Category: Marketing Automation

Trying to make sense of IP warming for your business? Then you’re at the right place. Learn about what it is, why you need it, and best practices for using it

In 2019, Microsoft hosted their annual Ignite event in Orlando for one week. It was the most successful Ignite they’d ever had, with well over 27,000 attendees.
That is, until the fall of 2021 — when they hosted over 270,000 attendees in a virtual version of the same event.
A couple of years ago, the majority of businesses hosted in-person trade shows and conferences. Virtual conferences were a rarity.
But, post-pandemic, we’re seeing a major shift towards virtual or hybrid events. In fact, HubSpot Blog Research found roughly 40% of marketers plan to increase their investments in virtual events, webinars, and conferences in 2022, followed by 39% who plan to spend the same amount as they did in 2021. A mere 16% plan on decreasing their investment.
Bob Bejan, Microsoft’s Vice President of Global Events, is unsurprised by this shift towards virtual, and believes it was always destined to be the future of events. He told me, “The pandemic is really just an accelerator of something that was going to be inevitable anyway, but probably would have taken five or six years instead of just two.”
Here, I spoke with experts across industries to learn more about the surprising future of events — and whether in-person, virtual, or hybrid will become the norm. Plus, what it could mean for your business.
Let’s dive in.

The Future of Events, According to Experts
The Case for Virtual
We all remember the challenges of in-person events: Shuffling from conference room to conference room, running to catch the last bus back to your hotel, feeling overstimulated by exhibition spaces full of businesses competing for your attention.
Simply put, in-person events can be incredibly stressful and frustrating experiences for attendees — particularly with larger gatherings.
As Microsoft’s Bejan puts it, “The dirty little secret of in-person events is you’re all competing for the biggest number — but the bigger the number, the worse the experience for the attendees.”

Bejan adds, “The power and effectiveness of virtual events is just so convincing from a data perspective that it’s hard to imagine they’re ever going away. Virtual events at every dimension are so much more effective than in-person events.”

Nowadays, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a business leader who doesn’t recognize the benefits of virtual events.
Among other things, virtual events can:

Lower the price of admission, which can increase attendee count and enable businesses with smaller budgets to take part in your conference and offer unique insights.
Lower the costs your business would typically pay for conference space, on-hand staff, catering, security, and more.
Enable people across the globe to interact without needing to spend money on flights and hotels.
Attract high-demand speakers who might not have the time to attend your event in-person, but are happy to share insights via video call or pre-recorded presentation.
Provide you with the opportunity to create a product (recordings from your conference) that you can repurpose for future lead generation offerings.

And, as we saw in 2020 and 2021 as a result of the pandemic: Sometimes, virtual events are the only option, when unforeseen circumstances makes in-person events impossible.
Virtual events are incredibly powerful opportunities to reach new audiences and increase brand awareness. In fact, 80% of marketers are able to reach wider audiences and increase their ROI by hosting virtual events.

