Scatty.com

Category: How To

How To Inspire – And Deserve – Trust

Posted on by scatty

There are few things as valuable in this world as having someone’s trust or putting your trust in them. When this happens, you are putting all of your faith in someone to keep secrets, come through for you when you need it most, or simply be there to listen during difficult times. Almost everyone has at least one person that they trust to some degree, with some being so trustworthy that they can be told just about anything.

But how do you inspire trust, and how do you deserve to have someone’s trust? It’s a long and delicate process to earn the trust of someone, especially if you didn’t grow up knowing them (like a family member). Let’s take a deeper look into the belief of trust and see how it can become a bigger part of your life.

Be Trustworthy

It should go without saying that you don’t really deserve to be trusted if you haven’t shown the ability to be trustworthy. If someone tells you a secret and you immediately reveal that secret to several other people, you’ve already broken that person’s trust and it’s likely that they’re never going to put their faith in you again.

In fact, that person might end up resenting you and letting others know that you are not to be trusted. It doesn’t have to be something that will hurt someone deeply to betray their trust, as even minor ways of not being trustworthy will add up and cause that person to become bitter. Be true to your word and show someone that you can be trusted.

Take it Easy

We’ve all met someone that instantly wants to share every part of their personal lives with you. It can be a bit overbearing to hear it, especially if they’re expecting to hear some personal details about you. Instead of this method of trying to build trust, it’s best to take it slow. After all, you don’t fall in love with someone just by saying a couple of sentences to each other, and you wouldn’t want to put all of your faith in someone you just met.

It’s a long, gradual process that takes a lot of nuances to get just right. If you find yourself putting too much trust into someone too quickly, try to reel yourself in so that you don’t get hurt by someone that only seemed trustworthy on a surface level.

Care

You can make a promise to someone that you don’t know and it’s probably not going to hurt you one bit if you don’t follow through with that promise. If you show someone that you truly care about them and want to see them happy and put their faith in you, then you have to deliver any time that you make a promise. Care about those that you’re trusting, and the more you care about that person, the more you’re going to care that they trust you.

Admit Mistakes

We all know someone that doesn’t really take responsibility for their wrongdoings and tries to blame them on something or someone else. These people also aren’t likely to admit that they’re wrong in any situation, and it can be aggravating. Not surprisingly, these people don’t earn the trust of many that they come across.

One of the fastest ways that you can earn someone’s trust is to show humility and admit when you were wrong. It takes a big person to do this, and when it happens, everyone around you immediately sees you in a more respectful light and will be willing to trust you. When things hit the fan, you want to know that a person you trust would rather go down with the ship than abandon it.

Communication

The people that you trust the most are the ones that you hear from on an almost-daily basis. Keeping an open line of communication is paramount for establishing trust with someone, as you might not be seen as trustworthy if you’re a bit of a flight risk.

This is true in just about any scenario whether it’s personal or professional. People need to know that you’ll be able to answer their phone call or text message, and in some cases, even answer the door if they really need you. You’ll also want to communicate clearly. Don’t leave people guessing your true intentions, and you’ll be on your way to being more trustworthy.

How To Compose A Formal Complaint Letter that Gets Results

Posted on by scatty

You should assert yourself when companies provide inferior experiences. But you must keep the goal of a complaint letter in mind. Here’s how to compose a formal complaint letter to get desired results.

1. When to Write a Formal Complaint

A formal complaint is only necessary after you’ve given customer service an opportunity to correct the issue. It is an escalated attempt to right a wrong against you and/or prevent others from a similar experience.

2. Commit to Brevity

You have so many things this company could have done better. But over-explaining begins to sound like a rant. Others will tune you out.

A formal complaint allows you to perfect how and what you communicate. Outline your main points. Prioritize to keep the focus on what’s important. Omit unnecessary sidebars. 

3. Gather Important Information

Provide everything needed to follow up rather than expecting them to dig for it. Certain facts are essential to understanding the problem and potentially preventing it from happening to others.

