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CDM Progress Report
by ouiCherie
Last post
 2 days ago
...See more Hi CDM Trainees, This thread serves as progress reports for CDM Program. We would love to hear how you are doing! Each week, we would like you to reply to this thread answering the following three questions: * Which discussion was the last you completed? * What are some things you struggled with or didn't quite get right the first time around? * What went well? Share some tips you find helpful to help others. If you require support, please let us know and we'll reach out to you. -------------------------
7 Cups Academy Mentors (Content Development and Marketing Program): Availability Updates
by Hope
Last post
 July 31st
...See more NOTE: Please do not reply to this thread. Instead, hit the subscribe button to receive notifications when mentor availability is updated. Hi everyone! At 7Cups, we encourage our leaders to take breaks because self-care is a top priority. As a result, our Academy Mentors may occasionally go on break. This post will help keep you updated on those changes. If a mentor's name is not listed, it means they are no longer an Academy Mentor for this program. Mentors who are ACTIVE are coloured blue while those who are ON-BREAK are coloured Red. 🔵 : You may approach these mentors with program-related concerns. If a mentor is marked blue and they do not respond to you within 2 days, please let us know [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScL5tEep7p0g-WlauETlbQFXjGdHQHMKPRw3Z-faNb6X-5lFg/viewform]through this form. [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2XnrHWY9kCWIuRyfrEyODlTnHTJOnk0HQ22orLGRneCorVg/viewform] All of our active mentors are expected to keep up a 2-day response time. 🔴: Please DON'T approach these Mentors with concerns as long as their status is red. ---> Provide positive or constructive feedback about any academy mentor you have interacted with through the 7 Cups Academy Mentor Review form. 📞Open the mentor review form here [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2XnrHWY9kCWIuRyfrEyODlTnHTJOnk0HQ22orLGRneCorVg/viewform] ---> Acknowledge/appreciate a mentor's work by nominating them for an Academy Award.  🏆Open Academy Awards nomination form here [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeEZIVi3mnziP54xaUoWYZVzI5Xmzg_BcNpKwdE_ac-Hr7BSA/viewform] ------------------------- What do you need assistance with? All the blue colour-and-underlined text are hyperlinked. 🔵 Clarisse29 [http://www.7cups.com/@Clarisse29] ▪◾Ambassador ▪◾Mentor Support ▪◾ General support ▪◾ Editor ▪◾ATL ------------------------- 🔵 walkalot [https://www.7cups.com/@walkalot] ▪◾ [https://www.7cups.com/forum/ContentVolunteerTeam_198/ContentDevelopmentandMarketingProgramCDM_2192/3SocialMediaGraphicsPromotingSiteContent_237017/1/] Discussions 3 ▪◾ [https://www.7cups.com/forum/ContentVolunteerTeam_198/ContentDevelopmentandMarketingProgramCDM_2192/4TeamLightshipTweetingEmpathy_237651/1/] Discussion 4 ▪◾ CW/PC Tracking - CW1 ▪◾ATL ------------------------- 🔵 Train1 [http://7cups.com/@Train1] ▪◾ [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeD94L7U80BYaN89NuwALAo07YtzKZZ6jqxcUNtwIobjTnKbQ/viewform] Topic/Title Approval ▪◾Adult ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 🔵 WeEarth [http://7cups.com/@WeEarth] ▪◾ [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeD94L7U80BYaN89NuwALAo07YtzKZZ6jqxcUNtwIobjTnKbQ/viewform]Drop off and extension ▪◾ATL ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 🔵 Blinddaisy9121 [http://7cups.com/@Blinddaisy9121] ▪◾ [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeD94L7U80BYaN89NuwALAo07YtzKZZ6jqxcUNtwIobjTnKbQ/viewform]Honors option ▪◾Adult ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 🔵 Heathermarie95 [http://7cups.com/@Heathermarie95] ▪◾ [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeD94L7U80BYaN89NuwALAo07YtzKZZ6jqxcUNtwIobjTnKbQ/viewform]Outreach ▪◾ATL ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 🔵 Rubyjane00 [http://7cups.com/@Rubyjane00] ▪◾ [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeD94L7U80BYaN89NuwALAo07YtzKZZ6jqxcUNtwIobjTnKbQ/viewform]Last Step Check-in ▪◾Adult ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Hope [http://7cups.com/@Hope] ▪◾ Dean SoulfullyAButterfly [http://7cups.com/@SoulfullyAButterfly] ▪◾ Program Admin Facilitator ▪◾ Onboarding, confirmation & acceptance email ▪◾ Article support ______________________________________________________________________________________________ *click on the mentor's name to chat with them* Mentors can support you with the following: ✯ Help you understand program expectations ✯ Provide links to programs docs/forms if needed ✯ Answer program questions and concerns ✯ Support you on areas that you need extra guidance on ------------------------- Join the 7 Cups Academy Mentor Team Here! [https://www.7cups.com/forum/academy/AcademyTeam_2313/Applytobecomeamentorwith7CupsAcademy_303162/]
Answer Editing Requests
by SoulfullyAButterfly
Last post
 July 27th
...See more Hi everyone, Please use this space to mention the Answer ID for answers that may be approved after editing, and mention any relevant comments!
