#than a flat popularity contest between all options

[pbacklinks]

Facebook Marketing Strategies

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Facebook Marketing Strategies

Over the years, Facebook has been considered as one of the most powerful marketing tool for small start-up businesses, to huge and major companies all over the world. This social media site is an avenue used by businesses to reach a wider range of customers, whilst creating a long-term and profitable relationship with them.

“You cannot but engagement, you have to build engagement.” – Tara Nelson

Facebook, along with technology is growing at a very rapid pace-with over 2.3 billion of active users, marketing opportunities in this social media site are endless.

In this guide, you will learn the different ways on how you can use this platform to your advantage.

Facebook Marketing Strategies

Make the most out of your Facebook Page

Using Facebook ads as an alternative for the conventional and costly ads will give your business a leverage, since most people are glued to their phones. You can make the most out of your Facebook Page by posting image, videos and links to develop and give a better sense of your brand identity.

You should not limit your Facebook Page by your product and service offerings alone. It is important to remember that it is okay to loosen up a bit, and show your audience the human side of your business’s identity.

TIP: above all, consider what your target audience would like to see. You can either share an educational or humorous post, or a mix of the two as long as it is connected with your business and would bring value to your audience.

Utilization of Facebook Ads

  These classic Facebook Ads are also known as Marketplace Ads. This includes a headline with an image, copy, and a link that would direct you to the brand’s Facebook Page or a separate website.

By utilizing this strategy in your marketing plan, you can greatly increase your website views and engagement. Facebook Ads also consists of:

Facebook segments your audience based on their demographics (location, age, interests, etc.)

It has the ability to determine your ad budget

Allows you to compare multiple versions of your ads during your ad testing.

Ad performance build-in tools

Facebook Ads can greatly help your Business Facebook Page to increase its number of viewers and likes-which can be very beneficial because once a user likes your page, your posts will appear to their timeline and there will be a higher chance of engagement between your business and your audience.

Host a Facebook Contest

Creating Facebook Contests, Events and Sweepstakes is another way to utilize Facebook to increase your brand awareness and growth. If you’re planning to conduct a Facebook contest, it is important to know that businesses should use a third-party application in hosting their Facebook contest. And then, the users from the app will be directed to your business’ Facebook Page.

There are a myriad of tools that could help you with this-some are paid and some are free. An example for this would be Shortstack, which contains a handful of contest templates for free, as long as your Facebook Page does not exceed 2,000 likes. Another free option would be Pagemodo.

Promoting Your Facebook Posts

  This involves paying a flat rate to have your Facebook Post to reach a certain amount of reach, impression and views from your target audience.

The prevalent reason for this is to ensure that your posts would really reach your intended viewers. The simple act of having your page liked by your target customers is not enough, and it does not guarantee that they will see your posts amidst their crowded news feed.

Facebook provides a solution for this through their Promoted Posts feature. If you’re considering to promote your posts, you can easily access this feature just by simply clicking the button at the bottom part of any of your post.

Sponsored Posts

This is a type or Facebook Ad strategy that you can use for your advantage. It involves the concept of “word-of-mouth” in such a way where a user will post a testimonial about your product or service offerings.

A study shows that if a user sees that if a user sees that his or her friends like a certain page on Facebook, he or she is more likely to pay more attention and get curious about the contents of that certain page.

The Concept of Facebook Algorithms

As of 2020, the focus of Facebook Algorithms has shifted on guiding the users with algorithms and the ranking signals. The concept of algorithm revolves around ranking the posts that a user sees.

  Here are the three (3) ranking categories for algorithms;

the post’s popularity

the post’s type of media (photo, video, etc.)

those people that a user usually interacts with

  In other words, the 2020 New Facebook Algorithm focuses on “meaningful interactions” among people through their posts. They make sure that the posts such as photos, videos, links, etc. presented in your news feed are relevant to you.

  Tips for Facebook Algorithms:

post high-quality posts consistently

start conversations that engages people

have your videos longer than or at least 3 minutes

choose the time when your target audience are online

Facebook Marketing Pros & Cons

Pros of Facebook Marketing:

user-friendly and flexible

cost efficient and has a low minimum cost

wide range of audience with over 2.3 billion users

you can segment your audience based on their demographics (location, interests, age, etc.)

allows you to build a long-term and profitable customer relationships

Cons of Facebook Marketing:

the visibility of your brand messages are limited

some people don’t really pay attention to Facebook ads

can be very time consuming and involves someone who is ready to commit for long-term

In Conclusion

  In this fast-paced and modern generation, people are highly dependent on technology for their day-to-day activities. Keeping up with the constant rise of technology can be overwhelming for businesses, but the rewards are proven to be worthwhile. So if you’re considering on putting your business up on Facebook, it is important to know the how-to’s and what-to’s in order to stand out amongst the massive sea of competition.

[auroraphilealis]

Can you please recommend me some good slow burn fics and/or chaptered fics. Thanks in advance xx

Are you READY?

Cause I have so many recommendations

Under the cut cause I went crazy

Give Me A Try @danfanciesphil - Dan, a bartender at ‘Habenero’, Brighton’s hottest gay club, has been obsessed with AmazingPhil, the openly gay Instagram model for a long time. In all the fantasy meet-cute scenarios Dan has imagined for he and his semi-celeb crush, none of them involved him being at work, being soaked in various liquids, or being halfway through a Saturday night hell-shift. Sometimes, life doesn’t wait around for your plans.

Ships that Pass in the Night @agingphangirl - Dan and Phil are YouTubers. The catch? They’ve never met, and Phil doesn’t want them to.

The Meaning of Love @phandomsub - Phil Lester is an intern at the British Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Neko – an organisation that focuses on rescuing abandoned or mistreated neko and rehabilitating them for re-adoption. He can’t say he fully agrees with the way many neko are treated, but in a world where they have no rights Phil has to agree that being someone’s pet is the best option for them. Then neko #504 is brought into the shelter and Phil finally realises just how alike humans and neko are. 

Here By My Side (A New Color to Paint the World)  - So one day, Phil walks in on Dan wearing a dress. And after a very confusing discussion, it comes out that Dan enjoys wearing girl’s clothing in private. Phil lets it be known that he’d be fine if Dan wore it around him and slowly, Dan starts opening up and letting Phil into his private world. But what Phil doesn’t expect is to start seeing Dan in a whole new way.

breathe and ill breathe (and im in love with you)  - A series of one-shots in which we explore various kinks. Said chapters will include biting, dirty talk, blindfolds, rimming, orgasm control/orgasm denial, spanking and scratching, orders and obeying, handcuffs and leg cuffs, breath play, and wax play.

Stirring in Love - @andthenshesaid-write When Phil applied to be a contestant on the Great British Bake Off he didn’t even expect to make the long-list, let alone make it into the actual tent. But make it he does and there he meets Dan, a baker unlike Phil in every possible way. After a rocky start, Phil realises that maybe he can learn some things from Dan after all, and the biggest things have nothing to do with baking.This fic was nominated for the Phanfic Awards 2016 Best of the Best!

A Map of My Heart and Mind - Dan and Phil get drunk and wake up married in Vegas, the day after Dan’s 25th birthday. Dan thinks they could just get it annulled but Dan knows what marriage means to Phil, how important it is, and he wonders if they can just fake it for a year so it’s not a total waste and then divorce. Of course, a year is a long time to pretend to be married and things can always change…

Emergency Substitute @parentaladvisorybullshitcontent - “You could always charm Phil for us,” Jack suggests. “Throw him off his game.”“Right, yeah,” Dan says sarcastically. “Midway through the match I’ll just Summon his broom to me and he’ll fall off and then Gryffindor’ll automatically win.”“I didn’t mean that kind of charm,” Jack says, under his breath.In which Dan is roped into playing Quidditch when all he really wants is a quiet life. And for Phil to never leave Hogwarts.

Road to Acceptance Series @anerdwithakoreanhaircut - Dan never thought alcohol could bring anything but misery into his life, and…well, he was kind of right; the headache was painful and the memories of how he spent his 18th birthday were gone. He manages to break into someone else’s home. But it’s because of the alcohol he meets Phil, who impacts his life in more ways than one.

If You Think you Know Me @ineverhadmyinternetphase - Fiction. Phil’s a police Sergeant. He’s been itching to get promoted to Inspector for ages, but to do so, he needs to crack his biggest case - famed internet hacker the Howler. Phil’s been after him for years, but he’d never managed to get even a hint towards his identity. When he meets a hot stranger in a bar one night, Phil thinks his luck might just be turning up. But maybe getting close to this particular stranger isn’t the best idea.

Everything You Never Wanted - Phil is an omega, he’s spent nearly his entire life going to Eastbrook, an omega only school. When his parents make the decision to transfer him into an alpha,beta,omega school his whole life is turned upside down. Especially when he meets Dan Howell, an alpha who can’t seem to stand him. No matter how hard the two try to avoid each other the universe seems to keep pulling them together.

Our Threadbare Lies @ramonaspeaks - Dan is eighteen years old and newly single. He’s ready to come out to his family but he thinks it would be a hell of a lot easier if he had a boyfriend to help him through it.

Taking Every Chance I’ve Got - All Dan wanted was to get drunk, really. Have a good time, meet a few new people. He didn’t really think about getting involved with someone as dangerous as Phil Lester (someone as cold, as pale and, well, as not alive), and he definitely didn’t think that one trip out to a bar would change his life forever.

Behind Closed Doors - Based very loosely on ‘A Little Princess’ and ‘David Copperfield’14 year old Dan Howell is sent away to boarding school leaving behind his abusive stepfather and incredibly ill mother. 17 year old Phil Lester is the school’s jack-of-all-trades who works his hardest under harsh circumstances to avoid the workhouse. The two boys meet and become close friends knowing they have to stick together if they are to survive the trials that lay ahead of them.

read between the lines (i will if you will) @phanbliss - Phil ^_^ (5:31 PM)Dan?danisNOTonfire xD i swear im really not. come check. (5:31 PM)yeah?Phil ^_^ (5:32 PM)I think I'm in love with youI justI can't wait to meet you--Skype conversations between Dan and Phil, leading up to their first meeting. 2009!Phan. Prepare for fluff.

First Impressions (Perhaps I Was Wrong) @phanbliss - Phil Lester goes back to university for his third year, expecting to live in the dorms with his childhood best friend PJ. That's how it's been for the past years, after all. However, due to a mistake of some sort, he finds himself with a new roommate to spend the semester with.Daniel Howell, three years his junior, has rich brown eyes, a laptop to hide them behind, and not more than two words to spare in Phil's direction. Phil is no fortune teller, but he foresees the upcoming months will be filled with a whole lot of awkward silence.Unless, of course, Dan proves him wrong...Could one little mistake lead to something entirely life-changing? Perhaps it could. After all, nearly everything changes when Phil meets Dan.-Excerpt: Dan's hair is soft against Phil's cheek, and his presence - gentle against his heart.Winner of Best Slow Burn in the Phanfic Awards 2016!

Reflections of the Heart - “Being told to dress up in a dinosaur onesie and have cereal catapulted at your face is a little odd. Waking up to find that you and your best friend have switched bodies? That’s fucking bizarre.”(Or, the multi-chaptered, slightly smutty bodyswap fic that no one asked for. Featuring whiny/annoying!Dan, sassy/beguiling!Phil, unintentional innuendos, intentional innuendos, unnecessary kitchen supplies, and just a pinch of magic).

Love Yourself @imnotinclinedtomaturity - A lot of things about Dan's life are pretty great. He gets to make the music he wants, he's got a great fanbase, and his manager is his best friend. A few things about his life suck a bit more. He's currently lacking inspiration, he's rather lonely, and he's stuck in a rut.Dan's been going to the same coffee shop for years. It's quiet, it's quaint, it's near his home. Most importantly: none of the employees give a shit that's he a world-famous singer. Things change when he meets the new barista.

In My Way @ineverhadmyinternetphase - Daniel Howell is 21 and Britain’s newest star. He’s just been cast in the much-anticipated film adaption of Last Man Standing, the popular teen fantasy novel with a huge fanbase hanging off his every tweet. In other words, Dan has made it big.Phil Lester couldn’t care less. He’s a stressed out PHD student working part time at a bookshop while he struggles to get into post-production. He’s 26 and still lives in a tiny flat on the fifth floor of a building with a lift more broken than it is in use. He loves books, but he thinks big film adaptions screw with the plot too much.Needless to say, Phil is less than impressed when Last Man Standing is getting filmed in his hometown. And he certainly doesn’t want anything to do with obnoxious, arrogant, so irritatingly perfect leading actor Daniel Howell.

Let Me Down Gently @ineverhadmyinternetphase - AU in which Dan is (briefly) a lawyer, until he gets fired and kicked out by his girlfriend. Wandering alone at night looking for a place to stay, he happens across a slightly strange man who introduces himself as Phil and who owns a B&B. Without much choice, Dan takes up the offer to stay there, and quickly grows to have a certain fondness for Phil. There’s only one problem: Phil runs the B&B with his long-term partner Alex.

jump a lil higher @snsknene - Dan co-hosts The Breakfast Show. Phil's his new producer. They fall in love, assisted by a bunch of romcom tropes I refuse to apologise for.

danandphilKINKS @snsknene - "I've got mine!" Dan said, waving it triumphantly. Phil knew this was serious, then, because a) he hadn't procrastinated on it at all, and b) it was barely legible: he'd handwritten it.Or: Dan and Phil have a bucket list. Except with less seeing the Great Wall of China and more Googling how to wash enema.

Strangers @waveydnp - dan is new to london and living in a mostly empty flat, desperate to forget the mistakes of his past. he's all alone -- until one day he gets a piece of mail addressed to someone in the neighbouring flat, one mr. philip lester. he can't exactly not return it, can he?

a match and a fuse @waveydnp - Phil is twenty six years old and stuck in a dead end life. He works at Starbucks and may or may not be carrying a torch for his best friend of eight years. He doesn't know who he is or what he wants--or how to go about figuring it out.That all starts to change when he happens upon the resume of a certain law school grad named Daniel.

[izayosakamaki9]

Much to talk about. 모바일현금섯다 and everything in between

The most common Bingo cards are flat pieces of cardboard or disposable paper which contain 25 squares arranged in five vertical columns and five side to side rows. The games are called by drag and non-drag hosts alike and often include ancillary activities such as cabaret shows, contests and other themed activities that add interest and encourage audience participation. However, this "free odds" bet cannot be made independently, so the expected value of the entire bet, including odds, is still negative. Since there is no correlation between die rolls, there is normally no possible long-term winning strategy in craps. This he did at the Casino de Madrid in Madrid, Spain, winning 600,000 euros in a single day, and one million euros in total. Legal action against him by the casino was unsuccessful, it being ruled that the casino should fix its wheel.

