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Twitter Announces To Get Paid For Each Article

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By Teena Jose

Musk revealed that Twitter will take a 10% cut on content subscriptions after the first year, noting that the company will not take a cut for the first 12 months

Twitter CEO Elon Musk has announced that Twitter will allow media publishers to charge users for individual articles they post on the website. The feature is rolling out next month.

“Rolling out next month, this platform will allow media publishers to charge users on a per article basis with one click. This enables users who would not sign up for a monthly subscription to pay a higher per article price for when they want to read an occasional article. Should be a major win-win for both media organizations and the public,” Musk Tweeted.

According to reports, this move is seen as Twitter’s attempt to find a sustainable business model as advertising revenue continues to fluctuate. Moreover, Musk also revealed that Twitter will take a 10% cut on content subscriptions after the first year, noting that the company will not take a cut for the first 12 months. These subscriptions include long-form text and hours-long videos.

The per-article payment feature could benefit media organizations struggling to make ends meet, especially as advertising revenue continues to be unpredictable.

Meanwhile, Twitter has also applied ‘Community Notes’ to ads which aims to create a better informed world by empowering people on Twitter to collaboratively add context to potentially misleading Tweets. The feature allows the contributors to leave notes on any Tweet and if enough contributors from different points of view rate that note as helpful, the note will be publicly shown on a Tweet

Earlier this week, the micro-blogging site removed the legacy verified blue tick from verified accounts where several celebrities have lost their verified blue ticks from their Twitter accounts. This comes months after the company’s CEO Elon Musk announced the date to press users to sign up for Twitter Blue, its paid subscription service.

Feature Image Credit: Freepik

By Teena Jose

Teena is a post graduate in financial journalism. She has an avid interest in content creation, digital media and fashion.

Sourced from Entrepreneur India

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The power of Facebook – can it really be on the wane, asks media expert John Jewell

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By John Jewell

Remaining relevant will be key as other platforms such as TikTok surge in popularity…

I doubt whether this will come as much of a surprise to anyone, but the ubiquity of Facebook continues, seemingly unbound. At the beginning of this year the company, since 2021 rebranded under the name of Meta, released figures which placed it’s number of monthly active users at 2.8 billion worldwide. This figure is made all the more remarkable by the fact that it doesn’t include users for either WhatsApp or Instagram, which are also owned by Facebook.

In global terms, India has the biggest overall number of users with 351 million. Which, as online statistics company Statista says, if India’s Facebook audience were a country then it would be ranked third in terms of largest population worldwide. In the US, 71.43% of the country spend time on Facebook, in the UK the number is 66%. In terms of time spent using the platform, the average user will spend is 33 minutes a day on it, three hours 15 minutes a week and 16 hours 30 minutes a month.

The impact of Facebook upon the lives of those who engage with it is remarkable. It is, in fact, a massive database of information which collects vast quantities of personal material. Facebook records everything that’s done. Everything that’s favoured, every single page visited, every profile. Think of what is personally volunteered when someone signs up: name, age, marital status, city of residence, employment and education, all these details are harvested and stored. This information can then be used.

It’s not sold on to advertisers as such, Facebook says. It states on the online help desk: “We don’t sell your information. Instead, based on the information that we have, advertisers and other partners pay us to show you personalised ads on the Facebook family of apps and technologies.”

However, as the New York Times reported in 2018: “Facebook can learn almost anything about you by using artificial intelligence to analyse your behaviour,” said Peter Eckersley, the chief computer scientist for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights non-profit organisation in the US. “That knowledge turns out to be perfect both for advertising and propaganda.”

Over the years the company has found itself at the centre of major scandals involving what it does with user data. The most high profile of these occurred in 2018 when the Observer newspaper revealed that Cambridge Analytica, a UK-based consultancy firm, had used the personal data of millions of US Facebook subscribers to build profiles of potential voters for the successful presidential campaign of Donald Trump in 2016.

And just a matter of days ago, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, which acts for the European Union, announced that it had fined the company 1.2 billion euros for transferring information from its European users to its US servers. In one of the biggest fines of its kind ever delivered, the ruling, according to the Columbian Journalism Review, calls into question “not just Facebook’s data-collection apparatus—and the multi-billion-dollar business model that it supports—but the similar data-handling and monetisation practices of almost every other global social network and online service”.

So, despite the mind-bending usage figures quoted at the beginning of this article, and the fact the net worth of Facebook is around $320 billion in 2023, there are signs that it is in decline. Indeed, in 2018 it lost around one million users in Europe and, in the US, it’s market share among social networks dropped to 50.8% from 54.3% in 2019.

In the UK, usage has been steadily dwindling for some years. The Daily Telegraph reported in July 2019 that “the number of online interactions made on Facebook’s mobile app in the UK plummeted by 38 percent between June 2018 and June 2019”.

