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Best Canadian Charity Blogs of 2021 – Helping Those in Need

Just like in all countries in the world today, charity work and non-profit organizations are also a party of daily life in Canada as well. Along with the struggles and pain points that many other countries have, CA has many of them as well.

Such needs for charitable services include homelessness, helping to supply those in need with food, clothing and finances. However, for all of this to happen, individuals and organizations of all types must contribute to those in need.

In order to help in this process, we wanted to provide a list the best Canadian based  charitable organizations and non-profit donation-based websites and blogs on the internet today.

Reviewing the Top Canadian Charity Websites and Blogs

Here is a list of 10 of the best Canadian charity and non-profit organization websites and blogs that you can discover new and exciting ways to contribute to agendas you are passionate about. If you want to learn more about CA charities, you may take a look at these blogs.

1. Canada Helps

Of the many different resource sites online for finding charitable organizations and events focused on those living in Canada, this web site is often at the top of the list. Canada Helps is Canada’s best destination for donating and fundraising online, while also being a completely free resource with more than $1.7 billion in donations being made from nearly three million Canadians.

2. WE Charity

In order to find success in the world of charitable efforts and fundraising, it’s important to make sure you have a longstanding history and ongoing efforts towards hitting your goals. WE Charity is one of the largest organizations in Canada, and has more than 25 years of experience and success in empowering youth to raise their voices and make a difference. Founded by Craig and Marc Kielburger, WE is a movement that strives to give young people and their teachers a platform and the tools to make a difference in both their own communities, and throughout the world.

3. Canada List of Charities

When looking for different organizations and charities in Canada, one of the best locations to start, is the official Government of Canada website. By using the search form on their site, anyone can scour through numerous listings to find which best fits their needs and end goals.

4. PETA Canada

While PETA is a name most people will immediately recognize, they do have separate divisions and goals that are targeted on different areas of the world. While animal abuse and hunger is something that takes place world wide, there are some localized events and missions that are more specific. This section of the PETA website highlights their many ongoing efforts in Canada.

5. Habitat for Humanity

As an extremely well-known charitable organization, Habitat for Humanity continues to bring communities together to help families build strength, stability and independence through affordable homeownership. With more financial, living and health events hitting people in different ways throughout the world, communities and families of all types and sizes are now in more need than ever before. This division of Habitat for Humanity is focused on all things Canada.

6. ME to WE

Many charitable organizations need to come up with unique ways to generate funds and resources to help those in need. ME to WE is a social enterprise that creates socially conscious products and experiences that allow people to do good through their everyday choices.

7. Macleans Top CA Charity List

Macleans is popular news and media outlet in Canada, which first got it’s start in 1905. In addition to covering the many different environment, government, political, world and current affairs, the site has also done some thorough research on different charitable groups as well. In this reference guide from 2019, MoneySense graded charities in Canada to find out which ones are the most transparent and efficient with donations, while Macleans shares the findings and results with anyone interested.

8. Charity Intelligence

As the saying on their website goes “Be Informed. Give Intelligently. Have Impact.” — it’s important to make sure you are always researching the latest findings on different charities in the world today. And that is exactly what you can do through a site like Charity Intelligence — which is currently used by more than 360,000 Canadians, thus researching and reading through more than 1.3 million charity reports annually.

Where to Find the Best Canada Charity Websites and Blogs

When looking for different charitable resources and organizations in the world today, be sure to consider your options with the sites above. Each of them are unique in their own way and can further help in solving many problems in the world today.

Also, if you enjoyed the content featured in our list above, feel free to skim through our survival guide blogs and traveling the world.

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Industry Experts

11 Steps Toward Building an Email List that Yields a Good ROI

Email lists are fantastic tools for keeping in contact with consumers, sharing information and generating leads. But putting together an email list and figuring out how to attract customers to your list can take a lot of time and effort if not done thoughtfully.

So how does a company go about creating an email list that will yield a good return on investment? What’s the first thing an entrepreneur needs to do to ensure that the list is successful? Here, 11 experts from YEC look at some crucial first steps to setting up an email list that will offer a good ROI, and why these steps are so critical to the list’s (and the entrepreneur’s) success.

