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Healthcare businesses use AI and automation to provide a better experience for their customers, patients, and care providers.

The healthcare industry has been through one of its busiest and most challenging periods, leaving healthcare professionals and companies burnt out.

With automation and AI, healthcare businesses are streamlining processes, reducing the workload for their team, and improving patient experiences.

I reached out to healthcare professionals and asked how they’re using AI and automation, their tips for getting started with AI, and the tools that healthcare businesses should consider.

Table of Contents

• Companies Already Using Automation [+ Examples]
• Tools That Can Help
• Trends to Know in Healthcare Marketing Automation

Companies Already Using Automation [+ Examples]

Marketing automation can free your team from laborious tasks, streamline operations, save thousands per year, and provide a better experience for customers and patients.

The healthcare industry benefits from automation and AI. Below, we’ll recap how companies are using AI today. From there, we’ll focus on tools that can help specifically with marketing.

Samaritan Health Services

Samaritan Health Services uses Azure AI to improve workflow and patient experience.

The company first turned to Azure AI to better serve patients. Finances were also a major motivator.

Scott Morris, AVP at Samaritan Health Services, is quoted saying, “Our health system supports a lot of rural areas and has a payer mix with a majority of Medicare and Medicaid payers… With the healthcare industry going through a lot of challenges, financial sustainability is a key point. We continue to believe that Epic on Azure is the best choice for us.”

As well as its financial benefits for Samaritan Health Services, Azure AI improves access to data for the right professionals.

Sonney Sapra, senior vice president and CIO at Samaritan Health Services, is quoted saying, “By using automated workflows, we can get the right data to the right person at the right time to make key health decisions.”

Macleod Trail Dental Clinic

Jennifer Silver, an experienced Dentist and Owner at Macleod Trail Dental Clinic, uses AI for appointment reminders, image analysis in diagnostics, and virtual consultations.

Silver says, “Automatic reminders enhance patient attendance, AI-driven image analysis improves diagnostic accuracy, and virtual consultations provide accessible and efficient communication.”

Automatic reminders are an opportunity for businesses to nurture their existing customers. This form of marketing automation is genuinely useful to customers, makes them feel cared for, and contributes to customer retention. It helps build the business’s reputation and may influence word-of-mouth referrals.

When asked how healthcare professionals in dentistry can optimize workflow with AI-driven analytics, Silver suggests exploring AI-driven analytics platforms. She says, “These tools can analyze vast amounts of patient data, helping you identify trends, predict patient needs, and optimize treatment plans.”

According to Silver, the major benefits of these AI systems are “[Streamlined] practice management, allowing for a more personalized patient experience and optimizing overall operational efficiency.”

Silver says that by harnessing the power of AI in data analytics, you can make more informed decisions, enhance treatment outcomes, and streamline the overall workflow of your practice.

“Embracing AI in this capacity contributes to improved patient care and empowers you to stay at the forefront of the rapidly advancing healthcare landscape,” she adds.

The Lung Institute

Christine Kingsley is a U.S. Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) and the health and wellness director of the Lung Institute. Kingsley uses AI to improve patient consultations.

Christine Kingsley credits AI for reducing team burnout. During the pandemic, the team at Lung Institute were working during devastating times.

Kingsley says, “As we specialize in pulmonology, the pandemic was pretty devastating for us. Everyone was burnt out, and even the simplest tasks took a lot of time. These simple tasks are mostly administrative processes, such as documentation.”

AI tools can take a lot of administrative tasks off of humans. This means teams and people can spend more time doing what they love or have the emotional capacity to manage the pressure during the busiest and most stressful times.

When asked about leveraging AI, Kingsley advises you to take the leap. She says, “Don’t be afraid to try out AI tools at your disposal because it’s a good first step in reducing the gap in the healthcare industry. Take the leap, but take one small step at a time.”

Carta Healthcare

Matt Hollingsworth, co-founder of Carta Healthcare, uses AI to improve operations.

He says, “Nurses are facing the challenges of antiquated processes and short staffing while burdened with patient data management — provide the best patient care. We could dramatically decrease the stress on nurses today by better managing the operations side of our healthcare system.”

Hollingsworth notes that AI can help run operational systems more efficiently, so nurses don’t have to spend hours at a computer inputting and analyzing patient data.

The service provided in healthcare can only be as good as the morale of the medical experts. Using automation and AI to support nurses and healthcare providers will benefit everyone.

Personal RX

Lawrence Margolis, CEO and Founder of PersonalRX , uses AI for translation.

PersonalRX is using AI internally to improve patient touchpoints. When it comes to marketing automation, PersonalRX uses AI for language translation. Founder Lawrence Margolis expressed the importance of the human touch between patient and medical expert.

He says, “At PersonalRX, we still believe human contact is incredibly important when speaking with a nurse, doctor, or pharmacist. We consider personalized service and one-on-one communication critical to good healthcare.”

PersonalRX keeps human contact where it’s most valuable, but this hasn’t stopped them from exploring AI.

Margolis says, “We are designing AI to get ahead of patient touch points for efficiency and building better technology to improve upon our already robust medication reconciliation process, MedRec2.”

On the subject of marketing, Margolis finds AI is useful for translation. He says, “We utilize AI for language translation to more effectively communicate with people likely to become a PersonalRX patient.”

Margolis plans to use AI for translations to meet the needs of multilingual patients. That includes “using it in delivery text alerts, email updates, and when sharing medication information while maintaining a human touch through native language speakers across our pharmacy.”

Tools That Can Help

There are a lot of marketing automation tools that help you streamline your healthcare business. I reached out to healthcare professionals to gather their favorite recommendations.

1. DAXapp

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Christine Kingsley is cited above. As the Director of the Lung Institute, Kingsley needed a tool to remove some administration pressure from her team to prevent burnout.

DAXapp is recommended by Kingsley. She says, “This app made admin tasks a lot easier, reducing the tasks we needed to do daily. I think DAX is also being used by many other local clinics and hospitals because it’s a good app for fighting administrative burdens in the healthcare industry.”

Kingsley says her team uses DAX mostly for transcription.

“We usually deal with patients with lung issues; consultations can take a long time, especially if a patient has been suffering from a certain disease,” she says. “In these cases, you want to listen to the patient–not take notes while they’re talking. This is where DAX makes itself very useful.”

Using AI in this way ensures patients get a better experience with their healthcare provider. Providers can be more present and engaging with the patient. This use of AI is an excellent example of how automation improves patient and healthcare-provider relations.

AI Features for Healthcare

• Conversational AI
• Generative AI
• Ambient AI

Core Features

• The AI healthcare assistant helps provide a better patient experience. Using ambient AI and Large Language Models (LLMs), healthcare providers can rely on DAX to capture patient consultations, including complex multi-person conversations
• The benefits above support healthcare providers by taking some of the administrative load
• Conversations are sent to the cloud with the click of a button, and the output is a high-quality document that healthcare practitioners can add to medical notes later

Pricing

• Free mobile app

2. Microsoft Azure

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Pareen Sehat, MC, RCC at Well Beings Counselling, recommends exploring Microsoft’s Azure AI. Sehat credits the platform with providing reliable healthcare information.

She says, “It is a cloud-based service. It quickly provides reliable healthcare information. It is sourced from authorities like the FDA and the NIH.”

Sehat says features like text help clinicians with patient history.

“It simplifies reports for patients and flags errors in radiology reports. It’s available in pay-as-you-go and subscription plans. This makes it a valuable tool for improved patient care,” Sehat says.

AI Features for Healthcare

• Generative AI
• Azure AI prompt flow

Core Features

• Generative AI is used by healthcare providers, such as Samaritan Health Services (aforementioned), for patient communications
• Automated workflows support healthcare businesses with data management
• A workflow helps ensure that the right people are seeing the data at the right time so the best decision is made in a timely manner

Pricing

• Azure AI has over eight pricing matrixes depending on your needs
• You can trial Azure for free or use a pay-as-you-go option

3. Chatbots

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Chatbots were recommended by healthcare professionals as a form of marketing automation to improve customer service.

Michael Green, co-founder at Winona, uses Chatbots on the site to guide and improve the customer experience.

Green says, “The chatbot bubble can act as FAQs and customer support, suggest relevant articles or products, and collect data and statistics to accurately suggest relevant content or guidance.”

Green notes that chatbots allow customers to communicate with someone immediately.

“Whether they’re asking about common side effects, educational articles, or for help with administrative support, the chatbots have helped us triage and serve customers faster,” Green says.

Chatbots bring more value to the patient. The option to self-serve allows customers a faster route to getting the information they need, another benefit to the customer.

Green states that chatbots improve customer interactions. He says, “Partially, we can screen these [questions] with our chatbots to best prepare the appropriate teams or doctors. Be prepared for customers’ concerns and lead with curiosity before offering any feedback.”

AI Features for Healthcare

• Conversation AI

Core Features

• Build a chatbot for your website without any code
• Personalize chatbot replies when used in conjunction with HubSpot CRM
• Conversational AI emulates human conversation so you can talk to your customers 24/7

Pricing

• Free to get started with HubSpot’s Sales Hub
• Starter packages are $18 a month
• Professional $450 a month
• Enterprise $1,500 a month

4. Merative AI

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Sarah Boss, a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and Clinical Director at THE BALANCE Luxury Rehab Clinic, recommends Merative AI.

Merative AI offers AI solutions tailored for the healthcare industry. Boss recommends it for managing health-related data.

Boss says, “This tool provides comprehensive analytical solutions for the healthcare sector, with a primary focus on patient-centric data. It customizes treatment plans based on data and utilizes AI for medical diagnosis. Moreover, it ensures the security of patient data and compliance with regulatory standards.”

AI Features for Healthcare

• Integrated data
• Dashboard segmentation

Core Features

• Save time with administration by streamlining workflows and access to information
• Integrated data to help make the treatment for patients possible

Pricing

• Each solution has its own pricing matrix
• All solutions can be demoed free of charge at your request

5. HubSpot’s Marketing Automation Software

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Healthcare businesses need a trusting relationship between patients and healthcare professionals. If patients trust a professional, they’re more likely to open up about conversations about their health.

Marketing automation is one method to help you build trust. Alongside personal appointment reminders, as mentioned above, healthcare businesses can keep in touch with customers or prospective customers through marketing automation.

Using marketing automation software, you can build workflows that target specific groups or automate routine tasks.

AI features for Healthcare

• ChatSpot helps HubSpot users navigate to reports and data using natural language processing

Core Features

• Use workflows to create marketing automation campaigns that run in the background so you can focus on patients
• Automate routine and administrative tasks
• Nurture patients and customers through email, SMS, and more

Pricing

• Free to get started
• Prices for individuals start at $18 a month
• Prices for professionals start at $800 a month

6. ChatGPT

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Kristie Plantinga, founder of Best Therapists, a directory of vetted therapists, encourages the use of ChatGPT for some elements of content creation.

Plantinga leads with an example relating to diagnostic criteria. She says, “Therapists do not need to list out the diagnostic criteria of depression from the DSM-V by memory; they can use ChatGPT to generate a list for them. “

However, Plantinga notes that human input is still essential. “Although therapists and other medical professionals must verify this factual information, it can still be a major time and headspace saver for content creators in the healthcare industry,” she says.

It’s important to note that Plantinga is recommending that medical professionals verify information for accuracy.

AI Features for Healthcare

• Generative AI

Core Features

• Use generative AI to help with content creation

Pricing

• Free to start
• $20 a month for ChatGPT plus

Trends to Know in Healthcare Marketing Automation

The healthcare industry is putting three groups of people first: medical experts, medical administrators, and patients.

For internal teams, there’s a focus on reducing administrative tasks to reduce burnout. It’s worth noting that these tasks are generally administration-focused, so one-to-one human connectivity is still possible where it’s important and arguably better due to better morale internally.

For patients, their experience is better for the automation and AI tools.

Appointment reminders reduce no-shows and keep medical practitioners serving patients. Reminders will increase attendance or prompt rescheduling so that someone else can take that much-needed slot.

AI and automation work within consultations to keep practitioners engaged with their patients.

There’s a lot of positive action due to AI and marketing automation in the healthcare industry. Take the leap, identify a pain point, and solve it with automation.

Last year, I received an email from my “bank” alerting me to suspicious activity on my account. The layout and logo matched other official communications I had received from the bank, and I was naturally alarmed.

But a few things just didn’t add up. Instead of using my name, it addressed me as “Dear valued customer.” After that, I was supposed to verify my account details, which seemed contrary to bank security advice. The brightest red flag, though, was the email address that didn’t match the bank’s domain.

Scammers have become quite smart. Tools like generative AI have made it easy for them to mimic the branding, tone, and even the writing style of legit companies.

But there are still telltale signs that help you identify a phishing attempt. Here, I’ll discuss these signs and share phishing email examples that could fool anyone.

What is a phishing email?

A phishing email is a type of online scam that tricks recipients into providing sensitive information, such as login credentials, credit card numbers, or personal identification details.

For example, here’s an email that Debbie Moran, marketing manager at RecurPost, received:

Cybercriminals design these emails to appear as if they come from legitimate sources — banks, official agencies, or well-known companies to create a sense of urgency or fear to prompt immediate action.

The scammer then uses the stolen information to commit fraud or identity theft, access the victim’s financial accounts, make unauthorized purchases, or even launch further phishing attacks against others.

The Different Types of Phishing Emails

Phishing emails come in all shapes and sizes, each designed to exploit a specific vulnerability or scenario.

Each type of phishing email exploits specific human traits, such as trust, fear, or curiosity. Here are some common types, with phishing email examples of how they might look.

Spear Phishing

Spear phishing targets specific individuals or organizations through highly personalized emails. Attackers use information collected from social media or other sources to make the message seem legitimate.

For example, here’s an email that Phan Sy Cuong, PR specialist at Awesome Motive, the parent brand of WPBeginner, received. At the time the company’s employees received this, they were working with another company for employee insurance.

While the design was professional enough to fool people, the good thing is the company had checks and balances.

“Whenever something strange pops up, we always communicate in our company channel to check if anyone’s receiving the same thing or directly with the one in charge — in this case, it was the HR manager — to ensure it’s something from our company,” says Cuong.

According to Cuong, the team always receives a heads-up if something is coming. “We were also briefed about the insurance we were in touch with before, so we acknowledged that the one in the email wasn’t correct,” Cuong says.

