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What is 'AgenticAI' and how will it be used? MediaTek's James Chen takes us through the new technology and its inherent opportunities. The post Interview with MediaTek: What ‘AgenticAI’ will mean for the next generation smart home appeared first on Wi-Fi NOW Global. View the full article

Plus the appeal of RIAs. By Rory Henry The Holistic Guide to Wealth Management Go PRO for members-only access to more Rory Henry. View the full article

It’s time we uncovered how much productivity is lost to constant communication. Have you ever wondered where all your productive hours went, only to realize you spent most of your day jumping between emails, meetings, and chat apps? You’re not alone. In today’s hyper-connected world, employees spend nearly 4 hours per day on communication—time that could The post Always online, always behind: the true cost of constant communication appeared first on RescueTime Blog. View the full article

The Bangkok to Ban Klong Luk Border train service goes from Bangkok Railway Station (Hua Lamphong) to the Thailand-Cambodia border in Aranyaprathet. There are two trains a day in each direction, but the early morning service (Train No. 275) is the best if you are planning onward connections in Cambodia. Train number: 275 Service: Ordinary Depart Bangkok: 5:55 am Arrive Ban Klong Luk Border: 11:17 am Total travel time: 5h 22m [Bangkok to Ban Klong Luk Border timetable.] Depart from Hua Lamphong Station (Bangkok Station) Most trains from Bangkok now depart from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal. Trains that travel to Eastern Thailand still use the old Bangkok Railway Station (Hua Lamphong), so this is a good opportunity to experience the old station. [Early morning inside the historic Hua Lamphong Station.] The cafes aren’t open at this hour, so there is no chance to have a coffee and admire the station. [Ban Klong Luk Border train at Hua Lamphong.] Tickets Tickets are available at the station on the day of travel. Tickets are not bookable in advance and there are no reserved seats. If you want to pick your preferred seat then you should board 30 minutes before departure. [Ticket office at Hua Lamphong.] The service is all 3rd Class seating, which is the cheapest form of travel in Thailand. The ticket costs 49 THB ($1.40 USD in December 2024). [Bangkok to Ban Klong Luk Border ticket.] Onboard Train No. 275 Train No. 275 is an “Ordinary” service, so it stops at most of the stations along the way. The train acts as a commuter service for Greater Bangkok, so the seats fill up quickly when it stops at the stations in Bangkok. [Khlong Tan Station in Bangkok.] The train passes Suvarnabhumi Airport at around 7 am, so it took an hour and 5 minutes to get this far. [Under the Suvarnabhumi Airport flight path.] You could technically board the train at other stations in Bangkok, but you will most likely not get a seat. It becomes standing-room only after a few stops. [Standing-room only on Train No. 275.] Chachoengsao is the largest station between Bangkok and the border. A lot of passengers get off here, but more passengers join as well. There are only two services a day to Aranyaprathet, and ultra-cheap fares makes it a popular route. [Chachoengsao Station.] There is no cafe carriage or official food carts, but there are food vendors that get on and off the train throughout the trip. The seats are padded bench seats. They are confortable but it’s a bit tiresome to be bolt upright the entire trip. [Seats on Train No. 275.] The carriages have ceiling fans and the windows are kept open. These type of carriages will be phased out one day, so I enjoy the chance to ride on these trains with an open breeze and no glass between the scenery. [Open windows on the Ordinary class train.] The train stops at many stations, which accounts for the slow journey. [Khlongsip Kao Junction.] Even at the small stations there were many people getting off and on. [Sa Kaeo Station.] Some stations are just a little platform by the side of the track. The train also has to stop to allow for the service in the other direction to pass. [Waiting for the opposite train to pass.] Ban Klong Luk Border Ban Klong Luk Border Station is next to the Thailand-Cambodia border in Aranyaprathet. There is also an Aranyaprathet Station, but stay until the end of the line if you are crossing the border. [Aranyaprathet Station (stay on the train if you are going to the border).] Ban Klong Luk Border Station is right next to the border. The Khlong Luek Border Checkpoint is next to the station. The border crossing is to your left as you exit the station. [Walking from Ban Klong Luk Border Station to the border crossing.] Walking across the border to Poipet, Cambodia The train line is connected to Cambodia, but it is currently only used for freight. There is no cross-border passenger service between Thailand and Cambodia. After going through Thailand immigration, you walk across the border to the Cambodia immigration building. Once you clear immigration you exit the building and you are in the border city of Poipet. The city is famous for casinos and the vice that is associated with bordertowns. There are casinos as soon as you exit border crossing, and there is a Starbucks at the border entry. [Starbucks at Poipet border gate.] There is also an Amazon Cafe near the Starbucks, so you could stop in here to get wifi. If you use Grab taxi in Thailand it’s also available in Cambodia. Poipet is a casino city that caters for Thai citizens, so the shops advertise prices in Thai baht. Train from Poipet to Phnom Penh The train line from Poipet continues to Phnom Penh (the Northern Line) but passenger trains are not currently running between Poipet and Battambang. To travel from Bangkok to Phnom Penh in one day by train, you have to get a van or taxi between Poipet and Battambang. There is a Battambang to Phnom Penh train that departs at 15:00. If you are taking this overlanding trip, then you are probably not in a great hurry, so I would recommend staying in Battambang as it is a charming little city. Check transport from Poipet to Battambang. Bus/van travel from Poipet to Siem Reap and Phnom Penh Poipet has a bad reputation for being a dodgy border crossing. There are many tuktuk touts that will come up to you, but it seems that it is not as bad as it used to be. The main problem with Poipet is that there are no onward bus services or travel agents next to the border crossing. This is where the hassle begins as you have to walk up the road to one of the travel agents that sell onward tickets. Tuktuk drivers will ask where you are going and will drive you to a travel agent. You can just walk up the main road until you find a travel agent. There are a few travel agents on the left side of the main road, including some travel agents opposite Poipet Train Station. The station is about 10-minutes walk from the border crossing. If you prefer to book a bus ticket in advance, there are different van and bus options via 12.go. Transport from Poipet to Siem Reap. Transport from Poipet to Phnom Penh. This train travel review is part of the Southeast Asia railways guide. View the full article

Our roundup of important Wi-Fi news at CES 2025. The post CES 2025: Morse Micro’s HaLow shines, MediaTek & Google team up, new products from NETGEAR, TP-Link, Asus appeared first on Wi-Fi NOW Global. View the full article

Our roundup of important Wi-Fi news at CES 2025. The post CES 2025: Morse Micro’s HaLow shines, MediaTek & Google team up, new products from NETGEAR, TP-Link, Asus appeared first on Wi-Fi NOW Global. View the full article

