At least once a month, I discover a new brand and take a quick peek at their profile. Within a few seconds, I decide if I’ll hit that “follow” button or exit the page.

In those few seconds that I’m assessing the brand’s profile, I’m asking myself two questions: Is their content visually appealing and am I interested in the type of content they will be posting?

I’d bet many social media users take a similar approach. This is why social media design is an instrumental part of your social strategy. So much of social media is about perception and design plays a big role in determining that.

How can you make sure your design attracts the right audience? We’ll cover that and more below.

Nowadays, social platforms are often the first place consumers discover brands. As such, making a great first impression is the first step to building a robust social media presence.

Your social media design will also impact your brand perception. Every post you create and publish tells a story and contributes to your brand image. You want to make sure that story aligns with your overall messaging and builds a connection with your audience.

This is particularly important on platforms that prioritize visuals, like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. But you’ll still need to make sure your designs are consistent on all platforms.

What to Consider For Social Media Post Designs

Before you start working on your design, you’ll want to consider a few things. The first is your brand identity – your social media platform will be the visual representation of it, so you and your team must have a clear idea of what it is.

The next step is conducting market research to understand your audience. Questions to answer include:

• What are they looking for in a brand?
• What are their values?
• What are they interested in?
• What are they concerned about?
• What do they like to see on social media? What do they like to see on X platform?

This will serve as your frame of reference to drive your design approach.

You’ll then want to look at your competition’s designs. While you have your unique approach, it’s useful to know what visual strategies they’re using and how consumers are responding. The more information you have, the better equipped you will be to design creative assets that resonate with your audience.

Tips For Designing Social Media Posts

1. Aim for consistency and cohesion.

Consistency is key when designing your social media page. Why? Because it helps with brand recognition.

Imagine if every time you saw a brand, they changed their brand colors and logo. You would probably confuse it for another brand or forget it altogether. Brand recognition is important for building trust and loyalty with your audience.

Beyond posting regularly, consistency on social media also means sticking to a visual theme. Is it dark and moody or light and airy? Do you want your page to evoke calm, excitement, balance, focus, or something else?

Whatever your answers are to those questions should be reflected in a cohesive design. One way to do this is by using the same filter or editing style on all of your images to ensure they all fit within your branding.

2. Use colors to mirror your brand identity.

It’s no surprise that colors affect how consumers perceive your brand. That’s why popular food brands are usually associated with the colors red and yellow, and financial institutions with blues.

There are a few ways to incorporate color into your social media design. The first is in your templates. If you plan to use templates when posting graphics, you’ll want to incorporate your colors to increase your brand recognition.

For your images and videos, you can also highlight certain colors to stand out.

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In the example above, Urban Skin consistently uses two main colors in its design: peach and turquoise. While they may have other colors in their images, these two are always front and center.

Another strategy is designing your social media posts to align with a particular theme and color. For instance, let’s say you’re a fashion brand and you’re planning February content. Given the association of February with Valentine’s Day and the color red, you could build your creative assets around that theme for the month.

3. Use social media design templates.

If you want to scale your social media strategy, you’ll likely need to have templates.

They’re a huge time saver and ensure consistent branding. Platforms like Canva make it easy for teams to create and share templates that have been approved by the branding team and align with your strategy. Jump to that section [here].

Be sure to have a diverse set of templates that can be used for various content types, such as infographics and videos. For instance, this brand Mateo New York likely uses templates that produce a sleek and attractive layout that stays consistent.

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4. Adapt your design to the platform.

Every platform has different sizing and content guidelines.

For example, Instagram Reels are formatted to be viewed on smartphones, which means videos must be filmed in portrait orientation. Facebook, on the other hand, is formatted for landscape videos – similar to YouTube.

For videos in particular, you want to avoid having content with black sidebars, as that isn’t visually appealing.

Beyond sizing, you also have to consider which platforms are appropriate for certain designs. For instance, an infographic probably wouldn’t do well on Twitter. Breaking that content down into a text thread is a better strategy.

Following these guidelines will make your content more likely to perform well.

5. Follow design best practices.

The main goal of your social media design is to create visually appealing content that captures your audience’s attention and encourages them to engage.

While several factors influence this, there are general design rules that are known to create appealing visuals. The first is white or negative space, which is when an area in your frame is left empty. Using white or negative space helps draw the eye to what you want your audience to focus on.

Yvonne Koné uses white space in its social media design, which reflects the brand’s simplistic and minimalist identity.

Here are a few other design principles you’ll want to consider when developing your creative assets:

• Hierarchy – Arranging your visual elements by order of importance. You can do this by playing around with sizing, contrast, space, and other elements.
• Balance – Having equal visual weight in an image, which creates harmony, like in this example.
• Contrast – Putting elements with opposite colors, sizes, or textures to make them stand out.

6. Don’t forget about your profile.

While the main focus will be on your social media posts, don’t forget to design your social profiles.

Your profile picture, cover photo, and other visual elements should be a top priority when designing your social media. Here are some tips to follow:

• Be sure to use the same profile picture, i.e. your logo, on all social platforms.
• Use a cover photo that aligns both visually and contextually with your brand.
• Only update your profile to highlight events or holidays that are important to your brand. For instance, some brands add a rainbow pride flag to their logo in June in solidarity with the LGBTQ community.

7. Rely on creative professionals.

Your social media design will only be as good as your investment.

When it comes to images and illustrations, it’s worth consulting professionals who specialize in creating high-quality content. They can guide you through the creative process and make suggestions that will elevate your design.

If your team cannot invest in a full-time creative, consider independent contractors. With this approach, you can work on a project-by-project basis and experiment with different designers.

How To Find Social Media Design Templates

If your team wants an easy way to source templates, there’s a cost-effective way to do so without sacrificing quality. Many online branding companies offer customizable templates that have been designed by professionals. Here are a few to consider:

1. Canva

Canva is a graphic design platform with over 250,000 free templates available for personal and commercial use.

In addition to templates, Canva also has an extensive stock library with photos, animations, and videos for brands in any industry. The platform is free for individual users and has professional and enterprise options for larger companies, with pricing going up to $30/month.

2. Lucidpress

Lucidpress is a brand templating platform that makes it easy to create everything from social media posts to ebooks.

The platform is free to start using. To gain access to unlimited templates, pricing starts at $10 a month and can go up depending on your business needs.

Your branding doesn’t stop at your logo or website. It also extends to your social media. By investing time to develop a brand-specific social media design, you will get one step closer to connecting with your target audience.

People watch almost 5 billion videos every day on YouTube. It’s no wonder content creators choose this channel to share their ideas, products, and skills — they know there’s potential to earn a great following and potential customers. Given the multitude of videos that live on the platform, it’s important to make yours stand out if you want the same.

The quality of your video will rely on your filming equipment and the editing software you use. A video with high resolution, proper lighting, and seamless video editing will set the foundation for masterful and professional-looking content.

To help you accomplish this, we’ve created a list that features the best (free and paid) video editing tools on the market. All of these tools make it possible for you to create engaging, standout content for the world’s most popular streaming service.

1. Shotcut

Shotcut, a free open source video editor that is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, offers a variety of impressive features comparable to Windows Movie Maker. For instance, the tool allows you to cut video footage to a certain length before converting it, and offers filters and effects to make your video look sleeker. Shotcut can handle streaming in a variety of formats, ranging from HTTP to RTSP and UDP.

While the interface is minimalist, the tool is actually very comprehensive, and all of its video and audio filters are fully customizable. Best of all, you can add, remove, or alter your changes at any time, since editing on Shotcut is non-linear; or able to be edited out of chronological order.

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Price: Free

Available for: Windows, Mac, and Linux

2. VSDC Free Video Editor

VSDC allows you to either import existing clips or record directly from your webcam, making it an excellent option for YouTube vloggers. The interface is simple, and the tool provides options to apply “Instagram-like filters”, voiceovers, titles, shapes, and other impressive visual and audio effects. Additionally, VSDC lets you export straight to YouTube or another social network.

It’s important to note, if you want to export your videos from the free version, you’ll select the cog icon in the top right, click “Acceleration options” and then uncheck the box marked, “Use hardware acceleration for encoding video”.

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Price: Free, or $19.99 for Pro Version

Available for: Windows

3. DaVinci Resolve 15

Matti Haapoja, a YouTuber with a channel that focuses on the filmmaking process, reviewed this tool and compared it in quality to Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro (unlike those programs, DaVinci Resolve 15 is completely free). DaVinci Resolve 15 provides tools for both offline and online editing, color correction, post-production audio effects, and visual effects. Additionally, the software lets you collaborate with others during the editing process, which could be particularly helpful if you have multiple video editors on your team.

Best of all, DaVinci Resolve 15 offers impressive features to help your video rank for SEO — for instance, you can use Smart Bins to automatically sort and display footage based on metadata criteria (you can also sort manually). Additionally, you’re able to enter custom keywords and tags.

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Price: Free for DaVinci Resolve 15, or $299 for DaVinci Resolve 15 Studio

Available for: Windows, Linux, Mac

4. LightWorks

If you’re looking for an extensively customizable, professional software, then look no further than LightWorks. While it’s available for free trial, investing in this software will offer a much more extensive user experience. LightWorks offers media production features that you can use to edit film nonlinearly, with over 100 special effects. Not only that, it has support for up to 4K resolution and is compatible with both HD and SD formats. Users can also enjoy a range of royalty-free audio and video content suitable for YouTube’s copyright guidelines. The software features new social media templates for smooth transitions, thumbnails, and more that can prove beneficial for uploading to many different channels.

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Price: Free, $24.99 monthly or $174.99 annually for full access

Available for: Mac, Linux, Windows

5. Magisto

Magisto is a software that simplifies video editing for those intimidated by more technical processes. Designed for novice and beginner video editors, this interface uses AI to create video content in minutes. Users only have to upload footage and audio files and the software does most of the work based upon the style of video requested. Editors can use its professional auto-editing abilities that include facial recognition, filters, and more on a PC or smartphone. Magisto’s easy-to-use streamlined process is an efficient way to create videos for business at scale on iOS and Android devices.

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Price: Free for basic plan, $4.99 to $34.99 monthly

Available for: iOS, Android

1. Wondershare Filmora9

Referred to as “a video editor for all creators”, this tool is incredibly easy to use whether you’re a novice video editor or a professional. With Filmora9, you’re able to use filters, overlays, transitions, and custom titles to spruce up your content for YouTube and engage your audience.

Additionally, the tool offers audio features for key-framing and background noise removal, as well as an audio equalizer. If you have multiple clips you’re hoping to combine into one cohesive video, this is a good tool for you — it allows you to import up to 100 layers of media and offers features so you can layer your clips.

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Price: Free trial, $59.99 one-time fee or $44.99 annually

Available for: Windows, Mac, or app version for iOS or Android

2. Premiere Pro

Premiere Pro is one of the highest-quality video editor tools you’ll find. Used by Hollywood filmmakers, TV editors, and YouTubers, the software offers all the creative features you need to craft polished videos. Premiere Pro provides features for color grading, data visualization, and audio tools to remove background noise. Additionally, Premiere Pro now comes with Premiere Rush CC, which is an app you can use to edit footage on your phone, then share directly to your social networks, including YouTube.

Leticia De Bortoli, a HubSpot Senior Video Editor, shares what takes her videos to the next level. She uses Premiere when editing her team’s videos, as well as Audition for sound, and DaVinci for color correction. Bortoli cites this software, great lighting, and audio tools as the secrets to her sharp videos.

