Comedian’s Video About Bedtime With A Toddler Will Make You Feel Seen

If you’ve got a little kid who likes to delay bedtime as long as possible, this comedian’s video is for you

“What is lava made from?” “Why do we have butt cracks?” “I had a booger, but I got it out and I just wanted to tell you.” If you have a toddler or young child, then you’ve probably heard some variation of the above while you’re desperately trying to get them to go to sleep. One comedian’s video impersonation of this daily tête-à-tête is going viral because, well, you’ve just gotta see for yourself. And laugh.

Comedian Shaun Johnson’s “Bedtime Excuses” video is making parents everywhere nod and chuckle — and it’s not hard to see why.

Playing every beleaguered mom there ever was, Johnson asks the toddler version of himself, “Why are you out of bed?”

The familiar answer? “I can’t sleep.” Though it’s definitely past the kid’s bedtime, that doesn’t stop The Asking Of The Questions or the Telling Of The Things. You know, like “I was scared but I’m not scared anymore” and whether “they’re” going to impeach Trump. “I think I was sleepwalking” is also a good one. LOL.

“I was in bed and one of my socks was itching so I came down to let you know one of my socks was itching” is probably the most spot-on part of the entire video. If it’s bedtime and your small child is even the tiniest bit uncomfortable (for my four-year-old, it comes down to wedgies and boogers in her nose), you will hear about it.

Even if you’re not expected to fix it, you will still hear about their sudden “problem” and how they solved it. Repeatedly, until the end of time. Or at least until they’re old enough to love and covet sleep the way nature intended.

This video is every bit as good as comedian Trey Kennedy‘s “Middle Schoolers” parody. Because while the toddler phase may be tough, the tweens are every bit as draining (even if they sleep like angels).

If nothing else, it’s nice to know that we’re all in solidarity with the thousands of parents who watch these videos and can commiserate about our stubborn-but-lovable kiddos. So maybe the next time we’re tucking our little ones in for the millionth time in one night or when our 12-year-olds come home from school with drama and attitude, we’ll think of these videos and smile. While pouring a glass of wine, to be sure, but with a fond smile for the kids who drive us crazy.

The post Comedian’s Video About Bedtime With A Toddler Will Make You Feel Seen appeared first on Scary Mommy.

Read more: scarymommy.com

https://infoforu.org/comedians-video-about-bedtime-with-a-toddler-will-make-you-feel-seen/

What it means to have ‘undetectable’ HIV—and why you need to know

Antiretroviral drugs allow people with HIV to live completely normal lives. They also prevent them from transmitting the virus to others once they reach an undetectable viral load.

It’s been almost 40 years since the start of the AIDS epidemic, when hundreds of people began contracting deadly infections that doctors had no idea how to combat. It took until 1983 for researchers to identify the virus that was causing their symptoms: human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. After years of medical testing, protests, and millions of deaths the world still hasn’t emerged from the epidemic. But it’s getting closer: Since their peak in 2004, AIDS-related deaths have shrunk by over half, and new HIV infections have reduced by 40 percent since 1997.

Safe sex practices and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medications have prevented many further infections, and the evolution of antiretroviral (ART) treatments have stalled the virus from replicating in people who already have it. Beyond allowing people with HIV to live completely normal lives, these drugs also prevent them from transmitting the virus to others once they reach an undetectable viral load. But in many communities, people living with undetectable HIV statuses still face stigma that marginalizes them as “dirty” and unsafe to have sex with. Here’s how the science disproves that.

To understand why someone who is HIV positive but whose infection is undetectable can’t transmit HIV to a sexual partner, it’s vital to understand both how the virus itself infects the body and how medications work to combat it. Left unchecked, the HIV virus hijacks CD4 immune cells, a type of white blood cell responsible for fighting off infections, to make more copies of itself. As their viral load (number of virus copies per milliliter of blood) skyrockets, an afflicted person’s number of CD4 cells plummets, leaving them vulnerable to opportunistic infections. Once the CD4 count dips below 200, HIV has caused AIDS.

The first antiretroviral drug used to treat HIV was called AZT. Originally developed in the 1960s as a cancer treatment, AZT interfered with DNA replication in a person’s HIV-infected, CD4 immune cells to prevent the virus from taking over their immune system. But it was also incredibly toxic, causing anemia, nausea, insomnia, and weakened immune systems in many patients. Over the past few decades, researchers have developed antiretrovirals that are far more effective and less damaging, says Christopher Hall, vice president of medical affairs for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

“The evolution has been to a pill that is extremely well-tolerated, taken only once a day,” Hall says. “That’s just an incredible development.”

ART medication gives the cells a hand in combating HIV, which prevents it from replicating. A patient’s viral load then begins to decline while their CD4 count returns to normal. Originally, scientists thought that no matter how low their viral load was or how healthy they were, someone living with HIV could still give the virus to a sexual partner. But by 2000, studies began showing that below a certain threshold, that risk was incredibly rare.

While each person diagnosed with HIV has their own treatment timeline, almost all providers will have their patients begin taking ART medication as soon as they’re diagnosed. Hall says that’s a shift from how things used to be: Doctors would wait to determine whether their patients were ready and able to take the drugs (the original meds needed to be taken up to four times a day and caused a slew of side effects).

Because modern-day ART medications have so few drawbacks, a patient can start treatment right after their diagnosis and immediately see their viral load drop. Hall says that’s also important for combating the stigma that HIV is a death sentence, because at this point, it isn’t.

“We want to say, ‘Hey, you can get on top of this right away. This is going to be easy for you to manage, relatively speaking. We’re going to help you,’” Hall says.

Depending on the patient’s condition, they’ll return to the doctor after about a month to discuss how they’re tolerating the medication. The provider will run tests on their kidney and liver function and check for anemia. They’ll also run a viral load test, which scans for any genetic material associated with HIV in the bloodstream to determine the number of virus copies per milliliter of blood. Once the medication has done its work and that number reaches 200 copies per milliliter (usually after about 6 months), a person is considered undetectable.

But why do doctors say “undetectable” if the virus can still be detected by the test? Hall says that’s a function of how specific viral load tests have become over the years. When a test that can only measure as low as 200 copies per milliliter arrives at that result, it’s likely that the patient could have an even lower viral load than that. But because the test can’t measure anything lower than 200, they’re deemed undetectable.

Viral load tests get more specific by the day: Hall says some are still in the works that can get as precise as 1 to 5 copies per milliliter range. The tests he uses in his clinic can see down to 20 copies per milliliter, but he says that doesn’t mean his undetectable patients are more undetectable than those who’ve used the 200 copies per milliliter test.

“There’s some nuances to it,” Hall says.

Two hundred is still the golden number for people living with HIV, because that’s the most specific test that was used in the studies that proved an undetectable person can’t transmit the virus. Hall says below that point, an HIV-negative person with a healthy immune system can easily fight off a couple hundred viruses as opposed to the millions contained in a milliliter of blood from a newly diagnosed person. Our skin and mucous membranes do an excellent job protecting us from invaders, even HIV.

“HIV is inefficient enough that, when present in low numbers, infection can be avoided,” Hall says.

