Author: Franz Malten Buemann

You are probably already familiar with the basics of marketing automation. It automates tasks. It streamlines processes. Overall, it makes our lives a whole lot easier. But a quality marketing automation software is capable of doing much more than just enabling your marketing team. When used to its full advantages, it’s a tool that can ultimately help your…
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We’re quickly approaching the most wonderful time of the year – the holiday season. While typically this time of year has been busy with increased consumer engagement and sales for many small businesses, this year may look a little different. With talks of a recession and the market continuously taking a hit, a lot of small businesses aren’t…
The post 4 Shifts Your Small Business Needs to Prepare for This Holiday Season appeared first on Benchmark Email.

The global financial crisis and the burst of the U.S. housing bubble signaled the beginning of the Great Recession, which spanned from 2007 to 2009 and heralded the end for many small businesses. And while it is still just speculation that another recession may be looming around the corner, as an agency, you should always be…
The post How to Recession-Proof Your Agency appeared first on Benchmark Email.

It’s the New Year, and while many of us would like to start anew, the reality is that we’re still dealing with some 2022 baggage. Talks of a recession have not quieted down, so how you start this year off can have a lasting impact on your business’s sustainability. In order to drive top performance and…
The post How to Create Team Goals that are Measurable appeared first on Benchmark Email.

A lot has changed within the past couple of years, and it’s ultimately affected how businesses operate. The United States currently has about 32.5 million small businesses in active operations. However, a looming recession, rising inflation, and inventory issues are all curve balls that could ultimately make that number change. If small businesses are going to not only survive but…
The post Small Business Trends on the 2023 Horizon appeared first on Benchmark Email.

Good prospecting leads to good business. Prospecting is what brings you to the attention of your potential clients and keeps your sales pipeline full, leading to more business. But it is not as easy as sending a simple message randomly to people. Most sales reps consider prospecting to be the toughest part of the sales process. So,…
The post 42 Best Sales Prospecting Tools for Sales Teams in 2023 appeared first on Benchmark Email.

Hey, I am building an Ai that aids in lead generation (finding and contacting customers). The beta version will be available in 3 weeks and we are looking for beta testers. If you want to be part of it, you can send me your email in DM or you can register on the website: https://leadsniffers.com/. My dm are open don’t hesitate if you have any question! –> Betatesters will have access to our Ai for several months after it is paid for Here is how it works: We have an algorithm. You just tell us what you sell and what language you speak. Through databases like Google Business, LinkedIn,… we use a set of different criteria to narrow down the number of people who have a higher chance of needing your service/solution. Then comes the messaging part, our Al has analyzed the people he needs to talk to and will set up personalized information about them. He will communicate by email. The Al is trained to be personal and conversational so that you can begin to form a business relationship, he continues to improve over time so that he can refine his communication style for different industries and types of prospects. Of course, the Ai can simply look for the leads and put a message in draft without sending it. submitted by /u/Kamuhy [link] [comments]

As we grow up, all humans learn about cause and effect. While it’s not quite as nuanced as causal research, the concept is something our brains begin to comprehend as young as 18 months old. That understanding continues to develop throughout our lives.

In the marketing world, data collection and market research are invaluable. That’s where causal research, the study of cause and effect, comes in.
First-party data can help you learn more about the impact of your marketing campaigns, improve business metrics like customer loyalty, and conduct research on employee productivity. In this guide, we’ll review what causal research is, how it can improve your marketing efforts, and how to conduct your research.
Table of Contents

What is causal research?
The Benefits of Causal Research
Causal Research Examples
How to Conduct Causal Research

Once your team has conducted causal research, your marketers will develop theories on why the relationship developed. Here, your team can study how the variables interact and determine what strategies to apply to future business needs.
Companies can learn how rebranding a product influences sales, how expansion into new markets will affect revenue, and the impact of pricing changes on customer loyalty. Keep in mind that causality is only probable, rather than proven.

Typically, you’d use this research to differentiate between cause-and-effect relationships versus correlated relationships. Just because two variables are correlated doesn’t mean that there is a direct cause-and-effect relationship.
To conduct a study, you’d develop a hypothesis, look at your independent, dependent, control, and confounding variables, and design an experiment.

Image Source
Now that we know more about what causal research is, let’s dive into the benefits of using this type of research for your business and marketing efforts.

