Author: Franz Malten Buemann

🖊️Small Business, Big Lessons is a podcast from Buffer that goes behind the scenes with inspirational small businesses to explore how they are questioning the best ways to build a business and uncover the big lessons we can learn from their journeys (so far). Check out the first episode here.Building and managing a community has become a significant piece of the successful small business puzzle for good reason — customers want it. Sixty-four percent of online community visitors say they’re visiting those sites more often, and 46 percent say the sites have become more important to them over time. This shows that digital spaces have become just as important as physical ones as more people interact online than ever. Creating that space in a meaningful way is vital for brands that want to connect with their audience.We’ve written about how to build a meaningful community for your business. Now, we want to share precisely how different businesses build community around their brands with the hope that it will inspire you. In this companion piece to the first episode of Small Business, Big Lessons Season 2, we break down the most significant learnings about community from small business owners who have built theirs successfully.Extending company culture to the audiencePart of the purpose of building a community around your brand is to extend your values and culture to the people that are meant to benefit from your product — the people you want to help.Holly Howard runs Ask Holly How, a consultancy that provides entrepreneurs with the tools they need to grow their businesses while staying true to their purpose. She has used a culture-first approach to consultancy and adopts the following analogy when thinking about community.“We want to think about company culture as the soil […] It provides all of the nourishment, it provides the stability, it is the foundation,’ shares Holly.Of course, extending company culture and values to external parties relies on knowing what those look like in the first place. Values are very important to us at Buffer, and the same rings true for the businesses we interviewed in this episode.On identifying your company values and tying them to company culture, Holly says, “…ensure that your values are clearly defined and that nobody else defines your values for you. [Values] have to come from our own personal internal motivations. They can’t be something that we [outsource to a] focus group.”People aren’t islands and will always need a community of some sort to get by. Ari Weinzweig, co-founder and CEO at Zingerman’s understands that, saying, “We’re all products of a community. And so understanding that, we can either be passive about the community, or we can embrace that that’s the reality and then try to make it as healthy as possible. …the healthier the community, the healthier we are, and [vice versa].”Involve your team in community and culture buildingYou can’t extend your company culture without involving your employees. If your culture internally isn’t great, if your employees don’t buy in — it’ll be hard to get that out to an audience.“The internal company culture and the external community should mirror each other […] I like to say employees can’t deliver an experience they don’t receive. So if we’re selling this experience to our community we want to make sure we’re delivering the same experience internally,” shares Holly Howard.The idea of creating a great internal culture that feeds into your external community is corroborated by Kelly Phillips, co-founder of restaurant collective Destination Unknown, who actively transformed the service staff culture at her restaurants.Kelly shares that at Destination Unknown restaurants, to offer workers a stable income, the company uses a professional wage model where full-time workers are offered a salary with a bonus incentive. This differs from a traditional wage model where workers don’t know what they’re going to make as their pay is based on tips that leave servers at the mercy of guests. Workers are also incentivized by a bonus structure which is a monthly bonus based on good reviews. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Destination Unknown Restaurants (@destinationunknownrestaurants) Kelly reports that turning the traditional idea of how service jobs are paid in the US on its head has led to amazing results. “The company has noticed a better quality of life for people and better teamwork. Servers are helping each other because they want to get good reviews because that’s what their bonus is based on. And because they’re not as concerned with tipping, they can focus on providing guests with outstanding service that keeps them coming back.”🖊️Kelly has written further on the Buffer blog about putting employees first. Read it here.Bake community into the fabric of your company identityFrom fitness to web3, some spaces rely on community to succeed from the jump. If you’re in an industry where your potential customers rely on collaboration with others either for education or networking, community should be part of your company identity.Samantha Anderl and Andrea Wildt had a vision for the target audience of Harlow, a freelance management tool, before they even began building their product. So it made perfect sense to them to cultivate that community before they even started developing their tools.Freelance Friends: Here are 3 things you can do to get paid faster 👇 ▫️Add clear payment terms to your contract▫️Provide payment details upfront▫️Automate your invoicing + set auto reminders— Harlow (@MeetHarlow) September 29, 2022

