Category: Marketing Automation

Let’s face it: There’s quite a bit of negative sentiment around targeted advertising. It’s not unwarranted — consumers often complain that collecting information from their individual browsing behaviors, such as page visits and searches, to optimally select which advertisements they see, is invasive and, some might even say, “creepy.”

Done right, however, ad targeting has the potential to attract new customers, help retain existing ones and boost your brand profile. Here’s how.

Where Can You Publish Targeted Ads?
Brands have a host of options when it comes to publishing targeted ads. For customers that have opted-in to newsletters and offers, email is a great way to serve up advertisements to consumers that are already interested in your brand.
To reach a broader audience, meanwhile, marketers can pay for targeted advertisements to be shown on social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.
Other options include publishing targeted ads in users’ Google search results or via the Google display network, which reaches 90% of Internet users worldwide. Both fall under the larger banner of Google Ads, and costs are based on an auction system. Marketers input the maximum amount per click they’re willing to pay for an ad, and Google then determines ad pricing and position based on overall ad quality and maximum bid. Worth noting? Brands are only charged when someone clicks through on your link.
So how do you put ad targeting to work for your business? Here are 10 best practices to boost your ad impact.

1. Give Consumers Content They Care About
Instead of telling customers what they already know, use targeted ads as an opportunity to provide consumers with new information and other offers that might interest them based on their previous buying and browsing behaviors. Make it clear to your customers that you care about them by giving them content that is carefully targeted toward what they would want to see in an ad.
The takeaway: Consumers want new, fresh content .
2. Keep it Interesting
The reason they call marketing “creative” is because it should be exciting, attention-grabbing, and anything but boring. We all know that ads are easy to ignore, so for a targeted ad to perform well, it has to really stand out from the rest.
The takeaway: Make your ads eye-catching.
3. Set a Cap on Frequency
You need to remember that while proper ad targeting should provide a benefit to your customers, too much of it will most likely have the opposite effect. Consider the perspective of a consumer and think about how annoyed you would be if you were constantly served the same ad on dozens of different websites.
The takeaway: Don’t bombard your customers with ads.
4. Find the Right Place
Not every platform is the ideal place for your ads. While simple and streamlined ads make sense on Google search results, it’s worth taking the time to craft more intricate advertisements for Instagram or Facebook marketing campaigns that are more likely to see users stop on scrolling when they reach your ad and click through, either to a new page or to watch a video.
The takeaway: Just like real estate, effective ad targeting is all about location, location, location.
5. Pinpoint Your Audience
The key to any targeted advertisement is finding your target audience. If you’re serving up ads to customers that don’t match their preferences, you won’t see the click-through rates you’re looking for. As a result, it’s critical to do your research: Find tools that let you create custom ads based on personalized customer data and also help you see the bigger picture by identifying common traits among your audience.
The takeaway: Even the best ad won’t work on the wrong audience.
6. Don’t get too Specific
On the other side of the coin, it’s important to make your ads broad enough that they capture a decent segment of your target market. For example, while you could create an ad that specifically targets redheaded men between 20 and 22 living in Kansas who own golden retrievers and drive electric cars, the specificity of this ad is so high that it likely won’t show up on many social or search feeds and won’t capture a large enough audience share.
The takeaway: Effective marketing walks the line between targeted efforts and too-specific ads.
7. Think Outside the Box
Building targeted ad campaigns means thinking about what your audience wants. Let’s say you own a real estate company and you’re looking to help customers sell their current homes or buy new ones. Your obvious target market is people searching for realtors in their area or checking out the home prices in their neighborhood.
But it’s also worth considering parallel markets that are tied to your primary target. When it comes to real estate this might include searches for moving boxes, truck and van rentals, or storage lockers that could indicate customers are preparing to move. By thinking outside the box to include parallel markets, you can expand your reach without losing your focus.
The takeaway: Targeted marketing relies on both depth of personalization and breadth of interest.
8. Test, Test, Test
Even the best-laid advertising efforts don’t always go to plan. As a result, it’s worth conducting regular A/B testing to see which ads perform the best in specific scenarios and which can’t keep pace. Once you’ve identified frontrunners, you can tweak them even more through ongoing A/B testing to get the best return on investment.
The takeaway: Nothing works perfectly the first time. Test your ads to improve their performance.
9. Cast a Wide Net
Chances are that one advertising platform will work best for a new ad campaign. The caveat? You won’t know which one until you try them all. While it’s not worth spending your entire ad budget to blanket the Internet with new marketing efforts, it’s worth dipping your toe into multiple ad platforms to see what sticks.
The takeaway: Wide nets let you find where customers are swimming and adjust tactics to match.
10. Measure your Impact
If ads are getting seen and clicks are coming in, then everything’s going to plan, right? Maybe, maybe not. To ensure targeted ad efforts are paying dividends, it’s critical to define key performance metrics and regularly measure these metrics to ensure ads are living up to expectations. For example, you could measure the total value of conversions against the cost of a targeted marketing campaign to see if the numbers add up.
The takeaway: Track the numbers to make sure ad spend makes sense.

It’s one thing to read about best practices — it’s another to see them in action. To help you visualize what effective ad targeting looks like, we’ve collected seven great examples.
1. The New York Times

This ad works because it targets a specific audience segment — those in their 20s — and offers actionable advice for their health. Sure, there’s part of that segment that won’t respond because they’re not worried about health habits, but those that do click through are primed to engage with the targeted content being served.
And while the Facebook reactions show a number of “mad” faces, this isn’t necessarily a downside, since it indicates the ad is prompting user interest.
2. Nom Nom

This ad targets a high-spending group: Pet owners. It also incorporates a customer testimonial to help convince viewers that it’s worth clicking through to find out what’s being offered.
It’s also worth noting the tagline in the bottom-left of the ad — “the only dog food like it”. This is a big claim to make but has a good chance of capturing targeted audience interest. And if the claim is backed up when they click through, there’s a solid chance of conversion.
3. Slack

Pandemic pressures have made it clear that companies need to find better ways of doing work. One of the biggest productivity killers? Meetings. That’s why this targeted Slack ad works — the campaign offers the potential of 25% fewer meetings by making communication better across the company. While this kind of ad requires business decision-makers to get on board, if enough staff see and mention the ad it can generate significant corporate traction.
4. Tentsile

