6 Signs Your Company Culture is a Bummer Posted on November 26, 2019November 27, 2019 by Jonathan Herrick Ask anyone in the workforce, company culture matters. According to Built In’s research, 47% of job seekers say that company culture is the number one driver behind looking for work, and people who don’t like their company’s culture are more likely to quit. Gone are the days of accepting a poor company culture environment for the sake of job security. Nowadays, employees don’t feel obligated to stay at a company if it means they’re unhappy. This is great for employees and those entering into the workforce, but this has severe repercussions for business leaders and owners if they aren’t taking their company culture seriously. What’s even more alarming is you may not even realize that your company culture could be lacking. Business leaders are busy, and checking culture can get pushed to the bottom of their to-do list. Also, the signs can sometimes be very subtle and difficult to notice. But, once you start looking for the warning signs, the negative shift in your company can no longer be ignored. Here are the tell-tale signs that your company culture is heading to bummerville: You Can’t Hold On To Employees In companies with a bad atmosphere, people are typically more open about job hunting. If there is a healthy organizational culture and the needs of the employees are consistently being met, then people will stay and look for opportunities to grow within the company. If negativity is commonplace and no one is actively looking for solutions, then change may be a long way off. Employee turnover is a hard beast to tackle. Once one employee leaves, it starts to spark some fear or questioning in other employees. They can begin to wonder if they should stick around or start looking elsewhere. Trust Is Lacking Trust is essential for every business to run efficiently. If you’re always worried about being honest with your direct support, or if you don’t feel comfortable bringing certain issues to the right people, then how will you be expected to do your best work? If employee trust is an issue, then fear becomes a problem and can spread rapidly through company echelons. When people become fearful of speaking up about toxic culture, they tend to leave rather than wait to see the tide turn. Trust is the foundation that holds the company together. When it becomes shaky, then negativity can spread, and you will find your company will be underperforming in all areas. Communication Is Broken If you are continually seeing projects being stalled or notice that people aren’t touching base with other departments when needed, then you have a communication issue to address. Failure to be transparent in all aspects can cause significant problems throughout a company, large or small. Employee engagement and interaction needs to be developed before communication can improve. And if management is not listening, then the disconnect could not be more extensive. Try to create teams and concentrate on the “we” rather than “I” to develop stronger bonds. Utilize tools, like Slack, that help improve communication. Encourage regular meetings that allow departments to synch up on key projects quickly. Utilize project management software that makes it easy to delegate tasks and provide status updates so everyone can stay up to speed. Employees Don’t Feel Valued Employees will quickly lose interest and motivation if they don’t feel valued or are not rewarded for their efforts. Now, I’m not saying you have to give your employees a gift every time they do something well. But, make sure you at least are letting them know you appreciate them and all that they do for you and the company. If you start to notice that the number of sick days is increasing, staff turnover is on the rise, or overall moral seems down, then start asking yourself if you’re showing your appreciation enough. Recognition needs to come from all directions for it to take effect, including colleagues and management. Without it, commitment to the business will be nonexistent. Micromanagement Is Happening Being micromanaged makes work feel intolerable. Micromanagement creates feelings of discouragement, fear, and doubt, and it doesn’t empower your employees to perform at their best and to grow in their roles. For people to feel like their jobs are rewarding, they need more opportunities for autonomy and guidance. Feedback should be provided from a place of care and received only when necessary. Employees should make their own decisions, offer challenges, and the chance to use their initiatives. This will allow their passion and a sense of purpose to thrive. If you feel like there’s a chance your management is teetering on micromanaging, instill practices that will help scale it back. Challenge your team to practice more of a hands-off approach and to keep their reports accountable for their actions and strategies. Core Values Are Ignored This should be a given, but if a company does not live and breathe its core values, its culture will be severely lacking. And while a company evolves due to growth or development, it must stick to its initial values or at least update them. Place your core values in a place where everyone can see them. Make them a part of the daily routine by mentioning them in meetings where applicable. Evaluate the performance of your management team based on how well they uphold those values. And make sure you give reports the ability to provide feedback on their managers based on their ability to live up to those values. Company culture changes with backing from executives and constant communication, training, and mentoring. Make sure that your company communicates its expectations regularly and rewards those who demonstrate and promote a positive culture. Make company culture a priority, and over time you’ll see the fruits of your labor take root.
