Category: Marketing Automation

Hey all, As a small business owner, I am interested to know what are the biggest problems you face in your content marketing efforts. For example, finding the time to deliver content marketing, resource and budget etc. Any responses are much appreciated! submitted by /u/Morgan0217 [link] [comments]

Many creatives become business owners because they want to bring their ideas to life in the world. The problem is we can get stuck in our own heads and end up developing products and services that we think are brilliant, only to put them on the market and find that nobody wants them. In addition to being the co-founder of Caeli—a slow-living brand that helps people feel more relaxed and inspired in their homes—I am a certified business design consultant who helps other founders avoid this trap. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, business design is a process through which you thoughtfully design new businesses right alongside your customers. It can be used to ensure you’re releasing something they’re truly excited about, pricing products correctly, and marketing in the most effective way possible, essentially de-risking the aspects of a business launch.Thanks to the process of business design, within six months of launching Caeli’s Evening Rituals Meditation Box, the product is already in ten retail stores and has become our best-seller—without us spending a dime on marketing.Below, I’m going to walk you through how my team developed this product, step by step. Follow the process next time you’re developing a new product, launching a new service, or making any business decision, and you’ll be guided to the right path by the very people you’re here to serve: your customers.1. We learned about customer needs before we even started brainstormingThe impetus for the Evening Rituals Box came at the start of the pandemic when we noticed the levels of anxiety in our friends and customers skyrocketing. As a slow-living brand with a focus on wellness, we felt we were in a position to help. I already had plenty of ideas spinning in my mind, the forerunner being a kit that would help people develop a morning ritual to start their day off on a grounded, relaxed note. But, instead of diving straight into product development, we started with customer research. We posted on our Instagram that we were looking for people to help us with developing a new product, outlining exactly what would be required of them and offering incentives in return: a 20€ (about $22) gift card, ten percent off the site for a year, and free product. We had anyone interested fill out a survey to apply with questions related to their experience with slow living, their current wellness practices, the challenges they currently face when it comes to slowing down, and some demographic data. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Caeli | Slow Homewares, Art & Wellness (@caeli.deco) We chose 12 customers who expressed interest in slow living but were facing significant challenges in practicing it. Some were more advanced than others in terms of their “mindfulness” practice; we selected a range to be able to compare the needs of different user personas. To kick off the process, I had a 30-minute call with each of them to understand who they were, their current practices, and what was contributing most to their stress.We immediately learned that most of our customers already had some sort of wellness practice in the morning, but were struggling to disconnect and wind down after a long day of working from home. That clued us into the fact that we should instead be developing something for the evening.2. We shared prototypes at every stepWith a clear customer need in mind, we started brainstorming and had lots of ideas. But instead of spending time mulling over the various directions this product could take, we turned to another key aspect of business design to help us out: rapid prototyping. By getting our ideas in front of customers as quickly as possible, we could make decisions based on their feedback. Through our interviews, we learned that our customers loved rituals, so we decided to explore the idea of an evening ritual. We picked an idea to start with—a box that would pair incense with music to help customers relax or reconnect with themselves—and got to work on creating something we could put in front of customers. I’m not even talking about a sample box at this point: We kept things really simple to start by creating a digital prototype.This essentially amounted to some mock Facebook and Instagram ads that showed a sample picture of the product along with a short description of the value proposition. We wanted it to feel real enough that customers could imagine it was a product they were considering buying, without us having to put a lot of time or effort into development before we verified the idea was interesting to them. We sent this along with a short survey with questions like:How would you describe the product or service?Who do you think it is for? Who is it not for?Is there something that appeals to you?What are you unsure about? What could make it better?Which of the two ads resonates more with you? Why?One of our main doubts was that people would perceive incense as something that was too “hippie” and wouldn’t be open to using it. This digital prototyping step helped verify that customers were willing to try a more modern take on incense, so we felt confident moving onto the next stage: building a physical prototype.3. We asked specific questions to help shape the productBy the time we were building out a physical prototype—essentially a sample product—we felt confident in the core direction of our idea. We wanted to use this phase to verify that our idea would help our customers in practice, and then hone every detail to make our product as perfect as possible.We pulled together a draft box with a lot of options so we could get a variety of feedback: every participant would receive five different incense smells from two different brands (in total we were testing 12 smells), with QR codes to three guided meditations of varying styles, and two different music selections. We asked our test customers to use these for about a month and keep a diary of their experience, experimenting with the different smells and sounds and sharing how they felt after. Then, I had another call with them to dig into all their thoughts.We learned a lot. We learned what kind of scents they liked and didn’t like. We learned that the meditations had to be around ten minutes or else people wouldn’t use them regularly and build a real ritual. We learned what styles of meditation people connected with (and which they hated). We learned that they loved the glass tubes and valued our eco-friendly packaging.Most importantly, we learned that the box was achieving our goal of helping them create a daily habit of slowing down. Before we started developing the final box, we just had one more thing to verify with our customers…4. We used this process to inform everything from pricing to positioning Business design can be used for all sorts of things outside of core product development (you are actually designing the whole business!). For instance, the last survey we sent to our customer testers was about how much they would be willing to pay for the box. This helped us verify that we could make a profit from this product before we invested in manufacturing it.We also used the data we collected during user interviews to create customer personas and help us determine the best positioning. For instance, we had two customers who hated the prototype. We had enough other participants who loved it that this didn’t turn us off from launching it entirely, but instead helped us identify the types of people the box was and wasn’t a good fit for. Common questions or doubts that customers had during the testing phase also helped inform our marketing copy, allowing us to alleviate those up front. For instance, we still had some customers who weren’t sure if they would like incense, so we made sure to frame our product as modern incense and encourage buyers to put their past perceptions aside. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Caeli | Slow Homewares, Art & Wellness (@caeli.deco) And the business design process never stops. We’re still using it as we test various sales channels, comparing selling in places like yoga studios to more high-end, concept boutiques to see what works best, and even to think about ways we could improve the product.Ultimately, it’s about always looking for ways to quickly test, learn as much as you can from your customers, and constantly analyze so you can move forward with confidence that your idea will truly create an experience beyond their expectations.Business design could seem like a bit of extra work, but taking this approach can help you avoid costly mistakes and ensure your product or service meets your customer’s needs. And the results speak for themselves — after launching the Evening Rituals Box in September, our Q4 revenue jumped up 195 percent compared to the previous year. I’ll take that over going with my gut on business decisions any day.