Who knew that tree tents and tree hammocks were a thing? Probably not most people. That’s the genius of this ad — while it targets a smaller segment of the market looking for the “best” tree hammocks, it also casts a wider net by introducing a larger group of users to the concept of above-ground tent products.
Even better, it promises a look into “real vs. fake” products, giving visitors a chance to see what the difference is by clicking through.
5. 360Learning

Saying that something doesn’t work in an ad is a risky bet — unless you can back it up. That’s the idea behind this 360Learning ad, which claims that Netflix-style “binge” learning can’t address the current issues with remote and online learning.
The promise of an eBook is a good way to get users to click through, and so long as there’s actionable information available it’s a solid start on customer engagement that could lead to more sales.
6. Kay Jewelers

The image above is enough to give an idea of what’s going on — the dog is bringing a piece of jewelry to its owner, courtesy of their partner. The actual Facebook ad itself is a video that shows the owner happily receiving the gift and does a good job of conveying a sense of love, family, and connection.
Perhaps even more importantly, however, is that no other context is needed to understand the video. There’s no text aside from the Kay logo and tagline, and no sound is required to parse what’s happening. Here, emotions are the target and the ad hits home.
7. Peloton

Peloton had a banner year in 2020, but as pandemic pressures begin to ease the interactive bike manufacturer is experiencing a slowdown in growth. This targeted ad speaks to those interested in the bike but daunted by its high price tag.
By offering a 100-day home trial with the option to return the bike for a full refund at the end of the trial, Peloton is looking to capture and convert a historically hesitant section of its audience by giving them the chance to experience the product risk-free.
Hitting the Bullseye
Not every ad will land exactly as expected with your audience. But with targeted ad efforts that follow best practices and keep in mind the key rule of ad targeting — give the customer what they want — it’s possible to avoid criticisms of “creepy”, capture customer attention, and drive increased conversions.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in July 2011 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Compared with public relations, social media is the new, cool kid on the block, and since the early 2000s has become a significant means of communication between brands and their audience.
These days, PR departments, regardless of the brand or organization, go to social media first to spread the latest information about services and products and gain the broadest coverage.

By aligning social media and PR, brands can boost engagement and keep customers aware of the latest developments.
In this article, you’ll see six tactics to help improve your social media public relations. We’ll also see examples of brands that have used some of these tactics.

How has Social Media Changed Public Relations?
Social media has completely changed the PR landscape. Press release has ceded the throne to the much younger, much more persuasive heir: social media.
Communication
Brands can now use different channels to communicate with consumers through social media. Whether through engaging posts on Facebook, Reels on Instagram, or Tweets on Twitter, brands can develop a personality that resonates with consumers and form a personal connection with their audience.
Unlike traditional PR methods, for example, press releases, social media allows consumers to interact with their favorite brands. This two-way communication street can be a massive advantage for brands that know how to use it.
Influencing
Social media has allowed ordinary people to become influencers who can help brands promote products and services to specific audiences.
Brands can now work with bloggers, vloggers, experts, and more to create impactful PR campaigns.
Instead of creating the content by itself, a brand can leverage the creative powers of these influencers. Influencers with a large following are highly sought-after for obvious reasons. However, it’s vital to look past the follower count to see whether the influencer is suitable for the brand.
24/7 Cycle
The internet never sleeps, which allows PR professionals to deliver news at any time, safe in the assurance that the message will reach consumers.
However, while the ability to reach consumers at any time is excellent, it also has its drawbacks in that PR messages have a shorter lifespan in the consumer’s memory.
Consumers are in an endless mill of information, which challenges PR professionals to keep up. Bad reviews and news travel very quickly, so PR agents have to be proactive and nip such problems in the bud before it escalates.
How to Use Social Media for PR
How much does the typical PR campaign cost? $10000? $100000? $1000? You can get a PR campaign for these prices and even less — it only really matters how effective the campaign is.
So, how can you use social media for PR regardless of how much you’re spending? Here are some valuable tips to help you.
1. Add social share buttons to your message.
A super-easy way to use social media for PR is to add social sharing buttons to your message. For example, if you have a press release, you can add social sharing buttons to Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms.
Adding these buttons allows consumers to share your press releases and do some of the legwork for you.
Additionally, you can embed social media links within the press release. It drives traffic and increases engagement.
2. Work with influencers.
One of the best ways to create PR for your brand is to partner with an influencer.
When choosing an influencer to become a brand ambassador, look for more than follower counts. You should want authentic coverage that hits on a personal note with actual people.
An influencer or ambassador must share, or even create, relatable, emotional, and personal content. The right influencer for your brand is just as concerned about delivering the content right for their audience as they are about doing good work for you (and getting the check).
Furthermore, when you cultivate an audience of people who genuinely love what you’re doing, you’re building a pool of loyal, engaged brand ambassadors who’ll stick with you not just because you’re paying them but because they truly feel connected to your product and are honored to be ambassadors with the brand.
3. Be consistent.
To get the best from using social media for PR, you need to be consistent. This consistency includes showing up with regular posts and interacting with consumers as soon as possible.
It also involves being consistent with your brand voice and tone. By being relatable, helpful, and valuable, you can build a social media presence that boosts your reputation.
4. Be proactive.
Adulation from social media is fickle, and those that praise you today can quickly turn on you and ‘cancel’ your brand.
Therefore, you must have a proactive crisis management system to handle the flames when they come. PR teams should take advantage of the ability to reply instantly and tackle crises as soon as they arise.
4. Create good relationships with the media.
PR professionals have always realized how meaningful a good relationship with media outlets and journalists can be. So, cultivate a good relationship with these essential parts of the industry. Having a good relationship with them will increase the chances of getting positive press with the right outlets.
You can kick off the relationship by sharing necessary, practical, and valuable information to extend conversations.
A note of warning: Spamming media houses, journalists, and even influencers with pitches and press releases can come off as annoying and disrespectful. Be professional and have some self-respect.
5. Take advantage of hashtags.
Hashtags are used on almost all social media channels, and you can use this tool to boost your PR campaign.
Hashtags offer the following advantages:

Let you monitor the consumer conversation
Engage your audience
Direct the audience to the right content

Social Media Public Relations Campaign Examples
1. LEGO
Hashtags can transform your PR campaign on social media, and LEGO is an excellent example of a brand that has used and still uses it.
The #RebuildTheWorld hashtag has been used for many years now to relate enjoyable, uplifting, and exciting stories about the brand.