6 Blogging Mistakes that Could be Killing Your Progress Posted on November 25, 2019November 21, 2019 by Allie Wolff Maintaining an active and consistent company blog has numerous benefits. For example, it shows your on-site visitors that you have a living resource where you share knowledge, tips, and advice on various topics within your industry. Also, it provides fuel for your email nurture campaigns and can help you personalize your outreach by sending applicable blog content to prospects based on where they are in the buyer’s journey. It also assists with top-of-the-funnel engagement as well. Companies that maintain a blog receive 97% more links to their website. Generating traffic to your site from outside publications and outlets is a great way to extend your reach and engage with a broader audience. It’s the people who know this that really maximize the benefits of a blog for their businesses. But when embarking on a beneficial blog strategy, it’s essential to know what NOT to do. Here are a few of the most common (and potentially costly) blogging mistakes you should avoid. Writing Only About Personal Interests We all know it’s easier to write about something we are interested in or passionate about. In fact, a lot of SMEs who are creating content already do that, and that’s fine. There’s a time and a place for that content. But if what you’re passionate about isn’t aligned with what your audience wants to read, then your blog isn’t going to get any traction. So, before you write content for your blog, you have to do your homework and research your target audience. Chances are, you’ve already done this. If so, that research is broken down in your content marketing strategy document. If not (shame on you!), find out what the people you are trying to attract value. Talk to your sales team and see what sort of struggles they’ve heard prospects express in their conversations. Learn what your audience’s pain points are and what kinds of questions they have about your product or service. Then, craft your content around those triggers so you can provide your audience with valuable content they need. Not Using Your Unique Tone Some grammar mistakes are just made to be broken if enforcing them makes you sound like a robot. When it comes to your blog content, the last thing you want to do is scare people away with ultra-professional, sterile language. Now, I’m not saying that you should use slang left and right and neglect the quality aspect of the content you’re creating. But being a grammar soldier shouldn’t come at the expense of your true tone and voice. You’re not writing a college essay; you’re talking to your prospects. Write your message the same way you’d speak it. You want to reach your audience, and this will make your content comprehensive and easy to understand. Your audience will thank you, especially since they’re reading your blog to try and learn more about what it is you do and your industry. Choosing Topics That Aren’t Specific When your audience is searching for information online, they’re using specific search terms to help them find what they need. That’s why focusing on blog topics that aren’t specific isn’t in your best interest and doesn’t do much to serve your strategy. This is where having an SEO strategy can really come in handy. If you focus your content around specific search terms and keywords you know your audience is using when searching for content online, you’ll keep your content concise and laser-focused on particular areas. And you’ll make your blog content rank higher and therefore it will be found more easily. Another tip is to use this HubSpot’s blog idea generator to get you started. Not only will this make it easier for you to write, but it’ll also attract a more targeted audience, which will provide you with higher-quality leads. Not Proofreading Before Publishing Quality matters. If you’re hitting the publish button before looking over your blog posts, you’re shooting yourself in the foot without even realizing it. Why? Because people notice mistakes and the more mistakes they see in your content, the less they’ll think of the advice you have to offer and your brand. If your content is loaded with improper grammar or poor punctuation, it sends a message to your audience that you lack attention to detail. Now, I know I said that grammar comes second to conveying your actual tone and voice. That doesn’t mean leaving glaring mistakes in your articles. Doing so makes for a lousy first impression and doesn’t show your business in the best light. It could even cost you some customers. So, always proofread your content before pushing it live. Always. Lacking Consistency What do you think it does to your credibility when you publish one blog post, then wait an entire month to publish another one? A great business blog doesn’t just attract new readers; it also establishes a steady following of repeat visitors. And if you aren’t publishing content consistently, your audience will stop coming back to your blog and relying on you for what they need. And a blog without any repeat visitors is a blog that doesn’t convert. After all, the more traffic you’re getting, the higher your chances are of converting some of those visitors into paying customers. Having a successful blog means being committed to publishing fresh content regularly. Create an editorial calendar that outlines what you plan to post and when for each month. This will help you establish a cadence that you can stick to, maintain consistency, and have an organized schedule your entire team can easily access. No Distribution Strategy There’s nothing I hate more than when a piece of content goes live and no one knows about it because it’s not being distributed. Why go to all that trouble creating the content if you aren’t going to actually use it once it goes live? It’s silly, but this happens a lot, actually. Before you even create a blog post, you should have an idea of how you’re going to use it. List out the various ways you plan to distribute the content so that you’ll get as much from it as possible. This should include: Sharing it on your various social media channels Sending it to your sales team so they can use it in their conversations Adding it to your weekly or monthly newsletters Adding it to drip campaigns so you can nurture prospects based on where they are in their journey Seeing if you can get it syndicated on another site and tap into their readership These six mistakes are what we see busy marketers make with their blog content most often, so make sure you aren’t inadvertently practicing any of them. Outline your strategy, audience, and process so you can hold yourself accountable. The benefits will be an effective blog strategy that is on-message and valuable to your key audience.
