For a while now, you’ve been spearheading your organization’s content marketing efforts. Your team’s performance has convinced management to adopt the content marketing strategies you’ve suggested.

Now, your boss wants you to write and present a content marketing plan, but you’ve never done something like that before. You don’t even know where to start.

Fortunately, we’ve curated the best content marketing plans to help you write a concrete plan that’s rooted in data and produces results. But first, we’ll discuss what a marketing plan is and how some of the best marketing plans include strategies that serve their respective businesses.

The purpose of a marketing plan is to write down strategies in an organized manner. This will help keep you on track and measure the success of your campaigns.

Writing a marketing plan will help you think of each campaign’s mission, buyer personas, budget, tactics, and deliverables. With all of this information in one place, you’ll have an easier time staying on track with a campaign. You’ll also discover what works and what doesn’t. Thus, measuring the success of your strategy.

Featured Resource: Free Marketing Plan Template

Looking to develop a marketing plan for your business? Click here to download HubSpot’s free Marketing Plan Template to get started.

Types of Marketing Plans

Depending on the company you work with, you might want to leverage various marketing plans. We compiled different samples to suit your needs:

• Quarterly or Annual Marketing Plans: These plans highlight the strategies or campaigns you’ll take on in a certain period.
• Paid Marketing Plan: This plan could highlight paid strategies, such as native advertising, PPC, or paid social media promotions.
• Social Media Marketing Plan: This could highlight the channels, tactics, and campaigns you intend to accomplish specifically on social media.
• Content Marketing Plan: This plan could highlight different strategies, tactics, and campaigns in which you’ll use content to promote your business or product.
• New Product Launch Marketing Plan: This will be a roadmap for the strategies and tactics you’ll implement to promote a new product.

Keep in mind that there’s a difference between a marketing plan and a marketing strategy.

Marketing Strategy vs. Marketing Plan

A marketing strategy describes how a business will accomplish a particular goal or mission. This includes which campaigns, content, channels, and marketing software they’ll use to execute that mission and track its success.

For example, while a greater plan or department might handle social media marketing, you might consider your work on Facebook as an individual marketing strategy.

A marketing plan contains one or more marketing strategies. It is the framework from which all of your marketing strategies are created and helps you connect each strategy back to a larger marketing operation and business goal.

For example, your company is launching a new software product, and it wants customers to sign up. This calls for the marketing department to develop a marketing plan that’ll help introduce this product to the industry and drive the desired signups.

The department decides to launch a blog dedicated to this industry, a new YouTube video series to establish expertise, and an account on Twitter to join the conversation around this subject. All of this serves to attract an audience and convert this audience into software users.

To summarize, the business’s marketing plan is dedicated to introducing a new software product to the marketplace and driving signups to that product. The business will execute that plan with three marketing strategies: a new industry blog, a YouTube video series, and a Twitter account.

Of course, the business might consider these three things one giant marketing strategy, each with its specific content strategies. How granular you want your marketing plan to get is up to you. Nonetheless, every marketing plan goes through a particular set of steps in its creation. Learn what they are below.

1. State your business’s mission.

Your first step in writing a marketing plan is to state your mission. Although this mission is specific to your marketing department, it should serve your business’s main mission statement. Be specific, but not too specific. You have plenty of space left in this marketing plan to elaborate on how you’ll acquire new customers and accomplish this mission.

For example, if your business’s mission is “to make booking travel a delightful experience,” your marketing mission might be “to attract an audience of travelers, educate them on the tourism industry, and convert them into users of our bookings platform.”

2. Determine the KPIs for this mission.

Every good marketing plan describes how the department will track its mission’s progress. To do so, you’ll need to determine your key performance indicators (KPIs). KPIs are individual metrics that measure the various elements of a marketing campaign. These units help you establish short-term goals within your mission and communicate your progress to business leaders.

Let’s take our example of a marketing mission from the above step. If part of our mission is “to attract an audience of travelers,” we might track website visits using organic page views. In this case, “organic page views” is one KPI, and we can see our number of page views grow over time.

These KPIs will come into the conversation again in step 4.

3. Identify your buyer personas.

A buyer persona is a description of who you want to attract. This can include age, sex, location, family size, and job title. Each buyer persona should directly reflect your business’s current and potential customers. Therefore, all business leaders must agree on your buyer personas.

You can develop buyer personas for free right here.

4. Describe your content initiatives and strategies.

Here’s where you’ll include the main points of your marketing and content strategy. Because there is a laundry list of content types and channels available to you today, you must choose wisely and explain how you’ll use your content and channels in this section of your marketing plan.

A content strategy should stipulate:

• Which types of content you’ll create. These can include blog posts, YouTube videos, infographics, and ebooks.
• How much of it you’ll create. You can describe content volume in daily, weekly, monthly, or even quarterly intervals. It all depends on your workflow and the short-term goals you set for your content.
• The goals (and KPIs) you’ll use to track each type. KPIs can include organic traffic, social media traffic, email traffic, and referral traffic. Your goals should also include which pages you want to drive that traffic to, such as product pages, blog pages, or landing pages.
• The channels on which you’ll distribute this content. Popular channels at your disposal include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram.
• Any paid advertising that will take place on these channels.

5. Clearly define your plan’s omissions.

A marketing plan explains the marketing team’s focus. It also explains what the marketing team will not focus on.

If there are other aspects of your business that you aren’t serving in this particular plan, include them in this section. These omissions help to justify your mission, buyer personas, KPIs, and content. You can’t please everyone in a single marketing campaign, and if your team isn’t on the hook for something, you need to make it known.

6. Define your marketing budget.

Your content strategy might leverage many free channels and platforms, but there are several hidden expenses a marketing team needs to account for.

Whether it’s freelance fees, sponsorships, or a new full-time marketing hire, use these costs to develop a marketing budget and outline each expense in this section of your marketing plan.

7. Identify your competition.

Part of marketing is knowing whom you’re marketing against. Research the key players in your industry and consider profiling each one.

Keep in mind not every competitor will pose the same challenges to your business. For example, while one competitor might be ranking highly on search engines for keywords you want your website to rank for, another competitor might have a heavy footprint on a social network where you plan to launch an account.

8. Outline your plan’s contributors and their responsibilities.

With your marketing plan fully fleshed out, it’s time to explain who’s doing what. You don’t have to delve too deeply into your employees’ day-to-day projects, but it should be known which teams and team leaders are in charge of specific content types, channels, KPIs, and more.

Ready to make your own marketing plan? Get started using this free template and take some inspiration from the real examples below.

Marketing Plan Examples

Now that you know why you need to build an effective marketing plan, it is time to put on the work. Starting a plan from scratch can be overwhelming if you haven’t done it before. That’s why there are many helpful resources that can support your first steps. We’ll share some of the best guides and templates that can help you build effective results-driven plans for your marketing strategies.

1. HubSpot’s Comprehensive Guide for Content Marketing Strategy

Main objective: Content Marketing Plan

At HubSpot, we’ve built our marketing team from two business school graduates working from a coffee table to a powerhouse of hundreds of employees. Along the way, we’ve learned countless lessons that shaped our current content marketing strategy. So, we decided to illustrate our insights in a blog post to teach marketers how to develop a successful content marketing strategy, regardless of their team’s size.

In this comprehensive guide for modern marketers, you’ll learn:

• What exactly content marketing is.
• Why your business needs a content marketing strategy.
• Who should lead your content marketing efforts?
• How to structure your content marketing team based on your company’s size.
• How to hire the right people for each role on your team.
• What marketing tools and technology you’ll need to succeed.
• What type of content your team should create, and which employees should be responsible for creating them.
• The importance of distributing your content through search engines, social media, email, and paid ads.
• And finally, the recommended metrics each of your teams should measure and report to optimize your content marketing program.

2. Shane Snow’s Marketing Plan for His Book Dream Team

Main objective: Content Marketing Plan

A successful book launch is a prime example of data-driven content marketing. Using data to optimize your content strategy spreads more awareness for your book, gets more people to subscribe to your content, converts more subscribers into buyers, and encourages more buyers to recommend your book to their friends.

When Shane Snow started promoting his new book, “Dream Team,” he knew he had to leverage a data-driven content strategy framework. So, he chose his favorite one: the content strategy waterfall. The content strategy waterfall is defined by Economic Times as a model used to create a system with a linear and sequential approach. To get a better idea of what this means, take a look at the diagram below:

Snow wrote a blog post about how the waterfall’s content strategy helped him launch his new book successfully. After reading it, you can use his tactics to inform your own marketing plan. More specifically, you’ll learn how he:

• Applied his business objectives to decide which marketing metrics to track.
• Used his ultimate business goal of earning $200,000 of sales or 10,000 purchases to estimate the conversion rate of each stage of his funnel.
• Created buyer personas to determine which channels his audience would prefer to consume his content.
• Used his average post view on each of his marketing channels to estimate how much content he had to create and how often he had to post on social media.
• Calculated how much earned and paid media could cut down the amount of content he had to create and post.
• Designed his process and workflow, built his team, and assigned members to tasks.
• Analyzed content performance metrics to refine his overall content strategy.