Virtual events have also come a long way since the early days of webinars. Nowadays, brands are upping the game by offering incredibly unique, immersive virtual experiences.
For instance, consider INBOUND 2021, which enabled attendees to network at virtual meetups, interact in real-time with attendees and speakers, and learn from renowned speakers like Oprah and Spike Lee — all from the comfort of their own homes.
For many brands, virtual events will be the only practical option for events well into the future. As Bejan posits, “If you’re a small or medium-sized business and you’re trying to reach people and deliver impressive experiences, our feeling is that there’s no better way to spend your money than in the digital space.”
However, if you’re wary of virtual-only experiences, you’re not alone. Many business leaders are unsure whether it’s a wise idea to take away the in-person component entirely, particularly when so many attendees learn and network best in-person.
Enter: The hybrid event.
Why Hybrid Is a Powerful Alternative
Picture this: You’re sitting on a beanbag chair, an iced coffee at your side, and you’re looking up at a row of huge, circular screens with a variety of sessions happening concurrently.
You put your headphones on and dial into one session, while the person beside you — with whom you connected earlier, at the food station, and traded business cards — sits and listens to a different one.
While it might sound futuristic, it’s not.
Prior to the pandemic, Bejan and his team worked on shifting Microsoft’s event strategy towards one in which the primary offerings were always digital — known as the “digital core”.
“And then,” Bejan told me, “rather than making destinations — which is the way we used to do events — we would distribute that digital core, and simultaneously activate events around that digital core locally and regionally, so that we can deliver those special and unique things that you can only do in-person.”
These spaces, known as ‘hang spaces’, were exactly as described in the example above. People would sit together in a rented conference space, watch Microsoft’s pre-recorded or live digital sessions, and experience the very networking they craved.
If, alternatively, someone wanted to watch from home, they could do that, too.
This is one hybrid example, but there are many in various forms. Consider, for instance, Social Media Marketing World, an annual conference for social media managers.
As of 2022, the conference is now offered in-person at the San Diego Convention Center, or via remote live stream. If you want to attend the three day event in-person, you’ll need to pay upwards of $1,700 (depending on whether you want an extra day and access to live stream, as well). Alternatively, the on-demand conference costs between $597 and $797.
With a hybrid strategy, you’re solving the needs of two different subsets of people — those who actively seek out in-person experiences, and those who’d prefer to learn remotely. Ultimately, a hybrid strategy is a compelling option if you find your audiences’ preferences are split between in-person and remote.
As ON24’s VP of Strategy & Research Cheri Hulse puts it, “Hybrid has presented itself as a good midway point for marketers as they try to navigate global and regional regulations, audience preferences, and contractual obligations with venues.” Hulse adds, “Hybrid allows marketers to feel their bases are covered for delivering an event — no matter what is thrown at them leading up to the big day.”
Penny Elmslie, Xero’s GM for Brand & Community, told me that hybrid is an option that excites her as we enter a new era for events.
Elmslie says, “The beauty of a hybrid model is it allows our events to scale, while enabling us to connect with those who for physical, financial, or medical reasons may not be able to attend in person.”

Elmslie adds, “In creating the right experience, we also purposefully make the hybrid delivery shorter and sharper to what you’d expect live, ensuring we respect our audience’s time in front of screens.”

Elmslie continues, “We’ve found the current environment has changed people’s expectations, challenging us to ensure we’re providing enough flexibility in our model to cater to all audiences. Fortunately, advancements in event technology and production skills have enabled us to continue to surprise and delight our audiences in new ways — even when they can’t physically be with us.”
Sarika Abraham, Media & PR Manager at Hexnode, is working on putting together her first hybrid event this year, Hexcon 22.
For her, the biggest challenges include the project management skills required to combine an in-person and virtual event into one seamless experience.
Abraham told me, “With twice the benefits comes twice the labor. Hybrid events are complex and require intricate management of both a physical platform and a virtual stream. I believe that managing the increased complexity, cost, and risks associated with integrating different platforms, tools, and technologies is the pivot of successfully conducting a hybrid event.”
If you’re interested in planning a hybrid event in 2022, you’re in luck. Hulse shared her tips for marketers looking to plan their first hybrid event.
She told me, “My one tip for marketers planning hybrid events is to remain flexible and listen to feedback. When ON24 planned a hybrid event last year, we offered lots of options for attendees to select how they wanted to consume the experience: in-person or virtually.”
Hulse adds, “This was critical as we saw attendees change their mind as the date neared and their situations changed. Ultimately, the success of the event was based on audiences consuming content and engaging with the experience — and we left it up to them to decide how they would do that.”

