This blog is a tech content sample

In only the last few years, Artificial Intelligence has moved from the realm of science fiction to changing and sometimes revolutionizing virtually every industry. The advent of AI means that Marketing will never again look the same, as brands suddenly have new and innovative ways to interact with their customers. 

However, despite the numerous AI-related headlines cluttering everyone’s feeds, there are many misconceptions about what AI can do. This means that many businesses are limiting themselves when implementing artificial intelligence marketing, particularly when it comes to expanding into global markets. 

This guide will walk you through how to use artificial intelligence in marketing and provide your brand with an understanding of how to expand its customer base by leveraging AI in marketing.

What Is AI in Marketing?

The public conversation around AI gained momentum at the end of 2022, when OpenAI first released a demo of ChatGPT. While generative AI, which can produce text, images, or video, has dominated public interest, this isn’t the only form of AI in marketing. Digital marketing and artificial intelligence are made for each other. Forms of AI in marketing have actually been in use for decades, with the Apriori algorithm, which identifies relationships between items, proposed in 1994 and still in use today.

IBM defines AI marketing as “using AI capabilities like data collection, data-driven analysis, natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) to deliver customer insights and automate critical marketing decisions.”

To break down that definition, here are the four main examples of artificial intelligence used in marketing:

• Predictive artificial intelligence combines traditional statistical analysis with machine learning to use data to predict upcoming events. While predictive analytics isn’t new, AI can incorporate previously unheard-of amounts of data to make even more accurate predictions.
• Natural language processing (NLP) uses a variety of techniques to transform human language into a set of rules and statistics that the computer can understand.
• Machine learning is a three-step process where AI assesses data to make a hypothesis, compares it to external examples to see how well it performed, and then adjusts its methods to get a better result.
• Deep learning is a form of machine learning where an AI attempts to replicate the incredible number of processes in a human mind by using a neural network.

Using AI in Marketing: 3 Ways To Integrate It Into Your Marketing Strategy

Now you know a little more about the types of artificial intelligence, let’s see concrete examples of how brands are using ai in marketing, especially when it comes to international business.

1. Expand your content’s reach

Using generative AI for content creation is one of its most popular use cases in the realm of marketing. There has been some pushback over using it for actually writing or illustrating content. However, there are other use cases beyond generative AI.

Brands can utilize predictive analysis when selecting topics for content and recommending content to users. AI can efficiently analyze massive amounts of user data to pinpoint the content that’s the most useful to your audience.

This is especially useful when creating content for an international audience that may have different interests or concerns. For example, content related to “The New Year” would be most relevant at different times, depending on the market you’re targeting.

Spotify and Netflix both use predictive AI to determine what content will resonate with users. Spotify’s AI studies regional trends to recommend music and podcasts to users based on their location. Netflix’s AI predicts the type of content that will be popular in different markets, guiding their investment choices in specific shows.

2. Personalize your outreach

In a perfect world, every business would have enough time, money, and staff to customize marketing materials to each individual, especially since 71% of consumers expect some level of personalization in marketing. That’s where AI can help.

Traditional segmentation has typically used only a few easily definable variables, such as demographics, to categorize customers. AI, on the other hand, can synthesize many factors, including customer behavior, to craft very nuanced profiles.

For example, Amazon utilizes machine learning to create highly targeted segments based on browsing and purchasing history, location, and local culture.

In email marketing, the most common form of personalized outreach is inserting the customer’s name. With AI, you can do far more, including generating dynamic content and automating customer segmentation.

On the international front, you can use AI to adapt to the customers’ local holidays, customs, and design preferences. Apparel companies, for example, can use AI to suggest clothing that is relevant to the season and weather that the user is experiencing, while incorporating design preferences from the region.

3. Enhance your customer service

Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning have advanced the traditional chatbot with its canned responses to Virtual Customer Assistants (VCAs). These enable a far more natural interaction and can even perform tasks for customers in some cases, such as transferring money or trading stocks.

Delta Air Lines uses its advanced chatbot to help international customers check in, track their bags, and find their flights. It’s been so effective that their call center volume dropped 20%, showing that AI marketing does actually work.

Outside of direct interaction, AI can also help customers access the help they need faster through machine learning. Machine learning can utilize data about past behavior and results to expedite the process of connecting a client with the right representative.

DevRev uses machine learning to automate ticket classification, routing, and prioritization, which has significantly improved customer support.

Implement AI Marketing and Achieve Global Success With Company X

We’re still seeing how artificial intelligence will change the future of marketing. The potential uses for AI in marketing are frankly endless, and as AI continues to improve, there will be even more use cases and tools. Companies that are able to develop strategic and evolving approaches to AI marketing will have a significant advantage when connecting with the global market.

Clear communication and excellent translations are key to connecting an international audience, as 72% of customers prefer to interact in their native tongue. This is where Company X’s solutions come into play, as we provide human-quality translation and Machine Translation Post-Editing (MTPE) services at half the price and twice the speed of traditional methods. We help ensure that your marketing maintains its impact and authenticity regardless of language or cultural barriers.

Contact us to discover how we can help you connect with your customers.

The post Exploring AI Marketing: Key Insights, How It Works, and the Best Tools To Drive Success appeared first on Xandra Kaste.

Content marketing has become very popular in recent years due to the advantages it offers over other traditional forms of marketing. It is now considered one of the most important ways to reach customers. But because of the increase in popularity, there is now more competition than ever.

To stay relevant as a content creator, you must look for new ways to differentiate yourself from competitors.

2023 is rapidly approaching, so it’s time to take a good look at your marketing campaigns. This is our list of marketing trends that are wired, tired, and evergreen.

Wired

While none of these trends are brand new, we can expect them to continue to become more dominant as advertisers realize their power.

Gamification/Interactivity

Gamification is a technique used to motivate users to take specific actions. This can look like many different things but essentially means creating something the user can play with.

For example, a company can create a game (physical or, more commonly, digital) that is related to the product or service they are providing. This type of game is called an “educational game” because it helps users learn about the product or service while they are playing the game.

You can also gamify by awarding points for completing specific tasks or highlighting an item in the product catalog when purchased.

Engaging your audience can also look like adding more general interactive features on your website or blog posts. Some ideas are:

• Polls
• Quizzes
• Questionnaires
• Interactive infographics

Really, it can be anything that allows your clients to explore different aspects of your product or service on their own terms.

Video Marketing

According to Wyzowl, 86% of businesses now use some form of video marketing, with HubSpot saying 87% of marketers say it has increased traffic.

There are a lot of reasons why video marketing is so popular. It’s not just because it offers a great user experience but also because video is a powerful way to engage people with your brand and message.

If you’ve avoided making videos in the past because of the difficulty, you’re in luck.

It’s never been easier to create videos with the help of animation software and video editing tools like Canva. All you have to do is record your or someone else’s voice and then add some animated visuals to create an engaging video that tells your story from start to finish.

If you are going to produce videos to use on social media, you may want to consider investing in a 4 channel wireless microphone system to ensure the quality of sound is perfect.

Tired

These are some trends that are quickly wearing out their welcome.

Bad influencers

Influencer marketing has been up and up for quite a few years, but it’s reaching a saturation point.

First, influencer marketing in itself isn’t a bad thing. In fact, most marketers find it very effective.

But what has been happening more and more is that brands try to pick a celebrity with a broad reach who doesn’t have any actual connection with your product. A quick Google search will bring up plenty of examples of influencers who clearly couldn’t care less about what they’re promoting.

For example, a celebrity with a billion followers who only pretends to apply the makeup you’ve given them isn’t going to do diddly for your brand. And will cost you a pretty penny.

FIX: Micro-influencers are trying to appeal to a smaller audience. They’re the ones who will actually put time, effort, and expertise into promoting your product. As a result, it’s less expensive, and you’re more likely to connect with people who are genuinely interested in your product.

Following every trend

Everyone wants to be cool. I get it. But trying too hard to appeal to the kids will only alienate the rest of your audience (and probably the kids too).

This means ease up on the meme marketing and the weird buddy buddy marketing.

The internet moves fast. What may have been a hilarious and timely meme one day may be overplayed and old by the time you get a post out. It dates your marketing immediately, and your audience will smell it out unless it’s pitch-perfect.

FIX: Do what you know! The brands that have successfully pulled off more informal marketing styles play to what they know and don’t pretend to be what they’re not.

And when in doubt, stick to educational and helpful content that you know your audience will connect with.

Evergreen

Trends come and go, but some things stay the same.

Quality

While what makes quality content is subjective, you generally know it when you see it.

Why is quality important?

• Quality content builds trust with your audience. The care and attention you give your content reflect on your product.
• It helps with SEO rankings. Google prefers websites with better quality content and ranks them higher in search results.
• It improves conversion rates. People are more likely to purchase your product if they find your website credible.
• It increases customer retention. Customers who find the website helpful and engaging are more likely to return again and again to purchase products or read further articles on the site.

Blogs

Blogging was one of the first forms of digital content marketing, starting in the mid-90s and only picking up steam since.

Now, 77% of internet users read blogs, and over 4.4 million blog posts are published daily.

The continued popularity of blogs makes sense. Anyone with a computer or smartphone can create a blog, making it an accessible marketing channel for small businesses.

A blog is a powerful tool to promote content and increase brand visibility. It’s an excellent way for brands to share their expertise and knowledge with potential clients to increase brand awareness and generate traffic to your website.

Content Marketing Is the Future

The days of interruptive advertising are over – people want to be engaged with brands that they care about and align with their values. Content marketing is also a relatively new field. This means that there are plenty of opportunities to create your own strategy and establish yourself as a leader in the industry.

If you’re looking for blog content that will keep your readers engaged and coming back for more, People First Content can help. We’re a small team of content experts who can help your business make its mark. So call us today and get started!

The post Content Marketing Trends You Can’t Ignore in 2023 appeared first on Xandra Kaste.

We can all agree that society has moved past Microsoft Word. Don’t get me wrong; as plain writing software, it gets the job done, but only if the job is a high school essay.

If you’re looking for research organization and focus features, or if—heaven forbid—you want to add an image, you are straight out of luck. And if you’re blogging, writing a book, etc., you can do better.

Luckily, other tools have stepped up to provide features that more vanilla writing software does not.

Find a Writing Program that Isn’t Microsoft Word

One of the reasons this list of writing software is so helpful is that they were all created by smaller teams for a niche audience. So, they cater specifically to writers and bloggers.

All this writing software can be used for free or bought as a one-time purchase. (Subscriptions can quickly stack up, especially when you’re trying to personalize your workflow.)

There still isn’t a holy grail of writing apps, but these programs each have specific strengths to improve the writing process.

#1 For the Writer Who Wants It All: Scrivener by Literature & Latte ($59 One Time Purchase or $19.99 for iOS)

Starting with my personal favorite (and what I’m writing this post on) is Scrivener by Literature and Latte. It’s a highly versatile word processor with templates for novels, essays, and screenplays.

Scrivener is the only program on the list that qualifies as book-writing software since it offers robust organizational tools. A large percentage of novel writing and content writing is organizing and researching, so book writing software needs that integration capability.

You can access different pages in the outline formatted sidebar that lets you put pages in folders. In addition, Scrivener lets you compile your research in the program to reference in a side-by-side comparison.

It’s also highly customizable writing software, so you can change every aspect of the visuals and enjoy a full-screen, distraction-free mode.

This barely scratches the tool’s surface, and you’ll constantly be stumbling on new and valuable features and options. I’d even go so far as to say it qualifies as the best book-writing software on the market. Non-fiction and fiction writers alike will find it an ideal tool.

Unfortunately, all of this comes with the cost of a steep learning curve. If you’re the type who gets overwhelmed by too many options, Scrivener is not the program for you.

The one-time purchase is very nice in a market dominated by the subscription model. You can also try before you buy with a 14-day trial. I also recommend the iOS program if you like to use writing apps on the go.

#2 For the Concision-Challenged Creator: Hemingway Editor/App by Adam & Ben Long (Free or $19.99)

Maybe you don’t need something with as many organization options, but you’re looking for a program that refines your writing. That’s where the Hemingway App can help. This writing software takes its name from the famous 20th-century writer who gave the writing advice: “Be brief.”

The two versions of the writing software are virtually identical, but Hemingway Editor is a free writing app, while Hemingway App is a desktop application that costs $19.99.

The main difference is that the App allows you to work offline, publish directly to WordPress or Medium, export your work, and share your highlights with others.

The writing software (like the author) is very straightforward. It has two modes: writing and editing.

The writing mode is a bare-bones word processor with minimal formatting options and no page breaks, so you can focus on getting what you want to say on the page.

The editing mode is where the program’s features really shine and when it begins to guide you stylistically. The tool gives you a readability score and a word count. It highlights different parts of your text according to specific metrics. It will highlight different parts of your text and offer recommendations:

• Blue highlights adverbs
• Green highlights sentences written in the passive voice
• Purple gives recommendations for simplifying your vocabulary
• Yellow highlights sentences that are difficult to read
• Red highlights sentences that are very difficult to read

Hemingway’s style is distinctive and very well suited for content that needs to be punchy but isn’t very helpful for other kinds of writing. The tool can corner you in one particular style, so use it cautiously.

#3 For the Avoidant Author: Writer by Cold Turkey (Free or $9.00)

We get it. Focusing is hard. And focusing on writing is even harder. If you’re one of those people searching for “How to focus on writing” when you should probably just be writing, this is the writing program for you. Writer is a bare-bones application that turns your computer into a typewriter.

The program stops you from leaving the application until you’ve completed a specific word count or stayed on the page for a set amount of time.

The choice is nice since you can work to a word count or for whatever block of time you have set aside. Once you reach your goal, you can save and quit or snooze for ten minutes. There’s no installer for the program, so if you want to use it on, say, a library computer, you can plug a USB in and go to town.

While the essentials of the program are the same for both the free and paid version, the paid includes some quality-of-life features.

• The free has zero formatting options down to the font, while paid gives you two choices and an option for sizing.
• You can also disable specific keys to keep yourself from self-editing as you write, such as the backspace or copy/paste.
• Finally, if you like some ambiance with your no-frills writing software, the paid option lets you choose between rain sounds or a coffee shop soundtrack.

Writer can only export as a text file, so you need another word processor for editing.

