Category Archives: B2B

Effective B2B marketing is challenging to get right. Between creative demands, budget limits, and channel decisions, marketers have a lot to juggle when developing their marketing strategy.

However, the biggest determinant of effective marketing is your audience. That includes whether you understand your audience in the first place and how you communicate with them from there.

The crux?

If you’re not properly targeting your buyer persona, your promotions and advertisements will likely fall flat. In fact, you might as well not be marketing at all.

Target audiences vary, in general, but where they vary the most is between individual consumers and businesses. Some companies serve individual shoppers, while others cater to companies and organizations.

While similar in some respects, marketing to businesses is not the same as marketing to individual consumers. That’s why an entirely different marketing method — B2B marketing — exists, and that’s why we built this guide.

By the end of this article, you’ll better understand B2B marketing, the most effective B2B marketing strategies, and how you can tap into and convert your business audience.

And if you already know all that? I also share data-backed trends you can expect to see in the B2B space in 2024. For this section, I’ve spoken to some incredible B2B marketers who share their expert insights and tips.

What is B2B?

B2B stands for “business-to-business,” which is a business model where businesses sell products and services to other companies instead of consumers.

If you’re a new marketer in the B2B space or a small B2B business owner learning the ropes, B2B marketing can seem tricky at first.

But don’t worry — you’ll soon learn it’s not so different from typical consumer marketing, and we’ll go over everything you need to know so you can create an effective B2B marketing strategy.

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

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

B2B vs B2C Marketing

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

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

Here are a few examples of B2B companies:

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

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

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

For more context, let’s take a look at this chart comparing B2B and B2C customers.

	For B2B marketing	For B2C marketing
Goal	Customers are focused on ROI, efficiency, and expertise.	Customers are seeking deals and entertainment (which means marketing needs to be more fun).
Purchase Motivation	Customers are driven by logic and financial incentives.	Customers are driven by emotion.
Drivers	Customers want to be educated (which is where B2B content marketing comes in).	Customers appreciate education but don’t always need it to make a purchase decision.
Purchase Process	Customers like (if not prefer) to work with account managers and salespeople.	Customers like to make purchases directly.
People Involved in Purchase	Customers often have to confer with decision-makers and other members of their chain of command before making a purchase decision.	Customers rarely need to confer with others before making a purchase decision.
Purchase Purpose	Customers make purchases for long-term solutions, resulting in a longer sales cycle, longer contracts, and longer relationships with companies.	Customers aren’t necessarily looking for long-term solutions or long-term relationships.

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

On the flip side, Printful offers order fulfillment and warehousing to businesses. They also fill e-commerce printing orders for individuals.

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

I can tell you from experience that there are nuances to consider. For example, logic and financial incentives may drive B2B purchase motivation.

However, anyone who understands sales — whether for B2B or B2C — knows there are typically at least some emotions at play behind any purchase.

In B2B, that could be fear (i.e., are we falling behind our competitors?) or frustration (i.e., our current systems and processes are slowing us down.)

It could also be a feeling of hope (i.e., if we invest in this new software, we can become more efficient and stay ahead of our competitors.)

B2B Marketing Strategies

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

In this section, I’ll cover various B2B marketing strategies you can implement to reach your specific business audience.

Some of these strategies are preparatory, such as identifying your audience, while others are ready to be executed, such as creating a B2B website.

Let’s get started.

1. Understand the B2B buyer’s journey.

Before we dive into actual strategies you can implement, you need to understand the B2B buyer’s journey.

This information will help you create and implement marketing strategies that meet prospects at every stage of their purchase process.

Because of the higher price point of B2B products, B2B sales cycles tend to be a lot longer than B2C cycles.

Nurturing these prospects via marketing takes a similarly long time, too. That means you must use specific tactics at every stage to drive them toward a purchase decision or a demo request.

In other words: B2B marketing is not as easy as setting up ads on Instagram and hoping for clicks. (We wish! That can work, however, in conjunction with other strategies.)

The B2B buyer’s journey is divided into three stages:

• Awareness Stage. The prospect has become aware of a problem and begins educating themselves.
• Consideration Stage. The prospect researches solutions for their new problem.
• Decision Stage. The prospect is ready to make a purchase or formally begin a buying process.

After understanding the buyer’s journey, take this opportunity to create a customer journey map for your company — or, if you’re a new marketer at a B2B company, ask for one for reference.

A customer journey map is a customized version of the buyer’s journey that shows how your brand interacts with prospects during each phase.

With that information, you can understand which marketing strategies, such as content marketing, will be most effective at each stage.

2. Identify your target market and target audience.

Now that you have a strong understanding of the buyer’s journey, it’s time to begin understanding who you’re marketing to specifically.

Who is taking the buyer’s journey and purchasing your products? You get to decide. But it all begins by identifying who they are.

First up, define your target market. For B2B companies, I recommend first identifying your target companies with firmographic data such as:

• Company size, i.e., small, medium, or enterprise.
• Company region or location, i.e., North America, South America, Africa, or specific countries and regions.
• Company industry, i.e., healthcare, fintech, or SaaS.
• Number of employees.
• Revenue.

Then, define your target audience — that is, the specific human prospect who is looking for your brand’s products or services. Remember, you’re not marketing to other companies. You’re marketing to people who work at that company.

You can use demographic and psychographic data to identify individual prospects you’ll be marketing to. This may include their:

• Age.
• Location.
• Gender.
• Education level.
• Job title.
• Behaviors.
• Habits.
• Beliefs.

This information will help you create buyer personas and customer profiles, which in turn will help you understand how they make purchase decisions and which marketing channels they’re more likely to use.

For instance, if you’re targeting an entry-level employee, ages 22-26, at a small business in North America, you can likely use social media to reach them effectively.

Pro Tips

One thing I will say here is that the above should be a starting point.

It’s a wonderful starting point, don’t get me wrong! But to really understand your target audience — rather than making educated guesses — you need to speak directly to them.

So, where possible, I’d always recommend interviewing existing customers or collaborating with sales, customer service, or customer success teams (basically any colleague who speaks to customers directly).

That way, you can get accurate insights about motivations and pain points. (At a minimum, you can glean some of this from existing testimonials or reviews.)

I would also see your buyer personas and customer profiles as unfinished, flexible documentation. That means when you discover something noteworthy, you can update the documents to reflect your findings.

3. Choose your marketing mix (or the 4 Ps of marketing).

Now that you’re armed with your buyer’s firmographic, demographic, and psychographic information, it’s time to start building a B2B marketing strategy tailored specifically to them.

Start by defining your marketing mix, or the 4 Ps of marketing:

• Product — what product you sell.
• Price — how much the product costs.
• Place — where the product is sold.
• Promotion — where customers will find out about the product.

Defining your 4 Ps will help you create a more extensive marketing strategy. It marries all of the information you’ve recently found about your potential customers with the information you already know about your own product.

That will empower you to create a more effective strategy than if you jumped right into tactics and execution.

Featured Resource: Marketing Mix Templates

Click here to download the templates for free.

4. Create a B2B marketing plan and a marketing strategy.

Once you’ve defined your marketing mix, you can dive in even more deeply by creating a marketing plan and a marketing strategy.

A marketing strategy marries market conditions with your company’s goals, and a marketing plan provides an actionable roadmap with specific channels and metrics.

What’s most important is outlining your own company’s summary and target markets, then deciding where you’ll promote your company.

Here’s the thing: It’s all too easy to choose specific strategies, like social media marketing and content marketing, without a strategic approach. That can easily lead to overspending in the wrong areas.

To create a marketing plan and strategy, we recommend starting with a template.

But, as with your buyer personas and customer profiles, you should see your marketing plan and strategy as something that can change.

That means when you get more data, and it makes sense to do so, you can pivot your marketing plan and strategy.

Featured Resource: Free Marketing Plan Template

Click here to download HubSpot’s free Marketing Plan Template.

By using this template, you can compile all the information you need to choose the right B2B marketing channels for your company.

You’ll be able to lay out your:

• Business summary and initiatives.
• Target market.
• Market strategy.
• Budget.
• Marketing channels.
• Marketing technology.

In this list, we could have easily shared specific marketing tasks you can do, such as creating online content or publishing short videos.

And while these things will likely be a worthy use of your time, it’s more important to spend your time strategizing to minimize marketing costs and increase your ROI.

Strategizing is the core of your B2B marketing strategy — not implementing specific tactics such as blogging or SEO. Those will come later once you have defined the big picture.

5. Cover all of your B2B marketing bases, such as launching a website.

It’s time to dive into the more tactical aspects of your B2B marketing strategy.

That means covering all of your marketing bases. But we don’t want to dive too deeply yet; this is about nailing down the basics.

The “basics” will vary per industry. For instance, in a more traditional vertical, you might rely less on your website and more on industry events.

That said, you want to make your B2B company has covered most of the following things (click on each one for a checklist to run through):

• Launching a website.
• Creating and maintaining your social media profiles.
• Starting an email marketing newsletter.
• Signing up for industry events and conferences.

No matter which B2B industry you’re in, and regardless of your audience type and age, these things will likely benefit you.

Later, we’ll cover specific types of B2B marketing that you can integrate under each of these strategies. But here’s a good introduction:

• Strategies for your website — content marketing, blogging, SEO.
• Strategies for your social media profiles — social media marketing, paid social media, short-form video marketing.
• Strategies for your email marketing newsletter — email marketing, lead nurturing.
• Strategies for industry events and conferences — event marketing, trade show marketing.

Pro Tips

I’ve outlined “B2B marketing bases” above, and as I said, it’s worth implementing each as a starting point. That said, you don’t have to — and arguably shouldn’t if you don’t have the resources/infrastructure — implement them all at once.

Instead, a staggered approach can help you avoid doing everything yet achieving nothing because you’re under-resourced and overwhelmed.

It can also help you set up each marketing area as a pillar that supports, rather than hinders, the next.

In practice, this might look like launching your website first. That means you can get a steady stream of blog content in the hopper, and your blog content ops running like a well-oiled machine.

Then, you might introduce social media and focus on sharing a mix of new content and repurposing your existing blog content.

This is exactly what I did as a B2B marketing army of one. (Of course, if you have the resources and infrastructure to start everything at once, that’s a different story.)

It’s also worth noting that if you get up and running with one of these areas, stick at it for an extended period and use best practices while also experimenting.

But it still doesn’t prove fruitful. You don’t have to keep going just because you think you should.

If you don’t have an in-house specialist and you have the budget, it might be worth bringing in outside expertise. Even an hour consultation with a specialist might help you pinpoint how you can improve your approach.

You might also be better served reallocating your budget and resources to what’s working for you rather than what isn’t.

6. Run a competitive analysis.

To choose your specific marketing strategies even more strategically, conduct a competitive analysis.

Scope out the market and see which businesses are marketing to your target audience. Learn what they’re currently doing — do they have a website? A presence on a specific social media platform, such as LinkedIn?

Things to be on the lookout for when inspecting competitors are:

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

Featured Resource: 10 Competitive Analysis Templates

Download Now

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

Once you understand where they stand, you can better compete with them and choose the best channels.

If none of your competitors are on Instagram, for instance, then Instagram marketing may not be a good strategy to pursue (or, at least, you should test it out first before investing too many resources in it).

Another thing you should be looking out for is what you can do better than your competitors. Consider how you can stand out, which leads us nicely to brand positioning.

7. Determine your brand positioning.

Next, define your brand positioning in the market.

This statement is the who, when, why, and how of your brand identity — or how your brand is perceived through the eyes of the customer.

This will help you cultivate a consistent brand image, regardless of the marketing channels and tactics you use.

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

Featured Resource: Positioning Statement Templates

Download for Free Now

8. Explore marketing channels to use.

By now, you’ve likely run across the different types of marketing channels your competitors use successfully and the channels they haven’t taken advantage of.

You’ve also likely gotten an idea of what you want to do based on your big-picture strategizing so far.

With the previous steps completed, you’re ready to diversify your B2B marketing portfolio and reach the businesses you need to.

Depending on your customer segments and competitor analysis, you can explore channels, strategies, and tools to optimize your leads and customer funnels.

Next up, let’s look at the types of B2B marketing you can implement now that you’ve created your overall strategy.

Types of B2B Marketing

The following categories are B2B marketing channels that can connect you to your target audience.

B2B Email Marketing

Email marketing is a tried and true method of reaching both individual consumers and business customers. Most B2B marketers use email — are you one of them?

You should be. Emails lead to engagement, which turns subscribers into leads and then customers.

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

Unlike B2C customers who respond best to emotions and entertainment, B2B customers look for logic and positive ROI. Essentially, they’re asking themselves, How can your business help my business grow?

Because of this, your email marketing must consistently resonate with your business customers and focus on things that matter to them — like time, money, and resources.

(BUT, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t also — tactfully, might I add — dig into the emotions that might drive their purchasing decisions.)

Email marketing is also a powerful vehicle for sharing your brand’s content.

Many B2B companies use email newsletters as part of their content marketing program, and the B2B marketers we’ve spoken to say these newsletters are most critical to their content marketing success.

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

To help you create emails that stand out, you can use HubSpot’s AI Email Writer.

B2B Email Marketing Best Practices

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

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

B2B Digital Marketing

Every business, whether B2B or B2C, should have a digital presence — which consists of paid ads, search engine optimization, a website, and any other place your B2B company is active online.

Let’s explore several tactics that can strengthen your B2B digital marketing strategy.

1. Define your target audience.

A strong B2B digital marketing strategy starts with defining your target audience or buyer persona. This demographic and psychographic information will inform almost every other marketing activity thereafter.

In short, it makes sure your content and digital material are absorbed by the right eyes and ears (and that no resources go to waste on your end).

2. Create your website.

Secondly, digital marketing can’t function without an informative, engaging website. Most buyers visit a website before making a purchase.

Moreover, the typical B2B sales cycle often involves many key players (such as gatekeepers, decision-makers, and other folks who have to buy into a purchase).

That’s why websites are easy, straightforward ways for influencers to share information about your product or service.

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

3. Optimize your digital presence.

Your website needs to be more than informative and engaging, though it must be discoverable.

You can do this with on-page SEO and technical SEO tactics. These include everything from image alt-text and meta descriptions (what your visitors can see) to structured data and site speed (what your visitors can’t see).

Off-page SEO is also at play here, which refers to external linking strategies and social sharing — SEO tactics that take place off your website.

4. Run PPC campaigns.

Finally, round out your digital presence with pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, which allows you to get your content and brand in front of new audiences via search engines and other advertising platforms.

I recommend maximizing your PPC investment by advertising more than your specific products or services — such as your brand personality, blog or social media content, or company tagline.

The best way to see an ROI from your paid ads is by 1) incorporating your buyer persona data and 2) boosting content that they can relate to.

For example, it’s highly unlikely a brand-new consumer who’s never heard of you is searching for your exact product.

They may be searching for a location-based solution or product feature. To reach the greatest number of potential customers, pay to target relevant categories within your brand vs. promoting your product or services.

B2B Content Marketing

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

Whereas a traditional PR marketing strategy interrupts a consumer’s day-to-day with promotional material, a content marketing strategy adds valuable information and informs the consumer — which is precisely what B2B customers are looking for.

Not to mention that content marketing supports SEO efforts, which involves anticipating what your audience is searching for, helping them discover your website and content … and potentially converting them to customers.

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

A frequent mistake B2B organizations make is educating the buyer on their own company, product, or service, Franchell notes. However, he says the buyer isn’t ready for that. They are just beginning to understand their problem.

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

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

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

Before you start creating content, though, I recommend creating a business blog.

(Don’t worry; growing your blog readership is easier than you think.)

Your blog will house all the content you create and serve as a home base for readers to visit and subscribe to.

B2B Social Media Marketing

Believe it or not, B2B buyers and C-suite executives can and do use social media when making a purchase. That’s right — social media marketing isn’t just for brands targeting individual consumers.

Many B2B companies struggle with social media marketing, though.

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

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

Social media is a powerful tool for building brand awareness, giving your company an online personality, and humanizing your business — all very powerful factors when it comes to marketing and connecting with potential customers.

Like email marketing, social media is also a highly effective channel for sharing your content and enhancing your brand expertise, the latter of which we know B2B customers appreciate.

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

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

👉🏼 HubSpot Tip: Content shared by employee advocates can generate more engagement than content shared by brands. So, involve your employees in your B2B social media marketing strategy. Encourage them to create their own social media channels and share about life at your company.

Create a culture account (like our @HubSpotLife Instagram) to show what’s going on at work, not just what you’re selling. You never know — this might attract strong talent, too.

B2B Marketing Trends to Watch in 2024 [New Data]

HubSpot’s Blog team conducted research to determine the challenges, opportunities, and initiatives that most B2B marketers are focusing on in 2024.

I pair these findings with insights from B2B marketing experts.

1. Data privacy is the top challenge for marketers.

Top of mind for everyone this coming year is data privacy changes. In fact, 84% of marketers surveyed in our 2024 Industry Trends Report said this had already impacted their 2023 strategy.

As for 2024, marketers expect the following key changes to affect them most:

• Google Chrome’s third-party cookie phaseout (a concern of 47% of marketers).
• Apple iOS Privacy Protection features (41%).
• GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) (40%).

When it comes to B2B marketers specifically, 21% cite increased data privacy regulations that reduce access to personal data as the biggest challenge they face in 2024.

Second at 20%, is a lack of information on the pain points and challenges their customers face.

Expert Insights: Adopt audience-first thinking.

“As marketers lose the ability to track users as closely, there has to be a necessary move towards audience-first thinking. Instead of ‘following’ users around the internet with advertising, it is instead about being where they are, in an authentic way,” says Marcus Clarke, founder at Searchant.

Clarke explains that this requires marketers to think more deeply about two things:

1. Where are your users.
2. What content are they consuming across the funnel.

For example, are they consuming before or after photos on Pinterest, or are they watching tutorials on YouTube? Either way, Marcus emphasizes that “it’s about building a better ecosystem to capture demand holistically.”

