Most businesses try to find the perfect niche. That’s NOT what X, formerly known as Twitter, is doing.

According to owner Elon Musk, the X is transforming into the EVERYTHING app. 

As he said during a recent team meeting, “The fundamental thing that’s missing that would be incredibly useful is a single application that encompasses everything.”

What does that actually mean? “You can do payments, messages, video, calling, whatever you’d like, from one single, convenient place.”

It seems like his inspiration is WeChat, a Chinese app that has over a billion users.

It seems like X’s niche is “everyone with a phone!”

Here’s the rundown for today…

• YouTube Vs Ad Blockers - YouTube Cracks Down

• New URL Option - Google Introduces New Domain Extension

• TikTok Ad Playbook - Get The Most From The Holidays

• SEM Vs SEO - 2 Approaches To Traffic Generation

• Fiverr Side Hustle - How To Get Started

Lurn Bytes: Your Daily News Download

YouTube Steps Up Fight Against Ad Blockers - YouTube is stopping people from watching videos if they use ad-blocking tools. They're doing this to generate more revenue from ads, but some users are upset because they use ad blockers to protect their privacy…

Google Launches New Way To Create Unique URLs - Google introduced a new domain extension, ".ing", which allows for creative wordplay in URLs. It could be a simple but effective way to make URLs more memorable…

TikTok Releases Holiday Ad Playbook - TikTok has released a new marketing guide focusing on "Q5", the time between Christmas and halfway through January. This period often sees higher user engagement, offering businesses a chance to boost their post-Christmas promotions. With examples and creative ideas, this guide can help marketers get the most from their holiday campaigns…

SEM Vs SEO

Google has been used by digital marketers to generate traffic for over 25 years. There are 2 general approaches…

SEO (search engine optimization) is about getting traffic and leads from organic results on search engine pages.

SEM (search engine marketing) is a broader strategy for getting traffic from both organic results using SEO and paid results through pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.

TLDR - SEO vs. SEM: What’s the Difference? (+Which Works Best)

The article gets into the details of SEO & SEM strategies, but we wanted to highlight some of the comparisons it makes.

SEO vs. SEM: Cost

SEO requires a big investment upfront, mainly by creating lengthy and detailed content.

Once a page ranks well on search engines, it can bring traffic for months or even years without additional work.

PPC advertising is an ongoing cost. You continuously pay for the ad to stay up. Once you stop paying, the traffic stops.

SEO vs. SEM: Speed

SEO takes a longer time to show results. Some top-ranking posts on Google can be several years old!

A well-ranking post can stay at the top for a long time. However, it could take A LONG TIME for your content to rank.

Ads deliver quick results. As soon as you pay, the ad goes up and you’ll start seeing results - good or bad.

For that reason, SEM is faster than SEO.

SEO vs SEM: Targeting

SEO is better for informational keywords where people want to learn.

PPC is good for competitive keywords where people are ready to buy.

What To Consider

When evaluating your strategy, consider these 3 factors:

1. Advertising Budget: PPC can be costly, especially in competitive industries. If you have a tight budget, focusing on organic search might be better.

2. ROI: You need to make sure the money you spend on ads leaves room for profit. If you’re going to run ads, make sure you have a funnel that generates a high enough average customer value to make it worthwhile.

3. Timing: If you need quick results, like launching a new product, PPC is the way. You need to be more patient to get results from SEO.

This summary is just the beginning. The full article goes into MUCH more detail. Check it out!

Daily Hack - 3 Steps To Start A Side Hustle On Fiverr

Maybe you want to take your marketing skills to the market. Maybe you want a little extra income every month. Maybe you want to test the idea of starting your own business.

Whatever the reason, starting a side hustle can be extremely rewarding (and lucrative). 

One platform that's particularly well-suited to side hustles is Fiverr.com. Fiverr is a marketplace where freelancers can offer their services to people looking to outsource tasks. 

Fortunately, you can get started in just 3 simple steps…

Step 1: Identify Your Skills - The first step is identifying your skills. What are you good at? What services can you offer that others might be willing to pay for? Remember, you don’t need to be an “expert” to get started!

Some popular side hustles include…

• Virtual Assistants

• Freelance Writers

• Graphic Designers

• Social Media Managers

• Consulting & Coaching

Step 2: Create Your Gigs - Once you've identified your skills and what services you're going to offer, it's time to create your Fiverr account and create your gigs. 

A gig is simply a listing for a specific service you're offering. On Fiverr, you can create multiple gigs, so you can offer different services or packages. As you create your gigs, be sure to include all the relevant details, like what your work includes, how long it will take, and the price. 

Step 3: Promote Your Gigs - Now that your gigs are set up, it's time to start promoting them. 

You can do this by sharing your gigs on social media, using Fiverr's own promotion tools, or by reaching out to people who might be interested in your services.

Work on getting that first gig and make sure to OVER-DELIVER. If you have a satisfied customer, they can leave you positive reviews or even become a case study for future projects! 

ICYMI - The Biggest Stories You May Have Missed

34 Social Media Marketing Predictions In 2024 - This article reveals the key changes and updates that will keep reshaping how people interact online. This can help digital marketers prepare for the next year…

Google Invests In ChatGPT Competitor - Google has agreed to invest up to $2 billion in Anthropic. This new investment is part of a bigger race among tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft to get an edge in the AI arms race…

X Announces New Paid Plans - Elon Musk's company X has introduced two new subscription plans for its X Premium service to attract more paying users. The "Premium+" plan costs $16 per month for an ad-free experience, while the "Premium Basic" plan will cost $3 per month...

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