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Tag: Marketing

  • Running effective ads for your music – ReverbNation Blog

    Running effective ads for your music – ReverbNation Blog

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    Music marketing. It’s something you need to do, right?

    Especially if you want to find new fans, grow your streaming activity, drive merch and ticket sales, and build a sustainable music career.

    In this article I’m going to show you how I got 1800+ new plays in just a few days.

    Here’s a giveaway: It involves advertising. And I set a budget of less than $50.

    Yep. Spending money. But as the saying goes, “you have to spend money to make money.” Or put in music terms, you often have to spend money to reach new audiences and build a lasting fanbase.

    Here’s the good news: If you don’t know much about advertising or marketing, getting 1800+ people to interact with my music out of a total of 10k “impressions” (people who were served the ad) in less than a week is an impressive result. And now that I know my first week’s results, I can confidently let the ad run longer as budget allows.

    I’ll outline my approach below.

    But first, if you’re one of the people who groaned when you thought about spending money on ads, let’s look at some of the shortcomings of other promo options.

    The limitations of other music promo 

    College radio promotion can be worth the effort, especially if you’re doing it the DIY route and establishing your own direct relationships with DJs. But you’re mostly reaching small localized audiences who can’t easily connect the dots between airplay and online engagement. 

    Posting video content on social is one of the best ways to nurture your relationship with an audience, but it won’t guarantee that anyone new discovers you beyond existing fans. 

    Enter advertising, a key component of an overall marketing strategy. 

    Music advertising can be a powerful way to:

    • Target the right audiences
    • Generate awareness and brand recognition
    • Drive specific results
    • Follow-up with new fans

    But when you start advertising your music, platforms like Meta Ads Manager can be extremely complicated to use, and very intimidating for new marketers. It’s a labyrinth in there and they keep moving the walls!

    No joke, I’ve heard from many musicians who needed to spend a dozen hours or more just to get properly set up to run ads on Facebook and Instagram.

    So where does that leave you?

    The simplest way to build your music fanbase with ads

    Well, we’ve created a tool to help you find fans in places where music listeners are already discovering new artists — on sites and platforms like Spotify, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Billboard, The FADER, NME, and Facebook.

    And in this article I’ll show you how easy and effective it is.

    The tool is called Promote It, and we made it user-friendly and budget-friendly for independent musicians. You can launch your first campaign in minutes.

    Special offer: From now through August 31st, you can save $10 on a Promote It campaign when you set a campaign budget of at least $21. Use the code PROMOTEIT10 at checkout. 

    With a Promote It campaign, you can:

    • Feature your song on major music websites
    • Promote an upcoming show or festival
    • Drive new listeners to Spotify
    • Launch ads on Facebook
    • Get feedback about your track
    • Test different songs to see which performs best
    • Get back in front of fans who’ve shown interest in your music

    What artists are saying about Promote It:

    “I’ve enjoyed using ReverbNation’s Promote It feature because, as an emerging artist that is still building a following, the tool is a way of showcasing my music to listeners of different backgrounds beyond my family and friends.”

    – Sarah Dell

    “Promoting a new song is crucial to its success. Reverbnation’s Promote It campaign has been a reliable way for me to promote my songs to a real audience and boost my chart position.”

    – Mike Williams

    How to launch an ad campaign in minutes:

    1. Log into ReverbNation (or quickly create a free artist account).

    2. Go to the “Promote” tab.

    3. Decide on your objective: Do you want to get video views, Spotify plays, feedback on your latest song, traffic to a specific landing page? 

    Knowing your objective helps us format and place the ad correctly. It also helps us automatically imports the most relevant content, such as a song player or video player, which — depending on your ad objective — can be played right there within the banner ad, without the visitor having to leave the website they’re on.  

    What’s a good objective to start with?

    If you want listeners to check out your track right there and then, without having to leave the website they’re already on, choose the “Promote a Song” option.

    Campaign results, of course, will vary depending on your music, the visuals, the text, and the audience. But in general, “Promote a Song” ads get the highest level of engagement because there is the least amount of “friction” (extra clicks, extra pages, extra steps, etc.) for the viewer.

    All they have to do is hit the play button right there within the playable banner ad!

    4. Choose or add the song you want to promote.

    5. Select the “Advertise on Music Websites” option.

    6. Choose a layout for the ad.

    7. Select (or upload) a background image and customize how it appears in your ad.

    You can Drag or crop the image to adjust its appearance behind the text. Also, select if the image should be full-color or B&W.

    The style of the image should work with your musical brand, and it’s difficult to give too specific advice here, since that “vibe” will differ for every artist. However, be mindful to create enough contrast between the image and the overlaid text that your messaging is clear and bold. In the example below, I chose a simple and dark photo so the text would pop. 

    8. Add two rows of text; a headline and supporting tagline.

    Space is limited, so be bold! Use some of the proven tricks of marketing copywriting; make a promise, share an impressive quote or testimonial, or create a sense of daring. For instance, one of the ads I’m running shared a press quote from LA on Lock that said my music was “Songwriting at its best.”

    That’s a brag, for sure. But also… I’m challenging the person on the other end of the ad to confirm or deny that claim. “Oh, songwriting at its best, huh? I’ll be the judge of that. Lemme listen and see.”

    The tagline, in most cases, should use your artist name and clearly tell people what to do.

    For my ad, it says “Listen to Chris Robley now.”

    9. View the ad previews.

    You’ll have a chance to see your ad in various display dimensions before you finalize the campaign. If it looks good, proceed. If not, you can still make edits!

    10. Select a budget for your campaign.

    Choose your daily or lifetime budget. How long you run the campaign will depend on your objective. But keep in mind that many successful music ad campaigns leave ads running for at least a week or longer, as opposed to burning through the budget in just one or two days. 

    Run your music ads and monitor results

    And that’s it! 

    ReverbNation will handle all the audience-targeting based on your genre and location, and we’ll take care of all the placements, ensuring your ads appear on relevant platforms and websites.

    And if you run more ads in the future, we’ll automatically target people who previously interacted with your music, videos, and ads. 

    Once your ads are running, you’ll see real-time stats for engagement and where people are discovering your music!

    To help you get started, we’re giving you $10 off your next Promote It campaign* 

    * From now through August 31st, you can save $10 on a Promote It campaign when you set a campaign budget of at least $21. Use the code PROMOTEIT10 at checkout. 

    FAQ:

    What kinds of things can I achieve with Promote It ads?

    There are a number of ad goals to choose from, including:

    • Driving Spotify streams
    • Discovery, brand awareness, and building buzz
    • Getting feedback on a track to test a track’s “market-viability”
    • Boosting web traffic for a ticket page, smartlink, merch item, etc. 
    • And more

    Do I need a ReverbNation account to run Promote It ads?

    Yes, but… it’s free and easy to create a ReverbNation account. 

    What types of ads get the best results?

    The answer will vary depending on the artist, genre, audience, and content. But as a general rule, you’ll often see better results with ads that require fewer clicks to get to the end goal. 

    Because of that, you’ll probably see the best results with a “Share a Song” or “Share a Video” ad type where the content plays right there within the banner ad itself. Visitors don’t have to leave the website they’re on or take any other action besides simply hitting play. 

    Will advertising be enough?

    Advertising is one component of an overall marketing strategy. You still need to create great music and social content, grow your customer list, make merch offers, play live, try to get press, etc. 

    Major label superstars use advertising in conjunction with a host of other marketing efforts. Their social content generally engages existing fans. Radio and playlist promo helps drive passive listening. And so forth. So don’t expect advertising to do all the work. Ads can be helpful in making introductions and creating a “halo effect.”

    If you’ve dialed in an engaging social presence and live concert experience, it’s time to turn the ad budget on in order to bring NEW fans to those aspects of your career you’re already doing well. 

    Can I do “retargeting” with Promote It?

    In a way, yes. Retargeting is built into the functionality of our tool. So your new ads will automatically be served to anyone who previously engaged with your music, video, and ads. 

    Can I run multiple ads at once? 

    Yes. And in fact, that’s often a good thing to do. Simultaneous campaigns can give you a better sense for which ad-types, copy variations, images, and objectives perform best for your music.

