Say you have a product ready to launch and need to find influencers to generate buzz. Or perhaps you’ve already identified a creator you’d like to collaborate with and need a way to manage the partnership. In either case, you’ll likely hit up Google for an influencer marketing tool.

But with so many options available, how do you choose? Choosing the right platform for your influencer marketing efforts can be overwhelming—not because of a lack of options, but because there are so many to choose from.

So, in this article, we’ll cut through the noise to help you find the best tool for your specific needs.

HeepsyHypeAuditorLTKShopify Collabs#paidPassionfrootSkeepersHeepsy

Best affordable influencer marketing tool

Heepsy offers an extensive database of influencers across various social media platforms and robust analytics to match. 

The platform’s advanced search functionalities allow businesses to filter influencers by multiple criteria, ensuring that they can identify those who best match their target audience and campaign objectives. 

Standout feature for brands:

Heepsy provides advanced search filters that allow users to narrow down influencer options based on various criteria such as location, follower count, engagement rates, niche, and more.

Standout feature for creators:

Creators can get access to a wide range of campaigns and sign up to be presented to join the platform’s database.

Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start from $89/mo with a free trial.

HypeAuditor

Best full-cycle influencer marketing tool

HypeAuditor provides a comprehensive solution for brands looking to manage all aspects of their influencer marketing campaigns, from influencer discovery to detailed performance analytics. The platform excels in offering deep insights and fraud detection, making it a trusted choice for brands focused on authenticity and ROI.

Standout feature for brands:

HypeAuditor’s campaign performance monitoring allows users to assess the impact of their campaigns by measuring key metrics like engagement, reach, ROI, and audience sentiment. This detailed level of analysis helps marketers refine their strategies for better outcomes.

Standout feature for creators:

Creators benefit from HypeAuditor’s audience quality verification. The platform’s AI-driven algorithms detect fake followers and engagement, ensuring that creators with authentic and engaged audiences are highlighted, increasing their appeal to brands.

Pricing: Free trial available; pricing available on request

LTK (LikeToKnowIt)

Best influencer marketing platform for the fashion and lifestyle niche 

LTK, formerly known as LikeToKnowIt, is designed specifically for fashion and lifestyle niches. It offers a curated environment where brands can seamlessly collaborate with influencers who perfectly align with their aesthetic and target audience, making it a go-to platform for fashion and beauty campaigns.

Standout feature for brands:

LTK’s curated, niche network provides brands with access to a vast array of micro-influencers who specialize in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle content. The platform’s selective approach ensures that brands connect with influencers whose style and audience are a perfect fit, maximizing the impact and engagement of campaigns.

Standout feature for creators:

Creators on LTK can take advantage of the shoppable content integration, allowing them to easily create and share posts that link directly to products. This feature not only enhances the shopping experience for followers but also provides creators with valuable data on what content drives sales, helping them to optimize their affiliate marketing efforts.

Pricing: Available on request

Shopify Collabs

​​Best for Shopify merchants’ influencer marketing strategy

Shopify Collabs is an influencer marketing tool specifically designed for Shopify store owners. It offers seamless integration with the Shopify ecosystem, making it an ideal tool for e-commerce businesses that want to manage influencer partnerships, track sales, and streamline campaign management all from within their Shopify dashboard.

Standout feature for brands:

Shopify Collabs simplifies the process of influencer marketing for store owners, reducing the need for external tools and enabling smooth operations within the existing Shopify environment.

Standout feature for creators:

For creators, Shopify Collabs offers the ability to receive automatic payments and manage collaborations seamlessly. The platform allows creators to connect with brands, access product discounts, and receive payments directly through Shopify, making it easier to monetize their influence.

Pricing: Shopify Collabs is available to Shopify merchants as part of their existing subscription. 

#paid

Best creator marketplace tool 

#paid allows brands to streamline their influencer marketing campaigns while empowering influencers to maintain creative control over their content. The platform focuses on creating authentic partnerships by matching brands with influencers who are genuinely interested in their campaigns, ensuring high-quality content creation and impactful collaborations.

Standout feature for brands:

#paid’s Handraise feature ensures that brands are matched with potential influencers who are genuinely interested in their campaign. Influencers express their interest and outline their strategy, which is then vetted by the #paid team before being presented to the brand, guaranteeing a more engaged and committed partnership.

Standout feature for creators:

#paid provides creators with the flexibility to choose the types of content they want to produce for campaigns. Whether it’s photos, videos, or stories, creators can tailor their proposals based on their strengths and preferences, ensuring they only take on work that aligns with their creative style

Pricing: Available on request.

