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This article is posted with permission from our partner MacPaw. MacPaw makes Mac + iOS apps that have been installed on over 30 million devices worldwide. Freelancers Union members receive 30 days of free unlimited access to CleanMyMacX and Setapp: https://freelancersunion.org/resources/perks/macpaw/ There’s an increasing popularity in the freelance blogging profession these days. Many freelance bloggers earn an income by creating exemplary content or collaborating on social platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. The thing is, success in the field needs technical knowledge, regular posting, ongoing activity, and effort. For this, the right inspiration, motivation, and tips are critical. So, how can you produce better content and blog posts nowadays? The answer is… just by using the right AI apps. 4 tips and AI apps for blogging and producing top content So, there are certain AI apps you can use as a freelance blogger to advance in your career and produce top content. No matter if you’re blogging on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube or need to handle blogging collaborations with ease, there are tips and apps you’ll be able to use. Handle blogging collaborations and meetingsIf you’re focusing on blogging collaborations (just as the well-known Earthrise and EarthPercent have successfully achieved with an Instagram collaboration post), you might need to take part in professional business meetings beforehand. Meetings can help you reach a more cogent outcome and stay on the same page. The blogging tip for this is to have access to information from your meetings. And Spellar AI can improve your productivity and access to information from meetings. I used this AI app and found it intuitive and simple to incorporate into my meeting process. It’s used to record your meetings and automatically summarize them into succinct passages of text. Beyond this, it also offers an Ask AI function that lets you ask specific questions about the meetings, such as “Was [TOPIC] mentioned?” This could help boost your freelance blogging results by getting accessible and succinct meeting notes from a client. Convert audio into reading materialA decision you might need to make when creating content for Instagram is whether to use Stories or a post. Now, Stories tend to last just one day, but posts will be around for much longer. This is why you might choose the latter: Create a post about the questions or points in an Instagram video by converting audio material into reading material. This is an easy process with the superwhisper AI app. You can use this for a meeting, but this could just have easily been thoughts transcribed into text for an Instagram post and would work well. Because as a Hubspot study found, 35% of users prefer Instagram Stories or posts with a mix of visuals and text. Send professional emailsProfessional collaboration is fundamental for any blogging career. One tip that can boost your blogging is that you might need to clarify briefs with a client, determine word counts with their support, and figure out content strategies with their help. This is going to require email collaboration in many cases and sounding professional with each email you send. But this doesn’t need to be difficult — you can do this with Ready to Send. It’s easy to send professional emails with this AI app because it generates them for you. This web app can integrate into your Gmail, so you’ll find it on the Gmail app. Make international connections by translating messagesNow, you might also want to complete your blogging projects and grow as a freelance blogger by considering international cooperation and posts. It takes blogging and your blogging career to a whole new level, extending your reach to new markets. In some cases, this will require communicating in a different language to set the goals for your collaborative blog posts. Fortunately, the MurmurType app makes this easy. This app will translate your messages into other languages, so you can record your message and convert it into text, then translate it. So, never again do you need to avoid an international blogging deal or skip conversations with international clients to clarify an international blog brief. Succeed in your freelance blogging career with AI appsThere’s a lot to focus on in your freelance blogging career: sending emails, producing posts, participating in meetings, sharing ideas, and more. That’s why you’ll want an efficient way to handle these challenges and succeed. AI apps are one answer to the question — “How to become a blogger?” and succeed in your career. It’s with apps for blogging that you can handle all the challenges, clarify briefs, attend meetings, and send messages to clients or collaborators. The best place to get these apps? Setapp has all of the ones listed in this article, and more. Take them for a test at no cost for seven days. Download these apps at Setapp and use our blogging tips to succeed in freelance blogging. View the full article

This article is posted with permission from our partner MacPaw. MacPaw makes Mac + iOS apps that have been installed on over 30 million devices worldwide. Freelancers Union members receive 30 days of free unlimited access to CleanMyMacX and Setapp: https://freelancersunion.org/resources/perks/macpaw/ There’s an increasing popularity in the freelance blogging profession these days. Many freelance bloggers earn an income by creating exemplary content or collaborating on social platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. The thing is, success in the field needs technical knowledge, regular posting, ongoing activity, and effort. For this, the right inspiration, motivation, and tips are critical. So, how can you produce better content and blog posts nowadays? The answer is… just by using the right AI apps. 4 tips and AI apps for blogging and producing top content So, there are certain AI apps you can use as a freelance blogger to advance in your career and produce top content. No matter if you’re blogging on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube or need to handle blogging collaborations with ease, there are tips and apps you’ll be able to use. Handle blogging collaborations and meetingsIf you’re focusing on blogging collaborations (just as the well-known Earthrise and EarthPercent have successfully achieved with an Instagram collaboration post), you might need to take part in professional business meetings beforehand. Meetings can help you reach a more cogent outcome and stay on the same page. The blogging tip for this is to have access to information from your meetings. And Spellar AI can improve your productivity and access to information from meetings. I used this AI app and found it intuitive and simple to incorporate into my meeting process. It’s used to record your meetings and automatically summarize them into succinct passages of text. Beyond this, it also offers an Ask AI function that lets you ask specific questions about the meetings, such as “Was [TOPIC] mentioned?” This could help boost your freelance blogging results by getting accessible and succinct meeting notes from a client. Convert audio into reading materialA decision you might need to make when creating content for Instagram is whether to use Stories or a post. Now, Stories tend to last just one day, but posts will be around for much longer. This is why you might choose the latter: Create a post about the questions or points in an Instagram video by converting audio material into reading material. This is an easy process with the superwhisper AI app. You can use this for a meeting, but this could just have easily been thoughts transcribed into text for an Instagram post and would work well. Because as a Hubspot study found, 35% of users prefer Instagram Stories or posts with a mix of visuals and text. Send professional emailsProfessional collaboration is fundamental for any blogging career. One tip that can boost your blogging is that you might need to clarify briefs with a client, determine word counts with their support, and figure out content strategies with their help. This is going to require email collaboration in many cases and sounding professional with each email you send. But this doesn’t need to be difficult — you can do this with Ready to Send. It’s easy to send professional emails with this AI app because it generates them for you. This web app can integrate into your Gmail, so you’ll find it on the Gmail app. Make international connections by translating messagesNow, you might also want to complete your blogging projects and grow as a freelance blogger by considering international cooperation and posts. It takes blogging and your blogging career to a whole new level, extending your reach to new markets. In some cases, this will require communicating in a different language to set the goals for your collaborative blog posts. Fortunately, the MurmurType app makes this easy. This app will translate your messages into other languages, so you can record your message and convert it into text, then translate it. So, never again do you need to avoid an international blogging deal or skip conversations with international clients to clarify an international blog brief. Succeed in your freelance blogging career with AI appsThere’s a lot to focus on in your freelance blogging career: sending emails, producing posts, participating in meetings, sharing ideas, and more. That’s why you’ll want an efficient way to handle these challenges and succeed. AI apps are one answer to the question — “How to become a blogger?” and succeed in your career. It’s with apps for blogging that you can handle all the challenges, clarify briefs, attend meetings, and send messages to clients or collaborators. The best place to get these apps? Setapp has all of the ones listed in this article, and more. Take them for a test at no cost for seven days. Download these apps at Setapp and use our blogging tips to succeed in freelance blogging. View the full article

A State-by-State Guide to Careers in Project Management The post The Best and Worst States for Project Management Jobs in 2025 appeared first on The Digital Project Manager. View the full article

Have questions about Aflac? Attend our informational session on 2/11/25 to learn more! RSVP HERE Life is unpredictable, and unexpected health events can put a strain on even the most carefully managed budgets. As part of our commitment to supporting independent workers, we’ve partnered with Aflac to create a group plan to provide you access to their supplemental insurance plans at a lower cost. These plans provide an added layer of financial protection, helping you and your family navigate challenging times without added stress. Aflac is not health insurance, but supplemental benefits that offer you financial assistance for medical situations. Based on the plan you choose, Aflac will directly provide you with cash benefits for events like annual health screenings ($50 under the Critical Illness plan) or visiting an Urgent Care Facility without X-ray ($150 under the Accident plan). By joining the Freelancers Union group plan, our members are able to access lower monthly rates than other individual plans currently available. Accident Insurance:Accidents can happen anywhere, from a slip on the stairs to an unexpected injury. Aflac’s group accident insurance offers financial support for out-of-pocket expenses like emergency room visits, X-rays, and follow-up care. Benefits are paid directly to you, so you can focus on healing without worrying about the bills. Some of the accident plan benefits include $300 for Ground Ambulance transportation (within 90 days after the accident) and $150 for a CT/CAT Scan (1 per accident, within 6 months after the accident). Hospitalization Insurance:Hospital stays often bring unexpected costs, even with health insurance. Aflac’s hospitalization plan helps cover expenses such as deductibles, co-pays, and other gaps in coverage. Whether it’s for planned surgery or an unforeseen illness, this plan provides financial stability while you prioritize your health. Critical Illness Insurance:A diagnosis of cancer, heart disease, or another serious condition can be overwhelming—both emotionally and financially. Aflac’s critical illness plan offers a lump-sum payment to help cover medical and non-medical costs, including treatment, household expenses, and even travel for specialized care. The critical illness plan offers a $50 benefit for an annual health screening performed as the result of preventative care (for member & spouse only) in addition to 100% of benefits (up to $30,000) for specified diseases like (internal or invasive) cancer, heart attack, stroke, & more. These plans are designed to complement your health insurance by offering direct financial benefits when you need them most. At Freelancers Union, we’re proud to provide access to these resources so you can focus on what matters most, your health and well-being. Learn more about these plans and how to enroll at: https://freelancersunion.org/aflac/ View the full article