What led to its explosive growth? First, it's based on the All-American game of five-card stud poker that is familiar to most players.  Secondly, all players compete against the dealer which eliminates the intimidation of playing against other players that occurs in regular table poker. 1005: Ouyang Xiu, another Chinese writer, associates the rising popularity of playing cards with the production of sheets of paper instead of the traditional scrolls. By “raise” here we mean pay the additional bet after the hands are dealt. In this case, if you are dealt any pair (yes, this includes 22) you should ALWAYS pay the extra bet to face the dealer’s hand. Tables games, such as blackjack or craps, involve one or more players who are competing against the house (the casino itself) rather than each other.

In military and non-military usage, a casino (Spanish) or Kasino (German) is an officers' mess. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/?search=그레잇게임 TWO PAIRS Any two cards of the same face value, plus another two cards of the same face value (but different from the first pair), plus any other odd card. ONE PAIR Any two cards of the same face value, plus any other three odd cards. Players must hit the established point in order for it to count toward the fire bet. The payout is determine by the number of points which have been established and hit after the shooter sevens out. The players, each in turn, call for more cards dealt faceup one at a time until they bust or “stand.” Anyone dealt a natural wins immediately unless the dealer is showing an ace or a 10.

All ample card counters know the exceptions and adhere to them regularly. It makes them get even a tenth percentage out of the game. Most of these are called "service bets", and they are located at the center of most craps tables.Caribbean Stud Poker offers an optional bonus bet, which often involves a progressive jackpot. Like most side bets, the house edge of the bonus bet is significantly larger than the house edge of the main game. At this time, players are allowed to view their cards, and just like regular poker, all of the players can either play or fold their hands. If playing the hand, they must place a raise into the marked box “Bet.” The dealer reveals his four cards after everyone has made their decisions and bets.

As in Louisiana, the games in Montana are not technically part of its lottery. If you take the notion that reaching 21 is not the aim of the game, it is easy to understand why 11 is the third best hand. It will give you the best chance to hit for another card without going bust.In the 1937 edition of Foster's Complete Hoyle, R. F. Foster wrote: "the game of poker, as first played in the United States, five cards to each player from a twenty-card pack, is undoubtedly the Persian game of As-Nas." However, the odds bet cannot be made independently, so the house retains an edge on the pass line bet itself.

If the dealer has an ace, and counting it as 11 would bring the total to 17 or more (but not over 21), the dealer must count the ace as 11 and stand. All call bets are considered courtesy bets and are only placed if the dealer has time to change and place the bets. The bet is considered taken only if the dealer and the inspector dealer has repeated the bet.Events or outcomes that are equally probable have an equal chance of occurring in each instance. There are the extreme stories such as Don Johnson who reportedly made $15 million over a matter of months or the tale of the MIT Blackjack Team that inspired the hit Hollywood movie “21”.

Since several of the multiple roll bets pay off in ratios of fractions on the dollar, it is important that the player bets in multiples that will allow a correct payoff in complete dollars. In some cases, players may also tip each other, for example as a show of gratitude to the thrower for a roll on which they win a substantial bet. 비트게임 In this craps variant, the house edge is greater than Las Vegas Craps or Bank craps. The classic casino table game of blackjack is one of the most popular card games played in both offline and online casinos. Despite its simplicity, blackjack can be an intimidating game to try for new players though.

There are those casino games with a house edge that is hard to overcome. Asian casinos offer several traditional Far Eastern games, primarily sic bo (which spread to several European and American casinos during the 1990s), fan-tan, and pai-gow.If the dealer has a mid-card total of 4 to 6 then stop hitting when you reach 12 or above. The commune has several religious buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments:

[clarencenicholsonata]

3 Ideas for TikTok Contests to Drive Engagement with Examples

Released in 2016, TikTok has grown into the sixth-largest social network in the world. That puts it ahead of Snapchat, Pinterest, and Twitter. With 100 million active users in the United States alone, the platform is rapidly rising up the ranks of the most popular social networks.

While its user base mainly consists of Gen-Z, with 16-24 year-olds accounting for 41% of all users, the number of users that are 40 and older is on the rise. This means that small businesses with a younger target market should already have a TikTok presence, while those with an older one should consider developing a TikTok strategy sooner rather than later.

Another thing that sets TikTok apart from other social networking sites is that you don’t need to have a large following to go viral, allowing you to reach an audience beyond just your followers, provided your content is engaging enough. This makes it an excellent platform for small businesses to share their brand and reach new audiences.

An effective way for small businesses to increase engagement on TikTok is by running a contest. While similar to running a contest on other platforms, running a TikTok contest does require a couple of considerations, including:

Understanding what content performs well on TikTok to maximize engagement,

Reading TikTok’s Community Guidelines to ensure your contest follows the rules.

Before we dive into the meat and potatoes of TikTok contests let’s see what you can expect in this article:

Planning your TikTok Contest

The difference between TikTok Challenges and Contests

3 Ideas for TikTok Contests with Examples

Planning your TikTok Contest

While having the right idea for your TikTok contest is vital, you need to plan it out properly to ensure that it has the best chance of success. While the goal here is to drive engagement, you may have others, which you need to make clear before coming up with the contest.

Knowing your goal will allow you to decide on which metrics to track and how to track them. You’ll also need to come up with a hashtag for the contest so you can monitor entries.

To promote your TikTok contest there are a number of options available to you. These include:

Partnering with TikTok - this is an expensive option meant primarily for big brands

Hiring an influencer - while this too can be pricey depending on their following, micro-influencers are a good option for small businesses to increase their reach

Offer a prize enticing enough to spread the word organically

The difference between TikTok Challenges and Contests

One important thing to note is that TikTok contests and TikTok challenges can seem similar but shouldn’t be confused.

A TikTok challenge is an organic trend that isn’t controlled by a brand or business and, due to its viral nature, sees contributions from around the world. One of the biggest examples from 2020 is the Renegade Challenge which required participants to master a 15-step choreographed sequence. It took TikTok by storm, with celebrities from Kourtney Kardashian to Oprah getting in on the fun, generating over 2.5 billion views in the process.

@bigshwangnick

“renegade” dance tutorial ?? #dance #tutorial #foryou #fyp #renegade #DealDropDance #streamingwars #onthecourt #BornToGlow #makemefamous

♬ Hardest Dance Tutorial - nick joseph ?

On the other hand, a TikTok contest is (largely) controlled by a brand or business and will feature a prize, a timeframe, may require a landing page, and rules that outline how participants can enter.

TikTok contests might use the mechanics of TikTok challenges, but it’s very rare for a contest to become a challenge.

While running a TikTok ad campaign can give good results, if you want to cost-effectively drive engagement for your small business with an audience beyond your followers, a TikTok contest is a powerful strategy that can deliver the results you’re after.

Monitoring TikTok trends is a helpful way of understanding what type of content resonates with users. While there are no set rules to follow when coming up with ideas for TikTok contests, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind. These include:

Keeping the challenge simple and accessible

Encouraging authenticity and creativity

If you don’t understand TikTok analytics, it can be tough to know what kind of contest ideas would perform well on TikTok. As TikTok themselves say, “don’t make ads, make TikToks.” To help, we’ve found X ideas for TikTok contests with examples that you can adapt for your small business.

3 Ideas for TikTok Contests with Examples

1. Get your audience dancing

This type of contest builds on dance challenges, one of the most popular challenge formats on TikTok. A typical dance challenge will require participants to master a sequence of dance moves set to music. Examples of these include the previously mentioned ‘Renegade Challenge’ or the ‘Tootsie Slide Challenge’ started by Drake. When it comes to brands, Chipotle, with its “#GuacDance Challenge,” is a perfect example of a business doing a dance challenge right.

Chipotle “#GuacDance Challenge”

Based on the popularity of these types of challenges, Chipotle launched its’ #GuacDance challenge, which asked participants to create their interpretation of a ‘guacamole dance’ in exchange for a free serving of guacamole.

The challenge, which featured the viral “Guacamole Song” by children’s musician Dr. Jean, received 250,000 video submissions and 430 million video starts over six days. The result was Chipotle’s biggest guacamole day ever, with more than 800,000 sides of guacamole served.

@brentrivera

When guacamole is free @chipotle when you order online/in-app on July 31st? #GuacDance #ad

♬ The Guacamole Song - Dr. Jean

2. Get creative with your brand

TikTok users love showing their creativity and unique take on things. Encouraging them to remix your brand or use your products in exciting ways is a fantastic way to increase engagement with your brand and to showcase your products in user-generated content organically.

Two brands that successfully built on this idea were Crocs and Mercedes Benz. Let's take a look at how they applied this strategy.

Crocs “#ThousandDollarCrocs Challenge”

Crocs was already featuring in viral content before joining TikTok. This was thanks to organically created challenges such as the “Shaving Cream Challenge,” where people stepped into shaving cream-filled Crocs. Another example was the “Crocs Shoe-Throwing Challenge,” where participants show how Crocs always land flat on their sole when thrown up in the air.

Building on this interest around their brand, Crocs joined TikTok and gained over 100,000 followers in a week. To build on this momentum, Crocs decided to launched a competition in partnership with musician Post Malone whose song "I’m Gonna Be" contained the lyrics, "Richard Mille my watch; thousand dollar Crocs.”

Through the #ThousandDollarCrocs challenge, Crocs asked its fans to share what they thought their $1,000 Crocs would look like "by customizing, enhancing, or by just embodying the Come As You Are mentality and letting the world know I’m gonna be whatever I want."

The campaign offered the winner a pair of $1000 Crocs, leading to an 18% increase in TikTok followers in the first 24 hours.

@brittany_broski

y’all can stay mad. Me n Posty stay dressin ? #ThousandDollarCrocs @crocs #sponsored

♬ original sound - Brittany

Mercedes Benz “#MBStar Challenge”

With Gen-Z and millennials making up 40% of car owners on the road, Mercedes Benz knew it needed to increase brand awareness and engagement amongst that demographic. They did this through the #MBStar campaign, which encouraged TikTok users to get creative with Mercedes Benz’s famous star logo for a chance to be featured on their Instagram page.

Running only in the UK and Germany, the campaign had over 70,000 participants and more than 800 million video views. The luxury car brand also gained more than 30,000 new followers.

@mercedesbenz

Join us for the #MBStarChallenge and show us how you let our star shine! #MercedesBenz @laurieelle

♬ Shape like a shining star - Mercedes

3. Encourage self-confidence & positivity

Authenticity is critical on TikTok, and content that speaks to this performs well. Users of the platform value encouraging self-confidence and promoting positivity and will tend to engage more with brands that reflect these values.

Both Ralph Lauren and e.l.f. cosmetics are perfect examples of how authentic content resonates on TikTok and testifies the type of engagement that this strategy can produce.

e.l.f. cosmetics “Eyes Lips Face Challenge”

One of TikTok’s most successful branded hashtag challenges to date is e.l.f. cosmetics’ ‘Eyes Lips Face Challenge’ which has generated over 5 million user-generated videos and more than 6 billion views.

The cosmetics brand commissioned a song called “Eyes. Lips. Face.” specifically for the challenge, a first in TikTok marketing, and asked participants to show their self-confident moves for a chance at winning $250 worth of e.l.f. Cosmetics makeup and skincare products.

Not only did the campaign result in a massive amount of entries, but it also gained organic traction with celebrities such as Lizzo, Kevin Hart, and Jessica Alba jumping on board without payment. Thanks to the song’s popularity on TikTok, e.l.f. released a music video and a full-length version on streaming platforms where it reached #4 on Spotify’s Global Viral Chart.

@jessicaalba

#eyeslipsface my errryday look #honestbeauty #cleanbeauty

♬ Eyes. Lips. Face. (e.l.f.) - iLL Wayno & Holla FyeSixWun

Ralph Lauren “#WinningRL challenge”

Building off its sponsorship of the US Open, Ralph Lauren created the #WinningRL campaign, promoted via a series of sponsored and organic videos starring “Booksmart” actress and tennis enthusiast Diana Silvers.

The challenge asked users to post videos showing how they are “winning in life,” with the three videos with the highest engagement winning Ralph Lauren US Open apparel.

Ralph Lauren went even further than a standard branded hashtag challenge using TikTok’s branded hashtag plus feature. This feature allowed the user to shop its US Open collection directly from the app.

To date, the campaign has amassed over 800 million views.

@lani.baker

What does #WinningRL look like in your day? ??☕️?? @ralphlauren #ad

♬ Clap - TikTok アシスタント

Gymshark “66 Days | Change Your Life Challenge”

Taking advantage of the popularity of fitness content on TikTok, fitness clothing brand Gymshark launched a simple but effective campaign that called for participants to set a personal goal that they would like to achieve in 66 days.

To stand the chance of winning a year’s supply of Gymshark goods participants had to post a picture at the beginning of the challenge and a reply to that picture 66 days later tagged with #gymshark66.

Gymshark partnered with a number of twin TikTok influencers, another popular trend on the platform. This strategy helped them to achieve an overall average engagement rate of 11.11%, with the #gymshark66 hashtag receiving 45.5 million views.

An example of how to effectively utilize influencers on the platform, the campaign also highlights the importance of understanding the strengths of the platform.

@francescapitt0n

Thank you so much for all the support ❤️ I will see you guys in a few days ??? #gymshark66 #gymshark #getfranfit @gymshark

♬ ily (i love you baby) - Surf Mesa

Wrapping Up

From the above examples, it should be clear that the type of content that does well on TikTok is very different from what performs on Facebook or even Instagram. Trends and challenges perform the best, but users also value authenticity. For that reason, if you’re planning on running a TikTok contest, you must adjust your strategy to match the platform.

As a relatively new platform, knowing what works on TikTok can be tricky. However, the ideas for TikTok contests listed above are proven examples of strategies that have been successful on the platform. These ideas are:

Getting your audience dancing

Getting creative with your brand

Encouraging self-confidence and positivity

While it’s impossible to predict what works, using the ideas and examples given above as jumping-off points for your next TikTok contest will greatly increase your chances of creating one that is engaging and successful.

Related articles

The Beginners Guide to TikTok Analytics for Business: 4 Tips to Understanding Your Content

7 Amazing TikTok Stats That Prove Why Brands Should Start Using It

8 Actionable Tips to Use Social Media for eCommerce Sales

How to Make a Social Media Checklist (Free Template)

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[thecoroutfitters]

Written by Guest Contributor on The Prepper Journal.

Editors Note: Another guest contribution from Kevin Fleeman at LifeUnderSky.com to The Prepper Journal. As always, if you have information for Preppers that you would like to share and possibly receive a $25 cash award as well as be entered into the Prepper Writing Contest with a chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards  with the top prize being a $300 card to purchase your own prepping supplies, enter today.