Whaling

A whaling attack is a spear phishing attack that focuses on high-profile targets like CEOs, CFOs, or other senior executives. The goal is usually to steal sensitive information from the company or to initiate fraudulent financial transactions.

For example, the accounting department at the cybersecurity company Heimdal received this series of emails.

The attacker created two email addresses, sent multiple emails between them, and forwarded them to the company’s accounting department. It’s a nice trick to create a series of emails you forward for payment.

Valentin Rusu, the head of research at Heimdal, adds how whaling in particular is “a very dangerous trend since existing security systems work based on a flaw in grammar, suspicious email, suspicious links, and intent.”

When an email doesn’t have any issues like that, a cybersecurity company like Heimdal gives customers a personal, tailored neural network that learns from their data and adapts to their email behavior.

Rusu gives an example. As an incident response manager, Rusu says, it’s normal to receive many malicious URLs and attachments. However, this isn’t normal behavior for a finance department.

“This means you can’t create an email product that works for every scenario, so we built a custom neural network. This personal AI learns from company emails and detects behavior that doesn’t fit the patterns,” Rusu says.

Pharming

Pharming redirects users from legitimate websites to fraudulent ones via DNS hijacking or poisoning to collect personal and financial information. The attack isn’t email-based, but it’s often paired with phishing emails.

Example: An email from your “bank” asking you to log in to your account via a provided link, which then leads you to a fake banking site that looks identical to the real one.

Clone Phishing

Clone phishing involves creating a nearly identical copy of a previously sent email but with malicious links or attachments. The attacker might claim to be resending the email due to a failed delivery attempt or updating the content.

For example, here’s an email imitating a FedEx delivery notification email.

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Vishing (Voice Phishing)

Vishing, or voice phishing, uses phone calls instead of emails to scam victims. It’s worth mentioning because it often complements email phishing.

For example, a voicemail or direct call claiming to be from your bank, stating suspicious activity on your account and asking you to call back using the provided number, which leads to a scammer.

Smishing (SMS Phishing)

Smishing is similar to phishing but uses SMS texts. It directs users to malicious websites or asks them to provide personal information via text.

For example, here’s a supposed email from the Canadian Revenue Agency that’s enticing me to click the click with a promise of $400.

How to Spot a Phishing Email

Phishing emails have become really sophisticated, especially since GenAI tools like ChatGPT have made it quite easy to create personalized phishing emails in seconds.

In fact, here’s an example from Valentin using ChatGPT for the same:

Scary, isn’t it? According to Proofpoint’s 2023 State of the Phish report, around 45% of people don’t know a familiar company brand doesn’t make an email safe.

To increase your chances of being protected against such emails, look out for these six signs:

1. Suspicious Email Addresses

You’ve received an email that looks like it’s from a company you know.

But take a closer look at the sender’s email address and if it’s a jumble of letters or subtle misspellings (like “amaz0n.com”), that’s a red flag. Legit companies have email addresses that match their domain names.

Legit companies also don’t use public domains like @gmail.com, @outlook.com, @yahoo.com, or any other free email service for official communications.

If you receive an email claiming to be from a reputable company but it’s sent from one of these public domains, be wary.

This detail is a key indicator in distinguishing between a genuine email and a potential phishing attempt.

2. Grammar and Spelling Mistakes

Ever cracked open an email and spotted a typo or two? Sure, we all make mistakes, but a message riddled with grammar errors and spelling slip-ups signals a serious problem.

Look out for typos, weird grammar, and sentences that don’t sound right. Also, keep an eye out for awkward phrasing or misuse of common terms — issues like “Dear valued customer, confirm identity by click below.”

Real businesses have proofreaders and spellcheck tools for their emails because they know mistakes don’t make the best impression.

3. Unfamiliar Greetings or Sign-offs

If an email starts with “Dear Customer” or some generic term instead of your name, it might be a scam. The same goes for weird or overly formal sign-offs. It might look formal, but it’s also a sign that the sender doesn’t actually know you.

Legit companies you do business with have your name in their database. The same goes for their sign-offs too. Stiff sign-offs, like a formal “Cordially” from your supposedly casual service provider or an abrupt “Thank you” with no follow-up details, are red flags.

4. Suspicious Links or Attachments

One of the trickiest parts of dealing with phishing emails is sketchy links and attachments. Click on them accidentally, and you might be introducing malware to your computer.

Always check the URL before clicking. If the email says it’s from your bank but the link points somewhere weird (like a random assortment of characters or a site that doesn’t match the bank’s actual URL), that’s your cue to back away.

Also, a common trick is to send a document that claims to be an invoice, a receipt, or a “must-see” offer. But the moment you open it, you could be letting malware or a virus walk right through your system.

The key? Hover over links to see where they’re really taking you (without clicking!). And if there’s an attachment you weren’t expecting, reach out to the sender through a different channel to confirm it’s legit.

5. Requests for Personal Information

No reputable company will ask for sensitive info via email. No matter how official an email looks, remember this — genuine organizations don’t ask for sensitive details like passwords, credit card numbers, or Social Security numbers via email.

For example, an email might say, “We’ve noticed suspicious activity on your account. Please confirm your password to secure your account.” It’s a trap. Real banks and companies have secure processes for handling these situations, and they definitely don’t involve sending sensitive info into the email void.

Here’s what you do: Never, ever reply with your personal info. If you’re even a little bit concerned, go directly to the source. Log into your account through the official website or call the official contact number.

6. Urgent or Threatening Language

Ever gotten an email that makes your heart skip a beat?

“Immediate action required!” or “Your account has been compromised!” — sounds pretty urgent, right? But that’s exactly what phishers want. They use urgent or threatening language to make you react without thinking.

For example, you might see phrases like, “Your account password has expired, update now before you lose access to your account” or “Attempt to deliver your package unsuccessful. Please update your information within the next 24 hours.”

Legit organizations don’t typically scare you into action — they reassure.

Instead, reach out to the company directly using contact information you find through official channels, not email. When someone’s pushing you hard to act fast, it’s probably because they don’t want you to think too much about what you’re doing or consult with anyone else.

Phishing Emails I Could Have Fallen For (And Why I Ultimately Didn’t)

I’ve seen several convincing phishing email examples that could have conned me if not for a few crucial red flags. Here, I’ll share some of those close calls and explain why I ultimately didn’t fall for them.

PayPal

At first glance, the email nails PayPal’s branding with the color scheme and logo to suggest authenticity at a glance. But closer inspection showed numerous spelling errors like “by following link,” “successfuly,” and “at the movement.”

The greeting was also not personal (“Hi dear customer”), which deviates from PayPal’s standard communication style. Plus, the sign-off (“PayPal service”) lacks the professionalism expected from the company.

Netflix

The subject line for this email stated, “Your Membership has been canceled due to payment failed,” which instantly grabbed my attention.

But the content of the email contradicted this message, claiming, “We’ve locked your account, as you asked.” This inconsistency was a clear warning sign.

Apart from this, the closing remark, “Your friends at Netflix,” seemed unusually informal for official Netflix communication.

The most telling sign of a phishing attempt, however, was the sender’s email address: [email protected], a domain distinctly unrelated to Netflix. These signs made it pretty obvious this email was a phishing attempt.

Apple

I got an email that looked a lot like it was from Apple, with the right logo and everything. The greeting was the first red flag — addressed to “Dear Customer” instead of my name.

The email mentioned discrepancies in my account information, threatening to block my iCloud access if not resolved within 24 hours. Phishing attempts use this urgency to trick people into responding quickly and less cautiously.

It gave me a case number, even though I hadn’t contacted Apple regarding anything, so it was irrelevant. Plus, the subject line talked about my AppleID being locked and mentioned changes made from Ontario, which didn’t match the rest of the email’s story.

These things didn’t add up: the weird greeting, the rush to fix my account, the case number out of nowhere, and the mismatched subject line. They all pointed to the email not really being from Apple.

Amazon

I recently received an email from Amazon that, at first glance, appeared to be from the company. The branding seemed accurate and matched Amazon’s color scheme and logo. There were a few discrepancies, though.

The sender’s email address was a nonsensical combination of letters and numbers. There was also an attached file (which is already a red flag) with a random, meaningless name that confirmed the email’s illegitimacy.

The email also attempted to personalize the message using my email address rather than my name.

Plus, the use of “amazon” without proper capitalization, a call-to-action labeled “My Account” that seemed out of context, and an awkward closing remark, “Thank you for doing business with us!”, all contributed to the realization that this email was a phishing attempt.

Phishing No More

Scammers are smart, and they use a lot of tools to make emails that look authentic and convincing. But these tools and attempts are always based on human imagination.

They prey on emotions — fear, urgency, curiosity — to prompt quick, unthinking actions. Recognizing the patterns, like urgent language, requests for personal information, or links that don’t quite match the supposed sender’s website, can be your first line of defense.

Lastly, educate yourself and complement your knowledge with tools like spam filters, antivirus software, and email verification to protect your personal information from falling into the wrong hands.

I don’t easily fall for ads or grab products because of marketing tricks. Okay, okay…unless it’s a suitable luxury brand marketing strategy like a catchy video.

In that case, I transform from someone who ignores ads to someone who needs that head-turning perfume as soon as possible.

Do I really need it? Not at all.

Do I still put it in my shopping cart?

Guilty — I admit.

That’s how good marketing works—even the strongest fall. So, in this piece, I’ll explore the top strategies from the best luxury brands worldwide and share the secrets you simply want to know.

Luxury Brand Marketing Strategy

How That Applies to Other Businesses

In the Real World

Luxury Brand Marketing Strategy

Top luxury brands understand that customers seek more than a product. It’s a journey, exclusive and special: quality, craftsmanship, and artistic flair.

It’s about making you feel sophisticated, high-class, and part of something big.

I’ve researched seven popular brands and selected some of their best strategies to help you understand how luxury brands market.

Let’s get started.

Louis Vuitton — Strategic Collaborations

Besides its fancy stores with shiny fronts, Louis Vuitton is super active on social media.

They love teaming up with celebs and thus make their stuff even more desired because, well, if celebs wear it, you know it’s cool.

For instance, check this collaboration with Belgian rapper Hamza Saucegod and Pharell:

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LV’s collections are also often inspired by celebrities. One standout example is Virgil Abloh’s Men’s Fall Winter Collection — a tribute to Michael Jackson.

Here’s how the stunning fusion of fashion and music iconography looked:

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Louis Vuitton includes celebrities in their ads, too. In one of his YouTube videos, Viktor Stoilov dissects an LV ad featuring four famous actresses.

Louis Vuitton strategically chooses celebrities to align with its brand values, create a global appeal, tell a compelling story, and connect with a diverse audience.

“Louis Vuitton is not for everyone. Louis Vuitton is special, and you need to understand it through the concept of four lifestyles, four buyer personas, four people that are representing this in a perfect way,” says Viktor Stoilov, Founder of Markademics.

According to Stoilov, Louis Vuitton reminds buyers that they make luxurious products you can use off the runway. Their fits or bags are part of a luxurious, cosmopolitan lifestyle.

“It’s not a studio. It’s not flashy. It’s not something super complex. No, it’s the streets of Paris, the galleries of Paris, driving your retro car around Paris, being this badass woman, or just walking around and thinking about life and time,” says Stoilov.

What I like: Besides innovative and strategic collaborations, Louis Vuitton’s secret weapon is its iconic monogram from 1858. You’ll find this same pattern on their products even 160 years later.

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And no, it’s not just a random design choice — it’s a wise move in their brand strategy. This consistent use across bags, wallets, and clothes has created a timeless identity and made LV products instantly recognizable.

Dior — From Tradition to Future

Getting into the virtual world is crucial to connect with younger audiences, and Dior gets it.

By teaming up with Meta Media Holdings and using Baidu’s XiRang app, they made their Fall 2022 menswear collection a hit in the virtual “Meta Ziwu.”

The Metaverse simulates a super-real world, using techs like Blockchain, AI, Digital Twins, AR, VR, and machine learning.

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This marketing strategy caters to the preferences of luxury consumers who want a mix of exclusivity and accessibility.

And here’s what Lisa Nan, fashion expert and journalist at Jing Daily, says: “Now more than ever, being associated with one of the hottest buzzwords is a matter of staying relevant to today’s young and distracted consumers.”

The Metaverse brings countless opportunities — new business avenues and growth while breaking down old boundaries in the fashion industry.

What I like: Dior’s digital makeover won me over! It caught everyone off guard since Dior is usually seen as more traditional. Luxury and digital don’t always match, but Dior proved everyone wrong.

P.S. I’m also obsessed with Christian Dior Couture’s LinkedIn videos — they’re seriously leg-shaking good! Check out my fav here.

Porsche — More Than Showroom

Porsche breaks free from traditional advertising molds by immersing customers in experiential marketing. The Porsche Experience Centers, where customers test their driving skills, redefine the car-buying journey.

It’s not just a purchase; it’s an adventure.

Also, Porsche’s museums are more than static displays — they’re living testaments.

The Porsche Museum in Stuttgart bridges the historic and the modern. It showcases a brand narrative evolving through time.

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And then, we have events like the Rennsport Reunion that serve as community builders. Porsche dismantles barriers, welcoming every attendee into the Porsche family.

No velvet ropes — just a shared passion for the brand.

At The Gathering event in 2019, Scott Baker, Porsche’s Marketing Communications Director, explained this point perfectly.

Baker reports that the brand had 120 people working in various departments at the Porsche event.

“And these are people from human resources, from legal; they work in finance. And here they’re mingling with our drivers, our owners; they’re chaperoning people up to the top of the corkscrew so they could be at the racetrack from another vantage point,” says Baker.

At the event, Porsche reinforces that anyone can connect with the brand.

“They might work on financial spreadsheets all day long, but they get to experience this, and it really gives them an appreciation for the bigger thing that they’re really working towards every day,” Baker says.

What I like: While others focus on glossy ads, Porsche crafts lasting connections by immersing customers in its brand story.

 

Lamborghini — Selling the Experience

Why don’t we see Lamborghini in a TV commercial?

Because the brand has an exclusive niche market, the company knows it’s not cost-effective to show such cars to a broad audience when only a few can afford them.

So, what is Lamborghini’s luxury brand marketing strategy?

The Lambo team focuses on the continual improvement of their products and creating exclusive offers to attract customers:

“It’s necessary to continue this path of growth with products that are more and more attractive to the market but that at the same time also have higher margins,” says Paolo Poma, chief financial officer and managing director of Automobili Lamborghini.

