Category Archives: B2B

I’m writing this while sipping coffee made by Emma Chamberlain’s French press. The 22-year-old YouTuber is not only Gen Z’s favorite influencer, but also a big-time entrepreneur.

Her coffee brand, launched in 2020, took off among young coffee lovers (and even tempted me, a not-so-young coffee lover).

It got me thinking: Has food and beverage become the new playground for creators and influencers?

So I looked into a few players:

Source: Company websites

Turns out they’re doing pretty well – some even minting billions.

• Prime, Logan Paul’s energy drink, is primed to exceed $1.2B in annual sales
• Feastables raked in $10m in chocolate bar sales within a few months
• Chamberlain Coffee makes ~$6m annually, and recently raised $7m 
• The D’Amelio family raised $5m to foray into snacks

Why Influencers Flock to the Food and Beverage Industry

For starters, it’s lucrative. Food and beverage accounts for over 30% of the $2T consumer packaged goods industry. Plus, the entry barrier is relatively low.

And creators and influencers are well positioned to take a slice of the pie:

💰They’re already the winning formula for CPG brand marketing. These brands spend ~$40B per year in ads, a big chunk of which goes to creator partnerships.

❤️ Their content often fits well with daily refreshments like snacks and coffee, and their relatable nature inspires trust among young consumers.

📉 Loyalty for legacy brands is waning, and there’s space for influencers to get in. With a built-in brand and audience, it’s easier to gain traction for their products – especially if they play up the health angle.

They’re Not Doing It Alone

Since these entrepreneurs aren’t usually experts in the goods they sell, white-labeling is a popular way to get a product to market.

Influencers partner with third-party manufacturers and add on their own branding and marketing. This way, they quickly gain market share without high upfront investments:

• Chamberlain Coffee is powered by Bixby Roasting Coffee
• Prime energy drink is actually made by Congo Brands
• Midnight Mini Cookies are based on a refined recipe by Creation Foods

And, to add a trusted edge, food industry veterans are often chosen to helm these companies, like Feastable’s Jim Murray and Myna Snack’s Darcey Macken.

Hardly A Candyland

Not every influencer-founded refreshment can magically make it. As more products flock to the space – and with A-list celebrities in the mix – it’ll be even harder to stand out.

Plus, it’s easy for influencers to lose favor with consumers: Pokimane got into a beef with her fans over pricing for her cookies; Prime drinks are getting pulled from shelves with pending FDA probe; and Chamberlain’s latest RTD collection is being dubbed “farts in a can.” 💨

Early in my career, my boyfriend (now fiancé) was helping me write my resume. I asked to see his and noticed he included personal interests. He’s an engineer, so seeing hobbies like basketball and video games stood out to me.

I asked him why he chose to include these, and he said, “I wanted a little more personalization to my resume and want [recruiters] to know me as a person beyond a piece of paper.”

And apparently, he’s not alone. According to a study by Standout CV, one in four people include hobbies and interests on their resumes.

Suppose you’re curious about what interests to put on your resume — and why — this is the article for you. We’ll also review the different interests and hobbies that will help you stand out in the job market.

Why You Should Include Interests on Your Resume

40 Interests for Your Resume

Why You Should Include Interests on Your Resume

While not always applicable, there are a few scenarios when mentioning your interests and hobbies on your resume makes sense.

Sarah Johnston, founder and CEO of executive resume writing firm Briefcase Coach, says if you choose to include interests on your resume, focus on customization. “We always consider the audience and the relevancy of the additional fun fact to the audience,” she suggests.

Here are a few reasons why you should add your interests to your resume.

1. You can showcase your personality.

The most compelling reason to include interests on your resume is to showcase your personality. Recruiters and hiring managers review countless resumes for every job role. They’re likely reading the same skills and similar experiences over and over. What better way to stand out than to give them a sense of your personality right off the bat?

In my experience, having interests on my resume has led to fun conversations with recruiters and hiring managers. Talking about hobbies was a great way to break the ice (and calm my nerves) before diving into the interview questions.

2. Interests help with culture fit.

If the company you’re applying to values uniqueness or specific personality traits, interests could help communicate how you’d be a good culture fit.

For example, here’s a job opening for a Senior Merchandising Manager at Tecovas, a direct-to-consumer western brand based in Austin. As a Western brand selling boots and apparel, Tecovas emphasizes its mission of “welcoming first-time boot buyers and Western enthusiasts alike.”

Image Source

If you consider yourself a Western enthusiast and enjoy activities such as horseback riding, it would be worth mentioning that on your resume to show that your interests and experiences align with the company.

3. You can match niche industries or roles.

Some companies operate in niche industries and may seek candidates with specific skills or interests. For example, if you’re applying for a marketing manager role at an art museum, the hiring manager would likely expect you to be interested in art or art history.

I did a quick search for this type of role to test this theory, and I found an old job posting for a social media coordinator at the MoMA. One of the job requirements was an interest in the art and non-profit worlds.

4. You’ll boost your resume if you have limited experience.

We all have to start somewhere. If you’re a new graduate or making a career change, you likely won’t have many relevant experiences to include yet. Listing your interests or hobbies on your resume can help an employer get to know you if you have limited work experience.

The key is to connect the dots between your interests and the job you’re applying for so recruiters understand how it can help professionally. Study the job descriptions and the company to get a sense of their culture and job requirements, figure out how your interests and hobbies relate, and showcase your strengths.

For example, sports can demonstrate your strength in team activities, while painting can showcase your creativity.

40 Interests for Your Resume

It’s been a while since I’ve interviewed for a full-time position, but occasionally, I share my resume for freelance work. And when I do, I want to make sure it’s tailored to the role and company to increase my chances of standing out.

I put together a recent resume using one of HubSpot’s resume templates.

I added an interests section that reflects my current work and is relevant to the types of companies I want to work with. Here are the hobbies and interests I included.

1. Pilates

I attend Pilates classes at least twice a week (it helps that my sister is an instructor!), and it’s always the best part of my day. As a writer, I’m sitting in front of my laptop screen for hours, so Pilates helps me get a break from my desk.

Why it works: Committing to a regular exercise routine — whether yoga, running, or even walking — showcases a healthy work-life balance.

2. Home Renovations

If you know my fiancé and me, then you know we love tackling home renovation projects. We aren’t shy about taking a sledgehammer to our cabinets or reconfiguring our house layout to create something totally our own.

Why it works: In my experience, this is usually a great conversation starter during interviews. People are interested in hearing about the process, mainly because we do the work ourselves to save money (for better or worse).

3. Vintage Collecting

On any given weekend, you can find me at a thrift store or an estate sale. I love searching for unique items and hidden gems and giving them a second life.

Why it works: I’ve found that this topic is another icebreaker. If I’m talking to someone who also enjoys vintage shopping, we usually swap stories about the types of items we collect and where to find them.

4. Book Clubs

Several years ago, I started my own book club here in Austin. We read nonfiction books on business, creativity, and entrepreneurship, such as Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic and Essentialism by Greg McKeown. Once a month, we’d meet up at a local business to share what we learned from the book.

Why it works: This hobby demonstrates my interest in continuing education and my eagerness to organize events (on a small scale) since I created the group and planned everything myself.

5. Small Businesses

I used to write for a local magazine covering lifestyle topics, such as where to shop and eat around town. The best part was interviewing small business owners, getting to know their day-to-day routines and motivations, and sharing their stories.

Why it works: This interest works for my resume because I now write for companies whose audience includes small business owners. I can use my enthusiasm and knowledge of small businesses to inform my writing.

These interests are specific to my experience and relevant to the types of roles I’d be interested in pursuing in the future.

If these aren’t a fit for you, here are some other interests to consider adding to your resume.

6. Sports

As I mentioned, my fiancé enjoys playing sports like basketball and golf. He’s regularly part of leagues with both colleagues and non-work groups alike. Including this on his resume demonstrates his enthusiasm for team activities and camaraderie.

What we like: If you’re an active sports team or community league member, add it to the interests section on your resume to showcase your teamwork outside of work.

7. Photography

I was scrolling through X (formerly Twitter) when I saw that senior product manager Diego Granados shared the resume he used to land a job at Microsoft in 2019.

In the interests section, he included iPhone photography, video games and playing musical instruments like saxophone and guitar.

What we like: Photography is a hobby that demonstrates an interest in the world around you. You can even get specific and list the type of photography you’re interested in, like iPhone, film, or product photography.

8. Community Service

Early in my career, as I was building my resume, I relied on my previous volunteer experiences to demonstrate my different skills and interests. I was an active member of a volunteer organization in college and even did some volunteer social media work for nonprofits after graduating.

What we like: Adding volunteer work to your interests section on your resume can demonstrate your passion for specific causes. This is especially helpful if the cause is relevant to the company or job you’re applying to.

9. Painting

Hobbies like painting or drawing are a great way to exercise creativity and demonstrate your creative skills.

What we like: Whether you’re applying to a creative job or not, creative hobbies can help improve your creativity at work.

10. Baking

My friend Micah Peterson, a web designer and developer, was a baker in a previous life and includes “baker by hobby, developer by trade” on his resume.

He explains that including this interest on his resume has helped form lasting impressions during interviews.

“Once, when I was being interviewed, [my baking interest] led to a conversation about the interviewer’s son, who was also a baker,” he said. “The interviewer admired that about his son, so I think it left a lasting impression on him.”

What we like: If you’ve ever had a career pivot, embrace it by including it in the interests section on your resume. It is an interesting conversation starter, but if you can connect your experience to the role you’re applying for, that’s even better.

11. Reading

Maybe you’re in a book club like I was or enjoy reading challenges. Or perhaps you’re active on #BookTok, the massive subcommunity on TikTok dedicated to sharing and reviewing books.

Why it works: One example of a role where this interest could intersect with a job you’re interviewing for is a social media position. Mentioning your interest in reading, and specifically #BookTok, demonstrates your knowledge of current social media communities.

12. Video Games

I’ve seen several people include video games as a hobby on their resume, including my fiancé and Diego Granados, whose resume I shared above.

What we like: Video games can demonstrate interest and knowledge in several elements, from the technical aspects of the gaming system to the visual aspects found in the graphics to the strategy that goes into the game.

13. Writing

Do you enjoy writing in your free time? Whether you prefer writing fiction, poetry, or blogs, those skills will likely translate to whatever role you’re applying for.

According to GMAC’s 2023 Corporate Recruiters Survey, communication and writing skills are among the most in-demand skills employers look for when hiring.

What we like: Writing will always be an essential skill in the workplace, so this is a timeless interest to include on your resume.

14. Graphic design

According to Upwork, graphic design is one of the most in-demand skills for freelancers. Even if you’re not pursuing freelance work, this data proves the need for this skill among companies of all sizes.

What we like: If you have graphic design skills, even if this isn’t the focus of your role, it can boost your resume.

15. Animals

Yes, the furry friends in your life can be included as an interest on your resume. Whether you volunteer at a local animal shelter or are a proud pet owner, there are ways to mention this while keeping your resume professional.

Johnston, who works with some of the world’s top leaders at her executive resume writing firm, remembers when she’s seen pets successfully mentioned as an interest.

“I know a job seeker who applied for a role with Purina Corporate,” she recalls. “They listed at the bottom of their resume that they are a ‘proud dog dad to two golden retrievers,’ and the recruiter apparently loved this!”

Pro tip: This interest works well when the company you’re interviewing for is in the pet or animal industry.

16. Nonprofits

Like community service, an interest in nonprofits demonstrates your dedication to specific causes or communities.

Pro tip: Only include this as an interest if you’re genuinely involved in specific nonprofits or volunteer work.

17. Entrepreneurship

Do you want to start your own business someday? Are you a go-getter with a growth mindset? Entrepreneurship probably comes naturally to you, which makes it worth including as an interest on your resume.

What we like: Having an entrepreneurial mindset can be the key to success as a salesperson or at a startup.

18. Music

Applying to a position in the music industry? It makes sense to showcase your taste in music, whether you’re applying to a festival production company, a recording studio, or a streaming platform like Spotify.

If you’re perpetually online like I am, you may remember seeing this creative resume make its rounds on LinkedIn and Twitter (now X) back in 2021:

The Spotify-themed resume was created by product manager Emily Vu, who eventually landed a job at the music streaming platform thanks to her creativity.

What we like: As if the Spotify-branded design layout wasn’t creative enough, Vu added an interests section that called out her music interests. This further demonstrated her enthusiasm and knowledge of the industry.

19. Art History

Whether you went to school for art history or you have a strong interest and knowledge of the subject, including this on your resume can demonstrate that you’re well-rounded.

Why this works: If you work in a creative field, especially if you’re applying for a job in the art world, mentioning your interest in the arts is a good idea.

20. Camping

Anyone who’s been camping knows how much preparation and work is involved. From setting up your tent to preparing your food to connecting with your natural surroundings, camping demonstrates an adventurous personality.

What we like: If you’ve been camping before, chances are you have a funny story about the experience, which can make for a good icebreaker.

21. Teaching

If you teach classes related to your job role, it could be a good idea to list that on your resume.

For instance, do you teach coding classes during evenings and weekends? This can demonstrate your deep understanding of the role and dedication to furthering the industry.

What we like: An interest in teaching can set you up for a training or teaching role within your company. If you’re interested in pursuing this in the future, don’t hesitate to include your teaching experience on your resume.

22. Travel

An interest in travel can be especially relevant if you work at a distributed company that values journey and encourages its employees to see the world.

Marketing consultant Anna Crowe created an “About Me” section on her digital resume to mention her interest in traveling to national parks.

What we like: Travel demonstrates openness to learning about different cultures and an adventurous personality.

23. Hiking

Like camping, hiking can demonstrate a sense of adventure. You don’t have to check Mount Kilimanjaro off your list to consider yourself a hiker.

What we like: If hiking is your hobby, this can be a great conversation starter during an interview. You can mention any significant hikes you’ve completed, which can lead to exciting stories between you and your interviewer.

24. Running

Almost 50 million people in the U.S. consider themselves runners and 115 million are walkers, according to Statista. Translation? These popular activities are relatable interests to include on your resume.

What we like: Being a consistent runner speaks to your commitment and training regimen.

25. Continuing Education

There are so many online learning opportunities available today. Whether you want to learn a new language, how to draw, or how to master SEO, there’s an online course for it.

Not to mention, 62% of companies offer professional development as part of their benefits package, according to the GMAC Corporate Recruiters Survey. If continuing education is essential to you, it’s worth mentioning if you’re interviewing with a company that offers this as part of the job.

Why this works: An interest in continuing education shows dedication to learning new skills and subjects.

26. Interior Design

If you have an eye for interior design, don’t hesitate to mention it on your resume. You could even showcase your skills over a video interview by displaying your perfectly designed setup in the background.

What we like: Having design skills can translate across many roles.

27. Digital Organization

Do you use project management apps to manage everything from work tasks to grocery shopping? A passion for planning and dedication to organizing can go a long way in any role.

What we like: Bonus points if you create and share organization templates like this Notion creator does.

