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19 Black Influencers To Follow and Learn From

Breaking the Blueprint
September 13, 2022/by
19 Black Influencers To Follow and Learn From Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint — a blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of underrepresented business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they’ve grown or scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures within their companies, or created side hustles, and how their stories can inspire and inform your own success. Zippia found that 67.5% of all content creators and influencers are white. As people look to influencers to find someone like them to take inspiration from, the overwhelming amount of White content creators means that Black consumers likely have a hard time finding what they’re looking for.   In this post, we’ve compiled a list of Black influencers from various industries with authentic perspectives and advice that are worth following. Black Influencers to Follow on TikTok 1. Marquees Brownlee — Technology Youtuber Niche: Technology and software Marquees Brownlee is a tech influencer known for his reviews and instructional videos. He has over 3M views on his YouTube channel, and, as an influencer in a predominantly and overwhelmingly white industry, he is a great representation and inspiration for those looking to make waves in their own communities. On TikTok, he reviews mobile gadgets, digital tech, and software developments to help his audiences make informed decisions about their purchases. @mkbhd RIP. The last iPod has been officially discontinued. ♬ original sound - Marques Brownlee ...
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The 15 Best Marketing Automation Tools Available to You

Marketing Automation
September 10, 2022/by
The 15 Best Marketing Automation Tools Available to You A majority of businesses use marketing automation tools nowadays — in fact, studies cite around 56% of businesses currently use the technology, and that number continues to grow. While marketing automation software can help companies increase efficiency by streamlining their workflows, there are so many options to choose from, full of different solutions with various features and use cases. In this article, we'll cover: What are marketing automation tools? How to Choose the Best Marketing Automation Software Marketing Automation Software Options to Consider What are marketing automation tools? Marketing automation tools use software to automate repetitive marketing tasks. Some platforms only offer email actions, drip sequences, and CRM updates. Others may help with lead scoring, sales lead rotation, SMS, and more. Automating your marketing tasks can benefit your business by increasing overall efficiency and allowing you more time to work on high-level projects. For example, you can use marketing automation tools to collect valuable data that can be used to create more personalized marketing campaigns and increase conversion rates. How to Choose the Best Marketing Automation Software A more niche marketing automation product may be better for SMB and B2C environments, but B2B and enterprise companies may need a platform with wider capability. Here are some key areas to consider as you evaluate marketing automation software products to choose the one that's right for you: 1. Determine Your Budget and Business Needs If automation's...
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The Best Story Framework for More Engaging Storytelling [Example]

Daily, Storytelling
September 10, 2022/by
The Best Story Framework for More Engaging Storytelling Even if you’re not a professional storyteller, you can use storytelling frameworks to share more engaging narratives in your content marketing copy. You’ll not only be able to tell your company’s story more effectively to stakeholders, but you’ll be able to write more effective, readable material that converts users into loyal customers. Whether you’re writing for your website, blog, social media profiles, presentations, or online offers, the framework discussed below will help you gain confidence in storytelling and start telling better stories in business and in life. Let’s get started. Why use a storytelling framework? As content strategists, we should spend a lot of time thinking about the importance of storytelling in marketing, but we don’t — mainly because it’s so intimidating. The pressure-filled process of creating a framework and telling a story can keep a lot of people from even making an attempt. When the subject comes up, we understandably get nervous. The thing is: storytelling is part of what makes us human. We don’t have to be Ernest Hemingway to be good at it. We can use a storytelling framework to guide us in the writing process. Storytelling frameworks make our copy and content feel familiar to readers, while providing us with an easy “formula” to follow. The good news is that your content will never feel formulaic, because you can (and should) diversify how you write individual pages or posts. However, the bare bones stay the...
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What is a Flash Sale in Ecommerce? 6 of Our Favorite Examples

