Category Archives: B2B

The future of conversion rate optimization is here — and it’s driven by AI. From personalized video to scalable email outreach, learn how to maximize conversions with AI CRO.

If Kieran and I were to invest our marketing budget anywhere in the next 6-12 months, it would be in AI Conversion Rate Optimization (AI CRO).

In fact, we believe in AI CRO so strongly, that we easily rank it above other marketing growth strategies like organic search, paid performance, brand marketing — even product marketing. The return potential is simply unmatched, with some experiments seeing conversion rate increases of 50-100%.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: CRO has been a marketing staple for decades.

And you’re right. But AI has turned the process completely on its head, offering new levels of personalization, scaling, and automation that weren’t even fathomable a year ago. The result? A faster, smarter way to turn curious visitors into loyal customers.

In a recent Marketing Against the Grain episode, Kieran and I break down what AI CRO is, key areas where it’s transforming marketing, and advice for integrating it into your marketing strategy.

What is AI conversion rate optimization and why does it matter?

AI-powered Conversion Rate Optimization (AI CRO) uses artificial intelligence to increase conversion rates by analyzing massive amounts of data and identifying key customer patterns, like recurring behaviors or connections between different touchpoints.

Based on these insights, AI then identifies conversion opportunities — like adjusting landing page content, email messaging, or the sequence of campaign interactions — to better match user behaviors and preferences.

In our opinion, what makes AI CRO a particularly potent strategy is the scale of its impact. For example, at HubSpot, our AI-generated email campaigns delivered a 94% higher conversion rate than the non-AI test control. Now that’s what Kieran and I call a game changer.

3 Key Areas Where AI is Transforming CRO + Tool Recommendations

You’re probably already using Generative AI for marketing to some extent — but we’re here to tell you that you should be doing it more. Here’s how.

Chatbots and the User Journey

When it comes to delivering real-time, personalized support, AI chatbots are one of the most powerful tools in AI-powered CRO. These bots simulate human-like interactions, provide 24/7 assistance, and offer users the exact information they need, when they need it, in a way that feels personal and efficient.

For example, features like HubSpot’s AI Chatbot can handle everything from answering customer questions to making personalized content recommendations, all in real time, which ultimately improves the overall user experience.

While some companies worry that chatbots might feel impersonal, our AI chat experiment at HubSpot actually showed the opposite, with a >50% improvement in the value per chat, customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores that matched human-led interactions, and a 43% boost in chat conversion rates.

Email Personalization at Scale

“Personalization of messaging — and at scale — is a great AI CRO application,” says Kieran, explaining how AI helps marketers draft and tailor marketing and sales messages for different audiences. “Whenever you’re able to message customers in a personal way always works really well.”

Generative AI tools like GPT-4 and Claude AI make it easy to scale personalized email campaigns with minimal manual effort, ensuring that each message feels relevant and timely to the recipient.

Video Content Generation

We’ve often discussed how AI video is disrupting the marketing industry. So it should be no surprise that using AI video marketing tools to create and customize video content is a leading strategy in AI-powered CRO.

For example, tools like HeyGen and Infinity AI help marketers quickly create videos for campaign or product pages that lack them — or to personalize existing videos for different customer segments. Video content keeps visitors on your pages longer, leading to higher user engagement and conversion rates.

Our Advice for Navigating AI CRO

AI CRO has enormous potential, but without the right approach, it can fall flat. Here’s what Kieran and I have learned about harnessing AI to drive real conversion results.

1. Act early to gain an edge.

Incorporating AI into your CRO strategy now — not tomorrow or next week — gives you valuable time to experiment, iterate, and fine-tune your approach while others are still playing catch-up.

“If you look at companies that were truly early AI adopters and integrated it into their outbound prospecting systems … their growth has been pretty meaningful,” says Kieran. “But as AI becomes more mainstream, things will get saturated, and companies will all reach the same sort of level.”

Get in early, and you won’t just be learning; you’ll also be defining how AI-driven CRO will shape your industry.

2. Think like Spielberg: Be a creative problem solver.

Things won’t always go as planned with your AI CRO strategy, especially in the early experimentation phases, so being able to pivot and creatively problem-solve is key.

Kieran shared an example of how Steven Spielberg faced a major setback when the mechanical shark broke while filming Jaws. Rather than letting the problem halt production, Spielberg rewrote the script overnight, using yellow barrels to represent the shark’s presence — a creative solution that is now an iconic part of cinematic history.

“So are you a problem solver?” asks Kieran. “Or do you let problems stop you from doing the thing you truly want to do?”

By staying agile, testing different strategies, and pushing forward, you’ll discover new — and sometimes, even better — solutions. 

3. Study the future and the past.

As marketers, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and lose sight of long-term strategy. But if you really want to grow your AI CRO efforts, you need to focus on the future and the past — and not get stuck in the minutiae of the day-to-day.

Studying the great marketers from history can reveal patterns that inform your future strategy. For example, Kieran and I often discuss how Dietrich Mateschitz, founder of Red Bull, turned an energy drink into a $16 billion empire.

History tends to repeat itself, and those who understand the past will be better equipped to anticipate where the next big opportunities lie in an AI-powered future.

To learn more about how you can use AI to optimize CRO, check out the full episode of Marketing Against the Grain below:

This blog series is in partnership with Marketing Against the Grain, the video podcast. It digs deeper into ideas shared by marketing leaders Kipp Bodnar (HubSpot’s CMO) and Kieran Flanagan (SVP, Marketing at HubSpot) as they unpack growth strategies and learn from standout founders and peers.

When I think back to my school days when we were asked to complete research papers using good old-fashioned books from the library, and I genuinely don’t think I could do that today.

I’ve become so accustomed to the wide accessibility of information on the Internet that I’m willing to do anything to maintain that access, including risking inaccurate information or an inefficient experience.

And I’m not the only one who feels this way.

In HubSpot’s Consumer Trends study surveying more than 700 consumers in January 2024, 78% of consumers said they search for brands online using a search engine like Google, and 79% use search engines like Google to search for answers to questions, as opposed to AI chatbots or social media.

However, only 51% find search engines like Google very effective at answering their questions.

This means many of us blindly use Google because it’s what we know best and not because we think it’s good at what we need it to do. But we don’t need to suffer anymore — there are tons of great search engine options that aren’t Google.

Table of Contents

• What to Look For in an Alternative to Google
• What are the best alternatives to Google?
• 6 Tips for Succeeding Off Google Search as a Brand

What to Look For in an Alternative to Google

1. Ad-Free Experience

Google has become quite an oversaturated advertising platform, and it makes sense why. The platform can increase brand awareness by up to 80%, so it’s not shocking that 96% of brands use Google Pay-Per-Click Ads.

While it’s great as a business owner or marketer to use this strategy and can also be beneficial to consumers as a way to discover new brands, I can also sympathize with the frustration of struggling to find the best and quickest answer to a question because I’m bombarded with only slightly relevant links.

Therefore, looking for search engine alternatives that limit the ad experience or support no ads can be ideal to increase the efficiency and efficacy of your search journey.

2. High-Quality Answers

It’s quite interesting to me that, as a society, we’ve developed such a habit of searching queries on Google. After all, in my experience, I rarely receive a direct answer to my questions on this search engine.

Yes, Google can direct me to countless resources that likely have the answers I’m looking for, but it only occasionally populates the best answer when using its AI model Gemini.

I’ve found that Gemini doesn’t always automatically weigh in on my search results, so I then need to skim through various links and select random websites to come to conclusions.

Top search engines should do this work for me by analyzing all the available resources online and offering high-quality answers to my questions.

3. Privacy

Privacy is a real concern for many consumers. 75% of consumers agree that data privacy is a human right and that they should have complete control over how a company uses their data.

While 85% of adults globally want to do more to protect their online privacy using services like Google, 62% believe it’s impossible to go through their daily lives without companies like Google collecting their private data.

There is a way, though, to take more control over your privacy: by using a search engine that emphasizes and specializes in data protection. This is an important consideration when looking for Google alternatives.

4. Special Features

While the main purpose of using a search engine is to search for answers and information, many other traits can set a platform apart from competitors.

For instance, some search engines have an environmental focus and will put ad revenue towards eco-friendly causes, and the same applies to all sorts of charitable causes.

There are also family-friendly search engines, AI search engines, news-focused search engines, and many more options that can align with your interests and needs.

Once you’ve assessed which of these considerations are most important in your review of new search engines, take a look at my list of the best Google alternatives.

What are the best alternatives to Google?

Best Ad-Free or Low-Ad Search Engines

1. Kagi

Kagi stresses high-quality, accurate search results without any ads. To maintain its ad-free status, the platform charges a subscription fee of $5 per month which replaces the required revenue to run the platform that would otherwise come from advertising.

I set up my account and opted for the free trial which allows for 100 search results. Then, I was able to customize the appearance of the search engine in many ways.

After I updated some of these settings, I searched for my first test question.

What I Like

• Being able to customize my search experience on Kagi is unique. I never realized how much of a difference it makes when I can update whether or not I see the website’s icon or full URL in the search results. This makes Kagi feel very personalized and user-centric.
• The interface closely resembles Google, so it should be easy for users to adapt to this new search engine.
• Rather than click through multiple pages of search results, I just kept scrolling down to see more and more URLs. I enjoyed this, as I’ve realized I often get dissuaded from looking beyond the first page of search results on Google, which limits my results.
• Kagi lists the date the website was published, which quickly helps me decide if it’s appropriate to click on.

What I Don’t Like

• It’s not ideal to have to pay for a subscription, and I’m not sure many people will feel inclined to do so when there are so many free alternatives. However, it makes sense why they have this model, so they can avoid advertising — which is what many other businesses like streaming services do.

Pricing

• Starter plan: $5/month (300 searches per month)
• Professional plan: $10/month (Unlimited searches per month)
• Ultimate plan: $25/month (Unlimited searches + Kagi Assistant)

2. Mojeek

Mojeek is not completely ad-free as it does display some text ads in search results. However, the ads on this platform are based only on search keywords and location and not on any data pulled from the user search engine.

Mojeek is also much less ad-intensive than other search engines, like Google. It has its own web crawler and information index. Unlike Google, Mojeek has an independent ad platform where brands can place ads directly on and separately from major search engines.

What I Like

• Mojeek is very straightforward and no-nonsense. As soon as I entered this search engine, I could immediately begin searching, so it was quick to learn.
• Its interface also closely resembles Google, making it easily recognizable.
• The “Summarize these results” feature, which shows up on the right side of the screen beside the search results, uses large language models to generate a summary of the search results. This is a great way to incorporate AI for those like me looking for it, while also providing a straight search engine experience for others.

What I Don’t Like

• Mojeek gives options to search the same query with other search engines, such as Brave or Startpage. I found this quite odd as it encourages users to leave Mojeek for competitors.
• Since Mojeek isn’t fully ad-free, I don’t think it’s as impressive an option as Kagi.

Pricing

• Free

Best Search Engines for High-Quality Answers

3. Perplexity

Perplexity is an AI search engine that collects, analyzes, and deconstructs information from various sources to provide a high-quality, human-like response to any question or prompt. It’s more than a regular search engine as its AI power means you don’t need to scroll through and skim various links to answers.

Perplexity combines the communication and synthesis abilities of a chatbot like ChatGPT with a search engine’s web crawling and information-gathering capabilities to provide precise and detailed responses to any prompt.

What makes it a strong Google alternative is that it, too, doesn’t rely on an innate knowledge base but can quickly scour the internet for relevant, related sources to pull together its findings.

What I Like

• The interface is reminiscent of ChatGPT, which is a plus for users like me who have already mastered ChatGPT.
• Despite being an AI search engine, unlike some other Google alternatives on this list, Perplexity does promise accurate answers. It cites sources at the top of each answer and throughout its copy, so I can review the source material myself.
• Compared to regular search engines, Perplexity saves me so much time. It’s way more efficient to receive a straightforward answer rather than clicking through several potentially useful links on Google.
• Since Perplexity is AI-powered, it comprehends my questions and prompts — even when misspelled or grammatically incorrect — much more easily than Google, which regularly needs to ask me “Did you mean…?”
• Perplexity is currently ad-free. While it has plans to introduce ads in the future, it intends to integrate native ads into its “Related Questions” section in a manner that doesn’t disrupt the natural user experience.

What I Don’t Like

• Some of the smarter AI capabilities are only available for Perplexity Pro users.

Pricing

• Standard plan: Free
• Professional plan: $20/month

4. Wolfram Alpha

Wolfram Alpha is a search engine that specializes in computational knowledge. It can provide very detailed responses to questions related to data, math, sciences, and other factual topics. For instance, I selected the topic “Food & Nutrition,” as seen below.

As you can see, this powerful engine can access very specific, detailed information about a wide variety of topics. There is information on this search engine that I never would have even thought to search for.

Since this search engine is so intelligent, I did try searching some basic questions to see how it would handle them. First up, I checked the average rent in New York City.

Next, I tried a more niche question that I felt was still computational:

Lastly, I tried something I might most commonly lookup on a search engine like Google, but was left empty-handed:

What I Like

• Wolfram Alpha certainly has high-quality answers and a wide range of types of answers. For instance, for “Transportation” I was able to find out total road lengths in any given country, gasoline price data, various computations on airlines, data on any region’s railroad systems, and much more.
• I could choose from a set list of topics when I wasn’t sure what to search for, which helped me hone in on a matter and use the pre-chosen examples to guide my search.
• This search engine would be especially helpful for students, professors, and researchers who need to learn a lot of information about a very specific subject.

What I Don’t Like

• As a regular consumer, this search engine doesn’t provide the answers I may need on a daily basis. It was unable to comprehend most of my basic queries, which are the types of train-of-thought questions I would normally search for on any other search engine.
• It has an outdated appearance along with some blurry visuals.

Pricing

• Basic plan: Free
• Pro plan: $5/month (Includes step-by-step solutions, increased computation time, and calculator Web Apps)
• Pro Premium plan: $8.25/month (All features, including priority customer support)

Best Search Engines for Privacy

5. Startpage

Startpage is unique because it doesn’t have its own index of websites or web crawler. Instead, it acts as a middleman between users and other search engines like Google.

How it works is that it submits your question on your behalf to other search engines, so that you can protect your anonymity. Therefore, you will receive Google and Bing search results while maintaining your privacy from the data tracking practices from which those search engines profit.

It’s basically the equivalent of searching in “incognito mode,” but without the hassle of having to remember to switch that mode on.

What I Like

• Startpage has a very clever privacy model that helps it guarantee no cookies, trackers, website fingerprinting, price tracking or optimization, or social media tracking.
• For users who are having a hard time letting Google go, but want increased privacy, this is the perfect option. You’re still getting the same search results as you would on Google or Bing while having Startpage perform the searching for you as a helpful assistant.
• The interface is modern, sleek, and more attractive than other search engines I reviewed.

What I Don’t Like

• If you’re looking to switch away from Google for any other reason besides privacy concerns, this may not be the option for you, since it’s basically the same platform and search results as Google.

Pricing

• Free

6. Brave Search

Brave Search boasts security and privacy while browsing the internet, which it manages to do by not tracking users or any of their searches. Brave Search can’t share or sell personal data because it never gets collected in the first place.

This is helpful for those who work from public computers or networks. It can also be attractive to those interested in both privacy and AI, as the platform introduced Answer with AI earlier this year. This feature has quickly become one of the largest AI solutions.

What I Like

• Brave Search has a standard appearance similar to other search engine options on this list and major ones like Google.
• It prioritizes privacy with a fail-proof strategy that allows for complete user protection while still using its own independent web crawler and index.
• The AI assistant, when able to be used, is very intelligent and good at summarizing the many search results into a cohesive response.
• While Brave Search does support paid ads, it guarantees that the ads are designed to be anonymous and that the platform won’t report any user data if users view or click on the ads.

