We like to think of ourselves as rational creatures, but often our primary drivers turn out to be emotional. Here, Definition’s Kate Eggleshaw argues that smart brand strategy is emotive brand strategy.
It’s no surprise, then, that we’ve seen the fight to win customers’ hearts (and not just their minds) ramping up. From Nike to Coca-Cola, and Apple to Patagonia, you don’t have to look far to find big brands that thrive on emotional connection.
Despite its clear commercial benefits, attempting emotional connection is a strategy that should be approached with caution. Done well, it can be a powerful tool for strengthening customer relationships and engaging your teams, driving towards a ‘why’ that’s so much bigger than profit. Attempt it without credibility, though, and your efforts will fall flat.
A tale of two brands
Take Cadbury and Pepsi: two brands whose communications have attempted to drive emotional engagement with customers, with famously mixed results.
Cadbury’s drumming gorilla campaign was a masterclass in reigniting emotional connection. Following a salmonella scare, this campaign reminded customers of the sense of ‘joy’ and ‘nostalgia’ that had long been associated with the Cadbury brand, driving a 10% increase in sales despite the absence of product in the campaign. By skilfully, and subconsciously, redirecting customers to their previous positive associations, Cadbury was able to grow consumer confidence with credibility.
Contrast this with Pepsi’s infamous ‘Live for Now’ campaign. The brand attempted to carve out purpose and emotional connection by “projecting a global message of unity, peace and understanding” in a space where they had little understanding, no track record, and no credibility. It backfired in a dramatic way.
So, how do emotive brands drive commercial success as Cadbury did, and avoid that Pepsi mistake?
1. Start with the customer
As people who work with brands day after day, we can easily forget that the customers we’re targeting don’t care (or even think) about the brands we work with in the same way that we do. They care about themselves, their loved ones, and the goals that they want to reach. To really connect with them, you’ll need to gather insights that help you understand the emotions driving their decisions, and then appeal to these consistently.
Experts have identified ten high-impact emotional motivators that significantly affect customer behavior across all categories. They range from the way that people wish to be seen (“I want to stand out from the crowd”) to the way that they want to feel (“I want to feel a sense of thrill”).
Emotive brands build connection by putting the customer first. They identify the motivators that matter to their customers where their brand can play a credible role and then make sure that they help customers feel that way in, or about, themselves – time after time.
2. Have purpose, but make it relevant
Brand purpose is often seen as a tool for driving emotional connection with customers, and many brands now understand the importance of standing for something meaningful.
However, when brands mistake purpose for being about noble cause, rather than the ‘why’ at the heart of your organization, it can lead to action that lands as inauthentic, irrelevant, and arrogant (see Pepsi, or the more recent backlash against NatWest/Coutts and allegations of ‘corporate moralism’…).
Strong brand purpose is a direct and relevant extension of your products and services, and weaves consistently through your operations, as well as the customer and colleague experience you deliver. It also puts your customer first. Remember, it’s all about their emotional motivators, and how your product or service can meet them.
Nike’s brand purpose is a brilliant illustration. “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world. *If you have a body, you are an athlete” is credible, relating directly to the brand’s products. It powerfully speaks to its audience’s emotional motivators and identity, and sets a clear direction for the customer and colleague experience that it delivers.
3. Keep your promises
Simple as it may sound, the key to delivering an emotionally connective brand is to do what you say you do. It might feel obvious, but when brands fail to deliver on the promises made in their communications, customers become disconnected and trust – that valuable foundation of deeper relationships – evaporates.
Your communications are just part of the mix. Whether it’s the decisions you make, the way you operate, the experience you deliver to customers and colleagues, or your products, absolutely everything that your organization says and does, internally and externally, must be aligned to your brand.
Emotional connection with customers can be a dauting, high-risk strategy, but it’s proven to deliver high rewards. Consistently deliver on a credible promise that speaks to the real emotional motivators of your audience and you’ll establish strong, long-lasting customer relationships that your competitors will struggle to break.
Let this year be where your brand’s story becomes not just told but celebrated.
The onset of a new year brings a fresh perspective, encouraging leaders to evaluate and enhance how they communicate and connect with their audiences. Brands and their leaders are presented with the opportunity to redefine and strengthen their public relations (PR) and media approaches. The new year is a time for innovation and growth, and in the realm of PR, it’s about crafting strategies that resonate with your audience and set your brand apart.
Let’s explore five transformative strategies that can redefine how you approach PR this year, ensuring your brand remains at the forefront of innovation and engagement.
1. Be proactive, not reactive
The cornerstone of a robust PR strategy is proactivity. Anticipating trends, understanding your audience’s evolving needs, and preparing your narrative well in advance can position your brand as a leader rather than a follower. However, the magic lies in balancing this preparedness with the ability to pivot.
The PR landscape is dynamic, and success often hinges on your ability to swiftly adapt to unforeseen events and trends. Your PR strategy must continuously monitor the media landscape, understand emerging platforms and identify potential opportunities or threats. It’s about having a strategic plan in place while being ready to make quick, informed decisions when the unexpected occurs. This blend of foresight and flexibility enables a brand to stay relevant and engaging in our fast-paced world.
2. Storytelling over selling
Consumers seek more than just a product or service; they crave a connection, a story they can be part of. This shift necessitates a move from straightforward selling to compelling storytelling. Crafting narratives that encapsulate your brand’s ethos and resonate with your audience’s aspirations creates a deeper, more meaningful connection. These stories should be authentic, relatable, and, most importantly, reflective of your brand’s values.
