May 1 2025
How CMOs Can Tell Stories To Manage Change [Case Study With Mondelēz International] via @sejournal, @gregjarboe

Chief marketing officers should evaluate and synthesize success stories to learn from past marketing efforts, identify repeatable strategies, and demonstrate the return on investment (ROI) of their work to stakeholders.

Ultimately, this can help to drive better future campaigns and business outcomes.

As Steve Jobs once observed, “The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values, and agenda of an entire generation that is to come.”

Telling Stories To Manage Change And Uncertainty

Storytelling is important because it’s a fundamental way that humans connect, share experiences, and learn.

It fosters empathy, creativity, and emotional intelligence while also helping to build relationships, convey complex ideas, and inspire action.

Mondelēz International, a Fortune 500 company in over 150 countries, generated around $36 billion in net revenue in 2024.

Its well-known international and local brands include Oreo, Ritz, and Tate’s Bake Shop cookies and baked goods, along with chocolate favorites like Cadbury Dairy Milk and Toblerone.

(Disclosure: I was a member of a team of subject matter experts who taught a bespoke digital marketing training program for hundreds of marketers at Mondelēz International. I can share its story now without violating my non-disclosure agreement because it has since made this information public.)

Mondelēz International’s Journey To Customer-Centric Growth

The challenge for any Fortune 500 CMO is navigating the ever-evolving consumer behavior and technological advancements.

Mondelēz International, a global snack giant, offers a compelling blueprint for not only reacting to change, but also proactively shaping it.

Its journey, spanning several years, highlights the critical elements of foresight, collaboration, and a deep commitment to understanding the customer.

Embracing Empathy At Scale

Back in 2019, Mondelēz recognized a fundamental shift in consumer expectations. The desire for generic brand messaging was waning, replaced by a craving for familiarity and personalization.

This insight spurred a strategic pivot, moving the company from a margin-focused approach to one centered on growth, fueled by increased marketing investment and a concept it termed “empathy at scale.”

This wasn’t just about collecting data; it was about establishing the right connection with the right customer at the right time.

The early days of the pandemic underscored the wisdom of this shift.

While consumer behavior was in flux, Mondelēz’s prior investment in digital maturity and flexibility provided the agility needed to adapt.

The bedrock of this strategy was a profound understanding of its consumers, allowing it to create genuine value, a principle that remains timeless in the face of uncertainty.

Mondelez India’s Automation-Driven Success

Mondelez India has achieved remarkable success through automation, particularly in the diverse Indian market.

Its innovative approach to ad personalization has demonstrated the transformative power of marketing automation and machine learning in creating deep customer connections and driving significant sales.

During the Diwali festive season, Mondelez India recognized the immense value of local relevance for its Cadbury Celebrations gift boxes.

It ingeniously leveraged voice AI and ML to create ads featuring megastar Shah Rukh Khan, in which he personally named local stores selling their products.

This technology enabled the efficient generation of a staggering 130,000 videos, each tailored to a specific store.

Using YouTube’s advanced contextual targeting, the campaign matched ad versions with the right audience based on their proximity to local stores.

This hyper-local approach resonated strongly, resulting in a 60% increase in YouTube engagement, 42% growth in sales at local stores, and 33 million gift boxes sold during the festive season. The campaign underscored the power of making consumers feel directly seen and acknowledged within their local context.

Mondelez India further pushed the boundaries of ad personalization with its campaign for Perk, a chocolate brand popular among youth.

Recognizing the cultural phenomenon of “cancel culture,” the brand aimed to inject humor and encourage levity.

Using AI to identify 2.5 million of the most searched videos, it created custom disclaimers that playfully warned viewers of potential “triggers” within the content, such as a carrot being aggressively chopped in a cooking video.

These short, pre-roll ads were seamlessly integrated into each of the millions of trending videos using Google’s custom-built API and Director Mix technology.

The campaign’s clever and highly contextualized approach resonated with viewers, bringing in an impressive 84 million views, 635 million impressions, and a 20% spike in sales.

It demonstrated how injecting timely cultural relevance, powered by automation, can capture attention and drive business results.

Bridging The Art And Science Of Marketing

The execution of “empathy at scale” demanded a fundamental transformation in how Mondelēz operated. It wasn’t enough to have insightful data; the brand needed to activate it effectively.

This required a powerful synergy between the “art” of marketing and the “science” of data.

A pivotal element was the strong partnership between the chief marketing and sales officer and the architect of their data infrastructure. This collaboration was the engine driving their digital transformation.

Recognizing the need for robust data management, Mondelēz partnered with Google Cloud to build regional data hubs for first-party data.

Critically, it also invested in training its teams to leverage these new capabilities. This wasn’t just about technology adoption; it was about empowering its people to harness the power of data.

This strategic overhaul yielded impressive results. By integrating previously siloed data, Mondelēz gained a holistic view of its consumers, enabling it to deliver personalized content that cut through the noise.

This human-driven strategic shift, augmented by technology, resulted in significant ROI increases globally and in the U.S., laying a solid foundation for sustained growth.

Leveraging AI To Scale Personalization And Reach New Audiences

The marketing landscape continues to evolve, with audience fragmentation across media platforms becoming a significant challenge.

For brands with deep heritage, like Cadbury, the added complexity lies in extending their reach beyond traditional channels to engage new generations.

The story of Cadbury’s Creme Egg offers a powerful illustration of how to navigate this challenge.

Faced with increased competition and cost-of-living pressures impacting consumer spending, Cadbury recognized the need to connect with Gen Z and Millennials, who were less engaged with traditional TV advertising.

Building on its existing digital presence, particularly on YouTube, the brand explored the potential of AI-powered video advertising. Initially, adapting its existing TV ad for digital seemed like the most cost-effective approach.

However, it discovered that YouTube’s AI ad formats, specifically Video Reach Campaigns, required a diverse range of creative assets built from the ground up. This realization highlighted the importance of platform-specific creative strategies.

Through a collaboration with Google’s Creative Works team and its creative agency VCCP, Cadbury embraced this challenge. It developed a series of assets for an AI-driven campaign centered around its iconic “How do you eat yours?” slogan.

Leveraging consumer research, it highlighted different eating styles, creating quirky and engaging video statements in various formats, from six-second bumpers to longer ads with compelling story arcs.

By providing a diverse content ecosystem, Cadbury empowered YouTube’s AI to effectively match the right Creme Egg message with the right viewer at the right time.

This approach, managed through a single campaign, allowed the AI to optimize ad delivery based on business goals and audience signals far more effectively than manual adjustments.

Despite economic pressures, the success of this AI-powered campaign, which focused on maximizing unique reach, led to increased investment in both production and media, demonstrating the power of AI to enhance campaigns while underscoring the enduring importance of human creativity.

Key Takeaways For CMOs

This series of Mondelēz International case studies offers valuable insights for CMOs seeking to navigate the complexities of modern marketing and foster customer-centric growth.

Several key takeaways emerge from these examples.

1. Customer Empathy Serves As The Foundational Element For Sustainable Growth

Mondelēz’s early recognition of the necessity to prioritize understanding its customers over solely focusing on margin proved pivotal.

This “empathy at scale” approach became the cornerstone of its subsequent achievements.

This goes beyond mere data collection; true empathy involves utilizing those insights to generate genuine value for the customer by deeply understanding their needs and desires.

The resilience of this customer-centric strategy was particularly evident during the pandemic, enabling Mondelēz to adapt swiftly due to its preexisting strong understanding of its consumers.

2. Hyper-Personalization Implemented At Scale Drives Significant Results

The success of Mondelez India with campaigns for Cadbury Celebrations and Perk illustrates the transformative potential of marketing automation and machine learning in delivering personalized experiences on a large scale.

The Cadbury Celebrations campaign brilliantly demonstrated the impact of hyper-local personalization, making consumers feel directly seen and acknowledged within their own communities.

Furthermore, the Perk campaign highlighted the effectiveness of incorporating timely cultural relevance, powered by AI, to cut through the noise and resonate effectively with audiences.

3. Bridging The Gap Between The Art And Science Of Marketing Is Essential For Success

Effective marketing in today’s landscape demands a strong synergy between the creative aspects of marketing and the analytical power of data.

Achieving this requires critical cross-functional collaboration, particularly a strong working relationship between the CMO/CSO and the data infrastructure architect to drive digital transformation.

Investing in robust data infrastructure is only part of the equation; CMOs must also prioritize training their teams to effectively utilize these new capabilities.

Ultimately, integrating siloed data to gain a holistic view of the customer enables more effective personalization and improves overall return on investment.

Summary

While AI is a powerful tool for scaling personalization and reaching new audiences, it necessitates a strategic approach.

AI can assist brands in overcoming the challenge of reaching increasingly fragmented audiences across numerous platforms.

However, it’s crucial to recognize that platform-specific creative is often necessary, as simply repurposing traditional creative for digital platforms may not be optimal.

AI-powered ad formats often require tailored creative strategies developed from the outset.

Despite the capabilities of AI, human creativity remains essential. Compelling and engaging creative, driven by human insights, is still fundamental to campaign success.

Even during periods of economic pressure, investing in AI-powered campaigns focused on maximizing unique reach can yield significant results and justify further investment in this technology.

The Mondelēz journey underscores the importance of a fundamental shift towards customer-centricity, enabled by strategic investments in technology, data, and talent.

By embracing these principles, CMOs can equip their Fortune 500 companies to not only weather the storms of change and uncertainty, but also to emerge stronger and more connected with their customers.

More Resources:

Featured Image: StockLite/Shutterstock

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Apr 23 2025
How To Onboard Digital Marketing Talent According To Agency Leaders

Effective onboarding of digital marketing talent is key to setting the foundations for a positive employee experience.

It’s also vital for accelerating productivity, boosting employee retention, and cultivating a positive company culture.

When done right, it leads to more engaged and profitable staff in the long run.

Solid and thorough inductions also help new employees understand the company culture, responsibilities, and nuanced team dynamics. More importantly, they can also serve to bridge any skill gaps and set the stage for success.

With all of this considered,  you’d naturally think that onboarding would be a top priority for all founders.  Sadly, this is often not the case.

Poor Onboarding Or Lack Thereof Is Killing Your Retention

Last year I placed 70 candidates in new roles. Seven quit of their own accord before their probation was up. Of these, all of them but one attributed a poor onboarding process to their early departure.