One of these exclusive offers is Lamborghini Winter Academy. This is where all car enthusiasts can learn how to drive a Lamborghini in the snowy Alps.

Since 2012, Lamborghini’s Esperienza Accademia Neve in Livigno has been a go-to for on-ice driving courses.

This three-day program, guided by expert instructors, teaches participants how to handle Lamborghini cars in low-grip situations. The package includes a stay at the luxurious hotel, too.

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What I like: Any educational and experiential thing, such as academies, courses, and webinars, is a good marketing strategy.

Why? Because it evokes people’s passion for something.

Lamborghini does this by giving people incredible experiences at their academy, turning them into potential car buyers.

Rolex — Old School, But It Works

Unlike Lamborghini, Rolex does things a bit differently. They don’t shy away from TV commercials. Instead, they use them smartly and team up with famous people.

Rolex makes TV commercials you might see during significant sports events or on channels like CNN and ESPN. In these ads, you’ll spot celebrities wearing Rolex watches.

For instance, the partnership between Rolex and tennis began in 1978 at The Championships, Wimbledon.

Rolex is now part of major tennis events, including Grand Slam® tournaments and international competitions.

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It supports big stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek and nurtures young talent, contributing to the sport’s growth.

I love how James D. Roumeliotis, author and strategic advisor, explains Rolex’s marketing:

“Rolex promotes itself as a predominantly high-end luxury brand that is the ultimate aspiration of the consumer…a fashionable alternative to using a cell phone to tell time and a status symbol,” he says.

He explains, “The brand has consistently sold to an upper-class target market that consists of mainly men over the age of 35.”

The key here is subtlety.

“Its clever marketing and PR tactics, along with its choice of sponsorships, portray a brand which represents sports, success, and elitism,” according to Roumeliotis.

What I like: Rolex’s marketing strategy revolves around being in the right place and time.

That’s how they gained popularity in the past, and today, they continue following the same path to maintain their reputation as the best watches in the world.

Cartier — Following the Trends

Speaking of watches and jewelry, one particular Cartier campaign stands out prominently in my memory — Clash de Cartier with Lily Collins, aka Emily in Paris.

Emily in Paris is this huge show that drew in about 58 million households for its first series. The latest series scored an incredible 1.4 billion streaming minutes in just the first five days.

So, using Lily Collins’ popularity was a genius idea, considering her massive fan base. Even a short YouTube video with her got over 12 million views, proving this collaboration was a hit.

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This campaign blends classic and edgy styles. The focus is on words like “independent, elegant, and instantly recognizable.”

But how did the brand make itself more attractive with this campaign?

Amirah Keaton from Luxury Daily perfectly captured it in just two sentences: “The brand’s campaign concept involves two versions of Ms. Collins, representative of the balancing act that envelops the styles she wears.

“The split is where the label has determined that an appeal lies, as in the age of access, a step in the direction of duality, one which empowers an owner with choice, is welcome.”

What I like: Cartier hit the marketing jackpot by teaming up with the most stylish Netflix icon. Featuring two versions of the same person is like saying, “Hey, differences are cool!” It fits right into our age, where people celebrate diversity more than ever.

Chanel — Selling the Emotion

Chanel is famous for its ads that are like short movies. They make you feel the emotion. Energy. Passion. Each ad is carefully made with the right music, actors, and the perfect filming spot.

Chanel doesn’t just show ads; it tells stories.

A great example is the CHANEL N°5 film with Marion Cotillard and Jérémie Bélingard.

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The film shows two people coming together for a powerful dance on the golden moon.

Chanel draws, retains, and sells using famous faces, glamorous settings, and an artistic, non-sales approach.

Comments like these are the best proof of how people are drawn to such ads:

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Erica Smith, former beauty writer for The Cut, shared her thoughts on this groundbreaking campaign from 2020:

“The campaign is a reminder that the Eau de parfum is ‘made for a woman who strives to accomplish her dreams,’ whether those dreams include simply making it to 2021 or something more whimsical, like necking on the moon as Earth fades further and further away in the background.”

What I like: Chanel knows how to win women’s hearts with the same perfume since 1921 — it sells around 10 million bottles yearly.

I always thought the fantastic Chanel film with Nicole Kidman would be the best, but each new one proves that Chanel can only get better and better.

How That Applies to Other Businesses

Now that we’ve explored top strategies from popular luxury brands, here are three juicy tips inspired by their approaches that you can add to your brand strategy.

1. Collaborate with influential figures.

Luxury brands like Louis Vuitton showcase the power of strategic collaborations with celebrities. This adds allure to the products and creates a sense of exclusivity and desirability.

Every brand should find the right famous person to collaborate with. And no, those do not have to be Angelina Jolie or Will Smith.

I suggest collaborating with micro-influencers on Instagram or TikTok for better reach and brand boost, which is especially needed initially.

According to our research, 33% of Gen Z purchases are based on an influencer’s recommendation.

2. Accept digital innovation.

Dior’s entry into the Metaverse should inspire everyone.

It was unexpected and made a “boom.” They show they understand what today’s consumers like. So, don’t turn your back on digital tech and virtual experiences.

Yes, “in-person” events might be better, but if you want to connect with a younger audience and stay up-to-date, you simply need to give it a chance.

P.S. Talking about digital innovation, don’t handle marketing campaigns manually anymore. Instead, automate your marketing using HubSpot software, powered by CRM data.

Automate campaigns with workflows and bots, automatically handle tasks like emails and forms and expand to SMS and in-product marketing.

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3. Create memorable experiences and evoke emotions.

Learn from the playbooks of Porsche and Lamborghini — get into experiential marketing. Give your customers something valuable, something they won’t easily forget.

You can go with different events, webinars, or whatever aligns with your business. Then, focus on emotions, as Chanel does with its short films.

Find your way to customers’ hearts — it’s about what they want, not just what they need. Luxury brands show people buy from desire, not necessity. Ensure your message resonates.

Let’s move from B2C and see how B2B can steal luxury marketing strategies.

In the Real World

I took Adobe as a perfect B2B example because it recently used two strategies we’ve just discussed.

The first one is Adobe Summit.

With a lineup of over 200 in-person sessions covering analytics, B2B marketing, and personalized omnichannel engagement, the summit provides a fantastic learning experience.

This approach closely aligns with Porsche’s and Lamborghini’s experiential strategies. Attendees are not just passive participants; they actively learn, engage, and share opinions.

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The second Adobe strategy was a partnership with influencers.

To extend brand awareness for their Analytics Portfolio, Adobe targeted B2B marketers in the EMEA region across 900 accounts.

TopRank Marketing identified influencers relevant to their audience. Then, they crafted content that resulted in a remarkable 2x engagement boost compared to other Adobe campaigns.

Katrina Neal, Adobe’s Data and Analytics Strategist, shared her thoughts on this strategy:

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As a team, influencers brought the desired results for Adobe — increased reach, interest, and engagement.

Use Smart Marketing to Keep People Interested

Luxury brands use smart marketing to keep people interested, but their strategies aren’t very different from other companies. It’s just about adapting strategy appropriately.

Sometimes, it’s good to stick with traditional methods, while at other times, it’s necessary to accept the future and go digital. B2B or B2C, luxury or non-luxury — not required.

You simply need to recognize what, when, and how to make your audience love it.

We’re all familiar with the language used when it comes to keeping up with trends.

In this rapidly evolving landscape of B2B marketing. Check.

Staying informed about the latest trends and strategies is crucial. Check.

In these unprecedented ti-wait, that was during COVID. Scratch that one.

Anyway, everyone is trying their best to stay ahead of the curve.

This is why NetLine created the 2024 Content Trends & Planning Guide. 

Your Blueprint for 2024 and Beyond

The 2024 Content Trends & Planning Guide is more than just a report; it provides context and direction in the ever-changing world of B2B marketing. 

This guide is your compass to navigating the present and future of content marketing—offering insights that promise to elevate your strategy to new heights.

With it, you’re not only gaining access to exclusive insights, but you’re also joining a community of forward-thinking marketers poised for success.

[Request Your Copy of The 2024 Content Trends & Planning Guide]

Taking a Peek Into The Trends of 2024

At the heart of our guide is the emphasis on data-driven decision-making. 

NetLine’s mission has always been to let the data speak for itself. 

While we still hold true to this credo, we recognize the need to highlight why it’s important. 

Beyond trends and predictions, the guide is packed with actionable advice. 

Whether you’re looking to refine your content strategy or explore new marketing technologies, you’ll find valuable tips that can be implemented straight away.

Let’s review how this guide breaks out practical advice for immediate application.

The Impact of Intent

Throughout each section, you’ll come to understand which subjects and topics matter most to professionals in each industry. 

These findings and insights are gleaned from our buyer-level intent platform INTENTIVE, the only B2B buyer-level intent platform on the web.

Armed with the latest intent-backed data, marketers and sellers alike can craft content strategies that truly resonate with your target audience, ensuring your marketing efforts are both efficient and impactful.

Stop assuming what your audience’s needs and interests are and, instead, start making informed, first-party-based decisions.

AI: The Future of Content Marketing

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just a buzzword but a pivotal tool in the content marketer’s arsenal. 

Our guide provides a glimpse into the future, showcasing innovative ways AI can personalize content and streamline marketing processes for better results.

We encourage you to go beyond our own suggestions and pair current Audience Explorer results with the material you’re producing for your prospects and buyers with generative AI. These results may give you a boost in preparing your next project.

Unlocking the Potential of Diverse Content Formats

Our comprehensive guide explores a variety of content formats that are shaping the future of engagement and lead generation. 

From in-depth analysis of webinars to the strategic use of whitepapers and eBooks, we detail how to leverage these formats to connect with your audience effectively.

Innovations Across Industries

The guide doesn’t just stop at content formats. It delves into how different sectors, including technology, healthcare, and manufacturing, are pushing the boundaries of content marketing. 

These industry-specific insights offer a unique perspective on tailoring your content strategy to meet sector-specific demands.

Here’s a taste of what you’ll learn from each of the industries profiled in the guide.

1. Healthcare Industry: The shift towards concierge care and AI-enhanced patient treatment is fascinating due to its potential to drastically improve healthcare quality and accessibility.
2. Technology Industry: The emphasis on AI, especially natural language processing, reflects critical advancements in making technology more intuitive and user-friendly.
3. Manufacturing Industry: Digital transformation focusing on sustainability and AI integration is particularly compelling because of its implications for environmental stewardship and operational efficiency.
4. Education Industry: Innovations in digital learning and the use of AI to enhance both in-person and remote education are crucial for the future of education.
5. Utility and Energy Industry: The move towards sustainable energy solutions using advanced technology is vital due to its impact on combating climate change and transforming energy consumption.
6. Retail Industry: The adaptation of commerce channels and the automation of supply chains using AI are interesting for their potential to revolutionize customer experiences and operational efficiency.
7. Finance Industry: The adoption of omnichannel digital solutions and AI in customer engagement strategies is intriguing for its potential to reshape customer service and investment strategies.
8. HR Industry: Trends in talent acquisition and the use of AI in recruiting are important for understanding the future of work and employee management.
9. Corporate Services Industry: The focus on improving business operations through technology, especially in addressing employee burnout and leadership, is relevant for organizational health and productivity.
10. Marketing Industry: While the challenge of engaging audiences with transparent and actionable content is crucial, it is a well-established concern that continues to evolve rather than introduce new paradigms.
11. Engineering Industry: Although the exploration of new technologies and materials is foundational to progress, it ranks lower simply due to the broad and ongoing nature of such innovations, which may not present immediate, transformative insights as other sectors do.

2024-Proof Your Content

Embrace the present and future of content marketing with confidence.

Download the 2024 Content Trends & Planning Guide now and start crafting strategies that will not only meet the demands of today but also set you up for long-term success.

AI project management tools simplify decision-making, keep projects rolling, and streamline communications. Pick the right project management tool, and you could save hundreds — even thousands — per year.

I started in digital project management nine years ago, and AI project management tools were unheard of. The project management role was different than it is today.

Project managers were doing a lot of manual admin and repetitive tasks while keeping everything together and bringing those all-important soft skills to clients and internal teams who were busy getting the job done.

It was a lot. If you’re reading this, you might still be working like that: more spreadsheets than you can bear to think about, project managers stressed with deliverables and shaky briefs, leaving the team to use their best guess.

Today, my workflow relies on AI tools to keep my clients and team happy.

The tools take much of the project management, leaving me and the team with the mental capacity to do what humans do best: build and nurture relationships, send thoughtful updates, and deliver even faster than we could ten years ago.

With the right AI tool, your workflow could look more streamlined with happier staff at work.

Naturally, the AI project management tool you select will depend on how you want to use it, but this article should give you a solid guide for choosing the right AI project management tool for you.

I’ve included my review of each tool, how I found it, the AI features, the price, and who I think it’s best for.

What does AI project management software do?

Testing AI Project Management Tools

The Scenario

10 AI Project Management Software

What does AI project management software do?

AI project management software can help manage and organize projects and teams.

They’re commonly used for automating routine tasks, managing production schedules, storing files against projects and tasks, and providing a central hub with all content related to a project.

With the rise of AI, you can automate workflows, remove decision fatigue with predictive analysis, bolster productivity, and essentially hire a digital assistant who’s there to support you every day.

Project management tools are worth every penny and will pay for themselves in productivity. But if you’re worried about budgets, plenty of brilliant free project management tools exist.

Testing AI Project Management Tools

I’ve tested AI project management and many other marketing tools for years. I have to admit it: I love trying and testing tools.

It’s almost a problem because, in the digital world, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed by choice and distracted by the next amazing new development.

But I can’t see myself stopping anytime soon. In fact, I committed myself to try more tools in the future.

Embracing the development of new tools is a fast track to an easier life, a streamlined business, and a to-do list that is as satisfying as it is productive. And, in case you’re wondering, it’s not just me saying this.

Of those surveyed in Hubspot’s State of AI report, respondents estimated they save two hours and 24 minutes per day when using AI compared to not. Automating manual tasks is estimated to save two hours and 16 minutes per day.

The time saved using AI is significant. All you need to do is find the one that suits you and your needs, and I’ve run extensive tests to help you out.

