Author: Franz Malten Buemann

Make the most of your social media presence and turn your fans into paying customers. Get inspired by these social media marketing funnel examples & learn how to create your own SMM funnel today.

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) face many challenges as they grow. And in our all-digital, work-from-anywhere world, finding the right customer at the right time continues to be an obstacle. But different marketing solutions can help support SMBs as they move forward. 
Here are three reasons why SMBs need to invest and optimize in martech stacks — also known as marketing technology stacks.
Build Your Marketing Roadmap
Many small and medium-sized businesses are unsure of where to start investing in the right technology. Currently over 8,000 marketing technologies exist, and many are competing with each other, while also releasing new features every couple of months. As an SMB, it may be hard to keep up and pinpoint which marketing solutions will be the best fit for your current need, remain affordable, and be useful as they scale. 
As an SMB team, it’s time to ask yourself: What are my marketing strategies? What are my goals? What marketing solutions will help me align with my business’s needs? These questions will help you build your marketing roadmap.
Unite Different Tools for the Better 
Many marketing technologies only offer a specific solution, so it’s common to see SMBs with very complex and disjointed martech stacks as a result. But when you find a marketing technology that allows you to solve for many processes, you can achieve a more cohesive customer experience through unified systems and tools. When considering any new tool, it’s essential to understand its implications and ask yourself two questions:

Will this technology impact the processes that we need to complete?
How will this new tool fit in with our marketing workflows?

An integrated tool is only possible when all your teams – IT, sales, support, and marketing – work together to make collaborative decisions. For example, integrating your customer relationship management (CRM) solution with your marketing automation can help both sales and marketing work from the same customer data and sell smarter. High-performing marketing teams have a martech stack that not only integrates but builds cross collaboration across several teams, providing for a unified, 360-degree view of your customer and improving customer experience.
Enable Your Teams to Make the Most of Technology 
Oftentimes, we see marketing technologies under-utilized. In fact, a Gartner study revealed that “marketers report using only 58% of their martech stack’s full capabilities, and that marketing teams that utilize less of their stack’s capabilities report a lower level of martech effectiveness.” This happens quite often in SMBs, mostly due to the fact that martech stacks are replaced or changed too often, or the staff isn’t fully trained on the marketing solutions capabilities. 
For an SMB, it can be a lot of technology to keep up with, handle, and maintain. As an easy fix, we’ve seen SMBs use online learning to help support their teams when a new marketing technology is introduced. For example, Salesforce offers Trailhead, our free online learning platform that can help anyone get started with marketing automation and customer relationship management in an instant.
Marketing Strategies & Technology Solutions that Make an Impact
Looking for cutting-edge marketing strategies and technology solutions that can significantly help your SMB?  Check out our ultimate list:
Account Based Marketing (ABM)
Account Based Marketing (ABM) helps B2B marketers meet buyer expectations with highly personalized campaigns to engage accounts or specific customers with an individualized approach. Right now, 92% of B2B marketers have an ABM program in place.
ABM works so well because of its “long game” approach — it gives so much value to the customer that when they’re ready to buy, you are at the top of their mind because you’ve delivered such a highly customized experience. This is how you build long-term customers and relationships.
Artificial Intelligence in Marketing
Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t new, but it’s being incorporated in marketing technologies across the board. More SMB marketing teams are leveraging it to understand their data better. Businesses are leaning on analytics for business insights and efficiencies more than they did before COVID-19. In fact, 49% of companies are using data analytics “more or much more” than before. 
SMBs in particular are finding new ways to use data in response to the crisis. The combination of marketing automation and AI is empowering marketers to discover innovative ways to connect with new customers in the all-digital world.
Unified Platform
Today’s customers expect to interact with companies on a wide variety of channels, both online and offline, and their expectations for these interactions are higher than ever. So how can an organization engage with customers across an ever-growing number of channels without losing control of costs or consistency? How can it keep a sharp eye on customer experiences without adding extra checkpoints and friction that slows the deployment of marketing campaigns? 
The key is to implement a centralized solution that keeps your brand in lockstep with your business. 
At Salesforce, we focus on just that. We build all of our solutions, including our marketing automation solution, on a single platform with tools that our customers need to succeed. As SMBs expand, they can easily scale their marketing automation technology with seamless integration with other products, like Sales Cloud and Service Cloud, giving their company a single view of the customer. 
Our model has helped many SMBs bypass integration complexities. And with three releases per year synchronized across all the products on our platform, it makes it easier for businesses of all sizes to stay up to date.
This post is a part of our SMB Success Series. Stay tuned for monthly blog posts to drive your small business growth!

