Category: Marketing Automation

 

 

Amidst the digital revolution, data is what drives businesses and helps them run smoothly. Collected wisely and used repeatedly, it improves performance in most areas of an organization. How do you gain a global perspective on zero- and first-party data to permanently integrate it into the bloodstream of your business?

Time and time again, studies show that collecting and using the right data is a key factor for many businesses.

According to our recent proprietary research, 94% of businesses agree that data is a key investment area for them, yet almost two-thirds of companies have not created an up-to-date data strategy within the last 12 months. (Acxiom)
Today, 90% of enterprise analytics and business professionals say that data and analytics are key to their organization’s digital transformation initiatives(Gartner)
Up to 62% of retailers (and 63% of cross-industry respondents) have stated that information and data analytics gives them a competitive advantage.(IBM)
Insight-driven businesses are growing at an average of 30% each year; by 2021, they are predicted to take $1.8 trillion annually from their less-informed industry competitors. (Forrester)

Once you enter the digital space, you and your business gain access to unimaginable amounts of data.They are useful not only for marketing. On the contrary, when used properly, it can effectively power the entire organization on many levels and in many dimensions of its functioning.

 

10 tips to make zero- and first-party data a powerhouse of your business

 

How do you take a broader view of the endless ocean of information you have access to? How do you turn it into a solid foundation for strategic business operations? Here’s a subjective selection of 10 expert tips to get you there.

 

1. Make sense of the trillions gigabytes of data

 

Digital platforms are based largely on the constant transmission of data from and to the online store’s servers. This dialogue runs on many levels: by the store’s visitors, administrators and owners, store’s servers, servers of software cooperating with the store’s platform or third parties such as search engines, satellites locating smartphones or social networks. The data that flows in a wide stream in these lines of communication are meticulously collected, often “just in case”. A human being is not able to process such an amount of information. Standing in front of an undefined mass, it does not even know where to begin an analysis from which it can draw any useful conclusions. It is somewhat akin to looking through a microscope at van Gogh’s Starry Night.

The tool that makes it easier to understand hundreds of gigabytes of data flowing through your store’s servers is software that translates these impulses into a language more friendly to the average John Doe. However, just translating a huge amount of data into contact profiles can lead to a situation where you still have too much information. Putting them into a specific framework using zero- and first-party data selectors allows you to define the plane on which you are moving. Determining the overall structure where the collected data exists brings great comfort to your work, and allows you to analyze the remaining information wisely and systematically.

Tip: Start working with simple but effective tools to set the framework for further analysis. Prepare segments of contacts with specific characteristics or behaviors. Treat them as a starting point for further business analysis.

Read more about cutting-edge Hyper Segmentation module by SALESmanago >>

 

2. Actually use your data (unify-tidy up-make it usable)

 

The already-mentioned immense amounts of data have another characteristic: they are heterogeneous. It is like trying to analyze Lady with an Ermine and Bridget Jones’s Diary in a single comparison. It is almost impossible to compare these two very different products of the culture of their time. The same is true in the world of modern data streams. Do images entered into Visual Search carry similar weight as key phrases? How do location data collected by cell phones compare to clicks on a lab coat manufacturer’s eCommerce website?

Today’s Customer Data Platform (CDP) software, with its advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms, allows you to combine data of different types and from different sources. As a result, it also allows you to transform zero- and first-party data into a language that can be understood by multiple departments working at different stages of the product development or customer buying journey design.

Tip: Communicate customer preference information to those who design and execute customer interactions. Both strategists and customer service people will benefit from information about preferences regarding, for example, favorite communication channels of individual contacts. This data can take the form of both declarations (zero-party) and statistics on message openings across channels (first-party).

Read more to learn a few tricks to understand customer’s profile across brands using CDP >>

 

3. Switch to data-driven strategic decision-making

 

The foundation of an organization is strategy, and the foundation of strategy is data. There is no other way. All strategic decisions should be grounded in reality and based on something measurable and easy to describe. Examples of business flops that came from ignoring data are well-known and widely discussed in the business world. One of them is the bankruptcy of Kodak, a company that knew the chances of digital photography replacing analogue photography were high, but did nothing to prepare for the new order. Another example would be the launch of New Coke by Coca-Cola only to gain an advantage in cola wars, and without prior market research.

Tip: Get into the habit of starting every change with a data analysis phase. Zero- and first-party data combined with deep behavioral profiling is an excellent tool that will help you find out what your contacts really want (target group research). Juxtaposing it with the analysis of your competitors and business environment as well as placing it on the map of your strategic goals will help you make decisions that will most likely answer the needs of people for whom you create your products.

Read more about deep behavioral profiling >>

 

4. Get the edge you are missing

 

For most products, the market is highly saturated. Many factors contribute to this, including the huge availability of goods from all over the world, which can be easily purchased at any time online. So to stand out, you need to get the right pitch, the so-called Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Defining this unique feature of a product or business can be done in several ways. One is to find touchpoints among product features and the needs (stated or measured) of the people who use it.

Tip: Analyze the preferences and consumer choices of the people who make up your best and most profitable customer group.Use RFM segmentation to identify the customers who bring the most money to the company. Examine the preferences of customers who have the highest Customer Lifetime Value.  Based on this analysis, find out which feature of the product or company makes them choose it over competing options. Use acquired knowledge when constructing USPs, brand language and advertising messages to attract even more like-minded individuals.

