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6 Ways Small Business Owners Can Get Their Employees to Use AI

6 Ways Small Business Owners Can Get Their Employees to Use AI

One of the most pivotal innovations that artificial intelligence offers small businesses is the ability to change the rules of engagement — a more level playing field. And its adoption in this size category has been stunning: According to Unbounce’s recent Break Free: The State of AI Marketing for Small Business report, approximately 30% of small and medium-sized businesses are leveraging some form of artificial intelligence.

One overriding challenge, however, is that implementing (Read on…)

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WordPress Contributors Demand Transparency and Objective Guidelines for Listings on Recommended Hosting Page

WordPress Contributors Demand Transparency and Objective Guidelines for Listings on Recommended Hosting Page

WordPress’ Recommended Hosting page is a hotly contested piece of online real estate, and has recently come into focus again following the removal of SiteGround from the listings. When the change was highlighted during a recent Meta team meeting, Audrey Capital-sponsored contributor Samuel “Otto” Wood said, “Matt asked me to remove SiteGround because… (Read on….)

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OpenAI, Google, others pledge to watermark AI content for safety, White House says

OpenAI, Google, others pledge to watermark AI content for safety, White House says

AI companies including OpenAI, Alphabet (GOOGL.O) and Meta Platforms (META.O) have made voluntary commitments to the White House to implement measures such as watermarking AI-generated content to help make the technology safer, President Joe Biden announced on Friday.

“These commitments are a promising step but we have a lot more work to do together,” Biden said. (Read on…)

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Google Is Testing An AI Tool That Can Write News Articles

Google Is Testing An AI Tool That Can Write News Articles

Google is testing a tool that uses AI to write news stories and has started pitching it to publications, according to a new report from The New York Times. The tech giant has pitched the AI tool to The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal’s owner, News Corp.

The tool, internally codenamed “Genesis,” can take in information and then generate news copy. Google reportedly believes that the tool can serve as a personal assistant for journalists by automating…(Read on…)

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Former Google Recruiter’s No. 1 Resume Red Flag: ‘There’s Zero Chance You’re Going To Move Forward’

Former Google Recruiter’s No. 1 Resume Red Flag: ‘There’s Zero Chance You’re Going To Move Forward’

Writing a powerful resume can seem like an art form in and of itself. And when doing so, there are various don’ts to keep in mind: Don’t misspell words. Don’t go over two pages. Don’t write a list of vague skills without providing proof you’ve actually accrued them.

For Nolan Church, who’s worked in talent acquisition at companies like Google and who’s currently the CEO of talent marketplace Continuum, there’s one major red flag. “The No. 1 thing I don’t want to see on a resume is probably text bricks,” he says, which is to say “endless streams of text that have a lot of words but not a lot of content.” (Read on…)

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Small Businesses to Congress: Prioritize Passing the Main Street Tax Certainty Act this Congress

Small Businesses to Congress: Prioritize Passing the Main Street Tax Certainty Act this Congress

“Passing the Main Street Tax Certainty Act would stop an enormous tax increase currently scheduled to strike small businesses at the end of 2025,” said Brad Close, NFIB President. “The 20% Small Business Deduction is set to expire in 2025, and without it, small businesses will have to limit their plans to grow, invest, and hire. By making the deduction permanent, small business owners will have the tax certainty they need to make business decisions about their future. We are encouraged that this important legislation has been introduced in both the House and the Senate and urge Congress to consider it.” (Read on…)

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Experts Say This Is the Key to Marketing a Mom and Pop Business

Experts Say This Is the Key to Marketing a Mom and Pop Business

Marketing opportunities are endless, but marketing budgets are finite. Is it better for a mom-and-pop business to put money into online and social media marketing, or to invest in real-life sponsorships and events?

As with many things in business, you can only find out through trial and error, says Rus Graham, cofounder of New England-based Rushton Gregory Communications.

“The difficulty with marketing programs is that everyone is unique,” Graham says. “There isn’t a cookie-cutter approach.” (Read on….)

