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Fluorescent lights that softly hum. Magazines nobody reads. A television mounted in the corner playing cable news as a receptionist mispronounces my last name. I am at my first of several doctors appointments intentionally scheduled during the winter holiday season. Not because I’m sick. Because it’s the only week of the year when nothing work-related is fighting for my time. The office is closed. The investors aren’t emailing. The product update notifications have stopped. For seven days I can put my body first. So I schedule the bloodwork. The dermatologist. The physical I’ve been postponing since March. The dentist I keep rescheduling because there’s always a board meeting or a customer call or a crisis that feels more important than my teeth. I came to this ritual the hard way. I spent my entire career building venture-backed technology companies while ignoring what my body was telling me. I did everything “right” by founder standards. Didn’t drink, didn’t smoke. Exercised when I could. I told myself the stress was temporary. I told myself I’d rest after the next milestone. My kidneys failed anyway. Twice: once in 2016 and once in 2025. End-stage renal disease. Two transplants. A decade of dialysis and hospitals taught me something simple: your body doesn’t negotiate. Listen to it while it’s still whispering. The culprit? Stress. Work-related stress that I knew was hurting me and still gave myself permission to ignore. I got a second (and third) chance. Not everyone does. I lost a close founder friend to suicide. He was brilliant and successful by every external measure. I noticed him pulling away. I gave him space, thinking that’s what he needed. I was wrong. We don’t talk enough about what this life actually costs. Research shows that founders are twice as likely to suffer from depression, three times more likely to struggle with substance abuse, and 72% report mental health issues. We celebrate the wins and go quiet about everything else. The founder who sold and can’t get out of bed. The one who shut down and disappeared. The one still building but running on empty. The physical toll hides in plain sight, too. Burnout isn’t exhaustion you recover from with a vacation. It’s an occupational phenomenon the World Health Organization recognized in 2019. For founders who delay or forgo health checks, it can show up as heart disease, autoimmune disorders, and a nervous system that forgets how to stand down. And the damage doesn’t stay contained. Research shows 57% of employees can read their founder’s stress through tone, energy, and body language. The same report shows teams led by highly stressed founders report lower well-being, higher burnout, and less psychological safety. When founders suffer, everyone around them absorbs it. Taking care of your health We defer our health because something always feels more urgent. If you’re a founder, this is a 15-minute exercise to start listening to your body while it’s still whispering this holiday season. Minutes 0–5: List What’s Been Avoided Write down every health-related item that’s been put off. Appointments postponed. Symptoms ignored. Checkups overdue. Include everything. Minutes 5–10: Identify the Cost of Waiting For each item ask: What’s the risk of continuing to defer? What would a friend say about ignoring it? Mark the ones where waiting feels the most like avoidance. Minutes 10–15: Schedule One Thing Pick the item that’s been waiting longest or carries the most risk. Open the calendar. Find a time in the next 30 days and book it. Not a reminder. The actual appointment. Why This Works We treat health as something we’ll get to when things calm down. Things don’t calm down. One appointment won’t fix everything. But it can break the pattern of deferral. How a founder is doing is the leading indicator of how their company will do. Not the pitch deck. Not the cap table. The person. It’s a core driver of investment ROI. Nobody talks about it that way. Instead, investors scrutinize market size, competitive moats, and unit economics. But the biggest risk in any portfolio isn’t the market. It’s the founder who burns out and starts making questionable decisions. Or walks away entirely. If either of those happens, every dollar invested to back them is on the line. Here’s the truth: wellness isn’t a reward founders claim after the exit. By then, relationships are broken, bodies are compromised, and purpose is lost. Wellness is the foundation that makes the hard work of being a founder possible. View the full article

To quote Vince Vaughn in Four Christmases: “You can’t spell ‘families’ without ‘lies.’” That’s a cynical view, for sure, but when it comes to talking about one particular thing around the family dinner table at the holidays, it might be especially true. That thing? Work. According to a recent survey, young people are seriously bending the truth when it comes to talking to family members about their professional lives. The survey of 2,000 young U.S. adults (ages 21 to 35) from the digital skills course provider Elvtr found that a third have bailed on family events simply to avoid conversations about their jobs or career progress. Even more say they have stretched the truth: A staggering 58% of young professionals have lied about their jobs, whether that means downplaying or exaggerating their success. Interestingly, there’s a pretty big gender divide when it comes to how young people misrepresent their work life. Men were about twice as likely as women to inflate their success while talking to family. Women, meanwhile, downplayed their income, success, or responsibilities. Per the report, if a promotion or raise occurred, “some women reported understating their accomplishments around relatives, whereas men more often admitted to inflating theirs.” Talking about jobs seems to get more stressful the more infrequently people see their families, which is why holiday visits can stir up so much anxiety. Those who spend time with family only once a year reported stress at a higher rate: 44% of those who saw their relatives annually said they were anxious about work chat, while only 25% of those who saw their families more regularly shared the concern. Roman Peskin, CEO of Elvtr, says that a big part of why people lie to their families about work over the holidays may have to do with sibling rivalry. “All the sibling comparisons and proving to your grandma that you’ve made it in the big city add up fast. What’s striking is that the influence doesn’t stop at the dinner table,” Peskin stated in a press release. About 55% of respondents report that such comparisons happen sometimes, and 19% say they happen frequently. The CEO also notes that young people allow the weight of family approval to dictate their work decisions at a surprisingly high rate. Nearly half (45%) have considered or made career changes due to family expectations. And 22% would actually sacrifice their dream job in favor of family approval. “So maybe skip the classic ‘Why aren’t you a doctor yet?’ or ‘Your cousin just got promoted’ lines this Christmas,” Peskin urges. “Well-meaning advice can push young adults down paths that aren’t theirs to take.” Likewise, the anxiety seems more intense for the youngest workers, perhaps because they are just starting out in their careers and feel more pressure to show their success. (Or maybe it’s because they’re the anxious generation.) Overall, 35% are very or somewhat stressed about the conversation, and 42% in their 20s are stressed. Only 29% of those in their 30s say the same; suggesting that the older one gets, the less inclined that person may be to care deeply about their family’s take on their job. While job questions can be stressful, young people can rest easy. Eventually, family members will switch to the dreaded “So, when are you giving us a grandbaby?” View the full article

