Every client that I work with has his or her own unique problems, but they all have one thing in common. Can you guess what it is? Regardless of industry, size, or even the person’s position within the company, everyone uses email and wants to know how to write email that customers open. Despite the rise of social media, forums, and mobile chat apps, email remains one of the most popular forms of communication in the world. According to a study from Radicati, there are over 3.7 billion email users worldwide, and that number is steadily rising. If you think that statistic is high, you’ll want to sit down before I tell you the volume of emails being sent. We’re sending and receiving 269 billion emails every day. It seems impossible to stick out in this crowd. Yet email remains one of the most effective channels of marketing, with a median ROI that’s nearly 5x that of other channels like social media, direct mail, and paid search. Adobe even found that half of all consumers prefer being contacted by brands via email over social media and direct mail. Email newsletters specifically have the highest reported positive experience by consumers in a recent survey. Of course, knowing email is effective and writing an effective email doesn’t necessarily go hand-in-hand. If you send the wrong emails, you’ll end up losing customers. In fact, 66% of people unsubscribe from emails because they’re not aligned with their interests. You need great emails to keep your customers happy. That’s the problem I’m going to alleviate for you today. You know all the reasons why you should be using email, but we’re going to dive into the nitty-gritty details of how to actually write these emails. The first step is to segment our email lists so we can target our emails to the right audiences. How to Write Emails With Proper Audience SegmentationWe know email is effective, but we don’t have time to personally email each and every customer on our lists. Each email needs to feel personal, though. When your customers are properly segmented, it’s easier to send emails that feel more personalized. Messages will be based on your target customers’ interactions with your company and website. As a result, they won’t feel generic, sporadic, or irrelevant. A recent survey by Ascend2 found that 51% of marketers consider email list segmentation to be the most effective personalization tactic. Did a customer recently make a purchase from you? A thank-you email explaining the benefits of the purchase can help you keep your brand front-and-center in that customer’s mind. Perhaps a prospective customer abandoned his or her shopping cart before taking the next step and purchasing a product. Consider sending a discount code to entice that person back. MailChimp recently measured 11,000 segmented campaigns against non-segmented campaigns from the same customers. It found that the segmented campaigns outperformed their non-segmented counterparts across every metric. So what are some ways to segment your customer lists? Basic demographics like age, sex, and location are a great place to start. They’re not always enough, but they’ll help you get started. You’re likely going to speak differently to a retired veteran than you would to a teenager or recent college grad. Also, men and women may respond differently to the language you use in email marketing. Of course, this type of personal information may not be available. It’s also not the most effective way to segment audiences. Marketing automation platform MailChimp offers a variety of popular audience segmentation options based on engagement, behavior, and other criteria that you might find useful. These behavioral triggers are actually much more likely to predict a customer’s response anyway. Recommended purchases, for example, work regardless of age, sex, or location. Behaviors like buying, canceling, subscribing, and cart abandonment can be easily addressed with personalized emails. Ideally, you’ll send the right message to the right consumer at the right time. It sounds impossible, but modern marketing technology makes it not only accessible, but also automated. Behavior triggers stand out as one of the most effective innovation opportunities for markers. Marketers can analyze behavior triggers among their audiences to find strategies that really work. If you can set up an email marketing strategy that actually makes consumers eager to open your emails, you stand to enjoy much greater conversion rates. As mentioned above, behavior segmentation also makes it easier to automate emails. Marketing automation is an important part of the sales cycle, and you’re essentially leaving money on the table by not employing it. Don’t miss out on this opportunity! Charity: Water, for example, has a great email automation campaign that tracks the progress of your donation to the organization. When we donate money, we rarely get to see how the money is being spent. In fact, it’s one of the key barriers that nonprofits face when attempting to raise funds. Automated emails that provide useful data provide personalized transparency to the process. Consumers feel like they understand their role in the equation. Now we have our customer lists segmented into the right groups, and it’s time to craft the right emails for each group. To do that, we need to decide what our goal for each segment is and work backward from there. How to Write Email by Building Backward From the GoalIt’s important to have a goal for your email campaign. Otherwise, you’re just firing off emails and hoping to resonate with your audience. Not a good strategy. There are only four basic types of emails you can write:
Each type will have a different tone and goal. Let’s say your goal is to persuade customers to complete a post-purchase survey about their experience. There needs to be a clear CTA, preferably graphic, that entices users to click. That should be the focus of a short email that concisely explains the benefit of taking the survey. Here’s an example of a persuasive email from Wayfair. On the other hand, an expository email provides all the facts necessary for a customer to understand a topic. These are typically newsletters, but not always. In the case of this GrubHub email, the goal is an order confirmation displaying all the relevant information about your order. Descriptive emails are typically announcements for new products. They allow you to generate buzz (and hopefully a few sales). Here’s a descriptive menu from Cook Smarts. Plus, descriptive emails give you a chance to show your passion for your products. Here’s a descriptive menu from Cook Smarts. And finally, we have the narrative email, which allows you to tell your brand story. Here, Poncho turns an ordinary weather report into a narrative infographic. Right now we’re going to try an exercise. Think of all the different types of emails you may send to your customers based on their behaviors and other events. New product releases, leadership changes, sales and promotions, thank-you emails for customers’ order, emails that tell customers you’re sorry to see them go, responses to abandoned carts, and holiday celebrations immediately come to mind. The next step is to decide the goal for each of these behaviors. What do you want the customer to do? You typically want a click-through to your website. You can also use a CTA to ask for a purchase or to deliver relevant content. Creating these templates in advance keeps customers feeling personally connected to your business while you save time and resources. 5 Steps to Write the Perfect EmailNow you know why you should be emailing your customers. You’re also familiar with the different types of emails you might send. What we need to do is nail down a replicable process for writing them. Of course, you must start with a list of subscribers. Collect email addresses from your fans and followers so you’re communicating with as many people as possible. Once you have a list, you can write emails that respond to the behavioral triggers I talked about above. Here’s where to start. 1. How to Write Email Subject LinesYou only get one chance to make a first impression, and the subject line is that chance for emails. The subject line determines whether or not your email is ever read. A recent survey found that 33% of email recipients open an email based on the subject line alone. You have to nail that first impression if you want your copy to get read. The email marketing specialists at Constant Contact have seen thousands of effective emails. The company offers a few tips for subject lines (along with great examples of winning formulas). It’s important to keep the subject short and snappy. Many email programs cut off long subject lines, which means your subscribers won’t see the whole thing. Above, there’s an example with just a simple acronym from Bisque Imports. Everyone knows what TGIF means, so it works. However, you can also use other types of language to get your emails read. A teaser or announcement can provide a great way to entice people to click through and read. People love a mystery or an opportunity, so they’re more likely to check out the email’s body if the subject line arouses their interest. Check out this example from FluentCity announcing the winners of a recent contest. Whatever you do, avoid spammy language like “Buy Now.” You don’t need to be overly promotional. Focus on being informative and entertaining. In fact, entertaining and/or funny subject lines are a great way to increase the chances of an email being opened. Check out this gem of a subject line from The Basketry. Nice pun, right? Once you have the right subject, it’s time to move on to the content of the email body. 2. Keep Emails For Customers Short and Friendly.The worst mistake you can make with an email is trying to cram too much information into an email. The document ends up being too long. Sure, people need to know relevant information, but you can spread out the information over several emails. Alternatively, you can link to pages on your website so the reader can seek out more details if he or she wants. Whatever the case, don’t waste your subscribers’ time. That’s the fastest way to the “unsubscribe” button. A simple teaser with a link to your website is all that’s needed. Check out this simple example from Postmates, which invites customers to click through for a limited-time offer of lattes on demand. The company doesn’t waste any time getting to the point. There’s a brief, three-word greeting, and then the company immediately jumps into the point of the offer. After we get a description of the offer, we’re immediately given a CTA button to click through and take advantage of the offer. This short, sweet, and to-the-point approach is how every email should be treated. We only spend 15-20 seconds reading an email, so it shouldn’t resemble a novel. There’s a lot of information to fit in such a small space, though, so how do we decide what to cut and what to keep? Let’s explore that. 3. Write Better Emails by Adding Relevant Information and Calls to Action.Journalists are required to find out the who, what, when, where, why, and how of a story before publishing. That’s a standard we’re going to set for our emails. Each email we send needs to answer these vital questions. Say we have a weekend sale coming up. The sale is the what, our store location is the where, our business is the who, the holiday is when, special pricing is why, and showing up is how it’s done. Without this information, your recipients will be lost. It’s also vital to have a CTA or buy it now buttons. Otherwise, how can your customers take action? These buttons offer great ways to entice clicks, but before using these advanced techniques, make sure your customers can view them on mobile devices. Nearly half of emails are checked on mobile devices. It’s a shame to spend time crafting a brief, compelling email only to experience limited engagement because of mobile incompatibility. Don’t become that marketer. Now we need to make sure each customer feels individually connected to your business. 4. Personalize each email and use the second-person point of view.Nobody wants to feel like they’re just another faceless number. It’s important to greet each individual using personal language, which becomes an easy feat to accomplish with email template programs. You also need to write emails in the second person. Focusing on “you” opens a conversation in which the recipient feels important. Check out this email from The Skimm, which does a great job of using the second person in a personalized email This email makes it clear that the recipient is the center of attention. We all like to feel special, and this is how it’s done. Now that we have the email together, there’s just one last thing to do. 5. Proofread and check your grammar multiple times.There’s no worse feeling than spending hours designing the perfect email template, sending it out to your contact list, and finding a glaring typographical error. Typos are the worst, and with emails, they can constitute a sign of spam. It looks unprofessional and may even get your email blocked by spam filters. Take the time to perform at least two rounds of edits to check for these typos and to make sure everything is polished before you send an email out to your customers. Now that everything’s grammatically correct, we can finally send our email out and reap the benefits. ConclusionEmail is one of the most widely-used forms of communication in the modern world. More people use email than social media, chat programs, and forums. In other words, it’s the perfect chance to connect with your audience. But only if you follow best practices and get creative. Sending email newsletters and emails based on triggered actions can increase conversions, build trust, and lead to a healthy ROI. By creating targeted email templates based on behaviors may be the most important change you make to your digital marketing efforts. Have you found success using email? The post How to Write Emails That Actually Drive Results appeared first on Neil Patel. Original Entry: How to Write Emails That Actually Drive Results is shared from https://neilpatel.com/blog/write-emails-that-drive-results/ via https://neilpatel.com Check out the original post, How to Write Emails That Actually Drive Results that is shared from https://putyourfamilyfirst.wordpress.com/2020/11/10/how-to-write-emails-that-actually-drive-results/ via https://putyourfamilyfirst.wordpress.com