Customer support is about finding out what someone needs and lining that up with the right solution. It’s about turning what might start out as a negative interaction into a positive one. It’s rigorous, technical work. But sometimes, you just can’t solve the problem on your own. When this happens, a ticket will often need support from other people, from developers all the way up to the CEO. When this happens, you need a quick, efficient support ticket escalation workflow. Let’s go over this workflow and its common hurdles. What is a support ticket? A support ticket describes an issue, usually faced by a customer, that an organization works to fix. This ticket will describe the issue, as reported by the customer, as well as any information a customer support agent might have recorded. As the team works to resolve the issue, they might add updates to that ticket, both for their own internal use and to keep the customer in the loop. Many organizations use dedicated support tools, like Zendesk and Intercom, to manage support tickets. Others might use different platforms, like project management tools or even spreadsheets. What is support ticket escalation? Not all support tickets can be resolved by the first agent who receives them. That’s where ticket escalation comes in. Whether expert help is needed to solve a problem or a customer requests a manager, ticket escalation both reassures the customer their issue will be taken care of and gets that ticket to the right party. Tickets can be escalated for one of many reasons: Authority: Whether it’s at the customer’s request or due to your own processes, these escalations move a ticket up the hierarchy, usually to an agent’s direct manager. Expert: Some tickets need expert input to be resolved, whether that’s from a software developer, a lawyer, or an adjudicator. Third-party: For organizations that rely on outsourced customer support, some tickets might be handled internally while others are escalated externally. Defining the support ticket escalation workflow If a workflow is a map for getting work done, a support ticket escalation workflow follows a ticket’s path from new to resolved whenever it goes from customer support to another team. Whenever a customer has a problem that their dedicated agent can’t fix, that agent typically has to escalate it to another internal team, such as engineering or billing. With this workflow, managers are looking at improving communication between customer support teams and other internal teams, as well as the overall time it takes to close an escalated ticket. All to hit established metrics and ensure customers are satisfied with the service they get. And that’s usually where the road bumps come in. Common friction points of a support ticket escalation workflow Customer service is already challenging. Customer success agents need to be absolute experts on their product, as well as mastering an array of soft skills like communication and organization. Escalating a ticket complicates things, because the CSA becomes a middleperson between the customer and whoever was brought in for backup. The CSA doesn’t control the interaction anymore, and the responsibility for resolving the issue isn’t theirs. They have to juggle keeping the client updated and making sure progress is being made. All while handling their regular support load. Here are the friction points that come with this. Difficult communication Maintaining consistent communication is important for any team. But for this workflow, that need is taken to a whole new level. Customer support work is time-sensitive. When the escalate switch gets flipped, a support ticket has to go from CSA to its destination as quickly as possible. The channel used to get that ticket from one place to another can get completely clogged without a sound strategy, especially during peak support times — like during a launch. Customer support teams and the internal team they’re escalating to don’t usually need to communicate outside of this workflow. That might mean that the means of communication between them aren’t well-established. That can make just getting the ticket from one place to another difficult, let alone staying updated on its progress. Opaque updates More than maybe any other, this workflow depends on tickets and tasks being updated across tools. This is especially difficult when you consider the fact that customer support tools and the tools used by teams like engineering rarely intersect — or even integrate. On the one hand, a CSA could be fielding frequent requests from a customer looking for updates on their issue. On the other, developers might be working hard to fix the problem, which can be hindered by constant requests for updates. Without some way to bridge the gap, a CSA has to constantly contact the internal teams for updates, while developers have to field these requests. That can leave tickets in a sort of limbo state where the accurate information is in someone’s head rather than in a place everyone can access. Constant copy-pasting It’s the bane of many a workflow, but it’s real. Whenever teams aren’t using the same tools, someone somewhere has to copy updates, comments, and the like from one place and paste them somewhere else. It takes valuable time out of that person’s workday and can make even the sturdiest of workflows fall apart. For this workflow, copy-pasting can turn what could have been a positive customer interaction into a failed transaction or, worse, a cancellation. Neither CSAs or developers have time to copy-paste, which slows information to a crawl. Worse, it can develop a sort of passivity, where a CSA’s job boils down to getting information from the customer to the developer and back again. This instead of using the array of skills they were trained — and hired — for. How Unito helps create an effective ticket escalation process Just because escalating a support ticket is a process that often hits speed bumps doesn’t mean it can’t be optimized. With a workflow management platform like Unito, you can integrate the top tools on the market and streamline collaboration across teams. In practice, that means bridging the gap between support teams and whoever they’re escalating to. So what does Unito do for this workflow? Promotes real communication By integrating your tools, you turn those platforms from pure work management solutions into centralized communication channels. If a customer has a question, the CSA can drop it into their tool, and Unito will automatically carry it over to whatever tool the developers are using. That means a CSA can stop being just an in-between for customers and developers, and actually focus on solving problems and managing customer interactions Achieves true transparency Silos are the status quo for this workflow. For example, CSAs and developers interact on escalated tickets and little else. Because collaboration between the two teams is usually restricted to this workflow, their tools and processes seldom overlap. With Unito, two very different tools can feel like they were made to work together. Any team can see important updates from where they’re more comfortable. Everything crucial, from due dates to assignees and comments, can be seen from either end of the workflow. No more middlemen, no more cluttered inboxes. Eliminates the need for copy-pasting For many users, this alone is a winning advantage of using Unito. Without a solid integration, information is stuck in one tool or the other. The user has to come up with a workaround to get to what they need when they need it. But when you use a workflow management platform, the barrier between tools essentially dissolves. Silos become porous, and the information that needs to get to other teams gets there without any added input. A support ticket escalation workflow with Unito Let’s see what Unito can do with a concrete example of a ticket escalation workflow, specifically when tickets get escalated to a development team. Imagine a customer support team field incoming requests about a new software launch. Many of the tickets generated by this launch may just come from people who need help getting familiar with a new product. But there will be plenty of bugs too, and these bugs need development help. The tickets come into Zendesk, and when they are escalated they go to developers who work in Jira. Here’s what this process looks like, step by step: A ticket in Zendesk is flagged for escalation; an “Escalate to development” tag is added to it. The ticket is picked up by Unito and synced to Jira, where a matching issue is created automatically. Developers working on the issue leave comments and updates in the Jira issue, which are synced back to HubSpot. CSAs refer to HubSpot when getting questions from customers. Developers close the issue in Jira when the work is done, and the accompanying HubSpot ticket is closed. Pro tip: optimize your support ticket escalation workflow with Unito Without Unito your support ticket escalation workflow will struggle to cross over tool boundaries. That means more time between when the ticket comes in and it’s closed, more messages requesting updates between customer success and developers, and more frustration. But with a Unito flow, you can work on escalated tickets from either tool. Here’s how Unito makes a difference. Escalation without the confusion Unito gives two disparate teams the ability to work together flawlessly. In the case of the support ticket escalation workflow, it means breaking through tool silos, communicating more easily, and never having to copy-paste an update again. View the full article

You’ve gone through the backlog, prioritized what needs to happen, and planned your next sprint. There have been meetings and messages, and everyone knows what they’re supposed to do. Now you just need a way to stay updated on how their work is going. You trust your developers to get things done, but you want the ability to identify and address blockers as they happen. You’re here to help your team, and you want to know exactly where and when to give that support. That’s what the sprint execution workflow is about. What is a sprint? Sprints are an essential part of Scrum, an Agile methodology typically used by software development teams to continually deliver features, bug fixes, and more for software projects. It’s a short period of time in which developers pack important work. Most teams use a two-week sprint, though anything shorter than a month works. Once a sprint is completed, they’ll usually review what’s been done and what still needs doing, and plan the next sprint. Here are some of the essential elements of a successful sprint execution process: The sprint planning meeting: During this meeting, the development team will review the product backlog to set their priorities for the next sprint. Tasks will be fleshed out and assigned, and may even be quantified using methods like story points to ensure all that work can actually be completed in a single sprint. The sprint itself: After the sprint is kicked off, development teams focus on the work that was assigned during the sprint planning meeting. Daily stand ups: Once a day, the development team will meet for a brief meeting to cover what they’re working on, where they need support, and what they’ll be working on in the near future. It’s also an opportunity to review overall sprint progress. Sprint retrospectives: A retrospective allows the development team, project managers, and team leads to look back over a previous sprint to see what went well and what didn’t, all to make the next sprint run more smoothly. Defining a sprint execution workflow If the product backlog workflow is about centralizing and prioritizing development requests, the sprint execution workflow covers everything that comes after. Most agile methodologies use a series of sprints — short bursts of intense development work — to achieve particular goals. Sprints can cover everything from fixing certain bugs to pushing a new feature or paying off technical debt. The workflow itself is about finding ways to simplify the reporting and dispatching aspects of this work. For instance, while a development team lead might be working in a work management tool, their developers probably live in a Git platform. This makes getting visibility into the work happening across a development team more challenging. Friction points of a sprint execution workflow The tool disparity between a team lead and their developers is at the core of this workflow’s friction points. While developers might be able to get everything done in Jira and a version control platform — like Git — the same can’t be said for their leaders. They usually need to stay abreast of the wider organization’s needs, meaning they need to have a presence in whatever work management platform other teams are using. That can create a certain disconnect between developers and the people leading them. The dreaded copy-paste One way to deal with this disparity is to copy-paste information across tools. Sometimes it’s developers copying their updates over into a team lead’s tool; other times it’s the other way around. In either scenario, people are losing tons of time each day to communicate progress across tools. Repeat that process enough times throughout the day, and it’s enough to make anyone feel like a robot. Constant reports and meetings Copy-pasting, dreadful as it is, can’t begin to cover all the information that needs to go through a team. When executives and other stakeholders need regular updates, they generally ask for progress reports or weekly meetings. For the former, team leads have to sift through dozens of tasks in multiple tools to extract the information they need. For the latter, they’re spending valuable time in a room — virtual or otherwise — just to go through points on a presentation. In both circumstances, it feels like there should be a better way. Low visibility across the organization Because the sprint execution workflow is locked in a tool silo, it can be difficult for anyone to know exactly what’s going on. Developers might ask themselves why they’re working on a specific issue over another. Marketers might wonder why their development request is taking so long. And executives might be at a loss as to what their development teams do all day. Development work is inherently focus-heavy; developers need as much focus time as they can get. That’s why often their lead needs to act as a buffer between them and incoming requests. That, plus the tool difference, means development work can be particularly tough to get an eye on. How Unito eases that friction Unito is a workflow management platform that integrates some of the world’s most popular tools so everyone can work their way. With the visual workflow designer, anyone has the power to create a workflow for their team so information can flow seamlessly between tools. So how does this help you with this sprint execution workflow? Trash the copy-paste When you build your workflow in Unito, you’re breaking down the barriers between your tools. Your work management tool and Git platform go from being individual silos to making up a single collaborative environment. Pull requests in your Git platform of choice can become tasks in a work management tool like Jira, and vice versa. As comments and updates get added to either side, they’re automatically transferred to the other, meaning everyone stays in the loop no matter where they’re working from. Reduce meetings and reports In some cases, a meeting is the best way to get information from one place to the other. There’s nothing wrong with that. But you shouldn’t have to set up meetings every week, especially in a remote work situation. Because Unito works across such a wide variety of tools — with more on the way — everyone across the organization can get access to the information that would otherwise be trapped in a development team. You can use Unito to get information from a repository in a Git platform all the way to an executive-level Kanban board. With Unito’s robust rules, you can filter out unnecessary information so only the most crucial updates get to the top. Have fewer meetings, spend less time writing reports, and maintain visibility and accountability. See what’s happening when it’s happening One of the best ways to get someone to do something is to remove barriers. With Unito, you can democratize access to information rather than keeping it locked in reports and closed meetings. Imagine building a “key insights” project across tools, giving each team access to high-level summaries of what development teams are working on, and populating these projects without any extra work. Doing this means potentially eliminating the most common questions thrown at the development team by giving everyone access to the information they need. Crossing the finish line every time Whether your development team is focused on fixing bugs or building new features, they always have plenty to keep them busy. Keeping your team agile means giving them the ability to report on and adjust to unexpected hurdles. It means empowering leaders to see what’s happening with their teams in real-time and giving them the tools to act. Reporting on initiatives and dispatching work are at the heart of this workflow. This typically crosses tool boundaries. Development team leads often use a work management tool while their developers generally live in a Git platform. That’s why visibility is one of the big hurdles this workflow has to leap over. Using Unito to optimize a sprint execution workflow across GitHub and Jira Syncing GitHub issues to Jira Syncing a GitHub repository with a Jira project can be done with just a couple of clicks. By using the workflow designer, you can also map out your workflow visually, adding as many repositories as needed to represent your workflow. In this case, I’ve just added the one. By just following the on-screen prompts, you can connect your Jira project with a GitHub repository, and watch as GitHub issues and pull requests are sent to Jira as issues. Issue descriptions, comments, assignees, and labels are automatically synced between both tools in real-time, meaning you can keep things organized without any extra manual work. No complicated settings to fine-tune, no intricate recipes to set up. But you don’t have to stop at default settings. With rules, you can filter issues by label, if you want to make sure only high-priority issues reach the team lead in Jira. Alternatively, maybe you want to make sure all pull requests from a fresh new junior developer get synced to Jira for an extra review before they’re approved. With Unito, you have access to a robust platform that gives you the ability to tailor the depth of your workflows to the work you need to get done. Getting key information to stakeholders in other tools But wait, what if you need to get critical product updates to stakeholders across the organization? All you need to do is steal a trick from the project reporting workflow: the key deliverables block. You can use Unito to sync your Jira project to Asana, Trello, or any other tool used by key stakeholders. You can share updates on key deliverables to those tools, filtering for pertinent Jira tasks with a label. Something like “Key Deliverable” usually does the trick. From there, just add a block of work representing this new tool to your workflow. When setting up a flow between the two, just make sure to add a rule that filters for that label. That way, only Jira issues with a “Key Deliverable” label will make it to your stakeholders. Here’s an example of what a Trello board, populated with key deliverables from blocks across the organization, might look like. And here’s what that looks like in the workflow designer. It’s really that simple. Race to the finish Unito turns work management tools from silos to the building blocks of a company-wide collaborative environment. By managing a sprint execution workflow in Unito, you can give everyone access to the information they need to get visibility on a development team’s work. No more meetings, no more throwaway reports, and no more notifications pulling developers out of focus mode. Ready to start? Try Unito for 14 days, absolutely free. Try it free FAQ: The sprint execution process What is sprint execution in Agile? Sprint execution is when software development team members work on tasks continuously, usually during a two-week period. The work for a sprint is planned and identified ahead of time, allowing developers to narrow their focus on high-priority tasks. What are the four steps within a sprint? The four steps of an agile sprint are: Sprint planning: At this stage, teams go through their backlog and decide what they’re going to work on during that sprint. Daily scrum: In this daily meeting, each team member goes over what they’re working on, what they’ll be working on next, and where they need help. Sprint review: Taking place right before the end of a sprint, the sprint review goes over the work that’s happened and how it’s been done. Sprint retrospective: After the sprint is concluded, this official meeting allows teams to look back on it to improve how they do things. View the full article

