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!

Get  25% Off The 1st 3 Months!

Image Credits

Featured Image: Image by Shutterstock. Used with permission.

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Mar 5 2025
Mapping Digital Marketing KPIs To Business Outcomes via @sejournal, @coreydmorris

In an ever-increasing world of messy attribution – thanks to privacy law changes, differing platform conversion tracking methods, new sources emerging like AI, and even just continuing to deal with Google Analytics 4 – digital marketing and search key performance indicators (KPIs) can be tough to stand behind or have a lot of confidence in.

We have a lot of great third-party dashboard tools, reporting integrations, and software to help us.

Plus, there are custom routes for data visualization and APIs. Even if you’re a wizard with analytics and pulling it all together, there are still risks and challenges with marketing KPIs.

Whether you’re part of an in-house digital marketing team, an agency, or simply wearing a lot of hats – including digital marketing and analytics – leaving KPIs open to interpretation or not having a complete story to tell is a big risk.

Believing that digital marketing – specifically search marketing – is an investment that should yield returns, I’ve seen firsthand how things can go sideways when we can’t connect the dots between dollars spent and dollars earned.

I’m going to unpack several aspects of marketing versus business goals to help shed some light on how to get the best of both and get things in alignment.

Why Good Marketing Metrics Can Still Get You Fired

It wasn’t until I started writing my book a couple of years ago that I unpacked and started telling my personal story (one that goes back nearly two decades) about how I learned the hard way just how important this topic is.

In my first role as an agency SEO, one of my first clients was a local attorney. I put into practice a great SEO strategy, and after four months, we saw great rankings, increased traffic, and even conversions through web form submissions.

I was stoked going into my monthly reporting meeting with the client. Back then, my reports were generated by software and were pages long. I printed it on glossy paper, stapled it neatly, and got ready for the meeting.

When the client sat down, I walked him through page after page of green numbers and upward-trending graphs.

When I got to the end, there was silence. Then, the client shared that he knew I was working hard and had no problem with these metrics.

However, he hadn’t landed a single new client or case from all of this SEO work. Worse, his front-office staff spent a lot of time on the phone screening bad leads.

My stomach dropped.

That day, I learned the hard way: SEO KPIs don’t equal business goals or return on investment (ROI).

The good news is that I recovered from that, and it wasn’t the end of the client relationship.

However, I hope that gives you some context as to why, at least for lead generation, we can’t just stop at conversions or make dangerous assumptions that they are positively impacting the business.

I don’t want anyone blindsided by things that could have been prevented. That includes making assumptions that key stakeholders – or even those two or three levels removed – can connect the dots between marketing expenses or investments and actual returns.

Yes, some things in marketing are harder than others to quantify, such as branding and design projects. However, there should be a key metric somewhere that you can measure.

The KPI-ROI Disconnect

Starting “at the end” is a recommended approach for getting as deep into business metrics and mapping things out as possible.

Whether you do this during a broader strategy and planning process or you/your team have to do it ad hoc, it is worth doing.

Understanding the complete picture of how your organization (or client) makes money is key. Even in non-profits, this applies.

If you can get to the ultimate business metric that defines performance and success for your organization, then you have the opportunity to work backward from that to connect it to marketing based on the metrics along the way.

For some organizations, this is easy. For others, it’s a challenge, hitting roadblocks with getting the data, getting through silos, or getting a complete picture.

Examples of some of the business metrics that might be tracked include revenue, margin, lifetime value, customer acquisition cost, and some level of ROI (if not connected with margin metrics).

Those are not the most common metrics when it comes to digital marketing. Search and digital marketing metrics often translate to conversions, visits, clicks, click-through rates, return on ad spend (ROAS), and similar.

When you can map things out and see beyond the deepest digital marketing KPI to how it impacts the business metrics, you can get to a defensible and accountable position for the ROI of marketing versus leaving gaps or leaving it up to a “feel” test or someone else’s interpretation of success.

Bridging The Gap

Marketing and business teams need to align to ensure shared success.

At this point, if any of these points or scenarios resonate with you, you might wonder, “How did we even get here?”

That’s a question I’ve encountered personally and one I’ve helped coach through during my career. When there’s a gap or disconnect somewhere, it can often be traced back to one of these reasons:

  • We didn’t start with a defined strategy and planning process.
  • We didn’t loop stakeholders in the strategy/plan.
  • We didn’t get new or changing stakeholders up to speed on digital marketing/search marketing strategies and plans.
  • We inherited the ecosystem or plan.
  • We didn’t challenge changes in expectations along the way.
  • We encountered changes in tech (reporting, attribution, customer relationship management (CRM)) and didn’t adapt.
  • We have too much on our plate already and not enough time.
  • We don’t know how to navigate politics or the workings of the C-suite and other functions.

I could go on and build an even longer list, but it is too painful. My honest hope is that we can all continue to work to build bridges between functions.