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When Thanksgiving rolls around, there are a few questions that we don’t exactly look forward to hearing: “When are you getting married?” “When am I getting grandchildren?” “Have you been moisturizing?” And yet, none of those oh-so-polite questions even come close to the complexity of explaining what, as an inbound marketer, you actually do for a living. It’s not that inbound marketing requires a long, drawn-out answer — after all, it can easily be described in 44 words. But explaining it requires some fundamental knowledge of how technology, marketing, and the internet work. You know, the things that your grandparents might not fully grasp in one fell swoop. Good news — all you really need are a few storytelling strategies. We found five ways you can explain inbound marketing to your family. And sure, some of these are useful, and some are just sarcastic. But hey, family is family, right? They’ll still love you. 5 Ways to Explain Inbound Marketing to Your Family This Thanksgiving1. The Food AnalogySource: Giphy In the U.S., Thanksgiving typically consists of a few staples: turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie, to name a few. And while it might sound strange, you can use that knowledge to your advantage by using food preparation as an analogy for different aspects of inbound marketing. To explain lead nurturing, you can use the pumpkin pie. Sending unnurtured leads to sales is like giving an unbaked pumpkin pie to your guests. I suppose the pumpkin pie could be eaten raw, but … gross. Instead, you should bake the pumpkin pie — that ultimately makes it richer and more palatable. Nurturing leads before sales contacts them works in the same way. It warms them up to your brand, and starts to qualify them with better information on what they might need. “Warm” leads, like the cooked pie, are already familiar with your business, and will close at a much higher rate than those that are “cold.” Use whatever analogy you like to describe inbound marketing — it clarifies confusing issues by comparing them to something that, quite literally, is right in front of everyone. 2. The Real-Life ScenarioSource: Giphy When I’m asked about inbound marketing, I like to use real-life examples of interruptions that they’ll likely recognize, and explain how the inbound methodology pertains to it. It usually sounds something like this: Amanda: Hey, Dad. You know how much you hate telemarketers calling you in the middle of dinner? Dad: Yes. Hate it. Why? Is that what you do for work? Amanda: No, actually. Inbound marketing is the exact opposite. That’s interruptive marketing. They literally interrupt you. So annoying, right? Dad: Yes. I’m surprised they’re not interrupting us right now. Amanda: Well, in my job, I create marketing that doesn’t interrupt what people are doing. In fact, I create content that people are actively looking for, because it’s helpful, entertaining, or informative. Instead of a telemarketer who is calling to sell you spoons, I create stuff that someone looking for information about spoons might be searching for on the internet. Dad: So I would find you, instead of you calling to bother me? Amanda: Yes! I provide you with actual value from my company, which makes you more interested in what my company sells. The keys here: 1) Identify which interruptive media your dinner guests are familiar with, and 2) play into their pain points when dealing with that media. Inbound marketing is much more logical when you explain it that way — even if your family doesn’t work in marketing or communications. 3. The Theatrics
Source: Giphy If you’re feeling especially creative — and you have at least one Thanksgiving guest who is willing to participate — you could set up a role play. There are lots of scenarios you can act out, but a classic one would be the telemarketer/dinner guest scenario. Let’s use the telemarketing example above — and be warned, it might require a few minutes of planning before everyone sits down to dinner. You play the role of the telemarketer, and your dinner guest can be, well, the dinner guest. First, put his or her phone’s ringer on the highest volume possible. Then, as soon as someone asks you about your job, excuse yourself and duck out to a quiet area with your own phone. Next, call the dinner guest, and have him or her answer the call on speaker while you pretend to be a telemarketer selling something completely unnecessary at that point: Halloween costumes. Be sure your dinner guest uses key phrases like “You’re interrupting me in the middle of Thanksgiving dinner with this irrelevant call,” or, “Don’t you think it’s a little late to be calling me about Halloween?” or, if you really want to go nuts, “I wish you had sent me a targeted, personalized email in October about those costumes — I would have bought them.” Then, have them slam down the phone on the table. You can return from your “bathroom break” and say, “See? Telemarketing, or any type of interruptive marketing like that, is profoundly annoying. In my job, I create marketing that helps people — not annoy them.” End scene. Depending on the talent of your guest, you might be able to improv the entire thing. Otherwise, you might want to type a script out and email it to the guest beforehand. And if you really want to go overboard, stay in character the entire dinner. The sight of you dressed up as a skeezy telemarketer with a headset will be just too intense to forget … that is, at least until your mother requests, “Please remove your headset from the table.” 4. The Puzzle Pieces
Source: Webnode This technique boils down to an age-old philosophical question: Is the whole greater than the sum of its parts? Aristotle thought so, but when you’re describing inbound marketing to an unfamiliar audience, it’s probably okay to explain the three ways you might apply inbound marketing specifically: attract, engage, and delight. Try explaining inbound marketing by breaking it up into those three aspects, and explaining each one individually. For instance, you might say to grandma: “Attract means drawing in the right people with valuable content and conversations that establish you as a trusted advisor with whom they want to engage. Engage means presenting insights and solutions that align with their pain points and goals so they are more likely to buy from you. And delight means providing help and support to empower your customers to find success with their purchase.” Of course, it’s easier said than done. And I’m willing to bet diving into how the inbound methodology serves as a strong foundation for the flywheel, which creates momentum and eliminates friction in your organization, is another feat entirely. 5. The “I Write Articles on the Internet”
Source: imoviequotes If the previous four have all failed, you can always say, “I write articles on the internet for a living.” I mean, it’s somewhat accurate — you drive real business results with inbound marketing, and you don’t just spew out nonsense blogs about your feelings to get paid — but it can get your family off your back, especially if you’re not sure they’d be interested in hearing the whole shebang. If you choose this path, be prepared to hear how easy it is to blog, and how many of your family members wish they could get paid to do it. Then, try to switch the subject quickly to something everyone can relate to. “Hey, Uncle Eddie, I’d love to get your amazing stuffing recipe.” Trust us … It works every time. We’re Grateful for YouGood luck out there. And remember: There are so many people who want to know what you do — which, admittedly, is why we love writing about it every day. We always give thanks for you, our amazing readers. And to express our gratitude, we put together what we hope is a hilarious video of what our families think we do. Happy Thanksgiving! Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in November 2013 and has been updated and for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness. Original Entry: 5 Ways to Explain Inbound Marketing to Your Family This Thanksgiving is shared from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/explain-inbound-marketing-ht via https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing Check out the original post, 5 Ways to Explain Inbound Marketing to Your Family This Thanksgiving that is shared from https://putyourfamilyfirst.wordpress.com/2020/11/10/5-ways-to-explain-inbound-marketing-to-your-family-this-thanksgiving/ via https://putyourfamilyfirst.wordpress.com Millions of dollars are poured into the Google Display Network (GDN) every day. But why? Google offers endless options for marketers to promote their products, so how is this network different? Frankly — because it works. When industry competitors’ congest search engines, the GDN can be a great alternative. With it, there’s less competition for inflated keyword bids, so you’re more likely to reach users actively searching for your products and services. Though the audience intent is not as strong, you get a much lower cost-per-click and many more impressions. Here, we’re going to explore why you should use Google Display Network (GDN), how GDN differs from search ads, and how you can target your GDN ads to reach the right people in the right places. Why Use the Google Display Network?The value for GDN boils right down to reach and affordability. Prospecting, brand awareness, and remarketing can come with a hefty price tag when pursued for traditional search ads. GDN, by comparison, bypasses a lot of costly competition from other networks. There are also endless options for customizing your audience targeting.
With Google’s search ads, you’re essentially throwing out a wide net, which can be largely hit-or-miss, both with whom you’re targeting and with how you’re spending. Google’s Display Network, on the other hand, allows you to define your audience in a way search engines can’t. Since you can target more than just keywords, you aren’t limited to the Google results page. Instead, GDN allows you to target websites by audience affinities, in-market segments, and custom intent keywords. You can even hand-pick website placements that fit your target audience. The other differentiator is volume. Where do the fancy image ads appear when you market with GDN? Across millions of websites that your prospects are visiting every day. But really — what’s the difference between GDN and a simple search ad? Let’s explore that, now. Google Search vs. Display NetworkYou need a different mentality when using Google’s Display Network than when you’re using the search network and others available on Google Ads. Let’s define some use cases and expectations. Your average conversion rate with GDN will be a minuscule 0.7%. Why? Because you’re targeting users that may not be familiar with your brand at all. The Google Display Network is first and foremost a tool for prospecting and brand awareness. The standard CTR for this network is still under 0.5%. But, for targeting prospects outside of search engines and social networks, that’s still pretty good. The next key differentiator is the fact that the user’s primary interest is the website content itself — the display ad has an indirect, secondary role in the website’s appeal to the viewer. Marketers are hoping the prospective user will view their GDN ad along their journey to fulfilling another purpose. That makes the user intent different than when an ad appears at the top of a Google results page for a high-intent search phrase. It should be no surprise that the click-through rate and conversion rate for GDN are below 1%. Unlike with search, there is a variety of targeting options outside of keywords that span across a network of millions of websites. You can access the majority of internet users through website placements. Your number-one goal with GDN is finding the right audience size with strict targeting criteria. There are ways to approach this network with tighter, more relevant targeting. Ultimately, remarketing is limitless — but it involves audience development outside the Google Ads platform. Let’s start by exploring the default prospecting options Google provides and work our way toward opportunities customized for your brand and those who have engaged with your website. Google Display Network Remarketing or Prospecting?On the GDN, you can target in two ways. First, you can target prospects on the internet who may have no previous knowledge of your website, brand, products, or services. Second, you can remarket to users who have engaged with your website in some form. Option two allows you to leverage the audiences you find in Google Analytics for your website. If you don’t have any Google Analytics website audiences built, doing so is incredibly easy — simply set up an audience for a user that completes specific actions. Some of the most common remarketing audiences include:
Remarketing and prospecting are two vastly different initiatives that you can execute through GDN. Some businesses prefer to focus only on remarketing because reaching users familiar with one’s brand drives leads and sales for the most affordable cost. However, other businesses aren’t focused on the return as much as generating awareness of their products and services. It all comes down to your company’s marketing goals. Google Display Ad ExamplesOnce you know how to target, you’ll want to create the collateral that gets the attention you need from your ad placements. Here are some great examples of Google display ads: 1. SEMrushThe copy of this ad does two things:
It does this with large white font across an eye-catching blue background with bold oranges and pinks, making it colorful and stark enough to attract attention. 2. ConversicaConversica utilizes the large vertical format, which takes up a lot of real estate space on a page, enough to hopefully stir any website visitors out of “banner blindness.” Their strategy is not to promote their company but rather an offer: research on virtual assistants in sales. 3. E*TRADEThis is one of the skinnier horizontal banners, and E*TRADE uses it to make a bold statement: “$0 commissions” in large letters across the center. The call to action (open an account) is much smaller than the value proposition so that they recognize the value first before taking action on it. Google Display Network Audience TargetingHere’s how to achieve success with prospecting and brand awareness GDN targeting: 1. In-Market Segment TargetingIn-market segments are Google users interested in broad categories of products and services, including real estate, education, home and garden, sports and fitness, and more. Google defines these segments based on users’ historical views, clicks, and conversions on previous content. There are sub-categories for specific types of each segment, but the criteria Google uses for these aren’t public. The size of each sub-category is easily millions — and sometimes billions — of users. It’s safe to say that testing a GDN in-market segment is a good starting point. However, layering demographic qualifiers, device targeting, and other affinities is necessary to create a focused pool of users. An easy way to control audience size for in-market segments is by comparing with Google Analytics data. The in-market segments on Google Analytics line up perfectly with those on Google Ads. Google Analytics should show you which in-market segments on your site have the highest conversion rates. Educated guesses for targeting on the Google Ads platform can only go so far. Google Analytics has the tools for identifying and building data-driven audiences from which Google Ads can learn and optimize. Ultimately, using Google Analytics can help ensure you’re reaching highly qualified users. 