Categories B2B

8 Holiday Giveaway Ideas To Boost Revenue

The holidays are right around the corner, so companies everywhere are gearing up to run fun holiday deals and giveaways. You’re in luck if you need fresh ideas for your holiday giveaways. I’ve put together 8 holiday giveaways to spark joy in your customers and simultaneously boost revenue.

8 Holiday Giveaway Ideas to Drive Sales and Delight Customers

  1. Promotion-A-Day Giveaways
  2. Host Giveaways on Your Website
  3. Buy-1-Get-1 Free
  4. Free Gift Cards With a Purchase
  5. Social Media Contests
  6. Refer-A-Friend
  7. Offer a Chance to Relax
  8. Run a Photo Contest

Download Now: Free Content Marketing Planning Templates

8 Holiday Giveaway Ideas To Drive Sales, and Delight Customers

Here are a few giveaway ideas your business should try this holiday season.

1. Promotion-A-Day Giveaways

During the holiday season, consumers spend more than ever as they book flights and hotels for holiday travel and buy gifts for loved ones. With that in mind, it’s a great time to run daily promotions because they give shoppers the chance to save money and boost traffic and sales for your business. Constant promotions can also help clear out inventory in preparation for the new year.

Promotions can include discounts, buy-1-get-1 free deals, money-off purchases, or a free gift with a purchase.

Pro tip: To keep things interesting, run a different promotion each day and have it be holiday-themed. For example, a “12 Deals of Christmas” promotion can include percent-off discounts one day and free gifts the next.

2. Social Media Giveaways

There are many ways to conduct a social media giveaway. You can tell your customers to follow your social media handles to be entered into a raffle to win a free prize or discount on a service. You can also get your brand trending by starting a hashtag your followers can use for a chance to win. For example, you can have your followers on TikTok post videos singing their favorite holiday songs with your hashtag in the video’s description.

Pro-Tip: Social media giveaways are great, but you should also complement this promotion by promoting the contest on your website. You’ll find out why as you read on.

3. Host Giveaways on Your Website

While social media giveaways are pretty popular these days, they still have drawbacks. Just days after uploading, social media content can get lost in an endless sea of posts — making it hard for your consumers to find them. You can avoid this issue by posting giveaways on your website. Doing so allows you to pin your giveaway at the top of your website’s feed without fear of it getting lost in the shuffle.

Pro-Tip: You should still use social media to promote your website’s giveaway. It will drive more traffic to your website, and you’ll be able to track visitors and their behavior on your site.

4. Buy-1-Get-1 Free

Who doesn’t love getting two items for the price of one? Most often, buy-1-get-1 free promotions mean getting two of the same item and only paying for one; however, that doesn’t have to be the case. For example, if your customer buys a doll for the holidays, that doll can also come with a free outfit.

Make sure the items in this promotion complement each other, so you can be sure your customer is satisfied with the deal. For example, a free cupcake could pair well with a purchase of coffee or tea.

Pro-Tip: Design unique graphics to promote your giveaway and to illustrate to your customers exactly what they can expect from the deal. In the example below, Starbucks alludes to the kinds of drinks customers can get from the chain’s BOGO sale and the text in the graphic break down the rules of the promotion.

Holiday Buy-1-Get-1 giveaway at StarbucksImage source: Foodgressing

5. Free Gift Cards With a Purchase

Gift cards make excellent giveaways because they give customers an incentive to return and use the card for future purchases. You can hand out gift cards to customers who:

  • Complete a certain task (for example, leaving a glowing Yelp review or following your social media)
  • Win a promotional contest
  • Purchase specific items within a certain timeframe

Just make sure that the rules for receiving a gift card, and how the card can be used, are clear.

Pro-Tip: People are more motivated by gift cards that are geared toward desired or popular products.

6. Refer-A-Friend

Research shows that 93% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family, so word-of-mouth is incredibly valuable in marketing. One way of using word-of-mouth to your company’s advantage is to run a refer-a-friend promotion.

For example, Ipsy is a makeup subscription service that gives points to subscribers who refer their friends to the service. Those points can then be used toward free products and special deals. All friends have to do is sign up. With each sign-up, subscribers get 600 points.

Pro-Tip: To keep track of referrals, send out a particular referral link your customers can send to their friends and give them a time limit. For example, Ipsy subscribers only get 600 points if their friends sign up using the referral link within 24 hours.

Screenshot of Ipsy's point systemImage source

7. Offer a Chance to Relax

According to a study by telehealth company Sesame Care, 56% of Americans find the holiday season too stressful — to the point where they’d rather cancel the holidays altogether.

Though you may not have the power to take Christmas off the calendar, you can offer a spa or massage gift card as the perfect giveaway. You can offer the gift card as a thank you for spending a certain amount at your establishment or give it away as a prize for a contest.

Pro-Tip: Collaborate with a local spa or massage therapist so they can help promote your giveaway on their platforms as well.

8. Run a Photo Contest

As people put up holiday decorations, reunite with family and friends, and unwrap gifts — there will be many photos taken and uploaded to social media. So, it’s the perfect time to run a photo contest. Ask your followers to post their favorite holiday photos and tag the company in order to be entered into a raffle to win a giveaway. This works even better if they’re able to include your company’s product in the photo.

Pro-Tip: This idea also generates a lot of user-generated content which can be repurposed for marketing materials like social media graphics and commercials.

‘Tis the season to give back to your customers by handing out fun prizes and deals. Now you have a few ideas you can try for your next holiday giveaway.

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Categories B2B

The Ultimate Guide to B2B Marketing in 2023 [+ New Data]

Effective marketing is difficult to get right. Between creative demands, budget limits, and channel decisions, marketers have a lot to juggle when developing their marketing strategy.

The biggest determinant of effective marketing, however, is your audience.

If you’re not properly targeting your buyer persona, your promotions and advertisements will likely fall on deaf ears. You might as well not be marketing at all.

Where target audiences vary the most, though, is between individual consumers and businesses. Some companies serve individual shoppers, while others cater to companies and organizations.

Marketing to businesses is very different from marketing to individual consumers. That’s why an entirely different marketing method — B2B marketing — exists, and that’s why we built this guide.

By the end of this article, you’ll have a better understanding of B2B marketing, the most effective B2B marketing strategies, and how you can tap into and convert your business audience. Plus, the trends you can expect in the B2B space in 2022, according to new research plus expert tips. 

→ Download Now: Free Product Marketing Kit [Free Templates]

The purpose of B2B marketing is to make other businesses familiar with your brand name, the value of your product or service, and convert them into customers.

HubSpot is an example of a company that engages in B2B marketing. HubSpot’s customers are other businesses, not individual consumers. Therefore, all of our marketing efforts can be classified as B2B.

B2B vs B2C Marketing

B2B and B2C (business-to-consumer) marketing are very different. B2B and B2C marketing differ in their respective strategies and applications, as well as in their audiences and how they communicate to them.

B2B marketing targets the needs, interests, and challenges of individuals who are making purchases on behalf of, or for, their organization (rather than for themselves), thus making the organization the customer.

Here are a few examples of B2B companies:

  • A coworking space that leases office spaces to remote teams and freelancers (like WeWork)
  • An on-demand order fulfillment, warehousing, and screen printing service (like Printful)
  • A marketing software company that sells social media management tools, lead generation software, and other marketing tools to businesses and organizations (like HubSpot!)

B2C marketing targets the needs, interests, and challenges of individual consumers who are making purchases on behalf of, or for, themselves, thus making the individual the customer. Here are a few examples of B2C companies:

  • An e-commerce company that sells office supplies to remote or self-employed individuals (like Poppin)
  • A store that sells t-shirts and other clothing and accessories (like Target)
  • A music platform that sells streaming subscriptions (like Spotify)

Take a look at this chart comparing B2B and B2C customers.

  for b2b marketing for b2c marketing
Goal Customers are focused on ROI, efficiency, and expertise. Customers are seeking deals and entertainment (which means marketing needs to be more fun).
Purchase Motivation Customers are driven by logic and financial incentive. Customers are driven by emotion.
Drivers Customers want to be educated (which is where B2B content marketing comes in). Customers appreciate education but don’t always need it to make a purchase decision.
Purchase Process Customers like (if not prefer) to work with account managers and salespeople. Customers like to make purchases directly.
People Involved in Purchase Customers often have to confer with decision makers and other members of their chain of command before making a purchase decision. Customers rarely need to confer with others before making a purchase decision.
Purchase Purpose Customers make purchases for long-term solutions, resulting in a longer sales cycle, longer contracts, and longer relationships with companies. Customers aren’t necessarily looking for long-term solutions or long-term relationships.

As much as they differ, though, B2B and B2C also intersect in many ways. While Poppin sells office supplies to remote or self-employed individuals, they also design corporate office spaces and branded supplies.

On the flip side, Printful not only offers order fulfillment and warehousing to businesses; they also fill e-commerce printing orders for individuals.

As distinct as the B2B and B2C marketing audiences can be, B2B marketers can always learn from B2C campaigns, too.

B2B Marketing Strategies

As I said above, marketing depends on its audience. While B2B and B2C marketing vary, not every piece of B2B marketing material is alike, either.

In this section, we’ll talk about various B2B marketing strategies you can implement to reach your specific business audience. Before we dive in, though, make sure you understand the B2B buyer’s journey. Take note of how each of these stages may affect your marketing strategies and how you implement them.

b2b-marketing-buyers-journey-hubspot

When you begin to form your B2B marketing strategies, there are a few steps you should take before you jump straight to execution.

1. Determine your brand positioning.

To create an effective strategy, you have to fully understand your brand positioning. This statement is the who, when, why and how of your brand identity — or the way your brand is perceived through the eyes of the customer.

Devise a brand positioning statement that your team and prospective customers can believe in, and you’ll be ready for the next step.

2. Identify your target audience.

Find your target audience — or who’s really looking for your brand’s products or services. That information will help you create buyer personas and understand how they make purchase decisions, a tool that’s extremely useful for any type of marketing.

3. Run a competitive analysis.

Scope out the market and see what other businesses are marketing to your target audience with a competitive analysis. Things to be on the lookout for when inspecting competitors are:

  • Competitor product offerings
  • Competitor sales tactics and results
  • Competitor marketing content and social media presence

Getting a general overview of these items can help you recognize your competitors’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats — otherwise known as SWOT analysis.

4. Explore marketing channels to use.

In your competitive analysis, you’ll see the different types of marketing channels your competitors use successfully, and the channels they haven’t taken advantage of.

With the previous steps completed to begin building your B2B marketing strategy, this is where you’ll be able to diversify your own B2B marketing portfolio and reach the businesses you need to. Depending on your customer segments and competitor analysis, explore channels, strategies, and tools to optimize your leads and customer funnel. The following categories are B2B marketing channels bound to connect you to your target audience.

B2B Email Marketing

Email marketing is a tried and true method of reaching both individual consumers and business customers. Did you know that 93% of B2B marketers use email? Are you one of them? You should be. Emails lead to engagement which turns subscribers into leads … and then customers.

Download our guide to optimizing email marketing for conversions and learn how to grow your email list, ensure deliverability, and increase engagement.