So, why are Briton’s leaving the platform? There are a number of reasons, some of them explored by Mark Whitehead of Aberystwyth University. He has found that the public scandals Facebook has been involved in, contrary to his own assumptions, are rarely the “primary reasons for leaving the network”. Some explanations are relatable and perhaps speak of a growing distrust of social media in general. People are asking: Why am I spending time and so much energy constantly comparing my life with others?

Amongst the younger generations the issue is choice. Teenagers, who let’s remember have grown up with the online world as a constant companion, see Facebook as outdated and the area where their parents gather. Instagram, also owned by Facebook’s parent company, is clearly much more geared toward younger users. It has a basic, understandable design which focusses on imagery rather than self-involved narrative.

Then there is the Chinese-owned phenomenon of TikTok. TikTok allows its aficionados to make and broadcast short videos. It is unbelievably popular with 18-to-24 age range. Forty percent of its users are in that age bracket and it is now the most downloaded of all the apps – more than three billion times, in fact.

So, whilst some may say that the age of social media is in entering its death throes, the popularity of the newer forms, with an evolving audience, suggests otherwise. And maybe Facebook will find a way to stay relevant. After all, its global range and presence is startling. It also offers so many things that its younger competitors don’t. It still appeals to people of all ages – and we all grow up, unfortunately.

 

Feature Image Credit: Western Mail

By John Jewell

Sourced from WalesOnline

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News Publishers Looking for Traffic Can Probably Ignore Twitter

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By Marco Marcelline

Twitter was never a major traffic driver for publishers, but it’s driving fewer clicks than ever, Chartbeat says, especially for small news outlets.

Twitter’s role as a source of traffic to news publishers has been diminishing for years, according to data published by content analytics firm Chartbeat.

In April 2018, 1.9% of all traffic to news publishing sites came from Twitter, but in April 2023, the traffic amounted to 1.2%, and hit a low of 1.1% in February.

Small news publishers in particular have seen their Twitter referral traffic drop significantly. In April 2018, 486 small publishers (those with less than 10,000 daily page views) received 10.1 million page views from Twitter referrals. But last month, they received a paltry 186,930 views, a decline of 98%.

Meanwhile, as Press Gazette notes, medium-sized publishers saw their traffic decline by 40% over the same period, with 3.7 million views in April 2023 compared to 6.1 million five years earlier. Page referrals for medium-sized publishers hit a brief peak in March 2020, when many nations locked down due to the pandemic, with 8.6 million views.

Facebook is still a larger source of referral traffic. News sites relied on the social media site for 12.68% of their total traffic last year. This compares to 11.96% in 2021 and 13.01% in 2020.

The statistics show that Twitter’s page referrals have been declining for some time, well before Elon Musk took over the platform in October 2022.

According to Press Gazzette, the news sites that have seen the largest drops in traffic from Twitter include the Kyiv Independent, falling 61% between September 2022 and April this year, while Buzzfeed.com saw a 60% drop since April 2021, and The Independent saw a drop of 56%.

Meanwhile, bucking the declining trend, British tabloid The Sun saw a 23% increase in page views since Musk took over Twitter and Fox News has seen a 54% increase since 2021.

Sourced from PC

 

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Reach Solutions showcases RSVP relaunch!

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Last week, Ireland’s largest commercial news publisher, Reach hosted a RSVP brand relaunch party to celebrate and showcase the new revitalised look and feel of the brand in both print and digital.

Over 50 clients from 10+ ad agencies and numerous direct clients in Ireland packed into Zozimus in St. Annes Lane, Dublin for an exclusive evening of entertainment including live music by Rory from DJ and Sax, spot prizes, canapes, cocktails and craic!

RSVP, Ireland’s leading women’s magazine, plays an important role in bringing lifestyle content to their community of loyal readers. With over twelve successful years in print circulation, the team felt the brand needed to evolve, bridging the gap between the physical magazine and a younger online platform. The challenge was to create a revitalised brand, designed to engage beyond the core demographic while retaining a loyal readership and expanding opportunities for advertising.

Speaking at the event, Marketing Director of Reach Ireland, Joanne Friel said:

“The RSVP brand refresh was a project borne out of reader research. Over 1,200 of our readers took part in a comprehensive research study over several months, comprising of surveys and focus groups across Ireland. We were keen to explore all elements of the brand – from our print and digital content, to our visual brand assets, and our readers helped us explore it all in great depth.

The result is a clearly defined content proposition around four key areas – Celebrity, Lifestyle, Health & Happiness, as well as a new logo and a graphic design architecture that works across our various print, online, and social platforms.”

Commenting on the success of the event, Group Sales Director of Reach Solutions in Ireland, Hugh Crowther said:

“We were thrilled by the overwhelming response and great turnout at our RSVP brand relaunch. Seeing so many of our valued agency clients speaks volumes about their trust in our vision and the impact our work has had on their businesses.

The evening was an incredible success, filled with excitement, creativity, and meaningful connections. We are very grateful for the support of our clients and look forward to continuing our journey of innovation and excellence together.”