3) Social Media Graphics: Promoting Site Content
by SoulfullyAButterfly
Last post
 36 minutes ago
...See more Graphics can be created to support as well as summarize site content on social media platforms that link back to the original content through shares links alongside them. For example, we can create graphics to present our optimized Question and Answer Page or a summary of an expert article. Through this discussion, we will discuss the process of designing graphics, using image captions and hashtags, as well as posting best practices (i) Designing Graphics: To aid the graphic designing process, you can consider using sites that allow you to not only create your own graphics but provide a wide range of templates that you can edit. Some tips to consider include: * Know which design size you require beforehand - this may vary based on the social media platform. For example, Instagram offers a maximum resolution of 1080 x 1080 px. * Use only 2 font designs to avoid going overboard. * Use contrasting fonts or different text sizes to grab attention and to ensure the main message is conveyed. * Less is sometimes more: if your design does not require extra backgrounds, images, or design layers, consider going with white space as that helps avoid your content being avoided due to noise. * Use icons to help graphically summarize your content. * Consider combining consistency with creativity: ask yourself what your major content can creatively look like as consistency is a core principle of content creation. Consistency also applies to your design (font, colors, etc). For example, an analysis of 7 Cups Instagram can help identify that most of the posts are quotes, affirmations, etc. Note that more foundational blocks can always be introduced into the flow with time. * Consider adding your logo or site information on your graphic to help strengthen your brand. * Think of ways to stand out: Research and observe current trends, international events, and other possible content inspirations, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box to trial new creative ideas. For example, 7 Cups hosted a very successful and engaging Mental Health Trick or Treat [https://www.instagram.com/p/CHAjWthpbye/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link] Sites that have free editable templates include: * Canva [https://www.canva.com/create/social-media-graphics/] * Adobe Spark [https://spark.adobe.com/] * Easil [https://about.easil.com/] * Pablo by Buffer [https://pablo.buffer.com/] (ii) Image Captions and Hashtags * Remember that your image caption not only represents the content you are posting about but the brand you represent. * Consider the length of your caption based on your social media platform. For instance, Twitter limits characters, Instagram can be used for a medium length caption, while Facebook could host longer article-style captions too! * Some ideas of captions include: summarizing the content, mentioning the main motto of the post, etc. * Add emojis to connect with your audience. * Don’t forget to ensure readability by breaking up your longer captions with headings or spaces. * Questions help engage the audience: never forget to look for opportunities for reflection such as one-word answers to yes/no questions, or other quick icebreakers such as what everyone plans to do at the weekend. * A call to action is important to ensure further practical engagement. You can remind users about more details about supporting content present in the link in your bio or directly share your relevant link (depending on the social media platform) * Structure your caption with important information at the beginning, followed by any additional information of interest (such as goals, facts), questions for engagement, call to action, etc - you can style your structure based on your content type. * Include relevant hashtags and consider using mentions and tagging other users. Researching relevant hashtags involves keeping an eye on the hashtags used by influencers and leading figures and profiles within the industry, looking for trends and patterns, finding related hashtags just like related keywords, as well as trialing different groups of hashtags for certain content types. Last but not least, your brand can aim to start a new hashtag of its own as well! Some websites have tools that can help you target and research hashtags - some examples are included in this [https://www.mentionlytics.com/blog/free-hashtag-tracking-tools-higher-post-reach/]external link. (iii) Posting Time Many people often wonder when to post their content, and this curiosity is definitely important because posting time does influence engagement and value of the content posted - however, there are no correct rules of guidance. Rather, posting times should be based on insights on when your audience is most likely to be active - most social media platforms offer these insights for business or creator accounts, alongside insights in regards to other engagement factors. One excellent feature to utilize to ensure posting time, as well as a smooth flow of content, is to plan content in advance and schedule posts - scheduling is possible through the Twitter platform as well as the Facebook Business Suite for both Instagram and Facebook Activity Using your answer to the question in Discussion 2’s activity, create a social media graphic presenting the content and share your graphic as a reply to this post. Creativity is welcome for this task, and you can create any form of content. Feel welcome to use the 7 Cups social media content for inspiration if needed. Reply to at least one student’s graphic as well. Tip: You can discuss ideas or ask for help in the student discussion and support thread! Not sure how to add images directly into this forum discussion? Find instructions here [https://www.7cups.com/forum/NewbieHub_27/QuestionsInformationaboutusing7Cups_792/Howtouploadapictureinaforum_195609/] - This post is brought to you by the Content Development and Marketing Program, find out more information about the program here [https://www.7cups.com/forum/SiteUpdates_100/SoulfullyAButterflysContentGarden_2136/7CupsAcademyContentDevelopmentandMarketingCDMProgram_236685/1/]
4) Team Lightship: Tweeting Empathy
by SoulfullyAButterfly
Last post
 3 hours ago
