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Last month, The Atlantic published an article with an alarming headline: ​“The Film Students Who Can No Longer Sit Through Films.”​ The author of the piece, Rose Horowitch, spoke with professors around the country who have begun to complain about this trend. What she learned was disheartening: “I used to think, if homework is watching a movie, that is the best homework ever,” Craig Erpelding, a film professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, told me. “But students will not do it.” I heard similar observations from 20 film-studies professors around the country. They told me that over the past decade, and particularly since the pandemic, students have struggled to pay attention to feature-length films. What’s the source of this attention span crisis? The professors interviewed for Horowitch’s article point to a clear culprit: smartphones. The founding director of Tufts University’s Film and Media Studies, for example, tried to ban electronics during screenings, but found the rule impossible to enforce. “About half the class ends up looking furtively at their phones,” she said. Meanwhile, a Cinema and Media Studies professor at USC reports that his students remind him of “nicotine addicts going through withdrawal…the longer they go without checking their phone, the more they fidget.” The mechanism at play here is an ability that reading scholar Maryanne Wolf calls cognitive patience, which is ​defined as​ the “ability to [maintain] focused and sustained attention and delay gratification, while refraining from multitasking.” The presence of smartphones degrades cognitive patience because they activate neuronal bundles in our brain’s short-term reward system that anticipate a high expected value from picking up the device. These bundles effectively vote for the distracting behavior, creating a cascade of neurochemicals that are experienced as motivation to grab the phone. After a while, due to a lack of practice, you lose your comfort with sustained attention altogether. It’s no wonder more and more people lack the cognitive patience to make it through a two-hour film! But as I elaborate on my ​podcast this week​, in this specific problem with movies, we can find a solution to the more general issue of weakened attention. Why not make the ability to watch an entire film a training goal for the attempt to reclaim our brains? Like the new runner working up to completing their first 5k, it’s a milestone that’s challenging, but not too challenging, and therefore a great way to begin an effort toward attention autonomy. Assuming you take on this goal, what’s the best way to improve your cinematic cognitive patience? Here are my three suggestions: Keep your phone in a different room. This prevents your short-term reward system from firing out of control with distracting impulses. Watch better movies. If you have a meaningful viewing experience, your long-term reward system will more strongly associate movies with lasting benefits, making it easier to delay gratification in the future. To help get through these movies at first, practice the thirty-minute rule. Before you start the movie, read a review or analysis that helps explain why it’s good. Pause the movie every thirty minutes or so to read another review or analysis. This helps reorient your brain toward a perspective of critical appreciation, allowing you to continually find value and avoid the sense of slogging for the sake of slogging. I appreciate the irony here: I’m suggesting you watch one screen to reduce the distracting impact of another. But it’s become clear to me recently that although many people are fed up with the impact of digital devices on their brains, they don’t know how to push back. Maybe rediscovering the patient joys of movies can be a part of that answer… In Other News: AI Vibe Reporting I’m experimenting with including a section like this more often, in which I briefly discuss news relevant to technology, distraction, and the fight for depth. Judging by the increasing volume of distressed messages I now receive from people I know, the quantity of ​AI vibe reporting​ out there is on the rise. I want to help you navigate this media landscape without becoming unnecessarily worried. With this in mind, let’s tackle a case study. Last week, The Atlantic published a vibe-filled article titled ​“The Worst-Case Future for White-Collar Workers.”​ I want to take a critical look at several quotes from this piece: “[T]he labor market for office workers is beginning to shift. Americans with a bachelor’s degree account for a quarter of the unemployed, a record.” Clearly, the intention here is to imply that this trend is caused by AI eliminating knowledge work jobs. But we have no solid evidence that these two issues are related. Indeed, as ​this critique notes​, the decline in jobs for college grads began well before the more recent generative AI revolution. “Occupations susceptible to AI automation have seen sharp spikes in joblessness.” This is classic vibe reporting. The author doesn’t directly say that joblessness spikes are due to AI automation – carefully read how she words the sentence – but she clearly wants to imply that it’s true. This implication, however, is not currently supported by the evidence. As I’ve reported, job reductions in the tech sector ​are better explained​ by corrections to over-hiring during the pandemic. Something like this is happening ​in the advertising world​ as well. On Friday, Cade Metz published ​an article​ in the Times that made a similar point. “Businesses really are shrinking payroll and cutting costs as they deploy AI.” Another classic vibe reporting technique: this sentence implies the shrinking payroll is due to AI deployments. But in most cases, these are unrelated. Lots of companies are deploying some sort of AI products for their employees. Some of these companies are also shrinking their payroll (especially those that overhired during the pandemic). This doesn’t mean one causes the other. This is the classic post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy. “In recent weeks, Baker McKenzie, a white-shoe law firm, axed 700 employees, Salesforce sacked hundreds of workers, and the auditing firm KPMG negotiated lower fees with its own auditor.” By placing these specific examples of shrinking payroll immediately after discussions of AI automation, the author once again implies, without a direct claim, that these job losses were due to AI. But let’s look closer. Consider Salesforce: They did indeed lay off around 1,000 workers earlier this month, but not because they automated these jobs using AI. It was instead the result of a restructuring aimed at combining their Agentforce and Slack products under a single executive. Here’s how one close observer of the company ​described it​: “Cross-team layoffs like these are not unusual for a company of Salesforce’s size, especially at this time of year, before announcing end-of-fiscal-year earnings.” What’s actually going on with AI and jobs? Generative AI might very well create broad disruptions in the job market. But we’re not there yet. The first major shift will likely occur in software development, but its magnitude remains unclear. (More on this soon: I’m in the middle of a reporting project in which I’ve now heard from over 300 computer programmers about how they’re currently using AI; tl;dr: it’s complicated!) In the meantime, however, the actual stories related to AI are important enough on their own. We don’t also need reporters working backward to support trends that they feel like should be true. (To be clear: The rest of the article is quite good. It explores, more hypothetically, how the government could respond to massive economic disruptions, and it’s written by a journalist who I respect and who knows a lot about that topic. It’s worth reading! Just don’t get freaked out by the vibe reporting in the opening section.) The post Film Students Can No Longer Sit Through Films appeared first on Cal Newport. View the full article

Last month, The Atlantic published an article with an alarming headline: ​“The Film Students Who Can No Longer Sit Through Films.”​ The author of the piece, Rose Horowitch, spoke with professors around the country who have begun to complain about this trend. What she learned was disheartening: “I used to think, if homework is watching a movie, that is the best homework ever,” Craig Erpelding, a film professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, told me. “But students will not do it.” I heard similar observations from 20 film-studies professors around the country. They told me that over the past decade, and particularly since the pandemic, students have struggled to pay attention to feature-length films. What’s the source of this attention span crisis? The professors interviewed for Horowitch’s article point to a clear culprit: smartphones. The founding director of Tufts University’s Film and Media Studies, for example, tried to ban electronics during screenings, but found the rule impossible to enforce. “About half the class ends up looking furtively at their phones,” she said. Meanwhile, a Cinema and Media Studies professor at USC reports that his students remind him of “nicotine addicts going through withdrawal…the longer they go without checking their phone, the more they fidget.” The mechanism at play here is an ability that reading scholar Maryanne Wolf calls cognitive patience, which is ​defined as​ the “ability to [maintain] focused and sustained attention and delay gratification, while refraining from multitasking.” The presence of smartphones degrades cognitive patience because they activate neuronal bundles in our brain’s short-term reward system that anticipate a high expected value from picking up the device. These bundles effectively vote for the distracting behavior, creating a cascade of neurochemicals that are experienced as motivation to grab the phone. After a while, due to a lack of practice, you lose your comfort with sustained attention altogether. It’s no wonder more and more people lack the cognitive patience to make it through a two-hour film! But as I elaborate on my ​podcast this week​, in this specific problem with movies, we can find a solution to the more general issue of weakened attention. Why not make the ability to watch an entire film a training goal for the attempt to reclaim our brains? Like the new runner working up to completing their first 5k, it’s a milestone that’s challenging, but not too challenging, and therefore a great way to begin an effort toward attention autonomy. Assuming you take on this goal, what’s the best way to improve your cinematic cognitive patience? Here are my three suggestions: Keep your phone in a different room. This prevents your short-term reward system from firing out of control with distracting impulses. Watch better movies. If you have a meaningful viewing experience, your long-term reward system will more strongly associate movies with lasting benefits, making it easier to delay gratification in the future. To help get through these movies at first, practice the thirty-minute rule. Before you start the movie, read a review or analysis that helps explain why it’s good. Pause the movie every thirty minutes or so to read another review or analysis. This helps reorient your brain toward a perspective of critical appreciation, allowing you to continually find value and avoid the sense of slogging for the sake of slogging. I appreciate the irony here: I’m suggesting you watch one screen to reduce the distracting impact of another. But it’s become clear to me recently that although many people are fed up with the impact of digital devices on their brains, they don’t know how to push back. Maybe rediscovering the patient joys of movies can be a part of that answer… In Other News: AI Vibe Reporting I’m experimenting with including a section like this more often, in which I briefly discuss news relevant to technology, distraction, and the fight for depth. Judging by the increasing volume of distressed messages I now receive from people I know, the quantity of ​AI vibe reporting​ out there is on the rise. I want to help you navigate this media landscape without becoming unnecessarily worried. With this in mind, let’s tackle a case study. Last week, The Atlantic published a vibe-filled article titled ​“The Worst-Case Future for White-Collar Workers.”​ I want to take a critical look at several quotes from this piece: “[T]he labor market for office workers is beginning to shift. Americans with a bachelor’s degree account for a quarter of the unemployed, a record.” Clearly, the intention here is to imply that this trend is caused by AI eliminating knowledge work jobs. But we have no solid evidence that these two issues are related. Indeed, as ​this critique notes​, the decline in jobs for college grads began well before the more recent generative AI revolution. “Occupations susceptible to AI automation have seen sharp spikes in joblessness.” This is classic vibe reporting. The author doesn’t directly say that joblessness spikes are due to AI automation – carefully read how she words the sentence – but she clearly wants to imply that it’s true. This implication, however, is not currently supported by the evidence. As I’ve reported, job reductions in the tech sector ​are better explained​ by corrections to over-hiring during the pandemic. Something like this is happening ​in the advertising world​ as well. On Friday, Cade Metz published ​an article​ in the Times that made a similar point. “Businesses really are shrinking payroll and cutting costs as they deploy AI.” Another classic vibe reporting technique: this sentence implies the shrinking payroll is due to AI deployments. But in most cases, these are unrelated. Lots of companies are deploying some sort of AI products for their employees. Some of these companies are also shrinking their payroll (especially those that overhired during the pandemic). This doesn’t mean one causes the other. This is the classic post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy. “In recent weeks, Baker McKenzie, a white-shoe law firm, axed 700 employees, Salesforce sacked hundreds of workers, and the auditing firm KPMG negotiated lower fees with its own auditor.” By placing these specific examples of shrinking payroll immediately after discussions of AI automation, the author once again implies, without a direct claim, that these job losses were due to AI. But let’s look closer. Consider Salesforce: They did indeed lay off around 1,000 workers earlier this month, but not because they automated these jobs using AI. It was instead the result of a restructuring aimed at combining their Agentforce and Slack products under a single executive. Here’s how one close observer of the company ​described it​: “Cross-team layoffs like these are not unusual for a company of Salesforce’s size, especially at this time of year, before announcing end-of-fiscal-year earnings.” What’s actually going on with AI and jobs? Generative AI might very well create broad disruptions in the job market. But we’re not there yet. The first major shift will likely occur in software development, but its magnitude remains unclear. (More on this soon: I’m in the middle of a reporting project in which I’ve now heard from over 300 computer programmers about how they’re currently using AI; tl;dr: it’s complicated!) In the meantime, however, the actual stories related to AI are important enough on their own. We don’t also need reporters working backward to support trends that they feel like should be true. (To be clear: The rest of the article is quite good. It explores, more hypothetically, how the government could respond to massive economic disruptions, and it’s written by a journalist who I respect and who knows a lot about that topic. It’s worth reading! Just don’t get freaked out by the vibe reporting in the opening section.) The post Film Students Can No Longer Sit Through Films appeared first on Cal Newport. View the full article

