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The term “metaverse” may have been coined back in 1992, but it could hold new and adventurous opportunities for both consumers and even brands that engage with them.

The only problem is many of us aren’t too sure what the metaverse actually is. Who is using it? Why do they use it? Which of the seemingly infinite metaverses are worth including in your marketing strategy? And how can the metaverse help marketers navigate data privacy regulations?

To get some clarity, we surveyed over 1,000 consumers in the U.S. to learn about their takes, preferences, and behaviors around today’s biggest trends.

In that survey, 8% of participants said they’d ever visited a metaverse. But that’s not the full story. Keep reading to learn why the metaverse might not be a passing trend.

What Consumers Think About the Metaverse [New Data]

The Metaverse is New to Many — but Still Growing

Today 33%, or one-third, of our total survey-takers don’t quite get the concept of the metaverse. Still, 40% understand it and 30% think more brands should leverage it.

While only a small percentage of people have stepped into the metaverse, half of those that have did so in the past three months.

On top of that, these early adopters aren’t just popping in once to check it out – they’re actually invested in these virtual worlds. Of those who have ever used the metaverse:

• 64% own virtual currency in the metaverse
• 61% own virtual items that can be bought and sold in the metaverse
• 55% own land that can be bought and sold in the metaverse

How the Metaverse Intersects With Consumers’ Real Lives

We also asked those who have ever done metaverse-related activities (visited a metaverse, played online games, attended virtual events, or bought virtual items/NFTs) about how these intersect with their “real” lives, which produced some surprising results:

• 60% say their virtual items are just as important as their real-life possessions
• 54% say their online relationships are just as important as in-person relationships
• 51% say they can more easily be their authentic self in virtual worlds than in-person
• 40% say they understand the concept of the metaverse
• 33% say the metaverse is the future of technology

Who’s using the Metaverse?

Our research shows that opinions on the metaverse differ sharply by age group.

At the moment, Gen Z and Millennials are the most excited about exploring the metaverse, with around 15% of them having visited a metaverse at some point.

Gen Z and Millennials are also more likely than any other generation to have done metaverse-related activities, other than buying crypto (likely due to Gen Z having less disposable income):

• 40% of Gen Z/Millennials have played an online game
• 28% of Gen Z/Millennials have used a VR headset
• 22% of Gen Z/Millennials have bought virtual items other than NFTs or crypto, like a skin in a video game
• 18% of Gen Z/Millennials have attended a virtual reality event
• 23% of Gen Z/Millennials have bought cryptocurrency

So now that we know Gen Z and Millennials are the primary users of the metaverse and related technology, let’s take a look at why people go to the metaverse in the first place.

What Do People Do In the Metaverse?

Why People Visit the Metaverse

The most popular reasons for visiting the metaverse are to play games, hang out with friends, work a virtual job, and for virtual meetings and events.

Keep in mind the metaverse is all about empowering users to create their own experiences. As people continue innovating in virtual worlds, the number of activities and use cases will likely grow.

What motivates metaverse regulars?

Because the metaverse itself is loosely defined, to some extent it’s up to the users to shape its future. And those users are invested, with over 50% owning virtual currency, land, and items that can be bought and sold in the metaverse.

Additionally, with 31% of metaverse users saying they log on to earn virtual currency or work a virtual job, it’s important to touch on another selling point of the metaverse – users can earn currency by playing games or working virtual jobs.

We asked the general population whether they would be more likely to use a platform if they got virtual currency as an incentive, and 27% say they would. This number jumps up to 36% for Gen Z and 40% for Millennials.

On top of that, 60% of those who have ever used the metaverse say they would be more likely to use a platform if they got paid in virtual currency.

Offering incentives for using a platform can also help address a problem many marketers are currently struggling with – gathering consumer data in a way that provides value to both parties.

The Most Visited Metaverses

The Sandbox, Meta’s Horizon Worlds, and VRChat are the most visited, followed by Axie Infinity, Decentraland, and Illuvium. Keep in mind that many of these worlds are in early development, and some aren’t even accessible to the public yet.

Data Privacy and the Metaverse

Currently, many platforms like social media track, analyze, and sell personal data, but the user gets nothing in return. In response to this, privacy protections are being developed by governments and corporations alike to give consumers more power over their data.

This means offering incentives for people to not only spend time on your platform but also share their data will become more important in the future.

So let’s take a closer look at how consumers currently think of data privacy, and whether they think the metaverse has the potential to tip the scales in their favor.

Consumers are unified in their demands for ownership over their personal information. Our survey found that:

• 80% of consumers agree that data privacy is a human right
• 80% of consumers agree that they should have complete control over how companies use their data
• 79% of consumers say they are concerned about how companies use their data

On the other hand, when it comes to the metaverse, 53% of those who have ever used it say they trust how data on their activities in virtual worlds will be stored and used, while 29% distrust it. This is quite fascinating as many metaverses are decentralized, built on relatively emerging blockchain technology, and still a mystery to many — even when they’ve visited them a few times.

What’s Next for the Metaverse?

So you might be wondering what to expect next for the metaverse, and in all honesty, nobody knows.

We’ll keep running our Consumer Trends Survey regularly, to stay up to date on all the latest trends, from the metaverse to social media, workplace trends, and much more.

In the meantime, check out our State of Consumer Trends Report which includes the full results of our survey, as well as the downloadable PDF below. 

Are you struggling with what to post on Instagram? In this post, we’ll cover the best Instagram Story ideas to keep your audience engaged and entertained.

We’ve broken them down by content type:

• Follower engagement
  • Conduct a poll.
  • Host a Q&A.
  • Spotlight your customers.
  • Quiz your followers.
  • Repost user-generated content.
  • Host a giveaway.
  • Start a challenge.
• Team/Company Spotlights
  • Introduce your team.
  • Share behind-the-scenes footage.
  • Celebrate milestones.
  • Do a takeover.
  • Share company updates.
• Products and Services
  • Share testimonials and reviews.
  • Spotlight products and services.
  • Announce discounts and specials.
• Educational Content
  • Share industry news.
  • Post quick tutorials.
• Miscellaneous
  • Direct traffic to other sources.
  • Start a countdown.
  • Promote new posts.

20 Best Instagram Story Ideas for 2022

Cool Instagram Story Ideas for Follower Engagement

1. Conduct a poll.

Running a poll on your Story is a great way to engage your audience and learn more about them.

The great thing about a poll is it can be about anything. Say you’re a home decor brand, you can poll your audience on their interior design styles, purchasing considerations, and their favorite decor trends.

On another day, you can ask for specific feedback on their experience with your brand’s products or services. The possibilities are endless, making this a great Story idea.

Conducting polls also serves as a way to get more content ideas based on interactions with your audience. Say the social media marketer from the home decor brand discovers that its audience doesn’t know how to choose a rug size for a room. That could serve as a future feed post or inspire a new blog post.

2. Host a Q&A.

A Q&A allows your audience to get to know your team, company, and its products/services better.

There are several benefits to answering follower questions on your Story:

• You can quickly and directly connect with your audience, in a low-effort way.
• You will discover information gaps between you and your audience.
• Based on the questions you get, you can create a “Frequently Asked Questions” highlight that will live on your Instagram profile. This can also translate to your website.
• Start a hashtag and encourage your followers to use it when using your products or services.
• Search relevant hashtags to find posts that feature your brand but aren’t tagged.

3. Spotlight your customers.

Highlighting your customers kills two birds with one stone: You continue building a relationship with them while attracting new ones.

By showcasing customers who are enjoying your products/services, you’re leveraging social proof. In turn, this will add to your credibility and serve as a testimonial for your brand.

4. Quiz your followers.

In 2014, Buzzfeed has all Millennials in a chokehold with its quizzes. It didn’t matter what the quiz was – from movie trivia to 90’s outfits, I took them all. Why?

It was a fun way to feel connected to others and maybe learn something about myself.

Instagram quizzes can help you accomplish the same with your audience and maybe gain some interesting insights.

5. Repost user-generated content.

If you’re struggling with Story content ideas, reposting UGC is the easiest way to get over this hurdle.

In this case, your audience has done the hard work for you, all you have to do is find it and repost it.

Here are a few ways to set yourself up for success:

• Start a hashtag and encourage your followers to use it when using your products or services.
• Search relevant hashtags to find posts that feature your brand but aren’t tagged. 

