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Best ways to decorate

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Whether you’re moving into a new home, trying to figure out the best way to upgrade your home or just simply thinking your house needs a bit of a touch-up, then you are in the right place! Today we’ve compiled a list of the best ways to decorate your home!

Choose your colour scheme wisely

First, you’ll have to choose your ideal colour scheme for each room in your house. It’s a wise decision to know and educate yourself with what colours go together, before jumping into things. Choosing a colour scheme carefully to show off your own style can make you feel a lot prouder about your home and make it feel more homely and suited to you. Don’t just paint the walls a cream or a dark grey because that’s what you’ve got left over and decide to use it, express yourself and have fun with it.

Surf the web for inspiration

It doesn’t matter how creative of a person you are, looking online at different websites such as Pinterest can open up new ideas and possibilities for you to explore with your home. Fortunately, enough for us, we have the internet and can put this to good use. The internet can provide people with thousands of creative new ways to give your home that new spark you’ve been looking for. It’s important not to mistake this for stealing someone else’s style but rather it helps you open up your creativity and gives you new ideas to take inspiration from. Searching the internet is definitely one of the best ways to decorate, especially with a new home.

Mirrors

It’s a good idea to have at least one mirror in each area in your home because they make wonderful additions to any space. There are several reasons why using mirrors to reflect light into darker regions of your home is something you should really consider while designing your new place. According to certain research, having a mirror in the hallway might really help visitors feel more at home because of the welcoming vibe they exude. Not to mention the fact that being able to check your look is often rather handy, which is always a good thing.

Take advantage of places that get sunlight

Making effective use of sunshine is one of the finest bits of advice, even if it may not really fall under the category of methods that you may design your house on your own. Opening your curtains and allowing in some natural sunlight can truly brighten your mood and make your home sparkle. It has even been demonstrated that natural light gives your home a feeling of openness and space. Isn’t it wonderful how opening your blinds may be one of the finest ways to decorate a new house? Natural light is also very beneficial for indoor plants, which brings us to our next tip of the best ways to decorate.

Plants and flowers

Adding some greenery is one of the best ways to decorate! Why not visit your neighbourhood garden centre and locate some low-maintenance plants? There are many reasons why adding plants to a new house is one of the greatest ways to beautify it. Plants have been scientifically shown to improve mood and remove air pollutants in addition to being aesthetically beautiful and a great way to cover bare corners and other spaces. This indicates that adding plants to your house is not only a fantastic method to give it a vibrant vitality, but they also offer several health advantages!

Aim to declutter things

Even if you spend weeks perfecting your home’s decor, a cluttered space will still seem untidy. Fortunately, there are some things you can take to prevent this. First off, it’s advisable to refrain from choosing too many colours because this is one of the main causes of congested spaces. Using hybrid furniture, which includes items like a couch bed and mirror wardrobes, is another effective method of decluttering. Hybrid furniture has the advantage of not only reducing clutter in your home but also being quite useful and practical. The final way to declutter your things and one of the most important things to remember is the exterior of your house, and in particular your gutters. Over time and long winters, your gutters can get blocked which may cause them to sag, ruining the exterior aesthetic of your home. To avoid letting this happen, it’s important to get your gutters cleaned but most importantly by a professional as working at such a height you’re not used to can be dangerous. For gutter cleaning services click here.

That concludes our list of the best ways to decorate your home! We hope you enjoyed our list and take some inspiration when renovating.

Choosing The Best Home Security System For You

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It’s no secret that home security systems are one of the best ways to keep your home safe. Not only do they provide peace of mind, but they can also help you prevent costly mistakes and protect your property from theft. However, choosing the right system for you can be a daunting task. This blog aims to simplify the process by highlighting key factors to consider when purchasing a home security system. From budget considerations to security features, this blog has everything you need to make an informed decision. So go ahead and get yourself a home security system – it could save you a lot of money and hassle in the long run!

Factors to consider while purchasing a home security system

When it comes to home security, there are a variety of systems available on the market. It’s important to research these systems and choose one that best suits your needs. Once you have made your decision, find an installer who can help install the system correctly and meet your specific needs. If you would like the system to be monitored through alarm monitoring, make sure to pick a system that is compatible with your home security system. In the end, it’s important to remember to always be smart about protecting your home – by choosing the right security system for you!

How to choose the best home security system for you?