I’m on vacation. Here are some past letters that I’m making new again, rather than leaving them to wilt in the archives. 1. My employee wants to know where I am at all times I started a new management role three months ago and am managing a small team. One of my staff was under-performing when I started, and one of my directives was to get them on a coaching plan, which I have. As a result, they have made complaints that I’m out to get them. Luckily I’ve been documenting everything, and my boss has my back. My boss had a skip-level meeting with them to allow them to air their grievances. During this, they mentioned that my boss and I should always let them know when we have meetings, for how long, and what they’re for. I do let my team know when I’m away for extended periods, but occasionally will be pulled into a last-minute meeting. The nature of our role doesn’t require to be at my desk at all times, but I would say I’m here for 70-80% of the day. They have now taken to asking my boss “when can we expect you back?” and “who are you off to visit?” every time he leaves the office (which is a big part of his role). My boss is easily reached by mobile/email, and doesn’t have a lot of day-to-day interaction with the team. I’m of two minds here. On one hand, I’m trying to build a good working relationship with them in order to coach effectively, and I don’t want to seem inflexible. On the other, they don’t need to know where my boss and I are every second of the day, and this seems like a bit of a power play. Any advice on how my boss/I should address this? I don’t know if it’s a power play exactly, but it’s something weird. You can and should tell your employee that it’s not a practical expectation. Say this: “You’ve asked that Jane and I both let you know whenever we have meetings, how long it’ll be, and what for. You can always look at our calendars to see our schedules, but sometimes we’re pulled into last-minute meetings or have reasons for not sharing details about them, and that’s something you’ll need to just roll with. As part of that, please stop asking Jane to fill you in on where she’s going and who she’s seeing — that’s not info she needs to share with our team.” It’s good that you want to build a good relationship with this person, but there are higher priorities in this situation right now. You need to speak up when they’re out of line (as they are). Also, based on everything here (especially the complaints that you’re out to get them), it’s pretty likely this isn’t ultimately going to work out … so keep that in your head as you deal with them and think about your timeline for bringing this to a resolution one way or the other. – 2019 Read an update to this letter here. 2. If the caterer mentions my mom at my dad’s wedding, all hell will break loose My dad is getting remarried very soon. My parents divorced 15 years ago. He and his fiancee hired the same caterer I had at my wedding, who also catered my mom’s remarriage (that was six months after the divorce). This catering company is tiny, and the people who run it are amazing. My dad has forbidden us from talking about my mom anywhere near his fiancee. I’m sure the caterers will see me and my sibling and mention my mom. If it happens in front of the bride, I’m sure it will not go well for us (or them, for that matter). We want to head it off at the pass, so to speak. How do I do this when I’m not the one who hired them, but I was their customer in the past? Anyone who does work for weddings is used to dealing with problematic family dynamics, from “keep Uncle Paul out of the photos with Aunt Liz” to “don’t serve Grandma more than two drinks” to “under no circumstances can you let Cousin Cecil anywhere near the bridesmaids’ table.” Compared to some of those requests, this one is pretty easy! You could contact them as a happy past customer, explain the situation, and ask that they not mention your mom during the event. You could say “I know this is strange to ask” … but they’ll probably be unfazed. (Alternately, there’s also the option of deciding it’s not going to be your problem if the bride has a meltdown over the existence of your mother … although it might be worth doing to protect the caterers from that. But are you supposed to pretend your mom doesn’t exist when you’re around your stepmom for the next several decades, and does your dad think this bodes well for the marriage?) – 2021 Read an update to this letter here. 3. I don’t want to talk about my “cool” job I have a regular, albeit senior level, role with a really “cool”/very well known company. Think head of IT for Manchester United, controller at Nickelodeon, or head of facilities at NASCAR. I frequently encounter social situations where sharing details of ones job is expected. I hate talking about my job because it draws a lot of attention from people who would otherwise not be interested in me or my work (if not for my “cool” workplace). Being vague has not worked. I’ll say, “I work in IT” and they’ll ask, “where do you work?” or “what do you do in IT?” Sometimes I’ll throw in the city, as in, “I work in IT in City.” That tends not to work either. It feels awkward to give more than one vague answer because once people pick up on the fact that you’re being vague, their interest is piqued even more. I’ve been in situations where someone will leave me alone and then come back to ask again. When people learn where I work, then they want to know specifically what I do (how senior I am), which again, I don’t really want to talk about. Any tips on sidestepping discussions of work when people are expecting you to talk about it? Saying that I don’t want to talk about it only leads to more attention and speculation. I should mention that my social circle, somewhat unwillingly, has changed, and I think that’s why I’m encountering this more often. I get the sense that there is some “sizing up” or competitiveness afoot (most of the people have great jobs and are happy to talk/brag about them). But, even when it isn’t that, I hate talking about work because I talk about it enough at work (and there is a lot I can’t talk about but everyone wants to ask about those things). I’m surprised people are being so persistent! Even here in D.C. where “what do you do?” is pretty much the first question everyone asks, people generally accept something like “I work in IT” without mounting an inquisition about the details. (Side note: I thought D.C.’s fixation on this was normal until I moved to the Pacific Northwest for a while, where you can go months without knowing what a friend does.) You could try “I have a job in IT that would make your eyes glaze over” followed by an immediate question about the other person. If you can keep the focus on them, a lot of people will be so pleased to talk about themselves that they won’t realize they’re learning nothing about you. But it sounds like your circle is so focused on this that you might just need to explain what you do and follow it with, “But I am so talked out about about my job right now and am enjoying not having to think about it in my off hours! Tell me about X instead — that sounds really interesting.” – 2019 Read an update to this letter here. 4. Telling my employee I made a mistake with a client I read your advice about how a boss should handle making a mistake, but something came up today that’s a little different and I’m not sure the best way to handle it. My report, Joe, met with a client, Alice, who had previously met with me, before Joe started in his role (now that he’s here, he handles client meetings). I know that my meeting with Alice went poorly — she was making unreasonable requests and displayed a level of inflexibility that I knew would not get her where she needed, but I also did not do a good job being client-centered and I could tell our meeting left a poor taste in her mouth. Fast forward to this week and Alice set up a meeting with Joe; in that meeting, I overheard her say (repeatedly) how much better he did and how awful I was to her. She also had totally changed her goals and was asking for something that was much more reasonable. I don’t know if she knew that I could hear her (she would have had to walk by my cubicle to get to him) or if she was just venting. I don’t know if Joe suspects Alice was talking about me, but it was clear he handled the whole thing very professionally. What do I say to him now? I feel like it’s bad precedent for me to not own up to my mistake, but since her goals are totally different than they were before, our conversation isn’t particularly relevant to the work they’ll do moving forward. I would want to give him more context, but I don’t want him to think I’m being defensive — even though she was being unreasonable in our meeting, I think her frustration with how our meeting went is justified. On top of all this, I of course still feel badly about how the meeting went, so it’s not easy for me to talk about at all. The best thing you can do is to frame it as giving him useful context (which it is), be up-front and matter-of-fact about what happened, and take responsibility for your role in it. This isn’t a horrible indictment of you — we all have bad days and mess things up, and employees generally draw their conclusions about how from how you handle it when that happens, not from the fact that you’re not perfect. So for example: “I should give some of the history with Alice. She and I met earlier this year about X, and it didn’t go well. She was asking for (explain unreasonable requests) but I frankly didn’t do a great job of explaining to her what our concerns with that would be. My sense is that our meeting didn’t leave her with a great impression, and that’s on me. I’m hoping that by starting fresh with you, things will go differently.” – 2019 The post my employee wants to know where I am at all times, wedding drama, and more appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

Vegan confectioner is doubling down in a tough food market after acquisition of Graze from Unilever View the full article

Exit comes after oil major said in July that lead partner had exceeded period allowed under rotation rulesView the full article

Member states’ spending on US oil and gas fell 7 per cent over the past four monthsView the full article

Creative financing helps insulate Big Tech while binding Wall Street to a future boom or bust View the full article

Larger funds’ global share of commitments slides as fundraising winter drags onView the full article

Context matters as much as content in determining whether text is machine generated or notView the full article

The battle for Warner Bros could be the last straw for cash-strapped viewersView the full article

Dealmaking has been driven by The President administration’s crypto-friendly policymakingView the full article

Series of disappointing debuts in Hong Kong has come in the last quarter of a record yearView the full article

Amid the rise of streaming, younger viewers barely watch the broadcasting that once dominated Christmas schedulesView the full article

