#youtube influencer conversion rate

[balkanradfem]

So I've found Alyssa Grenfell on youtube. She shares her experience of leaving mormonism, and the inner workings of the religion. I had very little ideas about what mormonism is, only that it's a high-control religion, very difficult to leave, and has people knocking on doors trying to get converts. I've been interested to find out more, and I ended up watching almost all of her content, and some of the information I've got from it opened my eyes on other feminist topics, and I believe is relevant to the current discourse!

So if you, like me, don't know how mormonism works, it started when a guy decided that he too could be a part of the bible; he wrote a bible part two: mormon, and proclaimed himself a prophet. Then he started a religion based on his writings, decided it was more important than the bible itself because he 'translated it from gold tablets god gave him', and started gaining followers by convincing people he's the prophet. Once he had managed to get a following, he soon started to sexually exploit the wives and daughters of these followers, to the point where he had 20-40 wives and had married 14yo children. Families allowed it to happen because he would promise them to be royalty in the afterlife. He eventually got into a lot of trouble for stealing and raping children so he was killed by an angry mob, but the religion continued.

The religion is same as christianity except more rules (no coffee, no alcohol, no smoking), eternal worship of the predator who wrote it, followers are pressured to follow the rules exactly, and, the vital part, the followers have to give 10% of their income to the church. They developed a culture where once every young mormon kid comes of age, they have to go on a 'mission', which means they're removed from their home, and have to spend 2 years (1,5 for women) living in a foreign area, knocking on doors, sharing the gospel, trying to convert people. The conversion rate is extremely low, but at that point kids have invested so much time, effort, energy and passion for the religion, they become devoted to it and start to feel alienated in the world that rejects their religion. And even with the low conversion rate, every new convert means another continuous source of income for the church. So it's very profitable to send out young adults to make these sales. The kids are told that if they don't complete their missions, they will not be able to marry, and marriage is presented as their only life purpose.

So how rich is the church at this point? 230 billion dollars. I've been shocked to hear this because I had no idea. Alyssa explained that the mormon church is as rich as Pepsi, they have more money than Disney and McDonalds. So you might be wondering, like I did, well what are they doing with all that money? I've been left to wonder this for a while, until I watched the video called 'Why are so many influencers mormon?', which explained it. I didn't even realize a lot of influencers were mormon. But, this video showed me something both disturbing, and eye opening.

Before I go into that, I have to point out how patriarchal and misogynistic this religion is. Women are not given any options except marriage, and it's presented as the only righteous way to live. They're groomed for marriage from a very young age, encouraged to start writing letters to their future husbands at the age of 9. They're taught cooking, sewing and childcare, and to coddle any males in the family. It's taken for granted that m*n won't respect women, to the point where male children are allowed to harass grown women and their families will not intervene or consider it a problem. Chastity and purity are promoted to the level where members of the religion are expected to wear special underwear at all times, which hides their entire torso, shoulders, and legs down to their knees, and their clothing is expected to cover this up completely. They're rejected by the religion if they dare to have sex before marriage, or drink alcohol or coffee, or in some cases, tea. The church has a history of allowing and promoting polygamy, in the sense that a male was allowed to have as many wives as he wanted; they've since stopped this, but refused to break up the existing marriages. They're also promoting anti gay and racist propaganda, which Alyssa observed in school where she'd been teaching; a gay kid almost ended his life due to extreme homophobia.

I know all of this is somewhat common in all areas of society, all religions, and all cultures, but in mormonism it seems to be written into the core of it.

So now, why are so many influencers mormon? I didn't even know they were. The influencers themselves are not promoting the fact that they're mormon, nor does it come up in viral discussions. Ballerina farm is mormon. Tradwives are mormon. Whataboutaub, Rachel Parcel, brooklynandbailey, tanner_mann, thebucketlistfamily, Taylor Frankie Paul, Sarah Beeston, Ruby Franke, these are all mormon. Most of the Utah-based influencers are mormon, and there's a bigger amount of successful and popular influencers from Utah, than from LA or NY.

For me it immediately explained why this viral content is like that. Why we're having such influx of highly patriarchal, anti-feminist, very dangerous and sexist content, put in front of the eyes of young women. Why it's being promoted as an ideal way of life. How are these women able to share this life as if they truly believed it was good and ideal. How could they think it's harmless? If they're using the internet to the extent that they're creating content, how would they not be exposed to any feminism at all? And they wouldn't because it's against their religion to engage with content like that, or with people talking about it. Because being raised in a high-control religion, they would truly believe their lives are the ideal. They would be presented with it as their only option, the only way of life possible for a woman.

It's heartbreaking because I can now understand why it was so easy to push Ballerina Farm to give up her entire life ambition to get married and carry children for a male she didn't even want to go out with, the pressure from the religion to do so would be immense, she would have been raised to see this as the only option, everything else in her life would be considered pointless. She wouldn't have an actual choice, she'd be groomed for this from the moment she was born. Mormons don't advertise 'looking for your soulmate', they only instruct women to marry a mormon male who completed his mission and make it work.

So how does the immensely rich mormon church play into this? I couldn't see it until Alyssa explained in a very detailed way how youtube content advertising works. I didn't know about this either, but here's the overview:

How much you get paid on youtube, instagram, tik-tok, or other online content platform, depends on what type of content it is, based on how much advertisers are willing to pay to put adverts on it. For instance, you get paid much more for finance content, because banks will pay premium prices to be advertised in a finance-related video. If you're making content on cooking, you get paid way less, because it's not such a lucrative field. If you're making content on christianity, you get similarly low price as for cooking, christian church is not that rich. But, if you're making content as a mormon, that's showcasing some aspect of a mormon life, even if you don't specifically say you're mormon, the price goes way up, to the point where it's as lucrative as finance. The mormon church is making sure that the mormon influencers are being paid premium prices for their content, because people who get massively interested in the influencers, eventually find out that it's the mormon life being advertised, and some of them consider taking on mormonism. Which gives church more converts, which means the church will earn more money. The content we're watching is one huge advert sponspored by mormon church, and we don't even know it.

Alyssa figured this out because her content falls under the keyword 'mormon', and her comments warned her that the church is advertising on her videos, even when she's making mormon-critical content. She then realized that she too was being paid a premium price for her views, just because they're mormon themed. She went on to discover that even just being an influencer in Utah will fetch a premium price, because most of mormons are based in Utah. For more detailed and comprehensive explanation on this, watch her video!

Advertising is not the only way the mormon church is spending their money, they've also built a shopping mall, and are basically spending their money by investing and gambling and everything any corporation does with their profits. It's making me mad, and also makes the members of the church mad when they discover where 10% of their income goes, because they're told it's being used for charity and community service, and not advertisments and building malls.

For me this solves a mystery of how is it possible, in this day and age to have such influx of tradwives and influencers of 'traditional life', they're being sponsored by an organization making a profit off of it, making sure that anyone making this content is so well paid, they're able to live off of it, and keep creating more of it, and in the process of doing that, groom young women into their lifestyle.

Learning more about religions, specifically high-control religions, makes me realize just how much of it is happening all around us, but invisible, not naming what it is. It's similar to MLM's, the people inside are constantly trying to lure more people in, to make profit for those on the top, while the organization keeps changing names and hides their business structure in order to save their reputation. People can get influenced by it, and sucked in, without even knowing about it. Somehow most MLM's are also in Utah.

Mormon church also asked to no longer be called that, in order to stop being associated with the words like 'cult', which people have identified it as. Now they're working under more secretive names, and hidden business practices, so we wouldn't even know what we're being influenced by, and why is the content in front of us what it is.    

