Your brand is the core of who you are to your customers; it’s more than just a logo or a product. Good brand management influences how customers view and engage with your company. It supports the upkeep of your brand’s goodwill, relevance, and memorability. You can protect your brand’s identity, gain the audience’s trust, and set yourself apart from rivals in a crowded market by actively maintaining it. Let’s examine brand management in more detail and why it’s important. Along with some brand management advice, we’ll also go over some of the resources and platforms used by brands to control their image. Are you prepared to find out more? Now let’s get going. What Is Brand Management? Brand management involves building and sustaining a strong, positive brand image to make it recognizable, trustworthy, and appealing to your target audience. Here are key resources to help manage and enhance your brand’s presence and reputation. What Tools and Channels Can I Use for Brand Management? Here are some essential brand management tools: Social Media PlatformsEngage your audience and build brand awareness with Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and LinkedIn through regular posts and targeted ads. Content Management SystemsManage website content and ensure consistent brand messaging with platforms like WordPress. Analytics ToolsUse Google Analytics and Mention to gain insights into performance and online reputation, adjusting strategies as needed. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) SystemsManage interactions and boost loyalty with tools like Salesforce and HubSpot. Email Marketing SoftwareKeep your brand top of mind by sending newsletters and offers with Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign. Design ToolsCreate brand assets with Canva and Adobe Creative Suite to reflect your brand identity. Surveys and Feedback ToolsCollect customer feedback and improve your brand strategy with SurveyMonkey and Qualtrics. Why Is Brand Management Important? For brand managers to increase brand recognition and awareness, brand management is essential. The only way to get people to know and recognise your brand is through brand marketing. Putting money into brand management will help you develop brand equity, or worth, over time. This indicates that your clients and audience think highly of you. This motivates: Maintaining your competitive edge also requires regular management of your brand’s perception. By monitoring trends and competitive insights, you can keep up with changes in the market and consumer preferences. What was the outcome? a robust, long-running company. Principles and Measurements of Brand Management Let’s take a closer look at the core pillars of brand management. Brand EquityRepresents your brand’s value and impacts audience behavior and financial performance. High brand equity boosts customer preference, even at higher prices, and provides stability in market fluctuations. Brand RecognitionEnables your audience to identify your brand through logos, colors, and slogans, distinguishing it from competitors and creating positive associations. Customer LoyaltyMeasures the frequency with which customers choose your brand over others. Strong loyalty indicates emotional connections and trust, driving word-of-mouth advocacy. Customer PerceptionShows how consumers view your brand based on their experiences and opinions. Use surveys, social media analysis, and reviews to gather insights and refine your brand strategy. Financial PerformanceEvaluates your company’s financial health through revenue growth, profit margins, and ROI. These metrics help assess branding effectiveness and guide profitability and growth adjustments. Additional Options to Boost Your Brand Image Here are some bonus ways you can boost your brand image. ·         Partner With A Brand Management Agency ·         Use Mention For Brand Management ·         Build Quality Backlinks ·         Leverage earned media Key Takeaways Building your brand assets and a good reputation requires sound brand management techniques. Maintaining a unified brand across all channels, such as social media, your website, and consumer interactions, helps build brand recognition and reinforces your identity. Using social media tactics increases visibility and fosters deep connections with your audience. Maintaining a current understanding of industry trends enables your business to stay innovative and current. You can ensure your brand’s long-term growth and health by concentrating on strategic brand management, which will help it maintain its reputation as a reliable and significant brand among your target audience. Do you need help getting there? JP Tech Communication is able to assist. To your success, I say!