  • Serial numbers 
  • Model numbers
  • Membership account number (when applicable)
  • Dates
  • Place of purchase
  • What’s wrong
  • When the problem started (1st use, three months later)
  • Names of people involved (if you have them) or descriptions
  • Date/time/names when you spoke with customer service
  • Documentation (screenshots, receipts, email chains, etc.)

4. State What You Want

Do you want a refund, exchange, or replacement parts? An apology? Rather than have the complaints department guess what would make you happy, tell them. 

5. Establish a Reasonable Timeline

Unlike a quick chat with customer care online, a formal complaint may take longer to consider. Set reasonable deadline expectations for resolving this issue.

6. Is This a Consumer Safety Issue

In some cases, you may alert them to serious danger. If you have a genuine concern for the safety of others, you may also want to contact the agencies that review product safety in your area. In the U.S., that might be:

Try to resolve something with the company first. Wield this power responsibly.

7. Make an Effective Case

Some issues have no simple solution. Remember, formal complaints will reach people who can recommend change within a company. You’re trying to make something happen that isn’t happening.

Legally speaking, the burden of proof is always on the plaintiff (you). You’re the one who has to make the case, not them.

8. Take Emotion Out of It

You may feel anger, betrayal, or loss. These will cloud your judgment.

If you’re thinking “I’ll show them how it’s done” or “why are they so stupid?”, that sense of superiority is ego. The ego rarely aligns with reality. Being egotistical is not an effective way to get someone to listen to you.

Avoid sarcasm which can be misunderstood to mean the opposite—especially in writing. Try to set all of these aside in favor of constructive communication.

9. Don’t Threaten

Be nice until it’s time not to be nice anymore. The person getting the letter probably isn’t the one who harmed you. They deserve to be treated humanely.

Try to get them on your side rather than jumping to threats of legal action and contacting agencies. These kinds of “threats” should be reserved for subsequent letters if the first gets no response or inadequate response. Even then, follow the above tips.

Top 5 Ways To Make Money On TikTok

Posted on by scatty

After a social media app starts to take off, not many people are thinking about how they can make money from the trend. Eventually, though, that platform will become so large that it’s a money making machine, and it’s not just those behind the scenes that are pulling in cash. Users are able to make money from their content, and that includes TikTok. Want to know how you can earn some cash through your TikTok hobby? Here are five ways to do just that.

5. Creator Fund

Beginning in March 2021, TikTok rolled out what’s known as the creator fund, calling it an appreciation for those that have made the app as successful as it is. This is not the easiest program to get into, however. To become part of the creator fund, you have to have over 100,000 authentic views in a 30 day span on your videos. As long as you get that amount, you can grab a piece of the pie, but there is no one set amount for each creator.

4. Ads Manager

Don’t feel like trying to get viewers the old fashioned way on Tiktok? There’s an easier route you can take, but you have to invest in yourself first. Through TikTok ads, you can promote your own videos that show up in between popular videos on the site, and this will direct people to your profile or a store that you run. While it might not be the easiest or most organic way of doing things, this is a better option if your goal is to sell things instead of creating videos.

3. Make Some Coins

There’s a newer feature on TikTok where a virtual currency can be sent to content creators called coins. When someone sends you coins, you can cash those out for real money with a minimum cashout of $100. The best way to get coins is through live video on TikTok. People that are watching are more likely to do realtime donations through coins than they would a video that was published several days prior. Think of it like donating bits to a Twitch streamer.

2. Sponsored Content

Of course, nothing makes money on social media quite like doing some old fashioned sponsored content. There are plenty of companies that are willing to advertise on TikTok by working with content creators, even if they’re on the smaller side of the follower spectrum. To get in on the action, simply go to the ‘more options’ tab on your ‘post’ screen then click on ‘branded content.’ You can also work directly with brands to advertise on your TikTok, eliminating the middleman in your sponsorship.

1. Merch Sales

Just like any entertainer, you can make a good amount of money just from your merchandise sales. Musicians do it, movie studios do it, content creators do it, so you might as well join them. Making merchandise on websites like Teespring is easy and doesn’t cost you anything. Of course, they’ll take a cut for being the ones using inventory to design and ship out your merchandise, but you still can set how much of the profits that you’re getting. Make sure to add your merchandise link on your TikTok profile and you’ll be good to go.

