Visa | Senior Data Scientist | London, UK | Full-time | ONSITE
We’re looking for a passionate and ambitious Data Scientist to join the UK & Ireland Data Science team at Visa Europe. You’ll be working closely with Visa Consulting & Analytics in the co-development of data-driven solutions to help our clients grow their businesses.
Sea Group | Research Scientist, Research Engineer, Research Intern | Singapore | https://sail.sea.com/ | Sea Group AI lab’s mission is to focus on crucial practical demands, dig deep in AI fundamental research, dedicated to improve people’s lives.
Research Scientist: https://career.sea.com/position/399
You can’t apply for bank credit cards for your business and expect approval if you don’t have a business credit profile. If you do apply and get approved, it will likely be on the merit of your personal credit. That means if something goes wrong, your ability to buy a house, a car, or anything … Continue reading Warning: Don’t Apply for Bank Credit Cards For Your Business Before You Read This
But as an SEO, you have no choice but to build links… assuming you want to rank on Google.
So, today I am announcing a new Ubersuggest feature, that makes link building faster and easier.
Here’s how…
What is the easiest way to get links?
What if you could only focus your link building efforts on sites that are highly likely to link to you?
Sounds great right…
Well, you can.
Just think of it this way… what are the sites that are most likely to link back to you?
It’s actually the ones that link to your competitors.
For example, if there were 300 sites that linked to 4 of your competitors, but they don’t link to you yet, reaching out to those 300 sites should create a large chunk of new backlinks for you. Because if they are willing to link to your competition, they usually won’t mind linking to you as well.
On the flip side if there are sites that don’t link to you or any of your competitors, if you hit them up, the chances are, they will ignore you and not link to you.
So how do find these easy link opportunities?
Introducing Backlink Opportunities by Ubersuggest
I want you to first go here. Then type in your URL and click on “search”.
In the left-hand navigation click on “Backlink Opportunity”.
In this report make sure you put your URL at the top and enter in a few of your popular competitors. As you can see, I put in Moz and Search Engine Journal.
Make sure you click the “+” button when adding each of your competitors and then hit “search”.
Within seconds you’ll see a report of who links to your competitors, but not you.
You’ll then want to drill down on each domain to see the exact URL that links to your competitors.
Some of the links may not be a good fit, such as the Google Maps page linking to Moz… unless you have a physical office location.
But others, such as the W3.org site, could be a great opportunity.
Wait, it gets better
The example above shows you all of the people that link to your competitors but not you.
But it is on a domain level.
With link building, it’s easier to get links when you have a similar blog post to your competition.
For example, let’s say I Google the term “SEO”. Here’s what I see on Google.
Both Moz and Search Engine Land rank above me.
I can take the exact URLs that rank above me and put them into the Backlink Opportunity report.
When adding competing URLs to the Backlink Opportunity report, you’ll want to select “URL” instead of “Domain” so you can see who links that specific URL.
This is important because Moz and Search Engine Land may have articles around topics that I don’t cover. But their articles on SEO that rank above me are about SEO basics. And the article I have that ranks below them is on SEO basics.
For that reason, it is highly relevant to see who links to the pages that rank above me because there is a good shot, I can convince one of those sites to link to me.
Sending out the email
Once you have a list of sites you want to outreach to, you are probably wondering… “how do I figure out who to email”, right?
Using Hunter.io you can get the email address for any site for free.
Once you have a person’s email, send them a custom email.
For example, for the people who link to Moz’s SEO beginner guide and Search Engine Land’s beginner’s article, I may send something like this…
Hey John,
You already know SEO is changing fast, hence you wrote an article on up-and-coming SEO trends.
But one thing I noticed is you didn’t talk much about AI and how it is going to impact SEO.
And the articles you linked to on Moz and Search Engine Land don’t cover that either. Yet at conferences, it’s one of the buzzing topics that everyone is curious about.
I actually have a few examples of the use of AI in SEO here [insert link].
If you think it’s valuable feel free and add it to your site. 🙂
Thought it would help your readers.