It can be difficult to know where to start. That’s why we’ve put together a comprehensive guide that will help you choose the best system for you. First and foremost, make sure to read the instructions carefully and set up your alarm code! After that, it’s important to consider the features of each system. Some factors to take into account include budget, needs, and lifestyle. For example, if you’re a busy person who wants to be able to reach your system from anywhere, a wireless security system may be a better fit for you. On the other hand, if you have a pet that you want to monitor closely, a security system with a built-in camera may be the right choice for you. After you’ve evaluated all of the available options, it’s time to buy! We hope this guide has helped you make the best decision for your home security system.

The benefits of having a home security system

Home security systems are a great way to protect your home and family from crime. They come with a variety of features, such as motion detectors, video recording, and more. It’s important to choose the system that best suits your needs. For example, if you’re just looking for an alarm system, there are many different types of these available that will meet your needs. If you’re looking for a system that can do more, like video monitoring and security system alarms, you’ll need to invest in a system that offers these features. In the end, a home security system provides peace of mind and can help deter crime. So, what are you waiting for? Get yourself the best home security system by calling in the professionals here.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to choosing the best home security system for you, there are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost, make sure to research different options so you can find the right system for your needs. Then, consider budget constraints. Not all security systems are equally expensive, so it’s important to find one that fits within your budget. Additionally, when it comes to choosing a system, make sure to keep the following things in mind: security cameras are important, as they can capture activity that’s happening inside and outside your home; sensors are important, as they can alert you of any intruder or intruder alarm; and lastly, a monitoring system is important, as it can alert you of any activity that’s happening in your home. So whether you’re looking for a home security system for your home or office, make sure to consult with a security professional to get the best possible advice.

Conclusion

Having a home security system is a smart investment that can help you feel safe and protected in your home. However, before making a purchase, it’s important to consider a few factors, such as your budget and the size of your home. Once you’ve determined these details, it’s time to choose the best home security system for you. Make sure to read through the blog for helpful tips and recommendations on the best home security system for your home!

Best Tv Shows To Binge On The Weekends

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If you are a heavy worker, you may find that you enjoy doing something more peaceful than going outside, maybe you fancy just a wee chill day in the house to relax and recharge. There are many things that you can do during the day to help relax and focus on something else that isn’t your life. You could have a nice dinner and sit with the fire on, sit in the garden and enjoy a nice drink to wind down. But truly one of the best things to do on the weekend to wind down is to sit in a dark room and put on one of your favorite tv shows. If you need help finding one of your potential favourite TV shows, stick in and hear from some of our favourite TV shows.

The Flash S1 and 2

The first 2 seasons of the flash are truly something to remember. It is one of the best tv shows to binge on the weekends due to the 24 lengthy episodes per season. In the opening episodes, we get to see the main character, Barry Allen, get struck by lightning and he falls into a random mix of chemicals. Afterwards, he falls into a coma for months, 9 to be exact. When he wakes up he finds that he has super speed. After connecting the lighting coming from his superspeed to the murder of his mother when he was 11, he sets himself to find the man who killed his mother as a child, the reverse flash. Upon discovery of the reverse flash, the flash has to get faster, so he can beat the reverse flash. Once beaten, the flash contains him but gets swayed by the words of the reverse flash saying that he can give the flash an opportunity to go back in time and save his mother. However, he resists the urge and holds his mother in her last moments. This show is well written and has great CGI which is best enjoyed on an HD screen. Please click here for TV wall mounting services.

Stranger Things

Stranger things is one of the most popular TV shows, especially right now with the new season 4 coming out. It is one of the best tv shows to binge on the weekends due to its great story. Stranger Things primarily follows a young group of teenagers who find themselves frequently indulged in paranormal activities. One day, a friend in the teenage group, Will, goes missing as he is trying to make his own way home late at night, when this humane figure knocks Will off of his bike whilst he is making his way home. A struggling effort will suddenly disappear with a flickering light bulb being the only sign of movement in the shed. It turns out that Will had been taken to an alternate mirror dimension. This show has a great combination of comedy, horror and terror. It gives you that uneasy feeling that something is going to jump out at you any second. As the show progresses, it strays away from horror and steers more to terror. Terror and horror are 2 very different concepts from each other. Horror is the feeling you get when experiencing something scary, terror is the shiver you get down your spine when you are unsure if you are in danger or not.

