The Friday Roundup — October 12, 2018
Each and Every Friday — I outline a few of the articles and /or books that I have read over the last week or two that are worth ta king a look at.
Rethinking Positive Thinking by Gabrielle Oettingen
Rethinking Positive thinking is about what you want out of life, and how to achieve it. The author, Gabrielle Oettingen, has been studying this topic for over twenty years, and has an interesting and startling conclusion: that the obstacles that we believe get in our way from achieving our greatest goals can actually help us accomplish them faster.
Basically, her research shows that merely dreaming about the future makes it less likely that you’ll achieve your deepest desires and dreams.
Go grab a copy and start reading today…
Facebook Stories Ads now available to all advertisers
Facebook has officially launched Stories Ads on the Facebook platform, making the ad units available to all advertisers globally. The company first brought ads into Instagram Stories in January 2017 and began testing Facebook Stories Ads in May. Earlier this month, Facebook alerted its Marketing Partner Network to the coming ad units, asking ad management platforms to set Stories Ads on Facebook as a default opt-in.
Why you should care — Stories Ads on Facebook offer new ad placement option for advertisers on the platform. As with Instagram Stories ads, these new ad units will include Facebook’s full ad targeting and measurement capabilities — and, soon, will be available in Messenger as well. Though it’s early days, Facebook is betting on Stories Ads to be a major new revenue source.
The format is rolling out after brands such as iHeartRadio, Kettle Chips, Norwegian Airlines and KFC UK started testing them earlier this year.
Finish reading here…
A Hidden Source of Power
Almost every one of us gives away our power, unthinkingly.
For example:
• Someone does something inconsiderate or infuriating that frustrates or angers you. You fume about it for hours. You’ve given this person the power to make you frustrated and angry, to ruin your day, often without them even realizing it.
• You are lonely because you are alone, no longer with the partner who broke up with you. You have given away your power to feel loved to someone else, who perhaps doesn’t want to give you that love.
• You walk into a social gathering and hope to impress people, to gain their approval, to be liked. You’ve given away your power of being approved to others, who don’t even know they have a responsibility to validate you.
• You are still angry at your parents (or one of your parents) for the crappy way they raised you, or for certain things they did that screwed you up. You’ve given away your power to shape your own life, to people who haven’t been responsible for raising you for years, since you became an adult.
In all of these cases, and many more examples throughout our day…
Go here to finish reading…
Instagram Live Video Examples That You can Use to Attract New Users
New features are frequently added to Instagram as a way to keep up with the evolving needs of users. This year alone, over 20 new features were released on the platform. One of the most successful features to date is Instagram Live Video.
More brands are turning to it because “live video is more appealing to brand audiences: 80% would rather watch live video from a brand than read a blog, and 82% prefer live video from a brand to social posts.”
But for all the advantages of Instagram live video, it isn’t immediately clear to business users how to use it strategically to attract new users — not just interact with followers. With more businesses using Instagram to connect with their audience you need fresh and smart ideas to stay ahead of the game.
The Instagram Live Video feature was launched in 2016 and lets users run video for up to an hour, so their followers can watch and interact with them in the comments. This access makes it easier for brands to showcase their products and build relationships with their audience.