6. Host a giveaway.

If you want to increase your reach, hosting a giveaway is a great way to do this. It incentivizes your followers to share your brand with their networks while strengthening their loyalty.

When hosting your giveaway, you’ll want to create an in-feed post with the details of the giveaway – this way, users can access it at any time. However, when it comes time to promote this giveaway, do so on your Story.

Don’t be afraid to post about the giveaway multiple times during its run to remind users to participate.

7. Start a challenge.

On social media, challenges take off like wildfire. If you can be the brand that starts a viral challenge, that can greatly increase your visibility.

One of Instagram’s most recent Story features is the “Add Yours” sticker, which allows users to add a Story connected to a specific thread.

For a home decor brand, this could be “Add your favorite room in your home,” or “Add your favorite home purchase.”

It’s engaging and fun for everyone involved.

Creative Instagram Story Ideas for your Team/Company Spotlights

8. Introduce your team.

In today’s social media space, consumers are no longer content with brands without a face. They want transparency in all areas, including who is behind their favorite products and services.

Introducing your team will help your audience connect with your brand and help foster a sense of community. This is particularly true for small brands that are just entering the market and have to find fresh ways to differentiate themselves from the competition.

In a small company, introductions can include the CEO, the social media manager, the fulfillment manager, and any other relevant role. For larger teams, this may be limited to a specific department, such as the social media team.

Extra points if you add the “Full House” or “Family Matters” theme song in the background.

9. Share behind-the-scenes footage.

Sharing BTS content is another way to bridge the gap between you and your audience, pulling back the curtain and bringing them into the fold.

While BTS isn’t exactly exclusive, it does feel intimate. It indicates trust between you and your viewers, which can translate to stronger brand loyalty.

What should you share? It should vary depending on what’s going on in your company and your current goals. Have a pop-up event coming up? Show a sneak peek of the location. Launching a new product? Share a video snippet of the product photography.

Over time, you’ll notice what kind of BTS footage your audience enjoys the most and from there, you can focus on that type of content.

10. Celebrate milestones.

When building a community, taking the time to celebrate together is important. As a brand on social media, you have the unique opportunity to share company milestones with your online community.

Did your brand recently reach 1,000 followers? One year in business? $500K in revenue? Whatever it is, it’s worth celebrating with your audience.

This is also a great opportunity to tie in a giveaway, discount, or special that your customers can benefit from.

11. Do a takeover.

Takeover can take away the monotony of posting Stories and give your page an instant boost.

A takeover involves someone managing your Instagram account for a designated amount of time (usually 24 hours) and posting from their POV.

This is popular among influencers, brand ambassadors, and even brand employees.

For instance, over at @Hubspotlife, current employees will take over for the day, sharing details about their roles, their daily tasks, their remote life routines, and more.

12. Share company updates.

Company updates aren’t just for internal stakeholders, they can also be valuable for your audience.

For instance, say you’ve hired a new DI&B director or you’re opening up a new store in another city, those are interesting facts your online community would like to know.

As your company grows and evolves, keep your audience updated – it will do wonders toward strengthening your relationship.

Cool Instagram Story Ideas for Products/Services

13. Share testimonials and reviews.

Customers write reviews just about everywhere: Yelp, Google my Business, and social media (namely Facebook and Twitter).

When you find a favorable review, turn it into a creative, aesthetically pleasing Story.

Pro-tip: Create a Story template specifically for this and use it every time you’re sharing a customer testimonial or review.

14. Highlight products and/or services.

Although Instagram has a dedicated tab for shopping, once in a while, you’ll likely want to promote your products in Stories.

For instance, say you have a sale going on – using the shopping sticker within Story is a great way to drive traffic to that product and generate sales.

If you have an upcoming product launch, you can also tease that product in your Story, creating some buzz surrounding the release.

15. Announce discounts and specials.

Everyone loves a discount. So, when you have one, you want to make sure it reaches as many potential customers as possible.

If there’s a big sale season coming up – think the holidays – start working on creative assets to share on your Instagram Story.

In addition to sharing deals, you should also include link stickers leading to your sales page.

This will create a seamless shopping experience, as users will find what they need quickly, increasing your chances of making sales.

Cool Instagram Story Ideas for Educational Content

16. Share industry news.

Sharing educational content is one of the best ways to add value to your audience on social media.

Every once in a while, there will be a trend or news that will make its rounds within an industry. In marketing, that was recently the end of third-party cookies.

Whenever this comes around for your brand, consider sharing the news with your audience in a Story and potentially sharing your thoughts on it. There are three key things to do when doing so:

• Provide the context for the news or update.
• Share what it is quickly and concisely.
• Reveal its potential impact.

Being a reliable source of information will build trust with your audience and sharing your opinion could help you become a thought leader in the space.

17. Post quick tutorials.

Another way to add value to your audience is by creating short, valuable tutorials.

For this to work successfully, your tutorial has to be to the point and include strong visuals that will capture your audience’s attention as they swipe right.

If you’re a home decor company, you could create a quick one-story graphic on selecting the perfect rug size for your bedroom.

Something as simple as this is not only helpful to your audience but is also bite-size and shareable.

Cool Instagram Story Ideas for Miscellaneous Content

18. Direct traffic to other sources.

Instagram is where many consumers discover brands but it shouldn’t be where it ends.

If you have a website, additional social media platforms, or content on other mediums, you should use your Story to drive traffic to these sources.

For instance, say your home decor brand wants to increase its newsletter subscriber count. Using Stories to promote its newsletter and driving traffic to the newsletter landing page is a great way to go.

This is particularly valuable because Instagram limits where and how creators and brands can place links. Currently, Stories is one of the few places to direct users outside of the platform – so, take advantage.

19. Start a countdown.

If you have an event coming up and want to create buzz around a product launch, you need to use Instagram’s countdown sticker.

It allows you to set up a timer countdown via Stories in which users can set up reminders so that they are notified once the event starts. It’s a low-effort way to promote exciting events for your brand.

20. Promote new posts.

With Instagram’s ever-changing algorithm, brands are no longer sure that their posts are getting in front of their desired audience.

One way to drive traffic to your post is by posting about it and using the “New Post” sticker.

Pro-tip: Place the sticker directly on the clickable post, shielding it from view, to entice users to click on it.

There you have it – a comprehensive list of Instagram Story ideas to make sure you never run out of content.

Having a good conversation with a candidate helps you understand who they are, their skill set, and what they’d bring to your team.

So, being a good interviewer goes hand-in-hand with hiring successful talent that can contribute to meeting your business goals.

Read on to learn everything you need to know about becoming an effective interviewer.

Why is it important to be a good interviewer?

Being a good interviewer is essential because it helps you hire the right people for the job. Therefore, the skill is key for any employer that wants to hire the right candidates who are motivated, able to do the job, and are a good cultural fit for the company.

Being a good interviewer also shows respect for the interviewee. It demonstrates that you value their time and insights and are willing to invest the effort to get to know them better.

How to Be an Effective Interviewer

The best interviewers make interviews feel like conversations instead of interrogations, and they work to develop rapport with candidates to help them feel comfortable opening up and sharing information about themselves.

Let’s go over how to do this.

1. Start the conversation on a lighter note.

Candidates may be nervous at the beginning of the interview, so it can always be helpful to make small talk and begin the conversation on a lighter note before the actual interview starts. However, make sure you don’t spend so much time on small talk that you need to cut the interview short later on.

2. Do your research.

Re-review the candidate’s application, resume, and cover letter before the interview, so you know their qualifications and why they’re interested in the role.

This gives you a refresher on their background and helps you generate focused questions about what they’ve already shared that will help you dig deeper into their interest in and relationship to the role.

3. Ask open-ended questions.

Open-ended questions encourage candidates to elaborate on their answers and give you more information to work with. When you do this, ensure that you give the interviewee time to answer the question entirely.

This also means avoiding yes or no questions when not entirely necessary. For example, you can confirm with someone that they spent three years working at their last company, but asking a yes or no question about their role at said company doesn’t give you the information you’re looking for.

3. Listen more than you talk.

Aim to do more listening so you can gather as much information as possible. This is a quick tip because it leads directly to the next tip: practicing active listening.