Have questions about Aflac? Attend our informational session on 2/11/25 to learn more! RSVP HERE Life is unpredictable, and unexpected health events can put a strain on even the most carefully managed budgets. As part of our commitment to supporting independent workers, we’ve partnered with Aflac to create a group plan to provide you access to their supplemental insurance plans at a lower cost. These plans provide an added layer of financial protection, helping you and your family navigate challenging times without added stress. Aflac is not health insurance, but supplemental benefits that offer you financial assistance for medical situations. Based on the plan you choose, Aflac will directly provide you with cash benefits for events like annual health screenings ($50 under the Critical Illness plan) or visiting an Urgent Care Facility without X-ray ($150 under the Accident plan). By joining the Freelancers Union group plan, our members are able to access lower monthly rates than other individual plans currently available. Accident Insurance:Accidents can happen anywhere, from a slip on the stairs to an unexpected injury. Aflac’s group accident insurance offers financial support for out-of-pocket expenses like emergency room visits, X-rays, and follow-up care. Benefits are paid directly to you, so you can focus on healing without worrying about the bills. Some of the accident plan benefits include $300 for Ground Ambulance transportation (within 90 days after the accident) and $150 for a CT/CAT Scan (1 per accident, within 6 months after the accident). Hospitalization Insurance:Hospital stays often bring unexpected costs, even with health insurance. Aflac’s hospitalization plan helps cover expenses such as deductibles, co-pays, and other gaps in coverage. Whether it’s for planned surgery or an unforeseen illness, this plan provides financial stability while you prioritize your health. Critical Illness Insurance:A diagnosis of cancer, heart disease, or another serious condition can be overwhelming—both emotionally and financially. Aflac’s critical illness plan offers a lump-sum payment to help cover medical and non-medical costs, including treatment, household expenses, and even travel for specialized care. The critical illness plan offers a $50 benefit for an annual health screening performed as the result of preventative care (for member & spouse only) in addition to 100% of benefits (up to $30,000) for specified diseases like (internal or invasive) cancer, heart attack, stroke, & more. These plans are designed to complement your health insurance by offering direct financial benefits when you need them most. At Freelancers Union, we’re proud to provide access to these resources so you can focus on what matters most, your health and well-being. Learn more about these plans and how to enroll at: https://freelancersunion.org/aflac/ View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: In 2020, due to the pandemic, my entire company started to work from home. I enjoyed a much better work-life balance and know many others did too, especially because so many people moved further away for more space. Sadly, we’ve been asked to come back into the office. At first it was a loose mandate, so people did it sparsely. I co-lead our department of 13 people with my boss, and at first we were pretty chill about it. Then the CEO started wanting people in three days a week, minimum. This caused backlash among the departments. We decided to try two days to try to be in the middle. We thought it was working well and had it going for a year, but with other departments doing their own thing too it became a problem. Some did the three days, while some did just one day. Recently, the CEO — upon hearing Amazon mandated everyone back in-office — sent an email: “Come in Tuesday – Thursday.” So we’ve told everyone the time has come to really stick to it. And it’s been … not great. We had a meeting to say we understand this isn’t what people want, so in an attempt to be flexible — because some people have meetings with international regions, which make some days really bad to come in when they’re on calls from 8 am until noon — we’ll let people come in other days, as long as it’s three days. Well, that hasn’t really happened. Local staff are rarely doing three days. Some reasons are understandable: they’re sick and don’t want others to get sick, children-related, pet emergencies, etc. But it’s getting to a point where the CEO is going to feel we’re disrespecting his mandate, and boom it’ll be a mandate for five days. Our HR head is checking our key entries. We got a list last week. This is a constant hot topic in senior leadership. The old-school people think if we did five days a week in the office before, we should be able to do it again. Others, like me, feel it’s a step backwards to not see the benefits of flexibility or permanent WFH. Our jobs are very hard. I’ve never worked as hard as I’ve had to this past year, due to layoffs and terrible clients. It’s so demoralizing working until 11 pm sometimes and still be expected to be cheery the next morning in-office for the benefit of an out-of-touch CEO. He’s one of those “if I don’t see you working, are you working?” people. Plus, when we’re in the office, we all seclude to rooms for non-stop meetings. However, if I’m being honest, I do think some of our staff are too comfortable. Some don’t even show up in the office or give a reason. We feel a bit stuck. If we bring it up again, people will again spit out the reasons for opposing it. I do think some of those reasons are reasonable! And I also think some people are taking some advantage. I don’t want to care about this. Our team is built of highly functional workers. Many live so far that the commute is really bad (we do let people leave when they want so they can beat traffic). It’s really about tapping that key card for optics. And unfortunately there’s no “can you talk to people above again?” It’s been a discussion for three years now and in the end, what the CEO says goes. The answer is in your last sentence: in the end, this is the CEO’s call. As part of the senior management team, you can try to convince him that it’s in the company’s best interest to allow more work from home, but ultimately it’s his call — and it’s your job to be forthright with your team about that reality. I do think it’s worth coming to terms with what sound like some previous missteps. If the CEO wanted people in the office three days and your team compromised on two but even that wasn’t enforced and you’ve had employees not showing up at all and you thought some people were being too lax but you didn’t address it … well, it’s not surprising that your CEO is now responding with a firmer mandate. That’s not to say the CEO is right. For all I know, he might be; I don’t know your business or how hybrid work has played out there. And it’s possible it’s working for your team but affecting other employees in ways you don’t see (in particular, junior employees who are missing out on the learning by osmosis that happens when they share space with more experienced employees). But he certainly wouldn’t be the first CEO to cling to an old way of operating because that’s what he’s comfortable with, without recognizing that the workforce has changed, or that what technology makes possible has changed, or that what top talent in your field will demand has changed. And it makes sense to lay out for him your understanding of how a return-to-office mandate will affect the company’s operations. If you believe you’ll lose good people, struggle to hire the candidates you want, and generally be less effective as a result, you absolutely should present that case. But it sounds like you’ve done that, he’s heard you, and he’s still making a different call. Which he gets to do. If that’s the point you’re at, all you can do is to be very transparent with your team about the situation — about what’s being required, how much flexibility there is and isn’t, and the consequences if they flout that — and that it’s not about whether they’re right or not, but about what your company will and won’t allow. However, in order to do that, you need management above you to be clear about what consequences they’re truly prepared to enforce. If that conversation hasn’t been had yet, it needs to happen soon, so that you’re not managing blind. And who knows, maybe it’ll turn out that the CEO isn’t prepared to fire people who won’t comply, in which case you can decide whether you’re willing to just keep existing in a state of tension with him over it indefinitely and what that would mean for you/your team. But it sounds like it’s time to call the question: he wants everyone back in the office, people aren’t willing to do it … so now what? He needs to make that call, and then the answers for how you proceed will stem from that. View the full article

Your due diligence must meet the challenge. Quick Tax Tip With Art Werner CPE Today Go PRO for members-only access to more Art Werner. View the full article

Your due diligence must meet the challenge. Quick Tax Tip With Art Werner CPE Today Go PRO for members-only access to more Art Werner. View the full article

There’s no two ways about it: video is the way people prefer to consume content in 2025. Buffer’s data shows that when it comes to social media platforms video outperforms every other type of content by a landslide — and that’s on all platforms. Whether you’re a social media marketer, content creator, or influencer, video content should be a key part of your growth and marketing strategy. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Video creation requires a lot more input (though the proof really is in the pudding). Often, the biggest hurdle to overcome is video editing — but in 2025, there’s really no reason to let this block you. Thanks to the incredible variety of free video editing software options on the market, editing your videos is now easier than ever. Thanks to templates, transcript editing, AI, and a host of other nifty features, editing your videos can now be — dare I say it? — fun! With all that in mind, here’s a guide to the best video editing software for creators, marketers, and small business owners. I've curated separate lists of paid and free video editors, though, in many cases, the tools offer both limited free versions and more feature-rich paid versions. Only the tools with substantial free offerings are included in the free video editing software list. Many of these tools also come with advanced features that cater to both beginners and professionals, so there's a suitable option here no matter your skill level. Let's dig in. 🚀Give your videos the best possible chance of success — schedule them videos across multiple platforms, including TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, in one go with Buffer. Here's how →Best free video editing softwareMost of the video editors in this list do have paid plans that come with additional benefits, but they made this list because their free plans are comprehensive and powerful — so you don’t need to spend a cent to use them. Some of these tools are completely free, offering a full suite of features without any restrictions or watermarks. 