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Negative and positive feedback loops are used to draw attention to significant product or company issues. These types of feedback loops use customer or employee complaints to create long-term product or workplace solutions.

Here, we’ll dive into the definitions of negative and positive feedback loops, explain their benefits for your business, and provide examples and best practices, so you can ensure your company is using constructive customer and employee feedback to cultivate higher customer retention and a happier workplace.

The Definition of a Negative Feedback Loop

A negative feedback loop is a process where a company listens to customers’ complaints or grievances, and then uses that feedback to improve their products or customer service. It’s considered a loop because customers’ feedback (output) is used as constructive input on a redesign of their product, creating a circle.

The negative feedback loop benefits both businesses and customers. Namely, customers feel valued and respected by the business and are more likely to become long-term advocates for the brand, and the business’s design is improved to increase customer satisfaction.

Below, we analyze the three key benefits of a negative feedback mechanism for a business.

Benefits of Negative Feedback Loops

1. Product/Service Improvement

Negative feedback loops are essential for product and service improvement. Companies, especially in the software development niche, often struggle with product roadmaps and prioritizing features. This process can drain a lot of the company’s time and resources.

In these situations, negative feedback loops can act as a shortcut. By directly using customer feedback, brands can quickly identify areas where their products and services underperform and address these issues with their R&D teams.

Continuously improving product features and offerings also helps companies stay up-to-date and competitive. Brands can receive feedback directly using surveys and questionnaires, or indirectly using various methods such as tracking social mentions, which provides insights from public discussions and online conversations about their products or services.

A great example of a brand that uses indirect customer feedback is Slack. Even as the company grew, they prioritized the end-user experience and engaged with customers to understand their needs and preferences. Using a negative feedback loop, the Slack team pays close attention to feedback, even if customers do not explicitly request changes.

This has helped the platform to continue to expand. As Stewart Butterfield, CEO and co-founder of Slack expresses: “So it’s usually not direct … Instead, we look at how people are using it [Slack]. What problems they’re encountering. What they’re asking us about. Often, people, when they have questions, are either asking for clarification for how something works, or they’re asking for something new.

They might not be doing it directly. And so you have to learn how to interpret that. People aren’t necessarily perfect at telling you exactly what they want or what they need. But they are perfect at being satisfied or dissatisfied with something. And if you learn how to interpret and how to listen and how to respond, you can use customer feedback to create a world-leading product.”

2. Customer Retention

Using customer feedback loops is one of the best strategies to retain customers. This proactive approach allows businesses to improve their relationships with customers, fix problems, and turn them into loyal customers over time.

Negative feedback can help businesses identify areas for improvement and take highly targeted actions to solve issues. When a company takes action to address these problems, customers are more likely to be happy and stay loyal.

Negative feedback loops can also help companies identify internal weaknesses and inefficiencies, enabling them to make necessary tweaks to improve customer satisfaction and retention.

The important thing here is persistence. Feedback loops can be slow in nature, but businesses willing to invest time and energy into them will see results. For example, Wajax focused on converting detractors into promoters by understanding customer feedback and their sentiments, achieving a 100% follow-up rate with dissatisfied customers

3. Minimized Negative Word of Mouth

Negative feedback loops serve as a buffer against the spread of negative Word of Mouth. They let companies fix issues quickly and prevent customer trust erosion.

Neglecting upset customers can be costly. In fact, 26% of people won’t do business with a brand if they hear a negative story about it from a friend or family member. Being on the lookout for negative customer experiences to address them quickly can mitigate dissatisfaction before it escalates into a PR crisis. Showing customers that their concerns are taken seriously will make them less likely to complain to potential other customers.

To explore successful negative feedback loops in more depth, let’s take a look at some examples.

Negative Feedback Loop Examples

1. Hubspot

Hubspot teams listen to customer feedback via in-app surveys that measure user satisfaction with our CRM platform and new features.

These surveys include multiple-choice, short questions, and ratings to ensure we collect feedback without inconveniencing customers. That’s how we guarantee our CRM platform is aligned with marketers’ and sales professionals’ needs.

We also run polls on social media (X and LinkedIn) to understand customer intent toward our new products, compared to the competition, like the survey below:

2. Best Buy

Best Buy, the world’s largest consumer electronics retailer, effectively uses a negative feedback loop to improve their customers’ experience.

In 2010, Best Buy created a research tool, called VOCE (Voice of Consumers Through Employees), and used it to collect customer feedback and complaints.

After they collected customer feedback via VOCE, Best Buy took immediate and drastic steps to improve their service model. Among other things, they streamlined their mobile pickup orders, separated the Customer Service and Geek Squad so customers weren’t confused about where to go for which service, and created a “Geek Squad Lounge” so customers could find one-on-one help before leaving the store.

Ultimately, Best Buy saved money and guesswork by listening to their customers and strategically improving areas their customers cared about most. If, instead of a negative feedback loop, Best Buy used market research, they might not have been as effective in targeting aspects of their service most directly impacting their customers.

3. Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s, a grocery chain, ranked in second place in 2023 for the grocery store with a popularity score of 63%, ahead of Kroger and 7-Eleven. To maintain that high standard of customer satisfaction, Trader Joe’s doesn’t employ traditional customer service methods, like service reps manning phones.

Instead, Trader Joe’s puts a strong emphasis on in-person interaction between employees and customers. Their retail staff spends most of the day on the floor, interacting with customers and immediately responding to their needs.

Trader Joe’s employees’ attention to human interaction is necessary for impressive customer service. Trader Joe’s often goes above and beyond to respond to any negative feedback. For instance, when Marynne Aaronson requested her favorite soy ice cream cookie in their Reno, Nevada branch, they stocked up on it just for her. In Phoenix, Trader Joe’s opened before nine a.m. so the Phoenix customers could shop earlier when they wanted.

Those one-off experiences aren’t necessarily easily replicable, but they’re hugely influential for creating long-term customers.

The Definition of a Positive Feedback Loop

A positive feedback loop is a process where a company listens to employees’ complaints and suggestions and uses that feedback to improve internal structure and workplace satisfaction. As a result of employee happiness, the company is then able to increase their profits. It’s considered a loop because employees’ feedback (output) is used as input on a restructuring of the work culture, creating a circle.

A positive feedback loop, essentially, focuses on employees’ input to make the workplace better — as opposed to a negative feedback loop, which focuses on customers’ input to make the product better.

A positive feedback loop can be a formal or informal process, in which you collect employee feedback on their overall work satisfaction, and respond to that feedback to make your employees happier.

A positive feedback loop is essential for your business’s long-term success. Having happier employees is valuable, but not just for employee retention — it’s also critical for your company’s financial success. In an excerpt from Noelle C. Nelson’s book, Make More Money by Making Your Employees Happy, she found stock prices for Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” rose an average of 14% per year since 1998 — compared to six percent rise since 1998 for the market in general. Ultimately, happy employees stay longer and do better work.

Now, let’s delve into the three key benefits of a positive feedback mechanism for a business.

Benefits of Positive Feedback Loops

1. Boosted Workplace Morale

Positive feedback loops play an important role in boosting the morale of your employees because people see that their complaints and suggestions are taken seriously by the management.

And that management tries to improve the workplace, be it physically like new equipment or mentally by fostering a new, more empathetic culture among the leadership.

This validation encourages further dedication, so it’s no surprise that today 40% of professionals pick a new job based on the company culture.

2. Reduction in Employee Turnover

Companies that actively seek and incorporate regular feedback from their employees experience 14.9% lower turnover rates compared to ones that do not engage employees in the feedback process.

Positive feedback loops help greatly in reducing employee turnover because when people see that their issues are resolved quickly and the company is always eager to improve things, their dedication and satisfaction increase as well.

3. Enhanced Collaboration Among Teams

In workplaces where achievements are recognized and team members openly share what they’ve learned from challenging situations, it helps create a culture where everyone shares common values and teams work together more effectively.

It’s crucial to take action based on the feedback you receive from your employees, whether they’re expressing challenges in working together or praising their colleagues for excellent performance. Resolving issues and acknowledging hard work can not only improve workplace morale but also strengthen team cohesion and collaboration across teams.

A positive feedback mechanism can work as a control center that helps you monitor your employees’ productivity, engagement, and well-being. Now, let’s dive deeper into examples of companies with the finest positive feedback loops.

Positive Feedback Loop Examples

1. Microsoft

In 2014, Microsoft hired a new CEO, Satya Nadella, to deal with Microsoft’s toxic work culture. The high pressure and intense internal competition at Microsoft had turned employees against each other. The employees no longer felt united.

After Satya Nadella was hired, his first major project was restructuring the company to alleviate the competition between departments. To tackle this, he asked every employee to re-focus on three common goals. He outlined these goals in an email sent to his employees, along with his new mission statement for Microsoft’s culture: “Team, I believe that we can do magical things when we come together with a shared mission, clear strategy, and a culture that brings out the best in us individually and collectively.”

Satya Nadella ended his email to Microsoft employees with this remark: “I believe that culture is not static. It evolves every day based on the behaviors of everyone in the organization.”

Nadella used employee feedback to improve internal structure and unify the company. Now, Microsoft doesn’t operate under divided teams with competing goals. Instead, each product falls under one vision, so employees can happily share responsibilities and work together.

2. Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines, a U.S airline, first started flying in 1971 — at the time, their vision was “to make flying affordable enough that anyone could fly.”

Katie Coldwell, Director of Communications at Southwest Airlines, said, “Once we achieved this mission, it would have been easy to step back and say, ‘Okay, we’ve done it, we’re done.’ But we didn’t. We kept aspiring for something greater.” Now, the Southwest Airlines mission statement is: “to become the world’s most loved, most flown, and most profitable airline.”

While it might’ve been easy to remain loyal to their old mission, Coldwell explained it was important for Southwest to outline a deeper purpose in their mission to inspire employees and make them feel like they were making a difference. This is more important than ever. With the rise of quiet quitting and 6 out of 10 employees feeling psychologically disengaged from work, giving your employees a purpose and the sense that they can contribute to the world is necessary to reverse this effect. To increase a sense of purpose in the workplace, Coldwell encourages companies to ask their employees — “What is the value you bring to the world?”

Southwest Airlines has been listed on Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work for five consecutive years, from 2018 to 2023. Their flexibility and openness to change, despite being an older and well-established business, enables them to grow and continually inspire employees.

3. Adobe

Adobe, the famous designing software company, is among Fortune’s 2023 List of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. The company has been winning its place on that list for two decades now, making Adobe a dream workplace.

But how did they accomplish it? Adobe listens to their employee feedback every day.

In the early ‘10s, the company ditched annual progress reviews and embraced frequent check-in meetings. In these meetings manager and employee can discuss project progress and most importantly exchange feedback, when it’s fresh!

The drawback with annual reviews was that people had to wait until the end of the year to share their feedback on their collaboration with colleagues, highlight their progress, or address red flags.

Adobe took that concern into consideration and came up with the solution of frequent check-in meetings — now held online due to Adobe’s hybrid work model — that will give each employee the chance to communicate their successes and grievances to their manager often and early.

Also, Adobe offers access to real-time feedback with dedicated dashboards, so that employees can give constructive feedback to their colleagues in real time that reinforces their culture of continuous learning and improvement.