Headlines are the first look (and sometimes, the only look) people give your content. Think of all the times you’ve scanned title after title before clicking on the one that stopped your scroll.
You’re not the only one who whisks by without reading. We found that 73% of people admit to skimming blog posts, while only 27% consume them thoroughly. Without a compelling headline, your content will never get the eyes it deserves.
But what exactly are headline grabbers? And how do you write one that stands out among the black-and-white sea of copy monotony? Most importantly, how do you make sure it works for your audience?

Fortunately, we understand the ups and downs of crafting catchy headlines. It takes time, thought, and a few simple tricks. So settle into your favorite note-taking mode, because it’s time to learn how to create headlines that reel in readers.
Thousands of articles exist on how to write an attention-grabbing headline. Every marketer has an opinion, from fixing horrible headlines to earning more clicks.
While most compelling headlines do pull from a similar bag of tricks, what works for one person may not work for someone else. That’s because your audience, brand, voice, and content strategy differs from the companies popping up next to you in search results.
How to Write an Attention Grabbing Headline
Here’s how to make sure your headlines spark interest and work for your brand.
1. Write a working title.
Remember when you were required to turn in a rough draft of your work? Well, thank your high school teachers, because this is a great first step to finding the perfect headline grabbers.
A headline draft is called a “working title.” It’s a specific statement that clearly indicates what your post will be about. Let’s say you write a blog about topics like “getting outdoors” and “staying active.”
You can write hundreds of posts about either of those topics. But with a working title, you narrow in on a specific headline. For instance, you could create the following working titles from the above topics:

“Why Getting Outdoors Boosts Happiness and Long-Term Memory”
“Anti-Aging Activity: 7 Science-Backed Reasons to Get Off the Couch”

Each headline clearly states what your post will be about, but they still need to go through a writing workshop. They’re called “working titles” because it will take time to make them perfect. But it’s the right start to create an attention-grabbing headline.
2. Steer clear of clickbait.
We’ve all fallen into this marketing trap. You can’t help but tap on headlines like these:

“You Won’t Believe This Dog’s Dance Moves!”
“Someone Gave This Kid Scissors. Here’s What Happened Next”
“When You Read These 19 Shocking Food Facts, You’ll Never Want To Eat Again”

Oftentimes, the article you wind up reading is completely off-course from what the headline promised. Of course, carrot cake has a lot of sugar. So you get frustrated, leave the site, and vow never to return.
While clickbait can be effective for getting views, it can also annoy readers by exploiting emotional triggers like anger, anxiety, humor, inspiration, and surprise.
People won’t stick around long if you consistently overpromise and underdeliver through over-the-top headlines. But there is something to learn from the effectiveness of clickbait.
Using emotive language can resonate on a personal level and stir readers’ interest. For instance, these headlines nod to people’s emotional tendencies without being overly sensational:

“Why You Shouldn’t Always Reach Your Goals”
“Merriam-Webster Reveals What New Words Appeared the Year You Were Born”
“12 Ways to Give and Get Customer Love”

If you find yourself overpromising on what’s behind your headline, pause. Reevaluate the benefit to your audience, and reel in the bait.
3. Stay on brand.
Maybe clickbait is part of your brand strategy. If so, bring on the outrageous headlines. The point is: your brand is the starting point of your content strategy. So you absolutely need to consider it when writing headline grabbers.
(To create a brand that attracts and inspires your audience, check out The Ultimate Guide to Branding in 2020).
Let’s take a look at how two major players in the outdoor industry — Patagonia and Outdoor Research — use their distinct brands to write attention grabbing headlines.

Patagonia: “Will You Vote for Winter?”

Outdoor Research: “How To Stay Warm While Moving Fast In The Cold”

Both headlines would personally make me click, but the difference between the two is clear. Patagonia is known for their environmental activism, which comes across through the use of “vote” and asking readers to take a stance. While Outdoor Research solves a pain point through its tried-and-true gear to help customers “stay warm…in the cold.”
As you brainstorm headline ideas, revisit your target market to consider what type of messaging will resonate with your audience.
4. Turn heads.
You know that person whose look is so on-point you can’t help but do a double-take? You can make that happen with a headline grabber — if you use these writing style tips.