Cycling/biking is one of the most loved crazes of youth, all ages in fact. No? Yes? For most of us it was our first “wheeled” escape vehicle. So let’s take this a step further and learn more about biking and if perhaps a hybrid bike is a good vehicle to depend upon in times of need, as well as just fun.

Many people search the web asking ‘is a hybrid bike good for trails?’ In this article I’m going to answer this question. (You can check on the Best hybrid bike under $1,000 here.)

About Hybrid Bikes

A hybrid bike is the upgraded version of your newer bicycle designs – a combination of road bikes and mountain bikes. The advanced features of a hybrid bike easily suites it for gravel trails or light-off road trails. For this reasons it has become hugely popular with cyclists.

How to Buy the Best Hybrid Bike Under $1,000?

A hybrid bike is designed to perform well on both smooth and rocky roads. Anyone who has tried to ride a road bike on anything other than well, a road can attest to this, or a mountain bike on roads. Of course every hybrid bike has different specifications and features, so you need to consider some important things before buying the best hybrid bike to fit your needs, filtered through your budget.

Some important things about the best Hybrid Bike:

Tires:

The best hybrid bikes normally come with a 700 CC wheelbase and have tires that are between 1.4″ and 1.8″ wide. On the other hand a cross-country bike will have tires in the 1.9″ to 2.25″ width range, trail and all-mountain bike will have tires in the 2.25″ to 2.4″ width range, and downhill bikes, which are meant to withstand the abuse of drops and rock gardens, are equipped with tires ranging up to 2.5″ wide. These bikes are used by most ski resorts to attract a summer crowd to use the mountain and its lift systems for rides few roads can compete with for thrills and near-death experiences. IAC the standard hybrid tires allow you to quickly and smoothly pass over road cracks, road bumps and pavements abnormalities. These also help as to speed and climbing hills, dependent of course on how the bike is geared. They also support the weight of additional packs, equipment and gear should one of these be a part of your prepper planning.

Frame:

It is essential to consider the frame of the bike before buying. The frame is the bone of the bike as it connects the other parts to each other and provides the form, fit and function of this as a vehicle. Today most of the frames out on the market are made of aluminum or carbon composites. The price range can be substantial so do your homework.

While it may seem a little costly to buy a carbon frame, especially if you are on a limited budget, that reduced weight is a plus. Whichever you select, both of them are strong and rust-resistant.

Size:

Another important thing you should consider before buying a hybrid bike is “the fit”. We have all seen the wrong person on the wrong sized bike. It was either a gift or it is an accident in the making. You want to be comfortable, stable, and feel you can smoothly touch the ground while stopped or stopping. Also, ensure the bike seat can be adjusted to support your comfort and the pedals can be adjusted for that “right” riders position, even with added gear and packs.

Seats:

Where you meet the road. Most hybrid bicycles come with padded bike seats or saddles which are intended to help you to feel comfortable while crossing the unpaved roads, or other road hazards as well as making long stretches now wear less your important parts. While it is essential to test the bike before buying as a part of the whole thing as a road system, it is also the time to change the seat as needed to assure this is a vehicle you can both enjoy and depend upon.

Suspension:

If you want to enjoy a comfortable, non-wearing biking experience on any terrain then a front suspension fork is important. Suspension forks are shock absorbers and every shock they lessen makes for a better ride and a better you! Take this into consideration even if you don’t intend to use the vehicle to hall your gear and your life off-the-grid.

Most of the hybrid bikes come with front suspension forks, so before buying make sure what the fork tolerances are as a part of your overall research.

Brakes:

When you are going to buy a hybrid bike, you will find that most of them have linear braking system which are excellent, especially when you are not biking.

A better option is disc brakes if available. In fact I would make this a “no buy” decision personally. This type of braking system fits accurately in the center part of your wheel and ensures you much greater control of the bike when braking. Disc brakes perform in rain and mud and even in snow and ice and are not dependent on just how hard you can squeeze the brake handles. AND, no matter the two-wheeled vehicle, peddled or motorized, just you or an additional rider or loaded with gear, just hitting the front break hard will preform a helmet test you really don’t want to do.

Advantages of Hybrid Bikes:

Cyclists are a tough group, as are we preppers. To gain popularity a bike has to promote its advantages. So, what do hybrid bicycles bring to the table?

Raised Handlebars and a Relaxed Frame Geometry: The raised handlebars and Relax geometry are perfect for sitting up straight in a comfortable saddle, a natural position as opposed to making minimizing wind-resistance the most important consideration, as in racing. For a SHTF user this comfort outweighs speed and also facilitates supporting more gear. Additionally, raised, flat handlebars and the upright sitting position make it simple to watch where you are going and what is coming your way in either road hazards or two-legged ones.

Higher Gear Ratios: Higher gear ratios bikes are more comfortable for on-road, on trail biking. Yes, lower gears are better for hills, sandy soil, small brush/grass, but for a long ride, with the added weight of gear, on mostly flat pavement, high gears ratios are the right trade-off. They also facilitate smooth shifting and consistent pedaling. Things that are foreign to dedicated mountain cyclists, though they will never admit it.

Wider Tires: Wider tires are safer for lower speed, non-racing biking. Used at lower speeds they provide a better (bigger) contact patch greatly increasing stability while being somewhat more forgiving of mistakes. Now, you make the bike top-heavy by just being there riding. Add gear and the “advantage of the larger contact patch is mitigated. Physics applies equally everywhere (except in a vacuum.). In any case they provide a more comfortable ride on rough pavement, sandy roads or snowy tracks. They last way longer than road-bike tires and they help you not getting thrown by things like road cracks or train tracks you might have to cross, or cow barriers.

Superior Comfort: Again, many of hybrid bikes have suspension seats (hard springs) and forks on the back and front wheel. With this suspension system, riders feel much safer as they do help mitigate the bumps. Whenever a bump or obstacle comes, rather than the rider having to lift up off the seat, the seat counteracts to lesson the shock. Suspension forks also help when speed breaking as they provide a smoother compression in the down fork response. These are of value when you are carrying gear that is, but shouldn’t, really be bumping up against each other.

   Loaded with Accessories: These bikes are specifically designed to carry “extra stuff” as opposed to road bikes where ever ounce is considered an abomination of nature. And, as preppers, we mostly like things with extra attachments. Even the little basket on the front of the bike can be of value, as long as it doesn’t have a flower designed into it.

Affordable Price: Knowing the advanced features and advantages, you may think it might be a pricey bike, and compared to what is sold over the counter at Walmart, you could defend that point. However, buying right the first time and buying for the true purpose intended is always smart. A road-bike carbon-composite frame, bare frame, can run you $3,500 and has but only two purposes – actual hard-core racing, or making you look like you do hard-core racing. The build-out of these frames can push the cost to 4 times the cost of that frame. I don’t judge. The hybrid is a better solution for cruising the hood or getting out of the hood should you chose this as a part of your survival planning.

Disadvantages of Hybrid bikes

With a lot of advantages, the hybrid bike has a few limitations or disadvantages too. I write them off to the designed purpose of the bike vs a road bike or mountain bike but I am providing them for your consideration:

Some hybrid frames won’t accept tires wide enough for the more serious mountain biker

The absence of a full range of lower gears makes them unattractive to, again, mountain bikers. If you live in a hilly area, you should make this a part of your buying decision as higher gear ratios are more for level or near level road riding

The upright frame geometry does increase your wind drag at higher speeds

The compliant frames and riding position are less efficient in the transfer of power from your body to the pedals to the rear-driving wheel, than a racing bike – again, physics

Slower than a street bike and less intense than a mountain bike, again know you intended use.

Now, it’s time to decide if a hybrid bike is good for trails or not? Reading this article, you should be able to make a smarter make choice. In this expert’s opinion, hybrid bikes are good for the smooth trail (typical or not), regular commuting, but not good for racing or dedicated mountain biking.

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from The Prepper Journal Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

[propertyexpert-ng]

property search website

Buying Property in Nigeria

Congrats, your reserve funds has collected to a tremendous entirety of cash and as opposed to spend everything, you thought "why not contribute it? Why not verify my future and that of my children?" A superior method to do this is to put resources into land and buy a landed property for sale in your name?

Be that as it may, with the questionable idea of Nigerians, the once simple procedure of verifying property securely has now been made more troublesome and complex than a Rubik's 3D square.

How would you at that point get the ideal property that best suits your taste without managing the bums whose sole point is to deny individuals of their well deserved cash regrettably? It is very basic, take the accompanying aides, and all will be well:

Research

This is the most significant part of obtaining property or doing anything at that. Direct various research to be very much familiar with the happenings in the land area. Whenever progressed admirably, you become all around educated about which zones are acceptable, how much land costs in specific territories, thus considerably more. Along these lines, you can smell a warning ten miles away.

Spending limit

Attempt to make certain of your pocket power before settling on what property to purchase. On the off chance that you expect to raise, say, a cabin with restricted assets, make certain to make a financial limit and buy the things you need reasonably. Try not to buy an excessively costly land that takes up essentially the entirety of your cash and relinquish it consequently making another decent looking area for con artists to abuse.

Know the kind of Property you plan Purchasing

There ought to be an explanation regarding why you expect to buy a specific property, maybe you need a three room level to prepare for your children, or you need a lodge since you are terrified of statures, whatever it is, be free in settling on your choice and remain consistent with it.

Have a Specific region in Mind

Various people have various tastes and purposes behind needing to live in a region. I couldn't imagine anything better than to buy property in Obalende, Egbeda, or Ilorin for reasons most popular to me, I know it's totally unique for you. Be it to be near a family member or for the force supply, pick a territory shrewdly and stick to it.

Meet with House Owners in the Area

Presently isn't an ideal opportunity to be unnecessarily glad and unsettled, you need to cause associates with the individuals in your expected zone, to pose inquiries about the zone, find a good flat to rent pace places are the best to arrange your property, who to manage and who not to, and other related data.

Have a reinforcement

The expression 'don't tie up your assets in one place' helps us to remember the need to have an arrangement B. Consider the possibility that things don't turn out as arranged. What do you do? Change to the arrangement B gave it's anything but a reiteration of plan A.

Be Ready

It is never enough motivation to buy property since every one of your friends are doing it, or your better half bothers about it day by day. In the event that you believe you aren't prepared to buy property, DON'T.

Execute With Trustworthy Persons Only

Despite the fact that it is near difficult to determine what an individual is thinking precisely, it doesn't mean you should attempt your karma with just anyone and perceive how it works out. At the point when you expect to execute with somebody, make requests about him/her to make certain of how dependable the individual is. Notwithstanding, it is ideal to experience go betweens, for example, estateg operators, for increasingly secure exchanges. Search Nigerian Property Websites, for example, this one to guarantee you are executing with trustworthy property specialists.

Installment Method

Try to pay through banks when managing another person, along these lines you have their own data in the event that they choose to denounce any and all authority. Demand bank moves, checks, and other comparative techniques.

Check, Verify, Verify

Check all the pertinent title archives gave over to you to affirm their credibility. The archives are the main verification that privileges of responsibility for property have been moved to you, subsequently ought to be remained careful and unblemished. Reports, for example, the endorsement of possession, Governor's Consent, receipt of installment, study plan, charge authentication, and intensity of lawyer (when managing a broker) ought to be all around investigated to forestall disastrous stories later on.

Reward Point: Employ experts, for example, legal counselors and planners to help affirm the precision of all data and reports gave to you by the land owner. Legal advisors utilized will likewise have the option to help you should any lawful contest identifying with the property emerge later on.

There you have it! Follow the abovementioned, and you are well on your approach to effectively owning your own property in Nigeria! For more information click here =>https://Propertyexpert.ng

[idolizerp]

LOADING INFORMATION ON MAYDAY’S LEAD VOCAL, LEAD DANCE LEE JUEUN...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: N/A CURRENT AGE: 21 DEBUT AGE: 20 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 15 COMPANY: MSG SECONDARY SKILL: N/A

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): juju INSPIRATION: watching artist perform on the music shows as a kid. SPECIAL TALENTS:

Can count backwards from 100 in under 90 seconds

She can fit an obscene number of cherries in her mouth at once.

NOTABLE FACTS:

she came in first at a track meet in middle school.

it’s known she was a terrible at studying while in school, she often comments that she had ‘okay’ grades.

growing up she was a huge Jubilee fan & she owns an autographed album from a contest her mom entered for her.

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

Jueun’s short-term goals may seem like company talk but she genuinely wants to see their group grow in popularity the year after their debut. A large part of this is personal, she knows how hard she has worked and now finally having debuted she doesn’t ever want to go back to the days of auditions. Another aspect of it though is knowing the company’s expectations for the group.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

ueun’s long-term goal is to become a lasting figure in the entertainment industry. She wants to carve out a place for herself whether that’s as a host, on variety,  actress, or otherwise she isn’t too picky. Ideally she’d like to stay in the industry as a singer but if she’s honest with herself she isn’t quite so confident in her skills to see it as a viable option – at least on a soloist level.

IDOL IMAGE

The problem, or perhaps the benefit, of having past failures is that it gives an easy narrative to those who want to paint it. In Jueun’s case the company decided to take her audition failures – and eventual success – to shape a story for her persona. It’s no secret that the public likes someone who works hard, even suffers a bit before reaching their goal. It garners sympathy with the public and inspires them to root for their success. Everyone can relate to an underdog after all. At least that was what they hoped for Jueun. While it’s true that she did fail to proceed at auditions with two other companies it was decided that the story would be played up and exaggerated for sentimentality. With this backstory Jueun was given the story of someone who might not be the most talented or the most beautiful but someone who overcame failures to reach her dream.

To coincide with this Jueun is also given the image of the kind, reliable, down-to-earth friend, doubling down on being someone who the fans can connect with. To the fans she’s not an untouchable goddess, she’s a girl who’s just like them. Someone who you could see as your best friend or a person you could meet casually walking down the street. She’s a good listener and someone you could tell your problems to. She wasn’t the crush but she was the kind of person a fan could talk to for advice about their crush. When it comes to things like variety she isn’t the one who is going to be wacky or witty, she’s seen as the normal one.

This image trickles down to what the stylist give her and how she appears during social media interactions as well. In instagram lives she would be dressed casually as if she might have just been lazing about in her every day life before deciding she wanted to see the fans.

In truth there are nuggets of reality in her persona when compared to reality – Jueun does think of herself as hard-working and she isn’t terribly up-tight or difficult to be around. In fact she often accepts things too easily, especially if it’s what the company wants. It’s a bit ironic she is seen as someone who listens well given in reality she’s often the one going to her brother for advice.

