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7 can’t-miss tactics for reader-grabbing headlines - Ragan Communications. Scan. Dismiss. Scan. Dismiss. Scan. Click! That’s what your audience is doing today. That’s what we’re all doing today. Winning that click depends, more than anything else, on the headline. To help you win more clicks and hook readers right off the bat, here’s advice for crafting scintillating headlines. 1. Before any of us click anything, we do a split-second cost-benefit calculation. Does the benefit of clicking (the value of the content) exceed the cost (two seconds of my time)? The job of the headline is to tout the benefit and to ensure the visitor that it’s worth it—and to do so in less than a second. The more specific the benefit, the more likely the visitor is to click. Ask yourself as if you’re the reader, “What’s in it for me?” The ability to grasp the reader’s perspective is the key to headline writing success. 2.

Buzzsumo analyzed 100,000,000 headlines to decipher what tends to earn clicks and trigger social media engagement. Why are these phrases so effective? 3. 4. Examples: 45 places you can download tens of thousands books, plays and other literary texts completely legally for free – nothing in the rulebook. In an increasingly digital world, literature is evolving.

Sales of e-readers continue to rise, yet the cost of digital books and texts has not necessarily decreased to the extent to which many initially predicted. With authors’ incomes collapsing to near “abject” levels, and with public libraries under threat from swingeing public spending cuts, we felt honour bound to provide our fine readers with some valuable resources that could help save valuable money. While we of course advocate supporting your local independent book store – and independent publishing houses – and would urge you to purchase copies of your books where you can afford to, below you can find a collection of 45 websites where you can download tens of thousands of books, plays and texts for free. Oh, and these sites are also all completely legal, of course! Browse works by Mark Twain, Emily Dickinson, Joseph Conrad, William Shakespeare, Geoffrey Chaucer, Edgar Allen Poe and other famous writers here.

Like this: 94 helpful, handy content marketing resources - Ragan Communications. Content creation is one of the biggest challenges marketers face today. According to the 2019 Content Marketing Institute Content Management & Strategy Survey, 45% of marketers cited content production workflow as one of their biggest strategic challenges, and 44% bemoaned lack of budget. Of course, cash is crucial, but there’s plenty you can do to elevate your content production—even with a tiny team or a barebones budget.

Try this slew of handy tools (separated by category, for your convenience) to get more bang from your content marketing bucks. Copywriting For more terrific tools, check out 101 resources for writing great copy. Data sources and data visualization Design E-books FlipHTML5: An e-book tool to design images, links, buttons, videos, slideshows and more.Kotobee: For designing and publishing e-books.My eCover Maker: A simple way to create e-book covers. Here are 101 more tools and resources for e-book design, writing and production. Email marketing Iconography Infographics Photography.

35 Useful Content Marketing Tools for Beginners and Pros. Try these 5 free online tools to power up your writing - Ragan Communications. Here are five free online tools to make your writing better. 1. Hemingway Editor. Copy and paste a piece of your writing into this app, and it’ll identify overly complex sentences, passive writing and unnecessary adjectives. The result is writing that’s as lean and muscular as Hemingway’s famously punchy style. 2. 3. 4. 5. Social Media Across Generations. While social media has become a key part of our broader interactive process, it's important for social media marketers to note the audience-specific trends, in order to ensure they're using the right platforms to reach their target audience.

And while, as you might expect, younger generations are more active on social, it's also important to note what they use social platforms for, and how those behaviors are evolving over time. This report from GlobalWebIndex covers a heap of these key insights and trends. Taking a look at each generations' social media usage, the report looks at overall usage time, usage time by region, specific app engagement and how people are now using social media apps in their product discovery process. And while the specific trends you need to know will relate to your unique audience, it's worth noting the broader shifts, which you can also factor into your approach. Digital Storytelling with Maps | ArcGIS StoryMaps. Questions & Keywords: How Should You Optimize Your Content? People turn to Google for just about everything these days. Whether it’s to buy something, learn about something in-depth, get a quick answer, or simply pass the time, Google is the primary stream of information for the vast majority of people living with an internet connection.

To be precise, Google makes up 92.19% of the search engine market share. The constant quest of SEO professionals is to get their content matched up with the search queries it answers. But how has this task changed over time? While there can be books written on this subject, the general consensus is that search queries are becoming longer, more specific, and conversational. In many cases, a portion of this shift can likely be attributed to the rise of voice search. A lot of what we are seeing is a growing importance on optimizing for questions and semantically related keywords. So what exactly does this all mean? And what are the best strategies when you’re down in the trenches of SEO? Let’s discuss. Direct Answer Elaborate. How Much Time Do People Spend on Social Media in 2019?

In what will come as absolutely no surprise, people are spending more time than ever staring at their smartphones in 2019. Look around you in any public place and you'll see it - people with their heads down, their fingers swiping. Immersed in the latest news stories, the latest memes, the latest updates from their friends. It's become so prolific that some regions have implemented mobile user-specific footpaths, in order to stop people running into each other, while in Australia, some towns have started to embed traffic signals into the pavement to ensure that they catch the attention of those not looking up from their screens. And while we know that more people are spending more and more time online, it's important to note, specifically, what they're actually doing.