Build anticipation — This is all about creating intrigue so people need to find out what happened. Psychology professor George Lowenstein summed it up in the information gap theory, which states that a “curious individual is motivated to obtain the missing information to reduce or eliminate the feeling of deprivation.” Buzzfeed is known for reeling people in with headlines like “33 Amazingly Useful Websites You Never Knew Existed.” Click.

Add numbers — Studies have shown that numbers ease the stressful paradox of choice, stand out when odd, and help our brains spatially sort information. Researchers have even found that people with a number-free language are able to count. So next time you’re typing up a headline grabber, try something like “27 Data-Backed Reasons to Personalize Your Marketing.” Humans can’t resist.

Solve a problem — When we run into a problem, our brains work overtime to find a solution. Which is why headlines that offer answers are great attention grabbers. Feeling overwhelmed at work? “Quick & Easy Ways to Get Organized At Work” would immediately draw you in because it promises simple ways to solve your problem. Bonus points if you offer actionable, inventive advice.

5. Optimize for SEO.
Learning how to write an attention-grabbing headline and optimizing it for search doesn’t have to be a painful process. The key? Do your research, and sound like what you are — a human.
To find the right balance, dive into keyword research to discover what topics interest your audience. Once you have a list of relevant keywords, look at the search volume for each one to see how often it’s typed into a search engine. (If you’re new to SEO, or need to create a solid strategy, you can find helpful tips in our Ultimate Guide to SEO).
When you’ve chosen a keyword that interests your audience and has solid search volume, it’s time to incorporate it into your headline. We recommend putting your keyword as close to the beginning of your headline as possible so it’s recognized by the finicky search engine spiders. But remember to keep your headline under 70 characters so it doesn’t get chopped off in the SERPs.
Let’s say you’re putting together a blog post on branding, and your goal is to rank for the keyword “brand voice examples.” Your working title may look something like this:
“Get Inspired by These 9 Creative Brand Voice Examples”
While the sentiment is there, the keyword is at the end — and it’s lacking pizzazz. A few simple switches can turn it into a headline grabber.
“9 Brand Voice Examples to Break Out of Writer’s Block”
Moving the keyword to the front of the headline boosts SEO, and including “writer’s block” helps solve a problem that plagues every brand writer. Plus, the headline is 53 characters, so readers will see your complete headline handiwork.
While people will scroll past a perfectly optimized headline, a poorly optimized one will send you right to the bottom of search results. Try to strike a balance that works for your brand. And above all, be human. If you’re unsure whether or not your headline is strong enough to grab peoples’ attention, think: Would you click?

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Ah, Black Friday — the biggest shopping weekend of the year is around the corner. 
In 2020, Black Friday is going to exist primarily online. Which means, as a marketer, it’s critical you prepare marketing materials ahead of time to ensure you’re able to break through the noise. 
Additionally, a few major retailers — including Home Depot, Walmart, and Target — have chosen to redefine Black Friday as a couple of days or even weeks to cater to shopper’s changing buying habits. Consider following suite with your own re-imagined version of Black Friday. 
To inspire your 2020 Black Friday advertisements, emails, and social media posts, take a look at some mind-blowing statistics and predictions around the use of mobile devices, online coupons, and email marketing this holiday season. 

