Category: Marketing Automation

At Adobe, we are always inspired by the ways our customers are transforming their businesses through groundbreaking digital experiences. Even though this past year presented many challenges, Adobe Experience Cloud customers continued to innovate and push digital boundaries, demonstrating how bringing together the right mix of creativity, content, and data can improve every experience.
Each year we shine a light on the amazing ways our customers use Adobe Experience Cloud solutions to better serve their customers, partners, and communities. For the 2021 Adobe Experience Maker Awards, this year’s finalists were selected from a pool of submissions larger and more diverse than ever. The number of submissions jumped almost 60 percent compared with last year, with entries coming from customers worldwide. We thank everyone who shared their stories with us.
Spotlight on exceptional customer experiences
For the 2021 Adobe Experience Maker Awards, we looked for individuals, teams, and companies that are using technology to uncover new opportunities and reimagine digital experiences. While every submission outlined different challenges and goals, each one presented a shining example of how great experiences can inspire and transform the way we engage with the world around us.
The 2021 Adobe Experience Maker Awards finalists in each of the 12 global categories are:
The Advocate
Recognizing a company that embraces a customer-first approach to elevate customer experiences to new heights.

Center Parcs
Roche (nominated by 3|SHARE)
Tabcorp

The Ambassador
Recognizing an individual who shares his or her expertise to help peers or colleagues succeed in digital transformation and customer experience management initiatives.

Glenn Watson, Ego Pharmaceuticals
Jess Kao, F5
Catherine Kum-Seun, Home Depot Canada

The Analyzer
Recognizing a company that has mastered the art and science of data-driven decision making to optimize customer journeys and drive significant business impacts.

Hay
Pitney Bowes
RS Components

The Architect
Recognizing a company that has unified its content and marketing strategy to streamline customer journeys and deliver personalized content to the right audience at the right time.

Bose
Costa Crociere (nominated by Accenture)
Palo Alto Networks

The Changemaker
Recognizing a company or individual that has innovated to create experiences that drive social or environmental impact.

American Red Cross
University of the People
Walgreens Boots Alliance

The Closer
Recognizing a company that has built a world-class B2B engine that achieves significant lift in pipeline, bookings, or revenue.

Kiwi Wealth
MisterTemp’ (nominated by WAISSO)
NWEA

The Illuminator
Recognizing a company, individual, or team that has shown great resilience in finding ways to turn challenging situations into inspiring, exceptional customer experiences.

Investment Bank of Berlin (nominated by eggs unimedia GmbH)
Swinburne University of Technology
U.S. Census Bureau

The Magnifier
Recognizing a company that has harnessed the power of multiple Adobe Experience Cloud applications to deliver outstanding customer experiences and measurable business impacts.

SAP Concur
Sky
The Lott

The Mastermind
Recognizing a company that has unified the commerce experience across multiple channels for fulfillment anytime, anywhere.

Industry West (nominated by Rightpoint)
Mondelez International, Inc. (nominated by BORN Group)
Topps Tiles (nominated by Tom & Co.)

The Orchestrator
Recognizing a company that has aligned customer journeys across channels, geographies, or platforms to deliver compelling, cohesive experiences.

CaixaBank
Eicher Motors (nominated by TCZ Digital Private Ltd.)
Workday

The Transformer
Recognizing a company that has advanced a game-changing digital transformation resulting in significant positive business impacts.

Fiserv (nominated by Capgemini)
McDonald’s Corporation
Save the Children UK

The Maverick (Audience Choice)
Recognizing a company or individual pushing the boundaries of innovation in customer experience, marketing, advertising, or commerce through bold use of technology and out-of-the-box thinking.

Doorstep Market (nominated by Netsmartz LLC )
Jeff Mann, McDonald’s Corporation
MG Motor India

Join the fun! Attend the livestreamed 2021 Adobe Experience Maker Awards Gala
Please be sure to mark your calendar to join the livestreamed awards gala. You are invited to celebrate with us as we honor the 2021 award finalists and announce our award winners at two exclusive virtual events.

Wednesday, June 23 from 5pm – 6:15pm PDT (AMER, SEA, JAPAN, ANZ) RSVP here.
Thursday, June 24 from 4pm – 5pm BST (EMEA & INDIA) RSVP here.

We look forward to raising a glass with you as we shine the spotlight on this year’s exceptional finalists and winners.
The post Announcing the 2021 Adobe Experience Maker Awards Finalists appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog – Best Practices and Thought Leadership.