[prettylittlcresources]

(PAID PACK - $5 USD): In the source link is a Payhip link containing two zip files with 3,168 gifs (mostly 280x210px) of Madeline Ford in music videos, TikToks, Youtube videos, and tv shows/movies. All of these gifs were made by me. Please read the gif rules linked in the pinned post on this blog before using the pack, thank you!

Madeline Ford is an American model and social media influencer, mostly known for her TikToks.

If you live in a country where the currency's USD conversion rate is unreasonable (examples: Brazil, Turkey, Argentina, etc etc), please dm me on the main blog connected to this account in order to work something out (linked in my pinned post along with my rules); just be aware I'm currently a full time college student and I will not always respond right away - please have patience with me.

TWs: Food and flashing lights off the top of my head, this is over a year worth of giffing and I cannot remember all the tws off the top of my head.

[kaledya]

I'm will mess the order of our conversations but I need to explain how the things happened !

So I was on Youtube, and i saw your post about you wanting to do some dark fantasy/steampunk story on your own world (and it is also my favorite type of book but with more fantasy politics I'm writing in my langage) and I was so hyped for the idea like putting some pom-pom girl outfit or whatever to encourage you to do it!!

Like let's go ! You have the potential and I will watch it all ! (Well not that my support can really help cause I have no influence on internet whatsoever but ahah) I will love it ! Like slayyyy🌸🌸🌸

And then I thought perhaps you had some concept art already on tumblr so I go here and then... IMMEDIATELY was attacked by your gift  and I was not ready. Kaledya *take my hamster* Like the doodles are so sooo cute !

First, Narrator is smooth. Ah ! My crazy baby. Just by the shape of his smile you know its over ahah

Second, Lolicia's second outfit (thanks bg3 again) and just, I just love how calm she looks.🌸 You did her so well, I need to try to do a profile like that for her!

Third, my favorite, the Human Lolicia. So pretty! First the doodles with the big eyes ! I love when you do that with the characters its very adorable. And her human face and the look is so Lolicia i think like soft and... unhinged a bit scary. Love it.

Fourth, Vittorio aaaah. So mischievous. *take my Astarion hamster back.*

Thank you ! I was not prepared! I know I was suppose to be. But I was not ahah. I will gift you back !🌸

_

I'm glad you liked the gift ! I will draw more and hopefully get better and better !

And fore the shape-shifting idea of Constantine for justifying differents type of horns is 🌸clever🌸. All questions of people answered just by that!

Also yes thank you, I just play doll with Lolicia's outfit and I justify it by saying its Velvette who makes it ahah

_

Anw I like your OCs too! And yes Narrator steal hearts of everyone I saw, good for him ahah ! Oh yes ! I think even if Constantine had a very strict and extreme education, even princes had time to go out with "friends" even if Constantine never really had friends before Serinity he still had guys of his age to spent time with sometimes and they just had a moment to be free a bit. So teen Constantine and Verdelet/Narrator we will see them in the short story !

I saw Turkish people weaponry in museum too! I don't like guns of our times but old riffles like that ? Yes. And don't mention Berserk like its not a trauma manga 😭 ahah

_

I love all of your designs I just don't say it all the time but I do!

_

I just love when you give all the comments about the chapters, rating about the songs and the ambiance (thank you again i just can't-) and then you just like :

You : So beautiful, I love it but now THE REAL DEAL, I don't fucking care, I want to know ABOUT LOLICIA...

And that just kill me with laugh. Every. Time.

_

Also for your exams (that is a damn important part) glad you made it to your first exam ! And for your boss exam just take an armor, focus on shading and proportion and just go for it. Slay! Everything will be okay *pom pom girl movement* Just slap that ART exam in the face.

The villain career just killed me twice ! Honestly, I can write your villain songs no problem. Let me just kidnapped a musician real quick just in case...

_

Thank you ! And you will do a fantastic animator once you are in that university of animation you want to be in. I'm not even worry, you have made a lot of progress since your first and last animatics on youtube for exemple, from the positioning of the characters, the dramatic effect linked to the music lyrics, the differents perspectives and the little details in the poses and camera work. So continue to be what you are !🌸🌸🌸

Now I will write !

OMG!!! Do you like the steampunk/fantasy theme too!!?? I'm so glad to hear that!! I seriously love this theme, both visually and in terms of the factors it adds to the story.

Right now, in my mind, the place where the first part of the story will take place will be a city that relies on technology and does not have much magic. Maybe it could be a region with class distinctions, a bit like the cyberpunk universe.

Or a universe where there is a lot of life difference between the nobles (wealthy people) and the Lower class people. in Red Rising and Mistborn While one side lives a rosy life amidst wealth, the other side is drowned in misery.

And did I understand correctly? Are you writing your own story about this concept in your own language??

SHOW MEEEEEE (in niffty's voice)

And THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! AND YOUR WORDS MEAN A LOT TO ME, THANKS A LOT!!❤️❤️❤️ And it doesn't matter whether you have an influence on the internet or not, you are someone whose work I love very much, it is an honor to be supported by you!)

---

YAAAAAAAAAY *gently takes the hamster* I'M SO GLAD YOU LIKED IT!!!! I wish I could draw them more now. I love all of them very much, and I love Verdelet more and more with each passing chapter! Lolicia is great as always and not to mention Abaddon. I want to draw him so bad and I'm so excited for Charlie's meeting with him!

*kindly gives the hamster back*

----

And definitely! Constantine was someone who thought that there could be alliances in hell, but even those he thought friendship was impossible, this changed with Serenity, but it was a very sloooooow process. Even then, at first, instead of calling Serenity a friend, Constantine says this "she is tolerable or I find her amusement."So it really was a long process of acceptance for him.

And yes! Although Constantine had no friends when he was young, he spent a lot of time with people at his age: his cousins, or other high nobles like Verdelet!

And I read that short story and loved it!!Constsntine's training sequence, the dialogues between him and Verdelet, everything!! I really loved the dialogues and dynamics of Verdelet and Constantine. It was great to read the little adventure between them!!

And I love brothel story arcs for some reason too.Strangely, very rich story arcs can occur in brothels. I always think of the Yoshiwara arc in Gintama, it was a really great arc.

Also, the scenes where Verdelet takes Constantine to the brothel and they live there were beautiful!

Con: These pants are not coming on tonight. *" You dont have my attention "by looking at the brothel*

Verdelet:HAH! I never said anything like that *rips out someone's heart and shows it to Con* We're just going to do a live anatomy lesson" *"well.. you got my attention now"*

The short story was a seriously fun read!

--

Definitely! In general, everything that is old seems more artistic to me, even the rain pipes on buildings.

Yes, it was a trauma (experiences traumatic flashback), but on the other hand, it was a masterpiece manga. It was a perfect manga, both in terms of story and drawings.(funny part is, I'm wearing a Berserk t-shirt while writing this part)

----

And (⁠´⁠⊙⁠ω⁠⊙⁠`⁠)⁠→of course I will do this, you always bless me in your writing

And LMAO I love Lolicia and your OCs in general. Sometimes I even say, "Damn the general plot, I want to see these characters."Looking forward to Lolicia and Con meeting *getting ready to draw ship fanart*

And all joking aside, I love the designs you chose for your OCs in general and I also love their personalities. They are so fun to read. On the other hand, if you write a story that is told only POW of your OCs Please send it to me, I'll be happy to read it! 🛐🛐

---

And thank you very much for the support!!!! I hope I can win by working hard But just in case *prepares rope for kidnapping*

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR KIND WORDS!!!!❤️❤️❤️

____

Now it's time to talk about short stories. The short story between Azrael and Abaddon was simply a masterpiece.I loved the dialogues between them, their protection details were very nice.I really liked Abaddon's personality, you really created a beautiful character.