4. Practice active listening.

Active listening is a communication style that involves focusing entirely on the person who is speaking so you can take in what they’re saying and participate in the conversation in a meaningful way.

It’s important during interviewers because it helps you learn more about the candidates and ask relevant follow-up questions when they have said something you want to learn more about.

Active listening is also an important part of being a good interviewer because it shows respect for the candidate. They can likely tell if you’re not fully immersed in what they’re saying, and if they feel you’re not interested, they may feel less confident in sharing information about themselves. Instead, active listening shows them that they have your full attention and you’re genuinely interested in learning more about them.

5. Take notes.

Taking notes goes hand in hand with active listening because it shows that you’re actively listening to what the candidate is saying. It is also a way for you to note something a candidate says that you want to ask them about later instead of interrupting their train of thought.

Taking notes also gives you a refresher on your conversations with candidates when you’re making final hiring decisions in the future.

6. Be aware of your body language.

Body language that shows attention and respect for the candidate can help them feel more comfortable opening up and sharing information about themselves. As a result, your body language during an interview makes a big difference in being a good or bad interviewer.

So, aim to make eye contact, smile, and avoid crossing your arms or fidgeting. A lack of these things can make an interviewee feel like you don’t want to be there, making them feel anxious and that you care about what they have to say.

8. Eliminate distractions.

Eliminating distractions is helpful for you and the candidate because anything that shifts focus away from the conversation can affect how well the interview goes. For example, an alarm that goes off can cause someone to lose their train of thought on a valuable piece of information.

9. Be prepared to answer questions.

Most candidates will have questions for you, such as what a day-to-day looks like for the role they’ve applied for, what company culture is like, and what your team is like, and you should be prepared to answer them.

Candidates are also interviewing you and your business, so answering their questions and giving them the information they need helps them ensure they are a good fit.

For example, if a candidate realizes that they might not be a good fit for your company, they save you the stress that can come from someone accepting an offer and promptly leaving the company if they come to that realization after they’ve begun the job.

Being a good interviewer helps your team meet your goals.

Someone who can put candidates at ease and help them feel comfortable talking about their experience and sharing their skills is a great interviewer because the more you learn about the candidate, the easier it is to make an informed decision about their fit for the role.

Next time you have an interview, leverage the tips mentioned above, and you’ll likely find yourself having valuable conversations and hiring impressive candidates that can help you meet your business goals.

These days, it feels like everyone is on social media. But make no mistake, not everyone is on every channel.

As marketers, it’s important to know your audience’s favorite social channels. For instance, if you’re selling retirement homes, it’s safe to forgo Snapchat, where only 3.7% of users are over 50.

HubSpot surveyed over 1,000 consumers across the U.S to find out which social media channels are gaining steam — and which are falling behind. Read on to discover which platforms are most popular with consumers in 2022.

Social Media Channels Gaining Steam in 2022

Facebook

Facebook currently attracts 2.89 billion monthly users, more than any other social platform. A high concentration of its audience belongs to Millennials, Gen X-ers, and Baby Boomers.

In the last three months, a whopping 91% of Baby Boomers, 88% of Millennials, and 83% of Gen X-ers have visited Facebook.

On top of that, Gen X and Baby Boomers rank Facebook as their favorite social media app and their most visited app. If you’re looking to target older demographics with social media marketing, Facebook is your best bet.

That said, engagement drops significantly for Gen Z audiences. Just 12% of Gen Z-ers say they use Facebook more than any other platform, and only 55% have visited Facebook in the past three months.

TikTok

TikTok is known as the platform for Gen Z — and the data confirms it. In fact, over half of Gen Z consumers are on TikTok. Plus, Gen Z-ers say TikTok is the platform they use most, pulling ahead of Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.

It doesn’t stop there: TikTok is also picking up steam with other demographics. 36% of TikTok users in 2021 were between 35 and 54 years old, a 10% increase from the year before. That said, usage amongst Baby Boomers is still low, with only 7% visiting the app in the last three months.

It’s also worth mentioning that TikTok has the highest engagement rate out of any other social platform, averaging 10.85 minutes per session. In short, TikTok’s snackable content is addictive for a variety of age groups.

YouTube

YouTube has a user base of 2 billion+ people and receives over 34 billion monthly visits, according to data we pulled from SimilarWeb.

YouTube is popular with Gen Z, Millennial, and Gen X audiences, almost in equal measure. In the last three months, 83% of Millennials have visited YouTube, followed by 81% of Gen Z, and 79% of Gen X. For Baby Boomers, YouTube is their second favorite social media app, just behind Facebook.

YouTube is also a top favorite amongst video marketers. In fact, more than a quarter of video marketers plan to invest in YouTube than any other platform in 2022, according to HubSpot’s Video Marketing Report. In addition, video marketers ranked YouTube as the second-best platform for ROI.

Instagram

According to SimilarWeb, the Instagram app has over 78 million monthly active users, making it one of the most popular apps today.

Although Gen Z visits TikTok the most, they rank Instagram as their favorite social media app — as do Millennials.

Instagram is also holding steady with older audiences. In the last three months, 55% of Gen X-ers have visited Instagram, followed by more than a quarter (27%) of Baby Boomers. However, if you’re looking to target these audiences specifically, Facebook or YouTube could be a better option.

On the marketing side, more than half of video marketers rank Instagram as the best platform for ROI, engagement, and lead generation. If you’re looking to dive more into video marketing, Instagram is an attractive option.

Social Media Channels Losing Steam in 2022

Tumblr

After numerous acquisitions and near-revivals, Tumblr has yet to recreate its early- to mid-2000s popularity. According to our report, Tumblr is most popular with Millennials, but only 11% have visited the platform in the past three months.

Surprisingly, Gen Z has visited Tumblr at nearly the same rate (10%). In fact, a report by Quartz found that 61% of new Tumblr users in 2022 were under the age of 24. This begs an important question: is another revival around the corner?

While it’s still too early to call, we recommend focusing on platforms that pull stronger numbers for the audience you want to target.

Twitch

Although Twitch is top dog in the live-streaming space, all major streaming platforms — including Twitch, Facebook Gaming, and YouTube Live — are seeing a drop in total hours watched this year.

In the last three months, only 15% of Millennials have visited Twitch, followed by 13% of Gen Z, and 11% of Gen X.

Decreased viewership isn’t the only concern for Twitch — people are also streaming less. Year-over-year, hours streamed on the platform declined 16% from 2021 to 2022.

According to HubSpot’s Video Marketing Report, video marketers report low engagement and ROI on the platform, and only 10% of marketers plan to leverage Twitch for the first time in 2022.

Back to You

One question remains: what channels are best for your social media marketing? Should you stick to mature platforms, like Facebook and YouTube, or test the waters with new platforms, like TikTok?

Ultimately, your decision should hinge on one crucial factor: your target audience. Putting your audience at the center of your social media strategy means prioritizing the platforms that will reach them most effectively.

And remember, social media marketing is all about experimenting. There’s no need to commit to one platform for the rest of time — in fact, it may be useful to run side experiments on different platforms to see what results you get.

According to our 2022 Marketing Trends Survey report, 34% of marketers plan to stop leveraging podcasts or other audio content in 2022.

It’s likely because of the major roadblocks that marketers still face in the podcast marketing space. Two podcast experts weigh in on the biggest challenges and strategies to tackle them.

Organic Discoverability

Currently, there are two main ways to discover podcasts: Search through top-ranking podcasts in various genres or get recommendations based on what you’re already listening to.

This makes it very hard for lesser-known shows to get discovered organically.

“It’s really hard for podcasters who are creating amazing content and are great creators to figure out ways to get in front of their audience,” says Alanah Joseph, head of creator partnerships on the HubSpot Podcast team.

At HubSpot, Joseph says our podcast network addresses this by leaning into our cross-promotion strategy – this means placing ads across various shows across our network while ensuring audience alignment.

“Instead of going out and trying to find new audiences, we are leveraging the audiences that we already have and sharing those audiences in a way that helps boost discoverability for the podcasts,” she says. “And then, also because we have a community, we can leverage that ad inventory.”

However, not every brand can go this route. Businesses with access to a large ad budget opt for paid advertising, as that ensures you will gain more exposure and reach your desired audience.

“Short-term [discoverability] strategies will most often be paid media, like promoting on a podcast player or running Facebook ads,” says Principal Podcast Producer at HubSpot Darren Clarke, as a way to tackle discoverability. “These plays usually give great results, but won’t necessarily be ‘sticky.’”