One major difference between herself and her image is the bit of selfishness that lies in her and rears it’s head when no one is watching. She wants to succeed and be a lasting entertainer and can often get frustrated when faced with reality that it might not happen. In a way her desire to succeed is in conflict with her image; she doesn’t want to simply be the normal friend who gets looked over every time, she wants to leave an impression.

IDOL HISTORY

i.

Jueun was born into a very stable household. Happily married parents, an older brother, and eventually a younger sister. It was also a very practical household, her mother was a middle school teacher and her father an officer worker. They didn’t have an extravagant living but she also didn’t want for anything growing up either. It was in this typical family environment that little Jueun was allowed to dream. Born in 1998 she grew-up in the perfect time, at least by her standards.

The entertainment industry was changing, becoming a production larger than life, and it was all taking place before little, wide-eyed Jueun as she sat in front of the living room television. By the age of six she was begging her mom for lessons but vocal coaches and dancing lessons simply weren’t in the household budget. It was one or the other and she chose dance lessons – after all, she could always practice singing on her own. And for the longest time that was that. Jueun lived a fairly ordinary life. She would attend her dancing classes, which fortunately she had taken a shine to being at least above average for her age group, but things like school and Sunday service came first.

Contrary to what fairy tails her dream didn’t come after she started working towards it. It was a bit of a bitter reality, even at a young age. However one benefit of youth was that she was not fully soured by the bitterness and cynicism of the world just yet. And while her dream might seem unreachable with each passing day, she was still allowed the luxury of dreaming.

ii.

By the age of fifteen it was largely assumed that any notion of pursuing the dream of becoming an idol had faded away with age. At least that was the case as far as her parents were concerned. Sure she continued to take dance lessons and sang in her room when they were trying to watch the television but as far as they were concerned these things were merely hobbies. Not to mention that her failure to be noticed or recruited to this point, for them, was a sign that a future in that profession simply wasn’t realistic.

And if in that moment in time Jueun was being honest with herself she’d confess to having similar thoughts. Soon she’d have to start thinking about other careers and singing and dancing might just have to be a hobby. With that in mind she made to deal with herself, she’d try for the next year and if it didn’t get her anywhere then she’d accept reality.

To say the early returns were disappointing would be an understatement. her first audition she didn’t make it past the first cut and the entire time she could recall noting how disinterested the evaluator looked. it was disheartening, even a bit humiliating, and she couldn’t help but wonder if it also was a dose of reality. Despite that feeling she pushed on, determined to keep the promise she made to herself.

There was a sliver of hope the next time around. She received a second audition but was ultimately cut again. It was here that Jueun began to think she was setting her sights too high; she came from a normal family. They didn’t have the money and influence that surely other kids had. And while she was an above average dance and okay singer; she was far from a prodigy herself. Auditioning for companies like Midas and 99 Entertainment? After two failures she began to view those chooses as foolish and feelings of self-doubt bloomed from these episodes.

These two failures left a significant imprint on her. Jueun had never just been flat out told she wasn’t good enough. That isn’t to say she was cocky and arrogant about her skill, she new her deficiencies, a better label might have been naive. She thought if she worked hard enough her effort would show through and that would be enough.

To this day those failures have made her a bit more cautious and self-conscious.  

At the time though it was a conversation with her brother and his advice that led her to try another audition, this time at MSG Entertainment. In his words if she was going to strike out she might as well do so swinging. At the time she thought her brother, who played baseball, using that kind of metaphor was lame but it got the point across nonetheless. So she practiced, waiting for the next time the company held auditions.

The day of the auditions she would never forget. For starters she spent the morning sitting by the toilet. Her father said it was good that she was ‘puking her nerves out’. Somehow she didn’t see how that was a good thing, especially because when she arrived for her audition she felt even more nervous than when she woke up.

Throughout her audition she tried her best to ignore the nausea in her stomach. When it was over she felt like she had done her best but past disappointments kept her from getting her hopes up too high. Jueun wanted to believe that her hard-work would show through and count for something; after all it was what her parents had taught her growing up, but how had that worked for her in the past? Therefore it was understandable that she had cautious excitement when they contacted her for another tryout. And when she was accepted she was bursting with joy, naively believing the hard part of the process was done.

iii.

Initially after being accepted to the agency there was a period of serenity. The joy of sharing the news with her parents and closest friends; the elation at having taken the first real step to achieving that dream she had as a girl. For all intensive purposes this was were the happily ever after would begin in a storybook ending. However this period of elation was quickly met with a harsh reality. While being accepted as a trainee was a big step for her personally, she learned it was a small step in the grand scheme of debuting as an idol.

Until that point her only formal training had been in dance, and while she thought she was a good singer her audience had only been her mirror and family at holiday gatherings. As her training began under the company she quickly learned that simply being happy to have made it this far wasn’t enough. In a company like MSG the trainees she had lunch with on Monday could be gone after an evaluation on Tuesday, and often times were. This was perhaps one of the harder things for Jueun to adapt to. To begin with she already wasn’t someone who easily made close friends; so to have those that she did get close to and hoped to debut with be dropped that easily was a sobering experience for her throughout her trainee life, but especially early on.

For all the glitz and glamour that she had seen and admired on stage, the process to get there was equally as grueling and trying – perhaps even doubly so. And for Jueun, like many, she was training and practicing with no promise of debut, no promise that this would payoff in the way she wanted. With that in mind it was after two years of being a trainee when her first breaking moment hit. She had them before, minor ones, often brought on by exhaustion after a practice or frustration at herself for not progressing the way she wanted to; but this was the first time she felt like calling it quits - that she felt whatever payoff would come from this training simply wasn’t worth it.

She was well aware that even among her fellow trainees there were those that had been around longer than she had yet she couldn’t put that into perspective. Two grueling years as a trainee with no news of debut was hard to stomach when she had friends who she remembered auditioning with preparing for debut with other companies.

She remembered this time vividly, in part because she remembered getting mad at her brother for not taking her complaints on the matter seriously. Instead of sympathizing with her he told her that she wasn’t the only one going through struggles.

At the time her seventeen year old mind took it badly, as if he was belittling her hardships. It wouldn’t be until later that she truly gained perspective on his words. The fighting though, did prove to be cathartic for her. All the frustration and emotion that she wasn’t allowed to show in front of her trainers seemed to come out and, despite his words, her brother allowed himself to be her verbal punching bag. It was just the relationship they had. She shared a closeness with her brother despite him being five years older than her and in moments like these throughout her life he was there w- even if she didn’t always want to hear it.

From then on it was a routine, a draining and tedious routine that required all her efforts and then some, but Jueun pushed on. Saying goodbye to friends didn’t get any easier and seeing her fellow trainees excel didn’t help her own inferiority complex go away either. She merely did her best to compartmentalize those emotions, or at the very least she’d try to ignore them.  In a weird way it was funny, as the years went by her dream of debut seemed further away than before she was a trainee. Back then she was allowed time to sit and think about it; however during those years between school and practice there wasn’t much time to leave her head in the clouds.

iv.

The day she was told she would be apart of the debut group was a day Jueun would never forget. The words barely registered with her at the time, it was almost like an out of body experience. When she called her mom to tell her, Jueun could specifically remember how her hands were shaking while holding the phone. Everything she had wanted since she was a little girl was finally coming true: she was going to be an idol.

Like with everything in her journey so far, reality soon followed after the elation. Jueun wasn’t blind, she knew both the success and criticisms that came with the company’s senior groups. Even without receiving much, if any, information on what their debut concept and image would be at the time there was a clear sense of expectation from management that, if she was being honest, scared her.

What followed was a blur for her; the long practices and various training for debut was like a whirlwind and quite frankly like nothing she could have imagined. It was different than being a trainee yet challenging in it’s own right, maybe even more so, and there were days when she was just happy to keep her head on straight.

She was told about the image she would play, a persona of sorts, and trained on it without much input. A fact that she, perhaps naively, accepted without any complaints or suggestions. One thing that did become clear to her throughout their preparations was that she wasn’t particularly high on the metaphorical totem pole within the group. It was something she expected, after all she had a gauge of her own skills after training for five years, but it was still a fact that she struggled with internally despite the smile on her face.

v.

For Jueun, the debut stage was something she would never forget. The lead up was filled with nerves and worries and afterwards her heart felt as though it’d burst from her chest, but for those few minutes on stage she was allowed to revel in the realitt of having achieved her dream – or at least the first step of it.

Of course it isn’t all honey and roses; among the joy of having debut the knowledge that success is a requirement doesn’t simply fade away. Being self-aware that she might not be the fan favorite doesn’t simply disappear, in fact it becomes even more glaring at their first fan events. She’s not going to be the first choice by the company or the fans but she told herself she knew that already.

Jueun’s way of coping was to work more on her image, to become the best version of their Jueun so that they would like her. It might not be a healthy solution but she found it freeing as the year went by. It was something that was helped by the constant social media content that was being pushed out as well, it allowed her to get practice.  She started to think that if she wanted to be long for this industry, or at least try to improve her popularity, that trying to convince the company she would be good on a variety show or in a small role. However, thus far her efforts have proven fruitless. In her private moments it has bred quiet frustration and there are times when Jueun knows she’d accept whatever was offered to her. She does view it as somewhat selfish of her to want these individual activities and praise, even on a small scale, and she isn’t sure if she should feel shame about that.

With all that beneath the surface, in 2019 Jueun does genuinely want their group as a whole to become more popular this year. After all her biggest fear is falling short of company expectations and the idea of them cutting their losses. She’d do anything to prolong this dream and that, she doesn’t realize, is perhaps the most dangerous part of it all.

[merrile677vbucks-blog]

There’s Big Money In VBUCKS

Prisons Are Supposedly Using Fortnite V

Fortnite runs over Unreal Engine - both consequences of Epic Up for. The gameplay of Fortnite is actually very simple. You and everyone else get fell down in a place on a journey steampunk bus. Once anyone is on the ground, there is a mad scramble for resources when everyone goes on finding whatever thing they could apply to protect themselves and struggle away from other persons. Once everyone is considerably rendered, the target the game shifts to emergency as you try to outwit and outgun another player.

The main mechanic that Fortnite Battle Royale acquired from its sister game, Fortnite, and the thing which traditional Fortnite Battle Royale apart from PUBG is the talent for participants to build structures. Fortnite Battle Royale players collect wood, components, with material as they search for guns, shelter, with shape items, and manage those organic matters to erect sides and steps. Skilled Fortnite Battle Royale participants are almost always good designers, and they use this building mechanic to structure sniper towers from high look, to negotiate mountains using stairs instead of natural routes, with to place barriers between themselves with beating enemies.

Thanks to their free-to-play method, many protests in Fortnite battle Royale free v bucks no verification or consider, the in-game currency. People really should accept V-bucks with actual-global cash, but many might otherwise earn V-bucks as a substitute of having nickeled and dimed via micro-transactions. While limited, there are several ways to earn free V-bucks in the sport.

Fortnite, on the other hand, may be the precisely that, or the exact opposite. It is most up to the gambler. Acquire a controller and recreation a few rounds and get back to product, before spend the Friday night casually gaming away. Fortnite is easy to understand and entertaining to engage in, which gives drawn so many people, including those who will not necessarily play video games too often.

What are V Bucks? V Bucks are the real income currency in Fortnite Battle Royale. In PvE way, you can use them to buy llamas which control various things that will get you with the game. Battle Royale mode requires V Bucks hack to buy cosmetic items. As a real Battle Royale player, it's not easy. V Bucks cheats are tricky to generate in engaging in normally. Although the Battle Pass drops some V Bucks, if you do not buy the move, the amount is small.

After Epic Games debuted the "Challenge Royale" side of "Fortnite" by September 26, 2017, the game's popularity surged to the point wherever the idea right now control over 125 million players around the world. In addition to celebrating the one-year anniversary of controversy royales in "Fortnite" in Wednesday, Sony and revealed which it will allow cross-play for the tough in their PlayStation 4 systems (which implies that PS4 players will be able to recover previous "Fortnite" games with in-game goods by some other systems, like Xbox and Nintendo Switch).

Buying cosmetic upgrades in a free-to-play video game like as Fortnite is similar to contributing to the developer. You get a moderate reward that stops the character stand out while investing in the endurance and profitability from the activity itself. That also 100% optional and can get really expensive when you get hooked in upgrading your figure on a regular basis.

Tim Sweeney: We have about support demonstration that Betty can deliver in physics with digital humans. We'll be discussing Epic's on-line support to we're opening around all developers on the entire systems and many stores for free. And fine be talking about the confusion in the Epic Games Store. That's the adult news. We're very close to hitting 250 million Fortnite players. Since Apex Story stretched out, we've gained an Apex Legends importance of Fortnite players, which is amazing.

The Sovereign along with cybersecurity firm Sixgill looked at the wide-reaching money laundering scheme. Offenders are helping stolen credit card information to purchase Fortnite V-bucks, and vbucks fortnite free are therefore offer those V-bucks at discounted rates. These discounted V-bucks are mostly marketed in form for the dark web, but some are promoted in platforms such as Twitter and Instagram.

Here Is A Quick Medicine For VBUCKS

Like other battle royale games, Fortnite Battle Royale is a competitive shooter between 100 players as they air-drop away from a turning flat (or challenge bus”, in this case), then hostility to live on as the play area slowly shrinks to compel people in battle. Faithful to the conflict royale formula, you need to get all of the weapons and equipment for the record — you don't territory with everything besides a pickaxe.

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Trusted Flaggers work with YouTube's Trust & Safety group to handle bad actors on the system. Individuals in the Trusted Flaggers systems are not content reviewers, according to YouTube, and they don't have insider information how the company's machine learning systems work. This means they may submit videos as scams, but content reviewers may finally disagree amongst themselves. Even though a Trusted Flagger imagine a videotape is a trick or spam, it's up to YouTube's content critics and engine learning algorithm to create that determination. If the film is originated as fine by a content reviewer, the videotape may be awake. Even though one cause told Polygon that Fortnite scams are watching up tens of millions of look at every single time,” some of these videos may not be established since scams by organs of YouTube's review team.

The whole something for everyone” adage continues when the fairly new Creative mode falls into the situation. While that not fight royale by definition, Creative is an addition of the Habitat sandbox way that was created nearly a year before. Epic has an objective of favor Fortnite into a service rather than a single tough, with the former part of getting that aim has been successful with Creative setting. That definitely takes a huge leaf out of Minecraft's creative mode but without being limited to individual blocks, performs the outline much more impressively.

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Fortnite Battle Royale is the free 100-player PvP setting in Fortnite. One large guide, a movement bus, Fortnite building abilities with destructible environments combined with intense PvP combat while the final one have victories; and Recover the World is a company shooter-survival competition with approximately 4-man squad to help attack off cases and secure mission objectives with defense and cover.

