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Voice is the new logo: Why your brand’s tone matters more than ever

Uncategorized
August 26, 2025/by
Voice is the new logo: Why your brand’s tone matters more than ever A few years ago, I was in charge of presenting a big marketing strategy deck to a senior executive. My team and I prepared a script that went something like this: “In Q3, we’ll deliver a unified editorial calendar. Subject matter will reinforce key audience pain points. We will increase paid media investments to leverage this series in integrated campaigns.” It sounded so impressive in my head, but the executive just wanted clarity. She asked, “So, what is it exactly? A blog series we promote in paid?” Oops. In that moment, I realized the words I was using were all wrong. I wasn’t just doing this in meetings. I was adopting this voice in all the brand’s content I was creating, too. I call that jargon-filled approach “content voice.” And since that meeting, I’ve been on a mission to stop its spread — both in my work and at other brands. Let’s break down exactly what content voice means and how to avoid it, along with some real examples of brands that get it right. Table of Contents What is content voice? Your voice should feel like a distinct logo. 5 Tips for Developing a Strong & Cohesive Brand Voice Examples of a Strong Brand Voice What is content voice? Content voice is when brands use fancy-sounding jargon in the content they create for their audience instead of communicating...
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Why blog? The benefits of blogging for business and marketing

Business Blogging
August 21, 2025/by
Why blog? The benefits of blogging for business and marketing With 5.5 billion people online (and counting), the internet has never been busier — or had more opportunity. But, businesses keep asking if blogging benefits are still worth the effort. Spoiler: it is. It’s one of the best ways to establish thought leadership, get your audience’s attention, and build trust with them. Over the years, I’ve written hundreds of blogs for businesses in a wide range of industries — and I’ve seen what works, what doesn’t, and how things are changing. So buckle up, and I’ll show you why blogging for business is still so valuable for driving inbound leads — and strengthening your entire marketing plan. Table of Contents What is business blogging? The Benefits of Blogging for Business How to Start Blogging for Your Business What is business blogging? Business blogging is exactly what it sounds like: using blog content to grow your business. Marketers who participated in HubSpot's 2025 State of Blogging Report report blogging for various reasons, but more than half said they do so for brand awareness (66%) and customer engagement (53%). With AI making it easier to create half-way decent content, mediocre doesn’t cut it anymore. I don’t believe it ever truly did, but now that the bar is higher, dumping a bunch of low-value posts online just for SEO isn’t where you want to invest. The biggest benefits in blogging for business and marketing...
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WordPress essentials: Get started creating, managing, and optimizing your site

wordpress website
August 19, 2025/by
WordPress essentials: Get started creating, managing, and optimizing your site When you‘re just getting started with making a website, I know that the process of learning how to use WordPress can feel overwhelming. We’ve all been there, so you're certainly not alone. While WordPress does have a bit of a learning curve, I still think it‘s something that anyone can use to build a website — even people who have never done so before. That’s why WordPress is, by far, the most popular way to make a website. To make the process as painless as possible, all you need is the right knowledge, which is what we‘ve created this post for. Below, I’ll take you step-by-step through how to use WordPress to build your very own website. Table of Contents What is WordPress? WordPress.org vs. WordPress.com vs. WordPress VIP WordPress for Beginners: How to Use WordPress How to Build a WordPress Website WordPress Website Tips and Tricks To give you more flexibility when designing your website and adding features, the core WordPress software is built in a very extensible way. You can use WordPress plugins to add new functionality to your site and WordPress themes to control the design of your site. Below, I‘ll cover everything that you need to build your own WordPress site, starting from zero and working up to adding your own content and plugins. Beyond the step-by-step guide, I’ll also share a list of tips and...
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The easy formula to calculate true CAC across all your marketing channels

