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When I was 12 years old, I used to be confused about my cousin’s CD collection. Why have CDs when I could go on iTunes and listen to all my favorite songs? This is a perfect example of a product life cycle (PLC) in action.

No one wants their product to become “obsolete” and reach the end of its product life cycle. That’s why it’s important to understand what stage your product is in so you can make better marketing and business decisions.

Below, we’ll learn about the product life cycle inside and out. If you’re in a pinch, use the links below to jump straight to what you need:

• What is the product life cycle?
• What are the stages of the product life cycle?
• Importance of the Product Life Cycle
• Breaking Down the Product Life Cycle Theory
• Product Life Cycle Marketing Strategies
• Product Life Cycle Examples
• International Product Life Cycle
• When to Use the Product Life Cycle

In the marketing industry, the typical depiction of the product life cycle only has four main stages — Introduction, Growth, Maturity, and Decline. At HubSpot, we agree that these are vital for a product, but the two stages “Development” and “Decline” aren’t nearly covered enough.

As marketers, it’s important to understand how your tactics and strategies change depending on the stage your product is in. Let’s break down each of the six stages of the product life cycle.

1. Development

The development stage of the product life cycle is the research phase before a product is introduced to the marketplace. This is when companies bring in investors, develop prototypes, test product effectiveness, and strategize their launch.

In this stage, companies typically spend a lot of money without bringing in any revenue because the product isn’t being sold yet.

This phase can last for a long time, depending on the complexity of the product, how new it is, and the competition. For a completely new product, the development stage is particularly difficult because the first pioneer of a product isn’t always as successful as later iterations.

Before full-scale production, the product may be released in a limited market or region for testing purposes. This allows companies to assess market acceptance, gather user feedback, and make necessary adjustments before a wider launch.

2. Introduction

The introduction stage happens when a product is launched in the marketplace. This is when marketing teams begin building product awareness and targeting potential customers. Typically, when a product is introduced, sales are low and demand builds slowly.

In this phase, marketers focus on advertising and marketing campaigns. They also work on testing distribution channels and building product and brand awareness.

This stage is crucial because companies have the opportunity to shake up the status quo and capture the attention and loyalty of early adopters. The positive experiences and word-of-mouth recommendations from these early customers can influence the broader target market and accelerate product adoption.

Some examples of products currently in the introduction stage include:

• Generative AI
• Self-driving cars
• 3D televisions

Ultimately, the success of this stage sets the foundation for the product’s future growth and success in subsequent stages of the product life cycle.

3. Growth

During the growth stage, consumers have accepted the product in the market and customers are beginning to truly buy in. That means demand and profits are growing, hopefully at a steadily rapid pace. This momentum is crucial for sustaining business operations, funding further product development, and generating returns on investment.

As companies scale, they can benefit from lower per-unit production costs, improved supplier relationships, and optimized distribution networks.

However, there are some challenges that come with the growth stage. As the market for the product expands, competition grows. Potential competitors will see your success and will want in.

Some products that are currently in the growth stage are:

• Smartwatches
• Electric cars
• Peloton

During this stage, it’s important to keep attracting new customers and solidify your brand image so you can stay ahead of the competition.

4. Maturity

The maturity stage is when the sales begin to level off from the rapid growth period. At this point, companies begin to reduce their prices so they can stay competitive amongst the growing competition. Streamlining production processes, negotiating favorable supplier contracts, and optimizing distribution networks also become important considerations.

This is the phase where a company begins to become more efficient and learns from the mistakes made in the introduction and growth stages. Marketing campaigns are typically focused on differentiation rather than awareness. This means that product features might be enhanced, prices might be lowered, and distribution becomes more intensive.

During the maturity stage, products begin to enter the most profitable stage. The cost of production declines while the sales are increasing.

Examples:

• Smartphones
• Amazon
• Video game consoles

5. Saturation

During the product saturation stage, competitors have begun to take a portion of the market and products will experience neither growth nor decline in sales.

Typically, this is the point when most consumers are using a product, but there are many competing companies. At this point, you want your product to become the brand preference so you don’t enter the decline stage. To achieve this, you’ll want to focus on providing exceptional service and building strong relationships with your customers.

In a saturated market, innovation also becomes essential to stay relevant. Businesses must continuously invest in research and development to improve products and offer new features. Failure to do so may lead to product obsolescence and loss of market share.

Some examples of products in the saturation stage are:

• Streaming services
• Breakfast cereals
• Soft drinks

6. Decline

Unfortunately, if your product doesn‘t become the preferred brand in a marketplace, you’ll typically experience a decline. Sales will decrease during the heightened competition, which is hard to overcome.

Decline also occurs when products become outdated or less relevant as newer technologies enter the market. Consumers may turn to more advanced options, rendering the declining product less desirable.

If a company is at this stage, it’ll either discontinue its product, sell the company, or innovate and iterate on its product in some way.

Here are a few examples of products in the decline stage:

• CDs and cassette tapes
• Landline telephones
• DVDs

The best companies will usually have products at several points in the product life cycle at any given time. Some companies look to other countries to begin the cycle anew.

Importance of the Product Life Cycle

The product life cycle is important because it informs an organization’s management and decision-makers how well a product is performing and what strategic actions it will take to succeed. This helps companies allocate resources like staff, budgets, shows which products should be prioritized, and where the company should innovate next.

Other benefits of using the product life cycle include:

• Make better marketing investments and decisions
• Easier to make long-term plans
• Allows for better decision making with accurate information on performance
• Easier to streamline current processes within your company

Product Life Cycle Limitations

While using the PLC method certainly helps stakeholders plan, it does have limitations. The cycle breaks down performance over several stages, but unfortunately there is no way to tell how long each stage will last.

Complicating things further, not all products will move through these stages at the same pace. For example, a product may take longer to decline than others. Plus product managers run the risk of not dedicating enough effort and resources into a particular product if they think the product will decline, creating planned obsolescence – even if customers still use it.

Breaking Down the Product Life Cycle Theory

In the late ‘60s, Harvard Business School professor Raymond Vernon developed this marketing theory in response to an economic model that failed to account for trends present in international trade – that’s why it was originally called the international product life cycle theory.

It stated that products developed in an international market had three phases:

• New product
• Maturing product
• Standardized product

Here’s a quick breakdown of his theory.

Vernon theorized a new product would perform best in its country of origin to keep manufacturing and production costs low. Once the product gained demand, companies could begin exporting to other countries and continue building local production plants in each new location.

Having these local plants would offer the flexibility to make changes to the product without incurring huge costs.

The standardized phase would involve an influx of competitors, which would lead the company to focus on driving down production and manufacturing costs to remain competitive. As the market becomes saturated and a new product gets introduced, the company loses its relevance in its home country and shifts gears to create something new, with the cycle beginning again.

Since then, the product life cycle theory has evolved to focus less on geography and more on marketing. Let’s dive into it next.

You can use this template to map out your own product’s life cycle phases.

Download the Free Product Life Cycle Template

Product Life Cycle Marketing Strategies

Now that we’ve discussed the different stages of the product life cycle, let’s explore how to market products in each stage.

Development Stage Marketing Strategy

While marketing typically begins in the introduction stage, you can begin to build “buzz” around your product by securing the endorsement of established voices in the industry.

You can also consider a limited release of the product to a select group of customers or in a specific market segment. This exclusivity can create a sense of anticipation and urgency among potential buyers.

Then, you can use the feedback from the limited release to publish early (and favorable) consumer research or testimonials. Your marketing goal during this stage is to build upon your brand awareness and establish yourself as an innovative company.

Introduction Stage Marketing Strategy

This is where the fun begins. Now that the product is launched, you can actually promote it using inbound marketing and content marketing.

Consider collaborating with influencers or industry experts who have a strong following and influence in your target market. Encourage them to review and promote your product through blog posts, vlogs, social media posts, or sponsored content. Their endorsement can help generate credibility and reach a wider audience.

Education is vital in this stage. If your marketing strategies are successful, the product goes into the next stage — growth.

Growth Stage Marketing Strategy

During this phase, marketing campaigns often shift from getting customers’ buy-in to establishing a brand presence so consumers choose them over developing competitors.

One way to do this is by allocating resources to digital marketing channels like social media advertising, search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, and influencer partnerships. Then, leverage data analytics to target and reach your ideal customers effectively.

Additionally, as companies grow, they’ll begin to open new distribution channels and add more features and support services. Consider partnering with retailers, entering new markets, or exploring e-commerce platforms to reach a wider customer base. In your strategy, you’ll advertise these as well.

Maturity Stage Marketing Strategy

When your product has become a mature offering, you may feel like you’re “sailing by” because sales are steady and the product has been established. But this is where it’s critical to establish yourself as a leader and differentiate your brand.

Consider sharing valuable and educational content, such as blog posts and industry insights, to position your brand as an authority. Educate potential customers about the benefits and value they can gain from your product.

Continuously improve upon the product as adoption grows, and let consumers know in your marketing strategy that the product they love is better than it was before. This will protect you during the next stage — saturation.

Saturation Stage Marketing Strategy

When the market has become saturated, you’ll need to focus on brand awareness and differentiation.

Identify specific customer segments within your market and tailor marketing efforts to appeal to their specific needs and preferences. Refine your messaging and positioning to resonate with each segment, allowing for a more targeted and efficient marketing approach.

You’ll also want to focus on retaining and strengthening relationships with your existing customers. Consider creating a personalized customer service experience and introducing new product features, loyalty programs, packaging options, or bundling with complementary products.

Competition is highest at this stage, so it’s critical to leave no doubt regarding the superiority of your product.

If innovation at the product level isn’t possible (because the product only needs minor tweaks at this point), then invest in your customer service and use customer testimonials in your marketing.

Decline Stage Marketing Strategy

While companies would want to avoid the decline stage, sometimes there’s no helping it — especially if the entire market reached a decline. In your marketing strategy, you can emphasize the superiority of your solution to successfully get out of this stage.

To extend the product life cycle, successful companies can also implement new advertising strategies, reduce prices, add new features to increase their value proposition, explore new markets, or adjust brand packaging.

Unfortunately, not every company is successful at pivoting their product out of the decline stage. If the product is obsolete or financially unviable, it may be best to plan for an orderly exit from the market.

Now that we’ve gone through stages and history, let’s review some real-life examples of them in action.

Let’s follow the product life cycle of popular products that have since reached the decline stage.

1. The Typewriter

The typewriter was the first mechanical writing tool — a worthy successor to pen and paper. Ultimately, however, other technologies gained traction and replaced it.

