SOCIAL BOWL 2014: TOP 12 BRANDS OF SUPER BOWL XLVIII( Reblogged … really worth reading)

Social Bowl 2014: Top 12 Brands of Super Bowl XLVIII

Posted by Shannon Johlic on Tue, Feb 04, 2014 @ 10:34 AM

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Tracx, the only official enterprise social platform of the Super Bowl Host Committee, analyzed online conversations around Super Bowl XLVIII TV spots. Some were controversial, some pulled on heart-strings, and others made us laugh.

Below, you’ll find the Top 12 brands with commercials during the Super Bowl, ranked by volume of organic online conversations – beyond voting or YouTube views. These were the brands who created the most immediate buzz during, immediately after, and the Monday following the Super Bowl.

Learn more about Tracx by registering to attend one of our weekly product tours!

 

#1: Budweiser

Budweiser knocked it out of the park this past Sunday, airing two commercials that both drove tons of online conversation. The first supported the beer giant’s #BestBuds campaign, and featured a heart-warming friendship between a puppy and the famous Clydesdale horse. Bud’s second commercial also tugged at the nation’s heartstrings, featuring a U.S. Army soldier returning home after service. This ad bolstered Budweiser’s #SaluteAHero campaign.

 

 

#2: Microsoft

Microsoft placed a heavy question on the table by asking, “What is technology?” in their Big Game advertisement. People were clearly inspired as the tech juggernaut portrayed tangible examples of how technology has united people and brought us to places we’ve only dreamed about.

 

#3: Pepsi

Pepsi got people “hyped” for the Super Bowl Halftime Show by producing an ad in which various landmarks around NYC were used as instruments by a giant pair of human hands.

 

#4: Coca-Cola

Coke’s multilingual rendition of “America The Beautiful” motivated lots of people to take to social media in order to express opinions. While the ad did receive positive sentiment, it left a bitter taste in the mouths of some conservative pundits.

 

#5: Bud Light

Bud Light kept it…well…light in their continuing series of commercials throughout Sunday’s Super Bowl. The ad, which bolstered Bud Light’s #UpForWhatever campaign, showed an average Joe enjoying a night of debauchery with various celebrities. Clearly, people were jealous of Ian’s experience.

 

#6: Radio Shack

RadioShack successfully attempted to revitalize its image by airing a commercial in support of their #InWithTheNew campaign. The light-hearted ad featured a plethora of iconic characters from the 1980’s, and showed that Radio Shack maintains a sense of humor as they address their formerly outdated company strategy.

 

#7: T-mobile

T-mobile brought in Tim Tebow to be the face of their #NoContract campaign. The comical commercial showed the athlete fulfilling his childhood dreams in his free time without a football contract.

 

#8: Doritos

Doritos continued its “For The Bold” campaign by airing an ad in which a young boy tricks a grown man into believing his cardboard box time machine in fact teleported the man to the future. People got a kick out of this concept, and took to social to share.

 

#9: H&M

David Beckham continued to represent H&M on Sunday, as he starred in an advertisement for his signature line of body wear in which he traversed a concrete jungle in his underwear. The campaign is formally named #BeckhamforHM.

 

#10: Transformers: Age of Extinction

Paramount Pictures got people excited for the upcoming film, Transformers: Age of Extinction. By revealing epic action sequences from the film, and announcing Mark Wahlberg’s participation, the company got people to express their anticipation online.

 

#11: Chrysler

Chrysler went the Patriotic route on Sunday, revealing their #AmericasImport campaign. The ad featured Bob Dylan, and showcased the originality, authenticity, and superiority of American-made vehicles. Some took to social media to praise Chrysler, while others felt that the Patriotism was a little much.

 

#12: M&Ms

M&Ms were featured in a hilarious ad in which a seemingly evil villain brings a living peanut M&M to his secret hideout, and divulges his intentions to chop him up into little pieces…and sprinkle him on a big bowl of ice cream. People clearly found this funny, as M&Ms continue to reap the success of their unique marketing campaigns.

 

Honorable Mention: JC Penny

While JC Penny was not an official advertiser during the Super Bowl, their “#TweetingWithMittens” campaign cannot be ignored. Their Social Media activity, while questionable at times, produced more buzz than many of the other large brands who spent $4+ million on TV spots. Whether planned or not, these types of disruptive antics can definitely have an impact on a brand.

KEY TAKEAWAY:

Big ad spend during the Super Bowl can produce major brand awareness and social chatter, but a good social strategy is just as important as the ad spend. From a contest like Doritos, to opportunistic Tweets like JC Penny (or for a better example: Oreo’s “You can still dunk in the dark” Tweet), Social Media monitoring, managing, and analyzing must be a part of all advertising initiatives moving forward.

 

A LETTER TO MY DAUGHTER KIM BEFORE SHE EMBARKS ON THE MARCH OF THE LIVING

Stephen Darori on Zionism

A Letter to My Daughter Kim before she embarks on the March of The Living…

Dearest Kim,

The March of the Living is an extraordinary, unforgettable experience.  With thousands  of Jewish people, from countries all around the world, you will share in a once in a lifetime experience when they march three kilometers from Auschwitz to Birkenau, the largest concentration camp complex built by the Nazis during World War II. The March commemorates Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. You with be there – along with over 8,000 participants who will be part of this historic event.

As one of the Marchers, you will retrace the steps of the March of Death, the actual route which countless numbers of our people were forced to take on their way to the gas chambers at Birkenau. You will experience Jewish history where it was made. This time, however, there will be a difference…

View original post 894 more words

Azaria Alon -Lover of Zion and The Land of Israel

Azaria Alon -Lover of Zion and The Land of Israel.

Facebook Video Ads are here

1. 

   They’ve been planning it, floating the idea, testing the waters, and pushing the release date since January of last year. But now it seems to be happening. Facebook Video Ads are here.

   Are you interested? Should you be? Will Facebook Video Ads be right for your business?

   In this article I’ll take a look at the new Facebook Video Ads. I’ll break down what they’ll look like, how much they’ll cost, and give you my prediction for the future.

   Let’s get started.

   How they work

   ---

   In what Facebook is calling a ‘richer storytelling format for advertisers’, they’re rolling out 15 second video ads. The videos will appear in the same format as Facebook Posts, with the video playing where the image has been traditionally. Think of it as a sponsored video post (though substantially more expensive)

   They’re auto-play, which means that as Facebook users are scrolling down their News Feed, the video ad starts to play (without sound). The video ad will stop playing if they keep scrolling past it – and sound will only start if they click on the video ad or make it full-screen.

   They’re currently available to a select number of brands, individuals and musical groups. The first one (which came out on the 17th of December) was a trailer ad for the upcoming blockbuster Divergence.

   For mobile users, the videos that begin playing as they appear on the screen ‘will have been downloaded in advance when the device was connected to WiFi’. This means, basically, thatFacebook Video Ads will not consume data – even if the user isn’t connected to WiFi at the time of playback.

   Once the 15 second-video is done, two more links pop up with videos from the same brand – similar to at the end of a YouTube ad or video.

   At the moment, they’re only targetable by age and gender demographics. This is, of course, in comparison to traditional Facebook Ads which offer incredibly specific targeting.

   Here’s what they’ll look like:

   

   Wait, they cost how much?

   ---

   Between 1 and 2.5 million dollars per day for a 15 second video ad. And, as yet, they’re only available in the US. This means that video ads will only be (possibly) seen by the roughly 140 million US Facebook users aged 18-54.

   This number is surprisingly high – and most media buyers, advertisers, and social mediaexperts are somewhat thrown off by it. Here’s why: YouTube video Ads on the homepage cost around $400,000. The YouTube homepage receives about 60 million views from 23 million unique visitors per day.

   YouTube’s video Ads are auto-play as well, both on the homepage and in the cheaper pre-video location. And they’re, if anything, harder to disengage with. With Facebook Video Ads you simply have to keep scrolling down whereas YouTube Ads have to be actively skipped or closed. So we’re talking about a very similar system, with a similar target market and, tops, a 100% increase in Reach for Facebook Video Ads over YouTube video Ads.

   Yet we’re also talking about a 250% increase in price for Facebook Video Ads over YouTube Ads – if not 625%.

   So what gives?

   ---

   Well, it’s pretty clear we’re still in the testing stage of Facebook Video Ads. The prohibitive price, the limited market, not to mention limiting the advertisers to a few brands, individuals and musical groups makes that pretty clear.

   But, for me, they’re definitely something to keep a close eye on. Video advertising is going to be big in 2014. The visual aspect of marketing (something I took a close look at before the Christmas break) is growing as marketers discover its huge potential.

   My Predictions for Facebook Video Ads

   ---

   1. Targeting:

   Though at the moment no better than you get with a YouTube Ad, targeting will be – undeniably – better when Facebook Video Ads become more widely available. We know Facebook has all the targeting capabilities, so I’m sure they’ll start integrating it soon.

   This will be as awesome for video ads as it is for side-bar and traditional News Feed ads. This means targeting a video ad for a new horror movie at people who have stated they love horror movies. This means targeting a video ad with a sneak peek at your upcoming webinar to people who have attended your webinars before or have stated they are interested in the subject matter.

   2. Cost:

   Cost will go down. A lot. In this testing stage they’ve priced it up so intensely so they can keep track of results and test formats, advertisers, and everything else.

   While you’re not going to see a PPC Facebook Video Ad, you will see the price drop to be more competitive with YouTube’s video ads. I imagine the price will also change based on your chosen ad Reach (targeting by specific interest, for instance, will be cheaper than targeting by gender or continent).

   Even so, we’re not going to see much below $500,000 for a long time, if ever. Remember, SuperBowl XLVIII is charging 10 times that price for their 30 second TV commercial slots – and the Reach for Facebook Video Ads is almost 20 times larger.