Enhancing your website’s search engine rankings is a crucial aspect of digital marketing, and if your small business wants to take full advantage of all that SEO has to offer, you should make it a primary marketing strategy. Recent research shows that over 68% of online experiences start with a search, and that over 50% of website traffic originates from organic search results. In other words, if your website isn’t optimised for search engines, you’re losing out on a substantial amount of potential traffic and revenue. Effective SEO Techniques and Strategies So how do you get value from your SEO strategy?The following tactics and strategies can help you get the most out of your SEO strategy. Perform keyword research Researching keywords is a necessary step in creating a successful SEO plan. Finding the terms and phrases that members of your target market use while looking for goods or services in your sector is known as keyword research. By understanding the search terms used by your target audience, you can produce content that helps them throughout the buyer’s journey. Finding high-priority keywords and phrases for your website is another benefit of conducting keyword research. By focussing on these keywords, the content on your website will become more relevant and authoritative for these terms. Your chances of appearing higher in search engine results pages grow as a result. Create an SEO content strategy Although content optimisation is crucial, you must first develop a content strategy before you can begin writing any content. Don’t just get material written. You must concentrate your material on subjects that matter to your intended audience if you want to succeed. You can make sure that the material you produce is seen and relevant by incorporating SEO into your content strategy. It must benefit your intended audience in some way. Since Google aims to show users relevant material when they search, high-quality content helps your website rank higher in search results. However, it also makes your brand an expert in your field and promotes interaction and sharing on social media. Conduct on-page and technical optimization On-page SEO involves optimizing the content and structure of your website to make it more search engine-friendly. On-page optimization includes optimizing your website’s title tags, meta descriptions, headings, and content for relevant keywords. Technical SEO involves optimizing your website’s technical structure to make it easier for search engines to crawl and index your pages. Technical optimization includes creating a clear site structure. You want to be sure it is free from technical errors. You also need to ensure your website is mobile-friendly and has fast loading times. Optimize your entire web presence Improved exposure, awareness, and brand recognition are achieved through web presence optimisation, which applies search engine optimisation to all of your online assets. Backlinks are essential to off-page optimisation because they are links pointing to your website from other websites. They aid search engines in evaluating the authority and relevancy of your website. The search engine rankings of your website can be considerably raised by high-quality backlinks from reliable and pertinent websites. Improve website user experience UX, or user experience, is a vital part of SEO. Websites that offer their users a good experience are given priority by search engines. You should concentrate on optimising your website’s navigation, layout, and design in order to enhance the user experience. You should also make sure that the pages on your website are responsive to mobile devices and load rapidly. Optimize for local search Optimising your website for local search is crucial if your company caters to customers in your area. Optimising your website and online presence to appear higher in local search results is known as local search optimisation. In order to maximise for local search, pay attention to: Monitor and analyze results It’s critical to track and evaluate your SEO results in order to determine what is and is not working. You can determine whether techniques are producing the desired results and make any adjustments by keeping an eye on your website’s traffic, conversions, and search engine rankings. You can keep an eye on your results with the aid of tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console. They offer information about the traffic, conversions, and search engine rankings of your website in addition to other crucial metrics like engagement and click-through rate. Conclusion In the current digital environment, the importance of SEO cannot be emphasised. People are using the internet more and more to find products, services, and information. Neglecting SEO puts businesses at risk of lagging behind their rivals and missing out on important chances to engage with prospective clients. All things considered, SEO is valuable when it comes to helping businesses: Businesses may create a strong online presence that will benefit them in the long run and contribute to their business growth by investing in SEO. Keep in mind that SEO is a long-term approach that needs persistent work and commitment. Even if effects could take some time to appear, SEO can have substantial and enduring advantages.

