Categories B2B

A Crisis of Disconnection: Three Workplace Trends Slowing Business Growth [New Data]

This post is a part of The Crisis of Disconnection, a thought leadership series examining the latest research and insights to uncover how businesses can meet their growth goals, even amidst unprecedented changes to the way we work.

It’s no secret that reaching customers has become more challenging in recent years. Interested in going a few steps further to develop meaningful, lasting relationships? That’s an even taller order. To sustain business growth during trying times, many of us are realizing we need to reimagine how we attract, engage, and delight the communities we serve.

Until recently, it’s been equally tricky to pinpoint a root cause for what feels like an uphill battle. The struggle, as they say, is real.

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When we zoomed out, we discovered that disconnection is widespread across internal systems, among cross-functional teams, and — increasingly — between brands and their customers.

Yamini Rangan, Chief Executive Officer at HubSpot, sums up the Crisis of Disconnection best:

Quote from Yamini Rangon CEO of HubSpot discussing disconnection in the workplace

How did this evolution come to our attention? We’re glad you asked!

Research we’ve conducted over the last year has helped us bring these trends to light, and we’re eager to share our top findings. After all, overcoming The Crisis of Disconnection starts with understanding the challenges ahead. Let’s start with some high-level commentary on growth, or what’s top of mind for most in our current macroeconomic climate.

Growth Challenges Are on the Rise

Are times tough for most small businesses? All signs point to yes.

The economy is on a rollercoaster ride, the stock market is giving new meaning to the word “volatile,” geo-political conflicts are escalating, and a global pandemic may have more unprecedented times in store. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Tried-and-true methods for effective lead generation and organizational growth are becoming less and less reliable.

HubSpot’s Research Team found that 63% of businesses agree that growth strategies they used in the past are less effective than they used to be. Other top concerns for businesses right now include:

  • Increasing expenses
  • Increasing costs to reach customers and prospects
  • Slowing growth
 

While growth challenges can be attributed to many factors, the heart of the problem stems from the same place: a lack of connection. New chasms between proliferating systems (leading to disconnected data), siloed teams (leading to internal friction), and companies and their customers (leading to disjointed experiences) are forcing businesses to evolve existing strategies and rethink their growth playbooks:

Statistics displaying workplace trends and growth challenges

  • A mere 22% of businesses report excellent data connectedness.
  • Only 49% of U.S. workers feel their teams are working effectively in a hybrid environment.
  • 64% of businesses agree that sales engagement is struggling more now than pre-pandemic.

Looking for a silver lining? The challenges we’re facing can pave the way for us to reconnect — with each other and our customers — in new ways. To understand how early adopters are (re)connecting the dots, let’s take a look at the main drivers behind The Crisis of Disconnection, starting with the biggest pain point for scaling businesses (and the first of three emerging workplace trends threatening sustainable business growth).

What’s Driving Disconnection?

1. Internal systems are disconnected.

When COVID-19 first broke out, we shifted many of our daily activities from in-person to online. We did it out of necessity, both personally and professionally. Now, as companies embrace increasingly digital ways of working on a permanent basis, streamlining systems to increase efficiency, decrease friction, and accelerate connectivity is more important than ever.

Spoiler alert — achieving that aim is proving to be easier said than done. Disconnected systems are the #1 pain point for companies in our market.

According to our research:

  • 74% of businesses report they need to switch between many different tools to get their jobs done. (Fun fact: the average growing company uses 242 SaaS tools).
  • While 65% of businesses have invested in creating stronger connections among their systems in the past 12 months, only 26% currently have all their tools seamlessly integrated or built into one core platform that would truly enable those stronger connections.
  • “High data quality” is the #1 desired feature of a new CRM platform.
  • 77% of marketers say that data is important to their overall marketing strategy (to help them reach their target audience, understand which marketing strategies are most effective, and create more effective content), but only 19% have access to “very high-quality data.”

So what does this mean, in practical terms? Teams are spending more time finding, consolidating, and verifying data from various point solutions than they are on enhancing the end-to-end customer experience.

To enable teams to do their best work, businesses must first acknowledge that the status quo isn’t cutting it. For business owners, proliferating point solutions can make managing total cost of ownership a bear. For senior leaders, manual/complex reporting can eat up time ideally spent on analysis and action. For individual contributors, constant context-switching between tools can lead to productivity loss at best and burnout at worst.

The path to sustainable growth — and more connected customer experiences — starts with a streamlined tech stack and centralized customer data. When teams are aligned around a single source of truth, everyone — including your customer — wins.

2. People are working in silos post-pandemic.

Remember life pre-pandemic? We were in the office five days a week, regularly chatting with co-workers and likely complaining about having to commute into the office. Those days feel like a lifetime ago, with 81% of businesses believing that the global pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we live and work.

If you’ve tried leading an annual kickoff on a Zoom call, you know connecting and collaborating across teams has fundamentally changed. With many organizations shifting to either a hybrid or entirely remote workforce, it’s no longer always possible to swing by someone’s desk for a quick conversation. In our post-pandemic world, 81% of businesses believe it’s imperative that we find new ways to connect with one another.

According to our 2022 Hybrid Work Report:

hybrid work statistics displaying workplace trends and importance of connectivity

The stats don’t stop there, either. Only 31% of marketers and 23% of sales professionals report strong sales and marketing alignment at their organizations, with a lack of effective communication, visibility across teams, and complete data on customers all factoring into this sentiment. While 55% of marketers and 45% of sales professionals say alignment became more important in 2022, neither go-to-market team says they’re working in lockstep. 

Think the tides will turn when more employees are called back to the office? This may not happen — particularly if employees have anything to say about it. HubSpot research reveals that 36% of employees would rather visit the dentist once a month than work in the office five days a week.

Employers don’t have it easy either, with employees simultaneously vocalizing their need for connection and expressing their desire for remote/flexible work environments. If your people are a big part of your value proposition, it’s just about impossible to overstate the importance of building bridges between siloed teams and facilitating communication across geographic lines.

3. Connecting with customers has never been harder.

Disconnected systems and people are clearly two impediments to rocketship growth, but how is our “new normal” affecting the way we connect with customers?

Research consistently shows that customer experience is critical to an organization’s short and long-term success. 57% of businesses measure customer satisfaction as a way to track performance, making it the most commonly used performance metric.

So how’s it going out there on the sales floor? 31% of sales professionals say building trust and rapport with prospects became more crucial in 2022 vs. 2021, but it’s getting harder — and more expensive. Recent sales engagement data backs this up:

sales and remote selling data

  • 46% of salespeople say remote selling is less effective than in-person sales (and 68% of companies are doing at least some remote selling in 2022).
  • 49% of businesses say that Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) has increased in the past year.

With approximately one in four companies citing a lack of depth in relationships with customers as one of their top challenges this year, it’s clear that the strategies we’ve all relied on in the past won’t carry us into the future. This isn’t to say that all old methods are now obsolete — it simply means that modern-day challenges require modern-day solutions. To win in this new world, we need new go-to-market strategies, new ways to think about our technology choices, and ultimately some new playbooks that don’t exist today.

Feeling overwhelmed by the task at hand? Take heart in these words from Jon Dick, Senior Vice President of Marketing at HubSpot:

quote from Jon Dick SVP of Marketing at Hubspot reassuring SMBs are resolute, there is a solution to crisis of disconnectionalt text - quote from Jon Dick SVP of Marketing at Hubspot reassuring SMBs are resolute, there is a solution to crisis of disconnection

Next Up: The Crisis of Disconnection and Your Business

First, there was The Great Resignation. Then, there was “quiet quitting.” Now, there’s The Crisis of Disconnection, driven by rapidly growing gaps between data and systems, cross-functional teams, and companies and their customers.

You’ve seen the research. You might [already] be living the experience. So what does The Crisis of Disconnection mean for you and your business, exactly? In the next installment of this three-part series, we’ll analyze the consequences of being disconnected, and how those might manifest in your cost of doing business, customer experience, and growth trajectory.

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Categories B2B

4 Things Content Marketers Can Learn From HubSpot’s Creators

The creator economy is changing marketing in various ways, and keeping up can be challenging for content marketers unfamiliar with this relatively new landscape.

Fortunately, HubSpot invests in creators and keeps a pulse on the latest content creation trends. I spoke to creators in HubSpot’s Creator Program and asked for their advice on how marketing professionals can adapt to the creator economy.

Free Report: The State of the Creator Economy in 2022

Lessons Content Marketers Can Learn from HubSpot’s Creators

Here’s what HubSpot’s creators say about how marketers can thrive in the creator economy.

Create Valuable Content

“When creating content, you have to keep your ideal audience in mind,” John Lee Dumas of the podcast Entrepreneurs on Fire said. “What challenges, questions, or struggles are they facing right now? Every piece of content you create should aim to help them get a quick win or aid them in overcoming a challenge, question, or struggle.”

