POV: You’re new in the market and you’re wondering just how your small business can stand out among the millions of brands currently on social media.

In this article, you’ll learn how to use social media for small businesses and which (free) software you should have in your toolbox.

Why social media is important for small businesses?

The biggest benefit to using social media is that it’s a low-cost strategy to increase your brand awareness.

While you, of course, have to invest time and resources in building out your content, you can create high-quality content with a reliable phone and a few tools at your disposal.

In addition, with social media, you have the potential to reach your target audience for a fraction of what you would pay in targeted ads.

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— Kendall Miles (@TheKendallMiles) September 20, 2021

For instance, you may spend $100 developing creative assets for a video that ends up reaching 100,000 users. To reach those same users with an ad, you will likely have to invest much more money.

In addition, social media allows you to:

• Drive more traffic to your website and generate leads.
• Promote products and services.
• Build a community.
• Connect with and learn from your target audience.

When you get down to it, the way you use social media as a small business isn’t much different from how you’d use it as a mid to large-size business. In both cases, you’re sharing, engaging, monitoring, and optimizing.

The key difference is that a small business is likely focused on growth while an established brand may prioritize expansion.

Social Media Tips for Small Business

1. Be consistent.

The best thing you can do as a small business when starting out on social media is to be consistent.

Too often, brands get discouraged if they don’t see results within a few weeks. The truth is social media growth can be slow but like most things, if you remain consistent, you will generate results.

This means posting high-quality content on a regular basis (at least once a week). You do this for a few reasons.

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The first is that when a user does land on your profile, you want them to get a clear picture of your brand. If you have little to no content, users will quickly lose interest and leave. The same is true for scattered posts.

Social media is an opportunity to tell a story. When you prioritize consistency and cohesiveness, users will know what to expect from your page, what your voice is, and what you offer. And that’s how you’ll attract your target audience.

2. Diversify your content.

On social media, there’s so much room to be creative and experiment. Too often, brands find one strategy that works and stick to that.

While there’s a lot of truth to the saying "If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it," social media is constantly evolving. What worked yesterday may not work today, as these platforms implement new features and user behavior changes.

With this in mind, play around with content formats whenever possible. For instance, on TikTok, you can only post videos. However, on Facebook, you have the option of going live, posting images, conducting polls, and more.

Here are some formats you should leverage:

• Photos
• Videos
• Illustrations
• Stop-motion
• Live streams
• Polls

With content, the limit truly does not exist.

Our social media report revealed that small businesses get the best ROI from creating educational and relatable content. Meanwhile, mid-size and large businesses report better results with funny and interactive content.

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This data point makes sense for many reasons. Larger brands have likely already built a strong following and know what their audience likes. That’s why they’re able to do interactive polls and be creative with their content.

Small businesses, on the other hand, still have a lot to prove. They want to add value to their audience and grow a following, and the easiest way to do that? Make content that educates and/or resonates.

This isn’t to say that small businesses should stick to these two types of content. In fact, they should experiment with all content to narrow down what their audience likes. However, this can serve as a strong starting point.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• How-tos
• Customer spotlights
• Industry facts and updates
• Behind the scenes
• Trends (viral sounds and dances)
• Product highlights
• Q&As

3. Focus on quality instead of quantity.

This applies not only to the content you post but also to which platforms you post.

From a content perspective, while it is encouraged that you post often on social media, there’s a caveat. Everything you post should add value.

 

 

 

 

 

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If it doesn’t meet that criteria, consider another strategy, such as reposting brand-related content from a non-competitor or sharing user-generated content (UGC).

In fact, 33% of small businesses surveyed (those with 1-25 employees) report getting the best ROI on social media from leveraging UGC.

Now onto the platforms.

If you’re a small business with limited time and resources, you may not able to manage an account on every single social platform. And that’s OK.

It’s much more valuable to focus on one to three platforms that have your target audience’s demographics and go from there.

According to our 2022 social media marketing research, small businesses are prioritizing Facebook and YouTube in 2022 (even though they report that Facebook and Instagram generate the highest quality leads).

However, if your audience is Gen-Z, you may choose to focus your efforts on TikTok and grow your audience there.

4. Find trends.

This is another piece of advice that relates to both content and platform.

Our research found that many small businesses are exploring live audio chat rooms and short-form videos for the first time – two of the biggest trends of the last two years.

Yes, trying out a new platform demands a lot more than trying out a new format or type of content.

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For a while, brands were wary of TikTok. They saw it as a non-serious platform meant to entertain Gen-Z. Now, brands realize that it’s another highly valuable network that can broaden their reach and increase their brand awareness.

This is all to say that you don’t have to jump on every trend when it first appears, that’s not the recommendation here. Instead, you want to monitor them and their evolution. Because while some trends die off, others turn into staples.

Social Media Tools for Small Business

1. Google Analytics for Analytics

When asked about the tools they use to track social media metrics, 75% of small businesses said Google Analytics.

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The platform allows you to track the impact of your social media accounts on your traffic, specifically:

• How many visitors are coming from social media
• How long their sessions are
• Which landing pages are getting shared most on social media
• Conversion rates from social media compared to other channels
• Which social campaigns are generating traffic and conversions

There are both free and paid versions of the app – the free version offers so many features that as a small business, there is little need for the upgrade.

2. Canva for Graphic Design

Don’t have money to hire a graphic designer? Don’t fret – Canva to the rescue.

This graphic design platform offers thousands of free social media templates that you can use to build a consistent visual identity.

You can also find stock images and videos that are free to use for commercial and non-commercial use.

Note: While Canva is incredible for creating branded templates, avoid using it for logos, as you may struggle to find unique designs.

3. Asana for Content Planning

Asana is a project management tool that makes social media planning easy.

With the free version, you can:

• Integrate it with 100+ tools, including Slack, Google Calendar, Adobe, Canva, MailChimp.
• Create unlimited projects and tasks.
• Tag social platforms, content, and more for easy sorting.
• Have up to 15 users to facilitate collaboration.

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With all of these features, you can map out your content for the month and create tasks to track your progress. This makes scheduling a piece of cake and allows others to get a clear understanding of your plans.

Growing your social media presence as a small business is an exciting time. Use these tools to get you on track and remember, slow and steady always wins the race.

More than ever, social media channels are putting video content front and center on their feeds, as audiences increasingly turn to TikTok, Reels, and live videos to be entertained, discover products, and even learn about exciting new brands.

And for marketers, leveraging video not only offers the highest ROI of any media format, but it plays a key role in helping marketers exceed their goals.

To learn more about the top strategies and opportunities in video marketing today, we surveyed over 500 professionals that specialize in this field. Immediately, the effectiveness of video marketing became obvious.

But where in the world of video marketing should you focus your efforts first? To help you determine your next steps, we gained insights from video marketers about all sorts of topics and tactics including:

• Video Marketing Benchmarks and Metrics
• The Top Video Marketing Goals and Strategies
• Which Video Formats Have the Highest ROI?
• Which Channels and Platforms are Most Effective For Video?
• How to Make Viral Videos

Let’s dive in.

Video Marketing Survey Findings

Video Marketing Benchmarks

If no one sees your video, was it even worth making?

We first asked video marketers how many views their videos get on average. Here’s what we found:

• 38% of marketing videos average less than 10K views
• 16% average under 1,000 views
• 16% average over 100K views

But views aren’t the only metric marketers track. There’s a long list of data points you could be keeping your eyes on, so let’s take a look at which are the best measure of your video’s performance.

The Most Prioritized Video Marketing Metrics

Once you begin to get views, you'll also want to build on your strategy by looking at and improving on a few other metrics.

Among video marketers, video engagement, conversion rate, and click-through rate are among a handful of other KPIs marketers look at, with engagement rate being prioritized by 60% of marketers, and conversion and click-through rates being a focus of 56% and 52% of marketers respectively.

Below, we'll dig a bit deeper into the importance of each major metric.

1. Engagement Rate

According to 60% of video marketers, engagement is the most important metric to watch. After all, when a video sees high engagement, that means it is resonating with your audience enough to make them want to drop a like, write a comment, or share it with their friends.

2. Conversion Rate

Conversion rate comes in at #2 and can be a great indicator of how successful your video is at getting viewers to take the desired action.

3. Click-through Rate Speaks to Your Thumbnail and Title/Caption

Click-through rate (CTR) comes in at #4 and can tell you how effective your thumbnail is at getting people to watch the video in the first place. Before watching a video, your audience is also seeing the title or caption attached to it, which your CTR will also reflect.

4. Follower and Subscriber Growth

If you are gaining followers/subscribers from a video, that means it’s resonating with viewers and they want to see more from your brand. 

If one of your videos grows your following more than usual, try to think about what set this video apart from the rest and replicate it. Also, check your analytics for helpful information on how these new subscribers/followers found your video. How can you keep providing them with valuable content?

5. Average View Time

Average view duration is key to understanding which parts of your video are highly engaging and which sections needed more work or should have been cut out entirely. While the overall average can offer useful insights when comparing similar-length videos, if possible, check the percentage of viewers watching at key moments throughout the video.

For example, if a high percentage of viewers stick around through the introduction, you successfully hooked them. However, if you see a huge dropoff halfway through, the video may have been too long.

Speaking of video length, we also asked video marketers how long a marketing video should be. Let’s take a look at what they told us.

How Long Should a Marketing Video Be?

A whopping 96% of marketers agree that the optimal length of a marketing video is under 10 minutes.

Beyond that, opinions start to differ, with the largest chunk of them (36%) saying videos should be between 1-3 minutes, while 27% think the sweet spot is between 4-6 minutes. Another 16% say the optimal video length is under 60 seconds. On the other hand 15% advocate for videos between 7-9 minutes long.

At the end of the day, the length of your video will largely depend on which type of video best suits your goals. So let’s dive into video marketers' top goals in 2022.

Video Marketing Goals

The top three video marketing goals include increasing revenue (focused on by 33% of respondents(, raising brand awareness and advertising products/services (with 32% of marketers focusing on each).

More than one-fourth of marketers are also focused on improving customers’ understanding of products/services, while 23% want to improve customer service and retention with video.

As I mentioned at the very start, our survey shows video marketing is highly effective for reaching all of these goals, so let’s dive into some of the strategies video marketers are using to succeed.

Video Marketing Strategies

The Top Tactics for Creating Effective Videos

The most important factors for creating effective marketing videos are effectively promoting your video, capturing viewers’ attention in the first few seconds, and keeping your videos short/concise.

Why Video Promotion Is Key

It can be tempting to dedicate all of your time to crafting the “perfect” video with slick edits, high production value, and an irresistible thumbnail. While these things are important, they lose their power without effective video promotion.  

In fact, in a recent trends survey, we found that 78% of consumers say it is more important for marketing videos to be authentic and relatable than polished and high-quality. That doesn’t mean you should neglect video/audio quality, but it isn’t going to make or break a video’s success.

On the other hand, ineffectively promoting your video can cause your video to flop, so let’s take a look at a few strategies video marketers use to make sure that doesn’t happen.

How to Promote a Marketing Video

The most effective video promotion strategies are sharing them on social media, adding videos to your website/blog, running paid ads for your videos, optimizing your title/description for search, and integrating videos into your email campaigns.

Whichever channels you choose for video promotion, remember that simply sharing a video isn’t enough. Effective video promotion begins before a video is even complete and continues long after a video is published.

For example, if your video is going live on YouTube in the next 24 hours, hop on Instagram and start a countdown on your story. Share the thumbnail and title 3-5 hours before the video drops to generate more interest. Prepare a teaser to hook viewers in and share that on social media as soon as your video releases.

Once the video is out, you can run an interactive poll related to your video on social media to engage your core audience and pique the interest of those who haven’t seen it yet. You can also set up an email campaign to go out announcing your video a few hours later, or add a banner to your website linking to the video.

Lastly, make sure to continue promoting when the opportunity arises. For example, if you see a Reddit or Twitter thread related to the topic of your video and think your content could add value to the conversation, drop it in the comment section.

Now that you’re up to speed on video marketing goals and strategies, let’s take a look at which video formats are most effective.

Top Video Formats

The top video three video formats are short-form, long-form, and live videos. In this section, we’ll take a deep dive into each of these, looking at which has the best ROI, how long each type of video should be, and a few relevant benchmarks.

1. Short-form Video

Of all the video formats, short-form has the highest ROI and is also #1 for lead generation and engagement.

The use of short-form video will grow significantly in 2022, with 36% of video marketers planning to invest more in it than any other format, and 45% planning to use it for the first time this year.

If you're one of those marketers, you may be wondering how long a short-form video should be. The consensus among video marketers is that a short-form video is under 60 seconds, with the biggest chunk (33%) saying the optimal length is 31-60 seconds.

When it comes to the percentage of time a video is watched, nearly all short-form videos are watched for over 40% of their duration, which isn’t surprising due to their quick runtime. 59% of them are watched for 41-80% of their length, and 30% have an average watch percentage over 81%.

The average watch percentage for these videos can even exceed 100% as your audience replays them over and over.

Lastly, when looking at click-through rates, nearly half of short-form marketing videos also have a CTR between 5-8%.

2. Long-Form Video

Long-form videos, defined in this survey as videos over three minutes, come in 2nd to short-form for ROI, lead generation, and engagement.

Long-form video will also see significant growth in 2022 as 18% of video marketers plan to invest more in it than any other format, and 36% of will use it for the first time this year.

The biggest chunk of video marketers (36%) say the ideal length for long-form videos is 3-6 minutes, though many also advocate for videos up to 20 minutes long.

Looking at the average watch percentage, 38% of long-form marketing videos fall between 41-60%, while one in four sees an average watch percentage of 61-80%. Another 22% fall between 21 to 40%.

When it comes to CTR, the biggest chunk (57%) of long-form marketing videos are between 5-8%, which is similar to the CTR for short-form videos.

3. Live Videos/Live Streams Metrics And Benchmarks

Live videos or streams are used by 32% of video marketers and come in #4 for ROI and #3 for engagement. And, use of live videos/live streams will also grow in 2022, with 35% of video marketers planning on leveraging it for the first time.

The optimal length of a live video/live stream is between 4-9 minutes, according to 51% of video marketers. Another 22% prefer to go live for 1-3 minutes, while around one in five recommends a longer time frame of 10-30 minutes.

When it comes to the average percentage of a video watched, over 60% of live videos/live streams fall are viewed for 41% to 80% of their duration.

The Top Video Marketing Channels

1. Social Media

Social media is used for video sharing by 76% of video marketers and has the biggest ROI of any video marketing channel, by far. It is also the most effective channel for generating leads from marketing videos.

Use of social media for sharing marketing videos will grow significantly in 2022, with, 61% of all video marketers planning to invest more in sharing videos on social media than any other channel this year. Additionally, almost 2 in 3 of those who never used social media for sharing videos plan to do so for the first time this year.

2. Blog/Website Pages

A blog or website is used by 55% of video marketers to share their videos, has the 2nd highest ROI, and is the 2nd most effective at generating leads.

Use of a blog or website for sharing marketing videos will also grow in 2022, with 59% of video marketers planning to try it for the first time, and 18% of all video marketers investing in using their blog/website for sharing marketing videos over any other channel.

3. Email

Email is used by 44% of video marketers to share their videos and nearly tied with blog or website for ROI.

40% of video marketers plan to share videos through email for the first time in 2022, and 11% plan to invest more in sharing videos through email than through any other channel this year.

While all these channels can be effective for sharing marketing videos, social media is the clear winner. So let’s dive into which social media apps are most effective for video sharing.

The Best Social Media Channels for Sharing Videos

1. Instagram

Instagram is the top social media platform for ROI, engagement, and lead generation for sharing marketing videos and will see significant investment from video marketers in 2022.

Use of Instagram by video marketers will grow significantly in 2022, as 24% of them will invest more into sharing videos on Instagram than on any other platform. Additionally, 42% of those who don’t use Instagram for sharing videos will do so for the first time this year.

2. YouTube

While YouTube comes in at #2 behind Instagram for ROI and lead generation, it is the most used app for video sharing, with 70% of video marketers leveraging it.

YouTube will also see the most investment from video marketers in 2022, with 27% investing more into sharing videos on YouTube than any other platform. On top of that, over half of those who don’t use YouTube for sharing videos will do so for the first time in 2022.

3. Facebook

Facebook is used by 60% of video marketers when sharing marketing videos (tied at #2 for usage with Instagram), though it comes in 4th for ROI, engagement, and lead generation.

35% will invest in sharing videos on Facebook for the first time in 2022 and 16% of video marketers will invest more in sharing videos on Facebook than on any other platform this year.

4. TikTok

While TikTok has the 3rd highest ROI and comes in 2nd for engagement, only 35% of video marketers currently share videos on the app, and just 20% plan to start for the first time in 2022.

Which social media channels have low video performance?

Reddit, Tumblr, Twitch, Snapchat, and Pinterest are consistently the worst channels for sharing marketing videos and will see the least investment from video marketers in 2022.

Another consideration when sharing videos on social media is whether you will pay for ads or share your content organically. Let’s take a look at which video marketers are using.

Should you use paid or organic video posts on social media?

55% of video marketers leverage a mix of organic and paid content when posting videos on social media, while 24% use organic only, and 21% use paid only.

Now that we’ve looked at how marketers are sharing their videos on social media, let’s compare two of the most common platforms for hosting videos - YouTube and Vimeo.

Hosting Videos on YouTube vs. Vimeo

We asked video marketers who use both YouTube and Vimeo to compare the two, and not only do 78% of them say YouTube is more effective for reaching their overall business goals, but YouTube is far superior in every category.

Vimeo comes close to being as effective as YouTube for privacy options, storage, video/audio quality, and video player customization, but still lags behind or is considered about the same as YouTube.

What are the Top Content Types for Marketing Videos?

1. Content Showcasing Your Products and Services

Content showcasing products/services is the most leveraged type of video content and has the highest ROI of any content type, with 66% of participants reporting high returns. It is also the most effective at generating leads and gets the 2nd most engagement of all content types we asked about.

Product and service content will also see the most investment of any video content type this year, with 17% planning to invest in it more than any other, while 36% plan to leverage it for the first time in 2022.

2. Content That Reflects Your Brands Values

Content that reflects a brand's values is the second most leveraged type of video content and the 2nd most effective for generating leads and engagement.

3. Trendy Content

People generally don't want to watch videos that feel out of date or out of touch, but they're drawn to videos that discuss topics that they're currently intreested in, like trends or news related to their industry or hobbies. This is likely why "trendy content" has the second-highest ROI and gets the most engagement.

4. Relatable Content

Relatable content will see the most new investment in 2022, with 40% planning to leverage it for the first time, while 12% will invest more in it than any other content type.

5. Funny and Interactive Content

Both funny and interactive content have high ROI and will be leveraged by 29% and 27% of video marketers for the first time in 2022, respectively.

Next, let’s look at the different styles of videos you can use, and which are most effective.

Top Video Styles

1. Live-Action (Videos Featuring Real Footage)

Live-action videos are leveraged most often, have the biggest ROI, are the most effective for lead generation, and get the most engagement.

Use of live-action video will grow significantly in 2022, as 55% plan to use it for the first time ever and 48% of all video marketers will invest more in live-action than any other video style.

2. Animated Videos

Animated videos are used by one in two video marketers, have the second-highest ROI, and are the 2nd most effective for lead generation and engagement.

49% of video marketers will also leverage animated videos for the first time this year, and 30% will invest in them more than any other video style.

3. Screen-Capture or Screen Recording

Screen-capture videos are used by 43% of video marketers, the least of the three video styles. Screen-capture has the lowest ROI, by far, and is much less effective for generating leads and engagement.

However, screen-recorded videos will see more use in 2022, with 52% planning to leverage them for the first time and 21% planning to invest more in them than any other video style

Now that you know the top formats, styles, and content types for marketing videos, as well as where to share them, we can dive into our research on how to create viral videos.

Viral Videos

Getting one of your videos to go viral might seem like a pipe dream, but it isn’t as out of reach as you might think.

63% of video marketers have created a viral video - so let’s take a look at exactly how they did it so your next video can blow up too.

How to Make a Video Go Viral

The most effective strategies for creating a viral video are making retable content, keeping videos short/concise, and capturing viewers' attention in the first few seconds.

Let’s dig a little deeper into these top three strategies and how you can use them.