Family Guy

Family Guy is a really good comedic TV show which you can get many laughs out of. It is set up perfectly for many laughs. If you’re having people over for some drinks, this is one of the best shows to binge on the weekend. The main character of this show is a man called Peter Griffin. The entire show just follows peters day to day life. He encounters many things in his days and it just shows how someone with a low IQ such as Peter Griffin would interact in the real world. This show is not afraid to make fun of things but it does it in a way that is not taken seriously. It is a classic must-watch comedy cartoon show. It also has close links with another cartoon comedy called South park. The show started in 1999 and it still even runs to this day. Currently, in the twentieth season, the show continues to make people laugh and runs successfully to this day.

The Green Arrow

The Green Arrow is set in the same universe as the flash, this follows a man called Oliver queen who gets stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere for 5 years. Whilst he is on the island, he learns many skills that can assist him in survival, it turns out that Oliver Queen is not alone on the island and he has to fight to survive. Oliver eventually gets rescued and returns home to seek revenge on people that he thinks have poisoned the world. As he returns to his hometown, he takes up the mantle of being the green arrow. A signature green hood is worn and his weapon of choice from Oliver is a bow and arrow. The police search for him a lot but with no success. This show is nicely written and runs for a long time so you will not run out of episodes any time soon. The show ended on its 12th season, so if you have not seen it, it is one of the good shows to binge on the weekend.

How to update an old home

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If you’ve moved into an older home or own a house that’s progressively got older over time and are looking for new ways to brighten up your home, then you’ve come to the right place. No one wants to live in an old, run-down home, but there’s a wide range of tips and tricks that you can take into consideration when wanting to upgrade your old home. Some may be slightly easier to carry out, but all of these will be very useful and can drastically improve your home. Today we have compiled a list of how to update an old home and the best ways to make it look brand new. If you stick to the process and be patient, you’ll be satisfied with the end result and how your home ends up looking, which will happen in no time once you begin the plans for updating. So, let’s jump right into it!

Do some painting

This is up there with the most obvious ways that you can make your old home look new. The difference in a new lick of paint is amazing and can transform something from looking old and worn out to pretty much brand new! Painting is very rewarding and 100% will be worth your time but it is a pretty long and boring task to do yourself, it might be worth asking a friend or family member to come over and give you a hand with the task at hand. We recommend taking breaks every now and then to break up the day as well as maybe listening to some music which will distract you and hopefully make the task go in a little bit quicker. It’s also a good idea to not just paint the interior of the house like the living room and bedrooms but also the exterior. Focusing on the exterior such as painting the door or fence can be important and there isn’t much point in just focusing on the interior as everyone, including you, will first see the exterior of the house as you walk into it or see it from afar, so this is just as important. Doing painting is without a doubt one of the best ways to update an old home and one of the most common ways also.

Get some furniture

If your home has come with a lot of old furniture in it or currently the furniture has just run out of life and sat for that little bit too long, then it’s probably best to update it. There are countless styles you can go for when getting new furniture and laying out the style of your home, so take your time, and choose carefully. You may truly have fun with your interior design and make it wholly unique if you have a significant budget. A great method to maximise space is to get furniture that serves many purposes. The house will appear more friendly, and the room will feel much more open as a result. A mirrored closet or a couch bed are two examples of versatile furniture that you can consider putting in your new house. It’s wise to conduct your study before spending a lot of money because a home’s furnishings and décor may really make or break it. Getting furniture is definitely up there with how to update an old home, and can really change the whole interior of your home.

Clean out the gutters

Although forgotten about a lot, gutters are an important part of how the exterior of your house looks. Over a long winter, your gutters can get blocked up with debris from leaves and dirt getting blown in by the wind and eventually this can cause a problem. Over time, your gutters will sag if they remain blocked and this can cause the exterior of your house to look rather sad and run down. So, when you’re thinking about how to update an old home, then this is a good place to turn your attention to as it is something that is often forgotten about. Not only can it ruin the aesthetic of your home but things such as moss and grass beginning to grow out of the gutters can cause roof rot and foundation damage, serious matters that will massively affect your home. This is why it’s important to clean your gutters out, as we recommend doing this at least twice a year. However, this isn’t something we’d recommend climbing up and trying to do yourself, working at that height can be very dangerous if you’re not used to it, plus you want the job done correctly. For professional gutter cleaning services click here.

