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10 Pieces of Content Your Audience Really Wants to See [New Data]

Content Types
July 29, 2020/by
10 Pieces of Content Your Audience Really Wants to See Content marketing is constantly evolving, which is what we here on the HubSpot blogging team love about our jobs. It keeps things interesting. And while it’s easy to get caught up in experimenting with innovative content, it’s important that we pay close attention to how our readers are changing, too. According to HubSpot Research, 2016 marks the start of a new phase of technological development, where new innovations and consumer preferences will usher in a new way of how marketers will do business. Our research team surveyed over 1,000 internet users worldwide to learn about their preferences and behaviors when it comes to their content consumption habits. In this article, we’re diving deeper into two specific trends to discuss how marketers can prepare their content strategies to meet the needs of their readers. Share this image on Twitter! What content types do readers want to see more of in the future? HubSpot Research found that internet users’ behaviors are changing to reflect a growing interest in visual content. They’re also shifting where they’re reading content, choosing social media platforms over of more traditional blog and long-form outlets: It’s important to note that these survey results don’t mean that content creators should abandon mediums such as blogging or podcasting, as these content outlets will continue to provide value over time. Instead, what the above chart suggests is that marketers should develop a more diversified strategy to meet the...
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Email Sign Up Forms: How to Increase Email Sign Ups With Better Forms

web forms
July 29, 2020/by
Email Sign Up Forms: How to Increase Email Sign Ups With Better Forms In 2019, there were 3.8 billion estimated email users across the globe. With half of the world’s population on email, and the ability to reach people at any time of day, email marketing remains a crucial technique to build a customer base. So how do you attract people to your email list? There are a few important steps, but it all starts with an email sign up web form. What Is An Email Sign Up Form? An email sign up form is used to collect email addresses from leads and potential customers. These forms are are embedded on a web page where a visitor can enter their email address in a form field to be added to your email newsletter.  The best thing about email opt-ins is that you can build a pipeline of leads to nurture and communicate with. Over time, your email list can turn into a valuable source of revenue as cold prospects get to know and trust you while you stay top of mind (or top of inbox). But what do you do if you're not getting enough subscribers into that pipeline? After all, email marketing is only as good as its list. Here are our tips for how to get more mailing list signups. How to Get More Subscribers for Your Email List Monitor your metrics. Place calls to action on high-traffic pages. ...
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11 Lead Generation Mistakes Marketers Need to Avoid in 2020

Conversion Rate Optimization
July 29, 2020/by
11 Lead Generation Mistakes Marketers Need to Avoid in 2020 For many businesses, the key to making sales is to first generate leads. Leads are valuable because they're the people who have indicated organic interest in your content and your business by giving you their information in some way, whether it's by filling out a form to download an ebook, completing an online survey, or something else. But leads don't grow on trees. Some marketers have trouble generating enough leads to feed their sales team. Others generate plenty of leads, but they're not good leads, and your sales team is having trouble closing them into customers. Others just have no idea where their leads are coming from. These are all common problems marketers have with lead generation. In this post, we'll go over many of these problems and talk about how to fix them. We'll also highlight a few tips directly from HubSpot acquisition experts. 11 Lead Generation Mistakes Marketers Should Avoid 1. You're buying leads, not generating them organically. If you're having trouble generating leads, it can be tempting to buy email lists so you can feed your sales organization with something -- anything. But buying or renting contacts out of desperation will cause you more long-term (and short-term) harm than good. There are a lot of reasons buying email lists is never a good idea. Not only will sending emails to purchased lists harm your email deliverability and IP reputation, but there's a good chance the...
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The Plain-English Guide to Brand Equity

Brand Awareness
July 28, 2020/by
The Plain-English Guide to Brand Equity Before I buy anything that goes on my face, like skincare or makeup, I pour over the reviews. The only exception is when I'm shopping from a brand I trust. In some cases, I don't even question a new launch from those businesses — I purchase the new items knowing I'll be satisfied. It's not that hard to trust a company that has never disappointed you. But today, I was skeptical. A makeup company I like is releasing a skincare extension. I was on the fence, so I wanted to see what my favorite YouTubers were saying. Most of them had the same reaction: "I don't care about the price. When it comes to this brand, I know it's gonna be great." They will purchase from the new line, regardless of reviews. This is known as brand equity. Consumers influence the public perception of businesses, building positive or negative brand equity. But let’s take a closer look. If you've ever decided against buying from a specific company based on a review from your friends, you've seen negative brand equity at work. Negative brand equity might result from poor customer service, lack of transparency, or inaccurate pricing. Think of that one product you don't mind shelling out a few extra dollars to have because you know you'll be satisfied. In your opinion, that business has positive brand equity. Brand equity determines value because positive brand equity can justify higher prices. Now that you...
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The Ultimate Guide to Managing Remote Marketing Teams

