#Data-Driven Marketing Examples

[wdg-blog]

Boosting Business Growth through Data-Driven Marketing Strategies

Optimize your marketing efforts with a data-driven marketing strategy approach. Learn how to harness the power of analytics and insights to refine your strategies, engage your target audience, and drive measurable results. Elevate your marketing game with a proven methodology that empowers you to make informed decisions and stay ahead in the competitive landscape. Explore the potential of data-driven marketing today.Go to Our Blog:https://www.webdataguru.com/data-driven-marketing/

[sanjida1]

AI HIGH TICKET COMMISSIONS

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Bossware is unfair (in the legal sense, too)

You can get into a lot of trouble by assuming that rich people know what they're doing. For example, might assume that ad-tech works – bypassing peoples' critical faculties, reaching inside their minds and brainwashing them with Big Data insights, because if that's not what's happening, then why would rich people pour billions into those ads?

https://pluralistic.net/2020/12/06/surveillance-tulip-bulbs/#adtech-bubble

You might assume that private equity looters make their investors rich, because otherwise, why would rich people hand over trillions for them to play with?

https://thenextrecession.wordpress.com/2024/11/19/private-equity-vampire-capital/

The truth is, rich people are suckers like the rest of us. If anything, succeeding once or twice makes you an even bigger mark, with a sense of your own infallibility that inflates to fill the bubble your yes-men seal you inside of.

Rich people fall for scams just like you and me. Anyone can be a mark. I was:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/05/cyber-dunning-kruger/#swiss-cheese-security

But though rich people can fall for scams the same way you and I do, the way those scams play out is very different when the marks are wealthy. As Keynes had it, "The market can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent." When the marks are rich (or worse, super-rich), they can be played for much longer before they go bust, creating the appearance of solidity.

Noted Keynesian John Kenneth Galbraith had his own thoughts on this. Galbraith coined the term "bezzle" to describe "the magic interval when a confidence trickster knows he has the money he has appropriated but the victim does not yet understand that he has lost it." In that magic interval, everyone feels better off: the mark thinks he's up, and the con artist knows he's up.

Rich marks have looong bezzles. Empirically incorrect ideas grounded in the most outrageous superstition and junk science can take over whole sections of your life, simply because a rich person – or rich people – are convinced that they're good for you.

Take "scientific management." In the early 20th century, the con artist Frederick Taylor convinced rich industrialists that he could increase their workers' productivity through a kind of caliper-and-stopwatch driven choreographry:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/08/21/great-taylors-ghost/#solidarity-or-bust

Taylor and his army of labcoated sadists perched at the elbows of factory workers (whom Taylor referred to as "stupid," "mentally sluggish," and as "an ox") and scripted their motions to a fare-the-well, transforming their work into a kind of kabuki of obedience. They weren't more efficient, but they looked smart, like obedient robots, and this made their bosses happy. The bosses shelled out fortunes for Taylor's services, even though the workers who followed his prescriptions were less efficient and generated fewer profits. Bosses were so dazzled by the spectacle of a factory floor of crisply moving people interfacing with crisply working machines that they failed to understand that they were losing money on the whole business.

To the extent they noticed that their revenues were declining after implementing Taylorism, they assumed that this was because they needed more scientific management. Taylor had a sweet con: the worse his advice performed, the more reasons their were to pay him for more advice.

Taylorism is a perfect con to run on the wealthy and powerful. It feeds into their prejudice and mistrust of their workers, and into their misplaced confidence in their own ability to understand their workers' jobs better than their workers do. There's always a long dollar to be made playing the "scientific management" con.

Today, there's an app for that. "Bossware" is a class of technology that monitors and disciplines workers, and it was supercharged by the pandemic and the rise of work-from-home. Combine bossware with work-from-home and your boss gets to control your life even when in your own place – "work from home" becomes "live at work":

https://pluralistic.net/2021/02/24/gwb-rumsfeld-monsters/#bossware

Gig workers are at the white-hot center of bossware. Gig work promises "be your own boss," but bossware puts a Taylorist caliper wielder into your phone, monitoring and disciplining you as you drive your wn car around delivering parcels or picking up passengers.

In automation terms, a worker hitched to an app this way is a "reverse centaur." Automation theorists call a human augmented by a machine a "centaur" – a human head supported by a machine's tireless and strong body. A "reverse centaur" is a machine augmented by a human – like the Amazon delivery driver whose app goads them to make inhuman delivery quotas while punishing them for looking in the "wrong" direction or even singing along with the radio:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/08/02/despotism-on-demand/#virtual-whips

Bossware pre-dates the current AI bubble, but AI mania has supercharged it. AI pumpers insist that AI can do things it positively cannot do – rolling out an "autonomous robot" that turns out to be a guy in a robot suit, say – and rich people are groomed to buy the services of "AI-powered" bossware:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/29/pay-no-attention/#to-the-little-man-behind-the-curtain

For an AI scammer like Elon Musk or Sam Altman, the fact that an AI can't do your job is irrelevant. From a business perspective, the only thing that matters is whether a salesperson can convince your boss that an AI can do your job – whether or not that's true:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/07/25/accountability-sinks/#work-harder-not-smarter

The fact that AI can't do your job, but that your boss can be convinced to fire you and replace you with the AI that can't do your job, is the central fact of the 21st century labor market. AI has created a world of "algorithmic management" where humans are demoted to reverse centaurs, monitored and bossed about by an app.

The techbro's overwhelming conceit is that nothing is a crime, so long as you do it with an app. Just as fintech is designed to be a bank that's exempt from banking regulations, the gig economy is meant to be a workplace that's exempt from labor law. But this wheeze is transparent, and easily pierced by enforcers, so long as those enforcers want to do their jobs. One such enforcer is Alvaro Bedoya, an FTC commissioner with a keen interest in antitrust's relationship to labor protection.

Bedoya understands that antitrust has a checkered history when it comes to labor. As he's written, the history of antitrust is a series of incidents in which Congress revised the law to make it clear that forming a union was not the same thing as forming a cartel, only to be ignored by boss-friendly judges:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/14/aiming-at-dollars/#not-men

Bedoya is no mere historian. He's an FTC Commissioner, one of the most powerful regulators in the world, and he's profoundly interested in using that power to help workers, especially gig workers, whose misery starts with systemic, wide-scale misclassification as contractors:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/02/upward-redistribution/

In a new speech to NYU's Wagner School of Public Service, Bedoya argues that the FTC's existing authority allows it to crack down on algorithmic management – that is, algorithmic management is illegal, even if you break the law with an app:

https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/bedoya-remarks-unfairness-in-workplace-surveillance-and-automated-management.pdf

Bedoya starts with a delightful analogy to The Hawtch-Hawtch, a mythical town from a Dr Seuss poem. The Hawtch-Hawtch economy is based on beekeeping, and the Hawtchers develop an overwhelming obsession with their bee's laziness, and determine to wring more work (and more honey) out of him. So they appoint a "bee-watcher." But the bee doesn't produce any more honey, which leads the Hawtchers to suspect their bee-watcher might be sleeping on the job, so they hire a bee-watcher-watcher. When that doesn't work, they hire a bee-watcher-watcher-watcher, and so on and on.