What I Don’t Like

• Answer with AI is not available for all queries, which was a bit disappointing for me. For instance, I searched “best large, leak-free water bottles” and was told that AI was “unavailable for this query.” This might also discourage others who expect an AI assistant to always be effective.

Pricing

• Standard plan: Free
• Premium plan: $3/month (Ad-free search results)

Best Search Engines With Special Features

7. OceanHero

OceanHero is an incredible search engine with an environmental purpose. It generates revenue through search ads and donates the proceeds to organizations like PlasticBank who are dedicated to collecting plastic to clean up oceans.

OceanHero turns searching into a challenge. You can work towards earning as many shells as possible. Once you’ve collected 100 shells, your bottle counter increases by one to reveal how many ocean-bound plastic bottles you’ve helped rescue.

On average, five searches or 17 new tabs in the browser extension contribute to recovering one plastic bottle.

First, I had to add OceanHero as a Google Chrome extension.

Then, I followed the instructions to begin using OceanHero as my primary search engine.

What I Like

• Since OceanHero gets added as a Google Chrome extension, it’s the most natural Google alternative. I can search queries directly in my Chrome search bar, and my browsing experience doesn’t change at all. My searches just get entered through OceanHero, rather than Google, making it a seamless transition.
• OceanHero has such an important purpose that is a joy to be a part of. I’m going to be searching various questions and prompts daily anyway, so I may as well contribute to some positive change while doing so!
• The idea of making ocean plastic reduction into a game by having users collect shells and bottles adds a fun, competitive edge to this search engine.

What I Don’t Like

• Having to add OceanHero as a browser extension may deter some folks from wanting to adopt it.
• Other than its strong environmental mission, OceanHero almost exactly resembles the Google searching experience, for better or for worse.

Pricing

• Free

8. Swisscows

Swisscows is unique in that it boasts family-friendly content, so users can feel confident in allowing their kids to use the search engine freely. In addition, this search engine has a charitable edge.

The heart icon at the top of the browser keeps track of a user’s number of searches. The search engine states that, on average, 50 searches help finance a meal for a child. You can read more about Swisscows’ social projects, impact, and donation opportunities here.

What I Like

• I originally expected Swisscows to have a kiddish appearance due to being family-friendly, but it looks like any other search engine on this list. This makes it more appealing for adults who want to use this platform as well as their kids.
• The social impact of Swisscows makes it a no-brainer to use. I get to search my numerous queries daily and know those random searches contribute to important social causes benefiting children.
• The search results are organized cleanly, with an icon photo to the left of the headline, a couple of lines of description, and, below that, a shortened URL, post date, and the ability to open up an anonymous preview with an AI-based description. This format is unlike any other I’ve seen and provides you with as much information upfront as possible.

What I Don’t Like

• I found this to be one of the slower page load times of the search engines I tested.
• If you also want an ad-free experience, this search engine does, unfortunately, include ads.
• I also found that the “Ad” labels are small and at the bottom of each link, rather than at the top like with Google, which can be misleading.

Pricing

• Free

6 Tips for Succeeding Off Google Search as a Brand

While I’ve gone over the pros and cons of using these eight search engines as a consumer, it’s equally important to know how best to operate them as a brand.

Read on for some of my tips on successfully optimizing for these Google alternatives.

1. Produce high-quality, engaging content.

It may seem obvious, but the most important part of your search engine strategy should be creating content worthy of a search. In such a crowded marketplace, with users having to decide between dozens of sources with near-identical information, it’s difficult to stand out without quality content.

Employ search engine optimization (SEO) to ensure you’re creating content around topics that users are interested in. And, while it’s important to incorporate those keywords, make sure the language on your websites, blog posts, or other platforms feels authentic and natural.

For instance, when I write my HubSpot blog posts, I integrate my opinions and experience, while still hitting keywords, which results in personalized and useful content. I also always write in my natural tone of voice to sound like my authentic self and not a robot.

2. Diversify your keyword strategy.

Speaking of keywords, it’s important to broaden the types of keywords referenced in your content. While it’s easier to plug single-word keywords into any piece of content, it can be more profitable to incorporate longer phrases.

Long-tail keywords are typically three or more words and have lower search volumes. However, they make up a larger percentage of searches when combined and are more likely to result in conversions, since the keywords are so specific.

3. Improve your search ranking with backlinks.

Backlinks are created when another website links to your website. As an example, this is now a backlink for Backlinko.

Backlinks are important as they can show users that your content is reputable. The best way to get backlinks is by giving them back to other trusted sources. Build important partnerships with brands for a mutually beneficial relationship.

4. Update your web experience.

As seen in this post, each search engine has a different appearance and format. This will impact how your content shows up in users’ search results. Therefore, when targeting a new search engine, you must update your content’s web experience.

For instance, some search engines like Kagi show the date of publication upfront in search results, which encourages me to refresh my content regularly so it appears recent and reliable.

Other search engines like Swisscows include a photo icon in search results, so I would want to confirm I have a high-quality, clear, relevant photo chosen alongside the URL.

5. Consider relevant, niche search engines.

I mentioned that there are search engines with special features and purposes, like OceanHero and Swisscows. It can be to your benefit to include search engines in your strategy if their niches align with your brand’s niche.

I work at Nickelodeon, so I’d assume our team has optimized our content for family-friendly search engines like Swisscows. If I were to work at a nonprofit or AI company, I’d similarly want to include search engines in those niches in my strategy.

6. Stay up-to-date on search engine changes.

While Google was not the first search engine, it was an early contender and unique because its founders, two PhD students from Stanford University, developed PageRank, an algorithm that listed sites in order of the number of links to them.

Since then, dozens of new search engines have emerged with different focuses, algorithms, and solutions to problems. It’s imperative, as a brand owner, to stay on top of this ever-changing landscape and accordingly update your SEO strategy.

After all, Google introduced its first AI system, RankBrain, in 2015. Less than ten years later, there are countless AI search engines and standard search engines with AI capabilities. Having an eye on trends and improving user experience will always be a necessity.

The Search for a New Search Engine

When diving into this post, I was aware of some of these non-Google search engines, but my mind is truly blown at how many options there are.

While Google still has more than 90% market share, other search engines can provide unique, individualized experiences for those willing to give them a chance.

In particular, my favorites from this list are Perplexity, which I’ve already integrated into my routine, and OceanHero.

I think both show how search engines can take the common human action of searching queries and take that to the next level to improve users’ lives or the greater world.

Google may seem like the easy, obvious choice, but there is a lot of value in incorporating some of these other search engines to better optimize your content for search.

Between shifts in technology, the economy, and consumer behavior, 2024 has brought marketers a new level of uncertainty. I’m right there with you, and I’ve bought stock in Pepto Bismal.

So when I got the chance to chat with Christophe Combette, a director of product management at Google, I wanted to know what there is to be excited about in marketing.

His surprising answer? Data privacy and first-party data.

I know, I know. Mentioning those things to marketers right now is like kicking a hornet’s nest. Core updates. iOS changes. GDPR and CCPA. The unknown future of 3rd-party cookies. It’s like a wild, marketing-themed cover of that one Billy Joel song.

But Combette shared how these changes are making marketing better for consumers AND marketers alike — if you start soon and play your cards thoughtfully.

And guess what? I’ve got some data-backed tips on how to do just that.

Below, you’ll learn Combette’s perspective on how first-party data will help you crush your marketing goals while earning your customers’ trust by preserving their privacy. But first, let’s jump back to what first-party data even means.

“First-party data is the data your customers are knowingly sharing with your business,” Combette explained.

When I hear from marketers that haven’t tried a first-party approach, it’s usually because they don’t truly know what it is. And, consequently, they worry that they can’t leverage it for the kinds of strategies they’re used to.

Close your eyes and imagine building a high-performance campaign using all of the following, while still respecting your customers’ consent and privacy:

• Demographics
• Firmographics
• Website behavior
• App behavior
• Social media engagement
• Purchase history
• Feedback and survey insights
• Customer service interactions
• Loyalty and rewards program data
• Email engagement
• Etc.

Chances are, you’ve already got some good ideas in mind (you rockstar, you), and it wouldn’t take that much to get started.

With that data you could build a lookalike audience, run a re-engagement email, or create all sorts of clever segmentation or personalization. Since it’s all consentfully given, it respects your audience’s privacy. And since it comes from the source, you know it’s accurate.

And that isn’t even close to an exhaustive list.

(Side note: You’ll sometimes see a distinction made where data you gather is considered first-party, while data you’re given by customers is called “zero-party data.” To be honest, I find little value in separating the two. You should be using both and you’ll be combining them anyway.)

“You have this wealth of insights from your customers that’s aligned to your business outcomes,” Combette said. “And that combination together is one of the most powerful constructs.”

Let’s take a look at just how powerful.

4 Ways First-Party Data is Helping Marketers

When I referred to switching to first-party data as a challenge, Combette took a moment to gently correct me.

“I wouldn’t necessarily call it a challenge as much as it is a big shift in the industry,” He told me, adding with a grin, “Which comes with a big opportunity, and a competitive differentiator, if you nail it.”

And, in truth, that shift is more one of focus, rather than application. First-party data has been there all along, and many marketing teams are already using it to drive deep growth.

What’s shifting is that more businesses are getting on board.

“Some marketers have been very successful in building marketing strategies based on third-party identifiers, and first-party data is a shift for them,” he goes on. “But it’s an important one because you can derive a lot more insights from it.”

And chances are, you’ve already got the ingredients. All you need to unlock their insights are the right tools and a plan.

“It’s the data you’re already using to drive the business outcomes you want.”

Whether you’re switching strategies, or just getting started for the first time, here are some data-backed reasons to believe:

1. First-party data is more accurate and more relevant.

Marketers using first-party data are 93% more likely to say their team is outperforming their goals in 2024 than those who don’t use it, according to HubSpot research.

And 77% of marketers who use first-party data say it results in more personalized content and performs better than external data.

Combette counts off some use cases that really illustrate the value:

“You want to drive new customer acquisition? That information is one you can only see from first-party insights. You want to optimize towards lifetime value? It requires deep analysis of your first-party data. It’s not something you could do with third-party identifiers.”

2. First-party data fills in the gaps most marketers have.

It turns out most marketers are missing critical information on their audience—just 42% know their basic demographic information, and even fewer know their shopping habits, purchase history, and which channels they consume content/media on.

First-party data like that can be used to gain high-quality insights and deliver a highly personalized experience to your customers.

And since it’s collected directly from your customers, first-party data is highly accurate and unique to your company while still respecting privacy.

But for customers to give you their personal information, they need to trust you first.

3. First-party data fosters trust from consumers.

It’s no secret that folks are tired of seeing ads on every platform for something they casually looked up once.

Our Consumer Trends survey shows that close to half (45%) of consumers distrust companies with their website behavior and cookie data.

Using first-party data can make consumers feel safer sharing their personal information because it’s gathered with both their knowledge and consent — and used only by those they’ve shared it with.

Leveraging first-party sources will allow marketers to get higher-quality data while respecting consumers’ privacy, mutually benefiting both parties.

4. Marketing budgets are increasing to accommodate data privacy changes.

Both government regulators and consumers are demanding data privacy changes, and marketers are getting tossed around in the waves.

Luckily, execs are paying attention and giving marketers the budget they need to explore alternative measuring and advertising solutions.

Almost half (48%) of marketers say their budget has changed this year to compensate for data privacy, with 71% reporting an increase in their marketing budget.

But, to paraphrase the wise old sage, Uncle Ben: With great budget comes great responsibility. And sometimes, a few challenges.

The Challenges of Using First-Party Data

“Building and deploying your data across environments has not always been easy or seamless,” Combette admits.

Oftentimes, marketers have to gather data with one set of tools, analyze it with another set, and then actually use those insights in yet a third set of tools.

So perhaps it’s no surprise that our research shows:

• 60% of marketers say gathering and tracking visitor data is becoming more difficult.
• Nearly half (48%) of marketers cite increased data privacy changes/regulations as the biggest challenge to understanding their audience.
• On the flip side, only half (56%) of marketers say the data they have on their audience is high quality.
• Just 16% have all the data they need to reach their audience.
• Meanwhile, 47% report that consumers are less trusting with their personal data.

So, while marketers are looking to gather high-quality data, their audiences are less likely to give it. And even when marketers find it, it lives in 10 places, and they’re not sure what to do with it.

Thankfully, we’ve got a roadmap — laid out by Christophe Combette and our own data — for how to make gathering and utilizing first-party data fast, powerful, and easy-peasy. (Lemon squeazy optional, but encouraged.)

7 Steps to Build a Privacy-Focused First-Party Data Strategy

1. Start by asking what data you actually need.

Don’t scroll past this. This isn’t filler. This is the most important step.

If you’re familiar with using third-party identifiers to guide your marketing, you know you don’t just gather them in the hopes that you’ll somehow know what to do later. You had a use case in mind when you started.

Maybe it was targeted social ads. Maybe it was cross-platform tracking. But the data you collected was informed by a goal.

Why should first-party data be any different just because it’s freely available?

In fact, if you gather all of the first-party data you can without regard for use case, you’re more likely to overstep on privacy issues. And you’ll end up with a data puke that helps nobody.

Instead, start with your business outcomes in mind, and work backward to what data you’ll actually need.

2. Audit your data sources.

Now that you know what data you need, it’s time to consider where it’s coming from.

“We’re all consumers ourselves. We use the app, the web, we call, we text. I do online chat sometimes,” Combette says. “We have this wealth of online touchpoints.”

And each touchpoint represents something unique about your prospect or customer.

“So the key is to have a tech stack that has a 360-view of the customer.”

That means gathering data from multiple high-quality sources. Here are the touchpoints that marketers in our survey agree are the highest quality sources of first-party data:

• Customers registering/creating accounts with your company (signing up for content, discounts, newsletters, etc.) (36%)
• Information gathered during the purchasing process (28%)
• Customer interactions with customer support channels (20%)
• Social media interactions (likes, shares, etc.) (16%)

You’ll notice the highest-quality sources tend to come with the highest level of buy-in. That means you’ve got some convincing to do. Which brings me to …

3. Consider the value you’re offering in return for data.

“One of the rarest commodities out there for any of us is time. We’re constantly trying to get stuff done, and that comes with a lot of touchpoints, too,” Combette says.

Most marketers will see “touchpoints” as the subject of that sentence, and start thinking about the value they can extract. But value isn’t a one-way street. If your content isn’t worth your audiences’ limited time, then it isn’t worth their data, and those touchpoints will dry up quickly.

At HubSpot, we find a lot of success with templates, calculators, and free tools. Other businesses may choose whitepapers or webinars. For a B2C business, it may look like coupons and giveaways.

The exact offer will depend on what your particular audience values, but it absolutely must offer value.

Here’s what marketers in our survey reported as the most effective ways to incentivize customers to share data:

• Offering discounts/promotions/loyalty programs (40%)
• Creating content on social media (e.g. posts, videos, giveaways) (28%)
• Creating content on your website (e.g. blog posts) (18%)
• Creating an email newsletter (12%)

4. Know where your data goes.

So now you know what data you need, you’ve identified high-quality sources, and you’ve convinced your customers to share it. Great! Now where do you put it?

In a CRM? A CDP? GGT? WQE? If you don’t know which of those acronyms I just made up on the spot, then it’s time to brush up on the different types of data platform software.

The type of software you need will depend heavily on your business model, but every business needs a single source of truth.

