15 Hidden Instagram Hacks And Features Everyone Should Know About

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Photo by Daria Shevtsova on Pexels.com

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Everyone loves a good social media hack. They save us time and usually show us some interesting things we didn’t know were possible.

Whether you’re a business using the social network or an individual using Instagram, these 15 hacks you can do to ‘up’ your game in the space.

1. Get notifications when your favorite people post. Leave witty comments early on to have better chances of being responded. Getting responses and high number of Likes is a good way for your account to be spotted.
2. Tag photos of other accounts in similar space. People do still go through tagged photos of a public figure – this is your chance to be discovered too. Have their permission first, of course.
3. Look at the posts and comments the people you are following. Like and comment on their comments to start conversations. This is a great idea to be spotted by them.
4. When you write caption, make sure the first line that appears on the post attracts people to read more. It’s not only about storytelling – but it’s about the ability of being able to pull people to your account through captivating caption is just as important.
5. Search hashtags which are trending and include them in your caption. You can just Google ‘trending hashtags Instagram’ to find countless websites that offer this service for free.
6. Design your posts that best represent you or your business. Don’t forget to always include your website url on each post. This helps drive traffic to your website.
7. Don’t go overboard with your editing of photos. Be genuine and relatable to people.
8. Insert line breaks into your bio and captions
9. Add links to your business on bio – it helps to drive traffic to your account.
10. Create Groups in your DM and invite people in similar space to participate. Talk to them first before inviting. Give yourself a good impression.
11. Tell people what you do in the first line of your bio link.
12. Reaching 10K followers, post more Stories that link to your website. Be creative in your approach. Do not oversell.
13. Exchange shoutouts with another social media account(s). Tell them that you will promote his/her account on feed or Stories for similar return.
14. Post more videos with subtitles and don’t forget to include your website url in the videos.
15. Post long videos on IGTV to provide information for people who are interested to know more about you. Add subtitles too.

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Tips for Growing Your YouTube Channel

Commit to Posting to YouTube Multiple Times Per Week

Keeping a regular schedule with multiples posts every week is essential to raise your channel in the algorithm quickly. In fact, multiple reports have indicated that Youtube channels that post multiple posts every week perform much better and also getting more recommended views.

Having tons of content in the beginning on your topics (preferably niche) will help your channel in the algorithm department. By having value, you are not only giving reasons to watch your videos, but also a reason to subscribe.

Begin Each Video With an Interesting Hook

Hooking your viewers to stay and watch is nothing new. It’s been a long practice by movie production each time they release trailers for movies. It’s the same case as you publish a new video. Take the best and interesting parts of your video and compile them together. Remember not to include all of the best bits, but just enough to hook viewers to watch your video till the end. Create enough interest to attract viewers. Think about it.

However you hook viewers, make sure your opener relates directly to the subject matter. Viewers clicked because they were interested, so quickly get into the subject they wanted to hear about in the first place.

Keep Titles and Opening Credits Short

Quite a number of Youtubers (even the seasoned ones) continue to create intro which are considered too long. The whole opening intro should not take more than 5 seconds! Remember this.

People click on your thumbnail to get straight to the video. They don’t want to have to wait to watch your content. Not to forget, the amount of ads viewers go through these days which you need to keep in mind too.

Edit Distractions Out of Your Video

Recording videos can be nerve wrecking, even for seasoned Youtuber. Despite of having scripts written down, there will be some mistakes done along the way such as long pauses, mumbles, out of tune voice, mis-pronounciations and so on. Don’t worry, this happens to everyone. What you need to do is to make the best of it. Remove all the unwanted clips that you don’t want included in the final video. Make it concise and interesting. Don’t give a reason for viewers to click away.

Replicate Topics or Tactics From Top-Performing Videos

This method is what I call ‘reverse-engineering’ other successes.

The idea here is to browse through other top Youtubers in your niche and determine their Most Popular videos in the ‘Videos’ tab.

List down the Top 10 videos and be sure to pay attention to each title and keywords involve.

Once you have acquired these videos, replicate the videos that fit your channel best which include the thumbnails, video description, titles, keywords, tags and so on.

You can also find your best converting videos in the Creator Studio by accessing the Analytics, click Subscribers and Youtube Watch Page.

In the list that appears, see which videos attracted the most subscribers.

Develop Videos as a Series

This is where you start leveraging Playlists where you can add videos as series in specific topics of your niches.

You can start developing a series content based on your best performing videos. Then, you can also add a playlist which demonstrates a specific keyword in your niche respectively.