Unlike B2C customers who respond best to emotions and entertainment, B2B customers look for logic and positive ROI. Essentially, they’re asking themselves, How can your business help my business grow? Because of this, your email marketing must consistently resonate with your business customers and focus on things that matter to them — like time, money, and resources.

Email marketing is also a powerful vehicle for sharing your brand’s content. 83% of B2B companies use email newsletters as part of their content marketing program, and 40% of B2B marketers say these newsletters are most critical to their content marketing success.

With the constant barrage of emails flooding our inboxes today, it’s more important than ever to create and send out effective marketing emails.

B2B Email Marketing Best Practices
  • Write enticing subject lines. Think about your email subject lines as a Netflix trailer — if you can’t hook your audience with a two-minute clip (or, in this case, a few dozen characters), don’t expect them to open and watch (or read) the whole thing. We recommend spending almost as much time on your email subject lines as you do on the emails themselves.
  • Stick to one call-to-action (CTA) per email. If you think the number of emails you receive is a lot, take a look at the CTAs in those emails … some are packed with two, three, and sometimes up to 10 different CTAs. Don’t make this mistake, which can leave your recipients’ heads spinning, asking “What should I click on first?” and ultimately clicking on nothing. With one CTA per email, you allow your audience to focus on your email content and ultimately one action … a welcome reprieve from today’s frequent decision-making and analysis paralysis.
  • Segment your email to reach the most relevant audience. Not every email you send will be appropriate for everyone on your list. Your subscribers may be at different stages of the buyer’s journey or be seeking different solutions. That’s where email list segmentation comes into play. Not only does this help you relate to your audience better, but it gives your emails that personal feel that says “Hey, I’m listening and I know what you’d like to see.” Consumers prefer email quality over quantity anytime.
  • Make sure your email designs are responsive. Over 80% of email users access their inbox on their phones, and emails that don’t show up correctly on mobile devices are often deleted in three seconds. Ouch. Don’t let your email be one of those.
  • Don’t be afraid of the cold email. As uncomfortable as it is, the right email can convert new customers — like this cold sales email that won 16 new B2B customers.

👉🏼HubSpot Tip: You can’t send marketing emails without any recipients — these people make up your lists. There are plenty of easy ways to grow your email list. Begin with opt-in forms on your website homepage, About page, and blog. Check out HubSpot’s Free Form Builder tool to get started.

B2B Digital Marketing

Every business, whether B2B or B2C should have a digital presence — which is comprised of paid ads, search engine optimization, a website, and any other place your B2B company is active online. Let’s walk through a handful of tactics that can strengthen your B2B digital marketing strategy.

1. Define your target audience.

A strong B2B digital marketing strategy starts with defining your target audience, or buyer persona. This demographic and psychographic information will inform almost every other marketing activity thereafter, ensuring your content and digital material is absorbed by the right eyes and ears (and that no resources go to waste on your end).

2. Create your website.

Secondly, digital marketing can’t quite function without an informative, engaging website. Over 80% of buyers visit a website before making a purchase. Moreover, since the typical B2B sales cycle often involves many key players (such as gatekeepers, decision makers, and other folks who have to buy into a purchase), websites are easy, straightforward ways for influencers to share information about your product or service.

For inspiration on how the best B2B websites are built to impress, check out this video:

3. Optimize your digital presence.

Your website needs to be more than informative and engaging, though … it needs to be discoverable. You can do this with on-page SEO and technical SEO tactics. These include everything from image alt-text and meta descriptions (what your visitors can see) to structured data and site speed (what your visitors can’t see). Off-page SEO is also at play here, which refers to external linking strategies and social sharing — SEO tactics that take place off your website.

4. Run PPC campaigns.

Finally, round out your digital presence with pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, which allows you to get your content and brand in front of new audiences via search engines and other advertising platforms. I recommend maximizing your PPC investment by advertising more than your specific products or services — such as your brand personality, blog or social media content, or company tagline.

The best way to see an ROI from your paid ads is by 1) incorporating your buyer persona data and 2) boosting content that they can relate to. For example, it’s highly unlikely a brand new consumer who’s never heard of you is searching for your exact product. They may be searching for a location-based solution or product feature. To reach the greatest number of potential customers, pay to target relevant categories within your brand vs. promoting your product or services.

B2B Content Marketing

We’ve talked about how B2B customers are focused on expertise, driven by logic, and desire to be educated. What better marketing tool to satisfy these priorities than B2B content marketing?

Whereas a traditional PR marketing strategy interrupts a consumer’s day-to-day with promotional material, a content marketing strategy adds valuable information and informs the consumer — which is precisely what B2B customers are looking for. Not to mention that content marketing supports SEO efforts, which involves anticipating what your audience is searching for, helping them discover your website and content … and potentially converting them to customers.

It’s important to note, content marketing is most effective when you align your content to various stages of the buyer’s journey. As Jonathan Franchell, CEO and Founder of Ironpaper, points out: “Effective content in the awareness phase educates the buyer on their pain points.”

“A frequent mistake B2B organizations make is educating the buyer on their own company, product, or service. The buyer isn’t ready for that; they are just beginning to understand their problem.”

Franchell adds, “Additionally, B2B companies should test content. Run a test on an incentive and vary the type of content – use a webinar, an eBook, or a video. Understand what format of content attracts the right types of buyers and measure it down to an individual human level.”

Download our free guide and learn what topics convert at the highest rate with insight from 175,000 B2B & B2C blog posts.

In fact, 80% of business decision makers prefer to get information from an article than an ad. Knowing this, I’d say you should be putting the same (if not more) resources into your content marketing than your traditional advertising strategy.

Because the B2B buyer’s journey is slightly different than the B2C buyer’s journey (which has shorter sales cycles and fewer decision makers involved), the content you create for your B2B content marketing strategy may vary more than the content you’ve seen as a consumer yourself, as illustrated in the below graphic.

b2b-marketing-content-for-the-buyers-journey-graphic

Before you start creating content, though, I recommend creating a business blog. (Don’t worry, growing your blog readership is easier than you think.) Your blog will house all the content you create and serve as a home-base for readers to visit and subscribe to.

B2B Social Media Marketing

Did you know that 75% of B2B buyers and 84% of C-Suite executives use social media when making a purchase? That’s right — social media marketing isn’t just for brands targeting individual consumers.

Many B2B companies struggle with social media marketing, though. It can be harder to use social media to connect with business customers, especially because (as we mentioned above) there’s typically a lengthier sales cycle and longer chain of command.

Honestly, B2B social media marketing might not be where you convert the greatest number of leads, and that’s OK. It likely comes into play near the beginning of your customers’ buyer’s journeys.

Social media is a powerful tool for building brand awareness, giving your company an online personality, and humanizing your business — all very powerful factors when it comes to marketing and connecting with potential customers. Like email marketing, social media is also a highly effective channel for sharing your content and enhancing your brand expertise, the latter of which we know B2B customers appreciate.

Overwhelmed by social media? Spend more time connecting with your followers with our time-saving suite of social tools.

While your social media accounts might not convert as frequently as your content or email marketing, they’re just as important. In this case, followers are just as valuable — you never know when they might convert to leads or customers.

👉🏼 HubSpot Tip: Why? Content shared by employee advocates receives over eight times more engagement than content shared by brands. So, involve your employees in your B2B social media marketing strategy. Encourage them to create their own social media channels and share about life at your company. Create a culture account (like our @HubSpotLife Instagram) to show what’s going on at work, not just what you’re selling. You never know — this might attract strong talent, too.

b2b-marketing-social-media-employee-engagement-hubspot-life-instagram

B2B Marketing Trends to Watch in 2022 [New Data] 

HubSpot’s Blog team conducted research to determine the challenges, opportunities, and initiatives that most B2B marketers are focusing on in 2022. 

Let’s dive in. 

1. Marketers report ‘measuring the ROI of marketing activities’ will be their number one challenge in 2022.

30% of marketers marked “measuring the ROI of your marketing activities” as the number one challenge they believe they’ll face in 2022.  

Measuring ROI can be easier for some activities compared to others. For instance, it’s easy enough to track a social media advertising campaign’s ROI if you’re tracking sales made from an ad placed on Facebook. Sales is a tangible outcome, and Facebook’s Ad Manager enables you to easily track ROI from your efforts. 

However, other activities can be more difficult to track. Analyzing which pieces of social or blog content resulted in sales, for instance, can be a more arduous and convoluted process. 

To combat this challenge, take a look at How to Calculate ROI in Marketing [Free Excel Templates].

Additionally, consider A/B testing various marketing activities and tracking ROI to determine which platforms traditionally have the biggest ROI for your business. For instance, most marketers find the highest ROI from Facebook — but this could vary for your brand or business needs.

which of the following challenges are marketers facing in 2022

2. The majority of B2B marketers plan to increase their investments in influencer marketing in 2022. 

As a result of the pandemic, we’ve seen an immense shift in how consumers’ shop, with the majority now shopping online — and, in particular, purchasing products directly on social media.

It makes sense, then, that B2B marketers want to ensure their products or services are showing up on social channels with influencer partnerships. 

Influencer marketing is projected to become a $13.8 billion dollar industry by the end of this year, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. 

Most B2B marketers — 71% — plan on investing more in influencer marketing in 2022, and that’s likely a wise choice.

However, you’ll want to ensure you choose partnerships wisely. While it can be tempting to find influencers with massive audiences, many businesses have seen more success with micro-influencers, so be sure to do your research to determine which influencers have the most authentic connections with your desired audience.

which social media marketing strategies do b2b marketers plan on investing in for 2022?

3. Roughly half of B2B marketers plan to create more case studies in 2022. 

42% of B2B marketers plan to increase their investments in case studies in 2022, surpassing interviews, ebooks, and images. 

Businesses want to learn from other businesses. Case studies are exceptional opportunities to inspire or educate your audience with real-life examples of other companies’ stories. 

If you’re unsure about this media format, consider testing case studies on your blog and monitor how they perform. Alternatively, try creating case studies in alternative formats — such as a YouTube video — to provide additional value to your audience. 

which media formats do b2b marketers plan on increasing in 2022?

4. The number one goal for B2B marketers in 2022 is ‘increasing brand awareness’. 

Understanding your big-picture goals is imperative for creating an effective marketing strategy for 2022 — so it’s likely helpful to know what other B2B marketers’ plan to focus on in 2022. 

Roughly half of B2B marketers report that ‘increasing brand awareness’ is their number one goal in 2022. This goal surpasses increasing engagement, advertising products, lead generation, and even closing deals. 

Brand awareness is critical for fostering trust, long-term loyalty, and brand equity. It makes sense, then, that so many marketers feel it’s critical for long-term success. 

what is a b2b marketers primary goal in 20225. Some marketers plan to stop leveraging podcasts and audio content in 2022, while others will stop implementing VR and AR. 

As important as it is to learn what marketers plan to do in 2022, it’s equally vital to learn what they plan not to do. This can help you identify your own guardrails, and ensure you’re sticking to the most efficient marketing strategies, rather than wasting time and resources on all of them. 

HubSpot’s Blog Research found 25% of marketers plan to stop leveraging podcasts and audio content; followed closely by 23% who plan to stop leveraging VR and AR

This doesn’t mean these activities are inefficient, but it does suggest that some survey respondents found the time, effort, and resources required for each of these efforts wasn’t worth it. Ultimately, it depends on your audiences’ preferences. 