Top 5 Ways To Make Money On Pinterest

Posted on by scatty

With over 450 million active users, Pinterest is one of the most used social media platforms on the internet. It’s different in a lot of ways compared to other sites, too, but it does have one thing in common: the ability to make money. If you’re on Pinterest daily, consider using it to earn some extra cash. Here’s five ways to do just that.

5. Tagging Brands

The first way you can make money on Pinterest doesn’t involve Pinterest in the transaction at all. Instead, you can work directly with brands via paid partnerships, and you don’t have to have a massive following to take part. You can tag a brand on your Idea Pin, and they will receive a notification. From there, the brand can choose to approve your pin. If they do, then the brand can promote your pin and start earning you some money. Of course, brands will be selective when doing this, but as long as your pin is good, there’s nothing to worry about.

4. Affiliate Links

On top of the tagging that you can do on Pinterest, you can also work directly with a brand to become an affiliate. When doing this, the brand will set up a contract with you to create a certain amount of pins with an affiliate link that guides people to their website. Each of your posts will have an affiliate link that’s able to track how much web traffic that you brought in. Though you may not be paid up front, a successful post can net you a lot of money in commission thanks to your link.

3. Set Up Your Own Shop

Want all the money for yourself and not have to split it with other brands? That’s something that you can do on Pinterest, as well, as the app makes it incredibly easy to open up your own shop. When under the ‘Shop’ tab on Pinterest, let them know what products are available and for what price. From there, you’ll be able to showcase your products in your pins and you’ll get most of the sale minus a small fee. It’s a great way to not have to create a full website, instead using a business account on Pinterest.

2. Creator Rewards

Pinterest recently introduced a program known as Creator Rewards, and it’s a great way for users to get paid without needing a massive following. All you need to do to be eligible is to have a business account that has at least 250 followers with three idea pins and 150 saves on published pins in the past 30 days. Your original content will get you enrolled in the program and you’ll be able to work toward goals that get you paid. It won’t be much at first if you have a small following, but it can blossom quickly.

1. Become a Coach

Let’s say that you’re a Pinterest expert, but don’t really have anything that you want to sell or don’t feel like trying to monetize your content. Instead, you can help other people get to where they want to be through coaching. Offer your services as someone that can grow a brand quickly and you can make a full-time career out of it. Small businesses are often looking for social media managers, and this could be the right spot for you.

Top 5 Ways To Make Money On YouTube

Posted on by scatty

YouTube is the absolute king when it comes to video content on the internet, and it has made some of its content creators very wealthy. When seeing how much money some of the highest creators are making, it has caused a lot of us to think about getting into the YouTube business ourselves. It’s not an easy egg to crack, but you can still make some money on the side with your channel. Here are five ways you can do just that.

5. Use Original Content

One of the quickest ways to make sure that your YouTube channel doesn’t make a single cent is by using other peoples’ content. It’s even faster when you’re using content that’s owned by a large company such as movies, television shows and music. If everything that you post is completely original content, there’s no way that you can get a copyright strike filed against you. Even playing video games can be tricky as some of these games contain copyrighted music so you have to be careful.

4. Accept Fan Donations

Even if you don’t have a large following, there might be some people that still want to donate to your channel to support your efforts. Make sure to set up a PayPal link in the description for each of your videos. This allows people to send you money directly, but make it clear that there are no refunds as there have been some issues with chargebacks to troll YouTubers. YouTube also has ways in which content creators can receive money directly from fans, and we’ll get right to that.

3. Become a Partner

To add a button that allows fans to send you money right under your video without having to even leave your channel, you have to become part of the YouTube Partner Program. This isn’t an easy program to get into, however. You need to have at least 1,000 subscribers, which is the hardest part of the program. You also need to have 4,000 hours worth of your videos watched in the past 12 months. You can then link your AdSense account and you’ll start to earn revenue from your videos.

