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Your branded content is at the very center of everything you do. We talk about it a lot. Here you can learn how to level-up your content both in strategy and execution.

Image management software: What it is & why it matters
5 min

Image management software: What it is & why it matters

Folder structures. Files by the thousands. Cloud sharing that goes awry when trying to search for something. “Where can I find the latest version?” messages over Slack or email. Download V5. Upload V6. Share it with the team for feedback. “That doesn’t look quite right.” If you’re familiar with this scenario, you’re most likely looking […]
What is media asset management?
8 min

What is media asset management?

Do you remember the dark days before cloud storage and internet searches? I know I do. Today, if you have a question or need to know something right now, I’ll bet you do the same thing we all do… Google it. Gone are the days of the Dewey Decimal system and library searches that limit you […]
What is a digital asset manager?
4 min

What is a digital asset manager?

As secure technology becomes more important in many businesses & organizations, there is a growing need for new positions & roles so that there are plenty of people to manage all this new IT. One such role is that of the digital asset manager. Related: What is a digital asset? This position is now very important […]
How to write a creative brief (with examples)
5 min

How to write a creative brief with examples (free templates)

Creative briefs are a lot like lighthouses: they provide essential guidance and direction for creatives working on large and small projects alike. Without a beacon, it’s easy for your project to get moored or lost at sea — think Castaway but at your job. And no Tom Hanks or Wilson by your side for company […]
4 professional voicemail greeting tips to impress your prospects
5 min

4 professional voicemail greeting tips to impress your prospects

Ideally, your sales performance should be touchpoint-agnostic. Ultimately, it shouldn’t matter where in the funnel a customer is or what type of funnel they’re utilizing — all should be optimized to perform well. If you want to impress prospective customers, you must nail every touchpoint with them, including your voicemail greetings. Related: The ultimate guide […]
10 cold-calling tips & techniques for your sales team
5 min

10 cold-calling tips & techniques for your sales team

Cold-calling prospective customers is only as effective as you make it. Meaning — you and your sales reps have to do some strategic legwork in order to make cold-calling work in your favor. And while it might be tempting to relegate cold-calling as an intimidating, outdated tactic, you wind up selling yourself short in doing […]
4 critical KPIs for an effective sales team
5 min

4 critical KPIs for an effective sales team

When you’re a sales manager, you need to keep your finger on the pulse with consistent updates on your team’s performance. It could feel like you’re selling well, but unless you use regularly updated key performance indicators, you won’t know for sure. Related: What is sales enablement? If you’re looking for a refresher – or […]
The sales leader's guide to sales pipeline management
7 min

The sales leader’s guide to sales pipeline management

As a sales leader, pipeline management is one of the most challenging aspects of your job. In the past, communication only took place through phone, snail mail and in-person meetings. Cold-calling was the strongest tool in your sales arsenal. Related: The 160 best sales tools & software In 2007, sales pros could reach prospects one the […]
7 best tools for project management
6 min

7 best tools for project management

Whether you’re new to project management entirely or you’re an experienced project manager with a whole range of projects under your belt, having the right tools to get your job done is essential. Today’s technology stack offers a deep selection of project management software, from scheduling to document management. Related: 8 best team collaboration tools […]
How to respond to RFP
5 min

How to respond to a request for proposal (RFP) [with examples]

Responding to a request for proposal (RFP) is a bit like playing the lottery. Winning could transform your business… but what are the odds, right? Well, okay—they’re probably not as low as your chances of hitting the Powerball jackpot. But with the average RFP win rate at less than 5%, they’re not exactly rosy. To put things […]
https://d2slcw3kip6qmk.cloudfront.net/marketing/blogs/press/10-tips-leave-effective-sales-voicemail/10-tips-leave-an-effective-sales-voicemail.jpeg
4 min

How to leave an effective sales voicemail

It’s estimated that 97% of all business calls go to voicemail. With such a low answer rate, should you even bother with making phone calls? Yes! And even though the typical voicemail response rate hovers between 4-6%, your odds of getting a response are higher than direct mail and web banner advertising combined. So while it may be frustrating to […]
Your go-to guide to account-based selling
7 min