For gig workers, it's bee-watchers all the way down. Call center workers are subjected to "AI" video monitoring, and "AI" voice monitoring that purports to measure their empathy. Another AI times their calls. Two more AIs analyze the "sentiment" of the calls and the success of workers in meeting arbitrary metrics. On average, a call-center worker is subjected to five forms of bossware, which stand at their shoulders, marking them down and brooking no debate.

For example, when an experienced call center operator fielded a call from a customer with a flooded house who wanted to know why no one from her boss's repair plan system had come out to address the flooding, the operator was punished by the AI for failing to try to sell the customer a repair plan. There was no way for the operator to protest that the customer had a repair plan already, and had called to complain about it.

Workers report being sickened by this kind of surveillance, literally – stressed to the point of nausea and insomnia. Ironically, one of the most pervasive sources of automation-driven sickness are the "AI wellness" apps that bosses are sold by AI hucksters:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/03/15/wellness-taylorism/#sick-of-spying

The FTC has broad authority to block "unfair trade practices," and Bedoya builds the case that this is an unfair trade practice. Proving an unfair trade practice is a three-part test: a practice is unfair if it causes "substantial injury," can't be "reasonably avoided," and isn't outweighed by a "countervailing benefit." In his speech, Bedoya makes the case that algorithmic management satisfies all three steps and is thus illegal.

On the question of "substantial injury," Bedoya describes the workday of warehouse workers working for ecommerce sites. He describes one worker who is monitored by an AI that requires him to pick and drop an object off a moving belt every 10 seconds, for ten hours per day. The worker's performance is tracked by a leaderboard, and supervisors punish and scold workers who don't make quota, and the algorithm auto-fires if you fail to meet it.

Under those conditions, it was only a matter of time until the worker experienced injuries to two of his discs and was permanently disabled, with the company being found 100% responsible for this injury. OSHA found a "direct connection" between the algorithm and the injury. No wonder warehouses sport vending machines that sell painkillers rather than sodas. It's clear that algorithmic management leads to "substantial injury."

What about "reasonably avoidable?" Can workers avoid the harms of algorithmic management? Bedoya describes the experience of NYC rideshare drivers who attended a round-table with him. The drivers describe logging tens of thousands of successful rides for the apps they work for, on promise of "being their own boss." But then the apps start randomly suspending them, telling them they aren't eligible to book a ride for hours at a time, sending them across town to serve an underserved area and still suspending them. Drivers who stop for coffee or a pee are locked out of the apps for hours as punishment, and so drive 12-hour shifts without a single break, in hopes of pleasing the inscrutable, high-handed app.

All this, as drivers' pay is falling and their credit card debts are mounting. No one will explain to drivers how their pay is determined, though the legal scholar Veena Dubal's work on "algorithmic wage discrimination" reveals that rideshare apps temporarily increase the pay of drivers who refuse rides, only to lower it again once they're back behind the wheel:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

This is like the pit boss who gives a losing gambler some freebies to lure them back to the table, over and over, until they're broke. No wonder they call this a "casino mechanic." There's only two major rideshare apps, and they both use the same high-handed tactics. For Bedoya, this satisfies the second test for an "unfair practice" – it can't be reasonably avoided. If you drive rideshare, you're trapped by the harmful conduct.

The final prong of the "unfair practice" test is whether the conduct has "countervailing value" that makes up for this harm.

To address this, Bedoya goes back to the call center, where operators' performance is assessed by "Speech Emotion Recognition" algorithms, a psuedoscientific hoax that purports to be able to determine your emotions from your voice. These SERs don't work – for example, they might interpret a customer's laughter as anger. But they fail differently for different kinds of workers: workers with accents – from the American south, or the Philippines – attract more disapprobation from the AI. Half of all call center workers are monitored by SERs, and a quarter of workers have SERs scoring them "constantly."

Bossware AIs also produce transcripts of these workers' calls, but workers with accents find them "riddled with errors." These are consequential errors, since their bosses assess their performance based on the transcripts, and yet another AI produces automated work scores based on them.

In other words, algorithmic management is a procession of bee-watchers, bee-watcher-watchers, and bee-watcher-watcher-watchers, stretching to infinity. It's junk science. It's not producing better call center workers. It's producing arbitrary punishments, often against the best workers in the call center.

There is no "countervailing benefit" to offset the unavoidable substantial injury of life under algorithmic management. In other words, algorithmic management fails all three prongs of the "unfair practice" test, and it's illegal.

What should we do about it? Bedoya builds the case for the FTC acting on workers' behalf under its "unfair practice" authority, but he also points out that the lack of worker privacy is at the root of this hellscape of algorithmic management.

He's right. The last major update Congress made to US privacy law was in 1988, when they banned video-store clerks from telling the newspapers which VHS cassettes you rented. The US is long overdue for a new privacy regime, and workers under algorithmic management are part of a broad coalition that's closer than ever to making that happen:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/06/privacy-first/#but-not-just-privacy

Workers should have the right to know which of their data is being collected, who it's being shared by, and how it's being used. We all should have that right. That's what the actors' strike was partly motivated by: actors who were being ordered to wear mocap suits to produce data that could be used to produce a digital double of them, "training their replacement," but the replacement was a deepfake.

With a Trump administration on the horizon, the future of the FTC is in doubt. But the coalition for a new privacy law includes many of Trumpland's most powerful blocs – like Jan 6 rioters whose location was swept up by Google and handed over to the FBI. A strong privacy law would protect their Fourth Amendment rights – but also the rights of BLM protesters who experienced this far more often, and with far worse consequences, than the insurrectionists.

The "we do it with an app, so it's not illegal" ruse is wearing thinner by the day. When you have a boss for an app, your real boss gets an accountability sink, a convenient scapegoat that can be blamed for your misery.

The fact that this makes you worse at your job, that it loses your boss money, is no guarantee that you will be spared. Rich people make great marks, and they can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent. Markets won't solve this one – but worker power can.

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[reasonsforhope]

"In a degraded and semi-arid farming area in India, simple science-driven changes to the landscape have colored the horizon, and a village’s fortunes, with green.

In the Latur district in the central western state of Maharashtra, 40 years of erratic rainfall, groundwater depletion, soil erosion, and crop failures have impoverished the local people.

In the village of Matephal, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) launched a project in 2023 that aimed at addressing these challenges through integrated landscape management and climate-smart farming practices. [Note: Meaning they've achieved this much in just two years!]

Multiple forms of data collection allowed ICRISAT to target precise strategies for each challenge facing the 2,000 or so people in Matephal.