Real estate sustainability trends to watch for in 2022, according to Alexander Studhalter

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By modifying personal and societal behaviors, sustainable living aims to reduce the personal and societal environmental negative impact.

Alexander Studhalter, an experienced businessman and real estate investor, has many suggestions on this matter. In this article, Alexander Studhalter will show the up and coming real estate trends to look out for this year.

Firstly, what does sustainable real estate really mean?

In simpler terms, sustainable living helps reduce one’s carbon footprint. The World Wildlife Fund offers an environmental footprint calculator if you need motivation.

Sustainability means minimizing the impact on humans and the environment and using the Earth’s resources as efficiently as possible.

To understand how you can get started, let’s first look at the ethos of sustainable living.

What entails a sustainable lifestyle, according to Alexander Studhalter?

There are great ways to incorporate sustainable lifestyles into people’s lives. Here are some of Alexander Studhalter’s primary suggestions:

Home automation or Domotic systems (smart homes)

In smart homes, appliances, and systems, like lighting and heating, are monitored and managed remotely through internet-connected devices.

Using a smartphone app or other networked device, home automation provides homeowners with security, comfort, convenience, and energy efficiency. IoT-enabled smart homes often communicate with each other, sharing consumer usage data and automating tasks based on homeowner preferences.

Energy conservation

We produce electricity by burning fossil fuels, such as coal, to power our homes and businesses. The release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere causes global warming.

Reducing the energy, we use can help reduce the need for burning fossil fuels. This approach means it helps make a healthier environment for our planet.

Updated building regulations (ADO)

There is a Usage of passive design techniques to limit the use of active cooling. The new ADO seeks to resolve this issue by limiting unwanted solar gains.

The ADO expects design teams to consider external noise, poor air quality, and security. They need to do that when developing any future overheating mitigation strategy.

Alexander Studhalter thinks achieving compliance with ADO is possible via simplified and detailed dynamic thermal modeling methods. There is no right or wrong choice unless external factors are involved or if there is a communal heating system.

Alexander Studhalter thinks there should be an emphasis on Green Building

Whether designed, built, or operated, green building can positively affect our climate and natural environment. Using green buildings saves precious natural resources and improves the quality of our lives.

To begin with, what are the principles of green building?

Green building strategies can help reduce maintenance and replacement costs, utility bills, home ownership costs, and resale value. Alexander Studhalter says that there are three main principles for green building: 

Designing a sustainable site

Building in a site that is sustainable helps minimize urban sprawl and protect valuable land, habitats, and open spaces.

The preservation of valuable green spaces can be achieved by Promoting higher density urban development. It ensures that each site’s environmental assets are protected.

Quality & Conservation of Water

This process ensures that the site’s natural hydrological cycle is preserved and closely emulated. Emphasis is placed on stormwater retention, on-site infiltration, and ground water recharge.

It helps maximize the use of recycled and reused water on the site, including rainwater harvesting, stormwater, and gray water.

Environment & Energy

Green building contributes to optimize building siting & design, material selection, and energy conservation measures to minimize adverse environmental impacts.

Energy sources with low environmental impact are encouraged to be used as much as possible. Building performance should exceed the minimum International Energy Code (IEC) compliance level by 30-40%.

What are the best certificates for green building?

There are many certificates for green building out there. The two following certificates are the most recommended by Alexander Studhalter:

LEED

It is one of the world’s most used green building rating systems. LEED provides a framework for green buildings that are highly efficient, healthy, and cost-effective.

Sustainability achievement and leadership are globally recognized through LEED certification. Around the world, millions of people live, work, and learn in LEED-certified buildings.

BREEAM

This certification standard is the most widely used across the world. Each building type has its scheme. (BREEAM Courts, Eco homes, Healthcare, education, offices, prisons …).

BREEAM certification is an easy-to-use system that evaluates the environmental performance of buildings. Through this certification system, professionals can reduce their environmental impact.

The company’s BREEAM certification demonstrates sustainability. This approach also permits better productivity, comfort, and well-being of building occupants.

Why does Green real estate move up the corporate list?

According to Alexander Studhalter, there are many reasons commercial building owners go green.

Green commercial buildings conserve energy and water, enable reuse and recycling, incorporate sustainable materials, and avoid toxic products. Building owners understand that green real estate does its part to make the world’s air and water healthier.

Refurbishment or new construction, which is greener?

