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- 15 Jan
Five Ways to Boost Your Email Campaigns’ Inbox Placement in 2020
- Jan 15, 2020
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Conversion Strategies, Digital Marketing, Email Marketing
Even today, email marketing remains as one of the most dependable tactics in the marketer’s playbook. Flashy, new marketing channels come and go every year, many of them promising to yield impressive ROI. But few of them can actually compete with the tried-and-true approach of email.
Easy to Use. Tough to Master.
Email is relatively simple to use, and it delivers great ROI. But, even though it is easy to use, email is difficult to master if you don’t act on insights that can help deliver impact. And, often, the result of that neglect is beautiful emails, with tempting calls to action, but they get marked as spam and don’t make it to the recipient’s inbox.
As we enter a new year and a new chapter in digital marketing, it’s imperative that your email campaigns reach their intended destination. So here are five best-practices to boost and maintain email deliverability in 2020 at MarketingProfs.com
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- 07 Jan
How to Create the Right Amount of the Right Type of Content
- Jan 07, 2020
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- B2B Marketing, Content Marketing, Digital Media Trends
There is such a thing as too much content. And if you’re creating content for the sake of it (without a clear business need, strategy or to simply create something new), you’ve taken a wrong turn.
The Content Paradox: Not Enough or Too Much?
In today’s fast-paced, digital-first world, there is a glut of content available. And it’s a fine line between not having enough content and having too much content. On the one hand, you need enough content to satisfy various use cases. As an example, consider Forrester’s finding that a person on average consumes 11.4 pieces of content before buying.
On the other hand, having too much content creates challenges. When you have too much content, it becomes difficult to manage and volume can degrade the value of that content with both customers and your sales team. So where is the line between not enough and too much content? And how do you find the “just right” amount of content? Start with these six steps at MarketingProfs.com
NOTE: A Free Registration pop-up opens on this site. Registration may be required to read the article.
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- 10 Oct
Visual Language Can Spell Success for Your Next Marketing Campaign
- Oct 10, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Content Marketing, Digital Marketing, Digital Media Trends
by Erin McCoy
By now there should be no argument. Visual content is now an absolute necessity for marketing success. In fact, 94% of first impressions of your brand are based on visual design.
And, so your marketing content must delight and your visuals need to engage your audience at very first glance. But, if not, they’re likely to move on to the next thing. And will do so in a matter of seconds.
You Still Might not be Reaching Your Full Marketing Potential
While your brand guidelines are critical for providing general direction, each campaign is different. So each campaign needs its own visual language. And to help you take your visual marketing content to the next level, in this article from the HubSpot blog, Erin McCoy explores what a visual language is, and how you can develop one for your next campaign. Read the full article now . . .
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- 26 Sep
How to Create Buyer-Focused Content That Gains Engagement & Gets Traction
- Sep 26, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Content Marketing, Conversion Strategies, Digital Media Trends
by Adam Little
What makes the difference between a piece of content that gets no traction, and another that encourages a potential client to buy? Is there some magic formula that does this?
Great Questions, But How About a Great Answer
Frequently, market and sales content is written as if it’s either a sales brochure or a technical manual. It comes off as either too pushy or far too clinical. It seems that most content online and in emails today simply misses the point. It needs to reflect the wants, needs and interests of the reader. In style and substance, it needs to fit the buyer.
And the key is to ensure the content, in both substance and style, fits the buyer’s needs. And that is the crux of all well-performing content. The collateral you create must fulfill the needs of the buyer, at whatever stage of the buying journey.
To learn how you can accomplish this and to help pinpoint the why and how of creating excellent buyer-focused content, read the full article at MarketingProfs.com
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- 20 Aug
How to Create Compelling Brand Stories in a Noisy World
- Aug 20, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Brand Storytelling, Content Marketing, Digital Media Trends
from Jeff Bullas’ Blog
Storytelling has long been considered an art form. But now, it has become a business imperative as well.
Emotions are the Sherpa in the Buyer Journey
Market studies tell us that brands with interesting, original and engaging stories can sell more than their blander competitors. And the reason? Well, stories touch upon emotions. And this is not simply conjecture. In fact, neuroscience shows that human beings make decisions based mostly on emotions. And not on logic. And surprisingly, that is the case even in the B2B space that has assumed only logic prevails.
