Category Archives: B2B

When I started working with freelancers, I’d experience a sinking feeling when a first draft hit my inbox. Would this piece be any good? Or, would I be rewriting an entire article myself to get something usable?

Or perhaps, I found a gem — a freelancer who would make my day with a light edit, strong writing, and a grasp of the subject matter at hand.

I would do anything in my power to make them happy. Please don’t leave me, I’d whisper to my laptop as I typed a praise-filled thank you email.

Four years later, I’ve cracked the code. I now run HubSpot’s Freelance Network, a contract program with over 40 writers.

My team creates over 800 pieces every year. I feel like I have a collection of rare gems, each with their own specialized insights that can help our audience grow.

The best part? I’m finally ready to share how I made this program a reality.

But first, here’s a little about me. My name is Kaitlin. I’m a journalist by trade who’s made the transition into the wonderful world of content marketing. So, my first role working with freelancers was in that past life at business publications.

In 2022, I was recruited by HubSpot for a brand-new challenge. My mission was to build a robust group of freelancers to serve HubSpot’s full portfolio of English blogs.

Infrastructure is everything.

When I first joined HubSpot, I was introduced to 11 freelance writers. I also inherited a standard operating procedure (SOP) document that described how to write new posts and update existing ones. The rest was mine to build.

I spent most of my days creating the foundation to support freelancers at scale.

Before I joined the team, freelancers were an extra task that our writers and blog managers leveraged only when needed. Infrastructure was needed to standardize these processes.

Here’s what I worked on.

Investing in Personal Training

The SOP document I received on my first day was essential for helping me get oriented in my role. However, the document was 21 pages long.

Sure, all the information was helpful, but I knew our writers would skim the document at best. They had dozens of clients each and wouldn’t spend the afternoon reading the text closely over coffee.

So, we had to adjust. I split the SOP into two shorter documents — one for updates and the other for new posts. I then set up a learning management system with an onboarding course.

New writers would need to sign in and watch short videos about how to write for HubSpot, who our personas are, and how to use admin tools like our invoicing system.

I could see who actually completed the course and remind others that this video series was an essential part of onboarding.

The result was a lot faster than reading the document, and I was able to guarantee compliance. Plus, I still sent along SOP documents so the writers could review them at any time.

I then took training one step further. For each new writer, I created a customized Loom video about their first posts. In it, I would review every element of their assignment in Asana, our project management platform, explaining any HubSpot-specific jargon and how we expect submissions to be formatted.

When I started this process, I found that I received fewer email inquiries about simple questions. Instead, we were able to focus on hard-hitting editorial needs.

Beyond that, a few writers have told me this was the most organized onboarding process they’ve experienced, which always gives me a warm fuzzy feeling.

Making Processes Light-Touch

Freelance writers are busy people, always on the cutting edge of an article or blog post. As a program manager, I want to make sure they can focus on what they love — writing — and breeze through any administrative challenges.

I began standardizing our assignments. I linked everything our writers would need, like relevant documents and resources, in an email sent at the start of every month. Each assignment had a clearly marked price, a link to an Asana task card with instructions, and a link to a Google Doc where they could write.

Writers no longer had to copy, paste, and format walls of text when working on updates. They didn’t have to dig in the annals of our website for relevant data points. They could peruse information in one place and then get to writing.

Pro tip: This may seem like a simple step, but as a leader, you should remove redundant, unnecessary tasks from your writers. You know your internal systems best. Make them as easy and light-touch as possible for your freelancers.

Rethinking Content Briefs

Finally, I completely shifted how we wrote content briefs.

As a team, we’ve tracked our blog assignments in Asana since the very beginning.

However, historically, the assignment instructions were short bullet points intended for in-house writers. For example, we would ask them to shorten intros, write new sections, or add links to relevant product mentions.

Those bare-bones briefs worked for in-house writers who spent months out of their role onboarding. However, freelancers needed more details to produce their best work.

I began translating posts for our external team. If an instruction had jargon, like “remove additional parameters to internal links,” I would reformat the bullet into standard language, like “remove UTM tracking codes from links.”

For new posts, I also began creating proposed outlines. That included how long intros should be, what subheadings we’d want to include, and how each section should be formatted.

The result? First drafts started to arrive in better shape, requiring fewer edits and fewer rounds of revisions from the writers.

With these elements in place, I was able to focus on staffing the program. I put out calls on LinkedIn for writers and vetted their portfolio pieces.

As the number of assignments I received grew, I brought writers with relevant B2B experiences on board.

Here are the ratios I used:

• 40 pieces for 11 freelance writers
• 60 pieces for 30 freelance writers
• 80 pieces for 50 freelance writers

That growth would have caused chaos without a strong foundation.

The Rise of AI — and Squashing Get-Rich-Quick Schemes

In November 2022, ChatGPT launched to the public. Anyone could write a short text prompt and generate … well, anything. That includes full-length blog posts with proper headings.

Yes, AI hallucinated, coming up with fake facts. Sometimes, the output sounded stilted, but that never stops grifters.

Shortly after ChatGPT launched, my TikTok was filled with get-rich-quick gurus selling courses on how to make passive income by freelance writing. Just type a prompt, have AI generate an article, and send it to program managers like me.

Sure enough, I started to receive pieces that were a little fishy.

That source’s company couldn’t be called “ABC Web Design Company.” The writing seemed too generic, with no distinct voice.

I began to feed submissions into Copyleaks, a plagiarism and AI content checker.

And guess what I found? Anywhere from 60% to 90% of the text in these posts was generated by AI.

In March 2023, I sent out a memo to our writers that stated AI could only be used in the research and brainstorming phases of writing.

For pieces that had already been submitted, I reached out if over 10% of the text was flagged as AI-generated. Writers had seven days to make changes to the AI portions of their writing.

If changes weren’t made within this timeframe, our editors would step in to rewrite the sections. In those cases, the editor received the byline for the article instead of the writer.

For all pieces assigned since March 2023, we implemented a zero-tolerance policy for AI-generated or plagiarized work. If a piece came back flagged, we required a rewrite of the post before payment was issued. We then removed the writer from our roster.

To many, this might seem strict. However, I believe that preserving human insight is essential to earning traffic.

Every two days, people create enough content to surpass the world’s population, according to Neil Patel’s session at our most recent INBOUND conference.

Of that, around 94% of web pages that rank on Google get zero traffic. AI exacerbates this challenge.

We built a program that pays people fairly for their human writing, filled with real tips and helpful advice.

AI-generated content could never be remarkable. It’s the average sum of all the writing on the internet. To earn engagement, I know we need that human touch.

Freelance Network 2.0: Pivoting to E-E-A-T

In April 2023, the content marketing realm shifted again, this time with an update to Google’s Core Algorithm.

One of the biggest changes was an increased emphasis on E-E-A-T — or expertise, experience, authority, and trustworthiness.

Instead of AI-driven content, Google began to prioritize work crafted from lived-experience. That means lots of “I” statements, personal anecdotes, and pro tips that could never be replicated by a content generalist.

Sites across the internet lost traffic in droves, including yours truly — the HubSpot Blog. We had to completely transform the Freelance Network in response.

To start, I needed to see who on the team was a secret subject matter expert (SME). That means I was looking for freelancers who had a job as a marketer, customer service representative, sales person, or web developer.

To do so, I sent out a survey to our current writers asking which fields they worked in previously and for how long.

I found that a number of our writers had experience that already made them SMEs. One of our writers spent years as a support rep, making him a great fit for Service Blog articles.

Another had spent eight years at a marketing agency, specializing in public relations and crisis management.

With this information at hand, I could pair our writers with assignments that matched their lived experiences. They could then weave in relevant stories and helpful tips a general content writer wouldn’t know.

Next, I shared the value of gathering quotes. We still had a number of great writers who could communicate complex ideas but lacked direct, professional experiences in the subjects we cover.

To fill the gap, these writers would need to act like journalists, gathering quotes from professionals in the field.

I asked who felt comfortable reaching out for quotes.

Our team began making connections to internal HubSpotters who could add their perspectives as sources in posts.

Beyond that, we shared our favorite resources (like Help a B2B Writer and Featured) to help our writers still making the transition.

After that, I had to find new writers who were active practitioners to staff the Blog. While quotes are helpful, there’s still a real place for thought leadership and how-to articles from people who lived the experience. I booked a meeting with each Blog’s managing editor to ask what they looked for in an SME.

Let’s use our Sales Blog as an example. Jay Fuchs, Sales Blog editor at HubSpot, said his ideal SME had spent time as a business development representative and an account executive. Management experience in the B2B space was a bonus.

I turned our conversation into a scorecard to avoid hiring bias and put out a call for writers.

That’s how we found Mark Burdon and Michael Welch, two of our SMEs on the Sales Blog. They’re able to share the experience of tracking sales metrics and running teams. They complement our staff’s journalistic efforts with wisdom straight from the source.

My 5 Biggest Learnings

So far, I covered the broad plays we made to build the Freelance Network. But I’ve learned so much over the last two-and-a-half years. Here are the five biggest lessons that I believe can help anyone running a freelance program.

1. You need to pay fair.

In the world of freelance writing, you often get what you pay for. In my experience, a low price tag leads to sloppy work. Or even worse, your writers may churn. So, we need to pay competitively and stay in line with industry trends.

If you have to test tools for an in-depth review or gather quotes, I’d plan for a higher price tag. I also encourage my writers to tell me if a post is more work or much longer than we expect. That allows me to adjust the price accordingly.

2. Editors are your make-or-break.

I am so fortunate to work with a team of great freelancers. However, even the best writers make mistakes. That can range from clunky sentences to typos or missing alt text to improper formatting.

That’s where editing comes in.

In addition to our freelance writers, the Freelance Network has two contract editors, Taylor Cromwell and Margaret Cousino. They make sure that all of the requests in the brief are fulfilled and that the final drafts are error-free.

Beyond that, our internal Freelance Network team does a quality review.

All of our freelancers — writers and editors — have multiple clients with different style guides. I advocate for having a final set of eyes within your organization.

Trust me, your internal team will catch the last little things others may miss.

3. Don’t staff what you don’t know.

In 2022, I was tasked with finding writers who could create coding tutorials for our Website Blog. I put out a call on LinkedIn and found a few developers.

Their work seemed good enough to me. The problem? I don’t know how to code and couldn’t fact-check their writing.

That was my biggest failure as a program leader. We had sub-par content that we had to shelve. Some of it never got published.

My biggest learning: Don’t find writers for subject areas you know nothing about.

I’ve started tackling this challenge again, honing in on HTML and CSS technical writers. However, I’m working hand-in-glove with Jamie Juviler, the Website Blog’s lead editor.

I’m playing the role of a recruiter, reaching out to potential candidates. Jamie actually reviews their work and decides who’s proficient enough to stay.

4. Feedback makes the world go round.

My program makes at least 60 assignments a month. Lately, we’ve been doling out upwards of 100 pieces. I’ve always found it difficult to give feedback with such lofty goals. That’s why I’m so grateful for my colleague Marja Vitti.

Marja joined our team in March 2024. Since then, she’s implemented a feedback program that allows us to give kudos for great work and correct inconsistencies early.

Our editors now write comments throughout the submitted Google Doc and tag the writer for review. Then, we make another clean copy and send it to our internal blog team managers for upload.

The writers get helpful feedback. Our property owners internally get an easy-to-read, easy-to-upload version of the text. It’s a win-win.

This system has proved especially helpful for our subject matter experts. They’re great writers with unique insights in their fields. However, they often don’t have a technical SEO background.

This commenting system allows them to learn as they grow with us.

5. Sometimes, you have to break up.

Not every writer is the right fit. In today’s landscape, you may have to say goodbye to your content generalists in favor of subject matter experts.

I’ve had to write many breakup emails in this role. It’s my least favorite part of my job, but sometimes, it’s essential.

You may have a writer that’s always late. Or perhaps, they can’t adapt to your new EEAT-driven strategy, even with all your training resources.

Your team should be lean and filled with great writers. You’ll need to say goodbye to those who don’t make the cut. And, that’s okay.

You’re Not Running a Farm

If I wanted to farm, I’d buy chickens! Horrible jokes aside, running a content farm sounds appealing on paper. You can find content generalists, pay them the bare minimum, and play the volume game. To me, that’s a huge mistake.

Your audience wants human insights from subject matter experts — preferably people who have spent years working in the field you cover.

We also know that Google rewards expertise under its E-E-A-T formula. So, even if you’re operating at a smaller volume, what you do create will have more impact.

If you need your own Freelance Network on a tight budget, here’s what to do:

• Find SMEs in your field who write insightful LinkedIn articles or posts for their company blog.
• Get them to write pieces based on their lived experiences, with anecdotes and their pro tips.
• Publish and promote their work.
• (Leave completely AI-generated posts behind.)

I don’t think of creating content with freelancers like farming. Instead, I think of myself as a museum curator, finding valuable gems and displaying them for the world to see.

Good luck! I hope you find as much joy as I did as you curate your own museum.

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

Sometimes people start podcasts out of curiosity, the need to flex a creative muscle, or the drive to tell their story. But what happens after that initial experiment can be powerful: podcasting can create transformative business growth and consistent profit.

When people refer to podcasts as a ‘hobby’, they’re missing so much about what they can do for the entrepreneur, creative, side-hustler, storyteller, and ideator. In fact, podcasts generated over $2 billion in ad revenue in 2023 alone.

The power of podcasting is certainly not lost on me. What started with a nudge and a microphone from my older brother became an outlet for me during a very lonely season of entrepreneurship. It has also turned into the #1 thing I’m known for, The Goal Digger Podcast.

I pressed that ‘record’ button from the front seat of my car in my garage (so no one could hear the dogs barking in the house) and published my first few episodes. I felt like I was throwing a silly idea into the ether and hoping at least one person would listen to it. I didn’t even consider the ways it would help grow and support my business.

110+ million downloads over 800+ episodes later, I’ve witnessed just what consistent podcasting can really do.

Let’s dive into the journey of what it looks like to go from that initial spark of curiosity and the publishing of your first few episodes to building a 7-figure business with podcasting.

A quick spoiler here: This won’t require burnout. It also doesn’t mean you’ll have to shift who you are, what you do, or become a totally different human to see success.

Podcasting for Business Growth: How I Built a 7-Figure Business While Staying True to Myself

The Beginning of the Podcast Journey

Even though I was in the thick of running my photography business while getting my digital marketing business off the ground, I was apprehensive about starting a podcast. I joked about how no one wanted to hear my voice or learn from me!

But I couldn’t shake my curiosity. Then my brother gave me his old microphone and I felt like all my excuses had finally run out. What did I have to lose? So, I started scared.

I wouldn’t consider myself tech-savvy, so in those first few episodes, I ditched the pro microphone and used my iPhone headphones and my reliable Midwest phone voice, following a light outline I’d jotted down for myself with about six different rewrites. I was worried I would run out of things to say.

Even after I finished recording, I couldn’t bring myself to listen to it. I promised myself I would try. I didn’t want myself to get in the way of that.

From there, I started recording in my coat closet (a nice step up from the car), learning my own flow and comfort behind the microphone. I challenged myself to start asking for audience questions on my Instagram and inviting them to come subscribe to the show with growing confidence.

I sought out podcast guests and stayed consistent with my posting schedule. Eventually, I found a rhythm, building my show into what Goal Digger is today.

It can be hard to know where you start with your own podcast. I felt a little lost in all the details when I first started too. I stressed about nailing the right intro and sign-off for longer than I’d like to admit.

Instead of copying anyone else’s exact approach, what will help your podcast be something you like doing for 100 or 1000 episodes is to make sure it aligns with you. And remember, you can change everything as you learn and grow. You’ll evolve (I sure did), so don’t pressure yourself to get it right on episode one.

Staying Authentic in a Sea of Noise

One thing that has stayed fairly unchanged from the beginning for me was who I wanted to be as a podcaster. I was determined to be me. I didn’t want fluff or a show that felt like a time-waster. And I wanted my listeners to always know they were getting a genuine reflection of my personality and values. I have never shied away from the real talk.

I have loved online learning for a long time, so I envisioned every episode of my podcast as an opportunity for my listeners to learn. Charting out my episode outlines was a lot like planning a free masterclass every week. I wanted the experts on my show to shine and be seen for who they really are, too.

Eventually, I realized I wanted to share my own thoughts and insights, so I launched solo shows. I have expanded from sharing primarily about digital marketing and business to opening up about other aspects of my life, like seasons of navigating burnout, pivoting the business, motherhood, and loss.

I wanted to have a better connection with my listeners (since a podcast can feel one-sided almost always.) So, I launched a Facebook group for my podcast listeners called Goal Digger Insiders. That group is nearly 65,000 listeners strong.

My community comes together to not only talk about what they’re learning through the podcast, but they’re also a huge resource for each other. Through years of feedback and the usual internet playground of friends and critics, I learned how to find a balance between listening to what my audience wanted more of and staying true to my voice and vision.

Building a Podcasting Flow for Sustainable Business Success

As a busy entrepreneur, I knew I didn’t want podcasting to become a tangled, logistical mess. I craved a creative outlet, not a dreaded commitment every week.

Creating a process that fit into the flow of my week and worked well with my energy and schedule became a quick priority. I knew that juggling recording, scheduling guests, publishing episodes, social posting, and everything else could quickly burn me out.

While my podcast started with just me, I eventually added one team member. This helped me keep the system I built running, evolving, and feeling like a fun challenge for us through the seasons.

