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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.

Born in the digital age, “Inbound Marketing” is nearing its 20th birthday. HubSpot Co-founder Brian Halligan coined the term in 2005 because the internet has forever changed buyers’ journeys.

As recently as 2008, influential marketers were using inbound marketing to describe drawing in customers instead of outbound mass marketing.

As recently as 2008, influential marketers were using inbound marketing to describe drawing in customers instead of outbound mass marketing. 

In his article “Dawn of the Inbound Marketing Agency,” Paul Roetzer explained how wired PR firms, digital PR firms, and Internet PR firms will redefine the industry and give birth to a new category of agency — the inbound marketing agency.

While every inbound marketing agency is slightly different, they have one thing in common: a focus on helping businesses attract customers by creating helpful content. So, what do today’s inbound marketing agencies look like? And what work are they doing in the current marketing landscape? Let’s explore!

What do inbound marketing agencies do?

16 Top Inbound Marketing Agencies

Inbound marketing agencies help businesses position themselves as experts with helpful content that makes it easy for customers to find them.

By tailoring content to buyer needs, companies using inbound strategies can harness the power of the know-like-trust factor to generate sales over time.

Most inbound strategies fall under three main categories: attract, engage, and delight.

So, what strategies do inbound marketing agencies perform? It depends largely on the company and the audience and industries they serve. While not every agency offers the same services, here’s an outline of some top strategies used by today’s agencies.

PPC Ads

While PPC ads may sound like an outbound strategy because they are hyper-targeted and typically based on specific search patterns or behaviors, they are an inbound strategy. 

Many inbound marketing agencies recommend using them to drive traffic to free or low-cost resources and generate leads. 

Content Marketing

Content marketing is a cornerstone of inbound marketing strategies. It refers to creating a wide variety of content — video, audio, blog, and social media — that isn’t super promotional but delivers valuable information to attract potential customers and create interest in your products or services. 

Some inbound marketing agencies also put other types of content — like case studies, use cases, and one-pagers — under the content marketing umbrella.

Web Design and Development

HubSpot’s CMS Hub makes it easy to build websites. However, top inbound marketing agencies also have design and development skills to push your new site over the top. Since your site is an important part of your inbound funnel, optimizing it for conversion is essential. 

Case Studies and Use Cases

These types of content show results and illustrate the potential outcome or transformation your prospects may experience working with you. Where case studies refer to specific client projects, use cases speak to possible client outcomes. 

Both goals are to build trust with potential customers so they speak up, saying, “I want that, too!”

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing isn’t just about pushing content out to customers. It’s also about engaging with them. The best digital marketing and inbound agencies help with strategies for generating leads through social media content, boosting conversions, and creating an excellent customer experience.

Persona Development

Because so many inbound marketing strategies rely on delivering the right message to the right audience at the right time, audience research and persona development are critical. 

By getting granular about who your audience is, their problems, and how they view your solution, you can get insights into the type of content and messaging that will help them make buying decisions.

Podcast and Video Production

While audio and video content also fall under content marketing, many inbound marketing agencies consider them a separate service because they require different types of production than written content.

Due to their very nature, podcasts and videos help prospects build the know, like, and trust factor faster than written content alone, even if you’re repurposing your content.

Email Marketing

Your email list is a potential goldmine for your business. While you don’t have 100% control over who opens or clicks, people have asked to be on your list, which means they want to hear from you.Your email list is a potential goldmine for your business. While you don’t have 100% control over who opens or clicks, people have asked to be on your list, which means they want to hear from you.

By using this opportunity to deliver helpful, relevant content to them, email marketing makes it easier to convert lookers into buyers.

Marketing Automation

Marketing automation is all about automating repetitive tasks and using audience segmentation to deliver highly personalized content to your audience. 

Many inbound marketing agencies, including HubSpot partners, specialize in helping businesses with marketing automation, including email marketing, email drip sequences, lead scoring, SMS messaging, and CRM updates. With dozens of tools available, it’s all about finding the right software for your needs.

Online Events

Virtual events are one of the most effective strategies for inbound marketing. Why? They give you a way to deliver value to clients or prospects while growing your email list at the same time.  

Inbound marketing agencies can help you develop an event and nurture strategy to convert prospects and strengthen relationships with your growing customer base.

Influencer Marketing

People have always bought things that other people like. It’s a no brainer when you think about it. We’re more likely to buy something a friend recommends than a random product. It’s why Oprah’s favorite things always sell out. 

And influencer marketing keeps growing as Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms turn it into bigger business every year. Not every agency focuses on influencer marketing. However, some of today’s most successful agencies help their clients connect with influencers who can help their products go viral. 

Chatbots

Wondering about chatbots? Anytime you go to a site that has automated messaging, you’re interacting with a chatbot. They’re smart programs that streamline customer communications and help you build relationships. So if you’ve tried to return a product on Amazon, contacted Zoom’s customer service, or used the little chat window to ask questions about a business, you’ve interacted with a chatbot.

Not all chatbots are equal, however. And that’s why it’s such a valuable strategy for inbound marketing agencies to offer and support. Done right, chatbots can help you create superfans.

Done wrong, it’s the pre-AI equivalent of jamming 0 on your phone’s keypad or shouting “representative” over and over at the robotic automated phone response.  

Now that you know what inbound marketing looks like, you’re probably wondering about some inbound marketing agencies whose work we admire. Here are 17 that are doing great things! 

1. Ready North

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Initially founded in 2005 as PR 20/20, this inbound marketing agency was HubSpot’s first agency partner and the first to introduce Point Pricing. Founder Paul Roetzer, whose article we referenced above, recently launched a sister company, the Marketing AI Institute, with a mission of helping marketers use AI to gain a competitive advantage in their fields. 