Michael's idea of giving Charlie and Constantine a blessing to prevent them from going to the dark side was really interesting.At least it clearly worked on Charlie. 2x cinnamon rolls

And Azrael taking care of Lucifer's ducks was so sweet!!

I'm seriously excited to see abaddon in the future.

And I LOVED ABADDON'S DESIGN AND AZRAEL LOOKS AMAZING !!!

In short, thank you again for blessing my eyes!!

Have a good day❤️❤️

[goodluckclove]

"literary junk food" reminder?

mm FUCK YOU'RE RIGHT.

Okay so like. I'm calmer now. I woke up, made a green tea, and had my daily Weekend Wife Look (That's when I look at my wife while they're still sleeping and think about how much I like my wife). But yes, I saw something on the internet that upset me yesterday and for some reason I've decided I need to talk about it.

Under the read more, though. I got. Rambly.

First off I should clarify a few things, as this is something I can see a certain type of person using as a way to dub me "anti-intellectual". I am not an anti-intellectual. I consider myself decently intelligent and above the norm in terms of the amount and variety of literature I've read. I won't call myself well-read because that's another label I do think is mostly bullshit. But I've read a lot of the "Smart Person" authors like Kafka and Vonnegut and Camus and Calvino. I tried reading James Joyce's Ulysses like three times and it sounds like something I'd love, but for some reason I can never get past the first 60 pages. I can enjoy shit like Naked Lunch and The Sound and the Fury fine but Joyce consistently exhausts me with his particular brand of Irish Incoherence.

What I mean to say is that I regularly enjoy the type of books - and culture as a whole, really - that on several occasions forced me into conversation with A Certain Type of Person. The kind of person who treats their tastes in art as a moral virtue. Who thinks the failings of society are at least partially due to the fact that not enough people have read and appreciated "The Classics". I actually was pushed towards dropping out of college by an interaction I had with a guy who was in the Master's program I was working towards. He saw I was reading J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey (I like it! I wish Salinger wrote more women) and took it as an opportunity to start raving about his opinions on Catcher in the Rye, a completely separate book I did not bring up at all.

People who do this make me unreasonably angry.

So the thing I saw was using "literary junk food" to talk about people who only read Young Adult fiction. I have so many issues with this that I don't know where to start. Because it plays into a bigger issue, I think. I see people on Youtube talk about the BookTok influencers who say they only read the dialogue in their books, or who complain about how a book has "so much text". They scoff at these people. Laugh at their inability to properly appreciate literature. These people are the problem.

And like. No? No. No, they're not. Some of them might be a reflection of a problem, sure. If a person of a certain age genuinely struggles with a dense book of a certain length, or if they only read books far below their age level, that could be an issue. But it's 100% not an issue with the reader. Much like how in the rising rates of younger people who struggle with fundamental reading skills, we shouldn't blame or make fun of the fucking kids, you weirdos. What? What are you doing? That's so weird. Stop it.

Most people aren't born with an innate love of reading. There are so many factors that can make developing that kind of passion incredibly difficult. Maybe they didn't grow up in a house with books and they weren't read to as kids. Maybe they're dyslexic or something and the fonts of most paperbacks are legitimately difficult to read. Maybe they were never exposed to the kinds of genres and authors they'd really enjoy. Maybe they saw some stupid fucking argument on the internet (Audiobooks aren't real reading! YA and comics aren't real reading! Mmm paperbacks are soo much better than e-readers I just want to shove them in my mouth yummy yummy I am so cool and smart) and decided they'd rather stay away from all of that entirely.

"Oh," the strawman I invent for this hypothetical exclaims, "but the internet exists! You can just look up more appropriate books to read! There's no excuse!"

Hey, Scarecrow I Reanimated Through the Dark Magic of my Rage? Do me a favor and try what you just suggested. I Googled "books for people moving past YA" and found a few lists on the subject, and the books were mainly:

modern novels I haven't read and might be fine

way-old classics that seem thrown in so people would think there was "variety"

some wack shit i'm very confused why people would suggest to those branching out from YA (Dune? The Martian? That's crazy, right? That's crazy to me.)

I was overwhelmed. I imagine if someone was only exposed to YA and saw a bunch of lists like these they'd could easily be discouraged. That is, if they weren't already discouraged by the dipshits online implying they're wronging themselves by enjoying the books they enjoy.

The thing that pisses me off is that Those People who say that aren't entirely incorrect. If someone only consumes one type of art, they are denying themselves a bunch of styles and stories and perspectives that might profoundly change the way they look at the world and at themselves. This applies to the person who only reads dystopian trilogies and romantasy epics, and it also applies to the person who only reads fucking Tolstoy or whatever. It applies to me, as a majority of the fiction I read up until like five years ago was written by men during like the 40s-90's (I don't know why but that ended up being my Era of Choice).

Variety in art is cool and good. If someone feels like they don't have the option to explore different stories, that belief is the issue. The person is not the one at fault, even if their reasoning for not branching out is incorrect. Yes, there are more adult-orientated writers who aren't old white straight men. There are adult-orientated writers that might be more engaging then the ones from the 19th and early 20th century. Not every adult-orientated book is Ripe With Ideas and Philosophical Concepts. There are fiction books written for adults in mind that make their prose as accessible as their dialogue. There are nonfiction books, even, that are written by intelligent authorities with a genuine love for their subject that makes their writing super enjoyable to read and not at all like a textbook.

But also it's not a bad thing if your main genre is young adult fiction. My main genre is probably post-modernism. The only difference between us is that post-modernism sounds esoteric enough that a lot of people won't question it, where as a ton of people feel super comfortable assuming a YA book is lesser. These are usually the same people who assume young adults are inherently unable to grasp complex ideas.

I don't read a ton of YA. At the same time, I will never go as far as to claim the entire genre has nothing to offer adults, because that's an absolutely insane take. That's nonsense. I've read fucking picture books as an adult that touched my heart (Has anyone read The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds? Oh god I teared up.). Cynthia Voigt's book Homecoming was an early step in me realizing my mom was abusive. I'm pretty sure Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events played a huge part in my want to become a writer.

"But you moved on," the Scarecrow breathes, voice weakening as the dark magic seeps out from the thin veil of hay and burlap, "adults are supposed to move on and read Grown-Up books."

Yeah man, maybe. There's a lot of shit that adults should be able to do, and people are so satisfied with those milestones of Adult Development that they sometimes forget that age is not the only factor in those things happening. If other reading options aren't presented in a way that seems welcoming and engaging, what are they supposed to do? Just walk to a library and grab the most boring looking book because that might be their only frame of reference for a "grown-up" book? Slog through it like they're in high school again? All to feel worthy in the eyes of someone who publicly condescends what might be the only type of literature they've enjoyed and connected to so far?

Why? Why would they want do that?

Anyways I'm getting hungry and the scarecrow I enchanted has lost its sentience, so I'll cut it short. There are a lot of intellectual pursuits - brilliant artists in a variety of mediums - that I am consistently bummed out that people feel like they can't get into. But I also understand, because a lot of people who like Adult Books or Abstract Art or Improvisational Jazz or Experimental Theater tend to not like the art itself as much as they really enjoy being perceived as a person who likes those kinds of things. And ultimately that's - fine.

That's a fine way to live, Scarecrow Corpse. You're allowed to base a majority of your identity out of truly understanding Infinite Jest or Koyaanisqatsi or Derek Jarman's Blue. But like don't expect that to change or improve the lack of culture you claim to hate so much.

[jfashion-confessions]

I feel so sorry for the mod because of all the Jirai asks that get flooded on here daily but I literally won’t shut up about this…

the only reason we’re even having this stupid Jirai discourse in the first place is because people love mindlessly consuming shit and spreading misinformation from overseas and that being topped by brands using words they shouldn’t use for their money hungry profit and stupid aesthetics. Consumerism has rotten everyone’s brains ever since aesthetics became this insanely important thing to make someone feel connected to whatever they do. The rise of aesthetics as a whole has ruined how people consume and enjoy things and it’s gotten to the point where people mindlessly use a slur for their clothing style.