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Price: As a standalone app, Premiere Pro is $239.88 per year

Available for: Mac, Windows

3. VideoStudio

VideoStudio is an excellent video editing software that is intuitive even for the beginner editor. This software has all the standard features to storyboard and sound editing for footage up to 4K. Users can benefit from VideoStudio as it has individual auto movie creator features like Highlight Reel creator to assist in simplifying the editing process. Starting your YouTube channel with the help of VideoStudio would be a smart way to build your content.

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Price: One time payment of $59.99 to $79.99 depending on package

Available for: Mac, Windows

4. Pinnacle Studio 24

Pinnacle Studio 24 is an editing software that is made for video enthusiasts looking to build unique and eye catching content. Not only does this software offer high end features like fast rendering performance, motion tracking, and color correction, but it can support 360 camera and VR footage in its Studio Ultimate package. Pinnacle’s range of effects goes beyond previously mentioned softwares by letting users create frame by frame edits for enhanced masking or warping of footage for astonishing visual effects. Dynamic features aside, it can also simplify screen recording or multi-camera editing perfect for a variety of YouTube series formats.

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Price: One time payment of $59.95 to $129.95 depending on package

Available for: Windows

5. CyberLink PowerDirector 365

Users who subscribe to PowerDirector can enjoy video and audio software with new effects, music-samples and general improvements added monthly. The difference between this software and others is that this editing software offers you features similar to Photoshop, for your recordings. You can enjoy creating vector shape designs in the same interface used for desirable YouTube titles and transitions in the same interface as where you edit frames of footage. While there is a learning curve with CyberLink PowerDirector, the possibilities are endless when you begin.

Additionally, David Guerrera, a HubSpot Senior Video Creator and Animator, mentioned the YouTube channel Film Riot for further inspiration when making unique videos with powerful software. “Film Riot is a great resource for filmmakers of all skill levels who are looking to learn new techniques to use on their next low budget or big budget video project.”

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Price: $19.99 monthly and $69.99 annually

Available for: Mac, Windows

Ultimately, you’ll need to choose a software that works for your team and your budget, but creating high-quality YouTube videos doesn’t have to break the bank. In fact, you can find plenty of tools that are either free or fall under $100.

The hardest part about starting a YouTube channel is, starting. There’s a lot of competition on the platform, but there are ways to break through the noise. Building a channel with videos featuring smooth video editing, high-resolution picture and clear audio recording will set the standard for your channel’s success.

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

We are creatures of habit, especially when it comes to buying behavior. We know the location of our favorite products in the store, and we trust that they’ll work year after year. According to McKinsey, nearly 3 out of 4 Americans stick with the same brand — and 8 out of 10 stay with the same retailer.

People don’t like change. It’s a battle to get someone to switch to an unknown brand, especially during times of crisis.

When a client wants to launch a new product, get into a different market, or open a new store location, the odds are stacked against them. It’s commonly known that most product launches are destined to fail — and that’s because they do.

In part, we can blame lack of research for why there are so many unsuccessful product launches and ill-conceived new feature additions. Founders and brand managers “know” it will be successful — they run on their instincts, not the facts. (It was this instinct that led Clairol to release Touch of Yogurt Shampoo, which some people thought was a breakfast food option.)

Finding out if a product will be successful beyond the initial curiosity is just good business. With market research, you determine whether the opportunity exists, how to position the product or service, or what consumers’ opinions are after the launch.

If you’re sensitive to the high costs of failure and need to gather facts and opinions to predict whether your new product, feature, or location will be successful, start by investing in market research using these tools and resources.

Featured Resource: Market Research Kit 

Download the Kit Now

Helpful Market Research Tools & Resources

1. Think With Google Research Tools

Wish you had information on your product’s likelihood of success? Think With Google’s marketing research tools offer interesting insights on whether anyone is looking for your product (Google Trends), which markets to launch to (Market Finder), and what retail categories rise as the months and seasons pass (Rising Retail Categories).

If you’d like to market your product through YouTube, the Find My Audience tool allows you to investigate what your potential viewers are interested in and what you should discuss in your brand’s YouTube channel.

Pricing: Free

2. Census Bureau

The Census Bureau offers a free resource for searching U.S. census data. You can filter by age, income, year, and location. You can also use some of its shortcuts to access visualizations of the data, allowing you to see potential target markets across the country.

One of the best ways to use this tool is by finding the NAICS code for your business, then accessing the Tables tool, then clicking Filter on the sidebar and searching for your industry. Easily find out where your target industry is most popular — or where the market has been oversaturated. Another helpful tool is the Census Bureau Business and Economy data, where you can also target premade tables depending on your industry.

Pricing: Free

3. Make My Persona

Make My Persona is a proprietary tool that allows you to create a buyer persona for your potential new product. Defining who might benefit from your product is key to marketing it in an effective way. In this tool, you pick a name for the persona, choose their age, identify their career characteristics, and identify their challenges, allowing you to pinpoint both demographic and psychographic information.

This tool is most suited for B2B product launches, because you’ll be prompted to document your buyer persona’s career objectives and role-specific challenges. As such, your product would ideally solve a problem for them in the workplace or help their company achieve revenue goals.

Pricing: Free

4. Tableau

Tableau is a business intelligence suite of products that allows you to “connect to virtually any data source.” But the data isn’t presented in unreadable tables. Rather, Tableau helps you visualize this data in a way that helps you glean insights, appeal to external stakeholders, and communicate the feasibility of your product to potential investors.

You can visualize data on anything from corn production in tropical climate zones to office product sales in North America. With Tableau’s tools, you can take as granular or as general a look you’d like into potential marketplaces and supplier regions.

Pricing: $12/user/month (Tableau Viewer); $35/user/month (Tableau Explorer); $70/user/month (Tableau Creator)

5. Statista

Statista is a data visualization website that takes data from reputable reports across the web and makes them easy and digestible for researchers, marketers, and product creators just like you.

It helps you find even the most specific data relating to your industry. Are you planning on launching a new video game and want to know how many hours people spend playing video games? There’s a chart for that.

One neat aspect of using Statista is that the same chart is updated as the years pass. Say that you want to allude to the value of the beauty market in your proposal. If your investor accesses that same graph a year from now, it will reflect updated numbers, as Statista always finds the most recent research to update their visualizations. (Note that Statista doesn’t carry out original research.)

Pricing: Free; $39/month (billed yearly); $1,950 (one-time 30-day access)

6. Claritas MyBestSegment

Claritas MyBestSegment provides product researchers with tools to understand an area’s demographic information and the area’s inhabitants’ lifestyle habits. By finding out what a segment of the population does — without having to go out and survey them — you can find out which areas would be most receptive to a campaign or launch, which competitors are located nearby, and which lifestyle trends have shifted or are on the rise.

A snapshot of an audience segment gives you basic information on their household income, lifestyle traits, employment levels, and education levels. If you want more specific data relating to these topics, you’ll have to contact Claritas’ sales team to become a customer.

Pricing: Free; Pricing available on request

7. SurveyMonkey

SurveyMonkey is a powerful tool for creating in-depth market research surveys that will help you understand your market and consumer preferences.

With this tool, you can create targeted, uber-specific surveys that help you collect answers that pertain specifically to your product. While using a data source can give you a general overview of your target audience and market, SurveyMonkey can help you get more granular insights from real consumers.

SurveyMonkey offers dedicated market research solutions and services, including a global survey panel, a survey translation service for international research, and a reporting dashboard option that allows you to easily parse through the results.

Pricing: Free, $32/month (Advantage Annual), $99/month (Premier Annual), $99/month (Standard Monthly); $25/user/month (Team Advantage, minimum 3 users), $75/user/month (Team Premier, minimum 3 users), Enterprise (Contact for pricing)

8. Typeform

Like SurveyMonkey, Typeform allows you to run research surveys to get direct answers from your target consumers. It’s an easy-to-use, mobile-optimized form-builder that’s great for market research.

Typeform’s distinguishing factor is that it shows viewers one form field at a time. In its templates, it encourages a more conversational, casual approach (like in its market research survey template). This makes it a better fit for product launches that target a younger demographic. If you’re targeting C-suite executives at established firms, consider a more formal option such as SurveyMonkey or keeping your tone more formal in your questions.

You can create a wide range of question types, including multiple choice questions, short-form questions, and rating scale questions. Other features include the ability to recall answers from previous questions and create logic jumps.

In a survey, you’d want to collect both demographic and psychographic information on your customer, seeking to understand their purchasing behaviors and the problems they encounter. The goal is to find out if your product is the solution to one of those problems — and whether, before launching, you should add more features or rethink your product positioning strategy.

Pricing: Free; $35/month (Essentials); $50/month (Professional); $70/month (Premium)

9. Upwave Instant Insights

Upwave Instant Insights is a consumer research tool that’s part of the Upwave brand marketing platform. While it isn’t advertised as a survey creation tool, it allows you to launch market research surveys specifically to get consumer insights.

Instant Insights allows you to target audiences on Upwave’s partner ecosystem and visualize the data for easy scanning by key stakeholders and investors. One pro of using this platform is that Upwave distributes your survey to real people — not just people taking surveys for the money, which could skew the results.

To create a survey, you sign up on the Upwave platform, click your name in the upper right-hand corner, and click “My Surveys,” where you can create as many surveys as you want. For the Basic option, you have a 6-question limit, while the Advanced option allows you to include unlimited questions.

Pricing: $2/study participant (Basic); $3/study participant (Extended); $4/study participant (Advanced)

10. Loop11

Loop11 is a user experience testing platform that allows you to test the usability of your website, study user intent, test the information architecture of your site, and examine how the user experience changes based on the device they’re using.

This tool is useful for market research because you can find out whether your target consumers find your site easy to navigate. You can also identify snags that prevent conversions.

Loop11 tests your site by making users perform tasks. They then complete a short question about how easy or difficult the task was to complete. Your product may be phenomenal, but unless consumers can buy it through your site, you won’t launch it successfully.

You can use Loop11’s participants or bring in your own.

Pricing: $63/month (Rapid Insights), $239/month (Pro), $399/month (Enterprise)

11. Userlytics

Like Loop11, Userlytics allows you to test the usability of your website, mobile app, and site prototype. You can target different devices, define a buyer persona, and disqualify participants based on screening questions.

Testing is based on tasks that your test-takers carry out. They then answer a simple question about the difficulty of the task. You can structure the question in various ways; you can leave it open-ended, provide multiple choices, or ask for a rating. Other formats you can use include System Usability Scale (SUS) questions, Net Promoter Score (NPS) questions, and Single Ease Questions (SEQ).

Userlytics performs both a webcam and a screen recording. You can compare the user’s answers with their reactions on video to understand how they feel when they’re interacting with your assets.

Pricing: $49/participant (Quick & Easy); $69/participant (Annual Enterprise); Custom pricing available on request

12. Temper

Sometimes you need a no-frills test to take the pulse of consumers. Temper allows you to create a question, grab a snippet of code, and pop it onto your website. The smiley face, “meh” face, and frown face make it easy for viewers to make a snap judgment.

One great way to use this tool is by adding the widget on a blog post announcing the launch of your new product. That way, you can find out general sentiment on the product before launching it. You can also add it to a product page, an email, or a landing page.

When you include the widget, you can change the question to something that’s tailored to your offerings.

Pricing: $12/month (Hobby), $49/month (Pro), $89/month (Business), $199/month (White Label)

13. NielsenIQ

NielsenIQ is a retail and consumer intelligence consultant that works with you to collect consumer insights, identify the best distribution channels for your product, and create a range of products that addresses the needs of your target buyers.