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    Chris Robley

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  • SMZ Chosen as Agency of Record for The Henry Ford

    SMZ Chosen as Agency of Record for The Henry Ford

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    The collaboration of these two longstanding Detroit area organizations aims to propel forward-thinking conversations nationally through traditional and digital marketing efforts


    TROY, Mich., August 22, 2024 (Newswire.com)
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    Simons Michelson Zieve (SMZ), a 360-degree agency providing everything from media to creative to performance marketing, announced today that it has been selected by The Henry Ford in Dearborn as its agency of record. The agency will manage a wide variety of services for the multivenue museum, including strategy, brand stewardship, creative and media. The Henry Ford includes Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation™, Greenfield Village®, and the Ford Rouge Factory Tour along with the Benson Ford Research Center®, Giant Screen Experience, Henry Ford Academy® and offers specialty programs throughout the year and an online presence at thehenryford.org.

    “We are honored to be partnering and collaborating with The Henry Ford, one of the country’s most revered cultural institutions, and proud to have a shared history established in Detroit and sustained for nearly a century,” said Debbie Michelson, vice chair, client director at SMZ. “The Henry Ford has brought innovation, inspiration, imagination, ingenuity, and insight through its initiatives for 95 years and we are very excited to have this opportunity to magnify and share their mission with the world.”

    SMZ was selected through a competitive review which highlighted its strategic thinking, along with its fully integrated media and creative capabilities. Additionally, the shared values, loyalty, and longevity of the organizations, both started in 1929, contributed to the decision to partner. 

    Through the partnership, SMZ will develop strategic campaigns to amplify The Henry Ford’s mission to help shape a better future through unique educational experiences based on authentic objects, stories, and lives from America’s traditions of ingenuity, resourcefulness, and innovation. 

    “For 95 years, SMZ has amplified the mission and brand of businesses, nonprofits and cultural institutions across the country,” said Ellen Hill Zeringue, Vice President of Venues, Programs and Marketing for The Henry Ford. “The mission of this full-service agency clearly parallels that of The Henry Ford and we are thrilled to be working with this team in an effort to introduce this institution and its world-class collections and programs to new audiences.”

    ABOUT SMZ

    SMZ is Detroit’s oldest independent advertising agency and a tight-knit group of listeners, thinkers and doers who have delivered winning ideas for 95 years. Current client partners include The Henry Ford, Michigan Lottery, Broadway in Detroit, Comerica Bank, University of Michigan-Flint, Detroit Tigers, Planet Fitness, Genisys Credit Union, General RV and more. Learn more at smz.com.

    ABOUT THE HENRY FORD 

    Located in Dearborn, Michigan, The Henry Ford is a globally recognized destination that fosters inspiration and learning from hands-on encounters with artifacts representing the most comprehensive collection anywhere focusing on innovation, ingenuity, and resourcefulness. Its unique venues include Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Greenfield Village, Ford Rouge Factory Tour, Benson Ford Research Center, Giant Screen Experience and Henry Ford Academy, a public charter high school. The Henry Ford inspires every individual to unlock their potential and help shape a better future through a variety of channels, including its online presence thehenryford.org, its Emmy®-winning national television series, The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation, and The Henry Ford’s Invention Convention Worldwide, a global K-12 invention education curricular program that teaches students problem-solving, entrepreneurship, and creativity skills. With the support of a growing community of affiliates and supporters, The Henry Ford is the home of RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals, Invention Convention Americas and Invention Convention Michigan.

    Source: Simons Michelson Zieve (SMZ)

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  • Accelerate generative AI adoption through leadership

    Accelerate generative AI adoption through leadership

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    In season 3 of my podcast series, I engaged with marketing leaders to explore their paths to incorporating generative AI into their daily workflow. Along the way, these industry experts offered practical tips and insights into how senior business leaders can begin or accelerate an AI journey within their own organizations. 

    Business leaders are increasingly recognizing that training and education are essential for integrating AI into the workplace. In a recent survey, 82% of leaders report that their employees will need new skills to prepare for the growth of AI. Today, I’m excited to share some thoughts on the various ways business leaders can inspire their teams to harness the power of AI. 

    Facilitate digital transformation by embracing the unknown

    For businesses eager to explore the capabilities of generative AI, senior leaders can facilitate digital transformation by embracing the unknown. Pip Arthur, Chief Marketing Officer for Microsoft Asia, advises leaders to jump in and start learning. “Get curious and take the time to more deeply understand this technology and the innovations that are ongoing,” says Arthur. “My other advice would be to get uncomfortable because we have not experienced this before.” 

    Incorporating generative AI requires a willingness to experiment and discover new ways to work. Leaders who accept the learning phase as an essential part of the process can inspire their teams to explore together. “Navigating this world of AI is really going to require adaptive leadership to help your teams do things that they’ve never done before in ways they’ve never done before,” says Stephanie Ferguson, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft’s Global Demand Center. 

    By encouraging experimentation and developing a working knowledge of generative AI, business leaders can help lay a foundation for governing organizational use. “One of the things I’m starting to see is to have a strategic AI team within the organization who puts in the governance rules,” says Chandra Stevens, Principal, Customer Experience Solutions Growth/Development, at Microsoft. 

    Audio description version: https://youtu.be/G1FOWGt6fB4

    As senior leaders consider expanding AI use in their organizations, focusing on data and small steps can help gain buy-in from employees. The most important step for any AI adoption journey is preparing a business’s data estate to maximize the value of AI-powered tools. 

    In my discussion with Jose Luis Ortiz, Head of Sales for Microsoft US Retail and Consumer Goods, Ortiz emphasizes the importance of preparation. “[Businesses need] to build the right infrastructure, they need to be in the cloud, and they need massive amounts of computer storage and inferencing power so that they can really make generative AI work,” says Ortiz.  

    After the organization’s data estate is in order, leaders can focus on specific use cases where generative AI can improve operational efficiency and productivity. “Typically, when they’re in that early phase, [they should] think about two to three use cases and use some off-the-shelf tooling that can help expedite [them],” says Stevens. 

    Exercise the AI muscle daily 

    Business leaders can also accelerate their organization’s journey by encouraging and demonstrating daily AI use. Using Copilot for Microsoft 365, employees can harness the power of generative AI as they work with tools like Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint. “[Consider how] you infuse generative AI into the tools that you work with every day so that you can [work faster in Microsoft] Excel and [Microsoft] PowerPoint, respond to emails, summarize, and draft things,” says Ortiz.  

    For marketing and sales teams, applications such as content and image creation save considerable time. In my discussion with Stevens, she recommends approaching each task wondering how AI can make it more efficient. “When I do my brief, how do I start generating my brief with AI?” says Stevens. “What is the imagery that should go into my content?” 

    Marketing industry experts emphasize the importance of encouraging teams to use AI daily. “Leaders, please ask your teams how they’re using generative AI every day,” says Jennifer Kattula, General Manager of Marketing at Microsoft Advertising. “Building that muscle as a team is absolutely critical.”

    Harness the power of AI 

    Generative AI–powered tools are reshaping how marketing and sales teams gain better customer insights while increasing productivity. Senior business leaders and executives can accelerate their organization’s AI journeys by embracing the unknown, taking small steps, and encouraging daily AI use. 

    For more insights into how generative AI is boosting productivity and efficiency in marketing, check out my current podcast series, “Navigating Marketing & AI,” on LinkedIn or YouTube.

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    Sydne Mullings

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  • GMB Announces New Brand Centered on Creating Abundance in Education

    GMB Announces New Brand Centered on Creating Abundance in Education

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    HOLLAND, Mich., August 13, 2024 (Newswire.com)
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    GMB, a planning, architecture, engineering, enrollment marketing, and branding firm serving schools and universities, has announced a new brand to support their evolving organization. GMB has recently expanded its service offerings for clients in education and is focused on equipping and empowering students to build a better future of abundance.

    GMB’s team provides a comprehensive package designed to address the multifaceted needs of educational institutions. With an integrated approach, educators receive a cohesive strategy where each service complements and strengthens the others, leading to enhanced outcomes for schools and students.

    “When you hire GMB, you receive a full range of curated services to support your brand and your buildings,” said David Bolt, GMB President and CEO. “Instead of offering a menu of services to choose from, GMB provides a full-service bundle of interconnected resources which saves schools and universities both time and money.”

    GMB has engaged in several exclusive partnerships to support this holistic evolution. Partnerships with Secure Environment Consultants (SEC) provide clients with built-in safety and security services, and with sustainability and energy experts to integrate with our engineering solutions. GMB also acquired a full-service marketing firm in 2023, providing branding, digital, and enrollment marketing services for higher education institutions across the U.S.