I also don’t understand why it’s so hard for (especially western) people to stop using the word Jirai, if y’all are against using slurs like the r-word or n-word (which you should!) then why aren’t you against using Jirai? Just because Japanese girls use it for themselves? Most of the time that’s not even the case and you are the ones calling them Jirai girls because of their style. The tag is literally overflown with white women or fashion influencers. And even if a Japanese girl calls herself a Jirai, that would be the same category as black people calling each other the n-word. Its not your word to use since it doesn’t get used against you and it doesn’t involve you, no matter how much you think it does. You don’t get called Jirai by other people and get looked down upon for being mentally ill in a Japanese society that has the highest suicide rate. It’s not for westerners to decide what they are allowed to use or not. Idk why everyone is so obsessed with using whatever word they want as soon as it’s connected to Japan. The word doesn’t belong to westerners and they shouldn’t use it. Point blank period! Is it so hard to not call yourself a slur? Just because y’all want clicks on instagram and feel like you belong to a group? It’s disgusting. Nothing else. Use the BPD tag or Menhera tag for all I know. But don’t use a slur.

And I swear if I see one more person say girly kei isn’t a thing is gonna have to fight with me…the fashion has been called that for ages and just because some stupid YouTuber and afterwards fashion magazine decided to connect it to a slur everyone thinks it’s ok to use it? Pure insanity.…same goes for a bunch of famous western „Jirai influencer“ (Jesus that word alone makes me sick, imagine profiting from mentally ill people) shaming or trying to remove mentally ill girls from Jirai just because it makes them uncomfortable. It’s insanely annoying to see how many westerners are trying to erase Japanese people from the conversation and origin of Jirai just because „i want my silly little clothes and aesthetic that have a dark origin but I’m not like these people so please pay attention to me and give me clicks and likes but don’t associate me with these disgusting people thehe“

Anyway. I’m fucking tired of this discussion and every day I get reminded why I stopped engaging with the j-fashion community as a whole just because people forgot how to act and think critically about things all for the sake of profit and consumption and some stupid likes on the internet.

.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Kurt Bardella at Kurt Takes:

The triumph of MAGA media in the 2024 elections has provoked an ongoing conversation about the future of so-called legacy media.

News influencers like Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, Megyn Kelly, Charlie Kirk, Ben Shapiro, Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, etc., held more sway with the electorate than names like Anderson Cooper, Lester Holt, David Muir, Norah O’Donnell, Wolf Blitzer, Rachel Maddow, Chris Hayes, Lawrence O’Donnell, etc. Since election night/week, ratings for cable news outlets like CNN/MSNBC have cratered, while Fox News has grown. The prognostication about the future of legacy media has been grim for some time now. Ratings have declined, and big-name talents (and budgets) are in decline. However, the electorate doesn’t have to rely on traditional media (newspaper, radio, TV) to remain informed—there are more options than ever. It begs the question: Is there a way to save legacy media and cable news? The short answer is no—not if you want things to return to their former state. But is there a way to appeal to the current generation of 25–—to 49-year-olds? Yes, of course, there is. [...]

As an outside observer, I see that many legacy media outlets are bending over backward to try to keep the audience that they’ve traditionally had. Still, that universe of viewers is getting older and smaller with each passing day. At some point, you must decide to forge ahead, embrace the future, and start programming for tomorrow's audience, not yesterday's audience.

Walk down the street, through Target, at the gym, and notice how almost every adult under 60 has earbuds in. Watch your kids on the couch with their iPads on their laps, and observe how they swipe constantly on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube. This is how the world absorbs content. Now ask yourself, is the product you’re putting out into the world crafted in a way that reaches people where they are? Is it interesting, entertaining, informative, authentic, formulaic, repetitive, redundant, dull, or forgetful? Is there personality to your programming, or would the casual viewer not notice the difference between what’s on at 9 a.m., 2 p.m., or 8 p.m.? From a personnel standpoint, the media world is very cyclical, much like the political world. Everyone works for everyone at some point. But if you’re investing in the future, you must realize the solution isn’t in the past. Doing things as they’ve always been done won’t attract new viewers, and it won’t help you compete against those outside the traditional media structure who have tailored their presentation to the world as it is, not as it was.

NewsNation contributor Kurt Bardella wrote on his Kurt Takes Substack on the state of the legacy media and its relevance (or lack of one) for the younger generation.

[digitaldetoxworld]

Top 10 Shopify Marketing Strategies to Skyrocket Your Sales in 2025"

 Shopify is a effective e-trade platform that empowers corporations of all sizes to construct on line shops. However, simply having a shop isn't sufficient; effective advertising is important to attract clients and power sales. This manual will discover key Shopify advertising techniques and strategies that will help you prevail.

"Effective Shopify store promotion methods in 2025"

1. Content Marketing

Blog: Create valuable content that addresses your audience's pain factors, answers their questions, and presents beneficial records.

Examples: Product courses, industry news, behind-the-scenes glimpses, consumer testimonials.

Social Media: Engage together with your target audience on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. Share visually attractive content material, run contests and giveaways, and respond right away to feedback and messages.

Video Marketing: Create engaging films like product demos, tutorials, and consumer testimonies. Platforms like YouTube and TikTok are exquisite for video advertising and marketing.

2. Search Engine Optimization (search engine marketing)

On-Page SEO: Optimize your product pages, weblog posts, and website copy with applicable keywords. Use clear and concise product descriptions, exceptional images, and rapid loading instances.

Off-Page search engine marketing: Build splendid one-way links from different authentic websites. Engage in guest blogging, take part in on-line groups, and build relationships with different groups.

Technical SEO: Ensure your internet site is cellular-pleasant, has a stable connection (HTTPS), and is simple for search engines to crawl and index.

Three. Email Marketing

Build an Email List: Offer incentives like discounts or one of a kind content to inspire site visitors to enroll in your e mail list.

Segment Your Audience: Tailor your e-mail campaigns to particular customer segments based on their purchase records, surfing behavior, and demographics.

Automate Your Emails: Use email advertising automation equipment to ship welcome emails, abandoned cart reminders, and post-buy comply with-up messages.

4. Paid Advertising

Google Ads: Run focused ads on Google Search and Google Display Network to attain clients actively searching for products like yours.

Social Media Ads: Utilize centered ads on structures like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest to reach specific demographics and hobbies.

Influencer Marketing: Partner with applicable influencers to promote your merchandise to their fans.

Five. Social Proof

Customer Reviews: Display patron opinions and testimonials prominently in your internet site and product pages.

Social Media Mentions: Encourage social media sharing by means of strolling contests and providing incentives.

User-Generated Content: Feature consumer-generated content like snap shots and videos of clients the usage of your merchandise.

6. Sales and Promotions

Discounts and Coupons: Offer discounts, coupons, and special promotions to draw new clients and incentivize repeat purchases.

Flash Sales: Create a sense of urgency via imparting confined-time discounts on choose merchandise.

Loyalty Programs: Reward repeat customers with unique discounts, early get right of entry to to income, and personalized offers.

7. Website Optimization

User Experience (UX): Ensure your internet site is straightforward to navigate, visually attractive, and cell-friendly.

Page Speed: Optimize your website's loading speed to enhance person experience and search engine ratings.

Clear Call-to-Actions (CTAs): Use strong CTAs like "Buy Now," "Add to Cart," and "Learn More" to manual site visitors towards conversions.

Eight. Customer Service

Provide Excellent Support: Offer activate and beneficial customer support via channels like live chat, e-mail, and phone.