28. Real Estate

Aside from the obvious industries like real estate or mortgage lending, there are other roles that an interest in real estate could benefit from.

For example, if you are applying for a job in the personal finance industry, your interest in real estate could demonstrate an intimate knowledge of one of the biggest purchases the average buyer will make in their lifetime.

What we like: Some interests, like real estate, demonstrate your cross-industry knowledge, which can be beneficial if you apply to jobs in business, marketing, or sales.

29. Cooking

Do you have a food blog? Participate in cooking competitions? If cooking is a significant hobby of yours, there’s a place for it on your resume.

What we like: Like baking, cooking can demonstrate patience and creativity.

30. AI and machine learning

Interests don’t always have to be hobbies. Interests include subjects you’re interested in learning more about or are expanding your knowledge on, like AI.

Having an interest in technology like machine learning can also put you in a better position for future roles. These are the skills employers believe are the most important for the future, according to the GMAC Corporate Recruiters Survey.

What we like: Showing an interest in certain technologies demonstrates adaptiveness and a commitment to learning.

31. Personal Finance

I know a few people who have accomplished major financial achievements — like paying off their student loan debt within a year or saving up to buy a house — who now share their tips with others online.

What we like: If you’ve done something similar and regularly share your thoughts and tips on social media or through a blog, this can be an excellent interest to add to your resume to demonstrate your thought leadership.

32. Remote Work

If you consider yourself a digital nomad or are passionate about remote work, you can add that as an interest to your resume. This can also showcase your desire to work remotely and help connect you to the right employers.

While remote work may be more common than in years past, some people and companies have advocated for the digital nomad lifestyle for a long time. For example, Buffer has been a fully remote and distributed team since 2013.

Why this works: This interest doubles as a job preference for your resume.

33. Learning Languages

Learning a new language can be a challenge. However, a commitment to studying and practicing a foreign language is worth mentioning on your resume.

It showcases your interests. Plus, depending on your skill level, understanding several languages can also be an asset to any team.

What we like: Learning languages shows dedication to learning and an openness to different cultures.

34. Podcasting

It’s estimated that there will be over three million active podcasts in 2023. If you host one of them, consider mentioning it on your resume.

You might not want to include your podcast’s exact name or genre, depending on what your podcast is about. But if it’s something relevant to your industry, add it.

What we like: A lot of creativity, technology, and marketing goes into creating your own podcast. These skills can help boost your resume if you work in marketing or communications, for instance.

35. Web Design

According to Upwork, web design and development are both in-demand skills for independent professionals. If you’ve been exploring web design in your free time, consider including it as a hobby on your resume, even if you aren’t planning on pursuing freelance work.

What we like: This interest can double as a skill if you have a lot of knowledge and expertise on the subject.

36. Attending Conferences

If you enjoy networking events and attending industry conferences, this counts as an interest to include on your resume.

Why this works: If you’re applying for a sales position, your potential employer will likely be impressed that you enjoy networking in your free time.

37. Standup Comedy

Most of us love to watch comedy shows, but pursuing standup comedy as a hobby is a totally different story — one that’s much more interesting. If you practice comedy, this can demonstrate creativity, courage, and the ability not to take yourself too seriously.

What we like: Including standup comedy as an interest will lead to interesting (and funny) conversations during an interview.

38. Content Creation

Do you love creating cooking videos to share on TikTok? Or maybe you often post UGC (user-generated content) on Instagram to showcase brands you love.

Content creators have skills in photography, marketing, and social media, which can all be appealing skills in the eyes of an interviewer or recruiter.

What we like: Being a content creator can boost your resume if you’re looking for marketing and social media jobs.

39. Gardening

There’s something peaceful about getting your hands dirty, planting seeds, and watering flowers. Gardening is a relaxing pastime and is a great weekend activity to partake in.

What we like: Gardening can demonstrate patience and humbleness.

40. DIY Projects

Similar to my interest in home renovations, I also enjoy any type of DIY project. I usually find inspiration for a home decor DIY on Pinterest or Instagram and spend a weekend putting my own spin on it.

What we like: An interest in DIY projects showcases creativity, commitment, and a sense of individualism.

Showcasing your interests on your resume is a creative way to give recruiters and interviewers a better sense of who you are.

Not only do interests let people know what you enjoy outside of work, but they also give employers an idea of how those interests translate into your work.

From weekly stand-ups to spammy emails, chatter about artificial intelligence (AI) has saturated the marketing space over the last year.

With all the information out there, it can be difficult to even know how to understand and implement AI.

In my role on the AI Marketing Solutions (AIMS) team at HubSpot, I’ve seen first-hand how integrating AI can directly improve campaign metrics. My proudest moment so far was when I launched an AI-personalized email writing workflow that saw a 38% lift in overall CTR (click-through-rate) compared to our traditional campaigns.

Now, you might be wondering, how can you get similar results, or better?

Here’s the seven must-know AI tips you need to start off 2024 strong, with resources, examples, and advice from experts.

7 Essential AI Insights for Marketers in 2024

1. Become a prompt master.

“With where AI is currently at, knowing how to craft winning prompts that get the results you need is really valuable,” says Matt Wolfe, an AI reporter and analyst whose YouTube channel has nearly half-a-million subscribers.

Let me give you a concrete illustration of what Wolfe means and how to apply it. Here’s how to upgrade your AI prompts:

• Be specific and goal-oriented: Define your intentions clearly.
• Consider your context and persona: How should the AI model approach the problem? As an experienced email marketer or a creative copywriter?
• Let’s talk output: Envision what the end result should look like.

So now you can transform a generic prompt — “Write a blog post about five common marketing mistakes in the IT industry” — into an AI-ready masterpiece:

“Act as a seasoned marketing blogger. Produce outputs a seasoned marketing blogger would produce. Craft an engaging, conversational post detailing five major marketing pitfalls specifically for IT companies, explaining their negative ramifications, aiming for 450 words.“

2. Develop a workflow.

Once you’ve gotten prompting down, then the real fun begins. Let’s break this down in a “day in the life” of an AI-enabled marketer.

• 8:30 AM: Review performance metrics from previous campaigns; ChatGPT generates a summary of the data, highlighting metrics and making reporting a breeze.
• 9:15 AM: Dive into creative mode. Direct AI to generate and refine email subject lines, and then shortlist the high-potential hitters for A/B testing.
• 11:00 AM: Use ChatGPT to organize a messy pile of customer feedback, categorizing comments for easy team review and response strategies.
• 1:00 PM: Ask ChatGPT about blog topic ideas, considering previous content we’ve made and don’t want to replicate.
• 2:30 PM: Work with AI to develop blog post titles and outlines, tapping into SEO insights, specifying keywords, and integrating current trends to maximize reach.
• 3:45 PM: Direct AI to mockup some social media posts, later refining the copy to inject brand voice and personality before scheduling.
• 4:30 PM: Conclude the day by having AI clean up and format a client presentation, ensuring clarity and professional polish.

You might be wondering, how do I tactically turn AI-learnings into marketing performance?

Here’s how I transformed our emails: I used a mix of AI-driven audience segmentation and RAG (retrieval augmented generation) techniques to write the most meaningful emails possible, capturing the 38% improvement in CTR that I mentioned earlier.

This bump is more than a number, though: It’s really about driving value. My A/B test didn’t just crown a winner; it reassured me that meaningfully knowing and addressing my audience leads to groundbreaking engagement. It’s proof that with personalization, precision pays off.

But here’s the quiet part: for AI-driven personalization to work, it needs to merge seamlessly with tried-and-true marketing strategies. AI isn’t something you can just plug in and supercharge your marketing. You have to be intentional, and even then, sometimes AI might not make a huge lift. Part of being an early adopter is being okay with failure.

3. Test all the tools.

According to HubSpot’s AI Marketing Report, 35% of marketers are already using AI and automation in their role, up from 17% last year, and this number is definitely growing.

HubSpot’s CTO, Dharmesh Shah, couldn’t put it better:

“Marketers need to recognize how far A.I. has come — and how fast it is moving,” says Shah.

“Before deciding that AI cannot help with a given task, try it. It’s possible it couldn’t be done a few months ago, but now it can.”

AI breakthroughs are accelerating. Think about a feature as simple as web-browsing. In the early days of ChatGPT, it was a well-known limit for AI. Now, you can ask ChatGPT almost any question and instruct the model to browse, and off it’ll go (as long as you have a Plus account).

In an episode of Marketing Against the Grain, Matt Wolfe shares some of his favorite AI tools.

He mentions the company Conveyor, which is working to narrow the latency time between when you ask a chatbot a question and when it responds. Latency is so important in chatbots because it dictates the entire user experience. It’s now possible to deliver nearly seamless, real-time, personal engagement.

Wolfe also speaks on image generation tools Leonardo and Kaiber, which he experiments with for YouTube creative assets.

Across the marketing world, there’s an AI tool with your brand’s name on it, waiting to tackle your specific challenges. Whether you’re managing customer communications, seeking insight from market data, or crafting visuals that capture and convert, AI could be the ace up your sleeve.

4. Use AI as your partner, not your replacement.

AI has already proven to be a strong contributor across marketing workflows.  

Within the HubSpot platform, the AI-powered content assistant streamlines your creative process, generating blog ideas, drafting emails, and shaping outlines efficiently.

Ramon Berrios, host of DTC Pod, has integrated AI into most of his company’s marketing. He uses his tool, castmagic.io, to produce their weekly industry newsletter, automate podcast production work, run social media, and record conversations with thought leaders.

Keep in mind, AI tools are here to back you up, not take over. With AI churning out endless streams of text, we might see a real flood of low-quality, spammy, AI-generated content.

As marketers, we know that high-quality content will always be the key to marketing success, and this is truer yet in the age of AI. Some might try to play the system, but the truth is that engaging and captivating content will always win in the long run.

Some of my tips to identify AI-generated content are as follows:

• Originality: Does the content offer unique perspectives not seen elsewhere?
• Insightfulness: Is it educated by in-depth knowledge, providing value that exceeds mere information regurgitation?
• Brand Alignment: does the content have a distinct brand voice? A distinct tone? Or does it sound like that ‘generic’ ChatGPT tone that’s becoming all too common?

As AI evolves, we’re going to have to figure out which marketing tasks are enhanced by AI and which ones definitely require a human touch. But along the way, we’re going to learn a ton, see some massive breakthroughs in what’s possible, and discover how to drive even more value for customers.

5. Look out for your brand.

Brand safety takes precedence in this new era. At HubSpot, we’ve ingrained checks to avoid any inappropriate or unintended interactions.

“Data importing can be a concern and a security breach for any organization. Make sure to really understand the terms and conditions of an AI platform before you upload any company-sensitive information and data,” says Berrios.

Additionally, make sure the use of AI is communicated transparently and effectively across your organization. Berrios emphasizes the importance of brand and tone alignment, especially when team members are using different AI platforms whose models don’t learn from each other.

6. Integrate intentionally.

While it might be tempting to go full-speed ahead in AI, there are inherent risks.

Here are my five AI no-go’s:

1. Data Gathering Without Consent — Don’t be a privacy pirate.
2. Misleading Big Data Expectations — AI isn’t your crystal ball.
3. AI Tools Without Clean Data — Garbage in, garbage out.
4. Ignoring AI Source Verification — Fact-check or face the music.
5. Neglecting Ethics in AI Use — Skirt morals, invite scandals.

There’s a prevalent yet flawed notion that AI can handle vast and unfocused datasets to drive insightful conclusions. However, the reality is that AI excels when led with specificity and purpose. It demands data hygiene and ethical data use — these are cornerstones of HubSpot’s AI strategy.

Make sure you have a transparent privacy policy, obtain user consent when you collect first-party data, and only collect essential information.

A handy privacy policy checklist could be the following:

• Transparency in Data Collection: Clearly itemize the types of personal information your company collects, spanning from the obvious — names, email addresses — to the less considered, like browsing behavior or device information. Leave no stone or data point unturned.

• User Consent and Control: Spell out how users can give, manage, and revoke consent for data use. Include how to access, correct, or delete their personal information.

• Data Security and Sharing: Articulate how you keep user data under lock and digital key. Be clear on who’s in your data-sharing circle and why.

During your creative process, beware of misleading information, as well as copyright infringement. Use tools that train their models on clean data. Double-check and diversify your sources to avoid misinformation.

This video on AI Ethics is a great place to find common AI pitfalls and solutions.

7. Stay human.

AI may not be human (yet), but luckily, you are. As we move into 2024, the goal is to further discover the potential and limitations of AI in marketing, making sure that our applications remain powerful, meaningful, and value-driven.

“When a machine can build any product in the world, the product that’s going to win is going to have a real point of view, and the people marketing it…are going to have a real point of view. [Central to everything], is believing deeply in something,” says Kipp Bodnar, CMO at HubSpot.

AI is a work in progress, which means it is still disproportionately biased against minorities, and may offer perspectives that aren’t informed by empathy and critical thinking. Ironically, in the age of machines, your humanity is what will truly make the difference.

The key to winning at AI is to be strategic, intentional, and vigilant. AI is a tool to be wielded wisely — to amplify our potential, not to overshadow it. It’s about enriching brand experiences, while still reflecting the warmth, sincerity, and value-focused care of our human marketers.

Google uses 200+ ranking factors when determining the search results. How do you ensure that your website gets more visibility and, thus, higher SERP positions?

What is the ultimate metric that can make or break the rankings? Is it the domain authority, content quality, page speed, or mobile readiness?

While many SEOs will argue that authoritativeness is the main factor for higher rankings, surprisingly, it’s not.

Table of Contents

• What Factors Affect SERP Rankings
• The Metric that Matters Most: Trustworthiness
• How to Improve Trustworthiness
• 4 Tips for Improving Your Ranking

What Factors Affect SERP Rankings

SERP is an acronym that stands for “Search Engine Result Pages.” When a user types a query, Google provides a list of websites and other resources, such as videos, documents, and images, that match the user’s search intent.

Based on our recent study, 43% of the surveyed individuals perceive achieving a position within the top 10 as simple, whereas 39% regard it as challenging.

To get your site into the top 10, act on the most important factors that affect the SERP rankings.

Content Relevance

Search engines aim to provide the best results to their users. Thus, the quality of content is non-negotiable. Moreover, after Google’s Panda, Fred, and helpful content algorithm updates, bad content can kill the chances of higher rankings.

Your content needs to answer the search intent and provide practical information, covering all the questions that the user might have.

In practice, it means that your content has to offer an explicit answer to a search query and surface relevant questions. For example, if I had to write an article on “interactive walkthrough examples,” I’d cover critical points people Google about.

1. What is it?
2. How to make it?
3. Dozens of real examples
4. Tools to create those walkthroughs

Why these headings? Because it’s what users ask search engines and the intent of the query. Explore the ‘People Also Ask’ section to create killer content.

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“In competitive industries, most players nail the right keywords and craft compelling copy with spot-on search intent.

But ask yourself: Why should Google prioritize your article over countless others in the SERP? What unique value does your content offer to outrank competitors?

The key lies in the information gap. That missing puzzle piece in the existing narrative. To recognize it, ask your internal experts about missing information in those copies.