Should Your Sales Team Be Using Phone or Email Follow Up? Posted on November 22, 2019November 19, 2019 by Tegan Arnold Being a successful salesperson isn’t built on the foundation that you think it is. Sure, a salesperson who has a high close rate, is reliable and consistent, and has a robust network to use as a resource could be deemed as “successful.” But the typical sales standard is changing. Today’s consumers don’t enjoy being sold to. Instead, they want someone to be a resource to them, respect their process and provide them with the information they can use in their day-to-day demands. As the sales approach evolves, what constitutes as successful for sales professionals has evolved along with it. There’s a difference between selling and nurturing. Now, successful is being able to build long-lasting, trustworthy relationships, achieved by listening to people, maintaining contact with them, and sending them valuable content they can use and learn from. But how do you achieve that success? Well, the way you choose your initial follow-up is key. Your method, be it email or phone, can determine if the relationship progresses, or if your contact becomes just another lost opportunity. So even though you have additional questions you need them to answer that will help you be a better resource and move them through the funnel, you can’t tread too lightly or too heavily and risk ruining the relationship. Don’t scare off your prospects by using the wrong follow-up method. Consider the pros and cons of each so you can choose the best tactic. Phone Follow-Up: Pros Trust and Credibility Following-up via a sales call can give your business more credibility. Think about it. You’re proving to your prospect that you’re an actual human being, which can make them feel more at ease with your outreach and the process in which you’re choosing to maintain the relationship. It also can help you win extra trust points because you’re showing them that you’re taking time out of your day to touch base in a more personal way. Customers are more likely to buy from someone they trust, as well as recommend you to a friend when asked for a referral. More Sales Another added benefit of the phone follow-up method is that it can result in more sales. Since you already have your contact on the phone, you can easily slip in mentions of any special promotions you’re currently running, or special offers that you think they may be interested in. Offering promos via phone allows you to answer any questions they have in real-time and quickly, and to expedite a sales process that could have taken tons of back and forth email communication. Phone Follow-Up: Cons One and Done As we established in the previous point, following up via phone is great for answering questions in real-time. However, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, and it applies here. When you give prospects the chance to ask all the questions they have at once, there won’t be a reason for them to talk to you further. The sales process should be a journey, not a race. You want to make sure you create numerous touchpoints in the process so you can provide your prospects with varying resources as they travel through the funnel. After all, a more educated lead that has a longer sales cycle makes for a more promising partner down the line, so don’t rush things by checking off numerous boxes in your first phone call. Coming On Too Strong Let’s state the obvious: Most people consider constant phone calls from salespeople spam or just downright annoying. I’m sure it goes without saying, but constantly calling your prospects, hoping to get them on the phone so you can sell them something isn’t the way to go about phone follow-up. Refusing to comply with common phone courtesy and being pushy can result in prospects avoiding your calls and blocking your number. If that happens, say goodbye to building a relationship and any chance of signing them as a partner. Also, some people may consider phone follow-up a bit abrasive. They may not find it as a natural way to engage in a conversation with you, or they may not be ready to engage that way yet. The only way phone follow-up should be used is if you’re familiar enough with your prospect and know they’ll be comfortable with that kind of approach. Email Follow-Up: Pros Non-Threatening Following-up via email is a great, non-threating way to touch base with your leads. You can keep your emails short and to the point, which won’t occupy too much of your prospects’ time and will keep your communication direct. Also, email follow-up doesn’t place pressure on your leads to respond ASAP, as a phone call does. Instead, you’re giving them time to think and respond, and you’re not asking them to interrupt what they’re doing to get back to you. Nurturing Drip campaigns, or email nurture campaigns, are ways you can follow-up with your leads but in a way that provides them with information and resources that they need. Based on where they are in the buyer’s journey, you can send them information on your software or service offerings, and do so in a way that isn’t demanding they make a decision. Instead, you’re educating them so they can make an informed decision when they’re ready. You’re also moving them through the funnel at a comfortable pace. Your leads will appreciate the lack of urgency, and through consistency, you’ll stay top-of-mind with them. Email Follow-Up: Cons Easily Ignored The drawback of email follow-up is that customers can easily ignore your email. Even if they have the best intentions of getting back to you, they could get busy, and the next thing you know, it’s been two months and you haven’t heard back from them. This is why personalization and consistent follow-up is crucial when it comes to email. Practicing both of these methods will ensure you’re communication stands out, and it can reduce any likelihood of your emails getting ignored or forgotten. Marked As Spam With every email sent, there is a possibility that it will never get seen. Email spam filters are sensitive, so unless you’re practicing the right email marketing methods, your outreach could be DOA. Follow simple rules that will keep you out of the spam folder, like regularly cleaning up email lists, being CAN-SPAM compliant, and avoiding common spam triggers, like capitalizing words in subject lines. Whatever follow-up you choose, the most important thing to remember is to listen to your gut. If your gut is telling you that the prospect you’re reaching out to would rather hear from you via email, then send an email. Don’t be pushy, come on too strong, or be too focused on selling. That approach, be it via email or phone, will not sit well with your leads and will hurt any chance you have of building a long-lasting, healthy relationship with them.
The State of Agencies 2020 Posted on November 21, 2019December 8, 2022 by Jessica Lunk We can learn from our marketing peers. From what email marketing tools they’re using to what services they’re providing, the more that we understand what top marketing agencies are up to, the better we can tailor our own efforts for success. With that in mind, we’ve gone deep into industry research to discover as much as we can about the state of agencies today — and we’ve packaged all of that information up for you right here. What They Do: Services and Offerings If you want your marketing agency to be on par with the pros, then you have to make sure you’re providing the same variety of services. And as the digital marketing landscape expands, so too does the range of services and specialties that an agency has to provide. 72% are offering content marketing services 70% are offering email marketing services 69% are offering creative services 68% are offering display marketing services 3% are offering additional services not listed above Source: Wordstream How to compete: Make sure that you diversify your service offerings as much as possible. Brands have a lot of bases to cover online, and they need marketing agencies that can excel in more than one arena. The more variety you’re able to offer, the more attractive you’ll look to potential clients. What They Solve: Client Needs Just as important as understanding what agencies are doing is understanding why they’re doing it. Brands are up against some unique challenges, with high- performance metrics and expectations across multiple channels — and they’re relying on marketing agencies to help them get there. 