Business Calculators
August 15, 2025/by
The easy formula to calculate true CAC across all your marketing channels Most companies calculate their customer acquisition cost (CAC) incorrectly. They focus on individual channel metrics, such as $50 from paid ads, $30 from content marketing, and $75 from partnership, without understanding their true CAC across all channels. This incomplete picture leads to misallocated budgets, unrealistic growth projections, and investor presentations that don't hold up under scrutiny. If you‘re a CFO, VP of Growth, or financial decision-maker responsible for economics, this guide will show you how to calculate true CAC when combining paid ads, content, and partner channels. You’ll learn the formulas, cost allocation methods, and frameworks leading companies use to get accurate CAC measurements. Table of Contents Why Traditional CAC Calculations Fall Short Understanding the Two Types of Multi-Channel CAC The True CAC Formula Components Handling Multi-Touch Attribution Real-World CAC Calculation Example Comparison: Simple vs True CAC Advanced Considerations for Financial Decision-Makers Common CAC Calculation Mistakes to Avoid The Impact of Accurate CAC on Business Decisions Frequently Asked Questions Why Traditional CAC Calculations Fall Short Before diving into the formula, let's address why most CAC calculations miss the mark. Traditional approaches typically isolate each channel: Paid Ads CAC: Ad spend ÷ customers acquired through ads Content CAC: Content costs ÷ attributed conversions Partner CAC: Partnership fees ÷ referred customers This siloed approach ignores the reality of modern customer journeys. A customer might discover...
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How I do content research: Steps to follow (with examples)

Content Planning
August 15, 2025/by
How I do content research: Steps to follow (with examples) With ChatGPT, anyone can create blog posts in seconds. But, just because you have copy doesn’t mean it's valuable. You need content research to make a post that’s actually valuable. That’s especially true with Google’s Helpful Content Update, a shift that placed even more emphasis on expertise, knowledge, and credibility. To stand out in today’s crowded landscape, teams need to craft content that’s not easily found elsewhere. Every paragraph needs to be rooted in deep research, diverse sources, and genuine insight that delivers meaningful value to the audience. In this article, I'll give a guide on content research by going through a detailed report I published. Let’s get started. Table of Contents What is content research? Why is content research important? How to Do Content Research Valuable Tips on Doing Content Research Content research involves understanding your target audience’s needs, pain points, and search behaviors. It means digging into relevant data, reviewing credible sources, identifying gaps in existing content, and spotting emerging trends in your industry. Done well, it involves a combination of: Keyword and SEO analysis. Competitor content reviews. Industry publications, academic studies, and expert interviews. Audience insights from social media, forums, or direct feedback. Strategic alignment with brand messaging and business objectives. Given the massive amount of AI-generated content out there, solid content research helps me create impactful, trustworthy content that...
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How to use AI tools in your Instagram strategy: Tips from HubSpot’s global head of brand marketing

Instagram Marketing
August 15, 2025/by
How to use AI tools in your Instagram strategy: Tips from HubSpot’s global head of brand marketing For anyone struggling with using AI in Instagram marketing, now is definitely the time to learn. Nearly half of the marketers we surveyed for our 2025 State of AI Marketing report said they're already using AI for social media, with 49% using it for text-based social content and 47% for video/audio-based content. HubSpot’s own social media team is leveraging AI to create more engaging, authentic, and on-trend content fast. I did some digging on the ways brands are using AI on Instagram and chatted with HubSpot’s Global Head of Brand Marketing to bring you the AI examples, tips, and tools you need to succeed on Instagram. Table of Contents Examples of How Brands Are Using AI on Instagram Tips for Using AI in Your Instagram Marketing Strategy Best AI Tools for Instagram Marketing Examples of How Brands Are Using AI on Instagram 1. Generating Instagram Captions Coming up with captions is often the bane of a social media marketer’s existence. Thanks to generative AI, this tedious task can be much faster. I personally like to start with a draft I’ve written and then ask ChatGPT to help me refine it by prompting it with something like, “Improve this. Make it shorter, punchier.” I recommend revising the output. In fact, our State of AI Marketing research found that only 7% of marketers do not edit the...
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AI avatars are already here, and these are the trends I’m most bullish on

ai-hidden, Artificial Intelligence
August 12, 2025/by
AI avatars are already here, and these are the trends I’m most bullish on As the founder of AI newsletter Mindstream, I'm constantly thinking about scale, especially when it comes to content. For me, video was the bottleneck. I wanted to show up consistently, but I didn’t want to spend hours filming, editing, or setting up gear. That’s what led me to explore AI avatars. At first, avatars were just an experimental shortcut for businesses. But over time, they became something more: a flexible way to keep things personal without needing to be physically present. Today, savvy teams are already leveraging avatars. Here are six high-impact ways I’ve seen businesses leverage avatars, along with tools that make it easy to get started. 6 Ways Businesses Are Leveraging AI Avatars 1. Short-form Content Creation at Scale Creating video used to be slow and frustrating, especially for small businesses with cash-strapped teams. It took forever to film, edit, subtitle, and polish something enough to actually post it. Now, AI avatars are changing the game. Now, you can write a script and let the tools do the rest. I’ve tested Argil, which is specifically built for short-form creators. Once the avatar is in place, it adds captions automatically and even suggests relevant B-roll based on the topic. I noticed the tool still needed reviewing and tweaking, but I didn’t need to start from scratch. I believe this shift will make daily video publishing possible for teams of any size. What used to...
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The essential SEO tutorial for thriving in the age of AI-driven search