To understand what’s valuable to your audience, create buyer personas based on data and research. Buyer personas represent your ideal customers and include information such as their age, habits, problems, occupations, and more.

Buyer personas will help you create content that suits the need of your target audience and will help ensure your work aligns with your vision.

Another key to creating valuable content is not to get hung up on algorithms. While it’s okay to keep social algorithms in mind regarding the visibility of your content — algorithms are not your target audience.

“Create for your audience, not the algorithms,” said HubSpot’s Director of New Media Kyle Denhoff. “Provide news, education, and information that is helpful for your niche.”

Be Consistent

The only way to get better at content creation is to keep doing it consistently, but that’s not the only reason consistency is essential. Consistency also builds trust with your audience.

“Your audience will continue coming back to you for advice and guidance when they know, like, and trust you. And the fastest way to build knowing, liking, and trust is to be consistent,” Dumas said. “If you’re not providing them with answers, they’ll find them someplace else.”

Consistency looks different for everyone. Some content creators post every day, some post once a week, and some once a month. It’s up to you how often you put out content, but whatever you decide — it has to be regularly.

“Publish every day or every week,” Denhoff said. “Select the day and time that you release your content. Help your audience build a habit.

Create for Community

“The creator economy is pushing marketing to a 100% community-first approach,” said Troy Sandidge of iDigress. “The community has always been important, and with its increasing popularity and valuation of $13.7 billion last year, it is expected to rise exponentially.”

This community-first approach stems from platforms like Twitch and Discord rising in popularity and becoming spaces where people with similar interests can come together and connect.

“Instead of focusing on personal personas, marketers will be focusing on community personas and trends and also find overlapping micro-influencers within identified communities to help drive their marketing initiatives,” Sandidge said. “For marketers to win in the creator economy, they must create for the community and connection, and command attention for consistent conversions.”

To create relevant community-based content, revisit those buyer personas I mentioned earlier. Conduct research and gather data to determine what platforms your target audience uses and what communities they are a part of. From there, you’ll be able to create helpful content for that community. You can also find creators and influencers within the community to introduce your brand to their audience.

Make Multipurpose Content

Of course, creating fresh content regularly can be daunting, but there’s a way to work around that obstacle — make content that serves multiple purposes!

“One of my best pieces of advice is first to take the time to understand why you’re creating content and who exactly you are creating that content for,” said John Jantsch, host of Duct Tape Marketing. “Then create every piece of content with the idea that it is going to have multiple uses.”

This can mean creating a TikTok video that can be repurposed for Instagram Reels or adding an image to a podcast recording and uploading it to YouTube. You can also take snippets from your Twitch livestream and upload them to YouTube Shorts.

“For example, we will do a webinar that turns into a podcast that turns into a blog post that turns into multiple social media posts,” Jantsch said. “This allows us to plug our content into the channels that people like to use. Ultimately meeting our audience wherever they are without feeling burnt out or overwhelmed as a creator.”

In short, to set yourself up for success in the creator economy, you should create valuable, community-focused, and consistent content. Now that you have these principles, you’re ready to craft or refine your content marketing strategy.

Download the 2022 Business of Creators Report.

Categories B2B

What HubSpot’s Highest Performing Blog Posts Have in Common & Why These Elements Work

Wondering what elements make up a successful blog post? We reviewed our top 8 blog posts on the Marketing Blog in 2022.

→ Download Now: 6 Free Blog Post Templates

Traffic-wise, each of these posts has received over 500,000 organic views since publishing and earns at least 40,000 views monthly.

Let’s see what they have in common and what marketers can learn from them.

1. Eye-Catching Headlines

What you’ll notice with all of our top-performing posts is that they have an attention-grabbing headline.

Some of the components of an eye-catching headline are:

  • Numbers
  • Action verbs
  • Descriptive adjectives

In 2013, Moz ran a study that found that articles with numbers in the headlines outperformed those that didn’t. Our data suggests that the same is still true nearly a decade later.

All but one of our top-performing posts features numbers, at the beginning of the headline. One reason why numbers are effective is that they set expectations. Blog posts can be a bit overwhelming and when you add a number in your post, it removes some uncertainty and lets the reader know exactly what they’ll get.

2. Descriptive Intros

When a user lands on your blog post, the first thing they’ll likely read is your introduction.

Your intro should cover three areas:

  • Who this article is for or about
  • What will be covered in the article
  • Why the reader should care

Your intro can also be a good place to present a new piece of data or an anecdote that leads into your topic. You can also present a situation or a question that invites the reader to keep reading.

For instance, the 20 of the Best Professional Bio Examples We’ve Ever Seen [+ Templates] post starts by posing a question: “Be honest, does your professional bio make a statement?

hubspot's highest performing posts: descriptive intros

From there, the writer outlines a common challenge that many readers have likely experienced and then highlights the importance of a professional bio.

There are so many ways to approach an intro but as long as it covers those three Ws and has an empathetic lens, it will surely keep your readers engaged.

3. Comprehensive Listicles

In 2020, a study by one blogger found that 41% of the top Medium articles in 2020 were listicles. Similarly, our top 8 performing blog posts from this year are also listicles.

Listicles are great because they are inherently scannable. The reader can quickly navigate to the section(s) they’re most interested in.

These listicles are also very comprehensive, serving as a detailed guide that readers can bookmark for future use.

Take the “445 Best Instagram Captions for 2022: Good, Cool, Funny, & Cute” blog post. When it was originally published, the article did not feature 445 examples. However, with every update, we consider the SERPs and how they will fare against competitors.

From there, we decide what content updates will be most valuable for readers. For this post, in particular, that meant adding more captions to make the post more comprehensive.

4. Table of Content

When you have a lengthy blog post, one of the best elements you can add to the page is a table of contents with jump links. A jump link is a link that, when clicked, will take the user straight to a section on the page.

However, a table of content can be just as valuable as a short post for readers who are looking for specific information.

In the 445 Best Instagram Captions for 2022: Good, Cool, Funny, & Cute article, the table of contents section is broken down by category.

hubspot's highest performing posts: table of content

5. Featured Snippets

A featured snippet is a Google search feature in which an excerpt from a website is shown at the top of the SERP if it matches the search query.

Image Source

Because a featured snippet will appear at the top of the page, it leads to more clicks – making it a coveted feature that every website wants. But to gain a featured snippet for a particular query, your webpage has to be optimized and beat out other web pages.

Although this can happen organically, bloggers can optimize sections on their page to increase their chances, such as:

  • Schema markup
  • Headings and paragraph tags
  • Paragraphs that are 50 to 60 words long

6. Scannable Sections

Another common element in all of our top-performing posts is an emphasis on scannability.

Every post features short paragraphs and bullet points – and that’s not by chance, it’s by design.

Image Source

We know readers often scan blog posts to find the most relevant information. Large text blocks can be visually intimidating and lead to high bounce rates. To prevent this, we opt for bite-size paragraphs that work on both desktop and mobile.

7. Visual and Interactive Elements

With so many distractions at our fingertips, it’s not enough to have a blog post with just words. The more interactive and visually rich elements you can add to your post, the more engaged your readers will be.

This can range from video embeds, jump links, and images to quizzes and polls.

In addition to increasing engagement, these elements also help to break up the visual monotony of written text. They give the readers something new to see, read, and engage with.

There you have it – seven elements that have contributed to the success of our top-performing posts. Although every reader is different, these are universal elements that will provide a better user experience and higher engagement rate.

Categories B2B

8 Holiday Giveaway Ideas To Boost Revenue

The holidays are right around the corner, so companies everywhere are gearing up to run fun holiday deals and giveaways. You’re in luck if you need fresh ideas for your holiday giveaways. I’ve put together 8 holiday giveaways to spark joy in your customers and simultaneously boost revenue.

8 Holiday Giveaway Ideas to Drive Sales and Delight Customers

  1. Promotion-A-Day Giveaways
  2. Host Giveaways on Your Website
  3. Buy-1-Get-1 Free
  4. Free Gift Cards With a Purchase
  5. Social Media Contests
  6. Refer-A-Friend
  7. Offer a Chance to Relax
  8. Run a Photo Contest

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8 Holiday Giveaway Ideas To Drive Sales, and Delight Customers

Here are a few giveaway ideas your business should try this holiday season.

1. Promotion-A-Day Giveaways

During the holiday season, consumers spend more than ever as they book flights and hotels for holiday travel and buy gifts for loved ones. With that in mind, it’s a great time to run daily promotions because they give shoppers the chance to save money and boost traffic and sales for your business. Constant promotions can also help clear out inventory in preparation for the new year.

Promotions can include discounts, buy-1-get-1 free deals, money-off purchases, or a free gift with a purchase.

Pro tip: To keep things interesting, run a different promotion each day and have it be holiday-themed. For example, a “12 Deals of Christmas” promotion can include percent-off discounts one day and free gifts the next.