You can use Snow’s marketing plan to cultivate a better content strategy plan, know your audience better, and think outside the box regarding content promotion and distribution.

3. Chief Outsiders Go-To-Market Plan for a New Product

Main objective: New Product Launch Marketing Plan

When you’re looking for a marketing plan for a new product, the Chief Outsiders template is a great place to start. Marketing plans for a new product will be more specific because they target one product versus its entire marketing strategy.

After reading this plan, you’ll learn how to:

• Validate a product
• Write strategic objectives
• Identify your market
• Compile a competitive landscape
• Create a value proposition for a new product
• Consider sales and service in your marketing plan

4. Buffer’s Content Marketing Strategy Template

Main objective: Content Marketing Plan

Writing a content plan is challenging, especially if you’ve never written one before. Buffer decided to help out the content marketing community.

By sifting through countless content marketing strategy templates and testing the best, they crafted a content marketing plan template with instructions and examples for marketers who’ve never documented their content strategy.

After reading Buffer’s marketing plan template, you’ll learn how to:

• Answer four basic questions that’ll help you form a clear executive summary.
• Set SMART content marketing goals.
• Create highly accurate audience personas by interviewing real content strategists.
• Solve your audience’s problems with your content.
• Do competitive research by analyzing your competitors’ and industry thought leaders’ content.
• Evaluate your existing content strategy by examining the topics and themes of your highest and lowest performing pieces.
• Determine which types of new content to craft based on your team’s ability and bandwidth.
• Establish an editorial calendar.
• Develop a promotional workflow.

Buffer’s template is a comprehensive step-by-step guide, with examples for each section. The audience persona section, for example, has case studies of real potential audience personas like “Blogger Brian.” If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the process of creating a marketing guide, this can help ease you into it.

5. Contently’s Content Plan

Main objective: Content Marketing Plan

Contently’s content methodology works like a flywheel. Instead of applying an entirely new strategy to each new marketing campaign, they leverage the strategy of their previous marketing campaign to drive the next one. Similar to a flywheel, their content methodology needs an initial push of energy to get the gears in motion.

What supplies this energy? Their content plan.

Contently fleshed out their entire content plan in a blog post to help marketers develop a self-sustaining marketing process. After reading it, you’ll learn how to:

• Align your content objectives and KPIs with your business goals.
• Create highly detailed buyer personas using psychographics instead of traditional demographics.
• Craft content for each stage of your marketing funnel based on your prospects’ pain and passion points.
• Identify your most effective marketing channels.
• Discover the content topics your audience actually craves.
• Assess your organization’s need for resources.

By applying a flywheel-like strategy to your own marketing efforts, you essentially take away the burden of applying new strategies to each marketing campaign. Instead, your prior efforts gain momentum over time and dispel continual energy into whatever you publish next.

6. Forbes’ Marketing Plan Template

Main objective: Content Marketing Plan

Forbes published a marketing plan template that has amassed almost 4 million views. To help you sculpt a marketing roadmap with true vision, their template will teach you how to fill out the 15 key sections of a marketing plan, which are:

• Executive Summary
• Target Customers
• Unique Selling Proposition
• Pricing & Positioning Strategy
• Distribution Plan
• Your Offers
• Marketing Materials
• Promotions Strategy
• Online Marketing Strategy
• Conversion Strategy
• Joint Ventures & Partnerships
• Referral Strategy
• Strategy for Increasing Transaction Prices
• Retention Strategy
• Financial Projections

If you’re truly lost on where to start with a marketing plan, this guide can help you define your target audience, figure out how to reach them, and ensure that audience becomes loyal customers.

7. Venture Harbour’s Growth Marketing Plan Template

Main objective: Growth Marketing Plan

Venture Harbour’s growth marketing plan is a data-driven and experiment-led alternative to the more traditional marketing plan. Their template contains five steps intended for refinement with every test-measure-learn cycle. The five steps are:

• Goal
• Projection
• Experiments
• Roadmap
• Insights

This is a great option if you want to experiment with different platforms and campaigns.

Sample Marketing Plan

Let’s create a sample plan together, step-by-step.

1. Create an overview or primary objective.

Our business mission is to provide [service, product, solution] to help [audience] reach their [financial, educational, business related] goals without compromising their [your audience’s valuable asset: free time, mental health, budget, etc.]. We want to improve our social media presence while nurturing our relationships with collaborators and clients.

2. Determine the KPIs for this mission.

For example, if you wanted to focus on social media growth, your KPIs might look like this.

We want to achieve a minimum of [followers] with an engagement rate of [X] on [social media platform].

The goal is to achieve an increase of [Y] on recurring clients and new meaningful connections outside the platform by the end of the year.

3. Identify your buyer personas.

Use the following categories to create a target audience for your campaign.

• Age:

• Gender:

• Profession:

• Background:

• Interests:

• Values:

• Goals:

• Pain points:

• Social media platforms that they use:

• Streaming platforms that they prefer:

For more useful strategies, consider creating a buyer persona in our Make My Persona tool.

4. Describe your content initiatives and strategies.

Our content pillars will be: [X, Y, Z].

Content pillars should be based on topics your audience needs to know. If your ideal clients are female entrepreneurs, then your content pillars can be: marketing, being a woman in business, remote working, and productivity hacks for entrepreneurs.

Then, determine your omissions.

This marketing plan won’t be focusing on the following areas of improvement: [A, B, C].

5. Define your marketing budget.

Our marketing strategy will use a total of [Y] monthly. This will include anything from freelance collaborations to advertising.

6. Identify your competitors.

Use the following questions to clearly indicate who your competitors are:

• Which platforms do they use the most?
• How does their branding differentiate?
• How do they talk to their audiences?
• What valuable assets do customers talk about? And if they are receiving any negative feedback, what is it about?

7. Outline your plan’s contributors and their responsibilities.

Create responsible parties for each portion of the plan.

Marketing will manage the content plan, implementation, and community interaction to reach the KPIs.

• Social media manager: [hours per week dedicated to the project, responsibilities, team communication requirements, expectations]

• Content strategist: [hours per week dedicated to the project, responsibilities, team communication requirements, expectations]

• Community manager: [hours per week dedicated to the project, responsibilities, team communication requirements, expectations]

Sales will follow the line of the marketing work while creating and implementing an outreach strategy.

• Sales strategists: [hours per week dedicated to the project, responsibilities, team communication requirements, expectations]

• Sales executives: [hours per week dedicated to the project, responsibilities, team communication requirements, expectations]

Customer Service will nurture clients’ relationships to ensure that they have what they want. [Hours per week dedicated to the project, responsibilities, team communication requirements, expectations].

Project Managers will track the progress and team communication during the project. [Hours per week dedicated to the project, responsibilities, team communication requirements, expectations].

Get started on your marketing plan.

These marketing plans serve as initial resources to get your content marketing plan started. But, to truly deliver what your audience wants and needs, you’ll likely need to test some different ideas out, measure their success, and then refine your goals as you go.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in April 2019, but was updated for comprehensiveness.

We often hear the terms “leaders” and “managers” used interchangeably. However, there are key differences in how each operates.

In this article, we’ll dive into what those differences are and how you can leverage each one within an organization.

What’s most interesting is that every leader has likely taken on a managerial role. However, not every manager has been a leader.

This is because someone typically steps into a manager role when there’s a need within your organization. Anyone who can meet those needs will succeed as a manager.

However, a leader requires a different skill set and can emerge naturally at any point in an organization’s growth – in fact, a leader doesn’t need a title that specifies it.

Let’s break down the key differences below.

Vision vs. Execution

As a leader, you are responsible for setting the vision. This means the ability to see beyond where you currently are and imagine a future that goes beyond expectations.

Meanwhile, a manager will focus on executing that vision and figuring out the key processes to get there.

Leaders are able to see the big picture and develop a strategy for how to get there, whereas managers typically break down those goals into smaller, actionable tasks.

People vs. Processes

Another key distinction between leaders and managers is that leaders focus on people while managers focus on processes.

Leaders are there to inspire, motivate, and nurture the people they work with, often regarded as mentors to those they lead. To do so, they invest a lot of time in understanding their employees’ passions and values.

