The Bird's Eye in the Age of Algorithms :Why Freelancers and Solopreneurs Need Clarity More Than Reach

 

A few days ago, I was watching yet another discussion about LinkedIn.

The comments were predictable.

"Reach is dead."

"LinkedIn wants everyone to pay."

"Engagement pods don't work anymore."

"The algorithm is against small creators."

And as I scrolled through those conversations, I was reminded of a story many of us grew up hearing.

The story of Arjuna.

---

What Do You See?

Guru Dronacharya gathered his students and pointed toward a bird sitting on a tree.

He asked each student the same question.

"What do you see?"

One replied:

"I see the tree."

Another said:

"I see the branches and leaves."

A third answered:

"I see the bird."

Then Arjuna stepped forward.

"What do you see?"

Arjuna replied:

"I see only the eye of the bird."

Nothing else.

Not the tree.

Not the leaves.

Not the distractions.

Only the target.

And that is why he succeeded.

---

Today's LinkedIn Feels Like That Tree

Right now, most professionals on LinkedIn are looking at everything except the target.

Some are staring at impressions.

Some are staring at follower counts.

Some are staring at engagement rates.

Some are staring at algorithm updates.

Some are staring at what LinkedIn is doing next.

And yes, LinkedIn is changing.

Let's be honest.

The signs are visible.

We are seeing:

• Personal post boosting
• More emphasis on video
• Creator monetization initiatives
• Better detection of artificial engagement
• Reduced effectiveness of engagement pods
• More opportunities for paid amplification

None of this should surprise us.

Every platform eventually moves in this direction.

Facebook did.

Instagram did.

YouTube did.

LinkedIn is not a charity.

It's a business.

And businesses optimize for revenue.

---

The Mistake Most Creators Are Making

Many people are treating LinkedIn like they own it.

They don't.

None of us do.

LinkedIn can change its algorithm tomorrow.

It can introduce new visibility rules next month.

It can prioritize video over text next year.

And there is very little we can do about it.

Yet I see freelancers spending hours discussing platform changes while spending very little time discussing customer problems.

Think about that for a moment.

The platform is becoming the focus.

The audience is becoming secondary.

That's the opposite of how businesses grow.

---

What Is Your Bird's Eye?

This is the question every freelancer and solopreneur should ask themselves today.

Why are you on LinkedIn?

Not the motivational answer.

The real answer.

Are you here to:

• Get clients?
• Build authority?
• Create opportunities?
• Grow a personal brand?
• Build a community?
• Create partnerships?
• Generate leads?

Because your answer changes everything.

If your goal is getting clients, then impressions are not the target.

If your goal is building authority, then likes are not the target.

If your goal is creating opportunities, then follower count is not the target.

These are merely indicators.

The target is different.

Arjuna understood this.

Most creators don't.

---

Freshers Should Stop Panicking

One concern I keep hearing is:

"What about people who can't afford ads?"

My answer may surprise you.

Most freshers do not need ads.

At least not yet.

The majority of people struggling on LinkedIn are not struggling because they lack ad budgets.

They are struggling because they lack clarity.

Many haven't defined:

• Who they help
• What problem they solve
• Why someone should trust them
• What makes them different

Without those answers, paid promotion simply amplifies confusion.

Imagine putting a loudspeaker in front of someone who doesn't know what they want to say.

The problem isn't volume.

The problem is the message.

---

The Hidden Opportunity Most People Are Missing

While many creators are worrying about reach, something more important is happening.

LinkedIn appears to be rewarding relevance.

For years, people found shortcuts.

Engagement pods.

Comment exchanges.

Artificial interactions.

"Comment YES and I'll send it."

"DM me for the secret."

Vanity metrics became the game.

But platforms eventually learn.

Because their users demand better experiences.

If LinkedIn is genuinely trying to identify authentic engagement and reduce manipulation, that is actually good news for professionals who have expertise.

Good news for consultants.

Good news for freelancers.

Good news for solopreneurs.

Good news for people who are willing to earn trust instead of manufacturing popularity.

---

The Difference Between Starting and Scaling

This is where I think many creators get confused.

Starting and scaling are different games.

When you're starting:

You need:

• Clarity
• Consistency
• Conversations
• Credibility

That's it.

Twenty relevant people engaging with your content are more valuable than two thousand random impressions.

But once you understand:

• Your audience
• Your messaging
• Your positioning
• Your offer

Then scaling becomes important.

And scaling may include paid promotion.

There's nothing wrong with that.

In fact, it may become increasingly necessary.

The problem isn't paid reach.

The problem is trying to scale before you've built something worth scaling.

---

The Future Belongs to Adaptable Professionals

History rewards adaptation.

Not resistance.

The businesses that survived industrial revolutions adapted.

The professionals who survived technological shifts adapted.

The creators who survived every algorithm update adapted.

