Welcome to Fresh van Root newsletter #70.
Busy but happy is the phrase I often say when asked how I am doing. AI-powered marketing tools promise to speed up the writing process and thus make me even happier. Wired looked at the market of AI-powered copy-writing tools, and I recommend reading the article to get an up2date view on the topic. In the tools section, you will find an app that could help you to stop mindlessly opening your favorite social media app again and again. You can save double the time, alright? :) Stay fresh, Rolf
For all new subscribers, here’s what this newsletter is about: We are exploring content and apps at the intersection of marketing, productivity, content creation, and social media – for curious minds. This bi-weekly newsletter is a summary of that exploration.
🧠 Hand-Picked Content
What’s A Weird Internet Career? (Blog, 5min)
You got a weird internet career if you make a living by live-streaming video games, giving crypto investment tips on TikTok, and writing a weekly newsletter with funny pictures of cats. This blog post by Jason Kottke explains what a weird internet career is and links to a series of posts on the topic (if you maybe think about pivoting from a regular internet career to a weird one). More
Psychology Of Ad Copy And Design (Website, 5min)
What makes you stop scrolling in your social media feed? Here is an example of an ad that stood out in the sea of same-looking Instagram posts. But how could it be improved, and what makes a user think and click? This animated website presents one case study, and we recommend checking it out if you are involved in ad-creation in your job. More
Content Marketing Lecture (Webinar, 1hour)
How can you build a content strategy that helps you reach your business goals in a competitive environment? This excellent webinar outlines a framework and shares best practices that you can apply in your role as a content marketer or up-level your knowledge. While the webinar’s content is framed as “for SaaS companies,” the general approach shared applies to content marketing for B2B. More
About All Those AI-Powered Copywriting Tools (Article, 10min)
OpenAI’s GPT3 makes it easy for developers to build AI-powered copywriting tools. Many of these tools are on the market, with one startup already having more than 1mio users. How does it work? You describe a topic and ask for a specific content format. After a few seconds, you get back a suggested text. You can create social media posts, blog post outlines, email text, etc. We have tried several of these tools, and they can help speed up your content production process but are best used when working on improving existing content or getting inspired/beat writers’ block. More
🛠️ Tools & Apps & Services
Social Media Management Tool
Social media software Swat.io gets lots of users’ love, but until recently was too expensive for small teams or startups. But the company introduced a new pricing plan that makes it also a desirable option for smaller companies. If you are unhappy with Hootsuite or other tools in a similar price category, go check out Swat.io. More
Simple Web Analytics
Web analytics software that respects users’ privacy is in fashion. That’s because more people running websites care for their users’ privacy, but also because for most small-scale web projects, you do not need the power of Google Analytics. GoatCounter is an open-source web analytics tool that falls into this category. You can install it on your server or use it as a hosted solution. For non-commercial use, it is free to use. Demo | More
Social Media: Take A Deep Breath
Do you want to spend less time on social media? Are you constantly checking your feeds for new posts or notifications? This app forces you to take a deep breath before opening your favorite social media app mindlessly again. Tweet | More
Self-hosted Newsletter Software
If you have the technical skills to self-host your newsletter listmonk might be a great solution for you. More
📣 Fresh van Root
Survey Results: Figma Crash Course
In previous issues of this newsletter, we asked you if you would be interested in a Figma crash course for creators and marketers. Here are the results. Are you already using Figma? Hit reply and let us know what for. Or do you not know what Figma is? Read our blog post that explains how you can use the tool to create social media graphics.
🏞️ Your Next Wallpaper?
🔗 One More Link
Find A Movie To Watch (Website)
Sometimes looking for a movie you want to watch takes longer than watching the actual movie. This site can be helpful. More