Artificial intelligence is being introduced to more users every day — using it to shuffle through music, write strategic plans, make images or art, and improve our lives and business.
But many people don’t entirely trust it. Lack of transparency and discrepancies in results could prevent the tech from improving, and the implementation of an AI ethical framework can reform that.

In this post, we’ll discuss AI ethics and how ethical decision-making can improve the technology. But if you’re in a pinch, jump to the information you need.

What are AI ethics?
Why are AI ethics important?
Biggest AI Ethical Concerns
Benefits of Ethical AI

It’s a system that AI developers should have in place to serve people better while minimizing negative consequences. Technology can only be as efficient as it’s built to be and should follow a universal guideline to benefit its user base.

Why are AI ethics important?
The use of ethics in AI is essential to prevent the misuse of technology. Without an ethical framework behind it, artificial intelligence can result in privacy invasion, unequal bias, and other risks many may not even consider when beginning to use it.
Let’s break down some of the biggest ethical focuses in AI that developers should prioritize as it evolves.

Biggest AI Ethical Concerns
AI is just like any other technological advancement in need of guidelines. Many professionals can already see the consequences of using the tool without moral consideration. HubSpot Product Manager Kevin Walsh and the founder of PR 20/20, Paul Roetzer, sat down to discuss ethical concerns for the future of AI.

Professionals from different backgrounds and industries have much to consider as they incorporate AI into their strategy, and we’ll discuss some of the biggest ethical concerns in AI.
1. Privacy and Security Concerns
We interviewed one of HubSpot’s marketing blog editors, Martina Bretous, to get her perspective on this concern, “It can impact the brand’s credibility but also bring legal ramifications. For content creators and artists, there is a real fear of intellectual property theft. How can I ensure that my content is protected from AI?”
AI is a valuable and time-saving tool, but the information it uses to improve isn’t guaranteed to be protected. The amount of personal data users unknowingly give away for AI solutions isn’t disclosed — and it could be using unauthorized intellectual property to work. Without ethical guidelines, it can lead to data breaches, legal conflict, and other misuses.
2. Social and Environmental Wellbeing Concerns
AI systems can have an impact on individual and environmental well-being. Developers of the technology should clearly outline the objectives of the tech they create to erase ambiguity. Additionally, they should ensure its use is for the benefit of everyone who uses it equally.
3. Reliability Concerns
According to the HubSpot State of AI survey, 30% of marketers don’t use AI because they believe it sometimes produces inaccurate information. Users of artificial intelligence rely on the tech to operate as advertised, but there are valid concerns about whether the results it generates are reliable.
Bretous builds on this point to say, “With AI, there’s no shortage of ethical implications – it just depends on whose lens you’re looking from. For brands, for instance, one ethical dilemma they may have to wrestle with is how they’ll disclose the use of generative AI in their content marketing. Does the audience deserve to know when something – say a blog post – has been AI-generated or should audiences just assume it’s the name of the game now?”
Typically, AI doesn’t disclose the exact sources of information it shares with users — much less a game plan for accident mitigation or investigation when information is false or leaked. To combat these concerns, AI ethics could change these doubts into real plans for beneficial change.