At Belkins, we bridge this gap by connecting freelance writers and our in-house experts through interviews and questionnaires.” — Eugene Zatiychuk, SEO at Belkins Agency

Number of Backlinks

While the old days of getting numerous spammy backlinks are gone, the impact of backlinks is still unquestionable.

The joint research performed by Ahrefs and Backlinko found that the 1st result in Google has an average of 3.8x more backlinks than positions 2-10.

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Google pays attention to authoritativeness. Having more high-quality backlinks from trustworthy websites indicates that your content is so well-crafted that other sources vouch for you.

Domain Authority

Domain authority (DA) is another critical ranking component.

Developed by Moz, it’s a search engine ranking score that indicates your competence on a particular topic and predicts how likely your website is to rank in SERPs.

The score is ranked between 1 and 100. The higher your domain authority, the more likely you’ll rank on Google.

The Backlinko and Ahrefs’ study proves this theory — a website’s overall link authority correlates to higher first-page Google rankings.

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User Experience

Great user experience (UX) is one of the ranking factors.

Easy navigating websites that have clear CTAs and intuitive designs provide a seamless browsing experience and encourage repeat visits. This leads to longer dwell time and lower bounce rates.

Analyzing these metrics, Google knows your site has valuable content, and it prompts the site higher in rankings.

Keep in mind that the industry benchmark for average dwell time is between 2–4 minutes.

Page Speed

Page speed is an essential ranking factor.

Recent research shows the average page speed is 1.65 seconds on the first page of SERP. The same report indicates that 1 in 4 visitors will leave the website if it takes more than 4 seconds to load.

That being said, having a fast website is not a preference but a necessity.

While we’ve discussed the 5 pillars without which your site will never secure high rankings, let’s unveil the most important metric for great SEO performance.

The Metric that Matters Most: Trustworthiness

We surveyed 405 SEO professionals who constantly track their websites and analyze rankings. We also asked them about the most important metrics that are “responsible” for rankings. The result?

To our surprise, 39% of the survey participants consider trustworthiness as the primary determinant for achieving a high Google ranking in 2023.

Let’s discuss this metric in more detail and understand why it matters.

What is trustworthiness in SEO?

Trustworthiness is one of the pillars of Google’s E-E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) framework. By saying “trust,” we consider the extent to which the page is accurate, honest, safe, and reliable.

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The level and extent of trust required vary based on the specific web page’s nature.

For example, e-commerce websites should have a secure payment system, and product reviews should be honest and authentic.

On the other hand, informational pages on clear YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topics must be accurate to avoid any potential harm to individuals and the community.

Why does trustworthiness matter?

According to Google’s Quality Rating Guidelines:

“Trust is the most important member of the E-E-A-T family because untrustworthy pages have low E-E-A-T no matter how Experienced, Expert, or Authoritative they may seem. For example, a financial scam is untrustworthy, even if the content creator is a highly experienced and expert scammer who is considered the go-to for running scams!”

Providing information that is accurate, not misleading, or harmful makes you trustworthy, thus increasing the chances of climbing to the top of SERP.

How can you measure trustworthiness?

Trustworthiness is measured by taking into account different factors. It’s an ongoing evaluation and relies on various elements, such as:

• Author information
• Citations
• Backlinks
• Reviews
• Website security
• Content quality
• User engagement and many more

You should analyze these factors collectively and get a better understanding of “Trustworthiness” within the EEAT framework.

How to Improve Trustworthiness

To improve the trustworthiness of your website, you can follow these four actionable strategies:

1. Create original and valuable content.

One of the most effective ways to increase your trustworthiness is to add originality nuggets to your content.

This can be defined as little bits of originality that make a piece of content unique from others and thus worthy of being shared or linked to.

For example, you can add originality by adopting an opposing viewpoint to what anyone else is discussing.

In the example below, the ranking articles in the SERP are all about tips for hiring a marketer. If you look closely at the highlighted part, the title is quite different from what others write. It’s intriguing and encourages readers to click on the link and read the article.

This is an originality nugget.

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By providing well-crafted content, you’ll attract more traffic, backlinks, and shares. These are crystal-clear indicators of trustworthiness and authority.

2. Build your online reputation with user-generated content.

Obtain positive reviews and testimonials from happy customers to increase your online reputation and showcase trustworthiness.

Users trust fellow users, and leveraging social proof builds confidence among customers. However, be sure to gather only genuine feedback and avoid fake reviews by all means.

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3. Display author bio to add credibility.

Clearly display author credentials such as name, bio, experience, and qualifications to establish their expertise and credibility.

This is important not only for SEO purposes but also to help users identify authors as subject matter experts.

You can even list multiple authors to differentiate the expert from the author, as in the example below.

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Listing authors is particularly important in the health and finance fields, often called YMYL (Your Money or Your Life), as even a little misinformation can have serious consequences.

Don’t forget to allow author bio pages to be indexed by Google. This enables users to search for authors, read their other articles, or subscribe to their newsletters if interested. Also, when users know the real people behind the content, it forges trust in the company and the author alike.

For example, if you Google me, you’ll see companies’ pages that feature my articles.

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4. Update and maintain your website regularly.

Google prioritizes up-to-date content. Make sure to regularly update your articles and add new material. Keeping your content fresh demonstrates that you really care about your users and want to provide them with value and quality.

Additionally, outdated and irrelevant content can decrease your trustworthiness and significantly harm your rankings.

Here is your step-by-step strategy to update old content.

1. Prioritize pages that already rank in the #5-10 positions, as it’ll be easier to go from positions #5-10 to #1 than from zero to first.
2. Once you select the pages to update, follow this straightforward process: check old statistics, facts, and quotes and update them. Remove fluff, instead add more paragraphs if the content lacks depth.
3. Use content optimization tools like Clearscope and SurferSEO to identify and add missing relevant keywords, discover weak points, etc.
4. Update examples to make sure you’re up-to-date with current trends in your industry.
5. Add internal links and backlinks to improve authority and give an additional boost to the pages.

“SEO takes 6-12 months (or does it?). It can. But it can also be overnight for some sites. The screenshot is for a client who was sitting on outdated content. Within 24 hours of hitting the update, traffic spiked. Here’s what we did.

We updated the publication date and title, made sure the content was still matching search intent, added content to improve and hit search intent, and added optimized images, and pointed internal links.

Updating the right content is one of my favorite SEO quick wins.” — Bill Gaule, SEO strategist at ContentGrowth.

4 Tips for Improving Your Ranking

“Backlinks make up only 7% of tactics for improving rankings,” said 405 SEO pros in our research. So, here are four better tips to boost your site’s visibility in SERPs.

Tip 1: Optimize your on-page content around your target keywords and LSI keywords.

LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords are words and phrases used by Google to grasp the context and meaning of a piece of content and to improve the relevance of search results. Let’s bring an example.

Consider “Digital marketing” as your target keyword. In this scenario, your LSI keywords would be “Online Advertising,” “Social Media Marketing,” “Search Engine Optimization,” etc.

As LSI keywords are related terms and synonyms that help search engines determine the context of the content more precisely, this signals to Google that your content covers a broad range of topics within the realm of digital marketing.

However, you should place LSI keywords naturally and steer clear of keyword stuffing.

Pro tip: Use SurferSEO’s suggestions to write even thought-leadership content for search engines and humans. The AI-powered tool offers LSI keywords to embed in your article for better rankings.

Tip 2: Optimize images for SEO.

Images are not merely for decoration. They play a crucial role in visualizing your content and engaging your visitors.

Articles with 6-7 images gather the most unique pageviews, backlinks, and shares, according to Semrush research.

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But including images isn’t enough to see the high impact. You have to SEO optimize them. Follow these best practices to do so.

• Compress images to reduce the file size and ensure faster loading. Tools like TinyPNG and CompressJPEG prove effective.
• Give images descriptive names, ideally including the target keyword.
• Add alt text to briefly describe the image if it can’t be displayed.
• Implement lazy loading to reduce initial page load times.
• Host images on your own domain rather than third-party image hosting websites to retain control over image accessibility.

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Tip 3: Leverage visual content to increase dwell time.

Visual content — images, videos, and infographics keep users engaged for longer periods, ultimately increasing the dwell time.

According to the “State of Content Marketing 2023” report by Semrush, 33% of the respondents leverage visuals to boost blog post rankings.

The same study reveals that articles with at least one video generate 70% more organic traffic than those without. Surprisingly, only 8% of all blog posts that were analyzed had a video.

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Furthermore, compelling visuals help users better comprehend your message. They also break up long texts and make the content more readable. This, in turn, encourages users to linger on pages and explore more.

Tip 4: Optimize your website for mobile.

Over 50% of searches on Google originate from mobile devices, with mobile-friendly sites showing up higher in search results.

In this mobile-first era, it’s vital to prepare your website for mobile devices to attract users and increase conversion rates.

However, our recent research found that only 20% of industry professionals consider mobile optimization to be the most effective strategy for improved rankings.

Here’s how you can optimize your website for mobile to achieve higher rankings:

• Implement a responsive design that automatically adjusts your website’s layout and content to fit various screen sizes and devices.
• Simplify the navigation menu with hamburger icons, dropdowns, etc.
• Compress images
• Avoid intrusive pop-ups that hinder user experience
• Ensure that clickable elements are large enough
• Use Google PageSpeed insights to determine areas for improvement and optimize your mobile page speed.

In turn, here is an interesting case study proving the great impact of mobile optimization.

Irina Maltseva, a Growth Lead at Aura, noticed that desktop traffic started regularly dropping while mobile traffic grew, especially in B2C.

Here are three things they implemented to get the most of the mobile traffic:

• Make sure the mobile page speed is as high as possible.
• Since the attention span is lower on mobile than desktop devices, start to create shorter, more actionable articles with zero boring intros.
• Make CTAs more aggressive and place them at the beginning or in the middle. Many long articles are not read from mobile till the very end.

“As an SEO specialist, you must consider mobile as your primary traffic source. Mobile is the future. If you start building a new website page, consider how it will look and convert on mobile. And only after optimizing it for desktop” — Irina Maltseva, Growth Lead at Aura.

Improve trustworthiness to rank higher on search engines.

Trustworthiness is a pivotal factor for high rankings. No matter how great content you provide, how fast your web page loads, or how many backlinks you have, lacking trustworthiness can block your ascent in the SERP.

In video marketing, choosing the right soundtrack can be the difference between a video that grips your audience from start to finish and one that they can barely get halfway through.

Not just any music will do, and knowing where to find the best royalty-free music sites is helpful.

Play a fitting soundtrack or jingle in your video to grab your audience’s attention and evoke the specific emotions and feelings you want them to associate with your brand.

Neglect the musical aspect of your video, and people will think less of your brand.

Fortunately, we found 21 royalty-free music sites that provide high-quality music and can help you make the perfect soundtrack for your next video.

21 Royalty-Free Background Music Websites for Videos

1. PremiumBeat

Owned by Shutterstock, PremiumBeat offers one of the most diverse and sizable collections of royalty-free music online.

With the help of their music industry experts, they’ve curated over 10,000 tracks that you can segment by genre, mood, artists, instruments, beats per minute, and duration.

Their music experts also curate an Editor’s Pick playlist with 857 of PremiumBeat’s best tracks to help you make the best possible soundtrack for your videos.

What we like: Only some videos need a fast-beat song. Sometimes, a slow tempo works just fine. PremiumBeat’s filters make searching for music easy.

Best for: Video creators who know the style of music they want for their project.

Pricing: $64.95 a month

2. Epidemic Sound

By collaborating with some of the most talented musicians in the industry, Epidemic Sound’s tracks are featured on YouTube and Facebook videos that rack up over 20 billion views each month.

Epidemic Sound has curated over 725 albums of royalty-free music, spanning from genres like “Corporate” to “First Snow,” allowing you to create diverse and high-quality soundtracks.

What we like: Epidemic Sound offers a wide range of music and sound effects, making it the perfect one-stop shop for all your projects.

Best for: Creators who wish to monetize their platforms.

Pricing: Personal plans cost $15 a month. Commercial plans cost $49 a month. Enterprise has custom pricing.

3. Artlist

Artlist partners with some of the best Indie artists to create original tracks, helping companies like National Geographic, Microsoft, and Toyota make video soundtracks.

You can filter thousands of tracks by mood, theme, genre, instrument, tempo, and duration. Artlist also curates themed collections of their partner artists’ tracks and spotlights their albums.

What we like: Artlist drops new music monthly, meaning many choices exist.

Best for: YouTube creators who are looking to monetize their platforms.

Pricing: Prices range from $9.99 to $39.99 per month billed annually, plus custom pricing for enterprises.

4. Music Vine

Music Vine collaborates with over 160 independent musicians to produce over 2,500 tracks you can segment by style, mood, energy, vocals, and duration. They also curate collections for particular themes in filmmaking and video production.

You can filter them by vibe, theme, genre, and environment. Additionally, Music Vine dedicates a section of its website to its artists, letting people follow them and explore their music.

What we like: Music Vine classifies its music into three distinct categories: promotional, storytelling, and creative. This time-saving feature is helpful!

Best for: Creators with a budget who are looking for a subscription music service.

Pricing: Pro Lite plans cost $19.99 a month. Pro Standard plans start at $35.99 a month.

5. Soundstripe

Soundstripe partners with over 80 artists to produce songs you can filter by mood, genre, pace, instruments, key, vocals, duration, and beats per minute. They’ve also curated over 50 playlists from genres like action & sport to weddings.

On Soundstripe, you can also create an account, follow artists, build playlists, like songs, and create your playlists. If you need sound effects for your video, Soundstripe offers 29 sound effects categories, from construction to sci-fi.

What we like: Soundstripe is free to sign up and use. However, there are limits. Soundstripe’s subscription plans are affordable and offer extra perks.

Best for: Filmmakers and podcasters looking to add a bit of curated flair to their work.

Pricing: Creator plans cost $9.99 a month, billed annually. Pro plans cost $19.99 a month, billed annually. Enterprise plans have custom pricing.

6. Filmstro

Filmstro offers royalty-free music that spans over 65 different categories, like mood, film & video genre, music genre, and instrumental palette. Plus, it also lets you customize each track by its momentum, depth, and power.

This gives you infinite creative possibilities to choose from when you create your video’s soundtrack.

What we like: Filmstro offers a free, full-access trial of their service. This free trial allows users to learn the platform’s features before upgrading their service.

Best for: Video creators who want more leeway and creative license with their sounds and songs.

Pricing: YouTuber plans cost $8.25 a month, billed annually. Pro plans cost $20.75 a month, billed annually. Pro Plus plans cost $41.50 a month, billed annually.

7. Pond5

Pond5 offers one of the largest royalty-free music libraries in the world. With over 500,000 tracks in 36 genres spanning from Hawaiian to action, you can make music tracks for almost any video project.

What we like: Pond5 knows video creators need more than just sound. We appreciate that they offer other forms of multimedia on their platform.

Best for: Creators who want to pay per item instead of subscribing to a subscription-based plan.

Pricing: Pay per track based on what you purchase.

