13 Email Examples That Totally Nailed Personalization

If you're anything like most people, you can probably rattle off 100 different things you'd rather do than dig through your inbox.

It starts to feel like a chore, because what's in there isn't very interesting. In fact, only 21% of consumers reported that they've received a memorable promotional email in the past two months, according to a study by Litmus.

To overcome that, many brands are using email personalization as a strategy for creating more engaging email experiences -- ones that feel less like a robot, and more like a friend.

The best part? Email personalization doesn't need to be insanely complicated to resonate with recipients. To see what I mean, check out these 13 great email examples that cleverly use personalization.

13 Personalized Email Examples You Can't Help but Click

1) OpenTable

As you may have gathered from my bio, there are few things in life that bring me as much joy as a remarkable meal. That's why OpenTable is one of my favorite brands. Not only does it easy to make reservations online, but it also remembers my favorite restaurants, and helps me discover new ones based on my reviews and reservation behavior.

One way OpenTable encourages me to leave reviews is by sending me an email with a personalized subject line asking me how my most recent meal was that I booked through this platform.

Because these reviews help OpenTable figure out which restaurant recommendations to make for me, I'm already encouraged -- but a personalized, specific subject line with a reminder of where my last reservation was, helps to boost my engagement.

2) JetBlue

Oh, JetBlue. You shouldn't have.

This anniversary email highlights a creative example of a brand using something as simple as a date to provide a standout experience. Much like a birthday shout out, JetBlue used my colleague's account creation date to trigger a personalized email to celebrate the fact that they've been "emailing for 365 days now."

If you're a HubSpot customer, this is an easy email to replicate for your contacts through a fixed date or property-based workflows. It allows you to base your workflow on a calendar or contact property date, so you can send anniversary emails, digital birthday cards, renewal reminders, and more. And if your business is sending a high volume of these emails, we also offer the Transactional Email Add-On.

3) Spotify

Here's another great personalized email example that leverages a user's interests to provide a relevant, value-packed message.

The copy in this email from Spotify is particularly effective because it frames the personalization in a way that makes the recipient feel like they're being rewarded for their usage. Phrases like "top listener" and "be the first to get access" lend themselves to a sense of exclusivity -- making the user feel important.

The email also closes with a written call-to-action that encourages the recipient to listen to Charles Kelley's new song -- specifically on Spotify. Again, this push helps to ensure that the user is actively using the streaming service, and therefore continuously reminded of the value.

4) Amazon

A few Halloweens ago, HubSpot's blogging team dressed as the dancing pumpkin man from this viral video. (And, in case you're wondering, we dressed as a bunch of bananas last year.) But before opting to DIY our own orange masks, my colleague, Lindsay Kolowich, set out on an Amazon search to find us the real deal.

Within just a couple of days, she received this personalized email from Amazon featuring "products similar to 'full face plastic pumpkin masks'." (Some of them are quite scary, aren't they?)

This email serves as a great example of how to use a contact's search behavior to re-engage them with your company, and hopefully move them closer to a sale.

5) LinkedIn

Once upon a time, before I worked for HubSpot -- practically another lifetime, it feels like -- I was about to graduate from business school and actively applying for jobs.

I often used LinkedIn for my search -- a business-focused social network that was paying attention the type of listings I responded to. Each day, LinkedIn sent me a roundup jobs it thought would pique my interest.

What's interesting about this email is that LinkedIn wasn't using it to earn my paid business. Rather, LinkedIn seemed to be keeping a close eye, algorithmically, to the locations and type of work I was seeking. While some of the listings were more applicable than others, all of them were clickable.

Did you catch that? Clickable. And even if none of these jobs piqued my interest, I had about 250 classmates who might have considered them, driving even more traffic to LinkedIn's website.

So think about what's going to make your content clickable, and how you can use personalized emails to drive traffic to your site. Then, set up workflows that remind subscribers how to continue taking advantage of these specially-tailored messages.

6) The Bowery Presents

I received this email back when I was living in New York address, but it still serves as a great example of how to use location information to provide a customized email experience.

In the email, The Bowery Presents pulled shows from New York venues -- where I purchased tickets for many events when I lived there -- for artists similar to the ones I saw live.

And when I finally purchased tickets to see one of these artists in Boston? It re-personalized my emails to let me know about shows here.

By making it easy for me to quickly visualize what's headed to the area and when, The Bowery Presents is able to lower the barrier between me and the point of purchase.

This type of personalization could be extremely beneficial for a company looking to deliver more relevant messages to international leads or existing customers.

7) Twitter

After following one of her favorite brunch spots on Twitter, my colleague Corey Wainwright received this email from the social network with suggestions for similar accounts to follow.

What's more is that the suggestions were actually super relevant -- turns out, a couple of them were just right around the corner from her. (Hello, new grub options.)

When companies have as much data as Twitter does, they usually go one of two ways with personalization: They totally hit the nail on the head, or they have too much data to sift out what's important. This is an example of accurately identifying what Corey would actually care about, and delivering it to her.

8) Hawaiian Airlines

There are few places on the planet that I love more than Hawaii. I'm constantly thinking about my next trip there, but for a while, could never quite commit to booking it.