The same principle applies today.

The freelancers who win over the next few years won't necessarily be the people with the biggest audiences.

They will be the people who understand where attention is moving and position themselves accordingly.

They will learn video.

They will learn storytelling.

They will build communities.

They will experiment.

And when the platform changes, they won't complain endlessly.

They'll adjust.

---

One Final Thought

When Dronacharya asked his students what they could see, the answer revealed something deeper than eyesight.

It revealed focus.

Today, LinkedIn is the tree.

The algorithm is the leaves.

The engagement pods are the branches.

The impressions are the bird.

But your business goals?

Those are the eye.

And the professionals who continue to grow, regardless of what LinkedIn changes next, will be the ones who keep their attention fixed on the target.

Because platforms change.

Features change.

Algorithms change.

But the fundamentals never do.

People still buy from people they trust.

And trust is still built one meaningful interaction at a time.

The question isn't whether LinkedIn is changing.

The question is whether you're looking at the tree... or the eye.

Rethinking Work: Circa 2027 and Beyond

 

This story takes place in the near future at the HQs of most companies. It's about you or someone you know.

---

Natalie Ferris had been an HR Business Partner for fourteen months. Before that, talent strategy at a mid-cap tech company. Before that, management consulting. She moved fast because she thought fast, and right now something was bothering her. This was more true after attending a briefing on Paul Sackett's remarkable study that pretty much puts every existing hiring system and HR tech stack at risk.

One of her business leaders, Tom Hadley, had just lost his senior analyst. Tom did what everyone does – sent Natalie the req to backfill. Same title. Same JD. Same level.

But Natalie had been watching Tom's team. Half of that analyst's work – reporting, data pulls, formatting exec decks – was already being done faster by AI tools two junior people had started using. The other half – strategic synthesis, cross-functional storytelling – was really being done by Tom himself because the analyst had never been strong at it.

So why were they hiring the same role again?

She brought it to her CHRO, Diane Colbert with an idea for rethinking work. The idea turned out to be profound.

Diane listened for twenty minutes. Then she called the CEO's office. "Rich, I need thirty minutes today. Natalie on my team has developed something we need to move on."

That afternoon, Natalie sat across from Rich Kessler with Diane beside her.

"We don't have a hiring problem," Natalie said. "We have a work design problem.

Every tool we use – job descriptions, reqs, interviews – is built to fill one seat at a time. But nobody's designing work at the level where it actually happens: the team, the project, the department. That's where performance lives. That's where AI changes things. And that's where we should be starting."

Rich leaned forward. "What does that look like in practice?"

"We tie it to the operating plan. Instead of writing a job description for a person, we write a performance-based job description for the department. First!

Use AI to design work at the team or department level.

We first ask: What measurable outcomes connect this department to the business plan we've already committed to? We define the high-level work first – no headcount, no titles, no org chart."

She pulled up an example from Tom's analytics department that had this major key performance objective from the department-level description: Deliver weekly revenue intelligence briefings that enable the commercial team to adjust pricing and pipeline strategy within 48 hours of market shifts.

"That's the department's job," Natalie said. "You'd never get there writing individual JDs in isolation. That briefing isn't any one person's job – it's the team's job. How the work gets distributed across people and AI is a design decision that only makes sense at the department level."

"So what happens to the individual role?" Rich asked.

"It gets shaped by the team design. Today, the senior analyst spent 70% of her time pulling data and building dashboards. AI handles that now. The real human work is interpreting the data, knowing which signals matter to which leaders, and presenting a point of view that drives action. So the individual objective becomes: Synthesize AI-generated market and revenue data into strategic recommendations, and present actionable briefings to commercial leadership weekly. Completely different hire."

It's comparable to telling our controller to "Get out of the numbers and make a difference!"

"Yes, and you only get there by designing the team first," Rich said.

"Exactly. Here's the process:

• Step one, define the department's outcomes from the business plan.
• Step two, assess your people by real capabilities and interests, not legacy titles.
• Step three, filter every task – can AI do it, assist it, or is it irreducibly human?
• Step four, identify what's missing and build a plan. Maybe a hire. Maybe training. Maybe a contractor or a better tool."

Rich sat back. "I've been asking for two years how we get more from our headcount. Every answer is 'hire more' or 'cut costs.' Nobody's said design the work at the team level to match the plan we already have. This is such a great idea, Natalie!"

Then Diane threw in a little surprise. “Natalie’s already developed a Work Analyzer tool using AI that actually does much of this work. It creates the team and individual performance-based job descriptions by analyzing everything it knows about the people and their abilities in the context of the department objectives. With your okay she’ll begin testing it out with Tom’s department.”

"You got it!," Rich said without hesitation.

---

That's the disruptive idea here and how to think beyond the job description by changing the unit of design. Stop designing individual jobs in isolation. Start designing teams, projects, and departments as integrated systems – then let the individual roles emerge from that design.