After all, that’s what’s going to ensure the success of the company.

Managers look at the processes that will deliver the desired outcomes based on business objectives. While they do pay attention to the people, that’s often not their main priority.

Leadership vs. Management Skills

Leadership skills are typically more soft skills-based, whereas management skills tend to be more hard or technical skills.

Common leadership skills include decision-making, communication, relationship building, and strategic thinking.

Top management skills include:

• Planning and budgeting
• Task allocation
• Creativity
• Problem-solving

Leadership vs. Management Characteristics

Both leadership and management involve setting a direction for others to follow.

However, leaders typically have more of a long-term vision while managers focus on the here-and-now.

Leaders also need to be able to build relationships and trust with their team, whereas managers may not need as strong of relationships since they are focused on task execution.

Characteristics of leaders include:

• Identifying and nurturing talent.
• Pushing the envelope of what is possible.
• Taking calculated risks.
• Championing employees.

On the other hand, some common management characteristics include:

• Maintaining the status quo.
• Detecting and addressing inefficiencies.
• Mitigating risks.
• Getting the job done.

Leadership vs. Management Examples

Let’s say you’re a project manager at an advertising agency.

Your daily tasks might involve overseeing client projects, delegating tasks to your team, and ensuring that deadlines are met.

Meanwhile, the agency owner might be focused on bringing in new clients, working on long-term strategy, and building relationships with other businesses.

Both roles have overlap in their responsibilities and skills. However, their priorities differ greatly.

If you think too long-term, you’ll never figure out what it takes today to get there. If you think too short-term, you’ll lack the big picture that tells you what you’re working toward.

There’s often the implication that leadership is better than management. The truth is, every organization needs a good balance of both to thrive.

If you’re looking to attract highly engaged leads, interact with your audience, get real-time feedback, and capitalize on exciting guest speakers, then you could benefit from webinar software.

In a blind test run by the team at Business2Community, it was discovered that live webinars got 2.3x the number of registrants than an on-demand video, and had 23% more.

In addition, live attendants were also more attentive as participants viewed an average of 80% of the live webinar content. That type of turnout can aid your business in lead generation and more conversions if they’re immersed in what you have to say.

To better engage with your audience and meet your marketing objectives, you have to choose the best software to host your webinars. In this post, we’ve listed our favorite webinar software platforms. If you’re in a pinch, we’ve divided them by category for easy research.

• Best Webinar Software for Marketers
• Best Webinar Software for Small Businesses
• Best Webinar Tools for Training and Classroom Sessions
• Best Free Webinar Software

Best Webinar Software for Marketers

1. WebinarNinja

Optimizing for the customer journey is crucial and WebinarNinja knows it. The team of WebinarNinja focused Its tool development on making it easy to track and customize according to a prospect’s position in the funnel. We love how this platform:

• Integrates with CRMs like HubSpot so you can easily track your leads.
• It offers a gated landing page option to charge for events, which is an excellent option for hosting online conferences or other high-value content alongside regular webinar programming.
• Provides more targeted, customized tracking with a Facebook Ad tracking pixel on webinar attendees.

2. WorkCast

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As the webinar platform that brands itself as “created for marketers,” WorkCast is simple to use and has many helpful features. Whether you’re offering live or on-demand webinars, creating evergreen content, or a combination of all three, WorkCast has your back with:

• Integrations with all of the most popular CRMs, including HubSpot, so you can track your leads and follow up automatically.
• No downloads or plugins are required to host, attend, or present at webinars.
• The option for simulative webinars uses pre-recorded video combined with a live Q&A session or presentation.
• All of the benefits of viewer engagement, without the stress of organizing a live webinar.

3. LiveWebinar

When you’re looking for a powerful webinar platform, LiveWebinar is one of the most versatile options available on the market today. Whether you’re someone who regularly hosts webinars, a teacher, a recruiter, or anyone else who can make use of an online communication tool, LiveWebinar can be a good option for you.

The platform works right from your browser and is free from plugins or downloads. It works on all major browsers, as well as mobile devices.

LiveWebinar is reliable and has been proven in action time and again. Here are some of the platform’s key features:

• Customize the logo and background, ads banner, and the colors of windows and fonts to create a room that reflects your brand fully.
• Use the whiteboard and screen sharing features to illustrate your ideas, or use features like polls & tests, and breakout rooms to start discussions.
• Integrate the marketing, education, or email tools that you use daily, such as MailChimp, Zapier, Integromat, HeySummit, and plenty more.

4. Demio

Demio is a great webinar platform for both PC and mobile devices with a sleek design and intuitive user interface. It’s an effective live video tool for marketers looking to host live or automated events that can assist in lead and demand generation goals. Our favorite features are:

• Material sharing like slides and videos can be done on the platform while streaming.
• The ability to give attendees permission to use their microphones and webcams for a more interactive experience.
• Poll presentations, handouts, and call to action on the platform to further engage your audience.

Best Webinar Software for Small Businesses

5. WebinarGeek

An easy-to-use platform that provides live, on-demand, and hybrid webinar features. With Its smart marketing features, you’ll be able to attract viewers and convert them to customers within the same platform. Priced reasonably for small businesses, WebinarGeek has several great tools, including;

• No downloads are required for your audience, which makes it easy for non-tech audiences to attend.
• Create your webinar channel to showcase all your on-demand and future webinars in one place.
• Highly rated customer support (9.8/10 on G2) that will help you set up and deliver seamless webinars.

6. Accelevents

Accelevents is a virtual event platform that’s easy to use and truly moves the needle. This platform can help you build and manage online events that engage, make an impact, and drive growth for your small business. Outstanding features include:

• Live streaming that can support over 100,000 attendees.
• Community building opportunities with the ability to enact breakout sessions.
• In-depth analytics reporting on engagement insights and lead reports.

7. WebinarJam

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Marrying a simple interface with comprehensive tools makes WebinarJam an easy favorite for small businesses looking to run live webinars, even on the go. We love Its:

• Customizable templates, such as waiting room graphics and emails, for an on-brand experience.
• Ability to add up to six co-presenters, making it easy to produce a collaborative and high-value presentation. You can even inject pre-recorded video for additional presentation options.
• Automatic recording function, which makes it easy to follow up with registrants who missed the live recording.

Best Webinar Tools for Training and Classroom Sessions

8. ClickMeeting

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ClickMeeting offers webinars and video conferencing in one tool. Schedule meetings or webinars easily, and scale your webinar program with ClickMeeting’s 5000 attendance capacity.

ClickMeeting is particularly useful for running training and classroom-style presentations because of its:

• Customizable waiting rooms with agenda layouts, file delivery, and presenter information.
• Full suite of webinar tools including additional rooms, whiteboards, and polls.
• Ability to join and deliver webinars on the go with the ClickMeeting mobile apps.

9. Loom

Loom is a screen recording software platform that allows users to share webinars, instructional videos, and other presentations to audiences asynchronously. Trusted by over 14 million people, some favorited features include:

• Speakers can record both their screens and webcams for a more intimate experience.
• While asynchronous, recipients can use emoji reactions, time-stamped comments, and interactive features to respond to videos and keep your team connected.
• Easy access to Loom recordings without logins or passwords, recipients can access your recordings with a link.

10. Adobe Connect

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Adobe Connect is ideal for guided training and seminars where you need to “set the stage” for your audience. Its classroom tools enable students to work together effectively. You can also:

• Create breakout sessions, whiteboards, and teaching aids to help you deliver your message effectively.
• Set up multiple “topic chats” to keep discussions on track.
• Read your audience’s digital body language with advanced analytics to help you improve your delivery.

Best Free Webinar Software

11. Zoom

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While many of us may have used Zoom for meetings, it’s also a great choice for webinars.

Because so many people are familiar with Zoom, hosts, and attendees both find it easy to use. Plus, if you’re on a tight budget, you can use Zoom’s video conferencing platform for small, free webinars (up to 100 participants).

Some of the benefits of Zoom include:

• Keeping the focus on the presenter’s video, rather than slides, makes for more human interaction.
• Leveraging virtual backgrounds, studio effects, and background noise suppression.
• Dedicated live event support, including monitoring and moderation.

12. Freeconferencecall.com

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One of the only wholly free webinar platforms, Freeconferencecall.com is still a powerful solution. It’s completely browser-based (which means no downloads for you or your guests), and:

• Offers one-click recording so you never miss out on saving your webinar.
• Has screen- and file-sharing capabilities so you can share your presentation materials effectively.
• Allows you to host up to 1000 guests.