Dave Watt, outreach manager for the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS, fields all kinds of conspiracy-like questions from folks who are uninformed about HIV, down to whether or not mosquitoes can transmit the virus (they can’t, he says, otherwise everybody would have HIV by now). Over a decade ago, he founded the Friendly campaign, which aims to counteract the fear-based messaging that often surrounds the virus. Even after the CDC formally endorsed the “U=U” campaign (which asserts that undetectable HIV is untransmittable) in 2017, Watt says it can be tough to help people understand that medical truth.

“While science can’t say it’s impossible, that’s just not how science works,” Watt says. “We used to say ‘low risk’ or ‘minimal risk.’ And now the studies have shown that there really is no risk.”

In 2016, the groundbreaking PARTNER study, a large, international research initiative that studied 900 serodiscordant couples (i.e. one partner had an undetectable viral load and the other tested negative for HIV), found that even after multiple years of condomless sex, not one person transmitted the virus to their partner. A number of clinical studies have since verified this, and scientists say the risk of an undetectable person transmitting the virus to their HIV-negative partner is effectively zero.

ART can’t cure HIV—with today’s treatment options, an undetectable person will always test “positive” for the virus. And during the antiretroviral onslaught, the virus will retreat into “sanctuary” areas like the rectum or cervix, allowing it to begin replicating again if the person stops taking the drugs. The ART drugs can’t access those “sanctuary” areas very well, so they can’t eliminate every last virus left. But, when taken diligently, the meds keep HIV so well at bay that, effectively, they may have the potential to end the epidemic without scientists finding a definitive cure.

The concept of treatment as prevention (TasP) emphasizes the importance of immediately treating anyone diagnosed with HIV in order to get them to undetectable status as quickly as possible. Once they become undetectable and continue taking the medications, they’ll be unable to transmit the virus any further. If everyone living with HIV gains access to these lifesaving drugs, they can stop the disease in its tracks. But even when communities do have the resources, fear can stop them from seeking treatment.

Hall says when people fear the consequences of getting HIV and don’t realize that it’s no longer a death sentence, they’re less likely to get tested in the first place. This delay makes their conditions more difficult to treat because the virus has had a longer amount of time to take hold on their immune systems. But telling people that, at the end of the treatment, their risk of infecting others is essentially nonexistent can be a powerful tool in lifting that stigma.

Governments also have to catch up with the science. In the U.S., 29 states have laws that criminalize people living with HIV, whether it’s not disclosing their status to a sexual partner or being punished for physically transmitting the virus to their partners. Nine states have measures that enhance prison sentences for sex crimes when a person living with HIV is involved. In some cases, these sentences may be harsher than ones for murder.

Research shows that these laws don’t actually reduce virus transmission rates, and they can even discourage people from getting tested for HIV. States implemented most HIV laws during the height of the AIDS crisis, when a diagnosis was still a death sentence. But even with the proven advancements in treatment, the outdated legislation still haunts courts today. In 2015, Missouri resident Michael Johnson was sentenced to 30 years in prison for not disclosing his HIV-positive status to his sexual partners. He was just released from jail this summer after an appeals process.

“Stigma continues to be the greatest challenge in ending the epidemic,” Hall says.

Read more: popsci.com

https://infoforu.org/what-it-means-to-have-undetectable-hiv-and-why-you-need-to-know/

Best Social Media Management Workflows To Help Your Business

Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Pinterest—with so many viral social channels out there, it often gets tricky for brands/businesses to keep track of their social media calendar.

Social media is the front and centre of your marketing efforts. That means you should be able to know what’s going out on which social channel and when. For that to be the case, you are required to keep your social media workflow on track at all times.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that creating and publishing content, monitoring engagement, and tracking social media marketing success across various social channels can be a bit challenging. And as businesses scales, this challenge only gets worse.

Let’s put it this way — to be able to manage and run your social media marketing campaigns, you’re going to need a successful social media workflow, and you’re going to need it fast.

A social media management workflow is basically a well-defined system or a series of actions that you follow to efficiently schedule posts across different social media channels in a timely manner. Now, different brands, businesses, and teams have different social media workflows depending on industry, audience and objective.

Sounds complicated? Well, fortunately, there are social media workflows and templates that you could use to simplify and speed up the process. And that’s exactly what we are going to discuss here…

Mentioned below are some of the best social media marketing workflows you can implement in your marketing to help you improve your social media process in 2019…

Contents

Social Media Strategy Workflow Social Media Calendar Workflow Social Media Management Workflow Social Media Analytics Report Workflow Social Media Image Sizes Social Media Bio Workflow Social Media Audit Workflow Plan your social media posts.

Visually plan your posts. Drag and drop everywhere.

Create your first post Social Media Strategy Workflow

Whether you’re brainstorming on a new campaign or seeking ways to improve the current one, having a powerful social media strategy is a must.

Using a social media strategy template allows you to gain clarity over your social media goals, find your ideal customers and search for ways to better engage them, analyse your potential competition, evaluate your current social media presence, develop a thoughtful content strategy, and adjust the strategy as needed.

Head to our Guide To Social Media Marketing for 2019 for a break down of the steps! Once you have the right strategy that works for your business, you can formulate it into a template that can be easily adapted.

Social Media Calendar Workflow

Source

A social media calendar is where you organize each of your social media posts by channel, date, and time, and is crucial to your social media marketing toolkit.

If you’re constantly juggling with too many social channels, using a social media calendar template will help you better plan and schedule the posts or content you’re sharing. Plus, you can create a separate calendar or each channel/project without any hassle.

Use Hopper HQ as a social content calendar and see exactly what is going out when!

Social Media Management Workflow

Once you’ve created your strategy and organized social post calendar as needed—it’s time to get everyone in action.

You need to assign tasks to individuals/groups, give them the information they need, and keep an eye on how things are progressing in real-time. This is where Kanban boards and social media management workflows come into the picture.

They help you keep everything on track. There are work management software and apps that allow you to create custom workflows or use an existing template to organize your various social media tasks, assign them to others, collaborate on them, attach files in them, and view them moving (or progressing) through various stages.

Social Media Analytics Report

The social media analytics report template is the key to measuring the value of your marketing efforts. This is what helps you keep a tab on how your different social media channels are performing.

The template allows you to record and save social media metrics for every network, and include details like gained/lost followers, total engagement, total shares, total views, total sign-ups, and so on.

So these were the four major templates and workflows that every social media marketer should know about. Next, we’ve some bonus templates for social media that will save you hours.

Plan & schedule social media ahead of time.

Video, gallery, image & text only posts

Calendar, feed & grid preview

Instagram, Facebook & Twitter

START PLANNING YOUR POSTS NOW Social Media Image Sizes

Having all social media image sizes saved somewhere handy will save marketing teams a lot of time. Content is an important part of digital marketing. But you can’t just publish a 1000-words blog post and expect it to go viral—unless you know how to keep it interesting.

Images, GIFS, memes, videos, etc are a great way to make the content look more engaging and grabbing the audience’s attention (on any platform). “Social media image size” is your quick reference resource to check what image dimensions and specs to use for every network.

Check out the correct image dimensions for Instagram!

Social Media Bios Template

Source

A key part of a social media marketing is to create and maintain a social identity. Your profile picture, your profile’s bio, and even your favorite literature genre and hobbies—every teeny tiny detail in your profile plays an important role in the first impression you make on your target audience.