It’s only ever been just two people running it: me and my podcast producer who’s literally managing the entire show. It’s never been a big crew or a complicated production. I get to show up, talk into a mic, meet amazing people, and we get to share those episodes with the world. That was and still is the goal and that’s why I created a simple system for us to follow.

Podcasting for Business Growth and Evolution

While my core vision for Goal Digger hasn’t changed over time, almost everything else has. From our posting frequency to the kind of people I seek out as show guests to our branding, intro and outro, and the topics we cover!

Rather than big, sweeping changes, we adapt in small ways as we go. I don’t want to get stuck in a rut for so long that we fear change, so instead, we make it a habit to check in and make constant little tweaks to keep ourselves agile. On top of that, the small changes keep the work we’re doing feeling fresh and exciting!

Stay open to feedback, whether that’s internally with your team, from your listenership, or even your gut telling you something isn’t quite right. The way your show needs to evolve might not always be obvious or come from the latest podcasting stats. Your show might need to change in ways that are wholly unique to you. Maybe you’ll be the first person ever to do what you do in your podcast!

That’s exciting, but you won’t learn what that is if you don’t listen.

And in that process, don’t be afraid to try that new thing. Podcasting is and will always be primarily experimental. Trying new things is central to the kind of art form that podcasting is. If that new thing doesn’t work, I would still count that as a success for trying, learning, and pivoting.

Avoiding Burnout and Maintaining Balance

Most of the 800+ episodes of Goal Digger were recorded in my messy closet. I didn’t hit episode 100 and invest in a studio or pressure myself to change just because ‘that’s what success looks like.’ I felt the success of my podcast through the data and impact on my listeners.

I didn’t want to waste energy trying to make my show look successful when I’d rather funnel it into the episodes and conversations themselves. My energy is a valuable resource and I want to spend it where it really counts.

While I love my podcast, it is still just one facet of my business as a whole, so it truly cannot take up all of my time. That’s why creating a system is so important.

I set boundaries around how and when I would record my show. I prioritized rest while carving out focused time to batch-record our episodes. I look at one month at a time and lean into what feels exciting for me in that month so that our content feels fresh, alive, and relevant to the time the episodes are being aired.

Protecting my energy means I get to sit down and be in the right headspace every single time I hit the ‘record’ button. I feel present for my show guests and our conversations get to be genuine rather than rushed or jumbled. I am able to be mentally on track for my solo shows, which keeps me engaged. The more engaged I can be, the more confident I feel about every episode that goes live.

My passion for podcasting can be protected and fostered by good boundaries around my time and energy. I get to show up, pour out, and walk away knowing we’re creating something we’re proud of every time.

We’re not burdened or pressured by trying to do all the things, which is actually what has allowed me to turn my podcasting idea into a major, profit-driving branch of my business. Boundaries are what make room for success.

Monetizing Your Podcast: Thinking Beyond Sponsorships

It’s easy to assume that sponsorships are the main way podcasts can profit, especially since as listeners, we’re used to hearing a barrage of ads (depending on the podcast.)

Sponsors are important and effective but don’t have to be the only way a podcast can monetize. I’ve tested and tried several dozen ways of bringing in income through the podcast, and a handful have risen to the top as my trusted monetization strategies.

You can leverage your podcast into a multitude of profit-generating channels.

Talk about your own business offers (paid or free) to turn your listeners into buyers, or at least email subscribers you can sell to later.

You can use affiliate links and codes to generate income by talking about products and services you’ve tested and love.

You can launch a membership or Patreon community where you share unique content that your listeners and fans can’t get anywhere else.

When it comes to monetizing, I recommend weaving two or more of these methods together so that the effort that goes into every episode has a multi-level payoff for you in the long run.

As you build long-term consistency with your show, you’re not just keeping your listeners happy, but you’re establishing credibility, too. When other opportunities come knocking, you’ll have your podcast to help show what you’re really about.

Your expertise can literally speak for itself when you’ve been leveraging it for hundreds of episodes over multiple years.

Podcast Success Happens One Episode at a Time

Every time I sit down at my desk on a podcast recording day, I smile thinking about how I almost didn’t start this show. I laugh because I can’t believe I get to do this as a job. I’m relieved that this not only turned out to be a creative outlet for so many years but that it also became a chart-topping show.

It wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t publish episode 1. And then 2. And then 3. And it would’ve fizzled out long before I saw success if I hadn’t chosen to stay true to myself and my vision the whole way through!

While the road may look long, I can say that all these years of podcasting felt far too quick. I often feel like I blink and we’re another 100 episodes along, celebrating yet another milestone.

If you’re at the starting line (or merely in the curious phase) of your own podcast, remember to keep celebrating your own milestones. That might mean buying your first microphone, finishing your first episode, getting your first review, or having your first podcast guest.

Building your show to a 7-figure success or whatever ‘success’ authentically looks like for you takes time. It takes doing it scared sometimes. It takes commitment to the consistency. It takes protecting your boundaries, time, and energy so that you can keep moving forward.

It means being intentional with who you work with, how you plan your ‘system’ for podcasting, and how you evolve. And it takes getting smart with how you layer your monetization so that your podcast can fuel your business … or become your business.

Can I help you turn your podcasting curiosity or existing show into podcast success (with your own definition of success leading the way?)

Check out my free podcasting masterclass, Podcasting 101: How to Start, Record, and Profit from Your Show. In this free masterclass, I’ll show you how to start, grow, and monetize your show — no fancy tech or massive audience needed — so you can turn your passion into a powerful platform!

Social media and video content are integral to any marketing strategy in 2024. 91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool, and 35% are committed to making more social media videos in 2024.

If you want to leverage social media videos in your marketing efforts but are unsure how you’ve reached the right blog. I gathered 16 social media video examples from different platforms to help inspire you and motivate you to create your own.

After reading and you‘re ready to create your own, check out HubSpot’s free AI-powers video maker, Clip Creator, which can convert text into professional videos.

Without further ado, let’s dive in.

4 Instagram Reels Examples

1. Cecred

One of my favorite Instagram Reels to come out recently features my favorite icon — Beyonce!

Beyonce recently started a hair care line called Cecred, and to prove to the naysayers that the brand’s products work, she walked viewers through her usual hair wash day.

The video shows her using the Cecred products in her hair while her voiceover explains her process.

Video is a great opportunity to show you product at work, so think of ways to film people using your products. And get some employees or founders involved, showing your audience that you also trust your products.

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What I like: I love that Beyonce, founder of Cecred, is using her own products. It adds legitimacy to her brand. I also enjoy the friendly, confident, and conversational tone she uses to make the video more personable.

2. Nike

Nike‘s video marketing almost always incorporates aspects of emotional storytelling, and its Instagram Reel “When I’m Hit, I Always Get Up,” is no different.

The Reel features professional basketball player Ja Morant through a normal day off the court. Morant can be seen playing street ball with his friends, planning dinners with family, getting his hair retwisted at the local salon, and hanging with neighborhood kids.

He narrates his story of being competitive and resilient since childhood. Throughout the video, everyone wears Nike shoes, showing that the brand has pairs for adults and children for sports and playtime.

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What I like: Nike‘s very good at what I like to call “I’m-not-selling-to-you” marketing. I‘m sure there’s a proper term for it, but I mean that despite the Nike products displayed throughout the video, it doesn’t feel like Nike is trying to sell to me.

Instead, it appeals to my emotions by showing a driven person surrounded by the community he loves and who supports him.

It tells a story while also letting me know that Nike shoes are built for every part of the human journey, from childhood playtime to professional athleticism.

3. Victoria‘s Secret 

Tyra Mail! If you‘ve ever binged America’s Next Top Model like I have, then you know the reference. Contestants on the reality show would always buzz with excitement when super model Tyra Banks left letter for them detailing a challenge.

And that same level of excitement was captured when Victoria‘s Secret asked it’s models how they felt about the return of Tyra Banks to the Victoria’s Secret runway.

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What I like: Victoria‘s Secret interviewed models participating in this year’s fashion show and got their genuine reaction. Consider sharing big news about your brand via a peek behind the curtain and genuine reactions to big news involving your company.

4. GoPro

The video below was shot using a GoPro camera and is from the perspective of Kilian Bron. The video shows how clear and high-quality GoPro videos can be, and subtly shows they’re incredibly portable and easy to use.

I mean, think about it: how many cameras out there are so easy to use that you can film with them while riding a dirt bike along the edge of a cliff?

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What I like: I‘m always a fan of social media videos that show the product in use, so this video gets major praise from me for that reason. However, I also enjoy this video because the angle and POV provide an immersive experience.

If I wobble around a bit, I’ll feel like I’m the one bike riding along the cliff.

4 TikTok Video Examples

1. Golloria

I am a huge fan of Golloria and her videos that tackle inclusivity (or the lack thereof) in the makeup industry. In her videos, Golloria tests products from popular makeup brands to see if they’re suitable for women with darker complexions.

Some brands fail the test and some pass with flying colors. Though Golloria herself isn’t a brand, your brand can take inspiration with how she quickly and simply demonstrates how the products work with real people.

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Brand’s also send Golloria their products specifically for her to review.

Think about an influencer or creator whose content aligns with your brand, and consider sending them samples to test. Just make sure they’re of the right quality because knowledgeable creators like Golloria will be very honest if your product isn’t up to standards.

What I like: Golloria is a trusted influencer in the makeup space, so when brand’s pass her test it establishes legitimacy and trust in the products.

2. DuoLingo

If there is one brand that rules TikTok, it‘s DuoLingo. The language learning app knows how to market itself by hopping onto the latest trends and adding its own flare.

For example, the song “MAPS” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs is seeing a resurgence on the app thanks to a new dance trend. The trend has only been going on for a few days at the time of publishing, but DuoLingo already made a short animation of its green owl mascot dancing along.

The caption of the video is a reference to Duolinger users often falling off and on their language learning habit.

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What I like: The video is short, humorous, and perfectly captures the latest TikTok trend while tying it back to the app’s mission, which is to get people committed to learning new languages.

3. Viz Media

Viz Media recently started a weekly series that provides a brief recap and roundup of the latest chapters of the series it distributes. It‘s been a hit among fans who may read multiple Viz Media titles and have a hard time remembering what’s out and what’s next.

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What I like: I included this video in my list due to its simplicity. It‘s not a high budget TikTok with a lot of bells and whistles. It’s straightforward, cost effective, and can be made in minutes.

4. Scrub Daddy

Some of Scrub Daddy’s most popular TikTok videos feature a narrator explaining new products in a straightforward, candid way with a sprinkle of dry humor. The video featuring its fall lineup of sponges is a great example.

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What I like: Similar to Viz Media‘s, the video is simple and has no frills, proving that you don’t have to have a heavy budget or high production value to create a great video that engages your audience.

4 YouTube Shorts Video Examples

1. Beardbrand

Beardbrand is a men’s grooming company that sells various products for beard and hair care. The company promotes its products via YouTube Shorts by showing how drastically a consumers look can change by using the products.

What I like: Beardbrand gets real consumers to participate in its videos and gives viewers a look at their hair before and after using the products. I also love that they pack genuine, candic reactions and moments into such short videos.

2. Tiffany & Co

This YouTube Short from Tiffany and Co is the perfect example of “show and don’t tell.” There is no narrator and hardly words on the screen. Just actress Elaine Zhong trying on Tiffany jewelry and marveling as the bracelets, necklaces, and rings sparkle in the light.

What I like: I love that the products speak for themselves. Sometimes, less is more, and you just need to allow your products and services to shine.

3. R.E.M. Beauty

This YouTube Short from R.E.M. Beauty behind the scenes of the launch of the brand‘s collaboration with the film “Wicked,” which stars the brand’s founder, pop star Ariana Grande.

What I like: The Short is very candid and shows the work that goes into promotion shoots. It also shows raw, unedited footage of how the makeup looks on the models.

4. UCLA

UCLA promoted its institution by interviewing its graduating class and asking students what they’ll miss about their time at the university.

What I like: As you can probably tell by now, I love videos that capture candid, genuine reactions and moments.

4 Facebook Reels Video Examples

1. Netflix

This Facebook Reel from Netflix announces the return of their live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender. The video shows cast members passing around a phone as they film their reunion on set.

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What I like: I love this video because it’s simple and shows the cast members filming it themselves. It seems genuine and fun and is a great way to get fans excited, too.

2. Red Bull

Red Bull’s famous slogan is “Red Bull gives you wings!” And they took that quote to new heights (pun intended) with the Reel posted to Facebook. The Reel shows a Red Bull helicopter lifting someone from the water and that person dropping from the helicopter and doing a flip back into the ocean.

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What I like: To be honest, there isn’t much in this video that can be replicated (unless you have the budget for a customized helicopter), making this video unique.

3. Ultimate Ears

Ultimate Ears is a brand specializing in in-ear monitors. In this Reel, a representative explains how to insert them.

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What I like: The brand explains how to use the product and others like it, establishing it as an authority on the subject.

4. Adobe

This Facebook Reel features an interview with actor, director, and producer Daniel Dae Kim, who discusses the mission of his company, 3AD, to provide mentorship opportunities for marginalized communities in the film industry.

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What I like: The full interview with Kim is longer, but the Reel highlights the most compelling quote. If you have a great interview with someone affiliated with your brand, convert the most interesting parts into short-form videos.

Pretty inspiring, right? Many of these videos show that you don‘t need a super high budget to create exciting content that shines a light on your brand’s products and services. Sometimes, less is more.

I love LinkedIn. It’s one of the best tools for my B2B business. Truly, I think everyone working in the B2B world should be on there.

I use the organic features of LinkedIn, but my brilliant co-founder, Leigh Buttrey, a PPC specialist, knows all about paid ads on LinkedIn.

Leigh would be the first to describe LinkedIn as a powerful ad platform. She’s not the only one reaping the benefits of paid LinkedIn, either. According to the State of Marketing survey, 37% of marketers use LinkedIn.

If you‘re already using pay-per-click (PPC) techniques to power your presence on Facebook, X, or Google, consider yourself lucky — you can add LinkedIn to that list, too. Advertising on LinkedIn is easy if you’re using the HubSpot ads tool.

For this article, I interviewed Leigh because I knew she’d teach us all a thing or two about advertising on LinkedIn. I asked her about LinkedIn’s ad targeting options, ad best practices, and how to start advertising on LinkedIn.

First, let’s review how LinkedIn Ads work.

In the above definition, LinkedIn targeting options are mentioned. Here’s some more information on how LinkedIn targeting actually works and what those targeting options are.

LinkedIn Targeting Options

I would credit LinkedIn for its targeting; it’s fantastic. You can narrow down your audiences to specific companies, locations, job titles, and so much more.

How does LinkedIn targeting work?

In the screenshot above, you can see what LinkedIn targeting looks like.

For the purpose of taking this screenshot, I’ve created an audience of people living in the U.K. who are also senior marketing personnel, Marketing Manager, and Marketing Director.

Ad targeting in LinkedIn helps you run a successful advertising campaign — that’s because when you target the right people, it leads to greater engagement and more conversions.

With LinkedIn, the process of selecting the audience you’re going to target works the same way, no matter which type of ad you select.

When establishing who it is you’re going to target, LinkedIn provides over 20 different audience attributes and targeting categories that you can select from — examples include company name, company size, member groups, member interests, member schools, job title, job seniority, and skills.

Top tips on targeting from LinkedIn paid ads expert Leigh Buttrey: “When you’re running a prospecting campaign, make sure you use relevant demographics to your target audience.

Consider things like the job title, industry, seniority, skills, and the company’s size. The beauty of LinkedIn is that you can get very targeted; there’s no point in showing ads to small companies, for example, if you don’t want to attract them.”

Advertising on LinkedIn is a two-step process: 1) setting up your LinkedIn campaign and 2) creating your LinkedIn ad(s).

In this section, I’ll walk through how to set up a campaign and build your ad(s) — plus some best practices and tips for each.

1. Create your LinkedIn ad campaign.

Your LinkedIn advertising campaigns live on the campaign manager section of LinkedIn. You can access your advertising platform via your personal LinkedIn account.

As pictured below, in the top right, you’ll see “for business,” click that, then click, “Advertise on LinkedIn.”

From there, you’ll be prompted to create a LinkedIn campaign. You’ll need to associate your ads with a LinkedIn company page.

The manager account can hold multiple accounts. As you can see in the screenshot below, I have three accounts: my own and two clients.

Next, you can start creating campaigns. You just need to select which account you want to create the campaign on.

Back to creating the campaign. On your dashboard — or “Campaign Manager,” as it‘s formally called — you’ll see a Create button. Click that button, and you’ll see options to create a campaign or campaign group.

Note: LinkedIn also has an “objective-based campaign creation experience.” I’ll cover that process in this article — to learn more, check out this page.

In most cases, I recommend setting up a campaign group because this will help you manage your campaign hierarchy. Leigh Buttrey, a LinkedIn expert, has already written a full article on campaign groups.

She says, “Start by organizing your campaigns into logical categories or objectives. Each campaign should represent a specific goal or outcome you want to achieve, such as lead generation, brand awareness, or website traffic.

“For example, you might create separate campaigns to promote different product lines, target different audience segments, or test different ad formats.”

Think of your campaign group as your category.

Next, click Campaign Group and name your campaign. Campaign Groups help you organize your campaign. You can leave the “Default Campaign Group” as-is or create a new Group.

The campaign name is only visible internally. I recommend you choose a highly informative name, especially if you have several different folks working on the campaign.