13. Zoho Meeting

Zoho Meeting is a free online meeting platform that allows you to hold online meetings with real-time audio, video, and screen sharing at zero costs. Some features unique to ZoHo include:

• Secure moderator controls like the ability to lock meetings, seamlessly switch presenters and properly hand control of screen presentation options to different collaborators.
• Offers online and dial-in attendance for people with different devices or mediums.
• Co-branding in meeting invites and reminders for attendees to see.

Best Live Webinar Software

14. Zuddl

Zuddl is a live webinar platform like no other. With its software, your audience can feel like they’re walking into a virtual convention with unique widgets, hotspots, buttons, and iFrames to create an experience just like a physical event. Along with these capabilities, other standout features include:

• Zuddl’s inbuilt ticketing and email tools let you create customized registration pages and disburse paid or unpaid event passes through automated emails.
• Android and iOS-based mobile apps that help attendees join the event while being on the move.
• 50+ pre-built 3D themes for more intuitive sessions to better serve the purpose of your webinars.

15. Riverside

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For businesses looking to engage wide audiences in real-time, Riverside is a wonderful resource. This remote platform doesn’t skimp on quality, in fact, it offers users clear and uncompressed audio and supports up to 4K video resolution. What we like most about it is:

• Users can simultaneously stream webinars on other channels like YouTube, LinkedIn, and more.
• Live audience members can chime in or leave feedback during broadcasts.
• You can hold dynamic discussions with up to eight participants.

16. On24

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On24 is the enterprise platform that does it all, as noted in Its positive reviews on G2: “We had a wide variety of needs for a service like this — internal training, external publications, panel forums, expert-led seminars, and more. We felt that ON24 checked every box.”

On24 specializes in live broadcasts and has a host of features designed to increase customer engagement with your video presentations. We love Its:

• Enterprise-level streaming quality. They’re built for big events that need to stream smoothly.
• Engagement analytics that integrate with your business intelligence platforms for better audience segmentation.
• Engagement hub that stores past webinars for an “always-on” experience.

17. BigMarker

BigMarker is the world’s most customizable platform for webinars and virtual events. This browser-based platform is easy to access for audience members, with no downloading needed and has extensive third-party app integrations.

• Engage with up to 10,000 audience members in one webinar.
• No limits to the number of presenters in a discussion.
• Includes the tools you need to promote your content, monetize your webinars, and measure everything to grow your audience

18. Jumbo

Jumbo is a newer webinar software platform that simplifies the live-streaming process. Made to be compatible for PC and mobile devices, it provides a no-fuss webinar service that customers can enjoy with features such as:

• White label formatting to let your brand be the main focus of any webinar.
• Interactive features such as live chat, breakout sessions, polls, trivia, and user profiles help your audience engage deeper with your content.
• Intuitive user interface that is easy to use, even for those who aren’t tech-savvy.

19. GoToWebinar

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A best-in-class option that makes running a live webinar feel positively smooth. Equipped with the greatest hits of live webinar management like engagement tools, automatic recording, and excellent integrations, GoToWebinar goes the final mile by offering:

• 24/7 customer service, which is essential in times of live webinar panic.
• Source tracking to help determine the most effective sign-up strategies.
• Truly excellent analytics that allows you to keep iterating and improving.

20. Webinar.net

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This is an easy-to-use webinar platform that looks good. Webinar.net might be one of the newest platforms on the market, but they’re starting strong with a 4.7 out of 5 stars rating on G2. Its customers love them because:

• They’re browser-based, so there are no downloads required for presenters or attendees.
• You can upload a background template and pick your colors and font so that your webinar matches your company’s branding.
• Broadcasts can be launched in under 60 seconds with Its five-step wizard.

Host Your Webinars in the Best Platform for You

There are so many different webinar platforms available to help you reach your audience. Choosing the right one for your needs depends on your budget and your goals, so we hope you found the one you were looking for with the help of this post.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in April 2021 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

​​Are you an experienced leader looking to brush up on your skills? Or maybe you’re brand new in this space and want to gain the tools to help you succeed.

In this article, you’ll discover the key leadership skills you should leave leadership training with along with the benefits of taking a leadership training course.

Why leadership training is important?

Leadership training is valuable to anyone who currently or aspires to hold a supervisorial role. The qualities needed to succeed in a leadership role don’t just appear once you’ve been assigned the role. In fact, you should be exhibiting these qualities long before you step into it.

This is why taking a leadership training course can be valuable, even if you don’t oversee any direct reports.

For fresh managers, it’s an incredibly valuable resource that will arm them with the tools and strategies needed to motivate and inspire their teams. Leadership training is also a good setting for new leaders to discover leadership styles and determine which one fits best for them.

For experienced leaders, it’s an opportunity to learn new tactics that will help them improve their leadership style. For instance, psychological safety has been prioritized by many companies within the last few years, much more than before.

As such, it’s a big part of many leadership training courses available out there today.

Leaders also have an ethical responsibility to stay on top of their game. How can you expect the best from your team if you don’t also push to be the best version of yourself?

What are the benefits of leadership training?

At this point, you know why leadership training is valuable in a general sense. If you’re wondering what are some key benefits for you specifically, here are a few:

• You’ll have access to new techniques and skills.
• You’ll identify or refine your management style.
• You’ll gain more confidence in your leadership ability.
• You’ll develop a stronger understanding of what makes a successful leader.
• You’ll get ahead of common mistakes made by leaders.

What to Expect from Leadership Training

1. Improving your communication.

One of the first things you should expect to learn in leadership training is how to effectively communicate with your team. Effective communication build trust and rapport while poor communication creates tension and discord.

Communication is fluid – it can take place in many different ways, formats, and styles. This is what makes it such a complex topic that is never fully exhausted.

Leadership training will teach you how to:

• Create an environment that facilitates communication among your team.
• Identify your direct reports’ communication styles and how to respond accordingly.
• Be transparent with your team without divulging too much information.

And that’s just to name a few. As far as communication goes, it’s one aspect of leadership you can always gain new insights on.

2. Identifying or improving your leadership style.

How would you define yourself as a leader? Are you a commander or visionary? Are you a servant or a coach?

Every leader you ask will likely offer a different answer. That’s because there isn’t one approach to leadership. Every style can work in a specific environment with a specific group.

The earlier you identify your leadership style, the earlier you can start to refine it and discover how to build on it for the success of your team.

3. Building psychological safety.

One of the most important aspects of being a successful leader is creating a safe and positive work environment for your team – this is known as psychological safety.

There are four pillars of psychological safety:

• Safe to be yourself
• Safe to learn
• Safe to contribute
• Safe to challenge

A psychologically safe workplace is one where employees can bring their full selves to work, feel welcomed to share ideas, and challenge the status quo.

In addition, research has shown that when an organization welcomes diversity in thought, the company performs better. So, creating this environment is not only key to employee satisfaction but also contributes to the growth of the company.

4. Navigating difficult conversations.

One of the hardest things about being a leader is having tough conversations with your team members. These conversations can be difficult because they often involve conflict or criticism.

However, you can’t exactly avoid them.

Leadership training will give you the resources to navigate these conversations and lead to positive outcomes. A key part of this is by nurturing empathy and emotional intelligence to identify the root of certain issues and address them before they progress.

5. Managing Conflict.

Conflict is a natural part of any working relationship.

However, it is important to learn how to manage conflict effectively in order to maintain a positive and productive work environment. This can look like setting boundaries, mediating disputes, and more.

Leadership training will teach you how to do just that.

To recap, you should leave your leadership training with improved communication skills, better conflict management skills, greater creativity, and enhanced problem-solving abilities.

Even if you’ve taken one before, you’re sure to come out the other side with a fresh outlook on what it means to be a leader.

Conventional wisdom tells us that views, especially three-seconds ones, are a vanity metric. But Facebook tracks them for a good reason.

In 2016, they analyzed their users’ video consumption data and discovered that 45% of people who watch the first three seconds of a video will keep watching it for at least 30 seconds.

Facebook’s study suggests that views are a good indicator of how well your video’s hook performed. But view count, as a metric, also has drawbacks, like not being able to tell you who your audience is or whether your video resonates with them.

That’s why we created this list of video marketing metrics that shed light on the things your boss actually cares about — like how much your audience engages with your video, conversion rates, and how video affects your website’s performance.

Which Metrics are Brands Tracking?

We surveyed over 500 global video marketers to find out what metrics they believe are important in measuring a video’s success. Each respondent could select more than once answer, and in our survey we found the following metrics were mentioned as being important:

• Engagement (60%)
• Conversion rate (56%)
• View count (53%)
• Click-through rate (52%)
• Follower/subscriber growth (52%)
• Average view duration (50%)

1. Engagement

Engagement is one of the most important factors in boosting your video’s organic reach — if a video resonates well with part of your audience, then it’ll likely resonate with the rest of it

Engagement provides marketers with valuable qualitative data too. Comments can show you the emotional effect your video had on your viewers. Do they seem inspired? Or are they angry you covered a controversial topic? This data can help you decide which video topics to focus on in the future.