This service helps you look at your product launch from all angles and delivers forecasting data that predicts how your sales will perform upon launch. NielsenIQ can also run consumer insights surveys on their list of panelists and partners.

Because it operates like a consultant and not as a self-service software, NielsenIQ is a better option for established firms with a bigger product launch budget.

Pricing: Pricing available on request

14. Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest is a simple tool for doing keyword and content research. You can input a phrase, and it’ll create a list of keyword suggestions. You can also see top performing articles and pages so that you get an initial understanding of the type of content that ranks for the keywords.

This tool is useful for market research because you can see who your top competitors are, how often your product is searched for, and whether there’s enough space in the market for the type of product you’re launching. You can also find out the questions your target audience asks in relation to the product. Each of these questions can be turned into a blog post that can inform your audience, increasing your brand authority and driving conversions.

Alternatives to Ubersuggest include Moz, Ahrefs, and SEMRush.

Pricing: Free; $29/month (Individual); $49/month (Business); $99/month (Enterprise / Agency)

15. Pew Research Center

From economic conditions, to political attitudes, to social media usage, the Pew Research Center website has a ton of free research that you can use to better understand your target market. Best of all, the site has interactive articles that allow you to filter and sift through the data for more granular, targeted insights.

Topics include U.S. politics, digital media, social trends, religion, science, and technology.

Pricing: Free

16. BrandMentions

BrandMentions is a social media monitoring platform that can help you understand what your prospective customers are buzzing about online. Search for a keyword, and BrandMentions will show you recent social posts that contain that keyword, along with the context of its usage. After subscribing to the platform, you can also get sentiment analysis on the keyword.

You’ll also get other metrics such as Reach (how many people view the keyword per day), Performance (how many people engage with the keyword per day), and Mentions by Weekday (when people are mentioning the keyword).

You can use this tool for market research by finding out when people are looking for your product on social media sites. When you start announcing the new product, you can use insights from this tool to post about the launch at exactly the right time. It also allows you to find out how people are generally feeling about the type of product you’re launching. That way, you can better refine the tone of your campaigns.

Pricing: $99/month (Growing Business); $ 299/month (Company); $ 499/month (Enterprise/Agency)

17. Qualtrics Market Research Panels

Qualtrics takes the pain of finding respondents for your market research surveys through an online sample service. After identifying your target audience, you can go to Qualtrics for access to a representative sample. You can either use your chosen survey software or use Qualtrics’ built-in platform for insights and feedback.

Pricing: Pricing available on request

Conduct Market Research for a Successful Product Launch

Conducting market research is essential to successfully launch a product to market. With the tools we’ve shared, you can find out who’s looking for your product, why they need it, and how you can better market it upon launch, ensuring that it’s a success.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in April 2016 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.”

That’s never been truer than it is today. With new technology emerging at breakneck speeds, there’s a palpable pressure to continuously upskill.

Whether you want that job promotion or to sidestep into a new field, you’ll need to commit to learning new skills.

However, learning new skills can be both time-consuming and challenging. In fact, according to Josh Kaufman, international bestselling author of The Personal MBA, it takes 20 hours to go from knowing nothing about a particular subject to being pretty good at it. Of course, if you want to become an expert — well, that takes even longer.

Blog posts and podcasts are great starting points for exploring a particular topic. But online business courses will provide you with the time and space you need to go deep and truly master a new skill. Plus, most courses are made up of on-demand videos and exercises that you can progress through at your own pace.

Below, we’ve gathered 61 of the best free online business courses. These cover the main business skills you’ll need to advance in today’s rapidly changing workplace — from digital marketing and coding to selling, leadership, and more. Keep reading to become an expert in whatever subject you feel can best help you succeed.

If you’d prefer, click on one of the following topics to jump straight to courses regarding that topic in particular:

• Fundamental Marketing
• Content Marketing
• Social Media Marketing
• Email Marketing
• SEM
• Sales
• Ecommerce
• Coding & Developer Courses
• Personal & Professional Development Courses
• Design
• Business & Finance

Free Online Courses

Fundamental Marketing Courses

1. Inbound Marketing Certification by HubSpot Academy

Length: 4:12 Hours

From attracting leads to engaging prospects and delighting customers, this course covers the fundamentals of what inbound marketing is all about.

2. Marketing Fundamentals: Who Is Your Customer? by EdX

Length: 4-6 Hours / Week (4 Weeks)

Discover how to acquire the right customers and grow your business.

3. Build Your Web Presence by Google Garage

Length: 40 Minutes

Learn the basics of websites, local business listings, review sites, social media, mobile apps, and more.

4. Google Analytics for Beginners by Google

Length: 4-6 Hours

This course shows new Google Analytics users how to create an account, implement a tracking code, and set up data filters. You’ll learn how to navigate the Google Analytics interface and reports, and set up dashboards and shortcuts.

Content Marketing Courses

5. Content Marketing Certification by HubSpot Academy

Length: 6:20 Hours

Power your business with remarkable content. This course will teach you how storytelling, content creation, repurposing, and promotion come together to build a content marketing machine that grows your business, and your career.

6. Viral Marketing and How to Create Contagious Content by Coursera

Length: 4 Hours

Ever wondered why some things become popular, while other things don’t? This course explains how things catch on, and can help you apply those ideas to become a more effective marketer.

7. Business Blogging by HubSpot Academy

Length: 1:57 Hours

Business blogging is more than just writing and publishing content in the hopes you’ll attract customers. In this course, you’ll learn how to craft a blogging strategy that drives business growth, create quality blog content that customers love, and build a guest blogging strategy that’s powered by SEO.

8. Online Video Marketing Course by HubSpot Academy

Length: 2 Hours

This online video marketing training will teach you how to get started with online video marketing to better attract, engage, and delight your audience.

 

Social Media Marketing Courses

9. Social Media Course by HubSpot Academy

Length: 5 Hours

This course provides you with everything you need to build a social media strategy — including tools to help you attract new customers, build loyalty, and shape a positive conversation around your business. The course is free, but it’s $199 to take the exam.

10. Introduction to Social Media Strategy by Skillshare/Buffer

Length: 45 Minutes

Whether you’re looking to foster brand awareness, increase website traffic, or drive sales, this course can teach you how to craft a social media strategy to achieve your goals on Facebook and Twitter. From finding your voice to paid advertising, Brian Peters (Digital Marketing Strategist at Buffer) walks through his process for custom social strategies.

Note: Skillshare offers community members 14 days of Skillshare — you’ll need to sign up as a member to access the class for free.

11. Facebook Blueprint by Facebook

Length: Various

This huge resource of free, self-paced social media classes will cover best-practices and top strategies used by some of the world’s largest brands.

12. YouTube Marketing by HubSpot Academy

Length: 1:20 Hours

HubSpot’s course in YouTube Marketing is an in-depth, expansive set of tools and lessons that offer successful strategies to grow a monetizeable, optimized YouTube channel. 

13. Video Storytelling for Social Media by Social Creators

Length: Self-Paced

This crash course is set up like a challenge. The goal? Help you make high-quality videos with your iPhone or Android device so you can start vlogging and share engaging videos on your social media accounts.

14. Developing an End-to-End Facebook Marketing Strategy by HubSpot Academy

Length: 1:18 Hours

Facebook is a huge platform, ripe with marketing opportunity…and can be confusing. Learn how to develop an effective marketing strategy using Facebook that covers all the bases. 

15. How to Build an Advanced Twitter Strategy by HubSpot Academy

Length: 2:04 Hours

You know Twitter beyond the basics, now it’s time to bump it up a notch. In this course from HubSpot Academy, you’ll learn the advancements in building and launching a successful Twitter marketing strategy. 

16. How to Create an Instagram Content Plan by Later

Length: Self-Paced

This video series is a great introduction to the Instagram world. You’ll learn how to gain more followers, build a community, and create content that drives true engagement.

17. Free Social Media Analytics Course for Beginners by Quintly

Length: 10-11 Hours

This class will cover the basic principles of social media analytics, and is helpful both for beginners and for marketers who want to refresh their knowledge. It aims to help anybody involved in social media analytics, whether you’re working for a brand, an agency, or the media.

18. Flight School — Video Ads on Twitter by Twitter

Length: Various

Whether you’re a traditional TV Buyer, a Digital Buyer, or a Social Strategist, these two courses will help you build the knowledge and skills you need to meet your clients’ video advertising goals. The courses have been designed to help you level up your expertise with video advertising on Twitter, so that you and your clients can succeed.

19. Developing an End-to-End Instagram Marketing Strategy For Your Business by HubSpot Academy

Length: 1:35 Hours

Social media advertising is one of the most powerful ways to connect with customers and drive marketing impact. This course takes you from the beginning to the end of planning an Instagram marketing strategy. 

 

Email Marketing Courses

20. Cold Email Masterclass by Mailshake

Length: Self-Paced

Whether you use cold email to connect with influencers, build your personal brand, find mentors, or grow your network, there’s no underestimating its power. Sujan Patel reveals eight lessons that will show you how to turn theory into practice, tapping into existing cold email best practices and deploying them in a way that’s both efficient and effective.

21. Email Marketing Certification by HubSpot Academy

Length: 3:18 Hours

Email marketing is a necessity to learn. By completing HubSpot’s course, you’ll walk away with an expansive knowledge in all things email marketing, from templates to testing, as well as a certification to add to your resume.

SEM Courses

22. Paid Ads by Google

Length: Various

If you don’t know where to start with Google’s ad products, Academy for Ads may be for you. You’ll figure out where to get started in mini, bite‐sized lessons. Topics include programmatic ads, Google Ads, double-click and video ads.

23. SEO Training Course: Building Sustainable Traffic for Business  by HubSpot Academy

Length: 1 Hour

Interested in building traffic, but unsure about a successful strategy? Our SEO crash course eliminates the pains of navigating a concrete SEO strategy and provides you with the tools to implement a winning one. 

 

Sales Courses

24. Inbound Sales Certification by HubSpot Academy

Length: 2:11 Hours

In this certification course you’ll learn how to grow your sales pipeline, close more leads, and grow your career.

25. The Art of Sales: Mastering the Selling Process Specialization by Coursera

Length: 6 Months

This course is designed to make you more effective and efficient as you pursue your sales goals. Understand how to stand out in the crowd, attract customers, and build support for initiatives within your company.

26. Sales Enablement Certification by HubSpot Academy

Length: 4:29 Hours

In this self-paced online course and exam, you’ll learn how to align marketing and sales for optimal efficiency. Bridge the gap between marketing and sales teams with strategies and tactics from over 25 world-renowned leaders.

27. Sales Manager Training by HubSpot Academy

Length: 2:59 Hours

Learn how to define your target market, create a scalable sales process, and build training, coaching, hiring, and on-boarding programs to help your sales team grow.

28. Sales Prospecting Advanced Techniques by SalesScripter

Length: 21 Modules

This program is designed to give you a strategy-backed process. It covers building a value proposition, asking the right questions, closing more effectively, and more. You’ll sell more, and even better — selling will become more fun.

29. The Art of Sales by Coursera

Length: 3 Hours / Week (4 Months)

Perhaps the most important art in sales is knowing how to get a “yes.” This course teaches this as well as methods to improve efficiency as a salesperson and earn buy-in for your initiatives.