Sometimes, it isn’t fun to step outside the search and digital marketing bubble, but at times, it is in our best interest – for us, our teams, and our organizations.

Gaps often exist due to ignorance, arrogance, people protecting their territory, or other factors. Unfortunately, closing them can be harder than doing the deep level of subject-matter expertise work that you are paid to do.

Finding common ground, aligning metrics at different levels, and getting consensus on what you’re doing – what it can impact and why it is important – are critical to avoid both the surprise “firings” or tough conversations that happen the longer things are not addressed.

Address The Gap Before It Hurts The Business

No matter the size or structure of a business or organization, gaps between digital marketing KPIs and business outcomes seem inevitable.

In some cases, things map out easily with just a little extra effort going beyond the digital marketing department or function – whether internal or as an external partner.

Regardless, getting fired or losing a contract over a KPI-business gap is extreme – the real risk and outcome we don’t want.

At the same time, we don’t want to spend our days dealing more with politics than SEO, paid search, or other digital marketing.

Recognizing gaps, addressing them, working as a team to link things up, and staying on the same page leads to respect, predictability, and a mindset shift – one where digital marketing is seen as an investment instead of an expense.

More Resources:

Featured Image: A9 STUDIO/Shutterstock

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Feb 28 2025
9 Trends You Should Watch To Keep Your Website Afloat in 2025

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

Is my website ready for 2025’s tech and SEO changes?

How can I keep my site fast, secure, and user-friendly?

What makes a hosting provider future-proof?

In 2025, the extent to which you adapt to emerging technologies, changing user expectations, and evolving search engine algorithms will determine if you’ll thrive or struggle to stay relevant.

Staying ahead of emerging trends is essential for maintaining a fast, secure, and user-friendly website.

Optimizing performance, strengthening security measures, and enhancing user experience will be key factors in staying competitive.

The first step to ensuring your website remains resilient and future-ready is choosing a reliable hosting provider with scalable infrastructure and built-in optimization tools.

1. AI-Powered User Experience

Artificial intelligence has transformed how websites interact with visitors, making online experiences more personalized, engaging, and efficient.

Use AI For Higher Conversion Rates

AI-driven personalization allows websites to deliver tailored content and product recommendations based on user behavior, preferences, and past interactions to create an intuitive experience.

The result? Visitors remain engaged, increasing conversions.

Chatbots and AI-powered customer support are also becoming essential for websites looking to provide instant, 24/7 assistance.

These tools answer common questions, guide users through a website, and even process transactions, reducing the need for human intervention while improving response times.

And they’re gaining in popularity.

71% of businesses in a recent survey either already have a chatbot integrated into their sites and customer service processes or plan to get one in the near future.

And they’re reaping the benefits of this technology; 24% of businesses with a chatbot already installed report excellent ROI.

Use AI For Speeding Up Website Implementation

AI is also revolutionizing content creation and website design.

Based on user data, automated tools can generate blog posts, optimize layouts, and suggest design improvements.

This streamlines website management, making it easier for you to maintain a professional and visually appealing online presence.

For example, many hosting providers now include AI-powered website builders, offering tools that assist with design and customization. These features, such as responsive templates and automated suggestions, can make building and optimizing a website more efficient.

2. Voice Search & Conversational Interfaces

Voice search is becoming a major factor in how users interact with the web, with more people relying on smart speakers, mobile assistants, and voice-activated search to find information.

To put this into perspective, ChatGPT from OpenAI reportedly holds 60% of the generative AI market, performing more than one billion searches daily. If just 1% of those are via its voice search, that equates to 10 million voice searches every day on ChatGPT alone.

Reports estimate 20.5% of people globally use voice search daily. And these numbers are increasing.

You need to adapt by optimizing for conversational SEO and natural language queries, which tend to be longer and more specific, making long-tail keywords and question-based content more important than ever.

To stay ahead, websites should structure content in a way that mimics natural conversation:

  • FAQ-style pages.
  • Featured snippet optimization.
  • Ensuring fast-loading, mobile-friendly experiences.

If this is an upgrade that makes sense for your industry, be sure that your host supports SEO-friendly themes and plugins that help websites rank for voice queries.

3. Core Web Vitals & SEO Best Practices

Google continues to refine its ranking algorithms, with Core Web Vitals playing a critical role in determining search visibility.

Implement Core Web Vital Data & Monitor Website Speed

These performance metrics, Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), measure how quickly a page loads, how responsive it is, and how stable its layout appears to users.

Websites that meet these benchmarks not only rank higher in search results but also provide a better overall user experience.

One study found that pages ranking in the top spots in the SERPs were 10% more likely to pass CWV scores than URLs in position 9.

Ensure Your Website Is Faster Than Your Competitors To Rank Higher

As part of the prioritization of performance, mobile-first approach remains essential; Google prioritizes sites that are fast and responsive on smartphones and tablets.

Ensuring faster load times through optimized images, efficient coding, and proper caching techniques can make a significant impact on search rankings.