• Development: Before the first commercial typewriter was introduced to the market, the overall idea had been developed for centuries, beginning in 1575.
• Introduction: In the late 1800s, the first commercial typewriters were introduced.
• Growth: The typewriter quickly became an indispensable tool for all forms of writing, becoming widely used in offices, businesses, and private homes.
• Maturity: Typewriters were in the maturity phase for nearly 80 years, because this was the preferred product for typing communications up until the 1980s.
• Saturation: During the saturation stage, typewriters began to face fierce competition with computers in the 1990s.
• Decline: Overall, the typewriter couldn’t withstand the competition of new emerging technologies, and eventually the product was discontinued.

2. Vine

Skipping forward to the 21st century, we see the rise and fall of Vine, a short-form video-sharing app that was the source for many memes at its peak but eventually declined due to other platforms.

• Development: Vine was founded in June 2012 and mainly competed with Instagram.
• Introduction: The app was introduced to the public in 2013. Its differentiating factor was its short-form video format — users had only seven seconds to film something that was hilarious, absurd, or a mixture of both.
• Growth: Only two years after its release, Vine had over 200 million active users. Its popularity led to the advent of the phrase “Do it for the Vine.”
• Maturity: Because it was only in the market for a few years, Vine never reached the maturity stage. While adoption was high, it was still a fairly new app.
• Saturation: Vine competed in an already saturated market. Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube were the pre-eminent names in their category, and Vine soon started to decline in use.
• Decline: When Musical.ly was introduced, Vine lost a large amount of its user base and shut down. It was succeeded by Byte, a similar short-form video-sharing platform, but none of these have been able to surpass TikTok, which launched months after Vine’s end in 2016.

3. Cable TV

Remember the days of switching TV channels to find what to watch? I do — and they feel distinctly like something of the past. While cable TV is still around, it’s safe to say that it’s nearing the decline stage.

• Development: Cable TV was developed in the first half of the twentieth century. John Walson has been credited with its invention.
• Introduction: The first commercial television system was introduced in 1950, and by 1962, the technology saw the first hints of growth.
• Growth: After a decades-long freeze on cable TV’s development (due to regulatory restrictions), the technology began gaining traction, and by 1980, more than 15 million households had cable.
• Maturity: Cable TV matured around the 1990s. Around seven in ten households had cable.
• Saturation: The start of the 21st century saw an oversaturation of this technology, and it also started to compete with other modern developments such as on-demand services and high-definition TV (HDTV). While the internet was still in its nascent stages, it would soon gain on cable TV as well.
• Decline: From 2015 onwards, cable TV experienced a marked decline. Online video streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu have taken precedence — and this trend is set to continue.

4. Floppy Disk

This relic was once a popular and convenient way to store and share data between computers. I barely understood what they were growing up, and it astounds me to think of the very existence of cloud data sharing and other mass memory storage means.

• Development: The first floppy disk was developed in 1970 by IBM engineers. It was an 8-inch flexible magnetic disk in a square case with 2MB storage capacity.
• Introduction: It was introduced in 1971 and largely became known as the only way to transfer or store data.
• Growth: The floppy disk was majorly used in the 1980s-1990s.
• Maturity: Sold well in the market during the 1990s. Improving with time, it could hold 200MB of storage.
• Saturation: Major competitors emerged at the beginning of the 21st century. The invention of USB cables, external hard disks, and CDs gave people options to store their data.
• Decline: The floppy disk faced a major decline up to Hewlett-Packard stopping production for the disk in 2009. The storage capacity for other products in the market grew to be more efficient. Data storage evolution has grown to the point where floppy disks are simple relics.

Not all products need to face the decline stage. Companies can extend the product life cycle with new iterations and stay afloat as long as they have several products at various points of the product life cycle.

International Product Life Cycle

The international product life cycle (IPL) is the cycle a product goes through in international markets. As products begin to mature and companies want to avoid the decline stage, they’ll typically begin to explore new markets globally.

When products reach mass production, manufacturing and production shift to other countries as well.

The international product life cycle stages are identical to that of a normal product life cycle. The development stage looks different, however, because local customs and regulations can affect how long it takes to bring the product to a new marketplace.

However, once you lay the groundwork in a new marketplace, your competitors will be sure to follow, and the life cycle stages will continue up until saturation and eventually decline. Your option is to either expand into another market or learn from prior mistakes and innovate before the decline stage rolls around.

Next, we’ll look at when you should use the product life cycle.

When to Use the Product Life Cycle

Businesses use the product life cycle to achieve the following:

• Establish competitive authority. If your product is new and recently introduced to the market, you can advertise it as a new and improved alternative to an existing product. If the product is established, you can vouch for its long history of use in your branding.
• Decide on a pricing strategy. Depending on the life cycle stage your product is in, you’ll choose how to price the product. A new product may be priced lower to entice more buyers, while a product in the growth stage can be priced higher.
• Create a marketing strategy. Your product life cycle stage will determine which strategy to pursue. Maturity and audience knowledgeability play a big role in the type of content you publish on your site and social media profiles.
• Respond before the product begins its decline. There’s no worse feeling than watching your product slowly become obsolete or be displaced by a competing product. By keeping the life cycle stages in mind, you can create a strategy that keeps you ahead of the curve as you reach the saturation and decline stages.

The product life cycle benefits businesses because they can shift their wording and positioning to best market the product at the stage it is in. If your product has recently been introduced and you try to market it as a long-established solution, consumers will see right through it and trust you less as a result.

Keep Your Product’s Life Cycle in Mind

Whether you’re developing a brand new product or working with a mature, well-established brand, you can use the product life cycle stages as a guide for your marketing campaigns.

Each stage will dictate how you inform your audience about the product, how you position your brand in the marketplace, and how you decide to move forward after the decline stage.

By keeping your product’s life cycle in mind, you can invest in better marketing campaigns that result in a higher ROI.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in January 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

This article was written by a human, but our team uses AI in our editorial process. Check out our full disclosure to learn more about how we use AI.

Admittedly, I’m all too familiar with girl dinners. Sometimes (often) after a long day at work during a hot summer, the last thing you want to do is cook an elaborate meal — and that’s where girl dinners come in.

Is it a charcuterie board? A snack plate? A random assortment of whatever can be found in the kitchen to make a haphazard meal? The answer is yes to all of the above.

The term girl dinner took off on TikTok earlier this summer after creator Olivia Maher used the term in a video. Since then, girl dinner has since racked up over 1.3B views for its relatability.

Fast food chain Popeye’s was quick to jump on the trend. In July, at the height of girl dinner’s popularity on TikTok, Popeye’s launched a limited-edition “Girl Dinner” menu.

Image Source

The “Girl Dinner” menu itself was definitely tongue in cheek, as it featured all of the fast food chain’s side dishes like coleslaw, biscuits, and mashed potatoes and gravy that could be ordered separately to create a makeshift meal.

Social media users were amused by the offering:

Social Media’s Influence on Food Menus

This certainly wasn’t the first time social media influenced a food chain.

Popeyes is no stranger to social media moments. In 2019, the company’s newly released chicken sandwich went viral, igniting a chicken sandwich war with rival Chick-Fil-A all stemming from a tweet.

Earlier this year, TikTok creators Alexis Frost and Keith Lee shared a hack for ordering fajita quesadillas at Chipotle, which were previously a custom creation. After their videos went viral, Chipotle added fajita quesadillas to the official menu to accommodate the influx of orders.

Image Source

Similarly, upscale LA grocery chain Erewhon has teamed up with popular creators to launch custom smoothie recipes that have repeatedly gone viral on social media.

In some ways, social media has assisted major brands that have the resources to implement viral trends with research and development support. Down the line, this could create some hairy scenarios if IP ownership ever comes into question.

In the meantime, I’ll let the legal experts worry about that while I finish my girl dinner.

Google Chrome browser extensions allow you to increase productivity, reduce distractions, and source content — all in the comfort of your internet browser.

1. OneTab

Users: 2M+

When you conduct research for a piece of content, it‘s easy to get swamped in multiple open tabs with great resources you want to cite. The trouble is, once it comes time to write and refer back to the sources, it’s hard to navigate between all of the tabs. Luckily, OneTab lets you put multiple different URLs into a single tab for easy reference.

Pros:

• Helps to organize and consolidate multiple open tabs into a single tab, reducing clutter and improving productivity
• Saves memory and reduces browser overload by suspending unused tabs
• Easy to use and navigate through saved tabs

Cons:

• No ability to categorize or add notes to saved tabs
• Limited customization options for organizing tabs
• May experience occasional syncing issues across devices

2. Momentum

Users: 3M+

Momentum is a simple Chrome extension that replaces blank new tabs with beautiful photography, inspiring quotes, weather reports, and a space for you to write down a priority for the day when you open up your browser for the first time. (Don‘t worry — the temperature is in Celsius, it’s not that cold in Boston.)

Pros:

• Provides a visually appealing and inspiring start to each new tab
• Offers weather updates and allows you to set daily priorities
• Simple and clean interface with minimal distractions

Cons:

• Limited customization options for background photos and quotes
• Lacks advanced productivity features
• Some users may prefer a more functional and informative start page

3. Infinity New Tab

Users: 400K+

Infinity New Tab includes a feature known as Speed Dial on every new tab you open in Chrome. This feature produces large icon-based shortcuts to your most frequently visited websites, as shown in the screenshot above. You can customize these icons with new websites as needed, and add productivity widgets like to-do lists to each new tab as well.

Pros:

• Speed Dial feature allows quick access to frequently visited websites
• Customizable icons and productivity widgets enhance personalization
• Clean and visually pleasing user interface

Cons:

• Some users may find the large icons overwhelming

4. Start.me

Users: 90K+

With Start.me, you turn each new tab you open in Chrome into a personal dashboard. You can populate this dashboard with web page bookmarks, productivity widgets, news feeds from specific websites, and various photos and videos. If you prefer to keep your daily schedule online, rather than in print or on your desktop, you might find this extension useful.

Pros:

• Turns each new tab into a customizable personal dashboard
• Offers a wide range of widgets, bookmarks, and news feeds for organizing information
• Allows easy access to frequently used websites and resources

Cons:

• Requires more effort to set up and customize compared to other extensions
• May slow down performance if too many widgets or feeds are added

5. Earth View

Users: 700K+

This Chrome extension might not make your browsing experience easier, but it will make it prettier. Broaden your geography skills while surfing the internet at the same time with Earth View by Google. Each time you open a new tab, the first thing you’ll see is a satellite image of a beautiful location somewhere on Earth. See some of the images that pop up on new tabs in the screenshot above.

Pros:

• Provides beautiful and captivating satellite images of different locations on Earth
• Enhances browsing experience with visually stunning backgrounds
• Can be educational and increase geographic awareness

Cons:

• Limited customization options or settings

6. Infinite New Tab

Users: 200K+

Not to be confused with “Infinity New Tab” (the fourth new tab extension on this list), this browser accessory turns your new tab into a canvas. Choose from more than 100 wallpapers to customize your new tab background, as well as a reminder list and note pad for staying on task.