    To illustrate these bold organizational changes, GMB is introducing a new brand and identity that goes beyond traditional architecture and engineering. GMB’s updated logo drops the reference of only offering architecture and engineering services and embraces a new look that speaks to growth and the firm’s evolving nature. A new vibrant color palette evokes a fun and energetic nature that reflects the students we serve.

    “We are excited to expand our impact and reach a broader audience of educators and students of all ages,” added Jeff Hoag, Educational Planner with GMB. “We believe that the more we can share, the more people who have access to resources and knowledge will help all of us increase the abundance, creativity, and inventiveness in the world.”

    GMB employs more than 200 people across the country and has been serving clients for over 56 years. We are a people-centric and empowered team working together to contribute to an equitable, sustainable, and abundant future for all.

    Source: GMB

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  • For Franchisees to Succeed, They Need This Critical Support From Franchise Owners | Entrepreneur

    For Franchisees to Succeed, They Need This Critical Support From Franchise Owners | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    When sales are down in a franchise network, the franchisor tend to be the party chiefly held responsible. It’s a diverse and challenging job — one that includes marketing on two levels: recruiting the right franchisees and then the unit-level marketing for which they will be paying a fee (typically a percentage of their sales), often expecting the moon in return.

    Attracting and retaining prospects or customers is everyone’s job in a business, but marketing with a consistent and compelling message really does start at the top. One of the benefits of joining a franchise system, after all, is to be privy to existing and successful branding and outreach, including trade dress, professional signage, website design and advertising templates.

    But before we look at what you as a franchisor need to provide to franchisees for local marketing efforts, let’s start with what characterizes a winning recruitment program.

    Related: The 8 Rules to Live By in Franchise Marketing, According to Top Franchise CMOs

    Marketing to potential franchise owners

    First and foremost, sales materials need to be both compelling and meet compliance rules. Different states have different requirements, so hire a franchise marketing expert as well as legal counsel to ensure you’re both hitting the right notes as well as acting in accordance with both state and federal law.

    And even if you’ve been franchising for years, it’s never a bad idea to revisit sales materials to update messaging, check for unified look and feel, re-ensure compliance and take advantage of any new channels. How many franchisors dreamed they’d be considering making TikTok videos even five years ago?

    Start with a website that will capture your intended audience’s imagination — one that reflects and burnishes the brand, tells a good story and spells out the specific and unique benefits your franchise offering provides.

    It’s also important to leverage a variety of media, including electronic collateral materials, search engine and social media ad campaigns, direct marketing tactics and trade shows and publications. And know your audience so that you’re putting time and effort in the right places.

    Since prospects have become used to getting immediate responses, technology will play a big part in ongoing communications with potential buyers, particularly once they become leads. Whether via AI chatbots, texts, email or phone call, find out how candidates like to receive information and interact.

    Additionally, have both a plan and a budget. If you don’t have the in-house staff to develop and execute a franchise marketing plan, hire a firm with expertise (and success) in creating and implementing plans for other franchises. This is not the time to just throw ideas at the wall and see what sticks.

    Related: The Real Cost of Franchising Your Business

    Marketing at the unit level

    Once you have franchisees who have joined your system, it’s your responsibility to support them in promoting and marketing. Word of mouth has traditionally been considered the best form here, but with the takeover of social media, words are coming out of a great many mouths now — and not just your fans’. To ensure you and your franchisees are sending the same message, provide them with sample content, and at least monitor (better yet, directly manage) their online (including social media) presence, as well as overall marketing messaging.

    Keeping an eye on all franchisees’ marketing activities may sound daunting, but it’s vital to not leave things to chance. At minimum, approve all content posted on their individual social media accounts or websites/webpages. A better approach, I’ve found, is to provide templates and messaging so that the look and feel of all posts, announcements, promotions and videos are always on-brand. These can be generated using your own staff and/or an outside agency.

    Yet another idea is to take a hybrid approach, in which the franchisor manages the overall campaigns, but allows franchisees to do posts for territory-specific events, as long as they get content approved beforehand.

    To be sure, this direct-manage approach requires dedication and planning, and may seem to not leave much room for spontaneity. So, make an effort to be responsive when a franchisee wants to advertise or post about something going on in their market.

    Another important consideration: When establishing a brand development (or system marketing) fund, do the math to ensure that fees collected from franchisees will be adequate to cover the expenses of creating marketing materials, including staff time. Make plain to them that such fees benefit each local franchise, certainly, but are also used to help fund regional or national campaigns from which the entire system benefits. Lastly, consider having any parent-company-owned stores contribute the same percentage for system marketing as franchisees so there is a sense of equitable participation across the entire network.

    Related: Your Franchise Marketing Needs This Secret Weapon to Captivate and Convert

    There will always be pressure (on new and emerging franchisors in particular) to come up with fresh marketing materials to justify marketing fund contributions. Historically, one of the most common complaints from franchisees is that they expected to receive more support in this area. And some franchisors further require a specific spend by franchisees for their own in-territory marketing, which can be a source of additional consternation. One additional solution may be to blend both of these fees into a combined percentage, especially if an outside agency is being used to manage campaigns.

    But no matter how you architect your marketing funds and programs, transparency is key. Provide regular accounting/reporting on how funds are being used, including efforts towards social media growth and ad reach, and have proof ready as to how campaigns are working.

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    Emiliano Jöcker

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  • I Turned Down A Major Retailer Who Wanted to Carry My Product. Here’s Why Other CPG Founders Should Too | Entrepreneur

    I Turned Down A Major Retailer Who Wanted to Carry My Product. Here’s Why Other CPG Founders Should Too | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Founders often dream of being sold in Costco — but last year, when Costco offered to carry my beverage brand, O2 Hydration, I said no.

    It was a gut-wrenching decision. I love Costco and would love to be carried in Costco, but also I knew a terrible truth: My brand just wasn’t ready yet. And if you go big before you’re ready, retail can kill you.

    If you have a product that you want to sell on shelves, here are three things you absolutely need in place before saying yes to a retailer.

    1. Understand Your Market and Prove Demand

    Before scaling as a CPG founder, you need a deep understanding of your market and must prove demand for your product.

    For my brand O2, we started our retail efforts in a single region with a single retailer, Whole Foods. We expanded to 10 Whole Foods within a year, and then we expanded to a full region. This approach allowed us to understand what worked, and then double down on that.

    For example, we found that product samples drew customers in, and they were hooked once they heard our story. That’s awesome insight, but it means we had to scale accordingly. By running a slow ground game, we built a loyal customer base and secured more shelf space — and we did it store by store, and region by region.

    2. Secure the Necessary Resources to Replicate

    O2 was flying off shelves at Whole Foods, so we thought we were ready for prime time and agreed to launch nationally with Kroger, Publix, and Sprouts the following year.

    That’s when we learned our first hard lesson about retail.

    When we expanded across the country, the lack of geographic concentration diluted our efforts. We initially had success by focusing on the Midwest, where our team could actively support and promote our products. But when we went national, we couldn’t hire and train people fast enough to replicate what we were doing on a national level, and we were promptly discontinued.

    Pro tip: Having a concentrated geographic focus allows you to manage and support your retail partners more effectively. It also helps in building brand recognition and customer loyalty in specific regions before expanding further. Without the right resources, you can’t support the increased demand and logistics that come with larger retail placements. This can lead to out-of-stocks, poor customer experience, and ultimately, being dropped by retailers.

    3. Have the Conviction to Say “Not Yet”

    When a retailer offers to carry your brand, it can feel like winning the lottery — and founders are often afraid to say no. They worry that it means closing a door.

    That’s not the case. It’s perfectly appropriate to say, “Not yet.”

    Retailers want brands that are set up for success, and they’re relying upon the brands to know if they’re ready. Brands must ensure that they have the necessary resources in place, in the right regions, before agreeing to retail expansion — and they also need to know what tools can get your product off the shelf.

    For example: How often do you promote your product, and at what price? What off-shelf merchandising do you need to be successful, and how will you obtain it?

    Retailers will not do this for you. You’re Odysseus and they’re the sirens. They see something working, and they want to push it out as fast and as wide as possible, and they’ll dangle a seductive six-to-seven figure PO in front of you to get what they want. They assume you know what’s working, have figured out how to scale it, and have secured the resources needed to do so. So if you say yes, you better know all of that!