Other tactics include cross-posting on multiple channels and growing your social media presence. Many podcasters post the video version of their content on YouTube to broaden their reach and get an SEO boost.

On social media, discovery is much easier. You can build a community there, market your podcast, and direct traffic to your series.

“These types of organic growth strategies take a long time to register any significant results, but over time, if done well, will essentially give you much more control over your distribution,” he says.

Growing a community is another key way to help with discoverability. Things like attending podcasting events and reaching out to fellow podcasters will help you build a network of people who can share their audiences with you.

For instance, being a guest on another podcast whose audience aligns with yours can be incredibly valuable for brands with limited resources.

“The audience gets to meet you, gets to learn about you, get to understand your values, [and] why you have a podcast,” Joseph says. “All of those things are important for not only driving traffic but also building retention and loyalty.”

Clarke echoes this sentiment, saying that when you guest host, having a compelling message and an inviting call to action is necessary for it to serve as a growth lever.

He further cautions that promotion, marketing, audience building, and community development are all growth mechanisms that require different approaches. As such, they’ll require a different set of expectations and ROI.

Data Insights

As marketers, data is our lifeline. It tells us who our audience is, what they’re responding to, and much more. Joseph says with podcasts, data insights are limited.

“With tracking and reporting, the biggest issue in the podcast industry is as a listener, you are not able to accept cookies,” she says.

This means that podcast marketers are restricted in the information they’re able to gather on their audience, particularly tracking how they’re behaving after listening to an episode.

What you typically get is the following:

• Geolocation
• Listens (unique listens, average listening time, etc)
• Subscriber count and trends
• Downloads (total downloads, average downloads, etc)

And often, Joseph says, you have to compile data from several sources which is not always accurate or reliable.

One key piece of data that’s missing is listener demographics, such as gender, age, and education. As a result, building out a strong social media presence becomes even more important in understanding your audience.

From LinkedIn, for instance, you can discover a person’s title, identify where they are in their career, and why they’re tuning into your podcast.

Despite these roadblocks, Joseph believes that tech is finally catching up with the world of podcasting.

“There’s a lot of innovation right now and a lot of people are developing cool technology to support this large group of creators,” she says. “So, I feel optimistic that some of these things will be solved.”

Diversity in Voices

While this challenge isn’t specific to podcast marketing, it does affect the industry as a whole.

Joseph mentions that there’s still a lot of work to be done regarding the diversity of voices in podcasting.

“In the beginning [of building the HubSpot Podcast Network], more so than now, that was the big challenge that I faced,” she says, “How do I create a network that’s reflective of the American workforce?”

This is especially true in the business genre, where top-ranking shows are not led by BIPOC creators. As a network, you want to have a list of strong shows but you also want to make sure it’s balanced in representation.

“I’d love to see more women and more people of color rise to the charts in our genre specifically,” she says. “That’s something that we’re actively trying to work through and have been for a while.”

There’s no doubt that there are still a lot of challenges within podcast marketing, as platforms and search engines catch up to this thriving industry. However, there are still many workarounds that brands can leverage to reach their target listeners and grow their subscriber base.

Within the past two years, emerging technologies like NFTs and the metaverse have gotten a lot of hype. But how exactly are brands leveraging it? We’ll cover that and more in this article.

Plus, we’ll tackle where small businesses fit in this space and how they can leverage emerging tech.

Virtual Experiences

1. Patrón Spirits

In August 2022, Patrón held a virtual pop-up event in the Metaverse for a summer campaign.

This limited-time event, held on two consecutive weekends, was hosted on Decentraland, a virtual browser-based platform.

Participating users could visit three pop-up events dedicated to the brand’s three summer cocktails.

There was also a giveaway element in the virtual experience, in which users who collected badges through quests would be entered to win a trip and NFT wearables (virtual clothing and accessories used to dress up your avatar).

The benefit of hosting an immersive virtual pop-up event is that it’s accessible to all, which allows the brand to reach a wider audience. The metaverse is also a hot topic this year, so brands leveraging this technology can benefit from social buzz.

2. Nike

In late 2021, this shoe brand joined the virtual world by introducing Nikeland.

Made in partnership with gaming platform Roblox, Nikeland invites users to get their bodies moving.

On the website, they say Nikeland gives “classic games a fresh twist.” While the target audience is the younger generation, anyone who likes gaming can enjoy Nikeland.

What’s in it for Nike? Well, users play these games while styled in Nike gear – from shoes to clothes and accessories. This serves as a subtle marketing play to promote active products from the brand.

NFTs

3. Paramount

In April 2022, Paramount announced that in partnership with RECUR, it would drop its first digital collection featuring Star Trek on paramount.xyz.

Creating its own NFT marketplace, Paramount allows users to collect NFT ships from the Star Trek Universe.

In a press release, the president of consumer products and experiences Pam Kaufman said this collection serves as another expression of fandom, which will allow fans to own a part of a popular franchise.

The company has faced some backlash with some fans arguing that Star Trek and NFTs do not align, namely due to the environmental impact.

NO NO NO NO NO NO. This is against everything Trek should stand for. This is the anti-Trek.

— Michael Crawford (@MiklCraw4d)
April 4, 2022

The brand has since released additional NFT collections from popular shows and TV shows, such as Top Gun, Rugrats, and Hey! Arnold.

4. Heineken

In a contrarian play, Heineken leveraged the metaverse to highlight that some moments are best shared in person.

In April 2022, Heneiken introduced Heneiken Silver, a virtual beer that pokes fun at the digital world and invites users to enjoy real life.

Their site features fun copy like this:

With so many brands wondering how or even if they should join this trend, Heineken shows how to successfully do so while staying true to your brand.

AI

5. Airbnb

Everyone tells you “content is king” but what we don’t talk about enough is how much time and how many resources creating high-quality content takes.

For both small and large companies, content is a large investment that usually offers long-term value rather than short-term benefits. As a result, brands will often neglect this area.

Looking to solve this are Frase.io, Jasper.ai, and other AI-powered writing tools in the market. In a matter of seconds, AI writing software can write anything from a social media caption to a long-form blog post – all based on the information you feed it.

What’s great about these AI writing tools is that they take the legwork out of writing and allow you to focus on polishing instead of building from scratch.

Companies like Airbnb, Coursera, Google, and Logitech all leverage artificial intelligence to support their content marketing efforts.

How to Use Experimental or New Technology on an SMB Level

These days, it seems like everyone is talking about web3, the metaverse, and NFTs. This may cause some panic among small business owners who feel they’re not able to keep up.

However, the truth is this space is very much experimental. In fact, our State of Consumer Trends report revealed that most consumers don’t know or understand what web3 even is.

So, for small businesses, there’s no pressure to jump into the metaverse quite yet.

Small brands may not have the large resources to launch NFT collections and host virtual events. However, they can embrace experimentation and try new things in ways that align with their brands.

Take luxury retail brand Hanifa. In 2020, fashion brands weren’t able to host fashion shows to showcase new designs.

In May, the brand went live on Instagram and hosted an innovative 3D fashion show debuting their new capsule collection.

Each garment was seen in 3D as invisible models strutted down the runway against a black backdrop, creating a stunning show.

This approach blew away everyone in the fashion industry and beyond, as it was the first of its kind. In an interview with Vogue, founder and designer Anifa Mvuemba revealed that she always wanted to do a show like this and that the pandemic offered the perfect opportunity.

The takeaway here is that whether it’s the metaverse or something else, emerging technology is all about experimenting and being creative.

Consumers want brands to make a difference.

In fact, Havas’ Meaningful Brands Report 2021 found that 73% of respondents think brands must act now for the good of society and the planet. In that same survey, 64% of respondents said they prefer to buy from companies with a reputation for purposeful action, not just their profits.

When brands act for the good of society and the planet, they’re being socially responsible. In this post, we’ll discuss:

• What is social responsibility?
• How can brands be socially responsible?
• 15 Socially Responsible Brands

What is social responsibility?

For businesses, social responsibility is showing care and value for society and the planet in addition to, or equal to, how much care is shown for their profits and their bottom line.

How can brands be socially responsible?