  • Three had never met their manager in person, not even once.
  • Two cited feeling isolated and removed from the rest of the business, despite working in the office.
  • Three had commented about trying but being unable to meet every stakeholder in the business to understand their motivations.
  • One reported not having a single proper conversation with their manager about key performance indicators (KPIs).

Historical Resentment Combined With Poor Communications

Nobody intentionally onboards staff poorly.

It often happens when there’s a rush to get the new hire started fast, usually because of bad planning and a long recruitment process, which translates to: “We needed you yesterday, so just jump in.”

This urgency can create a stressful environment for new staff.

Existing team members who might have taken the slack in their absence may quickly start offloading responsibilities, potentially overwhelming the employee.

Businesses that don’t address this early on end up with a high turnover.

So, How Can Agencies Improve Their Onboarding Process?

I spoke to various agency founders and directors across the UK, the U.S., Australia, and Dubai and I asked them for their insights and advice about onboarding.

Here’s what they recommend:

Observation And Shadowing Are Vital

Zoe Blogg, the Director of Operations at independent SEO & Content Marketing agency, Reboot, says:  “It’s about immersion. Our process is designed to give new hires time to truly absorb how we work before they’re expected to contribute. In the first two weeks, we encourage new team members – especially at a senior level – to focus on listening, observing, and understanding our culture, processes, and workflows before making any major changes or suggestions.”

Supporting the idea that early collaboration and involvement are key, Kristi Hoyle of Kaizen actively encourages new starters to sit in on ideation sessions and client strategy meetings, even with teams they won’t directly work with. The ultimate aim is to gradually ease them into the agency.

Phil Dukarsky, SEO lead at Dubai-based SEO Sherpa, leverages a buddy system to ensure that new starters are given the best introduction. Effectively, somebody from the same department is chosen to take this person under their wing and induct them into the department and the wider business.

Emma Welland, founder of paid media agency House of Performance, emphasizes a similar approach with a twist: “We assign everyone a mentor as well as a manager to make sure they have multiple people to check in with and speak to from day one.” They also make sure new employees have time with the founders on a weekly basis to ask questions and get extra support.

Use The Right Tool Kit

I’ve spoken to many digital agency founders and hiring managers, and many have their own nuanced tool stack to ensure that their onboarding is on point.

Zoe Blogg was the first to recommend ClickUp as a project management platform that has been adopted by businesses all over the world.

She explains: “We use the tool to centralise everything from training materials to role-specific onboarding tasks.”

“A key feature we leverage is a dedicated ‘sandbox’ space, where new team members can test ideas, experiment with workflows, and familiarise themselves with our systems in a low-pressure environment before making live changes,” she shares.

Systems like this provide central spaces for new employees to get to grips with existing workflows and ways of working very early on, so they’re not in the dark. This also offers them the chance to ask questions and even make suggestions for improvements, making them feel valued early on.

Kristi Hoyle of Kaizen Search uses ClickUp in combination with Notion, another project management tool, to centralize all learning resources, induction documents, and educational resources.

Vervaunt was the only agency that cited Asana as a key onboarding tool.

Bethan Rainford, the company’s general manager, shares: “We use Asana across Vervaunt and have a comprehensive on-boarding flow which all new starters enroll within.”

Tools For Positive And Negative Feedback

Kaizen Search is an agency that takes considerable steps to continuously improve its employee experiences.

It uses 15Five, a performance management tool that enables new starters to record confidential feedback on their onboarding experience, helping the agency record any shortcomings or needs for improvement.

Emma Welland takes a similar proactive approach to this at House of Performance: “We ask every new joiner for feedback on the joining process, so we can evolve it.” She expects their process to be even more advanced over the next 12 months.

This is actually worlds apart from some of the experiences I’ve been told about.

Of the seven people who left their roles before probation, only one was even given an exit interview with an opportunity to give their feedback, while the rest were never asked what had gone wrong.

In fact, some of the hiring managers refused to acknowledge any feedback given by the employees.

CharlieHR

Zoe shares that CharlieHR helps them make the heavy administrative side of onboarding more efficient.

It also gives new starters immediate access to key information early on, such as company benefits, perks, and policies. “This removes the logistical friction and allows them to focus on integrating into the team”, says Blogg.

Jen Wlodyka, who heads up the talent team at London and Hertfordshire-based Distinctly Digital, also praises the tool for its ability to schedule performance reviews and ensure that detailed feedback is created and distributed privately and timely. This is vital for keeping staff happy and loyal.

Breathe HR

Breathe is another solid tool for onboarding.

Olivia Royce, the operations director at ecommerce SEO agency NOVOS, explains, “We rely on tools such as ClickUp for task management, BreatheHR for HR processes, and Assembly for fostering team connections. Cybersecurity training during the first week equips our team to handle IT security.”

Jen Wlodyka also stresses the importance of having the right tools for success.

She points to Slack and their bespoke intranet as vital for smooth communication from the start. Both platforms serve as the company’s centralised hub for policy documents, internal communication between teams, and regular company updates, making new starters feel included right away.

Onboarding Shouldn’t Stop After 2-4 Weeks

Many agencies and brands see onboarding as a short, 30-day process, but that’s not enough. Here’s what the best agencies are doing in that respect:

Rolling Inductions

Zoe Blog from Reboot addresses this head-on as she tells us, “We recognise that onboarding is more than your ‘first month’. That’s why we have rolling induction slots in the calendar, so if someone wants a refresher or misses a session, they can easily join again. This ensures that information isn’t just received once and forgotten – it’s reinforced in a way that makes it stick.”

The 30/60/90-Day Approach

The ecommerce-focused agency NOVOS adopts a structured approach to onboarding.

Its 1-30-60-90-day plan aligns with probation periods and breaks the process into clear milestones: a structure for day 1, week 1, and months 1, 2, and 3.

Olivia Royce, the company’s operations director, explains, “We have a clear onboarding process in our task management system which outlines who is responsible for what during the onboarding process.”

This structured approach consists of a comprehensive introduction to the company and its mission, vision, and values, and helps set personalized KPIs that match the employee’s development areas for the first three months.

Bethan Rainford from Vervaunt outlines their ongoing approach that ensures onboarding doesn’t end after probation: “At the end of a probationary period, we have a tradition of ‘end of probation presentation’.”

They started this when they were a team of five, and now at 65, it still continues.

She goes on to explain the process: “The employee presents back to the full team on a topic they are passionate about or a key project they have worked on during their initial time here. We’ve always found this to be a really rewarding and supportive way for new team members to close up on their probation, and the support and encouragement from the wider team is always really lovely to see.”

Onboarding Should Start Before Day One

Kristi Hoyle from Kaizen Search explains that their onboarding actually starts before an employee even steps foot in the office: “Our process begins two weeks before their official start date to ensure employees feel informed, prepared, and welcomed.”

She breaks this down in detail:

Pre-Start Preparation

Hoyle describes how 14 weeks prior to starting, new hires are given a comprehensive welcome deck they’re encouraged to look over in detail.

The document includes key company information, details on benefits and key policies, a full organization structure chart, short bios and photos of everybody in the company, and a comprehensive outline of what to expect from day one, including training schedules and full immersion sessions.

Emma Welland shares a similar philosophy: “When we bring new people into House of Performance, we make sure our onboarding starts before they walk through the door, whether that is inviting them to any company events we have in the lead-up to their start date or a simple email answering all those little questions such as ‘what should I wear?’, ‘who am I working with’, ‘where do I get lunch on my first day’, etc.”

As Hoyle points out, this proactive approach ensures new hires arrive feeling comfortable, informed, and excited for their first day. She then goes on to outline the full and detailed itinerary.

Day 1 Experience

“On their first day, new employees receive an HR onboarding session introducing them to our core systems, including 15Five, Breathe HR, and ClickUp. We aim to align new starter dates where possible to deliver these sessions efficiently in group settings. New joiners also enjoy a welcome lunch with their manager and buddy to foster early connections,” she explains.

Similarly, at House of Performance, they always start new joiners at 10 a.m., when the rest of the company is already in the office and set up. This creates a smooth entry, avoiding the common situation of arriving on time only to find that managers aren’t there.

Welland goes on to say: “We always go out for lunch on the first day, and try and ensure there is some social event in their first few weeks so they can start building relationships (an integral part of account management life!).”

First Week Focus

Hoyle goes on to say that the first seven days are centred around training, with new joiners gradually taking on client tasks designed as learning exercises.

This structured approach allows them to contribute early without pressure, ensuring mistakes are treated as learning opportunities with full support from their line manager and buddy.

New starters also have a values session with the CEO to better understand the behaviors expected of them and the culture they are trying to build from the start.

Check-Ins And Progress Tracking

Midway through onboarding, Hoyle and the directors at Kaizen conduct a formal HR check-in to assess how the role aligns with expectations and identify any points of friction.

Monthly probation check-ins track progress against probation goals to ensure success.

Refreshingly, this agency views probation as a two-way process, using this time to gather feedback and make adjustments where needed.

Jennifer Wlodyka also advocates for regular check-ins, stating that they prioritize ongoing support with daily check-ins throughout the onboarding process and weekly meetings with their managers. And they don’t stop there!

New starters are also invited to monthly reviews for the first six months, giving them the opportunity to share their thoughts about the process, too.

Top Tips For A Smooth And Effective Onboarding

In my experience as a former marketer, hiring manager, and now a recruiter for the space, I recommend the following:

  • Take the time to map your onboarding process carefully and tailor it to the size you are currently at – it’s not a one-size-fits-all.
  • Certain tasks can be automated using the key management tools cited above.
  • Speak to new starters and ask them for feedback early on, during, and after their onboarding to keep improving.
  • Don’t let one single person handle onboarding. Get the whole team involved so new hires feel truly welcomed.
  • Encourage the entire business to partake in onboarding in some way by involving reps from every department. This will display a genuine desire to make new starters feel at home.
  • Take it slow. Onboarding can feel overwhelming for new members of staff, so spread it out. The NOVOS 30/60/90 day approach is a prime example of how it’s a marathon and not a sprint.

Olivia Royce sums it up: ”When it comes to onboarding digital marketing talent, effective onboarding serves as the launchpad for success.”

