Author Archives: i4lead

TikTok is proving to be a major marketing heavyweight as more brands leverage the app to find and delight their audience. If you‘re a brand trying to find your footing on TikTok, you’ve come to the right blogger.

I spoke with social media expert Annabelle Nyst, former senior marketing manager for HubSpot‘s brand social channels and current social media content manager G-P.

But before we get into her insight, let’s go over a few things.

Table of Contents

• How TikTok Can Help Your Brand
• TikTok Marketing Strategies
• 5 Tips for Building a TikTok Strategy

How TikTok Can Help Your Brand

One of TikTok’s most obvious benefits for brands is its ability to boost brand awareness and discovery. As of 2025, TikTok is estimated to have over 2 billion users, which is a lot of people who can potentially see your brand.

Even better, more and more consumers are learning about brands’ products and services through the platform. In one of our recent surveys, 47% of consumers prefer discovering new products via short-form videos like TikTok.

TikTok can also help you build a community around your brand. Take Gymshark, a fitness apparel company, for example. The England-based company gained a huge following on the platform by teaming up with micro-influencers, sharing relatable memes, and creating challenges that engaged its audience, fostering community.

The brand faced the challenge of competing with massive brands like Nike and Adidas, both of which have more brand recognition and larger budgets than Gymshark. However, by community building, Gymshark has amassed almost as many followers as both competitors.

Furthermore, if you‘re looking to tap into Gen Z, a generation with significant buying power, then there’s no question your brand should be on TikTok. According to Statista, 78% of Gen Z social media users in the U.S. use TikTok.

TikTok Marketing Strategies

I‘ve seen brands use various strategies to market themselves on TikTok. Here are a few successful strategies I’ve noticed.

Influencer Marketing

When TikTok gained major traction in 2020, brands struggled to adapt to the creator-driven platform because TikTok users value authenticity and content from real people more than brands.

So, like Gymshark, brands began collaborating with influencers, and to this day, it‘s one of the platform’s most tried-and-true strategies. Influencers can humanize and introduce your brand to their audience, thus expanding your reach.

If you‘re working on a tighter budget, consider working with micro-influencers, creators with between 10,000 and 100,000 followers. They’re typically more affordable than macro-influencers and celebrities.

They also tend to have a tighter-knit community and stronger bond with their followers than influencers with larger followings, so they’ll be more likely to foster community around your brand.

Tutorials

Posting tutorials is a great way to establish authority and trust in your brand. They show that your brand is knowledgeable in its industry and can highlight your products’ many uses.

ColourPop, for example, often posts short tutorials showing TikTok users how to achieve unique looks using the brand‘s products. 

Trending Topics

One brand that knows how to use trending topics to its advantage on TikTok is Duolingo. Whether it’s a trending sound (more on that later), TV show, or silly phrase, Duolingo knows how to adapt fast and connect a trend to its brand.

Trending Audio

Of course, TikTok wouldn’t be TikTok without its trending audio. If you didn’t know, TikTok allows users to repurpose songs, phrases, and other sounds and incorporate them into their videos. Brands often join in the fun by connecting the audio to their products or services.

Remember, not every trend fits every brand, but we’ll touch on that later.

Alright, let’s get into these expert tips.

1. Know where your audience hangs out.

It‘s important to know where your audience hangs out online. For some brands, this includes TikTok, but for others, it does not. For instance, if you sell retirement homes, you won’t get much traction with the platform’s predominantly younger audience.

“TikTok is obviously all the rage right now, and it makes sense that brands want to jump in. But before you do so, make sure to take time to ask the right questions: Does it make sense for our brand to show up on TikTok? Is our target audience there?” advises Nyst.

If you’re debating whether to promote your brand on TikTok, remember to base your decision on the most important factor: your target audience.

2. Find your “why.”

Getting started on TikTok can feel overwhelming, especially when you don’t have a goal to work towards.

Think of your goal as your compass. It influences the videos you make, the topics you cover, and your overall strategy. You don’t need to have a specific goal right off the bat — and it will likely change over time — but you should have an idea of the general direction you want to go.

Here are a few common goals:

• Build an engaged community
• Increase brand awareness
• Improve brand image
• Promote products
• Generate website traffic
• Expand your audience
• Provide customer service
• Educate your audience

It‘s just as important to track your progress. Look at several key performance indicators (KPIs), such as profile views, video views, video likes, and follower growth, to see if you’re inching closer to your goals.

3. Determine how you’ll provide value.

The next step is determining how you want to present your brand on TikTok. For Nyst, this starts with answering a simple question: how will you provide value to users?

She told me, “Asking this question upfront will help you establish your purpose for being on TikTok and what your brand’s presence might look like on the platform.”

Remember what I said about Gymshark? The brand gained serious traction by providing value and entertaining its fans with fitness-related challenges, skits, and clothing hauls.

Because TikTok is quirky by nature, it creates a misconception that “serious” brands don‘t have a place on the platform. This isn’t true. However, you may have to approach your brand from a different angle.

For example, the Washington Post has raked up over 1 million followers on TikTok. If you haven‘t seen their videos, you might expect serious content. Instead, you’ll find comedic skits about the latest breaking news.

The goal is to provide value in an engaging way. This is achievable for many brands — serious or not.

4. Save time by creating a content calendar.

TikTok has billions of active users and millions of conversations on the platform daily. Plus, trends come and go rapidly. In short, TikTok can get overwhelming. For this reason, Nyst recommends planning a content calendar.

“Things move quickly on TikTok, and gaining new followers often depends on having a bank of existing content on your profile. So, think ahead to how many videos a week you’d like to post and what kind of topics you’ll focus on,” Nyst says.

That said, TikTok is a trends-driven platform, so make sure to leave space in your content calendar to jump on trends and create time-sensitive content.

You also need to decide how often you should post on TikTok. Nyst favors quality over quantity, advising brands to aim for 1-2 videos per week. In other words, consistency is key.

Another upside to posting consistently is that the more you post, the more insights you gain from your viewers. This will help you understand what topics and video styles they respond to the most.

Want to know the best day and time to publish your videos on TikTok? Check out this helpful guide.

5. Insert your voice strategically.

When you first join TikTok, it’s tempting to join every conversation, hop on every trend, and participate in every challenge. However, Nyst says brands need to set guardrails and be strategic with their content.

“There are so many conversations happening at once on TikTok, and they’re changing all the time. It’s important to remember that your brand doesn’t need to be a part of every single conversation – so try to pick the ones where it makes sense to insert your voice,” Nyst told me.

She adds, “Sure, the latest dance trend might be exciting, but can your brand actually bring something new, unique, or valuable to the table?”

Not every trend or challenge will align with your brand or its messaging. On top of that, if you can‘t add a new or unique spin, it’s better to skip it entirely. But don’t worry about missing out — trends on TikTok are a dime a dozen, and another one is right around the corner.

Back To You

TikTok remains a viable (and exciting) marketing platform. Before jumping in, make sure that TikTok makes sense for your brand. Once you’re on the platform, focus on consistently targeting your audience with valuable content.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in November 2022 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Pop quiz! What do Meow Wolf, Blue Man Group, Cirque du Soleil, Disney Imagineering, and Ringling Bros. have in common? They’ve all sought out today’s guest as a consultant.

But today’s master is… actually not a master of marketing at all. In fact, he’s never worked a day in marketing. But he literally wrote the book on interactive performance.

And as marketing leaders pour big budgets into branded experiences, live events, and interactive brand activations, you’re going to want to hear what he has to say.

Name: Jeff Wirth, Co-founder of the Interactive PlayLab

Job: Designs, directs, and consults on interactive experiences, virtual world applications, and live immersive fiction

Claim to fame: Did you see the list of companies he’s worked with?!

Fun fact: Started his career as a clown for the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus

Lesson 1: Begin at the end.

When designing your interactive experience, Wirth recommends first thinking about what you want participants to walk away with. No, not a shopping bag full of merch. Think more philosophically.

“What do you want people to understand after the activation that they didn’t understand before?”

For Meow Wolf or Cirque du Soleil, that might be discovering a childlike sense of wonder. For a brand activation or marketing event, it’ll be… something no less deep, actually.

Sure, you could aim for them to walk away with some product info — if you want them to forget it by the time they get back to their car. Truly memorable experiences aim for something more profound.

Wirth says step 2 is asking: “How do we make it so we don’t tell them what to understand? We create a context within which they have an opportunity to discover that.”

That context is the skeleton for your event or experience design.

But Wirth emphasizes that this must only be an opportunity — trying to force a participant to a specific conclusion is, to his mind, both unethical and potentially damaging. Which brings us to Lesson 2.

Lesson 2: Empower your participants to think for themselves.

“Put the priority on the participant’s capacity to think for themselves,” Wirth advises.

As an anti-example, he shares the story of a pharmaceutical company that approached him to create an interactive experience. When Wirth required that the experience present their product among a range of options, the company quickly backed out.

That’s a mistake. Aside from being ethically questionable, railroading a participant will assuredly lead to an experience that is forgettable at best — at worst, it could be harmful to the participant and your brand.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give your participants something to think about. Wirth explains that if you want people to play, you need to give them enough to play with.

What’s more, “you need to give them the experience that they can play and be successful at it.”

In other words, your experience needs to provide enough context that your participants know how to play — and can even feel accomplishment — but not so much that they’re simply following instructions.

Lesson 3: Play is not just for children.

Play can be a powerful component of a live event. But “play” means different things to different people.

You can play a game. You can play around. You can play along. These all have different shades of meaning that affect what your participants are asked to do and what they get out of your event.

You need to decide what type of play serves the context you defined in Lesson 1. For Wirth’s experiences, play means “make-believe for the purpose of empowerment.”

Why make-believe? That’s a hard word to put in front of stakeholders.

“One, you get the opportunity to be more authentic. Because you’re not having to hold the mask that is how you present yourself to society.”

And two? Make-believe gives you “the ability to have deeper empathy for people who are not like you.”

“When you play make-believe, it doesn’t have to be winning and losing. The joy is simply in the making of belief.”

And, as for what a participant walks away with, “joy” is a pretty good bag of merch.

“If you build it, they will come” worked well in “Field of Dreams.” But, like a lot of marketers, I took a more cautious (yet still curious) approach toward AI integration.

When ChatGPT first hit the scene, it was exciting to see all the buzz but it left me hungry for more:

• What is AI actually good for?
• How does it work in a business environment?
• And can it save me time, or am I going to rewrite absolutely everything it produces?

Well, like 75% of marketers, I believe AI will become a workplace staple in the next couple of years. And that will have a lot to do with how AI-powered tools help us automate our daily work.

Let’s explore the idea of AI workflow automation and how marketers stand to gain their time and lives back from repetition.

Table of Contents

• What is AI workflow automation?
• Why use AI workflow automation?
• What You Need to Start AI Workflow Automations
• How to Implement AI Workflow Automation for Your Team
• 5 Best AI Tools to Automate Workflows

What is AI workflow automation?

AI workflow automation involves using artificial intelligence tools and resources to make work processes easier and more efficient by handling repetitive tasks, informing decisions, and letting teams focus on higher-impact tasks.

Something to consider in workflow automation is what types of AI can work within your pipeline. Most of the online chatter has focused on generative AI (tools like ChatGPT or Claude).

We’re now seeing agentic AI emerge as a discussion point in company boardrooms. Instead of creating something as generative AI does, agentic AI accomplishes specific tasks autonomously.

You’ll see these subtypes as you explore workflow automation. Each has its uses, and they typically work together to automate workflows. But know that they are designed for slightly different use cases and be aware of it in your planning.

Why use AI workflow automation?

AI is poised to help marketers automate significant chunks of their workflows. And marketers are starting to embrace it: Our research shows that 64% of marketers use AI in some form at work. Yet, only 21% have integrated AI extensively into their workflows. There’s room for growth.

So, why do I think you should join the top 21% of AI-powered marketers?

Saved Time

Our research recently found that marketers using AI save an average of 12.5 hours per week. That’s nearly 26 working days per year. What could your team do with an extra month?

Timesaving benefits vary depending on where you incorporate AI into your processes. For instance, using AI to automate parts of content production can save you time drafting and editing — often the most time-consuming pieces of the process.

I’ll discuss setting goals and objectives of AI workflow automation later, but know that it’s important to identify time-consuming tasks before you integrate AI significantly into your process.

Effective Data-Driven Decisions

Data is drowning marketers. Amid oceans of information, what data matters to your team? And how can you use it to plan your next moves?

I think a key to conducting effective marketing is to find which data is most relevant to your needs and understand how to deploy it. AI is especially attuned to ingest data from the many sources in your organization’s workflow, analyze it for patterns, and deliver actionable insights to make things happen.

Targeting and customer experience personalization are ripe fields for AI disruption.

Imagine AI handling user data collection, process, and insight generation. You receive a list of “here’s what to do next” and can develop and execute campaigns to match.

Real-world example: Yum Brands (which owns KFC and Pizza Hut, among other fast-food stops) is seeing double-digit increases in consumer engagement and more purchases with AI-driven marketing decisions.

Scalability

Demands on marketers’ time and energy are soaring — I know I feel it, and I’m sure you do too. Recent surveys found that over 60% of marketers feel overwhelmed by what their jobs ask of them.

Marketers could always use an extra pair of hands — and that’s now started to include AI hands.

Marketers can use AI to automate repetitive or predictable tasks like data collection and analysis or social media post drafting. Or, AI can use all that data it analyzes to automatically personalize outbound messages, helping you reach people more effectively without manual effort.

AI doesn’t replace the human marketer (I’ll add more on that later), but it does help us do more — even if your marketing budget is stagnating.

What You Need to Start AI Workflow Automations

So, where do you begin? I recommend you give the following points some thought as you plan your AI workflow automation.

Throughout my exploration of AI workflow automation, you’ll hear from fractional CMO Tim Hickle. He’s invested significantly in understanding AI’s role in marketing for companies of many sizes and structures, and he shared a lot of great insight with me.

Team Needs and Pain Points

What’s actually bogging down your team? What tasks frustrate them or suck away their time from the higher-level, strategic work you need done?

Answering those questions takes quantitative and qualitative data. Sit down and ask your team what they feel eats at their time. Their responses won’t be exactly the same, but you’re likely to see patterns emerge. From those patterns, you can define the workflow steps ready for automation.

For instance, when we first explored AI integration, I sat with my content team to hear about their struggles. Each had their own interest, desire, and need for AI, but items like repurposing our long-form work for social media distribution felt time-consuming and frustrating. We could then form a hypothesis that AI integration could help us automate that process.

Pro tip: It’s also good to give yourself a few numbers to help — especially if you need executive buy-in. Have your people time-block their calendars or track using a specific hours-tracking tool (project management tools like Monday have these features built-in). See if their feelings match their actual time spent. You can then quantify the impact AI tools might have on your team’s time and productivity.

Your Tech Infrastructure

Before you commit dollars to new AI tools, understand what systems you’re running now. You need to know how your current selection of digital systems and tools (aka, your tech stack) can support AI integration.

For example, like many marketers, I deal with a lot of unstructured data in my workday. Emails, phone calls, meetings, social media comments, that random Powerpoint my coworker sent me a month ago — it’s all information I need to do my job, but it’s scattered across multiple platforms. For me to benefit from automated workflows, I must understand which of these tools affect my challenges the most.

Depending on your team’s needs, investigate your current tools like:

• Customer relationship management (CRM) platforms (e.g., Salesforce or HubSpot)
• Content management systems (CMS) like WordPress or Notion
• Ad and analytics platforms like GA4 or Tableau

Pro tip: I’ll share more about our AI tools later, but depending on the level to which you’ve integrated HubSpot into your systems, you might have access to a bunch of internal AI tools and resources already. Either way, investigate your tech stack for capabilities and integration points.

Budget

Many AI tools are priced reasonably to meet the needs of small or medium-sized businesses. Smaller marketing teams might get away with a few lower-cost AI tools without raiding the budget.

Successful AI workflow automation should eventually scale — within and outside your team. You may not need a significant budget now, but successful integration will likely cost you much more down the road. That’s not a bad thing — it means you found something useful.

Pro tip: I’ll talk later about pilot testing, but start small and low-cost while focusing more on measuring return on investment and improvement to your team’s pain points. Successful pilots and data will help equip you to advocate for larger budgetary needs.

Internal Knowledge Architecture

While picking the right tools for your team certainly matters, when I talked to Hickle he raised an interesting point about preparing your information for AI integration, and how that can make or break your workflow automation attempts.

“Most marketing leaders are asking the wrong question. They’re obsessing over which LLM to choose — Claude, ChatGPT, or Jasper — when they should be laser-focused on building their internal knowledge architecture,” says Hickle.

“The choice between AI models might save you 10% of your time, but a well-structured knowledge management system can 10x your outputs. The real competitive advantage isn‘t in which AI you use — it’s in how you organize and leverage your company’s unique intellectual capital.”

Pro tip: Amid planning to solve your team’s needs, review how you’re storing information. Where does your useful data live, and can your AI tools access and use it to help your team?

Data Management Strategy

Along with how you architect your information, Hickle also notes you need a strong plan about managing the specific units of data you plan to use in AI integration.

“The foundation of effective AI automation isn‘t the LLMs — it’s your data management strategy,” he says. “Marketing teams need to think of their internal data like Lego blocks: discrete, well-organized databases of high-quality information that can be used to train narrowly-focused AI models. Without this foundation, you’re building on sand.”

You might’ve run into the idea of data hygiene before. Essentially, it’s cleaning up garbage data from your information system and ensuring AI gets the good stuff needed to make smart decisions.

Pro tips:

• Run a data audit to clean old, outdated data before you include AI in your process.
• Develop SOPs and procedures so people know what to use AI for — and what data not to give it. Like more than three-quarters of employees, marketers are still somewhat confused about using AI at work.
• Create a structure, explanation, and approval process to give your people more support in their decision-making.

The Human Touch

Central to healthy AI deployment is the human you’re helping. There’s still a lot we’re learning about AI and how it fits into marketing workflows. Teams can’t leave behind the people aspect.

While AI offers much potential, don’t rely too heavily on it. HubSpot’s latest State of AI report found that 62% of marketers agree that they should use AI — but not use it too much.

How much is too much? I’d say that answer depends on what workflows you’re automating.

For instance, if you’re automating content creation, it’s oh-so-tempting to let the bot fill in the blinking cursor amid a bout of writer’s block. But, the writing process helps refine your brand voice, identify ideas to investigate further, and share your unique stance with the world. That, and you don’t want to let AI hallucinations slip through your content review unseen.

Hickle has seen that firsthand with his marketing clients.

“The real power of AI in marketing isn‘t in replacing human creativity — it’s in amplifying it through structured feedback loops,” he said. “By training AI models on carefully curated customer interactions and marketing outcomes, we‘ve transformed every piece of content into an opportunity for automated focus groups. This isn’t about quantity over quality; it’s about using AI as a quality multiplier while maintaining human oversight for strategic direction.”

Pro tip: Inventory how your team uses their time and spot the biggest mismatches between effort and reward. Maybe there’s high value in writing long-form content yourself, but transforming it into snippets for five social media platforms bogs down your people. AI should help your people, not replace them.

1. Set your AI workflow automation goals and objectives.

Use your team’s needs and pain points to figure out what you want to automate and how you’ll get it done. Frame your goals like any other business goal (I like the SMART format) and be more specific about answering questions like:

• Which tasks are too repetitive and consume too many resources?
• Where are we getting stuck in execution?
• What decisions could use a boost from AI?

Also, set specific criteria for success, including measurement standards. Are you trying to save hours spent on these tasks? The number of times you touch that task manually? What larger business objectives or priorities can this process support? Set benchmark data based on where you are now — that’ll do wonders for your future.

You might not have every detail at this stage, but better details lead to better outcomes. From there, you can identify the repeatable processes ready for AI integration.

2. Research AI tools.

I’ve included options later on, but your goals and objectives should drive your search. You’ve also reviewed your tech stack and know what integrations work with them. So, it’s a matter of finding the right tools to meet your needs and business reality.