   3. Reach:

   728 million active users log in to Facebook every single day, and there are 1.19 billion monthly active users. Once Facebook Video Ads get over the growing pains we’re seeing at the moment, the Reach of a Facebook Video Ad will make the price (once it goes down a bit) far more sensible.

   4. What the Time-Limitation will mean for Advertisers:

   Video ads mean you have to get creative, and Facebook’s 15 second slot means you have to get creative fast.

   Unlike YouTube videos (the mass-majority of which are over 30 seconds – and the most successful over three minutes), Facebook’s 15 second gap is reminiscent of their affiliate Instagram’s videos. It’s an interesting length, actually. I think we’ll see a lot of behind-the-scenes clips and sneak-previews.

   Instagram videos offer video stabilization and editing (and I’m sure Instagram’s owner, Facebook, will do the same). This means Facebook Video Ads will be higher quality than Vine, for instance, and the short format means they’ll be glimpses into something exciting happening in your business.

   Offering these video ads, initially, to movie-makers and bands makes sense. These industries work well with the whole idea of an intriguing 15 second clip.

   5. Will they be Better than Traditional Facebook Ads?

   Not for a while. The PPC pricing, the awesome targeting capabilities and the ease of creation with traditional Facebook Ads make them hard to beat.

   Video Ads will, for a while, be used exclusively by the corporations and companies for whom a single $500,000 ad isn’t their ad budget for the next five years.

   But this is okay. I’m not convinced that video ads will ever make a whole lot more sense than traditional ads for small business. There are so many awesome ways to reach your target market and generate leads with content marketing, traditional ads and social media that I’d focus on those avenues that work for your business, and will continue to work.

   For small and mid-sized businesses, I’d steer clear from investing in Facebook Video Ads before they become more reasonably priced – especially when there’s so much more to learn and more to do in 2014 with existing online marketing avenues.

Israeli Technology 2013 Summary

Stephen Darori looks at many of the things we use every day that had their start in Israel.

For more MADE IN ISRAEL: http://www.cbn.com/special/made-in-is…

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/700club
Twitter: https://twitter.com/700club
Check your local listing: http://www.cbn.com/700club/showinfo/s…
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Facebook Video Ads are here

 

1. 

   They’ve been planning it, floating the idea, testing the waters, and pushing the release date since January of last year. But now it seems to be happening. Facebook Video Ads are here.

   Are you interested? Should you be? Will Facebook Video Ads be right for your business?

   In this article I’ll take a look at the new Facebook Video Ads. I’ll break down what they’ll look like, how much they’ll cost, and give you my prediction for the future.

   Let’s get started.

   How they work

   ---

   In what Facebook is calling a ‘richer storytelling format for advertisers’, they’re rolling out 15 second video ads. The videos will appear in the same format as Facebook Posts, with the video playing where the image has been traditionally. Think of it as a sponsored video post (though substantially more expensive)

   They’re auto-play, which means that as Facebook users are scrolling down their News Feed, the video ad starts to play (without sound). The video ad will stop playing if they keep scrolling past it – and sound will only start if they click on the video ad or make it full-screen.

   They’re currently available to a select number of brands, individuals and musical groups. The first one (which came out on the 17th of December) was a trailer ad for the upcoming blockbuster Divergence.

   For mobile users, the videos that begin playing as they appear on the screen ‘will have been downloaded in advance when the device was connected to WiFi’. This means, basically, thatFacebook Video Ads will not consume data – even if the user isn’t connected to WiFi at the time of playback.

   Once the 15 second-video is done, two more links pop up with videos from the same brand – similar to at the end of a YouTube ad or video.

   At the moment, they’re only targetable by age and gender demographics. This is, of course, in comparison to traditional Facebook Ads which offer incredibly specific targeting.

   Here’s what they’ll look like:

   

   Wait, they cost how much?

   ---

   Between 1 and 2.5 million dollars per day for a 15 second video ad. And, as yet, they’re only available in the US. This means that video ads will only be (possibly) seen by the roughly 140 million US Facebook users aged 18-54.

   This number is surprisingly high – and most media buyers, advertisers, and social mediaexperts are somewhat thrown off by it. Here’s why: YouTube video Ads on the homepage cost around $400,000. The YouTube homepage receives about 60 million views from 23 million unique visitors per day.

   YouTube’s video Ads are auto-play as well, both on the homepage and in the cheaper pre-video location. And they’re, if anything, harder to disengage with. With Facebook Video Ads you simply have to keep scrolling down whereas YouTube Ads have to be actively skipped or closed. So we’re talking about a very similar system, with a similar target market and, tops, a 100% increase in Reach for Facebook Video Ads over YouTube video Ads.

   Yet we’re also talking about a 250% increase in price for Facebook Video Ads over YouTube Ads – if not 625%.

   So what gives?

   ---

   Well, it’s pretty clear we’re still in the testing stage of Facebook Video Ads. The prohibitive price, the limited market, not to mention limiting the advertisers to a few brands, individuals and musical groups makes that pretty clear.

   But, for me, they’re definitely something to keep a close eye on. Video advertising is going to be big in 2014. The visual aspect of marketing (something I took a close look at before the Christmas break) is growing as marketers discover its huge potential.

   My Predictions for Facebook Video Ads

   ---

   1. Targeting:

   Though at the moment no better than you get with a YouTube Ad, targeting will be – undeniably – better when Facebook Video Ads become more widely available. We know Facebook has all the targeting capabilities, so I’m sure they’ll start integrating it soon.

   This will be as awesome for video ads as it is for side-bar and traditional News Feed ads. This means targeting a video ad for a new horror movie at people who have stated they love horror movies. This means targeting a video ad with a sneak peek at your upcoming webinar to people who have attended your webinars before or have stated they are interested in the subject matter.

   2. Cost:

   Cost will go down. A lot. In this testing stage they’ve priced it up so intensely so they can keep track of results and test formats, advertisers, and everything else.

   While you’re not going to see a PPC Facebook Video Ad, you will see the price drop to be more competitive with YouTube’s video ads. I imagine the price will also change based on your chosen ad Reach (targeting by specific interest, for instance, will be cheaper than targeting by gender or continent).

   Even so, we’re not going to see much below $500,000 for a long time, if ever. Remember, SuperBowl XLVIII is charging 10 times that price for their 30 second TV commercial slots – and the Reach for Facebook Video Ads is almost 20 times larger.

   3. Reach:

   728 million active users log in to Facebook every single day, and there are 1.19 billion monthly active users. Once Facebook Video Ads get over the growing pains we’re seeing at the moment, the Reach of a Facebook Video Ad will make the price (once it goes down a bit) far more sensible.

   4. What the Time-Limitation will mean for Advertisers:

   Video ads mean you have to get creative, and Facebook’s 15 second slot means you have to get creative fast.

   Unlike YouTube videos (the mass-majority of which are over 30 seconds – and the most successful over three minutes), Facebook’s 15 second gap is reminiscent of their affiliate Instagram’s videos. It’s an interesting length, actually. I think we’ll see a lot of behind-the-scenes clips and sneak-previews.

   Instagram videos offer video stabilization and editing (and I’m sure Instagram’s owner, Facebook, will do the same). This means Facebook Video Ads will be higher quality than Vine, for instance, and the short format means they’ll be glimpses into something exciting happening in your business.

   Offering these video ads, initially, to movie-makers and bands makes sense. These industries work well with the whole idea of an intriguing 15 second clip.

   5. Will they be Better than Traditional Facebook Ads?

   Not for a while. The PPC pricing, the awesome targeting capabilities and the ease of creation with traditional Facebook Ads make them hard to beat.

   Video Ads will, for a while, be used exclusively by the corporations and companies for whom a single $500,000 ad isn’t their ad budget for the next five years.

   But this is okay. I’m not convinced that video ads will ever make a whole lot more sense than traditional ads for small business. There are so many awesome ways to reach your target market and generate leads with content marketing, traditional ads and social media that I’d focus on those avenues that work for your business, and will continue to work.

   For small and mid-sized businesses, I’d steer clear from investing in Facebook Video Ads before they become more reasonably priced – especially when there’s so much more to learn and more to do in 2014 with existing online marketing avenues.

8 dangers of Buying Antique Jewelry at Auction by Brenda ginsberg ( Reblogged)

Buying antique jewelry at auction sounds like a lot of fun. It is, but the process is also fraught with pitfalls and traps and I will tell you about some of them today.

Today, auctioneers, especially the big famous auctioneers have set themselves as gods apart. Prices realised at their sales are astronomical – well over what I consider retail. This remains a mystery to me for the following reasons.

1. Most auction houses provide a single, postage-stamp sized ‘photo. It is taken by a professional photographer, trained to make the item look great. They do not show multiple angles; they do not show flaws; they do not show faults. What you see, is not what you will get.

2. While the professional staff at some of the well-known auction houses are incredibly arrogant about their level of knowledge, even they are apt to make mistakes. I have bought items that were described as 14k and which had clear 9ct hallmarks (not shown in the ‘photos of course); wrong measurements; peridot was called demantoid garnet – a huge difference in value. I’ve had one very arrogant lady ascribe a ring to the Deco period, but it proved to have been made a few weeks before and had the signature (not reported of course) in the shank to prove it. Attributions are made with nothing but the seller’s say-so to back them up. It is now common for many auction houses to refrain from identifying the metal. They can have all the excuses in the world, but when I buy something, I want to know whether it is 18k gold or goldplated. There is a difference. Faults are glossed over – never mentioned unless you go through the rigmarole of asking for a condition report.

3. When these mistakes are made, guess what: they do not stand behind their descriptions. The adage says: “buyer beware” and that is the case when you buy at auction. Their mistake: so what – it’s your responsibility. Some of them, while going all out to encourage long-distance purchasers, have the cheek to recommend that bidders first inspect the items in person. They know full well that this is not possible in most cases. But do they do anything to compensate? No, certainly not.

