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In-store conversions come to Facebook Ads, which add a whole new dimension to your ability to track ad performance if you have a retail location. We also talk about some updates and tricks for Snapchat. Today’s main story, however, is about why many businesses fail to get good media coverage for their businesses. We dissect a great Medium post originally written for startups, and glean insights you can use to be more effective in your efforts to communicate with the press. We also discuss the grammatical structure known as the “in-fix,” the pros and cons of getting a college education, and… time-sucks. This is painful, but all of us have time-sucks in our life. So a time management tool can be very effective in identifying where your time is going. And a little depressing, maybe.

News

  • Previously, we talked about Google adding “store visit conversions” to Google Adwords. Well, it turns out Facebook also helps track store visits and it may work better than Google’s product for retail locations that don’t have enormous geographic footprints the way that big box stores and massive car dealerships do. Facebook also has an API that allows point-of-sale (POS) systems to communicate transaction data back, which could allow for highly detailed measurement of ROI on Facebook ads.
  • Not long ago, Snapchat added “Memories,” which allows you to go back and find some of your previous posts.  And, just for fun, we talk about some Snapchat tips & tricks, including how to “stack” filters. We also discuss on-demand Geofilters for Snapchat, which can be purchased for very specific geographic locations to promote your brand, event, or whatever else you can dream up!

Show Notes

After talking about The Great Courses on Audible—particularly The Secret Life of Words from Professor Anne Curzan, Ph.D., English professor at the University of Michigan—we talk about the importance and value of a college education in today’s world, the ROI, and other facets of how having the college experience and getting degree may affect your life.

Josh brought us a Medium post from Dave Gerhardt on Why Most Startups Suck at PR, which focuses on the human element of your approach to PR. Most startups and, really, others are just bad at getting publicity. They aim too high or use the wrong pitch about themselves. Both of these are setups for failure.

The keys are to go after media that is relevant to the audience you are after — including podcasts, bloggers, even speaking engagements — and then pitch your authentic self and story. And look for news pegs in trends. Make it useful for the media audience you are trying to convince.

Tool of the Day

Rod brings us ATracker from Wonder Apps. This iOS app makes the process of logging your time significantly easier. Use it to identify the places in your day where you’re losing time to unproductive activities without realizing it. Rod reports that the setup process is relatively easy and the reporting is quite powerful.