1. CapCutIt still breaks my brain a little that most of CapCut’s best features are 100 percent free. With both a powerful app, browser, and desktop version that it’s relatively easy to toggle between, CapCut is a no-brainer if you’re creating videos for social media. In my experience, it’s the best video editing software for beginner to intermediate editors. The mostly free video editor is especially handy for TikTok. The two apps pair beautifully, thanks to the fact that they’re both owned by ByteDance. You can even add some trending TikTok sounds right in CapCut before exporting or sharing directly to TikTok (you’ll just need to save the audio in TikTok and log into CapCut with your TikTok account). As far as I know, it's the only free video editor that allows this. When it comes to editing itself, CapCut is intuitive and easy to learn. It offers an eye-popping variety of fonts, effects, stickers, and transitions to choose from, along with a superb caption auto generator. More advanced users will love CapCut, too, thanks to some really in-depth editing options like voice isolation and enhancements, color adjustments, and more. Note that some of these features are only available on the paid plan, but at $7.99 per month, it’s still one of the more affordable options out there. Pro tip: I find video editing a little easier to do on my computer than on my phone, but if you go that route, do go the extra mile and download the desktop version of CapCut to access all the best features. CapCut’s online video editor isn’t quite as powerful and user-friendly. Price: Free, with paid plans starting at $9.99 per month 2. Clipchamp CreateClipchamp Create, which replaced Windows Movie Maker, is one of the most generous free online video editing tools I’ve found in my research. If you have a Windows PC, you’ll find the free video editing software pre-downloaded on your computer. If you’re a Mac user, fear not — you can use it in your browser. The free plan lets you create unlimited video projects, gives you access to all basic editing tools, and allows you to export your videos in 480p output resolution without a watermark. (A watermark will be present if you use stock footage, though.) You could upgrade to Premium or higher to gain access to its stock library and download your videos at better resolutions. If you’re recording voiceovers or filming yourself, Clipchamp’s Speaker Coach is a unique plus. It’ll help you track your pace, pitch, and filler words and offer tips and tricks to improve your presentation skills. Price: Free, with paid plans starting at $9 per month. 3. CanvaFor simple edits, Canva is one of the best free video editing software options out there. What the video editor lacks in editing capabilities, it makes up for in beautiful, ready-made video templates. The clip editing itself in Canva is basic — you can trip, cut, and rearrange videos, but not layer things over each other (if, say, you wanted to split the audio from your video track and use it as a voiceover). Still, there’s probably a template ready and waiting in their vast template library that will be a good fit for your project. Adding your own photos or clips is as simple as dragging and dropping them into the editor. This tool is great, a fuss-free option for beginner video editors, and is particularly handy if you’re looking to turn some photos into a video. Price: Free plan, with paid options starting at $15 per user per month. 4. DaVinci ResolveIf you’re looking for a tool to create great TikToks, Shorts, or Reels, DaVinci Resolve is probably not for you. But if you’re looking to create super slick, high-production videos for YouTube or even create your own documentary (why not?), DaVinci Resolve is tough to beat. There’s a reason this free video editor is a favorite of both professional YouTubers and Hollywood producers — or rather, many reasons: it combines editing, color correction, visual effects, motion graphics, and audio post-production in a single tool. While this particular free video editing software is not as easy to learn as, say, Canva, DaVinci Resolve is relatively user-friendly. If you’re a marketer or creator looking to add ‘professional video editing’ to your skillset, a couple of hours playing around with Resolve will be time well spent. And yes, I did say free. Some DaVinci Resolve features are exclusive to their paid ‘Studio’ plan, though most will only be necessary for entire production teams. Also, you’ll only be able to export videos in Ultra HD for free. Still, that means a whopping 3840 x 2610 — much higher than most of the free video editors on this list. That said, DaVinci Resolve is a hefty program and will require a decent computer to run. For Windows, that means at least Windows 10, 16GB of memory, and an integrated GPU. On Mac, that’s MacOS 11 or higher, 8GB system memory, and an integrated GPU. Price: Free. The more advanced paid version, Davinci Resolve Studio, costs $295. 5. Adobe Creative Cloud ExpressPhoto: Adobe.comAdobe Express (formerly Adobe Spark) provides multiple storyboards, layouts, and themes to help you create amazing videos. The largely free video editor is a powerful Canva alternative (and it pairs well with one of my favorite free AI image generators, Adobe Firefly, which is a point in its favor). Like Canva, templates are the name of the game here, and video layering options are limited. However, the template options are varied and unique and won’t have that tell-tale “I made this in Canva” feel some folks will know all too well. Some premium templates, stock photos, and videos will only be available on the paid plan (though you can use them if you don’t mind exporting with a watermark). Price: Free, with paid plans starting at $11.99 monthly. 6. Descript Descript is the video editing tool that works like a text editor (seriously, if you hate editing videos, give this one a bash.) Descript was one of the first video editing software options to market with transcript-based editing. In a nutshell, this means Descript auto-generates a transcript for your video, which you can then edit as if you were working on a text document. Whatever text you delete, trim, or move around reflects in the video file, too. Neat, right? It can take a bit of practice to get right, but it’s great when it comes to editing chatter-heavy videos and audio files, this can be a huge time-saver. In my opinion, Descript is one of the best video editing software for podcasts. Technically, you can use some of Descript’s best features for free. With its $0 per month starter plan, you can edit up to 60 minutes of content and remove filler words, but you’ll only be able to export one video without a watermark per month. Price: Limited free plan, with paid options starting at $19 per month. 7. iMovieiMovie is Apple’s native video editor, available for free on Macs, iPhones, and iPads. It’s a great entry-level option, and what it lacks in advanced editing capabilities, it makes up for with pure ease of use. ‘Storyboards’ mode offers a selection of templates with styles based on your use case — think things like “Gaming,” Makeover,” or “Q&A” — and even a Magic Movie mode, which will automatically turn your photos into a movie in seconds. If you’re a complete beginner and a bit intimidated by video editing tools, it might be worthwhile to play around with iMovie before moving on to one of the more robust options on this list. Price: Free on Mac and iOS. ⚡On the hunt for more AI features? Check out our list of the best AI video editors.Best paid video editing softwareOnce again, you'll find some options on this list that do have free plans, though I found their paid options worth paying for. 1. CapCut ProCapcut again? Sorry, I just had to. Capcut's Pro plan makes it one of the best video editing software options. The paid version of the video editor grants users access to an expanded library of fonts, animations, and other effects, plus handy features like retouching effects (helpful if you don’t fancy applying a full face of makeup to look put-together in your videos), enhanced background removal tools, and vocal enhancements. Price: Paid plans start at $9.99 per month. 2. Veed.ioVeed is a fast and easy online video editor that boasts the power of templates and some robust video editing tools. It’s also brilliant for auto-generating captions and has a handy library of sound effects and music to help you add a little extra pizazz to your work. Veed's features set it apart from other similar video editors on this list, including in-app screen and webcam recording and (rather terrifyingly) realistic AI avatars that will read your script for you. There is a free plan available, but once again you’ll only be able to export videos with a Veed watermark. Price: Paid plans start at $19 per month. 3. CapsuleCapsule is one of the newer video editors on the block, and offers similar tools to the likes of Veed and Kapwing. Its USP, however, is making it easy for marketing teams — even those without pro video editing skills — to collaborate and stick to brand guidelines. The online video editor features all the bells and whistles of other popular tools, with things like transcript-based editing, auto-resizing, and lightweight animations. There’s also an AI co-producer that will create auto-jump cuts, clean up dialogue, and more. That said, it’s on the pricier end at $99 per month. There is a free plan you can use to put it to the test, which will allow you to use pretty much all the tools in their professional plan, though you’re limited to three videos (in total, not per month). Price: You'll need to speak to a sales consultant for pricing, though there is a limited free plan. 4. InShotInShot is an app that allows you to trim, speed up, or add music, filters, and fun effects to video. The mobile app is pretty simple and features are limited, but seriously easy to use. It also allows users to edit videos, photos, and create image collages. If you’re creating videos exclusively for social and mostly just want to string clips together and make them look fun and interesting, InShot is a solid option. You can do neat things like create video collages, remove backgrounds, add doodles, and loads more. One could technically count InShot among the free video editing apps, as you can download and use it to edit videos without paying. However, your videos will be exported with a watermark. Perhaps more frustrating in the free version, though, is the unskippable ads. Price: Limited free plan with paid plans starting at $3.99 per month. 5. KapwingKapwing is another simple drag-and-drop video editor that offers much of the same thing already mentioned above — templates, transcript editing, filler word remover, AI, more. It’s perhaps best described as a leveled-up version of Canva or a slicker version of CapCut. One notable feature is a content repurposing tool that automatically finds key moments in long-form videos and repurposes them into highlight clips. There’s also the ability to work together on a project with your teammates in real-time, a bit like you can in design tool Figma. Almost all of Kapwing’s best features are available for free, but you can only export watermarked videos. Pricing: Free with watermarks, with plans starting at $24 per month. 6. Adobe Premiere ProAdobe Premier Pro is one of the video editor heavyweights, boasting the kind of feature set that will help you edit everything from TV series to documentaries (should you feel so inclined). Available for Windows and Mac users, Premier Pro comes with a steep learning curve and is not for the casual creator. It’s more regularly updated and integration-friendly than its Mac-only counterpart, FinalCut Pro (below). Price: $22.99 per month, though there are bundle options available with other Adobe products that may give you more bang for your buck. FinalCut ProFinalCut Pro is another professional tool, once lauded as the gold standard of video editors. It’s likely the tool used to edit your favorite blockbuster movies, thanks to its special effects features and faster rendering times. It comes with a caveat, though — it’s exclusive Mac video editing software, and only available to users in the Apple ecosystem. Price: $299.99 to own. 8. FilmoraGoWondershare FilmoraGo is one of the OG simple video editing tools. It’s been around for years, but has kept pace with new tech and trends to make it a strong contender on this list. Besides the usual features such as themes, text, and transitions, it also offers a range of video editing features — trim/split, ratio/crop, speed control, reverse, voice-over, audio mixer, and picture-in-picture. The AI tools are fun to play around with, too — there’s an AI image generator, AI text-based editing, and an AI Copilot to guide you as you edit video, among others. Another handy point in Filmora’s favor is that it’s easy to work on projects both on your computer and phone — the online video editor, app, and desktop versions make it easy to toggle between the two. You can use some of the video editor features for free, but you can only export videos with a watermark. Price: Starts at $29.99 quarterly, though there is a limited free version. Maximize your video reachNo matter how simple the video editor is, creating and editing social media videos takes a lot of time and effort — which is why it makes sense to ensure they have the highest impact possible. Buffer makes it easy to work smarter, not harder with your videos, helping you easily cross-post them to TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and more. Here's how → If we missed your favorite free video editor, let us know on all major social platforms @buffer! View the full article