If you want to improve your social media engagement, consider implementing various creative post types. Engaging polls can gather audience opinions, as well as behind-the-scenes content humanizes your brand. Interactive quizzes test knowledge, and user-generated content showcases authentic experiences. Moreover, “This or That” posts encourage quick decisions, and live Q&A sessions promote direct connections. Each of these strategies can greatly boost interaction rates. Curious about how to effectively apply these ideas? Key Takeaways Utilize User-Generated Content (UGC) to showcase customer experiences and build community, increasing engagement by 28%. Create engaging polls or surveys to encourage audience participation and enhance visibility, as 70% of users appreciate brands seeking their opinions. Host interactive quizzes and trivia, generating twice the engagement of static posts while providing insights into audience preferences. Share behind-the-scenes sneak peeks to humanize your brand and foster a stronger connection with your audience through transparency. Organize live Q&A sessions to directly interact with your audience, addressing inquiries and enhancing brand trust and engagement. Engaging Polls and Surveys How can you effectively engage your audience online? One impactful method is through engaging polls and surveys. These interactive tools encourage audience participation and can greatly improve your post visibility. Platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook favor content that sparks discussions, so incorporating polls can lead to a higher interaction rate. In fact, 70% of users appreciate brands seeking their opinions through such content. Furthermore, polls can provide valuable insights into your audience’s preferences and interests, which can inform your marketing strategies. With 65% of consumers more likely to purchase from brands that actively ask for their input, utilizing engaging polls not merely boosts engagement but also drives sales, making them a strategic choice for your creative social media posts. Creative Caption Contests Creative caption contests can be an effective way to boost engagement on your social media posts, as they invite followers to create their own captions for a selected image. These contests not only ignite creativity but also promote interaction within your community. Here are some key points to take into account: Select interesting or humorous images for maximum engagement. Offer small prizes or recognition to incentivize participation. Promote the contest across various platforms to reach a wider audience. Encourage participants to share the post with their networks. Utilizing creative caption contests can lead to great FB posts that increase comment activity and visibility, making them excellent FB post examples and valuable creative social media posts examples to improve your online presence. Behind-the-Scenes Sneak Peeks Behind-the-scenes sneak peeks offer valuable insights into your team’s collaboration moments, daily operations, and product development expedition. By sharing these glimpses, you can build a stronger connection with your audience, showcasing the hard work and dedication that goes into your brand. This transparency not only humanizes your company but can as well greatly boost engagement, inviting followers to become a part of your story. Team Collaboration Moments Though many brands focus on polished marketing content, showcasing team collaboration moments can greatly improve your online presence. By sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of your team at work, you humanize your brand and promote authenticity. Good Facebook posts highlighting these moments can greatly boost engagement, as followers appreciate the personal touch. Display brainstorming sessions and creative processes. Share candid shots of team celebrations or milestones. Post video snippets of collaborative meetings. Highlight individual contributions in group projects. These strategies can lead to increased comments and shares, as 71% of consumers engage more with approachable brands. In the end, showcasing teamwork not only strengthens community relationships but also improves customer spending by nurturing a deeper connection with your audience. Daily Operations Insights Comprehending the daily operations of your business can provide valuable insights that resonate with your audience and cultivate a sense of connection. Sharing behind-the-scenes content humanizes your brand, boosting authenticity and relatability. This transparency allows followers to connect with your company culture and team members. Engaging posts, like team introductions or office tours, can spark curiosity and invite conversations about your brand. Here’s a quick overview of effective behind-the-scenes content ideas: Type of Insight Example Content Engagement Goal Team Introductions Meet the Team Series Build personal connections Office Tours Virtual Office Walkthrough Showcase work environment Daily Routine Snippets Daily Tasks Highlights Increase transparency Utilizing visuals and storytelling can further boost engagement. Product Development Journey Comprehending the product development adventure offers a unique opportunity to connect with your audience and showcase your brand’s innovation. By sharing behind-the-scenes content, you promote authenticity and transparency, which strengthens your relationship with followers. Here are some effective ways to highlight your product development expedition: Share visuals of brainstorming sessions, capturing the creativity and ideas in motion. Showcase the prototyping phase, illustrating how concepts transform into tangible products. Introduce team members involved in the process, personalizing your brand and engaging your audience. Offer sneak peeks of upcoming features, generating anticipation and sparking discussions. These strategies not only improve storytelling but additionally encourage higher engagement rates, making your audience feel invested in your brand’s adventure. Interactive Quizzes and Trivia Have you ever considered how interactive quizzes and trivia can improve your social media strategy? These tools can greatly boost engagement by inviting your followers to test their knowledge, leading to increased comments and shares. Platforms like Instagram Stories and Facebook make it easy to implement quizzes, with features such as quiz stickers improving user experience. Engaging trivia not only increases brand visibility, as participants share results, but furthermore generates twice the engagement compared to static posts. Moreover, quizzes can provide valuable insights into audience preferences, helping you tailor future content effectively. Benefit Description Impact Boost Engagement Invites followers to interact Increased comments and shares Improve Visibility Participants share results Expanded reach Gather Insights Tailors content based on feedback Improved audience targeting User-Generated Content Features When you encourage creative submissions from your audience, you not just showcase their unique stories but additionally build a sense of community around your brand. By featuring user-generated content, you can highlight authentic experiences that resonate more with potential customers, leading to increased trust and engagement. Utilizing dedicated hashtags can streamline this process, making it easier for you to track contributions and amplify your brand’s visibility across social media platforms. Encourage Creative Submissions Encouraging creative submissions through user-generated content (UGC) can greatly improve your brand’s online presence and promote a sense of community among your followers. By inviting customers to share their experiences, you can markedly boost engagement rates while building trust and loyalty. Here are some effective strategies to encourage UGC: Create a dedicated hashtag to streamline submissions and track contributions easily. Run contests or challenges that offer prizes or recognition, attracting new followers. Share UGC in your marketing campaigns to elevate authenticity and credibility. Highlight relatable content, as consumers often resonate more with their peers than with traditional ads. Highlight User Stories Highlighting user stories is an influential strategy that not just showcases customer experiences but also builds a dynamic community around your brand. When you encourage customers to share their experiences and photos using your products, you tap into user-generated content (UGC), which can increase engagement by 28%. This approach promotes authenticity and trust among potential buyers, as 79% of consumers report UGC greatly influences their purchasing decisions. By using a dedicated hashtag, you can easily track contributions, creating a valuable repository of satisfied customers. Sharing these stories not only improves your brand credibility but also provides fresh content for your social media channels. Brands that actively feature UGC often see a 20% increase in engagement rates, encouraging deeper connections with followers. Fun “This or That” Posts A popular trend in social media marketing is the “This or That” post, which allows followers to quickly choose between two appealing options. These interactive posts not only boost engagement but additionally encourage lively discussions in the comments. By tapping into relatable and trending topics, you can create content that resonates with your audience, making them more likely to share their preferences. Consistently using “This or That” posts helps you gain valuable insights into audience interests, shaping your future content strategy. Consider these engaging options for your posts: Coffee or tea? Beach vacation or mountain getaway? Cats or dogs? Netflix or YouTube? Live Q&A Sessions Following interactive posts like “This or That,” brands can further advance engagement through live Q&A sessions. These sessions offer a unique chance for you to connect directly with your audience, nurturing community and immediate interaction. Promoting the Q&A in advance is essential, as 78% of users say a company’s posts influence their buying decisions. Addressing common customer inquiries improves transparency and builds trust, especially since 96% of small businesses rely on social media for marketing. By incorporating audience questions, you encourage active participation and gain valuable insights into customer preferences. Utilizing platforms like Instagram and Facebook for these live sessions can greatly boost engagement, as interactive content typically garners twice the engagement compared to static posts. Frequently Asked Questions What Is an Example of an Engagement Social Media Post? An effective engagement social media post could be a poll asking your audience to choose their favorite product feature. For example, you might ask, “Which do you prefer: A or B?” This invites comments and interactions, as people often feel compelled to share their opinions. Including a clear call-to-action, like “Vote in the comments below!”, encourages participation. Such posts can considerably improve engagement rates, leading to increased brand visibility and potential customer purchases. What Type of Social Media Posts Get the Most Engagement? Posts that ask questions or invite participation, like polls and “This or That,” often generate the most engagement. User-generated content nurtures community trust and interaction, whereas intriguing visuals, such as images and videos, capture attention effectively. Motivational quotes and success stories resonate with audiences, leading to increased shares and comments. Furthermore, engaging formats like “Caption This” and quizzes encourage active participation, driving further interactions and enhancing overall visibility on social media platforms. What Is the 5 5 5 Rule on Social Media? The 5-5-5 rule on social media suggests you should post five informative, five entertaining, and five promotional pieces of content. This balanced approach helps keep your audience engaged without overwhelming them with constant promotions. By following this strategy, you can build relationships through valuable and enjoyable content while still effectively promoting your products or services. Implementing the 5-5-5 rule can lead to better engagement rates and cater to your audience’s diverse preferences. What Is the 50/30/20 Rule for Social Media? The 50/30/20 rule for social media content divides your posts into three categories. You should create 50% engaging and entertaining content, 30% informative posts, and 20% promotional material. This balanced approach helps you engage your audience while providing valuable information without overwhelming them with ads. Conclusion Incorporating these seven creative social media post ideas can greatly improve your audience engagement. By utilizing engaging polls, contests, behind-the-scenes content, quizzes, user-generated features, “This or That” posts, and live Q&A sessions, you nurture a community that values interaction. These strategies not merely humanize your brand but additionally build trust and encourage active participation from your followers. Implementing a mix of these approaches can lead to a more colorful and interactive social media presence. Image via Google Gemini This article, "7 Creative Social Media Posts Examples to Boost Engagement" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

