Presented by

It’s Hug a Vegetarian Day, Reader! It’s safe… our Director of Editorial assures us they don’t bite.

In today’s edition:

• ⚜️ Today's Tip of the Day is for AI image generation

• 🎙️ Producing quality podcasts

• New tools from Meta

• TikTok search ads

• 🗞️ Additional industry news from Instagram, LinkedIn, and more

Want to raise the quality of your AI-generated images? Looking for prompt inspiration that’s easy to model?

Use This Image Prompt Library

Freeflo is a free visual prompt inspiration tool–sort of a visual dictionary of prompts, that lets you browse images, then copy the prompt used to create the image.

{subject} in the style of fairy tale, vintage, color pencil, highly detail, pastels 

You simply swap in your subject and paste the prompt into your image generator!

Bookstore in the style of fairy tale, vintage, color pencil, highly detail, pastels. 

Today's advice provided with insights from Jeff Sieh, a featured guest on the AI Explored podcast.

Boost Your Skills and Your Confidence, Reader!

Want to elevate your marketing game and feel more confident in your abilities? Social Media Marketing World is your launchpad to success.

"I came away incredibly empowered and reinvigorated for my work! My business has since doubled in size (revenue) and I'm a much more confident entrepreneur and storyteller," exclaimed Emily Rae Schutte.

"I have been working remotely for over 15 years and this was the first time I have been in a room full of like-minded individuals who share a passion for social media, like me. It was mind-blowing!" said Rebekah Good.

Join us to transform your skills and confidence. Get your ticket now for an unforgettable experience!

I'm ready to boost my marketing expertise!

Podcasting: How to Create a Better Show

Are you ready to elevate your podcast game? Wondering how to create a show that will attract a growing audience?

Know Your Audience Intimately

Understanding your audience goes far beyond noting basic demographics. It's more about knowing who your listeners are when they're at home.

To gain this understanding:

• Engage with listeners on social media to learn more about your audience's interests and needs.

• Analyze where listeners discovered your podcast to reveal insights into their broader media consumption habits and interests.

• Explore other content your listeners consume: Understanding the other podcasts, shows, or content your audience enjoys can help you position your show effectively.

• Ask the eulogy question. What specific aspect would listeners miss most if your show ended? The answer can reveal your podcast's unique value proposition.

Choose a Show Format

If you're a subject matter expert, consider an interview-style show with a co-host who can ask questions and facilitate the discussion. 

When choosing a co-host, look for someone with complementary knowledge or skills so they can effectively draw out your expertise through questions. A great solution is to find someone representing your target audience's perspective because they can ask the questions your audience is wondering about.

Pro Tip: If your show has multiple voices, you'll need to designate one clear leader to direct the flow of conversation. This "traffic cop" role is crucial for maintaining focus and ensuring a smooth listening experience.

While interview formats with guests and hosts are standard, a solo show can help you stand out. That said, solo shows are challenging to execute. They require significant preparation and editing to maintain energy and engagement throughout the episode because it’s all on you.

To make your solo show successful, script your content thoroughly to ensure a clear structure. 

Then, aim to keep your episodes short (e.g., 9-10 minutes) and pay special attention to transitions between topics, using sound design or music to break up your segments.

Manage Your Guests and the Conversation

Have you ever recorded an interview that went too far off course or didn't result in a good conversation? 

While each guest's expertise or perspective can add a unique element to the episode, your listeners expect you to deliver value.

Brief, pre-interview calls allow you to map out the general arc of the conversation and identify critical topics or stories to cover, all while ensuring your guest understands the show's format and audience.

Edit Ruthlessly

While many podcasters pride themselves on being authentic by making minimal edits, intelligent editing enhances authenticity by clarifying your intended message. Remember, editing doesn't mean removing your personality or all imperfections. Instead, it's about crafting your message's most straightforward, most engaging version. 

So, what edits should you consider?

Start with a complete human-created transcription of your best episode. Critically examine the transcript and use a red pen to note unnecessary filler, unclear explanations, or tangents that distract from the main points. 

This process often reveals significant opportunities for improvements you can make, such as:

• Tightening your introductions so you get to the main content faster

• Places to clarify explanations of complex topics

• Removing off-topic discussions that didn't add value

Use these notes as a guide to edit your next episode, focusing on narrative flow. Creating a compelling narrative arc is crucial for keeping listeners engaged, so think carefully about the structure of your episodes, even if it means rearranging content in post-production.

A helpful exercise is to ask yourself, "What would the listener's next question be?" Does the conversation match that expectation? If things seem off-kilter, consider the following adjustments:

• Move a guest's anecdote earlier in the episode to hook listeners

• Group related topics together, even if they weren't discussed sequentially

• Add brief narration or transitions to smooth the flow between segments

Today's advice is provided with insights from Tom Webster, a featured guest on the Social Media Marketing Podcast

Instagram Reels Sonic Sound: The new signature sound will play at the end of every downloaded Reel. Source: Instagram

LinkedIn Top Voice Badge: The platform is retiring the gold badge and discontinuing users' ability to earn the badge automatically through contributions to collaborative articles starting October 8, 2024. Source: LinkedIn

Linkedin Revenue Attribution Report Updates: A new, 32-page overview provides in-depth explainers on how each element of the report functions. Source: LinkedIn

LinkedIn AI-Powered Prompt Questions: LinkedIn has quietly removed the questions that appeared under most posts on its platform for Premium users. These prompts were part of a larger AI initiative announced by LinkedIn in November 2023. Source: Fast Company

New Meta AI Tools: Meta has announced significant updates to its AI products, showcasing new capabilities and expanded features. The latest updates introduce voice interaction capabilities, allowing users to converse with Meta AI using speech on platforms like Messenger, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram DM. Users can even choose from various voice options, including AI voices of celebrities. Additionally, Meta AI has gained the ability to understand and respond to questions about photos shared in chats and perform advanced photo editing tasks. The company is also testing an automatic translation and dubbing feature for creator content, starting with English and Spanish. On the content creation front, Meta has expanded its "Imagine" feature to Facebook feed, Stories, and profile pictures. It is also introducing AI-generated content in feeds based on user interests. Source: Meta

Reddit Machine Translation: The feature is rolling out to 35 additional countries, including Brazil, Germany, Italy, the Philippines, Spain, and countries in Latin America. Source: Reddit

TikTok Academy: The new educational program helps marketers and agencies improve their skills in creating, managing, and measuring TikTok ad campaigns. Source: TikTok

TikTok Search Ads: The platform announced a new campaign type that offers advertisers complete control over content appearance on the search results page, support for Traffic and Web Conversion objectives, and enhanced targeting capabilities. Search ads appear among search results within the in-feed experience. They are accessible after a user initiates a search query from the For You page. Source: TikTok

YouTube's Conversational AI Tool: Initially introduced to select YouTube Premium members in the United States last November, the feature is now being offered to all YouTube Premium members in the US on Android devices. The tool appears as an "Ask" button below videos, allowing viewers to ask questions, find related content, and explore related content without interrupting playback or leaving the YouTube app. Source: YouTube

Did You Know?

Russian athletes arrived 12 days late to the 1908 Olympics because they used the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian one.