One way to get started is asking AI how to rebuild your company's entire hiring process.

Most important, never ask AI how to hire the same people faster.

How Two Irish brothers 7 Lines of Code Turned Into a $36 Billion Empire

 

Two Irish brothers in their 20s outplayed the finance industry with seven lines of code

 On June 24 last year, Patrick Collison, the co-founder of Stripe, posted a Tweet saying

 

Hit our engagement metrics this weekend!

The Tweet was accompanied by an engagement ring — which explained the kind of metrics Patrick was talking about.

Suhail Doshi, the founder of Mixpanel, was quick with a response:

 

That’s one way to increase user retention.

 

Yeah, it’s safe to say these guys have a great sense of humor. Which isn’t surprising, considering their seemingly absurd solution to online payments.
 

Instead of chasing 1000-hour programming contracts to build clunky payments solutions for each individual client, the Collison brothers built 7 lines of code that developers could simply plug into their websites.

The result is Stripe — a company that has more cash than it knows what to do with.

Here are the two main reasons why this worked so well.

 

1. They empowered developers 

When Stripe was launched in 2010, it was essentially a community of developers
See, back in 2010, setting up a payments system for your business was an extremely tedious process. Most integrations at the time took weeks and months to set up. It was an exhaustive process, involving several departments — from legal to accounting.

In most companies, financial integrations were a top-down decision that came from managers who knew little about the technical nightmare of the integration process. They would set arbitrary goals and deadlines, and pass the responsibility onto developers who had to outdo themselves in order to meet expectations.
 

Stripe changed all that by giving developers a quick and reliable way to set up payments. As a result, they built an army of champions for their product, effectively bypassing the “decision makers,” most of whom would have never believed that 7 lines of code can replace custom integrations that took up to 6 months to build.

2. They made payments ridiculously simple

Banks. Credit card companies. Regulators. Yes, the payments industry has a lot of police officers. And you need to get approval from all of them before the dollars falling into your bank account are considered legal.

Stripe changed all that. Collison brothers spent 2 years testing their platform and building relationships with credit card companies, banks and regulatory institutions. John and Patrick spent countless hours presenting their product to authorities and building enough trust to partner with them. As a result, users only have to upload a couple of documents to set up their fully operational Stripe account.

Even Mike Moritz, one of Paypal’s first investors, agrees that setting up payments for businesses was way too complicated before Stripe.

Another reason why Stripe blew up is because it was so universal. Platforms like Shopify and Lyft rely on payment simplicity — each additional step in account verification can mean millions of churned users. Stripe’s 7 lines of core code worked just as well in any environment, enabling billions of emerging platform users with same-week verification. 

 

Stripe = Genius + Humility

There’s no going around the fact that the Collison brothers are aggressively smart. Patrick quit high school a year early to join MIT at the age of 16, only to drop out a year later to raise cash for his first startup, Shuppa. He soon sold the startup to Auctomatic for $5 million.

Tim Ferriss, who interviewed Patrick, says that the entrepreneur is probably the most aggressive reader he’d ever met — and that means a lot coming from a guy who’s interviewed hundreds of top performers. Derek Anderson, the founder of Startup Grind, has publicly called Collison a genius.

However, genius alone didn’t get Patrick to where he is today. The Collisons were born in a small Irish town, and their humble, problem-solving, product-first approach is what turned them into a massive success.

The post has been referred from here . Thanks for spending time to read this story.

How Freelancers & Solopreneurs Can Actually Generate Leads from LinkedIn (Without Overcomplicating It)

 

Let me say something that might sound controversial:

Generating leads on LinkedIn is not hard. Not taking action is.

Most people think:

→ “It’s complicated”

→ “Too much competition”

→ “Maybe I need better tools”

But honestly?

It’s simpler than you think - if you stop overthinking and start doing the right things consistently.

So let’s break it down into 5 practical steps 👇

---

1. Your Profile Isn’t a Resume. It’s a Landing Page.

You’ve heard this before. I know.

But here’s what most people miss:

👉 It’s not about having a good profile

👉 It’s about making it relevant to the person reading it

Ask yourself:

• Does my headline clearly say what I do?
• Is my profile aligned with the content I post?
• Can someone instantly understand how I can help them?

Because even LinkedIn pushes profiles where content + profile = clarity

No clarity → No reach → No leads

---

2. Content: Not Just Posting… But Positioning

There are 2 types of people on LinkedIn:

1. “I create content” people They post. They stay visible. But no conversions.

2. “I create intent-driven content” people They attract. They convert. They grow.

If you're a freelancer or solopreneur, your content should:

✔ Speak to a specific audience (SMBs, founders, decision-makers)

✔ Solve real problems

✔ Show your thinking (not just information)

And sometimes?