8. ccMixter

ccMixter has one of the most thorough processes for creating free music from any royalty-free music website.

They collaborate with musicians who upload original samples of their instrumentals, singers who upload original acapella recordings, and producers and DJs who mix the music together to create free tracks for their videos.

With over 120 original tracks for film & video, commercial projects, and video games, ccMixter can help you make a truly creative video soundtrack.

What we like: ccMixter is a collaborative community with various artists contributing to the website. That means you have a variety and plenty of songs and sounds to choose from.

Best for: Creators with a limited budget.

Pricing: There’s a one-time fee for each track or project.

9. Bensound

With over 300 tracks in the genres of acoustic, folk, cinematic, corporate, pop, electronica, urban, groove, jazz, rock, world, and more, Bensound provides plenty of musical options for your video’s soundtrack.

What we like: Bensound offers two pricing structures. Platform users can pay for a monthly subscription to the service or choose to pay per track.

Best for: Creators who want free music (with the credit to the artist) and paid music.

Pricing: Standard plans cost €9.99 a month, billed annually. Extended plans cost €19.99 a month, billed annually. Premium plans cost €39.99 a month, billed annually. You can also pay-per-track.

10. Storyblocks

Storyblocks, in partnership with professional musicians, is a royalty-free website that has thought of it all. Whether you’re looking for happy music, dark music, inspiring music, or anything in between, Storyblocks has it in their library.

Plus, they also offer footage users can add to their projects.

What we like: Storybooks require a monthly subscription to use the service. At just $15 per month, anyone can quickly create an account and add music to their projects.

Best for: With the addition of HD and 4K footage, Storybooks is best for YouTube creators.

Pricing: Starter plans cost $15 a month, billed annually. Unlimited plans cost $30 a month, billed annually. Pro plans cost $35 a month, billed annually. Enterprise plans have custom pricing.

11. Amazon

If Amazon doesn’t have what you’re looking for, do you really need it? Luckily, Amazon is also a great place to search for royalty-free music.

Searching for music is simple. Just type “royalty-free music” in the search bar and browse the over 30,000 search results.

What we like: Most of the royalty-free music available on Amazon can be downloaded as an MP3 file, making it easy to add to your project.

Best for: Creators with access to an Amazon account.

Pricing: Here, you pay per track.

12. YouTube Audio Library

If you’re a YouTube Creator, you can already access lots of music and sounds in the YouTube Studio. Using the filter, you can search for music or sounds depending on the mood you’re going for or the genre you’d like.

What we like: Adding music to a YouTube Short or video is easy with the YouTube audio library. Users can “star” their favorite sounds to save for later use. This is especially helpful if you’re creating a branded intro for your videos.

Best for: YouTube Audio is best for YouTube creators.

Pricing: Creating an account is free, but you need to invest to make a channel.

13. TeknoAxe

If you already know the kind of vibe you’re going for, TeknoAxe is for you. Compared to other royalty-free websites, TeknoAxe seems simplistic.

But don’t let the simple look fool you. TeknoAxe features a variety of royalty-free music in a wide range of genres.

What we like: We appreciate that the music and sounds on TeknoAxe are free to download through Creative Commons. Users are to support the website through donations only.

Best for: Creators with a solid idea of the type of sound they would like to add to their project.

Pricing: Cost depends on your track or project.

14. Audio Jungle

Audio Jungle is one of the best and most cost-efficient websites to search for royalty-free music. The cost of music or sound starts at an affordable one dollar and varies in price, depending on what you’re looking for.

Searching for a whole music bundle? Audio Jungle has you covered!

What we like: We appreciate Audio Jungle bundling sounds into a media or music pack. This makes it helpful for creators who want varied but related sounds for their projects.

Best for: Anyone creating a project that needs to add sound or music.

Pricing: Audio Jungle is pay per track.

15. Purple Planet

Purple Planet, owned and operated by a three-person musical team, boasts a vast collection of royalty-free music from real instruments, such as guitars and percussion instruments.

Purple Planet offers free music (with credit to the creators) and commercial licenses.

What we like: We appreciate Purple Planet creating music and sound with real instruments. Real instruments can create a mood that other music, such as music made by AI, cannot.

Best for: Purple Planet jives with any content creator — those who want a full commercial license and those who are okay with sharing credit.

Pricing: There are free downloads with credit. A standard license costs $8. A broadcast license costs $40.

16. AKM Music

AKM Music is one of the largest royalty-free music producers in the United Kingdom. AKM Music knows that sometimes you need to shop for music based on the mood or feeling you want to give your project.

This is why they’ve categorized their sound collection based on the genre and mood. You’ll save time searching and spend more time creating.

What we like: Purchasing a song from AKM Music is done in a snap. You simply pay for the song and the license one time, and you can use it or play it forever.

Best for: Creators looking for sounds that want to avoid paying for a subscription-based service.

Pricing: With AKM Music, you pay per track.

17. Jamendo

Want to know Jamendo’s biggest flex? Their catalog has over 500,000 songs from over 40,000 artists in over 150 countries. That’s a lot of music and guarantees you’ll find the best musical match for your project.

Not only does Jamendo offer you a wide selection of music, but it also helps artists create commercial licenses to gain monetary recognition for their work.

What we like: Although small, we appreciate that Jamendo continues to play the song you’re listening to, even when flipping through other pages on their website. You’ll never lose your sound by accidentally clicking elsewhere with Jamendo.

Best for: Jamendo is best for creators on a budget and those who don’t mind spending a little money for the perfect sound.

Pricing: Standard licenses cost $19. Large licenses cost $49. Enterprise licenses require a quote.

18. Marmoset

Marmoset’s portfolio of users is impressive — think of creators like Netflix, Apple, and Google. With these big names, you know the quality of royalty-free music on their website is legit.

Marmoset is a full-service music agency that offers music to meet any mood or energy.

What we like: Marmoset’s impressive catalog features music from every genre. There is no shortage of unique sounds to choose from on this website.

Best for: Creators working with a budget for their sound options.

Pricing: Individual plans cost $12 a month, billed annually. Business plans cost $39 a month, billed annually. Enterprise plans have custom pricing.

19. Envato Elements

Envato Elements is a solid choice when choosing a royalty-free music service. For just $16.50 a month, you’ll receive unlimited downloads from their over 15,000 selection of music and sounds.

Envato Elements offers a wide range of music for your project and other types of media, such as graphics and video templates, to elevate your project to the next level.

What we like: Evato Elements is a subscription-based service, and they recognize that you might not always need their services. With that in mind, you can cancel your subscription at any time.

Best for: Creators with a budget to spend on their projects.

Pricing: Starts at $16.50 a month.

20. Free Stock Music

If you don’t want to spend money on sound or music and are happy to share the credit with the creator, consider Free Stock Music. (For the record, you can also purchase a commercial license for the song!)

This music platform classifies sounds by category, mood, and tempo, so you can be sure you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for.

What we like: The simplicity of the website makes it easy to find the right sound you’re looking to use for your project. We appreciate the tempo filter, too.

Best for: YouTube creators without a budget who don’t mind sharing credit.

Pricing: Free and pay-per-track options are available.

21. FoxiMusic

Foximusic has set out to solve the problem of finding royalty-free music. The team behind this music service is a group of musicians with decades of experience — meaning they make their own music in-house.

They’ve also simplified the purchasing process. Instead of signing up for a subscription, you can purchase one song or a music bundle, depending on your needs.

What we like: While subscription services are excellent, they’re not for everyone. The choice to bundle songs makes it easier for creators on a budget.

Best for: Creators who are recording both video and podcasts.

Pricing: You can pay per track or project.

AI Services for Royalty-Free Music

1. AVIA

If you’re more creative and want to compose your sounds or music based solely on emotion, consider using AIVA. AIVA is an AI-based music service that allows you complete control of the sounds you create.

With a pro annual subscription plan, you own the copyrights to the music you make.

What we like: AIVA is a subscription-based platform. Although there are paid versions of the service, you can use the free plan with up to three monthly downloads if you’re on a budget.

Best for: Creators who consider themselves picky and want to create their own music instead of choosing something else.

Pricing: Free plans are available. Standard annual plans cost €11 a month. Pro annual plans cost €33 a month.

2. Soundraw

Nothing is more frustrating than having an epic scene in your video, only for the music to not match the action. Soundraw takes the frustration out of selecting music that perfectly fits your project.

With Soundraw, simply tell the AI-based service what kind of music you want, and it will generate several variations within a few seconds. After that, choose the best song or start over again.

What we like: It can take a lot of work to choose the perfect song for your project. Soundraw removes the frustration by creating multiple variations with a similar sound and feel.

Best for: Creators who know precisely what they want but don’t want to spend hours looking for it.

Pricing: Free plans are available. Creator plans cost $16.99 a month. Artist plans cost $29.99 a month.

3. Soundful

If you can’t find a song that matches your head’s melody, try Soundful. Soundful, an AI-based music generator, allows users the creative space to create their own music and sounds.

Not only do users have complete creative freedom, but with specific pricing plans, users own the copyright licenses to the sounds they create.

What we like: Soundful is a subscription-based service. However, there is a free plan for users who want to learn the program before spending money or for those who need just one or two songs.

Best for: Creators looking for a distinct sound for their project.

Pricing: Free plans are available. Content creator plans cost $59.99 a year. Music Creator Plus plans cost $119.99 annually.

Business jargon has long dominated corporate conversations, complicating straightforward discussions.

My colleague Shannon and I tackled this issue a few years back by creating Business Babble Bingo—a playful yet enlightening game.

This game was our subtle rebellion against the meaningless buzzwords dominating meetings, presentations, and websites.

But despite the time elapsed, the problem of business jargon still muddles communication.

So, this article demystifies a few of the most overused phrases.

We’ll replace them with simpler alternatives to determine if you’re an experienced “thought leader” or new to the business world. Embrace this transformation for a definite “win-win” outcome.

• 65 Examples of Corporate Business Babble — and What to Say Instead
• What We Sound Like When We Babble
• The Human We Could Sound Like

65 Examples of Corporate Business Babble — and What to Say Instead

1. Thought Leader

A recognized authority in a certain subject matter is often called a “thought leader.” However, you could also call them an “expert,” “authority,” or just … their name.

For Example

I just got back from coffee with a thought leader. >> I just got back from coffee with Seth Godin.

2. Opened the Kimono

An incredibly creepy way of saying someone shared information, “opened the kimono,” might be better replaced with such simple phrases as “told,” “shared,” “revealed,” or even just “said.”

For Example

He opened the kimono about his new book. >> He shared some information about his new book.

3. Core Competency

Technically, this expertise offers a competitive advantage, though it‘s often just used to indicate expertise. You could call this, well, “expertise” — or perhaps a “unique skill” or “differentiator” if you’re going for the original definition.

For Example

As you know, unicorns are his core competency. >> He knows a lot about unicorns.

4. Coming Down the Pike

It is another way of saying something‘s going to happen in the future. “Expect X” or “You’ll hear about Y soon” are also perfectly acceptable, boring as they may be.

For Example

There are some new unicorn advancements coming down the pike. >> You’ll hear about some recent unicorn advancements soon.

5. Start a Dialogue

The implication is that you‘ll start an ongoing discussion that’s a two-way street instead of offering a directive with no opportunity for discussion. However, there are simple phrases like “ask,” “talk to,” and “meet” that work just as well.

For Example

My team should start a dialogue with your team. >> Our teams should talk.

6. Utilize

The word every editor changes to “use.” Just say “use.”

For Example

Let‘s utilize all our resources. >> Let’s use all our resources.

7. Leverage

If you‘re in finance or work with heavy objects for a living, you get a pass on this.

People in business, however, tend to use this to mean they’re making use of a good resource, even though “make use of,” “use,” “help,” and “rely on” do the trick quite nicely.

For Example

We have a lot of strengths we can leverage. >> We have a lot of good resources that can help.

8. Whiteboard It

If anyone ever says, “Let’s whiteboard it,” they’re about to hold the meeting hostage with a dry-erase board and a marker.

If, however, they ask people to “brainstorm,” “think through,” “lay out,” or “talk out” an idea, things should be alright.

For Example

We need to whiteboard our presentation‘s agenda. >> Let’s think through our presentation’s agenda.

9. Ideate

You really don’t need to use fancy words to impress. Instead of saying “ideate,” just say “think of” or “come up with ideas.”

For Example

Our teams need to meet for an ideation session. >> Our teams should meet to come up with some ideas.

10. Take It to the Next Level

A generic phrase is used when we aren’t sure what the “next level” actually is. Sometimes, we’re not even sure what “it” is.

Instead, say, “Improve X by 10%” or “Make Y better by changing the copy” —being specific about what you want changed and what exactly constitutes an improvement.

For Example

We should talk to Andrea about how to take this idea to the next level. >> We should talk to Andrea about how to make the homepage a better destination for customers.

11. Learnings

These are the things you learn after you learn something. You could just say, “I learned,” or “The takeaways were.”

For Example

Let’s put our learnings together after the meeting and share with Andrea. >> Let’s tell Andrea what we learned.

12. Best-in-Breed

A phrase that simply means you want to be the best has turned business into the Westminster Dog Show. Consider alternatives like “standout,” “top,” or, simply, “best.”

For Example

She wants to remain a best-in-breed company. >> She wants our company to remain the best in the industry.

13. Shifting Paradigms

Calling something a paradigm shift is not babbly in and of itself. The problem is that it‘s usually used to describe things that aren’t paradigm shifts. So, the phrase has lost all meaning.

Unless something changes the most basic assumptions we base our decisions on, maybe just call it a “big change.”

For Example

Our industry is facing critical paradigm shifts. >> There are some big changes coming in our industry.

14. Boil the Ocean

A cute way of saying you’re taking on too much, this phrase might be better replaced with a straightforward saying like “taking on too much” or “impossible.”

For Example

I think we‘re boiling the ocean in this email. Maybe we should meet in person. >> I think we’re taking on too much for an email. Let’s meet in person.

15. Move the Needle

Just as adorable as ocean boiling, needle moving is all about showing more of those ROIs. However, it might be better to say you’re trying to improve a specific, measurable amount.

For Example

Our team doesn‘t have enough budget to really move the needle on this initiative. >> Our team doesn’t have enough budget to increase conversions by 10%.

16. Out of Pocket

This is a way of saying you’ll be unreachable. Of course, I recommend saying you are “unreachable.” No need to bring your pockets into this.

For Example

I’m out of pocket for the next two weeks. >> I’m unreachable for the next two weeks.

17. Noodle on It

Noodling something can be less creepily described by phrases such as “I’ll think about it” or “Let me think of some more ideas.” (Please don’t use this as an opportunity to bring back “ideate.”)

For Example

Noodle on it while I‘m gone. >> Think about it while I’m gone.

18. Punt

Ah, another office sports analogy. If you “punt” an idea, you might consider just “postponing” or “putting it off.”

For Example

Let‘s punt this until I get back from vacation. >> Let’s talk about this after I get back from vacation.

19. Ping

If you want to “ping” somebody, it means you’re looking to “talk to” them or “contact” them. Maybe via an “IM” or a “call.”