2. Axis Bank
Social media is a powerful means brands and companies use to release the latest information. Incorporating social media into press releases is an excellent way to run a PR campaign.
Axis Bank used this method to good effect recently.

3. Foundation
Today, many brands use social media to spread the word about their products and services. The brand feels more human and personal by getting C-level employees and other lower-level employees to talk about a brands’ products and services.
Foundation is a popular marketing agency with C-level employees who tweet and often write about its services.

Bridge The Gap Between Your Social Media and Public Relations
Gone are the days when dropping a press release and sending emails were all the PR department had to do to inform customers. Now, customers expect more from organizations and brands.
Using social media and your PR campaigns can improve customer engagement and build the positive press.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in July 2016 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Seeking opportunities to give back has always been part of the Buffer DNA. We started the wonderful tradition of profit sharing and charitable contributions at the end of 2017. Since then, we’ve been in the privileged position to make donations to charitable organizations every year as part of our profit sharing. We set aside 8 percent of our 2021 profit for profit sharing, we then match 20 percent of that total for our charitable donations. This came to a total of $17,966 for this year’s charitable contribution.This has always been a unique opportunity for us to come together as a team to celebrate what we’ve accomplished last year by giving back to charities that have a positive impact in our world – selected by all Buffer teammates together.How We Decide Which Charities to SupportWe go through two stages when determining which charities to support, nominating and voting. In the first stage, we invite the entire team to nominate their favorite charities based on a set of guidelines provided. We have evolved our selection guidelines over time based on Buffer’s values and vision, the diversity of our global team, and the potential impact of our donation.Here are the guidelines that we share with the entire Buffer team:The charities should focus on causes that are important to Buffer. Traditionally, those have been: 1) Climate Action and 2) Racial Justice.The charities should have a strong alignment with Buffer’s values and vision.The charities should have a global reach and be of a size where our donation will be meaningful.The last one can be hard to evaluate so we also shared some examples:GiveWell conducts in-depth research to determine how much good a given program accomplishes per dollar spent.Giving Green is an evidence-based guide to help donors and volunteers fight climate change.Founders Pledge shares research designed to identify the most strategic opportunities for impact.Here is a guide on how to choose an effective charity.Charity navigator is also a useful resource for researching U.S.-based charities.In the second stage, we move to voting. Based on the nomination from the team, we put together a shortlist of charities. Every teammate would vote for one charity for each of the two causes, and the two charities that receive the highest votes overall will receive the donation this year. At this stage, we also included a survey to get the team’s feedback on the overall process.The final results were:Climate Action: The top choice is Cool EarthCool Earth works directly with rainforest communities to halt deforestation. They do this by meeting and learning from the rainforest communities across the world – many of them are indigenous communities that have intimate relationships and immense wisdom. Cool Earth partners with these communities to develop solutions that are unique to each location. In many situations, they support the local communities to develop sustainable incomes so they can be self-sustainable without causing harm to the rain forests.Racial Justice: The top choice is Village EnterpriseVillage Enterprise’s mission is to end extreme poverty by equipping and empowering first-time entrepreneurs in Africa with the resources and skills to start sustainable businesses and savings groups.At this point, our decision was to split the total of $17,966 between these two wonderful organizations so that each of them will receive $8,983 in a donation.A last-minute change to our charitable contributionsAs we were planning the charitable contribution in February 2022, significant events were developing quickly around us including the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As we learned more about the situation, the tragedy was weighing heavily on many of our minds, and many of our teammates have family or friends in Ukraine.Conversations about what we can do as individuals start to pop up in our Slack channels, and it was clear that collectively, we wish we could do more about the devastating crisis. As we were approaching the deadline to make a final decision on the charitable contribution, I sought advice from a few teammates and our leadership team on potentially allocating some of our charitable donation budgets towards helping people who would bear the severe consequences of the invasion.In the end, we decided that we’ll split our charitable contribution into three donations:$5,988 will be donated to Village Enterprise to champion racial justice.$5,988 will be donated to Cool Earth to tackle the climate crisis.$5,988 will be donated to Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund by GlobalGiving to help meet the most urgent and immediate needs of the Ukrainian people.As a small business, we want to embrace our ability to be flexible in an ever-changing world and to take quick actions that reflect our values and the concern of our team. This decision was met with great support by our teammates and the leadership team, and I’m proud that we had this unique opportunity to support causes that matter the most to us and to help people in need of urgent help.Learning for next yearOur charitable contribution process has evolved over the years based on identifying causes that are aligned with Buffer’s values and learning from the diverse perspective of our global team.From the survey on the nomination process this time, we learned that it can feel like a great responsibility to identify effective charities that are aligned with Buffer’s vision and values, especially for teammates who are based outside the U.S. and the U.K. (For legal reasons, Buffer is only able to make a large sum of donations to charities registered in the U.S. or the U.K.)Based on this feedback, we are thinking about appointing a small group of diverse teammates who can be dedicated to conducting the research required to nominate a shortlist of charities for the entire team to vote on. We hope this can streamline the process while still enabling the entire team to get involved in the process.We also would love to think more deeply about how we can have the most impact as a small business. Should we donate to the same charities for multiple years, or should we change that every year? When it comes to world events, how do we decide when it feels appropriate to give our support? We will continue to have these discussions within the team.Over to youDoes your company make charitable contributions on a regular basis? How do you decide which charities are selected each time? We’d love to hear the criteria you put in place or the process you use to involve the team. Send us a tweet!

Whether you’re working for a small agency or a major marketing firm, you’re probably eventually going to need to fill out a Request for Proposal, or RFP.
Your company can’t do everything internally, and when your business needs to purchase a product or service from elsewhere, you might need to shop around. An RFP allows you to collect offers from various vendors and select the vendor that best meets your criteria, both in regards to skill and budget.