Emma Welland explains the emotional aspect perfectly: “I fundamentally believe a good onboarding is judged by how you make someone feel. For us, making sure expectations are clear from day one, is a big part of this. We want people to feel comfortable asking questions (there are no silly questions) and getting involved.”

A well-structured onboarding process, tailored to individual roles and supported by the right technology, empowers digital marketing talent.

By investing in onboarding, agencies and companies can nurture talent and drive remarkable outcomes in the fast-moving digital world.

More Resources:

Featured Image: insta_photos/Shutterstock

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Apr 17 2025
How To Get A Job In Digital Marketing In 2025

It can be hard to get a job, especially right now it is difficult to land a job as the market has changed.

There are significantly fewer jobs available for both permanent and temporary positions.

But, this article will provide you with tips and advice to help you stay motivated.

Falling Job Vacancies

The current market, with fewer jobs available, is in stark contrast to what we saw during the Great Resignation (a term coined by Anthony Klotz), where there appeared to be a spike in the number of people quitting their jobs in 2021 that started before the pandemic.

According to a survey by KPMG and REC, vacancies for permanent jobs in the UK declined at their fastest pace for four years in January 2025.

The survey also shows that temporary vacancies fell in December 2024, and the labor market had been slowing down in 2024.

The U.S. has also seen the number of job openings fall.

In October 2024, this dropped to 7.4 million versus 7.9 million in September 2024.

Jobs in healthcare and government agencies also saw a lot of losses (the latter may be due to the election).

According to Newsweek, the number of Americans leaving their jobs dropped to its lowest since August 2020, but the number of layoffs increased.

There may be fewer Americans leaving their jobs voluntarily because they are more satisfied with their jobs.

According to Pew Research, half of U.S. workers are happy with their jobs, and 38% are somewhat satisfied.

There are 12% who are not satisfied with their job. Those who are self-employed (60%) are more likely to be highly satisfied than those who are not self-employed.

11 Tips To Get A Job In Marketing in 2025

Employers can now be more picky about who they hire. So, how can you make sure you land your job this year?

Here are my tips from my experience of looking for a job in this current climate.

1. Be Patient

Securing a job will take longer, unfortunately.

Data from recruiting software company iCIMS, a recruiting software company, said that the average time it takes to fill a role is seven weeks.

A friend of mine in Australia applied to 74 jobs over a 4-month period, but they only heard back from 27 – just 36% of companies responded.

Some job sites state they will not get back to you (such as the recruitment site called Seek in Australia). But, there were some jobs where after making a presentation it took two months to be told they were not successful.

Candidates are not happy about waiting so long.

Hays recruitment firm in the UK carried out a survey of 11,900 employers and employees in March 2024.

It found that only 18% of candidates believe three rounds of interviews are acceptable, and 6% are willing to wait more than a week to hear back from the company after the final interview. This means candidates want to hear back from potential employers quickly.

2. Build On What You Know. Don’t Try To Get Into A New Sector Without Experience

The market is already tough. Do not try to “pivot” as people may have done during the pandemic.

Focus on your skills. Do the job you want to get.

For example, if you want to do a podcast in your next job, create your own YouTube show.

I started Tea Time SEO during the pandemic, and I really enjoyed it. Then, in November 2023, Mike asked me to co-host SEO Office Hours.

The show did not give me a new job, but it did help me market myself and allowed me to learn a new skill, which I feel more confident in applying in my new job.

3. Make Yourself Stand Out: Building Your Brand Is Key

According to iCiMS, in March 2024, there were 43 job applications per opening in the UK and EMEA, which is 44% higher than in February 2023.

Competition is fierce, so focus this year on building your brand.

If you do not know how to start your personal brand or what is your brand, have a friend or former colleague help you.

Brainstorm first what you want to be known for and have a neutral person (not your family) write down what they think your brand is all about.

4. Network

Make the most of your contacts. Go to networking events in your sector.

According to Money.co.uk, among the 2,000 people surveyed, 40% secured a job through networking. This is particularly true for Millennials. 50% of those who took part in the survey landed their job through networking.

5. LinkedIn

Do not be afraid to ask others for help. There is no shame in posting on LinkedIn if you are looking for work.

Globally, more than 220 million people used the “open to work” banner on Linkedin in January 2025, which is 35% higher than it was in January 2024.

I posted on LinkedIn that I was looking for work, and I have seen far more people do this in 2025 and 2024 than in previous years.

Posting that I was looking for work led me to others sharing the type of job I was after and also meant my current employer reached out to me.

6. Refresh Your CV

A friend of mine in Australia applied for 74 jobs between November 2023 and March 2024. They managed to secure a job after having their CV reviewed and amended.

Ideally, a CV should be no more than two pages and highlight the key achievements in the role you are applying for.

Many CVs describe what you did at the job, for example, managed the content on the website, created a PR campaign.

Instead, try to show the results. For example “I doubled the content on the news section and increased downloads by 40% over the space of 12 months.”

“I created and launched a PR campaign that drove 3,000 unique visits in one day, which was 75% more than what was seen in previous campaigns.”

7. Try Not To Do Too Much Free Work

We have seen an increase in the amount of unpaid work during the interview process.

I know many who have done presentations, only to be then told they are not successful.

According to a LinkedIn poll, 85% of respondents said they had been asked to do unpaid work during the interview process, with 44% of them spending three to five hours and over 19% over six hours.

If a company is asking you to do free work, ask them to specify the time for the tasks and when they expect to come back to you with an answer.

8. Make A Realistic Plan

Research the types of companies you want to work for, whether they are a big brand, whether they share the same values as you, or if they are 100% remote-only companies. Make a list and plan when you will apply to them.

Try not to overload yourself by applying for 10 jobs one day and one the next. Instead, plan it out evenly over the month.

I kept a Google Sheet so I could see where and what roles I applied to and was able to follow up if I had not heard back. It helped me with my job application process.

Out of the jobs I applied to, I heard from just 40% of them.

Out of those initial replies, I then followed up but had no further contact, meaning that 30% of those who initially messaged me ghosted me. Having this Google Sheet helped me to track my progress.

If you have a plan for the number of jobs you apply to and when, it is easier to control your hours.

9. Try Not To Take Things Personally

You cannot control whether or not someone will return to you, but you can manage how you react.

Some companies will not be transparent, and some companies will not respect your time. They will not get back to you to tell you no, the position has changed, or it has been canceled.

It can help to talk to a neutral party about your experience or even colleagues or friends in the same recruitment drive position as you.

10. Join Communities

Applying for jobs can be soul-destroying. Join communities where people can also share job opportunities.

People within these communities want to help one another and support one another, and they are more than happy to pass on referrals.

However, be careful, as there are still people within the communities who are looking for help but then do not reply.

Out of the jobs I applied to within a community, where people were asking for candidates to fill a role, 56% ghosted me.

11. Get A Mentor

I started speaking with a mentor after being in my “career” for 10 years. It is probably best to do this sooner rather than later.

According to Forbes, 76% of people think having a mentor is important, but only 37% have one.

A mentee may not know where to look for a mentor, but 61% of mentor relationships have developed naturally. Therefore, there may be someone at work or an older friend who could help you.

Many mentors are happy to pass on their knowledge to others, and they found it enhanced the meaningfulness of their work.

Keep Applying, Keep Improving

My last piece of advice is not to give up. Applying for jobs is soul-destroying, and you can really feel you are not making any progress, yet you spend hours researching and applying.

However, if you give up, as we are moving so fast in digital marketing, you will be moving backward.

You are not alone and will get work, just don’t give up.

Methodology:

Please note that my research covers the U.S. and UK markets. I applied for 160 jobs from when I started making a record, which was from April 2024 until December 2024. I applied for remote jobs in the UK, the U.S., and hybrid jobs in Barcelona. I used LinkedIn to find jobs, and also through the communities I am part of.

I posted on Linkedin in October 2024 that I was looking for a full-time job and I was contacted by a few people and I now have my job because of that. It took me 8 months of looking for work to secure a full-time contract. I had started looking before April 2024 as I could see the market was slowing down, but as I was going to become a parent and take a couple of months out, I was not apply to secure a full-time role. Therefore I started the research again after my child was born.

More Resources:

Featured Image: ImageFlow/Shutterstock

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Apr 16 2025
AI Overviews: We Reverse-Engineered Them So You Don’t Have To [+ What You Need To Do Next]

This post was sponsored by DAC. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own. Authors: Dan Lauer & Michael Goodman

Is the classic funnel model (TOFU-MOFU-BOFU) still relevant in an AI-driven SERP?

What kinds of queries trigger Google’s AI Overviews?

How can you structure content so that AI pulls your site into the response?

Do you really need to change your SEO strategy?

For years, SEO teams followed a familiar SEO playbook:

  1. Optimize upper-funnel content to capture awareness,
  2. mid-funnel content to drive consideration,
  3. lower-funnel content to convert.

One page, one keyword, one intent.

But with the rise of ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot, Gemini, and now Google’s AI Mode, that linear model is increasingly outdated.

So, how do you move forward and keep your visibility high in modern search engine results pages (SERPs)?

We’ve reverse-engineered AI Overviews, so you don’t have to. Let’s dive in.

What We’ve Discovered Through Reverse Engineering Google’s AI Overviews (AIO)

From what we’re seeing across client industries and in how AI-driven results behave, the traditional funnel model – the idea of users moving cleanly from awareness to consideration to conversion – feels increasingly out of step with how people actually search.

How Today’s Search Users Actually Search

Today’s users jump between channels, devices, and questions.

They skim, abandon, revisit, and decide faster than ever.

AI Overviews don’t follow a tidy funnel because most people don’t either.

They surface multiple types of information at once, not because it’s smarter SEO, but because it’s closer to how real decisions get made.

AIOs & AI Mode Aren’t Just Answering Queries – They’re Expanding Them

Traditionally, SEO strategy followed a structured framework. Take a travel-related topic, for example:

  • Informational (Upper-Funnel) – “How to plan a cruise?”
  • Commercial (Mid-Funnel) – “Best cruise lines for families”
  • Transactional (lower-Funnel) – “Find Best Alaska Cruise Deals”

However, AI Overviews don’t stick to that structure.

Instead, they blend multiple layers of intent into a single, comprehensive response.

How AI Overviews Answer & Expand Search Queries

Let’s stay with the travel theme. A search for “Mediterranean cruise” might return an AI Overview that includes:

  • Best Time to go (Informational).
  • Booking Your Cruise (Commercial).
  • Cruise Lines (Navigational).