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21 Scary VBUCKS Ideas

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[jam2289]

A New Plan for the International Society For Philosophers

I need to reassess my original plan and formulate a new one for the International Society For Philosophers.

I wrote one essay for the ISFP quite a while ago on this blog. The director liked it so much that he put a link on his website, but I never officially submitted it. Then, I didn't do the other three that I need to do to complete their Associate certification.

My original four ideas were: The Meaning of Life, The Most Important Question in Philosophy, The Creative Ape, and Violence and Society. Here's the original article on those four ideas.

http://www.jeffreyalexandermartin.com/2017/10/concerning-international-society-for.html

I did four blog posts on the most important question in philosophy. It came out well. Here's the link to the first in the series.

http://www.jeffreyalexandermartin.com/2017/10/the-most-important-question-in.html

I didn't do the other three ideas, even though I have published something like 100 blog posts since then. The meaning of life subject is a big one, maybe it has been too big. I've hit on that subject in several of my articles, but I haven't attacked it so directly. One of the most famous works on the subject is "Meaning in Life and Why It Matters" by Susan Wolf. I don't think that book is very good. Before I really formulate my own article I think I might do an extensive critical commentary on her work. I will need to get copyright permission to do that. Then, after that, maybe that would be the time to tackle my own view on the meaning of life. Or, to write them at the same time.

The idea of the creative ape is to dive into epistemology, or the theory of knowledge and knowing. I often comment on that subject in my other articles too. But, it's another huge subject. I think I shy from writing on these so directly because I'm still working out my thoughts on them. The issue with that is that my thoughts on these subjects will never be fully worked out. These are not things that you can fully solve, so it's easy to keep putting off writing about it. That's an issue that I've been getting over more and more. My starting to get past that personal hangup has been why I've been able to write on some controversial subjects like global warming, IQ, politics, and flat earth even though I would've preferred to know more about them before I did so. At some point you have to stop waiting. Studying can be good, but at some point you have to be productive. That's been a hard thing for me to enact.

The article about violence and society I'm not particularly interested in writing now. I recently wrote an article called "On Resentment as the Path to Destruction". In there I talked about a number of mass murderers and such. That's not very fun to write about. But, I do have notes on articles about political corruption and jurisprudence. Those subjects partially overlap. The resentment article is here.

http://www.jeffreyalexandermartin.com/2019/02/on-resentment-as-path-to-destruction.html

The word count for these four essays is between 2,500 and 4,000 words each. I already have the one article done, so I only need three more. I was thinking about new subjects, or adapting some of what I've already written. I also have notes for over 100 articles that I haven't written and published yet.

I've written two articles on Harry Potter that focused on evil, and one article where I talked about him as a hero. So, I thought about writing an article like "The Presentation of Good and Evil in Harry Potter". Here are the Potter articles.

http://www.jeffreyalexandermartin.com/2019/01/why-is-slytherin-house-bad.html

http://www.jeffreyalexandermartin.com/2019/01/what-makes-voldemort-grindelwald-and.html

http://www.jeffreyalexandermartin.com/2019/02/john-galt-harry-potter-and-hero-problems.html

A few articles that might work which I have notes on but haven't written yet would be about communication and the semantic triangle, motivation in literature and when a plot ends, closure in literature and how that works psychologically, and the fallacy of the association fallacy.

I've written two things that might work great. I'm just a little hesitant about them still because I named them after myself and that still seems a bit odd to me. But hey, I thought it was as good a name as any. The first is Jeff's Razor, which is the idea that the overall peace and prosperity of a society is directly proportional to the voluntary to involuntary transaction ratio. That has some strong supporters, but it was also ignored by several people I know in economics. It's more of a moral argument anyway. There's also Jeff's Hammer, which is an epistemological concept. It's a metaphor that helps to explain why any given thing is always more complex than your current conception of it. That article was oddly popular. I was surprised and happy with that. Here are the links for those.

Jeff's Razor

http://www.jeffreyalexandermartin.com/2018/11/introducing-jeffs-razor-framework-for.html

Jeff's Hammer

http://www.jeffreyalexandermartin.com/2019/02/jeffs-hammer-conceptual-tool.html

I wrote an article on why people may be turning towards the flat earth idea that is the best discussion I've ever heard of on the subject. But, it seems that there really isn't anyone that's interested. All of the people that like flat earth don't like it because I'm not on their side. Everyone else doesn't really care about it enough to read an article on it. Here's that article.

http://www.jeffreyalexandermartin.com/2019/01/flat-earth-truth-and-conspiracies.html

I wrote an article in favor of global warming that earned me both love and hate mail. That was interesting. It's polarizing, that's for sure. I'll probably write another article on that either way. Here's that one.

http://www.jeffreyalexandermartin.com/2019/01/pro-global-warming.html

I wrote an article on suicide that has had a lot of support, quite a number of shares in psychology groups on Facebook and positive comments from a number of psychologists. That also goes with my first philosophy essay that I already have done. So, that might be worth exploring as an option. That one is here.

http://www.jeffreyalexandermartin.com/2019/01/an-interesting-note-on-suicide-from.html

I wrote an article on the political spectrum and why it doesn't work that drew some attention. The major issue is that I didn't present a solution because I didn't have one. If I could work on a better solution that might be a worthy subject. That one's here.

http://www.jeffreyalexandermartin.com/2019/01/two-problems-with-current-political.html

I've also been thinking about a new theory and practice of literary analysis, but I haven't developed it yet. There's also Theoconceptualism, which is a religion that I've been working on laying the foundations for. I have a few articles on that, but it's still just emerging. Here's one of them.

http://www.jeffreyalexandermartin.com/2018/12/the-impetus-for-theoconceptualism.html

I have a major issue with deciding things like this. It has probably been the main problem in my life. If you can't decide what you want it's hard to get anything, if you can't decide where you want to go it's hard to get anywhere. It's an emotional issue. I have a sufficient intellect. But, even if you have a high IQ you can't figure out the outcomes for basically any decision. There are people that have a disconnection between the emotional and intellectual processing centers in the brain. These people can do just fine on IQ tests. But, they can't choose whether they want a black or blue pen. There are just too many possible consequences for such a choice, so they get stuck trying to analyze them. I'm not that bad, but it's the same problem. (I have tried many self-development methods for making these decisions, with little success. I have designed several myself without much success either, although they were probably as good as the famous self-development ones. I am in the process of designing a new one now. I have some hope for it. It currently has no name.)

Alright, let's list the ideas here and see what we're dealing with.

1 - The Meaning of Life

2 - The Most Important Question in Philosophy

3 - The Creative Ape

4 - Violence and Society

5 - On Resentment as the Path to Destruction

6 - Systemic Legal Political Corruption

7 - Truth and Jurisprudence

8 - Good and Evil in Harry Potter

9 - Squaring the Semantic Triangle

10 - When Does a Story End?

11 - Epistemological Closure in Literature

12 - The Association Fallacy Fallacy

13 - Jeff's Razor

14 - Jeff's Hammer

15 - The Flat Earth Mind

16 - Pro Global Warming

17 - Why Stay Alive?

18 - A Better Political Spectrum

19 - Towards a Better Religion

Well, those are the ideas that come to mind right now. I already did number 2, I would just have to edit it, which might be quite the job. I just need three more, but which three are the best options? Decisions, decisions.

I'm shying away from 1, and 3, and 4. I don't think I would like writing 5. I think Bastiat did pretty good at 6. I still need to work out what I'm doing with 7. 8 could be good, but is it cut out for this type of thing? Maybe. It might be so long that it would work for the dissertation though. 9 could be good. 10 will probably be too short. 11 will probably be pretty short too. I might do that one as an essay to go in a coffee table book as part of an art contest. 12 is probably going to get crazy the way I'll do it. I'll just do that on the blog I think. 13 is good, I just need to come at it from a different angle. 14 is good, I think. It seems like a small deal to me, but people seemed to connect with it. 15 seems to be boring to others. 16 probably won't work because I don't really want to study it enough. 17 could be good. 18, I'm not sure if I'll come up with a good solution. Even if I do it probably won't be anything profound. 19 won't do. That's really a different project entirely. We'll see if I get to that one in this lifetime. I forgot to put literary analysis on the list, but I'll skip that for now.

That means our real options are: 8, 9, 13, 14, and 17. Alright, that's more than three, but those are the ones I'll be thinking about. 9 is the only one out of those that I haven't written articles on yet, so I think I'll do that and then decide which ones I want to adapt for the final essays that I'll submit to the ISFP. Well, that's a plan at least.

________________________________________________

You can find more of what I'm doing at http://www.JeffreyAlexanderMartin.com

[softhorts]

Any good au phanfics you can recommend me? Or any you've written? I'm new so I have not read any

ooo well I mostly read AUs, but I’ll link my all time favorites below under the cut and you can check out all of my bookmarks on ao3 because they’re really all good tbh! also check out the @phanfictioncatalogue The admins are super helpful and lovely :D

As for my own fics, I have never posted any but maybe sometime soon I will! For now, Happy Reading! 

Non AU:

fifty kisses to christmas by nokomisfics

“That any better?” Phil asks.

“Yeah,” Dan says, biting his lip. He sounds breathless.

“Okay.” Phil pulls away properly this time, getting to his feet. Dan looks up at him, not moving from his position on the bed, and Phil reaches down to pat at his cheek gently. “I’ll make us a toastie for tea? Turn the telly on, I’ve got Saturday’s episode saved. Haven’t deleted it or anything.”

“Alright,” Dan says, still sounding a bit like he’s short for breath. When Phil leaves the room, he feels eyes on the back of his neck.

or: Phil gives Dan fifty kisses for Christmas.

Maybe, Possibly by cafephan

Phil’s mother is adamant that he should be settling down, so invites one of his turbulent exes to an annual family get-together the following day. In a moment of panic, he tells her he’s already dating someone. With no other options, he turns to Dan.

Alternate Universe:

before we turn into a monster (with two heads) by blueshirt

“Once this case is over, I’m getting a new job. Maybe one where I just sit in my bedroom and make videos about my life. That would be nice,” Dan muses dreamily to himself—or rather, mumbles indistinctly to himself, because it’s a little hard to articulate when you’ve been shoved into the trunk of a moving car, bound, and gagged.

Or, the 30K Secret Agents AU that nobody asked for, featuring an undercover mission as husbands, annoying coworkers with a betting pool (Dan is going to complain to HR about Felix), and inevitable slow-dancing to Ed Sheeran.

(contains: smut)

The Abstract Notion of Home by wallflowerchronicles (unfinished)

An American university AU

(contains: smut)

Fool’s Gold by DarkPhannie

Fashion designer, or rather fashion student, Dan Howell has just moved to NYC and meets Phil Lester, an aspiring advertising major. Success seems like an easy task but will Dan’s ambition and trips to the other side of the world interrupt his life too much?

also on tumblr

(contains: smut)

Sidetracked by phanimist

Based on a prompt:

Dan and Phil are both contestants on ‘The Bachelorette’, but fall in love with each other instead of the girl.

Never Fade Away by parentaladvisorybullshitcontent

“Come on, just because he’s in space doesn’t make him cooler than you. I mean, technically we’re all in space. He’s just…in a different bit of space.”

“It’s nothing to do with anything like that. I just –“ Dan pauses, trying to think of a way to phrase it. “It’s stupid to even think of him like that when I’ve never even met him, you know? Like – I have no idea who he is.”

In which Phil’s an astronaut alone on Mars and Dan’s a lowly tech down at Ground Control who can’t get him out of his head

In My Way by INeverHadMyInternetPhase (unfinished)

Daniel Howell is 21 and Britain’s newest star. He’s just been cast in the much-anticipated film adaption of Last Man Standing, the popular teen fantasy novel with a huge fanbase hanging off his every tweet. In other words, Dan has made it big.

Phil Lester couldn’t care less. He’s a stressed out PHD student working part time at a bookshop while he struggles to get into post-production. He’s 26 and still lives in a tiny flat on the fifth floor of a building with a lift more broken than it is in use. He loves books, but he thinks big film adaptions screw with the plot too much.

Needless to say, Phil is less than impressed when Last Man Standing is getting filmed in his hometown. And he certainly doesn’t want anything to do with obnoxious, arrogant, so irritatingly perfect leading actor Daniel Howell.

Lover Boy by cafephan

Phil is the shy new kid at school, taken under the wing of Dan’s group of friends. The two develop crushes on one another, but a secret from the past threatens to jeopardise everything before it even begins.

Can’t Get You Out of My Mind by japhanforever

Phil is weird in many ways, but there’s one thing about him that is weirder than most. He has the ability to enter people’s dreams. Normally, he just hops into a random friend’s dream and goes along for the ride. Until, that is, the new kid, Dan Howell, comes along. From the moment they meet, Phil can’t stop get him out of is head….. And Dan may have a hard time keeping Phil out of his. Literally.

Life is a Test (And I Get Bad Marks) by phansdick (Skeletonflowers)

Soulmate au where the first thing you think when you see your soulmate for the first time appears on their skin. Dan has always been known as the most badass guy in school; Until Phil Lester shows up, that is. Feeling like his image is at risk, he lashes out, causing an all-out war between the two.

A Wizard’s Misgivings by jilliancares

Dan Howell’s entire family has been in Slytherin, and there’s no doubt he’s supposed to end up there too. Phil Lester does’t exactly know what to do when he finds himself liking boys, so he’s usually just horrendously mean to them. 

also on tumblr

On Tumblr:

My Man by lumierebleue

In the mid-twenties, poor worker’s son Dan runs away from home and meets Phil, a man with a secret. Their love blossoms but when the economy crumbles in 1929 and leaves them struggling for survival, Phil’s past catches up to him and he has to make a decision that will change their lives forever. (25.000w)

Ps if any of the authors here are uncomfy with their fic in this list or anything else please let me know!

[mealprepbags]

How to Get Shredded Fast: 7 Methods from Spot Me Bro

With magazines and fitness accounts filling our timelines on social media, we can’t help but want the physical look being portrayed through the screens of our phones – which is, more often than not, one that requires learning how to get shredded.

Being exposed to fitness personalities and people sharing their passion for living a healthy lifestyle makes us want to look more like the figures we see. Who can blame us? It’s human nature to want to look good physically and impress those around us – for whatever reason that may be.

Some of us just want to be able to show off our six packs or flat tummies during beach season, while others of us want to sport bicep veins in hopes that girls will take note of our hard work – as if it’s “hard work” most guys want to show off to girls.

Whatever your reason may be to rid your body of any unwanted fat, here are 7 tried and tested methods you should incorporate into your routine if your goal is to lose those few pounds of fat – and get shredded fast.

