Content Curation: How to Write Less and Publish More?

May 9th, 2020 — Evan Murray | 0 comments

How to generate a large amount of high-quality content if unique materials do not always have enough resources?

Use ready-made. Do you think I suggest plagiarism or copy-paste? There is no need for this, because there is an absolutely legal method - curation of content.

Do you want to properly manage ready-made publications to increase your expertise? Then let’s get together what curation is and what role it plays in content marketing.

What is content curation?
Quotes, subject collections, article digests - if you have ever published something like this on your blog or social networks, feel free to call yourself overlord content curator.

Wikipedia gives this concept the following definition:

Content curation is the collection, systematization, and republishing of information that is relevant to a particular topic or field.

In other words, to oversee is to find relevant content and share it with the audience . The company Hootsuite in his blog develops the idea that supervision does not require the creation of unique materials. But I think this approach is fundamentally wrong. I will explain why.

You can’t just host someone’s content. Copying information without indicating the source infringes copyright, lowers the site’s result in search results and undermines your confidence.

And if you publish third-party material with a link to the source? Yes, you will share an interesting publication with users, but they are unlikely to become more loyal specifically to you. Because they will not see the unique “I” of the company.

For curated content to work, add an author’s interpretation . Such an “arrangement” requires effort, albeit not the same as creating material from scratch. That’s why I think curation is impossible without my own content.

Imagine that you have found an article on the Internet that will be interesting to readers of your blog. If you place it without indicating the source, you simply steal it. If you duplicate and indicate the source, act according to the law, but lose it in the eyes of the reader, because they have not brought anything new to the publication. How to proceed?

The best option is to adapt the material. For example, the article How to choose the day and time of sending letters to increase openness is written on the basis of a publication from the English-language blog Kajabi. But I did not just publish the finished material - I translated it, adapted it to our realities and supplemented it with examples that were clear to readers. This is the curation of content.

Rules for curation of your own content

These methods also work for your materials. Supervising your own content is not only possible, but also necessary. Make your publications rework. And it will be even cheaper and faster. You don’t even need to look for anything, because the necessary information is already at hand.

Use 3 rules:

Analyze , which publications are most popular.
Check if everything is ok with the content. If you used the material six months ago, make sure the links are still working and the content is still up to date.

Prepare a new serve. You should not publish content in the same form as the first time. Pick a new image, update the preview or, for example, combine several materials into one, as we did:
Featured Articles - Facebook Post

These Signs Alert you about Sight Problems

February 3rd, 2020 — Evan Murray | 0 comments

Sudden drop in vision, photophobia or blackheads … A visual symptom should never be taken lightly. In addition to routine exams, here are the signs that should motivate you to consult a specialist with Dr Christophe Orssaud, ophthalmologist at the European Georges-Pompidou Hospital in Paris.

Summary
Eye problems: worrying symptoms
General practitioner, ophthalmologist, emergencies: who to consult in case of vision problems?
Eye diseases: people at risk

Eyesight problem worrying signs
At the ophthalmologist, 3 out of 10 glasses request consultations are an opportunity to discover a pathology. Eye disorders should not be taken lightly. Doctissimo explains the signs that should worry you and how to react thanks to Dr Christophe Orssaud, ophthalmologist at the European Georges-Pompidou hospital in Paris.

Eye problems: worrying symptoms
These are mainly sudden visual phenomena that should alert such as:

A sudden drop in visual acuity which can be linked to a detachment of the retina;
A vascular disease ;
A hemorrhage in a diabetic patient ;
The deformation of the lines or “metamorphopsies” which evokes AMD (age-related macular degeneration);
A photophobia makes exposure to light uncomfortable, even painful, especially in the lens port of complications (infections);
The appearance of ” flying flies ” or black dots , very frequent, but which can signal a hole in the retina in very rare cases, causing detachment of the retina ;
The fact of seeing double abruptly ( diplopia ) can evoke a neurological problem, vascular ( stroke ), a head and neck cancer …

General practitioner, ophthalmologist, emergencies: who to consult in case of vision problems?
A dry eye due to lifestyle (pollution, screens), a conjunctivitis bacterial, viral or allergic accompanied by purulent secretions or not (pruritus) are pathologies that can be supported by a general practitioner .

If you suffer from a sudden visual phenomenon , do not hesitate to go directly to the emergency room if your ophthalmologist cannot receive you immediately. Early care can prevent blindness.

In case of shock or trauma to the eye, it is also necessary to go to the emergency room .

