Back 2 Reality - Carney
The Daily Carnage

Back 2 Reality

How-to’s on managing your blog, writing the best Instagram captions, and donating to Houston.

How To Manage The Best Blog In Your Niche

Snap back to reality (oh there goes gravity). …Eminem again, really?… The long weekend is over. Let’s dive right into the Listen to distract you from the reality that you’re back at work

The podcast we’re serving up today is the perfect mix of inspirational and actionable. That’s the mix we love most.

It’s an interview with the blog manager at a li’l ol’ blog called Kissmetrics. They publish some of the best marketing blog posts out there, and a chance to peek behind their curtain of genius is just what we need.

  • (4:16) Posts from guest authors are a great way to get exceptional content, expand your reach, and create more content without your team having to write it. But, you have to be very strict about the content you’re willing to accept.
  • (8:57) How does Kissmetrics measure when a blog post is performing well? They basically look at one metric: conversion rate. Shares and likes don’t matter to them — only how many conversions they get.
  • (11:50) The standards that Kissmetrics expects from their blogs. One thing most people miss — quality images. Not stock images.
  • (15:11) Kissmetrics avoids listicles and focuses more on actionable blog posts because readers want step-by-step instructions rather than a vague idea.
  • (22:50) One of their best pieces of content shows how Kissmetrics can enhance Google Analytics. That’s a good tip for anyone reading this, blogs about how your product can make an already popular product even better, is an overlooked topic.

And for your reading pleasure, the full transcript is right here.

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How to Write Great Instagram Captions that Convert

Not gonna lie, after a long weekend, our minds are like ::emoji emoji emoji emoji::, which isn’t always the best tactic for writing Instagram captions that convert.

On the other hand, sometimes emojis are just what you need. It’s more about giving your captions the attention they deserve than avoiding things all together. Most importantly, knowing what to say and when to say, so you and your brand can be seen. Or, avoid being too seen… 

Today’s Read will show you how with the best — and easiest — ways to turn followers into an engaged audience and (hopefully) a loyal tribe of customers and supporters. Here are some highlights: 

Unlock All 5 Senses
Like this beautiful example

Tell a Story
Storytelling fulfills the basic premises of every good communication: informing, entertaining, and education.

Sell a Lifestyle
Traditional selling is going by the way of the patriarchy — lame! People use Instagram as a source of distraction and entertainment, so they don’t want to be blatantly sold to. Plus, by selling a mindset or lifestyle, content creation becomes easier! 

Write Striking Promotional Text
Okay, sometimes, you have to sell something. Here’s how you do it with the best results on Instagram:

  • Identify a common problem in your business or industry
  • Imagine how that problem would be solved
  • Give them the solution

Use Other People’s Words
If you run out of things to say, change it up with someone who has taken the words right out of your mouth. (And credit them accordingly!)

  • Famous quotes or inspiring phrases
  • Comments of your own followers
  • Words of influencers in your area and tag them
  • Slogans and values of those who think differently and contest them with yours

Give ‘em the Recipe
Specify the “ingredients” of what you’re showing. Like the clothes, stylists, etc. in a photoshoot, or the makings of an amazing party. Or, yeah, the recipe for a culinary masterpiece! People love seeing pieces of a puzzle come together. They also love seeing things they can recreate.

Avoid Being too Formal
Keep it real! Slam dunk an emoji or two in a caption when you see fit. If someone sees a laughing emoji, they’re likely to giggle too.

Help in the Aftermath of Harvey

Hurricane Harvey has caused billions of dollars in damage to Houston and the surrounding areas, displacing an estimated 30,000 people. Getting Houston back will be a difficult task. The Ad Council partnered with a number of Houston area companies to create ads asking for donations to aid in recovery. These ads focus on the importance of money, rather than goods. Money can be put to work much faster than goods.

All the work on these ads was done pro-bono and the media buy was also donated. We’re glad the advertising community is so willing to lend a hand.

No jokes here today, we’re just urging you to donate too. Use this link to donate to a national or regional organization.

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.
George Bernard Shaw

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