21 Black Friday Statistics for Marketers
1. In 2019, Black Friday beat Cyber Monday as the busiest online shopping day: 93.2 million shopped online on Black Friday vs. 83.3 million on Cyber Monday. (Source: National Retail Federation)
2. Amazon was the most-anticipated Black Friday ad in 2019 — despite the fact that it doesn’t release an official Black Friday ad, just a list of deals. (Source: BlackFriday.com)
3. 50% of 2020 holiday shoppers say the sales offered over the last six months have lessened their interest in Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales this year. (Source: NerdWallet)
4. Electronics typically have the best deals on Black Friday, followed by home goods and home appliances. (Source: Nationwide.com)
5. On Black Friday 2019, more people shopped online than in stores — 142.2 million shopped online, while 124 million shopped in-store. (Source: National Retail Federation)
6. 65% of shoppers will choose to buy products online instead of in-store to avoid crowds in 2020, while 64% choose to purchase online for the comfort of shopping from home. (Source: Deloitte)
7. 66% of shoppers will increase their online purchases this year. (Source: Brightedge)
8. Online holiday spend will surpass $189B in 2020 — up 33% YoY. (Source: Adobe)
9. As consumers make the most of being at home, they plan to treat themselves to beverages (33%), food (30%), and clothes (30%). (Source: Deloitte)
10. In 2020, 42% of all online shopping is done from smartphones (up 55%), and $28B more than last year will be spent on smartphones. (Source: Adobe)
11. Millennials were the biggest Black Friday spenders in 2019, shelling out an average of $509.50 on Black Friday purchases, compared to an average of just $382.40 in 2018. (Source: PYMNTS)
12. 75% of all retailers are offering discounts before Black Friday, and many major retailers are reinventing Black Friday deals to last days … or even weeks (including Home Depot and Walmart). (Source: Adobe)
13. 39% of consumers looked to emails from retailers for information on deals and promotions, and 38% used online search to find deals. (Source: National Retail Federation)
14. More than 50% of all Black Friday shoppers chose credit when checking out at the physical store or online in 2019. Roughly a quarter of all Black Friday online shoppers used PayPal to make a purchase, as well. (Source: PYMNTS)
15. Women make up the majority of Black Friday shoppers — but men are quickly closing the gap, with 45.1% male this year. (Source: Much Needed)
16. Small businesses can experience a +107% revenue boost over holiday season, and 38% of consumers will make a deliberate effort to shop atsmaller retailers throughout the holiday season. (Source: Adobe)
17. The five top states planning to spend money on Black Friday sales include Georgia at 52%, Wisconsin at 51%, Illinois at 50%, Virginia at 48%, and New York at 47%. (Source: Much Needed)
18. More than 201 million Americans (79%) plan to purchase gifts this holiday season, spending an estimated $167 billion — a little less than the $184 billion Americans planned to spend last holiday season. (Source: NerdWallet)
19. Mobile devices are used by 75% of shoppers to research products, compare prices, and make purchases — up from 66% last year. (Source: National Retail Federation)
20. Free or fast shipping expectations are increasing, with 64% of consumers refusing to pay extra for expedited shipping. (Source: NerdWallet)
21. 82% of consumers plan to finish purchasing holiday gifts after Black Friday, with 6% saying they will not be done until after Christmas. (Source: PYMNTS)
If you haven’t finished putting together your online coupons, your mobile site optimization isn’t quite complete, or your email marketing campaigns aren’t quite nailed down yet, ask your marketing elves to get hopping! Even if you miss the Black Friday shopping rush, the rest of the holiday season will still be busy for retailers, especially those who can cater to the last-minute shoppers.

Best Stock Photo Sites

Negative Space
Death to Stock
HubSpot
Picjumbo
Stokpic
CreateHER Stock
Kaboompics
Startup Stock Photos
Freerange
LibreShot
nappy
Fancy Crave
Unsplash
StockSnap.io
The Jopwell Collection
SplitShire
Life of Pix
Pexels
Gratisography
Jay Mantri
ISO Republic
PICNOI
New Old Stock
Pixabay

I got the image above for free on Unsplash.
Yet for some reason, many other publishers continue to push out cheap (and usually cheesy) stock photography to serve as a representation of their brand.

The truth is, high-quality stock photos don’t have to come hand-in-hand with a hassle or high price tag.

To prove it, we’ve compiled a list of awesome resources for free, high-quality stock images for websites, blogs, and similar online properties.
From enviable office spaces to stunning scenery, we’re certain you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for with the help of this roundup.

Best Free Stock Photo Websites for Royalty-Free Images
1. Negative Space

Negative Space offers up new free stock photos every week. All of its photos are shared without copyright restrictions, meaning you’re free to use them however you please.
From architecture to technology, Negative Space’s continuously growing collection of images is one you’ll find yourself tapping into again and again. The best part? It’s easy to filter through the gallery of photos, which are sortable by category, copy space position, and color.
Click here to view the full license details.
2. Death to Stock

When founders and photographers, Allie and David, noticed how challenging it was for businesses, bloggers, and creatives to find free high-quality images that fit their “vibe and tribe,” they stepped in.
As a result, Death to Stock was born. Simply submit your email and enjoy a new batch of photos delivered to your inbox every month.
If you do have some extra budget to spend, Death to Stock also offers a Premium membership for $15/month or $180/year. The cool part about the paid membership is that a percentage of the profit is used to fund photography trips and other creative projects to keep the resource moving forward.
Click here to view the full license details.
3. HubSpot

