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What is an Essay Hook?

A good hook fulfills two main purposes. One is that it sets the tone for the essay by informing the reader about the topic. The second is that it creates a compelling introduction that entices the reader to read on at length.

First, it is important to have a clear vision in mind of the literary work you have selected for your paper. Here you need to describe what a certain essay type demands and what types of techniques you require to support your arguments in your essay.

Always create an essay outline to see how the information can be organized better and which points need to be highlighted. Try to find an attention grabber that adds to the significance of that point.

Know your target audience and choose a way in which you want to develop your work. Your hook statement should be according to it. If you are writing for children, write in simple language. If you are writing for professionals, take the specific language into account.

Choose hooks that fit your paper. Know the type of essay you are writing and its purpose. You can go for funny hooks if you are writing a paper on a light topic. If you are writing a conference paper, then you should be more formal.

Hook Sentence Examples

Question Hook

You can grab the reader’s attention by asking them an intriguing question, that they would want to know the answer to. When posing a question, think about the interest of the reader and the things they would want to learn more about.

Avoid making your question generalized or simple Yes or No questions. For instance, asking a general question such as “Do you watch television?” won’t grab their attention and make them think it over.

Question Hook Example

Anecdote

Anecdote Hook Example

Quotes

Another popular type of essay hook is quotations. You can quote famous people to create a compelling start to your essay. Here you use quotes to explain your topic and its relevance to the idea of your paper.

Quotation Hook Example

Statistical Facts

Statistical Hook Example

Personal Story

Personal Story Hook Example

Description Hook

This hook is a vivid description of a scene or event to draw readers’ attention to your writing. A well-written descriptive hook will make your readers want to know more about what is in the rest of your paper.

Description Hook Essay Example

“Yesterday morning I watched my brother leave the house with a vibrant mark of toothpaste gleaming on his right chin. I was enjoying seeing him like that until he stepped out of the house…”

Metaphor/Simile Hook

The metaphor/simile hook is used to help readers think about a particular topic in a different way. Your readers will think about the meaning and the context in which the topic is being addressed.

Metaphor/Simile Hook Example

Literary Quotes

When writing book reviews, it is often a good idea to use literary quotes. However, it is important to keep in mind that these quotes may not be appropriate for use in persuasive or expository essays.

Scenes

We remember visual information more efficiently than words. When we see something, our brains quickly turn it into a picture. Scenes are often used in descriptive or narrative essays.

Scene Hook Example

💬 The Famous Quote Hook

Use a famous quote as a hook for your essay on history, literature, or even social sciences. It will present you as an established writer. It shows how knowledgeable you are and motivates the readers to engage in the text.

Political Science

Hilary Clinton once said that “there cannot be true democracy unless women’s voices are heard.” Which creates a discussion about how perfect democracy should look like. If it is a form of government that considers all opinions, why are women silenced so often even nowadays? The truth is that we need to ensure completely equal opportunities for women in politics before we talk about establishing the correct version of democracy. And even the most developed and progressive countries are still struggling to get to that level of equality. It can be achieved by various methods, even though they might only work in certain countries.

And even the most developed and progressive countries are still struggling to get to that level of equality. It can be achieved by various methods, even though they might only work in certain countries.

Social Sciences

“Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” These words of wisdom from John Kennedy reflect the perspective we need to teach the younger generations. For some reason, it has become popular to blame the government for any problem arising in society. Is it their fault that we don’t think about waste and keep trashing our home? Social responsibility is a real thing. The well-being of our countries starts with the actions of every separate individual. It is not entirely right to wait until the government fixes all the issues for us. The best strategy is to start thinking about what we can do as a community to make our home even a better place.

And excellent sources of quotes for you:

❓ Rhetorical Question Essay Hooks

It doesn’t have to be rhetorical – any type of question addressed to your audience will do its job. Such a universal kind of hook can spike the interest of your readers immediately.

Education

Wouldn’t free access to education for everyone be wonderful? The answer would most likely be positive. However, it is not as simple as it seems. As much as the governments try to achieve this goal, there are still many uneducated people. On the bright side, in the era of technology, learning has never been so easy. Of course, some young adults just prefer the shortcut option of taking a student loan. Other ways are much more challenging and require a lot of responsibility and patience. Finding free educational resources online and gaining experience with the help of video tutorials might sound unprofessional. Still, you will be surprised how many experts hired in different fields only received this type of education.