How to Gather Your Feedback

If you’re ready to use a negative feedback loop to improve your own product or service, take a look at our Customer Feedback Strategy guide. You might choose a survey, an NPS, or a feature request board to collect valuable information from customers — or, depending on your business’s onboarding process, you could collect product feedback when you speak with customers.

If you’re ready to use a positive feedback loop to improve employee satisfaction, consider some of the steps Microsoft,Southwest Airlines, and Adobe took to make their employees happy. Perhaps, you could try collecting feedback via email or department leaders or adopt anonymous feedback systems like the Employee Net Promoter System (ENPS).

Ultimately, there’s nothing better for your business than happy customers and happy employees, and both of these loops are critical for achieving both.

Feedback Loop Best Practices

Prioritize Clear and Open Communication

8 of 10 American employees say communication at work heavily affects how they feel about their jobs. Open and clear communication stands as the backbone of operational success in business. It eliminates ambiguity, creates trust, and ensures that all employees are aligned with the company’s goal and culture.

Feedback loops are a critical tool for improving performance and productivity in any organization. However, for feedback loops to be effective, they must be based on clear and open communication.

Open communication means that everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas, even if they are negative or critical. It also means that everyone is willing to listen to feedback from others, without getting defensive.

A clear communication means that the feedback is

• Specific
• Actionable
• Timely

It should also be delivered in a way that is respectful and constructive.

When clear and open communication is prioritized, feedback loops can be a powerful tool for driving positive change. They can help to identify areas for improvement and build stronger bonds in your company.

Remember, businesses with an established open communication feedback loop can anticipate challenges, have higher productivity rates, facilitate collaboration, and ensure that customers and employees feel valued and heard.

Automating Feedback Processes

Collecting and analyzing feedback can be time-consuming and energy-graining. Automated systems can instantly capture and analyze your customer and employee feedback, ensuring you provide immediate responses.

There are a number of ways to automate feedback processes, including:

• Using survey software to automatically send out surveys and collect responses.
• Using chatbots to collect feedback in real time.
• Integrating feedback data with other systems, such as CRM or analytics platforms, makes it easier to track and analyze feedback.

Using these tools helps you mitigate risks, have quick reflexes, and prevent crises before they escalate.

Choosing the Right Channels

For feedback loops to work effectively, it’s important to choose the right channels. This will vary depending on the specific situation. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when choosing channels:

• The target audience: Who are you trying to reach with your feedback loops? The channels you choose should be accessible and convenient for your target audience.
• The type of feedback: What kind of feedback are you hoping to get? The channels you choose should be appropriate for the type of feedback you are looking for.
• The desired level of detail: How much detail do you need from your feedback? The channels you choose should be able to capture the level of detail you need.
• The cost: How much are you willing to spend on feedback loops? The channels you choose should be affordable for your budget.

Here are some examples of different channels that can be used for feedback loops:

• Surveys
• Interviews
• Focus groups
• Social media
• Customer support

Integrate Feedback into Strategic Planning

Infusing feedback into strategic planning is indispensable for sustainable growth. By actively incorporating customer and employee insights, businesses can craft strategies that are both responsive and forward-thinking.

This alignment ensures that resources are efficiently directed towards areas of genuine need and opportunity.

Categorize Your Feedback

Segment your feedback based on its source, relevance, and impact. Prioritize feedback from loyal customers, high-value clients, or employees with expertise in critical areas. Another way to segment feedback is by the stage of the customer journey or by the department within your organization.

Quantitative vs. Qualitative Feedback

Distinguish between quantitative data (e.g., survey ratings, analytics) and qualitative feedback (e.g., comments, suggestions). Both types offer unique insights. Quantitative data provides statistical trends, while qualitative feedback offers in-depth context and anecdotes. Make sure you keep a balance between these two.

Consistency and Repetition

Pay attention to recurring feedback themes and patterns. Feedback that consistently emerges across different sources or time periods is likely more important and valuable.

Acknowledging and Rewarding Feedback

This shows that the feedback is valued and appreciated, and it encourages your employees and customers to continue giving feedback. There are many ways to acknowledge and reward feedback, such as:

• Thanking the person for their feedback.
• Giving them a specific example of how their feedback was helpful.
• Recognizing their efforts in a public forum.
• Offering them a small reward, such as a gift card or a certificate of appreciation.

How Feedback Loops Can Help Your Team

The bottom line is that a feedback loop, positive or negative, can help your business spot room for improvement and bring a multitude of suggestions and solutions to the table.

Customers and employees need to be heard now more than ever. And your business should be on the lookout for such invaluable feedback that can only make you better.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in [Month Year] and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

In the world of online shopping, businesses are always sniffing out the next big thing. But what happens when you build a company entirely around something people don’t want anyway?

Maybe you sell gym memberships. Perhaps you provide tax services or software to help people manage their money. What happens, then?

The problem isn’t that people don’t want to get fit and keep their finances under control; the problem is that most prefer Ben & Jerry’s and shopping marathons.

So, how can you get around this part of human nature and successfully market your products and services?

Temptation bundling.

What is temptation bundling, you ask? Let’s dive deep into the world of temptation bundling — its essence, how businesses apply it, and the magic it can sprinkle over the ecommerce scene.

Table of Contents

• What is temptation bundling?
• Temptation Bundling: Desire and Action
• Temptation Bundling for Ecommerce Businesses
• Putting Temptation Bundling to Work

Temptation bundling has been making waves lately. It’s like the secret weapon for savvy ecommerce entrepreneurs who get it and know how to weave it into their business fabric.

And let me tell you. It‘s a serious game-changer. It’s all about crafting the right customer incentives, leading to more conversions and happier shoppers.

Temptation Bundling: Desire and Action

So, what happens when you pair a delightful experience with a must-do chore? Well, we suddenly find ourselves more eager to tackle those not-so-fun tasks.

This concept brilliantly taps into our love for instant rewards, nudging us with our inner drive to reach a desired goal. Brilliant, isn’t it?

A study showed that people were willing to pay researchers to take away their e-readers, only to give them back when they use the treadmill or the elliptical machine while working out at the gym.

In other words, they’ll pay extra for what they want if it gets them through the stuff they don’t. The good pairs with the not so good, and consumers will suffer because they want their reward.

People know they need the things they don’t want to buy — those gym memberships, diet supplements, financial assistance, etc.

We know we must help clean up the environment, donate to worthy causes, and about a million other things we put off daily. If your business pays more attention to these things, you can put temptation bundling to work.

Temptation Bundling for Ecommerce Businesses

Incorporating temptation bundling into your ecommerce business can significantly impact consumer behavior and drive sales. Below are some effective strategies to leverage temptation bundling and maximize its benefits.

1. Understand your target audience.

Conduct thorough research to identify your target audience’s preferences, desires, and pain points. This valuable knowledge will help you create bundles that align with their needs and aspirations.

2. Create irresistible bundles.

Craft bundles that combine products or services that complement each other, offering enhanced value and an irresistible proposition.

Consider incorporating desirable elements such as exclusive discounts, limited-time offers, or freebies to amplify the allure.

3. Personalize the bundles.

Tailor temptation bundles to cater to individual customer preferences. Use data-driven insights to understand customer behavior and purchase history, allowing you to curate personalized offers that maximize appeal.

4. Consider your request.

Simplify the purchasing journey for customers by making the bundled products easily accessible and communicating the benefits. A seamless and intuitive shopping experience increases the likelihood of conversion.

5. Encourage feedback and reviews.

Actively seek customer feedback and encourage them to leave reviews for the temptation bundles they have purchased. Positive reviews and testimonials can strengthen the appeal of the bundles and build trust with potential customers.

6. Continuously experiment and optimize.

Take the time to test bundle combinations, pricing strategies, and promotional tactics to identify what resonates most effectively with your target audience.

Then, monitor the performance of your temptation bundles and make data-driven adjustments to optimize their effectiveness.

Remember, implementing temptation bundling in your ecommerce business requires a profound understanding of your customers’ motivations.

You can enhance customer engagement and drive sales by creating attractive bundles, personalizing offers, and optimizing based on feedback.

Putting Temptation Bundling to Work

As the tactic sounds, temptation bundling means you pair the thing buyers try to avoid with something they want. That makes those buyers more likely to leap.

There are many methods, so consider how to perform temptation bundling before you begin your campaign carefully.

While you want to entice your buyers, you don’t want to cancel out the benefits of your products. That means the earlier allusion to Ben & Jerry’s is moot if you’re selling fitness services.

AirPods could be just the right companion for your new gym membership.

Imagine this — you‘re on the treadmill, jogging away, and with your AirPods in, you’ve got your favorite tunes spurring you on. That‘s the kind of enticing deal that’ll have people lining up, wallets ready.

Let’s turn to Equinox in the real world. Buying a gym membership feels difficult for many. Memberships include free access to a personal trainer and unlimited access to classes like barre and pilates.

Even if you hate filling out paperwork, the offer of these free perks may push some buyers over the edge.

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Consider the products or services that pair perfectly with your selling items. You’ll find a match that will help to boost your sales and get your buyers moving down the right road.

Whether you make the pairing permanent or run a special promotion is up to you. You can create beautiful partnerships with other brands and support each other’s endeavors, paving the way for a stronger bond with your customers.

Wrapping Up

Temptation bundling combines fun activities with necessary tasks, motivating people to do them.

In order to implement it successfully, businesses should research their target audience, create appealing bundles, personalize offers, get customer feedback, and experiment.

Strategic alliances and careful pairing can boost sales. Ecommerce success is driven by temptation bundling, which drives customer engagement and conversions.

From restaurant menus to bathroom stall doors, you can find QR codes just about anywhere these days. In fact, they’ve become so ever-present that 45% of shoppers use marketing-related QR codes.

There’s no denying the popularity and convenience of the QR code. But, what exactly is it and how can you create one for your next marketing campaign?

Keep reading to learn the magic behind QR codes and how to create your own.

QR codes typically look like this:

Not every QR code is shaped like a perfect square. Sometimes they have unique patterns, colors, and logos displayed inside. You’ll find them in non-digital spaces like direct mail, signage, billboards, and even TV shows where you can scan the code on the screen using your phone.

Both barcodes and QR codes can be scanned using a laser or a smartphone as long as the tool being used has the correct capabilities of reading vertical and horizontal data. Although most smartphones scan QR codes automatically, many won’t scan barcodes so easily — you’ll need a special app for that.

Does the rise of QR codes mean traditional barcodes are a thing of the past? Of course not. Traditional barcodes are still a common way for businesses to identify consumer packaged goods (CPGs) and manage their product inventory.

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However, there are several differences between barcodes and QR codes — both in their uses and their characteristics. Below are three important differences.

QR Codes Are Shaped Differently

Barcodes are typically rectangular, which requires scanning devices to read the barcode’s data horizontally. QR codes are often square-shaped, displaying their data vertically and horizontally.

QR Codes Hold Different Data

QR codes are often used differently than barcodes. Barcodes hold key product information at the point of sale, such as the price and name of the manufacturer. QR codes offer more passive and intangible information, such as location data and URLs to promotions and product landing pages.