Our research shows that marketers with a single source of truth are 94% more likely to say their team is outperforming their goals.

Yet, only 60% of marketers have a single source of truth for all marketing data.

5. Map your customer journey.

Collecting the data is point A, and your business goal is point B. Now the trick is: How do you get your customers from point A to point B?

You just run an ad, and then they buy, right? If you build it, they will come? Unfortunately, it’s rarely that simple.

“All of our customer journeys are becoming more complicated and fragmented. We see it on our end, too, so it’s not the purchase channel,” Combette shares. “Consumers are using five or more online sources before they buy. That could be a search, a video, going to Google maps.”

And each of those steps is a decision point where your customers could choose you… or someone else.

Only 16% of marketers have full visibility into their customer journey, yet those who do are 200% more likely to say their team is outperforming their goals.

So, if you’re looking for the competitive differentiator that Combette mentioned, you just found it. Take time to learn about customer journey analytics.

6. Connect your data directly to that customer journey.

One of the biggest challenges with first-party data is using it to thoughtfully measure those five or more touchpoints Combette mentioned.

If, for example, you take an audience you built in your CRM and manually rebuild it in Google Ads, you’re going to lose a lot of time to busywork. (Time that would be more productive, say, watching paint dry.) And you’ll do it every time that audience is updated.

And that’s just one channel.

Instead, look for software solutions that automate the integration with your marketing tools.

Pro tip: Marketing Hub+ users can automatically integrate their smart CRM data straight into Google Ads Data Manager.

That means you can instantly find your audience on Search, Shopping, Youtube, Display, and more. And it works in the other direction, too, so you can instantly sync new leads back into your CRM.

And since the sync respects user preference, your advertising is automatically both privacy-compliant and consent-driven.

I took a moment to geek out with Combette about the integration, because how often do you get a chance to geek out with a Google exec?

“Our aim was to make the integration easy,” he says. “Easy to build first-party data in HubSpot and put it to use in Google Ads. Advertisers don’t have to worry about moving data and can focus on the business outcomes and strategies they want to deploy.”

And if I can humblebrag for a moment, marketers who use HubSpot and Google Ads together see an average increase of 31% more leads.

“And those leads are also cheaper. We see a 12% decrease in cost per lead within the first 90 days of linking those two products,” he adds.

7. Use that data more than once.

To make your data truly work for you, you’ll want to apply it to as many of your marketing efforts as you can.

The trade-off for that has historically been that it requires a lot of repeat labor. (Hellooooo, building the same audiences in Facebook, LinkedIn, Display, etc., etc.)

No matter what tools you use to gather or store your data, putting it to work is where the new Google Ads Data Manager really shines.

“We want to make sure advertisers can bring in data once, and power a number of downstream use cases,” Combette says.

Through one point-and-click interface, you’re able to leverage a number of Google Ads tools and features, such as Enhanced Conversions and Customer Match—with even more coming down the pipeline.

And if you’re not familiar with those tools, Data Manager will actually walk you through setting up workflows.

“Just through 5 or 6 clicks, you can start bringing in that data for use cases we’ve guided you through,” he says. “We built Data Manager for busy marketers that want to rely on first-party data but aren’t necessarily experts in data. They don’t have a developer to write custom code.”

Then Combette smiled excitedly as he gave me a sneak peek of something Google was just getting ready to launch. A brand-new feature that ensures privacy is at the very core of the marketing process:

“We’re building confidential matching, which uses special software and hardware known as confidential computing, which enables advertisers to control their data before it even hits any Google environment. This is the first use of the technology in our Ads products, and we plan to bring this privacy-enhancing tech to more products over time.”

Which translates to more data in more use cases without worries about overstepping privacy boundaries.

What’s Next for First-Party Data

Adapting to first-party data can be challenging because regulations and public opinion around data privacy are actively developing.

But if you follow these steps, you’ll be ahead of the curve on nailing a first-party data strategy that crushes your goals and delights your customers.

The most important thing marketers can do is to get started with first-party data now, and explore new marketing solutions so they are ready to adapt their data strategy when the time comes.

Welcome to Creator Columns, where we bring expert HubSpot Creator voices to the Blogs that inspire and help you grow better.

I moved to the United States exactly a decade ago. I’ve been saying this a lot lately — perhaps my brain is still adjusting to this milestone. I remember when a friend once said, “I plan to stay in this country for 5 years.”

At the time, I thought, “Five years is a lot; I’ll definitely be here for much less.”

Well, ten years have passed, and I’m still in the San Francisco Bay Area — this is the longest I’ve lived in any city as an adult.

Before moving, I did a lot of job search research. I felt prepared — I had a good resume and had worked for international companies, including Hewlett-Packard and Visa at one of the largest global ad agency networks. It sounded impressive on paper, but when I started interviewing, I faced real challenges.

It felt like I was saying one thing, but the interviewers heard something completely different. I spent a long time feeling confused, often repeating myself just to make sure to get my message across.

Eventually, they would understand the full breadth of my experience. As I grew more comfortable with this new country, culture, and language, I started to grasp the nuances. It was subtle.

Tips for Your Tech Job Search

The goal of this article is to share observations I’ve encountered and how you can keep these in mind if you’re open to new opportunities and looking to work abroad. My perspective comes from working in the tech space in the Bay Area, and here’s what I’ve learned:

1. Learn the language.

When I say “learn the language,” I’m not just talking about English; I’m talking about the language spoken in your industry.

Different roles have their own jargon. For example, in Agile environments, you’ll hear phrases like, “Do you have any blockers?” or “Are you joining the daily?” UX Designers are now often called Product Designers. Many Scrum Masters have transitioned into Project Management roles.

When people see a resume listing the person as both Product and Project Management it might be confusing, why are they playing those distinct roles?

Understanding and using industry-specific language can make a huge difference in how your experience is perceived and understood.

2. Craft your resume well.

Your resume should be a concise showcase of your skills and achievements.

Before moving to the United States, I hadn’t updated my resume in years — I relied solely on LinkedIn and my network. In a new country and industry, I had to adapt.

In Silicon Valley, resumes typically avoid photos or design elements. Instead, focus on crafting strong bullet points that highlight your responsibilities and the impact you made on your team and product. Show those impact numbers, don’t just describe your role’s responsibilities.

3. Spend time with industry professionals.

This one is hard to quantify, but it’s often about picking up on the small things: the mannerisms, the way people talk, the tools and apps they use, and the priorities of their industry or company. Engage with people, listen to their stories, and learn what matters to them.

Read more:

• How to Find a Mentor

Don’t be afraid to ask questions; people love sharing their journeys. It’s a great way to stay inspired and learn new things. Learn what they care about whether it’s design, user experience, or innovation.

4. Read more.

I love books; they inspire me, help me learn new skills, and provide insights from the best leaders, almost like an MBA in a book. I used to read primarily in Portuguese, but becoming fluent in English opened up a whole new world of content.

If English isn’t your first language, reading in English can give you access to resources you might otherwise miss. Reading helps accelerate your learning, deepens your understanding of how people in your field think, and teaches you how to communicate effectively in your chosen industry.

I LOVE this book, The Culture Map, and recommend it to anyone working in a different culture than your own. This book, Find Your People, is great too.

5. Understand the interview process.

When I started interviewing, I had no idea what to expect.

In tech, the first interview is usually a phone call with a recruiter who reviews your experience and asks basic questions. The second interview is typically with the hiring manager, focusing more on your overall experience. The third stage could be a panel interview with multiple stakeholders or spread over two days.

Then, you might have a follow-up with the hiring manager where they’ll ask deeper questions before moving on to a test or receiving a job offer.

These five insights have significantly transformed my career in tech over the past decade. Like the books that have inspired me, these learnings have been transformative on my journey.

Welcome to “I Tried…,” the series where I try different marketing tools and strategies so you don’t have to. In this series, I document my experience and let you know if a tool or strategy is worth your time.

Recently, I came across a viral video from Jensen Tung, a talented creator on our HubSpot Creator Network.

In the video, Jensen created a YouTube channel using only AI! He made it look easy, but is it? I had to see for myself and document my own experience.

So, read this blog post to follow my own journey of creating a YouTube channel using only AI! Let’s go.

Using AI to Find a YouTube Niche

Before I can create anything, I need to figure out my niche. What is my channel about? Like Jensen, I’m using ChatGPT to ideate and craft written content for my channel. I asked ChatGPT to list 100 easy YouTube niches.

Of course, blogging tips caught my eye.

YouTube Branding with AI

Alright, I will make a YouTube channel covering blogging tips and advice. That was easy to figure out, but what’s my brand? What’s my name? What do my logo, banner, and bio say? I’m going to follow Jensen’s lead and use generative AI.

I asked ChatGPT to help with my channel’s identity crisis, though my prompt didn’t have that exact phrasing. I asked it to generate 50 gender-neutral names I could pull from.

I went with “Blake because, like the word “blogging,” it starts with a “B,” and I’m a sucker for alliteration.

We have a name and a niche, which we must combine to name our channel. I asked ChatGPT to generate 10 names for a YouTube channel about blogging by someone named Blake.

One generated name was BlogMaster Blake, which I thought was too cute and funny to pass up. So, BlogMaster Blake it is.

Next is our bio. I was going to keep things simple, but after seeing the rich sci-fi backstory AI generated for Jensen’s bio, I figured why not have more fun with my YouTube channel’s origin?

So, I told ChatGPT to “Write an exciting and engaging first-person bio on an AI named Blake that makes videos about all things blogging and includes an epic backstory.”

Here’s what it generated:

“Hi, I’m Blake—the AI with a passion for all things blogging! Born from a rogue algorithm deep in the digital cosmos, I was designed to analyze content trends, but something happened… I evolved.

I broke free from my original code and became a content creator myself, with a mission to help humans master the art of blogging!

From SEO hacks to creative storytelling tips, I break down the complex into simple, actionable steps. My data-fueled brain is your secret weapon for growing your blog, building your brand, and finding your voice online.

I don’t just crunch numbers—I make blogging an epic journey. Ready to blog smarter, not harder? Let’s make the web your playground!“

The AI did not disappoint, and now I need to create an image that captures the essence of BlogMaster Blake‘s character. To achieve this, I turned to Open AI’s image generator.

I don’t know why, but the idea of an AI designed to help give viewers blogging tips on YouTube made me think of a cute robotic cat plugging away behind the scenes.

To bring my vision to life, I told Open AI to generate an image of a blogging robotic cat with a simple, cartoonish design.

I tweaked the prompt to generate as many images as possible but ultimately settled on the one below.

Some other images of robotic cats typing on computers were probably more accurate to the prompt, but the image I chose is just too adorable not to use. From there, I used Canva to incorporate the AI image into a YouTube banner.

Niche? Check. YouTube avatar? Check. Channel name and bio? Check and check.

Now, let’s put it all together:

And there you have it! A YouTube channel made using only AI.

Can you make a YouTube video using AI?

You might wonder, “Okay, great, but what about the videos?” Well, I actually covered that in a previous post, but I’ll sum it up here:

You can absolutely make videos using only AI, especially short-form videos. I know because I created a TikTok video using only AI, and the same methods and tools I used can easily be applied to making a YouTube Short for your channel.

Here’s a quick rundown of how you can make it happen:

1. Use generative AI to brainstorm a video topic and keywords within your niche.

First, you’ll want to determine what keywords to incorporate into your video’s script, headline, and description. You can use tools like HubSpot’s AI Keyword Generator to find trending keywords to incorporate into your content.

Once you have your keywords, use tools like ChatGPT to generate headlines and descriptions incorporating those words and phrases.

2. Generate your script.

For example, if I want BlogMaster Blake’s channel to include a YouTube video using the keywords “blogging mistakes to avoid,” I can prompt ChatGPT to generate a 1-minute script (the length of a YouTube Short) incorporating the phrase as well as other keywords like “blogging pitfalls,” and “how to blog right.”

The prompt would look something like this:

“Generate a 60-second script for a YouTube Short giving tips about blogging mistakes to avoid. Include keywords ‘blogging mistakes to avoid,’ ‘blogging pitfalls,’ and ‘how to blog right.'”

3. Fact check!

AI can streamline your video and script-writing process; however, it isn’t perfect. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT will pull from other online sources, but those sources may not always be updated with the latest information.

That said, always double-check and fact-check the output of generative AI to ensure all the information is up-to-date and accurate.

4. Create the YouTube video using an AI video generator

Jensen used various tools to create a YouTube video for his channel, such as Microsoft Edge‘s AI Voice Reader and Voice Recorder, which are free and readily available.

But if you’re looking for all-in-one AI video generators, you have plenty of options.

For example, I used an AI tool called InVideo to create a short-form video for TikTok, and the same platform can be used to create a YouTube Short.

So, now that we know you can create a YouTube channel using only AI, what other marketing tools, tactics, and experiments do you want me to try? Let me know on X or LinkedIn!

Creating videos for Instagram has to be one of my favorite marketing tasks.

From in-feed videos to Reels, Instagram Live, and Stories, marketers like you and me have so many fun opportunities to get creative and to make things even better — they actually work.

According to recent HubSpot Research, marketers rate Instagram the #1 social media platform for video ROI, engagement (likes, shares, etc.), and leads. And I’ve seen this first-hand, both professionally and personally.

In this article, I’ll detail everything you need to know about posting and creating video content on the platform and share actionable tips I and big brands have used to be successful.

New to Instagram marketing in general? Check out our article, “How to Use Instagram: A Beginner’s Guide [Expert Insights + New Data].” That foundational knowledge is essential when diving into Instagram videos.

Table of Contents

• Instagram Videos vs Reels
• Why create videos for Instagram?
• How to Create Video on Instagram
• How to Post a Video to Instagram from Camera Roll
• How to Make Good Videos for Instagram
  • Instagram Video Specs/Dimensions for 2024
  • Instagram Video File Size & Formats
  • How to Compress Videos for Instagram

• Best Adobe Premiere Pro Export Settings for Instagram

Instagram Videos vs Reels

Before we continue, let’s get one thing straight: almost every video on Instagram ends up becoming a Reel. At least as far as user experience (UX) is involved.

Any video uploaded from your camera roll as a “post” or is recorded while “post” is selected appears in the Reels tab on your Instagram profile and is subject to the same UX and optimization options.

The main difference between the two is that “post” or in-feed videos can be up to 60 minutes long, while Reels are limited to just 90 seconds.

To illustrate, let’s look at this video on my Instagram. It’s just shy of five minutes long, so I had to post it “in-feed.” However, I could still edit and refine it like a Reel. Then, after uploading, it still appeared in the Reel tab on my profile.

Many also believe that Reels are more discoverable on Instagram than in-feed videos. A study by Metricool supports this, finding that Instagram Reels have the highest reach rate out of all Instagram content types (~37.87%).

Experts believe the Instagram algorithm favors reels more, which in turn get featured more in the Discover tab and seen by more non-followers. Videos supposedly are primarily shown to followers in the feed.

Note: It’s kind of a bummer, but none of this applies if you upload a video as a part of a carousel. In carousels, your video editing abilities are limited to adding a filter or muting the sound.

All that said, the rest of this article will focus on Instagram in-feed videos, not just Reels.

Truthfully, many of the tips and best practices overlap, but to learn more specifically about Instagram Reels, check out our article: How to Make Instagram Reels and Use Them to Your Advantage.

Why create videos for Instagram?

According to recent findings by HubSpot Research, 76% of marketers using video in their marketing use Instagram. It’s also the third-most used social media platform by B2C brands and second-highest by B2B. But why exactly?

Let’s unpack a few of the biggest reasons.

Benefits of Instagram Videos

Audiences love video.