For example, if I was running a test to determine the best type of demographic targeting, I might use the title “Unicorn Food Ad Test — North America, 18 to 24, Female.”

That name describes exactly who I‘m targeting without having to view its details. Compare this to something like “Unicorn Food Test 1,” which doesn’t indicate anything about who the ad is targeting.

Once you choose your Campaign Group and name, you can start setting up your LinkedIn campaign.

A note on billing: Eventually, if you haven’t already, you’ll be prompted to enter your billing information, but you can play with the campaign setup without adding billing details. I really like this about LinkedIn because you can feel safe playing with the campaign manager and setting up targeting without feeling afraid of triggering an expensive bill.

That said, once you enter your billing details, you don’t need to worry, you won‘t be charged until your campaign is live — from there, you’ll be charged periodically for ad clicks and other engagements.

2. Set your LinkedIn ad campaign objective.

Next, choose your campaign objective.

Your objective is what you want people to do when they see your ads.

According to LinkedIn, choosing an objective helps them “customize your campaign creation, deliver the best ROI for your stated goal, and show you relevant reporting.”

There are three overarching campaign themes: Awareness, Consideration, and Conversions. Under those themes, some available campaign objectives are:

• Brand awareness will reach more people with your post. It would be great if visibility and boosting brand awareness were your goal.
• Website visits will drive traffic to your website and landing pages.
• Engagement will increase actions on your content and boost followers on your LinkedIn Company Page.
• Video views will increase the exposure of your videos to people who are likely to engage with them.
• Messaging will engage with your audience through messaging.
• Lead generation will show a LinkedIn lead generation form with pre-filled LinkedIn profile data to those LinkedIn users most likely to engage with the form.
• Website conversions capture leads and drive action on your website.
• Job applicants will help you drive more job applications.

3. Designate your LinkedIn ad audience.

Next, choose the parameters of your target audience. Targeting who sees your ad can help it fulfill its campaign objective — the more specific and relevant it is to your audience, the better it’ll perform.

LinkedIn allows you to target according to a few different categories — refer to the points on targeting options reviewed above.

You don’t have to use all of LinkedIn‘s targeting options — but the more specific the targeting criteria, the more relevant it’s likely to be to the audience you select.

And, therefore, the more likely you are to have a better ROI.

4. Set your ad budget and schedule.

Next, set up the budget, scheduling, and bidding options that work best for you.

You have a few options when it comes to setting up the LinkedIn budget and schedule.

First, let’s talk about budget optimization. I asked Leigh Buttrey about this. She said, “When you turn the Budget Optimization on, you’re handing over the control of the campaign’s group ad spend to LinkedIn’s algorithms. It will give more budget to your best-performing campaigns for better ROI.

“It sounds good, and in many cases, it is, but I prefer more control over my paid ads. Having set budgets per campaign allows me to give equal budgets to all campaigns, which in turn allows me to see which campaign has a lower CPC, engagement rate, or conversions.

In most cases, I’d recommend leaving ‘Budget Optimization’ off. Instead, you should closely monitor your ads and get a feel for what works for your company. You can switch ‘Budget Optimization’ on later and compare the ROI of campaigns with it on versus off.”

You can set schedules to:

• Run continuously from a start date.
• Set a start and end date.
• Set a start and end date with a budget.

As you can see in the screenshot above, I clicked “Set a start and end date with a budget.” LinkedIn recommends a budget of £30/day (or $40/day).

Budget

Regardless of LinkedIn’s recommendations, you set a daily budget for what works best for your company’s marketing spending. Before investing a lot into one campaign, I recommend testing and measuring the success of each campaign and ad variation.

You don‘t want to put thousands of dollars, for example, into an ad that doesn’t resonate with your target audience.

Let‘s say you’re the VP of Marketing at a high-end floral company. You assume that most of your target market is made up of soon-to-be brides, so you direct your LinkedIn Ads to bridal groups.

But after spending thousands of dollars, you only generate 10% of the leads you were hoping for.

Your subsequent research shows this was the wrong move, and you later learn that people near your store who are on LinkedIn are actually looking for flowers for corporate events.

It would have been nice to know that before spending a large amount of your budget on LinkedIn Ads, right?

That said, because of its extensive targeting opportunities, LinkedIn Ads can successfully target niche markets.

But cautionary experimentation is crucial to do early on — if you observe a campaign performing well, then you can put a larger budget toward it.

Top tips on budget according to LinkedIn paid ads expert, Leigh: “Start your budget small, then grow. Your aim is to see an ROI with a smaller budget. As soon as you get that ROI, you can confidently scale.”

Schedule

Choose a date for your campaign to start. You can indicate whether you want your campaign to be shown continuously until an end date.

5. Decide on your LinkedIn ad format.

Next, you need to add a campaign to your campaign group.

Once you’ve clicked this, you’ll basically repeat the steps above. You will name your campaign and set your audience.

Now, you get to choose your ad format. In the next section, I’ll unpack the different types of LinkedIn Ads you can create as part of your campaign.

When you toggle between the ad types, you’ll see that the Forecasted Results box on the right-hand side will change.

This feature analyzes your campaign parameters (objective, budget, targeting, start/end dates, etc.) and takes into account similar campaigns and advertisers. It also stimulates the ad auction to generate the numbers displayed.

Keep an eye on this box as you choose your LinkedIn ad type. If you’re first starting out, deciding on which ad type you want to choose may come down to budget.

Outline your priorities, and then you can decide which type works best for you.

Additionally, some ad types require you to link your LinkedIn Company Page and some tap into LinkedIn translation services.

6. Set your URL parameter if you’re using one.

URL parameters help you track traffic acquisition in your analytical tools, GA4, for example.

You decide what you want your URL parameter to be and drop it into the campaign tracking parameter in the box, as pictured below.

On tracking URLs, Leigh says, “Analytical tools do a good job of showing you where traffic is coming from, but with this functionality, you can track exactly which campaign traffic is coming from where. This will help you analyze which campaign is driving the most engagement, conversions, ROI, etc.”

7. Choose your LinkedIn ad placement.

Next, decide whether you want your ad to be displayed on the LinkedIn Audience Network, which gives your campaign more reach and exposure among LinkedIn’s third-party platforms and sites.

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Note: This option isn’t available for every ad type.

You can also choose to exclude or block certain categories, applications, and sites in the Network if you so choose.

8. Don’t forget conversion tracking.

You have the option to set up conversion tracking for your LinkedIn campaign, which will track and measure the actions people take after clicking on your ads.

Conversion tracking is an optional part of setting up your LinkedIn advertising campaign but is highly valuable for your business.

If you choose to set up conversion tracking, click + Add conversions.

A new window will pop up, where you’ll name your conversion, choose your conversion settings, and decide how you’ll track the conversions.

Note: The information on the right-hand side of the window is super helpful — it’ll answer any questions you have and walk you through the process.

For more help implementing and managing your LinkedIn Conversions, visit this help page.

Bravo! You’ve officially set up your LinkedIn advertising campaign … but you’re not done yet. When you’re ready to move on, be sure to click Save.

Beware: Your objective and ad format cannot be changed once you save, so be sure about your choices before moving forward.

9. Build your LinkedIn ad.

This section corresponds to what type of LinkedIn ad you chose for your campaign.

Once you establish the basic parameters for your ad in step one, you’ll be prompted to start building it and choose how LinkedIn will display and rotate your ad variations — if you create more than one.

To get started, click Create new ad.

A screen will pop up with the title “Create a new [Your chosen ad type] for this campaign,” on which you’ll create the copy for your ad, pair it with an image, and preview the different layout options.

You can see what that looks like below. I clicked “carousel ad,” and I can also add “cards.” Each card represents a slide of my carousel.

Here are a few guidelines around the copy:

• Ad image is the artwork or graphic that your audience will see for your ad. It must be 100×100 pixels and uploaded as a .jpg or .png file that is 2MB or smaller.
• Ad name is the main message your audience will see. You can write 255 characters but I recommend 60-100.
• Ad introductory text is the body of your ad. It can be up to 255 characters long, but I recommend 150. The text should be relevant both to the person viewing the ad and the offer or page to which you’re sending them.
• Destination URL is where your audience will go when they click your ad. Double check that the URL is accurate.

Once you input this information, and hit Save, you’ll be able to view your post.

Once you click Create, you’ll be directed back to the previous Campaign Manager screen. From there, you can create more ads and, eventually, review and submit your order.

Note: LinkedIn does review every submitted campaign order, so don’t expect to see your ads published right away.

To see the best results for your ads, consider creating a different ad for each of your buyer personas and tweak the copy accordingly.

For example, when promoting a book to college professors, leading the title with the words “College Professor’s Guide to…” may generate a higher click-through rate (CTR) than generic, un-targeted headlines and copy.

Here are a few copywriting tips for LinkedIn Ads.

CTA

Including an actionable CTA within your ad copy will also help you improve your ad‘s CTR. Consider asking people to “Download your ebook now,” or “Click now for free samples” instead of writing copy that’s devoid of actionable next steps.

Value

Incorporate your value proposition into your ad copy — this can make people more likely to click on your ad. By boasting something like “20% off your first purchase” or “Clearance sale ends today — Shop now,” you’re sending a clear signal of what someone will specifically gain when he or she clicks your ad.

Testing

Don’t be afraid to test your ad copy. You can create multiple variations of your ad in each campaign, which allow you to test different images and copy within ads to find what works best for your audience.

Pro tip: LinkedIn Ads is available within all HubSpot Marketing Hub Professional and Enterprise accounts! Track visitor and contact engagement, run reports on closed-loop marketing, sync leads from LinkedIn lead generation forms, and MORE — all within your HubSpot account.

As I said above, deciding on what type of LinkedIn ad is best for your campaign can come down to many factors: budget, audience, campaign objective — just to name a few.

When building your LinkedIn Ads, you have four main types from which to choose. Within those formats, you can choose different formats based on your ad content and purpose.

1. Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content shows up in your audience’s news feed among organic LinkedIn content.

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These ads are similar to promoted posts that blend into social media feeds. Sponsored Content is available in three formats:

• Single image ads, which feature one image.
• Carousel ads, which feature two or more images.
• Video ads, which feature one video.

This type of LinkedIn ad typically has the highest average cost-per-click (CPC).

(Learn more about the advertising specifications for Sponsored Content, according to LinkedIn.)

Leigh recommends LinkedIn’s paid sponsored content ads for “increasing visibility and engagement for your brand, generating leads, or driving traffic to valuable content. Use these types of ads if you want to create single-image, carousel, or video ads.”

2. Message Ads

Message ads are delivered to your target audience’s LinkedIn inbox.

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With this type of LinkedIn ad, you can send your content directly to your audience from a personal account and better measure engagement based on recipient response and action.

(Learn more about the advertising specifications for Message Ads, according to LinkedIn.)

Leigh recommends LinkedIn’s paid sponsored messaging ads (or conversation ads) to “deliver personalized, direct messaging to specific target audiences. You may want to use these if you’re driving for event registrations, product demos, or time-sensitive offers.”

3. Dynamic Ads

Dynamic Ads are personalized ads that change content based on which audience member is viewing them. This type of LinkedIn ad uses member personal data to tailor its creative content.

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(Each LinkedIn member sees his or her own personal data; data isn’t shared with other members.)

Dynamic Ads are available in three formats, which are only available on the LinkedIn desktop platform:

• Follower ads, which promote your LinkedIn Company Page.
• Spotlight ads, which promote a special offering.
• Job ads, which promote open jobs.

(Learn more about advertising specifications for Dynamic Ads, according to LinkedIn.)

Leigh recommends LinkedIn’s paid dynamic ads for “offering hyper-personalized ad creation that automatically customizes the ad per viewer based on their profile details, such as name, photo, company or job title. These are ideal for campaigns focusing on brand awareness, event promotion, content downloads, or gaining followers.”

4. Text Ads

Text Ads show up on the right column or at the top of the page on LinkedIn.

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They’re the simplest type of LinkedIn ad but are still effective for boosting awareness and reaching your audience. Pay per click or per impression for Text Ads.

(Learn more about advertising specifications for Text Ads, according to LinkedIn.)

Leigh recommends LinkedIn’s paid text ads as a “simple and cost-effective approach for driving traffic, increasing brand awareness or generating leads. These ads are made up of a headline, description, and small image. They usually appear on the right-hand sidebar.”

Social ad campaigns can always be improved. Remember, your audience and content are always changing — as well as the platform itself. Here are some best practices to optimize your LinkedIn ad campaign.

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Before we dive in, here’s a quick tip: Set a reminder for yourself to analyze and optimize your campaigns each month.

1. Know your audience and the customer journey.

As your business grows, your audience also evolves and so does the customer journey.

It‘s crucial that you know and update your buyer personas and the customer journey map regularly — this will allow you to effectively target your personas at the right point in time (a.k.a. when they’re most likely to convert).

You may do this on a quarterly basis.

To help with the process, check out our buyer persona guide, free buyer personas templates, free Make My Persona tool, customer journey map guide, and free customer journey map template.

I also recommend considering your customer journey when deciding on which type of ads (more on this best practice in #4 below) you’ll create and share — not every type of ad is ideal for every part of the customer journey.

For instance, you may use a sponsored ad for audience members who have already engaged with your brand/content before rather than that being their first touchpoint with you.

2. Segment your customers.

On a similar token, segmenting your customers is a great way to prepare for effective and tailored ad targeting, whether on LinkedIn or any other platform.

You can segment your customers so that you know exactly how you’re going to target specific audiences on LinkedIn in order to increase engagement and chances of conversion.

For instance, you might know that specific audience segments are going to need a certain type of LinkedIn Ad at a certain point in the buyer’s journey — having your customers ready in segments makes this part of the ad targeting process easy and efficient.

3. Refer to your social ads on other platforms as well as your competitors’ LinkedIn Ads.

Getting some inspiration and gleaning information from your other social ads as well as the LinkedIn Ads of your competitors is a great way to help you navigate the process of creating and sharing your ads on LinkedIn.

Although LinkedIn is a unique platform, and your audience may not be the same across social platforms — it’s still good to take some inspiration from and, at the very least, identify which ads perform best on other social platforms like Google and Facebook.

Not only can this be a good starting point when planning your LinkedIn Ads, but it can also help you save time — maybe you want to repurpose content that’s on a Google Ad already for LinkedIn.

Additionally, you may not have the analytics to prove which of your competitors’ LinkedIn Ads are performing best.

However, you can at least identify which types of ads are getting a lot of engagement by looking at metrics like comments and reactions.

I think this is a helpful reference point when planning and creating your LinkedIn paid ads since you’re likely going to have a similar audience on the platform as your competitors do.

4. Carefully select the content you share based on the type of ad you’re creating.

As I mentioned earlier, you‘ll want to determine what content you’re sharing with audience members based on the type of ad you’re creating.

Refer to your customer segments here to help you effectively tailor content to those audience members and where they are in the customer journey when working through this step.

As a recap, here are the types of LinkedIn Ads you can create, along with examples of the content you may include:

• Sponsored content: Single image ads, video ads, carousel ads, and event ads; ideal for highly-engaged audiences in the LinkedIn Newsfeed.
• Sponsored messaging: Conversation Ads, Message Ads; ideal for engaging audience members in LinkedIn Messaging.
• Lead generation forms: Lead generation forms; ideal for creating pre-filled forms for LinkedIn Ads.
• Text and dynamic ads: Text ads, spotlight ads, follower ads; ideal for running ads in the LinkedIn right rail.

5. Use eye-catching and attention-grabbing visuals and language.

This content you‘re sharing shouldn’t just be selected by ensuring it works with the type of ad you’re creating, though.

It also needs to bring your audience members in and make them want to engage with it (e.g., read/watch more, click on it, open your gated offer, etc.).

Think about ad elements like:

• Colors
• Font
• Language and text
• CTA placement and style
• Images
• Videos
• GIFs

For more inspiration, take a look at these great LinkedIn Ad examples.

6. A/B test your LinkedIn Ads (and tweak one variable at a time).

Don’t be afraid to test different visuals, language, and text to determine what your unique audience on LinkedIn finds eye-catching and attention-grabbing.

You can test different versions of the same ad to see what factor is contributing to or hindering its success.

For instance, change the copy in your headline, change your featured image, or tweak the target audience attributes — just don’t do these all at the same time or you won’t know which one is the fix.

I find A/B testing makes this process easy and ensures you’re just changing one factor at a time.

7. Create gated offers using LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms.

Gated offers are those that require some sort of information in return for that offer — for instance, an audience member gets a free template or an ebook in return for sharing their email address.

To do this with your LinkedIn Ads, you’ll have to use their Lead Gen Forms.

LinkedIn allows you to create Lead Gen Forms for both Sponsored Content and Message Ads. They come pre-filled with LinkedIn profile data, so members are able to share their information with you in seconds.

Additionally, I like that the forms allow you to track important metrics such as campaign cost per lead, lead form fill rate, and how many leads you get certain audience segments.

8. Keep your budget in mind when creating LinkedIn Ads.

Like anything in business, you’re going to want to keep your budget in mind. LinkedIn uses objective-based pricing when it comes to advertising — meaning you only pay to achieve the specific marketing goals you have.

In other words, you’re charged based on your campaign objective.

You’ll select the activity you want to pay for, and then the campaign objective you picked will determine which ad formats and optimization goals you can focus on.

9. Determine each campaign’s click-through rate (CTR).

Is one campaign outperforming the other(s)? If so, you may want to pause the less successful campaign(s).

LinkedIn will automatically display less successful campaigns with lower frequency, so it makes sense to minimize any resources spent on them.