Brands can be socially responsible by ensuring employees have a safe work environment and are paid a living wage, charitable giving to programs that give back to the community, championing diversity, equity, and inclusion, sustainable business practices, — the list goes on.

Early 2020 brought many businesses to a reckoning regarding social responsibility, as social justice issues were at the forefront of many conversations during the first few months of the year.

Consumers still want brands to be responsible — in fact, 45% of people think that brands need to do more to advocate for social justice issues.  The social issues that consumers believe businesses should take a stance on are racial justice, climate change, income inequality, and affordable healthcare.

Let’s go over some examples of brands that exemplify social responsibility that you can take inspiration from.

15 Socially Responsible Brands

1. Back Market

Back Market combats the tons of waste produced by electronic devices by refurbishing used electronics and selling them to consumers. The business encourages consumers to trade in their used electronics for cash instead of throwing them away and also provides an eco-friendly alternative to those looking to buy.

2. Warby Parker

Warby Parker is famous for its at-home try-on program, where customers can try glasses frames at home before committing to a purchase.

Its Warby Parker Impact Foundation works with government agencies, nonprofits, and local community groups to increase access to vision care for adults and children underserved in this type of care. In addition, its Buy a Pair, Give a Pair program donates one pair of glasses per pair bought and, to date, has distributed over 10 million glasses.

3. Ben & Jerry’s

Ben & Jerry’s is famous for taking a stand on global issues like refugee rights, LGBTQ+ rights, climate justice, voting rights — the list goes on.

To raise awareness for these issues, it partners with nonprofits to build support with its customers, and the Ben & Jerry’s foundation regularly gives funding to businesses in Vermont (its home state) and around the country that work to facilitate social change.

4. Oliberté

Oliberté founded the world’s first fair trade certified factory in Ethiopia. It has since transferred its operations to Canada but continues to show commitments to employee equity by giving employees a percentage of the earrings for every pair of shoes sold, where “sold” begins when a shoe has left the factory.

It is also part of the One Perfect for the Planet Program, where at least one percent of annual sales are contributed to environmental causes.

5. Patagonia

Patagonia is known for its environmentalist practices, like supporting grassroots activists through funding. Its Worn Wear program encourages customers to give their used Patagonia clothing back to the business to be refurbished and resold instead of throwing it away, and Patagonia Provisions makes and sells organic foods that ensure healthy soil, are cultivated under ethical employee conditions, and fair and humane treatment of animals.

6. EnrichHer

EnrichHer is a finance technology platform that gives small women-owned businesses loans to help with business operations. It also offers training programs with one-on-one and peer support, tools to help owners access funding, and networking opportunities to help businesses find resources and tools to help them better their business.

7. IKEA

IKEA is dedicated to environmentalism with its plans to use only sustainable materials and recycled or renewable plastic by 2030. The IKEA Foundation also works with NGOs to create employment and entrepreneurship programs and funds environmental ventures around the world, like renewable energy projects.

8. Cracked It

Based in the UK, Cracked It is a phone repair service that employs formerly incarcerated youth, a community often discriminated against and looked over when seeking employment. It teaches job-relevant and life skills and prepares youth for future employment opportunities to come down the line.

9. Allbirds

Allbirds, a footwear and apparel company, uses natural, renewable, and sustainable materials to create its products, demonstrating a commitment to environmentalism and sustainability.

Allbirds Flight Plan lays out the business’ sustainability commitments that culminate in cutting its carbon footprint in half by 2025 through investments in regenerative agriculture, renewable energy, and responsible energy use. Allbirds ReRun is similar to Worn Wear, and used products are donated, refurbished, and resold to reduce waste.

10. Cora

Cora sells organic personal care products and, with every purchase, donates products and body literacy resources to communities often overlooked in related discussions. 75% of the donations it makes are to organizations that serve BIPOC communities and, to date, has donated 6,600,000 products and diverted 14,000 from landfills.

11. Loop

Black people in Black communities pay 70% more for car insurance than those in predominantly White upper-middle-class neighborhoods. Loop, an AI-powered car insurance company, recognizes the disparity and commits to making car insurance more equitable, available, and affordable for people of color, most significantly by only considering factors related to driving history.

12. Glass Half Full

Glass Half Full is a Louisiana-based business that collects glassware that it recycles and repurposes into sand and glass cullet. Its outputs help the environment, as the sand can be used for disaster relief, coastal restoration, and eco-construction, and glass cullet can be repurposed into new glassware.

Since its creation, it has diverted 2 million pounds of glass from NOLA landfills.

13. Culture Brands

Culture Brands is an agency with media platforms and consumer brands that engage directly with the African American community, helping people feel seen and engage with content related to their experiences. Because Of Them We Can is one of its platforms that shares content that amplifies Black voices and entrepreneurial successes.

14. Tony’s Chocolonely

Tony’s Chocolonely is a chocolate company committed to environmentalism and equitable and fair working conditions.

Tony’s Open Chain sourcing principles outline the business commitments, including paying a premium for cocoa beans to ensure farmers receive a living wage, and CLMRS, which identifies illegal child labor and improves the living conditions for farmers and their families.

It also helps its customers learn more about chocolate farming practices, as they can trace the entire lifecycle of the bean that made the chocolate bar they hold in their hands.

15. Accion International

Accion International’s mission is to build a financially inclusive world by providing economic opportunities to communities often overlooked and left out of financial conversations.

It provides financial support to low-income entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs of color, and women, in addition to educational resources, coaching, and business networks that can be helpful when it comes to building and growing a business. In 2021, Accion International was able to reach and impact 220M+ people.

A 2022 study by Spotify found that 80% of Gen Z consumers enjoy audio content because it allows them to express their individuality and “explore different sides of their personalities.” Though Spotify didn’t clarify what it meant by audio content, such as podcasts or audio chats, it’s no secret that audio chatrooms have become increasingly popular over the years.

Audio chatrooms like Twitter Spaces and Clubhouse saw a surge in popularity at the start of the pandemic, when most people were stuck at home and looking for ways to connect with others. While outdoor events have resumed and many people are back in the office, I still can’t log into Twitter without seeing a Twitter space of at least 200 people at the top of my feed. With that said, are content like audio chat rooms worth it for marketers?

If you’re trying to capture the attention of Gen Z, here’s what you need to know:

The Pros and Cons of Audio Chatrooms like Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces

Audio chatrooms have become popular in recent years, however, there are still pros and cons to consider before deciding to leverage platforms like Twitter Spaces and Clubhouse in your marketing campaign.

Pros of Audio Chatrooms

In our 2022 survey, we spoke to Gen Z consumers about their social media habits. During the survey we found that 43% of Gen Zers discover new products most often via platforms like Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces. Though that’s less than half of the respondents, 43% is still a sizeable chunk — meaning there are opportunities for brands to reach a Gen Z audience.

Here are some of the positives of using audio chatrooms in your marketing campaign:

Audio chatrooms allow brands to communicate directly with their audience.

Audio chatrooms like Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces can facilitate a closer relationship between brands and consumers. For example, celebrities like Kevin Hart and Ashton Kutcher have used Clubhouse to have live discussions with fans covering everything from upcoming projects to politics. Mark Zuckerberg has used Clubhouse to speak to followers about advancements in technology and virtual reality.

Entertainment and media companies like Complex and Genius often use Twitter Spaces to host live interviews with musicians and give fans opportunities to ask questions directly. For example, in December 2021, Genius co-hosted a space with Alicia Keys where the singer answered questions about her upcoming album. She was later joined by Jay-Z, who made a surprise appearance, and the two shared an intimate discussion about music with fans who tuned in.

Interviews, panel discussions, and Q&As are all ways to leverage audio chatrooms and form meaningful connections with your target audience.

Audio content is easily re-usable.

Content from audio chatrooms can also be repurposed and redistributed through other platforms. For example, many Twitter Space hosts will take the audio from their space and upload it to platforms like Spotify as a podcast. If an image is added, the audio can also be uploaded to YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram Reels where it can get a second life online and a chance to reach new audiences.

Cons of Audio Chatrooms

There are a few drawbacks to using audio chatrooms to market to Gen Z, including:

Consumers want to talk to people — not brands.

Opportunities for discussion are what draw most people to Clubhouse and Spaces, however, most consumers prefer to speak with people — not companies looking to push their latest products. In fact, our survey found that only 7% of Gen Z consumers prefer audio chatrooms for discovering new products.