Now, a social media bios template is what helps you ensure that you have covered up all your bases and effortlessly created a profile that reflects your brand’s voice. Here’s what it includes:

Who you are Where you work What you do Why should people connect with you How to get in touch with you

Check out this guid for some tips to writing good Instagram bios!

Social Media Audit

A social media audit is the type of template that shows you a clearer picture of what is and isn’t working in your current social media strategy (and what you can do next). Such templates are considered quite useful in keeping new opportunities in check and getting the most out of your social media management resources while achieving higher audience engagement.

Within this audit you can look at all the analytics from your campaigns, assess follower number and engagement rate across all networks, and use the learnings to inform your future social media activity!

Try this out and you can make a custom template based on your business’ objectives for social media.

Explore the data behind your Instagram account.

Find the best time to post on Instagram

Track your follower growth overtime

Understand your post engagement

TRY INSTAGRAM ANALYTICS NOW

Do you want to take your social media marketing to the next level? Then keep these templates and workflows in your consideration. Also, if you have a social media marketing suggestion, share it with us in the comments below!

Guest Author: Vartika Kashyap

Vartika is the Marketing Manager at ProofHub and has been one of the LinkedIn Top Voices in 2018. Her articles are inspired by office situations and work-related events. She likes to write about productivity, team building, work culture, leadership, entrepreneurship among others and contributing to a better workplace is what makes her click.

The post Best Social Media Management Workflows To Help Your Business appeared first on Hopper HQ Instagram Scheduler.

Read more: hopperhq.com

https://infoforu.org/best-social-media-management-workflows-to-help-your-business/

83-Year-Old ‘Tinder Granny’ Ready to Settle Down After Decades of One-Night Stands

Tinder is often used to show to darkest and saddest aspects of humanity, and one profile has recently gone viral for all the wrong reasons. A man's account lists the "rules" women have to follow in order to date him, and the internet is flabbergasted.

Read more: twentytwowords.com

https://infoforu.org/83-year-old-tinder-granny-ready-to-settle-down-after-decades-of-one-night-stands/

New York Wants To Outlaw ‘Virginity Tests’ After T.I.’s Comments About His Daughter

New York legislators want to ban “virginity tests” altogether after T.I.’s comments about taking his daughter to have her “hymen checked”

Remember earlier this month when rapper T.I. said that he takes his 18-year-old daughter Deyjah to the gyno every year to have her “hymen checked?” Yeah, you probably remember it, because you likely lost your mind that day. After T.I.’s medieval treatment of his daughter went viral, New York State legislators took notice and have put the wheels in motion to outlaw “virginity tests” by gynecologists across the state of New York.

A so-called “purity exam” or “virginity test” involves a doctor checking to see if a woman’s hymen is still intact, which is supposed to indicate virginity. This is problematic for a number of reasons including the facts that 1) virginity is a social construct 2) there is no medical necessity to check one’s hymen and 3) the hymen can tear for a number of reasons besides sex. Although ethicists already caution doctors against doing said “exam,” a few New York State legislators want to outlaw the practice altogether.

The New York Senate bill, S6879 (sponsored by several New York state senators and assembly members) asks that we “forbid the performance of a hymen exam on women as a means to ascertain whether a woman is a virgin” on the basis that “the term ‘virginity’ is not a medical or scientific term. Rather, the concept of ‘virginity’ is a social, cultural and religious construct — one that reflects gender discrimination against women and girls.”

If the bill is passed, any doctor that performs a hymen exam would be charged with professional misconduct and possibly even sexual assault charges. If New York state succeeds in outlawing this barbaric practice, the rest of the country could follow suit.

Some people think you can tell if someone’s had sex before if their hymen is stretched open. But that’s not the case. Say it with us: YOUCAN’TTELLIFSOMEONE’SHADSEXBYTHEWAYTHEIRHYMENLOOKSORFEELS

— Planned Parenthood (@PPFA) November 6, 2019

T.I. broadcast his daughter’s annual gyno visit on the podcast Ladies Like Us where he said that he personally drove his 18-year-old daughter to the gynecologist the day after her birthday for the so-called “exam.”

“And so then come and say, ‘Well, I just want you to know that there are other ways besides sex that the hymen can be broken like bike riding, athletics, horseback riding, and just other forms of athletic physical activity,’” T.I. said in the interview. “So I say, ‘Look, Doc, she don’t ride no horses, she don’t ride no bike, she don’t play no sports. Just check the hymen, please, and give me back my results expeditiously.’”

“I will say, as of her 18th birthday, her hymen is still intact,” he added.

View this post on Instagram

Rapper, actor, and producer, #TI and his wife, #Tiny took a seat at the table to have an open conversation on the current controversy surrounding statements that T.I. has recently made. Join us for this eye-opening discussion now on Facebook Watch. (Link in bio) #RedTableTalk

A post shared by Red Table Talk (@redtabletalk) on Nov 25, 2019 at 9:34am PST

T.I. was given a chance to explain his behavior on Jada Pinkett-Smith’s Red Table Talk and instead he claimed that the internet took his story too “literal,” that he was just trying to “protect” her, that a pregnant teenage daughter is worse than one of his son’s getting someone else pregnant, and that he joked about taking Deyjah on her 18th birthday because he stopped taking her for her yearly hymen checks when she was 16. Uh, okay?

As for T.I.’s daughter Deyjah? Well, she unfollowed him on social media.

The post New York Wants To Outlaw ‘Virginity Tests’ After T.I.’s Comments About His Daughter appeared first on Scary Mommy.

Read more: scarymommy.com

https://infoforu.org/new-york-wants-to-outlaw-virginity-tests-after-t-i-s-comments-about-his-daughter/

“Call Me a F*g One More Time”: Bullied Teen’s Slap Goes Viral

"Don't let one word define who you are."

Read more: newnownext.com

https://infoforu.org/call-me-a-fg-one-more-time-bullied-teens-slap-goes-viral/

Pete Buttigieg eating cinnamon roll 'like a chicken wing' draws ridicule online

A photograph of Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg eating a cinnamon roll has gone viral on Twitter.

Read more: foxnews.com

https://infoforu.org/pete-buttigieg-eating-cinnamon-roll-like-a-chicken-wing-draws-ridicule-online/

The Quilting Community Really Stepped Up to This Call for Help With a Massive Embroidery Project

The internet isn’t always an uplifting place, but sometimes, something happens that reaffirms your belief in the goodness of humanity. For Twitter user Shannon Downey, that seems to be exactly what went down after she sent out a call for help completing an unfinished quilting project that she came across at an estate sale.

In a Twitter thread that has gone viral since she posted it on Wednesday, Downey explains how she discovered a box full of yet-to-be embroidered fabric squares in the bedroom of a home that had been owned by a recently deceased 99-year-old woman named Rita and just knew that she had to finish what Rita had started.

“I knew I had to buy it and finish it but it was a massive f—ing undertaking and while I embroider, I don’t quilt,” she wrote. “I bought it for $6.”

Instead of tackling the project on her own, Downey decided to reach out to her Instagram followers for help; the response was instant and overwhelming. “In one day, I had over 1,000 volunteers!!! Because people are amazing,” she wrote. “There are 100 individual hexagons to be embroidered to make the quilt…”

Downey went on to say that while her stitchers were still busy embroidering — using a quilt Rita had already completed as a style guide — she already had 30 quilters ready to handle the quilting phase.