This program is simple and good at what it does—shackling you to the page until you hit word count—but with that comes some limitations. Sometimes other programs on your computer are not, in fact, distractions. They can be necessary for your work.

However, for such a low price tag and for how good it is at what it does, Writer is worth it.

Honorable Mentions

While these are the obvious picks for book-writing software, they still deserve a shout-out.

Google Docs

While it may not be fancy, a Google Doc with the right integrations can be powerful and accessible. The cloud-saving functionality and well-integrated grammar-checking tools make it an excellent choice for editing whenever and wherever.

It’s free writing software that supports collaboration, and that makes Google Docs worth a spot on your roster.

Microsoft Word

Yeah, I know I just spent a lot of time making fun of it, but MS Word has its time and place. It’s used almost universally, and that alone makes it worth your time.

While it’s not specialized novel writing software, it is a fully featured writing tool with more under the hood than you’d expect.

However, if you’re looking for a free book-writing software alternative, you’re in luck. LibreOffice offers many of the same features without the subscription fee.

AI Writing Assistant

These tools are all on the more traditional side of writing. If you’re interested in learning more about using an AI writing assistant, check out our post exploring its pros and cons.

The Writing Tools of the Trade

Writing doesn’t require a lot of tools. Really, in the end, it’s just you and the blank page. But there are so many ways to improve the process, whether through customization, style enhancement, or just taking away all the other things clamoring for your attention, so you actually write.

None of these tools is the end all be all, but each can be extremely helpful for different parts of the writing process (I used each of them for different parts of making this blog post). Mix and match and figure out how you can make your word processors work for you, not against you.

This is a lot of legwork, though, and if you want to skip all that, you can find people who have already figured it out to write for you. People First Content is here to help you out and create content so you don’t have to. 

The post The Best Writing Software for You (2023): The Top 3 appeared first on Xandra Kaste.

We’ve gone through the new words added to the dictionary for 2022 and 2023, but which words have defined 2022? The ones that really sum it all up?

As much as choosing a single word to encapsulate 356 days full of news, ideas, and people may seem impossible, that hasn’t stopped anyone.

This is a round-up of the words of the past year, according to some of the most prominent dictionaries and linguistic organizations.

Where Did the Concept of “Words of the Year” Come From?

Choosing words of the year isn’t a practice that sprung up from nowhere. It began in Germany in 1971 and was known as the Word des Jahreswhich translates, unsurprisingly, to “word of the year.” The government-sponsored language society Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache(GfdS) began the tradition in 1971. (If you’re curious, the first word they chose was aufmüpfig which means “rebellious or insubordinate”).

The United States followed when the American Dialect Society picked up the idea in 1990, and they’ve chosen a word by democratic election annually ever since. (Their first word of the year was “bushlips,” meaning “insincere political rhetoric”).

Interestingly, they have quite a few categories for words, including “Most Likely to Succeed,” “Most Outrageous,” and “Most Unnecessary.”

Since then, dictionaries and organizations have jumped on the train and designated their champion.

With that out of the way, let’s roll! (winner of “Most Inspirational” in 2001).

Cambridge Dictionary

On May 5th, an uproar was heard across the internet. The internet puzzle sensation Wordle had committed the crime of using an American English slang term. This led to shock, distress, and angry social media rants.

The word? Homer, a colloquial term for a home run in baseball.

In honor of the 65,000 searches of the word on May 5th, Cambridge has honored “homer” with the prestigious word of the year honor.

The runner-up Wordle words with the highest searches were:

• Humor: anything meant to entertain or amuse
• Caulk: a material used to fill gaps and seal cracks in walls, floors, and other surfaces
• Tacit: knowledge that is not explicitly expressed
• Bayou: a type of wetland that is typically found in the Southern United States

Collins Dictionary

Have you ever said, “It’s just one of those days,” for weeks, months, or even years?

You’ve experienced a permacrisis, the Collins Dictionary’s word of the year.

Collins defines permacrisis as “an extended period of instability and insecurity, esp one resulting from a series of catastrophic events.”

Collins added permacrisis to their dictionary this year, and the origins of this one are unfortunately obvious. Collins cites global political instability, the war in Ukraine, cost-of-living, and climate change as the inspiration for this downer!

Not ones to limit themselves, Collins has released 10 other words of the year:

• Kyiv: the capital of Ukraine.
• Partygate: the scandal surrounding social gatherings made against the recommendations of public health officials.
• Splooting: the act of lying down on your stomach with arms and legs stretched out.
• Warm bank: a location where people who can’t afford heating can go to get warm.
• Carolean: something relating to King Charles III
• Lawfare: A tactic that involves using or exploiting the law and legal processes to achieve a goal, such as attaining victory in a trial or influencing public opinion about an issue.
• Quiet quitting: the act of not going above and beyond for an employer and just doing what you’re paid to do.
• Sportswashing: the practice of promoting an athlete or sporting activity to divert attention from controversy, such as during the World Cup.
• Vibe shift: a dramatic change in the emotional disposition of an individual or group of people. 

The Global Language Monitor

The Global Language Monitor is a company that uses natural language processing to track and measure the use of words and phrases in global English-language print and electronic media.

The GLM has developed a proprietary software program that monitors the use of words in print media and social media. Fun fact: they estimate the number of new words added to the English Language at the nice round number 14.7 (though not all of these make it into a dictionary).

This year, they found that the word most used in global English was denier. The term is used to describe someone who denies or refuses to accept something that has been proven to be true. This concept is a catch-all for “hater,” “cancel culture,” and deniers of facts. The word’s popularity stems from the rise of conspiracy theories and fake news.

Following close behind were pandemic-related words like Covid and Vax.

Macquarie Dictionary

British and Americans aren’t the only ones who get to have fun. The Macquarie Dictionary is an Australian dictionary that also documents New Zealand English.

For their word of the year, the Australian National University has chosen teal, which has a meaning beyond its humble color origins. In Australian politics, teal independents (or teals) are independent political candidates with moderate opinions in general but who support strong environmental and climate change policies.

The runner-up word was “truth-telling,” which means telling the facts about a past action without embellishment.

Merriam-Webster

There have been more memes than I can count about the Merriam-Webster word of the year, so I’ll keep to the facts (probably).

Gaslighting is the term for the psychological manipulation of facts that makes the victim question their sanity.

The term gaslighting is from the 1938 stage play Gas Light and its 1944 film adaptation, both written by Patrick Hamilton. In the story, a man played by Charles Boyer works to convince his wife, Ingrid Bergman, she is going insane. He does this by making small changes around their house and insisting that she cannot remember what has changed.

This includes changing the level of the gaslights and telling her it’s only her imagination.

Peter Sokolowski, a Merriam-Webster editor, told the Associated Press that no incident drove its popularity, unlike many of their past words of the year. Instead, gaslighting “was a word looked up frequently every single day of the year.”

Oxford Dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary has gone democratic. For the first time, Oxford Languages has asked the public to weigh in on what they believe the words of the year are. And the public spoke!

Over 300,000 people cast a vote to decide the word of the year. And in a win for weirdos everywhere, Oxford University Press has announced that goblin mode emerged victorious.

Oxford Dictionary defines goblin mode as “a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.” It’s often used as a verb, as in “to go goblin-mode.”