...See more In our introduction, we briefly understood an introduction [https://www.7cups.com/forum/ContentVolunteerTeam_198/ContentDevelopmentandMarketingCourseCDM_2192/1IntroductiontoContentandMarketingat7Cups_237013/] to how social media-based marketing at 7 Cups uses a project called Team Lightship. In this discussion, we will understand how the Lightship initiative works in terms of using tweets for spreading awareness, support, as well as 7 Cups content and other service information. We will also learn how the Twitter platform can be used to outreach to people requiring and in search of mental health support, in order to ensure that mental health is not ignored or stigmatized on social media. (i) Using Tweets to Spread Awareness, Support, and Content/Service Information: As previously discussed, the goal of Lightship is to use social media to reach out to those in need using kind and empathetic messages. General tips include: * What you tweet about should reflect the compassionate, supportive, and kind community that 7 Cups is. Use your best judgment. * View your Team Lightship account as a force for good, and for spreading the 7 Cups mission and values. * Feel free to discuss emotions, situations, and topics that often occur on 7 Cups. * You might also want to post/retweet quotes or pictures, and that’s 100% okay! Just remember that reaching out to people should be a priority. Think of how social media graphics can be used in that sense, to engage people. * Note: Lightship uses referral links (found on your dashboard page under the list of chats) to direct users to the 7 Cups site. Tips in regards to which areas or services of 7 Cups you can mention (apart from the general fact about 1:1 or group chats!): Self-Help Guides [https://www.7cups.com/supportGuides/selfHelpGuides.php], Expert Articles [https://www.7cups.com/experts/], Free Mindfulness Exercises [https://www.7cups.com/exercises/mindfulness/?showlist=1]. Sample Tweets: Having a tough time? Don't keep it all inside. If you want to talk, we're here to listen 24/7 [http://t.co/87QFAAAl5c] #7Cups [https://twitter.com/hashtag/7cups?src=hash] https://www.7cups.com/17156123 #MentalHealthMatters Need inspiration from people who have overcome Postnatal Depression? Read these stories of women using their recovery to aid others! https://www.7cups.com/experts/postnatal-depression-recovery (ii) Using Twitter to Outreach People Seeking Support: The following steps are helpful ways to identify and respond to people seeking support: * Search for Keywords Some keywords or hashtags can prominently help search for people in need of support. Note: The following and other mental health-related tags on social media platforms can contain potentially triggering content. * Prominent Tags: need to vent, need a friend, feeling lonely, anxious, and depressed. * Other Tags Examples: * #depressed #anxious #depression #mentalhealth (high volume tags) * #needtotalk * #bullying * #chronicpain #chroniclife * #coping * #peersupport * #selfcare Note: These keywords or hashtags can also be used in your own tweets to help ensure visibility and engagement. * Reply to Tweets After your search for important hashtags and keywords, when you find someone who has tweeted using one of those tags, and looks to be in need of support, reach out to them! Respond to their tweet with a message that includes information about how 7 Cups can support them. Activity Using what you learned about the Lightship protocol: * Create one general hypothetical tweet that is supportive and compassionate. * Respond to this Tweet using the outreaching tips: 3. Reply to one other student’s responses for both (1) and (2) and offer a review about their response: don’t forget to mention strengths as well as improvements they can make! Please do not forget to personally save your activity answers as well as your reply to another user’s answer (recommended on Google Doc or other means) as you will be asked to share this for your Weekly Progress Report. - This post is brought to you by the Content Development and Marketing Program, find out more information about the program here [https://www.7cups.com/forum/SiteUpdates_100/SoulfullyAButterflysContentGarden_2136/7CupsAcademyContentDevelopmentandMarketingCDMProgram_236685/1/]
2) Community Questions and Answers - The Basis of Mental Health Awareness and Support
by SoulfullyAButterfly
Last post
 16 hours ago
...See more As previously introduced, the Questions and Answers Pages [https://www.7cups.com/qa/]at 7 Cups offer a wide range of quality based answers to common mental health questions Questions and Answers are available for 38 main categories, ranging from General Mental Health, Disabilities, Managing Emotions, Loneliness, Grief, Recovery, Student Life, Work Stress, and many more! Through this directory of available knowledge, awareness, and support, 7 Cups is equipped with answers to the common questions and concerns people have. Most of these Questions and Answers are featured in search engine results due to the value of the content they contain. The main community Questions and Answers Page offers a recent questions section as well as a section containing the most answered questions. All 7 Cups users are invited to search for or ask new questions through the main page. Community users can also participate in this area by submitting their answers, which are reviewed by a team for quality and other important requirements. Through this discussion, we will discuss the basic requirements needed to research as well as write quality answers for the Question and Answer Pages. Additionally, we will optimize the drafted answers in light of certain guidelines. (i) Basic Research and Writing Requirements: When writing answers to community questions, keep in mind these tips: * You need to write a minimum of 150 characters and 100 words. * If research is needed to guide your answer, consider only learning about the topic and avoid direct copy/pasting researched tips, advice, or information. * Consider verifying the information or facts through at least 2 reliable sources. * When researching possible answers or things the person can benefit from, consider their circumstances and if the tip is do-able and generally applicable. * Avoid plagiarism. * Use professional and appropriate language. * If comfortable, you can add a personal anecdote to help add meaning to your answer. However, avoid turning the answer to just your account or an entire focus on your experience. * Be empathetic, and consider using active listening skills to help not only answer their question but their feelings - this adds connection and meaning to your answer, as well as identifies understanding, which can lead to trust. * Answers should be related to the question and must contain tips or approaches to help deal with the question/situation instead of vague responses, even if positive. * 7 Cups is based on avoiding direct advice, this is because we do not know the complete scenario or situation a person may be facing. Keeping that in mind, avoid giving answers that provide one possible “solution” - a good tip is to consider encompassing all possible outcomes or more than one thing the person can try. (ii) Ensuring Optimized Answers: Although the above requirements and tips help deliver a great answer, further optimization of drafted answers can help ensure their quality. At 7 Cups, the Content Team uses researched and identified important keywords to guide their research and the writing process to result in optimized content as answers to community questions. In this regard, the basic tips/requirements involved are: * Ensure answers have at least 8 to 10 