Reach Solutions team in Ireland enjoying RSVP Relaunch event Pictured L-R Holly Mullane, Account Manager; Tegan McCluskey, Agency Account Manager; Aimee Rourke, Business Communications Manager, Grainne McDonald, Head of Direct Advertising & Events and Aisling Macnamara, Head of Client Services.

Laura Hennessy from Reach Solutions pictured with Ger Killoran from Mindshare at the RSVP Relaunch event last week.

View video and pictures from the night here.

Feature Image Credit: Hugh Crowthers, Group Sales Director of Reach Solutions pictured with Marketing Director of Reach Ireland Joanne Friel at the RSVP Rebrand event last week.

Media Enquiries: Aimee Rourke (email: [email protected]) 

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The Complete Guide to Building Backlinks for SEO Success

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Sourced from SHAREINGER

Building backlinks are links that direct from one website to another. They are also known as inbound links or incoming links. Backlinks are important in search engine optimization (SEO) because they can help increase a website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Contents

Search engines like Google use backlinks as a way to determine the relevance and authority of a website. When one website links to another, it’s essentially giving a vote of confidence or endorsement for that site. The more high-quality, relevant backlinks a website has pointing to it, the more likely it is to rank well in search engine results pages.

Backlinks can be acquired in a variety of ways, such as through guest blogging, broken link building, or creating shareable content that others will naturally want to link to. It’s important to note that not all backlinks are created equal, and search engines prioritize quality over quantity. A backlink from a highly authoritative website in the same niche as yours will carry more weight than multiple low-quality links from irrelevant sites.

Backlinks are a crucial factor in search engine optimization (SEO). Here are some of the reasons why:

They signal authority and relevance

Search engines like Google use backlinks as a way to determine the authority and relevance of a website. When one website links to another, it’s essentially giving a vote of confidence or endorsement for that site. The more high-quality, relevant backlinks a website has, the more likely it is to rank well in search engine results pages.

They help with indexing

Backlinks can help search engines discover new pages on your website and index them more quickly. When a search engine crawls a website, it follows the links on that site to find other pages. If there are no links to a page, it may take longer for the search engine to discover it.

They increase traffic

Backlinks from high-quality, relevant websites can drive traffic to your site. When someone clicks on a link to your website from another site, they’re essentially being referred to your site, which can lead to increased traffic.

They improve domain authority

Domain authority is a measure of how well a website is likely to rank in search engine results pages. Backlinks are one of the most important factors that affect domain authority. If your website has a lot of high-quality, relevant backlinks, it’s likely to have a higher domain authority than a site with fewer backlinks.

They can be a competitive advantage

Backlinks can be a competitive advantage because they’re not easy to acquire. If your website has a lot of high-quality, relevant backlinks, it’s likely to rank higher in search engine results pages than a site with fewer backlinks. This can give you an edge over your competitors who may not have as many backlinks.

DoFollow

DoFollow is a term used to describe a type of backlink that passes link equity or link juice from one website to another. When a website links to another website with a DoFollow link, it is essentially telling search engines that it endorses the content on the linked site and that the linked site is a valuable resource for its audience.

DoFollow links are important for search engine optimization (SEO) because they can help improve a website’s search engine rankings by increasing its domain authority and page authority. When search engines see that a website has a lot of high-quality DoFollow backlinks from authoritative websites, they are more likely to rank that website higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

It’s important to note that not all backlinks are DoFollow. Some links are marked with the rel=”nofollow” attribute, which tells search engines not to follow or pass link equity to the linked site. This is typically done to prevent spammy or low-quality links from influencing search engine rankings. However, even NoFollow links can still drive traffic to a site and provide some SEO benefits.

NoFollow

NoFollow is a term used to describe a type of backlink that does not pass link equity or link juice from one website to another. When a website links to another website with a NoFollow link, it is essentially telling search engines not to follow the link and not to count it as a vote or endorsement for the linked site.

NoFollow links were introduced by Google in 2005 as a way to combat spammy or low-quality links. Websites could add the rel=”nofollow” attribute to links to prevent them from being seen as manipulative or spammy by search engines. Since then, NoFollow links have been used for a variety of purposes, including:

User-generated content

Websites that allow user-generated content, such as comments or forum posts, may use NoFollow links to prevent spammy or low-quality links from being added to their site.

Paid links

Websites that sell or buy links may use NoFollow links to avoid being penalized by search engines for buying or selling links.

Sponsored content

Websites that publish sponsored content or advertorials may use NoFollow links to disclose that the content is sponsored and to avoid being penalized by search engines for not disclosing sponsored content.

While NoFollow links do not pass link equity, they can still drive traffic to a site and provide some SEO benefits. In addition, a mix of DoFollow and NoFollow links can appear more natural to search engines and can help prevent a site from being penalized for having too many manipulative or spammy links.

The quality of backlinks is an important factor in search engine optimization (SEO). Search engines like Google use various metrics to determine the quality of a backlink, including the following:

Relevance

The relevance of the linking website to the content on the linked website is a key factor in determining the quality of a backlink. A link from a website that is relevant to the content on the linked website is generally considered to be a high-quality backlink.