1. Making Relatable Content Means More Engagement

Making relatable content is key to getting viewers to engage with your video. Whether they comment on your video or share it with a friend, the algorithm takes notice and boosts your video to more viewers, increasing its chances to go viral.

2. Shorter Is Better

Keeping videos short is also crucial to virality. According to 47% of video marketers, short-form videos are the most likely to go viral.

But how long is a short-form video exactly? Our video marketing trends report found that the consensus among video marketers is under 60 seconds, with the biggest chunk (33%) saying the optimal length is 31-60 seconds.

3. Capture Attention Immediately

Capturing viewers’ attention in the first few seconds is the third most effective way to make a video go viral.

This could be as simple as starting a video with a colorful animation, an intriguing question, showing text on-screen, or even with physical movements like hand motions or jumping out of your chair to set a video off.

Now that you know the top strategies to make a video go viral, let’s take a look at which platforms you should use.

Which Platform are Videos Most Likely to Go Viral On?

YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook are the platforms that video marketers say are most likely to have a video go viral.

If you have a social media presence on any of those three, they can be powerful for scoring a viral video. But if you’re not leveraging them yet, it might be time to finally give TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts a shot.

Which Type of Video Content is Most Likely to Go Viral?

Funny, trendy, and relatable videos that reflect a brand’s values are most likely to go viral.

Combine these top content types by creating a funny, relatable, and on-trend video for the best chance of going viral.

Lastly, we’ll take a look at the different video styles and which is most effective for a viral video.

Which Style of Video Content is Most Likely to Go Viral?

Live-action videos are most likely to go viral according to 49% of video marketers, but animation is also effective for 31% of respondents.

If you can, use both. Keep viewers engaged by switching back and forth between your live-action shot and animation with a voiceover.

Video Marketing Benefits & Challenges

Video Marketing Benefits

The biggest benefits of creating marketing videos are that they help customers understand a product/service, get more engagement than other marketing content, and lead to more sales/conversions than other marketing content.

While this seems perfectly in line with video marketers' goals, those benefits also come with a few challenges.

Video Marketing Challenges

The biggest challenges video marketers face are a lack of time to create video content, difficulty creating an effective video strategy, and inadequate budget to create video content.

The great news is that video marketing is simpler than ever, with 57% of video marketers describing video marketing as easy.

On top of that, 46% of those who started making videos in the past year did so because creating marketing videos became less time-consuming, and 38% said they started because videos became easier to make in-house. 1 in 2  also started making marketing videos in response to the pandemic.

Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been making videos for a while, budgeting can be a stressful part of the process. To help you navigate your video marketing budget, let’s take a look at how other marketers are budgeting for their videos.

Video Marketing Budgets

81% of video marketers have a dedicated budget for video marketing. Here’s what those budgets look like:

• 20% of companies spend over $100K on video marketing per quarter
• Around 1 in 4 spend under $20K
• 42% spend between $20K-$100K

We also asked video marketers how their budget changed from 2021 to 2022, and found that 52% of video marketers saw a budget increase in 2022, while 46% saw no change. Just 2% saw a decrease.

Marketers who saw an increase in their video budget generally received a substantial boost in their budget, with 41% of video marketers getting an increase of over 51%.

You may also be wondering what percentage of total marketing budgets goes towards video marketing, so let’s take a look at that too.

It turns out that 44% of companies spend 31-60% of their total marketing budget on video marketing.

How Much Does Creating a Marketing Video Cost?

91% of marketers’ companies spend under $50,000 to create a marketing video, and over half spend under $10,000.

With the total cost of making a marketing video in mind, let’s look into how much video marketers are spending on each step in the video creation process.

Production takes up 24% of the average video marketer’s budget, followed by pre-production and post-production tied at 20%. Another 18% is spent on talent and video promotion/distribution.

We also asked video marketers which part of the video creation process is most expensive, and 65% of them say production is the costliest step.

Lastly, let’s talk about how long it takes to create a marketing video and which parts are most time-consuming.

How Long Does it Take to Create a Marketing Video?

86% of marketing videos are created in 3 weeks or less, and 40% are made in under a week.

The most time-consuming part of the video creation process is pre-production (coming up with ideas, writing script, casting, etc.), according to 38% of those who make marketing videos in-house.

More Insights From the HubSpot Blog

Whether you’re just getting started with video marketing or a seasoned video professional, keeping up with the latest trends and marketing strategies is key.

While video marketing is currently one of the top marketing strategies, there are a few others that have even better ROI - luckily, you can incorporate most of them into your video marketing strategy for even better results.

If you’re ready to take your video marketing strategy to the next level, check our Marketing Trends and Social Media Trends research from earlier this year!

Just getting started with video? You can also download our free Video Marketing Starter Pack below.

In 2021, marketers that used influencer marketing said the trend resulted in the highest ROI. In fact, marketers have seen such success from influencer marketing that 86% plan to continue investing the same amount or increase their investments in the trend in 2022. 

But, if you’ve never used an influencer before, the task can seem daunting — who’s truly the best advocate for your brand?

Here, we’ve cultivated a list of the most popular influencers in every industry — just click on one of the links below and take a look at the top influencers that can help you take your business to the next level: 

• Top Food Influencers on Instagram
• Top Travel Influencers on Instagram
• Top Fashion & Style Influencers on Instagram
• Top Photography Influencers on Instagram
• Top Lifestyle Influencers on Instagram
• Top Design Influencers on Instagram
• Top Beauty Influencers on Instagram
• Top Sport & Fitness Influencers on Instagram
• Top Influencers on Instagram

Top Food Influencers on Instagram

1. Jamie Oliver (9.1M followers)
2. ladyironchef (620k followers)
3. Megan Gilmore (188k followers)
4. Ashrod (104k followers)
5. David Chang (1.7M followers)
6. Ida Frosk (299k followers)
7. Lindsey Silverman Love (101k followers)
8. Nick N. (60.5k followers)
9. Molly Tavoletti (50.1k followers)
10. Russ Crandall (39.1k followers)
11. Dennis the Prescott (616k followers)
12. The Pasta Queen (1.5M followers)
13. Thalia Ho (121k followers)
14. Molly Yeh (810k followers)
15. C.R Tan (59.4k followers)
16. Michaela Vais (1.2M followers)
17. Nicole Cogan (212k followers)
18. Minimalist Baker (2.1M followers)
19. Yumna Jawad (3.4M followers)

Top Travel Influencers on Instagram

1. Annette White (100k followers)
2. Matthew Karsten (140k followers)
3. The Points Guy (668k followers)
4. The Blonde Abroad (520k followers)
5. Eric Stoen (330k followers)
6. Kate McCulley (99k followers)
7. The Planet D (203k followers)
8. Andrew Evans (59.9k followers)
9. Jack Morris (2.6M followers)
10. Lauren Bullen (2.1M followers)
11. The Bucket List Family (2.6M followers)
12. Fat Girls Traveling (55K followers)
13. Tara Milk Tea (1.3M followers)

Top Fashion & Style Influencers on Instagram

1. Alexa Chung (5.2M followers)
2. Julia Berolzheimer (1.3M followers)
3. Johnny Cirillo (719K followers)
4. Chiara Ferragni (27.2M followers)
5. Jenn Im (1.7M followers)
6. Ada Oguntodu (65.1k followers)
7. Emma Hill (826k followers)
8. Gregory DelliCarpini Jr. (141k followers)
9. Nicolette Mason (216k followers)
10. Majawyh (382k followers)
11. Garance Doré (693k followers)
12. Ines de la Fressange (477k followers)
13. Madelynn Furlong (202k followers)
14. Giovanna Engelbert (1.4M followers)
15. Mariano Di Vaio (6.8M followers)
16. Aimee Song (6.5M followers)
17. Danielle Bernstein (2.9M followers)
18. Gabi Gregg (910k followers)

Top Photography Influencers on Instagram

1. Benjamin Lowy (218k followers)
2. Michael Yamashita (1.8M followers)
3. Stacy Kranitz (101k followers)
4. Jimmy Chin (3.2M followers)
5. Gueorgui Pinkhassov (161k followers)
6. Dustin Giallanza (5.2k followers)
7. Lindsey Childs (31.4k followers)
8. Edith W. Young (24.9k followers)
9. Alyssa Rose (9.6k followers)
10. Donjay (106k followers)
11. Jeff Rose (80.1k followers)
12. Pei Ketron (728k followers)
13. Paul Nicklen (7.3M followers)
14. Jack Harries (1.3M followers)
15. İlhan Eroğlu (852k followers)

Top Lifestyle Influencers on Instagram

1. Jannid Olsson Delér (1.2 million followers)
2. Oliver Proudlock (691k followers)
3. Jeremy Jacobowitz (434k followers)
4. Jay Caesar (327k followers)
5. Jessie Chanes (329k followers)
6. Laura Noltemeyer (251k followers)
7. Adorian Deck (44.9k followers)
8. Hind Deer (547k followers)
9. Gloria Morales (146k followers)
10. Kennedy Cymone (1.6M followers)
11. Sydney Leroux Dwyer (1.1M followers)
12. Joanna Stevens Gaines (13.6M followers)
13. Lilly Singh (11.6M followers)
14. Rosanna Pansino (4.4M followers)

Top Design Influencers on Instagram

1. Marie Kondo (4M followers)
2. Ashley Stark Kenner (1.2M followers)
3. Casa Chicks (275k followers)
4. Paulina Jamborowicz (195k followers)
5. Kasia Będzińska (218k followers)
6. Jenni Kayne (500k followers)
7. Will Taylor (344k followers)
8. Studio McGee (3.3M followers)
9. Mandi Gubler (207k followers)
10. Natalie Myers (51.6k followers)
11. Grace Bonney (840k followers)
12. Saudah Saleem (25.3k followers)
13. Niña Williams (196k followers)

Top Beauty Influencers on Instagram

1. Michelle Phan (1.9M followers)
2. Shaaanxo (1.3M followers)
3. Jeffree Star (13.7M followers)
4. Kandee Johnson (2M followers)
5. Manny Gutierrez (4M followers)
6. Naomi Giannopoulos (6.2M followers)
7. Samantha Ravndahl (2.1M followers)
8. Huda Kattan (50.5M followers)
9. Wayne Goss (703k followers)
10. Zoe Sugg (9.3M followers)
11. James Charles (22.9M followers)
12. Shayla Mitchell (2.9M followers)

Top Sport & Fitness Influencers on Instagram

1. Massy Arias (2.7M followers)
2. Eddie Hall (3.3M followers)
3. Ty Haney (92.6k followers)
4. Hannah Bronfman (893k followers)
5. Kenneth Gallarzo (331k followers)
6. Elisabeth Akinwale (113k followers)
7. Laura Large (75k followers)
8. Akin Akman (82.3k followers)
9. Sjana Elise Earp (1.4M followers)
10. Cassey Ho (2.3M followers)
11. Kayla Itsines (14.5M followers)
12. Jen Selter (13.4M followers)
13. Simeon Panda (8.1M followers)
    
    

1. Jamie Oliver

Jamie Oliver, a world-renowned chef and restaurateur, is Instagram famous for his approachable and delicious-looking cuisine. His page reflects a mix of food pictures, recipes, and photos of his family and personal life. His love of beautiful food and teaching others to cook is clearly evident, which must be one of the many reasons why he has nearly seven million followers.

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2. David Chang 

Celebrity chef David Chang is best known for his world-famous restaurants and big personality. Chang was a judge on Top Chef and created his own Netflix show called Ugly Delicious, both of which elevated his popularity and likely led to his huge followership on Instagram. Most of his feed is filled with food videos that will make you drool.

3. Jack Morris and Lauren Bullen

Travel bloggers Jack Morris (@jackmorris) and Lauren Bullen (@gypsea_lust)
have dream jobs -- the couple travels to some of the most beautiful places around the world and documents their trips on Instagram. They have developed a unique and recognizable Instagram aesthetic that their combined 4.8 million Instagram followers love, using the same few filters and posting the most striking travel destinations.

4. The Bucket List Family

The Gee family, better known as the Bucket List Family, travel around the world with their three kids and post videos and images of their trips to YouTube and Instagram. They are constantly sharing pictures and stories of their adventures in exotic places. This nomad lifestyle is enjoyed by their 2.6 million followers.

5. Chiara Ferragni

Chiara Ferragni is an Italian fashion influencer who started her blog The Blonde Salad to share tips, photos, and clothing lines. Ferragni has been recognized as one of the most influential people of her generation, listed on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and the Bloglovin’ Award Blogger of the Year.

6. Alexa Chung

Model and fashion designer Alexa Chung is Instagram famous for her elegant yet charming style and photos. After her modeling career, she collaborated with many brands like Mulberry and Madewell to create her own collection, making a name for herself in the fashion world. Today, she shares artistic yet fun photos with her 5.2 million Instagram followers.

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7. Jimmy Chin

Jimmy Chin is an award-winning professional photographer who captures high-intensity shots of climbing expeditions and natural panoramas. He has won multiple awards for his work, and his 3.2 million Instagram followers recognize him for his talent.

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8. Jannid Olsson Delér

Jannid Olsson Delér is a lifestyle and fashion blogger that gathered a huge social media following for her photos of outfits, vacations, and her overall aspirational life. Her 1.2 million followers look to her for travel and fashion inspirations.

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9. Grace Bonney

Design*Sponge is a design blog authored by Grace Bonney, an influencer recognized by the New York Times, Forbes, and other major publications for her impact on the creative community. Her Instagram posts reflect her elegant yet approachable creative advice, and nearly a million users follow her account for her bright and charismatic feed.

10. Huda Kattan

Huda Kattan took the beauty world by storm -- her Instagram began with makeup tutorials and reviews and turned into a cosmetics empire. Huda now has 1.3 million Instagram followers and a company valued at $1.2 billion. Her homepage is filled with makeup videos and snaps of her luxury lifestyle.

11. Zoe Sugg

Zoe Sugg runs a fashion, beauty, and lifestyle blog and has nearly 10 million followers on Instagram. She also has an incredibly successful YouTube channel and has written best-selling books on the experience of viral bloggers. Her feed consists mostly of food, her pug, selfies, and trendy outfits.

12. Sjana Elise Earp

Sjana Elise Earp is  a lifestyle influencer who keeps her Instagram feed full of beautiful photos of her travels. She actively promotes yoga and healthy living to her 1.4 million followers, becoming an advocate for an exercise program called SWEAT.

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13. Massy Arias

Personal trainer Massy Arias is known for her fitness videos and healthy lifestyle. Her feed aims to inspire her 2.6 million followers to keep training and never give up on their health. Arias has capitalized on fitness trends on Instagram and proven to both herself and her followers that exercise can improve all areas of your life. 

 

Both B2B and B2C brands recognize the power of video marketing. In fact, HubSpot Blog Research found that 88% of brands surveyed have a team dedicated to creating video content.

But how do B2B and B2C brands differ as it relates to strategy, goals, and performance? We surveyed 550 global marketers to find out. Read on to learn about the key trends we discovered.

B2C and B2B brands balance creating content in-house with relying on outside agencies.

We asked 500+ global video marketers, "Does the primary company you do video marketing for creating content in-house, through an outside agency, or both?"

37% said in-house, 14% said an outside agency while 49% said both. When breaking it down between B2C and B2B brands, there was only a 1% to 3% difference.

Although there is an argument to be made for both cases, 33% of marketers (both B2B and B2C) surveyed say the ROI is the same in both cases.

However, when asked about the quality of the videos, more B2B brands believed creating video content through an outside agency resulted in better marketing videos.

Meanwhile, 59% of B2C brands believe creating marketing videos in-house is faster and more efficient, compared to only 48% of B2B marketers.

75% of B2C brands also believe marketing videos created through an outside agency are higher quality and more professional, an 18% increase from B2B brands.

Pro-tip: If you want to create high-quality videos in-house, consider tools like Vidyard, Vimeo, and Wistia. They can help you produce and measure high-impact videos that convert.

B2C brands focus on brand awareness while B2C brands advertise products.

When asked "What are the primary goals of your company's video marketing strategy?" B2C brands focused on increasing brand awareness/reaching new audiences while B2B brands prioritized advertising their products/services.

Where we saw the biggest gap in strategy is in:

• Growing an online community – Only 15% of B2C marketers listed this as a primary goal compared to 25% of B2B marketers.
• Fostering a relationship with customers – This is a priority for 22% of B2C marketers compared to only 13% of B2B marketers.
• Establishing thought leadership – 15% of B2B marketers consider this a primary goal compared to only 9% of B2C marketers.

B2C brands tend to spend more on video.

Although B2B and B2B brands follow the same strategy when it comes to equipment (69% own their equipment instead of renting), B2C brands have allocated more.

When looking at quarterly video marketing budgets, 24% of B2C brands spend between $100K to over $1M compared to 19% of B2B brands.

The same is true when you look at the average cost per video. 29% of B2C brands will spend over $30K compared to 20% of B2B brands.

B2B brands publish more videos than B2C brands.

According to HubSpot Blog Research, most B2B brands (33% surveyed) publish five to seven videos a month while most B2B brands (32%) put out two to four.

This could be because 33% of B2C marketers note a lack of content ideas as the biggest challenge they face when creating video content, 11% more than B2B brands.

When analyzing the average publishing cadence across both aisles, here’s the breakdown.

• Two to four videos (31%)
• Five to seven videos (26%)
• Eight to ten videos (22%)

One interesting piece of data though is that when you look at brands that publish between eight to 30+ videos a month, B2C marketers outpace B2B by 8%.

While B2B brands tend to publish more generally, when you dig into brands with a higher publishing cadence, B2C brands post more.

B2C brands report more success with short-form videos.

We asked marketers, "Which video format has the biggest ROI?" 39% said short-form videos, such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. So, both B2B and B2C brands have a lot of success with this content format.

However, there’s an 11% gap to note – 44% of B2C brands reported the biggest ROI with this format compared to only 33% of B2B brands.

In addition, our research found that more B2C brands report that short-form video:

• Is the most effective for generating leads, 8% more than B2B brands.
• Gets the most engagement, 14% more than B2B brands.
• Generates a high (81-100%) watch time percentage, 8% more than B2B brands.
• Gets a high (over 10%) clickthrough rate, 7% more than B2B brands.

There you have it – whether you’re a B2B or B2C brand, video marketing is an essential part of any marketing strategy.

According to 2022 HubSpot Blog Research, 31% of video marketers surveyed say their biggest challenge is having an inadequate budget to create video content.

In this article, we’ll cover what it costs to run a video marketing campaign and what brands are investing in the most this year.

How much are marketers spending on video marketing?

This year, we wanted to learn more about how marketers approach video marketing, including the strategies they leverage, the returns they get, and the amount they invest.

We surveyed over 500+ global marketers and here’s what we discovered.

Firstly, the data suggests that video marketing is a top content format for brands – with 31% of marketers surveyed allocating 21 to 40% of their total marketing budget to video.

Another 30% allocate 41 to 60% of their total budget to video marketing.

Video is so important that 52% of marketers say their budget increased in 2022. However, the increase is more present in B2B brands.

Now, when it comes to quarterly budgets, here’s the breakdown:

• Many brands have a conservative budget with 15% of respondents allocating only $1K and $10K.
• 11% of marketers surveyed budget $10K and 20K.
• The most popular budget bracket is between $20K and $60K, followed by 26% of marketers surveyed.
• On the higher end, 16% of marketers surveyed say they allocate $80K to 100K while 20% invest between $100K and $200K.
• Only a small percentage of companies surveyed (10%) budget over $200K.

Now that you know how much marketers are investing in video marketing, let’s break down how they’re spending it.

What are video marketers spending their budget on?

When asked, “Which part of the video creation process is most expensive?” 65% of marketers surveyed answered production.

Production is the process of filming your content and setting up the equipment needed to capture the footage, such as lighting, audio, and props.

According to marketers surveyed, production takes up 24% of the average video marketer’s budget.

Pre-production (ideation, scripting, casting) and post-production (editing and exporting) are tied as the second-highest cost. Then it’s tied again between the cost of video production and distribution and on-camera talent.

On average, 91% of marketers surveyed say they spend under $50,000 to create a marketing video.

Most (53%) say they spend under $10,000 and 16% spend under $1,000. Only a small percentage of respondents say they spend over $100K.

Video Marketing Techniques to Use on a Budget

1. Weigh your options.

According to our video marketing data, 69% of video marketers surveyed own production equipment while 10 percent rent, and the remaining group does both.

There’s an argument to be made for both.

