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How Web3 Technology Will Impact the Future of Consumer Trends [Expert Insights]

Marketing Trends
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How Web3 Technology Will Impact the Future of Consumer Trends Many years ago, I waited hours in line after a concert to get a coveted Selena Gomez autograph. After she signed my poster, I hung it up in my bedroom, where it felt like my most prized possession. Because, although plenty of other people had Selena's autograph — no one had this specific one. It was one-of-a-kind. And worth every penny I paid to attend the meet-and-greet. And, although it may not seem like it at first, web3 technology — and how it will ultimately impact consumers — is actually very similar to my experience at the Selena Gomez concert. Here, I spoke with three web3 experts to learn more about how web3 will impact the future of consumer trends. But first … what is web3, anyway? What is Web3? If you're unsure what web3 is, you're not alone. HubSpot's Blog Research recently found 51% of consumers don't understand the concept of web3. Before writing this post, I didn't either. We cover what web3 is in-depth in this post, but for a brief recap: web3, or the third-generation of the internet, is a vision of a more decentralized web that places the power in the hands of users instead of large tech companies like Google, Apple, and Netflix. Web3 is built on blockchains using existing infrastructure with the goal of making the internet more accessible, private, and secure for users. Anna Seacat, VP of Marketing and web3 Community at...

Why Your Nonprofit Should Invest in Search Engine Optimization

Nonprofit Marketing
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Why Your Nonprofit Should Invest in Search Engine Optimization Every company needs a strong marketing strategy — even nonprofits. However, most nonprofits haven't considered investing in search engine optimization (SEO), even though it can have one of the highest returns on investment. SEO, specifically for nonprofits, is the process of optimizing your website to increase organic visibility when people search for topics like education, fundraising opportunities, volunteer opportunities, or other aspects that promote your mission. Let's dive into what SEO is, how it works, and SEO best practices for nonprofits. What is SEO? SEO, which stands for search engine optimization, is the process of driving users to your site from search engines organically. This means you aren't paying for ads, using social media, or placing sponsored content to attract new users. The goal of SEO is to help your site rank as high as possible for target keywords and phrases relevant to your website and mission. For example, if your nonprofit is geared towards wildlife conservation, you would want to rank high organically for terms related to wildlife conservation. The higher your website or pages rank in the search engine result pages (SERPs), the more likely users will see it and click on it. Studies have shown that the higher you rank, the higher the average click-through-rate (CTR) is. If you'd like a full rundown on SEO, take a look at The Ultimate Guide to SEO in 2022. How does SEO work? There are hundreds of factors that Google...

80+ Essential Social Media Marketing Statistics for 2022

Uncategorized
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80+ Essential Social Media Marketing Statistics for 2022 Social media is everywhere and over the last two decades, it’s become one of the primary marketing channels. With a solid chunk of the world's population on social media, it’s critical that your business has an effective social media strategy that helps you reach your intended audience. Here, we've compiled a list of essential social media stats to ensure you know where to focus your marketing efforts in 2022 to get the highest ROI. Social Media Marketing Report Statistics Channel-Specific Social Media Statistics Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn YouTube TikTok Reddit   Social Media Consulting Services Social Media Marketing Report Statistics from HubSpot In November 2021, the HubSpot Blog surveyed 300+ social media marketers to learn about the strategies they use, the formats they leverage, and the challenges they face. Here are some of the most interesting stats we discovered: 77% of social media marketers say social media marketing has been somewhat to very effective for their company this year. What’s more, 37% of marketers who said social media marketing was somewhat to very ineffective cited COVID-19, likely due to the rapid change in strategy. The numer one goal marketers report having for their social media marketing strategy is advertising their...

6 Internet of Things Marketing Examples You Should Know About

Marketing Automation
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6 Internet of Things Marketing Examples You Should Know About IoT is everywhere nowadays – from the smart devices in our homes to the QR codes we see in commercials nowadays. However, there is still so much untouched terrain with IoT marketing. Here are six IoT marketing examples to inspire you to investigate all the ways you can leverage this technology in your strategy. How does IoT work in marketing? The Internet of Things is the connection of everyday products like cars, alarm clocks, and lights to computing devices via the internet. It allows them to exchange data with each other, providing marketers with more context about their customers' product usage. This, in turn, enables marketers to deliver more relevant messages and leads to greater customer engagement. For example, if you run out of milk or it spoils, a refrigerator connected to the internet could recognize your need and display a message on its screen or on your phone about the best milk deals in town. You could even order a carton through one of those devices if the refrigerator company partnered with a grocery store. Since IoT technology connects the internet with objects that are ubiquitous in our daily lives, marketers in almost every industry will be able to engage consumers throughout every phase of the customer journey. Internet of Things Marketing Examples 1. Coinbase’s Superbowl Ad Every year, brands spend millions of dollars for a 15- to 60-second ad slot during the Superbowl. When Coinbase, a...

Business Strategy: What It Is & How to Build an Effective One

Business Growth
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Business Strategy: What It Is & How to Build an Effective One In the business world, professionals are obsessed with tactics because they can help them meet their short-term goals. But if all you do is focus on the short-term, you won’t spend enough time or energy figuring out how you can succeed in the long-term. Fortunately, building a strategy can help you achieve both your short-term and long-term goals. Strategy focuses on principles, which help you think, instead of tactics, which help you execute, so it allows you to concentrate on why your business does certain activities, not just how you do them or what you do. Read on to learn exactly what a business strategy is and how you can build an effective one today. Your business strategy should be based on your overall vision for the company. For some brands it will be global market expansion. For others it may be more important to double down investing in existing markets they are already successful in. Regardless of your end goals, creating an effective business strategy will require thorough research beforehand. 1. Identify your business’ aspirations and values. In business, traditional goal setting lets you measure what you do, but it doesn’t lend itself to gauging how you do it or why. And if you only focus on the results, it can sometimes incentivize you to take a course of action that prioritizes your...

How to Write an Ecommerce Business Plan [Examples & Template]

Ecommerce Marketing
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How to Write an Ecommerce Business Plan If you have a promising idea for an online ecommerce business, it’s important to create an ecommerce business plan to ensure your vision has enough stock to be profitable. Having a business plan for your online store will help you define your target market, establish your monthly and quarterly sales goals, and increase the likelihood of long-term ecommerce success. In this post, we’ll go over what an online store business plan is and how you can create one for your ecommerce startup. Let’s get started. Whether a company operates as a startup or has years of operations and growth under its belt, an ecommerce business plan is essential for evaluating a business and determining areas of improvement. An ecommerce business plan is especially important, with an increasing number of shoppers conducting business online. It's estimated this number has reached over 2 billion. Having an ecommerce business plan keeps you organized and is useful when seeking investors who need to understand your company. So, let’s dive into some examples of ecommerce business plans and what goes into writing one using our free template. Ecommerce Business Plan Template Download Your Free Template Here HubSpot's template provides clear steps to structuring one for your ecommerce business. Throughout this section, I’ll use the example of a photography company specializing in online photo editing. 1. Give an executive summary. An executive summary is a one-to-two page overview of your business. The purpose of...

How Local Business Schema Can Boost Your Company’s Visibility Online

Local SEO
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How Local Business Schema Can Boost Your Company's Visibility Online You've started a website for your local business, but with so much competition out there, you may be struggling to make your website more visible online. That lack of visibility could hinder potential customers from finding your company. To improve your visibility in search engine results, local business schema could be the tool you need. By including local business schema in the code of your website, search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo will be able to better understand your business and rank it higher in search results. But before you can start implementing local business schema, you need to first learn what it is and how it works. What is local business schema? Local business schema is a kind of structured data markup code that can be added to your business' website to make it easier for search engines to identify what type of organization you are and the products or services you provide. Schema markup was created by search engines to better understand and display data using common groups of tags. Your business can benefit from schema markup because it can help you better optimize your website for local SEO — one of the deciding factors in how your content is ranked in SERPs. How to Add Local Business Schema To add local business schema to your website, first visit schema.org/LocalBusiness then follow the steps below: Step 1: Determine the category for your company. Identify the...

What is Blockchain? | The Ultimate Guide

Blockchain
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What is Blockchain? | The Ultimate Guide As cryptocurrency continues to be a hot topic, you may be wondering if your business can benefit from crypto like bitcoin. But what if I told you the biggest opportunity for businesses of any kind is actually related to the technology that underlies bitcoin — blockchain. Blockchain, the public ledger that records all bitcoin transactions, is more than just a fad — it’s changing life as we know it. Don't believe me? Follow along to learn more about blockchain and how it works, who’s using it, and the future of the technology. Feel free to email, bookmark, or jump to the section that interests you most. What is Blockchain? Blockchain is a ledger system that uses an open, distributed record to keep track of transactions — transactions could mean cryptocurrencies, NFTs, medical information, voting or home records, and more. These transactions get packaged into blocks — all of which get verified by other users in the system by completing math problems. Once a block gets verified, it cannot be altered and gets added to a chain of other permanent, previously verified blocks. The records held within these blocks form a blockchain, and the blockchain's users all keep track of this record. It's basically a giant, shared ledger, but in practice, it's much more exciting than that.     Let’s say the air fryer you bought last year isn’t all it’s cracked up...

The Ultimate Guide to Storytelling

Storytelling
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The Ultimate Guide to Storytelling Storytelling is an art. Not a process, method, or technique. And — like art — it requires creativity, vision, skill, and practice. Storytelling isn’t something you can grasp in one sitting, after one course. It’s a trial-and-error process of mastery. Sounds like a lot of work, right? It is, and rightfully so because storytelling is a crucial part of the most successful marketing campaigns. It sets vibrant brands apart from simple businesses and loyal consumers from one-time, stop-in shoppers. It’s also the heart of inbound marketing. Storytelling is an incredibly valuable tool for you to add to your proverbial marketing tool belt. That’s why we’ve compiled this guide, to help you discover and understand storytelling and weave gorgeous, compelling tales for your audience. Pick up your pen, and let’s dive in. Because storytelling can take so many forms, it can be a challenge to create a good story. Here are some quick do’s and don’ts to get you started: The Art of Storytelling Since the dawn of human language, storytelling has been how cultures pass on shared beliefs and values. Some of the stories told today come from stories our ancestors were sharing over 6,000 years ago. Every person has a story, but the art of storytelling can make a story transformative. There are a few qualities that can push a basic story into the art of storytelling. Narrative While the setting will influence what a story can...

Blogging Time Management: How to Blog When You Have No Time

Blog
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Blogging Time Management: How to Blog When You Have No Time Finding the time to blog is a frequent challenge for many marketers. Marketers often wear many hats and it can be difficult to focus long enough to churn out quality articles when you’re pressed for time. How to blog when you have no time? We spoke with author and marketing expert David Meerman Scotton how to avoid common time management mistakes by developing a routine. No matter what you’ve got on your marketing plate, it won’t get done without proper time management. Learning how to make the most of your time will greatly affect your productivity and overall success as a blogger. Why is blogging time management important? When it comes to creating content, maintaining consistency is key. This is why blogging time management is so important. You may not always feel motivated to create on a regular basis, but establishing a schedule will help you to stay consistent with your blog output. For example, you may find that you’re better at writing in the mornings. So you can set aside 2 to 3 hours each morning to work on writing based on how many articles you’d like to produce each week. Create a content calendar to help you plan your content in advance and set reasonable deadlines. Make note of holidays or seasonal events that may impact your content schedule. Getting organized will...