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- 23 Apr
Writing Responsibly When Writing Responsively: Six Simple Tips
When Google announced that mobile-friendliness will influence a site’s ranking on search results pages, the need to move to responsive design was never clearer. And, although designers have been quick to change their ways, not enough has been said about the impact of responsive design on copywriters. Yes, copywriters, those wielders of winsome words. We still exist and we spend a lot of time contemplating how our expressive text can best complement those wonderful graphics.
We know from reading social trends that users don’t like to read too much of what our craft produces, and we’re not taking it too personally. We all know that good copy is still relevant. It’s what perks up content, guides users through the most forward-thinking layout, and generally improves the experience on that optimized, mobilized, utterly amazing site. So, copywriters out there (and other content producers), here are six tips for this brave new world where your services are still really needed.
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- 22 Apr
Don’t Do A Redesign! Learn Why Evolution Beats Revolution
by Allen Greer
For those about to engage in an epic design overhaul to take your product to the next level, I’ve got bad news for you. It’s probably not going to work.
The revolutionary, or “out with the old and in with the new,” approach to redesign has been the norm for many years. Websites, in particular, are often overhauled every 3-5 years, but remain fairly static between updates. The overarching issue is these redesigns are often based purely on aesthetics, not analytical data or feedback from users, which means it’s impossible to determine if the new sites will outperform the old ones. Thankfully, there’s a much better way to tackle product redesign, and it focuses on evolution, not revolution.
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- 22 Apr
How to Create an Email Newsletter People Actually Read
by Ginny Soskey
For most marketers, this will sound familiar. You’re sitting around a conference room, trying to figure out how to best engage your leads and customers, sell more products, or just “stay top-of-mind” for your target audience, and someone decides there’s a solution that can solve all of those problems at once: an email newsletter!
Suddenly you’re “volunteered” to do it. And you’ve got make sure that open and clickthrough rates don’t dip. Oh, and the first one needs to go out tomorrow.
That sound good? Well if you have a twinge of panic, here is some help on How to Create an Email Newsletter People Actually Read.
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- 21 Apr
10 Ways to Reach Customers Who Don’t Know They Need You
Event planner, lawyer, daycare owner, tow truck driver. Regardless of our chosen professions, it’s fair to say that we all want to build our businesses’ customer bases. It’s how we thrive. So it’s only natural for us to want to market our products or services to everyone, in hopes of capturing a larger audience, and thus making more money.
But every business has a few “unreachables.” Now, some of these people are placed in that category for a reason. If you sell retirement plans, for instance, your unreachables might be children because they’re simply too young to purchase your product. But that doesn’t mean they have to remain that way forever. Even the most unexpected groups of people could be your biggest advocates later on. You just need to know how to speak to them. Here are some tips for successfully reaching your unreachables:
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- 21 Apr
Email Etiquette: Do Consumers Like Humor and Informality?
by Ayaz Nanji
Do consumers like humor in marketing emails? Do they prefer formal or informal language? Is it acceptable to include the occasional “LOL” and “BTW”?
BuzzStream and Fractl recently set out to answer such questions by surveying 1,200 people between the age of 18 and 64 about out their email etiquette preferences. The researchers segmented the findings by gender, age, and level of education to see how demographic factors influence preferences.
Below, key findings from the report.
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- 20 Apr
10 Questions Every Marketer Should Ask Before Buying Audience Data
Sometimes, investing in efforts to reach target audiences can seem like a big gamble, with the odds stacked against you…
Here you are, charged with exciting media buys, and you find that there are literally thousands of data providers who tell you using their insights will allow you to find the perfect audience. But which choice will make you a winner? Assuming you don’t have enough time or money to do try them all, here are 10 questions to ask before buying data.
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- 20 Apr
Why Your Marketing Content is an Asset Not a Cost
Basic accounting rules require marketing costs to be listed as expenses on a company’s P&L. However, today’s marketers and smart executives consider marketing an investment in driving revenue rather than a cost. This is where an overall mind shift is needed. Marketing needs to be considered an investment, and your content an asset.
