A telescope is a tool that astronomers use to see objects from afar. Most telescopes use curved mirrors to focus light from the night sky. The first telescopes focused light by using pieces of curved, clear glass called lenses. Today we use mirrors as they as lighter and easier to make perfectly smooth.

The telescope

Powerful telescopes can see dim objects and objects that are really far away. To do that, the optics have to be really big. The bigger the mirrors or lenses, the more light the telescope can gather. The mirrors and lenses of a telescope must be just the right shape to concentrate the light. They must be without spots, scratches or other flaws.

The mirrors or lenses in a telescope are called "optics"

A lens bends light passing through it, like eyeglasses, to make faraway objects seem closer. Thick lenses are more powerful but also very heavy. Heavy lenses are difficult to make and hold in the right place. Thicker glass also prevents more of the light from passing through. Because light is passing through the lens, the lens's surface has to be extremely smooth.

A telescope made with lenses is called a refracting telescope

A mirror can be very thin and a bigger mirror does not have to be thicker. Light is concentrated by bouncing off of the mirror that needs to be the correct curved shape. Mirrors have their own problems. For example, the curved mirror in a telescope flips the image. It can be fixed by using other mirrors to flip it back.

A telescope that uses mirrors is called a reflecting telescope

Telescopes use mirrors and lenses to help us see faraway objects. And mirrors tend to work better than lenses! Learn all about it here.

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

How Do Telescopes Work? | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids

Have a to-do list longer than you know what to do with, or where to start? Feeling overwhelmed? Try giving your tasks an ROI value. ROI stands for return on investment. Usually, we want the highest ROI possible; it is a measure of how well the sale of a product or service went compared to how much we invested in things like ads, free trainings/webinars, our time invested.

Your Tasks Have An ROI

ROI is a common calculation in sales, and is usually calculated by dividing the investment by the return.Normally our ROI tells us how well a sale or promotion went for us. The higher the ROI means we made more per sale in relation to our costs for that product launch. The ROI for tasks that we are about to talk about is a number (1–4) assigned to each item on our to-do list or brain dump. It is the value we will get out of a task (our return) based on the amount of effort (our investment) we put into getting the task complete.

The ROI Equation

Not only does this method give us the MITs (Most Important Tasks) to work on first but it also can even eliminate things on our to-do lists because we see they are “1’s” and may end up deciding they are not worth the effort at all.  Whenever you have a long to-do list and just don’t know where to start. This could also be something you use daily, or weekly during your planning sessions to give you an idea of the tasks that you should begin with to make your day the most productive it can be.

ROI On Your To-Do List

Have a to-do list longer than you know what to do with, or where to start? Feeling overwhelmed? Try giving your tasks an ROI value. Here’s how ROI stands for return on investment. Usually, we want…

productivity

Productivity

problemsolving

Problem Solving

How to start when you have no idea where to start

Debt can be an excellent option for some, but it's not for everyone. If taking on any amount of debt means that your anxiety will go through the roof and <a href="https://www.inc.com/ami-kassar/how-to-choose-your-growth-lane-sleep-well-at-night.html">prevent you from sleeping</a>, then don't take it. Debt can be evil if you misuse it, but it can be a great tool to grow if used correctly.

The Two Sides Of Debt

Having a set monthly payment is a predictable way to manage the remainder of your cash flow each month in case of emergencies and to preserve future profits.You don't have to wait for your cash flow to skyrocket to grow, and you don't have to sell equity to grow and try to become a unicorn. But, in the media, you always see the entrepreneurs highlighted who were able to grow their company at an incredible speed, and sometimes you may wonder, why not me? Why can't I do that?

A Limited Income Every Month

Many of us don't have the tolerance for high risk and speed. Maybe we did at one point, when we had nothing to lose, but now there's everything to lose. There are plenty of growth lanes in the middle, and you should never be ashamed of taking one of those. This is your business, so do what works for you.

Risky Business

Business owners should remain open-minded and take in all the information they can that could benefit their company and lead to a better life for them and their employees. That's what you owe to yourself and the company. By educating yourself about debt, you will gain perspective and clarity on what other options are available for you to grow your business in a way that feels authentic and safe. You would know another way to finance your company's growth without sacrificing control and future profits.

Being Open-Minded About Debt

It may seem like a worn-out concept, but don't compare yourself with others in business. Instead, educate yourself, gain perspective, and choose a growth lane that fits your risk tolerance. This will help you sleep better at night, and it will help you feel better about where your company is at.