At Adobe, we are always inspired by the ways our customers are transforming their businesses through groundbreaking digital experiences. Even though this past year presented many challenges, Adobe Experience Cloud customers continued to innovate and push digital boundaries, demonstrating how bringing together the right mix of creativity, content, and data can improve every experience.
Each year we shine a light on the amazing ways our customers use Adobe Experience Cloud solutions to better serve their customers, partners, and communities. For the 2021 Adobe Experience Maker Awards, this year’s finalists were selected from a pool of submissions larger and more diverse than ever. The number of submissions jumped almost 60 percent compared with last year, with entries coming from customers worldwide. We thank everyone who shared their stories with us.
Spotlight on exceptional customer experiences
For the 2021 Adobe Experience Maker Awards, we looked for individuals, teams, and companies that are using technology to uncover new opportunities and reimagine digital experiences. While every submission outlined different challenges and goals, each one presented a shining example of how great experiences can inspire and transform the way we engage with the world around us.
The 2021 Adobe Experience Maker Awards finalists in each of the 12 global categories are:
The Advocate
Recognizing a company that embraces a customer-first approach to elevate customer experiences to new heights.

Center Parcs
Roche (nominated by 3|SHARE)
Tabcorp

The Ambassador
Recognizing an individual who shares his or her expertise to help peers or colleagues succeed in digital transformation and customer experience management initiatives.

Glenn Watson, Ego Pharmaceuticals
Jess Kao, F5
Catherine Kum-Seun, Home Depot Canada

The Analyzer
Recognizing a company that has mastered the art and science of data-driven decision making to optimize customer journeys and drive significant business impacts.

Hay
Pitney Bowes
RS Components

The Architect
Recognizing a company that has unified its content and marketing strategy to streamline customer journeys and deliver personalized content to the right audience at the right time.

Bose
Costa Crociere (nominated by Accenture)
Palo Alto Networks

The Changemaker
Recognizing a company or individual that has innovated to create experiences that drive social or environmental impact.

American Red Cross
University of the People
Walgreens Boots Alliance

The Closer
Recognizing a company that has built a world-class B2B engine that achieves significant lift in pipeline, bookings, or revenue.

Kiwi Wealth
MisterTemp’ (nominated by WAISSO)
NWEA

The Illuminator
Recognizing a company, individual, or team that has shown great resilience in finding ways to turn challenging situations into inspiring, exceptional customer experiences.

Investment Bank of Berlin (nominated by eggs unimedia GmbH)
Swinburne University of Technology
U.S. Census Bureau

The Magnifier
Recognizing a company that has harnessed the power of multiple Adobe Experience Cloud applications to deliver outstanding customer experiences and measurable business impacts.

SAP Concur
Sky
The Lott

The Mastermind
Recognizing a company that has unified the commerce experience across multiple channels for fulfillment anytime, anywhere.

Industry West (nominated by Rightpoint)
Mondelez International, Inc. (nominated by BORN Group)
Topps Tiles (nominated by Tom & Co.)

The Orchestrator
Recognizing a company that has aligned customer journeys across channels, geographies, or platforms to deliver compelling, cohesive experiences.

CaixaBank
Eicher Motors (nominated by TCZ Digital Private Ltd.)
Workday

The Transformer
Recognizing a company that has advanced a game-changing digital transformation resulting in significant positive business impacts.

Fiserv (nominated by Capgemini)
McDonald’s Corporation
Save the Children UK

The Maverick (Audience Choice)
Recognizing a company or individual pushing the boundaries of innovation in customer experience, marketing, advertising, or commerce through bold use of technology and out-of-the-box thinking.

Doorstep Market (nominated by Netsmartz LLC )
Jeff Mann, McDonald’s Corporation
MG Motor India

Join the fun! Attend the livestreamed 2021 Adobe Experience Maker Awards Gala
Please be sure to mark your calendar to join the livestreamed awards gala. You are invited to celebrate with us as we honor the 2021 award finalists and announce our award winners at two exclusive virtual events.

Wednesday, June 23 from 5pm – 6:15pm PDT (AMER, SEA, JAPAN, ANZ) RSVP here.
Thursday, June 24 from 4pm – 5pm BST (EMEA & INDIA) RSVP here.

We look forward to raising a glass with you as we shine the spotlight on this year’s exceptional finalists and winners.
The post Announcing the 2021 Adobe Experience Maker Awards Finalists appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog – Best Practices and Thought Leadership.

