The Legend of Howard Hughes essays

The Legend of Howard Hughes essays The Life and Legend of Howard Hughes Throughout the 20th century, it has been the medias job to pinpoint what events and people would prove to be an effective story. This was certainly the case for Howard R. Hughes. Son to the wealthy Howard Hughes Sr., Howard became the interest of the American people and newspapers for most of his life. Being deemed one of the most famous men of the mid-20th century was greatly attributed to Hughess skills as an industrialist, aviator, and motion-picture producer combined with his enormous wealth, intellect, and achievement. The media thrived on Howards unusual and sometimes scandalous life, especially in his later years when newspapers would frequently front large amounts of money to get stories on Hughes. Howard was also associated with what has been called one of the greatest publishing hoaxes in history. Howard Hughes Sr., commonly known as Big Howard, was a graduate of the Harvard School of Law, yet never once appeared before a court of law. Big Howard spent the first 36 years of his life chasing money across the Texas plains, as a wildcatter and a speculator in oil leases, working hard enough and earning just enough to move on to another, hopefully more fortunate gamble. In the year of his marriage, Big Howard sold leases on land that proved to have $50,000 in oil beneath it. He promptly took his new wife to Europe for a honeymoon, and returned exactly $50,000 poorer. In 1908, Big Howard turned his ingenuity and his hobby to tinker into good fortune. Current drilling technology was unable to penetrate the thick rock of southwest Texas and oilmen could only extract the surface layers of oil, unable to tap the vast resources that lay far below. Big Howard came up with the idea for a rolling bit, with 166 cutting edges and invented a method to keep the bit lubricated as it to re away at the rock. Later that year, Big Howard produced a model and went into busi...

Of Mice and Men Summary

Of Mice and Men Summary Of Mice and Men is John Steinbeck’s best-known work. The 1937 novella tells the story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two migrant workers who travel from farm to farm in search of work in Depression-era California. Chapter 1 The story begins with two childhood friends, George Milton and Lennie Small, who are traveling through California in search of work. Lennie is drinking from a puddle of standing water, and George reproaches him. When Lennie stops drinking the water, George reminds him that they only have a little way to go until they arrive at their next farm. George notices that Lennie isn’t really listening; instead, Lennie has been focusing on petting a dead mouse that’s in his pocket. George mentions that Lennie picked up the habit from his Aunt Clara, then reminds Lennie that he always used to kill the mice. George angrily tosses the mouse into the woods. The two men settle down in the woods for the night. They eat a dinner of beans and talk by the fire about their dreams of making enough money to buy land of their own, with rabbits to care for. Chapter 2 The next morning, George and Lennie arrive at the ranch and meet their boss (referred to only as the Boss). The Boss tells them that they were supposed to arrive the night before; thanks to their delayed arrival, they will have to wait until the next day to start working. During the conversation, George speaks for both himself and Lennie, which frustrates the Boss. However, once Lennie finally speaks, the Boss agrees to hire the men. Next, George and Lennie meet Curley, the son of the Boss. Curley tries to intimidate them- especially Lennie- but once he leaves, they learn some gossip about his character from Candy, one of the ranch hands. Candy explains that Curley is a good fighter who made it to the finals of the Golden Gloves, but that he is mad at [big guys] because he aint a big guy. Curleys wife briefly appears and introduces herself to George and Lennie. Lennie cant take his eyes off of her, but the farm hands warn him against talking to her and describe her as flirtatious and a tart. Lennie frets about having to fight Curley, but George reassures him and instructs him to go to their predetermined hiding place should a fight begin to brew. Lennie and George also meet two other ranch hands- Slim and Carlson- and learn that Slims dog has recently given birth to a litter of puppies. Chapter 3 In the bunk house, George and Slim meet up. George thanks Slim for allowing Lennie to take one of the puppies. As the conversation continues, George tells Slim the truth about why he and Lennie left their previous farm: Lennie, who loves to touch soft things, tried to pet a woman’s red dress, leading people to think that he had raped her. George explains that Lennie is a gentle person and that he never raped the woman. Candy and Carlson arrive, and the conversation turns to the topic of Candys elderly dog. Candy clearly loves the animal and doesnt want to let him go, but he also recognizes that the dog is suffering; plus, according to Carlson, we cant sleep with him stinkin around in here. Candy finally agrees to let the dog go, and Carlson takes the dog away with a shovel to end its life. Later, George and Lennie discuss their plan to save up some money and buy land of their own. With childlike fascination and hope, Lennie asks George to describe more and more elements of the imagined farm. Candy overhears the conversation and says that he wants to join in using his own savings. George is skeptical at first, but he eventually agrees to let Candy in on the plan, convinced by the fact that Candy has considerable money saved up already. The three men agree to keep the plan a secret. As they make this pact, an annoyed Curley appears and starts to pick a fight with Lennie. Lennie doesnt want to fight and begs George for help. Curley punches Lennie in the face and, going against his own promises to protect Lennie, George encourages Lennie to fight back.  In nervous retaliation, Lennie grabs Curley’s fist in his own and squeezes; as a result, Curley starts â€Å"flopping like a fish on a line.† Lennie and Curley are separated, and it becomes clear that Curley’s hand is shattered. He is rushed to the doctor, but not before he and the others agree not to say a word about what has happened to anyone else. Once Curley has been taken away, George explains that Lennie only acted that way because he was scared. He then tries to calm his friend by telling him that he didn’t do anything wrong and that he can still tend the rabbits on their land. Chapter 4 That night, after everybody else has gone into town, Lennie is out on the farm visiting his puppy. He walks past the room of Crooks, the African American stable-hand who lives in separate lodging because the other farm hands wont allow him in the bunk house. The two men start talking, and Crooks asks him some probing questions about his relationship with George. At one point Crooks suggests that George won’t return that night, which frightens Lennie, but Crooks settles him down. Lennie lets slip that he, George, and Candy are planning on saving up for their own piece of land. Upon hearing this, Crooks calls the idea â€Å"nuts,† and says that â€Å"ever’body wants a little piece of lan’†¦nobody gets no land. It’s jus’ in their head.† Before Lennie can respond, Candy enters and joins in the conversation, also talking about their plan to buy some land. At this, Crooks once again expresses his skepticism, though Lennie and Candy remain unconvinced. Unexpectedly, Curley’s wife appears, mentioning that she is looking for Curley and drawing the attention of the three men as she flirts with them. The men tell her that they don’t know where Curley is. When she asks how Curley hurt his hand, the men lie, saying that it got caught in a machine. Curleys wife angrily accuses the men of covering up the truth, and Crooks tells her to leave. This response angers her even further; she hurls racial epithets at Crooks and threatens to have him lynched. Powerless, Crooks averts his gaze and apologizes flatly to her. Candy tries to come to Crooks’ defense, but Curley’s wife retorts that nobody would believe them over her. Before slipping out, she says she’s glad Lennie crushed Curley’s hand. As  soon as Curleys wife exits, the three men hear the other farm hands. Lennie and Candy return to the bunk house, leaving Crooks to himself once again. Chapter 5 The next afternoon, Lennie sits in the barn with his puppy, which has died as a result of his indelicate touch. As he buries the body, Lennie worries that George will find out and that the revelation will cause George to forbid Lennie from tending rabbits on their farm. Curley’s wife enters the barn. Lennie blurts out that he is not supposed to talk to her, but they converse nevertheless. Curleys wife describes her youthful dreams- now crushed- of becoming a Hollywood actress, as well as her resentment towards her husband. Lennie then tells Curleys wife about how he likes to pet soft things, like rabbits. Curleys wife lets Lennie stroke her hair, but Lennie clasps her too tightly and she squirms in his grip. Lennie shakes her - so hard that â€Å"her body flopped like a fish†- and breaks her neck. He runs off. Candy discovers the body of Curleys wife in the barn. He runs to get George, who, immediately recognizing what Lennie did, decides that they should walk away and let the others find the body. Once Curley learns the news, he quickly decides that Lennie must have killed her. Curley and the other farm hands set off to kill Lennie in revenge- only they can’t locate Carlson’s Luger pistol. George is supposed to join the search party, but he sneaks away, knowing that Lennie has gone to their pre-established hiding spot. Chapter 6 Lennie sits by the river, waiting for George and worrying about how he might react. He begins to hallucinate; first, he imagines that he is talking to his Aunt Clara, then, he imagines a conversation with a giant rabbit. George arrives at the hiding spot. He reassures Lennie that he wont leave him and describes the land theyll own together, which calms Lennie down. As the two men are talking, George can hear Curleys search party closing in. He raises Carlson’s Luger pistol to the back of Lennie’s head, so that Lennie cannot see it. George hesitates at first, continuing to calmly tell Lennie about their farm, but just before Curley and the others arrive, he finally pulls the trigger. The other men take in the scene. Slim tells George that he did what he had to do, and Carlson remarks to Curley, â€Å"Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?†

A Canticle for Leibowitz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Canticle for Leibowitz - Essay Example While Miller’s text presents a compelling narrative, it is perhaps most relevant in terms of the metaphorical critique it holds for contemporary life and the potentials of future existence. This response essay considers many of these elements and meditates on potential solutions to some of the most pressing challenges. There are a number of considerations related to Miller’s notion that religious inspiration can create a culture-saving alternative community. One first considers the nature of religious inspiration. In the text what largely appears to have occurred is that religion has rejected the location of what it once readily embraced – namely simplification. In these regards, one considers the church’s position in the Medieval Period as readily embracing a rejection of knowledge for more faith based modes of understanding; these modes of understanding created institutions that largely rejected scientific inquiry, particularly when it conflicted with re ligious doctrine. In this sense the nature of ‘religious inspiration’ would be recognized as actually rejecting knowledge. Still, in the Medieval period through the Renaissance and even into the contemporary world religion has operated to stringently retain its own culture in the face of scientific and ethical challenges from the outside world. It seems the notion of ‘religious inspiration’ as a culture-saving operation is perhaps best exemplified in the university system. In these regards, to a large extent the university system and the professors working therein constitute a culture that is partly in opposition to pervading trends of society. That is, the university system embraces concepts and values that reject the simple pursuit of profit for the pursuit of knowledge for the sake of knowledge. This is slightly a religious concept as, at least in Western society, the fundamental driving impact of change and development are profit incentives. Ultimately, then this attests to the nature of religious inspiration as a culture-saving entity. One considers whether Americans are tempted towards oversimplification. Particularly in regards to the aforementioned university establishment there is the consideration that much of mainstream society is opposed to intellectualism. Rather than holding intellectuals or scientists in ultimate esteem, society more readily embraces athletes or popular entertainers. Within mainstream media television programs, films, and popular novels project a culture that rejects intellectualism and positions intelligence or knowledge as counter to natural living. Newspapers and television news oftentimes are targeted towards the lowest common denominator. The cumulative recognition of these trends is that American society largely tempts its citizens towards oversimplification. Within the text the nuclear weapons engineer that founds the monastic order to preserve knowledge is later carved in a statue with a wry smi le. To an extent this can be viewed as a metaphor on society as entirely ironic. That is, we all act like we know what we’re doing, but none of us really have any idea. To an extent it appears that this notion is correct in that much of what is termed functioning in society is based on the blind embrace of pervading cultural standards that the majority of us do not understand. Still, one considers that existentialism positions meaning as a personal choice. In these regards, there is self-reflexivity and authenticity in the way that humans go about living their lives. The question of meaning and understanding is related to questions of control and directing natural forces. The text asks, â€Å"Who will govern the use of power to control natural