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What we admire: Besides being a long-time HubSpot Partner, they’ve always pushed the envelope on what is possible. And with the new Marketing AI Institute, Roetzer and his team are clearly thought leaders in marketing.

2. 11outof11

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11outof11 is an award-winning inbound agency out of Philadelphia. With Angela Pointon at the helm, they strive for an 11 out of 11 every time—also the agency’s name. It’s not just that they’re really good at marketing…

“What sets us apart is our insane project management capabilities. It’s one of those things clients don’t know to ask about, but if they’ve ever worked with an agency who is not focused on project management, they know it! Our clients appreciate our ability to plan ahead,” says Angela Pointon, president of 11outof11.

What we admire: Their name is brilliant, as is their approach to client management.

3. SmartBug Media

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SmartBug is a growing agency named to the Inc. 5000 list seven years in a row. SmartBug is on the rise for a reason. They have dozens of case studies highlighting the massive results they help their clients get.

What we admire: Their whole vibe is fun, and they’ve been remote since before remote was cool.

4. Media Junction

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With an impressive client roster, Media Junction is well-known for building gorgeous, highly functional sites for companies in the midmarket sector using HubSpot’s CMS Hub. 

However, they’ve also worked with small businesses and enterprise organizations, building anything people need in HubSpot. Most importantly, everything they do, they do well, with incredible design and development capabilities, as shown on their recent website re-launch, as well as their portfolio. 

“What sets Media Junction apart are our technical capabilities in HubSpot and our unrelenting dedication to being darn good humans,” says Dylan Wickliffe, vice president of growth at Media Junction.

What we admire: Everything about Media Junction screams competent, creative, and professional — and their website is at the next level.

5. Impulse Creative

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Impulse Creative’s team calls itself wayfinders, helping companies prepare for their next growth phase by focusing on inbound results. Beyond that, they lean heavily into operations to help clients generate growth.

“As a services organization, we look at all the factors when helping our clients be successful. It’s never just a website, just a lead gen strategy, just a customer portal, or just a HubSpot implementation,” says Juli Durante, vice president of operations at the agency. “We want to know how each of these pieces fits within the strategic, operational whole.”

What we admire: Impulse’s operational focus sets them apart from their competition. However, we also love their thought leadership on generative AI, especially their pillars of disclosing, verifying, and informing so everyone can be successful. 

6. Lean Labs

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Their homepage makes a big promise —  “Growth and profit, guaranteed.” At Lean Labs, it’s more than a promise. They have the stats and results to back it up, with case studies and testimonials that show how the magic happens.

What’s more, as the creators of Sprocket Rocket, Lean Labs is leading the charge to help companies build HubSpot websites without significant website design know-how.

What we admire: Lean Labs is bold and results-focused, and that stands out.

7. 9 Clouds

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Businesses turn to 9 Clouds for help generating leads online while saving time and making the most of marketing dollars. What sets 9 Clouds apart is their focus on being a marketing ally, working with their clients’ teams. They help clients take advantage of upcoming trends, including voice search optimization, video growth, and a push toward quality content over high quantities.

“With so much content published every day, I think brands will focus on quality content published less often using more authentic storytelling and emphasizing who they are as a brand,” says Brittany Reith, marketing manager at 9 Clouds.

What we admire: Their focus on partnership and being an ally in their clients’ success.

8. Stream Creative

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Based in Milwaukee, WI, Stream Creative has made a name for itself as an exceptional inbound marketing agency for industrial and fire service manufacturing and cybersecurity.

Driven by data, processes, and growth while adding a dose of midwestern friendliness while specializing in all aspects of inbound marketing.

“We are real people who value a hard day’s work and collaborative relationships. We’re from the Midwest — it’s kind of our thing. Heck, even our shirts have blue collars. More than that, we’re creative thinkers and problem-solvers who make mixtapes about process, strategic writing, technology, and design trends,” says Jeff Coon, partner at Stream Creative.

What we admire: Yes, Stream Creative is no-nonsense and focuses on creating tailored strategies for customer needs, but they’re also real humans who are always looking ahead to upcoming trends.

9. Hive Strategy

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Colorado-based Hive Strategy is about flawless execution in marketing to humans. They have an easy-to-use pricing calculator based on factors unique to each business, including size, goals, and priorities, so prospects can get an idea of what their retainer or marketing plan might cost and include.

With plenty of case studies available, it’s easy to see how their skillset translates into results. Plus, their branding is on point.

What we admire: In marketing, so many focus on the numbers (which is important), but we like Hive’s focus on helping organizations become more human. 

10. New Breed

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As an agency serving over 200 businesses with over 400 5-star customer reviews, New Breed is focused on inbound marketing for technology, consulting, and business services.

What we admire: New Breed brings operations, sales, and marketing together under a single roof.

11. Growgetter

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Growgetter primarily focuses on helping clients turn up the heat with a focus on experience management, consumer insights, and customer experience.

With an eye to the future, Growgetter is paying close attention to the way the business world sees attribution modeling, especially as data privacy and cookie policies evolve, making it more critical for marketers to think out of the box in how they measure digital campaign success.

“We believe in using a data-driven approach to building efficient marketing engines that drive repeatable and measurable growth. This reliance on data allows us to experiment more and constantly unlock new growth opportunities,” says Jenn Mancusi, CEO and co-founder of Growgetter.io.

What we admire: Growgetter is thinking ahead of the curve with their experimentation and new ideas.