Any time you outsource work to a supplier, there’s a potential for issues such as miscommunication around the scope of the work and the compensation. What a good RFP does is eliminate gray areas so that both parties understand what needs to be delivered, when, and for how much.
RFP Template
Here, we’ve provided an RFP template you can follow for initial structure, as well as a sample RFP for further inspiration. But it isn’t one-size-fits-all — you’ll need to tailor your RFP to best articulate your company’s needs.

Download a free, editable RFP template.
Not that you’ve seen the template, how do you actually write an RFP? We’ve got you covered.
1. Define your project, scope, and budget.
Before issuing your RFP, take the time to define the project you’re looking to complete, its scope, and how much you can afford to spend. This information provides the framework for your RFP and helps ensure that it strikes a balance between too general and overly detailed.
2. Provide background and introductory information.
With budget and scope in hand, you can start crafting your RFP. While it’s tempting to dive right into the details, it’s a good idea to provide some background and introductory data about your company. This helps set the stage for potential partners by giving them a sense of your current market, business goals, and current challenges.
3. Describe the services you’re looking for.
Now it’s time to get specific about the services you’re looking for to help achieve your goals. For example, if you’re building a website, you might look for a company with both front-end and back-end development experience. If you’re creating a mobile app, highlight the need for specific skills in that area, such as expertise in responsive design and building applications for multiple mobile platforms.
4. Detail your selection criteria and timelines.
Next up are the selection criteria and the timelines for your project. Here, you can highlight what skills, services, and market expertise are required for consideration. This is the time to get specific: Clear descriptions of selection criteria will help reduce the risk of sorting through multiple RFPs that don’t meet your needs.
It’s also important to be up-front about your timelines. Give potential partners an end date for RFP submission, a date for final selection, and a clear start-to-finish project timeline so companies making a proposal can fine-tune their bid.
5. Proofread your RFP and go live.
Last but never least? Proofread your RFP — then proofread it again. Why? Because even small mistakes could derail project timelines. Consider a zero missing in your budget details, or a miscommunication about the dates that proposals are due and selections are made; both could force a restart of the entire RFP process and waste precious time.

Once you’re satisfied that everything on your RFP is accurate and complete, it’s time to go live. Send out emails and post links on your site to start the process of finding your best-fit provider. To streamline this process, consider proposal software to publish and manage responses to your RFP.
Now that you understand the basics of writing an RFP, you can build your own template and then fill it out so that you can start accepting bids. We’ll use a fictitious company, Caroline’s Websites, Inc., to illustrate exactly how each section should be executed.
RFP Sample
Project Name or Description: Marketing Services
Company Name: Caroline’s Websites, Inc.
Address: 302 Inbound Ave.
City, State, Zip Code: Boston, MA 29814
Procurement Contact Person: Caroline Forsey
Telephone Number of PCP: 227-124-2481
Email Address of PCP: cforsey@consulting.com
Fax Number: N/A
Next, we’ll go into each of the elements of the RFP with information using the same fictitious company.
1. Write your background and introduction.
In your introductory paragraph, you’ll want to include useful background information about your company — who founded it, what product or service your company offers, what sets you apart from competitors, and where you’re located. If any vendor is serious about working with you, they’ll want this information before moving forward.
Example
Caroline’s Websites, Inc. is a web design firm created by Caroline Forsey in 2010. Caroline’s Websites, Inc. prides itself on a team-oriented, solutions-based approach to web design. We provide our clients with web design services including coding, development, and branding. Our staff is located in two offices in Massachusetts.
2. Define your project goals and scope of services.
Next, you’ll want to outline the project you need completed, and the goals you expect to accomplish from the project. It’s important you get as specific as possible — even outlining individual tasks and criteria involved. You’ll want to include phrases such as “The award will be given to X firm,” with the “X” establishing how you’ll determine the best candidate.
Example
Caroline’s Websites, Inc. is seeking the services of a full-service communications and marketing firm to develop and execute a comprehensive integrated marketing plan that increases our SEO presence; attracts more social media followers; and effectively completes a lead generation campaign. The award will be made to a responsive and responsible firm based on the best value and professional capability.
The selected firm will be responsible for the development and implementation of a comprehensive and cost-effective marketing plan.
Tasks include but may not be limited to the following criteria:

Lead generation campaign
Paid media strategy
Production of creative material including collateral and direct mail
Online marketing campaign
Website enhancement
Search engine optimization
General account management
Other communications and/or marketing-related assistance as required

3. Detail your anticipated selection schedule.
It’s crucial you include a detailed schedule so vendors know if they can meet your deadlines. You’ll also need to give vendors a window for when they can ask questions regarding your project.
Example
The Request for Proposal timeline is as follows:
Request for RFP: June 1, 20XX
Deadline for Bidders to Submit Questions: July 5, 20XX
[Company Name] Responds to Bidder Questions: July 20, 20XX
Selection of Top Bidders / Notification to Unsuccessful Bidders: July 31, 20XX
Start of Negotiation: August 5, 20XX
Contract Award / Notification to Unsuccessful Bidders: August 31, 20XX
4. Describe the time and place for the submission of proposals.
Similar to paragraph #3, this is important information you’ll want to clearly present, so vendors know how and where to submit themselves for consideration.
Example
The RFP will be posted on our website, Carolinewebsites.com, and can be downloaded from there directly as of 10 a.m. on June 1, 20XX.
Respondents to this RFP must submit one original and five copies of their proposal. Responses must be received no later than July 25, 20XX. Responses should be clearly marked “RFP-MarketingServices” and mailed or delivered to the contact person listed above.
5. Clearly define your timeline.
By including a time frame in your RFP, you’re able to eliminate any vendor who can’t work within your time constraints. If you’re flexible on your time, you can write something like, “Our company hopes to finish the project within six months, but we’re open to negotiation for the right candidate.”
Example
Caroline’s Websites, Inc. needs the project completed within 8 months.
6. Specify the key elements of a proposal.
If you don’t outline clearly and specifically what you expect bidders to include in their proposal, you can’t necessarily fault them if they don’t include it. It’s critical you outline a checklist so vendors know which elements you’re expecting to receive. It’s also a good test for who’s capable of handling your demands — if a vendor can’t complete all elements of your proposal, you probably can’t trust them to finish your project, either.
Example
A submission must, at a minimum, include the following elements:

Description of the firm that includes a general overview, names and credentials of creative team, number of full-time employees.
A one-page narrative outlining the firm’s strengths and distinguishing skills or capabilities as they might relate to Caroline’s Websites, Inc.
A representative selection of social media ads, direct response material, collateral, and website development created for current and past clients.

