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Mini-Course: How to Speak Pashto - Lesson 4 - Present Tense First Person

When you are starting your journey on how to learn Pashto, the very first thing you need to master is the "identity" ending. In the KPK dialect , especially the way we speak in Kohat , the verb usually comes at the very end of the sentence. This is where the rules of Yam and Yu come into play. The word Yam (یم) is used exclusively for yourself. Whenever you start a sentence with " Za " (meaning I), you must finish it with "Yam." It functions like the word "am" in English. For instance, if you want to tell someone you are fine, you say "Za kha yam." Whether you are hungry, tired, or happy, as long as you are talking about yourself, "Yam" is your anchor. It is a simple pattern that builds immediate confidence in your speaking ability. On the other hand, we have Yu (یو). This is the plural form used when you are talking as a group. In our culture, the "we" is often more important than the "I...

The Future of Influencer Strategy: 2023 Outlook and Best Practices

  If you're not living under a rock, you must have seen one of your friends, relatives, or acquaintances doing weird antics before their mobile phones 📱. Despite their freaky shenanigans, they're raking in money 💰. Yes, you guessed it right. They are the Social Media Influencers . They can be found on all social media platforms, from Instagram to YouTube, making kooky dance videos on TikTok, sharing snaps, or expressing opinions on Twitter. Welcome to the world of Influencer Marketing . Businesses have discovered an effective advertising and marketing channel. In this article, we'll be exploring the future of Influencer Marketing in 2023: outlook and best practices. Let's keep things brief and to the point so we don't get derailed from the topic. Here are some quick facts about Influencer Marketing: According to Influencer Marketing Hub, the global influencer marketing industry is expected to reach $21.1 Billion in 2023. Brands worldwide are considering allocating...

Top 6 Companies in Pakistan Using Growth Marketing to Propel Their Success

Hey there! If you're interested in learning about growth marketing in Pakistan, you've come to the right place! Here are some awesome examples of how businesses in Pakistan have used growth marketing strategies to grow their user base and increase revenue. But first, the definition. So, what exactly is growth marketing? It's all about using data-driven techniques and experimentation to figure out the most effective channels and tactics for driving customer acquisition and retention. By constantly analyzing the data and testing new ideas, you can optimize your marketing efforts and create a better experience for your customers.  The best part? The ultimate goal of growth marketing is to accelerate your business growth and increase your revenue.  By continuously improving the customer experience and maximizing the lifetime value of each customer, you can take your business to the next level.   First up, let's talk about Careem . This ride-hailing service has used re...

"The Power of Digital AND Traditional Marketing: Why You Need Both!"

  The relationship between digital and traditional marketing is often debated, but it's clear that the two are not mutually exclusive. Traditional marketing tactics , such as print advertisements , billboards , and direct mail , can still be highly effective in reaching certain demographics. At the same time, digital marketing strategies , such as social media advertising , email marketing , and search engine optimization , are becoming increasingly important in today's digital age.  One of the advantages of digital marketing is the ability to target specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. By leveraging the power of data analytics , businesses can better understand their customers and create personalized marketing campaigns that resonate with their target audience. However, traditional marketing tactics can also be effective, especially when it comes to building brand awareness and trust.  While digital marketing has certainly revolutionized ...

How 5 M's of Advertising can up your Social Media Game?

It is very heartening to see that many people are producing content on social media. Whether it is Facebook , Instagram , Linked In, Twitter, or their new cousin TikTok , we see loads of content published daily. Social Media has become a powerful way of communication - mass communication. But these content producers are not aware of the concept and terminologies used in the field. Similarly, they struggle with advertising or promotion too. Both are part and parcel of the communication process. to help them, I have written a small guide below on how they can use the advertising properly. Almost all social media platforms have some promotion or advertising mechanism. This simple process will work with all of them. This plan is called 5 M's of Advertising .  These M's are Mission, Money, Message, Medium, and Measurement.   Mission:  It is where you decide your objectives. What do you want to achieve through advertising? The 3 basic reasons are to inform, persuade, and r...