Effective storytelling in PR is about weaving a narrative that informs, inspires and engages the audience. It’s about finding the unique elements of your brand’s story and telling them in a way that creates an emotional resonance with your audience, making your brand memorable and impactful.
3. A 360-degree approach
In today’s multifaceted media landscape, relying solely on digital media can limit your brand’s reach. A holistic approach encompassing podcasts, Instagram Lives, broadcast media, and more can significantly enhance your PR strategy. Each medium offers unique opportunities and access to different audience segments.
For instance, podcasts can provide a more intimate way to convey your story, while Instagram Live can foster real-time engagement. This diverse approach ensures a more comprehensive and impactful reach. A 360-degree approach also means integrating your PR strategy with other marketing efforts, ensuring a consistent brand message across all platforms. It’s about leveraging each medium’s strengths to create a cohesive and far-reaching brand narrative.
4. Think beyond the press release
While the traditional press release still has its place, today’s PR landscape calls for a more creative approach. It’s about breaking the mould and finding innovative ways to share your story. This could mean crafting immersive digital experiences, collaborating with influencers in unique ways, or leveraging emerging technologies to create engaging narratives.
The key is to think outside the box, offering your audience something fresh and unexpected, which in turn can generate more interest and coverage. It’s about creating content that not only informs but also entertains and engages your audience, making your brand stand out in a crowded media landscape.
5. The power of delegation
Hiring a dedicated PR team is a game-changer for any business looking to elevate its public image. The complexity and nuances of modern PR require specialized skills that only a dedicated team can provide. A PR team allows the brand to have experts solely focused on PR, ensuring that each campaign is well-crafted and aligns perfectly with the brand’s overall goals and image. This dedicated team becomes the brand’s storytellers and reputation guardians, adept at navigating the ever-changing media landscape and adeptly crafting the brand’s presence in the public eye.
Let this new year be the moment you ignite a transformative journey in your PR endeavors. Envision your brand not just as a participant in the market but as a trailblazer, setting new standards in how stories are told and connections are made. Let the passion for your brand fuel innovative strategies, and allow the expertise of a dedicated PR team to amplify your voice.
Hannah Cranston is CEO of HCM, a PR & communications agency that helps changemakers share their story with the world. HCM’s clients have run for President, developed a TV series, created a YouTube channel with millions of followers, interviewed the top business leaders in the world, and gone viral!
The results show that AI is a logically a big focus, while maximizing shrinking ad budgets, and customer retention, are also significant considerations.
And of course, LinkedIn remains the leading platform for many B2B industries.
You can check out the full results in the below infographic.
Instagram has announced several updates across photos, carousels, Reels, Stories, and insights.
What’s New
Text to Speech: 10 new text-to-speech voices in English are now available in select countries.
Filters: New filters for photos and carousels featuring different styles and tones.
Text & Font Styles: New text fonts and styles for Stories and Reels.
Custom Stickers: Users can create custom stickers from their photos, videos, or eligible content across Instagram.
GIF Clip Hub: A library featuring clips with audio from movies, TV shows, and more is now accessible.
Improved Insights: Reels insights have a new metric in Replays (the number of times a Reel starts playing again after its initial play). In addition, the definition of Plays has been updated to include Initial Plays (the number of times a Reel starts to play for the first time in a session) and the addition of Replays. An interactive Retention Chart will soon be added, providing insights into how many people watch a Reel moment-by-moment.
The Momentum Continues
Instagram maintains momentum by delivering a new set of valuable updates for creators, following last week’s marathon of releases for Reels. This time, Instagram addresses multiple experiences across the platform, but Reels is still the main focus.
New Ways for Creators to Express Themselves
New additions like text-to-speech voices, Custom Stickers, and the GIF Clip Hub empower creators with new options to express their creativity, both visually and audibly, making their content more engaging. The GIF Clip Hub is notable as it may lead to more meme-style Reels, especially for creators who review shows, movies, or comment on pop culture.
More Accurate Tracking for Reels Performance
The updates to Reels insights are noteworthy. This adjustment means that creators will now see higher metrics for Plays, as Replays are now included in the count. For brands collaborating with creators on sponsored Reels content, this translates to more accurate tracking and the potential for higher views for influencer marketing campaigns during reporting.
Both creators and brands gain a more comprehensive understanding of Reels content performance, utilizing metrics like Replays to distinguish content that garners repeat views from one-time engagements.
A Renewed Focus on Photos
In a departure from recent trends, Instagram’s launch of filters for photos and carousels suggests that it is dedicating more time to its core content format – photos, even though short-form videos remain the main priority. Another example of this shift is seen in photos being incorporated as part of Instagram’s new test of invite-only Holiday bonuses. Creators can monetize based on the number of views their photos receive, in addition to Reels.
The convergence of ecommerce with social media influencers creates a dynamic symphony of trust, engagement, and sales.
The digital revolution in ecommerce has brought forth numerous innovations, with the role of social media influencers standing out distinctly. These online mavens, each with distinct flair and following, are crafting a new narrative in online marketing. Central to this transformation is social commerce, an innovative strategy that weaves shopping into the tapestry of social media.