30. Sales Courses by Class Central

Length: Various

Class Central offers over 50 sales courses and MOOCs from a variety of institutions and organizations. You’ll be able to hone your skills from prospecting to sales management.

 

Ecommerce Courses

31. Dropshipping 101 by Shopify Academy

Length: 1:33 Hours

Corey Ferreira shares his methods for finding a product to sell, testing its popularity, and building an unforgettable brand. 

32. Product Photography for Ecommerce by Shopify Academy

Length: 1:58 Hours

In this course, you’ll learn how to set-up your own home studio and take product photos with your smartphone or digital SLR.

33. Learn Ecommerce Marketing and Sell More Online by HubSpot Academy

Length: 34 Minutes

If you work for an ecommerce business and want to implement an inbound marketing strategy, this is a good course for you. In this 30 minute crash course, you’ll learn the basics about selling more online, and how that fits into an inbound strategy. 

34. Email marketing for Ecommerce by Skillshare

Length: ~26 Minutes

Learn how to use automation, optimization, and personalization to boost your business through email.

 

Coding & Developer Courses

35. Learn to Code by Codecademy

Length: Various

Online coding tutorials with easy-to-follow instructions, immediate feedback, and a tested curriculum that can help anyone learn how to code.

36. Intro to Computer Science by Udacity

Length: ~5 Weeks

Get to grips with key computer science concepts in this introductory Python course. You’ll learn by doing, and will build your own search engine and social network.

37. Intro to HTML and CSS by Udacity

Length: ~3 Weeks

In this course, you’ll learn the fundamentals of web development, along with best practices and professional problem-solving techniques using Developer Tools.

38. App Development for iPhone by Alison

Length: 10-15 Hours

This iPhone app development course will give you all you need — from how to use Objective C programming to creating multi-touch functionality. With clear video tutorials that are easy to follow, this course will get you up-to-date with the latest in iPhone app development trends.

39. Algorithms, Part I by Coursera

Length: ~53 Hours

This course by Princeton University covers the essential information that every serious programmer needs to know about algorithms and data structures, with emphasis on applications and scientific performance analysis of Java implementations.

40. Self-Driving Fundamentals: Featuring Apollo by Udacity

Length: ~4 Weeks

Through this course, you’ll be able to identify key parts of self-driving cars and get to know Apollo architecture. You’ll be able to utilize Apollo HD Map, localization, perception, prediction, planning and control, and start the learning path of building a self-driving car.

41. Machine Learning by Coursera

Length: ~60 Hours

Machine learning is the science of getting computers to act without being explicitly programmed.

 

Personal & Professional Development Courses

42. Conquering the Fear of Public Speaking by Udemy

Length: 37 Minutes

Understand the fundamental techniques to get over the fear of public speaking.

43. Learning How to Learn: Powerful Mental Tools to Help You Master Tough Subjects by Coursera

Length: ~15 Hours

This course gives you easy access to invaluable learning techniques used by experts in art, music, literature, math, science, sports, and many other disciplines.

44. Communication Skills – Persuasion and Motivation by Alison

Length: 1.5-3 Hours

This course will introduce you to the essential communication skills that aid persuasion, guide you through the differences between persuasion and manipulation, and show you how to use strong communication to motivate the people around you. These abilities will be a great boost for both your career and personal relationships.

45. Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills by Coursera

Length: ~16 Hours

In the course created by the University of Michigan, you’ll learn about and practice four key steps to a successful negotiation.

46. The Manager’s Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Managing People at Work by Coursera

Length: ~29 Hours

This course gives you a practical guide to managing people at work. It doesn’t matter whether you are a first time manager in a shop or a middle manager in an office environment — the same skills apply to every work place.

47. What Great Leaders Do by Alison

Length: 1.5-3 Hours

Professor Bob Sutton outlines the hallmarks of great leaders, why leaders need to hear the truth, and how to deal with team disagreements. You will learn the types of habits practiced by those who fail to lead, and gain a strong understanding of how to become a better group leader.

48. Introduction to Project Management by Udemy

Length: 1:37 Hours

This course offers essential project management tools and techniques.

49. Conflict Resolution Skills by Coursera

Length: ~4 Hours

Learn listening skills, verbal and non-verbal communication skills, and how to assemble a conflict management plan likely to yield positive resolutions.

50. Career Success Specialization by Coursera

Length: ~1 Hour / Week (11 Months)

Build essential skills for the workplace. Improve your employability and advance in today’s dynamic workforce.

51. The Science of Happiness by EdX

Length: 4-5 Hours / Week (11 Weeks)

A free eight-week Science of Happiness course that will offer practical, research-backed tips on living a happy and meaningful life.

52. The Science of Wellbeing by Coursera

Length: ~19 Hours

The purpose of this course is to not only learn what psychological research says about what makes us happy, but also to put those strategies into practice.

53. The Mindset of Scale by Masters of Scale Courses App

Length: 30 days

This new program was created by the team at Masters of Scale alongside Reid Hoffman for courageous founders and business owners. It’s designed to help users cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset through a 10 minute daily practice of learning.

Also in the app, you can get access to the full-length, uncut, previously unreleased conversations between Reid and Masters of Scale guests. Take notes, set reminders, and connect with peers about key takeaways.

Best of all, from now until April 30, 2021, Masters of Scale is offering a 50% discount to the HubSpot community. Redeem at join.mastersofscale.com/hubspot using code: HUBSPOT.

 

Design Courses

54. Graphic Design Essentials by HubSpot Academy

Length: 44 Minutes

Need to become a graphic designer? Have less than an hour? This course by HubSpot Academy offers basic concepts in graphic design that have proven to be excellent marketing strategies. 

55. Adobe Illustrator for Absolute Beginners by EduOnix

Length: 5 Hours

Learn how to master Adobe Illustrator with real world examples.

 

Business & Finance Courses

56. Free Online MBA by Smartly

Length: 5-15 Hours / Week (11 Months)

Designed with business professors from top residential MBA programs, Smartly’s proprietary curriculum combines a self-guided software approach with collaborative online case studies and group projects. It’s flexible, yet structured for the modern professional.

57. Foundations of Business Strategy by Coursera

Length: ~9 Hours

Develop your ability to think strategically, analyze the competitive environment, and recommend firm positioning and value creation. In this course, you’ll explore the underlying theory and foundation of a successful business strategy, and gain the tools you need to understand that strategy.

58. How to Build a Startup by Udacity

Length: ~1 Month

In an introduction to the basics of the famous Customer Development Process, Steve Blank provides insight into the key steps needed to build a successful start-up.

59. Alison Free Diploma in E-Business by Alison

Length: 6-10 Hours

This course is designed to boost your understanding of what e-business involves and how to implement a successful e-business strategy, so that the website you manage truly delivers.

60. Stock Market Investing for Beginners by Udemy

Length: 1:29 Hours

Learn the basics of the stock market through comprehensive, interesting and fun lectures.

61. Corporate Finance by New York University by iTunes

Length: Self-Paced

Corporate Finance is a big picture class. It looks at the financial principles that govern how businesses raise funds, invest those funds in assets and projects, and return those funds to investors.

Learning is an investment that continues to pay

We hope you find the online business course you need to take the next step in your career — whether you’re looking for a promotion or a sidestep into an entirely new field.

Whatever your reason, learning new skills will give you a competitive advantage in today’s rapidly changing workplace. Plus, the more you invest in your learning, the better you’ll grow.

If you’re looking for one single place to learn how to take your career to the next level and/or grow your business, check out HubSpot Academy. It contains tons of free certified courses on everything from inbound and content marketing to social media and sales.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in January 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Starting a YouTube channel is a lot of work. Not only do you have to spend time scripting, producing, and editing videos, but you also have to find a topic you’re passionate about and make sure it resonates with people.

To help inspire you, we found thirty popular YouTube categories that you can start a channel about. Read on to learn why viewers love to engage with these types of YouTube videos, and start ideating your YouTube channel today.

YouTube Channel Ideas

• Comedy Sketches
• Web Series
• Music
• Album Reviews
• Tutorials
• Software Tutorials
• Photography
• Video Editing
• Self Help
• Cleaning and Organization
• Minimalism
• Style
• Cooking
• Baking
• Fitness Training
• Home Workouts
• Yoga
• Strength Training
• Dance
• Travel
• Product Reviews
• Movie Reviews
• Show Reviews
• Gaming
• Game Playthroughs
• Information Based Gaming
• Channel Ideas For Beginners

1. Comedy Sketches

When you’re in the midst of a two hour YouTube binge fest, you can probably blame the endless amount of funny videos that flood the platform. Some of the most successful YouTubers create comedy sketches, like Jenna Marbles, a blogger turned YouTube sensation who has over 19 million subscribers, and Jimmy Tatro, a college kid who made hilarious videos for fun, but ended up turning it into a career, amassing over 3 million subscribers to this day.

Jenna and Jimmy both built their YouTube followings with low-production videos, but they completely nailed the humor and storytelling in most of their videos, too. With this in mind, if you can write a funny script, building a successful comedy channel with a low budget is definitely possible.

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2. Web Series

The human brain is wired to respond to well-crafted narrative. Neuroscience proves that storytelling is the best way to capture people’s attention, bake information into their memories, and forge close, personal bonds. We’re programmed to crave and seek out great stories — that’ll never change.

If you can structure your YouTube channel like a season of television and weave your videos into a narrative-driven series, then you can get viewers hooked on your content — just like your favorite Netflix show.

3. Music

Covers of songs are some of the most entertaining videos on YouTube. People love listening to aspiring artists’ personal twists on their favorite songs. So if you can sing or play instruments, consider covering your favorite, trending, or hit songs and upload them to YouTube. Who knows, maybe you could even get discovered and become the next Justin Bieber or Tori Kelly.

4. Album Reviews

This highly popular channel idea is full of endless possibilities as new music is made everyday. Famous YouTuber Anthony Fantano has been consistently reviewing both prominent and underground albums over a wide range of music genres for the past decade and earned a cult following for sharing his opinions. While his videos have reached millions, they are relatively easy to record yourself. If you have an ear for music, you’d be surprised to find just how many people would like to hear what you have to say.

5. Tutorials

Whether they’re guitar lessons, beauty lessons, or how-to videos about making popsicle stick houses for your hamster, people love learning how to enjoy their lives more. If you can cover topics that people are passionate about and teach them how to get better at these things, they’ll be able to live better lives. This’ll grow your channel’s brand loyalty and sentiment, retaining your viewers’ attention and attracting their friends’ attention by way of word-of-mouth marketing.

6. Software Tutorials

You don’t have to be a software engineer to make software tutorials, but having a good grasp on how to use them can make for some good YouTube tutorials. Software can encompass subjects like application and system software, YouTube viewers could benefit from learning how to accurately put theirs to use, or how to install newer versions of it.

8. Photography

Photography is considered an artform that takes many different forms. Photos can capture a landscape, family portraits, or more creative editorial content. YouTube is a great website to share tutorials on how to take the best photos for different purposes and equipment. Likewise, you don’t even need expensive cameras or software to create great photos as some photography videos teach people how to take great iPhone photos.

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8. Video Editing

There are dozens of editing software available to users, but many may be overlooked as videographers may not know how to use them to their full capability. If you know how to use Premiere Pro or other quality softwares, posting a tutorial could engage your viewers to experiment with their content in ways they haven’t thought of before.

9. Self Help

Another way you can grow your channel’s brand loyalty and sentiment is by helping people solve their personal problems. Whether it’s about their career or personal life, you can give people advice about common issues that you’ve experienced or that they ask about. But make sure you have extensive knowledge, education, or personal experience surrounding these topics. Otherwise, people will think you’re a quack and lose trust in you.