A CEO sits in a boardroom, staring at a strategy deck generated overnight by AI. The analysis is sharp. The recommendations are confident. The numbers line up. And yet something feels off. It feels flat, almost a little too perfect . . . This moment is becoming increasingly common for leaders. Artificial intelligence is now one of the most powerful management tools ever created. It can analyze markets in seconds, surface patterns no human team could find, and generate plans on demand. For many executives, AI already feels indispensable. But as intelligence scales at unprecedented speed, a quieter question is emerging inside organizations: How do we ensure AI is focused on human flourishing? Intelligence Is Scaling. Wisdom Is Not AI excels at intelligence. It detects patterns, predicts outcomes, and optimizes for efficiency. What it does not possess is contextual wisdom: the ability to understand why a decision matters, how it will land emotionally and culturally, or what it reinforces over time. Leadership has never been about having the most information. It has always been about deciding what matters when information conflicts. In an AI-rich environment, where intelligence is being commoditized, leaders face a subtle temptation to outsource judgement itself. When dashboards look precise and recommendations feel objective, optimization can easily be mistaken for wisdom. But AI cannot answer the questions leaders are increasingly accountable for: How is this affecting the precious humans in my care? What values are driving this decision? Is this decision indicative of the kind of world we are trying to build together? These are not computational questions. They are human ones. The Real Risk: Abdicated Leadership Much of the public conversation about AI risk focuses on bias or misuse. Those concerns are real. But inside organizations, a quieter risk is emerging: outsourcing thinking that affects humans to “the machine.” When leaders defer too often to AI-generated recommendations, they slowly lose confidence in their own judgment. Leadership shifts from sense-making to system-monitoring. Teams stop debating. Leaders stop interpreting reality and start validating outputs. The result isn’t better leadership. It’s thinner leadership. Over time, this shows up as cultural drift, ethical blind spots, employee disengagement, and loss of trust—especially during moments like layoffs, restructures, or major strategic shifts. When leaders can’t clearly explain why a decision was made, people feel optimized instead of led. Strong leaders don’t just decide what to do. They articulate why it matters. They connect decisions to shared meaning, values, and narrative. They help teams understand how today’s choices fit into a longer human arc of transformation and evolution. AI can propose solutions. Only humans can author meaning. Why Clarity Is Becoming a Core Leadership Skill In an AI-saturated world, clarity is a force multiplier. Clarity about purpose. Clarity about values. Clarity about what not to optimize. Put simply: Clarity is deciding what you refuse to let AI optimize. AI will happily optimize for speed, efficiency, engagement, or cost reduction. It will not ask whether those optimizations erode trust, creativity, resilience, or long-term cohesion. Leaders must. This is why clarity, not charisma or technical expertise, is becoming one of the most critical leadership capabilities of the next decade. Clarity allows leaders to: Set boundaries around how and where AI is used Frame AI insights within human context Decide when efficiency should yield to ethics Protect creativity where optimization would flatten it Without clarity, leaders risk becoming reactive to machine intelligence instead of responsible for human outcomes. How Effective Leaders Use AI Without Becoming Dependent on It The goal is not to resist AI. It is to place AI correctly within leadership practice. Three principles can help leaders do that: Treat AI as an advisor, not an authority. Use AI to surface options, test assumptions, and explore scenarios—but make it explicit that final judgment remains human. In practice, this means leaders own decisions in their own words, not by pointing to an algorithm. Slow down at meaning-making moments. When decisions affect people, culture, or identity (hiring, layoffs, strategy shifts, values) pause. Ask not only “What does the data suggest?” but “What does this decision communicate about who we are?” Invest in judgment, not just AI literacy. AI skills matter. But judgment skills matter more. Organizations that thrive will be led by people trained to reason ethically, think systemically, and articulate values under pressure—not just operate tools efficiently. Meaning Is the Leadership Advantage AI Can’t Touch In moments of uncertainty, people don’t look to leaders for perfect predictions. They look for orientation. They want to know: What matters now? What should I focus on? How does my work connect to something meaningful? AI cannot provide that orientation. Leadership can. As machine intelligence accelerates, meaning potentially becomes more scarce and more valuable. Leaders who offer clarity amid complexity and purpose amid acceleration don’t just build better cultures. They drive stronger innovation, greater organizational resilience, and long-term value creation. The Capability That Endures Every technological shift reshapes leadership. This one is no exception. But the core truth remains: leadership is not about knowing more. It is about seeing more clearly and exercising wisdom under pressure. AI will continue to evolve. Capabilities will expand. Tools will improve. What must deepen alongside them is human leadership’s capacity for clarity, judgment, and meaning-making. Because in an AI world, the leaders who matter most won’t be the ones who rely on the smartest machines. They’ll be the ones who remember in wisdom what it means to be human while using them. View the full article

Once-a-week injection achieved weight loss of 23%, which is lower than some existing treatmentsView the full article

If you walk into a grocery store in the Netherlands or Germany, you might not realize you’re being steered toward plant-based protein, from vegan tortellini to plant-based yogurt. But across Europe and the UK, major retailers are quietly driving that shift. And they’re seeing results at a time when plant-based sales are struggling in the US. Lidl, a budget supermarket, grew UK sales of its private-label plant-based line by nearly 700% from 2020 to 2025. In Germany, France, and Italy, plant-based retail sales are growing across multiple categories, with most of that growth coming from supermarkets’ own brands. Lidl is one of several retailers with a deliberate strategy to nudge consumers away from meat and dairy and toward plant-based food. In the Netherlands, major supermarkets now have an ambitious target: by 2030, they’re aiming for plant-based protein sales to outweigh animal-based food, in a 60-40 split. Climate is the biggest motivation. As grocery stores look at their own carbon footprints—driven by policies like the EU’s climate reporting rules—nearly all of the impact comes from food production in their supply chains. And nearly half of those emissions come from meat and dairy. “It’s huge—this is the biggest lever for a retailer in terms of reducing the climate impact,” says Joanna Trewern, director of partnerships at ProVeg International, a Berlin-based nonprofit that advocates for grocery stores to prioritize plant-based protein. In the Netherlands, where stores have gone farthest to adopt new strategies, the organization co-founded a working group that helped retailers plan the transition. The Dutch government also issued a policy paper saying that the population was consuming more protein from animal sources than they should for a healthy diet—the opposite of the new dietary guidelines in the U.S. Stores have taken several steps to boost plant-based sales. First, since the cost of plant-based alternatives is still a barrier, they’ve built up their own low-cost, private-label offerings. “A core element of our strategy is ensuring that plant‑based foods are just as affordable as animal‑based alternatives,” a spokesperson for Lidl Netherlands told Fast Company. “At Lidl, the prices of our plant‑based staple items are already equal to or even lower than their animal‑based counterparts. This price parity ensures that cost is never a barrier for customers who want to make a more sustainable choice.” Lower costs are critical for plant-based protein to grow, and private label products offer the biggest opportunity, Trewern says. “Retailers have more control over ingredient sourcing, it’s easiest for them to scale, and there’s more they can do in terms of price and investing in categories to bring the price down for the consumer,” she says. As plant-based sales have grown, Lidl keeps adding more products to its range. That includes more traditional plant-based protein, like tofu or chickpea-based products. “The initial innovation in this space was very focused on convenience—products that really mimic meat,” says Trewern. “Now what we’re seeing is consumers are looking for something else. That’s led a lot of people to say plant-based is not doing well, the category’s failing. Actually, what we’re seeing now in many European countries is they’re starting to come back and the category is consolidating with a different type of product. More clean-label, whole-food product sales are going up massively.” (Sales of tofu and tempeh are also growing in the U.S., though in both locations, they’re still a small fraction of overall plant-based meat.) Some stores are also offering new hybrid products. Lidl was the first to start selling a partly plant-based burger—60% beef, 40% pea protein—that tastes like beef but is priced lower than its regular ground beef and has a much lower carbon footprint. The store has also cut back on promotions on meat; twice a year, it makes sure its promotional flyers are meat-free and feature plant-based products instead. It’s also tested other strategies, like placing vegan meat next to animal-based products in the meat aisle. Partnerships with other brands can also help. The French retailer Carrefour worked with manufacturers like Danone and Unilever to bring new plant-based products to market, and met its original sales target seven years ahead of schedule. “Real behavior change happens when retailers and manufacturers work together to deliver products people love that reach price and taste parity with conventional options,” says Abby Sewell, corporate engagement manager at the Good Food Institute, an American nonprofit focused on the industry. The work can’t guarantee on its own that plant-based protein sales always grow—country-wide sales dipped in the Netherlands in 2024, for example, while some other markets expanded. But it’s a useful tool. In the U.S., supermarkets don’t yet have similar goals and strategies. And the growth of private-label brands offers more evidence that price is key. There’s still a large opportunity for more affordable, better-tasting products; almost three-quarters of American consumers are open to eating more plant-based food. “U.S. consumers say the most important factors that would make them more willing to eat plant-based meat are if it tasted better and was more affordable,” says Jody Kirchner, associate director of market insights at the Good Food Institute. “This is an opportunity for the plant-based meat industry to continue to evolve and position itself for the next wave of growth.” “We’ve seen this before with electric cars and solar panels—early hype, a dip, then a return to growth,” Kirchner adds. “With the right investment and innovation, plant-based meat can find that same curve.” View the full article

Corporate culture isn’t built by policies. It’s built by moments—the unscripted experiences that catch us off guard, bring us closer, and quietly shape how we show up for one another. But many efforts labeled “culture-building,” including onboarding programs, leadership retreats, and all-hands meetings, still feel like productivity theater: tightly scheduled and heavy on performance. Today, it’s worth asking whether that model has simply run its course. Consider this: what if the future of culture-building isn’t about managing people, but about designing experiences that allow people to feel something real together? What if awe, story, and shared creativity weren’t treated as indulgences, but as foundational elements of how trust, courage, and belonging actually form? Beyond the Mission Statement While leaders like to bring up the idea of team culture, few can describe what theirs feels like in practice. That’s because culture doesn’t live in a mission statement or a values deck. It lives in the stories people tell when no one is watching. It lives in how they feel after a team gathering. It lives in the space between intention and lived experience. The data reinforces this gap. Deloitte reports that only 23% of organizations believe their employees are strongly aligned with corporate purpose. Gallup finds that just two in ten employees feel connected to their company’s culture on a daily basis. These aren’t engagement or communication problems; they are failures of experience design. When culture is reduced to language and artifacts, it stays abstract. When it’s shaped through shared experience, it becomes something people carry with them. Designing a Culture People Can Actually Feel Imagine replacing a traditional all-hands meeting with a creative exercise in which each team member contributes a visual expression of what matters most to them at work. Or imagine a leadership offsite that trades breakout rooms for a story circle, where leaders share pivotal moments that shaped how they lead today. People may forget the fourth bullet on slide 37, but they remember the moment they felt genuinely seen. That’s where culture actually forms. Across my work with teams and leaders ranging from early-stage companies to established organizations navigating change, the most durable cultural shifts don’t come from tighter processes or clearer messaging. They come from intentionally designed experiences built around three elements humans have relied on for connection long before modern organizations existed: art, ritual, and awe. These lay the grounds for emotional experiences—which can determine trust, risk-taking, and follow-through. Art as a Medium for Meaning When teams create something together—without relying on words—hierarchies soften, safety increases, and unspoken dynamics surface naturally. Art invites play and perspective, two capacities most workplaces quietly suppress. At a recent leadership offsite, I facilitated a collaborative art experience where each participant expressed a core value visually, without explanation. What emerged was more than a collective artwork; it was a shared mirror. People recognized one another in new ways. Long after the offsite ended, the exercise continued to shape conversations. Art creates space for truth to surface without requiring debate or performance. Ritual as Emotional Architecture Ritual has a way of slowing us down and signaling significance. Simple, intentional gestures—opening a meeting with a shared intention, closing an offsite with a moment of gratitude, marking transitions with presence—turn routine interactions into moments of coherence. In my Campfires of Connection work, gatherings begin and end with ritual: lighting a fire, sharing a single word, or pausing together in silence. These gestures don’t demand belief or explanation; they communicate something more fundamental: this moment matters. One of my clients began opening