7. Make your evaluation criteria clear.
Outlining your expectations will help eliminate vendors who don’t meet them. For this section, you’ll want to do some brainstorming with your team to come up with a mandatory list of items you feel are the best indicators of impressive candidates. Your list could include samples of past work, a proven success record with companies in similar industries, the expertise and technical skills to meet your demands, and a cost of services within your price range.
Example
The successful respondent will have:

Experience working as a marketing agency for a minimum of 24 months and possess full-service, in-house capabilities for marketing, creative services, production, media planning and placement, direct response, and research.
The education, experience, knowledge, skills, and qualifications of the firm and the individuals who will be available to provide these services.
The competitive cost of services.
The expertise of the firm in working with similar customers.

8. Describe any possible roadblocks.
Here, you’ll want to outline any roadblocks, such as limited resources or a custom website, that might prevent certain vendors from successfully completing the project. This allows you to eliminate unsatisfactory bidders, and it will also help you determine which vendors have the skills and expertise to tackle those challenges.
Example
At this time, Caroline’s Websites, Inc. currently has custom coding on our website, of which bidders should be aware.
9. State your budget for the project.
Any vendor needs to know how much you’re able to pay them for their services before they’ll move forward with their bid.
Example
Caroline’s Websites, Inc.’s budget for the project is $8,750.00.
These elements were written in a way to clarify the scope of the project that Caroline’s Websites, Inc. wants completed so that suppliers know whether or not to make a bid. Defining the project allows the bidder to determine if they’re a good fit and how much they’d likely charge. Being as transparent as possible serves to benefit (and even protect) both parties in the long run.
As the name makes clear, RFIs are about collecting information. They’re used by companies to get a sense of what solutions are on the market and how the companies that offer these solutions could help solve a key problem or complete a key task. RFIs ask companies to submit data about what they do, what they offer, and how they can help achieve specific goals.
RFPs, meanwhile, follow RFIs. Using the information obtained from RFIs, companies build RFPs that detail exactly what they’re looking for, how much they’re planning to spend, and how vendors will be selected. In effect, RFIs help narrow the scope of RFPs to help streamline the selection process.
Worth noting? There’s also another option if you know exactly what product or service you’re looking for: Request for quote (RFQ). Unlike an RFP, which asks potential partners to submit a proposal based on their expertise and experience, an RFQ is about cost: You’re asking a specific vendor what it would cost to deliver “X” service or solution in “Y” timeframe under “Z” conditions.
Realizing Best Results for Your RPF
Your RPF sets the stage for companies to bid on projects that are outside the scope of your internal expertise — but are still critical for your business to succeed.
As a result, it’s worth making sure your RFP is clear, concise, and captures the key details about your needs to help find the best-fit partner for your project. Not sure where to start? Grab a copy of HubSpot’s free RFP template, follow the steps above, and get your projects underway.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in June 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Remarkable Human Resources (HR) employees are critical at every company. They handle all employee relations so you can focus on your side of the business.
Before we discuss more reasons why your company needs an impactful HR department and how you can go about building one, let’s talk more about what human resources actually means.

Based on this definition alone, you can see how it would be difficult to run your operation successfully without the assistance HR provides. That’s why even small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have HR departments with employees who oversee all management, engagement, and development between the company and its employees. HR departments exist to support you and your employees so you can continue doing your jobs successfully.
The work and responsibilities of a human resources employee will touch a large portion of your business every day. So what does that mean for you? Let’s review some of the most common responsibilities these employees have so you can better understand the impact HR will have on your company.

Handle employee relations
HR handles the employee-to-employee relationships as well as the employee-to-company relationship. This means they work to develop positive interactions and treatment among all employees within your company so they feel good about coming to work, are committed to their jobs, and are invested in the growth of the business.
Whether it’s a personal matter or a work-related issue, human resources will handle all issues with care and keep the best interest of both your company and employee in mind.
Create an employment structure
Your HR department will handle your entire staffing plan — meaning they’ll identify the gaps in your current employee structure and fill them by acquiring new talent. They’re also in charge of firing any existing talent that isn’t meeting company standards. Your company’s HR team will ensure you have the right people to help you grow your business.
Manage employee job satisfaction
Once your employees have begun work, you’ll want to make sure they’re excited to come to the office every day and add value to your company — their excitement is directly related to their level of job satisfaction. If your employees are happy in their roles, feel as though they can grow at your company, and can change departments down the road if they choose to, they’re more likely to be productive team members. Your HR team ensures your employees really do feel satisfied in their roles and will work with them if they feel unhappy or unsatisfied at any point in time.
Manage employee benefits
Your HR department will handle the amount and type of employee benefits your company offers. Providing good employee benefits is critical to the success of your business because they’re proven to attract and retain talent and increase employee productivity. Benefits keep employees satisfied by giving them a variety of perks and making them feel secure in their roles.
Handle compensation
HR manages all payroll and compensation work, including employee salaries, payment schedules, W2s, and all other tax-related paperwork. If an employee is offered a promotion — or awarded a bonus — HR will handle all changes in their regular payment schedules.
Maintain the company business plan
Your HR department will help you create, distribute, and maintain your company’s business plan — this serves as an overview of your company’s organizational structure. It covers your company’s philosophy and culture code, how you manage your employees, and how you’ll distribute your resources.
Handle new hire training
When an employee is hired, HR will often take them through the necessary training they need before diving into their everyday tasks. Whether one day or six weeks, new hire training is critical to making that person feel comfortable in their new role. It’s also a great way to set expectations early on and get them prepared so they can make an impact as quickly as possible.
Screen job candidates
In the beginning of the hiring process, you may be tasked with screening job candidates. In this initial screening, you have the opportunity to ask candidates about their previous roles, core qualifications, and salary expectations.
Keep in mind that as you evaluate each job candidate, they’re also evaluating you. Presenting yourself — and your company — in a good light is crucial, especially considering that 67% of job seekers have had at least one negative experience in the hiring process, and more than half have declined an offer because of a poor experience.
Create company culture standards
HR is in charge of helping you create and maintain your company culture — this includes your philosophy, mission statement, and work environment. It also includes your company’s ethical standards, values, goals, and expectations. HR may implement programming, activities, check-ins, or events at your office so your employees can learn and develop a better understanding of the culture.
Maintain a healthy work environment
Your HR team will assist you in creating a healthy and safe work environment for all employees. Their role includes setting health and safety standards in the office, communicating these standards to all employees, and upholding them as the business grows. These standards should be written so they can reference them at any point in someone’s time at your company.
Handle necessary administrative work
A lot of your company’s administrative work is handled by HR. This includes paperwork related to federal and state tax laws, job applications, time-keeping and payroll information, and employee contracts.