10 Good Truth or Dare Questions

Disclaimer: I wrote this blog 10 years ago. But it is still relevant. Hoping you will like it. It's a bit clunky to read, as I used keywords here.  One of the famous party games, ‘ Truths or Dare’, has become part of global pop culture. Invented in the US , people on other continents like playing this game too. If you play it once in a while, then it retains its freshness. On the other hand, if you often play this game then asking good truth or dare questions becomes difficult. You and your friends get bored with trite truth-or-dare questions . Some questions are not appropriate for all settings. Some can be termed as girls' questions or others as boys-only .  To solve your problem, here is a list of 10 questions that are exciting and embarrassing at the same time. You can easily ask them in a gathering of male and female friends. Which Guy/Girl in The Room You Would Like to Date? In our list of good questions for truth or dare , here is a potboiler. Love is a universal emot...

Social Media: Analytics and how you can use it (for beginners)

Note:  This post is for beginners, so you can skip this and read other posts if you are proficient in social media data analysis.    What is Analytics or Data Analysis ? Useful information is called data. It can be in multiple forms, such as descriptive or numerical. For example, the number of people who have visited your site or liked your post. In Pakistan, Analytics is underrated and not fully utilized compared to other digital marketing branches. The emphasis is on promotion and interaction. Digital marketers and page owners neglect the data and numbers and what story these facts and figures depict. The situation is not very different in other countries where SME businesses don't concentrate on data analysis. So let me educate you based on the matrices you should be looking at and how you can deduce inferences from them and improve your content strategy . The number of visitors: This is the most basic metric you would encounter on FB, IG, Twitter , or other platform...

Social Media: Employ 7 Cs of Effective Communication For Writing Social Media Content

The 7 Cs of effective communication are as applicable to social media as they are to any other medium. The 7 Cs are Clear, Concise, Concrete, Correct, Coherent, Complete, and Courteous. The idea is that your content should tick all these benchmarks. Although social media is less formal, following them will differentiate you from the competition.  You may be writing a caption on Instagram or writing a Facebook post ; these points will guide your writing.  Websites initially were text-based, but now with Web 2.0 (e.g, social media websites), they have become more visual. People create lots of content on social media, both visual and textual, but they are not aware of mass communication concepts . Therefore, most of the content is plagued with errors. Besides content errors, the content does not fit in the first place, logically, textually, or visually. Learn these basics of effective communication so that your next post is stellar from a communication perspective. Let's lear...

Digital Marketing: How you can use 4 Ps of marketing in digital marketing?

Digital Marketing is an offshoot of traditional marketing . The principles that are applicable in marketing are equally applicable in digital settings. We have the famous 4 Ps of marketing , which are the basics of any marketing strategy. They stand for Product , Price , Place , and Promotion . Marketers blend these 4 Ps in a specific way to devise a perfect marketing strategy.  Let's assume you are an Instagram Influencer and want to use these variables to make your marketing strategy.  1. Product: In our case (social media celebrity), the product is actually you. You have a personal brand to market. Companies keep on experimenting with the packaging, size, features, etc., of a product just to renew interest. Ever wondered why Lux keeps adding almonds, honey, milk, etc., to beauty soaps? They are experimenting with the product. You can do the same. You can add frills similar to physical products. You can make yourself more compelling by learning new skills, trying new exp...

How to create Master To-Do List?

If you are an ambitious person, you must have multiple things going on in your life. They may be related to your work, home, online world, or any other realm. Similarly, you may have personal goals to achieve in your life. To keep you organized and make sure you don't forget these tasks, you need to jot them down. This document is a powerful productivity tool. It is called a to-do list .   What is a Master To-Do List ?   It is a combined list of all your to-do tasks and goals in your life. The main purpose of this list is to dump all your goals and tasks from your mind on a piece of paper, a word processor, or maybe in a mobile app. The basic difference between a daily or weekly to-do list and the master list is that the daily/weekly to-do list is short-term, whereas the master to-do list is a combined list of tasks that you want to accomplish in the long run or during your entire lifetime. This is not limited to only personal life; you can create one about your professional g...