2. Affinity Audience TargetingLike in-market segments, affinity audiences are Google users with similar interests, including cooking, fashion, beauty, gaming, music, travel, and more. These are very expansive categories of internet users, so it’s equally important to find targeting criteria to narrow down the size of any one affinity interest, or its sub-categories. Strictly relying on the default options for in-market segments and affinity audiences within Google Ads can leave a giant dent in your budget for marketing spend. Google Analytics can be a huge help in pinpointing exactly which affinity audiences yield the highest conversion rates on your website. Google Ads will also create a “similar” audience based on the Google Analytics’ audience created. These audiences are usually more focused in size, making them ideal for testing. 3. Custom Intent AudiencesCustom intent audiences is another valuable contextual targeting method. How does it work? Simply put, Google can show your ads to users who are “likely to be interested” in specific keywords and website URLs. It may also show your ads to people who have recently searched for your suggested keywords. The key difference between custom intent audiences and other targeting methods is that you aren’t targeting websites that use these exact keywords, and Google is not placing your ad exclusively on specified website URLs. Rather, Google serves your ads to users on various other websites that have some contextual connection to the website URL or keyword given to Google. 4. Placement TargetingGoogle can show your ads on specific websites when provided with placement URLs. This option offers tighter, more controlled targeting because it limits display ad placements to custom websites selected by the marketer. You could be saving money by being so specific, but you could also be missing out on mainstream websites that your target audience is more actively visiting. Simply put, users who visit your website also visit other websites. With custom affinity (interests) and custom intent (keyword and URL) audiences, Google can target these users at other online destinations. Picture your specified website as the center of a digital spiderweb — Google uses the central URL to target the users in other URLs within the spiderweb, amplifying your reach to include websites you may not know about. These websites may or may not have content related to your suggested keyword or URL, but Google knows that these websites are sites that users of your suggested keywords and URLs also visit. 5. Topic TargetingGoogle can show your ads on web pages only about your specified topic. Some of these topics could be similar to interests or affinities, or they may fall outside the default categories that Google offers (e.g., they may be along the lines of hiking, camping, or agriculture). This targeting is an alternative to researching and selecting website placements for one interest without knowing the impact of those placements. Three Key Audience-Building FactorsNow that you know the basic mechanisms for targeting and creating an audience, let’s dive into three essential tips to ensure you build those audiences better. Here are some high-impact areas for tightening audience targeting where it counts. 1. Select the right devices.When setting up a display campaign, it’s important to consider where the target audience will be using the product and how they will be signing up. If the user experience is compromised or not nearly as good on a particular device, consider excluding that device altogether. For example, is mobile really the right platform for your landing page offer? Can your products or services be used easily on tablets and other small devices? If your company produces games or apps, mobile is ideal. But if you’re marketing business software used on desktop computers, mobile targeting could be costly and unnecessary. 2. Choose the right demographics and locations.Google lets you customize several demographics when targeting for a display campaign. For example, age and household income are broken out into seven different ranges. If you know your audience is not within 18-24 years of age, or the top 10% of household income, you can easily exclude those users when creating ad groups. There could also be some states in the U.S. or territories internationally to which your business prefers not to drive sales. The bids of these locations can easily be adjusted to redirect your budget to more profitable locations. 3. Mark the box for content exclusions.Before launching a campaign on GDN, it’s easy to make the mistake of skimming past the additional settings for websites with explicit content. Some advanced content settings are available for preventing your site from appearing on parked domains, sites with sexually suggestive content, sites with sensitive social issues, and more. Google doesn’t mark these boxes by default, so they must be manually selected to prevent your ads from appearing on undesirable sites. Optimizing Your Google Display Network ResultsNow that we’ve explored targeting methods as well as specific audience-building factors, let’s dive deeper into how you might optimize your GDN results. 1. Assess demographic performance, and then recalibrate if necessary.Some of your audience demographics may be ideal for traditional marketing but could perform poorly in a digital setting. Even after setting up specific demographic and location targeting, it’s important to review the performance of what hasn’t been excluded. For example, there are some demographic categories (e.g., “unknown”) and ages (e.g., “65+”) that can become costly after launch. 2. Assess placement performance and use those analytics to continually improve.Google makes it easy to review where your ads are appearing on a daily or weekly basis after campaign launch. You can find this information under “Placements -> Where Ads Showed.” Filtering placements by unusually high spend or CTR can quickly identify websites that are more of an immediate threat to your campaign’s health. If you’re considering bulk exclusions, you may find it helpful to export web placements within the timeframe of “all time”. Focus on blocking the duplicate placements that yield no results, since repeat offenders are a higher priority than websites that appear once with only a few impressions. After identifying duplicates, review the relevance of these sites, how much they have spent, and whether they have led to any conversions. 3. Consider which ad style and location will yield the best results.There are two main ad types available for a GDN campaign — standard image ads and responsive ads. Standard image ads have a number of formats, including square, rectangular, skyscraper, and banner. These ads are an image-only display option. Here’s an example: Responsive ads, on the other hand, offer a combination of text and image options that display in a variety of formats, depending on where the ad appears. The complete ad is composed of three image types, up to five short headlines, one long headline, up to five descriptions, and a business name. The short headlines and descriptions rotate to find and show the best-performing combination. Here’s an example: If you’re limited on time, budget, or creative resources, it can be tricky to know which display ads will work best for your campaign, and you might not want to risk time testing different ones. If this is the case, it’s important to note studies have shown that 300 x 250 and 728 x 90 receive more impressions than other ad formats. Half-page ads and large rectangles receive higher CTRs than other ad formats, as well. So if you’re not sure where to begin, try out the rectangular formats and leaderboards! Figure Out Whether Google Display Network Is The Right Choice For Your BusinessYou can amass a very powerful reach on the Google Display Network with the right attention to targeting. The network’s affordability, as well as the separation from the competition, makes it a viable marketing option. This guide has covered several audience-building and optimization factors to help you hit the ground running with Google Display Network campaigns. Whether you’re just starting out or have some room for improvement, check out the custom audience capabilities to see if one might work for your next campaign. Editor’s note: This post was originally published in May 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness. Original Entry: The Straightforward Guide to the Google Display Network is shared from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/google-display-network via https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing Check out the original post, The Straightforward Guide to the Google Display Network that is shared from https://putyourfamilyfirst.wordpress.com/2020/11/10/the-straightforward-guide-to-the-google-display-network/ via https://putyourfamilyfirst.wordpress.com If you’re in business, you need to know how to create captivating presentations. Whether you’re trying to convince your boss to support a new campaign, talking with a prospect to close a deal, or building a new piece of marketing collateral, you need to know how craft a presentation that won’t put people to sleep. The best (and easiest) way to do that? Use the right tools to create and deliver your presentation. If you’re not sure which tools to use, look no further than this blog post. We’ve compiled our list of the top presentation tools for sales and marketing professionals. They’re listed below, in no particular order. But first … Why You Should Use Business Presentation TemplatesUsing a professional presentation design ensures your content is conveyed in a clear, creative, and visually appealing way. To make it stand out further, try using HubSpot’s custom-build templates rather than utilizing one of the existing templates in in your presentation software. You can download them for free here. Best Presentation Tools1. CanvaCanva makes design easy — even for marketers and salespeople who feel like they’re design-challenged. The platform gives you a bunch of presentation templates to use right away, and it’s very easy to customize them to your organization and presentation objective. Plus, a variety of apps that integrate with Google Drive, Instagram, and YouTube, to name a few. Pricing: Free; Pro, $12.95/month for up to five people; Enterprise, $30/month per person 2. PowtoonOften, being different is what attracts prospects, and Powtoon can help you do that in your presentations. Powtoon’s animation software lets you easily create videos with props, characters, and more — which can help you differentiate your company when talking with prospects. Pricing: Pro, $19/month; Pro+ $49/month; Agency, $89/month 3. PowerPointFor years, PowerPoint has been the standard in presentation software, but it hasn’t remained static. PowerPoint is full of features to make sales and marketing presentations dynamic and engaging. (Here are just a few ways you can do that.) Pricing: Business Basic, $5/user/month; Business Standard, $12.50/user/month; Business Premium, $20/user/month 4. OomfoA PowerPoint add-in, Oomfo helps sales and marketing pros create those oh-so-important interactive charts for presentations. Specialized charts, live charts from multiple files, data from cloud applications, interactive options, one-click conversions — it’s all possible, and more, with Oomfo. Pricing: Free 5. KeynoteApple’s Keynote allows users to work between their Mac and iOS devices, as well as with people who use Microsoft PowerPoint. With easy-to-use visual tools, drag and drop functionality, interactive charts, and more, Keynote is a popular choice among sales and marketing professionals. Pricing: Free 6. Beautiful.aiCreate beautiful slides, pitches, and proposals without a team of designers. AI applies design rules in real time, and a library of free photos and icons are at your fingertips. Pricing: Basic, $0; Pro, $12/month; Team, $38/user/month 7. Haiku DeckAvailable for the web or iPad, Haiku Deck has become a favorite of sales and marketing pros. With Haiku Deck, professionals can quickly create presentations that can be “easily projected, shared, posted, embedded on a website or blog, or viewed on any web-enabled device.” Though it’s another tool that helps you create presentations from scratch, its ease-of-use sets it apart from the rest. Pricing: Pro, $9.99 – $19.99/month; Premium, $29.99/month 8. VyondVyond is an online animation software that allows you to create animated videos for marketing campaigns, sales enablement, or even human resources. Use their library of customizable templates or create your own from scratch. Pricing: Essential, $229/year; Premium, $649/year; Professional, $999/user/year; Enterprise, contact for pricing 9. emazeBusy sales and marketing pros choose emaze because it makes creating amazing presentations quick and easy. The options abound with emaze: Choose a professionally designed template and then create a slideshow, video presentation, or 3D presentation. Pricing: Business Plan, contact for pricing; Executive Plan, $40/month; Pro Plan, $13/month 10. CamtasiaTechSmith’s Camtasia is an amazing tool that helps you create professional videos. You can record screen movements, import HD video from another source, customize and edit the video, and then share the completed video presentation on practically any device. Pricing: Individual, $249.99/user/year; Business $249.99/user/year; Education, $169.99/user/year; Government and Non-Profit, $223.99/user/year 11. SlideShareSlideShare is a popular choice for sales and marketing professionals looking for a way to share their content publicly. Because it already has a built-in audience, you can easily distribute your presentation out to lots of people — and those people can embed your SlideShares on websites and blogs, or share them on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Pricing: Free 12. SlideDogSometimes, sales and marketing professionals need to be able to move between presentation tools, but it’s not always possible because of their technical limitations. SlideDog is the solution, as it enables users to switch between PowerPoint, Prezi, PDF, web pages and others. Pricing: Free; Pro, $99/year; Pro Event, $49 for one-time payment 13. Presentation Assistant
Presentation Assistant lives up to its name: It assists professionals by enabling them to annotate, zoom, and more during a presentation. Sales and marketing professionals can clarify and emphasize points more clearly to their audience with Presentation Assistant. Pricing: Presentation Pointer, $29.95; Presentation Screen Master, $29.95 14. authorSTREAMSales and marketing pros choose authorSTREAM to make their presentations dynamic and engaging. authorSTREAM allows users to share their PowerPoint presentations publicly or privately, broadcast them, convert them to video, communicate and collaborate about them, and more. Pricing: Free or paid plans start at $4.20/month 15. ZentationWith Zentation, salespeople and marketers combine video and slides into a simulated live experience. Presentations created with Zentation become webinars, webcasts, and virtual events for prospects and customers — all great collateral for marketing and sales. Pricing: Free; Premium, $10 – $45/month; White-Label, contact for pricing 16. PreziSales and marketing professionals love Prezi because it is cloud-based. Prezi makes creating, editing, and presenting from your browser, desktop, iPad, or iPhone possible anywhere, any time. Pricing: Standard, $5/month; Plus, $15/month; Premium, $59/month 17. BrainsharkSales reps and marketers often choose Brainshark, a cloud-based presentation tool, because it allows them to create and deliver presentations live or on-demand (even using their iPad or iPhone), use on-demand video content, polls, or surveys for increased engagement, and embed presentations in websites and blogs. Pricing: Contact for pricing 18. Vcasmo