Pros:

• Provides a canvas-like experience with customizable wallpapers for a visually pleasing new tab page.
• Includes a reminder list and notepad for task management.
• Offers a variety of wallpapers to choose from.

Cons:

• Limited customization options beyond wallpapers, such as widget or bookmark options.

7. Homey

Users: 50K+

Homey is a relaxing and uncluttered new tab Chrome extension that turns your new tab page into a dashboard. You can see your city’s weather, access your bookmarks, or create a grid with your most-frequented websites. Alternatively, you can keep the dashboard clean and mess-free for a less overwhelming experience. Like most new tab Chrome extensions, it also gives you access to the search engine of your choice.

Pros:

• Offers a relaxing and uncluttered new tab page with customizable grids and weather updates
• Provides quick access to bookmarks and search engine of choice
• Allows users to choose between a clean and minimalistic layout or a more feature-rich dashboard

Cons:

• Limited customization options beyond grids and weather updates

9. New Tab Redirect

Users: 700K+

Got a website you always need to have open? This Chrome extension automatically opens a page of your choice when clicking on a new tab. The tool can even redirect to a specific file you have saved in Google Drive or elsewhere online.

Pros:

• Allows users to set a specific webpage or file to open automatically in a new tab
• Provides access to frequently visited or important websites
• Offers flexibility to redirect to a file stored in Google Drive or elsewhere.

Cons:

• No additional features or customization options

10. Speed Dial

Users: 500K+

Speed Dial is a charmingly old-school Chrome extension that turns your new tab into a 3D dashboard. Access your bookmarks and more frequented sites in a dashboard that might just remind you of your MySpace days. Don’t let its design fool you: The extension is constantly updated for performance and user-friendliness.

Pros:

• Turns the new tab page into a 3D dashboard with quick access to bookmarks and frequently visited sites
• Provides a nostalgic user interface reminiscent of older website design
• Regular updates ensure performance and user-friendliness

Cons:

• Limited customization options beyond arranging bookmarks and lacks advanced features

Sometimes you just need a good content curation tool to help you save important information while you’re researching or writing a blog post.

1. OneNote Web Clipper

Users: 1M+

Are you a OneNote user? Whether you’re conducting research for a project or simply reading different articles online, you most likely come across resources that you want to save and return to for later use.

That’s where OneNote Web Clipper comes in. Instead of saving content to another application or document, you can save it directly to your existing OneNote notebooks for easy reference when you sit down to write a blog post or web page. The best part? Everything will be available on any device where you use OneNote.

Pros:

• Seamlessly saves content directly to existing OneNote notebooks for easy reference and organization
• Works across multiple devices, ensuring access to saved content anywhere
• Allows for capturing and saving different types of content, including articles, web pages, and images

Cons:

• May occasionally encounter syncing or compatibility issues
• Limited customization options for saving and organizing clipped content

2. AwesomeScreenshot

Users: 2M+

AwesomeScreenshot is a screen capture extension with capabilities for annotation and photo editing while staying in your browser. Once you take a screenshot of a selected area of your screen or an entire web page, you can crop, highlight, draw shapes, and blur sensitive information.

Pros:

• Provides comprehensive screen capture capabilities with annotation and photo editing features
• Allows for capturing selected areas or entire web pages
• Conveniently stays within the browser, saving time and minimizing workflow disruptions

Cons:

• Some features may require a paid upgrade
• May experience occasional performance issues with larger or complex captures

3. Evernote Web Clipper

Users: 2M+

Evernote is a note-taking and organization app that can be shared across teams for content collaboration. With the Evernote Web Clipper extension, users can save links onto a clipboard within their Evernote app for later reading and reference.

Pros:

• Integrates seamlessly with Evernote for easy saving and organization of web content.
• Offers options for clipping entire web pages, articles, or selected sections.
• Provides additional features like highlighting, adding annotations, and selecting notebooks and tags.

Cons:

• Interface can be overwhelming for new users.

4. Giphy for Chrome

Users: 200K+

Everyone loves animated GIFs. They make emails, blogs, and social media posts engaging and funny, and with this extension, you can easily grab a GIF from Giphy‘s huge database for whatever content you’re working on without navigating away.

Pros:

• Offers quick and easy access to a vast library of GIFs from Giphy
• Streamlines the process of finding and inserting GIFs into emails, blogs, and social media posts
• Provides search functionality for specific GIFs

Cons:

• May experience occasional search or loading issues
• Limited customization options for resizing or editing GIFs

5. Sidebar

Users: 100K+

Manually bookmarking websites can sometimes be a tedious process. Sidebar allows you to organize websites you want to save without having to open a new tab. Save websites to bookmarks, create folders, and add notes for later reference.

Pros:

• Provides a convenient way to save and organize websites without opening a new tab
• Allows for creating folders and adding notes for easy reference
• Streamlines the process of bookmarking and navigating between frequently visited websites

Cons:

• Limited to organizing websites, may not have additional features like annotation or syncing

6. Distill Web Monitor

Users: 200K+

Distill Web Monitor allows you to keep track of changes to websites or articles that you’ve cited in your own work. That way, you can ensure that you’re providing the most up-to-date information to your readers and website visitors. You can also use it to simply track pages that you’re interested in citing in the future.

Pros:

• Enables tracking changes to websites or articles for up-to-date information
• Helps ensure accurate sourcing and citation in your own work
• Provides options for customizable monitoring and notifications

Cons:

• Requires manual setup and configuration for each website to monitor
• May have limitations on the number of websites or pages that can be monitored
• Not suitable for real-time monitoring or highly dynamic websites
  

  7. Nimbus Screenshot

Users: 1M+

Nimbus Screenshot is another screenshotting extension that will live within your browser, making it easier than ever to capture a partial or entire page. It will automatically save your screenshots to the cloud, ensuring that you don’t lose them.

Pros:

• Offers a convenient and easy-to-use screenshotting tool
• Automatically saves screenshots to the cloud for easy access and backup
• Provides options for capturing partial or entire pages

Cons:

• May encounter occasional performance issues, particularly with larger screenshots
• Requires cloud storage for saving and accessing screenshots

8. LibKey Nomad

Users: 600K+

For marketers and bloggers who work in technical or research-based industries, LibKey Nomad can be an extremely useful Chrome extension to have in your arsenal. The extension allows you to find, access, and source millions of scholarly articles based on the library that you primarily use.

Pros:

• Provides easy access to millions of scholarly articles based on your preferred library
• Streamlines the process of finding and accessing research materials
• Eliminates the need for manual searching on different platforms

Cons:

• Limited to users who work in technical or research-based industries
• Requires authentication and access to specific libraries
• May not cover all research databases or sources

9. Google Scholar Button

Users: 3M+

Google Scholar is another tool you can use if you write content in a technical, scientific, or otherwise research-heavy industry. You can find articles and books straight from the comfort of your browser. The tool sometimes links to the article’s landing page on a research website, and sometimes it links directly to the PDF. Either way, it’s a great way to streamline research so you don’t have to manually search for books and articles online.

Pros:

• Offers quick access to scholarly articles and books directly from the browser
• Provides options for searching and accessing research materials
• Allows for easy discovery and citation of relevant sources

Cons:

Limited to users who require research-heavy content

10. Tailwind AI Marketing Content Assistant

Users: 100K+

AI content generation is the biggest productivity booster for marketers to help create engaging copy and content. Tailwind’s AI marketing content assistant gives you access to engaging copy for YouTube video descriptions, blog posts, image captions, and more.

Create Shopify and Etsy product descriptions without opening a new tab. After you install the extension, you’ll see a Ghostwriter AI icon in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. Clicking it will open various tools to help you craft the perfect copy quickly. There are specialized tools for blogging, social media platforms, SEO, and more.

Pros:

• Utilizes AI to generate engaging copy and content quickly
• Offers specialized tools for various types of content, including blog posts and social media
• Provides convenience and efficiency in creating marketing materials

Cons:

• Limited to users who require copy generation and marketing content assistance
• AI-generated content may lack originality or human nuance
• May require additional fine-tuning and editing for specific brand or voice requirements

1. Grammarly

Users: 10M+

Grammarly is my go-to app for reviewing blog posts for proper spelling, grammar, and word use. You can drop large pieces of text into the desktop application for review, or you can use the handy Chrome extension to call out any grammar errors you’re making while typing on the web.

Pros:

• Offers reliable spell-checking and grammar correction
• Provides suggestions for improvement in writing style and clarity
• Works seamlessly in the background while typing on the web
• Can handle large pieces of text for review in the desktop application

Cons:

• Some features are locked behind a paid subscription
• Sometimes provides inaccurate suggestions or conflicts with certain writing styles
• May slow down browser performance when used extensively

2. Google Dictionary

Users: 2M+

Have you ever come across a word you’re not familiar with while doing research online? Instead of Googling it in a separate tab, quickly highlight the word and click on the Google Dictionary extension to get the definition.

Pros:

• Provides quick access to word definitions without leaving the current web page
• Can be activated by highlighting a word, making it convenient for researching online
• Works offline, handy for users with limited or no internet access

Cons:

• Definitions may not always be thorough or detailed

3. Office Editing for Docs, Sheets & Slides

Users: 3M+

For those times when you and your coworkers are working on computers with different operating systems, or want to collaborate on a live document together, check out Office Editing. This extension lets you easily drop Microsoft Office files into Google Drive to view and edit them without needing the software installed on your hard drive.

Pros:

• Allows easy collaboration and editing of Microsoft Office files in Google Drive
• Eliminates the need for Microsoft Office software on all computers
• Provides an efficient way to view and edit documents across different operating systems

Cons:

• Some advanced features of Office documents may not be fully supported
• Formatting inconsistencies may occur when converting files

4. Difree

Users: 900+

Sometimes it‘s hard to free yourself of distractions to write productively, especially if you’re writing online. This new extension quickly opens a new tab for a clean and neutral text editor that auto-saves while you’re working if you need a break from where you normally write.

Pros:

• Provides a distraction-free writing environment with a clean and neutral text editor
• Auto-saves work, ensuring no lost progress during breaks
• Can help increase productivity by removing unnecessary distractions

Cons:

• May not offer advanced features required by professional writers
• Lack of customization options for the text editor interface

5. LanguageTool

Users: 2M+

LanguageTool is a useful Chrome extension for checking the existing text on a website and checking the grammar of your work as you write. It works in Google Docs and any website where there’s an active text box. It also works for different languages, so if you’re aiming to write for different markets and regions, you’ll most definitely want to add this tool to your arsenal.