Passionfroot

Best for creators looking to manage their own partnerships

Passionfroot is a comprehensive creator management platform designed specifically for content creators to streamline brand partnerships and sponsorship deals. It addresses many of the challenges that creators face, allowing them to focus on content creation while maintaining control over their business operations.

Standout feature for brands:

Passionfroot’s centralized sponsorship management feature allows creators to manage all aspects of their brand deals from a single platform. It offers tools for building storefronts, creating booking pages, filtering collaboration requests, helping creators present their offerings professionally, and converting potential sponsors into long-term partners.

Standout feature for creators:

For creators, Passionfroot provides direct access to potential sponsors and automated tools for scheduling and payments. The platform simplifies the process of finding and pitching to vetted brands and ensures creators get paid on time with compliant invoices, easing the financial management aspect of their business.

Pricing: Passionfroot offers a free version with essential features, making it accessible to creators at different stages of their careers.

Skeepers

Best for discovering and managing user-generated content

Skeepers helps brands manage and leverage user-generated content (UGC) to drive e-commerce sales. Initially focused on the fashion and beauty sectors, Skeepers has expanded to serve a wide range of industries, making it a versatile tool for brands looking to enhance their online presence and engage more effectively with their customers.

Standout feature for brands:

The platform’s influencer credit system ensures that only committed and reliable influencers participate in campaigns. Influencers earn credits by successfully completing campaigns, which enhances the quality and accountability of collaborations. This system helps maintain high standards across the board, benefiting both the brands and the influencers involved

Standout feature for creators:

Skeepers simplifies the often complicated process of managing content rights and licensing. The platform automatically handles all the legal intricacies and permissions, allowing creators to focus on producing high-quality content without worrying about legal hassles. This feature is particularly beneficial for creators who want to ensure their content is used appropriately and compensated fairly

Pricing: Available on request

Make your choice wisely

Based on my research, the most effective influencer marketing tools need to do at least three things: 

Access to a curated database of influencersAdvanced filtering and recommendation systemsComprehensive campaign management and analytics

Every other feature is a cherry on top. Of course, while these elements are essential, the best tool for you will ultimately depend on your unique budget and marketing objectives.

Bluesky is quickly becoming a hot topic among social media enthusiasts, attracting users curious about its decentralized approach. Now, if you’re here, you’re probably wondering what makes Bluesky special and how you can get started. However, with any new social network, especially one as innovative as Bluesky, knowing where to start can be a bit overwhelming.

That’s where this guide comes in. Whether you’re new to Bluesky or looking to enhance your experience, I’ve got you covered. We’ll explore what Bluesky is, why it’s worth your time, and how to set up your account. Plus, you’ll get some creative content ideas and recommendations for accounts to follow, ensuring you get the most out of your Bluesky journey.

What is Bluesky?

Bluesky is a decentralized social media platform hailed as an X/Twitter alternative and for good reason, too — it has a similar structure to the platform as it was developed in close partnership with former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.

Bluesky is one of a wave of new social media platforms that aim to give their users more control of their content and audiences. These platforms are often decentralized and built on open-source protocols, which means that anyone can access and develop their own social app. 

Many of them, like Mastodon, are built on ActivityPub protocol (making it a part of the fediverse), which makes them interoperable.

Bluesky has its own open-source protocol called the AT Protocol. I could get into what the AT Protocol is, but that’s enough for a whole other article. Instead, here’s a summary of what you need to know:

“The AT Protocol is a networking technology created to power social applications.”

Like other federated social media (but unlike traditional social media networks), Bluesky emphasizes giving users control over their platforms, from the algorithms that feed them content to their ownership of their follower list. 

However, one important thing to note is that the protocol powering Bluesky is not the same as the one powering platforms like Threads and Mastodon – that’s ActivityPub. 

Here are some features of Bluesky that make it stand out among its peers:

Custom feeds: Users can create and join feeds that cater to specific interests, similar to super-powered hashtags. There are a growing number of feeds covering different topics – some of my feeds are books and art-related.Starter packs: You can create and share personalized invites that allow you to bring friends directly into your slice of Bluesky.Custom domains: Personalize your handle with your own domain name, adding a unique touch to your profile.Moderation lists: Bluesky offers community-driven tools for blocking or muting content and accounts, enhancing user control over their experience.Why you should use Bluesky

Having spent over 6 months testing it out, I can say that Bluesky stands out as a social network because it actively prioritizes user empowerment. Its decentralized nature and open-source foundation offer a refreshing alternative to traditional platforms, where users often feel at the mercy of a central authority. 