For Example

I’ll ping you when I return. >> I’ll email you when I return.

20. Circle Back

Want to meet about something again at a later date? Talk later? Reconnect? All better options than the babbly “circle back.”

For Example

We should circle back on this once we’ve talked to John. >> We should meet about this again after we talk to John.

21. Synergy

“Synergy” describes a situation where different entities come together to produce a result greater than the sum of their individual efforts. A simpler term might be “collaboration” or “teamwork.”

For Example

Our teams have great synergy. >> Our teams work well together.

22. Verticals

A specialized field or market is often referred to as a “vertical.” However, “industry sector” or simply “field” would work too.

For Example

We‘re exploring new verticals. >> We’re exploring new industry sectors.

23. Buy-In

“Buy-in” is often used to talk about agreement or permission, but you could easily say “approval” or “consensus.”

For Example

We need executive buy-in for this project. >> We need executive approval for this project.

24. Deep Dive

To “deep dive” means to examine something in detail. You could simply say “examine closely” or “analyze.”

For Example

Let’s do a deep dive into these statistics. >> Let’s examine these statistics closely.

25. Touchpoints

“Touchpoints” refer to the interactions between a customer and a brand, but “contact points” or “interactions” work just as well.

For Example

We need to improve our customer touchpoints. >> We need to improve our customer interactions.

26. Growth Hacking

Refers to unconventional strategies to grow a business quickly. You could say “rapid growth strategies.”

For Example

We need some growth hacking to boost sales. >> We need rapid growth strategies to boost sales.

27. Revisit

Refers to returning to a topic or issue for further discussion or analysis. You could say “re-examine” or “return to the subject.” It’s another way of saying “circle back.”

For Example

We’ll revisit this matter next week. >> We’ll re-examine this matter next week.

28. Actionable Insights

Refers to useful data or information. You could simply say “useful data” or “practical insights.”

For Example

The survey gave us actionable insights. >> The survey gave us practical insights.

29. Holistic Approach

A term often used vaguely to suggest that an entire system is being considered. “Comprehensive” or “all-encompassing” could be more apparent.

For Example

We take a holistic approach to marketing. >> We consider all aspects of marketing.

30. Unpack

“Unpack” means to explain something in detail. “Explain” or “analyze” can be used instead.

For Example

We need to unpack these findings. >> We need to explain these findings.

31. Game-Changer

An overused term for a transformative idea or action. “Revolutionary” or “transformative” works too.

For Example

This software is a real game-changer. >> This software is really transformative.

32. Low-Hanging Fruit

Refers to tasks, problems, or opportunities that are easier to solve or achieve than others. “Easiest tasks” or “most accessible opportunities” are clearer ways to describe it.

For Example

Let’s tackle the low-hanging fruit first to show some quick wins. >> Let’s tackle the easiest tasks first to show some quick wins.

33. Secret Sauce

Refers to a unique factor giving an advantage. “Unique advantage” and “special method” are clearer.

For Example

Our secret sauce is our customer service. >> Our unique advantage is our customer service.

34. Pain Points

Problems or challenges are often called “pain points.” “Issues” and “challenges” work, too.

For Example

We‘ve identified the customer’s pain points. >> We’ve identified the customer’s issues.

35. Cutting-Edge

Meant to signify something advanced or innovative. “Innovative” or “advanced” are less clichéd.

For Example

We use cutting-edge technology. >> We use advanced technology.

36. Onboarding

The process of integrating a new employee could be simply called “orientation” or “training.”

For Example

Our onboarding process is thorough. >> Our orientation process is thorough.

37. Win-Win

Means mutually beneficial, which could be stated directly as “mutually beneficial.”

For Example

This deal is a win-win. >> This deal benefits both parties.

38. Granular

Looking at something in detail. “Detailed” or “specific” are simpler alternatives.

For Example

We need a more granular analysis. >> We need a more detailed analysis.

39. In the Weeds

This means getting lost in unnecessary details. “Overcomplicating” might be clearer.

For Example

I think we‘re getting in the weeds. >> I think we’re overcomplicating things.

40. Scalable

Refers to something that can grow in scale. “Expandable” is a simpler term.

For Example

Our platform is scalable. >> Our platform can expand.

Streamline → Make More Efficient. Innovate → Create. Hyperlocal → Local.

41. Customer-Centric

Focusing on the customer could simply be called “customer-focused.”

For Example

We’re a customer-centric organization. >> We focus on our customers.

42. Optics

Refers to how something appears, usually to the public. “Public perception” could replace it.

For Example

The optics of this aren’t good. >> This looks bad to the public.

43. Bandwidth

Your ability to handle tasks could be described as “availability” or “capacity.”

For Example

I don’t have the bandwidth for another project. >> I can’t handle another project.

44. Wheelhouse

An area of expertise or interest. “Specialty” or “strength” are more straightforward.

For Example

This is in my wheelhouse. >> This is my specialty.

45. Double Down

To take a bigger risk, which could be simply said as “take a bigger risk.”

For Example

We’re doubling down on our marketing efforts. >> We’re increasing our marketing efforts.

46. Streamline

To make processes more efficient. This is sometimes just a euphemism for “cutting jobs.”

For Example

We need to streamline operations. >> We need to make operations more efficient.

47. Deliverable

An assignment or task that needs to be done. “Task” or “assignment” work just fine.

For Example

The report is a key deliverable. >> The report is a key task.

48. Innovate

Often used vaguely to mean making something new or different. “Create” or “improve” are alternatives.

For Example

We need to innovate to stay ahead. >> We need to improve to stay ahead.

49. Hyperlocal

Focuses on a very specific geographical area, which could simply be called “local” or “community-focused.”

For Example

We’re adopting a hyperlocal strategy. >> We’re focusing on the local community.

50. Disruptive

Used to describe innovations that significantly change an industry. “Game-changing” or “revolutionary” could replace it.

For Example

Our new product has a disruptive impact on the market. >> Our new product has a game-changing impact on the market.

51. Synergize

To work together harmoniously, which could be replaced with “collaborate” or “coordinate.”

For Example

We need to synergize our efforts for the upcoming project. >> We need to collaborate on our efforts for the upcoming project.

52. Value Proposition

Refers to the unique benefits a product or service offers. “Unique benefits” or “advantages” work too.

For Example

Our value proposition lies in our exceptional customer service. >> The unique benefits we offer are tied to our exceptional customer service.

53. Monetize

To generate revenue from something, which could be phrased as “make money from” or “earn revenue.”

For Example

We’re looking to monetize our online content. >> We’re looking to make money from our online content.

54. Thought Shower

Similar to brainstorming, it could be simply referred to as a “brainstorming session” or “idea session.”

For Example

Let’s schedule a thought shower to come up with fresh ideas. >> Let’s schedule a brainstorming session to come up with fresh ideas.

55. Value-Add

Additional benefits or features, which could be called “extra benefits” or “added features.”

For Example

Our product’s value-add includes extended customer support. >> Our product’s added features include extended customer support.

56. Disintermediation

Removing intermediaries in a process, which could be called “cutting out the middleman.”

For Example

Our platform aims to achieve disintermediation in supply chains. >> Our platform aims to cut out the middleman in supply chains.

57. Pivot

A significant change in strategy or direction. “Change course” or “shift focus” work similarly.

For Example

We need to pivot our marketing approach to target a new audience. >> We need to shift our marketing approach to target a new audience.

58. Future-Proof

To make something resistant to becoming outdated. “Long-lasting” or “resilient to change” work.

For Example

Our software is designed to be future-proof. >> Our software is designed to be resilient to change.

59. Omnichannel

Refers to providing a consistent experience across various channels. “Multi-channel” or “across all channels” work.

For Example

Our omni-channel approach ensures a seamless customer experience. >> Our multi-channel approach ensures a seamless customer experience.

60. Win the Day

To achieve daily goals, could be simply “achieve daily targets.”

For Example

Our team’s focus is to win the day by completing all tasks. >> Our team’s focus is to achieve our daily targets by completing all tasks.

61. Rightsizing

Adjusting resources or staff to an appropriate level. “Optimizing” or “adjusting” could replace it.

For Example

The company is rightsizing its workforce for improved efficiency. >> The company is optimizing its workforce for improved efficiency.

62. Push the Envelope

To exceed limits, which could be simply said as “go beyond.”

For Example

Our innovative designs aim to push the envelope in architecture. >> Our innovative designs aim to go beyond in architecture.

63. Hypergrowth

Rapid and exponential growth, which could be replaced with “rapid expansion” or “explosive growth.”

For Example

The startup experienced hypergrowth in its first year. >> The startup experienced rapid expansion in its first year.

64. Pushback

Refers to resistance or disagreement. “Resistance” or “opposition” are simpler terms.

For Example

We received pushback from the team regarding the new policy. >> We received resistance from the team regarding the new policy.

65. Benchmark

A point of reference for measurement. “Reference point” or “standard” work similarly.

For Example

We need to establish benchmarks for performance evaluation. >> We need to establish reference points for performance evaluation.

What We Sound Like When We Babble

You may think this can sound a little nit-picky, but when you hear babble words repeatedly, this is how it can sound:

I just got back from coffee with a thought leader who was generous enough to open the kimono about his new groundbreaking book.

As you‘re aware, his core competency revolves around unicorn innovation, and he’s hinted that there’s some disruptive potential coming down the pike.

I genuinely believe that our teams should initiate a synergistic dialogue to leverage our collective strengths and optimize for these forthcoming shifts.

It might be constructive to have a face-to-face ideation session where we can whiteboard potential strategies.

To really get the needle moving, perhaps we can co-create a dynamic presentation for the CEO to ensure we maintain our best-in-breed status in this ever-evolving ecosystem.

In any case, I don‘t want to boil the ocean here; I just aim to catalyze action that moves the needle. I’ll be out of pocket for the next fortnight, but please feel free to noodle on this while I‘m away.

We can punt this discussion to a later date, at which point I’ll ping you for a circle-back.

The Human We Could Sound Like

I just had coffee with Sarah, and she gave me an early look at her upcoming book on changes in the world of unicorns. I think both our teams should prepare for these new developments.

We can tackle it with the skills and resources we have, and if we find gaps, we can discuss with our CEO Andrea about what we might need. She’s keen to stay ahead in the unicorn market.

I‘ll be on vacation for the next two weeks, but when I return, I’ll schedule a meeting so we can catch up. Feel free to jot down any ideas or questions for our agenda while I’m gone.

Communicate with Clarity — Not Babble

As you go into your next work conversations, take note of when and how babble may come up. Is there a better, clearer way to say what you want to say?

If you want to strengthen how you communicate, follow these examples, and you’ll be sure that your message is received with clarity.

We have an epic showdown in the thrilling world of social media warfare. It’s X vs. Threads, the battle of short-form social media. In one corner, we have X, the reigning short-form post champion embroiled in drama and controversy.

In the other corner, we have rookie Threads, who’s betting big on user control and wants everyone to play nice. Can X maintain its dominance and keep you scrolling for more?

Will Threads promise a better, safer platform for public conversations?

The X vs. Threads story includes leadership takeovers, a sizable user departure, and a record-shattering launch.

Shaking off the dust of the past, we’re here to answer the most crucial question for you and your brand for the future: Which one should you use?

X vs. Threads: What’s the difference?

What is X?

What is Threads?

Which should you use – X or Threads?

X vs. Threads: What’s the difference?

Twitter (now X) and Facebook (now Meta, which owns Instagram which launched Threads) have a long history of competition. Their new (or rebranded) platforms, Threads and X, are similar in many ways.

Both are text-based social media networks that promote open dialogue. While they may look like copycats, X, and Threads have some key differences.

• Approach. Threads is a platform that prides itself on meaningful, moderated public conversations. On the other hand, X favors free speech with minimal moderation and private conversation through direct messaging.
• Features. X offers premium users many post formats and extended post and video lengths. Threads has a limited number of posts and is missing a few key X features like direct messages and (gasp!) hashtags.
• Ads. Threads are completely ad-free (at least, for now), while X works with advertisers and content creators to monetize the platform. X displays sponsored posts and ads almost everywhere you go in the app.
• Cost. While X was free, it now has a free and paid, premium version with advanced features. While X offers more post formats and longer post and video lengths than Threads, many advantages are hidden behind its paywall.

What are the different user demographics for X and Threads?

Threads users tend to be younger and more educated, though X is growing its Gen Z segment thanks to its new creator features. X users trend toward white male Millennials without a college degree.

However, there’s a spread across economic and political spectrums, making it an exciting place for debate.

What is X?

Image Source

X is a social media platform specializing in short-form text content with photos, links, and videos. Originally named Twitter, the platform facilitates 500 million daily posts (formerly tweets).

The platform is exemplary for sharing live posts or live-streaming videos about breaking news, sporting events, and trending topics.

Users can easily discover new content through hashtags, featured trending topics, and X’s never-ending algorithmic feed.

Advantages of X

Wondering how X can benefit your brand? Here are the pros and cons of X, plus unique features you can leverage.

Large User Base

X boasts 253 million daily active users, giving it a considerable edge over Threads’ 10.3 million. 62% of social media users spend at least one hour per month on X, compared with 21% who spend time on Threads.

In terms of usage growth, it seems to be a mixed bag.

We surveyed X users in August 2023 and found that 28% of users increased their time on Twitter month-over-month while 31% decreased their time spent — and 12% quit the channel altogether.

The platform lost many high-profile users during its leadership and platform changes in 2022 and 2023.

Despite the turmoil, X is still the top social media choice for industries like media and live sports and is gaining traction and users again.

X CEO Linda Yaccarino reported that 1.5 million new users join the platform daily and that Gen Z is its largest and fastest-growing segment.

Content Discovery Tools

Whether you’re following live news or simply topics you care about X’s strength has always been to help users discover content.

You can click on a trending topic or hashtag that interests you or scroll through X’s algorithmic feed designed to serve up relevant content.

You can also create custom feeds through lists and communities or perform advanced searches like filtering a feed by location.

Its most iconic content discovery tool, of course, is hashtags. The hashtag idea originated with a Twitter user in 2007 and became its fulcrum for grouping topics and stories and a social media standard.

Love it or hate it, the hashtag is useful for finding similar content or following breaking stories.

Advertising Opportunities

Want to engage your customers or reach new ones online? X offers a full suite of advertising formats to help brands reach their audience.

You can target people by demographics, location, age, or gender and create a custom campaign based on conversation targeting, event targeting, and more.

Disadvantages of X

Lack of Moderation

X touts itself as a place for freedom of speech. While it does have community rules against hateful conduct, its content moderation is minimal.

The result? Users complain about harassment, cyberbullying, and bots on the platform. Since X revoked the blue check mark and started charging users for verification, users claim that X is a less safe place.

Lack of Trust

Because of the lack of moderation, mistrust of owner Elon Musk, and unpopular changes to the platform, some longtime users and advertisers have left the platform.

We found that 19% of X users say it’s untrustworthy, and 14% say the platform has poor leadership, compared with just 5% of Threads users.

