Month: August 2021

Remove Earwax from Air Pods – How to clean your Air Pods

Unfortunately, human ears are waxy, and anything that is inserted frequently, such as earphones, tends to accumulate earwax. It only takes a small quantity of earwax to significantly diminish the maximum volume of the AirPods. It is crucial to avoid cleaning your AirPods with anything wet or moist – never get the mesh speakers wet.

Additionally, avoid poking the speaker mesh with a toothpick or other sharp item to avoid damaging it.

Apple recommends using a slightly damp cloth and a soft, dry, lint-free cloth, but cautions against using soaps, shampoos, solvents, or completely submerging your AirPods in water. To clean the microphone and speaker meshes, Apple recommends swabbing the area with a dry cotton swab and brushing with a soft-bristled brush. Apple advises that you can remove and rinse the AirPods pro’s ear tips with water, but not with soap or other cleaning solutions. Apple recommends wiping the earphones with a gentle, dry, lint-free cloth and allowing them to dry completely before thoroughly reassembling.

Apple recommends washing the AirPods’ outside surfaces (but not the speaker mesh) lightly with a 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe or a Clorox disinfectant wipe to remove any bacteria that may have gotten on them. However, avoid using a towel that is extremely damp, as this will allow moisture to enter the AirPods’ apertures. Finally, avoid soaking your AirPods in cleaning chemicals, regardless of how filthy and nasty they are.

How to Remove Earwax from AirPods

Apple recommends wiping out the exterior shell and stems of your AirPods with a “soft, dry, lint-free cloth.” Additionally, vigilance is required “to avoid spilling liquid into the apertures.” The majority of common filth and earwax may be removed by dabbing a little amount of cleaning solution on the external shell of the AirPods. Apple, on the other hand, advises against the use of soaps and shampoos, as well as anything else that may result in excessive moisture.

It is natural for earwax to accumulate in the earphones after lengthy use. Regular cleanliness is not always sufficient, and in addition to earwax, your headphones contain a variety of bacteria and pathogens. Cleaning your AirPods is crucial, and you’ve come to the right place if you’re seeking for instructions on how to do it. You probably use these wireless earphones on a near-daily basis.

After cleaning, you can continue normal use of your Airpod. As the earwax build-up in the speakers of your AirPods is removed, you should notice an improvement in the quality and volume of your music. If you do not notice an improvement after cleaning, there could be other sources of sound degradation, such as physical damage (you can still try cleaning them).

Due to the fact that earwax is the most prevalent reason of AirPods sound attenuation, you should also learn how to properly clean your ears of wax build-up. Clean and moisten your ear regularly with a cotton swab to prevent earwax build-up. Clean the inside of your ears with earwax cleaners on a regular basis. Assume you have an earwax build-up and are not utilising an earwax cleaning. In this case, it is strongly recommended that you consult a professional for instruction on how to remove the wax effectively, safely, and softly, as well as to rule out any underlying issues that may be causing your ear to produce an abnormal amount of earwax.

Why You Should Regularly Clean Your Airpods

If you properly followed the directions, your AirPods should now be entirely clean. Bear in mind that they are not waterproof, and hence should be used sparingly, if at all. Avoid using any liquids when cleaning the AirPods’ casing. If your AirPods continue to be muted despite thorough cleaning, contact Apple Support for assistance or a replacement. Remember, you can prevent the majority of earwax development by cleaning your ears with soap and water on a regular basis.

Most likely, your AirPods are filthy. Earwax, sweat, filth, and grime collect in the earphones and charging case. Cleaning them on a regular basis is good, but you must exercise caution not to injure them. Listed below are a few methods!

Regular cleaning saves time and work by preventing accumulation. It’s substantially more difficult to clean the earphones and charge the case after a year than it is to give them a fast monthly clean. If you often use your AirPods or if you exercise, you should clean them even more frequently.

How to properly clean your filthy, waxy AirPods

The dirty AirPods have a lot more going on than meets the eye. Nobody like seeing dirt, earwax, or similar substances on their goods, particularly those they wear on a daily basis. Not only do dirty AirPods look ugly, they may also pose a risk to your health. Wearing filthy AirPods exposes your ears to a variety of potentially harmful bacteria. You may initially have an ear infection, but things could quickly escalate. Prevent this from occurring. Clean AirPods at least once a month, if not more regularly.

Whatever your level of cleanliness, if you purchase Apple AirPods, they will become dirty and blocked with earwax. Goodbye, ugly, and good-bye to sound quality. As a result, how can they be cleaned and restored to their original sound?
Apple support recommends cleaning the AirPods with a “soft, dry, lint-free cloth,” but as anybody who has ever done so knows, this does little to improve the sound quality when it is low or dull. To restore bass, it is necessary to remove the accumulated wax.

The charging case for your AirPods may be as unpleasant as the earphones themselves. Cleaning the area around the hinge is notoriously difficult, and the case itself does a poor job of containing dirt and other contaminants. We recommend cleaning the charging case carefully with a medium or hard bristle toothbrush, as this is the only way to thoroughly clean the hinge area. You can dampen the brush to remove very obstinate filth.

How to properly clean AirPods

Take care not to overdo it and risk harming the speakers by introducing unwanted liquids. Apple recommends using a dry cotton swab to clean the speaker of any accumulated dirt or earwax. Apple warns avoiding cleaning the speakers with a sharp object, since this may cause irreversible damage to your AirPods. Apple advises cleaning the AirPods charging case’s exterior using a microfiber cloth.

If you’d rather replace your AirPods than go through the cleaning process (especially if your AirPods are nearing the end of their useful life), startup Podswap will exchange your old, dying pair for refurbished AirPods. If you care about sustainability and recycling – in addition to the potential savings – podswap may be a realistic choice if you can overlook the fact that you’re acquiring old AirPods. In either case, the cleaned, refurbished pair podswap delivers will be less expensive than getting a new pair directly from Apple, and the service also guarantees to replace the battery.

If you’re worried about sustainability and recycling – in addition to the potential savings — podswap may be worth considering if you can get beyond the concept of purchasing an old pair of Airpods. In either case, the cleaned, refurbished pair sent by Podswap will be less expensive than ordering a new pair directly from Apple, and the company also guarantees to repair the battery.

Is it acceptable to use a disinfectant to clean my AirPods, AirPods pro, AirPods max, or Earpods?
Wipe the outside surfaces of your AirPods, AirPods pro, AirPods max, or Earpods gently with a wipe containing 70% isopropyl alcohol, 75% ethyl alcohol, or a Clorox disinfecting wipe. Would you kindly refrain from using it on the AirPods, AirPods pro, or the speaker mesh of the earbuds? It should not be used on the AirPods max’s mesh or ear cushions. Avoid using bleach or items containing hydrogen peroxide. Avoid allowing moisture to enter apertures and soaking your AirPods, AirPods pro, AirPods max, or earbuds in cleaning solutions.

Disinfect AirPods to ensure maximum cleanliness

Wipe the outside surfaces of your AirPods, AirPods pro, AirPods max, or earbuds using a wipe containing 70% isopropyl alcohol, 75% ethyl alcohol, or Clorox disinfectant wipes. Would you mind if it was not used on the AirPods, AirPods pro, or the speaker mesh of the earbuds? It should not be used on the AirPods max’s mesh or ear cushions. Avoid using bleach or items containing hydrogen peroxide. Avoid allowing moisture to enter apertures and soaking your AirPods, AirPods pro, AirPods max, or earbuds in cleaning solutions.

According to specialists, using AirPods and earphones might result in excessive ear wax, ear discomfort, and tinnitus. They argue that following the usage of these gadgets, it is vital to ventilate the ear canals. Additionally, specialists recommend frequent washing and sanitising these earpieces. Despite our best attempts to maintain adequate personal hygiene in the midst of the current Covid 19 outbreak, many of us ignore certain routine items.

Cleaning your AirPods with a dry, soft, lint-free cloth is the most secure technique. With a dry cotton swab, wipe the microphone and speaker meshes. If any stains or residue remain, moisten a soft, lint-free cloth lightly with water and wipe your AirPods. Assure that no water enters the apertures. If you use water, ensure that your AirPods are well dried before using or storing them in the charging case. Dry the charging case gently with a lint-free towel.

Brought To You By: Microsuction Hendon

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When I was 12 years old, I used to look through my older cousin’s CD collection, a little confused. I didn’t understand the need to have CDs when I could go on iTunes and listen to all my favorite songs. To me, CDs were obsolete and iTunes was the wave of the future. Instances like this are great examples of the product life cycle (PLC) in action.