You Are Unique

Equity can be more appealing than debt, but it's also almost always more expensive.

moneyandinvestments

Money & Investments

Debt, Used Well, Is Not Evil

Movies with similar plots may sound repetitive and appear to be a recipe for failure, yet it is the formula for success at the Hallmark Channel that other platforms study and copy. It offers a reason for content marketers to reconsider the idea of innovating or producing original content to continue attracting audiences.

Innovative content

Familiar content reworked into new packages works better to attract and grow audiences. Content that is recognisable makes it easier to consume and set expectations for rewarding outcomes.  However, you should have some original and thought-provoking content. You should add your brand's unique angle to familiar elements. Add occasional original ideas to attract people who want something new while keeping those members who rely on the familiar. Once you find which content types or themes resonate best, use that formula.

Original content isn't always necessary

Repeating a familiar tone, style, and story arc won't guarantee immediate success. Hallmark started airing only a few movies a year before it caught on. After you publish a few pieces of content containing familiar elements, pay attention to your audience's reaction. Look at your analytics to see how many views the content gets during the first week or month. How often do readers click on the call to action?

One story is not always marathon worthy

All Hallmark movies have happy endings. Audiences like the comfort of knowing how things will turn out. A brand wouldn't publish a customer story that turns out bad or remains unsolved. Audiences want to know the story that leads to a successful outcome.

It's OK for the audience to know how the story ends

Hallmark movies often include familiar faces. They use the same lead actors in multiple movies in a single season. Consider featuring familiar sources or storytellers throughout your brand communications.

Familiar faces help

Some Hallmark movies are so popular that the channel creates yearly sequels. If you profile people or businesses, consider doing a follow-up content piece to see what is different since you last told their story.

Consider producing sequels to popular stories

Hallmark holiday movies attract about 80 million viewers for one holiday season. Hallmark productions reuse shooting locations, plot points and anything else they can. When you consider how to do the most with your content marketing budget, look for ways to save, such as writing all the scripts for a monthly video and shooting them in one batch. Or, instead of hiring several freelancers over the next six months, you may save time by using one qualified writer to write all the pieces.

A bigger audience doesn't require a bigger budget

Be flattered when other brands recreate your efforts. But continue to tweak to keep your content current, relevant, and reasonably familiar to your audience.

Expect copycats

Audiences like to consume the familiar.  With some thinking, you can create content that works for them and your brand.

Find out why the Hallmark Channel's endless remixing of the same content formula keep people coming back for more (and how to improve on it). – Content Marketing Institute

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

marketingandsales

Marketing & Sales

writing

Reading & Writing

Why a Content Formula Isn't Lazy – It's a Hallmark of Bingeable Series

<ul><li>The main goal is to design, analyze, and optimize your customer acquisition process.&nbsp;</li><li>The secondary goal is to present different perspectives on moving customers through the lifecycle stages and to show how marketing, sales, and customer success teams should collaborate and where each team’s responsibilities lay.&nbsp;</li></ul>The customer acquisition funnel is a process of tracking and monitoring how effective the company is in attracting, engaging, converting, and retaining its customers.&nbsp;Content strategy help companies increase the velocity with which prospects move from one stage to the next.&nbsp;

The customer acquisition process

<ul><li>Customer Lifecycle helps companies understand how customers are experiencing your product and what actions they are taking. The customer lifecycle framework puts the customer at the centre of the process and examines how they move along the buying process</li><li>Sales Funnel shows internal processes a company follows to move prospects down the funnel effectively and efficiently.</li></ul>

The difference between a customer lifecycle and a sales funnel

There are six stages:<ol><li>Visitor. This includes everyone who lands on your website.</li><li>Prospect. When a visitor signs up for a free trial or downloads something, they become a prospect.</li><li>Activated user. This stage is activated by delivering the core value unit for the first time.</li><li>Customer. A prospect/user becomes a customer when they pay.</li><li>Active customer. An active customer regularly uses your product and receives value and installs habits of using your solution.</li><li>Loyal customer. When a customer renews or signs up for additional features.</li></ol>

Customer lifecycle funnel

Questions for your sales funnel:&nbsp;<ul><li>How does your team prioritize leads?&nbsp;</li><li>How does your team nurture prospects?&nbsp;</li><li>What prospect actions correlate higher with closed deals?&nbsp;</li><li>How long does it take for your SDR team to reach out to leads that reach a qualifying lead score?&nbsp;</li><li>How long is your sales cycle?&nbsp;</li><li>What metric best describes the efficiency of moving prospects from one stage to the next?&nbsp;</li><li>When and how do your team hand off prospects in the funnel?&nbsp;</li><li>Do you have an onboarding plan?&nbsp;</li></ul>

