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Author: Franz Malten Buemann

  • Auto Assign Package License to New Users

    Last Updated on March 17, 2022 by Rakesh GuptaBig Idea or Enduring Question: How can you automatically assign a managed package license to new users? Objectives: After reading this blog post, the reader will be able to: Use Flow to automatically add a package license to new users Use get
    The post Auto Assign Package License to New Users appeared first on Automation Champion.

  • All these people going it alone, without any marketing automation….

    https://preview.redd.it/73xgxn9wl0o81.png?width=1050&format=png&auto=webp&s=6d51f8afd66504f9c67752237e00f17978692a56 submitted by /u/AutomationMarketer [link] [comments]

  • Separate Domain for Marketing Emails

    I see some many companies (including large ones) use a separate domain when sending marketing or newsletter emails. Not just a subdomain but a different domain name. For example if the website is company.com the emails may come from company-news.com. Just curious on what the advantages are for using a completely different domain as the sender? Is it just to protect the reputation of the main domain? Are there any disadvantages of doing this? submitted by /u/fezziwig219 [link] [comments]

  • 10 Best Social Media Organization Tips and Tricks for Managers

    Managing social media accounts for a brand is not easy – and one of the biggest challenges is organizing your social media content.
    Between managing social promotion goals from different departments, staying up-to-date on social mentions and trends, and posting relevant and engaging content on a regular basis, being a social media manager can sometimes feel like herding cats.

    So, how do busy social media managers keep their ducks in a row? We asked the people who run social media for their brands from across the U.S. for their best tips on staying organized. Here’s what they shared with us.

    1. Keep an updated content calendar.
    Planning out social media posts is time-consuming, so keeping track of it all with a content calendar can help cut down on time.
    “I keep an updated content calendar that includes all our social networks and the types of content we’ll be posting on each one,” says Georgie Morley, community manager at Bai.
    She then creates both a daily and weekly to-do list based on the calendar.
    “I make sure there’s flexibility because something always comes up – you have to be prepared to fight some fires.”

    Image Source
    To help you plan your updates and coordinate social campaigns more easily, here’s a free social media publishing template.
    2. Schedule social posts ahead of time and in bulk.
    Scheduling posts saves a lot of time, and it allows you to focus on other parts of your job instead of being constantly distracted by the need to publish at certain times of day.
    Former HubSpot Social Media Manager Robyn Showers used to Tweet from the @HubSpot account 24 or more times per day, not including replies to other Twitter users.
    To save time, she used Social Inbox to schedule tweets in bulk by uploading them from a spreadsheet. HubSpot customers: Learn how to use the bulk scheduling tool here.
    “I also tend to schedule Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ posts several days ahead of time,” said Showers.
    3. Use a to-do list app.
    Social media managers would be lost without their to-do lists. Oftentimes, the question is: What’s the best to-do list app out there?
    There is a lot to choose from – Todoist, TickTick, Any.do to name a few. To narrow down your options, here are a few key features to look for:

    Syncing option between devices
    Recurring due dates and reminders
    Priority levels
    Categories
    Task sharing and delegation
    Calendar feeds

    4. Know where to find trending topics.
    What’s trending right now? What has the Twitter timeline buzzing? Which news stories are people talking about?
    These are all questions social media managers need to be thinking about – not just when they arrive at work in the morning, but all day long. By staying on top of rising trends, social media managers can properly newsjack, which can bring terrific spikes in traffic to your website.
    Image Source
    How do you stay on top of it all when things are changing so fast? First, sign up for an RSS reader like Feedly and subscribe to industry news sites and blogs that post on industry trends and topics.
    5. Maintain an “Inbox Zero” mentality.
    For most people, high productivity comes from closing out of email for several hours at a time. `This couldn’t be less true for social media managers who need to stay alert to incoming requests.
    Back when Laurie Meacham led the social media team at JetBlue, they had to stay on top of Twitter mentions in addition to social post requests from their marketing, public relations, operations, and customer commitment teams. How do they do it?
    “I maintain the ‘Inbox Zero’ mentality so I know what’s new and what needs my action,” she said. “That way, it doesn’t get lost in mountains of unimportant emails or assignments.”
    It can be easy to lose important emails below the fold, so star (or flag) the ones you want to refer back to and set alert notifications for your most important senders.