Instead, putting more resources into successful ad variations and campaigns is more likely to accomplish your marketing goals.

10. Measure and analyze your LinkedIn Ad campaign’s success.

LinkedIn makes it easy to track your progress in the Campaign Manager dashboard (under “Chart”), where you’ll see various charts that measure performance like clicks, expenditures, and CTR.

You can also keep track of conversions in the graphs toward the bottom of the dashboard.

When you finish setting up your first campaign, you‘ll see a lot of “0”s at first. Don’t worry; that’s only because your campaign is new (and don’t forget that LinkedIn usually has to approve your ads before they go live).

More advanced performance tracking is also possible, but you need to export data to third-party analytics software or databases, like LinkedIn Ads to BigQuery.

Ready to try a LinkedIn Ad strategy?

Now you’re equipped with a complete guide on how LinkedIn advertising works, you’re ready to start your own LinkedIn Ads strategy.

Remember: No harm can come from exploring the campaign options, setting up groups, and creating ads. Nothing happens until the ad is live, and you’re in complete control of that.

Unlike Leigh, I don’t run LinkedIn campaigns daily, but with her advice, even I feel comfortable using LinkedIn’s campaign manager! It is really good.

LinkedIn has a very powerful advertising platform; don’t leave this off your social campaign marketing list. A well-researched, optimized campaign has the potential to bring in thousands of new leads — and sales.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in January 2013 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Twitter, now rebranded as X, stands out from all other social media platforms. At least, that’s what my experience of helping dozens of brands with their social media strategy tells me.

At its core, X marketing requires conveying ideas in the fewest words, publishing multiple times a day, and actively engaging your audience.

As you grow, more dimensions are added to this equation. It gets more challenging and complicated. That’s why I’ve created this guide to help you crack the code for X marketing.

What is an X (formerly Twitter) marketing strategy?

An X marketing strategy is a plan centered around creating, publishing, and distributing content for your buyer personas, audience, and followers through X.

The goal of this type of strategy is to attract new followers and leads, boost conversions, improve brand recognition, and increase sales.

Creating an X marketing strategy will require you to follow the same steps you would if you were creating any other social media marketing strategy:

1. Research your buyer personas and audience.
2. Create unique and engaging content.
3. Organize a schedule for your posts.
4. Analyze your impact and results.

So, you might be wondering what makes X unique. Why would you want to actually invest the time in creating a profile and content for the platform? I’ll answer that below.

What makes X unique?

X is a great marketing tool for a number of reasons.

The platform:

• Is free to use.
• Expands your reach.
• Lets you provide quick customer service and support.
• Allows you to share and promote branded content in seconds
• Works as a search engine tool for you to search for your competitors.
• Can be used as a search engine tool for prospects to find and learn about your company.
• Allows you to converse with your followers, share the latest updates about your company, and address your audience.

Now that I’ve reviewed what an X marketing strategy is and what makes the platform unique, let’s cover the ways in which you can use X for your business.

These tips will help you boost conversions, create lasting relationships with your followers, and improve your brand awareness.

As you begin using X for your business, there are some steps you’ll want to take to ensure you reach your target audience.

Depending on your goals, company size, and industry, you may or may not choose to work through each of the following steps (or you may have already completed some of them), so tailor them to your needs.

Let’s learn how to use X for business to better share, engage, and market on the platform.

1. Customize and brand your profile.

When someone looks at your company’s X profile, you want them to automatically know it’s yours.

You should customize and brand your X profile with your logo, colors, and other recognizable and memorable details you want to incorporate.

Here are a few ways to customize your profile:

• Handle. Your X handle is your username (for example, our handle is @hubspot) — this should include your company’s name so your followers, customers, and fans can easily search and find you on the platform. You create your X handle when you sign up for an account.
• Header. The header on your X profile is your background image. You might choose to create a unique image for your header, use your logo, or another branded image.
• Profile picture. Your X profile picture represents your company’s every move, interaction, and post on the platform. It’s the image that sits above your bio and might include a picture of your logo, company’s initials, or CEO.
• Bio. An X bio provides everyone who visits your profile with a brief synopsis of what they’re about to see in 160 characters or less. It might include your mission statement, a blurb about what your company does, or something humorous and engaging.
• Website URL. Beneath your profile picture and bio, there’s a location where you can include your URL to direct traffic straight to your website.
• Birthday. In the same location as your URL, you can insert your company’s birthday — or the day when the company was founded — so your audience gets to know your business on a more personal level.

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2. Create X Lists.

An X List — which any user has the ability to create and view — is an organized group of X accounts you’ve selected and put together in specific categories.

For example, at HubSpot, lists include Leadership Experts, Top Marketing Experts, Top Business Podcasters, and more. When you open an X List, you only see posts by the accounts on the list.

X Lists are great if you want to follow only specific accounts. You might segment your lists into groups such as business inspiration, competitors, and target audience so you’re able to easily review their posts, interactions, and content.

Here are a few lists available on HubSpot’s X profile:

3. Host an X Chat.

You can schedule and host an X chat to:

• Discuss a topic.
• Engage your followers.
• Create a sense of community.
• Ask your audience for their opinions.
• Get feedback on something you’re working on.

To host an X Chat (previously TweetChat), you’ll need to choose a topic, set a time and date for the chat to occur, and create a hashtag for the chat. Share this information with your followers in a post, on your website, in your X bio, and wherever else you choose.

Here’s an example by The SAS Collective. The post mentions what this chat is about, who will be participating, and a hashtag to track all conversations.

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Everyone who wants to participate in the chat should be able to view all responses, questions, and comments regarding your topic by searching this unique hashtag.

Plus, they can share their comments and thoughts by adding this hashtag to their posts.

4. Advertise on X.

Advertising through X is a great way to reach your audience. This will make your posts easily discoverable by thousands of people, helping you increase your influence and following. You can do this through Promoted Ads or X Ads.

Promoted Ads (formerly Promoted Tweets)

Promoted ads or tweets make your regular posts appear in the X streams or search results of specific users.

This is a great option for anyone looking to increase the number of people on a specific webpage. Your business will pay a monthly fee if you promote a post.

X will use your promoted posts in a daily campaign targeting the type of audience you want to reach, as previously indicated in your settings. All X users can interact and engage with promoted posts like your organic content.

Here’s a glimpse at a promoted posts:

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X Ads

X Ads is a great option if you’re using different types of tweets/posts to achieve one goal for your business. It’s ideal if you’re looking to grow your base of followers and brand awareness significantly through the platform.

Your business can decide between different objectives regarding your X ads, including app installs, video views, website conversions, and audience targeting for your campaigns. This decision will impact the price you’ll need to pay to run your ad.

Here’s an X Ad by the car manufacturer Kia:

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5. Drive traffic to your website.

X can help you direct traffic to your website. There are several ways to include your website’s URL on your profile and add links to your web pages and blogs in your posts.

Here are some ways to use the platform to direct traffic to your website and increase conversions:

• Incorporate links to your website in your posts.
• Embed posts on your website with an X Timeline.
• Add your website URL beneath your bio on your X profile.
• Repost any content that includes links to your website and blogs others have shared.

6. Buy a premium subscription to get verified.

Depending on the size of your company and industry, you might choose to get your X profile verified.

Previously, businesses and public figures applied for a verified blue checkmark, but now you can get a similar checkmark by subscribing to X Premium.

Anyone can get an X subscription, but X will double-check your account to ensure you meet the eligibility criteria.

Once the platform verifies your profile, a badge with a checkmark will appear next to your handle. This symbolizes an authentic account.

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Being verified prevents your audience members from following and being confused by impersonator accounts or accounts with similar content, usernames, and handles to yours. A verified account also makes your business look more legitimate and trustworthy.

7. Focus on building your follower count.

Needless to say, the more X followers you have, the more people there are looking at and interacting with your content. You’ll have a better chance to improve brand awareness and direct more traffic to your website when you build your follower count on X.

There are a number of ways you can increase your follower count on X — here are some to get you started:

• Ensure your content is shareable.
• Create engaging content (giveaways, contests, questions, surveys).
• Enlist the help of social media influencers.
• Include links to your X profile on your website.
• Interact with your current followers and repost their content so they’re more likely to do the same for you.

Now that we’ve reviewed how to use X for business, let’s cover some tips and tricks you can apply to your profile to improve your marketing efforts on the platform.

The following X marketing tips are universal, meaning they’re applicable to any type of business, in every industry.

1. Use keyword targeting in X Ads.

Keyword targeting on X is a critical component of X Ads.

Keyword targeting allows you to engage X users through the different words and phrases you’ve included in your content and they’ve searched for on the platform.

This means you’re able to reach your target audience at the exact time your business, content, and services are most relevant to them.

On X, there are two types of keyword targeting you can use including search and timeline.

Search Keyword Targeting

Search keyword targeting allows you to make your posts show up for users who are searching for the topics that you determined relate to your business.

For example, if you sell gluten-free cookies, you can target users searching for content about baking, cookies, gluten intolerance, or Celiac Disease.

Timeline Keyword Targeting

Timeline keyword targeting allows you to act on users’ specific feelings, thoughts, actions, and emotions they’ve posted about.

For example, if you’re a running gear company, you might target keywords and phrases users post about such as, “running a race,” “race day tips,” or “training for a marathon.”

2. Implement hashtags.

Posts (previously Tweets) with hashtags generate more engagement than ones without them.

Adding hashtags to your posts is a great way to expand your influence on X. However, there are some guidelines you’ll want to stick to when using hashtags to ensure that you reach the largest number of people possible.

• Create a hashtag unique to your business so your followers and target audience can easily find you and your content.
• Make relevant and memorable hashtags for other groups of posts, such as those related to a specific campaign you’re running.
• Use X Analytics to review your most successful hashtags so you can ensure their use in future posts.
• Don’t overuse hashtags. This may feel and look spammy to your audience (not to mention it isn’t aesthetically pleasing).

3. Design a content publishing schedule.

As you grow your base of followers, you’ll need to post on a regular basis to ensure they stay engaged with your business and content.

Not only do you want to post regularly, but you also want to post at the right times of the day.

Here are some details about the best times (on average) for businesses to share their X content:

• Between 8–10 AM and 6–9 PM (in correlation with commuter schedules) on weekdays.
• Around noon or between 5–6 PM on any day of the week.
• For B2C companies, the best days to post are weekends.
• For B2B companies, the best days to post are weekdays.

Here’s an X content calendar template I use to plan my posts:

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You can review X Analytics to examine your engagement on the days you post more or less content to determine what’s working well for your specific audience.

Once you’ve determined when and how often you’ll post your content, you can use a social media management tool. This will allow you to both create your posts and schedule them in advance so you can focus on other tasks you have to complete.

HubSpot’s social media management tool lets you:

• Schedule posts in advance.
• Connect directly with your audience.
• Understand how your X interactions help your brand.

4. Create an X campaign.

Social media marketing campaigns of any kind are a great way to reach your audience, drive sales, and increase your website traffic.

You can create a social media marketing campaign specifically for X to target users, increase your base of followers, and raise your brand awareness through the platform.

To create an X marketing campaign, you’ll want to follow the same steps you would with any type of social media marketing campaign:

• Research your competition.
• Determine how you’ll appeal to your target audience.
• Choose the type of content you’ll create.
• Share and promote your content.
• Analyze your results.

5. Write a strong profile bio.

Writing a strong and memorable bio for your X profile is crucial.

This is because your X bio is the first thing a profile visitor will read about your company — it’s your written introduction and should briefly explain what visitors can expect from your page and content.

You only have 160 characters to do this, so choose your words wisely to ensure your bio successfully represents your brand and reflects who you are as a company.

Here’s a great example of an X bio by beauty brand Rare Beauty.

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6. Use images and videos.

When possible, try to include quality videos and photos in your posts. It’s been proven that posts with images outperform posts strictly made of text.

Photos and images provide an eye-catching and engaging element in your content as X users scroll through their feeds.

Videos are proven to outperform posts with images as well. In fact, posts with videos are likely to get an average of six times the amount of engagement than posts without them.

Videos and images are a great way to show your audience your product line or how to use an item you sell as well as make your content feel more personal.

Plus, images and videos in posts are proven to help you increase your engagement — and who wouldn’t want that?

7. Interact with your followers.

Remembering to engage with your followers as your business grows and X follower count increases is crucial.

This will help you create experiences for your followers and audience members that feel personal and keep them coming back to your profile all while fostering a sense of brand loyalty.

For example, if someone reposts your post or comments on your posts, you can “Like” that person’s interaction or even reply back to them.

In some cases, you might have a ton of ghost followers who follow your account, but never interact with your content. If your interaction rates are low, it may make sense to use unfollow tools to clean your followers list from ghost followers.

8. Share media mentions.

If your business is mentioned in the media, share the article, video, URL, or image on X.

This will make your business feel more legitimate to anyone checking out your profile and show prospective followers how many other people already know about your company and are enjoying your products and services.

This is an exciting way to broadcast your success to your audience.

Take a look at how Scribe posts all media mentions of the brand and its founders.

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It also provides you with a way to incorporate backlinks in your posts which, when clicked, take your audience members to the original source of the mention.

Meaning you’ll also drive traffic to the website of the media outlet that mentioned you, likely boosting their follower count and/ or brand recognition.

This could potentially help you become mentioned, shared, or featured in one of their pieces of content again in the future.

9. Keep an eye on your competitors’ X accounts.

X is a great way to keep an eye on your competitors’ marketing efforts. You can follow them or simply search them to see what they’re posting.

You can also view basic details about their engagement such as their number of reposts, comments, and responses.

This is a simple way to see some of the X marketing strategies your competitors are implementing and whether or not they’re working.

10. Focus on followers’ interests when creating content.

If you want to reach your audience members and ensure your content resonates with them, you’ll need to focus on their interests and needs — whether that’s in relation to the way you share content, what you share, or how you present it.

When you meet the needs of your target audience and buyer personas, they’ll be more likely to continue to follow and interact with your company. You can build buyer personas with HubSpot’s free tool, Make My Persona.

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As you study your buyer personas and target audience, you’ll be able to determine the type of content they’re likely looking for you to share.

Additionally, you can always post questions, send out surveys, ask for feedback, or even create an X Chat to get more ideas about the type of content your audience is looking for from your business and X profile.

11. Promote your events.

X is a great way to promote your business’ events.

Similar to the way you might for an X campaign, you can create a unique hashtag for various events (such as launch parties, giveaways, and contests) or schedule a variety of posts (using one of your social media management tools) to promote any special occasion your company is hosting.

This way, audience members — whether or not they’re your followers — will have the opportunity to learn about your event and get all of the details they need to sign up, be in attendance, or participate.

12. Check your direct messages regularly.

Like other social media platforms, X provides users with a Direct Message inbox where they can contact you in a private message regarding any questions, concerns, or comments they have.

So, be sure to check your inbox regularly as this can contribute to the type of customer service and support your business is known for, as well as the type of care you provide your followers and customers.

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13. Keep track of your analytics.

With all of the work you’re putting into your business’ X marketing, you’ll want to ensure your efforts are successful in reaching your goals, whether they’re related to directing more traffic to your website, increasing conversions, or improving brand awareness.

You can determine your X marketing success in these areas (and many more) by analyzing your work. To do this, you’ll want to consider which metrics matter to you and then determine how you’re going to track them.

Which Metrics to Track on X

Due to every business being unique and having different goals, you might not be interested in tracking all of the following X metrics (or you might be looking to track additional metrics).

However, we’ve compiled the following list of possible metrics for you to consider to get you started.

• Engagement. Look at the number of reposts, follows, replies, favorites, and click-throughs your posts get (including all hashtags and links they include).
• Impressions. Review the number of times your posts appeared on one of your audience members’ timelines (whether or not they’re actually following you).
• Hashtags. Look at which of your hashtags are being used most frequently by your audience and followers.
• Top posts. Review your posts with the most engagement.
• Contributors. Keep up with the level of success each of your contributors — the people you give admin access to on your account — are having with their posts so you can implement some of their tactics more regularly or remove them completely.

How to Track X Analytics

You’ll find several social media management tools with analytics features that are automatically built in. This is convenient for those of you who were already planning on choosing a management tool to assist with scheduling your posts.

However, one of the most common analytics tools for X is the one created specifically for the platform: X Analytics.

X Analytics

X Analytics helps you understand how your content impacts your audience and the ways in which your activity on the platform can help you grow your business. The tool is free, accessible to all users, and shares information about:

• Engagement rate.
• Post activity.
• Impressions.
• Followers.

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Depending on your business’ needs, you have the ability to incorporate X Ads (if you pay for the option) data in X Analytics as well.

Lastly, there are a number of other third-party resources and apps you can download and use along with X Analytics to take a deeper look at specific types of data such as detailed hashtag performance information or how other X handles in your industry are doing.

4 X (formerly Twitter) Marketing Tools to Level Up Your Strategy

Ready to make the best out of X? Here are my top four X marketing tools to drive results for your business.

1. Hypefury: Best for scheduling and managing posts.

Hypefury lets you automate your X posting schedule and plan posts in advance. The tool is purpose-built for creators and marketers looking to build consistency on X and grow their audience.

One of Hypefury’s standout features is the ability to schedule threads. Create a sequence of posts to share long-form content through an X thread with an automated posting schedule.

Hypefury also reposts some of your most popular posts at optimal times when you don’t have any posts scheduled. You can enable the option to share evergreen posts, and the tool will take care of the rest.