When I’m testing AI project management tools, I want a tool that:

• Feels intuitive to use.
• Manages projects, tasks, and sub-tasks.
• Makes my team feel happy (and not overwhelmed!).
• Streamlines communications related to projects and/or tasks.
• Has integration options so that my business can scale with the tool.

I judged the tools tested in this article by these factors:

• How well the tool replicates or replaces human action.
• AI functionality.
• Pricing.

The Scenario

The scenario is close to my actual life as a marketer. I run many projects with fully remote teams internally and externally (my team and the client’s team).

We all need to work harmoniously in a central location.

The project needs to be well structured with some flexibility for changes. All team members need to add comments, set tasks, and have some accountability tracking to keep the project moving.

Finally, the AI project management tools must take some elements of the project. These tasks must be monotonous, undesirable for the humans involved, and safe enough for AI intervention.

10 AI Project Management Software

1. Asana

Asana is my current go-to project management tool for my agency. I manage my team and client projects in Asana. I’m a big fan, and it does everything I need.

I’ve used Asana consistently for about four years, and I manage without paying for premium packages, though I admit I need to invest.

How I Discovered Asana

A marketing operations specialist recommended Asana to an agency I worked in. The fully remote agency set-up was fantastic.

I can honestly say the communication was better than other agencies I’d worked in where employees were under the same roof.

How Asana Supported My Project Management

I’ve introduced many team members to my agency’s Asana setup, and I’ve never had an issue with its functionality or their fast adaptation of our agency’s process.

Asana ticks a lot of the boxes for me. My team is happy; it’s intuitive to use, you can manage projects and tasks efficiently, and communications related to projects take place within the app.

This functionality is ideal for longer-term projects where different team members dip in and out.

Asana is one of the oldest tools in this roundup. It’s been around since 2008, which probably factors into its many app integration capabilities.

Asana falls a little short regarding pricing and custom functionality, but Click Up excels here (more on that below).

Favorite AI Features

Workflow

Although not an AI per se, Asana’s workflow feature takes draining human tasks and automates them. To some degree, Asana is our Project Manager.

A lot of what you do daily is repetitive — and, if we’re being honest — boring. With Asana’s workflow, you can forget boredom and automate repetitive tasks instead of focusing on what you love.

This functionality takes a large portion of admin work off of project managers.

Workflow is a paid feature, but it saves hours. Simply trigger a workflow after an action (like moving a card from one column to another), and Asana will do the rest.

It’ll populate the workflow for the next phase and help your team to meet those SOPs.

Asana Intelligence

Asana intelligence is its AI component, including planning, summaries, and content edits.

With Asana intelligence, you can use AI to construct responses and comments, ensuring you get the right tone.

The AI will edit the status of your projects so you can see where you might have at-risk projects that need all-important human interaction.

Pricing

• Individuals get started for free (This is all I’ve needed in the past, but now I have outgrown it)
• Starter package is $10.99 per user a month, billed annually
• Advanced package is $24.99 per user a month, billed annually

Best For

• Traditional project management without customization
• Small teams and individuals

2. ClickUp

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ClickUp is becoming a firm favorite within my network. It’s anecdotal, but I’m conversing more with people switching to ClickUp from Asana.

The pull to ClickUp is always the same: it’s cheaper, and you can customize it more.

Asana charges a minimum of $12 a user per month, whereas ClickUp is $5 an extra user per month no matter what package you choose, a significant saving for larger teams.

While you can customize Asana, customization options are for paying members, whereas ClickUp immediately gives you access to this functionality.

How I Discovered ClickUp

ClickUp is the chosen AI project management tool for two of my clients. Both switched from Asana to ClickUp, and both are very happy.

Danielle Hixenbaugh, head of emotive growth at Emotive, recommended one client ClickUp.

She says: “It’s what I use for our agency. After testing many project management tools, I landed on ClickUp as the best price, flexibility, and option for marketers or bigger marketing teams.”

How ClickUp Supported My Project Management

I use ClickUp to keep projects on track for my clients. I’ve used it within the project manager role and as a consultant, responding to tasks and actions delegated to me.

Like Asana, ClickUp does everything it needs to: it helps manage remote teams in different time zones, and comments are placed against projects and tasks. It’s intuitive. I think the UX is slightly better than Asana’s.

Favorite AI features

It’s worth noting that the AI features are not available on the free plans.

Content Writing and Editing

Whatever you’re writing, ClickUp AI can help you. With project management, generative AI can be pretty useful. Instead of manually typing messages, you can get a helping hand from the AI.

As you’d expect, you can use generative AI to edit text, adjust the tone of your comment, or edit longer form content, improving content length.

Summarizing Content

Summarizing content is beneficial for project management. Notes from a meeting or long descriptions can be translated and edited for a speedy brief to the team.

Translation

ClickUp’s AI includes a translation feature, which is incredibly useful for remote teams working across the globe.

Pricing

• Get started for $0
• Unlimited package is $7 a month, paid annually
• Business is $12 a month, paid annually
• Customer enterprise packages are also available
• New users are added for $5 a user for all packages

Best For

• Affordability
• Custom setup
• Teams of any size

3. Monday

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Monday is the most expensive recommendation on this list, but it does a little more than other project management tools. Alongside project management, Monday users can also manage their Sales CRM with Monday’s tools.

Project managers using Enterprise plans can access reports, including work performance insights.

How I Discovered Monday

It was Monday’s advertising that captured my attention many years ago. I downloaded and tested it to see how it compared to Click Up and Asana.

How Monday Supported My Project Management

Generally, I liked it! The onboarding process and setup are among the friendliest and most intuitive. You can’t go wrong setting up your first project, as Monday walks you through the process.

For me, Monday does a lot. In many cases, Monday could be too much and add to that team overwhelm, which is precisely what I wanted to avoid for this test.

Like anything, though, the reports and functionality of Monday are only overwhelming if you don’t need it. For those who want a more robust solution, Monday could be for you.

Favorite AI Features

Task List Generation

Monday’s AI assist will take the thinking out of a project’s subtasks. All you need to do is ask the AI to list recommended steps for your project, and Monday will do the rest.

Generative AI

Many project management tools with AI features list generative AI for writing, summarizing, creating emails, etc. Monday does all of this.

Pricing

Monday’s pricing structure is more rigid than Click Up and Asana, and if you add things like the sales CRM, the price (rightfully) increases. For this article, the prices below are for project management.

You must start with three seats, so the monthly price is more than Click Up or Asana, making Monday less suitable for small teams or individuals.

• Start for free with three boards and two seats
• Basic is $9 a month, billed annually (minimum three seats, so that’s $27 a month)
• Standard is $12 a month billed annually (minimum three seats, so that’s $36 a month)
• Pro is $19 a month billed annually (minimum three seats, so that’s $57 a month)

Best For

• Large teams
• Those integrating a sales CRM

4. Basecamp

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Basecamp is a project management tool that caps its monthly price at $299 a month, billed annually.

It sounds a lot compared to Asana or Click Up, but if your team exceeds ~57 people, Basecamp will become the most affordable option, beating even Click Up.

Basecamp compares its monthly cost against a tech stack such as Asana, Slack, and Google Workplace, which Basecamp claims is $604.80 a month with just 20 members.

How I Discovered Basecamp

Basecamp was the preferred project management tool for a remote agency I worked for. It was intuitive to use and integrated with Google Workspace, which was helpful.

All documents were added to the tool, keeping everything in one place.

It was intuitive, and I felt comfortable with the tool without training.

How Basecamp Supported My Project Management

Basecamp took the agency I worked at from working solely in Slack with documents and project conversations taking place in several places and provided a centralized platform that helped streamline our workflows.

Favorite AI Features

Project completion

With Basecamp’s Move the Needle and Mission control feature, you can gauge a project’s performance without manually piecing together all the details.

The project management tool will pull the data together and provide a warning for projects that are potentially “at risk” or “concerned.”

This feature takes a lot of manual work off project managers, leaving them with more time to solve issues and get a project back on track.

Pricing

• $15 a user per month
• If you reach 20 members, you’ll benefit from the unlimited pro plan at $299 a month

Best For

• Businesses looking for an all-in-one solution with transparent pricing

5. Trello

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How I Discovered Trello

Trello was a tool I used many years ago. It was the first project management tool I was introduced to in 2011. I used Trello to manage content as part of a small marketing agency.

How Trello Supported My Project Management

I still use Trello today. It’s in my project management arsenal, even with Asana for client projects.

I like Trello because it is simple. For clients who don’t have many projects, I turn to Trello. It’s intuitive and easy to use, people get on board with it quickly, and the free package is enough for how I use it.

I don’t think Trello suits companies looking to scale, but it’s perfect for small projects or teams.

Favorite AI Features

Strategy AI

Tello’s Strategy AI helps with general project management and productivity. You can use the software to control who sees what project, and projects or tasks are marked with priority to keep the team working on the most important tasks first.

Pricing

Trello is one of the cheapest project management tools. It is also one of the most simple.

• Get started for free
• Standard is $5 a user per month, billed annually
• Premium is $10 a user per month, billed annually
• Enterprise is from $7.38 a user per month, depending on seat quantity, billed annually

Best For

• Small teams
• Individuals
• Small and few projects
• Content management

6. Motion

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I didn’t even complete my free trial before signing up for Motion. This AI project management tool makes scheduling and diary management so easy that handing over my hard-earned cash was a no-brainer.

How I Discovered Motion

To be honest, Motion’s advertising targeted me for quite some time. It was possibly a year before I finally signed up and tried it out.

Two parts of Motion drew me in: calendar syncing and the predictive analysis for task prioritization.

Within days of using Motion, I was hooked, and I could see how it could replace other subscriptions and tools.

Favorite AI Features

AI Meeting Scheduling

You set your preferred meeting times, and Motion’s Meeting Assist AI will prioritize your desired meeting times and availability. All you need to do is set up your preferences and share a booking link with your guest.

Motion will offer them times and dates that suit you.

The streamlined calendar booking system saves a lot of monotony between you and your meeting guest.

Decision-Making Made Easy With Predictive AI

When you set up Motion, you add projects and tasks. You set deadlines (none, hard or soft), start dates, priorities, and working hours. You can set different working hours.

For example, I use 9 am to 5 pm for my client work and hours outside that for personal projects and my own business.

The AI will consider the above and schedule tasks based on urgency and availability. You’ll get a warning if your schedule forces a project past its deadline so you can proactively solve any scheduling issues.

Calendar Synchronization

My calendar management gets overwhelming as a marketer and founder with multiple small businesses or side hustles, many clients, email addresses, and calendars.

Motion made this incredibly easy by synching Outlook and Google calendars in one central place — a seemingly impossible task until I discovered Motion.

I would criticize Motion’s calendar as it offers only daily and weekly views and not monthly. I plan, so this is an issue for me. I have sent the feedback to their development team.

In the meantime, I do have a solution: using One Cal alongside Motion. More on that below.

How Motion Supported My Project Management

Motion is the AI tool that I use to manage myself. However, there is a high chance that I’ll introduce Motion to my team.

For now, Motion is part of my project management tech stack for its calendar management and synchronization and its AI predictive analysis to help with the decision fatigue of what to do next.

I love that I can trust Motion’s scheduling to return a task list that is achievable and productive. Plus, the heads up on potential issues with deadlines is a lifesaver.

Pricing

• Free 14-day trial
• $19 per user a month, billed annually
• $12 per user a month for teams

Best For

• Individuals and small teams
• Handling decision fatigue
• Calendar scheduling
• Calendar synchronization

7. OneCal

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For me, OneCal is a must with or without Motion. So, don’t skip this section if you’re not using Motion.

Some elements of OneCal cross over with Motion’s functionality (e.g., calendar syncing and booking system). However, OneCal can sync many calendars.

Plus, what sells in OneCal for me is that OneCal syncs Outlook and Google calendars on Outlook and Google, so you’re not limited to the OneCal app.

With Motion, you have to use Motion’s calendar, and I’ve already explained my issue with that (no monthly view).

How I Discovered OneCal

OneCal was recommended to me by automation expert Jake Error Santos. When I told him I was struggling with calendar management and synching, Jake put me onto OneCal, and I haven’t looked back.

Jake recommends OneCal frequently:

“I frequently recommend OneCal to my clients due to its hassle-free setup, which outperforms the complexity of integrating calendars with low-code solutions like Zapier, making project management more efficient and straightforward.”

How OneCal Supported My Project Management

While OneCal isn’t managing projects, it is keeping my workload manageable and the monotony of checking multiple calendars at bay. This means I can go to any calendar for an accurate display of what’s happening in all of my calendars.

Ultimately, it saves me a lot of time and rids me of calendar anxiety.

For those who don’t use Motion, OneCal also has a booking system.

Favorite AI Features

Calendar Syncing

Once you’ve integrated OneCal with your calendars, you’ll have synced calendars everywhere.

Booking Links

You can set up a booking system so your meeting guests can book a slot in your calendar at a time that suits you (and them!).

With this system, you can set buffer times and avoid back-to-back meetings, and your guests can easily see available slots in their time zones.

Pricing

• Starter is just $4 a month billed annually (this is all I needed)
• Essential $8.30 a month billed annually
• Premium $25 a month billed annually

Best For

• Anyone using multiple calendars or wanting to streamline the meeting booking process

8. Notion

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Notion is not my favorite project management tool for managing actual projects, though it does have that functionality. I recommend sticking to Click Up, Asana, or Motion for that.

But Notion is a business‘s best friend! It’s very intuitive and keeps all your documents in one place. It has a great UX and design, making it inspiring.

Use Notion to complement your project management tool. Store your guides, resources, templates, etc, in Notion.

How I Discovered Notion

Notion was first recommended by a consultant who used it to store everything: her process, client documentation, and even social media content and planning.

I was enamored by its UX and design and have since used Notion with clients. It is especially useful when you have remote teams and many ideas and resources.

How Notion Supported My Project Management

Notion is the data hub. I interlink between Notion and my chosen project management tool.

The project management tool looks after the project, and tasks that require templates of existing documentation are linked to Notion, where this resource is stored.

Favorite AI Features

Ask Notion

Whatever you need support with, ask Notion. It’s like a 24/7 virtual assistant who knows everything about Notion, so you get the most out of the platform. Plus, the AI can report on what your team is working on.

Write With Notion’s Generative AI

I’ve used generative AI quite often on Notion, and I don’t love generative AI. When it comes to writing basic documents for my agency resources, Notion’s AI is a timesaver.