Ecommerce
September 10, 2022/by
What is a Flash Sale in Ecommerce? 6 of Our Favorite Examples Ecommerce stores use flash sales to boost revenue, generate brand awareness, take advantage of consumers’ “fear of missing out,” and compel shoppers to make impulse purchases. Sound manipulative? Shoppers enjoy the benefit of getting a product they want at an irresitible price. Countless ecommerce retailers use this promotional pricing strategy to generate sales with plenty of success. In this post, you’ll learn everything you need to know about creating profitable flash sales and see examples from real ecommerce brands. To illustrate the effect of a flash sale, let’s take a look at one example. Let’s say an artist who you only slightly like is playing in your city this weekend. Even though you only like that one song, you feel compelled to get dressed up and head over to the venue because your 10th favorite band is in town. Or perhaps Trivia Night has rolled around once again, and even though you would rather stay home, you go out anyway because all your friends will be there and you don’t want to feel left out. What do these scenarios have in common? FOMO. The fear of missing out. Flash sales capitalize on this psychological phenomenon to capture qualified leads and drive impulse buying decisions. The best-known flash sale event of the year is Black Friday (and the following Cyber Monday). In 2021, Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales topped $14.04 Billion and $10.7 Billion respectively. For most businesses, this...
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The Best Marketing Jobs and Careers for You to Pursue in 2022

Marketing Jobs
September 9, 2022/by
The Best Marketing Jobs and Careers for You to Pursue in 2022 Marketing seems simple, but it gets more complex as you break it down. If you don't already know about marketing careers, scanning jobs online could convince you that this isn't your dream job. But marketing is fun. Marketing a company is essentially grabbing a bullhorn and saying, "Hey! We love this company, and here’s why you should, too." Marketing is also incredibly dynamic and diverse. It offers positions for people of all strengths. Whether you’re equipped with creative ability or analytical prowess, marketing’s got a spot for you. In this article, we’ll break down what marketers do. We'll show you how you can get into marketing and the different marketing jobs that are out there. We'll give you what you need to map out your marketing career and pinpoint your goals. Let’s get started. According to Merriam-Webster, marketing is "the process or technique of promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service." But the job involves much, much more than that. The day-to-day activities of a marketer depend on what they’re marketing, whom they’re targeting, and what platforms they use to promote products or services. There are too many marketing roles and functions to provide a single definition applicable to everyone in this field. Before we dive into the various positions you can find within a marketing department, let’s discuss tools and education necessary to become a marketer. What You Need to Be a Marketer...
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Instagram Cancels Plans for TikTok-Like Full-Screen Video Feed: What Brands Can Learn

Instagram Marketing
September 8, 2022/by
Instagram Cancels Plans for TikTok-Like Full-Screen Video Feed: What Brands Can Learn Gone almost as fast as it was introduced — Instagram’s full-screen video feed proposal has been retired. Earlier this summer, Instagram revealed plans to test out a new full-screen mode for its feed and an updated navigation bar, hoping to make content on the platform more immersive than its signature, scrollable picture feed. This decision was congruent with the company's stated goal of making its competition with TikTok a major priority, as the appeal of TikTok lies within its fullscreen randomized video feed, intuitive algorithm, and easy to navigate UX. Image Source To rival their competitor in the form of mimicry entailed putting more reels and suggested content into the feeds of Instagram users, and to put more an emphasis on video content as opposed to stills. Michael Sayman, a former software engineer with experience working in Facebook, Google and Twitter says, "Everyone's eyes are glued to TikTok and the way it works right now," in regard to the way it's won over younger age demographics. Instagram knew their target demographic was primarily Millennials; roughly 31% of global Instagram audiences were aged between 25 and 34 years. TikTok, on the other hand, has amassed a massive following of Gen X and Gen Z; 25% aged between 10 to 19 years, and 22% to users aged between 20 and 29. Instagram wanted to tap into the success garnered from younger audiences as TikTok grew exponentially in 2021,...
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The Age of the Connected Customer

Company News
September 8, 2022/by
The Age of the Connected Customer Growing a business has never been easy. But these days, it feels impossible. Companies are trying to predict growth in an unpredictable macro environment. The economy is down, the market is volatile, socio-political issues are raging, and the dust is still settling on hybrid work. Every week, there’s a new twist or turn. In case navigating all this uncertainty isn’t hard enough, companies are dealing with another major shift. Over the past year, the strategies that businesses rely on to attract, engage, and delight customers have started to break. It’s harder to generate demand, drive leads, reach prospects, and meet customers’ high expectations. At the height of the pandemic, many businesses thrived in a digital-first world, but now that momentum is slowing and it’s harder than ever to connect with customers. The flywheel feels frozen. But why? This question keeps me up at night. Helping organizations grow better is our mission at HubSpot. We’re passionate about helping scaling companies get ahead and navigate periods of uncertainty. That’s why we went on a listening tour to understand what’s standing in the way of our customers’ growth, and how we can help solve it. Across hundreds of conversations with customers, there was one word that kept coming up: disconnected. We discovered that companies are in a crisis of disconnection today, caused by three major disconnects. They’re struggling with disconnected systems, disconnected people, and disconnected customers. I want to share what we’ve learned about each disconnect, and...
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How to Grow Your Podcast