2. Find Sponsors

Some content creators that don’t have a large enough following or post enough videos to get into the YouTube Partner Program will find a way to get revenue through sponsors. It might not be a large deal that you strike with a sponsor, but you can get paid to do a quick shoutout to your sponsor or even have an affiliate code that tracks how many people are using your video to get to your sponsor’s website.

1. Sell Merch

Selling merchandise is one of the easiest and most fun ways to earn money on YouTube. Websites like Spring allow you to create your own merchandise for free, and the ability to not have to pay anything upfront means that you get a big chunk of the profit. Of course, these sites will take a big cut since it’s their inventory that’s being shipped, but if you have a good enough design, it might transcend your YouTube channel altogether.

Top 5 Ways to Make Money on Facebook

Posted on by scatty

Facebook isn’t just a website where you can update your status or see what your friends are doing. These days, it has evolved into a massive social media platform where you can do just about anything. That includes making money, whether it be on a part time or full time basis. So whether you’re using Facebook as a side hustle for some beer money or making it a career, here are five ways to make money on Facebook.

5. Use the Marketplace

Believe it or not, one of the oldest features on Facebook is the Facebook Marketplace. In its infancy, it became a very similar feature to Craigslist, basically being a classifieds section for Facebook. SInce then, it has grown and relaunched with new features, now being featured as prominently as other Facebook apps like Messenger. Marketplace now offers sales for items that you might not be using across the nation instead of locally. This can be anything from hand me down clothes to that brand new car you bought and for some reason decided you didn’t want.

4. Start Making Videos

Do you have a lot on your mind and want to do some live streams to get your opinions out there? Or perhaps a giveaway that can help drive viewership? Facebook allows you to go live, and the platform now offers in-stream advertising. The algorithm will find a natural break where they can fit an advertisement in, and you’ll get paid. How much you get paid depends mostly on the amount of people watching, as well as the company that’s advertising.

3. Getting Branded

Just like with other social media platforms, working with brands so that they can advertise on your content is one of the most surefire ways of making money. Those with an active following on Facebook can use the Brand Collabs Manager tool on Facebook to set up sponsored content that’s most effective for both you and the brand. There’s an application process, but if you’re following is pretty sizeable, you should be accepted.

2. Fan Subs

Just like seemingly everything else now, people are able to subscribe to your page no matter what type of content you’re creating. This is good if you already have a large following but aren’t sure how to monetize your popularity. For a small fee, people can subscribe to your content for exclusive access to certain posts or even just to support you. All in all, your page must have 10,000 followers and at least 250 returning viewers every 60 days. Lastly, you’ll need to have 50,000 post engagements during that time.

1. Stars

Is your page not quite large enough garner subscriptions but you still have plenty of loyal people who want to support you? There’s good news, as you’re eligible for the Stars program when you have 1,000 followers for 60 days in a row. With this program, users can give Stars to their favorite content creators during live streams or on demand videos. Every one Star that a fan sends you translates to $0.01 USD, and the amount of stars that’s been given is visible to everyone. This means it can turn into a competition amongst users to see who can be the most generous.

Top 5 Ways To Make Money On Instagram

Posted on by scatty

People are learning more and more these days that they can actually make money on social media. It’s a place where many of us never thought we would be in, but even apps like Instagram allows the average person to make some side money. If you want your piece of the massive money pile that is Instagram, here are five ways to get your hand on some cash.

5. Badge Support

Live streaming has been the biggest trend in social media, following the likes of Twitch and YouTube to get people engaged in content. Instagram is now on board with live streaming, and there’s a setup that allows streamers to earn money from their live feeds. Instagram introduced what they call badges, and viewers can purchase them and give them to their favorite creators. These badges will convert into real money for the creators, with badges being marked at $0.99, $1.99 and $4.99 increments.

4. Bonuses

While some social media platforms will refer to them as bounties, Instagram has a system where you can collect bonuses from your amazing content. One of those programs is called Reels Play, which brings in revenue depending on how many views your reel has. If you have a reel that goes viral, you can pull in a lot of money, though the minimum cash out is $100 total. This is invite only for now, but it is only offered to those with under 1 million followers.

