Here's What I'm Reading for the March 2023 Trans Rights Readathon

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Here's What I'm Reading for the March 2023 Trans Rights Readathon

2023 has seen a massive and terrifying rise in anti-trans rhetoric and legislation. To show support for trans people and raise funds for trans rights organizations, author Sim Kern organized a Trans Rights Readathon that runs March 20-March 27. The goal is to read and uplift trans authors and stories and to donate to a cause based on how many pages, chapters, or books you read. I’ll be joining the readathon next week and wanted to share my reading list in case you’d like to join too!

If you decide to participate, be sure to fill out the Trans Rights Readathon Survey. For the fundraising component, I’ll be donating 10 cents per page read to the Transgender Law Center. Here’s what’s on my reading list.

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 3: Posting Only Slideshows for a Week

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 3: Posting Only Slideshows for a Week

I’ve embarked on a series of experiments to better understand TikTok’s algorithm. TikTok is known for serving users content that feels uniquely tailored to their interests. People feel seen by TikTok. So how do you create content that will get served to exactly the right people? I’m testing all kinds of different tactics to find out!

This winter, theories began swirling that TikTok was boosting their new slideshow feature in the algorithm. I saw tons of slideshow posts every day. I decided to try posting only slideshows for a week to see what would happen. 

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 2: I Posted on TikTok 5x a Day for a Week. Here's What I Learned.

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 2: I Posted on TikTok 5x a Day for a Week. Here's What I Learned.

TikTok’s algorithm continues to amaze users with its uncanny ability to recommend content that feels perfectly tailored to your interests. Everyone’s FYP is a different experience. So how do you get your videos to land on more people’s FYPs? I’ve embarked on a series of experiments to find out!

I often see other social media professionals recommend posting 5-7x per day on TikTok in order to grow your account. That cadence seemed aggressive and unsustainable to me, but I decided to give it a try for one week. You probably have a lot of questions about how it went, so let’s dive in!

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TikTok Glossary: 36 Terms to Know

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TikTok Glossary: 36 Terms to Know

One of the most fun (and let’s be honest, sometimes challenging) parts of working in social media is that the industry is constantly changing. New apps take off and there’s always more to learn. A few years ago, I wrote a social media glossary that explained 50 different terms. With TikTok continuing to dominate the social media landscape lately, I thought it was high time to explain 36 TikTok terms, from basic tools within the platform to unusual abbreviations and slang you may encounter on TikTok.

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How Often Should I Post on Social Media?

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How Often Should I Post on Social Media?

As a social media strategist, one of the most common questions I get is, “How often should I be posting on social media?” Like many things in social media, the answer starts with “it depends.” It’s also evolved over the past few years as the social media landscape continues to change rapidly. Last year, I wrote about where to invest your time and effort on social media. But once you’ve decided which platforms to focus on, how do you figure out how much to post? As is often the case, quality is more important than quantity–but there are other factors at play too. Without further ado, let’s dive into social media posting frequency!

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Learnings from My Most Popular TikToks of 2022

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Learnings from My Most Popular TikToks of 2022

I started off 2022 with an experiment: I set a goal to post on TikTok 3 times a day for 3 months and see what happened. It was challenging, fascinating, and fun! Afterwards, I kept posting twice a day on TikTok. That consistency has helped me continue to grow. I’ve gone from 1,500 followers in mid-April to 3,400 at the time of writing this post. It’s not monumental growth, but it’s steady! Today on the blog, I want to share reflections on some of my most popular TikToks (any that received 10k views or more) and what I’ve learned along the way.

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8 Blog Posts You Loved in 2022

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8 Blog Posts You Loved in 2022

I always enjoy writing this blog and have found it especially fun to dig into TikTok in 2022. I’ve written about video types to make for TikTok, getting comfortable on camera, reviewing your TikTok analytics, recording voice overs, and more. Since I’ve written so extensively on many topics this year, I thought a countdown of popular posts might be helpful. It’s always fascinating (and useful!) to dive into Google Analytics and see which posts are getting the most traction with readers. Without further ado, here are eight blog posts readers loved in 2022.

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15 Things Not to Do on TikTok

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15 Things Not to Do on TikTok

I’ve been writing about TikTok a lot lately on this business blog. The social media landscape seems especially uncertain and chaotic lately, with Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter creating issues and instability and Facebook and Instagram feeling dead to many. Meanwhile, TikTok is continuing to keep their users highly engaged every day. Even though it’s been around for awhile now, there’s still tremendous potential on this platform. As a continuation of my “Things Not to Do” series (catch up on the Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook versions of this post), today I’m sharing 15 things not to do on TikTok.

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How to Review Your TikTok Analytics

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How to Review Your TikTok Analytics

If you’re just getting started with TikTok, it may be tricky to gauge how your content is performing. Luckily, if you have a business account, you can access analytics and review your metrics in more detail than the average TikTok user. Today on the blog, we’re diving into how to determine what’s working and what’s not in your TikTok content strategy based on data.

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6 Lessons from Duolingo TikTok Strategist Zaria Parvez

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6 Lessons from Duolingo TikTok Strategist Zaria Parvez

Last week, I was lucky enough to see Zaria Parvez, Duolingo’s TikTok strategist, give a fantastic keynote at AAF Greater Rochester’s R/AD Week. If you’ve seen the infamous unhinged owl on Duolingo’s TikTok account, you’ve likely either laughed, been shocked, or a little bit of both. Some may assume this is a chaotic and ill-advised approach to social media, but it’s actually incredibly thoughtful and strategic. Duolingo takes calculated risks with their brand on TikTok, delicately balancing their intentions with the impact they anticipate a bold move can have. Here are some key lessons I took away from Zaria’s keynote.

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