Key interventions focused on three critical areas: water conservation, land enhancement with crop diversification, and soil health improvement. Rainwater harvesting structures recharged groundwater around 1,200 acres, raising water tables by 12 feet and securing reliable irrigation. Farm ponds provided supplemental irrigation, while embanking across 320 acres reduced soil erosion.

Farmers diversified their crops, converting 120 or so acres of previously fallow land into productive farmland with legumes, millets, and vegetables. Horticulture-linked markets for fruits and flowers improved income stability.

Weather monitoring equipment was also installed that actively informed sustainable irrigation practices.

“It is a prime example of how data-driven approaches can address complex agricultural challenges, ensuring interventions are precise and impactful. Matephal village is a model for other semi-arid regions in India and beyond,” said Dr. Stanford Blade, Director General-Interim at ICRISAT.

Farmers actively participated in planning and decision-making, fostering long-term commitment.

“This ICRISAT project improved yields, diversified crops, and boosted incomes. It also spared women from walking over a kilometer for drinking water, now available in the village for people and animals,” said Mr. Govind Hinge of Matephal village.

Looking ahead, ICRISAT writes it wants to use Matephal as a case study to scale these methods across India’s vast and drier average. As Matephal’s fields flourish, the village is a testament to the power of collaboration and science in transforming lives and landscapes."

-Article via Good News Network, March 3, 2025. Video via International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), February 26, 2025

[hope-for-the-planet]

From the article:

Pakistan, home to more than 240 million people, is experiencing one of the most rapid solar revolutions on the planet, even as it grapples with poverty and economic instability. The country has become a huge new market for solar as super-cheap Chinese solar panels flood in. It imported 17 gigawatts of solar panels in 2024, more than double the previous year, making it the world’s third-biggest importer, according to data from the climate think tank Ember. Pakistan’s story is unique, said Mustafa Amjad, program director at Renewables First, an energy think tank based in Islamabad. Solar has been adopted at mass scale in countries including Vietnam and South Africa, “but none have had the speed and scale that Pakistan has had,” he told CNN. There’s one particular aspect fascinating experts: The solar boom is a grassroots revolution and almost none of it is in the form of big solar farms. “There is no policy push that is driving this; this is essentially people-led and market driven,” Amjad said.

The rapid shift to solar in Pakistan is particularly interesting in that it is being primarily driven by individual families and communities rather than the government--so individual solar panels are dispersed throughout communities rather than big solar farms operated by utility companies.

A large driver of this transition is the rapid increase in the cost of electricity in Pakistan, which is unfortunately something that the solar panels may make worse in the short term since fewer people are paying for electricity from the grid. However, the adoption of solar is also bringing electricity to families who would have had very little reliable access to it before. The article gives the example of several families pooling resources to use solar panels to operate their community well instead of relying on a diesel pump.

[ms-demeanor]

Hello! First, I wanted to say thank you for your post about updating software and such. I really appreciated your perspective as someone with ADHD. The way you described your experiences with software frustration was IDENTICAL to my experience, so your post made a lot of sense to me.

Second, (and I hope my question isn't bothering you lol) would you mind explaining why it's important to update/adopt the new software? Like, why isn't there an option that doesn't involve constantly adopting new things? I understand why they'd need to fix stuff like functional bugs/make it compatible with new tech, but is it really necessary to change the user side of things as well?

Sorry if those are stupid questions or they're A Lot for a tumblr rando to ask, I'd just really like to understand because I think it would make it easier to get myself to adopt new stuff if I understand why it's necessary, and the other folks I know that know about computers don't really seem to understand the experience.

Thank you so much again for sharing your wisdom!!

A huge part of it is changing technologies and changing norms; I brought up Windows 8 in that other post and Win8 is a *great* example of user experience changing to match hardware, just in a situation that was an enormous mismatch with the market.

Win8's much-beloathed tiles came about because Microsoft seemed to be anticipating a massive pivot to tablet PCs in nearly all applications. The welcome screen was designed to be friendly to people who were using handheld touchscreens who could tap through various options, and it was meant to require more scrolling and less use of a keyboard.

But most people who the operating system went out to *didn't* have touchscreen tablets or laptops, they had a desktop computer with a mouse and a keyboard.

When that was released, it was Microsoft attempting to keep up with (or anticipate) market trends - they wanted something that was like "the iPad for Microsoft" so Windows 8 was meant to go with Microsoft Surface tablets.

We spent the first month of Win8's launch making it look like Windows 7 for our customers.

You can see the same thing with the centered taskbar on Windows 11; that's very clearly supposed to mimic the dock on apple computers (only you can't pin it anywhere but the bottom of the screen, which sucks).

Some of the visual changes are just trends and various companies trying to keep up with one another.

With software like Adobe I think it's probably based on customer data. The tool layout and the menu dropdowns are likely based on what people are actually looking for, and change based on what other tools people are using. That's likely true for most programs you use - the menu bar at the top of the screen in Word is populated with the options that people use the most; if a function you used to click on all the time is now buried, there's a possibility that people use it less these days for any number of reasons. (I'm currently being driven mildly insane by Teams moving the "attach file" button under a "more" menu instead of as an icon next to the "send message" button, and what this tells me is either that more users are putting emojis in their messages than attachments, or microsoft WANTS people to put more emojis than messages in their attachments).

But focusing on the operating system, since that's the big one:

The thing about OSs is that you interact with them so frequently that any little change seems massive and you get REALLY frustrated when you have to deal with that, but version-to-version most OSs don't change all that much visually and they also don't get released all that frequently. I've been working with windows machines for twelve years and in that time the only OSs that Microsoft has released were 8, 10, and 11. That's only about one OS every four years, which just is not that many. There was a big visual change in the interface between 7 and 8 (and 8 and 8.1, which is more of a 'panicked backing away' than a full release), but otherwise, realistically, Windows 11 still looks a lot like XP.

The second one is a screenshot of my actual computer. The only change I've made to the display is to pin the taskbar to the left side instead of keeping it centered and to fuck around a bit with the colors in the display customization. I haven't added any plugins or tools to get it to look different.

This is actually a pretty good demonstration of things changing based on user behavior too - XP didn't come with a search field in the task bar or the start menu, but later versions of Windows OSs did, because users had gotten used to searching things more in their phones and browsers, so then they learned to search things on their computers.

There are definitely nefarious reasons that software manufacturers change their interfaces. Microsoft has included ads in home versions of their OS and pushed searches through the Microsoft store since Windows 10, as one example. That's shitty and I think it's worthwhile to find the time to shut that down (and to kill various assistants and background tools and stop a lot of stuff that runs at startup).

But if you didn't have any changes, you wouldn't have any changes. I think it's handy to have a search field in the taskbar. I find "settings" (which is newer than control panel) easier to navigate than "control panel." Some of the stuff that got added over time is *good* from a user perspective - you can see that there's a little stopwatch pinned at the bottom of my screen; that's a tool I use daily that wasn't included in previous versions of the OS. I'm glad it got added, even if I'm kind of bummed that my Windows OS doesn't come with Spider Solitaire anymore.

