Understanding the psychology of colors in business is essential to the success of any design project. Brands can benefit from solid color schemes by attracting attention and creating brand recognition. As a designer, you must understand how to use colors to represent your brand and product best.

What is Color Psychology?

Color psychology is the theory that colors can affect human behavior and emotions. It holds the idea that colors can elicit physical and emotional reactions, influencing how people act. For example, red can stimulate people’s appetites and blue can make people feel at ease.

As the theory suggests its impact on behavior, color can also be used in business to elicit different emotions and associations. Some brands choose colors in their logos and marketing materials to appeal to their target market. Other companies use contrasting colors to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

Tips on How to Use Psychology of Colors in Business

Colors determine your customer’s first impression of your brand. The right colors can make your brand look trustworthy, honest and relatable. Choosing colors that fit your brand can help you turn prospects into loyal customers. Here are some ways you can use the psychology of colors in business and influence people with color association:

Research Your Target Audience

Individually, people attach meaning to colors based on their gender and history. On a broader scale, nationalities perceive colors based on their culture and belief systems. This difference is vital to creating a successful marketing campaign and branding.

Western cultures associate white with elegance, peace and purity. On the other hand, Eastern cultures typically use white as a symbol of mourning. While there may be some overlap between the two cultures, it’s always a good idea to research what ideas are associated with the colors you plan to use.

In the 1950s, Pepsi saw a significant drop in sales when it tried to refresh its branding in South East Asia. The beverage company installed light blue vending machines in the region, unaware that the color symbolized death and mourning. It’s a cautionary tale of how doing a little research can save a company from failed marketing strategies.

Think About Colors and Their Meanings

People from different backgrounds see things differently so it may be nearly impossible to create a universal cheat sheet for all the colors and what they are associated with. However, learning the basics of color psychology — colors and the typical ideas they’re associated with — will give you a head-start in creating an effective color scheme for your business.

Here are some come of the most common emotions and ideas associated with colors:

• Yellow: happiness, optimism, warmth, fear, warning, caution
• Blue: calm, peacefulness, trust, coldness, unfriendliness, emotionlessness
• Red: love, passion, excitement, power, anger, danger, warning
• Green: health, nature, growth, envy, blandness, boredom
• Purple: wisdom, wealth, luxury, excess, decadence, moodiness
• Orange: confidence, energy, friendliness, warmth, immaturity, ignorance
• Black: power, sophistication, elegance, evil, mourning, mystery
• White: cleanliness, purity, innocence, sterile, empty, plainness

Attaching emotions to colors can be an excellent way to stimulate your audience’s mind and influence them to relate to your brand or purchase your product. Remember to make people feel understood by using colors they can identify with.

Start Strong With Emotions

Knowing the emotions and ideas associated with colors is one thing. Using them in your business is another. Start your branding process by designing materials that elicit strong emotions to stimulate your audiences.

Set the mood with colors that are relevant to your business and brand. Pique your customers’ curiosity and tell a story using colors. You can persuade people to patronize your business by making them feel emotions they can understand and relate to.

Copywriting uses text to convey messages, illustrate ideas and tell stories to convince people. You can use design and colors to do the same visually. Use colors to set the mood correctly and get your desired response.

Be Consistent With Your Color Schemes

Experimenting with hues, tints and shades can help you grab your audience’s attention. It’s an excellent way to create a color scheme that fits your business and resonates with your intended audience.

After you’ve found the palette that works best for you, stick with it. People like familiarity and will associate better with brands they know. Research has shown that 78% of consumers can recognize a company by looking at its colors.

Keeping your design colors consistent will help you improve your brand recognition. Knowing when to experiment and when to stick to your brand colors can determine your design’s success.

Test Your Colors on Your Audience

Testing will help you see which colors work best for your brand. Try testing different color schemes and see how your audience reacts and engages with your choices. Doing this will help you see precisely the effect of your color schemes.

Surveys can also be beneficial if you want to understand your target audience better. You’ll get a good grasp of what they think about your brand, product or service by directly asking them for feedback.

Experiment with colors and match them to their uses. Study the data and use different colors for your buttons, banners and other promotional material. Consider your user’s journey and preferences as a test for future design decisions. 

Choose a Color That Sets You Apart

Businesses sometimes choose colors based on their industry. Food companies typically use yellow, green and red since those are naturally occurring pigments in food. Since their business depends on people’s appetites, they choose colors likelier to make people hungry and associate their brand with delicious and filling products.

You can go the other way around and use unique colors to make your business stand out. Choose a unique color scheme that stands for your brand’s values. Special colors can increase a brand’s recognition by 80% and leave a lasting impression on consumers. The right color will make your brand more visible in a market saturated with the same colors.

Stick to Colors That Best Suit Your Brand

Picking a color appropriate for your product will help you leverage colors. While being unique has advantages, remember that specific colors have their intended uses and limitations. Your color choices will reflect your brand and impact how people perceive your business.

Imagine asking your customers to trust a product with a color that goes against its standard function, like a black safety vest or a pink hammer. They’re unique color choices, but your users may find it challenging to see the connection.

Colors and Brand Recognition: A Do or Dye Game

Your business colors say a lot about your brand values and design tastes. Your brand’s recognition ultimately falls on your design choices. Understand which colors and emotions your audience resonates with and you’ll find the color scheme that best suits your business.

The post How to Use the Psychology of Colors in Business appeared first on Designerly.

Today, digital marketers use Google Analytics to keep track of their marketing campaigns, observe traffic and understand user behavior. Yet, Google Analytics offers so much data that it can be overwhelming to understand what to look for when keeping track. Make data interpretation seamless by using Google Analytics API. Find out what this tool is and how you can leverage it for better marketing outcomes. 

What Is Google Analytics API?

Google Analytics API is a tool that allows businesses to access the data they’ve collected on Google Analytics in a more customized way. Instead of viewing the reports Google gives you on its analytics dashboard, the API lets you create applications tailored to your needs. Or, it integrates the data into other systems. In other words, Google Analytics API acts like a connection between two software applications for each to communicate with one another.

The tool itself is valuable for marketers. It lets them dig deep into the data, pull out specific insights and use them to craft better marketing strategies. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, marketers can now design data-driven campaigns. In turn, they get to target specific audiences with higher precision. 

When using this API tool, businesses can ensure their marketing efforts are intuitive and backed by concrete data. This leads to better results and, eventually, a higher ROI.

How to Set Up Google Analytics API

Now that you know Google Analytics API may serve your marketing efforts much better than utilizing the regular version, here is a step-by-step guide for setting it up.

Step 1: Start a New Project in the Google Cloud Console

The first move to getting Google Analytics API is to start a new project. To do this, go to the Google Cloud Console site and sign in with your Google account. 

Once signed in, you’ll land on your dashboard that shows all existing projects. In your dashboard, locate and click on the ‘Project” dropdown menu at the top right. A panel will slide down from here. On the top right of this panel, there’s a ‘New Project’ button for you to click on.