QR Codes Hold More Data

Due to a QR code’s square shape, it can hold much more data compared to a barcode. QR codes can hold hundreds of times more encrypted characters than a barcode can.

We learned a little bit about how barcodes and QR codes differ, but how exactly do QR codes work?

Let’s say a consumer sees a QR code. They can take out their mobile device, download a free QR code scanning app, or simply use their phone’s camera, and scan the QR code to gain more information about what they saw.

If you wanted to create, say, a bus stop advertisement promoting your podcast, you could display a QR code on that printed ad that brings people right to your iTunes page when they scan it with their phones. Pretty simple, right?

The QR code creation process is pretty straightforward, regardless of the device you’re using. Here’s how to get started.

How to Create a QR Code on Any Device

Step 1: Access a QR code generator on any browser.

Using any browser on any operating system, head to a QR code maker. We’ll be using qr-code-generator.com for this tutorial. Keep in mind that you don’t necessarily need to use this tool; you can choose any web-based QR code generator. If you need some ideas, check out our list.

Step 2: Insert your URL into the generator.

For most QR codes, you’ll want to redirect users to a URL. In that case, enter the URL in the tool. You can also choose from other content types, including contact cards, PDFs, and MP3s. At the bottom, you also have the option of creating QR codes for Microsoft Word and PowerPoint files. The exact content options will vary by tool.

After you select the content type, a field or form will appear where you can enter the information that corresponds with your campaign. For instance, if you want your QR code to save contact information, you’ll see a set of fields where you can enter your email address, subject line, and associated message.

Once you enter your URL or upload your file, it will immediately create a QR code that’s ready for download. However, we recommend customizing it to strengthen your brand identity.

Step 3: If applicable, customize your QR code.

The fun part of creating QR codes is customizing the design of the codes to fit your brand. Want your code to contain your logo? Go for it. Want it to reflect your website’s design scheme? No problem.

The front-end generator on qr-code-generator.com offers limited frame, shape, and color options that allow you to customize your QR code. If you want more options, we highly encourage you to sign up on the website and edit your QR code through the tool’s creator portal.

Here’s one example of how you can customize your QR code once you sign up for a QR Code Generator account:

Keep in mind that not every QR code maker offers these design options either before or after signing up. Depending on the QR code you’re looking to generate, you might find some tools limited in their functionality.

Step 4: Download your QR code.

If you’re just trying to quickly create a QR code, don’t worry about signing up. Instead, click the Download button.

Your download will start immediately, but the website will try to trick you into signing up. Ignore this message unless you truly want to sign up. At the top, you’ll see a message that says your QR code is getting created and that you shouldn’t refresh the window. A pop-up download window will come up within 2 minutes.

Step 5: Use your QR code for marketing and promotion.

A QR code won’t be able to do its job unless people see it. So make sure you add the code to any materials that will help you market your business. This could include displaying it in print ads, on clothing, or in physical locations where people can take out their phones to scan it. Scroll down for more tips on properly displaying a QR code.

As for how you’ll add the JPG or vector file to print collateral, you can do so with a variety of tools, including:

• Canva: Canva is an online design tool that lets you import JPG files and add them to your design. It offers flier and brochure templates for easy creation.
• BeFunky: BeFunky is a similar tool to Canva and also allows you to add JPG files to a design. It also offers templates for you to choose from.
• Adobe Illustrator and InDesign: If you’re a more advanced user, you can use a dedicated graphic design tool to add your QR code to pamphlets and brochures. Illustrator is a good fit for one-page designs; InDesign is a better fit for multi-page brochures.

If you’re on a mobile device, good news: You can easily create a QR code that you can share with colleagues and prospects on-the-go. You’ll need the Google Chrome app to do so.

How to Create a QR Code on Android

Creating a QR code on an Android device is simple with the Chrome app. You can only make QR codes for URLs, but this is a handy tool for when you need to quickly share product pages or blog posts with someone.

Here are the steps:

• Download the Google Chrome app from the Google Play Store.
• Navigate to the URL you want to share.
• Click the three vertical dots (⋮) on the top toolbar.

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• On the pop-up, select QR Code.

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• Either click Download at the bottom or hold your phone up for someone to scan the code.

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Note: The interface may look a little different depending on your version of Chrome.

How to Create a QR Code on iOS

Just like in Android, you can easily make QR Codes on any iPhone or iPad. Here’s how:

• Download the Google Chrome app from the App Store. Note: You can’t create QR Codes from the Google search app, only the Chrome app.
• Navigate to the URL you want to share.
• Tap the Share button on the upper right-hand corner.

• Select Create QR Code.

• Either hold it up for someone to scan or tap Share. This option will allow you to print your QR code, save the image to your camera roll, or save it to your files.

How to Create a QR Code for Desktop Using Chrome

Creating a QR code with Chrome on desktop is just as easy as it is on Android and iOS. Here’s how to do it:

• Open Chrome on your desktop.
• Go to the URL you want to share.
• For Linux, Windows, and Mac computer users, navigate to the right-hand side of the address bar, click Share.

• Select Create QR code.
• For Chromebook users, navigate to the address bar and then QR code.
• Either copy the QR link, download the QR code, or scan the QR code with a camera on another device.

Note: If you click Copy, Google Chrome will add it to your clipboard as an image. Pretty handy for quickly pasting the code into a design tool such as Canva or Photoshop.

How to Create a QR Code on Microsoft Edge

Creating a QR code on Microsoft Edge is super straightforward — almost as straightforward as creating one on Chrome. It allows you to quickly share URLs with others and to save the QR code both on your device and on the browser itself.

Follow these steps to create a QR code using Microsoft Edge:

• Open Microsoft Edge on your device.
• Navigate to the URL that you want to share using the QR code.
• Right-click anywhere on the page.
• Select Create QR code for this page from the drop-down menu.

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• All done! A QR code will be displayed on the screen. You can either hold the device up for someone to scan the code or download the QR code to your laptop.

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Bonus: The QR code is now permanently created for that page. If you want to access it in the future, simply click the “QR code” icon on the right-most side of the address bar.

By following these steps, you can easily create a QR code using Microsoft Edge, allowing you to easily share URLs with others or conveniently save the code for future use.

How to Use QR Codes (And How Not to)

Now that you see how simple the QR code creation process can be, let’s talk about some best practices that’ll increase the likelihood that your QR code actually gets used.

Display your QR code where it’s convenient for people to scan.

Put QR codes in places where scanning them is easy and there’s enough time for the consumer to scan the code. While you may often see QR codes on billboards and TV commercials, they’re not exactly the most user-friendly locations. It’s a safety hazard to entice people to pull out their phones while driving to scan a code, and a 30-second commercial might not be enough time for someone to find their phone and scan the TV.

Instead, think of places where consumers have the time and ability to scan the code. Places with a strong Wi-Fi connection will help, too.

Optimize the QR’s destination page for mobile devices.

Mobile-optimize the page to which you’re sending people. Consumers will be using their phones when scanning the QR code, so they should arrive at a page with a positive mobile experience.

Include a CTA that prompts people to scan your QR code.

Offer a call-to-action (CTA) with the code — that is to say, tell people what they’re supposed to do when they see the code, and what they’ll receive if they scan it. Not everyone knows exactly what a QR code is, and those that do won’t be motivated to scan it unless they’re sure there’s something worthwhile on the other side.

Don’t limit your QR code to one mobile scanner.

Don’t require a special QR code scanner. Your QR code should be app-agnostic so anyone can scan your code with any reader. A lower barrier to entry makes success more likely for you and the user.

Use your QR code to make someone’s life easier.

Don’t use a QR code just for the sake of using one. For instance, it’s common for marketers to think, “How can I bridge the offline experience with the online experience? Uhhh … QR code!” That’s not wrong, but it’s not always right, either.

If you have content that makes sense to deliver to a mobile user, and you have an appropriate channel to do it (see use #1 at the beginning of this section), it’s more likely your QR code will drive results.

Earlier, we showed you an example of how to create your own QR code, but you don’t have to create it from scratch. A QR code generator can speed up the process (and take a lot of math out of it, too.)

There are tons of QR code generators out there. The best ones give you many customizable options for using your QR code, and compatibility with just about all mobile QR code reader apps.

Other things to look for when choosing a QR code generator are whether you can track and analyze performance in real-time and design a code that’s unique to your brand.

Below are some of our favorite QR code generators that make custom QR codes quick and easy to create.

1. Kaywa

Kaywa is a simple, no-fuss QR code generator that creates basic codes for coupons, URLs, and contact information. Simply enter your information, choose whether you want a dynamic or static code, and generate it.

Why we like it:

If you’re using your QR code as part of a marketing campaign, you can track analytics through Kaywa when you create an account. That way, you’ll have the latest data on who engaged with your code, where they engaged, and when.

2. GOQR.me

GOQR.me is a simple QR code generator that works best with short URLs, but it can be used to store text, geolocation, and event data. Simply click on the icon that corresponds to your data and fill in the fields.

Why we like it:

You’ll get a live preview of your QR code in real-time which speeds things up if you’re adding finishing touches to your marketing campaign. For an additional fee, you can also have your logo added to your QR code by a GOQR.me-affiliated designer for a custom look.

3. Free QR Code Generator by Shopify

QR codes work best when you have something to offer the people who scan them. And chances are, you’re probably selling to people who buy products online with their phones every day.

Why we like it:

Shopify makes it easy to create a QR code in just one click. The best part is that you don’t have to own a Shopify store to use this free tool.

4. Visualead

Looking for a one-of-a-kind QR code that suits your brand to a “T”? Visualead is the tool we recommend for the job.

Why we like it:

Visual QR codes are popular and can generate more interest in your users than a typical black and white code can. That means you could see more scans and engagement on this type of QR code.

5. The-qrcode-generator.com

The-qrcode-generator.com features a simple UI that lets you create a unique QR code in minutes. Simply add your URL or the information you want to share and your QR code appears instantly.

Why we like it:

If you’re creating several QR codes at once, you might find it worthwhile to download the Google Chrome extension for a faster workflow.

6. QR Stuff

As one of the more robust QR code generators, QR Stuff can create codes for just about any type of data you want to share with the world. YouTube videos, Zoom meeting invitations, and even bitcoin information are supported through this tool.

Why we like it:

In just three steps, you’ll have a free, customizable QR code that will function properly and look great. Plus, there’s no limit to the number of codes you can create.

7. Qr-code-generator.com

We used this QR code generator in our how-to guide above, and for good reason. Qr-code-generator.com is a simple tool that’s user-friendly for even the least tech-savvy of us. Simply drop your link into the box, and let the generator do all the work.

Why we like it:

QR-code-generator.com is intuitive. It’ll automatically detect the type of URL you’ve added and produce a QR code in seconds.

8. QR Code Monkey

If the way your QR code looks is important to you, but you don’t want to pay extra for a custom design, try QR Code Monkey. Once you add your URL, you can change the color, add a logo, and further customize the pixels in your code at no cost.

Why we like it:

With QR Code Monkey, the design possibilities are virtually limitless. All you need to create a branded QR code is a creative eye and a little patience.

9. QR Code Generator Hub

QR Code Generator Hub is a widely used dynamic QR Code platform that offers many free features along with a full suite of tools for all your QR Code marketing needs.