2. Social Media Giveaways

There are many ways to conduct a social media giveaway. You can tell your customers to follow your social media handles to be entered into a raffle to win a free prize or discount on a service. You can also get your brand trending by starting a hashtag your followers can use for a chance to win. For example, you can have your followers on TikTok post videos singing their favorite holiday songs with your hashtag in the video’s description.

Pro-Tip: Social media giveaways are great, but you should also complement this promotion by promoting the contest on your website. You’ll find out why as you read on.

3. Host Giveaways on Your Website

While social media giveaways are pretty popular these days, they still have drawbacks. Just days after uploading, social media content can get lost in an endless sea of posts — making it hard for your consumers to find them. You can avoid this issue by posting giveaways on your website. Doing so allows you to pin your giveaway at the top of your website’s feed without fear of it getting lost in the shuffle.

Pro-Tip: You should still use social media to promote your website’s giveaway. It will drive more traffic to your website, and you’ll be able to track visitors and their behavior on your site.

4. Buy-1-Get-1 Free

Who doesn’t love getting two items for the price of one? Most often, buy-1-get-1 free promotions mean getting two of the same item and only paying for one; however, that doesn’t have to be the case. For example, if your customer buys a doll for the holidays, that doll can also come with a free outfit.

Make sure the items in this promotion complement each other, so you can be sure your customer is satisfied with the deal. For example, a free cupcake could pair well with a purchase of coffee or tea.

Pro-Tip: Design unique graphics to promote your giveaway and to illustrate to your customers exactly what they can expect from the deal. In the example below, Starbucks alludes to the kinds of drinks customers can get from the chain’s BOGO sale and the text in the graphic break down the rules of the promotion.

Holiday Buy-1-Get-1 giveaway at StarbucksImage source: Foodgressing

5. Free Gift Cards With a Purchase

Gift cards make excellent giveaways because they give customers an incentive to return and use the card for future purchases. You can hand out gift cards to customers who:

  • Complete a certain task (for example, leaving a glowing Yelp review or following your social media)
  • Win a promotional contest
  • Purchase specific items within a certain timeframe

Just make sure that the rules for receiving a gift card, and how the card can be used, are clear.

Pro-Tip: People are more motivated by gift cards that are geared toward desired or popular products.

6. Refer-A-Friend

Research shows that 93% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family, so word-of-mouth is incredibly valuable in marketing. One way of using word-of-mouth to your company’s advantage is to run a refer-a-friend promotion.

For example, Ipsy is a makeup subscription service that gives points to subscribers who refer their friends to the service. Those points can then be used toward free products and special deals. All friends have to do is sign up. With each sign-up, subscribers get 600 points.

Pro-Tip: To keep track of referrals, send out a particular referral link your customers can send to their friends and give them a time limit. For example, Ipsy subscribers only get 600 points if their friends sign up using the referral link within 24 hours.

Screenshot of Ipsy's point systemImage source

7. Offer a Chance to Relax

According to a study by telehealth company Sesame Care, 56% of Americans find the holiday season too stressful — to the point where they’d rather cancel the holidays altogether.

Though you may not have the power to take Christmas off the calendar, you can offer a spa or massage gift card as the perfect giveaway. You can offer the gift card as a thank you for spending a certain amount at your establishment or give it away as a prize for a contest.

Pro-Tip: Collaborate with a local spa or massage therapist so they can help promote your giveaway on their platforms as well.

8. Run a Photo Contest

As people put up holiday decorations, reunite with family and friends, and unwrap gifts — there will be many photos taken and uploaded to social media. So, it’s the perfect time to run a photo contest. Ask your followers to post their favorite holiday photos and tag the company in order to be entered into a raffle to win a giveaway. This works even better if they’re able to include your company’s product in the photo.

Pro-Tip: This idea also generates a lot of user-generated content which can be repurposed for marketing materials like social media graphics and commercials.

‘Tis the season to give back to your customers by handing out fun prizes and deals. Now you have a few ideas you can try for your next holiday giveaway.

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Categories B2B

The Ultimate Guide to B2B Marketing in 2023 [+ New Data]

Effective marketing is difficult to get right. Between creative demands, budget limits, and channel decisions, marketers have a lot to juggle when developing their marketing strategy.

The biggest determinant of effective marketing, however, is your audience.

If you’re not properly targeting your buyer persona, your promotions and advertisements will likely fall on deaf ears. You might as well not be marketing at all.

Where target audiences vary the most, though, is between individual consumers and businesses. Some companies serve individual shoppers, while others cater to companies and organizations.

Marketing to businesses is very different from marketing to individual consumers. That’s why an entirely different marketing method — B2B marketing — exists, and that’s why we built this guide.

By the end of this article, you’ll have a better understanding of B2B marketing, the most effective B2B marketing strategies, and how you can tap into and convert your business audience. Plus, the trends you can expect in the B2B space in 2022, according to new research plus expert tips. 

→ Download Now: Free Product Marketing Kit [Free Templates]

The purpose of B2B marketing is to make other businesses familiar with your brand name, the value of your product or service, and convert them into customers.

HubSpot is an example of a company that engages in B2B marketing. HubSpot’s customers are other businesses, not individual consumers. Therefore, all of our marketing efforts can be classified as B2B.

B2B vs B2C Marketing

B2B and B2C (business-to-consumer) marketing are very different. B2B and B2C marketing differ in their respective strategies and applications, as well as in their audiences and how they communicate to them.

B2B marketing targets the needs, interests, and challenges of individuals who are making purchases on behalf of, or for, their organization (rather than for themselves), thus making the organization the customer.

Here are a few examples of B2B companies:

  • A coworking space that leases office spaces to remote teams and freelancers (like WeWork)
  • An on-demand order fulfillment, warehousing, and screen printing service (like Printful)
  • A marketing software company that sells social media management tools, lead generation software, and other marketing tools to businesses and organizations (like HubSpot!)

B2C marketing targets the needs, interests, and challenges of individual consumers who are making purchases on behalf of, or for, themselves, thus making the individual the customer. Here are a few examples of B2C companies:

  • An e-commerce company that sells office supplies to remote or self-employed individuals (like Poppin)
  • A store that sells t-shirts and other clothing and accessories (like Target)
  • A music platform that sells streaming subscriptions (like Spotify)

Take a look at this chart comparing B2B and B2C customers.

  for b2b marketing for b2c marketing
Goal Customers are focused on ROI, efficiency, and expertise. Customers are seeking deals and entertainment (which means marketing needs to be more fun).
Purchase Motivation Customers are driven by logic and financial incentive. Customers are driven by emotion.
Drivers Customers want to be educated (which is where B2B content marketing comes in). Customers appreciate education but don’t always need it to make a purchase decision.
Purchase Process Customers like (if not prefer) to work with account managers and salespeople. Customers like to make purchases directly.
People Involved in Purchase Customers often have to confer with decision makers and other members of their chain of command before making a purchase decision. Customers rarely need to confer with others before making a purchase decision.
Purchase Purpose Customers make purchases for long-term solutions, resulting in a longer sales cycle, longer contracts, and longer relationships with companies. Customers aren’t necessarily looking for long-term solutions or long-term relationships.

As much as they differ, though, B2B and B2C also intersect in many ways. While Poppin sells office supplies to remote or self-employed individuals, they also design corporate office spaces and branded supplies.

On the flip side, Printful not only offers order fulfillment and warehousing to businesses; they also fill e-commerce printing orders for individuals.

As distinct as the B2B and B2C marketing audiences can be, B2B marketers can always learn from B2C campaigns, too.

B2B Marketing Strategies

As I said above, marketing depends on its audience. While B2B and B2C marketing vary, not every piece of B2B marketing material is alike, either.

In this section, we’ll talk about various B2B marketing strategies you can implement to reach your specific business audience. Before we dive in, though, make sure you understand the B2B buyer’s journey. Take note of how each of these stages may affect your marketing strategies and how you implement them.

b2b-marketing-buyers-journey-hubspot

When you begin to form your B2B marketing strategies, there are a few steps you should take before you jump straight to execution.

1. Determine your brand positioning.

To create an effective strategy, you have to fully understand your brand positioning. This statement is the who, when, why and how of your brand identity — or the way your brand is perceived through the eyes of the customer.

Devise a brand positioning statement that your team and prospective customers can believe in, and you’ll be ready for the next step.

2. Identify your target audience.

Find your target audience — or who’s really looking for your brand’s products or services. That information will help you create buyer personas and understand how they make purchase decisions, a tool that’s extremely useful for any type of marketing.

3. Run a competitive analysis.

Scope out the market and see what other businesses are marketing to your target audience with a competitive analysis. Things to be on the lookout for when inspecting competitors are:

  • Competitor product offerings
  • Competitor sales tactics and results
  • Competitor marketing content and social media presence

Getting a general overview of these items can help you recognize your competitors’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats — otherwise known as SWOT analysis.

4. Explore marketing channels to use.

In your competitive analysis, you’ll see the different types of marketing channels your competitors use successfully, and the channels they haven’t taken advantage of.