One thing that's helpful to think about when considering software is that nobody *wants* to make clunky, unusable software. People want their software to run well, with few problems, and they want users to like it so that they don't call corporate and kick up a fuss.

When you see these kinds of changes to the user experience, it often reflects something that *you* may not want, but that is desirable to a *LOT* of other people. The primary example I can think of here is trackpad scrolling direction; at some point it became common for trackpads to scroll in the opposite direction that they used to; now the default direction is the one that feels wrong to me, because I grew up scrolling with a mouse, not a screen. People who grew up scrolling on a screen seem to feel that the new direction is a lot more intuitive, so it's the default. Thankfully, that's a setting that's easy to change, so it's a change that I make every time I come across it, but the change was made for a sensible reason, even if that reason was opaque to me at the time I stumbled across it and continues to irritate me to this day.

I don't know. I don't want to defend Windows all that much here because I fucking hate Microsoft and definitely prefer using Linux when I'm not at work or using programs that I don't have on Linux. But the thing is that you'll see changes with Linux releases as well.

I wouldn't mind finding a tool that made my desktop look 100% like Windows 95, that would be fun. But we'd probably all be really frustrated if there hadn't been any interface improvements changes since MS-DOS (and people have DEFINITELY been complaining about UX changes at least since then).

Like, I talk about this in terms of backward compatibility sometimes. A lot of people are frustrated that their old computers can't run new software well, and that new computers use so many resources. But the flipside of that is that pretty much nobody wants mobile internet to work the way that it did in 2004 or computers to act the way they did in 1984.

Like. People don't think about it much these days but the "windows" of the Windows Operating system represented a massive change to how people interacted with their computers that plenty of people hated and found unintuitive.

(also take some time to think about the little changes that have happened that you've appreciated or maybe didn't even notice. I used to hate the squiggly line under misspelled words but now I see the utility. Predictive text seems like new technology to me but it's really handy for a lot of people. Right clicking is a UX innovation. Sometimes you have to take the centered task bar in exchange for the built-in timer deck; sometimes you have to lose color-coded files in exchange for a right click.)

[seriouslycromulent]

The Math Ain't Mathing

So I'm sure people are going to accuse me of being a conspiracy theorist, but the more I think about the results of this US election, the more it's clear that things aren't adding up.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm well aware of the US's long history of racism and misogyny, and it is totally possible -- in theory -- that more people voted for a moronic straight, white male who is an ajudicated grapist and convicted felon over a more-than-qualified, intelligent, results-driven woman of color for a position as leader of the wealthiest nation on earth.

I'm not saying that couldn't happen. But did it? Legitimately?

The more I think about Trump's campaign, the more fishy this result seems.

So here was a man with ...

virtually no policies (that he could talk about openly),

no ground game,

no door knocking apparatus to urge folks to get out the vote,

no phone banking,

he was constantly running out of money and had to shill products to raise more,

stole money from down ballot candidates, putting their marketing strategies at risk,

found liable for SA,

found guilty of millions of dollars in fraud,

constantly rambles and shows clear signs of being mentally unwell,

invokes violent and hateful language against specific communities as well as individuals,

bragged about being a dictator on Day 1,

had over 40 former cabinet members declare him unfit for office,

was called a fascist by his own former chief of staff,

was not endorsed by any reputable economists,

saw a flood of lifelong Republicans -- literally millions of them -- abandon their party to vote for his opponent,

has been impeached twice,

has seen sharply, dwindling crowd sizes at his rallies for the last 6 weeks,

... and somehow he won the popular vote by 5 million?

Even though he never won the popular vote in 2016? Or 2020?

Suddenly he "found" a bunch of votes from people who liked him?

Um, no.

Just no.

One of Trump's biggest failings is that he and his team tell lies like children. That is, they've never learned how to keep things believable. Like a misguided 10-year-old who is desperate to impress someone with his whopper of a tale, he always exaggerates to the point of hyperbole and insults our intelligence.

For example, he told us his rally at Wildwood, NJ, this past summer had 108,000 even though the town itself only has 80,000 residents and the venue he held the rally in only held 20,000 people.

Or how he kept insisting that American kids are going to school and somehow receiving gender reassignment surgery over a couple of days and without parental consent before being sent home.

Each lie is so over the top and grandiose it makes him look infantile while at the same time insults our knowledge of reality.

And that's exactly what this feels like.

There is no way this man won the majority of the votes and the popular vote after only winning due to the electoral college the first time and not at all the second time. More people vilify him now than they did in 2016 and 2020, and that's saying something.

There just aren't enough voters in the US to give him a clear path to victory here no matter how committed his sycophants are to white supremacy. MAGA voters are not the majority of the voting electorate.

Also the fact that the exit polling data is suspiciously similar to the same tall tales Trump's been selling for the past year about how he had a ton of support in the Latino and Black communities, despite there being no data to support it at all. He was polling damn near 0% in some majority black communities like Detroit and Atlanta.

Yeah ... no.

This math ain't mathing.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I know when something isn't adding up. And nothing about these results add up at all.

On top of that, they ran their entire campaign like they didn't care about people getting out to vote. They kept insulting different segments of the electorate over and over again, as if they didn't need the votes of single people or people without children.

Plus, we saw record voter registration leading up to the election. More people voting early in state after state, and millions of people voting for the first time in their lives. But somehow there were fewer votes cast in this 2024 election than in the 2020 election?

Hell, Georgia alone tripled its early voter turnout. So how is this election getting fewer votes than 4 years ago?!

There were historically longer lines than ever before in parts of the country that never saw long lines, and yet there were millions fewer votes counted so far this year? Are we really to believe that all those long lines and so many new voters managed to only add up to 136M versus 158M who voted in 2020?

I call bullshit!

Also, a number of folks are commenting on how quickly the states were called. In all my years of voting, I've never seen a US election turning around so fast.

Yeah, the math ain't mathing.

Sure, he could've eeked out a win via the Electoral College without the popular vote like he did in 2016, but given her momentum and the majority of the polls either favoring her or having had them tied, none of these results pass the smell test.

Meanwhile, Harris had a multigenerational, multiracial, multiethnic, multigendered coalition of enthusiastic supporters who volunteered, phone banked, door knocked, and fundraised in every state plus D.C. Her media strategy was savvy, her interviews were sharp and intelligible, and her demeanor was inclusive and congenial. Again, not putting anything past good ole American racism and misogyny, but all the data showed that her supporters were clearly larger in number and more enthusiastic than his.

Long story short --

I do believe we are witnessing the American government being hijacked and a dictator installed right before our very eyes.