4. Now, this is not the auctioneer’s fault. It is to his credit and the credit of his merchandising team, that prices realised for interesting pieces at auction will be considerably higher than either the high estimate or what one would expect to pay for a comparable piece on the open market. It’s their job to get the highest possible price. Most buyers that I come across are interested in getting the lowest possible price. Somehow, at auction, people forget themselves in the competition to buy that one fabulous shmonze.

5. ok, so you are willing to chance the above. You bid, you buy. At auction, there is always a buyer’s premium. Today, in most cases it is a whopping 25%. Overseas, you are charged VAT as well and it’s your problem to prove that the item is shipped overseas before you can think of chasing that one down. Then, there are the auction houses overseas who will not allow you to pay with your credit card. Banks are now charging $75.- for a wire transfer and some auction houses actually expect you to pay the wire transfer fees from their bank as well. Some more generous auction houses will take credit cards, for an additional 2.5% and up. By now, you’re about 30-something percent above hammer price. And, it’s not the end.

6. Auction houses today do not provide shipping services. They are kind enough to provide you with a list of possible shippers. I bought a brooch overseas recently. Not an expensive brooch, but the shipping quote was approximately $150.- It is worth doing a little shopping around. One item that needed to be shipped from a nearby location was quoted as $60.- just to pick up and pack (shipping was to be on my account), while another institution quoted me $12.- for the exact same job.

7. It’s not over yet. Having found a shipper and come to an agreement, you need to fill out forms for the shipper to take to the auctioneer before the item will be released. Just one more little headache on the road of buying antique jewelry at today’s auctions.

8. So, finally, you have utterly overpaid, the item arrives and not only do you not like it, but it is not at all what was described. Guys, you just learned a very valuable lesson. There is nothing you can do. No returns, no refunds. Buying antique jewelry at auction is not so simple.

While not every auctioneer is guilty of every crime listed above, lots of them are. Expensive advertising campaigns have persuaded the public that their overpriced sales are a good deal. I suggest that you find a dealer you can trust, who stands behind their merchandise, who has done all of the legwork for you, who provides detailed descriptions and pictures (including flaws), who doesn’t nickel and dime you on every detail, who does their best to give you the fabulous service you deserve and who will always offer a refund if something is wrong.

Tags: buying antique jewelry

52 Places to Go in 2014

Witness a city in transformation, glimpse exotic animals, explore the past and enjoy that beach before the crowds.

Table Mountain and Cape Town. Samantha Reinders for The New York Times

1. Cape Town, South Africa

A place to meditate on freedom,
and the creative life that followed.

When Nelson Mandela was incarcerated at Robben Island prison, he found inspiration in Cape Town. “We often looked across Table Bay at the magnificent silhouette of Table Mountain,” he said in a speech. “To us on Robben Island, Table Mountain was a beacon of hope. It represented the mainland to which we knew we would one day return.”

Cape Town’s importance to Mandela, who made his first address there as a free man, will doubtless draw many visitors in the wake of his death. The country has transformed itself since Mandela’s imprisonment, but there’s still much to be done. Many in Cape Town have been grappling with that challenge, including its creative class, which has been examining whether inspired design can solve some of the issues stemming from years of inequality.

The city formally takes up that issue this year during its turn as World Design Capital. Cape Town is celebrating design in all its forms, putting on fashion shows by students and established designers alike, hosting architecture open houses, welcoming the public into artists’ studios and folding the annual visual arts spectacular Design Indaba conference in February into the design capital program. Also part of the lineup are locals seeking to rejuvenate impoverished black-majority townships:The Maboneng Lalela Project turns township homes into galleries and performance spaces; Foodpods constructs sustainable farms, giving residents access to healthy produce; and the Langa Quarter project seeks to make the precinct a cultural tourism destination.

Cape Town is again reinventing itself, and the world is invited to its renaissance.

Transitional church by the architect Shigeru Ban. Emma Smales/VIEW, via Newscom

2. Christchurch, New Zealand

The rebirth of a quake-ravaged city.

Three years after two large earthquakes devastated central Christchurch, the city is experiencing a rebirth with creativity and wit — thanks to the ingenuity of its hardy residents — and is welcoming tourists back again. Though much of the central city has yet to be rebuilt, entrepreneurs and volunteers are finding surprising ways to make temporary use of empty lots and bring life back to the downtown. The Gap Filler program, begun a couple of months after the first quake in September 2010 and expanded after a more destructive second quake in February 2011, has created an open-air performance space made of blue pallets, a dance floor with coin-operated music and lights, and even a nine-hole mini-golf course in vacant lots across the city. The Greening the Rubble campaign has since the 2010 quake been planting temporary gardens on the sites of demolished buildings. To replace the destroyed 19th-century ChristChurch Cathedral, a magnificent transitional church by the Japanese architect Shigeru Ban opened in August with sturdy cardboard tubes for the roof. Businesses are also trickling back downtown. One bar, built inside shipping containers, has a name that encapsulates the spirit of the entire city: Revival.— JUSTIN BERGMAN

A rocky coastal view from the Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands. Jim Wilson/The New York Times

3. North Coast, California

A glorious new preserve for the public.

One hundred and thirty miles north of San Francisco, the moody bluffs of the Mendocino Coast have long been a spectacular place from which to observe marine life: passing humpback whales, sun-happy sea lions, foamy waves strewn with kelp. The incorporation of the Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands — nearly 1,300 acres — gives hikers new access to a contiguous 12-mile stretch of coastline and fields of wildflowers, cypress forests and cliff areas (some overlooking dramatic blowholes, pinnacles and sea caves), much of it previously off-limits to the public. And Congressional proposals to include the north coast lands as part of the California Coastal National Monument have been introduced, which would mean better protection and more funds for maintenance; plans also exist to extend the California Coastal Trail through the new preserve.

Kayaking near Porto Palermo, Albania. Mustafah Abdulaziz

4. Albanian Coast

On a rugged shore, Europe at its best.

What if you could combine the rugged beauty you’d find on Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast with the ruins of an undiscovered Turkey or Greece, all wrapped in the easygoing nature characteristic of rural Italy — at a fraction of the cost? Turns out you can, on the coast of Albania. The roughly Maryland-size country, between Greece and Montenegro, sits about 45 miles east of Italy on the eastern shores of the Adriatic and has limestone-ringed beaches, ancient ruins like Butrint and waterfront inns where you can stay for less than $50 a night. Rampant development threatened to turn it all to concrete in the years after Communism, but a new government took office in September on promises of keeping the coast authentic. Head to villages like Qeparo, within sight of Corfu, where you can kayak past Cold War submarine tunnels, swim by abandoned forts and watch the tide rise during a dinner of fresh fish at an inn called the Riviera. This is Europe when it was fresh and cheap

Lunchtime diners at the Grand Central Market. Monica Almeida/The New York Times

5. Downtown Los Angeles

Downtown? Really? Yes, thanks
to a thriving food scene.

Gone is the musty, lifeless, only-open-for-Kings-hockey-games reputation of downtown Los Angeles. While the museums in this corner of the city are thriving (the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art is nearby), the growing dynamism of downtown is the food scene. Most notable is the Grand Central Market, an arcade of over 30 of the best food vendors in the city. Originally built in 1917, the market has been redone in the past year, attracting popular purveyors like G&B Coffee and, soon, Belcampo Meat Co. Just down the street is Alma, which was named the best new restaurant in the country by Bon Appétit magazine. And where there is good food there is good shopping. Stores will be adding cachet to the neighborhood soon; an outlet of the fashion label Acne Studios opened in December, with Aesop, a skin-care specialist, soon to follow. Diners and shoppers alike will soon have a hip place to stay: An Ace Hotel is scheduled to open nearby this month.— DANIELLE PERGAMENT

Desert Rhino Camp, run in part by Wilderness Safaris, in 2009. Olwen Evans/Wilderness Safaris

6. Namibia

Africa’s latest conservation success
story is a boon for travelers.

Namibia’s communal conservancy movement, which pairs sustainable tourism with rural community outreach, has been a much-heralded success: In 2013, the country’s 79 conservancies received the prestigious Gift to the Earth Awardfrom the World Wildlife Fund, and the stunning Namib Sand Sea Desert joined Unesco’s World Heritage list. Options abound for travelers who want to help the effort, including theDesert Rhino Camp, which Wilderness Safaris runs in partnership with the Save the Rhino Trust; the camp directly supports the conservancy, which has reversed dwindling rhino populations. In 2014, Wilderness Safaris also plans to open theHoanib Skeleton Coast Camp, on the Hoanib River in the north. And Namibia’s Tourism Board is introducing three self-drive routes in 2014 to point visitors toward less-visited parts of the country.

Cotopaxi Volcano rises above Cotopaxi National Park.

7. Ecuador

Epic biodiversity, and a newly
renovated railway to get you there.

Ecuador is famed as the home of the Galápagos, the beloved islands off the coast that feature mind-boggling wildlife — but the mainland is no slouch either. One of the most biodiverse countries in the world, Ecuador has over 1,600 species of birds, 4,000 kinds of orchids, one of the largest condor shelters on the planet — and one-fifth of the country (including the Galápagos) is protected. And there is a new way to see a good chunk of it: the recently refurbished Tren Crucero. The luxury vintage train starts in Quito (the first city ever to be declared a World Heritage site by Unesco) and travels through the Andes, over snow-capped mountains, past volcanoes, around a harrowing turn called the Devil’s Nose and through the countryside until arriving in the bustling city of Guayaquil. The four-day trip includes an excursion to Cotopaxi National Park — a place where you might see deer, wolves, bears or one of those condors.

Exploring Son Doong Cave. Carsten Peter/National Geographic, via Getty Images

8. Quang Binh, Vietnam

Now open: One of the world’s largest caves.