1. Understand Your Ideal Target Market

Understanding your ideal target market is essential. This is the key to creating an email list or any other marketing strategy. Once you understand your ideal target market, from there will come the marketing messaging, the content and the engagement.

– Jean Ginzburg, JeanGinzburg.com

2. Establish Your Goals

Before you start building, you need to establish your goals. Think about how you plan on using email marketing to reach your audience. The software you need could vary depending on what you hope to achieve with your strategy. Once your goals are set in stone, you can start thinking about investing in the right tools for the job.

– John Turner, SeedProd LLC

3. Get Inside Your Customers’ Heads

To build a growing email list that produces ROI, you need to start a conversation with your customers and get inside their heads. Getting their feedback will give you valuable information on how to cater to their needs and produce more conversions. Sending them surveys regularly will help you gauge how they feel about your brand and how you can improve to cater to them better.

– Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms

4. Constantly A/B Test and Curate

Constantly A/B testing and curating the content within the email to be personal to the recipient’s business is key. Spending time learning about the business and how you can provide value is the most important aspect to a success email campaign.

– Jordan Edelson, Appetizer Mobile LLC

5. Create Audience-Specific Content

To build an engaged email list, the first step is to create content that is specific to an audience. I find that it’s better to have a dozen opt-ins over having one generic opt-in. Specific opt-ins will be more likely to attract subscribers who have a specific problem and need a particular solution than having one generic opt-in that is abstract. We have over 50 opt-in entry points on our website.

– Kristin Kimberly Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC

6. Aim for Clear, Simple Messaging

Create an email that is simple and to the point. If your email goes on and on with a bunch of tasks for the reader and is overly fancy in design, it will doom the success of your email campaign. It needs to be the first step because if you don’t get the messaging right, little else will help you.

– Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

7. Create a Relevant Lead Magnet

I think it largely comes down to creating a relevant and appealing lead magnet. It’s important to have an offer that entices people to subscribe, but it’s equally important to get the right kind of subscribers. If the offer is good enough, you’ll get sign-ups but probably not many converting customers. Keeping the offer highly relevant to your products or services helps you build a responsive list.

– Kalin Kassabov, ProTexting

8. Create a Great Piece of Gated Content

If you are going to build an email list, then you need to have something of true value for them to want to give you their contact information in exchange for. Starting with the white paper, e-book or template that you’ll be offering as the incentive to sign up for the email list allows you to build the content for the email campaign from there.

– Kelsey Raymond, Influence & Co.

9. Use RFM to Segment Your List

Segment your email list using RFM analysis. This refers to recency, frequency and monetary value. When you do this, you’ll be able to craft emails that attract customers who bought from you recently, ones who buy often and the ones who bought high-value products. You’ll identify your top customers and offer personalized emails that will induce them to keep buying from you.

– Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner

10. Leverage Social Media

Like anything else, you want your email list to grow, and nothing does that better than social media. Social media can help you find even more of your target audience. Be sure to incorporate call-to-action (CTA) posts that invite people to join your email list. If you’re a local business owner, you can take this a step further by setting your post to target people in your town, city or state.

– Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker

11. Use Engaging Pop-ups

A great way to build an email list effectively is to use engaging pop-ups. Pop-ups catch visitors’ attention and bring it back where you want it. It can be difficult to keep users engaged, but pop-ups make it easier to stay focused on your marketing message and encourage users to take action on your website.

– Jared Atchison, WPForms

How to Get the Most Out of Your List Building Efforts

One of the most important things to remember when building a mailing list, is to not get discouraged by your sign up rates. Every website, blog and brand started from ZERO at one point. And it’s actually this beginning phase of growing a list, that it’s the most fun and exciting!

If you are stuck in your list building efforts, or just starting out, but sure to read through each of the expert tips and recommendations above.

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Industry Experts

10 Lucrative Side Hustles You Can Get Started on Today

The modern world has made it really easy for anyone to get started on a side hustle. In fact, most entrepreneurs get started with some sort of side gig. Transitioning those side hustles into standalone businesses that can financially support them usually begins with understanding how to make a significant amount of profit, but not all side hustle ideas are lucrative enough to evolve into something financially stable.