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 63

Marketing - Essay Example AICPA is an organization that deals with the harmonization of the accounting industry through the promotion of competence, integrity, and professionalism. I will also be interested in linking the activities of trade association with a job board that is concerned with promotion of professionalism among US job seekers. My main interest will be Career Builder, which is a job board that links employers with job seekers. The choice for career builder.com is based on the policy of professional development that the job boar promotes. Unlike other job boards, career builder believes in the development of people throughout their career. The board’s policies also illustrate value for development of skills through education and on job training. In addition, the issues of standardization remain a major cause of unemployment in the country. To contain the problem, I will need to work with an association that promotes standardization of employees through quality or standard education. Setting of standards in the work force will enhance professionalism and integrity among our Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 55 Marketing - Essay Example Indian Motorcycle banked on its legendary image â€Å"hitting the road in 1901, Indian was not only the first American motorcycle, it was the worlds best-selling bike and, having introduced the first V-twin motorcycle to the world in 1907, the most technologically advanced† (Indian Motorcycle 1). Its strategies include showcasing vintage and classic motorcycles, complete with motorcycle accessories. Its global sites include stores in North America, Mexico, Carribean, Central and South America, Europe, Asia and the Pacific, among others. For Harley-Davidson USA, the appeals that they use include appealing to the emotions through the use of visual images that cater to diverse customers and using options such as customization, even test riding and renting a bike, with other appeals that provide facts and opportunities to meet and share this interest to other bikers through events and community endeavors. Indian Motorcycle uses comparative details, historical timeline of achievements, rider stories, and motorcycle events where participants get to know more about experiences and the journey of other motorcycle riders. Likewise, their various motorcycles are showcased in vivid and colorful details that assist potential customers in deciding to purchase or to attend in the companies diverse motorcycle

The Drinking Age Should Stay at 21 Essay Example for Free

The Drinking Age Should Stay at 21 Essay I. Introduction: Starting in 1970 21 states reduced the minimum drinking age to 18. Another 8 reduced it to 19 or 20. However, these states noticed increases in alcohol-related fatalities among teenagers and young adults. As a result, of the 29 states that had lowered their drinking age, 24 raised the age again between 1976 and 1984. By 1984, only three states allowed 18-year-olds to drink all types of alcoholic liquor. The enactment of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 prompted states to raise their legal age for purchase or public possession of alcohol to 21 or risk losing millions in federal highway funds. The states who raised it were given highway funding by the government becuase the governement felt that teen drinking was directly connected to car accidents among teens. Opposite Postion: Con II. A. The longer we can delay alcohol use, the better the chance that a person will never have a problem with alcohol dependency later in life. 1. A survey of 43,093 adults showed that those who begin to drink alochol before the age of 14 become more dependent later in life. 2. This is compared to the 9 percent of those who wait until they are 21. III. A. Young Drinking Stops the Brain from growing and learning properly. 1. The brain stops developing at 21 so drinking earlier can cause serious damage 2. In one experiement it showed that even one high dose of alcohol temporarily prevented the creation of new cells IV. A. Exessive underage drinking at parities can lead to rapes, sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancies. 1. 60 percent of female college students who contract sexually transmittied diseases say they were under the influence at the time of the intercourse with the infected person 2. 20 percent of sexually active college students say they fail to use contraceptives when they are drunk. Supporting position: Pro V. A. If lowered to 18, younger teens will be able to get alcohol more easily. 1. A 2009 University of Michigan study reported that 80 percent of tenth-grade students believe alcohol is either fairly easy or very easy to obtain . 2. Teens with 18 year old friends can easily obtain the alcohol from them and possibly get into cars with these people VI. A. When teens drink alcohol, they are more likely to binge drink than people above the age of 21. 1. A 2007 by the substance abuse and mental health services administration found that 19 percent of 16 and 17 yea olds binge drink on alcohol each month. 2. 35 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 20 binge each month. VII. A. When Teens are not taught to drink in moderation they end up binge drink when they drink alcohol. 1. Many colleges aim to educate students about alochol consumption. 2. Alcohol Edu was installed in 450 colleges to instruct incoming freshman about the dangers of bingeing. VIII. A. Binge Drinking can lead to many car crash fatalities. 1. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that binge drinking accounted for more than half of the 80,00 annual deaths associated with ecessive drinking 2. In 2011, 85 percent of all alcohol imapired driving arrests or accidents involved people who also reported binge drinking IX. Argument in support of position: The Institute for Creative Research ( ICR ) found hat 84 percent of teenagers suport keeping or raising the current drinking age. They are supportive of legislation that will reduce the risks for them.

Classroom Management Essays -- Education Teaching

Introduction: Structure, praise, humor, firmness, patience, and high expectations: Welcome to the wonderful world of the classroom atmosphere. Imagine yourself in a classroom where your teacher is there for you, both academically and emotionally. That’s how a classroom should work for both the students and the teacher. Mrs. Mary-Kay Maurer is a perfect example of all of these qualities since she is what has motivated me to become the person I am. Her support as a teacher led me as a student to achieve my highest. Her way of showing me my way furthers the idea that students need a teacher with these characteristics to achieve their best. Therefore, the purpose of this research paper is to explore effective classroom management techniques that prepare the academic achievement of students. Support from teachers: A strong teacher makes the emphasis on the students. Teachers make sure they do this by making time for their students, which means having personal meetings with them. When teachers use their own time to help students, it further shows how supportive teachers are. When students know they can depend on a teacher, the students then feel more comfortable in their learning situation and will be more likely succeed. To further emphasize this support of teachers to students, many teachers use a method of ‘Praise, Question, Polish’; which helps to critique students on a comfortable basis. By using this method, students also learn to become more independent when teachers show them, gradually, that students will learn to write better with the ease of criticism. Also, when teachers use academic guidance, students will want to continue their education which is the best reward a teacher can have, knowing their students want ... ...est of the class. Remember: Structure and fairness combined with clear expectations and a clear lesson in a caring non-threatening environment are the key elements of good teaching (Husted, 2002). Conclusion: Teaching today’s children correctly is essential since these children will grow to be productive people of society. Depending on a teacher’s style, a child could grow and look at problems differently than just being apathetic about a situation. When a teacher has an impact on a student, it lasts a life, just like Mrs. Mary-Kay Maurer did with her students. She taught them about English but still let them see how independent they were and let them grow into adults. Today’s teachers need to be more open-minded with students and form a bond with them. This way, students will appreciate what these teachers are doing for them in the long run of their lives. Classroom Management Essays -- Education Teaching Introduction: Structure, praise, humor, firmness, patience, and high expectations: Welcome to the wonderful world of the classroom atmosphere. Imagine yourself in a classroom where your teacher is there for you, both academically and emotionally. That’s how a classroom should work for both the students and the teacher. Mrs. Mary-Kay Maurer is a perfect example of all of these qualities since she is what has motivated me to become the person I am. Her support as a teacher led me as a student to achieve my highest. Her way of showing me my way furthers the idea that students need a teacher with these characteristics to achieve their best. Therefore, the purpose of this research paper is to explore effective classroom management techniques that prepare the academic achievement of students. Support from teachers: A strong teacher makes the emphasis on the students. Teachers make sure they do this by making time for their students, which means having personal meetings with them. When teachers use their own time to help students, it further shows how supportive teachers are. When students know they can depend on a teacher, the students then feel more comfortable in their learning situation and will be more likely succeed. To further emphasize this support of teachers to students, many teachers use a method of ‘Praise, Question, Polish’; which helps to critique students on a comfortable basis. By using this method, students also learn to become more independent when teachers show them, gradually, that students will learn to write better with the ease of criticism. Also, when teachers use academic guidance, students will want to continue their education which is the best reward a teacher can have, knowing their students want ... ...est of the class. Remember: Structure and fairness combined with clear expectations and a clear lesson in a caring non-threatening environment are the key elements of good teaching (Husted, 2002). Conclusion: Teaching today’s children correctly is essential since these children will grow to be productive people of society. Depending on a teacher’s style, a child could grow and look at problems differently than just being apathetic about a situation. When a teacher has an impact on a student, it lasts a life, just like Mrs. Mary-Kay Maurer did with her students. She taught them about English but still let them see how independent they were and let them grow into adults. Today’s teachers need to be more open-minded with students and form a bond with them. This way, students will appreciate what these teachers are doing for them in the long run of their lives.