“The packages are arriving to my stitchers and they are furiously stitching their hexies,” she wrote. “We are using the completed map that I bought (that we can reasonably assume was made by Rita) to try to mirror her stitching techniques and style!”

See the full thread below.

A story… (in proper thread form)

I go estate sale shopping regularly and whenever I find an unfinished embroidery project I buy it and finish it bc there’s no way that soul is resting with an unfinished project left behind. One day I found this stunner for $5. The I walked pic.twitter.com/2zIzTsRuSI

— Shannon “Badass Cross Stitch” Downey (@ShannonDowney) October 23, 2019

it was a massive fucking undertaking and While I embroider, I don’t quilt. I bought it for $6. I took the address of the home and did a little research and learned that the owner was named Rita and it seems she died at 99. That woman STARTED a massive quilting project at 99… pic.twitter.com/Hc66js9aNh

— Shannon “Badass Cross Stitch” Downey (@ShannonDowney) October 23, 2019

I made a massive spreadsheet and collected mailing addresses. I started preparing the squares to ship out to my new team. As I did, I discover Rita had stitched 2 of the states already! What a grand surprise. I’m not saying I cried but I’m not saying I didn’t. pic.twitter.com/YfkzPZ25NO

— Shannon “Badass Cross Stitch” Downey (@ShannonDowney) October 23, 2019

As the stitchers waiting for them to arrive, some folks started doing research on Rita. They are excellent researchers. Found her husband, maiden name, that she was a Canadian immigrant, became a nurse and look – they found her high school yearbook photo! pic.twitter.com/XSxbSuYFvI

— Shannon “Badass Cross Stitch” Downey (@ShannonDowney) October 23, 2019

We’ve got over 30 Chicago quilters lines up to handle the quilting phase of the project once we get all of the hand-stitched hexies back. Humans are amazing. Community can be built anywhere. You can follow along on Instagram —-> #RitasQuilt

— Shannon “Badass Cross Stitch” Downey (@ShannonDowney) October 23, 2019

 

Read more: time.com

https://infoforu.org/the-quilting-community-really-stepped-up-to-this-call-for-help-with-a-massive-embroidery-project/

The Duo Behind AOC’s Viral Campaign Ad Is Building a ‘Corporation-Free’ Streaming Service

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's rise was a swift one. And a lot of that was thanks to her advertising. A campaign video--dubbed "The Courage to Change"--showed AOC getting ready in the morning in her New York apartment, then commuting on the subway and speaking with New Yorkers. In the video, she laid out her beliefs: Medicare for...

Read more: adweek.com

https://infoforu.org/the-duo-behind-aocs-viral-campaign-ad-is-building-a-corporation-free-streaming-service/

38+ Best Get well soon Messages for Colleagues

One of the funny things about being a human is we all tend to fall sick or go through some physically recovering process every now and then. It not only provides us with a reality check about our health but also changes us the way we tackle sickness or any other physically related problems.

Although the process of recovery is very personal yet it never hurts to receive some caring and get well soon messages. So when a coworker or a colleague has fallen ill, it is best to lift their spirits up with a thoughtful message because this is the person with whom we spend 8 hours a day. 

Below is a list of get well soon messages that you can use to let your colleagues know that you are there for them-

_Dear (Colleague name), I hope you are feeling better and not weak as your were before. We all miss your gleeful presence at the office. May you get well soon quicker than ever.

_I want you know that no one has been more dearest to me than you in this office as you are my true great friend here. Wish you a speedy recovery so that I can see you again.

_If it takes you to stay at home and rest more then you should do it because I can’t afford any more delays on your recovery. May you get well soon at the earliest.

_It is absolutely normal for me to feel glum as my most favorite colleague is overcoming from certain health issues. I wish there was any secret pill that could get you back here. Get well soon, Friend.

_On the occasion of a gloomy Monday, I am here to beg you to get well soon as my office days are getting more boring and insufferable without you. Please get well quick and come back.

_Dear (Name), you have been away sick for a week now and I thought I would get you a get well soon card but there wasn’t any card that conveyed how much I have missed you at work.

_Do you know that Jim asked Pam out and our boss is getting a new copier for the office? There has been so much happening and I wish you were here. So get well soon, my friend.

_Dear (Name), you were the first one who voluntarily helped me out on my first day at the company and we instantly became good friends. So I need that friend to get well soon as soon as possible.

_I don’t care if you have to go to the doctor twice a day for a speedy recovery because we all are getting a bit impatient to not having to see you at work every day. May you join work from tomorrow itself.

_There are 44 colleagues of mine with whom I work for hours yet the office feels empty without your energetic presence. May you feel fit enough to come back at work directly from the hospital.

_Dear (name), I am so sorry to hear about your recent accident. I hope you know that it shook everyone at the office. We all wish you a speedy physical as well as mental recovery.

_I thought the flu wasn’t as viral as last year yet it got to my favorite colleague. So I want you take good care for yourself as I can’t wait to see you again at the office being all fit.

_While everyone is worried about the numbers taking a hit without your presence, I am worried about your health and happiness. Wish you a strong recovery, my friend.

_Although I don’t miss the daily messing around with you but I do miss the work torture that we used to share together. So please get well soon as I will eventually fall sick from all the loneliness.

_Dear (NAME), I hope you know we aren’t terribly missing you at the office because we mostly talk about how your absence from work has affected us all. Anyway, Get well soon or whatever.

_It’s not like that I hate my job right now but with you not in the picture has certainly been a hellish week for me. I am keeping my fingers crossed for your speedy recovery as I wish to see you soon.

_Theories says that a congenial working atmosphere consists of good office infrastructure and open dialogue. But for me, only your presence was enough. Get well soon, my dear friend and colleague.

_The truth is, you have many people who can help you in coping up with your sickness at home. As for me, I am coping with your absence at work all alone. So I request you to get well fast.

_Dear (Name), I hope this recent accident didn’t take a much toll on your mental health. You better cheer up because we will see you very soon. Till then, wish you a speedy recovery.

_My dearest colleague, it hurts to hear about your illness but then again it is a part of life we all have to go through. I hope you recover well and join us as soon as possible.

_The work here is tiring me my friend, and I don’t have my favorite colleague with whom I can bust some stress. May you go through a speedy recovery and help me out a here a bit.

_Dear (Name), I hope you know that we are having a shortage of some serious motivation, encouragement and inspiration because you aren’t here. Hope to see you back in the swing very soon.

_I am grateful that I have you as my colleague and a friend but I am not that grateful to that knee surgery of yours. Please get well soon fast enough because I miss you.

_I know this is a very tough time for you because recovering from a fracture is not a small deal. So, don’t put much stress on your body and come back with good health. Get well soon.

_As a friend and as a colleague of yours, I have caught every bit of your little excuses to stay at home but I think it’s serious this time. So take your time but do get well soon.

_Do you know what happens when your most valuable player is not in the team? So get well fast because we are falling behind without our number one.

_Even though you are the one who is ill, the whole office is feeling lethargic and tired without your presence. So for the sake of everyone, I wish you to get well soon.

The post 38+ Best Get well soon Messages for Colleagues appeared first on TheBrandBoy | Creative Small Business Blog with Free Resources.