That is, until I received this special birthday email from Hawaiian Airlines. In keeping with the Hawaiian tradition of presenting someone with a lei on his or her birthday, the airline instead chose to present me with 500 bonus miles, just for booking a trip within the next year. Aloha, indeed.

There's more than one noteworthy thing about this email. First, the only reason I received it is that I'm enrolled in the Hawaiian Airlines mileage program, and getting emails like these is just one of the "rewards" of membership. Plus, the airline understands that I joined for a reason -- because at some point, I planned to visit Hawaii again.

With that in mind, Hawaiian Airlines used this personalized email to give me an incentive to finally book that trip, with a birthday greeting to boot. That's a great way for brands to achieve customer reactivation -- by using a fixed date, like a birthday or anniversary, to remind people what it was that they loved about your business in the first place. By offering something special from your brand to commemorate the occasion, you're giving your audience the motivation to take action and making a purchase.

9) HubSpot Academy

There's a thing about licenses and certifications. They're valuable. They help you master knowledge and become an expert. Having them makes you look good. But they also have to be kept up-to-date, and unless you're reminded, letting them expire can be all too easy.

If you have any HubSpot certifications, you know that doesn't have to be the case. Our Academy team creates personalized emails to let certification-holders know which ones they currently possess, which ones need to be renewed, which ones might be helpful to add to their credentials, and when new certifications are available.

Eric Peters, the senior growth marketing manager with HubSpot Academy, explained the technology that makes emails like these work. Each certification box in the above email is made "smart," to show users which certifications are available to them.

"All nine certifications are available to partners. Eight are available to customers, and four to non-customers," Peters says. "Each one of those certifications has a Smart CTA that appears as a different color, depending on whether the user is actively certified -- which means they passed within the last 395 days -- expired, or incomplete."

"In other words," he explains, "it's a bunch of Smart CTAs embedded in a smart rich text box. The CTAs point to the splash page describing the certification."

(HubSpot Professional and Enterprise customers: You can create Smart CTAs like these in your own emails with your HubSpot CTA tool.)

10) Netflix

Am I the only one that spends more time looking for a movie on Netflix than I do actually watching it?

Aware that its database can be overwhelming, Netflix regularly sends out these personalized emails that suggest movies for its users. (If you want to learn more about the science behind the Netflix algorithms, you can brush up on it here.)

By providing a custom recommendation, Netflix helps ensure that users are actively seeing the value of their subscription. In other words, it keeps them watching, which ultimately keeps them paying.

This approach could be applied to a number of marketing materials -- ebooks, webinars, and blog articles, to name a few. For example, if you find that someone downloaded an ebook on social media tips, you may want to set up a workflow to trigger a follow-up email that suggests they check out your social media guide on SlideShare.

11) Pinterest

In an effort to keep my friend Ginny Mineo pinning, Pinterest sent her this personalized email. Based on her past activity on the site, the social network provided some suggestions for other topics she may want to explore. (Butter, Lauren Conrad, and cheese -- I like your style, Ginny.)

And given that, at the time, she was planning a yellow-themed wedding, I'd say the results were pretty accurate.

What we love most about the email is its simplicity. It offers up just six topics, which is enough to interest the recipient without overwhelming her. Plus, the copy is quick, friendly, and clear.

12) WeddingWire

In other wedding-related news, Mineo also received this email example from WeddingWire, an online marketplace for venues, cakes, dresses, and other wedding-planning items.

While the copy was clever in and of itself, what really struck us was the personalization used in the subject line. After all, your recipients aren't going to see the content unless you persuade them to click first, right?

By using a witty, custom hashtag -- #GinnysLastHurrah -- in the subject line, WeddingWire inspired her to click on the email, check out their tool for creating hashtags, and forward the email to the rest of us.

If you want to boost the word-of-mouth influence behind your product or service, you should consider how personalization can help propel your message.

13) Birchbox

Birchbox is a company that's fixated on personalization in all the right ways -- and all it takes is one glance at the header of this email to see why it's effective.

Birchbox transparently admitted that they took a peek at my colleague Carly Stec's sample and purchase history before crafting this email. That gave her the sense that what came next would likely be relevant to her -- and it was.

These little, personalized messages always reinforce why Carly continues to subscribe to the Birchbox service -- they strengthen her loyalty.

Let's Get Personal

With 62% of millennials feeling that online content drives their loyalty to a brand, and 46% of U.S. consumers admitting that they’re more likely to switch providers than they were 10 years ago -- it's clear that fostering loyalty through personalization should be a priority.

It may seem like a big undertaking, but by observing, understanding, and investing in the behavior of your customers, you can help to ensure that they'll stay customers. So start getting personal -- and building loyalty.

from Marketing https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/34146/7-excellent-examples-of-email-personalization-in-action.aspx

Real World Growth Hacking: A Guide to Getting Customers for the Unfunded

“1.2 million uniques in 18 months.”

Sounds impressive.

Looks amazing at first blush.

Until you start reading. Until you start listening.

And then you see it. Spot it from a mile away.

“Raised $XX million from Joe Schmo venture partners” in fine print towards the bottom. Like it was insignificant. Like it didn’t change anything.

