Jeff Bullas

Creating a retargeting audience from your website visitors is a highly effective strategy in Facebook Ads. The entire process is managed within the “Audiences” section of your Ads Manager, but it relies on one crucial prerequisite.

Before you can create this type of audience, you must have the Meta Pixel installed correctly on your website. The Pixel is a piece of code that tracks your website visitors and the actions they take, such as viewing a page or adding an item to a cart. It then sends this data back to Facebook. Without the Pixel installed and active, Facebook has no way of knowing who has visited your site.

Once the Pixel is in place and collecting data, you can create your audience. First, navigate to the “Audiences” section of your Facebook Ads Manager or Meta Business Suite. This is typically found in the main menu, sometimes under the “All Tools” section.

Second, click on the “Create Audience” button and then select “Custom Audience” from the available options.

Third, you will be asked to choose the source for your custom audience. For this purpose, you will select “Website” as your source and click “Next.”

Fourth, you will then need to define the rules for your audience. This is where you specify exactly which website visitors you want to include. Some of the most common and effective options include:
An audience of all website visitors within a specific timeframe, such as the last 30, 90, or up to 180 days.
An audience of people who visited specific web pages. This is very useful for targeting people who have shown interest in a particular product or service category.
You can also create audiences based on specific events that your Pixel has tracked, such as “ViewContent,” “AddToCart,” or “Purchase.”

Fifth, you can further refine your audience by including or excluding people based on these rules. A very common and powerful practice for e-commerce is to create an audience of people who have added an item to their cart but did not complete the purchase. You would achieve this by creating an audience that includes people who triggered the “AddToCart” event but then excluding people from that audience who also triggered the “Purchase” event.

Sixth, you need to name your audience clearly, for example, “All Website Visitors – 30 Days” or “Viewed Product X – 14 Days.” After you create the audience, Facebook will begin to populate it with users who match your criteria. This process can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.

A good starting point for most is to create a broad audience of “All website visitors” from the last 30 or 90 days. As your website traffic grows, you can then create more granular, high-intent audiences based on visits to key pages or specific actions taken on your site.

Cheers,

Jeff

Realising your Facebook account has been compromised, either by being hacked or cloned, can be very stressful. It is important to act quickly and methodically. The immediate steps are slightly different for each situation.

First, it is important to distinguish between the two. A hacked account means someone has gained unauthorised access to your actual account. A cloned account means someone has copied your public information, like your name and photos, to create a new, fake profile.

If you believe your account has been hacked, meaning someone else has control of it, you must act to secure it. First, if you can still log in, go immediately to your “Settings & Privacy,” then “Accounts Centre,” and then “Password and security.” Change your password straight away. While you are there, use the “Where you’re logged in” feature to review all active sessions and choose the option to “Log out of all other sessions.”

Second, if the hacker has already changed your password and locked you out, you must go directly to Facebook’s dedicated account recovery page, which is facebook.com/hacked. Follow the on-screen prompts to report that your account has been compromised. Facebook will guide you through a process to verify your identity and reclaim your account.

Third, once you regain access, enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) if you have not already. This is one of the most effective measures to prevent future unauthorised access. You should also review all recent account activity, including posts, messages, and ads, for anything suspicious. Finally, it is wise to post on your own timeline to let your friends know you were hacked and to disregard any strange messages they may have received from your account.

If your account has been cloned, which means a fake profile is impersonating you, the process is different. First, you need to go to the fake, cloned profile page. Do not send it a friend request.

Second, on the cloned profile, find the three dots (…) menu, which is usually near the cover photo. Click it and select “Find support or report profile.”

Third, follow the prompts. You should choose the option for “Pretending to be someone” and then select “Me” to report that the account is impersonating you.

Fourth, it is very important to ask your friends to also report the cloned profile. The more reports an impersonating account receives, the more quickly Facebook’s team is likely to review and remove it. You can do this by creating a post on your own, real timeline. In that post, it is helpful to include a link to the fake profile and clearly instruct your friends not to accept any requests from it and to report it for impersonation.