A page will open asking for project details, so be sure to give your project a name. Then, set the location by choosing a folder. Once you’ve filled everything, you can hit the ‘Create’ button. 

Step 2: Enable the Google Analytics API

Once you’ve started a new project in the Google Cloud Console, enabling the Google Analytics API is the next crucial step. First, access your project in the Google Cloud Console at the top of the page, where your project name is displayed. 

On the left side of the screen, you’ll see a hamburger icon. Click on this to open the menu and click ‘API & Services .’ This will lead you to a dashboard where you can manage and enable various Google APIs. Go to the top center of the page and click ‘ENABLE APIS AND SERVICES.’

Search “Google Analytics,” and a list of related APIs will appear. Look for “Google Analytics Reporting API,” and click on the first one you see. From there, a detailed page about the API will pop up, where you’ll click on a button labeled ‘Enable.’

Once you enable it, you can move forward with setting up credentials.

Step 3: Create Credentials

You’ve enabled your Google Analytics API. Now, you can create the necessary credentials to authenticate and connect your application. To do so, ensure you’re on the overview page of the API you enabled. On the left sidebar, click on the ‘Credentials’ tab and click ‘Create Credentials.’

From the dropdown menu, you’ll most commonly select ‘OAuth 2.0 Client ID.’ This type of credential is designed for applications that require access to a user’s Google Analytics data. Before creating the OAuth 2.0 Client ID, you may need to configure the OAuth consent screen. 

This screen informs the users about who is requesting access to their data and for what purpose. Fill in the required fields. After this, you’ll choose an application for creating your credentials. Choose one that matches your use case. Then, fill in the necessary fields, click ‘Create,’ and save your details.

Step 4: Use the Client ID and Client Secret to Access the API

The details you’ve saved will have your Client ID and Client Secret. You’ll use these credentials to access your Google Analytics API keys. These keys allow your software to authorize access to Google Analytics. To permit access, users will need you to grant permission and fill in their authorization code.

Using Google Analytics API for Marketing

Now that you have Google Analytics API set up, make the most use of it by following these tips for better outcomes.

Custom Data Integration

One of the major advantages of the API is the ability to integrate your analytics data with other business platforms and databases. This means you can combine insights from different sources, offering a further view of your customers. For example, connecting your sales data with website traffic lets you see which marketing channels are most profitable and optimize accordingly.

Automate and Customize Reporting

Rather than manually pulling data, use the API to automate daily or weekly reports created for your specific needs. That way, you ensure you’re always tracking the metrics most crucial to your marketing goals. From there, you can make adjustments and thoughtful decisions to help you reach your objectives.

Uncover Deep Behavioral Insights

The API provides a deeper look into user behavior beyond a standard dashboard. With it, you can analyze detailed behavior flow and segment users based on various criteria. Doing so enables you to understand user journeys and improve certain areas of your website. For instance, suppose your goal is to gain more website traffic. You can create content strategies and use the data from Google Analytics API to keep track of this. 

The Do’s and Don’ts of Using Google Analytics API

When using Google Analytics API, you must be careful about leveraging it. Here are a few do’s and don’ts to keep in mind.

Do’s

• Have a clear goal: There should be a purpose in using Google Analytics API. Ask yourself what you need to accomplish, then let that guide your decision on which metrics to follow.
• Keep your API keys secure: The credentials you set up contain sensitive information. Always keep them safe.
• Use the Google Data and Feeds API: The API consists of two feeds of information. Use the Google Feeds API to obtain information about your website visitors, such as the search engine they used to visit your site.

Don’ts

• Make things complicated: The API does give you access to large amounts of information. However, you should only request the data that aligns with your marketing goals.
• Overlook testing: It’s always better to test your implementation of Google Analytics API to ensure you’re capturing the correct information.
• Ignore documentation: Google gives you documentation for your API. Use this to understand your API better and familiarize yourself with how to use it.

Achieving Marketing Success With Google Analytics API

Google Analytics API is an essential tool for marketers to achieve higher outcomes. With it, you can gain access to data in a more organized manner and craft strategies based on customized reports. Use it to move from broad approaches to more precise targeted campaigns. This tool is your stepping stone to marketing success through data.

The post How to Leverage Google Analytics API for Better Marketing Outcomes appeared first on Designerly.

With technology constantly evolving, there are more tools and programs that can help businesses with their daily tasks. One of these tools is a Learning Management System (LMS). An LMS has many benefits and could be a valuable asset to an organization.

However, not every LMS is created equal and some of them might not make sense for a small business. With so many different Learning Management Systems available, it is essential you pick the one that best fits your business needs. Here is everything you need to know about an LMS and the best ones for small businesses.

What Is an LMS?

A Learning Management System is a tool that helps organizations build training courses and provides access to these courses to the intended users — employees, partners or customers. A company can use an LMS for training its employees, onboarding new staff, training customers on new products or retaining knowledge for employees.

An LMS has two different interfaces — one for employees and one for administrators of the organization. The user interface is where learners — staff, business partners or customers — access all the courses and training information. On the other side, the admin interface is where a business can plan training modules, monitor learner progress and add more users.

Different Types of Learning Management Systems

A business LMS differs from an LMS used by educational institutes. The difference between the two is the features available and the maintenance of the system itself. A school’s LMS usually receives fewer updates and changes in features.

A business LMS on the other hand could receive frequent changes and updates that improve the experience for learners and admin users. These tools are also available as either cloud-based or self-hosted systems.

In a self-hosted system, the organization installs the LMS software directly on its hardware. This option is less popular but in some cases, specific industry legislation could prohibit businesses from using the alternative.

A cloud-based system is where the tool is accessed online. Most LMSs available are cloud-based and provide users with the option to access them from anywhere. This option is the obvious choice for most businesses.

The Criteria That Make an LMS Great For Small Businesses

While each LMS will have its own set of features, they need to meet specific criteria to make them usable for a small business. Here are four criteria this LMS list is based upon.

1. The cost: Is it affordable? An LMS should be affordable for the business and not a financial burden. Many available systems charge per user, but there are some LMS platforms that charge a monthly fee regardless of the number of overall users.
2. User-friendly: A system that is hard to understand or use will benefit no one and is counterproductive. The interface needs to be easy to understand and not confuse its users. Look for systems that provide a great experience while also presenting the training materials in a way that is fun and beneficial for the learners.
3. Different learning groups: Different roles require different training materials. Ensure you can create groups for distinct employee roles. This will increase the user experience and allow staff only to learn what is necessary for their position.
4. Integrations: When choosing an LMS, ensure it works with the software your business already uses. Consider making a list of the applications your business utilizes and when selecting an LMS ensure it has the necessary integrations you require. This will allow you to automate repetitive tasks and apply focus to other tasks that need your attention.