12. Pixated

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Pixated, a UK-based inbound agency, prides itself on being a performance marketing and web design specialist without all the agency fluff. Working with B2B and B2C companies, they serve diverse and eclectic clients, delivering high-quality digital experiences to enhance their brands and boost their ROIs from online channels.

“We are utterly performance-driven — with no time whatsoever for vanity metrics. We only take on clients we genuinely believe we can help and are in it for the long haul. And this philosophy works—because our clients trust us to deliver in the long term,” says Arham Khan, co-founder of Pixated.

What we admire: Pixated’s bold performance-driven approach and pricing means they have skin in the game.

13. Origin 63

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Origin 63 specializes in HubSpot implementation and change management, primarily serving SaaS and manufacturing teams ready to consolidate their tech stack. In their experience, a successful HubSpot migration is 50% implementation and 50% adoption, so they’re on a mission to enable team adoption of their tailored HubSpot solutions.

“We are all talking about AI — HubSpot released half a dozen AI tools. But what agency owners need to be thinking about is not how their clients are going to use these tools, but how AI will help them to gain a competitive advantage,” says Samantha Anderson, CEO  of Origin 63. “Moving forward, those who embrace AI in unique and innovative ways are going to build the space for their organization to do higher-level strategic work.”

What we admire: Origin 63’s devotion to ensuring operational excellence and adoption is critical for inbound marketing success.

14. Highbrid Media

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Highbrid Media is a self-styled inbound marketing agency with a grassroots soul. With a focus on helping Highbrid climate change NGOs, higher education, and Goldman Sachs, 10,000 Small Business Graduates grow bigger and better businesses through a blend of CRM implementation, sales enablement, and customer training.

“We believe time is perhaps the most valuable resource on the planet, and our goal is to help HubSpot users preserve it.  What sets us apart is we reclaim 30 minutes of time for each of our client’s users every week,” says Juan C. Perez, CEO of Highbrid Media.

What we admire: Highbrid Media is process-driven, focusing on helping people recover their most valuable resource — time.

15. Gravity Global

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Formerly known as Mojo Media Labs — Gravity Global calls itself the world’s most awarded brand to demand marketing consultancy, having won 401 awards in 2022.

With a client list that reads as a who’s who of the Fortune 500, Gravity Global continues in Mojo Media’s impressive footsteps, with the ability to deliver fast setups and implementations, all while delivering results to clients.

What we admire: Gravity Global is doing big things for big companies, and we’re excited for their future.

16. Aptitude 8

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It’s important to know that Aptitude 8 is not an inbound marketing agency because they focus exclusively on tech and implementation, not creative or marketing services.

A huge part of the conversation around inbound marketing should always relate to building a solid tech foundation and implementation. That’s why Aptitude 8 is a company we admire, even though they don’t focus at all on inbound marketing, and instead on optimizing CRM operations with HubSpot and AI.

What we admire: If your tech doesn’t work, your inbound marketing isn’t nearly as effective. And Aptitude 8 has a well-deserved reputation for making sure your CRM supports your efforts.

The Best Inbound Marketing Agencies Drive Growth

The bottom line is that inbound marketing agencies are essential for driving long-term growth, helping businesses create demand and inbound leads that make it easier to close sales. If you’re interested in exploring beyond the basics of inbound marketing, check out our guide to learn more. 

An avalanche of both booked and patient walk-ins is the dream of dental practitioners. But let’s be honest — getting these patients requires hard work because the dental industry is fiercely competitive.

To help you win and bring your dream to fruition, I will discuss the most interesting dental marketing campaigns I’ve seen and highlight what makes them so effective.

I’ll also share some out-of-the-box marketing strategies for growing your dental business. Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

• Dental Marketing Strategies: 5 Campaigns You Can Learn From
• 4 Dentist Marketing Ideas and How to Execute Them

Dental Marketing Strategies: 5 Campaigns You Can Learn From

Below are the top dental marketing campaigns I’ve discovered — from Google ads to unique website updates. Here’s how these dental offices and companies found success.

1. Increase lead capture with Google Ads.

Google Ads is one of the most effective marketing strategies I’ve seen dental companies use. Beyond helping to create brand awareness, Google Ads lets you generate leads fast.

Case in point: Smile Doctors.

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Smile Doctors started in 2015, and in the first few years, the brand had minimal brand recognition. To connect with people who may need its orthodontic services, they used Google Ads, and I’ll tell you why.

From my experience, marketing channels like SEO take time to bring results — often six and up to nine months to attract just traffic.

Waiting for results wasn’t in the best interest of Smile Doctors. As a business with offices across the U.S., Smile Doctors needed country-wide brand awareness to get clients across their branches.

Embarking on a Google Ad campaign was an easy (though costly) choice to get people searching for dental services in each location.

Part of the campaign included the creation of customized landing pages aligned with each ad campaign. The brand also created many location-specific landing pages.

In fact, as of the time of this writing, Smile Doctors has 269 location-specific landing pages. Here’s an example.

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With the landing pages set up, they conducted research to find commercial and transactional keywords. They also did competitor analysis and found and bid on many location-based keywords.

The campaign was massive, and insights from SpyFu show they may have invested over $13,000 per month in Google Ads.

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Here are a few of their ads.

Overall, these ads got Smile Doctors a 35% increase in conversion rates. Call and form submissions also surged by 73%.

The icing on the cake is the incredible increase in online brand awareness — going from a mere 252 monthly visits in 2016 to 62,115 visits in 2023.

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My Takeaway

Google Ads can get you results, but it’s best when you pair it with customized landing pages. These pages have the potential to rank organically, causing you to attract organic traffic and possibly help you cut your Google Ad costs.