Why we like it:

QR Code Generator Hub is the only dynamic QR Code Generator that is free and unlimited. You can make unlimited QR Codes, with unlimited scans and edits, entirely free. Their advanced paid functionality, including robust tracking and analytics, are also offered at a flat price that does not depend on volume or use.

QR Code Best Practices

1. Sign up for an account on a QR code generator website.

One significant pitfall to making a QR code is that you can’t edit the data it contains once you print it. But by signing up for an account, you can edit this data. This is especially important if you expect to use a lot of QR codes in your marketing strategy.

With a free membership to QR code generators like qr-code-generator.com, you can print a dynamic QR code, scan it, and pull up an editable form where you can modify the data your visitors will receive when they scan the QR code themselves. You can also track performance analytics, which we’ll cover below, and create a new customized version of your code.

2. Customize your QR code.

QR codes can be boring to look at, but not if you customize them as much as possible. If you sign up for an account on a QR code generator website, you can customize your QR code further — adjusting the colors, adding a logo, creating social options, and more.

Keep in mind, however, that some customizations can make it more difficult for QR code scanning apps and smartphone cameras to properly read the code. To cover your bases, it’s a good idea to generate two versions of your QR code — one plain version and another with your preferred design.

Speaking of this…

3. Test the QR code to make sure it scans.

Don’t forget to check to see if the QR code reads correctly, and be sure to try more than one QR code reader. A good place to start is the free tool Google Lens, which takes a picture and then tells you what link or item it “reads to.”

Another great free tool is the app QR Code Reader, which automatically takes you to whatever it “reads.” Most smartphones these days include a built-in QR code reader, so you should test to make sure your code is readable there, as well.

4. Track and analyze performance.

Just like any marketing campaign, you should follow up on any collateral or campaigns using QR codes to see whether they’re actually working. How much traffic comes from each specific code? Are people scanning your code but not redeeming their offer once they get to the landing page? Or are they not even compelled enough to scan your QR code in the first place?

Knowing the answers to these questions will help you troubleshoot and adjust poorly performing QR codes to more closely mirror those that work well.

I recommend you include a UTM tracking code on your URL so you can better measure performance. This is particularly important if you use closed-loop marketing analytics or if you perform more in-depth reporting on your campaigns.

Create Your QR Code Today

Now it’s your turn! You’ve spent enough time scanning QR codes, why not make your own? Follow the steps in this article and use one of the free QR code generators we’ve recommended to put your business, project, or event out there in the real world.

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

When it comes to social justice, what role do brands play?

As conflict around the globe continues, marketers are put in a challenging position when it comes to making brand statements. It’s nearly impossible to make a perfectly neutral statement that will satisfy all points of view, which is what many brands try to do in an effort to avoid alienating potential customers.

Interestingly enough, consumer preferences on how involved brands should be in social justice movements are evolving in real time as world events unfold.

In 2021, 54% of American consumers expressed companies should take a stance on social issues. However, according to research by Gallup and Bentley University, some consumers are walking back that claim.

Per this year’s Business in Society Report, only 41% of Americans now believe brands should take a public stance on social causes. However, it’s important to note that the drop in interest in brand advocacy doesn’t ring true for all demographics. According to the Gallup and Bentley study:

• 53% of buyers between the ages of 18 and 29 believe brands should take a public stance on current issues (compared to 47% of buyers between 30 and 44, and 35% of consumers over 45)
• 44% of women believe brands should advocate for social issues compared to 38% of men
• Consumers who identify as Black or Asian (61% of both populations) want to see brands take a public stance
• 57% of consumers who identify as LGBTQ+ want brands to speak on social issues

This data suggests brand advocacy remains important to younger people and marginalized groups.

When it comes to social justice, what role do brands play?

Though a majority of consumers want to see brands refrain from making direct statements about social issues, companies are still seen as major agents of change.

According to Edelman’s 2023 Trust Barometer Report, global consumers now trust business more than government. Beyond speaking out about social issues, consumers are looking to companies to make tangible changes that would improve the quality of life for employees and surrounding communities through better distribution of wealth and more transparent sustainability practices.

Brands Navigating Pushback

Earlier this year, Bud Light and Target received pushback over their Pride month campaigns and activations, leaving some companies to scale back on Pride-related content. It’s likely that this trend will continue as the U.S. heads into a tense election year in 2024.

While brands making blanket statements and social media about social issues can be seen as performative, how brands should move forward with social and political statements should be done thoughtfully and carefully with the brand’s core values and target audience in mind.

Artificial intelligence is appearing in every industry and every process, whether you’re in manufacturing, marketing, storage, or logistics. There are scores of examples of AI in the real world.

That includes technical use cases, like automation of the human workforce and robotic processes, to basic applications. You’ll see AI in search engines, maps and navigation, text editors, and more.

But have you ever given a thought to how these machines work?

AI systems run on algorithms, but not every AI algorithm is the same. If you understand how AI algorithms work, you can ease your business processes, saving hours of manual work.

This article will discuss the types of AI algorithms, how they work, and how to train AI to get the best results.

What are AI algorithms?

How do AI algorithms work?

Types of AI Algorithms

Tips to Train Your AI

What are AI algorithms?

AI algorithms are instructions that enable machines to analyze data, perform tasks, and make decisions. It’s a subset of machine learning that tells computers to learn and operate independently.

All the tasks that AI performs work on specific algorithms. From when you turn on your system to when you browse the internet, AI algorithms work with other machine learning algorithms to perform and complete each task.

AI and machine learning algorithms enable computers to predict patterns, evaluate trends, calculate accuracy, and optimize processes.

This video explains the workings of AI algorithms and the functions they can perform:

If you want more detail on AI, download this free eBook on Generative AI. You can also discover the distinction between the working of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

How do AI algorithms work?

AI algorithms work this way — they identify the patterns, recognize the behaviors, and empower the machines to make decisions.

Let’s say you tell your voice assistant like Alexa or Google Home to stream your favorite music.

The AI algorithm on which it is based will first recognize and remember your voice, get familiar with your choice of music, and then remember and play your most streamed music just by acknowledging it.

Similarly, AI content editor tools work on algorithms like natural language generation (NLG) and natural language processing (NLP) models that follow certain rules and patterns to achieve desired results.

This isn’t rocket science but a simple formula: “The more you learn, the more you grow.” As you serve the computer systems with rich data, the algorithms use it to gain knowledge and perform tasks more efficiently.

At the most basic level, an AI algorithm collects the data for training and then uses it to modify its knowledge. Next, it uses this knowledge to complete the tasks and improve accuracy.

Pro tip: Check out our new ChatSpot integrated AI tool for HubSpot users. Our latest content assistant uses generative AI to streamline content creation, generation, creativity, data management, SEO tasks, and more.

Types of AI Algorithms

Just as a mathematical calculation has various formulas with the same result, AI algorithms do.

Different business use cases have different algorithms and categories. For example, the algorithm used in various chatbots differs from those used in designing self-driving cars.

There are three major AI algorithm umbrellas under which hundreds of other algorithms fall: supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning. The difference is how they are trained and the way they function.

1. Supervised Learning Algorithms

The first most popular form of algorithm is the supervised learning algorithm. It involves training a model on labeled data to make predictions or classify new and unseen data.

The name “supervised” means working under the supervision of training sets. It works simply by using the desired output to cross-validate with the given inputs and train it to learn over time.

This learning algorithm is created under the supervision of a team of dedicated experts and data scientists to test and check for errors.

The developers train the data to achieve peak performance and then choose the model with the highest output.

Supervised learning algorithms most commonly solve classification and regression problems. Examples within this include Neural Networks, Decision Trees, Random Forest linear regression, time-series regression, and logistic regression.

Use cases: Marketers use this AI algorithm to predict sales with time, map customer sentiments, track stock prices, and more. Other use cases of supervised algorithms entail text recognition, object categorization, and spam detection.

What we like: Supervised learning creates and trains the algorithm in a scalable manner. For organizations, it saves the manual work of the employees and creates a personalized experience.

The good part about this algorithm is its simple process that provides high outcomes and draws accurate insights.

2. Unsupervised Learning Algorithms

Unsupervised learning uses unlabeled data to feed and train the algorithms. While supervised learning has predefined classes, the unsupervised ones train and grow by identifying the patterns and forming the clusters within the given data set.

Simply put, supervised learning is done under human supervision, whereas unsupervised learning is not. The unsupervised learning algorithm uses raw data to draw patterns and identify correlations — extracting the most relevant insights.

The most prominent examples of unsupervised learning include dimension reduction and clustering, which aim to create clusters of the defined objects.

Use cases: Clustering and data reduction have broader applications in biology, chemistry, and data mining.

In marketing and business, unsupervised learning is best used for customer segmentation — understanding customer groups and their behavior.

Unsupervised learning finds application in genetics and DNA, anomaly detection, imaging, and feature extraction in medicine.

Even Google uses unsupervised learning to categorize and display personalized news items to readers. First, it collects millions of news items on various topics.

Then, the search engine uses cluster analysis to set parameters and categorize them based on frequency, types, sentences, and word count.

Generative AI draws patterns and structures by using neural network patterns. However, it’s not limited to using only this approach.

It leverages different learning models (viz., unsupervised and semi-supervised learning) to train and convert unstructured data into foundation models.

What we like: Unsupervised learning algorithms discover the hidden patterns and structures within data, facilitating unsupervised feature learning and anomaly detection.

The best part is that it does not need any labeled data — which, in turn, proves to be more cost-friendly.

3. Reinforcement Learning

Reinforcement learning works the same way humans do. The algorithm trains and learns from the environment and receives feedback in the form of rewards or penalties to finally adjust its actions based on the feedback.

Image Source

Reinforcement learning is a continuous cycle of feedback and the actions that take place. A digital agent is put in an environment to learn, receiving feedback as a reward or penalty.

Throughout the process, the agent tries to decide and get the desired outcome, which is the basis of feedback. If the feedback is received as a reward, the agent repeats and uses the same tactics in the next cycle, improving its behavior.

Examples of reinforcement learning include Q-learning, Deep Adversarial Networks, Monte-Carlo Tree Search (MCTS), and Asynchronous Actor-Critic Agents (A3C).

Use Cases: Reinforcement learning is a widely used algorithm that finds its applications across marketing, healthcare, gaming systems, traffic control, and image processing.

Even Netflix uses reinforcement learning training to recommend the series to its users and bring personalization. Amazon gains 35% of the consumers’ purchases from the recommendations made by reinforcement learning.

What we like: The principle of reinforcement learning lies in decision-making. Because of the rewards and penalty system, the algorithm makes fewer mistakes in the later stages.

It follows a pattern after that based on the reward or the numerical score it gets.

Tips for Training Your AI

The success of your AI algorithms depends mainly on the training process it undertakes and how often it is trained. There’s a reason why giant tech companies spend millions preparing their AI algorithms.

However, the cost of training AI is substantial. For instance, training a large AI model such as GPT-3 amounted to $4 million, as reported by CNBC.

Even the algorithm that Netflix’s recommendation engine is based on was estimated to cost around $1 million.