We invest in technology, equipment and people to grow our businesses without hesitation. So, why wouldn’t we do the same with our content? It’s time to finally categorize content as an asset and treat it like you would any other company asset. After all, your brand, unlike a building or inventory, never depreciates. Your brand is your greatest asset, and your content tells the story of your brand.
Here is Why Your Marketing Content is an Asset Not a Cost – Read the entire article at HubSpot.com
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- 20 Apr
Creating Content That Sells
From her own witty introduction in her AMA on Inbound.org, Joanna Wiebe makes it clear that she has a lock on copywriting. And she’s not just any copywriter. Joanna’s a “conversion copywriter” (a phrase my copywriter friends may want to adopt for their LinkedIn profiles), meaning she writes content that drives conversions and sells products. And she has a lot to say about how to make your words count — in dollars and sense.
In her AMA, Joanna goes into the details of copywriting price points, building a business, and, of course, how to write copy that converts and delights. I’d urge you to check out the full thread, but if you want a quick summary of some of her best copywriting advice, check out the nine tips below.
The 9 Top Copywriting Lessons From Joanna Wiebe – Creating Content That Sells Read the entire article at HubSpot.com
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- 18 Apr
Should You Delete Your Business Facebook Page?
by Neil Patel
A business Facebook page is considered one of the must-haves of online marketing. Why in the world would someone not have a Facebook page? Facebook is the world’s largest online network. There are more than 1.35 billion users. Everyday, these users share 4.75 billion pieces of content. Clearly, Facebook is a happening place.
But recently some businesses have been doing something that seems strange — even suicidal. They are deleting their Facebook page. So, one of the biggest copywriting websites in the universe pulls the plug on Facebook. And so the advice rolls on…
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- 18 Apr
American Teens’ Favorite Social Networks
by Ayaz Nanji
Facebook remains the most popular social network among American teens, according to a recent report from the Pew Research Center. The report was based on data from a survey conducted between September 25 and October 9, 2014, among a nationally representative sample of 1,060 teens in the United States age 13-17.
Some 71% of teens surveyed say they use Facebook; Instagram is the second most popular social network (52% use), followed by Snapchat (41%), Twitter (33%), and Google+ (33%).
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- 17 Apr
The Easy Way to Go Global With Inbound Marketing
Most companies have heard about the practice of inbound marketing, but fewer know how to effectively implement it.
On the surface, the idea is simple: Great content generates Web traffic, and a proportion of that traffic will end up converting to leads. This is a relatively new concept for many businesses that are used to building a brand by simply pushing out products or services via more traditional methods rather than creating compelling content that pulls in customers.
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- 17 Apr
The Beginner’s Guide to Customer Feedback
by Sean Si
Are you struggling to come up with your next blog post? Your next email? Your next product? Your next event?
If so, you need to start getting some inspiration. And one great source of inspiration that will be most valuable to your business is your customers. Once you know what your customers want, your struggles will come to an end. You’ll know what to write. What to email. What to create. What to organize.
Here is your Beginner’s Guide to Customer Feedback . . . Read the entire article on KISSmetrics.com
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- 16 Apr
Nonprofits Start Acting and Thinking Like For-Profits
by Edgar Wilson
What is the difference between a nonprofit and a for-profit organization?
It is a deceptively straightforward question… but before responding with the obvious answer, consider the following. To be successful, nonprofits need to stop eschewing the successful proven marketing strategies of for-profits and start using them.
Nonprofits Start Acting and Thinking Like For-Profits
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- 16 Apr
B-to-B Email Marketers – Ask 3 Common-Sense Questions Before Pushing ‘Send’
Sometimes the minutiae can obscure the big picture. This touch point led to that click through. That’s great. But what if response falls off a cliff? What went wrong?