    If you don’t, then say “not yet.” The retailer will respect you for it. You just saved everyone a lot of heartache.

    Retail expansion can be incredibly seductive, but it’s essential to ensure that you’re genuinely ready before taking the leap. By understanding your market, securing necessary resources, and building geographic concentration, you can set your brand up for sustainable success. Remember, saying no when you’re not ready can save your business and turn future opportunities into even bigger wins when you are.

    Now you understand why I turned down Costco. I know my market well; my product sells great in many regions, and in specialty retailers nationwide. I’m building toward that national, mass-market ground game — and when I finally say yes to Costco, it’ll be because I’m confident I can make it a win for us both.

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    Dave Colina

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  • 5 Financial Blind Spots That Could Be Preventing You From Making More Money | Entrepreneur

    5 Financial Blind Spots That Could Be Preventing You From Making More Money | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Money can often be the barrier between being stuck where you are or breaking through to the next level. This includes having or not having a budget, using it properly, hidden revenue or even misaligned goals — all of which influence your growth trajectory. These four common secrets have helped my company elevate our clients to the next level.

    1. Financial transparency for ROI

    The first blindspot we often notice with new clients is not having a clear reporting connection between your tools, like ads and a CRM like HubSpot, to see which channels drive the most significant return on investment (ROI). Do you know your best-performing channels? Or your best-performing piece of sales copy? What is the most opened document that leads to a closed deal?

    And we’re not just talking about marketing and sales; this applies to many connected platforms — for example, the closed-loop revenue or your ERP systems. When things are not connected, they are disjointed and siloed. You end up flying blind. Without connecting your marketing tools with your revenue tools, and with that being CRMs, finance platforms, or ERPs, to name a few, there is a disconnect, and the arms and legs end up moving in different directions.

    Here’s a simple example we see all the time: If you knew that one channel drove more deals by a 75% faster conversion rate, wouldn’t you invest more time and energy in that channel than one that only had a conversion rate of 10%? Many people don’t want to share the revenue numbers within the company, but all of that information informs the other departments; without sharing these revenue numbers, your money secret is keeping it in hidden silos.

    Related: I Hit $100 Million in Annual Revenue by Being More Transparent — Here Are the 3 Strategies That Helped Me Succeed

    2. Strategic investment for avoiding blind spots

    Another financial blindspot is not investing in marketing. We have had prospects come in with no budget and no internal marketing team, but we want to grow by 150% and spend a total of $1,000. I wish achieving growth like this was possible, but unfortunately, it’s not. The old adage that you get what you pay for, or it takes money to make money, speaks the truth. Your investment goals should match your growth goals. The amount of money invested should be measured not just by short-term, quick wins but also by looking at long-term investment to growth.

    You would never measure an HR department strictly on the number of hires. However, looking at the whole picture of longevity amongst many other important KPIs, You would not use an HR department for a few months. It is something that is constant and needs care and attention. Marketing is no different — if you strictly only measure marketing by the number of leads, you are missing out on the full picture. Marketing helps push leads through nurture campaigns, creates automation, leads scoring, builds new campaigns and tests, supports sales enablement activities and many other components. A buying cycle is rarely a straight line to click and buy unless we’re discussing Amazon.

    That said, everyone has budgets, margins and bumper lanes they need to stay in. I am by no means saying throw your budget to the wind, but your goal should match your budget. If you have modest growth goals, be realistic about the budget needed to get there. Set incremental micro goals but stay the course for long-term growth.

    Related: You Won’t Have a Strong Budget Until You Follow These 5 Tips

    3. Data-driven decisions to save money

    Another money secret that costs companies is spending without the data to back it. We had a company inquire about a new website, a full blow-up, new navigation, new content, new page layouts, migration onto a new CMS, a new theme and the works. They said they had a $75,000 budget for the whole project. In theory, it sounds great, right? Willing to invest? Check. Has a budget? Check. Know what they want the end result to be? Check. But when we asked them the next question, they looked at us like we were crazy, “Do you have data that backs the changes you are looking to make?” Are you running a tool like Hotjar to see real user data behind how these proposed changes will impact your existing inquiries and the only source the sales team was currently using for leads?

    The answer was no. When the heat map was overlaid, do you know what happened? Well, they were looking to build that new navigation out and replace the old one — nearly 90% of the traffic was going to two pages of their site directly from the navigation, both of which they had originally wanted to remove. In this case, it wasn’t just about having the money but also about making sure the decisions you make with the budget are informed by real data: user data, sales data, marketing data and more. The more informed you can be by closing the loop on your data, the better your end result will be.

    Related: Want to Be Better at Decision Making? Here are 5 Steps to Better Data-Driven Business Decisions

    4. Modern marketing channels to drive growth

    What is likely costing you the most is using old-school channels without the ability to measure. Companies have spent the last decade on traditional marketing channels and are switching to digital. The company’s historical growth has relied on things like trade shows, print, postcards and online magazines. We ask what the ROI you have seen by each channel is, and rarely can they share a specific revenue number and say it is for brand awareness. Some of the budgets can be over 50 to 100 thousand dollars spent on these traditional methods, but there is no ROI attached, yet they continue them.

    When the pandemic happened, we saw a massive influx in businesses shifting from once only boots on the ground to digital. The lockdown changed everything; there were no more trade shows, no more door knocking and no one picking up their mail or faxes daily. It made traditional selling channels challenging and obsolete and forced a new level of openness to try new ways to get the job done. In the example of running online magazine ads there are lots of ways to capture them, we can use UTM tracking, referral analysis or create a custom landing page for the offer and capture the leads directly. Without running them to a landing page or form, you rely only on the online publication for leads and analytics. We’ve had people show a list of just names, no emails to follow up with, or only show a random number of visitors to the page, not a single name. It’s important to know what they will provide for reporting and tracking when you publish or use traditional channels. The rule of thumb is to use connections and tools that leverage old-school methods into technology and not blindly spend on channels that cannot be measured.

    Stop wasting time, energy and revenue on these blind spots. They have easy solutions, so you can avoid them and focus on growing your business!

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    Jennelle McGrath

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  • 10 Effective Growth Marketing Strategies for Your Startup | Entrepreneur

    10 Effective Growth Marketing Strategies for Your Startup | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Growing a startup is both an exciting and challenging journey. However, the path to scaling your business is often fraught with competition, limited resources and the constant need to innovate.

    When I founded ButterflyMX in 2014, it felt like we were building a plane while trying to take off. Fortunately, with the right growth marketing strategies, we’ve navigated these hurdles and carved a thriving path forward for our startup. Here are ten effective growth marketing hacks and strategies that can help you achieve the same.

    Related: 6 Innovative Marketing Strategies Designed for Startups

    1. Leverage content marketing for brand authority

    Content is king, and in the startup world, it’s the key to reaching your audience. By creating valuable, informative and engaging content, you can establish your startup as an authority in your industry. This builds trust with your audience while driving organic traffic to your website.

    To leverage content effectively, you can start a blog, publish whitepapers, create how-to videos and seek out guest blogging opportunities. The key is combining consistency with quality. So, make sure your content addresses the pain points of your target audience and offers practical solutions.

    2. Optimize for search engines (SEO)

    SEO is a powerful tool for driving long-term, sustainable traffic. By optimizing your website for search engines, you can improve visibility and attract more visitors. So, conduct keyword research to understand what your potential customers are searching for.

    Moreover, optimizing your website’s on-page elements — such as meta tags, headers and content — will ensure your site is mobile-friendly and fast. Building backlinks from reputable sources can also significantly boost your search engine rankings.

    3. Utilize social media advertising

    Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X offer robust advertising tools that help you reach a highly targeted audience. With detailed targeting options, you can tailor your ads based on demographics, interests and behaviors.

    Experiment with different ad formats, such as carousel ads, video ads and sponsored posts, to see what resonates best with your audience. Moreover, regularly monitor and optimize your campaigns for better performance.

    4. Implement email marketing campaigns

    Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to nurture leads and convert them into long-term customers. Build an email list by offering valuable resources and freebies, such as eBooks, free guides or exclusive content, in exchange for email addresses.

    Segment your list based on user behavior and preferences, and send personalized, relevant emails that offer value. Further, implementing automated email sequences, such as a welcome series or abandoned cart reminders, into your workflow can help you engage with your audience at the right time.