1. HIIT Cardio

You may have heard of HIIT cardio before and still not fully know or understand what it is. HIIT is the abbreviation of High-Intensity Interval Training. The premise behind this form of cardio is to raise your excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).

By doing this, you burn more calories by increasing your oxygen consumption. The body burns around 5 calories per 1 liter of oxygen consumed. EPOC is highly dependent on the intensity of the workout, not the duration. And depending on the intensity of your workout, the EPOC effect can last up to 38 hours post-exercise. This means that your metabolic rate is raised for up to 38 hours.

It is not recommended to perform HIIT cardio every day of the week. Instead, perform it between 2-3 times a week, and you’ll start seeing results.

2. Carb Cycling

Carb cycling is a popular dieting strategy amongst bodybuilders and fitness competitors during the last few weeks of contest prep as a method for how to get shredded fast. As its name indicates, carb cycling is the act of cycling your carbohydrate intake to utilize fat as your primary source of energy.

Carb cycling works by implementing a few days of low-carb intake followed by a day or two of “refeeding.”

The idea behind carb cycling is to deplete your muscle glycogen stores, thus putting your body in a state of ketosis – a metabolic state in which ketone levels are raised in the body. If your carbohydrate consumption is low for a few days at a time, your body will switch to ketosis, burning up fat for energy instead of sugars.

However, if you stay in a state of ketosis for too long, your body goes into ketoacidosis. This happens when ketones build up in your blood, eventually becoming acidic. In severe cases, ketoacidosis can lead to a coma, and sometimes even death.

3. Heavy Weight Training

Just like HIIT, heavy weight training sessions also have a great effect on your EPOC levels. As mentioned earlier, EPOC is not dependent on the duration of the workout but rather on the intensity.

If you go into the gym and perform a few bicep curls, side lateral raises, with a few crunches thrown in, then you’ve got a sad thing coming if fat loss is what you’re looking for.

To get the most bang for your buck when it comes to how to get shredded fast, I would suggest performing the three main lifts—squats, bench press, deadlifts—powerlifter style. In other words, moving a few tons of weight each training session.

Another benefit of lifting heavy, especially squatting, is that it raises your natural testosterone levels, which helps with fat loss and has a positive effect on the metabolism.

4. Fasting Before Breakfast

This may seem a bit contradictory to what you’ve previously read or heard about breakfast. Many personal trainers and nutritionists recommend that you eat a hearty amount of carbs for breakfast because you’ve just come out of a fasted state from sleeping. If this is what you’re doing, there’s nothing wrong with that.

However, what you consume first thing in the morning dictates what your body will be using for fuel during the course of your day. If you’re consuming carbs, your body will utilize sugar for energy. However, if you consume fat, more specifically coconut oil (about 1 tablespoon), and around 10 grams of whey protein isolate first thing in the morning, your body will turn to lipolysis – the breakdown of lipids (fat) into free fatty acids to be used for energy.

This process of utilizing fat for energy can be prolonged by “skipping” breakfast altogether. When I say skip breakfast, I mean to delay it by at least two hours before your first meal of the day.

It boils down to making sure that you are consuming the proper nutrition to fuel your body, in whatever style works best for you. With 6 Pack Bags’ original meal management bags, no matter when you plan to eat breakfast, lunch, dinner or any of the important snacks in between, you can always guarantee that the healthiest options are at your side.

5. Tracking Macros

As elementary as this may be, tracking your macronutrient intake during your days could have a major impact on your fat loss goals.

By tracking what you put into your body, you create consistency. When you’re consuming calories sporadically, you’re setting yourself up for a date with disappointment. My experience with keeping track of my daily caloric intake led me to become accountable for myself.

My goal each day was to stick to the number of calories I had set out for myself to consume. It wasn’t long before I saw a positive change in my body composition.

6. Using Natural Fat-Burning Aids

Fat-burning supplements can often lead to serious side effects when not taken with caution. Some companies don’t even list all the ingredients in their fat-burning products because it would not be approved by the FDA if they did.

The most popular fat-burning aid available today is caffeine. Caffeine, often sold as caffeine anhydrous, is a stimulant that boosts the metabolic rate of the body. However, the downside of caffeine is that the body can build up a tolerance toward it, causing people to consume more as its effects wind down over time. Consuming high amounts of caffeine for extended periods of time can lead to an increase in blood pressure. So, if you have a history of high blood pressure, it’s best you see you doctor first.

Another popular fat-burning aid is L-carnitine. L-carnitine is an amino acid that is made from lysine and methionine. Carnitine works by transporting fat into cells to be used as energy.

7. Consuming Carbs After Training

Nutrient timing is one of the most important factors when it comes to fat loss and how to get shredded fast. As we read earlier, by avoiding carbs, you make fat your primary source of energy. By avoiding carbs until after your workout, the fat-burning process happening inside your body will be extended.

Consuming carbs after your workout, especially after a heavy training session, can also aid in fat loss. After a heavy training session, your muscles secrete something known as “glucose transporters.” What these guys do is take sugar from the bloodstream and transport them directly into the muscle cells. By training heavy, you ensure that all the carbs consumed post-workout will directly be sucked into your muscles, a huge help on your journey to get shredded fast.

There you have it, folks: 7 tried and tested ways to help rid you of any excess body fat that you’re carrying around. Apply as many of these methods to your daily routine as you can. Start small, slowly add more of these principles to your life, and you’ll see how your body changes for the better.

This guest piece on how to get shredded fast is written by John Leonard for SpotMeBro.com. SpotMeBro.com and SpotMeGirl.com are the mecca for bodybuilding, fitness, gym motivation, and, of course, hearty gym memes, regularly introducing fans to new trends in training, nutrition, gear, and technology. Join over 1,000,000 monthly bros and fit girls today!

from Six Pack Bags Blog https://www.sixpackbags.com/blog/how-to-get-shredded-fast/ Time to get serious about your meal prepping! Buy Your 6 Pack Bag Here

[concrete-molds-blog1]

What is the distinction between a robotic palletizing and a CNC machine?

Turning skids additionally provides us better protection from shifting throughout transport in comparison with straight loading. In phrases of pallets, it’s additionally an advantage to give attention to commonplace sizes to make sure that you procure well-made pallets that will maintain up under weight. We occasionally see companies and people that have discovered non-normal pallets that aren’t nicely-built. Go here.

Our full line of palletizing robots give you choices when it comes to dimension, payload, speeds for cycle time and precision and most significantly, care in dealing with your products. Standard forty”x48” average dimension of a wood pallet will enable loading of two pallets side by aspect in a lot of the trailers. Some overseas containers and refrigerated trailers is probably not wide sufficient to do this with standard skids, requiring custom skids.

However, as most package types have at least a flat backside, universal gripping system has been designed to incorporate a roll-up principle. This allows you to handle layers of products the place most different conventional technologies fail. In Order Fulfillment, there a number of robotic solutions that are really revolutionizing the fabric handling world. Many factories and plants at present have automated their application with a palletizing robot solution of some kind.

Pay a Visit to Your Local Pallet Recycler or Manufacturer

However, it is recommended to examine their technical situation earlier than stacking the goods. It is checked if the pallet is broken or cracked, in case of wood pallets – if wood is rotting.

There are specific kinds of palletizers including the row-forming which have been introduced within the early Fifties. In row-forming palletizing purposes masses are organized on a row forming space and then moved onto a unique area the place layer forming takes place. This process repeats till a full layer of products and products are configured to be placed on a pallet.

New Navy-funded Report Warns of War Robots Going "Terminator" Archived on the Wayback Machine, by Jason Mick (Blog), dailytech.com, February 17, 2009. Call for debate on killer robots Archived at the Wayback Machine, Jason Palmer. Robots Almost Conquering Walking, Reading, Dancing Archived at the Wayback Machine, by Matthew Weigand, Korea Itimes, Monday, August 17, 2009. Nanorobotics is the emerging know-how area of creating machines or robots whose components are at or near the microscopic scale of a nanometer (10−9 meters). Also often known as "nanobots" or "nanites", they might be constructed from molecular machines.

The earliest may be a U.S. patent on a skid from 1924 describing Howard T. Hallowell's "Lift Truck Platform". In the late 1930s, pallets turned more commonplace with the newer forklift sorts.

This risks your palletized freight before we’ve even had a chance to load it, not to mention once it’s actually being moved around. The kind of pallets to be used is usually selected by the producer.

What is palletization?

Robotic palletizing know-how increases productivity and profitability while permitting for more flexibility to run products for longer periods of time. Various finish-of-arm-tooling kinds enable flexibility of different types of robot palletization. Bag grippers embody an item and support it on the underside, whereas suction and magnetic grippers sometimes handle extra ridged gadgets and grip them from the top. By automating your shop with a palletizing robot, you possibly can enhance the consistency of your loading and unloading processes.

In 1973, a robotic with six electromechanically pushed axes was patented by KUKA robotics in Germany, and the programmable common manipulation arm was invented by Victor Scheinman in 1976, and the design was bought to Unimation. By mimicking a lifelike look or automating actions, a robotic may convey a way of intelligence or considered its personal. Autonomous things are anticipated to proliferate within the coming decade, with home robotics and the autonomous automotive as a few of the primary drivers.

An official report was issued in 2009 by the Japanese authorities's Robot Industry Policy Committee. Rethink Robotics—based by Rodney Brooks, previously with iRobot—launched Baxter in September 2012; as an industrial robot designed to soundly interact with neighboring human staff, and be programmable for performing easy tasks. Baxters cease if they detect a human in the best way of their robotic arms and have prominent off switches. Intended on the market to small companies, they are promoted because the robotic analogue of the private pc.

Mining robots are designed to unravel numerous problems at present facing the mining business, together with expertise shortages, bettering productiveness from declining ore grades, and reaching environmental targets. Due to the hazardous nature of mining, in particular underground mining, the prevalence of autonomous, semi-autonomous, and tele-operated robots has significantly elevated in current occasions.

As of May 2014[update], a hundred ninety corporations in the US have bought Baxters and they're being used commercially within the UK. There are robotic kits like Lego Mindstorms, BIOLOID, OLLO from ROBOTIS, or BotBrain Educational Robots can help children to find out about arithmetic, physics, programming, and electronics. Robotics have also been launched into the lives of elementary and highschool college students in the type of robotic competitions with the company FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). The organization is the inspiration for the FIRST Robotics Competition, FIRST LEGO League, Junior FIRST LEGO League, and FIRST Tech Challenge competitions. The first palletizing robotic was introduced in 1963 by the Fuji Yusoki Kogyo Company.

Machine Tending Robots

A europallet, with its dimensions 120x80x14,4cm, is among the most popular pallets. It weighs round 25 kg and its capacity ranges from 1000 to 1500 kg relying on the load association.

So far, researchers have mostly produced only parts of those complicated systems, corresponding to bearings, sensors, and artificial molecular motors, however functioning robots have also been made such as the entrants to the Nanobot Robocup contest. Researchers also hope to have the ability to create complete robots as small as viruses or micro organism, which may carry out duties on a tiny scale. Possible functions embrace micro surgery (on the level of individual cells), utility fog, manufacturing, weaponry and cleaning. Some individuals have instructed that if there have been nanobots which might reproduce, the earth would flip into "grey goo", while others argue that this hypothetical consequence is nonsense.

Industrial palletizing refers to loading and unloading parts, packing containers or different objects to or from pallets. Automated palletizing refers to an industrial robotic palletizer performing the appliance automatically. Robot Palletizer LLC is a producer and technical integrator of a number of case and carton robotic palletizing techniques. With capabilities to handle numerous dimension circumstances, cartons, and packing containers, our robots help cut back total labor prices and increase profitability to producers. Easily Perform Secondary Functions - Video Courtesy of Kaufman Engineered Systems- Whether it’s layer forming, slip sheet or pallet dealing with the flexibleness of robotics allows for the seamless execution of secondary functions.

Increasingly popular robotic palletizers make the most of a robotic to place individual cases or layers onto a pallet. They present great flexibility and the aptitude of palletizing a number of SKUs and bundle sizes onto the same pallet. The number of different product and packaging types (e.g. corrugated cardboard packing containers, shrink wrapped items, open trays or boxes) in a distribution center have little in frequent, which makes automatic depalletizing and order selecting difficult.

A number of vehicle manufacturers provide autonomous trains, vans and loaders that can load material, transport it on the mine web site to its vacation spot, and unload with out requiring human intervention. One of the world's largest mining firms, Rio Tinto, has lately expanded its autonomous truck fleet to the world's largest, consisting of one hundred fifty autonomous Komatsu vehicles, working in Western Australia. Similarly, BHP has announced the enlargement of its autonomous drill fleet to the world's largest, 21 autonomous Atlas Copco drills. Some have advised a must construct "Friendly AI", which means that the advances which are already occurring with AI also needs to embody an effort to make AI intrinsically pleasant and humane.

George Raymond filed for a patent in 1938 (granted US Patent in 1939) for a pallet designed to complement a brand new pallet jack design; the essential options of both are still in frequent use today. A 1939 patent from Carl Clark exhibits type of pallet with steel stringers.

World's Fastest Palletizer

If the europallet is used solely for the aim of storing items without shifting them, then its carrying capacity might attain even 4000 kg. Pallet supply entails placing items or containers on a pallet; securing them using strapping, stretch wrap or shrink wrap; and transporting them to their destination. Pallet delivery corporations tend to make use of picket pallets as commonplace, but they might additionally use plastic or metallic pallets if they are extra suited to a particular consignment or technique of transport. References to the early modern pallets varieties are slim with a string of patents exhibiting parts of the event.

A model new entry to this list, Scratch is utilized by 1000's of budding roboticists all over the world every year. This visible programming language is specially designed for brand spanking new programmers — focused at customers aged eight to sixteen — and is often the language of alternative in class technology courses and robotics clubs. Evolving Robots Learn To Lie To Each Other Archived at the Wayback Machine, Popular Science, August 19, 2009.

[arplis]

Arplis - News: Mount Hope Hopscotch

Church Cove offers a protected anchorage in a southwest breeze. Photo Cate Brown

Overlooked by many boaters, Mount Hope Bay offers a host of attractive spots in which to wile away a dayor weekon the water. By Capt. Dave Bill; Photography by Cate Brown

Mount Hope Bay, shared by Massachusetts and Rhode Island, doesnt get a lot of attention from boaters. But it should. The bay is filled with interesting places to dock, drop an anchor or explore in a small boat, so you could fill an entire week visiting a new spot every day.

Every summer, I spend a significant amount of time on the bay aboard a 36-foot Union cutter, so Ive gotten to know and love this body of water, which offers everything from interesting things to see and do to great dock-and-dine restaurants to scenic spots where one can drop the hook and take a dip. Here are some of my favorite places to visit, as well as some points of interest.