AI Mode Example for ‘Mediterranean Cruise’

What’s Happening Here?

In this case, Google isn’t just answering the query.

It anticipates what the user will want to know next, acting more like a digital concierge than a traditional search engine.

The AI Overview Test & Parameters

  • Source: Semrush & Google
  • Tested Data: 200 cruise-related informational queries

We started noticing this behavior showing up more often, so we wanted to see how common it actually is.

To get a clearer picture, we pulled 200 cruise-related informational queries from SEMrush and ran them through our custom-built AI SERP scraper. The goal was to see how often these queries triggered AI Overviews, and what kind of intent those Overviews covered.

The patterns were hard to miss:

  • 88% of those queries triggered an AI Overview
  • More than half didn’t just answer the initial question.
  • 52% mixed in other layers of intent, like brand suggestions, booking options, or comparisons, right alongside the basic information someone might’ve been looking for.

Using a different query related to Mediterranean Cruises, the AIO response acts as a travel agent, guiding the user on topics like:

  • How to fly,
  • Destinations with region,
  • Cruise prices,
  • Cruise lines that sail to that destination.

While it’s an Information non-brand search query,  the AIO response is lower-funnel as well.

Again, less than half of the queries were matched intent.

Here are some examples of queries that were identified as Informational and provided only the top-of-funnel response without driving the user further down the funnel.

The Verdict

Even when someone asks a simple, top-of-funnel question, AI is already steering them toward what to do next, whether that’s comparing prices, picking a provider, or booking a trip.

What Does This Mean for SEO Strategies Moving Forward?

If AI Overviews and AI Mode are blending intent types, content, and SEO strategies need to catch up:

  1. It’s no longer enough to rank for high-volume informational keywords. If your content doesn’t address multiple layers of intent, AI will fill the gaps with someone else’s content.
  2. SEO teams need to analyze how AI handles their most important queries. What related questions is it pulling in? Are those answers coming from your site or your competitors?
  3. Think beyond keyword volume. Long-tail queries may have lower search traffic, but they often align better with AI-cited content. Structure your pages with clear headings, bullets, and concise, helpful language—that’s what AI models prefer to surface.

The Future of SEO in an AI World: Hybrid Intent Optimization

The fundamentals of technical and on-page SEO still matter. But if your content is still built around single keywords and single intent types, you’re likely to lose visibility as AI continues to reshape the SERP.

The brands that adapt to this shift by creating content that mirrors the blended, fast-moving behavior of actual users are the ones that will continue to own key moments across the funnel, even as the funnel itself evolves.

As AI transforms search behavior, it‘s crucial to adapt your SEO strategies accordingly. At DAC, we specialize in aligning your content with the latest search trends to enhance visibility and engagement. Reach out to us today to future-proof your strategy with our award-winning TotalSERP approach and stay ahead in the evolving digital landscape.

https://www.dacgroup.com/” class=”btn-learn-more button-green medium-size”>Optimize Your SEO For AI Search, Now

Image Credits

Featured Image: Image by DAC. Used with permission.

In-Post Image: Images by DAC. Used with permission.

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Apr 10 2025
To Navigate AI Turbulence, CMOs Can Apply The Flywheel Model via @sejournal, @gregjarboe

Right now, as technology changes daily, chief marketing officers face exceptional levels of change and uncertainty. But it’s not for the first time (or the last).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly two-thirds of CMOs in Fortune 500 companies overcame the extraordinary challenge of navigating change and uncertainty.

This resulted in 65% of CMOs who exited their roles after an average tenure of 4.3 years  “being promoted to more senior roles” or “making lateral moves to other attractive CMO positions.”

However, what was a pandemic obstacle course has been followed by an AI Olympic steeplechase.

To navigate these turbulent times, CMOs should consider analyzing marketing research and applying digital trends to:

  • Discover consumer insights for effective marketing in a dynamic market.
  • Unlock exceptional marketing results and increase return on investment (ROI) with the power of AI.
  • Reach customers across search, video, social, and shopping platforms.
  • Drive progress in marketing by championing the latest innovations and ideas.
  • Transform their data into a tool for building a lasting business advantage.

To lead their teams, CMOs could also apply the flywheel model, a customer-centric approach to business growth.

Adding AI To The Traditional Flywheel

Recently, based on a survey of 2,000 global marketers, Think With Google wrote:

“The traditional flywheel has always existed in marketing. Now, leaders are adding AI to multiply its momentum.”

Screenshot from Think With Google, April 2025

The article provides CMOs with a framework, built on four interconnected pillars:

  1. Measurement and insights.
  2. Media and personalization.
  3. Creativity and content.
  4. People and process.

This framework outlines how AI is amplifying the traditional marketing flywheel.

Measurement And Insights

The first pillar, stresses the importance of aligning key performance indicators (KPIs) with business performance metrics like profit and ROI.

Implementing modern, AI-powered measurement tools is crucial for accurate data and insights while respecting privacy.

A foundation of well-defined KPIs, historical data, and first-party data enables outcome-based planning, where AI predicts and improves campaign performance, optimizing budget allocation.

The future involves an AI-powered Marketing Engine for continuous, real-time optimization.

Media And Personalization

The second pillar, focuses on AI’s role in delivering the right ad to the right person at the right time.

Leading marketers scale successful AI-powered campaigns, shifting budgets for maximum ROI and flexibility.

AI identifies engaged, high-value audiences across channels, revealing valuable consumer behavior insights.

The ultimate stage is AI-powered media transformation, where an AI engine autonomously creates and refines media plans in real time based on continuous measurement.

Creativity And Content

The third pillar, explores how generative AI aids in brainstorming impactful ideas to help develop innovative content.

AI identifies and amplifies top-performing assets, and AI-powered “creative studios” accelerate time-to-market.

AI also enables pre-launch testing and optimization, bringing the goal of real-time, personalized creative delivery closer to reality.

People And Process

The fourth pillar, emphasizes collaboration, extending to the C-suite.

Sharing prioritized AI opportunities early is vital. Transformative leaders restructure organizations to fully leverage the AI engine.

Scaling AI success requires investing in AI talent to develop new operational methods, which are then formalized and disseminated.

Leading marketers design improved workflows and assess AI impact, recognizing that holistic organizational transformation is needed.

The article concludes that these four interdependent pathways merge to create the AI-powered Marketing Engine, amplifying the traditional marketing flywheel.

Analyzing Market Research And Applying Audience Research

CMOs will quickly notice that “The AI-powered Marketing Engine” framework can help to overcome four of the five obstacles that I mentioned above:

  • Measurement and insights can help transform their data into a tool for building a lasting business advantage.
  • Media and personalization can help to reach customers across search, video, social, and shopping platforms.
  • Creativity and content can help unlock exceptional marketing results and increase ROI.
  • People and process can help to drive progress in marketing by championing the latest innovations and ideas.

And CMOs will immediately wonder: Why can’t the AI-powered Marketing Engine help our analysts discover consumer insights for effective marketing in a dynamic market?

That’s the right question to ask, and there are two probable answers.

The first was provided by Avinash Kaushik in 2014, when he asked, “Is your company creating reporting squirrels or analysis ninjas?”

In any organization, investments in data generate two distinct types of work: Reporting Squirrel work and Analysis Ninja work. While both are important, only one directly contributes to improving the company’s financial performance.

Reporting Squirrels primarily focus on data production, spending most of their time creating reports for various stakeholders.

Their responsibilities include data extraction, query writing, fulfilling ad-hoc requests, scheduling data outputs, and coordinating with IT teams for data acquisition.

Conversely, Analysis Ninjas dedicate their time to analyzing data and generating actionable insights, which are typically communicated in clear, plain language.

Their work involves tasks such as data retrieval, segmentation, in-depth exploration, modeling, creating unique datasets, answering business questions, and defining data requirements for Reporting Squirrels and IT teams.

It’s important to note that Fortune 500 companies don’t typically hire individuals with the titles “Reporting Squirrel” and “Analysis Ninja.” Instead, they employ analysts or data scientists.

However, CMOs need to ask if these professionals are primarily focused on data output rather than providing actionable recommendations.

The second probable answer was in my recent article, where I mentioned, “GA4 gives us less than a third of the data we need to know about user acquisition: The initial stage of building business awareness and acquiring user interest.”

I added, “Somehow, we’ve missed what GA4 can’t – or doesn’t – tell us about the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT): the moment in the purchase process when the consumer or business buyer researches a product or service prior to visiting your website.”

So, if CMOs realize that they don’t have a clue about where the lion’s share of their customers discovered their brands or products before visiting their website, then what should they do?

They have two options: Get audience research and conduct market research.

Audience research and market research are distinct but complementary approaches to understanding a business environment.

Audience Research

Audience research focuses on the individual, delving into the needs, preferences, behaviors, and language of the target audience.

This micro-level perspective is achieved through direct engagement with the audience via interviews, surveys, focus groups, social media analysis, and by leveraging existing customer data like customer relationship management (CRM) and support logs.

Market Research

In contrast, market research takes a broader, macroeconomic view, examining the overall landscape.

It involves analyzing industry trends, competitor activities, economic data, and trade publications to assess the viability of products or services.

Think of market research as providing the map, indicating where to go, and audience research as the compass, guiding you on the best path to get there. Therefore, both types of research play crucial roles.

AI Won’t Take Your Job. Somebody Using AI Will

CMOs remember what economist Richard Baldwin said at the 2023 World Economic Forum’s Growth Summit: “AI won’t take your job. It’s somebody using AI that will.”

They understand that their Fortune 500 company expects them to successfully navigate the complexities of the AI era and achieve sustainable growth.

To do that, they must embrace AI-powered tools and frameworks while prioritizing a deep understanding of their audience through dedicated research efforts.

By integrating these approaches, CMOs can transform data into actionable insights, optimize marketing strategies, and ultimately, build a lasting competitive advantage in an increasingly dynamic market.

More Resources:

Featured Image: R.bussarin/Shutterstock

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Apr 9 2025
Why Search Marketing & Branding Need Each Other via @sejournal, @coreydmorris

I own a digital agency that has existed for 20 years and did branding until just two years ago.

It wasn’t until we stopped doing branding that I came across a number of meaningful connections and “needs” search and branding teams have that enhance the efforts of both.

