Brands should send a follow-up email a couple of weeks after a customer's purchase asking if they're satisfied with the purchase, then make a segment of those who are satisfied and those who aren't and trigger a plain-text customer support email for dissatisfied customers. Unsatisfied customers can be excluded from emails, such as review requests. This strategy allows you to collect customer feedback, generate better reviews, drive product adoption, and turn negative experiences into positive ones.
Mobbin, a mobile and web design reference library, originally showed a Free vs. Paid benefits comparison when Free users interacted with a paid feature. The team tested removing the Free column and instead focusing on the Paid plan, reframing the options as “Paid or skip”. This provided more space on the screen to add additional context about the Paid plan. The changes resulted in a 29% increase in visits to the pricing page (where users sign up for Paid) and a 19% increase in paid subscriptions.
Rippling, an HR and finance platform, increased its blog traffic from 2,380 to nearly 30,000 monthly visitors in one year by focusing on geo-specific keywords and producing targeted content. Its team conducted thorough keyword research to identify location-based terms that potential customers were searching for, then created hundreds of blog posts optimized for these keywords. The advantages of this strategy include providing highly relevant content to users, low competition, and higher conversion. The downsides are that the content has limited reach, is resource-intensive to produce, and requires frequent updates.
Chamaileon is an email builder platform for brands that have outgrown basic email builders but don't have the budget for enterprise platforms. It has a no-code drag-and-drop builder and a built-in design system. Chamaileon integrates with over 20 ESPs.
This website contains a library of copywriting tips for anyone looking to jazz up their value prop and voice on their website. It shares copywriting techniques, headline formulas, and explains cognitive biases that influence buyer decisions. A membership plan is required to access the full library.
Ikea is leveraging Roblox to attract a new generation of workers by launching a virtual store as part of its ‘Careers Done Different' campaign. This initiative invites Roblox players to apply for paid positions at Ikea's in-game store, offering a fun way to explore career opportunities at Ikea. The campaign will be integrated across social media and in-store activities, featuring elements like ‘pixelated furniture' to draw interest. The virtual store opens on June 24.
The pros and cons of 4 different PMax segmentation strategies. High margin segmentation, which separates top products from the long-tail, is common but is usually driven by bad assumptions. Product type segmentation groups similar products together, which can be effective if the grouping is done right. Brand and non-brand segmentation is sometimes effective, but often solves a problem that doesn't exist. Customer segmentation based on nCAC/LTV often has significant errors due to its complexity and can ultimately squeeze margins. Regardless of which segmentation strategy is used, every PMax account should have Zombie SKU campaigns, which include products that have low historical volume, and a Catch-all, which helps ensure you aren't missing anything in your build.
Product-market fit is defined as the alignment of a product's value with customer needs. It's important to design network effects from the start and use tokens to create self-reinforcing incentives, enhancing the product's value as more people use it. Engaging with early adopters or “smart” users is also crucial, as these users help shape the product roadmap. Identify and reward genuine power users to build a strong community. Investing in developers through token grants can also drive growth.
5 principles that make Magic Mind's product page effective: a compelling value prop, subscription incentives, multiple express checkout options, user testimonials, and a risk-free guarantee.
This article highlights the risks of misleading marketing claims, as evidenced by a class-action lawsuit against Poppi prebiotic soda for allegedly false advertising about gut health benefits.
Video consumption has increased following Meta's strong push into social videos on its platforms.
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Dentsu forecasts ad spend to grow 5% in 2024, for a total of $754.4 billion worldwide. Ad spend during the remaining months is expected to be fueled by a buoyant digital advertising market, the Olympics, and the US election. Digital advertising spending is expected to increase by 7.4% and capture 59.6% of the market this year.
About 24% of people now primarily use social media for online searches. A third accessing the internet solely via mobile phones. Gen Z uses Google 25% less than Gen X, opting more for platforms like TikTok for their searches. YouTube is also increasingly being used like Google, with 57% of people searching for information on it.
While consumers generally prefer products that appear easy to use, emphasizing simplicity can lead to greater dissatisfaction when issues arise. This is because they expect simple products to be flawless, leading to heightened frustration if they fail. Marketers should be cautious about promoting simplicity, especially for startups or companies in complex markets.
Effective cold emails require more than just catchy subject lines and CTAs. The Prospecting Venn Diagram emphasizes the importance of knowing your prospects' personas, accounts, personal backgrounds, as well as your product's value prop. Start with a 1-3 word subject line and personalize opening lines to show you've done your homework. Highlight a relevant challenge the prospect faces and offer a solution to demonstrate your understanding of their needs. Directly ask for a meeting instead of using indirect CTAs. Lastly, ensure your email is concise, easy to scan, and avoid using sales jargon.
Sending relevant emails with valuable content related to a user's specific needs can help motivate them to keep using your product. To craft an effective new user email flow, first identify key milestones in your product onboarding. Next, build out the “happy path” of your onboarding, which assumes the user completes every onboarding step. Finally, plan out the “sad path” email flow, which should aim to inspire and provide tips to the user to make progress.