10. Cleaning and Organization

Usually marketed toward large family households, even single living people can enjoy the benefits of house cleaning tips and reorganization to make a home more attractive. Making videos tackling tough to clean messes or untidy clothing bins can motivate viewers to the the same.

11. Minimalism

The world dealt while immense change last year, among those changes were increased time periods spent at home. The rise of decluttering and minimalism skyrocketed as people strived to make their houses more enjoyable, and filming your minimalist tips could help people in their own journeys. Corey Jones shares minimalism tips from home decorating, wardrobe, and even down to the equipment he uses to film his content.

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12. Style

Everyone wants to look good. And by evaluating new clothing, keeping people updated on new trends and styles, and teaching them how to always look their best, you can build a dedicated YouTube following. If your YouTube channel is popular, you can also attract sponsors who will pay you to review their clothing and offer deals to your audience.

13. Cooking

Humans’ love for cooking is primal. I mean, we need food to survive, so it makes complete sense that people are always trying to master certain dishes and learn about new ones. To help them do this, guide them through your recipes, delve into the techniques you use, and show them what their food should look like at each stage of your recipe. This will help them make the best dish possible. When sharing your techniques, don’t be afraid to add a little humor into your cooking like Joshua Weissman.

14. Baking

Another part of YouTube that has significantly gained popularity are baking videos. As people scrambled to look for ways to use their freetime in 2020, many found ways to make baked goods a fun and enjoyable pastime. You don’t have to be a professional chef to share a recipe you’ve adapted, and chances are if it’s simple or quick, people will be more inclined to tune in because they can see themselves trying it out.

15. Fitness Training

Personal trainers are expensive. Fortunately, though, you don’t need one to stay in shape. People are starting to resort to free personal trainers or yoga instructors on YouTube to stay active. So if you have a lot of expertise on weight lifting, yoga, or other fitness methods, consider creating workout videos for specific goals, like losing weight, gaining muscle, or improving cardiovascular health.

16. Home Workouts

For many people, the idea of going into a gym may leave them feeling nervous because they don’t know how to use the equipment, or don’t know what a fitness routine includes. By making home workout videos, you make fitness more accessible and feasible for the everyday viewer.

17. Yoga

Another form of fitness to explore is guided yoga videos. Yoga is a wonderful way to actively engage your body and mind, and sharing your expertise on how to properly do it will benefit viewers. By demonstrating how to do different versions of yoga like Ashtanga or Hatha, you’re helping people to calm and stay fit during their busy lives.

18. Strength Training

Strength training videos are great for people of all backgrounds who are looking to build muscle and learn how to do it the right way. If you have a solid routine that others may want to learn and follow, sharing it on YouTube would be a good idea.

19. Dance

Whether you’re a professional dancer, or just somebody who likes to move, making dance videos to your favorite songs can make great entertainment. Choreographed numbers or freestyle moving to the latest charting hits can keep your content relevant and inspire others to dance along. Or get even more creative like the Kukuwa Fitness channel and embrace your cultural heritage, dancing to African beats.

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20. Travel

Humans are biologically driven to investigate the world rather than respond to it. That’s why people love exploring so much. But before they shell out thousands of dollars to travel someplace they saw on Instagram, people like to do a little research first. So if you have the funds to travel, consider recording your adventures in destination cityscapes or landscapes. Your viewers can actually get an inside look at the location, helping them decide to take a vacation they’ll never forget or save money on a trip they’d regret.

Reviews

The category of review videos is incredibly expansive. Review category videos can cover different forms of media, items and experiences of your choosing.

21. Product Reviews

With websites like Amazon selling millions of different products, a good way to help consumers pick the right products would be to create product reviews. YouTubers can demonstrate the functionality, versatility, and their overall satisfaction with any product they find. While most websites have sections for written reviews, many prefer watching and listening to a trustable consumer like themselves for advice on which product they should choose.

22. Movie Reviews

If you just watched the latest action movie, or smaller indie film, you can take your thoughts straight to YouTube and be amongst the first to share your viewing experience with the world. Movie review videos give viewers the opportunity to see if it’s worth the money to buy a movie that’s been buzzing through social media through YouTubers they can trust.

23. Show Reviews

Similar to movie reviews, with the prevalence of streaming services and their constant new series releases, reviewing seasons of highly favored television is a good route to go on YouTube.

24. Gaming

Some people still think that video games are just for children, but the reality is that it’s projected to become a $256.97 billion industry by 2025. With fans of all ages, gender and backgrounds, it’s no wonder why YouTube is full of gaming related videos.

25. Game Playthroughs

If you’re already an avid gamer, why not record your game playthroughs? Whether it’s a classic franchise or the newest storyboard, chances are that someone is on YouTube looking for a playthrough. These videos help gamers decide whether they should purchase a game themselves, get past a tough quest, or just enjoy it like any other web series. Don’t be intimidated by the most popular gamers, because smaller channels like Narcissa Wright have a steady stream of subscribers tuning into her playthroughs weekly.

26. Information Based Gaming

Much like those who enjoy watching playthroughs, there is a large audience of gamers who go to YouTube for gaming guides. People that find themselves stuck in a tough quest, or unsure how to reach achievement know they can go to YouTube for visual, instructional videos to help them beat the games they enjoy.

If these channel ideas seem a bit intimidating, then don’t feel discouraged! For those who are just starting out and want to begin making simplistic and fun videos, then keeping reading.

YouTube Channel Ideas for Beginners

1. ‘Favorites’ Video

People that use YouTube on a daily basis are all consumers of some form. Beginning your channel with something as simple as showing off your favorite games, collectibles, or more could help viewers choose what they invest their money into. These videos are particularly good for small channels as there is more trust in the YouTuber honestly sharing versus making sponsored content for brands.

2. Trending News Discussion

long as there’s news in pop culture or world events, making a channel solely for news commentary can grow rather quickly if done consistently. D’Angelo Wallace became a famous YouTuber in under 3 years for sharing his interpretation of headlining news or culture happenings. If you have a camera and a good microphone, beginning a channel on trending news discussion could be a good start.

3. Reaction Videos

you’re watching the latest sporting program or the grand finale of a suspenseful television series, chances are you’re not the only viewer brimming with excitement. This video category is popular because viewers want to connect or feel like they’re sharing the experience with someone else. So if you’re looking for an easy way to start a channel, look into filming your initial reaction to a media you enjoy.

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4. Food Reviews

Foodies have the opportunity to share all their favorite restaurant orders to a wide audience on YouTube. People are always on the lookout for the best food in town, and starting a channel with honest reviews of places worth visiting can both help you get views and help the businesses you love gain new customers.

Think about those brands you purchase from over and over, even when there are cheaper options out there. Why do you choose the ones you choose?

Do you usually fly on a particular airline? Do you buy your coffee from the same place every morning? Do you recommend a specific restaurant whenever out-of-towners ask for suggestions? Well, there’s a good reason for it.

The reason we stay loyal to brands is because of their values. The best brands strive to combine physical, emotional, and logical elements into one exceptional customer (and employee) experience that you value as much as they do. Nowhere are those values more visible than in the company’s mission statement.

When you successfully create a connection with your customers and employees, many of them might stay loyal to you for life. This helps you increase your overall profitability while building a solid foundation of brand promoters.

But achieving that connection is no easy task. The companies that succeed are ones that stay true to their core values over the years and create a company that employees and customers are proud to associate with.

That’s where company vision and mission statements come in.

 

What is a Vision Statement?

A vision statement describes where the company aspires to be upon achieving its mission. This statement reveals the “where” of a business. Below are some vision statements from well-known companies to give you a sense of how a vision represents a brand.

Vision Statement Examples

• Alzheimer’s Association: A world without Alzheimer’s disease.
• Teach for America: One day, all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.
• Creative Commons: Realizing the full potential of the internet — universal access to research and education, full participation in culture — to drive a new era of development, growth, and productivity.
• Microsoft (at its founding): A computer on every desk and in every home.
• Australia Department of Health: Better health and wellbeing for all Australians, now and for future generations.
• LinkedIn: Create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce. 
• Disney: To entertain, inform and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, reflecting the iconic brands, creative minds and innovative technologies that make ours the world’s premier entertainment company.
• Facebook: Connect with friends and the world around you on Facebook.

What is a Mission Statement?

If the above examples are vision statements, what’s a mission statement? A mission statement is, in some ways, an action-oriented vision statement, declaring the purpose an organization serves to its audience. It often includes a general description of the organization, its function, and its objectives.

As a company grows, its objectives and goals may be reached, and in turn they’ll change. Therefore, mission and vision statements should be revised as needed to reflect the business’s new culture as previous goals are met.

Both mission and vision statements are often combined into one comprehensive “mission statement” to define the organization’s reason for existing and its outlook for internal and external audiences — like employees, partners, board members, consumers, and shareholders.

With that in mind, what does a good mission statement look like? Check out some of the following company mission statements for yourself — and get inspired to write one for your brand.

Best Vision and Mission Statement Examples From Real Companies

1. Life Is Good: To spread the power of optimism.

The Life is Good brand is about more than spreading optimism — although, with uplifting T-shirt slogans like “Seas The Day” and “Forecast: Mostly Sunny,” it’s hard not to crack a smile.

There are a ton of T-shirt companies in the world, but Life is Good’s mission sets itself apart with a mission statement goes beyond fun clothing: to spread the power of optimism. This mission is perhaps a little unexpected if you’re not familiar with the company’s public charity: How will a T-shirt company help spread optimism? Life is Good answers that question below the fold, where what the mission means is explained in more detail, with links to programs implemented to support it: its #GrowTheGood initiative and the Life is Good Kids Foundation page. We really like how lofty yet specific this mission statement is — it’s a hard-to-balance combination.

2. sweetgreen: To inspire healthier communities by connecting people to real food.

Notice that sweetgreen’s mission is positioned to align with your values — not just written as something the brand believes. We love the inclusive language used in its statement, letting us know that the company is all about connecting its growing network of farmers growing healthy, local ingredients with us — the customer — because we’re the ones who want more locally grown, healthy food options.

The mission to connect people is what makes this statement so strong. And that promise has gone beyond sweetgreen’s website and walls of its food shops: The team has made strides in the communities where it’s opened stores as well. Primarily, it provides education to young kids on healthy eating, fitness, sustainability, and where food comes from. The sweetlife music festival attracts 20,000 like-minded people every year who come together to listen to music, eat healthy food, and give back to a cause — the sweetgreen in schools charity partner, FoodCorps.

3. Patagonia: Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.

Patagonia’s mission statement combines both the values that bring them market success (building safe, high-quality products) and the values that contribute to a better world (philanthropic efforts to help the environment). For the people behind the brand, “a love of wild and beautiful places demands participation in the fight to save them.” In the name of this cause, the company donates time, services, and at least 1% of its sales to hundreds of grassroots environmental groups around the world.

If your company has a similar focus on growing your business and giving back, think about talking about both the benefit you bring to customers and the value you want to bring to a greater cause in your mission statement.

4. American Express: We work hard every day to make American Express the world’s most respected service brand.

Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first.

— Simon Sinek (@simonsinek)
April 16, 2014

The tweet above is from Simon Sinek, and it’s one that we repeat here at HubSpot all the time. American Express sets itself apart from other credit card companies in its list of values, with an ode to great customer service, which is something it’s famous for.