Authority

The authority of the linking website is another important factor in determining the quality of a backlink. A link from a high-authority website, such as a government or educational website, is generally considered to be a high-quality backlink.

Trust

The trustworthiness of the linking website is also important in determining the quality of a backlink. A link from a trusted website, such as a well-known news organization or industry association, is generally considered to be a high-quality backlink.

Anchor text

The anchor text, or the text that is used to create the hyperlink, is also important in determining the quality of a backlink. A link with relevant and descriptive anchor text is generally considered to be a high-quality backlink.

Diversity

The diversity of backlinks is also important in determining the quality of a backlink profile. A backlink profile with a diverse range of high-quality backlinks is generally considered to be more valuable than a profile with a large number of low-quality backlinks.

Overall, high-quality backlinks are those that come from relevant, authoritative, and trustworthy websites with descriptive and diverse anchor text. These types of backlinks can significantly Improve Your Website Visibility in Search Results and drive more traffic to a site.

Building high-quality backlinks is an important part of search engine optimization (SEO) and can help improve a website’s search engine rankings and drive more traffic to a site. Here are some strategies for building backlinks:

Create high-quality content

One of the best ways to build backlinks is to create high-quality content that other websites will want to link to. This could include original research, in-depth guides, or valuable resources that are relevant to your target audience.

Guest blogging

Guest blogging involves writing content for another website in exchange for a link back to your own website. Look for websites in your industry that accept guest blog posts and pitch them on a topic that would be relevant to their audience.

Broken link building

Broken link building involves finding broken links on other websites and reaching out to the website owner to suggest a replacement link (which would be to your own website). There are tools available, like Check My Links, that can help you find broken links on other sites.

Skyscraper technique

The Skyscraper technique involves finding high-performing content in your industry and creating an even better version of that content. You can then reach out to websites that have linked to the original content and suggest that they link to your improved version.

Link reclamation

Link reclamation involves finding instances where your website has been mentioned but not linked to and reaching out to the website owner to ask for a link. You can use tools like Google Alerts or Mention to track mentions of your brand or website online.

Participate in industry forums and communities

Participating in online forums and communities in your industry can help you build relationships with other website owners and potentially lead to opportunities for backlinks.

Remember that building high-quality backlinks takes time and effort. It’s important to focus on creating valuable content and building relationships with other website owners in your industry. Avoid spammy tactics like buying links or participating in link schemes, as these can result in penalties from search engines.

Importance of Anchor Text

Anchor text is the clickable text in a hyperlink that directs users to another page on the internet. Anchor text is important for both users and search engines because it provides context about the content on the linked page. Here are some reasons why anchor text is important:

Improves usability

Anchor text can help improve the usability of a website by providing users with a clear idea of what they will find when they click on a link. For example, if the anchor text of a link says “click here,” users may not know what they will find when they click on the link.

Provides context

Anchor text provides context about the content on the linked page. Search engines use anchor text to help determine the topic of the linked page, which can help improve search engine rankings for relevant keywords.

Builds relevance

Relevant anchor text can help build relevance for the linked page. For example, if a website selling running shoes has a link with anchor text “best running shoes,” this can help improve relevance for the keyword “running shoes” and improve search engine rankings for that keyword.

Increases credibility

Anchor text can increase the credibility of a website by providing context and information about the linked page. Websites that use descriptive and relevant anchor text are more likely to be viewed as credible and trustworthy by both users and search engines.

Overall, anchor text is an important factor in search engine optimization (SEO) and can help improve search engine rankings, usability, relevance, and credibility for a website. It’s important to use descriptive and relevant anchor text that accurately reflects the content on the linked page. Avoid using spammy or manipulative anchor text, as this can result in penalties from search engines.

Monitoring backlinks is an important part of search engine optimization (SEO) as it helps website owners track their link building efforts and ensure that their website is not being negatively impacted by low-quality or spammy backlinks. Here are some reasons why monitoring backlinks is important:

Identifying low-quality backlinks

Low-quality or spammy backlinks can harm a website’s search engine rankings and lead to penalties from search engines. Monitoring backlinks allows website owners to identify these low-quality links and take action to remove them.

Evaluating link building efforts

Monitoring backlinks allows website owners to evaluate their link building efforts and determine which strategies are working and which are not. This information can help guide future link building efforts and improve overall SEO strategy.

Protecting against negative SEO

Negative SEO involves intentionally building low-quality backlinks to a competitor’s website in order to harm their search engine rankings. Monitoring backlinks allows website owners to identify and disavow these harmful links before they can cause damage.

Building relationships with other website owners

Monitoring backlinks can also help website owners build relationships with other website owners in their industry. By reaching out to websites that have linked to their content, website owners can thank them and potentially open up opportunities for future collaborations or backlinks.

Overall, monitoring backlinks is an important aspect of SEO and can help website owners ensure that their link building efforts are having a positive impact on their search engine rankings. It’s important to regularly review and analyze backlinks to identify and address any potential issues.