Benefits of Utilizing an LMS

A learning management system provides many benefits for employees and the business. In addition to all the other software a business utilizes, an effective LMS works with your business and its tools, not against them. Here are a few of the benefits:

• More time efficient: Traditional onsite training takes a lot of planning and time. With an LMS an employee can access the training courses whenever needed. One of the main advantages of an LMS is the learners can set their own learning pace that works best for them.
• Reduce costs: Onsite training is expensive with all the events needed — the presentations, conferences and training exercises. With an LMS all of this is taken care of for you.
• Easily change learning materials: After time things change and become outdated. Learners will no longer need to use books or videos — as learning materials — that have become irrelevant as time passes. With an LMS you can easily keep your courses up-to-date with new information.
• Improves the learning experience: With an LMS, everything is made easy for learners. All the information and learning materials are in one place which they can access whenever needed.
• Better management capabilities: Most LMS software allows businesses to automate repetitive tasks. Administrators can easily monitor when employees log onto the courses and track their progress. This helps managers efficiently support their employees, customers or business partners throughout the learning process.
• Access from anywhere: In addition to learning at their own pace, employees can also learn from anywhere. If they have free time on their morning commute, they can access the training courses or simply study in the comfort of their homes. In the past, remote employees still needed to come into the office to receive training, but with an LMS, remote employees can receive their training online.

The 3 Best LMS for Small Businesses

There are many different LMS software available, but not all of them make sense for medium-sized companies or businesses just starting out. Here are the three best LMS software for small business owners.

1. LearnUpon

LearnUpon is a great cloud-based LMS that is suitable for small and large businesses. It offers many features and also has the option to create groups for different employee roles. LearnUpon also has e-commerce features and allows companies to sell their courses online.

Features:

• E-commerce features
• Ability to sell courses online
• Customizable options — create groups for different roles and employees
• Certification options available
• Engagement features — earning points and badges
• Many integrations available

Benefits:

• Mobile app
• Has features that can motivate users
• Create custom learning paths
• Well-designed interface
• Many customizable options available

Drawbacks:

• Often overwhelming for new users
• Offline learning is not available with the mobile app
• No authoring toolkit
• Can only make limited changes to published courses

2. TalentLMS

TalentLMS has many features that make this an excellent choice for small businesses. They also have a store where you can purchase different courses — you need to upgrade your plan to unlock this feature. This LMS has a low learning curve and the interface supports over 30 languages.

Features:

• E-commerce features
• Different integrations available — Zapier, Salesforce and Zoom
• Engagement and gamifying features to motivate users
• Create courses with a drag-and-drop builder
• Custom reporting options

Benefits:

• Has a free plan available
• Has a mobile app — offline learning available
• Supports over 30 languages
• Engagement features
• Many integrations available
• Custom reporting
• Option to buy courses from the store

Drawbacks:

• Themes are basic
• Reports are limited
• Can’t export content to SCORM
• Customer support needs work

3. iSpring Learn

This LMS is straightforward to use and provides you with many customizable options. It provides a great user experience and has gamified features that encourage learners. It offers detailed reports to businesses and learners can learn offline thanks to the easy-to-use mobile app.

Features:

• Mobile app with offline learning
• Gamified features
• Advanced reporting
• Integrates with many core business software
• News feature available for employees
• 360-Degree Performance Appraisal module

Benefits:

• Has a 30-day free trial available
• It has a detailed authoring tool
• Provides technical support
• Interface is customizable
• Easy-to-use interface with a low learning curve
• Offers engagement features

Drawbacks:

• No e-commerce features available
• No xAPI, PENS and LTI support.
• Limit chat options — no discussion board
• Can’t sell courses

The Best LMS for Your Business

With so many learning systems available, it is essential you choose one that effectively aligns itself with your business needs. An LMS should integrate with your business and avoid creating new obstacles to overcome. Remember, the best LMS is the one that works for you, your employees and business.

The post The 3 Best LMS For Small Businesses appeared first on Designerly.

Let’s say you’ve started creating a website using a premade template or surfed around the internet, accidentally stumbling upon unfinished website shells. The text filler phrase “lorem ipsum” juts out at you like it’s familiar. Why?

It’s time to explore the world of filler text and why it is an essential part of design, although lorem ipsum and its variants read like gibberish. 

What Is Lorem Ipsum?

Lorem ipsum is a text filler known as a dummy or placeholder text. It is pre-populated text to assist designers in visualizing how large quantities of text will interact with their design elements. Using nonsense fillers like this is also called “greeking.”

The phrase “lorem ipsum” came from the Roman philosopher Cicero. He wrote a text entitled “De finibus bonorum et malorum,” where the term “dolorem ipsum” appeared. Sound familiar? The phrase was eventually shortened to “lorem ipsum,” mulling its original meaning, as it roughly translates to “pain itself.” Typesetters began using text filler in the 1960s for physical media, which inspired digital media to implement it in the 1980s.

More extended versions of lorem ipsum are still pulled from the original Cicero, but they are snippets and phrases from sentences rather than full excerpts. Translations of dummy text will yield somewhat readable, but mostly nonsense, ideas. Designers needed mindless text they wouldn’t get distracted by, hence using the distorted Latin.

How Text Filler Informs Design Choices

A well-placed lorem ipsum has a more considerable impact on design choices than you may realize. It reinforces other principles of website design you may follow. Eventually, what is written on the site may later influence design. At this stage, artists can move forward without concerning themselves with how the meaning of the content impacts practicality, user experience, and user interface.

Because of the amount of text, it is an opportune time to experiment with typefaces without needing all of the specific copy at the ready. Therefore, you can provide a client with a website design, and they can give feedback without feeling pressured to have pages and pages worth of content at their disposal. 

It could inform design changes once you finalize the templates and populate the actual copy onto the site. Perhaps a text box doesn’t need to be as large if there aren’t enough words to fill the space. 

How does that interact with images on side banners or navigation? It is not usually an overhaul, but professionals should consider this potential to avoid getting too attached to what they have created. A worst-case scenario could lead to a total or multiple designs. However, the possibility is unique to the designer’s existing process and the client’s needs — it may not be due to the text filler alone.

Additionally, text changes will require constant minor manipulations of the aesthetics and functionality of a website. And using text filler in different degrees will allow workers to visualize variations of the bones of their design.

How Dummy Text Influences Design Priorities

Lorem ipsum and other text fillers have recently become more prominent in conversations because they alter designers’ mindsets. Some argue that relying on dummy texts forces designers to assume that copy is secondary to design — which is not valid. They synergize and rely on each other to shine. Excellent design does not make up for poor copy, and engaging writing does not make up for old-fashioned aesthetics and UI.

Controversies and nuanced questioning like this spark alternative dummy text templates to arise. The world doesn’t need more filler text, but some value participating in expanding its potential to overcome these mental divides between designers and writers.

Why More Text Fillers Exist

Only some people like lorem ipsum. Despite the advantages it can provide designers without getting distracted, you might experience the opposite effect. You could argue the appearance or hilarity of the nonsense disrupts the flow and hinders productivity. 