On one end, creating videos in-house can be cheaper. However, outside agencies can provide higher-quality content.

In fact, most smaller brands (those with 200 employees or less) believe creating video content through an outside agency offers a better ROI than doing so in-house.

However, across all business sizes, roughly a third of respondents say the ROI is about the same either way.

With that said, it’s important to weigh your options and assess when and what you should rent versus own.

Upon first look, it might seem like renting is the smarter (and more affordable) option. However, most marketers surveyed (58%) say creating content in-house is cheaper.

To make this decision, consider the type of content you’ll be producing and the equipment you’ll need.

This is key in determining what is more cost-efficient.

If you’re a makeup brand for instance, you can probably produce great content sitting in front of a camera simply showcasing your products in action with good lighting. However, if you’re a travel and hospitality brand, you’ll likely need props, on-camera talent, location, and many more elements to fulfill your vision. In this case, it may be cheaper to outsource.

2. Separate need-to-haves from must-haves.

When it comes to video equipment, there will always be bigger and better out there.

If there’s one area you should focus on, it’s lighting.

Many believe that having the best camera does the trick but the truth is, lighting is what makes or breaks the quality of a video.

Lighting sets the tone and mood of a video, two elements you need to maintain your audience’s attention in a video.

Sound is another area to splurge on – specifically your mics. This will enhance the quality of your video, especially if you have to settle for low-end cameras.

As for everything else, (the camera, the lens, the accessories), these are great add-ons but if you’re on a budget, you can make do with low to mid-range options while still getting a high-quality result.

3. Leverage user-generated content.

According to HubSpot Blog Research, the number one challenge video marketers face is a lack of time to create video content.

Well, who said you had to create your content from scratch? You’re likely sitting on a pile of content from your customers right now.

If you have a strong social media presence, you likely have a bank of user-generated content ranging from images to videos and text. You can leverage all of these for campaigns and use them to supplement your own content.

For instance, ahead of the official Fenty Beauty perfume launch, its founder and musician Rihanna posted what seemed to be an ad.

It was a video compilation of various celebrities and influencers mentioning how good she smells – “like heaven” was a phrase heard multiple times.

just sayin’ 🤷🏿‍♀️… pic.twitter.com/EmC4ysMdjR

— Rihanna (@rihanna) August 10, 2021

Without ever having to produce their own video, the brand leveraged UGC to build anticipation surrounding this launch.

4. Hire student and amateur talent.

When it comes to on-camera talent, this is where brands often struggle to think of alternatives.

They usually opt for an in-house creator just to save money, even though their role may not focus on this area at all. Or they contract talent, which can be costly.

Here’s a third option: Reach out to students and amateur actors.

In some cases, money isn’t the main motivator. It can often be exposure, gaining experience, or building up a portfolio. However, paid opportunities will always generate more interest and can get you more experienced talent.

5. Use free editing software.

When you think of video editing, the first thing that comes to mind is probably Adobe.

It’s the go-to software for production professionals. However, it’s complex and isn’t affordable. If you own an Apple device like the Macbook or iPad, you will have free video editing software already available.

While it doesn’t have as many features and offers limited functionality, it works well for simple editing and you can always find workarounds on platforms like YouTube.

Some free editing software comes with free music or you can find online websites that offer royalty-free music.

If you’re intimidated by the idea of video marketing because you think you don’t have the funds, hopefully, these five techniques will change your mind.

Video marketing is an important part of content creation and can drive sales so don’t let money prevent you from staying in the game.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in March 2016 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

TikTok has proven to be an incredibly powerful tool for businesses. In fact, the platform generated an estimated 1.9 billion in revenue in 2020 alone.

And the popularity of the app is due to its creators. Which makes TikTok's new advertising solution — which is solely focused on crowdsourcing the best content from its creators — an incredible opportunity for brands.

Here, let's dive into what Branded Mission is, and how you can use it to boost your brand awareness and sales.

What is Branded Mission?

Branded Mission is TikTok's new advertising solution, and the idea is pretty simple: Branded Mission enables brands to select their advertising requirements, and then creators can submit original videos that meet those requirements. The brand then accepts their favorite video, and amplifies it through boosted ad traffic.

It's a win-win: Creators have the opportunity to reach new audiences with boosted content, and brands can leverage high-quality content that aligns with their goals straight from the TikTok community.

As TikTok's Newsroom states: "This new form of two-way engagement between brands and creators enables the TikTok community to have a creative hand in the ads that are a part of a brand campaign and helps brands discover emerging creators broadly across TikTok."

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Essentially, Branded Mission creates easier opportunities for brands to work with TikTok influencers. Rather than sourcing and conducting the influencer outreach themselves, marketers can simply post their requests and wait for creators to pitch their suggestions.

Among other things, major benefits of Branded Mission include:

• The chance for brands to discover new and influential creators on TikTok — and the ones most aligned with their brand messaging.
• An opportunity for brands to receive authentic, relevant content related to their campaigns from creators who have a proven track record of success on TikTok.
• Increased brand exposure to new communities by crowdsourcing from the TikTok ecosystem.

As ASOS' team puts it, "We were blown away by the the creators' incredible transformations for the #ASOSAlterEgo challenge. The Branded Mission allowed us to recognize this talent and reward creators with eyes on their content in a way that hasn't been possible in this space before. A win-win which clearly impacted the campaign's results."

How to Use TikTok's Branded Mission Tool

It's important to note: Branded Mission is in beta testing and available to select brands and marketers across more than a dozen markets around the world, but will become available in additional markets starting in late 2022.

1. Advertisers select requirements for a Branded Mission.

For starters, advertisers will need to check off the requirements for their Branded Mission. This includes pairing the Branded Mission with a Branded Hashtag Challenge or Branded Effect, as well as other more specific requests like "lip sync with music" or "change your outfit".

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2. Creators can accept by submitting videos.

A creator must be over 18-years-old and have a minimum of 1,000 followers to be eligible. Each eligible creator can submit up to three videos.

3. The top-performing videos will be included in a shortlist for advertisers to select their favorite.

TikTok's algorithm will highlight the videos with the highest engagement potential — that are also deemed brand-safe — and those videos will be added to a shortlist for advertisers to select from.

4. The winning video becomes a media campaign.

Once the advertisers have chosen their favorite video, the video becomes a media campaign and is featured as an in-feed advertisement. The creator(s) whose video is selected receives a cash payout and boosted traffic. The rest of the creators will see their submissions as organic TikTok videos in the For You page.

Ultimately, Branded Mission is an exciting opportunity for brands to discover top-talent on TikTok and leverage creators' expertise to reach new audiences. But time will tell how brands leverage the tool.

If you're unsure whether TikTok advertising is for you, take a look at TikTok Ads Guide: How They Work + Cost and Review Process [+ Examples].

As the second-largest search engine, with over 2 billion users per month, YouTube is an undeniably powerful channel for your marketing efforts. Despite its popularity, many business startup owners opt to use Facebook over YouTube as their channel, especially for uploading video content.

This is a mistake. YouTube is a powerful search engine that can help your business reach more people. Its strategy relies on optimizing videos to increase the chances of discoverability.

One of the most important tactics for optimizing your YouTube channel is to create engaging YouTube descriptions.

A YouTube channel description is similar to the About Page of a website. It appears under the "About" tab of your channel's YouTube page.

The YouTube channel description conveys to potential viewers what your content will cover, including the issues you tackle and the communities you serve. The goal is to turn a one-time viewer into a subscriber and consumer of your content. You'll be able to add this when setting up your YouTube channel.

As a YouTube creator, your primary goal is to attract viewers and turn them into subscribers, often using your channel description. With that in mind, be sure to use keywords that your intended audience would use to search for your content.

YouTube Video Descriptions

Every YouTube video includes a description that can be found under the viewport of the video.

Additionally, every video needs a unique description to increase the likelihood of your video being found when someone is searching for a particular topic.

A YouTube content creator’s video description attracts and converts an audience. Therefore, it’s crucial that you optimize your video descriptions for SEO.

If you're unsure how to start crafting compelling YouTube descriptions, keep reading. We'll explore various tactics you can employ and provide templates to ensure you have everything you need to excel on YouTube.

1. Use YouTube description templates. [Free Prompts]

HubSpot compiled seven YouTube video description templates to help your business provide context to your viewers, rank better in search, organize your team, and link to relevant web pages on your site.

Download These Templates for Free

2. Explain your content.

To explore the best tactics for writing YouTube descriptions, I spoke with Eric Peters, a Senior Growth Product Manager on HubSpot's Academy team. He said, "[YouTube descriptions] are one of the primary ways YouTube knows what your video is about. Include links, additional resources, links to other videos and playlists, etc. Make sure the description box is easy to read."

Peters explained that your YouTube video description and closed captioning should incorporate keywords into your description. It also helps with accessibility for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Hence, adding closed captioning to your videos is an absolute must for accessibility.

For instance, take a look at one of HubSpot Academy's YouTube video descriptions:

A YouTube description differs from a web page meta description. In a YouTube description, content creators explain what your entire video is about and even link to external resources.

Peters told me, "You get 5,000 characters total, so make use of it. YouTube creators use asterisks or all-caps to differentiate titles from body copy because it's all plain text. Consider writing up a text version of the key points from the video, or even copying the transcription of the video and paste it into the description."

3. Include a call-to-action (CTA).

Your YouTube description is a fantastic opportunity to ask viewers to continue to engage with your channel or find additional resources that will help them learn more about a topic of interest.

For instance, let's say you create a brief "How to Add Filters to Instagram" YouTube video, but you also have an in-depth "How to Use Instagram for Marketing" blog post. Why not link it in the description? Most likely, anyone watching your Instagram video on YouTube would be equally grateful for the opportunity to learn more through a blog post.

Perhaps you simply want to ask viewers to subscribe, turn on notifications, or share your content with their networks. These are all acceptable CTA's for your description.

You must format your description to ensure you put the most important information first. Peters advises, "The first 200 characters are above the 'more' fold on the description box, so if you want your CTA/link to be seen by most people, keep it within the first 200 characters."

After the first 200 characters, your text will be cut off, and viewers will need to click "Show more" to see the rest. Therefore, you must make your first 200 characters count.

4. Add your personality.

A YouTube description should be fun and demonstrate your brand's personality with a unique voice. Unlike traditional forms of advertising, this is an opportunity for you to instill creativity and humor into your content.

Brian Dean's YouTube channel is a great example of this. His YouTube descriptions often mirror the way he speaks. The descriptions are candid and casual, and he makes it feel like he's writing to a friend.

To learn more about using YouTube for marketing purposes, consider checking out HubSpot Academy's comprehensive YouTube Marketing course.

5. Use timestamps to make videos scannable.

Including timestamps in your video description can make your video more user-friendly and help your content rank well on search engines.

YouTube video timestamps appear within search results, improving user retention by directing users to the most relevant portions of videos from SERPs.

Users can search for keywords that appear in your video’s description and click on a thumbnail on the SERP to view the portion of your video that answers their search query.

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YouTube Channel Descriptions

Every YouTube channel description should allude to a specific niche or central theme. You want to tell your audience what they will learn from your channel. This will give them a reason to tune in to your channel, subscribe to it, and continue learning from you and your videos. Additionally, when you add your niche to your YouTube description, your audience can more easily find you in a sea of potentially similar creators.

YouTube Channel Description Examples

1. Wes McDowell

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Wes McDowell’s YouTube channel targets viewers in the digital marketing niche. The channel description mentions the channel’s mission: teaching small businesses owners digital marketing strategies they can use to grow their businesses. The description also lists topics the channel will feature in its videos, invites viewers to subscribe, and describes the benefits of subscribing to the channel.

Why We Love It

This YouTube channel description is clear and direct. It details what viewers will get when they come to the channel. This description also describes the marketing strategies and techniques viewers will learn. Clarity goes a long way to make a channel easily searchable and rankable on YouTube.

2. Yoga With Adriene

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Yoga With Adriene’s YouTube channel description highlights one of the channel’s main values: inclusion. The channel description mentions that everyone is invited to participate and learn more about yoga through her videos, regardless of their skill level. The description also recommends videos that beginners can watch to become familiar with the content.

Why We Love It

This channel description is an excellent example of how a company’s mission can be useful for video content. The description gives subscribers a glimpse into Yoga with Adriene’s values, creating a connection with the viewer. This angle is helpful for ranking on YouTube because it’s aligned with morals and values that subscribers can easily identify with.

3. Wild Wonderful Off-Grid

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Wild Wonderful Off-Grid’s YouTube channel description positions the channel within a niche by using the keywords “off-grid,” “self-reliant,” and “building our own home” to appeal to viewers who are interested in living off-the-grid. The description also invites viewers to visit their online store and social media profiles.

Why We Love It

This YouTube channel description establishes a niche, describes the channel’s content, provides background information about the creators, and encourages subscribers and viewers to participate further in their brand. The description also directs their audience to other aspects of their business, such as their store and social media platforms, which fosters value for their subscribers.

4. The Pals

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The Pals’ YouTube channel description introduces the channel’s creators, lists the video games the channel will highlight, and provides each creator’s personal YouTube channel and Roblox username.

Why We Love It

This YouTube channel description focuses on the entertainment the channel provides. The description targets subscribers looking for gaming knowledge and mentions the creators’ personal journeys to set the channel apart from others in the same niche and genre.

5. Florian Gadsby

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Florian Gadsby’s YouTube channel description introduces the channel’s creator and lists the topics that viewers can expect to see when they subscribe. It also links to the creator’s social media and newsletter, and provides information about the creator’s online store, including its restocking schedule.

Why We Love It

This YouTube channel description takes a personal approach to the channel’s subject matter. The description gives visitors clarity about the channel’s content and artistic focus. It also encourages viewers to interact with the creator on their social media platforms to learn more about them and view more of their content.

6. SciShow

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SciShow’s YouTube channel description introduces the channel’s creators and hints at the topics that viewers can expect to see every week. The description also outlines the channel’s posting schedule and mentions other YouTube channels associated with the brand.

Why We Love It

This YouTube channel description tells its viewers when they will see uploads. This is a good strategy to ensure users visit the channel right at the time when they’re expecting to see new content. If views go up on a page, the YouTube algorithm is more likely to boost your channel to a wider audience.

7. Unbox Therapy

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Unbox Therapy’s YouTube channel description states the channel’s tagline, gives an overview of the channel’s content, and provides a contact email for business inquiries.

Why We Love It

This simple channel description piques viewers’ interest with a captivating tagline and a straightforward explanation of the channel’s content. It also includes an email that allows viewers to contact the creators to inquire about the business and ask professional questions about the channel.

YouTube Channel Description Templates

Now that we've covered the basics, take a look at a few templates you can use to craft a compelling YouTube description.

1. Be clear and concise.

You might create a playful, easy-going channel 'About Me' description, like this one:

Hi, I'm [Name]. This is my channel about increasing your sales, effectively targeting your audience, and growing an email list that you can use to grow your business.

If you're a marketer who wants to learn marketing strategies to get [result, i.e., more traffic to your site], subscribe to my channel.

My channel publishes videos that focus on storytelling content that connects X, shows you how to infuse your authenticity in your brand, and gives you a marketing strategy that feels organic. If that sounds like it could be helpful for you, please join me!

2. Connect with subscribers.

Alternatively, you can craft a YouTube description that describes what your company does from a third-person point of view, like this one:

[Company] is the worldwide leader in X, Y, and Z. Since [year], [Company] has been on a mission to [insert company vision or purpose here].

To learn more about [Company], its values, and its [company offering], subscribe to our channel to stay informed.

3. Create a niche.

When you write your YouTube channel description, you’ll want to use keywords that define and represent your channel’s niche. Incorporating niche keywords in your channel description helps viewers identify your niche and what content you produce.

[Name] and [Name] have nuanced discussions about dating, their lifestyle, and relationships. They discuss current topics that affect modern dating and how to maneuver relationship patterns. You can purchase [Name] and [Name]’s [product] to learn more about improving your knowledge of relationships.

4. Show your journey.

You may want to create a channel description that asks viewers to join you on a journey that you document on your YouTube channel. For instance, if your YouTube channel focuses on streaming video game content, you may invite your subscribers to watch you as you attempt to win the game. Therefore, mentioning a goal for your channel can help you gain new subscribers eager to come along for the ride as you pursue a goal.

This channel gives everything you need to know about gaming, including the latest equipment reviews, new game reviews, and once-a-week live streams. Watch as I, [name], try to beat my high score in the latest release of [insert game name here].

5. Be more personal.

An effective channel uses a lot of personal touches with its viewers to gain subscribers because the content is authentic and offers emotional appeal. This type of description implies that you want to create a sense of community with your channel.

This is a personal journey of how I became a painter. Learn about what paints I purchase, the tools I use, and the techniques I learned during school. Art is my passion, and I express my love for [insert passion] through it.

6. Create anticipation for new content.

A content creator needs to build excitement for the next video — a sense of urgency and anticipation for their audience. A YouTuber can create giveaways, conduct polls, and invite special guests to participate in the videos to maintain the channel’s success.

This channel gives pop culture commentary through a [political ideology] political lens. We make commentary on books and current events. We also upload a new video every Wednesday and Friday.

YouTube Video Descriptions

A helpful video description can spike your audience’s interest and result in longer watch times, better view counts, and even new subscribers. Plus, it can help with YouTube SEO, allowing YouTube’s algorithm to understand your content and suggest it to new users, further boosting your YouTube metrics.

YouTube Video Description Examples

1. “5 Best Coding Languages for Beginners 2021” by nicole . young

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The description of nicole . young’s YouTube video, “5 Best Coding Languages for Beginners 2021,” hooks the viewer by posing a question that will be answered in the video. The video description also includes a benefit that the viewer will gain from watching the video.

Why We Love It

In this video description, the creator summarizes the video’s title and specifies the target audience. The text will help audiences (and YouTube) understand the video’s content. This creator understands that the channel description is prime real estate for contact information, social media handles, and calls to action, persuading viewers to stick around.

“How to Write Counterpoint - Music Composition” by Music Matters

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The description of Music Matters’s YouTube video, “How to Write Counterpoint - Music Composition,” uses keywords such as “writing counterpoint,” “music composition lesson,” and “understanding counterpoint” to appeal to audiences that are interested in learning the music composition technique. The description also includes timestamps that viewers can use to skip to the portion of the video that addresses the specific topic they want to learn about.

Why We Love It

This YouTube video description uses keywords to appeal to a niche audience. The specificity makes it easily searchable on YouTube. Using keywords to make each video search-friendly will drive traffic to your video’s specific content.

“How to Create a 90 Day Plan for your Business (+ Free Workbook)” by Anna Clark

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The description of Anna Clark’s YouTube video, “How to Create a 90 Day Plan for your Business (+ Free Workbook),” includes links to the creator’s website, courses, newsletter, and social media accounts, and a workbook that viewers can download and complete as they watch the video.

Why We Love It

It’s good to involve your viewers in other aspects of your business. The interaction and engagement you earn will help you rank against other active channels. Directing your viewers to other resources for your business will also help your YouTube channel drive traffic to your website, increasing your authority in your business niche.

“How To Create An Email Sales Funnel” by Wishpond

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The description of Wishpond’s YouTube video, “How To Create An Email Sales Funnel,” hooks the viewer by stating that the video is the fourth installment in a series and linking to the previous video. The video description also includes an incentive for viewers to learn more about the company.

Why We Love It

This description segments the video as a section of a larger series. If subscribers learn that you provide similar content on your channel, they will be more inclined to watch your other videos. The description also lets viewers know there’s a free demo of the service. If you sell other products or services in your business, be sure to link them in the description.

“How to Outline Your Novel - Part 2” by Writing with Jenna Moreci

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The description of Writing with Jenna Moreci’s YouTube video, “How to Outline Your Novel - Part 2,” hooks the viewer by stating that the video is the second installment in a series and linking to the previous video. The video description also includes an incentive for viewers to learn more about the creator’s products.

Why We Love It

This video description is great because it lets viewers know what’s coming next. Inserting a “new segment” in your YouTube series allows viewers to anticipate your next video.

“Microgreens Growing: Materials and Beginner's Guide” by Epic Gardening

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The description of Epic Gardening’s YouTube video, “Microgreens Growing: Materials and Beginner's Guide,” invites novice gardeners to learn about growing microgreens. The video description tells viewers about the creator’s past experience with microgreens, lists the supplies that the creator mentions in the video, and lists ways that viewers can support the creator beyond watching their video.