Your go-to guide to account-based selling

Sales (of all kinds) should form the bottom line of your business. After all, sales are your prime profit focus. More importantly, well-played sales can lead to a snowball of success you need to make a go of things in the long-term. But that’s pretty common knowledge for most B2B companies. However, what you might […]
Best account-based marketing (ABM) software and tools
6 min

Best account-based marketing (ABM) software and tools

Account-based marketing — also known as ABM — involves tailoring your marketing approach to a market of one. So, rather than leaning on old, homogenized, one-size-fits-all strategies, ABM strategies require personalized, custom-fit interactions with your prospects, which is where account-based marketing tools come into play. To carry out a successful account-based marketing strategy, it’s crucial […]
What is sales acceleration and the best tools to use
6 min

What is sales acceleration and the best tools to use

Today’s sales cycle is complicated regardless of the product or industry. And as a result, it’s increasingly more challenging for sales reps to create engaging experiences on the behalf of the customer. Fortunately, sales teams and organizations have sales acceleration tools and processes on hand to boost and simplify their sales cycles. And ultimately, these types of tools and […]
Sales automation: tools and how-to
7 min

Sales automation: tools and how-to

If you’re interested in learning more about sales automation and how it can help your sales team, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’re going to discuss what sales automation is, cover the benefits, and then go through some types of sales automation already out there. After that, we will take a brief […]
The sales management guide
6 min

The sales management guide

All businesses need salespeople working for them who understand how to sell. But successful companies aren’t solely built on the back of talented sales reps — they also rely on competent sales managers too. Sales management is the act of organizing a team of sales reps in a way that helps them create better bonds […]
CMO guide to customer experience
8 min

CMO guide to customer experience

CMO’s are in a unique position to own, understand, and implement customer experience not just as a marketing function but as a fundamental component of every aspect of a business. As a CMO you’ve known for years the importance of cultivating customer relationships and building a brand customers trust. Now, with customers demanding an even more consistent and […]
Stats that prove the value of customer experience
6 min

Stats that prove the value of customer experience

The customer experience (CX) is a critical part of your overall business strategy. Creating a memorable customer experience trickles down and impacts customer service, marketing departments, and (more importantly) your bottom line. Customer experience statistics If you’ve been wondering whether or not investing in the customer experience is worth your time and money, look no further than […]
How to create a great digital customer experience
5 min

How to create a great digital customer experience

The digital customer experience is the quality and sum of all digital interactions a consumer encounters with a company. This includes the company’s brand, products and services. Unfortunately, some companies are still struggling to achieve a productive digital experience. Good digital experiences can lead to more sales, more loyalty and even more customers. On the […]
9 ways to improve the customer experience
7 min

9 ways to improve the customer experience

Customer experience — the summation of every interaction a customer has with your brand — is critical. A great customer experience translates into satisfied customers, therefore boosting customer retention, improving the reputation of your business and elevating your bottom line. Today’s brands have to develop a trusting relationship with their customers to continue to grow, and the […]
How to improve patient experience
5 min

How to improve patient experience

Few things are more stressful than trying to navigate the healthcare system, and if patients have a bad experience on top of that, it adds to their stress and can even slow the healing process. While providers are primarily focused on health outcomes, a focus on improving patient experience is equally important. Why patient experience […]
How to measure customer experience
5 min

How to measure customer experience

With so much competition for a customer’s attention and loyalty, creating a positive customer experience has become a top priority for brands and businesses. Great customer experiences can ultimately lead to business growth, but some businesses struggle to accomplish a well-curated experience for their consumers. Taking the time to track and benchmark customer experience metrics can make […]
A Curation of every Coronavirus resource
15 min

A curation of every Coronavirus resource

As Coronavirus has spread, the number of people and businesses willing to step up and help has been impressive. Yet, keeping track of every free service and product has been overwhelming for our team. Rather than lose track of all of the resources & ideas passed via Slack and email, we’ve curated a list of […]
7 examples of great customer experiences
6 min

