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What Is the Difference Between Advertising and Marketing?

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Marketing and advertising focus on promoting products and services, but they do it in different ways.

Marketing and advertising share some similarities, but they have different goals and objectives. Marketing builds brand awareness and offers a perceived value, while advertising promotes a product or service. Learn how marketing and advertising work, how they differ, and how to use both strategies in your business.

What is advertising?

Advertising involves paying to promote a product or service to reach individuals who are the most likely to use it. Advertising focuses on acquiring customers and driving sales. Traditionally, businesses advertised on billboards, TV, and in mailers and magazines. Today, a lot of advertising occurs online through social media, websites, search engines, and emails.

An ad includes a message that’s tailored to a specific target audience. Besides generating sales, advertising makes it possible for a business to differentiate itself from its competitors and gather valuable data about its audience.

Every business must develop a personalized strategy that integrates marketing and advertising to achieve its goals.

What is marketing?

Marketing refers to activities a company undertakes to attract its target audience to its products or services and deliver value to those consumers. Most companies do this by creating high-quality content that provides a compelling benefit to their audience.

Effective marketing entails deeply understanding your audience and what they’re looking for. When you understand your consumers’ wants and needs, you can demonstrate the value your product or service provides in the places where your audience spends most of their time. Some of the primary types of marketing include the following:

  • Social media marketing: Businesses market to their customers using social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), or LinkedIn.
  • Content marketing: Businesses create informative blog posts to rank higher in search engines and attract their ideal clients to their websites.
  • Video marketing: Video marketing involves creating and publishing informative videos for your target audience.
  • Email marketing: Businesses market to their target customers through weekly newsletters and promotional emails.

Differences between advertising and marketing

Although there are some similarities between advertising and marketing, they aren’t the same thing. Both involve different goals, responsibilities, and techniques. Here are some of the main differences between the two:

  • Goals: The primary goal of marketing is to create and deliver value for the target audience. Businesses can bring in new sales and create long-term customers by providing value. Advertising strives to persuade consumers to take a specific action, mainly to buy a product or service.
  • Activities: Marketing involves a wide range of activities, including market research, product development, developing pricing systems, and tracking the return on investment (ROI). Advertising involves pitching ad strategies, creating ad copy, and tracking and monitoring the performance of campaigns.
  • Channels: Marketing and advertising use different methods to reach their respective goals. Marketing can employ a variety of efforts, like blog posts, social media posts, and search engine optimization (SEO), to attract more customers to the business and provide an incentive (e.g., information, a free trial, etc.) to the consumer. Advertising traditionally focuses on paid ads, like digital advertising, native ads, and print advertising, to persuade consumers to buy.
  • Success: Marketers measure success through key performance indicators like sales revenue, ROI, conversion rates, and brand awareness. Advertising measures success based on ROI, cost per acquisition, engagement metrics, and return on ad spend.

How to integrate advertising and marketing

Every business must develop a personalized strategy that integrates marketing and advertising to achieve its goals. For instance, advertising can’t exist without a high-level marketing strategy that outlines critical elements like brand positioning and defines the target audience.

To formulate an effective, integrated strategy, assess your marketing and advertising goals. Are they aligned with your overarching business goals? Is your messaging and branding consistent across all of your marketing and advertising channels?

Create integrated campaigns that leverage multiple mediums. For example, campaigns can include a mix of social media advertising, email marketing, and content marketing supplemented with print, radio, or TV advertisements. Use data to measure the impact of these campaigns and total ROI.

CO— aims to bring you inspiration from leading respected experts. However, before making any business decision, you should consult a professional who can advise you based on your individual situation.

Feature Image Credit: Getty Images/FG Trade 

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CO—is committed to helping you start, run and grow your small business. Learn more about the benefits of small business membership in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, here.

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Why is ‘brave’ marketing so often surrendered to challenger brands?

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By Bec Chelin,

Fortune favours brave marketers, so why does it feel so risky? A few hours into her new job at MadeBrave, Bec Chelin aims to derisk bold work.

Conjure an image of a bold creative campaign or a brave brand comms move. You know the type; they either make you wince at a subject matter that’s veered dangerously close to the line of bad taste (but not so much to force X to have a palpable meltdown) or a brand pops up in a domain it has absolutely zero right to play in but, somehow, it just works so damn beautifully.

You don’t need to be Mystic Meg (look her up, Gen Z) or Paul the Octopus (RIP) to predict the owner of said “brave” move isn’t the successful 80-year-old homewares brand that’s been a stalwart of the market for generations. Of course, it’s the new industry kid on the block, looking to get as many eyeballs on their slightly more eco and premium-priced products as possible, with a punch to the gut and a euphoric feeling of: “Finally!

Someone who understands how much millennials want to decorate their homes like a knock-off Soho House.”.

The question is, why?

No, not why are millennials obsessed with Soho House (we’re basic, deal with it).

Why is brand boldness and brave marketing as synonymous with start-ups with bags full of sass and a shoestring budget as Oatly is with shouty billboards?

The latest episode of Jon Evans’ brilliant Uncensored CMO podcast, features Gymbox brand director Rory McEntee, formerly of Paddy Power, Everyman Cinema and Papa Johns fame. Both uncover the winning principles of a challenger brand attitude to create cut-through marketing on little-to-no budget and a “seek forgiveness, not permission” mentality. While listening, it struck me that it’s absolutely batshit that brands simply “outgrow” the foundational tenets of highly creative, innovative, and cost-effective marketing.

The constant push for an unstoppable idea. A determination to stand out in a sea of competitor-set sameness. A new way of doing things that’s not simply: “A bit like last year ‘cos that worked well. Oh, but with less budget, obvs.”

Yawn, yawn, yawn.

If you’re a mature brand, arguably you’re in a bigger competitor set. You won’t be the first to market any more. Or even that different from others in the market. You’ll have competition snapping at your heels and your well-carved market share to boot.

So.

Surely.

This is exactly the time to be brave, and not play it safe.

When you look at how they market themselves, how different really does one mainstream car brand feel to the next? One hotel chain to the other? Do we really have to just play on product benefits that should be downright expected of the things you’re buying anyway (looking at you, Premier Inn and your good nights’ sleep)?

Challenging the challengers

OK, so clearly we’re not just going to risk all our hard-earned brand equity, reputation and, let’s face it, healthier budget on one whacking great slap-you-round-the-face-and-leave-you-thinking-WTF, challenger-brand-esque annual campaign.

But that’s not the part of challenger brand marketing we need to retain.

It’s the test and learn; the try it and see what happens. The boldness to know that whatever you do, you will learn something, and whatever you do also doesn’t have to break the bank in one fell swoop. There will – and should be – other campaigns that follow and eclipse something that might not work. But that brave idea might also just be brilliant. Unstoppable, even.

That’s not to say we throw caution to the wind and machine-gun out a series of hastily brainstormed flash mobs, guerilla-style marketing, AI content pieces and hope for the best. There needs to be a strategy to link the component parts of the test, learn and move cycle. But you can still have fun with it. Just ask Paddy Power and the strategic intent to position gambling as entertainment and gain rather than expense and loss. Whether you agree with the promotion of gambling or not, you can’t argue that it shines through everything they did, do and continue to do… and very bravely (the wincing, close to-the-line of decency kind) most of the time.

So why do brands become less brave as they grow?

Budgets are bigger as you grow and, therefore, are more scrutinized than ever. Concurrently, they’re also historically small as the industry continues to emerge from the pandemic, the recession and the rest.

Add to the fact that marketing budgets are repeatedly pegged as the “biggest most expendable budget line item,” and things feel tense. Basically, use it (well) or lose it. Hell, even if it’s used well, it still might go, depending on other industry and market forces. Or how confused the CEO is.

This is where the fear of loss starts to set in.

And that can trundle on being a bit less brave.

We get a bit bigger, and then shareholders enter the mix. Everything gets a little bit more antsy when it comes to not cocking it all up. Budgets scrutinized more. Brave signed off by legal less.

And then, what’s the opposite of brave? You’re that.

Time to de-risk brave

This is where education comes in. And probably more CMOs on boards required.

Side note: just 2.6% of board positions are held by marketers, also according to Jon and Chris Burggraeve in the 17 July episode of the aforementioned Uncensored CMO podcast. It’s no wonder marketing is seen as an expendable budget item with little business value.

Anyway, back to de-risking brave. Fact is, even shareholders are human.