When I’m looking at AI tools, I review points beyond integrating with my tech stack, including:

• Data management policies. How is the vendor protecting me and my company’s data? Are they compliant with regulations like GDPR or SOC 2?
• Ease of use. How quickly can I get up to speed using the product? Does the user experience make sense to me? And can I quickly train another person to use it, too?
• Support. Do they have a solid knowledge base for quick questions? Does the support system rely solely on chatbots, or can I get to a human? Does that cost me extra?
• Stability. Many AI vendors have only recently entered the market. I’ll choose the tool that best supports my needs, but it’s good to know if the vendor has legs under them. I check Crunchbase for funding profiles and search for case studies and comments on places like G2 or Reddit.

Pro tip: Run a few free trials or review product demos to visualize how you’ll use each tool. A full workflow automation might require 3-5 separate AI tools, depending on your needs, tech stack, and knowledge architecture. Check how much it’ll cost to run all these tools — and see if those new tools play nice with one another.

3. Train your team.

A tool is only as good as the person wielding it. And roughly two-thirds of marketers say that a lack of education and training is the largest barrier to AI adoption. Ideally, your AI tools include training materials, product walkthroughs, and demo videos. Share those with your team and walk through the most important parts together.

It’s also good to include smaller training tidbits throughout your regular team meetings. Part of AI integration is making it feel right, like this tool has been needed all along. A confusing or misplaced AI resource will throw that feeling out of balance.

Pro tip: Ask for regular feedback from team members and listen carefully to their responses. While people are usually willing to give it a go, continued frustration with AI tools will prevent you from getting the adoption you need to scale your automations.

4. Build a targeted pilot project.

Start your AI journey with a tightly controlled pilot. At this stage, draw a map showing each step in a part of a workflow you want to automate. Prepare for success, but get ready to learn from failure.

For instance, when ChatGPT released its public models in late 2022, my content team saw great potential in incorporating the tool into our workflow. Specifically, we wanted to use GPT 3.5 to repurpose our long-form content into shorter pieces we could share with clients to use on their social media platforms.

We mapped the steps in this process:

We executed this process for 2-3 months. It failed spectacularly.

Why?

1. At the time, GPT’s output wasn’t remarkable, and our clients demanded remarkable. We hadn’t properly assessed the need.
2. We spent far too much time and effort tinkering with the output; it would’ve been much faster to repurpose the content ourselves. We saw no time benefit.

So, our pilot failed.

But, GPT did help us brainstorm better ideas at the jump and prep for client interviews. We learned and adapted to use the tools where we truly needed them. Bring that mindset into pilot testing.

5. Integrate AI into daily workflows.

It could take a few small pilot tests before you find the right combination of workflow steps, tools, resources, and training to make it work. Once you do get it, document it.

Pro tip: Draw a diagram or map of the steps in your workflow so you can see how automation flows and how each step relates back to your goals and objectives. From there, encourage your team to continuously engage your chosen AI tools. Practice will breed habits, and it’ll help you iron out any nagging challenges or hiccups.

Be a source of consistency with your team as they learn to use AI every day. That’s why you took time to create SOPs, policies, and knowledge architectures.

6. Measure success criteria.

Continued success with AI workflow automation comes with measurement. Remember when you set your goals and objectives? Compare your benchmarks to where you end up. Regularly track numerical data over time, such as hours saved or content pieces produced per week.

You’ll want to keep refining your processes, too. Data can tell you where a tool isn’t performing well or where eddies are swirling around in the workflow river.

Pro tip: Pay close attention to your data and your team’s feedback during this tinkering stage (usually 3-6 months after daily implementation). You’ll see trends emerge and know how to address them as you work toward full scalability.

5 Best AI Tools to Automate Workflows

Now then, which tools should you use in AI workflow automation? The number of options grows daily. And there are plenty of great tools not on this list. But, each of these tools also adhere to the earlier criteria I set for myself and my teams.

And, while you can automate many workflows, most marketers are focused on using AI to create, optimize, and distribute content. These tools can help you do that (and other things) at scale.

1. HubSpot Breeze AI

Breeze is designed to operate across the full HubSpot suite. If you’re running your entire customer experience through HubSpot tools, you can take full advantage of Breeze and amplify its effectiveness.

Breeze offers the usual chatbot-style AI assistant, using your HubSpot data to generate insights. You also get agentic AI (in beta) to automatically handle prospecting, content generation, social media, and customer service.

What I like: The integration into the systems I’m already using. Having AI right at my fingertips without leaving the HubSpot platform makes it much easier to convince team members to use AI daily.

Best for: Companies using HubSpot to run and automate some or all of their customer journeys.

Pricing: HubSpot includes a basic level of Breeze AI, including Breeze Copilot, for free within the HubSpot platform. Various advanced AI features, like our beta agents, unlock with different paid plans.

2. Descript

Video is an incredibly powerful marketing tool. But boy, does it take so much time and effort to prepare. Small marketing teams might feel especially pressured to “do video” with, shall we say, “limited time and budget.”

With Descript, you can use AI to:

• Automatically transcribe audio and video recordings.
• Remove background noise and improve recording quality.
• Remove filler words like “um.”
• Insert AI voices trained on a bunch of voice data.
• Correct misspoken words with an AI-generated overdub.
• Write episode titles and show notes.
• Choose and prep social clips.

Essentially, it’s an AI video editor in a box.

What I like: The text-to-video editing tool. Especially as someone who doesn’t want to listen to his own voice all day, I like editing via the transcript. You can cut, shift, and paste video just like a Word document.

Best for: Small to medium-sized marketing teams who need to handle podcast and YouTube video editing for their teams and leadership.

Pricing: Just jump to the Creator plan at $24/month (billed annually). It’s chock full of useful resources at a reasonable price.

3. Lately AI

I teach social media marketing, and I can tell you — it’s a jungle out there. Popular platforms change their algorithms without warning. Others struggle to stay operational these days (looking at you, TikTok). As such, it’s tough for marketers to keep pace with social media demands.

Lately AI reduces that demand by automating the social media content generation and distribution processes. It’ll ingest your company data and content (e.g., blogs, videos, podcasts) and produce good social posts. Automated calendaring functions identify the right time and schedule content for you. And, you get comprehensive campaign and post analytics to determine the most effective strategies.

Source

What I like: The content calendar automation component saves a lot of time. The AI points out impactful phrases from long-form content to help you create better social posts and puts them right into the calendar. Plus, I like how it looks. Don’t take aesthetics and good UI/UX for granted.

Best for: Businesses and agencies managing heavy amounts of social media content production and distribution.

Pricing: Lately has a Starter package for individuals, but I would only use Lately if you’re at a growing business or agency. Buy the Growth package at $199/month (billed annually). That’s where you unlock AI-automated calendaring, voice model editing, and performance analytics.

4. Notion

I use Notion to handle content strategies, plans, calendars, and content itself. It’s also incredibly useful as a repository for company knowledge and data, as Hickle points out.

“Personally, the most valuable tool I’ve found for incorporating AI into automation is Notion,” he said. “The open API makes it easy to pull data from and I can use ChatGPT to turn any Notion database into a useful chatbot, purpose-built for what I need.”

Notion is also great for document automation and team collaboration. The file structure can take some practice to perfect. But, Notion comes with a ton of internal capabilities and external connectors to fit into any tech stack.

What I like: Notion’s built-in AI bot is especially useful when you feed it internal databases and content. While I wouldn’t call it the strongest AI writer, it can summarize documents well and develop insights using multiple Notion pages, giving you insights personalized to your company.

Best for: Content marketers and marketing ops specialists who are planning strategies, executing tactics, and analyzing data.

Pricing: You can start a Notion space for free, but meaningful features really only come around at $10-15/seat/month (billed annually). Notion AI is an extra $8/seat/month (billed annually).

5. Custom GPTs with ChatGPT

Despite ChatGPT having a few years under its belt, most people have yet to learn how to build effective prompts and use ChatGPT’s full potential.

As Hickle noted, ChatGPT can ingest user data and build useful tools like chatbots. I use the Custom GPT function to build consulting tools, like a request-price-quote (RPQ) calculator based on my company’s capabilities and pricing data.

The Custom GPT pane lets you tinker with instructions, upload data sources, and activate capabilities to transform data. You can also add actions, which lets your GPT operate outside of ChatGPT (like Hickle’s chatbot concept). Plus, with the newly released “tasks” functionality, GPT is moving into agentic AI with task scheduling capabilities.

What I like: The control over how my GPT operates. There’s so much I can add, change, and adjust to get it to work how I want it.

Best for: Marketing teams of various sizes looking to scale content production and management, handle documentation and data analysis, or leverage AI insights to improve their campaigns.

Pricing: Explore the Team option, which grants you access to Custom GPTs and additional features. That’ll be $25-30/seat/month (billed annually). Or, if you’re a team of one, get Plus for $20/month.

Better Marketing Through AI Workflow Automation

The only way you’ll start making gains with AI is to give it a go. Start small with the most painful issues plaguing your team’s workflow, and build a pilot test with the right AI tools to work your way toward a real solution.

It doesn’t always work as you expect (as my team’s early ChatGPT pilot test showed). But, enter the process with an open mind, and you can find opportunities to simplify and automate your marketing. Let your humans do great human work and leave the rest to the machines.

When I think of B2B marketing, rock ‘n’ roll is far from my mind. But Video Brothers CEO and former touring musician Chandler Quintin brings exactly that to his strategy.

It turns out the skills he built playing Warped Tour and opening for bands like Panic! At the Disco are surprisingly transferable to marketing.

“That kind of experience gives me the charisma to go out there and tell an industry like B2B, ‘Hey, you’re boring,’” he says. “B2B is having a really hard time standing out and cutting through the noise, so they need a little rock n’ roll, right?”

But even the most raucous rockstars have a method to their madness, and Quintin says Video Brothers’ method for helping B2B brands stand out is called the ad suite formula.

“One of the principles of the ad suite is bringing people through a journey because people like stories,” he explains. “They like to be entertained. We want them to remember things; the best way to do that is to tell a great story.”

The formula hits all the right notes. According to Quintin, after implementing this formula, Loxo, a Video Brothers client, experienced a 46% increase in quarter-over-quarter revenue and a 25% increase in pipeline growth.

So, what‘s the deal with this ad suite formula? Here’s a step-by-step breakdown:

Step 1: The Teaser Ad

Step 2: The Hero Ad

Step 3: The Follow Ups and Reminders

Bonus Track: The Landing Page

Step 1: The Teaser Ad

While most marketers get caught up in clicks and conversions, Quintin focuses on what he calls an “attention matrix.”

“Audiences are in this bottom left corner of not knowing who you are and not caring. They’re also not going to watch a lot of content,” he says. “Our goal as marketers is to bring them to the top right, where they know who you are, care a lot about what you do, are problem-aware, and possibly solution-aware. Now, they’ll watch a lot more content.”

Think of the 15-second teaser as an opener to a live show. It gets the crowd’s attention and prepares them for the main act.

“We’re not looking for clicks or conversions; we’re looking to stop them in their tracks and introduce them to the pain because great marketers market pain,” Quintin says. “They don’t market solutions.”

In the teaser ad Video Brothers created for Loxo, the problem is a recruiter trying to find the most elusive candidate yet — Bigfoot!

It’s short, snappy, funny, and exciting.

The teaser ties the problem to the brand and spotlights the business as the solution.

And in a world where viewers like me struggle to muscle through even 10 seconds of ads, Quintin says it‘s okay if audiences don’t get through the teaser. The ad will just run again.

“We don’t want to be afraid of showing the same ad twice because the ads are fun. People actually want to watch them,” he says. “The idea is to start warming the audience up, so we capture them with a teaser ad, we retarget them with a teaser ad again to get them to a higher viewer intent.”

And once the crowd is warmed up, it’s time for the headliner: the hero ad.

Step 2: The Hero Ad

If you’ve been to a concert, you know the headliner usually has the longest set. The same goes for hero ads in the ad suite formula.

The hero ad is about 30 seconds long and is a stand-alone, front-to-back narrative that introduces the problem and solidifies the brand as the solution.

“It’s all done in this memorable, fun environment,” Quintin says.

Loxo‘s hero ad is an excellent example. The recruiters are looking for Bigfoot as a job candidate. Of course, Bigfoot isn’t easy to find. Notice how the ad shows the recruiters discussing the tools Loxo provides to lead them to Bigfoot.

Okay, you‘ve seen the opener and the headliner. That must mean the show’s over, right? Nope! It’s time for the encore.

Step 3: The Follow Ups and Reminders

After the hero ad gives the audience the full story, they’re treated to follow-up and reminder ads. The follow-up ad shows the positive transformation the brand provides and gives the audience closure regarding the story.

In the Loxo follow-up below, we see the recruiters finally reached Bigfoot via video call and are preparing to send him to the hiring manager.

The story may be over, but the work isn’t. Video Brothers will roll out reminder ads to stay top of mind with the audience.

“The reminder ad plays into the psychology of needing reminders and signs to see things,” Quintin says. “You’ll tune out a lot of information in your day-to-day life, but signs will stand out to you.”

Reminder ads are about 6 seconds long. Like stop signs and green lights, they convey one action the brand wants the audience to take. That action could be to make a call, book an appointment, or visit the brand’s website.

“Think of reminder ads as video billboards where you could be scrolling by it fast, but because your brain recognizes the patterns from the prior ads, you know subconsciously that you’re seeing ads from that company,” Quintin explains.

If the audience sees the ads enough, they‘ll eventually become curious enough to research your brand or visit your website. Just make sure your website isn’t a letdown.

Bonus Track: The Landing Page

I can‘t tell you how many times I’ve gone to a concert, fallen in love with a band, and then decided to visit their merch table, only to be underwhelmed by the items there.

No business wants its audience to be disappointed by a bland website, which is why Quintin says the visual aspects of the ad suite formula are crucial.

“The one thing a lot of marketers get wrong is that they’ll have these awesome ads and send someone to a boring landing page with a form-fill,” he explains. “You were just entertaining them, and now you’re baiting and switching them by bringing them to some boring website to ask for information.”

To avoid this problem, Video Brothers clients often have themed landing pages to continue the fun. For example, the ad suite for Act, another Video Brothers client, plays out like a Law & Order episode.

“There’s an investigation, the characters are looking at a small business owner’s office, and there’s chaos everywhere,” Quintin says. “They don’t even promote their domain. They don’t say, ‘Visit us at Act.com.’ They go to ‘SolveMyChaos.com.”

At SolveMyChaos.com, visitors see a mysterious landing page that reads, “The investigation continues.” The site keeps the mystery/crime theme while showing how the business solves its customers’ problems.

The point of the ad suite formula is to make your brand memorable and to delight your audience from beginning to end.

“If you’re not memorable, you’re not going to be the first thought when it’s time for that audience to solve their pain,” Quintin says. “And if you’re not their first thought, you’re rarely going to be on their day-one consideration list, and then you won’t win any of the races that you’re in.”

Few apps cycle through trends as quickly as TikTok. I spend endless hours scrolling through the app, and it feels like every other day, a new trending sound, topic, song, or challenge is going viral.

It can be hard to keep up, and I say this as a content creator and marketer whose job is to stay in tune with the latest happenings on social media.

Fortunately, I and a few other creators are savvy enough to see what TikTok trends are coming to the forefront in 2025.

So, if you‘re curious about what trends to look out for and what it could take to go viral on the app this year, you’ve come to the right blog. Here are some TikTok predictions for 2025 based on our survey data, content creators, and social media marketing experts.

What is a content trend on TikTok?

TikTok content trends are popular types of videos or themes that spread like wildfire across the platform as new creators stitch, duet, or adapt the content to their own story. It may have started with TikTok dances, but now trends can take any form, using music, sounds, challenges, memes and other types of inspiration.

You’ll learn more about some of the trends below, where I talk about the Susi Pesto and Pepe Prawn trends. One of the most famous, as I just mentioned, is TikTok’s dance challenges, where people film themselves dancing to a specific audio clip — sometimes it’s great. And sometimes? It’s downright hilarious.

Understanding the TikTok Content Trends Cycle

TikTok content trends often seem to emerge randomly — and surprising things gain popularity. The more specific a TikTok trend, the shorter its staying power.

For example, if people are using a specific sound and format for their videos, it’s less likely to stick around for months on end than if it’s a simple text overlay. The Fancy Like Dance featured a song by Walker Hayes called “Fancy Like” and a specific dance:

While it had a lot of staying power, eventually, it fizzled out as new trends arose.

On the other hand, the POV (point of view) trend isn’t likely to go anywhere. It’s simple, with a text overlay of “POV: [whatever the viewpoint is]” sitting on top of images or a video, like this:

How TikTok Content Trends Emerge

As I’ve mentioned, there are lots of ways that TikTok Trends get started — and generally, the simpler it is, the faster it spreads. Here are three of the most common ways I’ve seen them emerge:

• Organically: A single creator might post an idea, sound, or format that resonates with others.
• Trending Sounds: Once someone uses a sound in a particular way — often just a clip of a song with text overlays or dramatic skits, people join in.
• Real-World Relevance: Depending on what’s going on in the world, specific cultural references may turn into big-time trends.

When Trends Gain Traction and Peak

Once people start seeing more than a handful of creators picking up on a trend, the trends go viral extremely quickly, and we start to see widespread adoption from all kinds of different creators.

The more you see and engage with a particular trend, the more videos like it you’ll see. And as certain types of videos get more popular, they collectively start to get shown more.

Next, you may start to see trends evolve with new twists and changes. Fancy Like hit its peak when it became a commercial featuring TikTokers:

When Trends Fizzle Out and Resurge

Once things hit the big time— or when they’re simply everywhere, people stop watching every single one, and the next trend starts to rise.

However, just because a trend is on the downswing, it doesn’t mean it’s gone forever. One of my favorite TikTok content trends is the Grace Kelly song — while it petered out a few years ago, the tune is hauntingly beautiful and catchy.

It was a simple trend. People sing all different types of harmonies to the same set of lyrics, layering them on top of each other: “I could be brown. I could be blue. I could be violet sky. I could be hurtful. I could be purple. I could be anything you like.”

Then, as the Grace Kelly trend slowed down, Ryan Reynolds and Will Farrell breathed new life into it before the trend sunsetted itself:

Fun fact: I still seek out this audio, watch this video, and smile.

How Your Brand Can Capitalize on TikTok Content Trends

In the section below on predictions, I’m sharing some of the trends the experts I spoke with are expecting to see in 2025 and beyond. But before you dive right in, there are a few things you should know and do so you can make the most of TikTok content trends.

Follow creators in your space.

Pay attention to trendsetters in your niche, as they often spot and create trends early. But remember, it’s not just about your space. It’s also about trends from other corners of TikTok that show up on your target audience’s FYP (For You Page — the content TikTok’s algorithm feeds you).

Have fun with it!

TikTok is fun — and to succeed with it, you can’t take it too seriously.

By that, I mean err on the side of playful (keeping in mind #6 below) and try lots of things. You never know what combination might be magic for you. Sometimes, it’s about timing. Sometimes, it’s about trends, and sometimes, it’s just about luck.

Be consistent.

Yes, timing is everything on TikTok, but you don’t have to go big or go home. Simply showing up and engaging consistently works. Things you don’t expect to go viral might take off, and things that you think are boring might just be the ticket to the big time.

Adapt quickly.

I’ve already talked about the unpredictability of TikTok, but haven’t yet touched on how quickly you’ll need to act to capitalize on content trends.

As Durga Kudumula, Head of Growth Marketing at Designity, says:

“TikTok trends move fast, and staying relevant requires speed, creativity, and strong relationships with creators. Brands need to monitor trends, adapt quickly, and collaborate with creators to ensure their participation feels genuine. It’s not just about copying what’s popular but aligning trends with your brand story in a way that resonates.”

Sure, I’ve seen some trends stick around for a while, like the Susi Pesto trend or the Pepe Prawn trend, surprising people with their shelf life.