Read more about the impact of Business Intelligence on eCommerce >>

 

5. Use data to shape strategy

 

Zero- and first-party data comes in handy not only when making strategic decisions, but also when building an actual strategy in any area. One of the key elements of this vital document is an extensive analysis of your target audience, broken down into ideal customers, promising customers, brand ambassadors, and even negative buyer persona. Analyzing CDP data provides a great deal of insight into how people behave when they visit your website, buy from your store, visit your stationary store, or stop being customers. Combined with data from other sources, they will allow you to supplement any strategy with first-hand information about the people who will pay for what you create.

Tip: Combine data from all sources to better understand your customers. With platforms like CDP, you are able to collect data from online, offline, and mobile app channels. Based on this data, you will understand your customers’ needs more accurately.

Read more about negative target group >>

 

6. Use data to optimize costs

 

The data you collect and compile in CDP covers a variety of areas. Among them there is information about declared color preferences, favorite communication channels, hundreds of pieces of data from calculators on websites, or location data. Most of them are used by the marketing department, but it is not the only department that will see their value. Much of this information can be used in planning for staffing scheduling, warehouse logistics, and supply chain planning.

Tip: Use location data to save on logistics. Manage inventory based on preferences of users who are from the same region.

Read more about location-based segmentation >>

 

7. Get unified view of a customer across touchpoints

 

A delivery, a stationary store, a banner on a website, an abandoned cart, an email inbox, even where an app is opened on a phone – all these interactions provide valuable customer intelligence. But for the picture to be unified, the system that collects them must be able to assign them to a single profile, unify and organize them. That’s how CDP platforms work. The data that is collected there falls into several categories, including zero- and first-party. These are the types of data that allow you to determine with the greatest certainty the preferences and reactions of the customer directly responding to the brand’s actions. Collecting this information gives you a complete picture of what and how much a person wants to share with you. What’s more, it brings the relationship to the level of a two-way dialogue because it allows you to directly ask the contact about specific issues and then add that data to the profile.

Tip: Personalize your campaigns based on the data users leave you and use the communication channel according to their preferences. If users leave you data then you can use it to grab their attention by personalizing your mailings. Moreover, with progressive profiling, you can also gather information about the users’ preferred communication channel, so you can leverage this information when implementing your campaigns. Create a coherent message in many channels at the same time using data declared and obtained thank to tracking online, offline and mobile application behaviors.

Read more about how to effectively build omnichannel communication >>

 

8. Get a unique edge in converting customers

 

There are a number of studies showing the link between customization and conversion rate. In short: the better you balance the degree of personalization of your message and use the information voluntarily provided by your audience, the greater the chance of conversion and purchase. In a world brimming with data, it happens that companies go beyond their audience’s comfort level by showing them ads and suggestions that never panned out in a consumer’s normal interaction with the brand. These are recommendations based on third- and second-party data. Far more effective than creepy stalking is to ask consumers directly about their preferences and tailor your communications specifically to that information.

Tip: Tailor your communications to users’ interests. Your campaigns will perform better if you target users according to their interests. If you are not sure about your contacts’ preferences, ask them. CDP offers a wide set of tools that will allow you to gradually increase your knowledge about the contacts in your database.

Read 5 tips how to use SALESmanago to improve conversions from your website >>

 

9. Prepare seamless, customer-centric Customer Experience (CX)

 

It is a vital skill to guide consumers through the entire purchasing process and what follows after conversion in such a way as to gain their loyalty. Customer experience design aims to meet consumer needs, but also to maintain the relationship with the brand. CX effectiveness is measured by churn rate, retention and Customer Lifetime Value. The longer and more intimate the relationship is, the more demands are placed on the brand. The customer provides more data with every interaction and keeps opening up more and more. It’s safe to say that failing to use this information to make this relationship easier and more enjoyable is one of the cardinal sins of eCommerce.

Tip: Use advanced Workflow automation processes to seamlessly respond to customer behavior based on stated preferences. Use ready-made templates and add your own elements to fully customize them to your company’s consumer path.

Read more about Workflow templates >>

 

10. Engage in dialogue, gather feedback and improve business performance

 

No business can exist without customers. Among zero-party data, there is a particular category that will allow you to better understand how consumers perceive your operations. This is, of course, wide-ranging feedback data, which includes ratings, reviews, and satisfaction surveys. Collecting this data and updating it at regular intervals allows you to continually develop and modify your operations in various areas of your business: from sales, to delivery, to customer service, to your brand’s public image.

Tip: Study feedback on your services. After a successful transaction, ask the user about the quality of your services. This will give you valuable insights and allow you to build even better relationships with your audience and customers.

Read more for 3 tips on how to get user ratings and increase customers’ sense of trust towards your store >>

 

Closing thoughts

 

Properly collected and standardized zero- and first-party data is the true lifeblood of any eCommerce business. However, it is not enough to collect them. You still need to make a habit of using them across different operational verticals.

If you already have data, but don’t know what you can do with it yet, be sure to speak to your Success Manager who can help you find order and practical use for this vast collection of information.