No one wants their product to become “obsolete” and reach the end of its product life cycle. Still, it’s important to understand what stage your product is in so you can make better marketing and business decisions. You can mature and grow in the marketplace by agilely responding to changing customer needs, adding new offerings to your lineup, and adopting new tech that keeps you up-to-date in the marketplace.

Below, we’ll learn about the product life cycle inside-and-out, but if you’re in a pinch, use the links below to jump straight to what you need:

• What is the product life cycle?
• What are the stages of the product life cycle?
• Product Life Cycle Examples
• International Product Life Cycle
• When to Use the Product Life Cycle

  

Now if you’re already familiar with the term, you may find this visual a bit off. In the marketing industry, the typical depiction of the product life cycle only has four main stages — Introduction, Growth, Maturity, and Decline. Here at HubSpot, we agree that these are vital for a product, but the two stages “Development” and “Decline” aren’t nearly covered enough.

As marketers, it’s important to understand how your tactics and strategies change depending on the stage your product is in. Let’s break down each of the six stages of the product life cycle.

1. Development

The development stage of the product life cycle is the research phase before a product is introduced to the marketplace. This is when companies bring in investors, develop prototypes, test product effectiveness, and strategize their launch. Due to the nature of this stage, companies spend a lot of money without bringing in any revenue because the product isn’t being sold yet.

This stage can last for a long time, depending on the complexity of the product, how new it is, and the competition. For a completely new product, the development stage is hard because the first pioneer of a product is usually not as successful as later iterations.

Development Stage Marketing Strategy

While marketing typically begins in the introduction stage, you can begin to build “buzz” around your product by securing the endorsement of established voices in the industry. You can also publish early (and favorable) consumer research or testimonials. Your marketing goal during this stage is to build upon your brand awareness and establish yourself as an innovative company.

2. Introduction

The introduction stage is when a product is first launched in the marketplace. This is when marketing teams begin building product awareness and reaching out to potential customers. Typically, when a product is introduced, sales are low and demand builds slowly.

Usually, this phase is focused on advertising and marketing campaigns. Companies work on testing distribution channels and try to educate potential customers about the product.

Introduction Stage Marketing Strategy

This is where the fun begins. Now that the product is launched, you can actually promote the product using inbound marketing and content marketing. Education is highly important in this stage. Your target consumer must know what they’re buying before they buy it. If your marketing strategies are successful, the product goes into the next stage — growth.

3. Growth

During the growth stage, consumers have accepted the product in the market and customers are beginning to truly buy in. That means demand and profits are growing, hopefully at a steadily rapid pace.

The growth stage is when the market for the product is expanding and competition begins developing. Potential competitors will see your success and will want in.

Growth Stage Marketing Strategy

During this phase, marketing campaigns often shift from getting customers’ buy-in to establishing a brand presence so consumers choose them over developing competitors. Additionally, as companies grow, they’ll begin to open new distribution channels and add more features and support services. In your strategy, you’ll advertise these as well.

4. Maturity

The maturity stage is when the sales begin to level off from the rapid growth period. At this point, companies begin to reduce their prices so they can stay competitive amongst growing competition.

This is the phase where a company begins to become more efficient and learns from the mistakes made in the introduction and growth stages. Marketing campaigns are typically focused on differentiation rather than awareness. This means that product features might be enhanced, prices might be lowered, and distribution becomes more intensive.

During the maturity stage, products begin to enter the most profitable stage. The cost of production declines while the sales are increasing.

Maturity Stage Marketing Strategy

When your product has become a mature offering, you may feel like you’re “sailing by” because sales are steady and the product has been established. But this is where it’s critical to establish yourself as a leader and differentiate your brand.

Continuously improve upon the product as adoption grows, and let consumers know in your marketing strategy that the product they love is better than it was before. This will protect you during the next stage — saturation.

5. Saturation

During the product saturation stage, competitors have begun to take a portion of the market and products will experience neither growth nor decline in sales.

Typically, this is the point when most consumers are using a product, but there are many competing companies. At this point, you want your product to become the brand preference so you don’t enter the decline stage.

Saturation Stage Marketing Strategy

When the market has become saturated, you’ll need to focus on differentiation in features, brand awareness, price, and customer service. Competition is highest at this stage, so it’s critical to leave no doubt regarding the superiority of your product.

If innovation at the product-level isn’t possible (because the product only needs minor tweaks at this point), then invest in your customer service and use customer testimonials in your marketing.

6. Decline

Unfortunately, if your product doesn’t become the preferred brand in a marketplace, you’ll typically experience a decline. Sales will decrease during the heightened competition, which is hard to overcome.

Additionally, new trends emerge as time goes on, just like the CD example I mentioned earlier. If a company is at this stage, they’ll either discontinue their product, sell their company, or innovate and iterate on their product in some way.

Decline Stage Marketing Strategy

While companies would want to avoid the decline stage, sometimes there’s no helping it — especially if the entire market reached a decline, not just your product. In your marketing strategy, you can focus on nostalgia or emphasize the superiority of your solution to successfully get out of this stage.

To extend the product life cycle, successful companies can also implement new advertising strategies, reduce prices, add new features to increase their value proposition, explore new markets, or adjust brand packaging.

The best companies will usually have products at several points in the product life cycle at any given time. Some companies look to other countries to begin the cycle anew.

Now that we’ve gone through stages, let’s review some real-life examples of them in action.

Let’s follow the product life cycle of popular products that have since reached the decline stage.

1. The Typewriter

The typewriter was the first mechanical writing tool — a worthy successor to pen and paper. Ultimately, however, other technologies gained traction and replaced it.

• Development: Before the first commercial typewriter was introduced to the market, the overall idea had been developed for centuries, beginning in 1575.
• Introduction: In the late 1800s, the first commercial typewriters were introduced.
• Growth: The typewriter quickly became an indispensable tool for all forms of writing, becoming widely used in offices, businesses, and private homes.
• Maturity: Typewriters were in the maturity phase for nearly 80 years, because this was the preferred product for typing communications up until the 1980s.
• Saturation: During the saturation stage, typewriters began to face fierce competition with computers in the 1990s.
• Decline: Overall, the typewriter couldn’t withstand the competition of new emerging technologies and eventually the product was discontinued.

2. Vine

Skipping forward to the 21st century, we see the rise and fall of Vine, a short-form video-sharing app that was the source for many memes at its peak but eventually declined due to other platforms.

• Development: Vine was founded in June 2012 and mainly competed with Instagram.
• Introduction: The app was introduced to the public in 2013. Its differentiating factor was its short-form video format — users had only seven seconds to film something that was hilarious, absurd, or a mixture of both.
• Growth: Only two years after its release, Vine had over 200 million active users. Its popularity led to the advent of the phrase “Do it for the Vine.”
• Maturity: Because it was only in the market for a few years, Vine never reached the maturity stage. While adoption was high, it was still a fairly new app.
• Saturation: Vine competed in an already saturated market. Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube were the preeminent names in its category, and Vine soon started to decline in use.
• Decline: When Musical.ly was introduced, Vine lost a large amount of its user base and shut down. It was succeeded by Byte, a similar short-form video sharing platform, but none of these have been able to surpass Tik Tok, which launched months after Vine’s end in 2016.

3. Cable TV

Remember the days of switching TV channels to find what to watch? I do — and they feel distinctly like something of the past. While cable TV is still around, it’s safe to say that it’s nearing the decline stage.

• Development: Cable TV was developed in the first half of the twentieth century. John Walson has been credited with its invention.
• Introduction: The first commercial television system was introduced in 1950, and by 1962, the technology saw the first hints of growth.
• Growth: After a decades-long freeze on cable TV’s development (due to regulatory restrictions), the technology began gaining traction, and by 1980, more than 15 million households had cable.
• Maturity: Cable TV matured around the 1990s. Around seven in ten households had cable.
• Saturation: The start of the 21st century saw an oversaturation of this technology, and it also started to compete with other modern developments such as on-demand services and high-definition TV (HDTV). While the internet was still in its nascent stages, it would soon gain on cable TV as well.
• Decline: From 2015 onwards, cable TV experienced a marked decline. Online video streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu have taken precedence — and this trend is set to continue.

4. Floppy Disk

This relic was once a popular and convenient way to store and share data between computers. I barely understood what they were growing up, and it astounds me to think of the very existence of cloud data sharing and other mass memory storage means.

• Development: The first floppy disk was developed in 1970 by IBM engineers. It was an 8-inch flexible magnetic disk in a square case with 2MB storage capacity.
• Introduction: It was introduced in 1971 and largely became known as the only way to transfer or store data.
• Growth: The floppy disk was majorly used in the 1980s-1990s.
• Maturity: Sold well in the market during the 1990s. Improving with time, it could hold 200MB of storage.
• Saturation: Major competitors emerged at the beginning of the 21st century. The invention of USB cables, external hard disks, CDs and more gave people options to store their data.
• Decline: The floppy disk faced a major decline up to Hewlett-Packard stopping production for the disk in 2009. The storage capacity for other products in the market grew to be more efficient.