Search marketers are often at the other end and far away from brand strategy.

When branding is pressed for return on investment (ROI), it often comes downstream through marketing channels, platforms, and the implemented strategy.

Search often struggles without a differentiated brand or strategy to stand  out from competitors in search results for ads or content.

I believe there are great benefits to connecting branding and search, partnering together, and working closely within broader business and marketing teams and environments.

Digging into conversations, my experience, and perspectives shared with me, I’m sharing the benefits categorized for search marketers and brand creatives/strategists alike that can create more consistent and impactful opportunities to elevate brands and performance overall.

For Search Marketers

Content & Creative Standards

In the absence of robust brand strategy development and documentation, search marketers (among other channels) are often left in a vacuum when it comes to creating content and assets needed for SEO and paid search success.

In a vacuum, there are best practices and channel strategies that can guide what gets created and what words, messaging, and creative are utilized.

However, it can be fragmented, inconsistent, and unrelated to broader themes and objectives.

When we have standards and strategies to leverage, we can be a further extension of the key unique messages to bring the brand alive.

I can’t count the number of times there have been conversations between search marketers and sales teams about specific ad copy and imagery that have no grounding or truth from brand strategy to fall back on.

I’ll say this as someone who has done SEO for a long time: You don’t want an SEO to write your copy or design your creative. There are exceptions and unicorns, but you want your SEO experts and SEM specialists doing their craft.

Unique Value Propositions

One of the key measures of search campaigns and strategies is how effective they are in driving conversions – and even deeper, what happens with those conversions and whether they become actual sales, revenue, and profit.

When leads are qualifying, too expensive, beat salespeople up over price, or don’t buy from an online store and go back to Google, we haven’t done our job in telling the story and sharing our value proposition.

There will always be someone looking for the cheapest, and unless we’re the low-price leader, we’ll lose those sales.

But, when someone is seeking our unique offering and factors that can include price but much more are in play, we want to do a great job presenting those at every touch point, including those important to SEO and PPC.

Without having these, we’re either making up our own, leaning on more shallow features and benefits, or inadvertently making our products and services seem similar to everyone else’s.

Support For Off-Page Factors

Unique content, value, and benefits offered through a strong brand identity and strategy can lead to more defined and actionable results.

This is especially true when it comes to attracting links to content (backlinks), and unlinked brand mentions that matter for SEO.

With both legacy focuses on PR and the ability to leverage the brand and newer focuses on digital PR strategies to enhance being found through AI search functions, having a solid branding foundation is important for SEO and PR efforts connected to optimization around external factors and backlinks specifically.

Support For Other Resources

At points in my career managing SEO and paid search, when talking to a writer, UX designer, and other resources, I’ve been faced with questions outside of SEO about voice, tone, style, and other brand aspects.

In many cases, I haven’t had a person, team, or documentation to point to.

SEO especially needs other resources like IT, UX, writers, and others to be successful.

When branding and brand strategy are integrated and accessible, we can again reduce a gap or vacuum created when other resources get pulled in.

The more integrated our messaging is, the better we know our brand and the rules of the road and the more we can do together to be efficient in our resources and not have to do disjointed, unique research in different functions and departments.

For Brand Creatives & Strategists

Connection To More KPIs And ROI

Brand strategy and development have always been critical to any company’s presence, impacting product development, sales, marketing, and customer service.

In so many cases, though, branding has been hard to connect to specific direct key performance indicators (KPIs).

Stakeholder reactions, adoption, and validation of the intended messaging happen.

But most measurement downstream happens in marketing, sales, and other areas well beyond first impressions, and it isn’t explicitly intended to measure brand impact when it gets into marketing tactics and sales pipelines.

With integration and closer relationships between digital marketing (and search) and branding counterparts, more customer journey mapping can be done, bringing KPIs into alignment from the branding process all the way through conversions and sales.

Research And Data Gained

Branding processes leverage market research to guide their work.

Search marketing lives on research data (keywords, audiences, competitors) and analytics to get as real-time as possible in terms of measuring impact.

Search-specific research and analytics are not typically top sources for branding projects. Yet, the data can be a great supplement (and even potentially unique in some cases) to help add another dimension to the market research used in branding strategy decisions and development.

By partnering with search colleagues, a new wealth of information can be gained.

Ongoing Refinement And Optimization

Often, branding, rebranding, and brand strategy are thought of as projects or undertakings that are done once and then done again years down the road – that they aren’t ongoing or continuous processes.

My friend, who owns a highly-regarded branding agency, noted that it is often about once a decade that a lot of companies in the niche industries he serves do a rebrand.

They view it as a one-time event rather than an ongoing strategy or thing to measure, refine, and optimize. That’s a very different approach from search marketing.

By leveraging the insights, partnerships, and opportunities that search marketing and other digital marketing channels offer, branding can become more ongoing and more effective.

Not in the sense of rebranding a company every year, month, or week, but in the sense of being able to make refinements and updates to make it as goal-oriented and effective as possible over time.

Ability To See Implementation All The Way Through

This one is something I was a stickler about in the days that my agency was still doing branding.

It can be deflating, if not frustrating, to invest so much into a complete brand strategy over months and, ultimately, see it not be fully implemented or activated as intended.

In so many cases, the project ended, and even when my team was in charge of implementing the look and feel or messaging in certain places, it was handed off to others to carry forward.

We could find implementations that didn’t follow standards, missed assets, or content that broke the rules.

When search and brand work together, there’s an opportunity to ensure that, down to the keyword and display ad level, there’s a two-way street between search best practices and the brand strategy.

This is to make sure the implementation and activation of the unique aspects of how search is delivered to prospects and customers.

Bringing It All Together

While branding processes and teams might be far away from search tacticians, who are often at the bottom of the funnel driving conversions, and might not seem to have much in common, I contend there’s a big benefit to partnership.

Whether it is a connection to KPIs all the way through, access to data and research, ensuring full and proper implementation, or other factors I unpacked (and even more that I didn’t), in short, brands benefit overall.

We don’t get stuck in as many situations being considered a commodity. Sales teams can be teed up for success without competing on price. Brand affinity can start much sooner, enhancing lifetime value and customer loyalty, which impacts profitability and growth.

More Resources:

Featured Image: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Mar 26 2025
How To Create A Marketing Measurement Plan For Accurate Data & Strategic Alignment via @sejournal, @torylynne

Tracking marketing performance effectively comes down to three key factors:

  • Defining the pipelines, audiences, events, and metrics that truly matter to your business.
  • Ensuring each element is measured with precision.
  • Aligning your team around the data points that drive the most impact.

When these pieces come together, you gain the clarity to track progress, scale insights, and make informed decisions with confidence.

But, how do you get there?

That’s where a marketing measurement plan comes in. This framework acts as a blueprint, outlining the critical components that keep your marketing data and analytics running smoothly.

It helps align stakeholders at every level – whether channel managers, developers, or leadership – so that everyone is working from the same playbook.

Most importantly, it keeps strategy and success metrics anchored to a common goal.

Let’s dive into the key elements and start building one for your business.

The Marketing Measurement Plan In A Nutshell

What Is It?

It is a map of individual inputs for accurate reporting that informs meaningful business insights.

What Does It Do?

It documents the business-critical measurements needed to track the results of a marketing plan and the high-level technical requirements that make it possible.

It doesn’t set benchmarks or goals. Rather, it’s the documentation of the “what” and “how.”

Why Is It Valuable?

1. It Clarifies Reporting Needs For Stakeholders Handling Implementation

Know exactly what’s needed to support the team because it’s all “right there.”

Ideally, stakeholders have played a role in mapping out the measurement model, so they’ll have no problem taking it from ideation to implementation.

2. Tracking Gaps Are Caught Before They Become Problems

There’s nothing quite as disheartening as getting to the end of a campaign and finding critical metrics missing from reporting.

The marketing measurement plan gathers inputs from – and is reviewed by – multiple stakeholders across the team. So, there’s less likelihood of discovering gaps down the road.

3. Creating A Marketing Measurement Plan Breaks Down Silos By Nature

It requires cross-channel and cross-functional input. Then, all of that input gets factored into prioritization at the highest level, documented in a language everyone can speak.

4. It Defines What Matters Most For Strategic Alignment

Is it more important to prioritize traffic or a specific conversion type based on business objectives?

You can see how even just that one important clarification makes a world of difference in strategy at the channel level.

For example, if the answer is conversion, SEO professionals would likely prioritize work specific to product pages over blog URLs in their roadmap.

5. It’s A Helpful Reference For Future Tracking Implementations

If and when new tracking is required, there’s a place to document any additions over time and ensure the tracking doesn’t already exist.

Plus, the implementation team can see everything else that’s already in place, so nothing gets broken in the process.

10 Questions Behind A Marketing Measurement Plan

A marketing measurement plan includes three distinct sections:

  • Technical Requirements.
  • Events & Audiences.
  • Implementation Requirements.

Tech Requirements

Cars can’t go anywhere without roads. Similarly, there needs to be a path for data to travel to the team. You need to map the key data sources, where they intersect, and where all of that data collects.

That’s a matter of answering a couple of questions, which will likely require input from the dev team.

What’s Our Front-End Tech Stack?

Implementing the analytics pipeline looks different depending on what your site uses to serve content.

In some cases, it’s actually multiple platforms, which means there’s additional work on each of them to get data into the same pool.

The Wappalyzer extension is an easy way to look under the hood and see the different platforms in play.

Just remember, it’s giving you information specific to the page rather than the whole site.

So, if you’re looking at a product page that’s served via Shopify, but the blog is built on WordPress, you wouldn’t catch that from the one page.

Screenshot from Wappalyzer extension for Chrome, February 2025Screenshot from Wappalyzer extension for Chrome, February 2025

Alternatively, if you have access to Sitebulb, you can crawl the site with the Parse Technologies setting enabled.

This will give you a list of technologies used across the site, rather than just testing one page.

Screenshot from Sitebulb Performance & Mobile Friendly Crawler Settings, February 2025Screenshot from Sitebulb Performance & Mobile Friendly Crawler Settings, February 2025

When it comes down to it, the best route is to sync with developers, who’ll be able to break down the purpose of each platform.