The main gateway to Mount Hope Bay (which is named after a small hill on its western shore) is via the center span of the Mount Hope Bridge, with Hog Island Shoal to port and Musselbed Shoals to starboard. You can also enter, from the north, via the Taunton River, and from the south, via the Sakonnet River. Although the Army Corps of Engineers maintains a 35-foot-deep shipping channel through the bay up to Fall River, be mindful of navigational aids that mark obstructions such as Spar Island or Old Bay Rock. If sailing, youll also need to plan your itinerary around the strong tidal currents.

The Cove in Fall River is a popular dock-and-dine. Photo Cate Brown

FALL RIVIERA

The city of Fall River, once a thriving textile center, often gets a bad rap, but it offers a treasure trove of things to do and see. One if the main attractions is Battleship Cove, home to the worlds largest collection of World War II naval vessels, including the battleship Massachusetts and the attack submarine USS Lionfish. Reserve a mooring through the harbormasters office and you can spend the night in the shadow of these historic warships.

If you wish to explore downtown Fall River, you can tie up at the public dinghy dock on the south end of Battleship Cove. If traveling with small children, dont miss a ride on the 1920-built Fall River Carousel. You can also stroll along the waterfront boardwalk through Fall River Heritage State Park or take in a show at the Narrows Center for the Arts, a premier destination for the visual and performing arts.

Few people realize that Fall River was an important stop on the Fall River Line, a combination steamboat and railroad route between New York City and Boston from 1847 to 1937. The steamboats of the FRL were some of the most advanced and luxurious of the day, and you can learn more about this era at the Marine Museum and Visitors Center in Heritage State Park.

The Boat House in Tiverton is another boater-accessible eatery on Mt. Hope Bay. Photo Cate Brown

DOCK & DINES

Mount Hope Bay also has a couple of dock-and- dine options worth checking out. My favorites are The Cove in Fall River and The Boathouse in Tiverton. Both offer transient dockage, plus some pretty good food. Its best to call ahead at The Cove to arrange a space, but its first come, first-served at The Boathouses pier.

If youre in the mood for a party atmosphere, take a funky detour into Borden Light Marina, directly east of Borden Flats Lighthouse. The marina always has a few slips available for transients or free dockage for daytrippers on either side of the Tipsy Seagull, the marinas double-decker floating pub and restaurant. Take in the sunset while sipping a Tipsy Sunset and enjoying a Seagull Stuffy appetizer. You can also take the gratis Tipsy Taxi, a 1972 four-door Cadillac convertible, to visit downtown Fall River. In late August, Borden Light Marina plays host to the Fall River Grand Prix, New Englands only offshore powerboat race. Contestants compete for $35,000 in prize money on a 2 1/2 -mile course on the bay and lower Taunton River.

In this photo, Borden Flats Lightnow privately owned and available for overnight stays) is dwarfed by the towers of the former Brayton Point power plant, which was destroyed in 2019. Photo by Cate Brown

RENT-A-LIGHT

Approaching the Braga Bridge, which connects Fall River to the town of Somerset, youll notice the white-and-red, 47-foot tower of Borden Flats Light, which marks Borden Flats shoal. Built in 1881, the light is now privately owned and available for overnight stays. Renters can take a water taxi from Borden Light Marina to access the light.

Breathtaking Mount Hope Farm borders Church Cove, on the bays western shore. I regularly anchor in the protected 9-foot hole between Seal Rock and Mount Hope Point. Although there is no public landing on the cove, you can beach a kayak or dinghy along its shore and explore the property. On the north shore of the cove is Cove Cabin, one of the propertys function venues, available to the public for rent.

The farm offers lovely walking trails, a Saturday morning farmers market, gardens, a beautiful bed-and-breakfast and more. History buffs take note that the farm occupies the spiritual grounds of Metacomets Pokanoket tribe. The scenic cove deserves exploration in a kayak or dinghy, and is a great spot to cast for stripers, but larger boats should be careful of the many hidden rocks therein.

THREE RIVERS

The Kickemuit River, in the northwest corner of the bay, is one of my favorite gunkholes, and makes a fine anchorage in any weather. When entering the river, mind the channel markers carefully. Once through Bristol Narrows, the river opens into an expansive area. The center is deepest, with shallow water on all sides, and you can usually find plenty of room to drop the hook.

In the north end of the bay, on either side of Gardiners Neck, are the Cole and Lee Rivers. The Cole is my favorite of the two, with a nice day- anchoring area just off Ocean Grove Beach. You can explore further past the small entrance at the sand spit in a kayak or shoal-draft dinghy. The neighboring Lee River is less attractive than the Cole, plus it lacks a protected anchorage. Still, the upriver areas offer some interesting paddling opportunities.

Mount Hope Bay Names & Numbers

DOCKAGE, MOORINGS & SERVICE

CITY OF FALL RIVER (774) 955-0123

Transient moorings in Battleship Cove, just above the Braga Bridge.

BORDEN LIGHT MARINA (508) 678-7547

Fall River marina offering transient slips, a swimming pool, hot tub, laundry, showers, grills and more. Home of the Tipsy Seagull restaurant and bar.

THE COVE MARINA (508) 672-4540

Transient slips for boats over 25 feet. Onsite restaurant with free tie-up for patrons.

SAFE HARBOR SAKONNET MARINA (401) 683-3551

Full-service marina on the Portsmouth side of the Sakonnet River.

LAUNCH RAMPS

BRISTOL NARROWS, BRISTOL

End of Narrows Road, on the Kickemuit River.

MT. HOPE FISHING ACCESS, BRISTOL

End of Annawamscutt Road in Bristol. Trailer parking available.

SAKONNET BRIDGE, TIVERTON

Public access to the Sakonnet River and lower Mount Hope Bay. Concrete ramp and parking.

BICENTENNIAL PARK, FALL RIVER

Access to the Taunton River and Fall River area. Concrete ramp with floating dock and 46 parking spaces.

GULL COVE, PORTSMOUTH

Public access to The Cove, which opens into the narrows of the Sakonnet River.

WHERE TO EAT

THE COVE (508) 672-4540

Fall River eatery offering good food and transient dockage.

THE BOATHOUSE (401) 624-6300

Tiverton-based restaurant offering upscale cuisine and transient dockage for a small fee.

THE TIPSY SEAGULL (508) 678-7547

Festive dock-and-dine at Borden Light Marina offering live music and outdoor patio overlooking the bay.

THINGS TO SEE & DO

NARROWS CENTER FOR THE ARTS (508) 324-1926

Visual and performing arts venue in Fall River.

FALL RIVER HERITAGE STATE PARK (508) 675-5759

Boardwalk, benches and a 3-acre meadow bordering the Fall River waterfront.

BATTLESHIP COVE (508) 678-1100

Non-profit maritime museum and war memorial featuring the worlds largest collection of World War II naval vessels. Tours available.

FALL RIVER MARITIME MUSEUM (508) 674-3533

Nautical-themed museum featuring memorabilia, artifacts and models of the Fall River Line steamboats and the Titanic

MT. HOPE FARM (401) 254-1745

Wander the public walking trails of this beautiful property in Bristol. Also offers a year-round farmers market, bed and breakfast, and venues for weddings and other events.

BORDEN FLATS LIGHTHOUSE

Spend the night in this historic lighthouse off Fall River.

The post Mount Hope Hopscotch appeared first on New England Boating & Fishing.

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/mount-hope-hopscotch

[digitalmark18-blog]

5 Secrets of Social Media Marketing for Dealerships

New Post has been published on https://britishdigitalmarketingnews.com/5-secrets-of-social-media-marketing-for-dealerships/

5 Secrets of Social Media Marketing for Dealerships

The past couple of years haven’t been the greatest for social media companies, especially the most influential, popular, and notorious one: Facebook.

Between its selling of user data, charges of interference in elections (inadvertent or otherwise), and its vulnerability to manipulation by “fake news” and divisive elements, Mark Zuckerberg’s social media behemoth has seen its reputation tarnished, the growth of its daily active users go flat, and experienced the largest single-day stock market drop in history ($119 billion on July 25).

Yet Facebook, like other leading social media platforms (YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, etc.) remains one of the most-used and influential sources of information in the daily lives of Americans. Pew Research Reports found that 68% of U.S. adults who go online use Facebook, and three-quarters of them do so daily.

People may love to complain about social media, but don’t ask them to give it up. It’s a major part of most adults’ lives, and shouldn’t be underestimated in its power to influence.

What this means for automotive dealers and marketers is that social media marketing, especially Facebook, remains a critical component of a successful advertising strategy, and is also vital for reputation management and consumer word of mouth.

Almost all dealerships have some form of online social presence these days, but there’s a difference between a perfunctory effort such as a hastily created, rarely updated Facebook page and a comprehensive, multi-platform strategy that utilizes the full sales and marketing potential of social.

As Russ Chandler of PERQ points out in this month’s feature, as a dealer, you need to start with clear goals. Is your dealership trying to gain name recognition and generate more foot traffic, or manage its reputation? It can do all that—and much more—but prioritizing is key.

We’ve asked marketing experts from PERQ, AutoLeadStar, and Digital Air Strike to each share five secrets of success for social media marketing. Their insight will help dealers formulate the plan that best meets their dealership’s social media goals.

PARTICIPANTS

With more than a decade of experience in the auto industry as a dealer, Russ Chandler has seen firsthand the problems dealerships face every day. As a product marketing manager for PERQ, a marketing technology provider that boosts website conversions by creating and delivering interactive experiences to the right consumers at the right time, Russ combines his expertise with powerful technology to provide his clients with increased response and conversion on their marketing. Founded in 2001, PERQ solutions today are used by more than 1,000 businesses across the United States. PERQ’s brands have been named to the Inc. “500 Fastest Growing Companies in America” list on three separate occasions.

Ivonne Ponte is the social engagement manager at AutoLeadStar, where she focuses on sharing the magic of SocialAi, a leading, cutting-edge social platform for dealers. With experience in marketing, sales, and business development, she constantly works to grow industry relationships and advance dealership success on social media. Ivonne is always interested in meeting new industry leaders and colleagues, so please feel free to reach out at ivonne@autoleadstar.com.

Alexi Venneri is co-founder and CEO of Digital Air Strike, the award-winning social media and digital engagement company. Previously, she was president of Auto Media/Blue Flame 6 and a vice president at Dealertrack, as well as the thirteenth employee at Who’s Calling, taking it from $200,000 to $70 million in just four years as chief marketing officer. An accomplished public speaker and best-selling author, she was named a Top 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry for 2015 by Automotive News.

Determine your dealership’s goals

Chandler: Every dealership should have set goals. Do you want more folks to know who you are? Do you want to encourage people to visit your website? What about encouraging folks to pay your dealership a visit?

Whatever your goals are, it’s important to write them down and keep them tangible. You will need to develop your social media strategy around what you’re ultimately trying to achieve.

For example, if you’re trying to increase brand awareness, one of the elements of your strategy might be paid advertising on Facebook or Twitter—where you encourage users to like your page.

Alternatively, if you’re trying to get more people to come to your website, you could link to resources (articles, calculators, interactive assessments) that your audience might find useful.

Use Facebook Marketplace

Ponte: Facebook Marketplace is a great tool that allows dealers to post their pre-owned inventory for free and have access to an actively looking buyer population.

For those dealers that use one of Facebook’s inventory partners, Marketplace can be an invaluable tool for reaching customers when interest is high, and especially for interacting with them directly.

It can mean the sale is faster and smoother because you can chat directly with the buyer about a specific car, and move them down the funnel rapidly.

Have a plan

Venneri: Create a social media calendar with a variety of new, business-specific content paired with social ads every week. Use data and look at historical results to increase engagement.

Be clear and concise so your audience doesn’t see a lengthy post and keep scrolling. Monthly contests are a good way to generate and capture fresh leads from customers who fill out your form to enter to win, as long as you have an action-based plan for follow-up.

Speaking of plans, have a dedicated person, process, and technology to help you respond to all reviews, comments, and mentions on your social sites. This will make your dealership more relatable and connected to your community.

Understand your dealership’s target demographic

Chandler: Do you have a general understanding of who your customers are? If not, you might find it difficult to develop or curate content for your social media pages.

Whether your goal is to increase brand awareness or engagement, you want to share things that your audience will be interested in. If you’re just kickstarting your social media presence, do a little research behind the scenes.

Do you have any specific information in your dealership’s CRM? If you don’t have demographics at your disposal, get the marketing expert at your dealership to do a little research. There are ways to find out the general income, professions, and interests of residents within a five- to 10-mile radius of your dealership.

If that’s not in the cards, look around you. Talk to your customers and write their information down as you get it. Anything helps!

Maximize ad campaigns

Ponte: Paid ads on Facebook are another invaluable resource for dealerships.

Facebook ads for auto can bring in 23 times ROI on ad spend, and Comscore found that Facebook ads boost VDP visits by 50%, and lift overall website visits by 37%. This is definitely an area to invest in.

Make sure your ads have great copy, lots of visuals, and powerful CTAs. Also take advantage of Facebook’s targeting options to segment your audience by location, demographics, or interests.

Placing a Facebook pixel on your website will allow you to target your shoppers with even more precision—for example, if you’re running a special on certain VDPs, a pixel can allow you to track all the visitors to those pages and retarget them on Facebook with relevant ads.

Search is social

Venneri: Eighty-five percent of all consumers search for businesses online, so you want to make sure car buyers and service customers like what they see—especially on Google.

Review sites with high volume are now showcased on the first page of Google search results. Pay attention to which sites show up on page one or two, and create a plan to get more five-star ratings on those sites.

Use new Google tiles to highlight positive reviews or hot deals and make your dealership stand out from your competition. Graphics can be uploaded to create a virtual billboard. This helps to increase leads from search while reducing your PPC costs.

Our clients have been able to get up to nine times more positive reviews from texting their happiest customers requests for feedback, which can then lead to more positive reviews.

Post consistently on social media

Chandler: Although it’s arguable for some networks (given their algorithms), the most tried-and-true way to get more impressions (views) is to share more content.

If you have several likes on your Facebook page, but aren’t posting at least once a day, then your presence isn’t being seen—no matter how many people like your page. Sometimes people will forget about you altogether.

Regardless of the type of content you post—whether it’s yours or someone else’s���consistently posting will keep you relevant to the folks who are following you.

Just make sure the content you post is high quality and isn’t completely off-topic. Preferably, you’d share links to resources on your website: trade-in tools, assessments, payment calculators, etc.

Don’t neglect organic content . . .