7 great customer experience examples

Why the customer experience matters Existing in today’s business world requires much more than simply producing a product or service for people to buy. So much of it comes down to creating a great customer experience (CX). In fact, the vast majority of buyers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience and more than 62% […]
Free business continuity plan template
5 min

Free business continuity plan template

Author’s note: At the end of the day, we want this blog post to offer a little bit of reprieve. And, if we’re being honest, we hope it’ll make you laugh a little too. Because we could all use a little laughter in our lives. Stay tuned for a comprehensive download on everything that entails creating a BCP, […]
How to host a webinar
4 min

How to host a webinar

Webinars don’t have to be a slide presentation snoozefest. In fact, they’re a great option for creating cost-effective content and harnessing the sales leads of your dreams. Hosting a webinar is fairly simple… it’s getting people to come that you’ll have to spend more time on. We’ll tell you how to host a webinar and […]
How to improve hospital communication
4 min

How to improve hospital communication

In the healthcare industry, direct and immediate communication between patients and hospital staff is essential. The health of patients can depend on a clear and concise exchange of information. Too many of us may have personal instances where navigating the healthcare system was frustrating because of a lack of communication or a bad patient experience. […]
How to create a webinar email sequence + templates
6 min

How to create a webinar email sequence + templates

You can’t really have a webinar without an audience. And in order to get an audience, you need to employ proper marketing tactics — like an effective webinar email sequence. And in order to do that quickly, efficiently and at a relatively low cost, you could probably benefit from using a webinar email template. Sounds pretty simple, right? […]
How to build a successful B2B CX program
5 min

How to build a successful B2B CX program

Every business worries about customer experience, but B2B businesses face a much harder challenge than B2C companies when it comes to interpreting CX. Consumer-oriented customer experience has decades of research behind it, while B2B CX is still getting its footing. Applying B2C measurements to your B2B business won’t get you clear results — you’ll need […]
Higher education marketing: Crucial strategies & trends
7 min

Higher education marketing: Crucial strategies & trends

According to the results of a survey conducted by the Chronicle of Higher Education, 55% of private colleges and 44% of public colleges didn’t meet their enrollment goals in 2017. Was your college one of them? With the looming threat of student debt and a decreasing belief in the importance of going to college, marketing is becoming a crucial factor for […]
How to create a channel partner enablement plan
4 min

How to create a channel partner enablement plan

Channel partners are a critical source of revenue for tech companies — but if businesses took a hard look at the experience potential customers have when working with a channel sales partner compared to an internal sales rep, those two experiences would be anything but consistent. In fact, more than half of SE leaders aren’t […]
Mortgage marketing ideas for the new normal
5 min

Mortgage marketing ideas for the new normal

The long tentacles of coronavirus have touched every aspect of our lives, and especially so for the mortgage industry. It’s not clear where the housing market is going to end up, but right now things are busy. For consumers, there’s the allure of rock-bottom interest rates, while many people are also facing new, stricter standards […]
Strategies to improve speed to market
5 min

Strategies to improve speed to market

IWant It Now GIF from Iwantit GIFshttps://tenor.com/embed.js Welcome to a gluttonous world of instant gratification, one-day shipping, streaming on demand and fast fashion. Thanks to technology, we want what we want right now, and we can usually get it that fast. Product development is no different. The quicker we can get a new product to market, the faster […]
Marketing effectiveness: How to measure marketing performance
5 min

Marketing effectiveness: How to measure marketing performance

Measuring marketing effectiveness and performance are the keys to your brand’s success. As tempting as it might be to chalk up the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns to pure luck — bookended by witty headlines, captivating CTAs, strong visuals and magnetic content — you don’t want to do that. Why?  Well, to start, measuring marketing […]
social media tips for real estate you can’t afford to overlook
9 min

7 1/2 social media tips for real estate you can’t afford to overlook

Social media can help real estate agents find a wide audience, in the right area and at the right time. In fact, according to the National Association of REALTORS 77% of real estate agents use social media. Facebook is by far the most popular platform in real estate, followed by LinkedIn and Instagram. Related: Real estate marketing guide […]
Guide to content personalization
4 min