weekly meetings with a 60-second pause and a single prompt: “What are you bringing here today?” Over time, that slight shift deepened trust more effectively than any formal team-building program. Ritual isn’t soft; it’s the emotional structure. It creates the container in which change becomes possible. Awe as a Catalyst for Connection Modern workplaces are loud, fast, and cognitively overloaded. Many people aren’t disengaged because they don’t care; they’re overstimulated and starved of wonder. Awe interrupts that pattern. It resets the nervous system and expands perspective. In one of my facilitation sessions, participants were invited to sketch places from their childhood and share the stories behind them. The drawings were simple and imperfect, yet deeply personal. As each was revealed, the room changed. Colleagues who had known one another only through polished professional roles suddenly encountered one another as whole people with layered histories. That collective pause created a sense of awe. These moments don’t happen accidentally. They’re carefully designed to allow people to encounter something beyond their roles. In environments driven by metrics and deadlines, awe reminds us why collaboration matters and why people choose to stay, contribute, and stretch together rather than simply comply. When Culture-Building Falls Flat To understand why this approach matters, it helps to consider the alternative. I once observed a leadership retreat that checked every conventional box. The agenda featured well-known speakers, the breakout sessions were smartly facilitated, and participants left entertained, informed, and exhausted. But within weeks, nothing had changed. The retreat generated momentum but not meaning. What was missing wasn’t effort; it was emotional resonance. There was no moment when people could set aside the performance of leadership and engage with one another more honestly. The experience was efficient, but forgettable. Months later, a much smaller intervention with the same group, a single evening structured around reflection, had a disproportionate impact. Leaders spoke openly about uncertainty, named tensions they had been avoiding, and listened without trying to fix or impress. That evening reshaped how they worked together more than any previous retreat had. Culture doesn’t shift because information is delivered; it shifts when people feel something together that changes how they see one another. For leaders designing their next team gathering, the most useful questions may not be logistical at all. What do we want people to feel when they leave this room? What truth needs space to surface here? What has been rushed past that deserves reverence? What might become possible if we slowed down just enough to let meaning catch up? The organizations people love working for aren’t those with the slickest branding or the most polished values decks. They’re the ones where people leave a meeting or retreat feeling more alive, more trusted, and more willing to take risks together. View the full article

Our capacity to juggle several tasks at once is among the most important capabilities of the human cognitive system. Just consider a typical day in the life of a modern human: you glance at your phone while waiting for coffee to brew, skim headlines while half-listening to a podcast, mentally rehearse a client pitch while walking your child to school, reply “noted” on Slack during a meeting while updating a slide deck, check your bank balance while standing in line, and, in a moment of entirely optional productivity theatre, scroll through a friend’s Facebook feed to see what their cat had for breakfast (admittedly, not the most important addition to our already heavy repertoire of multi-tasks). If these familiar episodes of multitasking barely register as effort, it is because they have been absorbed into habit, woven into the fabric of daily life, quietly showing how often we coordinate competing goals, priorities, and impulses at once. For all the noise about AI agents, it is worth remembering that human agents remain remarkably capable. That said, generative AI and AI agents add yet another layer of temptation to multitask, and a respectable excuse for doing so. Now we can draft an email while an agent prepares slides, ask a chatbot to summarize a report while we skim LinkedIn, generate code while answering Slack, or prompt three models at once while half-editing a memo. This feels like augmented productivity, but often becomes cognitive diffusion or an increase in work intensity. As I illustrated in I, Human, when machines take over fragments of thinking, we become supervisors of many shallow streams rather than authors of one coherent argument. The result is not just intellectual sloppiness, but a steady erosion of focus, as attention shifts from solving a problem to managing tools that promise to solve it for us. A bad rap To be sure, multitasking tends to get a bad rap, especially among cognitive psychologists and behavioral scientists. This skepticism is well grounded. In a widely cited meta-analysis, researchers showed that alternating between tasks produces measurable “switch costs” in both speed and accuracy, even when tasks are simple. Subsequent research also found that heavy media multitaskers performed worse on tests of attention control and working memory, suggesting that frequent task-switching may erode the very cognitive filters that make focus possible. A more recent synthesis including examination of social media effects linked media multitasking during studying to significantly poorer academic outcomes. More recent neuroscientific evidence also shows that habitual multitasking is associated with reduced grey-matter density in regions linked to cognitive control, and some scholars have pointed out that multitasking deducts the equivalent of 10-IQ points from our performance and is therefore more debilitating than smoking weed (presumably minus the benefits or self-perceived creativity!). Taken together, the evidence is rather compelling: multitasking is not a sign of superior efficiency but a tax on attention, trading depth for the comforting illusion of productivity. It makes us feel busy, sometimes even clever, yet especially for complex, analytical, or creative work it is usually worse than doing one thing well at a time, or learning to focus. “Supertaskers” And yet, that is not to say that we are all equally bad at multitasking. In fact, as in most areas of cognition, there are meaningful individual differences. A small but influential line of research has even identified a group sometimes labelled “supertaskers.” In a dual-task experiment involving simulated driving and mental arithmetic, researchers identified a minority of participants who showed virtually no performance drop when handling two demanding tasks at once. These individuals tended to score higher on measures of working memory capacity and executive control (proxies for higher IQ), suggesting that cognitive resources, more than motivation or confidence, set the ceiling on multitasking ability. Working memory is analogous to a computer’s RAM, in that it determines how many pieces of information can be actively held and processed at once. Individuals with greater working-memory capacity possess more cognitive bandwidth to manage competing demands, though the limits remain real for everyone. In line, studies consistently show that people with higher working memory capacity, stronger attentional control, and better fluid intelligence incur smaller task-switching costs. Working memory capacity predicts resistance to distraction, while Unsworth and Engle (2007) linked it to superior performance in complex attention tasks, and executive attention explains substantial variance in multitasking performance. The role of personality Unsurprisingly, personality also plays a role: most notably, traits linked to self-regulation and planning, such as conscientiousness, tend to buffer against the negative effects of multitasking, while impulsivity and related tendencies are associated with poorer performance. Broader Big Five traits such as extraversion, neuroticism, and openness show mixed effects, often influencing how people approach multitasking rather than how well they actually perform it. Even training and domain expertise matter. Air-traffic controllers, surgeons, and experienced gamers show reduced switching costs in their domains because practice automates sub-tasks, freeing cognitive bandwidth. This does not mean that people know how good they actually are at multitasking. As in most domains of competence, the share of people who claim to excel far exceeds the share who truly do. In a classic experiment, researchers found that heavy media multitaskers rated themselves as effective jugglers of attention yet performed worse on tests of working memory and attentional control. The pattern echoes a broader principle from behavioral science, familiar from the Dunning–Kruger literature: when a skill is poorly understood and rarely measured, confidence tends to rise as competence falls. Multi-tasking, like leadership or emotional intelligence, is easy to overestimate because busyness looks like effectiveness, and we remember the rare occasions when juggling worked, not the many when it quietly degraded our thinking. Taken together, the evidence paints a nuanced picture. The average human is indeed a poor multi-tasker, especially when tasks are novel or cognitively demanding. But some individuals, by virtue of higher executive capacity (raw mental horsepower), disciplined habits, specialized training, and the right personality, are less bad at it. That distinction matters for leadership and talent assessment, because it reminds us that multitasking ability is not a universal virtue or vice. It is a measurable cognitive skill, unevenly distributed across people, and often confused with confidence, busyness, or the social theatre of productivity. View the full article

If you have ever interviewed for a job, there is a non-trivial probability that you have encountered “tricky” or quirky interview questions. These are questions that are intentionally unexpected, abstract, or only loosely related to the actual requirements of the role. Rather than systematically assessing job-relevant skills, they are designed to surprise candidates, test composure, or signal creativity. Interviewers often defend these questions as clever ways to evaluate problem-solving ability, cultural fit, or performance under pressure. The evidence tells a different story. Decades of research in industrial-organizational psychology show that unstructured, brainteaser-style interviews have low predictive validity. They generate noise, not insight. At best, they measure how comfortable someone is with improvisation. At worst, they measure how similar the candidate is to the interviewer. Cases in point To illustrate the point, here are some common examples, ordered from least absurd, or at least somewhat defensible, to most absurd: 1. What is your biggest weakness? Nominally job-related, though usually answered strategically rather than honestly. The only rational way to respond is to disguise a strength as a flaw. It is less a test of self-awareness than an audition for plausible humility. 2. Sell me this pen. Some relevance for sales roles, but still an artificial performance detached from real context. Popularized by The Wolf of Wall Street, it reinforces the myth that great sales is about fast talk rather than listening, diagnosing needs, and building trust. 3. Tell me about a time you failed. In principle, a legitimate behavioral question. In practice, often an invitation to narrate a carefully curated setback that highlights resilience, grit, and eventual triumph. It rewards storytelling ability more than learning agility. 4. How many tennis balls can fit inside a Boeing 747? A classic “guesstimate” puzzle meant to test structured thinking. Geeks may love it, but it predicts little beyond prior exposure to similar puzzles. If you want to measure cognitive ability, there are far more reliable and validated tools. 5. How many windows are there in New York City? Same logic, further removed from any realistic job task. For what it’s worth, large language models estimate the number in the tens of millions, depending on assumptions. Which illustrates the deeper point: if ChatGPT can answer it in seconds, why are we using it to judge human potential? 6. If you were an animal, which one would you be and why? A thinly veiled personality quiz. It feels like a BuzzFeed throwback disguised as talent assessment. The answer often reveals more about the interviewer’s projections than the candidate’s traits. 7. If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be? A pleasant icebreaker masquerading as a values assessment. It doubles as a signaling exercise: how curious, cultured, contrarian, or provocative can you appear in under 30 seconds? Say Nelson Mandela and you signal virtue. Say Steve Jobs and you signal ambition. Say Machiavelli and you signal strategic depth. But say Stalin and suddenly the interview turns into a moral inquiry. Was that intellectual curiosity, dark humor, or deeply questionable judgment? The question reveals less about your leadership potential than about your risk appetite for reputational self-sabotage. 8. If you were a kitchen utensil, which one would you be? At this point, the exercise has drifted into sheer parody – shows like The Office come to mind. Spoon suggests reliability. Knife signals edge. Spork implies versatility. The real variable being tested may simply be how badly you want the job, signaled by the fact that you haven’t just walked out of the room. The science So, what does the actual science of interviewing say? First, there is evidence that some interviewers are not merely misguided, but derive a certain Machiavellian pleasure from putting candidates on the spot. Research on interviewer behavior shows that individuals higher in everyday sadism or dominance are more likely to ask stress-inducing or intentionally uncomfortable questions. In other words, the brainteaser may sometimes be less about assessing you and more about interviewers’ enjoying the deviant power dynamic. Second, the predictive validity of unstructured interviews is consistently low. Meta-analyses spanning decades show that traditional, free-flowing interviews correlate only modestly with later job performance. The problem is not conversation per se, but inconsistency. Different candidates get different questions. Interviewers rely on intuition. Evaluation criteria shift midstream. The result is noise, bias, and overconfidence, and unfortunately, these issues often go undetected because of the subsequent confirmation bias or failure to admit mistakes by hiring managers. In essence, if an interviewer likes you, they will either continue to like you after you are hired or pretend you are doing a great job to avoid looking like a fool. By contrast, structured interviews work. The formula is hardly mysterious: define the competencies that matter for the job; ask all candidates the same job-relevant questions; anchor evaluations to predefined scoring rubrics; and combine interview data with other validated predictors such as cognitive ability or work samples. Behavioral questions about past actions and situational questions tied to realistic job scenarios consistently outperform seemingly clever riddles and quirky brain teasers. The role of AI And then there is AI, not so much the elephant in the room as the bull in the china shop, already rearranging the furniture while we are still debating the seating plan. In a world where candidates can rehearse flawless answers with generative tools, the theatrical interview becomes even more obsolete. Chatbots can generate polished responses to “biggest weakness” or “sell me this pen” in seconds. Ironically, the more predictable and formulaic the question, the easier it is to game. This raises the bar for employers: assessment must shift toward observable skills, simulations, job trials, and multi-source data. This does not mean interviews become irrelevant. It means they must evolve. When information is abundant and answers are cheap, the premium shifts from rehearsed narratives to demonstrated capability. Instead of asking candidates what they would do, employers can observe what they actually do: solve a real problem, analyze a live case, critique a flawed strategy, or collaborate with a future teammate. AI can help candidates prepare, but it cannot fully fake sustained performance in a realistic simulation. There is also a deeper irony. The very tools that allow candidates to polish their answers can help employers design better assessments. AI can assist in standardizing questions, generating competency-based scenarios, flagging bias in evaluation, and even predicting which interview questions correlate with outcomes. In other words, AI exposes the weakness of theatrical interviewing while simultaneously offering the tools to fix it. The real risk is not that candidates use AI. It is that employers fail to upgrade their methods accordingly. In sum, the future of interviewing is not about trickier questions. It is about better design. The uncomfortable truth is that quirky interview questions persist because they are fun, easy, and ego-affirming. But hiring is too important to be left to entertainment. If organizations are serious about talent, they must replace improvisational theatre with evidence-based assessments, and have the humility and self-critical honesty to truly test the outcome of their decisions to acknowledge when they are wrong, and make an effort to tweak things and improve. View the full article