Build Relationships: Go the extra mile to construct sturdy relationships along with your customers.

Address Feedback: Actively solicit and respond to client comments to improve your products and services.

Nine. Analytics and Tracking

Track Key Metrics: Monitor key metrics like internet site site visitors, conversion charges, client acquisition cost, and client lifetime fee.

Analyze Data: Use facts analytics tools to pick out areas for development and optimize your advertising campaigns.

A/B Testing: Experiment with exclusive website factors and advertising and marketing campaigns to peer what plays best.

10. Shopify Apps

Boost Sales: Utilize Shopify apps to beautify your advertising efforts, which include apps for e-mail advertising, social media advertising and marketing, and sales automation.

Improve Customer Experience: Implement apps that enhance customer experience, such as stay chat, product pointers, and transport monitoring.

Increase Efficiency: Streamline your commercial enterprise operations with apps for inventory management, order fulfillment, and accounting.

Key Considerations:

Target Audience: Understand your target market's wishes, choices, and on line conduct.

Budget: Determine your advertising budget and allocate finances efficiently throughout exceptional channels.

Consistency: Maintain regular branding and messaging across all advertising channels.

Innovation: Stay updated with the modern day advertising tendencies and technologies.

Shopify Marketing Examples:

Allbirds: Known for its sustainable footwear, Allbirds efficaciously leverages social media marketing, person-generated content, and influencer collaborations to build a sturdy emblem following.

Glossier: Glossier has built a devoted community thru social media engagement, actual logo storytelling, and a focus on purchaser experience.

Gymshark: Gymshark correctly makes use of influencer marketing, health demanding situations, and a strong social media presence to engage its target audience of fitness enthusiasts.

By imposing these techniques and strategies, you may efficiently marketplace your Shopify shop, appeal to clients, and force sales growth. Remember to constantly analyze your effects, adapt your technique based on statistics, and live focused on supplying value on your clients.

Disclaimer: This records is for general understanding and informational functions most effective and does now not constitute monetary, funding, or other professional advice.

I desire this comprehensive guide provides precious insights into Shopify advertising. Feel unfastened to invite if you have any further questions.

[michaelespositostatenisland]

Michael Esposito Staten Island - 10 Essential Strategies for Effective Influencer Marketing

In the bustling world of digital marketing, influencer marketing has carved out a niche that combines the power of social proof with the reach of digital platforms. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or a business venturing into the influencer realm for the first time, mastering the art of influencer marketing can significantly amplify your brand's visibility and engagement. Here are ten essential strategies to harness the power of influencer marketing effectively, inspired by the expertise of Michael Esposito Staten Island, an influencer marketer extraordinaire known for his impactful presence in the digital age.

1. Define Your Goals Clearly

Having clear objectives is the cornerstone of any successful marketing campaign. Whether it's boosting brand awareness, increasing sales, or driving website traffic, setting specific goals helps in tailoring your strategy and measuring success effectively.

2. Understand Your Audience

Knowing your target audience inside out is crucial. Understanding their interests, behaviors, and preferences helps in selecting the right influencers who resonate with your audience.

3. Choose the Right Influencers

Choosing influencers who align with your brand's values and ethos is vital. It's not just about the numbers; engagement rates, audience trust, and content quality matter too. Michael Esposito from Staten Island exemplifies an influencer whose authenticity and digital savviness have made him a significant figure in the influencer marketing world.

4. Foster Authentic Relationships

Building genuine relationships with influencers can lead to more authentic and engaging content. Authenticity is key in influencer marketing, as it enhances trust and relatability.

5. Leverage Multiple Platforms

Don't limit your influencer marketing efforts to a single platform. Explore opportunities across various platforms where your target audience is most active, be it Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or others.

6. Focus on Quality Content

Quality content is what sets great campaigns apart. Collaborate with influencers to create content that is engaging, informative, and aligns with your brand messaging.

7. Utilize SEO Strategies

Incorporating SEO strategies, such as keyword optimization in content and leveraging influencer-generated content, can significantly improve your campaign's visibility online. Remember, good writing and SEO go hand in hand to create content that is not only engaging but also ranks well on search engines.

8. Track and Measure Results

To gauge the effectiveness of your influencer marketing campaigns, it's essential to track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as engagement rates, conversion rates, and ROI. This data will help refine your strategy over time.

9. Stay Updated on Trends

The digital landscape is constantly evolving. Staying abreast of the latest trends and platform updates can help you adapt your strategy to maintain its effectiveness.

10. Emphasize Transparency

Transparency and disclosure are critical in maintaining trust with your audience. Ensure influencers clearly disclose sponsored content to comply with FTC guidelines and maintain audience trust.

Influencer marketing, when executed properly, can be a game-changer for brands looking to expand their reach and connect with audiences in a meaningful way. Michael Esposito Staten Island — Influence in the Digital Age serves as a prime example of how influencers can wield significant influence in driving engagement and brand loyalty through authenticity and strategic collaboration. By following these ten essential strategies, you can create effective influencer marketing campaigns that resonate with your audience and deliver tangible results.

[wedesignblog]

5 Marketing Tips to Boost Your Brand

Hey, marketing mavens! 📈✨ As we dive deeper into 2024, it’s time to refine our strategies and elevate our brands. Here are five essential tips to keep your marketing game strong this year:

Embrace Personalization: Tailor your messaging to your audience's preferences. Use data to create personalized email campaigns and targeted ads that resonate on a deeper level. People love feeling special!

Leverage Video Content: Videos are still dominating the digital landscape. From short clips on social media to in-depth tutorials on YouTube, incorporating video can significantly boost engagement and conversion rates.

Focus on Sustainability: Consumers are becoming more conscious of their choices. Highlighting your brand's commitment to sustainability can help you connect with your audience on shared values and make a lasting impression.

Utilize Influencer Collaborations: Partnering with influencers can amplify your reach and credibility. Choose influencers whose audience aligns with yours to create authentic connections and broaden your brand’s visibility.

Optimize for Voice Search: With the rise of smart speakers and voice assistants, optimizing your content for voice search is essential. Think about how people verbally ask questions and tailor your SEO strategy accordingly!

💬 What marketing strategies are you excited to try this year? Let’s share ideas and inspire each other! Visit Our Web Design Blog

[davidrainer]

What Is Influencer Marketing? The Only Guide You Need

When it comes to digital marketing, influencer marketing is quickly becoming one of the most effective strategies. Brands are now focusing on reaching their target audiences through individuals with strong online presence—known as influencers.

These influencers have built trust and credibility with their followers. By partnering with them, brands can promote products or services in a way that feels more genuine. This guide will explain everything you need to know about influencer marketing campaigns and how they can benefit your business.

What Is Influencer Marketing?

Influencer marketing is a strategy where brands collaborate with influencers to promote products or services. These influencers, whether they're bloggers, social media stars, or content creators, have established followings in specific niches. By leveraging their credibility and audience, brands can reach potential customers in a more personalized way.

Unlike traditional advertising, influencer marketing doesn’t feel forced. Followers trust influencers, so their recommendations feel more authentic. This makes influencer marketing a powerful tool for driving awareness, sales, and loyalty.

Why Is Influencer Marketing So Popular?

Influencer marketing has exploded in popularity because of its effectiveness. Consumers are bombarded with ads daily, and many have become immune to traditional advertising methods. However, they still pay attention to recommendations from people they trust.

Influencers bridge the gap between brands and customers. Their personal endorsements come across as genuine, helping brands connect on a deeper level with their audience. This influencer marketing strategy works across platforms like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and blogs, allowing brands to tailor their approach.