Cheers,
Neil Patel
PS: By the way, I just shared one of your articles on Twitter… you can check it out here.
My outreach emails are very custom. Using generic outreach emails don’t work too well with link building.
When I send out 100 emails based on opportunities from the Backlink Opportunity report, I aim for at least 15% of the sites to link back to me.
Keep in mind I am specifically using the report to see who links to similar competing articles that rank higher than me on Google. It’s very specific, but that is why it works.
Conclusion
If you haven’t, go here and put in your URL. Try out the Backlink Opportunity report and tell me what you think.
Start off by seeing who links to your competition and hit up those sites one by one to see if they are willing to link to you.
It works… just reach out to 10 sites and day and do it for a month. You will see results.
In 2017, Facebook launched its answer to the burgeoning streaming video market: Facebook Watch. Through Watch, users could view both scripted and live video from professional networks, brands, influencers, and everyday people.
Facebook released Watch to a limited group of users, and for that first year, it flew pretty much under the radar. In 2018, they launched it globally, and the service took off like a rocket.
By 2019, Watch had 270 million monthly users, and by 2020, that number had shot up to over 1.25 billion, according to Facebook.
I covered Facebook Watch in a previous post when it initially launched. Since then, they have expanded their content offerings (even getting into the music space!) and added a ton of features for brands and marketers.
In this post, I’ll dive deep into how to use Facebook Watch for marketing, now that the platform has matured.
Content on Facebook Watch
Facebook is still experimenting with different content types by adding, subtracting, and tweaking to find the right balance for their platform. In 2019, Facebook’s head of global creative strategy Rick Van Veen told Variety,
We’re still figuring it out and learning. When you start a new platform, you’re going to have to throw a bunch of stuff at the wall and see what works and what doesn’t.
Scripted Content
Facebook’s scripted content can be found under the Show tab. This section is where they’ve entered the ring with the likes of Netflix, Apple+, and Hulu. Here, users can find everything from comedies to critically acclaimed dramas to reality and talk shows.
“Red Table Talk,” for example, is a popular show starring Jada Pinkett Smith, where she brings on guests to discuss sensitive topics such as divorce and gender identity. Meanwhile, Mike Rowe of “Dirty Jobs” fame stars in “Return the Favor,” which won a Daytime Emmy.
However, they’ve recently scaled back on their scripted content, canceling some of their popular shows in favor of live and sourced content from brands and users.
Live Content
Facebook Live predates Watch by a year. When Watch launched, however, Live was bundled in with the rest of the video content.
Types of videos on Live range from U.S. Senate committee hearings to live author readings and skiers showing off their tricks.
Small businesses have also rushed to Live, creating events and classes to increase revenue.
Music Videos
In August 2020, Facebook launched its new music discovery platform, Facebook Music. Here, users can explore videos by genre, trending topics, artist, and even mood. Currently, the app is only available in the U.S., India, and Thailand, but it’s already garnered a lot of attention.
For instance, Katy Perry debuted her music video “Smile,” the title track of her fifth album, on Facebook Watch.
How Facebook Watch Works
When you create a video on Facebook Watch, whether it’s a live event or a scripted show, you upload it to Facebook using their Creator Studio.
The Creator Studio is the hub for all of your business content for Facebook. From here, you can bulk upload videos, crosspost to different pages, schedule posts, consolidate engagement, and monetize. You can also use their in-depth analytics tools to monitor your content.
On the videos you upload, Facebook places mid-roll ads. Forty-five percent of the revenue from those ads goes to Facebook, while the remaining 55 percent goes to you.
Helpful Hint:Facebook prioritizes longer videos (3+ minutes) and content that engages the audience and sparks conversation. They’re looking for content creators who respond to user comments and pin the best comments to the top of the feed.
How Your Business Can Benefit from Using Advanced Facebook Watch Features
In France, according to Facebook, national broadcaster M6 began creating videos for Watch. Their one-minute video views more than doubled in nine months and they acquired 6 million new follows organically.