With the previous steps completed to begin building your B2B marketing strategy, this is where you’ll be able to diversify your own B2B marketing portfolio and reach the businesses you need to. Depending on your customer segments and competitor analysis, explore channels, strategies, and tools to optimize your leads and customer funnel. The following categories are B2B marketing channels bound to connect you to your target audience.

B2B Email Marketing

Email marketing is a tried and true method of reaching both individual consumers and business customers. Did you know that 93% of B2B marketers use email? Are you one of them? You should be. Emails lead to engagement which turns subscribers into leads … and then customers.

Download our guide to optimizing email marketing for conversions and learn how to grow your email list, ensure deliverability, and increase engagement.

Unlike B2C customers who respond best to emotions and entertainment, B2B customers look for logic and positive ROI. Essentially, they’re asking themselves, How can your business help my business grow? Because of this, your email marketing must consistently resonate with your business customers and focus on things that matter to them — like time, money, and resources.

Email marketing is also a powerful vehicle for sharing your brand’s content. 83% of B2B companies use email newsletters as part of their content marketing program, and 40% of B2B marketers say these newsletters are most critical to their content marketing success.

With the constant barrage of emails flooding our inboxes today, it’s more important than ever to create and send out effective marketing emails.

B2B Email Marketing Best Practices
  • Write enticing subject lines. Think about your email subject lines as a Netflix trailer — if you can’t hook your audience with a two-minute clip (or, in this case, a few dozen characters), don’t expect them to open and watch (or read) the whole thing. We recommend spending almost as much time on your email subject lines as you do on the emails themselves.
  • Stick to one call-to-action (CTA) per email. If you think the number of emails you receive is a lot, take a look at the CTAs in those emails … some are packed with two, three, and sometimes up to 10 different CTAs. Don’t make this mistake, which can leave your recipients’ heads spinning, asking “What should I click on first?” and ultimately clicking on nothing. With one CTA per email, you allow your audience to focus on your email content and ultimately one action … a welcome reprieve from today’s frequent decision-making and analysis paralysis.
  • Segment your email to reach the most relevant audience. Not every email you send will be appropriate for everyone on your list. Your subscribers may be at different stages of the buyer’s journey or be seeking different solutions. That’s where email list segmentation comes into play. Not only does this help you relate to your audience better, but it gives your emails that personal feel that says “Hey, I’m listening and I know what you’d like to see.” Consumers prefer email quality over quantity anytime.
  • Make sure your email designs are responsive. Over 80% of email users access their inbox on their phones, and emails that don’t show up correctly on mobile devices are often deleted in three seconds. Ouch. Don’t let your email be one of those.
  • Don’t be afraid of the cold email. As uncomfortable as it is, the right email can convert new customers — like this cold sales email that won 16 new B2B customers.

👉🏼HubSpot Tip: You can’t send marketing emails without any recipients — these people make up your lists. There are plenty of easy ways to grow your email list. Begin with opt-in forms on your website homepage, About page, and blog. Check out HubSpot’s Free Form Builder tool to get started.

B2B Digital Marketing

Every business, whether B2B or B2C should have a digital presence — which is comprised of paid ads, search engine optimization, a website, and any other place your B2B company is active online. Let’s walk through a handful of tactics that can strengthen your B2B digital marketing strategy.

1. Define your target audience.

A strong B2B digital marketing strategy starts with defining your target audience, or buyer persona. This demographic and psychographic information will inform almost every other marketing activity thereafter, ensuring your content and digital material is absorbed by the right eyes and ears (and that no resources go to waste on your end).

2. Create your website.

Secondly, digital marketing can’t quite function without an informative, engaging website. Over 80% of buyers visit a website before making a purchase. Moreover, since the typical B2B sales cycle often involves many key players (such as gatekeepers, decision makers, and other folks who have to buy into a purchase), websites are easy, straightforward ways for influencers to share information about your product or service.

For inspiration on how the best B2B websites are built to impress, check out this video:

3. Optimize your digital presence.

Your website needs to be more than informative and engaging, though … it needs to be discoverable. You can do this with on-page SEO and technical SEO tactics. These include everything from image alt-text and meta descriptions (what your visitors can see) to structured data and site speed (what your visitors can’t see). Off-page SEO is also at play here, which refers to external linking strategies and social sharing — SEO tactics that take place off your website.

4. Run PPC campaigns.

Finally, round out your digital presence with pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, which allows you to get your content and brand in front of new audiences via search engines and other advertising platforms. I recommend maximizing your PPC investment by advertising more than your specific products or services — such as your brand personality, blog or social media content, or company tagline.

The best way to see an ROI from your paid ads is by 1) incorporating your buyer persona data and 2) boosting content that they can relate to. For example, it’s highly unlikely a brand new consumer who’s never heard of you is searching for your exact product. They may be searching for a location-based solution or product feature. To reach the greatest number of potential customers, pay to target relevant categories within your brand vs. promoting your product or services.

B2B Content Marketing

We’ve talked about how B2B customers are focused on expertise, driven by logic, and desire to be educated. What better marketing tool to satisfy these priorities than B2B content marketing?

Whereas a traditional PR marketing strategy interrupts a consumer’s day-to-day with promotional material, a content marketing strategy adds valuable information and informs the consumer — which is precisely what B2B customers are looking for. Not to mention that content marketing supports SEO efforts, which involves anticipating what your audience is searching for, helping them discover your website and content … and potentially converting them to customers.

It’s important to note, content marketing is most effective when you align your content to various stages of the buyer’s journey. As Jonathan Franchell, CEO and Founder of Ironpaper, points out: “Effective content in the awareness phase educates the buyer on their pain points.”

“A frequent mistake B2B organizations make is educating the buyer on their own company, product, or service. The buyer isn’t ready for that; they are just beginning to understand their problem.”

Franchell adds, “Additionally, B2B companies should test content. Run a test on an incentive and vary the type of content – use a webinar, an eBook, or a video. Understand what format of content attracts the right types of buyers and measure it down to an individual human level.”

Download our free guide and learn what topics convert at the highest rate with insight from 175,000 B2B & B2C blog posts.

In fact, 80% of business decision makers prefer to get information from an article than an ad. Knowing this, I’d say you should be putting the same (if not more) resources into your content marketing than your traditional advertising strategy.

Because the B2B buyer’s journey is slightly different than the B2C buyer’s journey (which has shorter sales cycles and fewer decision makers involved), the content you create for your B2B content marketing strategy may vary more than the content you’ve seen as a consumer yourself, as illustrated in the below graphic.

b2b-marketing-content-for-the-buyers-journey-graphic

Before you start creating content, though, I recommend creating a business blog. (Don’t worry, growing your blog readership is easier than you think.) Your blog will house all the content you create and serve as a home-base for readers to visit and subscribe to.

B2B Social Media Marketing

Did you know that 75% of B2B buyers and 84% of C-Suite executives use social media when making a purchase? That’s right — social media marketing isn’t just for brands targeting individual consumers.

Many B2B companies struggle with social media marketing, though. It can be harder to use social media to connect with business customers, especially because (as we mentioned above) there’s typically a lengthier sales cycle and longer chain of command.

Honestly, B2B social media marketing might not be where you convert the greatest number of leads, and that’s OK. It likely comes into play near the beginning of your customers’ buyer’s journeys.

Social media is a powerful tool for building brand awareness, giving your company an online personality, and humanizing your business — all very powerful factors when it comes to marketing and connecting with potential customers. Like email marketing, social media is also a highly effective channel for sharing your content and enhancing your brand expertise, the latter of which we know B2B customers appreciate.

Overwhelmed by social media? Spend more time connecting with your followers with our time-saving suite of social tools.

While your social media accounts might not convert as frequently as your content or email marketing, they’re just as important. In this case, followers are just as valuable — you never know when they might convert to leads or customers.

👉🏼 HubSpot Tip: Why? Content shared by employee advocates receives over eight times more engagement than content shared by brands. So, involve your employees in your B2B social media marketing strategy. Encourage them to create their own social media channels and share about life at your company. Create a culture account (like our @HubSpotLife Instagram) to show what’s going on at work, not just what you’re selling. You never know — this might attract strong talent, too.

b2b-marketing-social-media-employee-engagement-hubspot-life-instagram

B2B Marketing Trends to Watch in 2022 [New Data] 

HubSpot’s Blog team conducted research to determine the challenges, opportunities, and initiatives that most B2B marketers are focusing on in 2022. 

Let’s dive in. 

1. Marketers report ‘measuring the ROI of marketing activities’ will be their number one challenge in 2022.

30% of marketers marked “measuring the ROI of your marketing activities” as the number one challenge they believe they’ll face in 2022.  

Measuring ROI can be easier for some activities compared to others. For instance, it’s easy enough to track a social media advertising campaign’s ROI if you’re tracking sales made from an ad placed on Facebook. Sales is a tangible outcome, and Facebook’s Ad Manager enables you to easily track ROI from your efforts. 