However, our survey also found that a quarter of Gen Zers prefer finding products on social media via the influencers they follow. If brands still choose to use audio chatrooms in their marketing, leveraging influencer marketing could provide an advantage.

Twitter Spaces and Clubhouse are not very popular among Gen Z.

36% of the Gen Z consumers we surveyed listed Discord among the live audio chats they’ve used in the last three months. Only 14% mentioned Twitter and 13% said Clubhouse. And while Twitter has hundreds of millions of users, only 5% of the Gen Zers we surveyed said Twitter is their favorite app.

Audio Chats vs Podcasts: Which are Better for Marketing?

In terms of which are better for marketing — audio chats or podcasts — the data can be a bit confusing. Our survey found that 43% of Gen Z consumers most often discover new products via audio chats, while 36% said the same about podcast ads. However, 13% of Gen Zers said they discovered new products via podcast ads in the last three months while only 7% said the same about audio chats.

It’s also important to note that only 5% said they prefer podcast ads for discovering new products — and only 7% said the same about audio chatrooms.

Ultimately, it seems like both tactics can yield similar results depending on how they’re used. If you’re set on leveraging audio chatrooms in your marketing strategy to attract Gen Z, consider collaborating with influencers to host Twitter Spaces and Clubhouse events.

Since Discord seems to be the most popular audio chatroom among Gen Z, you should also create a Discord that allows your followers to connect with each other, give feedback, and ask questions regarding your brand or product.

Influencer marketing can also apply to podcasts. Consider buying ad space on an influencer’s podcast or sponsoring one in exchange for promotion. For example, pop-culture podcast The Read is sponsored by Talk Space, an online therapy app. At the beginning, middle, and end of each episode the podcast’s hosts make a point to mention the sponsorship and explain to their listeners how they can use the app at a discounted price.

So, are audio chats worth marketers investing in? If you’re trying to market to Gen Z, platforms like Twitch and TiKTok are likely more worth your time. Those platforms have a large Gen Z audience and can be leveraged with the help of tactics like influencer marketing or event marketing. If you’re still interested in giving audio chatrooms a try, look into partnering with influencers to host special events, panels, or interviews.

With social media moving at an incredible pace, it always feels like there’s something new around the corner.

Wondering where social media is headed in the next few years? Here are our guesses based on recent Gen-Z data and new features from the most popular social media platforms.

Search on Social Media Instead of Engines

Nowadays, when I want to search for something – whether it’s a product, a recommendation, or a review, I go right to TikTok. And data shows Gen-Z is doing the same.

According to a TechCrunch article, a Google exec recently suggested that apps like TikTok and Instagram are threatening two staple Google discovery apps: Google Maps and Google Search.

“In our studies, something like almost 40% of young people, when they’re looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search,” said Senior Vice President Prabhakar Raghavan, who runs Google’s Knowledge & Information sector. “They go to TikTok or Instagram.”

Why is this happening? Raghavan believes it’s because young adults prefer visual-forward content when it comes to discovery.

using tiktok as a search engine for things to do & restaurants in other cities >

— stunna . 🎠 (@zipporah_zaki)
August 23, 2022

In the meantime, TikTok is adding new search features to keep users engaged, recently probing users to use when watching a video.

In August 2022, they tested a feature in which keywords from video comments are highlighted and linked to search results. This serves as an additional way for users to discover new content as they’re scrolling on the platform.

tiktok is testing a new feature identifying key words in comments and linking to search results for them pic.twitter.com/7dRQMoV4Pk

— Olivia Deng 🍌🧢 (@olivia_deng_)
August 5, 2022

In the future, TikTok and other social platforms may take the lead in product and content discovery as they prioritize visual content if traditional search engines fail to keep up with consumer needs.

More Reliance on Influencers

In 2022, we surveyed over 1,000 U.S. consumers and found that influencers’ opinions can often weigh more than friends and family.

When asking about the most important factors in their purchasing decisions, 30% of consumers responded with influencer recommendations, compared to 27% for friends and/or family recs.

This is likely because, with influencers who specialize in an area, their opinion is more valuable than a family member’s. Say I’m looking for hiking gear, a hiking influencer who hikes all year long and has a history of reviewing hiking products will probably offer more insight than a friend who went hiking once.

As a result, influencers – although strangers – can be deemed more valuable than loved ones. In the future, that trend will likely continue, as content creators are popping up every day.

In fact, our survey revealed that 30% of 18-24-year-olds and 40% of 25-34-year-olds call themselves content creators. While not every creator is an influencer, those worlds often intersect.

Seamless Shopping Experience on Most Socials

Instagram was one of the first social platforms to offer a seamless shopping experience and integration. However, they likely won’t be the last.

Let’s set the scene: In a couple of years, Gen Z will have fully joined the working class and will have tremendous spending power. Our consumer trends report found that most Gen-Zers prefer to discover new products on social media — specifically short-form videos

This means that to remain competitive, social platforms will have to offer integrated shopping experiences to keep consumers on the platform.

Instagram has already seen great success in this arena, it’s only a matter of time until other platforms follow suit.

Higher VR/AR Adoption

With the metaverse, NFTs, and web3 trending this past year, virtual reality will likely play a larger role in how we socialize online.

Snapchat led the social AR movement with its fun filters and later expanded into virtual try-on features to create an immersive shopping experience (another sign that shopping and social media will become synonymous).

Image Source

According to an Insider Intelligence report, 39% of consumers are interested in AR shopping. However, this adoption doesn’t have to be limited to shopping.

It can extend to virtual meetups for social connection, gaming, and more.

For instance, in late 2021, Meta announced the opening of Horizon, a social VR platform in the metaverse. This is a natural step for Meta following their acquisition of Oculus, the VR headset maker, in 2014.

Social media moves incredibly quickly, so we can’t say with certainty what the future will look like. But given recent data, we can say it’s likely headed in this direction.

In today’s digital world, having a business website isn’t an option. It’s a must.

An online presence is the digital equivalent of a calling card or listing on a phone book’s yellow pages. It increases brand awareness and allows you to display products and services online.

Unfortunately, not all businesses see the benefit of having a website. A survey commissioned by Top Design Firms found that 27% of small businesses don’t have one — and the top reasons holding them back from getting one are cost and lack of technical know-how.

But here’s the good news: there are plenty of high-quality options for free website builders, many of which require little to no coding knowledge. 

If you don’t know where to look, don’t worry. We’ve compiled 14 of the best free website builders. They offer robust functionality like SEO benefits, embedded analytics systems, mobile optimization, and professional-looking templates. 

These builders are the next best thing if you’re on a tight budget. Better yet? Most of the free website builders we’ll show you have paid options if you need additional features as your business grows.

1. HubSpot Drag-and-Drop Website Builder

Designing a beautifully branded website doesn’t have to be complicated. If you’re taking the DIY-route to create your own website and don’t have coding experience, consider trying HubSpot’s drag-and-drop website builder.

It comes with everything you need to build a website, including content management system (CMS) tools, themes and templates, security features, and a built-in content delivery network (CDN) to ensure pages load quickly.

It also connects easily with HubSpot CRM. That lets you integrate contact forms, live chat requests, and more, making it ideal for businesses already using HubSpot’s CRM tool.

Features:

• CMS tools
• Themes and templates
• Built-in security features
• Free SSL certificate
• Ability to connect to a custom domain

Advantages:  

• Personalization (thanks to HubSpot CRM)
• Security
• Responsive themes and templates

Disadvantages:

• Multi-language blog functionality is still being implemented
• No built-in e-commerce functionality
• You’ll need to learn HuBL (HubSpot’s templating language) to build custom modules and coded templates.

Pricing: Limited free plan available. The premium CMS plans with additional features start at $23/month when billed annually.

Brands using HubSpot:

• Botkeeper
• ProArch
• Eternal Works

2. Wix

With over 200 million users, Wix is one of the most popular free website builders. The easy-to-use, fully-hosted platform offers an easy drag-and-drop editor, an extensive collection of apps, and professional-looking templates. Wix can even propose a design for your site using its Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI) software, Editor X.

