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How I Write Effective SOPs: A Complete Guide [+ Free Template]

iPaaS
December 27, 2024/by
How I Write Effective SOPs: A Complete Guide In 2019, I was a freelance writer with no idea what SOPs were, relying on mental checklists and scrawled notes. Then, I joined an agency where SOPs ensured consistent, high-quality content. At first, I resisted the detailed checklists — they felt mechanical. But after seeing how the agency delivered seamless content for dozens of clients, I became a believer. Their SOPs transformed my workflow: clear research guidelines kept me focused, templates halved drafting time, and QA checklists caught errors before clients saw them. When I returned to freelancing, I created my own streamlined SOPs that keep my work consistent and professional — all without corporate bloat. For writers, SOPs aren't creativity killers; they’re like personal assistants, handling the routine so you can focus on crafting great content. By the end of this guide, you‘ll have the tools and insights to write SOPs that save time, eliminate errors, and scale your productivity. You’ll even discover top templates and tools to make implementation effortless. Table of Contents What is an SOP? How To Write an SOP What should an SOP include? What does an SOP look like? SOP Formats: Choosing the Right Structure for Your Business Processes Benefits of Standard Operating Procedures in Business Types of SOPs SOPs fall into three main categories: technical, administrative, and quality control. ...
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11 Important Elements to Include in Your Employee Handbook

Human Resources
December 27, 2024/by
11 Important Elements to Include in Your Employee Handbook In most roles I’ve begun, an employee handbook was the first internal document I read. So naturally, I’d make a lot of assumptions about the kind of place I was hired at based on the employee handbook. From vacation policies to dress codes to nondiscrimination policies, employee handbooks have given me a clear overview of the dos, don’ts, regulations, and expectations of my new role. They’ve also helped pique my excitement, especially when the company mission, values, and culture are laid out. Below, I’ll cover the importance of an employee handbook, nine essential elements to include, an employee handbook template, and examples to help guide yours. Table of Contents What is an employee handbook? Why is having an employee handbook important? What to Include in an Employee Handbook Employee Handbook Template Sample Employee Handbook Employee Handbook Examples Code of Conduct Samples What is an employee handbook? An employee handbook is an exhaustive document outlining an organization's policies, procedures, and employee expectations. It’s a crucial resource for new hires and existing staff. Employees can overview their rights and responsibilities as members of the company. Why is having an employee handbook important? Employee handbooks are essential for several reasons, for both the employer and employees. Here’s why. 1. Inform new hires. When I was hired at Paramount, I underwent...
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The 12 Sharpest Lessons from Marketing Leaders at Fortune Media, Liquid Death, Oatly & More

Uncategorized
December 27, 2024/by
The 12 Sharpest Lessons from Marketing Leaders at Fortune Media, Liquid Death, Oatly & More Each week, Laura, Caroline, and I get to sit and chat with some of today’s most innovative marketing masters. We’ve run down the rabbit hole with folks from Spotify, Liquid Death, Oatly, New Balance, Zapier, Hootsuite, the Brooklyn Nets, and even the makers of Chicago’s most beloved tirefire-flavored liquor. If you could smoosh all of their combined wisdom into your head, it would be like getting your… well… master’s in marketing. (Oh, hey. I just got the name.) Well, you can’t. Not until brain chips are a thing. Until then, you can do the next best thing: Check out 12 of the most insightful, provocative, or just downright useful lessons our experts had to share. Lesson 1: People aren't brainless consumers. Here‘s a fun fact: At Liquid Death, they don’t use the word consumer. Ever. Instead, they have a team called “human insights.” Greg Fass, Liquid Death’s VP of marketing, is proud to work against the mindset that people are just “brainless consumers” whose sole purpose on Earth is to consume products. (Yep – that's a direct quote.) Instead, he says, “At Liquid Death, I‘m proud that we think of our audiences as people. And when you think of them as humans, you understand they’ll get a piece of copy that isn‘t straightforward, or jokes other brands are afraid to make. They’re intelligent, and have a sense of humor.” It's a philosophy that has...
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Building the Right Foundation for Cornerstone Content — Here’s Everything I Know