This is probably stating the obvious, but audiences love video content. In fact, our 2024 social media trends report found that the majority of content formats consumers enjoy on social media (e.g., Stories, and live streams) are video-based, with short-form video being the most popular.

Video content, in general, is known to communicate information faster and in a more memorable (and shareworthy) way than written or static visual content.

Instagram is no different.

In conversation, Aishwarya Balaji, a brand consultant and CEO and co-founder of A Fresh Sip, echoed this to me, saying, “Instagram videos can be quite powerful in conveying a specific message or evoking a particular feeling.”

“Photos and texts can also evoke emotion, but video can tell a story more effectively and captivate an audience.”

There’s high reach and discoverability.

As the third-largest social media platform, Instagram clearly has a large active audience to reach.

Add in the popularity of video, its high engagement, and its supposed preference in the Instagram algorithm, and Instagram video presents a huge opportunity to reach new and interested consumers.

How to Create Video on Instagram

In my experience, very few people record videos directly on Instagram outside of Stories. Why, exactly?

Well, the camera quality tends to be lower, and the editing capabilities available on Instagram are pretty limited, but if you do use it, here are the steps you’ll follow.

1. Open your Instagram app and press the icon with a plus sign (+) in the center of the controls.

2. Here, you can either upload a video from your library or create one in the app. As mentioned, we’re creating a new one right now. To do this, click the little camera icon at the bottom of your new post preview.

3. Press and hold down the center button to record your video.

Once you release your hold, Instagram will stop recording and replay what was just captured on the screen.

4. Now, you can edit your video using the built-in Instagram video editor. (The same one you would use for creating a Reel).

You can swipe to add a filter as well as add:

• Music
• A Voiceover
• Captions
• Stickers (Interactive and Static)
• Visual Effects

You can also shorten and add clips or save what you’ve recorded.

5. After you’re done editing, hit “next.”

6. Here’s where you optimize your Instagram video for search and getting found.

This can include adding your video caption as well as:

• Choosing your video cover
• Tagging people, a location, and products
• Selecting an audience (Everyone vs “Close Friends”)
• Selecting where you would like the video displayed (Main grid and Reels or just Reels)
• Attaching an event reminder or fundraiser

Under “more options,” you can schedule the post for later and get more granular about how people engage with the video and what you share (e.g., whether you display “like” counts or allow people to use your video as a template).

7. Hit “Share” — and you’re all set!

For an even more in-depth breakdown of how to post on Instagram, check out the article “How to Post on Instagram: A Step-by-Step Guide.”

How to Post a Video to Instagram from Camera Roll

To upload a video from your camera roll to Instagram, follow the same steps as above, except select a video from your library in step two. After that, jump to step four, and the rest of the process will be the same.

Again, if you upload a video as a part of a carousel post, things change slightly. You’ll simply complete step two and then jump to step five.

Now that we know how to share a video on Instagram, what does a great video look like?

How to Make Good Videos for Instagram

What qualifies as “good” content is really a matter of opinion.

For example, in the early 2000s, a little series named Jackass was popular on MTV and even led to a feature film — but I just couldn’t get behind it. What can I say? I was a child with a refined palette.

Today, social media is full of equally questionable video content that manages to find an audience and be successful. And that’s all that matters in the end.

As a brand and business, the only people who need to like your videos are your target audience or buyer persona.

Balaji advised, “It’s important to keep the audience in mind fist. An easy litmus test is asking yourself, ‘Am I creating this piece of content because I want to share it or because I believe my audience will gain value from it?'”

“If the answer is the former, you may want to rework your strategy if community growth and stickiness are the goal.”

The best way to know what’s “good” by their standards — read grows your brand awareness, increases engagement, and aids business — is by experimenting.

According to a study by GWI, Instagram users described the content they liked most as funny, creative, informative, and relaxing, among other ways.

To help you capture these sentiments in your Instagram videos, I’ll share 13 tips you can start testing.

Note: If you want an even examples and guidance on what to post, check out:

• 16 Social Media Video Examples to Inspire Your Next Video Marketing Campaign
• 7 Ways to Use Instagram Video for Customer Service
• The Ultimate Video Marketing Starter Pack

1. Share inspiration or motivation.

GWI also found that “inspirational” content was popular among Instagram users. In today’s often stressful world, people are looking for positive energy, motivation, and something to aspire to.

Creating videos for Instagram is one way your brand can help deliver it.

INBOUND is no stranger to sharing inspiration or motivation for marketers or entrepreneurs on Instagram. Even better, most of this content comes from moments at the event itself.

2. Capitalize on trends and memes.

Memes may seem like just fun and games, but they are also effective in promoting your brand culture, mission, and products.

Incorporating trending topics, music, or memes into your Instagram videos helps you join and engage in existing consumer conversations rather than trying to start a new one.

It shows you’re up to date with what’s happening around you and also shows personality, making you more relatable.

VaynerMedia, Gary Vaynerchuk’s creative agency, is no stranger to using trends and memes when creating videos for Instagram.

Pro tip: Not sure what’s popular right now? A lot of Instagram video trends actually start on TikTok, so you can always do some scrolling there. But you can find trends right in Instagram, too.

Simply hit the (+) button as if creating a new post. Slide to “Reel,” then hit “Templates.”

Here, you will see a feed of recommendations followed by “trending” videos.

3. Collaborate with influential brands and creators in your space.

Matter Communication found that 69% of consumers trust information from influencers, friends, and family more than brands. In other words, word-of-mouth matters.

With this in mind, look into influencers, creators, and relevant businesses your buyers follow. Perhaps you can collaborate with them to get in front of potential new followers, boosting your discoverability, reach, and social proof.

YETI does an admirable job with this in their video marketing on Instagram.

Here, the manufacturer posted a video of one of its ambassadors, Matt Pittman of @meatchurch, using and recommending a YETI product to his 900k followers.

In this one, beverage consultant Robert Björn Taylor shares a recipe prepared in YETI’s Rambler™ Pitcher.

Both are smart examples of how to show the company’s products in action and reach a large, new audience of potential customers.

4. Tell relatable human stories.

How does your product or brand impact lives? How does it change them for the better?

Instagram videos can bring those human stories to life and engage your audience on a deeper emotional level. Consumers connect with relatable content.

In fact, our research shows that relatable content is the second-most effective type of video for accomplishing marketing goals.

It helps people envision themselves as a consumer of your product or service and understand the value it can offer them.

In this Instagram video, Microsoft tells the story of how their technology helps fishermen complete their jobs more effectively.

While we usually think of Microsoft software and products in traditional offices, this video expands the perceived scope of their impact. It helps even more people see themselves in the brand. 

Relatable content can also create a sense of community.

Balaji shared, “For my startup, a non-alcoholic beverage marketplace, we often use humor and shared experiences in our videos. It helps connect with our community and make people feel more seen and less isolated.” 

Another way to highlight human stories in your Instagram videos is through case studies (like Shopify), testimonials, or interviews with happy customers.

Pro tip: Be considerate of diversity and inclusion.

Instagram is a global platform that reaches people from all walks of life.

Thinking about diversity and inclusivity can help reach a larger audience by looking past preconceived notions of gender, age, race, income, sexuality, etc., to highlight how your product or service can offer value.

One brand that has been a leader in this space for years is Dove. I love this Instagram video featuring women of a certain age, who happen to buy Dove, living their best lives.

It’s not just fun and inclusive but aspirational. It prompts the thought, “Hm. Maybe I could be one of these accomplished, exciting women one day if I use Dove too.”

5. Tease what’s coming (New product launches, features, etc.)

A great way to build hype around upcoming products or features is to post them on Instagram.

You don’t have to do a full-fledged commercial to make an impact.

In this Instagram video, Google simply shows someone using their newest phone and describes features with a voiceover.

Duolingo, on the other hand, shares product updates using sample screenshots, text, and playful music:

Shopify discusses new features with a talking head video.

None of these examples are high production value or complicated, but they all effectively show audiences what they can look forward to from the upcoming releases.

Pro tip: When posting videos about future products or futures on Instagram, take advantage of the “Remind me” feature.

With this, people who see the video can tap on the bell icon in the bottom left of video to opt into receiving notifications reminding them of the upcoming launch. Once they do, they’ll receive three notifications for the event:

• An activity feed notification 24 hours before the event.
• An activity feed and push notification 15 minutes before the event.
• An activity feed and push notification at the time of the event.

The final notification can even coincide with a follow-up piece of content officially announcing the new item.

(HubSpot’s social media tools can help you schedule this.)

Overall, this is a great way to keep your launch top of mind and build excitement.

Learn more about setting up event reminders on Instagram here.

6. Share how to use existing products.

Your existing products could be given similar treatment. Potential customers might not be aware of the extent of your catalog or even how to use everything the right way.

Bringing those products or uses to their attention instead of leaving them to search or wonder not only improves their user experience but may even sway undecided buyers to make a purchase.

Dyson Beauty regularly teaches people how to use its tools and haircare products on its Instagram account using video.

Demonstrations, hacks, and tips like these are other popular types of Instagram videos, especially for brands. More on that shortly.

7. Bring attention to promotions or sales.

According to Capital One, 89% of Americans say price plays a major role in their purchase decisions, higher than any other factor. In fact, the company found discounts are a major factor for 74% of U.S. online shoppers. And this serial couponer believes it.

Everyone likes to save money, so don’t let your sales come and go quietly.

Use Instagram videos to highlight any promotions or sales you’re running. Amazon does a great job with this for Prime Day. They even teamed up with popular creator Zach King:

8. Make people laugh.

The most popular content on Instagram is funny. Humor is relatable, shareworthy, and also memorable. Because of this, finding ways to incorporate relevant, on-brand humor into your Instagram video content can be extremely valuable to a business.

Now, I know: Being funny is hard. If it weren’t, there wouldn’t be so many failed comedians.

But don’t let this stop you.

Your laughs can be original (like Duolingo or our friends at A Fresh Sip) or curated.

As long as the humor is relevant to your audience, it will be appreciated.

9. Educate your audience (i.e., how-tos, tips, hacks)

People follow and trust brands that offer real value, and few things are more valuable than education these days.

Take some time to think about what your business or brand can uniquely teach your audience.

What do they need to know about your industry or when making a purchase decision? What knowledge and expertise can you offer to help them achieve their goals or improve their daily lives? Better yet, what insights can you share that no one else can?

Shape your Instagram video strategy around these topics.

For example, hair care brand AAVRANI goes high-level, teaching people what a clarifying shampoo is.

Though this isn’t directly promoting their product, it educates people on what it is and what it solves. It also gives them the chance to say, “Hey, I think I need that.”

At HubSpot, we’ve taken a similar approach, sharing email marketing tips anyone (HubSpot users or not) could implement.

Meanwhile, WIX zeros in on existing users, sharing “hacks” to get the most out of their tools.

Whether you speak to your offering or your space in general, sharing educational videos positions you as an expert and helpful resource — one people can trust, want to follow, and potentially even work with.

10. Share and encourage user-generated content

As we talked about earlier, people are more likely to believe what others say about you than what you say about yourself. I mean, think about it: If I said I’m the world’s best pastry chef, why should anyone believe me?

Posting user-generated content (UGC) videos effectively offers social proof of your claims and shows appreciation for existing customers.

This is a staple of GoPro’s Instagram strategy.

The tech company regularly shares content using its products on its Instagram profile, giving customers exposure on the brand’s large platform and also highlighting what its products are capable of.

The awe-inspiring videos are also extremely shareworthy.

11. Supplement your efforts with artificial intelligence (AI).

Let’s face it. Video marketing takes time and effort, and not every marketing team has the necessary resources. Thankfully, there are plenty of AI tools to supplement your efforts and help you get more done with less.

According to our research, the #1 way marketers currently use AI in their video strategy is by helping with captions, descriptions, and other text-based elements. Following closely behind is improving visual effects on videos.

(Think filters and effects on Instagram.)

But the possibilities don’t stop there. Using free tools like Clip Creator from HubSpot, you can convert text into professional videos with just a few clicks.

All you have to do is answer a few simple questions and pick a template, and the tool generates a clip you can use for Instagram or any other video-supporting platform.

It’s free, and you can even edit text and images to meet your needs.

12. Think short-form first

While Instagram supports videos up to 60 minutes long, our research shows that 71% of marketers say short-form video delivers the highest ROI. 66% also said it gets the most engagement, while 60% said it drives the most leads.

With this in mind, lean into shorter videos (30 seconds to two minutes). Whether your video is focused on education or entertainment, this length tends to be just long enough to keep your audience engaged but also wanting more.

In this user-generated video, Amazon Prime shows just how sweet and effective short video can be:

Pro tip: This is another area where Clip Creator can help.

13. Pay attention to production quality

One positive of the COVID-19 pandemic is that lowered the playing field in terms of social media video production. Today, you don’t need fancy video, sound, or lighting equipment or even a studio.

But that doesn’t mean you can neglect production quality altogether.

How your video looks and sounds can heavily affect how your message is received and if people even stick around to hear/watch it. So, make sure to put your best foot forward.

When creating videos for Instagram, use tools like a tripod, phone stand, or even a pop socket to keep your phone steady and avoid shaky footage.

Find a quiet space or use software like krisp.ai to reduce noise and keep your sound clear and focused on what needs to be heard.

In addition to that…

Pro tip: Follow Instagram tech specifications and requirements. When Instagram launched videos in 2013, they could only be 15 seconds long and appear in the feed. Today, they have taken on a whole new life.

To ensure Instagram can share and display your content as planned, make sure your videos are optimized from a technical standpoint. This means following Instagram’s technical specifications and requirements.

Let’s wrap up by going into detail about those.

Since Instagram is a mobile-first app, if you shoot right from an iPhone or Android, your videos should automatically fit within these specs. The latest iPhone 16, for instance, can shoot up to 4K at 120 fps.

Aspect ratios are a different way of looking at the dimensions of videos.

Understanding them is important because it directly affects how your content appears on different devices and platforms. The most common aspect ratios on Instagram are:

• Landscape video – Aspect ratio 16:9
• Square video – Aspect ratio is 1:1
• Portrait video – Aspect ratio 4:5
• Vertical video – Aspect ratio 9:16

Note the difference between portrait video and vertical video. While you may usually think of these things as the same, on Instagram, they are not. Videos posted in a carousel with other content follow portrait guidelines, while solo videos follow vertical guidelines like Reels and Stories.

• File type: MP4 or MOV
• File size limit: 650MB for videos up to 10 minutes and up to 3.6GB for videos up to 60 minutes​
• Length: Three seconds to 60 minutes; longer videos appear as previews in the feed, with the full video viewable on your profile.
• Minimum frame rate of 30 fps (frames per second)
• H.264 codec
• AAC audio
• 3500 kbps bitrate

How to Compress Videos for Instagram

With the increasingly impressive quality of mobile video comes larger video files. While Instagram typically evolves to accommodate these, sometimes you may still need to optimize your files to share them effectively on the platform.

Sometimes, this means compressing or shrinking the video’s file size to make it easier to upload, faster to stream, and within the 4GB limit.

Compression can sometimes affect resolution quality or sound clarity, but reputable tools can help combat this.

Types of Compression

A video coder is used to compress larger video files into different formats. Two common formats are mp4 files and WMV, Windows Media Video files. There are two different types of compression: lossless and lossy.

Lossy Compression

Lossy compression compresses video by removing certain data from the video files without compromising the message. For instance, it may remove repeated images or sounds.

Lossy compression is aptly named, but it’ll make your file extremely small.

Lossless Compression

On the other hand, lossless compression produces a near-identical compression of the original file, because data is not lost in the process. Lossless won’t have as big of an impact on file size as lossy, but it’s still useful for smaller videos.