Other times, trends only last a few weeks. So, if you want to jump on the bandwagon, you can’t afford to wait for weeks and weeks of hemming and hawing.

Set ground rules.

If you work with or for a brand, I recommend setting clear ground rules about what you can run with, as well as boundaries and guidelines for what you can — and can’t — post. The last thing you want is to get into hot water with leadership because you acted without approval. You also don’t want to be so far behind the trend that your content gets lost in the ether.

Engage, engage, engage.

The best part of growing your audience on TikTok is engaging in the comment section. Sure, there’s some negative stuff, but that’s really where the magic happens. Yet, so often, I see brands dropping post after post and not responding to their people. If you need help with this, HubSpot’s social media management software might come in handy — try it here.

TikTok Content Trend Predictions for 2025

1. Back Up Plan

Before we go any further, let’s address the elephant in the room. The legal challenges TikTok continues to face in the US mean that if the app becomes illegal, creators will need a backup plan.

While there is some discussion around whether it can be used on devices where it’s already downloaded, it’s reasonable to assume that it will become less and less prevalent. Several creators I follow, including Under the Desk News, are making backup plans and creating accounts on YouTube, Instagram, and Substack.

Truth be told, even if everything works out for TikTok, it’s always a good idea to have a backup plan, whether that means backup TikTok accounts or accounts on other platforms. In fact, it’s something I always recommend to clients. You never know when something is going to happen.

However, even if TikTok does go the way of the dodo bird (😭 say it isn’t so!), I do believe these trends will continue with regard to other short-form video content. So read up and get ready to slay your TikTok (and Reels and Shorts) videos!

2. Authenticity

It‘s well known that TikTok is one of the most popular apps among Gen Z. In fact, 63% of Gen Z social media users report using TikTok in the last 4 weeks, according to Statista.

It’s also no secret that Gen Z consumers crave authenticity and relatability in their media.

Don’t believe me? A recent survey shows that 82% of Gen Z consumers would trust brands more if they used authentic images of real customers in their advertisements.

Content creator and data analyst Sundas Khalid says Gen Z’s preference for authentic content will fuel the content that gets the most attention on TikTok.

“I expect storytelling, authenticity, and spontaneity to be the key themes,” she explains.

Khalid says, “Relatability was a big theme in past years, and people found value in finding people they could relate to — but I think it was overextended to the point where it lost authenticity.”

She predicts relatability will still be valuable to TikTok audiences moving forward, but not if the creator or brand seems too keen on coming off as relatable to audiences.

“People would still want to relate but only if it‘s authentic and doesn’t seem like ‘trying too hard,’” Khalid explains. “Being unique without being relatable will be more accepted and encouraged on the platform.”

Some of TikTok’s biggest stars grew their platforms by showcasing their real, authentic personalities. Perhaps the most compelling example is Keith Lee, one of my favorite TikTok content creators.

Lee rose to fame by doing food reviews of local, independent, and family-owned restaurants in his hometown of Las Vegas.

His unique on-camera presence, honest reviews, and acts of kindness helped him stand out. It also grew his TikTok following to 15 million and earned collaborations with celebrities like Kevin Hart and brands like Chipotle.

Recently, Lee went to several cities across the country to review restaurants, and, on some occasions, there were mishaps in filming and unexpected turns of events.

Instead of shying away from these issues or pretending they didn’t happen, he would share honest stories about what happened behind closed doors and why some restaurants received poor ratings.

His authenticity helped legitimize his reviews and build trust with his audience. Authenticity can do the same for your brand on TikTok.

3. Educational Content

For years, Google was my go-to when I needed information on almost any topic.

While I still rely heavily on the classic search engine, I’m starting to use TikTok to gain insight on everything from pop culture updates to breaking news to how-to tutorials.

And I’m not the only one. A recent study found that 40% of consumers use TikTok for informative content. So, it makes sense that creators like Jon Youshaei predict education content will shine on the platform in years to come.

“Creating educational content will become even more important to going viral on TikTok because of the platform’s rise as a search engine,“ he says. ”For years, TikTok has been where the For You Page is dominated by trends, pop culture, and memes.”

However, Youshaei says the tide is shifting as more people turn to TikTok to search for tutorials, recipes, and specific questions.

“There will be a rise in creators who can create content that provides answers, which is much easier to monetize and create a sustainable business around,” he explains.

For example, TikTok content creator mndiaye_97 has over 16 million followers and is known for posting humorous but educational videos on animal behavior and wildlife.

In addition to amassing millions of followers, Mndiaye97 content has also snagged collaborations with BBC Earth and PBS. On average, his videos gain at least 1 million views and more than 100,000 likes. Some videos have as many as 20 million views.

Professional chef Cassie Yeung has over 3 million followers on the app and is known for showing her followers how to cook simple yet delicious dishes at home.

Her videos receive anywhere between 1 million to 10 million views or more on the platform.

Both creators provide helpful or interesting information in a friendly and casual way.

Mndiaye97 sprinkles every video with hyperbolic jokes and memes, and Yeung ends every video with “First bite, bestie,” followed by a genuine reaction to her meals.

So, consider posting educational videos, but you don’t have to take the approach of a monotone lecturer. Have fun and give helpful information to your followers in a unique way that suits your brand.

4. More AI-Generated Content

“I think you‘re going to see more content created by AI. I think it’s going to get to a point where every other content you see on the app is AI-generated in some way,” says content creator Chris Dillon.

And I don‘t think that’s a far-fetched prediction. Nowadays, I often come across videos on TikTok that are entirely AI-generated or heavily rely on AI.

For example, one of the most popular styles of short-form videos is “Which Room/House/Place Would You Choose?”

These videos will feature AI-generated photos of aesthetically pleasing bedrooms, landscapes, and homes and ask users which they would choose to live or relax in — many of them wrack up millions of views and tons of engagement.

The Spongebob R&B covers popping up on the app is an equally popular but slightly more unhinged trend.

In these videos, creators use AI to manipulate the voices of cast members in Spongebob Squarepants to make the characters sing popular R&B songs by artists like Jasmine Sullivan or Keisha Cole.

Note: While the Spongebob trend is popular, it has raised many questions surrounding the ethics of using actors’ voices to say or do things they usually wouldn’t.

Though I wouldn’t look to the Spongebob covers for inspiration in your next TikTok campaign (remember: ethics), I can attest that AI can be an excellent tool for generating short-form videos efficiently and quickly.

Just look at the video I made below, using only AI tools.

“Eventually, AI-generated content will feel stale and become oversaturated on the platform — to the point that authenticity will become even more important,” Dillon warns.

With that in mind, I suggest using AI as more of an assistive tool and being wary of becoming overly reliant on it to generate content meant to connect with your audience.

A page that strikes the right balance would be Jeremy the Manager on TikTok. The TikTok account follows a cat named Jeremy who lives (and “works”) at Citipups, a pet store in New York.

Employees at the business use a British voice to give the cat the personality of a cranky manager who intimidates his coworkers. The voice is AI-generated, but the employees create the dialogue and skits.

The voice is put over actual footage of Jeremy the cat hanging out around the store. In this example, AI is used for humor and doesn’t take away from the personality and authenticity of the content.

5. Recommendations

Of course, I’m both a content creator and a chronic TikTok scroller, so I figure I should put in my own two cents. I predict videos giving recommendations will see a massive boom in the coming year.

Remember what Youshaei said about consumers using TikTok as a search engine?

That includes searching for recommendations. For instance, one of my favorite communities on TikTok is #booktok.

On the #booktok hashtag, creators recommend classic upcoming books for fans of horror, comedy, romance, and more.

So, consider creating content that recommends useful products and services to your consumers. You can also collaborate with an influencer so they can recommend your brand to their audience.

And trust me, there are definitely consumers who will buy a product or service after seeing a recommendation on Tiktok. According to the platform, 50% of TikTok users have bought something after seeing it on TikTok LIVE.

Furthermore, 78% of TikTok users have purchased a product after seeing it featured in TikTok creator content.

Finally, let’s not forget that TikTok is especially popular among Gen Z consumers, and 33% of that demographic purchased a product from an influencer-founded brand in the past year.

6. Striking the Right Balance of Silly

People like to laugh. So, it makes sense that videos that lean into the fun factor will be more likely to get more engagement. It might mean videos with sarcasm, pranks, and downright silliness.

Here’s the catch — each creator will have to decide what level of playfulness is right for them — and it’s going to be important to hit just the right tone.

Too far down the sarcasm route, and it can be seen as tone-deaf or not funny. Too silly? It can be seen as not serious and unreliable. As for pranks, they can feel mean.

So you’ve got to get it right. Unfortunately, by playing it safe, people might bet a watered-down version of what you want to share.

A few creators and brands that do it well?

Ryanair has some over-the-top videos designed to make people laugh, like this one:

Chipotle uses a blend of humor, fun, and really great food shots, making use of TikTok’s video and slideshow features, like this one.

The bottom line? Striking the right tone of humor for your brand is one of the most important TikTok content trends moving forward.

7. Poking Fun

While this may seem tied closely to the 6th trend on this list, self-deprecating humor and poking fun is a trend and vibe all on its own.

It’s not just making fun of yourself or not taking yourself too seriously. It’s also about poking fun at your industry.

Real estate TikTokers do an amazing job of playing around and getting away from the serious.

Like indianahomegirls:

Then there’s Starbucks, which nails poking fun at how seriously we take our coffee. The entire channel is gold, but I particularly giggled at this one:

8. Niche Influencers

Consider partnering with influencers to build trust with consumers on the app.

Micro-influencers with 10,000 to 100,000 followers build deep relationships and communities with their viewers. They often yield more success for marketers than if they were to work with celebrities or macro-influencers.

Over the last few years, influencer marketing emerged as a key trend in the marketing industry. More specifically, marketers were leveraging and benefiting from small-scale influencers with audiences smaller than 100k.

Here’s how that changed in the past 12 months. While in 2023, 64% worked with micro-influencers, in 2024, we saw that number rise even further to nearly 68%. Even more interesting? Just under 23% of marketers working with influencers chose nano-influencers, or people with fewer than 10k subscribers.

It makes sense — are you more likely to buy based on a friend’s recommendation or a huge, polished production? I’m always going to trust the person I see as real.

I think it’s more than reasonable to predict that niche influencer marketing will become an increasingly important TikTok content trend.

Thinking about going beyond influencers to capitalize on TikTok ads? HubSpot has an integration that helps you seamlessly capture leads.

Or check out this video on setting up a TikTok Shop:

9. Less Polish, More Grit

There’s a TikTok creator who I love following — dadchats. Everything he posts is real, and generally speaking, hysterical. He’s a fantastic storyteller and shares snippets from his home life, his kids’ antics, and anecdotes from his career as an attorney.

Worth noting, he also often breaks down legal concepts and shares them from an educational perspective to help people understand.

But that’s not where the grit comes from — there is rarely polish to his videos, and that adds to the charm and relatability:

• Extreme closeups of his face to emphasize a point
• Different coffee cups (often filled to the brim and somehow never spilling)
• Videos shot lying on a pillow of his dog’s face, in his car, and other non-traditional video backgrounds.

In a world where AI is starting to take over, it’s refreshing to see creators focused on being real. Brands that can take advantage of this TikTok content trend will continue to build trust — and potentially at a more accelerated rate than brands that exclusively focus on high-production-value, polished content.

10. More Brands, More Creativity

A whopping 67% of marketers surveyed said they plan to maintain or increase their investment in TikTok! So, I think it’s safe to say we’ll see more brands showing up in increasingly creative ways on TikTok to connect with their audiences.

“TikTok is evolving beyond just mindless entertainment to also be about business. It’s becoming a more full-featured platform, catering to a wide variety of businesses and tastes,” says marketing expert Haley Gray, founder of In2itive Biz Solutions.

What will that look like? Well, that’s anyone’s guess. If TikTok content trends are anything, they’re unpredictable.

Remember when the Susi Pesto trend took over TikTok in late 2023 and well into 2024?

Suzi Vidal posted a video of her pesto recipe saying “Call me crazy if you want, but I’ve never liked store bought pesto.”

From there, thousands of people stitched the first few minutes and shared their crazy stories — that had nothing to do with pesto.

While I didn’t see brands getting in on that action, there could have been, and I missed it. Regardless, there will continue to be similar opportunities — and you can bet that brands will be ready to jump in!

11. Personal Storytelling

Jenn Robbins is an online influencer, marketer, and TikTok creator who I also happen to know. She said, “It’s been fascinating to watch the Pepe Prawn stories, because they are still going and I would’ve thought they’d died out by now.”

If you’re not familiar with Pepe Prawn, he’s a Muppets character known as Pepe the King Prawn. His full name, Pepino Rodrigo Serrano Gonzalez, is a big name for a fictional puppet character. More importantly, he always looks panicked, mortified, or in total disbelief.

The TikTok content trend features slides of Pepe, set to a choral version of Madonna’s “Like A Prayer,” with text sharing embarrassing — and sometimes traumatic stories.

Here’s one that’s a little sillier — and totally relatable:

Robbins goes on to say she thinks people like a way to tell stories that are personal. I agree with that. What’s more, I think if there’s a way for brands to capitalize on similar content trends where they can highlight the real behind-the-scenes of their business, they can really build those connections.

12. TikTok Reviews

Directly related to TikTok content trend #8, businesses are going to rely more and more on small influencers to share reviews.

Why?

Reviews matter. As consumers, we take them seriously. According to Capital One Shopping Research, 92% of us read online reviews before visiting a local business. The same study shows that 84% of us trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

And if a picture is worth a thousand words — just imagine how many words a video review is.

And while influencer partnerships are critical, the best possible reviews are ones that come from the heart and aren’t necessarily trying to sell products directly.

After dadchats (who I mentioned above) shared a personal experience with a fire blanket, several people bought them, and he decided to do a promotion to help families in need:

13. The Rise of ASMR

What’s that? ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. ASMR videos usually show a blend of soothing audio and video content. Some people find it relaxing, and others find it stimulating.

Brands that do a good job of ASMR are likely to get lots of views. The challenge? Finding the right way to do it!

Here are a few businesses and creators doing a great job with this TikTok content trend:

This stationery brand:

This artisan and potter:

14. Party in the Comments Section

Remember, not all content on TikTok is video. Just like any other platform — and perhaps even more so on TikTok — the magic happens in the comments sections. Where individual creators often drop video reactions to comments, again, not everything is video-driven.

There are plenty of brands who live in the comments sections — notably, Wendy’s, Pepsi, Planet Fitness, and more, which is almost as much fun for people to interact with as any original content they create.

Is getting a comment from a big brand the new way to go viral? Maybe. Either way, remember the comments section of your content and other creators is a gold mine of opportunities to get eyes on your brand and to add a dose of fun.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it: four trends creators predict will take over TikTok in 2025. Going forward, make sure your TikTok videos are authentic but not relatable to the point of being cringy and overdone.

Consider creating content that is valuable and helpful, such as educational videos or product and service recommendations. And finally, be open to using AI as an assistive tool, but don’t let it strip your content of personality.

Now, if you‘ll excuse me, I’ll be scrolling TikTok again for the next hour or so.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in January 2024 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

The dreaded question of social media marketers everywhere: “Why am I losing followers on Instagram?” I spent years in the trenches as a social media editor for media brands and know the daily toil it takes to keep up with the latest media trends, platform updates, and more.

Inevitably, a situation arises where you are losing followers and unsure of the cause. Is it me or is the algorithm? The answer is complicated. But according to our research, you’re not alone. Our Instagram Marketing Report found that 10% of Instagram marketers report losing followers in the past year.

If you’re a part of that 10%, you may be panicking trying to figure out what’s causing the decline. Don’t fret — I’ve got you covered. Below, I’ll cover the top reasons why brands lose followers on Instagram and offer some tips about how you might course-correct.

Why am I losing so many followers on Instagram?

1. You’re not posting often enough or posting too much.

When we surveyed Instagram marketers, 44% said that not posting enough is the number one reason why brands lose followers. On the flip side, 18% said posting too much can have the same impact.

Source

When it comes to posting, I’ve found success lies in the balance. You’ll want to post enough to make sure you’re reaching your target audience and not disappearing in a sea of posts, but don’t want to post too much that your audience is getting flooded with your posts all over their timeline.

As you probably know, it’s extremely unlikely that your audience even sees everything you post these days given the algorithm.

Here’s What I Recommend

• First, post at least once a day on the platform, whether it’s on Instagram Stories, Reels, or in-feed. If you have to choose, Stories is a great option just to stay current with updated content.
• Second, share an in-feed post two to three times a week. You can increase this cadence based on how your audience responds, but you probably shouldn’t lower it.

Also: Don’t forget audience engagement.

In my opinion, too many brands over focus on how and when they are posting and too little on how they are interacting with their audience. According to our data, this is a crucial mistake.

Increasing engagement is now marketers’ primary goal — and I expect this trend to continue in 2025. That includes likes, comments, interactive elements, and more. You can (and should) take your unique spin on it.

TL;DR: Don’t get so caught up in your total follower count that you forget to engage with your loyal audience. That’s what will contribute most to your growth in the long run.

2. You’re being too sales-y.

The second most common reason for losing followers is being overly sales-y. 43% of Instagram marketers said this is a major turnoff for audiences.

Our survey found that content centered around a brand’s products/services is leveraged by 37% of IG marketers and has the highest ROI — but yes, there is too much of a good thing.

Source

If it’s the only type of content you post, you might alienate your audience.

Here’s What I Recommend

Balance is the keyword here.

In addition to posts that highlight your products and/or services, you should also post content that:

• Reflects your brand values.
• Invites conversation.
• Builds community.

I know, as a user, I get frustrated if I open up Instagram while I have some time to relax and I feel like every post I come across is trying to get me to buy something — ick. I’m much more likely to engage with a funny meme or entertaining video.

The data backs this up, too: Our survey revealed that funny content is the second most effective for getting followers, shares, and engagement on Instagram.

Source

3. You had bot followers.

If you purchased bot followers, you’ll be in for a rude awakening when they all disappear and your follower list tanks.

20% of Instagram marketers surveyed say this is why brands lose followers.

While it’s tempting to buy bots to give the semblance of a strong follower base, this practice will only hurt you in the long run.

Instead, I recommend focusing on building a follower list organically through a consistent posting schedule, sharing valuable content, following trends, and listening to your data.

It doesn’t have to take long, either. Most marketers say it takes 4-6 months to reach 1K followers on Instagram. Only 17% reached that in under a month, and just 1% took over a year.

Here’s What I Recommend

If you’ve inherited a lot of bot followers, try manually removing inactive accounts to improve the quality of your audience and get better insights from your data.

Instagram now lets you look at your follower count and see any accounts that are flagged for review or inactive. You can start with these lists to start cleaning up your lists.

Source

4. You don’t have a consistent aesthetic and voice.

One thing audiences love is consistency.

Consistency in your branding and your creative assets is key in building strong brand recognition. In addition, consistency also helps build a visually appealing profile.

If a user visits your profile and every post looks like it was created by a different brand, they’ll have a hard time understanding what your brand is all about and choose to unfollow you.

Personally, if I’m scrolling and I notice a brand I don’t recognize on my timeline, I’ll visit their profile and if I don’t recognize their last few posts, I’ll likely unfollow them. I imagine many users behave the same way.

Here’s What I Recommend

With this in mind:

• Figure out what your brand identity and visual aesthetic are early on in your branding process.
• Leverage tools like Canva to build a visual profile that stays consistent across all platforms.

The Skimm, an email newsletter brand that sums up the biggest news of the day, is a great example of this. Their branding is clean and consistent from your inbox to your Instagram feed. And this consistency makes it easy to stand out from other news accounts I follow.

Source

5. Your audience has evolved and you’re not keeping up.

It would be so easy to market to our audiences if their interests and behaviors always stayed the same.

Unfortunately, that isn’t the case.

This requires marketers to stay on top of what attracts and retains their audiences. One of the most effective ways to do this is by relying on your data. What is it telling you?

