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Science Proves That Negativity is Toxic (and How to Boost Positivity)

Science Proves That Negativity is Toxic (and How to Boost


Negativity is toxic for many reasons: 1) it destroys your mental health, 2) it can actually make you physically sick, and 3) it just brings the mood down for everyone else around you. Negativity just can’t exist if you want to create a positive life. That doesn’t mean you can never have a bad thought, but for the most part, concentrating on the positives in life helps you attract more of the same. If you only focus on everything going wrong, you miss out on the beauty right in front of you.

Many people wonder how to find this elusive happiness that everyone talks about. It doesn’t actually exist tangibly, so this means it comes from our own minds. Therefore, we can feel happy whenever we choose because we get to control our emotions. With that said, this doesn’t mean that feeling good all the time happens overnight. It takes practice to train your mind to see the good in bad situations and circumstances.

Below, we’ll talk a little more about why negativity is toxic, and how you can engage in positive thinking to turn things around.

Science proves that negativity is toxic

“You can’t litter negativity everywhere and then wonder why you’ve got a trashy life.” – Unknown

If you’ve ever been around someone at work or school who just seems down in the dumps all the time, you know how it can affect everyone around them. In a work setting, it brings down the mood of the whole team because people can feel that energy. Just as positivity is contagious, negative moods are as well. You might think that negative moods or thoughts don’t really cause harm, but science proves otherwise.

Negativity is toxic because it can cause mental health problems.

Just as positive thinking can promote a healthy mindset, negative thoughts can do the opposite. When you constantly entertain negativity, you start to seek out experiences and people that reflect your mindset. The quote from Buddha that says “What you think, you become” very much applies here. Everything in life comes down to your mindset and the way you approach obstacles.

As they say, it doesn’t matter so much about the situation you face. Instead, it’s the attitude you have about your circumstances. A positive attitude can help you overcome any challenges. But negativity tends to drain your energy, rendering you powerless and stagnant. Studies have shown that a negative disposition can actually cause some of the world’s most common mental illnesses, like anxiety and depression. In fact, a U.K. study of more than 30,000 people, the largest of its kind, found that traumatic life events played more of a role in mental illness than even genetics or life circumstances.

The study

“Whilst we know that a person’s genetics and life circumstances contribute to mental health problems, the results of this study showed that traumatic life events are the main reason people suffer from anxiety and depression. However, the way a person thinks about and deals with, stressful events is as much an indicator of the level of stress and anxiety they feel,” said lead researcher Peter Kinderman, Head of the Institute of Psychology, Health, and Society.

So, now that you know that ruminating about the past is the main predictor of mental illness, perhaps this can offer some perspective. We often look at past experiences as a way to define ourselves, but really, they’re just stories. The things that happened to us may have shaped our character, but they don’t have to negatively affect our life moving forward.

Remaining in the present moment helps clear the chatter from your mind and keeps you focused on all the wonderful stories you can create right now. Negativity is toxic because it destroys your inner peace and takes away your strength, so try to choose positive thinking instead.

Negativity is toxic because it can harm your physical health.

It is well-documented that a negative mindset can actually cause physical health problems. Most people think negativity only affects the mind. Additionally, chronically sour moods can increase cortisol levels, which leads to all sorts of diseases. A passing negative mood probably won’t cause much harm, but making it a permanent part of your disposition can lead to problems.

Emiliana Simon-Thomas, Ph.D., science director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, said in an article on Health.com: “Many negative emotions such as anger, fear, and frustration become problematic when those emotions turn into a more permanent disposition or a habitual outlook on the world.” Some studies have shown exactly what can happen to our bodies when we maintain this habit of worry, anxiety, and stress for years on end.

Learn how to replace resentment with a newfound commitment to positivity.

The study

A 2014 study published in the journal Neurology linked high levels of cynicism later in life, i.e. a general distrust and skepticism of people, to a greater risk of dementia compared to those with a more trusting attitude. This remained true even after accounting for lifestyle factors such as smoking, age, sex, and heart health markers. Speaking of the heart, a negative outlook may affect it as well.

A 2009 study from the journal Circulation looked at data from nearly 100,000 women and found that the risk of heart disease increased in the most cynical patients. The more pessimistic women also had a higher chance of dying over the study period in comparison to those with a more optimistic outlook.

“We know that neural pathways are changing every minute of your entire life and that your brain is generating new cells throughout your life. And this neurogenesis is not only associated with the formation of new memories, but with mood stability, as well,” said Simon-Thomas.

She went on to say, “We can be deliberate about shifting our habits of feeling and thinking in the world.”