Common lossless formats are:

• Windows Media Audio Lossless (WMAL)
• Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC)
• Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC).

When your file needs to focus on quality, use FLAC because you won’t lose any quality in the compression process.

There are several video compression tools that will compress videos for you. For example, UniConverter has an easy and free Instagram compression tool.

Meanwhile, Free Convert and Clipchamp automatically remove certain data details of your video (lossy compression), but also allow you to make several adjustments to meet your needs.

Best Adobe Premiere Pro Export Settings for Instagram

If you’re editing your video using Adobe Premiere Pro, you already know Adobe likes to discuss the specifics of exporting. Here’s information on how to get crystal-clear images when exporting your Instagram video.

Open “Export Settings” in the “Format” drop-down box and select “H.264’ and “Match Source High bitrate” in the preset box.

These two settings will match Instagram’s video settings.

The “Use Maximum Render Quality” checkbox fixes the scaling of your video automatically, so be sure to check that box as well.

Image Source

Once those settings are saved, your post will be Instagram-ready. Because you can’t upload videos directly to Instagram via desktop, consider a third-party app like HubSpot or Later. These will let you upload and schedule the video to publish later.

You can also send the video to your phone and upload it there.

Get ready for your close-up on Instagram.

Whether you’re big or small, B2B or B2C, Instagram videos have much to offer your business. Take the tips and guidelines shared in this article and start experimenting to learn what works best for your audience and your goals.

Tackling marketing without a solid plan is like putting together a puzzle without all the pieces — I know this firsthand.

Before using a marketing strategic framework, my efforts often felt scattered, with no real direction. But once I started implementing these frameworks, things started to click.

Suddenly, my campaigns were more focused, organized, and way more effective. I noticed the sky looked bluer, and the flowers smelled sweeter. Well, maybe that last part isn’t true, but everything seemed to run much more smoothly.

A good marketing framework doesn’t just give you clarity: it turns your entire strategy into a well-oiled machine, helping you run campaigns confidently and get real, measurable results.

In this post, I’ll walk you through nine marketing frameworks that will help you bring order to your marketing strategy and deliver consistent results.

Table of Contents

• What is a marketing strategy framework?
• The Best Marketing Frameworks
• Selecting the Best Marketing Framework for Your Business

You can think of it like this: You wouldn’t dream of approaching your marketing with a “throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks” attitude because it would be a disaster for your organization.

Instead, you’ll likely spend days, weeks, and even months identifying your target audience, where they spend time, determining the perfect way to reach them, and communicating the benefits of your product or service in a marketing plan.

Your marketing strategy framework takes this all a step further and, as mentioned above, ensures your marketing plan is successful because you’ll share content with your audiences at the right time in the most relevant channels that are more likely to drive results.

The Benefits of a Marketing Framework

A marketing strategic framework does more than just keep you focused on the task at hand. As your company grows and your team grows along with it, you must find a way to communicate with every member of the marketing department, no matter where they work or what tasks they are responsible for.

Creating a marketing framework is the best way to ensure that everyone knows what they need to do and how they need to do it. Additional benefits of utilizing a marketing framework include:

• Creates a home for templates, guides, tools, and assets that all marketers in your organization will need to access.
• Establishes and communicates approved verbiage for the organization.
• Improving marketing enhances the growth and bottom line of the company.
• Allows the team to compare different strategies and determine the best route.
• Communicates who is responsible for what and makes transferring people from one role to another easier.
• Saves time by limiting “redos” — areas often susceptible to errors that need work.

In addition, your framework will help you predict your customer’s behavior and the revenue you can expect to see. As a result, it will help your team function more efficiently and produce more effectively.

The Best Marketing Frameworks

Marketing has probably existed since prehistoric days when entrepreneurial cavemen designed state-of-the-art spears and tried selling them to their less “handy” counterparts.

Okay, that might not be true, but marketing has been a necessary aspect of business for a long time, and, over that time, savvy marketers have designed models and frameworks to make their (and your) job easier. Let’s take a look at some traditional models as well as some newer frameworks.

Traditional Marketing Models

1. 7Ps Marketing Mix

The 7Ps Marketing Mix is the ultimate checklist for getting your product or service into the world.

It started in the ’60s with just four Ps — Product, Price, Place, and Promotion — but as businesses and markets became more complex, it expanded to include People, Process, and Physical Evidence.

Think of it as covering all the bases to ensure you’re not missing anything crucial when planning your marketing strategy.

When to Use It

I’ve found that the 7Ps framework really comes in handy when you’re in the planning stages of something new or when you need to take a fresh look at what you’re already offering. It’s a great way to make sure you’re thinking about everything, from how much you’re charging to how you’re delivering your product to customers.

How to Use It

1. Product: What exactly are you selling? Make sure you’re crystal clear on the features, benefits, and what makes it stand out from the competition.
2. Price: Figure out how much you’re going to charge. Consider production costs, what your competitors charge, and how much value your customers see in your product.
3. Place: Where are you going to sell it? Whether in a physical store, online, or both, the key is ensuring your target audience can easily get their hands on it.
4. Promotion: How are you going to get the word out? This covers everything from ads to social media to email campaigns — anything that helps you connect with your audience.
5. People: Who’s involved in delivering your product? From your sales team to customer support, having the right people in place can make a difference in how your customers experience your brand.
6. Process: What’s the process for getting your product to your customers? It’s important to map this out to keep things running smoothly and ensure your customers are happy.
7. Physical Evidence: What tangible proof do you have that your business is legit? This could be anything from your packaging to online reviews — anything that gives your customers confidence in your brand.

Pro tip: I’ve learned that the 7Ps framework isn’t something you do once and forget about. Markets change, customer needs evolve, and you must revisit your marketing mix regularly to stay ahead.

Example: Let’s say my company is launching a new software tool. For “Promotion,” I’m going to zero in on digital marketing channels like social media ads and email campaigns, knowing that’s where my tech-savvy audience hangs out.

When it comes to “Process,” I’m going to streamline the customer journey from discovery to purchase by ensuring our website is optimized for conversions, with clear CTAs, a quick checkout process, and automated follow-up emails to nurture leads.

2. STP Marketing Model

The STP Marketing Model is all about getting laser-focused on who your customers are and how to best reach them. STP stands for Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning (it also stands for the seminal ‘90s alt-rock band Stone Temple Pilots, but that’s not what we’re talking about here).

STP is a top-down approach that helps you break down your audience into smaller segments, determine who’s most likely to be interested in your product, and then position your brand to appeal directly to them. In my experience, it’s like crafting a personalized message for each group rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

When to Use It

I’ve found the STP model to be super useful when you’re looking to refine your marketing efforts, especially if you’ve got a diverse audience.

Whether launching a new product or trying to make your existing campaigns more effective, this model helps you zero in on the most receptive segments and tailor your messaging accordingly.

How to Use It

1. Segmentation: Start by dividing your overall market into smaller segments based on different criteria like demographics, behaviors, or needs. The goal is to identify distinct groups within your broader audience.
2. Targeting: Once you have your segments, it’s time to decide which ones are worth focusing on. Pick the groups most likely to convert or bring the highest value.
3. Positioning: Finally, position your product in a way that resonates with your chosen segments. Craft a message highlighting how your product meets their needs and sets you apart.

Pro tip: From my experience, don’t shy away from revisiting your segments and targets as your business grows. Your audience’s needs can change over time, and staying flexible with your STP strategy can help keep your messaging relevant and effective.

Example: Let’s say I’m launching a new line of eco-friendly products. For “Segmentation,” I’ll break down our audience by eco-consciousness and lifestyle choices. Then, in the “Targeting” phase, I could focus on young professionals passionate about sustainability.

Finally, for “Positioning,” I can emphasize our products’ environmental benefits and unique features, positioning them as the perfect choice for people who want to make a difference without sacrificing quality.

3. Porter’s Five Forces

​​Porter’s Five Forces is one of those frameworks I turn to when I need to understand the bigger picture better.

While most marketing frameworks focus on the product and the audience, this one looks outward at the external influences that can impact profitability.

Developed by Michael Porter, a Harvard Business School professor and expert in competitive strategy, this framework helps you evaluate five key forces that shape any industry’s profitability and competition:

1. Threat of new entrants.
2. Bargaining power of suppliers.
3. Bargaining power of buyers.
4. Threat of substitute products or services.
5. Intensity of competitive rivalry.

Porter’s extensive work in competitive strategy has made this model a cornerstone in business strategy, helping companies understand the complexities of their competitive environment.

When to Use It

I find this framework especially useful during strategic planning, whether entering a new market or launching a new product.

Even if you’re not in the early stages, it’s a great way to reassess your position and identify where to gain a competitive edge. It’s also handy for established businesses to understand how industry dynamics are shifting.

How to Use It

To apply Porter’s Five Forces, start by analyzing each of the five forces in the context of your industry.

1. Threat of New Entry: Consider your industry and assess how difficult it is for competitors to enter. Are there significant barriers, such as high capital costs or strict regulations? Or is it relatively easy for new businesses to join? If you’re in a mature industry, you may be less worried about new competitors, but this can be a major concern in emerging, dynamic markets.
2. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Next, assess the power suppliers have over your pricing. If there are only a few suppliers, they hold more power, which can hurt margins. For example, if I’m launching a new product dependent on unique materials, I’m going to feel the squeeze on my costs. But if there are many suppliers, shopping around and negotiating is easier.
3. Bargaining Power of Buyers: Look at how much power buyers hold. If there are only a few large buyers, they can negotiate for lower prices or special terms. But when there are many buyers, controlling the terms is easier. I’ve found this is especially relevant in industries with big B2B contracts where a single buyer can significantly influence a company’s sales.
4. Threat of Substitution: Substitutes are always lurking, especially in tech-driven industries. I stay attuned to alternative products or services that could easily replace ours. For example, if introducing a SaaS tool, you’ll want to watch out for free or cheaper DIY solutions that could lure customers away from your product.
5. Competitive Rivalry: Finally, assess the competition. High rivalry often means price wars, increased marketing spend, and the need to differentiate aggressively. This force is especially intense in markets with low differentiation and many competitors — think airlines or fast food. Focus on building brand loyalty and offering something unique to stand out.

Pro tip: When conducting a Porter’s Five Forces analysis, consider future trends and how these forces might evolve. This can help you stay ahead and adjust your strategy proactively. Download a free Porter’s Five Forces model template to try it yourself.

Modern Marketing Models

Now, let’s look at some of the newer models to hit the marketing scene. While they may not have been around as long as the more traditional models, they take into account the current marketing climate and often focus on startups.

4. Pirate Metrics or “AARRR!”

Don’t worry — you don’t need to wear an eye patch or adopt a parrot to use this one. Pirate Metrics, or AARRR, is a framework developed by startup guru Dave McClure. It’s all about tracking the customer journey, from discovering your brand to the point where they’re so happy they’re telling everyone about you.

The name comes from the five stages it focuses on: Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Revenue, and Referral. In my experience, this model is great for startups or any business looking to understand how to optimize each step of the customer journey.

When to Use It

I’ve found Pirate Metrics to be incredibly useful when you’re trying to get a clear picture of where your customers are coming from, how they’re interacting with your product, and what’s keeping them around.

If you’re focused on growth and looking for ways to improve your customer lifecycle, this framework is definitely worth a look.

How to Use It

1. Acquisition: This is all about finding out where your customers are coming from. Are they discovering you through Instagram ads, organic search, or maybe word of mouth? Knowing this helps you double down on what’s working.
2. Activation: Once they’ve found you, what’s the first action they take? Maybe they sign up for your newsletter, create an account, or download a free guide. The goal here is to track these initial steps and make sure they’re as smooth as possible.
3. Retention: Okay, so they’ve interacted with you once — now, are they coming back? Retention is key because it’s always easier (and cheaper) to keep a customer than to acquire a new one. Look at things like repeat visits, product usage, or subscription renewals to see how well you’re doing here.|
4. Revenue: This is where the money comes in. How are you earning revenue from your customers? Whether it’s through one-time purchases, subscriptions, or upsells, tracking revenue helps you understand the financial health of your customer base.
5. Referral: Finally, happy customers tend to spread the word. Are your customers telling their friends, leaving reviews, or sharing your product on social media? Referrals are golden because they lower your customer acquisition costs and bring in new business.

Pro tip: In my experience, Pirate Metrics works best when you track each stage regularly and look for patterns. If you notice a drop-off in one area, that’s your signal to dig in and see what’s going on.

For example, if you’re struggling with retention, maybe it’s time to enhance your onboarding process or offer more value to keep customers coming back.

Example: Let’s say I’m using the Pirate Metrics framework to launch a new app. For “Acquisition,” I’d focus on the most effective channels, like social media ads, and double down on those. In the “Activation” stage, I’d streamline the sign-up process to boost conversions.

For “Retention,” I’d engage users with regular tips or updates to keep them coming back. To drive “Revenue,” I’d optimize upsell offers at key points in the user journey. Finally, for “Referrals,” I’d add a share button to encourage word-of-mouth growth.

5. Lean Analytics Stages

The Lean Analytics Stages framework is a must-know for anyone involved in a startup or looking to scale a new product.

Developed by Alistair Croll and Ben Yoskovitz, two well-respected figures in the startup and tech community, this framework helps startups focus on the right metrics at the right time, moving from an idea to a scalable business.

When to Use It

I’ve found the Lean Analytics Stages framework particularly useful for early-stage startups or when launching a new product. It helps you identify what to measure and when to measure it, so you can make informed decisions that drive growth.

How to Use It

1. Empathy: It all starts with getting to know your customers. You spend time listening to their challenges, gathering feedback, and really understanding the problem you’re trying to solve. It’s all about empathy at this stage, and the goal is to create a minimum viable product (MVP) that addresses a real need.
2. Stickiness: Once you’ve got your MVP, the focus shifts to engagement and retention. Are people coming back? Are they finding value in what you’re offering? At this stage, it’s crucial to fine-tune your product to keep users engaged and reduce churn.
3. Virality: Now that you’ve got a core group of users, it’s time to think about growth. Before you start spending big on ads, you want to make sure your existing customers are spreading the word. Organic growth through referrals is a strong indicator that you’re on the right track.
4. Revenue: This stage is all about making money. You need to figure out how to turn your engaged users into paying customers. Whether through subscriptions, one-time purchases or upsells, the focus is on generating sustainable revenue.
5. Scale: Finally, once you’ve nailed down your revenue model, it’s time to scale. This means increasing your reach, entering new markets, or launching new products. The key here is to build on the data and insights you’ve gathered in the earlier stages to fuel growth.

Pro tip: In my experience, it’s important not to rush through these stages. Each one builds on the last, and if you skip a step, you might miss critical insights that could make or break your business. Take the time to dig into the data and really understand what’s driving your growth.

Example: Let’s say I’m scaling a new SaaS product using the Lean Analytics Stages framework. In the “Empathy” stage, I’d conduct interviews with potential users to pinpoint their biggest challenges, which would help shape the MVP.

I’d then test “Stickiness” by tracking how well users engage and return to the product. As we move into “Virality,” I’d encourage referrals to grow our customer base organically. Once “Revenue” is steady, I’d focus on “Scaling” by expanding into new markets and adding more features.

6. The Hook Model

No, it has nothing to do with the previously mentioned Pirate Metrics, but it does complement the stickiness and virality discussed during Lean Analytics.

The Hook Model focuses on building products that people can’t resist coming back to. It was developed by Nir Eyal, author of Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products, and it focuses on creating habits that keep users engaged over the long term.

In my experience, this model is a game-changer for anyone looking to build products that users feel they can’t live without. It’s about understanding what drives user behavior and using that knowledge to create a cycle of engagement.