Pricing

• Free to get started
• Basic is $8 a month per user, billed annually
• Business is $15 a month per user, billed annually

Best For

• Business knowledge bases/wikis

9. Slack

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Love it or hate it, Slack has its uses when it comes to project management. While I highly recommend not keeping track of projects within Slack, I think it’s useful for catching a team member’s attention and getting something actioned ASAP.

Slack does get expensive fast, especially for large teams. For this reason, it might be beneficial to insist that all communications occur in the project management tool.

For this to work, you need team members active in their inbox in your chosen project management tool.

How I Discovered Slack

I think every company I’ve worked in or consulted for uses Slack.

How Slack Supported My Project Management

Slack is best used for immediate communications. My general rule with Slack and Project Management tools is:

• Any information related to the project takes place within the project management tool.
• Slack is better used for queries that need action by one person as soon as possible. For example, “Can you give me access to…”

Favorite AI Features

Thread Summaries

Slack allows conversations to take place in threads. It helps tidy conversations within channels. While useful, threads can get messy; it’s like reading an entire email chain you didn’t need to be cc’d into.

With Slack’s AI, you can get a summary instead.

Automated Messages

Not strictly AI, but useful nonetheless. For messages you have to send regularly, you can automate them so Slackbot sends them on your behalf.

Pricing

• Start for free
• Pro $7.25 a user per month, billed annually
• Business $12.50 a user per month, billed annually

Best For

• Brief conversations

10. Loom

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Loom is a fantastic tool for project managers, and the AI features are time-saving and incredibly useful.

The premise of Loom is simple: you can record videos with a screenshare and selfie camera view. It’s very personable.

In the interest of transparency, I must admit that Loom can be glitchy. I’ve experienced issues with the selfie camera not working as it should and videos not uploading. It can also be very slow to load.

While Loom is still my preferred tool, I have been tempted to switch to Veed.io. What keeps me wed to Loom is the price.

How I Discovered Loom

I watched other loom videos, loved the functionality of the selfie video while screen sharing, and signed up immediately. I’ve used Loom for about five years.

How Loom Supported My Project Management

Where training and meetings are concerned, Loom can be a highly efficient way of working.

Instead of training staff or onboarding, you can create Loom videos of tasks you need others to do. Store videos within Loom and link to them as part of onboarding or training flows.

This saves project managers’ time in training, meaning they can focus on other tasks.

I introduced this way of working with my client, Kineon. Loom is especially useful to them because they have a fully remote team across six continents.

Tom Sanderson, co-founder of Kineon, says:

“We use Loom for a-synchronous meetings and find it highly effective. Team members create a Loom video at a time to suit them; decision-makers or other team members can watch it on their schedule and provide insights or decisions that keep us moving.”

Loom’s AI features can bolster project management productivity, too.

Favorite AI Features

Video Title

The generative AI will title your video for you. This feature is particularly useful, especially for those quick videos that won’t make it to your resource library but benefit from a logical title to keep everything tidy.

Summaries and Tasks

The AI will summarize the video, which gives recipients the video and a written summary. The task list is handy for project management.

Loom highlights any tasks mentioned in your video so you can easily add tasks generated from the meeting in project management software or highlight them to team members for accountability tracking.

Pricing

• Free for 25 videos at 5 minutes in length
• $12.50 a user per month
• AI features are added at $4 a month

Best For

• Screenshare videos
• A-synchronous meetings
• Training and explainer videos

So, are AI project management tools worth it?

Yes, AI project management tools are worth it, and I urge you to try them. If you’re not using them, or if you’re using the tools but not the AI, you are a) missing out and b) working harder than you should be.

AI project management tools take monotonous tasks off your to-do list so you can do the work that satisfies you and supports the business you love.

Still overwhelmed by choice? Here’s what you should do in order of priority:

1. Sign up to either Asana, Click Up, or Motion.
2. Start running asynchronous meetings or create explainer and training videos with Loom.
3. Record processes in a tool like Notion.
4. Pick an AI tool for team chats (double up with Click Up or Asana or try Slack).

Get rolling with the tools, and I’m confident you’ll thank yourself that you did.

Creating business listings on directory websites is an easy way to improve your local SEO.

All you have to do is list your business in online local directories such as Yellow Pages, Manta, and more. This is called building citations, and it’s a critical piece of a local marketing strategy.

By building citations, you can ensure that you appear in local packs when people look for businesses like yours in their area. Business directories may seem like a thing of the past, but they’re a great way to grow your presence online.

In this post, we go over everything you need to know about creating business listings and why they’re so valuable, even in the age of social media and other marketing tactics.

Table of Contents

• What is a business directory?
• What is a business listing?
• How I Chose the Best Online Directories
• Free Business Listings
• Online Directories for Local Businesses
• Business Listing Sites
• Benefits of Listing Your Business in Local Directories

I know that promoting a local business can be challenging these days. Whether it’s because of oversaturation or complicated search engine algorithms, it’s all too easy to feel like no one will find your business in the local search results.

Today, Google is inserting itself between consumer and local business websites much more often. For proof, you need to look no further than Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), featured snippets, and most importantly, local packs.

You can improve visibility in local packs by listing your local business’ NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) on directories, online business listing sites, and citation sites. Aside from improving your local SEO, these can also improve your rankings on search engines because the listings usually link back to your site.

But what is a business listing, and what does it look like?

When I was a local SEO specialist at my previous company, I spent much of my time finding new business listing opportunities to build citations and generate backlinks for our local websites. This allowed us to rank not only in the local packs, but also in the main SERPs.

I have a few tips to help you out. Make sure your company listing has the following information once you add it to a directory:

• Consistent NAP. If you add or update your business on multiple business listing sites, make sure you’re providing the same company information across each directory.
• A link to your website. Backlinks — also known as inbound links — are crucial to your company website’s Domain Rating. I recommend adding a tracking link at the end of this URL as well, so you can see how much traffic your website specifically gets from the business directories that are linking to it.
• A company description. Make sure you have a detailed description of your business that reflects your organization’s mission, culture, and values.
• Multimedia. Give company searchers a visual taste of your business with a picture or video of your office, your employees, or your daily business operations.

There are plenty of location-specific and industry-specific business listing sites where you can submit your data. To start promoting your local business, however, I recommend starting with the bigger sites and working your way towards the more niche directories.

I’ll soon go over our list of best local directories, but first, let’s cover our methodology.

How I Chose the Best Online Directories

I used to build citations for my former company, and I can confidently tell you that there are many, many business directories out there — and not all of them are good.

I used two simple parameters to curate the best business listing sites you can sign up on right now.

Domain Rating

Domain rating is a score given to websites to reflect how well they rank on Google based on their backlink profile. The minimum score is 0, and the maximum score is 100. Domain rating is similar to domain authority.

The minimum required domain rating for the directories on this list was 50. I gathered the data from Ahrefs, but you can also double-check using your preferred SEO tool.

Category

I compiled this list for use by any business. Regardless of your industry or target market, you can submit your business to the directories below. To make it onto this list, the directory had to be categorized as General.

I’ve included traffic numbers for your reference, but I don’t consider it the most important factor in choosing where to list your business. Any local citation helps you build consistent references to your NAP information online.

With that, let’s go over the top free business directories you can join right now.

The below business listing sites made it onto the list because they’re free and also offer an easy process for claiming or creating your profile.

Some online business directories require phone verification or extra steps, but the below options below are simple to sign up for. These ten business listings are a great place to start before signing up on more industry-specific listing sites.

1. Google Business Profile

Domain Rating: 92

Monthly Organic Traffic: 81M Visits

Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) directly lists you on Google’s local pack and search results. A Google Business Profile includes your NAP, business hours, services, customer reviews, photos, and more.

Claim your free Google Business Profile.

2. Yellow Pages

Domain Rating: 90

Monthly Organic Traffic: 14M Visits

An oldie but a goodie, Yellow Pages is maybe the most well-known local directory. A Yellow Pages listing includes your NAP, parking information, business hours, and customer reviews.

Claim your free business listing on Yellow Pages.

3. Foursquare

Domain Rating: 91

Monthly Organic Traffic: 30M Visits

Foursquare is a general online directory for a wide variety of local business categories. A Foursquare listing includes your NAP, business hours, logo, and customer reviews.

Claim your free business listing on Foursquare.

4. Better Business Bureau

Domain Rating: 93

Monthly Organic Traffic: 13M Visits

Better Business Bureau is an online directory site for a wide variety of local business categories. A Better Business Bureau listing includes your NAP, company history, company email, and website. You may also apply for optional accreditation.

Claim your free business listing on BBB.

5. Superpages

Domain Rating: 84

Monthly Organic Traffic: 1.7M Visits

Superpages is a general online directory site for a wide variety of local business categories. A Superpages listing includes your NAP, business hours, and website.

Claim your free business listing on Superpages.

6. Hotfrog

Domain Rating: 79

Monthly Organic Traffic: 24K Visits

Hotfrog is a general online directory site. A Hotfrog listing includes your NAP, business hours, business description, and website.

Claim your free business listing on Hotfrog.

7. EZLocal

Domain Rating: 77

Monthly Organic Traffic: 90K Visits

EZLocal is a general online directory for a wide variety of local business categories. An EZLocal listing includes your NAP, parking information, business hours, and website.

Claim your free business listing on EZLocal.

8. eLocal

Domain Rating: 77

Monthly Organic Traffic: 14K Visits

eLocal is a general local directory. An eLocal listing includes your NAP, business description, website, and payment options.

Claim your free business listing on eLocal.

9. Manta

Domain Rating: 87

Monthly Organic Traffic: 2.3M Visits

A Manta listing includes your NAP, business hours, services, website, business description, and social media links. You may also apply for Manta verification.

Claim your free business listing on Manta.

10. Merchant Circle

Domain Rating: 85

Monthly Organic Traffic: 70K Visits

Merchant Circle is a general online listing site. A Merchant Circle listing includes your NAP, logo, payment options, business hours, business description, and website.

Claim your free business listing on MerchantCircle.

Featured Business Listing Site: HubSpot Solutions Online Directory

HubSpot also offers an online directory for marketing and advertising agencies. If you fall into this category, I highly recommend signing up for free.

Add your free business listing to HubSpot’s Solutions directory.

Online Directories for Local Businesses

When listing your business online, you aren’t limited to just using the free sites above. I’ve compiled the best directories on the web to list your business, whether paid or unpaid (most, however, should be free).

In my years as a local SEO and citation builder, I found most of these relatively easy to sign up on, but a few sites may require additional verification or a pending period. The good news is that there is little to no chance your listing will be rejected.

1. Facebook Pages

Domain Rating: 100

Monthly Organic Traffic: 1.7B Visits

Facebook Pages is one of the best places to list your business online and get visibility through both organic search and Facebook’s internal search feature. A Facebook Page includes both basic NAP information and updates from your business.

Create your free business listing on Facebook Pages.

2. Instagram for Business

Domain Rating: 99

Monthly Organic Traffic: 1.4B Visits

Like Facebook, Instagram is another valuable place to list your business’ NAP information for visibility, local SEO, and social media marketing purposes. An Instagram profile will include your business’ NAP information, as well as photos and updates posted directly by you.

Create your free business listing on Instagram.

3. LinkedIn Company Directory

Domain Rating: 98

Monthly Organic Traffic: 319M Visits

LinkedIn offers a directory of business pages (called LinkedIn Pages), where most companies and businesses can add a profile for free. Like Facebook and Instagram, you get an opportunity to list your NAP and publish updates and jobs.

Companies are listed alphabetically on the Company Directory landing page, and users can find your business by navigating to “Browse By” and selecting the first letter of your business name.

 

Create your free business listing on LinkedIn.

4. Apple Maps

Domain Rating: 97

Monthly Organic Traffic: 424M Visits

If people visit your business in person, it’s always a good idea to add it to navigation apps and services. Apple Maps isn’t technically a business listing site, but it’s still an essential citation. You can now easily get started by using Apple’s new Business Connect portal.

 

Create your free business listing on Apple Maps.

5. Yelp

Domain Rating: 95

Monthly Organic Traffic: 234M Visits

Whether you run a restaurant, a local boutique, or a repair shop, Yelp is an invaluable directory to list your business online. It boosts your credibility with customer reviews and provides one more citation with your NAP, business hours, services, and more.

Create your free business listing on Yelp.

6. Bing Places

Domain Rating: 93

Monthly Organic Traffic: 17.1M Visits

Bing may not feel as essential as Google, but it’s still an important citation, especially because some of your customers might use Bing as their primary search engine. Adding your business to Bing also allows users to navigate directly to you using Bing Maps.

Create your free business listing on Bing Places.

7. Foursquare

Domain Rating: 91

Monthly Organic Traffic: 28.3M Visits

When building citations at my previous company, Foursquare was one of my favorite business listing sites. It’s quick, easy, and painless to add your online listing, and it includes all essential information without many frills. An easy citation if there ever was one.

Create your free business listing on Foursquare.

8. Angi

Domain Rating: 91

Monthly Organic Traffic: 14.9M Visits

Formerly known as Angie’s List, Angi is a valuable citation for providers of home services — from plumbing to landscaping to maintenance and renovations.

Create your free business listing on Angi.

9. Thumbtack

Domain Rating: 90

Monthly Organic Traffic: 6M Visits

Thumbtack is another great business directory for providers of home renovation and maintenance services. Other industries that could add a business listing to Thumbtack include electronics repair specialists and web designers.

Create your free business listing on Thumbtack.

10. Nextdoor

Domain Rating: 89

Monthly Organic Traffic: 6.3M Visits

Nextdoor is both a neighborhood guide and a free online business directory for local businesses of any category, but I especially recommended if you offer home services or products at a local shop.

Create your free business listing on Nextdoor.

Business Listing Sites

Those aren’t all the online directories you can join. Below are more of the best options for businesses of any category.

You’ll notice that some of them have low organic traffic numbers. Remember: The main benefit of adding your company to business listing sites is to build citations with your NAP information.

Even if an online directory only receives a few organic visits per month, that’s okay — the main value is having a listing with your correct name, address, and phone number (NAP).

Don’t worry about upgrading any of these listings. I never did when I was building citations. Most people don’t visit online business directories any longer; instead, they use Google or other popular websites such as Yelp.

1. City-data.com

Domain Rating: 85

Monthly Organic Traffic: 1.2M

City-data is a neighborhood forum and online directory that covers the entirety of the US.