Vcasmo is a unique presentation tool — it’s a multimedia solution that enables users to synchronize a video and slideshow, side by side. Sales and marketing pros love Vcasmo because it supports playback in three forms: browser, mobile, and iPad. Pricing: Free; Standard, $10.99/month; Professional, $16.99/month 19. ViewletBuilderViewletBuilder is a different presentation tool; it captures critical screen updates and cursor position changes so sales and marketing pros can create presentations detailing how their product or sites work. With a plethora of features, ViewletBuilder allows for editing and enhancing and includes a variety of publishing and sharing options, too. Pricing: Pro, $399; Enterprise, $599 20. Zoho ShowZoho Show is a top pick for sales and marketing pros because it lives online, making it possible to create, access, present, and more from anywhere, any time. The simple, intuitive interface and collaboration features are just two of its beloved benefits. Pricing: Contact for pricing What are you waiting for? Pick a tool and start creating. Your prospects are waiting. Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in October 2014 and has been updated for freshness and comprehensiveness. Original Entry: 20 Tools for Creating and Delivering Amazing Presentations is shared from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/presentation-tools via https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing Check out the original post, 20 Tools for Creating and Delivering Amazing Presentations that is shared from https://putyourfamilyfirst.wordpress.com/2020/11/10/20-tools-for-creating-and-delivering-amazing-presentations/ via https://putyourfamilyfirst.wordpress.com These days, businesses across every industry are investing in social media marketing. But no matter how great your social media content is or how many people follow your accounts, you won’t be able to grow your audience, reach, and presence if you don’t understand the data behind it all. In-depth knowledge about the status and success of your social media marketing will offer actionable insight into things like which strategies should remain in place and what you should change or experiment with in order to grow. Social media analytics tools are able to help you with just that. Social Media AnalyticsIn this blog post, we’ll review the importance of social media analytics and some great options to help you measure your social media marketing success. Get certified in social media strategy with this free course. What is social media analytics?Social media analytics is the process of gathering, analyzing, and applying data, information, and reports related to the content shared on your social profiles and the social profiles themselves. Why use social media analytics?With social media analytics, you can:
How to Track Social Media AnalyticsHere are the steps involved in tracking social media analytics
1. HubSpot Social Media SoftwareHubSpot provides a deep look into the way social media impacts your bottom line and gives you the ability to report on social media ROI. View and compare performance across different platforms, campaigns, and publishing times — all from a single tool. Monitor your brand on social to understand how your target audience perceives your business and content. Additionally, YouTube Reports provide insight into how your audience and buyer persona’s engage with your videos. Lastly, effectively reach certain audiences by using data and context from the Contacts in your CRM (which this social tool integrates seamlessly with). Get certified in social media strategy with this free course. 2. Sprout SocialSprout Social is a social media planning service with expansive analytics and reports that help you understand the performance of all of your social accounts. Configure and customize reports and metrics to help you scale your your business’s presence on social. And if you’re a HubSpot customer, integrate your CRM with Sprout Social to collect and view accurate reports all in one place. 3. Falcon.ioFalcon.io is a social media marketing platform for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram with analytics and community engagement capabilities. Create an overview of cross-platform metrics and KPIs to determine which of your strategies are working best. Customizable dashboards update in real-time to give insight into your performance on your profiles. And with pre-existing templates, these customizable dashboards are easy to create and implement. Lastly, integrate Falcon.io with your HubSpot CRM to sync customer data for your social campaigns, create custom and lookalike audiences, and offer customer service all via the tool. 4. MailchimpMailchimp is a full-service marketing platform that offers analytics for social media ads. It’s easy to use for small marketing teams and requires little time to pour over the accompanying analytics. With Mailchimp, you’ll have an audience dashboard, which is a page dedicated to understanding audience behavior. Additionally, the software offers tools to look into smart targeting and mobile integrations. These tools can diversify a social strategy and deliver higher engagement numbers by helping you create content that specific audiences will respond to. 5. DataboxDatabox is an expansive analytics platform that lets you set and track social media campaign goals. It’s a good choice for businesses that have many contacts, social accounts, campaign goals, and target audiences. Customize metrics that matter most to your campaign or social channels for your reports. Any integration you have, such as HubSpot, will be visible from your dashboard as well. 6. GrowGrow users gain full visibility into engagement on all of the social accounts. The tool integrates with HubSpot, Salesforce, Google Ads, Facebook, Marketo, and Microsoft Office so you can view all data in one place. Grow breaks down complex data into graphs and visuals, and your social reports are easily sharable which is helpful if multiple people are working on the same project. Grow’s reports are built with metrics chosen by the user — meaning, you can customize reports in a way that works for your needs. 7. ActiveCampaignSourceActiveCampaign is an email marketing software with social media features including reporting. You can connect Facebook, Twitter, Digg, and other platforms to gather insights related to performance. Since you’ll have both social media and email metrics in one place, this is a good option for businesses with a heavy email marketing focus. Additionally, ActiveCampaign’s reports track what contacts do after they click through to your site. Further, if you’re a HubSpot customer, the software integrates with your CRM. 8. CoScheduleCoSchedule gathers social network, campaign, and engagement data for your profiles and compiles that real-time data into reports. On your dashboard, compare multiple campaigns to determine the evolving ecosystem of audiences. You’ll also be able to see the top fans of your social accounts, making it easier to create targeted content for them (and followers like them). Choose a Social Media Analytics ToolUltimately, choosing the right social media analytics tools for your business shouldn’t be a stressful process. The tools should align with your business goals and deliver the metrics you need to be successful. So review the options above and choose the right one for your business. Editor’s note: This post was originally published in March 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness. Original Entry: The 8 Best Social Media Analytics Tools for Marketers in 2020 is shared from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/social-media-analytics-tools via https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing Check out the original post, The 8 Best Social Media Analytics Tools for Marketers in 2020 that is shared from https://putyourfamilyfirst.wordpress.com/2020/11/10/the-8-best-social-media-analytics-tools-for-marketers-in-2020/ via https://putyourfamilyfirst.wordpress.com The problem with selling your startup is the long exit time. Sometimes it can take as long as seven years before you can sell your business and hop on the next idea. And the investors? They feel the same way. Who wants to wait almost a decade to buy a startup when the face of tech is evolving at such a rapid pace? Plus, the price tag on those more established businesses often run into the billions. That’s an expensive mistake if you make the wrong investment. The solution? Micro startup acquisitions. From Facebook to Microsoft, there is a massive trend to seek out tiny teams of five or less, buy them, and use the technology and talent to gain a competitive edge. In this guide, we’ll discuss the benefits of buying and selling a micro startup, the trends changing M&R strategy, and the top tools you can use to sell (or buy) your startup. But before we dive into that, we need to look into what micro startup acquisitions are and why you need to sit up and take notice. Micro Startup Acquisitions: What Are They, and Why Should I Care?Micro startup acquisitions are a move away from buying businesses with established products or even proven revenue streams. Instead, larger tech companies like Twitter and Pinterest are making investments in small startups. These businesses usually consist of 2 to 3 people, and companies are taking bets on their products that aren’t even fully realized yet. Why? Companies are becoming more proactive and want to acquire complementary products earlier on in their road maps as a way to outwit the competition and obtain the best talent in the industry. What does this mean for startups? Your exit strategy timeline is A LOT shorter. Gone are the days of waiting 5, 7, or 10 years to sell, making it more affordable than ever to bootstrap your startup. Hike Labs was founded in 2014, and by 2015, Pinterest had swooped in and acquired the San Francisco-based mobile publishing startup. Micro Startup Acquisition TrendsOver the last couple of years, there have been clear trends in why big companies are choosing to invest in these small teams and use them as part of their growth strategy. More deals are about gaining access to new capabilities or markets. While it’s a trend across sectors, it’s picking up steam in tech where companies are looking to deliver more complete solutions to consumers. These acquisitions, which focus more on scope than scale, accounted for 90% of tech deals in 2019, which is a 40% increase from 2015. It’s a clear indicator that businesses want to expand their offerings and capabilities. It’s Harder to Build the Right Product from ScratchNo one wants to be late to market. Yes, the tech giants could develop the software these micro startups are making, but by the time it’s ready for market, a competitor might have rolled a similar product out and taken all the glory. Or you could make the mistake of investing too much in the wrong idea, and there goes money, time, and resources down the toilet. It’s usually much cheaper to acquire a startup that has done the legwork than get an idea internally developed. By acquiring micro startups, companies can mitigate both risks and reap the rewards. For example, HR and finance SaaS vendor Workday bought Scout RFP (a San Francisco startup with a team of 8) for $540 million. The startup built a cloud-based office procurement system that helps customers streamline supplier management. The acquisition is a step in the right direction for Workday to compete as a holistic enterprise resource planning solution. The Micro Startup Talent Hunger GamesIt’s no secret that attracting top tier talent can take your business to the next level. These micro startup acquisitions aren’t only about products. Sometimes it’s the talent that attracts the bigger guys. Micro teams can amplify a company’s productivity while getting rid of the learning curve which comes with new hires. The innovation and ability to push a startup idea into production mean the team has skills and knowledge that is invaluable to an established company. For example, when Instagram bought Luma (its first acquisition), the tiny three-person team was part of the deal. The Luma team’s knowledge in video stabilization technology was critical in launching Instagram’s complementary app, Hyperlapse. The Attractive Price Point of Micro StartupsA massive advantage of purchasing micro startups is the price. It’s way cheaper to go small than fund a big, established company with hundreds of employees. And the risk of it going under? A much softer blow. If the investment goes the same way as Jay-Z’s Tidal music streaming app, it’s a much smaller amount to write off. Plus, you get to keep the team. For example: Microsoft spent $200 million to acquire Accompli and only $100 million for Sunrise. When you compare that to the $7.5 billion they spent on the acquisition of Github, or their purchase of Skype for $8.5 billion, that’s quite a bargain. The same goes for Google acquiring Android for a measly $50 million in 2005 with key employees joining the company. As of 2020, the net worth of Android is estimated to be over $2.5 billion. The Race for Artificial Intelligence With Micro StartupsAnother major trend in micro startup acquisitions is artificial intelligence. Companies in almost every sector are looking to take advantage of machine learning and integrate it into their products. When you combine this with the shortage of AI talent, there is a race to scoop up startups and their teams who are in the early stages of funding and research. In 2019, Facebook quickly snapped up a visual search startup called GrokStyle, who developed an app that can automatically detect decor and home furniture from a photo. When asked about the acquisition, Facebook responded in a statement that “their team and technology will contribute to our AI capabilities”. Tools for Acquiring or Selling Micro Startups and Other BusinessesWant to cash in on the micro acquisition boom? Whether you’re looking to sell or invest in a small business, there are various tools to help you swipe right and find your perfect match. Micro AcquireMicro Acquire is a marketplace that connects startups to buyers. The platform is free, private, and has no middlemen. When you sign up, you’ll get instant access to over 10,000 trusted buyers with total anonymity. The marketplace is designed to cut down on the time you need to sell your business and find startups to invest in. Once you’ve found a buyer or a seller, you’ll get a letter of intent (LOI) in 30 days or less. Who Is It For?Micro Aquire is for startups with an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of less than $500,000. It’s one of the best platforms for serial entrepreneurs to invest in small companies and grow them into booming successes. Key Features
What Does It Cost?