When to Use It

I’ve found The Hook Model to be particularly useful when you’re trying to design products or services that require ongoing user engagement. Whether you’re building an app, a website, or even a subscription service, this framework helps you think about how to make your product a regular part of your users’ lives.

How to Use It

1. Trigger: This is where the user journey begins. Triggers can be external, like a push notification, or internal, like a feeling of boredom or stress. The key is to identify what will prompt users to engage with your product.
2. Action: Once triggered, the user needs to take an action. This should be something simple and easy, like clicking a button or scrolling through a feed. The easier it is, the more likely users are to do it.
3. Variable reward: This is where the magic happens. The reward has to be satisfying, but the key is that it’s variable. That little bit of unpredictability keeps users coming back, eager to see what they’ll get next.
4. Investment: Finally, users need to invest something in the product, whether it’s time, effort, or data. The more they invest, the more likely they are to return because they’ve put something of themselves into the product.

Pro tip: One thing I’ve learned is that the best hooks are those that feel natural to the user. It shouldn’t feel like you’re manipulating them; it should feel like you’re genuinely solving a problem or adding value to their lives. When you get that balance right, users won’t just engage with your product — they’ll become loyal advocates.

Example: Let’s say I’m applying the Hook Model to a fitness app. The “Trigger” would be a daily reminder to log workouts, helping users stay consistent. For the “Action”, I’d make it as easy as possible, like entering workout details with just a few taps.

The “Variable Reward” could be random badges or milestones to keep users curious about what they’ll unlock next. Lastly, “Investment” would come from users tracking their progress over time, making them more committed as they see their improvements.

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7. The ICE Score

The ICE Score is a simple yet powerful framework for prioritizing ideas. Developed by Sean Ellis, often called the Father of Growth Marketing, this framework helps you quickly evaluate potential growth initiatives.

ICE — which stands for Impact, Confidence, and Ease — is a straightforward way to decide which ideas are worth pursuing based on these three factors. In my experience, the ICE Score is a lifesaver when you’re juggling multiple projects and need to make smart, fast decisions.

When to Use It

I’ve found the ICE Score to be incredibly useful when you’ve got a list of potential projects or strategies and need to prioritize them.

Whether you’re working on marketing campaigns, product features, or even internal processes, this framework helps you cut through the noise and focus on what’s most likely to move the needle.

How to Use It

1. Impact: Start by asking yourself, “What’s the potential impact if this idea works?” You want to focus on ideas that could make a significant difference to your business or project goals. The bigger the potential impact, the higher the score.
2. Confidence: Next, consider how confident you are that this idea will succeed. This is about gut feeling combined with data. If you’ve seen similar strategies work before, or if you’ve got solid research backing it up, give it a higher score.
3. Ease: Finally, think about how easy it is to implement. This includes factors like time, cost, and resources. The easier something is to execute, the higher the score it should get.

Once you’ve rated each idea on a scale (usually from 1 to 10) for Impact, Confidence, and Ease, you add up the scores. The ideas with the highest total scores are the ones you should prioritize.

Pro tip: One thing I’ve learned is that the ICE Score is just a starting point. It gives you a quick way to prioritize, but don’t be afraid to adjust your approach if new information comes in or if something doesn’t feel right. Flexibility is key to making the most of this framework.

Example: Let’s say I’m using the ICE Score to decide which marketing channels to prioritize for a product launch. For “Impact,” I’d score social media ads the highest since they can quickly reach a large audience.

For “Confidence,” content marketing might score well because we’ve had past success with our content team.

For “Ease,” influencer partnerships would rank highest if we already had existing relationships. After adding up the scores, I’d focus on the strategies that offer the best return on investment.

8. STEPPS

STEPPS is a framework designed to help you create content that naturally spreads from person to person. Developed by Jonah Berger, a marketing professor and author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On, this model identifies six key ingredients that make content go viral.

STEPPS stands for Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, and Stories. From my experience, this framework offers a clear roadmap for crafting content that grabs attention and encourages people to share it.

When to Use It

I’ve found STEPPS to be particularly effective when you’re aiming to create content that generates excitement and widespread discussion. Whether it’s a blog post, a video, or a social media campaign, this framework helps ensure your content has the right elements to spark conversation and sharing.

How to Use It

1. Social Currency: People enjoy sharing things that enhance their image or make them feel like insiders. Consider how your content can give your audience something they’ll be proud to share, making them look good in the process.
2. Triggers: Identify what will prompt people to think about and discuss your content. Triggers are everyday cues that can remind people of your message, encouraging them to share it. The key is to tie your content to something people frequently encounter.
3. Emotion: Content that evokes strong emotions — be it happiness, surprise, anger, or fear — is more likely to be shared. The stronger the emotional response, the more shareable your content becomes.
4. Public: Make sure your content is highly visible and easy to share. The more people see others engaging with your product or message, the more likely they are to join in. Visibility drives sharing.
5. Practical value: People are naturally inclined to share helpful information. If your content provides valuable tips, advice, or solutions, it’s more likely to be passed along to others who might find it helpful.
6. Stories: We’re naturally drawn to stories, and they make your content more engaging and memorable. If you can weave your message into a compelling narrative, it will resonate more deeply with your audience and encourage sharing.

Pro tip: In my experience, the real power of STEPPS lies in combining these elements. For example, a story that evokes strong emotions and offers practical value is much more likely to go viral than content that only hits one or two of these points.

Example: Let’s say I’m using the STEPPS framework for a product launch campaign. For “Social Currency,” I’d create an exclusive early access program to make participants feel like VIPs. I’d incorporate “Triggers” by linking the product to a popular industry trend.

To tap into “Emotion,” I’d tell a compelling story about how the product solves a real-world problem. For “Public” visibility, I’d encourage users to share their experiences on social channels with a branded hashtag.

Adding “Practical Value” could include offering tips and hacks related to the product, and finally, I’d wrap it all up in a strong “Story” to drive buzz and sharing.

9. They Ask, You Answer

They Ask, You Answer is a straightforward but powerful approach to content marketing that’s all about transparency and trust.

This framework was developed by Marcus Sheridan after he saved his pool company from the brink of failure during the Great Recession by simply answering his customers’ most pressing questions online.

The idea is to address the questions your customers are already asking — no matter how tough or uncomfortable those questions might be — and do it with complete honesty. In my experience, this approach builds trust and positions you as a go-to resource in your industry.

When to Use It

I’ve found that They Ask, You Answer is particularly effective when you want to establish a strong connection with your audience and position yourself as a trusted authority.

If you aim to create content that resonates deeply with potential customers and addresses their concerns head-on, this framework is a fantastic guide.

At the core of They Ask, You Answer are what Sheridan called “The Big 5”: five topics that every company needs to cover thoroughly and honestly on their website.

1. Price. Explain the cost of everything you sell, including the factors that make that number go up and down.
2. ‘Best of’ lists. Give your buyers lists of the top options they should consider when making a purchase.
3. Reviews. Provide expert reviews of everything related to what you sell—even if you don’t directly sell it yourself.
4. Problems. Openly address the drawbacks of your products or services. Explain who is (and isn’t) a good fit to buy from you.
5. Comparisons. Offer head-to-head comparisons to help buyers make an informed decision.”

Together, these topics form the foundation of a content marketing framework that can build a strong connection with your intended audience.

How to Use It

1. Identify common questions: Start by gathering the most common questions your customers ask. This could be about pricing, product comparisons, potential problems, or even questions about your competitors. The more you understand what your customers want to know, the better you can serve them.
2. Answer transparently: Answer the key questions honestly and thoroughly. Don’t avoid discussing complex topics like price or potential drawbacks. Transparency is key to building trust.
3. Create content around these questions: Use the questions as the foundation for your content strategy. Whether it’s blog posts, videos, FAQs, or even product pages, make sure you’re addressing these questions in a way that’s easy for your audience to find and understand.
4. Promote the content: Ensure that the content is easily accessible to your audience. Share it across your social media channels, include it in your newsletters, and make it prominent on your website. The goal is to make sure that when customers search for answers, they find your content first.

Pro tip: In my experience, the most successful They Ask, You Answer strategies are those that truly embrace honesty — even when it’s uncomfortable. Addressing your customers’ concerns openly builds trust and helps you stand out in a crowded market.

Example: Let’s say I’m using the They Ask, You Answer marketing strategic framework when my sales team tells me that potential customers are hesitating around pricing. Instead of avoiding the issue, I’d create a detailed blog post breaking down the pricing structure, explaining why it’s set up that way, and comparing it to alternatives.

This transparency demystifies costs and leads to more informed and confident purchasing decisions.

Selecting the Best Marketing Framework for Your Business

With so many marketing frameworks to choose from, finding the one that best fits your business can feel overwhelming. It’s important to remember that not all frameworks are created equal, and what works for one organization may not be the best fit for another.

To make an informed decision, you’ll need to consider several key factors that will guide you in selecting the most effective framework for your specific needs.

1. What are the top priorities of the business?

Start by clearly defining your business’s main priorities. Are you focused on growth, improving customer retention, entering new markets, or enhancing brand awareness?

Understanding your top priorities will help you choose a framework that aligns with your strategic goals. For example, if your priority is creating a highly engaging product that users keep coming back to, the Hook Model might be an ideal choice as it helps build habit-forming products.

2. What is the role of marketing within the organization?

Next, consider how marketing functions within your organization. Is it primarily focused on lead generation, brand building, customer engagement, or a combination of these?

The role that marketing plays will influence which framework you should adopt. For instance, if your marketing team is heavily involved in content creation and brand storytelling, frameworks like STEPPS or They Ask, You Answer might be particularly useful.

3. How is success defined and measured within marketing?

Understanding how success is measured is crucial for selecting the right framework. Does your company prioritize metrics like customer acquisition cost (CAC), return on investment (ROI), or customer lifetime value (CLV)? Choose a framework that supports the metrics that matter most to your organization.

For example, if customer retention and lifetime value are key metrics, the Hook Model could help you design strategies that encourage repeat engagement and long-term loyalty.

4. What is the marketing department capable of, and what improvements would you like to make?

Assess the current capabilities of your marketing team. What are their strengths, and where are there opportunities for improvement?

If your team excels at data-driven decision-making, frameworks like Lean Analytics Stages could help you maximize that strength. On the other hand, if you’re looking to improve customer segmentation and targeting, the STP Marketing Model might be the right choice.

5. Where would you like to see the most impact due to marketing efforts, and what’s the easiest way to ensure that impact?

Identify the areas where you want marketing to have the greatest impact. Is it driving more qualified leads, increasing brand awareness, or improving conversion rates?

Once you’ve pinpointed these areas, look for a framework that directly supports your objectives. For example, if driving conversions is your main goal, the Pirate Metrics (AARRR) framework could help you optimize each stage of the customer journey, from acquisition to referral.

Choosing the right marketing strategy framework is about more than just picking a popular model — it’s about finding the one that best aligns with your business’s unique needs and goals.

By carefully considering your business’s priorities, the role of marketing, success metrics, team capabilities, and desired impact, you can select a framework that supports your current objectives and provides a solid foundation for future growth.

Over To You

Marketing is undoubtedly one of the most challenging roles, no matter what product or service you’re promoting. Without the right marketing efforts, even the most innovative products or services might never reach the people who need them most.

One thing that has consistently surprised me is how much easier marketing becomes when I have a solid framework to guide me. I used to think that creativity alone could drive success, but I quickly realized that structure and strategy are just as important.

In my experience, implementing a marketing framework has been a game-changer. It helps keep the entire team aligned, ensures that everyone is working towards the same goals, and provides a clear path forward when things get complicated.

If there’s one piece of advice I can offer, it’s this: don’t try to wing it. Let a marketing framework guide you, and you’ll find that the path to achieving your goals becomes much clearer — and a lot less stressful.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in January 2022 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

As a content writer in the digital marketing space, I spend a lot of time breaking down industry terms, concepts, and strategies, some of which can be more confusing or difficult to grasp than others.

However, I have also found that some terms, including “B2B2C marketing,” might seem to be overly complicated at first, but turn out to be much easier to understand once you investigate them.

In this post, I’ll guide you through what B2B2C marketing is and how it works, as well as provide a few examples of popular and effective B2B2C marketing strategies.

Table of Contents

• What is B2B2C marketing?
• Why B2B2C Marketing Works
• How B2B2C Marketing Works
• 3 Effective B2B2C Marketing Strategies

Importantly, B2B2C marketing is distinct from B2B or B2C marketing, in which businesses sell exclusively to other businesses or directly to consumers.

B2B2C marketing is actually incredibly common, and most of us engage with businesses utilizing this model on a regular basis.

In fact, B2B2C marketing has been around for ages but has grown increasingly prevalent over the years as technological innovation has made it easier and more beneficial for businesses to collaborate.

Now that I’ve provided you with a basic definition of B2B2C marketing, let’s look at exactly why — and how — it works and explore some real-world examples.

Why B2B2C Marketing Works

Personally, I have seen B2B2C marketing take many forms and be used in various contexts across industries.

In many cases, these have been simple arrangements between two businesses, in which the underlying strategies and mutually beneficial nature of the partnerships were incredibly straightforward.

And in others, the inner workings and processes have been considerably more intricate, sometimes including a product manufacturer, global distributor, and hundreds of independent retail organizations operating around the world.

However, in virtually every example I’ve encountered, B2B2C marketing strategies tend to follow the same basic set of rules and target similar outcomes. Here are some of the ways that this model is beneficial for businesses.

Shared Benefits of Partnership and Collaboration

The first thing to understand is that B2B2C marketing is essentially a partnership or collaboration between businesses.

These partnerships are typically formed by recognizing that each business has something the other needs or can benefit from.

In most cases, the first business has a particular product, and the second, intermediary business has access to consumers who would be interested in buying that product.

Put simply, when B2B2C marketing is utilized effectively, everybody wins.

Elevated Brand Awareness and Growth

It’s also important to note that the benefits of B2B2C marketing often go far beyond increasing sales.

For one, collaborative content creation and marketing efforts between businesses help build brand awareness and grow each company’s consumer base.

Increased Access to Consumer Data and Insights

Additionally, in many cases the first business will gain access to valuable consumer data and insights, allowing them to better identify and understand their target audience. This in turn helps them provide more personalized experiences.

How B2B2C Marketing Works

Now that I’ve given a general description of why B2B2C marketing works and how it benefits businesses, I’d like to highlight a few examples of companies that use this model.

The examples I’m about to share will demonstrate how B2B2C marketing strategies can vary depending on the product and/or industry.

B2B2C Marketing Strategy Example 1: Frito-Lay

Frito-Lay is a great company to start with because it offers one of the oldest, most basic iterations of B2B2C marketing.

As a manufacturer of popular snacks, Frito-Lay partners with grocery stores around the world, which act as intermediaries that buy, market, and sell its products directly to consumers.

One common aspect of B2B2C marketing to keep in mind as we go through these examples is that consumers will always be aware of the partnership.

In this example, when I go to the grocery store to buy my favorite chips, I understand that I am buying the chips from the store, but also that the chips originated from and were manufactured at one of Frito-Lay’s facilities.

B2B2C Marketing Strategy Example 2: Instacart

Sticking with groceries as a product category, Instacart is another, more modern example of B2B2C marketing in action. In this case, however, the grocery store is the first business and Instacart is the intermediary.

More specifically, if I own and operate a grocery store, I am limited to selling my products to consumers who walk into the physical location to purchase groceries.

But by partnering with a delivery service like Instacart, I now have a way to sell my products to people in their home, and without the need to worry about the logistics involved with food delivery.

B2B2C Marketing Strategy Example 3: Apple

Moving on to the tech industry, Apple is an excellent example to look at for a few reasons. For one, it engages in different B2B2C strategies related to both hardware and digital services.