Besides, the tool can even automate product promotion. If you sell a product/service, Hypefury will add a post promoting your business under your best-performing posts.

What I Like

• Advanced automation saves time and effort in managing a posting schedule.
• Allows cross-posting content across multiple platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.
• Shares suggestions and writing prompts to inspire new posts when you’re out of ideas.

Pricing

7-day free trial. Paid plans start at $29/month. Check pricing here.

2. Audiense: Best for understanding your audience.

Audiense, a customer intelligence platform, collects real-time insights from multiple sources to help you understand the target audience.

You can create highly targeted audience segments based on demographics, psychographics, and behavioral data. The tool will use this segmentation to share specific information about each group for tailored X marketing campaigns.

You can also use Audiense to find the influencers your audience follows. This will help you connect with the right people and opinion leads to amplify your brand and grow your followers.

What I Like

• Built-in social listening tool to track brand mentions, conversations, and trends.
• In-depth reports on audience behavior to understand preferences and expectations.
• Updated data about audience segments with the latest insights to strategize your approach.

Pricing

Free forever plan. Paid plans start at £23/month. Check pricing here.

3. Tweet Hunter: Best for creating content and engaging with posts.

Tweet Hunter is an AI-powered content creation and publishing tool for X.

You’ll find personalized content ideas based on trending topics and your preferences. Use these suggestions to write new posts and predict their performance with TweetPredict. This feature analyzes a post in real-time and assesses how it will perform once published.

You can also automate the process of liking, commenting, and reposting. The tool puts engagement on auto-pilot and makes it easy to connect with your followers.

What I Like

• Easily ideate new content and schedule posts beforehand in a calendar.
• User-friendly interface with a minimal learning curve to get started.
• Integrates with your CRM tool to optimize X outreach.

Pricing

Paid plans start at $23/month. Check pricing here.

4. Circleboom: Best for accessing analytics and follower insights.

Circlebloom is an X management tool to manage your post archives and perform bulk actions like deleting posts. It also offers options for content scheduling and automation to post on X and other platforms.

What makes Circleboom a must-have X marketing tool is its advanced analytics.

You can get a pulse of your audience and understand exactly who you are targeting.

You can also discover articles and content ideas that resonate with your audience. These curated ideas help build a repository of new posts to maintain consistency.

What I Like

• Multi-platform management to integrate your X marketing efforts.
• Get detailed insights on follower activity and engagement like active/inactive followers.
• Access advanced search to find users via their bio and identify influencers in your niche.

Pricing

Free forever plan. Paid plans start at $9.99/month. Check pricing here.

Kickstart X Marketing Effortlessly

X is a powerful marketing tool and social media platform any business can take advantage of.

I’ve leveraged the platform to gain website traffic, boost brand awareness, and engage my target audience. I believe the key to succeeding on X is in building a data-informed strategy keeping your customers at the core.

Bookmark this guide to get a strong start with X marketing.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in March 2013 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Easy, fast, and unified. We’ve talked to a lot of customers about what they need from their tools to grow, and it always comes back to these three words. So why does go-to-market feel so hard, slow, and disconnected? Two words: legacy CRM.

The concept of customer relationship management (CRM) has existed for decades, and there are more tools than ever for understanding and engaging with customers.

The problem is, legacy CRMs have never fully delivered on the promise of being the source of truth about your customer. They are too hard to use and adopt and, even in the base case scenario, they struggle to capture engagement data about your customer.

We now have many great tools to help fill in the gaps, but they’re disconnected, often creating more work and a worse experience for your team.

AI has the promise to change the way we work and engage with customers, but runs the risk of becoming a disconnected burden. The only way to grow is with a unified customer platform, with AI that has access to your customer data and powers your engagement tools. Everything is easy to use with fast time to value, so you can truly grow.

But I want to talk about one of those attributes in particular: easy.

Today, the average company switches between 15 separate apps just to manage their customer interactions. Let’s contrast this with the fact that 82% of customers expect immediate problem resolution from brands, while 78% want personalized interactions. When it’s hard to even manage the tools you’re using to interact with customers, it’s even harder to meet their expectations.

This is where AI comes in. It’s not just the topic du jour, we’re already seeing real value from customers when their AI is easy to use. Early adopters of our AI features are not just accelerating their productivity, but their growth.

Our customer Sandler used our AI tools for creating content and personalizing outreach. They cut their sales cycles by half — from 90 days to between 30 to 45 days. Another customer in the manufacturing space, Aerotech, is now winning one in every four deals because they use our AI to qualify leads and guide seller actions.

We want to make it easy for everyone to grow with AI, which is why we recently launched Breeze, our AI that powers the entire customer platform. We’ve made it easier than ever to use AI everywhere you work, and to get value fast.

4 Ways AI Can Help Teams’ Go-to-Market Strategies

Most GTM teams have spent 2024 trying to fit AI into their strategies. When AI is a breeze, it’s easy to implement and teams can see value fast. Here are my four tips for using AI in your GTM:

1. Start with Data Enrichment

Who it helps: Marketing, Sales, RevOps, Customer Service, Customer Success

How It Improves the Strategy

Your AI is only as good as the data that powers it. The problem is, data about your customers is all over the place. It’s scattered across the internet like puzzle pieces, and unless you can put it all together, you aren’t getting the full picture.

While the data in your CRM that captures your interactions with customers is great, just this data alone is no longer enough. You need to know what signals your customers are giving you based on their behavior on the internet, and you need to have a unified view of that behavior in your CRM.

Now, with Breeze Intelligence, you can get the most unified view of your customer yet. Breeze Intelligence includes a data set of over 200 million company profiles and buyer intent signals, and unifies that with data you have in your Smart CRM.

This complete customer picture just became the context that feeds Breeze, and your AI tools are now working with the most holistic and up-to-date information on your customers.

2. Analyze Customer Signals

Who it helps: Marketing, Sales

How It Improves the Strategy

As a sales rep, you want to spend your time talking to prospects who are most likely to close a deal. AI can analyze buyer intent signals like viewing a pricing page. Automated lead scoring helps sales reps understand who to focus on.

Lead scoring isn’t just for sales. AI can take dozens of data points about your lead’s behavior — what I like to call their digital body language — to assign them an engagement score and a fit score. With these signals, you can send segmented marketing content to nudge prospects to buy, re-engage, or buy again.

3. Create and Remix Content at Scale

Who it helps: Marketing

How It Improves the Strategy

Marketers tell us that finding ideas for new content is the number one challenge they face. Not anymore. AI tools can brainstorm, write, and illustrate relevant content. They can even create videos.

Embedding AI into your content strategy is more than just a volume play. It helps you reach different audiences.

Ask five customers for their favorite marketing channel, and you’ll get five different answers. AI can remix and reformat content for every channel where your customers spend time. You can turn a single video into a full AI campaign with clips, ads, audio for podcasts, and social posts.

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The marketing strategies that got you where you are won’t get you where you’re going. Producing more of the same posts or videos isn’t the end goal. AI-assisted content means you can adapt and react quickly to whatever comes next.

4. Put Agents to Work

Who it helps: The entire Go-To-Market and your Customers

How It Improves the Strategy

Nowhere is the promise of AI as great as Agents. Simply put, Agents are software that uses AI and tools to accomplish goals with multiple steps. They work for your business. You can think of it like automation 2.0, but instead of configuring a workflow, you simply ask the agent to do a task for you and it completes it from start to finish.

We just launched four new agents in Breeze: Content Agent, Social Media Agent, Prospecting Agent, and Customer Agent. Businesses can use these Agents to transform their growth. For example:

• Content Agent generates blogs, landing pages, podcasts, and case studies.
• Social Agent analyzes social performance, company details, audience, industry, and best practices to create social media content for multiple channels.
• Prospecting Agent engages leads by researching them, personalizing communication, and automating the outreach process.
• Customer Agent is the 24/7 service team member that responds directly to customer inquiries.

With these team members at the ready to help you automate the mundane work, you will free up time for the critical human touch in the most strategic areas of your GTM — and your growth will skyrocket.

How HubSpot Can Help

So, let’s return to our three essential growth ingredients: easy, fast, and unified. That’s where HubSpot comes in.

Instead of disconnected tools, we give you a total customer platform. Every feature is easy to use and works together, including over 1,700 apps in our ecosystem. We deliver value fast, so you can see results in days, not months.

Finally, we obsess over unifying the customer platform. Everything works in harmony together, and you always get a complete customer picture.

Whether you’re a marketer, a sales rep, or a customer success leader, remember this: You hold the key to growth in your business.

The only way to grow is with a platform that’s easy, fast, and unified. Period. We’re as obsessed with your growth as you are, and that’s why we promise to keep prioritizing these three things.

The future of brand tracking is here — and it’s powered by AI.

Brand tracking is an essential marketing strategy for measuring brand performance, customer loyalty, and market positioning.

Traditionally, companies rely on surveys, panels, and market research to gather this data. But these methods can be slow, often taking weeks or months to deliver insights, which makes it hard for businesses to adapt to market changes in real time. Brand tracking can also be expensive and time-consuming, putting it out of reach for smaller teams with limited budgets.

AI is a potential solution, offering more accessible, faster, and cost-effective results. But what practical marketing applications does AI have for brand tracking — and how accurate is it?

In a recent Marketing Against the Grain episode, Kieran and I used HubSpot as a test case to explore how generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude could streamline brand tracking. By comparing the AI-powered insights with our own internal company data, we also assessed how closely AI can match up to traditional tracking methods and its potential for broader use.

AI-Powered Brand Tracking Opportunities

AI offers a more efficient way to track and evaluate brand performance, providing faster insights faster, with more flexibility. Here, Kieran and I explore three practical applications.

Understand why customers choose your brand over competitors.

AI isn’t just about quantitative analysis; it also helps marketers understand the qualitative ‘why’ behind customer decisions by analyzing online customer feedback, reviews, and discussion forums.

When we prompted AI to analyze why customers choose HubSpot, it identified core themes like ease of use, integration capabilities, and customer support. These findings closely matched our internal data, showcasing AI’s ability to quickly extract accurate insights from public platforms.

This offers a valuable window into customer behavior, enabling marketers to improve brand messaging and shape acquisition strategies around the attributes that resonate most with their audience.

Estimate your NPS score.

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a key indicator of customer loyalty and brand satisfaction — but it’s often expensive and time-consuming to measure.

While AI isn’t a complete replacement for NPS surveys (yet), it can give quick, informal estimates by aggregating online feedback and analyzing customer sentiment. This helps marketing teams regularly monitor customer satisfaction and make timely adjustments between formal NPS assessments.

In our experiment, we asked AI to estimate HubSpot’s NPS using online data. The AI produced a score range that was surprisingly close to our actual figures, along with a detailed rationale, demonstrating AI’s potential as an effective proxy for traditional NPS tracking.

Measure aided brand awareness.

Aided awareness, or how familiar consumers are with a brand when prompted with its name or logo, is a key metric for evaluating brand visibility and competitive positioning in the market.

Traditionally, this involves hiring research firms to build and run extensive surveys, but AI again offers a faster, more accessible alternative by analyzing publicly available data and consumer sentiment.

In our experiment, we used AI to estimate HubSpot’s aided awareness within a target market segment — companies with 200 to 2,000 employees. Interestingly, the two models produced slightly different results, with Claude offering a more accurate estimation compared to ChatGPT-4.

This discrepancy highlights the value of consulting multiple AI models for a more well-rounded picture of your company’s brand awareness.

Tactical Tips for Optimizing AI for Brand Tracking

AI is great — but it’s not perfect. Being thoughtful about how you implement and manage your AI marketing tools maximizes the value AI brings to your brand tracking strategy.

Here are five actionable tips to ensure you’re getting the best results.

1. Craft precise prompts for accurate AI results.

The quality of AI output is directly tied to how well you structure your request. Clearly define your target audience, goals, and context to help AI generate more focused and actionable insights.

2. Monitor for outliers and know when to validate.

Set your AI agents to flag outliers and notify you when results deviate from expectations. This helps determine when you should invest in resources like manual analysis or additional surveys to validate findings.

3. Integrate AI with your existing tools and internal data.

Improve contextual accuracy by integrating your AI marketing tools with internal data — like sales calls, social media interactions, and website analytics—to capture more personalized AI insights that reflect your brand’s unique context and positioning.

4. Regularly evaluate and update your AI toolkit.

AI models are constantly evolving, so it’s essential to confirm you’re always using the most up-to-date version. Regularly check and update your AI tools to make sure they align with your marketing team and business goals, giving you the most effective results over time.

5. Build your marketing AI ecosystem now.

“AI is going to be exponentially better in 12, 18, 24 months,” says Kieran. Therefore, the time to build your marketing AI infrastructure is now, so you’ll be well-positioned and agile enough to integrate future AI improvements as soon as they are available.

Adopting AI in brand tracking empowers your team to react faster to market shifts and customer behaviors, while also future-proofing your AI marketing strategy. To learn more about AI for brand tracking, check out the full episode of Marketing Against the Grain below:

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

Developing a consistent brand starts with creating a brand style guide. These branding rule books help graphic designers, marketers, web developers, community managers, and even product packaging departments present a unified vision of the brand to the public.

The best brands stick in our brains because their presence is defined by the repetition of the same logo, fonts, colors, and images. Once we see them enough, they become instantly recognizable. All of this is possible when each member of your team adheres to a cohesive brand style guide.

So, what is a brand style guide? In this article, I’ll go over the elements of a style guide and share some amazing examples of them in action to help inspire your next branding project or website redesign.

Table of Contents

• What are brand guidelines?
• The Elements of a Brand Style Guide
• Style Guide Examples
• Branding Guidelines Tips
• Build a Memorable Style Guide of Your Own

Picture the most recognizable brands you can think of.

Chances are, you’ve learned to recognize them due to one of the following reasons:

• There’s a written or visual consistency across the messaging.
• The same brand colors are reflected across every asset.
• The language sounds familiar.
• It‘s all very organized, and while not rigid, it’s cohesive.

But before you sit down to create your branding guidelines, I’d recommend taking a step back and defining your brand’s mission statement and buyer personas. These strategic elements will help you dive into the tactical components of your brand style guide later.

Brand Guidelines Mission Statement

Your brand guidelines mission statement ensures that all your content is working toward the same goal and connecting with your audience. It can also guide your blog and paid content, ad copy, visual media, and slogan.

Brand Guidelines Buyer Persona

Your brand guidelines buyer persona guides your blog content, ad copy, and visual media, which can attract valuable leads and customers to your business. You can create one quickly with our free persona tool.

The Elements of a Brand Style Guide

A brand style guide encompasses much more than just a logo (although that’s important, too). It visually encompasses everything your brand is about — down to your business’ purpose.

Here are some key elements that I believe make or break a brand style guide, with links to in-depth articles if you need more guidance or info:

• Logo. Logos are a powerful way to determine how your brand is perceived. We’ve got a nine-step guide to walk you through it.
• Color palette. Your brand color palette affects every aspect of your design, especially visual impact and user experience. We’ve got 50 unforgettable palettes to inspire you.
• Typography. Typography plays a critical role on any website by ensuring we can comfortably read and process all its text-based content. If a website’s typography works, we won’t notice. If it fails, chances are we’ll bounce off the page.
• Imagery and iconography. Ensure the best possible user experience with these icon best practices.
• Brand voice. Build your best brand voice using our free brand-building guide.

1. City of Chicago

See the full City of Chicago brand guide.

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What I like: Chicago’s brand guidelines rest on the beauty and simplicity of the city’s flag, both in terms of color and design. Plus, the tone of the guide is fun and casual — like its acknowledgement of how popular Chicago stars are in tattoo designs.

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A fun detail: The custom font, Big Shoulders, comes from the Carl Sandburg poem “Chicago,” which gave the city its nickname “City of Big Shoulders.”

2. Olympic Games

See the full Olympic Games brand guide.

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What I like: The Olympic Games still use the logo and colors from 1913, but the brand was refreshed in 2022 by Ben Hulse (whose work shows up a few times in this list). The bold interpretation of the Olympic colors embody the brand characteristics: hopeful, universal, inclusive, vibrant, and progressive.

3. Amnesty International UK

See the full Amnesty International UK brand guide.

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What I like: Amnesty International UK spells it all out on the cover: bright, bold, and positive. The pink, yellow, and blue brand colors are cheerful, optimistic, and bold. This guide also does a particularly nice job of illustrating do’s, don’ts, and exceptions.

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4. Sonic the Hedgehog

See the full Sonic the Hedgehog brand guide.

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What I like: Even cartoons need a style guide. Sonic the Hedgehog’s include phrases for each character, which is a fun and novel way to ensure brand consistency.

5. Burger King

See the full Burger King brand guide.

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What I like: Burger King says that everything it does should make the food “even more craveable” — including the shape of the font, which is custom-designed to evoke the shapes of food.

6. Eurovision Song Contest

See the full Eurovision Song Contest brand guide.

What I like: The font is so customized that no other characters exist other than the ones in the word “Eurovision.” That gives the brand an unmatched distinctiveness.

7. OpenAI

See the full OpenAI brand guide.

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What I like: OpenAI has put a lot of thought into the symbolism behind all its color choices. For instance, it uses a lot of black and white in its branding to signify that “OpenAI is an empty vessel that adapts to its content.”

8. DC Comics 1982

See excerpts from the DC Comics 1982 brand guide.

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What I like: What’s not to like? Even MCU apologists can appreciate the storytelling that went into DC Comics’ 1982 style guide. Superheroes are grouped by color palette, and each character includes a written introduction with catchphrases, mythology, and other details.