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The Impact of Technology On Personal Finances

The Impact of Technology On Personal Finances

Technology has transformed how we interact, work, and even handle money. From mobile banking applications to digital budgeting tools, technology has changed the financial landscape, giving customers unparalleled power and convenience over their money. This post will examine how technology has influenced personal economics and how individuals may utilise these advancements to make better financial decisions. Technology integration has opened up new avenues for financial management, whether budgeting, sensible investment, or long-term planning. (Read on…)

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Content Marketing In 2023: The Ultimate Guide

Content Marketing In 2023: The Ultimate Guide

Content marketing is a strategy that utilizes a wide variety of channels, including social media, websites, videos, infographics, podcasts and blogs, to attract potential customers. By creating, publishing and sharing relevant content, companies are building their brand, establishing trust, increasing engagement and ultimately influencing more people to buy their products and services.

With an influx of options everywhere we turn, establishing and nurturing a strong, sustainable relationship with customers is more important than ever. Buyers need to feel not only satisfied, but also truly cared for, in order to stay loyal to a business. In addition to supporting this customer relationship, content marketing also helps make it easier for your customers to become champions of your brand and assist in boosting awareness.

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How To Leverage An Omnichannel Marketing Strategy To Reach Your Audience Wherever They Are

How To Leverage An Omnichannel Marketing Strategy To Reach Your Audience Wherever They Are

The data shows that omnichannel marketing strategies have power. When implemented successfully, they increase ad-driven store visits by 80%. With consumers relying more on their mobile devices and expecting tailored, seamless experiences from brands, failing to embrace omnichannel marketing seems like a wrong turn. Omnichannel strategies can boost sales, personalize the customer experience and increase retention rates.

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For Many Small-Business Owners, a Necessary Shift to Digital Payments

For Many Small-Business Owners, a Necessary Shift to Digital Payments

The number of Americans who say they are “cashless” has jumped in the last five years. Forty-one percent of Americans said they did not use cash for their purchases in a typical week in 2022, up from 29 percent in 2018, according to a Pew Research Center survey released last October.

Small-business owners increasingly are making the switch to cashless payments for several reasons, including rising consumer demand, faster checkout, lower labor costs and increased security. Those who wait risk losing revenue, experts say.

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How Can Small Local Service Businesses Use AI To Improve Their Digital Marketing?

How Can Small Local Service Businesses Use AI To Improve Their Digital Marketing?

When many of us hear how AI will change the world – particularly digital marketing – our thoughts (and occasionally fears) drift towards how big organizations will use machines to do the work of legions of copywriters, designers, and other content creators.

Large corporations with equally large customer bases and competitively driven content needs are looking to sophisticated AI systems to generate content, and process and analyze data to stay ahead.

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Small Businesses, Big Opportunities

Small Businesses, Big Opportunities

More than 70% of business owners want to originate digitally, and often the only easy way to do that is with a personal account, as banks have lagged on digital originations for businesses with multiple complexities, including the upcoming CFPB Section 1071 rules that will require banking institutions to collect and report data on lending to small businesses, defined as enterprises with gross revenue under $5 million.

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Gutenberg 16.1 Introduces Pattern Creation and Library, Adds Distraction Free Mode to Site Editor

Gutenberg 16.1 Introduces Pattern Creation and Library, Adds Distraction Free Mode to Site Editor

Gutenberg 16.1 was released this week, debuting of the Pattern Library, which coincides with reusable blocks getting renamed to synced patterns. Users can now create and manage their own patterns that will also show up in the block inserter. Custom patterns are saved to the new Library alongside custom template parts.

This release also adds a new Distraction Free mode to the Site Editor, which removes all controls and menus, functioning in a similar way to the mode added to the content editor in October 2022.

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Small Businesses Face Economic Strain Even With Loyal Patrons

Small Businesses Face Economic Strain Even With Loyal Patrons

Brand loyalty is one thing, but when that loyalty is directed at a small business, it stands to benefit an entire community…The relationship between a small business and its customers is unique — rarely is it purely transactional. In fact, 37% of Americans say they purchase from small businesses to receive a more personal experience. Also, 30% of them are willing to pay more and 30% are willing to wait longer at small businesses versus major retailers or chain stores

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Finding the Perfect Audience for Your Business on Social Media

Both Facebook and YouTube boast well over 2 billion global users each, with TikTok and Instagram both having over a billion each. This variety of social media platforms has completely evolved our online interactions. The only issue is knowing how to go about building an audience on the various social media platforms. Here’s an excellent guide to the importance of social media and how businesses can build their audience.