sentences. * Ensure the usage/incorporation of the maximum number or all of the provided keywords that can relate to the topic. What are Keywords? Generally, keywords can be thought of as terms or phrases that describe a piece of content. Related keywords are supporting keywords that can help further describe or expand on that initial content. For example, for the keyword “anxiety”, related keywords can be “anxiety symptoms” or “anxiety treatments”. Keywords help with search engine marketing and hence are an important part of SEO strategies. A simple strategy to find keywords is to look for Google Related Searches. These related searches are searches that relate to your term. For instance, a Google Related Search for “anxiety symptoms” is “what is anxiety” - using this insight, you can consider including this phrase alongside a brief category of your content outline to help strengthen the optimization of your content. For other free tools to help with keyword research, you can visit this [https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2013/09/18/best-keyword-research-tools] external link. Activity Review this Sample Optimized Answer: Question: How do paper bags help with panic attacks? [https://www.7cups.com/qa-panic-attacks-13/how-do-paper-bags-help-with-panic-attacks-129/] Provided Keywords: asthma attack, heart attacks, asthma, problems, brown paper bag, medical conditions, hyperventilation syndrome, mouth, respiratory alkalosis, common causes, chest pain, benefit, stress, medications Approved, Optimized Answer: While panic attacks might mimic the symptoms of heart attacks, they can be caused by several other problems and medical conditions. These include feeling stressed or facing medical conditions such as asthma attacks, hyperventilation syndrome, or even respiratory alkalosis. Although the common causes may differ, common symptoms include chest pain. Deep breathing through the mouth or by using a brown paper bag has its benefits, as it aids in the restoration of the loss of carbon dioxide in the blood during the panic attack. Notes: The question was general, requiring general research-based knowledge on the process of using paper bags for panic attacks. As the keywords were essentially covered, note that this answer does not have 8-10 sentences, but further supporting information or even a personal anecdote can be added. The following activity will help you put your attained knowledge to practice. Please write an optimized answer to the following community question, in light of the provided keywords. In addition, you are required to reply to at least one other student’s answer by identifying at least 3 strengths (things done correctly as per discussed guidelines) as well as at least 1 tip for improving the answer. Note: You are welcome to click the question link and submit your written answer for community publication once done as this is an existing question! Please do not forget to personally save your activity answers as well as your reply to another user’s answer (recommended on Google Doc or other means) as you will be asked to share this for your Weekly Progress Report. Question: What to do when you feel you are not good enough for someone? [https://www.7cups.com/qa-breakups-21/what-to-do-when-you-feel-you-are-not-good-enough-for-someone-5982/] Provided Keywords: parents, partner, self-esteem, social media, self-worth, good news, best way, first step, human beings, children, therapy, self-love, family members, better person, good time, good luck, inner critic, self-doubt, negative self-talk, real reason, whole life, amazing person, self-confidence, voice, right thing, healthy relationship, great things, information, communication, end of the day Bonus: Want to put your knowledge to test? Consider joining the Question and Answer (Q&A) Approval Team here and earn cheers for helping approve community answer submissions. You will be using the above knowledge as well as reminders on what makes a good answer. For more information, click here [https://www.7cups.com/forum/ContentVolunteerTeam_198/QAApprovalTeam2021_2257/JointheQuestionandAnswerQAApprovalTeam2021Relaunch_251179/] - This post is brought to you by the Content Development and Marketing Program, find out more information about the program here [https://www.7cups.com/forum/SiteUpdates_100/SoulfullyAButterflysContentGarden_2136/7CupsAcademyContentDevelopmentandMarketingCDMProgram_236685/1/]
1) Introduction to Content and Marketing at 7 Cups
by SoulfullyAButterfly
Last post
 Friday
...See more 7 Cups currently has separate dedicated teams that focus on both Content and Marketing. This discussion outlines both teams and provides an overview of their current focus. (A) Content Volunteer Team The Content Volunteer Team was relaunched and redesigned in 2020 and is led by @SoulfullyAButterfly - more information including an application can be found here [https://www.7cups.com/forum/SiteUpdates_100/SoulfullyAButterflysContentGarden_2136/ApplytotheContentVolunteerTeam2021_252130/] Focus: The team works to improve site content in the following areas: (i) Questions and Answers (Q&A Pages): [https://www.7cups.com/qa/] Quality answers are researched and written in light of search engine optimization (SEO) and other best practices to ensure that the community gets verified, valuable information in response to common mental health questions and concerns. These answers are considered “short tasks” as they involve quicker content production. (ii) Expert Mental Health News and Advice Section [https://www.7cups.com/experts/]: Existing, published articles are reviewed to ensure up-to-date information, quality length, expert verified facts and other important topic categories by editors. In addition, fresh content is produced for: (iii) Expert Mental Health News and Advice Section [https://www.7cups.com/experts/]: Alongside fresh content provided by experts, the team works to research and produce relevant fresh content articles that help boost information and awareness related to the categories that 7 Cups offers expertise in. Writers are welcome to collaborate with experts to publish co-authored articles or produce content individually to be published under the 7 Cups Community Account. (iv) All other Content Needs: The team is ready to tackle and undertake content tasks that may come up as other needs. These content assignments can relate to listener guides, upcoming growth path playlists, improvement and support of online therapy-related information as well as many other possibilities! (B) Team Lightship As a revamp to the Social Soldiers Team at 7 Cups, Project Lightship was announced in late 2020 as the current volunteer-led marketing team for 7 Cups on Twitter. It is currently being led by @Rebecca947 and @Isentropic Focus: The team intends to eliminate mental health stigma by identifying those who need support as presented by social media (Twitter) based messages. The team not only works on bringing awareness by using and promoting