Create your free business listing on City-data.com.

2. ChamberofCommerce.com

Domain Rating: 82

Monthly Organic Traffic: 550K

ChamberofCommerce is an online directory with a membership and an accreditation option.

Create your free business listing on ChamberofCommerce.com.

3. Brownbook.net

Domain Rating: 78

Monthly Organic Traffic: 1.4K

Brownbook.net is a Yellow Pages alternative for businesses of any category. One of my favorite citations — it’s very easy to sign up.

Create your free business listing on Brownbook.net.

4. Local.com

Domain Rating: 78

Monthly Organic Traffic: 178K

Local.com is an online business directory with a blog and a series of advertising options.

Create your free business listing on Local.com.

5. Kompass.com

Domain Rating: 76

Monthly Organic Traffic: 11.1K

Kompass is a B2B online business directory that also allows you to respond to public requests for proposals.

Create your business listing on Kompass.com.

6. Storeboard

Domain Rating: 76

Monthly Organic Traffic: 1.3K

Storeboard is an online business directory that also includes a homepage “feed,” like a social media site.

Create your free business listing on Storeboard.

7. eBusinessPages

Domain Rating: 76

Monthly Organic Traffic: 261

eBusinessPages may have low traffic numbers, but it’s an easy and simple citation to add to your roster.

Create your free business listing on eBusinessPages.

8. City Squares

Domain Rating: 74

Monthly Organic Traffic: 5.3K

CitySquares is an online business directory with a handy partner program for companies with multiple locations.

Create your free business listing on City Squares.

9. BOTW

Domain Rating: 74

Monthly Organic Traffic: 30.2K

Best of the Web (BOTW) is an online business directory with advertising and upgrade options.

Create your free business listing on BOTW.

10. Infobel

Domain Rating: 74

Monthly Organic Traffic: 913K

Infobel is an EU-based business listing site that also includes a local US directory for companies of any category.

Create your free business listing on Infobel.

11. iBegin

Domain Rating: 73

Monthly Organic Traffic: 42.7K

iBegin is a simple online directory where you can submit your business and blog posts.

Create your free business listing on iBegin.

12. Neustar Localeze

Domain Rating: 73

Monthly Organic Traffic: 13.3K

Neustar Localeze is a business listing service that also includes an online directory. This one is paid, and sign-up can be a little more complicated than other options, but it’s still worth it.

Create your business listing on Neustar Localeze.

13. GoLocal247

Domain Rating: 73

Monthly Organic Traffic: 12.7K

GoLocal247 is an online business directory where you can also post free classified ads.

Create your free business listing on GoLocal247.

14. Cybo

Domain Rating: 72

Monthly Organic Traffic: 330K

Cybo is a global business listing site for companies of any category.

Create your free business listing on Cybo.

15. Just Landed

Domain Rating: 72

Monthly Organic Traffic: 42.7K

Just Landed is an online business directory that also includes an expat community and an area for classified ads.

Create your free business listing on Just Landed.

16. Yellow.Place

Domain Rating: 72

Monthly Organic Traffic: 972K

Yellow.Place is a Yellow Pages alternative with advertising options.

Create your free business listing on Yellow.Place.

17. Hub.biz

Domain Rating: 72

Monthly Organic Traffic: 124K

Hub.biz is an online directory with a text-based “feed” that includes updates from local businesses.

Create your free business listing on Hub.biz.

18. Dun & Bradstreet Business Directory

Domain Rating: 79

Monthly Organic Traffic: 259K

Dun & Bradstreet is a famous online directory with an accreditation option.

Create your free business listing on Dun & Bradstreet.

19. Turbify

Domain Rating: 78

Monthly Organic Traffic: 1.7K

Turbify is an online local listing provider that gives you a free report and also lists you online.

Create your free business listing on Turbify.

20. n49.com

Domain Rating: 73

Monthly Organic Traffic: 159K

n49 is a Canada-based directory with a US arm. It’s simple to sign up, and editing your listing is easy through its portal.

Create your free business listing on n49.

21. Cylex US

Domain Rating: 73

Monthly Organic Traffic: 921K

Cylex US is an online directory that offers premium listings, as well as the ability to post special offers.

Create your free business listing on Cylex.us.

22. Fyple.com

Domain Rating: 68

Monthly Organic Traffic: 2.1K

Fyple is a local directory for businesses of any category. It also offers customers the option to post reviews.

Create your free business listing on Fyple.

23. Opendi.us

Domain Rating: 67

Monthly Organic Traffic: 23.5K

Opendi is a business directory with international arms in Europe and South America. Opendi has a long pending period for new listings, but it’s worth submitting to.

Create your free business listing on Opendi.us.

24. ExpressBusinessDirectory.com

Domain Rating: 65

Monthly Organic Traffic: 7

ExpressBusinessDirectory.com has low traffic numbers, but it’s easy to submit to, and you can never run short on citations.

Create your free business listing on ExpressBusinessDirectory.

25. My Huckleberry

Domain Rating: 64

Monthly Organic Traffic: 544

My Huckleberry is an online business directory with an online forum and a coupon marketplace.

Create your free business listing on My Huckleberry.

26. Bizhwy.com

Domain Rating: 66

Monthly Organic Traffic: 24

Bizhwy.com is a simple online business directory that also gives you the option of submitting a press release. Since its traffic numbers are low, I recommend sticking to a free listing.

Create your free business listing on Bizhwy.

27. DirJournal.com

Domain Rating: 63

Monthly Organic Traffic: 802

DirJournal is an online business directory that also offers advertising options. Since its traffic numbers are low, I recommend sticking to a free listing.

Create your free business listing on Dirjournal.

28. USdirectory.com

Domain Rating: 56

Monthly Organic Traffic: 1.7K

USdirectory.com is a business listing site that offers advertising options. I also recommend sticking to a free listing for this one.

Create your business listing on US Directory.

29. FindUSlocal.com

Domain Rating: 55

Monthly Organic Traffic: 61.8K

FindUSlocal is an online business directory with a feed-like home page.

Create your free business listing on FindUSLocal.

Benefits of Listing Your Business in Local Directories

As mentioned, the value of listing your business in directories isn’t about visibility in the directories themselves (although that’s certainly helpful); it’s more about building citations with your business information.

Here are some of the benefits of listing your business online. It’s a lot of work, but it’s endlessly invaluable.

1. Rank Higher in Local Packs

You’ve seen local packs before — they’re the groups of local businesses that appear when you make a location-based search, such as “pizza near me.” Here’s an example of a local pack for that search in my area:

(Making a mental note to try these restaurants).

By listing your business in local directories, you’re reinforcing your company’s NAP information again and again. This constant and consistent record of citations (really, make sure your information is consistent!) can improve your chances of ranking higher in Google’s local packs. You’ll, therefore, increase visibility and exposure in your area, which can result in more website visits and foot traffic.

2. Get White-Hat Backlinks to Your Website

We can’t forget the big benefit: Backlinks. Most local directories let you link to your website, helping you bring in traffic from interested users. Some might be no-follow links, but it’s still worth the mention.

Most directories are authoritative websites with have a high domain authority or domain rating. So, by listing your business on these directories, you can indirectly increase your website’s domain authority by getting a “vote,” so to speak, from an authoritative site.

In turn, getting backlinks or “votes” from directories can improve your search engine rankings and increase your website’s visibility and traffic.

3. Boost Company Legitimacy

Creating business listings can also improve your legitimacy. Local directories are trusted sources of information, and being listed on these directories can boost your company’s credibility and reputation.

Imagine if people looked up my business and the first SERPs were filled with random URLs that happened to share my business name. It definitely wouldn’t help me look established. But if the SERPs are all filled with listings from other directories, users will feel like my company is real and worth their investment.

No matter what, being listed in local directories will improve your online reputation and increase your brand visibility.

Add Your Local Business to Online Directories

Making sure that you have a presence where your potential customers might find you is critical to any local marketing plan. It’s critical to build citations not only for the added visibility but for the SEO benefits, too.

Get started with SEO, add your local business to some of these business listings and directories today, and watch your business and customer base grow.

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

The finance industry lends itself well to AI. The industry manages much data, customer service, and daily trend analysis.

One search for AI tools in the finance sector, and you’ll find millions of results. The key is knowing what to trial, where to bring AI to benefit your finance business and customers, and how to get started.

We contacted finance professionals and asked how they use AI and automation and their tips for starting with AI. Plus, the tools that you should trial for your finance business.

Table of Contents

• Companies Already Using Marketing Automation [+ Examples]
• Tools That Can Help
• Trends to Know in Marketing Automation for Financial Services

Marketing Automation Examples for Finance Businesses

Email and SMS Marketing

Email and SMS marketing is a powerful tool for finance businesses. Done well with automation, finance businesses’ marketing tasks can take half the time to complete.

Email and SMS are most effective when a finance business sets up audience segmentation. You can group audiences through interests or types of services.

When you’re rolling with a good marketing automation hub, even segmentation happens manually through email sign-ups, landing pages, and automated workflows.

On the subject of email and automation, CardUp’s Marketing Lead Jancis Yap says, “HubSpot’s workflow automation and list segmentation helps the team build the right user journey that converts more customers.”

Yap notes that segmenting lists used to be a long process.

“You had to go to our backend system, tell tech the segment you wanted, have them download a list for you, and then upload it into the email marketing portal. Now, the process is cut in half. You create the list yourself and add it to the marketing email feature,” Yap says.

Both email and SMS provide personalized marketing touchpoints that are useful, relevant, and timely! Emails and SMS can be auto-generated based on events, data trends, or actions such as applying for a service.

Landing Pages

Landing pages are specific pages where you can target a very specific audience with a very specific solution.

As mentioned above, the sign-ups generated through landing page submissions or downloads can be pulled into segmented audiences ready for targeted marketing.

The objective of a landing page is to attract a qualified audience who will convert there on the page. A well-thought-out campaign generated an 83% conversion for Accord Mortgages.

Reporting and Analysis

Reporting and analysis don’t need to be a time-consuming, human-powered task anymore.

Naturally, reporting and analysis are key parts of any finance business, but with AI and automation, you can take a lot of the administrative work off people and hand it over to the AI that works faster than any human could.

This leaves the experts to add their final thoughts and expertise to a report to take it from data overwhelm to exciting, actionable with a clear goal for what’s next based on expert recommendations.

Data can be summarized by AI using tools such as AlphaSense (more on that below), and these summaries can form parts of communication directly to customers.

Companies Already Using Marketing Automation [+ Examples]

Marketing automation can support your customers and free up your staff so they can focus on the work that matters most.

Here are four companies that are already putting it to good use.

1. Market Financial Solutions

Market Financial Solutions (MFS) uses marketing automation to improve efficiency and increase inquiries.

For many financial companies, the story is the same: teams work in and out of spreadsheets saved in various places without actual order and efficiency. This is precisely why MFS turned to HubSpot’s CRM.

The CRM system allowed MFS to set up forms, calls-to-action, and landing pages across the site. Plus, automated email marketing meant they could set up campaigns that nurtured their customers efficiently.

MFS said, “Every new contact gets sorted into a segment, such as valuers, solicitors, direct clients, and brokers. We use smart rules to then email each segment differently based on their needs.”

The email flow is already set up for each segment, meaning once created, it serves the business over and over again. Plus, with the same flow being used, MFS can analyze the automation success and tweak the experience for optimal results.

This is how MFS increased its open rate by 10% and had a 30% increase in inquiries.

2. CSB Group

Malcolm Ferrante, senior manager of business development and immigration services at CSB Group, uses AI to catch fraud.

“We’re exploring AI to analyze data on past risk cases. By identifying patterns that indicate opportunities or issues, we aim to make more accurate projections and assessments,” he says. “AI can also watch what’s going on in real time. It helps us predict how markets and situations may change.”

Alongside treat identification, Ferrante recommends using AI writing assist for reporting.

When asked for a tip on implementing AI, he said, “I recommend figuring out your goals and specific ways AI can do tasks for you.”

Ferrante says that financial companies have large amounts of customer information that AI can sort through faster.

Beyond that, he says, automated AI-powered models can value assets accurately and efficiently to support decision-making.

“But new tech also means new responsibilities. Think carefully about the pros and cons when using systems that see private customer info. Start small and build up gradually,” he says.

3. Mercian Accountants

Graham Loosley, senior partner at Mercian Accountants, is an FCCA with over 35 years of experience in UK accounting and tax. Loosely is using Quickbooks AI.

Loosley uses Quickbooks AI to streamline bookkeeping processes. Using AI that’s part of the software you’re already using, is a great way to start. The AI will complement your existing processes and, in theory, feel familiar.

When asked for a beginner tip on integrating AI, Loosely says, “Start with specific tasks, like automating repetitive processes. This saves time and improves accuracy, enabling professionals to focus on strategic decision-making.”

A common fear with the implementation of AI is that human connections will suffer, but when used thoughtfully, financial businesses can find the opposite to be true.

Loosely agrees, “Implementing AI in our firm elevated our service quality. Streamlining tax processes with AI not only improved efficiency but also allowed us to offer more personalized advice, strengthening client relationships.”

4. Subscription Stopper

Michael Guinan is the founder of Subscription Stopper, a platform transforming the way we handle recurring subscriptions. Guinan uses machine learning algorithms.

Michael Guinan’s Subscription Stopper uses machine learning to analyze user behavior and manage recurring solutions.

Guinan says, “Machine learning algorithms are at the core of our platform. They analyze user spending patterns to identify and categorize subscription payments efficiently. This not only ensures accurate tracking but also provides insightful spending analytics.”

When asked about tips for leveraging AI, Guinan says, “Start with data analysis. AI’s ability to sift through and interpret vast amounts of data can uncover hidden patterns and inefficiencies. For example, at Subscription Stopper, we used AI to spot recurring charges that often go unnoticed, helping users save money.”

Guinan’s tip provides a next step for those in the financial sector thinking about exploring AI and automation. His tip to try data analysis is a great start. It would save a lot of manual time and could analyze data faster and without human error.

Tools that Can Help

Marketing automation is a great way to streamline processes and provide a better experience for customers.

But, finding the right tool can be overwhelming or just time-consuming. We spoke to finance professionals who shared their favorite marketing automation tools.

1. Quickbooks AI

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Quickbooks AI has Intuit Assist. The AI is designed to help identify trends and recommend solutions.