Benefits of Ethical AI
More trustworthiness and privacy protection.
AI ethics can change people’s perception of the technology if it becomes an industry standard to provide transparency and explainable disclosures to its users. Building confidence in the technology will likely increase its use and allow users to understand processes and how data is used.
Avoid unfair bias.
Bretous also said, “From a consumer’s perspective, bias is an incredibly important concern and this is where AI literacy will be key – just because AI said it, doesn’t mean it’s accurate or reliable. This is all to say that we’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible but also what’s dangerous about AI.”
A benefit of AI ethics is that its use can become fairer. Many AIs have displayed an insensitive or unfair bias for certain individuals or groups using the technology, and adhering to ethical guidelines can help prevent these results. It provides equitable access and representation.
Universal value alignment.
People make decisions by considering universal values, a framework that can be forgotten if not included in artificial intelligence. While AI developers could gradually address individuals’ ethical issues, a universal code of ethics can set the standard for how humans use the technology and how AI evolves according to guidelines.
Ethics in AI are a Must
Just as humans have moral guidelines behind what they do, so should the technology we use. AI will become a standard tool across many industries, and to ensure it’s used equitably and safely, will benefit from ethical guidelines.

As artificial intelligence advances, more businesses are interested in AI-powered solutions to improve their marketing efforts. One of the keys to making the most of the tech in marketing is to write effective AI prompts to generate the desired outcomes.
Marketers need to know how to communicate their goals effectively to AI systems. It’s a new skill that requires an understanding of how to write clear, concise, and effective instructions that a machine can understand.

In this article, we’ll share AI prompts marketers can use to optimize their generated results and better meet their marketing needs. If you’re short on time, jump to the topic you need.

AI Prompts for Lead Generation
AI Prompts for Drafting Social Media Posts
AI Prompts to Create Podcast or Video Content
AI Prompts for Content Promotion
AI Prompts for Repurposing Outdated Content

AI Prompts for Marketers
Marketers can use AI for more than one purpose. They can use it to brainstorm entire processes or series if done correctly. So as you find inspiration for your own AI prompts, feel free to try them out in HubSpot’s content assistant.
Join the waitlist for HubSpot’s content assistant today
This content assistant tool natively integrates with the HubSpot products you know and love, allowing you to toggle between manual and AI content creation to generate copy for blogs, emails, and more. Now let’s get into the different prompts you can use for your marketing strategy.

AI Prompts for Lead Generation
Lead generation is the process of attracting prospects to your business and increasing their interest from prospect to customer. AI can empower marketers to attract more potential customers based on buyer persona characteristics if specified in the AI prompt. The following examples showcase how to get those customized results.
1. Generate ideas for a new product launch in [month] that incorporates the theme of [season] and [tone].
2. Brainstorm content ideas for a blog post about [topic] in [number] of words or less that is search engine optimized in formatting using H2s and H3s accordingly.
3. Suggest high-volume keyword clusters for [topic] to optimize search engine rankings.
4. Identify popular trends in the industry of

that an audience of [target audience] will be interested in this [upcoming season].
5. Generate ideas for an upcoming marketing campaign about [new product] with a marketing mix consisting of [price] [place] [promotion channels].
6. Suggest [number] ways to improve website traffic during [holiday season].
7. Identify potential target audiences in [location] that would be interested in buying to solve [pain point].
8. Suggest new strategies for lead generation in [market] and [industry].
9. Generate ideas for creating a viral social media campaign using recent [social media platform] trending audios or popular memes from [month] [year].
10. Identify new channels for advertising aside from [current platforms already in use].

AI Prompts for Drafting Social Media Posts
Did you know that AI can recognize different social media platforms from one another? Marketers benefit from using AI prompts for their preferred channels instead of basing strategy on generalizations. Here are some excellent examples to follow for social media drafts.
11. Write a tweet promoting a new product suited for a target audience in [industry] and [location].
12. Generate a post for Instagram featuring a customer testimonial about in [number] words or less.
13. Write a Facebook post introducing a new product feature and rephrase its current description to sound more exciting and effective: [insert current product description text].
14. Create a LinkedIn post promoting a new job opening in [number] words or less with a strong call to action at the end.
15. Draft a Pinterest post featuring a new product line and provide tips on improving product photography for [type of aesthetic].
16. Write a YouTube video description for a new product review that links to [insert links] for viewers to go to the product landing page for more information.
17. Draft a TikTok video script showcasing a product demonstration for 2 minutes at maximum.
18. Create a Snapchat story promoting a limited-time offer and describe the type of stickers or filters that can improve it.
19. Write a blog post title to promote a new social media campaign in [number] characters or less.
20. Draft an email subject line to promote a new blog post that feels personal, enticing, and not spammy.