Social shares can paint a clearer picture of your audience’s brand affinity and loyalty. This metric measures how much your audience values your content and brand. It also builds your brand’s credibility. Since people share content that confirms their ideal self-persona, people who share your video are willing to show their community that they trust and support your brand.

Social sharing is also one of the best forms of word-of-mouth marketing.

2. Conversion Rate

Your video’s conversion rate measures how well your video persuaded viewers to convert into a lead or a customer. You should test whether videos increase or decrease your landing or product pages’ conversion rates. If they do, this means video does a better job of conveying information and evoking excitement in your prospects than text does.

3. View Count

One would think that a view is counted anytime your video is watched on any device, but different platforms have different ways of measuring view counts. For example, YouTube counts a view if the platform confirms the video was played by a human on one device.

This means someone can’t refresh their page multiple times to raise their view count.

On TikTok, however, the moment your video starts to play, it’s counted as a view. No confirmation necessary.

38% video marketers reported their video content averages under 10,000 views, while 16% said their videos average under 1,000 views —according to our survey. We also found 84% average under 100,000 views per video.

4. Click-Through Rate

Click-through rate measures how well your video encourages viewers to take a desired action. If your CTR is low, consider altering the placement of your call-to-action in your video. Audience retention graphs show that most people don’t watch videos all the way through, so you could place your CTA at the beginning or middle of your video. Or you could also make your video more engaging so more viewers reach the CTA at the end of your video.

Leaving your CTA at the end could produce more clicks than moving it to the middle or beginning because viewers who watch your video all the way through are more likely to take action than someone who just clicked play.

5. Follower/Subscriber Growth

Follower/subscriber growth can be an excellent measure of a video’s performance because it shows that your video is reaching new audiences and attracting people to your brand. You can also see what kind of audience your video attracts, which can help you create a buyer persona and create more quality content that is tailored to your audience.

6. Average view duration

Average view duration is the total watch time of your video divided by the total number of video plays, including replays. It measures how long your viewers watch your video, on average. Average view duration is a powerful metric because it reveals your audience’s video length preference. For instance, if your 45 second videos keep getting a 30 second average view duration, you might want to cut those videos down by 15 seconds.

Benchmarks for Video Marketing

Different kinds of videos have different benchmarks. Here are a few video types and the benchmarks we found associated with them:

Short-Form Videos

Short-form videos lead in usage by 58% and have the highest ROI, lead generation, and engagement, according to our survey. With the rise of short-form video tools and platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok, it’s not surprising short-form videos will be leveraged for the first time more than any format in 2022.

83% of marketers say the optimal length of a short-form marketing video is under 60 seconds. Our survey also shows 41% of short-form marketing videos have an average watch percentage between 61-80%, and almost half of short-form marketing videos have a CTR between 5-8%.

Long-form Videos

A long-form video is any video longer than three minutes. These videos rank second in terms of usage, ROI, lead generation, and engagement. Long-form videos will also be leveraged significantly by marketers for the first time in 2022 and are expected to see an increase in investment.

We found the optimal length for a long-form marketing video is three to six minutes. Our survey also showed 38% of long-form marketing videos have an average watch percentage between 41-60%, and 57% of long-form marketing videos have a CTR between 5-8%.

Live Video and Live Streams

35% of marketers plan to leverage live videos/live streams for the first time in 2022, and the optimal length of a live video/live stream is between four and nine minutes, according to 51% of video marketers. We also found 39% of live videos/live streams have an average watch percentage of 41-60%.

As video-sharing platforms see a surge in popularity, video marketing is only going to become more important to your brand’s success. Now that you know the metrics that most marketers — including your competitors — are measuring, you’ll be able to make sound decisions for your next video-marketing campaign.

As a direct response copywriter, I specialize in making readers take a specific action. I write a variety of copy, including articles, landing pages, sales emails, and job descriptions.

This article will walk you through an approach to job descriptions that allowed me to double my conversion rate of visitors-to-applications in less than a year. You’ll learn the strategies and best practices I used to grip candidates, exciting them enough to take action.

What is a job description?

A job description is a document written by an employer that lists the tasks and responsibilities of a specific role along with the skills and experience needed to qualify for the position.  

1. Study your target candidate.

Many studies show that people buy on emotion first, and then rationalize their purchases using logic.

Applying for a job, in that sense, is a lot like making a purchase. Pressing the “Apply Now” button is an emotionally charged decision.

When writing your job ad, tap into those emotions by learning everything you can about your target candidate (i.e., the person you want to be interviewing). What are their professional goals and values? What makes them happy?

Example

Create a target candidate persona or a composite of your ideal employee. (Download these buyer persona templates to get started.)

Use the information you find to make potent promises that your target candidate wants to hear and, more importantly, you know you can keep.

Are you hiring for a role in content marketing? Consider aspects of your existing marketing team that you want to see reflected in your new hire.

• What are your current employees’ career goals?
• What do they enjoy most about the company?
• Which areas of expertise do they lack that your candidate can provide?

These are all valuable pieces of information that can help you craft a corresponding job description and ensure your potential candidates would be a fit at your organization – both culturally and professionally.

2. Optimize the job title with keywords.

Every day, the job hunt leads millions of people to search millions of keywords. This makes SEO very important to the recruitment process, especially when writing job ads.

In your quest to be unique and desired, don’t make up a new, creative name for an established role. In other words, don’t call your open content marketing position an “Attention Ninja” or “Audience Crafter.”

Example

For a role in content marketing, title your job exactly what you’re looking for, such as content marketing manager. If you’re in the B2B space with clients all over the world, for instance, add a few more adjectives: “Global B2B Content Marketing Coordinator.”

Keep in mind that the experience level of your ideal candidate can change the words they use when looking for jobs online.

If you’re hiring for a mid-level content marketer, for example, consider words like “strategist,” “specialist,” or even “manager.” Is the content you produce part of a much larger digital marketing operation? If so, include that in the title.

Post the position under a recognizable, keyword-friendly title, as that’s what candidates will be searching for.

3. Start with a company summary.

Open your job ad’s main text copy with a “Company Summary” paragraph. But don’t simply paste your business’s “About Us” boilerplate description into your job listing.

Your “Company Summary” should help to put the job for which you’re hiring into context for the applicant.

If your company sells security software, for example, it won’t be enough to simply state your company name, when you were founded, the types of software packages you offer, and where you’re located.

Your applicants will want company details specific to the team they’d be joining.

Here’s an example of a company summary for a made-up software development company looking for a content marketing specialist to join its team.

Example

Security Software Co. is a Boston-based software developer that puts today’s most pressing ecommerce security challenges at the heart of its brand. We turn the best cybersecurity technology into trusted solutions for the small online business, and after a decade serving more than 70 clients, we need someone to help us tell the stories that matter most to our customers.

If you summarize your company in a way that resonates with your ideal candidate, you’ll set yourself up to dive right into the job description itself.

However, keep in mind that this doesn’t stop at the second paragraph following the company summary above. Describe your open position using subheads, or sections, in this order:

1. Benefits
2. Requirements
3. Responsibilities

4. Concisely describe the job’s benefits.

Every ad must start with a concise description, or overview, of the role. It should be snappy and compelling – just be sure to complement that with the big-picture benefits as well.

General Electric did a nice job describing the benefits of their roles in the commercial below, as part of an amusing series to help the company shift its brand. Listen to how the person in the blue sweater describes their new position:

People inherently want to be part of something bigger than themselves. Appeal to that desire by helping candidates envision the impact of their work.

If you’re hiring a software developer, explain how their work will impact your customers. Will it help them beat traffic? Will it help them communicate better with their family? Will it help them get clean drinking water every day? Be specific. The more specific you are, the more compelling your message will be.

Here’s how our fictional organization, Security Software Co., might describe the benefits of working as their newest content marketing specialist:

Example

As the Content Marketing Specialist for Security Software Co., you’ll create articles, infographics, and eBooks that build an engaged audience. Your goal will be to drive thousands of people to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn. Your success will expand Security Software’s global reach – helping millions of parents protect their children from online predators – while simultaneously developing your personal brand as a foremost expert in our space.

5. Summarize the benefits package.

Now that you have the candidate’s attention, draw them deeper into the ad with a section dedicated to the other benefits: your company’s benefits package.

According to a 2021 Indeed report, 83% of employers say their companies have become more transparent about compensation and perks in their job descriptions.