1. You can predict hypothetical situations and improve your business strategy.
The main reason that causal research is useful is that it can help predict the outcome of business decisions, therefore improving your overall business and marketing strategy.
For example, if you’ve done causal research on product changes, you know whether or not to expect a dip in or an influx of sales. Your strategy on how to handle either situation is different, and causal research can help prepare your team for what to expect.
2. You’ll avoid ineffective and costly campaigns.
Additionally, you can avoid ineffective and costly marketing campaigns based on these predictions.
When your team is coming up with a go-to-market strategy, you’ll know the impact of pricing decisions, product enhancements, promotions that will work, etc. That insight will help you allocate your budget and put together a campaign that is effective and brings high ROI.
3. You can resolve issues, optimize strategies, and improve the overall experience.
Causal research allows your business to plan for each situation. This means that you’ll be able to resolve issues that are impacted by the variables you’re studying — whether it’s purchasing patterns, marketing results, or factors improving the customer experience.
The goal here is to always optimize your business strategies. You can improve your customer experience so customer loyalty and revenue increase.
4. You can develop an informed process.
As a business, it’s important to have a process and system for different situations whether it’s a go-to-market strategy, an ad campaign, or customer retention.
Causal research will help you develop your strategies like we’ve said, but also give you the ability to develop a process that you can iterate and use continuously. Essentially, causal research puts into action the phrase, “Work smarter, not harder.”

1. Develop a hypothesis.
The first step of conducting your own causal research is to develop a hypothesis. You need to know what you want to study before getting started.
Think about questions that you have when it comes to your team. Have you ever wondered if word length on blogs directly impacts time on page? Or maybe you want to know if your marketing campaign was the cause for an increase in sales.
Either way, the best way to get started is to write down the cause-and-effect questions you have about your team and develop a hypothesis.
2. Choose your variables.
Once you know what you want to study, you have to choose your variables. You need to know the two variables you’re testing – your dependent and independent variables.
Then, you’ll want to list out other confounding variables that may influence your study. This means identifying variables that might alter your study, including how you collect the data.
Additionally, you’ll need to have control variables set in place so you can compare your results.
3. Pick a random sampling of participants.
Now, it’s time to figure out the sample size of your experiment.
You can use technology to determine who you want your target audience to be and how random the sample should be. You can generate a random list using a database or segment your audience with your marketing software.
4. Set up a controlled experiment.
Ready, set, go. The next step is to actually conduct your experiment.
This could include sending out surveys, conducting interviews, gathering statistics and data, and more. It could also mean setting up an A/B test with your marketing software and changing only one variable in your next marketing campaign, blog post, or webinar.
5. Analyze your findings.
After you’ve conducted your experiment, it’s time to look at the results. Look at the data, and use it to see trends or patterns. Then, you’ll have the answer to your question.
However, it’s important to also analyze different correlations between your two variables to develop a nuanced interpretation. Doing this might help you develop more questions for further research, which is where the next step comes in.
6. Conduct supplemental research and report your findings.
Usually, causal research isn’t a one-and-done process. Once you have your results, you’ll have next steps to go through. You might have more questions that require further research, and if that’s the case you’ll need to conduct supplement research.
Additionally, you might just need to write down what you found. If you have a conclusive result, you can develop in-depth marketing strategies and systems.
I know all of this sounds great, but you might also be wondering how to apply this to your business and marketing team. That’s why we’ll review a few examples of causal research below.

Causal Research Examples

1. Market Research
You can use causal research at your company for market research.
For example, you might want to know how product changes impact sales. And you might want to dive deeper to see how specific types of changes will impact your target audience.
Which product variations make potential customers most interested in buying?
Pro tip: Use causal research to learn more about your target audience. What do they want from you and your product or service? Once you know there’s a cause-and-effect relationship, you’ll be able to theorize why customers make certain decisions.
2. Campaign ROI
As a marketer, you’re producing content every day. Whether it’s an ad campaign or a marketing campaign, you need to understand the results of your efforts.
With causal research, you can study whether your ad campaign directly caused an increase in sales, or whether your email marketing series led to more appointments.
Pro tip: Make sure you look at all variables so you can deduce and infer whether your campaigns were the main factor contributing to an increase in sales.
3. Customer Loyalty and Retention
Causal research can be used to identify effective customer service strategies, whether it’s a product demonstration or call time quota.
With this research, you’ll see if there’s a cause-and-effect relationship between certain customer service strategies and retaining those customers year over year.
Best for: Customer service teams.
4. Employee Productivity
Employee happiness has been a hot topic for recent years, and it makes sense. When morale is high, employee productivity is higher.
How do we know? Because there have been numerous studies done to show the cause-and-effect relationship between employee happiness and increased productivity – which in turn increases your business’ bottom line.
Best for: Internal use.
Getting Started
Causal research is incredibly useful for your business – whether you’re looking at your marketing, sales, or customer service departments. In fact, one of the best ways to use it is to see how these departments interact and impact one another.
Once you’ve conducted your own causal research, you can implement more successful marketing and business strategies that increase revenue and drive sales.