We’ve put together a list of 10 steps — not listed in any specific order — you should take to build a successful HR department. Whether you begin working through this list with or without your company’s first (or first few) human resources employee(s), all 10 items on this list should be thoughtfully considered.
1. Create a company-wide staffing plan
Create a company-wide staffing plan so you can identify all positions you’ll need to fill with your new hires. This may also include moving current employees into new roles or even removing employees and/ or their roles entirely from the company.
2. Set an HR budget
You’ll need a budget for your human resources department to cover the costs of building the department and hiring your HR team. The budget will also go to company-wide programming, and culture and team building activities HR may organize. 
3. Make a payroll and compensation system
You’ll need to ensure you have payroll and compensation plans in place for all types and levels of employees. Your employees will want to know how, when, and the frequency in which they’re going to be paid the moment they receive their job offer. You’ll also need this information to determine salary ranges for all of your employees.
4. Write job descriptions
Job descriptions posted on your website and job sites such as LinkedIn and Glassdoor are how you’ll attract applicants. You’ll want to create job descriptions for all of the HR roles you need to hire for. Then, as you fill some of these HR openings, those new hires should be able to assist you in creating all other job descriptions for your growing company.
 
5. Lay out a clear benefits plans
A clear and thorough benefits plan is crucial for attracting and retaining talent. You’ll want to lay out all of the benefits you offer to your new hires so they can feel good about their decision to join your team as well as secure and supported in their roles.
6. Create an employee handbook
An employee handbook (whether print or digital) is a great way to set clear expectations from day one about workplace behavior, safety, health, and culture. Your handbook should include answers to all the questions your employees may have about these topics — and any others you see fit — as they go through training and begin work at your company.
7. Set safety procedures
Your employees are most likely in the office for approximately eight hours per day — meaning it needs to be a healthy and safe place for them to spend large amounts of time. If one of your employees ever felt unsafe or at risk of mental or physical harm at the office, it’d be very difficult to expect them to be productive.
To avoid this, you should set workplace health and safety standards, which you can include in your employee handbook. State your safety procedures for different types of personal altercations and procedures for emergencies and other potential unexpected or dangerous situations so everyone can handle them appropriately.
8. Collect administrative records
Although you may have an executive assistant who collects and organizes a lot of your company’s administrative records, plenty of documentation should be collected, organized, and managed separately by your HR department. These items may include job applications, benefit plans, tax documents, and compensation and payroll details.
9. Display necessary employment posters
State and federal laws require companies and their HR teams to hang specific employment posters around their offices so they’re visible to everyone who enters the space. Some of these required posters change over time, so be sure to keep up with the laws and requirements of your state and country.
10. Create performance and feedback processes
Employee success and satisfaction are major components of a prosperous company — without these two things, it’d be challenging to retain your best talent. In fact, companies that implement regular employee feedback have turnover rates that are 14.9% lower than companies who do not.
You’ll want to create company-wide performance and feedback processes to ensure everyone is held to a specific standard that you and your HR team set and maintain.
Employee performance evaluations ensure all employees are working up to their full potential. This time should also be spent making sure your employees are satisfied with their jobs, feel as though they can grow with your company, and enjoy being a member of your team.

What to Look For in an HR Candidate
Now that you have a better understanding of HR’s responsibilities and how you can start building your own department, let’s review some of the things you should identify in potential HR candidates, including education type and work experience.

Human Resources Candidate Education and Background
It’s no secret that many people often “fall” into the human resources field. By this I mean a lot of people who end up in the field don’t necessarily go into their undergraduate education thinking they want a career in HR. If this is the case for some of your HR applicants, there are a few indicators that you’ve found a great candidate despite their educational background.

HR certifications, such as the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) certification or one of the various others offered by the HR Certification Institute.
Great work ethic, personality, and ability to be strategic. It’s key to find a candidate that will represent your company well and has the adaptability to grow into their role. If you see promise, you might also provide this type of candidate with the opportunity to earn a certification and/or postgraduate education in the field as they begin work at your company.

If you’re considering slightly more experienced candidates for your HR department, here are some indicators to look for:

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, or a closely related field.
Master’s degree in Human Resources or Human Resources and Employee Relations (HRER), or a closely related field such as Business Administration.
Prior HR experience, whether it’s an internship or job(s) at another company.

Roles in Your Human Resources Department
Now that we’ve covered general requirements and characteristics that you should consider looking for in your HR candidates, let’s dive into some of the actual roles you’ll need to fill within the department. 
We’ll start with your HR department structure. Depending on the size of your company, you may or may not need all of these positions and levels in your own HR department. Another important thing to note is that the titles of these roles and the level in which they’re placed also vary based on the company, but this diagram will provide you with a general idea of an HR department structure.

Source
So what do HR employees in these roles actually do? And what are the differences between each position? We’ll cover the answers to these questions below.
Entry-Level Human Resources Roles
Entry-level HR jobs are fit for people in school, have recently graduated, or are entering the field for the first time. Their roles may include assistants and HR interns, specialists, generalists, or recruiters.
HR Assistant/ Intern
HR assistants and HR interns are typically in charge of the administrative work — such as organizing paperwork, completing the employer portions of new hire information, and other work their higher-ups ask of them — that needs to be done so everyone else in the department can remain productive and focus on more complex tasks.