Reachdesk’s Global VP of Marketing Christy Steward also shared some key takeaways for marketers looking to plan hybrid events in 2022.
Steward told me, “The one piece of advice that I’d suggest for any business running their first hybrid event would be to make sure that you pay equal amounts of attention to both in-person and remote attendees. Although both groups will technically be at the same event, they’ll be having very different experiences, so keep this in mind when planning.”
Steward adds, “A smart gifting strategy can help create an equally memorable experience for every attendee. For example, if you’re providing snacks and refreshments for in-person attendees, make sure you send virtual attendees a coffee voucher before the event or even better a box of coffee beans and something to nibble on during the event.”
Additionally, to ensure your in-person and remote attendees feel equally included, consider how you might leverage unique tools. 
For instance, Airmeet’s VP of Product, Vikas Reddy, told me, “Plan for opportunities that will make sure your virtual attendees feel heard through polls, bringing them on the stage, etc. Facilitate networking between in-person and virtual attendees through curated sessions like speed networking, breakouts, and 1-1 meetings.”
Reddy adds, “Also, double down on mobile capabilities that will offer your in-person attendees a digital pocket guide, taking care of everything from navigation to networking. Make sure you capture data for both the set of audiences across all the above mentioned touchpoints. This can contribute valuable insights into what matters to each audience segment and thereby lay down the strategy for future hybrid events.”
All of that is well and good … but what about the people who simply crave in-person experiences?
Let’s explore the future of in-person events, next.  
For Some Brands, In-Person is Still Most Effective
Over the next couple years (and depending, of course, on health and public safety regulations), we’ll begin to see some businesses return to hosting fully in-person events. And, for certain industries, in-person will always be the most effective.
Brittani Dinsmore, Head of Marketing at Moz, believes the reason 16% of marketers plan on decreasing their investment in virtual events in 2022 comes down to the need for in-person interactions.
Dinsmore says, “​​I think we’re seeing a shift away from virtual events because there’s a growing demand to return to face-to-face interactions. Zoom fatigue is a real thing. Many individuals are burnt out from conducting professional and personal meetings through a screen.”

Dinsmore adds, “People can’t experience the full scope of some events, like networking or a convention, from their living room. Live events, in particular, have a certain energy that can’t be replicated virtually.”

For instance, while MozCon, Moz’s annual marketing conference, has been held online for the past two years, Dinsmore told me her team is tentatively planning on hosting MozCon 2022 in person again (as long as restrictions subside).
Along with the benefit of face-to-face connection, Dinsmore makes the point that it’s often easier to generate meaningful leads and attract new sponsors in-person compared to virtual.
There’s also real science behind the importance of in-person interactions. Consider, for instance, how 55% of the impact of our communication comes from body language, 38% from tone of voice, and just 7% from the words themselves.
In a virtual world, it can be difficult to pick up on nuances in body language and tone through a computer screen. Which means some meaningful connection will be lost in a world primarily focused on virtual interactions.

“The move back to in-person events will be gradual,” Dinsmore says, “As new COVID variants pop up, companies will continue to hold hybrid events to serve the groups who feel comfortable meeting in-person and those who prefer attending functions from home.”
Dinsmore continues, “But I think companies should consider sponsoring or engaging in smaller networking groups rather than hybrid events to ease back into things. Once the pandemic subsides, I foresee many planning a grand return to in-person events.”
So … What’s right for you?
Ultimately, the choice of in-person, virtual, or hybrid is largely yours. As Hulse points out, “In the future, I expect to see a mix of event types in the B2B space. Between hybrid, physical, and digital events, it will be up to marketing leaders to calibrate the right mix of the three based on audiences needs and preferences, budget, and marketing priorities.”
And if you do lean towards virtual or hybrid events in the future, consider how you might innovate on what’s already been done. There’s unlimited potential in the virtual and hybrid event space — and we’re really just getting started.
As Bejan told me, “We had one big epiphany when we delivered a streaming version of our Las Vegas show, and found that the largest audience of people watching our keynotes watched from their hotel rooms. So that was an insight for us: As long as you make good, interactive television, you’ll find success.”
“And,” Bejan adds, “in my almost 30 years of business … This is the most compelling work I’ve done in my career. It’s really, really fun.”

The start of the new year is an exciting time for marketers to re-evaluate their social media marketing strategies and take advantage of new opportunities as social platforms evolve.
From new features to algorithm updates and disruptive social apps, keeping up with these changes can be challenging, but also allows you to tap into exciting new possibilities to help your company grow better in 2022.
To help you get the most of your social media strategy in the new year, I recently published findings from the HubSpot Blog’s Social Media Trends Survey, where I collected data from more than 300 B2B and B2C marketers to answer questions like:

Which social media platforms are marketers currently leveraging?
What type of content are marketers posting and which formats do they use most?
Which platforms, content types, and formats have the best ROI?
When is the best time and day of the week to post on social media?
What challenges do social media marketers anticipate in 2022?
What are marketers’ plans and expectations going into 2022?”

I’ve taken a deep dive through our survey data and made a list of some of the key recommendations social media marketers should consider in 2022. Here are just a few suggestions, based on our data.