With Bluesky, the power shifts back to the users, allowing for a more personalized and controlled social media experience. Here are a few compelling reasons why you should consider joining Bluesky:

Greater control over your data: Unlike traditional social media platforms, where a central entity controls your data, Bluesky gives you ownership of your information. This means greater privacy and security, allowing you to manage your data on your terms.Freedom from centralized control and censorship: The lack of a central authority on Bluesky could foster a more open and diverse range of conversations where users can express their opinions without fear of censorship. The community-driven approach ensures that the platform evolves according to its users’ needs.Community-driven development: Bluesky’s open-source nature allows continuous improvement and innovation driven by its user community. This collaborative environment means that features and functionalities are developed with direct input from those who use the platform, ensuring that it remains relevant and responsive to user needs.Close-knit and engaged community: Speaking of community, Bluesky’s user base, while still growing, is known for its close-knit and supportive nature. The smaller community size compared to other platforms means your content is more likely to be seen and engaged with, fostering meaningful connections and conversations.How to set up your Bluesky account

Getting started on Bluesky is straightforward, especially because the app is no longer invite-only. In a few simple steps, you’ll be ready to dive into the world of decentralized social media. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up your Bluesky account:

On desktop, visit bsky.app and click on the “Sign Up” button at the top left.

Fill in your name, handle, email address, and create a password. Then, Complete the captcha challenge to finish setting up your account.

You can also download the mobile app on iOS (Apple App Store) or Android (Google Play) and set up your account from there.

Bluesky will guide you through a series of prompts to help you get started. This includes setting up your profile picture, bio, and other basic information. Make sure you complete all the details to build trust and engagement.

Upload a profile picture that represents you or your brand. You have the option to Create an avatar using a pre-created icon but to build trust and recognition, I recommend using the same profile picture and display name as your other social media accounts.

Select your interests to help surface relevant content as you learn how to navigate the platform.

And that’s it for setting up!

How to make the most of your Bluesky profile

There’s not much of a learning curve as the platform offers a very Twitter-like user experience, so you can dive right in. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of Bluesky:

Write a compelling bio that tells people who you are, what you do, and why you’re on Bluesky. Keep it concise but informative.Add links to your other social media profiles or personal website. This will make it easy for others to find you on different platforms.Start engaging and connecting with other users to better tune your feed. You can search for people you know or explore custom feeds to find interesting accounts.

Make sure to like, comment, and repost content to build your platform presence. The more you engage, the more visible your profile will become.

Some ideas for your first (and next) Bluesky post

If you’re ready to dive right into posting on Bluesky, I recommend starting with an introduction post. Bluesky users tend to be very welcoming because the community’s still quite small. 

Once you’ve shared a friendly introduction post to let others know who you are, check out these other ideas for your next few posts on Bluesky.

Share recent experiences, insights, or looks into your daily life.Discuss the latest trends and news in your field.Offer a peek into your work process or daily routine.Engage your followers by asking for their opinions or conducting polls.Provide valuable tips, how-tos, or life hacks.Celebrate your milestones or achievements with your audience.Share your thoughts on books, movies, products, or services you love.

Best of all, if you already share a lot of content on other platforms like Threads or LinkedIn, you can simply repurpose your content for Bluesky – minimal effort, maximum reward.

If you’ve been publishing LinkedIn posts regularly but want to find ways to level up your content on the platform, this article is for you.

A LinkedIn newsletter is similar to an email newsletter, but it’s distributed directly through LinkedIn to your network. This functionality allows you to share valuable insights, updates, and content consistently with your followers, establishing you as a thought leader in your industry. 

In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about starting a LinkedIn newsletter, including how to set it up, best practices for content creation, and strategies for maximizing engagement and visibility.

What is a LinkedIn newsletter?

A LinkedIn newsletter is a feature that allows you to share a regular publication that you can distribute directly to your network through LinkedIn.

Unlike traditional email newsletters, LinkedIn newsletters leverage the platform’s algorithm to enhance visibility and engagement, making it easier for your content to reach a broader audience.

On the flip side, while in traditional email marketing, you own and manage your subscriber list, with LinkedIn newsletters, LinkedIn manages your subscriber list, and you don’t have direct access to subscriber email addresses.

LinkedIn newsletters can benefit from LinkedIn’s algorithm, which may increase the visibility of your content to a broader audience beyond your immediate subscribers.