Leverage Structured Data To Tell Google What Your Website Is About

Structured data, on the other hand, helps search engines better understand a website’s content, improving the chances of appearing in rich snippets and voice search results.

4. Mobile-First & Adaptive Design

With mobile devices accounting for the majority of web traffic, mobile optimization remains a top priority in 2025.

Google’s mobile-first indexing means that search engines primarily evaluate the mobile version of a site when determining rankings.

A website that isn’t optimized for mobile results in overall poor performance, lower search rankings, and a frustrating user experience.

To keep up, many websites are adopting:

  • Adaptive design – Ensures that websites adjust dynamically to different screen sizes, providing an optimal layout on any device.
  • Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) – Combine the best features of websites and mobile apps, offering faster load times, offline capabilities, and app-like functionality without requiring a download.

Best practices for a seamless mobile experience include responsive design, fast-loading pages, and touch-friendly navigation.

Optimizing images, minimizing pop-ups, and using mobile-friendly fonts and buttons can also greatly enhance usability.

5. Enhanced Website Security & Data Privacy

Cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated.

You must take proactive measures to protect your websites from attacks, data breaches, and unauthorized access.

Implementing strong security protocols not only safeguards sensitive information but also builds trust with visitors.

Key security measures include:

  • SSL certificates – Encrypt data transmitted between users and a website, ensuring secure connections—something that search engines and users now expect as a standard feature.
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – Adds an extra layer of security by requiring multiple verification steps before granting access, reducing the risk of compromised credentials.
  • Zero-trust security models – Ensures that all access requests, even from within a network, are continuously verified, minimizing potential security gaps.

Beyond technical defenses, compliance with evolving privacy laws such as GDPR and CCPA is essential.

You must be transparent about how they collect, store, and process user data, providing clear consent options and maintaining privacy policies that align with current regulations.

6. Sustainability & Green Web Hosting

Every website, server, and data center requires energy to function, contributing to global carbon emissions.

Optimizing websites through lighter code, efficient caching, and reduced server load also plays a role in minimizing environmental impact.

Choosing a hosting provider that values sustainability is an important step toward a greener web.

For example, Bluehost has taken steps to improve energy efficiency, ensuring that website owners can maintain high-performance sites while supporting environmentally friendly initiatives.

7. AI-Generated & Interactive Content

AI tools can assist in creating blog posts, product descriptions, and videos with minimal manual input, helping businesses maintain a steady content flow efficiently.

Beyond static content, interactive features like quizzes, calculators, and AR are becoming key for user engagement.

These elements encourage participation, increasing time on site and improving conversions.

To integrate interactive features smoothly, a hosting provider that supports interactive plugins and flexible tools can help keep websites engaging and competitive.

8. The Role of Blockchain in Web Security

Blockchain is emerging as a tool for web hosting and cybersecurity, enhancing data security, decentralization, and content authenticity.

Unlike traditional hosting, decentralized networks distribute website data across multiple nodes, reducing risks like downtime, censorship, and cyberattacks. Blockchain-powered domains also add security by making ownership harder to manipulate.

Beyond hosting, blockchain improves data verification by storing information in a tamper-proof ledger, benefiting ecommerce, digital identity verification, and intellectual property protection.

9. The Importance of Reliable Web Hosting

No matter how advanced a website is, it’s only as strong as the hosting infrastructure behind it. In 2025, website performance and uptime will remain critical factors for success, impacting everything from user experience to search engine rankings and business revenue.

Scalable hosting solutions play a crucial role in handling traffic spikes, ensuring that websites remain accessible during high-demand periods.

Whether it’s an ecommerce store experiencing a surge in holiday traffic or a viral blog post drawing in thousands of visitors, having a hosting plan that adapts to these changes is essential.

Reliable hosting providers help mitigate these challenges by offering scalable infrastructure, 100% SLA uptime guarantees, and built-in performance optimizations to keep websites running smoothly.

Features like VPS and dedicated hosting provide additional resources for growing businesses, ensuring that increased traffic doesn’t compromise speed or stability. Investing in a hosting solution that prioritizes reliability and scalability helps safeguard a website’s long-term success.

Future-Proof Your Website Today

The digital landscape is changing fast, and staying ahead is essential to staying competitive.

From AI-driven personalization to enhanced security and sustainable hosting, adapting to new trends ensures your site remains fast, secure, and engaging. Investing in performance and user experience isn’t optional, it’s the key to long-term success.

Whether launching a new site or optimizing an existing one, the right hosting provider makes all the difference.

Bluehost offers reliable, high-performance hosting with built-in security, scalability, and guaranteed uptime, so your website is ready for the future.

Get started today and build a website designed to thrive.

GET STARTED WITH BLUEHOST TODAY

Image Credits

Featured Image: Image by Bluehost. Used with permission.

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Feb 26 2025
Leveraging AI For Buyer-Centric Strategies To Effectively Engage B2B Buyers via @sejournal, @alexanderkesler

Investments in AI have reached unprecedented levels.