Pros:

• Offers grammar checking across various languages and different websites
• Provides real-time suggestions for better writing
• Can be used in Google Docs and other text input fields

Cons:

• Some languages may have limited grammar checking capabilities
• Certain mistakes or stylistic choices may be flagged incorrectly
• Advanced features may require a premium subscription

6. Wordtune

Users: 2M+

Wordtune is an AI-powered Chrome extension that provides several alternatives to what’s currently on the page. No matter what tool you’re using — whether it’s Google Docs, Outlook, or another text editor — you can highlight the sentence or phrase you’d like to rewrite, and Wordtune will provide several alternatives. After that, you only have to choose the one you like best.

Pros:

• AI-powered tool that provides alternative sentence suggestions
• Works with various text editors, including Google Docs and Outlook
• Can help improve the quality and readability of written content
• Simplifies the process of rewriting sentences or phrases

Cons:

• Accuracy of alternative suggestions may vary
• Some advanced features may be locked behind a paid subscription

7. ProWritingAid

Users: 200K+

ProWritingAid is another smart Chrome extension for checking the grammar, spelling, and clarity of your blog posts, web pages, and articles. Like the other tools on this list, it works with Google Docs and any text editor in your browser. It will catch any errors you make as you write and suggest corrections.

Pros:

• Offers comprehensive grammar, spelling, and clarity checking
• Integrates with popular text editors and Google Docs
• Provides real-time suggestions and corrections during the writing process

Cons:

• Some advanced features may require a premium subscription
• Suggestions may not always align with the writer’s style or intention
• Resource-intensive and may slow down browser performance

8. Readme

Users: 300K+

Readme is a text-to-speech reader that works right within your Chrome browser to increase accessibility as you write or read articles. It can also help you listen to your drafts out loud for proofreading purposes. Listening to your writing can be an excellent way to catch errors.

Pros:

• Provides text-to-speech functionality to enhance accessibility
• Helps writers proofread by listening to their drafts out loud
• Can identify errors or inconsistencies that might be missed visually

Cons:

• Limited functionality compared to dedicated proofreading tools
• Voice quality may not always be optimal
• May not work well with certain accents or pronunciation variations

9. Helperbird

Users: 40K+

Helperbird is an accessibility Chrome extension that can help writers with dyslexia, blindness, or other disabilities work more efficiently. You can change the font of the page, change the font sizes, use a magnifier, and turn text into speech. You can also turn pages and articles into a plain-text “Reader Mode” for easier reading and scanning.

Pros:

• Enhances accessibility for writers with different disabilities
• Offers customizable features like font size, magnifier, and text-to-speech
• Provides a plain-text “Reader Mode” for easier reading and scanning

Cons:

• May not fully replace specialized assistive technology for specific disabilities

10. MyBib

Users: 1M+

Do you list citations in your blog posts and articles? Use the MyBib Chrome extension to create citations right within the browser. Simply travel to the page, Tweet, article, or video you’d like to cite, select the format you’d like to cite it in, and then copy and paste. Alternatively, if you’re collecting various sources, save it to a “Project.” You’ll then be able to download all of your works cited in any format you prefer.

Bonus: It gives you an in-text citation, too. Absolutely brilliant.

Pros:

• Simplifies the process of creating citations within the browser
• Supports various citation formats
• Allows for easy organization of sources within projects

Cons:

• Accuracy of citations may vary, requiring users to double-check
• Limited in functionality compared to dedicated citation management tools

More Chrome Extensions Equals More Productivity

Now that your browser is loaded with extensions to make marketing easier on a day-to-day basis, test them out to see what time and efficiencies you‘re able to save. When you’re ready to work on your next piece of content, try all of the tools listed above to make the process less painful and time-intensive. Your team will thank you for it.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in November 2016 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Did you know that 51% of consumers go on Google during their buying journey? With the ubiquity of Alaphabet’s most well-known company, that figure is surprisingly low.

Regardless, the point remains: Buyers turn to Google to make informed purchasing decisions and actively look for advice, reviews, and recommendations before they pull out their credit cards.

This is why conducting keyword research and analyzing the types of keyword intents is crucial for your SEO strategy.

In this post, we’re taking a closer look at the main types of buyer intent keywords and how you can leverage them throughout the customer journey.

What are buyer keywords?

Buyer keywords act like digital breadcrumbs, unveiling clues and insights into a brand’s audience. They echo the stages of a buyer’s journey and trumpet the imminent purchase of a product. 

By decrypting these keywords, a brand can reorient its compass, calibrate its SEO strategies, and set sail towards high-intent keywords, the North Star for business growth. They become a strategic guide through the vast digital marketplace, marking the path to prospective customers and flourishing business opportunities.

The 4 different types of buyer intent keywords

There are four different types of buyer intent keywords. We can split them into:

• Informational
• Navigational
• Commercial
• Transactional

Let’s break down each of these types and how they’re unique.

Informational Keywords 

Informational keywords are search terms that indicate someone is looking for answers, solutions, or general knowledge about a particular topic or problem. 

The intent behind these keywords is not to make a purchase or find a specific website (like navigational or transactional keywords) but to gather information or solve a problem. 

Because of this, these keywords are most frequently used at the beginning and middle of the buying cycle and can start with questions such as “How do I,” “Is it possible,” or “Best practices about X.”

Here are some examples of informational keywords:

• How to prevent employee burnout 
• Time-tracking best practices 
• What is best: Trello or Asana?
• Best practices for implementing project management software in your company?

Navigational Keywords 

Navigational keywords refer to search terms people type into search engines with the intent of finding a specific website, brand, or resource. 

These types of keywords differ from informational (seeking knowledge) or transactional (intent to purchase) keywords since they are typically branded keywords. 

Here are some other examples of navigational keywords:

• Teams login 
• Grammarly discount 
• LastPass support 
• ON24 signup

Commercial Keywords 

Commercial keywords are bottom-of-funnel search terms that indicate a high buying intent. When you are using a commercial keyword, you can assume they already have an idea of what they want. 

Examples of commercial keywords may include action-oriented phrases such as “buy,” “order,” “price,” “deal,” or “discount,” as well as comparing specific products or companies. Additionally, location-based terms (e.g., “near me” or “in [city name]”) can often signal commercial intent.

Here are some other examples of commercial keywords:

• Trello price 
• INTENTIVE pricing
• Nike shoe discount 
• ClickUp vs. Asana vs. Monday

Transactional Keywords 

Transactional keywords are often used interchangeably with commercial keywords since they are both bottom-of-funnel search terms indicating the user’s intent to complete a transaction. 

Essentially, while every commercial intent keyword can be considered transactional, not every transactional keyword is commercial. The main difference lies in the broader scope of commercial keywords, encompassing both the intent to buy and the intent to research before buying. 

A telltale sign you are dealing with a transactional keyword is seeing any of these phrases in the long tail keyword: “buy now, “pricing,” or “sign up.” 

Here are some examples of transactional keywords:

• Sign up for Grammarly
• Buy an iPhone 14 
• Budget rental car near me

Why should you focus on high-intent keywords? 

Photo by Arturo Añez: https://www.pexels.com/photo/typewriter-keys-on-blue-background-14314516/

High-intent keywords are crucial in identifying which leads are ready to buy.  Specifically, there are three primary reasons why you should focus on high-intent keywords in your marketing campaigns.

Save Money

High-intent keywords focus on customers who are ready to convert. By focusing on problem-aware and solution-aware customers initially, you’ll gain more traction. Then, you can move to more top-of-funnel (educational) keywords once your positioning and your marketing are more established.

Understand your customers’ goals and pain points 

Discovering and using high-intent keywords will help you understand your customers’ needs better. You can use these goals and pain points in your marketing messaging. 

Avoid wasting time educating leads who will never buy your product or service 

If you want to convert customers efficiently, you should focus on transactional and commercial keywords. It will help you save time on educating potential customers who might not be interested in your offer and focus on those ready to convert. 

How to find buying keywords

Now that we know what potential buying keywords hold and why you should use them, here are some ways to find them. 

Interview your ideal-fit customers 

Conducting interviews with your ideal customers can offer a goldmine of insights, particularly in identifying high-buying intent keywords. These customers can provide firsthand insights into the exact search terms they used when they were ready to buy. 

Discovering how they search for your product—be it with specific product terms, brand names, or action-oriented phrases like “subscribe” or “buy”—can shed light on your customers’ decision-making process and their language preferences.

This valuable information can help marketers streamline their SEO and paid search ad strategies. Through this customer-centric approach to keyword discovery, businesses can efficiently connect with prospective customers at the most crucial point—the point of purchase.

Pro Tip: Not sure how to interview customers? Check out this book.

Understand the core problems your product or service solves 

Understanding the core problems that your product or service solves is key to uncovering more high-intent keywords. 

When people are at the stage of actively seeking solutions, they use search terms that directly relate to their problems and needs. These phrases often encapsulate the specific issues they’re facing and signal a readiness to engage with solutions. By deeply understanding these problems, you can anticipate what they might search for and show how your product or service solves their problem. 

In addition, you shouldn’t overlook informational search queries, as they might help you uncover more transactional and commercial keywords.  

For instance, “How to get over employee burnout” is a pain point keyword that searches for information about a real problem. Even though it is an infomercial keyword, if you are a business coach who specializes in burnout recovery, you should still focus on this keyword. 

Identify keywords that focus on risk reduction

Compelling bottom-of-funnel content often means reassuring customers they won’t be at a loss if they don’t like your offer. This is why risk reduction keywords are important and why you should explicitly target them. 

Countering any objections head-on will help reassure would-be customers. 

Some general search terms that signal a B2B SaaS prospect is looking for reassurance are: 

• Money-back guarantee
• Free trial offer
• Customer testimonials
• No contract required
• 100% satisfaction guarantee
• Customer success stories
• Refund policy
• Hassle-free cancellation
• Transparent pricing

Pay attention to Google autocomplete search suggestions

One of the easiest ways to determine users’ search intent and find buyer keywords is on Google. Check the autocomplete feature that appears in the search bar once you start typing the keyword, and pay attention to related searches at the bottom of the page that appear after you search a keyword on Google.

Use keyword research tools 

From paid tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush to free tools like Google Keyword Planner, these can be a goldmine for finding relational keywords and getting useful data on keyword volume, search rankings, etc.

NetLine’s Audience Explorer can also surface the keywords being served up to your ICP within the Trending Topics section. While not a traditional keyword research tool, Audience Explorer’s rolling-180-day amalgam of B2B content will show you exactly what’s of interest to your ideal prospects.

Read customer reviews and testimonials.

Finally, don’t forget to analyze your customers’ reviews on sites like Capterra, G2, TrustPilot, Google, etc. Pay attention to how they describe your product, how they describe the problem it solves and any emotionally charged phrases they use. All of this information can be very useful in uncovering more high-intent keywords.

In addition, if you are a newer company or don’t have many reviews, you can get a lot of helpful information by analyzing your competitors’ reviews. 