2. B2B marketers should use AI, but…

At least 70% of US B2B marketers surveyed in HubSpot’s 2024 State of AI survey agree marketers should use generative AI in their roles, but they shouldn’t become overly reliant on it.

That’s compared to 19% who say marketers should leverage generative AI as much as possible, and 11% who think marketers should avoid using generative AI in their roles completely.

Further, over 70% of B2B marketers agree that Generative AI can…

• Improve the quality of the marketing content they create (76%)
• Help them create marketing content more efficiently (76%)
• Help them make significantly more content than they would be able to without it (72%)

… suggesting that the top use cases for AI in B2B marketing specifically are helping with content creation quality, efficiency, and volume. But how can B2B marketers use AI as a wrench, rather than the entire toolkit?

Expert Insights: Treat AI as a tool, not the whole toolkit.

“A lot of our B2B is cold outreach, SEO, emails, and a few demand gen programs. So, it’s mostly content that we use AI for. Then a smattering of use cases in ClickUp automation,” says Adi Abdurab, senior content marketing manager at KodeKloud.

Abdurab notes that in an ideal world, we‘d tell AI to write everything we need, and we’d be done in 23 seconds. “However, at the first opportunity, AI will write something that is not only unreadable but also borderline offensive,” he says.

Adi explains that to counteract this, the team built a custom GPT and have trained it on all of KodeKloud’s (and some of its competitor‘s) marketing collateral. The team uses the GPT to help with brainstorming and outlining. But there’s no instance where they can just send the content without a second glance.

Adi adds, “The biggest thing I continuously catch is that ChatGPT resets itself in a few prompts. And keeps turning copy into a marketing pitch. An impersonal one at that. So, if we have a sales campaign coming out, we’ll ask it to generate ad copy, offers, and filler content. The kind of stuff we know people will skim anyway.”

Another use case from the KodeKloud team is using AI to help with client onboarding. The team uses AI to sift through simple data for them so they can “focus on the key talking points and not get bogged down in needless charts.”

3. Finding new ideas for content is a top challenge B2B marketers face in 2024.

At least 16% of B2B marketers marked “finding ideas for new content” as a top challenge they believe they’ll face in 2024.

It’s no wonder that brainstorming new ideas or angles is the top marketing use case for generative AI, according to recent HubSpot research.

Aside from new ideas, B2B marketers expect to face further challenges when it comes to content marketing.

“Creating content that receives high levels of online engagement” and “Reaching your target audience” came second at 15%. Meanwhile, “Measuring ROI” and “Creating content that attracts more traffic to your website” both came third place at 14%.

Expert Insights: Embrace Technical Content Marketing

“With SEO becoming more saturated and with Google‘s Search Generative Experience (SGE) in beta now and around the corner for the rest of us, it’s time for some new strategies. One that I’m embracing is investing in technical content marketing,” says Lauren Lang, director of content at Uplevel.

Lang explains that decision-makers and stakeholders need more in-depth BOFU pieces to evaluate the product and explore features.

To top it off, you can also use these BOFU pieces to create a moat (helping you differentiate from competitors and stay, well, competitive) by highlighting:

• What truly differentiates your product.
• Why it’s the best way to achieve outcomes.
• How it works for common use cases.

Lang adds, “This goes a layer deeper than typical SEO content, but decision-makers are looking for this type of information. The more that you can present it to them in an accessible way (rather than making them weed through your product documentation), the more likely your product will stand out.”

Getting started: Technical content marketing is worth exploring if you’re looking for new B2B content ideas. To get started, Lauren recommends reaching out to a product marketer on your team if you have one. But if not, reach out to your product team directly and start collaborating.

4. Short-form video content leads in ROI for B2B marketers.

HubSpot’s 2024 Trends Report found that at 17%, short-form video content (i.e., TikTok, Reels, YouTube Shorts, etc) provided marketers the most ROI.

For context, this was followed by creating content that reflected their brand’s values (e.g., social responsibility) at 13%.

It’s no wonder, then, that out of the B2B marketers surveyed, 53% plan on increasing their investment for short-form video in 2024, while 36% plan to continue to invest the same amount.

But how does short-form video work in B2B specifically?

Expert Insights: Foster a recognizable, relatable brand.

Daniel Kosmala, senior marketing manager at Uscreen, notes that short-form content for B2B companies is very difficult. The sales process is typically longer than you’d experience in ecommerce or other B2C offerings.

“Not to mention prospective customers are typically seeing your short-form content outside of your ecosystem via recommended content whether they’re scrolling YouTube shorts, TikToks, or Reels,” says Kosmala.

Kosmala explains that because of this, you’re not just going up against your competitors but against anyone trying to grab the attention of your ideal viewers.

These things come together to create a more challenging environment for B2B marketers.

To overcome these challenges, Kosmala recommends having a recognizable, relatable brand and a relationship with your audience.

“And, of course, a killer hook can help quite a bit, but having that relationship and quickly providing the context needed for a viewer without losing their interest is bound to make an impact when it comes to short-form video,” Kosmala says.

5. B2B marketers plan to leverage short-form video more than other media formats.

We’ve covered that 53% of B2B marketers surveyed plan on increasing their investment in 2024.

But, when it comes to media formats, in general, short-form video is the preferred choice with 21% of B2B marketers making it their go-to investment.

As mentioned above, short-form videos also provided the most ROI when compared to other formats like images, blog posts, podcasts, and case studies.

That link to ROI is likely driving B2B marketers to want to invest more in this area in 2024.

@hubspot what now?
#productivity
#accountexecutive
#sales
#officejob
#email
#workmode
#corporatemillennial
#workhumor
#officelife
#hardestworkerintheroom
#9to5
#corporatelife
#officehumor
#hubspot
#ai
♬ original sound – HubSpot

What I love: I might be biased here, but I really love how HubSpot approaches short-form video content on TiKTok. I’ve shared just one example above. But HubSpot’s TikTok channel is full of great examples.

I love this short-form video, in particular, because it’s fun, relatable, and features a HubSpot product in a relevant context. I mean, are you even in B2B marketing if you don’t circle back?

6. When leveraging influencer marketing, micro-influencers work best for B2B.

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

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

We can see this evidenced in the influencer industry’s unprecedented growth. Influencer marketing is projected to become a $24 billion industry by 2024. That’s over three times the size since 2019.

Regarding B2B specifically, 46% of marketers surveyed are already using influencer/creator marketing.

But here’s a word of warning: choose your partnerships wisely. While finding influencers with massive audiences can be tempting, many businesses have seen more success with micro-influencers.

For example, 61% of B2B marketers saw the most success partnering with micro (10,000-99,999 followers/subscribers) influencers.

That’s compared to just 18% who reported success by partnering with mega (1M+ followers/subscribers) influencers.

So, if audience size isn’t the be-all and end-all, how can you be sure you’re selecting the best influencer partnerships for your B2B brand? While also running effective campaigns?

Expert Insights: Get inspired by the B2C space.

“It‘s no surprise that influencer marketing in the B2B space is enjoying growth. For many years we’ve witnessed the likes of Facebook, Instagram, and now TikTok become awash with product endorsements from content creators,” says Rob Illidge, CEO of B2B content platform Vulse.

Illidge notes that LinkedIn is no different. With personal branding becoming increasingly important, we’re already seeing a rise in influencer marketing.

“At Vulse, we were early pioneers of this approach, building an army of over 1,200 brand ambassadors that genuinely enjoyed, utilized, and loved our product,” Illidge says.

If you want to get started with influencer marketing in the B2B space, Illidge explains that the process involved in running your campaigns should be no different from those that are B2C.

If you’re not sure what that looks like, here’s Rob’s recommended five-step process:

1. Define your product offering and messaging and answer why you’re doing it.
2. Research the B2B content creators you want to work with. Select those with varying audiences to test campaign effectiveness. Thoroughly investigate their audiences and engagement rates — these metrics are key.
3. Build a relationship, get to know them, and understand their tone of voice. Don‘t try to force them to post something that doesn’t convey their personality.
4. Run campaigns that involve multiple posts. Try to avoid the trap of posting once, as it’s unlikely to get the reach and attention influencers deserve. Provide creators with multiple creative options.
5. Analyze performance consistently. Review campaign effectiveness and speak with creators to see how they found responses to paid partnerships.

7. When it comes to social media marketing specifically, B2B marketers struggle to measure ROI.

At 17%, measuring the ROI of social media marketing efforts was among the top social-specific challenges for B2B marketers.

Measuring ROI can be easier for some activities compared to others. For instance, it‘s easy enough to track a social media advertising campaign’s ROI if you’re tracking sales made from an ad placed on Facebook.

Sales is a tangible outcome, and Facebook’s Ad Manager enables you to easily track ROI from your efforts.

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

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

Additionally, consider A/B testing various marketing activities and tracking ROI to determine which platforms traditionally have the biggest ROI for your business.

For instance, most marketers find the highest ROI from Facebook. This could vary for your brand or business needs.

Expert Insights: Measure influencer marketing ROI.

I spoke with Rob Illidge of Vulse about influencer marketing through social media. He shared insights specifically about how to measure the ROI of these campaigns.

“This is something you should live and breathe. The first step is to assign goals — what does success look like at the end of each campaign day, week, or month?” he says.

Rob adds, “Assign 3 KPIs that will determine the campaign’s success and ensure you have the correct tracking in place before you begin. Test these before you begin. Test and adapt your campaigns as they progress to align with your goals.”

8. The number one goal for B2B marketers in 2024 is increasing revenue and sales.

Looking ahead, B2B marketers’ top priority in 2024 is the same as last year — to increase revenue and sales.

For context, here are the top five B2B marketing goals:

1. Increase revenue and sales (22%).
2. Improve customer experience (19%).
3. Increase brand awareness (18%).
4. Increase engagement (17%).
5. Improve sales/marketing alignment (17%).

A word on brand awareness: Roughly half of B2B marketers reported that “increasing brand awareness” was their number one goal in 2022. Cut to 2024, and it’s still a top three marketing priority in the B2B space.

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

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

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

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

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

Expert Insights: Remarket to previous customers.

When it comes to building revenue, it may seem logical to keep finding new customers. But this generally has a longer sales cycle, and the leads are colder than those who already know you.

One cost-effective marketing tactic for building revenue revolves around the customers who already know you and have used your product or service in the past.

Rachel Whitehead, vice president of marketing at Chart Mogul, suggests an update on your reactivation campaigns.

Whitehead says, “The top quartile of SaaS companies win back 1 in 4 churned customers, contributing revenue growth of up to 30% of churned ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue).”

High churn rates for B2B companies over the past two years were largely driven by aggressive short-term cost-cutting, Whitehead notes, which forced customer champions to part ways with their favorite tools.

“While company technology spending is unlikely to match 2021 levels anytime soon, it‘s now stable, and automated reactivation campaigns are a low-cost activity that’s worth setting up,” Whitehead says.

Whitehead recognizes that cost-cutting increases churn rates for B2B companies. However, with targeted marketing, businesses can encourage previous customers to return.

Getting started: For a successful reactivation marketing campaign, Whitehead recommends that you “segment your churned customers to identify who still meets ICP criteria and warm them back into a sales conversation or free trial of your now improved product.”

These former customers are already familiar with your brand so the cost to re-acquire them is relatively low. “While easy to overlook, don’t sleep on reactivation,” Whitehead says.

9. This year, B2B marketers will decrease investment in NFTs, white papers, podcasts, and other audio content.

As important as it is to learn what marketers plan to do, it’s equally vital to learn what they plan not to do.

This can help you identify your own guardrails and ensure you’re sticking to the most efficient marketing strategies, rather than wasting time and resources on all of them.

HubSpot’s Blog Research found that 17% of B2B marketers plan to reduce their investment in NFTs this year.

This was followed closely by 16% of B2B marketers who plan to decrease investment in white papers and 15% in podcasts and audio content.

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

Ultimately, it depends on your audience’s preferences.

That said, audio content isn‘t going anywhere — so if you haven’t already, you might consider testing various audio formats in 2024 to see how they perform with your audience.

If you’re unsure how to get started, take a look at Everything You Need to Know About Starting a Podcast or Clubhouse vs. Podcasts: Which Should Marketers Use? [Data + Expert Tips].

Expert Insights: Move beyond the faceless corporate host.

“I think the way B2B marketing teams approach audio content can and will change. Most teams have tested the podcast now, and we‘ve proven that it’s incredibly hard to build a podcast people like with somewhat boring content and a ‘faceless’ corporate host,” says Ben Goodey.

Goodey is the founder of Spicy Margarita Content and the SEO podcast and case studies community, How the F*ck.

Goodey reiterates that podcasts are far from dead, citing how they’ve never been more prevalent and popular in B2C — the video clips from podcasts are the fuel of half of the internet’s content on Instagram and TikTok.

But how can B2B marketers mirror this B2C success? Ben recommends that B2B marketers look at what professional B2C creator podcasts are doing: “build it around hosts with a great personality, make it a video and audio show, then distribute heavily via video across platforms.”

B2B Marketing Examples

A B2B marketing approach that works for one business may not work for another, but that’s not to say we can’t learn something from the pros.

Here are eight B2B marketing examples of businesses that do it right.

1. Social Media Marketing: Adobe

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

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

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

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

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

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

The brand does a good job highlighting its products in a fun, non-promotional way.

Both consumers and businesses can see a clear connection between using Adobe’s products and finding success on TikTok — which makes this a great example of B2B marketing.

2. Content Marketing: Shopify

Ecommerce company Shopify produces many different types of content resources, such as a blog, business courses, and community events.

But one content avenue that helps the brand stand out is its podcast, aptly titled Shopify Masters: The ecommerce business and marketing podcast for ambitious entrepreneurs.

The podcast focuses on inspirational stories from entrepreneurs and offers practical tips for starting an online business on Shopify.

Episode topics range from “Disrupting the Soda Industry with a Healthy Spin” to “How Masks For Dogs Landed a Deal on Shark Tank.”

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

3. Digital Marketing: Mailchimp

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

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

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

Additionally, the website offers a banner at the top of the page that enables customers to choose in which language they‘d prefer to view the website.

Even the company’s product navigation menu includes how the product can “Get Your Business Online” and “Market Your Business.”

Ultimately, the company demonstrates how much it values each customer by tailoring each piece of content toward its customers’ unique challenges.

4. Client Testimonials: Venngage

Venngage took its positive client testimonials and sprinkled them throughout its website.

This social proof lets prospects know that you have a track record of reliability and have delighted previous customers beyond expectation.

Not only that, but sharing testimonials can also have a big impact on potential consumers in the consideration and decision stages.

After all, 76% of consumers “regularly” read online reviews for local businesses, which is up from 77% in 2021, so using client feedback is a great tool to attract new ones.

Image Source

5. B2B SEO: TravelPerk, Google

A B2B buyer spends 27% of the time in the purchase journey independently researching online, potentially using at least one search engine during the online research.

It’s worth the time and money to invest in making sure other businesses can find you with ease.

TravelPerk displays a diverse range of paid search and SEO. An impressive SEO strategy is its use of topic clusters and sub-topics to reach its target audience.

TravelPerk ensures that search engine pages like “business travel expenses” have a paid ad leading to its website or high-ranking blog content providing information travelers are looking for.

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

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

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

Image Source

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

7. B2B Referral Program: Blackbaud, Blackbaud Champions

Blackbaud offers an incredible B2B referral program that incentivizes current customers to become product advocates — Blackbaud Champions.

Champions are encouraged to share their insight into how the implementation process works, what it’s like to work with the team, and how Blackbaud solutions have helped you advance their mission.

When you share your experiences, the brand will reward you with benefits.

By providing your feedback and participating in case studies you’ll earn Reward Points in the Blackbaud Champions Hub, which you can redeem from the Champions Rewards.

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

Image Source

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

Invest in B2B Marketing and Reach Your Business Customers

Marketing isn’t effective unless you keep your audience in mind, and no other audience is as fickle and critical as business customers.

Your marketing should communicate how your business can help theirs, and if it doesn’t, you can redirect your B2B marketing strategies to reach them.

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

As a content creator, I know brand identity is everything. My audience wants to know what makes me different, why I create content, why they should trust the information I put out, and why I might promote a product or service.

The same is true for companies. In addition to the information above, people who find your company online want to know about your mission, vision, and how you can help them solve their problems.

The best way to convey all this and establish a solid brand identity is to do what I did with my own website — create a profile. In my case, it’s a creator profile, but for you, it’d be a company profile.

Not sure what a company profile is or how to create one? Don’t worry — I got you covered with a breakdown of everything you need to know about building a company profile.

• What a Company Profile is
• How to Write a Company Profile
• Company Overview Template
• Company Profile Examples
• Company Description Examples
• What is a company profile template?
• How to Use a Company Profile Template
• Company Profile Templates

A company profile serves multiple purposes, but two of its primary goals are to connect with customers and attract investors for funding opportunities.

Why Company Profiles Are Important

As you can see on my profile, company profiles go beyond a regular About page. My profile details how I started, why I create content, and my journey to finally starting the blog.

A simple About page would typically only include a brief overview of who the company is and a point of contact.

Your company profile would show your company’s beginnings and why you continue to serve customers. Essentially, it humanizes your brand. Additionally, a company profile:

1. Differentiates Your Brand

According to my profile, my brand‘s story started with my sister’s Sailor Moon VHS tapes. Those tapes eventually led me to create content centered around anime and different “nerdy” entertainment aspects.

My brand’s story is unlike any other, and the same goes for yours. No two companies have the same founding story or reason for existing.

Your history and values are integral parts of your brand positioning strategy, and a company profile is where you can mention this information without feeling like you‘re talking someone’s ear off.

2. Can Justify a Higher Price Point.

A company profile is a perfect opportunity to show the work that goes on behind the scenes, thus justifying why your prices may be higher than others in your industry.

For example, luxury fashion house Prada’s company profile emphasizes the company uses raw materials that are meticulously sourced and exclusively produced for the fashion house.