    6. Have a dedicated “Social Content” folder in your email.
    As a social media manager, one of your many jobs is to collect all of the content your company creates, sift through it, and create bite-sized social posts your audience can digest quickly.
    But with so many incoming content and promotion requests, how do you make sure you don’t overlook or forget about the important stuff?
    When it comes to sifting through and bookmarking content, former Social Media Manager at HubSpot Brittany Leaning recommends creating a folder dedicated to social content.
    For Leaning, many of these emails included upcoming webinars, product launches, or marketing collateral from other companies that she thought the HubSpot audience would appreciate.
    “My routine consisted of going through every single HubSpot blog post that was published in the last week, and scheduling the evergreen posts for the following week,” she said. “I’d do the same thing with all our relatively new evergreen efforts. This would keep the social publishing machine going while I looked for opportunities for newsjacking or other time-sensitive content.”
    After creating the folder, have a routine in which you sift through it when you need inspiration for new content and remove outdated content after a certain time has passed.
    7. Create a form for social promotion requests.
    To minimize the number of social media promotion requests you get via email and instant messaging, field these requests through a form.

    This way, you free up your email and IM and you now have a dedicated place to review requests.
    If you’re concerned about time-sensitive requests, you can add a note that specifies the best way to contact you or your team for urgent requests.
    8. Use Canva to make batches of similar images.
    Canva is a wonderfully simple (and free) graphic design platform that social media managers can use to create social media templates.
    Maintaining a consistent aesthetic is very important on social media. With Canva, you can create templates, get them approved by your branding team if necessary, and use them whenever you’re posting on social media.
    You can create multiple folders based on the post category, the platform, or the visual format – how you organize it is all up to you.
    Showers would use Canva to create images in bulk for HubSpot’s campaigns on social.
    “Anytime we run a campaign to promote an ebook, webinar, or another valuable piece of content, I want to have at least five creatives to test on Twitter,” she said.
    To create those creatives, she only has to design one image on Canva, then she uses the “copy” tool (shown below) to duplicate the image and create multiple versions while retaining the core design elements.

    9. Organize your windows and tabs in a specific order every day.
    When you’re juggling your email, calendar, social streams, post requests, links, and so on and so forth, you can easily lose track of which tab is where. One member of JetBlue’s social team suggests keeping windows and tabs open in a specific order that you’ll get used to and memorize quickly.
    The JetBlue team also suggests getting into the habit of closing out of tabs as soon as you’re done with them.
    “We get sent so many links that, if I’m not careful, I’ll have 30 articles open as well as Fly-Fi selfies and pictures of suitcases with wheels and zippers missing.”
    If someone tweets a link at your brand, once you’ve addressed that tweet, close out of the link. This also helps ensure your toggle bars never get so crowded that you can’t easily see updates as they happen.
    10. Set a time limit for each task.
    Social media managers tend to have jam-packed schedules that don’t allow them to do one task for too long.
    “It’s easy to get lost in the endless streams of to-dos, research, and meetings,” says Yip, “so it’s important to schedule time limits for each task so you can stay focused and not spend too much time on one.”
    And finally, says the JetBlue social team, “Don’t forget to blink!”
    Staying Organized as a Social Media Manager
    It’s one thing to get organized, it’s another to stay that way.
    All of the tips outlined below require consistency. Otherwise, they won’t serve much of a purpose. As with everything, you incorporate these tips into your routine, you will slowly but surely see how much organized your days will become.
    Pro-tip: Incorporate one tip at a time and pick based on your biggest pain point. For some, adding one thing at a time is much more manageable and makes it easier not to get overwhelmed by the changes.
    Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in Oct. 2014 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

  • How to Prepare an Advertising Plan [Free Template]

    Turning an idea for an advertising campaign into reality isn’t exactly simple, but it always begins with creating a concrete and detailed advertising plan.
    Your plan will help you present a clear path for return on investment (ROI), get buy-in from leadership, and share your proposal with relevant stakeholders. 
    Follow Along With HubSpot’s Free Ad Plan Template
     
    In this post, we’ll explain what an advertising plan is and highlight the major sections you should include in your advertising plan so you can guarantee your next campaign is a success. 