Is new construction greener than a renovation? Alexander Studhalter believes that it isn’t. “The most sustainable thing to do is to refurbish rather than rebuild from scratch”, says Studhalter.

It’s an inconvenient truth for the industry. Our voracious appetite for building is, in no small part, to blame for the climate crisis.

Greta Thunberg has pointed out that we cannot simply build our way out of it. We cannot afford to only build greener. We need to build less.

What are the Green real estate hotspots you should invest in?

More than 120,000 green-rated buildings worldwide give investors a wide choice of sustainable assets. But which cities should they consider first?

Here are 15 green building hotspots worldwide, including projects in progress, planned projects, and completed, certified buildings: 

  • There are five cities in the Americas – Washington DC, New York, Houston, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
  • Five from EMEA – London, Paris, Stockholm, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai.
  • And five from Asia-Pacific – Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, Melbourne, and Sydney.

In conclusion, Alexander Studhalter believes that acting on these trends will protect the environment and the world. So, go on and go green!

Macular Degeneration: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

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An eye disease called Macular Degeneration causes the core portion of the retina to deteriorate over time. The retina, located in the back of the eye, is impaired when one has this ailment. The macula is located on the eye’s nerve layer as the most sensitive portion of the retina. Pitta’s little twin, AlochakaPitta, has its home here, according to Ayurvedic theory. 

Pitta is one of the three primary working elements in Ayurveda, along with Vata and Pitta. This is where the reflected light beams from various things come together. Reactions are triggered, and the perception of seeing is formed. Any disorder of the macula might vitiate AlochakaPitta. This causes major eyesight difficulties to develop. But Ayurveda has numerous age related macular degeneration treatment options that can heal your health issues.

Causes

Risk factors that important for macular degeneration:

  • Age: One of the main causes of blindness in the elderly is macular degeneration. In most cases, it affects persons over the age of 50. As you become older, your chances of acquiring macular degeneration grow. 
  • Environmental and genetic factors: Macular degeneration is more likely to strike persons with a family history of the disease or who have particular genetic mutations. Macular degeneration is more likely in those with a family history of the disease.
  • Ethnic background: Macular degeneration is more common in certain ethnic groups. More severe cases of illness strike white people than black people.
  • Gender: The prevalence of macular degeneration is higher in women than in men. This might imply that the illness has a hereditary component that contributes significantly to its onset.
  • Overexposure to light: Excessive sun exposure has been linked to an increased risk of macular degeneration, according to research. Researchers have discovered that exposure to ultraviolet light increases one’s risk of macular degeneration.

Symptoms

The symptoms include:

  • Blurry vision: While patients with exudative macular degeneration often have a quick beginning of vision loss, those with non-exudative macular degeneration might go unnoticed or experience a slow loss of central vision.
  • Many patients report seeing central scotomas (shadows or blank spaces in their field of vision).
  • Vision distortion, or metamorphopsia, may cause grids of straight lines to look wavy and even have some of their squares appear empty.
  • Confusions of colours, more especially distinguishing dark colours from dark colours and light colours from light colours.
  • Slow restoration of vision after exposure to strong light.

Treatment

In most cases of eye disease, there is a disturbance in the Vata, Pitta, and Kapha principles, which are the three forces that maintain life. Thus, treatment aims to restore equilibrium and stop the advancement of any deterioration generated by these factors. Retinal and optic nerve regeneration is aided by Panchakarma therapies used in the therapy. Various medications are used throughout the process of age related macular degeneration treatment:

  • Akshi Tarpanam (Netra Vashti): In akshi tarpanam, the eyes are kept submerged in a pool of heated medicinal oil or cow’s ghee for a certain amount of time to promote eye health in general.
  • Anjana Vidhi: Clearing your eyesight and calming your digestive system are benefits of Anjana vidhi. An herbal ointment is applied to the inner surface of the eyelid border. As a result, your eyesight and eye muscles are improved.
  • Virechanam: Your pitta will return to normal once this cleaning practice for the age related macular degeneration treatment removes all the toxins from your body. Asthma, jaundice, and skin issues may all be alleviated by using this product.
  • Aschotanam: Aschotanam or heated medicinal liquids may be given as eye drops to alleviate eye-related issues. Warm liquids balance Vata, Kapha is balanced by lukewarm liquids, and cold liquids balance pitta.
  • Shirodhara: Panchakarma is an infusion of medicinal liquid that flows from the forehead to the eyes. It keeps your eyesight from deteriorating and may last up to an hour. Many mental and neurological diseases may be alleviated by using this supplement.
  • Nasyam: This panchakarma therapy for age related macular degeneration treatment, based on Ayurvedic medicine, is quite efficient. Medicated liquids are administered or inhaled via the nose as part of the treatment process. Most head-related issues may be cured since it is delivered via the nose.
  • Snehapanam: Medicated ghee (clarified butter) is consumed for seven days as part of this Ayurvedic eye therapy. When it comes to dose and length of therapy, there is a wide range of options available. Degenerative eye conditions may be fought with Snehapanam, which also treats infertility and mental health issues.