You don’t need a “perfect post”.

Just write what you genuinely think - then refine it.

---

3. Use AI… But Don’t Sound Like AI

Let’s be real - tools like ChatGPT can make content creation faster.

But faster ≠ better.

Here’s how to use it smartly:

• Write your raw thoughts first
• Then ask AI to refine, structure, and optimize
• Make it mobile-friendly and conversational

Your voice + AI polish = 🔥

Not the other way around.

---

4. DMs: Stop Selling. Start Talking.

This is where most people lose the game.

A bad DM feels like:

❌ Desperate

❌ Copy-paste

❌ Transactional

A good DM feels like:

✔ Human

✔ Curious

✔ Respectful

Think about real life.

When you meet someone for the first time, you don’t say:

“Hi, buy my service.”

You ask. You understand. You connect.

LinkedIn is no different.

---

5. Experience + Clarity = Trust

When someone visits your profile, they should know:

→ What you do

→ Who you help

→ How you help

Not in complicated words. Not in fancy jargon.

Just… clearly.

Even if you don’t have:

• Awards
• Big credentials
• Recommendations

You still have:

👉 Your clarity

👉 Your positioning

👉 Your story

And that’s enough to start.

---

The Real Problem?

You already know most of this.

But:

Knowing doesn’t get you leads. Doing does.

And consistency?

That’s where the real game is.

Because when your focus is clear, consistency stops feeling “hard” and starts feeling necessary.

---

I’ve seen this closely while working with 1000+ learners and multiple freelancers & solopreneurs:

The difference is never talent.

It’s always:

👉 Clarity

👉 Action

👉 Consistency

---

If this resonated with you, I’d love to know:

Which part hit you the most?

Because that tells me what you’re struggling with - and what I should write next.

How is Twitter Blue Different from Twitter? – Twitter Blue Explained

 

“Twitter’s current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bullshit. Power to the people! Blue for $8/month.”

With that mysteriously non-ceremonial tweet, Elon Musk launched Twitter Blue with a blue tick feature. At $8 a month, anyone can get a blue check on Twitter. But what exactly is Twitter Blue? And what does it offer apart from the coveted Twitter blue check?

In this article, we’re digging into the difference between Twitter vs Twitter Blue. We’ll also lay out the main Twitter Blue features and the process to get the Twitter blue tick.

Let’s dive in.

 

What is Twitter vs Twitter Blue

Twitter Blue is a subscription plan by Twitter that was launched in mid-2021. It’s not a separate platform. Twitter Blue is more like an add-on that improves the user experience on Twitter and provides early access to select features.

Once you subscribe to Twitter Blue, you’re also eligible to have the new Twitter blue tick. You’ll get it once you pass the eligibility review.

What is the point of Twitter Blue

The point of Twitter Blue is to simply provide a premium experience for users who need more than what’s available for free. For a monthly payment, Twitter Blue unveils access to additional features and benefits not available on standard Twitter.

Quoting Sara Beykpour, Senior Director in Twitter Product Management:

Twitter Blue is for users who want “power features that meet their needs.” (source)

It’s for active Twitter users who are willing to pay a subscription fee for a better experience. Twitter Blue provides better control over their profile and their Twitter usage. And the latest exclusive feature is: Twitter Blue with verification check.

 

What are the main features of Twitter Blue

Along with the prized Twitter Blue badge, Blue brings a screenful of features. Here are the reasons you might want to sign up for Twitter Blue:

1) Edit tweets

Twitter Blue subscription gives you a 30-minute window to edit your published tweets. The available changes, although limited, help in uplifting your Twitter experience. You can update tweets and tag someone or reorder attached media.

2) Undo tweets

Once you join Twitter Blue, you can also preview and undo tweets. You get the option to check your tweet while publishing and delete it. You can undo a tweet only within 30 seconds of hitting the Publish button, after which it goes out to the world to see.

3) Post longer tweets

Another benefit is the ability to tweet more than 280 characters. With Twitter Blue, you can tweet up to 4,000 characters. You can also upload and share longer (up to ~60 minutes) and larger (up to 2GB, in 1080p) video files with your followers. This video upgrade is available only on the Twitter web, though.

4) Get priority in replies

With a verified Twitter Blue profile, you also get your replies bumped up. Your tweet replies get priority in the conversation. They rank higher than tweets from normal Twitter users.

5) Organise bookmarks

After you activate Twitter Blue, you also get access to folders for your bookmarked tweets. You can organize all your bookmarks into folders for easier access and management. It’s particularly helpful for those who save a lot of content on Twitter.

Apart from these features, Twitter Blue provides a reader mode, shows the top shared articles from others, and reduces the number of ads. Twitter Blue subscription also enables a number of app customization features.