However, other activities can be more difficult to track. Analyzing which pieces of social or blog content resulted in sales, for instance, can be a more arduous and convoluted process. 

To combat this challenge, take a look at How to Calculate ROI in Marketing [Free Excel Templates].

Additionally, consider A/B testing various marketing activities and tracking ROI to determine which platforms traditionally have the biggest ROI for your business. For instance, most marketers find the highest ROI from Facebook — but this could vary for your brand or business needs.

which of the following challenges are marketers facing in 2022

2. The majority of B2B marketers plan to increase their investments in influencer marketing in 2022. 

As a result of the pandemic, we’ve seen an immense shift in how consumers’ shop, with the majority now shopping online — and, in particular, purchasing products directly on social media.

It makes sense, then, that B2B marketers want to ensure their products or services are showing up on social channels with influencer partnerships. 

Influencer marketing is projected to become a $13.8 billion dollar industry by the end of this year, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. 

Most B2B marketers — 71% — plan on investing more in influencer marketing in 2022, and that’s likely a wise choice.

However, you’ll want to ensure you choose partnerships wisely. While it can be tempting to find influencers with massive audiences, many businesses have seen more success with micro-influencers, so be sure to do your research to determine which influencers have the most authentic connections with your desired audience.

which social media marketing strategies do b2b marketers plan on investing in for 2022?

3. Roughly half of B2B marketers plan to create more case studies in 2022. 

42% of B2B marketers plan to increase their investments in case studies in 2022, surpassing interviews, ebooks, and images. 

Businesses want to learn from other businesses. Case studies are exceptional opportunities to inspire or educate your audience with real-life examples of other companies’ stories. 

If you’re unsure about this media format, consider testing case studies on your blog and monitor how they perform. Alternatively, try creating case studies in alternative formats — such as a YouTube video — to provide additional value to your audience. 

which media formats do b2b marketers plan on increasing in 2022?

4. The number one goal for B2B marketers in 2022 is ‘increasing brand awareness’. 

Understanding your big-picture goals is imperative for creating an effective marketing strategy for 2022 — so it’s likely helpful to know what other B2B marketers’ plan to focus on in 2022. 

Roughly half of B2B marketers report that ‘increasing brand awareness’ is their number one goal in 2022. This goal surpasses increasing engagement, advertising products, lead generation, and even closing deals. 

Brand awareness is critical for fostering trust, long-term loyalty, and brand equity. It makes sense, then, that so many marketers feel it’s critical for long-term success. 

what is a b2b marketers primary goal in 20225. Some marketers plan to stop leveraging podcasts and audio content in 2022, while others will stop implementing VR and AR. 

As important as it is to learn what marketers plan to do in 2022, it’s equally vital to learn what they plan not to do. This can help you identify your own guardrails, and ensure you’re sticking to the most efficient marketing strategies, rather than wasting time and resources on all of them. 

HubSpot’s Blog Research found 25% of marketers plan to stop leveraging podcasts and audio content; followed closely by 23% who plan to stop leveraging VR and AR

This doesn’t mean these activities are inefficient, but it does suggest that some survey respondents found the time, effort, and resources required for each of these efforts wasn’t worth it. Ultimately, it depends on your audiences’ preferences. 

If your audience doesn’t enjoy consuming business content on podcast or audio formats, then re-consider investing in these initiatives.

However, audio content isn’t going anywhere — so if you haven’t already, you might consider testing various audio formats in 2022 to see how they perform with your audience. If you’re unsure how to get started, take a look at Everything You Need to Know About Starting a Podcast in 2021 or Clubhouse vs. Podcasts: Which Should Marketers Use? [Data + Expert Tips].

which trends do b2b marketers plan to stop leveraging in 2022

6. Over half of B2B marketers say ‘optimizing load speed’ is going to be their most effective SEO strategy in 2022. 

There are numerous various tactics you can implement to boost your SEO rankings in 2022. However, it can be challenging to know where to begin.

56% of B2B marketers marked ‘optimizing load speed’ as the most effective SEO strategy, followed by creating search insights reports

Load speed directly correlates with how well your pages rank on Google, since slow pages negatively impact a user’s experience. If you’re not sure how to reduce load speed, take a look at these 9 ways to improve page load speed

which seo strategies are most effective for b2b

7. LinkedIn will be the most popular video channel for B2B marketers in 2022, followed by TikTok. 

Finally, we asked: Which social media platforms do B2B marketers’ companies post video content on? 

Video content is the most popular format for most people when it comes to consuming content, so it’s vital your marketing team use video as a primary format. However, it can be tricky to determine which platform(s) you should post that content for optimal results. 

As shown below, roughly half (49%) of marketers say LinkedIn is the best platform for posting their video content — followed by 28% who marked TikTok as the optimal platform. 

If you’re considering posting video content on LinkedIn in 2022, take a look at LinkedIn Video Specs and Best Practices: a Comprehensive Overview.

which social media platforms do b2b marketers companies post video content on?

Along with research, I spoke with a few B2B experts to get their take on the trends we can expect to see in 2022. 

Carla Andre-Brown, a Content Marketer at Mailbird, told me she believes we’ll see more B2B brands aligning with charities in 2022. 

Andre-Brown says, “Brands get a lot of brownie points and even referrals when they show how they serve the community. Instead of only seeing charity efforts around the holidays, you can expect philanthropy year-round.”

Andre-Brown adds, “Brand-building activities will look to work with social and environmental causes in a format that is ongoing and builds recognition for both parties. Marketers will need to be especially mindful of the way they present their company, to avoid being accused of having poor intentions.”

“For instance,” Andre-Brown continues, “a company using the Pride theme each summer without having policies that protect LGBTQ2IA+ employees is called ‘Rainbow washing’. To ensure this work is well-received and has an impact, marketers should listen to their communities’ suggestions and look for sustainable changes that everyone can benefit from.”

Additionally, Chief Evangelist at Terminus Sangram Vajre says he predicts that data collection will become a major priority for brands in 2022. 

As he puts it, “The quality of our campaigns and initiatives will increasingly rely on our CRM, CDP, and 3rd-party sources to help create stylized, targeted, and convertible marketing initiatives. And since CMOs are increasingly held to ROI numbers, we have to up our game.”

To consider how you might manage your data in a more efficient, sustainable way, take a look at Everything You Need to Know About Data Management.

Additionally, if you’re unsure how you can continue tracking your audience without using third-party cookies, read 7 Marketing Alternatives to Tracking Cookies.

B2B Marketing Examples

A B2B marketing approach that works for one business may not work for another, but that’s not to say we can’t learn something from the pros. Here are eight B2B marketing examples of businesses who did it right.

1. Social Media Marketing: Adobe

TikTok can seem like a difficult platform to stand out as a B2B brand, but some companies have managed to attract thousands — if not millions — of viewers to their videos through high-quality content and an understanding of the app. 

Take software company Adobe, which has 262.3K followers and 2 million likes on its TikTok account

When Adobe first joined the app, the company’s second video got over 2 million views. The video asked its audience, Who is a creative TikToker we should know about?, which encouraged high audience engagement. 

Adobe succeeds on the app because it creates engaging content specifically catered for TikTok’s audience. All Adobe’s videos are short, entertaining, and easily digestible. 

Take the following example, which has over 370K views and highlights how user @emilesam used Adobe’s After Effects edit to create a fighting sequence against himself. 

@adobe May the force be with @emilesam in his
#AfterEffects edit. ✨
#Adobe
#foryoupage
#fyp
#foryoup
♬ original sound – Adobe

The brand does a good job highlighting its products in a fun, non-promotional way. Both consumers and businesses can see a clear connection between using Adobe’s products and finding success on TikTok — which makes this a great example of B2B marketing. 

2. Content Marketing: Shopify 

Ecommerce company Shopify produces many different types of content resources, such as a blog, business courses, and community events. But one content avenue that helps the brand stand out is its podcast, aptly titled Shopify Masters: The ecommerce business and marketing podcast for ambitious entrepreneurs.

The podcast focuses on inspiration stories from entrepreneurs, and offers practical tips for starting an online business on Shopify. Episode topics range from “Disrupting the Soda Industry with a Healthy Spin” to “How Masks For Dogs Landed a Deal on Shark Tank”. 

Offering so much valuable, interesting content for free is a fantastic example of effective B2B marketing, which should always provide value before it tries to extract it. 

3. Digital Marketing: Mailchimp

Mailchimp’s homepage is easy to navigate, clean, and focuses entirely on its customers’ pain points. 

Consider, for instance, the first large text you see when you click on the page: “Get down to business and grow sales”. The smaller text below it reads, “Engage your customers and boost your business with Mailchimp’s advanced, yet easy-to-use marketing platform.” 

The language focuses on the customer, and how Mailchimp can help the customer reach their goal: To grow their businesses. 