Why We Love It

The creator provides a list of products used in the video. The viewers can conduct further research into the products or purchase them immediately through the links.

“Budgeting for Beginners - How to Make a Budget From Scratch 2021” by Debt Free Millennials

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Debt Free Millennials’ YouTube video, “Budgeting for Beginners - How to Make a Budget From Scratch 2021,” teaches viewers to create a budget. The description gives viewers an overview of the topics covered in the video and invites them to sign up for products and services through affiliated links. It also includes links to the creator’s Instagram, Facebook group, and website so that viewers can connect with the creator through different social platforms.

Why We Love It

The creator has created a sense of community and togetherness. If you include your social media links in your YouTube video description, subscribers will follow you on multiple platforms to remain engaged with your content. The content creator invites them to return for new videos and share their own experiences on social media.

YouTube Video Description Templates

A YouTube video description is descriptive text that includes but is not limited to keywords, themes, and special concepts/guests that the content creator wants their viewers to know. The YouTube video description increases visibility through SEO, views, and subscriptions. In each video description, the content creator will encourage their viewers to “Like,” “Share,” and “Subscribe” to their content. An effective video description will be persuasive and informative, and prompt the audience to tune in regularly.

1. Make it search-friendly.

We have all done it: Having parts of an idea and hoping Google will fill in the blanks by completing the search with the rest of our thought. As a content creator, you need to own each of the video’s related tags, including misspellings, to help refine the content under your channel. The YouTube videos need to be centered around keywords, maximizing your SEO for Google and YouTube searches.

Listen to how our CEO explains the difference between X and Y, and learn best practices for implementing your own strategy.

Learn more about X and Y in our course: [course link].

2. Lead viewers to other resources.

You can use a YouTube channel description like this one to help new viewers connect with you on your other channels and social media platforms:

Hi there! New to [name of channel]? If so, here's what you need to know: I like [interests related to channel] a LOT, so I use this channel to explore X, Y, and Z, to help you [desired result for viewer].

Where else you can find me:

INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/[accountname]

TWITTER: http://twitter.com/[accountname]

LIFESTYLE CHANNEL: http://www.youtube.com/[accountname]

Join our growing community for new videos every Tuesday and Friday!

BUSINESS INQUIRIES

Please contact [PR representative] at [email or phone number].

3. Incorporate keywords.

YouTube increases visibility within keyword searches and relevant content. As a result, videos should have buzzwords in video and channel descriptions.

If you want to craft a description that explains what your video is about and incorporates a keyword description, try this:

Hey there! This lesson is part of a free online course. Take the full course here: www.company.com/course1.

Some people are unsure what X is — at its most basic, X is [brief definition of keyword]. In this video, you'll learn how to X, Y, and Z, to ensure you're able to grow your brand online.

In addition, we'll explain how you can avoid doing A. Sometimes, A is all it takes to lose a customer.

4. Tease a new initiative.

A new video is upcoming, and you need to send a teaser to your audience that will create buzz leading up to the release of the new content. A video teaser can be uploaded to YouTube Shorts to increase anticipation.

Join the “musical nerds” on a mission to improve our musical understanding. We upload every Wednesday and Thursday. We will have Q & A sessions to answer all of your beginner questions on Wednesdays, starting next week.

5. Be transparent.

Authenticity sells. Viewers know when you aren’t being transparent with them. YouTubers should be willing to build trust and engage within the community.

What’s up, guys? In this video, we’ll talk about an everyday makeup look you can do in 10 minutes. I’m not an early riser, but just like anyone, I still want to look good for the day. I’ll list the products I used in this video.

Please subscribe if you are feeling my vibe. I post content weekly, and you can always find me on Insta! I’ll drop my social media handles below.

**All opinions are my own. This video isn’t sponsored. I’m sent products for my consideration, and I earn a small percentage from sales through affiliated links. Clicking on affiliated links doesn’t cost you anything.**

6. Maintain engagement.

A video description contains keywords and time stamps for content created. It will help maintain engagement and show the chronological order of things, especially if viewers are looking for a particular video for a specific date. A strong YouTube description avoids clickbait to reel in users.

Hi, everyone! We're the Science Kidz! Today we are experimenting to find out which popcorn brand leaves behind the least number of kernels. Will it be Orville Redenbacher's or Act II?

Every week, we do a new experiment as part of our initiative to highlight STEM careers in Savannah, Georgia. If you have an experiment you want to see The Science Kidz try, leave a comment below. You never know — we could pick yours!

Follow me on Instagram for more experiment ideas, and tag us in some of the experiments you do with your friends!

7. Help viewership with paid sponsorships.

Content creators with paid sponsorships, or paid product placements in their videos, will influence brands and generate income for themselves. If “#ad” appears in your video description, you can bet mentioning the product or brand will prompt the audience to try it. Offering it at a discount price may also incentivize potential clients.

Hey, y’all! Today, we’ll be rebuilding a 454 Chevy Big Block motor. We’ll be adding 200 horses to bring the motor up to 680 horsepower. I hope y’all are ready to dive into business with Motor Boyz.

This episode is sponsored by Husky tools, and we’ll be using their latest impact and driver tools to rebuild the 454. We would like to thank Anderson Auto for donating the 1972 C10 to be our frame once the motor is rebuilt and completed.

Download these YouTube description templates, and help your video go viral.

These must-have YouTube video and channel description templates can help you reduce the time it takes to upload and optimize your YouTube videos, getting them out to your audience quickly and with less effort. Be sure to customize the text to enhance the reading experience because you want to be as helpful as possible for your audience.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in March 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Every marketing team is challenged to do more with less — especially nonprofit organizations. Often, resources are tight, and teams are small. Sound like your organization?

We want to help. That’s why we created this nonprofit marketing guide. Your organization might not operate for profit, but it can still get value from the traffic, funds, and awareness marketing brings in.

Bookmark this guide for later and use the chapter links below to jump around to sections of interest.

Inbound Marketing for Nonprofits

Your nonprofit organization likely takes up all of your time, and building a marketing plan might seem like an added responsibility that’s just not worth it.

We’re here to convince you otherwise. Inbound marketing is all about creating valuable experiences that positively impact people and your business.

Inbound marketing for nonprofits can help you attract new supporters for your cause, connect to valuable donors, engage your constituents, and inspire your community.

Boost your organization’s awareness and compel action. See firsthand how HubSpot can transform your nonprofit organization.

Here's how else nonprofit marketing can help.

Nonprofit marketing raises awareness.

Your nonprofit organization is a brand. Therefore you need to raise awareness just like any other business or company. Marketing raises awareness, and brand awareness spreads the word about your organization and your overall cause.

Nonprofit marketing raises funds.

Nonprofit marketing and nonprofit fundraising go hand-in-hand. The more people know about your organization, the more potential funding you can bring in.

Nonprofit marketing drives donor memberships and recurring donations.

Many nonprofit organizations offer donation memberships and monthly giving programs, like this one from charity: Water. These programs are valuable because your organization doesn’t have to fundraise so actively and often. Also, they can actually help you raise more money — the average monthly online donation is $52 ($624 per year) compared to the average one-time gift of $128.

Marketing your nonprofit gets your cause in front of fresh eyes and informs your donors about how they can consistently contribute.

Nonprofit marketing recruits volunteers.

Nonprofit marketing isn't just for funding. It also drives manpower (and woman-power!) to your organization. Regardless of industry or size, all nonprofits benefit from volunteers, and marketing your organization can help bring in new hands.

Moreover, volunteers are twice as likely to donate as non-volunteers.

Nonprofit marketing promotes your services.

Awareness, funding, and volunteers are integral to your nonprofit, but what about the purpose of your organization? What about the people, animals, or cause you're helping? Marketing can help with that, too.

The more people who know about your nonprofit organization, the more people you can help.

These are just a handful of reasons you should invest in your nonprofit's marketing strategy (particularly inbound marketing). Now, let's discuss how to build a nonprofit marketing plan so you can start bringing in new funds, volunteers, and constituents.

Nonprofit Marketing Plan Template

Download your free nonprofit marketing plan template.

Hubspot’s nonprofit marketing plan template can help you organize your nonprofit’s budget, team structure, and channels of choice to create your marketing strategy.

The nonprofit marketing plan template includes sections for developing your nonprofit’s summary, business initiatives, target market, marketing strategy, budget, marketing channels, and marketing technology.

Our nonprofit marketing plan template can help you:

• Complete a SWOT analysis for your organization.
• Develop a marketing strategy.
• Determine the industries and personas of your target donors.

Crafting a nonprofit marketing plan might not be too different from a for-profit marketing plan, but debatably, it's more important. Increasing awareness and constituent engagement without exhausting your hardworking team requires approaching your marketing systematically.

That's where a nonprofit marketing plan comes into play. Putting systems in place to produce and distribute your marketing content allows you to focus on operating and scaling your nonprofit.

Here's how to create a successful nonprofit marketing plan.

1. Define your marketing goals.

Your nonprofit marketing plan exists to transform your organization's mission and big-picture objectives into strategic, actionable goals.

For example, let's say one of your objectives was to protect the welfare of animals in your community (like one of my favorite local rescues, ALIVE Rescue). I'd ask you to brainstorm three to five marketing ideas to advance that objective.

Some ways you could use marketing to advance that objective include:

• Creating and publishing content that educates your community on the state of animal welfare.
• Posting on social media about your organization and the animals you have for adoption.
• Sending a weekly email newsletter sharing your content, adoptable animals, and volunteer needs.
• Hosting a quarterly event with educational resources, foster training, and adoption opportunities.

Next, I'd ask you to turn these ideas into SMART goals. Let's use idea number one as an example:

SMART Goal: By the start of next month, our blog will see a 15% boost in traffic by increasing our content production from two posts per month to one post per week. This increase will boost awareness of our organization, educate the community, and alert more people of our adoption opportunities — thus, saving more animals and bringing in more funding.

See how I turned the organizational mission into a marketing objective and a SMART goal? SMART goals are especially important when it comes time to analyze and measure your marketing performance (which we will talk about later), so be sure to finish this step before moving forward in your nonprofit marketing plan.

2. Understand your audiences.

Nonprofit marketing is different from other types of marketing because your organization is likely targeting multiple groups: constituents, customers, volunteers, and donors.

It's imperative to define and understand each of these audiences (a.k.a. buyer personas) because your marketing will differ based on who you're talking to. (We'll get into key messaging next.)

For example, following our animal shelter example from above, an email targeting donors will have different messaging than an email calling for volunteers.

One easy way to organize your different audiences is using a CRM to segment the different groups. By separating contacts with tags and lists, you can easily send marketing messages to the appropriate groups.

3. Craft Your Key Messages

Key messages encompass the information you want your audiences to hear, remember, and share about your nonprofit organization. Crafting these before you employ your marketing is important for a few reasons:

• Key messages keep your organization aligned. No matter who's doing the marketing, you can be confident the same thing is being said and promoted.
• Key messages simplify your marketing. With these created ahead of time, you already know what you will say in your marketing messaging.
• Key messages help organize your different audiences (as discussed above). As a nonprofit organization, you're likely talking to donors, volunteers, constituents, and your community — more personas than a typical for-profit business. Developing key messages for each audience informs your team and your marketing to make sure you're targeting the right groups.

Continuing with our animal shelter example, here's a look at how you can craft a key message for different audiences.

Key message: We protect the welfare of animals in our community through education, adoption and fostering, and animal advocacy.

• For adoption customers/constituents: By adopting or fostering, or by alerting us of animals in need, you can help us protect the welfare of animals in our community.
• For volunteers: We protect the welfare of animals through round-the-clock animal care and advocacy.
• For donors: You can help us protect the welfare of animals by donating to support animal care, advocacy, and adoption promotion.

All of these key messages have the same purpose and undertone, but they vary slightly depending on your audience. Together with your nonprofit organization's mission, vision, and goals, these messages will help effectively communicate and market your organization's needs and purpose.

4. Choose, plan, and create your marketing strategies.

Many marketers jump right to this step — creating and publishing various marketing tactics. Marketing encompasses much more than an advertisement, blog post, or event. To execute successfully, you must complete all the steps before this.

Now that you've established your goals (what you want), your key messages (what you're going to say), and your audience (who you're going to say it to), you can determine your marketing tactics (how you're going to say it).

Marketing tactics refer to channels like email marketing, social media, events, and more. We've dedicated an entire section to these marketing strategies. Read about them in detail below.

Regardless of which tactic you choose, be sure to conduct thorough planning before and as you execute it. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you prepare:

• What will you do with this marketing tactic?
• When will these marketing activities take place?
• Why is this tactic important?
• Who will be responsible for these activities?
• How much do we plan to spend?
• How does this tie to our organization’s marketing goals?

Tactical planning is an integral part of your overall nonprofit marketing plan. How you approach your marketing strategies and how they impact your organization is just as important as how you execute them.

Before you hit the ground running on any of these strategies, be sure your team has a solid game plan and a full understanding of it.

Featured Resource: Free Marketing Plan Template

Download for Free

5. Analyze your marketing performance.

Your marketing probably won't perform perfectly from the get-go. That's OK. Routine reporting and analysis help you figure out what's working and what you need to change.

As you choose and establish your marketing channels, pay attention to their measurable performance indicators. Here's a list of examples from our list of marketing strategies below:

Remember the goals you defined in step one? Measuring your marketing performance is essential to stay aligned with those goals.

You can track these performance indicators using tools like Google Analytics, HubSpot, and the analytics tools built into Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites.

If you know what you want to measure before you start marketing your nonprofit, you'll know exactly what to look for — and how to determine success and impact — when your marketing is in play.

You've created your nonprofit marketing plan. Now, let's talk about executing that plan with actionable marketing strategies.

Many of these nonprofit marketing strategies will overlap, like sharing your blog content on social media or releasing an event invite over email. These methods can and should be used in tandem, but we recommend introducing each strategy slowly, so your team doesn't overwhelm itself.

In fact, we recognize that your nonprofit is likely operating with a small (but agile) marketing team. For this reason, throughout these sections, we’ll recommend tips for doing more with less. Ultimately, though, don't hesitate to outsource your nonprofit marketing where needed.

Nonprofit Email Marketing

You might be using email sporadically to call for volunteers or confirm an online donation, but that's not enough. Email marketing for nonprofits is a highly effective marketing resource. Why? It's personal and powerful.

Here are a few ways to leverage email marketing to reach all of your audiences:

• Send a weekly newsletter with your newest content, updates about your organization, industry data, and volunteer needs.
• Send monthly emails with donation needs and opportunities.
• Set up an email sequence for new subscribers, thanking them for joining and educating them on your organization.
• Set up an email sequence for new donors, thanking them for their contribution and sharing how else they can support your organization.

Also, don't forget to put information on your website about how to subscribe to your email list. Nonprofit organization, Acumen, does a great job of this by putting subscription opportunities on its homepage and in its main menu.

👉🏼Nonprofit marketing tip: Automate as much as possible. Email marketing automation (like HubSpot) saves precious time and energy for your team and can be the key to growing your email list, donations, and memberships. You can also automate an email sequence triggered by website visitor behavior indicating a high level of interest, such as downloading educational content.

Nonprofit Event Marketing

Event marketing is one of the most effective (and enjoyable) ways to grow awareness of your organization, connect with your community, raise funds, and garner support for your cause.

PAWS, which stands for Pets Are Worth Saving, is another local animal rescue I'm a fan of. They hold a PAWS 5K race every summer to raise awareness and funding for the organization.

This type of event is impactful for multiple reasons:

1. It inspires competition and physical activity. Runners raise money for the organization and participate in the run.
2. It brings people in the community together to celebrate the organization and bring awareness to the PAWS cause.
3. It provides PAWS a channel to promote their services and adoptable pets.
4. It's fun to attend and be a part of! Many people go to the event to support runners, play with dogs, and simply be a part of the fun, all while supporting and sharing PAWS.

From fundraisers to auctions to competitions, you can organize many different kinds of events to market your nonprofit organization.

Nonprofit Video Marketing

Whether they're consuming content for work, school, or fun, people prefer video content. As a nonprofit organization, video marketing is a surefire way to garner interest and support from all of your audiences.

Here are a few reasons video can help you market your nonprofit:

1. Video is visual. We process visual content 60,000 times faster than written content. We also remember more content longer.
2. Video is personal. It inspires empathy and emotions, which can't be said about other types of marketing.
3. Video is educational. Many organizations need to educate their communities on their causes in order to garner attention and funding. Video can help you do that.
4. Video is shareable. 92% of consumers on mobile will share videos with others. Consumers love sharing videos, especially those that inspire and resonate with them.
5. Video is interesting. 60% of people report that video is a media they consume thoroughly. Keep your visitors, followers, and supporters engaged and interested using video.

The Girl Effect, a nonprofit that works to empower girls worldwide, is a great example of video marketing. The organization's homepage is a video that captures visitors' attention right away. Moreover, when you click "See more," the site opens an informative video telling you all about The Girl Effect.

Nonprofit Social Media Marketing

Social media is a highly popular marketing strategy among nonprofits. Not only is it free, but it also provides an avenue for organizations to show their brand personalities and engage with their followers and supporters.

Here are some ways to use social media for your nonprofit marketing, as inspired by a HubSpot study of 9,000 nonprofits:

• Share news about your organization and cause
• Boost brand awareness and recognition
• Fundraise
• Recruit volunteers and employees
• Recognize donors, employees, and volunteers

Don't forget to use the key messaging you crafted in your nonprofit marketing plan to keep your social media posts consistent and targeted. Also, make the most of each platform to promote your organization, such as the Donate button on Facebook.

HubSpot customer, FIRST, which stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, is a nonprofit organization that works to advance STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education among children.

FIRST makes use of social media in many different ways, such as using Facebook to post videos, news, fundraisers, and reviews, as well as making use of the Donate button. The organization has amassed almost 100,000 followers.

👉🏼Nonprofit marketing tip: Curate content from volunteers, customers, supporters, event attendees, and donors. Implementing a user-generated content (UGC) campaign lessens your workload and acts as strong social proof. To enact your UGC campaign, put out a call for constituent stories, images, and videos. Create a hashtag that people can use to alert you of new UGC.

Also, let curation tools work for you. Use Google Alerts and social monitoring tools to alert you when your organization, hashtags, or relevant topics or keywords are mentioned. This provides opportunities to source UGC, get inspiration for new topic ideas, and participate in relevant conversations.

Nonprofit Website

Every nonprofit organization should have a website, which can be created on a CMS such as CMS Hub or WordPress. A website serves as a digital home base for your organization and includes critical information — what you stand for and how visitors can participate and help.

Your website also houses important assets like your blog, social media streams, event information, videos, and the rest of your marketing strategies. Lastly, your website serves as a way to intrigue, inspire, and engage your audiences.

Nonprofit organization (and HubSpot customer), American Nursing Association (ANA), is an example of an organization with an outstanding nonprofit website. The site clarifies the ANA mission, shares news and educational content, and informs visitors how to get involved through memberships, events, certifications, or donations.

Nonprofit Public Speaking

People buy into other people, not products. The same can be said about nonprofit organizations. If consumers believe in the people behind your organization, they're likely to buy into your cause and donate money or time.

Public speaking is one of the best ways for consumers to get to know your leadership team, not to mention spread the word about your cause and organization. Whether you speak at a local event of 100 people or a multi-day conference with thousands, the impact is the same: telling a powerful story to real people who may not yet know about your cause.

Scott Harrison, the founder of charity: water, spoke at INBOUND. While he shared information about the conception and organization of the nonprofit, he mostly talked about the people that his organization helps and how the audience can support the mission. Harrison not only moved an audience of thousands but also effectively marketed the charity: water purpose and brand.

Nonprofit Content Marketing

Content marketing and blogging are valuable marketing assets for any nonprofit organization. Here's why:

• Content educates your audiences about your mission, cause, and industry news and trends.
• Content (and SEO) bring in new visitors, subscribers, donors, and leads.
• Content is shareable and serves as free PR among your audiences.
• Content can be repurposed and made into different types of media, saving your marketing team precious time and energy.

Creating a nonprofit marketing blog isn't always easy. Teams are short-staffed, budgets are low, and time is precious. Thankfully, there are many ways around those blogging challenges, such as sourcing story ideas from volunteers, donors, and customers and implementing an editorial calendar so you can plan ahead.