Unpacking the phenomenon of social commerce
Social commerce signals a paradigm shift in how consumers experience online shopping platforms. Rather than the traditional browsing and searching, it offers a richer, more engaged shopping journey. Modern consumers, especially those in the millennial and Gen Z demographics, are tightly intertwined with their social media accounts. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Facebook aren’t just for entertainment; they serve as lifestyle compasses, guiding users in everything from pop culture to shopping choices.
In this digital landscape, influencers have carved a niche for themselves. Their content, genuine and relatable, shines bright amid the bombardment of traditional advertisements. When these influencers vouch for a product, it’s seen not as a sales pitch but as a sincere recommendation. Augmenting this is the allure of convenience that social commerce brings. The process is incredibly streamlined; one can spot a product on a post or story, swipe or click on it, and be led directly to an online checkout. The entire experience is swift, smooth, and satisfying.
The inimitable role of influencers
At the core of the social commerce machine are influencers. These individuals, with their varied followings, are more than just digital personalities; they’re pillars of modern marketing. Unlike celebrities who might endorse various products, influencers are selective, ensuring their endorsements often stem from personal experiences and align with their brand. This selective approach, combined with their domain-specific expertise, makes influencers trust magnets.
For instance, a beauty influencer’s tips on skincare are valued because they’re backed by experience, while a tech influencer’s gadget review is awaited for its depth and authenticity. Additionally, influencers prioritize engagement. Their interactions aren’t limited to broadcasting content. They chat, conduct polls, share snippets of their lives, and create a shared digital space with their followers. This two-way communication fosters a bond, a digital kinship that’s deeply valued. Another feather in their cap is their expertise in visual content. In an age where visuals dominate, influencers, with their compelling images, videos and stories, hold their audience’s rapt attention.
Strategic collaborations for mutual growth
The collaboration between brands and influencers is multifaceted. There is sponsored content, where influencers create posts or videos infused with their personal experiences with products. While promoting, they ensure transparency, often tagging these as #ad or #sponsored. Then there’s affiliate marketing, a performance-centric approach where influencers reap rewards based on the sales generated via their unique links.
Some collaborations transcend regular promotions. Think of a renowned beauty influencer launching a limited-edition product line with a major brand. Such initiatives blend the influencer’s personal brand with the product, promising authenticity and unparalleled quality. Beyond these, some brands envision a longer journey with influencers, turning them into brand ambassadors. This deep relationship ensures that the influencer becomes an enduring face and voice for the brand.
Enduring impacts and considerations
The synergy between brands and influencers leads to tangible benefits. Enhanced brand recall, exponential growth in sales and spikes in website traffic are common positive outcomes. On the trust front, influencers act as a bridge, lending their credibility to the brands they endorse. However, like all strategies, this one isn’t without pitfalls. Over-commercialization can dilute an influencer’s authenticity.
Moreover, ensuring that the influencer’s personal brand aligns with the corporate brand is crucial. Then, there’s the challenge of measuring the intangibles. While metrics like clicks, views, and sales are straightforward, quantifying trust or brand perception remains nebulous. It’s also crucial to remember that influencer marketing isn’t an unregulated frontier. Clear guidelines, especially about disclosures, exist, and both brands and influencers must adhere to them to maintain credibility and avoid legal pitfalls.
Conclusion
The convergence of e-commerce with social media influencers creates a dynamic symphony of trust, engagement, and sales. For consumers, it offers a shopping experience that’s rich, trustworthy, and interactive. For brands, it’s a golden ticket to visibility and authenticity in a crowded digital marketplace. Looking ahead, with innovations on the horizon, this partnership promises to redefine the retail landscape further. In a rapidly evolving digital world, the bond between e-commerce platforms and influencers is beneficial and essential. They aren’t just changing the game – they’re crafting a new one for the next generation of online shopping.
Founder & CEO Benevolent by nature, Kartik is a diverse man of diverse and unpredictable choices, a serial entrepreneur. One may find him not just reading stoics or seizing the present like jumping off a plane. He is pro skydiver/licensed scuba. He doesn’t speak in hypotheticals and lives life by doing.
Stop following SEO strategies that don’t work. Discover the five essential SEO tips you need to grow your small business.
Many small businesses often struggle to attract quality leads to their website. That’s because there’s a common misconception that you need a big budget for advertising, which leaves many entrepreneurs feeling trapped and unsure of how to improve their digital presence.
The truth is that search engine optimization (SEO) can help you get consistent leads without having to pay a ton of money for advertising. SEO is a great way for your content to rank well on search engines, thus establishing your authority and improving online visibility.
And yet — some business owners shy away from SEO because it seems complex, and they don’t have time to learn all about it. Luckily, you don’t have to.
In this article, I’ll tell you about the five most beneficial things you can do to leverage SEO to grow your business. Let’s dig in.
1. Create quality content
Your website is an information hub that search engines analyse to determine whether it’s relevant to users. This means that if you want to establish topical authority and secure a good ranking on search engines, you need to create quality content.
For example, if you run an accounting agency, your website should have a blog section covering the most important topics about accounting. That way, search engines see you as an authority in the industry, which increases your chances of ranking high for relevant keywords.
So, what does quality content look like?
Quality content should be relevant, addressing the questions and needs of your target audience. It should also be deep, offering insights and solutions that showcase your expertise and match user intent.
Your content should also be engaging and valuable. You can achieve that through user-friendly storytelling, recent and trustworthy data, interactive elements, good visuals or thought-provoking discussions.