Different Types of Influencers

When it comes to influencer marketing, not all influencers are the same. There are various types, each serving different purposes:

Mega-influencers: These are celebrities or individuals with millions of followers. Their reach is vast, but their engagement rates are often lower.

Macro-influencers: These influencers have large followings (100k–1M). They can reach a broad audience while still maintaining a decent level of engagement.

Micro-influencers: With 10k–100k followers, micro-influencers have smaller but highly engaged communities. They often focus on niche topics and can offer more personalized promotions.

Nano-influencers: These are the smallest influencers with less than 10k followers. Despite their small size, their audience is often highly loyal and engaged.

Benefits of Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing offers several key benefits that make it an attractive option for brands:

Authenticity: Influencers build trust with their followers. When they endorse a product, it feels like a genuine recommendation, not an ad.

Targeted Reach: Brands can partner with influencers who align with their values and target audience, ensuring a more effective campaign.

Increased Engagement: Influencers create content that resonates with their followers. This leads to more comments, shares, and interactions.

Higher ROI: Many brands see a significant return on investment with influencer marketing, as it often drives direct conversions.

Boosts Brand Awareness: Collaborating with influencers can introduce your brand to new audiences and increase visibility.

How to Create a Successful Influencer Marketing Campaign

If you want to get started with influencer marketing, follow these steps:

Define Your Goals: Before reaching out to influencers, identify what you want to achieve. Is it brand awareness, more followers, or increased sales? Clear goals will guide your strategy.

Find the Right Influencers: Look for influencers who share your brand values and appeal to your target audience. Make sure their content aligns with your brand’s message.

Create a Compelling Offer: Influencers are more likely to partner with you if your offer benefits them and their audience. This could be through free products, payment, or exclusive opportunities.

Track Performance: Measure the success of your campaign by tracking key metrics like engagement, website traffic, and sales. This will help you understand what works and improve future campaigns.

Ainfluencer: The Best Influencer Marketing Platform

Ainfluencer is a game-changer for both brands and influencers. It’s a 100% free, do-it-yourself marketplace that makes influencer marketing simple and efficient. 

For brands looking to grow, Ainfluencer is the ideal choice. You can access over 1 million influencers on TikTok and Instagram, covering every niche. There are no platform fees, so you can focus on building your brand. You can create unlimited campaigns and receive offers from countless influencers, all at no cost. This transparency is crucial for brands aiming to maximize their marketing budgets.

Influencers benefit, too. Ainfluencer allows you to explore countless paying campaigns without paying a dime to use the platform. You can negotiate deals directly with brands, enhancing your earning potential. Whether you're a nano, micro, or macro influencer, Ainfluencer provides the perfect space to showcase your talent.

One standout feature of Ainfluencer is its AI-powered matching system. This ensures that brands find the right influencers for their needs while allowing influencers to connect with brands that align with their audience. The platform is designed for everyone, making it easy to collaborate and grow.

The built-in escrow system adds an extra layer of security, protecting payments and ensuring that both brands and influencers feel safe throughout the process. Plus, the resolution center helps resolve any disputes, promoting a positive experience for everyone involved.

With Ainfluencer, you can easily view past collaborations and ratings, enabling informed decisions. This transparency fosters trust and accountability, making Ainfluencer a reliable partner for your influencer marketing needs.

Sign up on Ainfluencer today and start your journey toward influencer marketing success!

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is powerful, but it’s not foolproof. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:

Choosing the Wrong Influencers: Make sure the influencer's audience matches your target market. A large following means nothing if they aren’t interested in your products.

Ignoring Engagement Rates: High follower counts don’t always mean high engagement. Look for influencers who have active and engaged communities.

Not Defining Clear Goals: Without clear objectives, you won’t know if your campaign is a success.

Overlooking FTC Guidelines: Influencers are required to disclose paid partnerships. Make sure you’re following these guidelines to avoid any legal issues.

Conclusion

Influencer marketing has become an essential strategy for brands looking to connect with their audience in a meaningful way. By leveraging the power of influencers, you can build trust, drive engagement, and increase sales.

Whether you're a small business or a large corporation, influencer marketing can help you grow your brand. Start by identifying the right influencers, setting clear goals, and tracking your results. When done correctly, influencer marketing can provide lasting benefits for your business.

[busstalks]

10 Best Marketing Tricks for 2024

When it comes to business, leading the pack is everything in a rapidly changing domain of industry. So, as we approach 2024, let me give you the top 10 marketing advice that will help guide you through the challenges and also conquer the opportunities of the New Year:

1. Embrace AI and Automation

Marketing AI and Automation are changing the Game Editorial Staff AI-powered chatbots and predictive analytics make it easier to engage with customers. They also help to improve conversion rates, tweaked in real-time as necessary. For example, with the help of AI you can opt customer data analysis to tailor marketing campaigns in such a way that your message will be connected with your audience.

2. Leverage Social Media

Social platforms are an integral part of any marketing strategy. 2024: Produce engaging + interactive! Use Instagram Stories, LinkedIn articles & more. In this regard, some would say to create TikTok videos and whatnot. The key is as always consistency which builds your retinue of followers.

3. Invest in Content Marketing

Content remains the king. Create a blog post, video, infographic or podcast calendar Optimize your content for SEO and encourage it on search engines. An industry trends blog post that is well-researched can position your brand as a thought leader, for instance.

4. Customer Experience Must Be Your First Priority

Customer experience (CX) is the new big differentiator. Provide a seamless and easy customer experience at every possible touchpoint, whether that be on your website or through customer service. Set up feedback loops for ongoing improvement of your CX strategy.

5. Utilize Influencer Marketing

Why we are just now finding out about something — influencer marketing is already shifting. Micro-influencers (those with smaller, but ultra-engaged followings) will be even more valuable in 2024. Work with influencers that have the same values as you to create an image of reliability and authority.

6. Focus on Video Marketing

Videos are more engaging than textual content. Create videos that show consumers who you are as a brand, how your product works or what it do for them, and curated video content. These are the great platforms to reach a large audience like Youtube and Tiktok.

7. Optimize for Voice Search

Optimizing for voice search As smart speakers and voice assistants have become more popular, it is essential that you optimize your articles for voice search. Make sure your content is not formal and answer basic questions that 8/10 of an audience want to ask you. Adding schema is known to increase the possibility of showing up in voice search.

8. Incorporate Data-Driven Marketing

It is a form of marketing in which decision making is done using past data driven results. Use analytics tools for performance tracking all of your campaigns and customer behaviour. It enables you to tweak your strategies and get better results.

9. Three Ways to Tailor Your Marketing Efforts

And it has nothing to do with popping someone's first name in an email. Personalize messages through data based on customer preference and behaviour For instance, suggest products according to their purchase history or give exclusive offers for your customers based on any special occasion.

10. Stay Agile and Adaptable

Marketing is a field that has always been evolving — but never as fast and dramatically as today. Do not remain idle as the market changes and be prepared when you need to step away from your established way if it is outdated, or losing effectiveness. That ability to pivot is going to be the key to negotiating the uncertainties of 2024, a lesson we would all do well to heed.

Use these marketing tips to set your business on the trajectory towards success in 2024. And finally, as ever, the key to a very good marketing is knowledge and flexibility and putting your customers before anyone else always.

[spookychaospuppy]

DIGITAL MARKETING

DIGITAL MARKETING

What is Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing encompasses all marketing efforts that use the internet or electronic devices. It includes various channels such as:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Improving website visibility on search engines.

Content Marketing: Creating and distributing valuable content to attract and engage a target audience.

Social Media Marketing: Utilizing platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to engage with customers and promote products.

Email Marketing: Sending targeted emails to nurture leads and communicate with customers.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising: Running paid ads on search engines and social media to drive traffic.