At Adobe, we are always inspired by the ways our customers are transforming their businesses through groundbreaking digital experiences. Even though this past year presented many challenges, Adobe Experience Cloud customers continued to innovate and push digital boundaries, demonstrating how bringing together the right mix of creativity, content, and data can improve every experience.
Each year we shine a light on the amazing ways our customers use Adobe Experience Cloud solutions to better serve their customers, partners, and communities. For the 2021 Adobe Experience Maker Awards, this year’s finalists were selected from a pool of submissions larger and more diverse than ever. The number of submissions jumped almost 60 percent compared with last year, with entries coming from customers worldwide. We thank everyone who shared their stories with us.
Spotlight on exceptional customer experiences
For the 2021 Adobe Experience Maker Awards, we looked for individuals, teams, and companies that are using technology to uncover new opportunities and reimagine digital experiences. While every submission outlined different challenges and goals, each one presented a shining example of how great experiences can inspire and transform the way we engage with the world around us.
The 2021 Adobe Experience Maker Awards finalists in each of the 12 global categories are:
The Advocate
Recognizing a company that embraces a customer-first approach to elevate customer experiences to new heights.

Center Parcs
Roche (nominated by 3|SHARE)
Tabcorp

The Ambassador
Recognizing an individual who shares his or her expertise to help peers or colleagues succeed in digital transformation and customer experience management initiatives.

Glenn Watson, Ego Pharmaceuticals
Jess Kao, F5
Catherine Kum-Seun, Home Depot Canada

The Analyzer
Recognizing a company that has mastered the art and science of data-driven decision making to optimize customer journeys and drive significant business impacts.

Hay
Pitney Bowes
RS Components

The Architect
Recognizing a company that has unified its content and marketing strategy to streamline customer journeys and deliver personalized content to the right audience at the right time.

Bose
Costa Crociere (nominated by Accenture)
Palo Alto Networks

The Changemaker
Recognizing a company or individual that has innovated to create experiences that drive social or environmental impact.

American Red Cross
University of the People
Walgreens Boots Alliance

The Closer
Recognizing a company that has built a world-class B2B engine that achieves significant lift in pipeline, bookings, or revenue.

Kiwi Wealth
MisterTemp’ (nominated by WAISSO)
NWEA

The Illuminator
Recognizing a company, individual, or team that has shown great resilience in finding ways to turn challenging situations into inspiring, exceptional customer experiences.

Investment Bank of Berlin (nominated by eggs unimedia GmbH)
Swinburne University of Technology
U.S. Census Bureau

The Magnifier
Recognizing a company that has harnessed the power of multiple Adobe Experience Cloud applications to deliver outstanding customer experiences and measurable business impacts.

SAP Concur
Sky
The Lott

The Mastermind
Recognizing a company that has unified the commerce experience across multiple channels for fulfillment anytime, anywhere.

Industry West (nominated by Rightpoint)
Mondelez International, Inc. (nominated by BORN Group)
Topps Tiles (nominated by Tom & Co.)

The Orchestrator
Recognizing a company that has aligned customer journeys across channels, geographies, or platforms to deliver compelling, cohesive experiences.

CaixaBank
Eicher Motors (nominated by TCZ Digital Private Ltd.)
Workday

The Transformer
Recognizing a company that has advanced a game-changing digital transformation resulting in significant positive business impacts.

Fiserv (nominated by Capgemini)
McDonald’s Corporation
Save the Children UK

The Maverick (Audience Choice)
Recognizing a company or individual pushing the boundaries of innovation in customer experience, marketing, advertising, or commerce through bold use of technology and out-of-the-box thinking.

Doorstep Market (nominated by Netsmartz LLC )
Jeff Mann, McDonald’s Corporation
MG Motor India

Join the fun! Attend the livestreamed 2021 Adobe Experience Maker Awards Gala
Please be sure to mark your calendar to join the livestreamed awards gala. You are invited to celebrate with us as we honor the 2021 award finalists and announce our award winners at two exclusive virtual events.

Wednesday, June 23 from 5pm – 6:15pm PDT (AMER, SEA, JAPAN, ANZ) RSVP here.
Thursday, June 24 from 4pm – 5pm BST (EMEA & INDIA) RSVP here.

We look forward to raising a glass with you as we shine the spotlight on this year’s exceptional finalists and winners.
The post Announcing the 2021 Adobe Experience Maker Awards Finalists appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog – Best Practices and Thought Leadership.