Say you’re HubSpot and our feed consists of customer success stories, product highlights, company values, and industry trends.

Perhaps content surrounding industry trends used to perform very well but you’ve noticed a slow decline over the past six months. Perhaps your audience is not as interested in this content or the format in which it’s being presented.

Maybe if you used to leverage images, you should consider switching to video.

The biggest giveaway to me is using outdated tactics. If you’re stuck posting hashtag spam or posting giveaways to boost follower accounts, I’d recommend trying some of these new best practices. Audiences evolve fast — and the platforms evolve even faster — and it’s our job as social media marketers to keep up.

Here’s What I Recommend

If you’re looking for some help in evolving with your audience, check out our free Instagram for Business Kit. You’ll learn how to get followers, build your audience, navigate algorithm updates, and measure success.

Source

Use This Data to Guide Your Instagram Strategy

My biggest takeaway from this data and from my years as a social editor? You need to give your audience a reason to follow you. It’s not enough to just show up and have a presence on Instagram.

You need to have a defined brand, a unique voice, and you need to show up authentically (and consistently!) to build meaningful relationships with your audience. That’s what your followers care about and, perhaps not surprisingly, the algorithm favors too.

Lastly, always use data to steer your strategy. If you don’t, you risk losing touch with your audience and slowly seeing your follower list decrease.

Losing Instagram followers can be a scary reality to face. However, once you identify the reason behind the decline, you can address it and regain them.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in February 2022 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

I still remember the first time I sat down to write a case study as a SaaS content marketer. The client was a budding tech startup, and I wasn’t entirely sure where to begin.

Since then, I’ve written several case studies for different companies, and I’ve noticed that each one demanded a unique approach — whether it was in the research phase, how I interviewed stakeholders, or the way I structured the narrative.

Despite those differences, one thing remained constant: the focal point was always showcasing the product’s power and value.

Putting together a compelling case study is one of the most powerful strategies for showcasing your product and attracting future customers. But it’s not easy to create case studies that your audience can’t wait to read.

In this post, I’ll go over the definition of a case study and the best examples to inspire you.

Table of Contents

• What is a case study?
• Marketing Case Study Examples
• Digital Marketing Case Study Examples

A case study proves how your product has helped other companies by demonstrating real-life results. Not only that, but marketing case studies with solutions typically contain quotes from the customer.

This means that they’re not just ads where you praise your own product. Rather, other companies are praising your company — and there’s no stronger marketing material than a verbal recommendation or testimonial.

A great case study also has research and stats to back up points made about a project’s results.

There are several ways to use case studies in your marketing strategy.

From featuring them on your website to including them in a sales presentation, a case study is a strong, persuasive tool that shows customers why they should work with you — straight from another customer.

Writing one from scratch is hard, though, which is why we’ve created a collection of case study templates for you to get started.

There’s no better way to generate more leads than by writing case studies. However, without case study examples from which to draw inspiration, it can be difficult to write impactful studies that convince visitors to submit a form.

Marketing Case Study Examples

To help you create an attractive and high-converting case study, I’ve put together a list of some of our favorites. This list includes famous case studies in marketing, technology, and business.

These studies can show you how to frame your company’s offers in a way that is useful to your audience. Take a look, and let these examples inspire your next brilliant case study design.

These marketing case studies with solutions show the value proposition of each product. They also show how each company benefited in both the short and long term using quantitative data.

In other words, you don’t get just nice statements like “This company helped us a lot.” You see actual change within the firm through numbers and figures.

You can put your learnings into action with HubSpot’s Free Case Study Templates. Available as custom designs and text-based documents, you can upload these templates to your CMS or send them to prospects as you see fit.

Download These Free Case Study Templates

1. “How Handled Scaled from Zero to 121 Locations with the Help of HubSpot,” by HubSpot

The last two times I moved houses, I organized the whole process of packing up boxes, ordering vehicles, carrying things up the stairs to the new apartment, and rearranging stuff myself. If you’ve done this before, you know how stressful it is, especially when you have other commitments like work or school.

Handled, a home services concierge, aims to relieve that stress by taking complete control over the moving process. However, unlike traditional moving companies, Handled developed a new way of moving that uses technology and high-level service reps to deliver personalized concierge services to customers.

To implement this model effectively, the company needed a CRM platform with automation capabilities to streamline the hundreds of workflows.

After trying a few popular CRMs, the company’s President and CEO, Seth Waite, chose HubSpot as their CRM of choice. After learning how to use HubSpot to its fullest potential, Seth and his team were able to automate convoluted processes and put sales, marketing, and customer service initiatives into a unified system of record.

This gave every team member 360-degree visibility into their customers and freed up time for them to deliver concierge-level services and answer customers’ questions.

With HubSpot’s help, Seth and his team were able to scale Handled from zero to 121 locations (in the US) in 37 states in just 18 months.

Takeaway

This case study meticulously described, in detail, the challenges Handled was facing, their process in finding a solution (HubSpot), and how that solution helped the company scale. You can use this format when you really want to show prospective customers how well your product works for their needs.

2. “Rozum Robotics intensifies its PR game with Awario,” by Awario

Rozum Robotics is a company that builds stand-out robotic solutions like high-precision servo motors, frameless motors, and robotic tool changers. The company also created an advanced robotic coffee house called Rozum Cafe.

However, it had trouble increasing brand awareness and generating leads for the coffee house. After trying a few tools, the marketing team at Rozum Robotics chose Awario, a brand monitoring tool, to help them step up the company’s PR and lead gen game.

With Awario, the team was able to reduce the time it spends finding and tracking relevant media sources and influencers for promoting the coffee house by 70%. It was also able to define two new target audiences for the cafe, spot viral content, react to mentions of the cafe online, analyze competitors’ social media posts, and compare the sentiment of Rozum Cafe with similar automated coffee spots.

As a result, Rozum Robotics was able to save time, find and target new audiences, nurture newly formed media relations, and improve the quality of leads generated.

Takeaway

From the jump, this case study gives an overview of Rozum Robotics, including what the company does, its pain points, challenges, and then the solution. At the end, there’s a short bullet list of the results and improvements that Awario helped generate for their client.

Dividing your case study into these sections makes it easier for prospective customers to skim through and understand.

3. “How Meagan and Alex of Agents of Change 10X-ed Their Income With Thinkific,” by Thinkific

When Meagan Mitchell, one-half of Agents of Change, took the ASWB exam to become a licensed clinical worker, she only needed to get a book with which to prepare. There were other learning materials, but they were either limited or expensive. Not to mention outdated, too.

Noticing these inefficiencies, Meagan and her husband, Alex, decided to create updated materials and adapt the way people studied for their licensing exams to include more technology. That’s how Agents of Change was created in 2020.

At the time, Meagan was doing individual and group tutoring for people about to take their exams, but Alex advised her to upload her tutoring content on a course platform so people can learn at their own pace. They started with Gumroad, but a year later, they outgrew the platform and started looking for a more robust one. That’s how they found Thinkific.

With Thinkific, Meagan and Alex have been able to build an all-encompassing licensing exam prep course, build strong communities across several social media platforms, and assess their customers’ needs and iterate accordingly. They’ve also been able to create a branded mobile app for learners on the go, which has really boosted their business.

As a result, they’ve been able to 10X their annual revenue (from when they were using Gumroad) and transform Agents of Change into a thriving business.

Takeaway

This case study not only explains Meagan and Alex’s reasoning behind creating an online business that focuses on social workers, but it also lists some other lessons readers can learn from the couple on building and scaling an online business.

With this approach, you not only show people the value of your product, but you also deliver value by letting them learn from clients who might be in the same position as them.

4. “Embracing first-party data: 3 success stories from HubSpot,” by Think with Google

In this case study, Christen Luciano, director of strategic alliances at HubSpot, explores how three small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) used first-party data (data collected directly from your audience, whether customers, website visitors, or social media followers) to improve their marketing effectiveness.

The first company is Zoe Financial, a New York-based wealth-planning platform. This company’s first-party data, stored in the HubSpot CRM platform, provided insights into what makes an ideal client.

They used the data to optimize their Google Ads campaigns, which resulted in its most valuable client segment making up 60% of sales, the highest ever since the company was founded in 2018.

The second company is Cluey Learning, an online tutoring startup that helps parents find personalized school support for their kids across Australia and New Zealand. The Cluey team used the first-party data they stored with HubSpot and Google’s shared solution to reach qualified potential customers with relevant campaigns. With this strategy, Cluey’s ads increased in effectiveness by 190%, and the cost of conversions decreased by 17%.

The third company is France-based startup Agicap, which struggled to stand out in an online space saturated with ads from its competitors. By feeding its first-party CRM data from HubSpot into Google Ads and leveraging Google’s Customer Match feature, Agicap was able to reengage its qualified leads with relevant ads. This resulted in a 10% increase in conversions and a 15% increase in revenue growth.

Takeaway

If you have a few clients who use the same tool in similar ways to get specific results, you can group them together in one case study instead of creating separate case studies for each of them. This way, prospective customers who would benefit from using your tool in the same way can see themselves in each company you discussed in the case study.

5. “A Healthcare System Plans for Resilience,” by Herman Miller

Herman Miller sells sleek, utilitarian furniture with no frills and extreme functionality, and this case study details its partnership with a Catholic health system that includes thousands of healthcare facilities across the U.S.

This organization, which is deeply committed to the environment and financial stewardship, wanted to make its growing portfolio of facilities more efficient, effective, and agile.

To do that, its Planning, Design, and Construction (PDC) team started making plans for facilities that can respond to situations and accommodate changes of all magnitudes. However, the organization wanted to reduce fragmentation and ensure consistency across locations, so it partnered with Herman Miller (and its network of dealer partners, e.g., OfficeWorks).

Herman Miller worked with this organization to develop processes for planning, designing, and executing these projects while meeting stringent guidelines. They were also able to repurpose the existing casework and furnishings for the new clinics, which saved the organization over 50% of what it would’ve cost to order things brand new.

No material from the project ended up in landfills, which is a win for both the environment and the organization.

There were also other benefits of working with Herman Miller, which included saving time via streamlined processes/solutions, getting reliable day-to-day service from OfficeWorks (which is fully integrated into the organization’s team), stress-free disassembly and reinstallation, and continuity with updates.

Takeaway

Similar to the Handled case study by HubSpot, this one by Herman Miller takes an expository approach, which is effective if the client you’re discussing in the case study used your product/service for a large project with different moving parts.

An expository approach allows you to describe those moving parts and then connect them neatly at the end as you describe the eventual results you helped the client achieve.

6. “Sephora at Kohl’s to Expand Shop-in-Shop Concept to All Kohl’s Locations,” by Retail Touchpoints

Sephora first partnered with Kohl’s in 2021, the department store retailer, to replace Kohl’s beauty offerings with Sephora counters.

At the time, both companies planned about 200 store launches, but the partnership was so successful that the partnership grew to include nearly 400 stores in 2022. With the same growth rates reported that year, Kohl’s anticipated that, by 2023, it will have opened 800 Sephora at Kohl’s locations.

Since the launch of the partnership in August 2021, Kohl’s has seen over 1 million new customers, noting that the collaboration is attracting younger and more diverse audiences. The partnership is now projected to reach $2 billion in annual sales by 2025.

Takeaway

Before describing the success of the initial partnership between Sephora and Kohl’s, this case study noted that the collaboration is set to expand.

If you have a client who’s renewing their partnership with your business, you could take this approach by first making it known that they’re continuing their collaboration with you and then explaining why (the initial collaboration was massively successful).

7. “HackReactor teaches the world to code #withAsana,” by Asana

Hack Reactor is a software engineering coding boot camp program that aims to provide a world-class education to its students. When the company was just starting out, its CEO, Tony Williams, could easily keep track of all the moving pieces. But as it got more students, hired more staff, and opened more locations, being so meticulous became a challenge.

Tony started looking for a tool his growing team could use to store information centrally, so they could use it. After using Asana personally and being satisfied with it, he rolled it out to the entire team.

The first thing they did was upload their detailed documentation on important processes like course development or facilities and made it available to everyone in the company. They also used Asana’s API to streamline their processes and make them more efficient.

Not too long after, the Hack Reactor team, which comprises over 200 people, started using Asana for many different workflows, including their management processes, performance reviews, standard operating procedures, HR policies, and team-building events.

The efficiency this brought has caused Hack Reactor to cut its operation costs by 50% and recruiting costs down to $0. Hack Reactor’s graduation rate is now 97.3%, and the job placement rate is 98.1%.

Takeaway

In the same vein as the case study by Omniscient Digital, this one by Asana puts the metrics (and accompanying figures) right at the beginning to pique the curiosity of readers. Then it goes on to explain how exactly Asana helped Hack Reactor achieve these results, featuring statements from the CEO himself.

8. “Rips Sewed, Brand Love Reaped,” by Amp Agency

Patagonia, the American outdoor clothing and gear brand, appealed to its core audience with high-quality products, environmental activism, and sustainable business practices. However, it sought to connect with a younger demographic and change the relationships people have with the things they buy.

So, they hired Amp Agency to help them.

Upon learning what Patagonia wanted to achieve, the agency and its client worked together to come up with the Worn Wear program, which encourages people to repair and reuse existing items. To execute the program, the agency got a custom-designed biodiesel-converted Dodge truck named Delia, and embarked on a 7-week road trip to share this message with people directly.

This epic tour started in the California Bay Area and headed east, where they stopped at major Patagonia markets, smaller markets, college campuses, transit stations, local businesses, and outdoor community boards.

At each stop, Worn Wear tour team members mended and repaired used garments, shared valuable tips with DIYers, and sold used Worn Wear merchandise through Delia’s pop-up shop.

The agency documented the entire trip on social media and bolstered that with PR and guerilla marketing tactics, so Delia arrived at each stop to excited crowds. At the end of the 5,000-mile journey, they realized that they had over 11,000 tour attendees, an 88% merchandise sell-through rate during the tour, and nearly 700,000 page views on the Worn Wear landing page.

Takeaway

Taking the expository approach (but without quotes), Amp Agency succinctly describes the measures it took to reach young people with Patagonia’s message. However, at the end, it boldly lists the results it got for Patagonia, which ties up the exposition nicely.

9. “WorkDay Puts Evisort’s Connected Contract Intelligence to Work—and It Delivered,” by Evisort

The legal operations team at WorkDay, a leader in enterprise cloud applications for finance, HR, and planning, realized that the company could save hundreds of thousands of hours by automating contract data processes. The team posited that by streamlining their contracting processes using AI, the group could connect the contract data to locate information quickly.

When the team proposed this to the business, they were immediately on board and started looking for tools that can perform this function. They eventually found Evisort. Using the Evisort platform, Workday’s legal team were able to get time back. They used the platform for large-scale/global projects with multiple search parameters, and connected that data to other platforms, including Salesforce.

The Workday legal operations team also implemented multiple Evisort user levels — ranging from users who don’t frequently use the platform to those who use it every day.

By partnering with Evisort, Workday was able to optimize its legal operations, achieving a whopping 3,500% return on investment.

Takeaway

Right underneath the title, Evisort provides a short blurb that summarizes the entire case study. This helps readers who are unable to read the whole thing at that moment have an idea of what Workday is and how Evisort helped the company achieve an ROI that high.

This blurb increases the chances of readers returning to read the case study or downloading it for perusal later.

10. “Flexible Data Processing for Land Usage,” by Cloudflight

This case study describes the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS), a European program for monitoring the Earth. Cloudflight explains that the CLMS has three parts, the second of which Cloudflight is currently developing (the CLC+ Core).

The case study goes on to describe the challenge of developing a system that covers the entirety of the EEA-38 + UK States and takes in tons of data, while remaining user-friendly and intuitive. It then describes the solution: The Cloudflight team created a blueprint that shows the opportunities to seize and best practices to adopt to make the system suitable for end-users while processing huge quantities of data.

Takeaway

This case study is highly specialized, and I don’t fully understand what the CLMS does and its significance. But, that’s the point. If your industry is deeply technical, don’t shy away from using jargon to describe what you do. It’s a great way to show prospects that you’re passionate about the industry and are not just trying to get their business.

11. “Twinkle Twinkle Little One Grows Revenue by 80% with Shopify POS,” by Shopify

Twinkle Twinkle Little One, founded by Rachel and Corey Glasson, is a Chicago-based premiere baby and child boutique that sells things parents need to care for their babies, like cribs, dressers, car seats, clothing, etc.

The challenge this company faced is that the POS they used didn’t integrate well with the brand’s e-commerce tool. As a result, staff had to manually cross-reference inventory quantities on both systems to maintain accuracy. Not only was this time-consuming and stressful, but it was also imperfect and they sometimes received orders for items that were actually not in stock.

To unify the sales channels and streamline the business’ operations, the Glassons decided to migrate to Shopify POS, which integrated seamlessly with the brand’s QuickBooks Desktop Accounting Software.

Since this migration, Twinkle Twinkle Little One has grown its revenue by nearly 80% year-over-year (YoY), reduced back-office tasks, and streamlined its sales, inventory, and financial reporting.

Takeaway

Right underneath the title is a blurb that makes it clear that the Glassons were using other tools before Shopify. Since prospective customers who read case studies are likely trying to make a decision on which tool to go for, this is a great way to show the value your product provides (compared to your competitors).

12. “How BlueBridge One Uses Happeo for Knowledge Management,” by Happeo

BlueBridge One is a leading Oracle NetSuite solution provider with offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town, the UK, and Romania. The company has over 80 employees who are all well-versed with the product and are experts in their field.

They had one problem, though: an overload of information. Also, with offices in different geographic locations and most employees working remotely, it was difficult to collaborate and share information.

So, the BlueBridge One team set out to find a tool that can serve as a universal source of truth. And they found Happeo, which proved to be more than just an intranet. It was also a social platform that bridged the gap between BlueBridge One’s offices and deepened the bond between colleagues.

Takeaway

The entire case study is almost exclusively composed of direct quotes from Lameshnee Chetty, BlueBridge One’s Knowledge Manager. In fact, the case study begins by introducing Lameshnee, rather than the company itself. This is a great way to humanize your client and give readers someone they can relate to in the case study.

13. “Red Sox Season Campaign,” by CTP Boston

Unlike most case studies, which read like blog posts, this one by CTP Boston is structured in a landing page style. It details how CTP Boston created the annual Opening Day TV Spot for the Boston Red Sox, which it has been doing for over a decade as the team’s agency partner.

Below the hero video, the page shows the awards that CTP Boston’s work has garnered, including an Emmy and a Hatch award. This lends credibility to the work that the agency does and speaks to their expertise. After this, it briefly explains the challenge CTP Boston faced with that year’s campaign and the idea with which they approached the execution.

Then, the page showed a core metric: The Opening Day Spot earned over 1 million impressions within the first two weeks of airing, which is impressive.

Takeaway

This landing page-style case study takes the “show, don’t tell” approach seriously. The page opens with a video of the Red Sox team on the field, which sets the mood for the other videos of player spotlights on the page. There are also visuals from the print campaign and social media executions, as well as campaigns from previous years.

This is a great way to show the work that you can create for your clients as well as your range and adaptability.

14. “Reimagining the B2B Web Experience for a Challenger Digital Experience Platform,” by Genuine

This case study covers Genuine’s partnership with Acoustic, an independent cloud marketing platform that helps marketers “unleash their brilliance.” Acoustic was building a new brand in a crowded marketing technology space and hired Genuine, a digital experience agency, to create a website that’ll help them stand out from the crowd.

And that’s what Genuine did! The company created a stunning website that put the needs of marketers and IT professionals at the center, helping site visitors identify the solutions they needed. So, instead of talking about what Acoustic does, the website focused on what Acoustic’s target audience needed.

This approach helped Acoustic get a 49% increase in form submissions, 212% increase in mobile form submissions, and a 72% increase in marketing qualified lead submissions.

Takeaway

In short, punchy sentences, Genuine described at the beginning what it did for Acoustic and the results the work brought. In similarly punchy paragraphs (with lots of white space), it gave an overview of Acoustic and what it needed, a testimonial from Acoustic’s CMO, and three takeaways from Genuine’s approach to Acoustic needs.