Guide to content personalization

Not too long ago, frozen yogurt shops were popping up all over the place. You could create a delectable dessert that was perfect for your tastes because, well, it was created just for you.  Imagine this same approach but in marketing form.  That’s pretty much the idea behind content personalization: the practice of tailoring a […]
How to create a market penetration strategy
6 min

How to create a market penetration strategy

Most companies strive for market penetration as soon as they enter a new market to launch a new product. The hope is to enter the market swiftly and capture a sizable market share.  What is market penetration? In simple terms, it’s planning how to grow your business in an already thriving market where similar products […]
Real estate video marketing: The ultimate content marketing tool
8 min

Real estate video marketing: The ultimate content marketing tool

If a single picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth an entire book. Buying or selling a house in the digital age requires digging into the high-tech toolbox to reach your customers. A simple well-crafted video can function as a living billboard for real estate agents and home sellers alike. Related: […]
Content marketing: The key to financial services marketing success
6 min

Content marketing: The key to financial services marketing success

Content marketing within the financial services industry has been lagging for years now. Because of this, financial service firms need to evolve in the ways they target customers and clients. This is where content marketing comes in — it can provide that edge a financial services company needs to beat out their competitors. To help […]
10 stats about employee engagement
6 min

10 stats about employee engagement

In its simplest terms, employee engagement is the emotional commitment an employee has to the organization and its goals. Unlike employee satisfaction, employee engagement measures how much employees care about their work and their company.  Employee satisfaction is often connected to benefits, pay or job security. On the other hand, employee engagement relates to a […]
6 Instagram post ideas to boost sales
5 min

What to post on Instagram: 6 Instagram post ideas to boost sales

If Instagram feels unavoidable these days, it’s because it is. The social media giant has over 1 billion monthly users and 90% of them follow at least one business. Needless to say, it’s smart to have an Instagram presence for your brand. A business Instagram account can seem imperative, and they’re also a lot of work. To […]
How to create a successful social media marketing strategy
13 min

How to create a successful social media marketing strategy

Social media typically ranks among the top three sources of website referrals for most brands. And it’s affordable. Regardless of whether you have a budget of $0, $1,000 or $100,000, you can achieve your social media marketing goals with smart content and targeting. Related: 7 serious social media mistakes that brands still make The beauty […]
How to successfully build and manage a creative team
13 min

How to successfully build and manage a creative team

Preface: Welcome to the race—Quantity & quality of content We work in a race. A design race. At the root of that race lies the simple fact that the design process has fundamentally changed. It used to look like this: But now it looks like this: Instead of a simple process where a single person requests a […]
Welcome to Inspiration Station — Quotes about marketing
3 min

Welcome to Inspiration Station — Quotes about marketing

Summoning creative inspiration can be a little like eating peanut butter on saltines while you’ve got cottonmouth. In other words: It can be difficult. If we’re being completely honest, it’s safe to say that some days are just harder than others. And on those days, it’s easy to feel lonely in your pursuit of content […]
How to build an effective in-house agency
3 min

How to build an effective in-house agency

The lure of the hip advertising agency is becoming outdated as more creatives move in house to meet the demands of nonstop content. In 2018, 78% of members of the Association of National Advertisers used some form of in-house agency services. This is up from 58% in 2013 and 42% in 2008 — so you can see […]
7 major trends for technology marketers
6 min

7 major trends for technology marketers

Top performers in the tech aren’t just taking content marketing more seriously, they’re being more creative with its uses. We’re seeing top performers treat content marketing as a strategic business function, and we’re telling you, it’s pretty cool to witness the creative results. Take Wistia for example. Wistia ditched the standard resource page and boring […]
7 strategies for tech marketing
6 min

7 strategies for tech marketing

Many of the current tactics used by tech marketers are falling short of leading to sales. But here’s the thing, there’s often not enough focus on strategy. If you’re finding that your team is great at digital marketing but doesn’t know much about traditional marketing, then you’ve got a problem. Marketing in today’s world shouldn’t […]
Guest Post Hot Take: Does your content creation process really need to be data-driven?
5 min

Guest Post Hot Take: Does your content creation process really need to be data-driven?

