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How to Create Custom URL Short Links
I wrote an article way back in 2013 with the title Are You Using Ugly Urls? The reasons for using easy to read URLs that I talked about in that article are still valid today.
Another way to make web links easier to read is to use a URL shortening service. This is especially relevant for the information you’re posting on social platforms.
Why Should You Shorten URLs?
Using tiny URL links is an easy and more aesthetically pleasing way to share a link to an article than the long website address. They are an excellent tool for marketers and for emails to customers since clients are more likely to click on a short URL that conveys the information that can be found on the site. Short links are easier to paste into chats or emails and fit onto social media posts that limit the number of characters.
Smithsonian Image Archive Available
Finding the right image to use on a new article you’re posting on your website, or for capturing attention for posts on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram, is vital to encourage engagement. Making sure you have the legal right to use that image is even more critical.
Way back in 2012, I wrote a TechTips article on How to Find Legal Pictures and Images. While the websites mentioned in the article are likely out of date, it is essential that you make sure you have legal rights to use an image.
There are a growing number of royalty-free websites you can use to find images. One of the latest to come online is the Smithsonian Institution’s Open Access.
How to Use Email Signatures as a Marketing Tool
Your organization sends out hundreds – if not thousands – of emails every week to clients and prospects. Every one of these emails is a branding and sales opportunity.
But it would help if you were intentional about using this communication channel.
While email newsletters are a great way to engage with your clients, the regular emails you send out could provide a gentle reminder of all of the other products and services you have available.
Creating standard email signatures is nothing new. Outlook has the capability of creating multiple standard email signatures and allowing individuals to choose which signature they want to use on a particular email. The problem? There is no way to centrally manage the messages that are included in the email signature for all employees.
That is where an email signature service could be a valuable marketing tool.
Add Interest to Zoom Meetings with a Custom Zoom Background
Over the last few months, Zoom has become a popular platform to use for virtual meetings.
Zoom has a feature that allows you to quickly add a custom background to the image projected during a meeting.
Virtual Background
The Virtual Background feature allows you to display an image or video as your background during a Zoom meeting. This feature works best with a green screen and uniform lighting to help Zoom detect the difference between you and your background.
You can also upload your images or videos as a virtual background. There are no size restrictions when adding your virtual backgrounds, but we recommend cropping the image to match the aspect ratio of your camera before uploading it.
Example: If your camera is set to 16:9, an image of 1280 x 720 pixels or 1920 x 1080 pixels will work well.