Read more: thebrandboy.com

https://infoforu.org/38-best-get-well-soon-messages-for-colleagues/

Ghosts of Marketing Past: Ecommerce Inspiration to Get You in the Holiday Spirit

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Especially for direct-to-consumer and ecommerce businesses. Holiday shoppers are expected to spend nearly $150 billion dollars online this year. That’s up about 18% over last year.

How much of that holiday cheer will shoppers spread in your online store?

Well, there are over one million ecommerce stores asking the same question. So if you want a slice of that gift-buying pie, it’s time to start planning your holiday marketing strategy.

To inspire your strategy session, I’ve pulled together a lookbook of effective holiday emails, social media ads, and landing pages from online retailers. These ghosts of holiday marketing past reveal a solid list of ideas you can use to crush this season’s sales.

Here’s a quick list of those ideas for easy reference. You might want to check it twice.

Use shipping deadlines to create a sense of urgency. Send teaser emails to hint at upcoming discounts and promotions. Send a non-promotional holiday card. Create gift guides with product bundles to increase add-on sales. Proudly share how you give back to charity. Encourage larger order values with progressive discounts. Promote gift cards at the end of the season to attract last-minute shoppers. Consider offering a free gift instead of a discount. Create a shareable holiday hashtag. Use a contest to source user-generated content. Create a virtual personal shopper campaign on Twitter. Make your emails jolly and bright (and timely and relevant)

You’ve spent all year growing and cultivating an engaged subscriber list. You’ve earned their attention. Now’s the time to capture their interest.

(Oh, you haven’t built an engaged subscriber list? That’s okay! Here’s how to get started.)

But what to send?

Here’s how five successful ecommerce brands are converting loyal email subscribers to holiday buyers.

1. Lucky Brand: Shipping with a sense of urgency

A sense of urgency and the fear of missing out (FOMO) are powerful motivators to take action.

This email from Lucky Brand creates that sense of urgency and uses a real deadline to do it. From the subject line to every bit of body copy, there’s no question where the motivation in this email comes from. You want to get your package by Christmas Eve? Well, this is your last shot!

This tactic is really easy to duplicate. In fact, you can schedule an automated email for each shipping deadline: the last day for free shipping, the last day for overnight shipping, and so on.

2. Moosejaw: Give subscribers exclusive discounts

When you invite someone to join your email list, you’re inviting them to be part of your tribe. Sending them a discount code is an effective way to remind them why they joined. It’s a great way to say, “You’re part of our club, and there’s value in that.”

Outdoor goods retailer Moosejaw is amazing at this type of brand building. Not only have they offered a valuable coupon code in this email, but they also do it with their signature brand of humor that their subscribers know and love.

3. LOWA Boots: Holiday card

Increasingly, people want brands to go beyond transactions and build relationships with them.

LOWA Boots not only sent a holiday card to their subscribers, but they personalized it with the signatures of their employees. It’s a low-cost, high-impact way to show your best customers that you’re interested in moving beyond just the transactional relationship.

4. Barebones: Use gift guides to maximize sales

Finding the perfect gift is often a challenge for shoppers. And increasing add-on sales is often a challenge for online store owners.

The gift guides from Barebones tackle both challenges at once. By curating and bundling products specifically for a particular person or experience, the outdoor brand has made it easy for shoppers to find the perfect gift. Meanwhile, this helps Barebones increase their add-on sales and average order value over the holidays.

5. Leesa: Show your impact

Shoppers have shown that they want to be associated with brands that give back. That desire has helped make Giving Tuesday the largest giving trend in the world.

Mattress maker Leesa is a brand on a mission to comfort and support to our most vulnerable communities. Their 2018 Giving Tuesday email shows exactly how they’re doing it.

How does your company give back? Don’t be bashful. Share how a purchase can help others. It’s a great story to go along with the gift.

Deck your landing pages for lots of sales

Your landing pages are the doors to your online store. It should have a friendly greeter, an attractive and on-brand design, and a clear message. And this will mean something different during the holidays than it does the rest of the year.

Here’s how five popular ecommerce and DTC brands used their homepages and other landing pages during the holiday season last year.

1. Osprey: All-in on gift guides

Osprey sells packs that help cyclists, backpackers, snow skiers, travelers, and hikers enjoy their adventures. For holiday shoppers who might not be as familiar with these activities, finding the right product for a loved one can be daunting.

Osprey removed that friction by including a series of holiday gift guides right on their homepage.

Remember that holiday shoppers may be different than your core audience. If you sell technical or performance products, perusing your site could be confusing for gift-givers. Think of your homepage and advertising landing pages as guides for the less-educated buyer.

2. Bonobos: The progressive discount

Last year, men’s clothing brand Bonobos offered a progressive discount that increased as you bought more. They featured this sale front and center on their website.

If your margins allow for it, this can be an effective strategy to increase your average order value.

I also love the clean and unfussy design. There is nothing to distract you from what matters: the discount.

3. Campman: Stay true to your community

Campman.com has some pretty big competitors in the world of outdoor gear retailers. But that hasn’t stopped them from being successful by curating niche products other stores don’t sell and building a brand that’s authentic to those communities.

In 2018, their holiday landing page stayed true to those communities. Not everyone understands that “dirt bag” can be a term of respect and endearment — but Campman’s audience sure does.

While their gift guide was helpful to gift-givers, the branding and messaging were all about the user.

4. TRNK: Keep it simple

The brilliance of TRNK’s holiday landing page is what’s not there. The large whitespace makes their simple Black Friday discount copy an easy focal point.

No matter whether your brand is silly or sophisticated, nothing should get in the way of your most important message — especially during holiday crunch time.

5. Allbirds: Branding > discounts

Do you notice what’s not on this landing page? A discount. Even in a competitive space like casual footwear, Allbirds bets on their value proposition as “the most comfortable shoes in the world” to avoid margin-crushing discounts.

And I love the way they worked that value proposition into fun, holiday-themed copy. It’s punny, on-brand, and quickly catches visitors’ attention.

Add some seasonal joy to your social media ads

There’s plenty of buying intent during the holidays. This can lead some ecommerce businesses to go all-in on search ads.

But people don’t stop spending time on social media over the holidays. In fact, social media has become an important platform for shoppers to get gift inspiration. Plus, it’s where many people go to catch up with loved ones and manage holiday party invitations.

Meaning, your audience is on social media during the holidays. And you should be too.

I wanted to find out how the best ecommerce and DTC businesses are using social media ads during the winter holidays, so I reviewed nearly 100 articles on the topic and curated my five favorite examples.

1. Warby Parker: Free gifts

Source: Wishpond

There are two great things about this Facebook ad from DTC powerhouse Warby Parker. First, gift cards can solve last-minute shopping anxiety. An ad featuring your gift card, especially one promoted toward the end of the buying season, can be extremely helpful to any procrastinators in your audience.

Second, the offer of a free gift with purchase is a nice alternative to a discount. The shopper can either gift the extra item, or they can keep it as a gift to themselves.

2. REI: Holiday hashtags

Source: Hubspot

It’s apparently impossible to publish an article about holiday advertising without mentioning REI. Some version of the Opt Outside campaign was included in almost every piece I reviewed.

But there’s a great reason for it. Closing their stores on Black Friday, the most highly publicized shopping day of the year, has garnered the outdoor retailer an incredible amount of brand trust and earned media.