When we noticed there was a shortage of high-quality free stock photos available to marketers and creatives, we decided to whip up some of our own.
We’re a bit biased (since many of our own employees appear in these photos), but we think these images can help you snazz up your site or marketing materials.
Check out the following collections to get your fix:

82 Free Stocks Photos You’ve Been Searching For
250 Holiday-Themed Photos

4. Picjumbo

Need free images for your next website design or blog post? Look no further than picjumbo.
With new photos added daily, there is a wide selection of high-quality images to fit a variety of different topics.
The photographer, Vicktor, also offers unique paid packages for bloggers, designers, and agencies (starting at $10/month).
Click here to view the full license details.
5. Stokpic

Photographer Ed Gregory generously dishes up 10 new photos every two weeks that you can use on your website, as part of a template, in an ad, and … well, pretty much anywhere.
You can check out his latest 100 pictures here, or browse through categories like landscapes, people, and technology until you find the perfect fit.
Click here to view the full license details.
6. CreateHER Stock

CreateHER Stock is a stock photography site that features authentic images of Black women created by founder Neosha Gardner. While the pricing at $10 per month, there is a collection of “freebies” that includes more than 185 images. Keep in mind that CreateHER Stock is not intended for commercial use without an extended license.
Click here to view the full license details.
7. Kaboompics

Karolina, a web designer from Poland, is the creative eye behind this awesome resource for high-quality photos. From fashion to food to landscapes, her images cover a variety of different scenarios. And users have the freedom to use them for anything they’d like — commercial or not.
While there are no formal attribution requirements, Karolina does ask that you include photo credit with a link back to the site when possible. This request will help her grow the website, and in turn, provide even more awesome photos for everyone to use.
Click here to view the full license details.
8. Startup Stock Photos

“Take ’em, these things are free. Go. Make something.”
While the name is specific to startups, there are plenty of professional options to use no matter what industry you’re operating within.
Click here to view the full license details.
9. Freerange

All of the photos on the Freerange website come from a pool of both in-house photographers, as well as a growing community of external contributors.
Not only is there a lot to choose from, but the photos are good quality, too: “Images provided directly (in-house) by Freerange Stock originate one of two ways. They are either digitally photographed on Canon DSLR cameras or they are a high resolution (4000 dpi) Nikon scan of an original 35mm slide,” according to the site’s ‘About Us’ section.
Click here to view the full license details.
10. LibreShot

Photographer and SEO Consultant Martin Vorel is the creative force behind the stunning photos available on this site.
From crisp architectural shots to vibrant florals, Vorel’s collection of photos contains some of the most unique selections we’ve come across.
Click here to view the full license details.
11. nappy

nappy is a free stock photo site on a mission: “To provide beautiful, high-res photos of black and brown people to startups, brands, agencies, and everyone else.”
On their site, they talk about how many stock photo sites depict unrealistic representation, and if they don’t, there’s often a lack of diversity in the people being depicted. This presents a real problem for creators who are intentional about representation in articles, designs, and ads. nappy calls on their audience to “tackles diversity and representation one photo at a time.”
Best of all, their library is completely free.
Click here to view the full license details.
12. Fancy Crave

Not only are the photos on Fancy Crave free of copyright restrictions, but they’re also pretty remarkable. (Can’t you practically taste those green grapes?)
All the photographer asks is that you never advertise the photographs as your own, and provide attribution when and if you can.
With two new photos uploaded daily to keep things feeling fresh, this is a bookmark-worthy resource for great photos if we’ve ever seen one.
Click here to view the full license details.
13. Unsplash

Unsplash serves up 10 new “do whatever you want” photos every 10 days.
What we love most about this resource is the uniqueness of the photos. With pages upon pages to choose from, you won’t run into any cheesy, “Smiling Boss Shaking Hands With Male Employee” shots.
Not to mention, every photo published on Unsplash is licensed under Creative Commons Zero, which provides users with the freedom to copy, modify, distribute, and use all of the photos without permissions or attribution.
Click here to view the full license details.
14. StockSnap.io

StockSnap.io proudly claims that it’s “not your typical crappy stock photo site.” And we couldn’t agree more.
In fact, its selection is so interesting and versatile that it’s almost too easy to “fall down the rabbit hole” and come to fifty-something scrolls later.
Click here to view the full license details.
15. The Jopwell Collections

Image Source
Jopwell is a career advancement platform for people of color, helping brands recruit and retain diverse candidates. Their slogan is “Representation matters,” and as part of that commitment, they’ve created a collection of stock photos that feature people of color in the workplace.
The images are free to use as long as there’s a visible attribution to Jopwell.
Click here to view the full license details.