OOKLA says both Spectrum Mobile and Xfinity Mobile have been highly succesful in using Wi-Fi to boost mobile speeds. The post New data: Spectrum Mobile & Xfinity Mobile boost service speeds with Wi-Fi appeared first on Wi-Fi NOW Global. View the full article

OOKLA says both Spectrum Mobile and Xfinity Mobile have been highly succesful in using Wi-Fi to boost mobile speeds. The post New data: Spectrum Mobile & Xfinity Mobile boost service speeds with Wi-Fi appeared first on Wi-Fi NOW Global. View the full article

Whether you’re traveling to Europe for two weeks or planning an epic round-the-world adventure, you need travel insurance. Seriously. I know, it’s not a fun topic to read about. And yes, it will add to your travel budget. But after almost two decades on the road, I’ve learned the hard way just how important travel insurance can be. I’ve had my luggage lost, I’ve popped an eardrum, and I’ve even been stabbed. Throw in countless delayed and cancelled flights and I’d be out thousands upon thousands of dollars. Fortunately, I had travel insurance. They were there to help me navigate the problems and ensure I didn’t go broke paying for emergency expenses. These days, SafetyWing is my go-to travel insurance company. I’ve been using them for years and have found their plans to be super affordable, their customer service fast and friendly, and their coverage to be sufficient for what I need. Currently, SafetyWing offers two plans for travelers: Nomad Insurance Essential Nomad Insurance Complete While both plans are great, they are each designed for specific kinds of travelers. In this post, I’ll break down what each plan covers and who it is for so you can decide which plan is best for your next trip. The SafetyWing Essential Plan This is the main travel insurance plan from SafetyWing. It’s designed for travelers who want basic coverage without breaking the bank. It’s the plan I use when I travel these days. The plan costs just $56.28 USD for 4 weeks (for travelers aged 10-39). That’s one of the lowest prices out there for reliable travel insurance. They are super competitive when it comes to price. For comparison, similar plans from other companies are double that (or more). The plan is suitable for travelers up to age 69, though travelers 60–69 will be paying $196.84. Here is what the Essential plan covers at a glance: $250,000 for emergency medical treatment and hospitalization $100,000 for medical evacuation $250,000 for motor accidents Up to $3,000 for lost luggage ($500 per item) $10,000 for evacuation due to political unrest $5,000 for trip interruption $200 for travel delay ($100 per day for two days) They also have three helpful add-ons: Coverage for adventure sports Coverage if you’re visiting the US Coverage for electronics theft Since not everyone needs these, I like that they are available as add-ons. Personally, I always need extra electronics coverage, but I never need coverage for adventure sports since I am pretty much the opposite of an adrenaline junkie. I like that I can customize the plan to suit my travel plans/travel style. Who is the essential Plan For? SafetyWing’s primary plan is great for a wide range of travelers. Here are the kinds of travelers that I think the policy is best for: Backpackers – I think the Essential’s plan is the best travel insurance plan for travelers on a budget. It’s what I use when I travel these days because it balances affordability with coverage. At just a couple bucks per day it won’t break the bank and it has coverage for all the most serious potential emergencies. Budget & Midrange Travelers – If you’re traveling to Europe for a few weeks or heading to the Caribbean for a relaxing holiday, this plan is for you. It balances cost with emergency coverage, as well as some coverage for things like delays and cancellations. The SafetyWing Complete Plan The Complete plan is insurance for digital nomads, remote workers, and long-term travelers. It’s a mix of your standard emergency coverage (similar to the Essential plan above) but it also includes “regular” non-emergency coverage. So, not only does the plan cover things like emergency injuries and illness but it also includes routine visits and preventive care. It’s a replica of the kind of health insurance you might find in your home country, ensuring that you’re looked after no matter what happens. The plan costs $150.50 for 4 weeks (for travelers aged 18–39). It’s available to travelers up to age 64. Here’s a look at what the plan covers for emergencies: $1,500,000 in coverage for medical emergencies $100,000 for medical evacuation $1,500,000 for motor accidents Up to $3,000 for lost luggage ($500 per item) $10,000 for evacuation due to political unrest $5,000 for trip interruption 150 per day for travel delay (up to three days), $60 for delays over three hours $100,000 for accidental death Overall, the emergency coverage of this plan is similar to the Essential plan, but expanded and with higher limits. Here’s a look at the plan’s more “standard healthcare” coverage: $5,000 for doctor visits (dermatologist, gynecologist, etc.) $300 for routine check-ups 10 psychologist or psychiatrist visits per year $1,500,000 for cancer treatment $2,500 for maternity care $5,000 for wellness treatment $5,000 for stolen belongings As you can see, the Complete plan is much more robust than the Essential plan. It’s the plan I wish I had when I first started backpacking full-time because it’s just so comprehensive. If I was working remotely overseas full time, this is the plan I would use. Additionally, new conditions such as diabetes or asthma are covered under the Complete plan (under Essential, they become pre-existing conditions). That’s something not a lot of other companies offer, which I think is a huge plus. One important difference between the Complete and Essential plans, however, is that, unlike regular travel insurance, Nomad Insurance Complete applicants must be approved. You can’t just buy a plan and be on your merry way, as the insurance team needs to review your application, along with any medical history and/or pre-existing conditions. They may also request additional medical notes or documents. While I don’t love that some people are likely to be screened out and you can just buy a plan with a click and be on your way, I understand the reasoning given the cost of health care around the world. Who is the Complete Plan For? SafetyWing’s Complete plan is perfect for three kinds of travelers: Long-Term Travelers – If you’re planning to travel for a year or more, this is the plan for you. It will ensure you have coverage for emergencies, as well as for routine check-ups. And the higher coverage limits for delays and cancellations are a must for those traveling often. Digital Nomads – If you’re going to be traveling and working, you’re going to want emergency coverage with a high limit. The wellness coverage the Complete plan includes is also a nice touch. Expats – If you’re living abroad for some (or all) of the year, you’ll want to have access to both emergency coverage as well as regular check-ups. The evacuation coverage is a must too should you be living in more turbulent regions. *** I never leave home without travel insurance. For just a few dollars a day, you not only ensure you don’t go bankrupt should an emergency occur, but you’ll also get peace of mind knowing that you have help and support should something happen. Whether you’re a budget backpacker looking for a basic plan or a seasoned digital nomad who needs robust healthcare, SafetyWing has you covered. Use the widget below to get a free quote: Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner. It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned. Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels. Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are: SafetyWing (best for everyone) InsureMyTrip (for those 70 and over) Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage) Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals. Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more. Ready to Book Your Trip? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip. The post SafetyWing Travel Insurance: Which Plan Is Right For You? appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Our HR person helped her mom get hired in secret I work for a small company of 12 people, led by two partners. In the hierarchy of the company, I am the next tier down from the partners. We are not large enough to have an HR department, so our accountant, “Jan,” operates as the HR person as well as office manager. We have been looking to hire an executive assistant for the company’s partners and Jan has been in charge of placing the ads, screening the resumes, and doing initial interviews. Jan also attended the interviews with the partners and candidates. An interview was set up with a candidate, but Jan was unable to attend as she was out sick. About a week later, we received an email that this candidate had been hired. We later found out through the rumor mill that this new employee is Jan’s mother and that partners did not know about it until after the offer was made. So far, nothing official regarding their relationship has been shared with the office. Neither Jan nor her mother mentioned at any point in the process that they are mother and daughter. I do know that Partner 1 was not pleased that this information was kept from him, but has the mindset that they need someone in the position, so they are just going to go with it and said that if it doesn’t work out, it’s going to be awkward when Jan has to let her mother go. There are so many things wrong with this, I don’t know where to begin! I won’t be working directly with Jan’s mother so it probably won’t affect me much one way or another, but part of the job is to help out with accounting, so Jan could potentially be supervising her own mother in some capacity. Our employee handbook does have a small section on employing family members, saying they can’t supervise each other. To me, this brings up serious questions about nepotism and ethics and what appears to be a conscious effort from both of them to conceal this information from the partners. I have some standing to let both partners know that the optics surrounding this look pretty bad and I worry that this blatant display of poor judgement does not bode well for the future. I guess I know this is really bad, and am interested in your take on the situation. Yeah, that’s a massive problem. It would be a bad idea to hire someone’s mom to work closely with them under most circumstances, and doubly so if the daughter is the HR person*. (Is she really going to handle complaints about her mom impartially? And even if she is, are people likely to believe they can safely raise complaints about her mom?) But the fact that they both went out of their way to hide the relationship — and it’s not believable that in a small office where Jan was involved with the hiring she wouldn’t think to mention that one of the interviewees was her mom — makes it much, much worse; it shows that they’re willing to to subvert professional norms and transparency in order to advance their own agenda, which is the exact opposite of what you’d need if you have two relatives working together. By all means, let the partners know that the secrecy and nepotism look terrible (from anyone, but especially from your HR person). But it sounds like this is going forward regardless, so I’d brace for the dumpster fire. * In an office of 12, “accountant who handles HR on the side because someone has to” usually means things like benefits administration, not substantive employee relations work (including things like investigations of things like discrimination or harassment) … but your mention that Jan is the one who would end up firing her mom indicates that Jan’s HR role may be bigger than is typical with this set-up, which makes this worse. 2. Coworker is identifying herself as a psychologist when she’s not I work at an outpatient mental health clinic as a case manager. My coworkers and I are all on a team of case managers that don’t require any degrees or certifications. If you want to move up to become a therapist or clinical supervisor, you need your masters in counseling, clinical psych, or a PH.D. When I was collecting mail for my clients, I started noticing an influx of mail for my coworker, which I found strange. The mail was coming from several different banks and I started noticing it showed her full name, along with the title “clinical psychologist” and business owner. I looked into it and saw that she is advertising herself online as a business owner as a clinical psychologist and takes client appointments at our address. Most of the mail is coming from several different banks so I am thinking (although unsure) that she may be receiving business loans or something of the sort identifying herself as a clinical psychologist who runs her own business. The other thing is I also found her on several websites advertising herself as a “mental health counselor” and either a Psy.D, PH.D, or clinical therapist on yellow pages, white pages, and for one insurance company with her name and our business address. It shows our address on one and on another it shows her as a psychologist for her previous job. Do I submit all of this to HR? Do I let it go and mind my own business? Are you sure she’s not a clinical psychologist? It’s possible she has credentials you don’t know about. Otherwise, though, the potential for harm to patients and your clinic’s reputation is high enough that yes, flag it for HR and let them decide if there’s any action they need to take. You can frame it as, “There may be an explanation for this that I’m not privy to, but it alarmed me enough that I wanted to bring it to your attention in case it’s something you’d want to know.” 3. Handshakes and sweaty palms I’ve had abnormally sweaty hands my whole life. I don’t know exactly when or how the excess sweat will start or what triggers it; sometimes it happens when I’m nervous, but sometimes I am merely existing. It does not seem to be correlated to temperature or how many layers I am wearing. Usually this doesn’t cause me more than some minor inconveniences, but I had a situation the other day that I’m afraid will repeat itself, especially as I get older and more into the workforce. I was meeting a professor for the first time, and as I was leaving, she held out her hand for me to shake. Not knowing how to decline, I shook it, even though my hands were sweaty. She immediately wiped her hand on her pant leg, and I realized what I’d done. In the future, how would you recommend I deal with this situation? Sometimes when people try to high-five me and my hands are sweaty, I fist-bump them instead, but it seems inappropriate to offer a fist-bump when someone offers me a handshake. Can you discreetly wipe your hands on your pants first, especially when you’re in a situation where you know a handshake might be coming (like any time you’re meeting someone new)? If you’re worried it’s noticeable that you’re patting your pants, say, “Sorry, my hand is damp!” (That could mean you just washed them, for all anyone knows.) There’s also the option of just confidently and cheerfully saying, “I’ve switched to fist bumps since Covid!” You won’t be the only one. There are also medical treatments available if it’s something that really bothers you and you want to go that route. 4. I don’t know how to respond to this job rejection feedback I’m a mid-career professional in tech who got laid off a few months ago. I’ve been applying and interviewing for similar roles ever since, but a couple of recent rejections have somehow gotten me really depressed and demoralized. Both positions seemed like a good fit, and I was able to develop a good rapport with the hiring managers during each respective interview. However, the feedback I received was: 1. I didn’t have enough experience with a specific kind of document that’s relevant to my industry but not readily shared unless you need access for a specific reason, as it contains quite a bit of confidential client data (none of the projects I worked on required me to access that level of data, so I never had access to this document). 2. A well-liked former employee expressed interest in the position after I’d been scheduled for an interview, so the company went with them. I know these are relatively normal things to hear when interviewing (and it’s not the first time I’ve heard them either), but I don’t know how I can make myself a better candidate for these kinds of roles with this kind of feedback. At least if it had been something like a lack of technical skill, that would still be something actionable that I can work on. I have more interviews in the pipeline, but I find myself anticipating rejection for similar reasons as I’m preparing, and I’m starting if it’s time to just quit this industry altogether and pivot to a different career/industry. Do you have any advice on how to stay motivated during a slump like this? Not all feedback is actionable, or needs to be. Sometimes it’s just an explanation or context. It you’re regularly hearing that you need experience with the kind of document from #1, that could be a sign that you’ve got to find a way to get that experience in order to be a serious contender for these jobs. But if you have no reason to believe it’s a widespread requirement (like hearing that from multiple interviewers or seeing it in most of the ads you’re interested in), there’s nothing much you have to conclude here (other than if you do get the opportunity to work with that document in the future, you should take it). The second item — they hired someone already well-known to them — is just a thing that happens, and not anything you need to respond differently to. For what it’s worth, you won’t always get useful feedback, or any feedback, when you’re job-searching, and it’s not a sign of failure if don’t. You’re much more likely to get useful feedback from mentors and people working in the field you’re applying in. 5. Employees aren’t paid for short bathroom or coffee breaks This happened last year, and has nothing to do with me, but it struck me as odd, so I thought I’d ask for your take on it. I work in the legal field. In the course of an online conversation about billing, someone commented that the staff at their firm are W2 employees, but don’t clock in/out and they only get paid for the time they bill. They clarified that any time spent not working on a case, such as lunch or bathroom visits, is unpaid. I’ve worked at various law firms, but I’ve never heard of anything like this. Admittedly, I’m no expert on employment law, but this sounds like they’re being paid per project (i.e., they spend four hours working on the John Doe case, so they get paid for four hours of work, but the 10 minutes they take to run to the restroom or get a cup of water before starting the next project isn’t paid), which does not seem very W2-ish. Is this a common practice that I’ve just never encountered before, or is this as weird as it seems? Surprise! It’s yet another law firm violating employment laws. If they’re W2 employees, not independent contractors, they’re legally required to be paid for all the time they’re expected to be at work, even if that includes down time in between projects (it’s called “engaged to wait”). Moreover, federal law requires that short breaks of 20 minutes or less be treated as paid time. View the full article