We’ve All Had That One Conversation You’ve probably had conversations when the other person isn’t looking at you if you’ve attended conferences or networking events. They’re scanning the space. Is there someone more significant with whom they ought to get in touch? Do you recall the sensation? Horrible, do you think? Even if it wasn’t intentional, it’s probably not hard for us to recall a similar incident from the past. We lose focus while we are mid-sentence in a conversation. It’s difficult to be really present, let’s face it. You’ll Differentiate Yourself Quickly It’s okay if you find it difficult to be totally present; everyone does. Alerts, red circles with numbers inside of them, Slack, Twitter, and other social media platforms have made us increasingly distracted. However, you’ll soon set yourself apart if you can learn to be totally present. Envision having in-person interactions, phone talks, or Zoom calls with someone who was entirely focused on you. without becoming sidetracked. It would be adored by you. And if you were skilled at it, others would feel the same way. You would be different from all of your rivals. But you’ll need to put in some effort to accomplish that. To Be Fully Present Requires Some Discipline As I’ve already mentioned, being totally present requires a lot of work. It does, however, also call for discipline. I want to offer you three disciplines to work on today so you can develop into the kind of person who can participate completely in any conversation. I refer to them as tips, but let’s be real. These are the several disciplines. These must be completed repeatedly, not just once or twice. Tip One: Place your phone in your pocket or in a different room The mobile phone is the greatest communication instrument ever invented. The mobile phone is the worst communication device ever invented. Understand what I mean? We are constantly betrayed by our phones. They take our attention even while we’re in very important conversations. Most of us carry our phones with us at all times. or beside us on our desk. Always accessible. Because of this, you become distracted when your phone rings or blinks while you’re on a zoom call. Put your phone aside if you want to be really present in every conversation you have. In a place where it’s invisible (or barely perceptible). It might be in your pocket. or your bag. The idea is to safeguard oneself against the distractions that come from your own devices, should you let them to. Tip Two: Arrange Your Distractions I adore Twitter. I also enjoy Slack and email. I occasionally even enjoy going to ridiculous websites that have articles like “Actors and the films that changed them forever.” You must, however, let any of this to stand in the way of your being truly present. They must not divert your attention. However, you can set apart time to enjoy those activities without interfering with ongoing discussions. I advise scheduling time each day for when you: This method has the advantage of allowing you to focus when you’re not doing this stuff and of giving you your “fix.” This is what I would advise against. It’s not necessary to disclose to others that you check your email just three times a day. Simply respond when you set aside time to do so. Those who comment, “I only check my emails twice a day,” are, in my opinion, essentially saying, “I’ve created a scenario to manage my focus because I can’t manage my life.” However, trust me with your assignment. I believe that to be an error. Tip Three: Practice Active Listening I think the hardest discipline is the last one. Naturally, I have a tendency to interrupt others frequently. I’ve improved over the years, but only because I’ve engaged in active listening exercises. According to the verywellmind website, it’s as follows: It is the process of listening attentively while someone else speaks, paraphrasing and reflecting back what is said, and withholding judgment and advice Very Well Mind Website These are the behaviours that are identified as detrimental to active listening when someone else is speaking in their description of the practice: The secret to both active listening and being totally present in any conversation is to learn when to stop doing each of them (as well as the other things they list). I See You. I Hear You. All of this is ultimately about maintaining concentration so that the person you are speaking with (and listening to) feels heard and noticed. It’s the gift you offer to every discussion. You’re giving them that gift when you’re able to give them your whole attention.

I Bet This Story Sounds Familiar I was working on adding a new function to this website earlier in the year. It’s the contents table located in this post’s (and all of my blog entries’) right sidebar. Before choosing LuckyWP Table of Contents, I examined a number of table of contents plugins. I truly enjoy it, and it does the job well. Next, I received a message on Facebook Messenger from my friend Joost, who founded an SEO tool. He asked if I had checked out the tool’s TOC feature. Hear me out: I genuinely like Joost. Since I first began using WordPress, I have been using this tool when it was available. In addition to other add-ons like the WooCommerce add-on, I also own the premium version. Furthermore, I was unaware that his plugin had a table of contents. That’s what I told him. And we both laughed (though I imagine he was a little hurt), because creating features is difficult, but selling them is even more so. Adding a New Feature is Always Easier Since the late nineties, I have been developing software features and products. I recall being the one in the room making the suggestion for a brand-new, awesome feature that would attract more clients. It is always simpler to add a new feature than to market it. Since I work with software, it’s something I can manage. I am able to ascertain the personnel, architecture, and scope. I also have control over how the interface is designed. It’s not the same in terms of marketing. Yes, I have control over the copy and the creative, but I have no say over who sees it, when, where, or how they respond. You chose things you can control when you’re a control freak. Here’s What Damon Says This was stated on Twitter by my friend Damon. It is most definitely not a feature that can fix every issue if your revenue stays the same. Go ahead and use paid promotion, blog writing, cold outreach, and tweeting! Avoid writing code at all costs. 👊 — Chen Damon The funny thing about this is that I was just telling a friend of mine who lives in Europe about all the new features he was introducing during an early-morning phone call. He pointed out that I wasn’t as excited. “Do anything except adding a new feature.” More Meetings, Same Challenge Later in the day, I had more of the same encounters. A few of us gathered to discuss the innovative products we’ve developed but haven’t yet commercialized. Why? Because it takes effort to convey the right story. When I next visited with our LearnDash team, things remained mostly unchanged. Next week, a tonne of new features will be released. It’s fantastic. However, we have a tonne of features already, and we haven’t done a good job of telling their tales. So Here Is My Question to You My query for you is quite straightforward. Are you neglecting your marketing in favor of packing your product with additional features? Here’s what I recommend if it describes you. I take it that you’re already rather adept at sharing your clients’ stories? You do a wonderful job of introducing your new features as well. Just take a look at your editorial or blog schedule, and every eighth post, turn it into a promotional piece showcasing a feature that isn’t brand-new. One post every two weeks if you blog every day. Posting once a week equates to one post every two months. It won’t appear to be a consistent promotional dynamic either way. In any case, I advise you to develop the storytelling skills necessary to convey the tales of your elder characteristics, regardless of the time frame you decide on. You’ll be surprised to learn that many of your current clients will be unfamiliar with them.