It is especially true for designers who have the fear in the back of their minds that they will forget to remove portions of the text filler when they publish the final site. Many finished products still have lorem ipsum text floating around, which reduces brand credibility and designer reputation. It also hurts SEO. When Google crawlers stalk around looking for duplicate text — which could resemble plagiarism — repeated lorem ipsum text boxes might hurt ranking.

Another consideration is overreliance on lorem ipsum. Despite its spliced origins, it provides a balanced appearance to copy. Inputting live copy may leave designers and clients underwhelmed because lorem ipsum guided too many of their decisions. 

Text filler is meant to keep web developers from being distracted by the meaning of the text. It doesn’t prevent them from being subconsciously guided by how it looks. Therefore, text filler has the potential to be deceptive, which is why people have made alternatives.

What Alternative Text Fillers Do That Lorem Ipsum Can’t

People have created hilarious yet practical alternatives to lorem ipsum. Though it may decrease productivity from the start, the benefits of using other text fillers might refine designers earlier in their development rather than in revisions.

Hipsum, standing for hipster ipsum, is a dummy text generator that uses modern slang with an option to combine it with some Latin. Once you click “Beer me,” it presents you with an entertaining lorem ipsum alternative. The benefit of hipsum is it uses numbers, all caps, and special characters, showing a greater variety of how text can look and feel on the page. Writing a website in English also helps to have words closer to what will be on the site versus the unfortunate babble of a dead language.

Catipsum, inspired by your furry friends, is another quirky version of a text filler. It has a similar benefit to hipsum. You can visualize more relevant words but it also includes stylistic and potentially grammatically incorrect aspects. A lowercase “i” in the middle of a sentence might appear, or a hilarious “zooooom.” These silly incorporations may not seem helpful, but it depends on the website’s brand voice. You can start your generated dummy copy with “Cat ipsum dolor” as a funny nod to the classic.

Here are some other amusing ones to try if you’re feeling inspired to see how they influence your workflow:

• Fillerama, including text from TV shows
• British ipsum, for an English twist
• Legal ipsum, for legal-adjacent language
• Sagan and deGrasse Ipsum, with language inspired by these scientific greats
• Monocle ipsum, for high-brow diction — sometimes in a different language

Text Filler as a Necessary Element of Design

You may have dismissed the power of text fillers in your design process in the past, but take a step back to consider how it could have made your design what it is today. Do you have a positive relationship with lorem ipsum? Or are you on the side of the argument that denotes a time for change?

Regardless, clever employment of text filler can make or break the beginning stages of website design. They provide concrete evidence of how a website will look for clients when it’s fleshed out. They inspire you to rearrange or adjust your typeface. The possibilities are endless if you embrace its utility and manipulate it to your needs.

The post Text Filler: How Gibberish Provides Value appeared first on Designerly.

Advertising and marketing expand to more physical and digital regions yearly. A new social network or innovation in billboard marketing reminds small and large businesses to recognize what is new and trending. Technology advances, forging new opportunities for corporations to connect constantly, and crafting high-quality B2B marketing channels is the best way to establish brand reputation and long-standing relationships.

What Are B2B Marketing Channels?

Business-to-business (B2B) marketing channels are all avenues companies leverage to connect with corporate clients. They encompass on- and offline marketing strategies. The objective of B2B marketing channels is to diversify your advertising portfolios. Having a beautiful website is not enough anymore, despite how much helpful information it contains. Consider radio advertisements or a social media plan too.

Diversification and extended reach are the most prominent benefits, but high-quality channels demonstrate thought leadership and authoritativeness. It also improves the customer journey through omnichannel marketing.

You may have seen a social media post for a promising startup that could have been an ideal collaboration. Going to the “About” section of their Facebook does not include a website link, and digging through old posts and photos makes it hard to find consistent contact info. Roadblocks prevent customer engagement and discourage lead generation. 

Omnichannel marketing, which prioritizes analysis of all consumer touchpoints, fills the gaps that would otherwise present as obstacles. Decreasing resistance for B2B partners streamlines their experience while providing peace of mind to marketers. 

The 14 Life-Changing B2B Marketing Channels

Remember — the goal is to have plenty of quality B2B marketing channels, not necessarily possess every single one. Understand how your customers engage through their journey before determining which channels are the most important to them and perfect these first. So, which channels are the most profitable and tempting for B2B clients?

1. In-Person Events

Face-to-face interactivity between other leaders in the sector is the most impactful way to make an impression. Conferences, field marketing, and trade shows are more valuable than a follow-for-follow strategy on LinkedIn. In-person events forge meaningful connections and allow hands-on demonstrations and personalities to shine when pitching your ideas.

2. Search Engine Optimization

Find your way to the top of search engines with SEO. Strategies include writing user intent-focused content and providing helpful resources through smart keyword implementation. SEO strategies are data-driven, so execution can only happen with reliable analytics in your toolkit. Additionally, SEO changes all the time — you must stay on top of changes in the meta to stay relevant with B2B channels.

3. Word-of-Mouth and Community Engagement

In-person events provide a catalyst for community building. However, the difference in this B2B marketing channel is how it thrives. Community engagement leads to word-of-mouth, which only occurs if B2B consumers stay engaged and feel a part of the brand’s development. You want to create a family atmosphere despite the corporate language and desire for profit — it’s where the most successful and meaningful marketing channels flourish.

4. Account-Based Marketing

A marketing campaign can be too generalized, even if you research a target audience or base it on geography. Account-based marketing selects a few B2B prospects and designs marketing campaigns personalized to those top-tier accounts. They feel they receive more attention, which engages the marketer more with learning about the client.

5. Retargeting and Remarketing

These terms have coinciding goals, but the execution is unique. Retargeting focuses on placing advertisements in front of eyes that are familiar with your product but never turned into a lead. The retarget adjusts the ad based on customer interactivity. Remarketing attempts to reconvert and upsell prospective or interested customers, for example, through email marketing. The two work well together but have subtle differences that make them equally important.

6. Research and Case Studies

Collaborate with a research firm to perform some groundbreaking research. Filling a knowledge gap in your sector’s niche makes headlines and impresses B2B partners with your initiative. Undergo case studies, publish results in e-books, and work on whitepapers to spread the word about what you’re trying to unpack. The benefits are increasing publicity, continued relevance, better SEO through backlinking, and internal inspiration to keep working to unravel the mysteries of your industry.

7. Conversion Rate Optimization

CRO focuses on directing leads to act, such as signing up for a mailing list or adding something to their cart. Ultimately, guiding customers to do these actions increases the likelihood of lead generation. Designers and marketers make this successful with process improvement, website enhancements and testing workflow.

8. Pay-Per-Click

This is when advertisers only pay when prospective leads click on something. PPC is a cost-effective way to only pay for what you get in B2B marketing channels. Shelling out countless dollars for ads people block with extensions feels defeating, but with PPC, there is a certainty you only pay for a potential lead.