For the Harlow founders, they knew they wanted to build a product that would solve their audience’s problems. So instead of focusing on what they wanted to build, they went to their community and asked ‘what problems do you need help solving?’“…the best way to understand [customers’ problems], for any organization, is to be deeply connected to your community. So it just made sense for us to start connecting with freelancers early on in order to get that feedback to ensure that we’re building what they needed,” shared Andrea.Huw Thomas, the co-founder of Paynter Jacket, agrees with this sentiment and tacks on extra advice for thinking about building a community-first brand. “…the best advice I have for building a community is building it before you’re even ready. Before you have a product before you have launched, start building it. Start with family and friends, get them signed up, and then get their family and friends signed up and build it on Instagram, or whatever social media platform that you’re comfortable with.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Paynter (@paynterjacket) When your audience knows that they can trust you for whatever reason, whether that’s authority or expertise, or even sentiment, it’s easier to convince them to buy or engage with your product.Samantha agrees saying, “We really want to build trust early on. If you build authority with your community, the more likely that community is to want to take a leap of faith and try out what you’re offering or share your story. We’d been building connections and meaningful relationships … when we finally did launch, we had a bunch of people cheering us on and being really excited about what we’re building and what we’re trying to help solve.”Curate a fanbase by building in publicWe’re avid advocates of building in public and have been talking about it, and doing it ourselves, for years now. This is because we understand how valuable it can be for companies and their audience. Some companies have found success sharing every aspect of how they are building with their audience – Paynter, which sells clothing in limited-release collections called Batches, is one of them.🖊️Fun fact: Paynter spoke to us about building in public in Season 1 of the podcast and an upcoming episode in Season 2. Subscribe and stay tuned for the latter!Becky Okell, co-founder of Paynter shares, “It’s really easy to mix up having an audience with having a community, but we think that they are two really different things, you can have a community and feel so part of something. And I think it’s all about how engaged you are with that brand or that business.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Paynter (@paynterjacket) And although the audience for a clothing company might not naturally blossom into a community the way a fitness brand might, Becky emphasized the value of putting in the effort anyway. “As an online clothing brand, [community] is not going to happen unless we really invest, try, and work for it. [But] building a community for us was super important [and] working in public was a huge part of doing that.”Paynter’s strategy of attracting fans and community by building in public continues to bear fruit. Their audience is constantly engaged and sells out each collection of their jackets within minutes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Paynter (@paynterjacket) The brand also actively takes steps to engage its community with frequent in-person meetups held in different cities around the world. This allows them to be present in their community and extend it beyond clothing. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Paynter (@paynterjacket) Create authentic connections by putting your personality front-and-centerSolo, small business owners have an opportunity to connect with their audience based on the strength of their personality alone. Azikiwee “Z” Anderson, head baker and owner of Rize Up bakery in San Francisco, California, is a passionate advocate for putting your whole self into your business.Z shares, “The purpose behind my businesses the same purpose that is behind me, which is trying to make the world a better place. This is one of the first things I’ve ever done where I really feel seen, like my individuality resonates with people and that they’re excited to follow my story – it’s very freeing.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rize Up Bakery LLC (@rizeupbakery) Connecting with people by showing them the real people behind the brand and letting them know about your passion for what you do and how you operate can deepen your connection with them.Solving problems and being creative comes as naturally to Z as making great bread. He says about creating content for Rize Up, “A majority of the stuff that I put up is not really preconceived – I’m having a good time and so I show people what I’m doing.”Go beyond online spaces to meet your audience face-to-faceMeeting in person is an invaluable way to create deeper connections with your audience. We’ve interviewed companies that do this as part of their community building, and the podcast interviewees are no strangers to the value of face-to-face interactions.Sheena Russell is the founder and CEO of Made with Local, a Canadian snack foods company that has social impact baked in. She credits the community found by setting up at farmers’ markets in the early years of the company with the deep understanding and connection the brand has with its customers.Sheena looks back at their farmer’s market days fondly and shares, “the market research that we could do with all those customers that came by was invaluable. I think we [now] have a clear view of exactly who our customers are at Made with Local. I don’t think we’d be where we are today without having that foundation built of deep community connection.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Made with Local (@madewithlocal) And Z agrees that in-person interaction is powerful for building community. “It’s the easiest way to connect directly with people and have interactions where you matter to them and they matter to you…And so I wanted to be a part of that. And I wanted it to be a major part of what we do.”Becky and Huw have also found ways to take their online clothing brand to offline spaces. They kicked off “Paynter at the Pub” as an anti-Black Friday event. “we thought instead of having a sale or trying to sell anything, let’s just bring people together. And let’s do it physically this time, it’d be so nice not just for us to meet our customers but for our customers to meet each other.” They made it open to absolutely everyone in their community, not just customers. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Paynter (@paynterjacket) Meeting their community in person was really powerful for the Paynter co-founders, “ It was just really special to put faces to names, to have a really good chat [and] for customers to meet each other. ”Shine the spotlight on the community — not the businessCommunity should be about the people within it — make it all about profit or your business, and you risk driving them away. And the best way to understand what your community needs from you is by listening to them, insist Harlow’s founders.“We’ve really learned how important it is to start by listening,” says Samantha, “and to start by advocating and by honestly just being selfless. So you have to give to get when you’re first building your community. It’s so important upfront to establish that trust and that authority. And you really can’t do that unless you spend the time listening.”Andrea follows up, adding, “I feel like I can’t stress that enough – that you can’t go into building community, just from the perspective of ‘what am I going to get out of it?’ It really does need to be more of a selfless act of ‘how can I connect? How can I listen? How can I help? What resources can I provide?’ And that’s where I think you’re able to build the more robust and meaningful connections with people.”Want more on cultivating communities? Check out the full episode.The businesses we interviewed in this episode have further insights to share about community building and its value for brands. Check out the full episode here. And for practical steps on setting up a community for your own business, see this full-length guide to community management.

