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Why creative teams need the safety to fail [according to a senior director for Magic: The Gathering]

Uncategorized
September 22, 2025/by
Why creative teams need the safety to fail Whatever terrible thing you’ve pivoted a campaign around — a delayed launch, maybe customer backlash — I bet it didn’t involve a multi-hundred-thousand dollar burglary. This week’s master can put that on her bingo card. But, more importantly, her bingo card also includes working with a list of brands too long to say in one breath: Special Olympics, Coca-Cola, Nike, Google, Coors Light, Les Schwab, and the legendary Seattle radio station KEXP are just a few. Today, she heads up the creative team behind the marketing art for the popular trading card game Magic: The Gathering. She sat down for one of my favorite interviews yet, not least because I learned that her grandpa was a Chicago bootlegger whose house was raided by Eliot Ness of The Untouchables. But also for the great advice she shares about facing adversity and working with creatives. Alicia Mickes Senior Creative Director, Wizards of the Coast (publishing company of Magic: The Gathering) Fun fact: Alicia loves to collect random certifications. She’s got certs for tattooing, personal training, TRX, cake decorating, ceramic restoration, and even bloodborne pathogens training. Claim to fame: If you’ve seen the MOD Pizza logo, you’ve seen something Mickes has designed! Lesson 1: Take ownership, but don’t take it personally. Mere weeks before Hasbro was set to release a version of Magic: The Gathering based on Wild West outlaws, the worst happened: Images of unreleased...
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14 critical elements I think every website homepage should have

Website Pages
September 20, 2025/by
14 critical elements I think every website homepage should have As someone who’s spent the past few years building websites and helping businesses fine-tune their digital presence, I’ve seen firsthand how overlooked the homepage can be. Yet, it’s the most visited page on your entire website. The virtual front door that welcomes (or turns away) the majority of your traffic. A lot of businesses struggle here because they treat the homepage like a one-size-fits-all landing page. But your homepage has a much bigger job to do. It needs to guide visitors from all different backgrounds, interests, and traffic sources to the next best step. That means it has to be designed with intention, not guesswork. When I work on websites, and what to put on the homepage specifically, I always look at three non-negotiables: Does it attract and hook visitors quickly? Does it educate them on who you are and what you offer? Does it guide them toward taking action (without being pushy)? That’s the formula for a homepage that performs. If you’re serious about making your homepage work harder for you, make sure the following must-have elements are in place. What You Should Include in Your Website Homepage Design 1. Headline On average, users usually scan websites within 15 seconds. That’s such a small window to tell visitors what your business has to offer. That’s why I always opt to place the headline, sub-headline, and a clear CTA right in the hero...
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B2C vs. B2B marketing with AI: The industry trends every marketer should know

ai-hidden, Artificial Intelligence
September 16, 2025/by
B2C vs. B2B marketing with AI: The industry trends every marketer should know The beauty of freelancing for most of my decade-long career is that I’ve worked on both sides of the B2B and B2C marketing coin. One week, I’m helping a B2B SaaS brand rewrite a whitepaper. The next, I’m deep in campaign planning for a B2C real estate brand. It’s a front-row seat to how marketing works across different verticals. Now, with AI, everything has changed. I’ve heard it in interviews with marketing leads, seen it in the tools people reach for, and felt it in the way teams are organizing their workflows. In this article, I’ll share what I’ve observed, backed by insights from our State of AI in Marketing 2025 report, to compare how B2C and B2B marketers are each leveraging AI and where they’re headed next. Table of Contents How B2C vs B2B Brands Use AI for Content Creation Top AI Tools Leveraged by B2C vs B2B Brands How B2C vs. B2B Leaders Feel About AI Is B2C or B2B embracing AI more quickly?  How B2C vs B2B Brands Use AI for Content Creation Although the use cases of AI are as varied as they come, one thing is clear: AI has become nearly synonymous with content creation. But the way it shows up in B2C versus B2B contexts reveals both strong similarities and subtle differences. And the data from our report makes this very clear. 1. Content...
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Consumer search behaviors are shifting, marketers — new data

SEO
September 16, 2025/by
Consumer search behaviors are shifting, marketers — new data For what seems like ages, “Google” has been synonymous with “search.” Have a question? Google it. Looking for a product? Google it. But consumer search behavior has changed. Now, people are flocking to other channels. Gen Z and Millennials are leading the change, as 29% of the group prefers to search for information on social media over actual search engines. But that’s not all — generative artificial intelligence (AI) is also coming to search result pages, throwing another wrench in old habits. If your brand relies on search traffic, big consumer shifts are coming (and already on their way). To help you prepare, here are the most significant trends we found after surveying 700+ consumers. Table of Contents TLDR: How Consumer Search Behavior Is Changing & What Marketers Should Do About It What is consumer search behavior? How Consumer Search Behaviors Are Changing How to Adapt Your Strategy to New Consumer Search Behavior Frequently Asked Questions about Consumer Search Behavior TLDR: How Consumer Search Behavior Is Changing & What Marketers Should Do About It Consumer search behavior is rapidly evolving, with users now turning to social media, mobile devices, and AI-powered tools alongside traditional search engines. Recent data shows that over half of Gen Z and Millennials actually prefer social platforms for discovery, while mobile searches continue to outpace desktop. With these two groups quickly becoming the most powerful market share,...
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The end of “Hey {First_Name}”: AI personalization strategies that convert

Loop Marketing
September 15, 2025/by
The end of "Hey {First_Name}": AI personalization strategies that convert Remember the last time you got an email that started with ‘Hey {First_Name}’ and immediately felt like deleting it? That visceral reaction isn't just about poor execution — it signals a fundamental shift in buyer expectations. HubSpot research shows that 78% of customers expect more personalization in business interactions than ever before. Yet only 47% of business leaders say their customer service experiences are highly personalized. You can no longer rely on old-school personalization tactics like adding basic customer details to a holiday card or making a generic comment like “I love what your company is doing” in your outreach. Buyers want to feel like their favorite brand understands their underlying needs and motivations. And they’re doing business with those who prioritize deep connection. The Next Chapter of Personalization These expectations have raised the bar. You know that “How did they know?” moment when you’re browsing Netflix and the algorithm picks your next binge-watch for you — and actually gets it right? That’s the new personalization standard that buyers are holding your brand to. Reaching that level of resonance isn’t possible with old marketing tactics. The good news is that we’re in the age of AI, where traditional marketing strategies have evolved and opportunities for hyper-personalization are endless. This is where playbooks like HubSpot’s Loop Marketing come in. Businesses need the right tools to adapt to a world where you have access to unlimited information and endless distribution...
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HubSpot’s Transactional Email Pricing Guide — Essential Business Communication Add-On

Uncategorized
September 13, 2025/by
HubSpot's Transactional Email Pricing Guide — Essential Business Communication Add-On HubSpot‘s Transactional Email add-on is a specialized email delivery solution that helps businesses send automated, relationship-based communications like order confirmations, password resets, and account updates through a dedicated IP address. With seamless CRM integration and unlimited sends that don’t affect your marketing contact limits, Transactional Email ensures reliable delivery of critical customer communications. Here‘s what you need to know about HubSpot’s Transactional Email add-on as of 2025. HubSpot Transactional Email Add-On Pricing Overview HubSpot Transactional Email is available exclusively as a premium add-on for Marketing Hub Professional and Enterprise customers: Component Monthly Cost Requirements What's Included Transactional Email Add-On $600/month Marketing Hub Pro/Enterprise + Dedicated IP Unlimited transactional sends, dedicated IP, SMTP/API integration Additional Dedicated IPs Contact Sales Per additional domain Extra IP addresses for multiple domains Note: Transactional email requires the purchase of both add-ons and is only available with Marketing Hub Professional ($800/month) or Enterprise ($3,600/month) subscriptions. What Is HubSpot's Transactional Email Add-On? Price:...
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How to get more followers on your business Instagram

Instagram Marketing
September 13, 2025/by
How to get more followers on your business Instagram With more than 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram is one of the most essential social media platforms for marketers and business owners to connect with their audience. If you're new to the platform, you're probably wondering how to get Instagram followers who are genuinely interested in what your business has to offer. Growing your following takes time and attention, but there are a few things you can do right now to build your Instagram platform. Let's dive into the steps you can take to tap into your audience on Instagram and increase your follower count. Table of Contents How to Get More Followers on Instagram The Best Instagram Apps to Get Followers 1. Don't buy Instagram followers. While many social influencers and major brands work hard to build an organic following, some choose to buy followers to increase their social reach and engagement. Buying followers is cheap; some companies charge less than $5 for hundreds of followers. However, buying followers and likes can severely damage your brand image and decrease engagement. For example, Hootsuite created a fake Instagram account and bought 1,000 followers for as little as $15 to test how purchased followers influence audience engagement. The company received some new followers over the course of a month, but the followers were fake, barely interacted with the content, and were unrelated to the brand. Furthermore, you risk Instagram removing your account for...
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Microsoft Excel: Easy guide for beginners with formulas and more

Excel
September 13, 2025/by
Microsoft Excel: Easy guide for beginners with formulas and more Microsoft Excel know-how is so expected that it hardly warrants a line on a resume anymore. But how well do you really know how to use it? Marketing is more data-driven than ever before. At any time you could be tracking growth rates, content analysis, or marketing ROI. You may know how to plug in numbers and add up cells in a column in Excel, but that's not going to get you far when it comes to metrics reporting. Do you want to understand what pivot tables are? Are you ready for your first VLOOKUP? Aspiring Excel wizard, read on or jump to the section that interests you most: Table of Contents What is Microsoft Excel? Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet Basics Keyboard Shortcuts Pivot Tables IF Functions VLOOKUP INDEX MATCH Data Visualization What is Microsoft Excel? Microsoft Excel is a popular spreadsheet software program for business. It's used for data entry and management, charts and graphs, and project management. You can format, organize, visualize, and calculate data with this tool. How to Download Microsoft Excel It's easy to download Microsoft Excel. First, check to make sure that your PC or Mac meets Microsoft's system requirements. Next, sign in and install Microsoft 365. After you sign in, follow the steps for your account and computer system to download and launch the program. For example, say you're working on...
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