16. SplitShire

SplitShire offers a ton of awesome free photos for you to use without commercial restrictions. Powered by Italian photographer Daniel Nanescu, all of the images available on the website are “made with love” — and it shows.
From stunning portraits to sleek work stations, we’ve got a feeling you won’t have any trouble finding the perfect photo for your next project or blog post.
Click here to view the full license details.
17. Life of Pix

Brought to you by Leeroy Advertising Agency in Montreal (and its network of talented photographers), Life of Pix is home to some awesome high-resolution photos.
All of the images are donated to the public domain, and are available for personal and commercial use.
As if that wasn’t enough, Life of Pix also has a counterpart, Life of Vids. According to its website, Life of Vids serves up free footage videos, clips, and loops, weekly. Like the images, the video content contains no copyright restrictions, and can be easily downloaded on its Vimeo account.
Click here to view the full license details.
18. Pexels

These photos are carefully handpicked from a variety of free image sources to ensure that you’re getting only the best of the best.
All of the photos that make the cut are under the Creative Commons Zero license, meaning that they are free for personal and commercial use with no attribution required. And thanks to its search functionality, turning up the right photo for your next project is super easy.
Click here to view the full license details.
19. Gratisography

With new photos added weekly, Gratisography is another awesome website serving up high-resolution photos covered under the Creative Commons Zero license.
All of the photos are taken by Ryan McGuire, a “whimsically creative visual artist, based in Ithaca, NY.” And while these photos are a bit more quirky (we’re talking everything from monster feet slippers to Vespas to bananas), they are entirely usable for the right project.
Click here to view the full license details.
20. Jay Mantri

Designer Jay Mantri has built up an impressive gallery of professional, quality images just for you and me … and everyone else.
If I had to describe Mantri’s photos in one word, it’d be “scenic.” But don’t just take my word for it. Go see for yourself.
Click here to view the full license details.
21. ISO Republic

ISO’s Republic’s mission is to “provide high-quality images to be used by designers, developers, bloggers, marketers, and social media teams.”
And all it takes is one quick scan of the website to know that it is succeeding in doing just that. (So much so that it’s hard to believe the images are free)
For those looking for access to more exclusive free photos, ISO Republic invites you to sign up for its email list and receive photos right to your inbox.
Click here to view the full license details.
22. PICNOI

Image Source
PICNOI is a free stock photo site “for a colorful world.” The photos feature people of color, and all of the images are free as long as you provide attribution (though you can choose to make a donation to support their mission).
Click here to view the full license details.
23. New Old Stock

Who can resist a good black and white photo?
This collection of vintage photos comes from the public archive via Flickr Commons. According to the website, the photos are free of any known copyright restrictions.
That said, while it’s likely that they are safe to use for things like blog posts and hero images, you’ll want to read up on the rights and usage below before you use them for any type of commercial project.
Click here to view the full license details.
24. Pixabay

Pixabay serves as a repository for a ton of quality photos that released under Creative Commons CC0 into the public domain. The site is clean and intuitive, making it easy to navigate your way through the 780K+ free photos, vectors, and illustrations.
The main search bar even allows you to filter your query down by factors like media type, orientation, color, and minimum dimensions.
Click here to view the full license details.
The perfect image can solidify your design, article, ad, or other creative. Whatever your need, there are many resources for free stock photos out there. 
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in November 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

With all the algorithm updates, changing content preferences, and memes sprouting up on social media, it can be more challenging to adapt your social media marketing strategy than it was acclimating to the awkwardness of puberty.