2. Increase organic website visits and qualified leads with a targeted SEO campaign.

Customers will always appreciate your willingness to direct them. Once you can teach them “How to do [insert topic idea],” you will stand out and become an industry authority.

The Klement Family Dental (KFD) knew this about SEO and went all-in on it.

Before they got aggressive with SEO, they had a one-page dental website with subpar copy and no blog.

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Fast forward to 2024, the website has a new look with lots of pages, resources, and clear calls to action.

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Their strategy? A combination of content marketing, on-page, off-page, and technical SEO.

Some of the technical SEO boxes they checked off include having a sitemap and optimized site architecture, which looks like this:

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A practical example is their “dental services” top-level navigation. Hovering on it shows the next-level menu, which has yet another category.

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This website structure is a plus for user experience because it reduces the crawl/click depth to three clicks.

That means it takes three clicks for a user to reach the bottom of the architecture (tooth filling, for example) and find what they need.

The outcome? Search engines rank such pages high.

The KFD website also has an informative blog with 171 posts. The traffic value of these posts shows they save up to $40,000 on Google ad costs.

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Besides this saving, what I love even more is their targeting of keywords that have commercial value. For example, their top article about “home remedies for toothaches” brings in 19,000 monthly visitors with a traffic value of $26,800.

The catch with this article? If the home remedy options do not satisfy visitors, they can contact KFD for professional help.

My Takeaway

Implementing SEO and content marketing can unlock the full potential of your dental website. But this duo works even better when you target keywords with high commercial value.

3. Run a reputation management campaign.

A report by B2B SaaS Reviews says 52% of customers consider businesses with an average review rating of four out of five stars suspicious.

Parker Pediatrics and Adolescents, a dental brand, didn’t meet this threshold. The outcome? Patient numbers were taking a hit.

To fix this, they embarked on a reputation management campaign using a two-pronged strategy.

First, they established and optimized business listings primarily focused on Google Reviews. Working on the business listings positioned this dental brand for local SEO success.

This process ensured they had consistent NAP (name, address, phone number) on the internet, which created trust for potential new patients.

The second approach was the simultaneous launch of a Google review solicitation campaign. This helped them generate a steady stream of reviews from actual patients.

Today, when you search for Parker Pediatrics, you see a consistent NAP across listings and a good review page.

The clinic’s average Google Reviews rating underwent a remarkable transformation, going from 3.6 to an impressive 4.2. They’ve also witnessed a 16% increase in new users, according to Cardinal Digital Marketing.

The clinic now boasts over 100 reviews, a testament to the genuine satisfaction of their patients and an accurate reflection of their work.

My Takeaway

Online reviews shape perceptions, especially in healthcare. To attract patients with reviews, always ask your past patients to always leave positive feedback.

More positive feedback helps you dilute the overall impact of any negative review on your brand.

4. Get leads with Facebook Ads.

Smile Design Dentistry (SDD) is a family-owned practice in Florida. Faced with a low number of new patients, the brand embraced Facebook ads as a solution.

Their objectives were to:

• reduce customer acquisition cost.
• increase patient volume while keeping spending stable.
• enhance lead generation and new patient bookings across their 50 locations.

To meet these objectives, Cardinal Digital Marketingworked with SDD to tell video stories, use image carousels, and adopt value-based conversion actions that helped the Facebook algorithm find better prospects.

They also created ads tailored to each location at every stage of the funnel. Plus, the creative planning involved A/B testing assets to achieve the lowest cost per lead (CPL).

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After this campaign, call duration, conversion rates (CVR), and cost per acquisition (CPA) improved. There was also a notable increase in brand search volume, which shows improved brand awareness.

The indicator of success was not just in the efficiency of conversions but in the actual results — an influx of new patients.

My Takeaway

Facebook ads are helpful for patient acquisition. But while you’re at it, watch out for your CVR, CPA, and CPL. If they are too high, you might be doing something wrong. That said, the ultimate barometer for success is more patients.

Quick note: You can connect your ad account to your HubSpot Marketing Automation software to create and manage your Facebook ads directly in HubSpot.

5. Try a website update or refresh.

Dr. Geisca Horn and Dr. Chad Loween run Serene Oaks Dental. Looking at their website homepage, all I see is elegance.

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But it wasn’t always this way.

The site looked like this in March 2016.

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Web archive results show they have redesigned their dentist service website several times.

In fact, the good folks at Roadside Dental Marketing say they redesign their site roughly every 2 to 3 years. And in 2021, they did a complete website makeover.

This is fascinating. Their rationale?

Serene Oaks Dental is not your average dental practice.

Dr. Horn and Loween are trailblazers in cosmetic dentistry who constantly enhance their skills and invest in the latest technology. They are also in a competitive market near Minneapolis, so they need to always stand out to stay ahead.

According to Roadside Dental Marketing, the results of their rebrand were a 72% increase in mobile traffic, a 37.9% surge in total traffic, and a 52.5% boost in average pages per session.

My Takeaway

Your website reflects on your practice. By updating it, you create a great brand perception. This is even more important if you work with patients who want expensive dental services.

4 Dentist Marketing Ideas and How to Execute Them

Here are four dentist marketing ideas you can use to drive traffic and sales opportunities to your dental business.

1. Optimize your Google Business Profile for local search.

“Dentist near me.”

“Dentist in Florida.”

“Best dentist for Invisalign in [state].”

These are local search terms. When patients search for them, Google will return results with profiles in the user’s area.