9. Reporters San Frontières

See the full Reporters San Frontières brand guide.

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What I like: One of RSF’s slogans, “Fight for facts,” is simple but powerful, which is reflected in RSF’s three colors: black, white, and a vibrant pinkish-red. The guide specifies how to use accent colors — red or black should only make up 20% of a design, with white using the other 80%. That reinforces RSF’s spare but muscular branding.

10. Major League Soccer

See the full Major League Soccer brand guide.

What I like: Major League Soccer’s style guide has to include color combinations for 20 teams. To ensure brand cohesiveness, MLS has a single logo mark, the crest, with no design variations. It also includes specific guidance on applying color layers to images.

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11. Czech Railway

See the full Czech Railway brand guide.

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What I like: The Czech Railway’s beautiful color palette is centered around a dark blue and deep orange, and the logo mark evokes railway tracks.

12. Coronation 2023

See the full Coronation 2023 brand guide.

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What I like: This 23-page guide covers one thing and one thing only: The emblem used for the coronation of Great Britain’s King Charles in 2023. As such, it’s a fascinating case study in detail. The guide includes half a dozen examples of how to use the emblem on royal swag, and it’s exceedingly specific in its do’s and don’ts.

13. EPA (1977)

See excerpts from the EPA brand guide.

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What I like: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 1977 brand guide is a favorite of graphic designers for good reason. Check out the patterns designated as program identifiers, like “toxic substances,” “noise,” and “radiation.”

The EPA’s jewel-toned rainbow of brand colors includes a muddy green called “Pesticides Green” and a color called, ahem, “Solid Waste Brown.” The EPA must have been a fun place to work in the 1970s.

14. Docusign

See the full Docusign brand guide.

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What I like: Docusign includes a page of colored pie charts to demonstrate the correct color ratios. Docusign also stands out with a zinger of an accent color — a bright coral that beautifully contrasts with the purples in the brand palette.

15. Zagreb Airport

See the full Zagreb Airport brand guide.

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What I like: Zagreb Airport in Croatia uses a simple triangle as a building block for complex iconography that references Croatian heritage and culture.

16. Oxford Student Union

See the full Oxford Student Union brand guide.

What I like: The addition of colo(u)r combinations is a nice touch here. I’m one of those people who can take a perfectly lovely color palette and make a muddy mess of it, so this is something I’d love to see in more style guides.

17. Fiat 2019

See the full Fiat 2019 brand guide.

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What I like: The four diagonal lines in Fiat’s logo are mesmerizing. Fiat has incorporated those simple four lines across its branding in playful, creative ways, like changing the length of half the lines, as it’s done on the cover (above).

18. Team Canada

See excerpts from the Team Canada brand guide.

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What I like: Even though only a few excerpts are available from the full 88-page brand guide, I’m including this because it’s simply gorgeous. Canada’s red maple leaf could have been a tired symbol, but the designers reimagined it with complex geometric patterns and bold colors.

19. Hulu

See the full Hulu brand guide.

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What I like: Hulu does a lot with a relatively limited palette, mixing it up with bold typefaces and whimsical illustrations. I also like this shade of green — despite being a common color, Hulu has landed on a standout hue.

20. Brasil Governo Federal

See the full Brasil Governo Federal brand guide.

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What I like: Brasil Governo Federal’s bold style and brash colors are eye-catching, to say the least. The style guide includes information on how to use the logo in video, which in my experience is a brand question that often goes unanswered.

21. IBM

See the full IBM brand guide.

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What I like: IBM’s brand guide is an incredible interactive experience with videos and custom typeface previews. It’s also among the most comprehensive of this entire list, since it includes support for non-Latin scripts like Arabic and fonts that support alternate glyphs and even ligatures. There’s even an entire section dedicated to data visualization.

22. American Airlines

See the full American Airlines brand guide.

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What I like: American Airlines’ style guide has a ton of examples, including specifics like what part of the airplane can be shown in a photo. Considering how many different types of ads the airline runs, it’s useful to have so many specific details to help avoid human error and inconsistencies.

23. British Rail

See the full British Rail corporate identity manual.

What I like: British Rail’s corporate identity manual collects several decades of brand changes — it’s worth a look just to trace the subtle differences over time.

24. Elizabeth Line, Transport for London

See the full Elizabeth Line brand guide.

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What I like: TfL, London’s transport authority, created a brand guide for its newest addition, the Elizabeth line. It even includes a section on “design idiom flexibility,” which provides guidance on how much Elizabeth line branding to use on a scale of “localness” to “Elizabeth line-ness.”

25. Medium

See the full Medium brand guide.

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What I like: Medium‘s simple brand style guide emphasizes usage of its logo, wordmark, and symbol. Medium’s logo is the brand’s primary graphic element and was created to feel “confident, premium, timeless, and modern.”

26. Walmart

See the full Walmart brand guide.

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What I like: The guide includes the brand‘s logo, photography, typography, illustrations, iconography, voice, editorial style, and more. Walmart’s color palette is so integral to its brand identity that its primary color is called “Walmart Blue.”

27. Asana

See the full Asana brand guide.

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What I like: Asana‘s simple style guide highlights its logo and color palette. It also explains how to properly use the brand’s assets.

28. Spotify

See the full Spotify brand guide.

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What I like: Spotify‘s color palette includes three color codes, while the rest of the company’s branding guidelines focus on logo variation and album artwork. The style guide even allows you to download an icon version of its logo, making it easier to represent the company without manually recreating it.

29. Starbucks

See the full Starbucks brand guide.

What I like: Starbucks’ interactive brand style guide includes details about how to use its core elements such as the iconic Siren logo and green color palette. Plus, the guide features a visual spectrum of how their creative assets can be used across different channels.

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30. Paris 2024

See the full Paris 2024 brand guide.

What I like: Paris 2024’s brand identity pays homage to the 1924 Olympic Games through Art Deco-inspired design. Best of all, designers applied eco-branding methods to reduce the amount of ink and paper needed for physical materials as well as limit the power and data consumption on digital elements.

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This brand guide also reinvents all 62 pictograms from the Olympic and Paralympic Games as “coat of arms that serve as rallying cries for sports fans.” Each pictogram is designed on an axis of symmetry that reinforces the coats of arms iconography. Go straight to the pictogram guidelines to take a look. The ones below represent surfing, swimming, table tennis, and taekwondo.

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31. Urban Outfitters

See the full Urban Outfitters brand guide.

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What I like: Photography, color, and even tone of voice appear in Urban Outfitters‘ California-inspired brand guidelines. Plus, the company includes information about its ideal consumer and what the brand believes in.

32. Love to Ride

See the full Love to Ride brand guide.

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What I like: Love to Ride, a cycling company, is all about color variety in its visually pleasing style guide. The company’s brand guidelines include nine color codes and tons of detail about its secondary logos and imagery.

33. Barbican

See the full Barbican brand guide.

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What I like: Barbican, an art and learning center in the United Kingdom, sports a loud yet simple style guide focusing heavily on its logo and supporting typefaces.

34. I Love New York

See the full I Love New York brand guide.

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What I like: Despite its famously simple T-shirts, I Love New York has a brand style guide. The company begins its guidelines with a thorough explanation of its mission, vision, story, target audience, and tone of voice. Only then does the style guide delve into its logo positioning on various merchandise.

35. TikTok

See the full TikTok brand guide.

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What I like: TikTok‘s style guide isn’t just a guide — it’s an interactive brand book. First, it provides an in-depth look into how it brings its brand to life through design. Then, it gives an overview of its logo, co-branding, color, and typography.

36. University of the Arts Helsinki

See the full University of the Arts Helsinki brand guide.

What I like: The style guide of the University of the Arts Helsinki is more of a creative branding album than a traditional marketing guide. It shows you dozens of contexts in which you‘d see this school’s provocative logo, including animations.

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37. Western Athletic Conference

See the full Western Athletic Conference brand guide.

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What I like: The Western Athletic Conference’s brand style guide includes extensive information about its history, mission, and vision. It also highlights its member universities and athletic championships and awards it is involved with.

38. Discord

See the full Discord brand guide.

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What I like: Discord‘s brand guide is as colorful and playful as the communities it serves. The brand’s motion elements are based on the dot, which represents the Discord user interacting with others in the communities it belongs to.

39. Netflix

See the full Netflix brand guide.

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What I like: As far as its public brand assets are concerned, Netflix is focused primarily on the treatment of its logo. The company offers a simple set of rules governing the size, spacing, and placement of its famous capitalized typeface.

40. NASA

See the full NASA brand guide.

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What I like: NASA‘s “Graphics Standards Manual” is as official and complex as you think it is. At 220 pages, the guide describes countless logo placements, color uses, and supporting designs. And yes, NASA’s space shuttles have their own branding rules.

41. New York City Transit Authority

See the full New York City Transit Authority brand guide.

What I like: Like NASA, the NYCTA has its own Graphics Standards Manual, and it includes some fascinating typography rules for the numbers, arrows, and public transit symbols the average commuter takes for granted every day.

Branding Guidelines Tips

If you want to take your branding style guide to the next level, let HubSpot’s Brand Kit Generator do some of the heavy lifting for you.

I’d also recommend following the best practices below, which the HubSpot Creative team has used to disseminate branding information to the rest of the HubSpot Marketing team.

This has not only made my job as a blogger easier, but also makes our branding feel well thought-out and cohesive.

1. Make your guidelines a branded document.

Whether you’re publishing your branding guidelines online or creating an internal presentation, consider making the guidelines themselves a branded document.

Ensure the published document follows your established brand voice, uses the symbols and imagery you’ve created, and employs the colors and typography that makes your brand feel like you.

Insights from HubSpot’s Creative Team

When our Creative team rolled out a visual identity refresh for the HubSpot brand, we all received access to a branded playbook that summarized all the changes and described how we should represent HubSpot online moving forward.

Not only was I a huge fan of the refresh, but also of the way it was presented to our team in a branded document.

You can do the same, regardless of your budget. Our Creative team actually used a free tool, Google Slides — so it’s totally doable for a small or freelance brand!

2. Name your brand’s colors.

You’ve already chosen your color palette — why not go as far as naming the colors?

Giving your colors unique names (aside from “blue” or “orange”) can help you tie the tactical elements of your branding into an overall theme or ethos.

Not to mention that it’s awesome to be able to refer to company colors by a unique name. Imagine if we called Solaris, HubSpot’s primary brand color, “HubSpot Orange” — that simply doesn’t have the same ring.

Insights from HubSpot’s Creative Team

In our visual identity refresh, our Creative team brightened and intensified our color palette, then renamed the individual hues.

They wrote, “Every color, tint, and shade is based on central themes. […] Whether it’s a subway line in Paris, or a flower-lined street in Japan, the secondary color names are a veritable tour of important cultural and geographical touchstones from HubSpotters all over the world.”

Think about what makes your brand unique, and why you chose the colors that you did. For instance, if you work at a law firm that specializes in car accident cases, you might choose red as one of the brand colors and call it “Stop Light.”

3. Create easy-to-use branded templates.

Alongside your branding guidelines should be templates to empower your team to easily design branded assets, even if they’re not designers.

Insights from HubSpot’s Creative Team

At HubSpot, we keep all of our templates in our team’s Canva account. There, anyone (myself included) can edit pre-made designs for any number of use cases.

As a writer on the HubSpot blog, I have to create graphics to supplement the information I’m sharing.

The branded templates made by our Creative team have made my work a great deal easier, and I can imagine that it’s the same for our Social Media team.

Not everyone is a designer, but with templates, you can ensure your brand looks professional no matter who creates an asset.

4. Ensure your branding is optimized for all channels.

Your branding guidelines should include different specifications for different channels.

Or, alternatively, you should have assets and designs that can be adjusted for various channels and mediums. Not only for sizing purposes, but for accessibility purposes, too.

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For instance, if you primarily market your brand over Instagram and on your website, then your branding should have web accessible colors, as well as Instagram-friendly designs and sizes.

However, you don’t want to significantly change your branding from channel to channel. It should work relatively well no matter where you’re marketing your brand.

Build a Memorable Style Guide of Your Own

Once you build your unique brand style guide, customers will recognize your brand and associate it with all the visual cues you want them to.

I hope you were inspired by our list of amazing brand style guides and wish you luck in creating a timeless style of your own.

In my half-decade as an SEO content marketer, I’ve spent a good chunk of my time either testing or working with any number of free website builders: Content Hub, WordPress.com, WordPress.org, Wix, Weebly, Webflow, you name it.

These website builder tools have been essential for me to publish content, either for my current employer or for my side projects. I’ve, therefore, become well acquainted with their capabilities over time.

But if you’re new to the website builder game, you might be confused about where to start. What is the best choice if you don’t know how to code? And which is budget-friendly? I’m going to cover that and more. First, let’s go over the basics.

Table of Contents

• What is a website builder?
• How I Tested the Best Website Builders
• Best Free Website Builders
• Website Builder Features You Need

If you’ve been considering building a website for some time, you’re likely familiar with your options. The most common method is buying a web hosting plan and domain name and installing your preferred CMS, such as WordPress.org or Joomla, on your website.

From my experience, the problem with this option is that when you install WordPress or Joomla out of the box, it doesn’t come with a handbook or page content.

With this method, my websites started as blank pages, which meant that unless I hired a developer or spent a lot of time building it, the result would look unfinished and unprofessional.

When testing out free website builders such as Content Hub or WordPress.com, I could considerably shorten my workflow. For instance, the themes came with placeholder text and images, making my website feel more complete than if I had started with an out-of-the-box CMS.

How I Tested the Best Website Builders

Workflow was the most important factor when finding the best website builders for this post. Is it easy to set up a website from the start, or do you need extensive time and experience?

Chances are, if you’re looking for a free website builder, you’d like the setup to be painless and seamless. For that reason, I chose tools that had:

• The standard required features: placeholder content, blogging tools, SEO tools, mobile-optimized and responsive, and templates and themes
• An entirely free option with solid capabilities out of the box — no need to upgrade at every turn
• A relatively easy workflow from signup to completion

With that, let’s go over the absolute best website builders I’ve used and tested before.

1. Best Free Website Builder for Growing Businesses: HubSpot Drag-and-Drop Website Builder

Pros

• Includes web hosting
• Personalization (thanks to HubSpot’s CRM)
• Security
• Responsive themes and templates

Cons

• The free version displays HubSpot’s branding
• You’ll need to learn HuBL, HubSpot’s templating language, to build custom modules and templates.

Get started with HubSpot’s free drag-and-drop builder!

I use HubSpot’s drag-and-drop website builder (inside Content Hub) as a content marketer on the HubSpot blog team and have used it for two of my side website projects.

Hands down, this is one of the best website builders available for free — not only because of the ease of signing up but also because it includes built-in tools for a handful of other functions, such as marketing and sales.

The website creation process is so easy, anyone could do it — mainly because the setup dashboard includes an interactive checklist for you to build your site step-by-step.

I loved this signup workflow when I was building a few side projects. It’s one of the best in terms of user- and beginner-friendliness.

Once you install a free theme, you start customizing the site immediately with your preferred colors and fonts.

The bar at the top of the page shows you where you are on the setup workflow, which is useful for skipping between tasks. Note that this is only active during the onboarding phase.

After you’re finished, you’re taken right back to the user guide, where you can begin exploring HubSpot’s suite of tools for business. You also have the option of connecting a custom domain, which is free.

You can buy a domain through a domain registrar such as GoDaddy and then proceed through the domain connection process.

This might be the most difficult part of signup due to the verification step. But you can always move forward with a free HubSpot domain name, which looks like this:

[randomly generated token].hs-sites.com

It’s not beautiful and is my least favorite feature, so I’d recommend moving forward with a custom-branded domain.

Now, it’s time to edit our site. The website editing process is a little more compartmentalized than in other tools.

Others might take you to the page editor right away. Still, HubSpot takes you to the entirety of its suite dashboard, allowing you to access its marketing, sales, and service tools in addition to its website tools (located under the “Marketing” menu).

To access it, simply go to Marketing > Website > Website Pages.

Then, click Create. I loved the option to create either a website page or a landing page. This makes HubSpot a great fit if you’re using your site to drive leads in any capacity.

The process is easy and familiar after you create your first page. You can choose a template, but be sure to install a theme first (which is part of the setup workflow).

The free themes and templates are perfect, and the HubSpot marketplace offers many options.

Most themes are business-oriented; if you’d like to build an artsy or eclectic website, other website builders include more “fun” designs.

I loved that you can switch between themes and mix and match them. Other tools don’t allow you to use different themes on the same site, so Content Hub is an excellent choice for limited design options.

Once you’ve chosen your template, you’re ready to begin editing. Content Hub pulls in demo content so you can see your page’s look when you’re finished.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used a template on WordPress only to get a fully blank page with the “Hello World!” heading. The demo content is a definite plus.

Finally, the drag-and-drop page builder is nothing to scoff at. It works based on modules, which you drag onto the page.

It then creates a live element you can edit directly, allowing you to see your changes in real-time instead of having to open a preview tab.

Another thing I loved is that it’s easy enough for a beginner to use but also gives developers the ability to create advanced custom modules and tinker with the site’s source code.

For instance, you can upload a custom CSS stylesheet in your settings.

Here’s the impressive part: Because of its simplicity and user-friendliness, HubSpot’s website builder is more than equipped to handle business-level demands, with marketing, sales, and service software already built-in.

Most of those are free to use at the basic tier, allowing you to send an email monthly, for example, and use HubSpot CRM without paying a single cent.