Poor-quality content is a short wall of unstructured, uninformative text with excess keyword stuffing, no visual elements and a lack of any benefit to the reader. Publishing this type of content brings no value to your business.
2. Use guest blogging
Backlinks are crucial to your website’s authority and ranking because they help establish credibility with search engines.
When other factors like content quality and user-friendliness are equal, search engines perceive a website with a higher number of quality backlinks as more authoritative and trustworthy. Essentially, backlinks function as endorsements from other websites, signaling to search algorithms that your content is valuable and relevant.
So, how do you get backlinks?
One practice you can use to acquire backlinks to your website is guest posting. It allows you to contribute well-crafted, insightful content to reputable websites in your industry, giving you a chance to position yourself as an authority.
Guest blogging has multiple benefits: It allows you to showcase your expertise in front of more people and helps you build backlinks. That’s a perfect way to boost your online visibility, outrank your competitors and attract a broader audience to your digital domain.
3. Create service landing pages
Service landing pages are dedicated sections on a website that provide detailed and focused information about specific products or services a business offers. They help support targeted marketing efforts and improve overall user experience.
Each service page presents an opportunity to optimize for specific keywords related to that offering. That allows you to match the user’s search intent and contributes to your overall SEO strategy.
Navigating a website becomes easier when visitors can easily find detailed information about the services they are looking for. Service pages streamline the user journey, reducing bounce rates and increasing engagement. They guide potential customers from exploration to engagement.
What does a service landing page look like?
Let’s say you are a personal injury lawyer looking to boost your SEO. Your service landing pages should be about slip and fall injuries, automobile accidents and workplace injuries. That provides quick and valuable information to people looking for these services and improves your visibility on search engines.
4. Create location landing pages
Location landing pages are designed to provide specific and localized information about the products or services a business offers in a particular geographic area.
They are crucial for businesses serving multiple locations because they improve local SEO efforts, offering a tailored approach that caters to the unique needs and search intent of users in a specific area. Dedicated landing pages for each city or region improve online visibility in local search results and provide a more personalized experience for potential customers. This increases the likelihood of successful conversion.
For example, a small personal injury law firm based in Texas would benefit from having location landing pages for cities like Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano and Irving. Creating these unique pages on the website tailored to the legal needs of residents in each city can significantly improve local SEO efforts.
5. Improve website experience
In 2023, user experience impacts how well your content ranks on search engines. That’s because Google and other search engines want to ensure their users are satisfied with search results, which is why they go for solutions that are simple, quick and accessible.
Here’s how you can improve your website experience for your visitors:
Create strategic CTAs to guide users in their journey
Optimize content readability
In 2023, you don’t need a hefty advertising budget to grow your small business. All you need is to be strategic with your SEO efforts.
Creating quality content, service landing pages and location landing pages helps you set a good base for your SEO. Guest blogging and optimizing your website experience can help take your SEO to the next level.
Use these five strategies to transform your digital presence and grow your business.
Founder at MintSEO. Nick Zviadadze is a growth marketing specialist with more than eight years of experience in SEO, copywriting and content marketing. He’s the founder of MintSEO, a fully-remote SEO and content marketing agency. He helps businesses drive growth by improving their search visibility.
You can’t go a step in the advertising and marketing world these days without running into someone’s hot new application of artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
It’s the shiny new object of the moment that has captured our attention, and it’s driving agencies and brands into a mad dash to be first to market.
Admittedly, AI can offer us lots of advantages and innovations, and I gladly acknowledge that it’s important for the future of business. However, just like when we raced to be the first to launch branded NFTs, hurriedly adopted social media once it started exploding, or rushed to get our web pages up in the mid-1990s, I fear we’re pushing forward without much of a plan.
Instead of focusing immediately on the kind of technology, channel, or tactic we’re using, let’s take a quick breath and remember why we’re doing what we do. Because whenever I have a conversation with a C-suite executive or business owner, they’re only focused on two things:
Growing revenue and market share
Defending revenue and market share
In our eagerness to show expertise and forward thinking, we too often forget a simple truth: No matter how much the technology or media changes, the fundamentals of achieving business goals and creating positive customer experiences do not. So, no matter how cool a new technology may seem, it accomplishes little if we don’t consider whether it improves the customer’s perception and purchase-readiness for the brand.
ALWAYS APPLY YOUR MARKETING BASICS
Over the last century, the basics of marketing have changed very little—because they work. We have a core set of tools that allow us to create awareness, generate sales, and create advocacy. We call it the customer lifecycle. And it clearly defines where the customer is in their relationship with a brand, guiding us to the next reasonable interaction with them.
Whether we’re talking radio, TV, digital, mobile, out of home, or any media you can think of, the fundamentals remain true. For every marketing challenge, we first look at where the customer is in the lifecycle, we determine which media is best for reaching them, and then we send out an appropriate marketing message.
The hype around AI would seem to suggest that it reinvents this process—that somehow AI can be applied in every use case and every situation. Let me assure you, it doesn’t and it shouldn’t.
AI provides executional advantages. Sending out more personalized messages, enhancing response time on customer requests, or generating creativity in the blink of an eye are amazing features. But these advantages become meaningless if your system sends out an invasively personal email at the wrong point in the lifecycle.
We always need to know why we’re using a media or technology each time we apply it. Because the customer matters and we need to follow their lead to know why, when, and how they would like to receive communications from us.