To win such local clientele, you need to set up or claim your Google Business Profile. Here are some tips for optimizing your profile.

Claim and verify your business.

This is the first step to optimizing your Google Business Profile.

A verified profile adds authenticity to your brand. This reassures visitors they are engaging with a legitimate and established dental practice. Here is how a verified Google profile looks:

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Add images showing the physical location.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and with a dental practice, it’s worth even more. Showcase your clinic, staff, and facilities using high-quality images and videos.

A visual representation of your dental services can help potential patients get a feel for your clinic and set the tone for a positive experience.

Choose relevant categories for your dental service.

Doing this helps your business appear and rank in the right search results. For instance, here’s what I got when I searched for “orthodontist in New York.”

And “oral surgeon New York.”

These results show Google will return results that reflect the category a user wants. So, if you run a specialized practice, clarify this by choosing the right category and emphasizing it in your description.

Optimize your description for local keywords.

Research and identify local keywords for dental services. Think “orthodontist in [location],” “teeth whitening in [location],” etc.

Use these keywords in your profile description, services, and posts to enhance your local search visibility.

2. Bid for transactional and commercial intent keywords.

Both are bottom-of-the-funnel keywords. Customers who search for them are actively seeking to make a purchase or take action — you just need to be there and gain their trust.

From my experience, such keywords may not have lots of traffic potential.

But their commercial value is enormous and bidding for them will be expensive and rewarding. Smile Doctors’ success shows the effectiveness of these high-conversion keywords.

Here are a few ways you can identify these keywords:

• If your dental practice serves a specific location, include location-based terms in your keywords. For example, “dentist near me” or “dental services in [city].”
• Uncover competitor keywords with tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush and target those with the highest commercial value. Keywords related to services, pricing, or transactional actions are good examples.
• Focus on long-tail keywords. These keywords are specific and indicative of user intent. For instance, targeting ‘my tooth hurts’ is a gigantic waste of money. But “my tooth hurts so bad?” That’s a keyword that someone who needs help right away will search for.
• Include phrases that stimulate action in your ad copy. For example, same-day treatment is available and 24-hour emergency dentist.
• Use adjectives that suggest intent, such as “best,” “top-rated,” “affordable,” or “near me.” These modifiers suggest commercial intent, and using them will help refine your keyword list to attract patients.

Recommended reading: The Ultimate Guide to Google Ads [Examples]

3. Create Meta ads (Facebook and Instagram).

Facebook has a global advertising audience of 2.25 billion, and Instagram forecasts 1.44 billion estimated users by 2025. Both platforms offer unparalleled reach and targeting capabilities for paid advertisement.

Below are some Facebook and Instagram ad ideas.

Before and After Images

The visual impact of a transformed smile speaks volumes.

By creating these images, you give potential patients the confidence to use your service. You can try this out with a side-by-side image featuring a client’s smile before and after using your services.

Lifestyle Transformation Display

Highlighting the impact of dental services on lifestyle can resonate deeply. This is as simple as showing happy people with well-aligned and white teeth.

Feature images or videos that capture the newfound confidence and joy your patients experience after fixing their teeth.

Education on Bad Habits

Educational content is highly shareable and can position your dental brand as an authority.

Create visually appealing content that educates people on bad habits affecting their dental health — you’ll get engagement and trust that’ll translate into more patients.

Igniting Pain Points

Addressing pain points associated with dental issues helps you tap into a patient’s emotional triggers. To execute this, you can design image carousels, create videos, feature past clients, and more.

Plus, there are a myriad of issues you can address, like bad breath, tooth pain, decay, smiles that ruin impressions, and yellow teeth.

You can also create behind-the-scenes videos displaying some work being done, the atmosphere, and everything to the final result.

Tips for Facebook and Instagram Ad Success

• Branding: Maintain a consistent brand presence across both platforms to build recognition and trust.
• Use carousel ads: Facebook and Instagram carousel ad formats help you tell a visual transformational story.
• Generate engagement: Create posts that encourage engagement through comments and shares. Facebook’s algorithm rewards content that sparks conversations.
• Use Instagram Reels: Engage your audience with short, entertaining Reels that educate on dental health in a fun and digestible manner. What’s great is that Reels are shareable on Facebook.
• Call-to-action (CTA): Always have clear and compelling CTAs. Whether it’s booking an appointment or learning more about your services, tell the prospective patient the next step.

4. Create TikTok videos.

TikTok is an invaluable tool for dental businesses to connect with a wide demographic.

According to TikTok user research by Backlinko, out of 5.3 billion internet users worldwide, 23% use TikTok. The most interesting part of this data is TikTok’s 1.218 billion ad reach potential.

But newsflash: you don’t need ads to make TikTok work. With organic content, you can get incredible reach and engagement, provided your content is relatable and shows expertise.

Two dentists who use the organic approach on TikTok are @thebracesguy and @veneercheck.

Their numbers and what they do:

	@thebracesguy	@veneercheck
What they share	Educational videos about the use of braces and aligners. Behind-the-scenes videos and client results.	Use celebrity smiles to explain dental concepts
Likes	286.9M	7M
Followers	4,700,000	148, 000
Average views per video	50,000	10,000

Achieving the above feat won’t be easy, but taking a step trumps stagnancy. Here are a few ideas you can implement to establish your brand presence on TikTok.

Before and After Smile Transformations

Create visually striking before-and-after videos showcasing the transformative power of your services. This format will both engage and reinforce the impact of your services and boost confidence.

3D Dental Work and Behind-the-Scenes Content

Offer a glimpse into cutting-edge dentistry by sharing high-quality 3D dental work and behind-the-scenes footage. This content can demystify dental procedures, building trust and appreciation for your services.