For a software development team looking to collaborate on software projects in Microsoft Azure, both Azure DevOps and GitHub are excellent options. It all depends on the options, functions and capabilities valued by your team. Given the variety of unique features they each offer, we can make a strong argument for both sides! So if you’re asking yourself: “which is better, Azure DevOps or GitHub?” here’s a closer look at each of these developer favorites. You’ll learn what sets them apart, how much they cost to use, and what to consider when you’re making a choice between the two. What is Microsoft Azure DevOps? Microsoft Azure DevOps is an all-in-one project management tool designed with agile software teams in mind (here’s how to sync ADO to Airtable with Unito). It’s an integrated set of five services – Boards, Pipelines, Repos, Artifacts, and Test Plans – covering the complete software development lifecycle including planning, creating, testing, and delivering a product. Software teams can use those services individually or in combinations of their choice. What is GitHub? GitHub is an open-source project management tool. Developers can sign up for free and share code files with other developers whom they’re collaborating with. The feature that sets GitHub apart is its version control system – at any point, developers can call up older versions of a project to see exactly how it’s evolved. In addition, GitHub lets you connect with other developers and see who’s is working on what, making it something like a social networking platform for developers. Azure DevOps vs. GitHub: Quick Summary GitHubAzure DevOpsEase of useHarderEasierMain use caseManaging your code baseManaging software development projectsPricePaid plans start at $4 a month, Enterprise plans for $21 a monthBasic Plan starts at $6 per user per month after the first five users. Basic + Test Plan starting at $52 per user per monthRepositoriesPublic and privatePublic and privateBest forSmaller companies, especially those with open-source projectsSoftware development teams in enterprise organizations Azure DevOps vs GitHub: Core use case Azure DevOps is used primarily for taking a software application from idea to deployment. It comes with a wealth of features to facilitate agile software management for cross-functional teams. GitHub is used primarily for version control and collaboration. As an open-source platform, it lets developers log in and work together from anywhere. Azure DevOps vs GitHub: Comparing Features Traceability Version control is GitHub’s USP. Developers can track every change that’s ever been made to a GitHub repository and go back to older versions of it as they need to. Not just that – if two developers in GitHub are working on two pieces of code that are supposed to work together, GitHub shows you exactly how each of those pieces of code will influence each other and the main branch. Azure DevOps also lets you trace changes in a project and see the relationships between each step. Overall, though, GitHub’s traceability can’t be equaled. Ease of use Azure DevOps comes with a lot of templates and features that you can use out of the box. The catch? You’ll need to know at least the basics of agile project management to make sense of those features. GitHub has a learning curve too, but it’s designed for all developers regardless of whether or not they use agile methodology. Project type Both Azure DevOps and GitHub offer robust features to help developers organize their projects. GitHub’s project management features, however, only work with projects that store their code on GitHub. Azure DevOps doesn’t have any such restrictions, which means you can use it to work on a wider range of projects than GitHub. Project size As an open-source platform, GitHub can handle projects of any size and any complexity. With Azure DevOps, though, projects can get messy if there are too many work items – in fact, the whole point of agile methodologies like Scrum and Kanban is to restrict the number of items a team is working on at any point. So if you’re working on a project with clear objectives and milestones, Azure DevOps is ideal. But, if you’re working on a project with an evolving scope, GitHub is your best bet. Azure DevOps vs GitHub: Price Azure DevOps gives you a free trial for 30 days with a maximum of five users, and access to an unlimited number of private repositories. After that, basic plans start at $6 per user per month and go all the way up to $52 per user per month. On GitHub, developers can create a free personal account and get unlimited access to public open-source projects. You also get paid plans that start at $4 per user per month to access an unlimited number of private repositories, with a max of $21 per user per month for enterprise plans. GitHub, clearly, is the more affordable option. Which should I use: Azure DevOps or GitHub? Azure DevOps and GitHub come with a lot of the same capabilities. Both are great for collaboration, both have public and private repositories, both are well-liked and trusted by developers around the world. And while GitHub might be cheaper, a lot of software teams prefer to spring for better agile features and Azure boards. That being said, they aren’t interchangeable (as some might have you think). One or the other might be a better fit for you depending on what your requirements are. Here are some things to consider when choosing. Unito lets you use both! What degree of privacy does your software project call for? Azure DevOps is designed for closed-source applications. To work on a project in Azure DevOps, you need to be added to it as a member first – and different members get different degrees of access to project features. GitHub, though, is all about free and open collaboration – any developer can work on any project. Neither is objectively better. But if your team is building, say, a proprietary piece of software, Azure DevOps might be a better choice simply for the access restrictions. On the other hand, if your team is working to solve a more universal challenge, GitHub lets you get inputs from external developers and potentially find a solution sooner. Is your software team used to agile methodology? Azure DevOps is built on agile principles and comes with tailormade support for agile project management. If your team uses Scrum or Kanban, Azure DevOps is the obvious choice. How much structure are you looking for? As you can tell, Azure DevOps is designed for efficient software delivery. There are clear projects with clear objectives, and specific tasks are assigned to specific project members. On the other hand, anyone can join and contribute to a GitHub project at any time. In general, enterprise teams tend to prefer Azure DevOps for the structure and clarity it brings to software projects. Whereas a smaller business might prefer GitHub, especially as a way to crowdsource ideas from the dev community for the product that they’re designing. Can’t decide on just one? You’re not alone! A lot of teams like to have the best of both worlds when it comes to Azure DevOps and GitHub – the structure of one, and the free collaborative capacity of the other. Of course, using both comes with the challenge of syncing the projects you’re hosting on each platform. And if you’re collaborating with a team outside Microsoft, that’s another platform you’ll have to work with. Good news! Unito offers the best of both worlds with its in-depth GitHub to Azure DevOps integration! You can set up effortless two-way syncing between GitHub repositories and other platforms in minutes. Just set the rules and filters, then let Unito do the rest with real-time automated updates. It’s efficient software development at its finest. Connect Azure DevOps and GitHub with Unito Try Unito for 14 days, absolutely free. Try it free FAQ: Azure DevOps vs. GitHub Which is better, Azure DevOps or GitHub? It entirely depends on what your team’s priorities are. Usually, if you need a tool that’s laser-focused on managing git repositories (whether open-source or not), then GitHub will usually be the way to go. If you want a platform that can handle both repositories and project management, then you’ll want to go with Azure DevOps. Is Azure DevOps being replaced by GitHub? No. Although Microsoft acquired GitHub, there are no plans to replace it with Azure DevOps. View the full article

ServiceNow Integration Hub is the primary solution for engineers and IT professionals seeking to connect the leading IT Service Management (ITSM) system with other apps and tools in their stack. It’s undeniably powerful, enabling users to build custom integrations through “spokes” and the ServiceNow Flow Designer. However, in order to get the most out of Integration Hub, users must have significant technical expertise, budget, access to development resources, and lengthy timelines. For the largest organizations with fully staffed ServiceNow teams, those obstacles are minimal. For mid-size companies with limited resources however, alternative solutions can bypass many of those steep requirements. Unito’s ServiceNow connector drastically reduces integration costs and timelines for IT departments from months to weeks with an accessible, fully configurable no-code flow builder. Instead of needing to map out every trigger and action with clicks and code, users integrate ServiceNow to their stack through simple flows that automatically map each field and manage webhooks, retries, rate limits, all out of the box. This article will provide a clear, distilled view of Unito’s features and advantages in helping IT departments reduce integration costs and sync ServiceNow records with other tools efficiently and effectively. In this article ServiceNow Integration Hub and Unito: a quick overview Looking in (and out of) the box Low-code vs. no-code Assessing your time to value and total cost of ownership The advantages of Integration Hub The Unito edge ServiceNow Integration Hub and Unito: a quick overview ServiceNow Integration Hub, built on the Now Platform, allows developers and engineers to set up automations between ServiceNow and other tools through spokes (purchaseable connectors). There are two ways to apply spokes to your workflow with ServiceNow: Pre-Built Spokes: There are nearly 200 prebuilt spokes accessible within the Flow Builder through a no-code process, allowing you to quickly set up basic data flows with individual triggers and actions. Custom Spokes & Extensions: For more advanced use cases, developers can build new, custom spokes with JavaScript and ServiceNow’s APIs. This offers flexibility but requires significant development effort and expertise. Building custom spokes requires extensive coding knowledge and developer resources, which can impact project timelines and costs. Meanwhile, pre-built spokes work quickly but with rigid functionality. Maintaining, changing or updating a custom spoke also requires additional dev resources to implement. Source: ServiceNow Unito is a standalone alternative to Integration Hub designed for IT teams like yours. A fully configurable, no-code 2-way sync platform with a ServiceNow connector that can sync records with items in 50+ other apps and tools, including Jira, Azure DevOps, Salesforce, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, and Smartsheet. Unito’s simpler approach to integration powered by live 2-way sync provides: Rapid deployment: Out-of-the-box integrations get you up and running quickly, without the need for extensive development resources. Cost-effective: Transform your team into internal integration experts capable of connecting tools securely and effectively without additional resource requirements. No-code configuration: Tailor integrations to your exact needs through a visual interface, eliminating the need for custom script or code. Real-Time, Bi-Directional Sync: Keep data consistent across ServiceNow and your other tools with Unito’s automatic two-way syncing of records and fields. A comparison between two powerful integration solutions FeatureServiceNow Integration HubUnitoFunctionalityPowerful but complex, requires scripting and development resources for custom integrations.No-code platform, visual interface for building integrations, minimal technical expertise needed.Deployment Speed Can take months to develop and deploy 2-way and custom integrations. Out-of-the-box integrations available, POCs built in minutes, roll-outs in weeks.CustomizationHighly customizable but requires coding expertise to tailor integrations to specific needs.Flexible with in-depth configuration options through a visual interface, no coding required.MaintenanceOngoing maintenance based on updates and API changes.Automated updates and syncing, minimal maintenance overhead.CostCan be expensive due to development and consulting costs.Lowest total cost, reduces reliance on technical and external resources.2-way syncSupported, but requires custom development and heavy setup to ensure seamless data synchronization.Built-in real-time, bi-directional syncing. Key considerations Choosing the right integration solution depends on several factors that are unique to your organization. Consider: Integration Hub may be a better fit for simple automations: You have the internal resources to build and maintain code, as well as absorb the cost. You only need to integrate the tools supported by Integration Hub. Unito may be a better fit when looking for 2-way integrations out-of-the-box: You want to connect ServiceNow to one of the tools supported by Unito. Or build your own through Unito’s developer portal. Or request a new Unito connector. You don’t have access to internal development resources, or prefer a lower-cost solution without sacrificing quality or security. Your team prefers relative simplicity and minimal maintenance requirements. Looking in (and out of) the box Now let’s compare what you get out-of-the-box with Unito and ServiceNow Integration Hub. Included with Integration Hub: Expansive Library: Over 175 Spokes, offering thousands of actions for integrating with a wide range of applications. Flow Templates: Pre-built templates for common use cases, including notifications, document management, DevOps, CRM, access management, and RPA. Packaged integrations: Client software distribution, virtual agent interactions, remote process syncing, and more. Readily embedded within ServiceNow: IntegrationHub connects seamlessly with Flow Designer, Virtual Agent Designer, and App Engine Studio. Source: ServiceNow Unito: Powerful simplicity out-of-the-box The Unito 2-Way Sync Platform includes a suite of unique features out-of-the-box: Fully configurable no-code: Quickly set up, tune, monitor and evolve your integrations through a user interface that provides in-depth configuration options that anyone can understand. Troubleshooting is easy and there’s no need to write code when a process or API changes. True 2-way sync, out-of-the-box: Achieve true interoperability with bidirectional syncing capabilities, configurable field mappings, and real-time updates across integrated systems, including support for historical data. Extensible enterprise platform: Integrate 50+ business apps out-of-the-box or extend with your own connectors. All on scalable, secure, and compliant infrastructure. Depth of connectors ServiceNow Integration Hub pricing varies and requires a custom quote, while packaged solutions support over 175 connectors. Meanwhile, Unito’s pricing guarantees a lower total cost of ownership, while supporting 50 connectors with new releases each quarter, and the ability to add connectors on demand. Customization Unito supports many native fields and custom field types in ServiceNow. Moreover, if a field you need isn’t supported, Unito is active in sourcing user feedback to make sure every use case can be met. ServiceNow does have options for custom development to encourage rapid connections between ServiceNow workflows and diverse business systems through spokes, provided you have access to internal developer resources. Low-code vs. no-code ServiceNow Integration Hub ServiceNow Integration Hub’s capabilities can be extended for more complex use cases involving custom development. Here’s a brief overview of what that entails: Building actions: You can set up a framework for your custom integration’s actions through Flow Designer with reusable components that perform specific tasks within a workflow. Standard protocols: Internal teams require expertise in protocols like REST, SOAP, JDBC, PowerShell, as well as common scripting languages, such as JavaScript. This allows for deeper customization and connection to systems with unique APIs. ServiceNow API Knowledge: A solid understanding of ServiceNow’s internal APIs and data structures is crucial for accessing, updating, reading, and writing ServiceNow records. Troubleshooting and Debugging: The ability to troubleshoot issues within ServiceNow scripts, interpret error messages, and test the logic thoroughly is a critical skill. Source: ServiceNow Unito In contrast to the technical complexity of Integration Hub, Unito’s fully configurable no-code approach eliminates the ongoing maintenance burden of maintaining code or tediously building single actions one at a time. Benefits of configurable no-code flow building: Intuitive flow building: Unito’s visual flow builder guides you through the integration process step-by-step as all supported user fields are automatically populated in the interface as soon as your account is connected. Quick connections: ServiceNow can connect to any of Unito’s 50+ supported tools in minutes. Cross-departmental workflows: IT teams can set up ticket escalation queues or re-route support requests instantly into the tools of each user’s choice. Granular Rule-Building and Field Mapping Unito takes configuration to the next level, allowing users to: Build rules and define filters specific to each use case Automate mappings for common fields, ensuring accurate data transfer Tailor field mappings for unique use cases to maintain data integrity between systems Moreover, Unito’s 2-way sync supports most fields and provides an easy-to-use interface, facilitating deep integrations between ServiceNow and a variety of other applications. Real-world success stories: How Unito streamlines workflows for enterprise businesses When it comes to real-world applications, Unito has shown remarkable success in streamlining workflows for enterprise businesses. A major CRM provider achieved considerable cost savings by syncing employee tasks through Unito, reducing wasted work hours annually and saving close to one million dollars. Even a real estate property management firm leveraged Unito to integrate operations within a Trello Hub Board, allowing a small team to function at the pace of an organization x10 their size. Assessing your time to value and total cost of ownership ServiceNow Integration Hub – weeks to months While ServiceNow Integration Hub is better supported within the wider Now Platform ecosystem, implementations typically require significant time and resources, due to: Partner Dependency: Many organizations rely on external implementation partners or consultants to build and configure integrations, adding time and cost to the process. This includes planning sessions, on-boarding, iterations, etc. Technical Complexity: Even with pre-built connectors, customizing workflows and data transformations often requires specialized ServiceNow expertise and a slow pace of work. Ongoing Costs: Partner hourly rates can quickly escalate, and you may face additional fees for support and maintenance as updates to software roll out or to keep up with API changes. Unito – days to weeks and a single license fee Unito drastically reduces your time to value thanks to its self-serve, fully configurable no-code interface and streamlined setup process. Every flow follows the exact same steps and it’s easy to duplicate Unito flows. Launch out-of-the-box: Build POCs in minutes, roll-outs in days or weeks, not months. Eliminate partner dependency: Free your team to create and manage integrations without relying on external consultants. Predictable costs: A single license fee covers everything, from setup to ongoing support, providing cost predictability and avoiding surprise expenses. Easy to set up. Accomplishes what we need out of box. Communicates with our tools out of box. Simpler and more understandable than its competitors. Overall an easy and well-thought-out tool to show and explain to others. Connor M. – Read the G2 review The advantages of Integration Hub The decision to choose between Unito and Integration Hub greatly hinges on your specific needs and circumstances. While Unito excels at cross-platform workflows and ease of use, ServiceNow Integration Hub offers several advantages in specific scenarios: Deep ServiceNow investment: Organizations heavily invested in the ServiceNow ecosystem might benefit from Integration Hub’s tight integration with various ServiceNow modules. This can streamline workflows that primarily live within the ServiceNow environment. In-house development expertise: If you have a team of developers well-versed in ServiceNow APIs and standard protocols (REST, SOAP, JDBC, etc.), Integration Hub’s scripting capabilities unlock a high level of customization for intricate integrations. Complex Data Transformations: Scenarios involving multi-step logic, or custom calculations likely require Integration Hub’s scripting capabilities to achieve the desired results. The Unito edge Unito is particularly well-suited for organizations that use a variety of tools across different categories including project management, CRM, software development, help desk, and more. Its strength lies in its ability to seamlessly sync data between disparate platforms. Multi-platform workflows: If your teams collaborate across multiple tools beyond ServiceNow, such as Azure DevOps, Salesforce, GitHub, Jira, and Asana, Unito excels at creating seamless, bi-directional workflows between these platforms. Code-free configurations: Unito’s intuitive interface allows you to include fields from your tables and records easily so anyone can build and manage the integration to reduce reliance on a single team, expert, or external consultant. Cost-effective customization: Unito’s transparent, all-inclusive licensing model eliminates the need for expensive consultants and unpredictable hourly rates while providing access to a wide range of native and custom fields as supported by each Unito connector. Ready to get started? Here’s a guide on how to connect ServiceNow to Azure DevOps. Or browse the rest of Unito’s ServiceNow documentation first. ServiceNow to Jira Service Management ServiceNow and monday.com ServiceNow with Google Sheets Smartsheet and Salesforce ServiceNow and Smartsheet Salesforce and ServiceNow Adopting Unito empowers IT departments to clear up their integration backlog by autonomously increasing velocity and reducing cost. Our solution eliminates tedious manual tasks for all connected teams, as well as the need for complex scripting. Anyone can simplify their day-to-day with Unito to work more efficiently and collaboratively in a secure environment at the lowest total cost. Connect with us to see if Unito is the right solution for your needs. Talk to an integration expert FAQ: ServiceNow Integration Hub vs. Unito What is the ServiceNow Integration Hub? The ServiceNow Integration Hub is a single portal that allows customer service management teams to integrate the rest of their tool stack with ServiceNow. This platform supports pre-built integrations and allows you to develop your own. What are the capabilities of Integration Hub? Here’s what you can expect from the ServiceNow Integration Hub: Prebuilt spokes for integrating and automating tools like Datadog and Jira. Packaged integration solutions that allow IT teams to start automating workflows and reducing ticket volume right away. Spoke builder, allowing teams to set up their own full-fledged integrations with the help of AI. Flow templates for quickly deploying custom automations. Is Integration Hub Starter free? The Integration Hub Starter allows for up to 1,000,000 free automation runs (which ServiceNow calls transactions) a year, or roughly 80,000 a month. View the full article