According to a World Economic Forum report, the global AI infrastructure market was valued at $35.42 billion in 2023, and projected to reach $223.45 billion by 2030.

Our own Q4 2024 market research indicates that 55.4% of B2B marketing teams are investing in AI to automate and analyze data to produce actionable buyer and buying group engagement and accelerate conversions.

However, this rapid adoption has revealed a key challenge: the lack of cohesive strategies for these unprecedented investments.

Microsoft’s 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report echoes this, revealing that 60% of leaders are concerned over their organization’s AI strategy, while 59% are uncertain about AI’s impact on productivity.

For B2B marketers, the real opportunity lies in leveraging AI-optimized data analysis, combined with AI agents, to enable buyers more effectively in a market defined by complex buying journeys and large, defensive buying groups.

The strategic use of AI allows marketers to harness vast pools of data to develop buyer-centric strategies that address these complexities and empower decision-making.

In addition, AI can be leveraged to enhance and append market and marketing insights to demonstrate the tangible value of these efforts.

In this article, I will share key tactics for leveraging AI to enable buyers – and increase conversions by delivering a rich experience.

Why Is Buyer Enablement So Important?

We have seen a significant trend of buyers conducting their own independent research, with almost 70% of the buying journey spent collaborating with other members of the buying group, according to a recent report by 6sense.

To engage these buyers effectively, marketers must shift their focus toward enhancing brand awareness, creating brand preference, and delivering relevant content that supports these buyers in their research and decision-making.

In essence, marketers must create a more enriched buyer experience that aligns seamlessly with the preferences and behaviors of entire buying groups, accounting for the unique needs of each stakeholder.

AI is uniquely positioned to support these buyer-centric strategies by augmenting and optimizing marketing data.

This enables marketers to develop highly tailored and effective strategies to engage buyers at every stage of their journey.

4 Tactics For Leveraging AI To Power Buyer-Centric Strategies

1. Improve Personalization And Targeting With AI-Augmented Intelligence

Demand intelligence, derived from first-party data sources such as analytics, client relationship management (CRM) data, campaign metrics, and client feedback, is essential for delivering personalized outreach that drives qualified engagement.

AI can enhance this personalization by analyzing in bulk and enriching first-party data with firmographic, technographic, and location insights to build detailed buyer personas and detect prospect behavior and intent.

This not only improves targeting but also enables precise mapping of buyer journeys, offering the insights needed to craft highly personalized messaging that resonates deeply with each buying group member.

Additionally, AI can be leveraged to generate conversational content aligned with user behavior and preferences – obviously depending on organizational policies regarding generative content.

This ensures messaging is both relevant and engaging, further driving demand success.

2. ABX Enablement

Personalization at scale is a cornerstone of successful Account Based Experience (ABX) strategies, but achieving it can be both complex and resource-intensive.

AI offers a tactical solution by streamlining critical tasks such as segmentation and data analysis across large sets of accounts.

It can be leveraged to identify pain and friction points in the buyer’s journey, enabling marketers to craft and optimize omnichannel experiences tailored to target accounts.

AI also excels at account prioritization, leveraging dynamic scoring and intent data to pinpoint accounts and buyers with the highest likelihood of conversion.

This ensures that resources are directed toward the most promising opportunities, driving efficiency and maximizing the impact of ABX initiatives.

3. Sophisticated Automated Nurturing Sequences

One of the more exciting use cases of AI is the creation of automated omnichannel nurturing strategies that deliver targeted, cohesive experiences across channels such as email, social media, paid media, and content networks.

By leveraging data analysis, behavioral insights, and machine learning, AI can tailor messaging, timing, and delivery to individual prospect preferences.

How AI optimization can be utilized across marketing channels:

  • Email: Personalized content based on user engagement and behavior.
  • Social media: Social listening and sentiment analysis.
  • Paid media: Large-scale A/B testing and optimized messaging in real-time.
  • Content activation: The curation and distribution of content to niche platforms based on audience preference.

4. Performance Insights For Greater Optimization

AI has the potential to play a critical role in optimizing performance measurement by providing deeper insights and enabling smarter resource allocation in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Below are only a few ways AI can unlock demand performance:

  • Multi-touch attribution analysis: Identifying channels, content, and touchpoints that contribute most to conversions, as well as tracking content consumption patterns and trends.
  • Conversion rate insights: Uncovering key factors influencing conversion rates across account segments, sales stages, or campaigns to inform future outreach.
  • Engagement trend detection: Detecting shifts in how key accounts engage with different content types or formats to determine content priorities.
  • Centralized performance hub: Consolidating campaign metrics and results, enabling real-time monitoring and analysis of buying group behavior.
  • Resource optimization: Identifying underperforming tactics or channels to allow resource allocation to higher-impact activities.