Requirements to start a LinkedIn newsletter

Starting a LinkedIn newsletter involves meeting a few requirements to ensure you’re set up for success on the platform. Here’s what you need:

Have 150+ followers: To begin publishing a LinkedIn newsletter, you must have at least 150 followers or connections. Connect with people in your network and engage with different LinkedIn users’ content to grow your audience.Turn on Creator Mode: Creator Mode is essential for accessing advanced content creation features, including newsletters. To enable Creator Mode:Navigate to your LinkedIn profile homepage.Locate the account tools section and activate Creator Mode.

Additionally, your LinkedIn account must comply with LinkedIn’s community guidelines and policies. Accounts with recent violations or restrictions may not be eligible to start a newsletter. Ensure your profile is complete and professional to enhance credibility and reach.

Why publish a LinkedIn newsletter?

Publishing a LinkedIn newsletter can be a game-changer for your content marketing strategy. Here are some compelling reasons to start your own LinkedIn newsletter:

Boost your LinkedIn SEO: Creating and consistently publishing a LinkedIn newsletter can significantly enhance your presence on the platform. With each publication, you increase the number of content pieces associated with your profile, which helps improve your LinkedIn SEO. This makes it easier for potential followers and connections to discover your profile and content, inevitably growing your personal brand on LinkedIn. It’s also a great way for small businesses to get visibility on the platform.Reach more of your target audience: LinkedIn newsletters are distributed directly to your followers’ LinkedIn feeds, subscribers’ notifications, and sometimes even their email inboxes. This direct delivery increases the likelihood that your content will be seen and engaged with by your target audience. As your subscriber base grows, so does your reach, allowing you to connect with more people who are interested in your insights and expertise.Increase the visibility of your content: LinkedIn’s algorithm favors content that generates engagement. Regularly publishing a newsletter can create opportunities for increased likes, comments, and shares. This engagement signals to the LinkedIn algorithm that your content is valuable, which can further enhance its visibility across the platform. As a result, your newsletter can reach a broader audience beyond just your subscribers.Build thought leadership and authority: Consistently sharing high-quality, insightful content through your LinkedIn newsletter helps establish you as a thought leader in your industry. It allows you to showcase your expertise, share your unique perspectives, and engage in meaningful conversations with your audience. Over time, this can build your credibility and authority, making you a go-to resource in your niche.Drive traffic to your other platforms: Your LinkedIn newsletter can be a powerful tool to drive traffic to your other content platforms, such as your website, blog, or other social media channels. While links might be downranked in posts, they are not downranked in newsletters. So, this feature makes directing your readers to external platforms much easier. 

Publishing a LinkedIn newsletter offers numerous benefits that can enhance your content strategy, increase your visibility, and solidify your position as an industry leader.

How to create a LinkedIn newsletter

Before discussing LinkedIn newsletter best practices, you need to know how to create one.

Create a newsletter from the homepage

Click Write article in the post area at the top of the homepage and choose whether you want to publish from your personal profile or from a LinkedIn page.

In the content editing area, navigate to the Manage button in the top right of your screen and select Newsletter. This will show a dropdown menu with the Create a newsletter option.

You will be given the option to add a title, publishing cadence, description, and image — make sure to fill out each section.

Tap Done, and you’re all set.

After this, to create a new newsletter edition, simply tap the Write article button again to get to the newsletter page and start a new issue.

View your newsletter analytics

Track your newsletter’s performance using LinkedIn’s analytics tools. Monitor metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and engagement to understand what resonates with your audience and refine your content strategy accordingly​.

You can view newsletter metrics in three ways:

By visiting your newsletter page and clicking on the Analytics section at the topBy opening one of your newsletter issues and clicking View stats in the section at the topBy visiting your Analytics dashboard and clicking on the Newsletter section at the bottom right

You won’t see things like open rates, but you can view engagement metrics such as likes, comments, and shares.

If you create a newsletter from your personal account, you see:

ImpressionsUnique viewsReactions, comments, and repostsViewer demographics

And here’s what you see for a newsletter created from your Company Page. Including viewer demographics, you also see the number of clicks and the click-through rate, which is great for reporting on performance if you publish sponsored newsletters.

Best practices for your LinkedIn newsletter

It’s one thing to set up a newsletter and get many eyes on it — but how do you get subscribers to stay? Here are some best practices to help you create a LinkedIn newsletter that keeps your audience engaged and coming back for more.

Fill out all the details

The look of your newsletter plays a big role in getting subscribers. Everything from the title to the structure can impact how responsive your audience is to it.