Using buying intent keywords to find your RIGHT target audience

Buyer intent keywords can help you find your target audience faster than any other method. Since they’re focused on solving the problem, buying intent keywords allow brands and marketers to build content and campaigns around them and gather customers ready to “seal the deal”.

Here are some ways you can use buying intent keywords to find your target audience.

• Analyze search intent. Understand the intent behind the keywords to figure out the type of people searching for this.
• Study competitors. Look at what keywords your competitors are ranking for. This can provide insight into the audience they’re attracting and whether it aligns with your target demographic.
• Conduct customer interviews and market research surveys. Gather data directly from your customers. Find out what terms they use when discussing your products or services and what search terms they use when looking to make a purchase.
• Don’t ignore Reddit and social media. Keyword research isn’t just for search engines. Customers can (and they frequently do) search for products and services on social networks.
• Test and monitor keyword performance. Once you’ve identified potential high-intent keywords, incorporate them into your SEO strategy and refine over time to drive more traffic and conversions.
• Leverage Audience Explorer. It won’t be B2B’s best kept secret forever. This ICP-specific, slimmed-down, realtime version of NetLine’s annual Content Consumption Report is a true trump card that should be in every marketer’s deck.

How to market to your audience using buyer intent keywords

Here are some general tips on how to market to your audience using buyer intent keywords.

Clearly communicate how your product solves their problem

It is all about using your content to clearly communicate that you understand your ICP’s pain points and then educating them on how they can use your product or service to do this. There are so many different ways that you can accomplish this, from blog posts and YouTube videos to webinars, social media posts, and comparison landing pages. The end goal of this content is to build trust and establish credibility. 

Explain why you’re better than competitors

Most marketers take this literally and just focus on tackling why their product or service is different and better than established competitors.

However, for many B2B companies, their main competitor is usually an Excel spreadsheet (or 20), company/team inertia or their current solution is “good enough.” 

Address any known objections head-on 

This might sound counterintuitive. However, addressing known objections head-on in your marketing content is a strategic move that can bolster your brand’s credibility and foster trust with your potential customers. 

By proactively acknowledging and responding to these concerns in your content, you demonstrate that your business is transparent, customer-centric, and confident in the value of its products or services. This open approach helps to dispel doubts, clarify misconceptions, and provides an opportunity to further highlight your product’s benefits or unique selling propositions. Moreover, it can streamline the customer’s decision-making process, potentially accelerating the journey from consideration to purchase. 

Create Account-Based Marketing (ABM) campaigns 

The defining advantage of an ABM playbook is its tailored approach, anchoring on personalization to engage each account. By integrating high-intent keywords, marketers can get the most out of B2B intent data and significantly enhance the effectiveness of their ABM strategies by allowing them to pinpoint and directly address each person’s pain points. 

As a result, ABM campaigns become highly targeted endeavors, finely tuned to resonate with the unique needs and concerns of each account, driving engagement and conversion to unprecedented heights.

Use retargeting 

Retargeting is a great way to reach customers who have already shown interest in your product/offer but haven’t made a purchase yet. You can use customer intent keywords to capture their attention and then use retargeting to remind them. 

How NetLine can help with buying intent keywords 

INTENTIVE is designed to capture buyer-level intent data from over 15,000 gated content pieces. This wealth of information allows you to filter and analyze buyers actively performing research in over 35,925,120 different ways.

Plus, it doesn’t just tell you “who” is showing interest in an account, it reveals “what” actions they’re taking, “when” they’re taking them, and uniquely, “where” these actions are happening.

By leveraging the collective consumption behavior across these content assets, INTENTIVE delivers first-party sourced intent-rich data, enabling you to accelerate your sales outcomes and create more targeted messaging campaigns.

People watch almost 5 billion videos every day on YouTube. It’s no wonder content creators choose this channel to share their ideas, products, and skills — they know there’s potential to earn a great following and potential customers. Given the multitude of videos that live on the platform, it’s important to make yours stand out if you want the same.

The quality of your video will rely on your filming equipment and the editing software you use. A video with high resolution, proper lighting, and seamless video editing will set the foundation for masterful and professional-looking content.

To help you accomplish this, we’ve created a list that features the best (free and paid) video editing tools on the market. All of these tools make it possible for you to create engaging, standout content for one of the top social platforms globally.

Skip to:

• Free Video Editing Software
• Paid Video Editing Software

1. Shotcut

Shotcut, a free open source video editor that is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, offers a variety of impressive features comparable to Windows Movie Maker. For instance, the tool allows you to cut video footage to a certain length before converting it, and offers filters and effects to make your video look sleeker. Shotcut can handle streaming in a variety of formats, ranging from HTTP to RTSP and UDP.

While the interface is minimalist, the tool is actually very comprehensive, and all of its video and audio filters are fully customizable. Best of all, you can add, remove, or alter your changes at any time, since editing on Shotcut is non-linear; or able to be edited out of chronological order.

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Price: Free

Available for: Windows, Mac, and Linux

2. VSDC Free Video Editor

VSDC allows you to either import existing clips or record directly from your webcam, making it an excellent option for YouTube vloggers. The interface is simple, and the tool provides options to apply “Instagram-like filters”, voiceovers, titles, shapes, and other impressive visual and audio effects. Additionally, VSDC lets you export straight to YouTube or another social network.

It‘s important to note, if you want to export your videos from the free version, you’ll select the cog icon in the top right, click “Acceleration options” and then uncheck the box marked, “Use hardware acceleration for encoding video”.

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Price: Free, or $19.99 for Pro Version

Available for: Windows

3. DaVinci Resolve 18

Matti Haapoja, a YouTuber with a channel that focuses on the filmmaking process, reviewed this tool and compared it in quality to Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro (unlike those programs, DaVinci Resolve 18 is completely free). DaVinci Resolve provides tools for both offline and online editing, color correction, post-production audio effects, and visual effects. Additionally, the software lets you collaborate with others during the editing process, which could be particularly helpful if you have multiple video editors on your team.

The software‘s latest iteration comes with new AI tools to help sort and analyze audio clips based on classification. Best of all, DaVinci Resolve offers impressive features to help your video rank for SEO — for instance, you can use Smart Bins to automatically sort and display footage based on metadata criteria (you can also sort manually). Additionally, you’re able to enter custom keywords and tags.

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Price: Free for DaVinci Resolve 18, or $295 for DaVinci Resolve Studio

Available for: Windows, Linux, Mac

4. LightWorks

If you’re looking for an extensively customizable, professional software, then look no further than LightWorks. While it’s available for free trial, investing in this software will offer a much more extensive user experience. LightWorks offers media production features that you can use to edit film nonlinearly, with over 100 special effects. Not only that, it has support for up to 4K resolution and is compatible with both HD and SD formats. Users can also enjoy a range of royalty-free audio and video content suitable for YouTube’s copyright guidelines. The software features new social media templates for smooth transitions, thumbnails, and more that can prove beneficial for uploading to many different channels.

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Price: Free, $9.99 monthly for Create or $23.99 monthly for Pro

Available for: Mac, Linux, Windows

5. FlexClip

FlexClip is easy to use and has a free plan that allows you to create up to 10-minute videos. This makes it a great option for YouTubers who are just starting or who are tight on budget. Even if you have no experience with video editing, you can easily create professional-looking videos with FlexClip since it offers a library of video templates in different categories that can be used to create videos quickly and easily. These templates include a variety of styles, from slideshows to product reviews to explainer videos.

Additionally, FlexClip just released three cutting-edge AI functions, including AI video script, text-to-speech, and AI image generator, which are set to revolutionize the video creation process. You can also easily add voiceovers or narration to your YouTube videos without the need for external voice recording with the text-to-speech feature.

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Price: Free, $9.99 monthly for Plus, or $19.99 monthly for Business

Available for: Mac, Linux, Windows

6. InVideo

If you’re new to creating video content, InVideo will help you tackle the learning curve of editing. Using AI tools, this software allows users to upload video and quickly find a template that works for them.

Generate scripts with AI, or use it to quickly convert blog articles to video content with InVideo‘s text-to-video feature. Users also have the option to build videos from scratch using the tool’s library of 8 million stock media options.

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Price: Free, $15 monthly Business plan, $30 monthly Unlimited plan

Available for: Windows, Mac

1. Wondershare Filmora 12

Referred to as “a video editor for all creators”, this tool is incredibly easy to use whether you‘re a novice video editor or a professional. With Filmora, you’re able to use filters, overlays, transitions, and custom titles to spruce up your content for YouTube and engage your audience.

Additionally, the tool offers audio features for key-framing and background noise removal, as well as an audio equalizer. If you have multiple clips you’re hoping to combine into one cohesive video, this is a good tool for you — it allows you to import up to 100 layers of media and offers features so you can layer your clips.

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Price: Free trial, $49.99 Annual Plan, $59.99/year Cross Platform Plan, or $44.99 annually, $79.99 one-time payment for Perpetual Plan

Available for: Windows, Mac, or app version for iOS or Android

2. Vimeo

Vimeo’s editing tool (formerly Magisto) is a software that simplifies video editing for those intimidated by more technical processes. Designed for novice and beginner video editors, this interface uses AI to create video content in minutes. Users only have to upload footage and audio files and the software does most of the work based upon the style of video requested. Editors can use its professional auto-editing abilities that include facial recognition, filters, and more on a PC or smartphone. Magisto’s easy-to-use streamlined process is an efficient way to create videos for business at scale on iOS and Android devices.

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Price: $12.99/seat/year Starter, $20/seat/year Standard, $65/seat/year Advanced, contact for quote for Enterprise

Available for: iOS, Android

3. PlayPlay Video Editor

PlayPlay is a cutting-edge online video editor platform that empowers users to create professional-quality videos with ease. PlayPlay was designed for marketing and communication teams with a user-friendly interface and a wide range of customizable templates to help users craft engaging video content that resonates with their target audience.

Making video creation even easier, PlayPlay has introduced an AI Assistant feature to help you create videos faster. The royalty-free Getty image and music libraries will help you to create the best-quality content with less cost. You can also choose from thousands of categorized media and audio files for your project.

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Price: Free trial, contact for enterprise pricing

Available for: Windows

4. Movavi Video Editor

Movavi Video Editor enables you to create stunning videos with the help of special effects, transitions, and customizable color profiles. It‘s easy to use, and you can even add voice-overs and background music from Movavi’s library or your own audio files. This video-editing software makes all difficult tasks easy including background removal, split-screen, and even motion tracking, so you won’t need any special previous experience to start using it. Above all, you can enhance the audio quality by normalizing the volume and removing background noises.

You can save projects in 4K resolution if you’re looking for ultra-high quality video footage and export the results in any format. Moreover, you can upload your finished videos directly to YouTube, Google Drive, Vimeo, and TikTok to get your content out as quickly as possible.