[foxhogblogs]

Foxhog Venture Rejects 450+ Startup Applications in India: A Bold Stand for Transparency and Ethical Investing

Foxhog Ventures, a US-based venture capital firm, has recently stirred the Indian startup ecosystem by rejecting over 450 startup funding applications. This bold move reflects the firm’s deep rooted commitment to transparency, ethical investing, and stringent due diligence practices in the evolving landscape of venture capital in India.

Many of the rejected applications fell short due to incomplete documentation, inconsistencies in financial disclosures, and non-compliance with essential legal standards. Some cases involved the submission of falsified data, which not only led to the rejection of those proposals but also resulted in the blacklisting of the startups and the initiation of legal proceedings.

Despite the firm stance, Foxhog continues to express its confidence in the Indian market, especially in its untapped potential. The firm remains focused on funding purpose driven startups, particularly those emerging from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. With a sharp eye on high impact sectors like agriculture, dairy, retail, and fintech, Foxhog is building a funding ecosystem rooted in real-world outcomes and long-term viability. Its flagship initiative, Venture Capital for Villages, is a prime example- an ambitious program aimed at enabling rural entrepreneurship and promoting grassroots economic development.

In response to defamatory narratives and fraudulent applications, the firm has taken legal measures, including filing police complaints and issuing formal legal notices. These steps are not about deterring startups, they’re about protecting the credibility of foreign investment and ensuring that serious founders have access to fair, trusted platforms. The firm believes such accountability reinforces the startup environment rather than weakens it.

Internally, the mass rejections have led Foxhog Ventures to double down on its due diligence protocols. Acknowledging that some past decisions lacked the rigor they demand today, the firm is now setting higher standards for risk assessment and transparency. This recalibration is part of the broader vision to redefine venture capital in India for 2025 and beyond, making it smarter, cleaner, and more impact focused. https://www.youtube.com/@foxhog/videos

For Indian startups looking to work with Foxhog or any other global investor, the message is clear: come prepared. Transparency is non-negotiable. Founders are encouraged to maintain accurate financials, be honest about profitability and losses, clearly communicate burn rates and revenue models and above all, uphold integrity in all investor conversations. In an age where funding is increasingly tied to purpose and accountability, the future belongs to startups that are built on honesty and resilience.

[mariacallous]

Automakers and tech developers testing and deploying self-driving and advanced driver-assistance features will no longer have to report as much detailed, public crash information to the federal government, according to a new framework released today by the US Department of Transportation.

The moves are a boon for makers of self-driving cars and the wider vehicle technology industry, which has complained that federal crash-reporting requirements are overly burdensome and redundant. But the new rules will limit the information available to those who watchdog and study autonomous vehicles and driver-assistance features—tech developments that are deeply entwined with public safety but which companies often shield from public view because they involve proprietary systems that companies spend billions to develop.

The government's new orders limit “one of the only sources of publicly available data that we have on incidents involving Level 2 systems,” says Sam Abuelsamid, who writes about the self-driving-vehicle industry and is the vice president of marketing at Telemetry, a Michigan research firm, referring to driver-assistance features such as Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised), General Motors’ Super Cruise, and Ford’s Blue Cruise. These incidents, he notes, are only becoming “more common.”

The new rules allow companies to shield from public view some crash details, including the automation version involved in incidents and the “narratives” around the crashes, on the grounds that such information contains “confidential business information.” Self-driving-vehicle developers, such as Waymo and Zoox, will no longer need to report crashes that include property damage less than $1,000, if the incident doesn’t involve the self-driving car crashing on its own or striking another vehicle or object. (This may nix, for example, federal public reporting on some minor fender-benders in which a Waymo is struck by another car. But companies will still have to report incidents in California, which has more stringent regulations around self-driving.)

And in a change, the makers of advanced driver-assistance features, such as Full Self-Driving, must report crashes only if they result in fatalities, hospitalizations, air bag deployments, or a strike on a "vulnerable road user,” like a pedestrian or cyclist—but no longer have to report the crash if the vehicle involved just needs to be towed.

“This does seem to close the door on a huge number of additional reports,” says William Wallace, who directs safety advocacy for Consumer Reports. “It’s a big carve-out.” The changes move in the opposite direction of what his organization has championed: federal rules that fight against a trend of "significant incident underreporting" among the makers of advanced vehicle tech.

The new DOT framework will also allow automakers to test self-driving technology with more vehicles that don’t meet all federal safety standards under a new exemption process. That process, which is currently used for foreign vehicles imported into the US but is now being expanded to domestically made ones, will include an "iterative review” that "considers the overall safety of the vehicle.” The process can be used to, for example, more quickly approve vehicles that don’t come with steering wheels, brake pedals, rearview mirrors, or other typical safety features that make less sense when cars are driven by computers.

One company in particular emerges as a winner: Elon Musk’s Tesla, which now will be able to curtail public reporting on its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (Supervised) features, and may enjoy an easier road to federal safety approval for its upcoming Cybercab, a two-seat, purpose-built robotaxi that does not have a steering wheel or brakes.

“The company that probably benefits the most from that is Tesla,” Abuelsamid says. Though the Transportation Department cited safety as the number one motivator behind the new rules, “there’s nothing in these changes that actually prioritizes safety,” he says.

A spokesperson for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration did not respond to questions about Tesla. Tesla, which disbanded its press team five years ago, did not respond to a request for comment.

In a video message posted to X, DOT secretary Sean Duffy said the new automated vehicle framework aimed to increase commercial deployment of new car technology. “America is in the middle of an innovation race with China, and the stakes couldn’t be higher,” he said.

In a memo, an NHTSA official said the changes were only the first step in an effort to "improve the efficiency and effectiveness” of the process through which new vehicle tech is allowed on roads.

Vehicle industry groups applauded the changes. The Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association, an organization that represents several autonomous vehicle technology companies (though, notably, not Tesla) called the DOT’s announcement a “bold and necessary step in developing a federal policy framework for autonomous vehicles.” John Bozzella, the president and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, an automotive trade organization, said the announcement is “a signal that AV policy in America isn’t an afterthought anymore.”

The changes to the program are not as drastic as some safety advocates had feared. Prior to President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Reuters reported that the transition team considered scrapping all government crash-reporting requirements related to self-driving and advanced vehicle technology. Though this week’s changes curtail some of the data released and eliminate some redundancies that made the data more difficult to understand and handle, companies deploying self-driving cars are still required to report crash information to the feds.

Noah Goodall, an independent researcher who studies autonomous vehicles, says the changes may make it harder for outsiders to spot or understand patterns in self-driving vehicles’ mistakes—though also notes the public database on crashes has been difficult to work with since it was launched in 2021. “You’re getting less reporting now,” he says. “From my perspective, more data is good.”

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from The Revelator:

Researchers in Indonesia recently captured a surprising event on video: A wild orangutan named Rakus, with a deep gash on his cheek, harvested liana leaves, chewed them up, and rubbed them on his wound. His cheek healed without infection. As it turns out the plants have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, and other chemical properties that help heal wounds.