As of August 2023, X’s ad revenue was down 60% from the previous year, suggesting that brands still aren’t confident they can trust X with their marketing dollars.

Pricing Structure

Want a verified profile? That’ll be $8 a month.

X’s new pricing structure took several popular features and hid them behind a paywall.

Premium users can edit posts, create communities, post longer videos, and write posts up to 25,000 characters — much longer than the standard 280-character limit or Threads’ 500-character limit.

31% of X users told us they’re considering an X premium subscription versus 69% who plan to stay on the free plan.

Features Unique to X

X has many features and formats and rolls out new ones each year. Here are five of the best ones for engagement.

X Polls

Want to create quick engagement and take the pulse of your audience on a topic? X Polls lets you post a poll to collect feedback — and automatically displays the results after it ends.

Subscriptions

X is innovating to attract content creators by giving them ways to monetize their content. One of these is Subscriptions, which lets approved users charge a subscription fee for unique content.

As an influencer, building a subscriber list and earning income is very attractive. In 2023, X also rolled out shared ad revenue for content creators — only premium users.

X Communities

For members only: X Communities are a moderated space where approved users can dialogue around shared topics.

While these aren’t private groups, they give exclusivity and the ability to build communities around shared interests or topics. You must be a premium member to start a community.

Live Videos

You can become a mobile broadcaster on X with just your phone and the X app. The live video feature lets you broadcast to X with just one click and saves it as a post once you’re done.

Video is a major growth area for social media; live streaming can give you unique content from live events.

X Spaces

X Spaces is a way to have live audio conversations within the platform. Users have creatively used this for purposes ranging from a live, interactive podcast to a TV or sports watch party.

Anyone can listen, join, and request to speak in a Space. A host moderates, and up to 13 people can talk simultaneously. You can also schedule and record Spaces for later.

What is Threads?

The X vs. Threads story includes leadership takeovers, a user exodus, and a record-shattering launch.

Threads is a text-based social media network launched in 2023 by Instagram. It borrows many features from X in a simplified interface and is designed around user control and meaningful dialogue.

Threads works as an extension to Instagram since users can carry their accounts over and share threads back to their Instagram Lives.

Our survey found that user sentiment is mixed when it comes to Threads. While more than half associate it with positive sentiments — like innovative, engaging, or optimistic — 24% find it boring (ouch!), and 19% don’t trust the platform.

Advantages of Threads

Threads takes the best parts of X and adds its own twist. These are the best features that make Threads stand out:

Minimalist Design

Threads boasts a clean and minimalist interface with user-friendly steps to share, reply to, and repost content. Users enjoy the white background, clean fonts, and absence of ads.

Designed for User Control

Fed up with X’s free-for-all chatter? Take control of the conversation and limit unwanted comments. In Threads, you can control who replies to or mentions you and limit replies to select groups.

You can also add unwanted hidden words to filter out replies with that keyword. If you’ve blocked people on Instagram, those settings carry over.

You can also control your feed by switching from the “For You” algorithm to “Following,” which shows only posts from people you follow.

Strong Moderation System

Also, Threads prides itself on its active content moderation to differentiate itself from X.

Following Instagram’s community guidelines, Threads attempts to flag and remove hate speech, threats, terrorism, some sexual content, and copyright infringements.

Disadvantages of Threads

The tradeoff for Threads’ simple interface and user-control focus? Limited functionality in some cases and limited opportunities for brands to engage.

Limited Formats

Threads has limited formats, lacking live streaming and polls compared to X. While Threads beats out the free version of X in character count and video length, X’s premium offerings give much more flexibility and functions.

These limitations may be hampering user engagement on the platform. 24% of social media users say Threads is boring or unengaging, compared with 11% who say the same about X.

New Tool, Fewer Users, and Fewer Integrations

As a new tool, Threads has a smaller user base and few integrations at this stage.

If you’re used to scheduling and managing your social media accounts all from a social media management platform, it’s a good bet that Threads isn’t supported yet.

It’s also unclear if Threads can hold onto its surge of new users, with reports that its initial app usage dropped by 79% after a month. We surveyed users about how they planned to use Threads in the next three months.

39% of users shared that they planned to use the social media channel more, 13% planned to decrease their use, and 17% planned to quit the channel altogether.

No Direct Messages

You can’t slide into anyone’s DMs on Threads because there aren’t any. That’s right, there is no way to direct-message another user on Threads without it being public.

This controversial choice by Threads was likely an effort to reduce unwanted harassment messages that X DMs are known for, but it makes it challenging to engage one-on-one.

Brands that use social media for customer support also won’t be able to do that in a private setting here.

No Advertising or Business Accounts (Yet)

Some would argue that no advertising is a huge win for the Threads experience and promotes authentic community. However, this hurts brands who need a clear path to reach targeted user groups with their content.

Some brands are testing the waters and making it work.

Features Unique to Threads

While simpler, Threads has a few distinct advantages over X.

Individual Thread Subscriptions

On Threads, you can subscribe to an individual thread for 24 hours, helping you to follow a debate while it lasts — and clear out the clutter the next day.

Live Debate

Perhaps Threads’ most interesting feature is its themed public conversations. This feature allows users to create a debate topic, join others’ debates, and participate in real-time discussions.

Threads moderators moderate these debates to ensure respectful dialogue, and participants vote for debate winners at the end, catapulting to the top of a leaderboard if they’re successful.

Integration with Instagram

In July 2023, Threads broke records by becoming history’s fastest-growing social media platform. In just five days, it amassed 100 million users.

That’s because Instagram created and promoted Threads in-app, giving users quick and painless onboarding.

All Instagram users need to do is to log in with their Instagram credentials, and they’re set up. Their handle, bio, profile picture, and settings transfer from Instagram but can be modified.

While separate platforms, they are connected: you can share Threads you like in an Instagram message or story.

Some hiccups with the linked accounts have users scratching their heads. You can’t currently have more than one Threads account or switch accounts (making it difficult to have a business account).

You also can’t delete your Threads account without deleting your Instagram one. If you deactivate Instagram, your Threads account will also be deactivated.

Which Should You Use — X or Threads?

Now, on to the final showdown: Which one should you use?

X gives users more features and functionality and has a clear path for brands to advertise and engage with audiences. X is also the clear winner for content creators who want to monetize their platform.

You will pay to play, though, as you’ll need X premium to use the best features.

From another perspective, X is oversaturated with established brands and thought leaders. It can be difficult to break in and get traction for your content.

Threads, as a new platform, offers an interesting opportunity to break in, innovate, and start conversations where fewer brands have a presence.

45% of Threads users we surveyed interact daily with brand content, and 21% of those users are hyper-engaged, interacting more than 10x a day.

Compare this with X, where only 34% of users say they interact with brands on a daily basis on the platform, and 7% are hyper-engaged.

Before you decide, consider your audience. What demographic are you trying to reach, and why are they going online? Do they prefer more controlled conversations, or are they bent on content discovery?

Suppose you want to invest in thought leadership and intelligent user dialogue. In that case, Threads is an excellent place to make an impact — and can dovetail with brands with a successful Instagram presence.

Engage Your Audience with Social Media Dialogue

Threads and X will continue to evolve, add exciting features, and continue their rivalry for years. Decide now which features are the most important to you and where your audience can be found.

Then, roll up your sleeves, get started, and gear up for the ride.

In July 2023, Mark Zuckerberg launched Meta’s much-anticipated X competitor: Threads. Meta’s vision for this new social platform was to offer “a new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations” that was built on the foundation of Instagram’s existing community, content, and infrastructure.

As explained in Meta’s official announcement, “Threads is to take what Instagram does best and expand that to text, creating a positive and creative space to express your ideas.” Like Instagram, you can follow friends and creators who share your interests.

Of course, Threads has received its fair share of criticism, from accessibility concerns to accusations of using “dark design” tactics. Nevertheless, Threads hit more than 30 million sign-ups in its first 16 hours alone. It’s continued to gain traction since then, demonstrating the strength of the app’s design.

In this article, we’ll cover the design choices that have helped Threads go (and stay) viral, the areas in which it has fallen short, and what it might take to address these shortcomings.

Table of Contents

• What is Threads?
• Why was Threads created?
• How Thread Leverages Great Design
• Where Threads Falls Short

What is Threads?

To understand the design choices that underpin Threads, it’s important first to clarify what Threads is — and what it isn’t.

At its core, Threads is a standalone app that lets users share short, text-based content of up to 500 characters per post. It also offers many features with which Twitter (now known as “X”) users will likely be familiar, such as liking, quoting, or sharing posts.

Threads is also closely tied to Instagram. While there are options to create custom profiles, by default, Threads simply ports over data from users’ existing Instagram accounts. It also offers seamless integration with Instagram, with capabilities such as sharing Threads posts to your Instagram story or in an Instagram DM.

You can also automatically follow the same accounts on Threads as you already do on Instagram.

However, integration with other platforms remains limited: While Zuckerberg has promised compatibility with an open social networking protocol, it’s not currently possible to engage fully with Threads content without first creating an account.

In addition, Threads is not yet available in the European Union due to “regulatory uncertainty” regarding Meta’s adherence to the EU’s strict privacy and security regulations.

But in spite of these shortcomings, Threads has truly taken the world by storm.

According to Meta, the platform reached more than 100 million sign-ups in its first week, and it has remained consistently popular since then. As such, marketing leaders looking to stay up-to-date on the latest social media trends would be wise to pay attention to this important new platform.

Why was Threads created?

The timing of Threads’ launch was likely quite intentional: Zuckerberg’s announcement regarding this new app came on the heels of mounting dissatisfaction with Elon Musk’s leadership of Twitter.

Observers have suggested that this competitive landscape was likely a significant factor that drove the early success of Threads.

That said, Threads is more than simply a Twitter copycat. While many of the core features of Threads clearly draw inspiration from Twitter (the scrolling user interface, the content feeds, etc.), Zuckerberg’s vision for this new platform is also uniquely integrated with the larger Meta ecosystem.

In addition, Meta has released substantial improvements and additions in the months since Threads’ initial launch. The company promises to continue rolling out new features and capabilities in response to user feedback.

At a high level, Zuckerberg has described his vision for Threads as “an open and friendly public space for conversation.”

The extent to which he is able to realize this vision long-term remains to be seen — but there’s no doubt that the Meta team has already built a successful platform that leverages great design principles to create a strong, engaging user experience.

How Thread Leverages Great Design

There are several elements of the Threads user experience that showcase great design. Below, we explore several of our favorite components of this new platform:

Easy Onboarding

First, Meta developed an onboarding process that makes joining the Threads platform smooth and easy. Instead of having to make and verify a brand new account, you can simply log in with your existing Instagram credentials.

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Then, once you log in, your account is already populated with data from your Instagram profile. From your profile picture to your bio to your existing network, you don’t have to start from scratch. With just a few clicks, your Threads profile is fully set up, and you can get started posting and sharing right away.

What we love: Threads offers a smooth, easy onboarding experience, with key information automatically ported over from your Instagram account.

Integration with Instagram

Threads’ integration with Instagram doesn’t stop with the onboarding process. Design best practices tell us that a smooth, well-integrated user experience is critical to ensure people stay engaged throughout their time on the platform.

That may be why Meta has prioritized offering integrations with key Instagram functionalities such as DMs, followers, and posts.

When Threads was first launched, reviewers criticized its lack of direct messaging support — but just a few months later, Meta released an update that enabled Threads users to share posts directly with their friends using Instagram’s existing DM platform.

With this new integration, you can easily share a thread with a single contact or a group of friends in your Instagram DMs.

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In addition to this DM integration, Threads also enables you to share Threads in an Instagram post or story, offering users even more functionality while driving awareness of the new Threads platform across Instagram.

What we love: Integration with existing Instagram features makes Threads that much more accessible and easy to use.

Finally, the integration of accounts across Threads and Instagram makes it possible to easily port over followers from one platform to the other.

This means that instead of having to reconnect with everyone you know from scratch, you can easily replicate your existing social media network when you get started on Threads.

Feed Customization Options

Another important design element is Threads’ options to customize your feed. Specifically, Threads enables you to tab between a “For You” feed that includes a mix of recommended content and posts from people you follow.

There’s also a “Following” feed, which only includes posts from profiles you follow.

What we love: Threads is designed to let you toggle between a “For You” feed and a “Following” feed, enabling you to customize the content you see.

This kind of customization is important. As with any platform, different users on Threads will have different preferences.

Some may be looking for content that is relevant to their interests but is from creators outside their immediate network, whereas others may only be interested in viewing posts from accounts that they have actively chosen to follow.

With this tab-based user experience, it’s easy to alternate between these two modes and experience the platform in the way that works best for you.

Translation

In addition to fairly standard accessibility features such as screen reader support and AI-generated image descriptions, Threads also offers translation support to enable users to engage with content in multiple languages.

Importantly, this feature has been designed to be functional while remaining as unobtrusive as possible. Threads posts can be automatically translated from the language in which they’re written into the language that the viewer has set their account to.

In addition, if you see a thread in a different language (and your language is available to be translated into), you can just click the translation icon at the bottom right of the post to quickly and easily view the content in your selected language.

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What We Love: This translation feature helps overcome language barriers and makes Threads posts accessible to users around the world — which is particularly important given that the Threads app is now accessible in more than 100 global markets.

Block Words or Profiles

Finally, one of the most critical features to keep any social media platform safe and useful is the ability to block content that you don’t want to see.

On Threads, there are a few key ways that you can filter out irrelevant or undesired content from your feeds.

First, you can specify words and phrases that you want to keep hidden. This means that any replies to your threads that contain these specific worlds will be filtered out.

What We Love: While automated or rules-based content guidelines are a vital baseline for safety and useability, empowering users to make their own decisions about the kinds of posts they do and don’t want to see is a hallmark of great design.

In addition, you can unfollow, block, restrict, or even report a profile.

For content that you’re just not interested in seeing, unfollowing or blocking may make the most sense, whereas for content that might be in violation of Meta’s Community Guidelines, reporting the offending profile can help ensure that other users are also kept safe.

Moreover, any accounts that you’ve blocked on Instagram will automatically be blocked on Threads, too. You don’t have to worry about seeing content from accounts that you’ve already decided you’re not interested in.

Where Threads Falls Short

Despite these substantial strengths, Threads also falls short in several key ways.

Below, we explore several of these flawed design choices, as well as strategies that could help address these shortcomings and improve going forward.

Accessibility

First and foremost, while Meta has touted its commitment to ensuring accessibility across its social media platforms, critics have commented that several of Threads’ design choices leave something to be desired from an accessibility standpoint.

In fact, accessibility expert Paul Speller conducted an audit of Threads shortly after its launch, and he identified multiple shortcomings related to nearly half of the accessibility criteria he considered in his review.

For example, Speller’s analysis found that Meta’s automated image description generator struggled to accurately capture the intention behind many images, meaning that image content remained inaccessible to users who depend on a screen reader.

The blue tick marks that indicate verified accounts are also not represented with any kind of alt-text, further limiting accessibility for visually impaired users.

