If you don’t already know, video marketing is big. Like really big. Social Media Today found that videos have a 135% greater organic reach than photos. In fact, not only are consumers preferring videos, but marketers are starting to realize this trend as well. Optinmonster found that two-thirds of marketers already use some type of video in their marketing strategy, so you can’t afford to be left out. If you’re on the fence about video marketing you’ve come to the right place. Let’s take a look at the most common misconceptions about video marketing before going into why your strategy needs to include them today.
Misconceptions With Video Marketing
1. Video only works for building awareness.
First and foremost, yes, videos absolutely help build awareness and drive activity to the top of the funnel. You’ve probably seen various “how-to” and branding-forward videos from your favorite retailers. But videos also provide guidance to consumers in the consideration and decision stages as well. According to HubSpot, 90% of people find explainer videos helpful in the decision-making process. So, if someone has an issue and is learning and defining their needs, you must be able to show them that you understand the challenges they’re facing. On top of that, you’ll want to exemplify that your company can help solve those pain points. This is where an explainer video can come in handy — educate them on your product/service and proactively answer questions or objections that they may have. Without them even realizing it, you’re already building trust. But that’s not all! This means videos can become a valuable leveraging tool in the decision stage. An article from Consumerist found that nearly 70% of consumers rely on reviews before making a purchase. So, using testimonials and video case studies will help validate your work and build credibility.
2. Total views are the best measure of success.
False. Although the number of views on your video is a great sign that you’re reaching an audience, total views won’t tell you anything about the behavior the video caused. Instead, pay attention to things like the duration of the views, click-through rate, and the level of engagement it receives on social media. Focusing on these metrics will tell you how much your content is truly connecting with your audience.
Why You Need Video Marketing Today
Well, your customers want it! A recent study from HubSpot found 54% of people want to see more video content from marketers. That means it’s very likely your customers are asking for it right now. Don’t leave them hanging! If that’s not a convincing enough reason, let’s take a look at some other great benefits to video marketing.
1. Video shows great ROI
According to Wyzowl, 83% of businesses say videos provide positive returns on investment. Although video production isn’t the easiest or cheapest task to complete, the payoff is well worth it when done correctly. It is crucial your video presents clear and concise content easy for viewers to digest. The most important thing isn’t even the quality of the video – it’s the information within. Without valuable, relevant info, your video will fall flat regardless of how visually appealing it is. Questions on how to make a great video? Curious about where to start? Reach out to us! We love helping our customers uncover the value of video.
2. Video builds trust
Trust. In other words, the foundation of all your customer conversions. As a business, you can never have enough trust and videos can help build this tremendously. Think of a time when you bought a product from a new company. Most people are understandably skeptical of buying something they’re unfamiliar with online. So, finding reassurance from your favorite YouTuber or influencer that the quality of the product is good can help push you to make that purchase. Why? Because you now trust them. Effective marketing videos help educate buyers and increase confidence in their decisions, which is why 64% of users are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video (HubSpot).
3. Video appeals to mobile users
Since 2013, MultiChannel found mobile video views have grown more than 233%. Since people like to watch videos on the go, and the number of smartphone users continues to rise, your mobile video audience is growing larger and larger. To go further, a study from Google found viewers are 1.4x more likely to watch a video or ad on their mobile device instead of TV/PC. What does this all mean? The time is now, marketers. When you can successfully offer the right content to the right viewer while on-the-go, you’re leading your company down a road to success.
4. Videos are perfect for demonstrations
Who wants to read pages of text? A study from PopVideo found that viewers retain 95%of a message when they watch it compared to reading it. Think about it like this: You know nothing about cars and are asked to change the oil. All you are given is a piece of paper with instructions on it. This job will take a long time and you probably won’t learn very much. Now, imagine being able to take out your phone and watch a YouTube video as you work. Not only will the job go quicker, but you’ll learn more. You will start remembering concepts visually while getting a better feel for the subject. That’s the power of video content. The ability to take concepts and understand them in a more natural, relatable way.
5. Video improves email marketing
We all know how tough email marketing is. If you don’t, check out “Why No One Is Opening My Emails” to learn why. But it’s okay, because videos alone help increase email open rates! That’s right! According to Campaign Monitor, email campaigns that include videos see a 19% open rate increase. These emails also experience 65% increased click-through rates and 26% less unsubscribes. Oh yeah! The point of all those statistics is that a good email marketing strategy will provide massive benefits and can help improve your bottom line. Don’t shy away from email marketing because of the difficulty it brings. Instead, embrace it using video!
6. Videos enhance landing pages
Your landing page is intended to lead customers to a specific product, service, or offer and encourage them to take action. B2B businesses especially use landing pages to generate leads and conversions. These pages are a great way to drive traffic, improve SEO, and build your brand. So, why have videos on them? Well, a study from Forbes found that including videos on your landing page increases conversion rates by nearly 80%. Enough said.
The Verdict
Advances in technology are making video marketing not only more popular but cheaper to implement too. Successfully capturing the attention of the viewer and sparking some type of action should be the main goal when developing video content. As a recap, video marketing can help…
Increase ROI
Build trust
Appeal to on-the-go users
Help with demonstrations
Improve email marketing
Enhance landing pages
…making this strategy absolutely worth the investment! To learn more about video marketing and how your business can see these improvements, contact us today!
Already convinced?
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Your website is important. How important? Let’s see. According to Sweor, 57% of users say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed website. Can you blame them? Think about it, what is the first thing you want to do when someone recommends something new to you? How about when you see an ad and want to learn more about a company? More often than not, you go straight to their website. On a website, companies have the chance to showcase themselves. As mentioned in Volume 1 of this topic, first impressions matter. Having a well-developed website can improve the trust and quality of your brand from the appearance alone. We will learn more about that in a bit. Here are some of the best practices seen in web development to ensure your website is where it needs to be.
Personalization
Let’s start by defining what ‘personalization’ really means. Personalization is the process of creating a customized experience for individual visitors when they access your website. Rather than providing a broad experience for everyone, personalization allows firms to present unique and specific information tailored to a customer’s needs and desires. So how can you start implementing a personal experience on your web page?
Smart Content
Websites that display smart content or “adaptive” content have aspects of web pages, emails, ads, or landing pages that change based on the interests or past behavior of the viewer. In other words, smart content is an experience that is created specifically to that viewer in a given moment. Factors such as location, language, device, and demographics all should go into consideration when creating your smart content. Take Amazon for example. Let’s say you shop with Amazon on a weekly basis. Each time you revisit their website, you can expect to see tabs like, “previous purchases,” and “recommended for you.” Amazon is offering unique and relevant content to different users based on past experiences — a great way to demonstrate personalization and the use of smart content. Another great benefit of smart personalization with B2B websites is it makes the buying process a lot easier. A study from Evergage found that 77% of consumers have chosen, recommended, or paid for a brand that provides a personalized shopping experience. What does this mean? People like to be acknowledged and cared for. When leads visit your page and are greeted with their name or relevant content, they’ll feel more comfortable, which will likely increase the chances of them becoming a customer. Gartner research predicts that by 2020, smart personalization will be in search engines everywhere and will enable businesses to increase profits by more than 15%! Want to learn more about smart content and how to use it today? Click here!
Chatbots
Many B2B companies aren’t making the most out of the traffic to their websites. In 2018 alone, Drift conducted a study of over 500 companies and noticed a 58% no-response rate to inquiries from leads. That’s where Chatbots come in. Chatbots are one of the easiest ways you can deliver a personalized experience by offering a real-time tool to communicate with visitors as soon as they visit your website. This means when visitors have questions, they can be answered immediately 24 hours a day. Although research supports that consumers would rather speak with live help when possible, allowing them to get fast answers via a chatbot is certainly better than having nothing at all. Website personalization is more than just providing personalized content on your site, it’s understanding where and how your customers can be reached at any point in the buying process. Employing the use of a 24-hour chatbot serves this need, and definitively fills one gap that you may be experiencing.
Strong CTAs
The two main goals of a website are to attract and educate your visitors about what you have to offer. Your website needs to cover these basic website fundamentals. The final goal, however, should be some type of strong action for your visitors to take. It can be subscribing to a newsletter or blog, downloading a playbook, or setting up a consultation. The point is, when someone reads your blog or visits your site, you should make it easy for them to take action if they choose to. The button that the visitor would click is called a CTA, or “click-through action”. Some examples of what a CTA may look like are: “Sign up here,” “Learn more,” “Subscribe,” and “Get Started.” CTAs are crucial, not an option. You must offer actionable steps to these leads as they look around your site, otherwise, how are you going to get them to stay interested in you? For more examples of CTAs and where they can be placed on your page, click here.
Fast Loading Time
Did you know that a one-second delay in your page’s loading time can result in a 7% reduction in conversions? Wall Street’s Neil Patel also found that 40% of people will abandon a website if it doesn’t load in the first 3 seconds. That’s about the amount of time it took you to read that sentence! Websites are getting larger and more content is being displayed, but the amount of time people are willing to wait for this content is lessening. Here are some ways to ensure your site is loading fast enough to keep visitors on your page longer.
Image Size
Cutting down the size of your images can save a lot of time when trying to load your website. Studies show that 80% of people remember what they see more than what they read. You probably already know that images and videos are imperative to your site. What companies don’t know, however, is how much extra time these images take to load. Use tools and applications such as ImageOptim before posting photos to your website to help save bandwidth and reduce the size without affecting the quality of your images.
Enable Caching
A cache is a software component that stores website data so that future visits load much faster. This improves performance on your page by lowering load time since the content is already prepared and available without having to be fetched from the servers. For example, if you visit a site that is cache enabled, the server stores this HTML file so the next time someone visits that page, it is already processed and ready to open.
Use a Content Delivery Network
Utilizing a Content Delivery Network (CDN) is the most effective way you can speed up your website loading time. A CDN is a worldwide network of servers that store information relative to the location of where it was searched. For example, hosting your website on a U.S-only network will provide longer wait times for those trying to access your content internationally. With a CDN, the content is provided much faster from a local server relative to their location instead of going across the world.
Recap
Your number one goal as a business stakeholder is to scale your business in a sustainable, cutting-edge way. One essential practice you must embark on is optimizing your website for your specific buyers. To ensure you’re doing this, personalize your website with smart content, employ the use of chatbots, litter your website with relevant CTAs, and reduce load times. If you’re able to do any (or all) of these things, you’re already positioning yourself for success down the road. For more tips and strategies to improve your website check out “Essential Web Development Practices Vol.1” or click here to get in touch!
According to Sweor, 75% of consumers judge the credibility and trustworthiness of a company based on their website design. It takes less than half a second for users to form an opinion about a website and whether they stay or not. What does this mean? First impressions matter! Think about a time you wanted to try a new restaurant. You walk in to see a menu and notice a bad aroma. While looking around, you also notice nothing looks clean. You probably didn’t end up staying there very long because the first impression deterred you. Even if the food was good, you were never going to give it a chance. The same theory applies to your website. Losing sight of the primary function of your website can be detrimental to your business. Your site needs good aesthetics, relevant content, and accessibility across multiple devices to prove to your customer base that you can be trusted. Here are some of the best practices seen in web development.
White Space
According to a study from Human Factors International, proper use of white space increases comprehension by 20%. However, that balance of white space to content can be tricky. Have too little, the page will look cluttered. Have too much, the page will seem empty and your message will get lost. The key to white space is balance. Look for symmetry and consistency with your page so it provides a clear and functional way for readers to view your content. The DailyEgg found that 65% of people are visual learners. So it is imperative that each of your visitors can see and understand your content clutter-free. Let’s look at an example. Source: Digital Ink See the difference? Minor changes to a page layout can significantly impact the reader’s experience on your website. The layout on the left is an eyesore and may prohibit a reader from even attempting to skim the material. The closer you can get your content to mimic the clarity of the page on the right, the more likely you are to keep the reader’s interest from the beginning.
Mobile Integration
Source: Oodles Studio Users are on their mobile devices more than ever. According to StoneTemple research, 58% of website visits are from a mobile device. So it’s safe to assume that if your site isn’t mobile integrated, you’re already falling behind. Mobile integration is the act of transforming your website to fit the screen of mobile devices, such as a cell phone or tablet. A properly integrated site will have layouts specifically designed for various screen sizes and will react appropriately to the dimensions of the browser. Fully functional and responsive sites are a must in today’s digital landscape. This also applies to applications — an app that enhances the user experience from a mobile device will only lend your brand more credibility (as long as the design is up to par). Applications are great because they allow greater accessibility to the user. For instance, take a look at your cell phone. The apps you’ve downloaded most likely correlate to the websites you visit most often on a desktop. Your favorite brands are already focused on enhancing your mobile experience. It’s time for you to do the same.
Video
People love video. In fact, HubSpot found 54% of consumers wish they saw more video content from businesses and brands they support. Why? Because videos are engaging. They capture attention more effectively than any other form of media. According to a study from SearchEngineWatch, videos have a 41% higher click-through rate than plain text. As a result, your traffic to MQL conversion rates will increase, resulting in a trickle-down effect that should impact the bottom line! The more you cater to consumers’ desired forms of content, the better experience they have. In other words, videos will help implement a more effective Inbound Marketing Strategy.
Final Thoughts
Your website is a pivotal component of your brand. There are millions of websites available to viewers. How can you stand out from the rest? Proper use of white space, mobile integration, and the incorporation of videos on your website will enhance the user experience. When done successfully, your target market will connect better with your brand, getting you one step closer to hitting your next big goal.
Want to learn more about website development? Check out Volume 2 here!
Or, visit our launchpad site below and learn how we can develop a prototype page in as little as 30 days!
Many think direct mail is dead, but the truth is that it still holds relevance in today’s digital world. In fact, direct mail is the best-performing direct response channel, bringing in results “10 to 30 times better than email” according to Sumo. And, let’s be honest, there’s a certain amount of excitement that comes with opening a physical letter or package addressed to you and not knowing what’s inside. Evidence of this is the fact that 47% of millennials check their physical mailbox each day and consider going through their direct mail a leisurely activity, according to USPS. Additionally, USPS found that 69% of people think direct mail is more personal than the internet. This makes sense when you think about the fact that we’re bombarded with generic, automated emails every day. Receiving something by mail isn’t as common and requires more effort. This makes it a unique way to reach prospects and customers. So, whether you’re thinking about creating a direct mail campaign or you’ve tried it before and didn’t achieve your intended results, we’re offering you some ideas and strategies to help you boost your direct mail response rate.
1. Make your design stand out
We’ve all heard the phrase, “don’t judge a book by its cover.” But when it comes to direct mail, that’s exactly what your audience will be doing. Design is vital because it’s what will grab your viewer’s attention and make them want to read more. Instead of a flat piece of paper in a plain envelope, try a 3-dimensional design. Dimensional mailers include boxes, containers, tubes, and bags. People likely won’t throw out a package without at least seeing what’s inside first, evidence being that dimensional mailers have a nearly 100% open rate.
2. Personalize content
If you work in marketing, you know it never hurts to personalize content. It’s a great way to make your marketing messages feel more like one-on-one communication. Not to mention, when it comes to direct mail, people are more likely to read something that’s addressed directly to them. But, rather than simply showing your prospect that you know their name, try something more creative. For example, PURLs are website addresses that are personalized for each of your prospects. You can use them to take each prospect to a personalized landing page with a special offer. They are also the easiest way to track responses. According to the DMA, the top response rate tracking methods are PURLs (61%), followed by call center or telephone (53%), and code or coupon (42%).
3. Add human elements
Just like email marketing campaigns, direct mail campaigns are made better by human elements such as pictures, quotes, testimonials, and videos. Give people a feel for your brand’s personality through design and copywriting elements like font, color, tone, and writing style. In addition, real stories about your product and how it solved a problem for someone can be powerful, especially when you include a photo of that person. People may be able to relate to that person’s struggle and feel inclined to learn more.
4. Create urgency
When it comes to direct mail, you want to encourage your prospects to act fast. If they don’t, odds are your direct mail will end up in the trash. It helps to use language like “limited time,” “one time only,” “last chance,” or “before it’s gone.” No one wants to miss out on a great deal so it’s important to do all you can to inspire them to take action. Also, it’s important to note that it’s been proven that warmer colors create more urgency and drive action. For this reason, it’s best to opt for a red CTA rather than a green one. You can also create urgency through social proof, such as pointing out the number of customers who have seen success with your product or service.
5. Offer a free gift
While free gifts are always great, you want to ensure you’re providing prospects with something they will actually find valuable. According to HubSpot, Heinz Marketing sent their top prospects empty iPad boxes with a note that promised to give them the iPad if they were willing to sit down and have a conversation with them. Matt Heinz said “we’ve done this with a few companies, and we generate twice as many appointments as we give away iPads.” Although this strategy is expensive, the results were impressive and they received a considerable return on their investment. Moral of the story: don’t hesitate to get creative when it comes to offering a free gift.
6. Focus on benefits, not features
Rather than focusing on the specific features of your product, you’ll want to emphasize the benefits. For example, a prospect will care less about the fact that you offer automation software and more about the fact that you can help them streamline their work. According to Jay Levinson and Al Lautenslager of Guerrilla Marketing, “the most compelling benefits are those that provide emotional or financial return.” An emotional return could be increasing customer satisfaction, while a financial return will likely be related to increasing revenue. Above all, be sure to communicate the value you’re offering customers in a short, concise way. If you do feel inclined to mention features, you should only do so as a means of proof as to how you’re able to provide certain benefits.
7. Make it easy to get in touch
Whether it’s visiting a website, calling a number, or using a discount code, you’ll want to include a clear call-to-action, making it as easy as possible for a prospect to take the next step. You should include your CTA several times throughout the letter since not every prospect will read your mailer from beginning to end. Also, by using a vanity number, you can make it easier for people to remember (1-800-DIRECT-MAIL). Since the CTA is what leads to a response from your direct mail recipients, it’s highly important that you make it bold and enticing. In addition, be sure you have a process in place for following up with prospects who click on the CTA. As with any marketing tactic, direct mail cannot be a siloed channel and should always be used as one tactic in a broader campaign. If you’re looking to use direct mail in an upcoming campaign and need a marketing partner to help you get things up and running, contact us.
A marketer’s worst nightmare: You spent valuable time building a piece of content for your subscribers, maybe multiple pieces, only to realize how few are reading it. The good news is that email marketing is still the number one channel for advertising. In fact, Digital Agency Network found it is 40 times more effective than methods such as social media! So what’s the bad news? Convincing people to OPEN these emails is not easy. According to Campaign Monitor, the average office worker receives 121 emails per day, but only opens 17% of them…Those are tough odds to overcome. Take this inbox for example:
It may be similar to how your inbox looks right now. People are too busy to read 100+ emails every day. They’ll focus on the ones that capture their attention from the start. Since you can’t change how people’s inboxes look, you’ll have to play the game and find a way to rise above the competition. But how?
Better Subject Lines
A good subject line dramatically increases the likelihood of your emails being opened. In fact, Convince & Convert found a 35% increase in open rates from relevant subject lines alone. While it may be just one component of the email, it’s the first thing recipients see. For marketers, subject lines are an opportunity to stand out above the rest, so don’t rush them. Some characteristics of a good subject line include writing with a personalized tone and staying short and sweet. For more examples and tips on creating the perfect subject line, click here.
Send Fewer Emails
Don’t get trigger-happy with the ‘send’ button. A study from HubSpot found that 69% of email users have unsubscribed from a business because the organization sends too many emails. When people sign up for a newsletter or subscription, make sure they know what they are getting themselves into. Be clear in the intro email about the communication cadence so they have an idea of what to expect. Is this a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly newsletter? Without addressing this, you run the risk of becoming a nuisance–leading people right to that ‘unsubscribe’ button. Don’t become a spammer. Wait, how do I know how many is “too many”? Glad you asked! Segment your list of contacts and test different frequencies. For example, consider using A/B testing. A/B testing can be used to try different techniques within a small sample size of your target market. Source: Split Metrics In this case, let’s say you have a thousand contacts in your database. Take a small sample, maybe 300 or so, and split them in half. Send one-half a higher frequency of emails than the other. From there, you can look at the open rates and click-through rates to see which frequency has higher engagement. Another quick way to offer a better experience to your audience is by asking them what they want. For instance, let them decide how often they want to hear from you. This can be done within the intro email by giving them an option to choose from: once a day, once a week, twice a month, etc. This allows the reader to dictate your relationship with them and provides a more personalized experience as a whole.
Overcome Triggered Spam Alerts
Emails can be sent to spam without having the recipient manually ‘mark as spam.’ Email accounts such as Gmail are becoming smarter as technology continues to grow. As a result, spam detection is becoming more prominent and sensitive to emails originating outside the organization. A study from Propeller CRM found that 45% of all emails get triggered as some type of spam. Yes, you read that correctly! Nowadays, email software is designed to detect certain words that are most often found in spam. These are known as trigger words. If you use enough of these trigger words, your message will be sent to spam. That’s why it is imperative you understand how sensitive these systems are, and how to avoid overusing trigger words. Here a few examples of common trigger words, and how to work around them: Try to avoid using a word like “free.” This extends to the subject line, title, and body of the email. Instead, try using words like “complementary,” or “at no charge.” Doing so allows you to avoid spam detection while still getting your point across. Other common trigger words include “guaranteed,” “100% free,” “act now,” “attention!,” or any repetitive use of caps or character symbols. Understanding these trigger words and strategizing around them will keep your emails away from the spam folder and give you a better chance to be seen.
Looking Ahead
As mentioned earlier, email is still the most useful tactic for marketers. Experiencing low open rates can be frustrating, but you can use it as an opportunity to step back and assess your strategy. Continue to optimize your subject lines, frequency of sends, and keep track of potential trigger words, and you will have a better foundation to analyze your current email strategy to see where improvements can be made. Interested in more business tips like these? Subscribe to our blog or contact us today to let us help strategize and increase your inbound leads.
Without the proper tools, pinpointing the engine behind company growth — sales, marketing, or the two working in tandem — is an arduous task. In this article, we explore the value of the HubSpot reporting add on tool. If this is you, you’re not alone. According to HubSpot’s “State of Inbound 2018” report, 40% of surveyed companies stated that their top marketing challenge was proving the ROI of marketing activities. Similar issues come with sales. Which representatives are closing the greatest number of deals? Are cold emails working? If you’ve been there, then you’re at a point where in-depth reporting that closes the loop between marketing and sales is a must. HubSpot comes with standard reporting capabilities, but to drill down to metrics unique to your business, you’re going to need HubSpot’s Reporting Dashboard Add-On on. Priced at $200/ month, it’s not an investment to be taken lightly. With that price tag, is it worth it? Read on to find out what the tool offers, why it’s unique, and some potential drawbacks.
Features
So, what exactly is HubSpot’s Reporting Dashboard Add-On? It’s a tool for building customized reports in a way that’s organized and easy to understand. You can then syndicate your findings across your organization. Let’s break these components down:
Building Customized Reports
With HubSpot’s Reporting Dashboard Add-On on, you can create a custom visual look at your data that answers virtually any sales or marketing related question. Want to know how many marketing qualified leads became sales qualified leads this month? Done — with the conversion rate in plain sight. You can choose from pre-made reporting templates or roll your sleeves up and build reports from scratch. Choose from an array of displays; pie charts, bar graphs, donut charts, and more. Data can be viewed in real time, so you’re never left wondering how to pivot your sales and marketing efforts to achieve optimal results.
Organizing Your Reports
Of course, with endless options for creating reports, you need a way to organize them. This is where dashboards come in; Create up to 200 dashboards which can house up to 10 reports each. Now, everyone in your company can have visibility on aggregated metrics that matter to them — whether that’s a high-level overview of marketing performance or the amount revenue a specific sales representative generated last quarter.
Syndicating Your Reports
Don’t let critical reports go unnoticed. The HubSpot’s Reporting Dashboard Add-On on allows you to send reports to your team’s inbox on customized timelines. Whether it’s daily, weekly, or monthly — your team will always be aware of their progress.
Why It’s Great
It’s Simple
You don’t need to be a data scientist to understand what you’re looking at. It’s all in one place — organized and in the format that is most useful and convenient for you. Visual reports allow you to understand trends at a glance, and precise numbers provide a more detailed view of progress.
Enables Sales and Marketing Alignment
When marketing and sales work together, the possibility and fear of a lead slipping through the cracks dissolves. As a result, the ROI of marketing efforts increases, your sales team runs more efficiently, and there is visible top-line growth. In fact, in organizations where sales and marketing are aligned, marketing acquired leads are 67% more likely to close. How does this connect with the add-on? With the tool, you can create a report where you can see how many sales qualified leads to become opportunities. If this conversion rate seems a bit low, you have a jumping off point for correcting the problem.
Monitor Metrics Unique to Your Business Because you can easily build custom reports and dashboards, you have unhindered access to metrics that matter to your business. Say goodbye to scouring your arsenal of tools to find the data points you need. They are neatly and conveniently packaged to be accessed at will.
Drawbacks
Drilling Down Into Data
With customized reports, you can’t access granular data on broad metrics. For example, let’s say you build a report that shows how many leads fall into lifecycle stage for the current month. You can’t just click on the sales qualified lead bar to see who these leads are. For this, you will need to create a list where you will define the qualifications for a lead to appear on that list.
The Price
$200 per month is a lot — especially when tools like Google Analytics are free. To decide if it’s worth it, you need to assess why you want the tool.If you are interested in granular data such as bounce rate, entrances, the assets driving conversions, and so on, then you’ll be just fine with Google Analytics. However, if you have grown to a point where you need to close the loop on marketing and sales efforts, then the HubSpot add-on is worth it. This brings us to the answer to the question that started this blog: Is HubSpot’s Reporting Dashboard Add-On on worth the price?
The Verdict
The tool serves as a single source of truth that encourages visibility throughout your company. Instead of just being a tool on website performance alone, like Google Analytics, it’s the be all end all tool for measuring the health of your organization. The main drawback is the price, but if you strike up a deal with just one lead that would have slipped through the cracks otherwise, then it’s already paid for itself. So, the answer is yes. Investing $200 per month for the add-on is worth it.
Crafting email subject lines for sales has become an art. To make your email stand apart from the hundreds in your prospect’s inbox, you need to capture his or her attention immediately. Easier said than done, right? We’ve compiled a list of tried and true email subject lines that are favorites of industry professionals. Tweak the content, press send, and watch your open rates increase.
Cold Email Subject Lines
When a prospect hasn’t heard from you yet, it’s hard to get them to take the bait. Here are some examples of email subject lines that will help you score that initial click. “Erica Banks told me to drop you a line.” If you have a connection with your prospect, mention him or her by name. Your prospect is more likely to open the email with this trust-building information. Be sure to tell your connection before reaching out in case your prospect asks for verification. “Have you been to the Gotham Bar & Grille on 12th St?” This casual question is a great way to start a rapport with a prospect. Whether or not you’ve been to the restaurant or venue (preferably in their city of residence), it’s a fun way to begin a conversation. Once you’ve started talking, ask if a meeting at the said location would be possible. “So, I hear you are a master in data analysis” Like the restaurant tactic, this method is likely to catch your prospect’s eye. Why did you ask about their specialty? Is there an opportunity related to it? This email subject line shows you did your research, but ensure you have a legitimate reason for mentioning personal information. “Josh, did you meet your advertising goals last quarter?” This email subject line is successful for two reasons. It mentions the recipient’s name, possibly increasing the open rate by up to 22.2%. Then, it asks a pertinent question about his job. Tweak the question for your industry; a health tech salesperson might write “Hi [name], are you frustrated with your supply chain?”
Follow-up Email Subject Lines
Whether you’re sending another email after receiving no response or checking in after an initial call. Here are a few ways to make that second contact as smooth as the first. “Here’s that case study I mentioned” If you referred to some kind of information, like a case study, article, or blog post in your first email or call with the prospect, that’s a great reason to follow up. You’re reminding the prospect about your initial conversation and providing value at the same time. “Jane, I thought you might like this new Forbes article” This is an information-packed follow-up message, especially useful if you didn’t make contact the first time around. You’re mentioning the prospect’s name and letting them know that you want to provide value. “Can I help you meet your Q2 goals?” Every professional has quarterly and yearly goals—and feels a lot of pressure to meet them. Offering help with this critical project can quickly catch a prospect’s eye. “Would you like to spend one less hour a day on email?” This is another email subject line that can be adjusted for your industry. Boil down your product, determine real-world value it can provide for your prospect, and feature it in the subject line.
Last-Chance Email Subject Lines
Maybe your prospect hasn’t answered any of your emails or has just gone radio silent—try to revive that relationship with these email subject lines. “3 steps and we can get started” People love numbered emails (and articles and lists), so a number is a great way to start an email. This subject line implies that you two have a rapport, so even if you haven’t actually spoken to your prospect, they may be intrigued enough to see what’s going on. “15 minutes on Thursday?” It’s hard for anyone to ignore an email about a meeting. Your prospect might think you’re waiting on their answer to complete your schedule or may be interested in hearing your rapid-speed pitch. “Ready to part ways? Sometimes honesty is the best policy. If you haven’t received a single message in return from a contact and need to know if you should stop wasting effort on them, this message might be your best option. If they respond with a negative or simply don’t respond, you’ll know their answer. “I need to apologize for something” If you are willing to do whatever it takes to get a certain prospect to click, think outside the box. Other clickable options include “HBO Go Password?” (a favorite of HubSpot) or a classic: “Like cute cat videos?” You’ll get more clicks, but it’s up to you to craft creative content in the email body that lives up to the subject line.
Interested in more business tips like these email subject lines for sales? Check out our blog.
If you had to entice a customer to buy your product using one sentence or less, what would you say? This is the question you should ask yourself when developing a value proposition. It can be difficult to narrow down your product’s value to 20-30 words. Luckily, there are numerous tools available that will take you through a step-by-step process of developing a value proposition. These tools can help you prioritize important information, organize your thoughts, and even bring you to a new perspective or idea that will enhance the way you communicate your product or service’s value to customers.
Here are a few tools to help you develop a strong B2B value proposition:
Bain & Company created a model that organizes valuable elements that B2B organizations can offer customers. The model’s roots can be traced back to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs from 1943, which argues humans are motivated by both basic and complex needs. However, this model focuses on people’s motivation for buying products or services. The elements at the bottom are easy to measure, such as acceptable price, while the elements at the top are more objective and difficult to quantify, such as reputational assurance.
According to leaders at Bain & Company, if companies use “modern survey techniques and statistical analysis to quantify all the elements on a consistent basis, they can learn what customers truly value and which aspects of an offering merit investment.” By surveying customers and asking them to rate the elements they value most, you can modify and improve your value proposition. Source: Harvard Business Review
Strategyzer, known for their business model platform, offers a canvas tool for companies to create value propositions. It’s composed of two sections, a customer profile and value map. The customer profile describes the jobs your customers try to get done (these can be functional, social, or emotional). In addition, this section highlights the pains customers experience when trying to get the job done and the gains they hope to achieve.
The value map lists the products and services your value proposition builds on. In this section, you should ask yourself, how does your product minimize or reduce pain points? How does it maximize outcomes/benefits? The best value propositions come from connecting your customer profile and value map. The customer profile may contain countless jobs, pains, and gains but the value map helps you highlight which ones to focus on. Source: Strategyzer
This trademarked tool is a product of Futurecurve’s research into human behavior. The six elements are part of an iterative process that leads to a customer-centric value proposition. The process is centered around identifying your target market and how your product or service provides value for that audience. However, this value is strengthened by determining which benefits are most important, how they offer differentiation, and proof to support your claims. Futurecurve outlines a number of positive outcomes of undergoing this process to create a value proposition. To name a few, companies gain a clear profile of buyer personas, an understanding of what offerings to take to market, and evidence on how they deliver value. For more insights on creating a value proposition, you can check out Futurecurve’s book “Selling Your Value Proposition: how to transform your business into a selling organization.” Source: Futurecurve
With these tools, you can ensure that you’re creating a strong value proposition that speaks to your customers and their needs. For examples of B2B value propositions, check out our blog The Top 10 B2B Value Proposition Examples (And How to Create Your Own).
Looking for a team to help with your company’s B2B marketing messaging? Contact us.
If you’re up to date on what’s happening in the marketing industry, you know that consultancies have increasingly become a threat to traditional agencies. With the popularity surrounding digital technology, there has been a shift away from the creative approach of selling “big ideas” and a move towards data-driven marketing. To dig a little deeper into this, let’s take a look at the differences between an agency and a consultancy.
Definition
A marketing agency has the ability of handle all aspects of the advertising process. This includes strategic planning, creative, and production. Some agencies are full-service, meaning they offer a complete approach to marketing and advertising initiatives. Other agencies may specialize in a particular creative service, such as graphic design, video, or social media.
On the other hand, a marketing consultancy has expertise in strategies to engage customers and improve business opportunities, both through retaining existing clients and attracting new customers. Their focus is to help companies achieve defined and measurable goals. A consultancy typically helps businesses develop inbound strategies, implement marketing tools, drive traffic, generate and nurture leads, produce content, and improve SEO.
Process
A marketing agency is going to be more focused on executing creative. They are expected to know the best way to shoot a video or create a beautifully-designed website. When it comes to working with an agency, clients typically already have a marketing strategy in mind. For example, they may want to launch a new product or rebrand. Either way, there’s a clear objective and it’s the agency’s job to find the best way to execute it creatively. Because of the conceptualization involved in designing creative assets, the turnaround time for an agency is longer than a consultancy. However, the main thing that separates an agency from a consultancy is their role in the marketing process. A consultancy will develop a plan to help your company grow, while an agency expects you to already have that figured out. They are the ones who provide the creative assets to support the project plan. If you’re using a consultancy, it’s typically because you have a problem that you’re not sure how to solve. This could be anything from “why am I not getting traffic to my website?” to “how do I start generating more leads?” It’s a consultant’s job to identify a business-oriented solution to problems like these. The consulting process begins with researching a client’s company and familiarizing oneself with their services, buyers, and competitors. Consultants immerse themselves in their client’s industry so they can better understand their goals and pain points. They take a data-centered approach to marketing, relying on analytics to inform their strategies. You can expect a fast turnaround from a consultancy as they are skilled in driving performance and producing quick, measurable results.
Which is right for you?
Now, you may be sitting there asking yourself, which option is right for me? It depends on your company’s needs. If you’re looking for quick results that drive revenue and growth, you should go the consultancy route. But if you’re looking for support in executing creative initiatives, an agency is the right pick. Looking for a little of both? There’s a third option- a hybrid agency/consultancy. SmarkLabs is a prime example of this. We are a full-service marketing operation that create and execute marketing plans. We have a team of marketers who are skilled in growth strategy and a team of creatives who are experienced in graphic design and videography. Because of this, we’re able to handle every aspect of the marketing process and create consistent campaigns that produce reliable results. To learn more about our services, drop us a line.
Looking ahead
The line between agency and consultancy is becoming more and more blurred. Consultancies are beginning to offer branding and advertising services while agencies are moving into digital technology. In terms of the future of marketing, many have argued that consultancies will dominate because the way people interact with brands is changing. It’s no longer about releasing big, flashy ad campaigns, but finding small and truthful ways to engage with customers and create personalized experiences.
HubSpot is the leading software for inbound marketing — but it’s an investment. Like any investment, it’s important to do your vetting before you go all in. That’s where HubSpot’s Marketing Hub Free comes in — it allows you to capture some of the benefits HubSpot has to offer without the buy-in.
With this information comes a few questions. What does HubSpot’s Marketing Hub Free offer? What key features is it missing? But most importantly — how do you know when it’s time to upgrade?
First, let’s dissect question number one, which naturally pairs with question number two.
What is HubSpot’s Marketing Hub Free?
According to HubSpot, the free version includes “the basics you need to capture, track, and convert leads — for free.” It’s best for those who want to start developing a marketing strategy, a basic tech stack, and are exploring CRM systems. Let’s unpack this by discussing some of the most notable features, and conversely, what these features lack. Forms:
Generating leads is good, knowing exactly where they came from is better. HubSpot offers two avenues for lead capture: Lead Flows, and Forms (which are static and would be used on a landing page or in a sidebar for instance). With HubSpot free, you have access to both of them.
However, when you capture a contact there is little action you can take within HubSpot. For example, when someone downloads an asset it’s best practice to immediately send them a follow-up email to thank them and provide a link to the asset.
Unfortunately, the free version doesn’t include email or workflows. As a result, you can’t automatically send emails. If you’re tech-savvy you can integrate HubSpot forms with an email marketing platform using a tool like Zapier. As long as you remain organized, this is an effective solution for companies just starting out with HubSpot’s Marketing Hub. Reporting Dashboards:
When it comes to marketing, understanding the data from your website and knowing how to leverage it is crucial — so it’s handy that HubSpot’s Marketing Hub Free offers reporting dashboards, but there’s a catch.
When on the free version you are limited to one dashboard — the Marketing Performance Dashboard. This provides elementary statistics which include site sessions, new contacts, and customers.
Dashboards allow you to choose a timeframe. For example, you can compare the current month to the previous month or even set a custom date range. Stats are limited, but when you’re first getting your feet wet, that’s okay.
You can supplement HubSpot’s data with a platform like Google Analytics which provides more detailed insights. Google Analytics can tell you which pages are driving the most traffic, average user retention, bounce rate, and much more. Contact Management:
On HubSpot’s Marketing Hub Free, you can manually change a contact’s lifecycle stage, make a note on a contact’s profile, and assign a contact to an owner — just to name a few.
But, there are some features HubSpot’s Marketing Hub Free lacks in contact management. For example, a company on the free version doesn’t have the ability to make lists. Lists are a tool for sorting contacts based on almost any piece of criteria: a specific form they filled out, the type of company that employs them, what pages the contact has viewed, and so on. Lists are great for sending targeted email blasts or just keeping contacts organized.
Another contact management caveat of the free version is the visibility of a contact’s activity — it expires after seven days. Access to this information can provide insight into what services interest a lead, for instance. Without this data, your strategy relies more on guesswork.
Now that we’ve discussed the pros and cons of HubSpot’s Marketing Hub Free, you might be looking for an answer to the third question. How do you know when it’s time to upgrade?
Should you upgrade to Marketing Hub Starter?
First, let’s address the next level up from free — Marketing Hub Starter. There are four major selling points: it includes lists, mass email, more data, and starts at just $50 a month. This version is a good fit for people who have started to develop a marketing strategy, but don’t have many contacts and therefore less to manage.
Need ideas for developing a marketing strategy? Access “Growth Plays” here.
More Data:
Advanced analytics are a crucial ingredient for success. With the free version of HubSpot’s Marketing Hub, you’re looking at stretching your company between two data tools at least — HubSpot and Google Analytics.
Once you upgrade to Marketing Hub Start you’ll have access to a “standard marketing dashboard plus 1 additional custom dashboard.” It’s still valuable to supplement with Google Analytics since the data is more comprehensive. However, the data tools that come with the starter version can provide valuable insights into the efficacy of your marketing efforts. Mass Email:
Don’t be quick to think email is dead. Sending targeted mass emails is still an essential marketing tool. According to emailmonday, “email has an average ROI of $38 for each $1 spent.”
HubSpot Marketing Dashboard- Email
The email function in HubSpot Marketing Hub Starter includes personalization — but doesn’t include the design manager, blog/rss email, or CAN-SPAM footers. With these limitations, it might more sense for your company to use an alternate marketing email software such as MailChimp or Constant Contact. Lists:
Mass emails are most effective when they’re targeted. This is where lists provide their value. Lists allow you to segment your contacts based on almost any criteria — down to what information they enter on a form.
HubSpot Marketing Dashboard- Lists
There are two types of lists — active and static. An active list constantly changes based on who meets the criteria, while a static list does not change regardless if someone meets the criteria after the list was created.
These tools are essential for a skilled marketing strategy, but it’s just as effective, or more effective to “outsource” these functions with an integration tool like Zapier, as mentioned earlier. The main benefit of HubSpot’s Marketing Hub Starter is having these tools in one place.
Or is Marketing Hub Professional right for you?
HubSpot’s Marketing Hub Professional is best for the “more experienced marketers and growing marketing teams.” It allows you to “run complete inbound marketing campaigns at scale with automation.”
What is HubSpot’s Marketing Hub Professional holy grail feature/ headliner/ attribute that makes it worth the investment? Workflows. A workflow is a set of rules you activate within HubSpot to complete a certain task. This one tool is able to unlock an array of time-saving functions that erase trivial manual work so you can keep big picture objectives at the forefront of your to-do list.
They have two main functions: marketing automation and administrative duties. Marketing Automation:
According to HubSpot, marketing automation is “software that exists with the goal of automating marketing actions. Many marketing departments have to automate repetitive tasks such as emails, social media, and other website actions.” This is where workflows play an integral role because they enable email workflows.
An email workflow is “a series of automated emails that trigger based on subscriber behavior or data. These are often referred to when marketers assemble a series of automated emails that work together to accomplish a goal, such as onboarding new customers or nurturing new leads.” Email workflows are incredibly valuable. According to Omnisend, email workflows boast up to a 455% better click rates than traditional newsletters.
Essentially, email workflows allow you to do all the heavy lifting up front. Once a workflow is activated, you can just sit back and watch your long-term lead generating machine work. Administrative Tasks:
At some point, you’re going to decide the tools you have for managing your contacts aren’t cutting it. There’s no hard and fast rule for how many contacts you need before this happens, but at some point, you’ll need an automatic system for organizing your contacts.
You can create a workflow that changes a contact’s lifecycle stage based on a set of criteria that you set — it’s that easy.
When set up correctly, you’ll know exactly where someone is within the sales funnel without ever lifting a finger. This insight is crucial for measuring the performance of marketing efforts and knowing the right way to approach a lead.
It’s important to note that this is just one of the administrative duties you can automate with workflows. Let’s not forget lead notifications, buyer persona assignments, and much more.
The Bottom Line
There are many factors that determine which level of HubSpot’s Marketing Hub software you should choose: company goals, size, how developed your marketing strategy is, and much more.
Make the decision easier by bringing in an expert. Contact us today for a complimentary marketing plan which includes a comprehensive assessment on which version of HubSpot’s Marketing Hub software is right for you. We’ll also equip you with a 90-day growth maximizing strategy.
