10 blog posts I read this week, and you should too

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I’ve had lots of people ask me when I’m going to do another blog posts I read summary. So, I thought it was about time I did. I’ve read a lot of blog posts this week as I’ve been travelling from one place to another, so I’ve had some time to catch up. I’ve picked 10 of the ones I liked best for you to go and look at. I hope you get as much from them as I did!

The ultimate guide to Google my Business

If your business isn’t listed on Google my Business, then you’re missing out. What is it? It’s a free, that’s right, free tool from Google which lets you manage how your business appears on Google Search and Maps. It will include everything that you add to your listing, including your business name, location and hours. You’ll also be able to monitor and respond to customer reviews, as well as add photos and other updates. The best thing? You’ll be able to learn how people search for you and much more. Are you ready to get started? Read this guide to begin your listing.

GDPR: 15 (good & bad) examples of repermissioning emails & campaigns

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock (which is tempting where GDPR is concerned) you will have heard about the new data protection law, which will go live on 25 May this year. One thing that a lot of businesses are busy doing is repermissioning their email lists. This means they are asking you to opt in again to hear from them, but to bring this consent in line with the requirements of GDPR. I thought you might be interested in seeing how some bigger companies are doing this well and not so well. I’m sure there are ideas you’ll be able to leverage for your own campaigns. Take a look at the examples here.

4 ways to get your Instagram Story to the top of your followers’ newsfeed

Are you using Instagram Stories? If you have a business page, it’s an additional way you can engage your followers. Stories offer you a great opportunity to give your followers more of an insight into your business. And with features such as location tagging, hashtags and polls, they make for interesting ways to show your business off.

But, have you noticed how many other businesses are using Instagram Stories? So, how do you get yours to appear at the top of your followers’ newsfeeds? Social Media Today tells you in this article!

3 reasons your Twitter follower ratio is more important than you know

Whilst counting the number of followers you have on any social network is known as a vanity metric (for obvious reasons, I think), your follower ratio vs. the number of people you follow on Twitter has an impact on your profile. In this article, there are three impacts of following more people than follow you back. And they do say that first impressions matter, so what do you want people to think when they visit your Twitter profile?

How to customise your Instagram Story highlights cover

Another Instagram Stories article, which I think you’ll love. If you’re using Instagram Stories, did you know you can create highlights which live on your profile? It’s a great way to save the short posts you share as Stories and give them longevity. It also adds extra interest to your profile.

In addition to creating these highlights, you can create custom covers for each highlight, which gives you the opportunity to reinforce your brand and make the covers more representative of your business. (It’s on my long list of things to do!) Here, Social Media Examiner talks you through exactly how to customise those highlights covers.

How to add humour to your content (and why you should)

I think showing humour in your content makes your readers feel at ease and makes your content feel as if it’s coming from a real person. After all, you wouldn’t think twice about adding humour to a conversation you’re having with a customer, so why not make it a part of your content? I love blog posts that start of with a joke, and it especially comes in handy if you feel that what you’re talking about is a bit dry. I mean, who ever thought car insurance could pull in big audiences for their adverts – I think we have that meerkat to thank! So, find out how you can inject some humour into your content in this post.

5 ways to get the most out of your mentor relationship

Offering mentoring services myself, I was curious to read this article. I know the benefits I can bring to my mentoring clients, but it was good to read about how to get the most of the relationship if you’re the person being mentored. It’s given me some ideas on how I can help my clients too. If you’re about to start a mentoring relationship, or thinking about it, then this article has the tips you need to get the most out of it.

Feel the fear and then do it anyway      

I’ve known Lenka Koppova on social media for a while, and last year we finally met up! She writes often about what she’s learned in a particular week. This post is about public speaking and why you should do it. I can relate to this article. I used to be that person that avoided public speaking at all costs.

Now I run my own business, I have no one to hide behind. I’ve felt that fear and knew I had to take the plunge anyway. What’s more, with practice, it does get easier. Why don’t you read Lenka’s post to see what she thinks?

Everything you need to check before hitting send

Have you hit the send button on an email and then had that sinking feeling? I know I have. That’s why I have a checklist that I use every time I get ready to send out my weekly newsletter. A checklist is a great way to reduce the chances of mistakes in your emails, especially as you’re busy trying to get everything else done. This article is a good reminder of the things you need to check before clicking on that send button. Why not use it to create your own checklist?

10 of the best ways to use Instagram multiple-image posts

I’m a bit obsessed with Instagram this week! I think it’s because that’s where I’m having most of my successes at the moment. Whilst I schedule my posts for Instagram (you know you can do that, don’t you?), you still can schedule multiple-image posts (or videos, for that matter). But using multiple images can help you tell a story, which is the best way to engage your followers. This article from Neil Patel (no relation!) shows you some great examples that you can take inspiration from.

I’d love to know which one of these blog posts you found most useful. Tell me in the comments below.