Health

Is there anything that can help you lose weight fast? You have probably heard of this magical keto diet that is getting more and more popular worldwide. People claim that it helps them shred those excess pounds in unbelievably short terms. But how healthy is it, and does it suit anyone? The truth is that no diet is universal, and thanks to our differences, some weight-loss methods can even be harmful. Keto diet, for example, leads your body into the state of ketosis. What happens is that you don’t receive carbohydrates, and in this state, fat is used as the primary source of energy instead them. However, it carries potential threats.

Resource:

https://www.myperfectwords.com/blog/essay-writing-guide/hook-example
https://helpfulpapers.com/blog/how-to-write-a-good-introduction-45-easy-essay-hooks/

Health Crisis

By the age of 14, my mild health issues evolved beyond nuisances, and by the age of 19, they grew debilitating. I was brushed off by every doctor who either told me, “There is nothing actually wrong with you” or “it is all in your head.”

Living 20 years with no answers, going in and out of the hospital sometimes numerous times a week, and the constant gaslighting by the medical community was very destabilizing and isolating. The loss of support over time from family and friends who started to believe I was neurotic or a hypochondriac felt crushing.

My disease is rare, complex, and hard to pin down. I do believe doctors at times tried to help but often gave up. Others doctors did not even give me a chance and brushed me off almost immediately when they could not figure me out and I was not a simple patient. Real doctors don’t like a good mystery like they do in the show “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Choose a Business Structure

Successful business owners understand the importance of choosing the right business structure. The type of business you’re starting will dictate the legal structure you should choose. This will further determine the legal and financial liability of your business. The most common business structures include sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies (LLCs), and corporations.

Sole Proprietorship

Partnership

A partnership is a business structure that involves two or more people. Before we delve deeper into how to become a part-owner of a business, we should explain that partnerships can be either general or limited. In a general partnership, all partners are equally liable for the debts and obligations of the business. In a limited partnership, there is at least one partner who has unlimited liability and one or more partners who have limited liability.

A limited liability company (LLC) is a business structure that offers personal liability protection to its owners. LLCs can be either single-member LLCs (owned by one person) or multi-member LLCs (owned by two or more people). Choose one of the top-rated LLC services and outsource LLC formation and ongoing compliance to experienced agents.

Corporation

Finally, if you’ve been wondering how to become a business owner within a corporation, you should get familiar with what a corporation is. A corporation is a business structure that offers limited liability protection to its shareholders. Corporations can be either for-profit or nonprofit. Additionally, an S corporation is a special type of corporation that offers tax benefits to its shareholders.

Do I Need A Business Degree To Start My Own Business?

Many business owners find it better to learn from practical experience. The cost of attending a UK university is very high these days, and students who hope to be entrepreneurs one day consider skipping college altogether.

Sure, a university degree isn’t necessary to be a business owner, but there, you will learn things like time management, ownership, accountability, and prioritising. It will also help you grow emotionally.

As a student, this is the time where you can make mistakes without them ruining your life. As you study, you grow in your ability to learn and reason. If you aren’t emotionally mature, you aren’t going to be very successful in business.

learning financial management skills analytics

Technically, you don’t need a college education to start a business, but you might want one. If you don’t know much about business operations or what it takes to start a business, a few college courses can be beneficial.

Most young people don’t have a nest egg to put up the capital to start a business. If you have any chance of starting a business, you will need a source of income to pay your bills and save the capital to get your business going.

You can, however, start your business and take a course or two at a time. This will allow you to give your business the attention that it needs while learning the necessary skills to make your business a success.

Every person is different and everyone’s situation is different. If you have time to wait to start your business, by all means, attend college full-time. if not, you can find a college schedule that will allow you to have it all.

Resource:

https://themighty.com/2022/07/becoming-proud-disabled-business-owner-eds/
https://www.smallbizgenius.net/knowledge-base/how-to-become-a-business-owner/
https://independentlearningschool.com/skills-required-for-a-business-owner/

Freelance tips

The gig economy enables income opportunities that once seemed like pipe dreams. Technology has not only mobilized workers with remote tools, but it has also changed how we all work together. Mobility and connectivity have forever changed how people interact, and the same communication advances have seen businesses evolve as well.