AI Prompts to Create Podcast or Video Content
Developing ideas for podcasts or videos on your own can be exhausting. Thankfully, AI can provide ideas for them and even walk you through the script and development process if you specify it in your prompt. See the different types of prompts that can help you create multimedia content.
21. Draft a podcast episode about the latest [industry] trends and innovations that contains [number] minutes of dialogue.
22. Produce [number] of topics for a video series featuring interviews with thought leaders in [industry].
23. Develop a podcast episode discussing the benefits of

divided into four chapters.
24. Create a video series that showcases customer success stories.
25. Produce a podcast episode on the history and evolution of [brand or industry].
26. Develop a video series on best practices for using in [number] of different ways.
27. Create a podcast episode that features an expert roundtable discussion on [industry topics].
28. Produce ideas for a video series featuring a behind-the-scenes look at your company’s operations.
29. Develop a podcast episode that offers tips and advice on succeeding in [industry] as an entrepreneur.
30. Create a video series highlighting the impact of on the lives of customers or clients in [demographic].

AI Prompts for Content Promotion
Marketers looking for more effective ways to promote their products or service can use AI for best practices. Explore the different channels, tips, and methods this technology can yield using solid AI prompts.
31. Suggest the best time and day of the week to publish a blog post about [topic].
32. Write a press release announcing a new product launch geared toward [target audience] that sounds confident, exciting, and interesting.
33. Generate ideas for outreach emails to promote a new product, including [number] of attention-grabbing subject lines and [number] of clear calls to action.
34. Write a guest post for a popular industry blog discussing the impact of on [marketing strategy].
35. Suggest the [number] best hashtags for a social media campaign on [social media platform] to reach [target audience].
36. Draft a script for a 60-second podcast ad that has a friendly tone and witty humor fit for [target audience characteristics].
37. Create a landing page for a new product promotion divided into [number] sections about different benefits based on this description: [insert new product description].
38. Write a script for a TV commercial involving [number] actors in [setting] that promote .
39. Draft a product description for an e-commerce site that is [number] sentences long and enticing to [target audience].
40. Generate ideas for cross-promotion with other businesses in the [market], specifically with brands such as [brand names].

AI Prompts for Repurposing Content
AI can allow marketers to reuse and recycle outdated content into something new or more useful in the current year — a process known as historical optimization. When making AI prompts for content repurposing, think outside the box and see how you can transform your old work into something new.
41. Repurpose a blog post into a video script using this article: [insert old blog post].
42. Turn a webinar into a podcast episode using this pre-existing transcript: [insert old webinar transcript].
43. Repurpose an ebook into a series of [number] blog posts using this pre-existing text: [insert old e-book content].
44. Generate ideas for updating an outdated infographic on [topic] for 2023.
45. Rewrite a blog post into a social media post series of [number] posts on [social media platform of choice].
46. Turn an old product page into a landing page for a new product using this pre-existing copy: [insert old product page content].
47. Generate ideas for repurposing a white paper into a video series about [topic] using this pre-existing text: [insert old whitepaper content].
48. Rewrite an old email campaign into a new one with updated messaging suited for [season] [year].
49. Turn a research report into a series of social media posts using this information: [facts from research report].
50. Generate ideas for repurposing an old product demo into a webinar.
Use Thorough AI Prompts for Thorough Results
AI is becoming incredibly useful for marketers in more ways than one. When you leverage this technology, make sure you’re using specific and concise prompts to yield the results your team is looking for.

Welcome to HubSpot Marketing News! Tap in for campaign deep dives, the latest marketing industry news, and tried-and-true insights from HubSpot’s media team.
Is there anything more satisfying than getting a great deal on a more affordable version of a popular product? Fans of the beauty company e.l.f. don’t seem to think so.
Founded in 2004, e.l.f. (an acronym for eyes, lips, and face) was created to offer high-quality cosmetics at a low cost. At the time of its launch, most of e.l.f.’s products cost between $1 to $3.
In its first decade, the company experienced a period of steady growth, expanding its product line, opening its own retail spaces, and finding some success in digital marketing. But by 2018, e.l.f. was experiencing a plateau in sales, and closed its standing retail stores, priming the brand for a marketing pivot.
E.l.f.’s shift to TikTok
In 2019, the hashtag #elfcosmetics had over 3 million views on TikTok before e.l.f. even had its own presence on the platform. With this in mind, the company shifted its marketing strategy to focus on TikTok’s user base (which was overwhelmingly Gen Z), leveraging short-form video and user-generated content in its #EyesLipsFace campaign.

Alongside Brooklyn-based agency Movers + Shakers, e.l.f. commissioned an original song that was catchy enough to go viral and encouraged TikTok users to feature the song and the hashtag #EyesLipsFace. The campaign was among TikTok’s most viral and cemented e.l.f.’s newfound focus on a Gen Z audience.
To keep the buzz going, e.l.f. centered its messaging on key points that Gen Z values when making purchasing decisions:

Social responsibility: 50% of Gen Z consumers won’t purchase products from beauty brands that aren’t cruelty-free.
Affordability: Gen Z may also be more frugal than other generations. 80% of Gen Z consumers will wait until an item goes on sale to buy it, and 60% of Gen Z buyers said the price of a product was the number one factor they consider when making purchasing decisions.