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 37

Elena had been tied, like someone in a B-movie who will soon be released, standing upright against a pillar. Digging on the field was still going on in a dilatory way as the vampires who had put her up to this fetched an ash stick they had brought, and allowed Damon to inspect it. Damon himself was moving in slow motion. Trying to find points to kibitz about. Waiting for the rattling of coach wheels that would tell him the carriage was back. Acting brisk, but inside feeling as sluggish as half-cooled lead. I've never been a sadist, he thought. I've always tried to give pleasure – except in fights. But it should be me in that prison cell. Can't Elena see that? It's my turn beneath the lash now. He had changed into his â€Å"magician clothes,† taking as long as he dared without looking as if he wanted to put this off. And now there were somewhere between six and eight hundred creatures, waiting to see Elena's blood spill, to watch Elena's back cut and miraculously heal again. All right. I'm as ready as I'll ever be to do this. He came into his body, into the now of what was happening. Elena swallowed. â€Å"Share the pain† she'd said – without in the least knowing how to do it. But here she was, like a sacrifice tied to a pillar, staring at Bloddeuwedd's house and waiting for the blows to come. Damon was giving the crowd an introductory speech, talking gibberish and doing it very well. Elena found a particular window of the house to stare at. And then she realized that Damon was no longer speaking. A touch of the rod against her back. A telepathic whisper. Are you ready? Yes, she said immediately, knowing that she wasn't. And then hearing, against dead silence, a swish through the air. Bonnie's mind floating into hers. Meredith's mind flowing like a stream. The blow was a mere cuff, although Elena felt blood spill. She could feel Damon's bewilderment. What should have been a sword slash was a mere slap. Painful, but definitely bearable. And once again. The triumvirate portioned out the pain before Damon's mind could receive it. Keep the triangle moving. And a third. Two more to go. Elena allowed her gaze to wander over the house. Up to the third floor where Bloddeuwedd had to be enraged at what had become of her party. One more to go. The voice of a guest coming back to her. â€Å"That library. She has more orbs than most public libraries, and† – with his voice dropping for a moment – â€Å"they say she has all sorts of spheres up there. Forbidden ones. You know.† Elena hadn't known and still could still hardly imagine what might be forbidden here. In her library, Bloddeuwedd, a single, lonely figure, moved in the brilliantly lighted great sphere to find a new orb. Inside the house music would be playing, different music in each different room. Outside, Elena could hear nothing. The last blow. The triumvirate managed to handle it, allotting agonizing pain amongst four people. At least, Elena thought, my dress was already as red as it could be. And then it was over, and Bonnie and Meredith were quarrelling with some of the vampire ladies who wanted to help bathe the blood from Elena's back, showing it once again unblemished and perfect, glowing golden in the sunlight. Better keep them away, Elena thought rather drowsily to Damon; some of them may be compulsive nail-biters or finger-lickers. We can't afford for anyone to taste my blood and feel the life-force in it; not when I've gone through so much to conceal my aura. Although there was clapping and cheering everywhere, no one had thought to untie Elena's wrists. So she stood leaning against the pillar, gazing at the library. And then the world froze. All around her was music and motion. She was the still point in a turning universe. But she had to get moving, and fast. She yanked hard at her bonds, lacerating herself. â€Å"Meredith! Untie me! Cut these ropes, quick!† Meredith obeyed hastily. When Elena turned, she knew what she would see. The face – Damon's face, bewildered, half-resentful, half-humble. It was good enough for her, right then. Damon, we need to get to the – But then they were engulfed by a riot. Well-wishers, fans, skeptics, vampires begging for â€Å"a tiny taste,† gogglers who wanted to make sure that Elena's back was real and warm and unmarked. Elena felt too many hands on her body. â€Å"Get away from her, damn you!† It was the primal savage roar of a beast defending its mate. People backed away from Elena, only to close in†¦very slowly and timidly†¦on Damon. All right, Elena thought. I'll do it alone. I can do it alone. For Stefan, I can. She shouldered her way through the crowd, accepting bunches of hastily dug-up flowers from admirers – and feeling more hands on her body. â€Å"Hey, she really isn't marked!† At last, Meredith and Bonnie helped her to get out – without them she would never have made it. And then she was running, running into the house, not bothering to use the door that was near to Saber's barking place. She thought she knew what was there anyway. On the second floor she spent a minute being bewildered before seeing a thin red line in nothingness. Her blood! See how many things it was good for? Right now it highlighted the first of the glass steps for her, the one she had stumbled into before. And at that time, cradled in Damon's strong arms, she hadn't been able to imagine even crawling up these steps. Now she channeled all the Power she had into her eye nodes – and the stairs lit up. It was still terrifying. There were no handholds on either side, and she was woozy from excitement, fear, and loss of blood. But she forced herself up, and up, and up. â€Å"Elena! I love you! Elena!† She could hear the cry as if Stefan were beside her now. Up, up, up†¦ Her legs ached. Keep going. No excuses. If you can't walk, hobble. If you can't hobble, crawl. She was crawling as she finally reached the top, the edge of the nest of the owl Bloddeuwedd. At least it was still a pretty, if insipid-looking, maiden who greeted her. Elena realized at last what was wrong with Bloddeuwedd's looks. She had no animal vitality. She was, at heart, a vegetable. â€Å"I am going to kill you, you know.† No, she was a vegetable with no heart. Elena glanced around her. She could see outside from here, although in between was the dome that was made of shelves and shelves upon shelves of orbs, so everything was weirdly distorted. There were no hanging creepers here, no flagrant displays of exotic, tropical blooms. But she was already in the center of the room, in Bloddeuwedd's owl nest. Bloddeuwedd was nowhere near it; she was on the contraption that let her reach her star balls. The key could only be buried in that nest. â€Å"I don't want to steal from you,† Elena promised, breathing hard. Even as she spoke, she plunged two arms into the nest. â€Å"Those kitsune played a trick on both of us. They stole something of mine and put the key to it in your nest. I'm just taking back what they put in.† â€Å"Ha! You – human slave! Barbarian! You dared to violate my private library! People outside are digging up my beautiful ballroom, my precious flowers. You think you're going to get away again this time, but you're not! This time you're going to DIE!† It was an entirely different voice than the flat, nasal, but still maidenlike tones that had greeted Elena before. This was a powerful voice, a heavy voice†¦ †¦a voice to go with the size of the nest. Elena looked up. She couldn't make anything of what she saw. An enormous fur coat in a very exotic pattern? Some huge stuffed animal's back? The creature in the library turned toward her. Or rather, its head swiveled toward her, while its back remained perfectly still. It rotated its head sideways and Elena knew that what she was seeing was a face. The head was even more hideous and more indescribable than she could have imagined. It had a sort of single eyebrow which dipped from the edge of one side of its forehead down toward the nose (or where the nose should have been) and then went up again. The feature was like a gigantic V-shaped brow and below it were two huge round yellow eyes that often blinked. There was no nose or mouth like a human's, but instead there was a large, cruel, hooked black beak. The rest of the face was covered in feathers, mostly white, turning mottled gray at the bottom, where the neck seemed to be. It was also gray and white in two hornlike projections that shot up from the top of the head – like a demon's horns, Elena thought wildly. Then, with the head still staring at her, the body turned toward Elena. It was the body of a sturdy woman, covered in white and grizzled feathers, Elena saw. Talons peeked out from under the lowest feathers. â€Å"Hello,† the creature said in a grating voice, its beak opening and closing to bite off the words. â€Å"I'm Bloddeuwedd, and I never let anyone touch my library. I am your death.† The words Can't we at least talk about it first? were on Elena's lips. She didn't want to be a hero. She certainly didn't want to take on Bloddeuwedd while searching for the key that must be here – somewhere. Elena kept on trying to explain while frantically feeling inside the nest, when Bloddeuwedd extended wings that spanned the room and came at her. And then, like a streak of lightning, something zipped between them, giving out a raucous cry. It was Talon. Sage must have given the hawk orders when he left her. The owl seemed to shrink a little – the better to attack, thought Elena. â€Å"Please let me explain. I haven't found it yet, but there is something in your nest that doesn't belong to you. It's mine – and – and Stefan's. And the kitsune hid it the night you had to chase them off your estate. Do you remember that?† Bloddeuwedd didn't answer for a moment. Then she showed that she had a simple, one-size-fits-all-situations philosophy. â€Å"You set foot into my private quarters. You die,† she said and this time when she swooped by Elena, Elena could hear the clack of her beak coming together. Again something small and bright dove at Bloddeuwedd, aiming for her eyes. The great owl had to take her attention off Elena in order to deal with it. Elena gave up. Sometimes you just needed help. â€Å"Talon!† she cried, unsure of how much human speech Talon understood. â€Å"Try to keep her occupied – just for a minute!† As the two birds darted and wheeled and shrieked around her, Elena tried to search with her arms, while ducking when she needed to. But that great black beak was always too close. Once it sliced into her arm, but Elena was on an adrenaline high, and she hardly felt the pain. She kept searching without a pause. Finally, she realized what she should have done from the beginning. She snatched up an orb from its transparent rack. â€Å"Talon!† she called. â€Å"Here!† The falcon dove down toward her and there was a snap. But afterward Elena still had all her fingers and the hoshi no tama was gone. Now, now, Elena truly heard a shriek of rage from Bloddeuwedd. The giant owl went after the hawk, but it was like a human trying to slap a fly – an intelligent fly. â€Å"Give that orb back! It's priceless! Priceless!† â€Å"You'll get it back as soon as I find what I'm looking for.† Elena, mad with terror and soaked in hormones, climbed all the way inside the nest and began searching the marble bottom with her fingers. Twice Talon saved her by dropping orbs with a crash to the ground as the huge owl Bloddeuwedd was headed toward Elena. Each time, the noise of the crash caused the owl to forget about Elena and try to attack the hawk. Then Talon snatched another orb and swept at great speed right under the owl's nose. Elena was beginning to have a nightmare feeling that everything she had known just a half hour before was wrong. She had been leaning against the canopy pole, exhausted, staring up into the library and the maiden who inhabited it and the words had simply flowed into her mind. Bloddeuwedd's orb room†¦ Bloddeuwedd's globe room†¦ Bloddeuwedd's†¦star ball room†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Bloddeuwedd's ballroom. Two ways to take the same words. Two very different kinds of rooms. It was just as she was remembering this that her fingers touched metal.