Instead of simply listing your perks, use examples to help candidates envision the benefit.

Example

At Security Software, we ask a lot of our employees, which is why we give so much in return. In addition to your competitive salary, medical/dental/vision plan, and matching 401(k), we’ll shower you with perks, including:

• Dress: Wear anything you like to the office – and be as comfortable at work as you are in your own living room.
• Flexibility: Two days a week, feel free to skip the commute and hit your deadlines from home.
• Food: Save hundreds of dollars on food each year by using our well-stocked, healthy kitchen.
• Wellness: Stretch away the stress every morning in our in-house yoga studio.

6. Keep the job’s requirements clear and realistic.

This section will be your ad’s most sterile, so don’t close with it. Stick it in the middle, sandwiched between two sections that highlight promise and opportunity.

Keep your list of requirements only as long as it needs to be. You don’t want to scare great candidates away with trivial prerequisites. You also don’t want to engage and inspire unqualified people with a shortlist.

Example

To be considered for this role, here are the skills we’re looking for:

• At least 3 years in a similar role with comparable goals and responsibilities (security and/or software background, preferred)
• Bachelor’s degree in English, Marketing, Communications preferred
• You must be an excellent writer, someone who understands how to frame a message in a clear, concise, and compelling way. You must also understand the mechanics of an efficient, effective marketing automation campaign.
• This is an autonomous position, so you should be self-sufficient and self-motivated. It’s also a creative role, so you must be able to gracefully receive criticism and feedback about your work.
• At least 3 years in a similar role with comparable goals and responsibilities (security and/or software background, preferred)
• Bachelor’s degree in English, Marketing, or Communications preferred
• You must be an excellent writer, someone who understands how to frame a message in a clear, concise, and compelling way. You must also understand the mechanics of an efficient, effective marketing automation campaign.
• This is an autonomous position, so you should be self-sufficient and self-motivated. It’s also a creative role, so you must be able to gracefully receive criticism and feedback about your work.

7. Use strong verbs to describe the job’s responsibilities.

Responsibilities are the job but they can also generate excitement and promise in a passionate candidate.

Begin each bullet point of your job responsibilities with a unique, yet, fitting verb. For example, the role doesn’t “manage” people, it “shapes” them. The role doesn’t “oversee” projects, it “enables” their success. See the difference?

One word can offer a fresh perspective, altering the reader’s frame of mind.

Example

As Security Software’s sole Content Marketer, you’ll meet the initiative’s strategic needs on your own, experimenting, learning, and adjusting as you go. Throughout your journey to grow our brand’s audience and reach, you’ll be responsible for:

• Sculpting informative, entertaining, digestible articles that audiences can’t stop reading.
• Designing beautiful, rich infographics that are as engaging as they are shareable.
• Publishing easy-to-skim, value-driven eBooks for download in exchange for business-email addresses.
• Crafting persuasive, laser-focused landing pages that compel your target audience to take one valuable action.
• Purchasing targeted ad spend on well-performing social media platforms.
• Pulling prospects through each stage of our marketing funnel, gradually warming them up for a productive conversation with sales.

8. Remove bias from your ad.

Believe it or not, your job description can show bias and alienate great candidates. How? Through the use of jargon, gendered language, culturally-specific expressions, and insider language.

For instance, terms like “aggressive,” “guru,” “fearless,” and “killer instinct” may seem harmless but they carry a masculine bias and can affect your candidate pool. Using Americanisms like “up your alley” can also confuse applicants whose native language isn’t English.

The Indeed report also found that 30% of employers surveyed have prioritized inclusive job descriptions. You can do so by leveraging tools like Textio that analyze your job description and make recommendations to help you craft a bias-free listing.

The Final Product

Here’s what our example job ad for Security Software Co. looks like when stitched together:

Content Marketing Specialist

Security Software Co. is a Boston-based software developer that puts today’s most pressing ecommerce security challenges at the heart of its brand. We turn the best cybersecurity technology into trusted solutions for the small online business, and after a decade of serving more than 70 clients, we need someone to help us tell the stories that matter most to our customers.

OVERVIEW:

As the Content Marketing Specialist for Security Software Co., you’ll create articles, infographics, and eBooks that build an engaged audience. Your goal will be to drive thousands of people to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn. Your success will expand Security Software’s global reach – helping millions of parents protect their children from online predators – while simultaneously developing your personal brand as a foremost expert in our space.

BENEFITS:

At Security Software, we ask a lot of our employees, which is why we give so much in return. In addition to your competitive salary, medical/dental/vision plan, and matching 401(k), we’ll shower you with perks, including:

• Dress: Wear anything you like to the office – and be as comfortable at work as you are in your own living room.
• Flexibility: Two days a week, feel free to skip the commute and hit your deadlines from home.
• Food: Save hundreds of dollars on food each year thanks to our well-stocked, healthy kitchen.
• Location: On the days you are in the office, get here quickly thanks to our highly accessible central location.
• Wellness: Stretch away the stress every morning in our in-house yoga studio.

REQUIREMENTS:

To be considered for this role, here are the skills we’re looking for:

RESPONSIBILITIES:

As Security Software’s sole Content Marketer, you’ll meet the initiative’s strategic needs on your own, experimenting, learning, and adjusting as you go. Along your journey to grow our brand’s audience and reach, you’ll be responsible for:

• Sculpting informative, entertaining, digestible articles that audiences can’t stop reading.
• Designing beautiful, rich infographics that are as engaging as they are shareable.
• Publishing easy-to-skim, value-driven eBooks for download in exchange for business-email addresses.
• Crafting persuasive, laser-focused landing pages that compel your target audience to take one valuable action.
• Purchasing targeted ad spend on well-performing social media platforms.
• Pulling prospects through each stage of our marketing funnel, gradually warming them up for a productive conversation with sales.

APPLY NOW

This ad, for all intents and purposes, is a generic example. It’s designed to illustrate, at a high level, the techniques that make candidates feel something when they read a job ad.

Nonetheless, it’s important to first use your knowledge of the role for which you’re hiring to create an accurate ad – one that reflects your company’s culture and specific needs.

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

Whether it’s writing a blog post, designing an infographic, or creating an ebook, starting a new piece of content from scratch can be a challenge, especially if you’ve never done it before. Luckily, content marketing templates can make things easier. These templates can help with design and inspire you as you develop various processes to reach potential and existing customers.

Instead of trying to master how to create every type of content in existence, cut down on the stress and inefficiency. Get inspired by our collection of free, customizable content creation templates. Below is a list of each type of content marketing template represented.

• Content Marketing Plan Templates
• Website Content Templates
• Content Writing Templates
• Design Content Templates
• Social Media Content Templates
• Email Content Templates
• Video Content Templates

Content Marketing Plan Templates

Content marketing involves delivering valuable information to your target audience. Templates make creating consistent content easier and provide a visually appealing package for the relevant information you’re providing to customers.

Below, you’ll find several helpful templates to jumpstart your content marketing strategy.

1. Content Marketing Planning Template

Download the content mapping template here.

You’re aware that you need a content marketing strategy in place to support the success of your inbound marketing and sales organizations. But how do you get started? We’ve created a content mapping template so you can create targeted content for each stage of your target audience’s buyer’s journey.

This template helps you identify buyer personas, outline their challenges and needs, and brainstorm content that provides solutions. You’ll have plenty of targeted blog post ideas to attract your audience to your site and convert them into leads.

2. Buyer Persona Template

Download the buyer persona content template here.

Marketing to specific buyer personas results in more effective marketing decisions. This buyer persona template will help you easily organize your research to create your very own buyer personas. Use it to create beautiful, well-formatted buyer personas you can share with your entire company, while learning best practices for personal research along the way.

3. Blog Editorial Calendar Templates

Download the blog editorial calendar templates here.

Having an editorial calendar for your marketing content will save you a whole lot of time — not to mention sanity — as you plan your content release timeline. We realize there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, so we’ve created three editorial calendar templates to use at your leisure: one for Google Calendar, one for Excel, and one for Google Sheets. (Read this blog post for a step-by-step guide for using the Google Calendar template.)

Website Content Templates

Selecting the right template sets the foundation for intriguing designs and functionality. This enticing duo can lead to more newsletter subscribers and first-time visitors purchasing from your website.

4. On-Page SEO Template

Download the on-page SEO template here.

The more content you publish to your website, the more traffic sources you’ll want to prioritize. One of those sources is organic traffic. To make on-page SEO easier, we’ve rolled out a handy website content planning template to help you create a website structure. It organizes each webpage and its purpose, and helps you outline how long it should be and how to optimize the metadata associated with each new page you publish. These on-page SEO templates will make your site more appealing to Google and help you rank better.