The great ape saw the plant, recognized the plant, and valued the plant because he knew something about a subject that few humans do anymore: botany.

At a time when our net knowledge about plants keeps growing, our individual understanding of plants is in decline. This is unsurprising, because while we still depend on plants for life, few of us need to know much about them in our daily lives — as long as someone else does. We rely on botanists to identify plants, keep them alive, and in so doing help keep us alive as well.

It’s a lot of responsibility for a group of scientists that isn’t getting any bigger. And that has some people in the field worried.

The National Center for Education Statistics triggered the first alarm about the future of botany in 2015. According to data released that year, the number of annual undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees awarded in botany or plant biology in the United States had dropped below 400 for the fifth time since 2007. In 1988 the number of degrees was 545.

The number soon rose again and so far has stayed above 400. In fact it rose to 489 in 2023 — the highest in decades. (By comparison, American universities gave out more than 45,000 marketing degrees last year.)

The definitive downward trend, though, remains in the number of U.S. institutions offering botany or plant biology degrees — from 76 in 2002 to 59 in 2023.

“Botany Ph.D.’s are disappearing,” says Kathryn Parsley, who got her Ph.D. in biology, not botany, even though her dissertation focused on plants. “The number of botanists is declining rapidly and the people filling those spaces are not botanists.” When a biology department has a job vacancy, she says, they tend to hire a professor who has “nothing to do with plants. The department will have all kinds of scientists in it, with only one or maybe two botanists, sometimes only one or two plant scientists at all.” Because she attended one such school, “a botany degree was out of the question,” Parsley says.

While nobody has tracked the average age of botanists in the United States, students of “pure botany” do seem to be waning, according to Kristine Callis-Duehl, the executive director of education research and outreach at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis. “Skills are shifting away from old-school botany. A lot of that’s being driven by funding sources,” she says. “More and more, just being a botanist is not enough in academia.”

Experts agree that in recent years, most botany professors aren’t being replaced once they retire. But why?

Money is one reason. The National Science Foundation, for instance, has shifted its funding away from natural history at herbariums and other museums, Callis-Duehl says. “It’s harder to convince Congress that that work — pure botany — contributes to the economy. They prefer basic science that can lead into more applied science, where they can make a case that it fuels the U.S. economy.”

Applied plant science has more NSF options than botany. For example, agriculture is more likely to be funded by USDA, Callis-Duehl says.

[kilov3books]

AI has taken away human jobs however, AI is also creating human jobs

Febuary 16, 2025

By: Ki Lov3 Editor: Toni Gelardi 

The greatest strategy to stay ahead of the curve as AI continues to change the labor market is to embrace AI as a tool rather than a threat, adapt, and upskill. The following are essential steps to prepare your career for the future:

1. Develop AI and Tech Skills

Learn how AI works and how it impacts your industry. Take online courses in AI, machine learning, automation, and data analysis. Familiarize yourself with AI-powered tools in your profession (e.g., ChatGPT for writing, VideoGPT to video creation and AI-driven analytics for marketing).

2.Focus on Human-Centric Skills

AI is great at automation, but human traits remain irreplaceable:

Emotional intelligence (EQ): 

AI can’t replicate empathy, leadership, or deep human connections.

Critical thinking & problem-solving: 

AI provides data, but humans must interpret and apply it effectively.

Creativity & innovation: 

AI can generate content, but original ideas and strategic thinking still require human input.

3. Stay flexible and Willing to Pivot

Be open to career shifts—AI might replace some jobs but will create new ones.

Adaptability is key; embrace lifelong learning and continuous skill-building. Consider industries that integrate AI rather than resist it.

4. Learn AI-Augmented Roles

Many jobs won’t disappear but will evolve. Understanding how to work with AI instead of against it can give you an edge.

Example: A digital marketer using AI-powered analytics to optimize campaigns rather than manually crunching data.

5. Build a Unique Personal Brand

If AI is replacing generic jobs, make yourself stand out with a strong personal brand.

Develop expertise in niche areas where AI support is valuable but not dominant.

Use platforms like LinkedIn, personal blogs, or social media to showcase your knowledge.

6. Strengthen Networking and Collaboration

AI can’t replace human relationships and professional networks. Become an in-person person– with genuine emotions.

Build strong connections with industry leaders, join professional groups, and attend AI-focused workshops.

Collaborating with others can open doors to AI-proof career opportunities.

7. Explore Entrepreneurship & Side Gigs

AI creates new business opportunities—consider how you can use AI tools to start a side business or freelance work.

Examples: AI-assisted content creation, AI-driven marketing consultancy, or AI-enhanced coaching services.

8. Stay Informed on AI Trends

Keep up with AI advancements and understand their impact on your industry. Read tech blogs, listen to AI-related podcasts, and follow AI influencers. Take free online tutorials, videos and ecourse online any and everything AI, their are plenty. Stay ahead of industry shifts rather than reacting to them.

Final Thoughts

The only thing we can count on in life is change. Prepare yourself for the change so you aren't left behind.

AI isn’t just taking jobs—it’s changing them. The key to surviving (and thriving) in an AI-driven world is to be adaptable, proactive, and willing to evolve. Instead of fearing AI, embrace it as a tool to enhance your work, increase efficiency, and open up new career opportunities.

Those who learn to work alongside AI, focus on human-centric skills, and continuously upskill will not just survive the AI revolution—they’ll lead it.

#ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfWork #AIImpact #JobMarket2025 #AIJobs #Automation #AIRevolution

#AIAutomation #JobDisruption #TechTakeover #AIvsHumans #FutureOfJobs

#AIInnovation #NewCareerPaths #FutureSkills #AIAndHumans #WorkWithAI

#Upskilling #LearnAI #AdaptOrDie #CareerGrowth #LifelongLearning

#AIInEducation #AIInHealthcare #AIInBusiness #AIInManufacturing

[tzifron]

“From 2003-2016, bread prices rose steadily, far outpacing the minor increases in farmgate wheat prices,” NFU’s submission from last week explained. Farmgate prices are the prices of goods bought directly from farmers without markup added by retailers. The union says the costs borne by consumers have been completely detached from the prices paid to farmers since the 2000s.  “Farmgate prices for wheat did increase in 2021 and 2022, potentially driven by the war in Ukraine and other factors. However, they did not come close to narrowing the gap that has steadily widened since the beginning of this data series.”

[...]

Five retailers—Loblaw, Sobeys, Metro, Costco and Walmart—control 75 per cent of Canada’s food retail market. In processing, the Canadian market is even more consolidated in some cases. Just two corporations—one of which was owned by Loblaw parent company George Weston Ltd. until recently—control 80 per cent of the bread-making market, for example. 

The result is that farmers are facing dire financial circumstances, Pfenning said. They’re struggling with increased costs for virtually everything they need to grow food: land, equipment, soil amendments and more. Yet the prices they’re paid are virtually stagnant.