Night World : The Chosen Chapter 6

What she felt was a shivering jolt that began in her palm and ran up her arm like electricity. It left tingling in its wake. But the real shock was in her head. Her mind exploded. That was the only way she could describe it. A noiseless, heatless explosion that shattered her completely. All at once, Rashel couldn't support her own weight anymore. She could feel Quinn's arms supporting her. She had no sense of the room around her. She was floating in a white light and the only solid thing to hang on to was Quinn. It was something like the terror she'd felt before†¦ but it wasn't just terror. Impossibly, what she felt was more like wild elation. She realized that Quinn was holding her so tightly that it hurt. But even stronger than the sensation of his arms was the sense she had of his mind. A direct conduit seemed to have opened between them. She could feel his astonishment, his shock, his wonder. And she knew he could feel hers. It's telepathy, some distant part of herself said, trying desperately to get control again. It's some new vampire trick. But she knew it wasn't a trick. Quinn was as astounded as she was-she could feel that. Maybe he was even worse off. He was breathing rapidly and shallowly and a fine trembling seemed to have taken over his body. Rashel held on to him, thinking crazy things. She wanted to comfort him. She could sense, probably better than he could himself, how frighteningly vulnerable he was under that frozen exterior. Like me, I suppose, Rashel thought giddily. And then she suddenly realized that he was feeling her vulnerability just as she had felt his. Fear welled up in her so sharply that she panicked. She tried to find a way to shut him out, to resist the way she resisted mind control-but she knew it was useless. He had gotten past her guard already. He was inside. â€Å"It's all right,† Quinn said, and she realized that he had stopped trembling. His voice was almost dispassionate, and at the same time madly gentle. Rashel had the feeling that he'd decided that since he couldn't fight this thing, he might as well be as insane as possible. Strangest of all, she found his words reassuring. And there was fire under the ice that seemed to encase him. She could feel that now, and she had the dizzy sense that she was the first one to discover it. They had fallen to the floor somehow, and they were sitting just at the edge of the light. Quinn was holding her by the shoulders, precisely, and Rashel was astonished at her own response to the clinical grip. It stopped her breath, held her absolutely motionless. Then, just as precisely, every movement deliberate, Quinn found the end of her scarf and began to unwind it. He was still filled with that mad gentleness, that lunatic calm. And she wasn't stopping him. He was going to expose her face, and she wasn't doing a thing about it. She wanted him to. In spite of her terror, she wanted him to see her, to know who she was. She wanted to be face to face with him in that strange light that had enveloped both their minds. It didn't seem to matter what happened afterward. She said, â€Å"John.† He unwound another length of the scarf, preoccupied and intent as if he were making some archaeological discovery. â€Å"You didn't tell me your name.† It was a statement. He wasn't pushing her. She might as well write it out on a death warrant and hand it to him. Quinn could reveal himself to humans-but then Quinn could disappear completely if he wanted, hole up in some hidden vampire enclave where no human could search him out. Rashel couldn't. He knew she was a vampire hunter. If he knew her name and her face, he'd have every power to destroy her. And the scariest thing of all was that some part of her didn't care. He was down to the last turn of the scarf. In a moment her face would be exposed to the air†¦ and to vampire eyes that could see in this darkness. I'm Rashel, Rashel thought. She couldn't quite get the words to her lips. She took a deep breath. And at the same instant a light blazed into her eyes. Not the ghostly light that had been in her mind. Real light, the beams from several high-power flashlights, harsh and horribly bright. They cut through the dark cellar and threw Rashel and Quinn into stark illumination. Rashel gasped. One hand instinctively flew to her scarf to keep it over her face. She felt as if she had been caught naked. And she was horrified to realize that she hadn't heard anyone come into the cellar. She had been completely absorbed, oblivious to her surroundings. What had happened to all her training? What was wrong with her? She couldn't see anything beyond the light. Her first thought was that it was Quinn's vampire Mends come to save him. He seemed to think it might be, too; at least he was standing shoulder to shoulder with her, even trying to push her back a little. With an odd pang, Rashel realized she could only guess what he was thinking now. The connection between them had been cleanly severed. Then a voice came from beyond the terrible brightness, a sharp voice filled with outrage. â€Å"How did he get loose? What are you two doing?† Vicky. I'm going insane, Rashel thought. I completely forgot about her and the others coming back. No, I forgot about their existence. But there were more than three flashlights on the stairs. â€Å"The Big E sent us some backup,† Vicky was saying, and Rashel felt a surge of fear. She counted five flashlights, and in the edges of beams she caught the figures of a couple of sturdy-looking guys. Lancers. Rashel tried desperately to gather her wits. She knew what had to be done, at least. She nudged Quinn with her shoulder and whispered, â€Å"Get out of here. There should be another stairway on the other side of the room. When you run for it, I'll get in their way.† She pitched her voice so low that only vampire ears could hear it. The good thing about having her face veiled was that nobody could read her lips. But Quinn wasn't going. He looked as if he'd just been awakened with a bucketful of ice water. Shocked, angry, and still a little dazed. He stood where he was, staring into all the flashlights like an animal at bay. The lights were advancing. Rashel could make out Vicky's figure now at the front. There was going to be a fight, and people were going to get killed. Steve's voice said, â€Å"What did he do to you?† â€Å"What's she been doing with him, that's the question,† Vicky snapped back. Then she said clearly, â€Å"Remember, everybody, we want him alive.† Rashel gave Quinn a harder shove. â€Å"Go.† When he just glared, she hissed, â€Å"Don't you realize what they want to do to you?† Quinn turned so that the advancing party couldn't see his face. He snarled, â€Å"They're not exactly overjoyed with you either.† â€Å"I can take care of myself.† Rashel was shaking with frustration. â€Å"Just leave. Go!† Quinn looked as angry with her as he was with the hunters. He didn't want her help, she realized. He wasn't used to taking anything from anyone, and to be forced to do it made him furious. But there wasn't any other choice. And Quinn finally seemed to recognize that. With one last glare at her, he broke and headed for the darkness at the other side of the cellar. The flashlights swung in confusion. Rashel, glad to be able to move, sprang between the vampire hunters and the stairway. And then there was a lot of fumbling and crashing, with people running into each other and swearing and yelling. Rashel enjoyed the chance to work off her frustration. She got in everyone's way long enough for a very fast vampire to disappear. After which it was just her and the vampire hunters. Five flashlights turned on her and seven amazed and angry people staring. Rashel got up and brushed herself off. Time to face the consequences. She stood, head high, looking at all of them. â€Å"What happened?† Steve said. â€Å"Did he hypnotize you?† Good old Steve. Rashel felt a rush of warmth toward him. But she couldn't use the out he was offering her. She said, â€Å"I don't know what happened.† And that was true. She couldn't even begin to explain to herself what had gone on between her and the vampire. She'd never heard of anything like it. â€Å"I think you let him get away on purpose,† Vicky said. Rashel couldn't see Vicky's pale blue eyes, but she sensed that they were as hard as marbles. â€Å"I think you planned it from the beginning-that's why you told us to go up to the street.† â€Å"Is that true?† One of the flashlights swung down and suddenly Nyala was in front of Rashel, her body tense, her voice almost pleading. Her eyes were fixed on Rashel's, begging Rashel to say it wasn't so. â€Å"Did you do it on purpose?† All at once Rashel felt very tired. Nyala was fragile and unstable, and in her own mind she'd made Rashel into a hero. Now that image was being shattered. For Nyala's sake, Rashel almost wished she could lie. But that would be worse in the end. She said expressionlessly, â€Å"Yes. I did it on purpose.† Nyala recoiled as if Rashel had slapped her. I don't blame you, Rashel thought. I think it's crazy, too. The truth was that the farther away she got from Quinn's presence, the less she could understand what she'd done. It was beginning to seem like a dream, and not a very clear dream at that. â€Å"But why?† one of the Lancer boys at the back asked. The Lancers knew Rashel, knew her reputation. They didn't want to think the worst of her. Like Nyala, they desperately wanted an excuse. â€Å"I don't know why,† Rashel said, looking away. â€Å"But he wasn't controlling my mind.† Nyala exploded. â€Å"I hate you,† she burst out. She was trembling with fury, spitting out sentences at Rashel like poison darts. â€Å"That vampire could have been the one who killed my sister. Or he could have known who did it. I was going to ask him that, but now I'll never get the chance. Because of you. You let him go. We had him and you let him go!† â€Å"It's more than that,† Vicky put in, her voice cold and contemptuous. â€Å"We were going to ask him about those teenage girls getting kidnapped. Now we can't. So it's going to keep happening, and it's all going to be your fault.† And they were right. Even Nyala was right. How did Rashel know that Quinn hadn't killed Nyala's sister? â€Å"You're a vampire lover,† Vicky was saying. â€Å"I could tell from the beginning. I don't know, maybe you're one of those damned Daybreakers who wants us all to get along, but you're not on our side.† A couple of the Lancers started to protest at this, but Nyala's voice cut through them. â€Å"She's on their side?† She stared from Vicky to Rashel, her body rigid. â€Å"You just wait. Just wait until I tell people that Rashel is the Cat and that she's really on the Night World side. You just wait.† She's hysterical, Rashel realized. Even Vicky was looking surprised at this, as if she were uneasy at what she'd started. â€Å"Nyala, listen-† Rashel began. But Nyala seemed to have reached some peak of fury at which nothing from outside could touch her. â€Å"I'll tell everybody in Boston! You'll see!† She whirled around and plunged toward the stairway as if she were going to start doing it right now. Rashel stared after her. Then she said to Vicky, â€Å"You'd better send a couple of the guys to catch up to her. She's not safe alone in this neighborhood.† Vicky gave her a look that was half angry and half shaken. â€Å"Yeah. Okay. Everybody but Steve go after her. You guys take her home.† They left, not without a few backward glances at Rashel. â€Å"We'll drive you back,† Vicky said. Her voice wasn't warm, but it wasn't as hostile as it had been. â€Å"I'll walk to my own car,† Rashel said flatly. â€Å"Fine.† Vicky hesitated, then blurted, â€Å"She probably won't do what she said. She's just upset.† Rashel said nothing. Nyala had sounded-and looked-as if she meant to do exactly what she said. And if she did†¦ Well, it would be an interesting question as to who would kill Rashel first, the vampires or the vampire hunters. Wednesday morning dawned with gray skies and icy rain. Rashel trudged from class to class at Wassa-guscus High, lost in thought. At home, her latest foster family left her alone-they were used to her going her own way. She sat in her small bedroom in the townhouse with the lights dimmed, thinking. She still couldn't understand what had happened to her, but with every hour the memory of it was fading steadily. It was too strange to fit into the reality of life, and it became more and more like a dream. One of those dreams in which you do things you would never ordinarily do, and are ashamed of when you wake up in the morning. All that warmth and closeness-she'd felt that for a vampire? She'd been excited by a parasite's touch? She'd wanted to comfort a leech? And not just any leech, either. The infamous Quinn. The legendary human hater. How could she have let him go? How many people would suffer because of her lapse in sanity? Who knows, she decided finally, maybe it had been some kind of mind control. She certainly couldn't make any sense of it otherwise. By Thursday, one thing at least was clear in her mind. Vicky had been right about the consequences of what she'd done. Rashel hadn't thought about that at the time, but now she had to face it. She had to make it right. She had to find the kidnapped girls on her own- if girls were getting kidnapped. There was nothing about missing teenagers in the Globe. But if it was happening, Rashel had to find out about it and stop it†¦ if she could. Okay. So she'd go back to Mission Hill tonight and start investigating. Check the warehouse area again-this time, her way. There was one other thing that was clear to her, that became obvious as she got her priorities straight. Something she had to do, not for Nyala, or for Vicky, or for the Lancers, but just for herself. For her own honor, and for everybody who lived in the world of sunlight. The next time she saw Quinn, she had to kill him. Rashel moved along the deserted street, keeping to the shadows, moving silently. Not easy when the ground was wet and strewn with broken glass. There were no sidewalks, no grass, no plant life of any kind except the dead weeds in the abandoned lots. Just soggy trash and shattered bottles. A grim place. It fit Rashel's mood as she made her way stealthily toward the abandoned project building where Vicky had brought them Tuesday night. From its front door, she surveyed the rest of the street. Lots of warehouses. Several of them were protected with high chain-link fences topped with barbed wire. All of them had barred windows-or no windows-and metal freight doors. The security precautions didn't bother Rashel. She knew how to cut chain-link and pick locks. What bothered her was that she didn't know where to start. The Night People could be using any of the warehouses. Even knowing where Steve and Vicky had fought Quinn didn't help, because he had jumped them. He'd obviously seen them lying in ambush and deliberately gone after them. Which meant his real destination could have been any of the buildings on this street-or none of them. All right. Patience was indicated here. She'd just have to start at one end . . Rashel lost her thought and leaped back into the shadows before she consciously realized why she was doing it. Her ears had picked up a sound-a low rumbling coming from somewhere across the street. She flattened herself against the brick wall behind her, then kept her body absolutely immobile. Her eyes darted from building to building and she held her breath to hear better. There. It was coming from inside that warehouse, the one down at the far end of the street. And she could identify it now-the sound of an engine. As she watched, the freight door in the front of the warehouse went sliding up. Headlights pierced the night from behind it. A truck was pulling out onto the street. Not a very big truck. A U-Haul. It cleared the doors and stopped. A figure was pulling the sliding metal door down. Now it was making its way to the cab of the U-Haul, climbing in. Rashel strained her eyes, trying to make out any signs of vampirism in the figure's movements. She thought she could detect a certain telltale fluidity to the walk, but it was too far away to be sure. And there was nothing else to give her a clue about what was going on. It could be a human, she thought. Some warehouse owner going home after a night of balancing books. But her instinct told her differently. The hair at the back of her neck was standing on end. And then, as the truck began to cruise off, something happened that settled her doubts and sent her flying down the street. The back doors of the U-Haul opened just a bit, and a girl fell out. She was slender, and a streetlight caught her blond hair. She landed on the rubble-strewn road and lay there for an instant as if dazed. Then she jumped up, looked around wildly, and started running in Rashel's direction.

