Improvements to the Features as Plugins First Model

Earlier this month, I described how the features as plugins first model is a mess. Drew Jaynes, who is leading the development cycle for WordPress 4.2, is already making headway into improving the model. Unlike previous release cycles, feature plugins that are likely to be merged into WordPress have been (more...)

Chris Lema’s Session From PressNomics 3 on Managing Time and Energy

One of my favorite sessions at PressNomics 3 is now available to watch for free on YouTube. Although sessions weren’t recorded or live streamed, Chris Lema used his own gear to record his presentation. He shares the lessons he’s learned throughout his career on managing time and energy. One of (more...)

6 Habits of Successful Social Media Marketers

Do you want to improve social media productivity? Are you interested in finding ways to energize your marketing? Daily activities separate successful social media marketers from their peers. In this article I’ll share six social media habits to improve your marketing. #1: Build Meaningful Relationships Successful marketers know that relationships are the fuel behind business […]

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10 Most Wanted Twitter Hacks and Plugins for WordPress

Looking to harness the full power of Twitter to drive traffic to your WordPress site? When used effectively, Twitter can help you find new users, expand your content reach, and bring traffic to your site. In this article, we will show you the most wanted… Read More »

To leave a comment please visit 10 Most Wanted Twitter Hacks and Plugins for WordPress on WPBeginner.

26 Tips for Improving Your Social Media Marketing

Does your social media need a boost? Do you want to add something to your online marketing? Trying new things can be fun and refreshing, for both you and your audience. In this article I’ll share 26 ways, an A-Z guide, to improve your social media efforts. #1: Add Audio If audio wasn’t part of […]

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Twitter Shows Top Tweets You Missed: This Week in Social Media

Welcome to our weekly edition of what’s hot in social media news. To help you stay up to date with social media, here are some of the news items that caught our attention. What’s New This Week? Twitter Recaps Tweets You Might Have Missed: Twitter introduced a new feature to your home feed—a recap of top tweets you […]

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New French Theme Shop Hexagone Launches with Free and Commercial WordPress Themes

Earlier this week, WP Theming‘s Devin Price announced a partnership with French translation specialist Fx Benard on a new theme shop aimed at the French-speaking WordPress community. Hexagone is now open for business with four products available – two commercial themes and two free themes. The duo plan to expand (more...)

How to Build a Winning Twitter Ad Campaign

Are you interested in turning followers into customers? Have you considered Twitter ads? As much as marketers love engaging with people on Twitter, what they really want to know is how to start making a profit from those conversations. Twitter ads are a great way to do that. In this article I’ll show you four key […]

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Archive WordPress Content with the Archived Post Status Plugin

WordPress plugin developer Frankie Jarrett has been on a roll this month, pumping out plugin releases on WordPress.org. Last year, Jarrett sold ChurchThemes.net to Lift co-founders Chris Wallace and Brad Miller. Since that time he has been focusing on product development for WP Stream, which has allowed him a few (more...)

How to Run a Pinterest Contest Without Breaking the Rules

Have you run contests on Pinterest? Are you aware of Pinterest contests rules and regulations? After many businesses misused the relaxed format, Pinterest revised its contest rules. They now require contests be easy to enter, spam-free and in alignment with Pinterest branding guidelines. In this article I’ll explain what you need to know to run […]

This post How to Run a Pinterest Contest Without Breaking the Rules first appeared on Social Media Examiner.
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How to Rename Images and Media Files in WordPress

Ever wanted to change an image file name after uploading it to WordPress? WordPress allows you to change image alt tag and title, but there is no option to change image file name from the admin area. In this article, we will show you how… Read More »

To leave a comment please visit How to Rename Images and Media Files in WordPress on WPBeginner.

How to Network With Facebook Groups

Do you want to connect to targeted groups of people? Would you like to be more visible on Facebook? Facebook groups give you an opportunity to network with your industry peers as well as potential customers. In this article you’ll discover how to find the right groups to join, and how best to use them for […]

This post How to Network With Facebook Groups first appeared on Social Media Examiner.
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First Look at SIDEKICK

After experiencing a significant delay in late 2014, the folks over at SIDEKICK have launched a new website along with Composer. Composer is a tool that allows you to create visual, guided, walkthroughs. When SIDEKICK Co-founder, Ben Fox, showed off the initial demo last year, I described it as the (more...)