Have You Heard Me Talk About Product Roadmaps? I may have told you in a previous conversation that I would never provide a product roadmap. I reiterated the statement during a meeting today. It’s possible that you’ll conclude that I detest roadmaps, but that’s not accurate. It’s also possible that you believe that I believe a product plan should never be shared or published, albeit that is also partially untrue. Before we begin, there is a question we need to address. What Kind of Product Roadmap Are We Talking About? We must be clear about our intentions before posing a “do you” or “don’t you” question. Typically, when one discusses a roadmap, two elements come to mind: If you mean something like that when you talk about a product roadmap, then I would advise against sharing that kind of roadmap. Why do I advise against disclosing that information? I can personally attest to three of the following reasons: keep in mind that this does not even account for the possibility of missing your date, which might occur and affect any of the above situations. What Kind of Roadmap Do I Suggest Publishing? Although I oppose the publication of characteristics and dates, I am amenable to something alternative. When I informed you about roadmap themes, you saw this picture. It isn’t precisely the same, is it? It appears to be a product roadmap, for sure. However, there are no dates listed. It is mostly a representation of quarters. There aren’t any features either. Rather, it presents topics. You can more clearly communicate your focus on upgrades, differentiators, and other things by using product roadmap themes. (You’re free to utilise themes I didn’t use.) However, it does not prepare you for those annoying dynamics mentioned earlier. So sure, I’m all for sharing it if you’re talking about a theme-based roadmap without any deadlines. nonetheless, it’s not your typical product roadmap. Those have the potential to harm you more than they do good, in my opinion. That is, of course, the experience of one individual. Your mileage might be different. Roadmaps are a team sport, as I stated previously. Thus, involve your group and choose what is most effective for you.

Is Your WordPress Site on Shared Hosting? You probably expect me to advise switching to managed hosting if you have a WordPress website hosted on shared hosting. However, I’m not. Today, I’d want to discuss a plugin that is, hands down, the simplest way to speed up your website. Well, that’s a hefty assertion. The simplest way to increase the speed of your shared hosting WordPress website. What is Cache? Customers can avoid waiting for the server to retrieve slow resources (like databases) by using caching (and caching plugins), which make copies of the content that is most frequently visited and store it for use in future requests. When a new visitor requests a page from your website, WordPress typically processes their request using PHP and SQL to assemble the content for the user to see. The HTML that was previously built is stored in a cache and is made accessible to subsequent requests. Response times become extremely quick as a result. Why Use a Caching Plugin? Why is using a caching plugin recommended? It’s easy. to make your website faster. One of the quickest ways to improve the speed at which your website loads is by caching, aside from image compression. Better Google page speed scores follow from this. It is sure to excite consumers and might even boost the ranking of your content in Google search results. Most Caching Plugins Are Complex The problem with shared hosting is that the resources you can use are frequently restricted, and some cache plugins aren’t very reliable. The fact that caching plugins frequently have five to ten configuration pages full of settings you need to adjust in order for caching to function presents another difficulty. The issue with that is that you might not even be aware of what all the settings and choices do if you’re not an expert on caches. It’s been known that some plugins can slow down your website only because you configured it wrong. If You’re On Shared Hosting, Here’s What You Need The WordPress repository contains an enormous number of caching plugins. But keep in mind that I promised to share the simplest one at the beginning of this essay. Recently, Surge was released by a seasoned WordPress developer. It’s not the simplest way to speed up your WordPress website on shared hosting, though. That’s because there are absolutely no settings! As I’ve already mentioned, I love Nitro. It’s not free, though. It also contains settings; you can still access the settings page even if you choose to have only one option handle everything for you. Surge is not like that. You’re done after installing it and turning on the plugin. To make it function, there is nothing else you need to do. I think that’s quite remarkable.