Below, 10 entrepreneurs from YEC share their experiences and suggestions for side businesses that are set up to work, and even suggest a few critical steps for success long term.

1. Social Media Monetization

A lucrative side hustle I’ve had and seen done successfully is monetizing social media content, specifically Instagram and TikTok. An average social media influencer can make between $500-$2,500 a post depending on their following, engagement and audience. The first step someone can take to achieve this is picking a niche and starting to upload quality content on a consistent basis.

– Charles Koh, Koh Ventures

2. Instagram Marketing

Instagram marketing is one side hustle that really works well. All you need is some good photography skills and a convincing way to present your story. Of course, you need to know how to use proper hashtags to increase your visibility. If you want to try it, you can do it right now. Just make sure you have some amazingly high-quality pictures to begin with.

– Josh Kohlbach, Wholesale Suite

3. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is an excellent way to make a little bit of cash on the side. The best part about this side hustle is you set all of the rules. Build affiliate partnerships with brands you know and trust and promote them on a personal website. Not only do you get to talk about the products you love, but you can also make a hefty monthly profit.

– John Brackett, Smash Balloon LLC

4. Web Design

My first side hustle started while I was still at the university: web design. Let me tell you, it proved to be very successful as it grew into the two companies we have today. I think it doesn’t matter what direction you choose as long as you are passionate about it because an idea is nothing without execution. Make a promise to yourself that you’ll show up daily to do the work and then keep it.

– Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS

5. A Hobby Blog

I’ve seen people make extra money by creating a hobby blog. They create a website where they post about a specific topic they like and put paid advertisements and a Patreon on their blog. This is a great option for people who want to make more money without diving into an unfamiliar topic or industry.

– Chris Christoff, MonsterInsights

6. Airbnb

Airbnb is a great source for those who are willing to rent out a spare room or even their entire home. It gives you extra income. You’ll get paid 24 hours after a guest checks in to secure a slot. The best part is you may find someone who’ll stay long term and will take care of your home. – Daisy Jing, Banish

7. Digital Courses

The most lucrative side hustle is something that can make you money while you sleep. Build something that is digital, can be purchased at any time and is automated. This can be a course, a series or a service. The first step is to start it. Come up with a name, incorporate it and get it started. It will take time, but take that first step and “open” your business.

– Lisa Collum, Top Score Writing

8. Selling Items Online

Selling items online is a great side hustle. You can use websites like eBay or Amazon, or apps like Mercari or OfferUp. Once you generate some revenue, you can then scale the business by buying items at a discount and flipping them online. Where to find that inventory? Check out clearance sections at electronics stores and other retailers, garage sales and even pawn shops.

– Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

9. Private Tutoring

When I was starting Tailored Ink, I was also a private writing tutor on the side. Eventually, I was tutoring the kids of billionaires. Anyone thinking about starting a lucrative side hustle has to be honest about what they’re good at, not just what they’re passionate about. They aren’t always the same thing. While I’m great at tutoring, I would never want that to be my full-time job. – Han-Gwon Lung, Tailored Ink

10. Online Freelancing

Online freelancing offers an endless list of lucrative opportunities that you can pursue. As everything moves online and content continues to be king, there is an ever-growing list of options to choose from. From writing to making videos to managing social media, the possibilities are limitless if you are a little tech-savvy, have some writing skills and are passionate about what you do. – Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker

If you enjoyed this article be sure to read through our other recent expert roundups as well!

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Blogging

Zutrix Review: Is it the Best SERP Tool Out There?

In many ways, when you think about SERPs, you may be looking to either improve or get started on ranking higher on Google or other search engines.

It becomes even more challenging over time since the competition for the same traffic type is also increasing.

It’s no longer about merely understanding how SERPs work and leveraging the information available, but it’s about taking it one step further. It’s about intelligently using the data available online to make informed decisions that will improve your SERPs position, especially Google. The only way to do this is to leverage tools that use AI to uncover better ways to rank at the top of the search engine.