So, not only does negative thinking cause mental health problems, but it can wreak havoc on your body as well. Plus, being around negative people just brings down the mood of everyone in the surrounding area.

Negativity is toxic because it can affect other people.

In general, people don’t want to hang out with others who constantly complain or engage in negative thinking. Bad moods can easily infect everyone in a workplace or school environment, causing discord and poor morale. Of course, no one can feel happy all the time, but in general, it helps everyone when the overall mood remains positive.

If you struggle with this, it helps to block out everything except the present moment, and focus on the task at hand. You may not always feel like being at work or school, but positive thinking and staying mindful can help smooth out any tension you feel.

Now that we’ve talked about how negativity can harm your mental, physical, and emotional well-being, let’s discuss how to combat this toxic frame of mind.

How to boost positivity:

Positive thinking doesn’t always come easily, but in time, you can make it a habit instead of having to force it. Below, we’ll list a few ways that you can bring more positivity into your life.

  • Keep a positive circle of friends. They say you are the five people you hang around the most. So make sure you enjoy the people you spend time with. Try to seek out friendships with people who have qualities you admire or wish to have yourself. Being around negative people will only bring you down. Therefore, try to distance yourself from those who engage in these types of attitudes.
  • Recite positive affirmations or mantras every day. You can either keep sticky notes on your mirror with positive sayings or write them in a journal. Be sure you read them aloud each day. A positive mindset starts with what you feed to your brain; just like you nourish your body with wholesome foods, you have to take care of your mind as well.
  • Challenge negative thinking. No one in this world can say they’ve never had a negative thought about themselves. It’s just a part of being human. However, you don’t have to agree with what your mind tells you. When a negative thought creeps into your mind, simply acknowledge it and then choose to focus on something else.

Final thoughts about how science proves that negativity is toxic

Negative thinking patterns such as rumination and overreacting can cause mental and physical health problems. It can also destroy other people’s moods and morale in a work environment. You may not think negative moods can really have that much of an impact. But science shows the harm in long-term pessimistic mindsets.

Studies prove that chronic pessimism can lead to heart problems, dementia, and mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. If you want to increase your chances of living a long, healthy life, make sure to engage in positive thinking. Recite positive affirmations, challenge your negative thoughts, and keep yourself motivated by surrounding yourself with positive people. Just remember, a positive attitude can make even the worst situation seem like a walk in the park!

Lifestyle

10 Reasons Why You Should Count Your Blessings to Boost Positivity »

10 Reasons Why You Should Count Your Blessings to Boost


An ancient tradition suggests that everyone should count at least one hundred blessings a day. It’s good advice since there are so many benefits.

Have you ever known a person who radiated positivity? They attract people from all around to them with their cheerful nature and friendly disposition. You, too, can be like that person whom you so admire. What does it take? You should cut the negativity out of your life and usher in more positive thinking.

To achieve this, you can start by taking inventory of all the reasons why you should be more grateful every day.

Let’s explore ten reasons why you should count your blessings every day.

1 – Positive people have a happier view of life

When you count your blessings, you have a happier view of your life. You’re more grateful for what you have and for those around you. Researchers suggest that being thankful changes your brain for the better. It boosts your happiness and makes you a more positive person.

regain your happiness
Learn tips on how to overcome pessimism and become a happier person.

Here are a few easy tips to boost your feelings of gratitude:

Keep a gratitude journal.

Write everything you’re grateful for every day. Look back on your lists whenever you’re feeling down or struggling to be thankful.

Practice gratitude

Make your goal to be grateful at work or at school or at home. Make an effort to smile and say thank you to the people around you. You will be surprised at the positive impact it has on them and you.

Send a gratitude message-Send someone in your family or friends an email, text, or letter telling them how much you appreciate them. Thank them for some way they’ve made an impact on your life.

2 – You will feel less stress

Counting your blessings makes you feel less stressed. It’s not that you don’t have problems in life, but you’re able to bounce back from difficulties because your point of view is upbeat and positive. You can rebound quickly when times are tough. Stress has many adverse side effects on your mind and body. Here are just a few.

  • Stress blurs your view of life because you see everything through the lens of your stress. Small things seem much more significant than usual. Stress overshadows everything in your life.
  • Stress ruins your relationships. You do not want to be around people, and when you are, you’re distracted or cynical.
  • Stress causes you to gain weight because you’re eating to alleviate the burden you feel.
  • Stress makes you look older. Stress causes worry, which shows in your face. You feel exhausted and lack the motivation to take care of yourself.
  • Stress weakens your immune system, so you’re more prone to illnesses.