Graham Loosley, cited above, recommended Quickbooks AI.

He says, “I have witnessed the transformative impact of AI tools. We leverage advanced AI algorithms to enhance accuracy and efficiency in data analysis and tax compliance tasks. Our go-to tool is QuickBooks AI, streamlining bookkeeping processes and allowing for real-time insights.”

Automation tools can identify trends and recommend solutions. This takes the manual (and time-consuming) work off your team. Their time is better spent getting the findings out to customers and nurturing prospective leads.

AI Features for Finance

• Natural language processing
• Automation with MailChimp

Core Features

• You can use the AI assist to ask questions or get to reports quickly. The AI will deliver reports and insights straight to you
• Ask the AI questions about anything you’d like to know, such as best-selling products
• Automate Quickbooks and MailChimp to reach more customers and turn data into insights

Pricing

• Prices start from $97 a year

2. AlphaSense

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Marcus Phillips, Founder and Managing Director of Mortgages, recommends AlphaSense. Philips mentioned the importance of staying updated in the finance industry.

With regular changes or regulations, Phillips recommends using AI to get the latest data and trends.

He says, “[AlphaSense] acts as a search engine and delivers all the information on a robust range of topics. Thanks to it, I am always one step ahead. I can utilize the data to have efficient negotiations with my clients.”

AI Features for Finance

• Generative AI

Core Features

• Generative AI has improved workflows for finance
• You can identify patterns within data
• A level up from the above is a summary of the data generated with the AI

Pricing

• Prices are customized
• Free trials available

3. HubSpot’s Marketing Automation Software

Finance businesses using marketing automation are keeping in contact with their customers, boasting improved conversion rates and optimal email open rates.

Marketing automation can do a lot to benefit finance. It makes marketing faster and easier than ever. On top of that, you can run A/B split tests and get highly personal and targeted with your messaging.

AI Features for Finance

• Workflows
• ChatSpot

Core Features

• A/B split test campaigns so you can test the marketing that’s most engaging for your audiences so you can drive the conversions that matter to your business
• Integrate with HubSpot CRM for highly personalized marketing
• Target messaging to the right segment with audience segmentation

Pricing

• Free to get started
• Prices for individuals start at $18 a month
• Prices for professionals start at $800 a month

4. Algoriz

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Danielle Roberts, co-founder at Boomer Benefits, uses Algoriz for financial market trading.

Roberts recommends it and says, “It allows me to create and test algorithmic trading strategies using historical and real-time data.”

Roberts shared a tip for getting started with finance and AI automation.

She says, “These tools can help you identify market trends and execute trades more efficiently, reducing the emotional bias in trading decisions and increasing the potential for higher returns.”

AI Features for Finance

• Fully automate trading ideas
• Turn on notifications for your desired triggers

Core Features

• One database is connected to data vendors
• You can securely connect broker accounts to Algoriz and allow the AI to do the trading for you
• You can get notifications if you want to keep the trading manual
• Algorithmic strategy development

Pricing

• Free to get started
• Professional package is $29 a month
• Premium package is $69 a month

5. Chatbots

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Chatbots were well recommended for the finance industry. Common use cases were on websites as a way of serving customers faster. A desire that finance professionals recognized in a post-covid world.

Carter Seuthe, CEO of Credit Summit Debt Consolidation, says, “I‘ve had pretty good luck with integrating AI and automation into certain customer service processes. I have noticed after the pandemic especially, there seems to be an expectation for immediate customer service when there’s an issue.”

Having some AI tools in place (like a chatbot on your website or automated responses to customer emails) can help give customers that immediate response they’re looking for, says Seuthe. This “can help resolve easy problems or questions without diverting an employee.”

Jennifer Kropf, founder of Wealthy Woman Finance, agrees that chatbots are both helpful and desirable for users.

She says, “Chatbots and virtual assistants have also been useful. By providing 24/7 guidance, it means clients always have access to basic info whenever they need. This has made customer service smoother while still letting me offer a personal touch when wanted.”

AI Features for Finance

• Conversation AI

Core Features

• Build a chatbot for your website without any code
• Personalize chatbot replies when used in conjunction with HubSpot CRM
• Conversational AI emulates human conversation so you can talk to your customers 24/7

Pricing

• Free to get started with HubSpot’s Sales Hub
• Starter packages are $18 a month
• Professional $450 a month
• Enterprise $1,500 a month

Trends to Know in Marketing Automation for Financial Services

The finance sector has benefitted massively from automation and AI.

It’s clear to see that even the operational AI benefits are tapping into marketing success.

Summarizing data and writing reports with AI means that customers can get information faster and without distracting staff whose time is better spent adding to AI’s data collection and summarization.

Insights are shared with customers through marketing automation, such as emails and SMS triggered by actions.

The general consensus from finance professionals is that finance businesses should be keeping up with trends and investing time and money into AI and automation.

This advice often comes with a caution to tread carefully, start slow, and build up with automation.

Consider the tasks that are repetitive and undesirable for humans but high impact in terms of the problems they solve or time saved.

While most people are trying to stick to their New Year’s resolutions, marketers like myself are strategizing how to set their organizations up for success in 2024.

Part of our strategizing is figuring out what roles, if any, we should hire for and who would be the best fit.

You’ve come to the right blog if your business is in the same boat. I sat down with a couple of professionals, gathered data from our 2024 State of Marketing Report, and now I’m ready to tell you the top three roles marketers plan to hire in 2024

Without further delay, let’s explore why those three roles matter, according to experts.

The Top 3 Roles Marketing Leaders Plan to Hire in 2024

1. Content Creator

According to our 2024 State of Marketing Report, content creator is the number one role marketing leaders are hiring for in 2024, with 26% of marketing leaders planning on hiring content creators this year.

This doesn‘t surprise me at all, considering how integral content marketing has become to most brand’s strategies.

“The demand for content across all the different digital channels is enormous,” says Taylor Corrado, senior director of brand for Wistia.

She says, “Marketers feel like they need to be the best across everything from TikTok and podcasts to their blog and events, both virtual and in person.”

Our report also found that 31% of marketers plan to leverage short-form videos in 2024, and 27% plan to leverage influencer marketing.

“Businesses are competing with influencers who are making multiple videos every single day,” Corrado explains. “Today, you really can’t have too many creators on your marketing team.”

Furthermore, a quarter of marketers in our survey say creating content that reflects their brands’ values has become more critical over the last couple of years. 23% say the same about creating personalized content.

In other words, content is king when it comes to marketing. Thus, it makes sense that marketing leaders would look to hire more creators on their teams.

With over 207 million creators making up the global creator economy, what exactly makes a content creator stand out among the noise? What are marketing leaders looking for when hiring a content creator?

“Depending on the channel they’re looking to grow in, brands are looking for creators that have specific channel expertise, such as Youtubers, Tiktokers, or Podcast personalities,” Corrado says.

She explains, “Brands want someone who has a creative background, whether it be writing, videography, design, or branding.”

And have you ever heard the phrase “Curiosity killed the cat”? Well, the same doesn’t ring true for content creators. Corrado tells me curiosity is crucial to content creators looking to be hired by brands.

“Curiosity can really drive understanding of an audience’s pain points and interests that you can connect with them on through your content and channels,” she says.

Corrado also says agency experience is always welcome if you’re a creator looking for opportunities.

“You’ve worked with many different brands and projects, you’ve likely worked under pressure and specific constraints, and you can pivot between different creative needs easily,” she says.

2. Content Strategist

Content strategists and content creators are like mac and cheese — you can’t have one without the other. So, I can see why almost as many marketing leaders (23%) plan to hire content strategists as they do creators.

“The content creator is making engaging, relevant content,” Corrado says. “The content strategist deeply understands the audience they’re trying to reach and what the content creator should be making for them.”

In other words, if the creator generates the content, the content strategist ensures the content aligns with the brand‘s values, tone, goals, and the target consumers’ needs.

So, what makes a good content strategist? Well, for one, an excellent strategist must have outstanding analytical skills because the role requires tracking the success of the brand’s content to make data-driven decisions.

A great content strategist is also familiar with using different tools to track their content’s progress. That said, what metrics are content strategists monitoring in 2024?

According to our survey, 41% of marketing professionals say sales is the most important metric to track when measuring the success of their content marketing strategy.

Behind sales are web traffic (32%), social engagement (29%), conversion rate (28%), and lead generation (27%).

So, if content strategists map out the content marketing campaign strategy, and creators craft the content, who figures out the distribution? Well, that’s where the following role comes in.

3. Content Marketing Manager

The third most prominent role marketing leaders will hire for in 2024 is content marketing manager, with 21% of leaders saying they plan to fill that role this year, according to our survey.

“The content marketing manager is thinking about distribution,” Corrado says. “How do I get this engaging content to our target audience?”

Talkwalkers’s Content Marketing Manager, Daniel Seavers, told me two reasons brands need a content marketing manager in 2024.

“First, generative AI is reshaping the world of content marketing,” he says. “The good news? Everyone can create content at the touch of a button. The bad news? Everyone can create content at the touch of a button.”

For example, Seavers says writers can churn out content much faster thanks to AI, but it means consumers will be swamped with underwhelming AI-generated content.

“It will be harder than ever for brands to be noticed in a sea of ‘meh,’” he explains.

He says, “This makes the role of Content Marketing Manager more critical than ever. You need someone who knows when to activate AI and when to let the human voice take over.”

Seaver tells me content marketing managers can do things generative AI can’t, such as adding genuine thought leadership, unique insights, and well-resourced facts.

“They can produce the quality over quantity that will ultimately engage consumers,” he says.

This brings us to the second reason why so many marketing leaders want to hire content marketing managers in 2024. With AI helping to produce content faster than in previous years, buyers consume more content than ever.

And that content is directly impacting their buying decisions.

“To own the buying decision, brands need someone who lives and breathes their consumers,” Seavers tells me. “Someone who knows them better than any computer could.”

He says a good content marketing manager will know where your buyers are searching, whether on your site, third-party blogs, social media posts, reviews, or elsewhere.

“They will then be so connected with your consumers that they can shape a strategy that hits that buyer landscape with engaging, original, thought-provoking content that meets every pain point,” he says. “In a way that resonates and encourages people to buy.”

Seavers explains, “Whether that’s through social listening or other data-driven techniques, building those genuine consumer connections will help put the wind in your brand sails/sales and navigate you through that ‘meh’ sea.”

Ultimately, you know what‘s best for your business needs. Carefully look at your team’s current strengths, and aim to identify a role to help fill the gaps.

However, remember that almost a third of marketing professionals (29%) will leverage content marketing in 2024.

So, if you want to remain competitive, ensure your content marketing team has excellent creators, strategists, and marketing managers in its ranks.

Here’s a confession: If someone asked me how I was able to land two of the most exciting full-time marketing roles in my career, my first instinct would have been to say that I was just “lucky.”

A second later, though, I’d be much fairer to myself and admit that I was able to make the hiring manager interested in learning more about me. When you apply for an open role, this first impression usually happens when you send in your resume over email.

The biggest hurdle? Standing out among other applicants in the hiring manager’s inbox.

As I’ve been self-employed for over four years now, the last time I applied for any full-time role was years before ChatGPT came to the market.

Still, I wondered if AI is capable of creating an email that would be compelling and personal and, therefore, has the potential to intrigue a hiring company. Also, how much information would I have to include in my prompt to get a satisfactory outcome? I tested three different prompts to see — here’s what I learned.

Table of Contents

• What is a job application email?
• How to Write a Job Application Email
• What ChatGPT Wrote For Me
• Writing My Own Job Application Email

What is a job application email?

A job application email is a formal email sent to a recruiter or a hiring manager by someone who’s seeking employment. It aims to express interest in a specific position and to share relevant information on the applicant’s skills and experience.

How to Write a Job Application Email

1. Add a relevant subject line.

On top of applications from candidates, the hiring manager receives tens of other emails every single day.

And while you have no control over how much communication they receive, you can do a lot to boost your job application email visibility.

“Make your intentions clear in the subject line,” says Robert Kaskel, chief people officer at Checkr.“Mention it’s an application, the role in question, and your name. Also, remember that most email providers only display 20-30 characters of subject line text in the recipient’s inbox.”

Kaskel also underlines that you should steer clear of any “clickbait-y” text.

“Nor should you try to create a sense of urgency by using words like ‘Urgent,’ ‘Immediate,’ or ‘Time-sensitive.’ These tactics might work for marketers, but they’re more likely to alienate and irritate a recruiter who may view them as deceptive,” he said.

2. Adjust your tone of voice to the company.

As a marketer, you know that brands use a different tone of voice. Some are more relaxed than others. If you want to stand out from other applicants, try to use a tone of voice that matches the company you’re applying to.

Take a look at the job ad. Is it written in a friendly, humorous manner, or is it super professional? Write your email copy in a way that shows you ‘get’ their communication style.

This is especially important when applying for marketing positions. After all, an ability to adjust to a brand’s tone of voice is something to be expected from marketing pros. Right?

3. Keep it short and relevant.

Whenever I scroll through LinkedIn, the amount of people who apply for a job never fails to amaze me. There are hundreds of applicants within a few hours after posting a job ad. The job market has gotten incredibly competitive.

That said, recruiters have to go through tons of LinkedIn messages and emails. Their time is limited, so keep your email short and to the point.

Make sure that your opening paragraph is catchy. If you make it blunt and irrelevant, the recruiters won’t bother reading the rest.

Kimberley Tyler-Smith, executive at Resume Worded, says, “As a recruiter who‘s seen thousands of applications cross my desk, I can tell you one thing for sure: the generic, formulaic emails blur into a monotonous hum. But the ones that truly stand out? They’re the ones that tell a story.”

A story sparks curiosity, Tyler-Smith notes.

“A well-crafted story hooks me in, making me want to know more about the person behind the words. It‘s no longer just a resume on a screen. It’s a glimpse into your unique journey, your motivations, and your potential.

It reveals your passion, your humor, your resilience — all the qualities that make you, well, you. And in a world of faceless applications, authenticity is gold,” Tyler-Smith says.

She also says that it shows you’re a great fit for the company.

“A story that connects your experiences to the specific role and company paints a vivid picture of why you’re not just qualified, but perfectly suited for the job,” adds Tyler-Smith.

4. Include a personal salutation.

Starting your job application email with “Dear Sir/Madam” or “Dear Hiring Team” isn’t the best way to make a good first impression.