Sales funnel

<ul><li>Outbound leads are carefully targeted accounts that may have never heard about the company. Cold calls, direct mail, sending messages on social media are all part of the outbound channel.</li><li>Inbound leads are created when prospects submit information in exchange for an asset or sign up for a free trial.</li><li>Marketing qualified lead (MQL). Lead nurturing campaigns can help the marketing team qualify leads.</li><li>Sales qualified lead (SQL). Use the BANT framework for the qualification process. (BANT= Budget, Authority, Need, Timeframe)</li><li>Opportunity. A lead becomes an opportunity after the BANT approach.&nbsp;</li></ul>

Leads entering the sales funnel

Marketing-to-Sales Handoff.&nbsp;Marketing created tons of leads but sales complains about the quality.&nbsp;<ul><li>Prioritize leads via lead scoring</li><li>Ensure feedback loop between marketing and sales teams</li><li>Experiment with SDRs reporting to the VP of Marketing</li></ul>Sales-to-Customer Success Handoff. The customer success team should have a clear customer onboarding plan.<ul><li>Bring customer success team to the sales process.</li></ul>

Common leakages in customer acquisition funnel

<ul><li>Agree on definitions. Your customer acquisition playbook should highlight the definitions and terms.</li><li>Agree on the process/workflows. For example, a prospect that hits a qualifying leads score should be contacted by SDR in 48 hours.</li><li>Track, measure and optimize handoff.</li></ul>

How to improve the customer handoff from one team to the other

Content strategy is vital for the customer acquisition process. The more you educate prospects about their pains, possible solutions, and how your product solves their problems, the more likely you'll close the deal.<ul><li>A common mistake is creating too much awareness content. Not enough educational, selection, and training content.</li><li>A balanced approach to content creates greater demand and a shorter sales cycle.</li><li>Educational content impacts almost every step in the customer lifecycle and sales funnel.&nbsp;</li><li>Your sales and customer success teams should be involved in content strategy.&nbsp;</li></ul>

How content strategy drives customer acquisitions

<ul><li>Content strategy is only for the marketing team. Involve the whole company, especially sales and customer success.</li><li>Not creating a clear positioning and story.</li><li>Starting with content before creating target customer profiles. Understand the target customer's goals, daily activities, problems, and values.</li><li>Focusing too much on awareness content and not enough on educational content.</li><li>Not taking content distribution seriously. Build a simple content distribution plan that stretches over 7-14 calendar days.</li><li>Giving up too soon. Ask how to measure content effectiveness? What metrics to track?</li></ul>

The biggest content marketing strategy mistakes

This article will walk you through the customer acquisition funnel for SaaS companies. The primary goal is to help you design, analyze, and optimize your customer acquisition process. The secondary…

startup

Startups

How To Track Customer Acquisitions:

We should be asking of our content, “Do I want to share this content with customers? Will it strengthen our relationship if I do?” An emphatic and consistent yes to these questions should be the standard of content marketing we strive to live up to.If you read an article developed by your marketing team, and it’s so crystal clear, so well written, if it’s so full of great thoughts and meaning that you couldn’t resist sharing it with your colleagues, friends and even with your significant other, only then you can conclude that the content marketing is done right.

Are you proud of your content?

A friend of mine told me the other day that he wouldn’t spam his clients with the white papers his marketing team creates. I was stunned by his words, because he unintentionally provided a very…

No one will subscribe to your newsletter as a favor to you — they need to know what’s in it for them.Your newsletter’s description must express a clear value proposition to give people a reason to subscribe. Make it clear that your newsletter delivers value. You want potential subscribers to know what to expect, why they should care, and how subscribing will benefit them.

Promise (and deliver) value

Don’t assume readers will know you have a newsletter or just “figure it out.” They won’t.Be explicit, be obvious, and don’t be shy about asking them to subscribe.

Ask your audience to subscribe.

You can’t get someone to subscribe if they don’t see the signup form.Incorporate your signup forms (and links to them) in places where your audience can’t miss them.

Showcase your signup form or call to action

The only way to get someone to subscribe to your newsletter is if you first get their trust.&nbsp;The way to get an audience’s trust is to consistently deliver what you promise and show them you care about them.

Build trust

The better your newsletter’s content matches the core interests of your audience, the more likely you are to convert them into subscribers.This means the less defined your niche and the more vague you are about who you aim to reach, the harder it is to attract subscribers.