3 – Positivity might mean you will live longer

Upbeat, positive people worry less, feel less stress, and generally feel more optimistic about life.  One study found that individuals who are confident live longer than most people, up to 85 or older. They age in a healthy way because they tend to take better care of themselves with exercise and good eating. They feel positive about their future, so they live life to the fullest.

4 – Improved friendships result from a more positive outlook

Nobody likes to spend their time with a pessimist who pulls everyone down with their negative views. Negative people expect the worst, and nothing is ever right about their life. Counting your blessings makes you a happier person. People enjoy being around you because you’re not down on life. You can laugh and enjoy being around your friends because you feel hopeful about your experience and want to enjoy your friendships.

5 – Sleep better when you count your blessings

Being grateful is a side effect of counting our blessings. Grateful people worry less, and consequently, they sleep better for a more extended amount of time. Researchers suggest that you should write down several things you feel grateful for in life every night. They say the things you wrote down fills your mind with positive thoughts, making you feel less burdened and able to fall asleep and get a good night’s sleep.

It may take you a couple of attempts, but it’s worth a try. Plus, it’s always good to shut off your cell phone, computer, or television an hour before you retire, so your mind and body can relax. It’s also helpful to get away from the blue screen because they affect your brain function so you can’t fall asleep.

6 – Positive thoughts arise from positivity

Counting your blessings influences your thinking, so your thoughts dwell on what you’re thankful for instead of what’s wrong right. Even if you have difficult situations going on in your life, positivity helps you feel like you can get through them. It boosts your confidence so you feel like you can cope even in the toughest of situations.  Dwelling on bad things that can happen only brings you down and makes you feel depressed.

7 – When you count your blessings, you feel more peaceful

Peace of mind and feeling happy are two incredible side effects of counting your blessings. Feeling peaceful gives you a positive view of life. Indeed, you will see in time how the cup will be half full instead of half empty. A quiet mind makes you feel peaceful and calm. You’ll be able to problem-solve finding creative ways to get things done because your brain won’t be encumbered with your burdens and fears. Peace is a precious treasure to have in good times and bad times. No one’s life is perfect,  but there is always something good to be found.

8 – Positive people feel more hope for the future

The simple act of counting your blessings increases your hopefulness. Hopeful people are thankful and content. They feel a sense of purpose, and they are willing to help others. Their peace and positivity are demonstrated in their life. You’ve probably read about an elderly person who keeps working well into their later years. They’re often very hopeful people who see the good in others and life. Hope is contagious. When you are around someone who is optimistic for the future, it inspires you to be hopeful, too.

9 – Enjoy a healthier lifestyle

When you count your blessings, the act makes you feel grateful and optimistic. One study suggests that optimists are less apt to develop coronary heart disease than pessimists. They are also less prone to have high blood pressure. Besides, a grateful attitude helps you want to be more physically active and healthy. Gratitude improves your attitude. Doctors say that optimism gives you more flexibility and the ability to adapt to changing situations because you can think through issues.

10 – You’ll boost your ability to cope

Being aware of your blessings doesn’t mean you ignore the hard things in your life, but you see problems as opportunities to overcome. You see yourself as able to get through. You have an emotional toughness. Studies found that optimists are more successful at facing bad situations than pessimists, even if it means their life goals get interrupted.

 How can you count your blessings?

It’s often helpful to write down your blessings. Seeing the list is a tangible reminder of all the things you have to be thankful for. Here’s a list of ten simple blessings to get you started.

  1. Food
  2. Clothing
  3. A place to live
  4. Your neighborhood
  5. Your car
  6. Your yard
  7. Your town
  8. Your family
  9. Your friends
  10. Your work

What gets in the way of you counting your blessings?

It’s surprising that not everyone counts their blessings. But it happens. Even though you know, it can make you feel healthier and happier. Sometimes you just don’t feel like it. So what can you do?

  • Watch a sad movie- That’s right. For some reason, a tragic film tends to make you feel happier than a happy movie. So, give it a try.
  • Think about your worst times-Looking back at the most challenging times in your life can help you gain perspective of the present.
  • Think about death-It’s, not a happy thought, but death is inevitable. Think about how you want to live now so you won’t have regrets later.

Final Thoughts on How You Will Benefit from Counting Your Blessings

Counting your blessings isn’t hard, but it can change your life. When you keep track of all the good things in life, you’ll be more optimistic. Optimism makes you feel more positive about your experience and hopeful for your future. Being confident and grateful goes hand in hand. They make you healthier, enable you to become happier and boost your positivity. These attitudes can even change your brain. That’s powerful. So why not begin counting your blessings today? Who knows, you may also make it all the way to one hundred blessings.