9. Mail

Whether email marketing or using direct mail, sending a letter digitally or physically never gets old. In 2021, direct mail earned almost $10 billion in revenue alone in the United States, asserting its continued value in the face of email trends.

10. Content Marketing

Online content is a great way to strut knowledge and participate in industry conversations. Blog writing, for example, can respond to B2B leads, suggest innovations, connect thought leaders, and boost reputations in Google while you’re at it. In content, you can blend other B2B marketing channels, like affiliate or video marketing, to maximize its value.

11. Social Media Marketing

It is the most classic B2B marketing channel nowadays — most businesses cannot survive without some form of online presence on social media. You don’t have to create a profile on every single one, but dedicating an entire team to this would not be a bad idea, especially when sliding into B2B DMs.

12. Online Events

In-person events are one thing, but COVID-19 normalized and popularized online webinars and digital workshops. It is an inexpensive way to connect with more individuals more sustainably and flexibly, especially when the aim is to gain more global B2B consumers.

13. Sponsored Content With Entertainment

YouTube and TikTok videos, podcasts, and all influencer marketing avenues are a prime opportunity for sponsored content within the lens of entertainment. Marketing segmentation helps with this because you understand what kind of content your B2B friends consume. 

14. Guerilla Marketing

This type of marketing incorporates the element of surprise. It is meant to induce shock or exhilaration, such as a random art installation or underground party. It is a way to share more interests and intrigue beyond what your brand does or sells. It is a conversation starter as new friends attempt to find where their Venn diagrams overlap.

Experiment With These Top B2B Marketing Channels

It is time to go outside of your marketing box. Every technique here has the potential to drive leads if they attach to your customers’ experiences and preferences. Becoming more familiar with them and testing the channels will lead to numerous insights over time — results are not immediate. 

However, they reward savvy companies in myriad ways as they hone in on what matters. Businesses cannot flourish without organizational partnerships — authentic, customer-focused B2B marketing channels make those connections impenetrable.

The post The 14 Best Lead-Generating B2B Marketing Channels appeared first on Designerly.

Suppose someone needs new brakes on their car. Naturally, they’ll want to locate a nearby auto repair shop renowned for its superior customer service, fair pricing and quality work. What do they do? They conduct an online search and read Google reviews.

Consumers and companies rely on Google reviews for different reasons. Customers want insight into a product or service, while companies seek ways to enhance their offerings and operations.

Essentially, all feedback is critical to a brand’s success. A positive review holds weight in buyer decision-making, allowing companies to garner attention for the right reasons. Here’s everything small businesses should know about Google reviews and their importance to business growth.

What Is a Google Review?

Google Reviews is a unique feature allowing customers to post personal accounts of products and services. The post is public, making it searchable by others when they look for businesses in Google Maps. 

Companies must have a Google My Business account to appear on Google Maps. Meanwhile, consumers simply need a Google account to submit a review for free.

Feedback can be daunting to some. However, brands will improve their reputations and drive more website traffic by garnering positive attention. In turn, they can boost their revenue. 

Google Reviews and Their Impact on Businesses

Small businesses and large corporations are greatly affected by reviews and ratings on Google for the following reasons:

• Reviews improve your SEO, boosting your brand’s ranking in Google search results.
• A higher rating — between 4–5 stars — will garner more foot traffic to your website.
• They improve consumer trust and build your brand’s credibility.
• Reviews provide essential feedback to improve your brand’s services and products.

According to one study, 98% of people read reviews before purchasing goods and services. In fact, online reviews impacted an estimated $3.8 trillion in global revenue in 2021.

In the United States, consumers rely on their own research for decision-making, whether turning to digital and print sources or reaching out to people they know and trust. A Pew Research Center survey found 88% of Americans have tremendous confidence in online reviews, while 80% say they ensure product safety.

Reviews grew even more popular during the pandemic amid the surge in e-commerce and the consistent flow of information. There was a whopping 76% increase in online reviews in May 2020 — far more than the previous year.

What Makes a Well-Written Google Review?

A quality review is well-written, informative and relevant. Ultimately, you want customers to share something unique about their experience with your brand, highlighting what makes you stand out.

A solid Google review also delivers insight to the company about areas of improvement. Brands should read this information carefully and consider customers’ thoughts and opinions. These tidbits are invaluable and allow you to perfect your business strategy and offerings. For instance, you might create user-generated content for social media with positive reviews.

Your response to positive and negative feedback is just as crucial to a quality critique. Always thank customers for taking the time to write a review. Likewise, apologizing for negative experiences goes a long way for users and customers reading reviews. Kindly ask them to elaborate privately and provide an email address where they can reach you.

What About Fake Google Reviews?

Fake Google reviews are as powerful as legitimate ones, but not for acceptable reasons. About 10.7% of Google reviews are fake. Yet, once detected, these deceptive practices often drive consumers away.

What causes small businesses to resort to fake reviews in the first place? Somebody could have slammed them with negative ratings at some point — or they’re new, trying to boost their credibility themselves instead of earning it. Likewise, competitors may create negative reviews under aliases to give themselves a leg up. 

Trading fake reviews online costs between 25 cents and $100 each, as some private marketplaces seek people to buy their product, leave a review and then issue a full refund plus commission.

Fortunately, it’s about to get harder to fly under the radar. In June 2023, the Federal Trade Commission proposed new guidelines to crack down on fake online reviews. If approved, businesses could get fined $50,000 for each fake review they buy, sell or modify — every time a customer reads it.

How to Spot Fake Google Reviews

Not all brands are behind their fake reviews — some are victims. Regardless, you’ll want to nip it in the bud as soon as they appear. Identify bad actors in the following ways:

• Look at whether the review consists of specific details explaining their negative experience.
• Search for complex words — generalities indicate the user hasn’t thought much about their story.
• Are there several exclamation points? Phantom reviewers use multiple exclamation points and shorter words in their reviews.
• Check whether the user has reviewed other small businesses and how frequently.

The best way to combat fake Google reviews is to flag them as inappropriate. In your business’s Google account, report a review you suspect is fake. Google will look into your claim and remove it for you. 

How Can Brands Gain More Google Reviews?

Consumer reviews are critical for business success. Therefore, companies want to receive as much feedback as possible. Here are several ways companies can garner more Google reviews. 

Ask Customers Outright

One of the easiest ways to get more Google reviews is to ask them. If you’re a shop owner, post a sign near the cashier to encourage customers to leave feedback online. 

Those offering services — whether plumbing work or consulting — can also ask their customers directly. If you’ve provided exemplary customer service and have met their expectations, they should be more than happy to do it for you. In fact, 50% of those asked to leave a review for a business usually do.

Send Review Requests

Sometimes customers need to be prompted to leave a review. Various review generation tools automate the review process for you. 

Generation programs allow you to fill out a request form in your brand’s aesthetics, including the font, colors and tone. It then emails customers a review request. Just be sure to send only one or two review requests, as inundating customers could have a negative impact and drive them away.