The Importance Of A Unified Strategy

The promise of AI lies in driving innovation through efficiency over pursuing growth at any cost. For this reason, sophisticated strategic planning and data analysis should take precedence over ad-hoc content creation tasks.

With 55% of buyers using AI to automate and analyze data, and 45% focusing on streamlining and optimizing systems and processes, organizations need clear guidance, realistic expectations, and well-defined outcomes to succeed (findings from our Q4 2024 market research).

To achieve this, it is essential to upskill teams in AI and provide a suitable framework for its adoption, including clear guidelines for AI usage, privacy protections, and safeguards against cyber threats.

By doing so, Go-To-Market (GTM) teams can develop a structured approach to AI adoption, characterized by robust governance, standardization, and a focus on sustainable, value-driven implementation.

Key Takeaways

  • The world is experiencing an AI investment surge: Global investment in AI has reached unprecedented levels. However, many organizations struggle with a lack of cohesive AI strategies and measuring its impact on productivity.
  • Buyer-centric strategies: The increasing complexity of buying journeys, with large, defensive buying groups, presents a significant opportunity for B2B marketers to leverage generative and agentic AI for more effective engagement.
  • Ensure strong alignment with buyer needs: Centering AI practices around buyers and buying groups refines your targeting, messaging, and campaign optimization. This alignment directly influences brand perception and the overall quality of the buyer experience.

More Resources:

Featured Image: Golden Sikorka/Shutterstock

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Feb 12 2025
Surprising Review Stats To Feed Your Local Strategy [Study]

If you’ve already walked a long mile in your local SEO shoes, chances are you have plenty of lived experiences that allow you to predict some of the responses to large-scale local business review surveys.

It’s affirming to see, for example, that 85% of our respondents place a degree of trust in local business reviews, and 92% now believe that brands responding to reviews have become part of offering good customer service.

Consumers are also seeking review content across a wide variety of platforms, including traditional local business listings like Google Business Profiles, social media sites like Instagram, and other localized online spaces.

You could have made an educated guess about stats like these, but pay attention to the data in this survey that contains genuine surprises.

Statistics that challenge your biases provide critical learning moments that can feed into your local search marketing strategy.

Unexpected data points can also help you earn buy-in from decision-makers for local SEO initiatives you want to explore.

I’d like to share six local business review findings from our survey of 1,200+ North American consumers that taught me something new, plus one stat I accurately predicted and that I want to be sure is accessible to anyone involved in marketing local brands.

1. Young Consumers Are Surprisingly Patient When It Comes To Owner Responses To Reviews

Screenshot from GatherUp, January 2025

I was genuinely surprised to discover that consumers aged 45 to 60 have the highest expectations when it comes to review response time frames, with 46% of them expecting to hear back from businesses within one day.

I wrongly supposed that our youngest demographic would have the least patience because they have grown up in an era of such intense automation.

Brands that primarily serve youthful consumers are constantly told that all processes must be made as frictionless as possible to avoid abandonment and loss.

Still, this survey question reveals that – at least when it comes to owner responses to reviews – 18- to 29-year-olds are the dominant group that will tolerate reviews taking one or more weeks to receive a reply.

The best practice remains to respond to all incoming reviews as quickly as you possibly can.

If your consumer base is young, there could be other elements of your local search marketing and brand-consumer communications that require more urgent action.

2. Word-Of-Mouth Recommendations Are Far More Trusted Than Reviews

Screenshot from GatherUp, January 2025

The survey found that just 31% of consumers trust online local business reviews as much as they do personal recommendations from family and friends.

This stat will come as a genuine shocker to anyone who has concluded from other surveys over the past couple of decades that most people trust reviews as much as they do word-of-mouth (WOM) referrals.

It’s vital to know that 45% of your consumer base is likely to rely more trustingly on whether the people they know in real life think your business is worth trying than they do on the sentiment of online strangers.

This finding emphasizes the critical need for customer service standards that inspire consumers to recommend your brand to their circle.

Formal loyalty programs should be strongly considered in your local search marketing strategy.

3. Review Reading Is On The Rise

Screenshot from GatherUp, January 2025

Due to our tech-driven society’s fascination with the latest new thing, I might have thought this survey would yield signs that the review honeymoon could be over.

After all, local business reviews are now more than 20 years old, and the internet is increasingly full of distractions that could supplant the quiet habit of perusing review content.

As it turns out, I couldn’t be more wrong.

A significant 59% of consumers report spending more time reading local business reviews than they did five years ago.

We can theorize about whether this uptrend might be the result of the COVID-19 pandemic causing more dependence on the web, the outrageous cost of remote shipping prompting consumers to search for local alternatives, or other contributing factors.

Whatever the cause, the narrative you need to take to your next local search marketing strategy session is that the value of reviews is on the rise, meaning reputation management deserves priority resources.

It’s important to note that Google continues to invest in highlighting review content, both on Google Business Profiles and in other formats like the bonus text snippets called local justifications that can appear in local packs and Maps. Google clearly thinks that reviews matter.