3. Affiliate Program

Instagram rolled out a program where you can become an affiliate with the platform, working with brands where you drive sales from your posts. Instagram offers a playbook where you can find out all about the program, but in short, you get a commission from a brand’s sale anytime someone clicks the link on your profile and makes a purchase. The commission will vary based by brand and your following on Instagram, with some of the larger Instagram profiles making more enough to earn a living. This is still a new program so not everybody is eligible yet, but keep an eye out for the future.

2. Become a Salesman

You don’t have to sell things for other people on Instagram to make money, as you can simply sell your own merchandise. Let’s say you design your own clothing or make art, you can sell those products directly on Instagram without users even having to leave the app. To start, you’ll have to tag your product and there will be a link to purchase said product. Instagram will take a small cut for being an advertising platform, but you’ll still get most of what you charge to potential customers.

1. Sponsored Posts

While the affiliate program isn’t open to everyone just yet, you can still make sponsored posts without being a big time Instagrammer. Brands are willing to work with just about anyone, although you’ll obviously get more sponsorship opportunities if you have a larger following and get more money. Try connecting with brands that fit your interests. If you’re often posting about your fitness routine, try to team up with athletic brands that may be able to hook you up with a sponsorship. This will likely be in the form of a link in your caption or a code that tracks how many sales you’re bringing in.

How To Build A Following On Twitter

Posted on by scatty

There are well over 300 million active users on Twitter each month, and that many people are bound to have a wide range of followers. Out of all of those profiles, only a few hundred have at least 1 million followers, as it can be hard to build a big following without being a celebrity. You might find that it’s difficult to start from scratch and get Twitter famous, but it’s possible. Sure, you might not be amongst the Barack Obamas or Rihannas of the world, but you can still get yourself a solid Twitter following. To do that, follow some of these easy steps.

5. Complete Your Profile

Have you ever seen a tweet that you really liked and wondered what else that person had to say on a wide range of topics, only to click on their profile and it’s completely bare? There’s a good chance that you probably didn’t follow that person. With that in mind, you want to make sure that your profile is complete, including having a profile picture, bio filled out and the whole nine yards. People are more likely to follow those that have the coveted blue checkmark, and having a complete profile is one of the requirements for getting that checkmark.

4. Tweet Every Day

One of the issues that people have with not being able to grow a following is that they simply don’t tweet enough. They’ll make a few posts that don’t get much traction and then completely give up. Not every tweet that you make has to be a viral hit that gets thousands of retweets. Just focus on being consistent and you’ll be deemed a good follow that people come to for daily comments and opinions.

3. Make It Visual

Pretty much everyone can have a response that’s a few words to something on Twitter, but having a visual tool is going to catch a lot more eyes. Try responding with videos, gifs, photos or any other visual that will grab attention. Not many people are getting followers just because they responded to a Justin Bieber tweet with “hello Justin.” You have to be unique.

2. Watermark Your Content

On the internet, things get stolen shamelessly. Even the likes of Elon Musk have been called out for stealing memes and not giving credit where it’s due. If you come up with original content and post it on Twitter, make absolutely sure to watermark it like crazy. It might seem like overkill, but the last thing you want to see is someone stealing your post and getting hundreds, if not thousands, of new followers as a result. It could also help you in court if a movie or video game studio decides to steal a design of yours.

1. Tag It

The main reason people get on Twitter is to follow trends and breaking news. If you want to be visible to people that aren’t following you, using hashtags is a surefire way to do so. This is especially true if you’re one of the first people to comment on something that’s breaking like a big sports trade or a celebrity breakup. If you’re the first thing people see on a trend, you’re probably going to get a lot of follows.

How To Build A Following On Youtube

Posted on by scatty

The main reason why people stop posting videos on YouTube is because there aren’t enough people watching their videos. It makes sense, as creating videos is a big undertaking, and not having views or money come in as a result can be discouraging. Before you give up on your dreams of making it big on YouTube, though, there are some things that you should try to build a following on the website. Here are the best ways to establish an audience and increase your popularity.