Create something that aligns with your audience’s interest

Here are five keys to getting people to hit that subscribe button, based on my experience growing my For The Interested newsletter to 25,000 subscribers. No one will subscribe to your newsletter as a…

How To Get More Newsletter Subscribers

The most underrated elements of social media posts are captions.Captions may be the single biggest factor in determining the success or failure of a post.&nbsp;

The importance of captions

Use your Caption to give people an additional reason to like, share or comment on your post.&nbsp;Don't just tell your audience why the image matters to you, explain why it should matter to them. Aim to create captions strong enough to generate engagement on their own — regardless of the quality of the image they’re associated with.

Explain why the image matters instead of what it is.

When you tell a story in a Caption, start with a simple line that grabs your audience’s attention. Don’t lead with the punchline to your story — you want build up to a big reveal at the end.&nbsp;Doing so draws people in to read your Caption and then (assuming you’ve told a decent story), your story will have more impact and generate more engagement.

Don’t lead with the punchline

As social media has become an increasingly visual medium with nearly every post featuring a photo, video, or GIF, the captions that accompany those posts are often an afterthought. Here are two…

Two Ways To Write Social Media Post Captions That Get More Likes And Shares

<ul><li>Control your attention to control your destiny. Paraphrasing Lao Tzu: Control your attention to shape your thoughts. Control your thoughts to shape your actions. Control your actions to shape your habits. Control your habits to shape your character. Control your character to shape your destiny.</li><li>Shape attention to change the world. Attention is the necessary condition for social movements, political elections, diffusion of expertise, and marketing of innovations. Without it, important social issues move into the shadows and the status quo is maintained.&nbsp;</li></ul>

Attention is the frontline and leverage point

Counterintuitively, it’s never been easier to share or harder to get noticed.In the past, in order to publish a book, newspaper article, or magazine article, you had to convince a human editor. Now, you can publish without needing permission, but you must navigate past a new gatekeeper: the algorithmic newsfeed.

How can you get noticed for your expertise?

Most creators spend hours creating the content and minutes creating the value hook… even though the value hook is critical and what readers see first. This is why most creators hear crickets when they click “publish.”The deeper problem is that people under-estimate the sheer amount of competition and over-estimate how good their idea is relative to others

The #1 mistake most writers and thought leaders make 

The value hook is the elevator pitch of online content. It is the MVP (minimum viable product) for your blockbuster article. At its best, it does two things: creates value and hooks you.In other words, before readers even get to your content, you must win them over in the newsfeed. This is harder than it sounds. Social media newsfeeds are passive. Readers aren’t in a bookstore looking for a book. Rather, they’re in a line waiting to check out their groceries, and they’re bored.

The value hook

“I don’t even think about ideas anymore. I just think about titles.”

<ol><li>Value hooks can be used as memes throughout the article to increase virality.</li><li>There is no other skill that has as much leverage.</li><li>Your chances of success on every platform and medium increase.</li><li>There is very little competition so it’s easier to stand out.</li><li>Value hooks are the easiest thought leadership skill to master.</li><li>Just one great value hook can be worth $1 million.</li><li>A great hook can 10x your reach via repurposing.</li><li>Value hooks are the linchpin of the viral loop.</li></ol>

Mastering value hooks

This article is like one of those movies that shows you the final scene first and then uses the rest of the movie to explain the ending. I started writing in college. First, emails to my friends…

Understand These 8 Truths And Our Crazy World Will Suddenly Make Sense To You

Many informal studies suggest it is a bad idea to recommend someone in your company who sucks, even though he or she might be a dear friend of yours.You can try evasive tactics like saying you have had some bad experience recommending friends in the past, or have been blamed for things that are not under your control.

Recommending An Incapable Friend In Your Company

Most recommendations to HR go like this: “Ralph was very similar to my other employees,” and “He would come into work and give his best effort.”These coded references are why companies are putting less stock in third-party recommendations. Virtually no one asks for references today, because companies know no one is going to say anything genuine.

Recommendations Are Fake

Your former colleague Ralph asks you to recommend him for a job he is interviewing for at a new company. You like this person. In fact, you’d go so far as to consider him a friend. You often attended…

How Do Telescopes Work? | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids

How to start when you have no idea where to start

Debt, Used Well, Is Not Evil

Why a Content Formula Isn't Lazy – It's a Hallmark of Bingeable Series

How To Track Customer Acquisitions:

Christopher Duncan