8 Data-Backed Social Media Marketing Recommendations for 2022
1. Champion your company values
Content that reflects your brand’s values is the most popular type of content among social
media marketers right now and has the 3rd highest ROI of any content type
This will continue growing in 2022 as 95% of those who leverage this type of content plan on increasing or maintaining their investment, and 21% plan to use it for the first time
This aligns with our previous marketing trends survey, where we found that social responsibility will be a top trend in 2022
Additionally, we found that social media marketers who say their social media strategy has been effective in 2021 are 21% more likely to leverage content that reflects their brand’s values than those who reported an ineffective social media strategy last year

2. Embrace funny, interactive, and relatable content.
Funny content has the highest ROI of any content type and is also rated the most effective by social media marketers
The use of funny content will continue to grow in 2022, with 33% planning to invest more in funny content than any other format.
Additionally, 56% of those who don’t use funny content plan to leverage it for the first time in 2022, while 95% of those who already use it will increase or maintain their investment this year
Interactive content is No. 2 when it comes to usage, ROI, and effectiveness, and will also grow significantly in 2022.
49% of those who don’t leverage interactive content plan to use it for the first time in 2022, while 97% of those who already use it plan to invest more or maintain their investment this year
On top of all that, we found that social media marketers who say their social media strategy has been effective in 2021 are 25% more likely to leverage interactive content than those who reported an ineffective social media strategy last year.

Relatable content will see increased investment among current users as well as first-time users.
54% of social media marketers who don’t leverage relatable content are planning to for the first time this year, while 93% of marketers who already leverage it plan to increase their investment or continue investing the same amount in 2022

3. Don’t choose influencers based on follower count.
Followers aren’t everything. Influencer marketers are placing an emphasis on quality of content first, then engagement rates, alignment with values, and aesthetic, followed by follower count at #5 on that list.

Social media marketers who say their social media strategy has been effective in 2021 are 26% more likely to consider the quality of influencers’ content when determining which influencers to partner with on social media than those who reported an ineffective social media strategy last year
Micro-influencers (10k-100k followers) are the most popular type of influencer marketers work with, but it isn’t necessarily because they are cheaper. The graph below shows that the amount companies pay influencers can vary greatly, even when we account for the size of their following. This supports our finding that follower count is not what marketers are prioritizing when looking to partner with influencers.

The quality of the influencer’s content, the rate at which their followers engage, and their alignment with your brand can be much more impactful metrics of how much an influencer partnership is worth.
Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are the most popular platforms marketers leverage when working with influencers.
Facebook has the best ROI for influencer marketing, followed by Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok.
4. Explore new or emerging social media platforms and features.
Social media marketers search for new or emerging social platforms to leverage often, with 86% searching at least once a quarter and many searching monthly (29%), weekly (22%) and 20% searching multiple times a week. Just 1% say they never search for new platforms.
The top new or emerging platforms social media marketers are investing in are Twitter Spaces, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Shops
At the same time, they are pulling their investment in lesser-known live audio platforms (Spoon, Riffr, Discord Stage Channels, Spotify Green Room) as more established ones like Twitter begin to incorporate live audio features.

5. Invest in building social media communities.
64% of marketers are leveraging social media communities, and this number will only keep growing, as 30% of those who don’t use social media communities plan to start in 2022.
Additionally, 96% of those who already leverage social media communities plan to invest more or continue investing the same amount this year.
Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Tumblr are the platforms marketers build communities on most.

6. Leverage research and data to reach their target audience.
In our survey, we asked marketers how effective or ineffective their social media strategy has been this year. I then examined our data through these two separate groups, the first being those who said their social media strategy was effective, compared to the second which rated their social media strategy as ineffective.
When trying to find their audience on social media, the effective group is:

21% more likely to use social listening
17% more likely to research the demographics of social media platforms
17% more likely to research relevant online communities
14% more likely to analyze demographic data their company already has

7. To reach younger audiences, create short-form video content that’s funny, trendy, and reflects your brand’s values.
Younger audiences like Gen Z (6-24) and Millennials (25-40) prefer shorter video content that is funny, trendy, and reflects a brand’s values, making platforms with short-form video features like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram ideal for reaching them.
8. To reach older audiences, leverage interactive/educational content on Facebook.
Gen X (41-56) and Baby Boomers (57-75) prefer interactive/educational content, such as interviews/podcasts/expert discussions and live videos, and Facebook is their platform of choice.
More Data-Backed Marketing Insights
Want even more marketing and social media data? Many of the results from the Social Media Trends survey overlapped with the Blog’s recent Marketing Trends survey, including the dominance of short-form video, the power of influencer marketing, the opportunity presented in “Live” video and audio chat rooms, and the top social media platforms.
Check out our detailed Social Media Marketing Report here or our Marketing Trends recommendations post here for more recommendations on these topics.