While the first instance of goblin mode dates back to the far-off year of 2009, it experienced a resurgence in 2022. Mainly because the easing of Covid lockdowns meant more people were emerging from their homes blinking in the sunlight, having forgotten how exactly to interact with other people.

Coming in second place was metaverse, which refers to a collective immersive virtual space, including all virtual worlds, augmented reality, and the World Wide Web.

And in third place was #IStandWith, a hashtag commonly used to show support for a social/political cause or person.

Choose Your Word of the Year

A fun trend is emerging this year. Instead of picking a New Year’s resolution, people are choosing their own word of the year that encapsulates their goals and hopes for the coming year. So join the club, choose your word of the year, and who knows, maybe Oxford will agree with you.

There’s nothing better than starting the New Year with new content goals. Our team of content writers can get you on track for your most successful year yet. So schedule a call today to get started!

The post Words of the Year: 2022 appeared first on Xandra Kaste.

This week, we wanted to tackle the spookiest subject in writing: ghosts. Specifically ghostwriters.

While you’ve probably heard of ghostwriters, you may not know the process or where to begin. But these are the ghosts you don’t need to be afraid of.

We’re here to clear up any uncertainty and show you why you should hire a ghostwriter to make your content dreams a reality.

We’re also offering a free template of questions to answer to help you and your ghostwriter get on the same page, so sign up at the bottom of the page!

What Is a Ghostwriter?

A ghostwriter writes content for another person or company without being credited.

Businesses and authors often use a ghostwriter to help them create high-quality content that meets their needs or to help them save time and energy.

When you hear ghostwriter, you probably think of fiction writing or celebrity memoirs. But ghostwriters help out with any and all types of content creation and content marketing. For example, a professional ghostwriter can help write a blog post, white paper, speech, or nonfiction book. Really whatever you can think of!

Ghostwriters are becoming increasingly popular as the demand for high-quality content rises.

Difference between a ghostwriter and a content writer

What separates a ghostwriter and any other professional writer? It’s a pretty murky distinction, and plenty of writers use the terms interchangeably.

The main difference between a ghostwriter and a content writer is the level of ownership they have over the work they produce. A ghostwriter is hired to write something for someone else; their name will not appear on the final product. 

Content writers create original work that may or may not be attributed to them and published under their name.

Why Hire a Ghostwriter?

There are plenty of reasons to hire a ghostwriter to produce content:

• Don’t have the time
• Have a good story, but don’t know how to tell it
• Have too much on their plate
• Like ghosts

Ghostwriting is an excellent way to get your message out there without having to do all the hard work yourself. Hiring a ghostwriter can help you save time and energy and ensure your message is communicated effectively.

Ghostwriters can also bring a fresh perspective to the table, providing insight into how your audience will react to specific topics and ideas. With their expertise, you can create content that resonates with your target audience and drives results.

Who Uses Ghostwriters?

Writing is a great way to build a brand and get your story out there, but let’s be honest. It takes a lot of time. If you ever wonder how someone can write a daily blog post, a weekly newsletter, maybe act in a film, and write a novel all at the same time, they probably didn’t.

By nature of the business, there’s no official list of people who use ghostwriters, although some people do use the word collaborator. But people in every industry and walk of life employ ghostwriters.

Not everyone with something to say is a writer, and that’s okay! People who have specialized in writing are here to help you realize your vision.

Often, individuals who want to write a book hire ghostwriters to help them get their book across the finish line. But ghostwriters aren’t only for authors.

Companies in all kinds of industries rely on ghostwriters to help them write website content, social media posts, blogs and articles, white papers, lead magnets, emails, and just about anything else you can think of.

At People First Content, we act as ghostwriters for small businesses that need high-quality content but don’t have the time or resources to consistently produce it.

How To Work With a Ghostwriter

Once you’ve opted for working with a ghostwriter (or a team of content writers who will act as your ghostwriter), remember these things to make sure the process goes smoothly.

1. Do Your Homework

When you’re looking into a ghostwriting service, make sure to spend a lot of time exploring. Many ghostwriters will showcase their writing on their websites or in the form of blog content. It’s a good idea to read through some of their writing to ensure you like it.

Exercise caution when you are looking for a ghostwriter on freelancing websites. Their profiles may not be entirely accurate or factual.

If you’re hiring for a small project, you might be okay to limit the amount of time you spend scouring the internet. But for something like a memoir, novel, or long-term content writing project, picking the writer with the flashiest website or longest list of credentials can spell disaster.

Finally, if you need specialized knowledge, look for someone who has a background in what you’re writing about. This will dramatically cut down on the amount of time you need to spend teaching them about your area of expertise.

2. Make Sure You Click Personally

Once you have found a ghostwriter or content team that seems legitimate, read the testimonials of people who have worked with them. Then, schedule an interview to make sure they understand your vision. You also need to ensure your personalities click, especially if you plan on working closely with the individual.

The more personal the project, the more you need to know that it’s in good hands. And for a book project, you will especially want someone you get along with.

Someone can be a good ghostwriter but not the right ghostwriter for you. A quality ghostwriter will recognize the difference and won’t be afraid to tell you. They may even be able to recommend someone who would be better for your project.

3. Set Yourself up for Success

Communication is everything in a ghostwriting relationship. Setting expectations and establishing how you want to go about the process can make a world of difference. You don’t have to know everything going into a project, but you should have a good idea. Our questionnaire can help you hammer out the details so you’re prepared.Everyone has different preferences on how they go about things, so figure out a system that works well for you and your ghostwriter or content team.

Conclusion

Hiring a ghostwriter is a big step toward turning “I’ve been thinking about writing a novel” into “I’m getting my novel published” or “I need to write blog posts” to “hey, my organic traffic is growing, and I don’t even need to lift a finger.”

We know how personal writing can be, whether you are working on a project individually or growing your company.

Turning your content creation over to someone else can be nerve-wracking, but the process can be painless with the proper preparation and communication. Hiring a ghostwriter can be the best way to tell your story without hiring an in-house team.

Need help getting your ideas out of your head and onto the page? People First Content is here for you if you’re looking for a team that can help you from brainstorming to proofreading! We have prepared a set of questions to communicate your vision best. So contact us to start your project today!

The post How and Why To Hire a Ghostwriter appeared first on Xandra Kaste.

The internet is abuzz with the implications of AI writing. College professors are tearing their hair out over how this will affect essay plagiarism, and AI experts are trying to decide if we should be freaking out.

AI writing has plenty of philosophical implications, but fortunately, as marketers, we don’t need to worry about those. Instead, we should be concerned about how best to use AI copywriting for content marketing.

Some companies are having a lot of success with adding AI content to their business. Buzzfeed saw their stocks jump 150% after announcing they were going to start using ChatGPT to produce personalized content. 

However, CNET didn’t share that success when it was outed for publishing AI-generated news stories that were riddled with errors.

People First Content started using AI writing tools about a year ago after we wrote a blog post on their strengths and weaknesses. To clarify, absolutely none of our posts are 100% AI written. In fact, we only use AI for a select few types of writing. For those pieces, AI content makes up, on average, 10% of written content. In this article, all AI-generated content is in purple letters.

In that year, we’ve established some best practices for working with AI copywriting tools. We’ll walk you through finding the best AI copywriting tool for your business and becoming an expert in AI editing.

Why Use AI Copywriting

So what are the actual benefits of AI copywriters? 

I’ll let the computer take this question.

“AI copywriting is becoming increasingly popular as it offers a variety of benefits for content writers. Using AI copywriting tools, content writers can produce high-quality content faster and with fewer resources. 

AI copywriting tools are also helpful for generating ideas, producing personalized content, and optimizing existing content. With the help of AI copywriters, businesses can ensure that their content remains relevant and up-to-date in an ever-changing digital landscape.”-Rytr.

So there you are, straight from the horse’s mouth. 

If you’ve ever spent hours and hours laboring over that “bad first draft,” you will experience euphoria on seeing the same content generated in literally seconds. For the most part, writers who use AI writing software can focus on editing, structure, and ideas instead of filling in the necessary busywork of writing. 

And why you shouldn’t expect too much

But this comes with the huge disclaimer that you need to see the content AI produces as a bad first draft rather than something to send off to the presses. As we emphasized in our first post on AI copywriting, the content AI writing software produces often has a tone problem. Plenty of the text lies squarely in the uncanny valley of sounding almost right but not saying all that much.

And you’ll likely have to generate more text than you’ll use. I generally have to pick through about four times the amount of AI writing to Frankenstein together a workable draft. 

Does it save as much time as AI writing tools promise? Yes and no. Sometimes I will input a prompt and cry happy tears as the AI generates beautiful, fluid, intelligent text. And sometimes I look at the product and go, well, I’m on my own for this one.

Using AI copy is a lot like working with a car. Most of the time, it’s cheaper to repair what’s wrong with it. But sometimes, you have to call the whole thing a loss and start from scratch.

(Spoken like someone who has never been to a party with freshman philosophy majors)

So, are AI content generators worth it?

I can’t say definitively whether an AI copywriter is the right choice for everyone and every situation. They won’t always speed things up, and they won’t always provide something workable.

But depending on the use case, subject, and how you use them, AI copywriters can supplement good old-fashioned thinking.

Choosing the Best AI Copywriting Tool

The first step to taking advantage of AI writing is to choose a good AI copywriting tool for your workflow. This department has less variety than many companies would like you to believe, since most programs use the same base technology. 

I wouldn’t say there is a best AI copywriting software. Really, the best AI writing software is the one that fits your budget and has the most useful bells and whistles.

For the most part, AI copywriting software is based on GPT-3. However, you may be more familiar with ChatGPT. ChatGPT is the free and limited version of GPT-3 optimized for conversation. 

GPT-3 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3) is an artificial intelligence language model developed by OpenAI. It is the latest version of the GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) family of models and has been trained on a massive amount of data from web sources.

Companies train GPTs’ output for specific use cases and add other quality-of-life features (keyword research, editing, etc.) to produce copywriting AI.

This is a list of the dominant AI copywriting software. Instead of writing a blurb for each of them, I let them sell themselves. 

I asked each AI writing tool (that had a free trial) what made it stand out from the competition. The answers will give you some insight into what they’re capable of and showcase their tonal capabilities.

*Note: I used my program of choice, Rytr, to generate the descriptions for the ones that wanted my credit card information before I could do a free trial. These are all unedited, but I selected the phrases for clarity and succinctness, and added paragraph breaks for improved readability.

Rytr

Rytr stands out from other copywriting tools due to its ability to generate high-quality content quickly and efficiently. It uses natural language processing (NLP) and deep learning algorithms to understand the context of the content and generate relevant copy.

Rytr also offers a range of features that make it easier for copywriters to create engaging content. For example, it has an AI-powered suggestion engine that suggests relevant topics and keywords, as well as a library of ready-made templates that can be used as a starting point for creating new content.

Moreover, Rytr has an intuitive user interface which makes it easy for users to navigate and use the tool effectively. This means that even those who are not tech savvy can benefit from using Rytr’s powerful capabilities.

Smart Copy (AKA Snazzy AI)

What sets Smart Copy apart from other AI writers is its advanced understanding of human language. Smart Copy understands the context, structure, and meaning of your text and is able to craft content that reads naturally and is free of errors. 

It also has a wide range of features, including the ability to automatically generate titles, summaries, and outlines for your content. In addition, Smart Copy can be used to optimize existing content for search engines, making it easy to increase traffic to your website. 

Jasper AI (AKA Jarvis AI)*:

Jarvis AI is a powerful and innovative AI copywriting software that helps content writers to create high-quality content quickly and efficiently. It stands out from other AI writing tools due to its easy-to-use interface, advanced natural language processing capabilities, and ability to generate content in multiple languages.

Jarvis AI also offers an array of features such as automated research, keyword optimization, and real-time feedback that make it a great choice for any copywriter looking to streamline their workflow. It also provides the ability to integrate with third-party services like Salesforce, Slack, and Google Calendar. 

Copysmith AI

Copysmith offers a number of unique features that set it apart from other AI writing tools. Firstly, Copysmith uses natural language processing and machine learning to generate unique, well-written content with minimal human intervention. This enables users to generate high-quality content in a fraction of the time it would take to create manually. 

Additionally, Copysmith is designed with SEO and ranking factors in mind, which ensures that the generated content meets the standards of the target audience. 

Furthermore, Copysmith’s built-in analytics dashboard allows users to track the performance of their content and make adjustments based on the data. 

Finally, Copysmith offers real-time collaboration and feedback, allowing multiple users to work on content faster and with greater accuracy.

Writesonic AI

Writesonic’s AI is highly customizable. You can adjust parameters like the tone, syntax, and complexity of the content you want produced. This allows you to tailor the output to meet your exact needs. Writesonic’s AI is also trained on a large corpus of data, so it can produce content that is both on-brand and accurate. 

One of the most unique features of Writesonic is its ability to understand context. This means that the AI can take into account the context of a sentence or paragraph to produce content that is more coherent and natural. For example, if you’re writing an article about the benefits of a certain product, the AI will be able to identify the topic and produce content that is relevant and accurate. 

Furthermore, Writesonic can also generate content in multiple languages, so you can reach out to a larger audience. 

Copy AI

What makes Copy AI stand out from the competition?

The answer is simple: it’s not just an AI copywriter. It’s an AI copywriter that learns from you and your customers. That’s right, Copy AI is a self-learning algorithm that builds on your past successes and failures to create better, more engaging content over time.

Copy AIs unique approach to customer-driven content allows you to focus on what matters most — getting results for your business — while leaving behind the tedious work of creating strong content. It’s like having a team of highly skilled writers working on your behalf 24/7, 365 days a year!

Article Forge*

Article Forge stands out from other AI copywriting software because it offers a comprehensive suite of features that make it easier for content creators and copywriters to generate high-quality content quickly and efficiently. 

It offers a wide range of templates, an AI-powered writing assistant, and a library of pre-written articles that can be used as references. It also has the ability to detect plagiarism, which helps ensure the integrity of the content created. With its powerful features, Article Forge is one of the leading AI copywriting software solutions available today.

Shortly AI

There are a lot of different AI-related products on the market today, but what separates Shortly AI from the competition?

It’s an excellent question, and one we’re thrilled to answer! Primarily, Shortly AI is unique because it has been developed with a whole new type of machine learning algorithm. This algorithm is specifically designed to operate on short inputs so that users can create as many sentences as they like with just one word. 

It’s also been designed to improve over time, which means creating new sentences with Shortly AI is getting faster, easier, and more accurate. Finally, this new type of algorithm makes it possible for the technology to be a lot greener than other forms of AI.

5 Best Practices for Using AI Writing

Once you’ve chosen your program, it’s time to start writing. If you’re looking for more information on best practices for blogging in general, read this post. But these are the best practices for integrating AI writing into your content.

1. Think short and specific

If you expect to be able to plug in your title and generate 1,000-plus words, you will be very disappointed. The longer the text you generate without inputting information, the more likely the AI will repeat itself or go off on a tangent.

Input the prompt for a paragraph at max, then move on to the next micro topic.

2. Create variants

Most AI copywriting software will allow you to create variants of your output, and you should take advantage of that feature. I get the best content from stitching sentences from the different variants that phrase things the best.

3. Use AI for the appropriate mediums

AI writing excels with

• Web copy
• Product descriptions
• Email marketing
• Facebook or Google ads
• Meta-descriptions
• Social media captions
• And anything else factual, logical, and brief

It’s also great as a supplement within longer pieces for conveying background information.

Remember, the more creative and non-linear your content, the less suited AI will be.

4. Avoid chunks of AI writing

A little goes a long way in breaking up AI-generated writing. Much of the text AI produces employs repetitive sentence structures that can make reading boring after a while.

Make sure you’re peppering in analysis and logical segues.

5. Edit, edit, edit

When a paragraph comes out with almost exactly what you want, it’s tempting to cut and paste and move along. Don’t do this!

AI excels at making something look right at first glance that doesn’t hold up under examination. If you’ve seen the very lifelike AI-generated images of people with the wrong number of fingers, you know what I mean.

Read through the text to ensure that everything makes as much sense as it seems.

6. Verify everything

Along the same lines as editing for flow and meaning, and even more importantly, make sure you don’t trust any of the research AI puts in front of you.

Take this text, for example.

Seems very fair and above board until you realize that this don’t actually link to any real study. And while it’s possible it is, in fact, referencing a real study, I couldn’t find any that explicitly backed it up.

That’s just one example. I’ve had an AI copywriter give me three different dates for a company’s founding, mottos that didn’t exist, and random names for its president. And most unsettling of all, quotes that would have fit the text beautifully if they had actually been spoken by someone.

I’ve yet to have the AI tell me it can’t actually find the information it needs–it’s always very happy to give me something that could be correct but isn’t.

And while running a plagiarism check is always important before you publish something, AI makes it essential. Every so often, that “generated” text is actually lifted wholesale from some other source. So don’t skip that Grammarly check!

See if Your Text Passes the Turing Test

With the rise of AI copywriting, people (and search engines) have been producing more tools to detect AI writing. 

Google’s algorithm can’t quite nail down GPT-3-generated content yet, but they are working hard to nail it down.

There’s nothing wrong with using AI writing if you’ve added value (analysis, framing, etc.). But if you’re not sure you’ve done enough of that, an MIT student created a tool to detect AI-generated writing.

GPTZero is a very rudimentary tool, but it’s a great final test to ensure your writing is human enough.

It goes through your text and tests it for “perplexity” (randomness) and “burstiness” (how often your text is random). Then, using these metrics, it makes an educated guess at whether or not the text was human-generated.

Scores for 100% original writing

To show you the difference in scores, here is how I scored on the parts of this blog post that I wrote entirely by myself.

As you can see, lots of my sentences didn’t score crazy high on perplexity, which is good because that means my writing made sense. But every so often, a sentence scored way off the chart.

Scores for 100% AI-generated writing

And for the parts that were entirely AI-generated, this was how it came out.

The perplexity of the AI writing was less than half of the original writing.

There isn’t much variety in the sentences. The most random sentence only scored 120 as opposed to 600+.

It ended up with a score of roughly 1/5th likelihood of being written by a human.

Scores for 25% AI-generated writing

This final test shows results for a blog post I wrote that used about 25% AI content. Of course, it’s not a fair comparison because the writing for this sample was generally more formal and factual. But it’s still a good litmus test for using AI generation alongside original content.

The perplexity of the text is similar to the AI-generated text.

But the graph looks much more like the 100% original text with more hills and valleys in the randomness.

And this ends up in a score that’s only 1/2 as original as the 100% original text but is still scored as likely human.

AI Writing: A Helpful Supplement

If you’re wondering if you can get away with 100% AI writing and still end up with quality content, you’re out of luck. AI still can’t entirely mimic human writing with all its infinite complexity and randomness.

But AI writing software is a handy tool for writers and businesses looking for ways to cut some of the busy work out of writing to focus more on the creative and analytical side of content writing. 

The post I’ve been using AI writing software for a year—Here’s what I’ve learned appeared first on Xandra Kaste.

Article Summary

Lifestyle disease is on the rise. Every year, an alarming number of individuals are diagnosed with cardiovascular and metabolic disorders that could be avoided with healthy habits.

A group of related conditions known as “metabolic syndrome” can make you more susceptible to disease. These include high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar and triglycerides, low levels of “good” cholesterol, and increased fatty tissue around the waist, all of which occur from poor diet or lack of exercise.

The cure for these problems is simple at first glance, but may be challenging to put into practice. Anyone physically able should exercise regularly as the simplest and most accessible form of “medicine.” Exercise will help significantly to control cardio-metabolic disease onset and progression.

A diet of natural and “clean” foods in smaller portions can also keep these health issues at bay. One particularly popular diet is the low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet. Studies have consistently shown positive outcomes.

However, one potential problem with this approach is the extreme discipline required for long-term compliance. Considering this, ketone supplements have been used successfully and appear safe for oral ingestion when used regularly and at relatively high dosages, as reported recently for the Tecton ketone product, which is glycerol-bound. Of course, ketone use and adherence to a ketogenic diet are best done under the supervision of a qualified healthcare provider.

Introduction

Since the turn of the century, there has been a rise in lifestyle diseases. These are diseases caused by poor diet and exercise habits that can be deadly. And the worst part is a lot of these diseases are entirely preventable.

The term for this area of health is “Cardio-metabolic health.” Cardio-metabolic health is a relatively new term for the combination of cardiovascular and metabolic health and disease. This includes conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.

While most people are familiar with obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥30 kg/m²) and type 2 diabetes (fasting blood glucose ≥126 mg/dL), you may not have heard of metabolic syndrome.

In short, metabolic syndrome is a global epidemic of conditions that increase the risk of disease. These include

• elevated blood pressure (≥130/80 mm Hg)
• elevated blood sugar (≥ 100 mg/dL)
• excess body fat around the waist (waist circumference ≥ 40 inches for men and ≥ 35 inches for women)
• elevated blood triglycerides (≥ 150 mg/dL)
• and low blood high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (the so-called “good” cholesterol; ≤ 40 mg/dL for men and ≤ 50 mg/dL for women).