We especially love the emphasis on teamwork and supporting employees, so that the people inside of the organization can be in the best position to support their customers.

5. Warby Parker: To offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially conscious businesses.

Speaking of quirky, this “objective” statement from Warby Parker uses words that reflect a young and daring personality: “rebellious,” “revolutionary,” “socially-conscious.” In one sentence, the brand takes us back to the root of why it was founded while also revealing its vision for a better future.

The longer-form version of the mission reads: “We believe that buying glasses should be easy and fun. It should leave you happy and good-looking, with money in your pocket,” which further shows how Warby Parker doesn’t hold back on letting its unique personality shine through. Here, the missions statement’s success all comes down to spot-on word choice.

6. InvisionApp: Question Assumptions. Think Deeply. Iterate as a Lifestyle. Details, Details. Design is Everywhere. Integrity.

These days, it can seem like every B2B company page looks the same — but InvisionApp has one of the cooler company pages I’ve seen. Scroll down to “Our Core Values,” and hover your mouse over any of the icons, and you’ll find a short-but-sweet piece of the overall company mission under each icon. We love the way the statements are laid out under each icon. Each description is brief, authentic, and business babble-free — which makes the folks at InvisionApp seem like trustworthy, B.S.-free types.

7. Honest Tea: To create and promote great-tasting, healthy, organic beverages.

Honest Tea’s mission statement begins with a simple punch line connoting its tea is real, pure, and therefore not full of artificial chemicals. The brand is speaking to an audience that’s tired of finding ingredients in its tea that can’t be pronounced, and have been searching for a tea that’s exactly what it says it is.

Not only does Honest Tea have a punny name, but it also centers its mission around the clever company name. For some time, the company even published a Mission Report each year in an effort to be “transparent about our business practices and live up to our mission to seek to create and promote great-tasting, healthier, organic beverages.”

8. IKEA: To create a better everyday life for the many people.

The folks at IKEA dream big. The vision-based mission statement could have been one of beautiful, affordable furniture, but instead, it’s to make everyday life better for its customers. It’s a partnership: IKEA finds deals all over the world and buys in bulk, then we choose the furniture and pick it up at a self-service warehouse.

“Our business idea supports this vision … so [that] as many people as possible will be able to afford them,” the brand states.

Using words like “as many people as possible” makes a huge company like IKEA much more accessible and appealing to customers.

9. Nordstrom: “To give customers the most compelling shopping experience possible.

When it comes to customer commitment, not many companies are as hyper-focused as Nordstrom is. Although clothing selection, quality, and value all have a place in the company’s mission statement, it’s crystal clear that it’s all about the customer: “Nordstrom works relentlessly to give customers the most compelling shopping experience possible.”

If you’ve ever shopped at a Nordstrom, you’ll know the brand will uphold the high standard for customer service mentioned in its mission statement, as associates are always roaming the sales floors, asking customers whether they’ve been helped, and doing everything they can to make the shopping experience a memorable one.

10. Cradles to Crayons: Provides children from birth through age 12, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive – at home, at school and at play.

Cradles to Crayons divided its mission and model into three sections that read like a game plan: The Need, The Mission, and The Model. The “rule of three” is a powerful rhetorical device called a tricolon that’s usually used in speechwriting to help make an idea more memorable. A tricolon is a series of three parallel elements of roughly the same length — think “I came; I saw; I conquered.”

11. Universal Health Services, Inc.: To provide superior quality healthcare services that: PATIENTS recommend to family and friends, PHYSICIANS prefer for their patients, PURCHASERS select for their clients, EMPLOYEES are proud of, and INVESTORS seek for long-term returns.

A company thrives when it pleases its customers, its employees, its partners, and its investors — and Universal Health Services endeavors to do just that, according to its mission statement. As a health care service, it specifically strives to please its patients, physicians, purchasers, employees, and investors. We love the emphasis on each facet of the organization, by capitalizing the font and making it red for easy skimming.

12. JetBlue: To inspire humanity – both in the air and on the ground.

JetBlue’s committed to its founding mission through lovable marketing, charitable partnerships, and influential programs — and we love the approachable language used to describe these endeavors. For example, the brand writes how it “set out in 2000 to bring humanity back to the skies.”

For those of us who want to learn more about any of its specific efforts, JetBlue’s provided details on the Soar With Reading program, its partnership with KaBOOM!, the JetBlue Foundation, environmental and social reporting, and so on. It breaks down all these initiatives really well with big headers, bullet points, pictures, and links to other webpages visitors can click to learn more. Finally, it ends with a call-to-action encouraging website visitors volunteer or donate their TrueBlue points.

13. Workday: To put people at the center of enterprise software.

Workday, a human resources (HR) task automation service, doesn’t use its mission statement to highlight the features of its product or how it intends to help HR professionals improve in such-and-such a way.

Instead, the business takes a stance on the state of enterprise software in general: There’s a lot of great tech out there. But at Workday, it revolves around the people. We love how confident yet kind this mission statement is. It observes the state of its industry — which Workday believes lacks a human touch — and builds company values around it.

14. Prezi: To reinvent how people share knowledge, tell stories, and inspire their audiences to act.

If you know Prezi, you know how engaging it can make your next business presentation look. According to its mission statement, the company’s clever slide animations and 3-dimensional experience aren’t just superficial product features. With every decision Prezi makes, it’s all about the story you tell and the audience that story affects.

15. Tesla: To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.

A car company’s punny use of the word “accelerate” is just one reason this mission statement sticks out. The main reason Tesla makes this list is because of how its mission statement describes the industry.

It may be a car company, but Tesla’s main interest isn’t just automobile sales — it’s promoting sustainable energy. And sustainable energy still has a “long road” ahead of it (pun intended) — hence the world’s “transition” into this market.

Ultimately, a mission statement that can admit to the industry’s immaturity is exactly what gets customers to root for it. And Tesla does that nicely.

16. Invisible Children: To end violence and exploitation facing our world’s most isolated and vulnerable communities.

Tenacity is hard to come by in the non-profit sector, and that’s what makes this mission statement so distinguished. Invisible Children is a non-profit that raises awareness around the violence affecting communities across Central Africa, and the company takes quite a confident tone in its mission.

The most valuable quality of this mission statement is that it has an end goal. Many companies’ visions and missions are intentionally left open-ended so that the business might always be needed by the community. Invisible Children, on the other hand, wants to “end” the violence facing African families. It’s an admirable mission that all businesses — not just non-profits — can learn from when trying to motivate their customers.

17. TED: Spread ideas.

We’ve all seen TED Talks online before. Well, the company happens to have one of the most succinct mission statements out there.

TED, which stands for “Technology Education and Design,” has a two-word mission statement that shines through in every Talk you’ve seen the company publish on the internet. That mission statement: “Spread ideas.” Sometimes, the best way to get an audience to remember you is to zoom out as far as your business’s vision can go. What do you really care about? TED has recorded some of the most famous presentations in the world, but in the grand scheme of things, all it wants is to spread ideas around to its viewers.

Here are 22 companies with really catchy slogans and brand taglines.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in August 2014 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

To consider the potential payoff of product diversification, let’s start with an example.

Lululemon, an athletic apparel company, was founded in 1998 with one core product: yoga clothing for women.

If you’ve been to a store recently, you’ve likely seen how far beyond women’s yoga-clothing Lululemon has grown.

For instance, my brother now buys all his button-down shirts and work pants from Lululemon.

Additionally, last week I bought a bathing suit from the shop.

On their Our Story page, Lululemon states: “Our first designs were made for women to wear during yoga. Through plenty of feedback from our guests, ambassadors and elite athletes, we now design for yoga, running, cycling, training and most other sweaty pursuits for women and men.”

This is an example of effective diversification in-action. Here, we’ll explore what diversification marketing is, and how it pertains to your marketing strategy.

Why diversify your product offerings?

There are three reasons a business might choose to diversify its existing product line:

1. You’ve reached the ‘limit’ on the amount of people you can convert in a market segment.
2. You’ve identified a new product or service that complements the needs of your existing customers.
3. You’ve decided a new level of growth can only be achieved through addressing new market segments.

Let’s dive into the difference between the three of these reasons, now.

First, perhaps you’ve reached the limit of the amount of people you can reach in a market segment. If you created a niche product or service, you might’ve spent the last few years marketing your product to your core audience demographic.

Eventually, you’ll reach your limit of potential people you can reach and convert within that audience segment.

For instance, GoPro started out selling HD cameras for sports and adventure. However, there are only so many people they can target with GoPro cameras — which is likely why they expanded to camera accessories, and even lifestyle gear, including backpacks and clothing.

With an expanded product line, GoPro can now target audiences who are looking for outdoor gear, along with audiences who are searching for HD cameras.

Second, perhaps you’ve identified a complementary product or service to the one you currently offer. To identify complementary products or services, consider what goal(s) your products help your customers achieve, and what other tools or services they need to achieve those goals even faster.

Mailchimp, as an example, started as an email marketing tool. Now, the company has diversified its product offerings and expanded into social media tools and even website builders.

Mailchimp created an email marketing tool to help customers reach new audiences and convert those audiences faster. Social media tools and website builders, then, are natural extensions of that primary goal.

Finally, a third reason you might diversify your product offerings is simply to reach and convert new segments of customers. This is less of a brand-new product or service, and more of a tier-method in which you have the same product with varying features depending on audience segment.

An example of this is a software company that initially targeted small businesses, and is now expanding into the enterprise audience segment.

To successfully expand, you’ll need to ensure your new product features accurately address enterprise users’ needs — which will be drastically different from your small business clients’.

Another example is a sports shoe company that continues to create sports shoes, and doesn’t diversify its products or services beyond sports shoes. However, the company does start creating different lines of sports shoes to address different audience segments: including tennis players, golfers, and joggers.

Advantages and Disadvantages to Product Diversification

There are a few major benefits to diversification, including:

• Minimizing losses: Ever heard the term, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”? That’s the premise of this advantage. Basically, if one of your products underperforms, you’ll be able to minimize company revenue loss if your other products are performing well or better than expected.
• Increasing brand recognition: If Apple only sold computers, it probably wouldn’t be the well-known brand it is today. But since the company has expanded into smartphones and music players, it’s expanded the amount of customers who use an Apple product. As customers increase, so does brand recognition.
• Increasing customer lifetime value: By expanding your offerings, you’re increasing opportunities for customers to find value in your brand — which could increase brand loyalty. For instance, if Lululemon just offered yoga pants, I probably wouldn’t be such a big fan. But since I can get workout clothes, work clothes, and even swimwear from them, my loyalty towards them is high.

If you create a tier-program in which you offer additional product features for varying phases of a business, you’re minimizing the risk that your customers will outgrow you.

However, there are also risks associated with diversification. A few major risks include:

• Brand dilution: People no longer associate your brand with the product or service you your were initially known for, and they’re unsure how your new products relate to your business mission or values.
• Resourcing limitations: You don’t have the budget or headcount to effectively create new products or services, or your marketing team doesn’t have the resources to properly target a new market audience.
•  Inconsistent support for additional products: If your support team isn’t prepped to handle the new complaints or challenges prospects and customers are facing with your new product, the industry’s overall satisfaction with your brand could decrease.

Marketing’s Role in Diversification

If your company is diversifying its product portfolio, your marketing team plays a major role in the success of that expansion.

Among other things, your marketing team is likely in charge of market research (including your new segment’s unique challenges and pain points), product development (i.e. ensuring your product successfully meets your target audience’s needs, especially as those needs evolve over time), and creating a successful product launch.