How to Podcast
September 8, 2022/by
How to Grow Your Podcast Podcasts have become increasingly popular over the years for a variety of reasons. As more people work from home, listening to podcasts helps them feel like they're a part of a discussion among friends. Podcasts are also easily accessible and can be listened to anywhere, whether you're on a long commute or a quick jog. As podcasts become more relevant, more seem to be published every day — so if you're interested in starting one, you're probably wondering how to grow your podcast audience and stand out above the rest. Fortunately, there are many simple steps you can take to expand your podcast's reach. From leveraging email marketing to networking with other podcasters, growing your podcast doesn't have to be a challenge. Let's explore several different tasks you can do to find your audience. Submit your content to every podcast app and directory. Have a target audience. Add video to your podcast. Be active on social media. Network within the podcast community. Share older podcast episodes. Create a podcast trailer. Host a contest or giveaway. Set up and organize a website. Leverage email marketing. Invite guests. Become a guest yourself. Invest money in ads. Use podcast SEO. Build a marketing workflow. Include a Call-to-Action. How to Grow Your Podcast Audience in 16 Steps Whether you're a new podcaster...
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10 Ways to Monetize a Podcast (+ Examples)

How to Podcast
September 7, 2022/by
10 Ways to Monetize a Podcast (+ Examples) 82% of marketers planned to continue investing the same amount or increase their investments in podcasts and other audio content for 2022. This means that all marketers, from those just getting started to those with established shows, are likely looking for ways to monetize their content. In this post, we’ll cover 10 strategies that will help you monetize your podcasts and achieve high ROI. How to Monetize a Podcast 1. Find sponsorship deals. Finding sponsorship deals involves finding brands or businesses that want to take advantage of your listenership and giving them space and time to run an ad on your show. Costs depend on the advertiser and your show statistics, but the average cost is $10 to $50 CPM (cost per thousand impressions), and higher prices go to shows with higher listenership. Dax Shepherd, the host of Armchair Expert, uses this strategy and features ads from sponsors in his show. Some ads are host-read, meaning Shepherd reads them himself, and others are advertiser made. The podcast snippet below is an ad from a recent episode.   You can also sell advertising space to other podcasts. 2. Become a sponsor for another podcast. Becoming a sponsor for another show is the same as finding sponsorship deals, except you’re promoting another show rather than a brand or business. You can record these promotions yourself, or the podcast can submit its own pre-recorded ad. 3....
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How to Network Effectively: 10 Tips You Can Start Using Today

Networking
September 7, 2022/by
How to Network Effectively: 10 Tips You Can Start Using Today “Networking” is a buzzword that many of us have a serious love/hate relationship with. Whether you're trying to develop your personal career or forge new business relationships, making offline, personal connections has become even more critical as online social networking becomes the norm. This guide will help you navigate those uncomfortable face-to-face networking situations, so the next time you step into a room of potential connections, you’ll feel ready to dive right into relationship-building conversations. Network before job searching. Come prepared with a clear goal in mind. Have some conversation starters ready. Introduce yourself to someone more experienced. Ask people about themselves. Practice active listening. Write notes after each meaningful conversation. Ask for what you want. Exit a conversation gracefully. Follow up every time. 1. Network before job searching. As anyone who has ever looked for a job can attest, the process can be daunting. Knowing who to reach out to can make all the difference. One way to make the process a little easier is to start networking with people before you even begin looking for a job. That way, when the time comes, you will already have contacts to leverage. Building relationships with people in your industry can help you to get your foot in the door, and it can also give you an inside look at what companies are hiring....
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