Of course, it comes with everything you need to build a website, including content management system (CMS) tools, themes and templates, security features, and a built-in content delivery network (CDN) to ensure pages load quickly.

Overall, I can’t recommend this tool enough for any type of business that wants more than a basic website builder.

Core Features

• Content Marketing Software tools
• Themes and templates
• Built-in security features (malware scanning, website monitoring, and web application firewall)
• Free SSL certificate
• Ability to connect to a custom domain

Pricing

A limited free plan is available. The premium CMS plans with additional features start at $23 a month when billed annually.

Brands Using HubSpot

• Botkeeper
• ProArch
• Eternal Works

2. Best Free Website Builder for Beginners: WordPress.com

Pros

• Customizable
• Flexible
• Mobile and desktop apps available

Cons

• The free version displays ads
• More limitations compared to WordPress.org
• Although intuitive, it’s more difficult to learn than other drag-and-drop builders

I can’t count the number of WordPress.com sites I’ve built for fun. It’s easy to sign up, it’s free, and its included domain name is not as ugly (and more recognizable) than others on this list. “Brandname.wordpress.com” has a nice ring to it, right?

First, though, I’d like to point out that WordPress.comis different from WordPress.org. WordPress.com is a free, fully-hosted website-building service, whereas WordPress.org is a content management system you can install on your website.

If you’re looking for a simple, free website builder, WordPress.com is the way to go. But if you have a little bit of website development knowledge and are willing to learn the ins and outs of WordPress hosting, WordPress.org is a great choice.

For this list, though, I recommend WordPress.com. Why? It’s an all-in-one option that doesn’t require you to buy separate WordPress hosting or test out different WordPress page builders.

It’s not as customizable as WordPress.org, but it’s more than sufficient for beginners, bloggers, and hobbyists. Due to the free tier’s limitations on bandwidth and lack of CDN, business owners should probably consider another tool.

Just like Content Hub, setting up your website on WordPress.com is very easy. As it guides you through the setup process, WordPress will ask you about your goals and immediately prompt you to choose a free theme for your website.

The themes are modern and mobile-optimized — I was surprised to find that I liked quite a few of the designs. When I’ve used WordPress in the past, I found the themes lackluster, but it seems to have updated its library.

From there, WordPress will take you to an abbreviated checklist that’s similar to HubSpot’s. By the time you’ve picked your theme, you’ve already completed the first three steps.

All you have to do is publish your first blog post, edit the website’s design, and launch your site.

Keep in mind that the site is still in the bare minimum stages — you still need to go into the dashboard and add pages and content.

Unfortunately, on the free version, you can’t install plugins, including the HubSpot WordPress marketing plugin.

Now, let’s talk about the drag-and-drop page builder. WordPress.com is much more minimal than other options on this list, and that’s because it primarily includes plain content formats such as paragraphs, headings, lists, and tables.

A drawback for me is that it’s not a live editor, so you can’t see your changes on the page without previewing it on another tab.

If you want live changes and previews, I’d recommend looking into a free website builder with a WYSIWYG editor like Webflow (discussed further below).

That said, its simplicity makes it a great option for beginners just starting to build their first website — no need to fiddle with complicated modules.

If you are looking for more built-out modules — such as banners, headers, pre-built sections, and more — you’d be better off with a website builder that offers these options on the free tier, such as HubSpot’s Content Hub or Webflow.

Core Features

• Large collection of themes
• Mobile-friendly and optimized for SEO
• Managed website hosting and security

Pricing

A limited free plan is available. Premium plans start at $4 a month when billed annually.

Brands Using WordPress.com

• Anytime Fitness Australia
• Activity Hero Blog
• Outsource School

3. Best Free Website Builder for Ecommerce Websites: Weebly

Pros

• Helpful SEO resource tools
• Good selection of paid and free apps in the app center
• The free plan has e-commerce functionality

Cons

• Limited choice of themes
• The free and basic paid plans display ads
• Limited SEO functionality

Weebly is a classic website builder that offers a unique bundle of web hosting, domain registration, web design, and built-in e-commerce functions.

This last feature is of note because, with other tools on this list, like WordPress, you’d have to install an e-commerce plugin to start a shop, and even on Content Hub, you’d need a third-party integration.

On Weebly, you can open a store as part of the sign-up process. Because of this, I highly recommend it if you’d like to build an ecommerce website. This website builder already integrates with Square, a popular online payment gateway.

As part of my test, I created a website for an online store. What I liked about this part of Weebly’s setup is that it’s so simple — you don’t have to go on and on about your goals or the type of website you’d like to build.

During the next few phases, you’ll choose a name for your store and designate the type of products you’ll be sell. I’m not sure what this step is for — it must be for metadata or for Wix’s tracking purposes, but it’s good to fill out either way.

As with Content Hub and WordPress.com, you’ll be prompted to choose a theme. If you’re setting up an e-commerce website, Weebly will automatically sort the themes so that you get storefront options first — there is no need to go hunting for them.

I found the theme selection a little less diverse than other options on this list, but the options are reasonable free e-commerce site builders.

While testing this website builder, I also found that it offers a nifty product listing tool that allows you to set up your inventory for sale immediately.

I loved how easy and simple this was, and it’s a great fit for someone who’s trying out e-commerce for the first time.

And, great news: Weebly, like the previous tools, includes a checklist to work through to set up your store correctly.

I’ve used Weebly before but have abandoned it due to its laggy page editor.

During my test this time, I found that the drag-and-drop editor is still somewhat laggy but more serviceable than when I was using Weebly for fun.

It includes the standard text, image, and rich content modules, with more variety and complexity than WordPress.com’s options.

It also features helpful SEO tools and resources to get you started with an SEO strategy, which is a crucial and unavoidable part of having a website because, without it, people might never know your page exists.

Core Features

• Drag-and-drop editor
• Integrated CMS solution
• Free SSL certificate
• SEO tools
• Analytics and Reporting

Pricing

A limited free plan is available. Premium plans start at $6 a month when billed annually.

Brands Using Weebly

• Caribbean Coffee and Chocolate
• Kerlin BBQ
• Argyle Yarn Shop

4. Best Free Website Builder for Web Developers: Webflow

Pros

• Offers complete control over your site’s design
• Drag-and-drop what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) builder
• Responsive interface

Cons

• After building a website on Webflow, you need to transfer it to a content management system.
• Requires some knowledge of HTML and CSS to access full features
• It has a complex free and paid plan structure
• You need to sign up for both a Site and Workspace plan

Webflow is a fantastic free website builder for those with more coding experience and who’d like a more customizable website builder tool.

Because of its ability to include multiple workspaces and multiple websites for clients, I especially recommend it for freelance web developers and agencies.

(And if you happen to be a fan of Adobe Creative Cloud, you’ll find that Webflow has a similar UX — another plus.)

Webflow is a winner when it comes to the setup workflow. Straightaway, you’ll have the option to build a website for your company, your clients, or yourself. I chose “Clients” to test its capabilities for freelancers and agencies.

Next, you’ll be asked to identify the type of website you’re building. Blog websites are an option, but if you’re planning to start a blog, I recommend Content Hub or WordPress.com instead.

Both of those offer powerful blogging options and a much more beginner-friendly interface.

I was surprised to see that Webflow includes different workspaces, something I didn’t run across in other tools (except Content Hub, which allows you to have access to different portals).

This makes Webflow an excellent choice for large teams where you might have different workspaces depending on permissions or job functions.

The free theme selection in Webflow is, though limited, very good. I told the tool I wanted to create a portfolio website, and it automatically suggested a portfolio theme for me to try.

After you choose a theme, you’ll be taken straight away to the website builder. Webflow’s page builder is complicated, and the learning curve is steep. While the tool includes a setup checklist, it’s not as simple as others on this list.

For instance, you’ll be prompted to change CSS classes right away — which can be daunting if you’re new to web development.

The actual page builder, though, is pretty familiar. You can add HTML elements such as sections, containers, divs, lists, buttons, headings, and so on.

The tool does include more technical language, so you’ll encounter terms such as “V Flex,” which refers to a vertical flexbox.

I can see this being difficult for beginners and even intermediate users, so if you identify as either, you might want to opt for another tool. (Or you can use Webflow to learn web development terms!)

One thing I love about Webflow that makes it a good fit for beginners is its inclusion of “Libraries.”

If you’re at all intimidated by the language and the learning curve, you can simply import pre-designed components and sections without needing to tinker excessively with the tool itself.

Webflow includes a free domain for you to use, but it only publishes to a staging environment — another reason this tool is such a great fit for developers.

The only thing you’ll need to purchase when using Webflow is a domain you can publish your site.

Core Features

• A drag-and-drop website builder
• Widgets to add features like maps and media
• Third-party integrations

Pricing

A limited free plan is available. Premium plans start at $12 a month when billed annually.

Brands Using Webflow

• Michael Kors
• Craft. do
• Hologram.io

5. Best Free Website Builder for Local Business Owners: Wix

Pros

• Easy to use
• Large collection of apps and templates
• Optimized for mobile

Cons

• The free version displays prominent ads
• The premium plans are pricey when compared to others on this list
• The only way to change templates is by creating a new site and transferring your premium plan to it

Wix is one of the most popular free website builders and probably one of the first options you thought of when you started researching tools.

The easy-to-use, fully hosted platform offers a drag-and-drop editor, an extensive collection of apps, and professional-looking templates.

I first used Wix from 2010 to 2013, when it was a simple website builder with a reputation for being laggy and poorly optimized. It’s now become one of the most robust options on the market.

Wix’s most noteworthy feature is its focus on providing all the tools necessary for business owners to get their businesses up and running online.

When setting up your site, you can choose your business type.

Unlike other website builders, which use this information for internal cataloging purposes, Wix creates a customized dashboard depending on the type of business you choose.

I set up a blog, an online store, and a brick-and-mortar shop, and all three had different checklists and integrated apps on their dashboards.

For this test, I chose to set up a local shop. Instead of taking me to the website builder right away, the Wix setup assistant tried to get as much information about “my business” as possible.

I was thoroughly impressed by the effort to get my business information in a beginner-friendly questionnaire. The information would later be used for Wix’s Point of Sale tool and on my website.

This makes Wix an especially good fit for local businesses who want to set up a robust online presence but don’t want to mess with different tools to do so.

Depending on your answers to some of the questionnaire questions, Wix will include different widgets, tools, and checklist items on your dashboard.

For instance, below, I told the tool I wanted to accept online and in-person payments, send automated emails, and more—

—and when I went to my dashboard, Wix created a checklist that helped me through a step-by-step set up process, including signing up on its Point of Sale tool.

This is extremely convenient and seamless for a local business owner, but the list can be overwhelming to look at.

I was maybe half an hour into the setup, and Wix had yet to prompt me to start designing my website. The first few steps in the checklist, in fact, all have to do with internal administration and finance.

That tells me that Wix wants to be the one administration portal for business owners to manage their online presence beyond designing a website.

When you finally begin to set up your site, Wix gives you the option of manually choosing a template or using Wix’s creation assistant.

This is a unique feature I’ve yet to run into in my tests, and it can be a game changer for local business owners that are short on time.

I chose to have Wix to create a site for me. It then prompted me to pick a theme and begin preparing home page designs based on my preferred aesthetic.

Since I chose “Fresh” it delivered earthy and clean designs. The selection is limited but good for a local business.

Afterward, you can add pages to your site with pre-imported demo content.

My least favorite aspect of Wix is the page builder itself. It’s cluttered, difficult to navigate, and overly complicated, which could potentially lengthen the learning curve for this tool.

Another aspect I found strange is that inserting a new element doesn’t snap to the grid.

Instead, it stays right where you place it, meaning it might be difficult to reliably use the exact same amount of padding and margin to align elements on your page.

But if you don’t need additional elements beyond the demo content, simply edit what’s already there, and it shouldn’t be much of a problem.

Core Features

• A drag-and-drop editor
• A large collection of apps and templates
• Analytics and Reporting

Pricing

A limited free plan is available. Premium plans start at $16 a month when billed annually.

Brands Using Wix

• Cotton’s Restaurant
• Cau Steakhouse
• P.S. & Co.

6. Best Free Website Builder for No-Fuss, Short-Term Websites: Google Sites

Pros

• Very, very easy to use
• Simple to set up for current Google users
• Optimized for mobile

Cons

• This is a limited tool for any sort of business need
• The templates skew toward outdated
• Custom domains can’t be connected via Google Sites; 301-redirect needed

Google Sites is Google’s proprietary website builder and is absolutely worth a spot on this list, if only for its ease of use and for the fact that it’s 100% free — no upgrade required.

You can use it just as you would Google Docs, Google Sheets, or Google Slides. Simply go to sites.google.com, choose a template from the list, and start editing.

Google Sites offers templates for employees, individuals, and students.

Even though you could use it for a business website, I wouldn’t recommend this website builder for any type of business, whether freelance, local, small, or enterprise, because of the limited features and lack of integrations.

Google Sites is simply too limited for a business’ demanding needs.

If you’d like to build a website for any other reason, though — for a project, a personal update, or an FAQ — Google Sites is a fantastic choice.

For example, it’s a great option for a job seeker looking to create a simple portfolio to attach to job applications. Once you choose a template, you’re taken right to the editor, where you can start editing the demo content.

The interface is as seamless and familiar as you’d expect from Google. No overly complicated jargon and no overabundance of options, but still exactly what you need to build a strong site with a mild learning curve.

(In fact, the learning curve is so mild that I would actually not recommend this as a learning tool for those building a site for the first time. To truly learn how to create a website, consider a more robust tool that includes traditional web design elements.)

As with any other Google tool, you can collaborate with others and limit permissions. That makes it a great option if you need to build a team site for any reason.

Once you hit publish, it will be published to a subdirectory of a subdirectory on Google’s domain. For instance, here’s the URL I published my site to when I was doing my test:

https://sites.google.com/hubspot.com/tinasmithphdtest/about

You can’t connect a custom domain through the Google Sites portal, but you can always purchase a custom domain (I recommend using Google’s own domain buying service, domains.google.com) and setting up a 301 redirect.

Core Features

• A drag-and-drop editor
• The traditional Google Workspace interface
• Analytics and reporting (through Google Analytics)

Pricing

Free.

Brands Using Google Sites

No brands that I know of use Google Sites — this tool is best for personal projects.

7. Best Free Website Builder for Solopreneurs: Dorik

Pros

• Easy for users without coding or design experience
• Comprehensive and easily customizable AI-generated website
• Intuitive interface

Cons

• Very few e-commerce features

Dorik is a website builder that boasts users can create excellent websites in just minutes thanks to its myriad of features, including AI tools. Moreover, users don’t need any coding or design experience to design their site, according to Dorik.

I find Dorik‘s AI features to be the most impressive and unique compared to other website builders. Dorik’s website says it can generate a complete website in seconds with a single prompt. So, naturally, I put it to the test.

After clicking “Create New Site With AI,” I’m greeted with a pop-up showing I only have to enter the name of my website, type a prompt describing the site, and select the language.

This is the landing page Dorik’s AI tool designed for my “Jane Doe Marketing” website. I love how the page includes the following tabs in the top left corner.

• Home
• About
• Blog
• Contact

I also appreciate the imagery, which features 3-D figures of social media and entertainment apps.

And though the opening sentence is a bit dry in terms of tone, it includes important marketing keywords and is a strong start to improve upon.

I‘m blown away by the details of this AI-generated website. As I continue to scroll down, I see a section explaining what Jane Doe Marketing is an how it works. There’s even a “Learn More” button.

If I scroll a little further, I’ll find a spot for our location and contact information. Of course, Dorik provides a sidebar complete with tools to customize and edit the site to my liking.

Based on the ease of its AI tool alone, I think Dorik is an excellent website builder if you’re a freelancer, content creator, or solopreneur who wants a beautifully designed website with all the fixings without having to design or code.

Core Features

• AI website generator
• AI text and Image Generator
• Robust blog editor with built-in SEO tools
• Airtable integration

Pricing

Free features are available. Plans start at $15 per month.

Brands Using Dorik

I don’t know of any major brands using Dorik, likely due to its lack of e-commerce features.

8. Best Website Builder for Using Your Own Domain: Ucraft

Pros:

• Free domain
• Modern and diverse template designs
• Easy drag-and-drop editor

Cons:

• No free blogging options
• Limited e-commerce feature

Ucraft is excellent for organizations that want to use their domains for free and build a website without coding or having to have coding experience. This website builder also includes a logo maker and blogging platform.

My only issue with Ucraft is that there are no free blogging features, though you can add a blog for an extra $10 per month.

Core Features

• AI logo generator
• Easy-to-use templates
• Free logo maker
• Visual and content editor

Pricing

Free with paid plans available starting at $21 per month

Brands Using Ucraft

I don’t know of any major brands using Ucraft

Website Builder Features You Need

Choosing a website builder tool is easier when you know what you want. Here are the features to look out for.

1. Themes and Templates

The above drag-and-drop themes are available in Content Hub — sign up for free.

Website builders should have theme options that cater to specific niches so users don’t waste time creating new templates from scratch. For example, the website builders on our list have options for blogs, portfolios, e-commerce websites, and more.

Templates should be easy to customize and include pre-structured and pre-populated images, text, and other elements commonly found on websites. For example, every site needs a home page, an about page, and a contact page. All you need to do is pick one and replace the sample content with your own.

2. Media (Video, Photo, Audio, and Graphics)

Solely having text on your website can be monotonous, so including different forms of media helps break up text and can help information stick. I suggest filling your website with highly engaging multimedia content and graphics to support vital information and engage users.