Eliminate bottlenecks by asking better questions. By Frank Stitely The Relentless CPA Go PRO for members-only access to more Frank Stitely. View the full article

Eliminate bottlenecks by asking better questions. By Frank Stitely The Relentless CPA Go PRO for members-only access to more Frank Stitely. View the full article

I interviewed Shermin Lim, our events marketer, to find out how we marketed the conference and sold out all our tickets. Here’s everything we did to promote the conference. You can use these same strategies (or be inspired by them)…Read more ›View the full article

The recent wildfires in Los Angeles have been devastating, affecting countless lives and communities across the city. Our hearts go out to those impacted by this tragedy, including the members of the Freelancers Union whose lives have been upended by this crisis. To support our members and the larger Los Angeles community, we want to highlight several resources that are available to help: Mutual Aid LA Network (MALAN): This grassroots network is dedicated to providing community-based support during crises. MALAN offers a variety of resources, including financial assistance, shelter options, and volunteer support for individuals affected by the wildfires. You can access their continuously updated list of resources and learn more about how to get support here.Recording Academy and MusiCares' Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort: For freelancers working in the music and entertainment industries, this initiative provides direct financial support to help individuals recover from wildfire-related hardships. If you or someone you know in the industry has been impacted, explore available assistance through this program here.Los Angeles Food Policy Council: Access to food is a fundamental need, especially in times of crisis. The LA Food Policy Council’s network includes food banks, meal programs, and other resources to ensure that no one affected by the wildfires goes hungry. Learn more about their services and how to seek support here.Mask Bloc LA: Mask Bloc LA is a community-based organization providing essential supplies like N95 masks, first aid kits, and other protective equipment to those impacted by the wildfires. Their efforts focus on ensuring that vulnerable individuals have access to clean air and safety resources. You can request free masks and learn about their resources here.Temporary housing with Airbnb: Airbnb is providing free, temporary housing for people who have been displaced by the Los Angeles wildfires. The organization has partnered with 211 LA to connect people with a free place to stay. You can request free support here.Free co-working, showers, & more at Kinn: Kinn's space for entrepreneurs and independent workers in Venice is open to anyone looking for a place to work, shower, or connect with community. If anyone from the freelancer community needs that right now,they’re welcome to come by. Learn more here.Freelancers are a resilient and resourceful community, but even the most independent among us need support sometimes. If you or someone you know has been affected by the fires, we encourage you to explore these resources and share them widely with others in need. In times of crisis, community is more important than ever. Together, we can weather this storm and rebuild stronger. If you have additional resources to share or ideas for how Freelancers Union can better support our members during emergencies, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at community@freelancersunion.org. We also have a survey for LA members to give their feedback on resources they may need: https://forms.gle/jn4Y8F7cLS1hZDCN7 Stay safe and take care. View the full article

The recent wildfires in Los Angeles have been devastating, affecting countless lives and communities across the city. Our hearts go out to those impacted by this tragedy, including the members of the Freelancers Union whose lives have been upended by this crisis. To support our members and the larger Los Angeles community, we want to highlight several resources that are available to help: Mutual Aid LA Network (MALAN): This grassroots network is dedicated to providing community-based support during crises. MALAN offers a variety of resources, including financial assistance, shelter options, and volunteer support for individuals affected by the wildfires. You can access their continuously updated list of resources and learn more about how to get support here.Recording Academy and MusiCares' Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort: For freelancers working in the music and entertainment industries, this initiative provides direct financial support to help individuals recover from wildfire-related hardships. If you or someone you know in the industry has been impacted, explore available assistance through this program here.Los Angeles Food Policy Council: Access to food is a fundamental need, especially in times of crisis. The LA Food Policy Council’s network includes food banks, meal programs, and other resources to ensure that no one affected by the wildfires goes hungry. Learn more about their services and how to seek support here.Mask Bloc LA: Mask Bloc LA is a community-based organization providing essential supplies like N95 masks, first aid kits, and other protective equipment to those impacted by the wildfires. Their efforts focus on ensuring that vulnerable individuals have access to clean air and safety resources. You can request free masks and learn about their resources here.Temporary housing with Airbnb: Airbnb is providing free, temporary housing for people who have been displaced by the Los Angeles wildfires. The organization has partnered with 211 LA to connect people with a free place to stay. You can request free support here.Free co-working, showers, & more at Kinn: Kinn's space for entrepreneurs and independent workers in Venice is open to anyone looking for a place to work, shower, or connect with community. If anyone from the freelancer community needs that right now,they’re welcome to come by. Learn more here.Freelancers are a resilient and resourceful community, but even the most independent among us need support sometimes. If you or someone you know has been affected by the fires, we encourage you to explore these resources and share them widely with others in need. In times of crisis, community is more important than ever. Together, we can weather this storm and rebuild stronger. If you have additional resources to share or ideas for how Freelancers Union can better support our members during emergencies, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at community@freelancersunion.org. We also have a survey for LA members to give their feedback on resources they may need: https://forms.gle/jn4Y8F7cLS1hZDCN7 Stay safe and take care. View the full article

Be blunt. Give clients advice they should hear, not what they want to hear. The Disruptors With Liz Farr Go PRO for members-only access to more Liz Farr. View the full article

