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How to Get and Give LinkedIn Endorsements

LinkedIn Marketing
December 6, 2023/by
How to Get and Give LinkedIn Endorsements LinkedIn profiles are the new resumes. LinkedIn shows your skills, featured projects, recommendations, and certifications, to name a few. So, you certainly want to emphasize these skills and ensure they are recognized as your strongest assets. LinkedIn endorsements help you do just that, alongside building credibility, authority, and trust in you as a professional. But how do you make someone endorse you? Messages like “Please endorse me” won’t do. You need something strong and irresistible — a solid foundation to base a strong pitch on. So, I dug into the trenches to find out the best strategies you can follow to get inbound and outbound LinkedIn endorsements. I'll cover: What is a LinkedIn endorsement? How do you add the “Skills” section to your profile? How to Get Endorsements on LinkedIn How to Endorse Someone on LinkedIn What is a LinkedIn endorsement? LinkedIn endorsements are a LinkedIn feature that allows your (LI) network to vouch for your “Listed skills.” They’re a public validation of your skills and are displayed on your profile. LinkedIn endorsements cover a wide range of professional skills and expertise, including but not limited to: Technical skills, such as web development, machine learning, or graphic design. Soft skills like adaptability, critical thinking, teamwork, or leadership. Industry-specific skills in a particular field, like marketing, education, or healthcare. Tools and software proficiency in using tools like Microsoft Excel, Adobe...
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The Complete Guide to AI Transparency [6 Best Practices]

Artificial Intelligence
December 6, 2023/by
The Complete Guide to AI Transparency Let‘s talk AI. We’ve all dabbled in it, been awed by its potential, and maybe even been a bit overwhelmed. Our State of AI Report found that one in five business professionals use AI and/or automation in their role. In marketing, it’s even higher. But here‘s the catch: AI isn’t just about algorithms and automation. It‘s about creating genuine, transparent connections. Just as we craft compelling stories for our brands, it’s time to understand our AI‘s narrative. If you’re nodding along, thinking, “Absolutely, but where do I start?” you're in the right place. Dive in as we unravel the art of AI transparency, ensuring it becomes not just a tool in our marketing box but a trustworthy ally. Let's set the stage for a future where AI and authenticity go hand in hand. Shall we? What is AI transparency? AI transparency is the practice and principle of making artificial intelligence (AI) systems understandable and interpretable to humans. Think of it as the “open book” approach to AI, where these advanced systems’ logic, functions, and decision-making processes are clear and understandable. Now, why is this concept crucial, especially for marketers like us? Imagine launching an AI-powered campaign. While the results are impressive, you're left scratching your head, wondering how AI made certain decisions. Without transparency, you‘re navigating a dense fog with no clear understanding of how AI algorithms interact with data to drive decisions. The goal? Ensuring we’re not just blindly following...
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How to Create Detailed Buyer Personas for Your Business [+Free Persona Template]

Buyer Personas
December 6, 2023/by
How to Create Detailed Buyer Personas for Your Business As marketers, we know that marketing according to data points alone isn’t enough to get meaningful engagement for your business—that’s the job of a buyer persona. And, while demographic survey results are great, there are many factors of customer behavior that are needed to create a well-rounded and detailed buyer persona. Combining different research methods to form a detailed buyer persona is my shining recommendation, and in this post, I’ll show you a research-driven method for creating buyer personas. With just a few thoughtful steps, you’ll walk away with consumer stories and profiles that represent your customer base. According to our research, most marketers lack crucial information about their audience, so they struggle to make personalized content. Before diving into the buyer persona creation process, let’s pause to understand the impact of well-developed buyer personas on your business (specifically, your marketing efforts). Why are buyer personas important to your business? 1. Buyer personas help you personalize your marketing. Personalization is the main reason buyer personas are essential, and it’s only possible when you truly understand your audience. Customers appreciate personalization, as 96% of marketers say it increases the likelihood of buyers becoming repeat customers and 94% say it increases sales. I don’t know about you, but those stats definitely represent my experience as a consumer. I’m more likely to be a fan of and...
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2024 and Beyond: 7 Insights for Thriving as a Creator, Straight from the Experts