Difficult Conversations Aren’t About the Words I don’t know about you, but I get sweaty during tough talks. They aggravate me. However, I’ve encountered enough of them over the years to be aware of three things: What is is the first truth. However, it’s worthwhile to pause and investigate the second. That exchange when a client wants to dispute the charge because they don’t agree with it? Money is not the main concern. Money is never the main factor. They eventually started to feel ignored, undervalued, and irrelevant, which made them miserable. That’s the main idea here. Icy reaction or cold shoulder? It might have nothing to do with the previous exchange. Alternatively, it could have to do with recently found facts or a feeling that the truth was concealed. It’s rarely, if ever, about what you first believe it to be or what they claim it’s about. Fortunately, you can improve your ability to handle challenging interactions and avoid being frozen, locked up, or retreating within yourself. Pause on the Facts, Emotions are Key One fact that relates to what I said in my last paragraph is that most difficult talks don’t truly centre on the facts. We’d like to think so. Frequently, we rely on the facts in the hopes that they will support our position. However, facts have little to nothing to do with a difficult talk. It’s not simply about feelings. They are the main force. After all, it’s simple to assume good intent when there is no disagreement. It starts to be helpful when there is a real obstacle. And accepting that challenge means trying to emotionally connect in addition to assuming good intent. Did you try to walk in their shoes? Have you considered what might have actually injured them? And how examining the murkier side of the equation might help you earn respect and trust. Eliminate Blame and Embrace Narratives Working with clients in the agency business may lead to discussions about that latest bill. or the subsequent milestone payment. All of a sudden, you’re having a discussion about how your employees haven’t performed up to par. Most of us, of course, have anecdotes about all the missteps our clients have made. Now is not the moment to assign blame. Rather, concentrate on the aspect of their story that you can accept. More context is always helpful. The majority of circumstances are significantly more intricate than the short story we tell ourselves. So delve in and learn more about the background. This will assist you in converting your basic 2D representations of their “side” into accurate 3D representations of what transpired. Steve, my friend and Zeek’s owner, is really gracious about this. He will enter a meeting with one goal in mind: to comprehend the circumstances and any previously unknown portions of the narrative. He approaches with the working hypothesis that there’s more for him to learn, and then he uses that to serve his customers better. Remember, That You Can Improve at Tough Conversation My buddy Jennifer Bourn is one of my favorite people in the world because she’s had so many difficult talks. She stays out of their way. Similar to Steve, she approaches every encounter with the intention of improving rather than winning. The other day, we were discussing this in relation to agency owners and the difficult talks they must have—almost every day. I then made the decision to interview her. Additionally, you can register (it’s free) to hear me ask her all the hard questions regarding difficult talks and to receive access to the scripts she has prepared so you won’t be caught off guard. This Thursday is the webinar, titled “Why didn’t I think of that?” and it’s everything you, as an agency owner, wish you had known how to say when things became bad.