If your audience doesn’t enjoy consuming business content on podcast or audio formats, then re-consider investing in these initiatives.

However, audio content isn’t going anywhere — so if you haven’t already, you might consider testing various audio formats in 2022 to see how they perform with your audience. If you’re unsure how to get started, take a look at Everything You Need to Know About Starting a Podcast in 2021 or Clubhouse vs. Podcasts: Which Should Marketers Use? [Data + Expert Tips].

which trends do b2b marketers plan to stop leveraging in 2022

6. Over half of B2B marketers say ‘optimizing load speed’ is going to be their most effective SEO strategy in 2022. 

There are numerous various tactics you can implement to boost your SEO rankings in 2022. However, it can be challenging to know where to begin.

56% of B2B marketers marked ‘optimizing load speed’ as the most effective SEO strategy, followed by creating search insights reports

Load speed directly correlates with how well your pages rank on Google, since slow pages negatively impact a user’s experience. If you’re not sure how to reduce load speed, take a look at these 9 ways to improve page load speed

which seo strategies are most effective for b2b

7. LinkedIn will be the most popular video channel for B2B marketers in 2022, followed by TikTok. 

Finally, we asked: Which social media platforms do B2B marketers’ companies post video content on? 

Video content is the most popular format for most people when it comes to consuming content, so it’s vital your marketing team use video as a primary format. However, it can be tricky to determine which platform(s) you should post that content for optimal results. 

As shown below, roughly half (49%) of marketers say LinkedIn is the best platform for posting their video content — followed by 28% who marked TikTok as the optimal platform. 

If you’re considering posting video content on LinkedIn in 2022, take a look at LinkedIn Video Specs and Best Practices: a Comprehensive Overview.

which social media platforms do b2b marketers companies post video content on?

Along with research, I spoke with a few B2B experts to get their take on the trends we can expect to see in 2022. 

Carla Andre-Brown, a Content Marketer at Mailbird, told me she believes we’ll see more B2B brands aligning with charities in 2022. 

Andre-Brown says, “Brands get a lot of brownie points and even referrals when they show how they serve the community. Instead of only seeing charity efforts around the holidays, you can expect philanthropy year-round.”

Andre-Brown adds, “Brand-building activities will look to work with social and environmental causes in a format that is ongoing and builds recognition for both parties. Marketers will need to be especially mindful of the way they present their company, to avoid being accused of having poor intentions.”

“For instance,” Andre-Brown continues, “a company using the Pride theme each summer without having policies that protect LGBTQ2IA+ employees is called ‘Rainbow washing’. To ensure this work is well-received and has an impact, marketers should listen to their communities’ suggestions and look for sustainable changes that everyone can benefit from.”

Additionally, Chief Evangelist at Terminus Sangram Vajre says he predicts that data collection will become a major priority for brands in 2022. 

As he puts it, “The quality of our campaigns and initiatives will increasingly rely on our CRM, CDP, and 3rd-party sources to help create stylized, targeted, and convertible marketing initiatives. And since CMOs are increasingly held to ROI numbers, we have to up our game.”

To consider how you might manage your data in a more efficient, sustainable way, take a look at Everything You Need to Know About Data Management.

Additionally, if you’re unsure how you can continue tracking your audience without using third-party cookies, read 7 Marketing Alternatives to Tracking Cookies.

B2B Marketing Examples

A B2B marketing approach that works for one business may not work for another, but that’s not to say we can’t learn something from the pros. Here are eight B2B marketing examples of businesses who did it right.

1. Social Media Marketing: Adobe

TikTok can seem like a difficult platform to stand out as a B2B brand, but some companies have managed to attract thousands — if not millions — of viewers to their videos through high-quality content and an understanding of the app. 

Take software company Adobe, which has 262.3K followers and 2 million likes on its TikTok account

When Adobe first joined the app, the company’s second video got over 2 million views. The video asked its audience, Who is a creative TikToker we should know about?, which encouraged high audience engagement. 

Adobe succeeds on the app because it creates engaging content specifically catered for TikTok’s audience. All Adobe’s videos are short, entertaining, and easily digestible. 

Take the following example, which has over 370K views and highlights how user @emilesam used Adobe’s After Effects edit to create a fighting sequence against himself. 

@adobe May the force be with @emilesam in his
#AfterEffects edit. ✨
#Adobe
#foryoupage
#fyp
#foryoup
♬ original sound – Adobe

The brand does a good job highlighting its products in a fun, non-promotional way. Both consumers and businesses can see a clear connection between using Adobe’s products and finding success on TikTok — which makes this a great example of B2B marketing. 

2. Content Marketing: Shopify 

Ecommerce company Shopify produces many different types of content resources, such as a blog, business courses, and community events. But one content avenue that helps the brand stand out is its podcast, aptly titled Shopify Masters: The ecommerce business and marketing podcast for ambitious entrepreneurs.

The podcast focuses on inspiration stories from entrepreneurs, and offers practical tips for starting an online business on Shopify. Episode topics range from “Disrupting the Soda Industry with a Healthy Spin” to “How Masks For Dogs Landed a Deal on Shark Tank”. 

Offering so much valuable, interesting content for free is a fantastic example of effective B2B marketing, which should always provide value before it tries to extract it. 

3. Digital Marketing: Mailchimp

Mailchimp’s homepage is easy to navigate, clean, and focuses entirely on its customers’ pain points. 

Consider, for instance, the first large text you see when you click on the page: “Get down to business and grow sales”. The smaller text below it reads, “Engage your customers and boost your business with Mailchimp’s advanced, yet easy-to-use marketing platform.” 

The language focuses on the customer, and how Mailchimp can help the customer reach their goal: To grow their businesses. 

Additionally, the website offers a banner at the top of the page that enables customers to choose in which language they’d prefer to view the website. Even the company’s Products navigation menu includes how the product can “Get Your Business Online” and “Market Your Business”. 

mailchimps homepage as an example of good b2b marketing

Ultimately, the company demonstrates how much they value each of their customers by tailoring each piece of content towards its customers’ unique challenges. 

4. Client Testimonials: Venngage

Venngage took its positive client testimonials and sprinkled them throughout its website. This social proof lets prospects know that you have a track record of reliability, and have delighted previous customers beyond expectation. Not only that, but sharing testimonials can have a big impact on potential consumers in the Consideration and Decision stages.

After all, 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses in 2020, which is up from 81% in 2019, so using client feedback is a great tool to attract new ones.

venngage client testimonial b2b marketing

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5. B2B SEO: TravelPerk, Google

A B2B buyer spends 27% of the time in the purchase journey independently researching online, potentially using at least one search engine during the online research. It’s worth the time and money to invest in making sure other businesses can find you with ease.

TravelPerk displays a diverse range of paid search and SEO. An impressive SEO strategy is its use of topic clusters and sub-topics for reaching its target audience. TravelPerk ensures that search engine pages like “business travel expenses” have a paid ad leading to its website, or high-ranking blog content providing information travelers are looking for.

b2b marketing examples: travelperk

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6. Inside Influence Marketing: IBM, Influencer and Employee Advocacy Program

IBM Systems business group has seen the growing importance of employee voice and the rise of employee influencers as a strategy in B2B marketing.

In the words of Ryan Bares, Global Social Programs Lead, he states, “In the B2B marketing world, we’ve all come to understand that buyers trust individual voices more than formal marketing and advertising messages, so finding ways to optimize influence internally is becoming a key area of focus.”

b2b marketing examples: IBM

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Leveraging employees in your company that have an affinity for the industry, vast knowledge of trending topics and your brand, could be key in building new relationships in the industry.

7. B2B Referral Program: Blackbaud, Blackbaud Champions

Blackbaud offers an incredible B2B referral program that incentivizes current customers to become product advocates — Blackbaud Champions. Champions are encouraged to share their insight into how the implementation process works, what it’s like to work with the team, and how Blackbaud solutions have helped you advance their mission.

“When you share your experiences and expertise and help us spread the word about our products and services, we’ll reward you with benefits only available to Champions. By providing your feedback, participating in activities like reference calls and case studies, and sharing educational content and events on social media, you’ll earn Reward Points in the Blackbaud Champions Hub which you can redeem from the Champions Rewards”

These points are what Champions strive to redeem, as they include incentives like discounts, complimentary passes, gift cards and VIP experiences, and more.

b2b marketing examples: blackbaud

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Referral programs are a great way to kindle customer loyalty and have advocates spread the word about your business through the network.

Invest in B2B Marketing and Reach Your Business Customers

Marketing isn’t effective unless you keep your audience in mind, and no other audience is as fickle and critical as business customers. Your marketing should communicate how your business can help theirs, and if it doesn’t, you can redirect your B2B marketing strategies to reach them.

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

Product Marketing Kit

Categories B2B

Program Management Vs. Project Management: What You Need To Know

Projects and programs are needed to push an organization’s goals forward. And behind every project or program is a manager working diligently to ensure everything runs efficiently. But what is the difference between program management and project management? What do project managers and program managers do?

Here’s what you need to know:

Program Manager vs. Project Manager

What is Program Management vs. Project Management

Difference Between Program Management and Project

Click Here to Get HubSpot's Project Management Tool

Program Manager vs. Project Manager

A program manager ensures groups of projects are carried out effectively and are following an organization’s goals. Those groups of projects are referred to as a program. In contrast, a project manager leads an individual project — rather than a group of endeavors.

A program manager’s duties may include the following:

  • Working with project managers to plan schedules, projects, and goals
  • Overseeing communication across different teams and projects
  • Working with executive management to brainstorm new strategies and execute goals

A project manager’s responsibilities can include the following:

  • Ensuring a project is executed smoothly, within budget, and on time.
  • Planning and securing project resources, such as team members, budget, and tools
  • Keeping team morale high and addressing any shortcomings to ensure quality

What is Program Management vs. Project Management

Program management entails maintaining a strategic plan and scheduling multiple different projects. These projects work in tandem to help an organization achieve its goals. With that in mind, a program manager must always consider the “big picture” in every situation. In addition to the duties I mentioned before, program management may also include:

  • Informing and advising stakeholders
  • Mentoring project managers
  • Guaranteeing the success of each project plan and its deliverables

Another common task associated with program management is budget management. Often, program managers must ensure funds are appropriately allocated across current and future projects. Doing so allows project managers to focus on their duties instead of competing for funding. With all the responsibilities associated with program management, it’s no surprise program managers become more necessary as a company grows.According to Zippia, most program managers (55%) work at companies with over 10,000 employees.

Program managers employment by company size

Zippia also says most program managers (65%) work in the public sector — but program managers can be present in other sectors such as government, education, and private.

While program management means thinking about how all the moving pieces of a goal connect, project management means focusing on one of those singular moving pieces. Project Management Institute defines project management as “the use of specific knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to deliver something of value to people.”

To better understand how project management works, you must first understand what qualifies as a project. While there is no concrete definition of a project concerning project management, PMI says projects are essentially “temporary efforts to create value through unique products, services, and processes.” A project manager may oversee the building of new software, executing relief efforts after a disaster, maintaining public highways, etc.