One such tool may be the Zutrix SERP tool that uses AI-powered technology to enhance your SEO efforts. Yet, the question remains, is it the best tool out there for ranking at the top of Google for your site?

Let’s look at the Zutrix SERP tool in detail and find if it is the best tool out there for what you need to achieve for your site in terms of SEO. In this post, you’ll discover all the features that Zutrix has and be able to decide if this tool is the best one for your business.

Let’s start by reviewing how it ranks keywords and tracks them.

Intelligent Rank Tracking

Known as the world’s smartest Google Rank Tracker, you may wonder how it has this title. The main reason is due to a few essential differentiating factors that start with their intelligent dashboard.

The dashboard provides you with on-the-spot information related to the average change of your keywords loaded. You will also get details on the progress on the top 1, 3, 5, 10, or 100 positions in terms of your keywords chosen.

You’ll also find that you can look at this information for both desktop and mobile rankings, respectively.

To ensure you have the correct data reflected, it’s relatively simple to input your website URL, list it as a project, and then input the keywords you wish to track. Once done, all of this information populates, and the tool will pull up the keyword rankings.

You’re able to add multiple domains and track all keywords related to these domains. Additionally, within each domain, you can choose as many keywords as necessary to track and pull up your ranking according to your Google Search Console.

In terms of the date, you can go back up to 1 year and choose specific dates needed, including selecting the current day. This can then be filtered according to day, month, and year. Once done, it’s easy to spot any trends by looking at the graphical representation that populates on the right panel.

Additionally, you may be interested in finding out keywords based on location; that’s where Geo-targeted results come in handy. 

The dashboard is quite efficient and accurate because it uses a complex set of algorithms and methodologies to bring you the most effective results. The entire process for checking on your SERPs is that the designers have understood the core components of rank tracking and SEO and developed a brilliant assistant to do the heavy lifting.

The dashboard is indeed helpful, but the other features are also very useful in boosting the way you do SEO in your business. The next element that could be helpful is the Keyword Lab.

The Keyword Lab

The Keyword Lab sounds a lot like a place where you go to experiment, and there is perhaps some truth in that. In terms of the Zutrix Keyword Lab, expect to have the ability to analyze your desired keywords.

This is quickly done by checking on your Zutrix dashboard’s left panel and selecting the “keyword lab” section.

Once done, you’ll be taken to a screen that gives you many data points and sets you can undoubtedly make use of.

Here are all the statistics you will find:

  • Search Volume for each keyword chosen
  • The competition in terms of your keyword
  • How difficult it will be to win for that keyword
  • The domain authority for sites ranking high for the keywords chosen
  • The CTR (Click Through Rate)
  • SERP features
  • Live results page

Aside from the various statistics, there is also something known as a Z-rating. This is a metric designed by Zutrix, which includes calculating which domain should rank higher based on the keyword. The keyword lab is an ideal space for you to understand your site, the keywords, and the SERPS competitors so that you can take the next steps in enhancing your SEO.

That then brings us to the enhanced tracking and trending, which is not commonly practiced in other SEO tools.

Enhanced Tracking and Trending

Usually, when you use the Zutrix dashboard, it will ask you to create a project, and this is optional. This project could relate to your site as well. Once you do create a project, you can then start adding your competitor sites.

To add competitors, you have to activate this feature by clicking on the dashboard’s left panel and choosing “competitors.” This is quickly done by clicking the “add competitor” button, which will appear after your domain. The Zutrix algorithm then pulls up all of your competitors based on your domain.

Additionally, the tracking of the information doesn’t stop there; you will be able to get real-time notifications on your keyword rank on Google. Choose the notifications you receive via Telegram, slack, and email if your keyword rank improves or declines. This can be customized to specific triggers.

If you need to share the information, you can quickly pull up Zutrix reporting based on the keywords, domains, and other inputs like dates. This can then be saved and used at a later stage. More so, you can make it a regular activity by scheduling reports and using the white label integrations that are available.

You may be considering a few details around pricing, so let’s look at how the pricing tiers work next.

Plans and pricing

There are currently three pricing tiers, namely Basic, Standard, and Advanced. All offer different packages based on keywords tracked daily. Yet whichever plan you opt for, you will have access to unlimited domains, competitor tracking, the keyword lab, and advanced reporting.

To include further detail, the basic plan offers you the option to track 250 keywords, and the cost is $28, while the Standard plan offers 500 keywords tracked at the price of $54. The most advanced plan offers 1000 keywords tracked and will cost $99. As the most comprehensive plan, the Advanced plan is the only one that offers white label integrations in terms of reporting.

Final Thoughts on Zutrix

There are plenty of SERP tools out there at the moment. Yet the challenging part is finding one which can evaluate complex data and provide you with meaningful information you can act on to improve the SERPs for your website.

Many tools are complicated and challenging to navigate and provide incomplete information. As we have gone through the Zutrix SERP tool, the common theme is that, while it does offer many features that every standard SERP tool provides, there is one defining feature that sets it apart.

The defining feature is the AI-powered algorithms used to ensure that you have a wealth of information to improve your SERPs. Not only can you intuitively input keywords, but the information gleaned from those keywords can also be utilized immediately to improve how your site ranks against competitors. The easy-to-use dashboard right to the Keyword Lab is layered with user-friendly tools to make SEO as simple as possible.

Zutrix currently offers an opportunity to test the software before signing up for one of their paid plans, and you can get started by getting a free subscription. You won’t need to enter any credit card details, and the tools can be used immediately.

You’ll get the ability to track unlimited domains, as well as real-time notifications, an extensive and detailed dashboard, and the keyword lab. This is limited to 10 keyword checks and 10 on-demand updates daily, so please consider this when signing up.

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Blogging

7 Reasons Why Every Blogger Should Use a VPN in 2021

In case you’ve been losing money in your online business for no plausible reason, it’s time to take a closer look at network security. The incessant stream of cyber crimes, hacks, data breaches, and scams necessitate stringent security systems for individuals and organizations at large.

Your online business, for instance, a blog, exposes you to the threat of online attacks. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) service can safeguard sensitive data to keep your enterprise safe from fraudsters lurking at every corner of the virtual world. 

Unless you are familiar with the concept, a VPN may seem like an unnecessary investment when you’re already struggling with funds. It’s time to get rid of the misconception that VPN services are necessary only if you’re a hacker or someone shady. The practicality of investing in VPN has garnered quite a fervent discussion among the blogger community.

For all of these reasons and more, we now have a list of why VPNs can become the most important bulwark between your business and a dangerous online attack. Read on the discover why and how to start using a VPN during your daily blogging and content creation efforts.

#1 What makes VPN so special? Your ultimate digital knight in shining armor

A VPN gives you much-needed anonymity and online privacy by creating your own private network within the mammoth public Internet connection. VPNs effectively conceal your Internet Protocol (IP) address so that your online activities remain virtually untraceable to threat actors. Most crucially, a VPN service establishes encrypted and secure connections to offer you even better privacy than your secured Wi-Fi hotspot.

As highlighted in this VPN reference guide, four of the most immediate and best reasons to start using a VPN are the secure communications put in place, being able to circumvent geo-restrictions and censorship, while also having global accessibility and total anonymity throughout your internet browsing and usage — all of which can play crucial roles and factors when trying to blog about different topics or from different locations throughout the world.

#2 VPN protects your privacy

The two primary functions of the VPN are data encryption and geo-spoofing. A VPN has a network of servers spread across the world. A VPN fundamentally encrypts the traffic of your business. VPN makes it unintelligible for snooping eyes trying to look into your activities. The real value of VPN lies in its power of data encryption. It adds an additional level of security to your Internet browsing. 

Some insist that investigative journalists, dissident bloggers in oppressive states, and extremists actually require a VPN. It is solely to protect their identities from totalitarian attacks. Many would disagree.

The main point of consternation is that not everyone can see what you’re doing online. Surveillance technology is readily available to every tech-literate person. Social media networks, Internet Service Provider (ISP), ad agencies, individual and state-sponsored hackers can explore your online activities. Many do it legally, some do not. Your ISP is entitled to even sell your precious data! If you’re not OK with zero privacy online, VPN is your foremost requirement.