Son Doong Cave in the Quang Binh province of central Vietnam is one of the world’s largest caves and is now, for the first time, accessible to tourists, thanks to the tour operatorOxalis. Huge shafts of light penetrate its vast caverns, allowing forests of 100-foot-tall trees to thrive in spaces big enough to accommodate 40-story skyscrapers. Colossal 260-foot stalactites are also present. Monkeys, hornbills and flying foxes have all been spotted in this surreal habitat, first fully explored in 2009. While trips into Son Doong are limited in number (only 220 permits for the year) and to visitors with deep pockets (over $6,000 per trip), the nearby and more affordable Tu Lan Cave is also now open to adventurous travelers.

Playing in the “Water Labyrinth,” created by the artist Jeppe Hein, in Perth. David Dare Parker for The New York Times

9. Perth, Australia

For Australian panache, go west.

Perth, the capital of western Australia, has long been feted for its beaches, laid-back vibe and Aboriginal heritage, but lately Australia’s fourth-largest city is exhibiting the signs of a trendy transformation. Regional wine lists? Check. Modish new restaurants in repurposed spaces like stables (the Stables Bar), cottages (the Old Crow) or a printing press building (the Print Hall)? Check. International celebrity chefs including Jamie Oliver, whose Italian spot Jamie’s Italian recently opened? Up-and-coming neighborhoods like Mount Lawley and Northbridge, chockablock with cafes and vintage shops? Check and check. Transformation is evident on a larger scale, too: The Riverside project is infusing the eastern side of the city with parks, shops and housing plazas, while expansion of the new Crown Perth complex includes hotels — Crown Metropol and Crown Promenade — and posh restaurants likeNobu and La Vie Champagne Lounge. And with first- and business-class lounges opening at Los Angeles International Airport this year, the national airline Qantas makes it easy to get Down Under in style.

Looking across at the complex that houses the nhow hotel. Robin Van Lonkhuijsen/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

10. Rotterdam, the Netherlands

First-class architecture in
the Netherlands’ second city.

Post-World War II reconstruction has changed the face of one of Europe’s largest ports, where striking, cubed architecture gives shape to the most modern skyline in the country. But it’s not done yet. This is a banner year for ribbon cuttings to celebrate both new and reconfigured space: An overhaul of Rotterdam Centraal  train station (scheduled for completion in March) has already unveiled a new shop-lined pedestrian passageway and the city’s first Starbucks. The renovatedKunsthal museum reopens in February. François Geurds, chef of the two-Michelin-starred restaurant FG, opens another restaurant this month. Come October, the massive arch of the Markthal, whose interior displays 3-D food photographs, becomes the country’s first indoor food hall. Need a launching pad? Check into a brand-new gem: the Rem Koolhaas-designed nhow hotel.

Street food in Taipei. David Hagerman

11. Taiwan

Urban and outdoor pursuits in
one (reasonably) compact package.

The traveler who wants to do it all should consider Taiwan. This island, roughly the size of the Netherlands, has an easy-to-navigate public transport network that links a cosmopolitan capital with a bounty of natural and man-made wonders. Taipei, whose robust art scene recently earned its selection as the World Design Capital for 2016, will soon have more places to lay your head: In the coming months the Mandarin Orientaland a boutique hotel from the homegrown bookstore chain Eslite will join the recent arrivals Le Meridien and W. All of these should be a convenient base from which to do some sightseeing on 17 bike trails along the shores of Taipei’s many rivers and inlets or to take a foray into the city’s vibrant street food scene with a nightcap at the reservations-only bespoke bar Alchemy, which opened in 2012 to much acclaim. Four hours south by high-speed rail and bus, 70-square-mile Kenting National Park is home to wetlands, white sands, fishing villages and, starting this year, a ferry point for the deep sea fishing and diving paradise of Orchid Island. Up north in Keelung, a new National Museum of Marine Science and Technology opens this month, part of a revitalization project at Badouzi Harbor, which is linked to nearby headlands by color-coded walking routes. And it all becomes cheaper to get to later this year, with the launch of budget carriers from China Airways and TransAsia Air.

 Putting the finishing touches on a dish at Moriki. Djamila Grossman for The New York Times

12. Frankfurt, Germany

An infusion of hip night life wakes
up a humdrum city.

Frankfurt, long considered strictly a financial capital and major travel hub, used to land on the culturati map once a year, during its annual book fair. A recent boom of restaurants and clubs, though, makes the case for permanent placement. Leading the city’s transformation is its fast-evolving red light district, where spots like Maxie Eisen, a deli-style cafe by day and a speakeasy-inspired bar by night, offer a sexiness that isn’t unseemly. In the city center, a buzzy pan-Asian restaurant called Moriki was just opened by the Berlin-based chef Duc Ngo with a menu that includes envelope-pushing courses like sushi pizza; and the new sleek Lamoraga, a modern Spanish restaurant, is pulling in the shopping crowds for lunch. By the end of next year, the developer Ardi Goldman plans to reinvent and reopen the famed King Kamehameha Club, which had its original heyday in the 1990s and 2000s. And growth extends to the art world: The 32,000-square-foot underground extension at the Städel Museum earned accolades from around the globe when it opened last year.— GISELA WILLIAMS

The Zoma Contemporary Art Center. Michel Temteme for The New York Times

13. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

An ambitious art scene heads
toward the international stage.

Building on a strong historical legacy (Addis boasts one of East Africa’s oldest art schools) are a host of events scheduled for 2014: a photography festival, two film festivals and a jazz and world music festival. Thanks to the city’s diverse art institutions and galleries, including the artist-in-residence village Zoma Contemporary Art Center and the Asni Gallery (really more an art collective than a gallery), there is an art opening at least once a week. Even the local Sheraton puts on“Art of Ethiopia,” an annual show of new talent. But it’s the National Museum that, in May and June, will host this year’s blockbuster exhibit, “Ras Tafari: The Majesty and the Movement,” devoted to Emperor Haile Selassie I and Rastafarianism.Underwater views in Fernando de Noronha. Kadu Pinheiro

14. Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

A world-class World Cup getaway.

The street parties, samba sessions and festive chaos surrounding the World Cup soccer tournament in Brazil this summer are bound to be exhausting for everyone. When the action’s over, escape to Fernando de Noronha, a 21-island archipelago about 330 miles off the coast of one of the host cities, Recife. Here you’ll find 250-foot-high black cliffs muscling against peach-sand beaches, Portuguese hilltop forts and blue coves where humpbacks and spinner dolphins linger. Only one of the islands, Noronha, is inhabited, and the entire chain is protected as a park with just 246 visitors allowed per day. Regulations have kept Noronha relaxed, with only small hotels and roads rough enough to make dune buggies the rental cars of choice. Hike along cliffs to gorgeous beaches like Sancho, dive with sea turtles or climb Morro do Pico, a 1,059-foot-high volcanic pinnacle.

Lights are tested before a concert at Ryman Auditorium. Nathan Morgan for The New York Times

15. Nashville, Tenn.

Leather jackets and skinny jeans
join cowboy boots.

Country music lovers have long made the pilgrimage to Nashville, but now the city has fast gained cachet among rock fans and foodies. The city’s vibrant scene is home to the Black Keys, Kings of Leon, Jeff the Brotherhood and Diarrhea Planet, who all play in town occasionally. And a youthquake is transforming scruffy neighborhoods like 12South and East Nashville into hipster hubs. New hangouts include Pinewood Social, a bar, restaurant, bowling alley and karaoke joint, and the 404, a restaurant and boutique hotel in a former auto garage. Add to that a thriving culinary scene, exemplified by the Music City Eats Festival, back for a second year in September. And Nashville’s old standbys — like the honky-tonk Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge and the venerable Ryman — are as fun as ever.Hikers pause in the Loch Lomond area. Paul Tomkins/Scottish Viewpoint

16. Scotland

New reasons to play, and watch
players, in Scotland’s yards.

Riddled with lochs and crested by moody Highlands, Scotland adds to its already considerable outdoorsy appeal this year. In April, the John Muir Way, named for the conservationist originally from Scotland, will expand to 134 miles from 45 miles, newly spanning the farmland and forests of the country’s midsection. Organizers estimate it will take eight to 12 days on foot or four to six by bike to complete the coast-to-coast route running from Muir’s boyhood hometown Dunbar west to the Loch Lomond area. The attractions extend beyond amateur workouts. This summer, Glasgow will stage the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Olympic-style competitions for England and the former British colonies, and in SeptemberGleneagles resort in the Highlands will host the Ryder Cup golf competition. Sports and hospitality will meet at Cromlix House Hotel, a 15-room resort that the tennis champion and local hero Andy Murray plans to open in April in a Victorian mansion in Dunblane.— ELAINE GLUSAC

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Calgary’s Peace Bridge. Chris Bolin

17. Calgary, Alberta

An oil boom town gets its cultural legs.

Flush with oil money, Calgary has morphed from ho-hum city on the prairie into a cultural hub, with offerings far beyond theStampede, the annual rodeo and festival. Locals stroll over the tubular Peace Bridge, designed by Santiago Calatrava, opened in 2012. Public art is part of life; in 2013 Jaume Plensa completed Wonderland, a 39-foot-tall steel mesh head installed in front of the new skyline-transforming Norman Foster-designed Bow Tower. They join beloved cultural institutions like the One Yellow Rabbit Performance Theater,whose dancer and choreographer Denise Clarke was in December named to the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest honors.— ELISABETH EAVES

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A surfer checks the waves on Ishigaki. Ko Sasaki for The New York Times

18. Ishigaki, Japan

Sand and surf, now a (low-cost)
hop from Osaka.

The yen is the weakest it’s been against the dollar in years — down 25 percent from a year ago — putting Japan more within reach in 2014. For low prices coupled with laid-back attitudes, look way south to the island of Ishigaki, 250 miles south of Okinawa Island and far from the bustle of Tokyo. The 85-square-mile island, largely undiscovered, is home to sunburned surfers, sandy beaches and beautiful coral reefs. And it’s never been easier to reach: A new airport opened here in March 2013, and Japan’s new low-cost carrier, Peach, just began service from Osaka.— INGRID K. WILLIAMS

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Zebras on the Laikipia Plateau. Nichole Sobecki

19. Laikipia Plateau, Kenya

A pristine slice of biodiversity
is home to a new luxury eco-resort.