The workplace presents a distinctive set of disclosure dilemmas, beginning with the strange fan dance of interviewing. We are trying to put our best foot forward; to convince our potential employer we’re a perfect fit and consummate professional, yet we’re asked, “What are your weaknesses?” and “What are the biggest mistakes you’ve made?” Even the seemingly laidback “So, tell me about yourself” can feel like a trap. Where should we start? There has been a lot of buzz in recent years about the benefits of “bringing your whole self” to work. There’s some evidence for those benefits. Letting others see more of you than you might ordinarily show them forges bonds, including in the workplace. We saw this in the early pandemic, when hardened leaders suddenly turned into endearing softies the moment their toddlers mischievously ran into their home offices. But for compartmentalizers who prefer to keep work and personal life separate, the “bring your whole self to work” movement can be something of a nightmare. For others, like me, it’s freeing. But this new terrain is filled with land mines, and it can be hard to know when you’re going to step on one. The question of how much of our authentic selves to share at work is a pivotal one. It’s also a difficult one to answer. We want to share enough to feel understood and connected to others, but not so much that we alienate people or cause them to question our competence or our seriousness. Making matters even more complicated, each workplace has its own culture and its own norms about the degree of ­self-disclosure that’s deemed appropriate. That doesn’t mean they’re clearly articulated, usually far from it. We must discover them. And by no means should everyone decide to simply conform to those norms; bucking them might be good not only for one’s own happiness and engagement at work, but for the whole team and for society at large. So how do we find the right balance? What are the trade-offs between being a little more open at work and keeping strict professional boundaries intact? How much “backstage access” can we give to our colleagues and our bosses without risking our workplace image? Backstage versus Front Stage: transparency versus vulnerability According to my colleague Monique Burns Thompson, who works closely with members of Gen Z, “Today’s generation craves a level of openness that is different from when I was a young professional.” New York University organizational scientist Julianna Pillemer’s research suggests that revealing aspects of our backstage selves at work, when done thoughtfully, can help us build rapport and stand out in a good way. In workplace contexts, she recommends what I’d call discerning authenticity—a balancing act that involves giving colleagues some, but not total, access to our inner lives. When done well, Pillemer argues, it helps build trust and sparks more meaningful conversations. Over time, this kind of thoughtful openness can deepen workplace relationships, enhance collaboration, and even improve performance. What does it mean to be discerningly ­authentic—to be open in a thoughtful way? Pillemer specifies two types of backstage access. The first, which she calls transparency, involves “conveying openness” by giving people a window into your thoughts, beliefs, or preferences. For example, you might say, “I’ve always been more drawn to the creative side of things, even though I’m technically in a data-heavy role.” This kind of sharing can carry some ­risk—especially if your perspective is unpopular or ­unexpected—but it generally offers only a glimpse beneath the surface. The second level of access, which Pillemer calls vulnerability, goes deeper and carries more risk. It involves “sharing potentially sensitive inner states such as intimate emotions,” especially negative ones—like admitting that you feel insecure about public speaking or disclosing a disability that might lead others to underestimate you. For instance, someone might say, “I get nervous presenting in front of senior leadership, even when I know the material cold” (reveal­ing a ­performance-related insecurity), or “This kind of ambiguity is tough for me. I like having more structure, and I’m trying to get more comfortable with the gray area” (revealing a trait that might not align with organizational norms). One shortcut I find helpful is to think of transparency as cognitive openness and vulnerability as emotional openness. In contexts where impressions really matter, the line between transparency and vulnerability becomes a strategic one. Pillemer doesn’t draw a hard line, but she emphasizes that vulnerability is riskier—especially in ­high stakes, evaluative settings like job interviews, where disclosing insecurities might chip away at perceptions of competence. If in doubt, transparency is the safer bet. Vulnerability should generally be avoided in those contexts unless, say, it’s framed as a story of growth or overcoming a challenge (“I used to struggle with public speaking, so I joined Toastmasters”). Even when you’re explicitly invited to share something ­personal—like in the dreaded “tell me about a weakness” question—transparency often does the trick. You might offer cognitive openness: “I think better in writing than I do speaking off the cuff.” You could also frame it as growth: “I’ve learned to prep more deliberately for meetings so I can articulate my ideas clearly in real time. But if you give me a moment to organize my thoughts, I’ll always bring sharper insight.” This kind of thoughtful disclosure lines up with what Pillemer would call transparency: revealing how your mind works in a way that’s candid but not risky. Vulnerability, by contrast, might involve admitting that you often doubt your abilities or fear being ­judged—disclosures that could raise red flags unless carefully framed. Still, even in ­high-stakes settings, being a bit more open can help. From Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing by Leslie John published on February 24, 2026 by Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2026 by Leslie John View the full article

Gold and Treasury yields rise as markets price in uncertainty over president’s trade agendaView the full article

Troubles at New York-based asset manager have made investors nervous about the wider industryView the full article

You’re interested in AI but you’re human: You’ve got emails to answer, deadlines to meet, and you don’t have 40 hours a week to sift through academic papers on large language models. You just want to know what’s happening, why it matters, and maybe how to use it to get home a little earlier. In that spirit, here are five AI podcasts to help you get smarter and stay informed without wasting your time. The AI Daily Brief For the busy professional who needs the headlines fast, there’s The AI Daily Brief. It’s usually about 20 minutes, which is perfect for the commute or while you’re brewing that second pot of coffee. Host Nathaniel Whittemore does a great job of cutting through the noise, but he doesn’t just read the news. He analyzes what the big moves by OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft actually mean for the rest of us. AI for Humans AI for Humans is for the “rest of us” who just want to have a good time learning. Hosted by Kevin Pereira and Gavin Purcell, this show is exactly what it says on the tin: AI news and tools explained by two guys who’ve been in the tech and media world forever but don’t take themselves too seriously. They demo new tools, they crack jokes, and they make the whole “impending robot takeover” feel a lot less scary. If you want to keep up with the latest without feeling like you’re sitting in a lecture hall, give this one a shot. Practical AI If you’re looking to actually get stuff done, check out Practical AI. The name says it all. Hosts Chris Benson and Daniel Whitenack aren’t here to wax poetic about the singularity. Instead, they talk about real-world applications. They interview people who are actually shipping AI products and solving real problems. Their podcast is accessible enough for enthusiasts but technical enough to be useful if you’re trying to implement this tech in your business. The Artificial Intelligence Show For marketers and business leaders, The Artificial Intelligence Show is required listening. Hosts Paul Roetzer and Mike Kaput from the Marketing AI Institute were beating the AI drum long before ChatGPT showed up. They look at AI through a business lens: How does the latest news change your career? How does it change your company? If you’re in marketing or management and you’re trying to figure out how to navigate the next five years, you’d be crazy not to listen. Eye On AI Eye On AI is a podcast for anyone interested in seeing the bigger picture. Hosted by longtime New York Times correspondent Craig S. Smith, this one slows things down a bit. It’s biweekly, and the interviews are deep. Smith talks to the researchers and people building AI systems to better understand the “why” and the “how.” It’s less about the “tool of the week” and more about understanding the fundamental shifts in the technology. It’s a great weekend listen when you’ve got a little more headspace. View the full article

If you’re looking to streamline your social media efforts, using post scheduling apps can be a pivotal factor. These tools help you automate your content distribution, analyze performance, and improve collaboration among team members. With options like SocialBee and Hootsuite, you can find features customized to your needs, whether that’s user-friendly interfaces or advanced analytics. Exploring these options will reveal how they can greatly enhance your social media strategy. Let’s examine each one closely. Key Takeaways SocialBee offers an AI copilot for strategy generation and automation, ideal for curating engaging content across major social networks. Pallyy provides a visual content focus with its Feed Planner, ensuring an aesthetically pleasing Instagram grid and easy scheduling. Sendible is scalable for agencies, featuring Smart Queues to automate post timing based on engagement metrics and integrates with design tools. Metricool includes a free plan with valuable analytics and competitor analysis, making it accessible for users looking to manage up to 50 posts/month. Agorapulse and Buffer streamline engagement with unified inboxes and user-friendly interfaces, catering to teams managing multiple accounts effectively. SocialBee When you’re looking to streamline your social media management, SocialBee stands out as a potent tool that simplifies content scheduling and curation. As a top recommendation for a post scheduler, it supports major networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. With its Instagram scheduling app, you can easily plan your posts and engage with your audience. SocialBee’s unique AI copilot aids in generating effective social media strategies and automating tasks, enhancing your efficiency. You can categorize posts, use a post variant feature, and leverage hashtag collections to organize and boost engagement. Moreover, its integration with tools like Canva and Unsplash allows you to create visually appealing content effortlessly. Pricing starts at $29/month with a 14-day free trial, making it the best post scheduling app to try. Pallyy Pallyy offers a streamlined solution for social media scheduling, particularly appealing for those focused on visual content platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Renowned as one of the best Instagram schedulers, it features a user-friendly drag-and-drop scheduling workflow that simplifies content planning. The Feed Planner helps you maintain an aesthetically pleasing Instagram grid, enhancing your visual branding. With a generous free plan, you can schedule up to 15 posts per month for one social set, making it accessible for individual creators and small businesses. Pallyy’s unified social inbox allows you to manage interactions across multiple platforms, streamlining engagement with followers. For those seeking more, the premium plan starts at $25/month, offering advanced analytics and customizable templates, making it a robust social marketing platform. Sendible Sendible stands out as a scalable social media scheduling tool, making it suitable for both agencies and individual users. It offers multiple client dashboards and a white label option for branding, which improves flexibility in managing various accounts. Sendible integrates seamlessly with popular media tools like Canva and Pexels, boosting your content creation and curation capabilities with features like Google News alerts and RSS feeds. The Smart Queues feature automates post scheduling, optimizing your posting times based on audience engagement. Furthermore, Sendible provides robust social listening and reporting features, giving you insights into content performance and audience interactions. Pricing starts at $29/month, and you can explore its functionalities with a 14-day free trial for new users. Metricool Metricool stands out with its user-friendly interface, making it easy for you to schedule and manage posts across multiple social media platforms. Its affordable pricing plans, including a free option for up to 50 posts per month, cater to various users, from individuals to businesses. Furthermore, the platform provides valuable analytics and insights, allowing you to track post performance and make informed decisions without breaking the bank. User-Friendly Interface Steering through the intricacies of social media management becomes considerably easier with a user-friendly interface like that of Metricool. You’ll find that its layout simplifies navigation, allowing you to manage multiple social media accounts effortlessly. The drag-and-drop planner is particularly helpful, making post scheduling accessible for everyone, even those with limited technical skills. Everything you need, from analytics to competitor insights, is available on a single dashboard, which improves your efficiency. Plus, the streamlined design minimizes