There Are Two Kinds of People The tweet that reads, “If you bought something that’s normally $1,000 and you paid $750, you didn’t save $250, you spent $750,” is probably one you’ve seen. Perhaps now you wouldn’t use the $750. But you could be caught if we tamper with the numbers. Because the majority of us persuade ourselves to spend the 65% or 75% when we notice a significant discount (such as 25% or 35% off). Why? since we are inspired by the presentation. Not only does it grab our interest, but it also activates the neural pathway that persuades us to accept the offer. But here’s the catch. After reading everything, you might have said to yourself, “That stuff never tricks me.” You would also be correct. because different people have different motivations. There are some who are “away” and those who are “towards.” Either you’re driven towards a goal or you’re driven away from an outcome. Furthermore, since there are two types of people, it is unlikely that one presentation strategy will be accepted by all. How Can You Tell Who is Who? Consider yourself speaking with a potential client as a freelancer or agency owner. It’s conceivable that you’ll wonder, “How would you define success?” You take that action as a result of years of experience teaching you to always match your work to the objectives of your clients. However, it’s also possible that you’ve heard—and perhaps even internalized—that your prospect was an away person or an approach person. just by the way they responded to the query. Towards answers sound like this: Away answers sound like this: You are being told where one individual wants to go. They’re heading in the right direction. The other is expressing to you what they hope to eradicate or cease to exist. They’re fleeing (thankfully) from something. One has the drive to accomplish something. The other is attempting to prevent anything from occurring. Why Is This So Important? This is significant for more than simply independent contractors and businesses that offer services to clients. It’s also intended for those in product marketing. since they desire interesting stuff for all users. It is a fact that each of us has a default perspective on things. Our internal strategy (towards or away) guides our thought process while creating new items. However, you’ll probably lose half of your audience if you let your marketing strategy dictate how you go about things. It Matters How You Say Things Assume you are discussing your recent achievements with someone or draughting case studies. They could be expressed as follows: We would probably consider all those outcomes to be fantastic. However, some people can be wary of accepting whatever they see that seems to solely be positive. They may use greater caution. So how could you modify the same outcomes? Though fashioned differently, the story is the same. That’s what I’m arguing today. There are two types of individuals. They have distinct ways of hearing and listening. You still have the ability to access both of them, though. All you have to do is master two distinct storytelling techniques.

Greetings from the ever-changing world of digital marketing, where the difference between success and obscurity in your Google AdWords ads is often quite slight. By 2024’s halfway point, it’s clear that A/B testing has developed from a simple analytical tool to a vital resource for digital marketers. We’re going to go on a quest to learn the importance of A/B testing and how it can help you boost your advertising this year. Gaining Perspective: The Intersection of Google Ads & A/B Testing You come across Google Ads when you conduct an online search. They are positioned strategically to link companies with prospective clients who are actively looking for their goods or services. However, it might be difficult to stand out when so many companies are using Google Ads. Let’s introduce split testing, or A/B testing. This experimental strategy lets you change one part of your advertising campaign while leaving other elements unchanged. This enables you to ascertain which version produces superior outcomes, offering insights that can enhance your campaigns and yield longer-lasting performance. Steps for Successful A/B Testing: A Deep DiveWith the stage set for understanding Google Ads and A/B testing, let’s delve into the specific steps you can take to improve your Google Ads performance through A/B testing. 1. Creating Eye-Caching Ads Texts Words have a lot of power, especially when they are used in your advertisement content. Changing up the headlines, descriptions, or calls to action in your ads can significantly improve their effectiveness. By giving you the opportunity to experiment with different word combinations, A/B testing allows you to find the vocabulary that really connects with your audience. 2. Examining different landing page designs Your landing page is the first step towards turning potential consumers into devoted ones. Conversions are largely influenced by its layout, design, and content. By experimenting with different landing page elements, A/B testing helps you determine which configuration yields the highest conversion rates. 3. Playing around with different ads formats Advertisers using Google Ads have access to a large range of ad forms, including text, picture, and video. This may be done through A/B testing, which gives you the chance to test out these various formats and determine which works best for your target demographic and campaign goals. 4. Modifying your bid methodThe allocation of your advertising spend is determined by your bidding strategy. Experimenting with several strategies—manually and automatically—to determine which yields the highest return on investment is made possible by A/B testing. By optimising your ad budget, this iterative method can help your campaigns become more economical. Conclusion As 2024 progresses, it’s becoming more and more clear that A/B testing is essential to Google Ads campaigns that are effective. At JP Tech Communication, we use our extensive experience as a Google Ads agency to improve the effectiveness of your campaign. Together with our wealth of A/B testing knowledge, our dedication to assisting companies in navigating the challenging world of Google Ads enables us to provide solid and effective campaign strategies. Are you beginning to become excited about the potential of A/B testing? Are you eager to rework your Google AdWords ads in order to increase conversions and outcomes? Reach out to JP Tech Communication right now. Together, we can develop a strategic advertising plan that effectively communicates the goal of your company and yields remarkable, quantifiable outcomes.    