I fought it for a while but TikTok has me in a chokehold and won’t let me go. At all hours of the day, you can find me singing viral TikTok sounds and saying random phrases from popular videos.
The app has grown considerably since booming in 2020 and its features just keep getting better. While the app has offered a live feature for a while, the short-form video platform recently announced new live features, making it a strong competitor for Instagram and Facebook.

In this article, we’ll dive into the top TikTok LIVE features, the requirements to go live and a few tips to keep in mind before you start your first broadcast.
TikTok LIVE Features
Going live on TikTok allows you to engage with your followers on the platform and build community. The app offers ways to maximize the experience for both creators and viewers when going live.

Image Source
Here are some of the top features:

Q&A – Viewers can submit questions live during your broadcast.

Multi-user streams – TikTok’s “Go Live Together” feature allows you to go live with up to three users.

Live events – To build anticipation around your Live, you can schedule and promote your live ahead of time to your followers

Gifts – If you are a part of TikTok’s Creator Next Program, viewers can give you badges that hold monetary value during a live stream if they are enjoying your content. Only non-business accounts and users 18 years of age or older can accept these rewards, unless you live in South Korea where the minimum age requirement is 19 or in Japan where it’s 20.)Moderators – When going live, you can assign other users to moderate the chatroom to ensure it’s safe and in line with the content you’re sharing.

Keyword filters – Another way to protect your live stream is by automatically removing comments that feature words or phrases you’ve flagged.

How to Go Live on TikTok on an iPhone and on Android
1. Open the app and click on the ‘+’ sign.
2. Slide to the ‘LIVE’ tab.
3. Add a title.
4. Click ‘Go Live.’
After your live, you can access the recording for up to 90 days by going to your “settings and privacy” tab and selecting “LIVE replay.” From there, you can download your live video or delete it.

Why can’t I go live on TikTok?
There are several reasons why you may not see the option to go live on TikTok, such as:

You’re under 16 years old.

You have less than 1,000 followers.
You have recently violated one of TikTok’s policies and are under review or suspension.

If you meet the requirements and still can’t go live, you can report this issue to TikTok.

Tips for Going Live on TikTok
1. Know when your audience is most active on the app.
When you go live, you want to make sure you’re reaching your target audience. This means knowing exactly when most are active on the app.
To find this out, check your “Followers” tab in your Analytics. It will tell you what times and days your followers are most active along with other insights, like videos and sounds that are most popular with your followers.
All of this information will be valuable when planning your live.
2. Set the stage.
There’s nothing that makes me click out of a live quicker than bad lighting.
The first thing you want to do is make sure your lighting is arranged ahead of time. This can mean setting up in front of a window that gets great natural light or investing in artificial lights.
The next thing you’ll need is a quiet room. Make sure there isn’t a ton of background noise as that can distract viewers and make it hard to maintain their attention. You can also invest in an external mic to improve your sound quality.
In addition, consider investing in a tripod. This will allow you to move freely as you are on the live.
Lastly, make sure your wi-fi connection is strong. You can quickly lose viewers if they are struggling to hear or see you on the app.
3. Have a clear goal and outline.
Any time you plan on interacting with your audience, you should have a clear goal. It can be building brand awareness, learning more about your audience, leading users to your website, generating leads, etc.
Once you know what your goal is, outline your broadcast. This will ensure you communicate your key points and meet your end goal.
Here’s an example of a simple outline for a brand that’s announcing a new product:

Welcome audience and shout out specific usernames.
Announce the new product.
Dive into product specifics, such as benefits, features, and initial customer reviews

Share discount code.
Direct viewers to the website for purchase.
Answer questions about the new product.
Direct users to the website and sign off.