Phil Simon author of “MESSAGE NOT RECEIVED: Why Business Communication is Broken and How to Fix It,” published in March—is trying to rid the business world of the overuse of jargon and email messages.
Simon advises B-to-B email marketers ask themselves 3 Common-Sense Questions Before Pushing ‘Send’. Read the entire article on TargeMarketing.com
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- 16 Apr
3 Marketing Hacks for the Struggling Startup
by Neil Patel
Growth hacking is the biggest “easier said than done” of all time. Just because something is a “hack” doesn’t make it any easier, simpler, or worry-free. Still, there’s something to be said about the raw power of a brilliant marketing hack. When you pull off a successful marketing move, you get an incredible rush.
If your startup is struggling, desperate to try anything, then you’ve found the article that could be the solution to your yearnings. The marketing hacks that I explain in this article aren’t easy, aren’t free, and aren’t even failsafe. But they are awesome.
If you’re ready for growth and prepared for some hard work, give these 3 Marketing Hacks for the Struggling Startup a try – read the entire article at KISSmetrics.com
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- 15 Apr
How to Write Product Page Descriptions that Sell
The web has inadvertently made authors out of us all as we post on forums, send emails, share information, write white papers, guides and various web content. Most of us, however, are not authors by profession and so consequently the quality of writing on the web varies greatly.
This is especially true for ecommerce managers and online store owners looking to boost conversions on product pages via product descriptions. As businessmen and women by profession, rather than writers, many ecommerce professionals often ask about how to optimize product descriptions. What should they say? How long should they be? What format is best?
Here is How to Write Product Page Descriptions that Sell
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- 14 Apr
5 Ways to Make Your Brand Magnetic
In our fast-paced and tech-driven world, companies are reeling, wondering if brand loyalty exists any more. And to some degree, they’re right to question it. Today’s customers aren’t loyal to a brand for the same reasons that their parents and grandparents were – they have thousands of other options.
Whether a small company or large, there are ways to improve you brand appeal. Even if you are a large successful company like Apple, you might not be able to offer literally every product or service that your customers can dream up, but with a solid content structure, you can make sure that your products meet their needs.
Here are 5 Ways to Make Your Brand Magnetic and make sure that your business keeps your customers coming back. Read the entire article at HubSpot.com
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- 14 Apr
7 Marketing Mistakes That Cause Chargebacks and Profit Loss
The very definition of marketing is to entice customers by highlighting a product’s value for the purpose of selling that product. Marketing is supposed to make you money—not cause you to lose money.
But if you aren’t careful, that is exactly what can happen. Simple flaws in your marketing can lead to chargebacks. And there is nothing in the world of business that can drain profits faster and more pointlessly than a chargeback.
Here are 7 Marketing Mistakes That Cause Chargeback and Profit Loss that can be corrected.
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- 13 Apr
How Often Should Companies Blog
“Blog early, blog often.”
In the inbound world, these are words to live by. After all, blogs help businesses attract new website visitors and convert them into leads. Each time you publish an original blog post, you’re creating a new opportunity to get found in search engines, get shared on social media, get linked to by other sites, and get a new person to interact with your company.
The question is, how often should a company blog? To find out, read the entire article at HubSpot.com
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- 13 Apr
What Your Email Writing Style Says About You
by Andrea Lehr
Every day, humans make snap judgments. In one Princeton study, participants made assumptions within 100 milliseconds of being exposed to a portrait. In a similar study on virtual bias, researchers at the University of British Columbia compared respondents’ in-person impressions with those obtained by only viewing Facebook photos — and the results revealed that passive, virtual impressions tended to be more negative.
BuzzStream and Fractl took this idea a step further to determine if any parallels exist in terms of email habits. We surveyed more than 1,200 men and women between the ages of 18 and 64 to find out how they use email, and how gender, age, and level of education impacted specific preferences and behaviors.
Here’s what we found about What Your Email Writing Style Says About You. Read the entire article at HubSpot.com