    Related: 4 Growth Marketing Strategies That All Startups Should Implement

    5. Run time-sensitive promotions and contests

    Creating a sense of urgency can significantly boost your conversion rates. Time-sensitive promotions and contests are a great way to generate excitement and drive sales for your growing business.

    Offer limited-time discounts, flash sales or special deals to encourage immediate action. Running contests and giveaways on social media also drives engagement and expands your reach. Make sure to promote these events throughout all your marketing channels to maximize visibility.

    6. Partner with influencers

    Influencer marketing can be a powerful strategy for reaching new audiences and building credibility. Partnering helps you reach new prospects and generates high-quality leads for your business while getting your brand noticed.

    Identify influencers in your niche who have a strong following and align with your brand values. Collaborate with them to promote your products or services through sponsored posts, product reviews or social media takeovers. What’s more, the authenticity and trust that influencers have with their audience can translate into increased brand awareness and conversions for your startup.

    7. Invest in referral programs

    Word-of-mouth is one of the most effective forms of marketing. Encourage your existing customers to refer friends and family by offering incentives, such as discounts or freebies.

    A well-designed referral program can turn your customers into brand advocates, helping you acquire new customers at a lower cost. With this in mind, make it easy for customers to refer others by providing them with shareable links or social media assets.

    8. Focus on customer retention

    Acquiring new customers is important, but retaining them is even more crucial for sustaining growth. Focus on delivering exceptional customer service and creating a memorable customer experience.

    Use tools like CRM systems to track customer interactions and identify opportunities for upselling or cross-selling. And don’t forget to regularly engage with your customers through newsletters, personalized offers and loyalty programs to keep them coming back.

    9. Utilize analytics and A/B testing

    Data-driven decision-making is essential for optimizing your growth marketing efforts. Use analytics tools, such as Google Analytics or social media insights, to track the performance of your campaigns.

    A/B testing allows you to experiment with different elements of your marketing, such as email subject lines, ad creatives or landing page designs, to see what works best. So, leverage AI to analyze this data and refine your strategies based on proven results.

    10. Harness the power of video marketing

    Video content empowers you to show your audience what your brand offers in a way that is compelling and visual, and it effectively communicates your brand message. So, use video marketing to showcase your products, share customer testimonials or provide educational content.

    Platforms like YouTube, Instagram and TikTok offer plenty of opportunities to engage with your audience. Plus, live videos and webinars can also be powerful tools for building a community and interacting with your audience in real time.

    Related: 4 Marketing Strategies Every Startup Can Afford

    Growing a startup requires a strategic approach and a willingness to experiment with different marketing tactics. By leveraging these growth marketing hacks and strategies, you can increase your visibility, attract more customers and drive sustainable growth for your business.

    Remember: The key to success is through continuous learning and the flexibility to adapt.

    With persistence and the right strategies, your startup can achieve remarkable success. Stay updated with the latest trends, analyze your performance, and be ready to pivot when necessary.

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    Cyrus Claffey

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  • Empower Small Business Success as a Transworld Advisors Franchisee! | Entrepreneur

    Empower Small Business Success as a Transworld Advisors Franchisee! | Entrepreneur

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    3 Benefits of owning a Transworld Business Advisors franchise:

    1. Diverse services with multiple revenue streams.
    2. Strong brand presence in business brokerage.
    3. Access to proprietary technology and systems.

    Transworld Business Advisors offers a franchise opportunity in business brokerage, franchise consulting, and franchise development services, with over 40 years of experience and a global network. This franchise provides comprehensive support and a proven business model in a consistently needed industry. Click Here to learn more about Transworld Business Advisors.

    Key Facts:

    • Minimum Initial Investment: $94,105 – $119,615
    • Initial Franchise Fee: $64,500
    • Liquid Capital Required: $100,000
    • Veteran Incentives: 10% off franchise fee

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    Matthew Goldstein

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  • Fully Promoted Franchises are the Worlds Largest Providers of Promotional Products! | Entrepreneur

    Fully Promoted Franchises are the Worlds Largest Providers of Promotional Products! | Entrepreneur

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    3 Benefits of Owning a Fully Promoted Franchise:

    1. Access to a proven business model with a global network and mass purchasing benefits.
    2. Comprehensive training and ongoing support, including demographic studies and marketing strategies.
    3. Diversified revenue streams from a variety of marketing tools and branded products.

    Fully Promoted is a franchise specializing in branded products and marketing services, renowned as the largest company in its niche and recognized repeatedly in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 rankings. Click Here to learn more about Fully Promoted.

    Key Facts:

    • Minimum Initial Investment: $103,257 – $353,186
    • Initial Franchise Fee: $49,500
    • Liquid Capital Required: $49,500
    • Veteran Incentives: 20% off franchise fee

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    Matthew Goldstein

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  • Viral X Thread Is Full of Retro Fast-Food Memories — and Prices | Entrepreneur

    Viral X Thread Is Full of Retro Fast-Food Memories — and Prices | Entrepreneur

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    As the inflation-triggered competition for value between big brands heats up, nostalgia for fast-food restaurants — and their affordable prices — is high. One X account takes us back to a simpler time of extreme color schemes, flamboyant designs and low prices.

    Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

    X account Time Capsule Tales is publishing photos of fast food icons like Taco Bell, Burger King, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s and others in their 1970s, ’80s and ’90s glory.

    The nostalgic pics include a Burger King that was found “fully intact” behind a wall at a long-closed shopping mall in Wilmington, Delaware, in 2022.

    One highlight is the circa 1970s-’80s Taco Bell menu, which explains in great detail what a taco and a burrito are, complete with a sound-it-out, phonetic pronunciation of each food — “Tah-co” and “Buh-ree-toh.”

    The menu is from when the brand called its Pintos and Cheese refried beans by a different name — Frijoles (Fre-ho-les) and still served the now-extinct Enchirito, which made a brief comeback last year.

    Then, there are the prices. One retro Taco Bell menu from 1984 shows how inexpensive it used to be to eat fast food. The prices for drinks — $.45 for a small Pepsi compared to $2.29 today for the same beverage — are immediately noticeable. But it’s the Combo Burrito Meal for $1.19 that really stands out. Taco Bell’s least expensive combo is the value-inspired temporary $5.99 combo, with prices for combo meals rising from there to the $11.29 price point for the 2 Chicken Chalupa Supreme Combo.

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    Carl Stoffers

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  • NY Cannabis Control Board Approves 100+ Licenses at Contentious Meeting – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

    NY Cannabis Control Board Approves 100+ Licenses at Contentious Meeting – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

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    NY Cannabis Control Board Approves 100+ Licenses at Contentious Meeting – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news





























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    Tom Hymes

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  • Capture the Perfect Color With This Sensor for Half Off | Entrepreneur

    Capture the Perfect Color With This Sensor for Half Off | Entrepreneur

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    If brand identity is as essential (it is), then something as seemingly simple as keeping your colors consistent is as important as the voice in your copy or the tone of your social posts. To make sure you or your team never miss out on a moment of inspiration again, take advantage of this price drop that has this Nix Mini 2 Color-Matching Sensor on sale for only $49.97 (reg. $99) through 11:59 p.m. PT on July 21.

    Use the Nix 2 color-matching sensor to scan any product or surface and match the color to any of over 100,000 paint colors. Your pocket color scanner can pull all of the necessary codes and information that might be needed for a professional at the hardware store to find a matching shade or for you to find the right color in design apps like Photoshop.

    To help you keep track of the colors you’ve matched and found, the sensor works in compatibility with the Nix Paints and Nix Digital apps for iOS and Android devices.

    For pulling colors from the real world into your digital projects, there’s no better solution. That’s why CNET wrote that “Nix comes pre-calibrated and doesn’t require any work on your end.” No need for an artist’s eye or a designer’s patience. Skip straight to the right color every time.

    Remember, you can get this Nix Mini 2 Color-Matching Sensor on sale for only $49.97 (reg. $99) through 11:59 p.m. PT on July 21.

    StackSocial prices subject to change.

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    Entrepreneur Store

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  • Here’s What’s on Sonic’s New $1.99 Value Menu | Entrepreneur

    Here’s What’s on Sonic’s New $1.99 Value Menu | Entrepreneur

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    As fast-food consumers continue to prioritize — and sometimes demand — value, Sonic has joined competitors like McDonald’s, Taco Bell and Wendy’s in introducing a new value menu. However, while these brands’ value deals are for a limited time only — McDonald’s $5 Meal Deal, for example, expires in late July — Sonic’s menu has no end in sight.

    “It’s a value menu that’s here to stay rather than a temporary reaction to consumer complaints,” a Sonic spokesperson told Entrepreneur.

    Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

    Sonic’s FUN.99 Menu

    Sonic’s new $1.99 menu — which the brand is calling the FUN.99 Menu — features a variety of items, including two new Bacon Ranch and Southwest Crunch Queso Wraps.

    Other FUN.99 items include a Quarter Pound Double Cheeseburger, Chili Cheese Coney, Small Tots and 16-ounce Sonic Shakes.

    Related: Don’t Have Time to Start a Business? This Doctor, Lawyer and Now Part-Time Franchisee Would Disagree.

    KFC, Taco Bell and others

    In addition to McDonald’s and Wendy’s, others in the industry, including Burger King, Taco Bell and KFC, have launched value deals, primarily focused on the $5 price point, for a limited time.

    For example, Burger King recently launched its $5 Your Way Meal, which includes a Whopper Jr., Chicken Jr. or Bacon Cheeseburger with four-piece chicken nuggets, fries and a drink. This deal is available through the summer.

    Additionally, the KFC $4.99 Meal For One, which includes two pieces of dark meat chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy and a biscuit, is available through the end of the year.

    Related: Find Out Which Brands Have Ranked on the Franchise 500 for Longest, Earning a Spot In our New ‘Hall of Fame’

    Free fries and Frosties

    In addition to their respective value deals, McDonald’s and Wendy’s offer ways for customers to get free orders of their signature items — fries and Frosties. McDonald’s offers free medium french fries with any $1 purchase via the mobile app every Friday through the end of 2024. On Saturday, July 13, in honor of National French Fry Day, customers can get free fries of any size when ordered via the McDonald’s app, with no purchase necessary.

    Wendy’s customers can get a free small Frosty with a $5 Biggie Bag via the Wendy’s app. Purchasing a $3 Frosty key tag gets customers a free Jr. Frosty with any purchase for the remainder of 2024. Proceeds benefit the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

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    Carl Stoffers

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  • 5 Pervasive Myths About Email Marketing That (If Believed) Could Derail Your Business | Entrepreneur

    5 Pervasive Myths About Email Marketing That (If Believed) Could Derail Your Business | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    With new social platforms emerging every year, many entrepreneurs wonder if they should leave email behind and look ahead to new avenues. Did you know that email is still the second biggest marketing channel for startups, right behind social media? That’s right! It’s all thanks to its low cost and incredible return on investment (ROI). According to the study by Litmus, it remains one of the best ROIs out there; companies can expect to make a whopping $38 in return for every dollar they spend on email marketing.

    As the CEO of Builderall, an all-in-one digital marketing platform that has supported over 2,000,000 small businesses, I often get asked if email marketing is still an effective strategy in this new phase of our digital age. Is it dead in 2024?

    I’m here to debunk the biggest myths and set the record straight. Today, I’ll share my insider knowledge to help you see the light.

    Defining email marketing

    Before we debunk these myths, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page about what email marketing actually is. Many people have misconceptions about this form of digital marketing, which can turn them off — and that leads to missed opportunities.

    Email marketing is a direct marketing strategy that sends promotional or informational messages to a targeted audience via email. It goes far beyond blasting promotions or cold outreach. Done right, it builds meaningful relationships between your brand and subscribers. It’s a way to keep them engaged, and ultimately, it’s another way to drive sales.

    Some examples include

    • Newsletters
    • Promotional offers
    • Product updates
    • Even personalized content based on a subscriber’s interests.

    Related: 8 Simple Email Marketing Tips to Improve Your Open and Click-Through Rates

    Myth #1: Email marketing is dead

    Let’s tackle the elephant in the room first. No — email is not dead! In fact, it’s far from it and still going strong.

    According to data provided by Oberlo, 80% of businesses rely on email as their primary customer retention channel. That means they’re using email to keep their existing customers engaged and coming back for more.

    But that’s not all. HubSpot found that 60% of consumers made a purchase thanks to a marketing email they received. That’s a huge testament to the power of email marketing in driving revenue for businesses.

    Myth #2: People don’t read emails

    I can’t tell you how often I hear this myth. Sure, our inboxes have gotten pretty crowded over the years, and many of us receive dozens or even hundreds of emails daily. It’s also true that a good chunk of those emails might get sent straight to the trash or spam folder.

    However, according to HubSpot, 46% of smartphone users still prefer to hear from brands via email over other channels.

    If you establish trust and send relevant content, subscribers will welcome your emails with open arms.

    This stat also highlights the importance of putting care in your campaigns by using compelling subject lines and other email elements to stand out in a crowded inbox.

    Myth #3: Younger audiences don’t use email

    Gen Z and millennials are the next generation that will have some serious purchasing power. It’s only logical for businesses to look for new and innovative ways to approach them, as they’re often portrayed as being glued to their screens and obsessed with social media platforms.

    These stereotypes lead many people to assume Gen Z and millennials are too obsessed with TikTok and Instagram for old-school strategies like email. Let me prove them wrong again. According to the Attest U.S. Consumer Trend Report, 53% of Gen-Z enjoy weekly emails from their favorite brands. For millennials, it’s 66%.

    Of course, you’ll want to cater your approach to each audience (throw in some slang or a meme here and there,) but don’t count email out. These generation segments still use and prefer it.

    Myth #4: Email has low open rates

    The next myth I wanted to touch on is more tangible. Some say email performs poorly compared to social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram. For that, we’ll have to look at the open rate.

    Open rate is an essential key performance indicator (KPI) in digital marketing because it tells you how many people are actually opening and reading your emails. MailChimp benchmarks tell us the average email open rate across all industries is 34.23%. While that might not sound amazing, it’s definitely not bad either.

    With optimization, that number can grow much higher and bring benefits. As reported earlier, that’s why so many businesses still rely on email as their primary customer retention channel.

    Related: This One Thing Is the Secret to Higher Email Open Rates

    Myth #5: Email marketing equals spam

    Finally, allow me to go full circle and return to the definition of email marketing. Too many people confuse general email marketing with a somewhat shady practice: cold outreach.

    Cold emails are unsolicited messages sent to people who have not expressed interest in your brand or products. You essentially buy or scrape a list of email addresses (unbeknownst to the recipients) and blast bulk emails, hoping to catch a few leads. They’re often used for prospecting and can come across as intrusive if not done right. That’s because nobody gave you permission to contact them.

    On the other hand, email marketing is about building relationships with people who have already shown interest in what you offer. They might have signed up for your newsletter through a lead magnet or opted in to receive your updates. That’s a big difference!

    It is this latter form of communication that 81% of businesses use email as their primary customer acquisition channel. It drives results without spam tactics.

    Final thoughts

    While many entrepreneurs may feel attracted to the latest shiny object or technology, these myths cause many entrepreneurs to overlook email in 2024.

    When executed correctly, email marketing remains an indispensable growth lever for startups and established businesses alike. Now that you know the truth, utilize email marketing to boost conversions and retention. With a strategic approach, you may see even higher open rates and ROI than the studies show.

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    Pedro Sostre

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  • Stop Overwhelming Your Online Customers With Information Overload. Hook Them In With This Approach Instead. | Entrepreneur

    Stop Overwhelming Your Online Customers With Information Overload. Hook Them In With This Approach Instead. | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Users spend an average of 5.59 seconds looking at a website’s written content. I don’t know about you, but it seems like there is hardly enough time to gain users’ interest, let alone relay the information you want to share — and the information they want to find.

    However, following best practices, there is no reason to bombard users with an avalanche of information when they land on your homepage. While there may be a lot of great information about your business, putting it in their faces when they arrive can have the inverse effect, making users feel overwhelmed and pushing them to leave the site.

    So, what is the alternative? Thoughtfully crafted messages and content aligned with the customer journey and revealed through a slow, strategic drip known as progressive disclosure.

    Related: Your Online Customer Experience Is More Than a Buzzword — It’s the Backbone of Your Business. Here’s How to Optimize It.

    But what is progressive disclosure?

    Progressive disclosure is about strategically revealing the information a user wants or needs at the precise moment the customer wants or needs it (rather than throwing it at them upfront). This is essentially a strategic approach to planning and releasing content throughout the customer journey to maximize engagement and move a customer through the conversion funnel.

    Here’s an example: If you have a product-heavy website, the navigation should direct the user through a seamless navigation. If the navigation is designed strategically to align with the customer journey, then each click is a point on the path of progressive disclosure. As users move around the site, they will slowly but surely learn more about the products and services and find the information they need. This is precisely why websites use a thoughtful navigation system based on logic and integrated into the information architecture that outlines the content and where it should be placed within the site.

    Why is progressive disclosure powerful?

    The simple answer is that this process is customer-centric. It focuses on what customers want to accomplish rather than what you, the business owner, want to share.

    In addition, progressive disclosure accomplishes the following:

    • Reduces friction: Information overload leads to confusion and decision paralysis. By presenting information relevant to the user’s immediate needs, you remove unnecessary hurdles and guide them seamlessly toward their goals.
    • Boosts engagement: Curiosity thrives when there is something more to discover. As users uncover new features and functionalities, their interest remains piqued, encouraging further exploration and deeper product engagement.
    • Builds trust: When users feel they’re being led, not overwhelmed, trust flourishes. Progressive disclosure shows respect for their time and attention, fostering a positive relationship between them and your product.

    Related: 7 Ecommerce Customer Experience Strategies for Effective Branding in 2024

    Want to rework your website so it’s aligned with your customers?

    If you want to rework your website or consider how your content is aligned with your customers, here are a few considerations that will help ensure you are applying progressive disclosure principles:

    • Map the customer journey. Understand the different stages users go through, from awareness to consideration, purchase and beyond. Identify their needs and pain points at each stage.
    • Prioritize information. Categorize features and information based on their importance and relevance to each stage of the journey. Highlight core functionalities initially and unveil advanced features later.
    • Use microlearning. Chunk information into digestible pieces, delivered through tutorials, tooltips, and interactive prompts. This makes learning effortless and avoids cognitive overload.
    • Leverage visual cues. Employ clear design elements like hierarchy, icons, and animation to guide users’ attention and highlight key information.
    • Gather feedback. Continuously analyze user behaviors on your site and collect feedback to understand what resonates. Use this data to identify areas for improvement and implement valuable changes.
    • Use multiple touchpoints to communicate. While this strategy can be applied to a website, it applies to all digital communication channels. Most who visit your website either have a specific reason or are fact-finding. So consider using other digital channels, such as SMS and digital cards, to communicate more important (or urgent) messages in real-time.

    Applying progressive disclosure isn’t just about withholding information; it’s about crafting a captivating narrative that unfolds as the user interacts with your brand. Applying this approach can foster trust, increase engagement, and ultimately create satisfied customers.

    Remember, we’re not just selling products or services; we’re guiding users on a journey, and every step along the way matters. By unveiling the right information at the right time, we transform their experience from overwhelming to empowering, paving the way for sustainable success.

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    Louis Lombardi

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  • The One Secret Ingredient That Turned This Chocolate Bar Into a Success | Entrepreneur

    The One Secret Ingredient That Turned This Chocolate Bar Into a Success | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    After college, Jake Karls thought he wanted to be an investment banker. But he never got past the first job interview. Saddled by learning disabilities and a lack of enthusiasm for corporate work, the Canadian was forced to move back into his parents’ house.

    “I could not find a job, so I literally had no choice but to become an entrepreneur,” he says. “It was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

    Karls co-founded Mid-Day Squares with his sister Lezlie and her husband, Nick Saltarelli. The good-for-you chocolate bar is non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan, and packed with pea protein. But Karls says the one ingredient that really makes it stand out from the pack is its emotional connection with the consumer.

    On this week’s episode of One Day with Jon Bier, Karls shares his personal journey from early failure to success, why he believes that authenticity and good storytelling have made the difference for Mid-Day Squares, and what he’s learned about himself and running a successful business along the way.

    The secret ingredient

    When devising a marketing plan for Mid-Day, Karls looked at brands like Sephora and admired how their customers wanted to be a part of it. They posted photos of themselves on social at the store and raved about how much they loved the brand.

    “The food and beverage world didn’t have that connectivity that the beauty world had,” he says. He wanted customers to go to the grocery store and “not just buy a chocolate bar, but actually feel that they’re buying from a friend. Feel part of it.”

    So, Karls focused on building a deep connection with consumers by being vulnerable and transparent and telling an authentic story about the brand’s origins and his own personal journey. This allowed the brand to develop a passionate fan base that felt invested in the company’s success.

    Related: Don’t Be a Boring Brand – How to Create Brand Distinction That Has Everyone Turning Their Heads

    Jake Karls

    Playing to his strengths

    Initially, Karls took on the company’s CMO role because he thought he needed to take on a leadership position and manage people as a co-founder. However, he quickly realized he was playing to his weaknesses.

    “It was 6 to 8 months of complete wreckage,” he recalls.

    By stepping back and focusing on what he was truly great at —community building and brand storytelling—the company began to thrive. Karls learned the importance of blocking out noise and focusing on his unique strengths and superpowers.

    Related: Building a Community Around Your Brand Is Crucial for Long-Term Success. Here’s How Flex Watches Makes Emotional Connections With Customers.

    Overcoming burnout

    But the breakneck pace of growth took a toll, and Karls experienced a serious burnout that left him with crippling anxiety and OCD.

    “I thought you could keep going at 200 km/hr 24/7, and your body could take it, but eventually, my body shut down on me.”

    He decided to tackle this mental health crisis head-on, going through 37 days straight of therapy, eating healthier foods, and undergoing hypnotherapy, which he says “really changed everything.”

    “My anxieties have become minimal. And my OCDs are at the level that I don’t even think about or care about,” he explains.

    Lessons learned

    Looking back on his early struggles, Karls realizes that he was so focused on pleasing everyone else—his parents, friends, and family—that he lost sense of his own priorities.

    “There’s too much noise in this world, telling you to be this way, try this, work with this, do this, have this strategy,” he says, conceding that much of this advice comes from people who care about you and love you.

    But ultimately, you need to trust your gut and be able to put horse blinders on.

    “Once you play to and understand your strengths and start executing on that, you feel a sense of freedom that makes you feel unstoppable.”

    In that spirit, he plans to make Mid-Day Squares a $100 million company in two and a half years.

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    Jon Bier

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  • 5 SEO Techniques to Help Your SaaS Business Rank in 2024 | Entrepreneur

    5 SEO Techniques to Help Your SaaS Business Rank in 2024 | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Software as a service (SaaS) is a booming industry full of potential and innovation. However, many SaaS businesses rely heavily on paid advertising for lead generation and customer acquisition, often overlooking the incredible power of organic traffic. This leads to high customer acquisition costs, which slows down business growth.

    Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages. Investing in SEO can drive sustainable organic traffic, reduce acquisition costs and attract highly qualified buyers ready to book demos.

    In this article, I discuss five essential SaaS SEO techniques to help you rank higher, increase the number of organic website visitors and drive more conversions in 2024.

    Related: 3 Powerful SEO Techniques That Will Boost Your Website’s Search Engine Ranking

    1. Do in-depth keyword research

    In-depth keyword research helps you identify the specific terms your potential customers use to find software solutions like yours. For SaaS businesses, the main focus of keyword research should be on your target audience’s needs and more specifically, long-tail keywords.

    For example, if you offer time management software, your first instinct would be to target keywords like “time management software.” However, websites that rank well for this keyword are well-established and have great authority, so climbing to the first spot on Google would take forever.

    Instead, you should focus on more specific, long-tail keywords. In this case:

    • “Time management software for freelancers”

    • “Affordable time management software for startups”

    • “Time management apps with project tracking”

    • “Best time tracking tools for remote teams”

    Long-tail keywords typically have higher buyer intent because they are specific, indicating that the person has a clearer idea of what they are looking for. Targeting keywords with clearer user intent and less competition makes it easier to rank, as well as to attract and convert leads looking for specific features or benefits that align with your SaaS offering.

    2. Maintain high content velocity

    Publishing one blog post per week is not enough to remain relevant in the SaaS industry. To stay ahead of the competition, you should increase your content velocity and publish as much high-quality content as possible.

    Producing more relevant and informative content in your niche signals to search engines that your website is a credible source of information. This boosts your topical authority and user trust, which is especially crucial for small business SEO.

    Increasing your content velocity also provides more opportunities to include various keywords, which boosts your chances of ranking high for more search terms.