Conclusion

Ayurvedic age related macular degeneration treatment relies heavily on determining the dominant dosha. The Vata-pitta dosha predominates in macular degeneration, according to Ayurvedic theory. When it comes to dry types, the vata dosha is more likely to get vitiated. It is thus vital to handle the situation by focusing on the head and eye. Medicine selection is influenced by a variety of variables, including one’s age, mental state, and habits.

8 Twitter Engagement Strategies for Financial Services Firms

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Most financial services firms cultivate a buttoned-up image. Whether they’re multinational investment banks serving the world’s biggest corporations or small wealth management houses with a close-knit client network, they believe they’ll do better if they stay low-key.

They may be correct. That doesn’t mean they can’t invest in targeted outreach and client engagement, however.

Many turn to Twitter, which tends to attract subject matter experts seeking conversation (and controversy). These eight Twitter engagement strategies work well for financial services firms — here’s how to use them effectively.

1. Tweet About What You Know

If this isn’t the Golden Rule of Twitter, it’s up there.

As tempting as it might be to chase engagement and clout, you — or whoever’s tweeting on behalf of your firm — should really stick to subjects you know cold — subjects on which you can plausibly position your firm as a thought leader.

To see how this is done, check out the Twitter handle for Asiaciti Trust, a fiduciary services firm serving the Asia-Pacific region. (More on how to handle those in a moment.)

2. Follow the 4-1-1 Rule

The 4-1-1 rule is one of the oldest in the book. There are variations, but the basic idea is that no more than 17% of your tweets (give or take) should be clearly promotional in nature.

The most common ratio is this:

  • 1 promotional tweet, such as a plug for a new product or service
  • 1 retweet of a relevant piece of content, such as tweet by another financial firm linking to a report they published
  • 4 tweets featuring original, nonpromotional content, which can include links to content sourced elsewhere and produced by others

Follow the 4-1-1 rule for a gentler, more engaging Twitter experience. One that draws in prospects because you satisfy their curiosity, not because you give them the hard sell.

3. Use Hashtags (But Not Too Many)

We’ve definitely passed “peak hashtag.” Heavy hashtag use is seen as gauche and pushy, and more importantly, it just doesn’t work. Consistently stringing four or five hashtags together is a great way to turn off Twitter followers.

That doesn’t mean there’s not a place for hashtags in your tweets. People (and especially media types) use them to search for trends on Twitter and find content to promote. A single well-placed hashtag that makes sense in context can get you noticed.

4. Engage With Other Finance Influencers (And Punch Up)

Twitter works best as a collaborative, social platform. Use it to find and engage with other influential people and firms in the finance space.

Yes, even people and firms you consider your competition. This industry is big enough for everyone, and practitioners that cultivate thought leadership by engaging with others tend to gain outsize visibility within it.

Carve out 30 minutes per week to engage with your peers — and, importantly, people and firms you aspire to be. This engagement can be informal, like replies to off-the-cuff tweets, but be sure to follow up if and when those you’re engaging with reciprocate.

5. Don’t Breach Your Clients’ Confidence

It’s vital that you successfully navigate the line between insight and invasion of privacy. You’re operating in a heavily regulated, relationship-based industry here, and one breach of client confidentiality could prove fatal to your business.

Again, avoid the temptation to chase easy engagement or clout. It might gain you followers and shares and retweets in the short term, but it’s a dangerous game to play long-term.

6. Host a Monthly Twitter AMA

“Tweetchats” used to be all the rage in the early and mid-2010s. Twitter noticed this and made some belated investments in follower engagement infrastructure — the most notable of which has been Twitter Spaces.