Danny Kahnmeman’s loss aversion theory tells us that losses loom larger than gains. The more we have to lose, the more aversion to risking losing what we have.

So we play it safe. Rather than looking our millennial friends in the eyes and telling them they don’t just need to paint their walls Soho House Green, but they can go all in, buy the chaise longue, the swanky lighting and ban laptops in certain areas of your house if you want… we don’t. We hedge our bets and try to appeal to all millennials just a little bit, not just those who’ll love us wholeheartedly (and with the whole of their wallet) and our member-club loving ways.

We protect at all odds and aim to please all customers all the time, and we end up pleasing no one. Because being bland pleases no one. Being bold, on the other hand, turns your fans into brand advocates. Knowing your audience inside out and going in hard with this group surely feels imperative to lead the market.

Speaking the sweet language of finance

So far so good, but for this to work, and budgets for brave campaigns to be signed off, you have to make this point in a language the well set board and risk-averse shareholders will understand… a financial one.

Put it this way, we can work very hard to gain a lot of new customers on a short-term basis through trying to please everyone. Ultimately, though, we will lose them on price to our nearest same-same competitor the minute they have a better Bank Holiday sale. Or we can invest in developing fewer, long-term brand fans for life who will ride out price increases with inflation and hold longer-term value with repeat purchase. And that’s before we get into the power of peer-to-peer advocacy or the captive audience / NPD testing benefits of long-term loyal audiences. It’s a simple cost per acquisition v lifetime value of the customer conversation. And now we’re talking.

So the next time we get worried by boldness not paying off, or when brave feels risky, don’t compromise the quality of the creative. That’s not the problem. Bold and brave don’t need to break the bank, but they do need to hit smack in the centre of your well-formed brand strategy to hit that “oh my God it’s mad but genius” sweetspot only your brand can possibly execute.

And what about legal?

Well, just don’t break the law 🙂

By Bec Chelin,

Sourced from The Drum

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5 Strategies That Helped Me Achieve 10x Returns on My Marketing Efforts

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By Justin Brock, Edited by Chelsea Brown

These five marketing tactics have delivered remarkable returns for my business.

Key Takeaways

 

I want to share some of the strategies that have helped me achieve crazy results — 10x returns on my marketing efforts, no joke.

I know how overwhelming it can be with all of the marketing advice that’s out there, but I’m here to cut through the noise and give you some actionable tips that have worked wonders for me.

1. Thinking outside the box — the key to success

First off, I can’t stress enough how important it is to think outside the box. This might sound like a cliché, but trust me, it’s the truth. When I first started, I followed a bunch of marketing gurus like Russell Brunson and Gary Vaynerchuk. They both have totally different styles — Russell is all about sales funnels and direct response marketing, while Vaynerchuk is the king of social media branding. But here’s the thing: Despite their differences, they both agree on one thing — creativity and innovation are non-negotiable.

So, I took what I learned from them and made it my own. I didn’t just copy what they were doing; I adapted it to fit my style and my business needs. The big takeaway here is that you shouldn’t be afraid to experiment with new ideas. If you want to stand out and achieve extraordinary results, you have to be willing to break away from the norm and try something different.

2. Local influencers — the secret sauce

Now, let’s talk about influencer marketing. It’s been all the rage lately, with businesses throwing big money at celebrities to promote their products. But here’s my twist: Forget the celebrities with tequila brands — I’m all about using local influencers.

Local influencers might not have millions of followers, but what they do have is a deep connection with their community. These influencers are trusted voices in their circles, and that trust translates into higher engagement and more genuine interactions with potential customers. By partnering with local influencers, I’ve been able to create campaigns that really resonate with my target audience, which in turn has led to better brand loyalty and higher returns.

Plus, local influencers are way more affordable than big-name celebrities, which means I can stretch my marketing budget further while still making a big impact.

3. Paid social media traffic — the secret weapon of under priced attention

Paid social media traffic is where the magic happens, but not all paid traffic strategies are created equal. I’ve found a little-known secret that I call my “secret weapon” for 10x returns: targeting under priced attention.

Here’s the deal — everyone’s targeting specific age groups on specific platforms. You know what I mean: younger audiences on Instagram and TikTok, older folks on Facebook. But guess what? There are millions of people in every age group on every platform.

Think about it: How many Medicare ads do you see on TikTok? Not many, right? And how often are you targeting young people on Facebook these days? The competition for those groups on these platforms is almost non-existent, which means the cost to reach them is dirt cheap.

Social media platforms make their money by selling ad space, and when no one’s bidding on a particular demographic, that ad space just sits there, waiting to be scooped up. That’s where I come in — I buy that space for a steal, and suddenly I’m reaching a whole new audience without breaking the bank.

4. Buying under priced ad space — my strategic advantage

This brings me to another key strategy: strategically buying under priced ad space. Just like in real estate, where the goal is to buy low and sell high, I do the same with digital advertising.

When I notice that certain demographics or platforms are being overlooked by other advertisers, I jump on that opportunity. Because fewer people are bidding for that ad space, the cost is significantly lower. This allows me to reach a broader audience while keeping my costs down, which is exactly how I’ve been able to achieve such high returns.

But this strategy isn’t just a one-and-done deal — you have to stay on top of it. I constantly monitor the performance of my ads and adjust my targeting to take advantage of these underutilized opportunities. It’s a bit of a game, but the payoff is huge when you get it right.

5. Adapting to change — staying ahead of the curve

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the marketing landscape is always changing. What worked yesterday might not work tomorrow, and that’s why you’ve got to stay ahead of the curve.

I’ve made it a point to keep myself informed about the latest trends, tools and platforms, and I’m always ready to pivot when necessary. For example, when a new social media platform starts gaining traction, I’m one of the first to dive in and see what it can do for my business. Being an early adopter gives me a huge advantage because I’m competing with fewer marketers, and I can establish a strong presence before the platform becomes saturated.

My success is rooted in my ability to adapt and evolve with the market. I regularly assess my marketing strategies, experiment with new tactics and stay flexible. That’s how I’ve managed to stay ahead of the competition and keep my marketing efforts effective.

So, there you have it — my go-to strategies for achieving 10x returns in your business. It’s not about following the latest trends blindly; it’s about creating your own path and being willing to innovate.

By thinking outside the box, leveraging local influencers, targeting under priced attention and staying ahead of industry trends, you can create a marketing strategy that delivers exceptional results. I hope these insights help you as much as they’ve helped me. Now go out there, apply these tips to your business, and watch your returns skyrocket!

By Justin Brock, 

Entrepreneur Leadership Network® Contributor. Justin Brock stands as a leading authority on all things Medicare and Health Insurance. As the owner & operator of multiple companies, he is dedicated to serve both consumers & agents in these markets.

Edited by Chelsea Brown

Sourced from Entrepreneur

 

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AI in Marketing: Transforming Strategies and Enhancing Engagement

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By Ramzi Ahmad

AI boosts marketing effectiveness and ROI, with privacy in focus

AI in Marketing: Transforming Strategies and Enhancing Engagement

Let’s talk about how technology and AI in marketing are changing the game for businesses. We all know how much we rely on our smartphones, tablets, laptops, and even smartwatches to stay connected and get things done. Social media makes it super easy to communicate and share ideas, and the internet has completely reshaped how we shop, learn, and even job hunt. With the rise of artificial intelligence in marketing, especially in the financial world, we’re seeing some really exciting developments.

85% of customer interactions will be managed without human agents by 2025 source Gartner, 2021

85% of customer interactions will be managed without human agents by 2025 source Gartner, 2021

This is all about understanding how AI helps us figure out mobile users’ behaviour and makes marketing strategies with AI way more effective.

How AI Influences User Behaviour

Technology plays a huge role in shaping how we act as consumers. It’s now easier than ever for customers to jump from one platform to another if they’re not satisfied. That’s where mobile devices and AI tools come in.

80% of consumers prefer brands offering personalized experiences (Epsilon, 2021)

80% of consumers prefer brands offering personalized experiences (Epsilon, 2021)

Key benefits:

  • Analyses vast amounts of data in real-time

  • Predicts customer preferences based on behavioural patterns

  • Personalizes user experiences to enhance engagement

  • Increases customer retention through targeted messaging

These tools help businesses predict and analyse what customers want, making marketing efforts more personalized. Back in the 1950s, AI started gaining attention, and now it’s helping businesses process data to create personalised strategies. AI and data analytics are important for businesses to stay competitive and deliver better customer experiences.