4. Have a moderator.
A moderator is a user you assign to make sure the chatroom is a safe and enjoyable space during your broadcast.
Chats are notorious for having bots and trolls that can distract users and keep you from seeing important messages from your audience. The moderator will help you manage the live and allow you to focus on engaging your audience and sharing your message.
Going live on TikTok is a great way to connect your audience and strengthen that brand loyalty. If you’re not yet at 1,000 followers, gather ideas for broadcasts by looking at your competitors and seeing which live strategy will be most effective in meeting your goal.
This way, you’ll be more than ready by the time your account meets the requirements.

With TikTok on its heels, Instagram is rapidly rolling out new features to benefit both brands and creators alike.

These upgrades come as no surprise — especially considering the competitive nature of social media. But for marketers, the volume of new features can be overwhelming.
Let’s look at these exciting upgrades and how to leverage them in your 2022 Instagram strategy.
10 New Instagram Features Marketers Should Be Using in 2022
1. Partnership Inbox

Image Source
Gone are the days of missed opportunities because of a busy inbox. Now, brands and creators can quickly find and manage their communications in one location — partnership messages.
Partnership messages is a sub-folder in the Direct Messages tab. These messages skip the request folder and get priority placement — making it easier than ever to find and manage branded content partnerships.
2. Story Links
Remember when story links were an exclusive feature to those with 10,000+ Instagram followers? Here’s some good news — it’s now available to everyone.

Image Source
No matter your follower count, you can use a link sticker to direct users to your website, product pages, blog posts, and more. This is a win for marketers who use the platform to increase traffic.
Here’s how it works — after creating an Instagram story, click on the sticker icon, then tap the “Link” sticker. From here, enter the desired URL and voilà — you have a link in your story.
3. Add Yours

Image Source
You’ve likely seen this feature while browsing Instagram stories — but how does it work, exactly?
Add Yours is a new sticker for Instagram stories. It’s fairly simple — someone writes a prompt and shares it to their story. Then other users can respond to the prompt with their own spin. When you click on the sticker, you can view everyone who has contributed to the thread.
For example, if you create an Add Yours sticker with the prompt “Outfit of the Day,” other users can respond to it with a photo or video of their outfit.
This feature adds another layer of interactivity to the platform. Due to its shareability, it’s known to kickstart trends and challenges. But for marketers, it’s especially useful for sparking conversations and showcasing your brand’s creative side.
4. Find Creators

Image Source
Instagram is officially playing matchmaker. The platform is testing a new suite of tools to help brands and creators connect.
Let’s start on the creator side — users can add brands to a preferred brand list. Then, when a brand searches for creators to partner with, those who have the brand in their list will appear at the top of search results. This makes it easier for brands to find creators who already show an interest.
Brands can also filter creators by follower count, age, gender, and location — which Instagram believes will help brands “organize shortlists to easily manage multiple campaigns.”
5. Story Auto-Captions

Image Source
If you’re like me, you rarely watch Instagram stories with audio — which is why the new caption sticker is a game-changer.
This feature automatically converts what someone says in a video into text so that users can watch without sound. For some users, this feature is also available on Reels, its answer to TikTok.
Now, audiences can engage with your videos — with or without sound. This feature also takes a big step in making Instagram content more accessible.
6. Social Fundraising

Image Source
In response to the effect of COVID-19 on the economy, Instagram launched a new social fundraising feature. Users can create fundraisers for their business or a cause that’s important to them. According to Instagram, it’s seen “a large wave of digital activism responding to the global conversation around racial justice.”
This feature aligns with a simple truth about today’s consumers: they’re belief-driven. These days, consumers are looking for brands that take a stand on the issues that matter to them. Now, it’s easier than ever to create fundraisers directly on Instagram that benefit such causes.
Keep in mind that all fundraisers go through a review process. Once approved, you’re ready to start raising money.
7. Collabs

Image Source
Instagram is testing a new feature that allows you to co-author content with a fellow Instagram user — meaning, whatever you post will appear on both of your profiles. You share likes, comments, and view counts on these posts.
For brands, the collabs feature opens up a new way to partner with influencers, boost brand awareness, and engage with another community in a meaningful way.
8. Calendar Tool