Set aside an hour per month, plus a few more for prep time, to host an “ask me anything” session on Twitter Spaces. Make clear that no question is off limits as long as it’s not abusive or inappropriate in a professional setting. Many of your competitors aren’t doing this, so over time, you’ll develop a reputation for tackling the hard questions that your peers might not.

Twitter Is Just the Beginning

Twitter isn’t the only social media platform your financial services firm should target, of course. LinkedIn is arguably even more important because it’s purpose-built for the sort of professional engagement that client-facing businesses crave.

LinkedIn is very different from Twitter, but similar strategies can work on both platforms. Authentic, engaging brands tend to rise to the top in both places, which is good news if you can stay true to your founding values as you grow your audience.

How Hannah Beko is helping more lawyers enjoy a healthier work-life balance

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A lawyer who struggled with chronic stress is launching a special campaign to help fellow legal consultants work smarter, not harder.

Hannah Beko has taken on the new role of head of mission at Legal Studio and is aiming to empower people, by supporting them in the mindset shifts required to make their businesses flourish.

Legal Studio was founded in 2014 as a new consultancy-model law firm with a simple idea – to build a place where lawyers could enjoy work.

The new appointment will see Hannah providing training to the whole team at Manchester and Leeds, but also the practical tools and skills for lawyers to market their practice, find their ideal clients and do more of the work they really want to be doing.

Hannah said: “My mission since 2016 has been to change the culture in law so that stress isn’t just accepted as part and parcel of the job, and no one is leaving a career they trained for years to join, because they can’t reconcile work and life.  

“I also realised that lawyers didn’t really know that such support existed, or where to reach out for it.  I created various courses, trainings and qualified as a coach to support lawyers in firstly identifying and then going on to create the life and business that they want to have.  

“As the new head of mission, it’s my job to help more lawyers to enjoy work in a healthy, sustainable and profitable way that works for them in my new head of mission role.”

Legal Studio director Matt Dowell and litigation solicitor Ian McCann have been creating a place for consultant lawyers to call home for some time and our values align so well, it was an easy decision for Hannah to join them.

Matt said: “We are delighted to have Hannah join us to help deliver on the Legal Studio brand promise of helping lawyers to enjoy work. Reflecting on my own personal motivations before I go on holiday with my family; Top of the list for me at the moment are freedom, control and financial security. This is what we want to deliver for all of the Legal Studio family, and I know that Hannah will help us with it.

“Lawyers have a tendency to work a lot. Traditional law encourages it and rewards for it.  Taking people away from the traditional model and expecting that they will change overnight, is unrealistic.  We are talking about undoing years of conditioning, that’s what the new coaching and training will provide.”

Hannah has also penned a new book called The Authentic Lawyer, which also aims to take the stress out of work for those in the legal profession.

Why Native Ads are becoming more trendy in 2022

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Damian Geisinger, CEO and founder of Skyblue Digital shares with us his thoughts about why Native Ads are becoming more relevant than ever for marketing strategies.

As marketers, we are always looking for two things: performance and exposure. For that reason, we choose to advertise on big platforms like Google, Meta, LinkedIn, and TikTok. However, for most of our clients, this is insufficient. They need to keep growing their business and constantly adjust their acquisition strategies.

Native Ads platforms are not new to the market, but they have made tremendous progress in the last two years by introducing new technologies and offering superior advertising solutions.

In addition, as advertising becomes more expensive and consumers demand a more personalized experience and less invasive advertising, these content-based recommendation marketing tools are gaining attraction.

Advertising on Native Ads platforms will provide your brand with extensive exposure on top news websites and other relevant premium magazines, allowing advertisers to associate their products and brand with the credibility of top media sites.

Some products or services necessitate a greater level of awareness and a longer educational process than others. Native Ads platforms target users more inclined to receive information, and their marketing funnels are typically longer than those for users originating from Search or Social platforms.

Very clear Damian, but this has always been true for these platforms, but why are they becoming more trendy in 2022?

You are right! Let’s point out some of the ideas.

1. They continue to invest in technologies to develop a better audience and contextual targeting capabilities. For example, Taboola acquired Gravity R&D, the Netflix content recommendation award-winning team.

2. The platforms are equipping some advertisers with new and advanced bid strategies that were previously only available to Google Ads users. And while semi-automatic bidding is still popular among some marketers, Native Ads platforms have recently made significant progress with Target CPA solutions, which they will probably offer to all advertisers in the very near future.

