You Have My Permission to Leave Twitter (or rather, X)

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You Have My Permission to Leave Twitter (or rather, X)

I quit Twitter in the summer of 2021. My mom had just died, I was starting a demanding new job on an interim basis, and had experienced some hostile interactions on the platform. I thought a break would be liberating, so I resolved to step away from Twitter for three months. No announcing my departure as some folks are apt to do, I just walked away.

And I never came back.

I’ve been somewhat of an evangelist for quitting Twitter for a few years now. Once Elon Musk bought Twitter in October 2022, I became even more convinced that the platform would no longer be a viable place for meaningful conversations to thrive. Musk has implemented numerous changes in his reign so far, many of which are generally agreed to be poor choices that negatively affect user experience.

So what does this mean for you or your business? If you’ve been hanging on to Twitter (or rather, X, as Musk rebranded it in July 2023), in the hopes that it still has some kind of value, this is your sign that it’s okay to walk away. 

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The TikTok Experiments, Volume 9: Using Trending Sounds on Every Video for a Week

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The TikTok Experiments, Volume 9: Using Trending Sounds on Every Video for a Week

In an effort to understand TikTok’s mysterious algorithm, I regularly conduct experiments to learn which tactics help videos gain traction. I’ve experimented with 3 minute videos, CapCut templates, an SEO hack, and more. In September, I experimented with a core component of TikTok videos: trending sounds. I don’t use trending sounds often; they’re not usually conducive to the kind of content I make. But trending sounds are supposed to be important in getting your videos seen, so for one week, I used trending sounds on every video I shared. To be frank, the results were surprising. 

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 7: Using an SEO Trick in All My Videos for a Week

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 7: Using an SEO Trick in All My Videos for a Week

Throughout 2023, I’ve been experimenting on TikTok with the goal of better understanding their mysterious algorithm. I’m hoping to determine which commonly-promoted tactics are worthwhile and which are overhyped. In June, I experimented with an SEO trick that I’ve seen circulating the platform: hiding keywords in your video so the TikTok algorithm knows what your video is about and who to serve it. The results of this experiment were mixed. Today I’m sharing exactly how to do this SEO trick for TikTok and what I learned from the experiment.

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Here's the Scoop on Lemon8

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Here's the Scoop on Lemon8

I’ve worked in social media marketing for over ten years, but I’ve never been an early adopter of a new platform…until now. My disillusionment with Instagram is at an all-time high and a new app was the talk of TikTok, so last week I joined Lemon8. This newcomer to the social media scene is intriguing and has the potential to be extremely popular. I’m sure you have a lot of questions about where it came from, how Lemon8 works, and more, so let’s dive in!

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 3: Posting Only Slideshows for a Week

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 3: Posting Only Slideshows for a Week

I’ve embarked on a series of experiments to better understand TikTok’s algorithm. TikTok is known for serving users content that feels uniquely tailored to their interests. People feel seen by TikTok. So how do you create content that will get served to exactly the right people? I’m testing all kinds of different tactics to find out!

This winter, theories began swirling that TikTok was boosting their new slideshow feature in the algorithm. I saw tons of slideshow posts every day. I decided to try posting only slideshows for a week to see what would happen. 

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 2: I Posted on TikTok 5x a Day for a Week. Here's What I Learned.

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 2: I Posted on TikTok 5x a Day for a Week. Here's What I Learned.

TikTok’s algorithm continues to amaze users with its uncanny ability to recommend content that feels perfectly tailored to your interests. Everyone’s FYP is a different experience. So how do you get your videos to land on more people’s FYPs? I’ve embarked on a series of experiments to find out!

I often see other social media professionals recommend posting 5-7x per day on TikTok in order to grow your account. That cadence seemed aggressive and unsustainable to me, but I decided to give it a try for one week. You probably have a lot of questions about how it went, so let’s dive in!

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8 Blog Posts You Loved in 2022

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8 Blog Posts You Loved in 2022

I always enjoy writing this blog and have found it especially fun to dig into TikTok in 2022. I’ve written about video types to make for TikTok, getting comfortable on camera, reviewing your TikTok analytics, recording voice overs, and more. Since I’ve written so extensively on many topics this year, I thought a countdown of popular posts might be helpful. It’s always fascinating (and useful!) to dive into Google Analytics and see which posts are getting the most traction with readers. Without further ado, here are eight blog posts readers loved in 2022.

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A Conversation with Ellie Burke: Tips for Getting Started with Content Marketing

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A Conversation with Ellie Burke: Tips for Getting Started with Content Marketing

This is the 14th post in the “A Conversation With” series, where I interview smart humans about their experiences in marketing and social media. You can read past features here.

This month, I interviewed Ellie Burke, a content marketing professional who is the Content & SEO Manager at Campspot. In this blog post, we dive into keywords, SEO misconceptions, and much more.

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Is Blogging Still Relevant in 2022?

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Is Blogging Still Relevant in 2022?

As I sat down to plan out my blog posts for 2022 earlier this week, I started to wonder, ‘why do I even bother? Is blogging still useful?’ Despite the self doubt that creeps in sometimes, the answer is right in the data. Google Analytics doesn’t lie! People are discovering my business every day through organic search, primarily thanks to this blog. Blogging isn’t dead, despite what you may have heard. Let’s explore the benefits of blogging and how to create valuable blog content.

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