Image Source
Here’s some exciting news if you have a business profile — Instagram is planning to double the data tracking period within Instagram Insights from 30 to 60 days.
Social media marketers can finally ditch the third-party apps that provide a longer tracking period. Instead, this information will be readily available within Insights. This is a great example of Instagram listening to feedback from users who have been requesting such an upgrade for months.
9. Subscriptions

Image Source
Instagram launched Subscriptions just this year – a feature that allows creators to charge a monthly subscription fee in return for exclusive content and benefits.
Here’s how it works — creators set a monthly subscription price of their choice, and a “subscribe” button will appear on their profile. They can offer a range of benefits to subscribers — like exclusive livestreams and Stories.
It’s part of a greater effort to help creators make a living on its platform – thus staying active on it. This also enables creators to develop deeper connections with their followers.
This new feature comes shortly-after Twitter recently announced a similar subscription model — Twitter Blue — and we suspect more social media platforms will follow.
10. Visual Replies on Reels

Image Source
Instagram recently announced a new way to respond to comments on Reels — with another Reel.
If you create short-form videos on Instagram Reels, you can now make visual replies to comments, which is similar to TikTok’s reply function. It’s a highly engaging and interactive way to engage with both followers and leads, and vice-versa.
Final Thoughts
Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. However, the platform isn’t just growing – it’s also evolving. It only makes sense that your social media marketing strategy also evolves to leverage these new features.

submitted by /u/FutureIntelligent87 [link] [comments]

submitted by /u/risquer [link] [comments]

submitted by /u/janardhanpashupati1 [link] [comments]

submitted by /u/No_Damage3287 [link] [comments]

Online payment solutions are essential for just about any type of business. Booking and making payments online is convenient for many consumers, so it’s important to make sure your business is keeping up.
Small businesses, startups, and even massive corporations can all benefit by offering online payments to consumers, but how can you securely accept different forms of payments? For global businesses, what if you need to accept multiple currencies?