After all, it’s the most substantial part of the lifecycle of your AI system. The processes and best practices for training your AI algorithm may vary slightly for different algorithms.

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Here are the best tips to train and implement your AI algorithms.

Determine the use cases.

The basis for creating and training your AI model is the problem you want to solve. Considering the situation, you can seamlessly determine what type of data this AI model needs.

Food giant McDonald’s wanted a solution for creating digital menus with variable pricing in real-time. As the customer places the order, the price of each product will depend on the weather conditions, demand, and distance.

Another use case in which they’ve incorporated using AI is order-based recommendations. Let’s say someone places an order for a salad. The AI model detects and suggests including a healthy drink with the meal.

It’s imperative to see how your peers or competitors have leveraged AI algorithms in problem-solving to get a better understanding of how you can, too.

Collect and prepare your data.

AI systems need data to thrive and grow as much as humans need air.

The prerequisite for AI algorithm training is gathering and preparing your data. By data, we mean the raw data that will be used as a base for training your AI algorithm.

Most organizations adopting AI algorithms rely on this raw data to fuel their digital systems. Companies adopt data collection methods such as web scraping and crowdsourcing, then use APIs to extract and use this data.

But mere data collection isn’t enough. The next crucial step is the data preprocessing and preparation, which involves cleaning and formatting the raw data.

Instagram uses the process of data mining by preprocessing the given data based on the user’s behavior and sending recommendations based on the formatted data.

Select your AI model.

Developers have to choose their model based on the type of data available — the model that can efficiently solve their problems firsthand. According to Oberlo, around 83% of companies emphasize understanding AI algorithms.

The model selection depends on whether you have labeled, unlabeled, or data you can serve to get feedback from the environment.

However, other factors decide the AI model architecture. The choice of AI model also depends on:

• The size and structure of the data.
• Complexity of the available dataset.
• Desired level of accuracy.

Based on these factors and the type of problem to be solved, there are various AI models such as Linear Regression, Decision Trees AI, Naive Bayes, Random Forest, Neural Networks, and more.

So, if the problem is related to solving image processing and object identification, the best AI model choice would be Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs).

Train your AI model.

The basis of your AI algorithm relies on the training, testing, and validation of the dataset. Hence, it is the most crucial step in training your AI algorithm.

The first step is the initial training process. The prepared data is fed into the model to check for abnormalities and detect potential errors.

The predominant error in the AI model is overfitting. This means the error occurs when a particular trained dataset becomes too biased.

One example of overfitting is seen in self-driven cars with a particular dataset. The vehicles perform better in clear weather and roads as they were trained more on that dataset.

Consequently, vehicles fail to perform in extreme weather conditions and crowded places. When fed with a new data set, the AI model will fail to recognize the data set.

The subsequent steps in the training process are validation and testing.

While the validation re-examines and assesses the data before it is pushed to the final stage, the testing stage implements the datasets and their functionalities in real-world applications.

The testing stage is when the training wheels come off, and the model is analyzed on how it performs in the real world using the unstructured data.

If it fails to perform and return the desired results, the AI algorithm is sent back to the training stage, and the process is repeated until it produces satisfactory results.

Measure and track the results.

The final test is the basis of tracking your AI model. AI algorithms are measured using specific metrics to garner the results.

Calculate relevant evaluation metrics, such as accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, or mean squared error, depending on your problem type.

Set a goal or a threshold value for each metric to determine the results. If the results aren’t satisfactory, iterate and refine your algorithm based on the insights gained from monitoring and analysis.

Always test your algorithm in different environments and train them to perfection.

Getting Started

Artificial intelligence is expected to increase by twentyfold by 2030 — from $100 billion to $2 trillion. Every business, irrespective of its size, needs an AI algorithm to improve its operational efficiency and leverage the benefits of technology.

Everyone who uses the internet knows the frustration of web spam, where you find a promising page in search results that is useless. And we all know Google hates spammy websites, probably even more than we do. 

But as a site owner, how do you know if your site visitors and Google consider your website spammy? And what should you do to ensure it isn’t considered *GULP* web spam?

If you have concerns about your website being considered spammy, here is helpful information to know when optimizing your website. As you read through these items, ask yourself, “Do I or has anyone working on my website ever employed these practices? Does this describe my business — even if it wasn’t intentional?”

In this post, we’ll cover:

• 8 Qualities of a Search Engine Web Spammer
• Spam Website Example
• What then, Does Google Care About?
• How do you track all this?
• Let’s say you did get penalized. How would you know?

8 Qualities of a Search Engine Web Spammer

Google’s overall goal is to help people find helpful content without any roadblocks, and its strict content and spam policies support that goal. 

It’s entirely possible that something you do accidentally, with no malicious intent, flags Google to investigate your site as spam. Because of this, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with what is considered spam to prevent any action by Google that could place your site lower in search results or stop it from showing up at all. 

Here are some examples of what Google considers spam:

1. They Rarely Use Social

Spammers simply don’t dedicate the time to build relationships with people and, thus, are rarely found in social networks. Help to distinguish your website and marketing from web spam by building relationships online in social media with prospects and customers.

2. They Over-Optimize

The repetitive use of keywords in content, where they unnaturally appear word after word … after word (you know what I’m talking about) — that’s referred to as keyword stuffing or, more innocently, over-optimization. 

Call it what you will; it’s not a good practice either way. Most frequently, you’ll see repetitive keywords in the following areas: page titles, on-page copy, and in domain names/URLs. To prevent keyword stuffing, follow best practices for optimizing your content, and aim to write as naturally as you would speak.

3. They Don’t Focus on Content

Spammers don’t care about creating quality content — or content that is unique in any way, for that matter. In fact, spammy sites will often consist of stolen content, content repeated again and again, or content pulled in via RSS feeds from other websites. Avoid this type of spammy behavior by ensuring all the content you publish is unique and compelling.

4. They Stuff Their Sites With Ads

Spammers create the type of websites where more than 50% of the content on any given page is advertisements. Remember, the spammer’s goal is to make a lot of money, and running a ton of ads will help get them to that goal. Don’t risk looking like a spammy site. Make sure to dedicate the top half of your web pages to content and calls to action. Don’t waste valuable website real estate with third-party advertisements that add no value to your business or its users. Google is not a fan of excessive ads on websites, and they’ll ding you for it.

5. Their Sites Have Lots of Dead Ends, Pages Not Found, and Broken Links

For a spammer, maintaining a legitimate website requires too much upkeep that they just let pages expire and neglect to make necessary updates and changes. As a marketer, commit to keeping your website fresh and up to date. It pays to do some housekeeping, so don’t let the cobwebs build up.

6. They Attract Lots of Low-Quality Inbound Links

Unfortunately, there is such a thing as bad, low-quality inbound links because, after all, who links to spam except for spam?

A great source of quality inbound links is high-quality content you create that naturally entices other websites to link back to it. 

Another great way to attract high-quality inbound links is through guest blogging, so leverage your networks to help build a stronger reputation and more powerful influence online. And if you have attracted some subpar inbound links in the past, consider using Google’s disavow tool to help clean up your online reputation.

7. They Own Lots of Domains or Microsites

Spammers are notorious for not only purchasing lots of domains, but also setting up site after site that consist of just one page each and never gets updated. Of course, there are some exceptions to this, but as a best practice, try to keep all your content on one primary, authoritative domain/website.

8. They Employ Other Traditionally Black-Hat Tactics

These tactics include things like doorway pages, text that matches the page’s background color (so the human eye can’t catch it, but search engines can index it), and the use of misspelled content and keywords intentionally used wrong just to rank. 

Some examples of black-hat tactics are: 

• Cloaking – Presenting different content to viewers and search engines to purposely manipulate rankings. 

• Hacked content – Any content placed within a compromised website or site pages by hackers, like malware.

• Malware and malicious behaviors – Google checks to see if there is content within sites that will cause a negative user experience, like malware that installs harmful software without user consent. 

• Scraped content – Any content taken directly from a site and put on another without explicit permission or transfer of rights. 

• Sneaky redirects – Bringing users to a different URL than what they originally clicked on.
• Spammy automatically-generated content – Auto-generated created for the sole purpose of manipulating search rankings because it doesn’t add any original insight or value to a user.

Spam Website Example

Below, we’ll review a few examples of website spam to give you an idea of what it can look like. 

1. Blue Nile 

Google says keyword stuffing is filling a page with keywords to manipulate search rankings, and the keywords often appear unnaturally. Blue Nile is a diamond jeweler selling rings for multiple occasions. Its blog post, Top 20 Engagement Rings, is an example of a practice that could be considered spammy. 

What went wrong: Keyword stuffing 

Repeated use of “engagement ring,” “top engagement ring,” and “ring” keywords and related keywords could be seen as keyword stuffing. While this brief section is not full of keywords, the words are used in close succession in one paragraph, and it sounds unnatural when reading the paragraph aloud. 

2. Petminderpro 

Scraped content on a website is copied and republished from another site without adding new content. Petmindperpro’s entire website is an excellent example of spammy website practices. 

What went wrong: Scraped content

Petminderpro’s entire website is content scraped from the HubSpot Blog. It doesn’t provide any added unique content or insight to add to the taken content, so it has essentially republished an entire website’s content. 

3. MyArea Network

Google defines doorway pages as intermediary pages a searcher lands on that aren’t as useful as the final destination page, like a site having multiple pages targeted at specific regions or cities and pages that funnel visitors into the actual usable portion of their site. MyArea Network is a great example of this. 

What went wrong: Doorway page

MyArea Network’s website is a doorway page because it features city or regional pages for 100+ cities in the United States. To find a city, a user lands on the initial intermediary doorway page with no helpful content. 

Yes, it is possible to innocently fall into the trap of some of Google’s spam triggers because you’re unfamiliar with SEO or haven’t monitored your website’s SEO activities. And while it sounds enticing to be on page one of the search results and generate a lot of traffic, you need to ask yourself: At what cost?

One of the best ways to ensure your site never receives a manual action because of spam is to optimize for what Google cares the most about.

What, Then, Does Google Care About?

Google wants you to create the best possible user experience for your site visitors by optimizing for on-page SEO (keywords) or off-page SEO (attracting inbound links). 

The websites that succeed at doing this are the ones that get rewarded with good rankings, traffic, and, ultimately, conversions. Those who fail or practice any of the spammy behaviors above either end up not appearing in search results (at best) or getting penalized by Google (at worst).

What Marketers Should Focus On

Focus your efforts on what’s best for the visitors of your website. They’re the main consumers of your content and use search engines to find your work. Rather than focusing on specific tweaks (AKA “gaming the system”) to gain rankings, focus on putting your site’s best foot forward and aim to please your ultimate consumers: your users, customers, and prospects…not search engines. 

The most important thing is aiming for consistent quality content that delivers clear value and shows attention to detail. Create content (with “content” being more than just text— think images, video, rich text, reviews, comments, etc.) that is innovative, unique, and inspiring — in other words, compelling.

To deliver the right results to searchers Google focuses on five main factors: meaning, relevance, quality, usability, and context.

• The meaning behind a searcher’s query (the most likely reason they’re searching). 
• The relevance between the search query and the content on a website or site page.
• The quality of the content on a page and whether it adheres to the E-E-A-T model (we’ll outline this below).
• The usability of a site, which considers technical aspects like page speed and mobile friendliness.
• The context of the search, like someone’s past search behavior or unique settings like location or language. 