One of my very favorite nonprofit organizations is called Blurt Foundation. This UK-based organization exists to increase awareness and understanding of depression and support those who struggle with it. There are many misconceptions and misunderstandings about depression, so Blurt Foundation uses its blog content and other content resources to educate constituents and supporters. It also incorporates these content assets into its emails, social media posts, and online store.

👉🏼Nonprofit marketing tip: Save time and resources by repurposing your content. It’s an appreciating asset you can reuse and re-promote repeatedly. Repurposing content to create new marketing assets costs far less than creating entirely new content.

Outline all the ways you could repurpose the content you produce. For example, you could create the following list for your blog content:

• Short versions of posts for use in emails or newsletters with links back to full posts.
• Groups of related posts for report
• Two to three visuals images to share on social
• Infographics with post information
• Reaction pieces to the original post

Since you're not going to promote and distribute each piece of repurposed content immediately, your content pipeline is never empty.

Check out HubSpot's free nonprofit content today.

Nonprofit Digital Marketing

You can market your nonprofit using search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM). SEO is the process of optimizing your nonprofit’s content to get traffic from organic search results. On the other hand, SEM is the process of getting traffic and visibility from both organic and paid search.

Nonprofits can use keywords in their blogs, videos, podcasts, and other digital content to improve their search engine rankings.

Image Source

The American Red Cross uses many forms of digital content in its marketing, including YouTube videos. The organization uses keywords to help search engines rank the content for SEO and help their audience find their content through organic search. For example, the above video uses the keywords “red cross” and “disaster” in its description to rank in search engine results.

Nonprofits can leverage search engine marketing to increase their contributions through search engine ads.

Google’s Ad Grants program gives nonprofits grants of up to $10,000 per month to advertise their organizations. Many nonprofits — including DonorsChoose.org, We Care Animal Rescue, and SOS Children’s Villages — use Google Ad Grants to attract donations, drive awareness, and recruit volunteers.

Strengthen Your Marketing, Promote Your Cause

Raise your hand if your organization has to constantly do more with less. 👋🏼

If that sounds like your organization, we recommend you use this guide to build a nonprofit marketing plan ASAP. Your organization might not operate for profit, but it can still gain value from the traffic, funds, and awareness that systematic marketing brings in.

These activities and strategies will help promote your organization and take a valuable load off your team’s and volunteers' backs, freeing them to dedicate more time to your cause and constituents.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in June 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Having a digital presence is critical for any business looking to reach new audiences.

SEO, social media, and paid search are three powerful opportunities to get your products or services in front of more customers. But when you're first starting out as a business owner, expanding your digital reach can feel overwhelming — where to even begin?

In celebration of Google's International Small Business Week, which is anchored on the UN's micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises day, we've created a resource for micro-businesses that might not have a digital presence yet.

Here, let's dive into tips from four small business owners on how they initially found online audiences after launching their businesses, so you can ensure you're leveraging the right digital tools to expand your own reach.

Plus, hear from HubSpot's Director of Advertising on getting the most out of Google Ads as a new business owner. 

How to Find & Reach Your Target Audience, According to Small Business Owners

1. Have some broad assumptions about your target audience, and then narrow down.

When you're first creating a digital presence, you'll want to start by focusing on some broad, easy-to-identify categories of your target market.

Your team can begin by identifying demographic segmentation for your customer persona. This includes:

• Age
• Gender
• Income

You might add geographic segmentation on top of this if you're only intending on marketing to a specific location.

Along with general customer persona information, you'll also want to answer the following question: My business helps people who have X pain point. In other words, what challenge is your business solving?

Understanding your customers' pain points can help you craft a better narrative of who they are — which will help you target your digital strategies effectively.

2. Analyze competitors' target audiences to see if your product or service will appeal to similar audiences. 

When finding your audience online, it's important not to get overwhelmed by spreading your net too wide.

More than likely, your product or service exists in some capacity in the market already. So take a look at what your competitors are doing to get inspiration for your own digital strategy.

For instance, if you see most of your competitors creating ads for YouTube, it could be a sign that YouTube has proven to be an effective strategy in your industry.

3. Implement SEO strategies to create a website presence. 

Once you feel confident about your target audience, it's time to leverage SEO to increase your website ranking and begin pulling in traffic from search engines.

You'll want to start by creating an official business website. Make sure the page is SEO-optimized for search: Among other factors, this includes optimized images, responsive pages, and fast loading time.

Next, create a free Google My Business profile to ensure you can capture traffic from Google search and maps. This is especially helpful for foot traffic — for instance, if you own a restaurant, Google My Business can ensure you show up when someone in your local area searches "dinner places near me".

One other tip? Create a strong content strategy. Content is the fuel that will ultimately drive your SEO machine.

Chandler Bolt, CEO of SelfPublishing.com and Self Publishing School, told me, "It was a long-term play, but our business really started to take off when we created our blog, launched our podcast, and focused on creating useful content that solved aspiring authors' problems. Our formula is simple — create the best content on the internet for any topic we write on, and then get as many backlinks as possible for that post."

Now, Self Publishing School consistently ranks for keywords related to writing or publishing. A strong SEO strategy ultimately led to tremendous growth for the company and helped them reach the audiences that mattered most.

If your business struggles to find search terms that align well with your products or services, consider how you might partner with more well-established brands to solve for their customers' pain points, and vice versa. This enables you to access high-intent prospects without relying on SEO alone.

Scott Rogerson, CEO of UpContent, told me, "We continue to build upon content partnerships, and add new ones, to support our customers in addressing pain across their digital channels. It was because of this early approach that we were able to quickly assess which use cases were most valuable and within which industries they were most common. This has now formed the foundation upon which our SEO, social media, and digital advertising strategy are built."

4. Explore the social channels that are most popular with your target audience.

HubSpot's Blog Research found 57% of consumers discover products most often on social media  — and 23% of 18-24 year olds prefer to purchase products directly through social media.

Which means social media is an undeniably powerful opportunity to increase sales.

Plus, social media has a huge audience — over 3.6 billion people use it worldwide. So, regardless of your marketing goals, it's imperative you create a digital presence on at least one of the social platforms.

If you're new to the social media world, you'll want to start by identifying which channels you want to go after first. To do this, you'll need to determine where your target audience spends their time.

The three top social media channels in terms of monthly active users are Facebook (2.9 billion MAU), YouTube (2.2 billion MAU), and Instagram (2 billion MAU). It's a good idea to start with a channel with a large potential reach, and then narrow down from there.

Social media can also help you listen to your prospects and customers and learn from them to grow better. As Impulse Creative's Senior Growth Marketer, Molly Rigatti, puts it, "We've found that creating a space where people can ask their questions is much more effective than trying to start conversations by telling businesses what they need to succeed."

Rigatti says, "We listen. We listen to our customers' wants and needs. We listen to diagnose their real problems rather than to prescribe the easiest sale."

If you're still unsure how to build your social media presence, take a look at 21 Ways To Build Your Social Media Presence, Like HubSpot Marketers.

5. Leverage Google Ads to increase your reach.

While paid advertising can feel daunting with a limited budget, you can leverage powerful targeting capabilities for a relatively low cost with Google Ads.

To uncover some tips for getting the most out of Google Ads with limited resources, I spoke to HubSpot's Director of Advertising, Rex Gelb.

When it comes to an effective keyword strategy for startups and small businesses, Gelb told me, "My recommendation would be to start with the keywords that best relate to your core products or services, and branch out from there."

For instance, let's say you sell a niche product within a larger category — such as soccer cleats for kids.

"To start," Gelb says, "I'd bid on exactly that: 'Soccer cleats for kids'. If that's going well and you have the budget, then maybe you try bidding on 'Soccer cleats' next, and if that works, 'cleats' after that."

Gelb adds, "Broadening your targeting like this means you'll get some irrelevant clicks and have some wasted ad spend, but you'll also get more scale and it's possible you'll find that even with the higher customer acquisition cost, you're still generating a positive ROI."

Google Ads is an undeniably powerful tool for reaching new customers. In fact, for users who are ready to buy, paid ads on Google get 65% of the clicks.

However, like any effective long-term marketing strategy, Google Ads takes work. As Gelb puts it, "A lot of businesses are looking for 'tips and tricks' to try and beat the system, but I'd say 70-80% of Google Ads is using tried-and-true best practices."

So … what are these best practices? Gelb advises, "Pick keywords that make sense for your business, write ads that are highly relevant to those keywords, pick the correct campaign objective based on your business goals, monitor the search term report, and test, test, test. If you do those things (and read up a bit on match types if you're not familiar with them), you're going to be most of the way there."

Ultimately, creating a digital presence takes time, but it's worth it. With the right SEO, social, and paid strategies, you'll begin to see your website and social platforms working for you by pulling in new traffic and leads daily.

If you're a HubSpot customer, you're in luck — HubSpot now offers an integration with Google Ads which enables you to grow your pipeline of qualified leads at scale and increase conversions by connecting your HubSpot and Google Ads accounts. Best of all, we're now offering an exclusive HubSpot offer to Google customers for 20% off your first year of HubSpot, then 10% off in perpetuity. 

Hosting a webinar is an excellent way to connect directly to your audience, raise awareness for your brand, and establish your organization as an expert in its field. According to Zippia, 73% of B2B webinar attendees become qualified leads while 20%-40% of B2C attendees become leads. With that said, one way to attract audiences to your webinar is to have a good webinar landing page.

A webinar landing page gives audiences a first impression of the quality of your webinar. Designing a webinar landing page can seem daunting. Fortunately, there are many outstanding webinar landing page examples online that can give you some inspiration.

Webinar Landing Page Examples

To help you craft the perfect landing page for your webinar, I've gathered 20 examples from various companies.

1. Slack

This webinar landing page is minimalist and straightforward while featuring an interesting image that corresponds with the topic. If you scroll down, you'll find a paragraph that clearly states the purpose of the webinar and who benefits from tuning in. To the left of the paragraph is an easy-to-fill-out registration form that further enforces the fact that the webinar is meant for business professionals.

The landing page is also easy to share with others thanks to the social media buttons featured above the paragraph.

2. CXL

CXL's webinar landing page features multiple calls to action:

• "Join this workshop to learn what are the real benefits of Google Analytics 4 …"
• "Get unlimited access"
• "Watch on demand anytime"

These CTAs concisely explain the point of the webinar and persuade visitors to register and tune in. The "About This Workshop" and "What You'll Learn" sections give better context around the topic.

The registration form is also simple and doesn't require a lot of information — just the visitor's first name, last name, and email address.

3. Google

The colorful illustration captures the visitor's attention, and the copy is easy-to-read thanks to the bold headlines and detailed paragraphs. The CTA button also encourages visitors to view the recorded webinar.

4. HealthCheck360

This webinar landing page gets straight to the point by immediately having the registration scaled large against a dark background.

5. Salesforce

Salesforce uses big bold lettering for its headlines and hotline. Its registration form also features a call to action at the top. Combined with the unique image to the right of the form, this landing page is both visually appealing and easy to navigate.

6. P&G

The topic of the webinar is emphasized by the bold white text against a blue background. The professional tone of the webinar is further made clear by the corresponding image of what appears to be a meeting. The web copy above the registration form explains the key takeaways of the webinar.

The landing page also features a section under the registration that encourages visitors to sign up for job alerts and forms of communication.

7. ThoughtSpot

ThoughtSpot keeps the landing page for its webinar clean and organized with bold lettering over a geometric image.

The paragraph below includes everything visitors need to know about the webinar and its purpose. Even better, below the paragraph are images of the webinar speakers and their roles in the company to lend credibility.

8. Alibaba

Alibaba's webinar landing page features a video and a CTA button encouraging visitors to watch the recorded webinar immediately.

9. LinkedIn

This landing page prioritizes simplicity and ease by featuring a bulleted list of key takeaways from the webinar and allowing LinkedIn members to easily autofill the registration form.

10. Zoom

This landing page shows Zoom hosts regular webinars five days a week at specific times, and there are several points on the page where those who are interested can register.

11. Schneider Electric

Schneider Electric uses a bold graphic with the word "Innovation" in big, bold green letters against a green background. Below the image is the headline, which stands out thanks to its bright green lettering. Registering is easy and even allows visitors to pick the specific sections of the webinar they are interested in viewing.

12. Airbnb

Airbnb uses multiple images to catch visitors' attention. It also tells visitors the webinar is about 60 minutes long, which will allow viewers to set aside the time needed to watch and take notes. Though this webinar is sold out, the page is still valuable to visitors because it features a CTA button that will take them to similar events being held on the website.

13. Bosch

Though the page could be improved by including bolder texts and an interesting image for its webinar landing page, the registration form is front and center and easy to fill out. Those who prefer a straightforward, no-nonsense approach may appreciate this page.

14. Cisco

Cisco uses a countdown to let viewers know when the next webinar will be hosted. To join ahead of time, viewers can click the "Add to Schedule" button and either sign in or create an account.

15. Trello

Trello sticks to the minimalist approach and forgoes any vivid imagery. Instead, the company uses bold lettering and the company logo, followed by a paragraph that explains the purpose of the webinar. The yellow CTA button at the bottom of the landing page encourages visitors to watch the webinar on demand.

16. Adobe

Adobe uses gradient colors to draw the viewer's eye to the text highlighting the webinar's topic. Under the image is a paragraph that goes into greater detail about what viewers can expect and the registration form is neatly displayed to the left.

17. Grab

The webinar topic is made obvious thanks to large bold lettering on the landing page's banner. The banner includes the topic, the date of the webinar, and a CTA.

18. Prudential

Prudential is a great example of what to do after a webinar is over and visitors find your landing page. The name and parts of the webinar are displayed in bold and there is a brief sentence or two describing the topic. Below the copy is a CTA button that directs viewers to watch the recording and download the slides.

19. Oracle

The design for Oracle's webinar landing page is simple yet visually interesting. The large white headline shows the subject of the webinar. If you scroll down, you'll see a peaceful image of a woman on her bike and a paragraph giving greater insight on the left. The bottom of the page has images of the webinar's speakers and their roles to add legitimacy.

20. Gartner

Gartner doesn't rely on imagery at all. Its webinar landing page features a huge headline followed by the time, date, and length of the webinar, followed by a paragraph explaining the topic and key takeaways.

The registration form features a strong CTA and only requires a work email, making it incredibly simple to register.

Webinar Landing Page Best Practices

While it's good to have your own unique approach to creating the best webinar landing page for your company, it's important to adhere to the following best practices:

• Include a clear, catchy, and concise headline to grab the reader's attention.
• Write an engaging body paragraph that expresses why readers need to tune into the event.
• Include high-quality, eye-catching imagery.
• Include strong CTA buttons that urge visitors to register and tune in so they can be converted leads and paying customers.

If you're unsure of where you can find the proper tools to host a webinar, ON24 is a company that provides many kinds of products and services that can make virtual event hosting and webcasting simple.

Furthermore, eWebinar and Wistia are two more companies that have excellent tools for webinar and video hosting respectively.

Now that you have examples of webinar landing pages and best practices to keep in mind, you're ready to start designing your page!

As a leader, you need to accept that you are not always going to be right and you aren't always going to excel in everything — and that's okay! Self-awareness in leadership is key to the success of any organization and can encourage growth, adaptability, and honesty in the workplace.

To help you learn why self-awareness in leadership is integral to your company's success, we're going to explore the meaning of self-awareness, its benefits, and real-life examples of self-awareness from business leaders.

What is self-awareness in leadership?

Self-awareness in leadership means having a conscious understanding of your character, behaviors, motives, and how these things impact your leadership abilities.

Are your motives aligned with your company's goals? How do you behave as a leader when things don't go as planned? How does your character impact your interactions with your colleagues and subordinates?

These are questions to ask yourself — and answer honestly — to build your self-awareness as a leader.

"Everyone has strengths, and everyone has weaknesses," said HubSpot Marketing Fellow Dan Tyre. "Being self-aware means that you are aware of the things you do well and the things that you need to develop or delegate.

"It means understanding that the process of working with those attributes sends a strong, consistent, universal message that it is perfectly okay to be good in some capacity and need support in others, which should be reassuring to everyone. Leaders who are living the values of the organization are by definition more authentic, more consistent, and can greatly contribute to the foundations of the company's success."

Why is self-awareness important in leadership?

Self-awareness in leadership can help you, as a leader, understand what you bring to your role. Having self-awareness means having an understanding of where you thrive and where you should improve —and when your leadership, your company's productivity tends to follow.

Benefits of Self-Awareness in Leadership

Self-awareness can benefit an organization in many ways — one of which is by establishing trust. Employees are more likely to put their trust in leaders who hold themselves accountable and are honest about their leadership styles and shortcomings. And building a culture of trust and honesty leads to higher engagement among employees.

Self-aware leaders also promote advancement in learning and development. When a leader shows they are aware of their strengths and weaknesses — and are actively working to improve — they create an environment that encourages personal growth. A self-aware leader will encourage their team members to pursue personal growth by acting as a mentor, organizing workshops, or helping employees improve their skills.

Another benefit of self-awareness in leadership is improved decision-making. Being self-aware about your goals and how they align with the company's objectives will help you make more sound decisions overall. And those sound decisions will lead to better strategies and more targeted campaigns.

5 Examples of Self-Awareness in Leadership

I reached out to multiple leaders on LinkedIn to get their perspective on self-awareness in leadership and real-world examples. Here's what I learned:

1. Debbie Olusola Akintonde - Education Marketing & Growth Strategy Consultant at Amuseng

"You can't be empathetic, let alone emotionally intelligent as a leader if you aren't self aware.I remember when I got a job in which one of the requirements for the interview was to write a complete strategy on how I would tackle a real problem I would be facing immediately in the role if I was hired. Even though I got the job, I relied on self awareness to guide me [and] not to start implementing the strategy I came up with immediately.

"Instead, after getting hired, I chose to listen and collaborate with other candidates and stakeholders to align our goals and plans as a group in order to optimize the results we would achieve together.

"It is crucial to be self aware because it will help you lead more effectively and improve your capacity for personal and professional growth."

2. Tracy Graziani - Owner of Graziani Multimedia LLC

"For me, self-awareness has helped me to understand and be mindful of implicit bias. One of my dear friends is an insightful nonprofit CEO. In a conversation about hiring we were discussing interviewing mistakes candidates make.

"I always ask people why, of all the candidates I interview, should I hire them. I then went on to say that when people answered that question with needs —like 'I’m a single mom,' or, 'I have loads of college loans —'I didn’t hire them, but when they answered with their achievements I did hire them. My friend then upended my thinking.

"She said, 'How likely is it that those who listed needs are in — or grew up in — poverty?' My answer? 'Seems likely.'

"She then provided perspective. She explained that people in poverty always have to give 'proof of poverty' to get what they need. Government services, charities, even religious organizations hold a lot of power and don’t give you what you need to survive without 'proof of poverty.' So they go into the workforce and expect similar rules.

"Jobs have something you need. Therefore, they should prove that they need the job. That blew my mind. I simply never saw the world through that lens. I interview differently now."

3. Dan Moyle - HubSpot Advisor

"Leadership is about trust. I've witnessed the greatest leadership when someone builds that trust through self-awareness coupled with humility.

"When a leader has said to me, 'I don't know everything, and this particular situation is beyond my knowledge b trust you know what you're doing, so go do what you're good at.,' that kind of awareness of self and understanding built immediate trust within me for my leadership, and even went beyond to build a loyalty you can't demand."

4. Demetrius B. - Founder of Marro

"As a young leader in the SaaS space, I found myself seeking to achieve results quickly to ensure I developed, designed, and scaled at a pace that was comparable to my competitors. As a result, I put unfair pressure on those working with me to reach KPIs and milestones that were not realistic for a startup of our size.

"It took reflection and maturity for me to recognize that founders and leaders are not the only ones who feel the pressure to execute — it trickles down to everyone we work with. In my experience, employees don’t react in a positive manner to extremely tight deadlines, limited wiggle room for error, and constant micromanaging.

"What I learned was most important was empowering my engineers and working with my sales team to understand what they need to be successful early on to help lay a strong foundation for a software company that will stand the test of time. Leadership is not being a dictator, it is understanding what your team needs to be successful and how to fulfill the vision of the organization long term!"

5. Jordan Bazinsky - Executive Vice President and General Manager at Cotiviti

"We have an R&D and Operations center in Kathmandu, Nepal. In April 2015, they were hit by a 7.8 earthquake. I received a call in the middle of the night from Markandeya Kumar Talluri, who led the office, and was huddled for safety in a doorway. The subsequent aftershocks were devastating for a country already limited by its infrastructure: ultimately 9,000 deaths and 600,000 buildings destroyed.

"Kumar lived in India and could have gone home while Nepal picked through the rubble and rebuilt. Instead, he stayed in Kathmandu, invited families to come live in our office on a temporary basis, created space for Operation Rubicon to base their relief activities, set up phone chains and efforts to locate not just our employees but friends and family that were missing.

"He intuitively knew that the people under his care would absorb his energy and take cues from his attitude, and managed himself accordingly. It remains one of the most powerful examples of self-awareness in service of others that I have witnessed at work."

To practice self-awareness as a leader, take the time to write down your strengths and weaknesses as well as actionable steps you can take to improve — and don't be afraid to reach out to colleagues to get their input on your leadership skills.

Remember, leaders lead by example, and if you show that you're willing to grow and improve, your team will likely do the same.

"Do you have any questions for me?" We've all been on the receiving end of that question in an interview.

Ask the right ones and you'll make a strong impression. Otherwise, you risk blending in with the other applicants.

Discover some valuable questions that will make hiring managers' and HR professionals' ears perk up. Try them at your next interview and see how the conversation shifts in your favor.

• Questions to Ask the Hiring Manager During Job Interviews

• Questions to Ask Human Resources During Job Interviews

Questions to Ask the Hiring Manager During Job Interviews

1. How does this role contribute to larger company goals?

It's not terribly difficult to find a candidate who can execute in a role. It is, however, terribly difficult to find a candidate who can also understand how it fits into larger goals.

This includes being able to self-manage, prioritize high-value activities, and grow their role in a direction that aligns with the company's growth.

How It Helps You

This information can be hard to come by if your company isn't very communicative or transparent, so this is a good chance to get that information to use it to guide your decisions if you land the role.

2. What do the most successful new hires do in their first month here?

This question shows that you're the type of person who likes to hit the ground running.

It also shows that you recognize patterns of success and want to replicate only the most effective performers.

How It Helps You

Every company has its weird nuances, its own environment, and its own unspoken expectations. This helps you start with a little bit of the insider info so you don't suffer a case of "if I knew then what I knew now" in six months.

3. What metrics would you use to measure success in this role?

Asking a question like this shows that you're goal-oriented and aren't afraid to be held accountable for those goals. You don't avoid accountability, you welcome it.

How It Helps You

It's shocking how many people don't actually know what they want from their employees beyond a vague idea of some work that needs to get done.

Asking this question will force a hiring manager to figure it out – and then can communicate it to you, so you can execute on it.

4. What are some of the challenges or roadblocks I might come up against in this role?

A question like this indicates that you're already envisioning yourself in the role and thinking through a plan of attack, should you land the gig.

It's also a sign that you're well aware that no job comes free of roadblocks. It signals that not only are you not afraid to deal with those challenges, but you're also prepared for them.

How It Helps You

The response you receive should help you better understand some of the less-than-ideal aspects of the job – bureaucratic processes, internal politics, and so on.

You can use that information to decide if you're up for the challenge.

5. What is the biggest challenge the team has faced in the past year?

While the interviewer might be trying to paint a pretty perfect picture of what working on the team might look like, asking this question will help you uncover some of the realities the team has been facing recently.

If you end up joining, you'll inevitably hear about these challenges – and you may have to help solve them, too.

How It Helps You

It really helps to know what challenges you could find yourself or your team up against ahead of time. In some cases, it could affect whether you accept the role.

Learning about these challenges could give you some great insights into the steps the team has taken to overcome these challenges already.

6. Why did you decide to work at this company?

This question gives an interviewer a chance to do two self-serving things: talk about themselves and perform a no-holds-barred sales pitch on the company.

For promising candidates, the sales opportunity is welcomed. And most people love any excuse to talk about themselves.

How It Helps You

This gives you insight into what motivates your future colleague or manager, as well as what the company offers its employees. If those all line up with what you're looking for in a job, you've got yourself a good fit.

7. What keeps you motivated?

If your interviewer has been at the company for a while, understanding why could give you some really interesting insight into the company and its relationship with its employees.

How It Helps You

Depending on the interviewer's answer, you might learn something about the company's career training, leadership opportunities, workplace flexibility, internal job opportunities, and more.

You might dig a little deeper by following up with related questions, like, "What do you enjoy most about working here?"

8. Do you host any events with the team outside of work?

Does everyone keep their head down and do their own thing? Or does everyone enjoy each other's company? This interview question serves as a great way to find out a little bit about the company culture.

Ideally, there's a good balance of work and life and the company creates opportunities for those to blend.

How It Helps You

Along with learning about company culture, this is a more lighthearted question that might relax a stiffened atmosphere or lead to a conversation about shared interests.

9. What is your company's customer or client service philosophy?

This is an impressive question because it shows that you can make the connection between how the company thinks about its customers and the end result.

In other words, how the customer is treated on a day-to-day basis, and in turn, how that shows up in the product.

How It Helps You

While you might be able to find a canned response to this question on the company's website, it'll be useful – and possibly eye-opening – for you to hear it more candidly from an employee.

10. What are some of the less tangible traits of successful people on this team?

Ever work with people who just get it? That's who hiring managers are looking for.

This question demonstrates that you understand a job is about more than just going through the motions. Successful people have a specific frame of mind, approach, attitude, work ethic, communication style, and so on – and you want to know what that mix looks like at this company.

How It Helps You

Because these characteristics are often hard to pin down, this question forces a hiring manager to articulate that "it" factor they're really looking for – even if it wasn't written in the job description.

11. What behaviors do the most successful members of the team exhibit?

Asking a question like this shows you're interested in getting a practical example of what success looks like to the manager of the team you'd be joining.

Plus, when you phrase the question in this way, "you leave no room for a hypothetical answer," says Dave Fernandez, a former recruiting team lead at HubSpot. Instead, you're pushing the hiring manager to think about their top performer.

How It Helps You

Because this question forces an example, the answer to this question will give you a strong idea of what success actually looks like. That way, you'll learn what it takes to impress your colleagues and be a star candidate.

12. What behaviors do the people who struggle most on the team exhibit?

Follow up question #9 with this question, and you'll show the hiring manager that you're really trying to get a concrete idea of what to do and what not to do as an employee on the specific team you're applying to join, says Fernandez.

While this question can make a manager uncomfortable, it's impressive because it shows that you're not afraid to ask tough questions.

How It Helps You

First, you'll get an idea of what poor performance looks like, which will help you set expectations for the position.

Second, you'll learn how the hiring manager handles a tough question like this – which can teach you something about how office politics are handled in general.

13. How do you deliver negative feedback?

If you would be working with the person interviewing you, this is another tough question that can give you some insight into how the team works.

It pushes the hiring manager to think about how they would handle an uneasy situation, while at the same time highlighting your self-awareness.

How It Helps You

Everything gives and receives feedback differently. Does this person tailor their feedback approach depending on whom they're giving it to? Do they make feedback a two-way street?

Their feedback style – especially when it comes to negative feedback – will help you understand how well you would be able to work with them.

14. Do you have any questions or concerns about my qualifications?

This question shows that you're not afraid of critical feedback – in fact, you welcome it.

Interviewers tend to make note of red flags to discuss with a colleague following the interview, whether it be something on your resume or something you said

. This question gives them the green light to ask about any of the things that are holding them back from being 100% on board with hiring you.

How It Helps You

You get a chance to address concerns face-to-face without being too confrontational. This could be the difference between an offer and a rejection - or maybe even a higher opening offer.

Before you meet the person you'd be working for, you'll likely meet a member of HR via a phone screening.

Although this initial phone call is a standard first step for most organizations today, it's also an opportunity for HR to take notes on you as a candidate and relay those notes to the hiring manager.

Make a good impression on HR – it matters more than you think.

Here are some appropriate questions to ask at this initial stage of the recruitment process so you can put your best foot forward.

1. What do you like most about working here?

This question can be a breath of fresh air to HR reps who primarily answer questions about benefits (which are valuable questions).

Asking an HR employee what they like about the company tells them you care about the company's culture and that you care about the opinion of someone whom you might not work with directly.

In other words, talking to people like people is always a good idea.

2. How has this position changed over time?

It's easy to forget that someone might have once held the position you're applying for – or, more importantly, that the role might have evolved since it came on your radar.

Don't be afraid to ask HR what this job looked like before you were interested in it. This can include what the responsibilities looked like, how many other people currently hold this position at the company, and even where HR thinks it's going in the future.

Getting HR's perspective on the history of your potential role can give you unbiased insight into your department, and let HR know that you're interested in your future at the company – not just your present.

3. What does this team's role hierarchy look like? How does this position fit into it?

This is another big-picture question that HR should be equipped and eager to answer for you.

You might not want to bluntly ask "who would I report to?" It can show resistance or insecurity before you ever set foot in the role. But, it's still something you might want to know.

4. How does the company promote diversity and inclusion?

Every company should always be working toward building a diverse and inclusive work environment. If they don't, that's something you should know ahead of time.

Asking this question will tell you which initiatives or programs the company is involved in and what active measures they're taking toward this mission.

5. What are you most excited about in this company's future?

Want to inject a little positivity into your phone call with HR? Ask them what has them pumped up right now.

What motivates them to get up in the morning? Put yourself in HR's shoes: Wouldn't you love to answer this question, especially if you love the company you work for?

Asking the HR rep what they're most excited about shows them that you, too, thrive on enthusiasm. It also brings the best out in your interviewer – a good headspace for HR to be in as they hand you off to the hiring manager.

6. What is something the company is still working on getting right?

As a flip-side to the question above, also consider asking HR what they think the company's greatest challenge is right now.

While other candidates might be skittish around a business's weaknesses, this question shows HR you're willing to accept the current negatives and join them in righting the ship.

Note the phrasing of this question, too. By asking HR this question precisely this way, you put focus on the positive and show the company that you have natural optimism (a desired trait in future leaders, just so you know).

7. Is there a dress code I should abide by?

Dress code can be a touchy subject in interviews – you don't want to reveal that you have deal-breakers so early into a hiring process. But, it is an important aspect of the job for many professionals.

If you want to get an idea of the company's dress code without suggesting it's a big deal to you, simply ask HR what you're expected to wear on your first day. It's a harmless question that gives you the information you need at the same time.

8. Is there anything about my application that makes you doubt my qualifications right now?

Cap off your phone screening with this confidence play. Asking HR what they're skeptical about with respect to your application can show them you welcome feedback and you can take criticism. It also helps you better prepare for your next interview.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in Nov. 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Instagram is an incredibly popular social media app for teens — in fact, roughly 41% of U.S. teens use Instagram as of January 2021.

But the app can be a tricky platform for teens since it inherently fosters social comparison. In fact, Meta reports one in three teen girls say Instagram makes their body image worse.

Additionally, teens who are unsatisfied with their lives are more negatively impacted by Instagram.

Fortunately, Instagram's team aims to change that, in part with a new nudge feature. Let's dive into what this new feature does, and what it could mean for marketers.

How Instagram's New Nudge Feature Works

Research has found social media digital nudges can help people become more reflective of their social media usage, potentially decrease their time on the apps, and make their overall experience more pleasant.

One study found 58% of respondents say nudges make their social media experience better by helping them become more mindful of their time on platforms like Instagram.

Instagram's new nudge feature for teens aims to leverage this powerful research by making it more difficult for teens to dive too deeply into certain potentially unhealthy topics — like teen girls consistently comparing themselves to the same three influencers.

If a teen spends too long on Instagram's Explore page perusing posts with a particular theme, the platform will display a notification with suggestions for other types of posts. This works in two ways:

• Helps teens discover new topics beyond their current interests
• Encourages teens to pause and assess whether they want to continue looking at the type of content they're currently seeking out

As Instagram puts it, "This nudge is designed to encourage teens to discover something new and excludes certain topics that may be associated with appearance comparison."

Instagram has taken other steps to encourage positive teen behavior when it comes to their platform, including the launch of another feature, Take A Break, which is a reminder that pops up after a teen has spent a considerable amount of time on the platform, as well as tips for what they can do instead.

The nudge feature is a positive step in the right direction for reducing the time teens spend perusing unhelpful content, and reminding teens to stay mindful of what they consume on the app.

It's important to note, the feature works no matter what type of content teens are scrolling. As Instagram spokesperson Liza Crenshaw explained to The Verge, "The notification shows up after scrolling on any topic for a number of consecutive posts. But, what we include in the recommendations of what to switch to excludes content that may be associated with appearance comparison."

If you're a content creator or marketer whose target audience includes teens, then this could impact how much time teens spend on your posts — but the more you aim to create healthy, uplifting content for teens, the more likely teens are to mindfully return to your content.

Consider, for instance, @laurajaneillustrations, an Instagram account filled with "content to make you feel GOOD about yourself", like the one below:

There are plenty of influencers, non-profits, and brands that create inspiring, positive, helpful content, and these are the brands that will be best-suited for these digital nudges. Dosomething.org, for instance, has an Instagram account filled with inspiring content on how young people across the world can make a social impact.

Nike is another brand that focuses on powerful, uplifting messages on Instagram, and regularly showcases a diverse range of athletes on the company's profile.

Instagram aims to support young creators in this venture by creating an Expert Steering Committee, which will be a panel made up of child psychology and digital literacy experts who will provide evidence-based ways for creators to use language that supports teen's emotional well-being and self image.

More likely than not, your business won't be too impacted by this new feature. The nudge feature will focus on reminding teens to look elsewhere when they've spent exuberant amounts of time on one type of content. It's a healthy step towards reducing the time some teens might spend on appearance-based content.

Ultimately, if your brand focuses on creating positive, diverse content for your audience, then you shouldn't be too affected by the nudge feature.

Video marketers report that it offers the highest ROI of any media format, but those who use it still face challenges with the strategy.

The HubSpot Blog Video Marketing Report surveyed 500+ video marketers and asked them about their top challenges, and we’ve compiled them in this post. Read on to learn what marketers are dealing with and how to overcome them in your strategy.

Top Video Marketing Challenges in 2022

The top five video marketing challenges are:

1. Lack of time to create video content.
2. Difficulty creating an effective video strategy.
3. Inadequate budget to create video content.
4. Difficulty with the video creation process (producing, filming, editing videos).
5. Lack of content ideas.

Let’s go more in-depth into each of these challenges and how you can address them if you also struggle with them.

1. Lack of time to create video content.

Marketers wear many hats and create multiple different types of content on multiple channels, so it makes sense that finding the time to balance everything can be a challenge.

As a result, it’s no surprise that lacking time to create video content is the top reported challenge for video marketers. When it comes to a lack of time, they also note that the most consuming part is pre-production, which involves coming up with ideas, writing a transcript, casting, etc.

One of the best ways to remedy a lack of time to create video content is to have an effective video strategy.

2. Difficulty creating an effective video strategy.

A video strategy can be crucial to success for video marketers. Still, those who already leverage the format say that it is the second most challenging part of video marketing.

If you’re hoping to overcome this challenge, the process for creating a video marketing strategy is similar to all others: identify your target audience, align with relevant stakeholders, create timelines and budgets, choose distribution channels, develop messaging, and decide on how you’ll track success.

Marketers say that some additional factors to consider when creating your strategy are:

• How you’ll effectively promote your video content.
• How you’ll capture attention in the first few seconds.
• How you’ll keep your videos short and concise.

3. Inadequate budget to create video content.

A video marketing budget accounts for everything that goes into the video creation process, from storyboarding to promoting your videos to get a high ROI.

If you’re having trouble coming up with a budget, here is how marketers often break down theirs:

• 24% is dedicated to production,
• 20% is dedicated to pre-production,
• 20% is dedicated to post-production.

4. Difficulty with the video creation process (producing, filming, editing videos).

Our survey found the following tips from marketers when it comes to the video creation process:

• Investing in your own video equipment is worthwhile in the long run, as 62% of marketers who own equipment describe the creation process as “easy.”
• The most popular video editing software is Adobe Premiere Pro.
• 44% of marketers use an iPhone as their primary camera for video content.

Some other ways to make the video creation process run more smoothly are to create a script and prepare your shot list, organize your studio ahead of time to ensure you have everything you need, and prep talent by giving them the script ahead of time.

5. Lack of content ideas.

29% of marketers say that a lack of content ideas is a significant marketing challenge. Here are some high-quality and effective content ideas if you’re struggling with the same issue:

• Content showcasing products or services has the highest ROI, according to marketers who use it.
• Content showcasing your brand’s values is the second most leveraged type of content and the second most effective at generating leads and engagement.
• Trendy content related to cultural moments and news stories gets significant engagement.
• Relatable content is on the rise for the newest investments in 2022.

Consumers like watching videos, so meet them where they already are.

Consumers’ habits clearly show that video is a top-consumed and enjoyed media format. As a result, overcoming the common video marketing challenges will help you meet audience demand, generate engagement, and leave a lasting impression.

Short-form video is dominating the social media landscape — and many marketers want to get a piece of the action. But this leaves one important question: which video-sharing platform is worth your time, effort, and money — YouTube or TikTok?

While YouTube is the more mature platform, it's hard to ignore the buzz around TikTok. In order to make the right decision, it's essential to understand their unique audiences, marketing opportunities, and algorithms.

Let's take a closer look at the key differences between YouTube and TikTok — and how to choose the right platform for your business.

YouTube vs. TikTok: A Head-to-Head Comparison

1. Demographics.

YouTube

With a global user base of more than 2 billion people, it's safe to assume that your target audience is on YouTube. Let's take a closer look at its user base.

YouTube holds sway with both men and women, almost in equal measure. Male users account for 53% of its population, while female users account for 46%.

The platform is also popular across different age groups. Outside of China, 77% of Gen Z, 75% of millennials, and 44% of Baby Boomers visit YouTube daily. Specifically, the 18-25 year age group commands the largest visitor base.

YouTube attracts a global audience, with more than 95% of the internet population using it. That said, India accounts for the largest audience size, followed by the United States and Indonesia.

TikTok

TikTok is known as the platform for Gen-Z — and the stats confirm it. Over half of Gen-Z consumers are on TikTok, and 46% of 13-19-year-olds say they use the platform daily.

However, TikTok is also picking up steam with other age groups. In 2021, 36% of TikTok users were between 35 and 54 years old, a 10% increase from the year before.

Unlike Youtube, TikTok's user base skews primarily female (57% worldwide). That figure jumps to 61% for TikTok users in the US. While TikTok's user base is increasingly diverse, there's no denying its popularity among younger female audiences.

TikTok is a global platform available in 154 countries worldwide and in 75 different languages. The United States accounts for the largest user base (120 million users), followed by Indonesia, Brazil, and Russia.

2. Popularity.

There's no real competition here (yet). YouTube commands an audience of over two billion monthly users — almost half of the entire internet-using population. It's no surprise that one in five social media marketers plans to invest the most in YouTube this year, according to a recent HubSpot Blog's report.

However, TikTok is a relatively new platform with stellar growth year-over-year. TikTok was the most downloaded app in 2019 and 2020, racking up over three billion downloads so far. It also boasts 1.2 billion monthly users, which experts predict will reach 1.5 billion by the end of 2022 — keeping YouTube on its toes.

Additionally, while TikTok doesn't bring in the same monthly users, it certainly wins at engagement. In fact, TikTok is the most engaging of all social media apps, with an average user session of 10.85 minutes. As a result, 52% of marketers who use TikTok plan to increase their investment in 2022.

3. Content Format and Length

YouTube

Unlike other social media platforms, YouTube has become the unofficial home for long-form content. For instance, you've likely stumbled upon a 30-minute workout video or even a 2-hour podcast on YouTube.

However, it's impossible to deny the popularity of short-form video content. In fact, 31% of marketers are currently leveraging short-form video, and 29% plan to leverage it for the first time this year.

In response, YouTube launched Shorts — enabling users to create 15-second videos with musical overlays. This also allows video marketers to play with different content types on the same platform.

TikTok

To put it plainly, TikTok is a short-form powerhouse. In fact, the app has become synonymous with fun, "snackable" content that attracts Gen-Z and millennial audiences.

Why does this matter? Short-form video is the most popular and effective social media format in 2022. So much so that 50% of social media marketers plan to leverage short-form video for the first time this year, and 95% of those who already use it will increase or maintain their investment.