In either situation, acting quickly is key. For a hack, the priority is regaining control and securing your account. For a clone, the priority is reporting the fake profile to get it removed.

Cheers,

Jeff

Regularly cleaning your email list, often called list hygiene, is a critical practice for maintaining good deliverability, improving your engagement metrics, and, in many cases, reducing the monthly cost of your email marketing service.

There is no single, rigid schedule that fits everyone, but a good rule of thumb for most businesses and creators is to perform a major list cleaning process at least once or twice per year. If you have a very large list, a high volume of new subscribers coming in, or you notice your engagement rates are steadily declining, you might consider doing it more frequently, perhaps every three to six months.

The best way to clean your list is through a methodical, step-by-step process. First, you need to define what an “inactive subscriber” is for your specific context. A common definition is someone who has not opened or clicked any of your emails in a set period, for example, the last 90 or 180 days. The timeframe you choose will often depend on your sending frequency.

Second, once you have created a segment of these inactive subscribers, you should not immediately delete them. The best practice is to first run a re-engagement or “win-back” campaign. This is typically a short series of one to three emails sent only to this inactive segment with the goal of getting them to interact one last time.

Third, your re-engagement emails should use a compelling and direct subject line, something like “Is this goodbye?” or “Do you still want to hear from us?”. The content of the email should remind them of the value you provide and must include a very clear call to action that asks them to confirm they wish to remain on your list, usually by clicking a specific link.

Fourth, after the re-engagement campaign has concluded, you can then confidently remove the subscribers who still did not open or click. These are the subscribers who have demonstrated they are no longer interested, and keeping them on your list is likely harming your sender reputation and skewing your performance metrics.

Fifth, in addition to this major cleaning process, it is also good practice to ensure that any hard bounces – which are emails that fail permanently due to an invalid address – are removed from your list immediately. Most reputable email service providers handle this part automatically.

This process ensures you do not prematurely remove people who might still be interested, while effectively cleaning out the subscribers who are negatively impacting your list’s health. It is a vital part of maintaining a high-performing email marketing program.

Cheers,

Jeff

Using the built-in “Branding watermark” feature on YouTube is generally a recommended practice, though it is important to understand its primary function and its limitations.

First, it is crucial to clarify what this feature is. It is not a traditional watermark that is permanently burned into your video file. Instead, it is a small, customisable image that YouTube overlays in the bottom-right corner of the video player, primarily when viewed on a desktop computer.

The single most significant benefit of this feature is that when a viewer on a desktop hovers their mouse over the watermark image, it expands to show a clickable “Subscribe” button. This provides a persistent and convenient opportunity for viewers to subscribe to your channel directly from within the video player itself, without having to navigate away from what they are watching. This can help to increase your subscriber conversion rate.

Second, it does contribute to consistent channel branding. Using your channel logo or another recognisable icon helps to reinforce your brand’s identity across all of your videos.

Third, regarding content protection, the branding watermark offers very minimal defence against video theft. Because it is an overlay added by YouTube and does not always appear on all devices or in all viewing contexts (its functionality is most prominent on desktop), it is not a robust anti-piracy tool. Someone could easily screen-record your video, and the watermark might not be visible or could be cropped out. Its main purpose is not content protection.

There are very few downsides to using it. The main consideration is to ensure the image you use for the watermark is simple, not visually distracting, and does not obscure any important on-screen information that might appear in the bottom-right corner of your videos.

You can set this feature up in YouTube Studio, under the “Customisation” tab, and then “Branding.” YouTube gives you the option to have it display for the entire video, only at the end, or at a custom start time. Setting it to display for the “Entire video” is generally the most effective choice to maximise its utility as a subscribe button.

In summary, the key benefit of the YouTube branding watermark is that it acts as an ever-present subscribe button for your desktop viewers. It is a simple and recommended feature to enable for channel branding and to potentially help grow your subscriber base.