#3 VPNs shield your admin credentials

You do not argue about setting a strong password in all your accounts. Rather, you would urge your fellow colleagues and family to ensure password safety. Similarly, VPN is a must-have to secure your blog. Enabling superior VPN encryption for your admin log-in is just as, if not more important, than setting up a strong password. 

Admin credential is frequently the first target in most Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) cyber-attacks. When a VPN encrypts them, it gets a reliable defense against illegal interception by multiple blog hijackers. 

#4 VPN keeps your content and downloads and uploads secure

For content creators, it is essential to have their content secure from outside threats. When you’re a blogger, your content is always under the threat of a theft. Hackers will have a field day stealing your work when you chose not to invest in a protective tool. A VPN provides you the much-needed anonymity on the Internet.

Not just content, your download, upload and browsing history are potential landmines. Your file exchange and transfers are equally vulnerable as your content. Whether you’re dealing with sensitive files or not, you certainly won’t want copyright trolls and script kiddies exploring your traffic or even doctoring it. VPN services effectively encrypts your data. It also hides your actual location and, in the process, safeguards your content and identity as you blog.

#5 VPN keeps your online transactions safe

The best part of blogging is money! Daily money transactions are the best and worst parts. The implicit danger of an unprotected network will leave all your financial transactions under threat.

Hackers are almost always looking for some easy cash. Your transactions and content are quite valuable. A VPN successfully crafts a solid circle of encryption for all your bank and vendor transactions. VPN is critical for secure monetary communications. 

#6 VPN helps you bypass censorship and firewalls

Your location can play spoilsport when you’re looking for expansive and unrestricted access to necessary information.   Think legal documents, scientific papers, statistics, books, music, movies and more. Many countries enforce draconian censorship at the ISP-level which can leave many of your research unfruitful. If you’re in a state where you’ll be most likely prevented from accessing your blog or from promoting it, VPN helps you circumnavigate such employer-imposed or ISP-imposed firewalls and censorship.

#7 VPN shelters your traffic on public Wi-Fi

Do you often need to rely on public wireless networks for accessing your blog? The threats multiply every time you expose your online activities and admin credentials on a public network. If you’ve never given this reckless task a second thought, it’s time you do it right now. It is definitely a bad idea as public Wi-Fi is home to hackers and unwarranted MITM attacks.

Through the use of a VPN, it allows the system in place to encrypt your web traffic from end to end. It shields your content and credentials when blogging from any unsecured network. VPNs also help you find location-restricted deals. Thankfully, they offer you interesting and many savings opportunities. VPN also offers stronger security when compared to any other protocols like PPTP. OpenVPN, an open-source software, supports all big operating systems. Lastly, a VPN solution can help you stay secure in a sea of the exposed, menacing online world. When choosing a VPN service, focus not just on prices but also the range of solutions offered. You must ensure the service to be of superior and reliable quality with caster connections.

How to Protect Yourself and Your Blog with a VPN

With more people using the internet for work and everything in between, it’s now more important than ever before to make sure your browsing habits are protecting your data. One of the best ways to accomplish this is through the use of a reliable and financially feasible VPN service that can elevate the security of your online business and personal data.

No matter if you are blogging for fun, profit or for another agency or company, VPNs are indispensable tools for bloggers. Kick the year off in the right direction, by getting set up with a trusted and well-known VPN to keep your personal and business info protect day after day.

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Industry Experts

12 Expert-Recommended Strategies to Boost Social Media Engagement

If you’ve been around the marketing world at all lately, you’d realize how much of a game-changer social media can be for a business. Setting up posts and engaging with those who follow your social media feeds can help you dramatically grow your audience and potential customer base.

However, you may have noticed that not many people engage with your posts immediately after they get published. Encouraging engagement with your social media platform requires a little bit more skill and strategy than just posting regularly.

To help, these 12 associates of YEC examine some of the lesser-known or more unique ways companies can get their followers to engage with their social media content.

1. Don’t Make It Always About You

Don’t make it always about your brand! As much as it pains me to write it, if you’re going for engagement on social media, you can’t endlessly talk about yourself. We employ a simple, 33% rule with our social media — a third of the content is specific to our service, a third is about the industry and a third relates to general culture. Diversifying your content expands the likelihood of engagement.