5. Website Optimization Checklist Template

Download the website optimization checklist here.

A properly optimized website results in better search engine rankings and an improved user experience. This checklist focuses on website optimization, SEO, site performance, mobile optimization, and security. This, paired with a website content writing template, makes sites more likely to reach (and keep) ideal customers.

6. Search Insights Report Template

Download the search insights report template here.

Keyword research helps you determine how meaningful your content is to your audience. With this search insight report template, you can track how effective your SEO strategy is over time and measure the effectiveness of your writing.

Content Writing Templates

Here’s the thing with blogging: There isn’t one, easy template you can fill in to produce a quality content offering. You need to spend some time researching, brainstorming a title, outlining core content, and so on. Use the following templates to help you along the way.

7. Blog Post Templates

Download the blog post templates here.

Our content writing templates will walk you through the critical steps for creating the following six blog post types:

• How-To Post
• List-Based Post
• Pillar Post
• Infographic Post
• Newsjacking Post
• “What is?” Post

We’ve seen these formats crush it on our blogs, and we know you can use them to hit your own goals.

8. Ebook Templates

Download the ebook templates here.

Year after year, marketers cite lead generation as one of their top content marketing goals for the year. To succeed at lead gen, you need content offers — like ebooks — to help you get there. Our internal creative design team went to work building a kit of beautiful ebook templates — for use in either InDesign, PowerPoint, or Google Slides — for you to download, customize, and publish.

9. Free Memo Templates

Download the memo templates here.

Memos are essential content for effective internal communication. While they might not be customer-facing, they can ensure better, more aligned content is created by everybody on your team.

10. Call-to-Action Templates

Download the call-to-action templates here.

To help you design clickable calls-to-action (CTAs), we’ve built 28 pre-designed CTAs for you. These CTAs are super easy to customize, so you don’t need to know any fancy design programs — just PowerPoint or Google Slides.

Bonus: There’s also a handy free tool in there that lets you track your CTA clicks in real-time so you can see the exact number of clicks that your designs are reeling in.

11. A Press Release Template

Download the press release template here.

Press releases can be effective when used correctly. Our press release template considers this and provides an inbound-optimized version. This means the template can help you script press releases and do so in a format optimized for sharing on your company blog. You can easily adapt and customize as needed for your PR needs.

Design Content Templates

Searching for design ideas can be as easy as making a note of what’s eye-catching while scrolling online. Many creators upload their themes, swatches, mood boards, and more to display their creativity, helping inspire various designs. The flexibility of templates, such as Pinterest templates for business, can also attract consumers toward your brand by posting content as informative as it is visual.

12. Pinterest Templates for Business

Download the Pinterest templates here.

With millions of monthly active users, Pinterest continues to bring businesses tremendous value. Whether you’re bringing leads to your website, sharing infographic content, or promoting a blog post, Pinterest is a great platform to leverage for content marketing. Download these 12 Pinterest business templates you can tailor to your product or service offering.

13. 150+ Content Creation Templates

Download the content creation templates here.

Not a designer? Not a problem. We created over 150 visual marketing templates that are easy to use, work for any industry (finance, dentistry, agriculture, law — we’ve got ’em all), and are completely free. Some of the templates in this list are already included in this bundle. The templates include:

• Infographics templates
• Facebook ad templates
• Facebook post templates
• Twitter post templates
• Email header templates
• Blog title templates
• Facebook cover photo templates
• Twitter header templates
• LinkedIn cover photos templates

14. Infographic Templates

Download the infographic templates here.

Skip the frustrations and start creating the graphics right away. We’ve created several pre-designed infographic templates that you can customize in PowerPoint or Adobe Illustrator. Within each template, you’ll get guides to teach you how to use the templates effectively.

Social Media Content Templates

Every day, your potential customers actively and passively consume so much content. Exploring ways to quickly capture their attention can be fun and profitable. It’s all about packaging content in a way that feels innovative yet purposeful in its delivery. Check out the following social media templates to help you do just that.

15. 50 Social Media Graphics Templates

Download the social media graphics templates here.

People remember visual information 6x more than written or audio. But we know well enough that creating visual content takes more time and resources — which is why we’ve created these 50 customizable templates for you. These templates are in Google Slides, so they’re very easy to edit — no Photoshop skills required. Simply customize the text on an image, save it, and post it to social media. These social media templates will help you give variety to your content.

16. 11 Facebook Cover Photo Templates for Businesses

Download the Facebook cover photo templates here.

With how frequently businesses change and improve their Facebook pages today, you must have new material in the pipeline. Double down on your Facebook designs with these 11 templates dedicated to your Facebook cover photo. Get these designs by clicking on the link or image above.

17. Social Media Content Calendar Template

Download the social media content calendar templates here.

With so many different social networks to manage, a social media manager’s life becomes a lot easier when they can plan which content to share on each account — and when. This easy-to-use social media content calendar for Microsoft Excel lets you organize your social media activities far in advance. Use it to plan your updates and learn how to properly format your content for the four most popular social networks used for business: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

Email Content Templates

Communication with potential and current customers is how relationships remain valuable. Creating “one-size-fits-all” messages come across as inauthentic and lead to people unsubscribing to newsletters or not reading the emails from your company. Download the templates below to ensure you’re delivering timely, actionable messages to your subscriber base.

18. 15 Email Templates for Marketing and Sales

Download the email templates for marketing and sales here.

If you’re like most marketers, you probably spend way more time than you’d like to admit reading and responding to emails. There are many ways you can streamline your inbox to save time, but you ultimately will still have to create and send emails. That’s where these content templates come in. We’ve written the copy for 15 email templates that marketers and sales representatives are likely to send repeatedly to save you time and get you results.

19. Email Marketing Planning Template

Download the email marketing planning template here.

Set goals for your email marketing planning with this free template. Available via Excel and Google Sheets, this template can help your marketing team plan an effective email marketing campaign with only half the work.

Video Content Templates

Creating videos that tell compelling stories can offer fresh perspectives about products or services. Setting up the lights and camera demonstrates why consumers should purchase from your company and can reach people all across the world in a matter of seconds.

20. 18 YouTube Templates for Business

Download the YouTube templates for Business here.

Depending on your role as a content creator, you may also be responsible for video content. A striking thumbnail and banner are a couple of the factors viewers rely on to determine what videos to watch. However, you don’t need to spend hours creating the perfect channel art for each video. These YouTube video content templates make this task simple so you can focus on more important things, like filming, editing, and promoting your videos.

Content Marketing Made Simple

Content marketers are expert storytellers, but designing visual guides and tinkering with Excel spreadsheets may not be your favorite part of the job. With hundreds of templates included in this blog post, you can spend more of your precious time doing the work you love.

So, there you have it, content marketers: hundreds of templates to help you start creating content easily and quickly and further your inbound success.

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

Experiential marketing involves inviting your audience to interact with your brand in a real-world situation.

These experiences are often hands-on, exciting opportunities that help businesses engage with attendees in a way that is different from interactions they may have online.

Read on to discover new data about how businesses are investing in experiential marketing and how you can leverage the strategy in your processes.

Will brands invest in experiential marketing?

HubSpot Blog’s Marketing Industry Trends Report surveyed 1,000+ global B2B and B2C marketing professionals and asked them about the marketing trends they currently leverage.

29% of marketers say they use experiential marketing in their roles, and of those who use it, 51% say it is the second most effective trend they leverage. 83% of marketers also plan to continue investing the same amount or increasing their experiential marketing investments in 2022.

So, yes, brands will continue to and increase their investments in experiential marketing. Let’s discuss why.

Why are brands investing in experiential marketing?

Real-life experiences help foster a sense of connection that brands cannot mimic digitally. Esther Sauri, a marketer at Linkilaw Solicitors, told Business News Daily that experiential marketing is effective because humans are emotional beings: “When a brand connects with us in an emotional way, we not only buy it, [but we become] loyal customers.”

Marketers also say that continued investments in experiences are due to consumers’ desire for connection and community with their favorite brands after a few years of digital-only options. Brett Hyman, founder and president of NVE Experience Agency, told BizBash that, while production and safety remain key, “2022 will be about creating the best in-person experiences that focus on a return on their time…it’s important we prioritize experiences as a way to foster the human need for connection.”

Health and safety measures still remain critical for brand activations and experiential marketing experiences, though, so Cara Kleinhaut from AGENC told BizBash that leaning into outdoor environments is a best practice: “Giving consumers an exciting and visually stimulating space to explore, especially one with great air ventilation and where we can time and regulate the throughput, is very attractive to consumers right now in my view.”