AVOID SOLUTIONS THAT DON’T SERVE YOUR CUSTOMERS
Some of the biggest advantages of new martech and adtech solutions come down to efficiency and cost savings. AI in particular is lauded for its ability to simplify complex tasks and make the workplace more productive.
The trouble is we’re kidding ourselves if we believe that our internal efficiency positively impacts the customer’s experience in any perceivable way. It certainly doesn’t contribute to growing sales, that’s for sure. It simply dehumanizes consumer interactions for the sake of cost cutting.
On the surface, a faster response time might be able to improve the customer experience when contacting a brand, and a more personalized message that’s timed perfectly may better inspire a customer to respond. However, when most AI today can’t even pass a Turing test, why would we entrust our entire customer pipeline to its flawed reasoning?
Again, the basics apply here. We are in the business of serving customers in marketing. Assuming this is true, we need to always measure our solutions against the lens of: Is this serving my customers and improving their experience as I try to meet my company’s goals? If not, we need to question the usefulness of the tactic.
EVOLVE THE RULES RATHER THAN JUST BREAKING THEM
Shiny new things are great fun. I get it. They allow us to push the boundaries of what’s possible and evolve the marketing world in interesting ways. But we need to embrace the basics first. The rules are there for good reason, and if we break them all without any consideration to why they were there in the first place, we may find ourselves doing more harm than good to our brands and our customer relationships.
Tim Ringel is a cofounder and global CEO of Meet The People.
Without sounding too ‘Been there, done that’ – when it comes to live stream events – we were early adopters at Asos.
During my time leading the social media team there, we ran an earlier iteration of this e-commerce revolution. Albeit a little scrappier than what we’re seeing now.
Ours included live and interactive Twitter competitions. Yes, remember Twitter?
We also coordinated live virtual games of Pass the Parcel and Take Me Out (although the latter was a total disaster!) on our social media platforms. But that was then, and in the seven years since, live events have evolved into something altogether slicker, cooler and oh-so profitable. So much so that Coresight Research predicts that by the end of this year, sales from livestream events will reach $32bn, and by 2026, will account for over 5% of total e-commerce sales.
Huge.
This contrasts sharply with a retail environment that feels more than a little flat. We’re hearing of super low conversation rates of around 1-2% and basket abandon rates of 90%. People are not finding what they want online. And if they do, about 20-30% return them afterward. But then there are live shopping events. The unicorn of e-commerce. A bastion of hope for brands and influencers.
Although it might seem gimmicky – may I refer you to my team’s earlier experiments at Asos – livestream shopping actually solves a significant customer problem. Although convenient, shopping online can feel boring, impersonal and wholly functional. There’s none of the human access and interaction that stores and social platforms can offer, and in the case of beauty in particular, none of the tailored advice those hallowed beauty counters provide. It’s all just transactional.
This is why we’ve seen so many brands and creators pivot in recent years. To take everything they’ve learned from their social media presence – and combine it with products they really know and believe in. The result is a new e-commerce revenue channel that feels engaging and interactive, like social, but sells products at speed and scale. The result is livestreaming.
So, what do I mean by livestreaming? I mean video content hosted on social media platforms like TikTok Live and Instagram Live or on a brand’s website. Presented by a personality, the content will usually be themed around a trend, product launch, seasonal moment etc. (think of it like a campaign), and when the presenter mentions certain products, the platform will show the product on screen. It will be easily-shoppable for viewers. Chat functionality allows viewers to ask questions in real-time to make their shopping experience feel even more tailored and special.
The success stories are rolling in thick and fast. In one week this summer, make-up artist and brand owner Mitchell Halliday earned $2m selling his Made by Mitchell (MBM) mystery bundles live on TikTok. Flash sales are nothing new in retail. But the power of his personality, the entertainment of not knowing what bundle a customer would get, the unboxing videos that followed, and his deep understanding of his followers and products made his flash sales feel entirely new.
But social media platforms don’t have a monopoly on providing this service to brands and creators. Most of them have lagged behind D2C e-commerce sites. In the UK, beauty brands like Pai Skincare have led the way. Mostly presented by the brand’s founder, Sarah Brown – it has gone live with 65 live shows since 2020, which, like Made by Mitchell’s, now live under a ‘Watch ’tab on its website. And just like MBM, it is being presented by a charismatic personality that embodies the brand and knows everything there is to know about the products – because it created them. That makes them totally authentic and, more importantly, unflappable during a live show. No question could derail them; no accidental deleting of a script would be an issue. And that’s why it works. In fact, by 2021, 10% of Pai’s online revenue was generated by live shopping. And its conversion rate from livestreamed shows? A staggering 17%.
The tech that enables live streaming is getting better and better, too. Third-party providers like Wonder.live or Bambuser – whose livestream shopping clients include fashion brands like Adidas, Stella McCartney, Net-A-Porter, Fendi and Farfetch – boast four times higher engagement than Instagram, three times longer session time than traditional e-commerce and ten times higher conversion.
There’s no longer the need to question whether the Western markets are ready for livestreaming; it is time to test, learn, go live and sell.
In this article, get ideas for your next LinkedIn carousel from different creators plus best practices to make this engaging format easy to produce.
LinkedIn carousels are a great content format for many reasons. First, the LinkedIn algorithm prioritizes this content format, probably thanks to the visual appeal and subsequent engagement. Much like Instagram carousels, they tend to be very appealing because they differentiate from the other types of content you might come across on your feed.