The Importance of Digital Marketing

Wider Reach: Unlike traditional marketing, digital marketing allows businesses to reach a global audience. With the right strategies, brands can connect with customers across different regions, demographics, and interests.

Cost-Effectiveness: Digital marketing often requires a lower budget than traditional methods. Small businesses can leverage social media and content marketing to promote their products without breaking the bank.

Targeted Advertising: Digital marketing tools enable businesses to target specific demographics based on user behavior, interests, and location. This precision leads to higher conversion rates and better return on investment (ROI).

Measurable Results: One of the significant advantages of digital marketing is the ability to track and analyze performance in real-time. Tools like Google Analytics provide insights into user behavior, allowing marketers to adjust their strategies accordingly.

Enhanced Customer Engagement: Digital platforms facilitate direct communication with customers. Brands can respond to inquiries, gather feedback, and build relationships, fostering loyalty and trust.

Trends Shaping the Future of Digital Marketing

As technology continues to advance, several trends are emerging in digital marketing:

Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI is transforming how businesses understand consumer behavior, personalize experiences, and automate processes.

Voice Search Optimization: With the rise of smart speakers and voice assistants, optimizing content for voice search is becoming essential.

Video Marketing: Video content is increasingly popular, with platforms like YouTube and TikTok driving engagement. Brands are leveraging live streaming and short-form videos to connect with audiences.

Influencer Marketing: Collaborating with influencers can amplify brand messages and reach niche audiences effectively.

Conclusion

Digital marketing is no longer just an option; it’s a necessity for businesses looking to succeed in a competitive landscape. By embracing digital strategies, companies can enhance their visibility, engage with customers, and drive growth. As technology continues to evolve, staying ahead of digital marketing trends will be crucial for future success.

[cyberkevvideo]

Pathfinder Gillman Race Conversion to 5e

Today is another entry for Kraken Week. Before, I did the boggard and turned it into a proper Pathfinder 1e playable race. This time I decided to do something 5e related and convert a playable race from Pathfinder with sea lore into 5e race to go along with the triton, grung, and other aquatic races.

For those who didn't see my previous entry, this week (July 1st to July 7th) is Kraken Week. It’s what will hopefully be an annual TTRPG event that was created and hosted by Point Hat and Ginny Di, and YouTubers come together and do videos on the kraken and other sea and water-based creatures. It’s going to be their version of Shark Week, but not just about sharks. It’s been encouraged for others to join in as well. Unfortunately, I’m not a YouTuber, so I’m going to be doing this via this Tumblr blog.

The artist is for the logo is Antonio Demico, aka Pointy Hat himself.

The gillman race I'm using as a base can be found in Pathfinder 1e's Inner Sea World Guide, among other books.

Image is courtesy of the Archives of Nethys.

They are the creation of aboleths kidnapping and fleshwarping humans, and have a second name, Azarketi, because of their Azlant origin. Aboleths manipulated them for centuries, making them susceptible to aboleth influence, and eventually abandoning them, allowing the gillmen to finally experience freedom, but still unable to fully break away from the torturous manipulations of their creators.

Much like the grung, gillmen still require to be immersed in water for a short period of time or suffer from the ramifications. Unlike a satyr or yuan-ti who have a full resistance to magic and other effects (or just magic resistance in the case of the Monsters of the Multiverse updates), a gillman is only able to resist enchantment and illusion spells, unless those spells are cast by an aboleth. Overall, the conversion might seem strong, but some of the abilities are niche or limited in overall scope. That said, if the race never comes up against an aboleth, there's no concerns, but the same could be said about a satyr that never goes up against a mage, or at least very rarely does. And even then, spell attacks ignore that.

Overall, it's about as strong as an aasimar. At least in accordance to racial ability point breakdowns found online.

Also, if you're using the ability score and language rules from Tasha's Cauldron, feel free to ignore the listed scores and languages presented here. They are merely a suggestion based on the original gillman race.

Gillman/Azarketi

As a gillman, you gain the following traits.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2 and your Charisma score increases by 1.

Age. Gillmen age at much the same rate as humans, reaching adulthood at the age of 20. They live much longer than humans, however, often exceeding 160 years.

Alignment. Gillmen tend to lean more towards true neutrality.

Creature Type. You are a Humanoid.

Size. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Amphibious. You can breathe air and water.

Cold Resistance. Adapted to the frigid ocean depths, you have resistance to cold damage.

Limited Magic Resistance. You have advantage on saving throws against spells from the enchantment and illusion schools.

Poison Adept. You have advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the poisoned condition on yourself.

Taskmaster. You have proficiency in your choice of Animal Handling, Persuasion, or Perception.

Aboleth Vulnerability. You have disadvantage on saving throws against enchantment and illusion spells and abilities used by aboleths.

Water Dependency. If you fail to immerse yourself in water for at least 1 hour during a day, you suffer 1 level of exhaustion at the end of that day. You can recover from this exhaustion only through magic or by immersing yourself in water for at least 1 hour.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Aboleth.

With that, this concludes my contributions to this year's Kraken Week. Hopefully this happens again next year, and I can participate yet again.

As always, if you like what I do, whether it’s monster conversions, adventure path add-ons, or race builds, I have a Ko-Fi page (linked) for those who would like to support me monetarily, especially now that I’m racking up medical bills. There is no pressure or obligation to do so. A like and/or a share would also be appreciated just as much. It lets people know I exist out there.

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.

[repguardians]

Which Social Media Platform Is Best for Advertising?

Choosing the best social media platform for advertising depends on your target audience, goals, and type of content you wish to promote. Here’s a breakdown of the top platforms and what they offer:

Facebook

Best for: Broad reach and detailed targeting.

Facebook remains a dominant force in social media advertising, thanks to its massive user base and advanced targeting options. It’s ideal for businesses looking to reach a diverse audience and utilize detailed demographic and interest-based targeting. The platform supports various ad formats, including images, videos, carousels, and stories.

Key Benefits:

Extensive targeting capabilities.

Versatile ad formats.

Detailed analytics and insights.

Instagram

Best for: Visual and lifestyle brands.

Owned by Facebook, Instagram is perfect for brands that rely on visual content to tell their story. It’s especially popular among younger audiences and excels in industries like fashion, beauty, travel, and food. The platform’s focus on high-quality images and videos makes it ideal for brands that can produce visually appealing content.

Key Benefits:

Strong engagement rates.

Effective for influencer partnerships.

Shopping features for e-commerce.

LinkedIn

Best for: B2B marketing and professional services.

LinkedIn is the go-to platform for B2B advertising and reaching professionals. It’s particularly effective for businesses offering professional services, software, and products targeting specific industries. LinkedIn’s advertising options include sponsored content, message ads, and dynamic ads.

Key Benefits:

Targeting based on job title, industry, and company size.

Professional audience.

High-quality lead generation.

Twitter

Best for: Real-time engagement and customer service.

Twitter is ideal for brands looking to engage with users in real-time, promote events, or provide customer service. It’s also effective for driving conversations around trending topics and hashtags. Twitter ads can be promoted tweets, accounts, or trends.

Key Benefits:

Real-time interaction.

Trending topic promotions.

Effective for brand awareness.

YouTube

Best for: Video content and storytelling.

YouTube, owned by Google, is the leading platform for video content. It’s excellent for brands that can create engaging videos, tutorials, or commercials. YouTube’s extensive reach and integration with Google Ads make it a powerful tool for video marketing.

Key Benefits:

Vast audience reach.

Integration with Google Ads for targeted advertising.

High engagement through video content.

TikTok

Best for: Reaching younger audiences with short-form videos.

TikTok has rapidly grown in popularity, especially among Gen Z. It’s best suited for brands that can produce creative, engaging short-form video content. The platform offers various ad formats, including in-feed ads, branded hashtags, and branded effects.

