Category Archives: B2B

Deciding how you’ll generate revenue is one of the most challenging decisions for a business to make, aside from coming up with what you’ll actually sell.

You want to ensure that you’re accounting for production costs, salaries for workers, what your consumers are willing to pay, and that you generate enough to continue business operations. You also want to make sure that your strategy fits with what you’re trying to sell.

Various revenue models will help you set your business on the right path. In this post, we’ll outline what they are and how to choose the right one for your company.

Revenue models are not to be confused with pricing models, which is when a business considers the products’ value and target audience to establish the best possible price for what they are selling to maximize profits. Once the pricing strategy is set, the revenue model will dictate how customers pay that price when they purchase.

RevOps teams also use pricing models to predict and forecast revenue for future business planning. Knowing where your money is coming from and how you’ll get it makes it easier to predict how often it will come in.

There are various revenue models that businesses use, and we’ll cover some below.

Types of Revenue Models

Recurring Revenue Model

Recurring revenue model, sometimes called the subscription revenue model, generates revenue by charging customers at specific intervals (monthly, quarterly, annually, etc.) for access to a product or service. Businesses using this model are guaranteed to receive payment at each interval so long as customers don’t cancel their plans.

Recurring Revenue Model Example

Businesses that benefit from recurring revenue models are service-based (like providing software), product-based (like subscription boxes), or content-based (like newspapers or streaming services). Businesses you may be familiar with that use this strategy are Spotify, Amazon, and Hello Fresh.

Affiliate Revenue Model

Businesses using affiliate revenue models generate revenue through commission, as they sell items from other retailers on their site or vice versa.

Sellers work with different businesses to advertise and sell their products, tracking transactions with an affiliate link. When someone makes a purchase, the unique link notes the responsible affiliate, and commission is paid.

Affiliate Revenue Model Example

Businesses you may be familiar with that use the affiliate revenue model include Amazon affiliate links and ticket promoting services. Influencers also use this model to advertise products from businesses and entice users to purchase them through custom links.

Advertising Revenue Model

The advertising revenue model involves selling advertising space to other businesses. This space is sought after because the advertiser (who is selling the space) has high traffic and large audiences that the buyer (who is purchasing the space) wants to benefit from to give their business, product, or service visibility.

Advertising Revenue Model Example

Various types of online businesses use this model, like YouTube and Google, and so do traditional outlets like newspapers and magazines.

Sales Revenue Model

The sales revenue model states that you make money by selling goods and services to consumers, online and in person. Therefore, any business that directly sells products and services uses this model.

Sales Revenue Model Example

Clothing stores that only sell their products in a storefront or business-specific retail website use the sales revenue model as they sell directly to consumers with no third-party involvement.

SaaS Revenue Model

The Software as a Service (SaaS) revenue model is similar to the recurring revenue model as users are charged on an interval basis to use software. Businesses using this model focus on customer retention, as revenue is only guaranteed if you keep your customers. The image below is the HubSpot Marketing Hub pricing page that uses the SaaS recurring subscription model pricing.

SaaS Revenue Model Example

Businesses using this revenue model include video conferencing tool Zoom, communication platform Slack, and Adobe Suite.

How to Choose a Revenue Model

Choosing a revenue model is entirely dependent on your specific business needs and your pricing strategy.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution, and some businesses have multiple revenue streams within their revenue model. For example, if you use a recurring revenue model, you still may sell advertising space on your website to other businesses because you have a high-traffic page.

There are some key factors to keep in mind, though:

1. Understand your audience.

When picking a revenue model, the most important thing to remember is the target market and audience your pricing strategy has identified. You want to understand their pain points and what model makes the most sense for charging them.

For example, if you’re a service that sells meal kits, your target audience is likely busy and wants the convenience of food that is set up and easy to make after a long day. Using the recurring revenue model makes sense, as you’ll automatically charge them on an interval basis, and they won’t have to remember to submit payment — speaking directly to their desire for convenience.

2. Understand your product or service.

It’s also essential to have an in-depth understanding of your product or service and how your audience will use it. For example, if you sell shoes, your audience likely won’t need a new pair every month, so it may make sense to go with the Sales Revenue Model. Instead, your customers can come to you directly every time they need a new pair.

Choose the Model That Best Fits Your Needs

Ultimately, choosing a revenue model is centered around understanding what makes the most sense for what you’re selling and what makes the most sense (and will be most convenient) for the audiences you’re targeting.

Take time to develop your pricing strategy, choose a revenue model aligned with it, and begin generating revenue.

The landscape of web design is always evolving.

Something that looked modern and fresh yesterday can appear dated seemingly overnight, and trends once dismissed as irrevocably passé can unexpectedly cycle back in vogue.

Still, one thing remains constant: Websites are the most important marketing channel for many businesses, and the second most popular marketing channel among businesses according to HubSpot research.

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Given the importance of websites to most businesses and the fact that half of consumers think website design is crucial to a business’s brand, it’s worth the effort to make your own website that matches today’s trends.

However, this doesn’t mean you need to scrap your site’s vision to engage visitors. There’s plenty of room for stylistic choices across the spectrum. As HubSpot Senior Product Designer Dan Hartshorn notes, “I’ve noticed lately many SaaS offerings go either monochromatic or black&white in their UI, or go the opposite direction, and just COVER their UI in color, shadows, gradients, skeuomorphic, etc.”

To help you prepare for wherever the web design tide takes us, we’ve put together a list of 16 trends to keep a close eye on. Check them out below, and get inspired to tackle your web design projects this year with style.

1. Bold Typography

More and more companies are turning to big, bold typography to anchor their homepages. This style works best when the rest of the page is kept minimal and clean, like this example from Brooklyn-based agency Huge.

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2. Cinemagraphs

Cinemagraphs — high-quality videos or GIFs that run on a smooth, continuous loop — have become a popular way to add movement and visual interest to otherwise static pages. Full-screen loops, like this example from French creative agency Social Brain, create immediate interest on an otherwise simple page.

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3. Brutalism

To stand out in a sea of tidy, organized websites, some designers are opting for more eclectic, convention-defying structures. While it can seem jarring at first, many popular brands are now incorporating these aggressively alternative design elements into their sites, such as Bloomberg.

Brutalism emerged as a reaction to the increasing standardization of web design and is often characterized by stark, asymmetrical, nonconformist visuals, and a distinct lack of hierarchy and order. In other words, it’s hard to describe but you know it when you see it — like with the below example from Chrissie Abbott.

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4. Saturated Gradients

Gradients have been all over the web for the past few years, and it doesn’t seem like they’re going anywhere just yet. Copywriting agency Monograph Communications illustrates a perfect example of how to make this effect look fresh and modern, with its full-screen, gradient-washed homepage.

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5. Vivid Layers of Color

Staggered, stacked layers of color add depth and texture to a simple site layout, as seen in this stylish example from the snack food brand Pipcorn. A vibrant color palette like this one instantly distinguished itself from competing sites.

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6. Text-Only

Some websites are cutting out images and prominent navigation sections altogether, relying on a few choice lines of straightforward text to inform visitors about their company.

Danish agency B14 uses their homepage real estate to simply describe their mission statement and provide links to samples of their work. It’s a modern, uncluttered approach to presenting information.

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7. Illustration

More companies are turning to illustrators and graphic artists to create bespoke illustrations for their websites. After years dominated by flat design and straightforward minimalism, adding illustrated touches to your site is a great way to inject a little personality, as seen in this charming example from NewActon (designed by Australian digital agency ED).

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8. Ultra-minimalism

Taking classic minimalism to the extreme, some designers are defying conventions of what a website needs to look like, displaying just the absolute bare necessities. The site from designer Mathieu Boulet is centered around a few choice links to their social profiles and information.

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9. Mixing Horizontal and Vertical Text

Freeing text from its usual horizontal alignment and placing it vertically on a page adds some refreshing dimension. Take this example from action sports video producers Prime Park Sessions, which combines horizontal and vertical text alignments on a minimal page.

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10. Geometric Shapes and Patterns

Whimsical patterns and shapes are popping up more frequently on websites, adding some flair in a landscape otherwise ruled by flat and material design. Canadian design studio MSDS uses daring, patterned letters on their homepage.

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11. Serif Fonts

Due to screen resolution limitations and an overall lack of online font support, designers avoided serif fonts for years to keep websites legible and clean. With recent improvements, serif fonts are having a big moment in 2021 — and they’ve never looked more modern. As seen on The Sill, a serif headline adds a dose of sophistication and style.

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12. Overlapping Text and Images

Text that slightly overlaps accompanying images has become a popular effect for blogs and portfolios. Freelance art director and front-end developer Thibault Pailloux makes their overlapping text stand out with a colorful underline beneath each title.

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13. Broken Grids

While grids remain one of the most common and efficient ways of displaying text and images on websites, broken grids continue to make their way into mainstream sites and offer a change-up from the norm. Check out the website for HealHaus, for example. Its homepage features images and text blocks that overlap.