Today, almost anyone can embark on a freelance career, but to be successful, one needs to identify a marketable skill set. Luckily, there is no shortage of freelancer-friendly work categories. From coding to marketing copywriting, businesses are increasingly looking to outsource many tasks for short and longer-term projects.

Often, freelancers interact with full-time resident employees in a hybrid team setting. Since more companies are becoming comfortable with bringing different types of workers together in a virtual team environment, remote work freelance growth opportunities will only continue to grow.

What Is Freelancing?

Freelancing is done on a project-by-project or contract-by-contract basis by a professional who isn’t employed full-time by the person or company paying for their services. Freelancers are typically paid on an hourly or project basis, and freelance work can be done from almost anywhere, making it a flexible career option for remote workers. Freelancing offers workers the flexibility to decide how much or how little work they want to do in a given period, so it can be a full-time or part-time source of income.

What Is a Freelance Job?

A freelance job is one where a person is self-employed instead of working for a company or other organization. Freelance jobs are often contracted jobs where the freelancer will work on specific projects for different organizations.

Why choose freelance over traditional jobs?

Better earning potential

A freelance job has bigger earning potential if you are motivated. It’s simple: work hard, earn more. You can decide how many projects to take on in a month and how much money you’d like to make.

Unlike traditional jobs, freelancers have the power to say no to gigs. But be mindful of why you are saying no. Is it because the project is a waste of your professional time or are you feeling lazy? Saying no often could mean that you’ll get fewer part-time offers of work.

Quicker professional growth

Freelancers are able to adjust or improve their skill set, making them adaptable and able to work in many different professional areas of expertise. Being well-versed in multiple professional areas can also mean a fatter paycheque. A lot of freelancers take the time to update their skill sets. There are many educational resources available online, both free and paid. Find out which skills are high in demand and which job sectors are hot right now.

Work from anywhere

Aside from having a flexible schedule, freelancing allows you to work from anywhere. Think of all the money you can save by not having to commute. Having a flexible schedule can also mean a healthier lifestyle, with time to exercise, cook and eat healthier with regular or semi-regular mealtimes. Bonus: there isn’t much need to get dressed for work.

Extra income streams

Freelancing also allows you to build passive income streams. If your website gets numerous hits, for example, try selling ad space or a members-only section. Offer e-courses sharing your expertise in one or more professional areas. The more creative freelancers can create a paid podcast series, ebooks, or vlogs.

Low-risk employment

Remember that there’s no harm in trying to freelance, whether it’s a necessary move or simply extra work to make extra money. The risks of freelancing are minimal and if you enjoy the freelance way of working, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t do it full-time.

Web Freelance Tips – Get organized

I’ve always been a big advocated of the importance of being organized. For me, organization is one of the core skills needed to succeed as a freelance web professional. Clients will be impressed by freelancers who show great organizational skills, and a lack of organization is often the demise and cause of failure for many unsuccessful freelancers.

The key to getting organized is to keep records of all your work and work diligently to schedules. This includes keeping daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly schedules, making a habit of keeping an updated calendar, using a to do list, and setting reminders to make sure you keep on top of your work and don’t miss deadlines.

To make life easier there are some really great tools out there for keeping organized. It’s worth testing out several different apps and software and try to find those which best fit your needs and lifestyles.

Sources:

https://resources.owllabs.com/blog/freelancing
https://www.jobstreet.com.my/career-resources/plan-your-career/freelance-tips-for-beginners/
https://webcoursesbangkok.com/web-freelance-tips/

2.) Lists of things can be made (really) interesting

He would buy salmon for his supper, carry it home greased paper, and cook it himself; but it must be scotch, and the prime cut. Bread and cheese would suffice for his lunch, but the cheese must be a choice stilton. Modern beer was his despair; and he abhorred in equal measure imported meat, and credit accounts. In the matter of wine he was less exacting: he relied upon a reasonable Val de Penas, which he brought from a shipper friend, and drank at any hour that pleased him. (2–3)

He expressed himself in that haunted book; and his Self was something beyond the ungrateful beneficiary that so many, in daily life, found him to be, something beyond the unscrupulous, egocentric, homosexual pretender of Aberdeen, Hollywell, and Rome. (145)

Metaphor and Simile

Metaphorical writing is the power of poets and should be a part of your daily writing practice if you want to enhance your English writing skills. A metaphor is a figure of speech that forms a comparison, whether implied or implicit, between two unrelated things. In other words, a metaphor draws a connection or resemblance between two different or contradictory things. A simile, by comparison, is a metaphorical expression that uses the words “like” or “as”.