Having takeaways in your case study (or blog post, as in my case) is a great way to show your process and how you approach client work.

15. “Using Apptio Targetprocess Automated Rules in Wargaming,” by Apptio

Apptio’s case study for Wargaming summarizes three key pieces of information: the goals, the obstacles, and the results. It uses bullet points and short sentences to convey the message, so instead of reading through long blocks of text, you’re able to get the message immediately.

Now, if you feel that there’s context missing or you don’t quite understand how Apptio helped Wargaming, there’s a 10-minute video in the header where Yulia Ivantsova and Diana Paliychuk (Project Manager, EPMO) at Wargaming answer questions and give more context into how Wargaming leveraged Apptio for its processes.

Takeaway

If you’re able to film an interview with a leader from the company that hired you or used your product, that’s a great way to humanize both your brand and your client’s brand, and get their unfiltered thoughts as to how they decided to partner with you and the results you’ve brought them.

When you do this, you don’t have to write a whole blog post explaining the entire process. You could just take Apptio’s route and write a 14-line summary broken down into sections.

16. “Coca-Cola Wins With First-to-Market Playable Ads,” by Uber

Uber isn’t just a rideshare company; it’s also an advertising company, as its collection of case studies proves. One of those case studies is this one that concisely describes how Coca-Cola partnered with Uber to engage customers during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

With the first-to-market Playable Ad, the iconic brand targeted sports fans, tourists attending the event, and Uber Eats grocery shoppers. Users could play a branded game within a Post-Checkout Ad to unlock a special Coke discount.

The strategy for Coca-Cola got 21%+ new customer redemptions, 40+ secs average playing time, and 90%+ game completion rate across both Australia and New Zealand.

Takeaway

The blurb and the results from Coca-Cola’s campaign take up over half of the entire page. This speaks to how effective it is to put the results front and center and then build the rest of the narrative from there.

17. “Discovering Cost Savings With Efficient Decision Making,” by Gartner

Gartner collaborated with Charleston County School District, the second largest district in South Carolina, to provide insights on how Charleston IT leaders can streamline the decision-making process and determine the optimal IT security framework for the business.

With Gartner’s help, the IT leaders were able to save time on discovering long-term cost savings initiatives. They were also able to talk about existing IP addresses and their potential to bring more budget to the district worth north of $1 million.

Takeaway

You don’t always need a ton of text or a video to convey your message — sometimes, you just need a few paragraphs and bullet points, like in Gartner’s case study. Gartner does a fantastic job of quickly providing the fundamental statistics a potential customer would need to know, without boggling down their readers with dense paragraphs.

18. “Bringing an Operator to the Game,” by Redapt

This case study example by Redapt is another great demonstration of the power of summarizing your case study’s takeaways right at the start of the study. The blurb describes in one sentence the kind of company that needed Redapt’s services, what they aimed to achieve, and how Redapt helped them achieve it.

The case study goes on to include three easy-to-scan columns: “The problem,” “The solution,” and “The outcome.” In these sections, Redapt explains that the company had online players from around the world and was trying to transition from running its apps on VMs to using a modern development environment centered around containers.

They hired Redapt, which helped them move to DevOps, containers, and Kubernetes. Because of this, the company was able to accelerate its game development process and cut costs, while reducing the need for always-available personnel.

Takeaway

Like Redapt, you can break your case study down into easily digestible sections. Also, use colored sections, like the “moment of clarity” and “end result” sections in this case study. With this addition, you can highlight the “turning points” for both you and your client when you were working toward a solution.

19. “The Soundtrack to Growth: A Spotify Marketing Case Study,” by NoGood

Rather than exploring how it helped a client, this case study by NoGood, a growth marketing agency, explores the marketing strategies that Spotify employed to become the global phenomenon that it is today.

This deep dive covers the three pillars of Spotify’s strategy — Personalization, Emotion, and Data — and does a good job explaining Spotify’s target audience and the company’s approach to the 4 Ps: Product, Price, Promotion, and Place.

The case study explains how Spotify uses machine learning to identify each user’s listening habits and historical behaviors. It then uses that data to predict what they might want to listen to in the future, even going as far as getting an AI DJ to curate a playlist just for them.

The case study also talks about how the company uses the data it collects from its 640 million users to run relatable and humor-filled campaigns, including the popular Spotify Wrapped, which leverages users’ emotions (memory and nostalgia, mostly) and makes them feel like part of a community.

Takeaway

Your case studies don’t always have to be about your clients, especially if you’re a service-based business. It can be about other successful businesses that fit your ideal client profile.

Doing deep dives into these businesses tells prospective clients that you’re an expert in your field. You’ll show prospects that they can trust you to come up with strategies that will work for them.

Digital Marketing Case Study Examples

20. “Smartling Generates $3.7M of Pipeline With Product-Led Content,” by Omniscient Digital

Omniscient Digital is a premium content marketing agency that helps software companies grow using SEO and content. In 2021, Smartling, a language translation platform, partnered with the agency to increase brand awareness and conversions.

Before that, they’d been struggling with garnering organic traffic and conversions, which was bad for business, seeing as they relied on content to reach new customers. When they lost their in-house writer and subject matter expert (SMEs), they knew they had to seek external help. After trying a few agencies with little to no results, they found Omniscient Digital.

After the initial meeting, the Omniscient team was able to pinpoint Smartling’s challenges and goals. Then, Omniscient got to work researching and interviewing SMEs to learn more about the translation management industry and Smartling’s target audience. The team also audited Smartling’s existing content using Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Ahrefs, etc.

The data they discovered helped the team build a product-led SEO strategy and content roadmap that involved creating new content, optimizing existing content, and building high-value backlinks. The intention was to capture searchers with high-conversion intent who matched Smartling’s target audience.

And it worked!

From 2022 to 2024, the Smartling blog had a 118% boost in organic blog traffic and a 31,250% increase in blog conversions. All of this amounted to $3.7 million in pipeline.

Takeaway

The title of the case study is gripping, what with the mention of $3.7 million in pipeline. Immediately, Omniscient Digital bolsters this claim by showing three metrics (increase in blog conversions, sitewide conversions, and ROI on organic search program).

This approach piques readers’ interest further, encouraging them to read on and find out just how those numbers were achieved.

21. “How Fractl Earned Links from 931 Unique Domains for Porch.com in a Single Year,” by Fractl

Taking the same web page approach as CTP Boston, Fractl, a digital marketing agency, showed how it helped Porch, a home improvement marketplace, earn links from 931 unique domains in one year. But that’s not all Fractl helped Porch achieve.

Just below the hero section is a rundown of metrics showing the full results of the campaign Fractl ran for Porch, including 23K+ monthly visitors added, 3,500+ press mentions, and TV coverage by Whoopi Goldberg on The View, among other feats.

Before delving into the explanation of how it achieved that, Fractl employs images to give readers a visual idea of Porch’s results, including screenshots of the analytics, logos of some companies and publications that mentioned Porch, and a map of the states that mentioned Porch.

Then, the case study explains the engagement highlights in more detail to give readers more context into these achievements, including positive responses and feedback from publishers they reached out to on Porch’s behalf.

Takeaway

Start your case study by stating the key results, like Fractl does, instead of putting the results all the way at the bottom. Let pictures speak for you by incorporating graphs, logos, and icons all throughout the case study. Also, include first-person accounts, if applicable, so readers can imagine the results they’ll get if they hire you to help them.

22. “In-Depth Performance Marketing Case Study,” by Switch

Switch is an international marketing agency based in Malta that knocks it out of the park with a case study unlike any I’ve seen. In 13 pages, Switch dives deep into how it helped its client (whose name it didn’t reveal) with their Search and Facebook Ad campaigns, which they were running in-house.

On the cover page, Switch noted that it helped this client increase ROI by 2,000% in just six weeks, positioning the case study as a “performance marketing” case study.

With clever multi-approach strategies, split testing, and ad optimization, Switch was able to raise the client’s Search ROI from 1.2x to 19x in a few months and the Facebook ROI from 1.07x to 35x in the same period.

Takeaway

Instead of the regular 1-page case study, do a deep into the results you’ve achieved for your clients. Specify the results you helped them achieve from the jump, and then explain, step by step, the approach(es) you took to help them achieve these results.

To showcase just how effective your strategies were, include industry benchmarks within your case study, like Switch does. Then, end with a call to action on how readers can get in touch with you if they need your services.

23. “Money Keywords Digital Marketing Case Study,” by Cognism

Like Switch, Cognism’s approach with this case study is in-depth. Instead of talking about a client, the writer explores Cognism itself and how its marketers use keywords such as money to help it grow.

The case study identified key issues with Cognism’s SEO that caused them to lose SERP rankings and see a decline in seasonal traffic. It introduces their unique idea of solving SEO challenges with money keywords.

These are high-intent keywords that attract ready-to-buy visitors. By introducing such ideas and spreading them, Cognism tried to improve brand awareness among its audience.

Cognism also talked about its backlink strategy, detailing how it targeted high-authority websites and tracked their progress each quarter. They used guest blogging, leveraged outreach, and created linkable content to improve SERP rankings and boost domain authority.

They also gave examples of tools like HockeyStack, which helped with data visualization and used metrics like demo requests, generated deals, and revenue as outcomes.

Takeaway

If you just implemented a successful strategy for your own website/social media/email list, make a case study about it. Talk about your process in detail and the tools you used for execution to promote your ideas in your niche and gain authority.

24. “How Persona-Focused SEO Brings Preply 25K New Visitors Every Month,” by Animalz

Animalz is one of the leading content marketing agencies for B2B SaaS companies, and it uses a wide range of content strategies to deal with its clients’ unique challenges. One of those clients is Preply, an online language-learning marketplace.

With over 1,000 search-optimized pages (many of which are bottom of the funnel (BOFU) content), Preply relies heavily on SEO to attract new customers.

However, after its $70 million it received in funding, the company wanted to invest in better SEO to identify more potential customers higher up the funnel. It also wanted to increase its organic traffic, which had plateaued for much of the first half of 2023.

This case study meticulously explains what Preply wanted to achieve, where they were at the moment they partnered with Animalz, the steps that the Animalz team took to build and execute a winning strategy for the company, and the results of that strategy.

Takeaway

It’s one thing to list the challenges your client was facing prior to partnering with you; it’s quite another to describe, in detail, the stage they were at the time of partnership.

In your case study, showing readers what your client was experiencing before they hired you sets the foundation for explaining the progress they made after you executed the strategy. It puts the results into perspective.

25. “Online Revenue Increased by 27% and Offline Revenue by 44%,” by The Social Shepherd

The Social Shepherd is an award-winning social first agency, and the client they discussed in this case study is GoCustom Clothing, a personalized clothing company. In this case study, The Social Shepherd gave a quick overview of what the client company does, and its goal: to grow sales through paid digital advertising, while achieving a blended target ROAS of 460%.

The next section details what The Social Shepherd did to help the client, which included analyzing past performance and then using this information to update the account’s structures.

It also strategized around both online and offline revenue generation and created an extensive range of secondary conversions to understand how the offline revenue was being generated. This helped the agency plan the investment to support the conversions and get the expected returns for GoCustom Clothing.

This approach yielded impressive results for the client: it increased both online and offline revenue by 27% and 44% respectively and achieved a blended ROAS of 474% (which was above their target of 460%). At the end, The Social Shepherd noted that GoCustom Clothing plans to increase their budget for 2024, and is working with the agency to launch a paid media campaign on LinkedIn.

Takeaway

In your case study, outline your client’s goals to present clear objectives for readers. Then, explain how you help them achieve these goals, the results, and how the client plans to further their partnership with you (if applicable).

26. “LinkedIn Advertising Case Study for Healthcare Communication Company,” by Directive Consulting

Directive Consulting’s case study for TigerConnect’s ad campaign provides a clear narrative of the latter’s challenge, strategy, and results. The case study begins with a brief overview of what TigerConnect does and how it helps doctors, nurses, patients, and care teams communicate with one another.

Then, it boldly shows the results it got for the company: 31% increase in paid leads QoQ, 111% increase in overall visits from LinkedIn QoQ, and 71% decrease in cost-per-acquisition QoQ. Directive Consulting achieved these results by helping TigerConnect nail its targeting for paid adverts.

Since TigerConnect serves a very specific vertical of healthcare professionals, the targeting pool for paid ads is really narrow, and sometimes, they don’t target the right keywords, which causes them to lose money.

So, they enlisted Directive Consulting’s help, and the agency decided to use LinkedIn to target prospective clients at the top of the funnel and guide them down the funnel toward conversion.

This strategy was very successful, as it helped TigerConnect solidify a top-of-funnel paid strategy and hit their quarterly goals.

Takeaway

Give relevant context in the client overview section, so readers have essential background information on the client. Then, offer a step-by-step breakdown of your strategy, including initial actions and subsequent adjustments. This helps readers understand the reasoning behind each decision.

27. “Siege Media’s Digital PR Helped Vena Solutions Win 300+ High-Authority Links,” By Siege Media

Siege Media’s case study for Vena Solutions illustrates how the former helped the latter get over 300 high-quality backlinks.

At the time, Vena Solutions, a platform that helps financial planning and analysis (FP&A) teams use Microsoft Excel to its fullest potential, needed a content marketing agency to create blog posts that would rank and bring in high-authority links from reputable news sources.

So, they hired Siege Media, a top marketing agency, that got to work creating shareable top-of-the-funnel (TOFU) content, including statistic-centric posts that encouraged others to link back to Vena as an authority in the FP&A industry. In about a year, the Vena Solutions blog saw a 197% increase in organic traffic value and 216% more links across multiple blog posts.

Takeaway

Let the visuals speak by including examples of the actual work you did for your client and graphs showing the results. This is especially useful if you’re a branding and/or marketing agency.

Start Creating Your Case Study Today

After researching and writing this piece, I realized there are countless ways to structure a case study — everything from a quick-read blog post or a traditional web page format, to long-form PDF reports and even a compilation of graphs showing results and news logos showcasing media mentions.

Sometimes, it’s most effective to write from your company’s perspective, but other times, telling the story from the client’s viewpoint brings a more personal touch. I learned that you can even mix things up with a few bullet points supported by a video interview featuring leaders from the client company.

I think you should pick whatever format helps you best highlight the results you achieved for your client. But if you’re not sure which structure to choose, feel free to download these free case study templates and start experimenting!

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in August 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Designing an optimized landing page isn’t just a task — it’s an art form. If you want a landing page that doesn’t just exist but actively converts, you need to master the craft of conversion-centered design (CCD). Ready to level up?

CCD is the science of crafting experiences laser-focused on achieving a singular business goal. Think of it as your cheat code to guide visitors toward one specific action — whether that’s sharing their details, learning about your offering, or taking the next step in your conversion funnel. And at the heart of CCD? Landing pages.

Landing pages are your ultimate conversion tool, designed with a single purpose: to drive users toward a decisive action. They use congruent design — everything working in harmony to achieve a singular objective. But how do you nudge visitors toward the finish line?

The answer lies in leveraging psychological triggers and design elements that focus attention and encourage interaction. Let’s unpack the seven principles that make CCD tick.

Table of Contents

• What is conversion-centered design?
• The 7 Principles of Conversion-Centered Design

What is conversion-centered design?

When I think about design for conversion, I like to imagine it as a digital storefront. You know how a well-organized, eye-catching store draws you in and makes you want to buy something?

That’s exactly what CCD does — it’s all about creating web pages, emails, or landing pages that not only look great but are strategically designed to guide visitors toward taking a specific action. Whether it’s signing up for a newsletter, downloading an ebook, or making a purchase, CCD is the art of turning passive browsers into active participants.

At its core, CCD focuses on:

• Clarity
• Relevance
• Urgency

It’s not just about aesthetics; it’s about understanding your audience’s needs and removing any friction that might stand in their way. Think bold headlines, compelling calls-to-action (CTAs), and layouts that naturally lead the eye to the next step. Every element is intentional, from the colors to the copy, all working together to create a seamless user experience.

For me, the beauty of CCD lies in its balance — it’s both creative and analytical. It’s about designing with purpose, testing what works, and constantly optimizing to ensure your audience doesn’t just visit your page but takes the action you want them to. But, as they say, every house has its foundation, and CCD’s consists of seven key principles.

The 7 Principles of Conversion-Centered Design

1. Encapsulation

This is a classic technique I like to use to guide your visitors’ attention and create a tunnel vision effect. I like to think of it as carving out a clear window on your landing page — where your call-to-action (CTA) is the view they can’t miss. It’s all about creating a focal point that instantly draws the eye and leaves no confusion about what to do next.

In my experience, it’s best to have one primary object as the star of the page — your main CTA — supported by secondary elements that complement it. If you overcrowd the page with too many competing words, images, or CTAs, it can feel like visual noise. Visitors get overwhelmed, unsure of where to look or what to do, and that’s when they’re likely to bounce. Keep it simple, focused, and intentional, and you’ll keep them engaged and moving toward that desired action.

Example of Encapsulation

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I think this landing page for Radical Design’s new design course is a great example of encapsulation. The dark background helps keep our eyes focused on the fun, colorful words and makes the bright CTA really pop. There’s nothing to distract us from the main message of the page.

Pro tip: Center your main message in the vision tunnel. This doesn’t necessarily have to be in the middle of the page (in fact, off-centered focal points create more dynamic pages), but you want to draw all your viewers’ eyes to the same point.

2. Contrast and Color

Contrast isn’t just a design principle — it’s a conversion weapon. Your CTA should scream “Click me!” even from across the room. Combining similar hues? Forget it. But a vibrant orange button on a monochromatic layout? That’s how you win eyeballs — and clicks.

The more you can make your CTA stand out from its surroundings, the easier it will be to see.

Color psychology matters, too!

Orange, for example, is known to generate positive feelings and can be a great choice for the color of your CTA. Each hue carries emotional weight, and understanding these associations can help you evoke specific feelings that support your goals.

• Red: Danger, stop, negative, excitement, hot.
• Dark Blue: Stable, calming, trustworthy, mature.
• Light Blue: Youthful, masculine, cool.
• Green: Growth, positive, organic, go, comforting.
• White: Pure, clean, honest.
• Black: Serious, heavy, death.
• Gray: Integrity, neutral, cool, mature.
• Brown: Wholesome, organic, unpretentious.
• Yellow: Emotional, positive, caution.
• Gold: Conservative, stable, elegant.
• Orange: Emotional, positive, organic.
• Purple: Youthful, contemporary, royal.
• Pink: Youthful, feminine, warm.
• Pastels: Youthful, soft, feminine, sensitive.
• Metallics: Elegant, lasting, wealthy.

Another important consideration is the contrasting effect of color. This idea borrows from white space and contrast techniques in that it’s a method of isolation via difference.

Example of Contrast and Color

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This has always been one of my favorite landing pages because of how barebones it is. White text on a black background, light blue on grey, white on dark blue, done. No nonsense, animations or beating around the bush.

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Ah, the old reliable. Orange is a very tricky color to include “tastefully,” but HubSpot gets it done with a simple white background. You’ll notice how there is enough content to make the white not too bright.

Pro tip: Want an edge? Leverage contrast to make your button pop. If your page is cool-toned, a fiery red or orange button will dominate attention. Pair colors strategically to avoid visual clashes while ensuring maximum impact.

3. Directional Cues

Humans are wired to follow directions — literally. Whether it’s arrows, pathways, or even the gaze of a photographed subject, directional cues are visual road signs guiding users straight to your CTA.

These cues capitalize on our natural tendencies to seek guidance, making them invaluable when it comes to design for conversion.

Arrows

As directional cues, arrows are about as subtle as a punch in the face, which is why they work so well. With so little time on your page, visually guiding the user to the intended focal point is a smart move.

Arrows let you say, “Ignore everything else, and pay attention to this please.”

The awesome example below shows four different cues at once. One arrow is more aggressive, while another goes in both directions. There’s also two signs pointing in the direction of the header, subtly leading people towards key features. I love it because it’s so free-flowing and direct at the same time.