3. Video ads are now available and performing exceptionally well. Naturally, choosing the right combination of images and videos remains critical, but there is no doubt that this resource is a game-changer for some types of marketing campaigns.

4. Native Ads will adapt to cookie-free environments better than others. Moreover, third-party cookies are on the way out and are set to be blocked on Google Chrome browsers by 2023. As a result, advertisers will need to build robust first-party data strategies and figure out new identity solutions in order to track and target customers and prospects online.

5. Native Ads platforms are also getting new and better placements within the websites in their inventory, in addition to the traditional placement of featured articles below the website content. Direct deals with publishers now allow advertisers to get high-quality placements. Outbrain, for instance, has the option for top advertisers to buy traffic from specific sites and placements after running a test for a couple of weeks.

So, if you are looking for a winning partner for your Native Ads strategy, don´t hesitate to contact Damian at damian@skybluedigital.io for a free consultation, and they will be pleased to help you grow your business.

UK fintech outperforms global sector amidst sharp funding decline

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The latest figures from Innovate Finance show that investment in the UK fintech sector has experienced a surprising 24% growth to $9.1bn in the first half of the year, when compared to the same period in 2021. The only nation to receive more fintech investment than the UK – raising $25bn in capital in the first half of the year – was the US. This comes amidst trends of high-growth tech firms swerving a London IPO in favour of listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

In stark contrast to this year, UK fintech investment was up by 207% in 2021 – reaching $11.6bn – compared with 2020. Now, the London Stock Exchange (LSE) is backing a new review looking into the rise and fall in funding and valuations in the fintech industry over the last few years. Worldwide inflation and a looming economic recession have resulted in a reduction of IPOs and a stock market rout, making it harder for firms across the UK to raise funds.

New research from leading investment banking platform, JPIN, also highlights that it is not just retreating investors that are affecting the sector, with 26% of the UK workforce citing alack of tech talent as another key factor holding back business growth. Whilst the “ground-breaking’ review aims to address the issues permeating the fintech industry, Nayan Gala, industry expert and founder of JPIN, explains that firms must – and are already beginning to – look beyond the borders Britain.

Some of the world’s most influential emerging markets could be key in providing pockets of capital to ultimately help and transform the UK’s fintech sector in a post-Brexit world. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s 2022 World Investment Report has revealed that flows of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to developing economies rose by 30% – the highest level ever recorded – largely due to contributions from Asia.

The fintech sector in these developing economies is likely to have seen a transformation due to this boost in global investment. For instance, Nigeria’s fintech sector has experienced rapid transformation in the last decade after attracting pools of funding from the US and Asia. This resulted in the country experiencing a record year in 2021 with a total of over $1.6bn invested in the country – a third of which came from US -based VC firms. Thriving private wealth vehicles of countries further afield are likely to help fuel Britain’s fintech sector, giving it a much-needed injection of capital to generate innovation that could take the country back to its glory days.

A few of Britain’s largest and most well-known conglomerates have already begun looking East to receive funding and boost growth with Reliance Industries recently announcing a franchise partnership with Pret A Manger to launch and build the British chain across India. This partnership demonstrates a key milestone between the India and UK corridor, highlighting the significance of establishing a strategic relationship with the nation. Whilst FDI inflows heavily declined in 2021, outward FDI from India rose 43% to $15.5bn in the same year. The country has continued to break records in business activity in the past year alone as earlier this month it reported $82.3bn in mergers and acquisitions in the last quarter, despite global volume being down 8.7% – according to Bloomberg. 

Nayan Gala, founder of JPIN, explains why Britain’s fintech sector should embrace international funding opportunities:

“Looking further afield for funding opportunities is becoming increasingly important, especially given what the global market has been through over the last two years. Trends of international investment are already here and prove vital in providing opportunities to scale up. Pret A Manger’s expansion to India is a great example of this, and I expect to see many companies in the fintech sector also looking to both expand and source investment from Asian countries in the next few years.

“With the pandemic and general economic uncertainty having created a unique and arguably challenging landscape Britain’s fintech sector, India presents itself as a key driver in providing a sufficient means of capital for firms looking for opportunities to scale up.

“India’s record-breaking quarter for M&A activity clearly illustrates the country’s wealth in investment opportunities. As one of the leading hubs of IT and technology, I expect to see an increasing number of startups turning East in search of funding opportunities that can assist with their scale-up efforts in such a bleak socio-economic landscape.”

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