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- 12 Apr
3 Unusual Tactics For Making Your Testimonials More Persuasive
I bet you’ve seen this sort of advice before. When using a testimonial, you should always list the customer’s name. It should also include their picture. And, above all else, avoid unbelievable, over-the-top praise.Those Are All Fine Tips to Follow
But they’re really just starting points. Thats because optimizing your social proof requires just as much strategy and testing as improving a headline, hero image or call-to-action button. It seems that social proof affects different audiences in different ways. The complexity of your offer, the demographics of your visitors and a host of other factors all influence how persuasive your testimonials will be.
And that means you may want to try optimizing them in ways that seem counterintuitive at first. So, don’t use testimonials unless you’ve seen these 3 unusual tactics for making your testimonials more persuasive first at KISSmetrics.com
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- 11 Apr
Quality Drives Decisions to Buy Local
from MarketingCharts.com
A majority of US adults claim to buy local at least half the time they shop for products. And one-quarter of those adults say they buy local most or all of the time. This was according to an AYTM survey of 1,000 US respondents. Perceived quality of goods was the top reason for choosing to shop local. That was followed by convenience and economic impact. Of note, economic impact seems to be of greater importance than environmental impact.Local Market? Need a Business Driver? Project High Quality
The perception of quality is the biggest driver of people seeking locally sourced ingredients. Indeed, 69% believe that buying local gives them access to more quality products. Convenience and economic impact are also consistently important factors, with economic impact counting a bit more when it comes to food. And while the vast majority of respondents agree that buying local can help the economy, far fewer said they are willing to pay a bit more for it.
To see all of the data, charts and additional insights, read the full article at MarketingCharts.com
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- 10 Apr
6 New LinkedIn Features You May Have Missed
If you’ve logged into LinkedIn over the past few weeks, you may have noticed something different. Actually, almost everything is different. That’s because LinkedIn completely overhauled its desktop site.Ch-ch-ch-changes, . . . Can Be Difficult
After Microsoft acquired the networking website in 2016, LinkedIn announced it would redesign its desktop website. It seems that they wanted it to more closely mirror its mobile apps. A rational enough move. After all, the website redesign was meant to “create more value” for members.
However, with all of the changes, some may have slipped past you. So to help you out, here are 6 New LinkedIn Features You May Have Missed at HubSpot.com
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- 08 Apr
11 Ways to Turn Prospects into Customers
by Allen Finn
As you may be painfully aware, most of the time people just aren’t ready to convert at first contact. Their just not ready to purchase your product or become a bona fide lead, after your first interactions. And, depending on your industry, that could take minutes. Or it could take months to close a prospect. That means that in that time, there’s very little you can do to stop a prospect from being swayed by your competition.That Very Little is Called Nurture
A nurture program can help. Nurture is a system a business can put in place to move a prospect down their conversion funnel. And it is a means of turning a window shopper into a cash-paying consumer. Unfortunately, most businesses seem to think nurturing begins and ends with email. And while email is an invaluable channel for interacting with your prospects, it has its limitations.
But what exactly can be done beyond email? So, how can you use paid search and paid social to make your nurture marketing funnel more effective? To find out, read the full article at WordStream.com and learn 11 Ways to Turn Prospects into Customers.
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- 08 Apr
How Special Offers in Email Subject Lines Impact Performance
by Ayaz Nanji
Have you ever wondered How Special Offers in Email Subject Lines Impact Performance? Well, here is the answer to that question.Special Offers Work Well, Right?
Surprisingly, it seems that emails from brands with special offers in their subject lines tend to underperform. Yep, you read that right. They were far less affective than those without special offers in their subject lines. This was according to recent research from Yes Lifestyle Marketing.
To see the data and read the insights on this report [download available], read the full article at MarketingProfs.com
NOTE: A Free Registration pop up opens on this site. Registration is not required to read the article.
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- 08 Apr
Social Commerce Not a Hit—Except When It Is
from eMarketer.com
Let’s face it, social commerce has been a tough nut to crack. And, in all likelihood, it will continue to be.Does Social Selling Even Work?
In many cases, consumers just aren’t interested in buying something while they’re on a social platform. After all, they’re there to socialize not shop. However there is new data that suggests that of those people who are clicking on Facebook ads are far more likely to buy.
March 2016 research from the retail search agency conducted by market research company Survata looked at how internet users interact with Facebook ads. For the most part, a plurality of respondents across all ages said they hadn’t clicked on a Facebook ad in the past 30 days.
To see how those clicks fared and for more insights, read the full article at eMarketer.com
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- 07 Apr
13 Urgency-Inducing Tricks to Drive Sales
by Brad Smith
It was one of Cialdini’s bedrock principles. The one that created demand out of thin air. That compelled people to finally, at long last, take action. To buy, share, and break through the inertia that prevents any change whatsoever.It’s urgency.