HR Specialist
HR specialists focus on one specific department or discipline within human resources. These specialties include HR development, HR management, and organizational development. Their goal is to become an expert in their chosen specialty. For example, a benefits specialist would be required to know and understand the intimate details of a company’s benefits plan and be able to explain that information to new hires and current employees.
HR Generalist
HR generalists have knowledge that covers multiple different areas of the department and its needs. People in this type of role will work on the more typical tasks you may think of regarding HR, such as compensation, employee relations, and workplace environment.

Recruiter
The sole job of a recruiter is to bring in impressive talent for the company. They find new people to fill the gaps in the company’s staffing plan so the business can continue to grow and remain as productive as possible.
Mid-Level Human Resources Roles
As those in HR work their way up the ranks and acquire more experience, they’ll likely move into a mid-level HR role. Examples of these jobs include advanced specialists, HR managers, and senior recruiters.
Advanced Specialist
An advanced specialist is typically someone who was promoted from an HR specialist role. Their work might include developing job descriptions for specific, technical roles within their specialty and training entry-level specialists  in their chosen discipline. Advanced specialists serve as a company’s high-level experts regarding their specific topic within HR.

HR Manager
An HR manager might oversee a group of entry or even mid-level HR employees. They’ll typically handle more of the complex HR tasks such as creating and managing company-wide policies, values, and culture.
Senior Recruiter
Senior recruiters function as your very own staffing service. They may oversee a team of entry-level recruiters who work to identify ideal candidates for open positions at your company. Senior recruiters may work for your company, or you might hire them as a third-party service depending on your budget and resources.
High-Level Human Resources Roles
If someone ends up staying in the HR field for most of their career, they may move into a high-level position at your company. These roles may include an HR consultant, HR director, recruiting manager, or vice president of HR chief of human resources officer (CHRO).
HR Consultant
An HR consultant typically oversees all HR administrative work and makes sure you’re meeting all company, state, and federal policies and laws. They can be subject matter experts on a particular HR-related policy. People in this role may be hired as third-party help depending on your budget and resources.
HR Director
If an HR manager is promoted, that person might move into an HR Director role. In most SMBs, the HR Director typically oversees all departmental activities and reports directly to the CEO.
Recruiting Manager
Recruiting managers oversee your company’s recruiting teams. They sign off on your staffing plan and ensure all of your role gaps are filled and talent needs are met.
Vice President of HR or Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)
In a larger company, you may have a vice president of human resources or a chief human resources officer. This person reports directly to the CEO, oversees the entire HR operation, and creates overarching department goals.
Back To You
Having a fantastic human resources team is essential to the success of your business. Your HR department will manage your employee relations, hiring, training, career development, benefits, and company culture. Without HR, your employees simply wouldn’t be able to do their jobs. Start by thinking about the number and type of HR employees you’ll need and start building your department so your company can continue growing.

Let’s face it: Executing a successful marketing project requires time, energy, and money.
And with so many different facets of marketing to consider — branding and creative, product marketing, event hosting, and so forth — your marketing project management budget can disappear fast.

Ever found yourself scratching your head with a depleted budget at the end of the month, quarter, or year? Ready to leave behind the days of ambiguous spending and vanishing budgets? We’ve got you covered with a look at the top essential project management budget templates for marketing plans — plus a free download.

What makes a good project management budget template for marketing?
Before we dig into the details, it’s worth taking a minute to talk about how we selected our top choices. With so many marketing budget templates now available, this wasn’t an easy task — and when it comes to what we’ve picked, you may have a favorite that’s not listed.
Given the number of options, this list could be 20, 30, or 50 templates long, but in the interests of getting you the information you need to find a best-fit template ASAP, we’re keeping our list to only the best options out there.
As for criteria, we went with characteristics such as usability, simplicity, and adaptability. It’s our goal to provide a list that gives you multiple options with similar value — all you have to do is pick the one that best suits your marketing needs.
With that out of the way, let’s get started.
1. HubSpot [Excel, Google Sheets]

HubSpot’s set of eight free budget templates offers everything you need to get started, from a master marketing template to more specific spreadsheets for content, products, and paid advertising. Available as both Microsoft Excel files and Google Sheets, HubSpot has you covered no matter how you choose to handle your marketing budget.
What we like: The simple, streamlined, and colorful design makes these templates easy to use without sacrificing the detail you need.
2. Spendesk [Excel]

Spendesk offers marketing budget templates for growing businesses to help manage the complexity that comes with annual marketing, subscriptions, one-off events, and upcoming expenses. The templates are designed to scale with your team, making them a great choice for companies just getting off the ground and more experienced marketers looking to streamline their budgets.
What we like: Spendesk’s free templates do the math for you across both Excel and Google Sheets.
3. Smartsheet [Excel]
Smartsheet offers 12 free marketing budget templates for social media efforts, product marketing, quarterly marketing, and annual marketing. While they’re only available as Excel files, they’re a great starting point if you’re looking to consolidate spending sources and streamline marketing budgets.
What we like: Smartsheet’s templates include itemized categories along with estimated costs for each item, subtotals, and totals paired with an easy-to-read pie chart.
4. Capterra [PDF]

Capterra’s marketing budget template is all about simplicity. The free framework lets you easily map out hard costs, campaign costs, and unexpected expenditures to give you an approximate total that can help inform more specific budgeting efforts. Oh, and ignore the “2019” in the title — the template is still just as applicable in 2022.
What we like: Simple is the name of the game here, making Capterra a great choice for initial budgeting efforts.
5. Smart Insights [Google Sheets]
Smart Insights also offers a template octet with options for spend summaries, acquisition marketing costs, creative spend, and SEO activities that clearly lay out where you’re spending money, how often, and what it costs you over a specified period. While there’s no Excel option, these templates are still a good choice to help simplify budget management.
What we like: The Smart Insights templates make it easy to specify your level of spend thanks to a simple and streamlined design.
6. Monday [Built-In Template]