You can use these factors as a guiding principle when optimizing your site. For example, when it comes to usability, focusing on the technical aspects of your site will help you meet that standard. 

When it comes to the content you house on your site, the E-E-A-T standard is the best model to follow. Here’s what it stands for: 

• Expertise: You’re a subject matter expert in the content of your website. With spammy sites, a website that features many unrelated topics could be seen as spammy because the likelihood of expertise in so many topics is low. 
• Experience: You have personal experience with the content you write about. You could be seen as spammy if there is no evidence of your expertise in the topics you write about. 
• Authoritativeness: You have backlinks from credible sites. You could be marked as spammy if you have backlinks from sites that Google has already deemed spammy. 
• Trustworthiness: Your website and its content are credible and current. Incorrect content and spammy practices (like the ones mentioned above) can strike against you. 

Designing your site around your visitors’ needs while ensuring it’s also easily accessible to search engines usually produces positive results. It helps users find the content they want faster and ultimately convert. It’s a win-win situation. 

If you want to check how your website currently measures up to optimization best practices, consider running an SEO audit. It’ll help you determine whether your site will help you achieve your goals or if you might risk being deemed spammy by Google. HubSpot’s free SEO Audit Kit includes 60+ tips for running an SEO audit and a step-by-step guide you can follow to run one for your site. 

Download HubSpot’s Free SEO Audit Kit

How Do You Track All This?

You’ll need to keep track of key metrics to determine whether your SEO efforts are paying off and whether your content aligns with your users and creates that desired user experience. Evaluate how users are consuming your content. Sure, you’ll want to look at pages visited, but think a little bit outside the box.

• Time on Site: Keeping track of time on site using a web analytics tool like Google Analytics is a good way to get insight about whether people like consuming your content. Now, depending on your type of content, users may not be spending that much time per page. Depending on the nature of your site, your target duration for a visit will vary.
• Bounce Rates: Google has publicly stated that bounce rate does not factor in as part of its ranking calculation; however, bounce rate (which a web analytics tool like Google Analytics can also report on) can give you some information about user experience. The average bounce rate for web analysts responding to our Web Traffic & Analytics Report is 37%. A healthy bounce rate for a site that produces a large volume of content is 70% or less. There are a few things to remember when looking at this metric. Look at it on a page-by-page basis, and consider that each page will have its own unique bounce rate. Some pages will naturally have higher rates than others, and that’s okay. You would expect that especially from something like your ‘Contact Us’ page, for example. There are additional ways to measure bounce rate, as discussed by Avinash Kaushik here.
• Clickthrough Rates (CTR): There are several different types of clickthrough rates you can look at, but I would recommend two types in particular. First, track the clickthrough rates of your search listings, which Google Analytics will provide to you if you have Webmaster Tools set up for your website. Generally speaking, you will have lower CTRs where you do a poor job of communicating what your site is about — meaning your Page Title, URL and description don’t align, or you have a poor site structure. Second, track the CTRs for your various calls-to-action (CTAs) on your web pages. Remember, one of the main goals for getting your web pages to rank well in search is to get people to click through to an offer. Therefore, your CTA clickthrough rates on those pages will tell you how effectively your traffic is getting routed to the landing pages for your offers.
• Conversion Rates: Once you get people from search engines to your landing pages, they still need to fill out the form and convert! Conversion rates should be tied directly to your business goals. A conversion might be completing a purchase, signing up for a mailing list, or downloading a whitepaper.
• Social Signals: Social media is about relationships, and your social signals are the metrics that help you determine whether your content is being shared on social media — and the impact it’s having. Beyond tracking the number of Likes and shares for your content, also consider the following (which you can track using a closed-loop marketing analytics tool like HubSpot): traffic from social media (and individual social networks), overall social media reach, and how many leads and customers you can attribute to your social media presence. Remember — social media influences SEO, so it’s important not to ignore that fact.

We have entire blog posts and ebooks dedicated to explaining and exploring SEO and marketing analytics, so you’ll excuse me if my explanations just scrape the surface. One way to improve your site is to look at it from the perspective of your users. What shows up in search results: is it enticing? Does it accurately represent the content of my website? Am I giving searchers a reason to click on my listings? And the same applies to content within your site, too. Give users the information they seek.

Let’s Say You Did Get Penalized. How Would You Know?

If you suspect you have been penalized in search engines for spammy behavior, there are a few things you can check. Start with the following:

• Do you show up in the search results? You can start by simply doing a search for your site. Searching for your site with the following command (search:domain.com) will give you a sense of what’s indexed.
• Check your traffic metrics — volume and sources. Has your traffic remained the same or at least steadily increased? If so, that’s good. If, however, your traffic shows any sudden drop-offs without a rebound, it’s an indication you may have been dinged.
• What types of links come in to your website? Take a look at the type of inbound links you’ve attracted for your site. Do any of them look suspicious?
• Are you still generating leads? Traffic alone isn’t the only factor to consider. If you’ve stopped getting conversions and leads without changing much or without reducing the volume of content and offers you produce, I would encourage you to look into it further.

While there are certain steps to take (like this one) if you feel you’ve been penalized by Google unecessarily, the best way to start reparing your search engine rankings is to clean up your black-hat SEO practices and move forward with a more white-hat approach.

Focusing on your users is the best protection against spam. 

In the end, you want to ask yourself, “What do my users care about?” If you can focus on creating content while keeping your users in mind, all of the above will be super simple. 

Do what’s in your audience’s best interest and write as though you’re having a conversation with that person. Use your website as a tool to communicate, engage, and build trust and authority. That’s all that Google expects of you. Web spammers, on the other hand, manipulate users and search engines, ultimately creating a less than optimal experience for them as a result. Don’t be that guy.

Are you optimizing your website and content with the user in mind?

Good writing matters in marketing. Being able to articulate ideas clearly is vital to capturing the attention of prospects. Let’s take a call-to-action (CTA) as an example.

If the copy you craft doesn’t draw visitors in, that can hurt your click-through rate, lead conversions, and sales.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss some vital copywriting lessons you should apply to your CTAs to drive traffic, generate more leads, and convert users into customers.

What is a call-to-action?
How to Write a Call-to-Action

What is a call-to-action?

A call-to-action (CTA) is a word or phrase that prompts a reader to take a desired action. In marketing, CTAs appear throughout campaign copy to convince your audience to take the next step down the sales funnel via a button or hyperlink.

Your CTA might prompt people to do one of the following actions:

• Subscribe to your email newsletter.
• Download an ebook.
• Sign up for an account.

If you want to convince more people to take the next step, your CTA must be compelling enough for them to click through. That’s why knowing how to write a CTA is essential.

How to Write a Call-to-Action

There’s a particular craft that goes into writing effective calls-to-action — it’s equal parts arts and science. Luckily for us, writing strong CTAs can be achieved with enough practice (or using a CTA tool to help you get started).

If you want to practice, follow these writing tips to craft strong CTAs that drive traffic and convert leads into customers.

1. Start with strong verbs.

The first piece of advice in the classic book Writing Tools encourages writers to start sentences with subjects and verbs. In English, we read from left to right, and verbs and subjects help us quickly glean a sentence’s meaning.

As essential as these facts may be, acknowledging this when crafting your online CTA is crucial when readers’ attention is more elusive than the shadow of a flapping bird.

Look at the example below from one of HubSpot’s landing pages. You’ll notice the first word at the beginning of each sentence is an action-oriented verb. Words like “drive,” “start,” and “create” get to the point and incite action that will immediately lead to a positive result.

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By not including a verb in the CTA copy, you aren’t prompting readers to take action, which can hurt the click-through rate of your CTA and negatively impact conversions.

2. Include numbers.

The internet overflows with guesswork and vague statements. That’s why using data and numbers is a great way to demonstrate that your message is clear and straightforward.

Numbers are a great way to break through ambiguity, be specific about your offer, and set the right expectations. A number tells visitors exactly what they’ll get, how much of it, for how long, etc.

This technique has succeeded in calling-to-action copy and blog post titles, press release headlines, and email subject lines.

One study that analyzed 721 of the most popular articles on Medium found that the second most popular starting word is a number.

What numbers can you include in your CTA copy? You can add the page length of the whitepaper you offer, mention a specific discount, or list the numerical impact or benefit of a particular resource you provide.

For instance, HubSpot’s CTA for requesting a demo for our marketing product is, “See why over 177,000 customers use HubSpot to make marketing more human at scale.”

The number emphasizes how many people use and trust HubSpot for their marketing teams’ needs.

3. Use adverbs sparingly.

Most adverbs are recognizable by their “-ly” ending, e.g., “finally,” “unfortunately,” and “quietly.”

However, there are different types of adverbs (concerning direction, time, degree, and manner), and their function is to modify “constituents other than nouns.”

They have no fixed position in a sentence. For instance, you can place the word “finally” at the sentence’s beginning, middle, or end.

Words like “really” or “incredibly” are often considered fluff and don’t add much value when a more powerful adverb could be in its place. For instance, “really hard” could replace “challenging.”

Limit the number of adverbs in your CTAs unless they add value to the sentence. The first word in this CTA on Zoom’s website is “securely,” which is a robust descriptor for its product.

4. Keep the character count low.

The standard advice for CTAs has been to keep them concise. Don’t write convoluted copy that will take your visitor long to read. (This also holds for other marketing activities, such as emails and press releases.)

In an analysis of high-converting CTA buttons, the study found that the average CTA included 3.411 words.

If you want to learn how to write a CTA that captures readers’ attention and gets to the point quickly, take a cue from how PR professionals write press release headlines.

Cision’s State of Press Releases Report found an average headline length of 88 characters.

Try to fit your CTA copy within these limits (or get some writing assistance to help craft concise messaging faster), and see how readers react. This also leads to the next point.

5. Tailor your calls-to-action to the device.

You should optimize everything from your website to the CTAs on your landing pages and emails for desktop and mobile users. This is especially true when mobile devices account for half of all web traffic worldwide.

If your users or audience primarily use their mobile devices to search for products or read their emails, optimize your CTA copy for a smaller screen.

A recent HubSpot survey of over 1,000 marketers found that 33% use mobile-friendly website design in their marketing strategy.

This shows that mobile users must be prioritized when assembling everything from your website to landing pages to CTA copy.

Put all of these CTA best practices into action to write more precise and concise prompts. Cut the fluff and use powerful action verbs at the beginning of your CTA so that mobile readers see the most important element first.

Also, consider writing shorter CTAs that won’t be at risk of getting cut off by limited screen space.

6. Make language less technical and more practical.

The language in your CTA will reflect industry-specific knowledge. However, some best practices hold for all CTA copies regardless of industry.

As with the other points we’ve examined, this one borrows from the best practices of different marketing activities.

Regarding headlines, words like “why” or “best” suggest the content can improve the reader. The same logic can apply to crafting CTA copy. Emphasize the offer’s benefits and how it can make your prospects smarter.

In this CTA for the task management app Todoist, the headline is a simple sentence that expresses the reader’s desire to become more organized.