 

How to get a Twitter Blue subscription

You can sign up for Twitter Blue on the web as well as the Android/iOS app. Here’s how you can do it:

Through web browser

i) Open twitter.com

ii) Click Twitter Blue on the sidebar

iii) Hit Subscribe button

iv) Make the payment

v) Enjoy Twitter Blue

If your phone number isn’t verified, you’ll be prompted to do so before making the payment.

 

Through Android/iOS app

i) Open the profile menu

ii) Tap on Twitter Blue

iii) Hit Subscribe button

iv) Follow the instructions for payment

v) Enjoy Twitter Blue

 

If your phone number isn’t verified, you’ll be prompted to do so before making the payment.

After the activation of the subscription, you’ll have all the features (except for the blue tick).

The blue tick appears once Twitter reviews your account and ensures that it meets the Twitter Blue requirements. A verified account then, gets priority in tweet replies.

 

Twitter vs Twitter Blue- FAQs

1. Is it worth getting Twitter Blue?

Twitter Blue is for hard-core users. If you’re among those who want to run their business via Twitter, it would be worth to get verified on Twitter Blue. You’ll be able to post longer tweets and videos. And your replies will also show up higher.

2. Does Twitter Blue remove promoted tweets?

As of now, Twitter Blue doesn’t provide an ad-free experience. It’s working on reducing the number of promoted content shown to Twitter Blue users, but it won’t remove them entirely.

3. How many people pay for Twitter Blue?

As of February 2023, Twitter Blue has around 300K paying users globally.

4. How many followers do you need to get Blue?

Twitter hasn’t specified any minimum number of followers to get Twitter Blue verified. As long as your profile complies with the Twitter Blue rules, you’re eligible to be verified.

5. How much is a Twitter blue tick?

The announced cost of Twitter blue tick is $8 per month (for web) in the US. You get access to all the benefits of a Twitter Blue subscription, along with the blue tick. But the pricing differs from country to country. Check Twitter Blue country-wise pricing

6. Can a normal person get blue tick on Twitter?

With the new Twitter Blue subscription, anyone can get a blue tick; if their profile passes the specified requirements.

7. How to turn off Twitter Blue?

You can cancel and turn off your Twitter Blue subscription from the settings either on your app or the twitter.com website.

 

Wrapping It Up

Twitter Blue gives you access to additional features that turn you into a Twitter power user. You can edit tweets, undo tweets and write longer than regular tweets. So, if you’re on Twitter for business, Twitter Blue might be a worthy investment. It adds more zing to your experience.

If you subscribe to Twitter Blue, you’re also better eligible to get the verified blue tick. So, subscribe and enjoy the premium Twitter experience.

 

How to Create Effective Paid Webinars That Attract Attendees

 

Paid webinars need thorough planning and execution. And when done right, it can be effective in marketing and generating better leads for your business. But the process to create paid webinars isn’t simple.

The mammoth question is, “Will the audience pay to attend?” Well, for someone to pay, the webinar content must be worth the money and time spent.

And this guide will help you create webinars that people will pay and attend. You can interact with your audience live, generate qualified leads, and increase sales.

Let’s dive in.

Steps to create successful paid webinars

Following are the steps to create paid webinars that attract attendees.

 

1. Brainstorm the right topic

The right topic is a must for webinars to appeal to your audience. It must address their concerns and should be interesting too. So, before you fix a date and start recording, choose a topic your target audience resonates with.

Brainstorm topics with your team, and then ask your audience to select the ideal topic. You can use polls on Instagram stories, LinkedIn and Twitter to do so.

Also, go through your previous content to find which ones received good attention. But before finalising a topic, you must understand your webinar goals too. Why? Because a webinar to improve brand awareness is different from the one to establish authority.

2. Decide the correct format

A webinar can take different formats, from a single speaker presenting slides to a host taking an interview. Panel discussions, expert debates and audience Q&As are also popular formats for webinars.

So, once you have the topic, you need to choose the most appropriate format to present your webinar on the screen. It’s best to select the webinar format that best fulfils your purpose.

The correct presentation format helps you communicate your views easily. It delivers the intended information perfectly. And using the right format also allows everyone to engage and interact.

3. Pick your webinar platform

With paid webinars, you need to ensure the experience is friendly, for you as well as your audience. While Google Meet or Zoom come in handy for small groups, they aren’t the best out there.

No one-size fits all. But first, look for tools that can accommodate multiple speakers and your audience size.

Check Graphy and BitClass, for example, to hold paid webinars effortlessly. With an easy setup process, in-built landing pages and payment gateways, they make the entire experience smooth. Community engagement and automated recording features are also available.

4. Create the content

The actual content is among the most critical factors for a webinar to be deemed effective. It’s the content that keeps your audience glued until the end. It’s the ultimate secret to a successful webinar.

You’ll need to structure the content around the topic and have a compelling script for the speakers. The readability of the slides also matters.

