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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...

From Professional Networking to Content Copycatting: Are You Guilty?

LinkedIn has changed from just a place for professionals to connect to a spot where people share lots of different things they create. But as this change happens, there's a big problem: many people aren't giving credit to the original creators. It's like how in Pashto music , once a song gets popular, everyone sings it without caring about who made it. Similarly, on LinkedIn, when someone posts something good, others often copy it or share it without saying who originally made it. This isn't fair to the person who came up with the idea, and it raises questions about what's right and wrong when it comes to owning ideas. People on LinkedIn need to understand and respect the work of others. Giving credit to the person who made something not only shows that you appreciate their work, but it also helps create a community where people are respectful and work together. Even if you can't directly say who made something, just mentioning that it's a copy can make a b...

No Advertising is not Digital Marketing! (only)

When you hear " digital marketing ," what comes to mind? Google ads , sponsored social media posts , maybe even those pesky pop-ups that follow you around the internet? Advertising and paid media indeed play a significant role in digital marketing. However, I can't help but feel a bit angry whenever I come across a job post or content that narrowly defines digital marketing as just advertising . Jobs that harp on advertising are looking for shortcuts, whereas marketing is a long-term process.  Let's set the record straight: digital marketing is not just about ads. It's a subset of marketing, akin to a vast ocean with advertising as just one of its many channels. Imagine you've allocated a budget for advertising. You launch a campaign, hoping for immediate conversions . But alas, your campaign falls flat like a damp, oily cake. Why? Because you skipped the crucial steps of strategizing , researching your audience , building personas , segmenting the market , s...

I joined TikTok late but I don’t regret it

  Lately, as I was searching for a job, I found that many job openings require TikTok experience. To explore the terrain of TikTok, I took the plunge. Although I am late to the party, I don’t regret it. Here is what I experienced: As expected, I was bombarded with a ton of dance videos . I didn’t have earphones—just witnessing folks dance without a beat was as hilariously entertaining as a Charlie Chaplin silent movie . Then there were poetic videos—videos that were the unholy lovechild of bad poetry and obnoxiousness. Absurdity at its best! Despite this obnoxiousness, the allure of bite-sized content is undeniable. In a world where time is a luxury, TikTok's snackable videos cater perfectly to those on the go, the perpetually busy, or anyone seeking a quick distraction. It's like the fast food of the social media world. Quality plummets with every other video. My expectation of sensible content hit rock bottom as I scrolled down the feed. From bad grammar and punctuation to c...

12 side hustle ideas you can start today to supplement your income

More people are side-hustling nowadays than at any other time. Roughly 70 million Americans are doing some side hustle. Numerous factors have led to this phenomenon; however, people are primarily motivated by Silicon Valley success stories. Similarly, they hear how entrepreneurs turn their side hustles into million-dollar companies, pay off student loans, buy their own houses, and make big, in general. These factors lure them to a side hustle.  However, it has a flip side too. People don’t hear the stories where entrepreneurs weren’t able to take off or couldn’t pay off debt - the failures. Some even dove all in but could not make it. Analyzing these failures is crucial if you want to start up. So how do you balance it? Should you realize your dream or remain on the safer side? It is a tough question. Fortunately, we have an answer. Patrick J. McGinnis has given the idea to become a ‘ten per cent entrepreneur’ in his book The 10% Entrepreneur . Patrick is an investor, entreprene...

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...