This creates a sense that you’re paying more for higher-quality items. It also explains why I can never afford them.

3. Builds Your Reputation.

My content creator profile emphasizes that I‘ve been an anime fan since childhood and shows how I developed my skills for years as a journalist. My audience knows I’m an experienced creator who also happens to be a total nerd.

My audience trusts I‘ll provide quality content rooted in my passion for the medium. It’s a reputation I hold dearly.

Think about what you want your company’s reputation to be. Is your company the one that started as a small family-owned shop that grew into a billion-dollar enterprise? Or is it a company that upholds sustainability and puts ethics at the forefront of its brand?

You can build your reputation through marketing, service, and sales campaigns, but it all begins with a well-curated profile.

You didn‘t think I’d tell you what a company profile is and not tell you how to write one, did you? Have no fear, here are 11 steps to guide you on how to write your company profile.

1. Start with a company profile template.

Download the Free Company Profile Templates

No need to start from scratch. HubSpot has six free company profile templates for organizing and sharing your profile. Download these templates for free and follow the next steps in this article.

2. State the purpose of the company profile.

Your statement must align with what you‘re trying to accomplish. Let’s say your goal is to attract investors. In that case, you should include:

• Your business’s performance
• The value of the products you sell
• The company’s revenue

On the other hand, if you want to attract customers, it’s best to add the company values to your profile.

The purpose of a company profile should act as your guide throughout the process, so take your time on it.

3. Decide on the format or style.

Have you ever clicked off a page because its format or style was too jarring or difficult to navigate? If so, you know first-hand how important the proper style and format is to a company profile.

When designing your profile, consider your audience. For example, it‘s best to stick to the traditional format for an accounting firm. That is, list the company’s achievements and awards.

On the other hand, if you’re in a fashion or social media marketing firm, you should be creative and visual.

I love the homepage for Dept, a marketing technology company with an innovative and visual homepage that aligns with its offers and shows off its creativity.

Don’t be afraid to experiment or go wild with your ideas as long as they resonate with your target audience.

4. Tell your story & be authentic.

A million other businesses sell what you‘re selling, but no one else shares your story. Your story is what makes you unique. Don’t just write numbers and dates; let your prospects know who you are.

Be vulnerable and tell them why you started your business.

For example, one of my favorite brands, Thursday, is very candid about why it started selling boots. Thursday’s profile says:

“Thursday was built out of our own frustration. Clunky work boots or delicate fashion boots? Cheap shoes that fall apart after a few wears, or incredibly overpriced shoes? It didn’t seem right that we had to make these trade-offs. There had to be another option.”

What inspired you? Share the bad and the good – it mustn’t be glamorous. It only has to be authentic.

5. Add your company’s mission statement.

If you don’t have a mission statement, it‘s time to craft one. Writing a mission statement for your company isn’t as scary as it sounds, and there is no need to overthink it.

When crafting a mission statement, I think about these three questions:

• Who you serve – your target consumer
• How do you do it – what product or service do you provide to solve their problems?
• What makes you different – why should your consumers buy from you or trust you over your competitors?

Let your answers guide your statement.

6. Write your company’s history.

Growing up, I always thought history was boring — but that‘s not always the case regarding a company’s history. As I said, every company has a unique story, and detailing your rich history is a great way to stand out.

Just ensure you recount your story chronologically; otherwise, it will confuse your readers. You can do it in a paragraph or a timeline format if it shows a flow.

Another tip is to remember that less can be more. As tempting as it is to share all your milestones, stick to the major ones to avoid overwhelming the reader.

7. Describe the products and services you offer.

The next step is to describe what your company offers. You can choose a few of your best products or services and give an in-depth description or simply list everything your business offers.

8. Name the awards your company has received.

If you have received any awards or recognition, add them to your profile and describe them. They showcase your company’s values and give the community a reason to trust you.

9. Add your customer’s testimonials.

Your customers may take everything you say with a grain of salt, but they will believe other customers who have used your products. This is an excellent way to promote your business without having your products or services come off as hard-sell.

If you‘re a B2C business, simply include some of your customer’s best quotes tied with your best value products. If you’re a B2B business, have a testimonial from the most prominent client on your profile.

Hedley & Bennett, a restaurant wear company, features customer reviews and testimonials on its homepage.

10. Include a call to action.

While not mandatory, I strongly suggest a call to action because it can only help. It can urge people to book an appointment, make a purchase, etc.

Think about what you want the readers to do after reading the profile — visit your branch, check out your website, or call you? Simply include it at the end of your profile. This brings us to our last step.

Pro Tip: If you’re using our CMS, dropping in a personalized CTA is easy.

Get started with HubSpot’s CTA tool.

11. Add your company’s contact information.

Okay, so you bared your company‘s soul via your company profile, and readers have more enthusiasm for your business and want to work with you — now what?

Well, the next step would be to contact you, but they can’t do that if your information isn’t easy to spot.

Include in your profile all the possible ways your prospects can reach you. This may include but is not limited to social media profiles, websites, phone numbers, fax, email, and physical address.

Make sure it’s visible to anyone who reads your company profile.

Company Overview Template

Now that we have gone through all the necessary steps you need to create a company profile, it’s time to put all that into action. Here is a simple company overview template that will help you get started.

Our Story

[Company name] was founded in [Year], and we have accomplished so much over the years. To create a world where [ the solution your business solves] has always been our goal.

Our Founder and CEO [Name] was inspired to start this company by [ one or two sources of inspiration].

At [Company Name], we encourage our community to [ a positive statement about your brand].

Meet our Team

[Photo] [Name] [Job Title]

[Photo] [Name] [Job Title]

[Photo] [Name] [Job Title]

Our Mission, Vision & Values

Mission

Our goal is to provide our customers with the best [ service or product] at the best possible market price without compromising quality.

Vision

To be the most reliable [ service or product] provider and enhance [what your product or service does].

Core values

[List your company’s core values]

What Our Customers Are Saying

[Insert customer’s testimonials]

Contact Information

Location

Website URL

Social Media Pages

Cell Number

Company Profile Examples

1. Starbucks

Starbucks’ company profile has it all — its mission, background story, products, store atmosphere, and even folklore regarding the name. Best of all, they manage to pull off sounding genuine and grandiose.

I don’t know many other coffee stores that could claim that their mission is “to inspire and nurture the human spirit.”

Starbucks’ company profile is a fantastic example of a store with a common household product: coffee. Starbucks managed to stand out from the competition through its mission and values.

2. Wales Bonner

If your company has an exciting and intellectual history, you might consider creating a profile like Wales Bonner’s.

It begins with an impactful statement:

“Wales Bonner proposes a distinct notion of cultural luxury that infuses European heritage with an Afro-Atlantic spirit. Launched by Grace Wales Bonner following her graduation from Central Saint Martins in 2014, the label is informed by broad cultural research and embraces a multiplicity of perspectives.”

After sharing the brand’s intellectual background, it describes the owner’s journey in building the company, starting from when she was a college student, as well as the accolades she has received through her ingenuity in design.

With a good balance of image and text, the timeline serves as a reminder of Wales Bonner’s stability and growth.

3. Diehl Group Architects

Look at Diehl Group Architects’ company profile for both cleanliness and ease of use.

The web page uses clickable boxes to separate topics, allowing users to choose which subject to learn more about. Additionally, the entire design mirrors the company‘s purpose, including the page’s background, which displays a floor plan.

4. Bloomberg

Consumers use video as an integral part of their journey with brands, so you might consider using a compelling video to convey your company’s story as Bloomberg does in its company profile.

Bloomberg‘s profile proves the company knows its audience because it offers quick statistics and links to other site areas, such as Careers and Tech. While other businesses might do well in providing a creative, long-form story, Bloomberg’s typical demographic is likely more analytical.

5. Nike

You can instantly understand Nike’s two primary purposes — fitness, people, and inclusion.

When you land on its website, you’re greeted by a bold statement: “Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world.”

The asterisk implies, “If you have a body, you are an athlete.” As you scroll, you’ll see information on its internal diversity and inclusion initiative, global community impact, and sustainable business program, with very little mention of its products.

Nike’s company profile portrays a larger, grander vision, compelling an audience to believe in its brand before purchasing a product.

6. Seattle Cider

Seattle Cider Company‘s profile is minimal and engages viewers through compelling animations that demonstrate the company’s cider selection.

The page flows seamlessly and provides critical information regarding the product before displaying the company’s mission and values.

This profile is an excellent example of a company that understands its users’ concerns (in this case, quality ingredients) and addresses those issues while still displaying personality and flair.

7. Delta

Delta‘s page is well-organized by topic and showcases the company’s values, including efforts to engage with the community and promote sustainability.

It includes brief meta-descriptions below each category, and the design allows users to click through to learn more. Delta’s company profile is simple and uncluttered but includes all the necessary information to demonstrate its uniqueness.

8. Roam Loud

Roam Loud’s company profile is a great example and inspiration for any brand with a personal story.

It’s simple yet effective, starting with a friendly greeting, “Hey there!” and ending with a list of values. In between, the founder clearly states why she created her brand and why its existence is important to her and prospective buyers.

9. MAD Architects

MAD Architects‘ company profile is an excellent example of simplicity and informativeness.

The profile isn’t shy about the firm’s accomplishments and lets readers dive deeper into the firm’s exhibitions, lectures, awards, and publications, all visible on different tabs on the same page.

By leaning into a strong brand voice and giving details about its service, customers have the information they need to decide for themselves.

If your business is a leader in your field, consider creating one similar to MAD Architects.

10. Topicals

Topicals is a skincare company that provides products and education to help people target and learn about flare-ups. It has a one-of-a-kind about us page that is interactive and provides a fun experience for site visitors.

When you land on the page, you immediately see multiple interactive cards, the first of which describes its mission.

Once you’re done reading about its purpose, you can learn more about the company by clicking on the other cards or simply selecting the information that is most relevant to your needs.

Examples of Company Descriptions

Here are some examples of company descriptions that enhance their organizations’ company profile.

1. HubSpot

On HubSpot‘s profile page, you’ll find a brief description of the company’s mission and what it does. In just a few words, HubSpot explains that the company’s goal is to help businesses grow through its specialized inbound software.

2. H&H Wealth

On the “Why Zaneilia” page of its website, the founder of H&H Wealth briefly introduces what she believes in and encourages her customers to walk the journey with her.

She also makes a promise to her clients, setting expectations and the tone for the service she’ll deliver, helping her and her business come across as a partner rather than a vendor.

3. Dope Coffee

Dope Coffee aims to bridge the gap between coffee, hip hop, and culture to uplift the Black community. Its website describes the company’s history and mission.

Still, a single line sticks out as a powerful and impactful description of its business to take inspiration from: “We are Dope Coffee Company, and we are changing the world one cup of coffee at a time.”

4. Authentique Agency

Authentique Agency provides the perfect amount of information upfront to describe what it is and its mission and values — leveraging the power of identity in brand campaigns that reflect cultural identities rather than erasing them.

I also love the use if the term “code switching,” which is a term women of color like myself know too well. This shows Authentique Agency understands and relates to its audience.

It’s a great example of how to quickly and succinctly convey your message to site visitors.

5. The Cru

The Cru is a service that connects members with like-minded women to fuel personal and professional growth. It uses an “Our Story” page as a company profile, where the founder details how she formed the organization and how she owns “Cru” (a play on the word “crew”).

This summary is a testament to the value of the service. The “letter from the founder” style also feels personal and welcoming.

6. Carol H. Williams

Carol H. Williams, an advertising agency, doesn’t have an “about” page or a formal company description. However, it displays a snapshot of what the company is all about on its “Team” page.

It emphasizes its core values and uses trendy language (“#squadgoals”) to establish that it keeps up with the current trends.

7. Cafe Con Libros

Cafe Con Libros doesn’t have an about us page.

Still, it does have a company description that clearly explains its mission and values in two short sentences: “Cafe con Libros (coffee with books) is an Intersectional Feminist community bookstore and coffee shop.

Through our choice of books, programming, and great coffee, we endeavor to create a vibrant community space where everyone, specifically womxn-identified folx, feel centered, affirmed, and celebrated.”

8. Custom Collaborative

Custom Collaborative helps no/low-income immigrant women build entrepreneurship skills that help them succeed in a sustainable fashion.

Its About Us page features essential need-to-know information for anyone looking to them for support, interested in donating to the cause, or simply looking to learn more about the business.

What is a company profile template?

A company profile template is a pre-designed framework a company can use to display important information, such as the company name, logo, history, and mission statement. 

Users can swap out texts and images to tailor the template to their brand. However, startups should be careful about being overly reliant on templates.

You want your company to stand out amongst the competition and for your company profile to adhere to your unique branding. So, if you use a template, make sure you adjust it enough to make it unique to your brand. 

How to Use a Company Profile Template

I‘m a very thorough person, so of course, I’m going to leave you with some additional company profile template ideas and how to use a template. Just click the link below and follow along for a breakdown of the different sections within a profile.

Download These Templates for Free

No matter the template, make sure your profile includes the following:

• Company name
• Established date
• Physical address per location
• Contact information

About Us / Our Story / Our Beginning

In this part of the company profile, you will need to include a brief introduction to your company, including where, when, and by whom the company was founded, the company‘s mission statement, and/or the company’s vision and purpose.

You don’t necessarily have to include products or services in this section yet, but focus on your bigger meaning and how you stand out from competitors instead. Tell your story in a compelling way.

For instance, HubSpot starts its About Us section with, “More than ten years ago, we had a vision — an inbound world.” HubSpot doesn’t mention its products until further down the page.

If you want to add your company history in a more compact way, consider adding a company timeline like this one:

Download This Template

Our Mission / Values

Here, you need to say what your company stands for on a larger scale. You can state your ultimate goal and your hopes for your products or services. Look at these inspiring company vision and mission statement examples for ideas. Here’s an example:

Download This Template.

Our Team

Provide a picture or brief paragraph describing your team. You can focus on leadership or explain your company’s culture. Ultimately, this section should help users understand how your employees can uniquely serve them.

Download This Template

Our Product / Services

Describe a high-level overview of what your product is and how you hope it will positively impact the user’s life. You can link to a Product page if necessary, so keep this section relatively general.

Company Profile Templates

1. Gold and White HubSpot Company Profile Template 

If you want a clean company profile with a pop of color, this template is what you’re looking for. It’s especially appropriate if your logo or company colors already include gold. 

Download this template.

2. Blue HubSpot Company Profile Template 

Maybe you want to keep things simple and minimal with a darker blue hue and a heavier focus on imagery. In that case, check out this company profile template, also available from HubSpot. 

Download this template.

3. Minimalist Geometric HubSpot Company Profile Template 

Are you a minimalist? Do you like rhombuses? If so, then you’ll enjoy HubSpot’s minimalist, geometric company profile template. 

Download this template.

4. HubSpot Company Profile Template 5

Cool colors, like the blue-green color featured in the template below, can encourage a calm energy. So, this template is an excellent choice if you want a calming energy associated with your company. 

Download this template.

5. Cream and Navy Blue HubSpot Company Profile Template

I just love a good minimalist template with aesthetically pleasing color pairings. I mean, who doesn’t?

Download this template.

6. Technology Company Profile Template 

This isn’t among the templates we offer, but I still love it because it’s visually interesting with the gradient graphics in the background, and it includes my favorite color—purple. 

Image source

7. Tangerine Company Profile Template

This template has a more eclectic color palette but utilizes shapes and blank spaces to keep the template from appearing too busy and distracting. 

Image source

8. Colorful Company Profile Template

If your company is in the creative industry and loves color, then this template could be a great representation of your business. 

Image source

9. Tiffany Startup Company Profile Template

I like this template a lot because the icons in the upper right corner include links to your company’s social media. 

Image source

10. Blue and White Minimalist Company Profile Template

Again, you can’t go wrong with minimalism and a pop of neutral blues. However, if you don’t like color and you want something a little brighter, you can just swap out the blue for your company colors. 

Image source

11. Yellow and Green Modern Company Profile Template

The checkerboard pattern adds a nice flare that guides your eyes down the page to the important content, such as your company name and contact information.

Image source

12. Orange White Modern Company Profile Template

Canva calls this orange and white, but that looks red to me. Either way, the template provides ample space for your logo, name, imagery, and information. 

Image source

Start Your Company Profile Today

And there you have it — everything you need to know about putting together a company profile. If you still need a little extra help, don’t forget to scroll up and click on the links to our templates.

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

I fully admit I’m terminally uncool. But as a marketer, I can’t let my lack of swag (rizz? drip?) be an excuse for being behind the times.

And with nearly 2 billion users, that means I’ve gotta get on Instagram.

Luckily, I’m surrounded by veteran marketers and social media experts who are teaching me how — and I’m going to pay it forward by sharing their insights with you.

Together, we’ll learn how to tell the Instagrammars from the Tikkity Toks. First, we’ll cover the basics: what Instagram is and what its purpose is. Then, we’ll dig into how to get started.

Along the way, I’ll share expert quotes and data-backed tips that’ll have you posting like a pro.

But I won’t be offended if you jump straight to the part you need:

• What is Instagram?
• What is the purpose of Instagram?
• How to sign up for Instagram
• How to use Instagram
• How to create an Instagram account
• How do Instagram notifications work?
• How to upload, edit, or post an image
• How to upload an image or video to Stories
• How to Follow on Instagram
• Can you connect Instagram to other social accounts?
• How to connect Instagram to Facebook
• Data-Backed Instagram Tips
• Instagram FAQs

Instagram — IG or Insta, for people cooler than me — was once a photo-sharing social platform.

Back then, “Do it for the ‘gram” was a common saying, which meant, essentially, “Do something fun/funny/risky so we can take a picture and post it to Instagram.”

Since then, Instagram has become a full-fledged visual platform, with a heavier emphasis on video. (And “Do it for the ‘gram” has apparently fallen out of style.)