You’ll want to make sure that the measurement plan includes:

  • Front-end JavaScript framework (Vue, React, etc.).
  • Framework-specific plug-ins.
  • WYSIWYG landing page builders for marketing.
  • Platforms for content creation.

Where Do Our Users Come From?

Traffic comes from many places: email, organic search, PPC ads, affiliate articles, etc. The traffic behaves differently based on the source because each source plays a slightly different role in the marketing strategy.

Additionally, each source is made up of different referrers, but not all of those referrers will matter to every business.

For example, a B2B SaaS company probably cares more about LinkedIn than Instagram, whereas the opposite is likely true for an ecommerce brand.

Both sources and referrers need to be mapped for implementation to ensure the audiences are available in reporting.

Mapping source to referrers using social media as an exampleMapping source to referrers using social media as an example (Image from author, February 2025)

The measurement plan should include the following:

  • Direct traffic.
  • Organic traffic.
  • Paid search.
  • Display ads.
  • Social media (paid and organic).
  • Email.
  • Referral (earned links from external websites and media).
  • Affiliate (links from PR, Share-a-Sale, paid placements, etc.).
  • Other channels you care about (e.g., programmatic, voice if you have an Alexa skill, etc.).

Events & Audiences

The crux of effective marketing is understanding the behavior of the audience.

Which users are most likely to convert? Which behaviors show that users are moving closer to converting? Which promotions are most effective for which types of users?

We can answer these questions by mapping behavior to the marketing funnel, allowing us to understand where different actions fit within the customer journey.

In turn, this helps marketers make the right “ask” of users at the right moment.

A visualization of the marketing funnelA visualization of the marketing funnel (Image from author, February 2025)

For example, users coming from a link in an affiliate article are probably less ready to purchase than users who click through an email CTA.

But, they could be willing to exchange their email address for a discount or resource, which would lead them into email, where users are more likely to convert.

To validate that assumption or extract insights, we need the right data. But first, we need to define what the right data is by identifying meaningful behaviors worth tracking.

What’s The Primary Action We Want The User To Take?

Every business has a desired end-point to the digital marketing funnel, a.k.a. a conversion.

The user action considered a conversion differs based on the objectives of the business.

A blog site will want users to subscribe, whereas an ecommerce company will hope to drive a purchase, and B2B SaaS marketing aims to drive qualified leads for the sales team.

The measurement plan should identify the user behavior that represents a conversion, which could include:

  • Transaction.
  • Request demo.
  • Subscription.
  • Start a free trial.

What Do Users Do As They Move Down The Funnel?

No one has a 100% conversion rate. The customer journey is made of multiple touchpoints and is not always linear.

To understand those touchpoints, marketers need to define the “micro-conversions” on the path to conversion, i.e., identify the smaller behaviors that users who convert exhibit along the way, and how close those actions are to a conversion versus one another.

Visualizing where micro-conversions fit in the marketing funnelVisualizing where micro-conversions fit in the marketing funnel (Image from author, February 2025)

The next section in your marketing plan should list micro-conversions within your customer funnel, including but not limited to:

  • Add a product to cart.
  • Sign up for email.
  • Share onsite content.
  • Download a sales or solution sheet.
  • Initiate a chat.
  • Engage with specific content (ratings/reviews, FAQs, etc.).

How Do We Know When A User Is Engaged?

Google Analytics 4 has an engagement rate metric, but it’s really just the inverse of bounce rate.

The problem with that: Just because a user didn’t bounce, it doesn’t mean they’re engaged per se. Couple that with the increase in the use of cookie banners, and you can see why it’s not the most telling metric.

The measurement plan is an opportunity to define custom measures of engagement that create a more rich, accurate understanding.

For example, users who toggle product configurations on the product page might be more likely to convert than those who simply visit a product page. But, if that micro-conversion isn’t tracked, that insight would go by the wayside.

The measurement plan documents custom engagements (of which there can be many), including any relevant items from this list of common events:

  • Start a form.
  • Toggle product configurations.
  • View product images in carousel.
  • Log into account.
  • View a video.

Which Patterns Can We Use To Identify Valuable Groups Of Users?

Within the audience of people who visit your site, different segments will share different behaviors.

Some will be more valuable from a conversion standpoint, or may need unique pathing down the funnel.

To identify those segments and tailor marketing to their needs, we first have to map audiences to specific behaviors.

GA4 has some basic segments built in, such as audience by traffic source. However, creating your own audiences lends itself to more telling insights.

You can group users based on any number of conditions working together, allowing you to narrow the scope further.

In your measurement plan, focus on combinations of behavior that lend themselves to a deeper level of understanding. Here are some examples:

  • Group purchasers by the number of site visits before purchase.
  • Group engaged users by first session source.
  • Group users by intent based on landing-page category.

Implementation Requirements

We’ve gathered information about how our site works and what we want to measure. Now, it’s time to lay out the details of implementing analytics and reporting functionality.

This final section of the measurement plan covers requirements like the platforms to use and the specific parameters that make it possible to track events.

With that said, it’s generally a good section for the data/analytics team to own.

Which Analytics Platforms Should We Use?

Collecting data is one thing. For that data to be useful for marketing & analytics stakeholders, they need to be able to access, manage, and share it.

Otherwise, they can’t dig in for insights or report performance to the team.

That’s where the analytics solution comes in. The most well-known is GA4, though alternative platforms like Heap and Matomo are also available.

Then, another layer down are complementary tools for more specific types of data, including tools for A/B testing, heat mapping, etc. They generally depend on the API of the primary analytics solution.

In the measurement plan, make sure to document:

  • The primary analytics solution (GA4, Heap, Matomo, etc.).
  • Supplementary analytics tools (CrazyEgg, Hotjar, Optimizely, etc.).

How Will We Create Dashboards For Other Stakeholders?

A business can’t expect every team member who benefits from reporting to run their own reports. Plus, that would get expensive quickly! Shared dashboards are essential for keeping everyone informed and streamlining the process.

A data visualization tool like Looker Studio lets marketing and analytics stakeholders create self-updating reporting with the most relevant measurements.

Add the following to your measurement plan: Dashboarding tools (Google Data Studio, Microsoft Power BI, etc.)

What’s Our Tag Management System?

The answer to this question is most commonly Google Tag Manager, but it’s still worth taking a moment to unpack tags at a high level. Plus, it’s worth noting that there are some alternatives to Google Tag Manager.

Tags are the code and fragments that make measurement possible. Using a tag manager, analysts can easily create tags and define trigger events.

Tags, triggers, and variables make up a container, which is usually implemented in collaboration with the dev team.

While a tag manager is optional, it’s extremely valuable for the safe, swift deployment of analytics changes and updates.

So, one more item for your document: Tag management system

How Do We Enable Custom Events?

We chatted about custom events earlier. Now, we need to map out the parameters that make it possible to capture those events in the analytics solution.

While GA4 has some default events available upon implementation, Heap and Matomo require “data chefs” to cook from scratch.

Either way, a business will inevitably have unique reporting needs that require customization, regardless of which analytics solution it uses.

Custom measures are set up in the tag manager and might require some configuration to get the right data output. That looks different from platform to platform.

List custom event parameters tailored to the specific requirements of the analytics solution, based on the documentation below:

Accurate Data + Strategic Alignment = Growth

A marketing measurement plan isn’t just a map for creating an analytics proficiency; it’s also a tool that can help make existing analytics more proficient.

In either case, it’s an opportunity to create alignment around what really matters and accurate reporting that works hard for everyone.

It’s time to create one for your business, following the steps above, with help from the right stakeholders.

Special thanks to Sam Torres, chief digital officer at Gray Dot Company and speaker at BrightonSEO, for her extensive contribution to this article. Her deep expertise in data strategy and digital marketing ensures the accuracy and relevance of the insights shared here.

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Featured Image: theromb/Shutterstock

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Mar 25 2025
Community Building For Marketers: Finding Your Why

This edited extract is from Community Building for Marketers by Areej AbuAli ©2025 and is reproduced with permission from Kogan Page Ltd.

There are many different concepts of what a community is, and various definitions.

Outside the context of marketing terminology, the word “community” is primarily associated with local areas or neighbourhoods.

The concept of community as a marketing or growth tool is one that only really began to gain traction in the 21st century.

When I first launched my own community, Women in Tech SEO, which I will refer to as WTS, I didn’t use the term “community.” I used words like “group” or “network,” but neither term felt quite right.

As the language around community marketing became more common, I realized that this was, indeed, what I was creating – this word felt like a much more natural fit.

What Does A Community Look Like?

There are lots of different focal points around which a community can be built.

The key is that enough people care enough about that thing to want to connect with other people that also care about it, and to talk to them about it.

In 2022, Allie Volpe wrote an article in Vox on “Why community matters so much,”1 and referenced the research on “Sense of Community”2 done by David W. McMillan and David M. Chavis, which suggests that a community is defined by four criteria:

  • Membership – to feel a sense of belonging through shared identity, purpose, or reason for being in the group.
  • Influence – to feel like you make a difference to the group and that the group makes a difference to you.
  • Integration and fulfilment of needs – to feel like your needs will be met by other group members.
  • Shared emotional connection – to feel that you share history or similar experiences.

If your community members don’t feel any of these things, then your community breaks down – essentially you don’t have a community at all.

In community marketing, the brand exists largely in the background.

Convening a community around a particular topic establishes you as an expert and leader in this area, and forms a close relationship with the community members, who are likely to be members of your target audience.

But a relationship is not one-way – you should each get value from one another.

What Is Community Marketing?

Community is not a synonym for customers. In building a community, you are not simply gathering together a group of people that you can sell to.

Some of your community members may be customers, or may go on to become customers, but others will not. Some of your customers will never be interested in joining your community.

When you attract a customer, you are looking specifically for someone who wants to buy your product or service, and you then try to nurture a long-term relationship with them where they continue to buy from you.

When you attract a community member, you are inviting someone to become part of an ecosystem of which you are just one part. They will connect with you and the other members of the community.

They may share attributes in common with your target customer, or they may be linked in other ways with your area of focus.

As counterintuitive as that may sound, the goal of a community is not to turn members into customers. The value of a member is not in whether they spend money with you.

They may become advocates for you, recruit new community members, and help new people get to know your brand.

They may provide useful insights to you and your members, or they may become partners with whom you can collaborate.

You probably already have defined personas of your ideal customers. But, when it comes to community marketing, don’t fall into the trap of thinking these are the personas you want to attract to your community.