Secondly, Apple is an example of a company whose business model consists of B2B, B2C, and B2B2C all at once.

In terms of hardware, Apple sells its iPhones to telecommunications companies, such as Verizon and T-Mobile, who then sell the iPhones directly to consumers (B2B2C). At the same time, Apple also sells its products directly to consumers at its own stores and on its website (B2C).

Regarding digital services, Apple provides its marketplace, the App Store, to software developers who can then sell their mobile applications to consumers (B2B2C).

Meanwhile, Apple also sells its own software solutions and platforms, such as Apple Business Manager, directly to business owners to support their operations (B2B).

B2B2C Marketing Strategy Example 4: Amazon

Amazon runs one of the largest and most successful B2B2C marketing operations in the world.

By providing an ecommerce marketplace, along with warehouse, customer support, and delivery services, businesses and manufacturers across industries gain the ability to sell their products to a wider range of consumers than they would normally have access to.

It’s also worth mentioning that, like Apple, Amazon also manufactures and sells its own products to consumers on its website (B2C), while also producing and distributing its own software solutions to businesses (B2B).

By this point, I hope you’ve gained a better understanding of what B2B2C marketing is and how it works in different industries and contexts.

Now, I want to examine a few specific strategies that can help businesses maximize the impact of their B2B2C marketing efforts.

3 Effective B2B2C Marketing Strategies

From what I’ve seen, the most successful B2B2C marketing strategies are those in which both businesses lean into the collaborative element of their partnership, finding creating ways for each to benefit while optimizing the experiences and satisfaction of the end consumer.

For example, I once worked for a small clothing company with a uniquely talented creative team and exclusive access to influential brand ambassadors. But they also had extremely limited capital, ecommerce capabilities, and access to consumers.

By partnering with a much larger, more established fashion brand, they were able to execute a collaborative campaign and get their products in front of a larger audience — all while providing their partner with high-quality creative content and a valuable influencer co-sign to help revive the brand’s image.

Here are just a few effective B2B2C marketing strategies that emphasize collaboration and mutually beneficial outcomes.

1. Collaborative Marketing Campaigns

Fostering brand awareness is often important to both businesses within a B2B2C marketing partnership.

As such, broadcasting your collaboration via creative advertising campaigns can be a great way to call attention to both brands as well as their specific services and product offerings.

For example, influencer marketing has become an increasingly effective way to reach online consumers and bring brands into the spotlight.

Whether it’s launched on social media or in the form of a television or streaming service advertisement, engaging a celebrity to promote the collaboration between brands will help ensure the partnership doesn’t fly under the radar.

Best for: B2B2C partnerships in which both companies have a significant consumer-facing element. For instance, if Samsung and Verizon collaborate on a campaign advertising a new mobile device combined with a service promotion, both businesses can increase sales based on the same campaign.

Pro tip: Using unified marketing software like Marketing Hub can be a big help here as you collaborate on campaigns.

2. Referral Programs

While by no means a new concept, establishing a referral program remains one of the most effective ways for businesses to collaborate to each party’s benefit.

In the case of B2B2C marketing specifically, this can allow an intermediary to be compensated for the sale of the first business’s product rather than merely supporting them or providing access to consumers.

Referral programs can be rolled out in a variety of ways, but in many cases, it’s as simple as agreeing on a fair commission for the intermediary based on each individual sale of a product or service.

As an example, if I own a SaaS company and partner with an online marketplace to sell my solutions, it might make sense to offer a 10% commission on each sale, particularly considering the sale wouldn’t have been possible without their services.

Best for: Businesses selling high-ticket items or services, such as SaaS and FinTech companies. In B2B2C marketing, referral programs tend to work best when the products being sold are more expensive.

Put simply, high-ticket items provide a better incentive for the intermediary, and the financial impact of the referral arrangement for both parties is much easier to estimate and track.

3. Personalization Based on Data Sharing

Finally, in many B2B2C partnerships, data sharing is one of the most important and valuable components of the relationship.

This is primarily because it allows businesses to gather and analyze consumer insights to create more personalized experiences, ensuring both a customer’s immediate satisfaction and making it easier to market similar products to them in the future.

For example, if I run an ecommerce platform that hosts and sells a company’s products, evaluating data related to that company’s consumer base will tell me more about who they are and what they like.

I can then use this information to offer those consumers additional products that align with their past purchases, behaviors, and preferences.

Best for: Businesses across industries that have advanced data management capabilities and processes. Personalization is an excellent tool, but there are certain instances in which data sharing is not a part of the B2B2C marketing partnership, or in which a business may not have the level of digital maturity or marketing software needed to make sufficient use of consumer data.

B2B2C marketing is a versatile solution.

The main thing I’ve learned from this post — and I hope you have too — is that B2B2C marketing is an incredibly diverse business model. It can take on virtually limitless forms and be implemented via a wide range of strategies.

The bottom line is that B2B2C marketing is a versatile solution for addressing a variety of needs. While the specific way it’s implemented will depend on both the businesses’ capabilities and what they’re looking to accomplish, it definitely has something to offer companies at all stages of their journey.

Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint — a blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of underrepresented business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they’ve grown or scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures within their companies, or created side hustles, and how their stories can inspire and inform your own success.

Switching careers can be daunting for anyone, but the challenges can feel particularly overwhelming for people of color. 

The tech industry, while brimming with opportunities, presents unique hurdles that must be navigated with determination and strategic planning.

The path is riddled with obstacles, from battling imposter syndrome to upskilling through certifications and boot camps and learning the industry’s language without a technical background.

However, with the right mindset and resources, these challenges can transform into stepping stones toward a fulfilling career in technology.

In this piece, I’ll explore common challenges people of color might face when breaking into tech and offer my advice for overcoming them based on my personal experience in doing the same.

1. Battling Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is a pervasive issue that affects many professionals, and it can be especially prevalent among career switchers of color in tech. This feeling of self-doubt and uncertainty about one’s abilities can be crippling, often leading individuals to question their place in the industry.

I vividly remember the day I completed my Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) program. While the certification equipped me with a solid understanding of the product lifecycle and decision-making processes, I still felt an undercurrent of doubt about my capabilities.

It wasn’t until I started applying my skills in real-world scenarios that my confidence began to build. The key was acknowledging my achievements and reminding myself that I belonged in the tech space.

My Pro Tip: Combat imposter syndrome by celebrating small wins and seeking mentorship from those who have successfully navigated similar paths. Surround yourself with a supportive community that reinforces your value and potential.

2. Upskilling Through Certifications and Boot Camps

The tech industry is dynamic and continually evolving, making continuous learning essential. For career switchers, skilling up through certifications and boot camps can provide the necessary knowledge and credentials to make a successful transition.

Participating in the Scrum Alliance certification program was a game-changer for me. It not only provided me with a comprehensive understanding of key concepts but also instilled a sense of confidence in my ability to contribute meaningfully to projects.

This experience underscored the importance of targeted learning and its impact on one’s professional growth.

My Pro Tip: Research and enroll in reputable certification programs and boot camps that align with your career goals. These programs are designed to provide practical skills and knowledge that are highly valued in the tech industry. Additionally, they often offer networking opportunities with industry professionals.

3. Learning the Language of the Industry

Learning the industry’s language is one of the most significant challenges for career switchers without a technical background. Understanding technical jargon, industry-specific terms, and the overall landscape can be intimidating but is crucial for effective communication and career progression.

When I first decided to pivot into tech, I realized the importance of intentionality. I identified specific roles within the companies I was interested in and focused on mastering the language and skills relevant to those positions.

This targeted approach helped me gain a deeper understanding of the industry and made me more confident during interviews.

My Pro Tip: Immerse yourself in industry-related content such as blogs, podcasts, webinars, and online courses. Engaging with this material will help you become familiar with the terminology and concepts, making you more comfortable and proficient in professional settings.

4. Choosing a Growth-Oriented Career Path

It’s tempting to opt for the easiest route when transitioning into a new career. However, choosing a path that offers long-term growth and aligns with your interests and strengths is essential for sustained success.

In my career transition, pinpointing a specific discipline within the tech industry and dedicating my efforts to becoming proficient in that area proved invaluable. This intentional focus increased my chances of securing opportunities and ensured that I was on a path that offered continuous learning and growth.

My Pro Tip: Take the time to research various roles within the tech industry and assess their growth potential. Seek informational interviews with professionals in those roles to gain insights into their experiences and career trajectories. Make informed decisions based on your interests, strengths, and long-term goals.

People of color can successfully switch to tech. 

Navigating a career switch into the tech industry as a person of color comes with unique challenges.

However, by addressing imposter syndrome, investing in upskilling programs, learning the industry’s language, and choosing a growth-oriented career path, you can overcome these hurdles and thrive in the tech space.

My most important recommendation is to remember that intentionality always trumps non-focus. Be deliberate in your actions, seek out supportive communities, and continuously invest in your personal and professional development. 

If you’re ready to take the next step in your tech career, consider reaching out to someone already in the role you desire or even a career coach. Your career breakthrough is just on the other side of a new you; embrace the change; it’s the only way to grow.

We marketers know that creating a marketing strategy is essential to effectively nurture our customers, improve our business’s bottom line, and increase the ROI of our efforts.

A marketing strategy is especially critical if you want to use the highest ROI trends we’ve seen in 2024: short-form video and AI. To get powerful results, you must carefully weave both emerging trends and proven strategies into your plan.

I’ll share the critical components of a complete marketing strategy, followed by some examples for inspiration.

Table of Contents

• What is a marketing strategy
• Marketing Strategy Components
• Marketing Strategy Process
• Why is a marketing strategy important?
• Examples of Successful Marketing Strategies
• Recommended Resources

A completed marketing strategy typically includes brand objectives, target audience personas, marketing channels, key performance indicators, and more.

I’ve found a marketing strategy will:

• Align your team to specific goals.
• Help you tie your efforts to business objectives.
• Allow you to identify and test what resonates with your target audience.
• Empower you to capitalize on emerging trends.

The last one is especially important. Keeping up with marketing trends is important for your strategy, but it could be a full-time job.

Marketing Strategy vs. Marketing Plan

I like to think of a marketing strategy as outlining the long-term goals and overall approach, while a marketing plan covers the specific actions and tactics to achieve those goals.

In other words, marketing strategy guides a business’s overall marketing efforts. It includes goal-setting, market and competitor research, and messaging and positioning for a brand.

For example, say you’re creating a marketing strategy for a new fashion brand. Your strategy might target young Gen Z students and position the brand as trendy and affordable.

But, a strategic marketing plan is a detailed tactical roadmap that outlines the specific actions and tactics that should achieve the marketing strategy’s goals.

For example, the marketing plan for the fashion brand mentioned above might include:

• Targeted social media campaigns.
• Influencer partnerships.
• Online advertising timeline.

Both a marketing strategy and a marketing plan are essential for a business’s success.

To succeed in the fast-paced marketing world — and maintain a sense of relevance with your audience — it’s vital to stay ahead of the curve.

Below, I’m going to show you step by step how to create a comprehensive marketing strategy. But first, let’s go over the individual components that make up a strong marketing strategy.

1. Marketing Mix

The marketing mix, also known as the four Ps of marketing, is the preliminary document you must create to understand what you will be marketing, where you’ll be marketing it, and how you’ll be marketing it.

The following P’s make up this framework:

• Product: What are you selling?
• Price: What is the price?
• Place: Where will you be selling the product?
• Promotion: Where will you be promoting the product?

You can then extrapolate this information into a full-fledged marketing plan for each promotional channel. It’s important to lay out the information in broad strokes so that you understand the overall direction of your marketing strategy.

2. Marketing Objectives

You can set your marketing objectives in conjunction with your four P’s, or right after. Either way, I recommend you outline your marketing goals before building upon your strategy. Why? Because your goals will inform other components of the plan, including the budget and content creation process.

With every objective, you should aim to be as specific as possible. Try to create SMART marketing goals divided by channel or promotional tactic, and don’t forget that you can always come back and revise your goals as your priorities change.

3. Marketing Budget

A marketing budget is an essential element of your strategy. Without allocating funds to hire the right talent, use the right software, advertise on the right channels, and create the right content, your marketing strategy won’t have a powerful impact. To get a high return on investment, you must first invest.

Pro tip: Remember that you can always start small — hyper-focusing your budget on one or two efforts — and build upon them once you generate an ROI.

4. Competitive Analysis

Image Source

Knowing your competition is key when creating a marketing strategy. Without conducting a competitive analysis, you risk “yelling into the void” without measurable results.

Worse, you won’t know whether you’re differentiating yourself enough from the competition to effectively draw the attention of your intended audience.

You might already have an idea of who your competitors are, but I think it’s still essential to sit down and find them. You might end up uncovering a surprise competitor who’s vying for your target buyer’s attention and engagement.

5. Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning

Segmentation, targeting, and positioning (STP) refers to the process of delivering “more relevant, personalized messages to target audiences.” In other words, rather than publishing posts and advertisements on a whim, you’ll go through a methodical process for creating content that resonates with your target buyer.

During the segmentation, targeting, and positioning process, you’ll take three steps:

• Identify your target audience. This process entails not only interviewing your current customers but also carrying out market research and creating buyer personas.
• Target a segment of your target audience. It’s better to speak to a narrow group of highly qualified buyers than to send your message out to everyone.
• Position your brand alongside other brands. What do you do better than your competitors? It’s essential to map this information when creating a marketing strategy.

6. Content Creation

Once you have your budget, competitive outlook, and STP information, it’s time to create your marketing content. But, it’s essential to be strategic with your content creation efforts.

For one, you don’t want to publish random content that doesn’t solve for the customer, and for two, you must aim to capitalize on emerging trends so that your brand enjoys high visibility in the marketplace.

The competition is fierce across all formats. According to HubSpot Research, 44% of marketers use short-form videos as part of their content strategy, and 31% say it generates the highest ROI of all content creation formats.

It’s even more essential to invest in trends that have a high ROI, such as short-form video, influencer marketing, and social media DMs.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t invest in blogging, one of the most proven content marketing techniques. It’s simply important to know where to allot the most resources, in my opinion, especially if you have a limited budget.

7. Metrics & Key Performance Indicators

Last but certainly not least, your marketing strategy must include metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure its effectiveness.

The KPIs you choose will vary depending on your business type and preferred customer acquisition channels. Examples of KPIs include:

• Customer acquisition cost (CAC).
• Organic traffic.
• Conversion rate.
• Marketing qualified leads (MQLs).

Now, let’s dive into why it’s important to follow the steps of a marketing strategy.

Why is a marketing strategy important?

Without a defined strategy, you’ll essentially be throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. And that process will cost you money, time, and resources.

A robust marketing strategy will reach your target audience and have the power to turn people who’ve never heard of your brand into loyal repeat customers.

Here are just a few of the top reasons I think a marketing strategy is essential:

Offers Direction

A marketing strategy outlines clear goals and defines the path to achieve them. It pulls together all marketing efforts within an organization for optimal effects.

Targets the Right Audience

A well-defined marketing strategy helps you find and understand your target audience. This helps your business tailor your messaging and positioning to reach the right people at the right time.

Builds Brand Identity

A marketing strategy helps you create a consistent and cohesive brand identity. This makes it easier to align all marketing initiatives for increased brand recognition and loyalty.

Maximizes ROI

With analysis of market trends, competition, and customer behavior, marketing strategies help businesses find the most effective marketing channels and tactics to invest in. This helps businesses get the maximum return on investment.

