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It’s Hairstyle Appreciation Day, Reader! It's a good day to 🙏 thank the person who ✂️ cuts your 🪮 💈 hair.

 In today’s edition:

• Today's 👉 Tip of the Day is for content creation

• 💡 Personal branding as a marketing strategy

• Snapchat’s improved ad platform driving 📈 Q1 growth

• 📣 Additional industry news from Threads and TikTok

Do people approach you to create content outside of your regular marketing role? Wondering how to charge?

Content Creation Benchmark Fees

If you’re an in-house marketer, chances are you’re also a content creator. Your business pays you for your work, which means you may not be aware of the rates for independent content creation.

But that doesn’t mean you should give your talent away.

Short-form videos for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts often cost between $500 and $1,500 per video, depending on length, production quality, and the creator's experience level.

Blogs and white papers start around $500 per post/paper.

Charge for your expertise accordingly.

Today's tip is inspired by Jayde I. Powell, a featured guest on the Marketing Agency Show.

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A Personal Branding Strategy to Market Your Business

Is your business centered on a person? If the answer is yes, developing that personal brand is just as important as building the business brand. 

Here’s how to start fresh or build on a personality customers already resonate with:

First, identify the unique skills, experiences, and perspectives you bring. These differentiators will set you apart from others in your industry.

Next, share your knowledge and insights through blog posts, videos, social media updates, and other forms of content to establish your authority and keep you top of mind with your audience.

Consumers are becoming more skeptical of brands and marketing messages, so personal authenticity is more important than ever. 

Share your successes, but don't be afraid to share your failures and how you've learned from them. Sharing your challenges and how you've overcome them can make you more relatable and inspire others facing similar obstacles.

If you make a mistake or encounter a setback, own up to it and share what you've learned. Transparency about your failures can demonstrate your growth and resilience and instill consumer trust.

As you create content and engage with your audience, consistently communicate and act in alignment with your core values. This helps build trust and attracts people who share your beliefs and vision.  

Embrace Video

Video is becoming more important. It allows you to connect with your audience more personally, build trust, and showcase your expertise. So, you need to get comfortable creating video content, even if it initially feels intimidating. To incorporate video into a content strategy that promotes a personal brand, consider the following tips:

• Start small. Begin with short, simple videos you can record using your smartphone or webcam. As you become more comfortable, you can invest in better equipment and explore more complex video formats.

• Be authentic. Share your personality and let your passion for your work shine through. Audiences appreciate genuine, relatable content.

• Focus on creating videos that educate, entertain, or inspire your target audience. Share tips, insights, and stories that demonstrate your expertise and help your viewers solve their problems.

Pro Tip: Tailor your video content to the specific requirements and best practices of each social media platform. For example, shorter videos tend to perform better on platforms like Instagram and X, while longer-form content can work well on YouTube and Facebook. 

Create Opinionated Content

Taking a stand on important issues or sharing your unique perspective can help you stand out in a crowded market. Opinionated content attracts people who align with your values and repels those who don't—ultimately connecting you with your ideal audience.

When creating opinionated content, keep these guidelines in mind:

• Know your audience. Understand your target audience's values, beliefs, and pain points. Create content that resonates with them and addresses their specific needs and concerns.

• Be respectful. While it's essential to share your opinions, always do so in a respectful manner. Avoid attacking or belittling those who disagree with you.

• Back up your claims. Use data, research, and examples to support your opinions. This helps build credibility and trust with your audience.

• Expect and encourage feedback. Opinionated content can spark discussions and attract positive and negative feedback. Be prepared to engage with your audience and handle criticism gracefully.

Lean Into Thought Leadership

Finally, don't be afraid to put yourself out there and share your story. Everyone has valuable experiences and insights to share. By contributing to high-profile conversations and helping others in your industry, you can gradually establish yourself as a go-to expert in your field.

Here are some avenues to consider:

• Look for chances to speak at industry conferences, webinars, and other events. 

• Say yes to podcast interviews. 

• Partner with other thought leaders, influencers, and brands in your industry.

Today's advice is provided with insights from Brooke B. Sellas, host of the Marketing Agency Show.

🗞 Snap’s Q1 Report: Snap Inc. reported a 21% year-over-year revenue growth in Q1 2024, reaching $1.195 billion, driven by improvements in its ad platform and a growing demand for direct-response solutions. The company is focused on delivering measurable ROAS for advertisers and evolving its Machine Learning models. Key highlights include a 75% growth in purchase-related conversions with the 7-0 Pixel Purchase optimization model, 300% growth in Conversions API integrations, 85% growth in SMB advertisers on Snapchat, and the launch of new tools for businesses to achieve higher ROAS. Snap also partnered with IAS to develop a brand safety measurement product, with a study finding 99% brand-safe content on Spotlight and Creator content. Source: Snapchat for Business

🗞 Threads’ 'Hidden Words' Feature: Threads is expanding its "Hidden Words" feature. Previously, this feature only applied to replies, but now users can filter out unwanted content from feeds, search results, profiles, and post replies. Additionally, the platform is testing new features that allow users to select who can quote their posts and the ability to mute notifications on their own posts. Source: @mosseri via Threads

🗞 Threads Tests Archived Posts: Threads is testing the option to archive posts with a small number of people. Users can do this manually for individual posts or choose to archive all posts after a certain period automatically. If users want to make their posts public again, they can always unarchive them. Source: @mosseri via Threads

🗞 TikTok’s Future: ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, would rather shut down the app in the United States than sell it if the company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation banning the platform from US app stores, according to sources close to the company. TikTok accounts for only a small share of ByteDance's total revenues and daily active users, and the algorithms TikTok relies on are core to ByteDance's overall business, making a sale of the app with algorithms highly unlikely. Source: Reuters

Did You Know?

The patent for the modern zipper was issued on this day in 1913.