Not all products need to face the decline stage. Companies can extend the product life cycle with new iterations and stay afloat as long as they have several products at various points of the product life cycle.

International Product Life Cycle

The international product life cycle (IPL) is the cycle a product goes through in international markets. As products begin to mature and companies want to avoid the decline stage, they’ll typically begin to explore new markets globally. When products reach mass production, manufacturing and production shift to other countries as well.

The international product life cycle stages are identical to that of a normal product life cycle. The development stage looks different, however, because local customs and regulations can affect how long it takes to bring the product to a new marketplace.

Beware: once you lay the groundwork in a new marketplace, your competitors will be sure to follow, and the life cycle stages will continue up until saturation and eventually decline. Your option is to either expand into another market or learn from prior mistakes and innovate before the decline stage rolls around.

Next, we’ll look at when you should use the product life cycle.

When to Use the Product Life Cycle

For example, a brand new product will be marketed differently than a well-established, mature product. For the former, the marketing campaigns will focus on raising awareness, while for the latter, they’ll focus on maintaining awareness.

Businesses also use the product life cycle to achieve the following:

• Establish competitive authority. If your product is new and recently introduced to the market, you can advertise it as a new and improved alternative to an existing product. If the product is established, you can vouch for its long history of use in your branding.
• Decide on a pricing strategy. Depending on the life cycle stage your product is in, you’ll choose how to price the product. A new product may be priced lower to entice more buyers, while a product in the growth stage can be priced higher.

• Create a marketing strategy. Your product life cycle stage will determine which strategy to pursue. Maturity and audience knowledgeability play a big role in the type of content you publish on your site and social media profiles.
• Respond before the product begins its decline. There’s no worse feeling than watching your product slowly become obsolete or be displaced by a competing product. By keeping the life cycle stages in mind, you can create a strategy that keeps you ahead of the curve as you reach the saturation and decline stages.

The product life cycle benefits businesses because they can shift their wording and positioning to best market the product at the stage it is in. If your product has recently been introduced and you try to market it as a long-established solution, consumers will see right through it and trust you less as a result.

Keep Your Product’s Life Cycle in Mind

Whether you’re developing a brand new product or working with a mature, well-established brand, you can use the product life cycle stages as a guide for your marketing campaigns. Each stage will dictate how you inform your audience about the product, how you position your brand in the marketplace, and how you decide to move forward after the decline stage. By keeping your product’s life cycle in mind, you can invest in better marketing campaigns that result in a higher ROI.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in January 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Otoplasty Ear Surgery Risks And Complications

Typically, complications can be avoided with rigorous dissection and close attention to detail under the microscope. When a tumour is removed and another treatment is administered, the blood supply to important brain areas may be disrupted.

This can result in serious complications such as loss of muscle control, stroke, paralysis, or death. In our experience, death occurs infrequently, even in the most complex and large-scale situations.

To begin, the surgeon will carefully remove any extra tissue or scar tissue from your middle ear using a laser. The hole is then closed with a little piece of tissue transplanted onto the eardrum from a vein or muscle sheath. The surgeon will repair the eardrum using either the ear canal or a tiny incision behind the ear.

Ossiculoplasty is performed to restore damage to the ossicles, the three small bones in the middle ear caused by ear infections or trauma. Furthermore, this procedure is performed under general anaesthetic. Bone replacement can be performed through the use of the donor’s bones or a prosthetic.

Complications of the Ear Tube (which May Require Additional Surgery!)

Once your ears have narrowed, everytime you get them moist, you are effectively placing yourself at risk of infection. As a result of the narrowing of the ear canal caused by these bony growths, the ears have a more difficult time emptying water and drying out following each swim. This may be noticeable due to the fact that your ear remains blocked with water for a lengthy duration following your swim in the sea.

Is Ear Tube Surgery a Safe Procedure?

If you have more questions about earlobe surgery, we recommend scheduling a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon who specialises in earlobe restoration. They will examine the tear and determine whether or not you are a candidate for this operation. Begin your search immediately for the appropriate surgeon.

In those who refuse surgery or who do not react to surgery, eagle syndrome can develop into a chronic illness. While medical treatment may temporarily ease symptoms, they are unlikely to go completely.

Eagle syndrome is a kind of neuropathy in which there is no injury to the affected area. As a result, massage, exercises, and other therapies that target the exact region of the pain are unlikely to be useful.

Is Ear Surgery Risky?

If the surgeon recommends otoplasty as a therapy option, they will review the ear surgery process. This discussion will cover the anaesthetic, the patient’s medical history, and the procedure’s cost. This initial consultation is a wonderful opportunity for prospective patients to ask questions regarding the benefits of ear surgery as well as the possible risks and complications connected with otoplasty.

If you have a small hole or tear in your eardrum, your doctor may first attempt to patch it using gel or a paper-like tissue. This procedure normally takes 15 to 30 minutes and can be performed in the doctor’s office with only a local anaesthetic.

Under general anaesthetic, a radical mastoidectomy is performed and may require an overnight hospital stay. Typically, the patient can return to work after one to two weeks. Complete healing may take up to four months.

Candidates with otosclerosis should consider tapes surgery (stapedectomy). Typically, this surgery is performed under local anaesthetic and requires only a brief hospital stay and recovery period. More than 90% of these procedures are successful and result in permanent hearing restoration.

Alternatively, a strut made of synthetic bone hydroxyapatite can be placed. The porous nature of this artificial bone enables blood vessel ingrowth and perfect integration into the patient’s middle ear. The incorporation of hydroxyapatite into contemporary ossicular reconstructive prostheses has resulted in a significant reduction in rejection.

The tissue is obtained either from the back of the ear or from the tragus, a thin cartilaginous flap of skin in front of the ear. Prepare the tissue by thinning and drying it. To sustain the graft, an absorbable gelatin sponge is put beneath the drum. After inserting the graft beneath the remaining drum remnant, it is folded back over the hole to close it.

Perforations (holes) in the eardrum membrane are a rather infrequent consequence of surgery. It affects less than 1% (1%) of the population and is typically caused by infection. Fortunately, if this problem happens, the membrane will mend itself. Surgical repair (myringoplasty) may be necessary if the myringotomy does not heal properly.

The tissue is obtained either from the back of the ear or from the tragus, a thin cartilaginous flap of skin in front of the ear. Tissue thickening and drying To sustain the graft, an absorbable gelatin sponge is put beneath the drum. After inserting the graft beneath the remaining drum remnant, it is folded back onto the perforation to close it.

Chorda tympanic nerve is a very small nerve that runs through the ear. This nerve is connected to the taste buds on the tongue. If this nerve is strained or injured during tympanoplasty surgery, a temporary metallic or salty taste may develop in the mouth for one or two months following the procedure. In most cases, the nerve connections regenerate and the taste returns to normal. Occasionally, the strange taste experience lasts longer than six months.

The majority of persons with otosclerosis have some degree of tinnitus (head noise). The severity of tinnitus is not usually related to the degree of hearing loss. Tinnitus typically improves proportionately to hearing improvement following a successful stapedectomy, but it may occasionally deteriorate.

Ossiculoplasty is performed to restore damage to the ossicles, the three small bones in the middle ear caused by ear infections or trauma. Furthermore, this procedure is performed under general anaesthetic. Bone replacement can be performed through the use of the donor’s bones or a prosthetic.

While bleeding is infrequent during Mohs surgery, a trace of blood or seeping through the bandage is common. If you see active bleeding (meaning the dressing is saturated with blood), remove it and apply firm pressure to the area for 20 minutes using dry gauze or a dry cloth.

Otoplasty Recuperation

Eardrum repairs are quite successful in the great majority of situations. Tympanoplasty is a successful operation in approximately 90% of patients. If the middle ear bones, in addition to the eardrum, must be repaired, the surgical outcome may be less favourable.

The recuperation procedure

If you believe that otoplasty may benefit you or your child, you’re probably curious about the length of the recovery procedure. Continue reading for additional information on otoplasty surgery and the recovery procedure.

How Risky Is Ear Surgery?

During the operation, your doctor will make an incision behind your ear to expose the cartilage. Your doctor will next either remove some cartilage or reconstruct your ear using stitches. While the therapy may require general anaesthesia, a local anaesthetic may be used in some cases.

How Long Does It Take For A Wound To Heal?

Reconstruction. This stage of healing typically lasts between four and one months following surgery. A scar will begin to form on the incision. Compression of the margins will occur, and some thickening may ensue. Additionally, it is common for new red pimples to appear in the healing wound.