The campaign’s hashtag, #OptOutside, has gone viral year after year, and it’s even been shared by organizations like the National Park Foundation. (But keep in mind that you should never create a hashtag just for the heck of it. Make sure it has a purpose that will get your audience posting.)

3. Barnes and Noble: Personal shopper on Twitter

Source: Tintup

I worked in retail for several years, and I loved being in the store during the holidays. It was such a great feeling when someone came in and said: “My daughter (son, partner, mail carrier) loves to hike (run, fish, crochet). What should I get them?” The joy they expressed when we found the perfect gift made the long days worthwhile.

This Twitter campaign from Barnes & Noble effectively recreated that personal shopper experience online. Shoppers could tweet #BNGiftTip and get personalized gift recommendations for their loved ones. Talk about personalizing the buying experience!

4. L.L. Bean: Shameless puppy plugs

Source: Jose Angelo Studios

Sure, cute animals are the ad world’s cheapest trick for getting attention. But absolutely no one is complaining.

L.L. Bean capitalizes on the prodigious power of the pooch picture every year with their 12 Days of Puppies campaign. There are no mentions of discounts, last-minute shopping, or missing shipping deadlines. It’s a much-needed break for harried holiday shoppers.

They’ve also turned it into a contest, asking people to tag pictures of their dogs to be included in the campaign. Speaking of contests…

5. Lush Cosmetics: Holiday contest

Source: Shortstack

The brilliance of this contest from Lush Cosmetics is that it works on so many levels.

First, it was an interesting way to get people sharing Lush’s brand via Instagram.

Second, it’s a promotion for their bath bombs, a great stocking stuffer gift.

Third, the prize is a visit to the Lush factory — inviting more opportunities for shareable content later on.

And fourth, it’s a creative way to fold the Christmas season into their brand.

The holidays are both an amazing and stressful time for ecommerce and DTC retailers. When it comes to holiday marketing, we could all use a little inspiration.

Read more: feedproxy.google.com

https://infoforu.org/ghosts-of-marketing-past-ecommerce-inspiration-to-get-you-in-the-holiday-spirit/

Dad fails to notice Cheez-It planted on wall by daughter for 4 years

A Twitter user documented her four-year-long experiment of having a Cheez-It planted on a wall in her house to see if her dad ever took notice. Her experiment came to an end on Oct. 6, a day now memorialized in Sara Smith’s Twitter bio.

“rip cheezit. 11/26/2015-10/06/19,” her bio now reads. So what happened? Let’s start at the beginning.

In 2015, Smith pinned a Cheez-It on the wall after being inspired by another Twitter user who did the same thing with a chip. The other user’s dad was seemingly more acute because he noticed the chip within weeks.

Smith tweeted that it had been a few hours, then a few weeks, and then a few months of her dad not noticing his new, crispy cheddar home decor. “Stay tuned to see how long it takes him to notice (it’ll be a long time),” Smith very correctly stated.

so far it's been a few hours. stay tuned to see how long it takes him to notice (it'll be a long time)

— ♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ✧𝒮･ﾟﾟ✧｡♡ (@_sarasmithhh) November 27, 2015

@sarasmithh97 day 10 and it is still there, stay tuned to see how much longer it will take my dad to notice it pic.twitter.com/YsdxTS6TlB

— ♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ✧𝒮･ﾟﾟ✧｡♡ (@_sarasmithhh) December 7, 2015

@sarasmithh97 day 55, I just got home from being in Texas for 2 weeks yet dad still hasn't noticed it pic.twitter.com/6GgIJ7yrMr

— ♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ✧𝒮･ﾟﾟ✧｡♡ (@_sarasmithhh) January 20, 2016

On day 122, Smith announced that her father rearranged the furniture and obstructed the view to the Cheez-It with a bookcase, prompting Smith to find a new home for it. Somehow, despite moving the bookcase right in front of it, Smith’s father was still unaware of its presence.

@sarasmithh97 idk what day it is im too lazy to figure it out rn but just know its still there my dad hasn't seen it pic.twitter.com/S9MfsN0Kao

— ♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ✧𝒮･ﾟﾟ✧｡♡ (@_sarasmithhh) February 11, 2016

day 122, dad rearranged furniture and moved a bookshelf in front of the cheez it so it had to be moved a few feet pic.twitter.com/wbYLayT8w9

— ♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ✧𝒮･ﾟﾟ✧｡♡ (@_sarasmithhh) April 3, 2016

Smith then announced that she would be leaving for six months and created a poll on Twitter. “Should I tell him about it now, or leave it he won’t notice?” she questioned. Users overwhelmingly voted for Smith to leave the Cheez-It in its seemingly permanent home.

I fucking forgot that I'm about to leave for like 6 months and my dad still hasn't found the cheezit SOS!!!! should I:

— ♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ✧𝒮･ﾟﾟ✧｡♡ (@_sarasmithhh) December 13, 2016

The next update came on day 563 into the experiment, when Smith assured avid followers that she makes sure to replace the Cheez-It every so often because “they get gross and need to be replaced.” She was on Cheez-It number three at the time.

bet y'all forgot about this thing cause i sure did!! day 563!! (except this is actually cheezit #3 bc they get gross & need to be replaced) pic.twitter.com/gDlnozHC6R

— ♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ✧𝒮･ﾟﾟ✧｡♡ (@_sarasmithhh) June 11, 2017

Two years later, Smith announced that she had moved out of the house–but not to fret, because her stepmother was in on the Cheez-It stint and was keeping her updated.

this was a conversation with my stepmom on thanksgiving pic.twitter.com/ofD05Z3CVy

— ♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ✧𝒮･ﾟﾟ✧｡♡ (@_sarasmithhh) November 26, 2017

Eventually, Smith was practically begging her father to see the Cheez-It. She even gave him a box of Cheez-Its for Christmas as a gag gift. “Day 750. im kind of getting tired of this, i thought he’d notice much sooner. i honestly might put another one somewhere,” Smith tweeted.

i’m giving my dad a box of cheezits as a gag christmas gift since he still has not found the one on the wall pic.twitter.com/FBbtZTS2NF

— ♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ✧𝒮･ﾟﾟ✧｡♡ (@_sarasmithhh) December 23, 2017

Obviously the gift went over his head.

update: dad was very confused. merry cheezmas :)) pic.twitter.com/RiYNyrvKhI

— ♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ✧𝒮･ﾟﾟ✧｡♡ (@_sarasmithhh) December 25, 2017

On year three, Smith posted a video of her dad with a notable feature from Mr. Cheez-It III.

you’d think that a cheezit stuck to the green wall above your pet’s tank would grab your attention, but alas..... it has been over 3 years pic.twitter.com/MHFOHlstn0

— ♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ✧𝒮･ﾟﾟ✧｡♡ (@_sarasmithhh) December 29, 2018

However, on year four, the gag was up, but not because her dad noticed the Cheez-It. Smith’s brother-in-law spoiled the fun and told her dad. “He’s not going to be punished! lol the internet is harassing him enough,” Smith told the Daily Dot of her brother-in-law.

it is with sadness that i must announce that the gag is up. after 1,410 days - almost 4 years - my brother in law spoiled it for us and mentioned it to my dad https://t.co/jVdFV48eZN

— ♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ✧𝒮･ﾟﾟ✧｡♡ (@_sarasmithhh) October 6, 2019

What a fucking narc https://t.co/NcHx1Qt2Ib

— sidknee (@sbroookz) October 7, 2019

So men really ain't shit https://t.co/csTppYru97

— Lord Nick (@le_nick92) October 7, 2019

“Thank you to everyone who’s supported the cheezit & i through the years, im sorry my naive family didn’t understand that when it rots you simply replace it. i’m just disappointed as you all are,” Smith wrote. “Also i’m SO mad that we will never know just how unobservant my dad is.”

also i’m SO mad that we will never know just how unobservant my dad is

— ♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ✧𝒮･ﾟﾟ✧｡♡ (@_sarasmithhh) October 6, 2019

But others assured her that four years was more than enough time to make an assessment on Smith’s observational skills–or lack thereof.