Targeting a 1:3 CAC:LTV ratio or trying to lower CAC as much as possible is not the best strategy. It drives linear funnels instead of sustainable loops. The LTV calculation is usually loaded with endless assumptions that make it a useless metric. Use customer payback periods to measure acquisition activities instead. This article shares benchmark payback periods for B2C and B2B businesses.
A reliable content creation system can unlock your full creative potential, allow you to stay consistent with content creation, and help you improve the quality of your content. The 4 pillars of a good system are a Swipe File, a collection of inspiring ideas and examples; a Story Bank, a collection of personal stories and examples that you can use in content; an Idea Bank, a collection of your own ideas that you plan to develop; and a Content Backlog, a reserve of content that is either ready to post or easy to repurpose.
Instagram is testing unskippable ads that pause browsing with a countdown timer, a feature reminiscent of YouTube's ad breaks. This test reflects Instagram's transition towards prioritizing video content, aligning with its features like Stories and Reels. The trial, primarily met with user discontent, reveals Meta's plans to increase ad revenue at the possible expense of user experience.
A TV commercial needs to feel authentic to land with its audience. This is why a Starbucks ad flopped while a similar Diet Coke ad remains in our memory almost 20 years later. A great commercial focuses on the benefits of the product, which might mean using visual devices in place of the actual product. They also build aspiration, presenting a world you want to be part of without being too cheesy. The production details, such as music and camera angles, are also key to creating a smooth, multi-sensory experience.
2024.06.04·embeddedbrandstrategy.substack.com·6 min read·TLDR Marketing Social media used to be focused on connecting with friends. Now it has shifted towards entertainment and education, similar to traditional broadcast media like TV. The Conjoint Effect is a theory that people, brands, and creators are increasingly copying each other's content. Brands now need to evolve their strategies from mimicking human behavior to providing value through engaging content. They need to adopt a listening strategy to identify trends, leapfrog into unique content creation, and create a flywheel effect for consistent innovation.
Influencers should be compensated based on value instead of their engagement quantity.
After July 5, any remaining websites that were still being crawled with desktop Googlebot will be crawled with mobile Googlebot instead.
Creators in the US and UK have been reporting unauthorized use of their work by brands, leading to calls for proper permission and compensation.
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TikTok is working on a clone of its recommendation algorithm for its US users. This may result in a version that operates independently of its Chinese parent that might be more palatable to American lawmakers who want to ban it. Once the code is split, it could lay the groundwork for a divestiture of the company's US assets.
Meta is refocusing Facebook to appeal to young adults by shifting the platform towards recommendations rather than posts from friends. It is focusing on attracting the next generation of social media consumers. The company is using AI to improve recommendations for Reels and the feed.
Snapchat isn't just for kids - close to 25% of its users are 35+. The company recently reported 422M daily active users. Its new ad features aim to differentiate it from other platforms and attract more advertisers. These include enhanced Dynamic Ads, generative AI and AR tools, state-level targeting, and easier app installation.
Targeting low-competition keywords allows sites to rank faster as backlinks aren't required. Creating an SEO content hub builds topical authority, link authority, and perceived value. Repurposing content, such as creating a video from a blog post, allows you to reach a wider audience across platforms.
Adding proof elements to copy is one of the best ways to strengthen messaging. Use specific statements, such as quantified numbers, to make it believable. Point to the opinions of others, such as reviews or social media. Show how the product or service is used so visitors can imagine how it might work for their situation. Display authority with logos of the companies that work with you, awards and industry certifications, or proof of industry involvement.
If you run marketing at a B2B startup, ensure the founder, head of marketing, sales, and customer success share content on LinkedIn 3-5X a week. Share quick write-ups after customer calls, learnings from pain points, and content from the life or job of the person they're trying to sell to. It doesn't have to be polished, but it should contain real tactical examples, experiences, and lessons. Create a list of target customers and connect with everyone on LinkedIn, as over 50% of people will accept connections. Consistently comment on posts for 6+ months from people in your industry to boost your visibility and engagement.
Stackpointer is a search engine that provides insights into businesses by analyzing their tech stacks. Users can search for businesses using keywords or criteria like name, domain, or specific technologies.
Brave has launched Search Ads after 18 months of testing, allowing brands in the US, Canada, UK, France, and Germany to run CPC-based ad campaigns on its independent search platform. Brands like Amazon and Dell successfully trialed the service, which offers up to 14 days of complimentary advertising for eligible participants. Brave's new offering is pitched as a way to reach highly qualified, otherwise unreachable audiences.
Mindshare measurement offers marketers a way to directly link brand investment to sales and shareholder returns by focusing on high-demand, low-competition areas. By targeting specific demand spaces and understanding the S-curve of mindshare growth, brands can increase their visibility and customer receptivity, leading to higher conversion rates. This strategy involves sustained investment, strategic targeting, and leveraging both paid and organic channels to create lasting impressions and build a competitive advantage.