Beyond issues related to ensuring compatibility with screen readers, the Threads design has also been criticized for failing to adhere to other best practices, such as the use of high-contrast colors and the availability of transcriptions for audio content.

In light of these challenges, Threads may benefit from conducting a comprehensive audit and ensuring that their user experience takes factors such as screen reader compatibility, audio descriptions and transcriptions, and other accessibility best practices into account.

Excessive Notifications

When designing any sort of digital platform, it’s always tricky to strike the right balance between providing useful, engaging notifications and avoiding annoying the user with endless, unhelpful pings.

Unfortunately, some commenters have argued that Threads has fallen prey to this common challenge, with too many unnecessary notifications enabled by default.

In particular, while other profile settings are copied over from Instagram automatically, Threads has been criticized for forcing users to manually reset notification settings from scratch. That means you may find yourself getting a lot of alerts that you’ve already told Instagram you’re not interested in seeing.

Moreover, by default, Threads sends you a notification every time someone in your network joins Threads.

While this may be useful in some cases, it’s a design choice that at least one observer dubbed a “classic dark pattern,” as it interrupts users and intentionally pushes them to check the app more often than they otherwise would.

To be sure, notifications are an important feature of most social media platforms. But when it comes to optimizing an app design for useability and a positive user experience, it’s vital to avoid overdoing it and drowning the user in excessive, unhelpful alerts.

Data Security

According to Calli Schroeder, senior counsel and global privacy counsel for the Electronic Privacy Information Center, Threads gathers “a good amount [of data that] is not necessary for the app to function.”

What exactly is Schroeder referring to? Threads can collect user data such as sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, biometrics, union membership, pregnancy status, employment, religious beliefs, and more. It can also collect data related to users’ health and fitness, location, and web activity.

And, as Schroeder explains, “Health and financial data, precise location, search history, browsing history, and more are not needed for a user to be on the app and are instead used to create a more hyper-personalized and targeted experience on the app or shared with and sold to advertisers.”

These data security concerns are a major part of why Threads isn’t available in the European Union, where regulations bar the collection of this sort of data for advertising purposes.

But beyond limitations in specific markets, the collection of so much personal data is a real cause for concern for users from anywhere around the world.

To ensure a user experience that’s not just legal but also truly safe and secure, it’s important for tech companies like Meta to make conscious design choices that limit unnecessary or unsafe data collection practices.

Visibility into Trending Topics

One of the most well-known features of Threads competitor X is the hashtag: a clickable keyword that enables users to see similar content.

To date, Threads has yet to replicate this key functionality. While you can include a hashtag in the text of a post on Threads, there’s no way to create a functional, clickable hashtag, and there’s also no way to view currently trending hashtags.

This shortcoming has been widely criticized, and yet there’s still no word that Meta intends to add any sort of hashtag functionality to Threads. As a result, there’s no clear way to view Threads posts by topic or gain insight into the topics or keywords that are most popular in real time.

Account Deletion

Finally, one of the most concerning design flaws in Threads is the lack of ability to delete your account without also deleting your Instagram account.

While Meta appears to be aware of the issue, there’s no indication of any forthcoming solution anytime soon.

As a Meta spokesperson recently explained, “To clarify, you can deactivate your Threads account, which hides your Threads profile and content, you can set your profile to private, and you can delete individual Threads posts — all without deleting your Instagram account.”

According to Meta, Threads is powered by Instagram, so right now, it‘s just one account. “We’re looking into a way to delete your Threads account separately,” the spokesperson said.

This means that once you create a Threads account, there’s no way to fully delete the account (and all the data Threads has collected from you) unless you’re also willing to delete your linked Instagram account.

The Future of Threads

The impressive early success of Meta’s Threads speaks to the strong design choices made by the Twitter competitor. From its easy onboarding experience to extensive integrations, customization, and other important features, Threads illustrates the importance of great design to ensure users stay engaged.

That said, Threads isn’t without its fair share of flaws and shortcomings. Critics have pointed to accessibility issues, data security concerns, and other critical limitations, all of which hamper the user experience and may reduce the app’s long-term success.

Ultimately, only time will tell whether Threads becomes yet another flash-in-the-pan social media experiment or manages to truly stay viral.

Whether you’re looking to level up your paid search expertise or earn a certification to boost your industry credibility, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising courses are a great way to learn and to grow your career.

Even if you aren’t a PPC specialist or you’re new to digital marketing, well-rounded marketers should at least know the fundamentals of paid search marketing.

Let’s go over the best online PPC courses every marketer should know about to improve your paid advertising knowledge and gain hands-on experience.

Table of Contents:

• What is a PPC course?
• The 10 Best PPC Courses for Marketers

PPC course content can range from teaching the fundamentals to advanced strategies, and some even offer certifications for additional industry credibility.

The 10 Best PPC Courses for Marketers

Whether you want to boost your PPC knowledge or earn a certification, there are several PPC courses out there for marketers.

Here are 10 of the best PPC courses to add to your continuing education toolkit.

1. Google Ads Certification

If you’re looking for the most comprehensive and credible way to learn PPC, you’ll want to get a Google Ads Certification.

Google processes 8.5 billion searches per day, so it makes sense to get direct insight from the platform as you’re learning how to get in front of those billions of searchers. Plus, many PPC specialist or digital marketing roles require you to have a Google Ads Certification.

Google Ads currently offers several certifications for everything from Search to Display to Video. Each module offers training questions to help you prepare for the certification exam.

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Pricing: Free

Best For: If you’re a beginner marketer or are new to paid advertising, a Google Ads Certification is the most credible and comprehensive resource to learn the ins and outs of running ads on Google.

2. Semrush PPC Fundamentals Course

Semrush is a widely recognized search platform trusted by marketers around the world

In addition to its extensive lineup of SEO and digital management tools, the platform also offers a PPC course for marketers who want to hone their skills as PPC specialists or business owners who are looking to run PPC campaigns on their own.

Taught by PPC expert Joel Bondorowsky, the PPC Fundamentals course from Semrush offers a comprehensive breakdown of the PPC basics. After you’ve learned the essentials, you’ll gain knowledge on creating effective and profitable PPC campaigns.

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If you’re interested in furthering your digital marketing knowledge, Semrush offers a range of courses and certifications in Semrush Academy. Get certified in everything from SEO essentials to GA4 to social media marketing.

Pricing: Free

What we like: The self-paced course is only five hours in total which makes it easy to learn the basics of PPC over the course of a weekend.

3. Microsoft Advertising Certification

Microsoft’s Advertising Learning Lab offers several certifications designed around the Microsoft Ads (Formerly Bing Ads) platform, from native and display ads to shopping ads.

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If you want to hone in on PPC ads for search, consider taking the Search Advertising Learning Path.

The certification course focuses specifically on the Microsoft Ads platform, walking users through ad structure, targeting, and bid adjustments. The course is self-guided and takes about five hours to complete.

After you’ve completed all 21 modules within the learning path, you can take the certification exam and earn your certification badge. If you’re already confident with the platform, you can skip straight to the exam.

Pricing: The courses and exams are free to complete.

Best For: Anyone who plans to or is already active on Microsoft Ads (formerly Bing Ads).

4. Wordstream’s PPC University

PPC University is a free PPC training course from Wordstream, a PPC platform. The course is broken down into individual guides for each level:

• PPC 101: An intro to the fundamentals of PPC and all of the basic terms to know.
• PPC 102: This section will go over identifying target keywords, writing ad copy, and understanding bidding strategies.
• Advanced PPC: Once you have the basics down, level up to learn how to optimize and improve your ads.
• Social Ads 101: This guide goes over the different ways to advertise on social media.

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Pricing: Free

What we like: For anyone who’s looking to learn and grow in the PPC industry, Wordstream offers countless resources in addition to its courses.

5. Meta Blueprint Courses

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, offers a range of free digital marketing courses.

If you’re interested in expanding your PPC skill set to include social media advertising, consider taking one of Meta’s Blueprint Courses.

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Start with the Business Advertising on Facebook course. The free, self-guided course walks you through how to reach your customers through Facebook by creating ads on your business page.

You’ll learn how to determine which ad objective is best for your business goals and how to create a budget using Meta’s ad tools. Meta also offers a full certification if you’re interested in expanding your knowledge on the full platform experience.

Pricing: Free

Best For: Marketers who want to increase their expertise on social ads, specifically for Meta which includes Facebook and Instagram.

6. Amazon Ads Certification

While search engines like Google are usually the first thing that comes to mind when we think about PPC advertising, we can’t forget about Amazon.

If you have an ecommerce business and sell products on Amazon, consider taking one of Amazon’s Ads Certifications.

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Amazon is a massive search engine for online retail, so it makes sense to learn directly from the source how you can get your products to reach more people on the platform.

The certifications Amazon offers cover topics like retail ads strategy, sponsored ads, and campaign optimization.

Pricing: Free

Best For: Marketers and advertisers in the ecommerce industry.

7. Coursera Google Ads Beginner Course

The online learning platform, Coursera, offers several courses around digital marketing topics taught by experts from top universities and major companies.

One of the courses offered by Coursera Project Network is Google Ads for Beginners.

In the course, an instructor walks you through how to set up your first Google ad campaign and concludes with a practice assessment.

If you’re a visual or hands-on learner, this course makes it easy to get experience as you learn by setting up your ad alongside the instructor.

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Pricing: Free to enroll with a 7-day trial. After the trial, Coursera monthly packages start at $49 per month.

What we like: As a course within the Coursera network, this two-hour course is a convenient way to learn more about Google Ads if you’re already actively expanding your knowledge on the platform.

8. University of Colorado Boulder Social Media Advertising Course

Another course on Coursera, this one focuses on social media advertising. As a marketer or advertiser, you may have experience with search ads, but social ads are a separate skill set.

In this Social Media Advertising Course, taught by an instructor from the University of Colorado Boulder, you’ll learn the ins and outs of Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) advertising.

Each module takes about two hours to complete, with the final module diving into custom audiences and retargeting.

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Pricing: Free to enroll with a 7-day trial. After the trial, Coursera monthly packages start at $49 per month.

What we like: The course is taught by a university professor which can provide a different perspective than other digital marketing online courses.

9. The Complete Google Ads Masterclass

If you’re a member of Skillshare, another online learning platform, check out The Complete Google Ads Masterclass.

Taught by two digital marketing experts, this class is an actionable course that teaches you how to set up a Google Ad Words strategy and create effective ads.

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Over 6,400 students have taken the course and the ratings are high, with 74% of students saying the course exceeded their expectations.

Pricing: Skillshare is free to try for one month. After your trial, monthly membership is $32 per month and includes access to thousands of courses.

Best For: This specific and actionable course is best for anyone who wants to focus on Google Ads whether as part of their marketing role or as a consultant or freelancer.

10. Digital Marketing Institute Paid Search Marketing Course

The Digital Marketing Institute is a recognized industry resource for earning certifications and career advancement through upskilling.

The DMI’s Paid Search Marketing (PPC) Course is a self-paced course with four interactive modules that break down PPC fundamentals, keywords and landing page best practices, and reporting and optimization.

The course takes about 10 hours to complete, includes actionable templates, and offers an associate-level certification.

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One of the few paid courses on this list, Digital Marketing Institute’s PPC course isn’t cheap but it could be worth the investment as it comes with a free Digital Marketing Institute Membership.

Pricing: $445

Best For: DMI partners with the American Marketing Association (AMA) which makes it easy to fulfill continuing education requirements or just keep your skills fresh.

Start Learning Today

PPC courses are a great way to learn how to be a PPC specialist or keep your marketing skills fresh.

Whether you want to earn a certification to land a new role or want to expand your knowledge with continuing education, keep these PPC courses in mind as you hone your paid search marketing expertise.

It’s no secret that embracing AI can come with a wide range of benefits for your marketing team — things like task automation, time and cost savings, increased productivity, and more. Despite these evident benefits, there is a lingering reluctance among many marketers to incorporate AI into their strategies.

In our report, The State of AI in Marketing in 2023, we found that only 35% of marketers use AI in their role. So, we wanted to dive into the challenges that marketers face when working with AI and find ways to bridge the gap.

We’ll also highlight expert insight from industry leaders so you can learn how to tackle these challenges and harness the power of AI in marketing.

Table of Contents:

• The 10 Biggest Challenges When Implementing AI
• 12 Tips for Implementing AI

The 10 Biggest Challenges When Implementing AI

Along with the benefits of using AI in marketing outlined in the image below, the challenges of implementing AI in marketing are vast.

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This includes challenges related to the AI systems themselves, processes, team buy-in, and more. We‘re working through the biggest challenges and the data that justifies these day-to-day challenges. You’re not the only one feeling the struggle.

Here are 10 common challenges when it comes to AI in marketing.

1. Hampering Creativity

64% of marketers share a common concern — they believe that generative AI will alter (40%) or hamper (24%) the creativity of those who use it.

Deloitte Insights found that 42% of high-growth companies rely on marketing for their most creative ideas: “While creative ideas can come from any of these sources, the CMO is sometimes best positioned to be the champion of identifying and activating these ideas across the enterprise.”

With Deloitte Insights’ findings in mind, the notion of hampering creativity is a valid concern. We need marketing teams to feel creative. But, can AI and marketing creativity be achieved? We think so.

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In our marketing and AI survey, 36% of marketers agree that Generative AI will boost the creativity of those who use it.

Perhaps the key to overcoming the challenge of hampering creativity is marketers using these tools to get creative juices flowing.

2. Over-Reliance

Over-reliance on AI tools is on almost every marketer’s mind.

The overwhelming majority of those surveyed (88%) agreed that marketers should use generative AI. However, 67% said that marketers should avoid becoming overly reliant on it.

The challenge of becoming too reliant on AI may account for 47% of partially automated customer journeys, according to Ascend2.

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If it does, there’s a case that AI can still automate marketing to some degree. After all, 47% of automated customer service is 100% better than none.

3. Extra Time Commitments

You need an excellent input if you want a sound output from AI. That means you need to know what to ask for based on your goals.

Prompting AI for marketing is yet another thing to add to your swelling to-do list.

Like any new skill, prompting AI needs to be learned and practiced. The good news is that the time taken to prompt and use AI may be a case of short-term pain for long-term gain.

Based on our research, if you can prompt AI to deliver generative content that you’re happy to publish, you could save as much as three hours and ten minutes when working on a single piece of marketing content from start to finish — not bad.

4. Creating Working Processes

A contributing factor to the challenge of time constraints when it comes to implementing AI is creating processes. But, navigating the challenges of AI will be easier with a working process.

If you use AI, you want all team members to work with it similarly. An AI process is required to help eliminate bias and ensure everything is fact-checked, and it naturally provides best practice tips to use AI tools efficiently.

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5. Inaccurate Information

In our state of AI in marketing research, we found that one of the top challenges for marketers implementing AI is pushback regarding inaccurate information.

It’s unsurprising, considering almost half of the marketers surveyed have received incorrect information from generative AI.

No doubt, for conscientious marketers, producing inaccurate information is a valid concern and could cause issues for brand reputation and brand/consumer relations.