    Advertising Plan Template
    Pro Tip: HubSpot created the following advertising plan template for you to download so you can organize your advertising campaign — it’s broken down into relevant sections and can be shared with your stakeholders when it’s completed.
    In it you’ll find:

    Advertising campaign outline, 
    Advertising campaign timeline, and 
    Advertising budget template.

    Download this Advertising Planning Kit
    Now let’s dive into how you can prep your ad plan. 
    How to Prepare an Advertising Plan
    Before you jump into your tactical advertising ideas, the first step in the process is to provide those reading your ad plan with a high-level overview of your initiative.
    1. Provide an overview of your advertising plan.
    Specify the following elements so anyone reading your plan will have a basic understanding of what your campaign is and what you’re trying to accomplish:

    Campaign Name: Make the campaign name catchy, unique, and easily identifiable so your team can get behind it.
    Campaign Description: What is the purpose of your campaign? Explain in 2-3 paragraphs what the inspiration behind your campaign is, how it aligns with your company initiatives, what customer problems you’re solving, and what the final deliverables of the campaign will be.
    Target Audience: Ideally, who’s on the receiving end of these ads? You can be specific to age, sex, region, or any number of demographics, or name which of your buyer personas you’re targeting.
    Advertising Platforms: How will you be getting your message across? Here, identify the platform you’ll be using, since you’ll get more into the details of what the actual ads will look like in a later section.
    Goals and ROI: Explain what the end goal of your campaign is. Most ad campaigns are intended to produce a direct profit or return on investment, so if that’s your goal, identify that number. If your campaign goal is something else — event sign-ups, product awareness, etc. — be sure to identify and quantify it.

    2. Choose your platforms.
    Here’s where you’ll provide more detail on the advertisements themselves and on which platform they will be promoted. For each ad you intend to run in this campaign, you should provide the following:

    Platform name
    Ad type
    Description of the ad
    Timeline
    Budget

    For example, your content in this section might look like this:
    Platform #1: YouTube

    Advertisement Type: Video
    Description of Ad: A 15-second pre-video ad. The video will be an animated look at our new app with a link to the app store at when someone clicks.
    Timeline: July 1 – July 31
    Budget: $10,000

    3. Develop your timeline.
    Working on an ad campaign takes a ton of time and resources, so everyone involved will want to know what tasks they’re responsible for, when they’re due, and how long they have to do them. In this part of your advertising plan, list the tasks that are due, when they are due, and who’s responsible for accomplishing them.
    4. Outline your budget.
    Because ROI isn’t guaranteed, the budget can be the toughest part of your advertising project to get approved — which is why it’s important to break up your requests by line item and present them in your plan.
    Rather than simply stating, “We need $65,000 for this project”, organize your budget into a detailed visual, like the example below.

    Download this Template for Free
    Naturally, you can (and should) expect questions and pushback on certain line items.
    For example, you may be asked to find another designer or video freelancing team who can complete the job for less money. So, arrive at meetings prepared to defend which costs are necessary for the campaign’s success and which expenses can be reconsidered.
    5. Explain your DACI framework.
    The DACI framework outlines who the key contributors in the project are and what each of their responsibilities entail.
    Here’s how a DACI framework is broken down:

    (D)river: As you might have guessed, this person is the project’s main driver or directly responsible individual. (Chances are, this will be either you or your direct manager.) The driver will coordinate all of the moving pieces of the project, seeing it through from inception to wrap-up.
    (A)pprover: This will be the person who must approve a project and is typically a director, VP, or manager. They’ll give feedback, recommendations, or approval on the overall project and have a final say in all project deliverables.
    (C)ontributors: Contributors will be the individuals who are responsible for creating one or more deliverables for the project. In an advertising campaign, this can include copywriters, video producers, animators, designers, and digital advertising specialists.
    (I)nformed: These are employees who are kept in the loop as the project goes on. Examples include the department heads and the managers of project contributors. These people have no direct responsibilities but benefit from knowing about the project and its status.