Data-driven decision making has gained increasing importance in marketing over the past few years due to the high availability of tools and sophisticated Martech stacks. The results? A level playing field that allows even small businesses to measure and act on customer data. It seems that nearly all companies are doing all they can to […]
What is an infographic?
6 min

What is an infographic? A comprehensive guide

Visual communication and storytelling are critical for any business in this day and age of social media and short attention spans. Infographics are a popular way to visually share information, but creating an effective one isn’t easy. This guide will walk you through what you need to know to understand what an infographic is and […]
11 examples of great marketing initiatives
9 min

11 examples of great marketing initiatives

Recipes are relatively easy to follow. They’re designed to be replicated and, to some degree, guarantee an element of success. Take chocolate chip cookies for example. They’re hard to screw up and generally liked by most folks. The same concept applies to marketing. Certain marketing strategies, aka your chocolate chip cookies, are designed to succeed […]
A comprehensive guide to creative operations
4 min

A comprehensive guide to creative operations

Does your creative team struggle to make deadlines? Are they working way too many hours, or are they constantly stretched thin by production demands? These are all signs that your team may not be as efficient as they could be, and the answer isn’t necessarily more tech or more people — it’s creative operations. What […]
Guide to content operations
4 min

Guide to content operations

As a marketing manager, you’ve got a content vision, and you’ve got a content strategy — and you know what kind of content you want to offer. And you’re also committed to establishing a system of content intelligence to inform content decisions.  But executing all of this may be more of a stumbling block than […]
9 social media trends to try
4 min

9 social media trends to try

Life comes at you fast, and social media trends are no exception. Time spent online has ballooned in the last year, with social media increasingly being used to satisfy needs from creating community to e-commerce. This social media trend has shifted power into platforms like Facebook and Instagram, where consumers now spend a huge chunk of […]
youtube channel
4 min

How to promote your YouTube channel

Each month, over two billion users log in to their YouTube accounts. Needless to say, the site sees a pretty unbelievable amount of traffic — it’s probably why you created a YouTube channel in the first place.  There’s also an unbelievable amount of content on YouTube. (Over 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube […]
30 great infographic examples
6 min

30 great infographic examples

We live in a visual world. Whether it’s through social media, popup ads or posters at the bus stop, we are constantly bombarded with visual information. And there’s a reason for this: Images help our brains retain information — this is what makes infographics such effective communication tools.  If you spend any time on the internet, you’ve […]
Instagram for business
6 min

How to use Instagram for business

Instagram is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms, with over one billion monthly users spending up to an hour a day perusing the app’s vibrant, visual content. Home to the influencer and brand ambassador, Instagram allows powerful companies and small businesses alike to level the playing field and connect with prospective customers. Instagram says 90% of its […]
20 Instagram story ideas
6 min

20 Instagram story ideas

When Instagram rolled out Stories in 2016, it became a social media sensation. Since then, the use of Instagram stories has skyrocketed, with an estimated 500 million people engaging daily. Because of its reach, Instagram Stories are a fantastic business marketing tool for small businesses and large brands alike. As you peruse the platform, you’ll see creative […]
youtube channel
5 min

How to create a successful YouTube channel

You might still think of YouTube as a place to watch cute cat videos, but in only 15 years, YouTube has become the second most visited website in the world (behind Google, of course). Because of its popularity, YouTube plays a critical role in successful social media marketing strategies. Writing, shooting and editing videos is […]
Twitter marketing
6 min

Twitter marketing guide

With 330 million active users monthly, Twitter can be a goldmine for business marketing. Celebrities, journalists and politicians flock to this powerful social network daily to strut their stuff and engage with followers. And it’s become a hub for brands who use Twitter as a clearinghouse for customer service concerns and boost brand reputations. However, if you […]
7 min

7 impressive content marketing examples

Real talk: Trying to find a strong content marketing example is like looking for a needle in a haystack, mostly because there are just so many stinking options. Seriously though — between social media algorithms, walled gardens, SEO, paid ads and everything else under the marketing sun, we’re inevitably served some sort of content marketing […]
How to develop a content strategy
11 min