Balance tech, trust, and innovation. Accounting Influencers with Rob Brown Go PRO for members-only access to more Rob Brown. View the full article

If you manage projects in Azure DevOps, you’re likely someone who prefers to minimize the amount of tracking in project plans while following an Agile methodology. Azure DevOps (or ADO) offers a range of options for configurations to support rollup to PM feature teams. But if your stack extends beyond Azure products, how do you keep that methodology going in other apps or tools? This article will break down two common methods for building an Azure DevOps product road map in other tools to keep data visible for anyone in your organization. This way, everyone gets the updates they need in the tools they use most. Why add an Azure DevOps roadmap to other tools? You know that collaboration with between development and operations teams is essential, and it’s more than likely that those outside the software development team uses a different set of apps to manage high-level plans and projects. For those on the outside, Azure DevOps is a very technical tool with a steep learning curve. So rather than teach marketers, support, or sales the difference between an ADO swimlane and area path, the wiser course of action is to simply connect two tools. That way there’s no need to risk human error when someone clicks in the wrong space, or copy-pastes the wrong details between Azure DevOps and the regular tool they use. Don’t educate, integrate! OK, well maybe educate on the process, but not the platform. Teams work more efficiently in a tool suited to their role. So your workflows will be far more effective with an Azure DevOps Asana integration, Zendesk Azure DevOps integration, or an ITSM workflow to sync Azure DevOps and ServiceNow. Not only do you mitigate risk (every technical PM’s dream!), you also reduce the number of tool licenses your business needs. Here’s how you could set up your Azure DevOps roadmap integration in 2 different ways. First method: Using built-in integrations (like ServiceNow’s) ServiceNow is often used alongside Azure DevOps. Syncing ServiceNow support tickets to AzureDevops for triage is probably the most common use case for integration between these tools. However, the engineering team in Azure Devops may also want to sync items back to ServiceNow to provide a roadmap that the team can communicate to clients and users. Here’s what that would look like using ServiceNow Integration Hub’s spoke for Azure DevOps. Step 1: Request the ServiceNow plug-in Before getting started, contact your ServiceNow administrator and make sure you have requested the ServiceNow Integration Hub plug-in and it’s available for use. Ensure that any ServiceNow user who needs to edit or access the integration has this available to them. Step 2: Connect your Azure DevOps instance From Integration Hub, click Connections and Credentials -> Connections & Credentials Aliases and open Azure DevOps. Then, create a new Connection Record from the Related Links tab near the bottom. Name it whatever you’d like, to search for it easily later. A new window will open from there, prompting you to follow the authorization steps to connect your instance. You will need to do this for each applicable ServiceNow user. Step 3: Establishing the connection Now, we’ll move on to connecting Azure DevOps to ServiceNow and importing your data. To submit the request, start by clicking the Discover Projects tab. The system will then auto-generate a Create Mapping request. From the Process Mappings tab, navigate to the Import Areas, Iterations and Teams button under Related Links. This will prompt these items to auto-import. Once your areas, iterations, and teams items have been imported, click on Register Webhooks. Step 4: Enabling your items to sync Once your webhooks are registered, check the boxes on the left to enable work items for import, export, and sprint syncing. And that’s it! Now, your Azure DevOps and ServiceNow instances are connected, and new items in Azure DevOps will sync over automatically. Limitations of this method As simple as it is, it’s important to note that this method has some limitations. Depending on how your team currently operates, there could be a bottleneck in the workflow. You’d be locked in with ServiceNow: If you go with the ServiceNow Integration Hub, you’d be limited, of course, to only building integrations with ServiceNow and another tool. This means if you were looking to sync your Azure DevOps road map data into another tool, like a project management tool or a sheet, you’d need a completely separate solution. Most native integration solutions like this have a similar limitation. It’s not customizable: The fields that users can sync between ServiceNow and Azure DevOps are limited. This isn’t your best option if you operate with many granular native and custom fields. There’s no filtering: With the ServiceNow Integration Hub method, everything in your Azure DevOps instance will be set to sync over. If you want to be particular about what to sync, there’s no way to pick and choose. The onboarding is lengthy: Once set up, Integration Hub is low-code, but the onboarding process will require your development team and a specific onboarding team on the ServiceNow side. Implementation speed can be a critical factor for some teams shopping around for integrations, and this method is typically slow. It’s costly: Users often cite a hefty price tag that comes along with the integration hub. This feature does not come with the standard ServiceNow subscription. If your team is looking for a cost-effective solution, it may not be for you. Second method: Use Unito’s Azure DevOps integration Unito is a no-code, 2-way, live syncing integration platform that can sync your Azure DevOps items into other tools (including ServiceNow!). Aside from roadmapping, Unito enables teams to execute ticket triage, marketing reporting, software development, data migration, and more. Follow this integration guide for more detailed ADO ServiceNow instructions Other key features include: Multi-tool combinations: Because Unito is a third-party platform, you won’t be required to stick to one tool pairing. You can Sync Azure DevOps with Asana, Google Sheets, ServiceNow, and more. Deep field syncing: Unito supports dozens of native and custom fields, allowing you to achieve the integration you’re looking for without losing any of your data. Filtering options for any workflow: With Unito, you can choose exactly what gets synced from Azure DevOps. Common filtering options include work item type, tag, assignee, and swimlane. Setting up only takes a few minutes. Unito is no-code, and there are four steps to building any integration. The average user goes from 0 to syncing in 12 minutes. It won’t take you months to get going. There are subscriptions to fit any budget: You can try Unito for free and choose a plan based on the number of items you’re looking to sync. Unito is also SOC 2 type 2 compliant, making it secure for the smallest of start-ups and the largest enterprises. Now that you know why Unito is the best method for syncing Azure DevOps data to roadmaps in other tools, here’s how you build the flows that’ll do it. Step 1: Connect your tools As described above, we chose the table Incident by typing it into the search box. First, you’ll start by connecting your tools. You can connect Azure DevOps on one side and connect the other tool in the remaining spot. All you need to do is ensure you have the right permissions. Step 2: Pick your flow direction Unito allows for one-way or two-way syncing. This step, will determine where new work items are created (e.g. Azure DevOps issues or ServiceNow tickets). This is an example of a 2-way flow between ServiceNow and Azure DevOps. If anyone on my team manually creates a new work item or record, it will automatically appear in the other tool with real-time updates as changes are made. Step 3: Build rules Here, you set the criteria that dictate when you’d like an item to sync over and what the defaults are. You can filter by many field types to get specific about what you’d like to sync, or open the floodgates and sync everything. In this example, Unito will only create work items in Azure DevOps if a record is created in ServiceNow after April 23, 2024, the City (a choice field) is New York, and the Urgency is one or more of the options listed above. Step 4: Map your fields Here’s where that update piece comes in. You can choose Auto-Map or manually map the fields you want to keep updated between your tools. Tip: If you aren’t sure where to put data from one tool when it syncs over to the other, you can always add it to the Description Footer. If you choose to auto-map but don’t see all the fields populated, click the + Add Mappings button at the top of the page to map additional field types. And that’s it! You can select Launch Flow, and your items will start syncing. If you’re testing things out, you can also create “test” or “dummy” projects to see how things work or to create a risk-free proof of concept for your team. Go above and beyond with an integration that does it all Both the ServiceNow method and the Unito method will get your road map data across. But when it comes to doing more with an Azure DevOps integration, only Unito can suit your team in the long term. Here’s a quick snapshot of our synced ServiceNow record and Azure DevOps work item, highlighting a few of the fields that are being kept in sync. When you continue your integration shopping, look for tools that are flexible, quick to implement, deeply customizable, and priced to fit your team’s budget. Checking these boxes will ensure you’ve found something reliable to get the job done. Once you’ve got the hang of Unito, you can also try syncing: Azure DevOps to Airtable Azure DevOps to Asana Azure DevOps to Wrike Asana and Azure DevOps Azure DevOps and Airtable Trello and Azure DevOps ADO and ClickUp Azure DevOps and ServiceNow or other database and project management tools. It’s easy to zero in on relieving the pains of today to unblock your workflow. What might your integration needs look like in one, three, or five years? Choose an integration that scales with you. Book us for an assessment Get in touch FAQ: Azure DevOps Roadmap Can I build a roadmap in Azure DevOps? Yes. You can either use the Feature Timeline or the Epic Roadmap features to build roadmaps in Azure DevOps. As long as your developers and engineers work in ADO, then this can be enough to have a functioning roadmap. Is Microsoft phasing out Azure DevOps? No, there’s no indication that Microsoft is shutting down Azure DevOps, even after their acquisition of GitHub. Why build an Azure DevOps roadmap in another tool? There are two main reasons why you might want to build a roadmap representing Azure DevOps issues in other tools: Azure DevOps isn’t enough: If built-in ADO roadmap features aren’t enough, you might want to build your roadmap in a different tool, like Jira or Miro. That could be a reason to need an integration that syncs Azure DevOps issues to these tools. Not all teams use ADO: While software developers and engineers are comfortable in Azure DevOps, the teams and people they collaborate with often aren’t. By syncing Azure DevOps issues to a roadmap in a project management tool, whiteboarding tool, or Kanban board, you can ensure everyone is in the loop without learning a new tool. View the full article