Cheers,

Jeff

Using TikTok’s Duet and Stitch features effectively is a powerful way to engage with existing content, trends, and conversations on the platform, which can significantly boost your own visibility and engagement. While both involve using another creator’s video, they serve different creative purposes and require slightly different approaches.

First, it is important to understand the fundamental difference. A Duet places your video side-by-side with the original, with both playing simultaneously. This format is ideal for real-time reactions, comparisons, dance-alongs, or creating harmonies. A Stitch, on the other hand, allows you to use the first few seconds of someone else’s video as an introduction to your own, which then plays in full. This format is perfect for providing commentary, answering a question posed in the original video, or adding a surprising continuation or “punchline.”

For creating an effective Duet, your contribution needs to add genuine value or entertainment. Simply watching the other video silently is not enough. Your reaction is the new content. This could be a comedic facial expression, providing a different perspective on the topic, acting out a complementary role, or demonstrating a technique alongside the original. It is often effective to Duet with videos that are already trending or are highly relevant to your niche to join a larger conversation.

For an effective Stitch, the success often depends on your response to the original clip. The first part of the video sets up a premise, and your video needs to deliver a satisfying, insightful, funny, or surprising conclusion. Using Stitch to answer questions posed in other videos or to add your expert commentary to a topic is an excellent way to provide value and demonstrate your knowledge. Creating a comedic or unexpected twist on the original clip’s premise is also a very popular and effective strategy.

There are a few points of general etiquette to keep in mind for both features. First, always give credit to the original creator. While TikTok does this automatically by linking to the original video or sound, mentioning their username in your caption is a respectful practice. Second, do not use these features to bully, harass, or spread hate, as this is a clear violation of community guidelines.

The overall goal is to add to the original video’s narrative, not just to passively react to it. Your contribution is what will make viewers engage with your version and be curious enough to check out your profile. By choosing videos that allow you to provide a creative, insightful, or entertaining response, you can use these features to significantly increase your engagement.

Cheers,

Jeff

Asking for a LinkedIn Recommendation requires a professional and considerate approach. The key to getting a positive and timely response is to make the process as easy as possible for the person you are asking.

First, you should choose the right person to ask. The best recommendations come from people who have worked closely with you and can genuinely speak to your skills, work ethic, and accomplishments. Good candidates include former managers, senior colleagues you collaborated with, or clients for whom you have completed significant work. Avoid asking people who do not know your work well.

Second, it is best to use LinkedIn’s official “Request a Recommendation” feature, as this streamlines the process. You can do this by navigating to the profile of the person you wish to ask, clicking the “More” button in their introduction card, and then selecting “Request a Recommendation.”

Third, and most importantly, you must personalise the message that comes with the request. Do not just send the generic, default invitation. Your personalised message should start with a polite opening and then briefly remind them of the context of your working relationship, for example, “I hope you are well. I really enjoyed working with you on the XYZ project at ABC Company.”

Fourth, you need to gently guide them on what you would like them to highlight. This is not about telling them what to write, but about making their job easier by jogging their memory. You could say something like, “If you are able to, I would be particularly grateful if you could mention my contributions to the successful product launch,” or “Perhaps you could speak to my project management skills demonstrated during that time.” This helps them focus and saves them the effort of trying to recall specific details from scratch.

Fifth, always be considerate of their time. Acknowledge that they are busy and express your gratitude for their consideration in your request message.

After you have sent the request, if you do not hear back within a week or two, it is generally acceptable to send a single, polite follow-up message as a gentle reminder.

Once they have written the recommendation, LinkedIn allows you to review it before it is displayed on your profile, and you can also request minor revisions if necessary. After accepting it, always send a personal thank-you message to show your appreciation. It is also a very good professional courtesy to offer to write a recommendation for them in return.