They also tend to perform quite well – I’ve only posted a few, but they tend to be one of my top-performing formats, a win for my personal branding efforts. And according to our internal data, they have the third-highest engagement rate after video and photo posts at 4.2 percent.
However, I’ll also be the first to admit that they can be difficult to work with, especially if your design skills are sorely limited. Thanks to tools like Canva (and our handy guide to creating and scheduling this format in Buffer), that hurdle is less difficult to climb – until you reach the next one: idea generation.
So, in this article, I’ll give you some ideas for your next carousel from different creators and share some best practices to make this engaging format easier than ever to produce.
1. Share news related to your industry
Keeping your audience informed about the latest industry news not only positions you as a knowledgeable source but also provides value to your followers.
Here are two creators who have mastered the art of sharing industry news through LinkedIn carousels:
Girl Power Marketing uses a distinct tone of voice and visual branding to share important social media updates.
Why this works: The carousel is visually appealing, and the information is presented in a concise, easy-to-understand format. This makes it easy for the audience to stay informed about the latest trends and changes in the social media landscape.
Pretty Little Marketer shares their favourite marketing moments of the year in a visually engaging carousel.
Why this works: By highlighting key campaigns and explaining their effectiveness, they provide valuable insights and learnings for her audience. The carousel is not only informative but also invites engagement by asking the audience to share their own favorite marketing moments.
2. Share company culture and employee highlights
Showcase your company’s culture, values, and team members through a carousel. This can help build brand awareness, humanize your brand, and build trust with your audience. For instance, you could create a carousel featuring employee spotlights or behind-the-scenes glimpses of your office.
Beehiiv uses LinkedIn carousels to welcome new hires. In this post, they introduce two new employees, sharing their roles and expressing excitement about their joining the team.
Why this works: This approach works because it not only introduces new team members but also gives a sense of the company’s growth and global reach. It creates a sense of community and shows that the company values its employees. This can help to attract potential employees and customers who value a strong, inclusive company culture.
Deel, an international company, uses LinkedIn carousels to highlight individual employees. In this post, they spotlight David Alejandro Lira, expressing their excitement about having him on board and hinting at his potential future influence.
Why this works: This approach works because it puts a face to the company, making it more relatable and human. It also shows that the company values its employees and their individual contributions. This can help to build trust with potential employees and customers, who may be more likely to engage with a company that values its people.
3. Give step-by-step instructions and advice
Use carousels to provide step-by-step instructions or guides. This can be useful for sharing how-to content, tutorials, or tips. For example, you could create a carousel that walks users through setting up a specific software or tool.
Jay Clouse shares a guide to posting over the holiday season. He provides a step-by-step approach to repurposing content and scheduling posts.
Why this works: This approach provides actionable tips clearly and concisely. The step-by-step format makes it easy for the audience to follow along and implement the advice. Additionally, the timely nature of the content (posting over the holiday season) makes it particularly relevant and useful for the audience.
Alex shares five things everyone should know about strategy. He breaks down complex strategic concepts into easily digestible points.
Why this works: This approach simplifies complex ideas (strategy) into easily understandable points. The use of a numbered list helps to structure the content and guide the reader through the key points. This makes the content more accessible and engaging, helping the audience to better understand and apply the concepts.
4. Share interesting information and facts
Sharing interesting facts, trivia, or insights related to your industry or niche can position you as a thought leader and engage your audience. For instance, you could create a carousel highlighting little-known facts about your industry.
Mad Over Marketing shares an interesting fact about how Heinz is fighting ketchup fraud with a genius hack, ‘The Label of Truth.’
Why this works: This approach works because it shares an intriguing story about a well-known brand, which can capture the audience’s attention. The post also highlights the brand’s innovation and customer-centric thinking, which can inspire other businesses and marketers. The information is presented in a fun and engaging way, making it more likely to be shared and remembered by the audience.
Verneri Brander shares a comparison between Claude AI and ChatGPT for email marketing. He provides insights into how these AI tools can be used to create effective email marketing campaigns.
Why this works: This approach works because it provides valuable insights into a trending topic (AI in email marketing). The post not only shares information but also provides a practical application, making it more useful for the audience. By sharing his experiences and opinions, Verneri adds a personal touch to the post, making it more relatable and engaging.
5. Turn complex data and ideas into easily digestible frames
Transforming complex data or information into visually appealing slides is an excellent way to make your content more accessible and engaging.
For example, you could create a carousel that breaks down a complex topic or showcases key statistics to help your audience better understand and retain the information.
Here are some creators who excel at turning complex data and ideas into easily digestible frames:
Why this works: Josue’s carousel effectively breaks down his content system into simple, actionable steps. The clean and consistent visuals make it easy for the audience to follow along and understand the process.
Why this works: Chase’s carousel highlights three design principles from an eye-catching ad. The carousel itself is visually appealing, with clear and concise explanations that make it easy for the audience to grasp the concepts and apply them to their own marketing efforts.
Why this works: Erica’s carousel focuses on the importance of parallelism in writing. By using clear examples and explanations, she helps her audience understand the concept and how to apply it to their own writing. The visuals are simple and consistent, making the content easy to digest.
6. Showcase your products or services
Use carousels to showcase your products or services in a visually appealing way. By highlighting different features, benefits, or use cases with each slide, you can demonstrate how your product solves a specific problem for your target audience. For example, you could create a carousel demonstrating how your product solves a specific problem for your target audience.