WP Engine Open Sources Mercury Vagrant for Running WordPress on HHVM and PHP-FPM

WP Engine Labs, in collaboration with the VVV creators at 10up, released Mercury Vagrant (HGV) today. The new open source Vagrant configuration uses HHVM to serve PHP code. It also includes the ability to run your development site using standard PHP to test against for comparison. Mercury Vagrant is useful (more...)

How to Use Visuals to Engage Your Audience

Do you want to create posts that generate higher user engagement? Are your visuals driving social media traffic? People engage better with visual content because it’s easier to understand, can tell a story and evoke emotions more easily than written posts. In this article I’ll show you 11 ways to increase social sharing and fan […]

This post How to Use Visuals to Engage Your Audience first appeared on Social Media Examiner.
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Justin Tadlock Joins Forces with Emil Uzelac to Provide WordPress Theme Review as a Service

Last week, Emil Uzelac launched a new theme review service targeted at WordPress developers and companies that want their products to adhere to best practices. Just one week after launch, Justin Tadlock, a fellow member of the WordPress.org theme review team and author of the Hybrid Core framework, is joining (more...)

Research Shows Metrics Marketers Think Matter Most

How are you measuring social media in 2015? Do you know which metrics to watch? Research reveals that over the past four years, most marketers switched to measuring more intangible goals like brand awareness, message effectiveness and brand perception. In this article you’ll discover findings from studies to help you determine which metrics to use to […]

This post Research Shows Metrics Marketers Think Matter Most first appeared on Social Media Examiner.
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How to Customize The Body and Title Font in WordPress Default Themes Without Touching Code

WordPress 4.1 ships with three default themes, Twenty Thirteen, Twenty Fourteen, and Twenty Fifteen. Although the theme customizer enables you to edit a default theme’s colors, header image, and other attributes, it doesn’t give you the ability to change the body and title fonts. If you’d like to easily change (more...)

Preview the New Design for the WordPress Themes Directory

A long-awaited update to the official WordPress Themes Directory is in progress. Contributors on the Meta team for WordPress.org are picking up speed on the effort to move the theme repository away from bbPress and into a new plugin, comprised of a custom post type for the repository package and (more...)

How to Allow User Log In with Email in WordPress

Have you noticed that most popular sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc allow users to log in with email or their username? Want to add the same functionality on your site? In this article, we will show you how to allow user log in with email… Read More »

To leave a comment please visit How to Allow User Log In with Email in WordPress on WPBeginner.

BuddyPress 2.2 Beta 1 Now Available for Testing

Over the weekend, BuddyPress project lead John James Jacoby announced that 2.2 beta 1 is ready for testing. The upcoming release has been in development since last September. Jacoby’s campaign for six months of BuddyPress, bbPress, and GlotPress development was fully funded in mid-December, allowing him to spend more time (more...)

How to Make the Most of Facebook Mobile Ads

Are you paying for visibility on Facebook? Have you tried Facebook mobile ads? Given how many people access Facebook on mobile devices, it makes sense to invest heavily in mobile ads. In this article I’ll share how Facebook mobile ads stack up to other Facebook ads and improve your marketing. Compare the Cost of Facebook […]

This post How to Make the Most of Facebook Mobile Ads first appeared on Social Media Examiner.
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Wireless Expense and Management program

Savings of up to 50% on wireless plans for business companies? http://goo.gl/PqnHp6

After an audit a large percentage got a refund, credit or reduced expense going forward.

Social Login Research Reveals User Preferences: This Week in Social Media

Welcome to our weekly edition of what’s hot in social media news. To help you stay up-to-date with social media, here are some of the news items that caught our attention. What’s New This Week? New Study: Social Login and Sharing Trends – 2014: A new study from LoginRadius analyzed user preferences for social log-in and […]

This post Social Login Research Reveals User Preferences: This Week in Social Media first appeared on Social Media Examiner.
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Duplicate and Merge Posts: A New Editorial Plugin for WordPress Publishers

WordPress sites with multiple users often run into challenges when attempting to work on the same content. Larger publications require more robust editorial tools for efficient collaboration between administrators, editors, contributors, and authors, who often need to jump in on the same post. Duplicate and Merge Posts is a plugin (more...)

AcademiaThemes One Year Later

When Dumitru Brinzan launched AcademiaThemes in early 2014, he did so with the goal of providing high quality themes for the education sector. With one year under his belt, I reached out to Brinzan to find out how the business is doing. The first year was rough thanks in large (more...)

