6 Social Selling Tools to Consider If you're like many people, you've likely been tempted to impulsively buy a pull out your credit card for a product or service you saw in an Instagram Reel with an incredibly convenient link to shop.  Today, most generations see social media as their preferred platform for product discovery, while 87% of social media marketers who sell on their channels say its effective. Nearly 60% even note social media sales have increased year over year.  But, once you place your products or services on social media stores or pages, how do you ensure they achieve solid sales? To do this, consider leveraging social media selling tools.  In this blog post, we’ll go over: What are social selling tools? Best Social Selling Tools Best Social Selling Tools Social Selling Software HubSpot Social Media Management Software Source HubSpot’s Social Media Management Software is a comprehensive social media tool that can boost your social selling efforts. You can run social media campaigns with an AI-powered post generator, set up keyword monitoring so you don’t miss mentions, and link all your interactions back to your CRM. For example, let’s say I want to sell some art prints I made. I can use the social media tool to generate captions to promote the products on Instagram and TikTok. You’re also able to measure the effectiveness of your social selling efforts with the campaigns tool that allows you to tag related marketing...

Data-Driven Decision Making (Research & Expert Tips) In today's data-driven world, the ability to transform data into actionable insights has never been more critical  for success. According to HubSpot’s research, 36% of marketers say data helps them reach their target audience more effectively. Data-driven decision making is used in almost all areas of business, especially marketing. Why building the right strategy will lead to solid ROI, doing so can be complex and time consuming. . In this post we’ll help by covering: What Data-Driven Decision Making Is How to Build Data-Driven Decision Making Processes Benefits of Data-driven Decision Making Data-Driven Decision Making Examples Data-Driven Decision Making Process 1. Define the objective. Begin by clearly defining the goal or problem you need data to address. You’ll also want to determine how you’ll measure your success and  key performance indicators (KPIs). You can also leverage strategies like SMART goals to ensure your goals and objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound . 2. Collect and prepare data. Gather relevant data from sources like internal databases, surveys, customer feedback, market research, or external sources. Clean and prepare the data by removing duplicates, addressing missing values, and ensuring consistently strong data quality. Then, use tools like dashboard, spreadsheets, or graphic software to transform the data into a usable format for analysis. 3. Analyze your data. Tools like Marketing Analytics & Dashboard Software measures performance Use data analysis and data visualization to gain insights from...

8 Brainstorming Tools Marketers Need to Try in 2023 We’ve all been there: staring intensely at the screen, willing ideas to come to our minds.When words or ideas aren't shooting out of our minds or fingertips, we know we've entered a writers' block rut. This is where brainstorming tools come in. By helping us generate and organize ideas, they can help both individual marketers, or teams who are always brainstorming.  With features like virtual whiteboards, mind maps, and voting systems, today's brainstorming tools foster efficient idea generation and collaboration among team members, regardless of their physical location. In this post, we will cover: AI Brainstorming Tools Collaborative Brainstorming Tools Note-Taking Brainstorming Tools Free Brainstorming Tools Brainstorming Templates Brainstorming vs. Mind Mapping AI Brainstorming Tools HubSpot AI Content Writer Get started with the AI Content Writer HubSpot AI Content Writer is a brainstorming tool that can help you when you’re stuck. If you need to create content, whether it's an email, a landing page, a blog post, or a social post, you can tell the software the audience you’re writing to, the message you want to communicate, the length, and the tone you’d like to convey. For example, I gave it a prompt to brainstorm ideas for a blog post about how to set up an e-commerce shop. In return, I received a list of blog post ideas I can pursue. You can also use AI Content Writer...

How Private AI Tools Will Help You Supercharge Your Advertising Strategy, According to Experts at Mekansim While AI is a hot topic as of late, it's been around for a long time. At our agency, Mekanism, we are seeing beyond the hype and exploring how AI will impact all aspects of marketing, including research, strategy, creativity, and performance.  And one area poised for disruption? Advertising.  Here, let's explore how private AI tools can transform your advertising strategy.   An AI Tool is Only as Powerful As the Data You Provide Through our adoption of AI tools there’s one common trait we’ve noticed in our evaluations: There’s nothing inherently special about many of the AI tools out there. What’s special is the inputs we put into them, and the data we provide each tool.Like many people will tell you with AI: It’s garbage in, garbage out. You want to make sure that the dataset you are using with any AI tool is the best you can provide. This means collecting whatever first-party data you can to make your outputs from AI as productive and personalized as possible. For instance, to receive a powerful AI-generated marketing plan, you'll want to incorporate client expectations, first-party data around the consumers you're trying to reach, past examples of campaigns and their performance, etc.  Our thesis for the solution to this problem: The future of AI in advertising will be setting up bespoke internal AI tools that safeguard clients' data, and providing personalized marketing. The Five...