• My brother is the black sheep of our family. Note that this metaphor draws a comparison between one’s brother and a sheep (two ordinarily unconnected things) in order to be descriptive. A black sheep is considered less valuable than white sheep, so it stands out from the flock. Being compared to a black sheep shows that the writer’s brother was the odd one out in their family and likely looked down on or disenfranchised for some reason.
• Her smile is as bright as the sun. In this simile, a woman’s smile is being compared to the sun, and they are (obviously) two different things. However, through this simile, the writer is able to express a smile that is exceptionally bright and cheerful, even if it is exaggeration (or hyperbole, which is also another great English writing technique).

Advanced writing techniques

One key skill that examiners are looking for is your ability to use different grammatical structures and tenses within the test. Lower level students will often stick to simple tenses which can limit their ability to properly express certain ideas. Mastering the perfect tenses will allow you to boost your range and to express yourself with greater confidence and fluency.

Paragraphing is an essential skill for both IELTS writing task 1 and 2. If you look at the band descriptors you will find that the Coherence and Cohesion category accounts for 25% of your overall score. Coherence and Cohesion means that you are able to correctly link your ideas together and make good use of paragraphing.

Paragraphing is an essential skill for both IELTS writing task 1 and 2. If you look at the band descriptors you will find that the Coherence and Cohesion category accounts for 25% of your overall score. Coherence and Cohesion means that you are able to correctly link your ideas together and make good use of paragraphing.

By using a TOEFL essay template you can save a lot of time and boost your score by properly organizing your response. All that you need to do is fill in the blanks with the necessary information that you will have noted from the test audio and text.

Paraphrasing is a very important skill if you want to succeed in the IELTS test. You are expected to paraphrase in both the speaking and written examination to demonstrate your wide vocabulary range.

In this article, I will talk about some of the common problems that people have when trying to think of ideas for an IELTS writing task 2 essay. I will also offer you some solutions that will help you to generate ideas that perfectly match the question and help you to boost your score.

Applying Advanced Writing Techniques

C H A P T E R. Applying Advanced Writing Techniques. 4. Learning Objectives. Distinguish between formal and conversational language. Use positive language. Recognize and develop reader benefits.

Presentation Transcript

Learning Objectives • Distinguish between formal and conversational language. • Use positive language. • Recognize and develop reader benefits. • Use inclusive language and replace sexist terms. • Emphasize important ideas and de-emphasize unimportant ones.

Learning Objectives • Develop sentence unity by avoiding zigzag writing, mixed constructions, and misplaced modifiers. • Match sentence parts to achieve parallelism. • Use active- and passive-voice verbs strategically. • Achieve paragraph coherence.

Use Conversational Language • The undersigned takes pleasure in. • I am happy to… • It may be of some concern to you to learn that your cheque has been received and your account has been credited for $250. • We have credited your account for $250.

Levels of Style • High-level style • Found in scientific writing, legal documents • Characterized by serious tone, complex sentences • Middle-level style • Found in business letters, memos, and reports • Characterized by conversational tone, simple sentence structure, familiar words

Use Positive Language • State ideas positively instead of negatively. • Say what can be done instead of what can’t be done. • Employees must not park in Lot C on Friday. • Employees must park in Lot B instead of Lot C on Friday.

Use Inclusive Language • Alternate word order in phrases that include both sexes. • Identify women as individuals. • Use generic nouns. • Avoid feminine suffixes. • Use language that reflects equal respect for women and men.

Sources:

https://www.perfecttext.org/13-writing-techniques-non-fiction/
https://www.servicescape.com/blog/esl-insights-8-english-writing-techniques-you-probably-didnt-know
https://lovetolearnenglish.com/tips-for-ielts-and-toefl/tag/Advanced+writing+techniques+for+IELTS
https://www.slideserve.com/anoki/applying-advanced-writing-techniques-powerpoint-ppt-presentation

How to run effective virtual and in-person meetings

Understanding how to have effective meetings is one of the most important business communication skills that employees at all levels need to learn to thrive at work – especially in hybrid and remote workplaces.

