Can you believe we’re more than halfway through the year? There have been a lot of amazing things happening here at RWL Design and in the world at large. Here are just a few of the articles we’ve found helpful and one app we’ve been loving!
You Won’t Believe What Facebook is Doing to Clickbait by Denise Chan
‘Clickbait’ refers to any messaging designed to encourage clicks on a link without delivering any real value. Since 2014, Facebook has been discouraging clickbait by penalizing pages that utilize this practice.
Recent updates to their algorithms have begun flagging pages that consistently abuse their clickbait policy. And, Facebook has started to evaluate each post on its clickbait merit.
Additionally, the latest update penalizes links placed in the caption. Rather, Facebook is encouraging page admins to use the link format.
KEY TAKEAWAY: Don’t be misleading. Avoid placing links within your Facebook caption. Rather, use Facebook’s link format to receive a higher organic reach.
Beyond Measure by Margaret Heffernan
Beyond Measure is a Ted Talk book that explores the big impact of small changes – namely how providing safe opportunities for creative conflict stimulate growth within your company.
Pushing back, debating differences of opinion, and getting to know your members of your team develops and environment where the sum of your team is more than the individual.
KEY TAKEAWAY: Giving members of your team time to get to know one another builds trust, improving their ability to creatively disagree and brainstorm solutions, ultimately increasing your bottom line.
Discover the Science & Art Behind Writing Copy that Converts by Ryan Lonac
By understanding the MECLab’s Conversion Sequence, you can begin to break down your copy to identify what is and isn’t working. What about your copy is motivating conversions? What’s causing friction for buyers? Why do potential customers have anxiety over your trustworthiness?
The answers to these questions lie within customer research. It’s essential to listen to feedback and regularly collect good data to keep improving your site content.
KEY TAKEAWAY: Never slack on research. It’s the key to understanding and delivering what your potential customers need to convert.
15 SEO Best Practices for Structuring URLs by Rand Fishkin
Each one of the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) best practices Rand Fishkin shares come down to the same principle - don’t try and game the system. Treat your visitors the way you want to be treated.
Do you want to go to multiple locations for one single answer? Probably not! Stick to single domains, whenever possible.
Do your visitors want to read computer jargon-stuffed with keywords? Negative ghostrider. Make your content as reader-friendly as possible. This means no keyword stuffing, simple sentences, and clear headers.
Have you ever listened to someone recite an uber long web address? Talk about annoying! Keep your URLs as short as possible. Along those same lines, remember stop words aren’t necessary for search engines.
KEY TAKEAWAY: Google wants you to put web users first. Do so. Always.
Shoeboxed recommended by Mikaela Cowles
Alright. Alright. This is a reading roundup. We know. But, Mikaela insisted we share this awesome new app with you because it’s a total lifesaver. This is especially true if you’re running your own business.
How many times have you had a client lunch and misplaced the receipt? Do you have every receipt for the last time you traveled for work? Keeping track of all those slips of paper can be tough! But, all those deductions can add up to major savings at the end of the year.
Shoeboxed solves this! Snap a picture of the receipt with your smartphone. Uploaded it via the app. And you never have to worry about losing receipts again.
With the paid version, Shoeboxed will even categorize the receipts for you. Hello easy!
KEY TAKEAWAY: The Shoeboxed app makes it so you won’t lose a receipt again!
Additional Reading
7 Ways to Say Thank You on Twitter
Thanking someone on Twitter is about genuinely acknowledging them. And even better is including a thoughtful question in return.
13 Power Words & 5 Social Media Recipes
Power words are those enticing verbs and adjectives that grab your readers. Sometimes they do so by being a bit racy and controversial. Other times they play off our fans wants and needs. And often, they speak to our fans’ fears.
Unique Places to Source Images for Your Business
Pictures are an essential piece of any great content marketing strategy. You need them, plain and simple. But you also need the right picture. Discover where to source them.