remote-work
July 28, 2020/by
The Ultimate Guide to Managing Remote Marketing Teams Behind many great teams are great managers. Take my manager for example. Each day, she oversees a team of blog writers and editors, reports on the HubSpot Blog's progress to stakeholders, and also manages many of the logistics and processes that keep our site running smoothly. But, the blog's editorial processes and traffic strategies aren't the only things she focuses on. Most importantly, she takes time to empower each individual on our team. She mentors us as we lead projects that benefit the blog, plans team bonding activities, ensures that we're getting the tools and training we need to do our jobs, and checks in with us regularly to make sure the work we're doing is fulfilling. It sounds like she does a lot, right? And the kicker? Half of the team she manages, mentors, and empowers isn't even based in HubSpot's Cambridge office. By this point, you might know that managing a team, even isolated to one office, isn't for everyone. On any given day, you need to balance your own workload, overall team success strategies, and working with individuals within your department. To do this, you must balance being a team player and a leader. You also must be highly organized, strategic, and have a high level of emotional intelligence. In a company that's primarily in-office, a manager can directly impact the success of their team. But, this role is even more important when it oversees a fully...
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The 5 Key Components of a Killer Customer Marketing Strategy

Marketing and Sales Alignment
July 28, 2020/by
The 5 Key Components of a Killer Customer Marketing Strategy It's easy to see marketing as a process specific to attracting and converting prospects — the practice of generating and capitalizing on potential customers' interest. But once that potential has successfully been removed from the equation, and the prospect of winning a prospect's business is no longer prospective, are you supposed to stop marketing to them altogether? Absolutely not. Your current customer base is a perfectly lucrative wellspring of new and sustained business opportunities that you should constantly be tapping into. That's where the concept of customer marketing comes in — a school of marketing that allows you to get much more out of your customers than their initial business. Let's take a more thorough look at what customer marketing is and a picture of the five key elements of a successful customer-driven marketing strategy. Customer marketing is, in large part, the art of building customer loyalty and enthusiasm in the hope that those elements will ultimately translate to new business. And in the context of the practice, the term "new" takes on multiple meanings. "New" business could mean existing customers buying new products or services as you develop them. It could mean current customers upgrading the products of yours they currently leverage or upping the tier of your service they subscribe to. Or, and perhaps most importantly, it could mean customers being enthusiastic enough about your business to evangelize to their friends and family about how awesome...
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The Ultimate Guide to Google Analytics in 2020

Google Analytics
July 25, 2020/by
The Ultimate Guide to Google Analytics in 2020 Are you confused — even intimidated — by Google Analytics? Good news: you’re not alone. GA is notoriously complicated. In fact, when I first started to delve into GA’s waters, I wondered if I’d ever truly get it. There were so many concepts to learn and reports to run. How did people ever conquer this thing?!?! Lots and lots of reading plus some trial and error, it turns out. I’m not saying I’ve reached total mastery — there’s always something new to pick up — but I’m vastly more comfortable. And I want you to be, too. So, here’s the cheat sheet to everything I’ve learned over the years. This guide might be long, but it’ll take you from zero to hero in ~6,000 words. And if you still have questions, let me know! I’m @ajavuu on Twitter. What is Google Analytics? Google Analytics, or GA, is an analytics tool that gives you an extremely in-depth look at your website and/or app performance. It integrates with Google's marketing and advertising platforms and products (including Google Ads, Search Console, and Data Studio) making it a popular choice for anyone using multiple Google tools. What other types of people is GA popular among? Other marketing analytics options, such as HubSpot, can give you all the data you need with much less work. Oh, and here's another aspect of GA you'll want to take into consideration: Is Google Analytics free? There's a...
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How to Gain Your First (or Next) 1,000 Instagram Followers

Instagram Marketing
July 25, 2020/by
How to Gain Your First (or Next) 1,000 Instagram Followers It's no secret that business opportunities are quickly growing on Instagram. In fact, approximately 90% of Instagram's 1 billion active monthly users follow a business account on the platform. And, while Instagram hasn't reported its current number of business users, the platform reportedly hosted more than 25 million of these accounts in late 2017. As the platform continues to grow and develop more interactive features, such as Instagram Stories and Instagram Live, businesses are regularly using it as a tool to humanize brands, recruit future employees, showcase products and company culture, delight customers, and generate new business. But here's the deal: Unless you're famous, it's really hard to amass a huge following on Instagram without some hard work. For the average person or business, growing your following takes time and attention on a daily basis.Luckily, there are a few things you can do right away to collect at least 1,000 quality followers for your personal or professional Instagram account. It's all about knowing where to invest your time and effort. Let's discuss a few strategies that will help you gain those followers, from creating a follow-worthy Instagram profile, to using contests, to staying true to your brand. Whether you're gathering your first 1,000 followers or you just want 1,000 more, keep reading. 1. Create and optimize your profile. First things first: customize your Instagram profile to make it look good, tell your potential followers who you are, and give...
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