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What Is The Purpose Of Content Marketing?

What Is The Purpose Of Content Marketing?

As founder and CEO of a full-service digital marketing agency, I’ve seen firsthand how successful content marketing can be for businesses. I’ve also seen how so many companies get it wrong.

So, what is the purpose of content marketing? Let’s take a closer look.

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Meetup: Brass Ring CEO Takes Over As Organizer for WordPress Web Help Group

Meetup: Brass Ring CEO Takes Over As Organizer for WordPress Web Help Group

WordPress Web Help is a 900 member San Diego-based Meetup.com group that offers a “a friendly and easy way for folks to get help with their WordPress website where we can share questions and answers, make progress on your ideas or goals, and have fun in the process.” Brass Ring CEO has taken on the role of organizer…

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How Worrying About Money Can Affect Your Health

How Worrying About Money Can Affect Your Health

Worrying about money can affect you in more ways than you may realize. New research has found that the risks of several significant health problems increase when people are worried about their financial situation. If you find yourself stressing about money, follow the tips in this guide to help reduce the impact on your well-being.

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Governor Announces $1.1 Billion in Small Business Support Coming to California

Governor Announces $1.1 Billion in Small Business Support Coming to California

Published: Sep 21, 2022 You can find the entire article HERE on California’s Office of the Governor website. U.S. Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative will increase small business owners’ access to capital, cover upwards of 80% of loans California to launch new program designed to create a more-inclusive venture capital ecosystem SACRAMENTO — Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced $1.1 billion in funding to support California’s small businesses. The funding comes from the U.S. Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) and is intended to leverage an additional $18 billion of capital to California small businesses. “California is home to the

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Do I Need an SSL Certificate? How SSL Can Protect Your Site

Do I Need an SSL Certificate? How SSL Can Protect Your Site

Most websites collect information from their users, whether it’s through contact forms, newsletter subscriptions, or online sales. Especially if online transactions happen on your site, the last thing you want is to have your customers’ credit card or other personal information stolen. This is where SSL comes into play. An SSL certificate is not only for business sites – any kind of website benefits from an added layer of security. Not only does an SSL certificate help ensure the protection of customer data, but it also improves the site’s position on search engine results and its credibility. In this article, we will

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Jetpack Performance Team Takes Over WP Super Cache Development

Jetpack Performance Team Takes Over WP Super Cache Development

WP Super Cache, one of the oldest and most widely used static caching plugins for WordPress, is changing hands. After 15 years, the plugin’s author, Donncha Ó Caoimh, is handing over maintenance and development to Jetpack’s performance team. If you have been building WordPress sites since the early days, you are almost guaranteed to have used WP Super Cache on at least one project (or hundreds). It is based on an earlier plugin called WP Cache 2 that Ó Caoimh forked in 2007 when its author had lost interest and was no longer developing it. Jetpack’s performance team manages the Jetpack Boost plugin, used by

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Laura Nelson on How To Create a Profitable Newsletter

Laura Nelson on How To Create a Profitable Newsletter

On the podcast today, we have Laura Nelson. You can listen to this episode (#41) HERE on the WPTavern website Laura is a Content Marketer at WooCommerce where she’s responsible for creating and planning engaging content for their users. Prior to WooCommerce she worked at MailPoet, an email marketing plugin for WordPress, and before that, she worked at Pragmatic, a UK based WordPress agency. She’s on the show to share her experience about how you can, and why you might want to, set up a paid email newsletter. When I hear the word newsletter, I’m typically thinking of the information which drops

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WP-Optimize Plugin Accused of Cheating PageSpeed and Other Performance Testing Tools

WP-Optimize Plugin Accused of Cheating PageSpeed and Other Performance Testing Tools

Gijo Varghese, a developer who calls himself a “web performance enthusiast,” shocked WordPress users around the world over the weekend when he tweeted a screenshot of how WP-Optimize is explicitly preventing select JavaScript files from loading when users test their sites through popular performance testing tools. By Sarah Gooding – You can find this entire article HERE on WPTavern’s Website “When a site is loaded, the JavaScript files are loaded only when the user-agent/browser is not Lighthouse/GTmetrix/Headless Chrome/Pingdom,” Varghese said. “No JS = high scores. But for real users, these JS files are loaded!” Varghese confirmed that he was testing the free

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