Scarcity provides that sense of urgency that forces us to make a decision, to change, even though we’re hardwired not to like change. Sure, we want the upside. But we can’t stomach the downside – change – in most cases. So nothing happens.
So how can you break through that barrier? Here are 13 tried-and-true urgency-inducing tactics you can start using to increase sales at WordStream.com
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- 06 Apr
The Changing Content Preferences of B2B Buyers
by Ayaz Nanji
A recent research from Demand Gen Report and Uberflip [report download available] has some interesting indications for B2B content marketers. It seems that B2B buyers say they are now paying more attention to the trustworthiness of content sources when evaluating products/services.Mobile Content Moves Up the Preference Chart for B2B
The report revealed that some 72% of B2B buyers say they have been placing a higher emphasis on the trustworthiness of content sources over the past year. While 52% say they have been increasingly preferring mobile-optimized content. And even more importantly, 46% say they’ve been preferring shorter format pieces.
For all of the data and insights, read the full article at MarketingProfs.com
NOTE: A Free Registration pop up opens on this site. Registration is not required to read the article.
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- 05 Apr
How to Write a Case Study Prospects Actually Want to Read
by Dan Shewan
The case study has long been a staple of marketing departments everywhere. However, despite the prevalence of marketing case studies and their potential impact, most of them are dull, boring, and forgettable.It’s Not About Me, It’s About You, The Customer
In fact, most case studies are bland and instantly forgettable. That is because marketers ignore the fact that case studies are stories in the most literal sense. They get preoccupied with things like brand voice or messaging matrices and forget to leverage the narrative form that makes stories so compelling. Or, even worse, they simply can’t stop themselves from harping on about how great their company is, the gravest of sins when case studies are concerned.
So how can you write a case study that prospective customers will actually want to read? What is it that makes a case study a compelling document? To learn how, read the full article at WordStream.com.
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- 04 Apr
6 Quick Hacks for Increasing Organic Social Media Reach
by Disha Dinesh
It has been noticed recently that the organic reach of content published by brands on Facebook is dropping. But, no fear, Facebook is going to “solve” that issue. In an attempt to make feeds more relevant to their users, Facebook has prioritized content shared by friends and family.The Cure May Be Worse Than the Disease . . .
It is important for marketers to remember that social networks are little more than search engines in their own right. And just like Google or Bing or Yahoo, they will continue to focus on their users. They want to give them the most relevant content to them – and not advertisers.
However, as a brand, how do you make sure that your content continues to reach a high percentage of your target audience.? Paid advertising alone isn’t going to cut it. That probably won’t get you the exposure or brand recognition that you are hoping for. So, what is to be done then? Here are six smart ways to boost your social media reach organically from JeffBullas.com
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- 03 Apr
For Youth, Social Media Increasingly Means Just Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram
vfrom MarketingChats.com
MarketingCharts.com has been keeping score of teens’ changing social media preferences over the past few years. And in that time, they have seen some startling changes in how teens are engaging in social media.But, how about the broader 12-24 age group?
In the latest edition of The Infinite Dial report [click for instant download] from Edison Research and Triton Digital, there are indications of a change in trend. In that report, they noted that social media use among the larger 12-24 age group is increasingly limited to three top platforms.
To see how the data breaks down and what that can mean to your youth-marketing efforts, read the full article and see more insights at MarketingChats.com
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- 01 Apr
Tips to Act on Social Listening – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
90% of marketers report that social media is important to their businesses. So that means keeping a watchful eye on what the customers are saying on social is crucial.If a negative comment goes unnoticed, it can quickly turn into an ugly mess for the brand. It can spread virally with the potential for others to jump onboard with their own negative comments. Positive comments are just as important as they are the eyes and ears to the customer. Those can tell you what they’re thinking, what they like, what they don’t like and what they want. Consumer comments have a wide variety of uses, but the key is to pay attention to every word.
This article from Entrepreneur.com shares three ways comments on your social channels can help improve business, as well as how to respond to comments, both positive and negative. Read the full article
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- 01 Apr
How to Create Facebook Lead Ads: A Beginner’s Guide
Typically, lead generation marketers collect information through form submissions on a website. First, the marketer promotes a specific offer, say on Facebook. It might even include such things such as a gated e-book or coupon. And then an interested user will fill out a lead form to claim the offer.While this method does work and helps get exposure to your site, it has one important problem. It requires users to leave the place where the offer was promoted to click through your conversion path. This means bounce-rates at every point along the process. And that’s not ideal.
Problem Solved . . . Hooray!! Enter Facebook Lead Ads
A Facebook lead ad is an ad type you can purchase through the Facebook for Business platform. Instead of sending users to a landing page where they fill out a lead form on your website, Facebook lead ads allow potential customers to access your offers without ever leaving the Facebook app.
Need to know more? To learn the basics of Facebook lead ads: what they are, why they matter, and how you can start using them effectively in your own marketing campaigns, read the full article at HubSpot.com.