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Now, let’s take a look at something more immediate and direct. The second example shows a man holding a Macbook, representing a satisfied user of Conversion Lab. I like how there aren’t too many bells and whistles, just a purple hand-drawn arrow pointing at the equally purple button. Less is more, folks!

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Pro tip: For maximum effectiveness, I suggest you design converging lines to draw people to your CTA. Triangles are the most dynamic of all shapes, and their natural tendency to point makes them a special design tool, in the same way that an arrow is a more intricately designed pathway.

Pathways

Another great design element here are pathways. Pathways represent real-world way-finding avenues that trigger our brains into thinking we need to follow them. Roads are so strongly ingrained in our psyche as the path of least resistance, that we naturally gravitate toward them as a transport guide.

This example shows a windy, inviting road, leading to some fabulous… well, Italian adventure… as described by this tour company. Notice how the CTA is placed so that your eye follows the path straight to it?

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Suggestive Power of the Eye

As humans, we’re all programmed to understand the purpose and use of eyes and the meaning that comes from the eyes of someone or something else. Who are they looking at? What is the gaze like? What emotion can we read from it?

In the first example below, the woman is looking at the screen, which is coincidentally in the same direction as the button to start a Pro trial for free. Her face also has an expression of excitement, which immediately made me want to know what all the fuss was about. Curiosity is the motivation that forces you to follow his gaze.

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You’d want your conversion target to be where she, and everyone else, is looking.

In the second example below, the directional cue is more subtle but still very clear. Your attention is first driven to the top right brush, which is pointing almost exactly at the Shop Now button.

The one below is also prominent, pointing to the Shop Now button in the middle of the landing page, which is also, incidentally, a different color compared to the one I first pointed out. Finally, to complete the triangular shape around the main conversion button, the third brush is a high-contrast position, pointing directly towards the Goby logo. Now that’s what I call harmony.

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4. White Space

White space is a design element that often goes unnoticed — yet it’s one of the most powerful tools for creating emphasis. This empty area surrounding key elements clears clutter, enhances focus, and brings clarity. It’s the visual equivalent of a pause that lets your CTA sink in.

I like to think of white space as the quiet that makes the message louder. It’s not just a stylistic choice — it’s a strategic one.

Example of White Space

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Ali Abdaal keeps it simple but still manages to deliver a stunning, complex page. How exactly? Pay attention to the different shades of white and grey. My eyes didn’t register them as colors designed to fill the space, instead perceiving them as regular emptiness. But when you look closer, everything is cohesive and the directional cues are all there.

Pro tip: White space gives your elements room to breathe. Reducing clutter, you amplify the impact of focal points, such as your CTA. The interplay between blank space and design elements creates a calming yet engaging aesthetic that keeps users focused and attentive.

5. Urgency and Scarcity

Now we’re moving from design principles to psychological elements that help create high-converting landing pages.

Two of the most common psychological motivators are the use of urgency (limited time) and scarcity (limited supply). They’re simple concepts that can be applied in a number of ways.

Example of Urgency

“Buy now.” “Don’t miss out.” We’re used to hearing these types of phrases. Statements of urgency are used to coerce us into making a purchasing decision right away. But how do you use them effectively?

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This is how. Coco Village manages to create a sense of urgency without additional pressure using three different elements. When I opened the page, my eyes were immediately focused on the 25%, followed by the words “exclusive” and “limited time only.” The subtle reminder doesn’t rush potential leads, but still manages to hasten the decision making.

Example of Scarcity

As humans, we naturally feel anxiety and a feeling to rush when something is running out. We want to snatch it ASAP without considering too many additional factors. That’s why there’s a limited time to make use of this feeling of urgency.

Airline ticket purchasing is very sensitive to the concept of scarcity, as the number of seats rapidly diminishes as the flight time nears. To leverage this, Expedia uses transparency as a psychological trigger to encourage you to get your credit card out and book right away.

They do this by showing the number of seats left on the flight, but only when the number is low, like only three seats left, as shown in this example:

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6. “Try Before You Buy”

Let’s be honest: Who hasn’t swiped a grape or two at the supermarket just to make sure they’re worth buying? It’s like a universally accepted little act of thievery that we all justify in our heads. Some feel guilty, others don’t, but we all know the drill.

As a marketer, you can take inspiration from this. Let your audience “taste” your product without hesitation or fear of commitment. A little free sample goes a long way in building trust and curiosity.

Example of Previews

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People love a sneak peek before committing. If you’re offering an ebook, why not give away the first chapter as a free download? Or, take a snippet and turn it into a blog post with a CTA that says, “Download the full ebook.”

Not everyone will bite, and that’s okay — you’re weeding out the tire-kickers and focusing on quality leads instead of piling up hundreds of contacts who’ll never convert. It’s all about working smarter, not harder.

Amazon is a classic example of this principle with its “Look Inside” feature, which lets you read a portion of the book in advance.

Pro tip: Letting people check out your product before committing shows confidence. It’s like saying, “We have nothing to hide” — and that builds credibility. People are way more likely to buy when they trust what they’re getting. Transparency isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a game-changer for conversions.

7. Social Proof

Social proof works because humans are wired to trust the actions of a crowd. If everyone’s doing it, it must be good, right? It’s the “me too” factor in action and it brings instant believability.

You can create this same effect online. Show off your social proof: the number of shares, downloads, or sign-ups. People love seeing numbers that say, “Hey, everyone else is doing this” — it’s a great way to grab attention. Testimonials are another goldmine, especially when they’re from familiar names or industries your audience trusts.

Example of Social Proof

Sometimes, I get caught up in all the UI elements that need to be on a landing page that I forget how irrelevant they are compared to word of mouth. If there are real people advocating for the product, then the trust level rises significantly.

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Pro tip: Testimonials can hinder conversion rates if used incorrectly. Discover some top tips for leveraging customer testimonials.

Design for Conversion

Through writing this piece, I remembered the power of conversion-centered design and how psychological principles influence user behavior. Breaking down the seven key principles reinforced how strategic design elements — like contrast, directional cues, and urgency — can significantly impact engagement and conversions.

More than just aesthetics, CCD is about guiding users with intention, making every design choice purposeful. The process also highlighted the balance between creativity and data-driven optimization, reinforcing the idea that effective landing pages blend both art and science to drive results.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in June 2013 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Imagine the leaders who inspire you — each with their own leadership style, driving success in unique ways. I think leadership styles are important enough to shape how businesses operate, influence company culture, and impact team performance.

Leading a boutique marketing agency, I align most with democratic leadership, fostering collaboration and shared decision-making. Earlier in my career, I leaned more toward transactional or pacesetting leadership, but adapting my approach has strengthened my team and business.

Understanding your leadership style can help you become a more effective leader, and in this post, I’ll explore common leadership styles and how to determine the best fit for you.

Table of Contents

• What is a leadership style?
• Types of Leadership Styles
• Deciding Between Different Leadership Styles
• How to Choose the Right Leadership Style for You
• Leadership Style Assessment

Why is it important to know your leadership style?

Knowing your leadership style helps you provide adequate guidance and feedback to employees, and better understand your thoughts, how you make decisions, and strategies you can consider implementing when making business decisions.

It can also help you understand how your direct reports see you and why they may give you specific feedback.

For example, if employees feel stifled at work and don’t have many opportunities to speak their minds, they may tell you that you’re an autocratic leader who can benefit from changing their style.

That’s why I’m always so big on feedback — it allows me to constantly reassess my leadership traits and whether they’re what this situation needs. Are most of my team members introverts? Then, I need their feedback on whether I’m too rash or abrasive under pressure.

Don’t forget — each leadership style has its pitfalls, allowing you to proactively address areas of improvement. This is critical, because some employees might hesitate to speak up, even in an anonymous survey.

Ready to find out your leadership styles? Check out the most common styles below.

1. Democratic Leadership

Also called: Participative or Facilitative Leadership

Democratic leadership is exactly what it sounds like — the leader makes decisions based on each team member‘s input. Despite the leader being the one to make the final call, each employee has an equal say in how the project develops.

Democratic leaders often have the following characteristics:

• Inclusive.
• Collaborative.
• Effective communicator.
• Empowering
• Supportive and empathetic.
• Trust-building.
• Emotionally intelligent.

Why This Leadership Style Works for Businesses

This leadership style resembles how leaders often make decisions in company board meetings.

For example, a democratic leader might give the team a few decision-related options in a company board meeting.

They could then open a discussion about each option. After a discussion, this leader might consider the board’s thoughts and feedback, or they might open this decision up to a vote.

Why This Leadership Style Works

The democratic leadership style is one of the most effective because it encourages everyone to participate in all processes, share their opinions, and know that you will hear them.

It also encourages employees to be engaged because they know you will hear their feedback.

Team members feeling like they have space to participate can also increase employee empowerment, motivation, and participation.

Potential Challenges

Reaching a consensus can take considerable time, resources, and communication with a democratic style. It can also impact decision-making because some team members may not have the right expertise to make critical decisions.

My Experience as a Democratic Leader

I’ve grown into identifying as a democratic leader over time. In the past, I might have leaned more toward a transactional or pacesetting approach, adjusting to the needs of my environment and projects. But democratic leadership feels like home — it aligns with who I am and how I naturally operate.

This leadership style allows me to harness the collective intelligence of my team, fostering collaboration and valuing diverse perspectives. The rewards are immense, but so are the challenges.

I approach life with the mindset that everyone knows something I don’t. It’s an enriching philosophy, but facilitating group consensus can be a heavy lift. Balancing inclusivity with efficiency is a constant dance.

While I thrive on open discussions and shared decision-making, I’m mindful that not everyone finds this process enjoyable. Some team members may feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of contributing, and I have to remind myself that what excites me might feel like pressure to others.

Navigating this leadership style requires awareness, adaptability, and patience. But at the end of the day, the sense of unity and shared purpose it fosters makes the effort more than worthwhile.

In Dharmesh Shah’s free ebook, Lessons on Leadership the value of these goals are highlighted as a service to employees.

Genuine relationships builds trust and gives employees a reason to work beyond the paycheck. Opportunities for contribution help employees feel valued.

Featured Resources

• How to be a good leader
• Tips for remote leadership

2. Autocratic Leadership

Also called: Authoritarian, Coercive, or Commanding Leadership

Autocratic leadership stands in stark contrast to democratic leadership. Here, decisions rest solely in the hands of the leader, with little to no input from subordinates.

Defining Characteristics:

• Centralized decision-making.
• Direct, top-down communication.
• Minimal delegation of authority.
• Limited team autonomy.
• Strong emphasis on hierarchy and control.
• Resistance to feedback or criticism.

While not a long-term solution, this leadership style proves effective in high-pressure situations demanding immediate action. In emergencies or crises, an authoritative leader can swiftly implement strategies without waiting for consensus.

Why This Leadership Style Works for Businesses

Autocratic leaders carry out strategies and directives with absolute focus.

Autocratic leaders drive execution with laser focus. When time is of the essence, a decisive leader can act swiftly without the delays of consultation — critical when faced with high-stakes decisions.

Why This Leadership Style Works

This approach works best when dealing with complex issues where uninformed input could derail progress. It provides clear directives, compensates for gaps in team experience, and ensures efficient execution.

Responsible parties can make a decision and give employees a clear sense of direction, and it can also make up for a lack of experience on a team.

Potential Challenges

A rigid, top-down culture can stifle morale, innovation, and long-term engagement. Without collaboration, organizations risk alienating employees, leading to dissatisfaction and high turnover.

Imagine a manager at a restaurant changing the waiters’ shifts and weekly hours all the time. No one would be pleased and friction will always mount.

Other challenges with autocratic leaders include:

• Intimidation.
• Micromanagement.
• Over-reliance on a single leader.

3. Laissez-Faire Leadership

Also called: Delegative or Hands-off Leadership

If you remember your high-school French, you’ll accurately assume that laissez-faire leadership is the mellowest, least-intrusive form of leading. The French term “laissez-faire” literally translates to “let them do.”

Leaders who embrace it give nearly all authority to their employees and don’t take control over the project or situation unless it’s code red.

Some key characteristics of laissez-faire leadership include:

• Limited guidance, direction, and feedback.
• Minimal interference and control.
• High autonomy and freedom.
• Empowerment and trust.

Why This Leadership Style Works for Businesses

Laissez-faire leaders make employees accountable for their work without stifling them with unnecessary tasks. This gives many employees an incentive to approach their work more creatively.

This type of leader often creates a more relaxed company culture. This makes it a good model for creative businesses like ad agencies or product design. It’s also a good fit for a business where teams are highly focused and full of seasoned professionals.

Why This Leadership Style Works

In a young startup, for example, you might see a laissez-faire company founder who makes no major office policies around work hours or deadlines.

They might put complete trust in their employees while they focus on the overall workings of running the company.

Because of this high level of trust, employees working for laissez-faire leaders feel valued, but also want to perform to repay the trust. They get the information they need and use their resources and experience to meet business goals.

Potential Challenges

Although laissez-faire leadership can empower employees by trusting them to work however they’d like, there are downsides.

It can limit team development and pose a challenge for new or inexperienced employees who would benefit from guidance as they get ramped up. Roles and responsibilities can also become unclear, and it can build a culture of working in silos where people might work autonomously rather than as a cohesive group.

This style can lead to overlooking critical company growth and learning opportunities, so keeping this leadership style in check is important.

Experiences as a Laissez-Faire Leader

Meg Prater is the head of content strategy & operations at HubSpot. Prater describes herself as a mix of laissez-faire and coaching leadership styles.

Prater says, “I like to trust the people I hire to do great work, but I also like to tailor my approach to each person on my team to best fit their working styles and career goals.”

Prater notes that some of her team thrive with more structure, and others thrive with more autonomy. What’s universal is the need for strong alignment and communication within our team.

“My priority (and my job) is to ensure that my direct reports understand our team and company-wide goals and how their individual output contributes to those goals,” she says. “Once we’re aligned on expectations, we can work together to identify initiatives that push the needle … while fulfilling each person’s interests and professional growth on the team.”

One of the challenges for a laissez-faire leader is balancing the desire to trust the team while providing the guidance needed for inexperienced team members.

In my early career, my senior manager was a laissez-faire leader, and I sometimes felt a lack of guidance. However, as a bold problem-solver, I also appreciated the autonomy I had under this type of manager.

In some ways, the need to solve the problem alone helped develop those problem-solving skills, but I can see how it would be difficult for some team members.

Prater’s coaching leadership style also comes into play because she values the role of the leader and the benefit of feedback to employees.

Prater says, “I had the luxury of working with a fantastic leadership coach shortly after becoming a manager. She drilled into me the notion of ‘Being a kind manager rather than being a nice manager.’”

Prater notes that it‘s tempting to water down feedback or expectations — to be nice. It feels less uncomfortable but doesn’t always benefit either the manager or the direct report in the long run.

“Being clear, actionable, and direct can lead to uncomfortable conversations, but ultimately, those are the conversations that help both sides grow. That advice has really shaped me as a manager. While I don’t always nail it, ‘kindness over niceness’ gives me a North Star,” she says.

Featured Resources

• Guide to management

4. Strategic Leadership

Strategic leaders operate at the intersection of daily business operations and long-term growth. They combine vision, competitive awareness, and adaptability to drive organizations forward. Balancing executive priorities with employee well-being, they create an environment where stability meets innovation.

Strategic leadership isn’t just about overseeing operations — it’s about shaping the future. With this approach, you can build a resilient, forward-thinking organization that stays agile in an ever-changing business landscape.

Why This Leadership Style Works for Businesses

Strategic leaders bridge the gap between high-level business strategy and team management. They ask critical questions, refine strategies, and align decisions with long-term growth. This leadership style directly supports key business priorities, such as:

• Accountability. Encourages responsibility at all levels.
• Productivity. Drives efficiency through clear direction.
• Collaboration. Fosters teamwork and innovation.
• Transparency. Builds trust through open communication.

Why This Leadership Style Works

Strategic thinking supports many employees at once, so it’s a desirable style for many companies. It encourages visualization, planning, and making the most of existing resources, and it can motivate employees.

Potential Challenges

Leaders who work strategically might take on too much and risk thinking too far into the future of possibilities while missing critical present-day issues.

It’s important to learn how to delegate with this leadership style and share the weight of decision-making.

Compromise, communication skills, and consistent outreach are also essential.

Featured Resources

• Crafting a team vision
• Strategic planning
• Developing leadership skills

5. Transformational Leadership

I believe transformational leaders don’t just manage their teams — they inspire them. They build trust, encourage growth, and create an environment where employees feel valued and motivated to contribute.

It’s not just about meeting goals; it’s about pushing boundaries, shaking up the status quo, and helping team members develop into their best professional selves.

At its core, transformational leadership is all about driving positive change. As a leader, I don’t just focus on day-to-day tasks but am constantly looking for ways to improve processes, elevate my team, and create lasting impact. “Good enough” isn’t in my vocabulary — I’m always looking for ways to make things better.

Why This Leadership Style Works for Businesses

A great transformational leader helps employees see challenges as opportunities.

I push my team to think differently, take initiative, and find innovative solutions.

This type of leadership keeps companies evolving, improving productivity, and staying competitive. It also creates a workplace culture where employees feel empowered, motivated, and genuinely excited about their work.

Happy employees mean better results. Not to mention, When people feel supported and challenged in the right way, they’re more likely to be engaged, productive, and committed to the company’s success. I strive to cultivate an atmosphere of continuous improvement, where both individuals and the business thrive.

Why This Leadership Style Works

Imagine starting a new job and being handed a clear set of goals — not just basic tasks but challenges designed to help you grow. That’s what it’s like to work under a transformational leader. I don’t just tell my team what to do; I show them what they’re capable of and help them build the skills to get there.

With this leadership style, you’re constantly evolving. You might start with smaller, manageable tasks, but as you gain confidence and master new skills, your responsibilities grow. It’s a cycle of learning, achieving, and setting new goals, keeping work dynamic and rewarding.

Potential Challenges

While transformational leadership is powerful, it’s not without its challenges. Sometimes, in my push for progress, I can lose sight of individual learning curves. Not everyone grows at the same pace, and what’s inspiring to one person might feel overwhelming to another.

Another risk? Burnout. When employees are constantly striving for the next goal, they may feel pressure to always be “on.” That’s why I make it a priority to stay connected with my team, check in regularly, and make sure expectations remain realistic. Setting ambitious goals is great — but they need to be sustainable.

At the end of the day, transformational leadership is about balance: driving progress while ensuring employees feel supported every step of the way.

Experiences as a Transformational Leader

Pam Bump is HubSpot’s head of content innovation and research. She feels an alignment with a few styles but identifies most strongly with transformational leadership as her dominant style.

Bump describes her experience as a transformational leader. Before she was a manager, her role involved audience growth, brand development, experimentation, and tapping new markets.

“I’ve always jumped at major problem-solving opportunities, ambiguous requests from leadership, and identifying big bets for my companies,” she says. “Now … I encourage my team to do the same — whether they’re working on a joint team experiment or are individually investigating, launching, and scaling their own high-ROI projects.”

She is an inspirational leader who makes a conscious effort to balance the business‘s goals, the team’s needs, and individual needs. As listed as a challenge, transformational leaders can forget individual learning needs and the overall company’s needs.

Bump has the solution, “To balance ambitious overall, transformative team-wide goals, and individual teammate needs, I check in with my direct reports about their growth, what they’re working on, and work that can help them grow their skills or visibility while also supporting team goals.”

Beyond weekly 1:1s, Bump also holds semi-regular career chats to discuss their personal long-term goals and the tactics or skills they can use to get there.

Featured Resources

• Transformational leadership

6. Transactional Leadership

Transactional leadership, aka “the carrot and the stick” approach, is based on reward and punishment to motivate and direct behavior. They tell employees they can expect rewards if a goal is met. However, they may require more 1:1s or check-ins if people aren’t meeting goals.