The human brain is hardwired to be fascinated by good storytelling. And your business can benefit from that wiring. To learn how, read the full article on Jeff Bullas’s Blog.
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- 07 Aug
A Handy Guide to Press Release Distribution Success
- Aug 07, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Digital Marketing, Marketing for Small Business, PR. Public Relations
by Sam Allcock
To thrive as a small business, you need people to know that you exist and that you can help them. One way to do that is to get press coverage. But, unfortunately, coverage doesn’t just come naturally. It is something that you need to work to get.
Enter: The press release.
Press releases are important for increasing your brand awareness and helping your public relations (PR). But if nobody sees your release, you won’t get very far. You need to distribute it effectively to get your story picked up by national newspapers, magazines, or blogs.
But you may not know exactly how to do that. So, to help, Sam Allcock from HubSpot has put together a Handy Guide to help you learn how to properly create, pitch, and distribute a press release for optimal brand awareness. To see the full guide, read the full article at HubSpot.com.
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- 13 Jun
5 Emotional Writing Tactics to Skyrocket Your Facebook Post Engagement
- Jun 13, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Emotional Narrative Posting, Facebook, Facebook Marketing
by Lesley Vos
You want your Facebook content to convert. But given that Facebook algorithms change and prices for ads are rising like crazy, this sounds like a crazy dream. Right?
The good news is . . .
There is some good news though. There are some alternative tactics to engage users that you should consider. And most importantly, you need to concentrate on their needs and emotions rather than your product. Then begin to target a niche audience with stories that would align with their core values and reflect your brand’s nature.
And the best news is that you can apply to these principles to your Facebook posts with some emotional writing tactics. Here are five emotional writing tactics to try out for improved engagement on Facebook at WordStream.com
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- 23 May
Six Naming Trends to Help Your Brand or Product Stand Out
- May 23, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Brand Marketing, Marketing Communications, Marketing for Small Business
It is a simple reality of the business world. Every new business wants to stand out to attract more attention. And, of course, they want to connect with, appeal to and engage an audience of potential customers.
A Rose by Any Other Name is, . . . .
One way to do that is with a memorable business name. And that’s because one of the first things a potential customer learns about your business is its name. So, it’s vital that the name make an impact.
But hitting on that exactly perfect combination of word-smith imagery to define your brand in one name is hard. But, when someone comes up with an intriguing or interesting naming technique and convention, others follow suit, creating a name trend. Here are 6 trends that may be able to help your brand stand out, so read the full article at MarketingProfs.com
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- 20 May
B2B Buyers Want More Data and Research in Vendor Content
- May 20, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- B2B Marketing, Content Marketing, Conversion Strategies
from Marketing Charts
If you are selling to other companies and you work to develop a thought leadership position, then content is a core tool. And that content is a critical building block for your success. But, what you think is valuable content may not be what your buyers think is valuable content. Wouldn’t it would be great to be able to know exactly what content buyers value in their purchase journey?
Well, Now You Can
Thanks to a recent study [access page] by Demand Gen Report and ON24 we can now better understand what our B2B buyers value in content as they make their purchase decisions. One thing the report does bring out is that an extremely high percentage of B2B buyers say they currently have less time to devote to reading and research durring their purchase journey.
So how can vendors make content more valuable when time is limited? To find out, gain additional insights and to learn a few actionable points using data from the study, read the full article at MarketingCharts.com
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- 14 May
How to Use the Art of Storytelling in Your Blogging Strategy
- May 14, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Blogging Strategies, Content Marketing, Demand Generation, Lead Generation
by Chima Mmeje
Blogging has proven to be a great medium for a business to communicate, gain interest and to even generate leads. But it has become a crowded space. Now, we live in a world where over 4 million blog posts are published every day. And that constitutes a lot of noise you will need to break through to get your story into your market.
Bloggers, Bloggers Everywhere . . .
