Jeff Bullas

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

“Shadowbanning” is a term creators use to describe a situation where they believe a platform is limiting their content’s reach without an official notification. While TikTok does not officially use or acknowledge the term “shadowban,” its systems can and do reduce the visibility of content or accounts that violate or push the boundaries of its Community Guidelines.

There are a few key signs that might indicate your account’s reach is being restricted. First, the most common symptom is a sudden and significant drop in video views. This is particularly telling if your new videos consistently get far fewer views than what is typical for your account, especially within the first few hours after posting.

Second, you can check your video analytics for a specific clue. For a recent video that is underperforming, go into its analytics and look at the “Traffic source types.” If you see that you are receiving zero or an extremely low percentage of views from the “For You” page, this is a strong indicator that your content is not being distributed for discovery to new audiences. Your views in this case would primarily be coming from your own followers (“Following” feed) and from people visiting your profile directly.

Third, another method you can try is to search for one of your video’s unique hashtags. Post a new video with a hashtag that is completely unique and has never been used before. Then, ask a friend who does not follow you to search for that hashtag on TikTok. If your video does not appear in the search results for that unique tag, its visibility may be suppressed.

These restrictions can sometimes be triggered by posting content that is borderline or violates TikTok’s guidelines, even if the video is not removed entirely. This can include sensitive topics, using banned hashtags, or receiving multiple reports from other users. Sometimes, activity that appears spammy, like following accounts too quickly, can also be a trigger.

If you suspect your reach is being limited, a good first step is to review your recent content and delete any videos that might be questionable. Some users also report that taking a short break from posting for a few days can sometimes help. When you resume posting, focus on creating high-quality, original content that clearly complies with all community standards.

In summary, while “shadowbanning” is not an official term from TikTok, a dramatic drop in traffic from the “For You” page is the key indicator of a content restriction. The best course of action is always to review your content for any potential policy violations and focus on creating safe, high-value videos going forward.

Cheers,

Jeff

The “Top Voice” badge on LinkedIn is the platform’s way of recognising individuals who consistently share high-quality, expert knowledge in their respective fields. While there used to be a more exclusive, invitation-only program, the primary way for most professionals to earn this distinction now is through community contributions.

The main pathway to earning a Community Top Voice badge is by making valuable contributions to LinkedIn’s Collaborative Articles. These are articles on a vast range of professional topics that are initiated by LinkedIn, often with the help of AI, and then opened up to the community for experts to add their insights and real-world experience.

Here is how the process generally works. First, you need to find and contribute to Collaborative Articles that are relevant to your skills. You can often find these suggested to you by LinkedIn based on the skills listed on your profile.

Second, your contribution involves adding your written perspective to a section of an article. The goal is to provide a helpful, insightful, and well-written comment that genuinely adds value for anyone reading the article.

Third, your contributions are then effectively voted on by the community. Other LinkedIn members can react to your contribution, and if they find it “Insightful,” it signals its quality.

Fourth, to earn the badge, you need to be among the top contributing voices for a particular skill. LinkedIn’s system assesses the quality and quantity of your contributions. If you are consistently rated as one of the top contributors for a specific skill, such as “Marketing Strategy” or “Search Engine Optimisation,” you can be awarded the “Top Marketing Strategy Voice” or “Top SEO Voice” badge, for example.

It is important to note that this badge is tied to a specific skill and is not necessarily permanent. You need to maintain a certain level of high-quality contributions over time to retain it.

In summary, for most professionals, the path to earning a “Top Voice” badge is not about general posting or getting likes on your own content, but rather about demonstrating and sharing your expertise by consistently providing valuable, high-quality contributions to LinkedIn’s Collaborative Articles within your specific areas of skill.

Cheers,

Jeff

Using Facebook Stories effectively to increase Page engagement in 2025 is less about broadcasting polished content and more about being interactive, authentic, and consistent.

There are several key practices that work well. First, you should make extensive use of Facebook’s interactive stickers. This is the most direct way to encourage engagement. Use the “Poll,” “Quiz,” and “Question” stickers frequently to ask your audience for their opinions, test their knowledge, or invite them to ask you questions. These direct interactions are strong, positive signals.

Second, share behind-the-scenes content. The Stories format is perfect for less formal, more human content. You could show your workspace, the process of creating a product, a “day in the life” of your business, or introduce your team members. This helps to humanise your brand and builds a stronger connection with your audience.

Third, leverage User-Generated Content (UGC). You can encourage your followers to tag your Page in their posts or Stories, and then reshare that content to your own Page’s Story. This not only provides you with authentic content but also acknowledges and rewards your most engaged community members.

Fourth, use a clear Call to Action (CTA). Tell your audience what you want them to do next. This might be directing them to a link in your bio, asking them to send your Page a direct message, or encouraging them to visit your website. While direct linking in Stories has had varying eligibility, guiding them to the next step is crucial.

Fifth, post consistently. Posting to your Story regularly, ideally daily if possible, keeps your Page at the top of your followers’ Story feeds and signals to the Facebook algorithm that your Page is active and has fresh content.

Sixth, prioritise video content where possible. While static images can be used effectively, short video clips are generally more engaging and dynamic in the Stories format. Think quick tips, simple demonstrations, or brief “talking head” style messages.

And seventh, cross-promote your other Facebook content. Use a Story to announce that you have just published a new post on your main feed, a new video, or an event. This can help drive traffic and engagement back to your more permanent content.