We encounter a lot of incredible small businesses regularly at Buffer. Last year, we had the chance to highlight eight of them in season one of a new Buffer original series — Small Business, Big Lessons.We’re happy to share that the series is back! So start listening to Small Business, Big Lessons Season 2 wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll release a new episode every Tuesday for the next six weeks.Listen to Small Business, Big Lessons: Season 2In this series, we’re bringing you business stories like you’ve never heard before. We’re going behind the scenes with inspirational small businesses to explore how they’re questioning the best ways to build a business and uncover the big lessons we can learn from their journeys so far.This series includes interviews with:Holly Howard from AskHollyHowRand Fishkin from SparkToroBecky Okell and Huw Thomas from PaynterAzikiwee Anderson from Rize Up BakeryAri Weinzweig from Zingerman’sSheena Russell from Made With LocalSamantha Anderl and Andrea Wildt from HarlowKelly Phillips from Destination Unknown Restaurants, andour very own Joel Gascoigne from BufferLast season, we heard from innovative entrepreneurs using their businesses to redefine how great work happens.This season, we’ll hear from innovative small business owners building communities, turning down big money, and proving it’s possible to build a successful business while doing good along the way. We’ll talk to an incredible group of entrepreneurs who prove that you can run a successful small business on your terms.You’ll hear uplifting and inspiring stories from a new group of incredible business owners and a few familiar voices from season one, and you’ll gain insight from us here at Buffer.Be sure to subscribe to Small Business, Big Lessons wherever you get your podcasts, and you’ll be the first to hear about new episodes as soon as they’re released.Listen to Small Business, Big Lessons: Season 2

For many brands, TikTok is a scary, unknown place. What do you post? How do you use the trending sounds? I’ve rounded up small businesses that have generated thousands of likes and followers on their TikTok profiles alone.

In this article, we not only list successful small businesses on TikTok with a breakdown of their strategies but also hear from some directly on what influenced their success.
Note: In this article, we define small businesses as those with one to 25 employees.
1. POPFLEX
Founded by influencer and content creator Cassey Ho, POPFLEX has amassed 2.5 million likes and 116K followers since first posting in May 2020.
What’s the key to its success? Leveraging Ho’s loyal community and telling honest stories.