FlippaFlippa is a marketplace for buying and selling websites, apps, domains, and online businesses. While it helps to streamline the negotiation and transaction process, it does have a history of scam listings. If you decide to buy on Flippa, do your due diligence and put the listings under a microscope to make sure it’s legit to find those diamonds in the rough. Who Is It For?Flippa is an ideal marketplace for small to medium-sized businesses. You can find a range of sellers at any price. You can buy or sell online businesses and products like:
Key Features
What Does It Cost?Flippa’s listing fees depend on what you’re selling:
There is also a 10% success fee on each sale, and you can upgrade your listing with various packages starting at $295. Tiny CapitalTiny Capital is a different breed in the micro acquisition space. Unlike some of the other tools mentioned above, it’s a traditional venture capital firm, with a twist. Instead of buying companies and becoming a micromanaging nightmare, Tiny has a hands-off approach. Besides the required monthly and quarterly reports, founders rarely have contact with the firm, with some businesses only speaking to Tiny Capital founder, Andrew Wilkinson, once every six months. Who Is It For?Tiny Capital seeks to invest in profitable internet businesses within the information technology sectors. Think your business would be a good fit? You need to meet the following requirements:
It’s the perfect micro acquisition option for founders who want a quick sales turn around (most deals are complete within 30 days) and an investor who is going to be seen and not heard. Key Features
What Does It Cost?There are no upfront costs with Tiny. All you need to do is contact the team, and you’ll get a response within 48 hours. If Tiny likes your business, you’ll get an offer within 7 days. FE InternationalFE International is an acquisition advisory team for businesses earning five figures or more. With a 94.1% sales success rate, it’s one of the top tools for micro startup acquisitions. As a full-service M&A (mergers and acquisitions service), the platform has integrated solutions for all the major elements of a successful acquisition. From valuation to exit planning to post-sale considerations, it’s all handled under one roof. Who Is It For?FE International specializes in selling websites in the SaaS, content, and e-commerce industries. It’s an excellent choice for startups within the 5 to 8 figure range who want top-tier support throughout the sales process. Key Features
What Does It Cost?There are no listing fees for sellers or joining fees for investors. Brokers are paid a 15% commission fee on all sales, and there is a buyer transaction fee of 2.5% with a maximum threshold of $1,000. Empire FlippersSince opening its doors in 2013, Empire Flippers has sold over $93,000,000 worth of websites and online businesses with an impressive 88% selling success rate. Who Is It For?Empire Flippers is interested in websites within the following categories:
There is an intensive seller vetting process to ensure only quality listings make it onto the marketplace, and there is a dedicated team for each step of the process. To qualify for a listing on Empire Flippers, you must meet the following requirements:
Key Features
What Does It Cost?Empire Flippers has a $297 listing fee for first-time sellers. But if your listing is declined, it is 100% refundable. If you’re a repeat seller, you’ll only pay $97 to list your site. Potential buyers must pay a refundable 5% deposit fee to gain access to a listings URL, P&L, and Google Analytics. There are commission fees ranging from 8% to 15% depending on the final sale price. ConclusionThe race is on for micro startup acquisitions. Companies who understand the benefits of expanding their scope by adding complementary products and talent to their portfolio will reap the rewards. Companies who forgo adding micro acquisitions as part of their mergers and acquisitions strategy are going to get left in the dust by competitors and struggle to find top-tier talent. In short, there is no better time to be a desirable tiny startup. Have you ever sold or acquired a micro startup? What has been your experience? The post Micro Startup Acquisition: The Definitive Guide to Buying and Selling Small Startups appeared first on Neil Patel. Original Entry: Micro Startup Acquisition: The Definitive Guide to Buying and Selling Small Startups is shared from https://neilpatel.com/blog/micro-startups/ via https://neilpatel.com Check out the original post, Micro Startup Acquisition: The Definitive Guide to Buying and Selling Small Startups that is shared from https://putyourfamilyfirst.wordpress.com/2020/11/09/micro-startup-acquisition-the-definitive-guide-to-buying-and-selling-small-startups/ via https://putyourfamilyfirst.wordpress.com No one seems to agree on cover letters. How much time do you need to spend perfecting them? Do hiring managers even read them? Is it better to just send in your resume and call it a day? I’m not in HR, but I’ve been approached by applicants who wondered whether their cover letter would actually be read. My answer is one not many of them wanted to hear: “sometimes.” Sometimes it will be read. Other times, you can get away with just sending in your resume — like when you network your way into applying for a position. The truth is, you can’t really predict on a case-by-case basis — and you’re better safe than sorry. For the most part, having a cover letter will give you an upper hand in ways your resume doesn’t. It allows you to show off your writing skills, provide details that you couldn’t fit on your resume, demonstrate your passion, and show your willingness to put in as much time and effort as possible. Seems fairly basic, right? Cover letters can hold different levels of importance to an employer depending on the industry you’re in and the job you’re applying for. If you do plan to write a cover letter, keep in mind there are certain qualities it should have that are not included in the definition above. What to Include in a Cover LetterSo, what should you include? We’ll let the 11 templates below this list do most of the talking. No matter which one you download, pay attention to the following elements — all of which should shine through in the letter you send to your future manager. 1. Contact InformationCover letters shouldn’t just carry your contact information, but also that of the company to which you’re applying. Contact info includes your phone number, email address, and any social media accounts you’re willing to share and receive connections to. Home addresses aren’t required, but they can be a helpful reassurance to the employer that you already live nearby and would have no trouble coming into the office. Avoid offering phone numbers, email addresses, or actual addresses that belong to your current employer. Using your personal Gmail address over your work email, for example, ensures your correspondence with recruiters remains separate from all of your current work communication. 2. A Personal Address LineFor as often as you see “to whom it may concern” at the top of cover letters today, do your best to avoid writing this exhausted line. Address lines that specify a person or company grab your reader’s attention much more quickly, and show the employer that you’ve taken the time to tailor your application letter to them. Don’t have the name of the hiring manager? “Employers at [company name]” will do just fine. 3. A HookA “hook” is a clever introduction that “hooks” your reader into wanting to learn more. Think about yourself as a job candidate — what makes you unique? What about your career might a recruiter be intrigued by that you can package into an interesting first sentence? 4. Why You’re QualifiedIt’s a no-brainer that you should summarize your professional experience in your cover letter. However, today’s best applications describe why this experience qualifies the applicant for the job they’re applying for. For example, don’t just state that you spent three years writing for a company blog. Explain that this type of work lends itself to managing your new potential employer’s content calendar every week. 5. General Knowledge of the BusinessGrammatical errors could mean your application is thrown in the trash, but that’s not the only thing that could get your letter tossed aside. Using a generic “one-size-fits-all” cover letter — especially if you forget to change the name of the company — will also hurt your chances of landing an interview. So, if you take the time to write a cover letter, take the time to comment on the business itself. Why are you applying to this company? What about their business stuck out to you as a professional? Now, let’s take a look at an example cover letter, what makes it effective, along with 11 templates you can download or draw inspiration from. Cover Letter ExampleThe example above illustrates how to write a marketing cover letter using the elements we listed. Besides the contact information and the address line, the first few paragraphs explain why the candidate is qualified for the position. This example uses specific data to show why they would be a good fit. Additionally, in the second to last paragraph, the candidate discusses why they’re interested in the specific company, demonstrating general knowledge of the business. By combining all the elements to a cover letter, this is a great example to use for inspiration. 14 Free Cover Letter Templates for Your Next Job ApplicationTemplate 1: BasicThe example above is a basic (but great) cover letter. The numbered sections are explained in more detail below. 1. HeaderThe level of formality your header has will depend on the company to which you apply. If you’re applying to a formal business, it’s important to use a formal header to open your cover letter, like in the sample above. Put your address, the date, and the company’s address. But if you’re applying to a company that isn’t as formal, you don’t need to include yours and the company’s addresses. You can still include the date, though. 2. GreetingUsing “To Whom It May Concern” is okay, but you may want to take the time to research the name of the recruiter or hiring manager online. If you do your research and aren’t confident you found the right name, then you should definitely use the generic greeting — but if you are sure, then it shows you put in the effort to find their name and it will catch the recruiter’s eye. If you have the recruiter’s name, do you greet them by their full name, or by their courtesy title (i.e. Mr., Ms., or Mrs.)? Similar to the header, it depends on the company’s level of formality. If you’re applying to a corporate business, you may want to consider using “Mr. Snaper” instead of “Jon Snaper.” If you’re applying to a start-up or a business with a more casual culture, you can use “Jon Snaper,” as shown in the example. 3. IntroductionYour opening paragraph should, in 1-3 sentences, state why you’re excited to apply and what makes you the perfect candidate. Get right to the point, and don’t worry about explaining where you found the posting or who you know at the company. This isn’t a place to go into detail about why you’re a great candidate — that’s for the second paragraph. Here, simply list a few key reasons in one sentence to set up the rest of your letter. Keep in mind that the recruiter may cross-reference your cover letter with your resume, so make sure the two sync up. 4. Paragraph 2: Why You’re a Great Fit for the JobNext, sell yourself and your experience by choosing one or two concrete examples that show why you’re a great fit for the position. What did you do at a previous company that gave you relevant experience? Which projects have you worked on that would benefit the new company? How will your prior experience help this company grow? Stay humble in your explanation of credentials while still showing that you would be an asset to the team. Use this paragraph to show you’re genuinely excited and interested in the position. 5. Third Paragraph: Why the Company Is a Great Fit for YouWhile it’s certainly important you’re a good fit for the job, it’s also important that the company is a good fit for you. “A cover letter typically describes why you’re great for a company — but how will you benefit from getting hired?” asks Emily MacIntyre, a Team Development Manager at HubSpot. “We want to know why our company appeals to you, and how it will be a mutually beneficial working relationship.” In the third paragraph, show you’re serious about growing and developing your career at this new company. What impresses and excites you about the company? Is there something that you feel strongly about that aligns with the company’s goals? For example, the candidate in the sample letter used this space to show his personal commitment to environmental causes aligns with the company’s green initiatives. 6. Strong Closer and SignatureDon’t get lazy in the final few sentences of your cover letter — it’s important to finish strong. Be straightforward about your interest and enthusiasm about the new position, and tell them you’re available to talk about the opportunity at any time. Be sure to include your phone number and email address. At this point, the ball is (rightly) in the recruiter’s court to decide how to follow up. Last but certainly not least, thank them for their time and consideration. Use a formal sign-off like “Best,” “All the best,” or “Sincerely,” and finish by typing out your full name. You don’t need to sign it with a pen. Template 2: Data-Driven Marketing Cover LetterGet it here.When applying to a data-driven position, it might be tempting to inject your cover letter with, well, the data to describe what you’ve done for other employers. But in an application letter — particularly for the marketing industry — how you convey this data is just as important as the data itself. The cover letter template above, which we created here at HubSpot, can help you present the data that’s most important to you as a candidate such that it’ll matter to your future employer. Notice the three bullet points near the center of the letter above, preceded by the statement: “… I’ve developed a strategy that has helped the company achieve …” This setup is important, because while you can add as many statistics as you want to this template, your data points should describe how your current/former business benefited from your work, rather than how you, yourself, benefited. Template 3: Straight-to-the-Point Cover LetterGet it here.Harvard Business Review contributor David Silverman hailed the above cover letter example as “The Best Cover Letter I Ever Received.” For context, Silverman believes there are only a handful of times when writing a cover letter is actually necessary:
Under those three circumstances, a straight-to-the-point cover letter like the one above could be your best bet. Because it’s so concise, however, make a point to add your own letterhead above the message itself. It might be easy for a recruiter to sift through a short and sweet cover letter like the one above, but it’s just as easy for it to get lost in the shuffle of their application list without a unique design or format. Template 4: Referral Cover LetterGet it here.Just because a friend or colleague recommended you for a job doesn’t mean the company is all set to hire you. Therefore, the cover letter template above is written specifically for referrals. We made this one here at HubSpot. Download it here (it comes with four other cover letter templates, too). As you can see in the picture above, the first paragraph of the cover letter is dedicated entirely to acknowledging the circumstances of your applying: You know someone who works there — no harm in that. But there might be harm in not mentioning it to the hiring manager. Telling the reader about your connection at the company shows you’re aware and confident of the actions you take to get the opportunities you’re interested it. Ultimately, it’s better than the recruiter hearing about your employee connection from somebody else. As for the rest of the cover letter, treat your message the same way you would if you had applied with no connection from within. Your skills and successes are no less important because of your internal referral. Template 5: Photo Letterhead Cover LetterGet it here.The cover letter template above was designed by Microsoft Office, and as comprehensive as it looks, it’s completely free to download and modify. As it looks right now, this cover letter contains about half photo, half text. Feel free to shrink (and change) the image to give yourself more room to tell your story. Of course, a nice washed-out image that expresses who you are can be part of that story … Template 6: Digital Creative Cover LetterGet it here.This sixth template is perfect for the applicant who wants to emphasize the many different digital channels he or she is on. The header bar also allows this template to go well with a resume of the same format. As you personalize this letter with your own experience, make note of the social networks and industry software included in this template. You’ll see along the top that LinkedIn, email, and personal website are all available for you to fill with your own information. The bullet points in the above template also allow you to highlight your most important skills or accomplishments for the hiring manager. Template 7: Marketing Manager Cover LetterGet it here.Our seventh cover letter comes from Monster.com. This cover letter, shown above, is focused specifically on a marketing role. Notice how the writer includes references to important marketing metrics and terminology. If you’re applying to a data-driven role, you might not want to fill the page with a story of your experience in paragraph form, like Template 1 does at the beginning of this article. Instead, consider highlighting three (or four, or five) of your successes that you believe the hiring manager would resonate most with, in bulleted form. As a marketing professional, breaking up your letter with bulleted details like the ones above shows a respect for the hiring manager’s limited time — a mentality that all marketers must understand when communicating with a brand’s audience. Template 8: Career Day Follow-Up Cover LetterGet it here.This is a unique kind of cover letter from Princeton University. CareerBuilder, Monster, and Indeed might take the lion’s share of your job searches online, but still some employment opportunities come out of a trade show, job fair, or similar networking event. For those occurrences, you have the follow-up cover letter template above. This cover letter has everything you need to help an employer recall a conversation you had with him/her at a career fair. As you can see in the second paragraph, the letter is particularly useful to people who are about to graduate college. Template 9: Logo and Watermarked Cover LetterGet it here.Here’s another cover letter template from Microsoft Office. This one has a light touch of color in the design just above the letterhead, but make no mistake — the template caters to any professional looking to make a good first impression on their future employer. Don’t let the logo space on the top-right of the page confuse you. This can be the logo of the company to which you’re applying — to quickly get the attention of the recruiter — or your own logo. Perhaps you freelance on the side or simply like branding yourself. This cover letter template is meant for customization. Template 10: Business Cover LetterGet it here.The cover letter template above is perfect for entry- and mid-level marketers who want to show a little extra professionalism in their opening note to a potential employer. The multi-colored header (you can change the color if you wish) shows just the right amount of creativity and can go quite well with a resume of the same style. If you don’t have enough experience to fill the entire page, don’t worry. Feel free to write to a length you think is representative of who you are and what the hiring manager wants to see. No matter how long your final cover letter is, the above template is your opportunity to show your attention to detail — from your contact information in the top header, to the personalized address line where you can include the name of the hiring manager. Like we said, “to whom it may concern” is pretty outdated, anyway. Template 11: Entry-Level Cover LetterGet it here.The cover letter template above, written by HubSpot, is specifically designed for entry-level applicants. When you only have a few years experience, it’s important to display how you gained your skills and what you learned from your education or internships. Additionally, it’s important to mention why you want to work at the company you’re applying to. No matter your experience, the template above will help you decide what skills you want to highlight and flesh out in your cover letter. You can download it here (it comes with four other cover letter templates, too). Template 12: Healthcare Cover LetterGet it here.What stands out to me in this cover letter is the direct, straight-to-the-point bullet points that reference the job posting. The cover letter, created by The Balance Careers, cuts down on repetition by following the “I have” statement with six bullet points that highlight the applicant’s strengths, including “I have … practical knowledge of creating and implementing care plans” and “I have … a proven track record of compassionate, effective care”. Additionally, phrases like “I’d love to put my skills to work for your clinic” and “Please contact me at your convenience and let me know how I can help you” focus on what the business will gain as a result of hiring the applicant, rather than what the applicant is looking to gain. Template 13: Freelance Cover LetterGet it here.If you’re looking for freelance work, your biggest goal is to get your strengths across quickly, so busy clients won’t pass by your cover letter entirely. Additionally, if you’re sending out multiple cover letters to different clients, you’ll want to target each one to that client’s unique goals. For instance, if one client is looking for SEO-optimized content related to marketing, you’ll want to highlight past experience writing marketing content; this will change if, for instance, the client is looking for fitness content. For this reason, it’s a good idea to structure your cover letter so you start with a) past credentials or references, and b) bullet-point information related to the client’s goal, as shown in the cover letter above. Template 14: Director Cover LetterGet it here.If you’re applying for a Director position, you’ll want to start by explaining how you’ve either successfully handled a similar role in the past, or why you believe you’re qualified and ready to handle new responsibilities for the first time. In the cover letter above, the candidate does a good job outlining how she succeeded in a leadership role previously: “For the past five years, I have successfully developed and maintained all data systems, including schedules and records for a business employing more than 100 people.” You’ll want to demonstrate how your skills align with a Director position — both through organization and leadership — and, when possible, where you received recognition for your hard work (i.e. “I earned an award for Most Valuable Administrative Staff Member”). Writing a cover letter is easier said than done. Don’t hesitate to spend a lot of time writing and editing it. Or, ask a friend or family member to read it over and give you feedback. If the recruiter does end up reading it, you’ll be thankful you did. Editor’s note: This post was originally published in November 2014 and has been updated for comprehensiveness. Original Entry: 14 Cover Letter Templates to Perfect Your Next Job Application is shared from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-to-write-cover-letter-template via https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing Check out the original post, 14 Cover Letter Templates to Perfect Your Next Job Application that is shared from https://putyourfamilyfirst.wordpress.com/2020/11/09/14-cover-letter-templates-to-perfect-your-next-job-application/ via https://putyourfamilyfirst.wordpress.com Although Cyber Monday is described as the biggest online shopping event of the year, more than $7.4 billion in online purchases were made on Black Friday in 2019. While a majority of Black Friday purchases happened online, a Fiserv study found that brick-and-mortar store purchases rose by 4.2% in 2019 compared to 2018. The same study found that a quarter of people traveled 25 miles or more to stores with Black Friday discounts. By now, you may know that 2019 had one of the biggest Black Fridays ever. But, following the events of 2020, you might be asking yourself, “How will Black Friday shopping change this year?” Below, we’ll highlight what we learned from polling 300 consumers last year, and how we predict consumer behaviors will change this year: What We Learned About Black Friday Shoppers in 2019To help marketers discover more about the consumer behaviors behind Black Friday’s 2019 results, I surveyed a pool of more than 300 people using Lucid Software back in December. The goal was to learn what led them to engage with or purchase products in Black Friday ads. Here’s what we learned from our results Black Friday Marketing Saw Major Online EngagementWith crazy Black Friday deals comes an inundation of Black Friday ads throughout all forms of media. It’s no surprise that millions of people shopped on Black Friday — but which ad strategies actually led to purchases? When I asked participants, “Did you engage with any online ads or promotions for Black Friday?”, 61% said they engaged with one or more ads in some way, while only 39% said they disregarded them. Data Source: Lucid Software Of that 61% of people who engaged with one or more ads, 38% clicked on the promotions without making a purchase, while 23% converted to a customer after clicking the ad. When it comes to where people saw the ads they clicked on, 62% found promotions on social media. Data Source: Lucid Software “Non-social media sites” were also a fairly successful place for promotion, with 38% of people saying they clicked on ads in these locations. These sites could include websites owned by other brands where a native ad is located, search engine platforms, or other areas of the web that aren’t considered social media. Although only 32% of people said they clicked on ads shown in marketing emails, recent research still shows that this tactic is still a vital part of digital marketing. In fact, CampaignMonitor recently published research showing that email marketing was responsible for 20% of holiday-related traffic. Aside from the ad’s location, the product or service advertised could have played a role in an audience’s level of engagement. To get an idea of which products were most popular, I asked survey participants, “Which best describes the products or services that were featured in the Black Friday ads you clicked on.” Of those who said they clicked on or purchased something from an ad in the first question of the survey, roughly 36% said the ads they engaged with featured products in the “Gadgets and Technology” category. Meanwhile, two other popular categories were “Fashion and Beauty” and “Home Goods, Furniture, and Decor” which both received votes from more than 18% of participants. Black Friday Ads Actually Lead to Foot TrafficIn 2019, in-store Black Friday foot traffic dropped 6% lower than in 2018. However, this shopping event was still significant for brick-and-mortar stores as earnings from in-store purchases still rose by 4.2%. Much of the in-store foot traffic and purchases could have also been because of ads. When I asked consumers if they “entered a store on Black Friday after seeing an ad or promotion for its sales,” more than half said, “Yes.” Data Source: Lucid Software To determine how much impact online ads made on Black Friday foot traffic as compared to physical ads, I asked the same consumers, “Where did you see the Black Friday ads for the store you visited on Black Friday?” Those surveyed could choose from a long list of ad style options from more digital social media promotions to traditional TV commercials or newspaper advertisements. Although these participants decided to brave crowded physical stores on Black Friday, the survey found that they weren’t pulled into them by physical or more traditional ads like billboards, newspaper promotions, or commercials. Again, social media was the front-runner, as 38% of people who entered stores on Black Friday found ads on these types of platforms first. Aside from social media, 15% of those who visited a store due to a Black Friday ad said they saw it on the store’s own website. Only small portions of those surveyed said they went to a store after seeing television commercials (7%), email marketing ads (7%), newspaper promotions (8%), or physical signage (1%). Although only 7% found ads that led them to physical stores in marketing emails, other data shows that including ads and offers in e-newsletters was still a vital strategy for gaining web visits, leads, and even in-store foot traffic. 4 Predictions for Black Friday 2020When we last published this post in December 2019, we anticipated that web presence and online marketing would be key for small and large businesses in 2020. Now that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought many brands online — and quickened digital transformation around the globe — an internet presence isn’t just nice to have. At this point, it might be vital. Below are just four research-backed Black Friday predictions and tips for how brands can navigate themy. 1. Brands with an online presence will outperform brands without one on Black Friday.Our 2019 results and mounting research continues to show the growing importance of developing or constantly improving on a web presence. And as we mentioned, an online web presence might not just be a nice perk for your customers. It might result in ROI for your brand, especially on Black Friday. In 2020, it’s projected that online holiday spend will surpass $189 billion — up 33% from 2019. At this point, growing an online presence can be easy and affordable. For example, if you’re just tipping your toes into online marketing, you could start with free strategies like building a social media profile, launching a basic website, starting a marketing email, or creating a Google My Business for your store. Then, once you’re comfortable, you experiment with larger investments such as buying online ads. The strategies above will allow people across the web to learn more about your brand, offerings, or services. These tactics could also make it easier for prospects to find you when they’re researching products or services in your industry. 