At Adobe, we are always inspired by the ways our customers are transforming their businesses through groundbreaking digital experiences. Even though this past year presented many challenges, Adobe Experience Cloud customers continued to innovate and push digital boundaries, demonstrating how bringing together the right mix of creativity, content, and data can improve every experience.
Each year we shine a light on the amazing ways our customers use Adobe Experience Cloud solutions to better serve their customers, partners, and communities. For the 2021 Adobe Experience Maker Awards, this year’s finalists were selected from a pool of submissions larger and more diverse than ever. The number of submissions jumped almost 60 percent compared with last year, with entries coming from customers worldwide. We thank everyone who shared their stories with us.
Spotlight on exceptional customer experiences
For the 2021 Adobe Experience Maker Awards, we looked for individuals, teams, and companies that are using technology to uncover new opportunities and reimagine digital experiences. While every submission outlined different challenges and goals, each one presented a shining example of how great experiences can inspire and transform the way we engage with the world around us.
The 2021 Adobe Experience Maker Awards finalists in each of the 12 global categories are:
The Advocate
Recognizing a company that embraces a customer-first approach to elevate customer experiences to new heights.

Center Parcs
Roche (nominated by 3|SHARE)
Tabcorp

The Ambassador
Recognizing an individual who shares his or her expertise to help peers or colleagues succeed in digital transformation and customer experience management initiatives.

Glenn Watson, Ego Pharmaceuticals
Jess Kao, F5
Catherine Kum-Seun, Home Depot Canada

The Analyzer
Recognizing a company that has mastered the art and science of data-driven decision making to optimize customer journeys and drive significant business impacts.

Hay
Pitney Bowes
RS Components

The Architect
Recognizing a company that has unified its content and marketing strategy to streamline customer journeys and deliver personalized content to the right audience at the right time.

Bose
Costa Crociere (nominated by Accenture)
Palo Alto Networks

The Changemaker
Recognizing a company or individual that has innovated to create experiences that drive social or environmental impact.

American Red Cross
University of the People
Walgreens Boots Alliance

The Closer
Recognizing a company that has built a world-class B2B engine that achieves significant lift in pipeline, bookings, or revenue.

Kiwi Wealth
MisterTemp’ (nominated by WAISSO)
NWEA

The Illuminator
Recognizing a company, individual, or team that has shown great resilience in finding ways to turn challenging situations into inspiring, exceptional customer experiences.

Investment Bank of Berlin (nominated by eggs unimedia GmbH)
Swinburne University of Technology
U.S. Census Bureau

The Magnifier
Recognizing a company that has harnessed the power of multiple Adobe Experience Cloud applications to deliver outstanding customer experiences and measurable business impacts.

SAP Concur
Sky
The Lott

The Mastermind
Recognizing a company that has unified the commerce experience across multiple channels for fulfillment anytime, anywhere.

Industry West (nominated by Rightpoint)
Mondelez International, Inc. (nominated by BORN Group)
Topps Tiles (nominated by Tom & Co.)

The Orchestrator
Recognizing a company that has aligned customer journeys across channels, geographies, or platforms to deliver compelling, cohesive experiences.

CaixaBank
Eicher Motors (nominated by TCZ Digital Private Ltd.)
Workday

The Transformer
Recognizing a company that has advanced a game-changing digital transformation resulting in significant positive business impacts.

Fiserv (nominated by Capgemini)
McDonald’s Corporation
Save the Children UK

The Maverick (Audience Choice)
Recognizing a company or individual pushing the boundaries of innovation in customer experience, marketing, advertising, or commerce through bold use of technology and out-of-the-box thinking.

Doorstep Market (nominated by Netsmartz LLC )
Jeff Mann, McDonald’s Corporation
MG Motor India

Join the fun! Attend the livestreamed 2021 Adobe Experience Maker Awards Gala
Please be sure to mark your calendar to join the livestreamed awards gala. You are invited to celebrate with us as we honor the 2021 award finalists and announce our award winners at two exclusive virtual events.

Wednesday, June 23 from 5pm – 6:15pm PDT (AMER, SEA, JAPAN, ANZ) RSVP here.
Thursday, June 24 from 4pm – 5pm BST (EMEA & INDIA) RSVP here.

We look forward to raising a glass with you as we shine the spotlight on this year’s exceptional finalists and winners.
The post Announcing the 2021 Adobe Experience Maker Awards Finalists appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog – Best Practices and Thought Leadership.

Last week, HubSpot’s 2021 State of Marketing Report reveals that video is the top content marketing strategy used by brands while social media is ranked as the top marketing channel.
With data like that above — and all the growing social media video platforms out there — it’s become obvious that social media marketing and video content go hand in hand.
While creating great social media videos for your company can be an incredibly effective marketing tactic, each social media content strategy shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all approach. To ensure that your videos are seen and spread quality brand awareness, you’ll need to ensure you’re making the right videos for the right audiences on the right platforms.
With new video publishing options appearing on social platforms regularly, determining where your content will live is part of the content marketing battle.
To help you figure out where to publish your video content — and which types of videos to post — we surveyed 300+ consumers to find out where they most commonly watch videos on social media.
Below, we’ll reveal the results and a few expert tips for building the best social media video-sharing strategy for 2021 — including one from an expert at Wistia.