4 Steps to Creating a Speech that Inspires and Entertains

4 Steps to Creating a Speech that Inspires and Entertains 1. Define Your Message All good speeches center around a clear message. Figuring out what message you want to deliver is your first step. Start by defining a topic area, if your instructor has not already done that for you. For example, lets imagine that your speech must be on the topic of wellness and health. This topic is too broad for a speech. In order to define your message, you have to narrow things down. As you learn how to write a speech, you will begin to understand that the sharper the focus of your message is, the greater the chance that it will be well received. One of the best ways to define your message is to find something about your topic that is meaningful to you. Maybe a loved one inspired you by working hard to lose a lot of weight. If this is the case, your message could be that anybody can become healthy and get into shape no matter what. 2. Create a Basic Outline This is a bit like writing an essay. Your speech needs a beginning, middle, and end. Forming an outline is an extremely important aspect of speech writing, because it forces you to define that beginning, middle, and end in a very concrete way. Here are some things to include in your outline: Introduction (beginning) Introduction of yourself Letting the audience know what the topic is and why it is meaningful to you Telling a story or giving some facts that will have emotional impact Body (middle) Giving the facts What the audience can do Why they should care Call to action Inspiring the audience to take action Conclusion (end) Reiterate faith in the audience Restate the message 3. Choose an Approach Much of this decision will be driven by your own personality, and the subject matter. You will find it difficult to deliver a fiery speech if you are naturally an introverted and subdued personality. If you are speaking about a topic that is sensitive in nature, you may not be able to write a humorous speech. Learning how to write a good speech means selecting an effective approach based on your own personality, audience, and the subject matter. 4. Use Power Words What makes a good speech? The use of power words is what makes a speech compelling and inspirational. Power words are words that have an emotional impact and that make people want to take action. These are words such as force, strength, achieve, develop, tyranny, triumph, bravery, brazen, wonderful, thief, jail, and privacy. There are many internet resources that contain lists of power words, and the emotions that they evoke. Keep one of these lists handy as you write your speech and it is sure to be inspiring. It will also help you to keep your audience engaged during your delivery.