“Farmers and consumers are clearly in the same boat,” NFU vice president Stewart Wells said in a press release about the new data, “dealing with a highly consolidated processing and retail sector that can set prices to suit themselves and award enormous salaries to corporate CEOs.”

[shabinv]

Top Digital Marketing Trends to Watch in 2025

As a Best Freelancer Digital Marketer In Palakkad we step deeper into the fast-paced digital world, 2025 is already shaping up to be a game-changing year for marketers. Technology, consumer behavior, and global dynamics are evolving rapidly — and so should our strategies. Whether you're a business owner, a startup founder, or a fellow digital marketer, staying ahead of the trends is essential.

Here are the top digital marketing trends to watch in 2025:

1. AI-Powered Marketing Will Be Mainstream

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a buzzword — it's the engine behind everything from customer service chatbots to personalized content recommendations. In 2025, AI tools like ChatGPT, MidJourney, and automation platforms will be used to craft content, optimize campaigns, and enhance user experience in real-time.

Pro tip: Leverage AI to automate mundane tasks and focus on strategy and creativity.

2. Hyper-Personalization Will Drive Conversions

Generic messages are dead. Consumers now expect brands to understand their preferences, behavior, and intent. With the help of advanced analytics and first-party data, brands will create ultra-targeted content, emails, and offers.

Example: E-commerce platforms will serve unique homepages to different users based on browsing history and location.

3. Voice Search & Smart Assistants Are Growing

With the rise of smart speakers and mobile voice assistants, voice search optimization is a must. In 2025, more than 60% of searches may be voice-based. Brands need to optimize for conversational keywords and FAQs.

Action point: Start creating content that sounds natural when spoken aloud.

4. Short-Form Video Remains King

Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, TikTok — short-form video is here to stay. In 2025, expect platforms to double down on this format with new monetization tools and discoverability features.

Strategy tip: Invest in authentic, value-driven video content. Consistency is more important than perfection.

5. Privacy-First Marketing Will Dominate

With increasing regulations like GDPR, and the phasing out of third-party cookies, marketers must prioritize ethical data use. First-party data collection (via signups, polls, etc.) will be more important than ever.

Solution: Build trust by being transparent with data collection and use tools that comply with privacy laws.

6. Influencer Marketing Gets Niche

Instead of chasing big influencers, brands are now working with micro and nano influencers who have loyal, engaged communities. In 2025, ROI-focused influencer partnerships will outperform one-off brand deals.

Idea: Partner with local creators who align with your brand values.

7. SEO Evolves with AI and Semantic Search

Google and other search engines are becoming more sophisticated. In 2025, keyword stuffing won’t work — semantic relevance, user intent, and E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) will be key.

Tip: Focus on helpful content, not just rankings. Google rewards real value.

Final Thoughts

Digital marketing in 2025 is all about authenticity, adaptability, and agility. As a freelance digital marketer based in Palakkad, I’ve seen how local businesses can thrive when they embrace innovation early.

If you're a brand looking to stay ahead in this evolving digital landscape, now is the time to upgrade your strategy and ride the trends — not chase them after they’ve peaked.

Let’s connect! Feel free to message me if you need help implementing these strategies for your business.

[coremediait]

Best Digital Marketing Agency in Varanasi – Why CoreMediaIT Stands Out

In today’s competitive digital world, having a strong online presence isn’t optional—it’s essential. Whether you're a local business, a startup, or an established brand in Varanasi, investing in professional digital marketing can be the game-changer. And when it comes to choosing the best digital marketing agency in Varanasi, CoreMediaIT is the name that consistently stands out.

🌐 Digital Marketing in Varanasi: A Growing Need

Varanasi, known for its rich cultural heritage, is also becoming a hub for local businesses, startups, and service providers. As more customers go online to find solutions, the need for:

Higher Google rankings

Professional websites

Engaging social media presence

Paid advertising strategies

has increased rapidly.

That’s where expert digital agencies like CoreMediaIT come into play.

💡 What Makes CoreMediaIT the Best Digital Marketing Agency in Varanasi?

With a blend of experience, innovation, and local understanding, CoreMediaIT has carved a niche in the Varanasi digital marketing landscape. Here's what sets them apart:

✅ 1. Customized Strategies for Every Business

No one-size-fits-all. CoreMediaIT evaluates each client's needs and creates a tailor-made strategy aligned with their business goals, industry, and competition.

✅ 2. Data-Driven SEO Services

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is at the heart of CoreMediaIT’s services. Their SEO team helps businesses:

Rank higher on Google

Target relevant keywords

Improve website traffic organically

Generate local leads

They specialize in local SEO, which is essential for visibility in Varanasi and nearby cities.

✅ 3. Expertise in Google Ads & PPC Campaigns

Want instant visibility? CoreMediaIT runs targeted Google Ads campaigns designed to:

Minimize ad spend

Maximize conversions

Reach the right audience at the right time

Their PPC experts handle search, display, shopping, and video ad campaigns across platforms.

✅ 4. Social Media Marketing with Results

In the age of Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, CoreMediaIT helps brands:

Build and grow their followers

Launch compelling ad campaigns

Increase engagement and sales through social platforms

Their creative team handles graphics, content, and performance tracking efficiently.

✅ 5. Website Design & Maintenance

A strong website is your 24x7 salesperson. CoreMediaIT offers:

Responsive and fast-loading websites

WordPress and custom CMS builds

Landing pages for campaigns

SEO-friendly structures

They ensure that your site not only looks good but also performs well.

🧩 Services Offered by CoreMediaIT

Here’s a complete list of digital marketing services offered: ServiceDescriptionSearch Engine OptimizationRank higher on Google and get discovered organicallyGoogle Ads / PPCGet instant leads through paid search and display adsSocial Media MarketingFacebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube marketing strategiesWebsite DevelopmentMobile-friendly and SEO-optimized website solutionsLocal SEOGet found in local search and Google MapsContent MarketingBlogs, landing pages, product descriptions with SEO-rich contentGraphic DesignCreatives for campaigns, social media, and brandingOnline Reputation ManagementBuild and protect your brand's online image

⭐ Real Client Success Stories

CoreMediaIT has helped several local brands achieve measurable growth. A few examples include:

📈 Local Grocery Brand – From 0 to 10,000+ monthly visitors in 4 months via SEO

💬 Educational Institute – 300% increase in leads from Google Ads

📲 E-commerce Business – 5x ROAS from social media campaigns

Each campaign is tracked with detailed analytics and reports so clients can see the exact ROI.

👥 Why Local Businesses in Varanasi Prefer CoreMediaIT

Here’s what clients love about working with CoreMediaIT:

Transparent pricing and deliverables

Excellent customer support and follow-up

Dedicated project manager for each account

Focus on lead generation, not just traffic

Performance-first approach

📍 Location and Contact Details

If you're ready to take your business to the next level, get in touch:

🌐 Website: www.coremediait.com

📞 Phone: +91 9450496682

📍 Address: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

You can also follow them on social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn for updates and case studies.