26% need help identifying the right technologies for their needs 26% need help managing their websites 21% need help targeting content for an international audience 19% need help training their team 16% need help hiring top talent 7% need help finding an executive sponsor Source: Hubspot How to compete: The goal is to optimize your services to fill in marketing gaps wherever and whenever they’re needed. Stay on top of challenges within your industry, specifically ones applicable to your target audience so that you can anticipate and address your clients’ needs before they even mention them. What Keeps Them Up At Night: Marketing Struggles Nobody ever said that running a marketing agency is easy. All agencies face unique challenges, but some are more common than others. Here’s what marketers said their biggest hurdles were in 2019. 7% struggled with retaining current clients 7% struggled with hiring and training new employees 3% struggled with a lack of knowledge and training in paid search 2% struggled with other issues Source: Wordstream How to compete: Be aware of your challenges. Identifying your barriers to success is just as important as the solutions that you put into place for them, so take a proactive approach to internal agency issues instead of sweeping them under the rug. What Tools They Use: Software and Platforms The internet has made marketing broader and more competitive, but it’s also taken on some of the legwork, too. To wit: a growing industry of marketing-driven digital assets designed to automate your marketing processes and make your job easier. And here’s what agencies are using. 52% of agencies use social media platforms 45% of agencies use social media scheduling tools 39% of agencies use CRM 35% of agencies use SEO software/platforms 31% of agencies use task management software 29% of agencies use product management software 22% of agencies use marketing automation software 21% of agencies use landing page software 15% of agencies use marketing management platforms 8% of agencies use digital asset management platforms Source: CoSchedule How to compete: Add as many digital tools into your toolbox as you can, taking into account both your budget and your objectives. While many of these software options take some work to set up, once they’re up and running, you’ll save time and money, plus you’ll have a lot more data to drive your strategies. What’s On Their Back End: Business Operations Sometimes the most critical parts of running a successful marketing business that assists with growth and retention are also the least glamorous. Case in point: referrals and charging clients, both of which tell us a lot about how marketing agencies are operating. How are agencies snagging their clients? From most common to least common: Referrals Website Social Media Search Job Boards Other Creative Staffing Agencies Source: Flywheel And once a client is on-boarded, agencies have a few different methods of charging for services. From most common to least common: Per Project (Variable) Hourly Per Project (Fixed) Retainer Performance-Based Other Source: Flywheel How to compete: Cast as wide of a net as possible with your marketing so that as many potential clients as possible can find you. And when it comes to charging clients, don’t assume there is anyone correct way — use what works for you and them, and vary your payment structure by the client if you need to. What Their Retention Is: Average Client Lifespan Getting clients is one thing — holding on to them is another. Marketing is an interesting field in this respect since many clients hire agencies to oversee only selective campaigns for set periods. The average amount of time marketers hold on to their clients is 28 months. 30% of agencies retain clients for 0-12 months 27% of agencies retain clients for 13-25 months 24% of agencies retain clients for >39 months 19% of agencies retain clients for 26-28 months Source: Wordstream How to compete: To meet and exceed the average marketing client retention rate, you need to evolve along with your clients. Constantly consider ways to offer additional value above and beyond your initial campaigns and act as a marketing advisor — not just an executor. How They Use Paid Ads: PPC Spending While much of marketing focuses on organic growth, there’s no underestimating the continued importance of PPC ads. 64% of agencies are managing more PPC spending in 2019 than they did in 2018, which suggests that — like it or not — paid search is still as critical as organic. As for what that growth looks like across the board: 37% of agencies say their PPC spend increased by more than 25% 27% of agencies say their PPC spend increased by less than 25% 25% of agencies say their PPC spend stayed the same 11% of agencies say their PPC spend declined Source: Wordstream How to compete: Don’t put all of your eggs in one search basket. Prioritize PPC along with organic search, then let the results show you which direction to rely on more heavily. Where They Advertise: Online Platforms and Social When it comes to the platforms that agencies are targeting with their ads, it’s probably no surprise that Google takes the top spot. 99% of marketing agencies optimize their ads for Google, and the search engine giant shows no signs of losing that top spot. Still, it’s not the only platform agencies are paying attention to. 49% of agencies are managing ads on YouTube 44% of agencies are managing ads on Bing 28% of agencies are managing ads on Twitter 9% of agencies are managing ads on Amazon 8% of agencies are managing ads on Snapchat 4% of agencies are managing ads on Quora 2% of agencies are managing ads on Yahoo! Gemini Source: Wordstream How to compete: Here’s an instance where it’s to your advantage to be a follower. Marketing is all about competition, and you need to target your ads in the same place that your competitors are. Judging from the stats above, we say set your sights on platforms like Google, Facebook, and Instagram, and only manage ads on platforms like Yahoo! Gemini, Quora, and Snapchat if it makes sense for your client. Where They See The Most Return: Content That Converts Content marketing is a mainstay pillar of the industry. And to get the most out of it, it pays to focus on the types of content that offer the most significant payback for your efforts. While your content strategy is probably informed mainly by the types of clients you’re working with (and, by default, where their audience engages online), it’s still helpful to know where other agencies are seeing results. Here’s what marketers say is their top-performing content type: 11% say it’s organic social media posts 10% say it’s website content 5% say it’s videos 3% say it’s PPC ads 3% say it’s landing pages 3% say it’s case studies 2% say it’s white papers 2% say it’s original research 1% say it’s one of the following: print ads, ebooks, podcasts, microsites, television ads, or billboards Source: CoSchedule How to compete: It’s interesting to note that there’s not one content type that’s overwhelmingly effective for all agencies, but it’s also not surprising. The kind of content that converts with an audience is mostly dependent on the audience themselves. Personify your demographic so that you know who you’re marketing to — and by default, where and how you’ll find them. The industry is evolving, and it’s up to individual agencies to grow with it. Whether you’re working with a small team or a huge staff, consider what other agencies are doing but forge your own path, too. And if you get frustrated, take solace in the fact that at least we’re all in it together.
How to Make Sure Your Content Is Optimized For Voice Search Posted on November 20, 2019December 1, 2022 by Jessica Lunk Wonder what the weather will be like today? Ask Alexa. Need to add an item to your grocery list? Tell Google. Want to call your spouse? Have Siri dial for you. It used to be that we could accomplish almost anything at the click of a button. Now, we don’t even have to lift a finger. All we have to do is speak, and the simplest tasks, like ordering takeout or changing the channel on the TV, are accomplished. Voice command has been a modern comfort for quite a while now. Not only has it made getting off the couch unnecessary, but it’s also shifted the way we conduct searches and how search engines generate results. Instead of typing a few disjointed words in Google and hitting search, we’re speaking our search phrases, and when doing so, it’s in a more conversational flow. This simple shift in our search approach, while convenient for most of us, is forcing marketers and brands working on their SEO strategies to go back to the drawing board. Getting your content to rank in voice search means adjusting your content so that it aligns more with the conversational flow in which voice searches are being conducted. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. So, how can you be sure you’re doing all you can to optimize your content for voice search? We’ve got five tips that you can implement immediately: 1. Claim Your Business Listings Searches performed on smartphones, and other hand-held or wearable devices tend to show business listings first in the results. The reason being is that tech assumes users are trying to find a local company. You need to claim all online listings of your business so that when people are voice searching on their phones or another wearable tech, the likelihood of your’s popping up is increased. This includes Google, Yahoo, Yelp, and any other listing site that’s relevant to your industry. The more local places you can be present, the better. 2. Reduce Load Time Making sure your website is optimized is a step in the process you don’t want to overlook. The speed with which your website loads plays a key role in how your business will rank in search engines. This has always been the case for typed search, and it’s no different for voice search. Think about it. If your website takes forever to load, why wouldn’t pulling it for a search result also be delayed? There are plenty of ways to cut down on the load time of a web page. Start by optimizing images by ensuring they’re the correct size and not bigger than they have to be. Also, minifying HTML, JavaScript, and CSS help too. If you’re not sure how your site’s performing in terms of speed, try using Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool. 3. Use Long-Tail SEO Frequently when we create content with SEO in mind, we focus on keywords, keeping them short and sweet. The reason being is that when people search for things online, they tend to use short phrases or even one or two words. This has always yielded the best results, but when it comes to optimizing your content for voice search, don’t neglect long-tail keywords or phrases. Long-tail SEO is probably one of the most effective ways to optimize for voice search, primarily because most searches conducted by voice are significantly longer than text searches. Additionally, long-tail SEO enables you to optimize for featured snippets, which can boost you to the top of the search results. 4. Produce Content That’s Locally Focused Research indicates that most smart-speaker owners are conducting searches for local items. While most of these are for food and drink reservations, a price of an item from a local business, or to book an appointment, it never hurts to make sure you’re thinking local when it comes to your content. Yes, there are benefits to a content strategy that allows you to appeal to a wider audience. But if you’re too consumed with reaching those that reside outside your state or geographical lines, you’ll fail to even get on the radar of customers that are more accessible to you. So, make sure you’re getting published or featured in local news and media outlets, creating content specific to your town or city, and that you’re on local business review sites and lists. 5. Utilize Structured Data Markup As mentioned, voice search results depend heavily on things like business listings and featured snippets. Another strategy that works similarly is structured data markup. Structured data allows users to get more information about a business directly on search engines, without the need to actually click through. For instance, address, phone number, menu, details about events, price range, etc. Structured data also enables search engines to scan and present info to users in a much faster and more efficient way. If this sounds confusing, or if you need help in this area, here’s a Structured Data Markup Helper and a step-by-step guide. Voice search SEO may be different than what you’re used to, but that’s no reason to pretend like your business will be fine if it doesn’t rank in voice search. The reality is, voice search is going to only become more and more of a reality. In fact, it’s predicted that in 2020, 50% of searches will be done by voice. Adjusting your SEO strategy by following the tips above is a great way to start, but don’t stop there. Make sure you’re staying up-to-date with the most current voice search trends out there so you can be ready to adjust your strategy as needed.
30 Email Marketing Stats You Need to Know for Your 2020 Strategy Posted on November 19, 2019November 20, 2019 by Allie Wolff Is your 2020 email marketing strategy poised for success? While you can’t predict exactly what will happen, you can give yourself a head start with the email marketing stats and trends that can help guide your strategy in 2020 and beyond. After all, marketing is as much about moving with the flow of the industry as it is adapting to your own needs and objectives. Email marketing is an ever-evolving endeavor — and just when you think you’ve gotten a handle on best practices, things start to change. There’s no arguing with the facts, though when it comes to what’s working on a large scale. Monitoring these sorts of trends is key for stretching your marketing budget as far as it will go, and it’s also part and parcel of forming a solid strategy quarter to quarter and year to year. As we close out 2019 and look ahead to 2020, are you doing everything you can to maximize the value of your email efforts? Here are 30 statistics that can help guide you to an answer. Mobile Matters Making sure to integrate your emails for mobile use is more necessary now than ever. Up to 60% of email opens are on mobile, depending on the industry. (Campaign Monitor) 75% of Gmail users are using their mobile devices to access their email. (Backlinko) 42.3% of consumers will delete an email if it isn’t optimized for mobile. (Backlinko) Email Marketing ROI There’s a lot to be gained from smart email marketing. For every $1 spent, email marketing generates $32 in ROI. (Oberlo) Conversion rates for emails are higher than social media, direct traffic, and search. (Smart Insights) 81% of businesses say that email drives customer acquisition, and 80% for retention. (Emarsys) 59% of marketers cite email as their number one source of ROI. (Emma) Email offers result in shoppers spending 138% on their purchases. (Disruptive Advertising) Act on Automation If you’re not automating your email marketing efforts yet, then 2020 is the year to start. 75% of marketers are using at least one type of marketing automation tool. (Social Media Today) Mapping out the customer journey and using personalized content are considered the most effective ways to optimize marketing automation. (HubSpot) Custom automation workflows have the highest click-through rates. (Ominsend) Consumers Want to Hear From You There’s nothing spammy about email marketing, provided you do it right. 99% of consumers use email every single day. (HubSpot) Personalized emails can produce a transaction rate of 6x higher than those of other marketing emails. (Business2Community) Marketers who segment their email marketing campaigns noted as much as a 760% increase in revenue. (HubSpot) 60% of consumers prefer signing up for a brand’s email list for promotional offers compared to 20% who follow brands on social for deals. (OptinMonster) 59% of consumers say that email marketing influences their purchasing decisions. (HubSpot) Only 14% of subscribers believe that the majority of the marketing emails they receive are relevant to them. (OptinMonster) 58% of consumers check their email before doing anything else online. (OptinMonster) Optimize Open Rates Some things work better than others for getting your emails opened. In North America, the average email open rate is 19%. (GetResponse) Personalized subject lines provide a 26% boost in open rates. (Campaign Monitor) 56% of brands see higher open rates when they use emojis in their subject lines. (Disruptive Advertising) 47% of recipients open emails based on subject lines alone. (OptinMonster) The best day for the highest open rates is Tuesday (CampaignMonitor) The best time for sending emails is 10 in the morning. (Coschedule) Everything Else Additional stats to help drive your 2020 email marketing campaigns. Most consumers want to hear from brands on a weekly basis. (V12) Hitting that sweet spot is critical: 45% of consumers don’t like it when brands reach out too often. (Adobe) Experts anticipate that 347 emails will be sent worldwide every day by 2022. (Statista) People spend 2.5 hours per weekday checking their personal emails at work. (Adobe) The average marketing email contains 434.48 words and takes 3.3 minutes to read. (AWeber) Women pay attention to marketing oriented emails more than men do. (Disruptive Advertising) So what’s the takeaway from all of this? Email marketing is working, and if you do it right, it can be one of the biggest — if not the biggest — ROI drivers for your team. Take trends into account when it comes to what’s working and what’s not, and get creative, too. Here’s to email success in 2020!
7 Best Customer Thanksgiving Email Templates to Inspire You Posted on November 15, 2019November 19, 2019 by Natalie Slyman November is a busy time of year, but it’s also a lucrative season for sales. As a small business owner, that equates to less time and more work. To stay efficient, you need to find ways to cut some corners without losing authenticity. When it comes to email marketing for Thanksgiving, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Here are six of the best email template sites to get your holiday campaigns rolling: 1. Stripo Email This email marketing site offers a variety of Thanksgiving templates for free. They feel that holiday design matters more than even generous value proposition. That’s why this Thanksgiving email template page is broken down by industry. Restaurant Sports Real Estate Hotels Photography Flowers Finance Technology Paper Stripo has created these email templates to be “festive, heart-warming, soothing, and charming.” The idea is to get people ready for the holiday season. Select a template for your industry, and the site redirects to a built-in editor. There, you can tweak the design, beta test it, add blocks and export the final product. 2. Sendloop This marketing brand has an informative email blog they maintain. In their article “How to send Happy Thanksgiving email that converts,” the company offers a free download for a variety of turkey day templates. In addition to the designs, the blog covers the reason for holiday email campaigns and how it attributes to customer relationships. They have already developed email layouts that look great. All a small business needs to do is download the template and personalize it for the lead. If you are not using these in Sendloop, don’t forget to customize the “opt-out” link for your email service provider. 3. Hatchbuck Did you know that we offer a holiday email template pack? In it, we include two templates for Thanksgiving that you can easily use and modify to send to your contacts. You can add your company logo, links to your social channels, and adjust the copy to reflect special promotions or specific messaging you want to send your contacts. The holiday season is an excellent time of year to spread some cheer and say thank you for being such a valuable and wonderful asset. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to form a connection with your prospects and tell them just how important you think they are. 4. Emma Whether you intend to invite more subscribers or highlight altruistic efforts, Emma has created a Thanksgiving email template for a bunch of needs. Their responsive and colorful designs help you stand out in the inbox during the holiday season. The templates are ready to be customized and styled according to your brand. Thanksgiving email templates are free with any Emma account and are fully responsive on mobile devices. Accounts start at $89/month but give you unlimited access to the holiday designs, as well as 100+ readymade ones. 5. WebFX If you have a lot of mobile customers, you may want to consider an email template with a responsive design. The free WebFX thanksgiving template is a professional and straightforward framework that was created by HTML newsletter coding service EmailCraft.com. The free download includes a PSD file and can be used with these campaign tools: Campaign Monitor Constant Contact MailChimp The features of the responsive template are compatible with a multitude of email providers. These include: Outlook (2007+, Express) Apple Mail Windows Live Email Mozilla Thunderbird Google Mail Opera M2 AOL Webmail Yahoo! Mail Outlook.com Since the template is already designed to function with a mobile device, there is minimal work needed to adapt the content. Focus more on funding marketing. Every $1 you spend has an average ROI of $32. The returns are incredible. 6. FireDrum This marketing site offers a few free email templates for the Thanksgiving holiday. Their focus is on creating modern and unique designs that are warm and inviting. The templates are fun and easy to use. The background, image, and text can all be customized. The format is responsive on all mobile devices and will adapt to any screen size. Your brand message will never get lost. The site also offers free templates for Black Friday with built-in navigation. 7. Constant Contact Send seasonal emails that delight subscribers through Constant Contact. They offer a variety of Thanksgiving email templates for holiday inspiration. The colorful design will highlight your brand in all the right places and are simple to edit and send. Constant Contact’s powerful editor allows you to match a brand to any holiday template. A marketer can add: Colors Text Logo Images The editor is easy to use with a custom drag-and-drop feature. The site delivers email campaigns more reliably than providers like Outlook. It also has a huge library of free images that you can use with any template available. Although Constant Contact is a paid service, you can sign up for a free 60-day trial. Once you send out a campaign, the site also lets you track metrics like opens, clicks, and bounce rates. Email marketing is essential for small businesses, as it’s the primary driver of retention and acquisition. According to data, 81% of SMBs rely on email as their primary customer acquisition channel, and 80% use it consistently for retention. If you are in a rush this holiday season, don’t skip the email campaigns. Use a template to save time and take advantage of the seasonal sales.
12 Best Marketing Automation Software for Agencies Posted on November 14, 2019April 26, 2022 by Tricia O'Donnell Seventy-nine percent of high-performing companies have used marketing automation for at least three years. It’s not surprising. Using marketing automation software has numerous benefits for marketing and sales departments. It can increase productivity, grow revenue, reduce overhead costs, and save time. Offering marketing automation services to your agency clients can help them be more agile, high-performing, and deliver on their goals – proving you to be invaluable to their success. As you explore the right marketing automation software, you may need to get buy-in from your clients . The next question is, which software out there is suitable for their particular needs? What workflows do you need to automate? The particular software you decide to go with ultimately depends on what you want to automate. If you’re unsure, start listing each step of every marketing process your client takes. Then, mark which actions must be done by a human and which ones might be better left to the robots. The latter will then become a list of features you’ll need marketing automation software to provide. Your list might include, for example: Sending pre-written emails to prospects or customers Lead scoring/qualifying Survey, form, and landing page creation Publishing posts to social media channels SMS messaging Consolidating metrics and sending reports Fortunately, there’s marketing automation software for each of these tasks. We’ve handpicked the ten best marketing automation software options for agencies in 2022 (based on capabilities, ease of use, and customer reviews) so you can start test-driving them for your clients today. The 12 Best Marketing Automation Platforms to Consider Sharpspring Sharpspring is a platform designed for agencies, so you can be sure it’ll fit your needs out of the box. Users report that it’s easy to learn, has an expansive set of features, and is cost-effective. Key features: Email, Forms, Visitor ID, CRM, Landing Pages, Blogs, Analytics, Social, Workflow builder Pros: It increases agencies’ conversation rates. It improves the user experience. Cons: Email and landing page builders lack some display functions and intuitive features. Price: Starting at $399/mo Marketo Marketo is one of the most popular programs out there. It has a toolset for each part of your digital marketing strategy — from lead management and email to mobile marketing. It has incredible customization tools, making it an excellent solution for agencies of all sizes and specializations. Key features: Lead management, email, mobile, account-based marketing, social, content AI, web retargeting Pros: Marketo has incredible customization tools, making it an excellent solution for agencies of all sizes and specializations. Cons: The landing page builder tends to slow down. Price: $1,195/month BenchmarkONE We’d be careless to leave our solution off the list. BenchmarkONE is ideal for small and medium-sized agencies that regularly utilize email marketing in their digital campaigns. Customers love our automatic lead scoring system, affordability, the continual addition of features, and customer support. Key features: Lead management, email integration, advanced segmentation, lead scoring, form building, CRM Pros: Impressive email templates. Measure clicks per email. Easy to use for users with little to no technical knowledge Responsive and excellent support team. Cons: The basic form design could be improved. Offerings: Free Trial/Freemium Version/Premium Consulting/ Integration Services Price: Starting at $99/month Pardot If you’re already using Salesforce, its marketing automation solution, Pardot, might be a good pick. Pardot focuses on boosting marketing efficiency, making it suitable for large enterprises. It allows the marketing and sales team to collaborate, engage buyers, and shorten the sales cycle. Find different plans for different essential functions: forms and landing pages, email marketing, lead scoring, and more. Key features: Lead management, email, sales enablement Pros: Easy to use and manage. It has the same functionality as Hubspot. Cons: Not suitable for emerging companies because it’s expensive. Price: Starting at $1250/month Hubspot Hubspot customers love its range of inbound marketing tools that keep you covered throughout the entirety of the buyer’s journey. Content marketing agencies may be especially satisfied with Hubspot’s focus on blogging, SEO, social media, and website automation tools. Key features: Lead management, email, blogging, landing pages, email, social media, SEO, ads Pros: Eliminates dependency on manual tasks Suitable for growing and small-scale agencies Cons: Without the knowledge of CSS, Hubspot’s templates may be hard to modify. Price: Starting at $45/month Act-On This marketing automation tool is less expensive than some big guns but nearly as powerful. Act-On can maintain contact lists for different groups, a significant perk for agencies with many clients. It also allows you to pay only for the contacts you interact with, which can be a big money-saver. Key features: Email, lead scoring, multiple list creation, ads, landing pages, gated content Pros: The set-up is User friendly. Easy to implement lead generation campaigns. Multiple integration tools. Cons: Average Interface and user experience. Offerings: Professional/Enterprise Price: Starting at $900/month NetResults NetResults users report that it’s easy to get up and running with this marketing automation solution — but also that it’s great value compared to some of the market leaders. As an end-to-end solution with great features, it’s ideal for agencies. Key features: Lead management, social media management, email builder, CRM integration Pros: Easy to use and for email creation. Net-Results support team is very accessible, responsive, and action-oriented. Exceptional metrics and reporting capabilities. Cons: Limited capabilities surrounding A/B testing. Reports have limited customization and filtering. Price: Starting at $800 eTrigue eTrigue boasts a highly intuitive user interface with functionality designed specifically for B2B marketing. Though some users share that reporting could be a little better, eTrigue seems to make up for this with its stellar customer service. Key features: Email, CRM integration, Google Ad Words, website tracking, forms, personalization, webinar integration, lead alerts Pros: Drag and drop builder for quick email marketing campaigns Detailed dashboard reports Cons: Lead scoring has limited customization. Integrations are limited. Price: Starting at $600/month Active Campaign Active Campaign has advanced automation features that make this software highly valuable for agencies. Segment your audiences and easily set up triggers for automated email campaigns and other admin tasks. Key features: Lead management, email, advanced segmentation, contact management, advanced reporting and analytics, social analysis Pros: Offers flexible marketing automation functionality Detailed customer data and insights Cons: Active Campaign requires time and effort to learn and master. Price: $9– $229/month dotdigital dotdigital features an incredibly powerful but easy-to-learn automation interface that’s fantastic for smaller firms and those who aren’t super tech-savvy. Users are consistently impressed with its value and customer service. Key features: Email, Integrations, SMS and Mobile, Landing Pages, Surveys and Forms, Reporting and Analytics Pros: Impressive templates Easy to navigate. Cons: Lacks the functionality to track emails sent out. Price: Free trial/Customized quotation-based pricing Eloqua Eloqua is one of the most versatile marketing automation tools to build and maintain long customer relationships and scale your revenue. The team at Eloqua ensures that you get the best value from their product. Key features: Sales and marketing alignment, lead management, AI, contact segmentation. Pros: Eloqua has a similar marketplace to Marketo. Suitable for agencies without budget restrictions. Cons: Eloqua may be inaccessible because the starting price is high. Price: Starting at $2,000/month Salesmate Here’s your stop if you’re looking for an all-inclusive CRM software that can help you generate more revenue by automating all your marketing processes. Salesmate is one of the best marketing automation software for agencies. Key features: Email and sales automation, team inbox, trigger-based automation, forms, contact management, built-in calling, power dialer, messenger Pros: Suitable for small businesses Its sales reports help you estimate your revenue. Cons: The data sharing capabilities could be improved. Price: Starting at $12 Don’t let 2022 go by without a go-to marketing automation platform for your clients. Instead of going through the motions, not seeing the results you need while also adding more to your plate than what’s necessary, find the software that’s right for you and see your marketing and sales offerings reach new levels.
4 Best HubSpot Alternatives for Small Businesses Posted on November 13, 2019November 10, 2020 by Allie Wolff Looking for a good HubSpot alternative for your small business? We’ve got a few recommendations. HubSpot is a comprehensive inbound marketing platform and was one of the first players on the field. There are lots of tools in there for small businesses, including CRM software, analytics, and content management — but it’s not the only platform on the market offering these capabilities. Maybe you need something that’s more customizable, or perhaps HubSpot offers too robust a suite of tools, and you don’t want to pay for a bunch of stuff that you’re never going to use. Whatever your reason, if you’re in the market for an alternative that’s more in line with your needs, budget, and objectives, there are several places to look. There was a time when HubSpot might have been your best bet for inbound marketing automation, but today, the industry is rich with options that offer advanced features and insightful analytics. Here are four of the best HubSpot alternatives to start your search. 1. ActiveCampaign Popular features: CRM, Lead Scoring, Email Marketing Automation Why we like it: ActiveCampaign features a clean interface that helps you beneficially organize your customer data. And when it comes to your email marketing, there’s a big focus on targeting and personalization, plus you can quickly trigger emails to be sent out based on certain behaviors. With so much happening automatically on the backend in terms of customer engagement, your small business marketing team will be able to focus on other things — with clear cut data to back up your decisions. Pricing: Pricing varies depending on how many features you want and how many people need access. At just $9 a month, the Lite version might be right in line with what you want to pay and offers basic features like unlimited emails and marketing automation. For data analytics and lead scoring, though, you’ll want the Plus version, which is $49 a month. 2. BenchmarkONE Popular features: Simple CRM, Autoresponders, Contact Segmentation, Drip Campaigns Why we like it: Of course we like it — we built it! But we’re not just tooting our own horn for the sake of it here. Our platform has effortless scalability options, with a small business package that’s been expertly designed to match the specific needs of SMBs — and that’s a big win when maximizing every marketing dollar is necessary. We also offer optimized features that are ideal for small business marketing, including automation, quick and easy drip campaigns, and an all-in-one CRM solution. Pricing: Pricing varies depending on features and how many team members will need access to the software. Our unique Core package is just $79 a month. But, you can do a free trial for 14 days to test out the platform. 3. Keap Popular features: CRM, Appointment Scheduling, Payment Processing, On-the-Go Messaging Why we like it: Keap is a comprehensive tool that can carry your leads through the sales pipeline. In addition to the marketing automation, CRM capabilities, and lead generation tools that you would expect from this kind of inbound marketing software, your small business also gets built-in tools for sending quotes, invoicing, and scheduling. Have remote workers? Keap offers messaging on the go so your team can engage with leads wherever they are. Pricing: The Pro plan offers most of what your small business will need at $149 a month. For the full suite, look into the Infusionsoft plan at $199 a month. 4. Benchmark Popular features: Email Marketing and Design, A/B Testing, Data Reports Why we like it: The Benchmark platform is perfect for small businesses that need a thorough and effective email marketing platform that isn’t weighed down by the added fluff of similar tools. Create and send beautiful emails even without the support of a dedicated marketing team, with features that cover the gamut in terms of design and customization. Then use the automation and reporting tools to stretch your efforts as far as they can go. Pricing: If you’re looking for a basic email marketing tool, then you’re in luck: Benchmark offers a FREE plan (like truly zero dollars a month) that allows you to send up to 14,000 emails a month to as many as 2,000 subscribers. If you want added features like reporting and testing, upgrade to the Pro plan for just $11.89 a month. Only you know precisely what your small business needs when it comes to its inbound marketing platform. Try one of the HubSpot alternatives above and get great results without a super high price tag or neglected features. And of course, if you’re interested in our solution, then get in touch with our team today and find out exactly what we can do for you!