 

It’s hard to overstate the importance of furniture in our lives.
We literally live our life on furniture, yet often don’t realize the impact our chosen furnishings have on the planet in terms of chemicals, greenhouse gasses, and material waste.
Phantila Phataraprasit learned about sustainability early in life and wanted to build the kind of sustainable brand she’d be proud to shop at, so she decided to do something about it and co-founded Sabai Design, a sustainable furniture company.
Featuring insights from Buffer’s Small Business, Big Lessons podcast episode seven, and the accompanying unpublished interview, Phantila shared how Sabai got started, what she and her team do to embed sustainability into every business practice, and how she builds trust with the Sabai community.
Phantila Phataraprasit, Co-founder of Sabai DesignStarting sustainable
Phantila had a unique experience that drove her toward sustainability: she lived at an eco-lodge that her parents started and ran in Thailand.
That experience showed her how critical sustainability really is not just for business, but for preserving the natural beauty of our world. As a result, Phantila often says she is willing to prioritize sustainability above all else, being willing to pay more and even forgo aesthetic taste in the name of being sustainable.
However, this approach was no longer enough. She valued sustainability, but she also wanted to live the life of her choosing, not dictated by the small supply of “sustainable” items out there. And one area, in particular, stuck out, both from a sustainability and design perspective: furniture.
“Not only do a ton of valuable resources go into making these products but at the same time, every year, over nine million tons of furniture waste ends up in landfills,” said Phantila. “At the same time, a lot of furniture products include toxic materials and chemicals that off-gas and end up in our bloodstreams are also dangerous to people generally.”
An entrepreneur at heart, Phantila wanted to start a sustainable furniture company not just to solve her own problem but also make it easier for others to live more sustainable lives. However, she knew that she had to focus on more than just material sustainability.
“The whole mission behind the company is to think about sustainability as comprehensively as possible,” said Phantila.
In specific, she co-founded Sabai Design with four key outcomes in mind:
Affordability: Sustainability had often been used as a reason to charge higher prices, but Phantila wanted to build a business where items were fairly priced and affordable.
Convenience: Sustainability should not be at the expense of convenience, so the team worked to ensure it was easy to buy and receive their products.
Aesthetic: Products should have a clear aesthetic that is appealing to people versus using sustainability to justify limited aesthetics.
Sustainability: Not just sustainability in the product itself, but the entire business and product life cycle.
“We realized that for most people, if the pieces or products aren’t also aesthetically pleasing, affordable, convenient, then sustainability doesn’t really matter for them.” said Phantila. “And so, we kind of realized that you can’t really ask people to sacrifice on those things if you really want to make an impact.”
Embedding sustainability through every business practice
As Phantila built Sabai Design, she thought consciously about her four pillars of affordability, convenience, aesthetic, and sustainability. In particular, making sure that the entire business acted in accordance with those pillars versus just using sustainability in product development.
Across Sabai’s business, Phantila and the team thought about embedding sustainability.
Design: Every product is built in modular pieces. This means if something breaks or needs to be replaced, it can be done without having to throw out or replace the whole thing.
Shipping: The company tries to minimize the transport required to source and deliver its products, thus reducing greenhouse gasses emitted as a result of business growth.
End of product life: Not only does Sabai manage its own buy-back and second hand sales operation, but it also donates products that don’t sell second hand after three months.
“We definitely do recurring audits or analyses of our products to make sure that there aren’t any areas that we’re missing out on in terms of being able to limit the impact of our products or incorporate new, innovative materials into our products,” said Phantila.
This mentality is, thankfully, not exclusive to Sabai. Other brands like Paynter Jacket Co also think consciously about waste and sustainability and go about it in innovative ways. In the case of Paynter, the company only releases its jackets four times per year. For Sabai, sustainable growth starts with listening intently to customers. After all, Phantila explained, making things people don’t want will just produce more waste.
“With respect to product design, we do a lot of polls, a lot of survey work to make sure that we’re designing and producing products that people actually want because at the end of the day, if we’re producing things that people don’t want, that’s waste in another way,” said Phantila.
Transparency builds trust and business growth
After years of building Sabai, Phantila is keenly aware that sustainability isn’t a big bang. You get things wrong, as she has multiple times. But the key to continuing on the journey, said Phantila, is honesty and transparency.
She gets concerned when she hears of companies that market being “sustainable” because one element of the business is slightly more environmentally friendly than the norm. For her, building with sustainability also means sharing what you’re doing with your community. This ends up being a great community building tool, but Phantila said it’s also about education – she doesn’t assume people know about sustainability throughout entire business models, so she uses Sabai as a working example of how the process looks.
When Sabai misses the mark, Phantila is also honest with her community. While this might seem like the wrong way to build a business, Phantila said it generates a lot of trust and compassion with customers, meaning that they are more forgiving and allow leeway to let the company get back on the right track.
“The amount of transparency that we have with our customers definitely generates a lot of trust, because they understand that we are doing things that are new, that don’t necessarily have a roadmap for them, and that we’re trying things to improve the impact of our products,” said Phantila. “And so that generates so much goodwill within our community and gives us a lot of space to be honest with them about the things that we’re trying and the things that we’re trying.”

So, you’ve finally got your foot in the door at your dream company. You’ve submitted the perfect resume and made a lasting impression during the phone screen. All there’s left to do now is to win over the hiring manager in the face-to-face interview.

As a well-informed candidate, you’re doing your research on the company and preparing your answers to the most important interview questions you can think of — the most notorious of them all being: “What is your greatest weakness?”
You don’t want to respond, “I tend to work too hard,” or “I am too much of a perfectionist.” That can easily come across as scripted and insincere at best and lacking in self-awareness at worst.
Alternatively, you don’t want to respond with weaknesses that will prevent you from succeeding in the role. For instance, if you’re applying to be a project manager, you don’t want to admit that you’re “not very good with time management.”
Fortunately, there are ways to answer this question that will help you demonstrate your value as a candidate. Here, we’ve cultivated some incredible answers to the mainstay, “What is your greatest weakness” question — and don’t worry, these answers aren’t “perfectionism”.