And for marketing purposes, which apps and tools they're spending their time in. Graphic Design Trends 2019 [Infographic] - Depositphotos blog. Graphic design is everywhere – you can spot it glancing at food packaging, every single billboard you pass by, almost every tote bag print, book covers, and even coffee shop menus. Considering the transience of contemporary fashion, today it is crucial to keep up with trends to make your business or project outstanding. A design can be very memorable, mostly because the artists implement some of the latest and most innovative trends. This year, graphic design encourages rebellion against the standard rules. Be brave enough to throw the grids and symmetry out, and shock everyone with neon and metallic color choices, and bold visuals.

Wondering how to implement all that in real life? Challenge yourself by combining several graphic design trends 2019 in your next project and continue reading about trends on our blog: Subscribe to our blog Stay up to date with trends, get valuable tips and insights as well as bonus materials. Comments comments. 3 Graphic Design Tips for Non-Designers. 7 grammatical tenets for clear, cohesive writing. 10 facts about Americans and Facebook | Pew Research Center. It’s been 15 years since the creation of Facebook, a platform that revolutionized social media in the United States and around the world. While Facebook remains immensely popular – and highly profitable – it has attracted scrutiny in the U.S. in recent years because of concerns over its ability to keep users’ personal information private and its role in the 2016 presidential election.

Here are 10 facts about Americans and Facebook, based on Pew Research Center surveys conducted in 2018: Around two-thirds (68%) of U.S. adults use Facebook, according to a survey conducted in January 2018. That’s unchanged from April 2016, the previous time the Center asked this question, but up from 54% of adults in August 2012. With the exception of YouTube – the video-sharing platform used by 73% of adults – no other major social media platform comes close to Facebook in terms of usage.

Read more Pew Research Center findings about how social media is being used in the United States and around the world. Podcast enthusiasm is on the rise—find out who’s listening. 12 tips to make webinars more engaging and entertaining. 17 Techniques to Power Up Your Content Creation. Skip to main Marketing Insights Blog 16 Techniques to Power Up Your Content Creation Authors: Anna Hrach Thiam Hock Posted Under: Content Marketing Listen to this Article For many of our content marketing consulting clients, the content creation process can be the hardest part of any content marketing initiative.

From the time and resources needed to create content to worrying whether the content is even any good, content creation can be daunting and difficult. But it doesn’t have to be. Based on my work consulting on content marketing strategy and creation for the world’s greatest brands, here are 16 tried and true techniques you can use to improve the quality of your content in no time. 1. When it comes to headlines, the old adage is true: you never get a second chance to make a first impression. That’s right. Useful headlines: “Browsing” is a misnomer. How to construct the right headline Knowing what types of headlines drive people to click is one half of the battle. 2. 3. 4.

Yes, just five. 10 terrific tech tools for PR pros. The Spin Sucks Question: Communication Trends in 2019 Spin Sucks. 3 Graphic Design Tips for Non-Designers. 9 podcasts to which PR pros need to subscribe. As a PR pro, do you ever truly stop thinking about your work, even after a long day/month/year? We know the answer is probably “no”. In today’s fast-paced public relations world, we all have to stay on top of the latest updates and trends – and hands-free audio files are the way to do it, as they’re ideally suited for communications professionals who are constantly on the go.

Podcasts have become the new frontier in the realm of digital media and PR, and our suggestions below will be sure to pique your interest and keep you in the know. Talking Points Tight on time but hot on PR industry news? A great monthly podcast to get your fill of public relations, communications, marketing, and social media news. Perfect for those who don’t necessarily have time to indulge in a weekly podcast habit but are still looking to stay in the loop. Episodes that may interest you: On the Media Want to know how the “media sausage gets made”?

For Immediate Release Why Crises Cost Twice As Much (03.09.2018) How bad is the newspaper industry’s decline? It depends who you ask. 25 free tools for nonprofit communicators and marketers | Ragan Communications. The ultimate guide to free images. Where can you find free, quality images to use in blog posts or social media content? It's a question with a lot of answers and caveats. Nearly every image created in the last 30 years is still protected by copyright—a protection that gives every image creator the exclusive right to use or reproduce their work. But you can find a public domain photo, use a Creative Commons image that might need attribution, or even create your own image. We'll explore all of these and more. Here are things to know before we start: What is Creative Commons? Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that enables the use of creativity and knowledge through free legal tools. There are various Creative Commons licenses that range from allowing any type of use with no attribution to allowing only certain uses and no changes.

What is public domain? Works in the public domain are those whose copyrights have expired, been forfeited or are inapplicable. Searchable photo databases 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. CC Search prototype. 25 Free Digital Marketing Tools for Small Organizations Spin Sucks. 16 free type foundries for graphic designers on a budget. You need some typography for your project and you're on a tight budget. You'd love that stunning sans serif or stylish handwritten type to add that final touch but they're just too darn expensive. What you need is a definitive list of the best type foundries online that offer beautiful free fonts. At Shillington, we've done all the hard work for you and scoured the web to find the very best resources for your typography needs. 1.