These are two areas e.l.f. cosmetics can deliver on. Since its founding, e.l.f. has been cruelty-free and continues to center this point in its messaging. Compared to other beauty brands, e.l.f. continues to be among the most affordable options.
Bring on the dupes
Capitalizing on its reputation as an affordable brand, e.l.f. began introducing more budget-friendly alternatives to viral beauty products, also known as dupes. 
Some of e.l.f.’s dupes that have gone viral on social media include:

Halo Glow Liquid Filter ($14): a popular dupe for Charlotte Tilbury’s Flawless Filter ($49)
Power Grip Primer ($10): a makeup primer that has drawn comparisons to the Hydro Grip Primer by Milk Makeup ($38)
Hydrating Camo Concealer ($7): a concealer product that users have compared to Tarte’s Shape Tape ($31)
Halo Glow Beauty Wands ($9): blush, highlighter, and contour sticks that are reminiscent of Charlotte Tilbury’s Beauty Light Wands ($42)
Brow Lift ($6): an eyebrow gel that’s considered a dupe of the Brow Freeze product by Anastasia Beverly Hills ($23)
Whoa Glow ($14): a tinted facial sunscreen that is similar to Supergoop’s popular Glow Screen product ($38)

From the packaging to the formulations, it’s clear that e.l.f. is hoping to capture budget-conscious customers who are looking for affordable alternatives to these higher-end products. When these customers share their findings, it often results in user-generated content that has high reach and engagement potential.

@katiehub.org elf, KEEP DOING WHAT YOURE DOING. IM HERE FOR IT!!
#fyp
#dupe
#makeup
#charlottetilbury
#elfcosmetics
♬ Awkward Silence – The Elevator Music Jazz Trio

In addition to creating dupes of popular high-end products, e.l.f. has also launched a series of high-profile collaborations designed to catch the attention of Gen Z including:

A December 2022 holiday-themed campaign starring singer Meghan Trainor in collaboration with The Weather Channel.
A 2023 denim-themed collection in partnership with American Eagle Outfitters (which is also a popular brand among Gen Z shoppers).

How effective was e.l.f.’s pivot to focus on Gen Z?
Based on the information available, these tactics have certainly been effective. According to Piper Sandler’s spring 2023 survey, e.l.f. is the generation’s top cosmetics brand, and this finding is reflected in the sales numbers.
E.l.f. reported a 49% increase in sales from 2021 to 2022. Furthermore, e.l.f.’s growth outpaced the overall growth of the cosmetics industry. In 2021, the cosmetics industry saw an 8% year-over-year increase, while e.l.f. grew by 36% and the momentum is expected to continue. Earlier this year, e.l.f. raised its 2023 outlook by nearly $100 million.
That’s a lot of concealer.
Elsewhere in Marketing
The latest marketing news and strategy insights.
Google announces plans to include conversational AI elements in its search results.
Gone sour: makeup company Tarte is making headlines again for its latest influencer trip.
Microsoft introduced a new API that would allow companies to run ads in AI chat experiences.
Amazon recently launched Inspire, its TikTok-inspired shopping platform.

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Email marketing is a powerful tool for finance professionals looking to grow their networks and increase their client base. With the right strategy, email campaigns can be an effective way to reach potential customers and build relationships with existing ones.  In this article, we will provide you with some simple tips that you can use…
The post 10 Fast and Simple Email Marketing Tips For The Finance Professional appeared first on Benchmark Email.