So now you know what a project is, but what does a project manager do? According toWellingtone’s 2020 report — a little bit of everything. The report says the top 6 activities conducted by a project manager are:

  • Status reporting
  • Maintaining portfolio lists
  • Maintaining project planning methodology and templates
  • Facilitating project approval processes
  • Providing project management expertise
  • Facilitating lessons learned

Difference Between Program Management and Project Management

The difference between program management and project management is quite simple — program managers oversee a group of projects, while project managers oversee individual projects. The program manager ensures every project in a program agrees with an organization’s overall vision. The project manager focuses on specific activities that move the agenda forward.

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Categories B2B

Image SEO Best Practices to Make Your Content More Discoverable

To consider the importance of visual search in 2021, let’s start with an example.

The other day, I Googled “how to conduct a vlookup in Excel”. I skimmed a few articles but still felt dissatisfied — I didn’t want to read about vlookups, I wanted to see it.

Enter: The power of images.

Once I clicked on “Images”, I found what I needed quickly:

how to conduct a vlookup in excel image results page

I know I’m not alone. In fact, nowadays, half of all Google searches end on the search results page, without the user clicking through to any results.

In 2021 and beyond, it’s critical marketers begin paying attention to the importance of visual images as a powerful opportunity to reach new audiences on the SERPs.

Plus, as HubSpot’s Marketing Manager Kristen Baker told me, “After running an image experiment on the HubSpot Blog, I discovered that ranking in Google’s image packs increases impressions and clicks to our content.”

But … easier said than done, right?

Here, let’s explore what image SEO is, and the best practices you’ll want to follow to make your webpages more discoverable in image search results.

→ Download Now: SEO Starter Pack [Free Kit]

Image SEO Best Practices

1. Use relevant, accurate alt text for user accessibility and SEO.

As a quick refresher: Alt text is written copy that describes an image. For instance, if you click on Pipcorn’s popcorn product and inspect the page, you’ll see the alt text describes the product image accurately as “Popcorn Family Pack Popcorn Pipsnacks LLC”:

the alt text of popcorn family pack pipsnacks product

Alt-text plays two critical roles in SEO.

First, alt text — also known as alt tags, or alt descriptions — helps search engine crawlers index your website more effectively, which has a positive effect on search results.

In fact, Google states on its Developers page, “You can aid in the discovery process by making sure that your images and your site are optimized for Google Images … [and] increase the likelihood that your content will appear in Google Images search results.”

Second, alt text improves the user experience. Alt text can describe an image to a visually impaired reader, and also helps if a reader can’t load or see the image correctly on their device.

To get a full run-down of how to write high-quality alt text, take a look at Image Alt Text: What It Is, How to Write It, and Why It Matters to SEO.

2. Consider using captions to describe an image.

Captions aren’t typically necessary if the context of the page can help readers understand what the image is depicting — for instance, in this blog post I haven’t used any captions because I’ve used text to introduce each image I’ve shown.

However, if you have a visual-heavy website, consider using captions to help readers understand an image in context. For instance, on Tom Hull’s photography portfolio, he captions his images so viewers can contextualize where, or what, the image represents:

Tom Hulls photography portfolio

Use good judgment when it comes to adding captions, but if you feel it can help readers (and bots) better discern an image, then it might be a worthwhile addition to a page.

3. Compress images for faster load time.

Compressing images is a vital component of any good website optimization strategy.

Why?

Because, simply put, it helps your web pages load faster, which provides a better user experience and also helps boost your website’s search engine rankings.

To compress your images effectively, try a tool like Attrock’s Free Image Compression Tool, Compress JPEG, or Squoosh.

Typically, less than 100 KB is ideal in terms of good file size.

However, it’s important to note — Google doesn’t look at each individual image size. Instead, it looks at total page size.

So, if you have a small image where quality differences are less substantial, then you might try compressing that image to 30-50 KB … which gives you extra room to keep another image 30 KB bigger, particularly if that image loses quality after compression.

If you’re still worried about image quality after compression, take a look at How to Ensure Your Images are High Resolution.

4. Post original images — not just stock photos.

Ultimately, Google (and readers) prioritize original content — which means, if you’re hoping your images will rank on image results pages, it’s vital you use original, unique images. 

This is particularly important if you work for an ecommerce website and you’re posting visuals of your product. Many shoppers use images to shop for consumer goods. In fact, 50% of online shoppers say images helped them decide what to buy.

If your image doesn’t accurately demonstrate your product, it will get buried under better, higher-quality images from competitors. 

Consider using products like Canva to design in-house infographics, graphs, or animated images to help your brand stand out on search results pages and make your images more shareable.

5. Name your file images before uploading them.

Your file name can impact how easy it is for search engine crawlers to interpret your image, so it’s helpful to rename your file before uploading it onto your webpage.

Rather than keeping the name a generic “IMG_0883”, try using relevant keywords to describe what’s in the image, similar to your alt text. This can also help ensure your image appears on the image search results page, which will increase traffic to your site.

6. Use responsive images.

Responsive images are critical for ensuring your readers can see your images on any type of device. Nowadays, it’s vital your pages are optimized for mobile to impact search engine rankings, as well as user experience.

If your images aren’t responsive, the page won’t appear as clean on mobile as it does on desktop — which negatively affects SEO, as well as your reader’s perception of your brand.

Fortunately, some website hosting services, including HubSpot, automatically ensure your images are responsive.

However, if need be, you can make your images responsive by using quick code. For instance, you can add this code to your HTML:

<img src=”nature.jpg” alt=”Nature” class=”responsive”>

Or this code to your CSS:

.responsive {

  width: 100%;

  height: auto;

}

7. Leverage images as a backlinking opportunity.

Creating high-quality, unique, original images isn’t just great for your own website — it’s also a fantastic opportunity to earn backlinks when other websites use your image for their own pages.

For instance, consider the following graph created by Broadband Search:

mobile share of organic search visits graph

The image currently ranks in the first spot on the image search results page for the keywords, “how many people use mobile to search”.

Additionally, according to Ahrefs, this blog post has over 3,000 backlinks. I’m willing to bet that those backlinks are, in part, due to other companies wanting to use Broadband Search’s unique graphs for their own content.

If you create high-quality images, other companies may want to showcase those images on their own sites — with links back to your business. This means, ultimately, images can have a direct impact on the amount of traffic, leads, and customers you get for your business through your marketing efforts.

8. Add images to an existing sitemap.

Google suggests adding images to an existing sitemap — or creating a separate sitemap just for images — to help search engines discover your images. In particular, this is helpful for images Google can’t find through crawling, such as those accessed via JavaScript forms.

Here’s a sample sitemap, with two images included:

code to add images to an existing sitemap

Fortunately, if you don’t want to add images to a sitemap manually, you’re in luck — there are tools, such as Angeldigital.Marketing (one of the only free ones available!), that will automatically generate an image sitemap once you input a URL.

Hopefully, you can use these best practices to level up and earn new traffic through search image results pages. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words … so just imagine the value of an SEO-optimized picture. 

marketing

Categories B2B

278 Social Media Holidays for Your 2023 Content Calendar [+Template]

Do you celebrate International Cat Day, Pizza Day, or Talk Like a Pirate Day?

There are a plethora of observance days worldwide during which marketers can share content relevant to their industries, get involved in a movement, or simply generate more awareness. But odds are, you probably don’t acknowledge these days until you see your favorite brand posting about it.

→ Free Download: Social Media Calendar Template [Access Now]

These social media “holidays” are a fun way to connect with new and existing followers who share an affinity for a specific food, fictional character, or pet.

While we don’t suggest sharing content on social media and then adding an irrelevant holiday hashtag to it, these holidays can be a chance to promote your brand in a relevant way. Not doing so could cause you to miss valuable opportunities where your brand can join the conversations taking place among members of your target audience.

To help you plan for trending holidays, we created a list that you can bookmark, as well as a downloadable calendar so you can receive automatic reminders.

Downloadable Holiday Calendar

To help you keep track of all these unique holidays, here’s a Social Media Holiday Google Calendar.

Aside from 2022 holidays, we’ve also set dates on the calendar to repeat annually — either on the exact date they occur or the weekday they occur within the month.

Want to finish out your 2022 calendar with some upcoming holiday posts? Tap the + symbol in the lower right-hand corner of the calendar below to add it to your own Google calendar.

social media holiday calendar templateUse the Above Template to Plan Out Your Social Media Holiday Posts

National & Global Holiday Calendar: 2022

The list isn’t exhaustive (there are a lot of food-specific holidays out there), and these dates and hashtags may still be subject to change. But this is a great starting point for social media marketers who want to learn more about what’s trending and how they can plan their content in a way that will be fun and engaging on social platforms.

January 2022 Social Media Holidays

iowa state athletics national sticker day social media holiday tweet

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February 2022 Social Media Holidays

zach covey national weather persons day social media holiday tweet

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March 2022 Social Media Holidays

national park service national day of unplugging social media holiday tweet

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April 2022 Social Media Holidays

christina alexandria national siblings day social media holiday tweet

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May 2022 Social Media Holidays

violet the Newfy world password day social media holiday tweet

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June 2022 Social Media Holidays

Alex bowman National Donut Day social media  holiday tweet

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July 2022 Social Media Holidays

Stadium Give Something Away Day Social Media Holiday Tweet

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August 2022 Social Media Holidays

Wienerschnitzel National Lemonade Day Social Media Holiday Tweet

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September 2022 Social Media Holidays

Gaeilge @ Colaiste Naomh Caoimhin EDL 2021 Social Media Holiday Tweet

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October 2022 Social Media Holidays

The Beatles 4ever World vegetarian Day Social Media Holiday Tweet

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November 2022 Social Media Holidays

Nickelodeon STEM day Social Media Holiday Tweet

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December 2022 Social Media Holidays

Nobel Prize Day Globalnews.ca Social Media HolidayTweet

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Social Media Holidays Will Help You Grow Your Brand

Partaking in social media holidays will help you create a stronger brand voice and share posts about trending topics, helping you earn more followers in the long run. While it’s not important to celebrate every single social media holiday, being aware of the holidays can help you brainstorm ideas for your marketing and implement fun, themed posts into your social media content calendar.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in January 2017 but is updated annually for comprehensiveness. The most recent update of this post was April 2022.

social media content calendar

Categories B2B

How to Network Effectively: 15 Tips You Can Start Using Today

“Networking” is a buzzword that many of us have a serious love/hate relationship with.

Whether you’re trying to develop your personal career or forge new business relationships, making offline, personal connections has become even more critical as online social networking becomes the norm.

This guide will help you navigate those uncomfortable face-to-face networking situations, so the next time you step into a room of potential connections, you’ll feel ready to dive right into relationship-building conversations.

→ Download Now: 80 Professional Bio Examples [Free Templates]

1. Network before job searching.

As anyone who has ever looked for a job can attest, the process can be daunting. Knowing who to reach out to can make all the difference.

One way to make the process a little easier is to start networking with people before you even begin looking for a job. That way, when the time comes, you will already have contacts to leverage.

Building relationships with people in your industry can help you to get your foot in the door, and it can also give you an inside look at what companies are hiring.

In addition, you can identify mentors who can provide guidance and support throughout your career.