Immediately you should see red flags. Instantly you should be put off.

It’s not just the money. It’s the access. It’s the network. It’s the one-line email to a friend of a friend that gets you in touch with every top media property on the ‘net.

I’m not hating. Neither should you. It’s just that the numbers and therefore, the article, become farce. Those “tips” they used. Those “hacks” they employed.

Writing “really great content” isn’t the reason they hit 1.2 million uniques in 18 months. Going from $zero to $millions overnight is. Going from from 10 beta users to 10,000 the next day is, too.

Talent starts listening. Prospects start buying. Journalists start taking notice. Instant credibility hits as a byproduct.

All of those things are great. If you can get them. But you can’t. Because you’re un-funded.

So here’s what you should be doing instead.

The biggest problem facing the unfunded

Raising money isn’t the end goal. It’s also the exception in most cases.

You wouldn’t get that from reading most tech sites. But in reality, out there in the real world, it’s true.

The problem is that if Paul Graham ain’t on your speed dial, you’re gonna need a second approach.

‘Cause the things that work in that tiny, miniscule, subsection of a market won’t work for you. Or me. Or most.

The context is completely different. Which means the strategies, tactics, and campaigns are, too. Or should be, at least.

Here’s an example to make this crystal clear.

Let’s go on a new trip. Pick anywhere at all. New York City sounds fun.

So what do you do first? You don’t go to “Hotel XYZ.” Not initially, anyway. Instead, you go to Expedia or TripAdvisor or Yelp or Hotels.com or Google Travel or wherever.

And what do you look at first, before price?

Names you recognize.

That’s because 59% of people buy from companies they recognize.

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Another study from a different source found the same exact findings.

“70% of US consumers look for a ‘known retailer’ when deciding what search result to click.”

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“Brand bias” is way out in front, before pricing for most people.

How about one more for the skeptics out there?

MarketingExperiments.com ran a simple conversion test. They did all the crap A/B tests you hear about on most sites.

They did the headlines the buttons the CTAs the colors and the rest of the junk “experts” say you should be doing.

TL;DR? None of that stuff moved the needle. Not significantly. Not permanently.

One test, however, did.

Except you’re probably not going to like the answer. Not if you’re unknown and unfunded, anyway.

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The test the moved the needle on subscriptions by 40%?

The freaking logo.

“There was no significant difference between any of the treatments. The Boston Globe audience is highly motivated, and putting a button above or below the fold didn’t matter as much as the newspaper’s respected journalism.”

That’s it. All it took was the brand name. Because it’s known. Because it’s respected. Because people can trust it.

Because it’s been established over the past century.

This is the part no one tells you online. This is your biggest problem.

It’s not Skyscrapers. It’s obscurity.

Funded companies (usually) get instant credibility. By association. If they don’t completely suck.

But you gotta get it any way you can get it.

The unfunded doesn’t. There’s no awareness. Which means there’s no trust. Which means nobody’s buying.

Social proof ain’t a gimmick. It’s validation. And you need it. So here’s how you go about getting it.

First, here’s what won’t work for you

All companies have constraints.

It’s time for the funded. They need to go big, fast, now.

It’s money and notoriety for the unfunded. Time? You should have loads of it. You don’t have many customers distracting you, right?

The point is that you don’t have a ticking-time bomb. You might feel pressure to scale to X or hit $Y in revenue in Z months. You might need a certain number to live off. But there’s no pressure to do this by the end of Q3.

Hell, the unfunded has probably never done anything by Q’s in the first place.

So it’s a marathon, not a 5k. And that changes a few things.

❌ SEO is a no-go. Yes, it’s important. But no, it won’t help you in the early going.

Search engines are literally designed to reward entities that have been around the longest, have been cited the most, and already have that big brand name.

All of which you don’t have. And won’t. At least, not in the next few months.

❌ Advertising, too, won’t help you. Yes, it works. Amazingly well if you do it right. Which you won’t. Because you don’t have enough capital.

And even if you did, it probably should go somewhere else, first. Like people. Like design. Like product quality.

Because your product is your marketing today.

So you still need awareness. You still need to build a brand. And you still need customers.

Just realize now, up front, that almost 90% of your options have been eliminated.

Counterintuitively, that’s OK. You can focus now. You can start off in the direction that works with what you’ve got.

1. Align yourself with others

You need eyeballs, leads, and credibility.

Fortunately, other organizations already have those things.

So go get them. Even if it costs you a little more.

Example: Who’s the biggest player in your industry?

If we’re talking B2C ecommerce, it’s Amazon. 44% of all searches start (and end) there. They make up almost half of all U.S. online retail sales.

Walls Need Love, a home decor site you’ve probably never heard of, got their initial break through Amazon.

So too, did The Daily Fairy. “Amazon’s been incredible for my business. I started selling on Amazon in October of 2015, and it’s doubled my sales. What that tells me is that there’s a whole slew of people,” according to Emily, The Daily Fairy’s founder.

Amazon is an obvious first choice. But they’re far from the only option.

Walls Need Love also works with marketplaces like Etsy, Wayfair, Touch of Modern, Fancy, and even Urban Outfitters.