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Price: $94.96 Video Suite 1-year subscription, $104.95 Video Suite + Photo Editor 1-year subscription, $155.95 Unlimited 1-year subscription

Available for: Mac, Windows

5. Premiere Pro

Premiere Pro is one of the highest-quality video editor tools you’ll find. Used by Hollywood filmmakers, TV editors, and YouTubers, the software offers all the creative features you need to craft polished videos. Premiere Pro provides features for color grading, data visualization, and audio tools to remove background noise. Additionally, Premiere Pro now comes with Premiere Rush CC, which is an app you can use to edit footage on your phone, then share directly to your social networks, including YouTube.

Leticia De Bortoli, a HubSpot Senior Video Editor, shares what takes her videos to the next level. She uses Premiere when editing her team’s videos, as well as Audition for sound, and DaVinci for color correction. Bortoli cites this software, great lighting, and audio tools as the secrets to her sharp videos.

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Price: As a standalone app, Premiere Pro is $239.88 per year

Available for: Mac, Windows

6. VideoStudio

VideoStudio is an excellent video editing software that is intuitive even for the beginner editor. This software has all the standard features to storyboard and sound editing for footage up to 4K. Users can benefit from VideoStudio as it has individual auto movie creator features like Highlight Reel creator to assist in simplifying the editing process. Starting your YouTube channel with the help of VideoStudio would be a smart way to build your content.

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Price: One-time payment of $59.99 to $79.99 depending on package

Available for: Mac, Windows

7. Pinnacle Studio 26

Pinnacle Studio 26 is an editing software that is made for video enthusiasts looking to build unique and eye catching content. Not only does this software offer high end features like fast rendering performance, motion tracking, and color correction, but it can support 360 camera and VR footage in its Studio Ultimate package. Pinnacle’s range of effects goes beyond previously mentioned softwares by letting users create frame by frame edits for enhanced masking or warping of footage for astonishing visual effects. Dynamic features aside, it can also simplify screen recording or multi-camera editing perfect for a variety of YouTube series formats.

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Price: One time payment of $59.95 to $129.95 depending on package

Available for: Windows

8. CyberLink PowerDirector 365

Users who subscribe to PowerDirector can enjoy video and audio software with new effects, music samples, and general improvements added monthly. The difference between this software and others is that this editing software offers you features similar to Photoshop, for your recordings. You can enjoy creating vector shape designs in the same interface used for desirable YouTube titles and transitions in the same interface as where you edit frames of footage. While there is a learning curve with CyberLink PowerDirector, the possibilities are endless when you begin.

Additionally, David Guerrera, a HubSpot Senior Video Creator and Animator, mentioned the YouTube channel Film Riot for further inspiration when making unique videos with powerful software. “Film Riot is a great resource for filmmakers of all skill levels who are looking to learn new techniques to use on their next low budget or big budget video project.”

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Price: $51.99 annually base plan, $96.99 annually Director Suite plan, or $139.99 annually for Ultimate plan monthly and $69.99 annually

Available for: Mac, Windows

Choosing the Right Editing Software

Ultimately, you‘ll need to choose software that works for your team and your budget, but creating high-quality YouTube videos doesn’t have to break the bank. In fact, you can find plenty of tools that are either free or fall under $100.

The hardest part about starting a YouTube channel is, starting. There’s a lot of competition on the platform, but there are ways to break through the noise. Building a channel with videos featuring smooth video editing, high-resolution picture and clear audio recording will set the standard for your channel’s success.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in March 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

You know the expression, “What you see is what you get”?

Well, when it comes to email marketing campaigns, that might not always be the case.

In this post, we’ll discuss the best free and paid email testing, previewing, and rendering tools you can use to make sure your emails are ready for the eyes of your leads and customers.

What is an email previewer?

An email previewer is a tool that helps you preview your messages before sending them to your list. Previewing your messages ensures your emails are professional, error-free, easy to read, and ready for your leads and customers.

Why use an email previewer?

Since everyone uses different email providers such as Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo, emails can appear differently for various subscribers.

Sometimes images are blocked, alt text is missing, or fonts won‘t render. If this happens, you could damage your credibility and lose subscribers. That’s why it’s essential to test your emails before you send them.

Now let’s take a moment to review HTML versus plain text emails and previews.

No matter which email type you choose, you should preview your emails to make sure they’re ready for your audience.

This is especially important if you go with an HTML email since it inherently includes multimedia elements, colors, fonts, branded elements, images, and more.

HTML Email Preview

As your HTML emails become more sophisticated, it’s important to preview and test your emails before sending them to recipients. An HTML preview allows you to adjust anything necessary before the final version is sent to your audience.

That way, you can send your messages to the people who matter most — your customers — with complete confidence.

From HubSpot to GlockApps, here’s how to choose the right email previewer for your needs and budget. Aside from previewing emails, many suggested tools also include other email marketing features, like advanced testing.

1. HubSpot Email Marketing Tool

Price: $18 per month to $800 per month.

We’ve baked HubSpot’s Email Marketing Tools into your CRM plan. You can use authentic and accurate customer data to power your email marketing efforts.

Because the CRM platform scales with your business, HubSpot’s Email Marketing Tools are ideal for growing companies.

You can easily customize lists as your subscriber count grows. The drag-and-drop email editor also makes previewing emails for different devices and platforms easy.

2. SendX

Price: Ranges from $9.99 a month for 1–1,000 subscribers to $189.99 a month for 30,001–35,000 subscribers.

SendX is an email marketing software for experienced email marketers. There’s only one plan (Business Plan), and the price varies based on your volume of subscribers. The Business Plan includes all software features and unlimited emails per month.

SendX caters to “unfairly banned” niches, including “cryptocurrency” and “affiliate marketing.”

Their product offers a heatmap report featuring an overview of call-to-action (CTA) success across campaigns. You can use the feature to see which visuals inspire readers to take action.

3. Campaign Monitor

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Price: $9 monthly for a basic plan; $29 monthly for an unlimited plan; and $149 monthly for a premier plan

Campaign Monitor’s Inbox Preview tool shows what your email will look like when sent to all major email providers and when viewed on various devices.

You simply have to click the view you’d like from the options listed on the left. It’s even possible to view your email without images.

In addition, this tool can check to see if your email will pass popular spam filters to ensure it lands in your audience’s inboxes.

4. Mailosaur

Price: $9 a user per month for a starter plan; $16 a user per month for a business plan; $20 a user per month for a professional plan; and custom pricing for enterprises

Mailosaur allows you to instantly see how your email will appear on all popular email clients, allowing you to catch any mistakes and to feel confident that your email will look great in any inbox.

It further allows you to view your email on different devices and different browsers. You’ll be sure to correct any errors before sending out your emails.

5. GlockApps

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Price: $59 monthly for a basic bundle; $99 monthly for a business bundle; $199 monthly for a custom bundle

GlockApps is a deliverability tool that helps marketers in the tech space preview and test their emails. Aside from testing for spam scores, you can preview and analyze email content.

Once you run the tests, GlockApps will provide you with action steps to improve your emails before pressing send.

6. SendForensics

Price: $39 monthly for a brand plan; $63 monthly for a company plan; $159 monthly for an agency plan

SendForensics is an all-in-one email deliverability tool for in-house marketers and agencies. SendForensics’ tool is mainly for email testing, but the paid plans also offer a previewing feature.

Because the previewer doesn’t use an emulator, you’ll see your email exactly how it’ll look on a device or browser.

It’s important to note that the following free email preview tools are also free email testing tools. Meaning, they have the ability to assist with email previews and email testing.

1. HubSpot Email Marketing Tool

Get Started with HubSpot’s Email Marketing Software for Free

With HubSpot’s Email Marketing Tools, you can create, personalize, and optimize your marketing emails without the need for any code or help from designers.

Since this tool is part of the HubSpot CRM platform, you‘ll know the data you’re using to customize your emails is accurate. For instance, personalize emails by referring to the recipient’s lifecycle stage or membership status — then schedule your campaign so your customized emails are sent automatically.

Pre-made, customizable email templates and the tool’s drag-and-drop editor allow you to quickly create beautiful emails to your recipient list.

Lastly, A/B test different elements of your emails — such as subject lines or the time that you send your emails — to determine what works best for your audience.

2. SubjectLine.com

Testing the visual design of your emails is important. However, don’t forget to preview your actual content as well.

With SubjectLine.com, you can test your subject lines and receive a free rating out of 100. The tool considers the total length, word length, urgency, and more.

Word choice matters in your subject lines, and this tool will help you develop more clickable subjects so your readers are more likely to open.

3. MailNinja Email Previewer

MailNinja is a free, easy-to-use, uncluttered email preview tool. With this tool, you can see instant previews of your HTML emails. Additionally, you can double-check your alt text, send test emails, and see how your email will look on different devices.

This is a simple, free option if you don’t trust or want to use a different preview tool than your email marketing software.

4. Inbox Analyzer

Inbox Analyzer, another free email preview tool, helps take the pain out of inbox and spam testing your emails.

Send your emails to the most popular inbox providers to see how they appear and if they deliver — this tool will let you know if your email hits the inbox, spam folder, or is undelivered.

Additionally, you‘ll receive instant reports on your sender scores, reputation alerts, and even blocklists. With this tool, you’ll be able to find issues and learn how to resolve them.

5. PutsMail

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PutsMail is a free email testing tool by Litmus. Plus, PutsMail lets you see how your email will look across 50+ platforms and devices. This is a great tool if you’re just looking for a quick and easy way to preview your emails.

1. Get Response

Price: $19 monthly for email marketing; $59 monthly for marketing automation; $119 monthly for ecommerce marketing

Get Response is an email marketing software that can help you create content, boost sales, and increase traffic to your site. Preview your emails in over 25 popular email clients, and determine if and when multimedia elements like images are blocked.

2. Litmus

Price: $99 monthly for Litmus Basic; $199 monthly for Litmus Plus

Litmus is a tool for testing and developing email campaigns. With a paid account, you’ll gain access to an email preview testing tool that allows you to see screenshots of your emails across 90+ different apps and devices.

Litmus allows you to personalize messages at scale. It’s suitable for established companies with large email lists. Every paid plan comes with email previewing and offers unlimited read-only users. There’s a range of templates that are easy to implement.

Better yet, if you have a Litmus account, you can add a Chrome extension to your browser and test your emails without ever leaving your email service provider.

With the extension, you can validate your links, images, and tracking. Plus, the extension will instantly run a new checklist with every edit.

3. Stripo

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Price: $15 monthly for a basic plan; $45 monthly for a medium plan; $95 monthly for a pro plan

Stripo is an intuitive email builder with email testing and a variety of available email service provider (ESP) integrations (including HubSpot, Gmail, Outlook, and Mailchimp). There’s a library of custom modules, so you can use them across various campaigns.