If you’re not part of the one billion users on Instagram, you might want to reconsider. The app is a great chance to stay a part of friends’ lives. Plus, you can follow your favorite celebrities or political figures to see candid photos of their everyday lives.

For brands, it’s a phenomenal platform for connecting with your audience — for instance, Nike uses the Instagram Stories feature to promote inspirational athlete stories you won’t find anywhere else.

What is the purpose of Instagram?

“Personally, I use it to share select updates about my life with friends and family, share memes, and find inspiration for everything from recipes to fashion to travel,” says Emily Kearns, HubSpot’s Senior Manager of Brand Social.

Emily’s part of the team that blew up HubSpot’s LinkedIn presence by 84% in just six months, so I trust her word.

“It’s also increasingly used as a place to get news, learn about current events, and follow along in real-time for things like red carpets,” she adds.

For brands and marketers, the purpose is to get in front of millions of highly engaged viewers.

“Instagram presences are used to build and communicate a brand narrative and to connect with lovers of the brand,” Kearns says. “It can be used for a lot of things from driving awareness of a new product to driving conversions with specific targeted placements.”

But don’t think of it as simply blasting ads to passive viewers. Smart brands are creating legions of loyal fans who spread that love.

“There has been a huge shift recently where brands are focusing more on building a community through relatable and entertaining content,” says Reece Callaway, an Associate Manager on that same social dream team.

I was surprised and delighted by how easy it was to get started. Since I already had a Facebook account, signing up for IG only took a few clicks.

When you’re ready to sign up for Instagram, follow these steps below:

1. Go to the Instagram site on your desktop, or download the Instagram app from the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android).
2. If you’re on desktop, click “Log in with Facebook”, or fill in the form with your mobile number or email, name, username, and password. Then click “Sign up”.
3. On Android, click “Sign Up With Email or Phone Number”.
4. On iPhone, select “Sign Up”.
5. Enter your email address or phone number, then click “Next”. Alternatively, you can sign up with your Facebook account.
6. Once you’ve filled out your username and password, you will be instructed to fill out your profile info. Then, tap “Done”.
7. If you register with Facebook, you’ll need to log into your Facebook account if you’re currently logged out.

How to Use Instagram

As a user, you just start following accounts that post things that interest you. You can also post things you find interesting, and others will follow you. (I’ll show you how to do both in a minute.)

“I use it to show some of the cool trips and adventures I go on with my friends and family!” says Reece Callaway.

As a business, your job is to start consistently posting the type of engaging content that your ideal audience wants to see.

What exactly does that mean? That depends on your marketing goals…. and your audience.

To get a taste of different strategies, Callaway recommends checking out the accounts for Pretty Little Marketer, McLaren Racing, and Aesop skincare.

“They all understand their brand and what the users want from them,” she explains. “They nail it with every post in their own unique way.”

Instagram Navigation

Each time you open the app, you’ll be presented with a feed of content from the accounts you follow. On the bottom of your screen, you’ll find the main menu bar. Here’s what each of the icons mean and how to use them.

Home: The home button takes you to your main feed. It’s located on the far left and you can click it no matter where you are in the app.

Search: Pressing this magnifying glass button takes you to Instagram’s explore page where you can search accounts and hashtags. You can also browse content from accounts you don’t follow, but have been suggested based on your current likes and similar content you’ve viewed.

Reels: This clapperboard symbol is the reels icon. When you click it, you’ll be taken to the reels page where you can watch short-form content.

Messenger: The word bubble with a lightning bolt takes you to the messenger app. Here you can send messages, pics, and videos directly to other users. (If you’ve heard the phrase “sliding into DMs,” this is where you do that.)

Profile: This icon on the far right should be a small circle with your profile photo. Hitting this button directs you to your main profile page where you can see all of your posts, follower information and reels.

At the top right corner, you’ll see two more icons:

New Post: Pressing the “ + “ symbol in the center of the menu you can create a new post, story, reel, or go live.

Heart: The heart brings you to your notifications. Here, you’ll get a heads up about who is interacting with your content or account. We’ll get deeper into that a little later.

Now that you have a better understanding of the app’s interface, let’s look at how to create an Instagram profile.

How to Create an Instagram Account

Once you’ve downloaded the app and completed the signup process, it’s time to create a profile.

As you can see, I’ve still got to set up my profile. Knowing what to say about yourself or your brand can be intimidating, so you might be tempted to skip this step.

DON’T. SKIP. THIS. STEP.

“An IG page is oftentimes one of the first touch points for a consumer,” says Kearns. “So it’s critical that what they’re seeing reflects how you want your brand to be perceived. First impressions matter!”

Your Instagram profile acts as the main hub for all posts, reels, stories, and videos. This is also the space where you can access your settings and account information as well as keep track of your followers and those you’re following.

Note: If you have an Android, these instructions may vary slightly.

Add or Edit Your Profile Picture

1. Tap your profile picture on the top left to go to your profile.
2. Tap “Edit Profile.”
3. Tap “Change profile photo.”
4. Click “Upload Photo,” then select your picture to import.

Add a Bio

1. Click your profile picture on the left to go to your profile.
2. Click “Edit Profile” at the top of the screen, then click the text box next to “Bio.”
3. Write your bio.
4. Click “Submit” to save your changes.

Add a Website

Adding your online presence to your Instagram page, like your website or blog, can significantly boost your brand’s visibility and engagement.

1. Tap the profile symbol or your profile picture in the bottom right to go to your profile.
2. Tap “Edit Profile” at the top of the screen.
3. Tap “Links,” then tap “Add external link” to add the URL for your website.
4. Tap “Done.” You can also remove a link by tapping on the link and then tapping “Remove Link.”
5. Tap “Back” (<), then tap “Done” to save your changes.

If you plan on using Instagram for business, you’ll definitely want to make use of the bio and website sections to help potential customers learn more about your brand.

How do Instagram notifications work?

If you’re like me and get easily distracted (or overwhelmed) by social media, you’ll want to adjust your notifications so you only receive the info that you want.

For instance, you can choose to receive notifications when you get likes from anyone — or you might decide to only receive notifications when you get a like from someone you follow.

Or, like me, you might turn off notifications for likes altogether.

To give you a warning, there are a lot of categories of notifications.

Here’s an official list of what you might get pinged about:

• Likes and Comments on Photos of You
• Comments
• Comment Likes and Pins
• Comment Daily Digest
• First Posts and Stories
• Notes
• Add to Post Submissions
• Added to Post
• Mention Requests
• New Followers
• Accepted Follow Requests
• Account suggestions
• Mentions in Bio
• Message Requests
• Messages from Individual and Group Chats
• Message Reminders
• Group Requests
• Broadcast Channel Invites
• Broadcast Channel Messages
• Original Audio
• Remixes
• Live Videos
• Recently Uploaded Reels
• Most Watched Reels
• Add Yours
• Reels Made for You
• Your Fundraisers
• Fundraisers by Others
• Reminders
• Product Announcements & Feedback
• Support Requests
• Trending Places
• Birthdays

If you got bored and scrolled past all that, I get it. Me, too.

You can set any of those to “Off”, “From People I Follow”, or “From Everyone.”

Pro Tip for Users: A good idea is to start with “From Everyone” and then turn off the notifications that annoy you.

Pro Tip for Marketers: If you don’t want to sift through a jillion notifications a day, a social media management tool (like the one in Marketing Hub) will stop you from wanting to pull your hair out.

And, as an added bonus, the keyword monitoring feature means you’ll never miss a mention— even if it doesn’t hit your notifications.

To customize which notifications you receive, follow these steps:

1. Open up the Instagram app on your phone.

First up, open up the Instagram app on your mobile device. (You can also access Instagram on desktop if you prefer.)

Then, head to your profile by clicking the image of your profile picture on the bottom right.

2. Access “Settings.”

After you arrive at your profile, click on the gear icon in the top left corner.

3. Tap “Notifications.”

On the next screen, click “Notifications.”

From here, you can choose between your “Push notifications” and “Email notifications.”

Pro Tip: A “push notification” is a message that pops up in the app or on your phone.

4. Check off the notifications you want to receive.

Here, you’ll be able to change the notification settings for every category in that huge laundry list from above.

You also have the ability to pause all notifications by toggling the Pause All option up top.

The options will vary depending on category.

How to Upload, Edit, and Post an Image

Now, for the most important part of Instagram — how to upload and post an image.

Before you jump in: If you’re already familiar with Facebook or Twitter, you need to know that Instagram has a very different type of behavior and etiquette.

On Facebook, you might choose to post 100 photos on an album. On Instagram, you need to be choosier about which photos you post.

There are a few reasons for this — first, you don’t want to post more than once a day (typically). And second, you don’t want to post too many similar photos.

For instance, it would be odd for you to post fifty photos from the same beach vacation on IG. Instead, you might choose the best five or six, and place them all within the same post.

(These are called carousel posts, and they allow you to share multiple photos in one post only. Carousel posts are awesome for posting similar pictures in one package while keeping your overall profile aesthetic diverse.)

Curious about creating an aesthetic? To learn more about Instagram account themes and get inspiration, take a look at these Instagram themes. Additionally, if you want to embark on a deep-dive, you can take HubSpot’s Instagram Marketing Course.

Now that we’ve covered that, let’s explore how to upload, edit, and post an image.

1. Click the “+” icon at the top-right hand corner.

When you tap the “+” icon, you’ll be prompted to choose the type of post you want to share. Since we want to publish a post directly on our profile feed, tap “Post.”

2. Choose your media file.

Here, you have three options. You can look through your Photos library on your phone, you can take a new picture from right within Instagram, or you can take a new video. For our purposes, I looked through my Photos library and found a picture of Boston I wanted to use. Then, I clicked “Next” in the top right.

3. Add filters if desired.

There are two categories you can use to edit your image — “Filter” and “Edit”. Instagram automatically shows you filters first. You can scroll through the carousel and click any of the filters to apply it to your image.

Additionally, if you want to use a filter but you want to tone it down, double tap the filter and move the cursor to the left to lessen the intensity of the filter.

4. Edit your image if desired.

Next, click “Edit”. Here, you can adjust contrast, brightness, structure, warmth, and more. When you’re happy with your edited image, or if you don’t want to edit it at all, click “Next” in the top right.

5. Write a caption and toggle sharing settings.

Now, you can add a caption, tag people (you can only tag someone if they also have an Instagram account), and add a location. Additionally, click the button beside Facebook or another linked social media account to share your image on that platform, as well. When you’re ready to publish, click “Share” in the top right.

If you don’t want to use your app to post on Instagram, you can also do so from your computer. Learn how to post to Instagram from a Mac or PC here.

How to Upload an Image or Video to Your Stories

Instagram Stories is a feature that allows you to post videos or images that disappear after 24-hours.

Why would you want that? It can encourage highly engaged fans to keep returning to your IG page.

Its very similar to Snapchat in terms of content — users often post more casual and candid videos and images, offering glimpses into their every day lives.

For instance, on your normal feed, you might post a heavily-edited picture of yourself and friends at a baseball game. But you might post a more candid video to your Story of the stadium singing “Sweet Caroline”.

To learn how to upload an image or video to your Stories, follow these steps:

1. Tap your profile picture in the upper left-hand corner.

Alternatively, swipe right on your feed or tap the “+” button in the top navigation bar.

2. Capture or add your media.

Once you’re within the Stories feature, you can take a picture or video right from within the app. Alternatively, if you have an image saved to your phone that you’d like to use, you can choose it from your media library.

3. Add stickers or filters.

On the left-hand side, you have a few different editing features.

The “Create” button lets you add a location, hashtag, time, date, and other fun images or emojis to your picture.

The “Boomerang” option allows you to create a looping video. And the “Aa” icon is your text button. Once you click “Aa”, you have the option to change your font.

If you click the smiley face icon, you’ll see the following screen. Simply click on one of the icons to add them to your image. If you don’t like it, drag it to the bottom, and a trash can will appear so you can delete it.

For instance, I clicked the smiley face icon to add a poll to my image. You can also swipe to the left or right to add filters to your photo or video.

4. Publish your Story.

Once you’re happy with your content, you can either click the white arrow icon in the bottom right, which allows you to share your Story with everyone who follows you, or select “Close Friends” first, so that only your close friends see it.

Then you’re done! Your Story is immediately live.

How to Follow on Instagram

It’s incredibly easy to find and follow users. If you know who you want to follow, just use the search feature to look for celebrities, brands, or friends.

Or if you know what type of content you want to find, but aren’t sure who posts it, you can search for “tags.”

For instance, if you search “#familyrecipes” under tags, your results will include any images with that hashtag.

As you scroll, you might find someone who posts content you really like, and you can choose to follow them so their content appears on your feed.

I instantly fell in love with Dog.Derp.of.the.Day, so that was my second follow (after my wife.)

To follow someone, follow these three easy steps.

1. Click on the search icon at the bottom of your screen.

It looks like a magnifying glass and will be right next to the “Home” button.

2. Next, type in a person, brand, or topic.

For this example, because I love derpy dogs, I searched the topic “dog derps.”

Instagram allows you to either search all posts that contain combinations of those words, or “See all results” and see tags and places.

3. Tap the account you’re interested in following.

Once you’re on someone else’s account, you’ll see a blue “Follow” button at the top.

For public profiles, you can click and immediately begin following that account. However, if the profile is private, you may need to wait for them to accept you first.

Can you connect to Instagram to other social accounts?

Yes, you can connect Instagram to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.

Does that mean you can save time by pumping out the same content on every platform?

Uh… not so fast.

“In an ideal world, content across all of your brand’s individual social platforms are bespoke for different platforms to align with platform user behavior,” says Emily Kearns.

In other words, what works on Instagram might not land with a Threads audience. So what’s the point of connecting accounts?

“Connecting IG to other accounts allows for cross-promotion so a user can get a holistic view of how you’re presenting your brand differently across different channels,” Kearns explains.

“This helps users be able to follow your content wherever they go,” adds Callaway. “I constantly find myself switching between social apps throughout the day. Linking your other accounts to your IG can be a great way for users to find your brand on the other platforms they enjoy.”

How to Connect Instagram to Other Social Accounts

Since IG and Facebook are both Meta products, you can choose to automatically share your posts to both platforms at the same time. (I’ll show you how in just a moment.)

Otherwise, you’ll need to cross-post on a per-post basis.

Meta seems to change the process almost monthly, but here’s how you currently accomplish that:

1. Tap on your profile picture in the bottom right.

2. Tap the gear icon in the top left.

3. Tap “See more in Accounts Center”

4. Tap “Connected experiences”

5. Tap “Sharing across profiles”

6. Select the account you want to connect.

7. Select the account to “Share from” and then the account to “Share To”

8. Select the type of posts to automatically share.

Once you’ve connected your accounts for one post, you can then toggle the sharing options for any new posts without needing to sign in again.

If you connect Instagram to Facebook, you can share your Stories across both accounts. We talk more about how to do that below.

How to Connect Instagram to Facebook

Since Instagram and Facebook are owned by the same company (Meta) you can connect the two accounts for a more seamless experience.

Connecting your Instagram and Facebook accounts allows you to:

• Share Stories across both Instagram and Facebook
• Login with Facebook into Instagram
• Sync your profile name and picture across both profiles
• Use Facebook Pay on both platforms
• Access your shopping activity on both accounts

If you’re a frequent Facebook user, then connecting your account to your new Instagram profile is highly recommended.

Here’s how:

1. Open up your Instagram app.

2. Click on your profile picture on the bottom right-hand corner.

3. Click the hamburger menu on the top right-hand corner.

4. Tap “Settings.”

5. Under the Meta logo, tap “Accounts Center.”

6. Tap “Set up Accounts Center.”

7. Follow the prompts to log in into Facebook.

Done! Your two accounts are now connected. Here’s how it’ll look like once you’re finished:

Pro Tip: Some users report that automatically sharing IG content to FB can be buggy. For example, the background music might not transfer across both platforms.

You can get around this by sharing posts individually, instead of automatically.

And that’s it! You’re on your way to becoming a pro.

To take your account to the next level, here are some tips we’ve learned from our suvey of nearly 700 IG pros.

Data-Backed Instagram Tips

Here are four tips from a Q1 HubSpot Blog survey of nearly 700 global Instagram marketers:

• Timing is everything. Over 50% of marketers say that Friday is the best day for engagement. While you can post every day, save your best content for Friday.

• Pop those Tags. The majority of marketers used 10-15 hashtags on a given post. Be sure to choose tags that are relevant to your product, but also likely to be searched.

• Flaunt it if you got it. 36.9% of marketers report that showcasing products and services gets the most engagement out of their posts.Don’t be afraid to promote your products!

• Consider bang for your buck. While marketers overwhelmingly chose videos as the format that gets the most views and likes, it was standard image posts that got the most shares and comments. And given the high effort of making high-quality videos, 26% of marketers pointed to images as having the highest ROI.

Instagram FAQs

Can I get on Instagram without creating an account?

You can browse Instagram with limited functionality for a short time without an account.

After a while, you’ll be prompted to log in before you can continue.

What devices work with Instagram?

The Instagram app will work on any device with iOS, Android, or Windows 10. The Instagram website can be used from any device that can access the web.

What’s an Instagram handle?

An Instagram handle is your username. For businesses, this should be directly related to your brand name so that your customers can find you.

For example, HubSpot’s handle is simply @hubspot.

What’s an Influencer?

An influencer is anyone with an audience. Just like you would trust a friend’s recommendations, influencers can impact others’ opinions through their established relationship.

The larger their audience, the more valuable an influencer can be to a marketing campaign.

What’s an Instagram Reel?

A Reel is a short video shared on Instagram, typically between 15-90 seconds.

What’s an Instagram Story?

An Instagram Story is a photo or short video that disappears after 24 hours.

Using Instagram is Key for Growing Your Personal Brand

If you want to grow both professionally and personally, then using Instagram is more important than ever. You can start by observing first and learning about Instagram’s algorithm, then begin posting as you learn your way around the user interface. With over one billion users, Instagram is an extremely worthwhile social media platform to join — and it’s only set to keep growing as time goes on.