SEO
August 12, 2025/by
The essential SEO tutorial for thriving in the age of AI-driven search 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 cover basic SEO vocabulary, review a step-by-step SEO tutorial to get your strategy started, and take a deep dive into AI. Throughout, I’ll include tips from HubSpot SEO pro Victor Pan and SEOFOMO newsletter founder Aleyda Solís. Let’s dive in. Table of Contents SEO Basics How to Learn SEO Building an SEO Strategy: Step-by-Step Tutorial SEO Basics To understand where we’re headed, let’s first take a quick look back. The traditional SEO playbook focuses on targeting keywords, climbing search rankings, driving traffic, and converting that traffic into leads or sales. Here’s how it works. Key Words to Know Understanding the foundational SEO vocabulary is important. Let’s dive into a few key terms: Search Engine Optimization optimizes your website to provide the high-quality information searchers look for. Good SEO also helps you rank higher in search results for specific keywords. That gets you in front of a bigger audience. On-page SEO improves search rankings. On-page elements include keywords used in your content or back-end elements like site structure. Off-page SEO focuses on actions that improve your search engine rankings outside your website, like backlinks...
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Here’s how to prove marketing’s pipeline value & revenue impact to your CFO

Marketing Strategy
August 11, 2025/by
Here’s how to prove marketing’s pipeline value & revenue impact to your CFO Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) are wired to want proof, not promises. While we marketers light up at impressions, and engagement — excuse the stars in my eyes — CFOs focus on revenue, risk, and return. This clash of professional love languages can create friction in budget conversations, performance reviews, and board meetings. I’ve experienced this tension too many times to count, over the years. My teams knew that sales couldn’t have closed without our marketing, but with so many touchpoints and an evolving data climate, it became increasingly difficult to prove. Thankfully, we’ve found our ways. This guide will share exactly how to use automated attribution reporting to show finance the metrics they want, bridge the communication gap between departments, and ultimately win the budget you deserve. Table of Contents Why does pipeline influence reporting matter? What metrics do CFOs actually care about? Which attribution models do CFOs prefer? How to Show Marketing’s Impact to the CFO Step-by-Step How to Handle Long Sales Cycles and Multi-year Deals in Pipeline Value Reporting Addressing Dark Funnel and Offline Attribution Why does pipeline influence reporting matter? Simply put, pipeline value attribution matters because it shows why you’re worth the investment. I mean, if a business is spending more than it’s making with any effort, it isn’t financially wise, right? That’s why CFOs need to see the numbers. But why is...
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Buyer persona essentials: My top tips & examples to inspire yours

Buyer Personas
August 11, 2025/by
Buyer persona essentials: My top tips & examples to inspire yours As I was scrolling on Facebook today, I noticed two ads. One was offering me 20% off at a store that I've never heard of before. It felt completely random, in a “did you send this message to the right person?” kind of way. The other ad felt like it was looking me dead in the eye. It was for an SEO software that I already use, beckoning me to join an upcoming webinar with the text “Get your website traffic back.” As an SEO writer, webinars like this are like catnip to me. It wasn't an accident, either: this company understands my segment of their audience. Bullseye marketing like this is the result of buyer personas. As a consumer, I appreciate the investment the company made in understanding me. As a marketer, I know that their marketing dollars would be gambled on guesswork without it. I've created eight buyer persona examples that illustrate the best practices and uses. Let me show you the how and why behind their design (and even sample ads generated with each one!) to get your gears spinning for your own persona creation. In this article, I'll share my framework and eight original examples. Table of Contents What is a buyer persona? Why Buyer Personas Are Essential to Your Business Growth How to Create Buyer Personas: An Actionable Playbook 8 Buyer Persona Examples to Inspire Yours ...
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