Ponte: Since January, Facebook has been prioritizing the content of friends and family over businesses, which can make getting your organic content in front of your audience a challenge.

But that doesn’t mean organic content is no longer important. Customers looking for your brand need to find plenty of content on social: reviews from your shoppers, photos of your inventory, special offers, events, blog posts—anything that engages and builds interaction with your dealership.

Organic social media content is not necessarily about selling, or even converting leads in the moment—it’s about connecting and building trust by providing value.

Your social media content can be a resource for shoppers at every stage, so that when they are ready to buy, you are top of mind.

Mind your reviews

Venneri: A good reputation is insurance for all of your advertising spend, and it needs to be monitored! Know how to respond to all reviews to effectively manage your online reputation.

One of our top secrets is to always direct complaints offline by providing a point of contact with a name, email, and phone number for follow-up on negative reviews.

You should also apologize without admitting wrongdoing, and make sure your responses show that you will address the issue, but don’t make offers of restitution online, as others may view this as a way to get something free.

Make it easy on yourself. Find a platform, like Digital Air Strike’s Mission Control, that allows dealers to monitor multiple review sites and locations so they can easily evaluate dealership and employee performance—all the way down to individual employees or departments.

Respond to consumer inquiries quickly

Chandler: According to social media expert Jay Baer, 42% of consumers who complain over social media expect a response time of 60 minutes or less.

Obviously, not all of your customers will be complaining, but the concept is valid for customers who have questions as well. The sooner you’re able to respond to a prospect (or even a current customer), the better.

When people visit a website, chances are good that they’re looking for instant gratification. If you can’t supply your customers with what they need in a short amount of time, they’re likely going to move on to someone who will.

Never leave someone hanging—especially if they’re coming directly to you for information.

. . . But spend time wisely

Ponte: Not all organic content is equally important, and sometimes we end up spending too much time on content that isn’t the most valuable. Blog posts, videos of your staff, how-to guides—these resources are worth your time and effort because they showcase your dealership’s unique value.

On the other hand, content like vehicle reviews or industry and local news, which are important, but not as valuable as an original blog or video, can take a huge amount of time to curate and format.

AutoLeadStar developed SocialAi to deal with this problem—we pull content personalized for every dealership, including local news, OEM updates, inventory specials, and reviews, format them, and prepare them for posting. You just have to select the ones you want and schedule them.

It allows you to have a robust social presence filled with a variety of content in a fraction of the time.

Use intelligent messaging

Venneri: Communicate with customers on your website, Facebook page, and via text message—89% of consumers prefer messaging versus phone or email conversations.

Reach your customers how they want to be reached with artificial intelligence–powered messaging. More than a mode of communication, AI-powered chat that ideally includes actual sales and service “assistants” will allow you to highlight hot deals to move inventory off your lot, schedule service and sales appointments, communicate with car buyers shopping on Facebook Marketplace, and respond to customers via text message—including those who contact you from Google’s Text My Business feature.

AI-powered bots ask and respond to questions, then route the conversations to the right employee for quick and easy follow-up when needed. Our AI-powered intelligent messaging solution, Response Path, helps our clients sell vehicles and schedule service appointments. Your dealership will generate more qualified leads, accelerate sales, and improve customer service with intelligent messaging—while your top employees focus on the in-person buyers.

Metrics are your best friend

Chandler: If you’re really serious about upping your social media game, you’ll want to flex your analytical muscle as much as humanly possible. To get a better understanding of how close you are to achieving your goals, you’ll need to quantify it.

If you want more followers, you’ll need to look at progress from the backend. How many followers have you gained over the last few months?

If you want to increase engagement, you’ll need to see how many likes, comments, and clicks your posts received.

You can leverage programs like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and Buffer to get these analytics all in one place—or, you can go into the analytics sections of Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn and check manually.

Interact with customers

Ponte: Social media is a great way to have direct contact with your shoppers, whether on Marketplace, chat, or on a publicly visible page.

Set up polls, questions, and contests to invite engagement and interaction. Make sure to answer any customers reaching out to you over social quickly—a lot of people prefer this media over phone or email—and prompt responses go a long way toward building trust.

And don’t ignore or delete the negative feedback—especially if it’s public. Engaging customer complaints and using the opportunity to fix the issue in an honest, transparent fashion can significantly boost customer loyalty, both winning back previously unsatisfied customers and demonstrating to others that you take feedback seriously.

Sell on Facebook Marketplace

Venneri: Facebook Marketplace is visited by 550-plus million shoppers every month. Sell your used inventory on Facebook Marketplace to target local customers looking to buy.

It’s like the new Craigslist, but on steroids, and you don’t pay a per-vehicle listing fee. Vehicles are showcased in the newsfeeds of buyers who have clicked on your inventory in Marketplace. They even get alerts when new vehicles that match their search criteria are listed.

On average, we are seeing our dealers selling five to eight vehicles and getting 25 to 30 qualified new leads submitted through Facebook Marketplace. Have a plan to monitor Facebook Messenger and respond to interested buyers, as Messenger is the default communication channel for Marketplace.

This is another great reason to use an AI-powered intelligent messaging solution that can answer questions and route the communication to a team member that’s monitoring a centralized communication dashboard—not the phones, a website, email, cell phone, and Messenger separately.

Source: http://www.dealermarketing.com/5-secrets-of-social-media-marketing-for-dealerships/

[jonathanbelloblog]

We Sample Three Generations of the Nissan Z

Quietly, the Nissan 370Z turned 10 years old earlier this spring. No cake, no fanfare—just a reserved press release announcing the perennial sports car will soldier on through the 2019 model year. A decade of continuous production, whether achieved through maintained popularity or gradual neglect, is a milestone worth commemorating. As it turns out, 2018 is also a perfect year for some Z reminiscing, with Nissan taking pole position at two of the most prestigious vintage motorsports events in the U.S.

Before headlining the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion later this summer at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the Japanese automaker returned to Road Atlanta—the site of some of its greatest road racing triumphs on U.S. soil—as the featured marque of the Classic Motorsports Mitty. Just a few hours’ drive from the brand’s U.S. headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, it was a perfect spot to throw a Z party—calls were made, routes were drafted, hotels were booked.

Unlike the Porsche 911, Nissan’s Z has made a number of discontinuous leaps over its history, often changing drastically—but always keeping the same sporting spirit.

We met our Nissan contacts at the automaker’s Heritage Collection, housed at the wonderful Lane Motor Museum not far from Nissan HQ. In a far corner of the museum’s sprawling basement, Nissan’s rolling archives reside behind a nondescript garage door guarded by dusty Citroëns and Matras.

You won’t find any JDM specials here—only Datsun and Nissan products sold on our shores are allowed. Among a fairly comprehensive lineup of vintage compact trucks, former show cars, and a handful of itty-bitty Datsun sedans, a cluster of wrapper-fresh Zs rest on the spotless garage floor. Even the most zealous Z-head surveying the almost of 50 years’ worth of the Z’s history gathered in one place would have to admit to its sinusoidal time line—when it was good, it was a world-beater, and when it was bad, it was the malaise era at its worst.

But there are far more high points of the lineage on display. Mr. K’s (Yutaka Katayama, aka the Father of the Z) yellow 260Z sits next to an incredibly low-mileage 10th Anniversary 280ZX, further downwind from a similarly untouched black 300ZX Twin Turbo. Across the aisle, a ludicrously wide and flat 300ZX GTP race car replica glowers from a half-lifted car cover.

We draft two classic Zs from the collection for our trip down to The Mitty: a silver 1971 240Z for the origin story and the big, brutish 300ZX Twin Turbo SMZ Edition—a tuner special hailing from a time when the Z locked horns with some of Japan’s all-time greats.

Joining them in our caravan is a brand-new 2018 370Z Heritage Edition. Although a NISMO would have been more fun, the Heritage Edition, drenched in Chicane Yellow paint and plastered with black stripes, was too pitch-perfect to pass up. The car nods to the obscure 1977 280ZX “Zap” edition, which wore a similar livery.

Beneath its gussied-up exterior, the Heritage Edition is essentially the same 370Z we first saw at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show. If anything, the 370Z is a model of endurance, overlapping two generations of Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro, and Porsche 911. While it’s impossible to hide from a decade of progress, in an era of hard-nosed, rakish coupes replete with creases and angles, the curvaceous 370Z is surprisingly understated.

Elemental shape and inimitable style place the Z32 300ZX among the front-runners for future-collectible ’90s cars—or, in the case of this SMZ Edition, currently collectible ’90s cars.

Inside, the years hang heavier. If you stick with the bargain-basement trim found on our tester, it’s Lotus-worthy in its asceticism. Aside from rudimentary Bluetooth connectivity, there isn’t much in the way of infotainment tech—instead of the traditional center display screen, there’s a leather-wrapped panel that opens to reveal a small storage cubby. A line of three gauge pods on the center-top of the dash display the time, oil temp, and battery power. A small display to the left of the tach offers up standard trip and fuel efficiency data.

In spite of this, there’s still a lot to like. Even chugging through the outskirts of Nashville, it wasn’t hard to see the raw appeal of the 370Z, 10 years on. You sit low, hunkered down in the two-seat cabin, confronted by no distractions. There’s no dead space behind you, either. Starting after the seat backs, the roof slopes backward into the glass decklid, broken only by a brace that crosses the rear cargo shelf. If Porsche or Ferrari decontented their sports cars this much, you’d be ecstatic.

Where the 370Z is back to basics, the 300ZX Twin Turbo was a contemporary technological powerhouse. The 3.0-liter VG30DETT twin-turbo V-6 spit out a then-impressive 300 hp, enough to match the pace of the Toyota Supra, Mitsubishi 3000GT, and Mazda RX-7. Outfit yours like this black SMZ Edition, and it leaves them for dead.

The Z that started it all remains the most elegant, its sleek, slender lines and minimalist interior all but impossible now due to today’s crash regulations and technology.

In 1995, Nissan commissioned racer and engineer Steve Millen (the SM in SMZ) to turn the wick up on a small number of 300ZXs, resulting in a $14,000 upgrade package available through select dealers. A new intake manifold, air filter, exhaust system, and 2 more pounds of boost resulted in 65 extra ponies and an additional 49 lb-ft of torque. Beefier brakes and a stiffer suspension managed the added motivation, while new wheels and a sizable hatch-mounted wing advertised the SMZ’s potency.

Even weighed down with the optional four-speed automatic, the SMZ was fast. This is speed from a different era, a product of delicious turbo lag and alarming highway thrust that blows the graphics off the Heritage Edition. Same family name, different purpose—in contrast to the 370Z’s sports car ethos, the SMZ played the role of high-speed cruiser very, very well. The roomy, well-appointed interior (complete with period-correct Def Leppard cassette) paired with a long wheelbase and rear-wheel steering was purpose-built for the arrow-straight farmland highways that cut through southern Tennessee. Free of the grassy expanse, the SMZ cut a path through some wooded hills just north of the state line. It’s a hefty car, weighing some 100 pounds more than the base 370Z, and you feel every ounce when you hustle it.

An accelerated timetable put us back in the 370Z for an extended portion of the trip. The trailered 240Z was already approaching Atlanta and The Mitty, so we blasted through northern Georgia, skipping the more scenic portions for the sake of seat time in the ’71.

It’s a good thing we made the sacrifice. This is a special car, one we’re unlikely to drive again. In 1997, one year after the 300ZX was pulled from our market, the automaker decided the best way to keep morale high among the Z faithful was a factory restoration program involving a number of old 240Zs. Donor 240s were sourced from dry desert regions and rebuilt from the ground up. Aside from a few mandatory modernizations to the suspension, brakes, and paint, these remanufactured cars were as close as you could get to a brand-new 240Z. Unfortunately, the appetite for classics wasn’t quite at the same fervor it is today, and the $25,000 price tag proved a hard sell. Nissan quietly binned the program after building around 40 cars, including this silver example.

Straight away, we were smitten. The 240Z was light, loud, and shockingly easy to operate despite packing a drivetrain designed a half century ago. The 2.4-liter inline-six snorts and sings, spitting out 151 hp and 146 lb-ft of torque on its way to a 7,000-rpm redline. Like all old-timers of this ilk, it never prompts abuse, instead operating best under a deliberate hand—don’t yank on the five-speed, let it warm up, and don’t smash the non-ABS brakes for best results.

Much like Porsche 911s from the same era, it feels confident and composed enough for a spontaneous cross-country tour. There’s a thick torque curve from the sixer, providing excellent acceleration through the rev range. The effortless, low-stress fun and great soundtrack made it the sweetheart of the bunch and had us smiling right up to the gates of Road Atlanta and The Mitty.

Started in 1977 as a way for regional racers and local Atlantans to blow off some steam and enjoy their cars, the vintage racing festival soon earned the “Mitty” title for the escapist attitude of its workaday participants, a reference to the title character of James Thurber’s short story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Now in its 41st year, The Mitty attracts visitors and drivers from around the world, congregating on the legendary circuit for a weekend of sound, exhaust, and infield BBQs.

With a legacy like this on display, the Z35 can’t come quickly enough—provided, of course, that it comes at all. Rumors of a 400Z continue to circulate, with 2020 pegged as a possible debut date.

Long before playing host for the latest Mitty event, Road Atlanta was a hotly contested battleground for Nissan. Datsun 1600 Roadsters, 240Zs, and 510s dominated the SCCA in their days, racking up a staggering number of wins through the late 1960s and into the ’70s and ’80s. Between Datsun and Nissan, the combined marques captured victory at 100 individual SCCA Runoffs, the majority of which were won at Road Atlanta. For a moment in the 1970s, they might as well have planted the Japanese flag in Georgia’s red clay.

The following day was spent among some of Nissan’s greatest motorsports hits. Randy Jaffe was there with his nuts-and-bolts re-creation of the championship-winning BRE 240Z, piloted by renowned driver John Morton, the man who put Nissan on the podium when the 240Z was still brand-new. A few paces away was the championship-winning Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo, still in as-raced condition. Out on the track, Datsuns and Nissans of all shapes and sizes screamed over every inch of the 2.54-mile circuit.

As the sun set, we couldn’t resist rounding up three BRE-liveried counterparts to the road-trip Zs for a photo shoot between the bridge and Turn 12. Surveying the array of some of the greatest cars in Z history, it’s hard to not get lost in the nostalgia and the hope that Nissan will find a way to keep it from fading away. The raw, unapologetically anachronistic 370Z is still with us, at least through 2019. Beyond that, the future is foggy for the nameplate. Rumors of the Z’s next incarnation swirl, ranging from a sporty crossover to a 500-hp hybrid supercoupe to battle the forthcoming Toyota Supra.

No matter what happens, we’re grateful the Z has stuck around for as long as it has. We may never see anything like it again.

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