No trust me, 4 years says a whole lot

— King Peddie (@Peddiespice) October 7, 2019

i’d say 1,410 days is enough to conclude that your dads pretty damn unobservant

— timmy curry (@timmycurry_) October 7, 2019

Smith told the Daily Dot that she “did not expect this level of attention at all. It didn’t take off until just now when it ended. Until then, nothing had more than 100 likes, maybe.”

However, “everyone that has followed from the beginning is proud.”

Now, Smith’s Cheez-It challenge is inspiring others to take up the challenge, just like Smith was once inspired. “Issa cheezit challenge!!! lol keep ur eyes peeled it might be happening to u!!” Smith wrote.

i’m rlly sad that it’s the end of an era but it’s also funny to see everyone in my mentions talking about how they’re trying it :,) issa cheezit challenge!!! lol keep ur eyes peeled it might be happening to u!!

— ♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ✧𝒮･ﾟﾟ✧｡♡ (@_sarasmithhh) October 8, 2019

READ MORE:

Twitter users are posting photos of their lookalike parents for viral thread Dad surprises daughter with photo evidence that he once dated Salma Hayek Someone recreated the viral pizzadilla recipe—and says it’s just as gross as it looks

The post Dad fails to notice Cheez-It planted on wall by daughter for 4 years appeared first on The Daily Dot.

Read more: dailydot.com

https://infoforu.org/dad-fails-to-notice-cheez-it-planted-on-wall-by-daughter-for-4-years/

Church’s ‘1st Dance Guidelines’ For Girls Will Make Your Head Explode

A “First Dance Kit” has gone viral that tells girls to “never say ‘No’ to a guy who had the courage to walk over and ask you to dance”

A Facebook post advertising a so-called “First Dance Kit” that teaches girls damaging patriarchal “facts” like the importance of following the dress code so you don’t make boys “uncomfortable” and reads like something out of The Handmaid’s Tale, has gone viral. The handout is basically a primer in protecting the male ego and Ashlee Allen Feegan of Utah told Scary Mommy that her friend’s 14-year-old daughter received a copy of the “First Dance Kit” at her Mormon church’s youth group, which the mom then shared online in a Facebook group for former members of the Mormon Church.

When Feegan shared the handout online, she highlighted two sections, the first of which concerns the dance dress code and how important it is that girls police their own bodies so that no boy is “uncomfortable.”

“Don’t forget what the approved dress standards are when choosing your outfit,” it reads. “You don’t want the embarrassment of being asked to go home and change. And you don’t want the guy dancing with you to feel uncomfortable because of the questionable outfit that you somehow justified.”

How many school dress code policies must go viral before everyone gets on the same page about this? We are running out of ways to say “stop policing girls’ bodies and start teaching boys to respect girls’ bodies!” Why is this still hard for school and church leaders to understand?

The next section is listed in BOLD and will absolutely set you over the edge. The church tells girls to “never say ‘No’ to a guy who had the courage to walk over and ask you to dance in the first place.”

What the literal hell? There’s also another section about cautioning young girls from talking to their friends because this might deter a young boy from asking her to dance. Yes, it does take courage to ask a girl to dance, but this church needs to be less concerned with boys not getting any action at a dance and more concerned with teaching kids (especially boys) how to deal with rejection.

Facebook

There’s also a reminder to young girls to “paint your nails” and “wear a little lip gloss.” Oh, and to brush their teeth? WTF.

Feegan tells us that she was motivated to share the post on her Facebook page as a way to call out the “purity culture that resides within the LDS church.” As for the LDS church, there is nothing “pure” about a young woman who bends her will to accommodate the sexual whims of men. As one very wise commenter — who said she received a similar letter from the church when she was a girl — put it, “ is a form of grooming young women to never say no to men.”

Facebook

Fegan said the “dance kit” was created by a local blogger who apparently removed the handout from her blog after the backlash, though it’s unclear if the church still practices this damaging hetero-patriarchal ethos. For the sake of the young girls in their congregation, we sincerely hope not.

The post Church’s ‘1st Dance Guidelines’ For Girls Will Make Your Head Explode appeared first on Scary Mommy.

Read more: scarymommy.com

https://infoforu.org/churchs-1st-dance-guidelines-for-girls-will-make-your-head-explode/

Inside the Facebook Ads of Your Competitors: How to Research, What to Learn

If you’re looking for inspiration for your next great Facebook ad, then we’ve got you covered with this post!

We’re diving into the Facebook Ad Library to give you tips on how to research the ads of your competitors and how to find inspiration from some of the most creative and effective Facebook advertisers out there. We’ll share some specific tips on how to get meaningful Facebook ad results, and we’re hopeful you’ll leave with a list of ideas that you can test today.

Let me know if this resonates with you: Social media sometimes feel like more art than science. 

That’s a bit hard to admit since our Buffer podcast is called The Science of Social Media! 

But it’s true. There are strategies and tactics, especially on the brand side of things, that can be hard to measure and hard to quantify. Still, we want to do our best to give you the specifics on what works and why — and we have an especially cool way of doing that when it comes to Facebook ads.

The state of Facebook advertising

You’ve probably heard public perception shifting a little bit in recent months regarding Facebook. Despite this change, the advertising potential of Facebook remains huge. When we talk about Facebook, we’re really talking about Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Whatsapp — all the assorted properties that Facebook owns. This year, Facebook is nearing 2 billion users on its platforms — that’s nearly 1 in every 3 people over the age of 13 in the world. 

Moreso, Facebook ads still get clicks. According to stats as of April of this year, the average Facebook user clicks on 11 ads in 30 days.

Anecdotally, those click numbers sound great, though they have been better. Cost per click on Facebook is as high as 15 cents versus 12 cents a year ago, and clickthrough rate for brand ads was at 1.6 percent at the start of the year and is now closer to 1.1 percent.

So the takeaway here is that Facebook has a huge potential audience, people still click Facebook ads all the time, and the competition is strong for who gets those clicks. 

Now we can bring in the science!

Takeaway: Use Facebook Ad Library to see how other Pages are advertising

With this new tool, you can enter the name of any Facebook Page, and it will show you all the ads that the page has, both active and inactive.

The tool has a lot of features built around political and issue-based ads in order to provide transparency on who pays for what. Marketers can benefit from it, of course, by using the tool to do some research and gain inspiration from the brands that are doing great things with Instagram ads.For instance, if you pull up Airbnb on the Facebook Ads Library tool, you’ll see that they currently have over 930 ads running in the U.S. alone. Additionally, you can see that they’ve spent $58,000 on political or issue-based ads since May 2018. 