Where are Consumers Watching Social Media Videos?
In recent years, Gen-Z-targeting platforms like TikTok and Instagram have been on the rise. But if you think that everyone’s primarily watching video on these platforms, you might be surprised by what our poll found.
When I asked consumers “On which social media platform do you most commonly watch videos?”, 35% of respondents said YouTube.

Data Source
While it’s not surprising that YouTube or Facebook, some of the world’s biggest online platforms, are the preferred video viewing sites, only 8% of respondents said they primarily watch videos on Instagram — one of the pioneers of Stories and live video.
Another surprising find was that 20% of respondents — or 1 in 5 people — primarily use TikTok (the youngest social network on the list) for video viewing. While this doesn’t necessarily mean you need to shift your whole strategy to TikTok, it does show that the platform could continue to have a promising future for content marketers.
If this data has you worried that you’re publishing videos on the wrong platforms,  take a breath. Remember that this is just one informal consumer survey. Had we polled a specific age group, people from a specific industry, or consumers from different regions, the results might have swayed to other platforms — like LinkedIn or Twitter. 
However, even though this is just one small survey, it does remind us that a mix of older and newer platforms, like YouTube and TikTok, are the go-to video platforms for vast audiences. 
Now that we’ve gotten an idea of where consumers are primarily watching social media videos, we’ll walk you through a few tips for sharing the best videos for different social media audiences.
Tips for Sharing Social Media Videos
1. For most platforms, zone in on snackable content.
The world is becoming more fast-paced every day. While many people are watching social media videos in their spare time, some are watching them between meetings, while in line at the store, or on public transit. Even if people do have time to watch hours of video, there’s so much out there that they’ll want to scroll to more content almost immediately after their video starts.
That’s why one social media video strategy to focus on in 2021 is mastering the art of “snackable” or super short-form content.
“Using snackable videos on social can actually drive more engagement than static images,” says Meisha Bochicchio, Content Marketing Manager at Wistia. “A recent study found that 60% of marketers saw more clicks with video posts compared with static images.”
When it comes to creating effective snackable content, Bochicchio says, “First things first, keep in mind that most social media platforms will automatically start playing video content as viewers scroll. So, make sure your videos are autoplay-friendly. Keep them short and put your key messaging in the first few seconds. For example, take a look at this video from Wistia announcing their State of Video Report.”
“Remember that most people won’t hear your audio, so make sure your videos are also silent-friendly,”Bochicchio advises. “Consider text overlays, or upload captions directly on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. 
In the video example below, Wistia marks the launch of their series “Show Business” with a captioned video that allows viewers to get key information without any sound.

Don’t just advertise on a show. Make a show! Welcome to Show Business: a one-of-a-kind series featuring industry leaders and brand-building experts. #MakeAShow 👉 https://t.co/MRNBK6fu1f pic.twitter.com/QF2XR86gxl— Wistia (@wistia)
April 27, 2021

To learn more about this strategy, check out this post on snackable content, or this post that highlights the latest short-form video trends.
2. Test different video formats, too.
While snackable content is a great tactic to harness in 2021, you can still publish longer videos, as long as they’re engaging and valuable to your audience.
For example, while people might not want to watch a two-hour commercial, they could watch a longer live video Q&A, an interview with a thought leader, or a video that tells a longer, but entertaining story.
Here’s a great example of a TV-episode-length, Clio-winning video created by Pepsi:

While you can certainly test longer-form video, you can also test out other formats, such as live streams, interactive videos, and shopping videos on platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
As new video formats emerge, it can be helpful to determine if they might work for your brand and design a test around them.
Be sure you identify and track the right success metrics. For example, if you’re testing a longer video, look at its views and dropoff rate to see how long viewers stay tuned. Meanwhile, if you try a more interactive approach like a live stream or Q&A you can also take note of comments, engagements, and shares on the content while you’re live.
3. Meet your video audiences where they are.
As with any social media strategy, some content will perform better on some social media platforms rather than others. While snackable, consumer-facing content might perform well with YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok’s large consumer audiences, a B2B marketing video or a Q&A with a corporate thought leader might perform better on a professional-facing network like LinkedIn.
Luckily, to create a great marketing strategy, you don’t (and shouldn’t have to) place your videos on every single social media platform. However, you should research the demographics of each major network, identify which audiences might engage most with your content, and start publishing videos where it makes the most sense for your brand and goals.
Then, continue to keep an eye on platforms you’ve ruled out in case they continue to evolve and provide your brand more audience opportunities in the future.
4. Don’t always lean on repurposed content.
When I was a startup marketer, I loved to repurpose content whenever it was possible. And, back then, when social media platforms were less evolved, this strategy would work.
Today, it can still be beneficial for brands to repurpose some video content for different platforms when they have similar audiences and features. This can also be a great way to test whether your content strategy for one platform will work with one audience.
However, because knowing your social media audience is more important than ever, you might want to consider having a slightly different video strategy for your most important video platforms. While there will be times where you can easily repurpose content to save time or bandwidth, some platforms like TikTok and Instagram are evolving with algorithms that could deprioritize your content if it has a watermark from another network.
5. Embrace influencers — and customers.
Even if you’ve done all of your research and churn out videos daily, it can still be incredibly hard to post a viral piece of content that grows your audience.
Luckily, there are experts on every social media platform who know how to create videos. And, some of them will even create videos for you — and then share them with their audiences.
That’s why one great growth strategy can involve reaching out to influencers or thought leaders with expertise in your industry and either featuring them in your videos or getting them to endorse your brand in their content.
If you can’t afford to have an influencer help boost your video strategy, you can also look towards happy consumers. With this strategy, you can encourage customers to share a video about their experience with your brand on social media, or you can create a video filled with multiple pieces of user-generated content from happy customers.
Because today’s consumers crave authenticity from brands, user-generated content not only can provide you with free video content but can also spread brand awareness to prospects or people researching you on social media.
Navigating Social Media Content
More than ever, social media and content marketing are always evolving. As a marketer, it’s important to stay up to date with the latest trends and data to better inform your strategies — whether you’re investing in video or other tactics.
To learn more about the latest marketing trends, download our free 2021 State of Marketing Report below.

On top of running their businesses, small business owners are often pulled in so many different directions, so much that developing a marketing plan can be a bit overwhelming. That’s why, as a Hubspot Gold partner, my approach is these 3 quick tips:

Find Ways to Re-Engage- Sometimes, for whatever reason, deals fall through. That’s why I recommend reaching back out to your “cold” leads, by adding them to a different list or campaign, so you can catch them again when they’re ready. Think about what subject line or personalization can get them to click that link or reach out to your team.
Always Check in- You never need an excuse to reach out to your contacts to remind them of both who you are and what you do. Checking in with personalized, automated messages not only keeps you top of mind, but expresses that you care about connecting with them and the value of your work.
Incentivise Action- It’s called “Call to Action” for a reason. You want to give everyone you email a reason to click that link. Whether it’s blogs, downloadables, discounts, or anything in between— make doing that action so much more tempting
I’ve found that applying all of these concepts together, by focusing on nurturing your leads, checking in, and finding ways to incentivise, you can really flesh out your automation strategy. Of course, this is just a starting point. I take a deeper dive into some of these tips and using Hubspot in particular in my guide 5 Handy Tips for Hubspot Marketing Automation I’m always excited to learn new tips though! What are some of your favorite ways to approach small business marketing?
submitted by /u/matthew_deal [link] [comments]

Successful marketers make informed decisions quickly using a combination of gut instincts and data analysis. They know the end goal, and figure out what it takes to get there.
One way to fill in those gaps is by using Goal Seek in Excel. The function is helpful when you know your desired result, but you’re not sure how to reach it.

Maybe you want to improve your conversion rate to get more qualified leads but don’t know how many people you need to attract. Or let’s say your marketing team is aiming for an audacious revenue goal and you want to know how many customers you have to bring in with an upcoming campaign. If you’re running a promotion, you likely need to figure out what discount to apply so you don’t wind up with a loss.

Goal Seek is the answer. Understanding how to apply it to your marketing or sales efforts can inform your strategy by letting you calculate the numbers required to achieve your goals.
This post will explain how to use Goal Seek so you can start planning for your next campaign or making projections for the upcoming quarter.
What is Goal Seek in Excel?
Goal Seek is a powerful Excel function for conducting a what-if analysis. Also known as a sensitivity analysis, it helps you understand what can happen when you change one or more variables. Essentially, it’s a way to conduct a reverse calculation within an Excel spreadsheet.
Imagine you’re creating a marketing strategy for the next six months. You can use the Goal Seek Excel function to figure out the following unknowns.