16 Video Marketing Tips That Will Skyrocket Your Traffic - CoSchedule

16 Video Marketing Tips That Will Skyrocket Your Traffic What’s the one thing people want aside from love and acceptance? More web traffic, of course! Okay, maybe that’s overstating the case. But what marketers don’t covet more qualified traffic to their blogs, landing pages, and websites? None that I know. Increasing blog traffic  is something we rs are always working on, as well. And we’ve shared some strategies that work extremely well like nailing your personas  and taking data-driven approaches. Today, I’ll share another angle to attract the right folks at the right time: video marketing. Why? Well, some pretty big claims have been made about its effectiveness and future relevance. For instance, research shows that: Video will be responsible for 80 percent of the world’s internet traffic  by 2019. 75 percent of mobile web traffic  will be video by 2020. And today, 33 percent of all online activity is†¦ you guessed it†¦ watching video. One thing’s for sure: with video’s upward trend, we marketers better know how to use it well if we’re going to keep audiences engaged and  coming back for more. After all, your audience spends hours watching YouTube, too 😎 Since creating video content takes real effort, I’ve assembled this list as a foolproof way to crush every video marketing campaign- every time. And it’s focused on what you can do to drive traffic using your video after it’s been created. The big question is, â€Å"How can you ensure both you and your audience get as much value out of your video content as possible?† From these actionable tips, you’ll learn: How to skyrocket qualified traffic with your video marketing. How to extract every ounce of value from your video marketing efforts. How to ensure you don’t miss a single tactic available to the savvy video marketer. 16 Video Marketing Tips That Will Skyrocket Your TrafficFirst, Make Sure to Download Your Free, 7-Resource Video Marketing Kit There are loads of details, tactics, and how-tos in the tips below. To make sure you get the most out of them, we bundled together some essential tools. Your video marketing kit includes: Video Marketing Checklist Infographic: A rundown for implementing the tactics in this action-packed post! 180+ Power Words for Emotional Headlines: Harness the power of emotions to drive traffic and viewers with your video marketing. Catchy Blog Titles: Want clicks? Write headlines- and video titles- that stick. Content Calendar Template: Stay organized with all written, video, and visual content. Social Media Editorial Calendar Template: Keep your social media post organized so you know exactly how- and when- video marketing should take center stage. Best Times To Post  Infographic: Timing is everything! Learn to post during the â€Å"rush hour† times when you’ll have your audience’s attention. Micro-Influencer Marketing Checklist: Reach out to thought leaders in your industry to promote your videos with authority. Jump to a section: YouTube Video Marketing Tips Facebook Video Marketing Tips Twitter and Instagram Video Marketing Tips Tips to Use Video for Blogging + Email Now, let’s get started with sixteen video marketing tips that’ll have your audience clicking like mad and coming back for more! YouTube Video Marketing Tips Alright, let’s kick this off with the video juggernaut even our grandmas use: YouTube. If you’re reading this, you’ve probably heard the stat that YouTube is the second-largest search engine on the web. With our collective Google SERP  obsession, YouTube is an obvious choice for video marketing. While you can take a deeper dive with YouTube’s Creator Academy, we’ll cut to the chase with seven actionable tips to help you grab views and generate web traffic with your video content. 1) Create Awesome YouTube Thumbnails Even though they’re a seemingly small detail, YouTube thumbnails can make or break your chances at getting clicks. My favorite analogy comes from writer Maria Jose: â€Å"The YouTube thumbnail is the 21st century’s book cover.† Thumbnails are the small, clickable pics that visually represent each video. They also have a job to do: click and stick. Thumbnails need to attract people to click and then stick around to watch it. Here are five rules of what makes a quality thumbnail: Pair well with the first 10–15 seconds of your video content.  People’s attention spans are tiny. So, your thumbnail should closely pair with the beginning of your video  for a seamless experience that avoids disorienting viewers.Put simply, you don’t want people scratching their heads wondering, â€Å"Is this the right video?†For example, I love this thumbnail from Grant Cardone: Not only does it show exactly who the viewer will see within the first four seconds of the video, it also evokes an emotional response with the pair facing off.Which leads us well into rule number two.Exception:  If you have a super-duper interesting image from later on in your video, take a chance on using it. In that case, it could act as a teaser and/or reward to keep people watching. Just make sure it’s actually a frame from your video. Use people- especially closeups of their faces- whenever possible.  Because people are emotional, they’re affected by emotions. Admit it, you’ve teared up at least once watching a video of a soldier reuniting with his or her family (like  this one  Ã°Å¸Ëœ ­).Psychological research shows that people will mirror  both the emotional states and behavior of people they’re positively engaged with.So take this opportunity to put human psychology to work for you by using appropriate, and compelling, close-ups from your video that showcase emotion. Video Credit: Actualized.org Think twice about using the same background for a video series and its thumbnails.  Take this tip with a grain of salt and use them wisely.Using the same background in your videos- and thumbnails- can occasionally make viewers mistakenly think they’re seeing the same video pop up in a feed or sidebar.Make sure your thumbnails look different enough to avoid missing valuable traffic from such a simple oversight. Be brand consistent.  Like all of your content, video marketing is another opportunity to build brand awareness  through consistent visuals.The Mental_Floss YouTube channel  is an excellent example of this.They use similar graphics with text treatments that tell you exactly what to expect in the video. Then, their incredible host, John Green, hangs out in the same eclectic mishmash-of-a-set for every video.This is a conscience brand decision that delivers consistency without feeling played out. Have no text in the bottom right-hand corner.  Lastly, avoid adding any text to the bottom right-hand corner of your thumbnail. That’s where YouTube overlays your video’s time stamp, which would obscure any text/info you put there! Now that you’re armed with five rules for killer thumbnails, let’s take a look at how to create them. Of course, you can always use pro software like Photoshop  or CorelDraw. But what if you either don’t have access to programs like these or your designer is swamped? Never fear, Canva  is here! Canva is a freemium design app that helps anybody create pro-level graphics faster than this high-fiving puppy will make you smile. To begin, go to Canva’s custom YouTube thumbnail creator, which will land you at this screen: Next, click the big green button to get started by creating a new account or signing in. If it’s your first time using this tool, you’ll be prompted to take a quick tour- which I highly recommend. It shows you the ins-and-outs of using their drag-and-drop editor. After you’ve seen how it works, it’s time to get started. From here, there are two paths to take: Create a thumbnail image from a blank canvas, Or, customize one of their pre-designed templates. In this example, we’ll use one of their templates (which I highly recommend unless you’ve got some design chops). Choose a template from one of the left-hand columns. As you hover over the options, you’ll notice some are free, while others cost a dollar or two. Find the design that best represents your brand and video, then click on it. This will auto-populate the template on your design canvas. Next, double-click on the title text to add your video’s title and subtitle. If you need more text, you can add it by clicking on the text icon at the far left. Just make sure your thumbnail isn’t too busy- you don’t have much real estate to work with, after all. Now you will change the all-important background image. There are two ways to go about this. First, you can click in the search field at the upper left-hand corner. There you can search through myriad stock photos that run the gamut of free to paid. If you go the stock photo route, click on the image you like and it’ll populate on your design canvas. Once it does, drag it into place. You may need to choose the â€Å"arrange† option in the upper right-hand corner if you want to send your image behind other layers- like your title text, for instance. The other way to set your background image is to use your own- which I recommend. Instead of searching through stock photos, you’ll click on the â€Å"upload† icon at the bottom of the tools column at the far left. Simply choose the image you’d like to use and upload it. Just make sure it’s sized at 1280x720 pixels- or a 16:9 ratio. That’s YouTube’s preferred thumbnail size. (If you need help resizing a still image from your video, you can use an app like picresize  or ResizeImage.net  for free.) Finally, the moment we’ve all been waiting for... It’s time to download your freshly-created YouTube thumbnail. Do this by clicking on the â€Å"Download† button on the top bar. Then, choose whether you’d like a JPG or PNG. (Note that PDFs won’t work in this instance, as YouTube doesn’t accept that file type for thumbnails.) And voila- you’re all set! Now it’s time to upload your custom thumbnail to YouTube. This is an easy process that you can follow step-by-step via YouTube’s video below: One more thing... However, there is a final snag you may run into if you’re new to this. To use custom thumbnails, your YouTube channel must be verified, meaning you have confirmed ownership and liability of the account. And also, that you agree to follow their community guidelines. With that, you’re all set to create awesome thumbnails for clicks that stick every single time. #YouTube marketing tip: create awesome thumbnails to get clicks that stick2) Write Compelling  Titles/Headlines Yes, killer titles and headlines are a thing for video marketing, too. As marketing legend, David Ogilvy, said: â€Å"On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.† Titles- like headlines- have big shoes to fill. But whenever you’re looking for advice, you’ll find tons of generic tips like: â€Å"Make it memorable and catchy!† Advice like that usually leaves me thinking: sarcasm â€Å"Gee, thanks†¦ I never woulda’ thought of that on my own.† /sarcasm Instead, let’s chat about some less-obvious tips and tricks of writing traffic-driving headlines  and emotionally-charged titles. Be searchable:  What keywords relate directly to your video content? To write freakin’ awesome titles, they must: Make a promise:  What problem will your content help your viewer solve? Tickle the emotions: Are you connecting intellectually, empathetically, or spiritually? Be the cream of the crop:  Have you written at least 20–30 headlines and chosen the best one? Let’s tackle an example together, shall we? Let’s say we’ve just pressed export on a video about how to write great headlines. You know what I would be thinking? â€Å"My headline better be freakin’ awesome†¦Ã¢â‚¬  To begin, let’s hit our mini-headline checklist above. We need to make it searchable, which means using words that match our core subject- headline writing- with other related phrases viewers are searching for. Here’s a dead-simple way to do this:  Use YouTube’s search bar for related title ideas. Sometimes this little trick will surprise you. For instance, I didn’t immediately think of a journalism angle or tie in. Now that I see the related search, though, it makes sense. Journalists are writing headlines all of the time. For our imaginary video, then, I’m going to choose the following title, then unpack a few other reasons why: â€Å"How to Write Headlines That Will Make Journalists Jealous† Now that I know I’m capitalizing on searchability without keyword-stuffing the daylights out of the title- I need to ensure it makes a promise. While there are plenty of ways to do this well, one of my favorites is to use the â€Å"How to†¦ That Will†¦Ã¢â‚¬  formula. If we break down the headline I wrote, it’s exactly that. Here’s the skeleton: â€Å"How to  [subject] That Will  [promise made + pain solved]† (â€Å"How to  Write Headlines  That Will Make Journalists Jealous†) The predictable success of this headline is further backed up by the Headline Analyzer tool I mentioned above. ( Seriously, I use the peanuts outta’ this thing.) This title clocks in with a score of 81. Notice also that it tickles the emotions with both the promise and the power word â€Å"jealous.† However, in the spirit of full disclosure, I could arguably strengthen this headline by using more Emotional Marketing Value  (EMV) words. But for the purposes of our video, I’m satisfied with combining the â€Å"how to + that will† angle with the searchability hook of journalism. Tip: Make sure you downloaded the free video marketing kit! It includes a list of 180+ emotional power words perfect for your headlines. It’s a great shortcut to eliminate guesswork. Finally, always use the title/headline that’s the cream of the crop- which is often easier said than done. At , our go-to practice is to write at least 20–30 different headlines before we ever settle on one. As you write different headlines, you’ll piece together what works, and what doesn’t. For example, if you read some of my headline examples in the screenshot above, you’ll notice I thought better of using a phrase like â€Å"beat a journalist.† I happen to like journalists and would hate to be misunderstood :) There you have it! If you follow the tips and use the tools above, you’re well on your way to writing titles that drive traffic all day long. What’s also cool is that the headline analyzer is a baked in part of . So every headline you write is scored inside the tool like magic. I use it for every post I write- even this one! You can snag a free trial here  to try including it in your content marketing workflow. #YouTube marketing tip: Make sure your video title is catchy and compelling3)  Use YouTube Cards to Increase Engagement (R.I.P. Annotations) If you’ve spent any time on YouTube, you’ve seen annotations littered across videos aplenty. They’re the clickable boxes, bubbles, and blurbs that float above videos as they play. However, to the dismay of some content creators- but the joy of many viewers- YouTube recently announced  that annotations are a dying breed and destined for extinction. The annotation is dead; long live the†¦ â€Å"Card†? Yep. There’s a new sheriff in town. And this one is far less obnoxious. Here’s what you need to know about YouTube Cards how to start using them straight away. The Cards  feature shines while a video is playing. Especially because they can be launched on either desktop or mobile (which was a limitation to annotations). To interact, the viewer will see a card indicated by a small â€Å"i† icon at the top right of the video. To date, there are five types of YouTube cards you can use to enhance your videos on both desktop and mobile. Video or playlist  to promote your other videos. Channel  to send traffic to another channel. Donation  for encouraging donations to nonprofit organizations. Poll  to ask your viewers a question, get their responses, and then provide the results instantly. Links  to approved websites. To add cards to your videos, first, login to YouTube Creator Studio. Then use the drop-down arrow  next to â€Å"edit† to add a card. From here, you can choose both the timestamp for when you’d like the card to appear and  the type of card you’d like to use. Let’s say we wanted to add a â€Å"Poll† card to our video to discover answers to the most important question of all: What kind of bear does your audience think is best? First, we click on the blue â€Å"Add card† button and then select â€Å"Poll† as the type of card we’d like to add. Then we type in our question along with the answers- of which you can have up to five. Once you’ve filled out your poll questions and answers, click on the blue â€Å"Create card† button at the bottom right. Now you’ve got yourself a card. Then, when a viewer clicks on your card, they’ll see both the poll and  the overall results. As a bonus, polls can give you additional insights by asking your audience more about their pain points and what they’d like to learn more about. #YouTube marketing tip: Drive more engagement using YouTube cards4) Use YouTube End Screens to Drive Contextual Traffic End Screens are a great way to drive contextual traffic to your related content. They’re the part of a video that shows up at the last 5–20 seconds and can include one to four clickable elements. These elements can send people to other videos, your channel, your *approved* websites, or invite them to subscribe. They also have a touch of interactivity. On desktop, they can show additional info upon hover. And on mobile, they do so upon tap. Pretty nifty. Original photo: YouTube Here’s how you get started. First, if you’re working with a video currently using annotations, you’ll have to give them the axe. But don’t worry, the system knows all. So it’ll ask you to unpublish them automatically. When you’re ready to start, here are the exact steps to take  (source): â€Å"Sign in to the your YouTube account. In the top right, click your account icon Creator Studio. In the left menu, select Video Manager Videos. For the video you want to add the end screen to, click Edit. In the top tab bar, click End screen. If the selected video contains annotations, follow the instructions to unpublish them. You can re-publish them at any time. You’ll see your video with the predefined grid and a timeline below that indicates the available part for the end screen. Click Add element. You can add up to four elements, and one of them must be a video or playlist. Choose how to build your end screen: Add element:  You can add up to four elements to a video. At least one element must be a video or playlist. Select each element and fill in the required information, then click Create element. Copy from video: You can copy an end screen from another one of your videos and edit the elements. YouTube template: You can choose from predefined formats that show combinations of elements. You'll need to define the content for the elements in the end screen, such as add the channel to be featured. Adjust the placement and size of each element on the grid. Adjust the time for the element to show in the timeline below. Click Save.