Health

5 Natural Nutrients to Boost Your Health With Micronutrients Diets

5 Natural Nutrients to Boost Your Health With Micronutrients Diets


5 Natural Nutrients to Boost Your Health With Micronutrients Diets

When people embark on a personal journey to achieve a healthy lifestyle, they typically start doing a few different things.

They regulate the number of calories that they intake.

They exercise more.

They start practicing better sleep habits.

But what’s something that few people do? Track their micronutrient intake.

However, the truth of the matter is that micronutrients play a massive role in how your body performs. If you want your body to reach peak performance, then you need to start considering the benefit of micronutrients diets.

Knowing which micronutrients you need and how to get them, however, is hardly the most straightforward thing to learn. Fortunately for you, we’re here to help. In this article, we’ll list five essential micronutrients that you need to be consuming and how you can make that happen.

1. Vitamin B1

The first micronutrient that we’ll discuss is perhaps one of the most core ones to your body’s functionality. Vitamin B1’s role is to assist in the breakdown of other nutrients into usable energy.

It doesn’t matter if you’re taking supplements for all the other nutrients on this list, if you aren’t getting enough vitamin B1, your body won’t know what to do with them! To get more vitamin B1 in your diet, start eating dried milk, oranges, and pork.

2. Omega3 Fatty Acids

A healthy mind is part of a healthy body. Omega3 fatty acids will help you get your mind on track with your physically fit body.

These fatty acids help the brain to perform at peak output for longer periods of time. That translates into you getting more work done. They occur naturally in fish oil, so start including more seafood into your diet if you aren’t already.

3. Calcium

When you were a kid, your parents probably told you that you had to drink your milk so that your bones could grow strong. Well, the nutrient that makes this happen is calcium!

Calcium intake is particularly important for the elderly. Bones naturally deteriorate with age. One of the ways to combat that is with ample calcium intake, which can be accomplished with more dairy consumption.

4. Vitamin C

Vitamin C does several things for your body. One of its principal functions is developing collagen, one of the elements that contribute to healthy skin. If you’ve been fighting skin problems for years, then try adding more citrus to your diet: oranges, lemons, and limes will all work.

5. Fulvic Acid

Fulvic acid is a soil-based organism that works to boost your immunity. In an age of worldwide pandemics, your immunity needs all the help it can get. To boost fulvic acid intake, eat more vegetables and add a fulvic acid supplement to your daily regimen.

Incorporate Micronutrients Diets for a Healthier You

There you have it. Now you know more about micronutrients diets and how they can help you live a healthier, more all-rounded lifestyle.

For more health articles, be sure to take some time to check out the rest of the website!

Technology

What Are Guest Blogging Services? 4 Proven Ways They Boost Web Traffic

What Are Guest Blogging Services? 4 Proven Ways They Boost


What Are Guest Blogging Services? 4 Proven Ways They Boost Web Traffic

What are guest blogging services? We’re glad you asked.

If you have a blog, new or old, you’ll likely want to use this winning resource at some point.

Guest blogs are when you write up a blog post but it gets published on someone else’s site, with a link or bio drawing readers back to your site. This allows you a new method of reaching readers you may not normally have. Of course, it helps to guest post on a site that has high traffic, as the odds of someone reading your blog will increase. 

Additionally, you can allow other bloggers to post on your site to beef up your content.

If you’re trying to booster your web traffic, guest blogging may be a worthwhile tactic for you. Check out the following information to see how it benefits your site.

1. Blogs Establish Your Authority

If you want to prove yourself an industry expert, you need to have authoritative blog posts that highlight your expertise.

Readers are more skeptical than ever, but if you establish trustworthiness by posting expertly-written content, your audience will trust you as a leader in your niche or industry.

This will immediately provide you with leverage over poorly-written, spam-heavy content.

2. Blogs Speed up Your Discovery Rate

In your mission to get your website noticed, have you written blog post after blog post and felt like the words never got read? Were you writing to a non-existent audience?

Guest blogging beefs up your content without having to deal with the middlemen—editors and publishers—and without you having to plug away at the keyword night after night. This way, you can add to your inventory and get discovered in weeks or months rather than years.

3. Your Competition Is Utilizing Guest Blogging

An astounding 89% of B2B marketers cite content marketing as a “very important” marketing strategy.

What does this mean for you?

It means that if you don’t use guest blogging services, your competition already is. Your blog will stand out in a bad way—as one that doesn’t have the authority or in-depth knowledge of a subject.

