How Internal Marketing Helps You Build a Strong Brand From the Inside Out As an ‘external’ marketer, I have to say that I hadn’t given much thought to internal marketing until I started writing this article. My first thought was … that’s not my job. But the more I dug into the subject, I realized that’s not entirely true. Anytime I share a new content series or blog campaign across our internal channels and encourage my colleagues to help promote it, that’s internal marketing. When I lead onboarding sessions for new hires or recognize my teammates for their great work as part of our performance review process, that counts too. *quietly adds internal marketing to resume* Here’s everything else I learned about internal marketing — the benefits, the strategies that experts recommend, and a few more examples of what it looks like in practice. Table of Contents What is internal marketing? Who is responsible for internal marketing? Why is internal marketing important? Benefits of Internal Marketing Internal Marketing Strategies Internal Marketing Examples A happy workforce is the key to a successful internal marketing strategy, so employee experience is a big factor here. Every connection point that an employee has with the company — from onboarding to the exit interview — should be represented accordingly. Internal Marketing vs Internal Communication When I was a baby marketer, I couldn’t...

Holistic Marketing Works — Here's How You Can Apply It to Your Campaigns When I graduated with a marketing degree over a decade ago, I hit the scene thinking that marketing would always be its own thing. Something like “holistic marketing” seemed unnecessary to me. Marketers had their swim lane; I’d stick to mine. Now, when I lecture marketing students at my alma mater, I couldn’t imagine not thinking holistically about marketing. The marketing function keeps expanding, as Deloitte’s Spring 2024 CMO Survey affirmed. And marketing must help other departments and the entire company accomplish its goals and objectives. That’s one of many benefits holistic marketing offers. When we free marketing from swim lanes, we invite others to participate and own marketing’s principles and outcomes. Marketing then becomes a guide, directing customers, partners, and employees into a comprehensive, unified brand experience. But first, you must understand holistic marketing’s history, application, and implications. Let’s chat about how this approach can help you accomplish more with your campaigns. Table of Contents What is holistic marketing? Benefits of Holistic Marketing How to Apply a Holistic Marketing Approach 3 Tips for a Strong Holistic Marketing Strategy For a long time, companies divided operations into discrete business units. Marketing, sales, customer support, product development: each department was accountable to the company in total but operated within their own walls. But those departmental lines have been...

5 Marketing Strategies Polymarket Is Using to Be Everywhere at Once If you’ve followed the news or opened X this fall, you’ve probably seen Polymarket. It’s that prediction market for politics (and more) that’s been all over the place lately. I’ve been following their rise for the past year from a no-name niche betting market to over $1B assets under management — with the CEO on the cover of Forbes and presidential candidates mentioning them in speeches. Throughout the rise of Polymarket, I’ve become friendly with a few members of their growth marketing team here in NYC. And the one thing I keep asking them again and again is: “HOW ARE YOU GUYS EVERYWHERE????” Here’s what I’ve learned. A Breakdown of Polymarket’s Marketing Strategy Screenshot Marketing The first time most people come into contact with Polymarket isn’t their site or app. It’s usually a screenshot posted on social media or across the news. And if you look at any screenshot of Polymarket, you’ll see their name and logo. There's a 78% chance this election will have record voter turnout. pic.twitter.com/aJVSyYOmND — Polymarket (@Polymarket) October 23, 2024 This placement was not an accident, I promise you that. During talks with their team, I learned there was quite a lot of A/B testing done to make sure their logo would appear on almost any possible screenshot. Anytime a screenshot is shared across the internet, from X to LinkedIn to TikTok...

Digital Marketer Jenna Kutcher Thinks You're Overcomplicating It On my fridge, I’ve got a magnet my parents gave me that says, "Hold on… Let me overthink this." So today's marketing master's third lesson really hits home for me.  Jenna Kutcher is a digital marketer, podcast host, and author. As the founder of a multi-million dollar brand, she thinks marketers are overcomplicating it.  Keep reading to learn her three favorite tips for marketers looking to get ahead during a time of such intense search volatility.  Lesson 1: Don't sleep on Pinterest. One of the most frustrating experiences for Jenna is chatting with marketing big-wigs and hearing Insta and TikTok and Google getting all the hype — without a peep about Pinterest.  And I get it: When most people think of Pinterest, they probably think of the internet equivalent of a middle school collage. A hodgepodge of DIY projects, one-pot recipes, and wedding inspo — just without the Elmer’s glue.  But when Jenna thinks of Pinterest, she thinks of dollar signs.  Why? Pinterest is Jenna's number one organic traffic driver for her business (far surpassing Instagram), and her most lucrative channel.  Yep. You heard that right. And the reason boils down to longevity.  "The average entrepreneur is spending 20 hours a week on marketing and eight hours on social media," Jenna told me.  "By comparison, Pinterest takes me under an hour a week, and gives my content a longer shelf life. The average lifespan of a post on Instagram...

Demystifying Marketing's 6 Biggest Mixed Messages of 2024 with Jasper's Head of Enterprise Marketing Welcome to HubSpot's Expert Edge Series, where we interview top execs at major brands to explore their perspectives on the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the industry. "Use AI. But not too much AI … and in the right ways." "Optimize for SEO – but it's changing completely and irrevocably, so also optimize for other channels." "Speed and relevancy are top priorities. But we also need a 3-6 month content calendar which will require rallying a cross-functional team." Sound familiar? These are just a few of the six paradoxes Jasper's Head of Enterprise Marketing and Communications, Samyutha Reddy, recently posted on her LinkedIn: I'm willing to bet her thoughts resonate with plenty of marketers. 2024 has already felt like a consistently-shifting video game with plenty of unexpected pitfalls, cliffs, and trap doors. As everything about marketing changes — from SEO to content creation to goal-setting — Reddy encourages marketers to stay focused on what matters: Storytelling. Here, let's dive into some of her tips for dealing with the mixed messages we're hearing in 2024, and what to stay focused on, instead. Why These Six Paradoxes Exist in The First Place First, I was curious if Reddy had an assumption about why these paradoxes exist in 2024. Why is this year so challenging for marketers? Is it AI? Google's upcoming SGE changes? Something else? Surprisingly,...