So, how do you stand out in a sea of bloggers? At this point in time, there are literally thousands, all of whom have probably covered all the key topics from a thousand different angles. Do you follow the trend? Or do you strike off and create a technique of your own?
To learn more, read the full article on Jeff Bullas’s Blog.
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- 08 May
The Basics of Branding in 2019: What You Need to Know
- May 08, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Brand Marketing, Digital Marketing, Marketing Strategies
There is good news. Thanks to new technology, customers are receiving thousands of advertisements from different brands each day. But there is bad news too. And, thanks to that same technology, customers are receiving thousands of advertisements from different brands each day.
Shocking! It’s Shocking, I Tell You
With this fast and continuous communication, many brands find it hard to keep their name at the top of the mind of the customer. And most struggle to even get noticed. As and example, studies show that most customers today would not even notice if approximately 70 percent of brands ceased to exist tomorrow.
After all that advacne in technology, this year, branding will be taking a turn to the human side. While technology will stay an essential part of the interaction with customers, companies will have to create a brand that is compassionate, based on values and builds an active community. But how? And what are the trends? Well, here are five trends that will define your branding strategy and what you need to know about the Basics of Branding today, on Jeff Bullas’ Blog.
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- 29 Mar
9 Expert Tips For Perfecting Email Open Rates
- Mar 29, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Digital Marketing, Email Marketing, Inbound Marketing
In today’s highly competitive world of online communication, every email you send competes against hundreds of other email messages at any given time. But they also are up against a dwindling attention span of subscribers. As a result, any email you send, including your marketing emails, should aim to grab a subscriber’s attention in their crowded inbox.
Great. So How Can You Do That, You Ask . . . ?
Well, first off, lets start with your subject line. If it’s not interesting enough to catch their attention in a fraction of a second, you might not have a second chance. Then, you won’t get your message across. And besides, if you regularly practice email marketing, ineffective subject lines can noticeably harm your open rates. And then, consequently your potential revenue.
But that only scratches the surface of the issues that can hinder your email marketing success. And to help you our, here are 9 Expert Tips For Perfecting Email Open Rates on Jeff Bullas’s Blog.
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- 26 Feb
The Optimal Sales Cadence: Frequency and Duration Benchmarks
- Feb 26, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Conversion Strategies, Offer Strategies, Sales Enablement
by Ayaz Nanji
How many times should salespeople contact prospects? And, how long should outreach last? Or, what is the optimal spacing between contact attempts? And, how quickly should sales reps respond to prospects?
Great Questions, So What Are The Answers?
To find the answers to these questions, InsideSales.com conducted a study. They examined data from more than 1,456 sales cadences. As part of the study, they examined full-range sales cycles. Additionally, all were start-to-finish direct attempts by salespeople in various verticals. And, with each being designed to engage sales prospects. And what they came up with are some interesting answers to those questions.
Here are key findings from the research at MarketingProfs
NOTE: A pop-up opens on this site and a Free MarkeitngProfs Registration may be required to read the full article.
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- 16 Feb
How People Want to Engage with Brands on Social Media
- Feb 16, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Brand Marketing, Engagement Strategies, Social Media
from MarketingCharts.com
Social media often gets a bad rap. Most notably, this comes for its contribution to the spread of false information and the misuse of user data. But despite this, even with all the negativity surrounding it, Sprout Social reports [download page] that the majority of consumers they interviewed still believe that social media has the ability to connect people.
Social Media is Really All About the Conversation
And, it’s not just people connecting with each other that makes social media powerful. Social is also seen as a top channel for brands to connect with consumers. Consumers like when brands listen to them. And part of listening means interacting and exhibiting behaviors that facilitate and encourage connections.
To see all of the data and added insights, read the full article at MarketingCharts.com
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- 30 Jan
The State of Digital: Post Length and Publishing Frequency Trends
- Jan 30, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Blogging Strategies, Content Marketing, Digital Marketing
by Ayaz Nanji
Today, authors are writing longer posts and spending more time crafting pieces than in years past. This is according to recent research from Orbit Media.