Instagram isn’t for everybody. If the latest changes to Instagram aren’t what you’re looking for, this step-by-step process for how to delete your Instagram account is for you.
Once you click that button, your profile, photos, videos, comments, likes, and followers will all be permanently removed from the app.

Before you go ahead, keep in mind that deleting your account can’t be undone. Be sure to back up your account data, write personal notes to engaged followers, and update your analytics. If you’re deleting a business Instagram account, you may want to make an archive for the SEC or FINRA, just in case.
Now, if you’re ready, start following these simple instructions, or jump to the section you’re looking for below:

How to Delete Your Instagram on an iPhone
How to Delete Instagram Permanently on Android
How to Delete Your Instagram Profile on a Desktop Computer
How to Deactivate Your Instagram

1. Log on to your Instagram app on your iPhone.
2. Go to your account, then tap the menu in the upper left-hand corner of your profile.
3. Head to ‘Settings’ > ‘Account.’

4. Scroll down the list of options, and select ‘Delete account.’

5. This section includes two choices from Instagram. First, you can deactivate your account. If you deactivate, Instagram will hide your account but you can reactivate it whenever you wish. More on this below.

If you still want to delete your Instagram account, scroll past the ‘Deactivate account’ button and click ‘Delete account.’
6. A pop-up will appear, giving you a deadline for how long you have to reactivate your account if you change your mind after deletion. Click ‘Continue deleting account.’

7. This section starts with a drop-down menu for ‘Why do you want to delete your account?’ Select the best option.

Once you choose, Instagram will offer other recommendations related to your choice. For example, if your choice is ‘Too busy/too distracting,’ instructions to temporarily remove the app from your phone will appear.
8. Keep scrolling, then re-enter your password.

9. Click the ‘Delete’ button.
Once you complete this step, your account will no longer be available on Instagram. You have 30 days to reactivate it if you change your mind. After that, your account is permanently deleted.

How to Delete Instagram Permanently on Android

The Instagram app on Android doesn’t give you a way to delete your account from the app on your mobile phone. But you can open Instagram on your browser and delete your account that way instead.
1. Log on to Instagram.com from a web or mobile browser.
2. Enter https://instagram.com/accounts/remove/request/permanent/ into your browser’s address bar. There is no way to navigate to this page from Instagram.com, so you’ll need to enter this URL directly once you’re logged in.

3. Once you land on the page, select an answer from the drop-down menu for ‘Why do you want to delete your account?’

4. After you’ve chosen an answer, you’ll be prompted to re-enter your password.

5. The prompt to permanently delete your account will appear.
1. Log on to Instagram.com from a web or mobile browser. You can also disable your account on your iPhone. You won’t be able to disable your account from within the Instagram app on Android.
2. Click the person icon in the upper right-hand corner to navigate to your profile.
3. Click ‘Edit Profile’ on your profile.

4. Scroll down until you see an option for ‘Temporarily deactivate my account’.

5. Once you land on the page, select an answer from the drop-down menu for ‘Why are you deactivating your account?’

6. After you’ve selected an answer, you’ll be prompted to re-enter your password.

7. The prompt to temporarily deactivate your account will appear.
Why Delete Instagram?
There are many reasons that Instagram is one of the most popular apps in the world. But if it isn’t right for you, it’s simple to delete your profile.
Maybe you’ve found that it’s not a fit for your audience or growth goals. Or you’re streamlining your professional accounts to reduce duplicate messaging or management overwhelm.
No matter why you’ve decided to cut back on Instagram, you have the resources you need. Review these instructions, delete or deactivate your account, and keep moving forward.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in March 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.