Affordable Experiential Marketing Examples

1. Harry Styles – Harry’s House

Musician Harry Styles released an album, Harry’s House, in May of 2022, and promoting it involved launching pop-ups in cities across the world.

People could visit the pop-up and buy merchandise, but the main attraction was a life-size version of the album cover that people could take pictures in as if they existed within Harry’s House. The image below features his album cover on the left and a fan recreation on the right.

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It was an affordable way to develop a connection with audiences who felt like they were part of his world by creating their version of the album cover. It also generated free marketing for the album, as people were encouraged to share images of their experience at the pop-up online.

2. DoorDash – Dash Course

Delivery service DoorDash created an experiential experience to draw attention to the hard work its delivery drivers do daily to seamlessly deliver food. The experience featured food-themed inflatable obstacle courses where the brand challenged people to leap over hot dogs or dive through the center of a donut.

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The inflatables were set up in a public space on college campuses, generating brand awareness from people simply walking by, a free form of marketing.

3. IKEA Sleepover

It was a cost-effective experiential marketing event for the business as it simply used its existing products, like beds, pillows, and bedding, to help sleepover attendees build their own sleepover setup.

A Facebook group called “I wanna have a sleepover in IKEA” inspired the business to take action on this request by randomly selecting 100 members from the group and inviting them to a sleepover.

Image Source

The sleepover was a hands-on, interactive experience that inspired a new form of connection with attendees, and it essentially offered people a free trial of its products. It was also cost-effective marketing, as it simply used its existing products, like beds, pillows, and bedding, to help sleepover attendees build their own sleepover setup.

It was also a cost-effective way to connect with audiences as it simply used the products it already offered, like beds, pillows, and bedding.

Experiential Marketing Helps You Form Emotional Connections

If you’re hoping to deepen the relationships you have with your target audience, events, experiences, and interactions help you establish emotional connections that are much deeper than what can come from sending an email or a targeted Instagram ad.

How often you post on Instagram can affect your success on the app. Post too much and you oversaturate your audience, post too little and you can stand to lose followers (Marketers say that this is the number one reason they lose followers).

Given that your audiences want to hear from you on the platform, creating a posting schedule that meets this desire is important. Read on to learn how often your business should be posting on Instagram.

How Often Should A Business Post On Instagram

During Instagram’s 2021 Creator Weekend, Adam Mossieri (Head of Instagram) was asked about the ideal number of posts for businesses to make to succeed on the app. He said there was no set formula, but an ideal strategy is to share a couple of in-feed posts per week and a couple of stories per day.

A recent HubSpot Blog Survey asked the same question, and here are the responses collected from 500+ global B2B and B2C Instagram marketers.

Overall, 80% of marketers post to their feeds in their roles. When they do post,

• 45% post multiple times per week,
• 23% post multiple times per day,
• 23% post once per day.

The survey also asked marketers how often they post Stories, and 43% post stories multiple times per week, 23% post multiple times a day, and 23% post daily. Marketers also say the ideal number of Stories to have up at once is 4 – 9.

How To Know the Best Posting Frequency for Instagram

Coming up with the best posting frequency for your brand or business to post on Instagram involves leveraging the insights found above and experimenting, as your followers will let you know what works.

For example, if engagement tends to drop off after a certain number of posts per week, your followers are saying that you might be posting too much.

You also need to be mindful of when your followers are most active and the time zones they’re in. If you post when your most engaged audience is asleep, it doesn’t matter if you post ten times per week because they won’t be online and ready to engage when you’re trying to reach them.

Experiment with a posting schedule and use your insights and analytics to see what works and what doesn’t. Once you’ve figured out the perfect number of posts, you can stick to it week by week by scheduling your content.

Over To You

You never want to miss an opportunity to reach your audience. Aim to maintain a presence on the app that helps them learn from your business and remain excited to see what you’ll share with them next.

“Why do you want to work here?”

It’s a question almost every job candidate can expect in the interview process, and for good reason: your answer will help the hiring manager decide if you’re genuinely interested in the role, or if it’s just another one on your list.

While the question is relatively straightforward, it can be tricky to maneuver. Here, we’ll cover strategies to handle the question and offer five example responses for you to reference.

1. Give a well-rounded answer.

Saying the job looks interesting — or the company is great — isn’t enough. In other words, if you can answer this question in four to five words, you probably need to go back to the drawing board. Remember, the interviewer is looking for a substantive answer that can help them gauge your interest and decipher if you’re a good fit.

2. Do your homework.

Arguably the most important step is researching the organization ahead of your interview. A good place to start is their website. Go beyond the home page to learn more about the company’s mission, goals, and culture. Take note of what stands out to you.

Social media can also offer a glimpse into an organization, its initiatives, and its culture. Go a step further and look up any recent press releases or articles about the company to be in the know on its latest developments.

3. Consider your own values.

When trying to prove you’re a good fit for an organization, remember it’s equally important for an organization to be a good fit for you. This is why it’s essential to define your values, then identify organizations that share similar ones.

If you’re unsure about your core values, ask yourself the following questions:

• What kind of culture do I thrive in?
• How can an organization make me feel supported?
• What motivates me?
• What are my personal and professional goals?

4. Study the job description.

Chances are, you skimmed through the job description before applying. Now it’s time to give it a second glance. What initially sparked your interest in the role? What are the core qualifications? How can this role help you achieve your career goals? Your responses will guide you through the next point.

5. Choose your reasons carefully.

If you’re focusing on candidate-centric things — work-life balance, benefits, compensation, a faster commute — you’re thinking about this question wrong.

Your interests should lie at the intersection of company needs, responsibilities of the role, and candidate competencies. For example, if you’re interviewing for a podcasting position, here’s how you might break down the answer to this question:

Company Needs: We need to partner with heavy-hitters in our industry.

Responsibilities of the Role: Source talent, brainstorm episode topics, prep guests, and edit episodes.

Candidate Competencies: Skilled with Audition, finger on the pulse of the industry, and deadline-oriented.

Personal Motivation: I want to work with high-profile people and make some good connections.

So, what’s the intersection of company needs, role responsibilities, candidate competencies, and personal motivation? You might talk about how you’ve learned a lot over the years by interacting with, reading, or listening to the experts in your industry. You’ve seen firsthand the impact exposure to them can have on a company and an individual.

Not only does an answer like that relate to the needs of the role and the company, but it ties in your abilities and shows that you’re personally motivated by the mission.

5 of the Best Answers to “Why Do You Want to Work Here?”

1. Speak to Your Skillset

“I recently read an article about your company’s expansion into international markets. Having worked in global sales for the past eight years, this is an opportunity for me to make a positive impact for a company I admire.”

Why It Works

This answer makes a convincing case that you have the necessary skills and experience to exceed in this role. You also demonstrate that your skills fit the company’s goals for the future.

2. Speak to the Culture

“Something I feel is harming the I.T. industry is this so-called “grind culture.” While it’s necessary to work hard, you can quickly burn out. I respect how one of your core values is maintaining the mental health of your employees. I admire this approach and, combined with my excellent work ethic, I’m confident we can produce great results.”

Why It Works

“Company culture” is a bit of a buzzword these days. It can apply to anything from ping-pong tables to free snacks. But in a broader sense, it should reflect a company’s values and priorities. This example calls out a specific issue and how the company addresses it. In doing so, it shows genuine interest in working for a company that cares about its people.

3. Speak to the Company’s Mission

“This might sound a little cliche, but I like working in customer service because I enjoy solving for the customer. I’ve always been impressed by Company XYZ’s excellent track record of doing just that. You’re a mission-driven organization with a focus on making people’s lives easier. My passion for customer service stems from a similar mindset.”

Why It Works

This example works because it shows you’ve done your homework on the organization. It also relates your professional approach to customer service to drive home that you’re a great fit.

4. Speak to Your Core Values

“I first heard about Company XYZ last year when I came across your Clean the Seas campaign. Conservation is important to me, and I respect your initiatives in this area. I think it would be incredible to work at a place where I can apply my marketing skills to a cause close to my heart.”

Why It Works

This example aligns your values with those of the company. It highlights your admiration for their environmental work while communicating your passion for the same mission.

5. Speak to Your Product Expertise

“As a fan of your products, I’m always impressed with your developments in this space. In my work, I’m constantly looking for new solutions, so I’m excited by the opportunity to join a team as passionate about innovation as I am.”

Why It Works

This answer shows that you’ve not only researched the company, but you have firsthand experience with their products. It also underlines your interest in product development and innovation.

Back To You

“Why do you want to work here?” It’s a great question to help hiring managers to gauge your level of interest — and provides an opportunity for you to share what really matters to you. If you come prepared, you should have no problem nailing your answer.