Ultimately, your marketing team needs to learn how to target your new market segment — which might be difficult if your brand hasn’t targeted that audience in previous marketing campaigns. (To learn more about audience segmentation and targeting, take a look at The Marketer’s Guide to Segmentation, Targeting, & Positioning.)

And, just as importantly, your marketing team needs to mitigate some of the risks associated with diversification.

For instance, marketers can minimize brand dilution by telling a comprehensive story to the public that outlines why these new products or services make sense to your business’ vision, goals, or overall mission.

Lastly, when marketing your new products, services, or expanding into new market segments, consider how you might diversify your marketing strategy to achieve growth with these new product offerings.

A marketing strategy that worked well for one product won’t necessarily work well for another — so it’s critical, as a marketer, you remain flexible and open-minded to pivoting to properly address the needs of these new customers.

When done properly, diversification is an incredibly exciting opportunity to fuel long-term growth … Just consider the growth Lululemon has seen since making the courageous leap into apparel beyond women’s yoga clothes.

Ever wonder who is behind those banner ads on the sites you visit the most? Or the Super Bowl ads we talk about for weeks after they’ve aired? The answer is media buyers.

When a brand gets a marketing budget, a portion of that typically goes to paid advertising. That’s where media buying comes in.

It doesn’t get much buzz in the marketing industry, but this process is responsible for the targeted ads we see today.

Let’s dive into this process of which so many of us are on the receiving end.

Whether they’re watching a TV show or scrolling through a website, media buyers get brands in front of their target market.

It’s not like social media where users come and find you. It’s an outbound strategy that is only effective if you have a well thought-out strategy. Rex Gelb, director of advertising and analytics at HubSpot, says one of the biggest mistakes brands make is not thinking through their marketing goals.

“Some ad placements might be good for one set of goals, but bad for another. Let’s say you’re an airline and your focus is impressions and awareness, rather than an immediate sale, you can buy a placement that is known to get cheap impressions,” he said.

Gelb continued,”Now, let’s say you’re a CEO who wants to promote a ‘letter to our customers.’ In this instance, what you’ll care about is cheap clicks. Buying cheap impressions, which made sense in the previous example, no longer helps you accomplish your goal.”

That’s why media planning is such an important step, as it helps you get the most out of your ads. 

Nowadays, media buying is done in one of two ways:

• Direct buy – Media buyers forge relationships with publishers to negotiate ad inventory, e.g., working with a newspaper to have an ad placed in the upcoming issue.
• Programmatic buy – The buying process is done using automated technology.

Media Buying vs. Media Planning

Media buying and media planning fall into the same category but are two different processes. While media buying focuses on getting the most impressions from the right audience at the lowest cost, media planning focuses on the strategy behind the campaign.

During the planning phase, you determine what media will be most effective to reach a particular audience. So once media planning is complete, media buying follows. It’s also important to note that media planning isn’t solely for advertising, it’s for any media a brand puts out there.

However, in a small to medium-sized business, the job may be done by the same person or team.

How Digital Media Buying Works

With digital media buying, or programmatic buying, buying impressions is automated. The negotiation still technically happens but it’s done at a much quicker rate through open and private marketplaces.

The traditional approach, on the other hand, involves negotiations and relationship building with publishers.

There are three components to this automated buying structure:

• Demand-side platforms (DSP) where advertisers and ad agencies set up their campaigns, bid on ad inventory, and optimize their ads based on performance.
• Supply-side platforms (SSP) where publishers sell their ad inventory. It’s the publisher version of the DSP.
• The ad exchange marketplace where advertisers and publishers buy or sell ad inventory through real-time bidding (RTB).

RTB is not the only way to purchase impressions, you can also use private marketplaces, in which publishers limit who can participate in the auction. Another option is called programmatic direct, in which ad inventory is sold at a fixed cost per thousand impressions (CPM) with no bidding.

So what about ad networks? Well those platforms aggregate ad inventory from various publishers and match them to advertisers’ needs, serving as intermediaries. Think Google Adsense and Facebook Audience Network.

Digital media buying can be more cost-effective and allow teams to focus on ad performance instead of back-and-forth negotiations. However, with the latest restrictions on cookies and Apple’s AppTrackingTransparency (ATT) rollout on iOS 14, it’s unclear how that will affect the media buying space.  

“With the upcoming release, Apple will be asking all of its users for permission to track when they open an app, and big ad networks like Facebook won’t be exempt,” said Gelb. “Needless to say, a lot of iOS users are going to opt out, which will have negative implications in terms of targeting and conversion tracking.”

“Nobody knows exactly what the impact will look like yet,” he added, “but we, in the industry, are crossing our fingers and hoping for the best.”

Media Buying Tips

1. Strategize.

Before you launch your ad campaign, you’ll have to figure out a few things.

The first question is, what’s the goal of your campaign? Do you want more website traffic, brand awareness, social engagement? Aligning your team on one goal will help focus your efforts and better track your campaign’s success.

This leads us to key progress indicators (KPIs). You’ll need them to monitor your campaign and determine if any adjustments need to be made. Lastly, your campaign will need a budget. If it’s a long-running campaign, you may set a daily budget.

These steps are typically completed during the media planning phase. However, in some cases, media planners are also responsible for buying ads as well.

2. Identify your target and where to find them.

Your next step is determining who the campaign will target and which networks will be most appropriate to reach them.

For instance, let’s say a health-focused vegan dessert company wants to run an ad campaign next quarter and they want to target health-conscious, vegan consumers. The marketing team may want to advertise on YouTube videos with vegan-friendly content, fitness and nutrition websites, or even cooking and recipe pages.

When buying media, you can target audience by device, location, behaviors, interests, web browser, and more.

3. Set up your campaign.

This step will vary depending on which media buying platform you are using.

However, when typically using a DSP, you will input your campaign details, such as campaign type, creative assets, budget, target audiences, and bidding strategies. So, once that process is complete, all there is to do is launch and wait for results to come in.

If you’re taking a direct approach, this will likely be a collaborative process between your team and your publisher’s account manager.

4. Track the results and optimize.

The most exciting (and possibly scariest) part of launching an ad campaign is tracking its performance.

As soon as it launches, you can start gathering data on how your ads are performing. In this stage, it’s important not to make decisions too quickly. You’ll want to gather enough data to get a full picture before switching gears.

Using the same vegan dessert company, let’s say they launched an ad campaign through Google’s ad network. They are using two static image ads and one video ad. After one week, they notice that the video ad is significantly outperforming the banner ads. The media buyer can decide to reallocate funds to that ad type and placement as it is generating better results.

A media buyer’s job is to maximize ad potential while staying within the budget. As such, if the ad isn’t delivering on expectations, adjustments can and should be made during the length of the campaign.

1. Google Display & Video 360

Inside the Google Marketing Platform, you’ll find Display & Video 360. Originally DoubleClick Bid Management, DV360 integrates seamlessly with Google Analytics and other Google products. So, if your team is already using those tools, this may be the right media buying tool for you.

There are five modules in DV360 to build your campaign, manage your audience and creative assets, analyze your data, and access ad inventory from top publishers. It also offers automated bidding and custom targeting using first and third-party data, making it easier to reach the right audience.

Lastly, the platform allows advertisers to not only reach users on websites and YouTube but also TV.

2. The Trade Desk

If you want access to premium publishers, the Trade Desk is one place you’ll want to look.

The platform has ad inventory from some of the biggest publishers, including Spotify, ABC, Wall Street Journal, and ESPN.

One of the platform’s key features is the AI-driven “Koa,” which uses data from over 600 billion daily queries to determine the smartest and most cost-effective way to run your digital campaign. The Trade Desk also has cross-device targeting capabilities to optimize your campaign’s reach.

3. AdColony

AdColony helps brands reach mobile app users on both IOS and Android.

The platform offers multiple video formats and placements, including full-screen, interactive, banner, and interstitial. This allows marketers to test various formats to see which garners the best results.

AdColony also has over 90K direct app integrations and a reported 450 million supply of app users.

4. Amazon DSP

Every time you think Amazon has capped, it comes out with another vertical.

Amazon DSP is one of the most used DSPs by brands and ad agencies, according to an article by Ad Exchanger. With this DSP, you can reach users on Amazon-owned websites like Audible and IMDb, and other Amazon partners.

They also make brand safety a top priority to ensure ads don’t appear in risky or unsuitable environments.

5. AdCritter

AdCritter is a DSP made for small to medium-sized businesses.

The platform has an ad builder and a library of pre-designed templates for businesses that may not have their own creative assets.

With AdCritter, media buyers can even hand-select the websites they’ll appear on to ensure their ads reach their intended audience. They can also reach consumers based on demographics and behavior.

6. Adobe Advertising Cloud

In 2017, Adobe launched a powerful DSP to tie with Adobe Audience Manager and Adobe Analytics.

Similar to Google, Adobe’s platforms integrate seamlessly, which makes collaboration easier and cross-data analysis simpler.

Adobe also has powerful performance optimization features to maximize return on ad spend (ROAS).

7. Verizon Media

If you’re like me, any mention of Verizon automatically brings “Can you hear me now?” to mind.

Well, turns out, Verizon does offer way more than just cell phone coverage. In 2019, they reported that their DSP generated a 71% higher average conversion rate from campaigns compared to third-party segments.

Their platform uses omnichannel strategies to engage consumers, such as digital out-of-home ads (i.e. billboards and on-car ads), audio streaming platforms, and connected TVs.

8. Criteo

This platform has access to a large network of premium retailers, making it a great DSP for brands who want to reach online shoppers. Think Best Buy, CVS pharmacy, Macy’s, and Kohls.

They rely on first-party data, instead of third-party cookies, to optimize ads and determine the right time and place to engage shoppers.

Criteo’s flexible attribution models also make data analysis easier for teams.

9. StackAdapt

If your brand is in the alcohol, cannabis, gambling industry, it can be difficult to navigate ad regulations and compliance guidelines. StackAdapt helps brands strengthen their messaging and maneuver around those challenges.

Some of their key features include dynamic retargeting, machine learning optimization, and cross-device capabilities.

10. AcuityAds

AcuityAds’s best feature is its intuitive interface.

With this DSP, your team can build an ad storyboard for any campaign and visualize the customer journey.

There is a drag-and-drop feature that streamlines the media planning process. AcuityAds also has a journey map that allows brands to quickly visualize how a campaign is performing.

11. Simpli.fi

Some DSPs offer pre-segmented audiences for ad campaigns, which can be limiting depending on who your team wants to reach. Simpli.fi offers custom targeting options to guarantee accuracy.

The platform also promotes cost and analytics transparency. Marketers can see a detailed breakdown of where their ad dollars are going and how much of it goes toward platform fees.

Another standout feature in Simpli.fi is the localization capabilities to reach audiences at the most granular level.

12. Adelphic

If customer support is important to your team, consider Adelphic. This omnichannel DSP reports consistently having a client satisfaction rate above 95%.

Unlike other DSPS, Adelphic offers a flexible pricing model, offering a subscription-based structure. This means media buyers pay one set monthly fee for unlimited media.

Additional features include advanced reporting tools and data integrations.

13. Amobee

With Amobee, you can design digital campaigns on various platforms and across multiple browsers and devices.

This DSP identifies potential consumers on a person-by-person level using their proprietary identity graph called “Amobee ID.” Using this tool, brands can forecast their campaign’s performance across multiple devices and channels.

The platform can also access APIs from social channels, such as Facebook and Instagram, for social campaign automation.