For your newsletter logo and headers, use high-quality visuals that align with your personal or business brand identity and the theme of your newsletter. Maintain the identity in the visuals for all newsletter issues.

Your profile picture and headline will appear as the author’s information, so keep them updated and relevant. Ensure your overall profile, from the cover photo to your latest experience, is professional and up-to-date, highlighting your expertise and the value your newsletter will provide.

Finally, use the space in your newsletter description to briefly describe the purpose of your newsletter, the topics you will cover, and the value subscribers can expect to gain. Be concise yet compelling so you can grab attention immediately. Here’s an example using my personal newsletter.

Develop and maintain quality content

Your newsletter articles should have clear, engaging headlines that draw readers in. Avoid misleading titles to maintain trust. A good headline sets the tone and encourages readers to dive into your content​.

Encourage reader interaction by asking questions and soliciting feedback. Including a discussion point or question at the end of each article can increase engagement and improve your newsletter’s performance in LinkedIn’s algorithm​.

Pick a cadence you can stick to. 

How often do you want to publish your newsletter? This will help determine how much effort you’re putting in and set expectations for your audience regarding when they can expect to hear from you. 

It’s up to you whether you publish daily or biweekly. The most important thing is that you’re consistent. If you aren’t publishing, make sure you let your audience know beforehand.

Create and store your drafts in a separate space

For better editing and collaboration, write your newsletter content in a word processor like Google Docs. Storing drafts in a separate space ensures you have backups and can easily track changes and improvements.

This allows you to use and share the draft with others for feedback. Once your draft is ready, copy it from your word processor and paste it into the LinkedIn editor for final touches.

Develop an email list outside of LinkedIn. 

Unlike traditional email marketing, you don’t have ownership over your list of newsletter subscribers. To mitigate this, develop an email list outside LinkedIn that offers even more value. 

To convert LinkedIn subscribers to your email list, offer exclusive content only available to email subscribers, such as detailed guides or special discounts. Include clear CTAs in your newsletters, directing readers to sign up for your email list on your website. Ensure the signup process is easy and highlights the additional value they will receive.

Some LinkedIn newsletters to look to for inspiration

Here are some LinkedIn newsletters to inspire you in building yours.

Lindsey Gamble’s newsletter

4.2k subscribers

In addition to his email newsletter hosted on Beehiiv, Lindsey also shares issues as LinkedIn newsletters. Both issues are replicas of each other, with the caveat that email subscribers get new editions earlier. He also shares that subscribers wanting exclusive editions should sign up using the email version – a great strategy to drive curiosity.

ICYMI by Lia Haberman

6.1k subscribers

Lia Haberman has made our list of best newsletters several times for good reason – the value she packs into each issue is understated. Like Lindsey, her LinkedIn newsletter is always a direct reproduction of her Substack email newsletter. However, she takes a different approach, offering add-ons to monetize the Substack version.

This approach works for Lia because the add-on value can’t be gotten through LinkedIn newsletters anyway. So she wins in two ways:

Anyone truly interested in her content that discovers it on LinkedIn will likely still seek out the Substack for the add-onsShe can still put ads in her LinkedIn newsletter (tracked with UTM codes of course) that might be going to a different audience entirelyCareer Bites by Lorraine K. Lee

44.7k subscribers

Lorraine’s newsletter seems to take the same approach as Lindsey and Lia’s, with one exception – an access wall. Instead of directly reproducing all the content in her newsletter, Lorraine directs LinkedIn subscribers to her full newsletter to read the rest of an issue. 

LinkedIn newsletter FAQs

Do you have access to your email list?

No, LinkedIn newsletters are not the same as regular email marketing, so you don’t own the list of your newsletter subscribers.

What if I want to publish a LinkedIn article, not a newsletter?

After clicking Write article and getting to the article creation area, simply go to the dropdown on the left of your screen and select Individual article instead of your newsletter.

How many newsletters can you create on LinkedIn?

You can create up to 5 separate newsletters on LinkedIn.

Can I change the publishing frequency of my newsletter?

Yes, you can change the publishing frequency of your LinkedIn newsletter at any time. Go to your newsletter settings and adjust the frequency to match your content creation capabilities and audience expectations, whether daily, weekly, biweekly, or monthly.

How do I track the performance of my LinkedIn newsletter?

You can track your newsletter’s performance using LinkedIn’s analytics tools. Monitor metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and engagement to understand what resonates with your audience and refine your content strategy accordingly. Visit the Newsletter tab on your profile to view these metrics.

Can I monetize my LinkedIn newsletter?