This leadership style is concerned with maintaining the status quo and meeting predetermined goals and standards. What most people forget is that this leadership style can overburden teams and make success an imperative, not just a goal.

Why This Leadership Style Works for Businesses

This style is popular in enterprise companies as it focuses on results, existing structures, and set systems of rewards or penalties. This leadership style also recognizes and rewards commitment, but isn’t as efficient with Gen Z team members.

Why This Leadership Style Works

Transactional leaders can offer helpful clarity and structure of expectations, which can help employees feel safe because they understand expectations. Employees also have a clear view of what they get in return for meeting business goals.

Potential Challenges

This style is more about using rewards to motivate and less about building relationships with employees, coaching, and developing team morale.

Keeping a diverse team engaged can be hard if only some are reward-motivated, and it can lead to low creativity and fear of punishment.

7. Coaching Leadership

Also called: Conscious Leadership

A coaching leader focuses on identifying and nurturing the individual strengths of each team member and developing strategies that will enable teams to work better together.

This style is similar to strategic and democratic leadership, but it emphasizes individual employees’ success.

A manager with this leadership style might help employees improve on their strengths by:

• Giving them new tasks to try.
• Offering guidance.
• Meeting to discuss constructive feedback.

They might also encourage one or more team members to expand on their strengths by learning new skills from other teammates.

Coaching leaders focus on building trust and establishing strong relationships with their team members. They foster an environment of open communication and psychological safety that encourages individuals to share ideas, seek feedback, and work together toward common objectives.

Why This Leadership Style Works for Businesses

Coaching leaders actively support skill development and independent problem-solving. They meet ambitious business goals by creating a strong company culture and add to a business’s long-term vision as valuable mentors, often even after leaving a company.

Why This Leadership Style Works

This leadership style can motivate employees as they feel supported on the team. It recognizes that each employee is unique and can build diverse and exciting teams where each employee offers something different.

This leader focuses on high performance, with employees who can communicate well and embrace unique skill sets to get work done. They also encourage team members to seek new challenges, learn from experiences, and continuously improve their skills and knowledge.

Potential Challenges

It can take a lot of time to develop employees with a coaching style, but mentoring isn’t effective for every employee.

My Experience Working With a Coaching Leader

Marja Vitti is an editor at HubSpot who identifies with the coaching leadership style. I’ve received great feedback from Vitti on my pieces, and I think the coaching leadership style is a great fit.

On her leadership style, Vitti says, “While working with freelance writers and content creators, I quickly realized both the team and the work would benefit from leadership that recognized their individual strengths.”

Vitti notes that she gave everyone on my team the same opportunities but also showed up for them as individuals. One team member might need more positive reinforcement to gain confidence, another might show signs of needing a new challenge, and another might be burning out and need a lighter load.

“It was intuitive for me to lead with this coaching style, and it wasn’t till after that I realized this was a designated leadership style,” Vitti notes.

Vitti’s guidance on my writing is always conscientiously given. She always invites further feedback and discussion, which I find empowering but soothing.

Any writer will know it can be hard to receive feedback on the work you’ve poured your soul into, but she knows how to balance the value of encouraging improvement with the writer’s need to feel supported.

Featured Resources

• Servant leadership

8. Bureaucratic Leadership

Bureaucratic leaders follow the rules. Unlike autocratic leadership, they might listen and consider the input of employees, but they might reject input that doesn’t align with company policy or past practices.

Some key features of bureaucratic leadership include:

• Centralized decision-making.
• Strict adherence to rules and procedures.
• Clear chain of command.
• Limited autonomy.

Why This Leadership Style Works for Businesses

This style works best for larger, older, or traditional companies that are successful in their current processes.

This leadership style works for these businesses because they want to maintain existing business models and processes because their current strategies are successful, and trying something new that doesn’t work could waste time and resources.

Why This Leadership Style Works

This leadership style can be challenging for some, but it has many benefits. It lowers the risk of favoritism and replaces it with central duties, job security, and predictability.

This clear and efficient leadership style can lead to high levels of creativity for some employees.

Potential Challenges

Employees might not feel as controlled as autocratic leadership, but there can be a lack of freedom in how much people can do in their roles.

This approach can shut down innovation and is not the right fit for companies chasing ambitious goals and quick growth.

Featured Resources

• Organizational culture

9. Visionary Leadership

Also called: Affiliative Leadership

Visionary leadership focuses on future and long-term goals. They aim to inspire and guide their team towards the achievement of a shared vision.

This type of leader encourages collaboration, emotional intelligence, and teamwork. They also foster a culture of innovation and change, encouraging individuals to embrace new ideas and approaches.

Why This Leadership Style Works for Businesses

Visionary leaders can create a clear plan for employees to follow and execute. They are powerful and persuasive communicators, which helps them energize teams toward impactful business growth.

As the focus is on future growth, visionary leaders can forecast potential roadblocks and outline action plans, giving employees increased confidence during uncertainty or challenging times.

Why This Leadership Style Works

Teams can do more and enjoy their work more if they have a vision to work toward. This type of leader offers vision statements and other tools to inspire and motivate teams to engage at work.

Potential Challenges

Visionary leaders can skip over day-to-day issues to focus on long-term ideas, missing roadblocks that could build up and cause problems in the future.

Another common challenge is hyper-focusing on a single goal, which can impact consideration for other ideas that may be just as valuable to the business.

Experience as a Visionary Leader

John Xie, co-founder and CEO at Taskade, identifies as a Visionary Leader. Like me, Xie developed his leadership style over time.

He says, “It took me a while to develop this leadership style. However, after working with many people at many different companies over the years, I realize that I’m best when I am encouraging a positive long-term vision for the team. Then they can see how their work will be impactful and stay motivated to keep going.”

As a visionary leader, Xie recognises the pitfalls and potential challenges. He knows he can be “a little too strategic,” but he’s found a way to “lean back and motivate the team.”

On overcoming the challenges of a visionary leader, he says, “Everyone has their own unique style, and it’s best to find the one that suits you naturally. When you try to force a different leadership style, you’ll notice the team quickly becoming disengaged, and that’s when you know you should revert back to your natural style.”

Featured Resources

• Crafting a team vision
• Management styles
• Leadership training

10. Pacesetting Leadership

A pacesetting leader sets ambitious standards and expects employees to meet those goals in the exact manner they’ve laid out.

These leaders expect productivity and high-quality outputs from employees, and they may step in to ensure things are done correctly and on time. As a pacesetter, this leader type paves the way and leads by example.

Some characteristics of a pacesetting leader include:

• High performance standards.
• Leading by example.
• Results-oriented.
• Preference for speed and efficiency.

Why This Leadership Style Works for Businesses

This type of leader sets ambitious goals with a clear and focused effort, so employees know exactly what is expected of them. For example, pacesetting sales leaders set and exceed ambitious quarterly sales cadences.

These leaders might also work alongside their team and push performance, boosting team morale.

Why This Leadership Style Works

Skilled and experienced teams often thrive under this kind of leader. They use the abilities of motivated and competent team members and make meeting goals feel urgent and exciting.

It can also be gratifying for team members to see their leader working hard alongside them.

Potential Challenges

Pacesetting leaders can sometimes create a high-stress workplace environment if goals are unrealistic, which can overwhelm and demotivate teams.

This can impact engagement and lead to burnout, where people struggle to meet goals and perform as expected.

Focusing on goals can also stifle creativity and diversity of thought, so employees don’t feel they can use their expertise to suggest alternative goals or strategies.

Featured Resources

• Leadership behaviors

11. Situational Leadership

Situational leaders change their management style to meet the needs of the situation or team. This leadership style involves analyzing specific situations, assessing the competence and commitment of individuals, and adjusting the leadership approach accordingly.

It is proactive and recognizes that change is the only constant.

Why This Leadership Style Works for Businesses

This leadership approach can motivate employees and ensure that people aren’t stuck working in a way that doesn’t make sense for the situation.

It’s also valuable for startups or businesses requiring frequent changes and flexible talent and support.

Why This Leadership Style Works

Situational leaders are great communicators and use team feedback to make decisions. They also analyze market changes and can quickly evaluate and update processes to ensure success.

This can create strong relationships and help employees see and feel their value to the business.

Potential Challenges

Leaders need a high level of expertise in all business processes and functions to make decisions, and they must be able to pivot quickly.

It’s important to remember long-term goals and meet immediate needs; not every leader can do this effectively.

It can become confusing and stressful for teams if a leader’s approach changes too often, as they won’t know what to expect.

My Experience Working with a Situational Leader

Kaitlin Milliken is a senior program manager at HubSpot. She’s the editor who hired me to work with HubSpot, and we’ve been working together for over eighteen months.

On her leadership style, Milliken says, “Throughout my career, I’ve found myself changing how I lead based on who I’m working with. I naturally adapt to what other people need, so this type of leadership definitely fits my style.”

Milliken notes that this type of leadership allows her to work with people who have varying experience levels. Someone new to the field may need more mentorship. An expert may want to focus on organizational needs.

“It’s challenging to lead if I’m not very familiar with a person’s expertise. That’s something I’m always working on,” she says.

As someone working directly under Milliken, I’ve always appreciated her openness to provide autonomy. I feel comfortable recommending ideas and edits where I think they make sense. As a situational leader, Milliken welcomes these ideas but also expresses her genuine appreciation and praise.

Writing for HubSpot has always meant a lot to me. Early on, this led to some imposter syndrome, but thanks to Milliken’s leadership style, I grew to feel empowered, trusted, and comfortable.

Featured Resources

• Trait theory leadership
• Self-awareness in leadership

Deciding Between Different Leadership Styles

There’s no single “best” leadership style, so figuring out which one is best for you and your environment is essential.

How do I understand my leadership style?

Leaders need good instincts, and many leaders focus on their own experiences and habits as they develop a leadership style.

In fact, your instincts and habits will always impact the way you lead. But, if you find yourself in situations that you’re unsure how to respond to, you may want to look at other leadership styles.

Here are two examples:

• If you’re an extrovert with a shy member on your team, you may want to work on active listening.
• If you’re an introvert leading a team of outgoing people, you may need to learn new ways to nurture, support, and inspire your team.

Instincts will always influence leadership, but as Lisa Lanier, president and CEO of Lanier Law Group, P.A. says, sometimes you need to adapt to the situation as well.

“I’m naturally drawn to helping and guiding others, but I’ve also learned a lot from my mistakes and failures. Being resilient and learning from those experiences has helped me refine my approach and become more effective in different situations,” says Lanier.

Pro tip: As you start your path toward leadership, you may want to keep notes. Write down how you would handle specific situations or problems. Doing this can help you be a confident and capable leader, and if you notice things aren’t going as expected, you can reconsider your approach.

Can you change your leadership style?

Yes. While it may take some time and effort, you can always change your leadership style and improve your processes.

The first step to making changes is recognizing the need for change. Whether this comes from direct employee feedback, noticing that goals aren’t being met, or people seeming to experience burnout, identifying this is the first step.

Scott Knutson, founder and chief serving officer at Leading2Serve, shifted his leadership style based on feedback. He initially followed the lead of the leaders he was exposed to when he was promoted into a leadership role.

However, Knutson notes, “My success was totally about me. I wasn’t concerned about anyone else. This became abundantly clear when I was required to complete a 360-degree assessment and learned that my team hated me. That was a figurative kick in the gut that forced me to begin to learn about different leadership styles.”

As Knutson highlights, your leadership style may be effective for your team, but you might have a more challenging time connecting with people.

Knutson took back control by researching leadership styles. He says, “Successful leaders led me to understand that leadership is not about the leader but about the team. Focusing on my team and helping them to be successful became what drove me.”

There is a lot to learn from Knutson’s experience: Changing leadership style is sometimes necessary, but it won’t always be easy. If changing your leadership style feels right for you, you should try it.

I personally shifted my leadership style from transactional or pacesetting leadership to democratic leadership. I like and value all of these leadership styles — but with confidence and experience, I feel most authentic when leading with a democratic style.

Pro tip: You don’t necessarily want to throw out your current style, but you’d want to identify what is and isn’t working. Then, get curious, and begin the work of adjusting the way you lead.

How to Choose the Right Leadership Style for You

There are many ways to find a leadership style that works for you. Because of this, it can be tough to know where to begin. If you’re not sure what leadership styles will work for you, these steps can help.

1. Get to know yourself.

Everyone has a unique path to self-discover. Some take risks and try new things and others prioritize quiet time, writing exercises, and listing strengths and weaknesses.

Another path to learning about yourself is through physical activity and spending time with other people. However you go about it, getting to know yourself is an important first step toward being a leader.

The journey of getting to know yourself will lead you to a sense of authenticity. Gauri Manglik, CEO and co-founder at Instrumentl, values the role of authenticity in leadership.

She says, “Leadership is a journey, and you never stop learning. But staying true to your values and leading with authenticity is key.”

2. Outline your values and challenges.

Being a leader means working quickly and making decisions quickly, so having your values mapped out can be extremely helpful.

As you write out your values, look at pivotal moments in your life to date. Then, look for trends, people you’re drawn to, and common themes. If your list is long, group similar ideas together.

Having an outline can help you see how you react, your strengths and weaknesses, and a base for your core values.

Mark W Lamplugh Jr., CEO at South Jersey Treatment Management Company, is heavily driven by his values around shared decision-making.

He says, “The leadership journey I have been through was heavily influenced by my experience in marketing and the mental health domain, where empathy and understanding are very crucial. In the style of participative leadership, I feel most connected with its values that support shared decision-making.”

Lamplugh noted the progression was natural. As he began to advance professionally, it became clear that collective brainstorming sessions were the best places for ideas to flourish.

3. Watch leaders you respect.

Observing leaders you respect can also help you define your leadership style. As you watch them in meetings, client conversations, and presentations, take notes of what you like.

Another approach is to view their actions with specific leadership styles in mind, helping you figure out what their approach is and whether it will work for you.

The important thing to note is that the leadership style must work for you. Gauri Manglik found her way to her leadership style after emulating the bosses or mentors she admired.

She says, “My leadership style developed organically over my career. Early on, I tried to emulate bosses or mentors I admired. But I quickly learned that I needed to develop my own style that fit my personality and strengths.”

4. Try different leadership styles.

A hands-on option is to try out different leadership styles. You can create an outline of what interests you and review your notes before your next meeting to see how you can incorporate it into your interactions.

I spoke to many leaders when writing this article, and there’s a common theme: leadership styles are developed over time.

Connor Gillivan, CMO at TrioSEO, started experimenting with leadership styles in college. He says, “I got real-life experience [of leadership] starting my own ecommerce business in college and building a team of 30 plus team members over four years.”

In over 15 years of being an entrepreneur, Gillivan’s leadership style has evolved.

His goal as a leader is to put people in a win-win-win situation: “a win for them in their personal growth, a win for the company in its growth stage, and a win for me in terms of growth,” he says.

5. Find a business coach or mentor.

Working with a business coach can also help you hone your leadership style.

A mentor can be someone in your workplace you respect and would appreciate feedback from, whether it’s another leader or a colleague you respect. You can also check out this guide on how to find a business coach.

Matthew Sanjari, founder and business coach at PRIME Consulting, says, “I’ve spent a significant amount of time developing my leadership style by being coached and mentored myself.”

6. Ask colleagues and leaders for feedback.

Another way to find the best style for your needs is to ask other colleagues, leaders, and team members for feedback.

The best approach for this strategy is to plan out what you want to ask and why so you get the feedback you need. Think about how people might respond and also set clear guidelines and expectations.

When you get feedback, make sure to listen carefully. You’ll gain valuable information about your strengths and weaknesses that will help you understand where you need to improve and the style that will help you improve.

Bhavik Sarkhedi, CMO at Write Right, credits feedback with helping him develop his style. He says, “My leadership style leans towards transformational leadership — I strive to inspire and motivate my team by setting a vision that pushes boundaries and fosters innovation.”

Sarkhedi notes that this style didn’t emerge overnight. It was cultivated through continuous learning, feedback, and adapting to different challenges.

“Early in my career, I observed various leaders, noting what resonated with their teams and what didn’t. Reading extensively, from classic leadership tomes to contemporary articles, provided theoretical backing to the practical insights I gathered,” Sarkhedi says.

7. Complete a leadership style assessment.

Leadership assessments are helpful tools for leaders, yourself as an individual, and teams.

A leadership quiz can make it easier to understand your strengths and skills. It can surface habits and qualities you might not be aware of and give you a clear direction for growth.

If this is something you want to try, the leadership assessment below is a great place to start.

Inge Von Aulock, CEO of Top Apps, believes that high self-awareness makes a good leader.

She says, “There are a few key aspects of strengths-based leadership to consider. It requires you to have self-awareness because you have to get brutally honest with yourself about your own strengths through assessments and feedback.”

Leadership Style Assessment

Leaders carry a mix of the leadership styles mentioned above. At the root of these styles, leadership experts Bill Torbert and David Rooke say, are what are called “action logics.”

These action logics assess “how [leaders] interpret their surroundings and react when their power or safety is challenged.”

That’s the idea behind the Leadership Development Profile, a popular management survey tool. Created by professor Torbert and psychologist Susanne Cook-Greuter — and featured in the book Personal and Organizational Transformations.

The survey uses a set of 36 open-ended sentence completion tasks to help researchers better understand how leaders develop and grow.

Below, I’ve used open-ended sentences to outline six action logics that describe each one. Review the sentences, see how they resonate with you, and figure out which leadership style upholds based on the action logic you most align with.

1. Individualist

The individualist is self-aware, creative, and primarily focused on their actions and development as opposed to overall organizational performance.

This action logic is exceptionally driven by the desire to exceed personal goals and constantly improve their skills.

Here are some things an individualist might say:

• Individualist 1: “A good leader should always trust their own intuition over established organizational processes.”
• Individualist 2: “It’s important to be able to relate to others so I can easily communicate complex ideas to them.”
• Individualist 3: “I’m more comfortable with progress than sustained success.”

2. Strategist

Strategists are acutely aware of the environments they’re in and have a deep understanding of the structures and processes that make their businesses tick. Still, they’re also able to evaluate what could be improved.

Here are some things a strategist might say:

• Strategist 1: “A good leader should always be able to build a consensus in divided groups.”
• Strategist 2: “It’s important to help develop the organization as a whole, as well as the growth and individual achievements of my direct reports.”
• Strategist 3: “Conflict is inevitable, but I‘m knowledgeable enough about my team’s personal and professional relationships to handle the friction.”

3. Alchemist

Rooke and Tolbert describe the alchemist as highly evolved and effective at managing organizational change.

They differ from other action logics in their unique ability to simultaneously see the big picture and minute details. No department or employee gets overlooked with an alchemist leader.

Here are some things an alchemist might say:

• Alchemist 1: “A good leader helps their employees reach their highest potential, and possesses the necessary empathy and moral awareness to get there.”
• Alchemist 2: “It‘s important to make a profound and positive impact on whatever I’m working on.”
• Alchemist 3: “I have a unique ability to balance short-term needs and long-term goals.”

4. Opportunist

Opportunists are guided by a certain level of mistrust of others, relying on a facade of control to keep their employees in line.

“Opportunists tend to regard their bad behavior as legitimate in the cut and thrust of an eye-for-an-eye world,”Rooke and Tolbert write.

Here are some things an opportunist might say:

• Opportunist 1: “A good leader should always view others as potential competition to be bested, even if it’s at the expense of their professional development.”
• Opportunist 2: “I reserve the right to reject the input of those who question or criticize my ideas.”

5. Diplomat

Unlike the opportunist, the diplomat isn’t concerned with competition or assuming control over situations.

Instead, this action logic seeks to cause minimal impact on their organization by conforming to existing norms and completing their daily tasks with as little friction as possible.

Here are some things a diplomat might say:

• Diplomat 1: “A good leader should always resist change since it risks causing instability among their direct reports.”
• Diplomat 2: “It‘s important to provide the ’social glue’ in team situations, safely away from conflict.”
• Diplomat 3: “I tend to thrive in more team-oriented or supporting leadership roles.”