Provide a Link to Google Reviews

Add a link to Google Reviews directly on your brand’s website. Placing it in the middle of the homepage is a great way to draw visitors’ attention.

You can log into your business’s Google account to access an official link to embed on your website or email communications. Be sure to thank the customers immediately wherever you post the link.

Update Your Business Profile

Ensure customers know where to find your business online and leave a Google review. Regularly update your Google Business Profile with the most recent company listing. 

Add professional photos, a distinct description and current business hours so customers stay up-to-date on what’s happening with your company. 

Google Reviews Will Help Your Small Business Thrive

Even the worst reviews present opportunities for your small business to shine — if you respond correctly. Google reviews are essential for companies to succeed. Embrace customer feedback and use it to your advantage. Your brand’s success is a team effort between you and your customers.

The post How Small Businesses Get Noticed With Google Reviews appeared first on Designerly.

Consumers generate massive amounts of valuable data daily. How can businesses use it to their advantage? A machine learning marketing approach utilizes a special subset of artificial intelligence to process data, helping professionals quickly make accurate, insightful decisions. Here are some of the most interesting advantages of using this technology.

1. Predict the Future

Predictive analytics is one of the best advantages of using machine learning in marketing. An algorithm can learn independently, adjusting to data changes in real time. It then compares current information with historical behavioral patterns to produce an accurate projection. 

In other words, it effectively lets you predict the future. For example, it can analyze a customer’s purchase history and previous site interactions to estimate when or why they would buy another product. Since a machine learning model can improve on its own over time, it can continuously refine itself through feedback loops, using data collection to enhance each customer’s experience.

With this new insight, the marketing department could tailor advertisements to increase the chances of a sale or conversion. Knowing how to prepare for market changes and shifts in behavior gives them a unique opportunity to cater to the customer before they even verbalize what they want.

2. Get Ahead of Trends

Social media provides massive opportunities for brand awareness and consumer engagement. Younger audiences have the most buying power — Generation Z alone has $360 billion in disposable income — and most grew up using some platform. 

As such, it’s a good thing that machine learning can recognize trends before they go viral. While businesses attempt to engage users by making posts or comments, the oversaturation of commercial content online has desensitized them somewhat. As a result, many only interact when a brand appeals to current trends.

Even then, there’s no guarantee that content will do well, which is why machine learning may be the solution. According to one 2021 study, an algorithm can recognize what will go viral with nearly 70% accuracy on average. Additionally, it can discover hidden trends, allowing marketing professionals to get ahead of the curve.

In response, they can create content that will receive much more attention and engagement. The chance of sales and conversions is much higher as a result. Brand awareness can also skyrocket with consistently viral posts.

3. Understand Customers’ Thoughts

Since segmentation is crucial to effective marketing, professionals would ideally have in-depth knowledge of every customer. Luckily, machine learning gives them a chance to build accurate, data-driven profiles. 

Since it can learn without needing constant retraining, their details stay up to date. The algorithm can rapidly process massive amounts of information, providing real-time insight into consumers’ lives and purchasing behavior — almost like it’s reading their thoughts. 

In response, marketing professionals can customize emails, advertisements, and site interactions. This effort is essential since around 62% of people will only continue doing business with a company if it personalizes their experience. 

4. Outperform the Competition

Competitor analysis is one of the most effective approaches when using machine learning in marketing. The algorithm can monitor their budget, earnings, and other information to track the success of their marketing. As a result, the business gains unique insight into consumer behavior, potentially leading to more conversions.  

Machine learning marketing campaigns often outperform traditional strategies because they provide data-driven insight. Since businesses can get ahead only by using this technology, the knowledge of their competition can ensure their success. 

Plenty of useful information is publicly available. For instance, the United States government has small business and consumer credit information for reference. Businesses can use their new knowledge to identify market opportunities, audience gaps, potential obstacles, and hidden secondary competitors.

5. Incentivize Purchases

Personalized algorithms are foundational for most platforms in the digital age. This pattern has grown to the point where many people expect a business to tailor their shopping experience. For example, they prefer to see related products, similar items others bought, and best-sellers in familiar categories. 

Machine learning can adapt without needing manual input, so it can use a customer’s real-time browsing behavior and purchase history to make accurate recommendations. The sale chance increases by 35% simply if the suggestion is relevant, meaning this approach is effective.

It’s more effective than traditional algorithmic approaches because it can interpret data in real-time instead of relying on old information. Consumers also feel more comfortable with AI personalization because it seems natural, meaning they’re more likely to make a purchase. 

6. Expose Hidden Patterns

Every online interaction generates data. Experts predict people will create over 149 zettabytes by 2024. To put those figures into perspective, a single zettabyte equals 1 billion terabytes. While filtering through a massive amount of information to find something of value may seem challenging, an algorithm can do so easily.

A machine learning model can analyze consumer engagement levels, open rates, and frequency of interactions to find trends. It can evaluate how people interact with a company so staff can see which approaches are effective. Many patterns aren’t visible to the human mind, making it a valuable asset. 

Also, it functions much faster than humans. While it would take someone months — maybe even years — to filter through and find connections between millions of random data points, an algorithm can do it in moments. Marketing professionals can take advantage of the response time improvement to push relevant media out much more quickly.

7. Keep Customers Loyal

A machine learning model can analyze historical churn data and current customer behavior to recognize when someone is about to take their business elsewhere. Retaining them is critical, considering they will spend 67% more than a new customer. Machine learning helps enhance customer care and preventative measures.

For example, it can identify when someone unsubscribes from emails and their engagement drops. It compares these behaviors to past cases to predict how likely they are to leave. With this insight, the marketing team can personalize recommendations, deliver deals, or tailor content to keep them loyal to the brand. 

Utilizing dynamic content can increase retention because it creates a better user experience. Additionally, it could lead to more sales because special offers and personal emails often incentivize people to make purchases.

8. Calculate Customers’ Value

While segmentation exists, marketing attempts are often broad because it’s more cost-effective to appeal to a larger audience. Because of this, businesses often spend money to appeal to consumers who will never open emails or make a purchase.

Being able to accurately calculate the Customer Lifetime Value is one of the most significant advantages of machine learning marketing. Simply multiply the average purchase value and number of transactions, then multiply the resulting figure by the length of their brand relationship. 

A machine-learning model can do this math quickly. Additionally, it can precisely estimate a consumer’s value, number of future purchases, and how long they’ll continue doing business with the company. Because of this, the marketing team can identify the return on investment for each, better informing their choices in the future.

Deploy a Machine Learning Marketing Campaign

A machine learning marketing campaign can personalize content, increase conversions, retain customers, and calculate an accurate return on investment. Every action is data-driven and precise since the algorithm operates on real-time information. Essentially, it’s one of the most reliable means of marketing available.

The post The Interesting Advantages of Machine Learning Marketing appeared first on Designerly.

In business, every company wants to achieve success. Therefore, staying organized and focused is key. The key to achieving this is through KPI (key performance indicators) reports. KPI reports provide meaningful data that help you see how well you’re reaching your goals. Understanding what a KPI report is and how to use one can be the key to improving your business.