The Monday template offers a high-level overview of your current marketing budget within Monday’s user interface. Each quarter includes information about the owner of the projects, target goal, level of priority, type of action taken, total budget, and remaining budget. Just like the day of the week, Monday makes it possible to start your quarterly budgeting on solid ground.
What we like: Simple and high–level are the watchwords here. Marketers can get the information they need at-a-glance to drive budget decision-making. If you already use Monday for project management, this is an excellent fit.
7. SwagDrop [Google Sheets]
SwagDrop offers a quartet of budget templates to help balance marketing costs and revenues. They include an investment report, salaries report, revenue report, and monthly balance report. Make no mistake — they’re not the prettiest templates on the market, but they’re free, functional, and offer a solid foundation for marketing budget frameworks.
What we like: The SwagDrop page also includes sample budgets on their template examples to help businesses get their budgets up and running ASAP.
8. ProjectManager [Excel]

This free template is a simple Excel spreadsheet that provides a quick overview of relevant budget data to help marketers see what they’re spending, where they’re spending it, and if budgets are staying on track. While it’s best supported by other, more in-depth options, the straightforward layout is worth a download.
What we like: The template integrates with ProjectManager’s larger suite of paid project management software, which is designed to manage hybrid teams across multiple locations.
9. Demand Metric [Excel]

The Demand Metric marketing budget is all about content. It makes sense: To capture customer interest, companies are well-served by spending on blog posts, video production, and graphic design. This template helps track the cost of these content initiatives over time to see how they stack up against returns.
What we like: Content is king in getting your brand noticed. Demand Metric makes it simple to see what you spend on this critical function.
10. Score [Excel]

The Score annual marketing budget template is designed to help marketers estimate their annual expenses and align them with campaign goals. Easy to modify and simple to use, this template is a great starting point for marketers looking to pinpoint where they can save — and where they need to spend.
What we like: Simple budget estimation is worth the download for this marketing template.
Making the Most of Your Project Management Budget
The better your budget management, the better your marketing outcomes. But as marketing efforts become more complex and far-reaching, it’s easy for spending specifics to get lost in the shuffle.
Don’t get caught with cost overruns — tap one of our top templates to make the most of your marketing budget, and download additional ones below.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in November 2014 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

When we launched Start Page back in October 2021, we weren’t quite sure who would use it. We had a hunch, but it turns out we weren’t imaginative enough. Start Page has been used more widely than we could have possible imagined. From photographers to plumbers, baking sites to gig nights, seeing hundreds of new and different pages each day has warmed our hearts. (Scroll down to see our six favorite Start Pages). But, it’s also filled our inboxes, as heaps of you have been kind enough to reach out and provide feedback. That’s kept our team busy, building lots of new features and tools to improve Start Page.Five Start Page improvementsRather than work through a lengthy list of features, we thought customers might want, we decided to focus on specific features customers asked us to build. (This is among the many lessons we learned building a new product.) Fueled by your feedback, we’ve concentrated on building five new features we hope you all will love! 1. The GIF gallery Catch the eye by adding a GIF to your background. You can pick one of the 15 we pre-selected or browse thousands of different GIFs in Giphy’s library. From relaxing beach scenes to memorable memes, you can style your Start Page however you like. Our hand-picked GIFs were selected because they meet Accessibility Best Practices meaning they look great, while containing subtle motion, and no flashing animations.Create an eye-catching Start Page with GIFs.2. Promote latest YouTube uploads Many of us who publish regularly on YouTube struggle with one thing—gaining views for new videos. The algorithm is great at promoting old content that viewers like, but newer content often gets missed. We think Start Page can help. With the new YouTube Video block, you can link to your recent YouTube uploads. Now, every time you upload a new video, it’ll be showcased automatically on your Start Page. It’s a fantastic way to ensure your audience won’t miss your latest work.Displaying the latest Buffer YouTube uploads on my Start Page.3. Showcase links to products or content Ever wanted a simple landing page to link to your most-loved products, or best-performing content? Well, now Start Page can do just that. With the Image Links Grid, you can upload images to a grid and link them to the relevant web page. Personally, I might use this to link to some recent book reviews, but I can’t wait to see how else it’s used. Here are a few ideas. 💡Cinemas promoting tickets to the latest films. 🍿Yoga instructors showcasing a range of classes. 🧘‍♀️Fashion brands unveiling a new range of t-shirts. 👕Local builders revealing the services it offers. 🧱Taxi companies promoting discount deals. 🚕Cafes linking to upcoming events. ☕️Using the new Image Links Grid to link to recent book reviews.4. Embed songs & podcasts with SpotifyLast year, Spotify broke the 300 million users mark for the first time, cementing its position as the world’s biggest music streaming platform. So, working on a Spotify embed feature was a no-brainer for us.There are a few obvious use cases, like musicians looking to promote their songs, but also for creators needing to showcase a podcast. Perhaps you create a new Start Page to list your favorite new artists!Embedding four popular podcast episodes to my Start Page.5. Style your Start Page your way Picking a style that’s right for your brand can be tough, so we’ve developed 16 different themes to match your look. Each theme is styled with a unique background color, button color, and font to make the page stand out. Want even more control? No problem, use the hex code color picker to find the right shade for you.Selecting one of 16 themes for my Start Page.Six stand-out Start PagesSix months since launching, over 12,500 Start Pages have been created. Here are some of our favorites.Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon share their updated weekly menu with mouth-watering pictures.Forever Duke keep alumni connected with recent posts, a Spotify Playlist, plus relevant YouTube videos.Forever Duke Start PageWaka Bahule shares her latest music with fans.Non-GMO Project share latest news, collect donations, and grow newsletter subscribers.Dinnerly attract new customers with their latest dishes.Plumber Parts links to his latest YouTube videos.We want to promote your Start Page!At Buffer, we’re in the businesses of helping small businesses and creators succeed. That’s why we want to promote your Start Page on our site. Each month, we’ll be showcasing 10 of our favorite Start Pages in the carousel, helping you attract more visitors and boost your SEO. Want us to feature your Start Page? Fill out our 60 second survey. Create your own Start Page, for free, in three minutes(or less)!

Hey guys, I got in contact with a company for a growth engineer opportunity and don’t know what to expect. The position is part of the Revenue Operations team. I’m currently working as a backend developer and was curios to see whether this opportunity could suit me. submitted by /u/therealdavidadam [link] [comments]

Great design helps your business stand out, builds your brand consistency, and captures your audience’s attention, amongst other benefits. Background images offer great design benefits wherever they appear, but there’s lots to consider when it comes to including them in your design. The use of background images allows you to layer on more design elements like…
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