Following surgery, you may suffer severe discomfort in your ear or the sense that your ear is full of fluid. Additionally, you may hear your ear cracking, popping, or making another sound. These symptoms are typically mild and dissipate within a few days.

Following surgery, hearing loss, numbness, tingling, or discomfort in the ear, unusual taste, ringing in the ear, or a little amount of discharge from the ear are all possible adverse effects. Following surgery, recovery takes a decent amount of time. Typically, the ear heals in about four weeks.

As previously stated, otoplasty can be performed on men, women, and children to improve the appearance of deformed ears caused by an injury or congenital condition. Patients whose ears are excessively large for their face, whose ears protrude from their skull, or who require correction following an unsuccessful earlier otoplasty can also benefit from otoplasty.

It would be beneficial if you avoided acts that could result in further ear trauma until your ear has fully recovered. Consult your physician to determine when you can resume normal activities. It is vital that you adhere to the suggestions in order to maximise your achievement.

After six weeks of otoplasty, the majority of patients recover completely. However, swelling typically subsides within one to two weeks of surgery, and the benefits are almost immediately apparent upon removal of the bandages!

Risks of Ear Tube Surgery

Stapedectomy is indicated in patients who have otosclerosis and significant hearing loss. Each patient is evaluated and counselled regarding the best course of action for stapedectomy. Following surgery, it takes around four weeks for the ear to heal adequately. The patient’s hearing will improve as a result of this procedure. Over 70% of cases are successful.

As a result, extreme caution is required both during the surgical operation and during the post-operative audiogram. The patient eventually regains hearing after approximately 2-3 weeks. As a result, both the doctor and the patient must exhibit caution, prudence, and patience while the patient recovers after a stapedectomy.

There is a possibility that you will experience stabbing pain in the area of your wound. This could be a sign of your nerves recovering their sensitivity. The sensation should subside in severity and frequency with time, but if you are concerned, you should visit your physician.

Brought To You By: Microsuction Kent

 

The Article How Risky Is Ear Surgery – How Long Does It Take To Heal? First Appeared ON
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Trying to convince people to click on a long, jumbled link is almost as bad as a door-to-door salesman trying to sell people financial services.

If your audience sees a link they perceive to be spammy in one of your social media posts, they’ll do the digital equivalent of slamming the door in your face — scroll past it.

To avoid being perceived as spammy or sloppy when you have a legitimate link to share, check out our list of the best link shorteners that’ll turn your links into clean, consistent, and clickable URLs.

What are the benefits of using link shorteners?

Shortening your links makes them easier to share and track their performance. They’re an excellent choice for business owners, marketers, individuals, and anyone who’d like to post links that are easy to read and remember. 

URL shorteners benefit your brand in several ways:

Shortened links are more user-friendly.

When you post long links on social media, it can look like spam or deter users from clicking on something they don’t recognize. In particular, adding tracking parameters (such as UTM codes) to your links can result in URLs that look long and confusing. Link shorteners can turn spammy-looking links into clear and user-friendly links.

You can track your links’ analytics. 

Many link shorteners let you track your links’ performance and analytics, which can help you understand which pieces of content perform best on specific platforms. Typically, you’ll be able to see the number of people who clicked on the link in a preset amount of time and where most of the clicks are coming from.

You can include shortened URLs in your social posts.  

Every social media network limits the number of characters you can include in your posts. Twitter and LinkedIn have the shortest character limits at 280 and 700 characters, respectively, so if you need to squeeze a link or an extra hashtag in one of your posts, link shorteners can help you stay within the limit.

Shortened links don’t need anchor text. 

Anchor text refers to the word or phrase that’s hyperlinked. Marketers use anchor text to optimize their link and ensure it indicates the content that the link leads to. If you’re adding an URL in a place where you can’t add anchor text (such as in a social post or social media bio), you can opt to shorten the link and include the keyword in the slug. 

Shortened URLs count as backlinks and improve your SEO. 

Because shortened URLs are essentially 301 redirects, they count as backlinks, because they’re still pointing to your website. Using a link shortening service improves your SEO because it gives you the ability to link to your blog posts and pages in more places. 

Convinced? Let’s take a look at the top link shorteners you can use. 

1. Bitly

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Bitly (sometimes referred to as Bit.ly) is a link shortener platform that features a comprehensive dashboard that displays your links’ performance metrics, such as click-through rates and channel stats. It also shows you the geographic information of the people clicking on your links. 

The tool also offers branded links and has integrations with social media management software (such as HubSpot) to help you seamlessly distribute your shortened links through your social media profiles.

Bitly’s free account offers up to 1,000 unbranded links and link reporting for 30 days, which is ideal for small businesses. Its enterprise plan lets you brand 10,000+ links a month and provides all the data and metrics mentioned above. This subscription tier is best for large businesses that want to brand and track every link in their marketing campaigns.

Best For 

Individuals and small to enterprise businesses. It offers the advantage of being free while also allowing you to add custom slugs, making it ideal for both general and business use.

Pros 

• Ability to shorten links without signing up
• 1,000 shortened links included in free version 
• Ability to add 50 custom slugs per month in a free subscription
• Good choice for getting started with link shorteners

Cons 

• You can only customize the slug once you sign up

Pricing: Free; $29/month (Basic); $199/month (Premium); Custom (Enterprise)

2. Bl.INK

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As one of the more robust link shorteners out there, Bl.INK offers smart branded links that contain relevant words and not just a random string of characters.

It also provides analytic reports that can track clicks by date, time, language, referrers, device, and location. The tool integrates with web analytic tools like Google Analytics and Adobe.

Bl.INK offers five subscription tiers. Starting at $48 per month, it prices its plans based on the number of links you’d like to create and track.

Best For 

Enterprise businesses with an established link shortening strategy. That way, you can use its wealth of features right away. 

Pros 

• Extensive list of features that are ideal for avid link shortening users 
• Cheapest subscription offers 10,000 links — triple of what Bitly offers in their lowest subscription
• Ability to bulk edit links 

Cons

• No option to shorten links without signing up
• It only tracks a limited number of clicks (starting at 7,500)

Pricing: $48/month (Expert+); $99/month (SMB); $299/month (Team); $599/month (Business); Custom (Enterprise)

3. Rebrandly

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Trusted by over 250,000 customers, Rebrandly is a link shortener platform that can brand your links, track their performance metrics, or integrate with over 50 other platforms to seamlessly distribute your links. 

With three plans for individuals and two plans for teams, Rebrandly offers link shortening solutions for small businesses that have a high potential for growth. For instance, its free plan offers 5,000 tracked clicks, 500 branded links, and 5 custom domain names, while its premium plan offers 150,000 branded links, 20 custom domain names, and 1,500,000 tracked clicks for $499 per month. 

Note, however, that some services, such as Bitly, offer unlimited tracked clicks. If you expect to receive a large number of clicks, consider using those services instead. 

Best For 

Small businesses that want to start building a link shortening strategy. Rebrandly’s starting price is low, but its features rival and even exceed those of its top competitors. 

Pros 

• Ability to shorten links without signing up
• Includes a UTM builder in the free version — Bitly and BLINK do not 
• Includes custom URL slugs in the free version 

Cons

• No unlimited tracked clicks available 

Pricing: Free;  $29/year (Starter); $69/year (Pro); $499/year (Premium); Custom (Enterprise)

4. Ow.ly

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Developed by the social media management platform Hootsuite, Ow.ly is a link shortener that’s included in every free Hootsuite account. With Ow.ly, you can distribute your links and track their performance metrics directly in the Hootsuite platform, which allows you to shorten every single link you post to all your social media profiles. Ow.ly is a great option for anyone who already uses Hootsuite as their social media management platform.

The one limitation of this tool is that there’s no information on the features that Ow.ly offers, including the number of tracked clicks. A UTM builder is available within the platform. 

Best For 

Current Hootsuite users or those who are interested in managing their social media presence using Hootsuite. The best part is that it’s free, making it a good choice if you’re just getting started with Hootsuite. 

Pros

• Integrated right in the Hootsuite platform 
• Ability to see link analytics alongside other social analytics 
• UTM builder available within the settings
• A natural choice for those who are using Hootsuite 

Cons  

• No option to shorten links without signing up
• Not a great choice for those who aren’t using Hootsuite; other options offer more robust features

Pricing: Free

5. Linktree

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Linktree isn’t strictly a URL shortening service. Rather, it’s a service where you add a list of links to a profile (like this one). Instead of listing all of the links you want to promote on every social post or profile, you add them to your Linktree. You then add the Linktree URL to your social bios.  

This tool is ideal for platforms such as Instagram, where you can add only one link to your profile. The best part is that Linktree offers a short and user-friendly URL structure (e.g. linktr.ee/yourname) so that it looks and feels like a shortened link. You won’t have to clutter your Instagram profile with a long and spammy-looking URL. 