Tools for Monitoring Backlinks

There are many tools available for monitoring backlinks, ranging from free to paid options. Here are some popular tools for monitoring backlinks:

Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool provided by Google that allows website owners to monitor their website’s performance in search results. It also provides information about the websites that link to your website, allowing you to evaluate your backlink profile.

Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a paid tool that provides comprehensive backlink analysis, including information about the quality and quantity of backlinks, as well as the anchor text used. It also allows you to track your backlink profile over time and monitor any changes.

Moz Pro

Moz Pro is another paid tool that provides backlink analysis and monitoring, as well as other SEO metrics such as keyword rankings and site audits.

SEMrush

SEMrush is a comprehensive SEO tool that includes backlink analysis and monitoring. It also provides information about your website’s organic search traffic, keyword rankings, and other SEO metrics.

Majestic SEO

Majestic SEO is a paid tool that specializes in backlink analysis, providing information about the quality and quantity of backlinks, as well as the anchor text used. It also includes features such as backlink tracking and competitor analysis.

These are just a few examples of the many tools available for monitoring backlinks. It’s important to choose a tool that meets your specific needs and budget, and to regularly review and analyze your backlink profile to ensure that it is helping, rather than harming, your search engine rankings.

Benefits of Monitoring Backlinks

There are several benefits of monitoring backlinks as a part of search engine optimization (SEO) strategy:

Identifying and resolving issues

By monitoring backlinks, you can identify any low-quality or spammy links that could be harming your website’s search engine rankings. This allows you to take corrective action, such as removing the links or disavowing them in Google Search Console.

Tracking your link building efforts

Monitoring backlinks allows you to track the success of your link building efforts and make necessary adjustments. You can see which types of content are attracting the most backlinks, which websites are linking to you, and what keywords they are using as anchor text.

Improving search engine rankings

Backlinks are a key factor in search engine rankings. By monitoring your backlink profile and ensuring that you have high-quality, relevant links, you can improve your website’s search engine rankings and visibility.

Staying ahead of competitors

By monitoring your competitors’ backlink profiles, you can identify their strengths and weaknesses and adjust your own strategy accordingly. You can also find opportunities to acquire new backlinks by reaching out to websites that link to your competitors.

Building relationships with other website owners

Monitoring backlinks allows you to identify websites that link to your content and reach out to them to build relationships. This can lead to future collaborations, guest posting opportunities, and other benefits.

Overall, monitoring backlinks is an important part of an effective SEO strategy. By regularly reviewing and analyzing your backlink profile, you can identify and address issues, track your progress, and improve your website’s search engine rankings and visibility.

Conclusion

In conclusion, backlinks are an important part of search engine optimization (SEO), as they signal to search engines the authority and relevance of a website. However, not all backlinks are created equal, and it’s important to focus on building high-quality, relevant backlinks from authoritative sources.

Monitoring backlinks is also an important aspect of SEO, as it allows website owners to identify and address issues with their backlink profile, track their progress, and stay ahead of competitors. There are many tools available for monitoring backlinks, ranging from free to paid options, and it’s important to choose a tool that meets your specific needs and budget.

Overall, building and monitoring backlinks is a critical component of a successful SEO strategy, and website owners should prioritize this aspect of their online presence to improve their search engine rankings and visibility.

Sourced from SHAREINGER

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5 ways to build a personal brand focused on impact, not ego

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By Rusty Shelton

Branding means creating an image in the minds of your audience.

Few phrases generate grimaces from professionals at the same rate as “personal branding.”

In fact, be honest—did your stomach turn a little bit when you just read it?

For many, when they read that phrase, their minds immediately go to people who have ego-driven, “Hey, look at me” kind of brands.

In my experience, having this kind of aversion to personal branding is typically a good sign because it means that you’re not interested in building visibility focused on your ego which is a foundational mindset for building a great brand. But just because many people don’t build their brand the right way doesn’t mean you can’t—or shouldn’t.

Your personal brand matters more today than ever before, and it not only needs to be visible and authentic, but also must build trust before you get in the room. Today, the first place most potential employers, partners, clients, and employees will come in contact with you likely won’t be in person—it will be online after a quick search of your name.

The frank reality is that your brand is what Google says it is. Branding means creating an image in the minds of your audience, and if the first image your audience sees is online, you need to be intentional about it.

The good news is that the more visible and authentic your personal brand is, the more of an impact you can make on others, and the more leverage it gives you personally. Here are five ways to build a personal brand that is focused on impact, not ego:

1. Understand your “why”

The best personal brands are built when an individual is focused on being the messenger, not the message. To do this well, you must have a clear impact that you want to make. Get clear on your message from the start because building a strong brand takes commitment.

2. Conduct an online-brand audit

Before you can focus on growing your brand, you must understand your foundation. Do you have a “brand name” you can own? If someone does find you, is what they find going to encourage them to take a next step with you, or cause them to question whether you are the right fit? This first impression is happening based on your online brand whether you like it or not, so you should be thoughtful about it.