While LinkedIn doesn’t directly offer monetization features for newsletters, you can indirectly monetize by promoting your products, services, or affiliate links within your content. Additionally, you can use your newsletter to drive traffic to monetized platforms like your website or online courses.

With more than 6 million registered users, Bluesky is fast becoming a decentralized force to be reckoned with — and with good reason.

Among the new wave of fediverse platforms and decentralized networks, Bluesky is possibly the easiest to get to grips with, thanks to its clean interface and ever-increasing community of all sorts of creators. From science to K-pop, there’s a space for everyone on the network. 

Which is why (…) we’re thrilled to share that Buffer now supports Bluesky! It’s one of our most requested integrations ever — more than 2,500 people upvoted the request on our suggestions board. 

The Buffer integration supports posting, scheduling, and even threaded posts (something you’re not yet able to do natively) — we’ll get into all that below. 

If you’re new to Bluesky and the world of decentralized social media, here’s a quick summary: Bluesky was created by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, and is a decentralized social network built on an open-source protocol called AT protocol.

With the protocol, Bluesky’s mission is to create “an open foundation for the social internet so that we can all shape its future” because “social media is too important to be controlled by a few corporations.” 

Here’s a great graphic by artist Davis Bickford that explains the company’s vision:

To mark the occasion, we teamed up with @davis.social to create a comic illustrating what Bluesky is all about.

See if you can spot the easter eggs!

[1/3]

[image or embed]

— Bluesky (@bsky.app) Feb 6, 2024 at 16:10

Initially an invite-only network, Bluesky opened its proverbial doors in February 2024, welcoming more than 1 million new users in just one day. 

That said, adding another network to your social stack is a big decision. With Buffer, we hope to make that a little easier for you with handy planning, publishing, and cross-posting features. 

Another helpful feature to note for those familiar with the idea of decentralized networks and the fediverse: while Bluesky is decentralized, it’s not technically part of the fediverse. That’s because Bluesky’s AT Protocol is different from ActivityPub, the open protocol that fediverse platforms like Mastodon and Threads leverage. 

In a nutshell, Buffer allows you to share your Bluesky content on the fediverse, too, if you cross-post to Mastodon. 

Sound good? Whatever your mission with Bluesky, here’s how to connect your Bluesky account to Buffer and start posting.

How to connect your Bluesky account to Buffer

First things first. Before you can do any of the above, you’ll need to add Bluesky as a channel in Buffer (which shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes). 

Sign in to Buffer (if you’ve not yet signed up, no sweat — you can do that for free here).In a new tab, sign in to Bluesky. In Buffer, navigate to publish.buffer.com. On the left-hand side of the screen, click the ‘New Channel’ button underneath your channels list. From the channels list, click the ‘Connect’ button next to Bluesky.This will open the dialogue box below:Leave your Buffer tab open, and navigate to your Bluesky tab. Click the profile icon on the left-hand side to go to your profile page.

At the top of the page under your name, you’ll find your Bluesky handle. Unless you’ve customized your domain, it should look something like this: @yourname.bksy.social.

Copy that over to the dialogue box you left open in Buffer.

Now head back to Bluesky. Click on the settings cog on the left to navigate to the Settings menu. Scroll down to the Advanced section to find the ‘App Passwords’ option.Click ‘Add app password.’This will open a dialogue box that allows you to create a new app password. You can stick with the default password name or create your own. (Note that this is not your login password — it’s more like a key that will unlock Bluesky for your Buffer account.)Your password will appear in the next window. Copy that and head back to Buffer, where you can paste it into the ‘Bluesky App Password’ box. Now, the window will look something like this:Click ‘Next’ and you’re all done! Congratulations — your Bluesky account is now connected to Buffer. How to schedule and cross-post on Bluesky

There are many routes to creating a new post in Buffer. For ease, we’ll start by using the ‘New Post’ button on the top right of publish.buffer.com, but you can also click the ‘+’ icon next to the channel in your channels list, click on any slots in the calendar, or click on any slots under the queue. 

The process will be similar for whichever ‘create’ option you choose.

Log in to Buffer, then click on the Publish tab at the top. Click the New Post button on the top right. In the composer window, be sure to choose Bluesky from your channels list at the top. To crosspost, choose the other channels you want to publish to as well. Add your text or media to the main composer window. If you’re cross-posting, you can customize for each platform by clicking within the boxes that correspond to each of the channels you’ve selected.When you’re ready to post, click the ‘Add to Queue’ button to publish in the next available slot in each platform’s custom queue*, or click the drop-down to Share Now (publish right away), Share Next (publish in the next queue slot, bumping any posts already scheduled there into the next slot), or Schedule Posts (publish at a specific time). To move your posts around, head to your calendar in Buffer and drag the post to a new slot, or hover over the post and click ‘Edit.’