If nothing else, blogging will align you with your competition; in the best case, it’ll elevate you above those who aren’t using it yet.

4. Your Audience Uses Blog Posts to Aid in Decision-Making

If you’re selling a product or service, guest blogging (and blogging in general) is all the more critical.

People use blog posts to help them make decisions about a product or service. They seek out information before buying something—perhaps to solidify their purchasing decision. Most B2B buyers consult blog posts at one point in their buying journey.

Ready to Utilize Guest Blogging Services?

If you think guest posting would work for your site (and it will), start reaching out today. It’s hard to continually generate new content, and because of that, many publishers will likely consider having your post on their site.

In the future, you may even consider having a guest blog published on your site! It’s a win-win for both parties.

If you enjoyed this article on guest blogging services, keep scrolling through our site. We can help you leverage the power of the internet to become successful in your business endeavors!

Business

Great Marketing Tips To Boost Your HVAC Repair Company’s Business

Great Marketing Tips To Boost Your HVAC Repair Company's Business


Great Marketing Tips To Boost Your HVAC Repair Company’s Business

Good news for HVAC repair company owners: there’s always going to be a need for your services! However, that news comes with a major caveat.

Demand for HVAC services doesn’t guarantee that clients will choose to patronize your company.

To stay at the top of your game, you’ll need a killer marketing campaign. Keep reading to find out how you can get started.

Prioritize Your Digital Campaign

How people find information has fundamentally changed. It’s easier than ever to locate multiple businesses and compare prices. If you don’t have a strong digital presence, you’re practically guaranteeing poor business.

Start by building a functional, mobile-friendly website that gives customers all the information they need to know.

From there, branch out into social media. With billions of people on Facebook alone, social media can be a great way to find leads.

And if you’re not confident in your digital marketing abilities, don’t worry. You can always hire an hvac marketing agency to manage your marketing while you focus on running your business.

Partner With Local Businesses

While a thorough digital front should be your priority, you’ll, of course, need to maintain good standing in your local community.

For an easy and fun way to get your business front and center, partner with other businesses to promote one another’s products or services. This is a great way to not only drum up more business but to grow your local economy, as well.

You can also sponsor local events. 5Ks, concerts, and other public happenings are always looking for sponsors.

Create Fun Content

You might not think that your business needs a blog, but here’s a fun fact: businesses that blogged received 97% more links to their website than their counterparts who didn’t.

So why is content so important to consumers?

One major reason is that it demonstrates extensive knowledge of a subject. Customers need to feel confident that they’re choosing the right HVAC company. By giving a bit of your knowledge, you can win over your community and generate positive buzz around your brand.

Plus, content is shareable. Cross-posting new blog posts to your social accounts can keep your company in people’s feeds, and therefore, in their minds.

Involve Your Customers

Make sure to encourage your customers to spread the word about your business via social media and reviews.

If there’s one thing people love, it’s giving their opinions. While you might not love what everyone has to say at first, hearing the honest truth for your customers is a great idea.

Most people will research a company online before contacting them. Since that research includes good reviews, reading about positive experiences with your brand can help sway them.

You can also interact with customers via social media. Responding to comments is a good way to let people know that you’re listening and that you care what they have to say.

Get the Business Your HVAC Repair Company Deserves

If you’re having trouble with your HVAC repair company, try to implement some of these tips. From drumming up local support to spreading the word over the world wide web, the advice above will keep your advertising fresh.

For more helpful content, make sure to check back with our blog!

Business

5 Must Know Shopify SEO Tips That Can Boost Your Sales

5 Must Know Shopify SEO Tips That Can Boost Your


5 Must Know Shopify SEO Tips That Can Boost Your Sales

Everyone wants more traffic to their Shopify store. After all, more traffic is one of the best ways to get more sales. If you’re looking to increase your traffic long term, look no further than SEO.

It’s hard to ignore SEO if you own an eCommerce store. Reports show that organic search traffic accounted for 39% of all visitors to online stores.

But SEO is a tricky subject. Google doesn’t give you an exact roadmap for what you need to do. This post will help you get started.

Below are five Shopify SEO tips that you need to know.

1. Work on Your Site Structure

If you want to be successful at SEO, then you need to structure your site well. A poor site structure confuses not only your visitors but also Google.

A clear structure makes it easy for your visitors to find what they need. This means that they will spend more time on site instead of running off to your competitor. Google will be able to see this and will rank you higher for giving people the information they were trying to find.