If you want to improve your social media engagement, consider implementing various creative post types. Engaging polls can gather audience opinions, as well as behind-the-scenes content humanizes your brand. Interactive quizzes test knowledge, and user-generated content showcases authentic experiences. Moreover, “This or That” posts encourage quick decisions, and live Q&A sessions promote direct connections. Each of these strategies can greatly boost interaction rates. Curious about how to effectively apply these ideas? Key Takeaways Utilize User-Generated Content (UGC) to showcase customer experiences and build community, increasing engagement by 28%. Create engaging polls or surveys to encourage audience participation and enhance visibility, as 70% of users appreciate brands seeking their opinions. Host interactive quizzes and trivia, generating twice the engagement of static posts while providing insights into audience preferences. Share behind-the-scenes sneak peeks to humanize your brand and foster a stronger connection with your audience through transparency. Organize live Q&A sessions to directly interact with your audience, addressing inquiries and enhancing brand trust and engagement. Engaging Polls and Surveys How can you effectively engage your audience online? One impactful method is through engaging polls and surveys. These interactive tools encourage audience participation and can greatly improve your post visibility. Platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook favor content that sparks discussions, so incorporating polls can lead to a higher interaction rate. In fact, 70% of users appreciate brands seeking their opinions through such content. Furthermore, polls can provide valuable insights into your audience’s preferences and interests, which can inform your marketing strategies. With 65% of consumers more likely to purchase from brands that actively ask for their input, utilizing engaging polls not merely boosts engagement but also drives sales, making them a strategic choice for your creative social media posts. Creative Caption Contests Creative caption contests can be an effective way to boost engagement on your social media posts, as they invite followers to create their own captions for a selected image. These contests not only ignite creativity but also promote interaction within your community. Here are some key points to take into account: Select interesting or humorous images for maximum engagement. Offer small prizes or recognition to incentivize participation. Promote the contest across various platforms to reach a wider audience. Encourage participants to share the post with their networks. Utilizing creative caption contests can lead to great FB posts that increase comment activity and visibility, making them excellent FB post examples and valuable creative social media posts examples to improve your online presence. Behind-the-Scenes Sneak Peeks Behind-the-scenes sneak peeks offer valuable insights into your team’s collaboration moments, daily operations, and product development expedition. By sharing these glimpses, you can build a stronger connection with your audience, showcasing the hard work and dedication that goes into your brand. This transparency not only humanizes your company but can as well greatly boost engagement, inviting followers to become a part of your story. Team Collaboration Moments Though many brands focus on polished marketing content, showcasing team collaboration moments can greatly improve your online presence. By sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of your team at work, you humanize your brand and promote authenticity. Good Facebook posts highlighting these moments can greatly boost engagement, as followers appreciate the personal touch. Display brainstorming sessions and creative processes. Share candid shots of team celebrations or milestones. Post video snippets of collaborative meetings. Highlight individual contributions in group projects. These strategies can lead to increased comments and shares, as 71% of consumers engage more with approachable brands. In the end, showcasing teamwork not only strengthens community relationships but also improves customer spending by nurturing a deeper connection with your audience. Daily Operations Insights Comprehending the daily operations of your business can provide valuable insights that resonate with your audience and cultivate a sense of connection. Sharing behind-the-scenes content humanizes your brand, boosting authenticity and relatability. This transparency allows followers to connect with your company culture and team members. Engaging posts, like team introductions or office tours, can spark curiosity and invite conversations about your brand. Here’s a quick overview of effective behind-the-scenes content ideas: Type of Insight Example Content Engagement Goal Team Introductions Meet the Team Series Build personal connections Office Tours Virtual Office Walkthrough Showcase work environment Daily Routine Snippets Daily Tasks Highlights Increase transparency Utilizing visuals and storytelling can further boost engagement. Product Development Journey Comprehending the product development adventure offers a unique opportunity to connect with your audience and showcase your brand’s innovation. By sharing behind-the-scenes content, you promote authenticity and transparency, which strengthens your relationship with followers. Here are some effective ways to highlight your product development expedition: Share visuals of brainstorming sessions, capturing the creativity and ideas in motion. Showcase the prototyping phase, illustrating how concepts transform into tangible products. Introduce team members involved in the process, personalizing your brand and engaging your audience. Offer sneak peeks of upcoming features, generating anticipation and sparking discussions. These strategies not only improve storytelling but additionally encourage higher engagement rates, making your audience feel invested in your brand’s adventure. Interactive Quizzes and Trivia Have you ever considered how interactive quizzes and trivia can improve your social media strategy? These tools can greatly boost engagement by inviting your followers to test their knowledge, leading to increased comments and shares. Platforms like Instagram Stories and Facebook make it easy to implement quizzes, with features such as quiz stickers improving user experience. Engaging trivia not only increases brand visibility, as participants share results, but furthermore generates twice the engagement compared to static posts. Moreover, quizzes can provide valuable insights into audience preferences, helping you tailor future content effectively. Benefit Description Impact Boost Engagement Invites followers to interact Increased comments and shares Improve Visibility Participants share results Expanded reach Gather Insights Tailors content based on feedback Improved audience targeting User-Generated Content Features When you encourage creative submissions from your audience, you not just showcase their unique stories but additionally build a sense of community around your brand. By featuring user-generated content, you can highlight authentic experiences that resonate more with potential customers, leading to increased trust and engagement. Utilizing dedicated hashtags can streamline this process, making it easier for you to track contributions and amplify your brand’s visibility across social media platforms. Encourage Creative Submissions Encouraging creative submissions through user-generated content (UGC) can greatly improve your brand’s online presence and promote a sense of community among your followers. By inviting customers to share their experiences, you can markedly boost engagement rates while building trust and loyalty. Here are some effective strategies to encourage UGC: Create a dedicated hashtag to streamline submissions and track contributions easily. Run contests or challenges that offer prizes or recognition, attracting new followers. Share UGC in your marketing campaigns to elevate authenticity and credibility. Highlight relatable content, as consumers often resonate more with their peers than with traditional ads. Highlight User Stories Highlighting user stories is an influential strategy that not just showcases customer experiences but also builds a dynamic community around your brand. When you encourage customers to share their experiences and photos using your products, you tap into user-generated content (UGC), which can increase engagement by 28%. This approach promotes authenticity and trust among potential buyers, as 79% of consumers report UGC greatly influences their purchasing decisions. By using a dedicated hashtag, you can easily track contributions, creating a valuable repository of satisfied customers. Sharing these stories not only improves your brand credibility but also provides fresh content for your social media channels. Brands that actively feature UGC often see a 20% increase in engagement rates, encouraging deeper connections with followers. Fun “This or That” Posts A popular trend in social media marketing is the “This or That” post, which allows followers to quickly choose between two appealing options. These interactive posts not only boost engagement but additionally encourage lively discussions in the comments. By tapping into relatable and trending topics, you can create content that resonates with your audience, making them more likely to share their preferences. Consistently using “This or That” posts helps you gain valuable insights into audience interests, shaping your future content strategy. Consider these engaging options for your posts: Coffee or tea? Beach vacation or mountain getaway? Cats or dogs? Netflix or YouTube? Live Q&A Sessions Following interactive posts like “This or That,” brands can further advance engagement through live Q&A sessions. These sessions offer a unique chance for you to connect directly with your audience, nurturing community and immediate interaction. Promoting the Q&A in advance is essential, as 78% of users say a company’s posts influence their buying decisions. Addressing common customer inquiries improves transparency and builds trust, especially since 96% of small businesses rely on social media for marketing. By incorporating audience questions, you encourage active participation and gain valuable insights into customer preferences. Utilizing platforms like Instagram and Facebook for these live sessions can greatly boost engagement, as interactive content typically garners twice the engagement compared to static posts. Frequently Asked Questions What Is an Example of an Engagement Social Media Post? An effective engagement social media post could be a poll asking your audience to choose their favorite product feature. For example, you might ask, “Which do you prefer: A or B?” This invites comments and interactions, as people often feel compelled to share their opinions. Including a clear call-to-action, like “Vote in the comments below!”, encourages participation. Such posts can considerably improve engagement rates, leading to increased brand visibility and potential customer purchases. What Type of Social Media Posts Get the Most Engagement? Posts that ask questions or invite participation, like polls and “This or That,” often generate the most engagement. User-generated content nurtures community trust and interaction, whereas intriguing visuals, such as images and videos, capture attention effectively. Motivational quotes and success stories resonate with audiences, leading to increased shares and comments. Furthermore, engaging formats like “Caption This” and quizzes encourage active participation, driving further interactions and enhancing overall visibility on social media platforms. What Is the 5 5 5 Rule on Social Media? The 5-5-5 rule on social media suggests you should post five informative, five entertaining, and five promotional pieces of content. This balanced approach helps keep your audience engaged without overwhelming them with constant promotions. By following this strategy, you can build relationships through valuable and enjoyable content while still effectively promoting your products or services. Implementing the 5-5-5 rule can lead to better engagement rates and cater to your audience’s diverse preferences. What Is the 50/30/20 Rule for Social Media? The 50/30/20 rule for social media content divides your posts into three categories. You should create 50% engaging and entertaining content, 30% informative posts, and 20% promotional material. This balanced approach helps you engage your audience while providing valuable information without overwhelming them with ads. Conclusion Incorporating these seven creative social media post ideas can greatly improve your audience engagement. By utilizing engaging polls, contests, behind-the-scenes content, quizzes, user-generated features, “This or That” posts, and live Q&A sessions, you nurture a community that values interaction. These strategies not merely humanize your brand but additionally build trust and encourage active participation from your followers. Implementing a mix of these approaches can lead to a more colorful and interactive social media presence. Image via Google Gemini This article, "7 Creative Social Media Posts Examples to Boost Engagement" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