clutter, letting you focus on content creation without distractions. If you’re part of a team, Metricool‘s intuitive interface supports seamless collaboration, making it ideal for agencies and businesses with multiple users working together on social media strategies. Affordable Pricing Plans Regarding social media management, affordability is a crucial factor for many users. Metricool offers a free plan that lets you schedule up to 50 posts per month across major platforms, though it excludes LinkedIn and Twitter analytics. If you need more features, paid plans start at just $22 per month, allowing for increased scheduling capabilities. Opting for annual payments provides a generous discount, making it a cost-effective solution for small businesses and individuals. The pricing structure is designed to cater to various user needs, ensuring that both free and paid plans deliver valuable tools for managing your social media. Furthermore, the free plan includes competitor analysis and three months of historical data, enhancing its value without extra costs. Analytics and Insights With a strong foundation in affordability, users can now leverage Metricool’s robust analytics and insights to improve their social media strategies. The platform offers extensive features, including competitor analysis, which allows you to benchmark your performance against industry peers. On the free plan, you can access three months of historical data, enabling you to track content performance over time without financial commitment. Metricool’s analytics cover engagement rates, audience growth, and post performance, guiding you to refine your strategies based on data-driven insights. Moreover, you can generate and download detailed reports for easy sharing. The Smart Links feature helps track click-through rates, providing valuable insights into audience behavior and the effectiveness of your content. Agorapulse Agorapulse serves as a robust social media management tool designed for agencies and brands, offering a unified inbox that streamlines the management of comments and messages across various platforms. This feature improves your engagement and response efficiency considerably. Here are some key benefits of using Agorapulse: Advanced Reporting: Analyze social media performance and engagement metrics effectively for strategic planning. Social Media Monitoring: Track brand mentions and keywords to enhance reputation management and competitive analysis. Collaboration Features: Facilitate seamless management of posts, approvals, and workflows among team members, ideal for larger teams. With pricing starting at $69 per month, Agorapulse provides an all-encompassing feature set designed for social media marketers and agencies managing multiple clients. Buffer Buffer stands out as a user-friendly social media scheduling tool that effectively helps individuals and small businesses manage multiple accounts across various platforms. Its simple interface allows you to easily schedule posts, analyze performance, and track engagement metrics without needing advanced technical skills. Buffer offers a free plan with basic scheduling features, whereas paid plans start at $15 per month, providing improved analytics and engagement tracking capabilities. The tool seamlessly integrates with a browser extension, allowing for quick content sharing, which boosts your social media management efficiency. Users often praise Buffer for its straightforward scheduling process, even if it may lack some advanced features found in more all-encompassing tools, making it ideal for those seeking simplicity in their social media strategy. Hootsuite Hootsuite stands out as a thorough social media management tool that combines scheduling, monitoring, and analytics across various platforms like Facebook and Twitter. You’ll find its team collaboration features particularly useful, allowing seamless communication and engagement tracking. Although Hootsuite‘s pricing might be on the higher side, its extensive capabilities make it a solid choice for larger organizations looking to improve their social media strategies. Comprehensive Management Features Effective social media management requires a tool that combines various features into one platform, and Hootsuite thrives in this area. With Hootsuite, you can streamline your efforts and improve your strategies through its extensive management features: Multi-stream view: Track engagement across various social media platforms simultaneously, making it easier to manage multiple feeds. Social listening tools: Respond to comments and messages directly from the dashboard, enhancing your engagement efficiency. Analytics and reporting: Analyze social media performance to gain insights into audience behavior and content effectiveness. Additionally, Hootsuite integrates with third-party apps, allowing you to manage paid ads and marketing efforts centrally. Its auto-scheduling and content publishing features save you time by automating posts across multiple channels effectively. Team Collaboration Tools Collaboration is key when managing social media accounts, especially for larger teams or agencies. Hootsuite offers robust team collaboration features that allow multiple users to manage accounts efficiently. Its unified inbox consolidates messages and comments from various channels, streamlining communication among team members. With approval workflows, you can guarantee that content goes through a review process before publication, helping maintain brand consistency. Furthermore, Hootsuite enables you to assign specific tasks to team members, cultivating effective delegation and accountability within your campaigns. The platform supports real-time collaboration, allowing teams to work together on posts and strategies seamlessly. These features improve overall productivity and engagement, making Hootsuite an excellent choice for organizations looking to optimize their social media management efforts. Pricing and Plans When managing social media accounts, comprehension of pricing and plans is vital for maximizing your investment in tools like Hootsuite. The platform offers various options to fit different needs and budgets: A free plan for 30 days lets you explore its features before committing. Paid plans start at $19/month per social set, with costs increasing based on user numbers and features. A 14-day free trial for paid plans allows you to test all functionalities before making a financial decision. Hootsuite’s pricing structure varies considerably based on the number of accounts and additional features required, so it’s important to evaluate your specific social media management needs before selecting a plan that works best for you. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the Best App to Schedule Social Media Posts? Choosing the best app to schedule social media posts depends on your needs. If you want strong content curation, consider SocialBee. For visual platforms like Instagram, Pallyy is user-friendly. Sendible is great for managing multiple clients with features like Google News alerts. Metricool offers a budget-friendly option with a drag-and-drop planner, whereas Agorapulse focuses on advanced reporting and collaboration for agencies. Evaluate these options based on your specific requirements and budget. What Is the Best App to Post to All Social Media at Once? If you want to post to all your social media accounts at once, consider apps like SocialBee and Sendible. SocialBee offers vast content curation features, whereas Sendible integrates well with tools like Canva. Metricool allows batch scheduling and provides a free plan, making it accessible. Buffer simplifies scheduling but lacks advanced analytics in its free version. Hootsuite provides thorough management features, though it starts at a higher price point. Choose based on your specific needs. What’s a Good Social Media Posting Schedule? A good social media posting schedule typically involves posting 1-2 times daily on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, whereas Twitter may require 3-5 tweets. Aim to post during peak times, such as between 10 AM and 2 PM on weekdays for Instagram. Consistency is essential, as regular posting can boost engagement rates considerably. Utilize analytics tools to track audience activity, and consider A/B testing different times to refine your strategy effectively. Which Tool Is Best for Managing and Scheduling Social Media Posts Across Multiple Platforms? When deciding on a tool for managing and scheduling social media posts across multiple platforms, consider your specific needs. Tools like SocialBee and Sendible offer robust features for agencies, whereas Pallyy’s focus on visual content suits Instagram and TikTok users. If analytics and competitor research are important, Metricool could be beneficial. For Instagram-centric strategies, Later‘s visual planning and optimization features might help improve your engagement. Evaluate these options based on your priorities. Conclusion Choosing the right post scheduling app can greatly improve your social media strategy. Each of the seven tools—SocialBee, Pallyy, Sendible, Metricool, Agorapulse, Buffer, and Hootsuite—offers distinct features that cater to various needs. By automating your postings and utilizing advanced analytics, you can streamline your content management and boost audience engagement. Evaluating each app’s capabilities will help you select the best fit for your brand, eventually leading to increased efficiency and a stronger online presence. Image via Google Gemini This article, "7 Best Post Scheduling Apps to Maximize Your Social Media Strategy" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

If you’re looking to streamline your social media efforts, using post scheduling apps can be a pivotal factor. These tools help you automate your content distribution, analyze performance, and improve collaboration among team members. With options like SocialBee and Hootsuite, you can find features customized to your needs, whether that’s user-friendly interfaces or advanced analytics. Exploring these options will reveal how they can greatly enhance your social media strategy. Let’s examine each one closely. Key Takeaways SocialBee offers an AI copilot for strategy generation and automation, ideal for curating engaging content across major social networks. Pallyy provides a visual content focus with its Feed Planner, ensuring an aesthetically pleasing Instagram grid and easy scheduling. Sendible is scalable for agencies, featuring Smart Queues to automate post timing based on engagement metrics and integrates with design tools. Metricool includes a free plan with valuable analytics and competitor analysis, making it accessible for users looking to manage up to 50 posts/month. Agorapulse and Buffer streamline engagement with unified inboxes and user-friendly interfaces, catering to teams managing multiple accounts effectively. SocialBee When you’re looking to streamline your social media management, SocialBee stands out as a potent tool that simplifies content scheduling and curation. As a top recommendation for a post scheduler, it supports major networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. With its Instagram scheduling app, you can easily plan your posts and engage with your audience. SocialBee’s unique AI copilot aids in generating effective social media strategies and automating tasks, enhancing your efficiency. You can categorize posts, use a post variant feature, and leverage hashtag collections to organize and boost engagement. Moreover, its integration with tools like Canva and Unsplash allows you to create visually appealing content effortlessly. Pricing starts at $29/month with a 14-day free trial, making it the best post scheduling app to try. Pallyy Pallyy offers a streamlined solution for social media scheduling, particularly appealing for those focused on visual content platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Renowned as one of the best Instagram schedulers, it features a user-friendly drag-and-drop scheduling workflow that simplifies content planning. The Feed Planner helps you maintain an aesthetically pleasing Instagram grid, enhancing your visual branding. With a generous free plan, you can schedule up to 15 posts per month for one social set, making it accessible for individual creators and small businesses. Pallyy’s unified social inbox allows you to manage interactions across multiple platforms, streamlining engagement with followers. For those seeking more, the premium plan starts at $25/month, offering advanced analytics and customizable templates, making it a robust social marketing platform. Sendible Sendible stands out as a scalable social media scheduling tool, making it suitable for both agencies and individual users. It offers multiple client dashboards and a white label option for branding, which improves flexibility in managing various accounts. Sendible integrates seamlessly with popular media tools like Canva and Pexels, boosting your content creation and curation capabilities with features like Google News alerts and RSS feeds. The Smart Queues feature automates post scheduling, optimizing your posting times based on audience engagement. Furthermore, Sendible provides robust social listening and reporting features, giving you insights into content performance and audience interactions. Pricing starts at $29/month, and you can explore its functionalities with a 14-day free trial for new users. Metricool Metricool stands out with its user-friendly interface, making it easy for you to schedule and manage posts across multiple social media platforms. Its affordable pricing plans, including a free option for up to 50 posts per month, cater to various users, from individuals to businesses. Furthermore, the platform provides valuable analytics and insights, allowing you to track post performance and make informed decisions without breaking the bank. User-Friendly Interface Steering through the intricacies of social media management becomes considerably easier with a user-friendly interface like that of Metricool. You’ll find that its layout simplifies navigation, allowing you to manage multiple social media accounts effortlessly. The drag-and-drop planner is particularly helpful, making post scheduling accessible for everyone, even those with limited technical skills. Everything you need, from analytics to competitor insights, is available on a single dashboard, which improves your efficiency. Plus, the streamlined design minimizes clutter, letting you focus on content creation without distractions. If you’re part of a team, Metricool‘s intuitive interface supports seamless collaboration, making it ideal for agencies and businesses with multiple users working together on social media strategies. Affordable Pricing Plans Regarding social media management, affordability is a crucial factor for many users. Metricool offers a free plan that lets you schedule up to 50 posts per month across major platforms, though it excludes LinkedIn and Twitter analytics. If you need more features, paid plans start at just $22 per month, allowing for increased scheduling capabilities. Opting for annual payments provides a generous discount, making it a cost-effective solution for small businesses and individuals. The pricing structure is designed to cater to various user needs, ensuring that both free and paid plans deliver valuable tools for managing your social media. Furthermore, the free plan includes competitor analysis and three months of historical data, enhancing its value without extra costs. Analytics and Insights With a strong foundation in affordability, users can now leverage Metricool’s robust analytics and insights to improve their social media strategies. The platform offers extensive features, including competitor analysis, which allows you to benchmark your performance