3. Build authority-by-association

Ideally, you want the visuals that make up your brand to say what you shouldn’t say about yourself. For instance, “She’s a credible thought leader with something to teach and not an operator with something to sell.” Make sure you are associating yourself with brands that your audience knows, trusts, and respects by going beyond stock photos or headshots. Be sure to highlight any media coverage you may have received, photos of you speaking, and other images that establish trust by putting you in a setting that builds credibility. Even if you don’t have a ton of media or speaking experience, you can showcase visuals that put you in a setting that connotes authority.

4. Create an intentional content strategy

Most well-meaning people who try to build thought leadership end up focusing entirely on strictly professional content, which often results in slow growth. Instead, blend “you-driven” content (your perspective, pictures, and stories), news-driven content (timely content that connects to the headlines), and relationship-driven content (such as an interview series or podcast) with your professional content.

5. Be your fullest self

In this age of ChatGPT, more content is getting created than ever before, so the only thing that will set you apart is you. Resist the urge to play some kind of role you think you need to play to be a thought leader, and instead be more of yourself by leaning into your personality, interests, and quirks. This will give real value to your audience. Who you are and what makes you different is ultimately the only reason why people will follow you instead of all the other choices out there.

Whether you like it or not, others are getting an image of you online, so be intentional about creating one that accelerates trust and is authentic to who you are. By doing so, you’ll create a bigger impact and avoid the ego-driven branding trap.

Feature Image Credit: Karolina Grabowska/Pexels

By Rusty Shelton

Rusty Shelton is founder and chairman of Zilker Media and strategist for Forbes Books. He is the coauthor of The Authority Advantage: Building Thought Leadership Focused on Impact, Not Ego.

Sourced from Fast Company

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5 Artificial Intelligence Use Cases More Promising Than ChatGPT

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By Tim Clark

If you’re reading this article, chances are good you’ve had a chance to play around with ChatGPT or similar Artificial Intelligence (AI) offerings that are moving the AI adoption needle. And make no mistake, that needle will be redlining for the next few years. According to IDC, as companies incorporate AI into their business operations, spending on AI-centric systems will rise at a compound annual growth rate of 27% between 2022 and 2026, to exceed a staggering $300 billion. Obviously, there’s more than meets the AI when it comes to real uses cases. Here are five promising ones you may not be aware of.

Generative AI Won’t Take Off Without 6G

6G connectivity is waiting in the wings to help companies make AI models more efficient and responsible while data from machines and connected devices continues to grow, according to the recent Forbes article, Generative AI Won’t Take Off Without 6G. “Imagine the possibilities in a world of unlimited immersive experiences,” said John Licata, innovation foresight strategist at SAP. “We’re talking about going beyond initial data inputs from AR and tapping into it in new hyper-personalized and hyper-contextualized 3D experiences generated by AI and used by businesses both ethically and responsibly.”

There Goes The (Search Engine) Neighbourhood: AI Generated SEO Is Here

If you haven’t yet subscribed to the weekly AI newsletter, The Neuron what are you waiting for? Weekly AI gems are delivered right to your inbox daily, like this one that highlights a Twitter thread showing how AI can significantly boost SEO efforts. While the results—using 100% AI-generated content—are impressive, marketing creatives will be delighted to know that Step #1 in the process involves “understanding the target audience” and that a large part of successful AI content campaigns is “knowing what your audience is searching.” Amen!

Madison Avenue Rocks AI For Innovative Campaign

Advertising Agency BBDO New York relied on generative AI to help enterprise software firm SAP create awareness about the speed of business in a new campaign in which the creative changed daily based on current events in culture and business.

Here’s how it worked: AI software generated a composite image of each day’s headlines (based on four inputs), and a human illustrator finalized the images for the Digital out-of-home-advertising boards. Here’s what Ada Agrait, senior vice president of corporate marketing at SAP, told AdAge in a recent article: “Business-built AI gives organizations the agility to be ready for whatever comes every day. This campaign activation exemplifies an organization’s ability to continuously pivot when AI is infused into its business processes.”

AI Podcasts: Boring or Better?

A recent Wired article makes a pretty good case as to why we really don’t need more podcasts, let alone AI generated ones. “Apart from listening to the podcast because of its technological advancement, there’s no point. It’s just wasted time, said Hugo, creator of The Joe Rogan AI Experience, the first AI-generated podcast to take off. Indeed, “robot chit-chat” may not be for everyone, so perhaps the more reasonable AI advancement is for Spotify to use AI to make host-read podcast ads that sound like real people?

AI Helps Businesses Address The Talent Gap

Companies face a growing challenge as they manage the gap between the skills they have in their work force and the skills they need for the future. Closing that gap means optimizing how they recruit and hire new talent in today’s competitive market, as well as how they deliver learning and development programs to help employees grow. In an effort to address these challenges SAP has integrated generative AI into SAP SuccessFactors. Amy Wilson, senior vice president of products and design for SAP SuccessFactors, highlighted some of the capabilities during a demonstration at the Sapphire conference. “It understands requirements for a position and helps HR professionals create job descriptions and interview questions,” said Wilson. “It also provides ideas and tips for planning a recruiting campaign. Aligned with customers’ business strategy, AI will be able to find out the skills that employees need to acquire in the coming years.”