4. Are Star Ratings Less Important Than You Think?

Image from GatherUp, January 2025

My gut would tell me that the overall star rating of local businesses on listings like Google Business Profiles would be the ultimate factor determining whether a particular business gets chosen by a consumer for a transaction. The data says otherwise.

Just 23% of respondents stated that they looked at the overall star rating of brands the last time they consulted reviews.

This pales in comparison to the 67% who focused on the most recent reviews, and the 50% who prioritized looking at the lowest-star reviews first.

This is a takeaway I find so surprising that it is challenging to construct any other narrative surrounding it than this: Modern consumers have realized that average ratings include all of the reviews a business has ever received, and that this may not be reflective of current quality.

The public is smart if they are trying to find out how fellow consumers feel about a business today, this week, or this month, instead of how a brand has performed historically.

The learning here is obvious: A successful reputation management program is one that delivers a steady stream of fresh, incoming review content.

If your review river is stagnating, you need to find whatever is damming it and remove those obstacles to ensure that your community can quickly access recent sentiment about your brand.

5. Only A Minority Of Review Readers Are Interested In Responses That Detail Brand Improvements

Screenshot from GatherUp, January 2025

In the past, I’ve recommended local business clients be certain that their owner responses to negative reviews include a detailed explanation of the improvements they’ve made to ensure that other customers don’t experience the same problem the reviewer encountered.

For example, if an unhappy reviewer mentioned that their pizza was delivered cold, I would have typically advised the brand to analyze whether this sentiment about cold food was emergent and uptrending, and then to make an operational fix.

I would have counseled them to respond to all such negative reviews with the information that the business had invested in new insulated carrier bags, or what have you.

Now, seeing that just 34% of review readers highly value this type of explanation, I may alter my best practice advice in a particular use case.

I am frequently asked by large multi-location enterprises about how to prioritize review responses when dealing with hundreds or thousands of incoming reviews.

I have seen some marketers suggest that the business should only respond to negative reviews to make scaling more manageable, but I remain leery of this advice because surveys like this one confirm for me that 73% of consumers appreciate being thanked by the business for their positive feedback.

Instead, if scaling review management is necessitating a shortcut at the moment, you might experiment with limiting the text of your owner responses to negative reviews to a sincere apology and contact information for in-person resolution, rather than taking extra time to describe operational improvements.

6. Instagram Is Definitely In The Local Business Reputation Game

Screenshot from GatherUp, January 2025

I hear a lot of grief from small business owners about Instagram’s algorithm, and though I use the platform fairly frequently, I find its formatting a bit of a mess.

These are biases on my part that led to my surprise that 52% of modern consumers are relying on this social media space for local business recommendations.

I think YouTube is a more natural fit for local business marketing for most brands, but if there’s one mantra to put at the heart of your company, it’s to be wherever your customers are.

Of course, your vertical comes into play here. Business models that relate to pleasure (think restaurants, bakeries, travel) have an advantage in the Instagram community.

If you are marketing a legal firm or a plumbing franchise, this particular social sphere could be a hard one to make headway in.

My overall takeaway from responses to this question is that a growing number of platforms are influencing local purchasing decisions. It’s not enough to manage your reputation on Google, Yelp, or TripAdvisor.

You need a presence and a fandom on whichever platforms are favored by the towns and cities you serve to maximize the referrals your brand receives around the web.

7. The One Stat I Don’t Want You To Miss!

Image from GatherUp, January 2025

92% of consumers now consider owner responses to reviews as part and parcel of providing good customer service.

This is the statistic that did not surprise me, but which I had never seen codified by any other local business review survey.

It confirms for me the advice I’ve been giving small-to-enterprise brands for many years now that creating the best possible online consumer experiences is as crucial to building a strong reputation as what happens within premise walls.

Your customers’ online and offline experiences with your company work in concert to form their opinions and determine whether they will come to you for repeat transactions, recommend you to others, and speak well of you socially.

Given this, timely, professional, accountable owner responses to reviews must be seen as a top-tier activity in your local search marketing strategy.

Few brands are large enough to safely be able to ignore a customer who is trying to communicate with them via a review.

Monopolies and near-monopolies who are getting away with review neglect are also likely leaving profits on the table because, even if a town has only one hardware franchise, fabric store branch, or supermarket, remote fulfillment is now at the fingertips of most consumers, thanks to the internet.

It’s my hope that this statistic will cut through so many of the tantalizing shortcuts to real customer service that are on offer today.

There is no more vital or lucrative focus for local brands of any size than ensuring that they are in a trustworthy, responsive, and reliable relationship with their customer base.

Smart brands will put this at the heart of their marketing strategy.

Summing Up

Surveys matter to the local SEO industry because they both confirm hypotheses and challenge biases, offering the opportunity to base strategy on data instead of guesses.

This useful survey taught me not to undervalue the patience of the youngest consumers and to encourage my clients to earn more WOM recommendations because they are more trusted than online equivalents.