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Right off the bat, Walls Need Love looks for marketplaces that have decent terms (nothing longer than net 30, no restrictive shipping policies, etc.).

But next, they’ll look at promotion options.

For example, some marketplaces will give them advertising options to put them front-and-center on their site. Except instead of charging them out of pocket, they’ll do it as a rev-share agreement.

That means they waste nothing on fruitless ads. They’re not paying for impressions or clicks or any other meaningless metrics.

Instead, they’re only ‘paying’ (or giving up a share of the revenue) when a real buyer comes through their doors.

That gives Walls Need Love what they need most: awareness. It gives them credibility. It gives them recognition.

And it also gives them a shot to re-sell or up-sell to them later to make up that cost.

It’s no different in the B2B world.

Same objective, different tactics.

If you sell any kind of inbound marketing, you’d align yourself with HubSpot. They’re like the Salesforce of the marketing industry. The biggest, brightest, most well-known alternative.

That starts with the certifications they offer.

Sure, you and I know these are mostly useless. I’m not saying the information is bad. It’s not.

It’s just that it doesn’t ‘mean’ anything in real life. Except, to prospects. To potential clients. To people who aren’t as familiar with the ins-and-outs of the industry.

The next stop is a partnership.

Most software companies offer something similar.

Unbounce has an official one. Wistia has one, too.

The Moz one is unofficial, but still impactful.

Personally, I’ve never heard of Mammoth Growth. But they’re an official Kissmetrics partner. So they must be good!

See how this works?

You’re not just another nameless, faceless “marketing company” now. You’re a “HubSpot partner.”

You send a cold outreach email on LinkedIn or, god forbid, you meet someone at a networking event, and you’re an “Unbounce partner.”

All of these programs often offer education, too. They can connect you internally to other companies who’ve been where you’ve been and scaled up.

So you can learn. So you can level up. So you don’t go it alone.

At the very least, you barter. You trade time for eyeballs. You trade expertise for eyeballs.

You do whatever it takes to get eyeballs.

Basically, you need early wins that you can leverage for more future wins. Start with legitimacy and credibility.

Because those pave the way for everything else.

2. Now emphasize those early wins

Here’s how it works in real life.

Someone finds you through a marketplace, a partner, a vendor, a supplier. They find you because you’ve seamlessly aligned yourself with them.

So they check it out. They click and look. You need to reel them in.

Let’s stick with the Mammoth Growth example because they do this better than most.

You hit their website and see this:

Pretty simple and straightforward. A consultation form on the far-right. Some basic copy about what they do and how they can help you.

Now, look over in the upper right-hand corner:

You only get three options.

Home introduces you to everything. It’s the high-level overview.

Case Studies dig a little deeper, showing off the third-party validation earned in the previous section.

Contact is the next step. It’s the thing you need to do next.

And that’s it.

Where’s the corny team page? You know, the one where the agency shows off their “culture” and their “personality” and their “quirkiness” that makes them the perfect hipster crew for you.

It’s not listed. Nowhere to be found.

Instead, the focus is squarely on building credibility.

Scroll down on the homepage and you see more partner badges:

What do these three partner badges tell you? What do these companies have in common?

Mammoth Growth is using these for credibility, sure. But more importantly, they’re subtly positioning themselves.

They have a speciality. They work with specific companies looking for a specific solution. And if you fit that mold, with that need, there’s no one better.

Keep scrolling and you see Testimonials.

Best of all, the people in these testimonials line up with the case studies above. So the work and results become real.

Head towards the bottom of the page and you see more client logos.

Some, again, are the exact same companies. That’s not a knock. It’s clever.

Sports Insights, for example, are featured in a case study, testimonial, and here again at the bottom.

You kill it with five customers out of your first 15. (Let’s be honest, there’s gonna be some losers in the early days.)

Fine! Celebrate those wins like there’s no tomorrow. Highlight the biggest, the best, the most well-known.

Look:

Not once are services discussed on the page. Not once do we delve into pricing. Not once do we figure out if there are two people in this company or if there are 500 across three countries.

But that doesn’t matter.

You see Walls Need Love is featured on the following and you know they’re legit.

Third-party validation isn’t the only criteria. It might be the most important. It gets people to recognize and trust you. That’s more than half the battle.

However, there’s still one subtle difference to launch you on your way.

You won’t get overwhelmed with traffic in the early days. No need to worry about servers going down.

But on the flipside, that also means you gotta convert what you get. Mammoth Growth get this right. The entire site experience is first-rate. Here’s why that’s important.

3. Simple, conversion-based design

Things is a task management app from the Cultured Code.

It wasn’t founded by ex-members of Facebook. It hasn’t raised a Series A, B, C, D, E, or even F. It’s not valued at $100,000,000,000 or some other similarly-fake number.

But it is freaking beautiful.

And that matters when 94% of your first impression online comes down to design.

Things has done the first two steps here brilliantly. They’ve leveraged others. Primarily, through their one thing: design.

Literally every single big review they’ve received mentions it:

But how do you find that? How do you know what that “one thing” should be?

You don’t. Your customers (or potential customers do). Which means you should ask them. Interview them. So you can pre-sell the vision to afford actually building it.

Just under the first homepage section on their site is an introduction video.

Thanks everyone for a fantastic launch! In case you missed it, check out the all-new Things and our launch video: https://t.co/MKwe8EdL9k pic.twitter.com/9YmZTgZbC7

— Things (@culturedcode) May 20, 2017

The reason here should be obvious.

Video is the best way to show off their primary competitive advantage. It’s something they can control. And it doesn’t require a Series A to pull off.

Almost every single stat shows that video produces the best ROI, grows revenue faster, and is preferred by customers.

Scroll down even further to get simple, transparent pricing plans:

A little further for Twitter mentions to also boost credibility:

And… that’s it.

Once again, no superfluous extras. The main menu only squeezes in the essentials:

“Simple websites” often perform better. Simple as that.

You have constraints. Often, it’s limited resources. It’s limited money and people.

That means you need to put the most of what you’ve got behind fewer things. Which means you need to make sacrifices. Which means you can only afford the essential.

The good news is that aligning those things with what’s proven to work can, well, work. No matter how much is left over in the bank.

Conclusion

Every single company is bound by constraints.

Every single decision maker needs to move the needle with a less-than-perfect hand.

Pocket Aces don’t just fall in the unfunded’s lap. You gotta make your own luck. You gotta pull off some bluffs.

Big bets can put you into trouble too early. You can’t afford to lose on big pots.

Instead, you need to win a bunch of little pots before you’re ready to go after the big ones. You need to capitalize on what you’ve got.

That starts with affiliating yourself with bigger players. Ride on their coattails. Do what they want so you get what you want.

Then, you leverage those first few wins. No matter how small. You put the attention on those things so it takes attention of you.

Next, you make what you have the best possible. Even if it’s not a lot. Even if it’s three pages instead of 100.

Make those three pages the best in the business. The best design, the best copywriting, the best social proof, the best video, the best feature/benefit examples, etc.

The funded can afford to diversify. Literally.

You can’t. And you won’t. At least, not for awhile. So don’t even try.

About the Author: Brad Smith is the founder of Codeless, a B2B content creation company. Frequent contributor to Kissmetrics, Unbounce, WordStream, AdEspresso, Search Engine Journal, Autopilot, and more.

from The Kissmetrics Marketing Blog https://blog.kissmetrics.com/guide-to-getting-customers/

20 Creative Agencies You Should Follow on Instagram

Instagram has evolved into a perfect visual platform for agencies, filled with photos of office parties, company outings, and creatives hard at work behind their Macs. And while there were more than a few pictures of agency pups and craft beers, Instagram has also become a place where agencies can share behind-the-scenes shots of their latest work and highlight their accomplishments.

While there probably aren't that many CMOs who troll Instagram looking for their next agency partner, there is little competition and even more opportunity to make it your agency's platform of choice for attracting new talent and clients -- a differentiator when it comes to that next visual campaign.

If you are looking for some inspiration or just want some "inside" looks at a few agencies, then check out this ultimate -- yet not exhaustive -- list of ad agencies to follow on Instagram:

20 Creative Agencies To Follow on Instagram

1) Huge: @hugeinc

This meticulously curated Instagram from Huge is chock full of high-quality photography, graphic design inspiration, and quirky snaps of daily office antics. A must-follow if you want a glimpse of what life is like at a top agency.

 

Friday!

A post shared by Huge (@hugeinc) on May 1, 2015 at 4:05pm PDT

 

2) Motherlondon: @motherlondon

Mother London, the world's leading independent creative agency network, has a unique approach to Instagram. Each week, they hand over the reins to a different creative, allowing them to showcase their work and highlight their unique design perspective. The result is a truly inspiring feed that's sure to inject a little inspiration into your daily life.

 

Jubilee Odyssey is the most expensive rollercoaster in Britain. Soon after its opening it had to be modified after several riders complained of nipple burn. Thanks for having me @motherlondon. @david_ryle takeover.

A post shared by Mother says: (@motherlondon) on Oct 8, 2017 at 10:09am PDT

 

3) ustwo: @ustwo

Even though ustwo, a digital product studio, has worked with major brands like Google, Adidas, and Ford, their Instagram presence is surprisingly personal. Take a scroll through their gallery and you'll find colorful photos of office events, team outings, and even birthdays alongside glimpses of their latest work.

 

Creativity climbing up the walls (and windows) in the Nordic studio. Illustration courtesy of our @slice_hawaii

A post shared by ustwo (@ustwo) on Mar 17, 2017 at 7:51am PDT

 

4) Wolff Olins: @wolffolins

Wolff Olins' Instagram gives followers a glimpse at the agency's work-hard-play-hard approach to creative strategy, including design inspiration and behind-the-scenes snaps.

 

Inspiring speakers + specialty cocktails = an engaged audience #WO50

A post shared by Wolff Olins (@wolffolins) on Oct 14, 2016 at 9:14am PDT

 

5) Carrot Creative: @carrotcreative

If you subscribe to the notion that you can never see too many pictures of adorable dogs or awesome events, then Carrot Creative's Instagram is for you. VICE's full service digital agency serves up plenty of both in their frequent updates, along with photos of their team and their traveling flag.