What percentage of month-over-month growth do you need to double your reach by the end of the year?
How much can you spend on freelance design work without exceeding your outsourcing budget?
How much revenue do you need to bring in to break even on (and profit from) your upcoming email marketing campaign?

Finding answers to these questions can prevent unexpected outcomes and missed goals. Instead of wondering “what-if” when building a strategy, you can cut out uncertainty and give yourself a roadmap for success.
Before you finalize any plans, let’s walk through the steps to conduct an analysis.
How To Use Goal Seek In Excel
Setting up a Goal Seek calculation is simple once your data is organized.
In the following example, I want to evaluate the percentage of customers coming in through various marketing channels. The goal is to bring in 50% of customers through marketing efforts by the end of the year.
I first populate the table using the average month-over-month (MoM) growth to see the projections for June to December. I know I have an email campaign planned for the beginning of December, and I want to see how many customers I’d have to bring in to reach my 50% goal.
Step 1: Select the cell with the output you want to change (i.e., % of customers from marketing).
Step 2: Under the Data tab, select What-If Analysis, then Goal Seek.
Image source
Step 3: A pop-up window will appear. Make sure the cell from Step 1 appears in Set cell.
Step 4: Write your desired value in To value.
Step 5: In the By changing cell box, select the cell you want to change to reach your desired outcome.
Image source
Step 6: Click OK to see the Goal Seek calculation. The new number will appear in the cell from Step 5, not in the pop-up box.
Image source
Step 7: If all looks good and you want to keep the calculation, click OK again.
Using Goal Seek, I can tell that if my MoM growth stays the same, I need to attract at least 16 customers through my December email campaign. Yes, this is a simple example. But you can expand it to much more complicated efforts, like projecting sales needed to meet revenue goals or calculating how much net income you’ll earn from a campaign.
Goal Seek Analysis In Excel
Let’s look at another example of Goal Seek analysis. I want to bring in 130 new customers, but I don’t know how many visits I’ll need to reach my goal. Before doing the Goal Seek analysis, I organize my data to find the average MoM visit-to-customer percentage.
Step 1: Select the cell with the output you want to change (In this case, the customer goal).
Step 2: Under the Data tab, select What-If Analysis, then Goal Seek.
Step 3: In the pop-up window, make sure the cell from Step 1 appears in Set cell.
Image source
Step 4: Type the number you want to hit into To value (My goal is 130 customers).
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Step 5: Select the cell you want to change in the By changing cell box (Mine is for Projected Visits).
Step 6: Click OK to see the Goal Seek analysis. (Now, I know that in order to get 130 customers, I need to attract 5055 visits).
Image source
Once you fill in the missing variable using Goal Seek, you can figure out other variables. For instance, I found that with 5055 visits, I would need 910 leads to reach my desired number of customers. Having these numbers can also help me judge if the marketing and sales efforts for the month are on track to meet the goal.
Goal Seek Function In Excel
In business, uncertainty can spell the downfall of even the most thoughtful strategy. But you can take control of the variables that seem out of your control with the Goal Seek function.
Being proactive and judging the business impact of a marketing campaign or new sales effort can not only gain you respect within your company, but it can help you meet, and even exceed your goals. You’ll be ready when the unexpected happens. And you’ll know how to make informed decisions or tweak the strategy with your new what-if analysis skills.

Hey Marketers I have a link-sharing tool https://hy.page/ that is similar to Linktree. This tool is ideal for influencers that want to make the most of the single link you get on platforms like Instagram and TikTok (Link in bio). Please have a look and let me know what you think. I really appreciate your help. Cheers!
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This article is part of a larger series that focuses on diversity and equity in marketing. As a company, we are committed to identifying actions we can take in the fight against racism and injustice, and elevating BBIPOC voices is paramount to inspiring change. Follow along and read other posts in this series here.

This post is authored by Gabrielle Lawrence (she/they), Writer, Editor, & Designer. 
Perhaps abuse is a strong word. The poet in me is overly conscious of that choice. I’m also fighting against my conditioning here. I know from lived experience, history, the media, education, and so on, that a facet of white fragility is it’s sensitivity and aversion to the language of violence—especially when it is responsible for said violence. It reminds me of gaslighting.
However, language is power and it gives us space to demand accountability. Abuse does refer to the mistreatment of another living being, and we know that violence is not only or always physical. This argument, that employers abuse minorities in white spaces, is geared toward companies without an evolving Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion core, or companies that practice performative inclusivity. 
This can manifest as:

Going through the inception and growth of a business without so much as developing a mission or acknowledgment of diversity, equity, or inclusion, let alone structures that back up the mission. 
Companies that say they “value” DEI but don’t have cultures or employees that reflect those values.
“Doing diversity” in a performative way that is patchy, only in reaction to complaints to quell unrest, not rooted in research or calls to action, not created by or in collaboration with the populations it serves, or is a “value” on the surface but always internally backlogged, never implemented. 