mental health-based content but actively outreaches to potential users in need of a safe haven to invite them to use 7 Cups. The team currently has one track with a focus on: (i) Outreaching to 20 people with compassionate messages and support per month (ii) Generating content and posting 5 posts. As the team is currently testing only one track, we can expect future opportunities with the growth of Team Lightship! Further information, including an application, can be found here [https://www.7cups.com/forum/CommunityProjectsEvents_184/SocialMediaSoldiers_1619/IntroducingTeamLightship_229541/] Other Social Media Platforms for Content: In the meantime, 7 Cups has official accounts on social media platforms that are run by community admins. Students of this current course as well as the Content Team will prospectively add to these content and content marketing efforts! Find and follow the 7 Cups Official Accounts on Social Media: Instagram - @7Cups [https://www.instagram.com/7cups/] ​| Twitter - @7Cups [https://twitter.com/7cups] & @7CupsTeen [https://twitter.com/7CupsTeen] | Facebook - 7CupsOfTea [https://www.facebook.com/7CupsOfTea/] | Youtube - 7 Cups of Tea [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYsco2bYgzQzUsLnaO899Qg] Question for Discussion: Which current area of the Content or Marketing focus at 7 Cups interests you the most? Please feel welcome to share your reasons. - This post is brought to you by the Content Development and Marketing Program, find out more information about the program here [https://www.7cups.com/forum/SiteUpdates_100/SoulfullyAButterflysContentGarden_2136/7CupsAcademyContentDevelopmentandMarketingCDMProgram_236685/1/] Note: If you intend to use Artificial Intelligence tools to help you fulfill any of the program’s requirements or electives, you are expected to adhere to our AI policy. You can read more about it here. [https://www.7cups.com/forum/academy/AnnouncementsandUpdates_2197/7CupsAcademysAIPolicy_326219/]
13) Reviewing and Promoting Current Articles
by SoulfullyAButterfly
Last post
 October 17th
...See more Through this activity, we will review current content and get to promote content too. Activity * Pick one Content Article from the Expert Section [https://www.7cups.com/experts/] - It is recommended to pick one that matches your choice of a focus area/topic. * Mention 3 top strengths of the article in terms of Best Practices [https://www.7cups.com/forum/ContentVolunteerTeam_198/ContentDevelopmentandMarketingProgramCDM_2192/6EnsuringBestWritingPractices_237654/]. * Review the Article for EAT (expertise, authority and trustworthiness) and list at least 2 comments for each of the three factors (can be things followed or tips to boost EAT). * Create a graphic to promote your selected content - remember to consider our previously discussed tips [https://www.7cups.com/forum/ContentVolunteerTeam_198/ContentDevelopmentandMarketingProgramCDM_2192/3SocialMediaGraphicsPromotingSiteContent_237017/] as well as peer feedback. Consider using your pseudonym or username if comfortable on the graphic in case of allowing social media usage. * Offer feedback to one student for their submissions to the above steps. Please ensure that your submissions to each of the steps of this activity are all contained in one forum post/reply. - This post is brought to you by the Content Development and Marketing Program, find out more information about the program here [https://www.7cups.com/forum/SiteUpdates_100/SoulfullyAButterflysContentGarden_2136/7CupsAcademyContentDevelopmentandMarketingCDMProgram_236685/1/]
8) Content Categories and Topics of Interest at 7 Cups
by SoulfullyAButterfly
Last post
 October 17th
...See more In this discussion, we will understand an overview of the current focus of content at 7 Cups through content categories as well as topics of interest for current and prospective content development. Current Article Topics at 7 Cups can be found here [https://www.7cups.com/experts/catalog/topics/] In addition, the content focus areas (alongside some ideas of sub-areas that can be focused on) include: * Depression (signs and symptoms, postpartum depression, seasonal depression, other types, causes, treatment, supporting someone with depression). * Anxiety (symptoms, social, separation or other types, causes, treatment, role of meditation, other coping skills) * Phobias (definition, types, most common, rare, coping) * PTSD (meaning, symptoms, types, therapies, causes, awareness, coping) * Sleeping Disorders (symptoms, types, effects of deprivation, causes, coping, relationship of sleep and mental health) * Eating Disorders (signs, types, causes, treatments, how to stop binge eating, statistics, recovery) * OCD (meaning, symptoms, causes, types, thoughts, personality disorder) * Schizophrenia (types of symptoms, causes, treatments, early signs, risk factors, prevalence statistics) * Substance Abuse (definition, symptoms, effects, causes, risk factors, treatment) * Physical Abuse (signs, effects, types) * Emotional Abuse (signs, emotionally abusive relationships, parents, cycle, effects, role of gaslighting, types, healing) * Sexual Abuse (signs, types, effects, survivor stories) * Family (family therapy, family signs, family conflicts and resolutions) * Couples (couples therapy, counseling, exercises) * Sexual Disorders (sexual disorder information, therapies) * Addictions (symptoms, types, treatment, how to break an addiction) * Child and Adolescent (social media, substance abuse, anxiety, how to help teens) * LGBT (counseling, support, coping with unsupportive people, coming out) * COVID-19 (social distancing, loneliness, job loss, financial stress, coping) * Maternal (postpartum depression, anxiety, maternal mental health) * Coping Skills * Stress (symptoms, management, coping) * Relationships (symptoms of toxic or unsupportive relationships, leaving a relationship, coping with breakups) * Parenting (single parents, foster parents, parenting stress) * Grief and Loss (types, symptoms, stages, coping) * ADHD (symptoms, causes, statistics) * Autism (signs, causes, awareness, types, coping) * Self-Esteem (signs, how to boost, affirmations, activities) * CBT (definition, techniques, CBT for X (any) conditions) * BIPOC (mental health, racism, stigma, coping) Activity After reading the content focus areas, mention which area you are interested in developing content for and why. Reflect and share feedback on at least one student’s shared reason too. - This post is brought to you by the Content Development and Marketing Program, find out more information about the program here [https://www.7cups.com/forum/SiteUpdates_100/SoulfullyAButterflysContentGarden_2136/7CupsAcademyContentDevelopmentandMarketingCDMProgram_236685/1/]
12) About the Writer: Writing Effective Writer Biographies
by SoulfullyAButterfly
Last post
 October 14th