It strays away from using more complex words or phrases and offers a simple CTA of “Open Todoist.”

When writing your CTAs, stay away from overly technical jargon. Some of the words that attract the fewest views in blog posts include “franchise,” “investment,” “virtualization,” and “conferencing.”

These terms imply forced complexity and are less appealing to readers. If people don’t want to view content with such technical jargon, you should not include it in your CTA copy.

7. Get creative and use personality.

CTAs don’t have to be boring. You can craft a concise and compelling message by showcasing your brand’s personality or speaking in your audience’s language.

Take the CTA example below from the email brand Really Good Emails. Really Good Emails curates email marketing and design examples from around the web.

The brand shared a curated set of astrology-themed emails in a recent newsletter. The newsletter copy and the CTA aligned with the theme, which helped take their message even further.

Writing Excellent CTAs

Writing a call-to-action is excellent practice for crafting a clear and concise message.

If you want to drive more traffic, increase click-through rates, and convert more users, then knowing how to write a call-to-action is a skill all marketers must master.

Machine learning, a subset of AI, is a powerful tool that’s rapidly transforming marketing.

Around 35% of marketers are using AI to simplify their jobs and automate tedious tasks, according to HubSpot’s latest research. However, the same research reveals that 96% of marketers still adjust AI-generated outputs — indicating that it’s still far from perfect.

In today‘s post, you’ll learn how machine learning can supercharge your marketing team. We’ll also share actionable examples from real-world companies implementing machine learning and noticing significant improvements.

Table of Contents

• Machine Learning and Marketing
• How Machine Learning Can Improve Marketing
• 15 Examples of Machine Learning and Marketing
• 5 Tips for Using Machine Learning in Marketing
• Machine Learning Tools for Marketing

Machine Learning and Marketing

Machine learning is a form of artificial intelligence (AI) that enables software applications to become more accurate at predicting outcomes without being explicitly programmed.

Marketers use ML to understand customer behavior and identify trends in large datasets, allowing them to create more efficient marketing campaigns and improve marketing ROI.

For example, Netflix uses machine learning to enhance its recommendations algorithm, forecast demand, and increase customer engagement.

By leveraging customers’ viewing history, the company gains powerful insights into customer preferences, enabling them to make relevant content suggestions.

Look at the image below to see what makes business professionals adopt ML and AI technology.

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How Machine Learning Can Improve Marketing

Machine learning can improve marketing in umpteen ways. Here are the most common use cases:

1. Gauge Customer Sentiment

Machine learning algorithms can automatically identify customer sentiment, encompassing positive, neutral, or negative opinions.

Initially, they gather textual data from diverse sources like customer reviews, social media mentions, feedback forms, or survey responses.

Subsequently, the data undergoes preprocessing and is labeled according to the corresponding sentiment. This allows marketers to gain insights into customer sentiment and make improvements based on feedback.

2. Personalize User Experience

Machine learning models can analyze user behavior and historical data to predict customer preferences. Marketers use this opportunity to create personalized offers for customers, such as product recommendations, promotions, or discounts.

Additionally, ML can curate content feeds based on user interests and send personalized reminders to customers.

3. Optimize Content Distribution Efforts

Machine learning can analyze the performance of different content distribution channels and offer optimization strategies.

By accessing historical data, it can determine the best time for posting and the optimal frequency of content distribution to avoid overwhelming the audience.

It can also identify the most effective distribution channels, allowing marketers to allocate their resources wisely and achieve maximum engagement alongside ROI.

4. Optimize Ad Targeting and Bidding

ML is revolutionizing targeted advertising.

By analyzing a vast amount of сustomer data, machine learning predicts customer behavior and groups users into segments based on shared traits and characteristics.

Marketers then use this data to tailor ads to those segments, connecting with target audiences that are more likely to engage with the ad.

5. Streamline A/B Testing Processes

A/B testing plays an important role in marketing, as it clearly shows what‘s working and what’s not.

ML helps automate A/B testing processes and make them more accurate. Real-time monitoring of the testing process reduces manual intervention and the likelihood of potential errors.

Furthermore, machine learning decreases the test duration, saving time and resources when one variation significantly outperforms the other.

15 Examples of Machine Learning and Marketing

Forrester forecasts that nearly 100% of enterprises will be implementing some form of AI by 2025. Two more years to go, but numerous companies have already successfully adopted AI.

Here are 15 examples from real-world companies that saw significant improvements after implementing machine learning.

1. Amazon increased its net sales by 9%.

Machine learning has long been an integral part of Amazon, one of the largest retailers in the world.

The ecommerce giant has been using ML for a variety of purposes, such as getting insights into customer behavior and analyzing browsing and purchasing history to provide personalized product recommendations.

These enhance the customer experience as users easily find new products that are similar to their previous shopping experience. Additionally, Amazon creates targeted ads for users based on demand forecasting.

According to its latest financial report, the company’s net sales increased 9% to $127.4 billion in the first quarter, compared with $116.4 billion in the first quarter of 2022.

2. Netflix became an industry leader due to its personalized movie suggestions.

One of the main reasons why Netflix services are popular is that they are using artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions to generate intuitive suggestions.

The company uses machine learning to analyze its customers’ movie choices and make relevant content suggestions. But how does it work?

When you browse their movie directory, their intelligent algorithms watch what kind of movies captivate you, where you click, how many minutes you keep watching the same movie, etc.

Then analyzing your viewing habits, Netflix curates a personalized movie/TV show feed for you. It’s a win-win.

3. Armor VPN predicted lifetime value and maximized user acquisition efforts.

Armor VPN is a consumer cybersecurity (VPN) software that wanted to create a solid user acquisition strategy to attract new customers. With limited marketing budgets, the owners didn’t want to go through a trial-and-error process.

Thus, they partnered with Pecan AI, a predictive analytics tool, to make strategic decisions with the help of predicted lifetime value (pLTV) models.

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With the tool’s predictions, the client identified a 25% gap on average between the actual user lifetime value and what they expected users’ value to be.

This way, Armor VPN could create a more effective and data-driven strategy to fuel its user acquisition efforts.

4. Devex scaled its content creation processes and decreased costs by 50x.

Devex, based in Washington, D.C., is a major provider of recruitment and business development services for global development.

The company receives approximately 3000 pieces of text weekly, which require manual review by the content team. Eventually, only 300 of these pieces are deemed worthy and tagged accordingly.

Until recently, the evaluation was done manually, which took around 10 hours to complete. To automate the process, Devex contacted MonkeyLearn, a text analysis platform powered by machine learning models.

Devex built a text classifier that helped them process data and then tag if the text was relevant.

It resulted in 66% time savings, and the operation costs decreased by 50x, as less human interference was required.

5. Airbnb optimized renting prices and created rough estimates.

Airbnb faced challenges when trying to optimize the renting prices for customers.

To overcome this, Airbnb used machine learning to provide rough estimates to potential customers. The prices were based on different criteria such as location, size, property type, seasonality, amenities, etc.

Then, by performing EDA, they could understand how rental listings spread throughout the US.

In the final step, the company implemented ML models, such as linear regression, to generate estimates and visualize how prices change over time. It allowed them to create attractive marketing offers and win new customers.

6. Re:member increased conversions by 43% with heatmaps and session recordings.

Re:member is one of the leading credit card companies in Scandinavia. Recently, their marketing team noticed that users were bouncing off their credit card application form more than usual.

Frustrated, the marketing team turned to Hotjar to gain a complete picture of how customers were using their website and what was causing the issue. They utilized session recordings to replay the entire time a user spent on the website.

Heatmaps helped them identify which pages customers tended to click more.

Combining the data, Re:member’s marketing team noticed that many people coming from affiliates were leaving right away.

After reviewing heat maps and session recordings, the team concluded that visitors were initially interested in the benefits section but needed more information.

Consequently, they redesigned the application page, resulting in a 43% increase in conversions.

7. Tuff achieved a 75% success rate on partnership proposals.

Tuff is an SEO marketing agency that achieved significant ARR growth in just three years. Initially, they struggled to create client pitches due to the lack of a reliable SEO tool for thorough competitor and keyword research.

After using Semrush, a leading keyword research tool with machine-learning algorithms, Tuff could analyze prospective customers’ organic performance and create personalized proposals tailored to their specific needs.

This led to a 75% success rate in winning new clients.

8. Kasasa grew organic traffic by 92%.

Kasasa, a financial service company, aimed to scale its content operations and drive organic traffic. They adopted MarketMuse, a content optimization tool based on AI and ML, to save time and resources.

Using simplified content briefs from MarketMuse, Kasasa produced meaningful content much faster. This established the company as an industry expert and increased its recognition, leading to a 92% growth in organic traffic.

9. Spotify created personalized playlists and boosted customer engagement.

Spotify utilizes machine learning algorithms to analyze customer data, such as playlists and listening history.

This allows the digital music service provider to create customer segments based on music preferences, enabling personalized music recommendations and playlists for each user, ultimately increasing customer engagement.

10. Sephora built long-term customer loyalty with Sephora Virtual Artist.

Sephora, a giant cosmetics retailer, has been leveraging cutting-edge technologies, including AI and machine learning, for over a decade. Their virtual artist allows customers to virtually try new products without wearing them.

Through face recognition technology, machine learning algorithms automatically recognize the most compatible shade and recommend products, offering personalized product recommendations, driving customer engagement, and fostering loyalty.

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11. Coca-Cola improved its sales and distribution efforts by almost 30%.

Coca-Cola has been at the forefront of implementing ML and AI solutions in its marketing strategies.

To maintain its industry leadership, the American company created an AI system to analyze sales data and detect trends in customer preferences.

They also employed machine learning algorithms to optimize their product packaging and distribution, resulting in a remarkable 30% increase in profits.

Additionally, they developed a virtual assistant to help customers with common queries.

12. Yelp is sending personalized recommendations weekly.

Yelp is a user reviews and recommendations platform that utilizes its machine learning algorithms. They leverage machine learning and algorithmic sorting to create personalized user recommendations.

With machine learning, users receive weekly recommendations based on businesses they have viewed in the previous week or within their specific interests. In 2023, the company also introduced its AI-powered review writing service.

13. Cyber Inc. doubled its video course production.

Cyber Inc. is a security and privacy awareness company based in the Netherlands. The company offers training programs and wanted to scale its video course creation process.

They teamed up with Synthesia, an AI-powered video creation platform, to streamline video creation and produce videos in multiple languages.

The collaboration cut down costs on hiring actors since the tool offers an avatar as a replacement. Cyber Inc managed to produce video content two-times faster and expanded its global reach.

14. Uber created targeted ads personalized for each user.

Uber, an American taxi service provider, uses machine learning effectively. With the help of ML, they analyze customer data, such as location and travel history, and create targeted ads tailored to individuals.

Algorithms allow them to optimize ad campaigns for maximum efficiency, resulting in higher customer engagement and usage rates with Uber.

15. Farfetch increased its email open rate by 31%.

Farfetch is a luxury fashion retailer that experimented with AI and gave a fresh look to its email marketing campaigns.

They collaborated with Phrasee, a tool that picks the most relevant brand voice and generates content ideas based on that.

The company witnessed impressive results, with an increase of 38% in average click rate and a 31% average open rate surge in its trigger campaigns.