Content Planning
December 24, 2024/by
Building the Right Foundation for Cornerstone Content — Here's Everything I Know I remember exactly where I was when I stumbled upon the concept of cornerstone content for the first time. It was a fresh winter's morning in late December, and the sunshine glistened over the frosted ground … Okay, I kid, I kid. So, the cornerstone content model isn't exactly 'Moon Landing' material. But, it did completely revolutionize how I think about and implement content strategy. As a junior content marketer, it gave me my first logical framework for creating, organizing, and managing content production. Before then, it kinda felt like I was throwing content ideas at the wall until something, anything, stuck. There was nothing to “hang my hat on,” so to speak. Aside from a logical framework, cornerstone content also gave me a tried and tested method to increase search engine visibility for my clients. I also know for a fact that cornerstone content formed part of the SEO content strategy that still drives millions of visits to the HubSpot blog today. Interest piqued? Cool! Please keep reading to learn from me and some incredible leaders in the SEO industry. Table of Contents What is cornerstone content? Benefits of Cornerstone Content How to Make Cornerstone Content Tips for Creating Cornerstone Content from the Experts Cornerstone Content Examples What is cornerstone content? Cornerstone content is the most important content...
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Implementing AI in Your Marketing Tech Stack — Expert Tips and Tricks You Need to Know

ai-hidden, Marketing Strategy
December 23, 2024/by
Implementing AI in Your Marketing Tech Stack — Expert Tips and Tricks You Need to Know Here’s a startling reality: while 88% of marketers believe AI and automation are essential for meeting customer expectations, they’re only using about 56% of the tools they buy. This disconnect raises important questions: Are marketers investing in the wrong tools, or are they simply not harnessing their full potential? I spoke to several marketing experts to understand how they are integrating AI into their core stack and what areas there are still room for improvement. From an 82% increase in email conversion rates to dramatic improvements in customer engagement, their insights reveal that the right approach to AI can transform your marketing operations. Let’s explore their top learnings and some key tips for making the most of AI in your MarTech strategy. Table of Contents The State of AI and MarTech Today How to Implement AI Into Your Marketing Tech Stack Tips for Making the Most of AI in Your MarTech Operations The State of AI and MarTech Today We must accept that generative AI is becoming a core part of our organizations, integrated into almost every area. It's here to stay and will only keep spreading, whether we like it or not. So, instead of trying to dodge it, think about how you can make the most of it. One of the best comments on this topic came...
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Lingering Questions: What Marketing Masters Want to Ask Each Other

Uncategorized
December 21, 2024/by
Lingering Questions: What Marketing Masters Want to Ask Each Other Over at Masters in Marketing, Caroline, Laura, and I have interviewed some very bright minds from some very bold brands. We’re talking Liquid Death, New Balance, Oatly. But we got to wondering: What happens when noted marketing masters get to ask each other the questions? What do the innovators want to know from each other? This year, we decided to find out with a feature we call Lingering Questions. The rules are simple: Each interviewee answers a question from the previous master of marketing. Then they drop a question for the next. They may or may not know who it will be (and sometimes neither do we). But they know it’s someone who knows. 👏 their. 👏 shtick. 👏 Below you’ll find all of the answers to 2024’s lingering questions. (Plus, a bonus rip in the spacetime continuum.) 2024’s Lingering Questions To kick things off, my colleague, friend, and former AV Club executive editor, Laura M. Browning cooked up this one: Malört is one of Chicago’s mascots. What would Malört’s mascot be, and why? Anna Sokratov, Brand manager for Jeppson’s Malört: A 31-gallon galvanized steel trash can with a lid. Both are perceived as being unappealing or gross, and the cans last a long time — similar to the long-lasting flavor of Malört. Read “This is disgusting, try some”: Marketing Chicago’s vile-tasting liqueur Sokratov asks: What unconventional marketing approach would you like to take, and how would you...
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Input Bias and How to Compete When the Best Marketer Is AI, What We Know From Psychology