An example of PMax campaign

With PMax, the AI-driven tool took over the heavy lifting by analysing customer data across platforms like search, display, YouTube, and Gmail.

The goal was simple: deliver the right message to the right audience, regardless of where they were online. Within weeks, the PMax campaign started delivering the first results. and by the end of the campaign, the conversion rates are 25% higher than the traditional campaigns, as the AI automatically optimized ad placements and budget allocations.

Example of Pmax Campaign

Example of Pmax Campaign

It also provided real-time insights, revealing that younger customers engaged more with YouTube videos, while older clients preferred detailed search and display ads. So in this case, we took full advantage of AI in the PMax campaign; we were able to increase lead generation while reducing ad spend, conversion rate, and cost/conversion. This not only improved the performance but also allowed us to target specific customer segments with highly personalized content.

AI in Mobile Marketing

Mobile marketing is all about getting the right info to the right people, anytime and anywhere. It allows businesses to fine-tune their strategies based on gender, age, and location.

As technology evolves, AI in mobile marketing brings more interactive, visual, and audio experiences, making marketing more effective. But let’s not forget about the challenges—small screens and ad fatigue can mess with the user experience.

Research shows that success in mobile marketing comes down to factors like entertainment, personalization, and trust. People respond well to engaging content but get turned off by repetitive, annoying ads.

AI-driven segmentation can increase marketing ROI by up to 30% Source: McKinsey, 2021

AI-driven segmentation can increase marketing ROI by up to 30% (Source: McKinsey, 2021).

Factors Influencing Mobile User Behaviour

A bunch of things affect how people use mobile devices—income, age, gender, occupation, and even socio-cultural elements like beliefs and family. for example: Younger users might focus on fashion, while older users are more into household goods.

Economic factors also play a big part in purchasing decisions. When it comes to mobile marketing, how people feel about the benefits and risks of sharing their data is huge. AI steps in by helping businesses analyse user behaviour and deliver more personalised experiences, which improves marketing strategies.

  • Personal Factors (Age, Gender, Occupation): 35%
  • Socio-Cultural Factors (Beliefs, Family, Values): 20%
  • Economic Factors (Income, Pricing, Spending Habits): 25%
  • Technological Factors (Ease of Use, Privacy Concerns): 15%
  • Psychological Factors (Trust, Device Attachment): 5%

Source: Finance Magnates Intelligence

Role in Marketing Strategies

AI has a massive impact on marketing, especially in areas like product management, service innovation, and pricing strategies. These tools assess how well products meet customer needs and enhance recommendation systems.

They even adjust prices dynamically based on customer preferences and competitor actions; it also delivers personalized messages and helps align social media content with customer preferences, making marketing efforts more effective.

AI adoption in marketing has grown from 20% in 2018 to a projected 80% by 2025 (Statista, 2022)

AI adoption in marketing has grown from 20% in 2018 to a projected 80% by 2025 (Statista, 2022)

Consumer Behaviour

AI is transforming how businesses connect with customers. It processes data quickly, helping marketers target content and meet customer needs in real time. By analysing big data, AI enables more efficient marketing strategies and personalized user experiences.

In short, it’s all about understanding consumer behaviour and adapting to market trends. The data-driven insights that AI provides are what help businesses build customer satisfaction and loyalty.

To dive deeper into the transformative role of AI in consumer behaviour and how it shapes marketing strategies, I recommend checking out the recent paper by Cutler and Culotta from MDPI’s 2023 review. This paper provides detailed insights into how AI tools analyse big data and how it has a direct effect on enhancing consumer engagement and optimizing marketing campaigns.

Personalization

AI-powered personalization is all about delivering content that fits user preferences. This not only enhances the user experience but also boosts brand loyalty and sales. A good example of this will be that Google has integrated AI-powered tools into its shopping services, allowing users to get personalized style recommendations and even virtually try on products. “No two shoppers are alike.”

To quote Sean Scott, VP/GM Consumer Shopping, “No two shoppers are alike,” shows you how these AI-driven features are making sure that users see products tailored to their tastes, creating a more intuitive and enjoyable shopping experience.

However, while personalization saves time and improves engagement, it also raises privacy concerns. Still, users tend to share more data when they see clear benefits like easier decision-making and better experiences.

Optimization

This is where the big role of AI comes into play, as it can optimize various aspects of ad campaigns, from cutting costs to improving targeting and content relevance. which helps businesses spend more efficiently by analysing user behaviour and ad performance.
It also ensures that ads reach the right audience by checking preferences, behaviours, and demographics.
and we know how important this level of optimization is, especially during the early phases of the campaigns.

Segmentation and Positioning

Its no secret that segmentation is a key to success for email marketing, but what if I tell you it goes beyond that? Segmentation is any step of every marketing channel, and AI helps advertisers segment their audience more accurately by analysing big data, and this allows them to tailor their messages for different groups, improving campaign effectiveness. It also helps in positioning products by evaluating market trends and consumer preferences, making sure that it remains relevant and impactful.

Ethical Considerations in AI-Driven Marketing

While AI brings plenty of benefits, it also raises ethical concerns, especially around data privacy. We know that AI relies on large datasets to improve customer experiences, but we all agree that businesses must respect privacy rights and give users control over their data. Transparency and security are key concerns, and collaboration between all stakeholders is a very important step to make sure that AI is used responsibly.

Marco Iansiti, professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, highlights the importance of ethics in AI, stating, “As firms drive immense scale, scope, and learning, there are all kinds of really important ethical considerations that need to be part of the management philosophy from the get-go.”

And to wrap this up, I will go with the people’s favourites, the headline grabber, who is well known for his cautionary view, and almost on every occasion he highlights the potential dangers of AI, and one of the leads advocates for regulations: “AI developers and researchers should prioritize building systems that align with human values and moral principles.” — Elon Musk

Conclusion

In conclusion, we know now that integrating AI in marketing is revolutionizing how businesses connect with consumers, and the rise of mobile devices has created new opportunities for marketing. One of the key aspects is to analyse mobile user behaviour and process large datasets to help businesses develop more effective strategies and optimize user experiences.

The power of AI not only makes marketing campaigns more efficient but also opens new doors for data-driven decision-making. As we increasingly rely on these tools, one thing we must always keep in mind is the ethical considerations regarding data, privacy, and user consent. A transparent approach is important for any AI-driven strategy.

Let’s not forget, we are still in the early stages, and we are continuing to explore the potential of AI in marketing.

By Ramzi Ahmad

Ramzi Ahmad is a marketing expert with over 15 years of experience in strategic planning, digital marketing, and brand management. A thought leader in the marketing industry, he provides insightful analysis of current trends and effective strategies. Ramzi combines academic insights with practical experience, delivering a unique perspective that appeals to both seasoned professionals and those new to the field. His writing skilfully translates complex marketing concepts into practical advice, making sophisticated market dynamics accessible to a wide audience.

Sourced from Finance Magnates

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5 Strategies That Helped Me Achieve 10x Returns on My Marketing Efforts

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By Justin Brock

These five marketing tactics have delivered remarkable returns for my business.

Key Takeaways

I want to share some of the strategies that have helped me achieve crazy results — 10x returns on my marketing efforts, no joke.

I know how overwhelming it can be with all of the marketing advice that’s out there, but I’m here to cut through the noise and give you some actionable tips that have worked wonders for me.

1. Thinking outside the box — the key to success

First off, I can’t stress enough how important it is to think outside the box. This might sound like a cliché, but trust me, it’s the truth. When I first started, I followed a bunch of marketing gurus like Russell Brunson and Gary Vaynerchuk. They both have totally different styles — Russell is all about sales funnels and direct response marketing, while Vaynerchuk is the king of social media branding. But here’s the thing: Despite their differences, they both agree on one thing — creativity and innovation are non-negotiable.

So, I took what I learned from them and made it my own. I didn’t just copy what they were doing; I adapted it to fit my style and my business needs. The big takeaway here is that you shouldn’t be afraid to experiment with new ideas. If you want to stand out and achieve extraordinary results, you have to be willing to break away from the norm and try something different.

2. Local influencers — the secret sauce

Now, let’s talk about influencer marketing. It’s been all the rage lately, with businesses throwing big money at celebrities to promote their products. But here’s my twist: Forget the celebrities with tequila brands — I’m all about using local influencers.