It also offers analytics that allow you to see which links get clicked on the most and how much traffic your Linktree profile is getting. 

Best For

Avid Instagram users who want to keep all of their links in one place. It offers analytics as well, so you could potentially use it for business and marketing purposes.

Pros

• Allows you to keep unlimited links in one place 
• Short and user-friendly profile link is easy to remember 
• Best choice for Instagram users

Cons 

• Not a good fit if you’re trying to shorten individual links 
• Free version doesn’t allow you to see detailed analytics 
• Wouldn’t count as a backlink, while a traditional shortened link would 

Pricing: Free; $6/month (Pro); Custom (Enterprise)

6. TinyURL

TinyURL is a free link shortening platform that’s perfect for users who want to shorten links every once in a while.

Using TinyURL is simple. All you have to do is go to TinyURL.com and follow the instructions. You can quickly fill in the link you want a short URL for and add a custom alias. If no one uses your alias, the link you will get will look something like “tinyurl.com/alias.” Once you fill in the URL information and press submit, you can rename, edit, and share the URL.

Don’t be tricked by the tool’s simplicity: It also allows you to track key metrics and analytics for your links after you sign up for a free account. Even if you only use it for a one-time project, you can track the success of the campaign with ease. The one limitation is that it only allows you to keep one active TinyURL at a time unless you upgrade to a paid subscription. 

Best For 

Hobbyists who want to shorten links only once in a while. Because of its emphasis on its plug-in-and-go link shortener, it’s a much better fit for you if you’re planning to trim one link at a time and use it for a short while. 

Pros 

• One of the easiest link shorteners in this list, with an emphasis in its plug-in-and-go tool 
• Includes analytics in case you want to track clicks and performance  
• Allows you to establish a custom slug right away — Bitly only lets you when you sign up 

Cons 

• Only allows you to keep one active TinyURL at a time on the free version

Pricing: Free; $9.99/month (Pro); $99/month (Bulk 100K)

7. Tiny.CC

Tiny.CC is another free link shortener that allows you to create temporary short links by simply pasting your long link into a text box and pressing Shorten. Like TinyURL, you can also customize the slug.

If you register or become a paid subscriber, you can have non-expiring links and edit URLs later. If you’re a free user, the link will eventually expire and you cannot edit them once they’re generated. While it’s the most limited tool in this list, it’s also the easiest to use. 

It has the added benefit of having a short domain name.  Consider the difference between “TinyURL.com/example” and “Tiny.CC/example.” While the character count might not be so different, the shortened URL from Tiny.CC looks a lot more concise and trim. 

Best For

Quick and easy one-time link shortening. If you’re interested in more robust features, you can upgrade to one of Tiny.CC’s premium plans.  

Pros

• The easiest link shortener in this list — simply plug in and go
• Ability to customize the slug without needing to sign in 
• Paid options start at a cheaper price point ($5 versus Rebrandly’s $29, as an example)
• Easy option for quick link shortening

Cons

• The free tool is much more limited in scope and features than other options 

Pricing: Free; $5/month (Basic); $25/month (Business); $44/month (Pro); Custom (Enterprise) 

After you master shortening your URLs, you might also want to look into a similar process of creating QR codes, which acts like a shortcut to your website — but from print materials instead. 

Navigating Link Shorteners

If you have to share a few ginormous links, there’s no harm in shortening them because the process is quick and simple. Aside from being easier to look at, shortened links can also be helpful for print ads, physical signage, or places where you can’t link to another site.

There is a handful of free or affordable link shortening websites out there. But you might be wondering which to choose. To help you, we’ll leave you with a few quick tips. 

• If you don’t use website analytics software, you might want to use a link-shortener that includes basic stats like page views and clicks to measure your traffic. 
• If you want to customize your link, choose a shortener that allows you to edit the URL slugs. All of the options on the list allow you to do that, but some, like Bitly, require you to sign up for an account first. 
• Branded shortened links look and perform better than unbranded shortened links. Rebrandly and Bitly are two of the best options to brand your shortened links. 
• Use Tiny.CC and TinyURL for quick link shortening. They don’t require you to sign up and allow you to edit the slug in one simple step. 
• You won’t be able to transfer a link from one link shortener to another, so choose one wisely. 
• If you’re looking for the cheapest premium option, Tiny.CC starts at $5 monthly and offers comparable features to more expensive options. 

Use an URL Shortener to Drive More Referral Traffic 

Link shorteners allow you to place a link on places with limited character count and space. By using a URL shortener, you can ensure your site is visible on all of the platforms you’re on, boosting referral traffic and increasing leads from your marketing efforts. 

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in January 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

You didn’t think we’d launch a podcast network without a new HubSpot show, did you?

We’re excited to announce our new flagship podcast, The Shake Up, featuring comedian Alexis Gay and Venture Capitalist Brianne Kimmel. It’s produced by Senior Producer, Matthew Brown and brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network. 

The Shake Up offers business leaders unfiltered insights into companies that dared to be different. Alexis and Brianne talk with business leaders from disruptive companies like Square, Daily Harvest, and Nerdwallet about their investments and go-to-market strategies.

Sounds pretty cool, right? Well, now we’re going to tell you how we did it, including:

1. Our planning process
2. Building the format of the show
3. The structure of a successful podcast team

Let’s dive in.

How Can We Be Better and Different?

Once we know our business objective, audience, and budget we set out to put together a show concept that will resonate with our audience and help us hit our goals.

To do that, we needed to know what our audience is listening to today.

According to Chartable, there are over 8,334 branded podcasts on Apple Podcasts.

While we couldn’t audit all of them (we’re only human), we did want to understand the tactics used by the top podcasts in the business category. So, we did an audit.

We evaluated 20 high-performing business podcasts and gained five insights.

• Male Voices: 87% of the hosts were male.
• News & Commentary: 18 out of 20 podcasts provided commentary on industry news.
• Broadcast Communications: Very few shows used audience engagement tactics to connect the audience with the hosts.
• Business & Academic: The tone of the shows was lackluster and many used jargon.

This audit gave us the context to define our strategy.

How would our show be better and different?

• Diverse Voices: A commitment to diverse voices across hosts and guests.
• Research & Stories: Focusing editorially on relevant stories with added depth.
• Audience Engagement: Featuring our hosts and implementing tactics to engage the audience on social media.
• Business & Entertainment: We don’t have to be boring and unfashionable to talk business.

These became our editorial guidelines for the rest of the show.

Deciding on the Show Format

Next, we set our show format.

There are a few common podcast formats that have the ability to grow an audience.

• Interview: A show type that brings on an expert guest for a Q&A.
• Chat Cast: A co-hosted format where hosts provide commentary and criticism on a variety of topics.
• Debate: A co-hosted format where hosts take one side of the argument. Debating the facts, figures, and opinions on a given topic.
• Narrative: A journalistic-style podcast that includes research, scripts, and a strong storyline.

After exploring various formats, we went with a hybrid format — Chat Cast + Interview.

Bringing together the energy of a chat cast with the expertise of an interview.

Sample Episode topic: Why Is Every Company Suddenly A Media Company
Segment 1: The Context	In the opening segment, our co-hosts will provide context and talk through some fun facts and stats about the episode topic Ex.) HubSpot acquired The Hustle
Segment 2: The Debate / Discuss	In this segment, we’ll give our hosts a series of questions on the topic and questions we are featuring for some off-the-cuff opinions on both. Ex.) Should more SaaS companies follow suit? What happens to media companies if all companies are media companies?
Segment 3: The Interview	In this segment, we’ll bring on the business leader of the company/topic we are discussing to get the real story behind the decision and the other decisions that have made them successful. Ex.) Kipp Bodnar about the Hustle Acquisition

Finally, we had to figure out how we were going to make this thing.  

Your Podcast Team

To build a high-quality podcast, you need to invest in a team.

There are countless things that need to happen in the making of a show. We have broken down those responsibilities into eight core roles, but there are often teams of much more, and there are also teams of much less who are doing 3-4 jobs each:

1. Executive Producer — The showrunner. Head of operations, creates a vision for the overall show, leads pre-production through post-production, and manages the staff and logistics.
2. Senior Producer — Establishes content and narrative arc for each episode, writes and edits the scripts, coaches the host, manages the production calendar, research, prep; as well as produce interviews, tape edits, and does preliminary sound design.
3. Producer — Booking, research, interview prep, transcriptions, edits tape, creates outlines, and works on scripts.
4. Editor — Oversees the development of story ideas and gives critical feedback on story frameworks and scripts.
5. Host — Storyteller who shapes the show through their editorial decisions and personality. They prepare for interviews and write / edit scripts.
6. Managing Producer —New podcast development and builds management processes/paths necessary for a successful program.
7. Engineer —The first and final stop in the production process. Creates the soundscape for the show by editing and mastering audio to create a seamless listening experience.
8. Editorial Director — Shapes the vision and leads all planning and execution for podcasts. Drives the creative conception from ideation to execution. Collaborates with company leaders on distribution.