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Jay Acunzo has been creating content on the Internet for a long time. His journey on social media began when, as a sports journalist in 2005, he started a blog while interning and writing for a student paper.When he moved into marketing, his sports blog called “Blog, Don’t Lie” (named after the infamous quote by NBA player Rasheed Wallace) shifted focus to writing about sports writing. He wrote about other creators who were writing about sports, connecting with and celebrating their work. And to find those people, there was no better place than social media.Thanks to his early start on social media and his deep understanding of the relationship between marketing and creativity, Jay brings a unique perspective from which creators and marketers can learn a lot. In this article, we dive into the lessons from Jay Acunzo for the modern creator.Your job isn’t to speak clearly – it’s to create connectionIt’s easy to get sucked into the numbers and metrics and make that the focus of your work as a creator or marketer. Your audience doesn’t have that perspective, and so your content may not perform well because you think the job is to create content. However, the job is to create connection, and the best way to do that is to ensure that your own personal creative fingerprints are all over the work. Infuse your personal perspective, your lived experiences, and your stories, and you become irreplaceable in the eyes of your audience.In other words, share the things you lived through, observed, or remember that led to a meaningful experience or insight. That’s what effective storytellers do. You might be wondering how practical “creating connection” is, but Jay shares a great way to reframe your perspective: “Yes, you can measure things you can buy. Or the things social networks say you should prioritize. But you can also measure the things you have to earn – and marketers don’t do the second one nearly enough.”So you can buy downloads to a podcast, but you have to earn episode completions. You can buy traffic to your website, you have to earn repeat visitors. You can buy emails for your list, you have to earn replies to your email. These are the signals that your work matters and resonates because you created connection with your audience.🖊️Key Takeaway: Focus on making genuine connections with your audience by infusing your personal perspective and experiences into your work.If you’re worried about AI, you’ve got it all wrongThere are two sides to the coin when it comes to the use of AI in content creation and marketing – those who use it to produce their work instead of to unblock or facilitate it.On one side, if they think the job is to create content, will worry about or use AI as a creator replacement. They will let it create whole pieces of content for them, essentially outsourcing their imagination.However, the other side, if they know the job is to create a connection, will use the same tools potentially, but in different ways to unblock their imagination instead of outsourcing it. They’ll use it to enhance what they’re trying to do. They lead, and the tool serves them.And in everyone else’s case, when they think the job is content, they seem to be serving the tool, which makes no sense. In what world does a chef ask the carrot to cook?🖊️Key Takeaway: Rather than outsourcing your creativity to it, use AI to enhance your creativity and unblock your imagination.Resonance > reachNow, typically, when marketers are thinking about growth, they think they have a reach problem when really they have a resonance problem. If you can reach some people, and those people aren’t really excited and going and finding the others for you through word of mouth, then you have a resonance problem, not a reach problem.If your work doesn’t matter, no amount of marketing will change that. And an easy example is that we can all reach some people very easily, very efficiently, if not for free. Are those few people responding in big ways? If not, the average marketer says, “We gotta go reach more people.” But the storyteller, without a marketing hat on, would say, why would we go reach more people who are total strangers? These are the people that like or even trust us, and they’re not excited? Shouldn’t we get them excited?”Start with one thing and make it really good. If it deserves to be spread, it will spread easier. You won’t feel like you have to beg for attention because you’ve learned to resonate.So the first hurdle to get from reach to resonance is: are you creating anything that matters to a few people? If you can’t do that, don’t invest any more time or budget into trying to get in front of more people – focus on getting those few people to care.If you can do that, you don’t need to widen the top of the funnel because every individual who meets you adores you, buys from you, takes action with you, and is excited to share you with the people they know.🖊️Key Takeaway: Ensure your content resonates with a few people before trying to reach a larger audience. Resonating deeply with a small audience is better than being ignored by a large one.Personality should be present in all your contentJay is a storyteller above anything else, and his personal perspective is hardwon. He described his work saying, “I tell stories and try to extract unexpected insights from those stories for people who want to produce quality work. My mission is to help people make what matters to their careers, to their companies, and to their communities.” But he wasn’t always this clear on his positioning. He shared that he started out imitating a lot of his heroes before he was able to define his own voice.“The problem with many creators is that they never try to break out of the sameness and find a distinction in their category. There’s a lot of commodity content, there’s a lot of copycat thinking, and there’s a lot of sameness out there.”A lot of people who want to stand out from that sameness think that their job is to get increasingly loud, outrank, or outhype the competition. But, as he puts it, “I actually think that the job is to resonate deeper, so you need to beg for attention less.”If you’re working on something, even if you’re ticking a checklist, someone should notice if you stopped working on that project because something about your execution made it different and distinct.The idea that you have things in your life that no language learning model (LLM) or AI has been trained on – they can’t access that stuff, so use it. Your perspective and personality – everything that makes you you –  is your unique, unfair advantage.Most people haven’t been using that advantage fully, even before AI burst into popularity. We think we have to be a vessel that creates what “works” for the “audience”. So we hunt down lists of the best hooks for TikTok or the most engaging Twitter Thread format. The problem with that approach is that you start creating generic content without a perspective or point of view and without an experiential differentiator to it, so AI is your replacement. But if you know how to imbue your work with personal perspective and personality, AI becomes your intern. Jay thinks we should look harder at the people who aren’t worried about AI because they are letting their personal perspectives, beliefs and frustrations, and vision for the world and their work lead instead of leaving it to chance that somehow they’ll show up in the work.