@popflexactive Time for a gym bag upgrade? Meet the all-in-one Valentina Duffle 💐
#dufflebag
#duffle
#functionalfashion
#blogilates
#bags
#gymbag
#ShowOffLandOFrost
♬ Classical Music – Classical Music

Ho grew in popularity on YouTube as a fitness instructor sharing pilates workouts and advice, hence the name @blogilates. After years of success, Ho launched the apparel brand, POPFLEX.
“It’s such a huge benefit to work with a social media personality like Cassey, who already has not only a fanbase but a loyal community that she has built trust with,” says Lexi King, PopFlex’s social media lead. “We are an extension of that at POPFLEX.”
Knowing that these two brands are deeply connected, King says they focused on sharing the behind-the-scenes journey of building and growing POPFLEX.
“…People love seeing the ‘why’ and the process behind our products,” says King, “it makes the brand relationship less transactional and more of a relationship.”
She says that instead of selling a product, they sell a story about finding a solution to a problem. On TikTok, each account feeds the other, creating what King calls an ecosystem.
“If you happen to be scrolling TikTok and come across Blogilates’ video promoting a product, that will likely lead you to check out POPFLEX where you can then see the product on different bodies through our try-on videos or see more of the functionality behind the product,” she says.” It’s about creating an ecosystem of content, it’s like telling one big story.”
In addition to storytelling and leveraging their founder, King shares that the brand invests in building relationships with diverse content creators, through partnerships and gifting.
“Seeing our products promoted on external influencer/creator accounts helps build our awareness and trust with the consumer while also giving our customer real, raw, and unpaid reviews,” says King on gifting products to influencers.
Unlike many other brands on TikTok, POPFLEX doesn’t only rely on trending dances to gain traction.
“Doing trendy dance moves doesn’t always need to be your answer to increasing your reach,” says King. “You can find a unique way to utilize a trending audio to push your product and educate your audience about your brand.”
She continues, “In fact, being different and interpreting trends in unique ways has been some of our best performing content.”
If there’s one piece of advice King could offer other small businesses, it’s this: Succeeding on TikTok involves trial and error.
“You have to find what brings your audience in, weeding through what works and what doesn’t,” says King. “The only way to figure that out is by posting and by not being afraid to test new things — new creators, posting at different times, new angles, trends versus storytelling, etc.”
2. Faces Cosmetics
While some brands steer away from pushing their products on TikTok, others find great success in doubling down on this strategy. Faces Cosmetics is one of them.
About 90% of the TikTok videos this brand posts on TikTok are directly related to its product, specifically the quality, performance, and durability.
The reason this strategy works so well is that in just a few seconds, the video addresses user pain points and shows how the product solves them – all while leveraging trending sounds.

@facescosmetics And it’s latex free 😜 Secure those lashes baby!
#makeup
#mua
#lashes
#facescosmetics
#lashessecured
♬ original sound – IT GIRL 💕

Here’s another tactic that’s worked exceptionally well for Faces Cosmetics on TikTok: Building up a story surrounding the product, hooking in viewers, then revealing the truth at the end.
While this may sound like a risky approach, it’s one that brought the brand 3.1 million views in a single video and a host of new customers.
For instance, in the video posted below, the brand’s founder posed as a content creator trying a new product that’s been making its rounds on social media. Spoiler alert: It’s her product.

@facescosmetics I wish i knew about this sooner omg!
#lashes
#makeup
#ulta
#facescosmetics
#lashessecured
♬ original sound – Faces Cosmetics

She tries it on, addresses common customer pain points with this product line, then ends the video with the big reveal and a restock announcement.
The takeaway here is to tell stories that will resonate with your audience.
3. Hoodjabi
If you’re looking for inspiration on how to capitalize on trending sounds on TikTok, take a look at Hoodjabi.
From the outside looking in, this brand has figured out which trends to hop on and which ones to skip.

@hoodjabishop A lifechanging experience 🥹🥹
#hoodjabishop
#modestfashion
#hijabessentials
#hoodiehijab
♬ The sound of love – Mandy & Boots- Viral 🔈Creator

Although every video features Hoodjabi products, the videos don’t focus on the products themselves. Instead, they focus on the person wearing them and their lifestyle. From navigating the world as a hijabi to life with this product – always in a funny, engaging way.
4. Bobbie Goods
TikTok accounts like Bobbie Goods show us that simplicity can go a long way on social media.
What once was a drawing account from an artist evolved into a brand selling coloring books, stickers, and more.
What’s most interesting here is noting how the content in this account shifted once it became a brand. In the early days, the videos had little focus, allowing viewers to simply enjoy the drawings as they came alive on screen.
Over time, the brand started incorporating more behind-the-scenes content, from packing orders to creating new products.

@bobbiegoods add eco friendly gift wrapping to your next order! available now in my shop ☺️ @noissueco
#noissuepackaging
#fyp
#packingorders
#smallbusiness
#etsy
♬ Real Love Baby – Father John Misty

Another interesting note? Bobbie Goods doesn’t rely on trending sounds to make or break their content, showing once again that there are multiple roads leading to success on TikTok.
5. Omsom
Food brand Omsom isn’t just on TikTok to promote its products. After perusing just a few videos, you’ll find that there’s an emphasis on celebrating Asian, and specifically Vietnamese, culture.
Omsom invites its viewers to gain knowledge of the history behind Vietnamese cuisine as well as challenge longstanding myths related to Asian foods.

@weareomsom PSA: there are no proven harms of consuming MSG!!!
#msg
#asiancuisine
#asianfood
#immigrantstories
#stigma
♬ original sound – Omsom

But that’s not all you’ll find scrolling down their profile.
Omsom also shares tons of food recipes, behind-the-scenes content from the founders, and relatable lifestyle content.

@weareomsom
The Omsom team has HAD IT with these red flags 🤣🚩
♬ Whatcha Say – Jason Derulo

Having this content mix ensures they appeal to a range of buyer personas, from Vietnamese consumers looking for a taste of home to curious eaters.
6. SplayTray
When your product is as good as SplayTray’s, there’s no fancy strategy needed (although that never hurts).
On TikTok, all it takes is finding the right trending sounds to show off your product’s most impressive features.
Take this video below, which earned nearly 270K views.

@splaytray
You definitely need it.
♬ THE SOUND WE DONT REALLY NEED – Skeetersbedtimestories

The audio overlay – a conversation between two friends resisting the temptation to make a purchase – mixed with a simple video compilation made for a straightforward product demo that speaks for itself.
The takeaway here is: When in doubt, keep it simple.
There you have it – 6 brands using completely different strategies and killing it on TikTok. Whether you’re a small, midsize or large business, there’s a piece of advice in here for every TikTok marketer.

Wondering how Instagram’s new Collab feature works? We’ve got you covered.

In this post, we’ll dive into how this new feature works, the benefits for brands, and the steps to use it. Plus, get a few tips on how to leverage it.

What is a collab post on Instagram
Why use an Instagram Collab post?
How to Create an Instagram Collab Post
Tips for Making Instagram Collab Posts

What is a collab post on Instagram?
In the Fall of 2021, Instagram announced the “Collabs” feature, which allows an feed post to live on two users’ profiles.

You 🤝 MeWe’re launching Collabs, a new way to co-author Feed posts and Reels.Invite an account to be a collaborator:✅Both names will appear on header✅Share to both sets of followers✅Live on both profile grids✅Share views, likes and comments pic.twitter.com/0pBYtb9aCK — Instagram (@instagram)
October 19, 2021

Here’s how it works: User 1 will create the post and invite User 2 to be a collaborator. Once User 2 accepts, the post will live on both users’ profiles. They will both share ownership of the post as well as the engagement (likes, shares, comments).
Currently, Collabs is only available in the feed and on Reels. That means that you can’t add a collaborator on Stories, the Shop tab, or anywhere else.

Why use an Instagram Collab post?
For influencers and brands, the Collabs feature is a huge opportunity.