Dentist-Patient Conversations

Humanize your practice by featuring authentic interactions between dentists and patients. These conversations can address common concerns and foster a sense of community within your TikTok audience.

Hygiene Tips and Product Recommendations

Educate your audience with hygiene tips and product recommendations. You could create short and informative videos that highlight the importance of dental care practices while subtly promoting your services and endorsed products.

Concerns Your Audience May Have

There is no such thing as excess information or ‘the information is already out there.’ Your audience may want to hear from you.

To figure out their concerns, include a call to action in your videos and ask them to comment about their dental challenges.

Embracing Trends and Engaging Your Audience

There is a popular TikTok trend? Cool! Align it with what you do and make a fun video(s). This ensures your content remains relevant and resonates with the platform’s culture.

Also, respond to comments, ask questions, and encourage user-generated content. Bottom line: Engage with your audience.

Your Next Step as a Dental Practitioner

These marketing campaigns and ideas show you can achieve significant growth right now, while planning for future growth.

To grow right now, you need a substantial PPC or social media advertisement budget. For future growth, you need to consider organic content you can create that won’t only support your ad strategy but also generate traffic in the future.

And if you can execute both at once, that’s even better. You build brand awareness, attract new patients, and generate revenue — this trio will make you smile as a practitioner.

Excel is a powerful spreadsheet program from Microsoft that makes it easy to work with numbers and other values.

While Excel contains a lot of power, it’s also quite useful for simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

In fact, Excel’s simple formulas make it easy to add and subtract numbers and cell values without breaking out a calculator.

How to Use Subtract Function in Excel

Many of Excel’s most powerful capabilities come via the use of functions, which are a kind of predesigned formula.

For example, the SUM function automatically sums or totals a range of cells without you having to manually add each cell to the previous one. 

Unfortunately, there is no SUBTRACT function in Excel. That’s because subtracting is one of the easiest things you can do in a spreadsheet. 

I‘ve found that performing subtraction in Excel is as simple as entering a simple mathematical formula. Excel does the rest. 

The formula for subtracting one number from another starts with an equal sign and looks like this:

=value1 – value2

It doesn’t get much easier than that. You can subtract discrete values or the values contained in individual cells. 

For example, let’s say I want to put an aquarium in my home so I can enjoy tropical fish.

I made a spreadsheet of the different tasks I need to complete and how much I expect each purchase to cost. I then gather the receipts to note what I actually spent. We’ll use subtract to see if my expected costs match reality. 

Step 1: Type an equal sign in a cell.

You subtract numbers and cell values in Excel using a simple formula. In Excel, every formula starts with an equal sign, so position your cursor in the cell where you want to show the solution and enter the following:

=

Step 2: Add the first cell address.

Position the cursor after the equal and either manually enter the first cell address or use your mouse to select the first cell. You should now see something like this:

=B2

Step 3: Enter a minus sign.

Position the cursor after the first cell address and enter a minus sign, like this:

=B2-

Step 4: Add the second cell address.

Position the cursor after the minus sign and either manually enter the second cell address or use your mouse to select the second cell. You now have the following formula:

=B2-C2

Step 5: Press enter to the solution.

Press enter to enter the formula, and the solution is displayed in the cell. After running the formula on every line in my sheet, I can see that I completed my aquarium with $236 to spare. 

Tips for Subtracting in Excel

You’re not limited to subtracting just one cell from another. In my experience, I’ve found that Excel can perform many different types of subtraction.

For example, you can subtract entire rows and columns, as well as cell ranges. Here are three tips on how to get the most out of subtracting in Excel.

How to Subtract Multiple Cells

You’re not limited to simple subtraction in Excel. You can subtract multiple cells from a single cell by stringing together additional cell addresses with minus signs.

For example, to subtract cells C13 through C 18 from B12, use the formula:

=B12-C13-C14-C15-C16-C17-C18

You could also write this as subtracting a range of cells from the first cell. In this instance, you’d use the range B2:B4 and enter this formula:

=B12-(C13:C18)

Just enclose the range you’re subtracting within parentheses. 

How to Subtract Entire Columns

You may want to subtract all the values in one column from all the values in another column. This is easily done by copying the formula from a single cell to all the cells in the solution column.

Simply enter your subtraction formula into the first cell in a new column. Then, copy that formula to the other cells in the column by dragging the corner of the first cell down the column.

All the cells in subsequent rows will subtract the same two relative cells as in the first formula.

For example, if you copy the formula =D1-C1 downward through a column, the cells in each subsequent row would contain the formulas:

=B2-C2

=B3-C3

=B4-C4

And so on. 

How to Subtract the Same Number From a Column of Numbers

Excel also lets you subtract the same number or cell value from all the cells in a column. You do this by locking the repeated number with dollar signs ($). 

Let’s say you want to subtract the value in a given cell from a range of cells. For our example, assume the cell you want to subtract is G1. 

You can’t just enter G1 and then copy the formula because Excel will change the referenced cell as you copy the formula.

Instead, you need to lock G1 into the formula by using dollar signs ($) in front of the row and column referenced by entering $G$1.

This tells Excel to always reference cell G1, whatever the other values in the formula. You end up with something like this:

=C2-$G$1

Pro tip: You can then copy that formula down an entire column, subtracting the fixed number from each cell in that column.

To learn even more about Excel, check out our article on How to Use Excel Like a Pro. This useful article contains 29 powerful tips, tricks, and shortcuts that will make Excel even more powerful. 