1. Choose a weakness that will not prevent you from succeeding in the role.
When an interviewer asks, “What is your greatest weakness?” they want to find out:

Whether you have a healthy level of self-awareness
Whether you can be open and honest, particularly about shortcomings
Whether you pursue self-improvement and growth opportunities to combat these issues, as opposed to letting these weaknesses hold you back

Ultimately, you’ll want to use this question to demonstrate how you’ve used a weakness as motivation to learn a new skill or grow professionally. Everyone has weaknesses — your interviewer doesn’t expect you to be perfect.
If you’re applying for a copywriting position with little necessity for math skills, you might admit, “I struggle with numbers, and don’t have much experience with data analytics. While math is not directly tied to my role as a writer, I believe it’s important to have a rudimentary understanding of Google Analytics to ensure my work is performing well. To tackle this weakness, I’ve been taking online courses in data analytics.”
An answer like this shows the hiring manager that you recognize your areas for growth and are able to act on them without being told to do so. This kind of self-starter attitude is a plus for virtually any team.
2. Be honest and choose a real weakness.
The answer “perfectionism” won’t cut it when talking about your biggest weakness because it’s not a real weakness. Perfectionism can never be attained — it’s a fear-based pattern that leads to short-term rewards like getting the job done early and exceeding expectations. However, in the long-term, trying to attain perfectionism leads to burnout, low-quality work, and missed deadlines. Burnout is one of the biggest contributors to decreased productivity, turnover, and low employee engagement — all of which cost a company money, time, and talent.
Instead, choose a real weakness. Underneath the desire to do perfect work may lie a weakness of trust. Perhaps you don’t trust that you’ll be able to make mistakes on the team, so you strive to do everything perfectly. That’s a real weakness that you can definitely overcome.
3. Provide an example of how you’ve worked to improve upon your weakness or learn a new skill to combat the issue.
Hiring managers don’t expect you to overcome your weaknesses completely overnight. Everyone has areas they must constantly work on to keep them sharp. Think of it this way — if you’ve dedicated six months to working out, you won’t be able to stop one day and maintain your progress. It’s an ongoing process that you have to work at.

4. Think about weaknesses in your own personal life.

If you humanize yourself in the interview, it’ll allow your interviewer to connect and visualize working with you in the future. It’s not just about weaknesses that pertain to the job. For example, if you are an introvert and you notice your preference for quiet time stops you from taking risks, this is a relatable weakness. When you demonstrate your self-awareness this way, it shows you understand that self-improvement correlates to work performance.
5. Think of where you’d like to be and what support you need to get there.
Overall, growth is a part of life. Think about people you look up to that may be related to the field that you’re in. Ask yourself what character traits those people have and what work you might need to do in order to get there. By providing an example of how you’re working to improve your area of weakness, you’ll give the interviewer a glimpse into a few positive attributes about your awareness, including that:

You know how to identify and mitigate issues that come up.
You’ve found a helpful solution to a problem that you and perhaps others on the team face, which means you can be an immediate resource to the team.
You demonstrate self-awareness and an ability to take feedback from others.