Local influencers might not have millions of followers, but what they do have is a deep connection with their community. These influencers are trusted voices in their circles, and that trust translates into higher engagement and more genuine interactions with potential customers. By partnering with local influencers, I’ve been able to create campaigns that really resonate with my target audience, which in turn has led to better brand loyalty and higher returns.

Plus, local influencers are way more affordable than big-name celebrities, which means I can stretch my marketing budget further while still making a big impact.

3. Paid social media traffic — the secret weapon of under priced attention

Paid social media traffic is where the magic happens, but not all paid traffic strategies are created equal. I’ve found a little-known secret that I call my “secret weapon” for 10x returns: targeting under priced attention.

Here’s the deal — everyone’s targeting specific age groups on specific platforms. You know what I mean: younger audiences on Instagram and TikTok, older folks on Facebook. But guess what? There are millions of people in every age group on every platform.

Think about it: How many Medicare ads do you see on TikTok? Not many, right? And how often are you targeting young people on Facebook these days? The competition for those groups on these platforms is almost non-existent, which means the cost to reach them is dirt cheap.

Social media platforms make their money by selling ad space, and when no one’s bidding on a particular demographic, that ad space just sits there, waiting to be scooped up. That’s where I come in — I buy that space for a steal, and suddenly I’m reaching a whole new audience without breaking the bank.

4. Buying under priced ad space — my strategic advantage

This brings me to another key strategy: strategically buying under priced ad space. Just like in real estate, where the goal is to buy low and sell high, I do the same with digital advertising.

When I notice that certain demographics or platforms are being overlooked by other advertisers, I jump on that opportunity. Because fewer people are bidding for that ad space, the cost is significantly lower. This allows me to reach a broader audience while keeping my costs down, which is exactly how I’ve been able to achieve such high returns.

But this strategy isn’t just a one-and-done deal — you have to stay on top of it. I constantly monitor the performance of my ads and adjust my targeting to take advantage of these underutilized opportunities. It’s a bit of a game, but the payoff is huge when you get it right.

5. Adapting to change — staying ahead of the curve

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the marketing landscape is always changing. What worked yesterday might not work tomorrow, and that’s why you’ve got to stay ahead of the curve.

I’ve made it a point to keep myself informed about the latest trends, tools and platforms, and I’m always ready to pivot when necessary. For example, when a new social media platform starts gaining traction, I’m one of the first to dive in and see what it can do for my business. Being an early adopter gives me a huge advantage because I’m competing with fewer marketers, and I can establish a strong presence before the platform becomes saturated.

My success is rooted in my ability to adapt and evolve with the market. I regularly assess my marketing strategies, experiment with new tactics and stay flexible. That’s how I’ve managed to stay ahead of the competition and keep my marketing efforts effective.

So, there you have it — my go-to strategies for achieving 10x returns in your business. It’s not about following the latest trends blindly; it’s about creating your own path and being willing to innovate.

By thinking outside the box, leveraging local influencers, targeting under priced attention and staying ahead of industry trends, you can create a marketing strategy that delivers exceptional results. I hope these insights help you as much as they’ve helped me. Now go out there, apply these tips to your business, and watch your returns skyrocket!

By Justin Brock

Entrepreneur Leadership Network® Contributor

Justin Brock stands as a leading authority on all things Medicare and Health Insurance. As the owner & operator of multiple companies, he is dedicated to serve both consumers & agents in these markets.

Sourced from Entrepreneur

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The Future Of Marketing: 10 Game-Changing Insights From The Creator Economy

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By Kristen Dolan

Over the course of this year, I’ve helped brands navigate seismic industry changes, from Oracle’s departure from the advertising business to Google’s cookie phase-out reversal. At the centre of discussions (besides the obvious, AI) is an increasing focus on the role influencers play across the media mix and customer journey. After engaging in meaningful discussions with the industry’s top marketing leaders, I’m sharing a top 10 list of my favourite questions, along with my perspectives, which have helped to shape media strategies and innovation roadmaps.

Let’s dive in!

10. How is AI transforming influencer marketing?

While AI has been around for quite some time, generative AI (GenAI) has been a recent topic of interest over the last two years. GenAI is a type of AI that generates copy, graphics, audio and videos. The integration of AI technologies, including GenAI, in the influencer marketing landscape is catalysing transformative advancements in creator vetting, communication efficiency and content creation. In other words, it’s a BFD.

By harnessing AI-driven insights, agencies and brands can optimize workflows, strengthen client relationships and navigate regulatory complexities. These are mere examples, but the opportunities are limitless.

9. Will virtual influencers replace traditional influencers?

If the question pertains to the human impact on influence, I find it hard for AI to replace human connection. People follow influencers because they genuinely have built these parasocial relationships, trust what that influencer is saying and trust their recommendations as they would seek their own friend out to do so. The human connection is what drives that authenticity.

While I don’t see that wavering in place of AI, I do see a more collaborative role in that creators can tap into AI tools to help manage their businesses. Operationally, they can save so much time and resources by tapping into AI tools to help automate things like resourcing, invoicing, planning, data/analytics and so much more. From a content perspective, AI can certainly expedite and advance the creation process—I see an early-stage use case here of expanding creativity, not used to directly influence an action/recommendation.

8. How will creator content evolve over the next few years?

Outside of AI collaboration, creator content is becoming more pervasive. I hope to see brands more proactively adapt to a creator and audience-first mindset when developing omnichannel strategies.

7. What are the most innovative ways influencers are using new social media features?

Anecdotally, I really want creator-led programming to have its moment. Humour me…if we are seeing more consistent tune-ins across lives on social, inevitably, that means people are developing the habit of tuning into their favourite creators at a specific time.

In parallel, we’re seeing Netflix test out live content.

If both worlds are successful, creator live content becomes extremely valuable. I can see a world where streaming platforms are picking up creator programming (as they would broadcast programming) and offering creator content as a viewing option.

6. What influencer strategy is most slept on?

From a brand perspective, deeper creator collaborations. Creators, as their own small businesses, are an untapped resource for brands to realize their full ROI potential.

5. Which past social predictions have made an impact so far this year?

Less of a prediction and more of a framework for discerning marketing hype from hyperbole. Essentially, the parameters that need to be met in order for an emerging social platform to truly be noteworthy are: consistent adoption, a positive and value-adding user experience, serving a need and evolving with its user base as those needs change.

Threads userbase hit 200 million monthly active users according to their Q2 earnings. Up 100 million from their initial launch week in July of last year—a platform to monitor and distinguish from hyperbole if the framework elements continue to be met.

4. How can brands leverage creators to streamline the checkout process?

Approaching strategies with a customer-first mindset, understanding the customer journey and the role influencers can play in driving sales on your website or in your store. An important concept is recognizing creators as a standalone media channel. Creator content will become more pervasive as the ROI continues to be justified.

3. What does the future of creator commerce look like?

I don’t look at things as if there’s a definitive endpoint, but I can speak to the general cyclical pattern of ubiquity to consolidation and vice versa. Consumers have so many options, more than ever. Their attention grows more and more fragmented, and the ability to meet them where they are, with relevant messaging and the ability to immediately shop, is business critical but also cumbersome. The next phase in the future will inevitably shift to a version of consolidation, which we’re starting to see a glimpse of via Google’s Anti-Trust ruling and TikTok’s partnering with Amazon for integrated shopping.

2. What examples across the creator economy stand out as ground breaking applications of AI, and how can businesses tap into that potential?

What I consider ground breaking isn’t necessarily the splashy consumer-facing side of marketing but the technical infrastructure that fuels consumer insights and strategy. The stronger the first-party data for a brand, the more opportunity there is to eliminate wasted spend and influence more immediate ROI. I look forward to seeing applications of AI that enrich the data process for consumer profiles and strengthen propensity modelling for stronger go-to-market strategies.

1. How should companies be navigating this new wave of digital transformation through AI technology?

Be agile or stay fragile. I encourage everyone to embrace innovation and technology while finding ways to up level yourself, your business and your people.

Today is the worst state we’ll experience technology. It only improves from today onward. Those embracing it today are setting themselves up for success in the future.

Feature Image Credit: Getty

By Kristen Dolan

Sourced from Forbes

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Don’t downplay Gen Z in advertising, we’ve only ever known digital disruption

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By Trinity Taylor

Trinity Taylor, a Gen Z account manager at Lucky Generals, warns the industry not to underestimate the ingenuity of the supposed juniors; you’re on their turf now.

TikTok, iced coffee, and clouds of vape smoke are probably what spring to mind when you think of Gen Z creatives, but there is way more to us than you might think.