With that, you’re all set! Your post will be published on your chosen platforms at your chosen times.

Getting started with Bluesky

If you’re new to the platform, we have a bunch of resources to help make things a little easier. Here’s my recommended reading:

Let’s connect on Bluesky!

Bluesky is an exciting new network, and I’m excited to meet you there. You can find me here and Buffer here.

I hope you found this explainer helpful and the process simple!

In 2023, the median compensation for CEOs who ran companies listed on the S&P 500 was $15.2 million. The amount was 194 times larger than what their typical employees earned during the same period.

Public filings show several chief executives of media companies made much more, with an even wider CEO-to-worker pay ratio, according to analysis from executive intelligence firm Equilar.

Last year, Disney’s Robert Iger received $31.6 million in total compensation, which includes salary, bonus, equity awards, and other forms of financial remuneration.

The biggest challenge for retailers this holiday season will be chasing cash-strapped shoppers.

The consistent uptick in prices for everything from groceries to fast food could also hit retailers, who often pull out big deals to win key holiday sales, according to retail experts.

Research firm Mintel found that 64% of consumers surveyed want to spend the least amount of money possible during this year’s winter holiday. And 54% plan to shop for fewer gifts than a year ago.

While total retail sales have grown modestly this year, the growth is primarily coming from value-focused retailers like T.J.

Another executive is reportedly exiting Paramount.

Today, Sabrina Caluori, evp, kids and family marketing at Paramount+ and CMO, Nickelodeon, announced she’s exiting the company in a memo to staff covered by numerous media outlets.

Paramount did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

“Writing notes like this one is never easy,” Caluori said in the memo. “Nickelodeon was the very first brand that I loved. Getting to work alongside all of you to share that love with today’s kids (including my own) has been a dream come true.”

Caluori

When you look at my YouTube channel today, you might think I’ve had this thing figured out from the get-go. With over 13,700 subscribers, a new video every two weeks, and YouTube driving more organic traffic to my search engine optimization (SEO) consultancy than any other channel, you’d think it all came quite easily…

But I promise it wasn’t always this way. 

I quickly burned out when I tried starting a YouTube channel in 2017. I lacked strategy, struggled with the technical aspects of video production, and failed to gain traction despite publishing 35 videos. This led to me eventually abandoning my YouTube efforts altogether.

A few years later, while addressing client questions about setting up Google Analytics 4, I decided to create a tutorial video. I uploaded it to YouTube pretty casually so I could easily share it, and I was surprised to find that the YouTube algorithm noticed it. Within six months, it reached 22,000 views. That might not seem like a lot when you compare it to other YouTube channels, but this was huge for me. 

This experience dramatically shifted my mindset around YouTube. First and foremost, this video allowed me to hit the threshold of being monetized on YouTube with ads (meaning I literally get paid to market my business). 

But it also gave me a framework for planning videos that would serve both my audience and the algorithm. It helped me understand the different ways YouTube could benefit my business, ad revenue included. And, most importantly, it showed me that creating successful videos doesn’t have to be as daunting as I initially thought.

Now, I have done everything I can to make the process of running a YouTube channel for marketing as easy and effective as possible, while still keeping it fun and sustainable for me — and I want to share my approach with you. If you’re a business owner struggling to incorporate YouTube into your marketing strategy, here are my tips for streamlining the process. 

Choose topics that will be helpful to your audience and fun for you

Given how much work YouTube videos can take to create, it’s tempting to over-strategize about which topics will maximize search traffic or virality. But, not only can this approach take time, I found worrying too much about the numbers made me lose passion for it.

Now, I have just two questions that help me choose the topics for my videos:

1. What does my audience want to know about? 

First and foremost, I want my videos to be helpful. That, more than anything, means I’m serving a need that people are searching for, I’m providing content that people will want to watch, and I’m showing off expertise that people may want to hire me for. 

I get most of my video inspiration from client questions, DMs on social media, and comments on my other YouTube videos, which I compile into a long list of ideas. 

My clients now joke that if they have a question, I’ve probably got a YouTube video on it. Even if YouTube did nothing else for my business, it’s motivating to know I’m creating a useful resource, so this approach to planning keeps me pushing forward. 