Jens Joseph Mannanal, Co-founder & COO at Passionfroot, shares a case study of how Superhuman, one of the biggest and fastest-growing AI newsletters globally, leverages Passionfroot to streamline their workflow and sponsorship process.
Why this works: This approach works because it provides a real-world example of how the product (Passionfroot) solves a specific problem (inefficient and inconvenient ways of organizing sponsorships and tracking payments). The post also includes a testimonial, which adds credibility and shows the product’s value. The carousel format allows for a detailed breakdown of the problem, solution, and results, making the case study easy to follow and understand.
Remote, a company that provides solutions for global employment, shares information about hiring talent in Portugal. The post highlights their services, such as visa sponsorship and standard onboarding processes.
such as visa sponsorship and standard onboarding processes.
Why this works: This approach works because it provides valuable information related to the company’s services. By addressing potential challenges (like visa applications and health checks) and explaining how their services can help, Remote positions itself as a solution provider. This makes the content more accessible and engaging, helping the audience to better understand the services offered by Remote.
7. Create zero-click content from your existing media
Zero-click content offers valuable, standalone insights or engaging material without users needing to click on a link.
While clicking might provide additional information, it’s not required for users to gain value from the content. Here are some examples of great zero-click content pulled from existing media.
We shared tips on creating content pillars for social media platforms, providing a clear and organized framework for content creation.
Why this works: This approach offers valuable insights and advice directly within the carousel without requiring users to read the whole article. The content is concise, visually appealing, and easy to understand, making it more likely to be shared and remembered by the audience.
SparkToro shares research findings on how much web traffic social networks send without correct attribution, shedding light on the undercounting of social media and word-of-mouth referral traffic.
Why this works: This approach presents intriguing research findings directly within the carousel, making it easy for users to grasp the key points without clicking a link. The content is informative and thought-provoking, which can help position SparkToro as a thought leader and engage its audience.
8. Share collaborative content
Elevate your content by embracing the power of collaboration. Collaborative content not only provides a fresh perspective to your audience but also expands your reach by tapping into the networks of your collaborators. This strategy can be particularly effective on platforms like LinkedIn, where professional networks intersect and overlap.
In this post, Ryan Musselman collaborates with Richard van der Blom to share insights on how to create a LinkedIn banner that positions you as an expert and attracts your ideal customers. The post provides a clear, step-by-step guide, complete with examples and ideas for incorporating social proof into your LinkedIn banner.
Why this works: This approach works because it combines the expertise of two thought leaders, providing a comprehensive guide that is both practical and actionable. By collaborating with Richard, Ryan can offer his audience a fresh perspective and additional insights. The post encourages engagement by inviting the audience to follow and support Richard’s content. This not only provides value to Ryan’s audience but also helps to expand Richard’s reach, creating a win-win situation for both parties.
In this post, Thinkific promotes a webinar featuring Jon Youshaei, a top creator and educator.
Why this works: This post works because it offers direct value to Thinkific’s audience, who are likely interested in the topic of conversation. By bringing in an expert like Youshaei, Thinkific can provide high-quality, relevant content to its audience. Furthermore, the promise of a special offer creates an additional incentive for viewers to attend the webinar.
9. Sharing thought leadership or how-to content
Share your expertise and knowledge through carousels that provide valuable insights, tips, or advice. This can help establish you as an authority in your field and attract new followers. For instance, you could create a carousel that offers tips for improving productivity or shares insights on industry trends.
Why this works: The post combines personal storytelling with educational content. Lara’s story resonates with her audience, and her SLAY framework provides actionable advice that others can apply to their own LinkedIn strategies
Why this works: Sam’s post empowers the audience to share their own experiences and learnings rather than conforming to generic content norms. It also promotes the idea that LinkedIn can be a platform for genuine connections and personal growth, not just business transactions.
Why this works: This post works because it challenges conventional wisdom and offers a fresh perspective on content creation.
10. Highlight members of your audience or community
Highlighting members of your audience or community is a powerful strategy to foster engagement and build a sense of belonging.
Passionfroot showcases the work of various creators in their “Creator Gallery.” This not only highlights the creators’ specialties but also provides them with potential sponsorship opportunities.
Why this works: By showcasing the creators that are part of its clientele, Passionfroot is not only promoting their work but also building a sense of community. This strategy can lead to increased engagement, as creators feel recognized and valued, and it can also attract new creators to the platform.
Klaviyo has built a thriving community where users and partners can learn, grow, and share tips on enhancing their ecommerce businesses. They encourage active participation and even suggest that members search the community for answers before starting a new thread.
Why this works: This approach not only fosters a sense of community but also positions Klaviyo as a valuable resource hub. It encourages peer-to-peer learning and engagement, which can lead to increased customer loyalty and brand advocacy.
ConvertKit highlights how Allea Grummert navigates the challenge of recommending other creators without shifting her audience’s attention away from her own work.
Why this works: This approach provides valuable insights to other creators and fosters a sense of community. It also positions ConvertKit as a thought leader in the creator economy, offering practical advice and solutions to common challenges.
11. Share micro interviews
Micro interviews are a concise and engaging way to share insights from industry experts or thought leaders. These bite-sized interviews can provide valuable information to your audience in a digestible format, making them ideal for platforms like LinkedIn, where users often consume content on the go.