...See more As discussed before, incorporating EAT [https://www.7cups.com/forum/ContentVolunteerTeam_198/ContentDevelopmentandMarketingProgramCDM_2192/8WritingwithExpertiseAuthorityandTrust_240409/] helps enhance content quality and helps more people discover the developed content. Apart from ensuring EAT within our content, we need to ensure that we have effective writer biographies that support the developed content. In this discussion, we will understand how to ensure effective writer biographies through applying EAT and other best practices. * Expertise * When considering the expertise factor for author biographies, expertise refers to the credentials or experience the author has. * Medical content is best supported/expertised through medical professionals, for example, and similarly, relevant experience or education qualifies as expertise. * However, if one does not have a degree, expertise can be demonstrated through lived experience or other ways. For example, being an active listener for 7 Cups for 3 years does demonstrate expertise in listening and supporting mental health concerns. Note: To keep up with the Expertise factor’s need, 7 Cups currently either pairs content writers with experts and content is published through the expert profile with the writer biography contained at the end of the co-authored article, or publishes writer works through a shared account called “7 Cups Community, Global Support [https://www.7cups.com/experts/@7-cups-community]” - the biography of this account is optimized to reflect EAT. * Authoritativeness * Authority in terms of an author biography refers to the number of citations the author has. This includes their publications and other published content, as well as any reviews or things that show the impact or quality of their work. * Trust * Trust is also determined by an author’s citations - trusted authors have published content for websites and publications that score high on EAT factors. * Trust is also established through the quality of an author’s content. Activity Using the factors discussed above, write a biography for your prospective articles at 7 Cups. Feel welcome to include your real name/pseudonym or first name - anything you are comfortable with being prospectively published! After you have written the brief paragraph-form biography, point out what parts of the biography highlight each of the EAT factors. Respond to at least one other student’s biography and comment your feedback for improvement. Bonus (Optional): Consider starting a 7 Cups creator portfolio here [https://www.7cups.com/forum/ContentVolunteerTeam_198/CreatorPortfolios_2227/]! - This post is brought to you by the Content Development and Marketing Program, find out more information about the program here [https://www.7cups.com/forum/SiteUpdates_100/SoulfullyAButterflysContentGarden_2136/7CupsAcademyContentDevelopmentandMarketingCDMProgram_236685/1/]
11) Headlining and Sub-Headlining Effective Content Pieces
by SoulfullyAButterfly
Last post
 October 14th
...See more Article titles (headlines), as well as subheadlines, are one of the first things a reader reads. In this discussion, we will understand effective strategies to write headline titles as well as subheadlines to these titles. Some general tips include: * Avoid long article titles: try to fit the title within 62 characters or limit it to 5-7 words. * Consider using “What”, “Why”, “How”, or “When” as these are catchy and add to curiosity. * Use Numbers - numbers ensure the availability of organized information, and are generally liked: using Odd Numbers in the title has helped in terms of SEO. Remember to write the number itself (5 instead of five). * To add specificity, consider using “the” before the number. * Provide an answer to why people should click and read your content: words like “tips”, “strategies”, “facts”, “reasons” all help provide a rationale. * Include the word “Guide” where applicable. * Consider using emotional adjectives that describe the topic. For example, “essential”, “free” etc. * Consider outlining Negative aspects - spin this to meet mental health content goals. For example, The 5 Essential Things You Did Not Know About Depression. * Use common words to ensure people understand and grasp the topic while finding the title simple * Consider using a “Things I Wish I Had Known” approach to content if applicable. How to test your headline as being unique: Copy and paste your headline with quotation marks into the Google search bar. (e.g. “The 5 Essential Things You Did Not Know About Depression”) - if the results come back as “no results found”, your headline is unique! Helpful Resource: Useful Title Capitalization Tool [https://capitalizemytitle.com/] Note: The bottom line to success in terms of marketing and content is to ensure that your content body reflects the great headline/title. It might be worth considering to write final titles after the content body. Subheadlines: Effective subheadlines summarize the content body while also linking it to the title. Activity Using the knowledge attained through this discussion, propose a new article title as well as a subheadline for this [https://www.7cups.com/experts/coping-with-loneliness-during-the-holidays] published article at 7 Cups. Reply to at least one other student’s response and share your feedback with them (Edited by @SoulfullyAButterfly: 12/2/2021 to clarify "subheadline" instead of subheading) - This post is brought to you by the Content Development and Marketing Program, find out more information about the program here [https://www.7cups.com/forum/SiteUpdates_100/SoulfullyAButterflysContentGarden_2136/7CupsAcademyContentDevelopmentandMarketingCDMProgram_236685/1/]
10) Article Outlining
by SoulfullyAButterfly
Last post
 October 13th
...See more This discussion aims to present some tips for the article outlining process - it is a general discussion and you are not limited to using these techniques but are welcome to share your personal experiences and suggestions in the forum replies! * Brainstorming * Brainstorm the need for your content piece - establish your idea and consider what the content needs to contain by asking yourself the purpose of the content piece and what your audience would like to know through your work. * Moreover, consider auditing existing content to find opportunities for interconnected content as well as to find ideas for further enhancing your content collection. * For example, you can browse through the current Expert articles available at 7 Cups and consider what related or supporting content works can be developed. * Developing a Concrete Idea * After brainstorming the need for your content work, develop a concrete idea to support your proposed title. A concrete idea is simply what purpose you intend to fulfill through your content. * In other words, be clear about what you would like to include within your content article. * Listing Main Points * Consider listing the main points of what you would like to include in your content article: you can consider starting with major subheadings and their supporting points, or just a general list of points you would like to include and research. * Descriptions of Main Points * After forming the list of main points, consider adding small details or descriptions about what that point should contain or answer - these descriptions can include pointers on what to research, questions, etc. * After writing the list and descriptions, consider where you want to add expert quotes and what type of expert you can contact. * Moreover, consider creating a brief list of existing content you can use and backlink to. * You can edit your outline to include any new things that come up during your research for other points, but it is recommended to keep your content within your outline/concrete idea after creating it. Need help with your outline? Consider using the Student Discussion Thread or emailing ayesha@7cups.com for support. - This post is brought to you by the Content Development and Marketing Program, find out more information about the program here [https://www.7cups.com/forum/SiteUpdates_100/SoulfullyAButterflysContentGarden_2136/7CupsAcademyContentDevelopmentandMarketingCDMProgram_236685/1/]
9) Getting Ready to Write: Topic Selection
by SoulfullyAButterfly
Last post
 October 13th
...See more Congratulations! We have discussed all the essential elements towards developing content with quality, as well as learned about marketing that content to help ensure it is delivered to help people. In this activity, you are to select the topic for your first article to be prospectively published at 7 Cups! To do so, please review all our discussions on best practices, as well as the content Focus Areas [https://www.7cups.com/forum/ContentVolunteerTeam_198/ContentDevelopmentandMarketingProgramCDM_2192/9ContentCategoriesandTopicsofInterestat7Cups_240411/]at 7 Cups. Use your own interests (topics can be slightly different from the focus areas), as well as the headlining guidelines we discussed, to formulate a Topic Title for your work. This title can be slightly edited later if needed, but will be for your first article. It is recommended to read the next discussion (10: Article Outlining) to help support your topic formulation process. * Submit your selected Title for approval before writing your first article, through this form. [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeD94L7U80BYaN89NuwALAo07YtzKZZ6jqxcUNtwIobjTnKbQ/viewform] * A mentor will reach out to you and inform you about your topic approval status. If you do not hear back in around 2 days, please contact @ouiCherie * You will get one week to write your article after the topic is approved, so please keep a reminder for the deadline and reach out to us if you need support during this time. Please note the same form above will be used to submit the article. - This post is brought to you by the Content Development and Marketing Program, find out more information about the program here [https://www.7cups.com/forum/SiteUpdates_100/SoulfullyAButterflysContentGarden_2136/7CupsAcademyContentDevelopmentandMarketingCDMProgram_236685/1/]
7) Writing with Expertise, Authority, and Trust
by SoulfullyAButterfly
Last post
 October 8th
...See more As discussed before, several best writing practices [https://www.7cups.com/forum/ContentVolunteerTeam_198/ContentDevelopmentandMarketingProgramCDM_2192/6EnsuringBestWritingPractices_237654/] help ensure content that is valuable for awareness and support. In this discussion, we will understand how to ensure quality content alongside best writing practices through incorporating expertise, authority, and trust within the content. Background The internet is a primary place where users worldwide look for information and support. The topics searched up include those that fall into the health, safety, or financial domains. Consequently, false information or content that has quality problems such as those that violate best practices can be potentially damaging to significant levels thereby negatively impacting a user’s happiness, health, or wealth. To buffer this, the Google algorithm (and Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines) used to display top content pages considers factors that include: Expertise, Authority, and Trust to ensure protection from low-quality content. These factors are commonly known as EAT in short. As mental health is part of the health domain and is a significant area searched, the EAT factors are vital to consider when developing content. Since 2018, the EAT factors not only apply to a website’s main content pages but are also considered when reviewing the content creators (i.e. authors). EAT and How To Incorporate EAT into Website Content: * Expertise: * When considering the expertise factor for website content, expertise refers to the extent to which the website or organization is known and has the suitable credentials and any expertise supporting factors such as awards or external recognition. * Expert Content is Researched Based: consider stepping into the shoes of your audience and perform a keyword research whilst thinking about their needs. Through your keyword research, grasp why the audience has searched for those keywords (topics). Knowing the intent of the topic queried helps you guide content on solutions and helpful information that can not only meet but exceed the user’s needs. * Expert Content is Comprehensive yet Digestible: Try to ensure your content is simple and has good formatting, avoid confusing structures or things that are too difficult to understand unless you break down and explain difficult concepts. * Expert Content is Supplementary: After answering the main intent of a searcher’s query or possible needs regarding a content topic, supplement your content by thinking about further supporting/supplementary content that could further enhance and support the topic: this is when back-linking comes in handy! Audit your existing content and identify which of your published pages can be backlinks to the new content piece. Think of what further topics/content pieces can be branched from existing content and include them on your content development agenda. * Authority * Authority refers to the ratings the website and its content get on the basis of genuine ratings as well as content relevance. * Authoritative Content is Cited: External pages rely upon and cite the content as their sources of information. Citations include external back-linking as well as mentions on the news or social media. * Authoritative Content is Widely Shared: This is where marketing can help boost the content to build authority. Content with authority is regularly and widely shared and mentioned across social media. Engagement efforts can help drive this factor. * A Wikipedia Page Boosts Authority: A Wikipedia page for the brand, organization, or even people in a company helps boost authority. * Brand Authority Matters: A signal to authority is when users search your brand name for their content needs. * Trust * Trust refers to validity - a website can have validation pages such as an About Us page or other main pages. Trustworthiness is also determined through positive reviews and user support. * In terms of content, trust can be boosted through the inclusion of an author's biography as well as external sources being cited, especially if they are other authoritative sources. Feel welcome to share your opinions on each of the EAT factors or ask any questions! - This post is brought to you by the Content Development and Marketing Program, find out more information about the program here [https://www.7cups.com/forum/SiteUpdates_100/SoulfullyAButterflysContentGarden_2136/7CupsAcademyContentDevelopmentandMarketingCDMProgram_236685/1/]
6) Ensuring Best Writing Practices
by SoulfullyAButterfly
Last post
 October 8th
...See more After understanding the general requirements to keep in mind whilst submitting your content articles for 7 Cups publication, this discussion highlights some general writing tips to keep in mind when writing content that relates to mental health. Things to Do: * Make sure the article is empathetic, kind, helpful & informative (it fulfills the reader who found it), empowering. Replace mental “illness” or “disease” with “condition” or “issue” and soften any other mental health stigma language that might pop up. This helps ensure that your tone is supportive. * Think of story ideas that will be sharable in social media * Be concise * Be conversational and accessible in your writing * Back up statements with research or facts if applicable (cite sources) - try to confirm facts by ensuring at least 2 different sources mentioning them. * Include expert quotes and insights -- you can reach out to a psychologist or expert about your story and offer a quote and link to their practice for the collaboration. Make sure their title/expertise is attributed in the article * Be thorough, don’t gloss over specifics * Give the reader empathy and hope * Put yourself in the reader’s shoes: ask yourself what they need out of reading your piece and then deliver that * Try to combine personal experiences with expert insight to strengthen your piece. * Consider including friends and family members of people impacted by your topic in your audience. For more tips on reporting mental health conditions and choosing words carefully, read the American Psychiatric Association’s article here [https://www.psychiatry.org/newsroom/reporting-on-mental-health-conditions] Other Tips: The following are general guidelines to help find facts, help link things with 7 Cups as well as outreaching tips for personal stories and expert insight: * Always try to hyperlink some of your main sources. * Use authentic reporting websites such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC [https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/index.htm]), World Health Organization [https://www.who.int/news-room/facts-in-pictures/detail/mental-health], or American Psychological Association [https://www.apa.org/], etc. for facts and up-to-date statistics. (Can be hyperlinked as mentioned above) * Use Google Scholar [https://scholar.google.com/] to search for relevant research work. Abstracts usually summarize research findings. * When outlining your article, consider asking yourself which information and what type of information can be added as a priority. For example, an article about mental health during the pandemic would likely report authentic global statistics and could use published research information. * When reviewing other resources that cover your topic or something close to it, always ask yourself what can help enhance that available content. How can you ensure you are providing a unique take on the topic? Consider thinking about what is missing that could be worth mentioning. * 7 Cups has lots of free services, including available self-help guides, subcommunities with forums, and other areas - generally, editorial assistants at 7 Cups help backlink to these resources, but you are welcome to directly mention them if it applies, for instance, mentioning how Sharing Circles can help users cope with loneliness or the lack of support in their daily lives. * Outreaching for both personal or expert quotes can be done via social media, contact forms of blog posts, or even email considering which information is available. You are welcome to PM @SoulfullyAButterfly if you think a 7 Cups Expert can help provide you the quote or required insight. * When outreaching for personal stories, introduce yourself and 7 Cups and explain your article topic briefly, and why you think their personal experience could help. Share how you can back-link (link back) to the person’s blog or other resources if they would like that in return for sharing their quote. Ensure that you ask them if they would like their name to be disclosed, or if they would like a pseudonym. Finally, let them know you will share the final published version so they can also share it with their acquaintances. * When requiring an expert quote, use the same procedure discussed, but consider asking for the expert’s availability. Mention how the expert’s work can aid your write-up and any questions you have. Ask for the expert’s professional practice page link and if they are interested, mention how they can have a published expert profile at 7 Cups (you can CC ayesha@7cups.com if needed). Things To Avoid: * The overuse of cliches or corny language * Making it overly formal or using references most wouldn’t understand * Using extraneous words/phrases. For example, you don’t have to write, “it’s important to…” If you’re writing it, the reader will assume it’s important. Unless, of course, it really is a surprise that this piece of advice is important - in which case say that * Forgetting to explain the “why” * Repeating the same word or phrase often (unless intentional, i.e. in an article about a mantra you might repeat the mantra several times) * Overusing exclamation points Activity Using the information you just learned, write a paragraph (minimum of 100 words) for the article topic “Coping with Loneliness During the COVID-19 Pandemic” - as this is only a paragraph and NOT the complete article, state a brief heading which will inform the reader whether your paragraph is about a general introduction or something more specific. Ensure your paragraph contains facts. Please note that you are to mention your sources too, as well as a link to at least one source within the paragraph. Bonus: Consider using previous discussions to research and use keywords. Additionally, reply to at least one other student and highlight the strengths of their work as well as areas for improvement. - This post is brought to you by the Content Development and Marketing Program, find out more information about the program here [https://www.7cups.com/forum/SiteUpdates_100/SoulfullyAButterflysContentGarden_2136/7CupsAcademyContentDevelopmentandMarketingCDMProgram_236685/1/]
Community Leaders
Community Mentor Leader
@Clarisse29
@SoulfullyAButterfly