Getting Started

Excel includes powerful arithmetic capabilities, including the ability to subtract numbers and cell values. Excel makes simple subtraction as easy as writing numbers on a blackboard.

If you’re on the lookout to enhance your business blog with an email newsletter, using a WordPress email plugin is indispensable. These plugins not only simplify content distribution but also offer insights into your target audience’s preferences, enabling you to optimize your content strategy effectively.

Discover the 15 best WordPress email plugins on the market from the list below, and choose the one that’s right for your needs and goals.

1. HubSpot WordPress Plugin

The HubSpot WordPress Plugin offers a variety of features to help you collect leads and grow your customer base. In addition to allowing you to create forms and pop-ups with a simple drag-and-drop interface, HubSpot collects submissions from any form on your WordPress site and instantly adds those leads to your CRM, allowing you to start nurturing them into loyal customers right away.

The plugin features a live chat function, which allows you to start interacting with site visitors and potentially create leads from such talks. You may also use bots to answer simple inquiries from your website visitors, ensuring that you’re helping them even when your team is unavailable.

When someone fills out one of your pop-up forms, you can automate a simple kickback email to contact them and give them the stuff you promised. You can also upgrade to a paid version of Marketing Hub to begin emailing those contacts right away.

Best for: We recommend the HubSpot WordPress Plugin for anyone. Between forms, pop-ups, live chat, and a fully integrated CRM, there’s no better free email subscription plugin available for WordPress.

2. MailPoet

MailPoet is one of the most popular free WordPress newsletter plugins. You can quickly import an existing list from your CRM or another marketing automation solution to manage your subscribers, or you can construct forms and add them to your site using widgets. Furthermore, the email editor’s drag-and-drop functionality allows you to easily design responsive emails that look fantastic on any device or email service.

MailPoet is free for those with fewer than 1,000 subscribers, but it grows more powerful as you upgrade. Premium customers, among other sophisticated capabilities, may observe which subscribers have opened your email and which links people are clicking on within your email.

Best for: Those looking for a popular, free, and adaptable WordPress email newsletter plugin can test MailPoet and play around with its subscriber management, email building, and automation capabilities. Those with smaller lists can also benefit from premium features for free.

3. Newsletter

Newsletter is a WordPress email marketing tool that offers all-inclusive features. It lets you easily add subscription forms, create emails with a drag-and-drop builder, segment leads using multi-list targeting, and automate regular newsletters for consistent subscriber engagement. It provides built-in reporting for email performance insights and integrates with tools like Mailgun and Spark Post for optimized email strategies.

Best for: The Newsletter plugin is best for WordPress bloggers looking to automate their newsletters and track performance. It’s another popular, well-received option that’s worth trying out for free.

4. Brevo

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue), a cloud-based digital marketing solution trusted by over 50,000 businesses worldwide, seamlessly integrates with WordPress through its dedicated plugin. This plugin enables you to efficiently create lead-capturing forms, manage subscriber lists, conduct email marketing campaigns, and assess campaign performance using detailed reports. The drag-and-drop email editor facilitates personalized engagement, and the free version allows for up to 300 daily emails.

Moreover, the Brevo WordPress plugin extends its utility to transactional emails. Leveraging the wp_mail function, you can effortlessly send transactional emails using Brevo’s Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) service. This functionality proves invaluable for sending order confirmations and keeping customers informed about vital account changes. Elevate your WordPress capabilities by incorporating Brevo’s practical tools and enhancing communication efficiency.

Best for: WordPress business owners in need of a simple but inclusive email marketing plugin will enjoy Brevo for its tools, support, and integration with its other advanced marketing tools. You can get decent mileage from the plugin for free before reaching your send limit.

5. Sumo

Sumo boasts an impressive 30,000 active WordPress installations, renowned for its versatile growth-focused tools. Beyond pop-ups, welcome emails, and automated drip campaigns, it equips you with additional resources for business expansion.

The plugin showcases a versatile “share” button, facilitating seamless content sharing across social platforms. Seamless integration with WooCommerce empowers you to generate discounts and exclusive offers, curbing abandoned carts and boosting order values.

Sumo takes it a step further with free customer support and personalized onboarding for all users, regardless of their subscription tier. Maximize plugin benefits with Sumo’s holistic support approach.

Best for: Sumo works great for ecommerce websites and WooCommerce that run regular email campaigns. New businesses will appreciate the generous free version, which allows up to 10,000 emails per month and unlimited subscribers.

6. Icegram Express

Icegram Express, a user-friendly plugin, simplifies notifying subscribers about fresh blog content. Seamlessly incorporate a subscription box onto your site and receive instant notifications upon new sign-ups. Effortlessly alert your subscribers upon new post releases or curate bespoke newsletters to disseminate your content.

The plugin’s commitment to list health is evident, offering double opt-in functionality for targeted outreach. Safeguard against bot interference by integrating captchas into your subscription box. The tool’s utility extends to list cleanup and spam testing, ensuring optimal email list integrity.

Best for: Icegram Express is best for bloggers who want a simple plugin to notify readers when a new blog post is published, along with some simple metrics and a custom newsletter option.

7. Subscribe2

Subscribe2, a versatile plugin, empowers communication with your blog subscribers. Effortlessly dispatch straightforward notifications upon new content or deliver periodic post digests, and tailor your emails by excluding specific post categories or individual posts.

The plugin supports both plain text and custom HTML email creation, accommodating your preferences. Enhance your capabilities by upgrading to its paid service, weMail, enabling direct email transmission to Mailchimp, AWeber, and other prominent email service providers.