Also, it taught me that online distractions aren’t getting in the way of review reading, fresh review content is more important than ever, shorter responses to negative reviews may be acceptable in some cases, and Instagram needs to be thought of as a dominant player in the local business reputation milieu.

It also confirmed my long-suspected but up-to-now unproven theory that owner responses must be seen as integral to providing good customer service.

If you’re marketing a brand that is not yet bringing its A-game to reputation management, you can share the following tips to help it rapidly improve, based on additional findings of this survey:

  • Begin collecting email and SMS contact info at the time of service so that you can request reviews. 83% of your customers will be at least somewhat responsive to your requests for their reviews.
  • Train staff to ask for reviews in person at the time of service. 47% of customers prefer this form of request.
  • Respond to all incoming reviews in a timely fashion. 73% of consumers appreciate being thanked for positive feedback, and 79% expect your response to their complaints.
  • Respond to negative reviews with an apology and an offer to make things right. 73% of unhappy customers will be willing to give your business a second chance if your owner response solves their problems.
  • Avoid engaging in any form of review fraud. Only 14% of people will give your business a try if your local business profiles get stamped with a review spam warning.

My final tip: A good large-scale review survey should inspire you to conduct a smaller one of your own within your unique consumer base.

Polling customers on a regular basis is the best way to spot new trends, behaviors, and opportunities. The better you know the preferences and habits of your community, the better prepared you’ll be to serve.

You can read the full survey results here from GatherUp.

More Resources:

Featured Image: Song_about_summer/Shutterstock

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Feb 10 2025
7 Creative Ways To Leverage Video In Marketing via @sejournal, @xandervalencia

When it comes to digital marketing, it sometimes feels like everything’s been done before.

Browse YouTube or scroll through TikTok on any given day, and you’re likely to see the same formats over and over again.

Yet, there are always a few creators who are able to stand out, publishing unique and never-before-seen videos.

So, how do you come up with video content ideas that are uniquely new and uniquely you?

In this guide, we’re sharing some uncommon ways to use video in your marketing, plus how to get the creative juices flowing to come up with your own creative video ideas.

Think Outside The Box With Your Video Marketing

If you want to come up with 100% unique video ideas, you need to think outside the box. Easier said than done, right?

After all, generating “creative” content ideas is kind of like “don’t think of the White Elephant” (for us nerds, Ironic Process Theory): Everything you’ve already seen before is likely to influence your creative thinking.

But like ChatGPT, it’s all about giving yourself the right prompts. Here are some of the creative catalysts I like to use to drum up unique, on-brand video ideas:

1. Be The Trend

Every “trend” that’s hot on TikTok started as a unique concept.

From the “GRWM: Get Ready With Me” trend to the “Bounce When She Walk” trending audio, each video trend began with one idea.

You simply won’t know if or when something will go viral, so don’t be afraid to be that first video.

If a certain audio makes you laugh or an image sparks an idea, lean into it.

If you encounter a situation that feels relatable to your audience, turn it into a skit or tutorial.

Many of the best trends start as raw, authentic situations. The key is to create content that’s authentic but with your own unique twist.

Think:

  • Does this scenario, audio, image, etc., seem relatable to my audience?
  • What’s an unexpected spin I can put on this that no one’s done yet?
  • Is my idea goofy, quirky, or fun – but surprisingly simple?

Sometimes, you’ll hit gold; sometimes, you won’t. The aim shouldn’t be to force virality.

The aim should be to create something fun and interesting. If it’s good, others will want to recreate it. Then, you might find yourself becoming the trend.

2. Entertain The Hypothetical

In video marketing, there are no rules. (Well, there are, but when it comes to creativity, the sky is pretty much the limit).

There’s a huge opportunity to turn traditional concepts on their head,  challenge peoples’ assumptions, and, let’s face it, ruffle some feathers in your industry.

Entertain the hypothetical. Ask the “what if” questions, and then play out the scenario in your video content.

For example:

  • What if the secret to happiness wasn’t personal fulfilment, but coffee?
  • What if, in the SEO industry, content wasn’t king but queen?
  • What if dog people and cat people lived in separate societies?
  • What if social media influencers were from Venus and everyone else was from Earth?

I know these questions seem ridiculous, but that’s the point. If you’re trying to capitalize on video content ideas that aren’t played out, you have to break the mold.

The appeal of these topics is that they grab users’ attention, especially if the conclusion isn’t what’s expected.

This prompt works even better if you are able to relate the hypothetical scenario to your industry, either flipping the script on a traditional concept or offering contrasting advice to that of other “experts” in your field.

3. Become A Mixologist

Viewers are intrigued when two seemingly unrelated concepts are mashed up together.

Marketing and horseback riding? Ecommerce and the nail salon? Christmas morning and doctor’s appointments? It’s time to practice your video mixology skills.