2. Come prepared with a clear goal in mind.

Next time you’re going to an event, ask yourself: “Who do I want to meet, and why?

Certain event registration platforms will share attendee lists on the registration page. If a guest list like this is available, take a moment to scan it.

You might discover potential clients, mentors, or employees you want to connect with.

For instance, let’s say you’re the CMO of a successful lawn-mowing business and your goal is to leave the event with 10 leads.

Having a specific goal in mind will allow you to prepare effectively and keep you focused during networking events.

It will make your conversations less ambiguous and lead to better alignment with your connections.

3. Have some conversation starters ready.

Approaching a big or small group can be intimidating. With the right approach, you can join an existing conversation or start your own successfully.

Ease into the evening by introducing yourself to one person who is also flying solo and looking for someone to talk to.

Ahead of time, read up on industry news and trends so you’ll be prepared to spark conversation and ask for other people’s thoughts on topics that are interesting to both of you.

Other great conversation starters include:

  • What do you do for work?
  • What brought you to this event?
  • What do you think about the event so far?
  • Are you familiar with any of the speakers?

Your first connection at an event is your gateway to meeting more people. Maybe they came with friends they can introduce you to, or maybe you’ll decide to break into bigger groups together.

Whoever you approach first, relieve some of the awkwardness with informed, relevant conversation starters to get in the swing of things together.

Once your first conversation goes smoothly, it’ll give you the confidence to interact with others.

4. Introduce yourself to someone more experienced.

We sometimes walk into networking events with high hopes of meeting the CEO of a company we admire, or the author of a book that kickstarted our career.

We’re so thrilled to be in the same place as them, but suddenly, you spot them across the room and become nervous, awkward, and maybe a little bit sweaty.

So how can you successfully strike up a conversation?

First and foremost, make sure you have a purpose. Butting into their conversation to tell them you love their work or admire their approach will not invite stimulating conversation. It’s more likely to evoke a simple “thank you.”

Consider what it is about this person that resonated with you, and tie it into your work, projects, or philosophy.

Approach them with confidence, and introduce yourself not as a fan, but as an equal – because you are – and say something thought-provoking that they can relate to.

Like this: “Your application of inbound marketing for nonprofits was helpful for me at my last job, but I’m transitioning into a job in the pharmaceutical industry. Would you change your inbound marketing approach if you were me?

Remember that you admire this person because you respect their thought leadership. Give them a chance to admire you, too, by sparking an interesting and relevant conversation.

5. Ask people questions about themselves.

Often, we meet someone and exchange our names, company, job title, and where we grew up in about three minutes. Then we smile, look at the ground, and say something like “I love your shirt.”

When the small talk is up, it’s easy for the conversation to go south.

I’ve learned to avoid this by making them the topic of conversation.

You may be thinking, how can I make connections if we just talk about them the whole time? Well, showing genuine interest in another person can say more about you than talking about yourself could.

Besides, if a person doesn’t reciprocate the behavior and encourage you to tell them about yourself afterward, then they probably weren’t a valuable connection to begin with.

Next time a conversation is flailing, ask for them to elaborate or tell you more about themselves and you’ll find talking points you’ll be able to expand on.

6. Practice active listening.

One of the biggest challenges of networking is learning how to actively listen to others.

When we’re networking, we’re often so focused on sharing that we might not take the time to really listen to the other person.

This is essential for building strong relationships – it shows that we’re interested in what the other person has to say and that we’re paying attention.

One way to practice active listening is to paraphrase the other person’s statement. This signals to the other person that we understand them and shows that we’re engaged in the conversation.

Another technique is asking questions, which shows a genuine interest in others and invites them to keep engaging in conversation.

Active listening is a key skill for networking and will build the foundation for strong and productive relationships.

7. Write notes after each meaningful conversation.

Have you ever been in a situation where you meet someone new, have a great conversation, and then forget their name when you go to follow up?

It happens to the best of us, but there is a solution: write a personal note after each meaningful conversation.

This doesn’t have to be anything formal, just a few quick sentences about who the person is and what you talked about. That way, when you go to follow up, you’ll have all the information you need right at your fingertips.

Not only will this make you look more professional, but it will also help you build stronger relationships with the people you meet.

8. Ask for what you want.

The highlight of networking events we all fantasize about is leaving with a concrete exchange that will move our business or career forward. Maybe it’s a job offer, getting an investor on board, locking down a recommendation letter, or landing a client you’ve been after for months.

Whatever the highlight, it isn’t going to fall in our lap. We can play all the right cards to set us up for the big moment, but a time will come when we need to put ourselves out there and firmly express what we want.

The question is, how should you do this without coming across as aggressive?

Consider your answer to the classic job interview question “Why should we hire you over the other candidates?” You come up with a true, succinct, humble, and exemplary answer of why you’re the right person for the job.

Your approach to getting what you want from networking isn’t all that different, except it’s important to express your flexibility.

This combination of flexibility and confidence in getting the job done is a brilliant way to frame your next big ask: Be firm on what you want, but present it in a way that highlights the benefits for your listener.

9. Exit a conversation gracefully.

It’s important to remember that networking isn’t like speed-dating. The goal isn’t to meet as many people as you can – it’s to make valuable connections.

While it’s important not to rush through conversations for this reason, there are times when we need to jump ship. Whether you’re chatting with someone who won’t let you get a word in, or someone who is wasting time whining about their boss, you should still be polite when ending the conversation.

If there’s a lull in the conversation, say “Please let me know how that project goes, I’d love to see it and hear how it turns out.” This will show you were engaged, and though it ends the conversation in the moment, they won’t feel offended.

Alternatively, consider asking them “Have you seen anyone from [company name] tonight? I’ve been meaning to chat with them.” This will kindly express that it’s important to you to expand your network.

10. Follow up every time.

Networking can be a great way to make professional connections, but it’s only effective if you follow up. After all, exchanging business cards is only the first step in building a relationship.

If you want to make a lasting impression, you need to take the time to follow up with the people you meet.

So how do you follow up effectively? First, send a personalized email or LinkedIn message within 24 hours of meeting someone. This shows that you’re interested in keeping in touch.

Second, invite the person you met to coffee or lunch so you can further connect. After that, it’s just a matter of staying in touch by sending occasional emails, reaching out via social media, or meeting up.

Plan on attending a networking event soon? Leave awkwardness at the door by walking in with full confidence. Use the tips and remember: The outcome of the evening is up to you.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in Aug. 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Categories B2B

How To Do Affiliate Marketing on Instagram

Affiliate marketing on Instagram works the same as other platforms, where a business pays someone (i.e., an influencer) a commission for attracting people to purchase its product or service. The amount of commission paid is tracked through a unique code or URL.  

Instagram used to have a native program for creators, but it ended in August of 2022. Not to worry, though, because you can still make money from affiliate marketing on Instagram. This post will discuss how and give examples of creators that successfully use the strategy.

New Data: Instagram Engagement Report [2022 Version]

How to Do Affiliate Marketing on Instagram

1. Switch to a creator or business account.

An important step, although not required, is to have a creator or business account on Instagram.

When you have this designation on your account, it establishes your legitimacy with your followers and the businesses you choose to work with. You’ll be seen as a trusted source that is not trying to run a scam or make a quick profit.  

2. Find affiliate partners or businesses that you want to work with.

To start affiliate marketing on Instagram, you need to find an affiliate program you want to work with. Amazon Associates is an excellent example of an affiliate program, where you can earn a commission between 1 and 10% based on the product category.

Another option is to reach out to businesses directly that you’d like to work with and explain how you relate to what they offer and the potential your audience has to bring them.

Businesses might also reach out to you directly to start an affiliate partnership, which brings back the importance of having a business profile or creator account to establish your legitimacy.

3. Choose products relevant to your niche and the type of content you create.

When finalizing your partnerships, ensure you choose products or services that relate to your niche, audience, and the content you already create. For example, if you’re a technology creator, partnering with a beauty brand does not align with the influence and content you create.

It’s also essential to have trust in the products, businesses, or services you recommend. If your audience follows through with a purchase because of your recommendation and experience with the product and it doesn’t work as advertised, you can lose the trust with your audience that you worked hard to build.

It’s a best practice to try products or services yourself beforehand to ensure the partnership is worthwhile for all involved.

4. Share your unique links or codes.

The way you make money as an affiliate is when your audiences make a purchase through your unique code or link. So, make sure you share your codes in your Feed posts, Stories, Reels, your profile Bio — wherever they’ll be visible to your audience. If you have 10k or more followers, you can include a swipe up link in your Stories.

When you share these links, it’s also a best practice to make it clear that it is part of a paid partnership to be transparent with your audience.

Affiliate Marketing on Instagram Examples

Let’s go over some examples of people on Instagram who have used affiliate marketing in different ways.

1. Sean Garrette

Sean Garrette uses affiliate marketing through a Linktree in his Instagram bio that leads audiences to his different affiliate partnerships.

affiliate marketing on instagram examples: sean garrette linktree

Source

2. Cash Jordan

Cash Jordan, a New York City real estate agent, shares affiliate codes from his partnerships in his post captions. He recently partnered with Roadway Movers, and he created an Instagram video to explain the service and let his followers know that they’ll receive 10% off with his unique code.

Source 

3. Adriana Lopez

Adriana Lopez is a travel and lifestyle blogger who is often an affiliate partner of different lifestyle and travel companies. In a recent post, she shared an affiliate code that gives audiences a discount when they book their next vacation with her code.

affiliate marketing on instagram examples: adrianna lopez

Source

4. KarenBritChick

New York based influencer, shares affiliate links in her Instagram Stories with an easy-to-use clickable link sticker to immediately begin shopping, or you also have the option to enter her unique code during checkout.affiliate marketing on instagram examples: karenbritchick

Source 

5. Jesse James West

In the image below, fitness influencer Jesse James West shares a unique story about this experience with a brand and vouching for their products along with an affiliate code for his followers to use.

affiliate marketing on instagram examples: jesse james west

Source 

Over to You

Affiliate marketing helps you drive revenue, develop relationships with your favorite brands or businesses, and bring value to your audiences, so it’s a worthwhile strategy to consider when it comes to driving loyalty and engagement on the platform.

Improve your website with effective technical SEO. Start by conducting this  audit.  

Categories B2B

The 23 Best WordPress Video Themes in 2022

If you produce video content or sell video footage, the right WordPress video theme will allow your content to shine. You’ll also create a compelling experience for your visitors the moment they enter your site.

Are you looking for a WordPress video theme to put your video content on full display? There are a lot of WordPress Video themes out there to choose from. But not to worry, we did the legwork for you. Explore this list of 16 WordPress video themes (in no specific order) to help you choose the best theme for your site.

Grow Your Business With HubSpot's Tools for WordPress Websites

We’ll break down our list by the following categories:

Before you continue, you can also watch this useful video on WordPress video themes from
themesCode:

Multi-Purpose Video Themes

These WordPress themes aren’t wholly video-focused. However, they have solid and unique video-related features. These themes are ideal for anyone who doesn’t need their website to revolve around their videos and would benefit from a wide range of additional features.

1. Revolution Pro

wordpress video themes in 2022, revolution pro

Revolution Pro is a responsive, minimalist theme that focuses on your content. It’s built on the Genesis Framework, known for its speed and ease of configuration. It’s compatible with the Gutenberg editor, so you can easily embed videos using the Video block.

