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How Three New Instagram Shopping Tools Could Help Marketers Boost Sales

Instagram Marketing
December 15, 2020/by
How Three New Instagram Shopping Tools Could Help Marketers Boost Sales For years, millions of brands have flocked to Instagram to spread awareness to millennials, Gen Z, and members of other generations on the app. And, at this point, Instagram marketing has proven to be a smart tactic. Currently, 90% of Instagram's 1 billion-plus user base follows a Business page on the platform. But, while Instagram has been a great place for brands to engage target audiences, it hasn't always been easy for those companies to turn their followers into customers. When the app launched, Instagram only allowed links in profile bios. Shortly after, the platform allowed users to place links in Stories -- but only if they had a verified account or more than 10,000 followers. This meant that smaller or less-followed brands had to think strategically to get their Instagram audience to view product information, research the brand, and ultimately leave the Instagram app to buy products. Things got easier for brands with the global launch of Instagram Shopping's Shoppable posts in 2017. This was the first time standard feed-based posts or Story images could be linked to a brand's Facebook product catalog. However, the feature still required Instagram users to leave the app to make a purchase. But this summer, with the launch of Facebook Shops, Instagram Checkout, and Instagram Live Shopping, many of the friction points between discovering products on Instagram and buying them have been eliminated. In this blog post, I'll highlight the three free,...
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The ‘Ethics’ You Didn’t Know Existed in Design

Design
December 12, 2020/by
The 'Ethics' You Didn't Know Existed in Design Just the other day, I was Googling something in a rush and came across a blog post that I thought would give me all the information I needed. But, when I clicked on the page and tried to start reading the post, the entire screen went dark and a giant "Subscribe to our email" CTA popped up -- completely interrupting my experience. I looked around for a "No thanks" button or an "X", but I almost couldn't find one. Just before I went to click the back arrow, I noticed a very faint, tiny "X" that was nearly the same color as the CTA background. It was obvious that this site's designers wanted to trick visitors into signing up for an email list before reading their content. Not only did this CTA almost backfire by causing me to bounce off the site, but it also made me judge the brand's morals. Although some business people might not think a code of ethics matters in design, it does. In this post, I'll explain what design ethics is, what guidelines ethical designers might use, and a few tips for avoiding questionable design ethics. Why are ethics in design important? One of the best places to highlight your brand's mission, as well as its ethical values, is in your marketing and designs. After all, these are the areas of your company that prospects and customers might see most. While ethics, inclusivity, and...
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17 Last-Minute Gift Ideas for the Marketer in Your Life

Company Culture, Daily
December 12, 2020/by
17 Last-Minute Gift Ideas for the Marketer in Your Life The days remaining in 2020 are few, and 2021 is just around the corner — things you undoubtedly know already. But here's something you may have forgotten about: There's not much time left to finish up your holiday shopping. (Gasp! We know.) Maybe you're a marketer looking to complete your wish list. Or, maybe you've got a team of marketers you want to make smile. To help you out, I've searched the internet far and wide (it's kind of what I do), and found you some of this year's best gifts for marketers. Without further ado ... 17 Last-Minute Gift Ideas for Your Favorite Marketers 1. Send a Starbucks eGift Card Once upon a time, Starbucks offered a Tweet a Coffee program, which was retired after testing it in beta. I tried it for the first time earlier this season when Emily Maxie, B2B tech marketer at Very said something nice about our social media tool. I was really thrilled and just wanted to do something nice in return. Tweeting a coffee was an easy, hassle-free way to surprise co-marketing partners, customers, or others. Plus, it was almost instantaneous, so it was a savior for last-minute shoppers. @emilymaxie, @meghkeaney just tweeted you a coffee! Redeem it now. https://t.co/0X3XIAVK4E — Tweetacoffee (@Tweetacoffee) November 21, 2013 Although that program has been retired, there's still a good alternative: Send a Starbucks eGift Card. Just add a...
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How to Develop a Niche Marketing Strategy that Drives Growth