You can easily bring your website to life using visual aids and mediums like stock photos, vector images, background images, stock video footage, sound effects, and video editing templates. Many websites provide free media resources for content.

Freepik is a well-known website that provides illustrations and images. Many sites also incorporate icons within the call-to-actions and resources sections. Flaticon is a great source of icons.

3. WYSIWYG Editor

The best website builder tools make it easy for users to customize their websites with drag-and-drop tools and what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) editors. It’s great for beginners because you don’t need to learn how to code—simply design your site in a few clicks by dragging and dropping elements onto your page and seeing how it will look.

I also predict that using a WYSIWYG editor will save you a lot of time making changes after you publish your site because you can see how everything will look while you’re designing it. This is an important feature to consider when choosing the best website builder for you, one that meets your needs.

4. Malware Scanning

Security is a top consideration when choosing a website builder.

Security features vary depending on the website builder tool you select, but consider it a keeper if it offers malware scanning. Automated malware scanning allows you to address threats before they progress into something catastrophic.

5. Web Application Firewall (WAF)

WAFs sit between your web server and the internet to protect your website from common attacks.

You’ll be able to avoid SQL injections (where a hacker gets the ability to view your site database and access secure data) and cross-site scripting (XSS) (when a hacker injects malicious code into your site) by filtering, monitoring, and blocking malicious traffic from entering the network.

WAFs can come in the form of software-as-a-service (SaaS), and you can customize them to meet your website’s unique needs. If you create your website with HubSpot, you’ll get access to 24/7 enterprise-grade security tools like malware scanning and WAF.

6. Content Delivery Network (CDN)

Besides site security, I strongly recommend optimizing for page speed. The amount of time it takes for your site to load significantly impacts customer experience, conversions, and revenue, and whether your site is even usable on mobile devices.

There are many ways to improve page speed, and a content delivery network (CDN) is one way to do so. CDNs store heavy and static content on distributed servers located worldwide and load the cached content from a location nearest to the user to speed up its delivery.

7. Web Hosting

The best website builders make it convenient to start your websites by offering free web hosting. In some cases, you might need to provide your own web hosting for your platform or use something like WordPress hosting.

Free website builders offer limited bandwidth and storage just for personal use. You can upgrade to shared, dedicated, or managed hosting for an additional fee.

8. Storage

Web hosting provides two services: bandwidth and disk space (or storage).

Most free website builders offer ample (limited) storage for a beginner site but require you to purchase additional storage should you need it.

9. Blogs

Blogs can help your website by:

• Increasing visibility through SEO.
• Generating new leads.
• Building trust and loyalty.
• Creating brand awareness.

Most free website builders come with basic blogging tools, like AI blog writers and other content management features.

10. SEO Capabilities

According to our 2023 Web Traffic & Analytics Report, organic search is the second-highest driver of website traffic. With this, I can’t stress enough the importance of SEO optimization. If you want to bring in more traffic and views, your website needs to be search engine-optimized.

Most website builders help with technical SEO by offering free SSL certificates and supporting schema markup and XML sitemaps. They also support on-page SEO by allowing you to enter and modify URLs, meta tags, and image alt attributes.

11. Customer Support

While testing the website builder tools listed above, I encountered a few issues that I couldn’t troubleshoot on my own, which leads me to my next point: choose a tool that offers customer support.

Customer support assists you with anything you need help with — technical, sales, billing, payments, or experiences. Depending on the website builder, assistance can come in any (or a mix) of the following channels:

• FAQs.
• Chatbot support.
• Live support.
• A knowledge base.
• Video tutorials.

The best website builders keep a mix of channels and answer inquiries promptly.

12. E-commerce Capabilities

If you plan to sell physical or digital products in the future, consider choosing a website builder with e-commerce capabilities. There are dedicated e-commerce website builders, but these are often paid solutions with robust functionality, such as apps for payment and shipping.

Free website builders often integrate with a third-party e-commerce application or support a simple built-in store.

13. Third-party Integrations

Your website builder should integrate with external tools, such as email marketing, e-commerce, and social software, so you can add any functions you need, like live chat, to your website.

HubSpot, for example, offers 1,400+ third-party apps and tools for integrations, and WordPress.com offers extended functionality for your website in the form of Plugins.

14. Analytics and Reporting

Your website builder should also have a web analytics and reporting function to measure important metrics like the site’s popular pages, bounce rate, average duration per visit, and more.

Alternatively, you can track your website metrics in an analytics and reporting tool. When you bring your web analytics together with other key funnel metrics like trials or activation rate onto a dashboard, you give everyone on your team the ability to explore your data and uncover insights.

Picking Your Website Builder

There you have it! Since most of these website builders are free, try out a couple if you’re unsure of the best fit. In particular, take note of what you really want to get out of your site to ensure your needs will be met by one of these builders.

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

You want to learn about search engine optimization (SEO), but where do you start? We were all SEO beginners once, so take heart: There’s lots to learn, but I’ve got plenty of expert advice and a step-by-step guide to get you started.

We’ll start with some basic SEO vocabulary, review a step-by-step SEO tutorial to help you get your SEO strategy off the ground, and get tips from HubSpot SEO pro Victor Pan and SEOFOMO newsletter founder (and one of the world’s best-known SEO experts) Aleyda Solís.

Table of Contents

• SEO Basics
• How to Learn SEO
• SEO Step-by-Step Tutorial

SEO Basics

Understanding the foundational SEO vocabulary is important. Let’s dive into a few key terms:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Tactics to optimize your website to provide the high-quality information searchers look for. Good SEO also helps you rank higher in search results for specific keywords so people can find your content.
• On-page SEO: Any website optimizations that improve search rankings, like the keywords used in your content or back-end elements like site structure.
• Off-page SEO: Any actions that improve your search engine rankings outside your website, like backlinks from other websites.
• Link building: Links to your website from other high-quality websites that build authority and credibility.
• SERPs: Search Engine Result Pages are the results page you see when you conduct a search on Google or another search engine.
• White-hat SEO: Optimization tactics that align with accepted and recognized best practices.
• Black-hat SEO: Optimization tactics that manipulate search engine algorithms to rank websites higher in SERPs. These tactics are often unethical.
• E-E-A-T: E-E-A-T stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trust. It’s part of Google’s search quality rater guidelines and one of the factors Google uses to determine a page’s relevance and authority.
• Keyword: Words or phrases users type into a search engine to find content related to their search. As an SEO, you want to include relevant keywords in your content that align with search intent so your site appears in related searches.
• Keyword research: The process of finding keywords people enter into search results related to your business to help you inform the words to use in your website pages and content.
• Organic/organic results: Any results in SERP that are unpaid and that appear because of a page’s relevance to the search query.
• Organic traffic: Organic traffic is traffic that comes from organic results.
• Rank/page ranking: Where your site falls in SERPs for a specific keyword.
• Ranking factor: A ranking factor is an element that impacts where your site may fall in search results, like your page authority.
• Search intent: Search intent is why a user conducts a search.

How to Learn SEO

Learning SEO is a big task, and because SEO best practices change over time, international SEO consultant Aleyda Solís “highly, highly recommends that you don’t go to a single source.” It’s why on her own site, LearningSEO.io, she’s compiled guides and information from many different resources.

Solís offers this pro tip: “See what works for you within your context,” because even if the information is accurate, “it might not be right for your circumstances.”

Here’s a few ways you can accomplish that:

1. Read and watch reliable resources.

There are a lot of educational resources out there to read and watch that will help you build your knowledge of SEO. Here are some of my recommendations.

• The HubSpot Marketing Blog (we cover a variety of topics for different skill levels)
• The HubSpot YouTube Channel
• Bing Webmaster Guidelines
• LearningSEO.io
• Search Engine Journal
• Search Engine Land
• SEMrush

Google still has a little more than 90% of the search market worldwide, so add its Search Central Blog and Search Quality Rater Guidelines to your list.

AI-powered search engines are a fast-growing segment of the search landscape, so if you want to see how AI perceives your website and brand, take HubSpot’s AI Search Grader tool for a spin (it’s pretty cool).

2. Take free courses.

If you benefit from structured and guided learning, an SEO course is another option to build on your SEO skills. A bonus is that many courses offer certificates upon completion. These are some high-quality options:

• HubSpot Academy SEO Training Certification (free): Best for beginners
• Google Analytics Academy (free): Beginner and advanced learning paths
• MOZ Academy (paid): Courses for multiple levels
• Semrush Academy (free): Courses for multiple levels

3. Stay on top of the trends.

Especially with the advent of AI-powered search, SEO changes and evolves on a sometimes daily basis. Algorithms get updated, new trends surface, and consumer behaviors change.

For example, in December 2022, Google added an E for experience to the old E-A-T guidelines. Experience ensures that content is helpful, relevant, and created by someone with experience in the subject at hand.

(And it’s a key differentiator between computers and humans, as AI-generated content scrambles to get a robotic foot in the door.)

One of the most important factors in becoming an SEO expert is staying on top of the trends so you can pivot when major industry shifts happen. We cover changes in the SEO landscape on the HubSpot Blog, and Google also maintains a running list of major updates that can impact your SEO success.

4. Study your competitors.

Learning from your competitors is a great way to understand the keys to their success.

Pan suggests looking at websites that are doing well and seeing what other pages they link to, so that when you’re “thinking about creating content, it’s not just a single piece of content you’re creating, but the whole journey that a user might go through.” Your content should cover a natural progression of topics.

You can conduct a competitor analysis to uncover new keywords, where competitors get backlinks (also called inbound links) from, and other new opportunities to capitalize on.

Featured Resource: Our free Competitive Analysis Templates help you conduct a thorough analysis of competitors in your niche, and this step-by-step guide walks you through how to use the template for an SEO competitive analysis.

5. Learn by doing.

Once you feel confident, you can take a hands-on approach and enact some SEO strategies.

Solís says to adopt “a mindset of being proactive — always testing, always curious, always skeptical, and always thinking from a strategic perspective.”

If you already have a website, you can practice by doing a competitor analysis and updating your current strategy based on your findings. If you don’t have a website, consider building one, implementing your new SEO knowledge, and monitoring metrics.

One of the best things about SEO is that a wide variety of tools are available to help you along every step of the way.

6. Use SEO tools.

Considering the breadth and depth of the internet, it would be a nightmare to do some of the essential SEO functions by hand — this is where SEO tools come in to save the day. They’ve saved me significant time and energy and quickly brought me the results I’m looking for.

Here’s a list of tools I recommend:

• HubSpot’s SEO Marketing Software offers SEO recommendations to improve your site, optimize page content, and measure ROI.
• AI Search Grader, another HubSpot tool, analyzes how visible your brand is to AI search engines.
• Our Website Grader scores your site based on factors like mobile friendliness and SEO optimization.
• Google’s Search Console can help you measure your site traffic and fix SEO performance issues.
• Google Analytics helps you view important metrics to understand your SEO efforts, like the measure of organic vs non-organic traffic.
• Ahrefs is a favorite of HubSpot bloggers. It helps you conduct keyword research and stats their important stats like search volume and CTR.
• Jasper is an AI writing assistant that can help write SEO-optimized blog posts with target keywords.

Once you’re more fluent in the vocabulary of SEO, it’s time to jump in and get hands-on. Since I’ve promised you the shortest SEO tutorial ever, I’ve broken it down into three very broad categories for beginners: content, technical, and sharing.

As you get more familiar and comfortable with SEO, you can build out strategies in each of these categories using the links I’ve provided below.

1. Content SEO: Write great content.

My number one tip for content SEO is simple, if not entirely straightforward: Write really good content.

There are caveats, of course. What Google deems “really good” has changed over the years, sometimes dramatically and sometimes subtly, so this advice still requires at least a passing interest in industry trends.

And no matter how great it is, if your content covers a topic that not many people are asking questions about, you’re not going to see a flood of traffic.

So I’ve got some tools and roadmaps to help you structure your SEO — but even as you incorporate these tips, writing great content should be your north star.

Keyword Research

Keyword research is a cornerstone of good content SEO. It’s a great starting point for SEO beginners, so we’ll spend the most time here.

A dedicated tool like Ahrefs or SemRush can be useful for SEOs whether you’re a newbie or a pro, but you can also begin by simply listing words and phrases relevant to your business.

For instance, if you sell roasted coffee, you might opt for “roasted coffee,” “Colombian coffee,” and “local coffee roaster.”

List these keywords in a spreadsheet or document for you to keep track of.

Then, pick one word or phrase to use on one page of your site. In other words, you don’t want to target different keywords on one page. You want to target one keyword, as well as any keywords it’s semantically related to, so that you’re capturing user intent.

Continuing with the example from above, I might create a page for “local coffee roaster.” That would be my main keyword, but I can also target semantically related terms such as “local coffee,” “coffee roaster near me,” “coffee roaster [city name],” and “locally roasted coffee.”

This begins with keyword research, but Pan says not to stress out about it too much: Start by making a list of what the natural things people would search for. Put some of those keywords into Google and see what else people search for.

I asked Google, “is Jurassic Park real,” and here are some related common search terms, heaven help us:

Image Source

You’ll do better as a beginner to try to rank higher on keywords that have a lower search volume — trying to outrank well established sites on keywords with high difficulty is not going to earn you a lot of visitors. But if you’re an expert on a somewhat more niche topic, it’s your time to shine.

Once you’ve got some keywords in hand, here’s a few ways to use them to your advantage:

1. Use the keywords in the page title
2. Use them in your URL
3. Use them in your meta description
4. Use them in your H1
5. Use them in your page content — naturally. If you’re trying to force it, you may have chosen the wrong keywords for your content.

Consider this:

“We have seen some indie publications close because of overreliance on Google traffic. More than ever, this is a good reminder for SEOs to not necessarily rely only on Google. Try to diversify through all the channels and platforms that people are now using to search.” —Aleyda Solís

Search Intent

Why a user types a specific query into Google or another search engine is as important as the term itself.

For instance, if I search for “is Jurassic Park real” because I want a job training velociraptors, I’m expecting very different results from somebody using the same query to find out whether the movies were filmed at real-life nature parks that I could go visit.

Generally speaking, users want to learn something, to investigate a brand or product, to complete an action like buying a certain product, or to find a specific website.

Media Richness

Rich media includes audio, graphics, video, polls, or other interactive features. Think like a user: Do you want to read a 4,000-word block of text, or do you want animations or graphics to help break that up?

By structuring this data in the backend, you can optimize your content to make it more appealing in the SERPs.

Internal Linking

As you build out your content library, it’s important to link to your own content, which can help boost traffic and, over time, build your page authority.

The HubSpot blogs have thousands (and thousands) of posts that predate me, so to find relevant blog content to link to, I type “site:blog.hubspot.com” into Google, followed by the term or phrase I’m looking for.

From there, I can decide what to link to based on recency and relevancy. (And thank goodness for this, because my brain is too full of old song lyrics to remember anything useful.)

Image Source

Historical Optimization

If you’re doing SEO for a property that has a large content library, chances are good that some of that content is outdated. But that doesn’t mean it’s useless — far from it.

At a previous job, I reorganized and rewrote event recaps that were no longer serving their original purpose. Because each event centered around a specific topic or theme, it was easy enough to update the titles, headings, and images. I also updated statistics, the content itself, and the publish date.

It didn’t happen overnight, but those pages crept back up in Google’s rankings once they became relevant to our audience again.

Another way to optimize older content is to add more examples and make sure any existing examples are still correct. Double-check links and anything else that may have changed, like step-by-step instructions.

2. Technical SEO: Improve the technical elements of your website.

Even the best content on the internet won’t get any readers if Google can’t find it.

I once worked on a website relaunch that began with an audit of our URL structure. We had to create a logical way of structuring our URLs before we could think about things like redesigning graphics.

Technical SEO can seem complicated if you don’t have a lot of technical experience. Don’t try to do everything at once — the goal here is to set a strong technical foundation so that Google and other search engines can easily find and crawl your website so that it shows up in search results.

Pro tip: Choose a good CMS — like, ahem, HubSpot — that will take care of the more technical aspects so you don’t have to.

Go deeper into technical SEO with our technical SEO guide, which begins with the fundamentals you’ll need to run an audit. It also takes you through crawlability, indexability, renderability, rankability, and clickability.

3. Sharing and Backlinking: Make sure that users can find your website.

Because your content is great, people want to share it. Congratulations! Now let’s talk about how to build those backlinks.

Pan says to ask yourself, “Why do people want to share what you created?”

He identifies three simple answers to that question. “One, you’re super local, so it’s very relevant. You might even be the only person talking about it.”

“Two, you could have data or a perspective that only your site can share, because of access that you have,” like original research or other proprietary data.

And lastly, “your content triggers an emotional response.”

One simple thing I do for HubSpot articles is provide quote cards to the subject matter experts I’ve talked to. It’s an easy way to encourage link sharing beyond your own network, and it doesn’t take much time.

It’s also important to understand the different types of backlinks — for instance, you might be able to write a guest blog on another high-quality website and link back to your own.

We’ve got a complete guide on backlinking when you’re ready to give it a shot.

This SEO Step-by-Step Tutorial is Just the Beginning

Your learning doesn’t have to stop here. With the SEO 101 vocabulary I mentioned above and the step-by-step tutorial, you can easily start creating an effective search engine optimization strategy.

Our starter pack, linked below, will help you ramp up your SEO plans and boost the likelihood of your website ranking on the first page of SERPs.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in March 2013 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.