Consider the wider environment you want to create, and who would want to be part of that. Who could make a valuable contribution?

With marketing, we create blogs, videos, social media posts, FAQs, email newsletters, guides, and resources that our target customers simply consume.

With a community, on the other hand, we are building interactive relationships. This feels much more personable, and you connect with your members on a more human level. You get to know them as real people.

To get to that point, though, requires dedication. A community marketer needs to be continually serving their community, and constantly thinking about how to improve it.

You need to understand what your members want from the space and from you.

What are their needs, their concerns and their frustrations, in the context of your community topic? Where can you help them, and where are they currently struggling to get help from you?

When you show your members that you care about them, you demonstrate that this is a real community, not a sales platform, and a space where they can belong.

Benefits Of Community For Brands

So, with all this effort involved, why is it worth investing in community building?

At a time when we’re all working hard to build social media followings and email lists, is this just another platform to have to try to grow?

Unlike your social media followers and email subscribers, your community members are in a close relationship with you.

They are rooting for you, brainstorming with you, helping you to uncover ideas and opportunities, and willing you to succeed.

Community members will often be the first to share new products and services that you release – they actively amplify and promote your brand for you because they feel as though they’re part of something.

They can also be actively on the lookout for potential customers whom they will knowledgeably persuade to join you, even helping to onboard these people for you.

They provide valuable insights into what new features, products, or services you need to create and where certain elements might need refining or adjusting. They will be your beta testers and troubleshooters.

They help you understand how to craft your messaging because regular conversations with your community will let you see how your potential customers talk about your product or your industry and what they are looking for.

When you have direct access to a community, it can take minutes to get insights, as opposed to requiring large-scale research projects that may take months to extract valuable information from your target customers.

“For too long we’ve seen consumerism push brands into unsustainable growth models,” says Pete Heslop, Managing Director of Steadfast Collective.

For the past decade, Pete and his team have built bespoke platforms that enable community-led brands to thrive. Pete believes that community is foundational for regenerative business growth.

“We’ve taken responsibility to provide an alternative,” Pete says. “Steadfast Collective believes that people thrive when gathered in community; that generative places, spaces and platforms are where communities grow.”

The Digital Community Leaders Survey Report3 states that communities help individuals, organizations, and society thrive by enabling knowledge sharing, collaboration, and the cocreation of value.

The report goes on to highlight that digital communities play an increasingly essential role in 21st-century lives, organizations, and societies. They affect business outcomes.

Today, brands “earn loyalty and growth” by participating in them. The report also highlights that communities “lessen reliance on costly marketing campaigns and traditional customer support methods.”

And that “empowering customers within online communities cultivates a feeling of ownership, leading to user-generated content, valuable insights, and peer support.”

The report also states that a majority of 70% online communities have grown over the last 12 months, and some of the factors driving this growth include:

  • The shift to life online.
  • The normalization of content creation and sharing.
  • The desire for brands to access customer feedback directly.

Community goes far beyond brand awareness or engagement – it’s the next level of retention and loyalty.

“Community gives you a competitive edge. It really can’t be replicated,” says Laura Roth, B2B SaaS community and marketing leader.

With experience managing communities at Amazon, WeWork, and Vodafone, Laura knows just how impactful the benefits are.

But she also knows that, to achieve those benefits, you need to put in the work. You need to create something unique, that comes from your specific mission and values as an organization, and that speaks to the particular needs of your community.

“Community is a long-term game,” Laura says. “It doesn’t happen overnight, and you can’t copy it.”

If you’re not prepared to invest the time, then you won’t see the outcome.

To read the full book, SEJ readers have an exclusive 25% discount code and free shipping to the US and UK. Use promo code SEJ25 at koganpage.com here.

1 A. Volpe. Why community matters so much – and how to find yours, Vox, 24 March 2022, www.vox.com/22992901/how-to-find-your-community-as-an-adult (archived at https://perma.cc/6F9H-GT4T)

2 D. V. McMillan and D. M. Chavis. An Introduction to Sense of the Community, nd, www.drdavidmcmillan.com/sense-of-community/ article-1 (archived at https://perma.cc/H56M-ZWWS)

3 Digital Community Leaders. 2023 Digital Community Leaders Survey Report, 2023, https://digitalcommunityleaders.com/ (archived at https:// perma.cc/275F-E4C5)

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Featured Image: DavideAngelini/Shutterstock

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Mar 12 2025
Using SEO To Capture Growth Opportunities In Emerging Markets via @sejournal, @motokohunt

With the increase in AI-generated search results and the growing popularity of answer engines, multinational businesses experience declining organic traffic and revenue from organic searches in more established markets.

It might be time to take a page from the investment market’s playbook and focus resources to target emerging markets.

Market Opportunity

Market volatility in the U.S. and the potential for trade wars have many multinationals diversifying production away from China, resulting in analysts advocating a significant shift in capital investments into emerging markets.

Emerging markets and developing economies are expected to drive global economic growth through 2035 at an average rate of 4.06% compared to 1.59% in advanced economies.

India is one of the fastest-growing major economies, with projections of 6.5% growth. It is closely followed by Southeast Asia’s 5% growth.

India

  • India represents one of the world’s fastest-growing digital markets, with a 27% CAGR. India’s ecommerce market is expected to reach $350 billion by 2030. The market presents unique revenue opportunities due to its massive scale, rapid digital adoption, and evolving consumer behaviors.
  • With over 750 million active internet users and over 600 million with smartphones, this mobile-first market favors app-based shopping (60%) rather than using websites.
  • Strong marketplace presence in Amazon and Flipkart.

Southeast Asia (Particularly Indonesia, Vietnam, And The Philippines)

  • Southeast Asia offers significant growth potential, with high ecommerce adoption rates representing a $100 billion ecommerce market projected to reach $1 trillion by 2030.
  • With 64% of internet users shopping online and purchasing $73 billion in goods in 2023, Indonesia represents a significant addressable market of high-intent customers.
  • By 2030, the region’s median average age will be 30.5, with a growing middle class with disposable income.
  • Mobile-first markets, with 80% of online purchases made using mobile phones.

Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, And Colombia)

  • Latin America represents a compelling growth opportunity, with its digital market reaching $57.7 million in 2023 and projected to grow at a 27.1% CAGR from 2023 to 2030.
  • The region’s rapid digital transformation post-Covid has created a strong ecommerce infrastructure, with 74.63% of internet users regularly purchasing online.
  • A mobile-first region with over 85% of ecommerce via smartphones.
  • The online marketplace Mercado Libre (Meli) controls over 25% of ecommerce transactions, representing 40 million monthly transactions, offering a solid entry point into the region.

Organic Traffic Diversification

Gartner has predicted a 25% decline in traditional search volume by 2026 to as much as 50% by 2028 as consumers embrace generative AI-powered search, including various AI agents.

Organic traffic diversification through SEO and AI optimization in less saturated markets will help mitigate traffic and revenue risks associated with algorithmic and click volatility in established markets.

As AI-powered search adoption grows globally, emerging markets offer a unique landscape for early movers to capitalize on.

In emerging markets like India, China, and Vietnam, generative AI adoption outpaces developed economies as countries’ investments in digital transformation leverage AI to leapfrog traditional growth paths.

Businesses can tap into new audience segments and gain a competitive edge by focusing on SEO strategies tailored to emerging markets and including AI agents.

Moreover, by establishing a strong presence in emerging markets early on, companies can build brand recognition and authority, which are increasingly important factors in organic search engine rankings.

First-Mover Advantage

All companies are wrestling with leveraging AI-driven search and new platforms, and globally focused CMOs cannot do this in a vacuum, only for mature markets but for all markets simultaneously.

Making AI optimization a global initiative creates a significant opportunity for multinationals to benefit from first-mover advantages in emerging markets.

  1. Establishing Authority: By being among the first to optimize for emerging search platforms and AI-driven search in new markets, CMOs can establish their brand representation as authorities in their respective industries.
  2. Capturing Market Share: Early adoption of AI optimization and advanced SEO strategies in emerging markets allows CMOs to capture a larger share of the search landscape before competitors enter the space.
  3. Building Brand Recognition: As search engines increasingly favor recognized brands, early in the market can help CMOs build strong brand recognition, translating into higher search rankings and increased visibility.

By focusing on SEO to capture growth opportunities in emerging markets, CMOs can drive significant revenue growth and establish a strong presence before competitors.

This approach aligns with the evolving role of CMOs, who are increasingly expected to focus on revenue growth and collaborate across departments and markets to drive business success.

Resource Allocation & Budget Planning

To capture this opportunity, businesses need to think globally and refactor their search marketing budgets, strategies, and programs to be more globally focused.

This will require a shift in the size and types of investments in talent, tools, and research to support the following key areas:

  • Product Insights: Identify products and solutions that can be adapted and aligned to the needs and wants of local market consumers.
  • Local Language Optimization: It is critical to localize your content as 73% want reviews in their local language, and 40% will not buy from websites not in their local language.
  • Mobile-First SEO: In emerging markets, smartphones dominate internet access and purchases, making mobile-first websites and optimizing for mobile commerce critical for success.
  • AI Optimization: Expertise is needed to create and refactor content and optimize their web infrastructures for AI results, leveraging emerging platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or AI-enhanced region-specific search engines and marketplaces, gaining a competitive edge in these markets.
  • International & Technical SEO: Expertise and collaboration will be essential for implementing a team to manage international SEO architecture.
  • Regional And Local Consultants: Local experts will be a great addition to your team for local market nuances, regional search behaviors, localization, and link building.

The Strategic Imperative For CMOs

For forward-thinking multinational CMOs, the shift toward AI-driven search should not be viewed as a threat but as a strategic inflection point.

The traditional search landscape is evolving, and emerging markets present a unique opportunity to future-proof SEO efforts while driving long-term business growth.

Companies that proactively invest in SEO and AI optimization in high-growth regions will position themselves ahead of competitors who hesitate to expand beyond their core markets.

The digital transformation unfolding in emerging economies creates an environment where early movers can establish dominance, capture market share, and future-proof their search visibility.

This is not just an SEO initiative – it’s a strategic business imperative.

As AI continues reshaping search behaviors, those who recognize and act on the potential of emerging markets today will reap the rewards of sustained digital growth tomorrow.