Businesses work with influencers to reach audiences they normally wouldn’t, i.e. discoverability.
This feature allows them to land directly on their target audience’s feed without having to do more work. They can also track performance much easier – no need to wait for influencers to send a report, they can look at the analytics directly.
Lastly, when two users share a post, they remove the risk of competition with both fighting for engagement.
From the content creator’s perspective, this feature not only allows for more transparency but also makes it easier to share product recommendations.

How to Create an Instagram Collab Post

Click the “+” sign to create a new feed or Reel post.
Create a feed post or Reel then tap “Next.”
Once the editing is done, tap “Tag People.”
Tap on “Invite collaborator.”
Search for the collaborator’s account and add them.
Wait for them to accept. Once they do, the post will be shared with their followers and they’ll be listed as co-author.

From the invitee’s perspective, they’ll receive a notification about being tagged on a post and will have to review the request.

Note: If your request is denied, the invitee will still be tagged in your post but will not be listed as a co-author and it will not show up on their feed.

Tips for Making Instagram Collab Posts
If you’re ready to get started using this feature, here are some ideas and tips on using collabs:

Use collabs for:

Giveaway winner notifications
Influencer partnerships
Follower shoutouts, i.e. user-generated content
Co-marketing campaigns

Make sure you have a pre-existing relationship with the users you invite to collaborate.
Only collaborate with creators whose audiences align with your ideal user persona.

In June 2022, Mozilla Firefox 102 was released with a feature that strips query parameters from URLs that track users as they navigate the web. The feature is called “Query Parameter Stripping,” and the purpose is to protect the privacy of users who don’t want to be trailed online.
Now that Firefox has given its users the ability to strip query parameters, here’s what marketers need to know.

What are query parameters?
Query parameters are a set of texts that are automatically added to the end of a URL to pass on data. These parameters identify specific content or actions based on the data being passed.
Query parameters appear as a “?” followed by a series of text. To add multiple parameters, an “&” is added in between each branch. For instance: www.example.com/?branch&product
To better understand what a query parameter is, let’s use the link to this HubSpot blog post about using video to humanize your brand. The link to this blog post is:
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/video-marketing-tips-from-wistia
However, if I were to click on this same link on Facebook, the URL would appear as:
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/video-marketing-tips-from-wistia?fbclid=IwAR3NRxcZoMVwLND43N-5xVwa3VvYiL0xrq_Cfc5uiPPdk5qIPKZ9vBqPFCI
Everything after the “?” doesn’t make a difference in terms of where the URL takes you but it provides Facebook (and for the sake of transparency, HubSpot) information about who’s clicking, what they’re clicking, and why.
How do query parameters help marketers?
The information from query parameters helps marketers optimize their company’s websites to create a more user-friendly experience. Essentially query parameters play a significant role in evaluating the touchpoints consumers encounter online on their path to purchase (attributions).
Query parameters also help track content performance across different platforms — they also help companies figure out the right ads to have on their websites to boost ad revenue.

How will this affect marketers going forward?
For now, the feature is a setting that has to be manually activated by the Firefox user. Once activated, any significant navigation event — like opening a new window or tab, clicking links, or redirects between URLs — will result in the removal of query parameters from the destination URL.
This could impact attributions for sites like Facebook, HubSpot, and other websites using query parameters in the sense that some attributions may not be reflected accurately.
Going forward, marketers using query parameters should be aware that users of Firefox 102 and beyond may not accurately reflect attributions.
Marketers should also be prepared for the possibility that Mozilla could make Query Parameter Stripping a default setting in the future. Preparation could be using other methods to track user behavior. Another method would be to gather data through website audits to optimize the usefulness of your site to consumers.

Social media is the top-used channel among marketers and is an ever-evolving space for brands, businesses, and creators to be part of.
As a result, social-led brands have become more popular, as consumers expect relevancy and trendy conversations on social media. In this post, we’ll explain what a social-led brand is and what it takes to become one.

What is a social-led brand?
A social-led brand uses everything about its social media presence, from assets to tone, in all of its marketing and branding efforts. Essentially it is led by how it acts on social media channels. For example, a brand with a humorous voice on social media maintains that same voice on billboards.
Popeyes is a great example of this, especially when it comes to its who-has-the-better-sandwich feud with Chick-fil-A. Popeyes says they have a leg up in flavor and also in the fact that they’re open on Sundays when Chick-fil-A is closed. It made a joke about its open hours on Twitter (shown below),

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And maintained the same humor in a highway road sign.