Along with the text, use graphs and charts to support the script. Optimal use of graphics and animations, too, might be necessary depending on the presentation. Also, take the help of chats and polls to keep the audience involved.

5. Promote your webinar

Now that you’ve everything prepared promote your webinar among the audience. A planned webinar promotion strategy is the only way to get more attendees who will pay.

Start by creating a landing page where people can get all the details and sign up. Next, share the registration link where your potential audience is. Website popups, emails and WhatsApp groups are the different places where you can promote webinars. And to reach people outside your network, you can rope in influencers, do paid referrals and run Facebook Ads.

Check this example to understand how you can sell your webinar tickets through repeated promotions. You can also offer early-bird benefits and extras to increase signups.

6. Do a demo recording

A demo recording ensures you’re comfortable using your tool. It helps you find if the software has all the features you need. And it can also help in detecting errors in the content.

This practice recording ensures everything is running as intended. You can get feedback from co-workers and other team members for improvement. And it also allows you to check you’ve the necessary equipment.

Schedule it; ideally, a week before the day you’re going to host the webinar.

7. Prepare your hosting space

Once you’re happy with the preparation, it’s time to set up the space. Choosing a suitable space doesn’t make the webinar quality any better. But it ensures that the audience has a pleasurable experience while attending it.

Firstly, you need a quiet room for the event. So, take measures to avoid any interruptions that might come up.

Then, you need to make sure the background wall is clutter-free. Check the lighting conditions too. And when you want to create paid webinars, also have access to power backup and an extra laptop for emergencies.

8. Host your webinar

It’s the big day. So, make sure you don’t have a packed schedule.

Prepare your outfit, test your equipment, and get the hosting space ready for the event. Test everything before starting and ask someone to help you with all the devices around. It takes some stress off your shoulder, and you can feel relaxed for the presentation.

Next, log in to the webinar tool a few minutes before the scheduled time. It allows you to make the necessary adjustments and checks for the session.

9. Make a community

Many people stop after hosting their webinars. But when you create paid webinars, you must provide more value to your audience. Making a community is the best way to do so.

You can share webinar recordings and other helpful resources to keep everyone engaged. And as people interact and invite others, the community grows, so do you. Your community can become your loyal support group. And it can be your very own marketing channel too.

Depending on your audience’s preferred platform, you can use WhatsApp, Telegram or Slack for your community. Reddit, too, is a valuable platform if you want to make a public community.

 

Wrapping it up

The most effective paid webinars are well-planned and well-organised. They’re prepared as per the target audience’s needs and promoted among them.

So, choose your topic, decide the format and create the content that matters. Once you’re done with the preparation, promote it, and promote it well.

 

How to Use Quora Ads to Promote Your Business?

 

Quora has been a popular platform among businesses and marketers for various reasons. You can find a new audience, drive referral traffic to your website, and build reputable brand awareness. But have you tried Quora Ads to promote your business?

Yes, you can set up different ads like promoting answers which can benefit your business. These answers can build trust among your audience. Many businesses are leveraging Quora Ads to improve their traffic. And I tried the same for Blusteak Media.

So, in this article, I’m explaining what Quora Promoted Answers are. I’ll also tell you how to use these paid promotions for your business.

Here you go.

What are Promoted Answers in Quora?

Promoted Answers are an ad type. You can use it to push an answer for better visibility in the audience feed. These answers appear, along with the question, like normal Q&As but they have “Promoted” mentioned on their top.

You can promote any answer on Quora. It can be a detailed answer you wrote about your services or a positive product experience written by a Quora user.

Quora Promoted Answers can bring substantial results to your business, when you do it in the right way.

How effective are Quora Promoted Answers?

As always, “It depends.” But in any case, Promoted Answers can be a great way to stack some traffic and leads.

For the last few days, I have been testing the Promoted Answers ad type for Blusteak. Have looked for answers which mentioned Blusteak Media and promoted them among my audience. Those were short-term campaigns, but the promoted answers gathered a good reach within that time.

Yes, of course, the reach will vary on how interested people are in knowing about your industry. The campaign success also depends on the way you filter the demographics.

How to promote answers within Quora?

To use Quora ads, you’ll need to create an ad account.

Now, when you create a new ad campaign, select “Promote an answer” format from the list. Name the campaign and insert the link to the answer you want to promote. This can be your answer or by some other Quora user.

Next, select the target audience and target location for the campaign.

Quora offers different audience targeting options like Contextual targeting and Behavioural targeting. For the “kuber” promo, for example, I selected Contextual targeting. And I targeted topics like Social Media Strategy, Giveaways and Instagram Marketing. These were relevant to the question being answered.

For target location, I went ahead with the countries I wanted the audience and potential clients from. You can even choose to exclude certain locations for the selected campaign.

How to get the most out of Promoted Answers?