As Gen Z-ers in the UK advertising world, we don’t just adapt to digital trends—we drive them.

We’re the first generation to grow up in social media, watching it evolve from picture-perfect Instagram posts to a space that now values authenticity and openness through TikTok. This isn’t just our space; we helped create this turf. In an industry that’s still catching up to the idea that authenticity often beats perfection, we have a distinct competitive advantage.

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Here’s what I’ve observed while navigating the ad world as a Gen Z-er, as well as some of my thoughts on how we can use our generational strengths to keep pushing boundaries.

1. Embrace newness

It’s a challenging market at the moment and with growing pressures, it’s understandable that there is desire to stick to the tried and tested. But Gen Z grew up in a constantly shifting digital and cultural landscape, where everything from social media to fashion trends evolve rapidly. It’s all we know. What’s ‘in’ today may well be outdated tomorrow, change feels less intimidating and meticulousness less essential.

Crucially, this has shown us that playing it safe or striving for perfection isn’t just outdated—it’s downright boring. As audiences increasingly seek authenticity over flawlessness, brands like Ryanair and Duolingo are leaning into self-deprecating humor and embracing a more ‘real’ approach. Ten years ago, those kinds of campaigns might have been seen as risky or even disastrous. Today, they’re examples of how thinking outside the box (or even tearing the box apart) can resonate with audiences. My advice to Gen Zs here; use your bravery to push both brands and your colleagues out of their comfort zones. Encourage them to try new things, jump on trends, and have more fun with brands. Now, it’s about connection as much as perfection.

2. Fluidity is your friend

In advertising, roles can often feel like rigid boxes—creatives on one side, account managers on the other. But Gen Z, we’re often criticized (or praised, depending on who you ask) for being anti-label and “too woke.” While these labels might sound like buzzwords, they actually highlight an important point: we’re used to fluidity, and that’s a strength.

Just because you’re an account person doesn’t mean your thoughts on the creative process don’t matter. And if you’re on the creative team, don’t shy away from voicing your opinion on client communications.

One of the best things we can do as juniors in the industry and something that is actively required of us at Luckies is to ask questions and seek input from everyone, regardless of their job title. It’s in these cross-role conversations that the magic often happens. So, don’t let traditional job descriptions limit you. Your perspective is valuable, and sometimes, the best ideas come from the most unexpected places.

3. Don’t get pigeonholed

Let’s face it: the shift in media consumption habits has been dramatic. People are watching less TV and spending more time scrolling through their feeds. As the generation that grew up with, and in many ways, shaped social media, we’re often viewed as the go-to experts for all things social. It’s flattering, sure, but it can also be limiting.

My advice?

Don’t let yourself be pigeonholed as just the ‘social media expert.’ While it’s true that we bring invaluable insights into the world of social, we also have the potential to elevate the entire creative process. Use your knowledge of social trends, technology, and emerging tools such as AI to bring fresh ideas to the table across all aspects of a campaign. We’re more than just the people who know how to make a TikTok go viral—we’re the ones who can help shape the future of advertising as a whole.

Own your Gen Z perspective

Being a Gen Z-er in the advertising industry is a bit like being the new kid in school. There’s a lot to learn, a lot to prove, but also a lot of opportunity to bring something fresh and exciting to the table. We’ve grown up in a world where change is the only constant, and that makes us uniquely equipped to thrive in an industry that’s all about evolution and creativity.

So, embrace the new, break down those silos, and don’t let yourself be pigeonholed. Our generation has the potential to bring about real, meaningful change in the way brands communicate and connect with their audiences. And if we can do that while having a little fun along the way, even better.

By Trinity Taylor

Sourced from The Drum

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Zoopla’s Cassandra Hall opens up on her team’s ‘streetwise’ approach to marketing

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By Tim Healey,

In a world of often shrinking marketing budgets, Zoopla’s is growing. The property search firm’s head of marketing tells Tim Healey how proving ‘marketing is underplayed’ is allowing it to thrive and branch into burgeoning spaces like AI.

You have a BA in ancient history, an MSc in international marketing. On top of that, you were one of only four graduates selected to complete Omnicom’s ‘DAS Accelerate’ Graduate Marketing Programme. Your roles have included press officer for UK film festivals, working agency side at Naked Comms and VCCP, and setting up your own marketing consultancy. But since 2019 you have been at Zoopla – starting in strategy, then forming the brand marketing function and now leading B2C and B2B marketing. Please walk us through your career to your role today.

I’ve been really fortunate to have had a very varied marketing career. And I think that’s set me up to navigate the ever-changing world of marketing. When I entered the industry, it was the arrival of the smartphone, then there was the social media boom. Next, it was ‘big data.’ Now it’s all about machine learning and AI. I also consider having been a marketer during the pandemic a formative experience – and we can all add that to our CVs now.

I’ve always felt marketing was a great fit for me given I’m fascinated by culture and change. I studied ancient history and the world of art, language and politics, and my first role was running PR for a film festival in London (even though I had no idea what public relations actually was!) From here I went on to help launch live entertainment – various musicals and exhibitions.

I decided to study a masters in international marketing so that I could connect the theory to marketing application. Upon graduating I got really lucky, landing a place on what was at the time a very renowned graduate fellowship run by Omnicom. I blazed my way through five agencies over 16 months, working in all areas of brand, insight, advertising, CRM and digital. I was in a pitch on my first day of the program and then in New York on one of my last pitching my own marketing strategy to Omnicom agency leaders.

After the program, I joined one of Omnicom’s agencies, Rapp, helping digitize Barclays bank communications and build strategies for Virgin Media. I then joined Naked Communications, a creative agency brewed for ‘misfits,’ working on social for eBay and across Virgin Atlantic’s global loyalty program. Interested in more upstream marketing, I moved into a strategy and innovation role at boutique consultancy The Gild (run by Simon Massey, now founder of Neverland) for some of the world’s most valuable brands: Campari, Microsoft, Nike and Diageo. At this stage, I received some wise advice to round out my marketing skills with through-the-line communications experience and so joined the esteemed agency VCCP as a strategist on Cathay Pacific, Müller, and many more clients – winning a string of awards and steeply growing professionally.

Next, I had the courage to set up my own independent marketing consultancy and work directly with startup, scale-up and established brands. About a year and a half later I received a call from someone in my Omnicom network about a role at Zoopla, the property marketplace, which had recently been acquired by private equity and was embarking on a transformation journey. I saw this as an opportunity to step into the world of tech and reimagine a brand and consumer experience end-to-end, to better empower homeowners and movers today.

There was a lot to do! The first task was to put purpose back at the heart of the business, then overhaul Zoopla’s proposition, establish a new brand platform and rebrand (visually and verbally). We redefined channel roles, improved attribution, hired a new agency bench and started developing ‘peak’ marketing campaigns supported by data-driven, hyper-localized content programmes

In my next role there as head of brand I was focused on inserting Zoopla bravely into culture and the nation’s conversations around home. The distinctive brand ecosystem we built and the increased frequency with which people were using Zoopla (every 1.5 seconds) is probably one of my biggest achievements.

Now my role has expanded to lead consumer and customer marketing, working in partnership with a growth director. In my view there is so much more to do to improve our industry and the rollercoaster journey that is moving home – for buyers, sellers, renters and property professionals.

In February this year, Zoopla was awarded the ‘UK’s Biggest Brand Mover’ accolade by YouGov – ranking higher than ITV and Google on brand, perception and purchase movement – which was a real testament to the journey I’ve been on.

Zoopla’s out of home campaign

In my research, I read that Zoopla saw losses narrow in 2021. And then in 2022, revenue increased. Zoopla was profitable on an operational level the following year at £2.2m. Perhaps you can explain to our readers what’s going on at Zoopla?

When I joined we were a pure play property marketplace – a destination to search for a home. We were playing the same game as the category leader, who obviously is doing a good job with a larger network effect. Our ambition had to become bigger than just home ‘search’ in order to better support homeowners, movers and professionals as well as Zoopla’s commercial growth longer term.

Since 2021 we’ve focused on positioning Zoopla as a trusted partner for more confident home decisions. Instead of talking about property search, we now talk to the main reason people appreciate Zoopla and use us, which is for the data and insight we give people about property. You come to Zoopla, get the latest house valuation, understand when’s the best time to move, how much to sell your current place for, find the best agent to sell it, what’s the best area to move to and what type of home you would prefer. All of this adds up to better home decisions.