Collaborate With Other YouTubers

Personally, collaboration with other Youtubers is the best way to extend your reach in the market.

It is effective since your channel is being cross-promoted by another Youtuber which is seen as a trustworthy medium compared to advertisements by Youtube.

If you’ve followed my writings enough, you’ll know how often I champion collaborations above other marketing strategies.

This is because social proof has solid influence on people. When a Youtuber collaborates with you, it’s seen as an endorsement to their audience. Viewers who invest heavily in the topics won’t mind to check your channel, and probably subscribe too if they like your content.

Promote Collaborations in the Video’s Title, Tags, and Description

When you collaborate, it’s important you take full leverage of it.

Therefore, it’s important to ensure your collaborator’s viewers are able to find your channel without a fuss.

You need to feature the collaborator’s name, face & link to their channel. Add these in the titles, description and thumbnail. Just be sure to add them subtly. Don’t forget to share these content throughout your entire social media platform.

In return, be sure your collaborator does the same too on their video(s).

Google’s Most Loved and Hated SEO Tricks

There isn’t much information Google publishes about SEO. However, there are many heated exchanges among SEO experts worldwide – who, eventually, have reached conclusions as compiled below. Please note, these are subject to change as algorithms do change from time to time.

Let’s start with what positive factors that is considered as ‘Good’ SEO practices – simplified form:

Positive Factors

• Keyword in URL
• Keyword in domain name
• Head: Keyword in title tag
• Head: Keyword in description meta tag
• Head: Keyword in meta tag
• Body: Keyword density – should be over 5% but do not go over 20%
• Body: Keyword in H1, H2 and H3
• Body: Keyword font size (bold, italics etc)
• Body: Keyword proximity (e.g. where two keywords are close to each other)
• Size and age of page/site

Negative Factors

• Text in graphic form only, leaving no content within the body
• Don’t be an affiliate site with ‘all link and no content’
• Linking to link farms or a blacklisted site
• Redirecting through REFRESH meta tags
• Vile language. Anything deemed offensive; racial and ethnic slurs.
• Excessive cross links
• Keyword redundacy
• Using frames
• Invisible text (same as background color), small text
• Gateway pages

How To Keep Your Website In Tip-Top Condition For Search Engines

Running, keeping and creating content at the same time can be an overwhelming experience – especially if you’re doing it on your own.

Today’s article, I’ve provided a checklist for you in order to keep your website in top condition and ranked high in search engine result page (SERP):

• Ensure that you add new content regularly – search engines prefer sites that continuously add new updates.
• The more content you add, the better.
• Get validated. Validate your HTML and CSS code to check that it is accurate.
• Test your site in different browsers, mobile devices and resolutions, especially after any such major changes e.g. updates by provider (e.g. WordPress). Check on different systems too (Mac, Microsoft etc)
• Make your site accessible as possible – run your site through accessibility validators regularly.
• Send out PR regularly to printed and online magazines, ensuring that your web address is clearly marked in the release.
• Add a standard site map page to your site to help visitors.
• Add a Google sitemap to your site, and update it regularly, or automate the updating process through  a script.
• Be on the constant lookout for sites that will link to you – provide reciprocal links where applicable.
• Resubmit your site to search engines ever 1-2 months – not too frequently or you may get blacklisted for spamming.
• Check your web stats regularly to ensure that there are no errors and to see what is working and what is not.

This Is the Biggest Mistake Entrepreneurs Make, According to Mark Cuban

According to a billionaire, the ‘number one sin’ an entrepreneur can make when starting their own business begins with money.

Dallas Mavericks owner and an essential investor on hit show Shark Tank, Mark Cuban, provided some good career advice on a podcast interview with Ryan Seacrest.

He told Ryan Seacrest that the biggest mistake an entrepreneur can make is thinking they need to raise money.

“I think the biggest mistake people make is once they have an idea and the goal of starting a business, they think they have to raise money.” – Mark Cuban pointed out.

“Once you raise money, that’s not an accomplishment, that’s an obligation. Now, you’re reporting to whoever you raised money from.” – He continued.

Mr Cuban indicated that by getting outside help, it adds further pressure to business owners since they have added another voice in the room – which complicates the dynamics of decision making.

He went on advising entrepreneurs to grow a business the old-fashioned way – which is to hustle and grind all the way from bottom.

“If you can go out there and start it on your own — like I started out by selling garbage bags — whatever it is … try to find something that you can make or that you can buy yourself and sell to people around you, then ask for referrals and grow the business that way, and you can turn it into something enormous,” Cuban insisted.

