Q1 Marketing Plays That'll Start Your Year Strong, According to State of Marketing Data Ah, quarter one. It's a time when many of us reflect on the last year, make new bets, and refresh our playbooks. If the fourth quarter is about finishing strong, then the first quarter is about starting smart. It's an exciting time but also a bit overwhelming. You have new goals to reach and new strategies to execute. You also need to create enough room to pivot at a moment's notice. But have no fear – here, I've rounded up seven data-backed strategies for nailing Q1, as well as Q1 marketing tips from HubSpot experts. Let's dive in. 1. Interested in influencer marketing? Start with micro-influencers. Half of marketers plan to increase their influencer marketing investment in 2024. If you've always wanted to work with influencers — but the price tag seems out of reach — I have some good news. Among marketers who leverage influencer marketing, nearly half (47%) found the most success with micro-influencers. These are influencers who have anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 followers. While these creators don't have millions of followers, they hold influence with a smaller, more engaged community. In fact, when asked about the biggest benefits of working with micro-influencers, 42% of marketers say micro-influencers are less expensive, followed by 39% who say micro-influencers give access to more niche communities. Want to learn more about working with micro-influencers? Check out this helpful guide. 2. Approach social media as an...

I Took a Deep Dive Into ASO Marketing. Here’s What I Learned. Confession — I have a long history of skin allergies. Recently, I've been searching for an app that would let me track all the cosmetics that I use (or plan to) to spot ingredients that could potentially cause skin irritation. I was overwhelmed with the options. I eventually found the "one," but it got me thinking — how much work did it take from the app creator to make it rank at the top of search results? As a marketer, I asked myself: What ASO marketing strategy did they use? And what makes or breaks an app's ranking if there are millions of them across app stores? I decided to find out. On top of my own research and experience, I also reached out to ASO experts and took a popular app store optimization tool for a spin. Here‘s what I’ve learned. What is ASO Marketing? ASO Marketing Tactics to Master ASO Marketing in Action (With Technology) Best Practices of ASO Marketing What is ASO Marketing? ASO Marketing, short for App Store Optimization Marketing, is a strategy that aims to improve your app's searchability and number of impressions in mobile app stores, like those from Apple and Google. Some sources refer to it as App Store marketing, while others go for the colloquial "SEO for mobile apps." Naturally, the number-one goal for ASO optimization is maximizing app downloads, but there are a few extra ones...

I Took a Deep Dive Into the Marketing Funnel, Here’s What I Learned Ever felt the thrill of coming into work only to notice that plenty of new leads have started signing up for a product demo through an article or asset you've created? I can tell you, from personal experience, that few things give you as strong of a motivation boost as this. After all, it's proof that you must be doing something "right." That said, it takes a lot of time to work out where to find your target audience. A lot of it comes down to building the right marketing funnel strategy, i.e., deciding what types of collateral to use at which stage of a lead's readiness to buy. Today, we'll learn a marketing funnel and tips for designing your own. What is the marketing funnel? Stages of the Marketing Funnel Tips for Building a Marketing Funnel Strategy Marketing Funnel – A Practical Example What is the marketing funnel? The marketing funnel describes all the stages your prospect has to go through before becoming your customer — from learning about your company to making the purchasing decision. In short, the marketing funnel acts as a map to guide your prospects to conversion (and beyond). If you closely analyze what happens at every stage of your funnel, you'll be able to understand how to influence prospects to move them to the next stage. Eventually, they become your customers. A well-designed marketing funnel can translate into...