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- 31 Mar
The Most Effective Tactics for Growing Email Lists
by Ayaz Nanji
Marketers say social media advertising is the most effective tactic for growing email lists. However, content marketing ran a close second. This was according to recent research from Ascend2.The report [download available] was based on data from a survey of 225 marketers based in the United States. With 39% working for B2C firms, 36% for B2B firms, and 25% for hybrid B2C-B2B firms.
Survey Says!!
Respondents to the survey indicated that content marketing is the email list growth tactic that demands the most effort. Search engine optimization ranks second in effort. That followed by social media advertising in rank order.
To see the data, charts and to download the original report, read the full article at MarketingProfs.com
NOTE: A Free Registration pop up opens on this site. Registration is not required to read the article.
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- 30 Mar
How to Upgrade Your B2B Content to Meet Buyers’ Changing Preferences
from MarketingCharts.com
Three-quarters of B2B buyers strongly agree that they have placed a higher emphasis on the trustworthiness of content sources over the past year. Though only about one-third are more willing to consider vendor-related content as trustworthy. This according to a new Demand Gen Report survey [download available] recently released.After All, If Buyers Tell You How To Fix It, Why Not Try?
The implications of this should be apparent. In this environment, marketers must be attuned to the recommendations made by buyers for improved content. It only makes sense to listen to the very people you are trying to reach. Especially when they tell you how to reach them.
To see what B2B buyers really want, read the full article at MarketingCharts.com
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- 29 Mar
How to Create a Twitter Moment: A Step-by-Step Guide
When more than 9,000 tweets are published per second, it can be hard to find great content on the platform. Or to get your great content noticed. So in 2015, Twitter rolled out Twitter Moments. These are curated tweets revolving around a single topic or story, all in one place.Problem Solved . . . Right?
Initially, only Twitter and its editorial partners, such as BuzzFeed and The New York Times, could curate Moments. Last year, however, Twitter opened up Moments for all Twitter users. Now, all content creators on the platform can compile groups of tweets. Whether it’s about an event, a campaign, or a pop culture moment, marketers can take advantage of this feature and potentially get discovered by new followers.
But how can you use them. And how do you set them up so they will work for you? To find out how you can turn your tweets into the 411 on Twitter Moments, how to create them, and how brands can use them, read the full article at HubSpot.com
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- 28 Mar
12 Genius Ways to Apply Emotional Marketing to Facebook Ads
Facebook advertising is a big auction. And as with any auction, there are both winners and losers. Now, you wouldn’t want to be on the losing side, would you? So, what can you do to create Facebook campaigns that finish the race as a champion with lots of new customers?Good Question. Now, For The Answer . . .
A smart move would be creating ads that catch people’s attention before any other Facebook post or ad can get to them. While there are many tips and hacks written about all across the web, here’s one that seems highly promising – playing on people’s emotion.
There’s no limit to the emotions you can tap into. Excited, melancholic, delighted, shocked, you name it. So to learn how to apply emotional marketing to Facebook ads, read the full article at KISSmetrics.com
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- 27 Mar
3 Steps To The Perfect Marketing Strategy For Your Business Success
There’s often a common misconception that the perfect marketing strategy is out there somewhere. People believe there’s this one true strategy that will work for everyone. This isn’t the case, as many businesses are different and will need different strategies.Strategy, strategy everywhere and not a drop to . . .
How do you find the perfect marketing strategy for your business? Well, you start by checking the points down here at BlogNotions.com. Or simply contact us for help
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- 25 Mar
The Most Popular Social Networks With Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers
by Ayaz Nanji
It is commonly assumed that Facebook is the most popular social network across generations. However, research indicates that it’s not as dominant with younger consumers as with older consumers.According to Recent Research from Sprout Social
The report was based on a survey conducted in January 2017. For the report, they polled 1,000 Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers in the United States. Now not surprisingly, the research confirmed what we all have suspected. It seems that some Gen Xers as well as Baby Boomers say Facebook is their favorite social network. But Facebook ranked as the most popular social network with Millennials.
To see the numbers and what they can mean to your social media marketing strategy, read the full article at MarketingProfs.com
NOTE: A Free Registration pop up opens on this site. Registration is not required to read the article.
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- 25 Mar
Which Content Assets Do Sales Request Most From Marketing?
from MarketingCharts.com
It seems that product flyers and spec sheets are the content assets most requested by sales teams. This was according to a recent study [download available] from Demand Metric in partnership with MarcomCentral. However, presentations are also popular, with research suggesting that these have a significant impact on buyer behavior.But why should that matter to marketing?
Well, for one thing, sales people are focused on leveraging what works for them in their roles. That means if they want it, they know that it will help them to engage the relationship and, even, close the sale.
So, if it is important to sales, it needs to be important to marketing. To see the data and to download the full report, read more at MarketingCharts.com
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