– Magnus Simonarson, Consultwebs

2. Engage With Their Posts

There’s a good old saying that states that if you want to be interesting, be interested. In the context of social media, it’s like for like, a comment in response to a comment. And make sure that you create posts that presume interaction. Add questions and raise interesting topics because people don’t want to interact with average posts. Make your content worth engaging. – Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS

3. Use Interactive Content

Create quizzes, take polls and pose thought-provoking questions to generate engagement. In order to have a dynamic conversation, someone has to be willing to start talking. When you do this, don’t be afraid to be the first to answer. Pose a question and then provide your answer first. This may entice others to follow suit.

– Matthew Podolsky, Florida Law Advisers, P.A.

4. Post Q&A Sessions

Posting Q&A sessions is a great way to engage with your social media audience. When posting within the comment section, users aren’t always aware whether their comment is being seen. By directly communicating through a Q&A, brands can tighten their relationship with their followers.

– Jordan Edelson, Appetizer Mobile LLC

5. Leverage IG Stories and Quick Replies

There are two ways to do this on Instagram. If you have made a new post, make a story that teases the post so people know to go check it out. You can publish the post directly to Stories, so making a habit to do this after a post is very easy. Create quick replies to reply to similar FAQs in your direct messages so you don’t have to type them out every time. Your Instagram DMs are now a lightweight customer relationship management tool!

– Landon Vago-Hughes, YSplit

6. Run Contests and Giveaways

Running contests and giveaways is a unique way to increase your social media engagement and following. It provides users with an incentive to participate while introducing them to your brand in a fun way.

– Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms

7. Encourage User-Generated Content

One of the best approaches is to encourage user-generated content such as photos, videos and brand-related stories. Some of the most successful brands on social media, such as Starbucks, Taco Bell and others are good at motivating customers to contribute content. You can create contests with prizes, but the best way to encourage more UGC is to reply and share it on your pages.

– Kalin Kassabov, ProTexting

8. Use More Video Content

Video content is on the rise, and we have seen an insane increase in engagement since we started publishing video guides and tutorials. Instead of reading through a blog post, users can listen to your content while they are doing other things. Consequently, more people get exposed to your content and are more likely to engage with your posts.

– John Turner, SeedProd LLC

9. Have a Weekly Themed Post

Having a weekly themed post can be effective at driving up engagement, especially when used in conjunction with existing trends. A great example of this is the use of themed posts corresponding with days of the week, like #throwbackthursday on Instagram or #wednesdaywisdom on Twitter. Structuring some of your content this way will attract more attention and can even reduce your bounce rate.

– Bryce Welker, Beat The CPA

10. Be Contrarian But Not Polarizing

Nobody wants to hear negative sentiments or unpopular opinions expressed on social media, but tactfully taking a contrarian approach is a great way for people to engage with your social media. Standing out is difficult in saturated social media channels, so look to “zig” where others “zag” and pique people’s interest by saying the opposite of what is being said.

– Matt Wilson, Under30Experiences

11. Use Your Post’s First Line to Build Emotion

It’s important to remember that people skim your content on social media. To get them to engage and to catch their attention, the very first line of your post should pique their curiosity or attract them at some emotional level. Your main goal should be to use content to create emotions. This is a surefire way to create social media engagement.

– Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner

12. Be Relatable and Authentic

Make your posts sincere and unafraid to show the true colors and reality of life. Be consistent in creating content. With consistency comes familiarity. Don’t make your content boring or subtle. Instead, have a definite stand on your take on life and say it loud and proud.

– Daisy Jing, Banish

How to Improve Your Social Media Efforts Even Further

In the world of social media marketing and global reach, it’s a game that can continue on day after day. In order to make the most of your social media marketing and branding efforts, you need to get creative and smart about your efforts.

With more than a billion active websites and blogs on the internet today, it’s now more important than ever before to make sure your content is of the highest quality and value possible. Be sure to follow all of the expert tips above to accomplish this in the best way possible.

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