How to Integrate Slack With WordPress

Slack is a powerful team communication suite that allows you to be less busy and more efficient. In this article, we will show you how you can integrate Slack with WordPress and directly push notifications from your WordPress site to your Slack channels. Slack offers… Read More »

To leave a comment please visit How to Integrate Slack With WordPress on WPBeginner.

5 WordPress Initiatives That Didn’t Make it Out of 2014

Throughout the course of a year, several new ideas, products, and businesses are launched in the WordPress ecosystem. However, not all of them are destined for success. Here are five WordPress initiatives launched in 2014 that didn’t make the cut. WPKindness Launched in early 2014 and created by Ryan Bell, (more...)

Marketing Partnerships: How to Extend Your Reach With Content Collaboration

Do you create great content other businesses might find interesting? Have you considered collaborating with other brands? To learn how to create marketing partnerships with content, I interview Andrew Davis. More About This Show The Social Media Marketing podcast is an on-demand talk radio show from Social Media Examiner. It’s designed to help busy marketers and […]

This post Marketing Partnerships: How to Extend Your Reach With Content Collaboration first appeared on Social Media Examiner.
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Plugin Authors: How to Avoid Download Prompts Associated with Screenshots on the WordPress Plugin Directory

If you’ve ever clicked on a screenshot in the WordPress plugin directory and received a download prompt, you’re not the only one. In fact, it’s a widespread issue that affects a number of plugins. Screenshots are important as they help with troubleshooting, previewing features, and give users a sense of (more...)

WPWeekly Episode 176 – Farewell Kim

This special episode of WordPress Weekly doesn’t have any news or plugin picks of the week. Instead, it’s dedicated to the late Kim Parsell. I describe the experience of January 2nd where Brian Layman and I drive to Kim Parsell’s house to check on her. After telling the story, I (more...)

How to Engage Readers with Post Reactions in WordPress

Are you looking to increase the user engagement of your site? Post reactions are an easy way for your readers to leave feedback on your blog without leaving a comment. In this article, we will show you how to add post reactions in WordPress. Reactions… Read More »

To leave a comment please visit How to Engage Readers with Post Reactions in WordPress on WPBeginner.

9 Google Analytics Tips to Improve Your Marketing

Do you use Google Analytics? Are you leveraging the many apps that work with Google Analytics? Integrating data from third-party tools, plugins and platforms with Google Analytics helps you gain insight about your online marketing efforts. In this article I’ll share nine tips to help you get more out of Google Analytics. #1: Add Google Analytics to WordPress [...]

This post 9 Google Analytics Tips to Improve Your Marketing first appeared on Social Media Examiner.
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Advanced WordPress Facebook Group Milestones in 2014

For the Advanced WordPress group on Facebook, 2014 was a great year. The group added key admins Joost de Valk and Danny van Kooten to cover the European time zone. It took two and a half years to reach 7,500 members, but after highlighting the group on the Tavern, membership (more...)

WordPress For Android Version 3.5 Embraces Google’s New Material Design Principles

WordPress for Android is starting 2015 with a big update. Version 3.5 was released today, introducing major changes to the app’s overall design. This release follows Google’s new Material design principles, which was created to unify the experience of apps across platforms and devices. The design spec includes basic tenets (more...)

How to Add Custom After Post Widgets in WordPress

Have you ever come across a website with a subscribe box after the end of their post? Or share buttons, signature, FTC disclosure, author bio, related posts, etc? In this article, we will show you how to add a widget area after your post content,… Read More »

To leave a comment please visit How to Add Custom After Post Widgets in WordPress on WPBeginner.

How to Create Social Videos With Your Smartphone

Are you using video to promote your brand? Do you want to create videos without having costly equipment? If you have a smartphone, you already have all of the tools you need to create fun and engaging social videos. In this article you’ll find out how to shoot and edit videos to share on social [...]

This post How to Create Social Videos With Your Smartphone first appeared on Social Media Examiner.
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WordPress StackExchange Thrives in 2014 with 17 Million Page Views and 14K New Questions

Last week, moderators from the WordPress Development StackExchange (WPSE) posted a short summary of stats from 2014, which demonstrate the remarkable growth and success of the community surrounding the site. This past year WPSE pulled in approximately 15,000 new users, bringing the total to 45,000. The site received a total (more...)

20 Must Have WordPress Plugins for 2015 (Expert Pick)

Are you looking for the must have WordPress plugins used by WordPress experts? Well, then you’re in the right place. In this article, our expert team has hand-picked the best WordPress plugins for 2015. Choosing the best plugin for your WordPress site will help make… Read More »

To leave a comment please visit 20 Must Have WordPress Plugins for 2015 (Expert Pick) on WPBeginner.