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14. Organic Shapes

Gone are the days of strict grid layouts and sharp edges — now it’s all about curved lines and soft, organic shapes. In the example below from Neobi, the borderline-cartoonish background adds a generous hit of personality and vivid color to the uncomplicated design.

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15. Web Textures

Web textures are background images that visually resemble a three-dimensional surface. When done well, textures can immerse viewers in a website by engaging tactile senses, as demonstrated by Color Of Change — the background evokes a duct-tape-like texture.

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16. Hand-Drawn Fonts

Custom, hand-drawn fonts have started cropping up more and more in recent months, and for good reason. These unique typefaces add character and charm, and help designers create a distinct look and feel without a complete overhaul. On the KIKK 2017 Festival website, a hand-drawn font provides a whimsical anchor for the homepage.

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Design Trends You Can Use on Your Website

Of course, you don’t need to incorporate all of these trends to build an effective website — we doubt that’s even possible. However, even adding a couple as prominent components or subtler details can improve your site’s UX significantly, leading to higher engagement, more CTA clicks, and a better outcome for your online business.

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

We’re reminded daily about how change is coming, and to succeed in business, we must remain agile. That all makes sense in theory, but in practical application, to change how you operate or serve customers is no small feat.

At IMPACT, we’ve gone through quite a bit of change, going from a small core team to a good-sized agency. After struggling to implement a change to our client onboarding process, we decided to take a step back and re-evaluate our approach to change management.

Below, I’ll share with you the key change management models and tools we reviewed, and how you can avoid becoming another statistic.

Why is change management important?

A 2019 Gartner study revealed that most chief human resources officers are unhappy with the speed of change implementation in their organizations.

Why is that? Well, 80% of companies manage change from the top-down, according to the study. With this approach, leadership makes the calls, creates the plan, and sends instructions for company-wide rollout.

While it may seem like the quickest way to implement change, it’s not the best solution in the long term.

Many times, leadership blames employees for unsuccessful changes. However, the data suggests that most employees possess the skills and willingness to undergo organizational changes.

The issue lies in deciding who is part of the strategizing, decision-making, and implementation part of change management.

Today, companies are much more complex and for changes to be effective, they require more input across the organization. In other words, change management should be inclusive.

Change is constant, and developing a model that works for your business is the best way you can manage the people-side of change and set everyone up for success.

4 Common Change Management Models

1. Kurt Lewin’s Unfreeze-Change-Refreeze Model

Picture an ice cube.

Kurt Lewin’s Unfreeze-Change-Refreeze model is exactly what it sounds like.

In the unfreeze stage, you are essentially breaking down the current way of doing business and noting what needs to change. It’s crucial in this stage to obtain two-way feedback of what needs to change (vs. solely top-down).

After noting and communicating the need for change, gather the key stakeholders necessary to proactively implement what needs to be done.

Once everyone has bought in, “re-freeze” to institutionalize the change.

In our experience, this model focuses more on process than people. If you have a smaller team, this could be a good option.

2. The ADKAR® Model of Change

The ADKAR® model breaks down the human side of managing change.

The idea is you should work through each letter of the acronym, focusing heavily on the individuals within your company.

Awareness. Here, the goal is to learn the business reasons for change. At the end of this stage, everyone should be on board.

Desire. This focuses on getting everyone engaged and willingly participating in the change. Once you have full buy-in, the next stage is measuring if the individuals in your company want to help and become part of the process.

Knowledge. In this stage, you’re working toward understanding how to change. This can come in the form of formal training or simple one-on-one coaching so those affected by the change feel prepared to handle it.

Ability. Next, you must focus on how to implement the change at the required performance level. Knowing the required job skills is only the beginning – the people involved need to be supported in the early stages to ensure they can incorporate change.

Reinforcement. Lastly, you need to sustain the change. This final step is often the most missed. An organization needs to continually reinforce change to avoid employees from reverting back to the old way of doing things.

Unlike Lewin’s model, this focuses on the people-side of the stage. We like its idea of using reinforcement to make your changes stick and this model takes it a step further.

It’s a good approach to consider if you have a larger team or a more complex problem you’re trying to solve.

3. Kotter’s 8-Step Model of Change

In his 1995 book, Leading Change, Harvard Business School Professor John Kotter, lays out eight stages all companies must go through to see effective change management.

1. Create urgency through open dialogue that leads others in the organization to want the change as much as you.
2. Form a powerful coalition of change agents in your organization. This can go beyond leadership.
3. Create a vision for change to reinforce the why behind it and the strategy to achieve the end result.
4. Communicate the vision regularly to ease team anxiety and reinforce the “why.”
5. Remove obstacles to pave the way for the needed changes to happen.
6. Create short-term wins to keep up morale and show the team you’re moving in the right direction.
7. Build on the change by analyzing what went well and didn’t go so well in your quick wins to keep pushing to the desired end result.
8. Anchor the changes in corporate culture as a standard operating procedure, reinforce why change is necessary, and embrace it as part of your company culture.

If you have a more agile team, this model’s iterative process syncs nicely with the agile methodology.

4. Kim Scott’s Get Stuff Done Model

OK, so maybe this one isn’t as common yet, but it soon will be, so you might as well get ahead of the curve.

Kim Scott outlines the GSD model in her bestselling book, Radical Candor, the following process:

1. Listen: Listen to your team’s ideas and create a culture where they listen to each other.
2. Clarify: Make sure these ideas aren’t crushed before everyone has a chance to understand their potential usefulness.
3. Debate: Create an environment where it’s OK to critique, debate, and improve ideas.
4. Decide: Select the idea that will best solve the issue.
5. Persuade: Since not everyone was involved in the listen-clarify-debate-decide stages, you have to effectively communicate why it was decided and why it’s a good idea.
6. Execute: Implement the idea.
7. Learn: Learn from the results, whether or not you did the right thing, and start the whole process over again.

We included this in our mix at IMPACT because of how much it focuses on obtaining ideas from the frontline. People buy into what they help create and Kim Scott’s GSD model provides a framework to make that happen.

There are many more models out there for change management and if you’re anything like us at IMPACT, you may take away something valuable from each model and find a combination that works best for your company.

Below is a real example of how my team approached a major change and the steps we took to ensure everyone was moving in the same direction.

1. Determine what needs to change and craft the message.

Over the course of three months, IMPACT completely restructured the agency-side of our organization. In March, our agency team looked like this:

This structure worked for us before, but as we came into a new year with an even larger team, our quarterly team survey results told us a different story.

For the first time in several years, not everyone could see their future at IMPACT.

Some had no idea what was going on or why certain decisions had been made. And what stung the most is we had a few happiness scores below seven, which we haven’t had since 2015.

Ouch.

In our February leadership team meeting, we debated for hours why some in the company were feeling this way.

After several ideas, we all determined one area we should focus on was our structure.

We were setting our managers up for failure with competing responsibilities. In doing so, we made it extremely difficult for them to effectively communicate with their teams, coach them in their careers, and ensure they could see their future at IMPACT.

The ones who did better in this area suffered in others, like client results and retention.

It was a huge issue that needed to be solved immediately.

This leadership team meeting was the beginning of step 1 in our change management plan: Determine what needs to change and craft the message.

In our monthly all-hands meeting following that leadership team meeting, our CEO Bob Ruffolo explained the “why” behind our decision.

He explained the survey results, our thought process, and everything that led to the conversation.

Then, he explained that we had outgrown our current structure, placing too much responsibility on our current managers. We inadvertently set up our teams to fail and that wasn’t OK.

To improve this situation, we needed to create a structure that scales.

Planting the seed for a change is just the first step. After this meeting, we knew there would be fear and confusion, so we got to work on step two.

2. Identify your stakeholders and how to manage them.

We knew that a complete structure change would not go well if it was strictly a top-down initiative. We needed help and a core coalition to get it off the ground.

However, not every single person would need to know every single detail of what was going on.

While all teams were involved, most were focused on how they would personally be affected in their day-to-day responsibilities and cross-functional work.

To keep communication clear and ensure everyone a chance to enact Kim Scott’s debate stage, we had to identify stakeholders across the agency team.

In this case, our stakeholders were the team managers. We were essentially changing their job responsibility, so it was essential to include them in the conversation.

Although we created a committee of stakeholders, what we failed to do was take our communication a step further by managing the other agency team members more closely.

The matrix below outlines a way to segment your team and your communication with each segment so you can better communicate across the board.

We only had our managers involved, and we updated the rest of the team all at once in our monthly all-hands. Next time, we will definitely create a strong communication plan based on this matrix.

Once we identified our key stakeholders, we met with each one and some of their teams to get their feedback, pushback, concerns, and ideas about the structure change.

In full transparency, not all these meetings were fun.

There was high emotion and rigorous debate. However, we had not zeroed in on our exact plan at this point. So, they helped us understand the team’s concerns and ideate on the best way to structure for scale – together.

3. Systematically communicate.

This is an area we got wrong.

In step one, we announced at a company meeting a pretty earth-shattering idea. Our managers felt blindsided and not all the team members were convinced a structure change was needed.

We learned the hard way that surprising people in a company meeting was not the way to go.

Our intention was to be transparent about what was discussed in our leadership team meeting, but there was definitely a better way to do that.

After identifying key stakeholders, this is the path we believe is the best for disseminating information:

Managers can communicate to their own teams in a style that they know will resonate and create shared understanding. They can also help identify issues and concerns so we can all co-create a solution.

This eliminates groupthink and reduces the timeline to extinguish fear.

Although our path was a little messier here, once we received all team feedback, we all agreed to what our new agency structure should be:

Then, we moved on to step four.

4. Get organized with incremental steps.

At this stage, everyone knew a change was coming, but no one knew how we were going to make it happen.

This was the time to get organized and get buy-in on the “how” of change management.

Now that we knew what our new structure would be, we developed a project plan with the incremental steps to get us there by the end of the quarter.

We created a video explaining the structure and project plan for all teams to review in their weekly meetings.

Our managers and key stakeholders were involved and accountable for different parts of the plan, and in our all-hands meetings, we updated on the progress of the plan so everyone could stay informed.

In our plan, we also mapped out some “quick wins” in the first month so the team could feel major progress was happening.

In our case, this was selecting new team managers for the teams whose principal strategists moved over to another team.

We interviewed internally and selected our new managers within three weeks of rolling out our initiative. This was exciting for our new managers and the team to see we were already making huge steps.

5. Equip your managers to handle teams’ emotional responses to change.

It’s great to have good communication and a solid plan but at the end of the day, change is hard.

Everyone responds in their own way. What would have been helpful is knowing this concept of The Change Curve.

After our initial all-hands meeting, we had people all over the curve. We then, in essence, said, “Managers, figure it out!”

As we went through the process, we learned another lesson the hard way: We needed to adapt our communication and management style for each individual based on how they were responding to change.

The graphic below illustrates a concept by Expert Program Management, which shows how to change your response along The Change Curve to gain buy-in sooner and give better coaching to your managers.

By meeting team members where they are at, our managers could adapt their communication style to coach each team member through the process, allowing for a more personalized, effective transition.

Keep in mind that this isn’t just advice for managers. Our teams operate in Scrum, and in their team retrospectives, a shared understanding of this tool could have facilitated stronger conversations and better problem-solving.

6. Manage by OKRs.

To stay focused throughout the quarter, we created an objective and corresponding key results (OKRs) for our structure change.

The objective was essentially “Make the structure change happen” and we measured by tracking the milestones from our project plan.

In every all-hands meeting, we updated the team on our efforts using a percentage chart so they could visualize our progress.

This was also a time for those working directly on the project plan to celebrate and give themselves a pat on the back. There was a ton of work involved, and they deserved to be recognized for crushing it.

By breaking down exactly what needed to happen, we were able to keep the team focused and motivated to reach our goal.

7. Continue to prioritize communication.

As I mentioned in step one, discussing the idea is seriously only the first step. To keep everyone motivated, organized, and informed, we had to communicate a lot.

We focused on three types of communication: motivational, informational, and two-way:

• Our motivational communication often came from our CEO to reinforce the “why” behind this major change.
• Informational communication came from updates on our OKRs in our all-hands meetings, as well as one-off videos from the team working on the project plan to update on progress.
• Two-way communication was (and is) arguably the most important one. We started off slow in this area, but after getting feedback in our Q2 team survey and from people on the team, we doubled down on this much more in the last month of the transition.

A regular cadence of two-way communication means your team understands what’s being shared, but you also learn and address if there’s underlying dissent or miscommunication.

Although I put this as the last step, it’s the most crucial.

Communication must happen throughout your entire initiative or you’ll risk falling short and potentially damaging company morale in the process.

If you focus on the three types of communication above, you will reach your goals faster with a happier team to boot.

Why is change management important?

There is rarely a beginning and a clear-cut end like the more traditional models. I’m sure we’ll discover more tweaks we need to get our structure right, and that’s OK.

As a leader, you can choose a model, or a mix of models like what we do at IMPACT, to help organize effective, lasting change in your organization.

By incorporating your team via the communication methods outlined above, you can empower and enable your team to take action – and have pride in the change they helped make.

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

Running an ad campaign is no small feat. From narrowing down your target audience to designing your landing page, there are many pieces to the puzzle.

Once you put in all that work, you want to make sure your ad is ready for bidding. Google Ads helps advertisers ensure their ad quality is high by assigning them a quality score.

Not sure what that is? Let’s cover what a Quality Score is, how to see it in your account, and how to improve it for your next campaign.

Google wants to match users to the most relevant ads because they only make money when users click the ad. So, if they consistently show low-quality ads, they won’t earn as much.

To determine an advertiser’s Quality Score, Google looks at how other advertisers have performed in the last 90 days for the exact same keywords. If there isn’t enough data gathered in that time frame, there will be no score displayed.

Does your Quality Score affect ad rank?

In the bidding process, your Quality Score is not considered by Google’s algorithm. Your Quality Score can signal how your ad will rank but it’s not a direct input in the auction.

However, there is a non-direct link between your Quality Score and your ad ranking. If you have a low Quality Score, that suggests that your ad doesn’t provide a good user experience. As a result, your ad may not rank well.

Think of the Quality Score as a diagnostic tool you can leverage to create a more relevant and useful ad for your target audience.

Now that you know how it works, let’s talk about the three components that make up your Quality Score.

Quality Score Components

In the past, the QS was a clickthrough rate (CTR) predictor. Before assigning Quality Scores, Google used CTR to weed out ads that were irrelevant or ads that should have a higher cost-per-click (CPC), according to the Search Engine Journal.

Today, the expected clickthrough rate is still one component of the Quality Score. It refers to the likelihood that your ad will be clicked once seen. Here are two additional factors that influence your Quality Score:

• Ad relevance – How relevant your ad is to the keyword or ad group based on the user’s intent.
• Landing page experience – How useful your landing page is once users click on your ad.

For each component, you’ll get a subscore: below average, average, or above average.

Despite popular belief, your Google Ads history also has no impact on your Quality Score. Here are additional factors that are not measured in your Quality Score:

• Devices used in search
• Time of day
• Ad extensions
• Location of user

Why Your Google Ads (formerly Adwords) Quality Score Matters

The biggest reason to pay attention to your Quality Score is cost: The higher your Quality Score, the less you’ll pay per click. And that comes straight from Google.

Even if there’s low competition for your keywords, you may still end up paying close to your maximum CPC if your ad quality is low.

With this in mind, it’s in your best interest to ensure your ad meets Google’s standard of quality.

From a value perspective, your Quality Score can help you optimize your ad for better performance.

Knowing where you fall in each component allows you to ensure users enjoy every stage of the ad experience, from seeing your ad to landing on your LP.

For instance, your Quality Score could reveal that ad relevance is above average but your landing page is below average. From there, you have clear direction on what to focus on to improve your ad quality.

If you want to see past Quality Score stats for a specific reporting period, you can select one of the following and click “Apply.”

1. Quality Score (hist.)
2. Landing Page Exper. (hist.)
3. Ad Relevance (hist.)
4. Exp. CTR. (hist.)

1. Review your Quality Score components.

The first place to look when attempting to increase your QS is your Google Ads account. Where do you fall in expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page?

If you have “average” or “below average” listed for any category, those are the elements you want to tackle first.

While they all play a role in your score, working on your CTR or LP has twice the impact as working on your ad relevance, according to Search Engine Land.

But this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t care about your ad relevance score, you may just want to focus on those two first and then tackle ad relevance.

2. Tweak your keywords.

If your ad relevance score is low, there are a few things you can do to improve it.

The first is making sure the keywords in your ad group are relevant and all follow the same intent.

For instance, say you have these two versions of an ad group:

• 1st – Puzzles, puzzle games, kids games, children’s puzzles, puzzles online, online puzzles to solve
• 2nd – Children’s puzzles, puzzles for kids, puzzles for 3-year-olds, puzzles for 5-year-olds

The first ad group is scattered – it has broad terms like puzzles as well as specific terms related to the type of puzzles as well as online puzzles.

The second group on the other hand keeps the ad group focused on puzzles for children. It’s likely that if a user searches any of these terms, the intent will be the same whereas, in the first group, the ad may not be relevant.

The second thing you’ll want to do is have a negative keywords list. This will prevent your ad from showing up for keywords that have a different intent than your ad.

3. Check your site speed.

Site speed can greatly affect user experience. If your page loading time is too high, users will get impatient and quickly leave your site.

If you’re already paid for a user to get to your landing page, the last thing you want is a slow load time to steer them away.

Here are a few ways to test your site speed:

• PageSpeed Insights – It offers a quick but thorough overview of your site’s mobile and desktop performance. You can test your website for free and there’s no login required.
• HubSpot’s Website Grader – Want to test everything on your landing page, including security, performance, and SEO? Use this tool.
• Google Analytics – If you already have an account, you can access site speed data by:
  • Navigating to your view.
  • Opening “Reports.”
  • Selecting “Behavior” then “Site Speed.”

4. Align your ad to your landing page.

Ever go to a store and ask an attendant where something is? They point you to Aisle 7, you get there and it only takes a few seconds for you to get frustrated because you still can’t find what you’re looking for.

You don’t want your users to have that experience when they get to your landing page. It should always deliver on its promise.

For instance, say your ad is about puzzles for children. Your landing page shouldn’t include puzzles for adults, teenagers, etc. It should be specific to the ad so that the user gets exactly what they’re looking for.

If a consumer has to look around, as if they just landed on your homepage, they may just exit.

On that same note, don’t forget to check your URLs and ensure they’re working properly. A wrong forward or backslash, ampersand, hyphen, or parentheses can throw off your URL.

5. Test your copy and CTA.

When a user sees your ad on Google, you only have a few seconds to get their attention. What’s going to make them click on your ad instead of a competitor’s?

That’s what you should have in mind when crafting your copy and CTA.

Highlight a unique benefit that separates you from your competitors. Say you sell children’s puzzles and have won awards, that’s something you want to showcase. Or perhaps they’re sustainable and eco-friendly.

Leverage whatever details you believe will resonate best with your target audience.

In addition, use action verbs that have power and evoke emotion.

6. Optimize mobile experience.

Imagine running an ad to find out later that most clicks came from mobile users yet your landing page wasn’t designed for mobile shopping.

Today, the mobile experience is as important, if not more, to users when navigating the web.

As you design your landing page, make it responsive (i.e. mobile-friendly) to ensure it works well on all device types. Don’t just work on the LP, the entire shopping experience should be frictionless, including:

• Visiting product pages
• Checking out

You should also think about any pop-ups and other interstitial pages you may have that can impact the user experience.

Your quality score is a diagnostic tool that you should leverage to optimize your ads. With so many factors that can seem out of your control when it comes to ad performance, here’s something that you have the opportunity to control and improve.

If you are running a business, odds are, you’ve already figured out your business model.

It’s usually the first thing entrepreneurs build out, as it’s key to figuring out the value you’re bringing to the market and consumers.

But what about your people, processes, systems, and technology? Those are all key components of your business that should be outlined in your operational model.

Let’s dive into what an operational model is and how it compares to a business model, plus cover the steps to create one today.

Many people confuse business models with operating models. However, they outline different things and serve different purposes.

A business model outlines how a company captures and offers value through its products/services, value proposition, customer segments, key partners, etc. An operating model, on the other hand, lays out how a company will run in order to deliver that value.

So, in simple terms, a business model looks at the what. An operating model focuses on the how.

Let’s take the example of a fictional lifestyle business called EarthBound. Their business model will describe their sustainable and eco-friendly approach as their value proposition, outline their various product lines, lay out their customer channels through brick-and-mortar and ecommerce stores.

Their operating model will focus on how they source their products, the roles they need within the company, the systems they use in each business area, their data management plan, and more.

Unsure why you should design an operating model? Here are the benefits:

• It helps you identify the systems and structure necessary to serve your customers in a way that’s in line with your larger strategy.
• It’s a blueprint for how resources are organized and operated so, that serves as a baseline from which to scale your business.

Operating Model Template

When you build out your operating model, you focus on three key elements: process, people, and technology.

There are two approaches you can take: role-based or process-based.

When you take the role approach, you design your operating model based on hierarchy and the roles within your company. With a process approach, you focus instead on the journey to deliver value to your consumers.

The template you follow will depend on what makes the most sense for your business based on strategy. For instance, say you’re reviewing your operating model because you’re considering restructuring or reallocation of resources. In this case, a process-based approach may work best.

What You Need To Build Your Operating Model Design

You have to start by asking yourself: “How do we manage our resources to effectively run our business and deliver our services as intended while meeting our goals?”

As you start to think about that, focus on each area outline here.

1. Strategy

To build your operating model, you first need to be clear on your strategy.

This is because your strategy and core priorities will inform your operating model. Once you define it, the next step is creating a set of design principles.

Bain & Company, a global management consulting firm, suggests drafting a list of around seven statements that outline what your company must do to execute your strategy. This will serve as an anchor as you build out your model.

Anyone on your leadership team should be able to state these concisely and clearly using simple language. Here are a few examples:

• Standardize the customer experience across all regions.
• Reduce siloes and align the organization on key company priorities.
• Transition to digital-first approach.

2. Systems and processes.

For any company to run smoothly, they need systems and processes.

When creating or reviewing an operating model, you need to fully understand the inner workings of every business area.

What business systems are in place in X department? What hardware and software do they rely on?

As you think about these questions, make sure you consider both internal and external tools that your organization relies on.

This means knowing what every department needs to succeed in its roles. For instance, EarthBound’s finance department handles activities like invoicing, accounting, payroll, and billing. Going deeper, this means they may use software like Quickbooks.

The marketing team is likely responsible for lead generation and brand awareness through content, social media, paid advertisement, and more. As a result, they rely on tools like Casted to achieve their goals.

Once you know the systems and processes, you can figure out how it fits into your strategy and what changes can or should be made.

3. Organizational Structure

Over the years, new methodologies have been introduced that invite business leaders to revisit their organizational structure and make changes to their operational model.

One big shift in recent years has been how companies tackle projects. In the past, companies followed the waterfall methodology, which organized projects in linear, sequential phases. Today, many companies prefer the agile methodology, which is iterative and offers more flexibility.

Each framework is unique and comes with its own advantages and limitations. As such, it’s important for a business to know what direction they want to head in as they develop their operational model.

4. Talent Management

You can’t have a successful company without talent.

As you develop your operating model, one important question to answer is, “What do your teams look like?” and “What does success look like in every role?”

In this phase, you’ll want to understand the key roles and responsibilities needed to run the business and how those roles will evolve over X period of time.

Furthermore, you should also have a clear culture code that outlines the norms and behaviors you expect from your team and the values you celebrate.

These elements seep into other areas of your business and as a result, are incredibly important when working on your model.

5. Technology

As we’ve seen in recent months, the world is constantly changing.

More teams are remote than ever before and companies are investing in virtual tools like video conferencing and messaging. With this shift comes a need to have the technology to support growing global teams.

Beyond that, there is also the business technology needed to keep everyone in sync. Too often, companies suffer from siloes and have difficulty creating cross-functional teams. By understanding how you envision your team operating, you can seek out software that meets those needs.

Building your operating model is essential in maintaining the health of your company. Whether you’re just now creating one or revisiting an old one, doing so will help you better understand how to execute your strategy.

Podcasting is here to stay. According to Insider Intelligence, there are over 117 million podcast listeners in the U.S. alone, a 10% increase from last year, and that figure is expected to rise.

So why are so many people listening to podcasts? 74% of podcast listeners say they tune in to their favorite shows to learn new things.

Podcasts offer knowledge and inspiration in an easy-to-digest format for a variety of topics. If sharpening your skills as a marketer is on your list of priorities, then tuning into marketing-focused podcasts can be a great way to prioritize your professional development.

I asked members of the HubSpot content team what podcasts they like to learn the latest in marketing and entrepreneurship from. Here are their recommendations for the best podcasts covering digital, content, and affiliate marketing.

Best Marketing Podcasts

1. The Shake Up

Why Listen: The Shake Up is a weekly podcast hosted by Alexis Gay and Brianne Kimmel. Each week, the hosts facilitate engaging discussions about business leaders and companies that shake up the status quo. In each episode, you’re bound to learn a new perspective or strategy to support your work.

2. My First Million

Why Listen: Looking for your million-dollar idea? Add My First Million to your podcast queue. Hosts Sam Parr and Shaan Puri examine business trends and opportunities and brainstorm potential business ideas on-air. If you’re in a creative rut, My First Million can help inspire new ideas for campaigns and offerings.

3. iDigress

Why Listen: If you need strategic direction, tune into iDigress, hosted by Troy Sandidge. Troy specializes in finding creative solutions to complex problems, leaving listeners with actionable takeaways to implement better marketing and business strategies.

4. The Duct Tape Marketing Podcast

Why Listen: The Duct Tape Marketing podcast has been delivering expert insights and tips for marketers since 2005. Host John Jantsch interviews top marketers and thought leaders for daily tips, tactics, and sources of inspiration geared towards small businesses.

5. Marketing Made Simple

Why Listen: Marketing doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective. The Marketing Made Simple podcast by StoryBrand offers weekly tips to help marketers simplify their efforts for better results.

6. Go-To Gal with Jaclyn Mellone: Online Marketing + Mindset for Female Entrepreneurs

Why Listen: A healthy mindset is a non-negotiable trait for successful marketers and entrepreneurs. Host Jaclyn Mellone along with her guests tackle important topics such as building a personal brand, creating effective marketing systems and creating equitable and inclusive businesses.

7. The Marketing Analytics Show

Why Listen: In marketing, data is everything. The Marketing Analytics Show helps listeners feel more confident working with marketing analytics. In each episode, host Anna Shutko interviews marketers and analysts who share how they leverage data to make informed decisions and strategies.

8. The Market Your Genius Podcast

Why Listen: Nikki Nash is the author, speaker, and marketing mentor behind the Market Your Genius book and podcast. In weekly episodes, Nash and guests share personal anecdotes mini-trainings with actionable takeaways to empower listeners to grow their businesses and reach the right audience.

9. The CMO Podcast

Why Listen: Ever wish you could pick the brains of top Chief Marketing Officers? Well, you can by tuning into The CMO Podcast. Each week host Jim Stengel, former CMO of Procter & Gamble turned entrepreneur, facilitates in-depth conversations with CMOs of all backgrounds to inform and inspire.

10. The Sakita Method

Why Listen: Award-winning publicist and entrepreneur Sakita Holley shares a mix of solo episodes and interviews featuring successful creatives, entrepreneurs, and business professionals. Each episode has tangible insights listeners can apply to their own careers and businesses to drive positive results.

11. Metrics & Chill: The Podcast About Improving Business Metrics

Why Listen: The Metrics & Chill podcast by Databox takes the saying “what gets measured gets done” to a whole new level. For listeners looking for innovative ways to collect and analyze business data, Metrics & Chill offers informative case studies and takeaways from how successful companies manage their data.

12. MarTech

Why Listen: Tune in to the MarTech podcast to earn directly from marketers just like you. Each episode features an innovative marketer who shares the challenges and triumphs of their careers in the field. By the end of each episode, you’ll hear tangible tips and tricks to take your career to the next level.

Best Digital Marketing Podcasts

1. Online Marketing Made Easy

Why Listen: Online Marketing Made Easy hosted by Amy Porterfield is a top-rated business podcast covering digital marketing strategies for online business owners. Porterfield specializes in taking big ideas and breaking them down into actionable steps the listener can immediately apply to their own business.

2. Marketing School

Why Listen: Digital marketing experts Neil Patel and Eric Siu share bite-sized daily episodes packed with actionable advice. Topics covered include the latest SEO strategies, maximizing engagement on social media, and setting meaningful goals.

3. The Digital Marketing Podcast

Why Listen: The Digital Marketing Podcast hosted by Ciaran Rogers and Daniel Rowles is equal parts informative and entertaining. With many episodes clocking in at under 30 minutes, listeners can gain a wealth of information about the latest and greatest digital marketing strategies in an easily digestible format.

4. Socialette: Bite-Sized Online Marketing Podcast

Why Listen: If you’re looking for quick tips you’ll actually use, Socialette by Steph Taylor is for you. In each episode, Taylor dives into a different area of digital marketing to answer questions at the top of every digital marketer and online entrepreneur’s mind.

Best Content Marketing Podcasts

1. Copyblogger

Why Listen: If you enjoy deep dives into content marketing, email marketing, lead conversion, and copywriting the Copyblogger podcast is for you. Each week host Tim Stoddart sits down with content marketing experts who share their lessons learned and actionable takeaways for the listener.

2. Social Pros Podcast

Why Listen: Social media is an ever-changing, yet critical component of many company’s marketing strategies. Social Pros features top social media strategists who spotlight key trends and changes happening in the social media landscape so marketers can be ahead of the curve.

3. Actionable Marketing Podcast

Why Listen: The Actionable Marketing Podcast is a weekly show for marketers who are ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work. Each episode is designed to be concise and actionable for marketers at any stage in their careers.

4. The Agents of Change: SEO, Social Media, and Mobile Marketing for Small Business

Why Listen: The Agents of Change helps listeners learn how to use content to get in front of their ideal customers. Host Rich Brooks interviews guests who offer practical advice on SEO, social media marketing, and more.

5. Build Your Tribe | Grow Your Business with Social Media

Why Listen: Though primarily geared towards entrepreneurs, Build Your Tribe by Chalene and Brock Johnson offers valuable advice for anyone looking to leverage online platforms for business growth. Topics include branding basics, the latest hashtag strategies, social media content ideas, and more.

6. Perpetual Traffic

Why Listen: Perpetual Traffic, produced by DigitalMarketer, is all about lead acquisition and audience growth for businesses of all sizes. Hosts Ralph Burns and Amanda Powell discuss paid advertising strategies companies can use to expand their reach.

7. The Influencer Podcast

Why Listen: The Influencer Podcast is a must-listen for those who focus on influencer marketing. This show provides valuable insight into the world of influencer marketing and has key anecdotes for influencers and marketers alike.

8. Social Media Marketing Podcast

Why Listen: Social Media Marketing is hosted by Social Media Examiner’s Michael Stelzner and has been a valued resource on all things social media since 2012. This podcast delivers weekly episodes designed to help marketers learn new strategies and deliver better campaigns.

Affiliate Marketing Podcasts

1. The Smart Passive Income Online Business and Blogging Podcast

Why Listen: Smart Passive Income hosted by Pat Flynn covers various topics related to online business and affiliate marketing. Flynn offers a mix of solo episodes and interviews with guests to cover a variety of topics including ethical affiliate marketing to help companies and their affiliate partners generate revenue.

2. The Affiliate Guy

Why Listen: Marketers interested in learning the latest affiliate marketing news can subscribe to The Affiliate Guy hosted by Matt McWilliams. This weekly podcast shares tips, news, and insights related to how companies can better manage affiliate programs and help their affiliates earn higher commissions.

3. Affiliated: ClickBank’s Official Affiliate Marketing Podcast

Why Listen: Hosts Thomas McMahon and Kyle Kostechka publish bi-weekly to share effective affiliate marketing strategies that work across industries.

Press Play

For marketers ready to expand their skillset and learn new strategies, there is a wealth of information waiting for you.

Did you know LinkedIn has over 774 million users across the globe? This metric alone makes the platform one of the top social networks today.

Is your business using LinkedIn to its fullest potential to improve brand awareness, build your network, boost leads and conversions, and increase revenue? With new social networks sprouting up constantly, LinkedIn is a platform that’s often underutilized. The truth is, LinkedIn can be a powerful addition to your social media content strategy.

This guide is chock full of LinkedIn tips you can begin implementing immediately to help you learn how to use the platform to improve brand awareness, share your marketing content, and grow your business.

When you use LinkedIn to market your business, you gain access to useful features related to analytics, connections, and brand-building, just to name a few. (Don’t worry, we’ll review all of these in-depth momentarily.)

But first, here’s a quick primer for those of you who may be new to LinkedIn.

About LinkedIn

LinkedIn launched in 2003 with a focus on networking, building careers, and sharing ideas. The platform enables its members to connect and share content with other professionals including colleagues, potential employers, business partners, competitors, new employees, and customers.

This is why having your business on LinkedIn is so powerful — the platform is a fantastic marketing tool.

For a quick guide on the tips below, check out our video on “How to Use LinkedIn for Business and Marketing.”

 

Now, let’s review the ways you can use LinkedIn to market and grow your business.

LinkedIn allows you to drive traffic to your website, identify quality leads, share your expertise through thought-leadership content, and grow your network. It’s also a great way to market job openings and attract new talent to your company. These are just some of the reasons why LinkedIn is an ideal platform for all businesses to market on. Here are a few more tactical ways you can incorporate LinkedIn into your social media content strategy.

1. Use hashtags.

Hashtags are often used to add emphasis to your LinkedIn post, but they actually serve a purpose that can change your marketing strategy for the better. These simple phrases preceded by a hashtag symbol are goldmines for tapping into new audiences, industries, and niches. But using too many, or worse — the wrong ones, can hinder your reach.

That means you’ll want to strike a balance between relevant and popular hashtags by doing hashtag research on LinkedIn. Use the search bar to query a broad hashtag first. For example, if you work in growth marketing, start by searching #growthmarketing to see how many people are following the hashtag, and how often it is being used.

From here, start with three to five hashtags that reach the audiences you want to speak to. These hashtags should vary in the number of people following them, so don’t get too fixated on high numbers. Related but lesser-known hashtags can narrow your reach to an audience who would be likely to engage with your LinkedIn content.

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LinkedIn Pages are able to be followed without sending a connection and waiting for approval. That means when a LinkedIn user shares your Page with their connections, those individuals will be able to follow your page and see your business’ content right away which has the potential for high engagement. LinkedIn Pages and LinkedIn Profiles serve different purposes in LinkedIn marketing. Pages are public and used primarily by businesses. Profiles are private and used by individuals. Each of them works with the LinkedIn algorithm, but you’ll have different tools that you can leverage to grow your audience.

LinkedIn Profiles can be followed as well, but what makes them unique is the ability to have one-on-one, private conversations with connections who request to join your network. If you’re a consultant, work in direct sales, or prefer to take an individualized approach to your business, you’ll want to have a LinkedIn Profile to capitalize on this feature.

Both of these LinkedIn entities can work in tandem to create the ultimate marketing workflow. For example, you can list yourself as an employee of your business by listing your business’ LinkedIn Page as your employer on your personal Profile. That way, when a visitor lands on your Profile, they’ll see your Page, too.

3. Create posts of varying lengths.

Quick, bold posts pack a punch on LinkedIn. Long-form stories capture the readers’ attention and lead to a longer dwell time on the app. Both of these types of posts should have a place in your LinkedIn content plan.

You don’t want to become known as the person who only shares monologues because your network won’t always have time to read them. Along the same lines, too many short posts can come across as lacking substance which could make you seem less authoritative as a thought leader.

Varying the length of your posts (as well as adding images and videos) can keep your content fresh and relevant to your network. You’ll have content that gets people excited to see what gems you drop next.

4. Share external articles on the platform.

Unlike other platforms such as Instagram, LinkedIn’s algorithm supports external links to blogs and websites. So long as the content you post has value and is relevant to your audience, you’ll find success posting other people’s content on the platform.

Although you don’t have to worry about formally crediting the author if you’re linking directly to their website, it’s not a bad idea to tag them in your post or use their hashtag to give credit. Sometimes, they’ll share your post with their own followers, or comment under the post which introduces your Profile to their audience. How cool is that?

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5. Keep your publishing schedule consistent.

Known as the platform for having one of the longest content lifespans, LinkedIn is a platform that doesn’t need a ’round-the-clock publishing schedule. What it does need is a consistent one.

Whether you publish every day, every other day, or even once a week, your network will come to expect your content regularly which builds trust. Choose a schedule that makes sense for your business and stick to it for a month. See what days and times are yielding the best engagement and make those part of your publishing schedule.

Below, we’ll cover some effective ways to use the LinkedIn platform. These tips can be tailored to your needs — whether you have a personal LinkedIn page, business page, or both — no matter your industry or size. However, you’ll notice some of the points we’re going to cover are more suited for businesses looking to boost brand awareness or share content while others are more tailored towards those looking to recruit and hire new talent.

1. Customize your public Profile URL.

Make your Profile look more professional, and easier to share, by customizing your LinkedIn public Profile URL. Instead of a URL with confusing numbers at the end, it will look nice and clean like this:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/amandazantalwiener.

You can do this by clicking View Profile and then clicking Edit Public Profile and URL. Here you can change your URL to anything you’d like — such as your first and last name or business name — assuming it hasn’t already been taken by another LinkedIn user.

2. Add a LinkedIn background photo to your Profile.

Give your LinkedIn Profile a little bit more personality by adding an on-brand background photo. Although one is automatically provided to you, you can update it to showcase your personal brand, special interests, or catch the eyes of hiring managers and recruiters.

LinkedIn recommends a background photo size of 1584 x 396 pixels, and it must be a JPG, PNG, or GIF file under 8MB.

3. Add a ProFinder Badge to your Profile.

You might consider adding a ProFinder Badge, which is used to identify freelancers within LinkedIn’s ProFinder. This service matches contractors with project managers who are seeking help. Freelancers can display a ProFinder badge on their Profiles to show prospective clients their skills, expertise, and recommendations.

LinkedIn offers two badge themes for you to choose from:

4. Take advantage of the blog and website links on your LinkedIn Profile.

You can add portfolio links and social networks to your LinkedIn page. Links to your content and business information can also be added to your Profile to increase clicks. This feature allows you to draw greater attention to specific areas of your page to drive traffic elsewhere.

For example, if you produced a podcast, you can share links to your episodes on LinkedIn (e.g. SoundCloud tracks) to promote your work.

5. Optimize your LinkedIn Profile for the search engines.

Search engine optimization (SEO) isn’t limited to blogging — you can also optimize your Profile to get discovered by people searching LinkedIn for key terms you want to be found for. You can add these keywords to various sections of your Profile, such as your headline, your summary, or your work experience.

Download a free SEO starter pack to learn everything you need to know about optimizing your business’ content.

6. Add, remove, and rearrange sections of your Profile.

You can edit and reorder sections of your LinkedIn Profile to highlight specific pieces of information in any way you see fit. When you’re in edit mode, simply hover your mouse over the double-sided arrow in each section. Your mouse will turn into a four-arrow icon, at which point you can click, drag, and drop to another position on your Profile.

7. Use Saved Searches and Search Alerts in LinkedIn Recruiter.

If you use LinkedIn Recruiter, you can use Saved Searches to save your search criteria — if you’re marketing job opportunities via LinkedIn, this is a great addition to your tool belt.

With the feature, you can save as many searches as you want and receive alerts when new candidates match your filter refinements and criteria. You can elect to receive daily or weekly search alerts from the system about relevant results via the Recruiter homepage.

8. List job opportunities and recruit new talent with LinkedIn’s job postings.

And speaking of your business’ open job opportunities, don’t forget to add and market your new positions on the LinkedIn Jobs page.

Here, candidates can learn about your business and openings by searching for specific keywords such as job title, industry, location, salary, experience level, and more.

9. Take advantage of LinkedIn Endorsements.

LinkedIn offers a feature called Endorsements — this allows you to recognize people you work with by endorsing their skills.

You can promote and endorse the skills of the people you work closest with to help refer them for other work, make their Profiles more impressive, show your support, and more.

10. Use Open Profile to send messages to people you’re not connected to.

To branch out and make new connections with potential partners, customers, and other industry leaders, you might want to send them a personalized message.

With the exception of fellow LinkedIn Group members, the platform only allows you to send messages to people with whom you share a first-degree connection. But did you know some people let you send them messages anyway, even if you’re not connected?

Here’s how that works: The ability to be part of the Open Profile network is only available to Premium account holders, but it allows those users to be available for messaging by any other LinkedIn member regardless of membership type.

Additionally, there are options for sending messages to those with whom you’re not yet connected, similar to sending a request to connect with a note (though we don’t recommend overusing this technique). Additionally, if you have a premium account, you can use InMail.

11. Check your Network Updates (or share your own).

Found on your LinkedIn homepage, Network Updates are essentially LinkedIn’s version of the Facebook News Feed. Check this feed periodically for a quick snapshot of what your connections, customers, competitors, and others are up to and sharing. You can also share updates of your own, such as details about your products or services and noteworthy content your business has created and published.

You may choose to sign up for email notifications or sort by “Top Updates” and “Recent Updates” to filter your feed in any way you choose.

12. Be identifiable.

Your LinkedIn connections should recognize your Profile the moment they look at it. A great way to make your Profile easily identifiable is by ensuring your Profile’s name, headline, and other simple identifiers are easy to see.

Note: You should always have your Public Profile setting enabled as well, to be visible and identifiable for your audience.

13. Check out who’s viewed your LinkedIn Profile.

Learn a little about your audience members, potential leads, and customers who are viewing your Profile and marketing content that you’re sharing on LinkedIn.

How? With the Who Viewed Your Profile feature.

This tool, which is accessible in the main navigation via the Profile drop down, enables you to identify the exact people who have visited your page. You can see how you stack up against the Profile views for your connections, other businesses like yours, and more.

14. Export connections.

Now, it’s no secret that you can use the connections you make on LinkedIn to drive traffic to your site and grow your base of paying customers. Exporting your connections — to a contact management system, for example — is a great place to start.

Under your Advanced Settings, you can start exporting your LinkedIn connections.

15. Customize your Connections to grow your professional network.

LinkedIn offers features to help you grow your professional network and make valuable connections. There are several ways to do this depending on what you’re looking to accomplish.

Here are some examples:

• Add, view, and remove connections depending on their level of value to your business.
• Control who can see your connections — maybe you do or don’t want your competitors to see that list of people.
• Leverage your second and third-degree connections to grow your network and build new relationships.
• Import and sync your contacts from your email and other sources to stay in touch with colleagues, partners, leads, and customers across the board. These connections will see your content in multiple places so they learn more about who you are as a business, deepening their relationship with your brand.

16. Join LinkedIn Groups.

LinkedIn Groups are a great way to make connections with people who work in, or are interested in, your industry. They serve as a hub for you and other members to share content, grow your contact list, establish yourself as an expert in the field, and boost brand awareness.

There are several other benefits that come from joining LinkedIn Groups. For example, by joining Groups related to your industry and participating in discussions within those groups, you’ll inspire thought leadership in your industry.

Additionally, by joining Groups, you can view complete Profiles of other members of the same group without being connected. Also, if you’re a member of the same group as another user, LinkedIn allows you to send up to 15 free 1:1 messages to fellow group members per month (typically, you can only do this if you’re a first-degree connection).

17. Create your own LinkedIn Group.

Consider creating a LinkedIn Group of your very own, like HubSpot did with the popular Inbound Marketers Group.

You can use your group to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry, grow a community of advocates, generate new marketing content ideas, promote brand awareness, and generate new leads.

18. Communicate with your LinkedIn Group.

And on that note, there are more reasons to create your own Group on LinkedIn. In fact, one of the perks of managing a LinkedIn Group is that LinkedIn makes it simple to interact and communicate with the members of the Group you’re in charge of.

You can either send messages to group members or create a group post. Sending messages allows you to write a member of your group directly, or share content with them, from your group’s page. This is great if you have something to share with a specific person in your group. Creating a group post allows you to share any content you’d like on your group’s page which is ideal for initiating a discussion.

19. Share your LinkedIn status updates on Twitter.

Add your Twitter account to your LinkedIn Profile so you can share status updates across platforms. This is also a great way to boost your Twitter followers and LinkedIn connections.

For example, if you’re posting an update to LinkedIn that you’d also like your Twitter followers to see, you can easily syndicate that update to Twitter by selecting the Public + Twitter option in the dropdown menu within the LinkedIn update composer.

20. Leverage @mentions in your status updates.

Want another LinkedIn user or company to see your status update? On LinkedIn, you can tag — or @mention — users and other companies in your status updates much like the way it works on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Include the @ symbol immediately followed by the user’s/ company’s name in your status update or post. As a result, that user/ company will be alerted that you mentioned them, and their name will also link to their Profile and Page in the status update itself. This is a great way to boost engagement and interaction on your content as well as improve brand awareness.

21. Design all aspects of your LinkedIn page.

The design of LinkedIn pages has changed a lot over the years. Make sure yours is set up correctly and optimized for the latest layout, featuring a compelling and high-quality banner image.

Take a look at what HubSpot’s Company Page looks like for inspiration:

Use guides and templates to discover the best ways to design your LinkedIn page for optimal business, marketing, and professional networking.

22. Create LinkedIn Showcase Pages.

LinkedIn Showcase Pages are niche pages that branch off your business’ page to highlight specific initiatives and campaigns or feature specific content you’re working on.

Think of Showcase Pages as extensions of your main page that allow you to promote specific products or cater to your marketing personas — this provides a more personalized and targeted experience for your page visitors. This is a great way to expand your network on LinkedIn because other users can choose to follow your Showcase Page(s) even if they haven’t followed your main page.

23. Post company status updates and target them.

Publish Status Updates for your business on your LinkedIn page for your followers to see. This keeps your LinkedIn connections engaged and in the loop regarding your business’ latest developments, work, content, and updates. In your status updates, you can share written information, images, videos, documents, and more.

You can also post Targeted LinkedIn Status Updates tailored towards specific people and groups within your audience. To do this, use criteria such as company size, industry, job function, seniority, geography, language, or by including/ excluding company employees.

These targeted updates will appear on your page — or Showcase Page — as well as on LinkedIn for the targeted users (specifically, in their Network Updates feed).

24. Check out LinkedIn’s Content Marketing Score & Trending Content resources.

You can learn how impactful your organic and paid LinkedIn marketing content is with the platform’s Content Marketing Score and Trending Content resources.

Your Content Marketing Score tells you your impact on LinkedIn by measuring overall audience engagement with your content. Trending Content tells you which topics you are posting and sharing content about that are resonating with specific audience groups on the platform, allowing you to optimize your content for greater impact.

25. Experiment with LinkedIn Sponsored Content and Native Ads.

If you’re looking to complement your organic LinkedIn marketing efforts with some paid advertising, LinkedIn Ads are a smart choice. One of the biggest benefits of LinkedIn advertising: the targeting options.

LinkedIn’s PPC ads let you target specific job titles, job functions, industries, or company size, to name a few — you know, the people who are more likely to want/ need what you sell.

If you want to get started with LinkedIn’s advertising platform, check out our free guide to advertising on LinkedIn.

26. Share content through LinkedIn’s publishing platform.

Good news! You no longer have to be a LinkedIn influencer to publish new articles on LinkedIn. Publishing is available to all users on the platform. Experiment with how this feature can support your marketing goals by creating content and promoting it on your business’ LinkedIn page.

For example, you might experiment with syndicating content from your blog to LinkedIn — this way, you can promote subscriptions to your blog via LinkedIn.

27. Add a Page Follow Button to your website.

Add the LinkedIn Company Follow button to your website to promote your company’s LinkedIn presence and the content you share on the platform. When your website visitors follow your LinkedIn page via your site, they’ll automatically become connected to you and be able to view your company’s latest updates on the platform.

Using this method, you can boost your engagement and number of connections on LinkedIn by driving traffic to the platform directly from your website.

28. Analyze your LinkedIn marketing performance.

So … how are your LinkedIn marketing efforts faring? Analyzing your efforts and making necessary adjustments is critical to your success on the platform.

LinkedIn has in-depth page analytics as well as reporting tools for businesses to evaluate overall performance. There are specific data about how effective your status updates, content, and reach are as well as details about your page’s engagement and followers (like audience member demographics).

Market Your Business on LinkedIn

Are you ready to get started marketing your business on LinkedIn?

With so many updates and additions to LinkedIn on the horizon, we can’t wait to see how the network continues to make itself an integral resource and platform for marketers, job seekers, candidate seekers, and other professionals. Get started marketing on LinkedIn by experimenting with one of these best practices.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in August 2017 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

In 2018, 63% of consumers surveyed in an Accenture study revealed that they preferred to shop from purpose-driven brands. Fast forward to 2021 and that sentiment has only grown.

IBM ran a study in 2020 on consumer behavior and found that 57% of consumers are willing to change their shopping habits to be more environmentally conscious. In the same study, nearly eight of out 10 respondents stated that sustainability is important to them.

So, how does a brand leverage sustainable marketing to appeal to a growing, socially conscious audience? We’ll cover that and more below.

Green Marketing vs. Sustainable Marketing

While both terms are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between green marketing and sustainability marketing.

Green marketing focuses on strategies that promote environmental awareness and protection. Sustainable marketing, on the other hand, is a little broader.

It encompasses green marketing but it also includes practices that go beyond the environment, like social and economic issues.

1. Have a larger purpose.

Brands typically judge their success by the numbers. How much revenue they have or will generate in any given period is usually the biggest indicator of success.

Sustainability shifts this perspective by having brands evaluate themselves by something bigger than profit.

As a brand, you have to promote something that’s bigger than your products and services and transcends any particular industry.

Do you have a clear social mission? If not, spend time discovering what that is and how your brand plays a role in furthering that mission.

For instance, fashion brand Autumn Adeigbo sells clothing, accessories, and home decor items. However, its mission, as stated on its website, is to impact the lives of women on a global scale. They do so by using female-owned production facilities, employing female artisans, among other practices.

2. Think ahead.

Sustainability marketing is all about building long-term value.

Too often, brands focus on gaining immediate returns. For instance, many marketing tactics like running Google Ads and blogging are great lead generators.

However, what happens once your lead has made a purchase and turned into a customer? How will you build loyalty and create brand evangelists?

Sustainable marketing looks at ways to nurture consumers during the entire buyer’s journey.

Education is one way to build loyalty with your audience early on. From when they first discover you on social media to after they’ve made a purpose.

For instance, a food brand could educate its audience on the importance of ethical farming on social media and continue this process post-purchase with package recycling tips.

3. Be customer-oriented.

You might be thinking, “Isn’t being consumer-oriented what all marketing is? “

Ideally, yes but that’s not always the case.

In traditional marketing, a brand will often try to push a product or service to a customer. With consumer-oriented marketing, it’s more about understanding your customers’ needs and tailoring your marketing to that.

For instance, say your audience is craving more transparency in your sourcing practices or want you to be more vocal on social issues. You could use that information for your next campaign.

With so much competition out there, one way to stay customer-oriented is by innovating.

We’ve all heard the Blockbuster and Netflix cautionary tale. But that speaks to a huge societal shift that Blockbuster was unwilling to make.

But the truth is, innovation doesn’t always have to be so big. It can happen in small iterations – the key here is staying in touch with your audience’s needs.

4. Reflect sustainability in every aspect of your brand.

Sustainability marketing doesn’t work if it’s not authentic.

Imagine finding out a business that claims to be sustainable has failed to implement any practices to promote its mission. Consumers would distrust that brand and it would be difficult to earn it back.

Make sure your brand is looking at sustainability from a holistic lens.

Are you preaching about sustainability but use unsustainable resources to build your product? Are you collaborating with brands that conflict with your mission? Is your team representative of the future you want to promote?

These are the questions you should ask to determine if your brand reflects the mission you’ve set out to achieve. Identify the areas that need work and go to the drawing board to figure out strategies that align with your mission.

Audiences don’t expect perfection, they do, however, value transparency. It’s OK – and recommended – to share where you currently fall short and how you plan to remedy these issues.

Sustainable Marketing Examples

1. Pangiai

Materials science company, Pangiai, wants to save the environment.