🖊️Key Takeaway: Your unique perspective and experiences make you irreplaceable in the eyes of your audience, so let your personality shine through your content.Process, Posture, and PracticeWhen you’re thinking about creating content, and you get stumped, go back to your roots. Create the things you wish existed, and go find the others who also want that to exist. To quote Jay, “Pick your audience, pick your future.”Most people approach content creation by thinking, “What do people want?” And then they run into a wall because they have a monolithic idea of “people” and “audience” and “content”. They’re going, “Our “audience”, wants “snackable short-form videos.” Do they? Or will they consume anything you create because there is a personality that shines through the content? A lot of marketers (and creators) think of themselves as having mastered the craft of content. What they’ve mastered, though, is Process, defined by Jay as the workflow, techniques, and tools to guide your work. But there are two other pieces that not enough people consider: Posture and Practice.Posture is how you see yourself and the world. It is the messy bag of humanity that you bring with you to your work, your confidence, your style, your tone, your lived experiences, and your memories.Then there’s Practice, which sees you shipping on a consistent, coherent schedule, not for work or because someone gave you permission, but because it’s Wednesday, and on Wednesday, you ship an article or tweet or post just to get better at it. That’s where you master your craft.Process is something someone hands you – it requires the least amount of effort. And if that’s all you’re good at, soon you won’t be needed because AI is really good at Process. But when you have a Posture and when you’ve worked at it through Practice, and when you use all three in tandem, you become irreplaceable. You develop a perspective, a tone of voice, a style, and people start coming to you, not because of your content, but because it’s you. 🖊️Key Takeaway: Master your craft by focusing on the workflow, techniques, tools, and personal elements you bring to your work, and consistently create content on a schedule (Buffer can help with this last bit) 😉Want to niche down? Develop a premiseWe tend to think about niches in terms of demographics – who your likely audience is, their job title, their sector, their experience level, and so on. Layered onto that are psychographics or thoughts and feelings of your audience. Jay describes this type of niching as a filter that you set up in the way you position yourself and show up in the world that brings the right people all the way to you and repels the wrong people.However, Jay proposes an alternative approach to picking a niche: developing a premise. He defines the premise as “the specific, defensible purpose for your content that is pulled from your personal vision for the audience.” It’s a tipping point from people being loyal to people being super fans because you seem irreplaceable to them. There’s not yet another exploring what you’re exploring.What makes a strong premise? Hrishikesh Hirway started a podcast about music in 2014 called Song Exploder. The category was crowded even back then, but there was a lot of sameness in it. Hrishikesh saw every musician being interviewed with generic questions. He wanted to hear these people talk about something specific: their craft. So Song Exploder asked musicians to take apart a single song and, piece by piece, tell the story of how they made it.You can easily pitch that podcast with a defensible premise: “This is a show about music. Unlike other shows about music, only Song Exploder asks their music guests to take apart a single track and, piece by piece, tell the story of how it’s made.”The formula is easily replicated in what Jay dubs the ‘XY Premise Pitch’:This is a [Project type] about [Topic]. Unlike other [Project types] about [Topic] only we [Unique Proposition].Your XY premise informs everything about your content. It motivates subscribers, shapes culture, and helps sell your ideas by sharing your worldview with the audience. And if you or your audience can’t figure out what it is, you haven’t figured out your niche yet. It’s not easy to come up with something like that, but the best media companies and storytellers know that it’s worth putting in the work to develop a resonance with your audience.One red flag to watch out for as you develop your premise is if you start comparing yourself to others, saying, “Unlike other shows, we *actually* dive deep to get you the real tactics and practitioner language.” Instead, you should say, “Unlike other content that explores these topics, only we [Unique Proposition].”It’s not what you explore but how you explore it. 🖊️Key Takeaway: Differentiate your content by creating a unique and defensible purpose that sets it apart from others in your niche. Use the XY Premise Pitch to clearly communicate the unique proposition of your content.Social media is a landlord, and you need to build your own houseJay asks you to consider, “What are you doing to compel people to want to spend more time with you and connect with you on a level that is not possible on social media?” Social media is a landlord that can change the rules or kick you out at any moment. It prioritizes the loud minority of extreme views or attention-grabbing gimmicks at scale, not giving the platform to people with nuanced and meaningful things to say.It’s also really good at creating interchangeable personalities at scale. So even though some people stand out, they are still fighting to be seen, albeit among a smaller category than everybody else. Wherever you look, you’ll find subgenres coming out of every broader genre built and influenced by social networks. And they all seem replaceable – if one shuts off, you could find another, and it might not be exact, but it’d be pretty close.As creators and marketers, our job is figuring out how to become our audience’s favorite – their preferred pick for a specific purpose. When you’ve piqued their interest on social media, you can bring the truly engaged members of your audience more into this worldview by directing them to your owned platforms. Now you’re left to consider what those owned platforms are.Social media needs to become merely a way to discover you – a window into the deeper, more connective work you’re doing through newsletters, podcasts, memberships, email lists, and things that you can control with greater certainty.🖊️Key Takeaway: Social media should be a window into your deeper work, so focus on moving your audience from social media to your owned platforms.TakeawaysTL;DR? Here are the key takeaways from our interview with Jay Acunzo:Prioritize making genuine connections with your audience. How can you do this? By infusing your personal perspective and experiences into your work.Use AI to enhance your creativity and unblock your imagination not to outsource your creativityTest your ideas with a small audience before seeking a large one. If your content doesn’t resonate with the small but loyal subset of your audience, it won’t work just because you increase the size of your target.Your unique perspective and experiences make you irreplaceable in the eyes of your audience, so let your personality shine through your content.Differentiate your content by creating a unique and defensible purpose that sets it apart from others in your niche. Use the XY Premise Pitch to communicate the unique proposition of your content.Social media should be a window into your owned platforms – prioritize building something that’s yours so you don’t have to worry about social media regardless of its future.Focus on the workflow, techniques, tools, and personal elements you bring to your work, and create consistently.Jay’s parting words are, “Strive to be the personal preferred pick for your audience by developing a strong premise and showcasing your unique perspective.”Power your content creation with Buffer