Revolution Pro also comes fully configured with HubSpot upon installation, so you’ll be set up with HubSpot’s marketing and CRM tools from the start. If you’re already a WP Engine hosting plan user, you get free access to all other StudioPress themes.

Core Features

  • Section video backgrounds
  • Video transitions included
  • Slider feature

2. Bridge

wordpress video themes 2022, Bridge

Bridge is a multipurpose, creative theme for sharing videos with your customers. Bridge comes fully featured with multiple options for integrating your video content via sliders, overlays, and more. For example, you can use section video backgrounds to make your video take up the entire screen width for an immersive experience.

You can also add different transitions, like fades, animations, and more to the beginning or end of your videos. The video slider feature lets you place multiple video clips in one section so visitors can slide right and left through all of your clips.

Core Features

  • Gutenberg compatible
  • Fully configured with HubSpot’s free suite of marketing and CRM tools
  • Minimalist design to highlight your videos

3. Brooklyn

wordpress video themes 2022, Brooklyn

Brooklyn is a multi-purpose WordPress video theme that can make a beautiful site for any type of business. Brooklyn is renowned for its drag-and-drop editor, which makes adding video content to your site a breeze.

In addition, there are options to feature photo and video galleries on different website pages and create fullscreen video backgrounds. There is also a video widget to make adding, editing, and formatting your website’s videos quick and straightforward.

Core Features

  • Drag-and-drop page builder
  • Video galleries
  • Fullscreen video backgrounds

Blogging Video Themes

If you’re a video blogger, these themes are for you. They’re built for people who want to include written blog content alongside videos on their website.

4. Videoblog

wordpress video themes 2022, Videoblog

Videoblog is a blog and magazine video theme that allows you to list your latest or featured posts on your homepage. Videoblog is a traditional style theme that focuses on readability and content. The design is intuitive, and customers will appreciate the familiarity of the two-column layout format.

Core Features

  • Ideal for blogs and magazines
  • Latest and featured posts listed on your homepage
  • Two-column layout

5. Video by Templatic

wordpress video themes 2022, Video by Templatic

Video by Templatic is a mobile responsive WordPress video theme that is an excellent choice for creating blogs with video content as the primary focus. This theme makes it simple to add video and other content types. You can also manage your posts with categories and sub-categories.

With Video by Templatic, you’ll have deep customization abilities, automatic thumbnail generation, and the option to let users submit and upload video content from the front end.

Core Features

  • Automatic thumbnail generation
  • WooCommerce compatibility
  • Real-time customizer feature

6. Vlog

wordpress video themes 2022, Vlog

Vlog is a WordPress video theme optimized for blog and magazine content, with a focus on videos. The theme is compatible with YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion to simplify sharing your video content.

You can group your videos into playlists to keep related content together, so it’s easy to find for your visitors. You can also quickly set your video’s thumbnail as your featured image with a click.

Core Features

  • Created for blogs and digital magazines
  • Compatible with YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion
  • Can group videos into playlists

Portfolio and Photography Video Themes

If you want to share your portfolio, feature your videos and photos in a gallery, and possibly sell your work straight from your website, these themes may suit your needs.

7. Fargo

wordpress video themes 2022, Fargo

Fargo is a WordPress theme marketed toward wedding photographers. It is an elegant theme that certainly lends itself well to that. However, the theme’s photo sharing and portfolio features would benefit any type of photographer looking to show off their work.

Fargo’s Smart Galleries allow you to move from written content to photo content to video content seamlessly. In addition, Fargo’s flexible navigation includes customizable transitions that create an interactive, 3D experience for your visitors while they browse your different site pages.

Core Features

  • Created for sharing photography and video content
  • Smart Galleries
  • Flexible navigation with customizable transitions

8. Inspiro PRO

wordpress video themes 2022, Inspiro PRO

Inspiro PRO is a professional portfolio theme based on the Elementor page builder, a drag-and-drop website builder plugin. If you already use the Elementor page builder, Inspiro PRO could be a great option.

This theme provides excellent features for photo and video professionals to show off their work in style. It’s user-friendly and features many custom modules, dynamic elements, and video features. That includes video backgrounds and play-on-hover videos. It is also fully compatible with the WordPress Gutenberg editor.

Core Features

  • Built for professional photo and video creatives
  • Custom, fullscreen slideshows, and videos
  • Based on the Elementor page builder plugin

9. Pronto

wordpress video themes 2022, Pronto

Pronto by Flothemes is an elegant WordPress theme for displaying your photography online. Pronto is fully integrated with the Gutenberg editor and comes stocked with a complete library of Flex blocks, or content blocks from Flothemes’ proprietary drag-and-drop editor plugin.

Unlike other themes on this list, Pronto is offered on a subscription basis, making it a little more expensive. However, the extra cost is worth it for the access to premium support and full integration of Flothemes’ features and designs.

Core Features

  • Elegant and minimalist design
  • Premium support with a subscription
  • Access to Flothemes templates and starter sites

Filmmaking Video Themes

Videographers, directors, and producers may benefit from these WordPress themes. They have layouts and customizable options for sharing and displaying videos of many lengths, topics, and genres.

10. Cinerama

wordpress video themes 2022, Cinerama

Cinerama is a premium WordPress video theme by the makers at Edge Themes. Cinerama is focused on videographers and filmmakers, allowing them to create beautifully designed portfolio sites. The theme features a variety of custom shortcodes, an easy-to-use admin interface, and video carousel functionality. Cinerama makes it simple to present your video content in an attractive and eye-catching manner.

Core Features

  • Ideal for videographers and filmmakers
  • Extensive collection of custom shortcodes
  • Retina-ready

11. Pelicula

wordpress video themes 2022, Pelicula
Pelicula is another premium WordPress offering from Edge Themes. This modern portfolio design is great for the film industry and video production pros. The theme comes fully stocked with 13 pre-designed, attractive homepages so you can get your site up and running quickly.

In addition, it is fully compatible with the Elementor Page Builder plugin so that you can create new site pages rapidly with a drag-and-drop interface.

Core Features

  • Ideal for film industry professionals and videographers
  • Compatible with Elementor Page Builder plugin
  • Parallax effects and infinite scroll functionality

12. Superflick

wordpress video themes 2022, Superflick

Superflick is another video-oriented WordPress theme for movie studios and video professionals. Despite this, Superflick is robust enough to meet the needs of all types of creatives, vloggers, agencies, or anyone looking to display their video work in an elegant portfolio format.

Superflick is responsive, retina ready, and comes ready to go out of the box. The theme also offers advanced customization options so users can build bespoke websites for themselves or their clients.

Core Features

  • Created for showcasing video work
  • Over 100 pre-made site page templates
  • Highly rated customer support

13. Silverscreen

wordpress video themes 2022, Silverscreen

If you are a filmmaker or production company, Silverscreen can help you showcase your movie projects and video work. Silverscreen comes stock with stunning parallax scrolling effects, a variety of distinct homepages, and practical inner website pages for displaying awards and portfolios. If you are serious about cinema, Silverscreen might be your theme!

Core Features

  • Ideal for movie and video producers
  • Fullscreen video backgrounds
  • Smooth parallax effects

14. Leitmotif

wordpress video themes 2022, Leitmotif

Leitmotif is a modern WordPress theme for film and cinema. If you are an independent filmmaker or simply enjoy the indie aesthetic, Leitmotif might be for you. The theme is simple to use and easy to set up. Plus, it features all the bells and whistles you can expect from similar themes above.

Leitmotif is also a good option for music festivals, portfolios, or any creative project you want to showcase. There are many film-centric WordPress video themes on this list, but we think Leitmotif’s edgy and cool design aesthetic sets it apart from the rest.

Core Features

  • Modern design aestetic
  • WooCommerce Integration
  • Smooth parallax effects

Creative Video Themes

Creative video themes are versatile and flexible enough for various industries. However, they’re still all explicitly created for video-based websites.

15. VideoPro

wordpress video themes 2022, VideoPro

VideoPro is a creative video theme with a responsive design and layout options ideal for various video types. This theme can showcase movies, games, news, entertainment, education, and more.

In addition, VideoPro integrates with sites like YouTube and social media platforms such as Facebook. Here, you can easily embed, import, and share your content. VideoPro also has a feature that allows you to create a multi-episode video series on your website — displaying related videos below whatever is being watched by a visitor at any given moment.

Core Features

  • Responsive design
  • Video and social media integrations included
  • Multi-episode video series feature

16. VideoBox

wordpress video themes 2022, VideoBox

VideoBox is an excellent solution for anyone looking to show off their video or audio content. The theme features an attractive video slider as the homepage’s main attraction to capture site visitors’ attention.

VideoBox is a straightforward and easy-to-use WordPress video theme option that is intuitive enough to suit a variety of business needs. Plus, it’s compatible with WooCommerce and is fully responsive.

Core Features

  • WooCommerce integration
  • Homepage slider
  • Minimalist design with a dark color scheme

17. Pisces

wordpress video themes 2022, Pisces

Pisces is a multi-concept creative theme flexible enough to suit almost all website-related needs. You can create portfolio pages, business sites, share video content, or sell products with their WooCommerce integration. Pisces features an intuitive drag-and-drop website builder, making it an easy-to-use WordPress theme solution.

Core Features

  • Responsive design
  • Video and social media integrations included
  • WooCommerce integration

18. Oshine

wordpress video themes 2022, Oshine

Oshine is a creative, multi-purpose WordPress video theme that can do it all. It is a trendy theme with over 30,000 customers, for a good reason. This solid theme handles video content beautifully and can help you create almost any type of website with style. It’s super customizable, WooCommerce ready, and comes stock with smooth AJAX animated transitions available.

With 100s of pre-built sample pages, 52 demo sites, and an entirely visual page builder, your options are limitless with Oshine.

Core Features

  • Highly versatile
  • Top-rated and frequently updated theme
  • WooCommerce integration

19. Astra

wordpress video themes 2022, Astra

Astra is an extremely popular WordPress theme that you can use to create virtually any type of website. Astra is renowned for being fast and lightweight, with a 100% speed score on Pingdom and a 91% speed grade from Yslow. When using Astra, you never have to worry about your site’s load time being an issue. Astra’s drag-and-drop page builder makes customization a breeze, but if you want to take a more straightforward approach, you can drop in any of their 230+ pre-built websites to get started.

Core Features

  • Highly versatile
  • Best-in-class speed and load times
  • WooCommerce integration

Streaming and Membership Themes

Streaming and membership themes allow you to create websites with subscription tiers to host your premium content. Check out four options to get you started.

20. Vayvo

wordpress video themes 2022, Vayvo

Vayvo by Progression Studios is a media streaming and membership theme that you can use to create a video or audio streaming website akin to Netflix or HBO Go. Using Vayvo, you can create subscription tiers for members to access your premium content.

In addition, you can make free trials and restrict access to certain content based on membership tier. For a fully featured and powerful theme, Vayvo is simple to use and easy to set up. So, if you are a content creator or podcaster looking to create a gated membership community for streaming your premium content, look no further than Vayvo.