Despite its perpetual evolution, though, social media will always have one constant — people. For the most part, human behavior has stayed the same for thousands of years, which means the principles of psychology are unwavering. So if you want to succeed on social media, you need to focus more on the people using it than the trends changing it.
To help you develop an audience-centric social media strategy, we’ve compiled these insightful quotes about social media from executives, marketers, and even celebrities. Read on to get inspired.
Social Media Quotes
1. “People want to go on the Internet and check out their friends so why not build a website that offers that? Friends, pictures, profiles, whatever you can visit, browse around, maybe it’s someone you just met at a party. I’m not talking about a dating site. I’m talking about taking the entire social experience of college and putting it online.” – Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network
2. “It’s a dialogue, not a monologue, and some people don’t understand that. Social media is more like a telephone than a television.” – Amy Jo Martin, Author of Renegades Write The Rules
3. “We get to live in a time that we get to use social media as a tool. It’s not just a face on a piece of paper, and that’s what makes you someone’s favorite model. We can have a very similar sense of humor as someone, and that’s why we’re their favorite model, or our personal style, off the runway, is why we’re their favorite.” – Gigi Hadid, Fashion Model
4. “I’m very active on social media and see the huge impact it has on engaging with fans and being able to have a voice.” – Stephen Curry, Professional Basketball Player
5. “A lot of people who are ‘social media’ stars aren’t considered to be ‘real’ stars, and people underestimate the amount of work it takes to edit and upload a video every single day and document your life like that.” – Shawn Mendes, Singer
Positive Social Media Quotes
6. “Social media is not just an activity; it is an investment of valuable time and resources. Surround yourself with people who not just support you and stay with you, but inform your thinking about ways to WOW your online presence.” – Sean Gardner, Forbes Social Media Power Influencer, AI specialist
7. “Don’t use social media to impress people; use it to impact people.” – Dave Willis, Author and Speaker
8. “Get in where you fit in and then focus on that platform.” – John Lawson, Best-Selling Author and Speaker

9. “You don’t need a corporation or a marketing company to brand you now: you can do it yourself. You can establish who you are with a social media following.” – Ray Allen, Professional Basketball Player
10. “A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is – it is what consumers tell each other it is.” – Scott Cook, Co-Founder of Intuit
Social Media Marketing Quotes
11. “When I hear people debate the ROI of social media? It makes me remember why so many businesses fail. Most businesses are not playing the marathon. They’re playing the sprint. They’re not worried about lifetime value and retention. They’re worried about short-term goals.” – Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of VaynerMedia
12. “A large social-media presence is important because it’s one of the last ways to conduct cost-effective marketing. Everything else involves buying eyeballs and ears. Social media enables a small business to earn eyeballs and ears.” – Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist, Canva
13. “Facebook is a discovery model platform. Its primary goal is to make the audience happy. So you’ll only get ROI if you create quality content for your audience.” –
Kelly Hendrickson, Facebook Lead at HubSpot
14. ‘Instead of getting discouraged when a promising tweet doesn’t rack up the likes and retweets, pay attention to the clicks and check how long people stay on the page after coming from social. If your post is generating strong engagement, don’t worry so much about the superficial stats.” – Tallie Gabriel, Producer at Unthinkable Media
15. “When pitching to press outlets, you need to help drive traffic through social to make it worth the effort of PR professionals. In addition to traditional outlets, publications are now generating traffic from native content within social platforms. So if you want to engage with members of the press and PR professionals today, you need to analyze their social media pages to learn what kind of content they’re sharing — before pitching.” – Ryan Bonnici, CMO at G2Crowd
16. “When it comes to social media marketing, you don’t have to post 3 times a day. It’s never about how often you post but the quality of your content.” – Janet Benson Amarhavwie, Social Media Manager
17. “You have to stop doing what everyone else is doing. Listen to your gut, go in a new direction, do something you’ve never done before. Learn from the best. Success is yours if you go in your own direction.” – Amanda Weinraub, Business Owner, Social Media Manager, Web Designer
Funny Social Media Quotes
Quick Note:
We found these quotes on Pinterest. The authors are unknown, but they’ll still give you a good laugh.
18. “What happens on social media stays on Google forever.”
19. “Being famous on Instagram is basically the same thing as being rich on Monopoly.”
20. “I do not have a fake social media personality. I am genuinely this ridiculous in real life.”
21. “Tumblr is currently the only social media network that your parents haven’t ruined.”
22. “I log off because I’m bored. I log back on in five minutes because I’m bored.”
23. “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, plus a social media overreaction.”
24. “Thank God for Facebook or I’d have to call 598 people and tell them how far I ran today.”
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in February 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.