6. Expert

The expert is a pro in their given field, constantly striving to perfect their knowledge of a subject and perform to meet their own high expectations.

Rooke and Tolbert describe the expert as a talented individual contributor and a source of knowledge for the team. But, this action logic does lack something central to many good leaders: emotional intelligence.

Here are some things a diplomat might say:

• Expert 1: “A good leader should prioritize their own pursuit of knowledge over the needs of the organization and their direct reports.”
• Expert 2: “When problem-solving with others in the company, my opinion tends to be the correct one.”

Which Leader Are You?

So, which action logic above felt like you? Think about each sentence for a moment.

Now, using the chart below, check out which of the seven leadership styles you embrace on the right based on the sentences you resonated with on the left.

The more action logics you agree with, the more likely you are to practice a mix of leadership styles.

For example, if you agreed with everything the strategist said, this would make you a 66% strategic leader and 33% democratic leader.

If you agreed with the third statement and everything the alchemist said, this would make you a 50% transformational, 25% strategic, and 25% democratic leader.

Keep in mind that these action logics are considered developmental stages, not fixed attributes — most leaders will progress through multiple types of leadership throughout their careers.

Learn Your Leadership Management Style to Become a Better Leader

Whether you manage a big or small team, your leadership style heavily impacts how your direct reports see you and how your team works together to achieve your company’s goals.

There are many different styles of leadership, so choosing one that works for you can make you a more effective leader.

If you want to be a leader that makes a difference, you’ll need to keep growing and embrace change. Are you ready to get started?

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

If you’re here because you’re wondering how to make a good PowerPoint, you’re in the right place. Let’s just hope it’s not the night before the big day.

But it’s okay… I’ve been there too. As a writer with extremely average design skills, creating great presentations can sometimes feel like an insurmountable task. The storytelling is a key component, which we’ll get into later, but your design approach and delivery tactics are just as important, too.

In this article, we’ll go over all of these aspects of a great PowerPoint — from the design and creation process to how to deliver a presentation like a pro. I’ll also share some helpful resources to get you started.

Table of Contents

• How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation
• PowerPoint Presentation Tips
• Common PowerPoint Presentation Mistakes to Avoid

How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation

Microsoft PowerPoint is like a test of basic professional skills, and each PowerPoint is basically a presentation made of multiple slides.

Successful PowerPoints depend on three main factors: your command of PowerPoint’s design tools, your attention to presentation processes, and being consistent with your style.

Keep those in mind as we jump into PowerPoint’s capabilities.

Getting Started

1. Open PowerPoint and click ‘New.’

A page with templates will usually open automatically, but if not, I go to the top left pane of my screen and click New. If I’ve already created a presentation, I select Open and then double-click the icon to open the existing file.

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2. Choose a theme or create your own.

Microsoft offers built-in themes and color variations to help you design your slides with a cohesive look. To choose from these pre-built themes, I choose the File tab again, select New, choose one of the options, and click Create.

P.S. We have some great PowerPoint templates that you can try out — you can browse them here.

There is also an option to select a blank presentation if you prefer to start from scratch. I like this option because I can use PowerPoint elements, my design sense, and my brand’s color palette to make my own theme.

Creating PowerPoint Slides

3. Insert a slide.

I insert a new slide by clicking on the Home tab and then the New Slide button. When choosing the slide layout, consider what content you want to put on the slide, including heading, text, and imagery.

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4. Create a variety of slides for different purposes.

You don’t want to present the same exact slide each time, just with different content on it. This would bore your audience, so make sure that you create multiple variations.

I suggest you consider what kind of multimedia you’ll be using and choose or create different layouts accordingly. At minimum, I usually use:

• A title slide
• An agenda or table of contents slide
• A slide that introduces the speaker
• Various content slides

5. Use the “Duplicate” feature to save you time.

There’s no need to create these designs over and over. Once I have a few to draw from, I simply duplicate them before inputting my content:

• On the left pane, I right-click the thumbnail of the slide I want to duplicate.
• I choose Duplicate Slide from the pop-up menu.

This will automatically add a copy of this slide to the presentation. From there, I can customize it for my needs.

6. Add photos to your slide.

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I add images by clicking Insert and clicking the Pictures icon. I can add other elements by using features in the Home and Insert tabs on the top ribbon. I like exploring my layout by dragging elements around.

Finishing Up Your Presentation

7. Save your presentation.

I click File and Save, making sure to specify where I want my PowerPoint to be stored. If you’re using your slides for education or teaching, it could be beneficial to convert your presentation to an online course.

8. Run your presentation.

I always do a trial run to ensure that my slides are set up properly and my animations fire the way I expect them to.

To present my PowerPoint, I go to the Slide Show tab and click Play from Start. The slide covers my whole screen so that my audience (or, in this case, me) is solely focused on the visual elements of my presentation.

9. Advance the slides.

Whenever you’re in presentation mode and ready to move on, click your mouse to advance to the next slide.

PowerPoint Style Tips

1. Don’t let PowerPoint decide how you use PowerPoint.

Microsoft wanted to provide PowerPoint users with a lot of tools, but this does not mean you should use them all. Trust me, you don’t want it looking like your tweenage Geocities site and playing unwanted midi-files.

To keep it professional, here are some key things I suggest you look out for:

• Make sure that any preset themes complement your needs before you adopt them.
• Avoid Microsoft Office’s default fonts, Calibri and Cambria — they can make the presentation feel underwhelming.
• Professionals should never use PowerPoint’s action sounds.
• PowerPoint makes bulleting automatic. Bullets are often appropriate, but not always.
• All shapes start blue with a small shadow. Remove this shadow if it’s not needed, and don’t leave shapes default blue — it reads as a mistake to other PowerPoint users.

I think the easiest way to know you’re getting it right is to download some templates. We offer 30 free templates that you’re welcome to try out. Even if you don’t end up using them, you’ll get a sense of best design practices.

2. Create custom slide sizes.

Default slide sizes work for most presentations, but you may need to adjust them for larger presentations and/or weirdly-sized displays. Here’s how:

• In the top-left corner, choose File.
• Select Page Setup.
• Type the height and width of the background you’d like, and click OK.
• A dialogue box will appear. Click Scale if you want to also resize your content, or Don’t Scale if not. I recommend clicking Don’t Scale, then manually adjusting minor layout issues.

Pro tip: You can avoid a headache if you resize your slides before you add any objects to them. Otherwise, the dimensions of your objects will become skewed.

3. Edit your slide template design.

I find it’s much easier to edit your underlying PowerPoint template before you start — this way, you don’t have to design each slide by hand. Here’s how I do it:

• Select View in the top navigation.
• Click Master.
• In the dropdown, click Slide Master.
• Make any changes you like, then click Close Master in the top ribbon. All current and future slides in that presentation will use that template.

4. Write text with your audience in mind.

Remember that whatever else your PowerPoint presentation does, it needs to support the fantastic content you’re sharing with stakeholders.

A significant part of a PowerPoint’s content is text, and great copy can make or break your presentation.

I suggest you evaluate your written work from a few different angles so you know your entire audience can see and understand it.

Keep the amount of text under 6-8 lines (or 30 words max). Use a minimum font size 24 pt. How your text is received differentiates good presenters from the best.

Typography

Choosing the right font is important — the perception of your font type could influence your audience’s impression of you. I believe the right typeface is an opportunity to convey consistent brand personality and professionalism.

Some fonts are seen as clean and professional, but this doesn’t mean they’re boring. A common mistake is thinking your font isn’t exciting enough, which could lead you to choose a font that distracts from your message.

I recommend sticking to simple serif and sans-serif fonts. Avoid script fonts because of potential readability issues.

That said, you can still use fun and eccentric fonts in moderation. Offsetting a fun font or large letters with something more professional can create an engaging presentation.

Above all, be sure you’re consistent so your presentation looks cohesive throughout each slide. Check out this example from HubSpot’s company profile templates:

Interested in this presentation template? Download it for free here.

5. Make sure all of your objects are properly aligned.

This is a huge pet peeve of mine. Having properly aligned objects on your slide is the key to making it look polished and professional. You can manually try to line up your images, but we all know how that typically works out.

Get rid of the guessing game and let PowerPoint work its magic to align multiple objects:

• Select all objects by holding down Shift and clicking on all of them.
• Select Arrange in the top options bar, then choose Align or Distribute.
• Choose the type of alignment you’d like.

Here’s how I align objects to the slide:

• Select all objects by holding down Shift and clicking on all of them.
• Select Arrange in the top options bar, then choose Align or Distribute.
• Select Align to Slide.
• Select Arrange in the top options bar again, then choose Align or Distribute.
• Choose the type of alignment you’d like.

PowerPoint Design Tools

6. Use “Format Object” to better control your objects’ designs.

I like format menus because they allow me to make fine adjustments that otherwise seem impossible.

To do this, right-click on an object and select the Format Object option. (The name of the object in the drop-down menu will change depending on whether you’re formatting a picture or shape.) Here, you can fine-tune shadows, adjust shape measurements, create reflections, and much more. The menu looks like this:

Although the main options can be found on PowerPoint’s format toolbars, look for complete control in the format window menu. Other options include:

• Adjusting text inside a shape.
• Creating a natural perspective shadow behind an object.
• Recoloring photos manually and with automatic options.

7. Take advantage of PowerPoint’s shapes.

PowerPoint’s shape tools have come a long way. Today’s shapes include a highly functional Smart Shapes function, which enables you to create diagrams and flow charts in no time.

I find these tools are especially valuable because paragraphing and bullet lists are boring to look at — I love using shapes to help express my message more clearly.

8. Create custom shapes.

When you create a shape, right-click and press Edit Points to create custom shapes that fit your specific needs. For instance, you can reshape arrows to fit the dimensions you like:

Another option is to combine two shapes together. Select the two shapes you’d like to work with, then click Shape Format in the top ribbon. Tap Merge Shapes. There are several options to create custom shapes:

• Combine creates a custom shape that has overlapping portions of the two previous shapes cut out.
• Union makes one completely merged shape.
• Intersect builds a shape of only the overlapping sections of the two previous shapes.
• Subtract cuts out the overlapping portion of one shape from the other.
• Fragment will split your shape into different parts depending on where they overlap.

9. Crop images into custom shapes.

You can also use PowerPoint to crop existing images into new shapes:

• Click on the image and select Picture Format in the options bar.
• Choose Crop, then Crop to Shape, and then choose your desired shape.

10. Present websites within PowerPoint.

Believe it or not, presenting websites within PowerPoint is something we’re still having to find workarounds for.

From my experience, these are some tactics that have worked in the past that may be helpful depending on which version of PowerPoint you have:

• Traditionally, to show a website in a PowerPoint slide, you would just create a link to the page and prompt a separate browser to open.
• Try adding the third-party program LiveWeb that you install on your PowerPoint program. Head to the LiveWeb website and follow the instructions. Unfortunately, Mac users don’t have a similar option.
• Take screenshots of a website, insert the image on your slide, and link in through a browser. You can embed media (such as a YouTube video) by downloading it directly to your computer.
• Some versions allowed a Web Viewer Add-on until Microsoft decided that was a security risk. Insert > Get Add-ons, search for Web Viewer, then click on the Add button.

• Install ClassPoint, which essentially puts an internet window on top of your slide for use until you’re done with it. Then, you can just move to the next slide. You can even bookmark the web page you want ahead of time to jump straight to it. Using this does introduce a new navigation bar at the bottom of your presentation. Here’s a video, Introduction to ClassPoint:

• Finally, PowerPoint Live is a new tool that enables you to do more seamless presentations during video calls and maybe a better overall match for doing presentations remotely. Check out this video:

11. Try Using GIFs.

GIFs are looped animated images used to communicate a mood, idea, information, and much more.

I enjoy adding GIFs to PowerPoints to be funny or quickly demo a process. They’re very popular with and easily recognized by Millenials and Gen Z, and it’s easy to add GIFs to your slides:

• Download and save the GIF you want.
• Go to the slide you want the GIF on.
• Go to the Home tab, and click either Insert or Picture.
• From the Picture drop-down menu, choose Picture from File.
• Navigate to where you saved your GIF and select it. Then, choose Insert.
• It will play automatically the moment you insert it.

PowerPoint Process

12. Keep it simple.

PowerPoint is an excellent tool to support your presentation with visual information, graphics, and supplemental points.

Your PowerPoint should not be your entire presentation, and the elements you do introduce need to function properly.

If the presentation simply repeats your words, has broken links, or shows unreadable text, the hiccups can become the takeaway of your talk, no matter how well-spoken the presentation.

I find slam-dunking the basics by keeping it simple is the way to go. If your slides have dense and cluttered information, it will distract your audience, and you could lose their attention.

In short? Keep your presentation persuasive by keeping it clean:

• Limit bullet points and text.
• Avoid paragraphs and long quotes.
• Maintain “white space” or “negative space.”
• Keep percentages, graphs, and data super basic.

13. Embed your font files.

One constant problem presenters have with PowerPoint is that fonts seem to change when presenters move from one computer to another.

The fonts are not actually changing — the presentation computer just doesn’t have the same font files installed.

To embed your fonts on a PC:

• Click File, then Options.
• Open up the Save tab.
• Select the Embed fonts in the file check box under Preserve fidelity when sharing this presentation.

Now, your presentation will keep the font file, and your fonts will not change when you move computers.

To embed your fonts on a Mac:

• On the top bar, click PowerPoint, then click Preferences.
• Under Output and Sharing, click Save.
• Under Font Embedding, click Embed fonts in the file.

14. Save your slides as a PDF file for backup purposes.

If you’re still afraid of your presentation showing up differently when it’s time to present, you can create a PDF version just in case.

I think this is a good option if you’ll be presenting on a different computer because if it doesn’t have PowerPoint installed, you can still use the system viewer to open a PDF.

The only caveat is that your GIFs, animations, and transitions won’t transfer over.

To save your presentation as a PDF file:

• Go to File, then click Save as…
• In the pop-up window, click File Format.
• A drop-down menu will appear. Select PDF.
• Click Export.

You can also go to File, then Export, then select PDF from the file format menu.

15. Embed multimedia.

PowerPoint allows you to either link to video/audio files externally or to embed the media directly in your presentation. For PCs, I think two great reasons for embedding are:

• Embedding allows you to play media directly in your presentation. It will look much more professional than switching between windows.
• Embedding also means that the file stays within the PowerPoint presentation, so it should play normally without extra work (except on a Mac).

If you use PowerPoint for Mac, it gets a bit complicated, but it can be done:

• Always bring the video and/or audio file with you in the same folder as the PowerPoint presentation.
• Only insert video or audio files once the presentation and the containing folder have been saved on a portable drive in their permanent folder.
• If the presentation will be played on a Windows computer, then Mac users need to make sure their multimedia files are in WMV format.
• Consider using the same operating system for designing and presenting, no matter what.

16. Bring your own hardware.

Between operating systems, PowerPoint is still a bit jumpy. Even between differing PPT versions, things can change. The easiest fix? Just bring along your own laptop when you’re presenting.

The next easiest fix is to upload your PowerPoint presentation into Google Slides as a backup option — just make sure there is a good internet connection and a browser available where you plan to present.

Google Slides is a cloud-based presentation software that will show up the same way on all operating systems.

To import your PowerPoint presentation into Google Slides:

• Navigate to slides.google.com. Make sure you’re signed in to a Google account (preferably your own).
• Under Start a new presentation, click the empty box with a plus sign. This will open up a blank presentation.
• Go to File, then Import slides.
• A dialog box will come up. Tap Upload.
• Click Select a file from your device.
• Select your presentation and click Open.
• Select the slides you’d like to import. If you want to import all of them, click All in the upper right-hand corner of the dialog box.
• Click Import slides.

When I tested this out, Google Slides imported everything perfectly, including a shape whose points I had manipulated. This is a good backup option to have if you’ll be presenting across different operating systems.

17. Use “Presenter View.”

In most presentation situations, there will be both a presenter’s screen and the main projected display for your presentation.

PowerPoint has a great tool called Presenter View, which can be found in the Slide Show tab of PowerPoint. Included in the Presenter View is an area for notes, a timer/clock, and a presentation display.

For many presenters, I’ve seen this tool help unify their spoken presentation and their visual aids. You never want to make the PowerPoint seem like a stack of notes that you’re reading off of.

Use the Presenter View option to help create a more natural presentation.

Pro tip: At the start of the presentation, you should also hit CTRL + H to make the cursor disappear. Hitting the “A” key will bring it back if you need it.

Common PowerPoint Presentation Mistakes to Avoid

Now that we’ve covered the basics on how to create a PowerPoint presentation, let’s go over the basics of what makes a presentation memorable — starting with what not to do.

1. Reading directly from the slides.

As someone who has sat through hundreds of presentations and webinars, few things frustrate me more than watching someone read their slides word-for-word. It makes the presenter seem unprepared and disengaged, and it quickly loses the audience’s attention.

Also, it makes the audience feel dumb — they are just as capable of reading the slide as you are, so if you don’t bring additional value, why bother with the presentation?

Try this instead: Try to have 2-3 main points per slide that you want to get across. Don’t feel the need to write it all on the slides. Instead, write out what’s most important to know and use bullet points, visuals, or keywords to guide your discussion.

2. Creating a presentation without a purpose.

Every presentation should have a purpose — a clear point that every audience member will walk away with. If you can’t state the purpose of your presentation in one sentence, your audience will feel lost and confused about what your message is.

Try this instead: Before you craft your presentation, ask yourself, “Why am I making this presentation?” and “What do I want my audience to take away from it?” After you answer these two questions, check your slides and talking points against your answers to make sure each one aligns with your ultimate goals.

3. Using too many “buzzy features” that distract from the message.

PowerPoint offers a ton of cool features — animations, transitions, sound effects — but just because you can use them doesn’t mean you should.

Too many effects can make your presentation feel cluttered and amateurish, and instead of focusing on your message, your audience is left wondering, Why did that text just spin onto the screen?

Try this instead: Let your message be what stands out the most. Try to simplify each slide as much as possible and eliminate until you have just what’s absolutely necessary to tell your story.

4. Not practicing timing beforehand.

If you’re new to delivering presentations, you might be surprised at how much longer it takes you to give your presentation IRL than when you go over your slides in your head.

Try this instead: Do a few rounds of practicing out loud at home (or, better yet, to a friend or partner) to see how long it takes you to get through your slides and where you might need to speed things up or elaborate more.

5. Speaking too fast or slowly.

When I was in journalism school, pacing was one of the hardest things to master. It’s easy to speak too fast when you’re nervous or excited. On the flip side, speaking too slowly can make you seem unsure or disengaged.

Try this instead: When you’re practicing, aim for a smooth, measured pace. Sometimes, it can be helpful to record yourself while speaking to see how your presentation might come across to your audience.

6. Using too many filler words like “like” or “um.”

We all use filler words when speaking, but too many can make you sound unprepared or unsure of your material.

Try this instead:

• Practice pausing instead of filling space. A short silence feels much more natural than a string of “um’s.”
• Be aware of your habits. If you frequently use filler words, consciously train yourself to replace them with pauses.
• Try speaking more slowly. Filler words often come from rushing through a presentation without enough time to think.

7. Ending without a strong conclusion.

A weak ending — like “Well, that’s it” or “Any questions?” — can make your presentation feel unfinished.

You want to use your final moments to leave a message with your audience, whether it’s potential business investors or a job opportunity.

Try this instead: Before presenting, ask yourself what’s one thing you want everyone to walk away knowing after your presentation. Use your conclusion to recap your main points and get this message across.

Your Next Great PowerPoint Presentation Starts Here

Now that you have these style, design, and presentation tips under your belt, you should feel confident to create your PowerPoint presentation.

But if you can, I recommend exploring our other resources to make sure your content hits the mark. After all, you need a strong presentation to land your point and make an impression. And it will take both practice and time; don’t stress!

With several templates to choose from — both in PowerPoint and available for free download — you can swiftly be on your way to creating presentations that wow your audiences.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in September 2013 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.