In summary, the key to asking for a recommendation professionally is to choose the right person, send a thoughtful, personalised request that makes it easy for them to write it, and to be gracious throughout the process.

Cheers,

Jeff

In 2025, driving high levels of engagement in a Facebook Group is about prioritising content formats that are specifically designed to encourage participation and conversation, rather than just passive consumption.

There are several formats that are consistently effective. First, simple questions and discussion prompts are fundamental. Open-ended questions that are directly relevant to your group’s purpose are one of the most reliable ways to spark a conversation. This can include prompts asking for members’ opinions, experiences, challenges, or advice on a particular topic.

Second, polls and quizzes are extremely effective for generating quick interaction. They offer a very low-friction way for members to participate with a single click, which can then lead to further discussion in the comments. Polls are also an excellent way to gather valuable insights and feedback from your community.

Third, live video can create a significant engagement spike. Hosting a live Q&A session, an interview with an expert, a tutorial, or a behind-the-scenes look at something relevant to your group encourages real-time comments and questions. This creates a strong sense of community and immediacy that is difficult to replicate with other formats.

Fourth, creating themed daily or weekly posts can build a habit of engagement among your members. For example, you could implement “Member Introduction Monday,” “Tip Tuesday,” or a weekly thread for members to share their work or recent successes. These recurring features give members a specific reason to check in and contribute regularly.

Fifth, celebrating your members is a powerful tactic for building community loyalty. This could involve highlighting a member’s achievement, sharing a valuable piece of user-generated content (always with their permission and giving them credit), or creating a dedicated post to welcome new members and encourage them to introduce themselves.

Sixth, while short-form content is popular, do not underestimate the power of a well-written, value-driven text post. In many niche or professional groups, a longer post that shares a unique story, a detailed perspective, or a helpful guide can perform very well and generate deep, thoughtful discussions.

What is often less effective for generating conversation is passively sharing links to external articles or posting images without a compelling caption or question to prompt a response. The key is to create content that explicitly asks for or facilitates member participation. Focusing on questions, polls, live video, and community-building themes is the best way to foster a genuinely interactive group.

Cheers,

Jeff

Using YouTube Chapters in your videos is an excellent way to improve the viewer experience, especially for longer content, and it can also provide some benefits for discoverability. The setup process is straightforward and is managed entirely within your video’s description.

To set up your chapters, you need to add a list of timestamps and corresponding titles into your video’s description box. There are a few simple but strict formatting rules you must follow. First, your list must start with the timestamp 0:00. This is a mandatory first entry and typically serves as the introduction.

Second, you must list at least three chapters for the feature to activate, and they must be listed in chronological, ascending order.

Third, the minimum length for any individual chapter segment is 10 seconds.

The format itself is very simple. You write the timestamp followed by a space and then the chapter title, with each new chapter on its own line. For example, it would look like this in your description:
0:00 Intro
1:15 Discussing the Main Problem
5:20 Presenting the First Solution
9:05 Final Conclusion

Beyond the technical setup, there are some best practices for using chapters effectively. First, you should use clear and descriptive chapter titles. The titles should accurately reflect the content of that segment, helping viewers quickly find the specific information they are looking for.

Second, be strategic with your chapter breaks. Create chapters for logical, distinct sections of your video. Having too many very short chapters can be more distracting than helpful.

Third, consider Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). The chapter titles you create can appear in Google search results, sometimes as distinct segments under your main video link. Using relevant keywords in your chapter titles, where it makes sense, can improve the chances of your video showing up for more specific search queries.

Chapters can also have a positive effect on audience retention. By allowing viewers to easily skip to sections that are most relevant to them, they may be more likely to continue watching your video rather than leaving if they encounter a part that is less interesting to them.

After you have added the list to your description and saved the changes, refresh the video page. You should see the video player’s progress bar is now visually segmented into the chapters you have created. If they do not appear, double-check your formatting, especially that you have started with 0:00 and have at least three timestamps listed.

Cheers,

Jeff