    Your DACI framework should include the name of each stakeholder, his or her contact information (email, phone, and/or Slack handle), and that person’s responsibility or deliverable.
    This framework makes project delegation crystal clear for everyone involved.
    6. Provide additional resources.
    This will act as the appendix of your advertising plan. Share the ad campaign that inspired this one with your readers, link to the product page you’ll be promoting with this initiative, or link to your company’s brand style guide — this way, designers and writers get a refresh on how to create externally-facing content.
    7. Host a campaign kickoff meeting.
    After you complete the outline, hop on a call with your team to explain the campaign concept, timeline, and deliverables. Compile all of them in HubSpot’s advertising project pitch deck and present your advertising plan. Then, open up the floor for any questions and suggestions with project contributors.
    Advertising Plan Example
    It can always be helpful to reference examples, and below we’ll go over one.
    In this plan, a business outlines the different channels it will use to reach its advertising goals: YouTube, Facebook, and Google Ads. It outlines the type of ad for each channel, a summary of what each ad will be, a target timeline, and an allocated budget. While it is simply an overview, it has the key elements it will execute in its advertising strategy. 
    While this is a high-quality example, be mindful that it is merely an example. You can personalize this template to meet your business goals by inputting what works best for your needs.
    Over to You
    Now that you know how to write your own advertising plan, download HubSpot’s free template to get your own advertising campaign project plan off the group. 
    Editor’s note: This post was originally published in August 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

  • How to Spot (and Hire) a Great Call Center Manager

    At first glance, a call center manager job may seem easy compared to the agents they oversee. After all, they are not the ones who have to navigate call center software, ensure customer satisfaction, and take all the phone calls.
    But strong call center management is essential in managing call center operations, quality monitoring, and employee engagement — among a long list of tasks that ensure the center meets its day-to-day goals.
    For these reasons, hiring an effective all center manager should be a vital goal for all call center leaders. Let’s take a look at what makes a great call center manager and how to find the right fit from the hiring stage.
    Industry Report: State of the Contact Center 2022
    Call Center Management Duties
    Call center managers have many job duties, many of which take place behind the scenes. Here’s a list of a few call center management responsibilities:

    Managing daily operations and contact center performance.
    Engaging and motivating team members.
    Setting KPIs and other performance goals.
    Conducting training and evaluations.
    Hiring and onboarding call center agents.
    Handling call escalations; addressing customer concerns.

    On paper, a prospective call center manager might have all of the above experience. That’s why evaluating soft skills for this role is so critical.
    7 Skills to Look For in a Call Center Manager
    Clear communication.
    Managers must communicate with many different parties on a daily basis, including agents, customers, executives, stakeholders, and more. It’s important they have the flexibility to address each party clearly and concisely in a tactful fashion.
    Emotional intelligence.
    An effective call center manager should have the ability to handle customers and employees, no matter the situation. Since the call center industry is known for high attrition rates, managers play a key role in retaining strong agents. This requires empathy, which can be helpful when providing constructive feedback and support.
    Coping with Labor Shortages in the Contact Center
    Analytical skills.
    Call centers rely on metrics and data, from average handle time to customer satisfaction scores, to ensure quality monitoring and influence business strategy. Call center managers should have the analytical skills to interpret the data and translate them into actionable insights.
    Self-awareness.
    One of the top causes for agent attrition is poor management. A good call center manager recognizes opportunities for self-improvement, whether it’s through further training or more time on the floor to gather insights. They should also be open to receiving feedback from team members.
    Decision making.
    Call center managers should have enough intuition and confidence to make tough decisions that ensure smooth operations and efficiency. They should feel comfortable making important decisions, whether for hiring agents or picking the right call center technology.
    Time management.
    Call center managers have a long list of duties, and only so much time in the day. Time management skills are essential to help managers stay on track, delegate tasks when needed, and ensure call center goals are met.
    Technical skills.
    Up-to-date and innovative call center software is essential to meet and surpass the competition. Call center managers should have basic technical skills (or be willing to learn them) to figure out how to use and optimize call center technology. Luckily, Fonolo’s Voice Call-Backs and data-rich reporting from the Fonolo Portal are both intuitive.
    The Ultimate Call-Back Tactical Handbook
    How to Hire the Right Call Center Manager
    Call center managers can learn a lot on the job, but your best bet is to hire one with a strong foundation of skills to ensure success in the role. Here are some tips to help you hire a great call center manager:
    Hire from within.
    Nobody knows your call center better than the people currently working in it. Assess agent performance and experience, and ask yourself: are any agents ready to advance into a management role? Not only does this help you find someone already well-versed on your center’s processes, goals, and unique issues — it also supports employee engagement, as a lack of career advancement is a top reason for attrition.
    Gather advice from your network.
    Call center leaders have a wide network- from internal call center executives to contacts in industry associations. If you don’t have anyone in mind for a call center management role, your network might offer a strong referral.
    How to Foster Agent Engagement in a Hybrid Contact Center
    Nail the job posting and description.
    If you must hire externally, pay special attention to your job posting. You should include industry-standard qualifications, as well as requirements that your contact center currently could use. For example, if you have a high agent attrition rate, you’ll want to make sure that your posting clearly indicates a need for a candidate with extensive experience in managing a team. If your call center is on a downward trend in customer satisfaction, you should emphasize analytical skills and customer service experience in your ad.
    You might also consider adding relevant keywords to your job posting to ensure prospective candidates can access it:

    Customer service manager
    Call center
    Operations manager
    Customer Service
    Call center manager

    Some typical call center manager job postings include the following qualifications:

    Several years of customer service and management experience
    Experience working in a call center
    Demonstrated experience in building and motivating a team
    Experience working with up-to-date call center technology
    Excellent organization and analytical skills

    Ask the right interview questions.
    The interview is your most insightful look into how a candidate will perform in a call center management role. You should ask them specific interview questions and request examples demonstrating:

    Call center experience
    Team management experience
    Evidence of improving call center operations or agent performance

    Catch red flags quickly.
    In the recruiting and hiring stages, you might notice a few key indicators that a candidate won’t be a good fit. Look out for these call center management red flags:

    Lack of specific examples demonstrating experience
    Passivity or lack of eye contact
    Overly negative descriptions of past employers, team members, or customers
    Avoiding questions
    Weak understanding of call center industry terminology, like service level, call volume, workforce management, first-call resolution (FCR), etc.

    Embrace onboarding best practices.
    Hiring a strong candidate isn’t all you need to secure an effective call center manager. Your next step is giving them the best onboarding experience possible so that they can jump into the role smoothly and confidently.
    Here are some quick tips for onboarding to help your new manager thrive:

    Tailor the onboarding strategy to the candidate’s specific experience and needs
    Make time for regular one-on-one meetings
    Offer interactive, gamified training
    Keep track of management performance
    The post How to Spot (and Hire) a Great Call Center Manager first appeared on Fonolo.

  • An agency for marketing in Birmingham, UK

    Results-driven digital marketing agency Birmingham UK specialised in SEO, PPC & CRO services, helping businesses to be Successful Online. ​ https://preview.redd.it/bd5mibzq0xn81.png?width=800&format=png&auto=webp&s=8bf0e09f3a68749d908c261c03a201bafe48ce16 submitted by /u/External-Island-7792 [link] [comments]

  • How should we celebrate your day?

    If today was a holiday in your honor, what would it be about?

    If we had to examine everything about you, your work, your impact, your reputation–what would be the positive caricature we would draw? What sorts of slogans, banners and greetings would we use to celebrate you and your work?

    It’s never accurate to boil down an organization or a person’s work to a simple sentence or two, but we do it anyway.

    What’s yours?

  • The Email Marketing Terms You Need to Know

    Making sense of email marketing terms can sometimes feel like you’re trying to learn a new language, and it’s normal to feel lost. But intense as the jargon is, it’s important to have a clear understanding of the basics. Some terms have legal implications that are crucial to be aware of, while others represent trends…
    The post The Email Marketing Terms You Need to Know appeared first on Benchmark Email.

  • Website News Letters

    Hey guys, we made a startup on creating website news letters to give users a way to follow up on their customers. With easy UI and customization features, you can edit and design your own modal. It would be nice if you guys can try it out and give us some feedback with any tips on improvement. Thanks for your time. F1_Mail submitted by /u/PRINXELLC [link] [comments]