Additionally, the website offers a banner at the top of the page that enables customers to choose in which language they’d prefer to view the website. Even the company’s Products navigation menu includes how the product can “Get Your Business Online” and “Market Your Business”. 

mailchimps homepage as an example of good b2b marketing

Ultimately, the company demonstrates how much they value each of their customers by tailoring each piece of content towards its customers’ unique challenges. 

4. Client Testimonials: Venngage

Venngage took its positive client testimonials and sprinkled them throughout its website. This social proof lets prospects know that you have a track record of reliability, and have delighted previous customers beyond expectation. Not only that, but sharing testimonials can have a big impact on potential consumers in the Consideration and Decision stages.

After all, 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses in 2020, which is up from 81% in 2019, so using client feedback is a great tool to attract new ones.

venngage client testimonial b2b marketing

Image Source

5. B2B SEO: TravelPerk, Google

A B2B buyer spends 27% of the time in the purchase journey independently researching online, potentially using at least one search engine during the online research. It’s worth the time and money to invest in making sure other businesses can find you with ease.

TravelPerk displays a diverse range of paid search and SEO. An impressive SEO strategy is its use of topic clusters and sub-topics for reaching its target audience. TravelPerk ensures that search engine pages like “business travel expenses” have a paid ad leading to its website, or high-ranking blog content providing information travelers are looking for.

b2b marketing examples: travelperk

Image Source

6. Inside Influence Marketing: IBM, Influencer and Employee Advocacy Program

IBM Systems business group has seen the growing importance of employee voice and the rise of employee influencers as a strategy in B2B marketing.

In the words of Ryan Bares, Global Social Programs Lead, he states, “In the B2B marketing world, we’ve all come to understand that buyers trust individual voices more than formal marketing and advertising messages, so finding ways to optimize influence internally is becoming a key area of focus.”

b2b marketing examples: IBM

Image Source

Leveraging employees in your company that have an affinity for the industry, vast knowledge of trending topics and your brand, could be key in building new relationships in the industry.

7. B2B Referral Program: Blackbaud, Blackbaud Champions

Blackbaud offers an incredible B2B referral program that incentivizes current customers to become product advocates — Blackbaud Champions. Champions are encouraged to share their insight into how the implementation process works, what it’s like to work with the team, and how Blackbaud solutions have helped you advance their mission.

“When you share your experiences and expertise and help us spread the word about our products and services, we’ll reward you with benefits only available to Champions. By providing your feedback, participating in activities like reference calls and case studies, and sharing educational content and events on social media, you’ll earn Reward Points in the Blackbaud Champions Hub which you can redeem from the Champions Rewards”

These points are what Champions strive to redeem, as they include incentives like discounts, complimentary passes, gift cards and VIP experiences, and more.

b2b marketing examples: blackbaud

Image Source

Referral programs are a great way to kindle customer loyalty and have advocates spread the word about your business through the network.

Invest in B2B Marketing and Reach Your Business Customers

Marketing isn’t effective unless you keep your audience in mind, and no other audience is as fickle and critical as business customers. Your marketing should communicate how your business can help theirs, and if it doesn’t, you can redirect your B2B marketing strategies to reach them.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in March 2021 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Product Marketing Kit

Categories B2B

Program Management Vs. Project Management: What You Need To Know

Projects and programs are needed to push an organization’s goals forward. And behind every project or program is a manager working diligently to ensure everything runs efficiently. But what is the difference between program management and project management? What do project managers and program managers do?

Here’s what you need to know:

Program Manager vs. Project Manager

What is Program Management vs. Project Management

Difference Between Program Management and Project

Click Here to Get HubSpot's Project Management Tool

Program Manager vs. Project Manager

A program manager ensures groups of projects are carried out effectively and are following an organization’s goals. Those groups of projects are referred to as a program. In contrast, a project manager leads an individual project — rather than a group of endeavors.

A program manager’s duties may include the following:

  • Working with project managers to plan schedules, projects, and goals
  • Overseeing communication across different teams and projects
  • Working with executive management to brainstorm new strategies and execute goals

A project manager’s responsibilities can include the following:

  • Ensuring a project is executed smoothly, within budget, and on time.
  • Planning and securing project resources, such as team members, budget, and tools
  • Keeping team morale high and addressing any shortcomings to ensure quality

What is Program Management vs. Project Management

Program management entails maintaining a strategic plan and scheduling multiple different projects. These projects work in tandem to help an organization achieve its goals. With that in mind, a program manager must always consider the “big picture” in every situation. In addition to the duties I mentioned before, program management may also include:

  • Informing and advising stakeholders
  • Mentoring project managers
  • Guaranteeing the success of each project plan and its deliverables

Another common task associated with program management is budget management. Often, program managers must ensure funds are appropriately allocated across current and future projects. Doing so allows project managers to focus on their duties instead of competing for funding. With all the responsibilities associated with program management, it’s no surprise program managers become more necessary as a company grows.According to Zippia, most program managers (55%) work at companies with over 10,000 employees.

Program managers employment by company size

Zippia also says most program managers (65%) work in the public sector — but program managers can be present in other sectors such as government, education, and private.

While program management means thinking about how all the moving pieces of a goal connect, project management means focusing on one of those singular moving pieces. Project Management Institute defines project management as “the use of specific knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to deliver something of value to people.”

To better understand how project management works, you must first understand what qualifies as a project. While there is no concrete definition of a project concerning project management, PMI says projects are essentially “temporary efforts to create value through unique products, services, and processes.” A project manager may oversee the building of new software, executing relief efforts after a disaster, maintaining public highways, etc.

So now you know what a project is, but what does a project manager do? According toWellingtone’s 2020 report — a little bit of everything. The report says the top 6 activities conducted by a project manager are:

  • Status reporting
  • Maintaining portfolio lists
  • Maintaining project planning methodology and templates
  • Facilitating project approval processes
  • Providing project management expertise
  • Facilitating lessons learned

Difference Between Program Management and Project Management

The difference between program management and project management is quite simple — program managers oversee a group of projects, while project managers oversee individual projects. The program manager ensures every project in a program agrees with an organization’s overall vision. The project manager focuses on specific activities that move the agenda forward.

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Categories B2B

Image SEO Best Practices to Make Your Content More Discoverable

To consider the importance of visual search in 2021, let’s start with an example.

The other day, I Googled “how to conduct a vlookup in Excel”. I skimmed a few articles but still felt dissatisfied — I didn’t want to read about vlookups, I wanted to see it.

Enter: The power of images.

Once I clicked on “Images”, I found what I needed quickly:

how to conduct a vlookup in excel image results page

I know I’m not alone. In fact, nowadays, half of all Google searches end on the search results page, without the user clicking through to any results.

In 2021 and beyond, it’s critical marketers begin paying attention to the importance of visual images as a powerful opportunity to reach new audiences on the SERPs.

Plus, as HubSpot’s Marketing Manager Kristen Baker told me, “After running an image experiment on the HubSpot Blog, I discovered that ranking in Google’s image packs increases impressions and clicks to our content.”

But … easier said than done, right?

Here, let’s explore what image SEO is, and the best practices you’ll want to follow to make your webpages more discoverable in image search results.

→ Download Now: SEO Starter Pack [Free Kit]

Image SEO Best Practices

1. Use relevant, accurate alt text for user accessibility and SEO.

As a quick refresher: Alt text is written copy that describes an image. For instance, if you click on Pipcorn’s popcorn product and inspect the page, you’ll see the alt text describes the product image accurately as “Popcorn Family Pack Popcorn Pipsnacks LLC”:

the alt text of popcorn family pack pipsnacks product

Alt-text plays two critical roles in SEO.

First, alt text — also known as alt tags, or alt descriptions — helps search engine crawlers index your website more effectively, which has a positive effect on search results.

In fact, Google states on its Developers page, “You can aid in the discovery process by making sure that your images and your site are optimized for Google Images … [and] increase the likelihood that your content will appear in Google Images search results.”

Second, alt text improves the user experience. Alt text can describe an image to a visually impaired reader, and also helps if a reader can’t load or see the image correctly on their device.

To get a full run-down of how to write high-quality alt text, take a look at Image Alt Text: What It Is, How to Write It, and Why It Matters to SEO.

2. Consider using captions to describe an image.

Captions aren’t typically necessary if the context of the page can help readers understand what the image is depicting — for instance, in this blog post I haven’t used any captions because I’ve used text to introduce each image I’ve shown.

However, if you have a visual-heavy website, consider using captions to help readers understand an image in context. For instance, on Tom Hull’s photography portfolio, he captions his images so viewers can contextualize where, or what, the image represents:

Tom Hulls photography portfolio

Use good judgment when it comes to adding captions, but if you feel it can help readers (and bots) better discern an image, then it might be a worthwhile addition to a page.

3. Compress images for faster load time.

Compressing images is a vital component of any good website optimization strategy.

Why?

Because, simply put, it helps your web pages load faster, which provides a better user experience and also helps boost your website’s search engine rankings.

To compress your images effectively, try a tool like Attrock’s Free Image Compression Tool, Compress JPEG, or Squoosh.