How white spaces lead to burnout and resentment 
Having to “fit” into a culture that doesn’t take your experience into account creates the perfect conditions for burnout and resentment. In response to these arguments, I often hear people rebuttal:

 “It’s just a job” 
“That’s the way it always is”
 “Your place of work is not your identity or political home” 
“Sometimes you just have to show up and be quiet”
And even, “Just let it go. HR is not your friend.” 

 
Sometimes it feels like they’re right; maybe I should resolve to keep my head down and my mouth shut when I experience bias and oppression at my job. I should accept and actively engage in double consciousness as I navigate predominately white workplaces. 
Maybe I should allow my self-image, mental health, growth opportunities, and happiness to suffer—for a paycheck—from people who, upon hearing of my sudden death or departure, wouldn’t even blink before trying to fill my vacancy. 
The effects of white spaces don’t begin on day one
Furthermore, consider every part of the process: having access to the “right” education and communities, the job search itself, the hoops of the recruiting process, salary negotiation, the onboarding and socialization process, and the list goes on. 
The workplace isn’t a walk in the park for anyone, especially during major transitions and crises like the pandemic, but I find it harder to stay docile when I realize that my fellow white employees have the luxury of a completely different experience. Especially those without intersecting identities. 
For white colleagues, going to work does not mean confronting the same roadblocks, mental stressors, or disrespect. At minimum, the culture of the environment and the market are most often catered to their experiences. This also makes it easier for white colleagues who notice and acknowledge these inequities to stay complicit because they are not as severely impacted. 
Consider the harmful ways these disparities can manifest for minorities on the job:

Being pressured to create or be the representation where there is none. (Though this evolves the organization and strengthens the company’s relevance, these employees may not be compensated for their additional work.)
Finding themselves educating their employees or managing others’ feelings and projections, especially when workplace sensitivity training is often insufficient. 
A white coworker can show up without being the butt of microaggressions or the token, can feel that they have ownership and belonging in the space, may not feel taxed with over-performing for the same respect as their coworkers, and a host of other interpersonal inequities. However, minorities are expected to live with this day to day which can have long-term and negative effects on a person’s health. 
Advocating or boundary setting can often make employees feel alienated, unsupported, or targeted when white environments are hostile (covertly or subtly) to underrepresented minorities.

Wrap up
If a job description were to be tailored to a person of color truthfully, it would look quite different. Responsibilities would include things like experience collaborating with people who aren’t conscious of their privilege or prejudice, must be extremely familiar with white culture and have a similarly crafted personality, must be comfortable sharing insight into your culture when it suits us best or makes us money, have a willingness to work harder to combat our prejudice and earn our respect, etc. 
Of course, these could look differently at every job depending on the nature of the work, styles of communication, and structure of the company. Nevertheless, the disproportionate asks of employees whose identities are at the intersection of BIPOC, LGBTQ, and disabled communities is shameful, especially considering the impact of the pandemic outside of work on these populations. 
This should not be normal or sufficient. In the wake of everything we’ve seen the past four years, we should also be taking radical action towards building safer workspaces. Not just because companies know sustainable DEI has a positive impact on profit, but because we matter. 

Gabrielle Lawrence (she/they) is a freelance writer, editor, and designer from Southern California. They are well-rounded with experiences in marketing, software development, publishing, higher education, and more. She is a contributing editor for The Tenth Magazine and Harpoon Books. Their poetry has been nominated for Best of the Net and Best New Poets. They are an interview correspondent for TERSE. Journal and they had the honor of being the former EIC of Linden Avenue Literary Journal. Gabrielle loves music and yoga. Learn more about their work and services at gabrielle-l.com.

Visit this page to see more in the series, or check back in a week for our next guest post. 
CM Group is a family of global marketing technology brands including Campaign Monitor, CM Commerce, Delivra, Emma, Liveclicker, Sailthru and Vuture. By joining together these leading brands, CM Group offers a variety of world-class solutions that can be used by marketers at any level. Headquartered in Nashville, TN, CM Group has United States offices in Indianapolis, Los Angeles, New York City, Pittsburgh and San Francisco, and global offices in Australia, London, New Zealand and Uruguay.
The post How Employers Abuse Minorities in White Spaces appeared first on Campaign Monitor.

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