You’d be surprised how many connections exist between marketing a business and everyday concepts.

I mean, we see it all the time on LinkedIn, with influencers sharing what their morning cup of Joe taught them about lead generation. This type of content works because it’s unexpected, random, and gets people thinking.

Here are a few examples:

  • “Fishing and Client Retention: How to Keep ‘Em on the Line”
  • “My Visit to the Nail Salon Was a Perfect Metaphor for Product Marketing…”
  • “I Rage Quit My Business. Video Games, Marketing, and Painful Lessons”

Try being a video marketing mixologist. Consider how two unrelated concepts can come together, and then tie the lessons into your brand or industry.

4. “Steal” From Other Industries

Industries tend to be siloed from each other. Do Kim Kardashian fans know what’s going on in crypto, or vice versa? Maybe. But it’s less likely these viewers receive the same video feed. You can use this to your advantage.

Take a gander at what’s trending in other industries. This is easily accomplished by doing a keyword search on Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok.

After a few scrolls, you’ll get a sense of what topics and formats are performing well and perhaps come up with some ideas for your own field.

For instance, the “GRWM” trend has been hot in the beauty and fashion industry for a while, but not so much in marketing.

Say you’re trying to grow your personal brand. A “GRWM as a Full-Time Web Designer” might be a fresh concept with your followers.

Another example might be the “#WomeninMaleFields” trend, where creators make ironic jokes about women working in male-dominated industries and navigating the dating scene.

If you’re a product designer, perhaps you capitalize on this trend with a video like, “Did your boyfriend help you sketch that prototype? #ProductDesigner.”

While I don’t recommend actually stealing entire video ideas, you can gain inspiration by scrolling through other industry video feeds, and applying hot trends to your own niche.

 5. Up The Interactivity Factor

With artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) technology at its prime, there are so many ways to add interactive components to your videos.

Where most creators play it safe with “talking head” videos, you can get creative with AR-enabled elements and “gamified” experiences.

For instance, if you own a law firm, you could create a video that simulates a virtual consultation, wherein viewers can “meet with” an attorney, navigate the intake process, and receive a step-by-step walkthrough of filing their case.

This may require advanced technical skills, but you can work with a designer to create 3D models of your office, using digital model tools like Blender.

Or, you could design a “choose your own adventure” video series that takes viewers through a unique storyline.

For example, the legal process for buying a home, starting a business, or filing a personal injury claim. Users can select their own choices, influence the outcome, and even interact with a virtual legal professional.

With all of today’s tech at our fingertips, creating personalized experiences and interactive worlds is easier than ever.

6. Do The Time Warp

Traditional “before and after” videos are played out. Time-lapse videos are in. Instead of comparing before and after images of customer results, create videos that show their journey in action.

Whether it’s a fitness program, a home renovation, or an overhaul of a client’s lead generation strategy, time-lapse videos tell a story and make viewers feel like they are part of the process.

Pair this content with a voiceover, real testimonials, and captions, and you’ve got yourself an engaging video.

These videos are easy to make with the help of transitions in video editing software like iMovie, or with the help of a professional video editor.

7. Live Video Is Not Dead

Live video streaming, like Facebook Live, has been around for a while, but many more platforms have started offering an array of live video capabilities.

This presents new opportunities to go beyond standard pre-recorded videos.

Here are a few ways to leverage live video platforms:

  • Facebook Live: Great for ​​growing a community, conducting Q&A sessions, and sharing tutorials. Integrates directly with Facebook Pages, Groups, and Events.
  • YouTube Live: Ideal for long-form videos and reaching a large audience. You can embed live streams on your website or share via links. Includes Super Chat and Super Stickers features for monetization.
  • Instagram Live: Offers interactive features like polls, questions, and live guest invites. Great for behind-the-scenes footage, influencer collaborations, casual chats, and quick tips.
  • LinkedIn Live: Ideal for B2B businesses and thought leaders looking to reach other professionals. Live streaming features for webinars, industry updates, and Q&A sessions.
  • TikTok Live: Best suited for reaching younger audiences and fostering real-time engagement. Includes gifting and tipping options for monetization. Ideal for quick tutorials, influencer promotions, and audience Q&A.

What’s cool is that live videos can sometimes be downloaded and reposted as static videos later.

For example, Facebook Live has a “download” function where you can save your live video session and then upload it to other platforms, like YouTube or Instagram.

Video: Your Brand’s Digital Advantage

Brands that leverage video in creative, innovative ways can earn dividends in their marketing efforts.

Don’t underestimate the reach and impact of relatable, authentic content. If you have a novel idea with decent production quality, you can easily be the next hot trend.

You don’t need to be a video marketing expert to succeed. Often, the most impactful videos are based on ideas drawn from everyday life.

Look for inspiration in your work, surroundings, and customer stories. Then, add your unique spin to create a video that resonates with your audience and cuts through the noise.

More Resources:

Featured Image: Chay_Tee/Shutterstock

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments