Successfully marketing your own business or a client's business means embracing a lifelong journey of learning and staying abreast of the latest trends in marketing communications and public relations. But with this learning comes the challenge of navigating a deluge of expert advice. We've all encountered those anxiety-inducing headlines that grip us with urgency: "Worst Days of the Week to Post on Social Media," "Why You Should NEVER Pick Up the Phone When Pitching," "Top 5 Things Journalists Don't Want in a Pitch," "Follow This Word Count for a Successful Blog."

In today's modern world of social media and online news, everyone seems to be an expert with an opinion. However, it's crucial to recognize that not all advice is valuable, and discerning marketing professionals must carefully evaluate what truly applies to their unique situations.

Take, for instance, the countless articles advising on the best days of the week to post on social media. New articles crop up regularly, each presenting new surveys and research. Yet, these articles often contain conflicting information and are based on data collected from tens of thousands of businesses.

For example, HubSpot released an article on the best days to post in 2024, based on a survey of 30,000 businesses, suggesting that Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are ideal. But what if your business thrives on weekends? A restaurant, for instance, might find it advantageous to post early in the day on Saturday when its audience is planning their weekend activities.

​Another example comes from an article my team recently encountered, which advised against ever picking up the phone when pitching a journalist. The word "never" is a strong one, and in this case, it isn't sound advice. In our extensive experience in marketing and PR, we've often found that there are compelling reasons to pick up the phone. Media relations are, after all, about building relationships. Over time, we cultivate relationships with journalists who appreciate a phone call or text.

Additionally, in local broadcast pitching, sending a news release via email and following up with a phone call has resulted in successful media pickups. News directors have expressed their gratitude for the reminder, leading to media coverage that might not have occurred otherwise. The lesson here is clear: While not always necessary, picking up the phone can be crucial in certain situations.

These examples highlight a recurring theme: Expert insights are valuable, but discerning marketers must sift through the noise to find advice that genuinely applies to their unique circumstances.

What does it mean to be discerning about marketing advice?

Trust your own data: Don't prioritize third-party data over your own. Social media platforms and analytics tools can provide insights into when your audience is most active and engaged. Google Analytics can reveal which blog lengths drive clicks and boost search results. Often, you hold the key to what works best for your unique industry, business or client. Your data is a treasure trove of insights that can guide your marketing strategy.

Value your experience and expertise: If you've been working on marketing for your business or client for some time, trust your instincts and experience. You likely already know what drives the best results. Don't discount that knowledge! If calling certain media contacts has proven successful, continue doing so, regardless of what some expert says. Your experience is an invaluable asset that can lead to better outcomes.

Recognize your business's uniqueness: What works for one industry or business model may not work for another. Consider a business insurance company for tech startups; its audience differs significantly from that of a dog toy retailer. The insurance company may find success with longer, in-depth blog posts for its audience of PhDs and MBAs, while the dog toy retailer may achieve better results with shorter, entertaining posts. Tailor your strategies to suit your specific audience and niche.

Evaluate the source of advice: Consider who is providing the advice and whether they are credible. Ask yourself if you trust this person and their sources. Bad advice can lead to damaging outcomes. Ensure the advice you follow is relevant and applicable to your situation. Seek out thought leaders with proven expertise and a track record of success. Question the motives behind the advice, as some experts may have hidden agendas or conflicts of interest that could influence their recommendations. Cross-reference multiple sources to gain a well-rounded perspective and avoid relying on a single viewpoint.
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A better, data-driven approach to generic advice

We touched on the importance of not prioritizing others' data over your own — but this topic deserves deeper exploration. Data, metrics and measurement are the foundation of effective, results-driven marketing and PR. Data provides clarity and is beyond dispute. All marketing activities should have measurable, data-driven goals.

Data offers excellent insights when making decisions and can be applied to nearly any marketing dilemma. Should your Facebook posts be longer or more concise? A/B test and analyze the data. Are you using the right tactics when pitching media? Review your strategies across pitches to determine which ones yield the most placements. Should your YouTube videos be 10 minutes long or 20? Examine watch time data to see how many users watch the entire 20-minute video. Data is your decision-making ally.

Advice from others has undeniable value. It's essential for professional growth to stay informed about industry trends and learn from other professionals. However, discernment is key. As you absorb advice, insights and research, filter this knowledge to determine whether it makes sense for your business or client. Use robust measurement tools to assess your own findings. Let your data be your guide, and remember that while advice can be helpful, ultimately, the success of your marketing efforts relies on your ability to tailor strategies to your specific needs.



Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com
Image Credit: Photo by RDNE Stock project/Pexels

Is your email engagement dropping off lately? You may think your content is the culprit, but consider this: your emails could be landing in the spam folder. Large email service providers (ESPs), like Google and Yahoo, are enforcing tighter email-sending rules. So, if your campaigns aren't performing, it's time to reassess your practices.

A good place to start is your email list. As you add more contacts to it, remember that more than 25% of your leads decay yearly. Overlooking your bounce rate and spam complaint rate will ruin your reputation with ESPs and Internet service providers (ISPs) – and cause your messages to go to spam.

Prune these risky email addresses to boost deliverability

The health of your email database is vital to your email deliverability, meaning the rate at which your emails reach customers' inboxes. But how do you ensure your email list is healthy? Here are five types of email addresses you should remove from your database today.

Invalid email addresses

A bounce rate over 2% indicates that your list has degraded and needs some pruning. A high bounce rate affects your email deliverability, so never email a contact that bounced again. Instead, remove these invalid email addresses right away to help your campaigns go to the inbox. To prevent deliverability issues, consider cleaning your database regularly, especially before you send a mass email.

​Abuse emails

"Report spam" is a useful button in our inboxes. It allows us to tell our ESP when someone is emailing us without consent or has nefarious intentions. But many people hit the "report spam" button even when they subscribed to get those emails they're reporting. These types of accounts are called "abuse emails."

With Google and Yahoo requiring spam complaint rates to stay within 0.3%, you can never be too cautious about spam complaints. Using email validation software that can detect abuse emails — and weeding them out of your list — is an additional step you can take you help your campaigns land in the inbox.
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Disposable contacts

Have you ever created a digital content offer — like an ebook or whitepaper — to grow your email list? These kinds of lead magnets are still effective, but the problem is that not every person who downloads them uses their real email address. Sometimes, people use temporary contacts to get a free ebook or a discount without being added to a marketing list.

Temporary email addresses deactivate within minutes or days, leading to bounces. They have no place on your list, so remove them before your next campaign.

Spam traps

In 2023, spam emails made up more than 46% of the world's email traffic. While this percentage has been decreasing in the past few years, ISPs and email blocklist providers are always working to combat spam. Spam traps are just one of the methods they use to catch and block spammers.

Spam traps look like real email addresses, but they aren't. ISPs strategically place these traps on the Internet, often in locations where only spammers would find and add them to their lists. When an email is sent to a spam trap, it signals to ISPs that the sender is likely engaging in poor email practices, such as scraping addresses from the web or buying email lists. That sender will then be flagged as a potential spammer.

Hitting a spam trap can severely damage your reputation with ISPs, so avoid buying a database or adding random email addresses to your list.

​Passive subscribers

The overall engagement your emails get also matters to your reputation. So, if a segment of your email list is passive, it's detrimental to your deliverability. Do you have subscribers who haven't clicked on any of your emails in more than six months? Prune them out so you can maintain high metrics and allow your emails to reach your active audience.

Aside from skewing your engagement metrics, passive email addresses can also get deactivated by EPSs. If those accounts become invalid over time, that can increase your bounce rate and further sabotage your email marketing. Removing these subscribers means you can focus your resources on engaged contacts who are more likely to respond to your offers – and convert.

Bonus tip: Check email addresses in real-time

Running your database through email verification software a few times a year ensures you can remove invalid, temporary, abuse and spam-trap emails before they do any damage. But did you know you can also check email addresses before adding them to your list?

A real-time email verifier spots risky emails right away and rejects them from your sign-up forms. It's a proactive measure against bounces, spam complaints, and other incidents that affect your sender reputation and deliverability.

The best part is that most email verification companies offer a certain number of free monthly checks. If your list grows slowly, you can make the most of these offers and verify your subscribers' contacts to keep your data in shape.



Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com
Image Credit: ​Pixabay

As marketing leaders, we balance our creativity and strategic thinking against practicality. Still, every once in a while, a project comes along that allows you to let your imagination and strategic thinking flow and really "go big or go home."

Maybe you're introducing a new product, conducting a brand overhaul, or feeling the need to shake it up as a brand. Whatever your reasoning for trying a new, bold marketing strategy, opportunities for a strong return on your investment abound. Running with a big idea can also feel risky, especially if you're capitalizing on an emerging trend. Here are four ideas that can help you go big on a marketing campaign.