Do we really need another 'G' - and what would be the right order of priorities for such a new mobile standard? Find out here. The post Interview with William Webb: “The 6G Manifesto” – or what 6G should really be about appeared first on Wi-Fi NOW Global. View the full article

Do we really need another 'G' - and what would be the right order of priorities for such a new mobile standard? Find out here. The post Interview with William Webb: “The 6G Manifesto” – or what 6G should really be about appeared first on Wi-Fi NOW Global. View the full article

Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe Whether you realize it or not, you probably already set quite a few short-term goals for yourself. You want to sort your to-do list before your morning meeting. You want to go for a walk over lunch at least three days this week. You want to land five speaking opportunities this quarter. Throughout your day, week, month, or year, you set small-in-scope, attainable finish lines that give you a little boost of forward momentum. Those are short-term goals. But what exactly makes these bite-sized objectives so helpful? Let’s explore the power behind short-term goal-setting – and how you can hack these goals to boost your own motivation and sense of satisfaction. What is a short-term goal? A short-term goal is exactly what it sounds like: it’s something that you want to accomplish in the relatively near future. Simple enough, but it’s worth digging a little further into the mechanics of this type of goal. A short-term goal: Can be accomplished in a short timeframe (most experts say within a year or less) Details a specific action to take or target to accomplish Supports a broader vision for your career or life Here are a few short-term goals – both personal and professional – to get your own wheels turning: Short-term career goal examples Complete company’s three-month leadership training program Lead a cross-functional project this quarter Provide praise and positive feedback to at least one employee per week this month Short-term personal goal examples Stretch every day this week Read two books this month Pay off car loan by the end of the year Long-term goals vs. short-term goals: What’s the difference? So how do short-term goals stack up against long-term counterparts? It’s easy to think about them in terms of duration – short-term goals impact the near future and long-term goals look further out. But to get a more nuanced handle on the difference between short-term and long-term goals, it’s better to think about their intent: Long-term goals reflect your overall values, beliefs, and desires. Short-term goals are the specific actions you take to pursue those broader ambitions. If your short-term goal is to complete your company’s leadership training program, that might feed your long-term goal of moving into a management position. Or your short-term goal might be to pay off your car loan because your long-term goal is to be debt-free. Why bother setting short-term goals? If you have your sights set on a faraway finish line anyway (whether that’s a promotion, financial independence, or something else), what’s the point of making pit stops along the way? Short-term goal setting is beneficial for a few important reasons. 1. Short-term goals are more motivating Related Article Use motivation theory to inspire your team’s best work By Kat Boogaard In Leadership Anybody who’s ever set a New Year’s resolution (and then kissed it goodbye come February) will admit that it’s tough to muster the gumption to actually achieve a goal. Fortunately, short-term ambitions can give your motivation a much-needed boost. You can thank the neurotransmitter dopamine for that. While it’s typically thought of as the feel-good brain chemical that’s released in response to a reward, research shows that it’s actually closely tied to motivation too. Dopamine is what pushes us to seek the reward in the first place. Your brain knows that it feels good to accomplish things – it wants to cross that finish line. So, you’ll not only get a dopamine spike when you set the goal, but also when you’re close to achieving it. Basically, your brain would much prefer an immediate celebration over delayed gratification, and short-term goals offer a more instant reward. 2. Short-term goals make the process feel more manageable What feels easier? Going for a 30-minute walk today or training for an entire marathon? Even elite runners will likely admit that the walk requires a lot less sweat (both literally and figuratively). Pursuing our goals often requires changing our behavior, whether that’s in big or small ways. And even on a good day, altering our habits, attitudes, and actions is tough. Short-term goals make it all feel a little more doable, not by changing your lofty and intimidating goals, but by dividing them into more attainable guideposts. 3. Short-term goals give you an action plan It’s easy to figure out where you want to go – getting there is the hard part. While setting a long-term goal pinpoints the target, it doesn’t actually fuel your journey. That’s why you need short-term goals too. They detail the smaller behaviors and actions you need to take to move toward your long-term objectives. If long-term goals are the destination, short-term goals are the roadmap. 4. Short-term goals allow for regular reflection and adjustments Much like your desires and values, your goals will change over time. In addition to short-term goals serving as milestones when you can celebrate your progress, they also provide an opportunity for reflection. How do you feel accomplishing this goal? Is it as rewarding as you thought it would be? Why or why not? Does it still align with your overarching vision? That’s not to say you need to sit yourself down for in-depth self-analysis every time you check something off your list. Sometimes it’s just a gut check that occurs naturally. If you finish that leadership program and feel drained rather than energized? That’s an indicator that you should reevaluate if you want to move into a management position at all, or if perhaps your aspirations have shifted somewhere along the way. Better to change course now than when you’re at the end of the road. How to set motivating short-term goals Related Article How to write SMART goals By Kat Boogaard In Productivity Short-term goals are more action-oriented than your longer-term objectives. But then what separates them from all of the tasks that you frantically scribble on your daily to-do list? Short-term goal setting requires a little more thought and intentionality than jotting down every task you need to check off that day. One of the best ways to ensure you’re investing the right amount of planning is by using the SMART goal framework. In case you haven’t heard of SMART before, it’s an acronym to help you remember that your goals should be: Specific: Be clear about what exactly needs to be accomplished. In the case of short-term goals, this should be an explicit action you want to take. Measurable: Include a quantifiable benchmark so you’ll know when you’re successful. Achievable: Especially since your short-term goals don’t stretch on forever, you need to confirm that they’re realistically attainable in a shorter time frame. Relevant: Remember that your short-term goals are intended to support something bigger, so they need to be relevant to your overall vision. Time-bound: Every goal needs a deadline—and that’s especially true for short-term goals. What’s the end date for when you need to take that action? Most of the short-term goal examples we listed above already incorporate elements of the SMART framework, but we can expand on them further to provide more helpful details. Here’s what that could look like: SMART short-term career goal examples Complete company’s three-month leadership training program this May Kick off a cross-functional project involving at least three teams by the end of the quarter Provide praise and positive feedback in-person or in writing to at least one employee per week this month SMART short-term personal goal examples Stretch for at least 10 minutes every day this week Read two books (one fiction and one non-fiction) by the end of the month Pay off remaining $4,000 balance on car loan by the end of the year Short-term goals might not look years down the line, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worthy of some careful thought and planning. The SMART goal framework will help you set meaningful targets, rather than hollow or trivial to-dos. Short-term goals: So much more than quick wins Yes, short-term goals are objectives you set for the near future – but they’re so much more than low-hanging fruit you can grab for some instant gratification and a quick hit of dopamine. Short-term goals give you a detailed action plan to realize your bigger ambitions and values. And they give you plenty of opportunities to reflect on whether the path you’re on is the one you actually want to stay on. That’s a pretty big impact for a supposedly small goal. Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe The post Don’t underestimate the outsized impact of short-term goals appeared first on Work Life by Atlassian. View the full article

Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe Whether you realize it or not, you probably already set quite a few short-term goals for yourself. You want to sort your to-do list before your morning meeting. You want to go for a walk over lunch at least three days this week. You want to land five speaking opportunities this quarter. Throughout your day, week, month, or year, you set small-in-scope, attainable finish lines that give you a little boost of forward momentum. Those are short-term goals. But what exactly makes these bite-sized objectives so helpful? Let’s explore the power behind short-term goal-setting – and how you can hack these goals to boost your own motivation and sense of satisfaction. What is a short-term goal? A short-term goal is exactly what it sounds like: it’s something that you want to accomplish in the relatively near future. Simple enough, but it’s worth digging a little further into the mechanics of this type of goal. A short-term goal: Can be accomplished in a short timeframe (most experts say within a year or less) Details a specific action to take or target to accomplish Supports a broader vision for your career or life Here are a few short-term goals – both personal and professional – to get your own wheels turning: Short-term career goal examples Complete company’s three-month leadership training program Lead a cross-functional project this quarter Provide praise and positive feedback to at least one employee per week this month Short-term personal goal examples Stretch every day this week Read two books this month Pay off car loan by the end of the year Long-term goals vs. short-term goals: What’s the difference? So how do short-term goals stack up against long-term counterparts? It’s easy to think about them in terms of duration – short-term goals impact the near future and long-term goals look further out. But to get a more nuanced handle on the difference between short-term and long-term goals, it’s better to think about their intent: Long-term goals reflect your overall values, beliefs, and desires. Short-term goals are the specific actions you take to pursue those broader ambitions. If your short-term goal is to complete your company’s leadership training program, that might feed your long-term goal of moving into a management position. Or your short-term goal might be to pay off your car loan because your long-term goal is to be debt-free. Why bother setting short-term goals? If you have your sights set on a faraway finish line anyway (whether that’s a promotion, financial independence, or something else), what’s the point of making pit stops along the way? Short-term goal setting is beneficial for a few important reasons. 1. Short-term goals are more motivating Related Article Use motivation theory to inspire your team’s best work By Kat Boogaard In Leadership Anybody who’s ever set a New Year’s resolution (and then kissed it goodbye come February) will admit that it’s tough to muster the gumption to actually achieve a goal. Fortunately, short-term ambitions can give your motivation a much-needed boost. You can thank the neurotransmitter dopamine for that. While it’s typically thought of as the feel-good brain chemical that’s released in response to a reward, research shows that it’s actually closely tied to motivation too. Dopamine is what pushes us to seek the reward in the first place. Your brain knows that it feels good to accomplish things – it wants to cross that finish line. So, you’ll not only get a dopamine spike when you set the goal, but also when you’re close to achieving it. Basically, your brain would much prefer an immediate celebration over delayed gratification, and short-term goals offer a more instant reward. 2. Short-term goals make the process feel more manageable What feels easier? Going for a 30-minute walk today or training for an entire marathon? Even elite runners will likely admit that the walk requires a lot less sweat (both literally and figuratively). Pursuing our goals often requires changing our behavior, whether that’s in big or small ways. And even on a good day, altering our habits, attitudes, and actions is tough. Short-term goals make it all feel a little more doable, not by changing your lofty and intimidating goals, but by dividing them into more attainable guideposts. 3. Short-term goals give you an action plan It’s easy to figure out where you want to go – getting there is the hard part. While setting a long-term goal pinpoints the target, it doesn’t actually fuel your journey. That’s why you need short-term goals too. They detail the smaller behaviors and actions you need to take to move toward your long-term objectives. If long-term goals are the destination, short-term goals are the roadmap. 4. Short-term goals allow for regular reflection and adjustments Much like your desires and values, your goals will change over time. In addition to short-term goals serving as milestones when you can celebrate your progress, they also provide an opportunity for reflection. How do you feel accomplishing this goal? Is it as rewarding as you thought it would be? Why or why not? Does it still align with your overarching vision? That’s not to say you need to sit yourself down for in-depth self-analysis every time you check something off your list. Sometimes it’s just a gut check that occurs naturally. If you finish that leadership program and feel drained rather than energized? That’s an indicator that you should reevaluate if you want to move into a management position at all, or if perhaps your aspirations have shifted somewhere along the way. Better to change course now than when you’re at the end of the road. How to set motivating short-term goals Related Article How to write SMART goals By Kat Boogaard In Productivity Short-term goals are more action-oriented than your longer-term objectives. But then what separates them from all of the tasks that you frantically scribble on your daily to-do list? Short-term goal setting requires a little more thought and intentionality than jotting down every task you need to check off that day. One of the best ways to ensure you’re investing the right amount of planning is by using the SMART goal framework. In case you haven’t heard of SMART before, it’s an acronym to help you remember that your goals should be: Specific: Be clear about what exactly needs to be accomplished. In the case of short-term goals, this should be an explicit action you want to take. Measurable: Include a quantifiable benchmark so you’ll know when you’re successful. Achievable: Especially since your short-term goals don’t stretch on forever, you need to confirm that they’re realistically attainable in a shorter time frame. Relevant: Remember that your short-term goals are intended to support something bigger, so they need to be relevant to your overall vision. Time-bound: Every goal needs a deadline—and that’s especially true for short-term goals. What’s the end date for when you need to take that action? Most of the short-term goal examples we listed above already incorporate elements of the SMART framework, but we can expand on them further to provide more helpful details. Here’s what that could look like: SMART short-term career goal examples Complete company’s three-month leadership training program this May Kick off a cross-functional project involving at least three teams by the end of the quarter Provide praise and positive feedback in-person or in writing to at least one employee per week this month SMART short-term personal goal examples Stretch for at least 10 minutes every day this week Read two books (one fiction and one non-fiction) by the end of the month Pay off remaining $4,000 balance on car loan by the end of the year Short-term goals might not look years down the line, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worthy of some careful thought and planning. The SMART goal framework will help you set meaningful targets, rather than hollow or trivial to-dos. Short-term goals: So much more than quick wins Yes, short-term goals are objectives you set for the near future – but they’re so much more than low-hanging fruit you can grab for some instant gratification and a quick hit of dopamine. Short-term goals give you a detailed action plan to realize your bigger ambitions and values. And they give you plenty of opportunities to reflect on whether the path you’re on is the one you actually want to stay on. That’s a pretty big impact for a supposedly small goal. Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe The post Don’t underestimate the outsized impact of short-term goals appeared first on Work Life by Atlassian. View the full article

Struggling to resource your projects, missing critical skills on your team, and not meeting deadlines? Here's how to conduct a resource gap analysis effectively, as well as some expert best practices so you can keep your projects and resourcing on track. The post How To Conduct A Resource Gap Analysis: 5 Basic Steps appeared first on The Digital Project Manager. View the full article

With the rise of education technology, schools have adopted teaching methods that diverge from the typical classroom environment. Distance learning is being used globally, and many educational institutions have implemented hybrid learning models. View the full article

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: I. Jack Trout on being a doer: “The best leaders know that direction alone is no longer enough. The best leaders are storytellers, cheerleaders, and facilitators. They reinforce their sense of direction or vision with words and action.” Source: The Power of Simplicity: A Management Guide to Cutting Through the Nonsense and Doing Things Right II. Jack Welch on simplicity: “For a large organization to be effective, it must be simple. Insecure managers create complexity. Real leaders don’t need clutter. People must have the self-confidence to be clear, precise, to be sure that every person in their organization—highest to lowest—understands what the business is to achieve. But it’s not easy. You can’t believe how hard it is for people to be simple, how much they fear being simple. They worry that if they’re simple, people will think they’re simple-minded. In reality, of course, it’s just the reverse. Clear, tough-minded people are the most simple.” Source: Noel Tichy and Ram Charan: Speed, Simplicity, Self-Confidence: An Interview with Jack Welch, Harvard Business Review * * * Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index. * * * Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas. View the full article