2. Optimize for Mobile

No Shopify marketing strategy would be complete without considering mobile users. Mobile internet use is commonplace these days. If your site doesn’t cater to these people, then Google will devalue your website and rank your competitors that do.

Your website should be responsive to mobile devices and show them a layout that works with their screen size. Doing this will allow you to provide them with the information they need to make their purchase.

3. Optimize Your Product Pages

When someone lands directly on your product pages, they are ready to buy. This makes it vital that you provide them with all the information they need to make their purchase.

If your products don’t have the information that they’re looking for, then you run the risk of visitors leaving and buying elsewhere. Clear descriptions also help your product rank in search engines when buyers are looking for specific product features.

4. Remove Duplicate Content

You don’t always plan on duplicate content appearing on your site. But it does happen if you aren’t careful. Stores have this problem even worse because of all the category and search pages that need to be managed.

Run an audit on your site to find and remove any duplicate content on there.

5. Start a Blog

You can only do so much work on the pages you already have. If you want to bring more SEO traffic to your site, then you need content. Adding a blog will allow you to show your expertise in an industry and rank for more keywords in the process.

You can learn what to blog about by looking at your competition to see what they talk about. Use your competitor’s blog topics to brainstorm ideas and develop your own take on the topics.

Keep These Shopify SEO Tips in Mind

SEO is a long process. If you don’t do things right the first time, then it can take some time before you realize something is wrong. Make sure to keep the Shopify SEO tips above in mind so that you can get started on your store’s SEO the right way.

Once you have SEO out of the way, you can start to focus on other digital marketing channels. Keep browsing our blog to learn what those are.

Business

Creating a Tenant Base: How to Boost the Power of Your Rental Advertising

Creating a Tenant Base: How to Boost the Power of


Creating a Tenant Base: How to Boost the Power of Your Rental Advertising

Did you know the digital advertising market is worth over $192 billion?

Are you having trouble finding new tenants with your rental ads? Not to worry! In this article, we’ll go over some tips on rental advertising and help you find new renters.

Want to learn more? Keep reading to find out!

Rental Advertising: A Guide

Tenants searching for a new home need a place to find your information. They won’t know you’re renting unless through word of mouth. Let’s take a look at some different methods you can use to reach more people.

Use Social Media

Millions of people use Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. If you have a rental company, consider creating a Facebook page or Twitter account.

If not, you can use your own personal accounts to let people know you have a spot available for rent.

Use Rental Sites

A site like Craigslist is helpful because you can post free rental listings. They are visible to anyone who’s looking for an apartment in your area.

Potential tenants can narrow their search criteria based on specific factors. They can search based on the number of rooms or the rental price.

Use Your Newspaper

Some tenants look for potential rental places in a newspaper. Advertise your opening on the weekend. More people will read the paper on the weekend and see your rental.

Rental ads are small. Make sure you use the proper abbreviations to save space. An ad in a newspaper costs a bit, but you’ll have increased exposure to your property.

Post Flyers Throughout Your Community

Putting up signs or flyers about your rental will help get the word out. You could place notices in laundromats, bus stops, grocery stores, and colleges.

People will pass the flyer if it’s not bright. Add in some photographs and bold headlines to catch their attention. Include a tear-off at the bottom with your contact information.

Word of Mouth Works

Let your current tenants know that you have a vacancy. They might know a friend or relative who is looking for a new place to live.

Tell your own family and friends. They will pass it on to their private network. For greater inventive, consider offering a referral fee.

Use a Rental Sign

Tape one of these signs onto the window of your building. For anyone passing by, they might take down your telephone number or tell a friend. Make sure the number is easy to see from the street.

Get a High-Quality Website

Get a quality website to advertise your rentals. A site is a great spot to share all the essential information about your property. Keep it simple and easy to navigate.

Make sure you take quality photos of your property to showcase on your site. If you want help, get property management marketing here.

Want to Learn More?

We hope you found this article on rental advertising insightful. Let your personal network know about your vacancy through social media.

Want to learn more? Check out how to get more social media followers.

Business

10 Marketing Tools and Supplies You Need to Boost Business

10 Marketing Tools and Supplies You Need to Boost Business


10 Marketing Tools and Supplies You Need to Boost Business

As we are fast approaching sci-fi world standards with things like virtual-reality, smart homes, and digital currencies, there are still some constants. For one, offline marketing tools are still necessary. The standard is now a 50/50 share of digital and offline advertising and marketing investment.

That means that your business needs to incorporate a strong offline and online strategy to succeed. Neglect either one and you could get left behind. Startup or established, your business stands to gain a lot from a variety of marketing tools.