1. Consider the unexpected

With a mix of creativity and careful planning, a brand can capture audiences in an unexpected way. Recently, we utilized the unique canvas of Sphere in Las Vegas to create a larger-than-life storytelling experience for consumers.

After a careful review of prior activations exhibited on Sphere, The UPS Store team collaborated with Sphere Studios to produce two video activations inspired by our Be Unstoppable campaign that were displayed on the exterior of Sphere – known as the Exosphere, and the world's largest LED screen – and made our mark on an iconic skyline. Our eye-popping animations took viewers on a journey of the many treasured items we carefully package and the myriad places they reach, emphasizing the ability of The UPS Store to literally pack it all and ship it everywhere.

Collaborative activations not only refresh products and services in the eyes of target audiences, but they can also captivate untapped customers and uplevel the brand experience.

2. Leverage social media

While there are many ways to engage audiences, social media has a vast digital presence connecting users with brands of all sizes. According to data compiled by Pew Research Center, YouTube tops the list, with 83% of adults in the U.S. using video-based platforms. Facebook (68%) is a strong contender among adults' social media activity, followed by Instagram (47%), Pinterest (35%) and TikTok (33%). Looking more closely, women are more likely to use Pinterest than men (50% vs. 19%) and Black (39%) and Hispanic (49%) adults are more likely to use TikTok than Asian (29%) and white (28%) adults.

Understanding where and how your target audience shows up online can heavily impact the success of your marketing campaign. Start small by being active across social media channels. This will allow your brand to build trust with multiple audiences and create a runway for future campaigns to launch flawlessly.

3. Tie your idea to trending topics

Some of the most successful marketing campaigns have been activated by a major event, newsworthy moment or topic of conversation. No matter the scale of your campaign, local, regional, national and international trends are all relevant to different audiences.

One of the best ways to capitalize on a trending topic involves looking internally while keeping a constant pulse on opportunities externally. Kicking off New Year's Day 2024, The UPS Store featured its "The Beat of Achievement" float and won the Bob Hope Humor award at the famous annual Rose Parade. Our ornate floral float showcased our existing Start Small, Grow Big youth program with Junior Achievement USA in support of the next generation of entrepreneurs and small business owners. By building off and refreshing the theme of a long-established tradition, we artistically highlighted the importance of youth entrepreneurship.

4. Prioritize your customer needs

Customers are the primary users of products and services. They are the same people who generate interest and recommendations to others for these goods. Understanding the customer experience (CX) – and how your business can provide novel solutions to their needs – drives long-term business growth. According to the annual Zendesk CX Trends Report, three in four consumers will spend more money with businesses that provide a good customer experience.

An activation that mentors customers and enables their skills development while celebrating their achievement takes CX to the next level. Held annually, The UPS Store Small Biz Challenge creates learning experiences for entrepreneurs to grow their understanding of marketing, staffing, operations and company culture. Out of thousands of applicants from across the U.S., Small Biz Challenge awarded the top prize of $25,000 to winner Lacey Benard, co-owner of Bitty Bao and creator of bilingual Chinese books for children. We recognize that many of our customers rely heavily on our services to run their businesses. By providing resources and support, we uplift the creative and inspiring business leaders we serve.

Marketing, using equal parts creativity and strategy, has the potential to create long-term business success. Understand the audience, be open to collaboration, and leverage trends and platforms for maximum results on your next big idea.



Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com
Image Credit: ​Pixabay

How do you build a community of loyal customers? It's a question that likely haunts entrepreneurs and marketing managers. Here's the truth: It's easier than you think.

I grew a sports trading card YouTube channel to over 11,500 subscribers right in my college dorm room. Each morning, I would go live on YouTube to over 3,000 card collectors as we waited for Target to release more sports trading cards on its site. We would chat, open packs of cards, play games and so much more as the clock struck 9 a.m. when new sports card boxes were released.

It was a communal experience. Card collectors would even donate to me for keeping everyone entertained. Sometimes, I could earn $100–$200 per livestream just from donations from my audience — simple tips.
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That was when I first realized how powerful a community of loyal fans could be. If you can create a community of customers that are fans of your brand, your business can take off. The lessons and experience of that YouTube community led me to create my own venture, Build You Marketing, to help companies build and grow vibrant communities of loyal customers.

We have found great success with three different channels. Here is how you can use social media, email newsletters and press release campaigns to increase customer retention and loyalty and propel word-of-mouth marketing.

Social media

Personal LinkedIn
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Your personal LinkedIn page is one of the most powerful social media tools to grow your client base, especially if you are a B2B founder.
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One of my favorite moments was when I was on a sales call with a new client to help them with content marketing and the founder mentioned she was impressed with my LinkedIn content and how it built her trust for us to run her company's content strategy. Just the simple act of creating LinkedIn content on my own page built someone's trust, so I didn't have to do any selling.

Posting on your personal LinkedIn page has many benefits beyond selling, including:
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• Builds trust with your network
• Bolsters your industry credibility
• Invitations to special events, dinners, communities, etc.
• Establishes and maintains relationships with your professional circle
• Increases brand awareness

Of course, it makes sense for me to post on LinkedIn because I specialize in content marketing, but every entrepreneur and founder can benefit and build their own communities.

Anastacia Yefimenko, a classmate and client of mine, is the founder of a line of sustainable home care products, Elcove, that supports hotels' sustainability efforts. In the spring, she launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign and was able to raise some of the funds directly from her LinkedIn network (including people she didn't know) because they had followed her journey building the business and wanted to support her.

We posted stories of her early entrepreneurship career, milestones she has achieved such as press features or winning pitch competitions, and a few thought leadership posts about the problem she is solving that not only boosted her credibility but also helped to build relationships with people.

They bought her products simply because she consistently shared her story and inspired and motivated people who wanted to support her mission.

Facebook groups

On the flip side, if you're a B2C brand, LinkedIn personal branding may not help you as much, but local Facebook Groups can bolster your revenue in minutes. A lot of towns have Facebook groups consisting of local residents to chat about town happenings, news and more. Existing online communities are great places to share your story.

One example is to create a post thanking the community for their support and help in the growth of your business, but do not advertise your services directly.

We work with a junk removal company in Virginia and we wrote about the official first anniversary of these two college founders starting their business. We shared the post in over 30 local Facebook groups from the founder's personal Facebook page and drove thousands of reactions, comments and shares.

One of the posts, in a group of 1,124 members, received over 714 reactions alone. Most importantly, this turned directly into junk removal jobs for the boys. They fully booked themselves for three weeks out after these posts went up in local groups after struggling to book full days of business in a crowded market.

The best part is that there is no advertisement. We aren't asking for people to hire them or refer them out to neighbors — we simply posted a thank you and people booked them because they wanted to. Posting compelling and helpful content about your company in Facebook groups works well, because you're not advertising — or even asking people for referrals. You're participating in the community (like with a simple thank you) and building a relationship.

Email newsletters

Business update newsletter

Newsletters can be a great way to keep your business network informed about what's happening in your business and get people involved in the growth of your business.

You can share milestones and sneak peeks, ask for feedback/advice or just keep people posted that you're updating your marketing strategy. This makes people who receive the newsletter feel as if they have a stake in your business, and it propels a lot of people to want to help you grow the business.

We have seen successful outcomes from newsletters with a variety of content, including:

• Warm introduction to a retailer for a B2C brand
• Investor meetings booked from potential investors for a local tech company
• Customer feedback provided on new packaging options
• Referrals from current clients

These newsletters can build transparency and personal connections to your company, and they often prove to be a powerful way to tap into the network effect.

Public relations

Press release campaigns

What's better than a media outlet writing about you and your company's story? It instantly boosts your credibility, gets you in front of new potential customers, and helps with your website's search engine optimization (SEO).

For example, we launched a press campaign for Maxie's Delicatessen in Stoughton, Massachusetts (which has now closed since the owner wanted to retire), and it brought in thousands of new customers to the restaurant. Steve Robbins and Joyce Ann Silva ran Maxie's Deli for over 30 years, keeping old Jewish traditions alive through their recipes. We shared this story with a few local reporters, and Maxie's Deli soon was featured in The Boston Globe. This was followed by features in 20 other media outlets, including local and even national news sites.

As soon as these articles launched, business skyrocketed, bringing in thousands of customers and bolstering sales within days. Many first-time customers returned for a second, third and even fifth time to enjoy a Maxie's meal.

A PR campaign can change the nature of your business, and you can start by simply emailing a local reporter who writes about similar businesses or industries to your own.
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Creating a community of fans around your brand is vitally important to the longevity of your company. And, it doesn't need to be complicated or difficult. Startups can realize a noticeable impact with simple marketing initiatives with social media, newsletters and media.

If you can create a group of loyal customers who are passionate about your brand and feel a connection to it, then you will always have people motivated to help you grow.



Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com
Image Credit: ​Gerd Altmann / Pixabay