By Tim Clark

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

I am a former Editor-in-Chief and now Head of Brand Journalism for SAP, leading the company’s native advertising strategy.

Sourced from Forbes

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Google To Delete Inactive Gmail, Drive Accounts

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Some potential customers are going to disappear from Gmail as Google updates its inactive account policy.

“Starting later this year, if a Google Account has not been used or signed into for at least 2 years, we may delete the account and its contents – including content within Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar) and Google Photos,” Google states in a blog post.

The reason: security. Google feels that if an account hasn’t been used for an extended period of time, it is more likely to be compromised.

“This is because forgotten or unattended accounts often rely on old or re-used passwords that may have been compromised, haven’t had two factor authentication set up, and receive fewer security checks by the user,” Google writes.

Google’s internal analysis shows that “abandoned accounts are at least 10x less likely than active accounts to have 2-step-verification set up,” the blog continues. Once compromised, they can be used “for anything from identity theft to a vector for unwanted or even malicious content, like spam,” it adds.

This may not have an immediate impact on email marketers. If a consumer has not signed into Gmail for two years, it is likely that the person is inactive in ecommerce accounts, too.

However, they could be using another email service.

Google points out that the policy “only applies to personal Google Accounts, and will not affect accounts for organizations like schools or businesses.”

In any event, Google will not start deleting accounts until December 2023.

Consumers can maintain their accounts by taking one of these actions:

  • Reading or sending an email
  • Using Google Drive
  • Watching a YouTube video
  • Downloading an app on the Google Play Store
  • Using Google Search
  • Using Sign in with Google to sign in to a third-party app or service.

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Sourced from MediaPost

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How to Use Pop-Ups on Your Website Without Annoying Users

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By Itai Sadan 

Pop-ups are potent tools for web conversions. Here’s how to use them without driving your users away.

If you’re a marketer, advertiser or any other related position, pop-ups are one of the many tools at your disposal. They can be very effective at generating conversions and leads by prompting users to take action like signing up for a newsletter or using a coupon code to make a purchase.

Today, websites can have many different types of pop-ups and banners, from cookie notifications to first-time visitor pop-ups to exit intent pop-ups. Despite their value for lead generation, pop-ups can be problematic from a user experience perspective, and using pop-ups incorrectly can actually drive users away. How you execute these pop-ups can mean the difference between users converting or quitting the site entirely. The challenge is to find the right balance to achieve your goals without annoying your users.

Knowing what kind of pop-ups to use, as well as how to use them effectively, will keep your users happy. Here are a few things to know about strong pop-ups, as well as some options you can consider when working on your next pop-up strategy.

Pop-ups are good at what they do

When done correctly, pop-ups are powerful converters. Data from one million live Duda sites shows that, on average, sites that used pop-ups saw a conversion rate four times higher than sites that didn’t use them. Sites without pop-ups saw a 3.7% conversion rate, whereas sites with pop-ups had a 16% conversion rate.

Knowing what type of pop-up you need will also keep users satisfied. There are pop-ups for marketing purposes, and then there are pop-ups for compliance needs. For marketing, 8.4% of our live sites leverage pop-ups for marketing offers or to deliver timely information. These pop-ups drive top-level conversion growth, and they typically offer a discount or encourage users to fill out a form.

There are also required pop-ups, such as cookie policies for GDPR compliance. Duda data shows that out of one million live sites, 25% use GDPR-related pop-ups.

Keep user goals in mind

To create an effective pop-up strategy, you need to ask yourself a few questions. What are your goals, and what kinds of pop-ups accomplish those goals? Additionally, what problems can your pop-ups solve for your users?

The most effective pop-ups are those that keep the user’s needs at the forefront and deliver value that is worth their while. To accomplish this, you need to first understand what your users are looking for and then serve them a pop-up that delivers a clear and compelling solution to that need. We consistently see websites that leverage pop-ups get higher conversion rates, sometimes 3-5 times higher, when using a pop-up instead of other methods, like banners, on a web page.

Be considerate of timing

No one wants to be approached the second they walk into a shop before they’ve had the chance to even look around. The same is true for your pop-ups. Not only are immediate pop-ups bad for your Google search rankings, but they’re also the type of pop-ups users are likely to find the most aggravating. A better practice would be to time pop-ups either as a user is leaving or time it so they’ll close automatically after a few seconds.

Use accessibility best practices

It may go without saying, but you should make sure your pop-ups are accessible and easy to read. Do they have a strong visual focus? If they take up a portion of the page, is it visually distinct from the rest of the page? Do they have clear CTAs? Is it obvious what the user is being asked to do?

Common accessibility issues include tab loops, missing labels, tab focus and keyboard support. According to Duda’s data, these issues represented 8-10% of the total issues detected during typical audits. Clearing up these issues will go a long way toward making your pop-ups more successful. Additionally, any third-party content that appears within an inline frame as part of the pop-up could introduce inaccessible content that would be difficult to correct.