Core Features

  • Media streaming and membership theme
  • Subscription tiers and free trials
  • Tablet and mobile friendly

21. Streamit

wordpress video themes 2022, Streamit

Streamit is a WordPress streaming and membership theme similar to Vayvo. It offers the ability to create a premium streaming environment for your content, be it movies, shows, web series, or podcasts.

Streamit is integrated with WooCommerce, so you can create an online store. Here, fans of your content can buy branded merchandise. We like the dark and impactful design of Streamit and the easy-to-use drag-and-drop page builder courtesy of Elementor.

Core Features

  • Media streaming and membership theme
  • WooCommerce integration
  • Elementor page builder

22. Aztec

wordpress video themes 2022, Aztec

Aztec is another WordPress streaming and membership theme that can help you monetize your videos via a subscription model. Like the above themes in the same category, Aztec is eCommerce integrated, features a drag-and-drop page builder, and supports third-party video and audio players.

One nice feature is the Pay-Per-Post option, which lets users purchase single content pieces at a time if they prefer not to sign up for a subscription.

Core Features

  • Media streaming and membership theme
  • Par-Per-Post ability
  • Advanced search functionality

23. ViewTube

wordpress video themes 2022, Viewtube

ViewTube is a WordPress video streaming theme that takes some not-so-subtle design inspiration from YouTube. If you want to create a YouTube-inspired streaming website, then ViewTube is the answer.

This theme is designed to host a large amount of user-uploaded content. For example, it can help create a company-wide knowledge base or a custom submission site for video auditions. ViewTube is highly customizable, so you aren’t stuck with the red-and-white YouTube vibe if you want to change things up.

Core Features

  • YouTube-inspired streaming theme
  • Can handle large libraries of video content
  • Elementor page builder

Choose the right video theme for WordPress.

WordPress video themes allow you to display your content, mix and match your videos with photos and written content, sell your content, and more. Whatever your needs, there is a video theme that will work for your WordPress website.

Try installing one of the themes above, or check out the number of other video themes in the WordPress theme library. By applying your unique content, you can create a website that works for your business needs.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in December 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Use HubSpot tools on your WordPress website and connect the two platforms  without dealing with code. Click here to learn more.

Categories B2B

What to Post on Instagram: 18 Photo & Video Ideas to Spark Inspiration

Instagram isn’t just a go-to social network for individuals anymore. Many marketers have caught wind that it’s a powerful social network where they need to have some sort of presence.Access Now: 22 Free Business Instagram Templates

The platform’s heavy emphasis on visual content like photos, videos, illustrations, and GIFs is becoming a critical way for brands to communicate their story and message. Plus, it’s an excellent way for businesses to humanize their brand, recruit future employees, showcase their products and content, and delight and engage customers.

Check out these 18 ideas for videos, photos, and other content you can post on Instagram. (And for more inspiration, check out our list of the best brands to follow on Instagram.)

18 Content Ideas for Videos, GIFs & Photos to Post on Instagram

1. Behind-the-Scenes Content

Instagram is a great platform for humanizing your brand, and giving your audience a sneak peek at what goes on behind the scenes is one way to do that. It’s also a good way to show followers what it’s like to work there, which is great for your recruiting efforts.

Here’s an example from the Boston Red Sox, showing what batting practice looks like close-up (with a really cool, fish-eye shot).

red-sox-instagram-behind-the-scenes.jpg

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And here’s one from a small arts and crafts store called Cherry Tree Beads. We love how this one uses the hashtag #employeetakeover to share one of the faces behind the brand, giving followers the chance to get to know who’s on the inside.

An Instagram post by Cherry Tree Beads showcasing one of their employees.

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Pro Tip: Posting candid photos of your work environment can help humanize your business and allow your customers to connect with your employees, which can translate into stronger brand loyalty.

2. User-generated Content

Some of the best photos on brands’ Instagram accounts are curated by fans and followers. (In fact, FedEx‘s Instagram feed is almost entirely made up of curated photos.)

Check out the posts people have tagged you in, and if you love them, consider reposting them to your followers. Not only does it make the original poster feel good, but it also shows everyone that you’re listening to your fans. Just be sure the photos you’re reposting are high-quality and that you @-mention the original poster in your caption.

Here’s a reposted image from ASOS. Take note of how they write the caption: They write an entirely new caption, which includes a tidbit on how their followers can get featured on their Instagram page (by using the hashtag #AsSeenOnMe). Then, they credit the original poster using the camera emoji and the poster’s username.

asos-instagram-repost-followers.jpg

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To repost a photo on Instagram, you can simply screenshot and crop it. You can also repost a photo to your Instagram story by tapping the share icon below the post you want to repost and tapping “Add video to your story.”

3. Inspirational or Motivational Quotes

Some people poke fun at the number of quotes on Instagram. But if you post them sparingly, they tend to encourage your followers. If the post speaks to your audience, people love to share it and tag their friends in the comments. Quotes are also a great opportunity to share what your brand stands for, whether it’s spiritual, inspiring, funny, or something else.

To create a quote image, you’ll want to download an app that lets you upload a photo and overlay it with text. Here are some good ones:

  • Canva: A free app that you can use to create graphics with text overlays to share on social media.
  • Phonto: A free app that you can use to overlay text on photos with text resizing, alignment, and positioning tools.
  • Snapseed: A free app with professional photo editing tools that pairs fonts with different photo filters.

You can also create a quote post through your Instagram story. To create a quote post on your Instagram story, simply upload an image from your gallery to use as a background and add a text overlay of the quote.

Here are a few examples of quotes done well, starting with this one from TheSkimm. The key to this post’s success is that it’s hilarious to their specific audience — which shows that the quote doesn’t have to be fancy to delight people.

what to post on instagram: inspirational quote from the skimm

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Here’s a more beautifully designed quote from activewear brand Lorna Jane, which carries an empowering message from their founder:

An Instagram post by activewear brand Lorna Jane with the quote, "To be beautiful is to be yourself." by Lorna Jane.

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Pro Tip: Want to play around with words and images? WordFoto is a $2 app that lets you turn your pictures into images made of words instead of just adding words on top of photos.

what to post on instagram: wordfoto app image

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4. Interesting Statistics

Another cool way to overlay text on an image is by posting a statistic that resonates with your audience. Try using statistics from your own research or finding some relevant to your message, your value proposition, and so on. (Read this blog post to learn how and where to find accurate, compelling data.)

Here’s an example from the meditation app Headspace, with a simple text box overlaying a colored, nondescript background.

headspace instagram statistic post

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5. Timely or Current Events Posts

Is something cool happening in the world or the country where your target market lives? A specific holiday? National Puppy Day? Get in on the action by posting something delightful. Remember to use good judgment when newsjacking — the last thing you want to do is publish inaccurate information or offend anyone.

What are some examples of delightful, timely posts? Here’s one from a Mediterranean restaurant called Cava Mezze Grill to celebrate Halloween.

An Instagram post by Cava Grill of a dog dressed as a pita for Halloween.

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And here’s a fun example from Starbucks for National Croissant Day.

starbucks instagram post for national croissant day

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Pro Tip: Set up Google Alerts to get notified of breaking news related to your business’s industry. News stories are a great source of inspiration for timely social media posts.

6. Humorous Images or Videos

If you can make your followers laugh, they’ll likely enjoy your photo — and may even share it with others. After all, sometimes the most memorable photos are the ones that make us laugh.

Try posting photos and images you think will make your audience laugh like Oreo did with this fake text message conversation with “Milk.”

An Instagram post by Oreo of a fake text message conversation with "Milk."

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Here’s another example from BuzzFeed Parents, which shows how simple a super shareable post can be.

An Instagram post by Buzzfeed Parents that says "Welcome to parenting. Your house will never be clean again."

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And in this one from Pabst Blue Ribbon. All they did was put an empty case of Pabst beer on a dog’s head, and it worked like a charm.

An Instagram post by Pabst Blue Ribbon of a dog with an empty case of Pabst beer on its head.

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7. Compelling Drawings or Graphics

Have any artists on your team? One way to stand out in a sea of images is to post a cool, compelling illustration. They don’t even have to be super fancy — check out this simple, black-and-white example from Oreo:

An Instagram post by Oreo of an illustration of two kids. One kid looking through a telescope to see planets and different shapes and the other is pointing to the shapes. The lens of the telescope is an Oreo cookie.

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Here’s a more complex one from Pabst Blue Ribbon:

black and white drawing from Pabst instagram post.

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8. Content Promotions

Beautiful images are critical to your Instagram marketing strategy because they tell a story and draw people in. Colored visuals increase people’s willingness to read a piece of content by a whopping 80%.

So if you’re creating a piece of compelling written content like a recipe, a report, or a blog post, why not use a visual platform like Instagram to promote it?

Simply pair an interesting and relevant image with a caption that promotes the content, and then ask people to follow the link in your bio or post description. (Again, be sure to make that link trackable.)

Here’s an example from Staples that promotes their hard-copy planners for National Planner Day:

Staples promotional Instagram post for National Planner Day.

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And here’s an example from Nature’s Path Organic, which shows off the finished product of a recipe that’s linked in their bio:

Natures Path instagram post showcasing recipe photo

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9. Product Promotions

Instagram isn’t the place to publish product-centric posts every day — but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it to showcase products every once in a while. We suggest using the 80/20 rule on social media: 80% of the content you post to social media should be helpful and valuable to your audience, and 20% can be self-promotional.

Making promotional content that’s fun, compelling, and lovable is even more important when posting on Instagram. To highlight a specific product, post a picture or video about it, and then tell people where they can find the product using the product names and codes or a trackable link in your bio.

Here’s an example from the online clothing company ASOS. (Check out how casual and cool the caption is.)

A product promotion Instagram post by Asos.

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Here’s another one from Frank Body, which uses an image and some humor in the caption to pique followers’ interest in the product without being overly promotional.

An Instagram promotion by frank_bod of shiny brown fabric. The caption reads, "Your skin after you win The Golden frank and spend a week frolicking in Thailand and scrubbing with me. See the link in my bio for details. #thegoldenfrank"

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Pro Tip: When you post is almost as important as what you post. We suggest posting to Instagram on Saturdays in the mid-to-late afternoon.

10. Compelling Videos, Reels, and Stories

Instagram users can record and upload videos up to 60 seconds long, reels of multiple video clips that are each up to 15 seconds long, and stories composed of images and short videos that disappear after 24 hours.

When executed well, videos, stories, and reels are a great way for your Instagram content to stand out. You can record a video from scratch (including recording multiple video clips) or upload videos to your feed, stories, or reels from your phone’s library the same way you’d upload a photo.

Pro Tip: By default, every Instagram video will start playing without sound — after which viewers can choose whether or not to turn the sound on. Because of this, you’ll need to upload videos that don’t need sound to be well understood or entice people to turn the sound in the first second or two.

Here’s a great video from Purina that delights viewers with some cute puppy love.

11. Hyperlapse Videos

Want to use video to stand out from the crowd while also solving for your followers’ short attention spans? Try creating a Hyperlapse video.

Hyperlapse is a free app by Instagram that condenses videos into brief, moving, hyper-speed videos. The videos use built-in stabilization technology to film these time-lapse videos without keeping your hands still. (Want to make your own? Here are step-by-step instructions.)