How Luxury Brands Market and What You Can Learn I don’t easily fall for ads or grab products because of marketing tricks. Okay, okay…unless it’s a suitable luxury brand marketing strategy like a catchy video. In that case, I transform from someone who ignores ads to someone who needs that head-turning perfume as soon as possible. Do I really need it? Not at all. Do I still put it in my shopping cart? Guilty — I admit. That’s how good marketing works—even the strongest fall. So, in this piece, I’ll explore the top strategies from the best luxury brands worldwide and share the secrets you simply want to know. Luxury Brand Marketing Strategy How That Applies to Other Businesses In the Real World Luxury Brand Marketing Strategy Top luxury brands understand that customers seek more than a product. It’s a journey, exclusive and special: quality, craftsmanship, and artistic flair. It’s about making you feel sophisticated, high-class, and part of something big. I’ve researched seven popular brands and selected some of their best strategies to help you understand how luxury brands market. Let’s get started. Louis Vuitton — Strategic Collaborations Besides its fancy stores with shiny fronts, Louis Vuitton is super active on social media. They love teaming up with celebs and thus make their stuff even more desired because, well, if celebs wear it, you know it’s cool. For instance, check this collaboration with Belgian rapper Hamza Saucegod and Pharell: Image Source LV’s collections are also...

Diving Deep Into Marketing for Dentists (My Takeaways) An avalanche of both booked and patient walk-ins is the dream of dental practitioners. But let’s be honest — getting these patients requires hard work because the dental industry is fiercely competitive. To help you win and bring your dream to fruition, I will discuss the most interesting dental marketing campaigns I’ve seen and highlight what makes them so effective. I’ll also share some out-of-the-box marketing strategies for growing your dental business. Let’s get started. Table of Contents Dental Marketing Strategies: 5 Campaigns You Can Learn From 4 Dentist Marketing Ideas and How to Execute Them Dental Marketing Strategies: 5 Campaigns You Can Learn From Below are the top dental marketing campaigns I’ve discovered — from Google ads to unique website updates. Here’s how these dental offices and companies found success. 1. Increase lead capture with Google Ads. Google Ads is one of the most effective marketing strategies I’ve seen dental companies use. Beyond helping to create brand awareness, Google Ads lets you generate leads fast. Case in point: Smile Doctors. Image Source Smile Doctors started in 2015, and in the first few years, the brand had minimal brand recognition. To connect with people who may need its orthodontic services, they used Google Ads, and I’ll tell you why. From my experience, marketing channels like SEO take time to bring results — often six and up to nine months to attract just traffic. Waiting...

Diving Deep Into Marketing in Financial Services (My Takeaways) 🔥 FLAMING HOT TAKE ALERT: Marketing can drive business goals, but it can’t save a bad product. One financial company that understands this well is Wise, an international money transfer service I use. According to Nilan Peiris, Chief Product Officer at Wise, the company aimed to build a product that “blows user’s socks off.” That intended feat has come to fruition because a whopping 70% of Wise’s user growth comes through word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM). Even I discovered Wise through word of mouth. In this article, I will share five inspirational examples of effective marketing for financial services. I also share four marketing ideas you can deploy to market your brilliant product. Before delving into the strategies and examples, let’s discuss tips for solving your most fundamental marketing challenge — building a product customers love. Table of Contents A Case Study of Wise: How to Solve Your #1 Marketing Challenge as a Financial Services Provider Financial Services Marketing Strategies Financial Services Marketing Ideas What I Learned A Case Study of Wise: How to Solve Your #1 Marketing Challenge as a Financial Services Provider Businesses in financial services deal with a slew of challenges, including regulatory marketing restrictions, lack of consumer trust, and commoditization. These challenges are mitigated if you build a great product and provide a great user experience. That’s what Wise did. Wise aimed to give customers “an experience they...

Diving Deep Into Marketing for Restaurants (My Takeaways) I’m fortunate to live in a city that has a thriving restaurant scene (it’s most known for its barbecue and Tex-Mex, if that gives you any hint). And while I don’t consider myself a food connoisseur by any means, I was a food journalist in a past life, so I continue to stay on top of the latest stories and trends surrounding the restaurant industry. To do this, I follow a lot of restaurants on social media. I also subscribe to their newsletters, attend their special events, enter their giveaways, and sign up for their rewards programs. And because my marketing brain never shuts off, I can’t help but be curious about these restaurant marketing strategies. How well do they work? Which channels do these restaurants perform best on? How do established restaurants maintain interest after the grand opening buzz wears down? To figure out the answers to these questions, I’m digging deep into restaurant marketing ideas, strategies, and real-life campaigns. Restaurant Marketing Strategies That Work I wanted to get more insight into the world of restaurant marketing, so I spoke with Rachel Ayotte, the founder and CEO of Bread and Butter, a communications agency that works with hospitality clients. Why do restaurants of all sizes need a marketing strategy? What does an effective campaign look like these days? “In New York City alone, there are over 25,000 restaurants, which would take the average person 22 years to try,” shares...