Initially, TikTok videos could only be 15-seconds long. However, the app has extended the limit to 60 seconds. For marketers, this means more wiggle room to play around with video concepts. However, this only applies to videos recorded natively on the app.

4. Ad Formats

YouTube

YouTube ads are powered by Google. You have several ad formats to choose from, including:

• Discover ads — ads that appear on the YouTube homepage or search results pages.
• TrueView ads — also known as skippable ads, these are ads that play before a video.
• Non-skippable ads — ads that appear before, in the middle, or after a video.
• Bumper ads — 6-second ads that play before a video.
• Overlay ads — banner ads that appear at the bottom of a video.

YouTube offers a lot of flexibility for marketers to experiment with different ad formats. For example, you can opt for a quick, 6-second ad at the beginning of a video or a 30-second non-skippable ad in the middle of a video.

TikTok

Despite its "newness," TikTok has become a viable option for brands willing to get creative with their digital marketing. So much so, it launched TikTok for Business in 2021, allowing marketers to create and manage ad campaigns on the platform.

Additionally, there are different ways to advertise on the platform, including:

• TopView — ads that appear at the top of their feed immediately after opening the app.
• In-Feed Ads — ads that appear on a user's discovery page.
• Branded Hashtags — a hashtag that businesses promote in hopes of inspiring TikTokers to create content around it.
• Brand Takeovers — an ad format that can include TopView, In-Feed, and Branded Hashtags all at once. They can also be videos, gifs, or still images.

As we'll discuss later, each ad format on TikTok has a different price tag — so even if you have a smaller budget, you can play your cards right with a solid strategy.

5. Ad Costs

YouTube

YouTube follows a cost-per-view pricing model. Each view can cost between $0.10 and $0.30, depending on your industry and target keywords. You only pay when a user takes action — such as watching the entirety of your ad or clicking on a call-to-action.

You can spend as little or as much as you want. However, most businesses invest $10 or more a day to run an advertising campaign on YouTube. If you set a daily budget, Google will only charge you up until that amount, making YouTube ads a relatively safe investment.

TikTok

If you decide to advertise on TikTok, you can select a daily or lifetime budget that can be adjusted at any point during your campaign. However, at the campaign level, you must have a minimum daily and total budget of $50. For an ad group level, your budget must exceed $20 daily.

It's also important to note that TikTok doesn't use cost-per-click as a metric. Instead, it uses cost-per-mille (CPM), which means cost per 1000 views. TikTok ads start at $10 per CPM, so it's possible to make an impact at a relatively low cost.

Which platform is right for your business?

One final question remains — which platform is better for my business? Ultimately, the answer hinges on several factors.

First, who is your target audience? As you can see, both YouTube and TikTok boast diverse audiences, but TikTok commands a younger, predominantly female audience. YouTube, on the other hand, is popular across multiple age groups. To state the obvious, you should prioritize the platform that will reach your audience.

Second, what type of content do you want to make? Does it lend itself more to lighthearted, snappy videos or longer, more in-depth ones? Is 15 seconds long enough to convey your message, or do you need more time?

Lastly, it's important to consider your budget. YouTube offers more flexibility in choosing a daily budget. And, since it follows a cost-per-view pricing model, you only pay when a user takes action. To run a campaign on TikTok, you must commit to a daily budget of $50, which quickly adds up.

With these questions in mind, you have a better idea of which platform is right for your business. But remember, marketing is all about experimentation. You don't need to commit to one platform right away — in fact, it may be useful to run side experiments on both to see what results you get.

Language has the ability to build relationships and forge connections, but it’s equally liable for creating barriers and impacting someone’s sense of belonging. 

Using inclusive language, and having workplace conversations devoid of exclusive language, means employees are more likely to feel like they belong and can be their authentic selves at work. 

Here we’ll explore what inclusive language is and provide examples to ensure you create an inclusive workplace and inclusive marketing material and 2022 and beyond. 

To explore how you might promote inclusive language at your organization, I spoke with some experts at HubSpot who have first-hand knowledge of incorporating inclusive language into their processes, products, and overall team culture.

For instance, Hannah Fleishman, who led the charge on updating HubSpot's Careers website to be more inclusive, told me, "Language has a big impact on our sense of belonging in the workplace. The challenge is, language is nuanced. The changes we should consider making to how we talk and write are often subtle."

Melissa Obleada, an Associate User Experience Researcher at HubSpot, echoes this thought, mentioning, "Many of us don't realize that our language has additional meaning hidden between the lines. Certain words can imply a certain age, gender, educational background, social class, and so much more. We see this a lot in the ways many folks write job descriptions."

Consider, for instance, the last time you were in a meeting and a leader said, "Okay, guys, let's get started" — do you think that automatically made female colleagues feel a little less-welcomed than their male peers? Would it have been better if he'd said "ya'll" or "everyone"?

Alternatively, imagine you're hiring a new person on your team and your boss tells you, "We're looking for a good culture fit." You know most people on your team are extraverted -- does that make you unfairly biased during interviews as you seek out a "good culture fit" by looking for candidates that mirror your colleagues' personality type?

Beth Dunn, Marketing Fellow at HubSpot, wrote a Medium piece on the topic of instilling a human voice in product content, and said, "Try not to present the privileged, tech-savvy, wealthy, able-bodied, white, cisgendered, anglo-centric male experience as 'standard' and everything else as 'other' or 'diverse.' Seek ways to place the 'other' in the center of things instead."

Additionally, Dunn told me, "What's great is that the English language is such a flexible, expressive language, so there are all sorts of ways to say what you need to say without indicating anything that might be exclusive. It just takes a little imagination, empathy, and practice, that's all."

Take job descriptions as an example — you might've heard by now that women only apply for jobs when they feel they've met 100% of the requirements, while men will apply when they feel they've met 60% of them.

Fleishman suggests, "Try to avoid writing job descriptions with unattainable requirements. Using more inclusive language can be like building a new muscle; you need to get in the habit of recognizing nuances and asking yourself if what you're saying, or writing, is accessible for everyone."

Obleada adds that it's not just job descriptions that you should edit for inclusivity — it's all communication, whether through email, Slack, text, Facebook, or in-person: "When it comes to implementing inclusive language, it takes practice to shift your typical ways of speaking and writing."

To monitor whether your communication is exclusive to certain groups, you'll want to look at resources and tools online. For instance, Textio is an augmented writing tool that identifies whether you're using gendered language in your writing or words with a strong feminine or masculine association. This can be undeniably helpful for both job descriptions and even emails to colleagues.

Additionally, you might consider taking a look at the Conscious Style Guide, a resource on conscious language that breaks down exclusive language into categories, including age and disability.

Finally, to identify your own implicit biases, try taking a Hidden Bias Test, like this one created by Psychologists at Harvard, the University of Virginia, and the University of Washington, to uncover how your biases might be inhibiting you from expressing yourself more inclusively.

If this all sounds like a lot of work to you, it's important to note — this isn't just about creating a more inclusive environment at work. It's also critical for your company's bottom line, particularly if you work for a global company or plan to expand your offerings to other regions in the future.

Obleada explains it like this: "For some, writing and speaking inclusively may feel like a restrictive set of rules, hindering instead of helping us. In reality, it's just the opposite."

"Inclusive language opens up and amplifies your message to more people, making your blog post, job description, or website copy more accessible than before."

Next, let's explore some inclusive language examples in-practice.

1. Avoid company or team acronyms.

Fleishman told me, "Acronyms have become part of most companies' vocabulary, but they can be alienating for new employees, candidates, or global teams."

I personally remember how frustrated I felt when I first joined my team at HubSpot and everyone kept saying "TL;DR" in meetings. I was too embarrassed to ask what it meant. I finally Googled the term, but in the interim, the acronym made me feel separate from the larger group.

While this is a small and innocent example, there might be bigger acronyms you use every day within your team that continue to alienate new members or employees from other teams. And if your company does choose to use specific acronyms (like, in HubSpot's case, H.E.A.R.T.), make sure you explain what it means during the employee onboarding process.

2. Use plain language in your writing rather than expressions or jargon.

Many of us use colloquial expressions every day. For instance, I often say, "It's just a ballpark figure" or "it should be a piece of cake," without pausing to consider whether the listener knows or has heard the term before.

Of course, this can be confusing to other parts of the world that aren’t familiar with such expressions. If your company has global offices or works with customers from across the globe, expressions that are common to you can pose a major deterrent to clear communication. 

For instance, in Dunn's Medium article, she writes, "We also avoid using metaphors (visual and written) that are specific to just one culture or class. So, for instance, we avoid using phrases like 'knock it out of the park' or 'hit a home run,’ even though these phrases are pretty common in North America as they’re just not going to resonate outside of the U.S. Not because people will be offended by a reference to baseball, but because they won’t be as familiar, so the meaning won’t be as clear."

The graphic below displays examples of colloquial words and phrases and plain language alternatives to ensure everyone understands you.

3. Refer to a theoretical person as "they" instead of "he" or "she."

As marketers, we're exceptional storytellers. Sometimes, however, whether you're talking offhandedly with a colleague or delivering a pitch, you might get caught up in using pronouns that unintentionally support stereotypes.

For instance, let's say you're giving a pitch and you say, "We've found through analysis that our readers are typically in a VP position or higher, which is why we believe we should lean into LinkedIn as a strategy in 2020. For instance, let's say our reader needs to deliver a presentation. He might turn to our blog ahead of time, but more likely, he'll turn to LinkedIn first."

Your fictitious VP-level reader doesn't need to be "male" or "female" -- why not call them by the non-gendered pronoun "they,” "them,” or "their"? You can still make your point, and you won't alienate people on your team who feel hurt that you've assumed that leaders are likely male.

This also relates to gendered terms that add nouns to the end of them, like salesman. Opting for a more inclusive term could be saying salesperson or sales rep. The image below shows additional examples of gendered terms and alternative phrases to use. 

4. Ensure your company's designs or images reflect a diverse group of people.

When potential customers take a look at your website, you want them to see people (or figures) that look like them. Simultaneously, you want potential new hires to see themselves reflected.

Otherwise, you're likely missing out on both potential customers, and future employees for your company.

Image Source

In her Medium post, Dunn writes, "Our product illustrators try to ensure that the people we represent in illustrations are diverse in appearance, and that these different types of people are represented doing many different things (for instance, a person of color doing the talking while others listen, a woman in a wheelchair at an executive desk, etc.)."

As you scale as a company, you want to ensure your marketing materials reflect as many groups of people as possible. Otherwise, you're unintentionally sending messages to people who don't see themselves in your content that your brand "isn't quite right for them."

5. Be mindful of terms related to race, ethnicity, nationality, and culture. 

Many terms used daily have roots in racism and discrimination, so using them can make people feel unsafe, whether in your marketing materials or day-to-day correspondence with team members. 

Some regularly used terms have roots in racism and discrimination or are taken from celebrations and sacred practices of marginalized communities. Using them in your marketing materials or day-to-day correspondence with team members can make people feel unsafe and unwelcome. 

For example, pow wow is often used informally to describe a meeting or get-together. Using it in such a way disregards pow wows as indigenous cultures’ sacred rituals and social gatherings — ceremonial events that have nothing to do with work. A simple alternative is saying stand-up, meeting, or hang-out. 

The image below displays other examples of words commonly used that are related to ethnicity, race, nationality, and culture that you can easily swap out for more inclusive terms. 

6. When speaking to colleagues about family, use gender-neutral labels for family members.

Obleada told me, "Inclusive language has a real impact on how 'themselves' folks feel they can be in a given space. As a queer woman, it makes me cringe when folks ask me about a boyfriend. Intentionally using gender neutral titles — parent, spouse, partner, child, etc. — when speaking about your or others' families can make a big difference in how comfortable someone may feel."

Rather than making assumptions, approach conversations with colleagues using gender neutral titles. For instance, it's better to use "parent" or "guardian" when making conversation with a colleague since "mom" or "dad" excludes family structures such as grandparents as caregivers, same-sex parents, etc.

7. Be mindful of medical conditions and ability terms. 

Common phrases like “turning a blind eye” are ableist and insensitive to people whose lives are impacted by medical conditions.

While likely used innocently, someone who hears such a phrase in the workplace or sees it in your marketing materials may feel unsafe and like you don’t represent them or what they care about. 

It’s best practice not to use such terms unless they’re relevant to your topic of conversation. The image below displays commonly used phrases that can be harmful that you might not have realized before and alternatives to implement.

8. When in doubt, ask individuals which pronouns they prefer (but make it clear they can choose not to identify, as well).

It's critical to note — there's no one-size-fits-all "right" and "wrong" when it comes to language. Many people have personal preferences, especially when it comes to identity.

For instance, person-first language (i.e., "people with autism") was introduced because many feel it's dehumanizing to put the disability or gender orientation first, as it seems to define the individual.

However, some prefer identity-first language (i.e., "autistic people") since they accept autism as an inherent part of their identity — identity-first language can even help evoke a sense of pride among individuals.

(For more information on person-first or identity-first, take a look at this article by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network.)

Over To You

It's critical you avoid applying hard-and-fast rules to all individuals, since these preferences are incredibly personal. You might consider asking them what they prefer, or offering up your own preferred pronouns to create a safe space for them to do the same — but only if they feel comfortable doing so. (To learn more about etiquette when it comes to asking pronoun preference, take a look at Gender Neutral Pronouns: What They Are & How to Use Them.)

Ultimately, it's important to remember none of us will get it "perfect" 100% of the time, but admitting when you've made mistakes and consistently working to communicate more inclusively are two major steps towards creating a more unified workforce, and creating deeper connections with your customers.

Remember — inclusive language is about widening your message and allowing it to resonate with as many people as possible, so it's critical for your business's bottom-line that you do everything you can to communicate more inclusively every day.

Creating a TikTok is half the battle — now you need the right people to watch it. But with over 1 billion monthly users on the platform, it's easy to get lost in the crowd.

Enter your secret weapon — the hashtag. While many marketers approach hashtags as an after-thought, they're a powerhouse for engagement, visibility, and discoverability. Even if you aren't running a full-scale hashtag campaign, they should be a part of your overall TikTok strategy.

Here, we'll explore the benefits of using TikTok hashtags, discuss best practices for using them, and uncover what types of hashtags are most popular on the platform.

What are TikTok hashtags?

Like Instagram and Twitter, TikTok uses hashtags to group content around a particular topic, making it easy for people to find videos that interest them.

The hashtag "formula" includes a hash sign (#), followed by a topic (e.g., crafts, travel, fashion, sports, etc.). The best hashtags tend to be relatively short, concise, and easy to remember.

Brands can use hashtags to build brand awareness, increase social engagement, and drive conversions. To go a step further, they can also sponsor a hashtag — known as a branded hashtag — to encourage TikTokers to create content around it. The most popular branded hashtags have amassed millions of views and thousands of response videos.

Next, let's dive deeper into the importance of TikTok hashtags — and cover best practices for using them.

Why are TikTok hashtags so important?

Hashtags have the power to expand your reach beyond your current audience. Let's dive deeper into their benefits:

1. Provide context.

For one, hashtags provide a layer of context for your TikTok videos. For instance, if you upload a video of you playing a video game, you could include the hashtag #gaming. Then, the TikTok algorithm decides who would be most interested in seeing your video on their feed.

2. Discoverability and engagement.

Hashtags categorize videos under certain topics — like #gaming — so users can easily find content they're interested in. As a result, your content has more chances to be discovered, even if someone doesn't follow your brand.

With more eyes on your content, you have a higher chance of engagement. After all, users can only "like" and comment on videos that appear in front of them. So, more reach typically translates to higher engagement.

3. Building community.

Hashtags are a great tool for building community. For instance, branded hashtags are an effective way to encourage users to engage with your brand and create videos around a sponsored hashtag.

For example, when Nissan Australia wanted to promote its new sports car, the JUKE, they turned to TikTok. They created a branded hashtag — #improvisewithJUKE — and challenged users to make their own car commercial voiceover, with the winner receiving a feature in a future JUKE commercial.

The results? 129.4 million video views globally and over 34,000 video submissions, leading to a 92% lift in brand awareness for the JUKE.

How to Use Hashtags on TikTok

Hashtags on TikTok work just like they do on Instagram and other social platforms. When you upload a video, you have the option to write a caption — and this is where you want to include your hashtags. While this sounds simple, here are a few best practices to keep in mind:

1. Find the best hashtags for your content.

It's essential to research hashtags relevant to your brand, your industry, and your audience. One way to do this is by checking out your competition because there's likely an audience overlap. Observe what hashtags they use and note which ones get the most views and engagement.

You can also find inspiration on the app's Discover page. Here, you can browse through trending hashtags and sounds. Discover also showcases popular videos that use these hashtags to help you find inspiration.

2. Combine niche hashtags with popular ones.

This might sound counterintuitive, but only targeting popular hashtags can be ineffective. While they have a larger audience, they're also highly competitive. Instead, it's better to have a mixture of both niche and popular hashtags.

Niche hashtags have fewer people searching for them, but those who do are highly engaged and interested. For instance, #food is a popular TikTok hashtag with millions of impressions, but #cakedecorating is more niche with a fraction of the audience. By incorporating both, you tap into two different audiences.

3. Stay mindful of the character limit.

TikTok limits captions to 300 characters. While you could squeeze as many hashtags as possible into your caption, a long string of hashtags can confuse your audience — and this does a poor job of explaining your video. Instead, experts suggest 3 to 5 hashtags as the optimal number.

Popular TikTok Hashtags

According to a recent Statista report, TikTok sees the most hashtag views from entertainment content (535 billion views, to be exact). This aligns with another study by HubSpot that reports funny and entertaining content has the highest engagement and ROI than any other content type.

The second most popular category on TikTok is dance with 181 billion hashtag views, followed by pranks, fitness and sports content, home renovations, and beauty and skincare.

To find the most popular hashtags in real-time, visit the Trend Discovery page on TikTok. Here, you will find a comprehensive list of trending hashtags, songs, and creators.

Back to You

Once you create a TikTok video, your work isn't over. Now you need to position your content in front of your audience. One of the best ways to do this is with hashtags. Start with the tips in this article and always keep an eye out for hashtags that relate to your brand or audience.

There's no shortage of advice in the blogosphere on how and where to spend your time on social media. How organizations are actually spending their time online, however, is a different story.

Unlike most marketing campaigns you see looking to get you using a product or service, non-profit social marketing is all about getting you to take action for a cause.

Often, non-profit organizations are tight on resources and don’t always have the ability to produce large, high-visibility campaigns. That’s where social media can help. Let’s dive into the social media platforms that non-profit orgs can leverage today.

How Non-Profits Leverage Social Media

There are three major ways that non-profit organizations can use social media to get the word out on causes that matter.

The first is through social challenges.

Think back to 2014 when the ice bucket challenge went viral. This challenge involved taking a bucket full of ice water and pouring it onto yourself, posting it on social media, donating to the cause, then nominating friends and family to follow suit.

This challenge, designed to raise awareness of ALS or Lou Gherig’s diseases, spread like wildfire through social media and helped the ALS association increase its annual funding by 187%.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Air Force Wrestling (@af_wrestle)

Social challenges are fantastic for two reasons: They usually involve doing something funny which increases their viral potential and they invite people to join in.

Another marketing tactic non-profit organizations use is user-generated content.

Social proof is used in marketing all the time to foster trust between a brand and its target audience. Brands often do this by sharing customer reviews.

Non-profit orgs can also use social proof to drive action.

In 2021, Habitat for Humanity included drawings done by children of Habitat homeowners sharing messages of hope, strength, and resilience.

For non-profits, the best stories come directly from the beneficiaries themselves. Everything from a video to a handwritten message can be used to show how impactful the work is.

TikTok

When it comes to non-profit marketing, TikTok is a great platform to raise awareness. It’s particularly helpful for reaching a younger audience, like Gen Z and Millennials.

According to TikTok, users made close to 75,000 donations on the platform in 2021 for causes ranging from fighting hunger to humanitarian relief efforts.

The social platform arms non-profit organizations with features that help them generate interest in their causes and fundraise.

For instance, in April 2020, TikTok introduced donation stickers that could be added to videos, live streams, and profiles.

They work with a third-party platform called Tiltify to process donations securely. As such, non-profit organizations that want to use this functionality must go through an approval process by Tiltify.

In addition, TikTok has also financially contributed to these organizations, recently donating $7 million to #GivingTuesday initiatives and matching donations when users use branded hashtags.

@siennamae #duet with @samsmith ♬ original sound - Sam Smith

Meta

Similar to TikTok, the social media platforms under Meta – notably Instagram and Facebook – also offer non-profit friendly features that facilitate donations and promote awareness.

To access these features, organizations must be eligible and sign up for charitable giving tools on Facebook.

Once that’s done, they’ll have access to a series of tools, such as:

• Donation buttons that they can add to their profile and share during live streams.
• Page fundraisers
• Volunteering sign-up forms
• Profile support buttons

You can find a list of tools by Meta here.

In addition to providing these tools, Meta has also contributed to many campaigns. Last year, on Giving Tuesday, the company matched up to $8 million in donations made to fundraisers on Facebook.

Image Source

To celebrate Instagram’s 11th anniversary, the social platform also matched fundraisers up to $50,000 from seven top creators on the platform through Giving Tuesday.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Instagram’s @design (@design)

While TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook currently offer the most advanced features for non-profits, organizations can still leverage other social platforms like Twitter and Clubhouse to drive awareness and action. However, if you’re a new org looking to gain some traction, these are great places to start.

If there’s one thing that Instagram understood with the creation of Instagram Reels it’s that it’s not just content that’s king — it’s video content. With TikTok surpassing 1 billion global downloads within 18 months of its launch, the app’s endless feed of short, entertaining video clips quickly became an internet sensation.

But, in August 2020 — as countries like the U.S. considered banning TikTok due to privacy concerns — Instagram launched Reels as a set of new audio and video editing features similar to what users would find on TikTok. Flashforward to 2022, and this burgeoning video feature now accounts for up to 20% of user activity on Instagram.

With numbers like these, it’s easy to see why Reels remain a major play for Instagram — so we’re here to explain everything you need to know about Reels in order to use them to your advantage.

Aside from allowing users to record videos with sound or audio overlays, the Reel camera and editor also include the following features on mobile:

• Editing tools: Create augmented reality effects, transitions, and the ability to speed up or slow down videos.
• Audio attribution: Overlay the sound in videos with audio from other user uploads (while the app gives sound credits to the original account).
• Stitchable takes: Make a video with just one long take or a combination of quicker takes.
• Duets: Add your Reel to one made from another account for side-by-side interaction. Find the Reel you’d like to duet with and click the circle settings to “Remix a Reel.”
• Instagram Shareability: Share Reels with just friends on your Stories or profile, or publicly in the Reels tab or Explore page.

Since June 2021, it's worth noting that ads are now supported in the Reels tab, the Explore page, and your Feed once a user taps into the Reel scroll. With the range of ways Reels appear to Instagram users — especially where people who don't follow your brand reside — your business has the opportunity to reach new audiences across the globe.

Here’s an example of what a Reels ad for your brand could appear as below:

Video Source

What’s distinct about Reels ads — and Stories ads — is that Instagram allows users to decide which ads appear to them. If they do not wish to see the ad, they can simply skip it or select the menu in the bottom right to hide or report it.

Step 1: Enter Reels mode within Instagram.

First, you need to know how to get to Reels on Instagram. You can start your Reels in 3 ways:

When you arrive at your Reels screen it should look something like this:

If so, you are now ready to begin recording, adding videos, editing, and overlaying audio if you haven’t found the right sound yet.

Step 2: Begin recording a video or adding pre-saved clips.

Before you record or create your Instagram Reel first make sure you have the latest version of the Instagram app. Then access the Reels screen according to your preference. Once you arrive at the Reels screen:

If you let go of the record button but still have time left in your Reel video, you can hold the button again to start a second clip that starts immediately after the first ends. As you record one or multiple clips for your Reel, the progress bar and countdown at the top of the screen will show you how much recording time you have left.

How to Add Effects to Reels

To add effects to your video simultaneously, you can select the editing option located on the left side of the Reels screen:

Choose between a 3 or 10-second timer, then drag the meter by the number of seconds you want your clip to be. To stop recording, re-tap the center circle button as you like.

Add a filter for additional creativity by selecting one from the bottom of your screen.

The filters for Reels are similar to Instagram Stories and many of these effects crossover between both video formats.

Step 3: Find audio for Reels.

Now it’s time to select audio and add it to your Reel. The audio feature enables you to overlay a pre-recorded sound from other users, songs available on Instagram, or your own audio.

If you are creating content around a specific song or sound bite, you may begin with this step prior to recording or adding clips. In either case, follow these steps to find the right tune to complete your Reel.

Then, voila — your audio is now added to your Reel. Make sure that you preview how it will align with your video by tapping Next, then adjusting clips accordingly.

How to Use Original Audio on Instagram Reels

Pro tip — if you do not see a Reel song you like, you can always add your own. To import your own sound:

Your Original audio is added and you are now credited for the sound — meaning your Instagram profile icon will as the audio icon.

How to Find Trending Instagram Reel Songs and Sounds

If you want to find trending Instagram Reels audio, there are a few different options available. One of the easiest ways is to browse through Instagram itself: scroll through the Reel sounds used by popular accounts or search popular hashtags like #trending songs or #trending audio.

You can also find trending Reel songs and sounds to use by tapping the Reels you find on your Explore page, clicking the song name on the bottom left corner, and taking a look at how many people have made Reels with that sound.

Once you decide if a song is popular — and upward trending — you can then save it for when you’re ready to bring your Reel to life.

How to Save Music on Instagram

If the sound is indeed too good to let it scroll past you, simply select Save Audio to keep it.

This audio will now live in your Saved folder so you can add it to a Reel when you’re ready.

You can also receive periodic notifications from Instagram letting you know if a song saved to make a Reel has passed a certain threshold.

So whether you’re looking for background music to add an extra flair to your Reel or letting the audio take you viral, there are plenty of resources for finding the right sound that’s in tune with your vision to quickly get your Reel posted.

Step 4: Post a Reel on Instagram.

Now that you have created your Instagram Reel and found the perfect track, posting it to Instagram is easy. To have your Reel live in no time:

Add your caption and hashtags as you would with your regular Instagram posts.After you decide whether to share your Reel to the Feed, at the bottom of the screen you have the chance to:

• Tag people or brands in the video.
• Rename Audio used in the video to your liking.
• Add Location information on where Reel was shot.
• Add Fundraiser events you are supporting.
• Recommend on Facebook or show your Reel to anyone on the platform — Facebook friend or not.

• Include a paid partnership label when you tap Advanced Settings at the bottom.

Once you’ve added all of your preferences, you can now select the Share to Reels button in blue:

You’ve officially shared your Reel on Instagram! But if you start these steps and decide your minute — or less — masterpiece requires further edits, you can always save the Reel as a draft so you don’t have to restart:

Finally, Reels can also be sent as direct messages or even posted to your Instagram Stories, similar to the grid posts you publish to your Feed.

Instagram Reels FAQ

Do Reels show up on your Feed?

Your Reel will show up on your Feed like any other Instagram post with a film clapperboard icon on the top right of the video. So feel free to scroll through them like you would a traditional video upload:

They have the standard 1:1 square ratio or a 1080px by 1080px Instagram post size on your grid. But once tapped, they will have their distinct 9:16 aspect ratio with a width and length of 1080px by 1920px:

Plus, your caption will sit under the Reel like the rest of your Instagram post captions whenever you choose the best time to post them.

When’s the best time to post reels on Instagram?

As far as we know, there is no “right” time to post Instagram Reels per se, but like any other form of Instagram content, the timing of your posts can play a role in their engagement metrics. If you want your Reel to be seen by as many people as possible, then you should post during peak times: the time of day when most of your audience is active on Instagram.

You can find out what your peak time is by using your Business or Creator Instagram account and tapping Insights to go to your Professional Dashboard.

Here you will see when your audience is most active, their interactions, their likes, and more metrics that give you a better understanding of how to best reach your audience.

How to See Instagram Reels Insights

Once you tap Insights on your profile feed, you will be brought to your Insights Overview.

To see what days or hours your audience is most interactive:

Select Hours to see how many accounts are active at specific times of day by tapping the blue columns. Use the arrows to switch days:

After you gauge how likely your audience is to interact with your Reel at a given time or day, you can now take it a step further and monitor your Reel’s performance:

By reviewing your Reels and audience Insights, you will be able to plan your content around what’s most engaging to your followers and post when they're most likely to enjoy it.

What You Need to Know About the Instagram Reels Algorithm

Like most Instagram content, Reels are ranked by Instagram’s algorithm. This algorithm is based on a number of different factors that include post engagement, length, content, and more.

What you should remember about the algorithm is that there is no trick of the trade to rank higher in users’ feeds. While there are Instagram users who may try to garner high engagement through methods like contests and giveaways, these tactics will not necessarily lead to long-term success.

But what you can do to help your Reel content appeal to the Reels algorithm is keep these points in mind:

• Create content that is short, sweet, and relevant to the current social times.
• Post regularly so Instagram can expect you to produce a consistent amount of Reel content.
• Be creative with your content and help lead trends instead of just following them.
• Use Instagram’s tools to edit and improve your videos.
• Add niche Instagram hashtags that are relevant to your products, services, and base.

So with a little bit of creativity and production direction, you can be a Reel connoisseur in no time.

Viral Brand Reels Examples

Whether you’re looking to create fun and engaging content to connect with your audience, or simply trying out a new Instagram marketing strategy, a Reel is a versatile tool that can help you achieve your goals. Especially, considering that Reels has increased Instagram engagement for brands like the NBA at a rate of 22% compared to the traditional Instagram videos.

But what can it do for your brand as you aim to increase awareness, reach, or sales? Let's take a look at some examples of how brands are leveraging Reels today to do just that:

1. Nike: A Brand Story

If you want your customers to believe in your brand, they need to believe in your story. For instance, one brand with exceptional storytelling on and off Instagram is — you guessed it — Nike. In this Reel, they let us into the lives of athletes who use Nike to train, win, and most importantly, live their lives.

Watch the screen as the Reel pivots between the NBA Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo as a child to him now as an NBA champion and listen to his emotional declaration on doing whatever it takes to succeed.

But what makes this spotlight on Giannis so impactful — 5 million views strong and counting — in just seconds is that this feeling is one many can relate to, especially their competitive base. Then, with the simple yet iconic black screen and white swoop, Nike is telling you that will help you win — that Nike is a part of what it takes. That’s a narrative that has made many backs this legendary brand.

2. HelloFresh: Products in Action

If your Instagram is all about selling a product, Reels are the perfect platform to show the quality of your creation in detail. If you’re promoting a service, Reels offers an opportunity to give your customers and followers a taste of what you do and how you do it.

For instance, take recipe ingredient delivery service HelloFresh:

This brand often uses Reels to cook their own recipes and showcase the delicious ingredients they provide for easy home cooking. By doing so, they are showing us the quality of healthy ingredients, ease of use, and taste satisfaction — the tenets of their products and services — and encouraging consumers to give it a try themselves.

3. Schiaparelli: A Behind-the-Scenes Peek

In this Reel, Italian fashion house Schiaparelli takes us behind the scenes of their haute couture design process, giving us a window into their brand that we wouldn’t have had otherwise — without a fashion degree.

By allowing us into the fold of their luxurious fabric selection, expert stitching, and creative fashion boards, the brand is showing us the expert execution it takes to create a one-of-a-kind Schiaparelli piece. We can now derive the value of the product through its craftsmanship, a value the brand knows, but one we may not immediately recognize.

The point is that now is the time to experiment with Reels to showcase your brand to the public. So constantly try new ways to create your Reel content. These short and snackable clips offer a unique opportunity for you to highlight your products, services, and personality in an authentic way. So consider these tips to put your brand’s best Reel forward on your next post.

Instagram Reels vs. TikTok

As you consider Reels, TikTok, and other emerging social media platforms in your marketing strategy, it's important to weigh the pros, cons, and key marketing takeaways when determining if a channel or feature is right for your team.

Here are just a few things to remember as you consider Reels:

Reels compete against a unique, viral sensation.

Although Instagram has a huge audience that is loyal to its platform, many Gen Z users are used to going to TikTok for viral videos and general entertainment. Because the app has pulled in astounding fan loyalty in its short lifespan, you might find that Reels don't have the same viral opportunities that TikTok videos might have.

What works on TikTok might not work on Reels.

TikTok is a highly experimental platform with a younger, but huge, global audience. Because of these factors, there aren't many rules about what you should and shouldn't post on there. Meanwhile, Instagram has been around for years, has a slightly older audience, and has some content norms or audience expectations set in place.

If you've already posted a handful of TikTok videos and want to test them on Reels, you can consider uploading a few, watching how they perform, and learning more about what works well on both platforms.

However, as you learn the differences between TikTok and Instagram audiences, you might find that high-performing TikToks aren't as engaging to your Reels audience. If this is the case, you might want to consider creating specialized content for Reels.

Reels Take Your Instagram Marketing Up A Notch

Although you'll want to keep the points above in mind as you consider testing out Reels, you'll also want to remember the opportunities it offers. For example, Reels might be a great option for you if you've mastered Instagram, know what content your audiences want, and are eager to test out TikTok-styled content. If you do begin to test out Reels, it can't hurt to brush up on your Instagram marketing skills and Instagram platform knowledge to ensure that your profile, other content, and — ultimately — your Reels will be on point for your brand and optimized for brand awareness.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in September 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness in June 2022.

Whether you’re a new or seasoned social media manager, managing a brand’s social presence can be overwhelming. After all, you’re behind every post and every interaction with potential customers so the pressure is on.

One way to ease that and make sure you’re at the top of your game is with a social media checklist. In this article, we’ll cover the daily and monthly tasks every social media manager needs to succeed.

Social Media Tasks

Before we get into the checklist, we’re going to break down the work of a social media manager into four pillars.

• Sharing – You must post on social media regularly to grow and maintain an audience.
• Engaging – Connecting with your audience, via polls, responding to comments and DMs, and reposting user-generated content, is key to building that brand loyalty.
• Monitoring – It’s important to know how your brand is perceived online, so you’ll need to monitor mentions of your brand as well as topics within your industry.
• Reviewing and Optimizing – If you’re not reviewing your performance, how can you improve? This is a necessary part of every social media strategy.

If you don’t share often, you’ll struggle to build an audience. Without an audience, you won’t have much to engage with. This also means that you’ll have little to no data about what works well and nothing to optimize or review.

This is all to say that to have a robust social media presence, you must be strong in all four areas. Now, let’s dive into the daily tasks you’ll need to complete in this role.

Social Media Daily Checklist

On a daily basis, you will be focused on the first three pillars: sharing, engaging, and monitoring.

While there is some reviewing and optimizing that can happen daily, you can better identify patterns when you do so on a monthly basis once you have compiled a good data set.

1. Sharing content.

Your number one priority on social media should be sharing content.

That’s what will allow you to reach your target audience, attract them to your brand, and keep them engaged.

When we surveyed 310 U.S.-based marketers in 2022, we found that most social media marketers post between four to six times a week on social media platforms.

While that is the average, some marketers post more or less depending on the platform. For instance, 29% of marketers surveyed said they post on Facebook every day while 35% said they do the same on Twitter.

However, when asked about Pinterest, most marketers surveyed only post two to three times a week.

Of course, how often you post will depend on a variety of factors including the return on investment.

Something else to consider is that sharing content doesn’t only mean from your brand. It can include user-generated content or content from another non-competitor that would add value to your audience.

2. Responding to comments and DMs.

One of the easiest ways to engage your audience is by responding to their comments.

If you’re struggling to generate comments in the first place, try starting a conversation and asking your audience to join it.

In this post, sunscreen brand KINLÒ asks its audience to share ways they protect their skin.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by KINLÒ (@kinloskin)

In that same vein, you can ask your audience to tag a friend that would enjoy your post.

Another way to engage your audience is by responding to direct messages. Often, consumers will reach out to brands on social media to learn more about the brand, ask specific questions related to shared content, or get help.

It’s important that you review these questions every day to leave a positive impression on your audience. If you take too long to answer, they may lose interest or escalate the issue by complaining to the public.

You can take it one step further by working internally with your customer support team to develop an escalation process once a customer reaches out via social media.

3. Monitor brand mentions and industry-related content.

When you’re growing your business, it’s vital that you know how your brand is being perceived online and what is being said about it.

According to our 2022 social media marketing report, 35% of marketers surveyed track brand mentions and hashtags on social media.

Thankfully with social media, that information is within reach. You can easily set up alerts to be noticed whenever your brand is tagged or mentioned on social media.

You can also routinely do searches on platforms like TikTok where alerts aren’t readily available.

This will allow you to gauge brand sentiment and quickly address concerns from your target audience.

Pro-tip: HubSpot’s social media management software includes a brand monitoring tool that will help you stay on top of all mentions and even track your competitors.

4. Identify trends and buzzy content.

Trends come and go just about every week on social media.

The trick is jumping in as they’re growing in popularity and knowing when they’ve died out.

The best way to find trends is by simply being on social media – social listening. You may start to notice a particular sound being used often or a song being added to every Reel you come across.

Some social platforms will tell you exactly what’s trending, like on TikTok’s "Discover" tab and Twitter’s "Trending" tab.

There are also accounts that are dedicated to finding trends as they happen and explaining their origin. This will help you determine which ones are worth joining and which ones you should stay out of.

As a brand, everything you put out there is a representation of your values. That’s why it’s important that you be extra careful when assessing trends.

See what videos other brands and users are creating with that trend. Are they funny and creative? Are they offensive? Do they align with your brand?

If not, it’s always OK to skip because there'll be another one coming around the corner.

5. Answer queries on forums.

When we think of social media, we often think of content-sharing apps like TikTok, Twitter, and Twitch.

However, some social apps – think Reddit and Quora – focus instead on conversations and community.

You may be surprised to find how many conversations people may be having about your brand on these websites. In addition to being a great source of information surrounding brand sentiment, you can also learn a lot about your audience’s challenges and pain points.

You can then leverage that information into value-packed posts to attract your audience.

6. Connect with brand evangelists.

Building brand loyalty is no easy feat. So once you’ve accomplished it, you have to invest time to maintain it.

This means connecting with your brand evangelists on a regular basis.

Yes! 😍

— Brandon Blackwood (@BBlackwoodNYC) April 27, 2022

This can look like commenting on their content and/or sharing it on your platform, giving them access to exclusive content, shouting them out, and inviting them to participate during live streams.

While social media can be filled with parasocial relationships, don’t let that be the case for you and your audience.

Social Media Monthly Checklist

1. Check your analytics.

Data is every brand’s most sacred asset. It holds incredibly valuable insights about your target audience.

On social media, your data will tell you the type of content your audience enjoys, what grabs their attention, and what generates conversions.

It will also help you identify trends. In fact, when we asked social media marketers "How do you predict which social media trends are worth investing in?" The top answer was by analyzing their social media analytics.

So, which metrics are marketers reviewing? Here are the top five, according to our survey:

• Likes and comments (41%)
• Sales (41%)
• Traffic to their website (41%)
• Impressions and views (40%)
• Brand mentions and hashtags (35%)

If you have at least one month’s worth of data, you can start finding out which posts perform the best and dig into the why.

Through your analytics, you can also assess which social platforms are worth investing in. According to our survey, the top three metrics marketers look at to make this decision are:

• Impressions/views
• Sales
• Follower or subscriber count

Whether you’re already succeeding or struggling on social media, reviewing your data will always set you up for a better month ahead.

2. Set goals.

Once you’ve reviewed your analytics and know what went well and what can be improved, you can set your goals for next month.

For instance, say you notice that last month’s videos outperformed any other content type and generated 2,000 visits to your website. For next month, you can up the number of videos you post and set a visit goal of 3,000.

Whether it’s increasing your reach, generating more engagement, or driving more traffic to your website, setting goals will serve as your north star and allow you to schedule content that aligns with these goals.

3. Schedule next month’s content.

When you’re managing multiple social media accounts, you have to plan your content ahead of time. Otherwise, you risk under planning and not having enough content.

You’ve already set your goals for the month. So now, it’s just a matter of creating content that best aligns with them.

For instance, say you want to increase your reach and last month’s data shows that your most shared content relates to three main topics. You can then center next month’s content on these three topics.

When scheduling content, you should also consult other teams to determine if there are any events, announcements, or campaigns that you will need to share.

The earlier you have your creative assets – images, videos, copy – the easier it will be to create your content calendar.

Pro-tip: We created a social media content calendar template to make planning posts and coordinating campaigns easy.

There you have it – a detailed social media checklist that will have you on top of your game every day.