Don’t underestimate the power of a hashtag! According to Sprout Social, an Instagram post with at least one hashtag averages 12.6% more engagement than a post with no hashtags. Plus, if you use hashtags strategically, they will not only help you reach more people, they will help you reach the right people.
Every day that I come into work, I put my bag down, get settled, and jump onto my tightrope. The stakes are high because I really don’t want to fall off my rope. If I wobble to the left, I might end up in the land of creative writing, where everything is lovely and artsy but not always practical and helpful. If I topple off the right-hand side, I’ll fall into the dark pit of technical writing where I’ll be doomed to an eternity of boredom.
Walking into an educational session called “How to Make Your Content More Inclusive” at HubSpot’s INBOUND event earlier this year, I wasn’t convinced that it was going to be the best use of my time. That week was packed with speakers who delivered specific takeaway messages about creating more effective Facebook ads, Instagram posts, email newsletters, and so on. All lessons I really wanted to absorb, bring home with me, and instantly implement for our company and our clients. I confess, my attendance at this session was based on the number of open seats left, not how practical I thought it was going to be.
Trade shows: love them or hate them, if you’re in the manufacturing business you know that these events are still a common way for companies to gain more exposure and sell more product. There is something to be said for traveling to a place where hundreds of leads and customers are brought straight to you. So, what’s to hate? The cost.
As HubSpot partners and an agency who heavily relies on the platform, we’ve come to find out that many HubSpot users aren’t taking full advantage of all that the platform has to offer. Whether it’s that they were set up by another agency and never onboarded or they set themselves up and just haven’t had the time to really learn the platform, we see missed opportunities left and right. Of course, it takes time to get comfortable with any type of new software, but we can assure you that at least in this scenario, it’s time well spent.
From a customer standpoint, Google My Business profiles are extremely helpful. They show up on the right hand side of your web browser when you search for a local restaurant, for example. The profiles are chock-full of information like phone numbers, locations, hours of operation, various social links, photos, and even customer reviews. Whether someone is looking for recommended restaurants in a new place, or they’ve just forgotten what number to call to make reservations at an old haunt, they’ll often consult a search engine to get this information.
If you’re in digital marketing, then you’re probably pretty comfortable using various forms of social media by now, particularly Facebook. Of course, the platforms are constantly changing so there is often new information to learn. For example, video posts have all but taken over Facebook. So, even if you have the basics of social down, it’s important to pay attention to industry news and take note of any important trends.
If you’re a fee-only fiduciary, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re already a member of The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA). If you aren’t already, we seriously recommend considering it! This organization offers many perks, such as the “Find an Advisor” feature on the NAPFA website. If you are a member, we highly recommend spending some time on your profile through the NAPFA website if you haven’t yet.
If you're in marketing or sales, you've probably noticed that the process of turning prospects into leads into happy customers has changed drastically over the past decade. What's with that? Well, the easier it becomes to access and efficiently use the internet, the more well-versed our prospects are becoming. What this means for sales and marketing departments is that our buyers are knowledgeable enough to feel in control of the selling process, and honestly, the power is in their hands in a lot of ways.
In the era of constant online communication, it can be quite easy to commit a social faux pas. When typing at a screen instead of talking face to face, people tend to "act" differently. The rise of social media has created a plethora of platforms for “cyber bullies” and “trolls” to anonymously criticise whoever and whatever they want from the safety and comfort of their own homes. What might surprise you, however, is that even people you communicate with for business purposes might not know how to conduct themselves online.
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