We’ve built product and marketing around the role of being a moving partner, which has given us license to outmanoeuvre the competition, because now people are coming to Zoopla first when they’re first thinking about making a home decision. Because they are getting the information they need, they’re more likely to stick with us. This strategy has been growing our active user base and, as a result, is powering more personalized experiences on site/in-app. When someone is registered with us they are 3.2 times more likely to request to view a property or find an agent through Zoopla.

What’s interesting is that we’ve actually increased search volume on Zoopla by not talking about ‘search’ specifically. By going against the conventions of the category we’ve supported business growth. We are still a place to find your next home, but are also so much more than that.

Brand marketing on a local level: Zoopla’s branded taxis

Zoopla is planning on spending a 41% increase in marketing in 2024…

The journey at Zoopla has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. Covid happened three months into my role starting and the housing market effectively shut down. We’ve since had an ongoing cost of living crisis alongside a tech recession. So by nature, our budget previously contracted to reflect the macro environment; we don’t need to be spending on marketing when people are not spending as much money or, indeed, moving home.

However, coming out of the pandemic and still today, we are experiencing a large volume of pent-up demand for moving home. Lockdown built this up as it forced us all to reevaluate what we want from our homes today and seek out something that fit this vision. Enter Zoopla…

This positive market outlook has given our business and our board confidence that we should be investing more in marketing to consumers. The more high-intent audiences we attract to our site or our app, the more we can better support agents and house builders’ businesses.

I will say that we’ve been very ‘streetwise’ with our marketing, constantly defining and redefining our approach based on what the category is doing, what new technologies and channels are available, as well as what consumers want today.

We focus on regional, localized marketing opportunities for a start. Given property and local area is so personal, we need to address people according to where they live in tandem with addressing the nation (for mass appeal and volume). We’re also smart with our spending, targeting audiences who have a higher propensity to move in the next 6 to 12 months.

This streetwise approach has helped build business confidence in marketing spend, given it is hyper-targeted and we can demonstrate the ROI alongside commercial and product efforts.

Cassandra walks an audience through Zoopla’s precision approach to marketing

Seeing marketing as an investment rather than a cost. Many marketers reading this interview will be going: “I need to convince my C-suite of that.”

I have to be honest, there have been moments where it has felt like marketing is being viewed more as a cost, but you have to step back as a team: regroup, own the narrative, get closer to the CFO and the board to confidently land “Everyone, this is what’s working. This is how, and this is why we should invest.”

Zoopla’s website offers increasing amounts of supporting knowledge to help buyers and renters make their home decisions

Zoopla also announced that AI will be used to help optimize property searches. Are you able to share any info on that?

We know that AI is integral to improving the home-finding experience because searching for a home that fits your criteria is hard. I personally struggle with online retail, where you’re faced with sifting through thousands of t-shirts with no real way of categorizing and personalizing that experience. We are building the opposite of that at Zoopla whereby instead of you finding the right home, the right home finds you. AI is a driver of that, ensuring that every time you come back to Zoopla and show a behavior, we’ll serve up a set of personalized property recommendations and information relevant to that. We know people are searching for very specific property features or specific areas – for example, proximity to green space or renovation opportunities – so we use data science to tag and surface the properties that feel the best match to an individual.

We know it’s also not just about the property – the bricks and mortar – it’s about the area and the community. So we’re also investing in AI to build out hundreds of local area guides with multiple data points, including Ofsted school data as well as local pub ratings, plus what other areas ‘you might be interested in’. We’ve got over 300 on site right now.

AI is also behind a lot of our marketing because we know that a single marketing message delivered on a national level will not resonate. After all, moving home is an incredibly personal decision. Using AI we create over 370 local market reports tailored to where a user is looking to move. In addition, our monthly property estimate email informs over 2.3 million homeowners when the value of their home has changed.

The Zoopla site provides price guides and local area information to help home-hunters make the best choices

Can you tell us about your marketing team? How is it organized and structured?

Our marketing team has been through different structures and shapes but the fundamentals of organizing ourselves across the funnel remains demand generation (brand, media, social, PR), acquisition (SEO, paid search, content, app) and retention (CRM, content). We also have an in-house creative studio, who work across everything, particularly when it comes to fast experimentation of design and messaging in the middle of the funnel. Over time, the team has definitely become leaner, but as a result, we are working faster and closer than ever before.

How big is your team?

At the moment we are 25 people and are growing. We understand that Zoopla needs to be more of a publisher of supremely useful content, and we can only achieve that with more creative and media control. We will still have strong reliance on agency partners in some respects, but there will be more of the work coming in-house very soon.

Zoopla’s effective brand marketing on a local level

What skills have you acquired agency side that hold you in good stead now you’re client side?

Agility and pace has to be up there. You’ll struggle to be a successful marketer without the ability to adapt at speed to changes happening around you. We have largely hired from agencies for this reason, because we believe in the pace, as well as the breadth of experience it brings to a dynamic business.

Also, creative taste is something I’ve nurtured from the agency side. When you’re judging creative, validated data is hugely valuable, but nothing beats that instinct of ‘does this feel right?’ Because ultimately, if you don’t feel something with creative, no one else will. Creativity is something I have really championed at Zoopla – culture, bravery and insight are our foundations to ensure we always speak to the hearts and minds of the nation.

Finally, the purity and first principles of marketing is something that agency side has ingrained in me. On the client side, there is far more focus on the commercials – which is brilliant – but it can sometimes overshadow the importance of really leaning into the art and science of changing audience behavior. By hiring a blend of agency and client-side marketers, you can achieve the art and science that’s needed.

How do you feel about synthetic data, where AI can create models of your target customers, and you can ask them questions and even test hypotheses?

I’m open to it, given we are already using AI for insight and automation, to shortcut to better decisions. But ultimately, there still has to be a human involved. Potentially an augmentation of synthetic data with real human data could work. But we need 100% confidence; until that’s there there is risk, and you’ve got to mitigate that. We can’t just rely wholly on AI tools, particularly when it comes to fake versus real audiences.

AI generally is a risk to individualism and differentiation when it comes to brands. If everyone is asking the models the same thing, the same data is being churned out in response. The result could ultimately be this proliferation of sameness. It poses an interesting opportunity for marketing today: how to focus on the top of the funnel and codify what makes you truly unique.

What have you learned in your career journey that enables you to get the best out of marketing teams?

I think the discipline of marketing sets any people leader up well, given our whole job is about empathy and going deeper to understand and influence behavior.

For me, it’s all about identifying what drives people and then what drives the business and how you can connect those to create a bit of magic. I really enjoy inspiring and empowering others to develop themselves while simultaneously developing the business at the same time. So in short, it’s about bringing together great people with great business outcomes.

A Zoopla out of home campaign

As a marketer, you’re faced with a barrage of new technology solutions. How do you approach this to ensure you make the right choices?

This is where you have to be humble. You’re not going to be a marketeer who is as technically strong as you are creatively and/or commercially strong. You need to rely on your network around you for support and learning. For example, partner agencies who are closest to publishers and new tech platforms. They’re exploring them with potentially bigger brands with more investment to test where you can’t always take the risk to.

For example at Zoopla we can see the decline of reach through more traditional media and are exploring diversification across AV channels, working alongside our sister companies Confused.com and uSwitch, who are equally navigating and testing substitute platforms and solutions.

How do you ensure clarity around market orientation with your competitor and customer knowledge?

We take a comprehensive 360 view. We scope the property market, our category, our audience, and then build a plan off the back of it all. Given we have a lot of consumer tracking capability, we can identify propensity to move home before a person hits the top of the marketing funnel. This allows us to develop audiences and rightsize our spend based on prospect size and also based on our overall market share versus competitors.

In terms of tracking results, we use ‘share of voice’ and other indicators such as ‘share of branded search’ through to ‘share of lead’ metrics. The business really believes in brand health and when we continuously spend, we generally see quite an uptick in terms of spontaneous brand awareness and consideration.

What advice you might have for younger marketers that might be reading this interview? Imagine you’re speaking to a younger Cassandra, as you start your career in marketing. What advice might you give her? What should she do more of? What should she avoid?

First, always be open and say ‘yes’ to every opportunity. I got caught up when I was younger – I would think: “If I make this decision, does that put me into this box as a marketeer?” It didn’t matter. I just needed to grab every opportunity that was presented to me. When I look back, I have really cut marketing from every angle to understand where I best fit. Undoubtedly, it’s made me a better marketer.