How to develop a content strategy

If you’re working in marketing, you need a content strategy plan. Full stop.  Having a content strategy plan in place is one of the best ways to ensure your content is effective, personalized and organized. It’s possible that you currently have one you’re working with, but is it doing what you really need it to?  […]
team
5 min

How to build an exceptional content team (with sales)

Your sales team wants to be off to the races. They want to close deals, make it rain and do the dang thing! But, uhm, question for you: Can you drive a car without gas? Nope. You can certainly try to Flintstone the vehicle, but you won’t get anywhere fast and your poor feet will […]
Drive pipeline with a better sales portal
6 min

Drive pipeline with a better sales portal

You’ve invested in creating effective content, but is it reaching the people in your organization who need it the most? While you may engage customers and clients via content on your website, social media or email, the marketing resources available to your sales team are an equally critical piece of creating a better pipeline and […]
7 ways to boost sales effectiveness
5 min

7 ways to boost sales effectiveness

Securing more sales may seem like the obvious way to increase sales revenue. However, as the old adage insists, more is not always better. Improving sales effectiveness is a frequently overlooked component of creating better sales performance.  While many companies push for more ambitious quotas year after year, Salesforce reports that 57% of sales reps failed to […]
Ultimate guide to nonprofit fundraising
8 min

Ultimate guide to nonprofit fundraising

Nonprofit fundraising is the heart of every successful charitable organization. And it’s not just because fundraising is the primary income for most nonprofits. A steady stream of donations and events also raises awareness within the community and keeps donors mission-focused and engaged. In 2020, Americans gave $471 billion to charitable organizations, with an increase among individual […]
20 content marketing statistics that will make you think
3 min

20 content marketing statistics that will make you think

You can’t go anywhere today without being hit with content marketing — and we’re interested in how effective all that content really is. So interested, in fact, that earlier this year we did a survey of professionals in various fields to see how their content is performing and what their attitudes toward content are.  The […]
How to create engaging sales enablement content
5 min

How to create engaging sales enablement content

Qualifying a lead is a multi-step process, and on average, it takes a minimum of six to eight touches. During this time, sales reps evaluate a prospect across four important aspects: budget, authority, need and timeframe (BANT). A prospect who checks all these vital criteria is deemed worthy of persuasion. Related: 7 types of sales […]
Patient engagement tips and strategies
3 min

Patient engagement tips and strategies

Patient engagement is touted in both healthcare marketing plans and clinical settings as a strategy to produce better health outcomes and, ultimately, a better patient experience. But a close inspection of the intersection of marketing strategies and patient engagement shows that in many healthcare settings, the effort to become patient-centric has not produced effective patient […]
Guide to customer enablement
4 min

Guide to customer enablement

Customer enablement sounds like a complicated marketing term, but it boils down to educating and empowering your customers with the tools, resources, and information they need to make the most of your products or services. Ultimately, customer enablement is built on a simple principle. When customers succeed, everyone wins. Stats on customer turnover prove that […]
What is a pamphlet
2 min

What is a pamphlet?

A pamphlet is a small, unbound booklet focused on a single subject, often educational in nature.  Pamphlets vs. brochures While they might seem similar in size and layout, pamphlets and brochures are not the same thing. While brochures are used to advertise something (like a brand or an event) pamphlets are made to inform, not sell. […]
6 volunteer engagement strategies and ideas
4 min

6 volunteer engagement strategies and ideas

Volunteers are the lifeblood of nonprofits. Their involvement can make or break your organization’s ability to make meaningful progress towards your mission. And like employee management, volunteer management is a tricky balancing act. Nonprofits need to empower people with appropriate volunteer opportunities while ensuring the work they do feels both meaningful and personally rewarding. Recruiting […]
Healthcare social media marketing strategies that work
5 min

Healthcare social media marketing strategies that work

While other industries raced to embrace social media platforms to connect with customers and create loyal brand followings, healthcare social media marketing has been more tentative. Many hospitals and healthcare organizations cited concerns like HIPAA and professionalism as reasons not to be actively involved in digital marketing on social media channels. However, social media healthcare […]

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