2. Consumers will continue to use social media to learn about products and Black Friday sales.While an overall internet presence could take your brand a long way, a great and affordable place to start marketing or advertising could be on social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram. Due to social media’s popularity and track record for ROI, you’ll definitely want to consider advertising or at least posting for free about your products on platforms that align well with your audience if you aren’t doing so already. If you’re trying to build your social presence, or determine which platforms you should be promoting your products or deals on, check out this research-based blog post where I reveal which social media platforms people use to learn about products. 3. Most Black Friday purchases will happen online.This might sound like a no brainer, but it is important to keep in mind as you plan your Black Friday strategy for 2020. While there will still likely be Black Friday shoppers that brave crowded stores, the 2019 and 2020 data above suggests that more people will avoid in-person shopping as much as possible on Black Friday — as well as throughout the holiday season. This year, people have embraced online shopping and ecommerce more than ever before. And, even if a physical store hosts a big sale, consumers might be more likely to order products from the safety of their own home. Along with online advertising and marketing techniques, you’ll also want to consider other ways that your brand can do business online. For example, it might be an excellent time to launch an online store or virtual services ahead of the global shopping holiday. If you don’t consider yourself web savvy, a number of tools and platforms can help you create and manage an online store in minutes. For example, Facebook recently launched Facebook Shops, which allows users to create online stores linked to directly to a Facebook or Instagram Business profile. 4. People will place needs over perks when purchasing products.This year, we’ve seen consumers toss aside fancy products and brand loyalty to budget for products that help them solve problems or provide long-term value. Why? Due to the financial uncertainties of 2020, consumers are finding themselves on tighter budgets and are more cautious than ever about bigger investments. What does this mean for marketers? It will be more important to market your product, deal, or sales value points than ever before. Even if you work for a notable brand, consumers will be looking for value beyond your logo in order to justify buying something. In the section below, we’ll give you a few tips on how to do just that. Tips for Creating Effective Black Friday Ads1. Highlight how a service or product can solve for your customer.Remember, this year, shoppers of all ages will be more cautious than ever about the products they’ll be buying. While some might be saving up to splurge during the holiday season, they’ll still be taking their product research seriously to determine that anything they spend money on will have solid value. For marketers and advertisers, this means that your ads should aim to educate ideal customers about your offerings, how they can help them, or why they might need them in their daily lives. But, how do you convey that your offerings are valuable, important, or necessities when you don’t actually sell an essential product? Although it can take some creativity, it is possible to do this. Below is an example of Twitter content from InfoArmor, an information security service owned by Allstate. In the tweet, InfoArmor shared a blog post about the dangers of information security when working remotely and how InfoArmor could protect remote employee information. 2. Present deals, sales, or affordable offers.Aside from aiming to buy products with the best value, budget conscious shoppers will also be looking for the best deals this holiday season. If you can offer a deal or sale on your product or offering, embrace that information in your advertising. Here’s a great ad from Walmart that highlights all the online deals they’ll be offering this year: SourceAlong with the ad highlighting a bunch of great deals and alternatives for Black Friday in-person sales, the ad is also interesting because it’s interactive online but formatted so it can also work as a static print ad if needed. Aside from the ad above, Walmart has created content with a similar aesthetic and deal-oriented message for social media platforms like Facebook. Here’s a screenshot of featured content on its Facebook Business page. 3. Embrace video marketing.In our 2020 State of Marketing Report, we found that video is the leading form of marketing content used across industries. And, with Gen-Z and millennials embracing video more than ever for product discovery, this format becomes more of a low-hanging fruit each year. If you think video marketing is only for big brands, think again. In the last year, we’ve seen all sorts of small and large brands affordably embrace video ad and long-form content strategies that helped them gain ROI. Here’s one great example of a startup demo video created by Beauty Bakerie.
While the content allows viewers to see what the products will look like in real life, Cashmere, the brand’s CEO — Cashmere Nicole Carillo — gives instructions on how to use it so they’ll also know just how easy it is to add to their daily beauty routine. 4. Create content for different online platforms.Regardless of which online platforms you embrace, be sure to create content that speaks to those customers, rather than just placing a basic ad on every website you can access. By creating content that’s tailored to platforms your customers use, you’ll increase the likelihood of catching their eyes as they scroll through endless web pages, feeds, or email inboxes. And, once you grab their attention, you can use that content to highlight your value proposition in an entertaining or interesting way. For example, if you’re creating an ad for Instagram, it might be tempting to just use a picture of the ad you made for a website or newspaper on with a basic caption. But, that might not be engaging for people scrolling through their feeds looking for valuable product information or entertaining content. Instead, consider creating a short marketing video or a series of photos of customers with your product to better engage this audience. Below is a great example of a Black Friday post that could also work well as an ad on Instagram. The post shows a video demo of someone from Hair Vivi putting on one of the brand’s wigs.
While the video shows viewers how easy it is to put on the wig, the caption also highlights the product’s value and the company’s Black Friday deals. Navigating Black Friday 2020It’s safe to say this year’s Black Friday will be one of a kind. But, many of the consumer behaviors you’ll see won’t go away. anytime soon. On Black Friday and throughout the rest of 2020, some of the most successful brands will embrace online marketing strategies, meet their audiences on the platforms they regularly use, and effectively leverage content to highlight the value or affordability of their products. Craving more Black Friday data ahead of the event? Check out this handy list of stats. Editor’s Note: This blog post was originally published in December 2019 but was updated for freshness and comprehensiveness in November 2020. Original Entry: How Consumers Responded to Black Friday Ads in 2019 [+What’s Changing in 2020] is shared from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/black-friday-ads via https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing Check out the original post, How Consumers Responded to Black Friday Ads in 2019 [+What’s Changing in 2020] that is shared from https://putyourfamilyfirst.wordpress.com/2020/11/09/how-consumers-responded-to-black-friday-ads-in-2019-whats-changing-in-2020/ via https://putyourfamilyfirst.wordpress.com Best Stock Photo Sites
I got the image above for free on Unsplash. Yet for some reason, many other publishers continue to push out cheap (and usually cheesy) stock photography to serve as a representation of their brand. The truth is, high-quality stock photos don’t have to come hand-in-hand with a hassle or high price tag. To prove it, we’ve compiled a list of awesome resources for free, high-quality stock images for websites, blogs, and similar online properties. From enviable office spaces to stunning scenery, we’re certain you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for with the help of this roundup. Best Free Stock Photo Websites for Royalty-Free Images1. Negative SpaceNegative Space offers up new free stock photos every week. All of its photos are shared without copyright restrictions, meaning you’re free to use them however you please. From architecture to technology, Negative Space’s continuously growing collection of images is one you’ll find yourself tapping into again and again. The best part? It’s easy to filter through the gallery of photos, which are sortable by category, copy space position, and color. Click here to view the full license details. 2. Death to StockWhen founders and photographers, Allie and David, noticed how challenging it was for businesses, bloggers, and creatives to find free high-quality images that fit their “vibe and tribe,” they stepped in. As a result, Death to Stock was born. Simply submit your email and enjoy a new batch of photos delivered to your inbox every month. If you do have some extra budget to spend, Death to Stock also offers a Premium membership for $15/month or $180/year. The cool part about the paid membership is that a percentage of the profit is used to fund photography trips and other creative projects to keep the resource moving forward. Click here to view the full license details. 3. HubSpotWhen we noticed there was a shortage of high-quality free stock photos available to marketers and creatives, we decided to whip up some of our own. We’re a bit biased (since many of our own employees appear in these photos), but we think these images can help you snazz up your site or marketing materials. Check out the following collections to get your fix: 4. Picjumbo
Need free images for your next website design or blog post? Look no further than picjumbo. With new photos added daily, there is a wide selection of high-quality images to fit a variety of different topics. The photographer, Vicktor, also offers unique paid packages for bloggers, designers, and agencies (starting at $10/month). Click here to view the full license details. 5. Stokpic
Photographer Ed Gregory generously dishes up 10 new photos every two weeks that you can use on your website, as part of a template, in an ad, and … well, pretty much anywhere. You can check out his latest 100 pictures here, or browse through categories like landscapes, people, and technology until you find the perfect fit. Click here to view the full license details. 6. CreateHER StockCreateHER Stock is a stock photography site that features authentic images of Black women created by founder Neosha Gardner. While the pricing at $10 per month, there is a collection of “freebies” that includes more than 185 images. Keep in mind that CreateHER Stock is not intended for commercial use without an extended license. Click here to view the full license details. 7. KaboompicsKarolina, a web designer from Poland, is the creative eye behind this awesome resource for high-quality photos. From fashion to food to landscapes, her images cover a variety of different scenarios. And users have the freedom to use them for anything they’d like — commercial or not. While there are no formal attribution requirements, Karolina does ask that you include photo credit with a link back to the site when possible. This request will help her grow the website, and in turn, provide even more awesome photos for everyone to use. Click here to view the full license details. 8. Startup Stock Photos
“Take ’em, these things are free. Go. Make something.” While the name is specific to startups, there are plenty of professional options to use no matter what industry you’re operating within. Click here to view the full license details. 9. FreerangeAll of the photos on the Freerange website come from a pool of both in-house photographers, as well as a growing community of external contributors. Not only is there a lot to choose from, but the photos are good quality, too: “Images provided directly (in-house) by Freerange Stock originate one of two ways. They are either digitally photographed on Canon DSLR cameras or they are a high resolution (4000 dpi) Nikon scan of an original 35mm slide,” according to the site’s ‘About Us’ section. Click here to view the full license details. 10. LibreShotPhotographer and SEO Consultant Martin Vorel is the creative force behind the stunning photos available on this site. From crisp architectural shots to vibrant florals, Vorel’s collection of photos contains some of the most unique selections we’ve come across. Click here to view the full license details. 11. nappynappy is a free stock photo site on a mission: “To provide beautiful, high-res photos of black and brown people to startups, brands, agencies, and everyone else.” On their site, they talk about how many stock photo sites depict unrealistic representation, and if they don’t, there’s often a lack of diversity in the people being depicted. This presents a real problem for creators who are intentional about representation in articles, designs, and ads. nappy calls on their audience to “tackles diversity and representation one photo at a time.” Best of all, their library is completely free. Click here to view the full license details. 12. Fancy CraveNot only are the photos on Fancy Crave free of copyright restrictions, but they’re also pretty remarkable. (Can’t you practically taste those green grapes?) All the photographer asks is that you never advertise the photographs as your own, and provide attribution when and if you can. With two new photos uploaded daily to keep things feeling fresh, this is a bookmark-worthy resource for great photos if we’ve ever seen one. Click here to view the full license details. 13. UnsplashUnsplash serves up 10 new “do whatever you want” photos every 10 days. What we love most about this resource is the uniqueness of the photos. With pages upon pages to choose from, you won’t run into any cheesy, “Smiling Boss Shaking Hands With Male Employee” shots. Not to mention, every photo published on Unsplash is licensed under Creative Commons Zero, which provides users with the freedom to copy, modify, distribute, and use all of the photos without permissions or attribution. Click here to view the full license details. 14. StockSnap.ioStockSnap.io proudly claims that it’s “not your typical crappy stock photo site.” And we couldn’t agree more. In fact, its selection is so interesting and versatile that it’s almost too easy to “fall down the rabbit hole” and come to fifty-something scrolls later. Click here to view the full license details. 