All of the emails you design with Stripo’s HTML editor are responsive, so you’ll never have to worry about how they render for recipients across different devices. Additionally, after building dynamic AMP emails with Stripo, the tool’s code validator checks the email for errors for you.

Stripo will be releasing a “Real-time co-editing & commenting” feature for the Medium and above plans in the future. Stripo works for in-house marketers — there’s also a use case for HR managers who send out internal newsletters.

4. Email Preview Services

Price: $25 monthly for a standard plan; $45 monthly for a business plan; $160 monthly for a professional plan; $399 monthly for an enterprise plan

Email Preview Services (formerly Preview My Email) is another email testing solution that can help you improve your performance.

With it, you’ll get real screenshots of your email across all the popular email providers in one click. This tool also offers email analytics that can help you better understand your email audience.

It’s a great email enhancement solution for marketers, designers, and developers. Every plan has unlimited email previews to access via a dedicated inbox.

Email Preview Services gives you four ways to preview emails before sending — copy-paste, API integration, HTML-upload, and send as email.

5. Email on Acid

Price: $74 monthly for The Basics; $134 monthly for Premium; $449 monthly for Professional)

Email on Acid is an email preview tool designed to help you display emails properly across all clients. The email previews are live clients, so you’ll see exactly what your subscribers see.

This tool gives you screenshots, so you have no questions about what your email will look like on 90 clients and devices. It also tests for poor formatting, broken links, and code problems.

Email on Acid also offers the ability to comment, edit, and review email previews directly in the software for a faster and more efficient testing process.

Start Previewing, Testing, and Rendering Your Emails

Previewing your emails is an important part of email marketing. If people can‘t see your emails or your credibility is ruined, those emails haven’t done their job.

Use an email previewing and testing tool to ensure they’re perfect for recipients.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in June 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Advertising is changing — by the end of 2023, companies are on track to spend more than $424.3 billion dollars on digital advertising.

The challenge? Massive variety in the digital advertising market — from differing platforms and ad types to target audiences — can frustrate efforts to capture customer interest and drive ROI.

How do you choose the right medium to promote your platform? What metrics matter? And once you decide, how do you actually make the ad?

Our comprehensive ad-making guide has you covered. Let’s go.

Featured Resource: Advertising Planning Templates & Kit

To make your advertising planning easier, use HubSpot’s free Advertising Planning Kit. Included are templates to help you plan and present your ad pitch, schedule your release dates, and inform your stakeholders. We’ve also thrown in an advertising best practices guide to help you choose the advertising method that works best for your business.

1. Choose Your Target Audience

When making an ad, you’ll first need to decide the audience you’re making the ad for. Target the right market and you’ll find customers naturally inclined to engage with your brand and product. Cast too wide a net and you may find yourself lost in the digital noise.

One way to help your ad find the right audience is to get granular on whom you want to target with your messaging, which will help you incorporate the best messaging and select the best advertising platform. This should be based off of your buyer personas — semi-fictional representations of your ideal customer based on market research and real data about your existing customers.

If you need help building your personas, try using HubSpot’s Make My Persona tool.

2. Conduct Marketing Research

Market research is an essential part of campaign promotion. Feeding into your buyer personas, market research can answer key questions about your target market, such as:

• How old are they?
• What do they spend most of their time doing?
• What social media platforms do they use, if any?
• Do they live in suburban, urban, or rural areas?

Knowing the above information about your target audience can help you answer questions like — TV or YouTube? Instagram or LinkedIn? Billboard or bus? — because you’ll understand more about how to appeal to the right people.

You can use this Market Research Guide and Set of Templates to get started on market research for your ad.

3. Choose Your Platform

Your market research should give you the insight and confidence you need to choose the most effective platform to reach your target audience. You should also do some supplemental research on the costs, ROI, and benefits of certain ad platforms and methods.

You may come to the realization that using multiple ad platforms and methods would be the right move for your campaign – such as social media and search engine ads. This is actually a great strategy, as it casts a wider net and opens up the possibility of reaching even more prospects where they already are.

4. Decide on a Budget

For advertising, you need to spend money to make money.

Getting your budget approved can be difficult, so make it easier to get what you need by clearly outlining:

• The total budget you need
• How the costs are broken down
• A projected ROI (or business impact)

Be sure to come to any budget meeting prepared to answer whatever questions could be thrown at you and to defend the specifics.

For instance, saying “We need $10,000 to run a Google Ads campaign” doesn’t sound nearly as compelling as “We’d like to run a series of ads on Google. Here’s a list of our keywords and negative keywords, their monthly search volume, and our preliminary bids for each. With these projections, we’re expecting to bring in 400 new contacts next month for a total cost of $10,000.”

5. Craft a Message

By this point, you know your target audience and preferred platform, but you’re still unsure what you’re saying. Here’s where you’ll want to think about the broad purpose of your campaign to inspire your ad.

Do you want people to come to your store, or visit your website? Is your immediate goal to drive free signups for your software, or ebook downloads? Think about the message and how that can feed into your ad campaign’s end goal(s).

6. Get People Talking

While your message needs to include your brand purpose and tie in with long-term marketing goals, it also needs to be something people remember.

Mark O’Donnell, one of HubSpot’s own Principal Revenue Marketing Managers, shares the importance of an ad that generates buzz through his own experience,

“The most most impactful ads need to be timely, memorable and provocative.
Specifically on LinkedIn, ads needs to solve a pain point or a need with the audience – at the right time.
It needs to stand out from the competition and a noisy newsfeed. This can be achieved by a true understanding of your ideal customer profile (ICP), and focusing on building relevant audiences and creating urgency. The ask for your audience needs to be clear and the message needs to call them out to take action.
Lastly, test this with multiple ad types, creative and message. The best ads are usually the ones that have been tested, optimised and improved over time.”

Here’s why: As more advertising shifts to social media sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and even Twitter, brand marketing needs to get to the point ASAP to drive customer interest and social sharing. If your message — text, images, or videos — can make users stop, look and share with their connections, you have a much better chance of creating organic interaction and driving more traffic to your site.

7. Decide What You’re Building

Ads can build brand awareness and product awareness — but not simultaneously. As a result, it’s worth taking the time to think about your advertising goals for new marketing campaigns.

For example, if brand awareness is the goal, you may want to consider a set of ads that tell a story or help customers learn more about what makes your brand unique. Here, the goal is to engage with customers over a longer period of time to help them engage with your brand from the first time they see your ad to eventual conversion. Ideally, your brand story will help create a long-term, reciprocal customer relationship.

Product awareness ads, meanwhile, are designed to highlight new products or services, call out seasonal specials or help drive specific action from customers. They’re often one-off or a short series of ads that run over a small period of time.

8. Include a CTA

While building awareness is critical for ads to be effective, it’s not enough in isolation.

That’s why all your ads also need a call-to-action (CTA) that provides information for consumers on what to do next. In some cases — such as an ad on your webpage — the CTA may be simple and direct, such as “sign up for our newsletter” or “click here to buy now.”

If you’re advertising on social sites, meanwhile, reaching for an immediate sale or asking for user contact data may actually drive customers away. Here, your CTA needs to be more subtle but no less clear. For example, you might opt for “click here to learn more” or “explore what we have to offer.” In practice, the goal is to avoid presuming what users want — instead, your CTA provides a path to more information if they’re interested. And if you’ve crafted a great ad, they will be.

9. Don’t Forget the Details

They’re small things — the smallest, in some cases — but can have significant impacts for your ad campaign: The details.

Consider an advertisement for a concert or event that your company is hosting. You’ve done the work: Identified the right market, crafted a great message, and created a CTA that will drive customer action.

But…

You’ve forgotten the details. Your ad doesn’t mention where or when the event is happening. Sure, customers could click through and see the specifics on your website, but there’s no guarantee they’ll take this step. Put simply, when it comes to creating a great ad, you have to account for the forest and the trees: You need big-picture advertisements that are visually compelling, content-rich and engaging, but it’s just as critical to double-check that you’re not missing the details.

10. Create Test Ads

Before launching your ad campaign, it’s worth trying your hand at making an advertisement for your brand. Here’s why: Not all ad designs look as great on the screen as they do in your head. By creating basic mock-ups, you can see what works, what doesn’t, and what needs to improve.

One of the most popular options for simple ad creation is Adobe Photoshop. Not sure where to start? Here’s a quick look at how to make an ad in Photoshop.

How to Make an Ad on Photoshop

Let’s say you want to create a Facebook ad on Photoshop. Follow these steps:

• Create a new document in Photoshop.

Open Photoshop, select “File,” and then click “New” from the drop-down menu. You’ll see the screen above. Here, you can select the size of your new ad, along with the color profile you want to use.

• Insert your image.

Next, you’ll want to insert an image to work with. Simply drag-and-drop the image of your choice into the Photoshop workspace and you’re ready to go.

• Add some text.

Next, add some text to your image by selecting the “T” button in the bottom left-hand corner. You can choose vertical or horizontal text, depending on what works best for your image.

• Add a CTA.

Once you’re happy with your text placement, consider adding a CTA. Select one of the shape tools from the left-hand side menu and insert that into your image. Resize as needed, then head back to the text tool and insert your CTA.

• Consider the 20% rule.

Facebook used to have a hard-and-fast 20% rule that stated no more than 20% of your image could contain text. While this is now a strong suggestion rather than an absolute rule, it’s worth keeping your text to a minimum since Facebook rates ads based on their text volume — the more text you have, the lower your chances of getting seen.

• Save your file.

Finally, save your new ad. Head to “File”, then “Save As,” and then “Format.” It’s worth saving it as both a Photoshop document (.psd) and a .png file, which makes uploading to Facebook easier.

11. Develop Creative Assets

Whether it’s copy for a Google Ad or a flashy landing page from your in-house designers, all ads need creative assets. Chances are, most of the ads you run will need one or more of the following:

• Short, promotional copy (for image ads and online ads)
• Long-form copy (for video scripts)
• Photographs (for online ads)
• Custom-designed images and/or animations (for online ads and video ads)
• Video (for…video ads)
• GIFs (for online ads)

All of these assets can be overwhelming, and if you’re thinking “I’m not a videographer/writer/designer/photographer!”, that’s totally fine. If these resources aren’t available to you in-house to help make your ad, consider hiring a team of freelancers or an agency to help you produce these deliverables and make an outstanding advertisement, or use an online marketing design tool like Canva to help streamline the process.

12. Determine Measurements of Success and Set Up Tracking

No matter if your ultimate goal is Page Likes, online purchases, or promo code uses, you should never launch an ad without first being crystal clear on two questions:

• What do we want to see in order to call this ad successful?
• How are we measuring success?