Every piece of marketing the brand puts out is centered around this core mission, including this video campaign.

In it, the brand explains its mission to “reverse the cycle from the unnatural to natural, from plastic to plants […], from the new to the recycled.”

What’s effective about this ad is that Pangiai describes the future they want to see and outlines the strategies it will implement to get there.

Throughout the ad, you see Pangiai products but they’re not the focus. This tells viewers the mission drives the products, not the other way around — and that’s sustainable marketing done right.

2. Nada Duele

In the previous section, we discussed the importance of having a holistic approach to sustainability marketing.

With Nada Duele, their mission is reflected in everything: from their name, which represents the idea that products should not cause harm, to the initiatives they take part in.

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When you visit their “How We Work” section, you learn about their collaboration with a Guatemalan institute dedicated to protecting the forestry sector.

It’s important that the partnerships your brand takes on align with your values. Otherwise, you risk losing credibility and trust.

3. Satya + Sage

Social media is one of the best and easiest ways to implement a sustainable marketing strategy.

You can share a range of content, from educating your followers on sustainable practices to sharing ways your brand is being sustainable.

In this example from candle company Satya + Sage, they share tips on how to use the seed paper that comes with every candle.

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On social media, in particular, pay attention to the questions your followers ask and the comments they make, as that can inform which marketing strategies you test in the future.

Why is sustainable marketing important?

Sustainability is a topic that has gained a lot of traction as of late, however, research shows it transcends age.

The 2020 IBM study on consumer behavior revealed that while Millennials are the most interested in sustainability awareness, Boomers (and all consumers in between) strongly consider it when choosing brands.

As a result, even if your brand isn’t rooting in this mission, you will still find value in investing time and resources in sustainable practices and marketing to attract more customers.

Back in 2007, a research firm estimated that the average person saw up to 5,000 ads a day.

Fast forward to 2021, there’s no official number, but we can assume that number has probably doubled. I mean, you can’t stream a show or scroll on social media without being inundated with ads.

On YouTube, in particular, we’ve come to expect at least one ad per video. The question is, which ads are consumers paying attention to?

In this article, we’ll cover the top YouTube ads of the last two years and what made them so effective.

Best YouTube Ads of 2021 and 2020

1. Amazon: “Alexa’s Body”

At 78,344,440 views on YouTube, this ad had everyone’s attention.

To promote its virtual assistant technology, Alexa, Amazon delivers a creative and hilarious ad featuring movie star, Michael B. Jordan.

The ad starts out simply enough with a woman admiring Amazon’s Echo Dot. She then turns to the window, sees an ad for Jordan’s movie “Without Remorse” and imagines a whole life in which Alexa is actually Jordan.

The audience takes this hilarious journey with her, as she enjoys life just a little too much with Jordan – that is until she snaps back to reality.

Here’s why this ad is fantastic: It takes a product that can be hard to advertise and quite literally brings it to life with a celebrity, People Magazine’s 2020 “Sexiest Man Alive” recipient no less.

A celebrity endorsement can definitely help boost brand awareness and recall, as long as they’re well aligned. In this case, it made for a memorable and effective ad.

2. Nike: “Never Too Far Down, You Can’t Stop Us”

When you think of Nike, one word that probably comes to mind is “inspiration.”

That concept is embedded in the brand’s values and mission statement. It’s also reflected in their ads.

Featuring some of the world’s top athletes, this ad dives into the ups and downs of success.

Footage of athletes at their lowest moments floods the screen, as basketball star Lebron James narrates the journey. He describes the struggle of falling down and the ability to get back up.

Nike has found which messaging resonates best with its audience. As a result, they don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Instead, they focus on recreating the same impact with influencers, celebrities, and everyday people.

The takeaway here is if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

3. Ad Council: Child Car Safety

This PSA is a personal favorite of mine.

You’ve got to admit: Any commercial with kids is usually a winner. But this one, in particular, stands out because it doesn’t rely solely on cuteness as the hook.

In this ad, two children stand in their yard as they watch their parents argue about the installation of a basketball hoop.

The father reassures the mother that “it’s all good” but all it takes is the hoop slamming to the ground for him (and her) to lose all confidence. The perspective then changes to one of the children as they encourage parents to visit a website for safer car rides.

How does it connect? Well, the idea is that the father has proven he’s willing to do anything for his kids including “routinely test [his] handyman skills” and “the strength of [his] marriage.” So ensuring his kids are safe in car rides should be an easy task.

Who said serious topics required serious ads? Often, humor is the best way to get the message across.

4. Zillow: “Susans”

Making a decision isn’t as simple as saying “yes” or “no.” You often go back and forth discussing pros and cons, battling with different versions of yourself.

For instance, the indulgent me often struggles with the foodie me. One side says, “be conscious of the foods you eat,” while the other screams “CAKE.” That one usually wins.

This Zillow ad takes this concept and runs with it.

Susan, the woman featured in the ad, talks through selling her home and buying a new one with the various versions of herself, including Negative Susan, Spontaneous Susan, and Paranoid Susan.

The second best part of the ad – the first is when Late Susan sneaks into the meeting – is when Lazy Susan brings up the hassle of going through that process. Helpful Susan then brings up how Zillow is the solution to this issue.

What Zillow has accomplished here is tackle the objections consumers typically have about real estate in a relatable way. By understanding how their audience thinks and what they struggle with, they made an ad that was engaging and relevant.

5. AT&T: “Say Goodbye to Awkward Chats”

Bad video connection? We’ve all been there.

The person you’re video chatting with starts buffering and frozen for seconds at a time. After you’ve taken the embarrassing screenshot, it stops being funny and you wonder how long it’s going to last.

AT&T takes this situation one step further.

The ad shows a new mom introducing her sister to her newborn. Unfortunately, just as the baby reaches the screen, the aunt’s signal lags and causes her to freeze as her face shows disgust.

The sister inevitably mistakes the sister’s facial expressions regarding the internet and takes it to mean something about her baby.

In just 30 seconds, the ad takes something that happens in everyday life and turns it into a funny, relatable ad.

Moral of the story: You don’t always have to go far to create a great ad. They can come from the seemingly mundane parts of our lives.

6. Masterclass: “Chris Voss Teaches the Art of Negotiation”

Masterclass’ top viewed video on YouTube is an ad for one of their masterclasses: the art of negotiation.

Despite having other videos that feature more household names, this seems to be the video that captured most viewers’ attention.

Some will argue it’s the content, and they may be right. I think it’s the formula they used.

From the second this ad starts, it sucks you in with the statement: “Everything in life is a negotiation.” From there, you’re immersed in the world of the subject and narrator.

The reason this ad is so powerful is that it answers the most important question: Why should I care?

It tells viewers exactly how this relates to them, how they would benefit from it, and how they can use it in their daily life.

Unless your ad is product-focused, it should give them the answer to those questions.

7. Travelers Insurance: “Legacy”

It wouldn’t be a top 10 YouTube ad list without an insurance company listed, right?

Insurance companies are notorious for taking the funny route for commercials. Because how else do you market a product that’s only needed in the event of something terrible?

Travelers Insurance did something different with this YouTube ad.

The brand told the story of a businessman passing his legacy, the family business, to his daughter. And they’re able to do that because they had insurance to rebuild the store following a natural disaster.

Using the concept of legacy isn’t something we’ve seen much from insurance ads. It’s heartwarming without fearmongering and that’s why it works so well.

8. Bluehost: “Build Beyond Boundaries”

When it comes to generating buzz for your product or service, showing is better than telling.

In 55 seconds, Bluehost delivered a fantastic ad that covered the brand’s top features without overwhelming the viewer.

The ad serves as a mini product demo, showcasing how easy it is to use using a fictional website concept. Here’s why it works:

• The viewer leaves knowing how it works and what are some top features.
• The video includes rich media to keep viewers engaged.

If you’re interested in creating a media-rich ad like this, consider the audio and video content platform, Casted. 

9. The General Auto: “The Lunchroom”

For years, The General had commercials that many consumers thought were low-quality. In their 2021 ad, the brand came with a fresh new look.

This ad starts with two men approaching former athlete Shaq in a lunchroom as he eats with a young friend. They reference a previous conversation in which they disagreed with Shaq about The General and refused to sit with him.

They acknowledge that they “misjudged them based on their commercials” then ask for forgiveness, plus a seat at his lunch table.

Now more than ever, consumers crave transparency. This was a great move for the brand because it addressed the elephant in the room.

The General realized their ads were contributing to (or causing) a negative perception of their brand. Instead of quietly rebranding, they took the objection and tackled it head-on, weaving it into their new ad campaigns.

The messaging is clear: Our brand is still trustworthy and credible despite our old ads.

So, if there’s a misconception about your brand, don’t be afraid to use that in your next campaign.

So, there you have it – the top YouTube ads of the last two years. What they all have in common is a deep understanding of their audience’s needs, behaviors, and own perceptions of the brand.