The advertising industry is divided between advocates of long-term brand building and short-term performance. Studies indicate that if an ad campaign doesn't perform well initially, it likely won't improve over time. Financial returns from advertising can start as early as 61 weeks, but often take up to 150 weeks. Advertising has a significant carryover effect, decaying at about 30% per year. While traditional media is often seen as superior, newer research indicates that online, content-integrated ads are far more effective.
Dedicate a section on your homepage to list your features, and place a toggle next to each one. On the other side of the screen, display a product mockup that changes based on the user's toggle selections.
Cameron Adams, CPO and co-founder of Canva, shares insights into the company's SEO growth strategy, 3-pillar framework for integrating AI into its product, and why it has no managers.
RCS (Rich Communication Services) is a standard that supports rich features in text messages, including high-quality GIFs, videos, and other interactive elements. Android phones already support it and Apple will likely support it as part of the upcoming iOS 18 update. Marketers' usage of RCS will likely continue to grow, especially once it's supported on Apple devices. Some example use cases include sending personalized messages, asking for the user's location to recommend an action in the user's physical environment, and embedding a carousel with five or more options that users can swipe through.
Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski faced backlash after stating that AI allowed the marketing team to do more work with half the team size. He had highlighted reductions in spending on photographers, image banks, and marketing agencies. Siemiatkowski attributed these savings to the use of Midjourney, DALL-E, and Adobe Firefly. Klarna's AI assistant also handles tasks equivalent to 700 full-time agents and produces 80% of the company's copywriting. Despite the efficiencies, his remarks sparked criticism on social media, with commenters saying they were “ghoulish”.
Find the timeframe where 75-85% of customers would repurchase your products/services and tee up your win-back messaging around that time. Consider segmenting your dormant recipient list by high LTV vs. low LTV, high intent vs. low intent to buy, or location. Experiment with an email sequence — 2 to 5 win-back emails with time delays in between — to increase the odds the recipient will open, engage, and click through. The most effective win-back efforts are also omnichannel — start with email, follow up with an SMS, and retarget on social media.
SEO "Goldilocks zone" is a strategy focused on finding areas with high demand but low competition, making SEO efforts both impactful and sustainable. This article emphasizes the importance of market research, understanding customer needs, and creating unique value propositions to identify and dominate these niches. By using this approach, marketers avoid overcrowded markets and wasted efforts in low-demand areas, ensuring a more strategic and deliberate approach to SEO.
The general rule of thumb on whether to post content during crises is “if you're uncertain, don't post”. Brands get nothing out of tossing up organic content the same day as a mass shooting, invasion, or major political moment. It's important to get a system and chain of communication in place to determine when it is appropriate for your brand to start posting again. This author shares his strategy of using global sentiment scores based on the Hedonometer to decide when to resume posting.
Personalization is increasingly cited as both a revenue driver for businesses and an expectation for consumers. However, it will fall short if user segmentation is arbitrary or too broad. Dynamic user experiences are personalizations that modify a user's experience by leveraging the attribute(s) of that individual user. This article walks through examples of dynamic experiences, a framework for creating them, and specific steps to take to start building them.
Marketing focuses on promoting the brand, company, and product, while Product Marketing focuses on supporting the product across the buyer journey. However, Product Marketing and Marketing do work in close tandem to get acquisition results and share the same top-level metrics. This post includes a chart that breaks down the differences in roles in terms of funnel focus, typical activities, challenges, and more.
This article explores how behavioral science can transform marketing by leveraging psychological principles to influence consumer behavior. The authors discuss the importance of translating abstract benefits into concrete language, using specificity to boost credibility, and admitting flaws to build trust. By applying these techniques, marketers can create more memorable, persuasive, and effective campaigns that align with fundamental human tendencies.
Only 37-40% of employees in retail, manufacturing, and nonprofit sectors feel their leaders are prepared for GenAI, compared to 56% in tech sectors. Leaders need to create a psychologically safe environment for employees to explore GenAI's benefits, ensuring it enhances job fulfillment rather than inciting fear. Baby boomers are more likely to embrace tech with practical implications for daily life. Job crafting can also help demystify GenAI by clearly defining how GenAI workflows would be integrated into employees' job descriptions.
New "challenges" within the loyalty schemes of major UK supermarkets, including Tesco and Sainsbury's, aim to reward customers for higher spending, raising concerns among consumer groups about potential overspending. As supermarkets tout these programs as offering better value and tailored savings, organizations like 'Which?' and 'StepChange' caution that these incentives may lead consumers to spend more than they can afford, particularly in the context of rising food prices.
With diminishing organic traffic, tracking limitations, and platforms moving to closed-wall experiences, marketers will need to learn how to scale attention instead – as marketers used to do in eras past.
A reminder that as of June 1st, the deliverability updates for Google, Yahoo, and AOL will be fully in effect.