5. Catchy Titles and Thumbnails

When you’re browsing through YouTube, you’re likely to only find titles that will capture your attention due to the way the algorithm is set up. That’s because if you post a video with a title like “Me at the park,” you’re not going to get a lot of attention unless you were one of the first videos on the platform. Come up with a title that catches attention, focusing on certain keywords and conveying EMOTION like capitalizing certain words.

4. Use Your Tags

One of the absolute most important things that you need to focus on when posting your videos is getting the right tags. These tags are used in the algorithm and your video that doesn’t have many initial views can still be suggested based on what people are searching for. Find keywords that are trending and try to base your videos around those, tagging them in the process. Type your potential title into the search bar and see where your video would fit.

3. Quality Over Quantity

You could download a million short videos in one day and not get a single click on any of them. On the other hand, you could post one really well developed video that’s 20 minutes long and get millions of views. It’s all about quality. If you make a video that just one person finds to be amazing, they will share it with as many people as possible. Don’t worry about churning out content left and right, just make it worth sharing.

2. Be Engaging

One of the reasons that many people love YouTubers and streamers more than any other is because they can interact with them in a way that they can’t with your typical mainstream celebrity. Don’t ignore comments, especially when you’re just starting out. Your foundational fanbase is going to be your most loyal and they’ll remember when you made it big. The more you interact with the fans, the more fans that you’ll get in return. 

1. Giveaways

For those that have made it big on platforms like YouTube, a lot of giveaways have happened along the way. From giving away video games, gift cards and everything in between, you’re reaching a new audience when you give something away at milestones such as subscribers or views. It doesn’t have to be anything big as people love free stuff of any size. It might seem like a cheap way to get followers, but it’s worth the shameless gamble at the beginning of your channel’s lifespan to establish a follower base, right?

Don’t Let The Bed Bugs Bite: 5 Steps To Take If You’re Feeling The Pinch Of Bed Bugs

Posted on by scatty

While they might carry a stigma of someone living in a dirty home, bed bugs are so common that they affect more people than you might think. With one out of every five households getting bed bugs at some point, you’re likely to run into this problem, even if you’re just staying in a hotel. So what do you do when bed bugs invade your home? There are some simple steps to take to make sure that the problem goes away quickly and allows you to keep all of your furniture and clothing.

5. Locate the Source

Since bed bugs are so small, they can hide pretty much anywhere, unfortunately. Still, you will want to do your best to try and find the source of the problem. Identify areas that may have black droppings or smear marks, as well as the small eggs and blood stains. The bugs may also be large enough to the point where you can see them. Some of the areas where bed bugs like to hang out are in power outlets, your bed frame and other furniture in the room.

4. Quick Containment

Once you’ve identified the source, your next step is to vacuum anywhere that you’ve found a strong infestation, as well as any places where there may be smaller infestations. Areas that you’ll want to check out include your dresser and even the television stand if you have one in your room. Make sure the vacuum collection is sealed and thrown in the trash, while items such as clothes and towels should be vacuumed and washed immediately on high heat.

3. Declutter

It may have been a while since you tidied up your room, but it’s something that you’ll have to do to eliminate bed bugs and prevent them from coming back. Declutter the best that you can, and anything that can be sealed in a plastic bag should be sealed. Allow these items to sit in bags for a couple of weeks as the bed bugs will die and won’t be able to spread. You’ll give them fewer hiding spots overall in the process.

2. Eliminate

Now you’ll want to work on killing the bed bugs, and there are specific ways to do so. Some forms of killing are actually illegal and potentially dangerous, so look for EPA approved bed bug pesticides during this process. If you don’t want to go the chemical route, and we don’t blame you, using both head and cold are also effective, but heat will be easier. Using a steam cleaner with a diffuser is the most effective treatment, and anything that was sealed in a bag can be thrown in the dryer on high heat.

1. Evaluate/Contact Professional Help

You might not be out of the woods yet after killing the bed bugs as there could be a hidden infestation. For that reason, keep monitoring the situation for up to seven days. If there are no more bed bug bites, you likely fixed the issue. If not, then contact a professional exterminator to evaluate once more as there could be some areas you missed out on the first time.