Businesses should be able to streamline processes and make informed decisions for improvements. To ensure they’re reaching organizational goals, they must gather and analyze information to gain a wealth of insights. Yet, with the amount of data available today, improper interpretation and utilization can lead to missed opportunities — this is why KPI reports are necessary.

What Is a KPI Report?

A KPI report is a valuable tool providing a snapshot of your company’s progress toward its objectives. It measures various aspects of your operations and shows you where you’re doing well and could improve. 

A KPI report will include specific business metrics relevant to your company. It can be in the form of a graph or table, providing you with a visual representation of the set KPIs needed to measure performance. Each KPI is presented alongside its target so you can quickly see whether you’re on track.

Typically, you may find your reports presented on a document, providing various insights in a digestible format to make extracting information easier.

KPI reports are especially useful in marketing. They reveal how effective your marketing campaigns are, how many people you’re reaching and much more. It’s more than a collection of numbers — these reports are powerful narratives that help you make sense of your endeavors.

The Importance of KPI Reports in Marketing

In marketing, KPI reports act like a roadmap guiding you toward your marketing goals. Whether you’re increasing brand awareness, boosting customer engagement or driving sales, these tools offer a way to measure your progress. They allow you to align your day-to-day efforts with big-picture objectives, ensuring you stay on course. 

Moreover, these reports give you insight into long-term data trends. As a marketer, you know that digital marketing can take time before you see results. Whether it’s SEO or email marketing, a report can help you answer questions about how to reach your long-term goals. Therefore, they provide actionable insights to make the right decisions.

KPI reports are also important for enhancing your understanding of campaign effectiveness. They give you a story about your marketing activities. For instance, are your social media posts engaging or are your emails leading to website visits? With answers to these, you’ll know how to transform your marketing efforts into a clear, understandable narrative. From there, you achieve better strategies and results.

The Components of a KPI Report

In a KPI report, you use key metrics to keep track of your campaign performance. A KPI is a data point. You use them as milestones to determine if you’re on the right path to success. So instead of guessing if you’re getting closer to your goals, KPIs provide quantifiable data to show your progress. 

Yet, marketing requires you to choose the right KPIs for your objectives because different marketing goals need different KPIs. For instance, if you aim to increase brand visibility, you would look at website traffic or social media followers. If your focus is on sales, conversion rates may be your go-to KPI. 

The key is to select KPIs that align directly with your objectives to get a clear and accurate measure of your success. A typical KPI report could include a mix of the following KPIs, depending on your marketing objectives:

• Return on marketing investment: This measures the profitability of your marketing efforts, showing how much you earn in return for what you spend. 
• Website traffic: A website is a critical asset in marketing. Businesses use this KPI to measure the portions of incoming traffic and how long users stay on the site.
• Social media engagement: Marketers measure their social media performance through comments, likes and follower count.

How To Create a KPI Report

Creating a KPI report can go as planned if you follow the right steps.

1. Establish Marketing Objectives

The first step to creating a report is defining your marketing goals. Maybe you’re aiming for increased brand awareness, higher sales or better customer engagement. Once your goals are clear, decide how you’ll measure them. For example, if it’s sales, the number of units sold or profit made can be good measures.

2. Choose Your KPIs

Next, choose the right KPIs to track. These should directly relate to your goals and be quantifiable. For instance, if your goal is to improve customer engagement, you might choose KPIs like website visit duration or the number of comments on social media. 

3. Collect and Analyze Data

Once you’ve selected your KPIs, it’s time to collect and analyze the data. Numerous tools are available to help with this, from Google Analytics for web traffic to Hootsuite for social media engagement. Consider the different types of tools used to collect your data and choose the right one to fit your business’s needs.

Then, collect data over a specific period, and analyze it to see how well you’re meeting your goals.

4. Structure and Visualize Your Report

Start arranging your KPIs in a logical order, and use graphs or charts to visualize your data. Or, you can use a reporting software that does this for you since manual reporting can take time. A tool like this will make your report easier to understand and see your progress.

 How to Use a KPI Report Effectively

When using a KPI report, you must absorb the information, reflect on it and let it guide your next steps. Look beyond the numbers and gather the story they’re telling you. Do they show you’re getting closer to your goals, or do you need to change your approach?

Based on the data, this is where you need to make decisions. For instance, if a particular marketing campaign could perform better, it may be time to adjust your strategy. Maybe you need to target a different audience or tweak your message. Let the data guide your decisions.

Keep in mind that it’s important to review your KPI reporting and update it regularly to reflect the changes in your marketing environment. You may need to adjust your strategies based on the insights from your report. Therefore, active engagement with your information is key. 

Set Yourself On the Right Path With KPI Reporting

A KPI report can make your marketing efforts much more effective when you understand and use it effectively. They guide you, informing your decisions and pushing you toward your goals. Start getting hands-on with it today and gain all the insights it has to offer. With KPI reporting, you have the tool needed to steer your marketing to success.

The post What Is a KPI Report and How to Use It appeared first on Designerly.

As the year comes nearer to its end, many people start thinking about nonprofit donations. One reason is that many individuals can treat them as tax-deductible gifts. They want to give them by the end of the year, so they’ll count on the next tax returns.

Also, since many people celebrate holidays at the end of the year, they frequently realize that others in their communities and further away don’t have the same luxuries. Those could include gourmet food, long-awaited gifts and get-togethers with loved ones. They then may feel compelled to donate to good causes. It’s a way of showing gratitude and trying to spread some of their resources to affect others.

As nonprofit decision-makers think about encouraging people to donate, it’s important to think of creative options that’ll get noticed and be memorable. Here are 10 ideas. 

1. Plan a Local-Centric Soup Dinner

The winter season is perfect for enjoying a bowl of flavorful, hearty soup. Consider encouraging nonprofit donations through a fundraiser where people feast on local soups. They might be from restaurants or people who cook them in their homes.

One event in Pennsylvania to benefit Meals on Wheels took the local theme even further. The area’s artists provided 400 handmade bowls as serving dishes for attendees. They started making them in 2019 for a planned 2020 fundraiser. Then, COVID-19 hit, preventing it. However, the creations will finally be used during the October 2023 event. 

The organizers chose the name “Empty Bowls” for their fundraiser. It fits with the soup aspect but has a deeper meaning. Many people using Meals on Wheels may have empty bowls if not for the charity. The organization’s primary service users are older adults who cannot cook meals due to financial and physical limitations. 

2. Try a Themed Gala

Fundraising galas are popular because they give attendees plenty of reasons to get interested. A typical evening could include live music, a dinner and a silent auction. Choosing a theme is one way to make your gala more creative than the norm. Then, people trade their formal attire for fun ensembles. 

Choose a theme that offers plenty of room for interpretation. That might mean asking people to take inspiration from the ocean or selecting a specific decade. Consider holding a costume contest and offering prizes donated by local businesses. 