This list does not include the folks involved outside of podcast creation, including the creative team involved with making promotional assets, the person responsible for the communication plan of the show, and more.

Another layer of difficulty here is the decision of whether to build a team in-house or search for a podcast production agency that can fill these roles for you.

Resourcing was one of the biggest challenges in the creation of The Shake Up. We’ll let you behind the scenes on some of our decisions:

1. Internal or external talent for hosts: A host will make or break a podcast. Simple as that. They can either draw an audience in or push them away. We had a very specific vision for the hosts of our show and for that reason, we chose to lead an external search for talent. We chose Alexis and Brianne because of their combination of dynamism and experience, among other things.
2. Hire a sound engineer or bring in an agency: Engineers perfect the sound of your show. Because of the quality of sound we wanted for this show, we decided to bring in an agency because of the heavy expertise of their team and the resources they have for the job.

We were also lucky enough to have a Senior Producer, Matthew Brown, on staff, who has won awards for previous shows like The Growth Show.

So if you’re looking to invest in a team to create podcasts, use this list as a starting point to gain an understanding of the different moving parts, and carefully consider the decision of hiring for these roles, or bringing in some external help.

But the list is just a starting point, and if there’s anything that we can recommend about podcast creation, it’s the quote from Lao Tzu, “There is no greater danger than underestimating your opponent.” And your opponent, in this case, is the amount of work involved in creating a show.

Invest in the resources to do it right, and understand that it takes a village.

What Are You Waiting For?

Podcasts aren’t a new medium, but they are having a moment.

• Spotify has heavily invested in the podcast portion of their platform, striking exclusive deals with podcasts like The Joe Rogan Experience, and designing a total rehaul of the podcast UI.
• Statista predicts the industry will have a CAGR of 17%, reaching 164 million listeners in the US by 2023.
• Apple, not to be outdone, is making a bet on podcast subscriptions.

Will podcast marketing become as standard as content marketing? Will having a podcast become as ubiquitous as having a blog?

Time will tell, but it’s clear that this is the “wave” that many podcasters predicted.

At HubSpot, we have chosen to invest heavily in media going forward, and podcasts are a large part of that strategy. The HubSpot Podcast Network and The Shake Up are the first parts of that.

If, after reading this, you choose to invest in building one, here is a checklist you should follow:

1. Define your audience and their problem.
2. Decide if a podcast is a good medium to provide a solution to that problem.
3. Audit the podcasts in your target space, figure out how you can be better and different.
4. Propose the theme and format of your show.
5. Build a podcast team: host, producer, sound engineer.
6. You’re off to the races.

We are incredibly proud of the hard work that went into launching The Shake Up. Listen to it here on your favorite podcast platform.

Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint — a new blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of Black business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they’ve grown or scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures within their companies, or created side hustles, and how their stories can inspire and inform your own success.

Since the early 2000s, social media has impacted every aspect of people’s lives, including business. Entrepreneurs from all over the world have and continue to use social media as a tool to launch their brand, connect with people, and garner new customers.

Social media quickly replaced flyers as a form of marketing, and now business owners are investing their time into marketing strategies to reach 4.2 billion social media users worldwide.

Additionally, a Forbes article stated that 84% of respondents who completed a CMO Survey report using social media for brand building. One might even argue that social media is just as critical as a company’s website.

Social media has served as a staple in the Black community to connect in creative and hilarious ways through pictures, videos, words, and more. In fact, we’re so connected that it can take only a few minutes for people, services, or products to go viral on major social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, or Snapchat.

These sites have also helped Black-owned businesses gain visibility and engage with users in free, innovative ways.

I spoke with three social media experts who shared a list of strategies, resources, and success stories Black business owners can use to increase their following and expand their audiences. Let’s dive in.

6 Social Media Strategies for Black Business Owners

1. Build a community by creating engaging content.

Social media manager coach and content strategist Bolaji Ajibare believes creating engaging content is one of the main strategies Black-owned businesses should leverage.

Ajibare, who is popularly called TheSocialMediaOga, says that business owners should create material that allows them to interact with their followers. Entrepreneurs can grow their community by asking their audience what kind of information they’d like to see on their page to serve them properly.

Ajibare says it’s a good idea for users to incorporate various information to appeal to followers — including promotional, inspirational, and educational content, to display balanced material on their page.

Content and design strategist Alicia Noelle further emphasizes that business owners should post creative content that influences people to interact with them. Creating polls and responding to followers in the comments section are a couple of ways that business owners can communicate with their followers. Noelle says these efforts are the critical difference from simply gaining followers.

“I think that that’s what small businesses are going to have to realize as they change their marketing tactics in 2021, and beyond — that people are no longer going to buy from you because it looks pretty,” Noelle said. “They want to feel like they belong in your community, and you have to create that atmosphere for them.”

Social media expert and CEO of Thames Media Solutions, Michelle Thames, shared similar sentiments. Thames states that people forget that humans are on the other side of social media, and they still want to feel like they’re a part of a community.

“You have to nurture your audience by giving them tools and the resources,” she said. 

Thames adds, “Whether you have a product-based business or a service-based business, you have to solve [your audience’s] problem and let them know why they need to come to you.”

Noelle and Thames mentioned natural hair care line Mielle Organics as an example of a Black-owned business that has successfully curated a community around their social media pages.

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Social media influencers promote their line, and the company also offers promotions and giveaways. Mielle Organics features customers who use their products on their social pages, as well.

2. Write captions that resonate with your followers. 

Noelle recommends that business owners develop prompts for their captions to complement their graphics or videos before they post.

According to the content and design strategist, every caption needs to tell a story that resonates or connects with a business’s audience. The text should be more than two sentences and should also include a call-to-action encouraging followers to subscribe to the company’s email list, sign up for discounts, or buy an item.

Noelle used Breanna Aponte as an example of an entrepreneur who writes good captions. She says that Aponte tells stories with her posts that resonate with her followers. Even though her posts may be unrelated to her business, she can still sell her social media services because of her authenticity.

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Noelle suggests that business owners create captions that put followers in a different mindset and influence them to want to read what they have to say.

Business owners can share a behind-the-scenes look of their brand on their IG Stories, Twitter Fleets, or Facebook Stories.

Mattie James is an example of an entrepreneur who uses her Stories feature effectively as an influencer. James posts consistent content highlighting her family, daily routine, links to brand promotions, and more.

The Stories feature for all platforms is also a great way for entrepreneurs to promote what they have to offer and communicate with followers who respond to their posts via DM.

Thames recommends that businesses should spend 30 minutes to an hour each day engaging with customers and followers to prove that they’re a trusted, reliable source. This effort also makes followers feel like business owners care.

3. Create videos and reels.

Using videos and Instagram Reels is critical for businesses to maintain engagement and attract new followers.

“If you’re looking to do videos, Reels are going to help you get in front of more people because Instagram prioritizes their new features. Reels is a new feature, and they want to make sure that users use it,” Thames said.

Thames revealed she gained roughly 1,200 followers in 30 days using Instagram Reels, and she doesn’t even post every day. She emphasized that business owners’ Reels need to either be entertaining or educational. They should also be short, quick, and to the point, since people often have short attention spans on social media, proving why the feature is so popular.

She incorporated Instagram Reels into her clients’ social media strategy by encouraging them to make posts three to four times a week. She also mentions that entrepreneurs should be using IG Video and TikTok.

Marketing strategists Candace Junée and Ashley France are two entrepreneurs who use videos and IG Reels very well.

4. Post multiple times a week.

No matter if it’s a photo, Reel, story, or video, business owners should post on their page multiple times a week to not only secure sales, but to stay relevant.

Noelle identifies this strategy as the rapid-fire strategy for social media. She suggests business owners who sell products to post a minimum of once a day, but ideally two to three times a day by creating content using the other aforementioned strategies.  

If it is a service-based business, Noelle recommends businesses to post at least three times a week since solopreneurs usually lead this type of company, which can make this effort a daunting task. This strategy can also work for product-based businesses if they’re unable to post multiple times a day.

Mahdi Woodard is a marketing and branding guru who does a great job posting frequently on his page. Woodard posts simple but highly effective content to keep his followers engaged. He uses inspirational quotes and videos to promote his brand.

5. Leverage hashtags.

Hashtags are frequently used on platforms such Instagram and TikTok. Entrepreneurs use hashtags to attract potential followers and customers because it’s an easy way to be found, especially when they use niche and location-based hashtags.

Users tend to use hashtags a lot on Instagram and TikTok. Hashtagged words or phrases are one of the best free marketing tools if used correctly.

For instance, I found all three social media experts by using the #socialmediaexperts hashtag on Instagram for this blog post.

6. Use templates.

Bolaji says templates can be a beneficial tool for entrepreneurs because it makes your content layout look clean and consistent. It also makes life easier for business owners because they can use templates to publish their material quickly and efficiently.

Millennial money expert and founder of My Fab Finance, Tonya Rapley, uses templates on her Instagram page. Her page has a consistent color scheme which makes her page look cohesive and appealing.

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Every strategy mentioned above is guaranteed to help businesses grow, but Bolaji admits that sometimes business owners can’t use the same approach that got them to 1,000 followers to get 10,000. Even if they’re using all of these strategies, business owners have to stay up-to-speed and learn what method works best for them at various levels of their success.

7 Social Media Tools Black-Owned Businesses Can Use

The strategies listed above are beneficial, but business owners can’t produce quality content for followers if they don’t have the effective tools to make the process easier. Social media tools are essential for business owners to cater to their customers’ needs and provide excellent customer service through proper planning.

Take a look at the tools the social media experts suggested Black-owned businesses use, below.

1. Canva

Canva is a platform used for graphic design. Users can use the tool to create social media graphics, templates, documents, and other visual content.

Price:

Free Version: $0.00

Pro Version: $9.99/month or $119.99/year

Enterprise Version: $30.00/month per person

2. Flodesk

Flodesk is an email marketing service provider that’s built for creators to design and send automated marketing emails to help grow their following.

Price:

$38/month

$418/year

3. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a social media management platform that has a social network integration feature that gives users the ability to share content onTwitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinetrest and YouTube.

Price:

Professional: $49/month

Team: $129/month

Business: $599/month

4. Later

Later is an all-in-one social marketing platform that allows businesses to plan, analyze, and publish content for the top social networks.

Price:

Free Version: $0/month

Starter: $12.50/month

Growth: $20.83/month

Advance: $33.33/month

5. Planoly

Created as the first visual planner for Instagram, Planoly plans, schedules, and measures content across social networks such as Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter.

Price:

Free Version: $0

Solo: $7 billed annually or $9 month to month

Duo; $15 billed annually or $19 month to month

Custom: $23 billed annually or $29 month to month

6. Pixistock

Pixistock is a Black-owned visual content creation service that offers photos and graphics for websites and social media feeds.

Price:

Member Pricing

• 1-5 photos: $35 each
• 6-9 photos: $30 each
• 10-19 photos: $28 each
• 20-29 photos: $25 each
• 30-49 photos: $20 each
• 50+ photos: $18 each

Non-Member Pricing

• 1-5 photos: $45 each
• 6-9 photos: $40 each
• 10-19 photos: $38 each
• 20-29 photos: $35 each
• 30-49 photos: $30 each
• 50+ photos: $28 each

7. Airtable

Airtable is a low-code, cloud collaborative platform that allows users to build software tools that fit their needs. Users can customize their workflow and collaborate with other creators and creatives.

Price:

Free Version: $0

Plus: $12/month or $10 per seat/month billed annually

Pro: $24/month or $20 per seat/month billed annually

Although it takes commitment and time, social media provides Black entrepreneurs and creatives a space where their voices can be heard. I hope these suggestions will help Black-owned businesses share their talent — whether it be a service or a product — with the world.

A conversion funnel is a visual representation of the stages in a buyer’s journey, from the moment they land on your page until they complete a purchase. How do you create a conversion funnel, though, and how do you get the most from this tool? Let’s take a look.         

Should I Use the AIDA Model to Create My Conversion Funnel?

The AIDA model is the traditional way to track the customer journey. It’s based on the four classic stages people move through during the buying process: awareness, interest, desire, and action.

• Awareness: First, a person discovers your brand and becomes a lead.
• Interest: Next, you build their interest in your product.
• Desire: Then, your goal should be nudging prospects from simply thinking they like something to actively wanting it, possibly by making proposals or carefully placing glamorous adverts for repeat exposure.
• Action: Finally, you encourage a prospect to take the desired action―turning them into a customer.

Realistically, not everyone who visits your website will convert to a paying customer, which is why we use a funnel shape. Based on the AIDA model, then, a traditional-style sales marketing funnel might look something like this:

The problem? This is a rigid and fairly unrealistic way to view how people move through the stages of a sales cycle.

Leads are human, and the sales process is rarely linear. Often, people loop back to different stages in the sales cycle before they’re ever ready to complete the sale. In other words, people need nurturing before they’ll buy a product. As a marketer, you must understand their behaviors, their personalities, and their needs to convert them into paying customers.

Rather than a straightforward sales funnel, you need a more flexible conversion-based funnel, which will look something like this:

Don’t let the graphic intimidate you! While you might be tempted to start with a simple sales funnel, you’ll increase your chances of success if you start with a more flexible conversion funnel. Let me take you through exactly how it’s done.

How to Create a Conversion Funnel

There are nine main steps to creating a successful conversion funnel, based on a blend of AIDA and less restrictive techniques.

1. Determine Your Ideal Buyer Journey and Map It Out as a Funnel

The point of a conversion funnel is to build an effective buyer’s journey and increase your conversions. To increase your conversions, you must first identify your starting point and your end goal. In other words, you must identify three things:

• what your typical buyer’s journey looks like right now
• what your end goal is, or what action you want a prospect to take
• how you can improve your existing buyer’s journey in order to increase the likelihood of leads becoming paying customers

Once you’ve identified what your end goal is, you can map it out as a conversion funnel. Visualizing or mapping out your funnel can help you stay on track further down the line.

2. Set Goals for Each Stage in Your Funnel

Think of your funnel in three separate parts: the top, middle, and bottom.

Decide what you want from each stage of the funnel; for example, maybe you want to increase your traffic at the top of the funnel, boost your engagement rate in the middle, and increase your conversions at the end.

Once you’ve set some concrete goals, consider using tools to track your progress and ensure you’re meeting those objectives. For example, you might use Google Analytics or email automation software to measure your success rates.

Unless you’re clear on what you need from each stage in your funnel, it’s impossible to know if you’re meeting your targets. Spend some time reflecting on your overall goal before you build a conversion funnel.

3. Make a Content Plan for Each Stage in the Funnel

Each part of the funnel (top, middle, bottom) requires its own marketing plan to keep prospects moving from one stage to the next.

Top

The first stage is all about building brand and product awareness. You’re trying to generate some buzz and encourage prospects to learn more about your company and how your products can help them.

At this early stage, use visually engaging content such as videos, short blog posts, and social media posts to introduce your company and emphasize your brand story.

Middle

You have a person’s attention, so now it’s time to gain their trust and show them why they need your product.

A prospect could ultimately be in this stage for a while, so the focus should be on creating valuable, informative, and reliable content such as case studies, video tutorials, and downloads.

Bottom

The final stage should be focused on giving prospects a reason to buy your product, sign up for your service, or take any other action you desire. Marketing strategies at this stage could include free trials, actionable emails, and CTAs, or calls to action.

4. Implement Strategies and Create Content to Generate Awareness

At this first stage in your funnel, you’re trying to build hype around your brand and product. Why should a customer care about your company? How do your products solve the problems they have? Answer these questions to help build a content strategy for this stage.

Do some competitor research, too. Consider what you can learn from their landing pages, social media channels, and blogs. How are they reeling in potential customers?

With all these questions in mind, here are some examples of ways you might generate awareness and create appropriate content for the first stage of a conversion funnel.

• Consider using PPC ads to increase traffic in the first instance.
• Optimize your content for SEO so it ranks high in the search engine results. This way, people are more likely to find you online.
• Get on popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Post regularly and interact with followers to build some engagement.
• Set up a referral program to reward people for recommending your products and services to their social network.

Other ways you might build interest in your brand include, for example, trying influencer marketing, hosting interviews, creating informational guides, and designing printable checklists.

5. Generate Interest and Desire

While the AIDA model labels “interest” and “desire” as two separate outcomes, in real terms, they’re the same thing.

Generating interest, or building desire, comes down to one key thing: creating compelling content. You build some awareness around your brand, you show people why they “need” what you’re selling, and as a result they decide they “want” your product.

How do you create great content to nudge people along this stage of your funnel? Here are some ideas.

• Craft authoritative blog posts to educate your audience. If a user finds your content valuable, they’re more likely to trust you enough to spend money on your products.
• Show your product in action by creating a YouTube video. Video content helps people visualize how the product could benefit them, which in turn makes them feel like they “need” the item.
• If you have a prospect’s contact details, send them curated email content such as roundups of your top blog posts, customer testimonials, or and hints and tips that could benefit your reader.