Marketing Strategy
December 10, 2020/by
How to Develop a Niche Marketing Strategy that Drives Growth As of March 2020, over 804,390 businesses in the U.S. were less than one year old. Combine that with the 31.7 million small businesses vying for customers, and the competition seems even more fierce. So how can you possibly create a marketing strategy that stands out? Diving into a specific niche is the way to set your business apart. Let's look at how a handful of businesses use niche marketing to their advantage, before walking through the steps to create your own growth-generating strategy. 5 Examples of a Niche Marketing Strategy 1. Flylow Gear With 9.2 million skiers and snowboarders in the U.S, the pool of potential customers seems wide enough for all to share. But popular brands like Patagonia and The North Face can be found in almost every sports shop, making it hard to convince customers to seek out smaller brands with fewer offerings. Flylow Gear figured out how to fight through the noise. Instead of targeting all customers interested in winter gear, their niche marketing strategy focuses on backcountry skiers looking for no-nonsense, quality gear. Their products are featured in all the right places — like Powder magazine — to reach their ideal buyers. Even their confirmation emails share that they're a small, mountain-based crew of dedicated skiers. Image source 2. Octavia Elizabeth Jewelry For ethically-minded consumers searching for jewelry, the most important factor is knowing about raw materials sourcing and product...
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Corporate Image: Why Your Brand’s Public Perception Matters More Than Ever Now

Recruiting Tips
December 10, 2020/by
Corporate Image: Why Your Brand’s Public Perception Matters More Than Ever Now In 2019, Contently, a content marketing software company that connects freelancers with enterprise brands, made a controversial move — in an effort to increase profitability and, in turn, provide more creative opportunities to their freelancers, the company announced that they'd begin charging freelancers a mandatory service fee for every assignment they book. As you might already know, the response wasn't great. Many freelancers messaged the company and explained the fee could hamper their earning potential, or even end their freelance careers. Fortunately, the freelancers' feedback didn't go unnoticed or unrewarded. As a result of the honest feedback, Contently's CEO Joe Coleman announced via Twitter that the company had decided not to implement the new service fee. Contently's realization that they weren't prioritizing the needs of their customers ultimately helped save — and even enhance — their corporate image. Here, let's dive into what corporate image is, and why it matters. Plus, five ways you can bolster your own corporate image today. What is corporate image? Your company's corporate image is your brand's public perception. You can help shape it by telling the public what kind of company you are through marketing and advertising. But what really sculpts your corporate image is your company's actions, like performing well financially, developing innovative products and services, following ethical business practices, actually operating by your values, appropriately responding to company criticism, providing tremendous customer service, treating your employees with dignity and...
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The Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Complete Marketing Strategy in 2021

Marketing Strategy
December 10, 2020/by
The Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Complete Marketing Strategy in 2021 How many times have you seen a killer marketing campaign and thought to yourself, "Wow, I wish I would've thought of that!" (Glossier, I'm looking at you.) We've all been there. The truth is, when you're just starting out, it can be tough to know whether your strategy is as comprehensive and powerful as it could be. To help ease some of that uncertainty, we've created this guide that'll show you step-by-step how to create a marketing strategy that leaves no stone unturned. Let's dive into the five critical components of a complete marketing strategy in 2019, followed by some examples for further inspiration. 1. Build a marketing plan. Wait, I have to make a plan for my strategy? What's the difference? Your marketing strategy provides an overview behind the reasons why your marketing team will need certain resources, take certain actions, and set certain goals over the year. Your marketing plan is the specific actions you'll take to achieve that strategy. Not sure where to start? This free marketing plan template can help.  Image source The right template can help you build a marketing plan that identifies your budget for the year, the initiatives your marketing organization needs to tackle, and the marketing channels you'll use to implement those initiatives. And it will tie everything back to a business summary, to keep you aligned with overarching company goals. 2. Create buyer personas. If you can't define who...
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What Is a Micro Niche … and Do You Need One?