Features:

• Drag-and-drop editor
• Large collection of apps and templates
• Analytics and reporting

Advantages:

• Easy to use
• Large collection of apps and templates
• Optimized for mobile

Disadvantages:

• The free version displays ads.
• The premium plans are pricey when compared to others on this list.
• Unable to switch templates when the site goes live. The only way to change templates is by creating a new site and transferring your premium plan to it. 

Pricing: Limited free plan available. Premium plans start at $16/month when billed annually.

Brands using Wix:

• Cotton’s Restaurant
• Cau Steakhouse
• P.S. & Co.

3. WordPress.com

WordPress is the world’s most popular free website builder, with a 43% market share in the content management space. When building websites with WordPress, you have two options: WordPress.org and WordPress.com. 

WordPress.org lets you download WordPress’s open-source software so you can build and customize a website to fit your needs. However, there are a few caveats. Not only will you need a domain name and hosting before you get the website going (which comes at a cost), but you’ll also need to learn how to maintain and keep the website secure on your own.

In contrast, WordPress.com is much more beginner-friendly. It’s a fully-hosted free website building service offered by Automattic that uses the WordPress framework to provide a smooth website creation experience.

The only downside is that the free version is far less customizable than WordPress.org. For instance, you can’t customize plugins, and domain names are limited to [yourname].wordpress.com.

Still, WordPress.com’s free version empowers you to create visually stunning websites, blogs, and landing pages using the Classic Editor or the powerful new Gutenberg block-based editor. Below is an example of one of its pre-designed block-based templates:

Besides that, you can add assets like contact forms, videos, and embedded content to WordPress pages using plugins, an add-on feature compatible with WordPress but usually managed by another company. 

For example, HubSpot offers a WordPress marketing plugin that lets you capture contacts through WordPress and track them in HubSpot’s free CRM.

Features:

• Large collection of themes and plugins
• Mobile-friendly and optimized for SEO
• Managed website hosting and security

Advantages:

• Customizable
• Flexible
• Mobile and desktop apps available

Disadvantages:

• The free version displays ads.
• More limitations compared to WordPress.org
• Although intuitive, it’s more difficult to learn than other drag-and-drop builders.

Pricing: Limited free plan available. Premium plans start at $16/month when billed annually.

Brands using WordPress.com:

• Anytime Fitness Australia
• Activity Hero Blog
• Outsource School

4. Elementor Website Builder

While WordPress makes site building beginner-friendly, WordPress page builders make refining your website and achieving your dream design easier.

Trusted by over 5,000,000 users, Elementor is a no-code drag-and-drop page builder that’s a great option for getting a customized WordPress site off the ground quickly. Choose from hundreds of mobile-optimized page templates without worrying about the underlying code.

Features:

• Drag-and-drop builder
• Live editing
• Large library of mobile-responsive templates
• Multiple partners building templates and add-ons for Elementor (e.g., Astra)

Advantages: 

• Beginner-friendly
• Live editing
• Third-party integrations

Disadvantages:

• Limited functionality on the free plan
• Compatibility issues with some plugins and themes

Pricing: Limited free plan available. Premium plans start at $49/year (without hosting).

Brands using Elementor:

• Itho Digital
• Australian Cosmetic Institute
• Children and War Foundation

5. Webnode

With over 40 million users, Webnode is one of the more popular website builder tools for a good reason. It’s affordable, easy to use, and supports multilingual websites — up to 20 different languages.

Webnode is perfect for personal, professional, and small business websites, as it supports e-commerce stores.

Features:

• Pre-designed templates
• Ecommerce support
• Mobile-ready

Advantages: 

• Multilingual support
• Mobile-responsive pages
• Backup and restore features

Disadvantages:

• Webnode doesn’t come with a built-in app store, making it more complicated to add extra functionality to the website
• Limited customization options
• Limited blog and e-commerce functionality

Pricing:Limited free plan available. Premium plans start at $3.90/month when billed annually.

Brands using Webnode:

• We-Eatse
• 20 Something Lessons
• Craffox

6. Jimdo

Founded in 2007, Jimdo is a German-based company that provides AI-powered website builder tools for independent small businesses. The builder, Dolphin, asks users questions and suggests designs based on their answers. If you’re curious about what these AI-powered designs look like, Jimdo showcases a few examples on its page.

With 500 MB of space, you’ll likely have more than enough space to build your site, and it even provides HTTPS/SSL encryption, meaning your visitor’s information will be kept safe. Plus, you can integrate your site seamlessly with social media accounts. 

Jimdo is also an excellent option for international companies because it lets you create mobile-optimized websites in over nine languages. 

Features:

• AI-powered website builder
• SSL encryption
• GDPR-compliant
• Mobile app available

Advantages:

• Easy to use
• Mobile-responsive
• Fast load speeds

Disadvantages:

• Limited range of available features
• Few design options

Pricing: Limited free plan available. Premium plans start at $9/month when billed annually.

Brands using Jimdo:

• Curio Styles
• Living Ginger Designs
• Zaven Store

7. Mozello

Mozello has all the basic features you need to build a website: a drag-and-drop editor, template library, and even supports ecommerce functionality. One of the biggest selling points for Mozello is that the builder allows you to create a multilingual site for free.

You can check samples of websites built on Mozello on its portfolio page.

Features:

• Drag-and-drop website builder
• Template library

Advantages: 

• Easy to use
• Support for multilingual websites
• Ecommerce functionality

Disadvantages:

• The drag-and-drop builder isn’t as intuitive as some others on this list.
• Limited design customization
• The free version displays ads

Pricing: Limited free plan available. Premium plans start at $8/month when billed annually.

Brands using Mozello:

• Catalyst
• Grandeg Design

8. Yola

Founded in 2007, Yola is a free website builder built to eliminate the hassle of creating a website. 

It comes with a drag-and-drop builder, hundreds of customizable and mobile-optimized templates, and pre-designed blocks that allow you to create all kinds of websites — even online shops. 

Features:

• Drag-and-drop website builder
• Free customizable templates
• Support for multilingual websites

Advantages: 

• Ecommerce features available
• Social selling features
• Mobile-optimized

Disadvantages:

• No blogging feature
• The free version displays ads
• Navigation and design limitations

Pricing: Limited free plan available. Premium plans start at $4/month when billed annually.

Brands using Yola:

• Cali Tacos and More

9. Weebly

Weebly is an open-source software-as-a-service (SaaS) that offers web hosting, domain registration, web design, and e-commerce functions, making it suitable for businesses and startups. For a free website builder, Weebly’s particularly flexible — it’s compatible with every device and platform and easy to use.

Like Wix, Weebly has drag-and-drop functionality, an integrated CMS solution, and hand-coded HTML files. The in-house editor comes with SEO tools and Google Analytics. 

Features:

• Drag-and-drop editor
• Integrated CMS solution
• Free SSL certificate
• SEO tools
• Analytics and reporting

Advantages: 

• Helpful SEO resource tools
• Good selection of paid and free apps in the app center
• The free plan has e-commerce functionality

Disadvantages:

• Limited choice of themes
• The free and basic paid plans display ads.
• Limited SEO functionality

Pricing: Limited free plan available. Premium plans start at $6/month when billed annually.

Brands using Weebly:

• Caribeans Coffee and Chocolate
• Kerlin BBQ
• Argyle Yarn Shop

10. Webflow

While most of the other builders in this list are for people without a ton of coding knowledge, Webflow specifically targets advanced users, designers, and agencies that require a solution that gives them more design freedom than traditional website builder tools.

Although it’s a complex tool, Webflow tries to make it as easy as possible to get your business online. Webflow has a robust set of resources to help you — blog posts, forums, FAQ sections, and a library of websites built on Webflow that you can check for reference.

Features:

• Drag-and-drop website builder
• Widgets to add features like maps and media
• Third-party integrations

Advantages:

• Offers complete control over your site’s design
• Drag-and-drop what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) builder
• Responsive interface

Disadvantages:

• Purely a website builder. After building a website on Webflow, you need to transfer it to a content management system.
• Requires some knowledge of HTML and CSS to access full features
• It has a complex free and paid plan structure. You need to sign up for both a Site and Workspace plan.

Pricing: Limited free plan available. Premium plans start at $12/month when billed annually.

Brands using Webflow:

• Michael Kors
• Craft.do
• Hologram.io 

11. Ucraft

Ucraft is one of the more advanced and generous website builders on the list. Like the others, it’s got a drag-and-drop editor, a good selection of templates, and supports e-commerce functionality. 

However, Ucraft stands out because it lets you connect an existing custom domain name with its free plan. It also comes with an SSL certificate and unlimited storage. Ucraft’s portfolio page shows sample websites built by its clients.

Features:

• Drag-and-drop editor
• Free hosting
• Ecommerce functionality

Advantages: 

• Allows you to connect an existing domain name for free
• Decent selection of free templates
• Includes SSL and unlimited storage on free plans

Disadvantages:

• Sporadic loading issues and bugs. 
• It has a steeper learning curve than most website builders on this list. 

Pricing: Limited free plan available. Premium plans start at $10/month when billed annually.

Brands using Ucraft:

• Yohji Yamamoto
• TES Models
• Kaffa

12. SITE123

True to its name, SITE123 lets you build a website in as easy as one, two, and three steps. After setting it up with a one-click installation wizard, you can customize your SITE123 website with a free library of images, graphics, and templates.

Moreover, SITE123 offers web hosting, domain registration, and 250 MB of storage space, so you won’t feel pressured to switch to a paid plan.

Features:

• Free hosting and domain
• Mobile-responsive design
• Free image and icons library

Advantages: 

• Easy to use
• Multilingual support
• 24/7 tech support

Disadvantages:

• No drag-and-drop function
• Limited storage on the free plan
• Lacks advanced customization features

Pricing: Limited free plan available. Premium plans start at $5.80/month when billed annually.

Brands using SITE123:

• Chocolate Bunnie Events
• Better Living Nutrition

13. Strikingly

Launched in 2012, Strikingly is one of the newer website builder tools on the list. It helps users build websites with no programming skills required and sets itself apart from competitors by specializing in single-page websites such as portfolios, event pages, or landing pages.

The free plan includes unlimited free sites, a modest 5 GB monthly bandwidth, 500MB storage, and a branded domain.

Features:

• Library of mobile-optimized templates
• Ecommerce tools
• Analytics

Advantages: 

• An affordable option for those who want to create multiple sites
• Best for creating single-page websites
• Responsive support team

Disadvantages:

• No drag-and-drop function
• Limited SEO functionality

Pricing: Limited free plan available. Premium plans start at $8/month when billed annually. 

Brands using Strikingly:

• PackPoint
• Tile

14. GoDaddy

While GoDaddy is a brand synonymous with affordable web hosting and domains, it’s expanded its offerings to include an all-in-one website builder tool for beginners and small business owners that have purchased hosting and domains. 

The website builder is basic, but it has everything you need to build a functional website, including a drag-and-drop editor, simple and clean templates, an SSL certificate, and social media tools.

Features:

• Drag-and-drop website builder
• Marketing and analytics dashboard
• 24/7 customer support

Advantages: 

• All-in-one solution
• Easy to use
• Mobile-optimized
• Fast page load speeds

Disadvantages: 

• Limited SEO features
• Limited app store features
• Having your own web hosting and domain carries an initial cost

Pricing: Limited free plan — upgrade features at your own pace. Premium plans start at $9.99/month when billed annually.

Brands using GoDaddy:

• Coco River Organics
• Women Working in Technology
• San Gabriel Valley Humane Society

Website Builder Features You Need

Choosing a website builder tool is easier when you know what you’re looking for. Here are 14 features to look out for:

1. Themes and Templates

Having an assortment of fully customizable website themes and templates on the website builder’s theme marketplaces makes it easier for users to change their site’s look.

In that sense, website builders should have theme options that cater to specific niches so users don’t waste time creating new templates from scratch. For example, the website builders on our list have options for blogs, portfolio websites, e-commerce websites, and more. 

Templates should be pre-structured and pre-populated with images, text, and other elements commonly found on pages like the Homepage, About page, or Contact page. All you need to do is pick one and replace the sample content with your own.

Themes and templates should be easy to customize — with multiple options for backgrounds, layouts, fonts, and colors.

2. WYSIWYG Editor

Besides an assortment of themes and templates, the best website builder tools make it easy for users to customize their websites with drag-and-drop tools and what you see is what you get (WYSIWYG) editors.

There’s no need to learn how to code when you can update your site in a few clicks. Simply drag-and-drop elements to the page and see the changes implemented to your website immediately.

3. Malware Scanning

Security is a top consideration when choosing a website builder.

Security features vary depending on the website builder tool you select, but consider it a keeper if it offers malware scanning. Automated malware scanning allows you to address threats before it progresses into something catastrophic proactively.

4. Web Application Firewall (WAF)

A web application firewall (WAF) is another must-have security feature.

It often sits between your web server and the internet to protect your website from common attacks like SQL injections and cross-site scripting (XSS) by filtering, monitoring, and blocking malicious traffic from entering the network. 

WAFs can come in the form of software-as-a-service (SaaS), and you can customize them to meet your website’s unique needs. 

5. Content Delivery Network (CDN)

Besides site security, you should also consider optimizing for page speed. After all, it affects everything from customer experience to conversions and revenue.

According to Portent, a site that loads in one second has a conversion rate 5x higher than a site that loads in 10 seconds.

There are many ways to improve page speed, and a content delivery network (CDN) is one way to do it. CDNs store heavy and static content on distributed servers located worldwide and load the cached content from a location nearest to the user to speed up its delivery.

6. Web Hosting

What good are website builders when they can’t get your website online?

Some solutions only offer website builder tools to build your site — you have to pay separately for web hosting services to get your site online.

The best website builders make it convenient to start websites by offering web hosting. Free website builders offer limited bandwidth and storage — just for personal use. You can upgrade to shared, dedicated, or managed hosting for an additional fee.

7. Storage

Web hosting works by providing two services: bandwidth and disk space (or storage).

Most free website builders offer ample (limited) storage for a beginner site but require you to purchase additional storage should you need it.

8. Blogs

People often confuse websites and blogs with each other — they’re similar but not the same. 

A blog is a type of website that contains information about different topics. They’re often updated with new articles or posts, while websites only receive updates when needed. In a nutshell, all blogs are websites, but not all websites are or have blogs.

Organizations build websites for different reasons: to sell, showcase a portfolio, or inform — and for those reasons, a blog can be helpful.

Blogs can help your website by:

• Increasing visibility through SEO
• Generating new leads
• Building trust and loyalty
• Creating brand awareness

Most free website builders come with basic blogging tools and post creation and comment management features.

9. SEO Capabilities

According to BrightEdge, 53% of traffic comes from organic search.

If you want to bring in more traffic and views, your website needs to be search engine-optimized.

Most website builders help with technical SEO by offering free SSL certificates and supporting schema markup and XML sitemaps. They also support on-page SEO by allowing you to enter and modify URLs, meta tags, and image alt attributes. 

10. Customer Support

While using website builder tools, you’ll likely run into a problem you can’t troubleshoot. That is where customer support comes in.

Customer support assists you with anything you need help with — technical, sales, billing, payments, or experiences. Depending on the website builder, assistance can come in any (or a mix) of the following channels:

The best website builders keep a mix of channels and answer inquiries promptly.

11. E-commerce Capabilities

Are you planning on selling physical or digital products in the future? Consider choosing a website builder tool with e-commerce capabilities.

There are dedicated e-commerce website builders, but these are often paid solutions with robust functionality such as apps for payment and shipping. 

Free website builders often integrate with a third-party e-commerce application or support a simple built-in store.

12. Third-party Integrations

There’s nothing worse than realizing your existing tech stack doesn’t work with the website builder you chose. Thus, it’s crucial to consider whether a website builder allows third-party integrations.

Your website builder should integrate with external tools, such as email marketing, e-commerce, and social software.

13. Media (Video, Photo, Audio, Graphics)

Solely having text on your website can be monotonous, so including different forms of media helps break up text and can help information stick because not everyone learns the same way.

Some website builders offer more robust media capabilities, with multiple gallery layouts, customization options, and editing features.

14. Analytics and Reporting

Your website builder should also have an analytics and reporting function to measure important metrics like the site’s popular pages, bounce rate, average duration per visit, and more.

Picking Your Website Builder

There you have it! Since most of these website builders are free, try out a couple if you’re unsure of the best fit. In particular, take note of what you really want to get out of your site to ensure your needs will be met by one of these builders.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in November 2018 but was updated in October 2019 for comprehensiveness.