There are some other ways you can generate interest, too, such as starting a podcast, creating some product guides, running a free trial program, or offering product samples.

6. Encourage Users to Take Action

At the end of the funnel, your goal is to convert a lead into a customer by encouraging the required action. While you could skip this step in the funnel if it works for your business, here are some ways you might optimize your strategy for this stage.

Create a PDF Download

Put together some valuable content in a PDF download and offer it in exchange for their contact details. Make sure your document promises to answer common questions your customers have, to encourage them to actually download it.

Here’s an example from LegalSuite, a legal services provider. Their customers typically want help with streamlining their operational efficiency. To help their customers, LegalSuite offers a free eBook with ways to make their legal operations run more efficiently.

The catch? Prospects must provide some contact details, which means that LegalSuite can follow up with them:

This is a great example of how to encourage an action without being pushy.

Add a Call to Action (CTA) to Relevant Resources

CTAs clarify the action you want people to take, so don’t forget to add them to the content you create.

At this stage of the funnel, you’re trying to entice customers to take a final step to complete the cycle, so give your CTAs a sense of urgency. Emphasize how your product can solve their problem and why they should act now.

Make it easy for customers to act by displaying the CTA somewhere prominent, like the top of a landing page, the end of a guide post, or in a colorful, clickable button at a strategic point in a YouTube video.

Finally, remember to test your CTAs to identify which strategy resonates most with your audience.

Send Actionable Emails

In many ways, great marketing is all about helping people help themselves.

Send them clear, concise, actionable emails emphasizing how they can solve their problems through buying your products or using your services.

Again, ensure there’s an obvious CTA so potential customers know what action you expect them to take.

Incorporate Customer Testimonials

Did you know that 72 percent of customers won’t make a purchase until they’ve read some reviews? Give those customers the reassurance they need to take the final step by adding some testimonials to your page.

You can either just ask customers for reviews, or you can take a look at your existing reviews on websites like Facebook and LinkedIn and ask for permission to share them in your content.

Where should you display testimonials?

It all depends on your audience, brand goals, and marketing strategy. You could, for example:

• include some quotes from positive reviews on your landing page
• embed a widget from a website like Trustpilot on your page so prospects can read your reviews before they buy
• link to videos of happy customers using your products (remember to thank them for trying out your product, too!)

Other Ideas

Finally, you might offer other incentives like free trials, competitor comparison guides, demo videos, and product samples to nurture leads into becoming paying customers.

7. Keep Customers

Great marketing is not just about finding customers. It’s about retaining them, too. Here’s why.

• Acquiring new customers can cost up to 30 times more than retaining customers.
• Your existing customers are, roughly, 50 percent more likely to try your new products.
• 40 percent of sales, on average, can be attributed to repeating customers.

Sounds great, right? Here are some strategies for retaining those all-important loyal customers.

Next-sell

Next-selling is when you follow up with a customer after a purchase and offer them a similar product with, perhaps, an attractive discount attached. Not only does this allow you to communicate with your customer and make them feel valued, but it’s a way to potentially increase revenue.

Say you want to know whether customers who buy coffee machines are more likely to buy a discounted toaster. You can send the customers who bought a coffee machine a discount code for toasters, and send a control group a full price ad on toasters.

Next-selling can provide you with helpful data to build effective funnels.

Create Loyalty Programs

Loyalty programs are crucial to any customer retention strategy, with 81 percent of millennials spending more money when they’re a member of a loyalty scheme. However, since loyalty schemes are nothing new, you need to get creative if you plan on building a winning program.

When you’re creating your own program, consider:

• using high levels of personalization
• giving customers flexibility around how to use their reward points
• offering extra perks and benefits to loyalty scheme members

Amazon Prime, for example, stands out because customers enjoy benefits like free same-day delivery, exclusive savings, and access to members-only shopping events.

With the Starbucks Rewards program, members pay through the Starbucks app, and they earn points towards perks like free food and drink. What’s really great about this scheme, though, is how it’s centralized through the app, meaning Starbucks can access large volumes of data about user behavior to inform their marketing strategy:

Make your loyalty program work for you by using it to monitor customer preferences and buyer behavior.

Product Updates

When you update your products, you’re keeping up with evolving customer demands and changing expectations. You’re showing your loyal customers that you value their continued loyalty.

For example, maybe you can update an app glitch, based on user feedback. Or, you could launch an add-on to improve a software download.

In short, product updates are a great way to improve the user experience.

Other Techniques

How else can you keep those all-important customers? Well, you can try marketing strategies such as:

• introducing member-only events
• sending out exclusive emails
• running contests or prize draws
• starting a customer service RSS feed

8. Grow Customers

Finally, don’t forget to capitalize on your existing customers by encouraging them to make more purchases. There are a few strategies you can try, so here’s a rundown of your best options.

Cross-sell

With cross-selling, you look at a customer’s most recent purchase and show them similar products they might be interested in. Or, during the sales process, you offer them other items which complement the item they’re currently buying.

For example, say someone buys a laptop from your website. As part of your sales funnel, you might also recommend a charger or laptop case to go along with their purchase.

Here’s a real example from REI Co-op. Say, for example, a lead decides to view a set of strength trainers. Under the product listing, there’s a “people also viewed” list, which highlights similar products the lead might be interested in:

It’s not a pushy strategy, but it nurtures leads in the right direction.

Upsell

Upselling means offering a customer a more expensive alternative to the item or service they’re interested in.

For example, if someone selects a free subscription to your service, you might highlight the cheapest paid subscription option to them.

• When you’re upselling, it’s helpful to compare products or services side-by-side.
• However, don’t try to upsell a product if it’s substantially more expensive than what the potential customer wants to buy. Otherwise, the strategy could backfire!

Just remember, though, to avoid being too pushy at all times when you’re upselling.

Here’s a good example from Best Buy. The customer views an entry-level MacBook Air. Above the product, they see other more expensive products from the MacBook range, one of which also has an enticing discount attached to it:

The products advertised aren’t massively different in price from the viewed product, and it’s a good, subtle example of upselling.

Other Strategies

There are a few other strategies you can try to grow your customer base and build your business, including:

• sending out discounts to loyal customers
• personalizing your marketing emails
• issuing more voucher codes

Test out a few strategies and identify which ones resonate best with your customers.

9. Address Funnel Problems

In reality, there’s no such thing as a perfect funnel. However, if your funnel is underperforming, it could be due to common errors such as:

• leaving out a strong CTA
• forgetting to start with a clear brand message
• using too many steps in your funnel
• misreading your funnel analytics data
• failing to follow up with leads

To find out why your funnel isn’t working optimally, you need to run some A/B testing or use an analytics tracking tool like Google Analytics (GA) or Hotjar.

Alternatively, you can perform some lead outreach. Send out surveys or ask for feedback about the website user experience, and always take negative comments on board when you’re refining your funnel. They’ll give you very clear insight on what your audience does or doesn’t want.

Conversion Funnel Tracking With Optimizely

Want to experiment with different funnel variations and track their performance? Give Optimizely a try.

It’s easy enough to use. Once you’ve registered, simply head to your “Experiments” dashboard, select “Create New,” and choose whichever experiment you want to run, such as A/B testing or a personalization campaign:

After you create your experiments, you can track them from your dashboard and make whatever changes best suit your marketing strategy. For example, you might refine your CTA or emphasize a new product. You can run multiple variations simultaneously, too, and track which one works best.

Whatever your conversion goal, Optimizely can help you realize it. Sign up for a free version, or choose a paid subscription with more advanced features if your marketing budget can stretch to it.

How to Track Your Conversion Funnel With Google Analytics

Conversion Funnel Frequently Asked Questions

What are the four stages of the AIDA model?

The four stages are “Attention,” “Interest,” “Desire,” and “Action.” You’re trying to attract attention, generate interest, encourage the customer to want the product, and have them take the desired action.

What’s the difference between goals and funnels?

The goal is the objective you’re trying to achieve e.g., a customer completing a sale. The funnel is the journey the prospect takes to reach this goal.

How do you visualize a funnel?

Start by checking out funnel visualization tools like Google Analytics.

What is the purpose of a funnel?

A conversion funnel shows you the paths people take on their journey from visiting your website to becoming paying customers.

Conversion Funnel: Conclusion

Think of your conversion funnel as an evolving process. Just as your customers want and need change over time, so should you adapt your goals and funnel strategy to match.

When you strive to give your customers the user experience they’re hoping for, you won’t just build a loyal client base: you’ll stand out from your competitors, too.

Have you built your first conversion funnel yet?