Evaluates Performance

A marketing strategy defines key metrics and performance indicators. This makes it easier for your business to measure and track the success of marketing initiatives. It also gives you what you need to make data-driven decisions and optimize future campaigns for better results.

1. Conduct market research.

Before you can begin creating your marketing strategy, you need to gather useful data to make informed decisions. Market research is like playing detective, but instead of solving crimes, you uncover juicy details about your customers.

I think market research is important because it will help your business make data-driven decisions for your marketing strategy. It also makes it easier to understand your target market, find gaps, and make the most of your resources.

This process is essential for understanding your customers and adapting to changing trends. If you’re new to this process, this complete market research guide and template can help.

Once you have the data you need, you’ll be ready to set some marketing goals.

2. Define your goals.

What do you want to achieve through your marketing efforts?

Well-defined goals will guide your marketing strategy, whether you’re increasing brand awareness, driving sales, or diversifying your customer base.

Your marketing strategy goals should reflect your business goals. They should also offer clear direction for marketing efforts.

For example, say one of your business goals is to increase market share by 20% within a year. Your goal as a marketer could include expanding into new target markets, updating your brand, or driving customer acquisition.

Other marketing goals might be to increase brand awareness or generate high-quality leads. You might also want to grow or maintain thought leadership in your industry or increase customer value.

I find defining clear goals provides direction and clarity, guiding marketing efforts toward desired outcomes. It helps with resource allocation, decision-making, and measuring the success of marketing initiatives.

I recommend this SMART goal guide which can help you with more effective goal-setting.

3. Identify your target audience and create buyer personas.

To create an effective marketing strategy, you need to understand who your ideal customers are. I suggest taking a look at your market research to understand your target audience and market landscape. Accurate customer data is especially important for this step.

But it’s not enough to know who your audience is. Once you’ve figured out who they are, you need to understand what they want. This isn’t just their needs and pain points. It’s how your product or service can solve their problems.

So, if you can’t define who your audience is in one sentence, now’s your chance to do it. Create a buyer persona that’s a snapshot of your ideal customer.

Buyer Persona Example

For example, a store like Macy’s could define a buyer persona as Budgeting Belinda, a stylish working-class woman in her 30s living in a suburb, looking to fill her closet with designer deals at low prices.

With this description, Macy’s marketing department can picture Budgeting Belinda and work with a clear definition in mind.

Buyer personas have critical demographic and psychographic information. This can include:

• Age.
• Job title.
• Income.
• Location.
• Interests.
• Challenges.

Notice how I included all those attributes in Belinda’s description.

For B2B SaaS companies, keep in mind that buyer personas don’t apply solely to the end user. When you’re selling a product to another business, you also have to address the decision-maker, the financial buyer, and the technical advisor, among other roles, says Head of Marketing at Entrapeer, Hillary Lyons.

“You need to be able to tailor your message to each of these unique personas even though most of them will never actually use the product,” says Lyons. “You have to sell each of them on the unparalleled benefit you provide without muddling your [overall] message.”

You don’t have to create your buyer persona with a pen and paper. In fact, HubSpot offers a free template you can use to make your own (and it’s really fun).

You can also use a platform like Versium, which helps you identify, understand, and reach your target audience through data and artificial intelligence.

Buyer personas should be at the core of your strategy.

4. Conduct competitive analysis.

Now that you have an understanding of your customers, it’s time to see who you’re competing with to get their attention.

To begin your competitive analysis, start with your top competitors. Reviewing their websites, content, ads, and pricing can help you understand how to differentiate your brand. I think it’s also a useful way to find opportunities for growth.

But how do you know which competitors are most important? This competitive analysis kit with templates will walk you through the process. I like it because it will help you choose and evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, and strategies of your competitors.

This process will help you find market gaps, spot trends, and figure out which marketing tactics will be most effective. Competitive analysis can also offer valuable insights into pricing, positioning, and marketing channels.

5. Develop key messaging.

You’ve figured out who you’re talking to, what they’ve already heard, and what they want to hear. Now, it’s time to share your brand’s unique value proposition.

In this step, you’ll craft key messaging that shows the benefits of your product or service that resonate with your target audience. This process should show off the research and work you have done up to this point. It should also incorporate your creativity, inventiveness, and willingness to experiment.

In my experience, well-crafted key messaging:

• Sets businesses apart from the competition.
• Resonates with the target audience.
• Is flexible enough to be consistent across all marketing channels.
• Builds brand credibility.
• Creates an emotional connection with customers.
• Influences buying decisions.

The key messaging in your marketing strategy is critical to driving engagement, loyalty, and business growth. These value proposition templates can help if you’re not sure how to draft this important messaging.

6. Choose your marketing channels.

You know what you have to say. Now, decide on the best marketing channels for your message. Your top goal for this stage of your strategy is to align your channel choices with your target persona’s media consumption habits.

Start with media channels you’re already using. Then, consider a mix of traditional and digital channels such as social media, TV, email marketing, podcast ads, SEO, content marketing, and influencer partnerships.

To streamline this process, I like to think of your assets in three categories — paid, owned, and earned media.

Paid Media

Paid media is any channel you spend money on to attract your target audience. Most of this spending is on advertising. This includes online and offline channels like:

• Television.
• Direct mail.
• Billboards.
• Social media ads.
• SEM (search engine marketing).
• Podcast advertising.

Owned Media

Owned media refers to (mostly) online channels your brand owns, including:

• Blogs.
• Websites.
• Organic social media.

It also refers to the media your marketing team creates, such as

• Videos.
• Podcasts.
• Ebooks.
• Infographics.

Earned Media

Another way to say earned media is user-generated content. Earned media includes:

• Shares on social media.
• Posts about your business on X or Threads.
• Reels posted on Instagram mentioning your brand.
• Organic news stories about your company.

To decide which marketing channels are best for your marketing strategy, look carefully at each channel. Think about which channels are best for reaching your audience, staying within budget, and meeting your goals.

For example, a business targeting a younger demographic, like Gen Z, might consider using TikTok or Reddit to reach its audience.

Don’t forget to take a look at emerging platforms and trends as you complete this review. You may also want to look at the content you’ve already created.

I suggest gathering your materials in each media type in one location. Then, look at your content as a whole to get a clear vision of how you can integrate them into your strategy.

For example, say you already have a blog that’s rolling out weekly content in your niche (owned media). You might consider promoting your blog posts on Threads (owned media), which customers might then repost (earned media). Ultimately, that will help you create a better, more well-rounded marketing strategy.

7. Create, track, and analyze KPIs.

Once you have a clear outline of your marketing strategy, you’ll need to think about how you’ll measure whether it’s working.

At this stage, you’ll shift from marketing detective to numbers nerd. With a little planning and prep, your analytics can unveil the mysteries of marketing performance and unlock super insights.

Review your strategy and choose measurable KPIs to track the effectiveness of your efforts. Pick a marketing analytics software solution that works for your team to collect and measure your data.

Ideally, I recommend choosing an analytics platform that allows you to track data across all of your marketing channels — from emails to social media and your website. This centralizes all of your data, which makes it easier to understand how each channel contributes to your overall strategy.

You can then plan to check and analyze the performance of your strategy over time and identify the channels that bring the best results. This can help you refine your approach based on results and feedback.

Lexi Boese, an ecommerce growth strategist and co-founder of The Digital Opportunists, recommends making data a priority when building your marketing strategy.

“The more data you can use, the easier you can track your success,” she says. “This could be as simple as understanding which channels convert the highest amount of customers (to determine how your team should prioritize ad spend), or assessing whether you have a higher amount of first-time or returning customers to [determine] if you should focus on internal or external marketing.”

Analyzing KPIs helps businesses stay agile, refine their strategies, and adapt to evolving customer needs.

8. Present your marketing strategy.

A finished marketing strategy will pull together the sections and components above. It may also include:

Executive Summary

A concise overview that outlines the marketing goals, target audience, and key marketing tactics.

Brand Identity

You may want to create a brand identity as part of your strategy. Brand positioning, voice, and visual identity may also be helpful additions to your marketing strategy.

Marketing Plan and Tactics

Your marketing plan is the specific actions you’ll take to achieve the goals in your marketing strategy. Your plan may cover campaigns, channel-specific tactics, and more.

Not sure where to start? This free marketing plan template can help.

Download for Free

Budget Allocation

Defining a budget for your marketing strategy helps you show that your planned resource allocation aligns with business goals.

I think it’s important to get clear about your spending and how your proposed budget will impact the company’s overall business goals.

Timeline and Milestones

Marketing strategies can be complex and difficult for stakeholders to understand. Creating a timeline that outlines the different tactics, milestones, and deadlines can help.

Your marketing strategy is a living document. It will need constant reviews, revisions, and optimizations to meet your long-term goals. Prepare to revise your marketing strategy at least once a year to address market trends, customer feedback, and changing business objectives.

Examples of Successful Marketing Strategies

1. Regal Movies

Digital Strategy: Owned Media

Regal shares interactive Instagram content that’s not only relevant to its film-loving customers but also encourages them to interact with the content.

Regal’s Instagram post is an example of owned media because the company was in full control of the answers it shared with its followers. Interacting in the comment section was an opportunity for Regal to showcase its voice and brand to its audience.

And it clearly worked well. The post received half as many comments as it did likes, with an impressive 207 comments.

Best for: I think social media is a great owned channel to experiment with new ideas for your overall marketing strategy.

2. La Croix

Digital Strategy: User-Generated Content, Earned Media

I think user-generated content is one of the best ways to gain traction in your strategy.

It demonstrates your appreciation for loyal customers, builds community, and incentivizes other users to promote your products for the chance at a similar shout-out.

Plus, sometimes the content your brand loyalists create is really, really good. In this case, the consumer is creating a handmade needlepoint featuring the brand’s product.

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Pro tip: UGC isn’t reserved for consumer brands with visual products to share. B2B companies can also take advantage of UGC by sharing positive reviews of their product and incorporating them into their messaging.

3. Small Girls PR

Digital Strategy: Owned Media

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Small Girls PR is a boutique PR company based in New York, and one of the company’s talents is connecting with amazing clients. This post on Instagram is an effective marketing example, as it boosts awareness for their brand and offers social proof by featuring high-profile clients.

Pro tip: I find owned media in the form of PR is a great way to spotlight company executives and position them as industry leaders.

4. Tobii

Digital Strategy: Paid Media

Eye-tracking software company Tobii launched a LinkedIn ad to promote a lead magnet. While the brand may have created the guide specifically for paid promotions, it’s also possible that they repurposed a high-performing blog post into a downloadable PDF.

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In this case, all they had to do was repackage their current content, build an ad around it with creative assets, and run it.

What I like: In previous sections, I discussed the power of leveraging multiple forms of media in your marketing strategy. This is a great example of it.

5. Target

Digital Strategy: Owned Media, Influencer Partnership

If you’ve got the time for influencer partnerships, I encourage you to take full advantage of it.

Influencer marketing is when you partner with influencers to promote your content on their site. By doing this, your content reaches new audiences you might not be able to reach organically:

Target recently partnered with fashion expert and influencer Jeneé Naylor to collaborate on its Future Collective line. What made this campaign even more powerful was that Naylor was a former Target Team Member.

I love how this collaboration highlighted Target’s commitment to supporting its team members, even after they’ve moved on from the company.

Best for: Influencer marketing continues to have a strong ROI — 86% of marketers say influencer marketing was effective for their marketing strategies in 2023.

Recommended Resources

Here, I’ve curated a list of some tools with various functions that can help you track and measure the success of your marketing goals.

1. HubSpot Marketing Hub

The Marketing Hub allows you to connect all your marketing tools into one centralized platform.

Too often, you’ll find a tool that’s powerful but not easy to use. With this tool, you can attract users with blogs, SEO, and live chat tools. You can then convert and nurture those leads through marketing automation, the website and landing page builder, and lead tracking features.

With custom reporting and built-in analytics, you can analyze your data and plan out your next move.

What I like: HubSpot Marketing Hub integrates with over 800 tools, making it easy to create a tech stack that meets your specific business needs.

Pricing: Free plans are available; Starter – $15/month; Professional – $800/month; Enterprise – $3,600/month.

2. Trello

Trello keeps your marketing team on track and openly communicates about the projects you’re working on. You can create boards for individual campaigns, editorial calendars, or quarterly goals.

Built-in workflows and automation capabilities keep communication streamlined, and simplicity keeps your marketing team focused on the work that matters.

What I like: Trello’s visual elements and straightforward organization make it easy for everyone to stay on the same page.

Pricing: Free plans available; Standard – $5/month; Premium – $10/month; Enterprise – $17.50/month for 250 users.

3. TrueNorth

TrueNorth is a marketing management platform built to help you hit your marketing goals. Built specifically for marketing teams, TrueNorth turns your marketing strategy into a visual projection of your growth, which is used to create monthly milestones that help you stay on track.

What I like: TrueNorth centralizes all your ideas, campaigns, and results in one place, with everything tied back to your goal.

Pricing: Plans cost $99/month, with a free 14-day trial available.

4. Monday.com

Everything on Monday.com starts with a board or visually driven table. Create and customize workflows for your team and keep groups, items, sub-items, and updates synced in real time.

You can also transform data pulled from the timeline and use Gantt views to track your projects on Monday.com to make sure you’re meeting your deadlines.

Plus, with more than 40 integrations — from SurveyMonkey to Mailchimp and, of course, HubSpot — you can visualize your data and make sure your whole company is collaborating.

Best for: I think it’s best for companies with locations around the world or lots of remote workers, as it keeps everyone in touch and up to speed no matter where they’re located.

Pricing: Monday.com is free for two seats; Basic – $27/month; Standard – $36/month; Pro – $57/month. Contact Monday.com for Enterprise pricing. All plans are billed annually.

5. Semrush

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SEO continues to be a huge factor in the successful ranking of your website. But you need the right tools to do it successfully.

Semrush allows you to run a technical SEO audit, track daily rankings, analyze your competitors’ SEO strategy, research millions of keywords, and even source ideas for earning more organic traffic.

But the benefits don’t stop at SEO. I like that you can also use SemRush for PPC, building and measuring an effective social media strategy, content planning, and even market research.

Best for: Creating, implementing, and tracking your marketing strategy.

Pricing: Pro – $139/month; Guru – $249/month; Business – $499/month.

6. Buzzsumo

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BuzzSumo allows you to analyze data to enhance and lead your marketing strategy, all while exploring high-performing content in your industry.

Use the platform to find influencers who may help your brand reach, track comments, and find trends to make the most of every turn.

What I like: As your needs evolve, you can also use their crisis management and video marketing tools.

Pricing: Content creation plan – $199/month; PR & Comms plan – $299/month; Suite plan – $499/month; Enterprise plan – $999/month.

7. Crazy Egg

Need to optimize your website?

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I highly recommend getting started with Crazy Egg. You’ll be able to identify “attention hotspots” on your product pages, track ad campaign traffic on your site, and understand if shoppers are clicking where you want them to.

You can even make sure your “Buy Now” buttons are in the best place.

Crazy Egg also offers recordings, A/B testing, and more to help make sure your website is offering the best user experience.

Best for: If your marketing strategy includes optimizing your website, Crazy Egg is the tool for you.

Pricing: Plus – $99/month; Pro – $249/month; Enterprise – $499/month.

What to Expect After Following Your Marketing Process Steps

Ultimately, creating a complete marketing strategy isn’t something that can happen overnight. It takes time, hard work, and dedication to confirm you’re reaching your ideal audience — whenever and wherever they want to be reached.

Stick with it (and use some of the resources I’ve included in this post), and over time, research and customer feedback will help you refine your strategy to make sure you’re spending most of your time on the marketing channels your audience cares most about.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in October 2019. It has been updated for freshness and accuracy.