Key Benefits:

High engagement rates.

Creative ad formats.

Strong influence among younger users.

Conclusion

The best social media platform for advertising depends on your specific business needs and target audience. Facebook offers broad reach and sophisticated targeting, Instagram excels with visual content, LinkedIn is unbeatable for B2B marketing, Twitter is great for real-time engagement, YouTube is perfect for video storytelling, and TikTok is ideal for creative, short-form videos targeting younger audiences. Understanding the strengths of each platform and aligning them with your advertising goals will help you choose the best platform for your needs.

[jennifermurphseo]

Video SEO: Optimizing Your Video Content for Higher Visibility

Creating compelling videos is just one piece of the puzzle; ensuring they are discoverable amidst the vast sea of online content is equally crucial. This is where Video SEO comes into play, offering a strategic approach to optimize your video content for maximum visibility and engagement.

Video SEO

Video SEO involves implementing various techniques to enhance the visibility of your videos in search engine results pages (SERPs) and on video-sharing platforms like YouTube. By optimizing key elements, you can increase your videos' chances of being seen by your target audience.

Keyword Research

Just like traditional SEO, keyword research forms the cornerstone of Video SEO. Identify relevant keywords and phrases that your target audience is likely to use when searching for content similar to yours. 

Tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and Ahrefs can help you uncover valuable keywords with high search volumes and moderate competition.

Crafting Compelling Titles and Descriptions

Craft titles and descriptions that not only include your target keywords but also entice viewers to click and watch your video. Aim for clarity and relevance, ensuring that both the title and description accurately reflect the content of your video while enticing users to engage.

Optimizing Video Metadata

Metadata plays a crucial role in Video SEO, providing search engines with valuable information about your video's content. 

Optimize metadata elements such as tags, categories, and captions, incorporating relevant keywords wherever possible. This helps search engines understand the context of your video and index it accordingly.

Enhancing User Engagement

User engagement signals, such as watch time, likes, comments, and shares, are vital metrics that influence your video's ranking in search results. Encourage viewers to engage with your video by creating compelling content that resonates with their interests and prompts them to take action.

Leveraging Thumbnails and Visual Elements

Thumbnails serve as the first impression of your video, influencing whether users choose to click and watch. Create visually appealing thumbnails that accurately represent your video's content and spark curiosity. 

Additionally, incorporate relevant visual elements such as custom overlays, logos, and branding to enhance brand recognition and credibility.

Implementing Technical SEO Best Practices

In addition to optimizing content, ensure that your video hosting platform is technically sound. Optimize video file names, formats, and sizes for fast loading times and seamless playback across devices. Furthermore, create video sitemaps to help search engines crawl and index your video content more efficiently.

Promoting Across Multiple Channels

Maximize the reach of your video content by promoting it across various channels, including social media, email newsletters, and industry-specific forums. Encourage sharing and engagement to broaden your audience reach and drive traffic back to your website or landing page.

Monitoring Performance and Iterating

Continuous monitoring and analysis of your video performance are essential for refining your Video SEO strategy over time. Track key metrics such as views, engagement rates, and conversion rates, identifying areas for improvement and iterating accordingly. 

Experiment with different tactics and measure their impact to optimize your video content for sustained success.

Video SEO is a powerful tool for increasing the visibility and impact of your video content in today's competitive digital landscape. By implementing strategic optimization techniques, conducting thorough keyword research, and fostering user engagement, you can elevate your videos to new heights of success. It's crucial to hire SEO expert to ensure that your optimization efforts are executed effectively and yield the desired results. Stay proactive, adapt to evolving trends, and watch as your video content reaches and resonates with your target audience like never before.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Erin Reed at Erin In The Morning:

The anti-trans frenzy is peaking in England this week following the release of a much-anticipated review by Dr. Hillary Cass on transgender care. Many anticipated that the report would serve as a pretext to ban transgender care in England, and it appears to have been crafted to provide just such a rationale. Nations already enacting restrictive laws against transgender individuals will likely use it as justification for further discrimination. In the United States, far-right Christian nationalist groups, including Heritage Foundation (retweeted), Association of Christian Schools International, and the Alliance Defending Freedom, have cited it to support anti-trans legislation they are involved in drafting or lobbying. The Cass Review is an exercise in politics with predetermined conclusions, not science and medicine, and health authorities worldwide should reject its findings.

For those unaware of the Cass Review, and the general situation in England for transgender people, that’s understandable. Transgender people have been struggling to raise alarms there for some time after wait lists to obtain gender affirming care have ballooned in excess of 5 years, which is often prohibitive in obtaining care. After a series of political attacks on transgender people and rising anti-trans sentiment in the country, the NHS commissioned a review and tapped Dr. Hillary Cass, a pediatrician whose list of follows on social media include extremist anti-trans sources such as Transgender Trend (which argues, as is obvious, that being transgender is a “trend”), the LGB Alliance (a LGB group that believes in “dropping the T,” or transgender people), and Graham Linehan (an anti-trans activist and comedian), along with many other noted anti-trans voices. From the outset, there were concerns about her ability to conduct a study neutrally.

Over the course of the review, these concerns intensified. On one occasion, Cass met privately with medical board members selected by Governor Ron DeSantis in Florida to ban transgender care through the Florida Medical Board and appeared to collaborate via email. This only came to light during a contentious trial that revealed the board's intention to ban transgender care from the outset, prior to any review. Cass's involvement in what was essentially a predetermined strike by DeSantis against transgender people raised red flags. On another occasion, her team enlisted a researcher with a history of promoting conversion therapy as a viable option for transgender individuals to handle reviews of evidence on which the report would be based.

Now that the final report is out, it is evident that it was crafted with a predetermined conclusion in mind. The review, highly susceptible to subjectivity, disregarded the body of research on transgender care as not "high quality," a subjective judgment that cannot be trusted as politically unbiased given prior concerns. The Cass Review lends credence to claims that being transgender is "contagious" and that it can influence others around them, claims that have been debunked by dozens of medical organizations. It cites Youtube propagandists that share material from “Gays Against Groomers,” a Republican-aligned anti-transgender organization in the United States. It fearmongers that being transgender might be caused by depression, anxiety, and autism, claims that the American Psychological Association, the world's largest psychological organization, has rejected in a recent policy resolution. It asserts that rates of detransition or desistance are high, citing outdated studies from conversion therapists like Ken Zucker, who reportedly used methods such as withholding wrongly gendered toys in an attempt to "treat" transgender youth. These purportedly high rates of "detransition" or "desistance" are challenged not only by external fact checks but also data within Cass’ own review.

The review cites heavily studies that have been misleadingly used to claim that being trans may be caused by being friends with other trans people. For instance, immediately after making social contagion claims, it references a study of "2,772 adolescents" that purportedly links the question "I wish to be of the opposite sex" to "poor self-concept" and "same-sex attraction." Cass uses this to essentialy claim that many transgender individuals do not know who they are, suggesting that trans individuals may actually just be gay people influenced into being trans by being friends with other trans people—a claim without evidence, often perpetuated by those opposed to trans care. It is important to note that the study Cass cites does not concern trans people; rather, it focuses on cisgender individuals who occasionally wish they were the opposite sex for any reason, including tomboys, feminine gay boys, people experiencing sexism, and more. In that particular study, 19% of participants responded this way, a rate magnitudes higher than the often-estimated 0.5% of transgender individuals. Nevertheless, Cass includes this study as though it applies to transgender individuals, whose desire is not "occasional" but enduring.

Erin Reed's analysis on the transphobic Cass Review is spot-on.

The Cass Review, conducted by "Dr." Hilary Cass, is full of anti-trans junk science.

The report serves as a justification to further restrict trans healthcare in the United Kingdom and worldwide.