† Then, once you’ve wrapped up these steps, select Preview  to grab a sneak peek and ensure things look the way you intended them to. You can also check out this sweet how-to breakdown + explainer video: Lastly, don’t forget to take full advantage of analytics and data  to incorporate into your ongoing content marketing efforts. Checking out your end screen reports  is easy. Make sure you’re signed in to the right channel. Then hop into your Creator Studio  and choose YouTube Analytics, then End Screens  to check performance and find ways to optimize. To do this, you’ll want to pay attention to these metrics especially. End screen element clicks. This will show you how many total times an end screen element was clicked. Clicks per end screen element. This will tell the story of how often an end screen element was clicked when displayed. End screen elements. And these data show the number of times elements were actually shown. (Which is a good data-point to pair with view duration to see if people are sticking around to the end- found in your Audience Retention Report.) Maximizing Traffic Using End Screens To maximize end screens (and even cards) for driving traffic, think about the related content you should link to beyond â€Å"related content.† Instead, think about what additional or related problems your viewer might need to solve next, and what other pieces of content you’ve created that can do that. This will help you align with intent at just the right time. #YouTube marketing tip: Drive more traffic with optimized end screens5) Tag It Up! If you’ve ever uploaded a video to YouTube before, it’s likely you know what tags are. However, if you’re new to the idea, no sweat. Tags are a way of adding descriptive pieces of text to your video so YouTube understands what your video is about. YouTube expert Derral Eaves breaks tags down further into four categories in this video (and he also shows step-by-step how to add them): Specific Tags  (1:37):  One word descriptions of the content. Compound Tags  (2:12):  Several words that form a single tag. (Much like a long-tail keywords for you SEO peeps.) Generic Tags  (3:07):  A higher-level descriptor of the type of content you’re offering. Misspellings  (4:03):  Very clever way to compensate for human error. Now, outside of the obvious ways to tag your video (e.g., simply describing what your video content is about), I’d like to share a nerdy insight with you. When you watch YouTube videos, one thing you’ll notice is that while the YouTube algorithm seems to know a what a video is tagged with, they’re not visible to the viewers. Unless you get all Sherlock Holmes and do some sleuthing, that is. As you know, we at are all about research- the skyscraper technique  in particular. To apply this technique to your video marketing, you’re going to need to look underneath the hood. So, find a top-performing YouTube video in your niche and then use the following steps to snoop out the tags they’re using to get some ideas. Here’s how to do it in Google Chrome  in under 5 seconds: First, simply prepend your competitor’s video URL with â€Å"view-source:† in Chrome. Next, you’ll notice you get taken to a screen that looks like a robot’s love letter. If you’re not a developer (like me), you’re first instinct may be to run away. However, you don’t need to worry about all the technical stuff. Our quarry is summoned with a simple search command. Use the find keystroke (cmd + F on Mac; cntrl + F on PC) and type in â€Å"keywords† in the search box. Then, you’ll find a list of all the keywords a given video is using. Pretty stealthy, eh? Congrats, you’re now ready to use tags to your advantage. #YouTube marketing tip: Use tags to your advantage6) Translate Tags into Foreign Languages (if aligned with business objectives) Now that you know how to better use tags, here’s another five-second hack. If you have an existing audience in multilingual markets- OR you’re trying to break into a foreign market- use Google Translate to tag your videos in the appropriate language(s). Let’s tackle a quick example. To begin, visit the Google Translate page. You will see two boxes. On the left you will type your origin language words and phrases. And on the right, you will see the translated outputs. In this example, I translated English → Spanish. However, you can choose any available language using the arrow drop-down selections. While Google Translate isn’t always 100 percent accurate, you’re pretty safe using it to translate simple words and phrases to use as tags for your video content.  ¡Muy bien! #YouTube marketing tip: Translate your tags into foreign languages to break into foreign markets7) Use YouTube to Improve SEO Everyone wants better search engine optimization, right? Well, video is another opportunity to excel in this all-important marketing strategy. And for those in the know, YouTube has huge SEO potential. Not convinced? Just take a look at the screenshot below. Google loves YouTube and frequently gives it some prime real estate in search results. So, if you’re going to maximize on YouTube’s reach, a small but mighty tip is to optimize your video’s description. The Anatomy of a Winning YouTube Description To see it in action, here’s a great example of an optimized YouTube video description from genius SEO Brian Dean. Original image credit: Backlinko In his ultimate guide, Brian explains that the most effective video descriptions have these four things in common: The link you want to send traffic to at the top of your description to increase click-through-rates (CTRs). Your target keyword appears within the first twenty-five words of the description. Your video’s description is at least 250 words long. Your keyword is included three to four times in the description. To nail your video descriptions, then, make sure you know: What keyword you’re targeting via smart research. Know where you want to send traffic + why your audience would logically visit the link as a next-step from your video. Exactly what value your video adds to your viewers. This way you can write copy that marries the promise you’re making with how you’re going to deliver on it. #YouTube marketing tip: Pay attention to YouTube #SEO!While YouTube mastery is an art in itself, now you have seven solid video marketing tips to rock on the world’s favorite video viewing platform  and increase your traffic. Now keep cruising†¦ There are more video marketing tips where that came from! Recommended Reading: How to Make a Video Content Marketing Strategy to Boost Your New Series Facebook Video Marketing Tips According to research by Animoto, Facebook is the most impactful social channel for video content, outperforming all other channels 8.4x. With the huge potential payoff of Facebook video marketing for driving engagement and traffic, let’s jump into some of our best tips. 8) Hack the Process With Best Time Scheduling + Social Video One of the most common questions we’ve encountered at is a simple one: â€Å"What are the best times to post on social media for the most traction?† That’s a great question. And it’s answer is all about the numbers. Fortunately, we’ve got your back. We took a deep dive and analyzed 20 studies  to determine the exact answer- and for every major platform. The result was our best time scheduling  tool that’s built right in to . It’s fueled by all the latest data so there is zero guesswork about when to post on any given social channel. Essentially, it’s the best way to harness the power of analytics + automation to increase your video marketing reach. Here’s a quick video about how it works: Best Time Scheduling Where this tool really goes to work for your video marketing efforts is when combined with one of my other fave marketing weapons: social video. With social video, you can share and manage ALL of your social media videos in one place. Introducing Social Video From Blog When used together, you simply need to upload your video(s) and select the networks you’d like them posted to using best time scheduling. And you’re done. Simple as that. Both features are part of . However, if you prefer a method with a bit more elbow grease involved, you can use the Time to Post Kit  that came in your free Video Marketing Kit (download it now if you haven’t already!). As you dig in, you’ll notice some seriously interesting finds that bear huge implications for posting times. For instance, did you know that 80 percent of the U.S. population is located in the Central and Eastern time zones? From there, you’ll see an infographic breakdown of: What days to post on every major social channel, What times to post on those channels, And what percentage of engagement you can expect. Additionally, you’ll find three custom Google Analytics reports to help you measure your own progress and video marketing success. Best Time Scheduling + Social Video = Facebook video marketing automation bliss in @:9) How to Add Captions for Silent Viewing Ready for a show-stopping stat? 85 percent of Facebook videos  are watched with no sound. Wowzers. So let’s take a look at the easiest way to make your videos perform well even without sound. In this tip, you’re going to learn how to create captions for your Facebook videos. At first blush, the process seems pretty technical and tough. However, there’s an easy, and economical, way to get the job done. You can always use Facebook’s automatically generated captions feature. However, some folks have trouble with the system misunderstanding words or phrases and adding gibberish. So, if you want to be in charge of quality control and accuracy, here’s how it works. First, understand that Facebook uses a special file called a SubRip  that will have end with â€Å".srt†. To use captions, you will need to create a SubRip file with your video’s transcription included. There are many ways to create this kind of file. In this tip, I’ll give you two. One will cost a few bucks and the other is free- though it’ll cost you some time. Use a Professional Transcription Service The quickest way to create this kind of file is by using a professional transcription service. You can use a service like Rev  for quick turnaround with low costs, starting at a buck per minute. This option makes a lot of sense if you’re working with a short video because you don’t have to spend the time transcribing. You can simply upload a video or share a link to the published video if it’s on YouTube or Vimeo already. Bam. Done. Now, there is also a way to do this for free if you’re working on a super tight budget. So I’ll touch on that, too. Then, we’ll cover how to upload your SubRip file to Facebook. Use a YouTube Hack to Auto-Transcribe The next way to create this kind of file is by using YouTube to hack the process. You’ll need a YouTube channel to implement this tip, so if you don’t have one, make sure to create one. To start, login to Creator Studio  by clicking on your profile pic in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Next, if you’ve already uploaded the video, go ahead and select it. And if it’s a video you don’t ultimately want public on your YouTube channel, you can choose to upload it via the Video Manager  with a â€Å"Private† listing. That way you won’t notify your subscribers about a video that won’t be sticking around! Next, navigate to your video manager and find the video you’re creating captions for. Click on the drop-down arrow next to the â€Å"edit† button and select â€Å"Subtitles/CC† from the list. (If it’s your first time you’ll be prompted to select the language your video is in.) Next, you’ll click on the blue â€Å"Add new subtitles or CC†Ã‚  button, then choose the appropriate language. You’ll then choose â€Å"Transcribe and auto-sync† to manually type your transcription and then auto-sync the newly-written caption with the spoken words in the video. Once you’ve done this, a transcription box will appear and you can start typing away. By default, there’s a nice setting that pauses the video while you’re typing so you can keep up. Then, once completed, click the blue â€Å"Set timings† button. YouTube will then put it’s smarty-pants brain to work syncing your transcription up with your video content’s audio. Now you’re on the final stretch of creating the .srt file. To bring it in for a landing, follow this sequence  using the screenshots below. Click on the â€Å"Save changes† button. Click on â€Å"English† (or whichever language your caption was created in). Finally, click on the â€Å"Actions† drop-down and select â€Å".srt† to download the file. Well done, you. Now you’ve got a fresh .srt file that’s ready to enhance your Facebook video’s silent-viewing goodness. How to Add Your .srt File to a Facebook Video Now that you’ve either received your .srt file from a pro service or downloaded one you just created on your own, it’s time to finish the job. For starters, make sure the file is named correctly using Facebook’s naming convention: filename.[language code]_[country code].srt So, if you’re in the U.S., it would look like this: video_name.en_US.srt (If you’re not in the U.S., hop over here to view all available country codes.) Now that you’re file is in ship-shape, you can work through the step-by-step directions  below that come straight from Big Blue itself: Add Captions to Your Page's Video With a SubRip (.srt) File: Make sure that your caption files are correctly named  and formatted  before you upload them. Click Share a photo or video  at the top of your Page's Timeline. Click Upload Photos/Video  and select a video from your computer. Click Captions, then click Upload SRT File. Choose a .srt file from your computer. Select an optional Default Language. If you select a default language, captions will appear in this language when a viewer's preferred language isn't available. Finish adding details to your video and click Publish. To add captions to an existing video on your Page, find the post on your Page's Timeline, click   in the top-right corner, select Edit Post  and follow the steps above. Note: People who watch your Page's video with sound turned off will automatically see captions. People who watch your video with sound turned on will need to turn on captions to see them. The language people see captions in is determined by their preferred language. Finally, if you’re interested in taking a shot at Facebook’s automatic captions feature, here are the step-by-step instructions: Automatically Generate Captions for Your Page's Video Click Share a photo or video  at the top of your Page's Timeline Click Upload Photos/Video and select a video from your computer Click Publish Once your video has been published, click Generate  from the banner at the top of your post Edit the captions and click Save to Video Note: Generating captions for videos is currently only available in US English. Now, your video is ready to be viewed silently on desktop and mobile for all the world to see. Nice work, you’ve just increased the odds of your video being viewed by 12 percent. #Facebook video marketing tip: Use captions (85% of video on platform watched w/o sound)10) How to Understand Facebook Video Metrics When it comes to social media metrics, there is data aplenty. But the real trick to data-driven video marketing is knowing what numbers to pay attention to. In this tip, I’m going to break down the essential in-app Facebook video metrics to help you discern what success looks like for you. Then, once you know what numbers tell your marketing story, you can optimize, optimize, optimize! Begin With the End in Mind As the quotable Dr. Stephen R. Covey said: â€Å"Begin with the end in mind.