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Social-led brands are also tuned in to current conversations and trends on social media and use them in their own marketing, like using a trending meme to promote a product.
These brands also learn what customers expect from brands and businesses they like on social media. For example, social commerce is rising in popularity as customers shop on the channels they use. A social-led brand would recognize this and might make an Instagram Shop so its followers can visit its page and make a purchase without leaving the app.
Overall, two things make up a social-led brand: its social media voice that it carries to different channels and leveraging current and buzzy trends.
How to Become a Social-Led Brand
The most essential characteristic of a social-led brand is cohesiveness.
The branding and messaging you use originates from your social media accounts and are consistent on and off social media, from Instagram captions to email newsletters to physical mailers.
As mentioned above, social-led brands also know what’s buzzy at any given moment. You’ll know what people are discussing, what they’re excited about, and what’s driving clicks and engagement. You’ll also participate in conversations in a timely manner, not weeks after a meme has run its course.
Southwest Airlines recently tweeted about passengers on a flight who were given a free ukulele and treated to an in-air lesson. People on Twitter immediately began talking about how they wouldn’t want that to happen on their flight, like Jon Ostrower, who said he likens the situation to giving his kids glitter.

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Amtrak was tapped into the conversation and reminded everyone that its trains have a quiet car that is always free from the disruption of a ukulele lesson.

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Social-Led Brands Leave Longer Lasting Impressions
Culturally relevant brands are more popular with consumers and leave long-lasting impressions, so being a social-led brand positions you for success.
When you can tap into trending topics, have conversations, and share content consumers enjoy, you’re more likely to attract interested customers, inspire purchases, and build brand loyalty.

 

 

Imagine that you have an amazingly effective landing page, thanks to which you dynamically generate new leads. The statistics are soaring and sales are growing at a dizzying pace. How to create a good landing page that will attract attention?

The landing page is the place that the recipient reaches after clicking on the ad or link in the e-mail. A well-created landing page determines the effectiveness of your advertising campaign, i.e. how large the number of conversions will be. Its characteristic features are simplicity, focus, and embedding outside the main server.

The main goal of creating this type of website is the desire to generate leads, while proposing:

e-book downloadsubscription to the newsletterregistration for events and coursesdiscounts, rebate codesfree samplesselling the product

You already know what a landing page is, but do you know how to create a good landing page? Here are my tips.

First of all, the most important thing is what your landing page should be used for. Define the purpose of your landing page and don’t forget that it’s best if it’s only one. Putting several tasks on one landing page can cause chaos and will certainly make your work difficult, and your message will be ambiguous for the client. Why is setting a goal so important? The course enrollment will be different than the sale of the product. They will differ not only in appearance, but also in the number of forms and the type of information you are interested in. In addition, the landing page should be simple enough for the client to know exactly what it is about.

Another important thing is appearance. If you want the message to be clear and your potential customer has no doubts about which page he was on, you need consistency. Are the colors of your website blue and red? Use these colors when creating your landing page! Do you use informal language in communication with the recipient on a daily basis? Be consistent and refer to him this way also on the landing page. You will certainly do well to align your landing page with the overall message your business uses. Make sure that the form to which you direct the client is consistent with how you create the brand on your website and in social media. Here is an example of how Alior Bank handles this:

 

Fig. 1. Color matching of the landing page on the example of Alior Bank

 

The consistency of the message is very important. Not only in terms of colors, the use of logos, and communication style, but also in terms of matching to what it concerns. Your message must be clear and lucid. The landing page should continue the subject of the advertisement and even be similar to it, e.g. by adding the same graphics. The customer should have no doubts that he has found the right page.

An additional visual aspect is keeping it simple. Adding a multitude of hyperlinks may turn out to be disastrous for your campaign – they will not only blur the message but also distract the recipient from the main subject of the landing page.