Second, really know the opportunity and your audience. I often see junior marketers come into a business and they’re most excited about the output, the activation. But it’s only going to work if it all starts from a place where you completely understand what you’re solving for and who you’re creating for: that knowledge will make your work more impactful.

Sometimes, that means knocking on the door of the C-suite and other leaders saying: “I want to know more. I want to understand.” In my first 30 days at Zoopla, I don’t know how many coffees with stakeholders I had. It’s about being humble and asking the questions that will get you the information you need. This way you will build your repertoire much faster. You genuinely want to be the most helpful and inquisitive person in the room – curiosity and a desire to learn are what I personally hire for.

Zoopla out of home advertising celebrates their knowledge base

If there’s one thing you’ve learned about marketing it is…

Marketing is underplayed. It’s our job to get people to act and think differently. That’s not fluffy: it’s scientific, creative and above all, commercial. Demonstrating ROI on your marketing efforts is everything.

I feel that having been a marketer, one could almost enter any industry or take on any role, because you’re wearing 20 different hats every day. That’s why I love it, but it makes it a more challenging career choice – especially today. It’s a constant evolution, from increasingly data-rich environments to global pandemics through to the fluctuating economy. To thrive, you need to have the ability to define and redefine what effective marketing looks like, and then deliver those results.

You might die tomorrow so make it worth your while. Worth Your While is an independent creative agency helping brands do spectacular stuff people like to talk about. wyw.agency.

By Tim Healey,

Sourced from The Drum

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A Comprehensive Guide To Small Business Marketing

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By Dominique Harroch

In today’s digital landscape the right approach to small business marketing combines advanced technology, data-driven insights, and effective digital platforms. Here’s a comprehensive guide to small business marketing to companies navigate the current marketing trends and tools that can drive business success.

Key marketing tools for small businesses

Following is a summary of 11 key marketing tools that small and growing businesses should consider when leveraging owned, earned and paid media:

1. An optimized small business website

A high-performing website is crucial for marketing today. An optimized site increases your page rank on Google and other search engines, and in today’s world, fewer than 1% of searches go to the second page of a search. Key elements of an effective small business site include:

  • Memorable domain name: Choose a name that reflects your business and is easy to recall.
  • User-friendly design: Ensure your site is visually appealing and intuitive. Sites should have a clear structure, intuitive navigation and information that is easy to access.
  • Search engine optimization (SEO): Implement SEO best practices to rank higher in search engine results.
  • Mobile optimization: Since over 55% of global web traffic comes from mobile devices, you’ll want to ensure your site is mobile-friendly.
  • Valuable content: Regularly update your site with engaging content like blogs and articles that address your audience’s interests and needs.
  • Fast loading times: Optimize page speeds to improve user experience and SEO rankings.
  • Secure hosting: Use reputable hosting services to protect your site’s data and performance.

Additionally, integrating tools like Google Analytics (now called GA4) and Google Search Console (GSC) can provide valuable insights into your site’s performance and user behaviour.

2. Paid search engine marketing (SEM)

Paid search engine marketing, in which you pay if a keyword is clicked on that drives traffic to your website, remains a powerful tool for driving targeted traffic. Platforms like Google Ads and Bing Ads allow you to:

  • Bid on keywords: Use tools like Google keyword planner to select high-value keywords relevant to your business.
  • Control costs: Set daily and monthly budgets, and adjust bids based on performance.
  • Analyse performance: Track key metrics to assess and refine your campaigns.

3. Paid listings and display ads

Paid listings on platforms like Yelp, Facebook, and Pinterest can boost visibility. Use Google’s Display Network to target ads based on user interests and behaviour. This approach allows you to:

  • Choose ad formats: Use banners, text ads, or video ads to capture attention.
  • Track return on investment (ROI): Monitor clicks and conversions to measure effectiveness. Track your costs, record and monitor revenue, and record all expenses. Make sure to measure lead generation numbers, customer acquisition, and sales metrics as valuable insights into your marketing effectiveness.
  • Testing: By experimenting with different ad copy, targeting options, and formats, businesses can identify what resonates most with their audience, refine their strategies, and ultimately improve click-through rates and conversions. This can include A/B testing, target audience variations, ad copy variations, call-to-action (CTA) testing or visual elements where you test different images or videos to determine which visual elements attract more attention and engagement.

4. Content marketing

Content marketing remains a cornerstone of effective digital strategies. Key tactics include:

  • Blogging: Regularly post optimized content to drive organic traffic. Nine out of ten marketers use blogs as part of their content strategy.
  • Guest posting: Publish articles on popular platforms such as Medium and AllBusiness.com to enhance your reach and SEO. Strive to create “evergreen” articles, which are designed to remain relevant and valuable over a long period of time, regardless of current events or trends. Unlike timely articles that focus on current news or trends, evergreen content addresses topics that have enduring interest and utility.
  • Video content: In 2023, individuals spent an average of 17 hours a week watching videos online. Utilize platforms like YouTube and TikTok to engage your audience.
  • Content platforms: Leverage content recommendation platforms like Outbrain to expand your content’s reach.

5. Social media marketing

Social media is a powerful tool for engaging with your audience. Focus on platforms such as:

  • Facebook: Effective for broad audience reach and targeted ads.
  • Instagram: Ideal for visual content and influencer partnerships.
  • LinkedIn: Best for B2B marketing and professional networking.
  • TikTok: Useful for viral video content and younger demographics.

With over 5 billion global social media users and growing, effective social media marketing can significantly enhance your brand’s visibility and engagement. To be effective, you must regularly post interesting content to obtain and keep followers.

6. Influencer marketing

Influencer marketing involves collaborating with individuals who have a significant and engaged following on social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok and Instagram to promote products or services. These influencers, who can range from celebrities to niche content creators, leverage their credibility and relationship with their audience to drive brand awareness and influence purchasing decisions.

The impact of influencer marketing on broader marketing efforts can be profound, as it allows brands to tap into authentic, targeted communities that are often more receptive to recommendations from trusted (or at least known) voices.

This form of marketing can enhance brand credibility, expand reach, and generate higher engagement rates compared to traditional advertising. As consumers increasingly seek personalized and relatable content, influencer marketing has become a powerful tool for connecting with audiences in a meaningful way.

7. Online business directories

It’s important for business owners to list their companies in prominent and reputable business directories. Often these listings are free, but even if you must pay a small fee, it can be worth it.

The benefits include

  • Exposure to potential clients and customers.
  • Boosted SEO through backlinks.
  • Improved online presence and brand awareness.
  • Increased credibility for your business.
  • Low-cost or free marketing.

The following is a list of top business directories to consider listing your business:

8. Radio marketing

While less prominent today, radio can still be effective. Many people are in their cars during peak commute hours. To maximize radio advertising:

  • Targeted placement: Choose stations and time slots that align with your target audience.
  • Engaging content: Create memorable and concise ads.
  • Consider your market: Are you a B2C company (business to consumer) or B2B company (business to business)? Is your market local (like a neighbourhood restaurant), national (such as selling payroll services), or international (such as selling unique clothing to multiple markets)?

The cost-effectiveness of radio compared to TV makes it a viable option for more localized campaigns.

9. Press releases

Press releases are valuable for announcing significant business updates. Ensure your release is:

  • Newsworthy: Focus on unique and timely information.
  • Well-structured: Include a strong headline, key details, and contact information.
  • Multimedia: Incorporate multimedia elements like images and videos to increase engagement.

10. Email marketing

Email marketing remains effective when executed correctly. Best practices include:

  • Segmenting: Personalize content based on customer preferences and behavior. Use data to segment your lists and target markets.
  • Offering engaging content: Provide valuable information, special offers, and updates.
  • Optimization: Use A/B testing to refine subject lines and content.
  • Using AI-driven tools: These can help automate and personalize email campaigns, improving engagement rates.

11. Direct mail marketing

Despite the digital age, direct mail still works for certain audiences. To optimize direct mail:

  • Use targeted lists: Use well-researched mailing lists to improve ROI.
  • Implement creative designs: Ensure your mail piece stands out and is easy to read.
  • Track mailings: Monitor responses and effectiveness.