† The same is true when we’re talking data. To understand what stats matter, you must first decide the action(s) you’re trying to inspire with your video marketing. In this post, the focus has been on driving traffic to a specific place- whether a website, landing page, other video content, or any place else. For our aims, then, I’m not going to focus on views- as that’s often a vanity metric. After all, Facebook counts a view when someone watches at least 3 seconds or more  (while YouTube counts a view after 30 seconds or so). If you ask me, it’s tough to make a case for basing content optimization decisions off of 3-second video â€Å"views.† Instead, let’s look at video retention, video engagement, and clicks  on your video. To view the data for each of these, login to Facebook, then navigate to your page. From here, click on the â€Å"Insights† tab and then choose the â€Å"Videos† option on the left-hand column. Video Retention Video retention is a key metric because it helps you understand just how many people are sticking around for your videos. You can view these stats all the way down to individual posts. From there, you can filter the data into: auto-played vs. clicked-to-play or paid vs. organic. In the image below, you can see that about 67 percent of this video’s viewers dropped off after only 5–6 seconds of view time. While Facebook analytics would count that as a â€Å"view,† it’s really helpful to know that only 5–10 percent of viewers actually hung around to the end. (Original image source: Facebook; Notes ours.) Video Engagement Video engagement measures all of the actions (likes, comments, shares, and clicks) your viewers took. You’ll notice there are two really big numbers on the top of the screenshot below: 59,456  people reached, And 21,625  video views. Don’t jump to those numbers right away- even if they’re big. I’m not discounting their potential relevance. For example, reach is helpful in seeing how many opted-in fans vs. non-fans have seen your content. However, if your focus is traffic, zero in on the three metrics in boxes below: likes, shares, and link clicks. (Original image source: Facebook; Notes ours.) Why Likes, Shares, and Clicks Matter Often, â€Å"likes† get a bad rap as a vanity metric. However, an interesting study from the National Academy of Sciences  conducted with 86,000 volunteers showed that their â€Å"likes† revealed their political leaning between with an astounding 85 percent accuracy. So, as Steve Rayson wrote: â€Å"This would appear to indicate quite strongly that people ‘like’ content that resonates with them.† Bottom line, you can at least  trust likes to give you insight into whether or not your video content resonates with your audience or not. Though I’d never encourage you to build a social media strategy  based on them. Next, marketers often value shares more highly than likes because they cost people more in terms of social capital. Shares display specific user intent and reaction to your content. In essence, shares signal that viewers explicitly thought their friends needed to see a given video (for good reasons or for bad!). And lastly, link clicks are important to traffic because†¦ Well, you have to get people to click on links to get to your stuff! The Easiest Way to Get It Right Those are only three of the many valuable analytics available on every social platform. If you’re looking for a painless way to see how every video and social post is doing across a variety of channels, our social analytics tool is  a frictionless way to do so. Social Analytics from : Prove the ROI of the work you do! #Facebook video marketing tip: analyze video post performance with Social Analytics in @:Continued analysis is the key to learning and becoming a better marketer. The more often you pay attention to the right data- and let them drive your decisions- the more effective you’ll become. Just like how Susan Moeller  of BuzzSumo  described her process in an episode  of the Actionable Marketing Podcast: â€Å"I like to actually do the research and see what comes out of [it] even if the result does tell you that yes, puppies and babies are popular on Facebook.† Recommended Reading: How to Do Facbeook Video Marketing the Right Way Twitter and Instagram Video Marketing Tips Great news. On Twitter, videos are six times more likely  to be retweeted than photos.  And Instagram users share over 95 million photos and videos per day. So, let’s take a look at how you can make the most of those tasty stats. 11) Use Video Replies in Addition to Tweets Okay, technically this isn’t a tip to market your videos, per se. But it is a sweet, low-effort-high-reward way to use video on Twitter. It’s all about spending a few extra seconds on your replies. When people tweet @ you, they’re doing so because they care about both you and  your content. So, when is there a better time to deepen a social media interaction than when they’re talking to you? The concept is simple: When someone replies, retweets, or mentions you on Twitter, hit them back with a video response instead of text. If you want some inspiration on how to execute this tip, spend a few minutes watching @garyvee  show us how it’s done. PS:  While we’re on this kick, why don’t you swing by and tweet me a video hello @Jordan_Loftis?! I’d be happy to strike up a conversation. #Twitter video marketing tip: Interact with your audience using video replies12) Go Beyond the â€Å"Link in Bio† Tactic With This Nifty Tool As you know, Instagram is a bully when it comes to links in posts. Because they don’t allow them, most Instagramers use the â€Å"fresh link in bio† trick. That’s where you change the one link you’re allowed to have in your bio with each relevant post. However, there’s a nifty service called elink.io  that’s built a better mousetrap- or at least a better way to use your solitary Instagram link. In essence, it allows you to create a sort of Inception  of links (links within links). When you create such a link, elink.io launches a unique page with curated links. This means that not only can you update it with fresh content, but you can add a host of related links with ease. Here’s how it works. To start, signup for an account (they have free option to get started). Then, you can choose to watch their quick tutorial or jump straight in and get your hands dirty. We’ll throw caution to the wind and get started right away. Edgy, I know. Once you’re in, it’s time to create your first link. Simply click on â€Å"Create New† on the left. From here, you have some customization options. But it’s easiest to start with a template. We’ll use the one named â€Å"Legian.† Next, it’s time to paste in the bevy of links you’d like to include. I’m going to use a roundup to some of my favorite articles and my Twitter profile. As you add links, your template will fill out with each one. The interface gives you a nice preview on the right half of the screen, as well. Once you’re happy, click the blue â€Å"Next† button to press on. After you’ve added your links there are just a few steps left. You’ll select a header, enter in a title and description, and then smash the â€Å"Create Link† button to go live! Select a Header Enter a Title + Description Create Your Custom Link  (and add profile info if you’d like!) Here’s my final product: https://elink.io/p/social-media-mastery-roundup Obviously this tool has more applications than Instagram only. But it’s certainly a way to up your Instagram video marketing game! #Instagram video marketing tip: Use this tip with @elink_io to make the most of your bio link13) Automatically-Schedule Promo Posts Using One of social media marketing’s perpetual woes is Instagram’s closed API. This shuts down almost every third-party app from posting to the social platform on your behalf. That is...except for ðŸ˜Æ' We already have some detailed posts  on exactly how  to use to do this. So in this tip I’ll describe the highlights†¦ Or, you can watch this quick video: Schedule Instagram Posts Along With Everything Else Schedule all your Twitter and Instagram posts (and more) with @How it Works To put this feature to work for your video marketing, you’ll need to download the mobile app (available on iPhone  + Android). You can schedule Instagram posts right from your marketing calendar. Then, when it’s time for the post to land, you’ll see a push notification from the app with the exact message you’ve already created. Then, with a few taps, you can hop into Instagram and drop your post in. An additional bonus is that you can also schedule Instagram posts automatically with ReQueue! Recommended Reading: How to Get Started With Twitter Video Marketing Tips to Use Video For Blogging + Email Of course your video content will make many an appearance on your blog. Plus, if you’ve gone through the work of creating videos, you’ll want to cash in on the fact that using video in emails leads to a 200–300 percent increase  in click-through-rate. In this section of tips, we’ll cover some overlooked insights on doing both well. 14) Embed Videos Wisely Have you ever wondered what the difference between adding a link to a video and embedding it? Wonder no more! In a nutshell, embedding a video means a viewer doesn’t have to leave his or her current web page to watch the video. Whereas linking to a video means the same viewer will be redirected to the destination URL. Basically, embedding videos keeps people in their seats while links send them somewhere else. Both have their advantages. But embedding videos rather than linking to them from your website or blog is a great way to keep them on your site for longer. And it’s an absolutely essential tactic to use for landing pages that convert. Alright, let’s use YouTube as an example of how to use this nifty spell of internet magic. YouTube: Linking vs. Embedding Here’s the video we’ll be working with: As an example, here’s how you would grab the code to embed a YouTube video on your blog. Instead of clicking on the â€Å"Share† tab, like in the image above, click on the â€Å"Embed† tab, like in the image below. Once you click on this tab, you can copy the necessary embed code and paste it directly onto your site. This way, viewers can watch the video without ever leaving your site. This, as said above, gives you much greater ownership and control of their experience. However, there is one concern to keep in mind when it comes to embedding videos: page load speed’s impact on SEO. Said Mark Robertson, founder of ReelSEO (now Tubular Insights): â€Å"Aside from making sure that video adds value and fits into the context of your message, there are a few video publishing best practices to keep in mind that, if done improperly, can potentially harm SEO efforts. The most important of these, is to follow best practices for mobile friendliness (e.g. HTML5) and page speed considerations. â€Å"As an example, adding multiple video embeds to a single page, if not done correctly, can greatly increase page load times. We know that page speed is a ranking factor, but even worse would be if potential visitors abandon your page altogether- negating any user benefits and sending additional negative signals to the algorithms.† The moral of the story is to make the most of video embedding by balancing viewer-experience control with page-load-speed considerations. If you simply must embed a legion of YouTube videos on a single post or page, however, you may want to consider this clever method  for doing so without increasing page load speeds. 15) Know How Video Content Fits Into Your Overall Strategy We’re not advocates of #strategy as a #buzzword. Our goal is never to heap extra work, planning, tasks, follow ups, and more onto your marketing plate. To us, strategy should be pretty dang simple and straightforward: Video content is no different. So, how can you make your video content work best for driving traffic to your other content? One tip is understanding what problem your video solves, and how that problem relates to other content you’ve created. How to drive traffic using the PSP Framework Think about it in the problem-solution-problem (PSP) framework (which I learned through a free workshop via Jeff Walker). You’ve likely heard of the problem-solution framework, as that’s a pretty popular method of writing essays in school. Simply put, this strategy introduces a problem, then offers a solution. With the PSP structure, however, you tag on an additional problem at the end that sets your audience up to crave more. Here are the bones of the strategy. If your current video content solves a problem, you can introduce a logically related problem to compel the viewer to click further down your content funnel. For instance, let’s say you created a video about how to train your dog to catch a ball. (Which, incredibly, is actually possible.) Now your viewers know the ins and outs of teaching their dogs an awesome new trick. However, let’s take a step back and ask an important question, â€Å"What other content have I created that solves a related problem?† For instance, maybe you’ve written the ultimate guide to teaching your dog how to catch 1,000 balls. (^ I like to keep my examples pretty true to life.) In this far-fetched example, you can add some copy, a YouTube card or end screen, or even a quick â€Å"pro-tip† that helps your viewers see that not only have you solved their current problem, but you’ve already solved their next one as well. This is a great way to go beyond the standard â€Å"related posts† fare and drive traffic. #Video marketing tip: Make sure you understand how video is integrated into the rest of your...16) Use GIFS for Using Video in Email Marketing Good news†¦ There’s a better way to promote your video content There’s a slight problem with video marketing and email- most email clients won’t display embedded video content. This means your videos will get stripped from your emails. That’s where the beloved GIF enters the picture. Which is great, because everyone loves GIFs. Not only can they be hilarious: But they can also serve an excellent video marketing purpose. Namely, as video previews in email marketing. Let’s take a look at how to create GIFs for use in email. The most painless way I’ve found is using the popular GIF site called GIPHY. They have a function that allows you to create your own using already published videos or uploading your own files. In this example, we’ll use a video from ’s YouTube channel. Let’s say we’re promoting this video that’s about what it’s like to work here. (^ It’s a blast, btw.) To create our GIF, start by copying the video’s URL. Then, visit GIPHY’s GIF Maker tool. You’ll land on this page ^^^ and select one of three ways to create your GIF. After pasting your link or uploading your files, it’s time to get creative. Making the GIF has a few steps: Make sure you have the right URL pasted. Choose when your GIF starts. Select the overall duration of your GIF. (Optionally, you can also add a caption or tags.) Click create! Then, after it crunches the GIF into existence, you can copy the link, share it on social media, embed it on a website, or download it as a file! Here’s what my preview GIF looks like: Now, there are some email clients that don’t display GIFs well, like Outlook. However, in that case, you can still use your GIF as a static image. Just make sure the opening image makes sense and looks good! Here’s a list of some popular email marketing platforms that offer GIF support along with links on how to get it done: Campaign Monitor Mailchimp Emma Aweber Constant Contact