Typically, less than 100 KB is ideal in terms of good file size.

However, it’s important to note — Google doesn’t look at each individual image size. Instead, it looks at total page size.

So, if you have a small image where quality differences are less substantial, then you might try compressing that image to 30-50 KB … which gives you extra room to keep another image 30 KB bigger, particularly if that image loses quality after compression.

If you’re still worried about image quality after compression, take a look at How to Ensure Your Images are High Resolution.

4. Post original images — not just stock photos.

Ultimately, Google (and readers) prioritize original content — which means, if you’re hoping your images will rank on image results pages, it’s vital you use original, unique images. 

This is particularly important if you work for an ecommerce website and you’re posting visuals of your product. Many shoppers use images to shop for consumer goods. In fact, 50% of online shoppers say images helped them decide what to buy.

If your image doesn’t accurately demonstrate your product, it will get buried under better, higher-quality images from competitors. 

Consider using products like Canva to design in-house infographics, graphs, or animated images to help your brand stand out on search results pages and make your images more shareable.

5. Name your file images before uploading them.

Your file name can impact how easy it is for search engine crawlers to interpret your image, so it’s helpful to rename your file before uploading it onto your webpage.

Rather than keeping the name a generic “IMG_0883”, try using relevant keywords to describe what’s in the image, similar to your alt text. This can also help ensure your image appears on the image search results page, which will increase traffic to your site.

6. Use responsive images.

Responsive images are critical for ensuring your readers can see your images on any type of device. Nowadays, it’s vital your pages are optimized for mobile to impact search engine rankings, as well as user experience.

If your images aren’t responsive, the page won’t appear as clean on mobile as it does on desktop — which negatively affects SEO, as well as your reader’s perception of your brand.

Fortunately, some website hosting services, including HubSpot, automatically ensure your images are responsive.

However, if need be, you can make your images responsive by using quick code. For instance, you can add this code to your HTML:

<img src=”nature.jpg” alt=”Nature” class=”responsive”>

Or this code to your CSS:

.responsive {

  width: 100%;

  height: auto;

}

7. Leverage images as a backlinking opportunity.

Creating high-quality, unique, original images isn’t just great for your own website — it’s also a fantastic opportunity to earn backlinks when other websites use your image for their own pages.

For instance, consider the following graph created by Broadband Search:

mobile share of organic search visits graph

The image currently ranks in the first spot on the image search results page for the keywords, “how many people use mobile to search”.

Additionally, according to Ahrefs, this blog post has over 3,000 backlinks. I’m willing to bet that those backlinks are, in part, due to other companies wanting to use Broadband Search’s unique graphs for their own content.

If you create high-quality images, other companies may want to showcase those images on their own sites — with links back to your business. This means, ultimately, images can have a direct impact on the amount of traffic, leads, and customers you get for your business through your marketing efforts.

8. Add images to an existing sitemap.

Google suggests adding images to an existing sitemap — or creating a separate sitemap just for images — to help search engines discover your images. In particular, this is helpful for images Google can’t find through crawling, such as those accessed via JavaScript forms.

Here’s a sample sitemap, with two images included:

code to add images to an existing sitemap

Fortunately, if you don’t want to add images to a sitemap manually, you’re in luck — there are tools, such as Angeldigital.Marketing (one of the only free ones available!), that will automatically generate an image sitemap once you input a URL.

Hopefully, you can use these best practices to level up and earn new traffic through search image results pages. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words … so just imagine the value of an SEO-optimized picture. 

marketing

Categories B2B

278 Social Media Holidays for Your 2023 Content Calendar [+Template]

Do you celebrate International Cat Day, Pizza Day, or Talk Like a Pirate Day?

There are a plethora of observance days worldwide during which marketers can share content relevant to their industries, get involved in a movement, or simply generate more awareness. But odds are, you probably don’t acknowledge these days until you see your favorite brand posting about it.

→ Free Download: Social Media Calendar Template [Access Now]

These social media “holidays” are a fun way to connect with new and existing followers who share an affinity for a specific food, fictional character, or pet.

While we don’t suggest sharing content on social media and then adding an irrelevant holiday hashtag to it, these holidays can be a chance to promote your brand in a relevant way. Not doing so could cause you to miss valuable opportunities where your brand can join the conversations taking place among members of your target audience.

To help you plan for trending holidays, we created a list that you can bookmark, as well as a downloadable calendar so you can receive automatic reminders.

Downloadable Holiday Calendar

To help you keep track of all these unique holidays, here’s a Social Media Holiday Google Calendar.

Aside from 2022 holidays, we’ve also set dates on the calendar to repeat annually — either on the exact date they occur or the weekday they occur within the month.

Want to finish out your 2022 calendar with some upcoming holiday posts? Tap the + symbol in the lower right-hand corner of the calendar below to add it to your own Google calendar.

social media holiday calendar templateUse the Above Template to Plan Out Your Social Media Holiday Posts

National & Global Holiday Calendar: 2022

The list isn’t exhaustive (there are a lot of food-specific holidays out there), and these dates and hashtags may still be subject to change. But this is a great starting point for social media marketers who want to learn more about what’s trending and how they can plan their content in a way that will be fun and engaging on social platforms.

January 2022 Social Media Holidays

iowa state athletics national sticker day social media holiday tweet

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February 2022 Social Media Holidays

zach covey national weather persons day social media holiday tweet

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March 2022 Social Media Holidays

national park service national day of unplugging social media holiday tweet

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April 2022 Social Media Holidays

christina alexandria national siblings day social media holiday tweet

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May 2022 Social Media Holidays

violet the Newfy world password day social media holiday tweet

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June 2022 Social Media Holidays

Alex bowman National Donut Day social media  holiday tweet

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July 2022 Social Media Holidays

Stadium Give Something Away Day Social Media Holiday Tweet

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August 2022 Social Media Holidays

Wienerschnitzel National Lemonade Day Social Media Holiday Tweet

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September 2022 Social Media Holidays

Gaeilge @ Colaiste Naomh Caoimhin EDL 2021 Social Media Holiday Tweet

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October 2022 Social Media Holidays

The Beatles 4ever World vegetarian Day Social Media Holiday Tweet

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November 2022 Social Media Holidays

Nickelodeon STEM day Social Media Holiday Tweet

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December 2022 Social Media Holidays

Nobel Prize Day Globalnews.ca Social Media HolidayTweet

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Social Media Holidays Will Help You Grow Your Brand

Partaking in social media holidays will help you create a stronger brand voice and share posts about trending topics, helping you earn more followers in the long run. While it’s not important to celebrate every single social media holiday, being aware of the holidays can help you brainstorm ideas for your marketing and implement fun, themed posts into your social media content calendar.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in January 2017 but is updated annually for comprehensiveness. The most recent update of this post was April 2022.

social media content calendar

Categories B2B

How to Network Effectively: 15 Tips You Can Start Using Today

“Networking” is a buzzword that many of us have a serious love/hate relationship with.

Whether you’re trying to develop your personal career or forge new business relationships, making offline, personal connections has become even more critical as online social networking becomes the norm.

This guide will help you navigate those uncomfortable face-to-face networking situations, so the next time you step into a room of potential connections, you’ll feel ready to dive right into relationship-building conversations.

→ Download Now: 80 Professional Bio Examples [Free Templates]

1. Network before job searching.

As anyone who has ever looked for a job can attest, the process can be daunting. Knowing who to reach out to can make all the difference.

One way to make the process a little easier is to start networking with people before you even begin looking for a job. That way, when the time comes, you will already have contacts to leverage.

Building relationships with people in your industry can help you to get your foot in the door, and it can also give you an inside look at what companies are hiring.

In addition, you can identify mentors who can provide guidance and support throughout your career.

2. Come prepared with a clear goal in mind.

Next time you’re going to an event, ask yourself: “Who do I want to meet, and why?

Certain event registration platforms will share attendee lists on the registration page. If a guest list like this is available, take a moment to scan it.

You might discover potential clients, mentors, or employees you want to connect with.

For instance, let’s say you’re the CMO of a successful lawn-mowing business and your goal is to leave the event with 10 leads.

Having a specific goal in mind will allow you to prepare effectively and keep you focused during networking events.

It will make your conversations less ambiguous and lead to better alignment with your connections.

3. Have some conversation starters ready.

Approaching a big or small group can be intimidating. With the right approach, you can join an existing conversation or start your own successfully.

Ease into the evening by introducing yourself to one person who is also flying solo and looking for someone to talk to.

Ahead of time, read up on industry news and trends so you’ll be prepared to spark conversation and ask for other people’s thoughts on topics that are interesting to both of you.

Other great conversation starters include:

  • What do you do for work?
  • What brought you to this event?
  • What do you think about the event so far?
  • Are you familiar with any of the speakers?

Your first connection at an event is your gateway to meeting more people. Maybe they came with friends they can introduce you to, or maybe you’ll decide to break into bigger groups together.

Whoever you approach first, relieve some of the awkwardness with informed, relevant conversation starters to get in the swing of things together.

