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What to Post on Instagram: 18 Photo & Video Ideas to Spark Inspiration

Instagram Marketing
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What to Post on Instagram: 18 Photo & Video Ideas to Spark Inspiration Instagram isn't just a go-to social network for individuals anymore. Many marketers have caught wind that it's a powerful social network where they need to have some sort of presence. The platform's heavy emphasis on visual content like photos, videos, illustrations, and GIFs is becoming a critical way for brands to communicate their story and message. Plus, it's an excellent way for businesses to humanize their brand, recruit future employees, showcase their products and content, and delight and engage customers. Check out these 18 ideas for videos, photos, and other content you can post on Instagram. (And for more inspiration, check out our list of the best brands to follow on Instagram.) 18 Content Ideas for Videos, GIFs & Photos to Post on Instagram 1. Behind-the-Scenes Content Instagram is a great platform for humanizing your brand, and giving your audience a sneak peek at what goes on behind the scenes is one way to do that. It's also a good way to show followers what it's like to work there, which is great for your recruiting efforts. Here's an example from the Boston Red Sox, showing what batting practice looks like close-up (with a really cool, fish-eye shot). Image Source And here's one from a small arts and crafts store called Cherry Tree Beads. We love how this one uses the hashtag #employeetakeover to share one of the faces behind the brand, giving followers the...

5 Blogging Trends to Leverage in 2023, According to HubSpot Leaders

How to Write a Blog Post
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5 Blogging Trends to Leverage in 2023, According to HubSpot Leaders A key to a successful marketing blog strategy is to keep a pulse on the latest blogging trends. However, that can be difficult if you're a marketer with several different responsibilities and platforms to manage. Fortunately, I spoke to a few of the blog leaders at HubSpot to get their recommendations on the right blogging trends to leverage in 2023. From custom graphics to original data and unique content, these blogging trends can help boost your blog's traffic and conversions. 5 Blogging Trends Marketers Should Leverage Here are five trends our blog leaders say marketers should incorporate into their blogging strategy. Custom Graphics I spoke to HubSpot Blog Manager Clint Fontanella, who says custom graphics are becoming increasingly popular in marketing blogs. "It doesn’t seem like you can just talk the talk and have great written content alone," he said. "You need to accompany it with a compelling visual that’s unique and unlike what your competitors are offering. HubSpot has been doing this a lot with its developer content." He pointed to one of our own blog posts as an example. The post "How to Use Map in JavaScript" uses several custom HubSpot graphics to illustrate different types of code and how they work. If you're not much of a graphic designer — don't worry! Many online tools like Canva Canva make designing custom graphics simple for even novice designers. Even better, many of Canva's tools...

Why Your Digital Product Isn’t Selling — and How to Fix That [Expert Insights]

digital marketing
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Why Your Digital Product Isn't Selling — and How to Fix That You’ve created a digital product, put it up on your website and announced it to your audience. But despite the hard work you poured into bringing your online course, ebook, or other digital product to life, it’s not selling.  When you’re in this situation, it’s tempting to give up. To throw your arms in the air and declare, "nobody wants my product — it was all a waste of time." That’s the easier option.  But you created your digital product for a reason. Perhaps you wanted to add a new income stream to your business so you could stop trading time for money. Or maybe you wanted to create a new way for people to work with you at a more affordable price point than your services.  As the host of Imperfect Action podcast, which is part of the Hubspot Podcast Network, I regularly have listeners write in, asking me why I think nobody is buying their digital product. And in my work as a digital product launch strategist, I’ve helped dozens of clients turn around products that weren’t selling. Most of the time, they’ve been just a few tweaks away from a highly profitable product. I’ve also been in this sticky situation a few times myself. I’ve had some huge digital product wins — selling $20,000 worth of a $20 Canva template, over $1 million worth of a $197 guide, and $400,000 worth of a $2,000...

9 Black Friday Marketing Strategies for 2022

Holiday Marketing
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9 Black Friday Marketing Strategies for 2022 The holiday season is around the corner, so it's time for marketers everywhere to gear up for Black Friday. From optimizing your website to launching outstanding deals and giveaways — there's a lot that marketers need to account for. If you're unsure what to do, here are nine marketing strategies that will wow your customers and boost your company's revenue. What is Black Friday? Best Black Friday Marketing Ideas Incorporate social media commerce. Leverage email marketing. Optimize your website for shopping. Audit product pages. Give longtime customers irresistible deals. Follow up with customers after Black Friday. Provide minimum spend rewards. Create a sense of urgency. Create a holiday marketing calendar. Black Friday Marketing Tips What is Black Friday? Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States and marks the start of the holiday shopping season. It's also when many companies (including your competitors) begin rolling out numerous deals and discounts on products. To stay competitive, your company must prepare a marketing strategy to boost revenue and delight customers. Best Black Friday Marketing Ideas Below are nine Black Friday marketing ideas you should consider for 2022. 1. Incorporate social media commerce. Social media is now becoming where consumers make purchases and learn more about products and brands. In 2020, social media commerce earned $26.97 billion in sales, which is expected to double to $56.17 billion...

The Best B2B Lead Gen Campaigns for Every Channel

Lead Generation
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The Best B2B Lead Gen Campaigns for Every Channel As a marketer, you’re always on the hunt for more leads. However, building the best lead generation strategy involves an in-depth understanding of tried-and-tested channels. Then, you’ll need to find the most effective combination of tactics for your unique goals. In this post, you’ll gain insights into each major channel for B2B lead generation, including social media, PPC, blogging, and email. Best of all, you’ll learn effective strategies and impressive real-world examples for each. Table of Contents Social Media Marketing Strategies PPC Lead Generation Strategies Blogging Lead Generation Strategies Email Marketing Lead Generation Strategies Top 10 Lead Generation Best Practices What is B2B lead generation? B2B lead generation is the process of bringing prospective customers to your organization. These leads should be potential buyers who would benefit from your business’ product or service. The types of leads generated vary by campaign and marketing platform. Disciplined B2B marketers understand the different dynamics, budgets, and expectations typical of each lead generation channel. Learn more about B2B lead generation in the video below. Social Media Marketing Strategies Social media is a critical component of B2B marketing. Social media marketing is typically less expensive than traditional advertising costs and offers broad mileage. In fact, 44% of marketers identified social media as their top channel for acquiring new customers, according to 2022 HubSpot Research. Image Source Here’s how...

10 Form Conversion Optimization Tips to Generate Better Leads

Forms
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10 Form Conversion Optimization Tips to Generate Better Leads So you’ve created an amazing landing page to promote a special offer. You’ll need form conversion to turn your hard work into leads. Where you place your forms, how they’re designed, and the language in your call-to-action all shape your visitor experience. Get these elements right, and you can grow your lists.   This post explores how you can optimize your forms to gather high-quality leads. You’ll learn the following: What is form conversion? 10 Tips to Optimize Form Conversion Getting Started with Form Conversion A “good” conversion rate falls between 2% to 5%, according to CRO platform company Adoric. However, Hubspot research from 2020 found that only 22% of companies were satisfied with their conversion rates. Email collection forms were the most successful method for converting customers, with a 15% conversion rate in 2020. 10 Tips to Optimize Form Conversion If you want to transform your underperforming lead-generation forms, you’ll need to give both your webpage and the form itself a refresh. Start with these 10 tips to optimize form conversion. 1. Move your form above the fold. Conversion forms should be above the fold on your landing page. That means visitors shouldn’t have to scroll down the page to see your form. There’s no need to search to find your offer. Doing this removes friction from your lead generation process. For example,...

20 Questions to Ask When Creating Buyer Personas [Free Template]

Buyer Personas
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20 Questions to Ask When Creating Buyer Personas Knowing your customers is a crucial component of successful inbound marketing. Get started with buyer persona questions that can help you understand customers’ mindsets. We’ve gathered 20 questions that can help you identify your audience. After you explore the answers, use this free buyer persona template to share your findings with the rest of your company.  Remember: you'll need a content marketing strategy to reach your buyer personas. Find out how with HubSpot Academy's free content marketing training resource page. Download our free buyer persona template here to learn how to create buyer personas for your business. Download Now Questions About Their Personal Background 1. Describe your personal demographics. Collecting demographic information is a great place to begin drafting your personas. These questions paint a clearer, more personal picture of your customer.  Understand what communities they are a part of, and how those identities impact their interaction with your brand. What to Look for in the Answer Are they married? What's their annual household income? Where do they live? What are their cultural and racial backgrounds? What is their gender identity? How old are they? Do they have children? 2. Describe your career path. Having an idea of your client’s background tells you a lot about the type of information that they consume and the problems that they can face regarding their work. This can be especially helpful if you sell a B2B product.  What to Look for in...

The Job Search Process: 10 Tips on How to Land Your Dream Job (+3 Resume Examples)

Job Search
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The Job Search Process: 10 Tips on How to Land Your Dream Job (+3 Resume Examples) The job search process can feel daunting. Every step of the process — from finding relevant opportunities to interviewing — is a major time investment. However, an organized to-do list can keep you on track. In this post, you’ll learn the essential steps for an organized job search and tips to help you land your dream gig. Let’s get started. Table of Contents 10 Important Steps in the Job Search Process 10 Job Search Tips 3 Resume Examples Tailored to Different Niches Starting Your Job Search 10 Essential Steps for Your Job Search Process Without a roadmap, finding a new job can be overwhelming. This to-do list guides you through the essential steps of any job hunt. 1. Start with your mindset. Job hunting begins with your mindset. The right attitude can help you approach the process with resilience. Be prepared to wait for the right opportunity. Don’t be upset if you haven’t secured a new job within a couple of weeks. The average duration of unemployment is five and a half months, according to 2022 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, just moving from an interview to an offer takes 23.8 days on average. However, timeframes heavily depend on the industry, your experience, and the urgency to fill a role. For example, a government role will have a longer time to...