At this stage, resign from:

menulinks “see more”links to social medialinking to other subpages of the website

If you want to show more possibilities of your company, it is best to do it on the thank you page (specifically: thank you for filling in the form). You will be sure that the customer sees what you have to offer.

PROTIP: The fewer links on the subpage, the better – the chance that the recipient will click where you want is greater.

You already know what your landing page is for and how it should look visually. The next step will be to determine what elements these pages consist of. The headline is definitely an important element. Currently, Internet users cease reading the entire text, and only focus on scanning the content. They search for information that interests them. So if you want to grab your audience’s attention:

coin a catchy headlineremember that the text should be short (preferably up to 50 characters)focus on the benefits

It will be a good idea to create an appropriate graphic on which you will present the strengths of your service and adjust the photo that will complement the message (for example, show a given item in use or a memory from a previous event). Remember not to distract them unnecessarily if the text is more important on your landing page. Be sure to link every graphic you post! If you want, you can attach a short video instead of a text, in which you present the benefits of purchasing your product or enrolling in a course. It can be an animation, presentation, or demo.

According to Eye View Digital, placing a video on a landing page can increase conversion by up to 86%!

Now two important issues – form and CTA (call to action). It is important that the form is thoughtful and short. Think about what information you need and which one you want to collect. Instead of making ten data windows, it is better to create only four, but those that will be key for you. If you do not intend to use his date of birth or telephone number in your communication with the client – remove these fields. Too much data required discourages filling. A good form is one that is clear – the recipient knows what to write.

CTA is the most important thing on your landing page – it is thanks to this button, that a new lead appears in your database. It is extremely important that it is visible. How to do it?

use contrasting colors – if your landing page is blue, don’t hesitate to use the big red or pink button. Such a practice will not let the recipient pass by your message indifferently.the large font that will not be omittedfocus on the benefits – the button with the message “I want to participate” will look much better than “Subscribe”, as well as “I want to receive the newsletter” instead of “Confirm”. Don’t be afraid to get into your client’s shoes and say “yes” to the button!

A short form and clear CTA has a landing page for the Polish Driver Accounting Center:

 

Fig. 2. An example of an OCRK landing page with a clear CTA and a short form.

 

You have already thought about the concept, collected all the materials, and created the perfect landing page. You made it simple and legible. What’s next? Test it! Test how your landing page works. Are the pictures or videos displayed correctly, the button redirects to the thank you page or other indicated page, and whether the form works correctly – you can enter information, and no errors appear. If the goal of your landing page is to download an ebook, check if the correct file starts downloading after clicking on the CTA. Make a test record and check if the new contact has appeared in your database.

IMPORTANT: Never share your landing page without prior testing!

 

Fig. 3. Source: Polish Internet Research

 

The landing page has been tested, so now it’s time to think about the mobile version. According to the Polish Internet Research, in September 2020, 22.4 million Internet users used computers, while 24.4 million used mobile devices (https://pbi.org.pl/raporty/polscy-internauci-we-wrzesniu-2020/ ). Looking at the results of these studies, it can be seen that the vast majority of people browse the Internet from their phone or tablet. This means that it is worth taking a look at the mobile version of the landing page. Even more so, if you want a link on social media to send your landing page – most often users use them on mobile devices. What looks good on a computer, unfortunately, does not always look like it on a phone. Therefore, after creating your landing page, it is worth checking how it displays on mobile. Test it on different browsers and phone models to make sure that your landing page displays correctly. If not, be sure to make the necessary corrections.

An example of a good landing page:

 

Fig. 4. An example of a landing page rankomat.pl

 

Pros:

simple headline and content showing the benefitsvisible CTAgraphics communicating the message of the offerclear messagesimple design

Cons:

part of the title looks linked – just underlining without changing the color would suffice

Building the perfect landing page to make your lead conversions incredibly high is a grueling process. It requires rethinking the entire campaign, its subject, purpose, and content. It’s worth taking the time to make sure your landing page is polished from every angle. This has a real impact on whether the recipient who reaches it decides to fill out the form and buy a product or sign up for an event, and you will enjoy the next acquired customer in your database. A good landing page is the success of the entire campaign.

If you’re looking for more inspiration, take a look here.