Best for: Subscribe2 is another WordPress email plugin that’s ideal for bloggers who want to send email alerts to subscribers or to compile their most recent blog posts into a digest.

8. SendPress Newsletters

SendPress Newsletters, an intuitive email newsletter plugin, streamlines communication effortlessly. Seamlessly import WordPress contacts and content, enabling swift creation of blog notification emails.

With SendPress, you gain access to an array of styling and editing tools, allowing for professional emails devoid of coding requirements. The AutoCron service ensures the consistent dispatch of scheduled emails by regularly monitoring your site.

However, be aware that advanced features like analytics, bounce handling, and campaign tracking via third-party platforms such as Google Analytics require an upgrade to the paid version.

Best for: SendPress provides a simple email automation subscription for small WordPress sites that want to grow their audiences.

9. OptinMonster

OptinMonster, a renowned and potent plugin, thrives in augmenting your WordPress email list and boosting subscribers through dynamic pop-ups and static forms. The plugin boasts a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor, enabling form creation from scratch or using ready-made templates.

OptinMonster stands apart due to its advanced targeting capabilities. Employing exit intent technology, it triggers pop-ups as users prepare to exit a page. Moreover, page-level targeting personalizes content offers according to visitor behavior and location on your site. Capitalize on this data by seamlessly integrating with OptinMonster’s diverse email service providers, facilitating tailored email campaigns.

Best for: Marketers who want to implement pop-ups in their marketing strategies (especially for exit intents), and implement advanced tracking on their forms and email campaigns to drive conversions.

10. Thrive Leads

Similar to OptinMonster, Thrive Leads is dedicated to rapid subscriber list expansion. This versatile tool boasts a wide range of pop-up styles, from full-screen overlays to multiple-choice forms, complemented by comprehensive targeting options.

Thrive Leads takes it a step further with A/B testing, enabling you to gauge the performance of varied designs or content offers. This invaluable feature empowers substantial conversion rate enhancements, enhancing the efficacy of your efforts.

Best for: Thrive Leads is a complete solution that assists online businesses in increasing subscriptions, increasing conversions, and targeting the appropriate people at the right time. If this describes you, give it a go. Also, keep in mind that Thrive Leads is primarily a form tool — email is only one component, and the plugin performs best when combined with another email tool.

11. WP Subscribe

WP Subscribe, crafted by MyThemeShop, aligns with their hallmark of fast, reliable, SEO-friendly WordPress products. The plugin’s streamlined code guarantees rapid loading without site slowdowns.

Position your subscription form anywhere, assured of its responsiveness across screens. WP Subscribe seamlessly integrates with leading email service providers like AWeber and MailChimp, ensuring swift email list utilization. Enhance your strategy with WP Subscribe’s precision and performance focus.

Best for: Use WP Subscribe to build custom forms and grow your email list — for anything else, you’ll need to integrate with another email automation tool.

12. Ninja Forms

Ninja Forms dominates with over 800,000 WordPress installations, ranking among the top form plugins. It delivers anticipated email subscription form features and distinctive extras, notably a renowned builder tool enabling code-free professional form creation.

Counter spam effectively through diverse options, including Google’s reCAPTCHA. Facilitate seamless payments via PayPal Express, Stripe, and Elavon integrations, and instantly engage new leads by integrating with a host of prominent mailing list tools.

Best for: WordPress users who need a reliable form builder tool to grow their email subscriber list should put Ninja Forms on the list — it’s one of the leading options available, and it’s flexible enough that you can use it for other cases beyond email signups.

13. Email Template Customizer for WooCommerce

Enhance WooCommerce with the Email Template Customizer plugin. Personalize email templates seamlessly with drag-and-drop ease, leveraging WooCommerce-specific elements like order and shipping details. Streamline transactional emails, order confirmations, and shipping notifications.

Upgrade to the paid version for advanced features: Suggest products, provide coupons, and send targeted emails based on specific order criteria. Tailor your WooCommerce emails efficiently with Email Template Customizer’s intuitive toolkit.

Best for: WooCommerce site owners should try Email Template Customizer for WooCommerce as a solution to build custom emails to customers.

14. WP Mail SMTP by WPForms

The creators of WPForms introduce WP Mail SMTP, an email-focused plugin targeting deliverability hurdles. By replacing PHPMailer with SMTP, it enhances email reliability. Boasting 3 million+ downloads, it elevates deliverability, avoiding spam folders and failures.

WP Mail SMTP authenticates emails to clients, smoothly integrating with reputable SMTP providers through a wp_mail() function reconfiguration. For the uninitiated, the plugin offers a guided setup and comprehensive documentation for seamless navigation. Overcome deliverability challenges with WP Mail SMTP’s strategic intervention.

Best for: WordPress marketers who are experiencing email deliverability issues may consider trying this plugin.

15. Icegram Engage

Icegram is a powerful plugin specifically designed to increase engagement, gather leads, and build relationships with your customers. It offers a plethora of features such as opt-in forms, notifications, pop-ups, welcome mats, and much more. With the help of the A/B testing feature you can optimize your campaigns for maximum conversions. Icegram also integrates with a wide range of email marketing services like MailChimp and AWeber to easily sync your leads from the website.

Best for: Marketers who want an all-in-one solution that is easy to set up and use, and that can help them engage with their customers, build relationships, and grow their email leads list. Icegram is a great choice for those looking to maximize their conversions on WordPress websites.

Upgrade your WordPress emails.

It is critical to select the plugin that works best for you. Whether you need a highly configurable plugin or one that just drives submissions so you can get your email newsletter off the ground, the options above are a wonderful place to start whenever you contemplate how to start building out your subscriber list.

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