When it comes to promoting answers, you shouldn’t just boost any. Not all answers bring favourable results. Promote an answer as per your goal – awareness, conversion or traffic.

For that, select a relevant question or FAQ that you think will interest your customers. You can even post FAQs if not asked already on Quora. You can do this anonymously. Then, answer the question yourself or invite your loyal customers to write about your services. Now, choose high-quality answers to promote your business.

Keep in mind: A suitable answer is the one which provides the best solution to the question. It doesn’t look promotional or spammy.

Conclusion

Quora Promoted Answers ad type can bring highly qualified leads and relevant traffic to your business website. These answers appear alongside other answers. And except for “Promoted” mentioned, they look no different from the regular questions and answers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Price Products to Sell Online – Understand with an Example

 

Selling directly to customers has its benefits. By setting up an online ecommerce store, you can save a lot in profits. But how much should you charge for your products to sell online? What are the expenses an online D2C store incurs? Let’s dig into the details.

In this article, we’re using custom t-shirts business as an example to understand the different costs associated with online sales. It will help you figure out the pricing of your online products to generate maximum profits.

So, without further ado, let’s begin

1. Know the production costs

To set a profitable retail price for your products, the first thing to know is the cost of producing them. The production costs include several variables which differ from product to product.

If you’re setting up an online custom t-shirt website, for example, production costs will include:

• Cost of blank t-shirt
• Cost of ink and printing supplies
• Cost of packaging and shipping

Apart from those, you’ll also need to factor in the labour costs. Usually, labour charges are paid on an hourly, daily or weekly basis. And to calculate the labour cost per t-shirt piece, you’ll have to divide the total amount paid and the total finished t-shirts.

Alternately, you can outsource the entire printing process to print-on-demand services. They might handle packaging and shipping too, relieving you of tracking different production costs separately.

Once you know the costs involved, you’ll be able to price your products for what they’re worth.

2. Research the market

After calculating the production costs, take a look at other businesses selling similar products. It’s because, unless you have something unique or exclusive, you can’t sell your products at 10x of what people are willing to spend. Also, you can’t price them half the market rate. It will make your customers doubt your products’ quality.

Apart from regional competitors, check international businesses too. It will help you find both the highest price and lowest price you can ask for. By researching your competitors, you can have a ballpark range for your product’s retail price.

As you understand your costs and the probable retail price, you can set your profits margin appropriately.

3. Determine profit margin

Next, to set an apt profit margin, you got to factor in the overhead expenses and operation costs in your product’s price.

For example, if you’re selling t-shirts online, you’ll incur costs like:

• Website hosting/maintenance fees
• Payment processing and transaction charges
• Copywriting and content creation charges
• Social media promotion charges
• Designing, SEO and other marketing expenses

Then, you’ll also need to handle after-sales support.

Additionally, you should also set up separate reserve for ad expenses. To sell products online profitably, social media ads and search engine marketing are necessities. And you should be able to calculate your return on ad spends and other marketing expenses.

When determining profit margin for online t-shirts, losses because of misprints should also be considered.

What’s a good profit margin for t-shirts?

Profit margin is the percentage of profits earned compared to the total costs incurred in selling a product. And in case of custom t-shirts, a gross profit margin of 40-60% is considered good. This price markup over the production costs will take care of the overhead expenses and other operation costs.

A gross profit margin of 40-60% will give you a net profit of about 12-15% on average after you subtract your expenses.

The markup, however, will vary from product to product. For example, t-shirts with trending designs can sell at a high price. But the less popular ones might need to be sold at discounted rates.

How to calculate t-shirt profit percentage?

If you want a profit of 50% off the retail price, the calculation is straightforward. Let’s say the production cost of your t-shirt amount to ₹300. When you multiply it by two, you get ₹600. And that would be the retail price of each t-shirt piece.

But when you want a profit percentage more or less than 50%, the price formula would be:

Retail price = (production cost) ÷ (100-profit%) x 100

Let’s take the t-shirt production cost as ₹300 and a profit margin of 70% as example:

Retail price = ₹300 ÷ (100-70) x 100
= ₹300 ÷ 30 x 100
= ₹10 x 100
= ₹1000

So, for a profit margin of 70%, you’ll need to sell your t-shirts at ₹1000. Then, if you want a profit margin of 60%, the retail price would have to be ₹750. For 40%, it would be ₹500.

The average profit percentage varies from industry to industry. But whatever profit margin you set, make sure it covers all the expenses incurred in product marketing, handling and sales.

4. Understand pricing psychology

Understanding the psychology of pricing is also essential when you’re launching your products online. You should know how can prices affect people’s decision to buy. The pricing needs to trigger an emotional response.