2. What video do I want to create? 

When it’s filming day, I look at my list of potential videos and pick the one that sounds fun for me to create. This allows me to feel truly energetic going into filming, rather than forcing myself to check something off a list, making the whole process way easier. 

Find an easy format (and don’t hesitate to get help)

People are often shocked to hear that I don’t script my videos. But I’m able to do that because of the format I chose.

Most of my videos are tutorials on topics I already help clients with, meaning I’m essentially teaching something that I know inside and out. I don’t have to research or script anything, I can just sit down and let the words flow from my brain. 

Sometimes I vaguely plan the flow in my head so I can stay on track, but otherwise, my “pre-record” task list is pretty minimal.

I also decided early on I didn’t want overly edited videos because my audience would come to expect them from me every time, and I didn’t want to have to do that work. Instead of making me seem less polished, the simplicity builds trust and authentic connection, giving people a peek at what working with me would be like rather than sounding scripted.

That’s not to say there’s no editing on my videos. Someone needs to cut out my awkward pauses, string my clips together (because I usually record in chunks), plug in my intro, outro, and commercials, and add simple graphics to keep things engaging.

I quickly realized if I tried to edit my videos, I would never do it, so I hired someone on Upwork to help me for $35-$80 a video (depending on length and edits needed). 

I also recently discovered a video editing tool called Descript, which has been a game changer because it lets me edit videos directly from the transcript, shortening the amount of work it takes to remove unwanted sections. I’ll usually do this myself before I send it over to my video editor, so there’s little to no confusion on what to clip and what to keep.

If video editing (or any other aspect of making videos) sounds daunting or is holding you back, I highly recommend outsourcing or finding tools to simplify the process.

Take small steps to optimize for SEO

Of course, as an SEO consultant, YouTube SEO research plays into my strategy. YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine after Google — making it another place for users to search for a solution to a problem. And YouTube videos also rank highly in Google search results. To help your videos gain traction, you want to show up as the best solution to that problem.

Rather than using SEO to plan my video topics, I like to use it to set each video up for search success. 

Once I’ve chosen a topic, I run it through TubeBuddy to find related keywords that are high volume and low competition — these are the gaps in the market I can try to fill. This process can help me tailor the framing of my video. 

For example, I wanted to create a video targeting the topic of “Google reviews,” but I wasn’t sure what specifically I wanted to cover. I typed the keyword into TubeBuddy and looked at the “Related Searches” option to give me ideas.

I saw that “create Google review link” had a strong SEO score based on the number of searches that keyword was getting and how competitive the keyword itself was. So that’s the video I created on my channel back in April 2023, and it’s since gotten over 61,000 views and made me $1,300.

Then, I include these keywords in a few places, including:

Verbally throughout the video: Since YouTube automatically transcribes videos, the algorithm will pick up on words you’re saying.In the video title and description: If you can get the keyword towards the front of the title, that’s always helpful. In the video tags: A lot of people think video tags are “outdated” and not helpful. I disagree — they help give the algorithm more context clues about what my video is about. If you use TubeBuddy, you can also check these tags to see if your video is ranking in search results. Below, you can see my “Create a Google Review Link” holds the top spot for “create Google review link” and in the top five for related searches.Look for multiple ways to use YouTube to benefit your business

So far, I’ve talked a lot about how to create YouTube videos that will gain traction — but how can that actually benefit your business? 

YouTube is generally a strong top-of-funnel marketing strategy, increasing visibility and thought leadership. People often watch my videos, remember how helpful I was, and decide to hire me when they need SEO support.

Another way I drive more direct conversions is by inserting “ads” for my products and freebies into my videos. For example, if someone is searching for how to use a specific keyword research tool, my keyword research planner digital product could be useful for them, so I’ll promote it in the middle of related videos.

I take a similar strategy to drive people to download my freebies, which gets them on my newsletter list so I can continue to nurture them. 

I also like to remind myself that each of these videos is an asset I can use across my business. I send them to clients during my workflow, link them out in my newsletters, and repost them on Instagram — generally squeezing as much juice out of each video as possible. 

Finally, as I mentioned before, when my YouTube channel reached the requirements, I started monetizing it with ads. I currently earn about $950 a month from YouTube ads, but I think of it as the cherry on top and not the goal. The road to monetization isn’t easy, so my advice is to take advantage of it if you can but don’t overly focus on it. 

Instead, focus on creating helpful content for your target customer. That’s ultimately how you will create videos that draw in the right audience, showcase what makes working with you special, and serve as a valuable resource for years to come. 

More resources for YouTube growth

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