More often than not, you’re going to need to look outside of yourself to overcome a weakness. Whether you look to your supervisor, the HubSpot Blog, or a mentor for help, the simple act of seeking help demonstrates self-awareness and resourcefulness — two skills that are hard to teach, but valuable to learn. Tapping into your resources shows the interviewers that you can solve problems when the answer is not yet clear. That’s a character trait that has a place on any team.
Briefly share an example of a time when you asked someone for help in an area that you’ve identified as a weakness. This gives the hiring team a clear picture of how you’ll work with the team to balance out that weakness.
6. Don’t be arrogant and don’t underestimate yourself.
The most important thing you can do when responding to the question “What is your greatest weakness?” is exhibit confidence in your answer. (If lack of confidence is your weakness, keep reading.) Even if you’re not the most confident person, I’m going to assume you’re at least honest with yourself. If you’ve identified an area of weakness and you’re sure about it, let that assurance shine through in your answer. There’s no need to feel embarrassed about something you’re genuinely not good at as long as you’re working to get better.
Before you start expressing a genuine weakness to your interviewer, get comfortable with the types of answers that make hiring managers want to work with you. Take a look at the following examples and find a few that fit your personality and work style. Then, practice reciting them aloud so they come naturally to you.
Ready? Here are examples of how you might answer “What is your greatest weakness?” and why they work.
1. Lack of Patience
Sample Answer:
“I don’t have much patience when working with a team — I am incredibly self-sufficient, so it’s difficult when I need to rely on others to complete my work. That’s why I’ve pursued roles that require someone to work independently. However, I’ve also worked to improve this weakness by enrolling in team-building workshops. While I typically work independently, it’s important I learn how to trust my coworkers and ask for outside help when necessary.”
This answer works because the weakness — the inability to be patient when working with a team — doesn’t hinder your ability to perform well in the role, since it’s a job that doesn’t rely on teamwork to succeed. Additionally, you display an eagerness to develop strategies to combat your weakness, which is a critical skill in the workplace.
2. Lack of Organization
Sample Answer:
“I struggle with organization. While it hasn’t ever impacted my performance, I’ve noticed my messy desk and cluttered inbox nonetheless interfere with my efficiency. Over time, I’ve learned to set aside time to organize my physical and digital space, and I’ve seen it improve my efficiency levels throughout the week.”
Plenty of people have messy desks. This answer works because it’s a relatable and fixable weakness. You note that disorganization doesn’t interfere with your ability to do your job, which is critical, but you also acknowledge it might make you less efficient. To ensure you’re performing at 100%, you mention personal steps you’ve taken to improve your organization skills for the sake of self-improvement alone, which suggests a level of maturity and self-awareness.
3. Trouble with Delegation
Sample Answer:
“I sometimes find it difficult to delegate responsibility when I feel I can finish the task well myself. However, when I became manager in my last role, it became critical I learn to delegate tasks. To maintain a sense of control when delegating tasks, I implemented a project management system to oversee the progress of a project. This system enabled me to improve my ability to delegate efficiently.”
This answer allows you to demonstrate an ability to pursue a new skill when a role calls for it and suggests you’re capable of flexibility, which is critical for long-term growth. Additionally, you are able to showcase a level of initiative and leadership when you mention the successful implementation of a new process that enabled you to succeed in your past role, despite your weakness.
4. Timidity
Sample Answer:
“Oftentimes, I can be timid when providing constructive feedback to coworkers or managers, out of fear of hurting someone’s feelings. However, in my last role, my coworker asked me to edit some of his pieces and provide feedback for areas of improvement. Through my experience with him, I realized feedback can be both helpful and kind when delivered the right way. Since then, I’ve become better at offering feedback, and I’ve realized that I can use empathy to provide thoughtful, productive feedback.”
This answer works because you’ve explained how you were able to turn a weakness into a strength through real-world experience. Typically, timidity can be seen as a flaw in the workplace, particularly if a role requires someone to provide feedback to others. In this case, you’re able to demonstrate how timidity can be used as a strength, through thoughtful reflection and practice.
5. Lack of Tactfulness
Sample Answer:
“My blunt, straightforward nature has allowed me to succeed over the years as a team manager, because I’m able to get things done efficiently, and people often appreciate my honesty. However, I’ve recognized my bluntness doesn’t always serve my employees well when I’m delivering feedback. To combat this, I’ve worked to develop empathy and deeper relationships with those I manage. Additionally, I took an online leadership management course, and worked with the professor to develop my ability to deliver feedback.”
Oftentimes, facets of our personalities can help us in certain areas of our work, while hindering us in others. That’s natural. However, you must demonstrate an ability to recognize when your personality interferes with the functions of your role, and how you can solve for that.
In this example, you first explain how your blunt nature allows you to be successful in certain situations. Then, you mention that you understand your bluntness can be seen as a lack of empathy and provide examples of how you’ve attempted to solve this issue. Ultimately, your awareness of how you might be perceived by others shows a level of emotional intelligence, which is a critical asset for a team leader.
6. Fear of Public Speaking
Sample Answer:
“Public speaking makes me nervous. While I don’t need to do much public speaking in my role as a web designer, I still feel that it’s an important skill — especially when I want to offer my opinion during a meeting. To combat this, I spoke with my manager and she recommended I speak at each team meeting for a few minutes about our project timeline, deadlines, and goals when developing a website for a client. This practice has enabled me to relax and see public speaking as an opportunity to help my team members do their jobs effectively.”
In this example, you mention a skill that isn’t applicable to the role, but one which you nonetheless have been working to improve. This shows your desire to meet more business needs than necessary in your current role, which is admirable. Additionally, it’s impressive if you can show you’re willing to reach out to your manager with areas in which you want to improve, instead of waiting for your manager to suggest those areas of improvement to you. It demonstrates a level of ambition and professional maturity.
7. Weak Data Analysis Skills
Sample Answer:
“I’m not great at analyzing data or numbers. However, I recognize this flaw can prevent me from understanding how my content is performing online. In my last role, I set up monthly meetings with the SEO manager to discuss analytics and how our posts were performing. Additionally, I received my Google Analytics certificate, and I make it a point to analyze data related to our blog regularly. I’ve become much more comfortable analyzing data through these efforts.”
In this example, you’re able to show your desire to go above and beyond a job description and actively seek out skills that could be helpful to the success of your company as a whole. This type of company-first mentality shows the interviewer you’re dedicated to making yourself a valuable asset, and try your best to understand the needs of the whole department, rather than just your role.
8. Indecisiveness
Sample Answer:
“Sometimes I struggle with ambiguity and making decisions when directions aren’t clear. I come from a work environment that always gave clear and direct instructions. I had such a strong team and leadership that I haven’t had much practice making decisions in the heat of the moment. I’m working on this by leaning more into my experience and practicing listening to my gut.”
This answer works because you’re demonstrating that you can both follow a leader and sharpen your leadership skills. It’s alright to not know what to do in the moment. Admitting that you relied on strong leadership shows that you can be a follower when needed, but knowing when to step up is important, too. With this answer, you’re showing that you’ll step up if a situation calls for decisiveness.
9. Harsh Self-Criticism
Sample Answer:
“My inner critic can be debilitating at times. I take pride in producing good work, but I feel like I struggle feeling satisfied with it, which has led to burnout in the past. However, I’ve started to push back against this inner voice by taking care of myself before and after work. I’m also learning to recognize when my inner critic is right and when I need to dismiss it.”
This answer works because your interviewer may relate; we all have harsh inner critics. It’s also effective because 1) It shows that you’re willing to work on your weaknesses outside of work, not just during business hours, and 2) It demonstrates your inner critic may have valid points. Discerning when to dismiss it is key to prevent burnout and increase productivity. Realizing how the inner critic may inhibit good work ethic demonstrates your willingness to grow and be an effective worker.
10. Micromanaging
Sample Answer:
“I used to work in industries where I had to cultivate a solid work ethic in my employees. This style of training has been so ingrained in me that I’ve forgotten to discern who may need that coaching and who does not. I’ve been reading books on effective delegation and team building to work on this shortcoming. One technique that works for me is assuring myself that if I establish clear expectations, then my team will follow. I’ve also learned to trust my team members.”
This answer works best if you’ve been in a leadership position before and are applying to a managerial role. However, you can still apply it to past experiences where you did have to show leadership. This answer shows that while you may be used to running your crew or team a specific way, you’re willing to admit when your method isn’t the most effective. Showing your flexibility demonstrates your ability to grow.
11. Talkative
Sample Answer:
“I enjoy developing a relationship with my coworkers by engaging in conversation, and that’s a great team-building skill. However, I have a habit of carrying on a conversation to a point where it may distract other coworkers. I have learned since then that there are other ways to connect with my coworkers, and that if I’m asking about their day, I need to keep it brief and redirect myself back to my work. “This answer works because it shows you’re aware of how your talkative tendencies may be distracting in the workplace. It takes a lot of courage to admit that. It also shows you are willing to develop a relationship with coworkers but not at the cost of productivity.
12. Trouble Maintaining a Work-Life Balance
Sample Answer:
“I’ve struggled with work-life balance, especially after I started working remotely during the pandemic. This increased my stress levels to the point where my productivity was at an all-time low and I didn’t bring my best self to work. Because I want to continue working remotely, I’ve started adding more structure to my day and instituted a sharp start and end time. I’ve already seen improvements in my levels of focus during work hours.”
At first, this might seem like a “strength” weakness — pouring yourself into work is great, right? That means you love your job. But if it impacts your productivity and your relationships with coworkers, that is not so great. This answer works because it doesn’t just say, “I work a lot, so my home life suffers.” It says, “I work a lot to the point of burnout, and I’ve realized that I need to structure my day.” If you’ve struggled with work-life balance issues in the past, it’s important to state how you’re restoring that balance and how it has impacted your work.
There’s Strength In Every Weakness
Regardless of whether you’re bad with numbers or you tend not to speak up in group settings, there’s a strength behind every weakness. The strength is in how you work to overcome it. Leaning on your teammates who excel in those areas is a great way to show that you’ll work well on the team and that you know how to use your resources to solve problems. Taking professional development courses shows that you’re willing to work toward improvement. No matter which of these answers you share with the hiring team, they’ll be more than happy to help you grow and exceed the expectations of the role.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in December 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Is email marketing still effective? Of course! 99% of users check their email every day, or even several times a day. Despite what you may think, people keep reading emails and are ready to interact with interesting content being shared with them.  Sure, there is a widespread belief that social media and chatbots have pushed…
The post Email Marketing in 2022: Trends and Useful Tools appeared first on Benchmark Email.