Creator Economy
December 5, 2023/by
2024 and Beyond: 7 Insights for Thriving as a Creator, Straight from the Experts Remember when being a “creator” was a laughable teen pastime? Now, consumers are largely trusting influencers over brands, creators are taking over brand marketing teams, and the industry is only growing bigger. In 2023, we’ve seen the so-called Creator Economy grow to 50 million creators globally, with a market size of $250 billion. By 2027, this number is expected to reach $480 billion. Perhaps most telling, there are now kids’ summer camps dedicated to content creation. But with great opportunity also comes drawbacks: The market is saturated, and AI makes it easier than ever for anyone to become a creator — which means it truly takes a special case to be sustainable and profitable. “Successful creators will be those who generate unique insight, can talk about unique experiences, and are able to truly build trust,” says Jay Clouse, founder of Creator Science. We got the insider scoop from Jay and several other successful creators, and narrowed their advice down to seven key tips. Read on to make 2024 the year you make it big. Creators' Tips for Surviving the Creator Economy in 2024  1. Know your way around platforms. Jay Clouse says that the best content strategy leverages both discovery and relationship platforms. Here’s a breakdown of what he means: Discovery platform: Generally refers to social media, but also includes search-based platforms like...
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Top Behavioral Targeting Tools Marketers Should Know About

Uncategorized
December 5, 2023/by
Top Behavioral Targeting Tools Marketers Should Know About Like many others, I get dozens of emails a day.  If the subject line's irrelevant to my interests, I’m scrolling by and ignoring it. Or, worse, I might click on an email and hit the unsubscribe button after deciding it wasn’t worth my time. If you’re a marketer, you want to avoid scrolling and unsubscribes at all costs. If your email goes unopened because your messaging missed your target, was the content you created within it even worth it? To effectively engage and convert potential customers, you need to leverage behavioral targeting tools that enable you to deliver personalized and relevant messaging to your unique audience segments.  Fortunately, there's a wide range of tools available that can help you meet your audiences where they are. Below, we'll explore some of the top behavioral targeting tools that can level up your marketing strategy. Top Behavioral Targeting Tools HubSpot Behavioral Targeting Get started with HubSpot Behavioral Targeting With HubSpot Behavioral Targeting, you’ll be able to meet prospects where they are by learning about how they engage with your website and content.  As a content marketer, my team and I use it to create segmented lists based on persona and level of engagement with our brand or site. These lists often help us determine how to personalize site content, tailor our marketing emails, and run automated campaigns. Beyond this, the tool helps our broader team identify, learn from, and respond to high-intent behaviors...
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24 Best Free Marketing & Sales Icons for Your Website or App

Design Templates
December 2, 2023/by
24 Best Free Marketing & Sales Icons for Your Website or App I’ve abandoned numerous websites that were crammed with excessive text and bulky images due to their challenging navigation and overly bookish appearance. Being both a marketer and a customer in one, I naturally lean towards using icons. They are visually appealing, convey information and intent instantly, and make clicking effortless. But not all businesses use icons to their full potential. So, I scrutinized dozens of websites and apps and talked to industry experts who’ve witnessed the “iconicness” of icons to gather their insights. Explore how to use marketing and sales icons in the best ways possible. We'll cover: Why use icons in marketing and sales materials? 5 Examples of Marketing and Sales Icons 7 Best Practices for Using Marketing and Sales Icons When Not to Use Icons Free Marketing Icons Free Sales Icons Why use icons in marketing and sales materials? Photography and typography are limited in business communication, and generic stock photos rarely align with the accompanying text. Icons, in turn, make your messaging unique, appealing, and memorable. They facilitate the understanding of ideas and concepts. Let’s explore icons’ use cases in marketing and sales materials. 1. Icons make stuff easy to understand. The brain processes graphic symbols much faster than actual words by giving them meaning and turning them into words. When we see an icon, it helps us understand the intended meaning faster — making...
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16 of the Best Facebook Ad Examples That Actually Work (And Why)

