Surviving the Social Web: 7 Things You Need to Know

By Sonia Simone

Oh, those idealistic good old days. Back when we truly believed that the global digital community would fact-check lies, make us smarter, and force our institutions to serve the greater good.

As the man said, “How’s that working out for us?”

It turns out that the social media utopia, like other utopias, didn’t end up as rosy as we’d hoped — mainly because it’s made of human beings.

But the social web is still an extraordinary tool. The ability to instantly communicate with thousands of people isn’t to be scoffed at — if you can do it without losing your …read more      

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Your No-Nonsense Guide to Getting Started with Social Media Ads

By Loryn Thompson

The first time I rode a motorcycle, I fell in love. Between the power, the speed, and the freedom, I knew it was something I wanted to keep doing for a long time. But I also knew I had a lot to learn.

Learning to ride a motorcycle requires several new skills. You have to learn how to maneuver and balance a heavy, two-wheeled vehicle, how to change gears, how to let the clutch out smoothly and at the right time, and how to work the hand and foot brakes.

And that’s before you leave the parking lot.

Learning to advertise on <a class="colorbox" …read more      

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5 Popular Blog Post Topics That Everyone Loves to Share

By Neil Patel

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If you’re a content marketer of any type, you know how crucial it is for your blog posts to make a splash.

If you were to look over my shoulder any day of the week, you’d see me checking my social sharing metrics.

Just this morning, I logged in to Buzzsumo to take a look at these numbers:

(This image shows the social sharing metrics for QuickSprout.com over the past year. These are the four pieces of content that received the most social shares.)

Why?

Because social sharing matters!

This isn’t some sort of narcissistic kick. This is a data-driven way to see who’s sharing my …read more      

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The Three Key Elements of Influential Digital Marketing

By Brian Clark

Ever see a numbered headline like the one above and try to guess what the three things are?

Sometimes it’s easy; sometimes it’s not. In this case, you could be thinking I’m going to talk about content, copy, and email.

And while you’re right that those things are important, that’s not what this article is about.

Content and copy contain the messages you need to get across, and email delivers those messages within a conversion-rich context. But without understanding the fundamental elements of those messages, you won’t create the kind of influence with your target audience that leads to sales.

With …read more      

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The Proven Method for Driving 8x More Conversions from Long-Form Blog Articles

By Neil Patel

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On the surface, blogs appear to be fountains of free-flowing information.

You read lots of rich and valuable research.

You collect plenty of juicy data.

You discover how to do a valuable task.

And, sure, some blogs are happy with lots of traffic and satisfied visitors.

But most content marketers know that blogs have the potential to drive insane conversion numbers.

Yes, conversions—as in people taking a desired action on your website. Maybe you want more email signups, more downloads, more free trials, or more purchases.

But here’s where things get dicey. Even though blogs are supposed to drive conversions, they usually don’t.

Why not?

It comes …read more      

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