🙋‍♂️ FAQs – Best Digital Marketing Agency in Varanasi

Q1: What industries does CoreMediaIT serve? CoreMediaIT serves various industries including education, retail, healthcare, e-commerce, and local service providers.

Q2: Do they offer digital marketing packages? Yes, CoreMediaIT offers customizable digital marketing packages based on business goals and budgets.

Q3: How soon can I expect results? SEO results typically show within 3–6 months. Paid campaigns like Google Ads and Facebook Ads can bring leads in a few days.

Q4: Do they offer free consultations? Yes, you can schedule a free consultation to understand their approach and receive a business audit.

🏁 Final Thoughts

If you’re looking to work with a results-driven and trustworthy team, CoreMediaIT is undoubtedly the best digital marketing agency in Varanasi. Their deep understanding of both global digital trends and the local Varanasi market makes them the perfect partner for online growth.

Whether you need more leads, better branding, or a powerful online presence—CoreMediaIT delivers. 💼🚀

[hipcv]

How to become a successful social media influencer in 2025

Social media influencers have quickly become one of the most influential groups shaping online culture and marketing. With platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter offering unprecedented reach, influencers have the ability to impact purchasing decisions, trends, and public opinion. If you want to turn your passion for content creation into a professional career, it is essential to understand the right steps and skills required.

If you're wondering where to start, a helpful resource is the detailed guide on how to become a social media influencer. This guide provides step-by-step advice on building your personal brand, finding your unique voice, and attracting a loyal audience. It emphasizes the importance of choosing a niche you are passionate about, whether it’s fashion, fitness, travel, or lifestyle, and consistently producing high-quality, engaging content that resonates with your followers. The guide also covers important aspects like growing your community organically, understanding platform algorithms, and the best ways to collaborate with brands while maintaining authenticity.

Once you begin gaining traction, it’s important to present your professional journey effectively, especially if you want to work with brands or agencies. Reviewing a well-structured Social Media Influencer Resume Example can help you understand how to showcase your achievements in a polished way. A strong resume not only lists your follower count and engagement rates but also highlights successful campaigns, content creation skills, and your ability to analyze and adapt to audience trends. This resume example also shows how to position yourself as a marketing asset, not just a content creator, which can open doors to influencer management and marketing roles.

Developing the right social media influencer skills is another key to lasting success. These skills include content strategy planning, data-driven audience insights, negotiation with brands, and digital marketing know-how. Being skilled in video editing, graphic design, SEO, and social media analytics tools will improve the quality of your content and help you measure your performance more accurately. Additionally, skills like communication, networking, and personal branding play a vital role in building long-term partnerships and a trustworthy image.

Beyond just followers and posts, professional influencers understand the business side of social media. They track campaign performance, engage meaningfully with their audience, and adapt quickly to platform changes. By continuously improving your skill set and learning from reliable sources, you position yourself for sustainable growth.

In summary, becoming a successful social media influencer in 2025 requires more than just posting regularly. Leveraging resources such as the how to become a social media influencer guide can provide foundational knowledge, while studying a Social Media Influencer Resume Example helps you market yourself professionally. Focusing on building and refining your social media influencer skills ensures you stay competitive and ready for new opportunities. With dedication and the right approach, you can transform your online presence into a rewarding career.

[riyasabubacker]

How to Use Content Marketing to Build Brand Authority

In today’s crowded digital space, trust is the ultimate currency. Consumers no longer respond to generic adsthey seek brands they can trust and learn from. That’s why building brand authority is essential, and one of the most powerful ways to achieve it is through content marketing.

As a digital marketing freelancer in Dubai, I’ve worked with businesses of all sizes to help them build credibility, attract leads, and grow through powerful content strategies. If you want to stand out and become a trusted expert in your field, here’s how content marketing can help you do just that.

What Is Brand Authority?

Brand authority means being recognized as a credible and trustworthy expert in your niche. It’s what sets you apart and makes customers choose your brand over competitors even if you’re new or more expensive.

With strong brand authority, you can:

Boost your search engine rankings organically

Earn customer loyalty and referrals

Get valuable backlinks and media attention

Increase conversions with less resistance

Why Content Marketing Builds Brand Authority

Unlike traditional advertising, content marketing is about adding value, not just selling. It educates your audience, solves their problems, and demonstrates your expertise earning trust naturally over time.

As a digital marketing freelancer in Dubai, I’ve seen firsthand how consistent, high quality content helps brands build lasting connections and drive results without depending solely on paid campaigns.

7 Ways to Build Brand Authority Through Content Marketing

1. Understand Your Audience Deeply

Begin by knowing your audience. What are their biggest challenges? What solutions are they searching for in Dubai’s market? Tools like Google Trends, AnswerThePublic, and social listening can help uncover these insights.

2. Create Evergreen, Helpful Content

Focus on content that delivers long-term value:

How-to guides

Frequently asked questions

Practical tutorials

Industry analysis

Example: A blog like “How Local SEO Helps Dubai Cafes Increase Foot Traffic” offers direct, helpful value that builds trust.

3. Optimize Your Content for SEO

To increase visibility, use the right keywords like digital marketing freelancer in Dubai and digital marketing services in Dubai naturally throughout your content.

Don’t forget to optimize:

Page titles & meta descriptions

Headings (H1, H2)

Image alt tags

Internal and external links

4. Showcase Real Results with Case Studies

Trust is built through proof. Share data-driven results and client success stories to reinforce your authority.

Example: “How I Helped a Dubai-Based Startup Grow Website Traffic by 250% in 6 Months.”

5. Publish Consistently Across Channels

Authority grows with consistent visibility. Use platforms like:

Medium (for long-form content)

LinkedIn (for B2B credibility)

Instagram (for quick insights and storytelling)

YouTube or podcasts (for authority and reach)

6. Collaborate With Industry Experts

Partner with local influencers, freelancers, or thought leaders. Guest posts, co-branded webinars, or podcast interviews can elevate your reputation within the Dubai market.

7. Repurpose and Distribute Your Content

Maximize the value of every piece of content:

Turn blog posts into LinkedIn carousels

Reuse tips for Instagram Reels

Expand articles into email sequences

Record short podcast episodes

This multiplies your reach across channels and reinforces your expertise.

Final Thoughts

Building brand authority doesn’t happen overnight. It takes consistency, strategy, and real value. But with content marketing, any business big or small can earn the trust of its audience.

As a digital marketing freelancer in Dubai, I specialize in helping brands grow through purposeful, data-backed content strategies. Whether you’re starting out or scaling up, building authority is key to long-term success.

Ready to Build Your Brand Authority?

Let’s design a content strategy that positions you as the expert your audience is searching for. Contact me today to explore how digital marketing services in Dubai can grow your business.