Early in the evolution of online writing, the standard was to keep articles as brief as possible. Typically, the range that was considered a “best practice” was between 500 to 1, 000 words. But, the proportion of bloggers who typically write posts under 500 words has steadily declined since 2014. And this has happened at the same time as posts longer than 1,000 words has steadily increased.
The see the trend data, to download the original report and see more insights, read the full article at MarketingProfs.com
NOTE: A Free Registration pop-up opens on this site. A Free MarkeitngProfs Registration may be required to read the full article.
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- 23 Jan
Emotions Matter: Why Your B2B Marketing Must Connect Before It Can Convert
- Jan 23, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- B2B Marketing, Conversion Strategies, Marketing Communications
Do Emotions really matter in a B2B purchase decision? Or is it always simply a matter of logic and not emotions?
“Just the facts ma’am. Nothing but the facts . . .”
For B2B marketing, the trick is in making an emotional connection without making your case emotionally. We can’t “chew the scenery,” so to speak. We simply don’t have an audience that is as passionate about our services as consumers are about trucks or chocolate or puppies and kittens in need of forever homes … But we do need to make sure we’re connecting with our audience on a level other than “just the facts, ma’am.”
Even with the necessity of a more restrained approach, we do need to create opportunities for our prospects to feel their decision rather than just think it. How do we do this? To find out read the full article at TargetMarketingMag.com
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- 12 Oct
Here’s How Listeners Discover New Podcasts
- Oct 12, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Content Marketing, Inbound Marketing, Podcast Marketing
from Marketing Charts
The podcast audience is growing, and people are becoming heavier listeners over time. A new study from Westwood One [download page] breaks down the primary ways by which weekly listeners discover new podcasts, revealing that social media is the top source overall.
Indeed, it seems that 6 in 10 weekly listeners reported learning about new podcasts through social media. This even edges word-of-mouth as the top method of podcast discovery among weekly listeners.
To see more of the data and insights, read the full article at MarketingCharts.com
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- 10 Oct
10 Great Examples of Welcome Emails to Inspire Your Own Strategy
- Oct 10, 2018
- admin
- 0
- Content Marketing, Email Marketing, Newsletter Marketing
by Erik Devaney
We’ve all heard it before. How important it is for you to make a good first impression. And, as it turns out, the “make a good first impression” principle holds true not only in face-to-face encounters. But it holds in email interactions as well.
Your Second Chance for a Good First Impression
A welcome email is the first impression a company makes with a new customer, blog subscriber, or newsletter subscriber via email. Welcome emails can deliver videos, special offers, a sign-up form, or just a friendly hello to establish a relationship with a new contact.
When you send a welcome email to a new blog or newsletter subscriber, or to a new customer, you’re making a first impression on behalf of your brand. So, to help ensure you’re making the best first impression possible, the people at HubSpot rounded up some examples of standout welcome emails from brands big and small at HubSpot.com
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- 08 Oct
How to Create a Sign Up Form That Converts
- Oct 08, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Digital Marketing, Lead Generation, Website Conversion Strategies
Honestly. There is a simple and affordable way to increase leads and create more conversions through your website. Sounds intriguing, right? But what is it?
It’s All About That Lowly Sign-Up Web Forms
That’s right. In addition to increasing leads and conversions, a well designed sign-up form can also help you grow your mailing lists. And they can help you learn more about the people interested in their company and products.
But most simply are not built to convert. A good form makes the opt-in process simple and increases the number of conversions. But what makes a good sign up form? To see 13 Tips to Create a High Converting Sign-Up Form, read the full article at HubSpot.com
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- 06 Oct
Publishers: Don’t Just Focus on Platform Traffic
- Oct 06, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Content Marketing, Digital Marketing, Marketing Strategies
from Marketing Charts
Earlier reports indicated that Google has taken the lead over Facebook as a referral traffic source to online articles. But, recent data from Parse.ly [see original data]indicates that publishers shouldn’t focus solely on search and social.
Surprise!!
Surprisingly, the study indicated that search and social media combine for just under half of traffic to articles. And while that is impressive, it also means that owned and operated channels provide slightly more than half of traffic.
So, what was the single most prominent way that readers find articles, besides search? To learn what it was, read the full article at MarketingCharts.com.