Eye diseases: people at risk
Some people are more likely to have eye disease:

The diabetes may develop retinopathy with diabetes treated badly;
The cardiovascular risk individuals ( cholesterol , overweight , etc.);
Patients whose parent has had glaucoma .
Age is also a risk factor. Thus, children under the age of 3 must be closely monitored and seen at least once by a specialist before entering kindergarten. Between the ages of 20 and 45 , there is no point in consulting if all is well. For people whose eyesight is corrected by glasses or lenses, it is advisable to consult every 5 years. After age 65 , one examination per year is required.

Does Web Hosting Affect SEO Rankings?

July 30th, 2019 — Evan Murray | 0 comments

For the vast majority of sites on the Web, search engine results are a huge source of visits. Many sites rely solely on organic traffic for sights and revenue. While there are many factors that affect search engine optimization, the most overlooked is the web host without context. Like it or not, the place where a site resides can make a difference in the search results. Poor hosting can undermine at least five significant ways the health of SEO large and small sites.

Slow server performance
More and more, the search duopoly of Google and Bing consults the speed of a site means server speed to determine who should appear at the top of their results. Proportionally, a site that offers faster page loading time and lower latency will perform better in the results. The emphasis on the speed of a site that started with the update of Google’s Caffeine algorithm has increased in recent years. Choose a hosting provider that uses fast SSDs for storage and is equipped with the latest fiber optic network technology.

Poor availability & reliability
When evaluating the overall quality of a site, the major search engines do not just consider page load times. Availability time is also taken into account in the equation since a site that suffers from frequent failures does not provide users with an exceptional experience. Although occasional service outages are unavoidable, it is preferable that maintenance interruptions are minimized and scheduled during off-peak hours. Repetitive service failures will eventually hurt smaller sites that have trouble competing for pages appearing in search results.

Poor security
In simple terms, a host who does not take security seriously will hurt you sooner or later in the SEO department if this is not already the case. Hosting providers who do not regularly use a patch for their virtualization software, do not update BIND servers and do not monitor firewalls just waiting to be hacked. Search engines do not like sites whose hosts have a lax reputation for security. In addition, the consequences of a security breach can permanently destroy a site’s reputation.

The effect of bad neighborhood
One of the lesser-known, yet real, threats faced by shared-hosting sites is the bad-neighbor effect . The theory is as follows: if an unsavory site is located on a particular IP address, the other sites that share this IP address will be guilty by association in the eyes of Google. You can check the effect of bad neighborhood using tools such as Bad Neighborhood that is aptly named and ask for a new IP address from your host if necessary.

Server locations & target markets not matching
Your choice of webhost may affect SEO depending on where their data centers are because of the growing importance of geolocation. Google expects sites that target a particular geographic area to locate its servers nearby. If your site has a country-specific top-level domain, you’d better host your site in that country. If you can not do it for any reason, use Google Webmaster Tools to notify the search giant that your site is destined for a specific region.

Choose wisely your host
It is clear that hosting influences the positioning of a site in the results for a given search query. The importance of decent hosting only grow as the web becomes more competitive and content creators redouble their efforts. To choose a host, it is always wise to act carefully and do some research. Check out the latest user reviews and actual performance statistics carefully before choosing a particular web host.

Know the stages of the sales funnel
The sales funnel is essentially to ensure that your audience downloads the application, it acts (eg buying something through the application or providing their information by email ) and your application becomes a regular part of his day. This sales funnel can work forward and backward.

Download the app
The hardest part is not even this step, it is the first. Publicizing and downloading your app is the first step you need to take. You can market your app across multiple channels, from social marketing to contests to search advertising. You can also market your app through other companion apps and smartphone app stores .

Get users to activate the app
Unfortunately, users tend to avoid activation even after downloading the app. If you want to sell them the app, you need to get them to activate it.

There are many ways to encourage this. One of them is to collect emails when they download the app so that you can send them training and encouragement to get them to activate and use the app. You’ll be able to send push notifications and messages within the app, and you can even create a message center so your users can view the messages at any time.

What is Recyclable Packaging?

July 22nd, 2019 — Evan Murray | 0 comments

A recyclable packaging is a package that can be processed for re-use. It can therefore be described as ecological because it reuses the same material instead of producing a new one, which generates a preservation of natural resources . In addition, recycling packaging reduces the number of waste and therefore the pollution present in the environment.

What is recycling?
According to the definition of Wikipedia, recycling is a “process of treatment of metals, plastics, waste (industrial waste or household waste) that allows to reintroduce, in the production cycle of a product, materials that made up a similar product. end of life, or manufacturing residues … Recycling has two major ecological consequences :

the reduction of waste volume and therefore the pollution they cause (some materials take decades or even centuries to degrade);
the preservation of natural resources , since the recycled material is used for packaging https://wellpackeurope.com instead of the one that should have been extracted “.
However, some types of waste can be difficult or impossible to recycle. This is the case of toxic waste, nuclear waste, radioactive waste, etc. They are grouped together under the term “hazardous waste”.

For each type of waste, there is a different type of recycling: recycling of plastic, recycling of household waste, recycling of industrial waste, etc.

single corrugated cardboard
Recyclable cardboard with the symbol RESY (far right)

What are the different types of waste?
Before going into the explanations of the recyclable packaging strictly speaking, let’s learn to distinguish the different types of waste. There is :

the organic waste which are of animal or vegetable origin and which decompose under the action of microorganisms and bacteria;
the biodegradable waste (or organic waste ) which include all objects made of components generated naturally and which come from the kitchens of restaurants, agriculture, agro-industry, the paper and timber industry or just household waste they also decompose under the action of bacteria and micro-organisms;
the recyclable waste that collect all waste which can undergo treatment in order to recover the material and reuse;
the inert waste that correspond to waste “undergo any significant physical, chemical or biological, which do not break down, do not burn, do not produce any physical or chemical reaction, are not biodegradable and do not damage the materials with which it to be in contact… ” ;
the electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) include all end of life appliances running on electricity or due to electromagnetic fields, eg a computer or refrigerator;
the hazardous waste which, as their name suggests, are hazardous to health and the because of their direct effects / indirect short and long-term environment, they are usually disposed of by incineration.
The first two categories of waste do not need recycling as they decompose and are absorbed by the ecosystem. The last three categories include waste that we do not have a recycling solution at the moment. Hoping that the future will give us solutions! For the rest of the article, we focus on recyclables.

Aluminum film roll

What are the recyclable materials?
Nowadays, many packaging can be recycled. Here is a non-exhaustive list of all the materials that can be recycled with examples of recycled packaging:

steel that can produce tools or tin cans
aluminum that can be used for new beverage cans, rolls of aluminum foil , etc.
the cardboard used to create new paper and board recycling
the white paper and the kraft paper used in the creation of new paper envelopes or in the manufacture of cellulose insulation
the plastic (HDPE or HDPE, PP, PET, etc.) that can be used for the creation of new vessels, plastic bottles and covers mainly non-food (since 2008, materials suitable for food contact that is recycled can be used to new containers suitable for food contact following a strict regeneration process)
the polystyrene (PS or PES) which is recycled to the industrial level (and not at the particular) to create hangers, CD boxes or packaging (for the PSE only)
cardboard hamburger shell

Hamburger box in recyclable cardboard

What about food packaging? Are they recyclable?
Everyone has had to ask the question at least once in their life: can we recycle dirty food packaging ?

The answer is yes ! This applies to many packaging: plastic bottles (water bottles, soda) or metal (syrup bottle) beverage cans, cardboard boxes burgers , the pizza box in cardboard, tinned metal, etc. No need to clean them, just empty them well.

Only exceptions:

the sandwich bags , the pastry bags and other papers having been soiled by food because they have become too fat
yogurt pots and plastic bags because the plastic is far too thin to be recovered

Equipment to Check the Car Health before Buying

March 21st, 2019 — Evan Murray | 1 comment

It seems you found it. The car from the ad low mileage, suitable displacement, one owner and an adequate price . Bonus - beautiful color . Before you finally fall in love, allow yourself to be skeptical and check the technical condition of the car . We tell you what equipment is needed.

Car inspection tools
A thickness gauge, a flashlight, a computer diagnostic scanner and a compressometer are what they most often take with them to check the car.

Most often, professional appraisers rely more on their own eyes and ears. They inspect the body, interior and engine compartment, check the operation of the engine , chassis and gearbox. In parallel with this, equipment is used that confirms or refutes the guesswork. A subsequent visit to the service station or service shows how critical the damage is and how much money will be spent on repairs.

Thickness gauge
Auto Check - Thickness Gauge

The device shows the thickness of the paintwork of the car. There are several types, but you are suitable magnetic, universal and ultrasonic. The latter is the most expensive, but it reads values ​​not only from metal, but also from plastic, glass and other materials.