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

Graphic design has come a long way since I started in the arts nearly a decade and a half ago. Improvements in tools like Photoshop or my personal favorite, Procreate, from then to now have helped remove creative roadblocks and speed up the design process. Then, user-friendly design tools like Canva have made design more accessible to non-specialists.

Now, it’s 2024, and we find ourselves in the throes of the “AI revolution.” We’re met with a ton of AI tools for graphic design that promise to streamline our creative workflows and more. But is the juice really worth the squeeze with these tools? Today, we find out.

Table of Contents

• Why use AI for graphic design?
• How I Tested the Best AI Graphic Design Tools
• AI Tools for Graphic Design
• The Bottom Line on AI Tools for Graphic Design

Why use AI for graphic design?

From removing creative blocks to saving time, here are three reasons to consider adding AI to your graphic design process.

Remove Creative Blocks

One of the main benefits I’ve found by using AI is that it helps me remove creative blocks. So, when I’m writing and hit a wall, rather than staring at a blank screen, I might ask ChatGPT to generate an example use case for something. Even if the text it generates is clunky and unusable, it at least gives me a starting point.

When it comes to design, specifically, the same goes for something like color pairing. Without AI assistance or pre-created palettes, I struggle to choose more than one color for a design. (As you’ll see later, a specific AI tool for graphic design can help remove that creative block.)

Creative Experimentation

As an Illustration graduate who specialized in printmaking, I can tell you first-hand that creative experimentation in real life gets messy.

Not only is the process often messy, but it can take up a lot of space. Before you know it, multiple physical versions of your experimentations are mounting up, and the next issue is where to store them.

Aside from that, non-digital creative experimentation is often riskier. Without the faithful “Ctrl Z” or equivalent at your disposal, you’re always one move away from ruining a design. The crux? It’s enough to put you off even trying, and that’s not good for business.

But I’m not just some random ex-art grad on a soap box lecturing you about creative expression without just cause. I’m also a business owner shouting from the rooftops about one key fact: Experimentation is the driving force behind innovation. So, the more you can encourage it in yourself and, if relevant, your organization, the better.

Save Yourself Time

There’s a reason 95% of professionals using AI say it helps them spend less time on manual tasks. And a further 83% say it helps them focus on the creative aspects of their role.

Through automation, AI can help you simplify your creative workflow, be it through bulk edits or generating designs in a few prompts. Also, by removing creative blocks and providing a way to experiment at speed, you can get from a concept to a final design much quicker.

That said, there’s something magical about creating a physical piece that you can hold in your hands. And without all those years spent in the print room or experimenting with different mediums — from textiles to gloopy oil paints — I don’t think I’d understand how to use AI to achieve my desired outcome.

How I Tested the Best AI Graphic Design Tools

I tested each tool against the following criteria:

• Price. I wanted to know if you could get started with the tool for free. (As a side note, it’s worth exploring how much it will cost you to actually download and use the end product for commercial purposes.)
• Ease of use. I wanted to test how intuitive and user-friendly the design platform was.
• Design capabilities. I wanted to know how broad each tool’s design capabilities were. More specifically, I tried to understand whether the tools’ AI elements were overhyped or genuinely helpful.
• Licenses and copyright. I wanted to know if you could use the end products commercially. Bonus points if the companies behind the tools actively protect people from potential legal action after using designs created through the platform.
• Ethics. As a creative, I was curious about how each company trained the AI models. I personally would prefer not to use a tool that didn’t work with creatives fairly or didn’t openly state how it trained the models.

AI Tools for Graphic Design

I road-tested six tools for graphic design. Here’s what I found.

1. Adobe Firefly

Adobe Firefly is a generative machine-learning model specifically for design. You can get it as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud within the Photoshop (beta) app or as a stand-alone tool.

A popular use case for Adobe Firefly is to “create stunning, life-like images.” However, you can also use the tool for AI photo editing (i.e., changing backgrounds and removing unwanted elements from your images).

I decided to try the stand-alone tool for generating images from scratch. For context, remember what I said earlier about having an Illustration degree and spending a lot of time in a printmaking studio. So, I’d definitely say my bias is toward the more painterly/illustrative side of graphic design.

My prompt: “A simple black outline of a mountain drawn in the style of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings drawings colored with random splotches of drawing ink in magenta, blue, purple, and gold.”

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I was actually quite impressed with the output, especially considering I only prompted the tool and didn’t configure any of the settings initially.

But how does Adobe Firefly stack up when you get more specific with the settings? I headed to the General settings section and chose Art as the content type to find out.

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In my opinion, the setting change didn’t make that much difference to the output. But that could be because the original prompt was biased towards an “art” type of output anyway.

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As a further experiment, I also adjusted the prompt to bring more whitespace into the mountain portion of the design. Adobe Firefly interpreted that as more whitespace, in general, rather than in the mountain section itself. Long story short, that didn’t work out as I envisioned, so I ditched that portion of the prompt.

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After that, I experimented with the Color and tone setting, choosing Golden. I didn’t expect much from this setting change, but I actuallyloved this output.

I could create something similar digitally using Procreate, which would take some time. Or I could make something like this by hand using either woodcut/block or lino printing, which would take hours, maybe even days, depending on the complexity of the design.

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I will say that with something like this (personal work), it’s often about the journey as much as the destination. And even though it took mere seconds to produce, it wasn’t as fun to create this digitally as it would’ve been by using traditional printing or even with biro and drawing ink.

What I like: Adobe Firefly first piqued my interest in 2023 when Sarah Rogers, a Contributing Artist at Cricut, posted about the tool on LinkedIn.

Best for: Individual graphic designers, design teams, students, students and teachers. And anyone looking to improve their design skills using a responsible AI tool.

Pricing: Get started for free.

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I’d followed Sarah’s thoughtful LinkedIn posts about AI for a while. And we both seemed to have a similar mindset regarding its use within creative endeavors. I don’t want to speak for Sarah, but as for me, here’s my mindset:

• Yes, you might be able to speed up your creative process with AI — if you know how to use it.
• No, you shouldn’t fire all of your creative team and replace them with AI.
• And yes, you should keep a healthy level of skepticism regarding the application of AI within your business. (A healthy level of skepticism, specifically about the output of the tools, legal issues like licensing, and how the models are trained.)

So, what caught my eye the most about Sarah’s endorsement of Adobe Firefly was that Adobe is, seemingly at least, acting responsibly in this space.

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They’re arguably the most responsible folks in the design tool world regarding AI. That makes me feel more confident about any potential licensing issues and that “no creatives were harmed” in training the models.

2. Canva

Canva is a free online graphic design tool. You can use it to create a range of designs, such as social media posts, logos, and presentations.

Canva has integrated AI into its platform in several different ways, including Magic Design, a text-to-image generator, and Magic Studio, which includes AI-driven photo editing features and text-to-video generation.

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These days, I mostly use Canva to make (some might say, hilarious) memes for my LinkedIn. However, I used the tool a lot when I offered social media marketing services, so I wanted to use Magic Studio to create a social media image.

I started with a time-saving social media template — an Instagram post specifically.

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I chose Cream Minimalist New Collection Instagram Post by Kinley Creative.

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I wanted to customize the image, so I uploaded a picture of some of my own artwork.

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I also wanted to upload a font I’d recently downloaded from Type Colony. (This is TC Kuareen if you’re interested.)

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To upload the font, I clicked on the “new collection” templated text, selected the font drop-down menu, and clicked “Upload a font.”

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Once I’d come this far, I realized I’d not used any AI features. So my next task was to try to find some. But, try as I might, I could only find two noticeable AI features within the image editor.

One of them was “Magic Write.” I could see that being helpful for designers or business owners who need help writing copy. That said, if you don’t know how to use AI well, it’s no replacement for working with a trained copywriter. Of course, the same goes for design.

The other AI feature was “Translate.” Once again, I could see this being helpful. However, like copy and design, AI translation is no replacement for having an actual translator to safeguard against translation mishaps.

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This could be my misunderstanding of the tool, but I found it hard to see a specific AI use case for social media graphic creation.

But I think the tool could be really handy for AI image editing. For example, the “Magic Eraser” edit feature gets rid of unwanted design elements, and “Magic Edit” adds to, replaces, or edits an image in a few clicks.

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What I like: Canva is really user-friendly. I feel like people with varying levels of design knowledge, and even those with little experience using design tools could use it.

What I like: Canva is really user-friendly. I feel like people with varying levels of design knowledge, and even those with little experience using design tools could use it.

I also like that the platform has introduced an “industry-leading collection of robust trust, safety, and privacy tools” through Canva Shield. It seems like Canva is also safeguarding against intellectual property claims for Enterprise customers. Plus, they’re compensating Canva creatives for their work through an AI royalty program.

Best for: Individual graphic designers, design teams, and small to enterprise businesses.

Pricing: Get started for free.

3. Designs.ai

Designs.ai is an integrated Agency-as-a-Service platform powered by AI technology. It’s a one-stop shop for everything from logo design to social media and image generation. You can even convert text to speech for voice-over content.

I tried creating a social media image to see how Designs.ai compares to Canva, mainly because I wanted to know if the AI aspects of this tool were more prominent.

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My first thought was that if you’ve used Canva before, it won’t take you long to get to grips with the layout for this section of the tool. But even if you haven’t, the Designs.ai platform is straightforward and intuitive. I can see most people being able to pick up this tool and run with it to some degree.

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At first glance, the social media section is very similar to Canva in terms of picking templates to customize based on the channel (Facebook, Instagram, etc.). So, it’s pretty standard stuff, really. The “Wizard” option, however, caught my eye.

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The default format is “Business Card,” but you can choose from different options, such as “Quotes,” “Product Listings,” and “YouTube Thumbnail.” I picked “Instagram Post” to compare the results to Canva.

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In addition to the different design format options, you can also choose from predetermined categories like “Events & Celebrations,” “Business, Legal & Finance,” and “Animal & Pet.” I selected “Art, Design & Inspiration.”

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As a side note, I had to sign up/sign in to upload my own title image. But I did everything until that point via the website without signing up for the platform.

After inputting the design variables, I hit Generate. The options the tool spat out weren’t standout designs, but they were better than I expected — a pleasant surprise!

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Next, I selected one of the suggested designs to see what the image editor was like. As with much of Designs.ai, the layout is similar to Canva.

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For the sake of continuity, I could’ve missed something, but unlike Canva, as far as I’m aware, you can’t upload your own fonts to Designs.ai.

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Overall, I found the platform easy to navigate and use. That said, I don’t think this would serve your needs if you wanted to create complex designs. I also couldn’t find any information about how Designs.ai trained its models, so I’m wary of that aspect.

There is information about licensing, though. Generally, “finished projects made with our creative AI tools can be distributed to promote and advertise your business.” Still, there are specific Do’s and Don’tssegmented by each aspect of the tool (Logo, Social Media, Video, etc.) that you might want to pay attention to.

What I like: In terms of AI, Designs.ai goes a step beyond Canva. I can also see the “Bulk Edit” function coming in handy if you want to automate mass edits.

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Best for: Small businesses at the start of their journey who don’t have the budget for a designer. Individual graphic designers or design teams specializing in holistic marketing.

Pricing: Get started for free.

4. AutoDraw

AutoDraw is an AI tool that combines machine learning and drawings from artists. You can use the tool to “draw stuff fast.” In terms of graphic design use cases, you could use AutoDraw to make learning materials and custom graphics. And for any design that requires a quick outline, I can see Autodraw speeding up the process.

A warning: I don’t have my graphics tablet set up. So everything you’re about to witness — hilarious though it may be — was done with just a mouse. I’m guessing the tool’s capabilities are far greater with a tablet or a stylus at hand. However, without giving too much away, it proves that you can input a terrible drawing into AutoDraw and get something better back.

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I decided to keep things simple with a good old smiley face. First, I used the “Shape” tool to create a circle outline, and then I used “AutoDraw” for the eyes and nose. As you can see, the AutoDraw elements inputted by me are … lacking finesse, shall we say.

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But that’s not a problem. The “Do you mean” section on the top toolbar gives various options to finesse your drawing. So even if your attempt to draw a smiley face with just a mouse didn’t turn out so well, one click on a smiley face up top, and you’re golden.

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As you can see the smiley face is now a little less unbearable to behold. Next I used Select to select and then delete the initial circle shape I added. (It turned out to be unnecessary.) Et voila! A shiny happy clipart style person laughing … or something.

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Regarding training the models, Google used “the same technology to guess what you’re trying to draw,” as Quick, Draw!, which relied upon “artists, designers, illustrators, and friends of Google” to add drawings to the doodling data set.

I doubt the artists were compensated for their work. Still, at least they shared designs willingly rather than having them scraped by AI without their consent.

What I like: I really like that the tool is simple to use, free, and, let’s be honest, fun! However, it wouldn’t be ideal for complex design work. That said, if you don’t have a lot of time and need to visualize an idea quickly, AutoDraw can help.

Best for: Anyone who needs to convey ideas and concepts at speed.

Pricing: Get started for free.

5. Khroma

Khroma is an AI graphic design tool that helps you match your favorite colors into a series of palettes. The tool also blocks the colors you don’t like, so they’ll never find their way into your palettes.

I love that this tool is so specialized for a specific purpose. And I can see this being a big time saver if you struggle with color pairing like me.

For context, I can pick a few colors that I like, no problem. But I’m not always confident they go together and can get lost in analysis paralysis. As a result, I tend to buy pre-made color palettes for my go-to illustrative tool, Procreate.

After I clicked Generate, I was prompted to choose 50 colors “to train a color generator algorithm” personalized to me. I dove right in and picked the colors that stood out to me at a glance.

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As I picked the colors, the “likes to go” section counted how many colors I still had to choose. The color bar also started filling up with the ones I’d selected so far.

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After picking my 50 colors, I hit Start Training.

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Then, the results came in. The layout for the color pairings is beautiful, and I see a lot of potential in this tool.

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Another interesting element of Khroma is that you can visualize your color pairings in different ways, including “Type” (the view above) and “Gradient” (the view below). You can also see how your color choices look as posters, images, and within broader color palettes.

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Since Khroma helps you pair colors already in existence, I can’t see it being exploitative to creators or needing specific licenses for commercial use. But I can’t say that for certain, so do your due diligence.

What I like: When you click the information icon against each color pairing, Khroma provides you with the color codes. That will be such a time saver if you want to color match in another design tool.

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Best for: Individual designers and design teams looking to save time on color selection and pairing.

Pricing: Get started for free.

6. Looka

Looka is a platform specifically for logo and brand design. It uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to create designs based on your input.

I started my test by entering an example company name and clicking Get started. From then on, Looka took me through a series of steps to help me create a logo.

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The first step was to pick my industry. As you can see, there is a range of sectors to choose from.

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I was then prompted to select some logos I liked, followed by some colors.

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The following steps were to add a company name (again, for some reason?) accompanied by a slogan and then to choose some symbol types.

An observation: I liked that Looka gave me notes about my company name and slogan choices as I inputted them. This could be handy advice for beginners. Plus, you can also pick your own symbols if you want to be more hands-on with the design.

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After that, Looka generated a few different logos for me. While they were competent logos, they were too “out of the box” for me and lacked the creative flair needed for brand differentiation. That said, I didn’t go too deep into customizing the logo.

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This tool shines more in the presentation of the designs than in the designs themselves. For example, I like that Looka provides design mock-ups so you can see how your logo will look on a business card, website, social media, and more.

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I couldn’t find any specifics about how Looka trained its AI models, but they at least address the potential negative impact on human designers here:

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In terms of licensing and copyright, Looka says:

“You may not use any of Looka’s End Products outside of the Site, whether for commercial or personal use, without paying all applicable and respective Fees in advance. This includes both digital and physical use of the End Products.”

What I like: Overall, the platform is intuitive and easy to use. I like that Looka doesn’t use templates; rather, it generates each design based on your specific input. There is also a wide range of font, layout, and color options.

Best for: New businesses without the budget to work with a designer. Individual designers and design teams working specifically in branding.

Pricing: Get started for free.

Looking to pair your designs with AI-powered text? Get started with HubSpot AI today.

The Bottom Line on AI Tools for Graphic Design

Let’s be honest: A tool is only as good as the person wielding it. So, if you don’t know much about graphic design concepts to begin with, it’s unlikely you’ll create a brand-differentiating end product. However, if you know your way around your colors, typography, alignment, visual hierarchy, balance, and the rest, AI can speed up your creative process.

Personally, I loved testing out Adobe Firefly. The end output exceeded that sterile “out of the box” template, which feels common with other tools. I also liked that you could create something painterly in style.

Plus, I love Adobe’s ethical approach to using AI. They are working with creatives to train their models responsibly and protecting product users against potential licensing and legal issues.

The first time I was assigned to write a budget proposal, I stared anxiously at a blank spreadsheet, wondering where to begin. What was a budget proposal supposed to include? Was there a specific structure to follow? How could I ensure it met all the necessary criteria?

My early attempts at writing a proposal taught me the challenges of building a convincing plan that turns rough ideas into fundable projects. I had to learn to align proposal details with business objectives and articulate the potential benefits in a way that resonated with stakeholders.

It was an overwhelming task at times — but with a strategic approach and a bit of guidance, my ability to synthesize financial data and communicate value gradually became second nature.

In this article, I’ll guide you through how to write a simple budget proposal that delights your audience and secures funding. I’ll also provide practical tips, templates, and sample projects to streamline your planning process.

So, let’s get started.

Table of Contents

• What is a budget proposal, and why is it important?
• The Anatomy of a Budget Proposal
• How to Create a Simple Budget Proposal
• Building My Own Basic Budget Proposal
• 8 Budget Proposal Best Practices

What is a budget proposal, and why is it important?

A budget proposal outlines the financial plans for a project or initiative, detailing the expected costs and resources needed for successful completion.

Budget proposals also show potential funders or stakeholders how their money will be spent and the tangible benefits their investment will achieve.