How to Run a Marketing Campaign on a Tight Budget Many of us have been there with the cup of noodles diet when money is tight.  Sometimes, marketing teams also run into tight budgets. But that doesn’t mean you should stop your operations. There are still clever ways to run lean marketing campaigns. In this post, we’ll highlight budget-friendly marketing campaign tips straight from experts. Low-Budget Marketing Campaign Tips Media Campaigns Be Realistic When you have few resources, one of the worst things you can do is have unachievable expectations. You’ll have to scale them down and be realistic. “If you're working with a tight budget, make sure that you have clear measurable KPIs and stop yourself from thinking of ways to grow the product from a paid perspective outside of the budget you have to spend,” says Dréa Hudson, Head of New Media Growth at HubSpot. She adds that this can be challenging if you’re an ideas-first person, but also a lesson in prioritizing time, resources, energy, and budget.  “Get creative with your earned and owned media, pull together a clear, concise value proposition that's easy to share, highlighting what you're able to offer any partner that can help you reach your goals,” Hudson explains. Focus on Targeted Advertising When you can’t afford an ineffective campaign, it's crucial to ensure that your advertising efforts are reaching the right audience.  Instead of casting a wide net, focus on targeted advertising to maximize your budget.  Use platforms like Facebook...

Why Customer Connection Matters At INBOUND 2023, HubSpot CEO Yamini Rangan introduced changes to the customer journey driven by the recent surge of AI technology. Where people spend their time, how they buy, how they share information, and how they expect to receive customer service is all changing. What's not changing, however, is the importance of connection. The advent of AI makes this an extremely exciting time. The businesses that can effectively leverage technology to drive deeper connections will ultimately be the companies that grow better. AI will help level the playing field with features that give you incredibly powerful content creation tools. For example, HubSpot AI features such as Content Assistant and ChatSpot. Both leverage the same large language model that OpenAI’s ChatGPT, but conveniently packaged directly within your HubSpot portal. At HubSpot, we affectionately refer to our top 20% of growing customers that prioritize the art of forging deep customer connections in their growth strategies as “Connectors.” These remarkable businesses understand that meaningful engagement with customers is not just a buzzword, but a powerful catalyst for driving sustainable growth and building lasting relationships. But how do we know customer connection leads to growth? We decided to dig into the data and find out. I lead Product Analytics at HubSpot; our mission is to understand how using HubSpot helps our customers grow. With over 184,000 customers spanning 120 countries and 149 different industries, we’ve built a strong point of view on the importance of connection — and have...

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How Content Creators Are Tackling The New Instagram Threads Instagram‘s off-shoot app, Threads, is Meta’s answer to Twitter (now rebranded to "X" by Elon Musk). Dubbed a "Twitter Killer," Threads amassed 100 million users in just five days. Among new Threads users are content creators; many also use Twitter to interact with their followers, build community, and network with other creators and brands. So how are content creators adapting to the new Instagram Threads? How do they believe it compares to Twitter? I asked several content creators who are early adopters of Threads for their perspectives. Here's what they have to say. How are content creators using Threads? Content creator and cosplayer Kumar's use of Threads closely mirrors his strategy on Twitter. He posts videos, photos, random thoughts, and original Threads content. "I post threads about what’s on my mind randomly — maybe it’ll be something I said as a tweet already or a one-off thought I had to post on Threads," he explains. "I’ll repost things I’ve seen on Threads from others that I like or relate to, but I’ll still definitely recycle my content and post new content on there as well." Kumar says recycling his media on Threads can introduce his content to a new audience. "It could potentially lead to a new set of eyes that didn’t get to see your content on your other platforms or could introduce people to you for the first time, and they can see what you’re about and what...

Who Should I (or My Business) Be on Threads? Should You Tweak Personal Branding for the New Platform? Meta has an answer to Twitter, and it's Threads. The social media conglomerate launched Threads in July, and the platform amassed 100 million users in just five days. If you're a brand looking to hop on the Threads train sooner rather than later, you're likely wondering what your leveraging of the app should look like.  Specifically, who should your brand be on Threads and should you tweak your personal branding? What kind of content are users posting and engaging with, and what type of personality shines on the platform? Threads is still relatively new, and there's still time for the app's overall vibe to develop and change, but here's what we know so far.   What is Threads? Threads is Meta's answer to Twitter (now recently rebranded to X). Threads is an app for Instagram users to post threads, reply to other users, and follow profiles. Posts and replies can include links, videos, photos, or any combination.  Once you sign up for Threads, you can import all of your followers from Instagram as followers on Thread. From a branding perspective, the import is helpful because you can seamlessly move most of your audience from Instagram to Threads.  What Makes Threads Different from X  Unlike X, Threads does not have hashtags, direct messaging, or a "For You" page that shows recommended content. Like X, Threads is a micro-blogging platform allowing text posts and...

How to Rebrand as a Content Creator and Stay Relevant When it comes to the term "rebrand," most people think of major company rebrands like Dunkin' or Lego. However, companies aren't the only entities that may find themselves in need of a change. Sometimes, content creators will need to rebrand, too, especially if the creator's interests have changed or the creator needs to keep up with the latest consumer trends or adhere to new platform guidelines. If you want to rebrand, you may wonder how to rebrand as a creator and remain relevant. To get some insight, I spoke with creator, blogger, and YouTuber Lisa De La Cruz, who recently went through a rebrand herself. Here's her story and tips for creators looking to switch up their content. Why a rebrand? The Challenge of Rebranding as a Creator How to Stay Relevant Through a Rebrand Why a rebrand? As I mentioned earlier, there are many reasons a content creator may choose to rebrand. In De La Cruz's case, the COVID-19 pandemic plays a role in her decision to change her content. "I rebranded because, at the height of the pandemic, the content I was creating was very local," she says, recalling her content that was geared toward her hometown of Reading, PA. "And due to regulations, I couldn't continue interviewing people in person. It also wasn't making me happy anymore." De La Cruz began shifting her focus toward the anime and manga industry to find her...