There are many offers for rent, look for offers in your city. In Yekaterinburg, the thickness gauge will cost from 300 to 800 rubles. per day + deposit.

Auto check - using thickness gauge

Factory paint coat - from 70 to 180 microns. If the car is partially repainted or restored after an accident, you will see a large variation in values.

Start the test from the roof, it is less likely to be damaged. Lean the thickness gauge in 4-5 different places, remember the approximate figures.

Go to the front and rear racks. If everything is in order, continue to check the doors, wings and thresholds.

Read indicators
A normal difference is 30 microns. But if the hood shows 110 microns, and the adjacent wing - 250, then the part was probably painted. If the figure is closer to 400, then, most likely, the wing was putty. Refuse to buy or not, you decide. We advise not to take such a car without checking the geometry of the body on a special stand.

Torch
Auto Check - Flashlight

It will be useful to you to highlight the dark places. It will help to see the smudges on the engine or the box, welds, no connections have leaked, in what condition the spars.

What need a flashlight
Large spotlight you do not need - with it will be inconvenient to inspect the engine compartment. Therefore, choose a compact flashlight with a bright beam. Before buying, ask the seller whether the device is discharged in the cold.

The smartphone’s flashlight will also work if the phone is not quickly discharged.

Scanner for computer diagnostics
The tool reads errors from the onboard computer of the car. Most scanners are not designed for use by non-professionals, and it’s not just the price: the scanner needs to be properly connected and able to read data from it.

It is intended for deep diagnostics. What is sold for 5, 10 thousand rubles - a fake. But with them you can check the car, for example, with unlicensed ELM327. There are thousands of scanners with this name on the network. It is only borrowed from the Americans and has become a household name. It costs from 1500 rubles.

Auto Check - Computer Diagnostic Scanner

To start working with it, you will need to download a special program. If for the original scanner it costs about $ 30 per brand, then in the case of the Chinese replica you can not spend a penny. The device will show errors, engine speed, its load, coolant temperature, fuel system status, pressure and fuel consumption, etc.

The device is connected to the onboard computer of the car. The latter can be hidden near the steering column, in the passenger’s feet or under the dashboard - it all depends on the make and model of car.

For a deeper check, contact the service center or auto experts with professional equipment.

Compressometer
Kompressomet needed to measure compression. However, here auto examiners are discouraged from buying:

“To measure the compression, you need to unscrew the plugs in the engine. And to make it on some cars is not so easy. If the compression is not in some kind of cylinder, the engine will not work well ”, - Alexander Makarov, founder of the Autoexpert company .

Auto Check - Compressometer

This means that if the engine runs smoothly, you will not need a compression gauge. Otherwise, to buy the device is not so difficult.

What equipment to check the cars used in the diagnostic center
Conventional HUNDREDS do not offer anything special, except for the multi-brand scanner, elevator and micro probe. Here you can better assess the condition of the suspension, especially the side members. Bent or new spars say that the car is broken.

Dealers have a mono-mark scanner, a diagnostic stand and deeper knowledge of a particular car. They will also have the right set of tools, a hydraulic jack and a lift. You check the condition of the electrics, engine, brakes, suspension and gearbox.

Auto Check - Equipment

Specialized services can have several scanners, electronic testers, ultrasonic bath, gas analyzer and other devices. In addition to all of the above, the masters assess the state of the throttle valves, see if the mileage is not twisted, measure the fuel pressure, check the operation of the air conditioner.

It should be understood that the fancy tool does not guarantee perfect vehicle inspection. The results need to be interpreted correctly, and this already depends on your level of training or the specialist you are referring to.

Do not forget to check the auto history
Before meeting with the seller, check the history of the car. It is possible that the car was pledged or stolen , it had a twisted mileage , restrictions on registration actions, or often got into accidents . In this case, it is better not to waste your time, abandon the problem option and continue the search.

To learn the history of the car on the license plate or VIN will help service “CarZaamin”. The service checks the car in more than 15 official source databases: traffic police, EAISTO, RSA, FTS, FCS, FNP and others.

The information obtained will help you check the seller for honesty. In addition, if you find minor problem areas with the car, with the help of the report you can throw off the price of the used car.

If you do not have the time or opportunity to inspect the car yourself, ask for the help of the CarZaamin on-site check . Leave the application on the website, and the specialist will arrive at the place at any specified time. He will make a full inspection of the car and give you a full report on the technical condition of the car.

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