By allocating resources to SEO in these regions, CMOs can help their organizations mitigate risks associated with declining search volumes in traditional markets while building new revenue streams in markets poised for explosive digital adoption.

Now is the time to pivot, invest, and lead the charge in capturing the next wave of organic search-driven growth.

More Resources:

Featured Image: Who is Danny/Shutterstock

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Mar 7 2025
10 Top Converting Landing Pages That Boost Your ROI [With Examples] via @sejournal, @unbounce

This post was sponsored by Unbounce. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.

Want to increase sign-ups, sales, or demo requests from your landing page?

How can you ensure your landing page is optimized for conversions?

Landing pages can make or break your conversions.

A well-designed landing page doesn’t just look good; it also seamlessly guides visitors toward action, such as signing up, purchasing, or booking a demo.

A high-performing landing page should align with your goals:

  • Capturing leads.
  • Driving sales.
  • Promoting an event.

The best landing page templates are designed with conversion in mind, featuring strategic layouts, persuasive copy, and clear calls to action.

So, let’s look at a few top-performing landing page examples to learn about why they work and how you should implement them.

1 & 2. FreshGoods & Radiant Yoga Studio: Great For A Clear & Compelling Unique Selling Point

The secret to beating the competition is positioning your brand so you’re the only one in your specific space.

How? By honing in on your Unique Value Proposition (UVP):

  • What is the one reason to choose you, your products, or services?
  • Where does your competition fall short?
  • How do you make your UVP stand out?

FreshGoods Landing Page

Landing pageImage by Unbounce, 2025
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Radiant Yoga Landing Page

yoga landing pageImage by Unbounce, 2025
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Why They Work

These conversion-optimized landing page templates effectively highlight a USP throughout the design.

  • A clear and bold headline that immediately communicates the core benefit.
  • The supporting subheadline allows brands to reinforce the core USP message by expanding on the offer in a way that adds clarity without overwhelming visitors.
  • The strategic use of whitespace and strong typography ensures that the USP remains the focal point, making it easy for visitors to grasp the value of the offer at a glance.

How To Recreate These Landing Pages

Step 1: Define Your Unique Selling Proposition

A strong USP makes visitors feel like they’ve found exactly what they need. Instead of blending in with competitors, it positions your brand as the only choice.

  • Ask yourself: What is the one reason customers should choose you over others?
  • Example: FreshGoods & Radiant Yoga Studio’s landing pages showcase a crystal-clear UVP in their messaging and design.

Step 2: Craft a Compelling Headline & Supporting Headline

Your headline is your first impression, so you have to make it count. The supporting headline expands on that core message.

  • Best Practices:
    • Be specific: Instead of “The Best Marketing Tool,” try “Turn Clicks into Customers with AI-Powered Marketing in Minutes.”
    • Reinforce value: “No coding, no guesswork. Just smarter campaigns that drive real revenue.”

Step 3: Address Concerns with Reinforcing & Closing Statements

  • A reinforcing statement builds trust (“Trusted by over 10,000 businesses…”).
  • A closing statement eliminates hesitation (“Every second you wait is a sale you’re losing. Start your free trial now.”)

3 & 4. Vita Health & Orbit SaaS: Great For Hero Images & Visual Storytelling

Before visitors read a single word, visuals will capture their attention and convey meaning.

A strong hero image isn’t just decoration,  it sets the tone, builds trust, and instantly reinforces your message. The right imagery makes your offer feel more tangible, relatable, and desirable.

Vita Health Landing Page

health wearables landing page exampleImage by Unbounce, 2025
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Orbit Flow Landing Page

SaaS landing page example and inspirationImage by Unbounce, 2025
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Why They Work

A landing page’s imagery is a strategic tool that helps communicate your offer, build trust, and nudge visitors toward conversion. Choose visuals that don’t just look good but work hard to sell.

A well-chosen visual:

  • Supports the UVP.
  • Evokes an emotion that drives action
  • Showcases the product, service, or outcome in action
  • Makes the page feel polished, professional, and credible

In addition to the visual, the full landing page benefits from:

  • Strong hero image placement
  • An opportunity to reinforce the messaging conveyed with the hero image throughout the page
  • White space highlights supporting visuals
  • Visual hierarchy guides site visitors down the page to the parts that matter.

How To Recreate These Landing Pages

Step 1: Choose the Right Hero Image

Before visitors read a word, visuals capture attention. A great hero image should:

  • Support the USP
  • Evoke emotion & drive action
  • Showcase the product, service, or outcome

Step 2: Guide the Visitor’s Eye

Strategic use of visuals can nudge visitors toward your CTA:

  • Eye gaze: People follow where others are looking in an image.
  • Angles & positioning: Lines or arrows subtly direct attention to the CTA.
  • Contrast & color: Key elements should stand out.

Step 3: Reinforce Messaging with Supporting Imagery

Don’t rely on just one image. Use:

  • Icons & illustrations
  • Graphs & charts
  • Customer photos & testimonials
  • Short videos or GIFs

Bonus Tip:

Use A/B testing to find the ingredients for maximum impact.

The right image can make or break conversions, so test different options. Some images resonate better with your audience, drive more engagement, or feel more aligned with your brand.

Some elements to test include:

  • People vs. product-focused visuals.
  • Static images vs. motion (GIFs or videos).
  • Close-ups vs. wider perspective shots.
  • Different background colors or lighting.

5 & 6. Serene Vista & Digital Foundry: Great For Clearly Conveying Benefits

Visitors specifically care about what it does for them.

That’s why benefits should take center stage on a conversion-optimized landing page, not just a list of features.

Serene Vista

Travel website landing page inspirationImage by Unbounce, 2025
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The Digital Foundry Landing Page

Marketing agency landing page inspirationImage by Unbounce, 2025
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Why They Work

  • The benefits are concise and audience-focused
  • Each feature section is well-spaced to garner attention
  • Benefits are integrated well into the page structure with the subheadings and images to help visitors scan

How To Recreate These Landing Pages

Step 1: Translate Features into Benefits

  • Feature: “AI-powered keyword research tool”
  • Benefit: “Find high-converting keywords in seconds—no guesswork needed.”

Step 2: Address Pressing Concerns

  • What pain points does your audience face?
  • How does your product solve them better than competitors?

Step 3: Qualify Your Audience

  • Use benefit-driven copy that attracts the right people:
  • Example: “Perfect for fast-growing teams who need to scale without the chaos.”

7 & 8. Revive Aesthetics & Smile Dental: Great For Social Proof That Builds Trust

Not all social proof is created equal.

The best reinforces your UVP, addresses concerns, and speaks directly to your audience.

See what we mean here.

Revive Landing Page

Health and spa landing page inspirationImage by Unbounce, 2025
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Smile Kids Landing Page

Dentist landing page inspirationImage by Unbounce, 2025
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Why These Landing Page Templates Work

  • The headshots paired with the social proof enhance trustworthiness and make a connection with site visitors because they can see themselves in the experiences being described.
  • The rounded shape and contrasting colors make the social proof stand out.
  • Located near the point of conversion.

How To Create This Landing Page

Step 1: Choose the Right Type of Social Proof

  • Customer testimonials & reviews
  • Case studies & success stories
  • Logos of recognizable brands
  • Ratings & review scores
  • Media mentions & awards

Step 2: Strategically Place Social Proof

  • Near the CTA: Reinforces trust before action.
  • Midway down the page: Nudges hesitant visitors.
  • In the hero section: Puts endorsements front and center.

9 & 10. Livewell Lifestyle & Inner Handyman: Great For Turning Interest Into Conversions With Calls To Action

A landing page without a strong CTA is like a roadmap without a destination.

Your CTA is the single most important element that tells visitors what to do next.

And if it’s unclear, compelling, and easy to find, you’ll lose conversions.

A compelling CTA is a combination of copy, design, and placement that removes hesitation and drives action.

Livewell Landing Page

Healthy living landing page exampleImage by Unbounce, 2025
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Inner Handyman Landing Page

Local business landing page and website inspirationImage by Unbounce, 2025
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Why They Work

  • CTAs can be customized to stand out and get attention
  • CTA sizing and positioning make them clear focal points despite having multiple elements on the page. It ensures you get the most conversion power in every pixel
  • The CTA buttons are placed where it matters throughout the page, making sure the page attempts the conversion when and where it matters most

How To Recreate These Landing Pages

Step 1: Craft a Clear, Compelling CTA

A high-converting CTA should be:

  • Action-oriented: “Start Growing Today” vs. “Submit”
  • Benefit-driven: “Unlock Exclusive Access” vs. “Sign Up”
  • Urgent (if appropriate): “Claim Your Spot Today”

Step 2: CTA Placement for Maximum Impact

  • Above the fold: First CTA visible immediately.
  • After key information: CTA follows value explanation.
  • Near social proof or benefits: Reinforces trust.
  • At the end of the page: Captures hesitant visitors.

Step 3: CTA Design That Stands Out

  • Color contrast: The CTA should pop from the background.
  • Size & positioning: Large enough to be noticeable but not overwhelming.
  • Whitespace & directional cues: Ensures the CTA is the focal point.

Bonus Tip:

A/B test your CTAs for better conversions.

CTAs aren’t one-size-fits-all. Even small tweaks can make a huge impact on conversions, so A/B testing different variations is essential:

  • Wording – Try “Get Started” vs. “Try It Free”
  • Color – A bold button color vs. a softer, branded one
  • Placement – Above the fold vs. midway down the page
  • Size and shape – Larger buttons vs. compact ones
  • Personalization – “Start My Free Trial” vs. “Start Your Free Trial”

Build High-Converting Landing Pages Faster

A great landing page isn’t just about design.

It’s about strategy.

Every element, from your USP and hero images to your social proof and CTAs, is critical in guiding visitors toward conversion. When these elements work together, your landing page drives action.

But building a high-converting landing page from scratch can be time-consuming and complex. That’s why using proven, conversion-optimized templates can give you a head start.

With Unbounce, you get access to 100+ professionally designed landing page templates built for maximum conversions. Whether capturing leads, promoting a product, or running a campaign, these templates help you launch faster, test smarter, and convert better—without needing a developer.

Ready to build an optimized landing page that converts?

Explore Unbounce’s best-performing templates and start optimizing today!

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Image Credits

Featured Image: Image by Shutterstock. Used with permission.

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments