics. What exactly is web hosting? How does web hosting work? Websites are hosted on servers. In simple terms, a server is a very powerful computer that does only one or two simple services, hence the name server. The type of server we’re interested in stores websites and delivers them to people over the internet. Your web host provides the server space and the technology for your website to be accessed on the Internet. It’s the process that allows someone to search for your site or enter your URL into their web browser to see your page online. Everything that your website contains is stored and accessed through the web host. I’m referring to things like images, videos, files, text — everything. Web hosting and data centers are often confused with one another. While the two are similar and work together, they are not quite the same. Web hosting refers to the servers that host websites or the hosting companies that provide you with server space. Data centers are the physical facilities where those servers are located. Web hosting typesThere is no one-size-fits-all plan for web hosting. It’s like buying a car. You don’t just walk into a dealership and say, “I’ll have a car please.” What kind do you want? You need to decide if you want a sports car, sedan, coupe, hybrid, SUV, electric, diesel, automatic transmission, manual transmission, etc. Fortunately with web hosting, you don’t have that many options to choose from. There are four main types of hosting.
I’ll explain how each one of these works and what type of website would need that level of hosting, so you can decide which option is best for you. Shared hostingFirst, shared hosting. With this method, your website shares server space with other websites. Here’s a diagram that shows how shared web hosting works compared to the other web hosting types: Since you’re sharing a server with other websites, this will be the most cost-effective method. Think of it like taking the bus to work instead of driving your own car. The bus will be less expensive, but you’ll be making some stops along the way to your destination in order accommodate other people. While I don’t necessarily have a problem with shared hosting, you could potentially run into problems down the road as your website grows and gets more traffic. High spikes in traffic can impact loading time and even lead to error messages for people trying to access your site. The performance of your website can be affected by traffic to other sites on the same shared server. So, just like when you’re on the bus, there may be a ton of other people requesting stops, slowing down your commute. Or, it might be just you and the driver. You’re saving money, but you have less control of the quality of the experience. Who is shared hosting best for?Shared hosting is a common option for beginners and entry-level websites. It’s affordable and doesn’t require much technical knowledge. If this sounds like your situation, you’re probably a good candidate for shared hosting. (You can also upgrade later on, when your website traffic grows.) VPS hosting (Virtual Private Server)VPS hosting is the next step up from shared hosting. With this option, one server is basically split into multiple virtual servers. The main server is shared with other websites, but each site is given its own virtual server. Since fewer websites share the main server, page load times will be much faster with VPS hosting. Since fewer websites share the main server, page load times will be much faster with VPS hosting. It’s definitely important for you to understand the principles that boost your website loading time since this will ultimately have an impact on your conversions. It’s not quite as good as dedicated hosting, but it’s better than shared hosting and gives you, the website owner, more control. If you go with this option, you’ll have complete root access and more control at the server level. But if you’re expecting high volumes of traffic, VPS hosting can still be limiting. I’d compare it to using a car-sharing service: it’s faster than taking the bus, but you’re still limited in some ways. Who is VPS hosting best for?Even small websites with lower volumes of traffic can benefit form VPS hosting. If your site has lots of visual elements like images and videos that could potentially slow down the loading time, you’ll be better off with VPS hosting than a shared host. Dedicated server hostingDedicated servers are yours and only yours. They are more expensive than the other options we’ve looked at so far, but the premium pricing comes with added benefits. It’s like owning your own car, as opposed to taking public transportation. You are in control of everything. Since you’re the only website on this server, you have complete technical control. This allows you to implement a greater range of software on your website. Downtimes should be minimal since you don’t have to worry about traffic from other sites impacting your site. And, your load time is only impacted by your site — not any other sites. Depending on your hosting plan, you might be able to upgrade from a shared server to a dedicated server when your website grows without having to start over from scratch. I recommend looking for this room to grow when you sign up for a plan. Migrating isn’t any fun, and neither is capping your site’s success. Who is dedicated server hosting for?Dedicated servers are for sites with higher volumes of traffic. If you have an ecommerce platform and want to make changes to the server based on your ecommerce software, you should consider going with a dedicated server. Cloud hostingAccording to Statista, the cloud computing and hosting market has been growing for the last decade or so. With this method, multiple servers will work together to host your website, as well as other sites. But unlike traditional shared hosting, cloud hosting accounts for traffic spikes, so high levels of traffic to your site or other sites on the same cloud shouldn’t impact anyone’s loading speed. However, you won’t have root access for a cloud server, which means you can’t change any of the server settings or install specific software. But for those of you who have a simple website and don’t need those tech options, cloud hosting might be a good option to consider. Who is cloud hosting for?Cloud hosting is for websites that fall somewhere between shared hosting and a VPS. If your site doesn’t need access to the technical side of a VPS, but want you’re anticipating high volumes of traffic and don’t want loading time to be an issue, cloud hosting is viable option. Web hosting featuresNow that you understand the four basic types of web hosting, it’s time to know what features to look for before you buy a hosting plan. These features will vary depending on the web hosting type, the hosting company, and the plan you select. Understanding these web hosting features will help you figure out how to choose a web hosting provider. BandwidthBandwidth refers to the speed of your network connection, as opposed to the transfer speed. Higher bandwidth allows more visitors to access your site at the same time while maintaining a fluid user experience. Lower bandwidth connections will cause slow loading times, delays, and even errors. So, take a look at the bandwidth options offered by your hosting provider. If you’re a new website, you probably don’t need the highest bandwidth right away. Find one that can meet your traffic needs and website content. For example, if users are going to be watching videos, looking at photos, and buying items on your ecommerce shop, you’ll definitely want higher bandwidth. But if you’re just starting with a blog and don’t expect heavy traffic, you can go with a lesser plan. Data storage and disc spaceYou might see some web hosting companies offering unlimited data. However, make sure you look at all the details before falling for something that sounds too good to be true. Sometimes there are hidden charges for exceeding average site usage. Unlimited storage isn’t always the best option. I recommend picking a plan that clearly states the storage you get based on the amount of disc space that you actually need. Customer supportMost site owners don’t think of this, but customer support should be one of the top considerations when looking for a web hosting company. Roughly 20% of web hosting clients named support as the most important feature when choosing a hosting plan — I think that number should be much higher. Why? Hopefully, you don’t have any problems. But in the event you need some help or have time-sensitive questions that need to be addressed, you want to know that your web host is available and at your service. Read reviews online from their existing clients to see how well they handle customer service communication and response time before you proceed with a plan. It’s also helpful when web hosting companies offer other resources, such as video tutorials or extensive guides and FAQ sections on their website. DomainsThe majority of the best web hosting businesses will let you create multiple domain names under the same account. So if you’re planning to host several websites through the same hosting service, this is definitely something you’ll want to look into before you get started. It’s easier to manage everything this way. Having to set up a new account for each domain can be a pain. For those of you that still need to buy a domain name, you can consider using a web host that allows you to purchase domains through their platform, but I recommend keeping these two things separate in case you have to switch hosts later on, your domain won’t be tied to your old host. SSL certificationSSL stands for “secure socket layer.” Basically, this certification adds encryption to your website to protect your personal information, as well as personal information of your site’s visitors. There are different types of SSL certificates. Some are for businesses, while others are made for individuals. Major website hosting services will offer an SSL certificate, but they can also be provided by third-party security companies. If a website hosting company doesn’t offer SSL certificates or doesn’t have a strong SSL certificate, you may want to consider an alternative option. It’s also worth noting that transport layer security (TLS) is an alternative to SSL. This gives you more security, but it’s not as popular or readily available as SSL certificates. You may not need more than just a couple of company email addresses right now. However, as your website grows, you may want more. That’s why I think it’s important to look for web hosting services that offer multiple email addresses with your domain name. You could always get these email features through a third-party, but it’s much easier to handle everything in the same place. Ecommerce softwareIf you’re going to be selling products through your website, proper ecommerce software needs to be a priority when you’re looking for the best web hosting option. You need to be sure that your plan either supports the software that you plan to use, or comes with ecommerce software that you can implement on your site. It’s worth noting that ecommerce software is not considered a standard feature, so shop around and make sure your web host has what you need to operate your ecommerce platform accordingly. UptimeFor the most part, you’ll see the majority of web hosting companies offering 99.9% uptime. However, don’t assume anything. Usually, those services don’t include scheduled downtimes in the percentages they advertise. So again, it’s best to read reviews and see if their clients are experiencing lots of downtime. If visitors can’t access your site, it’s going to be a big problem for your business. The best websites have a high uptime percentage. The cost of downtime can add up quickly. If users are experiencing problems on your website and can’t access content, they will leave and may not come back. BackupsI do not recommend web hosting services that don’t offer backups. This is one of the most important web hosting features, but it’s often overlooked. All of your website and company files should be backed up appropriately on the hosting server. You should be backing them up on your own as well, but it’s nice to know that you have this data secured by the hosting company. Advertising creditsSome web hosts offer advertising credits as an incentive for buying a plan. Here’s an example from Bluehost. Depending on the company you use for hosting, they’ll let you apply those credits to platforms like Google AdWords. I highly recommend taking advantage of any advertising credits you’re given. Web hosting costsSo how much is all of this going to cost you? I’m sure this is your next logical question. I know it’s not the answer you’re looking for, but the real answer is: It depends. Refer back to the car analogy that I gave you earlier. You could buy a new car for a few thousand dollars, or a hundred thousand dollars depending on the brand, type, and features. Well, the same goes for your web hosting service. The price can range anywhere from less than $10 per month to hundreds of dollars per month. If you’re going to get a shared server with low bandwidth, poor support, and no added software, it’s going to be pretty inexpensive. Even the best shared hosts with great support will run you less than $10 per month; under $5 per month for the initial contract. But if you want a dedicated server, ecommerce software, unlimited email addresses, backups, and multiple domains, you can expect to pay a premium price. The majority of us fall somewhere in between these two extremes. Just be aware that cheaper isn’t always the best option. You need to understand the hidden costs of website hosting and how these costs will change as your website grows. ConclusionYour website needs to be hosted to be online. There is simply no way around it. But that doesn’t mean you should rush into a web hosting plan without doing your research first. First, decide which type of web hosting type is best for your situation. Then, determine the web hosting features you want. Once you know the answer to these questions, look for a reputable web hosting service that meets the requirements you’re looking for. Don’t be intimidated by web hosting. Use this beginner web hosting guide as a reference, and let me know if you have any additional questions. What type of web hosting server are you planning to use for your website? Social Media via Quick Sprout http://bit.ly/UU7LJr January 25, 2019 at 11:08AM
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Roger Stone's Instagram account posts bizarre meme hours after indictment http://bit.ly/2RgA4yH Roger Stone's Instagram account posts bizarre meme hours after indictment
By Chloe Bryan
Instagramming after you've been arrested is generally a bad idea, but when has that ever stopped Roger Stone? The longtime Trump associate and dog threatener was indicted for witness tampering, making false statements, and obstruction Friday morning in connection with Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. Less than four hours after his arrest, someone on Stone's staff posted this image, complete with Who Framed Roger Rabbit? reference, to his personal Instagram: The caption reads: "Robert Mueller's early morning raid was straight out of the gestapo's playbook. We must fight for Roger Stone... now more than ever. If they can do this to Roger... they are coming for us next!" The premium content doesn't stop there. Stone's Instagram Story currently features two bizarre doctored videos of dogs saying "Roger Stone did nothing wrong" in creepy, high-pitched voices. Watch those at your own risk — the sound will remain in your brain forever. Social Media via Mashable http://bit.ly/2DCFv97 January 25, 2019 at 10:27AM |
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