As customer behavior constantly changes, marketers face an ongoing challenge to keep up with their audiences. Personalization and need fulfillment are essential to the success of any marketing campaign, and failing to understand what your customers want could result in lost revenue for your business.
Marketers must stay in touch with evolving customer behavior and preferences to ensure their campaigns resonate with their customers. In this blog post, we’ll highlight the top challenges marketers face in understanding audiences from HubSpot’s very own 2023 State of Marketing Report to provide data-driven tips for overcoming them.

Challenges Marketers Face in Understanding Audiences
1. Identifying the target audience.
Surveyed marketers reported that their biggest social media challenges are consistently creating engaging content (22%), gaining and keeping followers (22%), and reaching their target audience (21%).
The special thing about these challenges is that the first two are contingent on the third.
Creating engaging content that grows your following is nearly impossible without understanding the target audience. Knowing exactly who you’re making content for is a foundational understanding marketers need.
Marketers can conduct more thorough market research to gather data on their target audience to gain a more concise understanding. They can use this data to create buyer personas and plan content for your ideal customer. These personas should be based on recent data and insights from trustworthy surveys, interviews, and other research methods.
2. Understanding customer behavior.
Another challenge that marketers face is understanding their customers’ behaviors. Understanding where they spend their time online, what they like, and what they don’t like is essential to creating effective marketing campaigns. You want to see how they prefer to view your content, the frequency with which they do it, and what will keep them returning to your business.
To overcome this challenge, marketers can use tools like Google Analytics or heat maps to gather data on customer behavior. They can use this data to analyze their customers’ website actions, track engagement, and identify areas for improvement. Marketers can also use social listening tools like Hootsuite to monitor conversations around their brand on social media.
3. Creating content that resonates with the audience.
Creating content that resonates with the audience is a significant challenge for many marketers. They may struggle to find topics their target audience is interested in or may not know how to write content that speaks to them.
For example, many customers in recent years have been looking for brands that share content that reflects corporate social responsibility on topics like social justice, sustainability, or ethical workplace practices. Current-day consumers, especially Millennials and Gen Z, want to buy from companies that display values and a purpose that resonates with them.
There’s proven potential in sharing values-based content with customers. According to HubSpot’s State of Marketing Report, 16% of marketers plan to get their company talking about values this year for the first time, and 89% of those who already do plan to increase or maintain their investment in this approach.
Marketers can use the data gathered on their target audience to better connect with the customer to create content that speaks to their interests and values. And to make things easier, they can also leverage tools like surveys or customer feedback to see what they want from your marketing content. Once you’ve identified topics your target audience is interested in, create high-quality content such as blog posts, videos, infographics, or ebooks based on the responses.
4. Measuring the success of marketing campaigns.
Measuring the success of marketing campaigns is another challenge faced by marketers. Without tracking the performance of their campaigns, it is impossible to know if they are effectively targeted towards their audience.
Marketers can set specific, measurable, and achievable campaign goals. They can use tools like HubSpot’s Marketing Analytics to track the performance of their campaigns and adjust them as necessary to achieve their goals. By monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) like website traffic, lead conversions, click-through rates, and social media engagement, marketers can measure the success of their campaigns and optimize their strategies accordingly.
5. Keeping up with the latest marketing trends
Finally, keeping up with the latest marketing trends can be tedious for marketers. Digital marketing innovation and news is constantly changing, and marketers must keep up to ensure their campaigns are relevant and useful to the audience they’re trying to reach.
To keep up with these trends, marketers can follow industry blogs and social media accounts to stay informed of the latest developments in their niche. By keeping up-to-date on the latest marketing trends and implementing best practices, marketers can stay ahead of the competition.
Understanding your audience helps you cater to them.
Understanding the audience is critical to the success of any marketing campaign. By overcoming these roadblocks, marketers can create campaigns that resonate with their target audience and potentially drive engagement and conversions. Remember to conduct market research, monitor customer behavior, and stay up-to-date on the latest marketing trends. Marketers can overcome these challenges by following these best practices and achieving marketing success.