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Q: Help! I’m usually good at regularly posting to my company’s social accounts every day, but sometimes I’m at a total loss. Is it better to skip a day, or to post something just to stay on schedule?
The task of coming up with new, engaging content on a regular basis can make social media daunting—we know. Even if you have a solid social media strategy in place, you might still get stumped on what to share from time to time and be tempted to forgo that schedule you set out for yourself.
Running out of new content ideas is a common pain point, whether you’re just starting to share your brand on social media or you’re a seasoned pro. Here are a few tactics I recommend for overcoming that mental block.
1. Remember That Consistency Is Key
First thing’s first: I do suggest sticking to a consistent schedule of posts. By posting regularly, your brand will stay top of mind with your audience. Over time, they’ll even start to expect posts from you, which can lead to higher engagement. Not to mention, posting at a regular cadence will help you stay in the habit of creating content.
That said, a consistent schedule looks different for everyone. Some brands post three times per week, while others post three times per day. What’s right for you depends on many factors, including your audience, its size, and what your followers are looking for.
Each platform offers its recommendations for the best days and times to post, but typically, those are incredibly broad. Instead, seek to learn what works best for your specific audience.
Here’s how: Pick a platform, then post three times per week for an entire month. Then, up that to seven times per week for the next month, and 14 times for the month after that.
Three months of data will allow you to gather insight via Buffer’s analytics dashboard. Check out the “Answers” tab, and you’ll be able to see when, what, and how often to post to maximize your reach and engagement.
Buffer’s analytics dashboard can show you exactly when, and how often, to post.If you saw higher engagement during one month over another, commit to that cadence going forward. Continue to monitor your stats month over month to see what dates, times, and posting schedules work best. One last thing to keep in mind, though: Brands should strike a balance between being consistently informative and being annoying. If you’re seeing any decline in your numbers after upping your posting schedule, consider pulling back.
When you feel more confident about the best approach for your audience, it can inspire you to stick to your posting schedule and give them the content they’ve come to expect.
2. Think Big(ger)
You know you have to post a certain number of times each week, but how do you come up with new content?
Some weeks, this will be simple: You had a big product announcement, you wrote a new blog post, you saw a meme you just had to recreate. Other weeks, you’ll be staring at a blinking cursor on a Monday morning, wondering what to share.
But, instead of closing the tab and not sharing at all, push yourself to think outside the box.
If, for example, you published a blog post last week and shared it with a link and a caption, think about how you might reshare it differently. Create a short graphic that pulls key data from the post, or pull out a favorite quote and make a visual. Canva is a great tool to create engaging graphics (and Buffer’s integration with Canva makes it incredibly easy).
We recently launched a new version of our social media calendar. To share the news again, but in a different way, we created a visual quote from our Product Manager.It can be helpful to see what other people are posting, too, or if anything relevant is trending. If a news story broke that will have an impact on your industry, share your thoughts. If it’s International Coffee Day and you sell alternatives to milk, create a graphic that ties the two of them together.
In the month of October, everyone’s talking about scary movies. Snack brand Partake Foods jumped on the trend by creating pairings between film favorites and their treats.Also look at your best-performing posts to see what topics your audience enjoys, then make use of each platform’s different features to test out new content along those themes. Try carousels on Instagram’s feed, or use the engagement tools in Stories. Go live on Facebook, or write a LinkedIn article. You might discover that your audience engages more with a different kind of post, and you would never have known that if you didn’t push yourself to try something new.
Bonus: Buffer’s Head of PR, Hailley Griffis, offers even more ideas for consistently coming up with new content in this article.
3. Create a Backlog
As you continue to brainstorm content ideas, create a running list of things you like and want to test. These aren’t action items you need to do something about right away. Instead, they’ll offer inspiration the next time you’re stuck for something to post.
Create a saved folder on Instagram of things you’ve seen other brands do, take screenshots of Facebook posts you like, or pull links from LinkedIn that you’d like to emulate. These will be great thought-starters and reminders of how to push yourself the next time you need it.
Creating content can feel like a monumental task, for small businesses and massive influencers alike. The next time you feel stuck, use it as a growth opportunity. Push yourself to stick to your cadence, brainstorm something new and different to share, and then see how your audience reacts. You just might be onto something.
Need some help planning your content? Check out our recent post on “How to Save Time Planning and Creating Social Media Content.”
Have a question you’d like us to answer? Send us a tweet and use #AskTheBufferTeam.