Once your first conversation goes smoothly, it’ll give you the confidence to interact with others.

4. Introduce yourself to someone more experienced.

We sometimes walk into networking events with high hopes of meeting the CEO of a company we admire, or the author of a book that kickstarted our career.

We’re so thrilled to be in the same place as them, but suddenly, you spot them across the room and become nervous, awkward, and maybe a little bit sweaty.

So how can you successfully strike up a conversation?

First and foremost, make sure you have a purpose. Butting into their conversation to tell them you love their work or admire their approach will not invite stimulating conversation. It’s more likely to evoke a simple “thank you.”

Consider what it is about this person that resonated with you, and tie it into your work, projects, or philosophy.

Approach them with confidence, and introduce yourself not as a fan, but as an equal – because you are – and say something thought-provoking that they can relate to.

Like this: “Your application of inbound marketing for nonprofits was helpful for me at my last job, but I’m transitioning into a job in the pharmaceutical industry. Would you change your inbound marketing approach if you were me?

Remember that you admire this person because you respect their thought leadership. Give them a chance to admire you, too, by sparking an interesting and relevant conversation.

5. Ask people questions about themselves.

Often, we meet someone and exchange our names, company, job title, and where we grew up in about three minutes. Then we smile, look at the ground, and say something like “I love your shirt.”

When the small talk is up, it’s easy for the conversation to go south.

I’ve learned to avoid this by making them the topic of conversation.

You may be thinking, how can I make connections if we just talk about them the whole time? Well, showing genuine interest in another person can say more about you than talking about yourself could.

Besides, if a person doesn’t reciprocate the behavior and encourage you to tell them about yourself afterward, then they probably weren’t a valuable connection to begin with.

Next time a conversation is flailing, ask for them to elaborate or tell you more about themselves and you’ll find talking points you’ll be able to expand on.

6. Practice active listening.

One of the biggest challenges of networking is learning how to actively listen to others.

When we’re networking, we’re often so focused on sharing that we might not take the time to really listen to the other person.

This is essential for building strong relationships – it shows that we’re interested in what the other person has to say and that we’re paying attention.

One way to practice active listening is to paraphrase the other person’s statement. This signals to the other person that we understand them and shows that we’re engaged in the conversation.

Another technique is asking questions, which shows a genuine interest in others and invites them to keep engaging in conversation.

Active listening is a key skill for networking and will build the foundation for strong and productive relationships.

7. Write notes after each meaningful conversation.

Have you ever been in a situation where you meet someone new, have a great conversation, and then forget their name when you go to follow up?

It happens to the best of us, but there is a solution: write a personal note after each meaningful conversation.

This doesn’t have to be anything formal, just a few quick sentences about who the person is and what you talked about. That way, when you go to follow up, you’ll have all the information you need right at your fingertips.

Not only will this make you look more professional, but it will also help you build stronger relationships with the people you meet.

8. Ask for what you want.

The highlight of networking events we all fantasize about is leaving with a concrete exchange that will move our business or career forward. Maybe it’s a job offer, getting an investor on board, locking down a recommendation letter, or landing a client you’ve been after for months.

Whatever the highlight, it isn’t going to fall in our lap. We can play all the right cards to set us up for the big moment, but a time will come when we need to put ourselves out there and firmly express what we want.

The question is, how should you do this without coming across as aggressive?

Consider your answer to the classic job interview question “Why should we hire you over the other candidates?” You come up with a true, succinct, humble, and exemplary answer of why you’re the right person for the job.

Your approach to getting what you want from networking isn’t all that different, except it’s important to express your flexibility.

This combination of flexibility and confidence in getting the job done is a brilliant way to frame your next big ask: Be firm on what you want, but present it in a way that highlights the benefits for your listener.

9. Exit a conversation gracefully.

It’s important to remember that networking isn’t like speed-dating. The goal isn’t to meet as many people as you can – it’s to make valuable connections.

While it’s important not to rush through conversations for this reason, there are times when we need to jump ship. Whether you’re chatting with someone who won’t let you get a word in, or someone who is wasting time whining about their boss, you should still be polite when ending the conversation.

If there’s a lull in the conversation, say “Please let me know how that project goes, I’d love to see it and hear how it turns out.” This will show you were engaged, and though it ends the conversation in the moment, they won’t feel offended.

Alternatively, consider asking them “Have you seen anyone from [company name] tonight? I’ve been meaning to chat with them.” This will kindly express that it’s important to you to expand your network.

10. Follow up every time.

Networking can be a great way to make professional connections, but it’s only effective if you follow up. After all, exchanging business cards is only the first step in building a relationship.

If you want to make a lasting impression, you need to take the time to follow up with the people you meet.

So how do you follow up effectively? First, send a personalized email or LinkedIn message within 24 hours of meeting someone. This shows that you’re interested in keeping in touch.

Second, invite the person you met to coffee or lunch so you can further connect. After that, it’s just a matter of staying in touch by sending occasional emails, reaching out via social media, or meeting up.

Plan on attending a networking event soon? Leave awkwardness at the door by walking in with full confidence. Use the tips and remember: The outcome of the evening is up to you.

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

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Categories B2B

How To Do Affiliate Marketing on Instagram

Affiliate marketing on Instagram works the same as other platforms, where a business pays someone (i.e., an influencer) a commission for attracting people to purchase its product or service. The amount of commission paid is tracked through a unique code or URL.  

Instagram used to have a native program for creators, but it ended in August of 2022. Not to worry, though, because you can still make money from affiliate marketing on Instagram. This post will discuss how and give examples of creators that successfully use the strategy.

New Data: Instagram Engagement Report [2022 Version]

How to Do Affiliate Marketing on Instagram

1. Switch to a creator or business account.

An important step, although not required, is to have a creator or business account on Instagram.

When you have this designation on your account, it establishes your legitimacy with your followers and the businesses you choose to work with. You’ll be seen as a trusted source that is not trying to run a scam or make a quick profit.  

2. Find affiliate partners or businesses that you want to work with.

To start affiliate marketing on Instagram, you need to find an affiliate program you want to work with. Amazon Associates is an excellent example of an affiliate program, where you can earn a commission between 1 and 10% based on the product category.

Another option is to reach out to businesses directly that you’d like to work with and explain how you relate to what they offer and the potential your audience has to bring them.

Businesses might also reach out to you directly to start an affiliate partnership, which brings back the importance of having a business profile or creator account to establish your legitimacy.

3. Choose products relevant to your niche and the type of content you create.

When finalizing your partnerships, ensure you choose products or services that relate to your niche, audience, and the content you already create. For example, if you’re a technology creator, partnering with a beauty brand does not align with the influence and content you create.

It’s also essential to have trust in the products, businesses, or services you recommend. If your audience follows through with a purchase because of your recommendation and experience with the product and it doesn’t work as advertised, you can lose the trust with your audience that you worked hard to build.

It’s a best practice to try products or services yourself beforehand to ensure the partnership is worthwhile for all involved.

4. Share your unique links or codes.

The way you make money as an affiliate is when your audiences make a purchase through your unique code or link. So, make sure you share your codes in your Feed posts, Stories, Reels, your profile Bio — wherever they’ll be visible to your audience. If you have 10k or more followers, you can include a swipe up link in your Stories.

When you share these links, it’s also a best practice to make it clear that it is part of a paid partnership to be transparent with your audience.

Affiliate Marketing on Instagram Examples

Let’s go over some examples of people on Instagram who have used affiliate marketing in different ways.

1. Sean Garrette

Sean Garrette uses affiliate marketing through a Linktree in his Instagram bio that leads audiences to his different affiliate partnerships.

affiliate marketing on instagram examples: sean garrette linktree

Source

2. Cash Jordan

Cash Jordan, a New York City real estate agent, shares affiliate codes from his partnerships in his post captions. He recently partnered with Roadway Movers, and he created an Instagram video to explain the service and let his followers know that they’ll receive 10% off with his unique code.

Source 

3. Adriana Lopez

Adriana Lopez is a travel and lifestyle blogger who is often an affiliate partner of different lifestyle and travel companies. In a recent post, she shared an affiliate code that gives audiences a discount when they book their next vacation with her code.

affiliate marketing on instagram examples: adrianna lopez

Source

4. KarenBritChick

New York based influencer, shares affiliate links in her Instagram Stories with an easy-to-use clickable link sticker to immediately begin shopping, or you also have the option to enter her unique code during checkout.affiliate marketing on instagram examples: karenbritchick

Source 

5. Jesse James West

In the image below, fitness influencer Jesse James West shares a unique story about this experience with a brand and vouching for their products along with an affiliate code for his followers to use.

affiliate marketing on instagram examples: jesse james west

Source 

Over to You

Affiliate marketing helps you drive revenue, develop relationships with your favorite brands or businesses, and bring value to your audiences, so it’s a worthwhile strategy to consider when it comes to driving loyalty and engagement on the platform.

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