So, following are a few pricing tactics you can follow:

Have non-round prices:

Rather than pricing a t-shirt, for example, ₹580 or ₹730, a price tag like ₹577 or ₹729 performs better. If you think about it, ₹580 feels like paying ₹600. But ₹577, instead, feels a little above ₹500. Similarly, just one-point lesser price of ₹729 can seem a lot more affordable than ₹730.

Bundle products together:

Bundled packages with discounted prices sell comparatively better than individual products. For example, if you put three t-shirts worth ₹1500 for sale at ₹1400, you might see a better result than when selling them individually. However, you must also offer the products individually. It will help customers see they’re getting a deal by paying for the bundled offer.

Use anchor pricing:

This tactic comes handy when offering bundled product packages and for products put for sales. Say, you’re selling a t-shirt for ₹639. However, if you also put alongside that the actual price is ₹699, your customers would be more inclined to buy. It makes them feel they’re saving themselves a few bucks.

Conclusion

A lot goes into pricing the products right, generating sales, and making profits from your online store. However, we’re hoping you got the basic idea of how to price products to sell online from this article.

So, now, find out your production costs, research the market, and decide the apt profit margin you want. Then, understand the pricing psychology to set appropriate rates and improve your product sales.

 

5 Unique Ways to Get Foreign B2B Clients from India

 

Working with foreign clients puts you up for a diverse range of opportunities. You grow and scale at a faster rate. And you’re better prepared to move through this competitive business world.

But how can you get international B2B clients from India?

Now, it isn’t as difficult as it may seem at first. Sure, it takes time to get your first foreign client. But getting regular international clients for your B2B business in India isn’t a far-fetched dream. Once the wheels are in motion, you’ll grow rapidly in the global market.

So, here are five unique and effective ways to get foreign B2B clients from India. You can start implementing them right away and see results within a short span.

Let’s dive in.

1. Use LinkedIn search feature

B2B professionals meet and grow their network on LinkedIn. Thus, LinkedIn is among the best places to land foreign B2B clients.

To begin with, you can use its search feature to look for prospects who would be interested in your services. Your search phrase can be something like looking for XYZ services or need XYZ agency.

For example, let’s suppose you’re a logistics company. And you want to find clients who need someone to handle their supply chain logistics.

So, what you can do is search looking for logistics service providers and click on Posts. It will highlight all the posts which consist of that phrase. Then, you can sort the results by the date they’re posted. You can also filter the results to see posts from only specific industries.

Thus, you’ll be able to find potential international clients on LinkedIn.

2. Look for clients on Twitter

Plenty of foreign B2B professionals use Twitter to find required service providers. And you can use its search feature to look for clients there.

Your approach can be the same as with LinkedIn. You can search for something like looking for XYZ services, need XYZ agency or do you know any XYZ company. And you’ll have the list of the top and recent tweets which match your search phrase.

You can also use Twitter’s advanced filtering tools to narrow down the search results and find B2B clients relevant to you.

Twitter’s Advanced Search, when used well, can surface plenty of B2B leads.

3. Answer questions on Quora

People visit Quora to seek solutions to their problems. And you can come on the radar of potential clients by providing them those solutions.

What you’ve to do is to search for industry-specific questions which you can answer. For example, if you provide communication services, you can answer questions related to video conferencing, VoIP and whatever other services you provide.

So, take care to write as valuable answers as you can. And in there, you can subtly mention about your business and the services you provide.

Quora answers are public, and they appear in the relevant search results too. Therefore, when other businesses look for similar solutions, they get to see your answers too. And if your answers are valuable, prospects will approach you for business.

You can even push your answers to potential clients using paid ads. Check how to use Quora Promoted Answers for your business.

4. Browse public contract boards

Many countries have public contracts boards which you can use to search and explore potential business opportunities. These are similar to Craigslist, but intended for B2B services.

Some sites are:

• governmentcontracts.us (to search for US businesses)
• contractsfinder.service.gov.uk (for UK businesses)
• search.open.canada.ca/ct (for Canadian businesses)

Similarly, for business opportunities in Europe, you can browse ted.europa.eu. You can even look for different state-level contract boards if you want clients from selected places in those countries.

So, search for relevant open contracts and get in touch with clients to seal the deal.

5. Attend international webinars

International webinars and online workshops also are prominent sources to get international clients from India.

And it’s easy because most webinar platforms come with built-in chat feature to interact with the attendees. And if private chat is available, you can even have one-to-one conversations with potential clients right during the webinar.

Then, many event organisers also create dedicated hashtags for event-related posts on social media platforms. It makes it easier for you to reach out to the speakers and the attendees. Thus, you’ll be able to connect with prospective clients.

Audio-based events on Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces are also helpful in finding clients around the world.

Wrapping up

LinkedIn, Twitter and Quora can help you reach many international B2B clients from India. Keeping a regular eye on job boards and upcoming webinars can also lead you to new business opportunities. And these won’t cost a penny.

So, prepare a strategy and get the ball rolling.