And whatever industry you’re in, you’ll probably have plenty of meetings to contend with. According to Doodle’s State of Meetings Report , video meetings skyrocketed in 2020. One on one meetings rose by 1,230% while virtual group meetings increased by 613%.

That’s all well and good, until you consider that only 50% of meeting time is effective, well-used and engaging . And not only are pointless meetings annoying, but they are also a drain on your revenue: two hours per week spent in pointless meetings results in a waste of more than $541 billion in employee time .

What are you trying to achieve with your meeting?

Every meeting should have a goal, and by not clearly defining that goal with your agenda, or even clearly spelling it out in the description of your meeting invite, you are wasting your co-workers’ time. Sometimes that goal is simple, like establishing next steps or assigning specific people to specific tasks. But whatever you do, don’t leave a meeting with questions an un-actionable to-do list.

We’ve all been to meetings that ended 30 minutes early because everything was resolved after one person answered a couple of questions. Before you create a meeting, start outlining your concerns in an email. If that email takes you less than five minutes to compose, you may be able to solve this with a cc, some specific questions and a good subject line.

Is it important that you get approval on every decision you make?

If you can solve a problem without completely disrupting others’ work or overstepping your responsibilities, solve it. No meeting necessary. Having to ask permission for everything conveys a lack of confidence, and your boss takes that into consideration when performance reviews come around.

Meetings let you use one-on-one discussions, small group activities, and facilitated discussions to make sure everyone’s ideas get heard before the group settles on a final idea or strategy and they can even drive your rewards and recognition strategy. This is known as the 1-2-All technique, and it’s only one of many strategies in which changing the physical arrangement of bodies in the room focuses team members’ minds in different ways.

Meetings also let you build relationships in a way that you can only do in person. You don’t have to make s’mores and sing camp songs—not that there’s anything wrong with that—but you need to be in the same room when you’re bonding. It’s the only way you can:

You can even introduce ice breakers or games that get people thinking in new ways. If done at the right time and in the right way for a team, these kinds of activities can keep your meetings fresh and interesting.

9 Mute yourself when you’re not speaking

If you’re wondering how to run a zoom meeting, this is one of the easiest things that you can do to ensure the meeting runs smoothly. Just like you would on any online video conferencing software, muting yourself when you’re not speaking on Zoom is imperative. If you fail to mute your microphone, any background noise that happens within your workspace will be transferred to the rest of the attendees which may ultimately end up being a major distraction for everyone on the call. Muting your microphone and only turning it on when it’s your turn to speak is also a great way to show your respect for the host as well as all other attendees.

Writing notes and jotting down action items is extremely important. Whether you’re taking the notes yourself, or you have a designated note taker on your team, it’s best to determine who will be responsible for taking the notes while additionally identifying how the notes will be taken and distributed when the meeting ends.

Fellow’s Zoom app brings your notes into a convenient panel in your video meetings, eliminating the need to search for your notes before your next Zoom meeting. If you’re spending more time balancing browser tabs during your video meetings than connecting with the people in your meeting, Fellow’s app for Zoom will help. Don’t let your meeting notes get in the way of human connection.

12 Leverage Zoom waiting rooms for larger meetings

Learning how to run a large Zoom meeting is entirely different from learning how to run a regular meeting on Zoom because you need to learn how to manage a larger group of participants. The waiting room feature on Zoom allows you as the host to control when a participant joins the meeting. When hosting a larger Zoom meeting, waiting rooms allow you to admit meeting attendees one by one, or all at once Essentially, waiting rooms provide you with the ability to control who enters the meeting and at which moment they enter.

While in the meeting room, your meeting participants can test their speakers and microphones, but they cannot see or communicate with each other. While waiting, participants will see a window that reads “Please wait, the meeting host will let you in soon.”

Resource:

https://slack.com/intl/en-gb/blog/productivity/run-effective-meetings
https://www.viktorwithak.com/meeting-management/
https://fellow.app/blog/meetings/how-to-run-a-zoom-meeting-a-step-by-step-guide-and-best-practices/

Run Contests on Social Media to Attract Attention

A contest is a subtle way to promote your product without actually advertising it. Running contests on social media platforms will drive audience’s attention towards your product. To reap maximize benefits from the contest, keep it fun, simple, and offer giveaways to all participants. Ultimately, this will create loyalty towards your product in customers; thus, will help you in generating leads in long-term.

Example: Dove, recently started a “Real beauty should be shared” contest on Facebook. It was a fill-in-the-blank contest wherein users had to tell why their friends represent real beauty by filling in their friend’s name and things that make them a real beauty. As a prize for this contest, they gave entrants the chance of becoming the face of Dove (to be printed on Dove soap case). This was a brilliant branding campaign where Dove not only got a genuine face for marketing but also brought huge attention towards its product.

Free and low-cost ways to promote your business online

Business promotion is more than just publishing images on social media or buying ads. It’s a process to help you achieve measurable success in your business. Here’s how you can promote your business for free to drive traffic and sales for your store:

Guest post on blogs

Free traffic—as opposed to paid traffic that comes from things like purchased ads—is often hard to come by for new websites. You can start blogging to drive traffic, but it takes time before you start seeing results. While you grow your own audience, guest posting gives you a way to get in front of someone else’s. Not only does this drive traffic back to your website, but the links to your site will help with search engine optimization.

Find and connect with bloggers who have the type of audience you want to reach. Offer to write a guest post that their audience will love. Make sure the topic you write about is also related to your business or it won’t drive any traffic.

Get product reviews

Getting your product reviewed can be a great way to spread awareness and drive sales. Instead of waiting around for someone to review your product, use a blogger outreach campaign to get the ball rolling. You may end up landing a product review in outlets like Buzzfeed, like Shopify merchant RT1home.

Contact bloggers with relevant, engaged audiences and offer to send them new products for free in exchange for an honest review. If you have a great product, they’ll love it and tell everyone.

Do an expert roundup

While blogging is a great way to drive traffic back to your store, it can be a lot of work. This is especially true if you don’t feel very knowledgeable on a topic you need to write about, or you’re not generally comfortable writing. One way around this is to solicit contributions from other bloggers or experts.

Seek out experts on a topic and ask them to contribute an idea, such as a tip, recipe, or story to your blog post. Then, publish a list of all the responses you got back. You’ll be providing your audience with great content from relevant experts, plus the contributors will want to share the article with their own readers, increasing your own reach.

Find affiliates to promote your business

If you want to take product reviews a step further and solicit even more people to promote your product, consider starting an affiliate program. Affiliate marketing incentivizes other people to drive traffic to your business by offering a commission on every sale, similar to referral programs.

Finding your first affiliates can be tough if you don’t have wide brand recognition. Use an outreach campaign to find and recruit your first few affiliates and get the ball rolling. Look for affiliates who have an engaged audience and are already writing about your industry.

Get included in gift guides

Gift guides are a list of recommended products or gift ideas, typically centered around a holiday (like Christmas) or a person (like your dad). If you’ve ever Googled for gift ideas you’ve likely come across several gift guides, like this Valentine’s Day gift guide by The New York Times.

Getting your product in the right gift guides can increase sales and traffic to your website. However, inclusion in these guides doesn’t happen randomly and requires some effort. In many cases, business owners and marketers lobby to get their products included. Use outreach to contact gift guide publishers and ask to have your product included.

Invest in an infographic

Investing in a professionally designed infographic is one way to drive traffic and potentially build backlinks, which are great for search engine optimization (SEO). The cost ranges greatly for quality infographics—depending on what you need and the skill level of the person you hire—but it can be well worth the investment.

Need an idea for an infographic? Check out sites like Visually for inspiration. Once you’ve chosen an idea, research the topic and identify the points that you’ll cover in the infographic. You can hand this outline over to a professional designer as direction for what you want the infographic to cover (or as a guideline for yourself if you’re going the DIY route, in which case you should check out tools like Canva or Piktochart).

Let’s say you sell bicycles and related gear. You might create an infographic that talks about the environmental benefits of bicycling. Some points or figures you might include in the infographic could be how much a daily commute saves in fuel emissions, as well as a comparison of the total number of car owners and bike owners.

Top 10 Ways to Use Facebook to Promote your Business for Free

It’s just a simple fact: Facebook is a pay-to-play marketing platform today. But in spite of all the griping and groaning marketers did when it first became clear that free Facebook marketing was a thing of the past, they’re all still using Facebook to market. Why is that? Because even as a paid platform, Facebook produces an extremely high marketing ROI. In other words – it’s totally worth it.