Fascinating stuff.

So we’ve put some time into using this tool to come up with some best practices for Facebook ads along with some research on the ‘net to see what other advice is out there. If you have any favorite ad examples you love, feel free to share with us on social media using the hashtag #bufferpodcast. We’d love to hear them. 

Tips for Facebook image ads

We’ve seen a couple of popular varieties of images in our Facebook Ads Library research. First, some successful brands use images that re-enforce the copy claims in the ad’s text and call-to-action. For instance, Lululemon’s ads for a ventilated shirt show a man exercising while wearing the shirt — and looking cool and ventilated while he does it.

Of course, it may not always be possible to come up with like-for-like images, especially if you don’t have a physical product. We find this a lot with our social ads at Buffer since we sell software. 

In that case, we’ve seen a lot of brands go for either an attractive image that catches attention while relating somewhat to the image copy — for instance, AirTable used a dog photo, which is always a winner. Or, if you can swing it, we’ve seen brands like Headspace have great success with illustrations and graphics. 

Vibrant imagery can be really effective on Facebook. If you’re making graphics, you can do this with color, like The Guardian has with its ads. They placed their weekly magazine on a bright yellow background for some ads. We’ll link to it in the show notes so you can see it. It’s striking!

Get an in-depth view of global issues with The Guardian’s essential weekly magazine. Subscribe today and get 6 issues for $6 with free worldwide delivery.

Posted by Guardian Weekly on Thursday, January 31, 2019

One way that seems to work well with testing which images could be ad-worthy is to use organic posts as a testing ground. A lot of our very best ads at Buffer have started as organic posts to our Page. We boost high-performing content — especially content that has high engagement rates — and we’re able to learn what type of visuals and copy resonate with the Facebook community. 

Tips for Facebook ad copywriting

With image ads — and every other type of Facebook ad, really — one of the most important elements after the visuals will be your call-to-action. What words will you use to convince someone to click or tap?

You’ll find a lot of great inspiration with copywriting, too, when you spend some time in Facebook Ads Library. Here are a few of our favorite discoveries.

You can point your call-to-action to a Facebook Event. This comes with a bunch of benefits: people get to stay on Facebook rather than leave to a new site, which may boost your click rate. Those who RSVP can act as a form of viral promotion since their “Yes” replies may send the event into their feed and surface the event on their friends’ feeds. And of course, in tying the even back to your Facebook page, you get the added bonus of extra exposure for your page itself, which will hopefully bring you some more follows.You can put social proof in your copy, sometimes even making the call-to-action as explicit as “See the reviews” or “1,000-plus Google Reviews.”And along with reviews, we’ve seen a lot of brands embracing the Instant Experience storefront, which allows people to stay on Facebook but still browse your products through an experience that you can customize. Instant Experiences can be used with almost all Facebook ad formats–Carousel, Single Image, Video, Slideshow and Collection. The one thing to keep in mind is that it’s mobile-only for now.Ultimately, the best calls-to-action we’ve seen written are those that take you to a page that matches the text in the call-to-action itself, creating a sense of continuity for the customer. Whenever possible, we highly recommend building a custom landing page experience that matches the messaging of your ad. Tips for Facebook video ads

Another popular type of Facebook ad is video. There are a couple of main tips we’ve noticed when it comes to video ads on Facebook.

First, brands create videos that can be effective with the sound turned off. Data shows that as much as 85 percent of Facebook videos are watched without sound, so it’s imperative that whatever video you use in your advertising that it can get its point across through visuals alone. You can do this purely by visuals — say, if you’re a clothing brand and want to show off your outfits, or if you’re a food or cooking product and can show your stuff at work in the kitchen. If you really do need words, though, there’s always captions. We’ve seen a lot of effective ads that go with captions to support the story of their ad.

Another common best practice is to use square video rather than landscape video. This is especially important when you consider the viewing experience across mobile and desktop — landscape videos just don’t work as well on phones. 

We ran a study about this and found that square video outperformed landscape video on every social media network in terms of video views, engagement, and completion rate.In some cases, square video resulted in 30-35% higher video views and an 80-100% increase in engagement.

If you happen to be running just a mobile ad, then you might consider a vertical format instead. Otherwise, we suggest keeping your videos square so that they work great everywhere.  

Tips for Facebook carousel ads and lead ads

Carousel ads are another neat way to tell a story with Facebook ads. 

One of the best ways we’ve seen this work is to visually tie the images together, either thematically  by choosing similar images or quite explicitly by cutting up a single image into multiple frames or using graphic design elements that carry over from one carousel image to the next.With carousel ads, you can apply many of the same techniques as with the image ads we discussed earlier: use images that relate to the copy, be vibrant, be engaging. 

That’s probably good advice for any visual you use on any of the different Facebook ad types. 

Take Lead Ads for instance.

In addition to the visual marketing tips, we’ve seen brands really make the most of this ad type by being smart about the way they set up the lead capture forms. Facebook will autofill certain types of information, which makes these lead forms as easy-as-can-be for the people signing up. Brands use this to their advantage by only asking for the essential information. We’ve seen some companies only ask for email addresses — say, if you’re wanting to send an e-book.For others, especially those with brick-and-mortar locations or regional events, we’ve seen simple forms with email, city, and country. 

As you’re scrolling through Facebook Ads Library, one thing you’re likely to notice is that many of the ads show text that says the ad you’re looking at has multiple versions. 

Tool: Dynamic creative ads

This Facebook ads feature will automatically optimize and deliver the highest-performing combinations of visuals and copy. You simply give Facebook a bunch of options to choose from, and Facebook will serve variations across its ad network until it finds the best-performing combinations. These combos then get served more widely as the winning ads.

You can apply dynamic creative ads to Conversion, Traffic, Video Views, Reach, Brand Awareness, and App Install campaigns. Pretty much anything you could hope for.

And when you’re coming up with options, the limits for creative are 10 images or videos and 5 options for each of body text, title, description, and call-to-action. 

Tool: Text overlay

Another favorite tool of ours — and one we see put to good use very often in the Facebook Ad Library ads — is the Text Overlay Tool.

You can upload your ad to this tool, and it will tell you whether your ad contains a High, Medium, or Low amount of text. This is important because the amount of text can affect the reach of your ad.

Ideally, Facebook prefers visuals that have little to no text. You’ll see this in the ads of top brands — they all have bright and stunning visuals with very little text.Still, if your ad image does need some text on it — say, with a brand message or tagline — you can test it on the Text Overlay tool first.

After uploading, the tool will give your image a score of High, Medium, Low, or OK. High-text images may not run at all.Medium-text images may have much lower reach.Low-text images may have slightly lower reach.And OK images should run as expected.

How to say hello to us

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Enjoy the show? It’d mean the world to us if you’d be up for giving us a rating and review on iTunes! About The Science of Social Media podcast

The Science of Social Media is your weekly sandbox for social media stories, insights, experimentation, and inspiration. Every Monday (and sometimes more) we share the most cutting-edge social media marketing tactics from brands and influencers in every industry. If you’re a social media team of one, business owner, marketer, or someone simply interested in social media marketing, you’re sure to find something useful in each and every episode.  It’s our hope that you’ll join our 27,000+ weekly iTunes listeners and rock your social media channels as a result!

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