While the content of your budget proposal will change depending on your project’s parameters and specific goals, a well-crafted plan leads to benefits like:

• Stakeholder buy-in. Providing a transparent breakdown of anticipated expenses instills confidence and trust, encouraging stakeholder support or investment.
• Efficient resource usage. Outlining a clear resource allocation plan ensures that funds are directed to the areas where they are needed most.
• Risk mitigation. Applying a risk management framework helps proactively identify potential costs and contingencies, ensuring that the project remains on track and within budget constraints.
• Project tracking. Identifying key project milestones and benchmarks promotes informed decision-making, maintaining efficient and agile progress.

The Anatomy of a Budget Proposal

Before you begin drafting your budget proposal, it’s helpful to first familiarize yourself with its key components and overarching structure.

Knowing which strategic points to emphasize — and the order in which to present them — improves your ability to create a logical and compelling argument, while also ensuring you effectively communicate your project’s feasibility.

So, let’s examine five critical sections found in every effective budget proposal, drawing on the structure used in Hubspot’s Free Budget Proposal Template.

Free Budget Proposal Template

About the Project

The first section of the proposal lays the foundation of your proposal, detailing the purpose, significance, and intended impact of your project.

It serves to introduce stakeholders to the scope and goals of your initiative, highlighting its value and necessity.

Timeline

A project timeline outlines your proposed schedule from start to finish, providing a clear roadmap of phases and milestones. It helps stakeholders understand the duration of the project and key deliverables at each stage.

Cost Information

This section itemizes the individual expenses associated with the project. It also breaks down costs into categories such as labor, materials, and equipment to provide a transparent view of how funds will be allocated.

Pro tip: If you’re unsure how to approach cost analysis, begin by analyzing past campaigns and other historical data to understand what worked — and what didn’t. This data-driven approach ensures your budget allocations are justified, even if it’s a new or experimental campaign.

Cost Summary

This part of the proposal consolidates all the detailed cost elements into a total funding request. It summarizes the financial needs of the project, presenting the total amount you are asking from stakeholders in a clear and concise manner.

Conclusion

The closing section serves as a final pitch to your funders. It reiterates the project’s benefits and the importance of the requested funding, urging stakeholders to take action and support the initiative.

How to Create a Simple Budget Proposal

Now that we have a big-picture overview of the five essential components of building a budget proposal, I’ll explore how I practically apply them to build out a proposal.

Step 1. Define your project goals.

When I make a budget, I start my proposal by defining the specific objectives and expected outcomes of your project.

This step is crucial for setting the tone for the entire proposal by immediately conveying to stakeholders the significance and feasibility of my project.

It also helps build a compelling case for why the project deserves funding, by aligning my goals with the tangible benefits for stakeholders.

How I define project goals:

• Identifying my target audience. I describe the direct improvements my project will bring to particular groups, clients, or customers.
• Outlining measurable outcomes. I specify clear, quantifiable goals that illustrate what the project aims to achieve.
• Clarifying the project’s purpose. I highlight its importance in the broader context of the business, detailing the strategic value and potential long-term benefits.

Step 2. Build your project timeline.

I try to establish a project timeline early on by identifying the sequence of events needed to reach completion. This step is crucial to align all team members and stakeholders on the planned progression of activities and schedules.

How to I build my project timeline:

• Defining key milestones. I identify major milestones that mark significant phases of the project, such as the completion of the design phase or the first prototype.
• Detailing critical deadlines. I set deadlines that must be met to keep the project on track, such as funding application deadlines or regulatory approval dates.
• Sharing necessary checkpoints. I define phases in the timeline where assessments or evaluations are required to proceed to the next phase.

Pro tip: Ensure your project timeline includes buffer periods between major milestones. This flexibility helps accommodate potential delays or adjustments without derailing the overall project schedule.

Download this project timeline template for free.

Step 3. Estimate your costs.

I detail the financial requirements of my project by categorizing and explaining each type of cost.

This breakdown gives stakeholders an overview of how funds will be allocated, sharpening the project’s financial viability and operational efficiency.

How I estimate my costs:

• Categorizing expenses. I break down costs into categories like labor, materials, equipment, and overhead, explaining each in relation to the project’s needs.
• Quantifying each category. I provide estimates for each cost category, detailing how these figures were derived from data or market research.
• Highlighting cost efficiency. I demonstrate how each expense contributes to the project efficiently, maximizing resource utilization and cost-effectiveness.

Pro tip: Streamline your cost analysis with Hubspot’s Free Budget Templates. With eight different templates to choose from, you can easily monitor your monthly, quarterly, and yearly campaign spending, keeping your team aligned — and within budget.

Step 4. Create a cost summary.

I summarize the financial aspects of my project, consolidating the detailed costs into a clear total.

This overview helps stakeholders quickly grasp the total financial scope and the rationale behind the funding request, improving the proposal’s credibility and clarity.

How I create a cost summary:

• Aggregating total costs. I combine all individual expenses and present them in a unified, total project budget.
• Justifying the investment. I detail how the total expenditure aligns with expected project returns or benefits, illustrating the financial feasibility.
• Detailing funding requirements. I specify the required funding amount and provide clear explanations for these financial needs to assure stakeholders of the necessity and strategic thought behind the request.

Step 5. Reiterate your argument.

I always conclude my proposal text by reinforcing the project’s value and motivating stakeholders to take action.

This ending serves to emphasize the project’s significance, alignment with stakeholder goals, and the strategic benefits it offers, providing a solid basis for funding approval.

How I reiterate my argument:

• Restating project benefits. I summarize the key benefits of the project, emphasizing how it aligns with the stakeholders’ interests.
• Highlighting impact and readiness. I showcase the project’s potential impact and readiness for implementation, stressing any competitive advantages.
• Making a call-to-action. I provide a clear next step for stakeholders to take, whether it’s setting up a meeting, reviewing further documentation, or approving funding.

Pro tip: Compelling budget proposals go hand-in-hand with strong business proposals. Use Hubspot’s Free Business Proposal Templates to seamlessly merge financial planning with strategic business objectives, ensuring a comprehensive and compelling pitch for your next project.

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Step 6. Review, edit, and submit.

Finally, I review all sections of my proposal for accuracy and clarity before submitting it for approval or consideration. This step ensures that my document is free from errors and aligns with the funding objectives.

How I review and edit my proposals:

• Asking for feedback. I ask for input from colleagues to identify what is working in the proposal — and what may require revision.
• Proofreading. I thoroughly re-read the document to catch grammatical errors and ensure that the language is professional and precise. Sometimes, I even read the document out loud to make sure it sounds coherent.
• Following submission guidelines. I always make sure to adhere to the specific submission guidelines, such as format, deadline, and method of submission.

Building My Own Basic Budget Proposal

Using HubSpot’s Budget Template, I developed a basic marketing campaign proposal for how my company could leverage social media influencers to promote our product’s new language availability options.

I started by honing in on the project scope and identifying the target audience — French, German, and Spanish speakers — focusing on how we can enhance accessibility and expand our market reach.

I also paid special attention to describing the strategic value of influencers in gaining traction within these key audience groups, ensuring our approach was both effective and culturally authentic.

Then, in the Key Stakeholders section, I detailed the roles of everyone involved, like the social media manager and community managers, ensuring clarity on each person‘s responsibilities.

This was crucial for aligning our internal teams with the campaign’s objectives.

For the Timeline and Budget sections, I broke down the campaign into phases, specifying activities and dates to ensure a structured approach.

I then estimated costs, breaking them down into specific elements like influencer fees, content production, and paid advertising. This is critical for providing a clear picture of the financial resources needed to avoid over- or under-budgeting.

Finally, for the conclusion, I condensed our campaign’s goals and the strategic importance of the requested funding into a compelling call-to-action.

My goal was to craft a narrative that not only informed — but also motivated our stakeholders to support the initiative.

I then shared the proposal with two of my colleagues for feedback, applied their notes, and submitted it to my manager for review and approval.

8 Budget Proposal Best Practices

Crafting an effective budget proposal demands practice and precision. Here are eight best practices to get you started on the right foot.

1. Engage stakeholders early.

Get relevant stakeholders involved in the budgeting process as early as possible.

For example, I may loop in department heads, finance staff, and other key decision-makers. Soliciting their input and buy-in can lead to a more collaborative (and therefore successful) budget proposal.

I reached out to Kaitlin Milliken, a senior program manager at HubSpot, to get her take on building budgets at the company.

“My manager and I keep track of our annual budgeting cycle, so I can earmark the time to create any budgeting documents for the next fiscal year,” Milliken says. “By making sure I work with her and our accounting team early, I can resolve issues before deadlines loom.”

2. Understand the scale of operation.

The size of the company you’re working with significantly influences the scope and detail of your budget proposal.

If you’re at a smaller business, stakeholders may wish to see a proposal focused on agility, directing funds towards critical growth areas like product development and market entry strategies.

In contrast, larger businesses might be more interested in expanding existing successful initiatives — or more open to testing new ideas.

3. Know your audience.

Tailor your proposal to the audience who will review it. If it‘s for senior management, focus on high-level summaries and strategic goals. If it’s for a finance committee, offer additional financial analysis.

“Most of my budget asks go to our senior director or VP. I know they’re busy and want the perfect balance — enough context to understand the ask in a format that’s quick to read,” Milliken says. “Because I know my audience is tight on time, I make sure to include easy-to-skim charts and tables.”

4. Balance needs and wants.

Aim for a balanced approach that addresses both essential needs and aspirational wants, so that you’re prioritizing critical investments, while also considering opportunities for innovation.

Pro tip: Implement a structured prioritization framework, such as the MoSCoW method, to systematically distinguish between essential needs and discretionary wants, optimizing resource allocation for maximum impact.

5. Think about long-term implications.

Especially in the beginning stages of your proposal, think beyond the immediate fiscal year and consider the long-term implications of your budget decisions.

Anticipate how your proposed allocations may impact future budgets, operational sustainability, and organizational development.

For more context, I asked Kaitlin Milliken about how she thinks about the budget for her program.

“I make assignments to freelance writers. When I ask for budget, I always make sure that I’m realistic about how much we can spend,” she says. “If I ask for too much and can’t spend it, we may limit what we can ask for in years to come. That’s a huge long-term implication.”

6. Consider multiple scenarios.

Similarly, try presenting alternative scenarios or contingency plans to account for potential risks or changes in circumstances.

This shows flexibility and preparedness. Milliken notes that she spent time in startups prior to working at HubSpot. In the past, when making budget proposals, she’s created three scenarios:

• The first is the bare minimum amount of budget a project would require. This may put strain on the team, but anything under this number would be impressive.
• The ideal and realistic amount a project will cost. “This is the amount I will need to comfortably accomplish the project with a limited number of nice-to-haves,” she says.
• A stretch budget. “This budget would allow me to run experiments and test new tools when working on a project,” she notes.
• “With these three numbers in mind, I could pivot and refine my budget request based on what’s available to spend,” Milliken says.

7. Build a story.

Weave in a strong storytelling narrative that provides context, explains assumptions, and addresses any potential concerns or questions. This adds depth to your proposal and helps guide readers through the document.

Pro tip: Incorporate data visualization techniques, such as graphs or infographics, to complement your narrative and enhance the clarity and persuasiveness of your budget proposal.

8. Review, Review, Review

Before finalizing your budget proposal, carefully review it for consistency and completeness. Consider seeking feedback from colleagues or mentors to ensure it’s polished and persuasive.

Perfecting Your Budget Proposal

Crafting a clear and effective budget proposal is an indispensable skill that will dramatically increase your project’s likelihood of securing necessary funding.

By integrating the best practices and strategic steps outlined in this article, you’ll position yourself to clearly present your financial needs — and your overall project vision. Good luck!

I ran a survey in early May 2024 where I asked consumers if they thought brands should practice social responsibility — 90% said yes.

Consumers want brands to make a difference, meaning they care about corporate social responsibility. In this post, I’ll discuss:

• Types of Corporate Social Responsibility
• How can brands be socially responsible?
• Corporate Social Responsibility Examples
• 14 Socially Responsible Brands
• Corporate Social Responsibility Trends

Types of Corporate Social Responsiblity

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is companies showing care for society and the planet in addition to how much care is shown for their profits and bottom line. It’s corporations making decisions that leave a positive footprint through thoughtful practices and initiatives.

There are four main types of CSR: environmental, philanthropic, human rights and ethics, and economic.

1. Environmental Responsibility

Environmental CSR is when businesses champion environmentally friendly practices, like ensuring physical products are produced sustainably or with sustainable materials, offsetting harmful emissions, and using renewable energy.

2. Philanthropic Responsibility

Philanthropic CSR is charity-based, whether through charitable giving, partnering with charitable organizations, or even creating separate charitable wings of a business. The overall goal of this type of CSR is to better the surrounding world and specific communities.

3. Human Rights and Ethical Responsibility

Human rights and ethical CSR involve practices supporting human rights, such as fair treatment of anyone involved with the business (suppliers, customers, etc.) and following fair trade principles like production methods that don’t rely on slavery and child labor.

4. Economic Responsibility

Economic CSR combines the three types I mentioned above. If a brand says it’s committed to human rights, environmentalism, and philanthropy, its financial investments reflect that. For example, if a brand says it’s working to offset its carbon footprint, its spending would show that it’s committed to environmentalism.

Corporate Social Responsibility Examples

Now, I’ll review some examples of corporate social responsibility in action to give you a sense of what it looks like.

• Texas Instruments teamed up with Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas to give girls graphing calculators and introduce them to coding basics, introducing them to a traditionally male-dominated field.
• Outfitter Toms donates a third of its profits to charitable causes, like nonprofits that provide mental health resources, and partners with organizations that offer sustainable materials for product production.
• HubSpot has committed to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, taking actions like making office buildings sustainable with renewable energy and educating us employees about how we can reduce our carbon footprint.

How can brands be socially responsible?

Early 2020 brought many businesses to a reckoning regarding social responsibility as social justice issues were at the forefront of conversation.

Consumer interest hasn’t died out, as 50% of U.S. adults who responded to our 2024 Consumer Trends Report said brands should do more when it comes to social advocacy.

There are so many ways to practice CSR, so a brand’s actions will depend on what’s possible for their business. For example, a smaller company might not have the funds to donate revenue to charity, so it partners with local organizations and encourages employees to volunteer.

That said, there are some standard ways to be socially responsible depending on the causes brands are interested in. For example, brands committed to ethical practices and human rights might:

• Ensure employees have a safe work environment and are paid a living wage
• Have product production and supply chain practices that don’t use child labor or forced labor
• Provide healthcare, wellness programs, and childcare support for employees

Philanthropic brands might do charitable giving with donation matching campaigns, give back to their local communities, or create opportunities to volunteer.

I also don’t think you have to choose one type of CSR over the other, especially considering they’re all related. For example, if you’re committed to racial justice, you could partner with local organizations committed to the cause (philanthropy), contract with vendors who share the same commitments (economic CSR), and make sure all of your employees can feel seen, heard, and uplifted at work (human rights and ethics).

Let’s look at some examples of brands that exemplify social responsibility to give you some inspiration.

14 Socially Responsible Brands

1. Back Market

Back Market combats the tons of waste produced by electronic devices by refurbishing used electronics and selling them to consumers. The business encourages consumers to trade in their used electronics for cash instead of throwing them away and also provides an eco-friendly alternative to those looking to buy.

2. Warby Parker

Warby Parker is famous for its at-home try-on program, where customers can try glasses frames at home before committing to a purchase.

I think its Warby Parker Impact Foundation is a great example of philanthropic CSR, as it works with nonprofits and local community groups to increase access to vision care for adults and children typically underserved for this type of care.

Its Buy a Pair, Give a Pair program also donates one pair of glasses per pair bought and, to date, has distributed over 15 million glasses.

3. Ben & Jerry’s

Ben & Jerry’s is famous for taking a stand on global issues like refugee rights, LGBTQ+ rights, climate justice, voting rights — the list goes on.

To raise awareness for these issues, it partners with nonprofits to build support with its customers, and the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation regularly funds businesses in Vermont (its home state) and around the country that work to facilitate social change.

4. Patagonia

Patagonia is known for its environmentalist practices, like supporting grassroots activists through funding. Its Worn Wear program encourages customers to give their used Patagonia clothing back to the business to be refurbished and resold instead of throwing it away, and Patagonia Provisions makes and sells organic foods that ensure healthy soil, are cultivated under ethical employee conditions, and fair and humane treatment of animals.

5. Alaffia

Olowo-n’djo Tchala, Togolese native, founded Alaffia in 2003 with the goal of lifting the country out of poverty. Its cosmetic products are all made by Togolese women, which brings jobs to the local community. It also partners with the Global Alliance for Community Empowerment (GACE) to support Ghanaian and Togolese people by offering maternal care and health education, building schoolhouses for children, and investing in fair trade.

6. IKEA

IKEA is dedicated to environmentalism with its plans to use only sustainable materials and recycled or renewable plastic by 2030. The IKEA Foundation also works with NGOs to create employment and entrepreneurship programs and funds environmental ventures around the world, like renewable energy projects.

7. Merit and FATE

This is a unique social enterprise, as Merit and FATE are separate businesses that support each other. Merit is a for-profit clothing company that uses 20% of its sales to fund FATE, its sister nonprofit. FATE supports students in the Detroit metro area and assists them with educational needs and college prep.

8. Allbirds

Allbirds, a footwear and apparel company, creates its products using natural, renewable, and sustainable materials, demonstrating a commitment to environmentalism and sustainability.

Allbirds Flight Plan lays out its sustainability commitments that culminate in cutting its carbon footprint in half by 2025 through investments in regenerative agriculture, renewable energy, and responsible energy use. As of 2024, it’s 60% of the way toward its 2025 goal.

9. Cora

Cora sells organic personal care products and, with every purchase, donates products and body literacy resources to communities often overlooked in related discussions. 75% of the donations it makes are to organizations that serve BIPOC communities and, to date, has donated 24,000,000 products and diverted 14,000 from landfills.

10. Loop

Black people in Black communities pay 70% more for car insurance than those in predominantly White upper-middle-class neighborhoods. Loop, an AI-powered car insurance company, recognizes the disparity and commits to making car insurance more equitable, available, and affordable for people of color, most significantly by only considering factors related to driving history.

11. Glass Half Full

Glass Half Full is a Louisiana-based business that collects glassware that it recycles and repurposes into sand and glass cullet. Its outputs help the environment, as the sand can be used for disaster relief, coastal restoration, and eco-construction, and glass cullet can be repurposed into new glassware.

Since its creation, it has diverted 2 million pounds of glass from NOLA landfills.

12. Culture Brands

Culture Brands is an agency with media platforms and consumer brands that engage directly with the African American community, helping people feel seen and engage with content related to their experiences. Because Of Them We Can, one of its platforms, shares content to amplify Black voices and entrepreneurial successes.

13. Tony’s Chocolonely

Tony’s Chocolonely is a chocolate company committed to environmentalism and equitable and fair working conditions.

Tony’s Open Chain sourcing principles outline the business commitments, including paying a premium for cocoa beans to ensure farmers receive a living wage, and CLMRS, which identifies illegal child labor and improves the living conditions for farmers and their families.

It also helps its customers learn more about chocolate farming practices, as they can trace the entire lifecycle of the bean that made the chocolate bar they hold in their hands.

14. Accion International

Accion International’s mission is to build a financially inclusive world by providing economic opportunities to communities often overlooked and left out of financial conversations.

It provides financial support to low-income entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs of color, and women, in addition to educational resources, coaching, and business networks that can be helpful when it comes to building and growing a business. Since founding, it has reached more than 350 million people across the globe.

Corporate Social Responsibility Trends

Corporate social responsibility trends are impacted by factors like generational preferences and changing consumer expectations. The things that matter most to Gen Z might not be as important to Gen X, so as Gen Z increases their buying power, CSR expectations change.

Below, I’ll go over a few CSR trends I’ve seen recently.

Transparency

Consumers want brands to practice CSR, and they want transparency into what measures are taken, and they want to know that brands are following through with their promises. It’s an important trend to be aware of because it can easily backfire since consumers nowadays aren’t afraid to call brands out.

Data Security

Consumers think data privacy is a human right and are more concerned than ever about how companies use their data. As a result, a human rights and ethics trend I’ve seen recently is that consumers want brands to have high-quality data security practices to protect the information they have about their customers.

Employee Wellbeing

Employee wellbeing has always been a key aspect of CSR, but it’s become increasingly important to consumers that the brands they support treat their employees well. Take Glossier, for example. Former employees created Outta The Gloss to discuss racism and toxic workplace culture, and they received significant support from consumers who participated in their calls for boycotts.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

Consumers want to support brands that further DEI in their workforce and the greater community. Consumers look for concrete actions, like closing gender pay gaps for internal employees and supporting underrepresented groups.

A well-known adage says there’s no such thing as bad press — but let’s be real: that’s a big ol’ lie.

Whether you’re a new or tenured brand, media coverage can have a massive impact on how you are perceived by your target audience.

That’s where a media kit (a close cousin of the press kit) comes in.

With a well-strategized media kit, you help guide media/press conversation and position your product and business the way you want. And hey, you also make promoting and praising your brand easier.

As a branding and planning nerd, I’ve always been interested in media kits. So, let’s unpack how to make a great one. 

Table of Contents

• What is a media kit?
• Media Kit vs Press Kit
• What to Include in a Media Kit
• How to Make a Media Kit
• Media Kit Design
• Media Kit Examples
  

Now, I’d be remiss if we didn’t clarify one thing before diving any deeper into the media kit waters: What’s the difference between a media kit and a press kit?

Media Kit vs Press Kit

I can’t lie to you — when I sat down to write this piece, I thought a media kit and press kit were the same thing.

Many people use the terms interchangeably, and it’s easy to see why. Both a media kit and a press kit serve the same purpose — enabling accurate promotion for your company. But there are some key differences.

“Press kit” is a more traditional term for materials compiled for journalists or news media to write about you. It typically includes press releases, images, background information (like a company overview), and contact details.

A “media kit” is all of that and more. It is a more modern term for promotional assets curated primarily for those in digital media — think bloggers, influencers, content creators, and affiliates.

Besides press releases and images, a media kit includes branding guidelines, social media information and statistics, videos, awards and accolades, partnerships, and maybe even case studies.

(Note: Many brands will take the term “media kit” literally, only including multimedia like images and videos. X, formerly Twitter, does this, for example.

But for the purposes of this article, we’ll focus on an all-encompassing kit, as we described above.)

Traditional journalists can undoubtedly use a media kit like their digital counterparts, but press kits lack the details digital creators need.

That said, I’d argue that a media kit is simply a modern, more relevant evolution of the press kit.

What are media kits and press kits used for?

In a nutshell, both media and press kits are used to gather information about your product or company to share with outside parties.

They don’t get you more media coverage, but they do make creating that content easier. They also help ensure that the content produced is aligned with your brand and positioning.

For example, if a magazine writes an article about you, your media/press kit will share the background information they need to do it in the right terms and tone of voice.

Or, if someone is creating a social media video about you, they’ll know how they should use your logo or what colors are on the brand. I dabble in user-generated content creation for brands myself, so I can vouch this is a common use.

Overall, a media kit or press kit fosters convenience and consistency when working with an external partner.

What to Include in a Media Kit

So, here’s some good news: most of the content and creative assets you need to create your media kit likely already exist. Let’s unpack the essentials.

1. Company Story (Mission, Values, etc.)

Start with the star of your media kit: you. This is where you introduce your name, logo, and mission. Share your origin story and overall, the “why” behind what you do.

Golf equipment company Titleist does a beautiful job summarizing its story on the “About Us” page of its Media Center.

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Reminiscent of an executive summary, visitors finish the page knowing who Titleist is, how long it has been in business, and what they can expect from the brand. An “about us” like this is also commonly found in a press kit.

2. Products/Offering

This may be obvious, but include an overview of your product, service, or offering in your media kit.

Sometimes, people outside your organization don’t know how to describe what you do, your catalog, or your trademarks. Use this space to lay down the facts.

Design tool Canva does many things right with its media kit website, but I especially love how it highlights its products. The design software company employs a colorful slide deck to detail the products. But here’s the kicker: It’s designed on the platform itself. Talk about inception.

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The website also offers a brief overview of the company’s product offerings on the “company information” tab making it easy to find the information when needed.

3. Founder/Management Information

Media outlets are often interested in speaking to company founders or executive team members. Use your media kit to highlight them with their names, brief bios, and headshots. This is another feature you’d find in a traditional press kit.

While GE Appliances’ media kit doesn’t include a dedicated, separate page for learning about its leaders, it does include a link to their bios.

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This streamlines the company’s media kit creation time but still makes it easy for visitors to find the information they need.

Pro Tip: You may also want to include short quotes from them reflecting their area of expertise or unique points of view. Even better, share your company story from their point of view.

4. Brand Overview

This section of your media kit is especially important when working with content creators and influencers.

Does your brand try to align with a certain lifestyle? Do you have branded words, phrases, or even taglines? What are your values? Does your name have an unexpected pronunciation or spelling?

Including a brand overview in your media kit allows you to document these elements precisely to your liking and communicate them to potential collaborators.

These guidelines also help identify who is or is not a good match to represent your brand. In its media kit, Give Lively details its company brand, including its brand values. 

 

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Here’s what I would include in a brand overview:

• Taglines
• Branded Terms and Trademarks
• Brand Values
• Brand Voice
• Tone
• Unique Spellings
• Pronunciations

5. Visual Assets & Guidelines

Your media kit isn’t a full style guide. However, it should pull in the most essential elements of your visual brand and explain how to use them.

Use your media kit to include logos and product/service images.

Do you want your product shown in particular scenarios? Include high-quality images creators, or journalists can choose from. Are there specific ways you want your logo to be displayed or used?

Provide examples of correct and incorrect uses. Apple does a great job of showing exactly how it wants its branded badges to be used and how not to use them.

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This is your opportunity to clarify how you want to be portrayed and make it easy for media folks to do so.

Pro Tip: Make sure your media kit design reinforces your overall brand identity. Use the colors, fonts, and other visual hallmarks from your branding guidelines. Be the example of what you want to see from others.

6. Social Proof (Social Media Stats, Case Studies, etc.)

According to Matter Now, 69% of consumers trust influencers, friends, and family over brands themselves. So, use social proof to your advantage.

In your media kit, share third-party information that vouches for your quality or success like:

• Social Media Statistics
• Case Studies
• Testimonials
• Awards

Social Media Statistics

If your goal is partnerships and collaborations, your media kit should prioritize engagement rates and similar social media metrics alongside the bread-and-butter statistics like follower counts.

Savvy creators and media companies want to partner with brands with big reach and engagement.

For social stats, you’ll need to conduct a social media audit or collect this data from the person who manages your social channels.

Pro Tip: If you are a HubSpot Social user, you can use Reports to analyze the performance of your social posts and determine how well your social media efforts are performing.

Case Studies

This section is your chance to let your work speak for itself. Let the adage “show, don’t tell” guide you here, featuring the right partnerships — either via logos or short case studies.

International football influencers The F2 highlight past campaigns on their website, putting reputable brand names and logos front and center. They also note key engagement statistics for these campaigns.

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Testimonials

Testimonials are another great way to show the impact and effectiveness of your brand or product in your media kit.

Keep this section succinct: just one or two strong quotes should suffice.

A few lines of text (even just a single short quote) and a single related image can get the point across and leave a lasting impression.  

Awards

Share any awards or accolades your business has received from reputable associations or trade groups. These awards once again vouch for the quality and legitimacy of your work.

7. Existing Press

Do you have samples of past press you loved? How about press releases? If so, include them in your media kit here. Shoe brand Nike has an extensive collection of press releases on its press website.

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If your business has been featured on a podcast or TV show, include a link to the clip or file. Mentioned in an article on a prominent publication or other media outlet? Quote it.

You can also consider simply showing the logos of the other media outlets that have covered you and linking to the asset if available.  

Including existing press helps new partners see what a great finished product can look like and adds a little extra social proof of your prestige.

8. Contact Information

Consider this the call-to-action of your media kit. Include any relevant contact information that people can use to connect like:

• Press email address
• Social media handles and links
• Relevant hashtags

Cannabis company Verano makes it easy to find contact information, including social media profiles in its media kit.

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Extras

Depending on your company’s goals, there are many other things you can consider including in your media kit.

For example, if you are vocal about particular social causes, you may want to include information about those efforts. Highlight any charity or non-profit work. Or, maybe you’ll want to share financial data, like market share and sales numbers.

Take LVMH for example. The parent company of Fenty Beauty by Rihanna, highlights the brand’s scale by sharing how many countries it is present in and the number of foundation shades it offers.

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Think about what you want your organization to be known for and let that guide what you include in your media kit.

1. Write your company story.

Start your media kit by writing a brief overview of your business. I recommend writing the basic facts (like founding date, location, and founder names) and then elaborating on your mission, company size and growth, product and service evolution, and accolades.

While you want to keep this concise, you also want to ensure your reader gets a well-rounded image of your company. You want them to be excited to promote and learn more about you.

2. Add founder/team information.

Elaborate on your founders and any other prominent members of your executive team. Talk about their credentials, what brought them to their current role, and any awards or recognition they have received.

People in the media will often like to feature or mention your leaders especially if they are already prominent public figures.                                                           

3. List critical highlights and accomplishments.

Have you won awards, broken any records, had impressive sales or usage numbers, or pioneered a type of technology? Jot those down for your media/press kit.

Accomplishments like these add intrigue. They give the press and media even more reason to feature you. They also provide that little bit of extra sparkle to appeal to audiences.

It’s like having “Oscar-nominated” or “Pulitzer Prize-winning” before someone’s name. It vouches for your work and makes people want to pay more attention.

4. Gather your supporting assets.

This is where most of the pieces we discussed earlier come into play: your logos, images, product descriptions, brand guidelines, case studies, facts, and data.

Think of it as assembling all the extra pizzazz a creator or journalist needs to make their finished product stand out.

5. Compile in the format of your choice.

With all your assets selected, it’s time to compile them in the format of your choice.

The format of your media kit should be based not just on what you include but also on who’s using it. What format is most convenient for the audience you’re working with?

For example, if it’s primarily social media creators who need to grab images or logos easily, something dynamic like a folder, press page, or website is better than a PDF. Uber is one brand that takes this approach.

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Media kits can come in many different formats, but some of the most common are:

• Downloadable PDF
• A shareable folder (on Google Drive or Dropbox)
• A press page with links
• A separate press website

Pro Tip: Even if you prioritize a web version, having a downloadable media kit or deck is worth the effort. Some people might prefer the offline accessibility, and the static nature avoids technical issues.

Our Free Media Kit Template can be used to create that handy PDF or downloadable slide deck.

6. Add to your website.

Regardless if you choose to create a static PDF or even a shareable folder, add your media kit to your website. It can live under a menu or footer item that reads “press,” “media, or even “newsroom.”

This is typically what media outlets and creators will look for and creates a specific place to direct people in conversations.

A media kit is only useful if it’s easily accessible, and a link on your website is as intuitive as it gets.

Pro Tip: To keep your media kit easy to navigate, add a table of contents.

Presented as a downloadable PDF, Snapchat’s media kit focuses heavily on brand assets which can easily blur together without the right guidance.

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To avoid this, Snapchat starts with a table of contents. Then, it details exactly how you should and should not use its logos, typography, and brand colors in your coverage.

Media Kit Design

Need help designing your media kit? Our Free Media Kit Template can be used to create a PDF or downloadable slide deck for your brand. It covers all the essentials and is easy to edit and expand.

Canva also offers a wide range of PDF templates.  

Media Kit Examples

1. Hinge

The dating app Hinge has one of the most complete and easy-to-navigate media kits I found in researching this article. They also offer a downloadable version of everything shared to cover all user preferences.

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What I Like: The website covers all the critical information — an origin story told by the founder and CEO, quotes from the press, a timeline of the app’s milestones, logos, and images.

It also packages it all in an airy design with lots of visuals and engaging micro-animations.

2. Delta Airlines

While less dynamic than Hinge, Delta Airlines’ media kit website is another great example to follow — especially if your design and development resources are limited.

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What I Like: This no-frills approach organizes a lot of information into seven simple categories, which isn’t always easy to do. It uses a classic grid layout and dropdowns to keep things clean, but easy to navigate and dig deeper if you’d like.

3. Optimonster

Lead generation tool Optimonster opts for a hybrid website-PDF approach for its media kit.

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What I Like: The dedicated website provides guidelines for using the logo and mascot, brand colors, sample press releases, and select media coverage. The PDF contains the actual visual files for use.  

4. Canva

I know we mentioned Canva earlier, but it deserves a full feature.  

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What I like: The company’s “Press Hub” begins with a simple hero section and company overview. Then, it goes into a table of contents of everything it covers with links to the respective pages.

This includes media releases, leadership bios and headshots, case studies, photographer, market insights, and much more.

As you click through these pages, you’ll find that most of the content is presented in assets made with the Canva tool itself.

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This is genius. Canva delivers all the information the media would need in a colorful, fun package and simultaneously shows off its product’s capabilities. I can’t rave about it enough.

5. Airbnb

Airbnb’s media kit is staged as a “newsroom” subdomain on the brand’s greater website.

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What I like: Airbnb’s “about us” page does an admirable job of highlighting crucial background information like the founders and their origin story. But where it really shines is how it calls out the scale and success of the business with a “fast facts” section.

If you click through the rest of the website, you’ll find contact information, product releases, and a wide selection of visual assets you can filter through and download.

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6. Headspace

Headspace’s media kit comes to us as another dedicated website page. However, it utilizes a drive folder instead of a PDF or zip file to deliver its assets.

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What I like: The page leads with a button to visit a Google Drive folder housing its photography and bios, logo pack, fact sheet, and app screenshots. Then, as you scroll, it shares press releases and older media coverage. It’s the best of both worlds.

7. Kickstarter

Kickstarter puts a unique stamp on its media kit page, using color blocks and large images to draw attention to key facts — success stats, its origin story, and testimonials.

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What I like: Kickstarter’s design is a smart strategy to guide the eye on a page that otherwise lacks navigation. It also uses toggles to minimize clutter and encourage interaction. This keeps the page interesting and engaging.

However, a table of contents would have made it much easier to find what you need.

8. Slack

Slack’s media kit is another I can’t help but love.

When you first arrive on the page, you’re met with three simple buckets: logos, app screenshots, and Slack brand center.

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What I Like: “Logos” and “app screenshots” take you to separate folders to download the assets. “Brand center” takes you to a more comprehensive website diving into all the essentials of a media kit.

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It’s easy to navigate, thorough, and on-brand with everything we expect from Slack.

Make your media kit a hit.

So, there you have it. When you create a media kit, you give the press, creators, and the media in general all of the tools they need to promote and praise your brand. And even more importantly, you enable them to do it in the way you want.

Build your media kit, and start shaping your brand’s press image today.

I can’t lie — I’ve been feeling a little AI-fatigued lately. But the reason everyone’s still talking about AI is because it’s not going away anytime soon.

The reality is it’s changing the way we work as marketers. Our State of AI report shows that more than half of marketers (60%) are using AI tools in their role.

If you’re looking to grow your career, chances are you’ll have to lean into the AI hype. That’s a good thing, though, because there are smart ways you can use AI to become a better marketer.

What’s trending in AI for marketers?

Whenever I’m thinking about career growth, it’s helpful for me to know what’s hot (and what’s not) in the marketing world.