Here in the U.S., says Facebook, Buzzfeed has increased their revenue by creating videos over three minutes across their Tasty, Goodful, Nifty, BringMe, Cocoa Butter, and Pero Like pages.
“We moved quickly and increased our payout from total in-stream ads by 20% compared to the previous half,” Maycie Timpone, Executive Director, Video & Publishing at BuzzFeed, told Facebook.
Facebook Watch has become a powerful tool in marketers’ pockets. Let’s take a look at a few ways Watch helps you increase revenue and attract new followers.
Hyper-Personalized Content
Facebook is all about personalized content, and Facebook Watch lets you upload videos right to your target audience. Your videos will also appear in specific categories, such as “Shows Friends Are Following.”
Facebook will also categorize your videos by genre, topic, and even mood.
Recently, Facebook introduced Topics to mobile users. Topics allows users to further customize their video feed by choosing categories that interest them.
Show Pages
Show pages allow users to interact with show creators and fans. They can leave comments, ask questions, or even engage in interactive video content. Just like any other Facebook page, they can like, follow, and share pages with friends.
Real-Time Engagement
This feature is particularly helpful with live video. Viewers can react to, share, and comment on a video in real-time.
Real-time engagement is a great opportunity to get initial feedback on your video and engage with your audience by asking and answering questions and becoming part of the conversation.
Facebook Watch Parties
Facebook’s number one goal is to bring people together. It’s why they added groups a few years back, to allow people with similar interests to find each other.
With Facebook Watch Parties, viewers can bring a group of friends together to watch videos and chat about them in real-time.
Video creators can make content tailored to watch parties to boost engagement.
Playlists
Playlists allow video creators to group videos and post them to their pages. Videos play consecutively to boost views.
Marketers can use playlists for video series or to group videos by topic.
Optimizing Your Facebook Watch Videos
You may be creating killer content for YouTube already, but optimizing Facebook Watch videos is a little different. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your Facebook video content:
First, Make Sure It’s Original
Pulling content over from YouTube or even your website won’t work for many reasons. First, the aspect ratio may be wrong (more on that next). Second, original content exclusive to Facebook will keep people coming back, allowing you to take advantage of Facebook’s monetization tools.
Pay Attention to Aspect Ratio
Facebook gives video creators specific aspect ratios for all pages on both Facebook and Instagram.
You’ll want to follow those guidelines, but in general, make sure your video is shot for mobile. The vast majority of Facebook users access it via mobile, and more than half of ad revenue comes from mobile-first video ads.
When you upload a video, Facebook allows you to add a CTA at the end. Whether it’s an invitation to watch more videos, check out a product, or simply like your page, adding a CTA can increase engagement and even boost conversions.
Beyond the Basics: Advanced Uses and Features of Facebook Watch
Recently, Facebook has added a bunch of cool new features that marketers can take advantage of. Let’s take a look at them.
ThruPlay
ThruPlay is a default setting and one you should keep on. With ThruPlay, if your video is shorter than 15 seconds, it will post it to users who are more likely to watch the whole thing. If it’s longer than that, it will deliver it to users who generally watch videos longer than 15 seconds all the way through.
Paid Online Events
Paid online events are a function of live video and have become an essential tool for businesses. Brands can create, host, and promote an event all in one place. They can also set a price and collect payment easily.
Helpful Hint: Facebook normally collects a fee for a paid online event. At least until August 2021, however, they have waived their fees.
Fan Subscriptions
Creating the ability for fans to subscribe to your video page boosts engagement. It also allows you to foster customer loyalty through exclusive offers and content for subscribers.
According to Facebook, it also allows you to predict revenue monthly.
Stars
Another feature is Stars, a tool that allows fans to support your work. Users can purchase stars to send to you. For every star a fan sends to you, Facebook gives you 1 cent.
(Think “Ralph Breaks the Internet” and the hearts he had to earn on his videos.)
The more you engage with users, the more likely they are to send you stars.
Facebook is still rolling out this program to a limited number of users, but you can sign up to show your interest.