The solution is to find a trusted, reliable online payment method platform that makes the customer experience seamless while giving you more control over and insight into your income.
For many online businesses, payments can be accepted from credit cards, debit cards, or a direct connection to one’s bank account.
Benefits of Online Payments
Taking payments online can help you reach a wider audience, and many online payment methods will also offer data analysis to give you a better idea of what your consumers are most interested in from your business. Online payments can also offer a layer of security for consumers and businesses alike.
Many online payment solutions will offer post-payment workflows, so your business will automatically send emails to follow-up with clients after their purchases. These methods will keep payments together in one spot, which is easier to manage than stacks and files of receipts in an office.
There are many online payment solutions for business owners these days, but you’ll want to work with ones that fit your business needs. Plus, you should consider options that can scale as your business grows and methods that offer security and great customer service.
1. DepositFix
DepositFix makes it easy to integrate other business resources, including HubSpot forms, Stripe, and PayPal. That means you can seamlessly accept payments through HubSpot forms, and the payment information will send directly to your business’ Stripe or PayPal accounts. This technology allows you to create workflows following customers’ payments, so they’ll automatically receive follow-up emails, receipts, upsells, or requests for product or service reviews after their purchases.
DepositFix works best for businesses that sell digital products or services. It also allows you to collect donations or send invoices. It offers top-notch security for peace of mind for you and your clients. If you need to get in touch, this platform offers a Help Library for self-service, or you can reach customer service via phone or email.
In one case study, The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation was able to move from offline, over-the-phone payments to a more secure, streamlined system online thanks to DepositFix. Online payments went from about 10% to over 53% and are still growing after the company implemented the online payment solutions from DepositFix.
2. Stripe
A great payment method for small businesses and large corporations alike, Stripe offers payment processing services for businesses. This comprehensive platform allows both online and in-person businesses to accept payments digitally, all while preventing fraud with its Radar protection. Stripe integrates with popular online shopping systems like WooCommerce and Shopify.
Stripe is popular globally, and it supports over 135 currencies and payment methods. It’s easy to start using, too; you can have it ready to go for your business in about 10 minutes. In addition to robust documentation, you can get 24/7 support from their customer service team.
Slack, a major communication platform for businesses, uses Stripe in 15 countries for payments. Even when it saw a surge in use during the pandemic, Stripe offered 100% uptime and boosted company earnings globally by optimizing online payments.
3. One Page Pay
One Page Pay works with several different CRMs, including HubSpot, as well as different payment platforms like Stripe, PayPal, Take Payments, and GoCardless. It creates a dedicated payment form page and sends sale details straight to email or your CRM. This platform offers bank-level security for your consumers’ data, and you can set up your first payment form in under five minutes.
Choose from a single or two-column form, or work with One Page Pay to create a custom payment form that suits your exact needs. You can generate reports based on the transactions, and because this service integrates with HubSpot, it will automatically follow up with consumers with things like surveys or digital product delivery after their purchases. 
4. Square
Square is a popular payment solution and one of the best online payment methods for small businesses. Whether you want to offer appointments, sell physical or digital products, or run a restaurant that takes orders online, Square has you covered. You can send invoices and/or collect payments all from this platform, and it even offers a free eCommerce service to help you get your business up and running.
Square offers everything from hardware for brick-and-mortar retailers to e-gift cards and a dashboard with analytics to track your success. With Square, you can also manage your payroll — from inputting time cards to automatically paying employees — and open a Square checking account without fees for your business. With its online payment solution, you can also easily add shopping cart buttons, purchase links, and QR codes to help direct clients to your products and services.
5. Checkout HQ
Imagine being able to create a searchable database of your products, create personalized payment and quote forms, and access attribution reports to see how your marketing efforts impact revenue. This is all the reality with Checkout HQ, which integrates with HubSpot to make online payments a breeze. 
The platform automatically works with your current HubSpot theme, so it’ll fit into your brand right out of the box. It also integrates with Stripe for payments, and you can customize the checkout experience to boost the customer experience.
6. Collect
Start accepting credit card payments online with Collect, which will work right on your HubSpot pages rather than sending clients to a different window. It’s easy to install, requiring no coding knowledge to set it up, and it makes the client experience seamless from the time they visit your site to when they make the purchase.
Take secure payments right on your website, plus add pricing tables, buy buttons, and payment forms. You can even allow customers to make one-time purchases or subscribe to your products or services.
Collect currently integrates with Stripe but also plans to work with other payment services in the future. There’s no per-transaction fee, so you simply pay for the Collect subscription without the added cost for every sale.
7. Authorize.net
Authorize.net has been in the online payments game since 1996, and it’s trusted by nearly 450,000 merchants. The service helps businesses handle over $149 billion in payments each year. 
This platform allows your business to collect money via credit card, contactless payment, and even electronic checks to better suit your customers’ needs. Authorize.net handles everything from authorizing, capturing, and settling payments securely.
8. PayPal
PayPal has rapidly become one of the top online payment methods, with the platform seeing an annual payment volume of over $930 billion in 2020. Consumers can pay you via their credit or debit cards, their PayPal balance, or their bank accounts. The platform allows customers to pay quickly with one click, and its innovative Store Cash feature helps convert users that have abandoned their carts into sales.
PayPal integrates with many major eCommerce platforms, so it can work with your existing systems. You can also add shopping cart, buy now, or donate buttons easily, or work with PayPal to create a more robust and custom online payment solution.
9. Intuit
Intuit offers a suite of tools for businesses, including flexible payment solutions for companies that want to accept online payments. You can offer credit cards, debit cards, eCheck, or ACH payments both online and in-person, making payments convenient for clients. 
The scheduling tool allows you to schedule automatic, recurring invoices, and the payments are integrated with your Quickbooks account for seamless bookkeeping, quick deposits, receipt capture and organization, bill pay, income, and expense tracking, and more.
10. Dwolla
Dwolla is an online payment solution that is scalable, so you can rely on it to accept payments as your business grows. You can tailor the payment platform to suit your business’ needs and match your branding, and it offers excellent security for sensitive data.
You can send or receive funds, perfect if you need to pay contractors or if you want to receive consumer payments. Payment methods for Dwolla include ACH, balance-to-balance between Dwolla users, real-time payments, push-to-debit, or wire transfers.
Boost Sales By Offering Online Payment Solutions
Offering online payments for consumers makes the shopping experience easier than ever. Plus, when your online payment solution offers extra benefits like automated follow-up emails or scheduled invoicing, you can further boost profits and customer satisfaction.
There are many online payment solutions out there, so find one with robust features that fit your needs, fees that work into your budget, and security and support to give you and your clients peace of mind.