This story first appeared in Advisorator, Jared’s weekly tech advice newsletter. Sign up to get more insights every Tuesday. On a recent evening, I had a mild panic after trying to call my wife and repeatedly getting the same error: “Your call could not be completed as dialed.” She was supposed to come home late that night from an out-of-town trip with some old friends, but I hadn’t heard from her that day and couldn’t recall the timing of her flight. If her phone was merely in Airplane mode, my calls should have gone to voicemail instead of failing to connect outright. In the end, it was just a random network connectivity glitch, solved by a reboot after my wife got off the plane. But as a member of the in-law family group chat was quick to point out, I could have avoided this brief feeling of unease by simply tracking my wife’s location through her phone. Of course, I’m well aware of the location-sharing features that smartphones offer. Apple and Google both make it easy to let friends and family track your whereabouts, which in turn gives those companies valuable location data (and, in Apple’s case, reinforces the social pressure to have an iPhone). My wife and I have just never wanted to track each other this way, having agreed that it’d be creepy for either of us to do so. This weekend’s travel blip did not change our minds. Part of the problem is that to enable these features, your phone’s mapping app must check your location constantly, not just when you’re looking up a business or getting directions. But the bigger concern is simply about personal privacy, and being able to go somewhere without it becoming anyone else’s business—even people you know and trust. I can see the other side of the argument: You’d regret not having this feature when you really need it, and it’s not like you have anything to hide. True, but that’s always the kind of argument tech companies use when a product erodes personal freedoms. As a result, you can no longer walk down the street without being monitored through neighbors’ doorbell cams, and pretty soon you might be recorded by anyone wearing a pair of sunglasses. Meanwhile, the entire ad-supported tech economy revolves around being so invasive that it feels like your phone is recording you, which it turns out people find unsettling even when they’ve done nothing wrong. While I can’t control those larger dynamics, I can at least second-guess whether my own fears justify yet another layer of surveillance. No judgment if you come to a different conclusion, but I’m not ready to make that leap even after some momentary nervousness. (Ask me again about this in couple years, though, when my kids have smartphones and are old enough to get into actual trouble.) How to see who’s tracking your location Location sharing between iPhone users: To find out who can see your location, open Apple’s Find My app and head to the People tab. Turn off location sharing by tapping a person’s name and selecting “Stop sharing.” If you do want to share your whereabouts with another iPhone user, there are several places to do so: In the Find My app: Under the People tab, tap the + button, select “Share My Location,” then select one or more contacts. Via iMessage: Tap + in any chat window, select “Location,” and choose how long to share. In the Family Sharing menu: You’ll find this under Settings > Family > Location Sharing. Selecting a person here will also share the location of all your Find My-compatible devices, including Apple Watches, iPads, and AirPods. In Apple Maps: Swipe down and select “Share Location.” This only shares your current location and does not automatically update. Note that once you’ve shared a location with someone, they can set up notifications for each time you leave an area, arrive at a place, or fail to show up at a location during a set schedule. Your approval is only needed for recurring alerts, not one-time notifications. As an alternative to sharing your location indefinitely, consider sharing for just one hour or the rest of the day. You can choose this option in the Find My app or iMessage, but not the Family Sharing menu. Location sharing for Android and Google Maps users: Google has its own location sharing system that works across Android and iOS. If you have an iPhone and aren’t sharing through Apple’s Find My app, you may still be sharing through Google Maps instead. Here’s how to see who can track you via Google Maps: In the Google Maps app (iOS and Android): Tap on your profile picture, then select “Location Sharing.” (Those you’ve shared with in the Find Hub app will also appear here.) In the Find Hub app (Android only): Just look under the People tab. (Those you’ve shared with in Google Maps will also appear here.) If you do want to share your location with others, you can do so by hitting the + button in the menus above. Both allow you to share for one hour, the rest of the day, or indefinitely, while the Find Hub app has an additional option to share for a limited number of hours. As with Apple’s system, anyone who can see your whereabouts can also set up alerts for when you leave or arrive at a location. You’ll get an email when this happens, but the only way to disable it is to stop sharing entirely. This story first appeared in Advisorator, Jared’s weekly tech advice newsletter. Sign up to get more insights every Tuesday. View the full article

If you’re looking to improve your content marketing strategy, using specific templates can streamline your planning and execution. Templates like HootSuite’s customizable calendar help organize your content effectively, whereas HubSpot’s structured formats allow for easy tracking of campaign performance. Other options, such as Content Cal and SocialBee, guarantee consistency across different platforms. With these tools, you can boost collaboration and make data-driven adjustments. Let’s explore these crucial templates in detail. Key Takeaways Utilize HootSuite’s customizable Google Sheet for effective content planning and team collaboration. Leverage HubSpot’s structured approach to monitor daily and monthly posting strategies. Employ Content Cal’s automated calendar creation for a streamlined year-long content overview. Access SocialBee’s templates for organized post management across multiple platforms, including hashtags and visuals. Implement Smartsheet’s daily breakdown for tracking engagement data and performance across various social media platforms. HootSuite’s Social Media Content Calendar When you’re looking to streamline your social media strategy, HootSuite’s Social Media Content Calendar can be an invaluable tool. This customizable Google Sheet serves as an effective content calendar excel template, allowing you to plan across major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. With its evergreen content library tab, you can efficiently manage recurring posts, reducing last-minute scrambles. The calendar’s monthly and weekly view tabs provide flexibility for visualizing your content plans, whereas clear fields improve collaboration among team members. You can easily generate calendar in Excel or download the excel schedule template for immediate use. By implementing this editorial calendar template excel, you’ll guarantee organized, strategic content delivery across your social media channels. HubSpot’s Social Media Content Calendar HubSpot’s Social Media Content Calendar provides a structured approach to organizing your posting strategies across various platforms, making content planning more efficient. This extensive spreadsheet includes dedicated sections for daily posting and monthly campaigns, allowing you to track content by platform and date seamlessly. With customizable tabs, you can monitor campaign effectiveness and adjust strategies as needed. Its intuitive layout enables you to visualize upcoming social media posts and spot gaps in your content strategy. You can easily download the content marketing calendar template and utilize it alongside a 2025 excel calendar with holidays. If you prefer, you can use the Excel calendar template 2025 or a weekly calendar template Excel to create your own calendar effectively. Content Cal’s Customized Content Calendar If you’re looking to streamline your content planning, Content Cal’s Customized Content Calendar might be the solution you need. This tool offers an automated calendar creation feature, simplifying your planning process. With a thorough 12-month layout, it guarantees you maintain an overview of your social media strategy throughout the year. You can align your content with broader marketing goals, making it easier to integrate diverse campaigns. Users can define content types and formats, enhancing the drafting and posting of actual content. As it requires you to actively draft and post, this promotes engagement and accountability. SocialBee’s Social Media Calendar Template SocialBee’s Social Media Calendar Template offers a structured approach to content organization, making it easier for you to manage your social media posts across multiple platforms. This template includes a weekly schedule template in Excel that allows for efficient planning. You can likewise find a monthly schedule template for Excel available as a free download. It features sections for popular platforms, allowing you to input hashtags, due dates, and links to visuals. This guarantees your posts are well-organized and consistent. Moreover, its design incorporates an Excel calendar with formulas, helping to automate date management. Here’s a quick overview of the template’s features: Feature Description Benefit Weekly Schedule Plan weekly posts in advance Maintain consistency Visual Elements Links for images and videos improve post quality Hashtag Management Organize relevant tags Increase post visibility Smartsheet’s Social Media Content Calendar Template Smartsheet’s Social Media Content Calendar Template provides a structured daily breakdown for planning your content across five major social platforms, plus an option for additional ones. With predefined slots for up to six posts daily per platform, you can easily manage your scheduling. The template allows you to track engagement data, ensuring you can measure performance and refine your strategies effectively. Daily Content Breakdown When you’re aiming to streamline your social media strategy, using a detailed content calendar can greatly boost your planning process. Smartsheet’s Social Media Content Calendar Template offers a daily breakdown that allows you to effectively plan content across five platforms. With predefined slots for up to six posts per day, this template helps you stay organized. You can easily track social copy, images, and links, making it simple to analyze post performance. Plus, downloading the template for immediate use saves you time. For those familiar with tools like the excel monthly calendar, the daily schedule template excel, or the excel day planner for holiday free download, this calendar serves as a helpful calendar insert for excel and improves team collaboration. Engagement Data Tracking Tracking engagement data is crucial for understanding how your content performs across various platforms, and with the right tools, this process can be streamlined effectively. Smartsheet’s Social Media Content Calendar Template offers predefined slots for tracking engagement metrics across five major platforms. This template allows you to break down your content daily, ensuring you monitor engagement for each post closely. You can record social copy, images, and links alongside engagement data, providing a thorough view of your content’s effectiveness. By using this template, you’ll learn how to track calendar options spreadsheet in Excel and how to track calendar spreadsheet in Excel, making it easier to analyze performance and adjust your strategies. Consider it a key component of your monthly calendar template Excel or Excel yearly calendar. Asana’s Social Media Calendar Asana’s Social Media Calendar provides a robust solution for managing your social media content efficiently, featuring both a dual timeline and calendar view to help you visualize complex workflows. This template includes pre-built formats for various content types, similar to an excel calendar, allowing you to streamline your planning. You can easily create a year calendar schedule for event excel to track important dates. Custom fields help you monitor content status and platform assignments, whereas the proofing feature centralizes communication for reviews. Asana’s free tier accommodates up to 15 team members, making it ideal for small groups. You can likewise adapt a monthly work schedule template excel free download to fit your social media needs, alongside vacation calendar templates for team availability. Trello’s Content Calendar Template Trello’s Content Calendar Template offers a visually organized way to manage your content creation process using a Kanban-style board layout. This content calendar template allows you to visualize your workflow, from brainstorming to publication, making it easier to track progress. You can customize cards to include due dates, checklists, and file attachments, enhancing organization. With its collaboration features, team members can provide input and feedback directly on content cards, streamlining the review process. Moreover, you can integrate Trello with various apps, like Google Drive and Dropbox, to boost functionality and content management. Best of all, Trello’s basic plan is free, making it accessible for individual users and small teams, even though advanced features may require a subscription. Frequently Asked Questions How Do I Choose the Right Template for My Needs? To choose the right template, start by identifying your specific needs and goals. Consider factors like the type of content you’ll produce, your target audience, and your posting frequency. Evaluate templates based on their layout, functionality, and ease of use. Look for customizable options that allow you to tailor the design to fit your brand. Finally, test a few templates to see which one best aligns with your workflow and improves your productivity. Can I Integrate These Templates With Other Tools? Yes, you can integrate these templates with other tools. Many templates are designed to be compatible with popular software like Google Sheets, Excel, and project management platforms such as Trello or Asana. To do this, simply export your template in a format that your chosen tool supports. This integration allows for seamless tracking, collaboration, and updates, ensuring your content calendar remains organized and efficient across all platforms you use for your marketing efforts. What Is the Best Way to Collaborate With My Team Using Templates? To collaborate effectively with your team using templates, start by choosing a platform everyone can access easily. Share the templates in a centralized location, like a shared drive or project management tool. Encourage team members to provide feedback directly on the templates, enabling real-time updates. Schedule regular check-ins to discuss progress and adjustments. Make sure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities regarding each template, ensuring a cohesive workflow and clear communication throughout the process. How Often Should I Update My Content Calendar? You should update your content calendar at least once a month, but more frequently if your strategy or audience changes. Regular updates guarantee you’re aligned with current trends and promotional opportunities. Review metrics and feedback weekly to identify what’s working and what’s not. Moreover, adjust your calendar as new ideas arise or events come up. Keeping your calendar fresh helps maintain relevance and engagement with your target audience. Are There Templates Specifically Designed for Seo-Focused Content? Yes, there are templates particularly designed for SEO-focused content. These templates help you outline keyword targets, meta descriptions, and headings, ensuring your content is structured for search engines. You can find them in content management tools or downloadable resources online. Using these templates streamlines the creation process and improves your content’s visibility. They often include sections for tracking optimization efforts and performance metrics, which further aids in refining your SEO strategy. Conclusion By integrating these seven crucial templates into your content marketing calendar strategy, you can improve organization, streamline planning, and boost collaboration within your team. Each tool offers unique features customized to various needs, ensuring that you can effectively monitor and adjust your campaigns. Utilizing these resources not just saves time but additionally increases the overall effectiveness of your content marketing efforts. Embrace these templates to create a more structured and results-driven approach to your marketing initiatives. Image via Google Gemini This article, "7 Essential Templates to Boost Your Content Marketing Calendar Strategy" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

If you’re looking to improve your content marketing strategy, using specific templates can streamline your planning and execution. Templates like HootSuite’s customizable calendar help organize your content effectively, whereas HubSpot’s structured formats allow for easy tracking of campaign performance. Other options, such as Content Cal and SocialBee, guarantee consistency across different platforms. With these tools, you can boost collaboration and make data-driven adjustments. Let’s explore these crucial templates in detail. Key Takeaways Utilize HootSuite’s customizable Google Sheet for effective content planning and team collaboration. Leverage HubSpot’s structured approach to monitor daily and monthly posting strategies. Employ Content Cal’s automated calendar creation for a streamlined year-long content overview. Access SocialBee’s templates for organized post management across multiple platforms, including hashtags and visuals. Implement Smartsheet’s daily breakdown for tracking engagement data and performance across various social media platforms. HootSuite’s Social Media Content Calendar When you’re looking to streamline your social media strategy, HootSuite’s Social Media Content Calendar can be an invaluable tool. This customizable Google Sheet serves as an effective content calendar excel template, allowing you to plan across major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. With its evergreen content library tab, you can efficiently manage recurring posts, reducing last-minute scrambles. The calendar’s monthly and weekly view tabs provide flexibility for visualizing your content plans, whereas clear fields improve collaboration among team members. You can easily generate calendar in Excel or download the excel schedule template for immediate use. By implementing this editorial calendar template excel, you’ll guarantee organized, strategic content delivery across your social media channels. HubSpot’s Social Media Content Calendar HubSpot’s Social Media Content Calendar provides a structured approach to organizing your posting strategies across various platforms, making content planning more efficient. This extensive spreadsheet includes dedicated sections for daily posting and monthly campaigns, allowing you to track content by platform and date seamlessly. With customizable tabs, you can monitor campaign effectiveness and adjust strategies as needed. Its intuitive layout enables you to visualize upcoming social media posts and spot gaps in your content strategy. You can easily download the content marketing calendar template and utilize it alongside a 2025 excel calendar with holidays. If you prefer, you can use the Excel calendar template 2025 or a weekly calendar template Excel to create your own calendar effectively. Content Cal’s Customized Content Calendar If you’re looking to streamline your content planning, Content Cal’s Customized Content Calendar might be the solution you need. This tool offers an automated calendar creation feature, simplifying your planning process. With a thorough 12-month layout, it guarantees you maintain an overview of your social media strategy throughout the year. You can align your content with broader marketing goals, making it easier to integrate diverse campaigns. Users can define content types and formats, enhancing the drafting and posting of actual content. As it requires you to actively draft and post, this promotes engagement and accountability. SocialBee’s Social Media Calendar Template SocialBee’s Social Media Calendar Template offers a structured approach to content organization, making it easier for you to manage your social media posts across multiple platforms. This template includes a weekly schedule template in Excel that allows for efficient planning. You can likewise find a monthly schedule template for Excel available as a free download. It features sections for popular platforms, allowing you to input hashtags, due dates, and links to visuals. This guarantees your posts are well-organized and consistent. Moreover, its design incorporates an Excel calendar with formulas, helping to automate date management. Here’s a quick overview of the template’s features: Feature Description Benefit Weekly Schedule Plan weekly posts in advance Maintain consistency Visual Elements Links for images and videos improve post quality Hashtag Management Organize relevant tags Increase post visibility Smartsheet’s Social Media Content Calendar Template Smartsheet’s Social Media Content Calendar Template provides a structured daily breakdown for planning your content across five major social platforms, plus an option for additional ones. With predefined slots for up to six posts daily per platform, you can easily manage your scheduling. The template allows you to track engagement data, ensuring you can measure performance and refine your strategies effectively. Daily Content Breakdown When you’re aiming to streamline your social media strategy, using a detailed content calendar can greatly boost your planning process. Smartsheet’s Social Media Content Calendar Template offers a daily breakdown that allows you to effectively plan content across five platforms. With predefined slots for up to six posts per day, this template helps you stay organized. You can easily track social copy, images, and links, making it simple to analyze post performance. Plus, downloading the template for immediate use saves you time. For those familiar with tools like the excel monthly calendar, the daily schedule template excel, or the excel day planner for holiday free download, this calendar serves as a helpful calendar insert for excel and improves team collaboration. Engagement Data Tracking Tracking engagement data is crucial for understanding how your content performs across various platforms, and with the right tools, this process can be streamlined effectively. Smartsheet’s Social Media Content Calendar Template offers predefined slots for tracking engagement metrics across five major platforms. This template allows you to break down your content daily, ensuring you monitor engagement for each post closely. You can record social copy, images, and links alongside engagement data, providing a thorough view of your content’s effectiveness. By using this template, you’ll learn how to track calendar options spreadsheet in Excel and how to track calendar spreadsheet in Excel, making it easier to analyze performance and adjust your strategies. Consider it a key component of your monthly calendar template Excel or Excel yearly calendar. Asana’s Social Media Calendar Asana’s Social Media Calendar provides a robust solution for managing your social media content efficiently, featuring both a dual timeline and calendar view to help you visualize complex workflows. This template includes pre-built formats for various content types, similar to an excel calendar, allowing you to streamline your planning. You can easily create a year calendar schedule for event excel to track important dates. Custom fields help you monitor content status and platform assignments, whereas the proofing feature centralizes communication for reviews. Asana’s free tier accommodates up to 15 team members, making it ideal for small groups. You can likewise adapt a monthly work schedule template excel free download to fit your social media needs, alongside vacation calendar templates for team availability. Trello’s Content Calendar Template Trello’s Content Calendar Template offers a visually organized way to manage your content creation process using a Kanban-style board layout. This content calendar template allows you to visualize your workflow, from brainstorming to publication, making it easier to track progress. You can customize cards to include due dates, checklists, and file attachments, enhancing organization. With its collaboration features, team members can provide input and feedback directly on content cards, streamlining the review process. Moreover, you can integrate Trello with various apps, like Google Drive and Dropbox, to boost functionality and content management. Best of all, Trello’s basic plan is free, making it accessible for individual users and small teams, even though advanced features may require a subscription. Frequently Asked Questions How Do I Choose the Right Template for My Needs? To choose the right template, start by identifying your specific needs and goals. Consider factors like the type of content you’ll produce, your target audience, and your posting frequency. Evaluate templates based on their layout, functionality, and ease of use. Look for customizable options that allow you to tailor the design to fit your brand. Finally, test a few templates to see which one best aligns with your workflow and improves your productivity. Can I Integrate These Templates With Other Tools? Yes, you can integrate these templates with other tools. Many templates are designed to be compatible with popular software like Google Sheets, Excel, and project management platforms such as Trello or Asana. To do this, simply export your template in a format that your chosen tool supports. This integration allows for seamless tracking, collaboration, and updates, ensuring your content calendar remains organized and efficient across all platforms you use for your marketing efforts. What Is the Best Way to Collaborate With My Team Using Templates? To collaborate effectively with your team using templates, start by choosing a platform everyone can access easily. Share the templates in a centralized location, like a shared drive or project management tool. Encourage team members to provide feedback directly on the templates, enabling real-time updates. Schedule regular check-ins to discuss progress and adjustments. Make sure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities regarding each template, ensuring a cohesive workflow and clear communication throughout the process. How Often Should I Update My Content Calendar? You should update your content calendar at least once a month, but more frequently if your strategy or audience changes. Regular updates guarantee you’re aligned with current trends and promotional opportunities. Review metrics and feedback weekly to identify what’s working and what’s not. Moreover, adjust your calendar as new ideas arise or events come up. Keeping your calendar fresh helps maintain relevance and engagement with your target audience. Are There Templates Specifically Designed for Seo-Focused Content? Yes, there are templates particularly designed for SEO-focused content. These templates help you outline keyword targets, meta descriptions, and headings, ensuring your content is structured for search engines. You can find them in content management tools or downloadable resources online. Using these templates streamlines the creation process and improves your content’s visibility. They often include sections for tracking optimization efforts and performance metrics, which further aids in refining your SEO strategy. Conclusion By integrating these seven crucial templates into your content marketing calendar strategy, you can improve organization, streamline planning, and boost collaboration within your team. Each tool offers unique features customized to various needs, ensuring that you can effectively monitor and adjust your campaigns. Utilizing these resources not just saves time but additionally increases the overall effectiveness of your content marketing efforts. Embrace these templates to create a more structured and results-driven approach to your marketing initiatives. Image via Google Gemini This article, "7 Essential Templates to Boost Your Content Marketing Calendar Strategy" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

At the Exceptional Women Alliance, we enable high-level women to mentor each other to achieve personal and professional happiness through sisterhood. As the nonprofit organization’s founder, chair, and CEO, I am honored to interview and share insights from thought leaders who are part of our peer-to-peer mentoring. This month, I introduce you to Malika Begin, the CEO and founder of Begin Development, an organization development firm based in Malibu, California. Known for her signature approach to building heart-centered, high-performing cultures, Malika partners with leading organizations to strengthen executive teams, design transformational leadership programs, build cross-functional trust, and create systems where people and performance thrive together. Malika believes the most effective leaders of the future will not only embrace technology but will also deepen their humanity. In her words, “Self-awareness isn’t soft—it’s strategic.” Q: Everyone’s talking about AI, productivity, and innovation. Why talk about self-awareness right now? Malika Begin: Because the more the world automates, the more human leadership matters. AI can replicate skills, but it can’t replicate self. When everything is shifting around you, knowing who you are—your values, your patterns, and your impact—becomes your anchor. You have to be clear on your motivators, how you engage with others, and how you distinctly move through the world. AI can replicate skills, but it can’t replicate self. Brené Brown often says that leadership used to be about muscle, then brains, and now it’s about heart. I couldn’t agree more. The heart of leadership is self-awareness. It’s empathy. It’s the courage to show up as you are. The leaders who know themselves and are committed to continued growth and development make better decisions, build stronger teams, and create workplaces where people actually want to stay and invest. Q: You’ve said that professional assessments are “mirrors, not boxes.” How does that fit into this idea of human and heart-centered leadership? Malika: Tools like CliftonStrengths, DiSC, Strengths Deployment Inventory, or Enneagram don’t define you; they describe you. They give you language for what you already sense about yourself. The point isn’t to label people but to understand patterns: how you lead, how you communicate, how you react under stress. That insight is gold right now. When you can name your wiring, you can also recognize it in others. That’s what builds trust, belonging, and compassion, everything that makes a team feel human and valued again. The value isn’t in the label, it’s in the insight. Q: So, self-awareness is also about connection? Malika: Completely. Self-awareness is the gateway to empathy, and empathy is the gateway to performance. Gallup found that teams that focus on their strengths every day are six times more engaged and 12% more productive. But that’s only part of the story. Leaders who understand their own style and the styles around them create psychological safety, clearer communication, and faster trust, which directly translates to lower turnover, higher collaboration, and stronger results. People don’t just work better; they work together better. In a business environment where retention, engagement, and innovation drive profit, that kind of relational intelligence has real ROI. You can’t automate trust. You have to build it—and self-awareness is where it starts. If AI is scaling data, then self-awareness is how we scale connection. We talk a lot about psychological safety, but it starts with emotional honesty. You can’t create a sense of belonging if you’re disconnected from yourself. Q: You tell leaders, “Stop auditioning for roles that were never meant for you.” What do you mean by that? Malika: It’s freedom. When you know who you are, you stop wasting energy trying to be everything to everyone. You make decisions that align with your values. You build relationships that align with your strengths. In a world that’s constantly shifting, self-awareness is your competitive edge. Author Tasha Eurich told the Harvard Business Review in a podcast that self-awareness is the “meta-skill of the 21st century.” The best leaders aren’t defined by certainty; they’re defined by clarity. Q: What’s one practical way to start developing this skill? Malika: Write your superpower statement. It’s one or two sentences that capture you at your best—how you show up and the value you bring. Something like: “I’m at my best when I’m focused on possibilities and relationships. My positivity helps others feel seen and confident in their own strengths.” It’s not bragging. It’s clarity. And clarity builds confidence. Clarity is contagious in your organization, and it’s the thing organizations need now more than ever. Q: If you had to summarize your philosophy of leadership in one line? Malika: When you know yourself, you stop performing and start connecting. The future belongs to leaders who lead with heart, who pair self-awareness with empathy, courage, and authenticity. Machines might build efficiency, but humans build meaning and connection. The meaning and connection are everything. Larraine Segil is founder, chair, and CEO of the Exceptional Women Alliance. View the full article

Leadership is becoming both easier and harder. Artificial intelligence has revolutionized how we work, especially over the past year, as it’s transitioned from a secret aid to a welcomed enterprise partner. As a partner, it streamlines work processes, leaving more time for big-picture decisions and strategizing. Each decision, in turn, becomes more impactful. And honestly, it can be overwhelming. Leaders need people around them who challenge their thinking and keep their foot on the gas for innovation. According to Harvard Business Impact’s 2025 Global Leadership Development Study, respondents are looking for more strategy and creativity from leaders. People now deem skills like leading change, fostering innovation, strategic thinking, and decision making more important than last year. These insights reveal the expectations people have about business needs. How can leaders ensure they meet these expectations and rise to the occasion? They can either ask people or technology. The catch is, they’re both likely to agree with you. With people, it’s human nature to agree. Team members get in the habit of wanting to impress their boss, avoid confrontation, and be nice. I’ve seen this firsthand in the two years since I became a CEO. While it can be a nice ego boost, I’ve become apprehensive about any type of perennial support. WHY “YES” IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE “Yes” might be one of the most positive words in the world, but in the business world, it can be counterproductive. Why? Because it’s overused. We hear it too much, especially in leadership. Sometimes it’s hard to tell when a person is being supportive of a genuinely great idea, or if they’re just afraid to ruffle any feathers. AI has intensified this concept. Large language models (LLMs) are the ultimate “yes man.” I’ve found they reinforce my perspective by default unless explicitly instructed to counter me. They often double down, even giving me some of my most complimentary feedback. Even when chatting with colleagues online, it’s so easy to merely react with a thumbs-up emoji over Slack, exacerbating this phenomenon. People and LLMs have both been trained to agree. But progress stems from challenging that status quo. Leaders’ responsibility now entails building teams that question both human and technology-generated work. Our value lies in asking the nuanced questions that an algorithm can’t. HOW TO BREAK THE LOOP Break the loop by finding ways to incorporate dissent. For me, this opportunity arises whenever we do biannual planning at Scribd, Inc. It’s a chance to dig into the nitty gritty, strategize, explore different paths, and think big. And it’s where I try to ensure we don’t fall into the trap of silence after someone asks, “Any questions?” I don’t pretend to know it all, but here are a few guidelines I’ve found beneficial to encourage this kind of open, strategic conversation. 1. Admit your mistakes. When you’re open, it reassures people that imperfection is okay. Make it clear that you’re not perfect, that you don’t know all the answers, and you sometimes make mistakes. This can prompt others not just to vocalize their own mistakes, but to feel comfortable pushing back and engaging in productive debate as a partner. 2. Foster a culture that treats mistakes as learnings. One thing I love at Scribd is that everyone regularly shares their wins as well as their setbacks, whether in a company all-hands, monthly metrics meetings, or just a quick update in Slack. Beyond the transparency, this allows teams to highlight what they learned when something didn’t go as planned. Ultimately, that’s a win. When people are afraid to fail, they become scared to try anything new. A culture of learning counters this. 3. Bring in the devil’s advocate. Encourage “what if” questions to promote deeper conversations. Model this behavior. After you propose something, instead of closing with “What do you think?”—which can yield a one-word answer—ask a conversation starter like, “What are the potential outcomes here, positive and negative?” 4. Give context. Instead of issuing vague asks that result in employees spinning their wheels to deliver something over-the-top or not aligned with your vision, include the why. Share your intent. Where ultimately do you want to end up? This calibrates the end state, and allows the team freedom to execute. 5. Encourage your people. Build a good team around you. Make them experts in their area. Include them in decisions. Stimulate debate. Get a variety of different types of people. Encourage them to instill this behavior in their own teams. In today’s world, we all need to work a little harder to break out of our comfortable bubble. Be open to learn, debate, and be wrong. And start looking at disagreement as positive. Tony Grimminck is CEO of Scribd, Inc. View the full article

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are three updates from past letter-writers. 1. My coworker accidentally linked her nudes to our team Photoshop account I wanted to add that the nudes in question included not only my coworker herself, but also her boyfriend! Anyway, the day after our manager alerted my coworker to the nudes issue, they had a meeting where my coworker assured him that she managed to unlink her photos and apologized for the indiscretion and for “whatever you may have seen.” Manager said he had no idea what she was talking about and promptly changed the subject, so I guess everyone is taking it as a lesson learned. 2. Having to take religious holidays as flex days (#2 at the link) I truly appreciated the reality check your concise answer gave me – I knew it was the truth but needed to hear it from an outside perspective. The commenters also provided a ton of interesting things to think about, and it was surprisingly pleasant to engage in a non-fraught conversation about religion online! Later in the fall, my office made a surprising announcement that still feels a little “things that didn’t happen for $500, Alex” – they decided to change half of our flex holidays to PTO for everyone and just close the office on Black Friday, Xmas, and New Year’s Eve, and a few other bank holidays. We also got two more weeks of WFH added to the calendar for everyone. (we’re hybrid) Turns out a ton of people quitting in a short range of time who all complain about a lack of time off actually sometimes has an impact! Happy update season everyone! 3. Is it wrong to google companies on a candidate’s resume? (#2 at the link) On the day my letter was posted, the candidate I wrote in about had already been hired and was on his third day of training. It was validating to read that I wasn’t off base for googling a company on his resume, and that in the future I should push back at a recruiter if they give me advice that seems incorrect. I did not end up asking him directly about the business at that point because it felt like it was a little late; I figured I would just keep an eye out for any actual behavior that might be reportable. I really appreciated the commenter with a background in bank enforcement who gave his opinion that being vaguely associated with a marijuana business shouldn’t be a big problem for an entry level teller. Also, the other commenter who pointed out that it would be better to come up with a policy on how I will Google candidates across the board going forward (like I will check the top three candidates, or any employer I’m not familiar with) instead of singling some out. HR does do an official background check after an offer is extended, so it’s not like we would ignore that someone is an embezzler or murderer if they didn’t put it on their resume. It just probably wouldn’t show something “legal but sort of not” like running a dispensary. My new hire has been fantastic and I am glad we hired him. He’s fun to work with, great with customers and tech, and very willing to jump into new situations head first. I saw nothing that indicated he was running a marijuana business on the side. I did get some closure on the marijuana business situation today: an sweet older lady with personal accounts here who was also on the business registry for the suspect corporation came in and was chatting with him. She mentioned that her husband was still trying to offload the rest of the business, kept knocking the price down, but had no takers. She definitely spoke about the business in the past tense. I’m guessing the updated business registry was because another officer gave up on waiting for a payout and ducked out. I do wish we had just asked about it in the interview and avoided the uncertainty. The post updates: the accidentally linked nudes, taking religious holidays as flex days, and more appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

The regulator lowered benchmarks for acquisitions of certain single-family loans including low-income refinances, and left multifamily targets intact. View the full article

Robust standards and open source platforms means that hardware and software can now finally be fully separated, Airties says. The post Airties says goodbye to own hardware – and hello to ubiquitous home Wi-Fi performance appeared first on Wi-Fi NOW Global. View the full article

The president's latest commentary comes as he is looking to new leadership at the Fed to help reduce borrowing costs, as he increasingly feels political pressure to address voter concerns over affordability. View the full article

Three US senators opened an inquiry into insurance ratings firm Demotech and whether its assessments may be exposing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to growing risks tied to climate-driven insurer failures. View the full article