Daily blogging requires self-control. It’s not as difficult as it seems. You wait to get up from your computer until your post is live. Yes, there are a few nuances, but that’s not the challenging part. Making an effort to be helpful is difficult. And that’s not even the most difficult aspect. Thinking clearly is the hardest part. possessing a particular concept that you wish to impart while also being useful. I have been spending this year doing just that. And it will just be ten days away! But when I considered all of that, I considered the relationship between coherence and clarity of ideas. I also want to share with you today the five behaviours that will increase your intelligence. Naturally, this is my take on the subject. You may have a different five. Anyway, let’s get into it…. First, Read Books & Articles I developed the first habit a long time ago. It was more difficult then because it took some preparation to always have a book or two with you. You may now take an infinite number of articles and digital books with you everywhere you go thanks to your phone. I had to wait for my turn to get poked when I went to get my booster shot today. Ideal time to finish reading a book I’m currently enjoying. Reading allows you to see the genius of others. By reading, you can open your eyes to a new perspective on the world. Reading has the power to challenge and transform you like few other things. Thus, repeat it frequently. Second, Write Blog Posts Ideas will enter your head through reading. Moving ideas from inside your head to the outside is then the tricky part. That’s the purpose of blog entries. Even if no one else reads what you write, writing will improve your clarity of thought. [Tweet] “Writing clarifies your thoughts even if no one else reads it.” We are able to skip steps mentally. Even if we make a logical mistake, we are still able to go from one notion to another. since we are not required to “display our work.” My wife thinks my son is crazy as he enjoys mentally performing maths problems. She is only asking that he display his efforts. It facilitates our ability to identify the areas in which he erred. Additionally it makes him better at math. This also applies to clear thinking and efficient communication. Learning to write helps us get better at all of that (and write more often). Third, Present in Public This is the habit that most people are most afraid of out of the five that will make you smarter. I understand that it can be intimidating to speak in front of a big group of people. However, you don’t have to begin with a 3,000-person crowd. Begin by taking the risk to speak up and present at any meeting, even if there are only four of you there. Present your case. Create a pitch and deliver it. It’s more of the same thing I’ve already written about: it promotes mental clarity. Usually, we begin by stating a point and then get distracted. That distracts others and we never get to the end. Sometimes we even say, “What was my point?” In my view, becoming smarter has nothing to do with IQ or natural aptitude. It’s all about developing habits that anyone can acquire. And the first three—speaking, writing, and reading—are all essential practices that will advance your intelligence. Next, Connect with Community “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth,” as Mike Tyson famously quipped. When he was interviewed years later, he went into further detail on the famous phrase. The same, in my opinion, holds true for our concepts. We think they sound amazing. However, you won’t be able to tell if they’re any good until you introduce them into a community, where the concepts must withstand the criticism of others and their obstacles. Learning how to present your case, how to structure your presentation, and how to refute or strengthen your argument are all related to presenting ideas in a setting where you can get constructive criticism. You’ll become wiser, I promise. Finally, Guide & Educate Others The greatest was reserved for last. Seeking for routines that will improve your intelligence? There’s nothing that will accelerate your learning more than teaching it. It’s one of those things that sounds like I’m saying the same thing over and over again. [Tweet] “Teaching someone something is the best way to help them learn it.” Being “in our heads” all the time does not make us any smarter. The concepts must be communicated, and we must put them into a form for someone else so they can consume it. Most importantly, we get to discover if our idea is better applied elsewhere or if it works best in our own particular context when we assist someone else in learning something. Sharing it is a lot of fun once you figure it out. One of my favourite aspects of coaching is this. I can tell when someone has a “aha” moment when I give them a framework to think through an issue. Additionally, I get to experiment with the concept, idea, and presentation style while creating a new framework. These Five Habits Will Make You Smarter You can adopt these five different behaviors to improve your intelligence. All of this, however, really boils down to one fundamental idea: your ideas will develop when they are tested in the actual world. As I conclude my year of daily writing and continue to plan for the upcoming year, I sincerely hope that some of these suggestions have significantly increased your intelligence.