Your TikTok account is hitting off. You aren’t getting the cold sweats while publishing TikTik videos nowadays. And then, you wonder, how can I get more out of my TikTok strategy? Enter: TikTok ads. A TikTok ad is an advertisement by a brand or creator appearing on people’s For You page. For example, I got the following ad by Adobe Photoshop on my feed recently: While the TikTok ad blended seamlessly with the other TikTok videos on my feed, the “sponsored” label and the “Learn more” call-to-action button were the differentiators. TikTok users can customize their ads a lot, including whether they want to use branded content or user generated content, video or carousel, bidding strategy, etc. There’s a lot more to these simple TikTok ads than meets the eye. In this article, we’ll cover all of it so you can advertise on TikTok with confidence. But first… Should you advertise on TikTok?TikTok ads cost money. Is it worth it? The answer solely depends on: Whether or not you have your target buyers looking to buy the products you sell on TikTokWhether TikTok advertising fits your overall social media strategy and budgetHere are some facts to help you decide: A majority of TikTok comprises a younger generation (GenZ and Alpha), although that doesn’t mean that older populations aren’t using the popular social media site.56 percent of TikTok users in the U.S. have said they’ve purchased products promoted on TikTok, and another 36 percent said they haven’t bought anything yet, but are open to doing so.TikTok thrives on entertaining, short-form, and creative content. If your products have a visual appeal or an interactive component, they’ll work great for TikTok.In conclusion: TikTok ads are a brilliant investment for creators and small businesses selling products that fit into its natural format. If you can show your products in action and combine it with entertaining storytelling, go ahead and start creating your TikTok ad. If you’re unsure, it’s always wise to first test the reception of your account organically. Are you meeting your ideal customers naturally on the platform? If yes, it might be worth it to test TikTok ads. ⚠️Note: You have to follow TikTok’s advertising policies to use the TikTok ads manager. TikTok ads are also not available in all parts of the world. Check if TikTok is available in your target region using this list.7 things you should know before running a TikTok adI know you’re eager to get started right away, but here are a few things you should know (and a few tasks to tick off) before setting up your TikTok ads manager account. TikTok business accountYou need to create a TikTok ads manager account to run TikTok ads. But to create an account with TikTok ads manager, you need a TikTok business account. Here’s how to convert your personal account to a business account: 1. Log in to your account and go to your profile. 2. Go to Settings. 3. Toggle on the “Business account” button. 4. Select your business category (like clothing, beauty, etc.). 5. You’ve now switched to a business account with full access to TikTok’s business suite! 💡Related reading: How to Use TikTok for Business: A Beginners GuideTikTok ad specsAd specs are the technical requirements you should meet to run your TikTok ads. The specifications for image ads and video ads are different. Ad specs for image adsFile type: JPG, JPEG, PNG Image resolution: 720*1280 File size: Within 100MB 👉🏾Learn more specifications for image ads.Ad specs for video adsFile type: .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .avi Aspect ratio: 9:16 Video resolution: 720*1280 Video duration: 30 seconds File size: Within 500MB 👉🏾Learn more about specifications for video ads.6 types of TikTok adsThe best thing about TikTok ads is there’s a ton of variety. The different types of ads on TikTok are differentiated mainly by ad placements — aka, where they’re placed on the TikTok app. Here’s a quick summary of the types of TikTok ads (all of them are in feed ads): 1. Topview ads: Topview ads are the ads that are shown to TikTok users as soon as they open their TikTok app. These ads create a high impact because it’s the first thing someone sees when they open their app. 2. Top feed ads: Top feed ads are the first TikTok ads that appear when someone’s scrolling on their phone. Basically, you buy the first dibs on any TikTok ad that appears on your target audience’s For You page. This type of ad is only available in the Reach & Frequency campaigns. 3. Standard feed ads: In contrast to top feed ads, standard feed ads appear anywhere in a user’s feed. 4. Spark ad: Spark ads allow you to boost your (or a creator’s) organic TikTok video in your TikTok ad account. You can boost the top-performing content in your TikTok account or whitelist authentic creator content or UGC to capitalize on their performance. 5. Playable ads: Playable ads are interactive videos that give users an experience. Someone seeing this playable TikTok ad can swipe and tap your video. 6. Carousel ads: Carousel ads allow you to add 2–35 images to your TikTok ad. TikTok carousels offer more room to tell a story or showcase multiple products at once. ⚡Pro-tip: TikTok is continually coming up with new ad formats that suit different ad objectives. For example, Messaging ads are a new type of ad format in testing in some regions.Keep an eye on your TikTok ads manager account to stay up-to-date with the new features and different ad formats that TikTok is rolling out. TikTok campaign structureYour TikTok ads manager account has three parts: 1. Campaign level: This is your ad campaign's most zoomed-out version. Here, you decide your advertising objective. A campaign can include multiple ad groups. 2. Ad group level: The ad group is the second level, where you set up the targeting of your ads, define ad placement, and decide on a budget. TikTok ad groups can have multiple ads. 3. Ad level: At the ad level, you can customize each individual ad as part of various ad groups. SourceTikTok bidding methodsTikTok has various bidding methods to help you control how and where you spend your budget. CPM (cost per thousand impressions): In this bidding method, you get charged by impressions. When you choose CPM as your bidding method, you ask TikTok to maximize the reach of your TikTok ad to get more impressions.oCPM: oCPM is optimized cost per thousand impressions. This means you’re asking TikTok to target users who are more likely to convert.CPC (cost per click): Cost per click is when you’re charged by the click. You’re asking TikTok to maximize conversions (buying your products, installing your app, visiting your profile) by using this bidding method.CPV (cost per view): You’re asking TikTok to charge you when a viewer views your ad for at least six seconds or interacts with your video ad within the first six seconds — whichever comes first.TikTok ads costTikTok requires you to spend a minimum of $20 on every ad group in your campaign. At a campaign level, your budget must be at least $50. So, if your campaign budget is less than that, it’s best to slot TikTok advertising for a later time. There’s, of course, no upper ceiling to how much you can spend on TikTok ads. TikTok advertising cost also varies depending on your campaign goals, the type of ads you choose, your targeting, and your bidding strategy. It’s advisable to start with small budgets to test your performance and gradually increase ad spend as you see positive results. Set up TikTok Pixel on your websiteTikTok pixel is a piece of code you get in your TikTok ads manager account that you can place on your website. This pixel will help you accurately measure the impact of your TikTok ads. That snippet of code is like slipping a tracker into your ad account. It allows you to find out the source of website visitors (are they coming via your TikTok ad?), which devices they’re using, what location they’re at, and so much more. To set up TikTok Pixel: 1. Go to your TikTok ads manager account and click on “Event” under “Tools” 2. Select “Data sources” and “Connect data source” 3. Click on “Web” If you host your online store on one of TikTok’s integrated platforms (like Shopify, WooCommerce, etc.), you can connect with them directly. If not, you can follow the instructions to do a manual setup. You’ll get a base code to add to your website. 👉🏾Here’s TikTok’s guide to setting up TikTok Pixel.How to practice TikTok advertising (the easier version)TikTok advertising has an easy mode where you can promote your organic posts in a few clicks. It’s called a “Promote campaign.” SourceYou can also start a Promote campaign from the TikTok studio or your Business Suite. There’s also an option to promote your TikTok live. The Promote campaign is an excellent beginner-friendly option for testing the waters with TikTok advertising. Like the TikTok ads manager, you must select a goal for your post and continue the steps. Your Promote campaign performance analytics aren’t as in-depth as the ones in your TikTok ads manager account, though. But this doesn’t mean you can’t capitalize on Promote campaigns once you have a TikTok advertising strategy. Let’s say you have a TikTok post that went viral. You can still promote it using Promote campaigns by integrating it with your TikTok ads manager account. Now, let’s learn how you can use the TikTok ads manager in seven steps. How to set up your TikTok ads manager account in 7 stepsWhen someone asks, “how to advertise on TikTok?” the instinctive answer is always to set up the TikTok ads manager account. This is where the magic happens. It’s TikTok’s all-in-one advertising platform for creating and managing every TikTok ad campaign. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create and run your TikTok ads manager account: Step 1: Sign up for the TikTok ads manager accountCreate a TikTok ads manager account by signing up on TikTok’s advertising page. TikTok will ask you to fill in basic info like your business name, industry, currency, and timezone. Step 2: Create a new TikTok ad campaignOnce you login and enter your TikTok ads manager dashboard, you’ll see an option to “Create ad.” You’ll be guided to create a new TikTok ad campaign when you click on it. You’re required to choose a campaign objective. The campaign objectives are divided into three buckets: Awareness: Choose “Reach” under Awareness when your campaign goal is to get the word out about your product or service. TikTok will work to show your ads to the maximum number of people.Consideration: The Consideration option has four further sub-categories: Traffic, Video Views, Community Interaction, and Branded Mission.Traffic is for when you want your campaigns to drive traffic to your website.Video Views is the right choice when you want to get more views on your video ads.Community Interaction helps you increase your TikTok followers, get more views to your TikTok page, or promote your TikTok LIVE.Branded Mission is for connecting with authentic creators and offering them incentives in return. This isn’t available globally yet.Conversion: When you want to get direct conversions via your TikTok ad campaigns, Conversion is the perfect choice. There are four choices within this category, too:App promotion helps you get more people to install your app or take desired actions within your app.Lead generation is when you want to attract potential buyers.Website conversion is TikTok ads redirecting users to your website to purchase your products.Product sales allow you to sell products from your TikTok Shop or Catalog.Step 3: Define campaign detailsOnce you choose your advertising objective, you can name your campaign and set up your budget. Daily budget is the maximum amount you’re willing to spend on your ad campaigns per day.Lifetime budget is the maximum amount you’re willing to spend during the entire period that you run your TikTok ad campaign.⚠️Note: You cannot change your budget type after publishing a campaign. So, choose your budget strategy carefully before launching.You also get the choice to run split tests in this step. Split testing allows you to test variations in different TikTok ad groups. Skip this in the beginning. You can experiment with it once you’ve developed the muscle to create effective TikTok ads that give you a positive return on investment (ROI). Step 4: Set up your first ad groupOnce you’ve filled in the campaign specifics, you can create your first ad group. You have to define the following four things in this step: Ad group name: Create a unique ad group name to differentiate it from the rest and make for easy reporting.Optimization location: Choose where you’d like to send TikTok users who click on your TikTok ads — website or app.Ad placement: If you choose “Automatic placement,” TikTok automatically places your ads across all ad placements suitable for your ad in the TikTok ads manager. If you choose “Manual placement,” you can control where your TikTok ads will go. The toggles are for TikTok and its partner platforms including Global App Bundle and Pangle.⚡Pro-tip: Always toggle on the “User comment” under “Advanced settings” in ad placements. This feature allows people to interact with your ads — improving engagement, ad performance, and helping you gather feedback.Target audience: Your TikTok ads manager account has various targeting options to help you reach potential customers. You can select:Demographics: Choose the right gender, age bracket, location, language(s), and spending power of your target audience. Interests and behaviors: You can choose to deliver your TikTok ads to people who have shown interests similar to your target buyers. You can also decide to show your TikTok ads to people who have demonstrated favorable in-app behaviors (like interacting with your creator partner before). Device: You can choose to show ads only to people with a certain device and carrier, like iOS 17 and above. You can save these audience settings for future TikTok campaigns. This way, you won’t have to repeatedly enter your target audience details when you launch a new campaign targeting the same set. You can also use these saved audiences to target more precisely. For example, if you want to exclude a target audience set from a campaign, you can do so by eliminating a saved audience. Step 5: Decide your ad scheduleAd schedule is about deciding the start and end time for your TikTok ads to go live. You can either set the start and end date or just the start date. Your ads will keep running until your budget runs out if you set just the start date. Daypartying is the option to deliver your ads only at specific times during the day. Step 6: Create your ad and submitThis step is all about the nitty-gritty of creating the ad, adding ad details, and submitting it. You’ll notice a “Smart creative ads” toggle right at the top. If you turn this on, you allow TikTok to remix your ad creatives to create varying ads. For example, TikTok will combine the ad creative from one ad and call to action from another to test a new TikTok ad. Turning the smart creative ads toggle on also permits TikTok to pause ads that aren’t performing as well to replace them with fresher TikTok ads. Smart creative ads are a great option for beginners and experts alike — especially if you aren’t testing ad creatives and/or your call to action choices yourself. SourceFrom here, you can choose a unique ad name to differentiate between ads from within an ad group. Turn the “Spark ads” toggle on if you're running Spark ads. If not, you can upload a custom identity with a unique display name and profile image. Your profile image should ideally be your brand logo or profile image on your account to improve brand recall and help users identify you easily. Then, you can choose the ad format (video ads or carousel images) and upload your ad creative. You can continue to add your ad description, call to action, and any interactive add-ons you wish. By default, all ads are in feed ads. You can also see how your ad would appear in the search results by using the toggle above the creative that says, “Search result.” Lastly, you can decide the destination of your ad’s call to action. Do you want users who click to go to a website or a new custom page? Always preview how your ad looks during this step. This will allow you to spot any discrepancies and avoid any embarrassing typos. Step 7: Measure your campaign performance and improveThe TikTok ads manager dashboard gives you a bird’s eye view of your account’s performance. To get an in-depth view, go to campaigns. Here, you can customize columns to see your most important metrics and monitor your progress. SourceMonitor which creative ad formats, budgets, etc., are giving you the most bang for your buck. This ad account analysis will help you understand what you’re doing right and spotlight areas of improvement. Remember reflection is part of the job. Now that you have the technical know-how of running ads on TikTok ads manager, here are some pro tips to help you ace your marketing campaigns. 5 beginner-friendly pro tips to ace your TikTok ad campaignsSome advice here is related to the nuances of your TikTok ads manager account while others are more tailored to ad creative. All of them will help you scale your marketing campaigns on TikTok. 1. Use the TikTok creative center for competitor analysis and inspirationThe TikTok creative center is a great place to look for creative inspiration and do competitor analysis. You can add filters for country, campaign objective, industry, language, ad format, and even views rate. The best part? The TikTok creative center also gives you the analytics of each ad to help you get the full picture of the TikTok ad. Let’s say you’re a skincare brand in the U.S. looking to run a TikTok ad campaign for traffic using Spark ads ad format. Once you add these filters to the creative center dashboard, you’ll find the best-performing TikTok ads with in-depth performance analytics that match the criteria. The AI-generated video analysis can even help you break down the key creative elements in an ad that you can replicate while creating TikTok ads for your brand. You can slice and dice the data to understand what clicks with your target audience and create similar engaging ads. 2. Use scroll-stopping hooks in your TikTok adsSocial media hooks are a favorite tactic to increase engagement on every social media platform. TikTok ads are no different. Take this TikTok ad by MicroPerfumes that starts by saying, “What is the difference between these three things?” The rhetorical question immediately creates intrigue with the viewers. Video ads also have an excellent product demonstration capability — working in MicroPerfumes’ favor. The ad had over 31,000 likes and 700 comments 🤯 Savannah Sanchez shares brilliant hooks on her X account regularly if you want to stay updated with the latest best hooks for your ads. Here's your top-performing ad format for November 2024: "You don't want to give a gift that ends up in the back of someone's closet..." You can also do a variation of this for "ends up getting regifted" Test this and see for yourself 🔥 *The example is my own for Dooney* pic.twitter.com/Z1Ftu1JCYl — Social Savannah (@social_savannah) November 13, 2024 3. Refresh your creatives regularlyYou reach ad fatigue when you’ve already reached the maximum number of people you could with your ad. Refreshing your creatives regularly can help you avoid this. Ideally, you should have at least three to five unique creatives per ad group. Toggling on ‘smart creative ads’ for ads can also help you create iterations of your ads without much effort. 4. Expect some fluctuation in your CPA during the learning phaseThe learning phase is when the TikTok platform is still gathering insights about your product and audience. It’s the initial stage of ad delivery where TikTok’s system is still finding the most relevant audience for your ad group(s). You can experience a shaky CPA during this phase, but it will stabilize over time. Allocate 20 percent of your budget during this learning phase and spend the bulk of your budget after your CPA stabilizes. 5. Avoid creating a narrow audience sizeWhen choosing your ad audience, it’s advisable not to set specifics that significantly shrink your audience size. A small audience size increases the chances of reaching creative fatigue sooner. Your ad groups might also face difficulty exiting the learning phase if you have an audience size that is too small. A narrow audience size is good to use when you want to reach specific zip codes or have already validated your results via testing. TikTok advertising is a long, ever-evolving gameTikTok advertising isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The platform is continually updating its features, UI & UX, and coming up with new ways to make ads on the platform more effective. So, if and when you enter the TikTok advertising game, know you’re in it for the long haul with the rules and best practices updating at whip speed. This might seem daunting, but don’t you worry: It’s nothing different from maintaining an organic social media strategy (because things move fast there, too!). You got this. View the full article

Let’s be honest—at RescueTime, we can’t say enough good things about time tracking. That’s not because we just think it’s a great habit, but because we’ve seen its benefits play out for more than 2 million users. At this point, you know that time tracking comes with a variety of advantages, but maybe you’ve hit The post Navigating time tracking challenges: Empowering yourself for success appeared first on RescueTime Blog. View the full article

Building your presence across multiple social media platforms is incredibly valuable for brands and creators — but it doesn't have to mean spending all day creating unique content for each channel. In fact, many successful creators and brands have a secret: they crosspost across platforms to get more mileage out of their content. Our data shows this approach is remarkably common — 59% of posts created in Buffer are posted to more than one social media platform. Crossposting a game-changer for busy creators and small businesses who want to maintain an active presence on social media without burning out. Instead of starting from scratch for every platform, you can adapt and share content across different channels — like turning an engaging Instagram Reel into a TikTok or turning an X thread into a LinkedIn post. Whether you're looking to streamline your processes or test out new channels, this guide will teach you how to crosspost effectively — from choosing which content to share across platforms to customizing your posts for maximum impact on each channel. What is crossposting?Crossposting is when you share the same (or similar) content on multiple social media accounts. For example, musician Ren shares his videos on Instagram Reels, as seen here: And he posts the same videos on TikTok: It's the same content, and he gets a ton of engagement on both platforms. The best part about crossposting is you don't have to copy-and-paste everything manually. Whether you use built-in features that enable crossposting between platforms (like you can between Meta platforms Facebook, Instagram, and Threads) or a social media management tool like Buffer, you can create posts once and share them everywhere your audience hangs out. Why crosspost on social media?With over half of posts being shared on multiple platforms through Buffer, it's clear this tactic is a pillar of many of our customers’ social media strategies — and with good reason. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of crossposting: Build a stronger social media presenceBeing present on multiple social media channels is becoming increasingly important for creators and businesses. While you don't need to be everywhere, maintaining two or three platforms can help you build a more resilient online presence. Platforms can change, so it protects you from putting all your eggs in one basket. And it gives your content more opportunities to take off. Crossposting makes this multi-platform strategy more manageable. Save timeFor busy creators and small businesses managing multiple pages, crossposting is a smart way to maintain a consistent posting cadence across social platforms in less time. By crossposting strategically, you can focus your energy on creating high-quality content that resonates with your followers without burning out. For example, if you create an enticing teaser video for an upcoming product launch, you can post it across Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts — just adjusting the captions and hashtags for each platform. Reach more of your audienceYour followers likely use multiple social platforms but might not follow you on all of them. By crossposting your content, you increase the chances that your message reaches your audience where they're most active. Even if someone follows you on multiple platforms, they might miss your post on X but catch it on Threads. And since each platform has its own unique user base, crossposting helps you connect with different audiences who might be interested in your content. For example, your Facebook Page might attract different followers than your Instagram account, enabling you to grow your overall fan base and giving you access to even more views and engagement. Test new platforms efficientlyCrossposting also helps you test a new social media channel without doubling your content creation time. For instance, if you're curious about building an audience on text-based platforms, you can try crossposting your content across X, Threads, Bluesky, and Mastodon to see where it resonates most. Or if short-form video is your focus, you can test how your content performs across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. This approach lets you experiment with different platforms while maintaining a consistent content strategy. You can analyze engagement across platforms and focus your efforts where they'll have the biggest impact. How to crosspost effectively on social mediaReady to make crossposting work for your social media strategy? Keep these key principles in mind to make an impact. Start by crossposting to platforms that prioritize similar mediumsThe easiest way to start crossposting is to focus on platforms that share similar content types: Text-based platforms: X, Threads, Bluesky, MastodonVideo-focused platforms: TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube ShortsImage-focused platforms: Instagram feed, PinterestFor example, you can easily adapt a recipe post from your Instagram feed for Pinterest. You can also crosspost to platforms with different medium-focuses (e.g., an Instagram image to X), but you'll likely need to customize your content a bit more since posts are presented differently on these platforms. For example, Shopify posted this photo to Instagram: And then again on X: iphone: your storage is full me: how can it be full already? my camera roll: pic.twitter.com/gg73s0lOJ5 — Shopify (@Shopify) December 4, 2024 Each post has a slightly different caption to suit the platform. Because X shows text first, followed by the image, having a strong text lead-in makes sense. Meanwhile, Instagram's caption appears after the photo in followers' feeds and gets cut off after the first couple of lines, prompting followers to click it if they want to read the whole thing. So a shorter caption makes sense there. When sharing content to platforms with different focuses, you'll probably want to learn more about repurposing content — another smart strategy to get more out of your content that involves a bit more finesse. Only crosspost what will be relevant to your audience on each platformEvery social platform has its own culture and audience expectations. Whatever you share, you'll want to stay consistent with the topics and style your audience expects from you on each one. For example, TikTok tends to be more spontaneous and off-the-cuff than Instagram Reels. So something more refined might not land on TikTok. In my own test-and-learn experience, I tried crossposting from X, where I was building an audience of e-commerce marketers, to LinkedIn, where I had more connections in the content marketing world. While my LinkedIn posts about content marketing and work culture usually get decent engagement, the e-commerce posts fell flat! It wasn't the right topic for the audience I had built. Customize your content for each platformBecause every platform has its own norms and technical requirements, you'll likely want to make some small tweaks before reusing your content. Here's what to consider adjusting before you crosspost: Character limits: Each platform has its own character limits. For example, LinkedIn has a 3,000-character limit, while X is limited to 280 for free users. If you have a long LinkedIn post, you might consider splitting it up into a thread for X. Or you can just post part of it to the platform. Image sizes and video lengths: Make sure your images and videos meet each platform's recommended dimensions and durations. An Instagram Reel can be up to 90 seconds long, while TikToks can be up to 30 minutes (depending on your region). If you want to share to both of those platforms with minimal extra effort, keep your clips to 90 seconds or less. And, while this might be getting into repurpose territory, tools like CapCut can help you create short clips from a longer video to suit different platform requirements. Hashtags: Different platforms have not only different hashtags to use, but audiences have different expectations about their use. Hashtag use is heavy on Instagram, and you can expect to see dozens of hashtags in a single post to boost discovery. However, LinkedIn users tend to use just one or two relevant tags. Platform tone: Each platform has its own communication style. LinkedIn tends to be more professional and industry-focused, so you might want to lighten up on your slang there. But you can loosen up more on TikTok, which favors a more casual feel. Platform-specific references: Nothing breaks the illusion of native content quite like seeing "link in bio" on a Facebook page, so avoid copying over platform-specific references. Optimal posting times: Your audience's active hours might vary by platform. Schedule your crossposted content when your followers are most likely to engage on each specific platform. Buffer's analytics can help you figure out the best time to post for your audience. 💡Pro tip: Adjusting your content for different platforms is easy with Buffer's AI Assistant, which is trained on the norms for different social media sites.Use built-in crossposting features in the Meta ecosystemIf you're posting content across your Instagram, Threads, and Facebook accounts, you can take advantage of Meta's native crossposting features. This built-in functionality lets you share content seamlessly between your Facebook page, Instagram account, and Threads — as long as the post type is supported on the other platforms. While this only works within Meta's social networks, it's particularly useful for spontaneous content when you want to quickly share across platforms. Crosspost like a pro with a social media management toolCrossposting manually can be cumbersome and time-consuming. We recommend using a social media management platform like Buffer that makes crossposting a breeze. With Buffer, you can: Draft and schedule posts to multiple channels at onceCustomize content for each platform as you scheduleUse the AI Assistant to adapt your content for different platformsDuplicate posts you've already drafted or publishedSchedule posts at the right time for each platformReady to get more out of your content with crossposting? You can get started with Buffer for free to share your content more efficiently across platforms. 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Social media has transformed the way we communicate and consume information, and it continues to do so day by day. From sharing personal life updates to discussing global events, platforms like TikTok have become integral to our daily lives. But what happens when the workplace becomes a trending topic on these platforms? Enter the world of #WorkTok. View the full article

With each new year, come new possibilities. You’ve probably already set goals to tap into that fresh energy that comes with a change of the calendar. If one of those goals is to grow on social media in 2025, you’re in the right place. We believe new habits take work — and content creation is no exception. It’s not as easy as picking up a phone, despite what some success stories might have you believe. You need systems and structures to build something sustainable. That’s where Creator Camp comes in. Creator Camp is a free 30-day community challenge to help you build consistent social media habits while developing your brand and connecting with fellow creators. We had over 218 signups for our last edition, which ran in October 2024. For 30 days, the community buzzed with activity as members shared their content, exchanged feedback, and cheered each other on. And the results spoke for themselves — Laura, a former Product Manager who is building a business, saw a 47.8% increase in impressions and a 20% increase in members reached.Louise, a Social Media Manager, saw an 891% increase in impressions and a 346% increase in engagement.Sabreen, a Marketing expert, saw a 216% increase in impressions and a 215% increase in engagement.Buffer teammates who participated in the challenge also saw amazing results. On my end, I saw amazing results, including viral content that bumped my 2024 LinkedIn metrics by thousands! Ready to tap into the New Year energy and grow on social in 2025? Join us on January 15!Join Creator CampWhy join Creator Camp?Creator Camp provides the structure, support, and community to make posting a habit. Here’s what you’ll get out of it: Build a consistent posting habit: Creator Camp helps you turn infrequent posting into a regular habit by providing regular cues, motivation, and the reward of celebrating alongside a community. By the end of the 30 days, you’ll have built a natural and sustainable rhythm to carry into your creator journey.Boost your creativity: With weekly content prompts, resources for all the top social platforms, and the encouragement of a supportive community, you’ll find yourself brimming with new ideas and excited to share them. And even if you’ve done Creator Camp before, we guarantee you’ll find something new to benefit from in this next round.Join a thriving community: One of creators' biggest challenges is feeling isolated. In Creator Camp, you’re never alone. You’ll be surrounded by fellow creators on the same journey, ready to support you every step of the way.Some community interactions that make Creator Camp so special 💡Here are 7 simple habits to help you flex the content creation muscle.What makes Creator Camp different from any other social media challenge?It’s not just the prompts or the structure — it’s the community. At Buffer, we’re committed to fostering an inclusive environment where creators of all levels can thrive. Plus, through our Buffer Chats, live sessions with industry leaders and experts, you’ll gain insights you won’t find anywhere else. How it worksCommunity support: Join our Discord community, where you can share your content, receive feedback, and support fellow creators. This is where the magic happens — creators inspiring creators.Weekly prompts: Receive creative prompts weekly and daily to spark your content ideas and motivate you. It’s time to step out of your comfort zone and try something new!Exclusive events: Connect with guest social media experts through live Buffer Chats.Extensive resources: We’ll be sharing cheat sheets for each social media platform for you to maximize your results.Ready to build a consistent social media presence? Join us from January 15!If you want to grow on social media in 2025, Creator Camp is the perfect opportunity. Join us for this free 30-day challenge, starting January 15 and take the first step towards building a consistent, engaging, and impactful social media presence. Sign up for Creator Camp today and start your journey towards consistency and growth. Let’s make your social media dreams a reality—one post at a time. Join Creator CampShare your journeyKnow someone who could benefit from Creator Camp? Share this post and invite them to join us. The more, the merrier! got you covered! View the full article

Here are my picks for the best Kanban certifications that will help you learn key Kanban principles and concepts, as well as agile principles more broadly. You'll build your skills in managing teams and delivering successful projects, and get a leg up in your career. The post 13 Best Kanban Certifications to Take in 2025 appeared first on The Digital Project Manager. View the full article

The race to deliver market-leading Wi-Fi 7 solutions to CSP is heating up with startup Righ. The post CES: South Korea’s KAON becomes first global partner for Righ’s ‘RighGravity’ multi-protocol Wi-Fi solution appeared first on Wi-Fi NOW Global. View the full article

The race to deliver market-leading Wi-Fi 7 solutions to CSP is heating up with startup Righ. The post CES: South Korea’s KAON becomes first global partner for Righ’s ‘RighGravity’ multi-protocol Wi-Fi solution appeared first on Wi-Fi NOW Global. View the full article