 

You're making us super jealous with this epic Norwegian view, @fullofgracemary, but our @carrotcreative flag does look damn good.

A post shared by carrotcreative (@carrotcreative) on Jul 6, 2017 at 11:58am PDT

 

6) Red Antler: @redantler

Brooklyn-based agency Red Antler is the epitome of cool and inventive New York charm, and their Instagram reflects this identity. Follow along for design inspiration, office culture, and photos of their work with startups.

 

Oh hey new @casper 👀 Have you found us on the subway yet? 🔎

A post shared by Red Antler (@redantler) on Apr 21, 2017 at 1:55pm PDT

 

7) Skirt PR: @skirtpr

The folks at Skirt PR know their way around a glamorous party. Whether it's a cool boutique opening, a cozy cafe gathering, or a champagne celebration, you can follow along with the action on their Instagram. Their feed is also a colorful source of design inspiration -- perfect for a mid-week pick-me-up.

 

Squeezing in as many summer rooftop happy hours as we can. ☀️

A post shared by Skirt PR (@skirtpr) on Aug 11, 2017 at 3:02pm PDT

 

8) Agency V CPH: @agencyvcph

If you ever feel like your life could use more Scandinavian minimalism, then you should add Agency V CPH to your list of accounts to follow. The Copenhagen-based agency shares pictures of sleek interiors, style inspiration from their clients, and city snapshots from the rainy streets of Copenhagen.

 

The street style queens of #copenhagenfashionweek - @thora_valdimars and @_jeanettemadsen_ in @weekday_stores 🙌🏼 #repost @voguerussia #streetstyle #cphfw #cfw #copenhagen #fashionweek

A post shared by Agency V CPH (@agencyvcph) on Feb 8, 2017 at 2:00am PST

 

9) SPARK: @sparkbrand

SPARK's creative team takes followers behind the scenes and on location as they shoot and edit ads for brands like Hilton, Visit Florida, and The Dalí Museum. Their account is also worth a follow for the illustrations and other design work they regularly share.

 

Transforming the drawings of our young, creative @experiencekissimmee visitors to full life screens with the help of animator, @dantezaballa.

A post shared by SPARK (@sparkbrand) on Mar 6, 2017 at 3:20pm PST

 

10) BBDO San Francisco: @bbdosf

As their Instagram bio proudly declares, BBDO San Francisco is "all about The Work The Work The Work." Their account showcases their recent campaigns, high-profile events (such as Cannes), and their team's creative process -- which involves bowling nights.

 

Senior producer Whitney, creating. 🔥#thewoodworkthewoodworkthewoodwork #winniethepooh #bbdo #artist

A post shared by BBDO San Francisco (@bbdosf) on Oct 13, 2016 at 12:01pm PDT

 

11) Anomaly: @anomaly

AdAge named Los Angeles-based shop Anomaly Agency of the Year in 2017, and we think their Instagram account is also a winner. With colorful snaps of daily office life, upcoming campaigns for clients, and scenic shots from their seven global locations, Anomaly is worth a follow. 

 

• ask better questions • do what's right • be unreasonable • make sure the work works • stay humble • stay hungry • behave like the brand you want to be • be good to your mom. #anomalyDNA #anomalynyc #anomaly Photo: @dohmygoodness Art: @klyonsnatborn

A post shared by Anomaly (@anomaly) on Aug 18, 2017 at 9:42am PDT

 

12) Martin Agency: @martinagency

You've seen Martin Agency's impressive work for Geico, Chevrolet, and Oreos, but you probably didn't know they have an affinity for flannel shirts and a love of street art. Martin Agency's Instagram is an intimate look at how employees at one of the world's most influential agencies work day-to-day.

 

Fun fact: Art Directors and Bark Directors make a great team. 👯#martindoes #pushingtheenvelope @raiiiven

A post shared by @martinagency on Sep 7, 2017 at 7:10am PDT

 

13) Salted Stone: @saltedstone

This agency's Instagram following may be small in comparison to some of the other accounts features here, but the quality of their content speaks for itself. Salted Stone, a California-based digital agency, uses Instagram to share behind-the-scenes peeks at their latest projects, industry events (like INBOUND), and favorite lunch spots.

 

#HappyBirthday to the fabulous AM/strategy queen (StrataKween) Talar. We wish you puppy hugs and so much love 💕👌👏 #hbd #love #agencylife

A post shared by Salted Stone, Inc. (@saltedstone) on Aug 11, 2017 at 10:36pm PDT

 

14) Talk Shop Media: @talkshopmedia

No, your eyes don't deceive you -- that's really Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge chowing down on some treats from one of Talk Shop Media's clients. This digital marketing agency specializes in influencer relations, and their Instagram is like having a free pass to all the coolest events.

 

Oh no big deal. Our favourite chef @robfeenie just got to serve some of @cactusclubcafe 's finest to #WillandKate on their visit to Kelowna today.

A post shared by Talk Shop Media (@talkshopmedia) on Sep 27, 2016 at 8:38pm PDT

 

15) Goodby Silverstein & Partners: @goodby_silverstein

Margaret Johnson, chief creative officer at Goodby Silverstein & Partners, was recently honored on Business Insider's 30 Most Creative People in Advertising list. Her agency's Instagram account gives followers the opportunity to see how Johnson and her team produce major global campaigns.

 

This morning's press junket with Vivian McHugh, Margaret Johnson and Kurt Mills. Topics spanned from Cheetos to women's empowerment. Look out for these rock stars on @Adweek tomorrow. #canneslions2017

A post shared by Goodby Silverstein & Partners (@goodby_silverstein) on Jun 20, 2017 at 3:55am PDT

 

16) RPA Advertising: @rpa_advertising

RPA Advertising's Instagram account makes the daily office grind look pretty darn fun. The Santa Monica-based agency recently hosted a summer concert series, and -- based on their feed -- they keep the office kitchen stocked with plenty of healthy snacks.

 

Partial eclipse, full party out here in Santa Monica. 📷: @jackieebird

A post shared by RPA Advertising (@rpa_advertising) on Aug 21, 2017 at 12:46pm PDT

 

17) Colle + McVoy: @collemcvoy

Dogs and design? Count us in. Colle + McVoy's Instagram account puts the spotlight on their design work and company culture.

 

Just taking a few notes at a very important meeting. #agencylife #dogsofinstgram #dogstagram

A post shared by Colle McVoy (@collemcvoy) on Mar 17, 2017 at 8:20am PDT

 

18) hzdg: @hzdg

hzdg's Instagram account is a veritable treasure trove of design inspiration, ranging from their own work to the work of designers and artists their team admires. They even recently took followers on a virtual tour of the world's most colorful places.

 

Monday mood, via @splendid_rags. #orange

A post shared by @hzdg on Aug 15, 2016 at 5:53am PDT

 

19) Social Distillery: @socialdistillery

Social Distillery is an Austin, Texas-based social media agency specializing in digital communications and consumer engagement. They might be a relatively small agency, but their Instagram account makes a big impression with snapshots of their energetic team and latest work.

 

In no particular order, of course. Happy #EmployeeAppreciationDay from our office to yours!

A post shared by Social Distillery (@socialdistillery) on Mar 3, 2017 at 7:17am PST

 

20) st8mnt: @st8mnt

Last but certainly not least is st8mt, a Nashville-based branding agency that boasts powerful design chops and a laid-back company culture. Their Instagram is full of their recent work and company events. You could say it really makes, well, a statement. 

 

We're really on top of things today. 🕴🏽

A post shared by ST8MNT (@st8mnt) on Aug 1, 2017 at 2:16pm PDT

How does your agency use Instagram? Share your account with us in the comments.

from Marketing https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/agencies-to-follow-on-instagram

How Facebook’s New Explore Feed and Ad Transparency Will Affect Marketers

Like any good company, Facebook is constantly adapting and changing to the world around us. And while some of the changes leave me standing on my front porch, yelling at kids to get off of my lawn, many have me excited, both as a user and as a marketer.

Whenever a new update comes out, I instantly go into pro-active problem-solver mode: “How will this change things for our team? How will our strategy need to adapt in order to stay ahead? What exciting opportunities does this present for us?”

So when the news spread about Facebook’s latest; testing two separate feeds, one dedicated space for friends and family and one for pages, I immediately started thinking about what this would mean for my marketing cohorts and how we would need to adapt our strategy. The two feeds are currently being tested in Sri Lanka, Bolivia, Serbia, Guatemala, and Cambodia in an effort to understand if people prefer to have separate places for personal and public content. Though Facebook was quick to clarify that they have no plans to roll this out globally, the reality is organic reach for Facebook has been on the decline for years. Additionally, Explore Feed rolled out globally on October 23 with the goal of allowing users to discover more content beyond posts from friends and pages they like and while this isn’t the exact same as the testing going on in six countries, it’s always good to be prepared.

How can marketers stay ahead of Facebook’s changes, should the two newsfeeds roll out globally? What organic best practices can we utilize now to make sure we’re thinking ahead? Four experts from our digital team were able to offer not only insights but potential solutions.

Implications For Advertising

Scott Minor, Online Marketing Program Manager, says, “I’m glad to hear this isn’t planned to go global. I wonder to what extent Pages (Brands) could counter this move by having employees and influencers share posts to increase organic reach? From the advertising side, I’m more concerned with how crowded the News Feed is becoming. That has been our most effective placement for ads. Particularly for our smallest, most targeted audiences, we may have to deploy more placements like Instagram, Audience Network, and others.”

“To me, this sounds like Facebook is inching closer to a Google Adwords approach—a bidding war between advertisers. Big companies may not feel a difference but I imagine that this will greatly impact small businesses. It’s already difficult to advertise against competitors online with a minimal budget. What differentiated Facebook from search engines was the fact that you can like a page. Even if they’re not advertising or spending heavily, SMB pages have a better chance of being seen if they’re able to achieve a user’s Like. It sounds like, through the introduction of a separate news feed, small pages’ paid posts will sink under big-pocket competition and organic posts will never see the light of day again. I myself like several pages and enjoy their content but it doesn’t mean I remember or am willing to check said pages on a daily basis to see if they posted anything new recently. Out of sight, out of short-attention-span mind.”—Favian Castillo, Digital Marketing Specialist

Social Strategy and Explore Feed

“Organically, business pages have seen a decline in reach on Facebook for the last few years. However, there have been ways we’ve been able to increase organic engagement, namely Livestream, events, and funny or motivational videos, which do not directly make Facebook money. If this is widely implemented, it could have a significant effect on small businesses that won’t be able to pay the costs needed to get their posts seen.

The way I see it, the new Explore Feed could go one of two ways: users could adopt it as a news aggregate similar to an Apple News feed that they check for updates, blogs, and articles to share, or they could completely disregard it and treat it as a spam folder.

Facebook ultimately is in the business to make money. What will most likely happen is a default to the “Explore Feed” for organic posts, and an additional charge to be placed in user feeds. We’ve been all too eager to pay to play, so businesses will most likely have to pay even more to get out of the “explore” jail.”—Lisa Marcyes, Senior Social Media Manager

Organic Best Practices

Tristan Esposo, Social Media Specialist, had some great insights into what marketers can do to make sure their organic Facebook strategy is aligned with best practices.

Be Consistent and Timely

First rule-of-thumb: post frequently. For us, this means at least twice a day—it’s a good place to start but it’s always important to test to see what works for you. We normally schedule posts every morning (6am-8am) and around noon (10am-1pm). Posting frequency is key for your business especially when you want to build engagement and post impressions. The average Facebook feed generates hundreds of content from favorites companies to friends. Without overdoing it, posting at least twice a day guarantees consistency and a higher chance to be discovered.

Keep Your Posts Short and Specific

We typically like to keep our organic posts to about 1 to 1 ½ lines in desktop view,  2 at most, but that too could also appear lengthy. Keeping our audience’s attention is our most important goal and adding a few extra words to the posts could mean the difference. Most of the big-name brands have seen success with shorter, concise content. According to Jeff Bullas, “40-character Facebook posts receive 86% more engagement over others. 80-character Facebook posts receive 66% more engagement over others.”

Understand Your Audience

All of our social media channels have different audiences, so it’s crucial that we format our messaging with them in mind. For LinkedIn and Facebook, we ALWAYS look to change the message, despite having the same asset. For us, it’s important we study our audience and know how to target them. So knowing their age, gender, region/location, etc.  Ultimately, it’s about figuring out what content works best for our audience.

Utilize the Video Feature

We love adding videos to our feed. According to Facebook, “videos earn 135% more reach than posts with only an image.” For us, we’ve noticed videos generate a good amount of viewership, from comments to shares.

Transparency in Advertising

Facebook has also announced ad transparency and authenticity features. According to Rob Goldman, VP of Ads in a press release from October 27, “people will be able to click “View Ads” on a Page and view ads a Page is running on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger—whether or not the person viewing is in the intended target audience for the ad. All Pages will be part of this effort, and we will require that all ads be associated with a Page as part of the ad creation process. We will start this test in Canada and roll it out to the US by this summer, ahead of the US midterm elections in November, as well as broadly to all other countries around the same time.”

The feature will look something like this according to the press release:

 

Aimed at political transparency during election cycles, this feature is in line with a similar action Twitter has taken with their Transparency Center. For marketers, this can be an interesting way to look at the competition’s digital hand when creating your strategy, and something to consider when creating multi-tiered promotions and offers. It also might make you think twice before writing a scathing ad trashing your competition.

Ultimately, time will tell how these changes will affect marketing. As an adaptable group used to responding to, and driving, change, I’d love to hear how you might be changing your strategy in response to Facebook’s latest testing and ad transparency changes. Let’s keep the discussion going in the comments.

The post How Facebook’s New Explore Feed and Ad Transparency Will Affect Marketers appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.

from Marketo Marketing Blog https://blog.marketo.com/2017/10/facebooks-new-explore-feed-ad-transparency-will-affect-marketers.html

What Makes People Distrust Your Business? [Infographic]

Here's the thing: Many, many businesses are perfectly trustworthy -- including yours, we hope. 

But in a world of events like headline-making data breaches, how do you get customers to see you that way?

Let's have a look at microbusinesses as a starting point. While most of them don't account for major, household names, according to Paychex, they comprise over 75% of private-sector employers in the U.S. -- and more than one in every 10 U.S. jobs. In other words: These small-to-midsize businesses are, if you'll excuse the schmaltz, at the very core of a major economy.

But the term "bootstrapping" is used so frequently within their world for a reason. When microbusinesses are first starting out, and if they maintain smaller teams, resources can be limited. There might not be a major PR firm to construct professional messaging, for example -- the messaging that screams, "We are a trustworthy brand!"

In that case, how do these businesses build trust among their target audiences -- and what gets in the way of it?

These infographics from Paychex tell a very interesting story and incorporate easy-to-digest data from its survey of over 1,000 relevant customers to gain insight on the above questions. Have a look to discover that story, and see how you can apply it to your own business efforts.

from Marketing https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/business-distrust