against industry peers. On the free plan, you can access three months of historical data, enabling you to track content performance over time without financial commitment. Metricool’s analytics cover engagement rates, audience growth, and post performance, guiding you to refine your strategies based on data-driven insights. Moreover, you can generate and download detailed reports for easy sharing. The Smart Links feature helps track click-through rates, providing valuable insights into audience behavior and the effectiveness of your content. Agorapulse Agorapulse serves as a robust social media management tool designed for agencies and brands, offering a unified inbox that streamlines the management of comments and messages across various platforms. This feature improves your engagement and response efficiency considerably. Here are some key benefits of using Agorapulse: Advanced Reporting: Analyze social media performance and engagement metrics effectively for strategic planning. Social Media Monitoring: Track brand mentions and keywords to enhance reputation management and competitive analysis. Collaboration Features: Facilitate seamless management of posts, approvals, and workflows among team members, ideal for larger teams. With pricing starting at $69 per month, Agorapulse provides an all-encompassing feature set designed for social media marketers and agencies managing multiple clients. Buffer Buffer stands out as a user-friendly social media scheduling tool that effectively helps individuals and small businesses manage multiple accounts across various platforms. Its simple interface allows you to easily schedule posts, analyze performance, and track engagement metrics without needing advanced technical skills. Buffer offers a free plan with basic scheduling features, whereas paid plans start at $15 per month, providing improved analytics and engagement tracking capabilities. The tool seamlessly integrates with a browser extension, allowing for quick content sharing, which boosts your social media management efficiency. Users often praise Buffer for its straightforward scheduling process, even if it may lack some advanced features found in more all-encompassing tools, making it ideal for those seeking simplicity in their social media strategy. Hootsuite Hootsuite stands out as a thorough social media management tool that combines scheduling, monitoring, and analytics across various platforms like Facebook and Twitter. You’ll find its team collaboration features particularly useful, allowing seamless communication and engagement tracking. Although Hootsuite‘s pricing might be on the higher side, its extensive capabilities make it a solid choice for larger organizations looking to improve their social media strategies. Comprehensive Management Features Effective social media management requires a tool that combines various features into one platform, and Hootsuite thrives in this area. With Hootsuite, you can streamline your efforts and improve your strategies through its extensive management features: Multi-stream view: Track engagement across various social media platforms simultaneously, making it easier to manage multiple feeds. Social listening tools: Respond to comments and messages directly from the dashboard, enhancing your engagement efficiency. Analytics and reporting: Analyze social media performance to gain insights into audience behavior and content effectiveness. Additionally, Hootsuite integrates with third-party apps, allowing you to manage paid ads and marketing efforts centrally. Its auto-scheduling and content publishing features save you time by automating posts across multiple channels effectively. Team Collaboration Tools Collaboration is key when managing social media accounts, especially for larger teams or agencies. Hootsuite offers robust team collaboration features that allow multiple users to manage accounts efficiently. Its unified inbox consolidates messages and comments from various channels, streamlining communication among team members. With approval workflows, you can guarantee that content goes through a review process before publication, helping maintain brand consistency. Furthermore, Hootsuite enables you to assign specific tasks to team members, cultivating effective delegation and accountability within your campaigns. The platform supports real-time collaboration, allowing teams to work together on posts and strategies seamlessly. These features improve overall productivity and engagement, making Hootsuite an excellent choice for organizations looking to optimize their social media management efforts. Pricing and Plans When managing social media accounts, comprehension of pricing and plans is vital for maximizing your investment in tools like Hootsuite. The platform offers various options to fit different needs and budgets: A free plan for 30 days lets you explore its features before committing. Paid plans start at $19/month per social set, with costs increasing based on user numbers and features. A 14-day free trial for paid plans allows you to test all functionalities before making a financial decision. Hootsuite’s pricing structure varies considerably based on the number of accounts and additional features required, so it’s important to evaluate your specific social media management needs before selecting a plan that works best for you. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the Best App to Schedule Social Media Posts? Choosing the best app to schedule social media posts depends on your needs. If you want strong content curation, consider SocialBee. For visual platforms like Instagram, Pallyy is user-friendly. Sendible is great for managing multiple clients with features like Google News alerts. Metricool offers a budget-friendly option with a drag-and-drop planner, whereas Agorapulse focuses on advanced reporting and collaboration for agencies. Evaluate these options based on your specific requirements and budget. What Is the Best App to Post to All Social Media at Once? If you want to post to all your social media accounts at once, consider apps like SocialBee and Sendible. SocialBee offers vast content curation features, whereas Sendible integrates well with tools like Canva. Metricool allows batch scheduling and provides a free plan, making it accessible. Buffer simplifies scheduling but lacks advanced analytics in its free version. Hootsuite provides thorough management features, though it starts at a higher price point. Choose based on your specific needs. What’s a Good Social Media Posting Schedule? A good social media posting schedule typically involves posting 1-2 times daily on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, whereas Twitter may require 3-5 tweets. Aim to post during peak times, such as between 10 AM and 2 PM on weekdays for Instagram. Consistency is essential, as regular posting can boost engagement rates considerably. Utilize analytics tools to track audience activity, and consider A/B testing different times to refine your strategy effectively. Which Tool Is Best for Managing and Scheduling Social Media Posts Across Multiple Platforms? When deciding on a tool for managing and scheduling social media posts across multiple platforms, consider your specific needs. Tools like SocialBee and Sendible offer robust features for agencies, whereas Pallyy’s focus on visual content suits Instagram and TikTok users. If analytics and competitor research are important, Metricool could be beneficial. For Instagram-centric strategies, Later‘s visual planning and optimization features might help improve your engagement. Evaluate these options based on your priorities. Conclusion Choosing the right post scheduling app can greatly improve your social media strategy. Each of the seven tools—SocialBee, Pallyy, Sendible, Metricool, Agorapulse, Buffer, and Hootsuite—offers distinct features that cater to various needs. By automating your postings and utilizing advanced analytics, you can streamline your content management and boost audience engagement. Evaluating each app’s capabilities will help you select the best fit for your brand, eventually leading to increased efficiency and a stronger online presence. Image via Google Gemini This article, "7 Best Post Scheduling Apps to Maximize Your Social Media Strategy" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Employee was upset they had to use PTO for bereavement leave A few years ago, I worked at a large nonprofit that had generous PTO, but no other “buckets” of time. Sick, vacation, family care, all time off fell under PTO. One of my reports was caring for a terminally ill relative. Our working relationship was a bit tense as I was having productivity issues from this person, but I tried to separate those conversations and be supportive and offered them any time off they needed (though minimal to none was taken that I can remember.) Unfortunately, the family member passed. I told them to take all the time they needed. I remember them saying X days and then calling back for more time. Each time, I told them, “Of course, take what you need.” We sent flowers and a fruit basket. This was during a major project due date and the December holidays, and I had to take up the slack and also cover holes in the staff member’s work that I discovered along the way. I said nothing to them about having to do this. After two weeks, they called to check in again and said they would come back on Monday. Monday morning came and we had our normal 1:1 scheduled. From go, they were hostile. They said they were very upset that they had to use so much PTO (two weeks) for their bereavement and that staff shouldn’t have to use PTO at all for bereavement. I was shocked. Here I was thinking I was being supportive by encouraging this amount (and more) and covering both positions and they were mad. I think I said something about being sorry the PTO system didn’t have buckets but that they were free to take as much time as needed. I suspect this person was saving all their PTO to be paid out when they leave. They had oodles of time available (over 200 hours?) even after the two weeks. I was pretty offended, but in hindsight, could I have handled this differently? Were they clear ahead of time that the leave you were encouraging them to take would come out of their PTO or did they assume the company offered separate bereavement leave? If they assumed the latter and then discovered after the fact that it was being deducted from their PTO balance, I can see them being upset and feeling like while you were encouraging them to take all that time, you should have made sure they understood that it wasn’t separate bereavement leave. “Take all the time you need” doesn’t necessarily mean “and we will subtract it from your PTO”; in some companies it means “this is an unusual situation, someone died, and we are handling it separately from our normal policies.” It’s pretty normal for companies to offer separate bereavement leave so it’s not surprising that your employee didn’t know that. (That said, it’s also true that bereavement leave is usually only a few days, not two weeks. The idea isn’t to provide enough time for full grieving — that would be months/years! — but to provide time for some of the logistical things that come up around a family death.) On the other hand, if they definitely knew it was coming out of their PTO the whole time and were just expressing that they disagreed with that policy, the hostility was misplaced — but they were grieving, grieving people often have strong emotions come up around all sorts of things, and it makes sense to cut them some slack on that (within reason). 2. My boss socializes with my husband and leaves me out My boss texts my husband, who they met through me, to make weekend plans (for example, to watch movies at my boss’s house). Not only am I not copied on the text, I’m also not invited . I’m keeping this gender-neutral because I suspect the answer is different for men vs women. I’m not worried they’re having sex but my relationship with my boss isn’t great, and I need my marriage to not overlap with work. I wish I could stop this but I can’t afford to piss off my boss and don’t want to lose my marriage. This is something to address with your husband! If you don’t want your marriage to overlap with your work life — which is very reasonable — you’ve got to talk to your husband and explain that. If your husband disregards that, it’s squarely a marriage issue. To be clear, your boss is being weird too — why on earth are they pursuing a social relationship with an employee’s spouse, particularly an employee who they have a a strained relationship with? — but the best person to resolve it with is your husband. 3. I’m doing most of the work on my volunteer team I’m in a voluntary role in a team of five for a national nonprofit. Three members joined a couple of months ago and two (including me) have been here for almost a year. We do not have a dedicated leadership role and are expected to share equally in the work. We are familiar with our tasks and duties. As the person who has volunteered to do most of the systems and communications problem-solving, it seems I have inadvertently become the “leader.” The goal for this team is for us to share equally in task allocation, but this is not happening and, so far, I have done most of the work. I’m keen to make the three new staff members welcome and show them the ropes, but I’m not available to do everything (this is voluntary). I am expecting everyone to engage and respond to calls-out for tasks, but I’m not seeing this. I do have an annoying habit of being the first to respond to tasks that come through, and I think this is reinforcing my leadership role. The point of this voluntary work is to allow those who are interested to gain some relevant experience and make a positive contribution to this area of service. If I am taking on most of the tasks, I am blocking the opportunities of others to achieve their goals in this area. I’m also starting to feel like I dominate and this seems to be actively deterring engagement. How can I change my behavior to encourage my other team mates to get involved in upcoming tasks and contribute equally? Make a point of not responding first. Hang back and wait to see if others step up if given the room to. If you let some time go by and no one has responded to claim a task, then instead of claiming it yourself, ask, “Is anyone up for taking this?” or “We still need someone to claim this — does anyone want to?” I have the same tendency to just see stuff and do it, but people work at different paces and you may be claiming the work before they’ve even seen it needs to be done. If you don’t force yourself to hang back and give your teammates room to take things themselves, you’re absolutely going to reinforce (and probably worsen) the existing dynamics. If you do this for a while and nothing changes, then you need to talk to whoever above you organizes your team (unless you’re happy just handling everything yourself or leaving things undone) — but step one is to give people more room to participate, because right now you don’t know whether they will or not. 4. I’m concerned about my safety working alone on weekends My office just moved to a new space that does not have a security presence on my weekend work hours. That means I will be alone in an approximately 30,000 square feet building, with security cameras and badge readers as my sole protection. The office is located in an office park surrounded by a densely wooded area. I want to draft a letter expressing my concern for safety. I do wear an electronic device that reads my heart activity, so if there is an emergency situation, it would alert Emergency Services, but what good would that do if they cannot enter the building, utilize the elevator, or access my office suite? What do you think? Am I overthinking this? I don’t think you’re wrong to