5 Tips for Using Machine Learning in Marketing

Machine learning can be highly beneficial, but you should know how to use it effectively. Here are five tips for effectively leveraging machine learning in your marketing efforts.

1. Be specific with your marketing goals.

Since ML processes enormous data sets, you’ll likely get loads of unnecessary data. You can easily avoid this if you clearly outline what you want to achieve.

Narrow down your marketing goals and group them into categories such as customer segmentation, ad optimization, conversion acceleration, etc. Start with small-scale experiments and iterate once you have some results.

2. Don’t stick with one ML model.

Experimenting with multiple machine learning models is essential. Different ML models have different capabilities, each with its pros and cons.

For maximum efficiency, you’ll have to test different ML models so you can compare their performance objectively.

For example, one ML model can excel in a certain type of data task but might underperform in a different scenario.

3. Don’t become over-reliant on ML tools.

While machine learning can generate valuable insights, over-relying on it can be detrimental for marketers. ML models are still evolving, and they are not perfect and can’t fully function without human expertise.

For maximum results, it’s better to combine ML with human knowledge. Clearly define each role and set a healthy boundary of when to use ML and when to rely on human decisions.

4. Partner with data scientists.

Not everyone has in-house data scientist knowledge. If you‘re just starting out, it’s a good idea to collaborate with a data scientist to implement the right ML models.

Make sure to ask the machine learning experts to explain the limitations of ML models so you don’t have unrealistic expectations.

5. Respect data policy and be transparent.

AI and ML tools pose a threat to data breaches and privacy concerns.

Since customer data is vulnerable, you’ll need to make sure you comply with data privacy regulations. Avoid unethical usage of customer data and be transparent.

These are crucial to building trust with your customers.

5 Machine Learning Tools for Marketers

As the market is saturated with ML tools, we have narrowed down the list and included only the best ones. Here are five ML tools that will help you streamline your marketing efforts and maximize your profit.

1. Hubspot Content Assistant

Get started with HubSpot’s AI tools.

HubSpot’s content assistant is a powerful tool that allows marketers to supercharge content operations and improve productivity.

It natively integrates with HubSpot products, and you can toggle between AI and manual content creation to create copy for email, website, blog posts, etc.

To use the content assistant, you simply need to fill in the form, describe what content you want, and then click “Generate.” In a few seconds, you’ll have your copy.

Core Features

• Create personalized sales and marketing emails, blog post ideas, and outlines
• Generate paragraphs and create compelling CTAs
• Integrate with the other Hubspot products

Price: Free for Hubspot CRM users.

Pro tip: Segment prospects based on shared characteristics, and then add the lists to the content assistant. The tool will process the data and create personalized emails to streamline your outreach.

2. Monkey Learn

MonkeyLearn is an AI tool that helps businesses analyze data with machine learning. It extracts data from different sources, such as emails, surveys, and posts, and visualizes customer feedback in one place.

Core Features

• Different text formats are supported, such as emails, support tickets, reviews, NPS surveys, tweets, etc.
• Text classification into categories: Sentiment, Topic, Aspects, Intent, Priority, etc.
• Integrations with hundreds of applications such as Zendesk, Airtable, Typeform, Intercom, etc.

Price: There are two pricing plans. The “Team” package starts from $299, and there is a free trial. The “Business” tier’s pricing is not publicly available, and you must contact the sales team.

What we like: The tool is super intuitive, and no coding experience is required. Plus, customers have a wide range of text analysis options and can look at feedback in one central location.

3. Pecan AI

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Pecan AI is a predictive analytics platform that uses machine learning to generate accurate, actionable predictions in just a few hours.

The tool effectively leverages large amounts of raw data and predicts revenue-impacting risks and outcomes, such as customer churn, LTV, etc.

Core Features

• Pre-built, customizable SQL templates
• Demand forecasting
• Campaign optimization using SKAN
• Integrations with third-party apps

Price: The tool has three pricing plans. The “Starter” plan is $50 per month, “Professional” is $280. You should book a meeting for Enterprise accounts to know the pricing details.

What we like: The tool allows us to harness the power of AI and eliminate guesswork while making strategic decisions.

4. Jasper AI

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Jasper AI uses machine learning and Artificial Intelligence to generate human-like copy for blogs, websites, emails, social media, etc. This copywriting assistant helps businesses scale their content production efforts and save precious time.

You simply choose the tone of voice, upload the campaign brief, and select the type of content. It will generate a copy in just 15 seconds.

Core Features

• Multiple tones of voice options to match your brand style: cheeky, formal, bold, and pirate
• Content translation in over 30 languages
• 50 different use-case templates
• AI art generator to create visuals for your copies

Price: The tool comes with three pricing plans. The “Creator” plan costs $39 and the “Teams” plan $99 per month, respectively. You’ll have to contact their sales team if you need the “Business” plan.

What we like: Different tones of voice and pre-made campaign templates to create personalized content. An easy-to-use browser extension to access the tool right in your browser.

5. AI Marketer

AI Marketer is a predictive analytics tool that allows you to identify and target your most valuable customers.

By using machine learning models, it predicts the likelihood of customer purchases and sends time optimization notifications to target customers at specific times.

You can also target customers who are at high risk of churning. This helps you boost customer retention and maximize the impact of your marketing campaigns.

Core Features

• Customer behavior predictions on an individual basis
• Smarter targeting
• Data-driven optimization recommendations

Price: The pricing information is not disclosed publicly. You should request a demo. There is also a free trial.

What we like: Different tones of voice and pre-made campaign templates to create personalized content. It also features an easy-to-use browser extension so you can access the tool from your browser.

Using Machine Learning to Maximize Marketing Efforts

AI and machine learning solutions are stepping up the marketing game. Though they‘re still evolving, integrating cutting-edge technologies into your daily stack won’t do any harm.

Instead, it’ll help you automate repetitive tasks and gain powerful insights into customer behavior, enabling you to create highly effective marketing campaigns that yield results.

Keep an eye on technology trends and harness the power of machine learning algorithms.

Today’s businesses need a reliable ecommerce platform to expand their online presence. Luckily, organizations can simplify operations, provide seamless shopping experiences, and manage their online stores more efficiently with an ecommerce platform.

This article explores the top 10 ecommerce software options, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. Now let‘s find your business’s best ecommerce software solution.

In this article, we’ll cover:

• Online Point-of-Sale

• Websites

• Analytics

Online Point-of-Sale

Gathering insights isn’t enough. To truly harness the power of the data of your Google Analytics dashboard, you need to leverage segmentation and drill down into your data.

In this post, you’ll learn three ways to create segments in Google Analytics to help you isolate and analyze your data to uncover opportunities.

Table of Contents

• What is segmentation in Google Analytics?
• How to Create Segments in Google Analytics
• How to Build Custom Segments in Google Analytics
• How to Import Segments in Google Analytics from the Analytics Solutions Gallery

There are three ways to segment data in Google Analytics.

• You can apply “system segments” which are pre-defined segments available across all Google Analytics accounts.
• You can build custom segments that allow you to group and analyze your data for your specific use-cases.
• You can import a segment “template” from the Analytics Solutions Gallery.

The method you choose will depend on your unique use case. Knowing the level of customization you require and the complexity of your segment can help you make a decision.

We’ll explore these three methods below.

How to Create Segments in Google Analytics

Step 1: Login into your Google Analytics account.

Step 2: Navigate to the “reports” section on your dashboard.

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Under reports, you have five options:

• Realtime.
• Audience.
• Acquisition.
• Behavior.
• Conversions.

All options listed above can be used to create segments; however, for this tutorial, let’s create a segment based on the “audience” report.

Step 3: Click on “audience” which will prompt a dropdown menu. From the dropdown menu, click on “overview.”

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Note: A segment can also be created from the other options listed in the drop-down menu.

Step 4: Navigate to “Add segment” on the Audience Overview dashboard.

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Step 5: Navigate to “system” under the “view segments” section and select which segment(s) you would like to apply.

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Step 6: Once you’ve selected the segments you’d like to apply, click the “apply” button.

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Step 7: You’ll be redirected to a new page that will display audience data that meets your segment criteria.

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On this page, you have several options to analyze and filter through this data. You can compare metrics and analyze selected segments as a percentage of users (e.g. mobile traffic constituted X% of users).

And that’s it. You’ve just built your first report using pre-defined system segments.

If you’d like to create segments that are customized to your unique purposes, here’s how to build custom segments.

How to Build Custom Segments in Google Analytics

Step 1: Login into your Google Analytics account.

Step 2: Navigate to the “reports” section on your dashboard.

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Under reports, you have five options:

• Realtime.
• Audience.
• Acquisition.
• Behavior.
• Conversions.

All options listed above can be used to create segments. However, for this tutorial, let’s create a custom segment based on the “Acquisition” report.

Step 3: Click on “acquisition” which will prompt a dropdown menu. From the dropdown menu, click on “overview.”

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Step 4: Navigate to “Add segment” on the Acquisition Overview dashboard.

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Step 5: Click on “New Segment.”

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Step 6: Set your conditions based on the options displayed.

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On this page, you have options to set conditions based on:

• Demographics (age, gender, language, etc).
• Technology (operating system, device category, browser, etc).
• Behavior (transaction, session duration, etc).
• Date of the user’s first session.
• Traffic sources (campaign, source, etc).

You also have two advanced options:

• Conditions (set for single or multiple sessions).
• Sequences (which allow you to segment according to sequential conditions).

Step 7: Once you’ve set your conditions, name your new segment.

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Note: You can also preview your custom segment if you’d like.

Step 8: Finally, save your new custom segment by clicking the “save” button.

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And that’s it.

Your custom segment is ready to go. It should also now appear under “all segments” and “custom segments” on your “add segment” page.

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How to Import Segments in Google Analytics from the Analytics Solutions Gallery

Step 1: Login into your Google Analytics account.

Step 2: Navigate to the “reports” section on your dashboard.

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Under reports, you have five options:

• Realtime.
• Audience.
• Acquisition.
• Behavior.
• Conversions.

You can import segments in all options listed above. However, for this tutorial, let’s import a segment based on the “behavior” report.

Step 3: Click on “behavior” which will prompt a dropdown menu. From the dropdown menu, click on “overview.”

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Step 4: Navigate to “Import from gallery” on the Behavior Overview dashboard.

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Step 5: Select a segment from the options displayed in the pop-up box.

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You can also:

• Sort segments by most popular, latest, and highest rating.
• Sort segments by ranking (between 1 to 5).
• Filter segments by category (acquisition, branding, conversion, etc).

Step 6: Once you’ve found a segment that works for your use case, click “Import.”

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Step 7: Next, choose the view you want to import the configuration into and select “create.”

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Step 8: That’s it. You’ve imported a segment into your Google Analytics. All that’s left to do is click “save.”

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Your newly imported segment should also now appear on your “add segment” page.

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Time to Drill Into Your Data

Building and applying segments in Google Analytics will help you get a much more accurate and useful picture of who is visiting your website and what they do once they get there.

Segmentation can help you avoid generalizations, conjecture, and bias. These insights into your audience’s behavior are an invaluable resource that will help you make data-driven decisions.