Despite their negative connotations at times, pop-ups are very effective at driving top-level conversions and generating leads. If you’re a marketer or agency professional, they’re an important part of your strategy. But there is a right way to do them that doesn’t wear out your user’s trackpad trying to find the “X.”

By Itai Sadan 

Entrepreneur Leadership Network Contributor. Itai Sadan is the CEO and co-founder of Duda, a professional website builder for agencies and SaaS platforms.

Sourced from Entrepreneur

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The Algebra Of Advertising On Meta’s Platform

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By Nate Lorenzen

Meta, the digital advertising giant with billions of users, continually adapts its algorithms to remain competitive. As a performance marketer in 2023, comprehending Meta’s evolving ad ecosystem is crucial for optimizing your brand’s CPA (cost per acquisition) or ROAS (return on ad spend).

Many marketers, however, struggle with understanding the essential components influencing CPA or ROAS. But don’t worry—mastering three straightforward formulas can help streamline your approach, save money and give you a competitive edge on Meta’s platform. In this article, I’ll demystify these formulas and demonstrate their impact on your marketing strategy.

Years ago, when I started in user acquisition, I wish someone had clarified how these elements intertwine. Grasping these formulas can eliminate confusion, improve testing plans and ultimately drive your marketing success.

Formula 1: APM

Finding the action rate or its cousin APM (actions per mille impressions) helps to get an overall idea of the effectiveness of a campaign. To find the action rate, you’re going to multiply the click-through rate by the conversion rate:

Action Rate = Click-Thru Rate (CTR) * Conversion Rate (CVR)

For the mathematically minded, you will notice that the action rate can be computed more simply as conversions/impressions. So, you can find the APM with the following formula:

APM = (Conversions/Impressions) * 1000

In Meta’s auction, action rate is used as a measurement of an ad’s relevancy. Based on how this metric compares to other ads in the auction, Meta sometimes penalizes or subsidizes ads that are not up to par. Relevancy is very important to Meta’s algorithm. The action rate makes up one part of how the algorithm measures an ad’s total value metric, which basically weighs how relevant it is to the end user. The ad that wins an auction is the one with the highest total value.

Total Value = Advertiser Bid * CTR * CVR + Ad Quality

or

Total Value = Advertiser Bid * Action Rate + Ad Quality

In the formulas above, ad quality is a combination of feedback from users that includes likes, comments, shares, x-outs, etc.

Scaling action rate into APM is quite handy. As APM is directly tied to action rate, it means optimizing APM is the key to winning Meta’s auction.

Formula 2: CPA

Turning the action rate into APM means:

CPA (cost per acquisition) = CPM (cost per mille)/APM

Many marketers overlook this relationship. Uncovering it enables swift performance marketing evaluation. In brand audits, we identify underperformance and create targeted action plans. Instead of vaguely aiming to “improve CPA,” it’s more effective to state, “We’ll enhance CPA by increasing the conversion rate while maintaining CPM and CTR.”

To improve one’s CPA, you need to either decrease your CPM while holding APM steady, increase APM while holding CPM steady, or do both in concert by decreasing CPM while increasing APM.

To help tackle this, Meta is increasing the volume of ads on the platform to decrease CPM while improving the efficiency of the ad delivery environment, which will improve APM.

Setting up your internal monitoring to reflect CPM and its relation to the components that build APM will allow a marketer to quickly triage and act on how to improve their performance marketing.

Formula 3: ROAS

As stated earlier, APM is a useful metric that is the lynchpin of common KPIs for advertisers. Outside of APM and CPA is ROAS (return on ad spend), which is the other most common metric leveraged by advertisers. Lo and behold, APM allows the construction of ROAS in a unique fashion that highlights the important building blocks of the return.

ROAS = (APM * AOV) / CPM

As we already know that APM is how efficient the advertising is at closing a sale, this shows that ROAS is also constructed with how large of a purchase a person makes on average, AOV (average order value). Also, the costs that the advertiser pays to show the ad is the denominator since your return will decrease as costs increase.

This might seem complicated, but as a marketer, you already know that you can increase ROAS by increasing someone’s purchasing frequency when seeing your ad (APM); increasing how much they purchase (AOV); and/or lowering your ad cost (CPM).

Again, we see that Meta’s focus on ad volume and ad efficiency will drive an increase in ROAS for the advertisers on its platform. Also, it’s useful to understand that CPA and ROAS are intimately linked and not two different views of the world. They are constructed from the same component parts, which means that building out plans that can help decrease CPM, increase APM or do both at the same time is worthwhile for all performance marketing organizations.

Conclusion

The next time you face a marketing challenge on one of Meta’s platforms, try using these three formulas. They can help you get to a solution more quickly!

Feature Image Credit: getty

By Nate Lorenzen

Founder of dysrupt. Want to work with dysrupt? Click here! Read Nate Lorenzen’s full executive profile here.

Sourced from Forbes

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