Set between Mount Kenya and the Great Rift Valley, the Laikipia Plateau teems with wildlife: elephants, leopards, endangered rhinos and one of the highest concentrations of zebras on the continent. Now the area has also become a conservation success story, sustained and protected through an unusual mix of public and private partnerships and a network of environmentally minded ranchers. With the 2013 opening of Segera, a resort owned by Jochen Zeitz, a German-born executive, there is also a new spot to admire its pristine landscapes. The 50,000-acre property includes an enviable collection of contemporary African art, an organic and solar-powered farm and a wine collection focusing on African labels. And more sustainable travel may be on the horizon: A new national park on the area’s southwestern border has been proposed by the government.— ONDINE COHANE

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Borobudur, a Buddhist temple. Justin Mott for The New York Times

20. Yogyakarta, Indonesia

A volcano, a temple, a shrine
and now a place to stay.

This central Javan sultanate draws crowds for its proximity to bewitching attractions: the monumental, wedding cake-esque Buddhist temple Borobudur, the soft-serve-ice-cream-shaped Hindu shrines of Prambanan, and pre-sunrise hikes to summit Indonesia’s friskiest volcano, Mount Merapi (which most recently erupted in 2013). But finding a decent room has never been easy, until now. Thanks to tax breaks for hotel development, 20 new starred hotels, to complement the city’s existing 30, will open through 2015. Among them are Zest Hotel (a Swiss-Belhotel brand) in 2014 and, according to a director of the Tourism Promotion Agency of Yogyakarta, three new properties from Accor, whose brands include Sofitel and ibis.— SANJAY SURANA

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Skiing at Squaw Valley. Max Whittaker

21. Tahoe, Calif.

A ski area spruces up with new terrain,
lodging and an entire base village.

For decades Northstar-at-Tahoe, on the north end of Lake Tahoe, was a mostly overlooked ski hill. Since 2004, however, more than $1 billion has poured into the resort. Thoughweather in the region has been fickle so far this season, the improvements are impressive. And they aren’t limited to the base village that has risen at the renamed Northstar, centered around a huge ice rink ringed by couches and fire pits. The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe opened a few years ago, and Vail Resorts, since buying the ski resort in late 2010, has built an on-mountain day lodge, added more terrain and installed the new Promised Land Express lift on the resort’s Backside.Tahoe is resurgent, as resorts from Squaw Valley toHomewood undertake improvements with an eye toward bidding for the 2026 Winter Olympics. In the next few years expect to see everything from the Cal Neva Resort, once owned by Frank Sinatra, open after a big renovation, to a South Lake Tahoe with new waterfront hotels.— CHRISTOPHER SOLOMON

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Strumming on the streets of York. Andrew Testa for The New York Times

22. Yorkshire, England

A photogenic (and historic) ale trail.

The sprawling northern county of Yorkshire is becoming a big destination for beer lovers, thanks to a recently published guidebook called “Great Yorkshire Beer” and a renewed interest in historic breweries like Samuel Smith (founded in 1758) and Timothy Taylor (from 1858). Spend an evening crawling through the Fat Cat, the Kelham Island Tavern and other award-winning pubs in Sheffield — recently called Britain’s best beer city by the connoisseur Adrian Tierney-Jones — then travel to Leeds, whose compact center is home to the Victoria Hotel, the Cross Keys and other public houses that pull pints on traditional hand pumps. A final stay in the photogenic city of York offers a Tudor-style pub at the end of every cobbled lane, as well as modern beer temples like York Tap, Pivni and the House of Trembling Madness.— EVAN RAIL

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A pool at the 77-story JW Marriott Marquis Dubai. JW Marriott Marquis Dubai

23. Dubai

Reborn, relentless and still over the top.

Five years ago, one of the planet’s most ambitious cities appeared to be dying. Crushed with debt, Dubai found its megaprojects and skyscrapers scuttled or scrapped. The city went from juggernaut to joke. But now, it’s back. Economically surging, Dubai has won its bid to host World Expo 2020 and has unveiled its Tourism Vision, also for 2020, a plan to attract 20 million tourists — double the current crowd. October witnessed the first passenger terminal at Dubai World Central Al Maktoum International Airport, and travelers will discover colossal new hotels like the 555-room Conrad Dubaiand the 77-story JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, which Guinness World Records recognizes as the tallest hotel in the world. This year, a new tram system will be inaugurated, along with some theme parks, including the first phase of Dubai Adventure Studios, the first phase of IMG Worlds of Adventure, and Holy Quran Park (devoted to the Islamic holy book).— SETH SHERWOOD

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The Via Triumphalis necropolis. Guido Montani/European Pressphoto Agency

24. The Vatican

New saints, a new(ish) pope
and newly restored treasures beckon.

Pope Francis, who has nearly 3.5 million followers on Twitter and routinely makes headlines for doing things like inviting atheists to join the cause for peace in his Christmas message, is widely viewed as reinvigorating the scandal-plagued, conservative-leaning Roman Catholic Church. (Just ask Time magazine, which last month named him the 2013 Person of the Year.) The first South American pope is so popular that the Vatican is anticipating record pilgrim attendance at its celebrations this year. Well over a million visitors are expected in April when Holy Week will be followed by the canonization of John XXIII and John Paul II. Services commemorating the new saints will continue throughout the year. In 2014, the faithful can also enjoy the fruits of restorations that have taken years, like that of Bernini’s colonnade in St. Peter’s Square and the reopening of the Via Triumphalis necropolis, a vast ancient Roman cemetery first uncovered in the 1950s. And pilgrims can stay up-to-date on news and events, including restorations and exhibitions, thanks to the Pope’s new mobile app.— KATIE PARLA

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Fishing boats on the beach in Punta del Diablo. Remy Scalza

25. Uruguayan Riviera

South American beach towns,
before they go upscale.

Around glamorous Punta del Este and boho-chic José Ignacio, there’s no deficiency of boutique hotels, expat art galleries and exclusive waterfront brasseries. But farther east along the Uruguayan Riviera, a relatively untrodden stretch of Atlantic coast tucked between Argentina and Brazil, sun, sand and simplicity remain the draw — for now. In the Rocha region, villages like Cabo Polonio, La Pedrera, San Antonio and Punta del Diablo are just starting to attract serious international attention, bringing a sprinkling of first-rate accommodation — like Brisas, a clifftop 14-room inn restored by an Argentine tech mogul — without compromising the area’s natural charms: miles of undeveloped beach, rolling pastures and a culture where gaucho cowboys and fishermen with wooden boats aren’t just props.— REMY SCALZA

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Kapaleeswarar Temple. Kuni Takahashi for The New York Times

26. Chennai, India

A cultural capital springs to life.

Chennai, in the state of Tamil Nadu (and formerly known as Madras), was long considered the gateway to popular South Indian tourist destinations like Kerala but was overlooked as an attraction itself. It is, however, a national cultural capital and home to several dance and music schools like Kalakshetrafor dance and the Music Academy for Carnatic South Indian music, which both regularly hold performances around town. There are also historic sites aplenty, including the Kapaleeswarar Temple, built in the name of the Hindu god Shiva. Fresh buzz makes this city especially enticing: Several major hotels including the Park Hyatt have recently opened, and there is a slew of new and trendy clubs, boutiques and restaurants, including Ottimo for excellent pizzas.— SHIVANI VORA

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An aerial view of North Island in the Seychelles. Michael Poliza/Wilderness Safaris

27. Seychelles

An African luxury hot spot that’s
become easier to get to.

This archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean now has one of the world’s most expensive hotels. The listed price for a villa at the North Island resort, on a private island where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stayed during their honeymoon, ranges from 2,582 to 4,079 euros (about $3,670 to $5,800) per night; the Doubletree by Hilton Seychelles, which opened last year is, thankfully, more affordable. The appeal goes beyond pampering and powdery beaches: The Seychelles is also home to some 100,000 giant Aldabra tortoises that live on a coral atoll that is a Unesco World Heritage site. Air Seychelles recently signed code-share agreements with Air Berlin, Cathay Pacific Airways and other airlines, making these islands about 1,000 miles off the east coast of Africa more accessible.— RACHEL B. DOYLE

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Close-up of an elephant being led by trainers at Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton property. Adam Ferguson for The New York Times

28. Krabi, Thailand

A Phuket-like hideaway, but still unspoiled.

The southern Thailand town of Krabi lies just a 45-minute boat ride across the Andaman Sea from Phuket. But you can spare yourself the trip to Phuket — plenty of riches lie here, and you don’t have to fight the crowds to enjoy them. Krabi sits next to the Mu Koh Lanta National Park, a prime spot for hiking, rock climbing and elephant trekking. If you do get restless, there are about 130 pristine islands nearby that are ripe for exploration and virtually undeveloped save for a few ancient monasteries. And Krabi, which used to have few options for accommodations and was hard to get to, is now more tourist-friendly. A number of hotels have opened in recent years, including Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton property. A marina, Port Takola, is in the works and will be home to restaurants, night life and shopping, and a new terminal that has opened at Krabi Airport means that there are more flights to and from this gem.— SHIVANI VORA

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Cycling in Aspen. Jeremy Swanson

29. Aspen, Colo.

Ditch those poles. Art and bike trails await.

This ski town has a big development off-piste: The long-awaited reinvented Aspen Art Museum will open its doors this summer. The 33,000-square-foot space, designed by the Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, is meant to reflect the mountain experience. Visitors first take a lift to the roof and take in the view from the sculpture garden before descending to tour the galleries. There is also plenty of news for outdoor types this year, too, with new mountain biking trails planned throughout Aspen and Snowmass, a new mountain skills center and expanded lift-serviced biking.— BONNIE TSUI

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The rugged scenery in Iceland’s Highlands. Dirk Bleyer/Imagebroker, via Newscom

30. Highlands, Iceland

Natural wonders are in danger.
Go see them before it’s too late.

The Icelandic government has spent decades protecting its glaciers, pools, ponds, lakes, marshes and permafrost mounds in the Thjorsarver Wetlands, which constitute 40 percent of the entire country, mostly in the interior. But last year, the government announced plans to revoke those protections, allowing for the construction of hydropower plants (instead of glaciers and free-flowing rivers, imagine man-made reservoirs, dams, paved roads and power lines). “If they get into this area, there will be no way to stop them from destroying the wetlands completely,” said Arni Finnsson, the chairman of the Iceland Nature Conservation Association. More bad news looms: A law intending to further repeal conservation efforts has been put forward, so if you ever want to see Iceland in all of its famously raw natural beauty, go now.— DANIELLE PERGAMENT

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“Parallel n°2 (Barcelona), 2008” by Stéphane Couturier at the Bildmuseet. Rob Schoenbaum for The New York Times, Courtesy Stéphane Couturier and Galerie Polaris, Paris

31. Umea, Sweden

Soundscapes and culture shine
in northern Sweden.

A hotbed of hardcore and heavy metal music through the 1990s, this northern city will welcome all genres during its tenure as a European Capital of Culture this year. Music will take center stage at outdoor opera performances, a crowdsourced music festival and an orchestral tribute to the local hardcore band Refused. Visual arts focused on the culture of indigenous Sami people will be exhibited atBildmuseet, the city’s contemporary arts museum that reopened in 2012 in a glass-and-wood building designed by Henning Larsen Architects. And it’s all easier to reach thanks to a new higher-speed rail connection from Stockholm.— INGRID K. WILLIAMS

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The Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort & Spa opened last February. Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort & Spa

32. Xishuangbanna, China

Skip smog-choked cities — and face masks — and head out to China’s wild frontier.

With pollution skyrocketing in China’s showcase cities, visitors to the country are increasingly seeking out greener pastures to explore. Set deep in the tropics of southern Yunnan province, Xishuangbanna is about as lush as you can get — the region boasts the richest biodiversity in China, including some of the country’s last wild elephants. Last February, the area went upscale with its first five-star hotel — the Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort & Spa, which organizes tea-leaf picking trips in mountainside plantations. More action-oriented experiences are possible, as well, such as the tour groupWildChina’s jungle biking trips or treks along the caravan route plied by tea traders centuries ago.— JUSTIN BERGMAN

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Walking across a pedestrian bridge above Andermatt. Martin Ruetschi/Keystone, via Corbis

33. Andermatt, Switzerland

A mountain makeover from
overlooked to opulent.

Andermatt has long been a quiet town of Alpine farmers and bargain-seeking skiers. But this winter, the former Swiss Army outpost began its transformation into a bona fide ski destination with the opening last month of the Chedi Andermatt. The 104-room resort, housed in a modernized chalet with a Japanese restaurant among several dining options, indoor and outdoor pools and a 10-treatment-room spa, is just the first phase of a big new development of apartment buildings, homes, five more hotels and a golf course in the coming year over 321 acres. The pedestrian village will offer skiers access by gondola to the nearly 9,800-foot Gemsstock Mountain, with future lifts to the larger nearby ski area of Sedrun planned to open in 2015.— ELAINE GLUSAC

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The Indiana State Museum, a site along the Cultural Trail. A J Mast for The New York Times

34. Indianapolis

In the land of cars, cycling
(and culture) get the limelight.

An urban cycling model has arrived in Indianapolis: the new $63 million, eight-mile bike-friendly Indy Cultural Trail. The path connects five downtown neighborhoods, including arty Fountain Square, to top downtown sites, including the Capitol Building, City Market and White River State Park, a 250-acre park that hosts the Indianapolis Zoo and six more major attractions. Bicycles can be rented along the paved and lighted pathway, allowing riders to cruise past public art, including a motion-activated fireflylike swarm of LED lights. City officials say that planners from Cologne, Germany, to Portland, Ore., have come to see how the city most famous for a 500-mile car race managed to swap auto for bike lanes and still keep everything rolling smoothly.— ELAINE GLUSAC

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The Mekong River near the border of Vietnam and Cambodia. Justin Mott

35. Mekong River

River cruising swells on the Danube of Asia.

Like the Danube in Europe, the Mekong River in Southeast Asia has become a vital river cruising course, with a variety of small-ship itineraries linking Vietnam and Cambodia. Late last year, Pandaw River Expeditions upgraded two of its ships, the Mekong Pandaw and Tonle Pandaw, enlarging public spaces, adding gyms and stocking cabins with iPads. In 2012, the company launched the 32-guest Angkor Pandaw, offering three- to seven-night itineraries, while Avalon Waterways set the 32-passenger Avalon Angkor sailing between Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap over seven nights. Next August, Aqua Expeditions will introduce the 20-suite Aqua Mekong, offering guide-led shore excursions to temples, villages and wildlife-rich areas via skiffs.— ELAINE GLUSAC

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A bar scene in the Monastiraki neighborhood. Eirini Vourloumis for The New York Times

36. Athens

Out of an economic crisis, a city surges back.

Vibrancy and innovation can bloom even in hard times. Exhibit A is Greece’s ancient capital, which was hit hard by the global economic crisis and yet is seeing change at sites old and new. First the old: At the Acropolis, the famous Caryatids statues continue to get a restoration in 2014; the process will be on view in the Acropolis Museum through the end of the year. And the new: The National Museum of Contemporary Art opens this spring in a former brewery complex. Neighborhoods have also seen a resurgence, including the quickly gentrifying Monastiraki and the still gritty Kerameikos-Metaxourgeio; the latter will get a cultural lift in 2015 from the biannual ReMap art event. Travelers will have a new lodging option by summer, when a revived Emporikon Hotel opens on Aiolou, a street that is also home to a host of new dining spots.— GISELA WILLIAMS

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Going for a ride at Casa Bonita. Dennis M. Rivera Pichardo for The New York Times

37. Barahona, Dominican Republic

A scenic, low-key destination
on the verge of discovery.

Most vacationers to La Republica hole up in the all-inclusives north and east, overlooking the rarely traveled southwest. The port town of Barahona is the gateway to the cactus-strewn region’s riches, like the hauntingly beautiful Bahia de las Aguilas beach and the eight climate zones at the geological depression Hoyo de Pelempito, both blissfully devoid of people. But there are signs of the government’s vision to develop the area. The abandoned former Barcelo Bahoruco Beach Resort will partly open in 2014, and two separate 300-room projects — near La Canoa and San Rafael Beach — are in the final stages of design approval. For now, you can experience the quiet life at the thatch-roofed Casa Bonita, or atRancho Platon, which has a tree house raised between the palms.— SANJAY SURANA

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A northern lights show in northern Norway. Tim Graham/Getty Images

38. Arctic Circle

Chasing the northern lights?
This might be the year.

There aren’t many reasons to visit the frigid region surrounding the North Pole, but the coming months offer the most stunning of them: Some are predicting a double peaking of maximum solar activity, which usually means especially dramatic northern lights, that colorful spectacle of solar particles entering our atmosphere. And there are some comfortable ways to see them, thanks to hotels offering northern lights safaris, including the newly opened Ion Luxury Adventure Hotel in Iceland and the Icehotel in Swedish Lapland (and actually within the Arctic Circle).— GISELA WILLIAMS

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Boats float across the harbor in Dar es Salaam. Nichole Sobecki for The New York Times

39. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

On the African coast, music thrives
in a commercial capital.

Tanzania may be best known for the snow-capped peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro and the game-packed plains of the Serengeti, but the real pulse of the country is found in its largest city, Dar es Salaam. An eclectic mix of music echoes through the beach clubs, open-air bars and nightclubs of this Indian Ocean coastal city. Old-school dance music competes with Swahili hip-hop and traditional drumming, all drawing from the city’s African, Indian and Arab influences. Add in the street food, the beaches and the fact that the year-old African low-cost carrier Fastjet uses Dar as its hub, and it’s easy to see that this commercial capital is more than a stopover on the way to Tanzania’s natural splendor. It is an African metropolis coming into its own.— RACHEL B. DOYLE

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The home where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born will be one of the sites linked by the new Atlanta Streetcar. Erik S. Lesser/European Pressphoto Agency

40. Downtown Atlanta

A revitalized city center welcomes
new museums and streetcars.

Atlanta plans several ribbon cuttings in 2014, but the main event is the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, scheduled to open in May next to the Centennial Olympic Park and the Georgia Aquarium downtown. The 42,000-square-foot, environmentally friendly museum will feature permanent galleries devoted to domestic and international rights struggles and will house the Martin Luther King Jr. papers owned by Morehouse College. By midyear, visitors will be able to take the new Atlanta Streetcar on a 2.7-mile loop that will link the park to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and other stops. Another parkside attraction, the 94,000-square-foot College Football Hall of Fame, is expected to open in time for fall kickoff of the N.C.A.A. season.— ELAINE GLUSAC

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A fire festival is held in the area every Jan. 15. Nozawa Onsen Tourism Association

41. Nozawa Onsen, Japan

Skiing, soba and snow monkeys.

For nearly a century, visitors have been lured to this ski destination, a 90-minute drive from Nagano, by affordability and a host of charms: fine powder, long slopes and charming cobblestone lanes lined with traditional ryokan inns, generations-old soba noodle shops and natural hot spring baths. But the recent arrival of stylish, foreigner-friendly restaurants, cafes and bars have infused the area with new energy, offering travelers just the right mix of old and new. Microbrews and excellent coffee are served at ski-in/ski-outCraft Room, while Tamon prepares innovative kaiseki cuisine using local ingredients. The lantern-hung rooms at Jon Nobi are popular among international skiers, as is its chic izakaya restaurant Himatsuri, inspired by the town’s fire festival, held annually on Jan. 15. The Asian operator Backyard Traveloffers 10-day itineraries to explore Nozawa and nearby sights like a seventh-century temple and a refuge for the area’s famed snow monkeys.— NAOMI LINDT

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A vineyard near Subotica. Marko Risovic for The New York Times

42. Subotica, Serbia

Serbian wine? Time to take a sip.

The Balkan Peninsula has a wine culture that dates back hundreds of years, but war and political unrest over the last century decimated Serbian vineyards. As recently as a decade ago, Serbia produced virtually no wine that met international standards. But progress has been swift. Recently, small producers have revived the Subotica-Horgos wine region near the northern border with Hungary. Here, the Palic Wine Route has been attracting domestic wine tourists who spend days sampling local cabernet sauvignon in wine cellars, sipping dry Trijumf white during dinner at Bosscaffe and unwinding in theHotel Galleria‘s high-tech spa.— INGRID K. WILLIAMS

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A map moves in the background at an exhibit inside Elsinore’s Maritime Museum of Denmark. Jakob Dall for The New York Times

43. Elsinore, Denmark

A museum’s entrance makes for something
new in the state of Denmark.

Even angst-ridden Prince Hamlet, literature’s most famous Dane, might be cheered by the new Maritime Museum of Denmark, which recently opened in his hometown Elsinore. Designed by the architectural firm Bjarke Ingels Group, the glassy structure is built into a U-shaped dry dock and filled with slanted floors and zigzag passageways that evoke ocean-rocked ships’ decks. Maritime relics — from torpedoes to Lego pirate ships — mix with electronic maps and films that explore the romance of the sea, shipboard existence and trade, both centuries ago and today. Interactive exhibits allow you to run your own trade company, navigate by the stars and ink a sailor’s tattoo. For additional watery wonders, head to Copenhagen’s new Blue Planet aquarium, billed as the largest in Northern Europe.— SETH SHERWOOD

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Cheeses at L’Enclume. Andrew Testa for The New York Times

44. Cartmel, England

Haute cuisine comes to the lush landscapes
of the Lake District.

The British dining scene is expanding beyond London, and the chef Simon Rogan deserves much of the credit, having helped elevate the Lake District village of Cartmel into one of England’s most unlikely culinary destinations. His three restaurants in the medieval village — the Michelin two-starred L’Enclume, Rogan & Company and his most recent addition, the Pig & Whistle — have menus featuring whatever’s fresh on his nearby farm. Cartmel is also home to a celebrated farmers’ market, Cartmel Cheeses and the Cartmel Village shop, renowned for its sticky toffee pudding. What’s more, the village is a cozy base from which to explore the Lake District, once an inspiration to William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter.— DAVID SHAFTEL

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An expansive view from Mount Everest. Tshering Sherpa/Agence France-Presse–Getty Images

45. Nepal

New peaks open up for alpine adventurers.

This Himalayan kingdom is the mother lode of alpinism, home to eight of the world’s 10 highest summits (including Everest). So when a Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation subcommittee recommended last September that Nepal allow access to 165 new peaks in the Kanchenjunga massif this year — 13 of them above 23,000 feet — the world’s mountaineering community was aflutter. Some welcomed the announcement, while others dismissed it, saying the government had stretched the meaning of “peak” in a few cases to include subpeaks within mountains that were already accessible in order to rake in more in fees. Even so, the proposal is significant since it is the first such release in a decade. If the approval process progresses as expected, the territory will open for the spring season.— SANJAY SURANA

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Sigmund Freud’s hat, cap and cane at the museum that bears his name. Josef Polleross for The New York Times

46. Vienna

Feel like reminiscing? A city
is awash in anniversaries.

Vienna is home to some 450 balls each year, from traditional waltzes to the “seriously outlandish” Rosenball for the gay community, and this year is the 200th anniversary since the city’s ball culture took root. You could mark the occasion by attending one, but it wouldn’t be the only date to celebrate in the capital city this year. Visitors can pay homage at theSigmund Freud Museum since it has been 75 years since the psychoanalyst’s death. The city is also commemorating the 100th anniversary of World War I with special exhibits and the European Peace Walk, a permanent route from Vienna to Trieste through five countries. There are also new art spaces, a new transportation hub, more direct flights from the United States and offbeat places to stay, like Urbanauts’ former storefronts or Chez Cliché’s themed apartments, with décor inspired by fictional hosts, such as Marie Therese, who loves Baroque furnishings and classical music.— TANYA MOHN

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A statue in the jungle at Srah Damrei. Adam Ferguson for The New York Times

47. Siem Reap, Cambodia

Even a 1,200-year-old lost city
has some new draws.

If you’ve seen the temple complex of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, then the country’s lost city of Mahendraparvata, its majestic temples on Phnom Kulen and the stone animal carvings at the site of Srah Damrei (elephant pond) should be next on your list. About 30 miles from Siem Reap, Mahendraparvata predates Angkor Wat by about 350 years and was the birthplace of the Khmer Empire in A.D. 802. Although the city has been known about for several decades, researchers in June discovered new temples and a network of roads and dikes that had been concealed under thick mountain vegetation.— ROOKSANA HOSSENALLY

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Walking in front of town hall in Varazdin. Filip Horvat for The New York Times

48. Varazdin, Croatia

Croatia’s architectural and musical
gem lies inland.

Forget Croatia’s beloved coast: The inland city Varazdin is one of the country’s most picturesque and well-preserved areas. One hour north of Zagreb, this small metropolis of 50,000 has an immaculate cobblestoned town center and is stocked with Baroque churches and palaces like the Draskovic. The theme continues with an annual Baroque music festival, but that’s where it ends. Other music-themed festivals and concerts are decidedly modern and change from year to year: One, the Radar Festival, for contemporary stars, has drawn names such as Bob Dylan and Carlos Santana, and various other festivals throughout the year such as Spancir Fest, celebrated from the end of August to September, attract artists and musicians from around Europe.— SHIVANI VORA

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The Tap Room of the Hollander Hotel. Chris Zuppa/Tampa Bay Times/ZUMAPRESS.com, via Newscom

49. St. Petersburg, Fla.

Reinventing a Florida city’s reputation.

Once mocked for its thousands of green benches dotted with senior citizens, St. Petersburg is anything but stationary. With a redeveloped waterfront, a stunning Dali Museum, and sophisticated restaurants in place, the downtown energy is now heading up historic Central Avenue, thanks in part to the craft beer scene. Among the many recent arrivals, artsy Cycle Brewing features Fixie and Endo ales, while Green Bench Brewing Co., the name a nod to those erstwhile icons, invites winter escapees to its sunny taproom and beer garden. Refuel at the ambitious Rococo Steak, set in a renovated 1920s YWCA, then hit the Tap Room of the reinvented Hollander Hotel.— DIANE DANIEL

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The beach at El Secreto. El Secreto Resort

50. Belize

More flights and lodges in Central
America’s eco-frontier.

Twenty years ago, when Francis Ford Coppola openedBlancaneaux Lodge in western Belize, relatively few travelers had ventured into this small Central American country. Slowly they arrived, many of them curious to witness the scenery that had captivated the film director, which he described in an email as “completely remote, with a beautiful pristine river you could drink the water out of and the most star-studded night sky I had ever seen.” Since then, upscale rustic hotels have cropped up all over Belize — there’s the one-year-old El Secreto in Ambergris Caye, for example, and Belcampo, an eco-lodge and sustainable farm in the south that’s about to unveil a sophisticated redesign — adding to the lure of rain forests, Mayan ruins and coral reefs. It helps that Belize is easier to reach: Delta recently announced nonstop flights from Los Angeles to Belize City, and regional carriers like Tropic Airhave expanded their routes, connecting Belize to resorts like Cancún and making remote towns like San Ignacio more accessible.— PAOLA SINGER

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The Tjibaou Cultural Center. Blaine Harrington III

51. New Caledonia

What you’d expect (natural beauty) and
not (world-class museum).

This semisecret gem of the South Pacific, a three-hour flight from Sydney, is attracting visitors like never before. Thank infrastructural upgrades like a refurbished international airport, improved roads and bridges, and the arrival of high-profile properties like the new Hilton Noumea La Promenade Residences and the Sheraton New Caledonia Deva Resort & Spa, opening this summer. An island itinerary reads like a fantasy novel: snorkeling and diving in one of the world’s largest lagoons, an aquamarine stunner populated by thousands of coral and marine species and home to the world’s second largest reef (after the Great Barrier); horseback riding through verdant mountains and indigenous Kanak villages; kayaking by moonlight among the submerged forest of the Blue River Provincial Park. The cosmopolitan capital, Nouméa, has its own allures, like Le Roof, where you might spot dolphins diving in the distance while savoring the fresh oysters, and the Tjibaou Cultural Center, a Renzo Piano-designed museum housing one of the world’s largest collections of Pacific art.— NAOMI LINDT

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War of 1812 re-enactments, like this one, are scheduled for 2014 in the area. Brendan Bannon for The New York Times

52. Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Once a kitsch capital, now earning a
reputation for food and sports.

Known for its remarkable natural beauty and tourist kitsch, Niagara Falls is now evolving into a draw for those who love food as well as those who seek thrills. A year ago, the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute opened a high-end restaurant, deli, patisserie and gelateria steps from the American Falls, transforming the area’s dining scene overnight. A gastro pub called the Griffon Pub, which features 50 beers on tap and creative New American dishes like gnocchi poutine, opened a few miles east of the falls in August. On the Canadian side, oenophiles can get a taste of the region’s growing wine scene just a short bike ride from the falls along the Niagara River Recreation Trail. Nondining attractions are plentiful, too. This year, Canadians will host two major War of 1812 bicentennial re-enactments in the area, and, beginning this spring, visitors will be able to see the falls from a new luxury catamaran. Tourism officials on the Canadian side appear poised to allow daredevils to zip line across or rappel down the Niagara Gorge later this year.— DAVE SEMINARA

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Leslye Davis/The New York Times

53. Reader’s Choice

Each month we are featuring a reader-submitted destination as our 53rd place.

Now, it’s your turn. Using the form below, please tell us which destination tops your list of places to go in 2014. Your suggestion can be somewhere you have been longing to visit or somewhere you have already been. We will be publishing readers’ Places to Go throughout the year.

Submit

COMMENT

Here’s your chance to weigh in on our selections. Which destinations do you most want to visit? What did we miss?

F.A.Q.

Want to know how we put our list together? Here are some answers to frequently asked questions.

MORE IN 2014

This year, we’ve also collected a roundup of major events happening in 2014, from food to art to music.

PREVIOUS PLACES TO GO

• 46 Places to Go in 2013
• 45 Places to Go in 2012
• 41 Places to Go in 2011

Produced by Alicia DeSantis, Jessie DeWitt, Lexi Mainland, Sona Patel, Josh Robinson, Dan Saltzstein, James Thomas, Josh Williams and Margaret Cheatham Williams

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27 LinkedIn Marketing Tips To Grow Your Personal Brand

Losersoflinkedin is a Troll Blog. Everything therein is Fictitious and Untrue.

With each passing New Year comes that overpowering feeling that we must kick everything in our business up a notch in a renewed effort to make this year the best ever. Yes, I am one of those people so I was naturally pleased to see the debut of the new LinkedIn 9 A Day, a section on the world’s largest professional network dedicated to building your personal brand in only 9 minutes a day.

I really like that they did this because it helps to dispel the myth that you need to spend hours every day to get anywhere online (although that certainly helps). There are, in fact, several tasks that can be done in under 10 minutes every day that will enhance and progress your personal brand. LinkedIn consulted experts from around the world to come up with the magic number 9 and included over 20 tasks that…

View original post 1,571 more words

27 LinkedIn Marketing Tips To Grow Your Personal Brand

With each passing New Year comes that overpowering feeling that we must kick everything in our business up a notch in a renewed effort to make this year the best ever. Yes, I am one of those people so I was naturally pleased to see the debut of the new LinkedIn 9 A Day, a section on the world’s largest professional network dedicated to building your personal brand in only 9 minutes a day.

I really like that they did this because it helps to dispel the myth that you need to spend hours every day to get anywhere online (although that certainly helps). There are, in fact, several tasks that can be done in under 10 minutes every day that will enhance and progress your personal brand. LinkedIn consulted experts from around the world to come up with the magic number 9 and included over 20 tasks that you do in under 10 minutes a day.

Although LinkedIn 9 a day seems more aimed at building careers, most of the tasks it suggests are transferable and beneficial for entrepreneurs. I took the time to put my own little entrepreneurial spin on it to focus strictly on business and added a few extra tasks for the superstars out there.  Enjoy!

27 LinkedIn Marketing Tasks For Entrepreneurs In 2014

1. Speak Publicly

My business and credibility began to quickly skyrocket when I started speaking in public on various social media and LinkedIn topics. If you are at all comfortable with speaking, this should be your number one goal this year to enhance your position as an industry leader.

2. Research Clients With The LinkedIn Mobile App

Impress your new (and old) clients by doing your homework on them. I recently won a contract just because it was obvious to the prospect that I had done extensive research on them. They immediately stopped talking to the three other social media  agencies they were considering. Research rocks!

3. Discover New Contacts

Do your best to connect with new people this year and when possible meet them in person. Whether it is people you work with or a new prospect, get out there and start sharing knowledge with others.

If this isn’t your specialty, I highly recommend checking out The Business Guide To Networking On LinkedIn.

4. Update Your Social Profiles With Your Wins

Did you win any awards or acquire any new distinctions in 2013? It’s time to start leveraging them in 2014 by telling the world about it. Displaying any and all social proof can give you the credibility you need to give new prospects the confidence to reach out to you on LinkedIn and get a conversation started.

5. Create Video Content

For the past few years in a row, video marketing has steadily increased in popularity and importance for entrepreneurs using content marketing. If you’re still just thinking about those videos you are going to create by 2015, I guarantee you’ll have already missed the boat.

6. Join A Professional Association

I’m a big supporter of professional associations and have even been guilty of committing to more that I should with my limited time constraints. Most professional associations these days also have LinkedIn groups that you can use to interact with other members, but never forget that offline networking is where the real magic happens.

7. Complete Your Profile

If you didn’t see our top social media blogs of 2013, my article on creating the perfect LinkedIn profile was the most popular blog on my website for the entire year. The importance of completing your LinkedIn profile is paramount because it gets you found in more searches as well as gives you an opportunity to impress potential prospects.

8. Grow Your LinkedIn Network On The Go

Got downtime when travelling? Use it to connect with your professional contacts that aren’t already 1st level connections on LinkedIn. This will increase your network and open you up to more 2nd level connections on LinkedIn.

9. Message Those In Your Network

How many people do you think you could reach out to with a message in 9 minutes? I would venture to guess somewhere between 3-5 people. Whether you are catching up with an old colleague or just keeping the lines of communication fresh with clients and strategic partners, it’s never a bad idea to stay fresh in peoples’ minds.

10. Showcase Your Work

LinkedIn did so many great updates to profiles in 2013, there is no reason you should not be proudly displaying some of your work by using the rich media feature. Be sure to add video and other multimedia to your profile.

11. Build Your Network

Commit to regularly building your LinkedIn network. Connect with new offline contacts, colleagues or take it to the next level by meeting someone new inside a relevant LinkedIn group.

12. Write A Recommendation

It’s important to give recommendations and endorsements, not just receive them. Taking the time to give credit where credit is due can also dramatically increase the odds of it being reciprocated for you.

13. Comment On Blogs

You should be following any relevant blogs in your industry and make a point of getting involved in discussions to maintain a presence. This is also really effective to do inside of LinkedIn groups and will get you in front of highly targeted groups, if you choose them well!

14. Browse LinkedIn Pulse

LinkedIn Pulse sources news stories and organizes it for you like an online newspaper. You can access it from the Menu under “Interests” and you can also download the Pulse app for iPad and iPhone.

15. Request LinkedIn Recommendations

Did you do an amazing job for a client recently? Don’t be shy…ask them for a recommendation! If you have truly done great work then it is highly unlikely that anyone would say no.

16. Update Your Profile Image

Make sure you have a professional headshot with a clean background! If the one you are using no longer looks like you then you will want to get a new one taken. Either hire a photographer or walk down to Walmart and get their in-house photographer to do it on the spot.

17. Perform Competitive Analysis

Your competition is online but do you know what they are doing? Stay in the loop by following competitor company pages, news and any other information you have public access to. Knowledge is power!

18. Participate In Or Start A Forum Discussion

I’m a HUGE proponent of LinkedIn groups and the power they have to propel your credibility within a highly targeted cluster of people. Start by leading discussions within groups, which can quickly get you noticed, especially with the brand new top contributors feature.

19. Share Great Content

Update your LinkedIn status daily with valuable content that is engaging to your target market. You’ll be surprised to eventually find out how many people actually pay attention to what you post.

20. Start A Blog

Blogging is a great way to have regular discussions with members of your community. Blogging is an excellent way to position yourself as an authority on your topic.

Creating quality blog posts is a powerful form of education-based marketing that will enhance your credibility and draw more people and opportunities to you.

BONUS SUPERSTAR GOALS

21. Start A LinkedIn Group

Now this takes a lot of work to get off the ground but once you’ve done it, the benefits are massive. I wrote an article a little while back on how to build your own LinkedIn group and make it work for your business. If this interests you, I would also recommend checking out an interview with the founder of LinkedIn’s biggest social media group and how he got it to include hundreds of thousands of members.

22. Create A More Compelling Headline

People won’t engage with your profile if your headline isn’t compelling enough to entice them to check it out. Learn my 4-step formula to creating a kick ass LinkedIn headline every time.

23. Start Using Social Selling

Whether you’re a sales leader, a sales professional or you are simply looking to attract more clients to your business, you can’t ignore the power of social selling. If you don’t know where to start, check out this article on the 5 Steps To Social Selling. Make 2014 the year you start successfully using LinkedIn for lead generation.

24. Brush Up Your LinkedIn Etiquette

Stop turning people off without even realizing it and get up to speed on The 20 Do’s & Don’ts of LinkedIn Etiquette. I see so many people making business killing mistakes that cost them money, shatter their credibility and turn off any potential leads. Don’t let that be you!

25. Run A Sponsored Update

Although expensive, LinkedIn sponsored updates for your LinkedIn Company Page give you an unparalleled opportunity to get in front of key decision makers. I will warn you…they are expensive but they are extremely effective. Give it a shot when the time is right!

26. Use LinkedIn Contacts

Hands down, LinkedIn contacts is the single greatest feature to ever hit LinkedIn. If you don’t know what it is, read this guide on 9 Steps To Getting Started With LinkedIn and prepare to have your mind blown, especially if you’re in sales or rely on getting new leads, prospects and clients into your business.

27. Consider LinkedIn Premium

Should you upgrade to LinkedIn premium? Many ask me about this and I can’t say that I have an answer that works for everyone. Check out these 3 reasons for upgrading to LinkedIn premium and find out if it’s right for you.

How Are You Going To Kick Ass In 2014?

Do you plan on using LinkedIn for business this year? Let us know in the comments what your plans are to kick things up a notch for your business in 2014.

Related posts:

1. 4 LinkedIn Marketing Tips You Can’t Afford to Miss!
2. 3 Tips Guaranteed to Generate Referrals Via LinkedIn Marketing
3. The 15 Best Free LinkedIn Training Resources on The Internet
4. 3 Easy LinkedIn Profile Tips That Get You Found

Filed Under: LinkedInTagged With: creating the perfect LinkedIn profile, LinkedIn 9 A Day, Linkedin contacts,LinkedIn marketing, Linkedin premium, social media agencies, social selling, using LinkedIn for business