Ad Management, Advertising Examples
December 2, 2023/by
16 of the Best Facebook Ad Examples That Actually Work (And Why) On average, Facebook is home to over 3 billion daily active users — from CEOs to students to companies. And while the community is clearly there, connecting with them from a marketing standpoint isn't always easy. For brands, posting on Facebook alone isn't enough anymore, especially for ones just starting out. Sure, you can invest in promotional content to drive users to your Facebook Page and website, but this requires more than an ad budget: it requires strategy. One way to get the most out of your Facebook ad strategy is to create optimized Facebook Ads targeted at the right audience. By leveraging optimized ads, you can better allocate your PPC budget and better promote your brand. We’ll show you how to make a great ad to achieve these goals through the best Facebook ad examples and practices we’ve seen yet. Do Facebook Ads Work? Best Facebook Ad Examples How do Facebook Ads work? Facebook Ad Placements Facebook Ad Formats Facebook Ads Best Practices Facebook Ad Resources So, what does optimized Facebook advertising actually look like? To gain some inspiration for your next Facebook ad campaign, take a look at our list of the best Facebook ad examples from across industries. Featured Resource: 50 Amazing Facebook Ad Examples See these best practices in action with our collection of...
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6 Social Selling Tools to Consider

Uncategorized
December 2, 2023/by
6 Social Selling Tools to Consider If you're like many people, you've likely been tempted to impulsively buy a pull out your credit card for a product or service you saw in an Instagram Reel with an incredibly convenient link to shop.  Today, most generations see social media as their preferred platform for product discovery, while 87% of social media marketers who sell on their channels say its effective. Nearly 60% even note social media sales have increased year over year.  But, once you place your products or services on social media stores or pages, how do you ensure they achieve solid sales? To do this, consider leveraging social media selling tools.  In this blog post, we’ll go over: What are social selling tools? Best Social Selling Tools Best Social Selling Tools Social Selling Software HubSpot Social Media Management Software Source HubSpot’s Social Media Management Software is a comprehensive social media tool that can boost your social selling efforts. You can run social media campaigns with an AI-powered post generator, set up keyword monitoring so you don’t miss mentions, and link all your interactions back to your CRM. For example, let’s say I want to sell some art prints I made. I can use the social media tool to generate captions to promote the products on Instagram and TikTok. You’re also able to measure the effectiveness of your social selling efforts with the campaigns tool that allows you to tag related marketing...
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How To Do Representation in Marketing the Right Way (+ Consumer Perspectives)

Breaking the Blueprint
November 28, 2023/by
How To Do Representation in Marketing the Right Way (+ Consumer Perspectives) Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint— a blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of underrepresented business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they’ve grown or scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures within their companies, or created side hustles, and how their stories can inspire and inform your own success. Representation matters. We hear this over and over again. And most people agree. However, not all representation is created equal, and this is important to recognize, especially to ensure your efforts in including more people in your marketing are received positively rather than being met with frustration and skepticism. As the number of brands embracing inclusive marketing and prioritizing visual imagery that accurately represents their target audience grows, it becomes crucial for marketers to become well-versed in how to do representation in marketing the right way. When done right, it demonstrates to underrepresented consumers that you’re committed to them and their communities. When done right, representation in marketing makes the people you serve feel seen, supported, and like they belong with you. Below are what consumers have shared with me in recent years about what is important for them to see in terms of representation. But first, to make sure we’re on the same page, let’s talk about why representation in marketing is so important. Why Representation in Marketing Matters ...
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