have concerns, but I think you need to figure out specifically what you want to ask for, and then have a conversation with your boss rather than writing a letter. Do you want to work from home or a different location on the weekends? Have a panic button that alerts someone who can access the building? Be assured that emergency responders can access the building when needed? Something else? Start there, and then talk to your boss. 5. Writing my own job description when interviewing for an undefined role I am in the middle of a job search after a layoff due to restructuring. It’s been rough! Luckily, I’ve build an amazing network over the last several years, and many people have been willing to chat or connect me with other contacts. I was recently connected with an organization that is building a team that aligns really well with my skillset. I’ve had several interviews and believe they went well, but I’ve been interviewing without job descriptions for positions that still haven’t fully been defined. It would be a higher level role and, while the specifics haven’t been written out, it’s clear that this organization is ready to grow. This has made the interviews conversational but also difficult since I can’t speak to specific skills or requirements. It’s been a while since my last interview with this group, and I was chatting with a former boss who mentioned they actually wrote and submitted a proposed position to a potential employer to see if the role resonated with them. I really like this idea, as it can show that you’re listening to what they need as an organization and maybe move things along in the process if role is new. I think if it’s well written, this would be a great way to reconnect and show initiative. Is this a good idea? Yes! If the job hasn’t been clearly defined but through your conversations with them you’ve developed a good sense of what they need and how a role could be structured, it can be helpful to write that up and say something like, “From our conversations, my sense is that the role could look like this.” It demonstrates your takeaways from those conversations, and it gives them something concrete to consider and respond to (and if done well, ideally can elicit a response of, “Yes! This person gets what we need”). The post employee was upset they had to use PTO for bereavement, boss is friends with my husband, and more appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

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Website personalization is the practice of tailoring online experiences to individual users based on their unique preferences and behaviors. By analyzing data such as browsing history, demographics, and interactions, businesses can adjust content in real time. For instance, a user might see specific product recommendations or personalized messaging that aligns with their interests. Comprehending how this process works can greatly impact user engagement and conversion rates, making it crucial for businesses to explore further. Key Takeaways Website personalization creates unique online experiences tailored to individual visitors based on their preferences and browsing behaviors. It uses data gathering methods, such as browsing history and demographics, to inform customization. Customer data platforms (CDPs) and AI analyze user data for real-time adjustments in content and recommendations. Effective personalization can boost revenue by 10-15% and improve customer loyalty significantly. Challenges include limitations from cookies, outdated technology, and complex audience targeting that must be addressed for successful implementation. What Is Website Personalization? Website personalization refers to the process of creating unique online experiences customized to individual visitors based on their browsing behavior, preferences, and demographics. This technique involves customizing website content—such as images, banners, and recommendations—to engage users effectively. With 71% of consumers expecting personalized experiences online, it’s crucial for Google to implement strategies that resonate. By utilizing data from customer data platforms (CDPs) alongside AI and machine learning, companies can optimize user pathways and deliver dynamic, personalized website content. These efforts not only improve user engagement but also drive a 10-15% revenue lift. Furthermore, 62% of companies report improved customer loyalty post-personalization, further emphasizing the significance of creating customized online experiences. How Does Website Personalization Work? Website personalization works by gathering data about your preferences and behaviors through various collection methods, such as browsing history and demographics. This information is processed using personalization tools and software, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, to create customized experiences. Data Collection Methods How do businesses customize their online experiences to meet individual customer needs? They rely on effective data collection methods, utilizing web personalization tools to gather insights from user interactions, browsing history, and demographics. Customer data platforms (CDPs) play an essential role in this website personalization strategy, allowing companies to collect first-party data directly from users. Geolocation data improves relevance by aligning content with local interests, as well as behavioral data, like clicks and time spent on pages, which reveals user preferences. Advanced technologies, including AI and machine learning, analyze this collected data to predict user behavior, enabling dynamic content adjustments in real-time. By employing these methods, IBM can create customized experiences that resonate with their audience. Personalization Tools and Software To create customized online experiences, businesses rely on advanced personalization tools and software that integrate customer data platforms (CDPs) with AI and machine learning algorithms. These website personalization tools dynamically adjust content based on visitors’ browsing history, demographics, and past purchases. By leveraging valuable user data, businesses can effectively segment their audience and deliver targeted messaging in real-time. Key features of these tools include: A/B testing capabilities to refine strategies and improve user engagement. Real-time updates that modify banners, recommendations, and navigation options. Seamless integration across channels, including email marketing and social media. Utilizing these personalization tools allows companies to create cohesive user experiences that greatly enhance customer journeys and drive conversions. Dynamic Content Delivery Dynamic content delivery plays a crucial role in enhancing the user experience on websites by customizing information to individual preferences and behaviors. By leveraging customer data, such as browsing history and preferences, web personalization guarantees users encounter relevant information during their visit. Personalization tools utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to analyze user behavior in real-time, adjusting content, images, and recommendations accordingly. Feature Description Impact Personalized Offers Customized promotions based on user interests Increases conversion rates Customized Landing Pages Content aligned with user inquiries Reduces bounce rates Product Recommendations Suggestions based on past purchases Boosts average order value This method can drive a 10-15% revenue lift, showcasing the effectiveness of website personalization tools. Benefits of Website Personalization Website personalization offers notable advantages that can transform how businesses engage with their customers, especially in an era where customized experiences are increasingly expected. The benefits of website personalization are substantial and can elevate your web personalization strategy. Here are three key benefits: Increased Revenue: Personalization can drive a revenue increase of 10-15% by aligning offers with consumer preferences. Improved Customer Loyalty: Businesses that implement personalization report a 62% rise in customer loyalty, creating deeper connections with consumers. Higher Conversion Rates: Personalized recommendations lead to higher conversion rates, with 63% of smartphone users preferring relevant suggestions customized to their interests. These advantages demonstrate how effective personalization can greatly improve business performance and customer satisfaction. Examples of Website Personalization When you visit an e-commerce site like Amazon, you often see personalized product recommendations based on your past purchases and browsing history, which can greatly improve your shopping experience. Similarly, customized landing pages, such as those found on Booking.com, display hotel suggestions that match your geolocation, making it easier for you to find relevant options. These examples illustrate how effective website personalization can streamline user interactions and enhance overall satisfaction. Personalized Product Recommendations Personalized product recommendations stand out as a crucial aspect of modern e-commerce, leveraging algorithms to improve the shopping experience. By analyzing your browsing history and past purchases, these recommendations suggest items that align with your interests, increasing the likelihood of conversion. Here are three key benefits: Enhanced Engagement: Personalized home pages showcase items relevant to you, making your shopping experience smoother. Increased Sales: Recommendations broaden awareness of complementary products, encouraging you to discover related items, like coffee-related goods if you’ve added coffee mugs to your cart. Customer Satisfaction: Studies show that 63% of consumers prefer relevant recommendations, underscoring the importance of web content personalization in cultivating loyalty and satisfaction. Tailored Landing Pages Customized landing pages play a pivotal role in enhancing user experiences by delivering content and offers that align with your specific interests and behaviors. By utilizing site personalization tools, brands can analyze your browsing history and demographic data to create bespoke landing pages. For example, if you search for “summer dresses,” you might land on a page showcasing a curated selection of summer apparel, improving relevance and reducing bounce rates. This personalized website design can lead to a conversion rate increase of up to 300%, highlighting the effectiveness of custom content. Companies leveraging bespoke landing pages often report a 10-15% lift in revenue, demonstrating the significant financial benefits of investing in these engaging user experiences. Challenges of Website Personalization Website personalization faces several significant challenges that can impede its effectiveness. Comprehending these obstacles is critical for maximizing your site personalization efforts. Here are three key challenges: Consumer privacy initiatives: The banning of third-party cookies limits your ability to collect external browsing data, which is fundamental for effective website personalisation. Data integration difficulties: Many organizations rely on outdated technology frameworks, resulting in ineffective data sharing and hindering personalized content delivery. Complexity of implementation: Translating successful offline personalization strategies into digital formats can be challenging, making it difficult to identify target audiences for personalized messaging. Addressing these issues is essential to improve the overall effectiveness of your website personalization strategies and boost user engagement. Strategies for Effective Website Personalization To create effective strategies for website personalization, you need to focus on real-time audience targeting that considers user behaviors and interests. By utilizing web personalization tools, you can analyze user data for improved targeting accuracy, ensuring content resonates with specific visitor segments. Continuous measurement and improvement of personalized experiences are crucial; track performance metrics and adjust based on user engagement data. Implement targeted messaging and A/B testing to refine your tactics, encouraging community engagement through customized content. Strategy Description Example Real-time Targeting Analyze user behavior for immediate personalization Show relevant products based on recent views Dynamic Customer Profiles Utilize past behaviors for customized experiences Recommend items similar to previous purchases Continuous Improvement Measure performance and adjust strategies regularly Track user engagement metrics to optimize content Technology Integration Leverage analytics tools and machine learning Automate content delivery based on user data User Engagement Implement feedback loops and targeted messaging Use surveys to refine website experience Discovering Your Audience How can you effectively discover your audience and customize experiences that resonate with their interests? By leveraging real-time data and insights, you can create a more personalized homepage that aligns with user preferences. Here are three key strategies: Analyze Valuable User Data: Collect data on demographics, past purchases, and geolocation to build dynamic customer profiles. Monitor Browsing Behaviors: Track visitors’ actions on your site to understand their interests and segment them into subgroups for targeted content. Engage with Relevant Offers: Utilize website customization to deliver customized recommendations and promotions that resonate with individual users. Continuous Measurement and Improvement Effective continuous measurement and improvement of website personalization guarantees that your strategies remain relevant and impactful. By regularly evaluating the performance of personalized experiences, you can identify what resonates most with users, securing the best personalized homepage for your audience. Analyzing user engagement metrics helps you refine personalization strategies, nurturing a culture of ongoing optimization. Implementing A/B testing allows you to experiment with different tactics, determining which variations drive higher engagement and sales. Monitoring key performance indicators, such as conversion rates and bounce rates, lets you adjust your efforts based on real-time data. A data-driven approach to personalizing your homepage guarantees your strategies evolve with changing visitor preferences, eventually leading to more effective and targeted customer experiences. Frequently Asked Questions How Does Website Personalization Work? Website personalization works by utilizing data from customer interactions, such as browsing history and demographics, to tailor experiences to individual users. You’ll encounter customized content, product recommendations, and targeted messaging based on your preferences. Technologies like AI and machine learning analyze this data in real-time, allowing websites to adapt dynamically. What Is an Example of Website Personalization? An example of website personalization is how Amazon recommends products based on your past purchases and browsing history. When you visit the site, you’ll see suggestions customized to your shopping habits, enhancing your experience. Similarly, Spotify analyzes your listening habits to create personalized playlists, whereas Booking.com uses your IP address to show relevant lodging options. These customized experiences aim to increase engagement and improve user satisfaction by meeting individual preferences. What Are the Four Ds of Personalization? The Four Ds of personalization are Data, Design, Delivery, and Dynamic content. Data involves collecting user information, such as browsing history and demographics, to tailor experiences. Design focuses on creating user-centric web interfaces that resonate with specific audience segments. Delivery guarantees personalized content reaches users through ideal channels and timing, whereas Dynamic content allows real-time adjustments based on user interactions, providing unique experiences aligned with individual preferences and behaviors. What Does It Mean When Etsy Asks for Personalization? When Etsy asks for personalization, it means they want specific details or preferences from you to tailor product recommendations. This could include selecting colors, sizes, or adding custom messages to items. Conclusion In conclusion, website personalization tailors online experiences to individual users by leveraging data on their behavior and preferences. This approach improves user engagement and can greatly boost revenue and customer loyalty. By comprehending your audience and implementing effective strategies, you can create a more relevant and appealing website. Nevertheless, it is crucial to continuously measure and improve your personalization efforts to adapt to changing user needs and preferences, ensuring ongoing success in your digital marketing strategies. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Is Website Personalization and How Does It Work?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Website personalization is the practice of tailoring online experiences to individual users based on their unique preferences and behaviors. By analyzing data such as browsing history, demographics, and interactions, businesses can adjust content in real time. For instance, a user might see specific product recommendations or personalized messaging that aligns with their interests. Comprehending how this process works can greatly impact user engagement and conversion rates, making it crucial for businesses to explore further. Key Takeaways Website personalization creates unique online experiences tailored to individual visitors based on their preferences and browsing behaviors. It uses data gathering methods, such as browsing history and demographics, to inform customization. Customer data platforms (CDPs) and AI analyze user data for real-time adjustments in content and recommendations. Effective personalization can boost revenue by 10-15% and improve customer loyalty significantly. Challenges include limitations from cookies, outdated technology, and complex audience targeting that must be addressed for successful implementation. What Is Website Personalization? Website personalization refers to the process of creating unique online experiences customized to individual visitors based on their browsing behavior, preferences, and demographics. This technique involves customizing website content—such as images, banners, and recommendations—to engage users effectively. With 71% of consumers expecting personalized experiences online, it’s crucial for Google to implement strategies that resonate. By utilizing data from customer data platforms (CDPs) alongside AI and machine learning, companies can optimize user pathways and deliver dynamic, personalized website content. These efforts not only improve user engagement but also drive a 10-15% revenue lift. Furthermore, 62% of companies report improved customer loyalty post-personalization, further emphasizing the significance of creating customized online experiences. How Does Website Personalization Work? Website personalization works by gathering data about your preferences and behaviors through various collection methods, such as browsing history and demographics. This information is processed using personalization tools and software, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, to create customized experiences. Data Collection Methods How do businesses customize their online experiences to meet individual customer needs? They rely on effective data collection methods, utilizing web personalization tools to gather insights from user interactions, browsing history, and demographics. Customer data platforms (CDPs) play an essential role in this website personalization strategy, allowing companies to collect first-party data directly from users. Geolocation data improves relevance by aligning content with local interests, as well as behavioral data, like clicks and time spent on pages, which reveals user preferences. Advanced technologies, including AI and machine learning, analyze this collected data to predict user behavior, enabling dynamic content adjustments in real-time. By employing these methods, IBM can create customized experiences that resonate with their audience. Personalization Tools and Software To create customized online experiences, businesses rely on advanced personalization tools and software that integrate customer data platforms (CDPs) with AI and machine learning algorithms. These website personalization tools dynamically adjust content based on visitors’ browsing history, demographics, and past purchases. By leveraging valuable user data, businesses can effectively segment their audience and deliver targeted messaging in real-time. Key features of these tools include: A/B testing capabilities to refine strategies and improve user engagement. Real-time updates that modify banners, recommendations, and navigation options. Seamless integration across channels, including email marketing and social media. Utilizing these personalization tools allows companies to create cohesive user experiences that greatly enhance customer journeys and drive conversions. Dynamic Content Delivery Dynamic content delivery plays a crucial role in enhancing the user experience on websites by customizing information to individual preferences and behaviors. By leveraging customer data, such as browsing history and preferences, web personalization guarantees users encounter relevant information during their visit. Personalization tools utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to analyze user behavior in real-time, adjusting content, images, and recommendations accordingly. Feature Description Impact Personalized Offers Customized promotions based on user interests Increases conversion rates Customized Landing Pages Content aligned with user inquiries Reduces bounce rates Product Recommendations Suggestions based on past purchases Boosts average order value This method can drive a 10-15% revenue lift, showcasing the effectiveness of website personalization tools. Benefits of Website Personalization Website personalization offers notable advantages that can transform how businesses engage with their customers, especially in an era where customized experiences are increasingly expected. The benefits of website personalization are substantial and can elevate your web personalization strategy. Here are three key benefits: Increased Revenue: Personalization can drive a revenue increase of 10-15% by aligning offers with consumer preferences. Improved Customer Loyalty: Businesses that implement personalization report a 62% rise in customer loyalty, creating deeper connections with consumers. Higher Conversion Rates: Personalized recommendations lead to higher conversion rates, with 63% of smartphone users preferring relevant suggestions customized to their interests. These advantages demonstrate how effective personalization can greatly improve business performance and customer satisfaction. Examples of Website Personalization When you visit an e-commerce site like Amazon, you often see personalized product recommendations based on your past purchases and browsing history, which can greatly improve your shopping experience. Similarly, customized landing pages, such as those found on Booking.com, display hotel suggestions that match your geolocation, making it easier for you to find relevant options. These examples illustrate how effective website personalization can streamline user interactions and enhance overall satisfaction. Personalized Product Recommendations Personalized product recommendations stand out as a crucial aspect of modern e-commerce, leveraging algorithms to improve the shopping experience. By analyzing your browsing history and past purchases, these recommendations suggest items that align with your interests, increasing the likelihood of conversion. Here are three key benefits: Enhanced Engagement: Personalized home pages showcase items relevant to you, making your shopping experience smoother. Increased Sales: Recommendations broaden awareness of complementary products, encouraging you to discover related items, like coffee-related goods if you’ve added coffee mugs to your cart. Customer Satisfaction: Studies show that 63% of consumers prefer relevant recommendations, underscoring the importance of web content personalization in cultivating loyalty and satisfaction. Tailored Landing Pages Customized landing pages play a pivotal role in enhancing user experiences by delivering content and offers that align with your specific interests and behaviors. By utilizing site personalization tools, brands can analyze your browsing history and demographic data to create bespoke landing pages. For example, if you search for “summer dresses,” you might land on a page showcasing a curated selection of summer apparel, improving relevance and reducing bounce rates. This personalized website design can lead to a conversion rate increase of up to 300%, highlighting the effectiveness of custom content. Companies leveraging bespoke landing pages often report a 10-15% lift in revenue, demonstrating the significant financial benefits of investing in these engaging user experiences. Challenges of Website Personalization Website personalization faces several significant challenges that can impede its effectiveness. Comprehending these obstacles is critical for maximizing your site personalization efforts. Here are three key challenges: Consumer privacy initiatives: The banning of third-party cookies limits your ability to collect external browsing data, which is fundamental for effective website personalisation. Data integration difficulties: Many organizations rely on outdated technology frameworks, resulting in ineffective data sharing and hindering personalized content delivery. Complexity of implementation: Translating successful offline personalization strategies into digital formats can be challenging, making it difficult to identify target audiences for personalized messaging. Addressing these issues is essential to improve the overall effectiveness of your website personalization strategies and boost user engagement. Strategies for Effective Website Personalization To create effective strategies for website personalization, you need to focus on real-time audience targeting that considers user behaviors and interests. By utilizing web personalization tools, you can analyze user data for improved targeting accuracy, ensuring content resonates with specific visitor segments. Continuous measurement and improvement of personalized experiences are crucial; track performance metrics and adjust based on user engagement data. Implement targeted messaging and A/B testing to refine your tactics, encouraging community engagement through customized content. Strategy Description Example Real-time Targeting Analyze user behavior for immediate personalization Show relevant products based on recent views Dynamic Customer Profiles Utilize past behaviors for customized experiences Recommend items similar to previous purchases Continuous Improvement Measure performance and adjust strategies regularly Track user engagement metrics to optimize content Technology Integration Leverage analytics tools and machine learning Automate content delivery based on user data User Engagement Implement feedback loops and targeted messaging Use surveys to refine website experience Discovering Your Audience How can you effectively discover your audience and customize experiences that resonate with their interests? By leveraging real-time data and insights, you can create a more personalized homepage that aligns with user preferences. Here are three key strategies: Analyze Valuable User Data: Collect data on demographics, past purchases, and geolocation to build dynamic customer profiles. Monitor Browsing Behaviors: Track visitors’ actions on your site to understand their interests and segment them into subgroups for targeted content. Engage with Relevant Offers: Utilize website customization to deliver customized recommendations and promotions that resonate with individual users. Continuous Measurement and Improvement Effective continuous measurement and improvement of website personalization guarantees that your strategies remain relevant and impactful. By regularly evaluating the performance of personalized experiences, you can identify what resonates most with users, securing the best personalized homepage for your audience. Analyzing user engagement metrics helps you refine personalization strategies, nurturing a culture of ongoing optimization. Implementing A/B testing allows you to experiment with different tactics, determining which variations drive higher engagement and sales. Monitoring key performance indicators, such as conversion rates and bounce rates, lets you adjust your efforts based on real-time data. A data-driven approach to personalizing your homepage guarantees your strategies evolve with changing visitor preferences, eventually leading to more effective and targeted customer experiences. Frequently Asked Questions How Does Website Personalization Work? Website personalization works by utilizing data from customer interactions, such as browsing history and demographics, to tailor experiences to individual users. You’ll encounter customized content, product recommendations, and targeted messaging based on your preferences. Technologies like AI and machine learning analyze this data in real-time, allowing websites to adapt dynamically. What Is an Example of Website Personalization? An example of website personalization is how Amazon recommends products based on your past purchases and browsing history. When you visit the site, you’ll see suggestions customized to your shopping habits, enhancing your experience. Similarly, Spotify analyzes your listening habits to create personalized playlists, whereas Booking.com uses your IP address to show relevant lodging options. These customized experiences aim to increase engagement and improve user satisfaction by meeting individual preferences. What Are the Four Ds of Personalization? The Four Ds of personalization are Data, Design, Delivery, and Dynamic content. Data involves collecting user information, such as browsing history and demographics, to tailor experiences. Design focuses on creating user-centric web interfaces that resonate with specific audience segments. Delivery guarantees personalized content reaches users through ideal channels and timing, whereas Dynamic content allows real-time adjustments based on user interactions, providing unique experiences aligned with individual preferences and behaviors. What Does It Mean When Etsy Asks for Personalization? When Etsy asks for personalization, it means they want specific details or preferences from you to tailor product recommendations. This could include selecting colors, sizes, or adding custom messages to items. Conclusion In conclusion, website personalization tailors online experiences to individual users by leveraging data on their behavior and preferences. This approach improves user engagement and can greatly boost revenue and customer loyalty. By comprehending your audience and implementing effective strategies, you can create a more relevant and appealing website. Nevertheless, it is crucial to continuously measure and improve your personalization efforts to adapt to changing user needs and preferences, ensuring ongoing success in your digital marketing strategies. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Is Website Personalization and How Does It Work?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article