2021 has been quite the year for, well, just about everybody. But particularly for email marketers.
After a wild 2020 that brought the beginning of a pandemic, a lot of uncertainty, and some unbelievable email numbers, 2021 didn’t give us much of a break. What a lot of us hoped would be a return to “normal” ended up being an acceptance of a different kind of normal. Though, Apple made sure none of us got too comfortable in this new normal.
As we tie the final bows on a more than eventful 2021, let’s take a look back at some of your incredible achievements from the past year.
Together we reached the world
This year, Campaign Monitor customers used our platform to send over 31 billion emails (31,350,157,127 to be precise!) opened in 245 countries around the world. That’s some serious reach.

57% of those opens came from mobile devices, up 3% from last year but down from 63% in 2019.
We made email work smarter and harder
You all took advantage of our smart email marketing features in a major way.
You designed 627,606 new email templates to stand out in crowded inboxes. You go, Van Gough.
You ran A/B tests on 136,406 campaigns, and built 53,427 automated journeys. That’s some seriously sophisticated marketing.

Technology kept us on our toes
Just as we were all beginning to settle into our routines, Apple dropped a major surprise on the digital marketing world when it announced Mail Privacy Protection (MPP). Putting open rates in serious jeopardy, this feature is just beginning to shape how we all, as email marketers, think about goals and engagement — something worth keeping an eye on in 2022.

Ultimately, we think marketers will be better off for it. More on our predictions for MPP and the email world here.
And, technology moved us forward
This was a record year for the product team at Campaign Monitor. Overall, we released 28 new features — all centered around making Campaign Monitor smarter, faster, and easier for you to create your incredible campaigns.

As new features were added, we were blown away by the rate you all took advantage.
It was a busy year, and our aspirations are only growing.
Here are a few highlights:

January – Social Links

February – Lists & Subscribers Refresh

March – Free Image Gallery

April – Footer Flexibility

May – New Overview Page

June – New Automation Page

July – Welcome Journey Recipe

August – New Campaign Experience

September – Apple Mail Privacy Protection

October – Campaign Reporting Refresh 

November – Help Menu

December – Journey Reporting Refresh

We had your back every step of the way
Our support team resolved 29,468 support tickets this year — or 80.7 tickets per day!

Our deliverability team continued to do amazing work, keeping our delivery rate at 99.86% in 2021. And with a 99.98% uptime, your app experience was pretty seamless.
Outside of keeping you up and running, we also did our best to deliver you features to help you do your best work.
Email Academy — We launched a free online learning platform to increase your skills, train your team, and build your business. We created 8 courses this year, with more to come in 2022. So far, almost 5,000 of you have begun your Email Academy journeys. If you haven’t yet, head here to begin!
Your go-to for all things MPP — We were here for you when things got, er, a little confusing. After Apple announced MPP, we acted quickly to pass along what we knew about the feature as well as how to adjust your strategy. Then, our product team made some changes to our reporting tool to reflect our post-MPP world. 
We’re still learning about all the effects of MPP, and we’ll be here to guide you through it all.
A new Campaign Monitor, inspired by you — Over the past year, we’ve been hard at work on building a completely new campaign experience with you at the heart of it. Change is always hard, even when it’s for the better, but our product managers Phil and Dan were here to walk you through every detail.
You all took to the refreshed interface at an incredible rate. After our new campaign experience went live, we saw a 20% increase in the number of A/B tests you sent and a 20-25% increase in the use of tags.
We can’t wait to see how these changes to the platform continue to unlock your creativity in 2022.
Our team grew together, even when apart
Even as some of our offices have begun to open back up, we’re continuing to focus on building a hybrid team. We now have team members across 11 different countries, working as connected and in-sync as ever.