More tips to enhance your marketing campaigns

Here are some additional tips to optimize your marketing campaigns:

  • Segment: Segment your target market to a specific audience. Segmentation can be done with respect to age, gender, income level, education, geography, purchase stage or brand loyalty, and more.
  • Business lists: Consider using high quality business lists such as Dun and Bradstreet, Experian Business, ZoomInfo or InfoUSA. These lists can be used in multiple channels as well, maximizing the value of the lists.
  • Track real time: Track your marketing campaigns in real-time to get immediate insights, make quick adjustments, and understand what is working or not.
  • Key metrics: Track the key metrics in your campaigns, such as click-through rate, engagement rate, conversion rate, sales, revenue, customer acquisition cost, market share, and churn rate.
  • Software and AI: Use software and artificial intelligence (AI) tools for social media management, content creation and testing of alternative ads.
  • Budget: Allocate your budget wisely. Assess the performance of different marketing channels and allocate your budget to the ones that deliver the highest ROI. Continuously review and adjust your spending to focus on the most effective strategies.
  • Keep current: Stay updated with trends. Keep up with the latest marketing trends and technologies. Experiment with new platforms, tools, or strategies to stay ahead of the competition and reach your audience in innovative ways. Keep up to date with experts by seeking articles from reputable business sources such as AllBusiness.com.
  • Promote across channels: Share earned media coverage on your website, social media platforms, and email newsletters. For instance, if a major publication writes about your product, feature this article prominently on your homepage or social media profiles.
  • Showcase social proof: Use earned media as a form of social proof by highlighting positive reviews, testimonials, or features from reputable sources. This can build credibility and trust with potential customers.
  • Strengthen relationships with media: Build and maintain good relationships with journalists and influencers. This can lead to more favourable coverage in the future and expand your media network.
  • Repurpose content: Convert mentions and reviews into additional content, such as blog posts, case studies, and infographics. For example, if your company was featured in a popular tech blog, you could create a detailed blog post about the experience and its impact.

Ready to enhance your small business marketing strategy?

Developing a comprehensive and modern small business marketing strategy requires leveraging a mix of traditional and digital techniques. By integrating artificial intelligence tools, optimizing SEO, utilizing effective SEM strategies, and harnessing the power of social media, you can create a dynamic and effective marketing approach. Start by experimenting with different strategies, tracking your results, and refining your approach based on performance data.

Feature Image Credit: Getty

By Dominique Harroch

Dominique Harroch has acted as a Chief of Staff or Operations Leader for multiple companies where she leveraged her extensive experience in operations management, strategic planning, and team leadership to drive organizational success. Her background spans over two decades in operations leadership, event planning at her own startup, and marketing at various financial and retail companies. She can be reached via LinkedIn.

Sourced from Forbes

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Use These ChatGPT Hacks for SEO and Marketing

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By Sana Uqaili

ChatGPT has been around for over six months, and while the initial excitement of having a “robot assistant” may have faded, it continues to surprise with new use cases.

In this post, we’ll explore some effective ways to leverage ChatGPT for SEO, digital marketing, and management tasks, making your workflows more efficient and impactful.

1. Keyword Research with ChatGPT

While ChatGPT isn’t the best standalone keyword research tool, it can still play a crucial role in the process.

Standard keyword tools often give everyone the same results, increasing competition for those keywords.

However, ChatGPT can help you think outside the box by suggesting unconventional seed keywords.

For example, if you’re researching keywords for a golf website, you can ask ChatGPT to generate a list of related terms that are less obvious, helping you uncover untapped opportunities.

You can then input these keywords into traditional tools like Ahrefs or Keywords Explorer to find easy-to-rank topics.

This method has helped me find keywords with over 35,000 monthly searches that competitors haven’t yet capitalized on.

Combining ChatGPT’s creative output with a robust keyword tool can give you an edge in finding less competitive but highly valuable topics.

And if you’re looking to put your entire content strategy on autopilot, Expert Writer AI is the perfect tool to streamline your keyword research, blog writing, and affiliate marketing efforts all in one go.

Click here to visit Expert Writer AI and subscribe to its waiting list, which will make you eligible to get its early bird discount on launch.

2. Short-Form Copywriting Made Easy

One of the best uses of ChatGPT is for short-form copywriting, like creating email subject lines, meta descriptions, or ad copy.

While the tool is decent out of the box, I’ve found that refining the prompts produces even better results.

Start by setting the tone or voice you want the copy to have.

For instance, you might tell ChatGPT to write in the voice of a specific persona or with a particular tone, like humorous or formal.

You can also ask ChatGPT to generate multiple variations, giving you more options to choose from.

Here’s a personal example: When writing ad copy for a new product launch, I asked ChatGPT to generate five different versions of a Facebook ad.

This gave me a variety of angles to work with and sparked new ideas that I hadn’t thought of initially.

To take it a step further, you can use Expert Writer AI to automate your content strategy and blogging process, ensuring high-quality, optimized content without the manual effort.

Click here to visit Expert Writer AI and subscribe to its waiting list, which will make you eligible to get its early bird discount on launch.

3. Using ChatGPT as a Query Builder

For marketers who use advanced tools like Ahrefs or Web Explorer, ChatGPT can help create complex search queries that save time and find valuable opportunities.

By teaching ChatGPT specific search operators and combining them creatively, you can discover potential backlink opportunities or unlinked brand mentions.

For example, you can instruct ChatGPT to construct a query that finds mentions of your brand across the web that aren’t currently linking to your site.

This is a great way to identify opportunities to reach out and build more backlinks, ultimately improving your site’s authority and search engine ranking.

4. The Free Consultation Trick

One of my favorite ways to use ChatGPT is what I call the “free consultation.”

It works just like those free consultations businesses offer when you’re about to hire them for a service.

You can ask ChatGPT for advice on a wide range of topics, from podcasting to SEO strategies, and get actionable responses instantly.

For example, when I wanted to start a podcast but didn’t know how to differentiate it from others, I asked ChatGPT for creative suggestions.

It helped me come up with unique ideas, such as interviewing small business owners instead of just SEO experts.

The best part? This advice comes without the high price tag that often comes with professional consultations.

Even if you don’t follow every suggestion ChatGPT provides, it’s a great way to get your creative gears turning.

You’ll often leave these “consultations” with new insights and strategies you hadn’t considered.

5. Creating Long-Form Content with ChatGPT

Initially, ChatGPT wasn’t great at creating long-form content because the results often felt generic and boilerplate.

However, with GPT-4 and a well-defined workflow, the tool can now produce a decent first draft of long-form content.

There are two key factors that will make ChatGPT effective at writing longer content.

First, you need to choose the right topic — one that doesn’t require deep expertise.

For example, topics like “how to take a screenshot on a Mac” are ideal because they are straightforward and don’t require specialized knowledge.

Second, providing a detailed outline ensures that the structure and flow of the content meet your standards.

By giving ChatGPT an outline with bullet points, subheadings, and key details, you’re able to steer the content in the right direction.

The AI then becomes more of a tool that helps you flesh out ideas, rather than doing all the work for you.

Once ChatGPT provides a first draft, you can edit, add multimedia, and refine the tone to ensure the content meets your audience’s expectations.

6. Automating Email Replies with ChatGPT

One of the most time-saving uses of ChatGPT is for responding to detailed emails.

Instead of spending 20 minutes crafting a thoughtful response, you can provide ChatGPT with a rough outline and let it do the heavy lifting.

For example, when replying to a candidate who asked multiple questions about a job role, I gave ChatGPT a brief outline of what I wanted to say.

The AI created a professional yet casual response that sounded natural and saved me a ton of time. I even had ChatGPT adjust the tone to match my style, making the email sound more authentic and less corporate.

Final Thoughts

As AI continues to evolve, we’re discovering new ways to use tools like ChatGPT in our daily workflows.

Whether it’s conducting keyword research, writing ad copy, or responding to emails, ChatGPT offers solutions that make tasks faster and more efficient.

And if you’re looking to automate your content creation and marketing strategy, Expert Writer AI is the perfect solution for setting everything on autopilot.

Click here to visit Expert Writer AI and subscribe to its waiting list, which will make you eligible to get its early bird discount on launch.

With the right combination of AI tools and a bit of creativity, you can take your digital marketing game to the next level.

Stay tuned for more tips and tutorials, and start leveraging AI to streamline your workflow!

Note: This article contains an affiliate link to an external site. If you click on the link and make a purchase, I might get a commission at no additional cost to you.

Feature Image Credit: Dastmyer SEO AI Image Creator

By Sana Uqaili

A content strategist and SEO specialist who can get your website ranked on the first page of Google in a matter of weeks! Visit dastmyerseo.com for more info.

Sourced from Medium

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