I mentioned earlier that more and more marketers are incorporating AI into their workflows. Here are a few additional insights from our report:

• The most common AI tools for marketers include chatbots (e.g., ChatGPT), AI-enhanced CRM and marketing tools (e.g., HubSpot, of course), and AI-enhanced productivity tools (e.g., G-Suite AI suggestions).
• The top three use cases for AI are content creation, learning how to do things (e.g., Excel functions), and data analysis/reporting. The majority of marketers who use AI for these tasks find it very effective.
• 55% of marketers are using educational resources to improve their AI knowledge and skills. The top learning method is educational videos.

Let’s unpack how you can use these AI tools and strategies to your benefit.

5 Ways to Use AI for Career Development

1. Uplevel your AI skills.

I chatted with Martina Bretous, editor of our Next in AI blog, and she shared her thoughts on AI and career growth.

“People often think growing your career with AI means becoming an AI expert but that’s not the case,” says Bretous.

She continues, “If you‘re in a technical or data-driven role, like data science or software engineering, there’s so much demand for machine learning and deep learning skills. AI isn’t going away any time soon, so finding ways to incorporate it into your toolbox will be incredibly valuable in the long term.”

I 100% agree with this take. While you don’t have to become an expert in all things AI, there are benefits to building your AI toolbox. An increasing number of companies are looking for marketers with AI knowledge and experience.

Educational videos (e.g., on YouTube/TikTok) and online courses are great places to start. My recommendation? Check out HubSpot Academy’s AI for Marketing course for the basics.

2. Let AI help you polish your resume.

Your resume is arguably the most important part of your job search process.

While it’s possible to create an entire resume with AI, I wouldn’t suggest doing so. Instead, I’d recommend using it more strategically to:

• Clean up specific sections of your resume.
• Run grammatical checks before you submit.
• Fine-tune the tone based on your industry or the role.

Take this example. Here, I asked ChatGPT for help with my executive summary.

I used this prompt: “Write an executive summary for a resume that describes a marketer with 8 years of experience in content strategy, writing, and editing.”

This is the output I received:

This is pretty solid. I like how it includes specific areas of expertise, highlights related accomplishments, and notes relevant skills. However, I’m looking for something shorter and a little more personable.

So, I followed up with this prompt: “Please shorten the summary and make the tone more conversational.”

This is the output I received:

In terms of tone, this is definitely more in line with what I’m going for. But it did cut out many of the elements I liked about the first one — like accomplishments and skills.

Realistically, I’d probably use a combination of these outputs as inspiration and tailor the language to my own background. But this is a helpful guiding point.

3. Use AI to become better (and faster).

“One of the best ways to use AI for career development is by using it as an assistant to streamline your processes,” says Bretous.

“Have you identified tedious tasks that you could automate with AI? Whether it’s data analysis, writing, research, or creating reports, doing so could save you hours that you can now use to work on exciting, high-impact projects.”

She’s right — our data says that the majority of marketers who use AI for tasks like content creation and data analysis find it very effective. And improved efficiencies are a big selling point to potential employers.

When you’re ready to optimize your marketing workflow with AI, HubSpot Academy has another great course for you.

4. Make AI prompts do the heavy lifting.

In the spirit of efficiency, my colleague Erica Santiago compiled over 200 ChatGPT prompts that you should be using as a marketer.

There are endless ways to use prompts like these in your role.

Need to come up with some blog post ideas quickly? Ask ChatGPT this: List [number] ideas for blog posts about [topic].

Or maybe you’d like to get to know your audience a little better. In that case, try this one: What are the biggest pain points of [audience] in [industry]?

Using AI for support can help free you up to focus on other areas of career growth. And you get the most out of AI when you use the right inputs.

5. Brainstorm new ideas with AI.

As a writer, there’s nothing worse than hitting a creative slump. And during our busiest seasons, it can be hard to carve out time strictly for brainstorming.

Bretous says, “One of the biggest roadblocks to growth is feeling like you don’t have enough hours in the week to brainstorm, develop, and execute on ideas that will get leadership’s attention. AI comes in by giving you back valuable time so you can focus on them.”

I used a “blog post ideas” prompt as an example in tip #4. But you can use AI as inspiration for your email campaigns, social media strategies, and more.

Who knows, maybe your next big idea will be powered by AI. (And you’ll have a little more time to execute on it.)

Career Growth, Brought to You by AI

AI offers a lot of potential for your professional development. Remember, you don’t have to be an AI expert to grow your marketing career. You just have to be an expert in using it to your advantage.

Amazon pillows.

Korean moisturizer.

An acupuncture mat.

These are just a few of the objects I’ve purchased on Instagram over the past couple months – mainly because an influencer told me to.

I’m not alone. Today’s shopper doesn’t head to the mall when she’s bored; she opens her phone.

In fact, according to HubSpot’s 2024 Consumer Trends survey, 25% of social media users have bought a product from directly within a social media app in the past three months.

As Adam Ortman, Founder and President of Kinetic319, puts it, “Each scroll and swipe is a potential opportunity, offering a dopamine-driven delight that our brains are hardwired to chase.”

Here, let’s jump into the psychology behind why social shopping is rising steadily in popularity in 2024.

1. It taps into our inherent desire for instant gratification.

As humans, we live for the short-term dopamine fix. When we’re bored, stressed, or tired, it’s all-too easy to give in to the urge for a little “boost” in our day – be it new sunglasses, a new top, or that fancy face wash influencers’ have been boasting about for weeks.

As Ortman told me, “It’s all about the thrill of the find and the joy of the ‘buy now’ buzz. This clever algorithmic design keeps consumers coming back for more, eager for that next like, comment, or, in this case, purchase opportunity.”

Consumer Psychologist Shilpa Madan agrees with Ortman that the short-term gratification we receive from purchasing on social media is partially what keeps us coming back.

As she puts it, “The ease with which transactions can be completed on these platforms caters to the consumer’s desire for instant gratification—a key factor in impulse buying. This seamless experience, coupled with the rich media and entertainment value of social shopping, increases the willingness to ‘click-to-buy’.”

2. It elicits a sense of connection.

While I still occasionally enjoy scrolling through a brand’s website to shop, these days, I primarily find my next purchases on social platforms.

Consumer Psychologist Kate Odegard believes this is because I’m able to find a stronger sense of connection on social media compared to a brand’s website.

She told me, “Consumers are drawn to social commerce because it’s more like the digital version of a shopping mall than scrolling through products on a brand website. One is about connection and curation, and the other is transactional and over-optimized.”

She adds, “In the research I’ve seen, consumers who are most receptive to social commerce turn to creators and influencers for guidance. They don’t scroll through posts, but instead, purposefully look to be inspired, to interact, and to participate in creator content.”

Consider this fun, light-hearted Instagram from one of my favorite influencers, Jen Reed:

The purpose of the video is to showcase affordable outfits for springtime. But I wasn’t in the market for affordable spring-time outfits – and yet, I still watched the video, because I feel a sense of connection to Jen and want to hear what she has to say.

Additionally, Jen has cultivated a sense of community on her platform. I like the people who follow Jen; I enjoy reading their comments and responding. And that’s the connection you just can’t find on a branded website.

3. It leverages social proof – and “FOMO”.

Ah, FOMO – the feeling most of us get everytime we log onto social media and see that, while we’re re-watching Lord of the Rings, our friends are out at lavish restaurants or enjoying tropical vacations.

That same sense of FOMO can come in the form of product endorsements, as it turns out.

As Ortman puts it, “Social proof isn’t just influential; it’s amazingly motivational. It leverages trust and the ‘fear of missing out’ psychology (yes, FOMO is real) to nudge us from mere interest to ‘must have now’. It’s a potent reminder that we might be missing out on something wonderful, which fuels our desire to act immediately.”

While I didn’t realize there was real science behind this phenomenon, I’ve certainly felt its affect. Recently, I found myself purchasing an Anthropology dress because I saw three of my friends wearing it on Instagram.

And it’s not always a poor investment, either. I love the dress I bought. And I’m not alone: ​​43% of users who’ve purchased a product directly within social media in the past three months are very satisfied with their purchase.

Madan agrees. She told me, “A product-endorsing TikTok video or Instagram post, especially from one’s social circle, serves as a potent endorsement. This visibility of peer interactions and approvals taps into social influences and peer pressure, making social media an arena where shopping decisions are publicly informed and endorsed.”

4. It demonstrates the power of relatability.

Finally, social shopping hits at our desire to see our own traits mirrored back at us in the people who sell us products.

In other words: I want to buy something from someone who looks, acts, or thinks like me.

Madan says, “When shoppers see someone who mirrors their own physical attributes (or what they aspire to) — be it height, weight, or skin tone — endorsing a product, it not only validates the product’s appeal but significantly boosts their confidence in the decision to purchase.”

She adds, “Research shows that this increased confidence increases willingness to buy, reduces procrastination, and even increases the amount consumers are willing to pay. Not surprising, then, that social platforms witness such enthusiastic purchasing behaviors.”

As a Marketer, Understanding Consumer Psychology Is Key

There are aspects of marketing, like social shopping, that can be confounding to some marketers. What types of social content will convince the most number of users to click ‘buy’? And from whom?

As Ortman says, “Social media shopping thrives in its ability to weave consumer psychology with strategic marketing stages. It’s a tactical coordination of desire and decision-making, where each step is designed to lead us to purchase, proving just how intertwined consumer psychology and marketing strategy really are in the social shopping medium.”

Ultimately, understanding your target audience is the first step to cultivating strong sales on social platforms. But knowing the psychology behind it doesn’t hurt, either.

Welcome to HubSpot’s Expert Edge Series, where we interview top execs at major brands to explore their perspectives on the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the industry.

Ahh – TikTok. It’s like the cool younger cousin you desperately want approval from.

In 2024, almost a quarter of marketers (24%) say TikTok yields the highest ROI, placing it right behind YouTube. Which makes sense: With over one billion users, TikTok is a viable platform for increasing brand awareness and reaching new audiences.

Plus, HubSpot Blog Research found 14% of businesses rank TikTok as the platform with the highest ROI — and we’ll likely see this number grow in the year ahead.

But the million-dollar question remains: Sure, TikTok is fantastic at showcasing entertaining videos, but can you really generate strong leads from the platform?

The short answer? Yes. If you want the longer answer — including how to generate leads — keep reading for expert tips from Lorry Destainville, TikTok’s Global Head of Product Partnerships.

TikTok Can Do More Than Drive Brand Awareness 

For starters, I wanted to know whether Destainville truly believes TikTok is a viable platform for generating leads. Because plenty of platforms are fantastic for brand awareness, but less powerful for lead-generation.

Fortunately, Destainville told me plenty of TikTok’s audience currently uses the platform to connect with new businesses and discover new products. In fact, Millennial TikTok users are 1.7X more likely to discover/shop products from creators they follow (vs. non-TikTok users).

As he puts it, “Generating leads on Tiktok is an opportunity for businesses to drive that interaction with their new customers in a way that’s really getting to the point where they can create that conversation, synchronize contacts and information from the user, and then engage in that conversation and drive to the sale.”

I‘ll admit — I’ve seen the power of B2C advertising on TikTok: Just last week I purchased a much-raved about face sunscreen after seeing videos about it popping up all over TikTok.

Ultimately, TikTok is a full-funnel advertising platform with built-in analytics tools to enable marketers to observe metrics like views, likes, comments, unique visitors, engagement, and reach.

Plus, TikTok integrates with HubSpot, so if you’re a HubSpot customer, you’re in luck: You can now sync the leads you’ve gained via TikTok with your HubSpot CRM in real-time.

Destainville also believes TikTok is viable for both B2B and B2C brands: “There’s space for everyone. We have consumers, but we also have business owners on the platform, too. 69% of TikTok Monthly Active Users actually followed through with what they signed-up for on a lead generation ad — and within one billion active users, that’s a very large portion of our user base. So there are absolutely B2B decision-makers within that audience.”

6 Tips for Generating Leads on TikTok, According to TikTok’s Global Head of Product Partnerships

1. Combine Your Organic and Paid Strategies

At HubSpot, we‘ve found that polished, high-quality content oftentimes doesn’t perform as well as more authentic, natural iPhone content on social platforms.

Destainville says the same is true of TikTok, and he encourages businesses to lean into their organic content when they’re looking to generate leads.

As he puts it, “What’s interesting is that for lead generation, organic and paid work smarter together. Having some great organic content that can be useful in generating ads can be very empowering for brands.”

He adds, “The ability to combine or optimize creative along with a lead gen call-to-action will drive to a much higher brand purchase. Put another way: It really is about the amplification of organic content through paid, which will then drive to earned media.”

This is fantastic news for SMBs with minimal advertising budgets: It means an organic-first strategy will actually yield stronger returns than creating a brand-new, flashy advertising campaign for TikTok.

2. When In Doubt – Go Natural, Not Polished

As Destainville told me, “There’s a desire or an ambition from businesses who are advertising with TikTok for the first time to have the most polished content, but that’s not necessarily the priority, nor is it the ultimate best practice.”

He continues, “We have some tips and tricks when it comes to creative, but we don’t have the perfect formula to succeed on the platform. What I can tell you is that the number one priority is to be authentic. That’s the true nature of the connection between any creator and TikTok’s user base. Authenticity is the name of the game, particularly because it leads to a great deal of trust.”

Destainville believes a 20-second video created in the back of a car will likely work better than an ad that was shot in a studio. And that’s great news for all of us: Less time spent producing and editing means more time to experiment on the platform.

3. Be a User First, and a Marketer Second

Destainville acknowledges that it can be daunting when you begin creating content on TikTok, particularly when you acknowledge some of the more viral, engaging, creative content you can find on the platform. TikTok creators’ are formidable: How can businesses compete?

To get started on the platform, Destainville encourages business owners to watch TikTok content before they begin creating their own.

He says, “If I’m a business owner and I’m going on TikTok for the first time, I’m going to want to pay attention to what the conversation in my industry is about. What do my competitors’ post about? What are the ways they engage with the community?”

I see his point: Last week, I tried creating my own TikTok account. And I watched exactly zero TikTok videos before creating my own. How did it pay off?

11 views to-date.

In other words: You want to see what resonates most with TikTok’s audience, as well as the type of content that goes viral, before creating your own.

As Destainville puts it, “As a marketer, it’s hard to fail – you want to go for metrics and demonstrate the impact of your decisions when it comes to creative direction … But I think keeping some room for innovation pays off, and it’s okay to fail because it’s a learning opportunity. And you want to learn these platforms as a user first – and a marketer second.”

You want to see what resonates most with TikTok’s audience, as well as the type of content that goes viral, before creating your own. At the same time, your content comes down to authenticity: If it’s not authentic for your brand to be a part of a certain conversation or trend, don’t force it. Rather than posting one-off videos with the hopes of going viral, consistently post content on a weekly basis to cultivate a sense of community.

Destainville says, “The one thing I think businesses tend to get wrong is to try to create a viral moment or expect that it is going to happen as a primary KPI. I would much rather consider a steady volume of engagement with content on the platform to be a success, rather than a one-off moment.”

4. Don’t Just Copy-Paste from Another Platform – Lean Into TikTok’s Uniqueness

Finally, Destainville encourages marketers to ensure they’re making content for TikTok’s audience, first.

As he told me, “When approaching a new platform — whether it’s TikTok or something else — I think having an open mind to learning what’s going to be unique on that platform and really leaning into that is going to be key. So don’t just copy-paste an ad campaign that’s been created for different platforms and carry it over to TikTok. Focus on TikTok’s audience first.”

This makes sense: A TikTok user’s expectations vary significantly compared to what they might expect to see on LinkedIn or even Instagram. Before considering how you can turn your audience into customers, you want to engage with them and entertain them — and that can only happen if you take the time to truly learn the platform.

When asked what sets TikTok apart, Destainville had one word: Creativity.

He says, “TikTok is the best platform to demonstrate creativity, and it only takes opening up the app to see what I mean. One example that comes to mind is how a subset of creators review certain songs produced in the past and add their own two cents – the creativity that comes out of that is absolutely mind-blowing.”

To succeed on the platform, you‘ll want to lean into creativity, novelty, and playfulness. And, like any platform, the more you test, the better you’ll get at understanding what works best for your audience.

5. Focus on Your Form

Beyond high-level strategy, Destainville has a few tactical tips for generating leads through TikTok. 

His suggestions include: 

• Visuals help. In your profile, make sure you create customized logos, as well as header and footer images.
• In your lead forms, be conscious of the number of questions – set a maximum of six questions.
• Use logic settings and custom questions with the advanced form to switch up questions based on how someone responded to your first question.
• Leverage strong lead qualifying questions to quickly discern between qualified and unqualified leads.  
• Link to your privacy policy to guarantee any personal information is secure in accordance to local regulations.
• Include a review screen to ensure all information is correct.
• Don’t forget to say thank you!

6. Set Up Your Campaign for Success

As you’re getting started with your Lead Gen campaigns, set your daily budget at 10x your expected CPA. Use the dayparting feature if you want to launch on a specific schedule (i.e. Not weekends).

When getting started, you’ll want to use broad targeting to understand who your audience is on TikTok; broad targeting also helps you gain the volume needed to build retargeting lists based on interactions with your form during peak seasonal moments, which contributes to higher conversion rates.

Additionally, consider leveraging spark ads to turn high-performing organic content into ads in an instant. And finally, integrate your CRM with TikTok to seamlessly and efficiently prospect and manage leads.

As a Marketer, Get Good at Embracing Change

“Over the past few years I’ve spoken to business leaders and marketers about the opportunity to be successful on TikTok, and you’d be surprised by the amount of people who respond, ‘Oh, I’ll ask my daughter to show me’”, Destainville told me.

He adds, “I always think … Well, would you ask your daughter to show you how to spend multi-million dollar budgets on social media?”

Ultimately, he encourages marketers and business owners to get comfortable with stepping outside the comfort zone and giving yourself the grace and patience to truly learn the platform and test different types of content.

“Embrace the change,” Destainville says. “The brands who are the most successful on TikTok are the ones who take a leap of faith.”

Ready to get started? Click here to start running lead-gen ads on TikTok and boost your content to new, high-intent audiences immediately.