6. Poor Quality Content

Similar to the challenge above, poor-quality content is a concern for conscientious marketers. But, there’s an argument that this does not need to be a challenge.

Creating content is the second most common task marketers use generative AI for. 45% of marketers surveyed use AI for content creation, including writing, images, and idea generation.

The top three uses for generative AI in content include:

• Getting ideas/inspiration for marketing content – 22% of marketers
• Summarizing text into key points – 21% of marketers
• Writing copy and creating images for marketing content – 20% of marketers

7. Privacy and Data Analysis

Similarly to the above, there are still wide concerns about privacy and data analysis.

When it comes to data analysis, marketers use AI to analyze customer data and understand user behavior. It brings its own set of challenges.

8. Job Replacement

The worry about job replacement has been around for a while, and it’s understandable.

In 2017, a McKinsey report studied considerations around the workplace in 2030 and how AI might impact it. The report estimated that “between 400 million and 800 million individuals could be displaced by automation and need to find new jobs by 2030.”

The good news is the findings are yet to come to fruition. But the fear is still there. You might find some pushback when implementing AI with your team if they’re worried about job security.

In 2023, the subject of job replacement and AI is much more positive. Mike Maynard, the CEO at Napier, published an article titled Will AI Lead To The End Of Marketing Jobs? in Forbes.

Maynard said, “AI will inevitably replace certain aspects of traditional marketing, but by and large, it will probably be the tedious, mundane tasks, like analytics, that most of us aren’t particularly enthusiastic about anyway.

‘The truth is that although AI can potentially automate certain tasks and improve efficiency, it is unlikely to completely replace marketing teams for the foreseeable future.’

There are reasons to believe that AI is here to solve tasks and will never replace human teams in marketing. Naturally, marketing leaders have the challenge of convincing teams that their jobs are safe.

9. AI Bias

AI bias is a challenge that most marketers should be aware of.

Ultimately, AI will always be biased because humans are biased. Marketing leaders need to have a plan to rise to the challenge of teams inputting bias into a system.

Bias is a serious consideration and challenges for business, and the impact of data bias can be serious. DataRobot’s 2022 survey found that the impact of data bias can result in as much as 62% lost revenue.

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10. Keeping Up with New Trends and Technologies

The field of AI is constantly evolving, and it’s growing fast. Marketers can feel overwhelmed keeping up with the latest trends and technologies.

It’s hard to know what to try, prioritize, and invest your time into. This challenge is particularly overwhelming if you have business heads pushing your team for more.

12 Tips for Implementing AI

Okay, now we know what some of the biggest challenges are, let’s find out how to overcome them in a way that helps you reach your marketing objectives while you reap all the AI benefits you’ve heard so much about.

Here are 12 tips to help you do just that.

1. Enforce AI policies.

Dan Robinson, Head of Marketing and e-Commerce at instantprint, recommends that businesses implement and enforce AI policies to aid smooth AI implementation.

The solutions he‘s integrated into instantprint’s AI implementations include:

“Employees must adhere to the guidelines we‘ve set out. We nurture an environment of trust but also provide our team with the rules and regulations they need to be aware of to use these tools effectively and safely. Our ‘AI Code of Conduct’ is set out by each platform we use, with do’s and don’t for each tool.

“We want to make our AI policy a collaborative space. Those using AI and other models will get to know the platforms in great detail. Making policies a shared effort means that we’re more likely to have rules that will work for our team, developed by our team, with the exception of legal and ethical frameworks as a standard.”

What we like: Robinson doesn‘t deny the importance of AI policies that are legal and ethical but doesn’t stop the team from adding their thoughts. With a collaborative effort to develop policies, you’re more likely to get buy-in from team members.

2. Start with low-risk AI implementations.

Rosella Dello Ioio, Head of Content at Enate, says, “Businesses should be clearly defining the data they can and can’t share with public and private AI models. Consider hiring a Chief AI Officer to take the lead on security and governance within the business.

“Once the rules around these challenges have been clearly established, begin rolling out GenAI in your marketing department by identifying all the people whose job involves creating (writing, designing, and building) and let them find the best AI co-pilot for their tasks.

Creative roles such as Copywriting and Graphic Design are relatively low-risk in terms of sensitive data as opposed to a CRM Manager who wants to use GenAI to analyze customer feedback and complaints.

Test and procure low-risk tools to support these creative individuals in boosting productivity and slashing the time spent on mundane tasks while ensuring governance protocols are adhered to.”

What we like: It’s justified for marketers to be concerned about data and analysis by AI tools, but Dello Ioio has found a solution that allows marketing leaders to start implementing AI in a way that feels manageable and safe.

Sometimes, the first step is the most challenging, and once leaders get rolling with AI, they may be inspired to try more.

Look at HubSpot’s AI content assistant for low-risk AI experimentation. It’s free to demo, and you can write content, create emails, landing pages, and more.

3. Leverage AI alongside your existing tech stack.

Cassey Bowden, Director of Marketing at Promet Source, recommends that marketing leaders consider new AI tools with existing tech and your talented team.

She says, “When used effectively in combination with other tools and skills of our respective teams, the door is wide open for possibilities. I would encourage folks to look at AI as an assistive tool in their digital toolbox.

Those who will see the best results and realize the most benefits of AI, in my opinion, will be those who view this tech through a Venn diagram lens. Leveraging this tech along with your existing tech stack in addition to your skilled team, where these overlap, is where we will find success.”

What we like: Bowden’s tip could help marketing leaders close the gap on challenges that hamper creativity. If AI is used in addition to your skilled team, then there’s everything to gain through collaboration.

Consider taking the best of AI and the best of that all-important human touch and find the areas where they can best support each other.

4. Talk to your team.

Communication is, of course, everything! When it comes to AI, marketing leaders can eliminate a lot of AI challenges with team buy-in and communication.

Jessica Packard, Content Strategy Manager at ClockShark, found that some reassurance allowed her team to see AI for what it is; a marketing tool that can aid their workflow.

Packard says, “Initially, my team of copywriters was apprehensive about how AI could potentially replace their work in the organization.”

She continues, “The fear was understandable, but it was important to reassure them that the AI tools are still underdeveloped and they cannot create copy that successfully engages readers on an emotional level as humans do.

It’s also important to show them how leveraging AI can be beneficial to their work, from brainstorming content ideas to help writing creative titles and meta descriptions.”

Montse Cano, International SEO & Digital Marketing Consultant at Montserrat Cano, shared similar tips for overcoming AI challenges. She follows a set of questions and uses AI in a way that helps teams.

She shares her process, “We identify what needs we have in our team that we could meet by using AI. Is it code generation, text content ideas, or images? Then, assess current resources to test and validate outputs, i.e., do we need any training, hire someone else.”

Johannes Larsson, Founder and CEO at Johannes Larsson, adds to the importance of communication with an onus on regular comms and empowerment.

Larsson says, “We regularly communicate with our team about the benefits of AI and how it can empower them rather than threaten them. We also aim to provide training and resources to help them develop new skills and expand their knowledge in areas where AI is involved.”

What we like: It might seem simple to suggest communication, but it’s easily forgotten when you’re all busy at work. Cano, Packard, and Larsson have recognized the why behind team challenges and recommended how you can solve this challenge through communication, reassurance, and future training.

5. Test AI with your team.

In line with the importance of talking to your team, Kevin Miller, co-founder and CEO of GRO, encourages marketers to improve their workflow efficiency with AI.

He started with a solid goal, improving his team’s efficiency by 400%, and worked with his team to document AI success.

Miller shares his story, “We experimented with ChatGPT earlier this year to improve writing efficiency for long- and short-form content creation.

For our clients, we want to produce the highest-quality work possible to help them grow their domain authority and online traffic, so automation was a natural strategy to pursue that goal. That being said, it’s not a one-stop-shop tool.”

He continues, “Aiming to improve workflow efficiency by 400% by leveraging AI tools, we asked writers to adapt their workflows and give feedback on how well ChatGPT helped improve their writing and deliverability.

Although we did not hit those marks because of many natural obstacles and limitations of the software, we increased workflow efficiency by 200% through content templates and research assistance.

ChatGPT is fantastic for content generation and assessment, but can‘t do the work alone. It is still a part of many of our writers’ workflows to use as they see fit, and I am confident that it will continue to grow in capacity and use.”

What we like: Miller and his team have experimented with ChatGPT and actively found that AI can improve team efficiency. We especially like the level of involvement Miller’s team had in AI experimentation.

With his team reporting back on their AI feedback, we feel Miller was more likely to get buy-in from team members.

6. Get your processes locked down.

Adam Smith, founder of The Content Machine, has mastered AI prompts. His test website was just 30 days old and boasted over 36,000 clicks and over 1 million impressions. All of his content was created using AI.

Image Source

Smith says, “I’m using totally un-edited AI content, straight from ChatGPT. There’s a big misconception that AI content is rubbish or garbage.

However you can create helpful content if you get your ChatGPT processes locked down! You aren’t going to be creating high-quality content with ‘write me a 1,500 word article on x topic’ type prompts.”

According to Smith, there’s more you can do to improve the quality of content, he advises you, “Add unique images, add internal links to other contextually relevant blog posts, add as much schema as possible, and embed related YouTube videos.”

What we like: With a well-thought-out prompting process, Adam Smith has proved that AI content can be helpful, and it can rank. (And it’s even better when the data backs up the claims.)

7. Find the areas where AI is most effective.

Using AI doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing scenario. You can find the opportunities or tasks that AI is most capable of solving; then you can do the rest.

Sara Cooper, Director of Web Strategy at SimPRO, found that her team found AI most beneficial at generating headlines or sections of copy.

Copper says, “One of the biggest challenges has been feeding AI the right directives to get the output we are looking for and learning to not ask for too much from AI upfront.

For example, as the team has started to leverage AI to generate more content across our website, it‘s clear that it’s most effective when supporting the personalization of headlines or sections of copy rather than generating whole landing pages from scratch.”

Jessica Ruane, Senior Content Manager at Beekeeper, echoes Cooper. Ruane says, “A big challenge that surrounds AI is effectively utilizing it in Content Marketing. Companies are definitely using AI to varying degrees during the content creation process.

Some may be fully writing content with the use of AI, while others are utilizing it for research and inspiration. The best way to implement AI in content is — slowly. Focus on the ‘voice’ that you’d like to use, and experiment with rewriting phrases to get started.”

What we like: Ruane and Cooper agree that there’s a place for AI in content writing. Equally, they’re both seeing the role of AI vary based on what marketers find more useful. Consider using AI for different tasks and find what works for you and your team. AI doesn’t have to write everything.

8. Experiment carefully.

Sofia Inga Tyson, SEO Content Editor at Juro, resolves the AI challenge of quality and brand with careful experimentation and full disclosure to key stakeholders.

Tyson says, “There are certainly concerns about the use of AI in content strategies diluting the quality and overall authority of the website.

Businesses are often keen to experiment with AI to scale their content production but content writers are naturally fearful that AI-generated content at scale will have a detrimental impact on the performance of existing, expertly crafted content.

I think it’s really important to manage stakeholder expectations in this regard and ensure that these risks are disclosed to other decision-makers in the business that might be encouraging this approach for aggressive growth.

I also think it’s important to be cautious about AI-generated content because the true impact won’t be felt immediately. It could be months or even years before the content is evaluated negatively based on the quality or use of AI.

Any experiments should be just that – careful, closely monitored and kept at a scale that means it can be reversed if needed. I think this approach will bring a lot of content writers comfort as it demonstrates that you’re approaching the use of AI with caution, not carelessly jeopardizing the online presence you have already.”

What we like: Tyson’s holistic approach to AI covers brand reputation, the team, and stakeholders. She considers the desire to leverage AI with the needs of the team who use it. We love the reassurance for all involved when experimentation is monitored carefully.

9. Monitor quality and accuracy.

Once you’re set up and using AI, you don’t want to neglect the all-important quality check.

Annika Haataja, Head of SEO at Seeker, says, “As you expand your use of AI, don‘t forget to monitor quality and accuracy. We all know that AI can sometimes make mistakes, which may hurt adoption if teams don’t trust the results.

Have people review a sample of AI output to catch errors, and empower them to have faith in their own expertise in the process.”

What we like: Diligence around AI output could decline as teams become comfortable with AI usage. Haataja reminds us to stay mindful of quality and accuracy as AI adoption scales, an important reminder for all of us.

10. Refine your data sources.

Simon Brisk, Director at Click Intelligence Ltd., found AI bias a challenge. Interestingly, they found better data once his team refined the data sources.

He says, “One significant challenge we‘ve faced at Click Intelligence when integrating AI is ensuring data integrity. AI models are only as good as the data they’re trained on. Inaccurate or biased data can lead to misguided marketing decisions.

“For instance, while analyzing user behavior for an e-commerce client, skewed data initially suggested a preference for a specific product line. Only after refining data sources did we realize a more holistic preference trend, thereby recalibrating our marketing strategy.”

What we like: Brisk’s experience with AI bias shows the potential impact and the solution. By recalibrating data sources, Click Intelligence could recalibrate its marketing strategy based on reliable data.

11. Stay competitive.

The world of AI is developing fast. Chris Stott, Director at Seven Marketing, recommends staying ahead of AI developments.

He says, “Staying ahead of the competition is paramount. It’s essential for us to consistently deliver exceptional value. This means rigorously testing all AI software to keep us on the cutting edge and guarantee that we provide top-tier results to our clients.”

What we like: Incorporating AI into your systems can be exciting and empowering. Testing AI from a place of experimentation is a great way to explore AI capabilities with your team. You’ll soon get a feel for what supports you and what you can live without.

12. Overcome data integrity and change management.

Jessica Shee, Senior Tech Editor and Marketing Content Manager at iBoysoft, shares the importance of overcoming data integrity and change management.

She says, “Change management and data integrity are two significant obstacles to implementing AI in marketing. For accurate AI-driven insights and decision-making, it is essential to ensure high-quality, pure data.

Misaligned data can cause inaccurate forecasts and ineffective marketing campaigns. Invest in data cleansing, validation, and data integration tools to address this issue.

Change management is an additional obstacle. Integrating AI can disrupt existing workflows and require team members to acquire new skills. Transparent communication about the benefits of AI and training team members to cultivate acceptance and proficiency are necessary for a smooth implementation.

Working with AI experts, integrating teams in decision-making, and starting with trial projects can help integrate AI while resolving difficulties. A systematic strategy, continual training, and clear communication ensure a smoother transition and optimize AI marketing benefits.”

What we like: Shee recognizes that you don’t have to do everything alone. You can bring in experts and start with trial projects to help support your team through AI implementation challenges.

What’s stopping you from implementing AI?

Consider this: 70% of marketers consider it easy or somewhat easy to measure the success of marketing automation, so give it a go.

In the worst case, you‘ve run an experiment (and isn’t that what marketing is all about?), and in the best case, you’ve got the data to support the success of your AI endeavors. Getting buy-in from your team or stakeholders will be easier when they know AI drives marketing objectives.

Plus, with the top tips from marketing leaders, you’ll start with the best possible insights to make AI and marketing an absolute success.