neuromarketing
December 21, 2024/by
Input Bias and How to Compete When the Best Marketer Is AI, What We Know From Psychology Welcome to Creator Columns, where we bring expert HubSpot Creator voices to the Blogs that inspire and help you grow better. In his book The Coming Wave, Mustafa Suleyman predicts that AI will be able to successfully build a business in a few years. You would just need to write a prompt like, “Go make $1 million on Amazon in a few months with just a $100,000 investment.” How? Well, Suleyman says, AI could research trends online, find what sells on Amazon, generate images of products, and send them to manufacturers on Alibaba. AI could then “email back and forth to refine the requirements … and continually update marketing materials and product designs based on buyer feedback,” Suleyman writes. In other words, it’ll make my job in marketing (and most roles in business) irrelevant. This leaves those of us who work at companies big and small in crisis. What will we do? Why would businesses need marketers if an AI can make $1 million on Amazon without human assistance? Soon, I’d become like the London gaslighters of the 1800s or the doormen of the 1900s — unnecessary and redundant. Except, I think there is a get-out-of-jail-free card. I think there is a way for me to remain relevant in a world where the best marketer is an AI. Looking to Stay Relevant? Leverage Input Bias So, what’s the secret to staying relevant?...
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Content Marketing Team Dynamics That Deliver Results

Content Planning
December 21, 2024/by
Content Marketing Team Dynamics That Deliver Results As a content professional with almost a decade in the game, I have been a part of several content marketing teams and projects. While each project came with its own objectives and obstacles, one thing remained constant: a consistent underestimation of what a content marketing team achieves for the organization at large. The natural assumption about content marketing teams is that we write a bunch of blogs with some SEO guidelines or create some witty social media posts, and voila, the job is done! As an insider, I have seen firsthand that a solid content marketing team does much more than this. Content is the driver of discoverability for a company, and a solid content marketing team will help you achieve that. The fact that 45% of marketing and media leaders plan to increase their content marketing budget over the next year is a testament to that. In this blog, I will take you through what a well-structured content department is made of and what it can do to boost your brand growth. Table of Contents What makes a high-performing content marketing team? Content Marketing Roles Benefits of a Content Department What makes a high-performing content marketing team? A high-performing content marketing team is a symphony of strategy, creativity, and execution. Every time I enter a content team discussion, the question at hand is almost always this: How...
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7 AI Automation Examples that Will Streamline Your Marketing Strategy

Artificial Intelligence
December 19, 2024/by
7 AI Automation Examples that Will Streamline Your Marketing Strategy Just when it looks like I can‘t possibly write anything else about AI, I arrive with another blog post on the subject. Today, I’m sharing AI automation examples that you can incorporate into your marketing processes to streamline your strategy and outpace the competition. Let's dive in! 7 Examples of AI Automation 1. AI Bots Best for: Streamlining time-consuming, tedious marketing process and engaging with consumers. A bot is an AI-powered intelligent automation with many use cases for both marketers and consumers. Marketers like myself typically use AI bots to streamline tedious tasks. For example, I often have to interview marketing leaders and source their quotes for the posts I write. It would take me forever to listen through 30-60 minutes of an interview and fish for the most compelling quotes. Then, one of my colleagues introduced me to an AI tool called Castmagic, which can transcribe audio into text. I would then paste the transcribed text into ChatGPT and prompt the chatbot to identify the most interesting quotes from the text. This use of bots cuts hours‘ worth of work into just minutes! I also save time by using HubSpot’s internal GPT to generate post titles, meta descriptions, outlines, and topic ideas. And I'm far from the only marketer who saves time using AI tools like bots. According to our recent survey of 1000+ marketers, 86% of marketing professionals say AI helps them save an hour each...
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How Content Gap Analysis Bolsters Your Marketing Strategy

Content Planning
December 19, 2024/by
How Content Gap Analysis Bolsters Your Marketing Strategy Over the past five years, I’ve been creating content for some of the most successful content-first brands. And if there's one thing that all their content marketing strategies have in common, it is a solid content gap analysis. Think about it. Every time you look up a topic, you will find hundreds of blogs that are just slight variations of each other. What really helped me and my clients win was this: focusing on what no one else was talking about. In this blog, I will walk you through the step-by-step process of doing content gap analysis and explore best practices to do it right. Table of Contents What is a content gap analysis? Why is content gap analysis important? How To Do a Content Gap Analysis Best Practices For Conducting a Content Gap Analysis A content gap analysis involves comparing your current content against your competitors‘ content, your audience’s search intent, different stages of your customer journey, and market trends and opportunities. In simpler terms: It's finding the “gaps” in your content strategy where you could provide more value that others aren't already providing. Why is content gap analysis important? There’s often a disconnect between what we think our audience needs and what our content actually talks about. As marketers, we may rely on assumptions about the challenges to address and topics to...
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