Here’s one of our favorite examples, which comes from Starbucks.

12. Fun, Lighthearted GIFs

GIFs are everywhere nowadays, and people love them because they help accurately convey ideas, messages, thoughts, and feelings in a snackable (and often laughable) way. On Instagram, you can upload a GIF just like a video (as long as it’s less than 60 seconds long).

Check out the examples of GIFs on Instagram below for some inspiration. (Click here for instructions for creating your own animated GIF using Photoshop.) Here’s an example from Staples.

And one from Starbucks.

13. Contests and Giveaways

Are you trying to support the launch of a new product? Contests are one of the best ways to expand your reach and engage your community on Instagram. A study by Tailwind found that hosting an Instagram contest or giveaway can help you grow your followers 70% faster over three months than not holding a contest.

Instagram doesn’t make capturing leads and information from your followers easy, but a contest or giveaway is one way to do it.

Just be sure to call your followers to take action by using the space in your caption to explain the contest and even guide them to a link in your bio.

Pro Tip: Make the link trackable so you can see how much traffic your Instagram post is driving. Learn how to add a trackable link to your Instagram bio by reading #6 in this blog post.

There are many, many different types of contests you can post on Instagram. Here are a few ideas, starting with the one below from Social Print Studio. Their call-to-action asks for comments on the post, from which they’ll choose winners.

contest example from social print giveaway

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Here’s one from Root Well Being Studio asking people to enter a contest by liking the post and following their account. Participants can earn an extra entry by sharing the post to their Instagram story and tagging Root Well Being Studio.

An Instagram post by Root Wellbeing Studio asking people to enter a contest.

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14. Mosaics

Not many brands use this tactic, but it’s a really cool, unique user experience. It’s also a clever way to get users to visit your business’ account page.

Most of your followers won’t look at your Instagram photos from your account page, as they’ll typically look at them in their Instagram feed.

When you start scrolling through the images below from MyStory Wiesbaden in your feed, it may take you a second to figure out what’s happening. MyStory Wiesbaden posted snippets of a tattoo, which is a cool teaser that entices you to go to their main account page, where you can see the full picture.

An Instagram photo mosaic of a back tattoo by MyStory Wiesbaden

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15. Asks to “Tag A Friend.”

While you can tag friends on Facebook and Twitter posts, it happens most regularly on Instagram. There’s a culture around tagging your friends if you see a post that resonates with you or reminds you of someone. This helps you both increase engagement and broaden your reach.

If you want to encourage your followers to share the post with others, sometimes all you’ve got to do is ask. In the caption, include a call-to-action asking people to tag their friends and give them a prompt to do so.

For example, the post below from Rent the Runway asks followers to “Tag your future RTR BFF!”

Instagram post below by Rent the Runway that asks followers to "Tag your future RTR BFF!"

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Our post below from HubSpot asked followers to tag their office coffee buddy.

Hubspot tag a friend instagram post example encouraging users to tag coworkers

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In this cute video from Headspace, they asked followers to tag someone they love to help celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Similar to asking your followers to tag a friend, you can ask them to “double-tap,” which is how your followers can like your photo or video. The standard language for a request like this is: “Double-tap if…”

In the example below from The Parentologist, she asks followers to double-tap if they’re looking for a last-minute gift for a parent, which is a fun way to engage her fans.

An Instagram post by The Parentologist that asks followers to double-tap if they are looking for a last-minute gift for a parent

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16. Reposts From Your Employees

Reposting your employees is an awesome way to showcase what happens behind the scenes at your company, while really helping your followers “bond” with the people who work there.

For example, the people behind the Boston Red Sox’s Fenway Park account often repost photos and videos from their grounds crew.

New Look has a really cool approach: They repost Instagram content from their employees, who function as brand lifestyle ambassadors with accounts specifically associated with New Look. Their deputy manager @newlook_georgia and their dress designer @newlook_emilie are a couple of New Look’s employees who act as brand ambassadors.

While the main New Look account posts mostly their own content, they often repost from their employees, like in the image below.

An Instagram repost by @newlook from their dress designer @newlook_emilie.

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17. Cross-promotion of Another Social Media Account

Cross-promotion of other social media accounts on Instagram is a great way to let your Instagram followers know where else on social media they can find you. That way, you can get your Instagram followers to become your followers on Facebook, Twitter, and so on.

18. “We’re Hiring.”

Finally, let your followers know you’re hiring every once in a while by posting a simple call-to-action on your Instagram page, including a trackable link to your jobs page in your bio.

Here’s an example of a “we’re hiring” post from Arey’s Pond Boat Yard:

An Instagram post by Arey’s Pond Boat Yard advertising a job opening as a seasonal service technician.

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Post Like A Pro

Now that we’ve gone over some tips to get your creativity flowing, it’s time to create a post of your own. Use these content ideas for Instagram to increase brand awareness and connect with your community in new ways.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in October 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Categories B2B

Google Ad Grants: Everything You Need to Know (+ 10 Helpful Tips)

If you’re a nonprofit, you should be a member of Google for Nonprofits, a program that includes a free membership and access to various products. One product that should be on your radar is Google Ad Grants.

With Google Ad Grants, qualifying nonprofits have access to up to $10,000 per month in search ads shown on Google.com. Nonprofits like DonorsChoose, Days for Girls, and We Care Animal Rescue all use Google Grants in their campaigns and drive more traffic through organic search.

Free Guide, Template & Planner: How to Use Google Ads for Business

You can use Google Grants to:

  • Reach donors, volunteers, and consumers when they’re searching keywords relevant to your nonprofit
  • Raise awareness by choosing relevant keywords and creating unique ads to highlight your work
  • Track online donations, newsletter sign-ups, and volunteer registrations
  • Promote your organization’s website on Google with in-kind AdWords advertising

According to Google Support, there are a few limitations to Google Ad Grants, including a $2.00 max cost per click — but that can be circumvented by using the Maximize conversions strategy. Another rule is that your ads will be shown below paying AdWords advertisers.

Many Google Ad Grant members under-spend their budget, with an average recipient spending approximately $330 a month (out of $10,000). To help you get the most out of Google Ad Grants, here is what you need to know about eligibility, plus 10 helpful tips.

Who is eligible for Google Ad Grants?

Tip #1: Create a campaign for every organizational goal or project.

Tip #2: Use keyword research tools to expand your list of core words.

Tip #3: Use all three match-type options when creating your keyword list.

Tip #4: Write compelling and succinct copy.

Tip #5: Drop users on the most relevant page within your website.

Tip #6: Keep subscription and contact forms as short as possible.

Tip #7: Direct traffic to a targeted landing page instead of your homepage.

Tip #8: Use statistics to introduce the problem.

Tip #9: Share information that potential supporters want.

Tip #10: Keep forms as short as possible.

Who is eligible for Google Ad Grants?

To be eligible for Google Ad Grants, a nonprofit must:

  • Be registered as a charitable organization in a country where Google for Nonprofits is available.
  • Meet the requirements in its country
  • Agree to the Google for Nonprofits Additional Terms of Service

A nonprofit is ineligible if:

  • It is a government entity or organization
  • A hospital or healthcare organization but charitable arms or foundations associated with healthcare organizations are eligible.
  • A school, academic institution, or university, but philanthropic arms of educational organizations are eligible.

Now that you know who’s eligible, here are some tips to keep in mind:

 

Tip #1: Create a campaign for every organizational goal or project.

Your ad groups should have 15-30 similar keywords that align with a specific page on the website. The more focused the ad group, the better the ad targeting. To get the right traffic to your website, here are a few do’s and don’ts when developing your keyword lists for your campaign(s):

  • Do: Create a robust keyword list. You never know what users will respond to.
  • Don’t:Start with a small keyword list and wait to expand.
  • Do: Leverage all variations of the brand, product, and service terms as keywords.
  • Don’t: Assume target users are familiar with your brand.
  • Do: Include problem- and solution-oriented keywords.
  • Don’t: Assume all target users have the same search tendencies.

Tip #2: Use keyword research tools to expand your list of core words.

Your keywords should be particular to the content on the website or landing page to which you’re sending your visitors. Using a keyword research tool will allow you to pinpoint the keywords that will give you the best results and higher ranking in Google. Get a good mix of short- and long-tail keywords to help capitalize on the traffic that’s difficult to rank for and highly qualified traffic that will help your conversions.

Tip #3: Use all three match-type options when creating your keyword list.

Use broad match, phrase match, and exact match to find keywords with higher search volume. Different match types for your keywords will trigger your ad for a potential visitor’s search in different ways. It’s a good idea to use these three match types so you can attract a variety of audiences.

Tip #4: Write compelling and succinct copy.

Do not assume that all of your target audience will respond to the same creative language. Ads with high-level language should be tested alongside ads with language geared toward more savvy users. Test 3-4 variations targeted to different types of audiences and see which performs the best.

Tip #5: Drop users on the most relevant page within your website.

Before creating your ads, consider all your organization’s assets — blog articles, landing pages, and annual reports. Provide the information your visitor is looking for when they click your ad by dropping them on the most relevant page. This will increase your landing page conversion rate and reduce your AdWords campaigns’ bounce rate.

The bounce rate is the rate at which visitors leave your site without clicking on another page on your website.

Tip #6: Keep subscription and contact forms as short as possible.

For a newsletter or blog subscription form, asking for just an email address is enough. Contact Us forms should ask for the person’s full name, email, phone number, and possibly where they live, if necessary. But before you add more fields to your forms, ask yourself, “Do I need this information at this point in the relationship?” Don’t require fields unless it’s for a good reason, as it can negatively impact your submission rate.

Tip #7: Direct traffic to a targeted landing page instead of your homepage.

Ensure the page you’re sending visitors to is relevant to the ad. Nonprofit Futures Without Violence’s homepage conversion rate was 0%. However, its ad that led to a targeted landing page resulted in a conversion rate of 12.59% for that page — getting the nonprofit 1,000 new email addresses.

Tip #8: Use statistics to introduce the problem.

Since targeted landing pages have a higher conversion rate for email acquisition, you should focus on optimizing them for your ad campaigns. Statistics make a significant impact and are digestible pieces of content that will help visitors understand a bit more about your cause and what you’re trying to accomplish. They are also attention grabbers that draw new visitors in to learn more.

Tip #9: Share information that potential supporters want.

Your AdWords campaigns aim to bring in new traffic, so providing basic information about your cause and organization is a great way to educate your new audience. Also, ensure that the information provided on the landing page is relevant to the headline of your ad. If you’re offering a fact sheet about your organization, make sure the landing page you send the visitor to is where the fact sheet is located.

Tip #10: Keep forms as short as possible.

When providing educational information in the form of a download, requiring more than an email address can drastically impact your conversion rate when working with PPC ads. But, if you are planning to nurture individuals who download your content via email, ensure you collect their first name, last name, and email address. Four form fields are a reasonable maximum for your landing page forms for new visitors from PPC.

Google Ad Grants is only available to Google for Nonprofit members. Signing up as a Google for Nonprofits member is free, with some restrictions that you can review online before applying. There are other products to take advantage of, including Google’s new mobile application One Today. You can also see all the organizations using Google Grants in the Google for Nonprofits community.

How has your organization used Google Grants?

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