My Final Two Cent

While I agree the points made by Mr Cuban, I do like to argue that there are businesses that become a success after raising funds.

Yes, sometimes having another voice in the decision making process can slow things down, but if that ‘other’ voice brings in a lot of value to the table (e.g. expertise, network, experience etc), then, that changes everything.

I don’t think Mr Cuban is completely right in this case. But I don’t feel I’m completely wrong either.

One thing I’ve learned from my time running businesses, is that you’re often wrong on day one. It is your job to figure things out and become less wrong through trial and error – as Mr Elon Musk puts it. It’s just the way business works.

7 Women Entrepreneurs You Need To Know

I’ve decided to write something else this time. It’s rare to see stories written about successful women entrepreneurs around the world. Not that they need any more recognition than they already have – but I feel the time was already due to write about these ladies in my blog.

1. SlideShare

I remember the first time I saw SlideShare back in the university days. Years later, I was shocked that LinkedIn bought it for $118.75 million in 2013. Curious, I started researching about the company and its history (a nerd I was).

What caught my attention was not the fact Rashmi Sinha, the founder, is a woman, but the fact she studied PhD in neuropsychology – nothing to do with web technology at all. It just shows the level of aptitude she possesses which impress people in the business world.

She co-founded the company with Jonathan Boutelle in 2006 who became the CTO before being sold to Linkedin which has more than 16 million registered users now.

2. Cisco

Another company that grew to become a giant, Cisco. The idea was born out of the problem where the founder Sandra Lerner experienced difficulties to email with her then-husband Len Bosack while working at Stanford University. This problem has led her to design the multi-protocol router – a platform which catapulted Cisco in 1984.

In 1990, it was reported Lerner walked away from the company with $170 million from the sale of her stock options. Her entrepreneurial career did not end there, she continued on to start Urban Decay, a company specialized in cosmetics and a farm based in Virginia.

3. Flickr

Flickr was founded in 2002 by duo couple Caterina Fake and Stewart Butterfield. The popular photo sharing website was an offshoot of a game which Fake was developing with her husband at the time.

Three years later, Yahoo bought the website from the couple for a reported $35 million in cash and stock options. Fake went on to co-found another another website called Hunch – a site that makes recommendations based on users’ preferences. She was even named to the board of directors of the very popular online marketplace Etsy.

4. The Body Shop

Anita Roddick was not a stranger to the entrepreneurial life when she founded The Body Shop in 1976, England. Right after running a hotel and a restaurant, she used the experience to create a livelihood for herself and her two daughters – thus creating the company.

Her business concept became a hit and Anita launched her second branch within six months after launch. Realizing she hit jackpot, she soon launched The Body Shop franchise program which enabled her company to open stores all over the world.

The company’s success led to its first public offering in 1984 and 2006 later on. It didn’t end there. Anita and Co finally sold to L’Oreal for a reported $1.4 billion which today, we see there are more than 2500 stores in 61 countries.

5. Proactiv

Katie Rodan and Kathy Fields were classmates who studies together at Stanford University. Both ladies agreed to the need of finding a better acne treatment since they have also suffered similar ordeal at some time in their lives. At a certain point in their lives after Stanford, the pair noticed the problems acne posed for people of different ages which led them into developing a new way to treat facial blemishes.

Over a five-year period of researching and testing, they have developed an effective acne skin care system which is know as Proactiv Solution. It was a combination of acne medicine and soothing botanicals to create a much more effective acne fighting system designed to leave the skin smooth, clean and clear.

6. HTC

Cher Wang is the co-founder of the famously known mobile technology company HTC with an estimate worth of $1.6 billion according to Forbes. She was born in 1958 and studied degree in economics from University of California in 1981. A year later, she joined First International Computer company, which led her to co-found VIA in 1987. 10 years later, she went on to co-found HTC in 1997.

Cher has been featured on Forbes world’s billionaire list multiple times from year 2010-12 having a net worth at an estimated 1.6 billion dollars making her one of the most powerful women in 2012.

7. The Huffington Post

No one familiar with digital media world has not heard of The Huffington Post. The founder, Arianna Huffington  even plays a huge role in the company after selling it to AOL for $315 million.

Arianna is also an accomplished author having shared her experience in book Thrive: The Third Metric to Success where the book still remains featured on the website.

My Final Two Cent

What do you guys think of the list? I’m sure there are more ‘women-preneurs’ which I missed hustling and working hard around the globe. Let me know any women entrepreneur which you feel very interesting and ‘must-know’. I’d really like to find out more about them.