Instagram reach can seem like magic. How do some creators get tons of views while others rarely see it? And why do some quick, spur-of-the-moment posts seem to get more views than others you spend hours creating? It’s not all smoke and mirrors. In this article, we’ll share 14 ways to get more views and increase reach on your Instagram content. What does 'Instagram reach' even mean?Instagram reach is the number of unique people who view (and hopefully interact with) your Instagram posts. You can track Instagram reach for a single post, for your Instagram profile, or for a social media campaign. Along with the number of unique visitors, you also get insights into the demographic of the people who saw your post or profile. This reach can be organic or paid. Organic is when the Instagram algorithm shows your posts to similar audiences. Paid reach is when you purchase Instagram ads to sponsor your content — it has a “sponsored” or some other CTA label attached to it. Jade Beason, creator coach, and digital marketing expert, says the biggest myth is believing paid reach is the same as getting organic reach. “When you reach people organically, you’re a lot more likely to not only reach your right audience but also hold their attention. This is because people tend to ignore paid ads more than they do organic content.” In this article, we’re exploring ways to boost your organic Instagram reach. What is Instagram reach rate?Instagram reach rate is the percentage of followers who see your Instagram post. Unlike Instagram reach, it’s unique to your followers only and doesn’t include non-followers who view your post. Instagram reach rate is calculated as: (Total reach / Number of followers) * 100 For example, if your reach is 500 and you have 5,000 followers, your Instagram reach rate is: (500/5000)*100 = 10 percent. What is a good Instagram reach?The right answer? It depends — on your profile and the type of Instagram post you’re evaluating. Let’s look at some data. One study categorized the average reach based on the number of followers an Instagram creator has. Instagram creators with 500 to 2,000 followers reached 292 people via in-feed posts, 114 people via Instagram Stories, and 1,600 people via Instagram Reels. Instagram creators with 2,000 to 10,000 followers reached 964 people via in-feed posts, 244 people via Instagram Stories, and 3,400 people via Instagram Reels. Instagram creators with 10,000 to 50,000 followers reached 4,400 people via in-feed posts, 698 people via Instagram Stories, and 16,800 people via Instagram Reels.Another analysis of 876 businesses found brands with smaller following (less than 501K) should reach 34 percent of their audience through posts and 7.5 percent of their followers through Instagram Stories. 📍Remember: Don’t take these numbers at face value. Reach can differ widely based on industry, algorithm changes, campaign goals, and location.How is Instagram reach different from Instagram impressions?Instagram reach, and Instagram impressions are often used interchangeably, but they are different terms. Instagram impressions are the number of times your post was seen. Unlike Instagram reach, 'impressions' don’t consist of unique people. If the same person sees your Instagram Reel three times, it’ll count as three impressions but one reach. With the terminology discussion out of the way, let’s discuss how to get more views on your Instagram Reels. How to get more views on your Instagram ReelsInstagram Reels are famous for being the primary booster of Instagram reach — in fact, a recent analysis by Buffer's data scientist-in-residence found reels consistently outperformed any other content type when it came to reach. In fact, Instagram Reels see 36% more reach than other post types. Here’s how you can capitalize on them to grow your reach by leaps and bounds: 1. Grab attention in the first 3 secondsPeople are having a marathon in their Instagram Reels tab. You have to grab their attention in the first three seconds to get them to stop the scroll. Get rid of the introductory words — like “hey people!” — and get right to the point. Tease what the audience will get if they watch your reel to entice curiosity — and deliver on that promise. Some good hook ideas you can customize for your Instagram Reels to boost video views: This one tip/fact will blow your mindDo you struggle with [a problem your target audience struggles with]? Follow these X tipsThese X things are holding you back from [result your target audience wants to achieve]Did you know [a surprising fact your audience would love to know, but might not be aware of]How to [something your audience wants to learn] for free/in X easy stepsSecret to accomplishing [something your audience wants to achieve]A good example is creator Erin McGoff — all her Instagram Reels highlight a curiosity gap and begin with a bang that keeps people hooked. ⚡Pro tip: Come across a scroll-stopping hook example while browsing Instagram? Instead of hoping you’d remember it while creating content, save it onBufferusing the idea feature.Inspiration is notorious for striking at random times — when you’re walking your dog, watching a show, or preparing dinner. Saving the idea ensures you never lose the thread. 2. Use a mix of speaking-to-the-camera and trending audioUsing Instagram's trending audio and topics can boost your Instagram reach significantly. How do you find these trends? Tap the 'Trending' button when you upload a Reel. This will show you 50 of the most popular songs on the app right now. (Note that this new feature is still being rolled out, so it might be available to you yet. Sit tight — it should land in your app soon!)Keep an eye on your reels feed (tap the video icon at the bottom of your Instagram app to get there). Your reels feed is unique to you and the best place to find trending reels from content creators you follow and those you don’t.Follow Instagram's @creators account. This is a gold mine of inspiration and trends! You can join the Creators broadcast channel to have news of Instagram’s latest features and trends sent straight to your Instagram inbox. Sign up here“Don’t you dare [do a specific thing] as a Wes Anderson movie” is a good example of what’s 'trending' content. Creators from across the globe put their own personality, humor, and niche to it to create Instagram Reels in a similar format. Along with trending content, you also want to produce original, evergreen content where you’re talking directly to the camera about a specific topic. It builds community, connection, and true value for your audience. Ankita Chawla, marketing consultant and content creator, follows a ratio of 60:40 — where 60 percent of the time, she focuses on producing original speak-to-the-camera Instagram Reels. “Original content needs to be more in volume as compared to trending content. The speed at which your community will get to know you and start trusting you will be much higher if your original content is more,” she says. 3. Make Instagram Reels that get people commenting, saving, and sharingInstagram Reels’ engagement boosts when it gets a lot of attention — in the form of comments, saves, and shares. For more comments: Have a call-to-action that asks the audience what they think of a particular topic in your niche. Or ask them to comment their favorite part/tip from your Instagram Reel. Giveaways are another great way to boost comments on your Instagram Reels — ask your followers to comment about something specific to participate in the contest. Don’t be afraid to get creative here! A good example of a comment-driven call-to-action is this Instagram Reel by Michaela.For more saves: Share Instagram Reels that share advice, lists of resources, or tools that your followers can refer back to later. Think: What would my target audience can’t remember from just a video, but would want to reference in the future? This Instagram Reel by Maeve is an excellent example of how to pack info in a video your audience would like to save.For more sharing: What kind of video would your audience like to share with their friends? Funny and relatable content is the most shareable of all — think of memes you can create in your niche. Apart from humor, you can also rely on aesthetic, informational, and educational Instagram Reels to boost the shareability of your video. AI company, Tl;dv, often creates funny kits on their Instagram Reels, which their audience would DM to their friends.4. Write well-thought-out captions on your Instagram ReelsIf a hook grabs your audience's attention, the Instagram caption ensures you don’t lose it after the first three seconds. Whether your captions on Instagram Reels should be short or long is debatable. On one hand, it isn’t easy to read the text below reels — advocating for captions to be shorter. People also might not prefer reading long captions because they come to the Reels tab for video content.On the other hand, captions — when well-formatted — provide more context to your reel and can make your reels more discoverable because Instagram’s search bar reads them. Plus, if your followers are discovering your reel in their home feed and not the reels tab, the caption is easily readable.A 2023 study found Instagram captions perform best when either they’re very long (over 2,000 characters) or very short (under 20 characters). The right answer is: It depends. Don’t cut yourself out if your Instagram Reel requires a long caption. But if your video can do with a short and sweet caption, don’t ramble. Katie Gatti Tassin is a creator who has just the right length of captions (with a clear CTA) — not too long and not too short. The best way is to experiment and see what your audience prefers. Do you see an increase in reach when you write longer captions? If yes, continue giving more details below your Instagram Reels. If not, stick with shorter captions. ⚡Pro tip: Don’t use call-to-actions in your caption like “offer available for a limited time” because your Instagram Reels may start gaining traction after a while. Your caption for any post shouldn’t become irrelevant if you see a boost in your Instagram reach a few weeks after publishing. If you want to write a time-sensitive caption, update it when the offer ends.5. Share your Instagram Reel in your Instagram StoriesAn easy way to boost your Instagram Reels’ views is by sharing them on your Instagram Stories. When people view your Story, it will count as another view of your reel. Sharing your Instagram Reel on Instagram Stories is also important because all of your followers might not get your new reel in their feed — and Stories are a great way to let them know you’ve added something new to your feed. How to boost your reach for Instagram Carousel postsIf you thought Instagram would be all about reels, Adam Mosseri (Head of Instagram) is here with some news: Photos are still very much in play for increasing your reach. Carousels are Instagram posts where you can add up to ten photos or videos in one post. Your audience swipes left to see the next slide. After analyzing over 5 million Instagram posts sent through Buffer to uncover the best time to post on Instagram, we also discovered that Carousels generate far more engagement than both single-photo posts and reels! Here are three ways to increase the reach of your Instagram Carousels: 6. Create a story, tutorial, or listicle that keeps people swipingThe biggest thing to take care of in Instagram Carousels is people keep swiping to the next slide. Tanishaa Bhansali, an Instagram coach, explains why: “The beginning of your Carousel post has to be a hook, and the entire post has to be like a story stitched together. People should feel that itch, that curiosity to keep reading until they reach the last slide. This will boost the watch time of your Carousels’ post, and it’ll get pushed to more of your followers.” There are many engaging carousel post ideas you can experiment with, such as: Tutorials on how your target audience can do something using your productTell a story using graphics and/or textBefore/after imagesCosmix Wellness’ Instagram account is a great place for carousel post inspiration. The wellness brand frequently shares before/after pictures, customer testimonials, and behind-the-scenes stories of its new product launches. Right now, GenZ is using TikTok as a search engine. The day when Instagram users start using this social media platform the same way isn’t far away. Instagram is already using the keywords on your Carousel’s posts to understand the topic — so ensure your Carousel posts contain the words your target audience might be searching for. Read more: Getting Spotted on Instagram: How to Ace the Instagram SEO and Get Discovered in Instagram Search 7. Keep your design cleanBranded design is excellent for announcing product launches, sharing happy testimonials, or spotlighting something in your company. But when you’re sharing educational, shareable Carousels, we recommend keeping your design clean and simple. Why? Instagram users have varying opinions on what constitutes ‘good design,’ and the idea of aesthetics is subjective. They might not want to share branded content or design they don’t find appealing enough to associate with. Your Carousels in plain white or colored backgrounds with readable font are risk-free of these personal preferences. Trivarna Hariharan is a good example of how implementing this can lead to a wide reach — she has no Instagram Reels on her account, only Carousels. She has 191,000 followers, and that number is rapidly growing. This doesn’t mean you only have to stick with white, especially if you want a grid that pops. Enhance your social media images using your brand colors as the background for Instagram Carousels that are educational and shareable. ⚡Pro tip:Using predesigned templates can be a huge time-saver — check out our guide for 11+ places where you can get your hands on beautiful Instagram templates for your stories, feed posts, and reels.8. Use a variety of content types in your Instagram Carousel postsWho said carousel posts have to stay limited to text? Tie in images, videos, and text together to create an enticing and curiosity-driven Instagram Carousel. Various content types keep people engaged and “show” things — a superior experience to text alone. Morgan Starr-Riestis, a holistic wellness therapist, often uses Carousels that start with an on-brand headline or tweet, but transition into relatable memes and comics. This doesn’t mean you’re forbidden to use text-only for your Instagram Carousels. What you should include in a Carousel post often depends on the topic and your brand voice. But we definitely recommend experimenting with using emojis, interactive elements, images, and videos for your Instagram Carousels and monitoring if these posts get more reach compared to text-only posts. How to get more views on your Instagram StoriesInstagram Stories are an underrated content type to boost your Instagram reach. They might not be as relevant as Instagram Reels or Carousel posts to reach non-followers — because they don’t show up on the explore page — but they’re still crucial in reaching your existing followers. ⚡Pro tip: You can schedule and auto-post your Instagram Stories using Buffer!Here’s how to increase the reach of your Instagram Stories: 9. Use interactive elements in your Instagram StoriesThe best part about Instagram Stories is they come with many interactive elements to engage your followers — question stickers, polls, music, links, GIFs, and Instagram is always coming up with more. This widens the use cases of Instagram Stories exponentially. Instagram Stories can come in handy for: Asking your audience their queries on a specific topicPolling your followers on what they’d like to see from youSharing the behind-the-scenes of your business with your audienceRunning fun quizzes to share knowledge about a topic in your nicheInforming your audience about the new posts in your feed by resharing them on Instagram StoriesTeasing an upcoming in-feed Carousel post, Instagram Reel, or product launch by using the countdown timerForming a personal connection with your audience by sharing bits from your personal life (if you feel comfortable doing that)Helpful reading: How to Quickly Create Great Instagram Stories with Templates Here are examples of three Stories by Loe Haley, Katie Gatti Tassin, and Sarah Yudkin using various Instagram Stories’ features to communicate with their audience. The more people interact with your Stories (reply in DMs, answer a poll, ask a question, tap a sticker), the higher the chance of the Instagram algorithm pushing your Stories at the top to your followers. 