An independent type foundry, founded in 2008 by designer Svet Simov, Font Fabric provides a range of free, high-quality fonts for both personal and commercial projects. 2. Ivan Filipov is graphic, logo and web designer from Plovdiv, Bulgaria, who generously provides a number of free fonts via his website. 3. Founded in 2010 by Alexander Nedelev and Veronika Slavova, Typedepot is a small type design studio based in Sofia, Bulgaria. 4. 5. "Making the web more beautiful, fast, and open with great typography," promises Google with its own foundry offering. 6. 7. 8.

Get the answers to your most pressing podcasting questions. 13 riveting podcasts for communicators. Readability | The Writer. Use our free readability checker and find out. Just copy and paste your writing into the box below and click the ‘check my readability’ button. We’ll check your writing against the Flesch-Kincaid reading ease score, the Gunning Fog score and the SMOG index (‘Simple Measure of Gobbledygook’). How readability checkers work They’re assessing the ‘reading age’ someone needs to be to understand your writing clearly on a first reading.

All readability formulas work by counting the variables that have the biggest impact on readers being able to ‘take in’ a bit of writing: sentence length, number of syllables per words, number of passive sentences. (They don’t check for spelling mistakes though.) But remember, the score doesn’t tell you everything. Readability formulas are excellent when you need your writing to be understood by a universal audience (say, instructions that come with medicine), and to meet ‘industry benchmarks’ (some US states have set a grade for all insurance documentation). 4 Examples of Fantastic Inbound Marketing Web Design. 13 types of videos that could power up your business. How to promote your podcast: Strategy and 2018 directory list. Podcasts aren’t a new phenomenon. They have been around for more than a decade. However, in the recent years, they have seen an immense surge in popularity which is evident from the latest data. More popularity means more competition which makes it a compulsion to have a clear and well thought out plan to promote your podcast.

The latest data on podcast says, In total, 112 million Americans have listened to a podcast in 2017.Around 67 million Americans listen to podcasts every month.Podcasting continues to rise, with Monthly listeners growing from 21% to 24% year over year.Podcast fans listen to 5 shows per week.The average listener subscribes to 6 podcasts. In the early years, Americans under the age of 25 comprised the largest fraction of podcast listeners. Portable devices such as smartphones and tablets have become increasingly popular as the podcasts listening devices with almost two-thirds people using them in 2017. Building a loyal podcast audience base is easier said than done. 1. 15 handy writing resources. Shawkl: Beaded Spider Tutorial. Tips and Tricks: General Communications and Marketing Tricks Spin Sucks. 7 terrific sites for free photos.

Top Public Relations Today Leadership Viral Content for Week of Dec 02 - Dec 08, 2017. Online Course: How to Create a Pilot and Have Success Spin Sucks. 13 Stock Video, Stock Image, and Stock Audio Resources for Creators and Marketers. 7 ideas for outstanding free content. Check out this fool-proof formula for education marketing. 4 ways to maintain communication credibility | Articles | Main. 30 Tips on How to Interview Like a Journalist. The Top Higher Ed Digital Marketing Trends You Need To Know in 2017-2018 | Workzone.

8 lesser-known Google resources for communicators | Articles | Main. Why the world's leading companies are failing the authenticity test  - Agility PR Solutions. Message Training: How to Create Messaging that Resonates Spin Sucks. Why Key Messages are Essential for PR – and How to Create Them. Five Steps to Craft an Unbeatable Media Relations Pitch Spin Sucks. Top Public Relations Today Publicity Data-Driven PR Content for Week of Aug 05 - Aug 11, 2017. How to create a successful YouTube channel - Agility PR Solutions. How to deliver a powerful closing to a speech on any topic | Articles | Main. Five trends and predictions changing the PR industry - Agility PR Solutions. How to Podcast: A Two-Part Series that Covers Everything Spin Sucks.

The Five-Step Process to Drive Content Marketing Results Spin Sucks. How to Create a Social Media Marketing Content Plan in 7 Steps : Social Media Examiner. 14 Cognitive Biases Which Affect Your Communications Plan Spin Sucks. Five Strategies To Help You Sound Like The Leader You Want To Be. Infographics for non-designers: the complete guide | Articles | Main. Infographic: A guide to designing and giving perfect presentations | Articles | Main. 6 Visual Trends Predicted for 2017 - ALC.

State of Content Marketing 2017: The 3 Traits That Will Make Brands Truly Successful. Repackage Your Long-Form Article Into Something Memorable. 7 great online content formats you might be overlooking. Free Online Animated GIF Maker - Make A GIF Easily. How much data is shared online every minute? How to Easily Create Your Own Video Show : Social Media Examiner. A Gigantic List of Tools for Communicators Spin Sucks.

The Mixology of Content Marketing [INFOGRAPHIC] 9 Time-Saving Tools for Social Media Marketers : Social Media Examiner. The Four Different Types of Media Spin Sucks. MarketingBuddy | 7 writing and language sites you should know about. Did You Hear That? I Think It Was The Sound Of A Walrus.