We here at Zen Media have managed hundreds of paid Facebook campaigns for our clients, so we have firsthand experience of the ROI that’s possible using this particular marketing method.

1. Create a personal business presence using a fan page. One of the major strengths of social media marketing is its ability to create relationships between businesses and their audiences. The person-to-person interaction that can happen on social media makes consumers feel that they have encountered a brand in a meaningful way and that they now have a special connection with that company. So imagine how much this feeling is intensified when that consumer is interacting not just with “the brand,” but with the person behind that brand!

Depending on your personal social media habits, you may or may not already have a personal Facebook account. If you do, and you prefer to keep your personal profile private, Facebook will allow you to create a page for your public, professional persona, as well. Otherwise, you can use your personal profile to interact with consumers. Gain a following by engaging with the people who frequent your brand’s page.

2. Maintain a robust brand presence. While it’s true that your company’s Facebook posts most likely won’t show up in your audience’s news feeds without paying to promote them, that doesn’t mean that you should stop posting them on your brand’s page. People today often use Facebook as a search engine to find out more about a company, whether that means basic info like contact information and hours of operation, or what customers have to say about them. A robust, active page that’s full of regular posts and lots of audience engagement is a great way to showcase the fact that your customers aren’t just satisfied – they’re enthusiastic!

3. Join Facebook groups. While most people think of LinkedIn first when they think online networking, Facebook groups actually offer a similar opportunity for professionals. There are any number of Facebook groups dedicated to various industries, professions, and interests. You can use your personal account to join groups of colleagues, as well as groups where your target audience is likely to be found.

The more you contribute to the conversations taking place in these groups, the more your name will become recognized – and synonymous with industry leadership and expertise. The only thing to watch out for here is never to come across as salesy in your discussions – the quickest way to turn off this potential stream of leads and connections is to start promoting your business instead of offering genuine advice and thoughts.

You can customize your search for groups based on various keywords – and Facebook also makes suggestions, based on your profile. Here are some groups Facebook has to offer in the field of “Leadership:”

4. Create your own group. Can’t find a Facebook group that really fits what you’re looking for? Create your own! You can add members, publish articles, carry on discussions, and probably meet quite a few prospects. The fact that you own the group and control the conversations automatically grants you industry leadership status in the eyes of your members, which can only help when they realize they need the product or service you provide.

5. List your events. Hosting a webinar or speaking somewhere? Create an event page and invite friends and people in the groups you’re in. You can even see how many RSVP and get feedback from attendees.

6. Syndicate your blog. If you know that you won’t remember or be able to find the time to share your company’s blog posts on your Facebook page or profile each week, you can automate the task. There are many different online tools you can use to do this, from simple plugins for WordPress to suites of digital marketing software, that will automatically post each new blog post to your Facebook page for you. More Exposure = More Traffic = More Leads.

Sources:

https://www.fatbit.com/fab/6-creative-ways-promote-product-social-media/
https://www.shopify.com.sg/blog/how-to-promote-your-business
https://zenmedia.com/blog/top-10-ways-to-use-facebook-to-promote-your-business-for-free/

As Teen Stress Increases, Teachers Look for Answers

I’ve taught frazzled high-performers who eschew sleep for flashcards and always seem on the verge of a breakdown. I’ve had students who won’t come to school because they don’t want to compound their stress. I’ve heard members of a student panel brazenly explain that they felt burdened by their workloads and simply wanted “the points.” It’s actually become common for student breakdowns to happen and for parents to request their child’s upcoming assignments in advance, knowing they’ll be out of school.

Though it may seem otherwise, my school isn’t a high-stress pipeline for Ivy League colleges, but a diverse public school that is home to both affluent and low-income students. We’re like many other public schools where student stress seems to be on the rise and is putting teachers like me in a tough position, causing us to second-guess ourselves and ask whether students are really too stressed—or just lacking time-management skills and angling for reduced homework.

Yet my personal observations that students seem more stressed than in years prior are backed by research, which shows that anxiety, depression, and self-harm are on the rise among teens. According to a 2019 Pew Research Poll, 70 percent of surveyed teens agree that stress is a major problem. Emergency room visits for self-inflicted, nonfatal injuries among children and young adults increased by 5.7 percent from 2008 to 2015, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that between 2007 and 2017, more teens were seriously considering suicide or hurting themselves in suicide attempts than in past decades.