The American Heart Association recommends a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome when a person has three or more of the above factors. In addition, a pro-inflammatory state and a pro-thrombotic state may also be considered in the diagnosis.

If you have any of these risk factors or want to be proactive about your health, you’ll be happy to know that for most people, lifestyle interventions can help control metabolic syndrome. Lifestyle improvements include physical activity and dietary intake, including a lower-carbohydrate diet, possibly with supplemental ketones as an energy source.

Read on to learn more about how lifestyle can help you control/improve your metabolic health and how ketones can help you.

Lifestyle Factors To Improve Metabolic Health

While metabolic disease is widespread, the great news is that most of these conditions can be prevented or treated with various lifestyle factors. There is scientific support for a variety of lifestyle factors aimed at improving metabolic health, with the main focus on four in particular:

• Sleep
• Physical activity/exercise
• Dietary intake
• Dietary supplementation

Sleep

Everyone knows sleep is good for you, but did you know it plays a role in disease prevention?

Studies have shown that people who sleep 7 hours a night have the lowest risk of metabolic syndrome. Sleep disorders—insomnia, short sleep duration, sleep apnea, and shift work—can all contribute to metabolic dysregulation.

It has also been concluded that “Prolonged curtailment of sleep duration is a risk factor for the development of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke and may contribute, in the long-term, to premature death.”

Following good sleep hygiene (going to sleep at the same time every night, not looking at blue light a couple of hours before bed) can make a big difference in your overall health. If you’re struggling with sleep disorders, talk to your doctor to find a solution that works for you.

Physical Activity and Exercise

Physical activity (lower-intensity activity) and regular exercise (planned, structured activity of higher intensity) substantially impact metabolic health.

The easiest way to increase your physical activity is to integrate it into your day-to-day routine. Choices like taking the stairs or choosing to walk instead of driving can all add up to improve your overall health.

It’s best to do structured exercise—like going to the gym or doing a sport—for 30 minutes or more, four or more days a week. Exercise will improve your fitness (e.g., muscular strength or power, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance) and metabolic function (e.g., enzyme activity, mitochondrial health, substrate utilization).

From a blood sugar regulation perspective—which will have implications for pre-diabetes and diabetes—exercise is even more critical. This is because skeletal muscle contraction has an insulin-mimicking action or insulin-independent effect. It promotes glucose uptake from the bloodstream into cells, which depends on the amount of muscle mass used and the type, intensity, and duration of exercise. Unfortunately, these effects are short-lived, so you must exercise regularly for optimal glucose control and metabolic health.

Dietary Intake

Your diet is vital to the prevention and management of metabolic disease. Research has mainly focused on blood sugar control and alleviating insulin resistance. These studies have shown that a range of diets work, which means you can choose from an array based on your likes and dislikes.

For example, Mediterranean, low-fat, plant-based, and vegan diets all provide benefits. The ketogenic diet—which is high in fat, moderate in protein, and very low in carbohydrates—is an alternative to these carbohydrate-focused meal plans.

Dietary Supplementation

Dietary supplements can complement whatever diet you choose. These include items that function as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, and nutrients that aid mitochondrial function.

More recently, much discussion has centered on the use of supplemental ketones as an aid for metabolic health. A brief presentation related to dietary and supplemental ketones for metabolic health follows.

The Ketogenic Diet and Cardio-Metabolic Health

“Keto” is the common shorthand for the ketogenic diet. While there are variations, the standard ketogenic diet involves eating a high percentage of fat (usually about 60% or more), protein, and minimal carbohydrates.

To follow the keto diet, you must restrict your intake of dietary carbohydrates (e.g., bread, rice, pasta, fruit) to approximately 30-50 grams per day. 30-50 grams is the equivalent of 1-2 slices of bread or 1-2 pieces of fruit.

Instead of using all your daily carbs for an apple and a cracker, the keto diet encourages eating green vegetables rich in micronutrients but low in digestible carbohydrates. 

Therefore, the usual intake consists of meat, fish, eggs, certain cheeses, plain yogurt, oil, avocado, nuts and seeds, and small quantities of green vegetables.

Millions of people follow the keto diet for the simple reason that it works. Specifically, it has been reliably reported to result in weight/fat loss and improved cognitive performance.

Following the keto diet also improves a variety of cardio-metabolic factors. For example, the diet appears to help with heart failure, hypertension, and obesity-related metabolic disorders.

From a metabolic perspective, the reduction in carbs yields a consistently lower and more stable blood glucose level—the goal of many with pre-diabetes and diabetes. It also results in lower blood insulin levels and heightened insulin sensitivity.

The improvements in blood glucose and blood insulin levels improve the body’s ability to utilize stored fat as a fuel source. This explains why following the keto diet often helps reduce body weight and fat mass.

But the benefits extend beyond weight reduction and improved blood glucose levels. Keto can improve blood lipids and help prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Ketones and Cardiovascular Function

While ketones have many metabolic benefits, they also help with cardiovascular conditions (any condition affecting your heart and blood vessels). Both experimental and clinical research have found that ketones play a protective role in cardiovascular disease.

For example, ketones could be helpful for vascular function and have been suggested as a potential “game changer” for metabolic remodeling in models of heart failure.

Studies involving both ketogenic diets and supplemental ketone esters have noted favorable findings on various functional measures in models of heart failure, including suggestions for improvement in myocardial blood flow. Additional research is needed to determine the implications of ketones on the healthy heart and cardiovascular system.

Ketones and Mitochondria

It should be noted that ketones are also implicated in the vital task of improving mitochondrial function. You may already know this from high school biology, but mitochondria are the energy-producing organelles within cells and are responsible for generating ATP (Adenosine triphosphate).

Impaired mitochondrial function is involved in the origin of many chronic diseases. So, improving mitochondrial function helps prevent disease. The ketogenic diet may serve this purpose, and recent evidence has noted that following a ketogenic diet can improve mitochondrial function and efficiency in skeletal muscle.

One Potential Concern with Ketogenic Diets

While the cardio-metabolic data around ketones are encouraging, one concern remains: Many people cannot follow a strict ketogenic diet for a significant time. The keto diet requires a big lifestyle change and total diet overhaul that many people aren’t ready for, especially since there’s little room for error.

Some have suggested a modified ketogenic diet that is not as restrictive and uses supplemental “exogenous” ketones.

Ketone Supplements and Metabolic Health

Like the ketogenic diet, supplemental ketones have gained attention recently. These dietary supplements are typically consumed in beverages, powders, or gummies. They are referred to as exogenous ketones (outside the body) instead of endogenous ketones (produced in the liver).

Ketone supplements have a great deal of clinical potential and have successfully lowered blood glucose, which can also prompt ketone production within the body.

For those with type 2 diabetes, there is a lot of therapeutic potential. The authors of a study on the potential therapeutic effects of ketone supplements for Type 2 Diabetes state, “The recent advent of exogenous oral ketone supplements represents a novel, non-pharmacological approach to improving Type 2 diabetes pathophysiology and potentially protecting against cardiovascular disease risk.” 

Exogenous ketones can act as a clinical tool to improve metabolic health and cardiovascular function, potentially regulating inflammation and immune function. However, there is a need for further studies.

With ketone supplements, it’s best to choose the ester form since these have been reported to result in a more rapid and significant elevation in blood ketone levels compared to ketone salts.