    To effectively increase your content velocity and stay competitive in the SaaS industry, consider creating a variety of content types that cater to different aspects of your audience’s needs and interests. That includes:

    3. Create product-led SEO pages

    Product-led SEO pages focus specifically on your products, which is highly effective for attracting qualified leads who are more likely to convert into customers.

    The most common examples of product-led SEO pages are:

    • Comparison pages: Create detailed comparison pages like [Competitor product] vs. [Your product] to highlight your product’s unique features, benefits and advantages over the competition.

    • Competitor comparisons: Generate pages that compare multiple competitors, such as [Competitor product] vs. [Competitor product]. This positions your brand as a knowledgeable authority in the space and can help potential customers understand what the industry has to offer.

    • Best-of lists: Create lists like “X Best [Your Niche] Tools in 2024” and include your product to establish it as a top option.

    • Niche-specific landing pages: Optimize landing pages for specific keywords, such as “time management software for freelancers.” These pages should be rich with information about your product, including features, benefits, testimonials and calls to action.

    Related: 6 Ecommerce SEO Tips to Help You Rank on Google

    4. Build high-quality backlinks

    There are more than 9,000 SaaS companies in the U.S. with around 15 billion active users across the world. The SaaS industry is more competitive than ever, and most businesses use SEO to attract more customers.

    Building high-quality backlinks to your product pages and blog posts is an SEO technique that helps improve your search engine rankings and domain authority to get an edge over the competition.

    Some of the ways you can build backlinks include:

    • Guest posting on relevant industry blogs

    • Claiming unlinked brand mentions

    • Producing high-quality content like infographics and whitepapers to attract backlinks

    • Collaborating with other companies and influencers to create mutually beneficial content that includes backlinks

    If you want your link building to work, though, you need to also focus on quality and relevance. The best approach is to acquire backlinks from established websites in your industry because they contribute more to your SEO results. Backlinks from reputable websites signal to Google that your content is trustworthy and authoritative.

    For a SaaS company, you want backlinks from technology blogs, industry publications and authoritative websites in the software niche.

    5. Develop strong internal linking

    Internal links are hyperlinks that point to other pages on your website. They help Google understand the structure of your site, the hierarchy of your pages and the importance of specific content.

    Strong internal linking can improve your website’s SEO by making it easier for search engines to crawl and index your pages, which in turn can boost your rankings.

    Include as many relevant internal links as possible with every article you write. To find all relevant pages, go to Google and type: “site:yourwebsite.com [relevant keyword].”

    The best SEO tip is to use descriptive anchor text to provide context about the linked page’s content. For example, if you’re writing an article about “time management software for freelancers” and want to link to another article talking about best tools for remote workers, you can use the anchor text “best time tracking tools for remote teams.”

    Lastly, you should regularly update older posts with new internal links to keep the SEO content fresh and improve relevance.

    Focusing on the right SEO strategies can help you reduce customer acquisition costs and attract more organic traffic to your SaaS website.

    The best approach is to:

    • Conduct in-depth keyword research

    • Maintain high content velocity

    • Create quality product-led SEO pages

    • Build high-quality backlinks

    • Develop strong internal linking

    Try these techniques to improve your rankings, drive more qualified leads, boost conversions and get better SEO results this year.

    Related: 5 Common SEO Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Rankings

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    Nick Zviadadze

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  • The Cannabis Market: Not a ‘Get Rich Quick’ Scheme, But a Serious Business Industry Requiring Expertise – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

    The Cannabis Market: Not a ‘Get Rich Quick’ Scheme, But a Serious Business Industry Requiring Expertise – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

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    The Cannabis Market: Not a ‘Get Rich Quick’ Scheme, But a Serious Business Industry Requiring Expertise – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news





























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    Derek Ross

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  • How I Hit $100 Million in Annual Revenue By Being More Transparent | Entrepreneur

    How I Hit $100 Million in Annual Revenue By Being More Transparent | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    It’s a common nightmare — you’re walking through a busy hallway or giving a presentation only to look down and find yourself completely naked.

    We’re inherently fearful of revealing too much about ourselves, and as an entrepreneur, this likely extends to your business as well.

    But based on growing my own business from nothing to over $100 million in annual revenue, I can tell you less is not more when it comes to business transparency — more is more. Being open builds trust, and trust fosters customers and relationships in droves. The only exception is not giving away your trade secrets to competitors.

    Here are three effective ways to build trust with clients and prospects by being more transparent (without leaving you feeling nightmarishly over-exposed).

    Related: How Transparency In Business Leads to Customer Growth and Loyalty

    1. Increase sales by 18% or more by increasing your Google reviews

    Nearly everyone reads reviews before purchasing. One study found a whopping 93% of people read reviews before making a purchase, and on average, reviews produce an 18% uplift in sales. In today’s online landscape, people put almost as much weight on a Google review as they do on a personal recommendation.

    The best way to increase your reviews is to simply ask! According to research, 70% of consumers will leave a review for a business when asked.

    About four years ago, we had 486 reviews after servicing more than 90,000 clients. We started using Podium to send out texts or emails — based on customer preference — asking to leave a review on Google, the Better Business Bureau and Trustpilot.

    By May 2024, we’d accumulated 2,312 five-star reviews, an increase of 375%. Keep in mind that our account managers have been very diligent about sending review requests to clients and only ask the clients most likely to give positive responses.

    Another good way to increase reviews is to automate postcards at the close of an order thanking someone for their business and encouraging them to leave a review. A physical mailer is likely more effective than an email — one study that surveyed 1,200 consumers found that 76% trusted direct mail the most as opposed to online methods.

    You might be wondering, “What about the negative reviews?” You’re always going to have a handful of bad reviews, but people look at the ratio of good vs. bad. If you have far more five-star reviews than one-star reviews, they’ll disregard the negative ones and assume it’s not the norm.

    2. Improve lead generation by 105% by sharing your clients’ success stories

    Sharing real marketing results has always been a priority for my business, PostcardMania. We currently have 944 marketing case studies and 139 video case studies that document real people sharing campaign specifics that led to more leads, revenue and new customers for their businesses.

    We share these case studies far and wide with prospects via email and postcards in the mail to increase trust. But more recently, we began incorporating these stories into video social media ads. During a recent earnings call by Meta, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said 50% of all people’s time on Facebook and Instagram is spent watching videos, so naturally, we went that direction to gain more eyes on our services.

    We put our 139 video case studies — real business owners talking about their successful campaigns — to work for us on Facebook and Instagram.

    As a result, our social media leads doubled. In 2022, our average number of social media leads per week was 174, and then in 2023, the average lead count increased to 356 a week! That’s a 105% increase.

    Of course, our use of social media in this case is part of a larger multi-channel marketing strategy that ties direct mail and digital ads together, so I suggest a similar approach if you want to see the same results (we’ve actually packaged our successful approach into a single affordable marketing bundle called Everywhere Small Business due to high demand from our clients to replicate this method). Campaigns that uniquely combine print and digital advertising using hyper-targeted mailing lists and lookalike audiences have been proven to work time and time again, so I highly recommend them.

    It doesn’t matter what industry you are in, your customers’ success stories can be compiled and incorporated into your marketing plan to grow your customer base.

    Related: How Problem-Solving Case Studies Help You Market Your Business

    3. Convert prospects faster by dropping the velvet rope and inviting them in

    Being transparent online will help build a positive image of your brand and bring in more customers — but you can also take this one step further and let prospects visit your business and interact with your products or services in person. One report revealed that 79% of customers want brands to go above and beyond what they are required to reveal and give more information, with two-thirds of them saying they would switch brands for more in-depth data.

    At PostcardMania, we welcome clients to visit us and take a tour of our in-house printing facility. We also have a marketing conference twice a year where clients can meet their marketing consultants face-to-face and learn more about our business behind the scenes. These clients often end up being some of our best and longest-lasting relationships! You can do the same by hosting an event and opening your doors to the public. It doesn’t have to be a conference — you can start small with something as simple as a night of snacks and entertainment.

    Related: 3 Ways to Personalize Your Marketing for Higher Engagement

    Free samples are also a great way to show customers exactly what they are getting before they make a commitment. This doesn’t always apply to every business, but you can try to find a way to allow prospects to interact with your product or service on a deeper, more physical level.

    Incorporate any of these tactics, and you’ll show prospects the most authentic side of you and your business. Believe me when I say trading in your fears about being super transparent for bold authenticity will reap real rewards in long-term growth and customer loyalty.

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    Joy Gendusa

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