📍Remember: People watch Instagram Stories toknowthe creators they’re following. Share bits from your life and encourage your audience to communicate with you by regularly showing up on Instagram Stories.10. Add text to your Instagram StoriesThis pointer is most relevant for speaking to the camera on your Instagram Stories or showing something through your back camera. Instagram users often view Instagram Stories during their lunch break, waiting in line in public spaces, or when they’re bored. They might not be able to hear your video, but they can read text. Instagram lets you add a live transcription on all your Instagram Stories — which you should use to make your Stories more accessible. Also add the topic of your Instagram Story as text at the top so your followers immediately understand what subject you’re speaking on. Use text to keep them engaged, add a call-to-action, and add nuances you might’ve missed speaking on video. These Instagram Stories from Shreya Pattar and Carleigh Bodrug are great examples of adding topics and a summary of what you’re speaking about in your Stories. 11. Let your Instagram Stories expireInstagram Stories are only active for 24 hours. If you upload a story every two hours from morning to night, there will always be at least one story on your feed. The issue is Instagram Story views can drop after your first story of the day — especially if the first story wasn’t engaging enough for your followers to click to the next story. You might notice a sharp decline in Instagram Story views on your first Story for the day versus the tenth. To reset the Instagram algorithm, let your stories fully expire before you reupload another batch or even a single Instagram Story. Take a breather for at least a couple of hours (or 24 hours if you wish) before you upload another Instagram Story after seeing a decline in Instagram Story views. You can also try doing this reset regardless of a downfall in your Instagram Story views. Observe if taking a couple of hours of pause in between increases your story views. If yes, practice letting your Instagram Stories expire every day. How to increase the reach of your Instagram profileWe covered many tips on increasing the reach of specific content types on Instagram. But these aren’t the only ways to multiply your Instagram reach. Here are three tips to increase the reach of your Instagram profile as a whole: 12. Optimize your name or username to be clear and search-friendlyIt’s one of the easiest Instagram growth and reach strategies: Add keywords to your Instagram username and name. (Then, use your Instagram bio to specify exactly what you do and who you serve.) It might not be possible for you to add relevant keywords in both. You might want to keep your username consistent across social media platforms or have it be your name instead of your business’ name. But you can still use keywords in addition to your name to show what your Instagram profile is about. For example, see the Instagram names of Emily Durham, Nisha Vora, and Sam Bently. They’ve added what they do and post about alongside their name. You can add your profession, what you post about, or what you stand for in your Instagram name or username. Your profile will show up when people search for the keywords embedded in your name or username, so ensure you use something your audience often searches about. ❗Warning: Deliver on the promise you make in your Instagram name or username. If you’ve added a “healthy recipes” keyword on your Instagram profile, ensure the majority of the Instagram content you create is of healthy recipes or surrounding the topic.13. Collaborate with other value-matching creatorsCollaborating with other creators in the same space who share your values is the easiest way to tap into a new audience. You can create a new reel together, go live at once, do account takeovers, and more. The ideas and creative potential is endless. For example, Emily Durham and Blake Johnston collaborated to create a funny Instagram Reel about interviewing a finance bro. It was a fit because both creators have overlapping audiences who like to be entertained and informed. Their voices and tone are also similar — which only adds to the fun. Partnerships aren’t limited to creator-with-another-creator, though. If you’re a small business, you can partner with influencers to review your product or share user-generated content too. 14. Post when your audience is onlineThere’s no one best time to post on Instagram to get more reach. Your audience might be online at a different time than you expect. The only surefire way to get your timing right is to check your Instagram insights to find your audience’s “most active times” and schedule your posts — whether they’re carousels or reels for that time only. Instead of sticking to Instagram’s insights only, use Buffer’s analytics to find the best times to post. Why? Buffer isn’t limited to telling you the best time to post, but also shares the best types of posts and post frequency. The best part? It’s easy to understand and navigate the platform — even if you’ve never used social media management tools. Apart from these actionable tips, there are many other questions and debates on best practices to follow to increase reach on Instagram. Here are their answers: How often should you post on Instagram to increase reach?In a Q&A on Instagram’s @creator account, Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, said the ideal posting frequency is “a couple of feed posts per week and a couple of Instagram Stories per day.” Does posting more content on Instagram lead to an increase in reach? Yes. But you will eventually see a decline in reach if you don’t post high-quality content. There are no hacks here. Aim for a number that’s realistic for you — whether that’s one post a week, to begin with. The key is to be consistent and avoid creator burnout. Shannon McKinstrie, a social media trainer, emphasizes the focus should always be on creating high-quality content over shooting for quantity. “Instagram's algorithm favors accounts with an engaged audience, and when you're focusing quantity, the quality of your content often takes a hit, and then next thing you know, your engagement rate plummets, and Instagram won't do you any favors when that happens. So it's best to focus on high-quality content that resonates with your audience and post about four times a week. Static posts last about three days in the newsfeed, and reels can last for months if they perform well. So trust me...quality over quantity always.” Some things that can help with speeding up content production: Batch-create content and schedule it in advanceRepurpose your existing content into Instagram postsRepost your old high-performing content (yes, do this with no shame!)Find the “Use template” option available in some Reels to hop on trends easilyDo episodic content (like “social media Fridays”) to talk about one theme consistentlyIt’s a good social media strategy to batch-create some of your monthly or weekly content and hop on trends the rest of the time. Leave some room for spontaneity. A recurring series — like Carleigh Bodrug’s Scrappy Cooking episodes — is an excellent way to build a community, consistently generate content ideas, and create evergreen content. Dominik, a social, creative-preneur, and SMM agency owner, agrees: “Having some sort of recurring series that naturally makes people want to binge your content is something we see again and again blow people up recently. Any type of content where people feel like they’re part of something, in the middle of something, or anything that follows somewhat of a storyline is what definitely works pretty well right now. Of course, content like this takes a lot longer to create than your average 7-second trending audio Reel, but these things have a shelf life.” ⚡Pro tip: Use Buffer’s Instagram scheduler to automatically post your reels, stories, and carousel posts. Schedule it for the right time, and never worry about manually posting something ever again.Which content type should you prioritize on Instagram?Instagram Carousels or Reels — which should you focus on creating more? It depends on what your audience wants. There’s no one right cookie-cutter answer. Instagram’s algorithm monitors your followers’ activity and shows content they engage with. If your audience loves Carousel posts, it’ll show more of that to them in their Instagram feed. If they love videos, Instagram will show Reels. When we asked Meagen Harriman, Instagram Strategist and Content Creator, if Carousels posts are essential for growing on Instagram, she said: “I wouldn't say that it's vital, but it's a smart type of content to include in your strategy if you want a better chance of success. Everyone should try to use them and track their insights to see how they perform. If you try them out and find that they are not performing well and you don't like creating them - don't continue to use them!” We also asked her about an ideal ratio of Reels to Carousels. “Regarding the ratio of Reels vs. Carousels, that too will vary based on each account and each creator, but if I had to choose an "ideal" ratio, I would say for every two to three Reels, share one carousel,” she said. Instagram analytics are your best friend here. Many insights, like most saved content, number of views, and number of shares, are available natively on the app. But if you’re serious about your Instagram marketing, use social media management tools like Buffer that provide detailed analytics for each post, custom reports based on metrics important to you, and overall performance monitoring. Should you have an Instagram business or creator account?An Instagram business profile is for brands who want to run ads. It’s meant to help businesses connect with their prospective customers. Creator accounts are for public figures, artists, and influencers. They’re suitable for brand collaborations and building a community. Does it matter whether you have an Instagram business account or an Instagram creator account for gaining new followers and boosting your reach? Instagram says no. Reach wouldn’t be affected by what type of account you have, so go ahead and set it to whichever one meets your requirements. Does purchasing the blue checkmark your reach on Instagram?Getting verified on Instagram is now easy. You can buy the blue checkmark using the app. (Note: Only individuals can do this, not brands, since it requires you to verify your identity.) But does getting verified affect reach? The head of Instagram said yes, faced backlash over it, and redacted what they said based on feedback received. The short answer: Getting verified should have no impact on your reach. Lia Haberman also tested it and said nothing about witnessing (or not witnessing) an increase in reach — although she did report it’s easier to stand out in notifications with a blue checkmark. But this benefit would only be available until purchasing the blue checkmark becomes second nature, and every other account has one. That said, there’s no shame in buying the Instagram verified blue checkmark. Benefits like impersonification monitoring and live chat support are strong enough reasons to buy the badge if you want to. What role do Instagram hashtags play in amplifying Instagram reach?The relationship between reach and Instagram hashtags is still very will-they-won’t-they. Creator coach Jade says hashtags can still help with reach, but it’s not their primary purpose. The sole purpose of hashtags is to help you become more visible when Instagram users actively search for hashtags you’ve used. Instagram’s creator account has many tips related to hashtags. They recommend using three to five relevant hashtags — any more won’t bring you any increase in distribution. Use a mix of popular and niche hashtag categories to rank for your targeted hashtags. Free hashtag generators can help you find these hashtags, and Buffer’s hashtag manager can help you categorize and group hashtags together. Should you use hashtags? Yes. But not more than five. And don’t spend a lot of time on a hashtag strategy because they aren’t the be-all-end-all for reach. Does posting with a TikTok watermark decrease your reach on Instagram?It might. Instagram has guided creators not to post Instagram Reels with a watermark. This doesn’t mean you can’t crosspost your TikTok videos or other video content. But export them raw first and write the same text using Instagram’s Reel editor. It’s normal for your Instagram reach to fluctuate up and downRemember, it’s normal for your Instagram reach to go up and down a bit. It’s not always about your content: Sometimes, the algorithm changes might affect your reach. Other times, it might be seasonal (like people spending less time on social media during the holidays). Don’t put “increasing reach” as the sole focus of your social media marketing strategy. Increased reach is the output of listening to your audience, creating content that resonates with them, and aligning with Instagram’s algorithm. The tips mentioned in this article can definitely help — but creating high-quality content and building a community is a prerequisite to them. View the full article

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