In addition, more significant effects on blood glucose-lowering with ketone monoesters have been observed compared to ketone salts.

As always, it is best to consult a qualified healthcare provider before using ketone supplements or embarking on a ketogenic diet, particularly for people with diabetes and those with impaired glucose metabolism.

Citations

Advances in Nutrition: Review and meta-analysis of how ketone supplements affect blood glucose. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35380602/

Advances in Nutrition: Review of how effective ketogenic therapy is for people with neurodegenerative disease. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33621313/

American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism: Review of how a ketogenic diet and exercise changes mitochondrial function in muscle. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32985255/

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology: Review of the effects of the ketone body D-β-hydroxybutyrate. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34415393/

Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy: Overview of the obesity epidemic. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33561645/

Biomolecules: How Pyrroloquinoline-Quinone affects health and disease prevention. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34680074/

Circulation: Heart Failure: How preclinical models of heart failure show how ketone ester treatment improves cardiac function. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33356362/

Circulation: How ketones may affect metabolic remodeling in heart failure. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4826559/

Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine: How exercise can help manage type 2 diabetes. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5846677/

Current Cardiology Reports: Review of the causal relationship between sleep and cardio-metabolic risk. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5605599/

Current Diabetes Reports: Review of how sleep and circadian disorders affect metabolism. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24816752/

Current Hypertension Reports: A discussion of the widespread nature of metabolic syndrome. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29480368/

Current Nutrition Reports: Review of literature surrounding nutritional ketosis for weight management and treatment of metabolic syndrome. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6472268/

Current Pharmaceutical Design: Overview of exogenous ketone’s potential therapeutic effects for type 2 diabetes. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32013822/

Experimental Physiology: Exogenous ketone supplements as a tool in metabolic therapy. https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/EP090430

Frontiers in Endocrinology: Discussion of ketogenic diets and cardio-metabolic diseases. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34795641/

Frontiers in Physiology: How humans metabolize exogenous ketones. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29163194/

Journal of Diabetes Research: Review of the molecular mechanisms underlying glucose uptake after exercise. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27069930/

Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health: Review of how lifestyle correlates with certain diseases. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32892156/

Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism: Investigation into the implications of mitochondrial function and human health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5828461/

Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology: How low-calorie diets and intermittent fasting can help treat obesity and type-2 diabetes. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30683819/

Life Sciences: The ketogenic diet as a preventive measure to obesity and diabetes mellitus. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33121986/

Medical Principles and Practice: A review of how effective keto is for type 2 diabetes. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33040057/

Nutrients: A review of how diet affects metabolic disorders. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32326604/

Nutrients: A review of the evidence surrounding diet, chrononutrition, and exercise on glycemia and insulin resistance following meals. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35215472/

Nutrients: How a vegan diet can help metabolic syndrome. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33801269/

Nutrients: How fitness affects metabolic syndrome. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6683051/

Nutrients: How sleep correlates with metabolic syndrome: The NHANES 2013/2014. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31717770/

Nutrients: How the Mediterranean diet can impact metabolic health. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34204057/

Nutrients: Review of benefits of plant-based diets for cardio-metabolic health. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28792455/

Nutrients: Review of how (R)-3-Hydroxybutyrate Glycerides can enhance ketone intake. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9610502/

Nutrients: Study of how ketones affect blood glucose levels. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31581549/

Nutrients: Study on how the keto diet affects women with obesity. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34073344/

Pharmacological Research:  A review of cinnamaldehyde in diabetes. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28559210/

Physiological Reviews: Discussion of the current understanding of how exercise regulates muscle glucose uptake. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23899560/

Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology: Overview of the safety sustained use of ketone monoester drinks. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31655093/

Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports: Exercise as medicine – evidence for prescribing exercise as therapy in 26 chronic diseases. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26606383/

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism: Review of studies that have reported how ketone bodies affect heart failure. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32525972/

World Journal of Diabetes: Review of how the ketogenic diet affects the cardiovascular system. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7754168/

The post Ketones and Cardio-Metabolic Health appeared first on Xandra Kaste.

Look, drinking enough water is even hard for people. We have our expensive water bottles in our favorite colors, papered with our favorite stickers, and we still somehow end up drinking only iced coffee and wondering why we feel terrible. So it makes sense that cats—who are denied the simple pleasure of a personal water bottle—may not be keeping up with their hydration needs.

If you’ve noticed your furry roommate is neglecting their health, there are a few actual health things to check first, but if all else fails, we have a secret hack for you to try out.

How Much Water Does My Cat Need a Day?

Cats naturally need less water than our beloved, slobbery dog friends. On average, cats need about 3.5 to 4.5 oz of water for every five pounds they weigh. So, if your cat is the average 10 lbs, they need about a cup of water a day.

However, this does vary depending on how much wet food you feed them. If they’re on a diet of primarily dry food, they need that full daily allowance, but they can get a lot of that hydration just from a can of wet food.

Is My Cat Dehydrated?

Calculating the recommended daily water intake is not an exact science, so a better way to check if your cat is dehydrated is to observe specific bodily signs.

Loss of skin elasticity is the first tell. If your cat’s skin doesn’t snap back when you pull the nape of its neck, it’s likely dehydrated. The state of their gums is also a good way to check their health: pale or sticky gums are a bad sign. The last symptom to look out for is sunken eyes. Lastly, if they’ve thrown up recently, they’re way more likely to be dehydrated.

Just to be clear, if your cat is showing these symptoms, it’s also a good idea to check in with the vet to make sure it’s nothing serious, but if it’s just dehydration, there’s a hack for you.

Tell Me That Tip, Please

There are some very good and practical pieces of advice, such as making sure your cat’s water bowl is clean and creating a more welcoming environment, but the problem is that those solutions aren’t funny.

Reverse psychology works well on humans, but even better on the famously contrarian cats. Once a cat has been told something is off limits to them, they’re much more likely to do everything in their power to get it. That’s why you should get the fanciest thrift store goblet money can buy and leave it around your house for your cat to sneak sips out of.

They’ll be lapping their daily recommended dose of water, thinking they’re getting away with murder, as you high-five yourself for being such a savvy pet owner. And if your cat is always trying to get at a cup or mug of yours, that’s an even easier in.

Check that your chosen vessel is heavy enough that your cat can’t knock it over, and if it’s from a thrift store, make certain you’re not accidentally feeding your cat lead paint or any other nasty chemicals. But once you’ve found the perfect chalice, it’s a win for everyone involved.

Especially your fancy, fancy cat.

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While most SEO tools recommend generic character limits (60 for titles and 165 for meta descriptions), Google actually measures SERP snippets in pixels—600px for titles and 920px for meta descriptions. I built this custom tool to provide accurate, pixel-based validation with real-time visual feedback. Users can instantly see whether their meta content will be truncated in search results, eliminating guesswork and improving SERP optimization.

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Web Development at People First Content

As the lead web developer for People First Content, I designed and built the agency’s complete digital presence using Squarespace as the foundation. I enhanced the platform’s capabilities through custom HTML, CSS, and JavaScript implementations, creating interactive tools such as a meta title and description length checker and a keyword density calculator that provided potential clients with useful tools.

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