We’ve placed a serious focus on employee health as well, offering a wellbeing allowance, free Calm app subscriptions, and encouraging time off for wellbeing — whatever that means for each person.
And we couldn’t have done it without you
Email is what we do, and you won’t find a group that’s more passionate about that than we are. But there’s more to it than just that. We’re consistently inspired by the work and creativity of the people that use our product, and we can’t wait to continue to serve you all and watch you grow in 2022.
p.s keep an eye out for our annual email benchmarks report coming in January. We’ve got some interesting insights from an unprecedented year
The post Email Recap: Our 2021 Year in Review appeared first on Campaign Monitor.

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Bringing a new product to life can be challenging. You know that you have an idea that can bring value to a target market, but you aren’t exactly sure how to bring your product to that market.
This process can become especially difficult if you’ve never done it before, as you may not even know where to begin. Thankfully, a blueprint exists in the new product development process, which is a strategy that will help you bring your ideas to life. Read on to discover how it’s done.

New Product Development Process
New product development refers to the process that goes into bringing a new product to market, from brainstorming an idea to understanding if it fits into the market, ironing it out to prototyping to final commercialization.
Although it can be a rather lengthy process that sometimes requires iteration, it’s all done to ensure that your product is the best it can be before it reaches your customers and solves their needs in the best possible way.
Let’s discuss the different stages involved in new product development.

1. Idea Generation
The new product development process begins with idea generation, where you brainstorm an idea (or ideas) that will help you solve an existing customer problem in a new and innovative way. As you’re coming up with ideas that will help you solve customer needs, it’s important to have a robust understanding of your target market and the pain points they have that you want to solve.
Your initial idea generation stage can be as simple as saying “What if we did this?” and then they become more ROBUST during the research stage.
2. Research
Once you’ve developed a product idea, the next step is conducting research to FLESH IT OUT. There are various steps you can take to do this, like:

Market research to understand the current sentiment in your industry and if there are any holes that your product will fit into, and if there will even be demand for it.

Competitor analysis to understand if customers think there are things your competitors’ products or services lack that you can incorporate into your product to better fit your target market’s needs.

During this stage, you can also get early feedback from customers about what they think of your ideas before coming up with a final definition for your product. One of the best ways to get this feedback is through surveys, where you can easily and quickly collect information from existing customers. A high-quality tool like Lucky Orange can help you create these surveys, and with it, you can ask multiple choice questions about types of products they may be interested in, or more open-ended questions that give you more insight into customer opinions.
This stage may include a bit of iteration because your research may tell you that you need to refine your original ideas and adjust your research scope before moving on to the next stage.
3. Planning
The third stage is planning, where you formulate a final product idea/definition based on your initial idea and research and begin coming up with your plans to bring it to life.
When you define your final product, you’ll want to begin planning for what you’ll need in order to create it. For example, if you’re creating a physical product, you’ll need to source the necessary materials or find production partners that will assist in manufacturing.
Planning also involves coming up with a marketing strategy that will help you effectively market when your product is completed, pricing models that make sense for your product, and that your customers will pay.
It’s also critical to identify the teams that will be involved in your product development process that will help bring it to market, from the marketing teams that will promote your product to any possible external partners that will assist with production.
4. Prototyping
The prototyping phase is when you come up with a sample product that is a mockup of what will be created during mass production.
This prototype is often referred to as a minimum viable product (MVP), which is a basic version of your tool, still similar to your final product, that will help you get a sense of how it functions and identify any areas that need to be improved.
You may make multiple prototypes and go back and forth between this stage and the testing stage before you have a finalized prototype.
5. Testing
Before launching your product you need to test it to ensure it will work as advertised and effectively solve your customer needs. So, during this stage, you’ll share your prototypes with target audiences and ask for actionable feedback on how the product works.  
Essentially, you want your product to be used in situations that are similar to real-world use cases so you know exactly what works and what doesn’t. Sometimes the results of your testing will require you to go back and make changes to your prototype, as mentioned above.
Once you feel as though your prototype is finished and ready to solve your customer needs, you’ll begin product development.
6. Product Development
This stage involves creating the final product that will be commercialized once completed. You’ll use the insights gained from testing your MVP to make final touches to your prototype, and begin mass production.
Depending on your type of business, you’ll likely have a different process for product development. For example, if you’re a SaaS business, your internal software development or programming teams will likely work to finalize code. If you create a physical product, you may outsource labor for certain components and assemble final products in your warehouse.
Whichever your process is, your planning stage should’ve helped you identify how your product development will go.
7. Commercialization
The final stage of your new product development process is commercialization, where you introduce your products to market. This is the culmination of your brainstorming, research, iteration, where your audiences can finally make use of what you created.
You’ll enact your marketing plans to make your audiences aware of your new product, and enact campaigns that will entice them to become customers.
Although this is the final stage, many businesses launch their products and, over time, return to make improvements to their products based on customer feedback and market changes to ensure they’re always providing the best possible customer experience.
From Brainstorming To Reality
When you complete your new product development process, you’ll have brought your brainstorming ideas to fruition, and created a real product or service that solves a customer need. If you find success, you’ll have created a valuable strategy to replicate that will help you continuously innovate and create new products, giving customers the delightful experiences they desire.

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