“I’ve seen an uptick in diagnosable anxiety disorders that almost incapacitate teens,” said Dr. Melissa Holland, a clinical psychologist and associate professor at California State University, Sacramento. “It’s estimated about one in five teens have a diagnosable mental health disorder, and most of them go untreated.”

Rising Pressures

Two years ago, I participated in a question-and-answer session at a preschool that my spouse and I were considering for our daughter. The head of the school asked parents what they wanted for their children in the coming years.

As the kids were playing just feet away, still in diapers, two parents immediately volunteered that they were eager to see their toddlers get exposure to a STEM curriculum. A third parent raised her hand and said that she wanted her child to be happy. Tellingly, her neighbors, squeezed into miniature wooden chairs like overgrown versions of their kids, looked at her with amusement.

The academic pressures and stress faced by teens today start long before high school and seem to escalate every year. The pressure comes from parents and educators who worry—and make teenagers worry—that they won’t get accepted into highly ranked universities with increasingly prohibitive tuitions or be prepared for a competitive job market once they graduate.

Short on sleep, students reared in the testing-heavy wake of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) enlist SAT tutors, fill schedules with activities and service projects, and take as many honors and AP classes as possible to boost their GPAs. Even with these overloaded schedules, students have no guarantee of getting into colleges—even state institutions—where admission rates keep dropping.

“There are academic and career aspirations, diminishing opportunities and reduced social mobility, and tremendous competition to get ahead,” said Daniel Keating, professor of psychology, psychiatry, and pediatrics at the University of Michigan and author of the 2017 book Born Anxious. “For teens [today], it’s not clear that there’s going to be a prize at the end.”

He explained that students react more intensely when their world feels less stable than they expect—and less likely to reward their efforts and hopes with desired outcomes. For teens in particular, these pressures can be especially challenging to navigate, given their stage of brain development: They simply can’t manage the stress like adults.

They are simultaneously more sensitive and less capable of controlling impulses, said Keating. “The stressors feel even worse [for teens], which leads to behavioral issues, hair-trigger responses, acting out, and an inability to keep things in perspective—or, alternatively, becoming more isolated.”

Friends

While most students would say that friends are one of their favorite aspects of school, they can also be a source of stress. Concerns about not having enough friends, not being in the same class as friends, not being able to keep up with friends in one particular area or another, interpersonal conflicts, and peer pressure are a few of the very common ways kids can be stressed by their social lives at school. Dealing with these issues alone can cause anxiety in even the most secure kids.

Things have changed in the world of bullies. The good news is that the days of teachers looking the other way and parents leaving kids to deal with bullying on their own are mostly over. Many schools now have anti-bullying programs and policies. Though bullying does still happen at many schools, even those with these policies, help is generally more easily accessible than it was years ago.

The bad news is that bullying has gone high-tech. Many students use the Internet, cell phones, and other media devices to bully other students, and this type of bullying often gets very aggressive. One reason is that bullies can be anonymous and enlist other bullies to make their target miserable; another reason is that they don’t have to face their targets, so it’s easier to shed any empathy that they may otherwise feel. There are ways to combat “cyber-bullying,” but many parents aren’t aware of them—and many bullied kids feel too overwhelmed to deal with the situation.

Overscheduling

Much has been said in the media lately about the over-scheduling of our kids, but the problem still continues. In an effort to give their kids an edge, or to provide the best possible developmental experiences, many parents are enrolling their kids in too many extra-curricular activities. As kids become teens, school extracurricular activities become much more demanding. College admissions standards are also becoming increasingly competitive, making it difficult for college-bound high school students to avoid overscheduling themselves.

Due in part to the busyness of kids’ lives and the hectic schedules of most parents, the sit-down family dinner has become the exception rather than the rule in many households. While there are other ways to connect as a family, many families find that they’re too busy to spend time together and have both the important discussions and the casual day recaps that can be so helpful for kids in dealing with the issues they face. Due to a lack of available family time, many parents aren’t as connected to their kids, or knowledgeable about the issues they face, as they would like.  

Source:

https://www.edutopia.org/article/teen-stress-increases-teachers-look-answers
https://www.verywellfamily.com/social-causes-of-school-anxiety-3145171
https://www.princetonreview.com/high-school/learning-without-stress