Jonathan Barshop, a HubSpot Sr. Product Growth Manager, shares his determinants of success for ads geared toward podcast listeners,

“When it comes to podcast ads, we’re either trying to drive downloads for shows within our network or page views to HubSpot’s website. On the download side (the side I manage), we mostly gauge success based on the conversion rate of new listeners, meaning if 1,000 listeners hear our ad on X show and 50 of them go and download one of our episodes, that’s considered a strong conversion. The success of most audio ads are predicated on the podcast hosts relationship with your podcast / product — if they genuinely like it, it’ll come across in the ad read and listeners will flock.”

You have to make the expectations of your campaign known by setting up proper goal-setting and ad tracking.

If you’re advertising online, there’s a good chance the platform you’re using — like Facebook, Google, or LinkedIn — has an ad management and tracking platform, allowing you to see how many interactions your ads have had and how much they cost.

However, you’ll also want to take a few extra steps to aid in your analysis down the line:

• Use an automated free ad tracking platform to measure advertising ROI and see how your ads tie into larger marketing projects and campaigns. You can also use this platform to compare ads from different sites; say, if you were running ads on both Instagram and Twitter.
• Set up a custom tracking spreadsheet offline to measure engagements with your ad and other data points like cost, conversion, and advertising ROI, especially if your ad is online.
• Use custom tracking tokens for links promoted in your ad so that you can analyze engagement and conversions on your own website.

13. Launch Your Ad

The stage is set, and you can finally launch your ad for the world to see.

Needless to say, the process of launching an ad on Google is different than on Bing. The same can be said for every social media channel, TV ads, or transportation ads.

Here’s a list of the more detailed, step-by-step process for launching an ad on some of these platforms. Click through to learn more about the platform or platforms that you’re creating an ad for:

• How to Launch a Facebook Ad
• How to Launch a LinkedIn Ad
• How to Launch an Instagram Ad
• How to Launch a Twitter Ad
• How to Launch a YouTube Ad
• How to Launch a Google Ad
• How to Launch a TV Ad
• How to Launch a Billboard Ad

14. Track & Analyze Performance

For campaigns that have a set run time (transportation, television, etc.), determine how the ad’s results performed against expectations. Since it’s difficult to draw a one-to-one comparison for these ad types, you may want to look at general business trends, change in revenue, or even social media/press mentions to gauge success.

For online ads, this process is a bit easier. Results start coming in immediately, so you can see how well your ads are performing instantly, and over time. Take note of the ads bringing in high numbers at low costs and — just as importantly — ads costing a lot but not performing that well.

Remember, you can take the headache out of the manual ad tracking with a free online ads tracking tool.

15. Make Changes, Rinse, and Repeat

Once your ad campaign is over (or if it’s an ongoing online campaign), apply your learnings to your next advertisement.

For instance, maybe you realized your online ads that were wordier performed worse than ads that were more concise, or that YouTube just didn’t work this time around. Lean into what worked (or is working) and abandon what’s not to continue to strengthen your company’s advertising program.

It All Ads Up

And there you have it — our comprehensive guide to planning, creating, launching, and analyzing your new ad.

Looking to streamline the process? Use an advertising planning template to outline your ad campaign, keep all contributors informed, and rally behind the same end goal for your business.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in October 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

It’s an understatement to say that video is important to a successful marketing strategy. 92% of marketers report that videos give them a positive ROI.

You may think you need expensive equipment to create a high-quality marketing video, but you’re actually all set if you know how to make a video on an iPhone.

Sounds too good to be true? Don’t worry. In this post, we’ll walk you through our tips and best practices for filming high-quality marketing and social media videos with your handy iPhone and a few other tools.

Tips for Shooting Videos with an iPhone

Here are some best practices for filming videos with an iPhone.

1. Find a quiet place to film.

Though it‘s possible to edit out most background noise in post-production, you’re better off avoiding the issue altogether by recording in a quiet space.

If possible, book a conference space and hang signs telling people to steer clear of where you’re shooting, or bring a coworker with you to block off the area where you plan to film.

2. Make sure your iPhone has enough storage space.

Few things are more frustrating than getting this notification while filming on your phone: “iPhone Storage Full.”

If your iPhone tells you it’s out of storage as you’re filming, your phone will stop recording, and you’ll have to start over. To prevent this, ensure you have enough space before pressing “record” by deleting as many unnecessary files and apps as possible.

If necessary, purchase iCloud storage for files to free up more space on your device itself.

To do this, navigate to “Settings,” click on your name, select “iCloud,” and tap “Manage Storage” or “Manage Your Plan” to buy more space.

3. Turn off notifications.

You don’t want text notifications, push alerts, or phone calls to interrupt your filming. So, before you start, set your iPhone to Do Not Disturb mode to silence all notifications so you can record in peace.

To do this, swipe down on your phone and tap Focus, then Do Not Disturb mode. Tap Do Not Disturb again when you’re done to return your phone to normal settings.

Pro tip: Do Not Disturb is a great way to watch YouTube videos, play games, and sleep uninterrupted, too.

4. Use a tripod.

Now matter how steady you think your hands are, they probably aren’t steady enough to film a video for an extended period of time.

Now, it’s one thing if you’re scrappily putting together a Snapchat Story or a fun TikTok.

However, if you’re filming a video for your brand — especially one that will live permanently on your blog, YouTube channel, or other social media assets — you’ll need the help of a tripod to keep the video steady and clear.

You can purchase full tripods or smaller versions for your desk on Amazon, at Best Buy, or from other vendors.

5. Light your video.

This point is especially important if you‘re filming in an office building with lots of overhead lighting. Fortunately, you don’t need to buy anything fancy for this step. Our friends at Wistia put together this guide to a DIY lighting setup.

You need enough light to give the impression of natural light, which means it’s coming from various light sources and not just directly overhead.

If you don’t have the time or budget to purchase a lighting setup, find a room or location with plenty of natural light to keep your video subject looking good. Remember to turn off the overhead lights.

6. Use a microphone.

Quality sound is crucial to an engaging video. If you’re speaking in your video, use a microphone to amplify your voice and combat any distracting ambient noise.

You don’t need a fancy microphone and boom setup like in the movies, although those would be a great investment if you plan to film many videos.

You can use something as simple as a microphone plugging into your iPhone’s headphone input to get great video audio — and you can buy one here.

If you have an extra iPhone or can borrow one, you can also use that iPhone as a mic. Just open the phone’s Voice Memo app and record your audio as a memo. While recording, keep the mic hidden in a shirt pocket or just out of frame.

Pro Tip: Clap at the start of each take so you have a reference point for syncing the audio and video together when editing.

7. Film horizontally or vertically, depending on the platform.

If you’re creating content for Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or Snapchat — film vertically because that is the format used for those platforms. If you film horizontally

Film horizontally if you‘re filming for YouTube or Facebook (and you’re not creating Shorts or Reels). The video will appear smaller if you record vertically and the viewer’s screen is rotated horizontally.

8. Don‘t use the iPhone’s zoom capability.

Zooming into an image with your iPhone will make the image appear closer, but it will lessen the quality of your video by making it pixelated and blurry. Instead, physically move your filming setup closer to your subject to eliminate the need to zoom in.

9. Lock your exposure.

The iPhone does a fantastic job of finding the subject to focus your camera’s exposure — which is great for taking a photo.

But when it comes to filming a video, its super-powered exposure will continue adjusting and readjusting according to movement — leaving your final video occasionally blurry and out of focus.

You can solve this problem by locking the exposure while you’re filming. Before you press record, hold down your finger on the subject of your video until a yellow box appears around the person or object and the words “AE/AF Lock” appear:

10. Use your iPhone’s built-in grid.

If you‘re unsure how to get the perfect shot, use your iPhone’s built-in grid and frame the show using the rule of thirds.

To access the built-in grid, navigate to Settings, tap Camera, and turn on Grid.

11. Shoot with your back-facing camera.

It can be tempting to record with your front-facing camera because you can see yourself while filming, easily check to ensure you‘re in the frame, and see everything is in place.

However, the front-facing camera doesn’t film as high a quality as your back-facing camera.

Film with your back-facing camera to give your audience the best visual experience.

Pro-Tip: Have someone on the screen side of your iPhone verify you’re in the frame.

12. Use other Apple devices as a preview window.

If you’re shooting alone, Airplay your camera to your Apple Watch, Macbook, or iPad so you can use the device as a preview window.

13. Edit on a computer.

Once you‘ve filmed your video, you must edit it and prepare it for publication. While the iPhone offers many visual editing tools within its interface, it’s best to use editing software on your computer to fine-tune the images.

Software like iMovie and Adobe Premiere Pro lets you add sound and captions and adjust filtering to make your video look and sound as professional as possible.

You can even try other third-party apps to combine videos on the iPhone.

Lights, Camera, Action

You don’t need a ton of expensive equipment to film and edit engaging videos; you just need to follow the steps above to film something that looks professional with the help of your handy iPhone.

If you don’t have an iPhone, never fear — many Androids have the same high-quality film capabilities as iPhones, and the above tips can be applied to those devices as well.

What are your tips for filming videos on the iPhone? Share with us in the comments below.

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Last month Elon Musk announced that Twitter’s new name is X.

The name change is supposed to mark the platform’s evolution from a social media tool to an “everything app” that includes banking, e-commerce, and expanded social features.

According to author Walter Isaacson, Musk has been on a mission to make fetch X.com happen since 1999. That year he launched the site offering a range of digital finance products, and the site eventually merged with another company becoming PayPal.

Since the initial version of X.com didn’t exactly revolutionize the financial system Musk is hoping to try again, this time using Twitter as the vehicle to do so. But does this evolution make sense for the app formerly known as Twitter?

From a media standpoint, there are a lot of implications.

Since its launch in 2006, Twitter has shaped how people learn information and communicate with one another. When news broke, Twitter was often the first platform people would go to for a quick pulse on major headlines. Or when Instagram got glitchy, the hashtag #InstagramDown would immediately trend on Twitter.

As the changes to the platform keep coming, it is no longer a platform for immediate information.

With major news publications leaving the app, and competitors entering the marketplace, the way users engage with Twitter is beginning to shift. However, it’s going to be difficult to fully rebrand.

After all, Twitter isn’t just a platform — it’s also a verb and a noun. For example:

• Pieces of content shared on the platform aren’t posts, they’re tweets.
• Users aren’t posting when they use the platform, they’re tweeting.
• They retweet when they want to amplify a message.

The intention to call these things x’s has yet to catch on among users.

What happens to Twitter’s most notable communities during the transition to X?

Few things have been as broadly influential as Black Twitter. From #BlackLivesMatter to #OscarsSoWhite, Black Twitter users have been at the forefront of notable movements related to social justice and popular culture.

What’s now unclear is where Black Twitter goes when Twitter is no longer Twitter and what happens to the culture it has heavily influenced.

While we don’t yet know what exact features are included in X’s “everything app” future state, it sounds like the platform will be shifting into everything but what users originally signed up for.