6 Ways to Attract More LinkedIn Leads

Does LinkedIn bring you a steady stream of prospects? Is your LinkedIn presence optimized? Adjusting how you use LinkedIn changes the way prospects respond to you. In this article you’ll discover six tactics to attract LinkedIn leads and show them how you can contribute to their success. #1: Improve Your Presence If you treat your [...]

This post 6 Ways to Attract More LinkedIn Leads first appeared on Social Media Examiner.
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Control the Visibility of WordPress Widgets Based on Time and Date

The traditional use of widgets in WordPress is to set it and forget it. After placing and configuring a widget, it stays in the widgetized area until manually removed. Many plugins have extended widgets to add visibility settings that are based on the page or post where the widget appears. (more...)

Is Jetpack Misleading Users to Promote WordPress.com?

Are you using Jetpack’s publicize feature on your site? Recently while browsing through Facebook, we found several folks sharing links where WordPress replaced the site domain. Along with that, the status also read like this: Michelle Schulp published an article in WordPress. This was alarming,… Read More »

To leave a comment please visit Is Jetpack Misleading Users to Promote WordPress.com? on WPBeginner.

Is Jetpack Misusing Your Brand to Promote WordPress.com?

Are you using Jetpack’s publicize feature on your site? Recently while browsing through Facebook, we found several folks sharing links where WordPress replaced the site domain. Along with that, the status also read like this: Michelle Schulp published an article in WordPress. This was alarming,… Read More »

To leave a comment please visit Is Jetpack Misusing Your Brand to Promote WordPress.com? on WPBeginner.

Kim Parsell, Affectionately Known as #wpmom Passes Away

In the eight years I’ve covered the WordPress scene, only once have I written about someone passing away. It’s with a heavy heart and great sadness to inform you that Kim Parsell passed away last week at her home in Southern, Ohio. The cause of death is unknown and a (more...)

Common business expense deductions. Don't Pay a Penny More

Check out how we find money, recover money and reduce expenses at 

http://www.businessdeductions.org/

http://youtu.be/2_JI0B1bX50

Five Google Analytics Shortcuts to Speed Your Analysis

Are you spending too much time fiddling within Google Analytics? Do you want to streamline your analysis experience? Monitoring and reporting Google Analytics data can easily turn into a full-time job by itself, but it doesn’t have to. In this article I’ll share five Google Analytics shortcuts for setting up basic analytics, finding the most [...]

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Facebook is Leading Mobile App Says Research: This Week in Social Media

Welcome to our weekly edition of what’s hot in social media news. To help you stay up-to-date with social media, here are some of the news items that caught our attention. What’s New This Week? How Do Social Apps Stack Up?: Forrester’s US Consumer Technographics® Behavioral Study shows that a user’s top five most used [...]

This post Facebook is Leading Mobile App Says Research: This Week in Social Media first appeared on Social Media Examiner.
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How to Partially Hide Admin Bar in WordPress

WordPress admin bar contains useful shortcuts for logged in users of your site. You can easily disable it from your profile, or hide it for all users except administrators. However when you hide it, you loose those useful shortcuts which can very helpful. In this… Read More »

To leave a comment please visit How to Partially Hide Admin Bar in WordPress on WPBeginner.

Pinterest Traffic: How to Use Pinterest for More Exposure

Do you want to drive more traffic to your site with Pinterest? Are you looking for ways to improve your Pinterest exposure? To explore how Pinterest can help your business I interview Pinterest expert, Vincent Ng. More About This Show The Social Media Marketing podcast is an on-demand talk radio show from Social Media Examiner. [...]

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How to Add Nofollow Links in WordPress Navigation Menus

Many site owners prefer to add a nofollow tag to all external links. Adding a nofollow attribute to links in WordPress is extremely simple. However, it is not as clear for navigation menus. In this article, we will show you how to add nofollow links… Read More »

To leave a comment please visit How to Add Nofollow Links in WordPress Navigation Menus on WPBeginner.

28 Social Media Marketing Predictions for 2015 From the Pros

Are you wondering what 2015 might look like for social media marketing? If the changes in 2014 are an indicator, there will be a lot more changes in 2015. To get a grip on what the near future may look like, we tapped the knowledge of 28 social media pros. Here’s what they had to [...]

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