Marketing 101: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners If you're new to marketing, you might have a skewed perception of it. You might imagine a multimillion-dollar Super Bowl ad or a glowing billboard in Times Square. Marketing is much more than that. It encompasses a variety of channels, tactics, and formats — and can work for any business at any budget. The key to getting started is knowing the fundamentals. Here, I'll walk you through some beginner-friendly marketing channels and how to build your first marketing strategy. Cost-Effective Marketing Channels Building Your First Marketing Strategy Cost-Effective Marketing Channels If you're just getting started with marketing, here are a few cost-effective channels to consider: Content marketing The entire premise of content marketing is to provide valuable content to your audience. This can be blog posts, videos, podcasts, e-books, and more. Unlike a pop-up ad, this type of marketing isn‘t disruptive. It’s supposed to feel natural, organic, and helpful. Consider this: you want to market your product, a productivity app. On your blog, you publish articles brimming with tips and tricks for staying productive at work. By providing this type of content, you slowly build awareness around your app. To take it one step further, you include a sign-up form for a free trial of your app at the top of every article — giving readers a chance to convert into customers. Content marketing...

Technical Marketing: Best Practices and Career Tips You'll need a solid technical marketing strategy if you sell a complex product or service. This type of marketing requires a firm understanding of the technical aspects behind your product. You'll also need to communicate complex processes clearly. Without technical expertise, your marketing team will have a difficult time developing content that resonates with your core audience. In this post, we'll look at why technical marketing is so important, as well as the skills necessary to succeed in a technical marketing role. Table of Contents When to Use Technical Marketing Technical Marketing Best Practices 7 Tips to Kickstart Your Career in Technical Marketing What is technical marketing? Technical marketing refers to a specific type of marketing focusing primarily on an offering's specifications and technical aspects. Technical marketing communicates and simplifies complex information, usually about specialized products. When to Use Technical Marketing Technical marketing is a crucial part of any marketing strategy. It’s particularly important to use when consumers are very knowledgeable about the subject matter and have a detailed understanding of the product or service. A general overview may work for some industries or products. But for someone who knows the ins and outs of your industry already, they’ll want more in-depth information. A few industries that benefit from technical marketing the most include: Software Manufacturing Healthcare Aerospace Electronics Within these industries, there are some scenarios when...

How Marketers Can Still Thrive in a Recession When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Right? In a recent Glimpse survey I ran for the HubSpot Blog, 78% of marketers said they were already facing one of the biggest lemons of 2023 -- recession. What's more, almost half were already seeing negative impacts. On top of that, one in three think a recession will have an even bigger impact on marketing than COVID-19. While we can't predict the future, our data hints that brands that focus on the right opportunities can still grow. But, what exactly are those opportunities? Read on to find out. Tips for Marketing Growth a Recession 1. Use data to connect with customers. Feel like you might not be in touch with your customers anymore? You’re not alone. Our research shows that over half of marketers don’t know crucial information about their target audience. And this is just one of three signs your company is facing a Crisis of Disconnection. This disconnect isn't at all shocking. Our lives have all changed drastically over the past three years.  As the recession progresses, customer relationships with brands will continue shifting -- and it's up to companies to keep up. The first step is gathering holistic, real-time data on consumer attitudes, preferences, and behaviors. Ideally, you get data, known as first-party data, directly from your customer. This is especially important as data privacy regulations are becoming more strict and things like third-party cookies are on the way...

31 Influencer Marketing Stats to Know in 2023 Influencer marketing harnesses the power of word-of-mouth — and scales it via social media. As a result, it's become a leading marketing strategy in 2023. Here, we've rounded up 31 stats to give you a better picture of the influencer landscape, its effectiveness, and the platforms that get the most traction in this space. Let's dive in. Table of Contents The Influencer Marketing Landscape Influencer Marketing Effectiveness Micro Influencer Stats Influencer Marketing on Instagram Influencer Marketing on TikTok Influencer Marketing on YouTube Influencer Marketing on Facebook Influencer Marketing Budgets What is influencer marketing? With influencer marketing, brands employ online influencers to promote their products or services. This makes influencers the middleman between brands and their audience. While a recommendation from a friend or family member is valuable, it's only a one-to-one interaction. But with influencers, this interaction could happen with hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people. Plus, influencers work hard to gain their audience's trust, making their recommendations more persuasive than other forms of advertising. For all the reasons above, influencer marketing has become one of the fastest-growing marketing strategies today. So, if you're looking to tap into new audiences online, working with influencers can be a powerful way to do just that. Types of Influencers...

5 Marketing Trends That Might Not Survive in 2023 Few marketing trends last forever. In reality, they come and go at rapid speed — and marketers must adapt. Because marketing is always evolving, your marketing playbook should, too. But if your strategy looks the same as years prior, it's time to do some housekeeping. Here, we'll cover five marketing trends that are losing steam and how marketers can respond. 1. Celebrity endorsements on social media. Have you ever seen a sponsored post from a celebrity on social media and thought, "Do they really use that?" For example, Beyond Meat's collaboration with media personality Kim Kardashian became a viral moment in 2022, but for all the wrong reasons. After releasing a promotional video of Kardashian sampling its vegan products, viewers were quick to accuse Kardashian of "fake chewing," leading many to question the authenticity of her endorsement. The problem is not that Kim K is clearly not a fan of Beyond Meat and is only doing it for the check.It's that all of her fans can see through it in the comments. pic.twitter.com/chwq9xK0Uh— Cody Wittick (@Cody_Wittick) August 26, 2022 While celebrities offer more exposure, consumers need to trust the celebrity and believe the endorsement is authentic. But building that trust is getting harder. Research shows that trust in celebrity endorsements is decreasing. Only 44% of Gen Z-ers trust endorsements from a celebrity or athlete. This...

Study Finds Most Marketers Don’t Know Their Audience: Here’s Why and How to Fix It   When it comes to marketing, almost nothing is more important than knowing your target audience. But what if I told you over half of marketers are missing critical information on their consumers? In our annual survey of over 1,200 marketers, we found that just 42% know the basic demographic information of their target audience, like their name, gender, and location. And, the data gap doesn't stop there: Less than half of marketers know their audience’s interests and hobbies, shopping habits, the products they are interested in buying, their purchase history, and where they consume content. Only 31% know the online communities their target audience is a part of and even less know the challenges they are facing. Just one-fourth of marketers know the social causes their target audience cares about - a huge missed opportunity when it comes to expressing your brand’s values, especially when marketing to Gen Z and Millennials. So why are marketers having such a hard time getting these data points? Let’s take a look at the biggest challenges marketers face in getting the data they need and discuss some solutions to the disconnection marketers are seeing with their audience. The Biggest Challenges Marketers Face in Understanding Their Target Audience A whopping 82% of marketers say having high-quality data on their target audience is important to succeeding in their role – but more than half...

It's Not Just a Marketing Phrase: 3 Ways to Deliver on Being a "Purpose-Driven Brand" We’ve entered the era of purpose. 70% of employees believe it’s important to work for a business with a clear sense of purpose.  And, 54% of consumers have reduced or stopped purchasing from organisations they think missed the mark on environmental or social issues. Additional, countless data points in our most recent State of Consumer Trends Report highlight how having a solid purpose or mission will win over today's audiences and enable you to stand out against competitors. The last two and a half years have brought into focus what it means to be a purpose-driven company. The global pandemic disrupted supply chains and highlighted rising inequalities. The ongoing threat of climate change shifted market dynamics and investor expectations, leaving businesses realising they must act. Not to mention, the Great Resignation/Reflection proved that employees are increasingly seeking value and purpose at work. There’s no question that driving value for stakeholders, society, and the planet is imperative. Today and in the future, we’ll see more companies start to weave purpose into their business. But, purpose is more than a buzzword. For winning companies, purpose declares a company’s core reason for existence and its unique impact on the world. Done right, companies connect people’s individual purpose with the organizations. But, building that doesn’t come easy. That’s why leaders iterate and evolve on a company’s purpose as they grow. At HubSpot, our purpose of building a company that future generations would be...