If the recruitment manager isn’t listed in the job ad, find out who is responsible for hiring in this specific company. It might require some digging, but it will be worth the effort.

The majority of candidates won’t bother to find out the person’s name, and if you do, you will stand out.

5. Attach your CV and label it correctly.

Remember to attach your CV to your email; if you forget to do it, high chances are your application will be ignored. Also, make sure it’s correctly labeled.

Daniel Kroytor, the founder of TailoredPay, explains why this is so important. “It is not unusual for a job application email to include attachments, but what many do not consider are their labels, and this is why they should look at them carefully before sending,” he says.

He adds that “it is important to remember that you are not the only person who is inquiring about a job opportunity, which means that potential employers will receive dozens if not hundreds of documents, and if they are mislabeled, they could be disregarded or cause HR headaches.”

Max Wesman, founder and COO at GoodHire, further emphasizes the importance of email attachments. He sees them as the most important element of a job application.

Wesman says that “not only do you need to attach the right documents, but they also need to be neatly designed, well-written, and free of any mistakes.”

Attachments allow you to attach documents and add information outside of the basic application format. Wesman notes, “So make sure to attach any fun, interesting, or qualifying documents that can help your case.”

6. Include a personalized section on why you fit the company.

Avoid statements like “I have years of experience” if you aren’t planning to prove how it ties with the company you’re applying to in the next couple of sentences.

Each sentence should help the hiring manager assess how exactly your presence could contribute to the business.

For example, if you’re applying for a social media manager position, you could share a story of a successful campaign that you came up with the idea for and how many leads or sales it generated.

Gianluca Ferruggia, general manager at DesignRush, has a great take on this, saying that candidates should showcase not only their professionalism but also their personal brand.

“This isn‘t simply about using formal language; it’s more about the way a candidate presents their capabilities and achievements. Relating past experiences to the job’s requirements helps connect their history with the future role,” Ferruggia notes.

Ferruggia says that the “personal” touch can be, as mentioned above, a company project example or even a professional value that you and the company both share. This will help set your application apart.

“It leaves an impression that the candidate is both proficient in their field and has done their homework, fitting seamlessly into the organization’s culture and vision,” Ferruggia says.

What ChatGPT Wrote Me

It’s time to have some fun! I’ve decided to run a little experiment to see if ChatGPT could be of any help when it comes to writing job application emails.

I used three different prompts to see how they would impact the output. Here is what I got.

Version 1

The prompt: “Could you please write me a job application email for a Content Strategist position at Swooped?”

ChatGPT’s Output

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What I Think

It wasn’t an epic fail, given how generic the prompt was, but it wasn’t great either. First of all, it’s too long. The information about the work experience and achievements isn’t detailed enough. It doesn’t include any specific numbers.

For example, instead of just saying, “I successfully developed and executed content strategies that significantly increased brand visibility and engagement,” it could say, “I successfully developed and executed content strategies that boosted organic traffic by 50%.” This sounds a lot more impressive.

The tone of voice is a bit bland. Swooped has a friendly and relaxed communication style, but — to be fair — ChatGPT 3.5 couldn’t know it, as I didn’t mention it in the prompt, and it has no access to the company’s website.

Also, some information, such as “I am particularly impressed by Swooped’s commitment to innovation and its dynamic approach to content marketing,” seems to be made up. I didn’t tell ChatGPT that Swooped was innovative.

On a positive note, it suggested a relevant subject line. It included all elements that should appear in a job application email, like a personalized salutation, info about previous experience, a resume, and thanks for the consideration.

Overall, I could potentially treat it as a first draft.

Version 2

The prompt: Write me an email for a job application as the Content Strategist at Swooped. Suggest a professional email subject line. Mention that I have five years of experience as a content marketer in the B2B industry. Use a professional but friendly tone of voice. Keep it within 120 words.”

ChatGPT’s Output

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What I Think

This time, I added more details to the prompt. Is the result much better? I don’t think so. The email is a lot shorter, which is good. Even though I asked for a more friendly tone of voice, it seems like it doesn’t differ from the first version – it’s still more on the formal side. Again, some of the information it uses is fictional.

What surprised me is that it used “Dear Hiring Manager” this time, instead of a manager’s name. The verdict? I would still have to put in quite a lot of work before sending it. It’s simply too generic and looks like an email that I could send to any company. It calls for a lot more personalization.

Version 3

For the third version, I decided to give ChatGPT a very detailed brief, based on Swooped’s real-life job ad on LinkedIn.

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The prompt: “Write me an email for a job application as the Content Strategist at Swooped. Suggest a professional email subject line. Take into consideration the following job requirements:

• A minimum of 3 years of work experience in a content marketing role across a variety of industry verticals.
• Proficiency in project management and project scheduling programs such as Asana.
• Familiarity with Ahrefs, Google Search Console, or other SEO tools.
• A persistent curiosity about how to improve processes or explore new tools.
• The propensity to view change as an opportunity.
• The courage to ask questions, make suggestions, and never settle for going with the flow when it doesn’t make sense to you.
• Published content and/or regular contributions to industry blogs and websites.

And my experience:

• I have five years of experience as a content marketer in the B2B industry.
• Increased organic traffic for my recent company by 75%.
• I was responsible for producing different content formats, including blog articles, reports, case studies, and landing page copy.
• I effectively managed and mentored a team of 3 content writers.

Use a professional, but friendly tone of voice. Keep it within 150 words. The hiring manager’s name is Nataly.”

ChatGPT Output

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What I Think

I like how all the information I’ve provided made it into the email, both those about the company’s requirements as well as those that relate to my experience.

The length of the email is slightly over the requested 150 words, but — since this isn’t a LinkedIn or Twitter post and I don’t have a character limit when sending an email — this isn’t an issue.

Unfortunately, I am still unhappy with the tone of voice. While the copy is professional, it’s too formal. I don’t see the “friendliness” I’ve asked for anywhere.

I feel that I would receive a very similar output even if I didn’t ask for the copy to be written in a friendly tone of voice.

All in all, while the contents of the email don’t require any more personalization, in my opinion, it doesn’t feel personal and calls for a rewrite.

This brings me to the next section.

Writing My Own Job Application Email

After reviewing all three versions of the email, I decided to write my own.

I refrained from any ChatGPT ideas and just wrote what, based on my experiences, felt like something that could grab the hiring manager’s interest.

Subject line: Saw you’re looking for a Content Strategist

Hi Nataly,

I saw you’re searching for a Content Strategist, and I might be the perfect fit. I have five years of experience as a content marketer in the B2B industry, with recruitment and HR being one of my areas of expertise.

During my time as a content team member, I have:

• Helped grow organic traffic to the company’s website by 75%
• Managed a team of 3 content writers
• Produced a variety of different content formats, including blog posts, landing page copy, reports, and case studies.

I am familiar with all the tools mentioned in the position — I used Asana to manage content marketing projects, and I can’t imagine my life without Ahrefs anymore! I also feel that I’d be a good culture fit for the company. I constantly look for ways to optimize my work, and I’m not afraid to share my opinion.

My resume is in the attachment.

I’d love to jump on a call to learn more about the role and see if we’d be a good fit.

Best regards,

[Name]

What I Did Here

I decided to start with a to-the-point email subject line, which mentions the role I’m interested in but skips the brand name.

In my opinion, naming the company in the email topic isn’t essential when emailing the hiring manager or an internal recruiter. After all, they aren’t hiring for anyone else but their company, unlike recruitment agencies.

Before writing the message itself, I checked on LinkedIn who the hiring manager is and featured their name in the salutation to make it feel more personal. It’s also a subtle signal that I did my research before applying for the job.

Throughout the email, I used a relaxed, friendly tone of voice, as that’s how the brand communicates on its website. This can make my application feel much more relatable and make me look like a potentially good fit for the team.

As far as length is concerned, I kept the copy fairly short. I addressed a few of the key requirements and relevant experiences, without overwhelming the hiring manager with information. To catch their attention, I used a couple of numbers to demonstrate my skills and ability to manage a team.

My goal for the email was to focus on my personality and work ethics, as these often determine whether you’re going to be a good fit for the company in the long run.

To sum up, while the output from ChatGPT was decent in certain areas, I feel that I would still decide to apply with my own email, written from scratch. You can use AI output for inspiration, but if you truly want to stand out, dedicate some time to writing a genuine message that has that inimitable, human “feel.”

Humans vs. AI

I think that this battle has been won by a human.

Was this a fair fight? Probably not entirely because ChatGPT3.5 didn’t have access to the same information that I did.

Unless I provided enough details about the position and the company I was applying to, it wouldn’t be able to generate a job application email appealing enough to the hiring manager. The copy was too generic.

To give it some credit — ChatGPT did pretty well with email structure, incorporating all necessary elements.

It seems handy for creating the first draft. While further personalization is essential, deciding on the structure to ensure the right flow is probably the hardest aspect, and it got it right.

Should you use ChatGPT to write your marketing job application emails? Absolutely! Just make sure to personalize the output before hitting send.

Have fun experimenting.

Welcome to HubSpot’s Expert Edge Series, where we interview top execs at major brands to explore their perspectives on the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the industry.

 

Earlier this month, Google Chrome took another step in its plans to phase-out third-party cookies.

And yet HubSpot Blog Research reports that 83% of marketers are still leveraging third-party cookies in some capacity.

I get it – it takes time to shift both mindset and strategies. And change can be scary.

But when I spoke with Steve Yap, Google’s Head of Google Marketing Platform – Americas, he expressed his enthusiasm and excitement for the future of advertising.

“We’re at this inflection point, and we are working across the industry to rebuild advertising as we know it,” Yap says. “We will redefine it, and we’ll do so with a consumer-centered, privacy-forward viewpoint and perspective — and that’s pretty motivating.”

Here, I spoke with Yap to explore what the current data privacy landscape looks like, how marketers can build consumer trust with first-party data, and the role of AI in a cookie-free world. Let’s dive in.

A Consumer-Focused Marketing Strategy Needs Privacy at the Forefront

Privacy has become a top concern for most consumers.

Not only are 81% of consumers worried about how companies use their personal data, but 72% say they’re more likely to buy from companies they trust with it.

Which makes privacy a vital pillar of your new advertising strategy.

As Yap puts it, “Marketers have always done a great job of addressing consumer needs. And right now, consumers need to feel like their data is being respected, and that the one-to-one relationship between a consumer and a brand is being valued by the company.”

Yap and Google certainly aren’t the only ones thinking about how brands can help consumers feel safer online. Way back in 2022, our own CMO, Kipp Bodnar, shared the same sentiments in this post.

Fortunately, consumer privacy is not at odds with your goals as a marketer — far from it. Focusing on building more meaningful relationships with your customers for the long haul will ultimately allow you to collect first-party data in a privacy-first way, unlocking more accurate insights.

First-Party Data Leads to More Meaningful Insights on Your Consumers

Consumers are more willing to provide their data when they feel it’s being exchanged for value.

Consider airlines. If an airline asks you which hotels you typically frequent, or which car rental companies you prefer, you might be more open to providing that information because you recognize the value that is being exchanged for your information.

Providing this data makes your travel experiences easier and more efficient, and that you trust this brand to protect your online privacy.

The same can be said for SaaS businesses. Yap provided me with a few quick tips when it comes to building first-party data. As he told me:

• Everything needs to anchor back to your business goals. What are your business objectives? What are your marketing objectives? What do you hope to achieve through those objectives? Once you understand these fundamentals, you can begin to see which data will provide the most value to your business.
• Be transparent with your consumers. Explaining the value your consumer will receive in exchange for their information and why you’re collecting the data in the first place is critical for building trust. Consumers should feel confident that your brand has disclosed why and how you plan to use their data.
• Empower your consumers with clear data settings. Consumers want to know that if they want to adjust their preferences on how their data is used, they have clear ways to change their data settings or turn them off altogether.

People want to feel both valued and safe. And it’s these principles that help build brand trust and will ultimately make consumers more likely to buy from you.

AI Will Be the Vehicle that Accelerates Us Through a Cookie-Free World

When considering how marketers can effectively launch and measure consumer-first advertising strategies, one thing becomes clear: They won’t be able to do it without the help of AI.

As Yap told me, “We’re at an inflection point where many signals and strategies will change without individual identifiers available. Modeling will become even more important to make up the signal loss. Fortunately, AI is perfectly suited to do just that.”

Advertising and AI go hand in hand. Today, advertising is all about generating value for your audiences, and building data responsibly while consistently learning and distilling it into actionable insights. Then, AI enables you to do all of that at-scale.

“Ultimately, I believe AI will be the bridge to the future of advertising without third-party cookies. And that future is approaching soon,” Yap told me.

Adapting Early Will Keep You Far Ahead

Yap encourages all marketers to begin exploring the power of AI in their data strategies today to get a sense of what performance will look like in a post-cookie world.

He says ultimately, “Marketers need to shift their mindsets to understand that we’re now operating in a completely new environment, and innovation and creativity will be key.”

Yap acknowledges that shifting strategies and investing in AI could require some learning curves – but in the long-run, investing in these adjustments today is the way to achieve higher returns.

“AI will also greatly increase efficiency. And when you think about efficiency and spend — the concept of doing more with less — I think marketers will become much more efficient in terms of where they spend their dollar, and how far their dollar goes,” he says.

2024 Will Be The Year Where We Reimagine the Advertising Industry

Finally, I asked Yap what he’s most excited about when it comes to data privacy, advertising, and AI.

He told me, “I was at DoubleClick when we first started the ad server and have been on this journey for quite some time. So what really excites me? This concept about reimagining an entire industry that was born in my lifetime — that we all helped build and grow and made into a viable channel for millions of companies and employees and creative outlets.”

“If you take a moment and close your eyes and think about the impact [advertising has had], and then say I get to be part of its rebuilding,” he explains. “Now, you’re an agent of transformation, and an architect, and you have to be creative.”

“You are no longer bound by the structures that once guided you in this industry,” Yap concludes. “Now, you actually have to think completely outside-the-box and say, ‘What about this? Why can’t we do this?’ And then vet all of those different avenues that are afforded to you. And you‘ll do so powered by the most life-changing technology that we’re going to see in our lifetimes with AI.”

While the shift away from third-party cookies will be challenging to many marketers, it’s also a major opportunity to lean into leveraging data to create more meaningful long-term relationships with our customers.

Which is really what marketing is all about, anyway.