The main thing to avoid is treating your Stories like just another place for static advertisements. The format thrives on authenticity and two-way interaction. By using the interactive tools provided and showing the human side of your brand, you can significantly increase your Page’s engagement.

Cheers,

Jeff

The role that tags play on YouTube has evolved significantly over the years. While they are no longer the critical ranking factor they were in the past, they do still have a purpose and are worth using correctly, though they should be a lower priority than other elements of your video optimisation.

First, it is important to understand YouTube’s official position, which is that tags play a minimal role in video discovery. The algorithm now places far more weight on your video’s title, thumbnail, and description, as well as crucial engagement metrics like audience retention and watch time. These elements provide stronger signals about your video’s content and its quality.

The primary function of tags today is to help YouTube understand the context of your video, particularly when your topic might be commonly misspelled by searchers. Think of tags as a way to account for spelling variations or to add a bit more context that does not naturally fit into your main title or description. For example, if your main keyword has a common misspelling, you can include that in your tags.

Regarding how many tags you should use, there is no magic number. The best practice is not to “stuff” the tag section with as many keywords as possible. Quality and relevance are far more important than quantity.

A sensible approach is to use a moderate number of tags, perhaps somewhere between 5 and 15. Your first tag should almost always be your main, target keyword. Following that, you can add a few variations or more specific, long-tail keywords. Finally, you can include one or two broader tags that describe the general category of your video.

Filling the entire 500-character limit is not necessary and can sometimes be counterproductive if you are adding irrelevant tags just for the sake of it. Adding misleading tags that are not related to your video’s content is also a violation of YouTube’s policies.

Your time and effort are much better spent crafting a compelling, keyword-optimised title, designing a clickable, high-quality thumbnail, and writing a detailed, helpful description. These three elements have a far greater impact on your video’s performance than the tag section does.

In summary, you should still use tags, but view them as having a minor, supporting role. Use a handful of highly relevant tags to help with context and potential misspellings, but put the vast majority of your optimisation efforts into your title, thumbnail, and description.

Cheers,

Jeff

Finding out when your followers are most active is a key part of an effective TikTok content strategy, and the platform provides this information directly within its native analytics tools.

First, to access this data, your account must be set up as either a Creator Account or a Business Account. You cannot view detailed analytics on a standard personal account. If you have not already, you can switch your account type easily in your settings, usually under the “Manage account” section. It is free to do so.

Once you have a Creator or Business account, you can find your follower activity data with a few steps. First, go to your profile page in the TikTok app. Second, tap the three horizontal lines, often called the hamburger menu, in the top-right corner of the screen. Third, select “Creator Tools” or “Business Suite” from the menu that appears.

Fourth, within this new menu, tap on “Analytics.” Fifth, inside the main Analytics dashboard, navigate to the “Followers” tab, which is usually located at the top of the screen alongside “Overview” and “Content.”

Sixth, in the Followers tab, scroll down until you find the “Follower activity” section. This area will show you data, typically from the last 7 days, on when your audience has been most active on the platform. It usually displays this information in two ways: one showing the days of the week with the highest activity, and another showing a breakdown of the specific hours of the day. The times shown are generally in your local time zone.

To use this data effectively, identify the one or two days and the specific 2 to 4 hour window where your follower activity is at its peak. This is your prime time. You should experiment by posting your new content either just before or right at the beginning of these peak periods to maximise its initial visibility and potential for engagement.

It is also important to note that you generally need to have at least 100 followers before TikTok will have enough data to populate these follower activity charts for you.

In summary, the follower activity data is found in the Followers tab of your TikTok Analytics, which is accessible with a Creator or Business account. Using this information to guide your posting schedule is a very smart strategy.

Cheers,

Jeff

Finding relevant LinkedIn Groups that are genuinely active requires a methodical approach to both searching for them and then vetting their quality before you decide to join.

First, to find potential groups, you can use LinkedIn’s main search bar. Enter keywords that are relevant to your industry, your specific profession, or your professional interests. Once the search results load, be sure to click on the “Groups” filter to narrow down the list to only show groups.

Second, a very effective method is to look at the profiles of influential people or respected colleagues in your field. Scroll down to the “Interests” section at the bottom of their profile, where you will often find a list of the groups they are members of. This can be a great way to discover high-quality, curated communities.

Third, LinkedIn’s algorithm will also suggest groups to you based on your profile information, skills, and connections. You can usually find these recommendations on your main “Groups” page.

Once you have a list of potential groups, the next crucial step is to assess their health and activity level before joining. First, look at the number of members, but do not let a large number be the only deciding factor, as many members can be inactive.

Second, and more importantly, check the recent activity level. On the group’s preview page, you should be able to see how many posts were made in the past week or month. A healthy group will have at least several new posts and discussions each week. If the latest activity is from many months ago, the group is dormant.

Third, scan the content of the recent posts. Are they thoughtful questions, shared articles, and valuable insights relevant to the industry? Or is the feed clogged with self-promotional spam and irrelevant links? A high ratio of spam is a clear red flag that the group is poorly moderated.

Fourth, look for engagement on the posts themselves. Are other members liking and, more importantly, commenting on the discussions? A group with active, back-and-forth conversations is the kind of community you are looking for.

Fifth, review the group’s rules, which are usually available in the “About” section. Well-moderated groups will have clear rules regarding spam and self-promotion, which is a positive sign.

Finding good groups is a two-step process: use targeted searches and look at the groups your professional network belongs to in order to find them, and then thoroughly vet their recent activity and content quality before committing to join. An active, well-moderated group is a far better use of your time than a large, silent one.

Cheers,

Jeff