A/B Testing Tools
On the back end, Organic Video Post Testing allows video creators to test between two and four variations of a video at a time. Videos are distributed to your target audience, but they’re not posted to your page. The video with the most engagement after a period of time is then posted to your page automatically.
In-Stream Ads
According to Variety, Facebook takes in 22 percent of U.S. digital ad spend. Before Watch, ads that appeared in newsfeeds and the right rail kind of got lost in the mix, right?
However, as pointed out previously, ads that would usually get lost in Facebook feeds get a lot more attention when they appear in the middle of a video.
Mining Audience Data from Your Facebook Watch Viewers
When it comes to analytics, Facebook Creator Studio is a veritable treasure trove. Here are some of the cooler stats you can mine from your dashboard:
Views
There are so many different ways you can parse these metrics. For example, if you want to see the number of minutes viewed, you don’t have to settle for a lump sum. You can break it down by minutes viewed on your page, in shared posts, and crossposts.
You can also see how many views were over three seconds long or how many people viewed the whole video, depending on what comes first.
You can also filter by auto-played vs. click-played and paid vs. organic.
All of the views are measured over a 28-day period.
Audience Engagement and Retention
To get a quick overview of your posts, you can look at the number of reactions, comments, and shares for videos with at least 100 views.
You can also go way beyond that. You can see audience demographics, and you can filter by fans and non-fans to know who you’re truly reaching.
If a video is performing well, you can choose to boost it right from your dashboard.
To dig even deeper into each video, Facebook shows your viewer retention through the entire length of the video. Line graphs like this one show you exactly where viewers dropped off in your video so you can make adjustments.
What’s really neat: when you hover over the line graph, each point of the line displays your video’s corresponding frame.
Finally, you can measure each post against other posts to assess which types of videos and content are working well (or not) for you.
Negative Feedback
Just as important as the positive metrics are the negative ones. Facebook can show you negative comments, as well as how many times people hid your video from their feed or reported it as inappropriate.
Click-Throughs
Finally, Facebook can differentiate between clicks to play your video, clicks on links embedded in your video description, and clicks on your CTA.
Increasing User Engagement Via Facebook Watch (and Why This Matters!)
We’ve talked about all the levers you can pull with Facebook Watch, but how do you use them to increase user engagement? Here’s how to use all their cool features to do just that:
Take Advantage of Real-Time Commenting
Comments give context to all those reactions and shares, but you probably knew that. Of course, you can use them to improve your content by creating more of what gets positive comments and less of what doesn’t.
More importantly, you should be responding to comments, not only on your videos but also on your pages. Show your fans that you’re paying attention, and they will be engaged followers.
Spark Conversations
Instead of simply reacting to conversations already happening, create and direct the discourse yourself. Invite fans to comment on specific elements of your videos, share their tips, or ask questions.
If you’re a part of the Star program, this is a great way to encourage people to send some your way.
Use the Subscription Function
Subscriptions are a great way to create that velvet rope effect. Create an exclusive space for fans to get updates on content before anyone else. Offer content and giveaways for subscribers.
Make them feel special, and they’ll keep coming back for more.
Put That Mined Data to Good Use
As you’ve seen, Facebook gives you a wealth of analytics about your videos, right down to the minute viewers stopped watching your videos.
Use that information to compare and tweak content, experiment with longer or shorter videos, or introduce and keep track of new content.
Don’t Neglect the A/B Testing Functionality
While it is time-consuming to create more than one video, A/B testing multiple versions of videos will only increase your engagement, and you can’t deny how easy Facebook makes it.
Since they don’t post anything to your page until the end of the testing period (which they do automatically), you really have nothing to lose.
Conclusion
Facebook Watch has had explosive growth and attracted the attention of brands, celebrities, small businesses, and influencers. The sheer number of viewers and the amount of ad revenue on the table makes creating original content for Facebook a no-brainer.
The real trick is pulling the right levers to create engaging videos that get reactions, shares, and comments. If you can get subscriptions, even better.
Dive into your Creative Studio to look at all the advanced tools Facebook offers.
How will you use Facebook Watch to build your audience and boost your revenue?
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