In this post, Eddie Shleyner, founder of VeryGoodCopy.com, shares a 165-word “Micro-Interview” with copywriter, creative director, and author Cameron Day. The interview is concise, with clear questions and answers, providing valuable insights without wasting the audience’s time
Why this works: This approach provides valuable insights in a concise and engaging format. The micro-interview format respects the audience’s time, making it more likely for them to engage with the content. Additionally, by featuring an industry expert, Eddie can provide his audience with unique insights and perspectives, further enhancing the value of his content.
Best practices to consider when creating LinkedIn carousel posts
Creating a LinkedIn carousel that stands out and engages your audience requires a blend of creativity, strategy, and attention to detail.
We’re not afraid to defer to the expert, and no one has more LinkedIn expertise than Richard van der Blom, an expert LinkedIn consultant. He shared some best practices for LinkedIn carousels that are immensely valuable, which we’ve incorporated into the following list.
Structure your carousel for easy consumption: Aim for around 12 slides, with 25-50 words per slide and 500 characters to keep your content digestible and maintain audience interest.
Tell a story: Use your carousel to take the reader on a journey, whether sharing insights, presenting a case study, or explaining a concept. This storytelling approach helps to engage your audience and make your content memorable.
Include a clear call-to-action (CTA): What do you want your audience to do after viewing your carousel? Whether it’s visiting your website, signing up for a newsletter, or downloading a resource, make sure to include a clear and compelling CTA.
Maintain consistent visual branding: Design your carousels with your brand’s colors, fonts, and style to create a cohesive and recognizable look. This consistency helps to reinforce your brand identity and make your content stand out in the feed.
Optimize for mobile viewing: Since many LinkedIn users access the platform on their mobile devices, ensure your text is large enough to read and your visuals are clear on smaller screens. This will improve the user experience and increase engagement.
There are also a few common threads across the examples we’ve shared that can help you improve your LinkedIn carousels. The most successful carousels:
Distill necessary information for their audience into a digestible and fun-to-read format.
Distinct branding and visuals that stay consistent week over week.
Does the work for the audience by pulling from different sources for one cohesive piece of content.
Transforms complex data and information into easily digestible frames.
As you explore these ideas, remember to create carousel content that’s engaging, visually appealing, and relevant to your audience.
The ‘Shark Tank’ investor and serial entrepreneur says he stopped advertising on X months ago. The writing was on the wall.
X, the social media company formerly known as Twitter, made headlines recently as advertisers have left in droves. Many have blamed the mass exodus on the actions of X’s owner, Elon Musk, along with companies’ unwillingness to be associated with the X brand.
“I spend about 2 million [dollars] a month on social/digital buys with my 40-plus companies,” O’Leary explained. “But nine weeks ago, we stopped investing in Twitter. Only because it wasn’t giving us good CAC, customer acquisition cost numbers, and ROAS, return on advertising spend. So those numbers were the worst of all the platforms.”
He continued, “I would put money to work if they could fix this mess. I don’t know what to say. It’s not working.”
It’s not working.
With those three words, O’Leary sums up why he left advertising on X, and it has nothing to do with Musk or the controversial issues he’s been dealing with. In fact, O’Leary said he’s “agnostic” to the controversial issues, and that his goal is simply to “put money to work where it returns customers.” He also said he has “high hopes for Elon to fix it.”
There’s a deeper lesson to extract here, one that could be valuable not only to X, but also to you and your business. And it has to do, not with X’s advertisers, but with its customers.
The reason behind the reason
It’s important to recognize that O’Leary isn’t the only one to say X isn’t providing enough return on investment.
So, what’s the problem? Why aren’t ads on X providing the return companies like Walmart and those owned by O’Leary are looking for?
Well, it may be a temporary problem. But it’s also important to realize that the X audience and user experience is much different from that offered on other social media platforms.
Since Musk’s takeover of Twitter over a year ago, and the subsequent rebranding to X, the platform has become much darker–literally and figuratively. The logo and branding send emotional signals of “extreme” and “edgy.” Even Grok, the A.I. chatbot that Musk is billing as a direct competitor to ChatGPT and which is already being made available to X Premium Plus subscribers, has gained notoriety for its ability to use vulgar language.
This positioning is much different from that of Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Although those companies have their own problems, they are generally considered “family-friendly” and “mainstream”–at least by their users.
And herein lies the problem: X’s positioning limits the potential audience that mainstream advertisers hope to reach on the platform.
Maybe it’s true that the majority of advertisers who have left X did so because of disalignment with Musk and his company’s policies. But their decision to leave becomes an easy one if their ads are getting better performance on other platforms anyway.
Of course, Musk has repeatedly stated that his goals for Twitter/X are to completely transform the platform. He wants X to be an everything app, where users come not only for conversation and entertainment, but also to do their banking and other financial activities. If he succeeds at creating a new product type that people actually use, the loss of advertising dollars may no longer be so important.
But we’re a long way from that. And if X continues to push users and advertisers away, it’s questionable whether it will survive the interim.
So, what’s the lesson for you as a business owner?
If you’re considering a rebrand of your business, remember that the changes you make will have an emotional impact on your customers. Those decisions will have far-reaching consequences–some intentional, others not. So, take your time to think things through, and make sure the message you’re sending continues to be one that resonates with your target audience.
Of course, it’s very possible Musk anticipated many of these consequences, and he’s willing to live with them. But it appears that many of his company’s advertisers aren’t.