Content Marketing Strategy
December 9, 2020/by
What Is a Micro Niche ... and Do You Need One? A micro niche is a business offering that’s highly specific. You may also encounter the term sub-niche to describe these laser-focused products or services. Micro niches drill down from niches, which are already segmented out from a larger market. Here are a few quick examples to clarify the difference between a market, a niche, and a micro niche: Market, outdoor gear; Niche, camping supplies; Micro Niche, high-end mountaineering tents Market, tech; Niche, social media platforms; Micro Niche, social platforms targeted to specific interests, such as Ravelry for knitters Market, beauty supplies; Niche, cosmetics; Micro Niche, organic vegan cosmetics Micro niches generally have more adjectives attached (not just ‘food truck,’ but ‘artisan grilled cheese truck featuring locally sourced cheese and bread’) and have a highly specific audience in mind (people who love grilled cheese with fancy additions). Would your business benefit from a micro niche? Among the greatest benefits of micro niches is that they pre-qualify customers and clients early in the marketing funnel. People who are looking for outdoor gear may be looking for anything from hiking boots to fly-fishing rods to harnesses for mountain climbing. But people searching specifically for camping supplies can have very different ‘wants’ as well. They may prioritize: Affordability Ease of use Eco-friendly production Aesthetics Better, best glamping quality Mountain-ready ruggedness Often there will be an overlap of preferred...
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Most Consumers Changed Brands in 2020: Research Explains Why

Marketing Trends
December 9, 2020/by
Most Consumers Changed Brands in 2020: Research Explains Why Now that 2020's global pandemic has taught most of the world how to live and work completely from home, marketers planning their 2021 strategy are asking one big question: “Will this uncertain time change the way people spend money?” McKinsey -- which recently polled consumers in over 48 countries about their 2020 spending habits -- says, "Yes." One of the biggest findings in the McKinsey study was that 75% of consumers have changed brands at least once during the pandemic. McKinsey's research also noted four other key shifts in consumer spending behavior that could majorly impact brands in the near or far future. In this blog post, we'll walk you through all five shifts noted in the McKinsey study, while giving our insights on how marketers and brands can navigate them. How Purchasing Behaviors are Changing in 2020 1. Brand loyalty is being tested. At the beginning of the pandemic, as entire cities began to close non-essential businesses, consumers raced to stores or hopped online to order essential products they'd need in the coming months. This caused a major disruption in supply chains and product shortages around the world. And, even in the earliest days of the pandemic, consumers were paying heavy attention to how companies handled shortages and bursts in product demand. While some brands saw an influx of new customers that they once lost to bigger competitors, other companies lost customers to because they simply couldn't keep...
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The Evolution of Content Marketing: How It’s Changed and Where It’s Going in the Next Decade

Content Planning
December 9, 2020/by
The Evolution of Content Marketing: How It's Changed and Where It's Going in the Next Decade A sound content marketing strategy is one of the better ways a business can help shape its brand identity, garner interest from prospects, and retain an engaged audience. It lets you establish authority in your space, project legitimacy, and build trust between you and who you're trying to reach. As you can assume, it's well worth understanding. But that's easier said than done. Content marketing isn't static. The landscape of the practice is constantly changing. It doesn't look the same now as it did ten years ago, and in ten years it won't look the same as it does now. It's a difficult topic to pin down — one with a fascinating past and an exciting future. Out of both genuine interest and forward-thinking practicality, it's important to understand both where it's been and where it's going. Here, we'll get some perspective on both. We're going to take a look at how content marketing has evolved in the past decade, and how it's going to evolve in the next one. How Content Marketing Evolved in the Past Decade Google changed the game. In 2011, Google conducted its landmark Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT) study. It found that 88% of shoppers use what's known as a Zero Moment of Truth — a discovery and awareness stage in a buying cycle where a consumer researches a product before buying it. Google's research also indicated...
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