14. Basis by Centro

With over 9,000 vendors and 11,000 contacts, Basis has one of the largest inventories in the market.

Its artificial intelligence (AI) tool can also review over 30 campaign parameters and make optimization suggestions to get the best results. Basis also has scalable features, catering to both small and large businesses.

15. Xandr Invest

Zandr Invest specializes in reaching audiences through connected TV advertising.

The platform is built on AT&T’s first-party data, giving brands unique insight to deploy targeted campaigns. Marketers can segment users by lifestyle, interest, intent, demographic, and viewership.

Xandr also offers a sleek user interface to plan, launch and track campaigns.

When buying media, no ad placement is accidental. It does involve some trial and error as you get started and the optimization process will last throughout the campaign. However, once you have a strategy to follow and an intuitive platform to track performance, this will result in effective ads that meet your marketing objectives.

When you come across a beautiful sight — be it a beach, a mountain, or your pet’s face — sometimes, it inspires you to think bigger about what certain sights and experiences mean.

For those moments, you might consider posting a photo on Instagram with an equally inspiring quote as the caption. But you could take it even further — and save characters — by posting the photo with the quote.

You’ve likely seen quotes on Instagram posts before, but you may never have created one for your brand’s account. Here’s a recent Instagram quote we shared here at HubSpot:

See what we mean?

Posting quote images on Instagram can diversify your content on the platform and humanize your brand a little, too. Everyone could use a motivational quote during a busy Monday morning or a slow Tuesday afternoon, so try out an Instagram quote for your next post with the help of these free apps.

9 Instagram Text Apps to Make Inspiring Quotes

Featured Resource: 9 Instagram Quote Templates

HubSpot created a collection of 9 Instagram quote templates for posts and stories – in addition to 13 more free Instagram posts for business. Download the collection of templates today to make Instagram quotes right in Google Slides for free. 

1. FaceGarage

Web App

FaceGarage is a browser tool that helps you create Instagram images with quotes overlaid in just a few simple steps. You can upload an image of your own or use one of the site’s stock background images, type in your quote, adjust the font, text size, color, and formatting, and voila — you generate your image and download it to post on Instagram.

Our favorite thing about FaceGarage is the images don’t come with a watermark, so you can create more beautiful posts that don’t have a logo in the corner.

2. Canva

iOS, Android, or Web App

Image via Google Play

Canva’s many features extend beyond text-based pictures and, for that matter, social media. But the mobile app and its gorgeous pre-made templates make it perfect for Instagram quotes.

Using the Canva’s social media post setting, you can draft banners, flyers, cards, and posts of all shapes and sizes using one of hundreds of pro-level backgrounds. Of course, feel free to snap a photo on the go, as well. One you select your image, you can choose from more than 100 fonts, adjust the size and color, and publish.

3. ReciteThis

Web App

ReciteThis is another quick and easy browser tool you can use to create quotes for Instagram. Its two-step process involves selecting one of the ready-made background themes, typing in your quotation, and pressing “Create.” From there, you can upload the image to a variety of social networks (not including Instagram) or download the image to upload and post on Instagram.

The downside to ReciteThis’s ease of use is the highly visible watermark in the bottom-center of each image, but you might be able to crop it out using your phone’s photo editor before uploading to Instagram, depending on the design you choose.

4. Word Swag

iOS or Android

Image via Word Swag

Listed in iTunes’s top 100 apps in the Photo & Video category, Word Swag helps you create text images that are as edgy as the app’s name sounds. The app uses a special typing engine to create fresh quote designs based on the background picture you’re working with.

Just select (or shoot) your picture, type your quote into the app’s plain text editor, select one of nearly 50 styles, and shuffle through the diverse choices that appear. Word Swag has literally thousands of quote and image options to choose from through a handy integration from Pixabay, a free image gallery.

5. InstaQuote

iOS or Android

This free app offers a lot of options to customize your quote image, font styles, and color schemes. You can use your own photos or one of InstaQuote’s, and it allows you to automatically upload your image to Instagram so you don’t have to download it and then upload it.

The downsides to many free apps — including InstaQuote — are the prevalence of ad interruptions, and that many features are locked unless you upgrade to the paid version.

6. Text2Pic

iOS or Android

Text2Pic stands out from the crowd in a couple of ways. It has the widest variety of font style and formatting options — including 3-D and shadowing capabilities to add more effects to your text. It also auto-connects to Instagram for seamless uploading and posting on the platform.

The biggest downside we’ve noted is the inability to upload your own photo as a background image, but Text2Pic makes up for that with a ton of different background options to choose from.

7. Quotes Creator

iOS or Android

Quotes Creator has a neat feature that suggests quotes to use — including their attributions — to take the work out of creating an inspirational post for you. We also like how subtly transparent the watermark is to make it as distraction-free as possible. This is another easy-to-use app that creates quotes for Instagram in just a few simple steps — with an easy tap to upload to the platform.

Quotes Creator’s stock background options are a little cheesy, so we recommend finding your own and uploading them.

8. Quote Maker

iOS or Android

Quote Maker is another free app that tries to upsell its Pro version to unlock more background and style options, but you can always upload your own background if you feel too limited. Where Quotes Maker takes the cake is its cool font styling and effects. You could add neat decals to your brand’s name or a stamp-like effect to a company motto or mission statement.

We recommend exploring the app, but another warning — it can be glitchy if your design and editing actions get more complex. It’s best for simple images, like the one above.

9. Text on Photo Square

iOS only

Text on Photo Square is only available on iOS devices (for now), but its distinction from the rest of the pack is that users can add quotes to videos, in addition to photos. You can upload your videos and add quotes to create a neat audio and visual experience for your Instagram followers. A cool quote-video might distract from the watermark, which is admittedly one of the larger ones on this list.

Some of these apps might be worth investing in the paid version to create more unique images — without the watermarks — to post quotes on Instagram. But for now, try out these free options during the next social media holiday to see if your audience is ready to be inspired.

Search engine optimization (SEO) seems pretty straightforward. You pick a few keywords, and voilà! Your page is optimized for SEO, right?

Not yet.

Many people understand the basic principles of SEO, but a lot has changed in the last decade.

The SEO that we know and love today is not the same SEO that we knew and loved (or hated) 10 years ago. And that’s why SEO is something marketers should continue to define, and redefine. Here’s a brief definition in under 100 words:

What Is SEO?

SEO stands for search engine optimization — that much has stayed the same. It refers to techniques that help your website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This makes your website more visible to people who are looking for solutions that your brand, product, or service can provide via search engines like Google, Yahoo!, and Bing.

What hasn’t stayed the same are the techniques we use to improve our rankings. This has everything to do with the search algorithms that these companies constantly change.

Here are some other frequently asked questions about this critical practice today.

Looking deeper: There are a ton of ways to improve the SEO of your site pages, though. Search engines look for elements including title tags, keywords, image tags, internal link structure, and inbound links (also known as backlinks). And that’s just to name a few.

HubSpot customers: you can check out the SEO panel in your HubSpot account to see how well you’re optimized for those things.

Search engines also look at site structure and design, visitor behavior, and other external, off-site factors to determine how highly ranked your site should be in their SERPs.

Looking deeper: In present-day SEO, you can’t simply include as many keywords as possible to reach the people who are searching for you. In fact, this will actually hurt your website’s SEO because search engines will recognize it as keyword stuffing — or the act of including keywords specifically to rank for that keyword, rather than to answer a person’s question.

Nowadays, you should use your keywords in your content in a way that doesn’t feel unnatural or forced. There isn’t a magic number — it all depends on the length of your keyword and article — but if you feel like you’re forcing it, it’s better to ignore it and continue writing naturally.

Looking deeper: Before you create a new site page or blog post, you’ll probably be thinking about how to incorporate your keywords into your post. That’s alright, but it shouldn’t be your only focus — or even your primary focus. Whenever you create content, your focus should be on the intent of your audience, not how many times you can include a keyword (whether it’s long tail or short tail) in your content.

To satisfy intent and rank well in the long term, build your SEO marketing strategy around topics, not keywords. If you do that, you’ll find you can naturally optimize for important keywords, anyway. Understanding your target audience (aka buyer personas) and what interests them is key to attracting relevant visitors to your website through search engines.

Looking deeper: One of the biggest changes in the last decade is the way other user behaviors shape the SERPs a user sees on search engines. And today, social media can have a big impact on your organic traffic trend line. Even just a few years ago, it didn’t make a difference who was finding your content through social search. But now SEO takes into account tweets, retweets, Google+ authorship, and other social signals.

Social search also prioritizes content and people that are connected to you. That could mean through a Facebook friend, Twitter follower, or connection through another social network. Sometimes social search will even prioritize content that has been shared by an influencer. Social search understands that you may be interested in content that your network feels is important to share, and therefore it’ll often get surfaced to you.

This all means when you’re thinking about your SEO strategy, you need to think about how your social media strategy fits into the puzzle, too.

Looking deeper: Think of search engine optimization as “search experience optimization.” It’s not just important for your users to find your website — it’s important for them to stay on your website, interact with your content, and come back later. Direct traffic doesn’t just increase your “page authority” in the eyes of Google; it creates more opportunities to turn someone, who first discovered you organically, into a customer.

SEO actually takes into account whether or not your visitors are staying on your website and engaging with other content. If you rank well for a keyword and attract a visitor who isn’t relevant, it won’t actually help your website.

Think about your visitors and the content they are looking for more than how many people you can attract to your website.

Looking deeper: In the past, SEO success was measured by whether or not you were ranked high on the first page of Google. But even if you ranked well for a term, does that actually mean you’re going to see results?

Not always. You might rank really well for terms that aren’t ideal for your business. So you appear high on search engines, get a ton of traffic, but then your website visitors realize your company isn’t what they were looking for. You don’t convert customers from this traffic, and ranking high for this particular keyword is essentially fruitless.

Also, you don’t necessarily need to be in the top three slots to be successful. In fact, if you rank well on subsequent pages, you may still have a high clickthrough rate, albeit less traffic. That’s great news for marketers who can’t seem to bring pages into those top slots or off the second page.

We said it before and we’ll say it again: The amount of traffic to your page is less important than how qualified that traffic is.

Looking deeper: An SEO cost can mean one of two things: the investment in your organic search strategy, or how much you pay for paid search engine marketing (SEM) services like Google AdWords. If you’re paying for a tool, consultant, or marketing agency to help you optimize your web content, your bill can vary wildly with the depth of the services you’re receiving.

Yes, $10,000 sounds scary, but 40% of businesses today are actually spending less than $1,000 a month on SEO.

Looking deeper: You can actually pay for top rankings on Google SERPs by registering for a free account on Google AdWords. You’ll then select various keywords you’d like to rank under, and pay Google each time a user clicks on your result. This is called PPC search engine marketing, and your ads will be noticeably different in their appearance than the organic results below them.

The average cost of a paid search campaign on Google can be less than $1 per click, but, naturally, the more popular the keyword, the more you might pay.

It’s still the same thing it was 10 years ago — a bunch of tactics that, if you employ them, will help you rank better in search engines. It’s just the tactics we now use that have changed. If you’re new to SEO or would like a refresher course, you might be interested in our free SEO training.

It’s up to us to stay on top of the rapidly changing trends, and remember that ultimately, the goal of search engines is to deliver the best experience possible to their end-user — searchers. If you keep that goal in mind with your SEO strategy, you’ll find your choices pay off, even if you’re not totally up to date on every single nuance of search engine algorithms.