15. The Jopwell CollectionsJopwell is a career advancement platform for people of color, helping brands recruit and retain diverse candidates. Their slogan is “Representation matters,” and as part of that commitment, they’ve created a collection of stock photos that feature people of color in the workplace. The images are free to use as long as there’s a visible attribution to Jopwell. Click here to view the full license details. 16. SplitShireSplitShire offers a ton of awesome free photos for you to use without commercial restrictions. Powered by Italian photographer Daniel Nanescu, all of the images available on the website are “made with love” — and it shows. From stunning portraits to sleek work stations, we’ve got a feeling you won’t have any trouble finding the perfect photo for your next project or blog post. Click here to view the full license details. 17. Life of PixBrought to you by Leeroy Advertising Agency in Montreal (and its network of talented photographers), Life of Pix is home to some awesome high-resolution photos. All of the images are donated to the public domain, and are available for personal and commercial use. As if that wasn’t enough, Life of Pix also has a counterpart, Life of Vids. According to its website, Life of Vids serves up free footage videos, clips, and loops, weekly. Like the images, the video content contains no copyright restrictions, and can be easily downloaded on its Vimeo account. Click here to view the full license details. 18. PexelsThese photos are carefully handpicked from a variety of free image sources to ensure that you’re getting only the best of the best. All of the photos that make the cut are under the Creative Commons Zero license, meaning that they are free for personal and commercial use with no attribution required. And thanks to its search functionality, turning up the right photo for your next project is super easy. Click here to view the full license details. 19. GratisographyWith new photos added weekly, Gratisography is another awesome website serving up high-resolution photos covered under the Creative Commons Zero license. All of the photos are taken by Ryan McGuire, a “whimsically creative visual artist, based in Ithaca, NY.” And while these photos are a bit more quirky (we’re talking everything from monster feet slippers to Vespas to bananas), they are entirely usable for the right project. Click here to view the full license details. 20. Jay MantriDesigner Jay Mantri has built up an impressive gallery of professional, quality images just for you and me … and everyone else. If I had to describe Mantri’s photos in one word, it’d be “scenic.” But don’t just take my word for it. Go see for yourself. Click here to view the full license details. 21. ISO RepublicISO’s Republic’s mission is to “provide high-quality images to be used by designers, developers, bloggers, marketers, and social media teams.” And all it takes is one quick scan of the website to know that it is succeeding in doing just that. (So much so that it’s hard to believe the images are free) For those looking for access to more exclusive free photos, ISO Republic invites you to sign up for its email list and receive photos right to your inbox. Click here to view the full license details. 22. PICNOIPICNOI is a free stock photo site “for a colorful world.” The photos feature people of color, and all of the images are free as long as you provide attribution (though you can choose to make a donation to support their mission). Click here to view the full license details. 23. New Old StockWho can resist a good black and white photo? This collection of vintage photos comes from the public archive via Flickr Commons. According to the website, the photos are free of any known copyright restrictions. That said, while it’s likely that they are safe to use for things like blog posts and hero images, you’ll want to read up on the rights and usage below before you use them for any type of commercial project. Click here to view the full license details. 24. PixabayPixabay serves as a repository for a ton of quality photos that released under Creative Commons CC0 into the public domain. The site is clean and intuitive, making it easy to navigate your way through the 780K+ free photos, vectors, and illustrations. The main search bar even allows you to filter your query down by factors like media type, orientation, color, and minimum dimensions. Click here to view the full license details. The perfect image can solidify your design, article, ad, or other creative. Whatever your need, there are many resources for free stock photos out there. Editor’s note: This post was originally published in November 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness. Original Entry: 24 of the Best Free Stock Photo Sites to Use in 2020 is shared from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/free-stock-photo-websites via https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing Check out the original post, 24 of the Best Free Stock Photo Sites to Use in 2020 that is shared from https://putyourfamilyfirst.wordpress.com/2020/11/09/24-of-the-best-free-stock-photo-sites-to-use-in-2020/ via https://putyourfamilyfirst.wordpress.com With the ability to take a lot of guesswork out of conversion rate optimization, eye-tracking software and heat maps can reveal some startling insights into increasing conversions (and avoiding sales killers) that can benefit every business. Here are 7 important eye-tracking studies that give a sneak peek into common browsing patterns and elements of human behavior that all marketers need to know. 1. Eye Tracking Shows We Must Avoid “Dead Weight” VisualsYou don’t have to be an expert in UX (user experience) to understand the importance of Fitts’s law. While seemingly complicated at first glance, one of the fundamental lessons Fitts’s law communicates is that object “weight” (in the visual hierarchy) is a big determinant in what attracts eyes and mouse clicks. Consider this recent case study from TechWyse that examined the homepage of a truck service with a heat map: As you can see from the first test, the non-clickable “NO FEES” button was hogging a lot of attention, but it is not a call-to-action and its information isn’t the most important on the page. That’s no good. Also, it is right next to one of the most important CTAs on the page (the phone number) and it stands out so much that it actually is drawing people away from other more important elements. Take a look at the changes they made to alleviate this problem. Much better! The “Call Now” button clearly is getting a lot of attention over every other section on the page, which is great because it is how customers get started contacting the business! Lesson learned: When you are assembling a persuasive landing page, be sure the elements that “pop” are the ones that matter, and that you aren’t giving too much weight to visuals that don’t encourage customers to take action. 2. Eye Tracking Shows The Effect of Video on Search ResultsMost marketers have seen those SERP (search engine results page) heat maps that show the top 3 rankings hogging all of the action… But what role do visual elements play in holding visitor attention? In an interesting heat map study published on Moz, videos were shown to be particularly powerful in capturing eyeballs through eye tracking, even when they weren’t the #1 result. As you can see below, both direct video results (such as a hosted YouTube video) and embedded video results (videos embedded on a webpage) commanded more attention than a regular search listing, especially if they were near the top of the results. Why video? Video is usually is interpreted as a product video. However, instead of assuming, test to see if it impacts your search traffic for top keywords. Lesson learned: If you want to stand out at the top of some competitive search results, you may want to test an embedded video rather than authorship for product pages. 3. The Power of Directional Cues’ Eye TrackingUsing visual cues to guide visitors to key areas of your site is nothing new, but just how effective is it? According to studies such as the aptly named Eye Gaze Cannot be Ignored, it is incredibly effective. Human beings have a natural tendency to follow the gaze of others, and we have been coached since birth to follow arrows directing us to where we should be looking and going. Consider the following eye tracking heat map example that included a page with a baby and a compelling headline for taking care of the baby’s skin. It’s obvious that the baby’s face is drawing a lot of attention. (As a matter of fact, faces of babies and pretty women draw the longest gazes from all visitors.) Unfortunately, from a marketing standpoint, this is a problem because the copy isn’t commanding enough attention. Now look at the browsing patterns when an image of the baby facing the text was used. As you can see from the eye tracking heat map, users focused on the baby’s face again (from the side) and directly followed the baby’s line of sight to the headline and opening copy. Even the area of text that the baby’s chin was pointing to was read more! Lesson learned: Visuals are an important part of a site’s overall design, but most pages can be optimized by including images that serve as visual cues for where visitors should look next. 4. Eye Tracking Studies Show The F-Pattern Works Across the BoardAccording to this study from the Nielsen Group, all across articles, e-commerce sites, and search engine results, people almost always browse in an F-shaped pattern that heavily favors the left side of the screen. This coincides with additional research that shows people tend to view the left side of the screen overall far more than the right. It is important to note all of these studies were conducted with English speaking (and reading) participants. The opposite was true for those users whose languages read from right to left. Is it any wonder that some of the most tested websites in the world (like Amazon) have placed a clear priority on the left sides of their homepages? Lesson learned: Web users tend to browse sites based on their reading habits. For English speaking people (and languages with similar reading patterns), the left side of the screen is heavily favored, and all sites tend to be browsed in an F-pattern. 5. Eye Tracking Shows “The Fold” isn’t That ImportantRelying on the screen above “the fold” to do all of the heavy lifting is one of the biggest usability mistakes you can make. The idea that it is the only place web users will browse is a complete myth. Multiple tests (including this one and this other one) have shown that users have no problem scrolling down below the fold. Surprisingly, they will browse even further down if the length of the page is longer. KISSmetrics conducted an interesting A/B test on his homepage and found that a page with 1,292 words beat a page with 488 words by 7.6%. And it didn’t end there. The leads from the long-form version of the page were higher in quality than the leads from the variation. Another great test from the folks at ContentVerve showed that moving the call-to-action far below the fold actually boosted conversions by 304 percent. Lesson learned: Although it’s dependent on the page you are testing, you shouldn’t be afraid of placing important elements below the fold (and testing them there), because it gives people time to read your copy before they take action. 6. Eye Tracking Proves That Newsletters Should Be Short and SweetWho’d have thought that eye tracking and email marketing could be best of friends? According to this eye tracking study conducted by the Nielsen Group, people scan emails very quickly, and the only areas they give any appreciable amount of time to at all are the initial copy and headlines. From the study: Users are extremely fast at both processing their inboxes and reading newsletters. The average time allocated to a newsletter after opening it was only 51 seconds. This means that you need to get to the point in your emails in under a minute. The message should be as compelling as that of an online article, but you don’t have as much time to capture attention as you might in an article. This coincides with a study from MarketingSherpa that shows people prefer short, clear, and un-creative headlines for their emails. (Creative headlines can seem mysterious, and mystery in an inbox may equal spam.) Truly a situation where the KISS principle applies! Lesson learned: Once you’ve earned the right to appear in a prospect’s inbox, be sure to keep that privilege by crafting emails that are clear and get to the point quickly. You don’t have as much time to broadcast your message as you would in an online article. 7. Eye Tracking Proves The Power of Pre-Sale PricesIf you’ve ever seen this video by Dan Ariely, you know that sometimes seemingly “useless” price points actually are quite important for increasing conversions. One common pricing element that fits the bill here is the “pre-sale” price. It isn’t literally used by customers because they don’t pay that price… But is it still “used” to evaluate the new price? In an effort to answer this question, Robert Stevens of THiNK Eye Tracking conducted a test that examined how people look at prices and products on shelves. In the initial test, results weren’t too surprising. Most people spent time looking at prices and product packaging. But if the pre-sale price was included, would people look at it? They did! Better yet, Stevens also tested perception of the sale price to see if viewing the pre-sale price played a role. These were his findings: After consumers selected the smoothie of their choice, I asked them if their purchase was a good value for the money on a 7 point “like” scale (with 1 being very good value for the money and 7 being not very good value for the money). Consumers who saw only the promotional item gave a mean score of 2.4. Consumers who saw the promotional item next to a full-price premium offer gave it 1.7, even though they purchased the same item! Basically, humans are pretty bad at evaluating price without contextual clues (as argued by Ariely in this TED talk). We find it much easier to make decisions when we have something to base them on. That’s why people often view a sale price as a better value when they can see what they really are saving. Without that contextual clue, the sale price is hard to evaluate because they don’t know what the product usually sells for. Lesson learned: Sometimes “useless” prices like pre-sale prices can be used by customers to evaluate the value of a potential purchase. About the Author: Gregory Ciotti is the marketing strategist for Help Scout, a Zendesk alternative made for small businesses that want help desk software with a personal touch. Get more data-driven content from Greg by downloading his free guide on converting more customers (with psychology). The post 7 Marketing Lessons from Eye-Tracking Studies appeared first on Neil Patel. Original Entry: 7 Marketing Lessons from Eye-Tracking Studies is shared from https://neilpatel.com/blog/eye-tracking-studies/ via https://neilpatel.com Check out the original post, 7 Marketing Lessons from Eye-Tracking Studies that is shared from https://putyourfamilyfirst.wordpress.com/2020/11/09/7-marketing-lessons-from-eye-tracking-studies/ via https://putyourfamilyfirst.wordpress.com |
AuthorMy first job was working in a hotel as an assistant manager. I was responsible for the marketing and advertising, which is why I trained as a business coach. I moved into online marketing about 5 years ago. |