You don’t need a lot of money to acquire a strong marketing suite of tools. A lot of what’s out there can be done with free apps or minimal investment. Most of the offline marketing investment will come from pure hustle.

Are you ready to take your marketing strategy to the next level?

Online Marketing Tools

For the first half of our marketing strategy, we’re going to focus on digital marketing. While there are comprehensive online marketing services, you can automate a lot of it. These are just a few examples.

Buffer for Social Media

Social media marketing is a huge time-sink. Even with a dedicated social media manager, you may not be reaching your full potential. That’s because it’s a delicate balance between too much activity and not enough.

You want to be on multiple social media platforms, but you also want to take advantage of each one’s potential. Duplicating content sharing on each platform isn’t inherently bad, but you definitely want to mix it up. This is where Buffer can help.

All your accounts can be connected into one dashboard. There, you can schedule a balanced ‘drip feed’ of content for each account. This lets you be able to queue up a month’s worth of content in one evening and then just focus on engagement.

Buffer is also great for studying which types of posts work and how frequently you should be posting it.

Growth Hacking

If you’ve never heard of the term “growth hacking” before, don’t worry, it’s perfectly legal. This is just a cool phrase to describe the online version of networking up. Normally, making connections online with experts, industry leaders, and B2B deals happens very slowly.

With tools like Sniply, you can start forming strong bonds with other influencers and industry experts. This platform lets you share content to and from influencers, building rapport, feedback, and trust. Sniply is a two-way street, allowing you to tap into bigger audiences while aligning yourself with interests for long-term benefits.

Website SEO

The tried and true formula of gaining more traffic to all of your accounts is strong SEO. Your website should be checking all of the boxes off for organic SEO:

  • Balanced keyword density
  • Strong meta-description
  • Web page speed optimization
  • Daily content updates
  • Responsive webpage design

Your website’s SEO is important for keeping and retaining the attention of your visitors. It should contain a cohesive theme of branding, promotional materials, unique content, and business information. First-impressions are very important for any long-term marketing strategy.

All potential customers and curious minds should find it easy to navigate your website. Draw them in with your story, make it memorable and relatable. This is an opportunity to create value that goes beyond expensive PPC campaigns.

PR Management

“Big data” is a marketing tool that is actually very accessible to the average business. All you need to do is plug in keywords related to your business (name, products, niche, etc.) and you’ll see in real time how successful your marketing is.

With Google Alerts, you can get email updates for every mention of your brand on the internet. This might be useful for sharing bragging rights on your social media or responding to complaints online.

Social Mention is another powerful tool that does alerts, plus things like Sentiment Analysis. This lets you know off the bat whether there’s positive or negative publicity brewing. It won’t completely replace a PR manager, but it will make the growing pains much easier.

Autoresponders

The most important link in the automated online marketing chain: automated messaging. Email marketing tools are necessary if you want to build a massive following that isn’t tied to just one platform. Email isn’t going to lose relevancy anytime soon.

In order to get a large, active email list, you need an autoresponder. MailChimp is a good one, of course, but we’re going to go with GetResponse. It does everything MailChimp does, including email marketing tools, advanced analytics, surveys, and segmentation.

Add this onto webinar and landing page management, plus web event tracking. It’s just a much bigger ecosystem with a ton of growth potential. GetResponse is like having a team of virtual assistants at your beck and call.

Offline Marketing Tools

The bread and butter of marketing strategies that work. These traditional forms of getting your name into the mouths of others require dedication. The biggest obstacle to making these methods work is ambition.

Cold Calling

Why would someone want to speak with a stranger about products or services they never asked about? Well, people have conversations about things they never considered buying all the time. Cold calling gets a bad rep, mainly due to transparent marketing strategies.

Cold calls can be highly personalized and tailored to never feel predatory. Besides, you know your brand is honest and authentic, it’s just about conveying it to potential customers. Cold calling is also a great opportunity to make strong industry connections.

Use exploratory questioning, respect the recipient’s time, demonstrate value, and don’t ask for the sale. You want the person on the other line to feel in control and voluntarily commit.

Flyers, Posters, and Ads

Traditional advertising is all about getting your brand in front of the most eyeballs as possible. The volume of printing isn’t necessarily what’s most important. Start with a good printing service like New Era Print Solutions, then figure out where you’ll get the most receptive audience.

You can hire a few kids to distribute flyers in public spaces, put up posters in high-trafficked areas, or on windshields (strategically!). Share your ads with various print publications, don’t waste a good ad. We recommend community papers and college papers for the budget-minded.

You can run ads for much longer on the same budget as a single ad in a major newspaper.

Guerilla Marketing

This is probably one of the more precarious forms of marketing. It’s a bit of a gamble, but the payoff can be life-changing. You’ll need to brainstorm a really solid and cohesive strategy here. A publicity stunt needs to be more than just naked advertising, for example.

Do something thematic, engaging, and please incorporate it into some sort of social media activity. A simple hashtag is fine, just make sure you push to get it trending.

Some safe forms of guerilla marketing include theater and dance, pranks, stunts, political satire, and creative graffiti.

Business Cards

Don’t underestimate the power of a good business card. There is some solid science behind the effectiveness of a business card. Making a good first impression starts with being accessible.

By not opting for your standard black and white card with flimsy card stock, you’re telling that person that you value your longevity. You don’t want your business card being filed away with the other dozen or so cards at a convention, for example.

A sturdy, textural, and eye-catching card will stand out. Men who carry wallets will also likely “make room” for your card in their wallet. Survival of the fittest (or the thickest in the case), as they say! New Era Print Solutions has some great designs with high-quality printing that will feel like a piece of art.

Seminars, Events, and Activism

This last category of marketing tools comes in the form of classic networking. Face-to-face connections with real people is how you succeed in life. No matter how great your business plan may be, if you aren’t meeting the right people, it could fade into obscurity.

Seminars are great for obvious reasons: you get to hear pitches or give your own and see real feedback. Expos, conventions, and other related events are just giant punchbowl situations where you can connect with potential partners and clients.

The last category of face-to-face networking is more of a recent trend. By getting involved politically, you can position yourself as more than a business. You don’t even need to be in the midst of the most controversial topics and risk alienating your base.

Just put your name on a few universally-good initiatives and be a brand that is more than business.

Diversify and Grow

We hope this article inspired you to try out a few new marketing tools and strategies. Nothing is worse than that ‘stuck’ feeling of being unable to invest financially in more marketing, yet seeing that flat line of growth. You can work smarter, not harder, by incorporating an array of marketing tactics.

You’ll find more business tips like these on Article City, as well as content opportunities for your brand. Remember to keep adapting and moving, so that your brand never feels stale or outdated.

Health

How Brain Training Games Boost Memory and Productivity

How Brain Training Games Boost Memory and Productivity


How Brain Training Games Boost Memory and Productivity

It may sound silly at first to hear that you can boost your memory and productivity just by playing brain training games, but Austrian researchers would disagree.

In February of 2018, a research center in Vienna published their findings – Dogs who play brain games have more energy and sharper minds.

But if dogs can benefit from playing a game or two, you can, too.

In fact, studies have shown that video games can help stroke victims increase their mobility.

How It Works

Your brain actually has the ability to keep changing throughout your life.

It’s called brain plasticity, and it refers to the growth of brain tissues when you undergo new physical or mental activities.

Just like working out to strengthen your muscles, you can actually exercise your brain to strengthen its cognitive abilities. Most of the time, brain training games work to improve your sensory perception. Sensory perception is what makes your brain so quick to process and digest information.

How much information and how fast that information can travel to the brain are important for developing a better memory and increasing productivity.

These games help in those areas by involving you in different scenarios where you have to remember things in order to complete a task. They also train you to recognize things you may not notice your first time around.

Used in combination with nootropics, your brain can really gain some memory and productivity skills (Check out this nootropics blog if you are interested in finding out the benefits of supplements that help your brain perform better).

Brain Training Games Examples

A good brain training game should have the ability to speed up your processing capabilities, improve your recognition functions, and teach you to ignore distractions like noises and people.

So what can you play?

Here are some examples of brain training games that work.

Escape Rooms

If you are a social person who likes group activity, you can try hosting an escape room party.

Escape rooms are incredibly popular with thrill-seekers, but few people realize that these life-size puzzles are actually good for your brain.

They require you to problem-solve and think critically. You also have to train your memory in trying to escape by remembering various clues you collect along the way.

Not only do you have to remember the clues you found, but the clues your peers found.

Escape rooms are sometimes locally provided, so be sure to look around in your area.

Trivia

Another game for the social butterfly – host a trivia night with your friends.

You can find loads of trivia questions online and have multiple categories so that you and your friends can test your brain’s knowledge across the board.

Not only is it a brain training game, but it’s also one of the better known team-building games.

What You Can Do

Beyond games, you can also learn more about your brain by researching online.

Several health blogs are available for you to start your research and find out more information on how to keep your brain in good condition.

Don’t let your brain down. Start playing!