Take plenty of time to decorate the event site. That helps generate excitement while reinforcing the theme. 

3. Arrange a Vehicle Show

Many people take great pride in their vehicles, spending time cleaning, maintaining, and enhancing them. One way to boost nonprofit donations is to hold a showcase event. Most focus on cars. However, you could expand it to other vehicles, too. Opening the day to people with motorcycles, bicycles, and skateboards creates more inclusivity. 

Besides having donation buckets around the site, nonprofit representatives should charge modest entry fees. Consider higher prices for exhibitors versus spectators. 

Research shows branded items make a quarter of shoppers feel more positive about companies. Nonprofits will likely see a similar effect by designing and selling event-specific shirts. They’re great souvenirs and help people naturally promote the organization by wearing the shirts. The improved visibility could stimulate more nonprofit donations. 

4. Offer Gift-Wrapping Services 

The end of the year tends to cause an increase in sales for wrapping paper, bows, and gift tags. However, people have drastically different opinions about getting presents ready to give. Some like personalizing their efforts with cute paper and bags. Others hate cutting paper to the right size and making their efforts look neat. Even those who like wrapping presents find they don’t have the time. 

Nonprofit representatives can cater to all gift-givers by offering wrapping services for modest donations. Setting up a spot in a local shopping center or other crowded area helps an organization get noticed. Increased public awareness should encourage some people to donate even if they don’t have gifts that need wrapping. 

5. Host a Holiday Craft Fair

As the end of the year gets close, many people realize they still have gifts to buy. A 2023 survey found 68% of respondents would likely give a handmade or DIY present for the holiday season. 

However, only some have the time to make something for a loved one. The next best thing is to get something from a local craftsperson.

Craft fairs are excellent ways for people to give what they can to an area’s nonprofits while supporting crafters. The primary donations can come from admissions and table or booth rentals. However, nonprofit workers should also have plenty of donation buckets around the event. Some crafters will probably agree to give portions of their sales to the organization and may even pledge to make ongoing nonprofit donations. 

6. Have a Photo Contest

Smartphone cameras have made it much easier for people to snap beautiful photos without expensive specialty equipment. Organizations can capitalize on that by encouraging nonprofit donations through photo contests. One possibility is that every donation over a certain amount across a given period automatically gives someone an entry. Plus, nonprofits may make it so people must donate at least $1 per vote for their favorites. 

A thoughtful way to tie in the organization is to provide a phrase or word relating to the nonprofit’s work. Contest participants should then take photos connected to it. Then, as people learn more about the contest, they’ll become more aware of what the nonprofit does. 

7. Create a Cookbook

Food brings people together and helps them create happy, lasting memories. Nonprofit organizations can increase donations by making and selling a cookbook. 

One option is to use a tiered structure. For donations of $50 or more across a given month, people can have their recipes appear in the collection. However, if they donate at least twice that much, they can include personal stories or drawings to accompany the recipes.

It can take a while to spread the word about recipe submissions. That’s why nonprofits must advertise the effort on multiple channels. Statistics show nonprofit emails have a 25.5% chance of being opened. In contrast, only 2% of recipients don’t open text messages nonprofits send. That difference doesn’t necessarily make emails less useful. After all, they can contain many more details than texts. However, it emphasizes the need to advertise in various ways. 

8. Sell Coffee-Grams

You’ve heard of telegrams, but what about coffee-grams? They’re delivered cups of joe that include messages from the sender. Nonprofits often sell coffee-grams through their websites after announcing the day or time they’ll distribute them. People may pay a little extra for things like milk alternatives or special toppings for their drinks. 

Putting a QR code on the cups is also an excellent way to get more nonprofit donations from people enjoying their coffees. As individuals sit and sip, they may start to feel especially generous. 

It’s also wise to send everyone delivering a coffee out with a donation bucket and the nonprofit’s brochures. People will undoubtedly get curious as the beverages get sent around an area. Some may want to start conversations with those involved.

9. Let People Decorate Parking Spots

The empty spaces between parking lot lines are important for showing people where to put their vehicles. However, they can also urge people to donate to good causes. More than 100 high school seniors in Indiana recently gathered to paint parking spots. This is the event’s seventh year and the second time it attracted so many people. All participants had to pay to enter, and they brought the necessary supplies. 

Proceeds benefited a local children’s hospital. The painting activity also supported a dance-off fundraiser, where others could sponsor those showing off their moves. 

Painting isn’t the only option, either. Sidewalk chalk is an inexpensive and temporary alternative. 

10. Capture Attention With a Cookie Event

Cookies are beloved treats across age ranges and geographic boundaries. They also give nonprofits plenty of ways to increase donation activity, such as: 

• Offering home-baked cookies to people who donate at least a specific dollar amount
• Holding cookie-decorating classes for all donors contributing during a certain month
• Raffling cookie platters and giving people tickets to match the sizes of their donations
• Partnering with a local baker to have custom cookies designed for a fundraiser

Nonprofits should broaden the appeal by offering gluten-free, vegan, and low-sugar cookies. They should also consider packaging them in bags featuring stickers or tags with the organization’s name. Doing that boosts community awareness. 

Get More Nonprofit Donations as the Year Ends

Although we’ve focused on how to receive more nonprofit donations during the last months of the year, people can tweak these suggestions to use them at any time. The main thing to focus on is getting people interested by using creative methods. Once a nonprofit grabs their attention, there are lots of opportunities for them to learn more and, perhaps, become regular donors. 

The post 10 Creative Ways for Nonprofits to Generate Year-End Donations appeared first on Designerly.

Businesses often talk about buyer personas and their target audiences, but there is a place for creating user stories and utilizing them for various development processes. Honing in on the details of what drives users helps create a clearer message that resonates. What is a user story?

User stories don’t have to be novels. They are short descriptions of how a user might interact with a product or feature. Most companies use a script to write their user stories, which we’ll include below. Your brand needs multiple stories to cover different products and different features of each one. 

When you apply a user story to product development, you’ll receive fewer support calls and greater customer satisfaction. Your marketing will be more effective, meaning you spend less money on advertising but get greater results. Follow the steps below to create and implement user stories into your business processes. 

1. Know Your Users

According to The Population Project, the current global population is approximately 8.048 billion people. The good news is that you don’t have to cater to each individual. Most people fall within types of users and you can speak to each group and still reach them on an emotional level.

For example, if you sell children’s pajamas, your user is likely a parent or other relative of the child. Their concerns may be more than just how cute the PJs are. They may worry about fire safety rating, if the outfit is warm enough, type of material used and a host of other things. 

Start by looking at any feedback you’ve received from customers. What are they writing in reviews? Have they called to complain about anything? Gather up all the information you have about your audience.

Really dig down into your current customer base. Survey them to find out what they care most about and how you can meet their needs. The more you know, the better you can create a user story and make a product that meets their needs while giving them the information they most need to use the item effectively. 

2. Break Down the Benefits

What is a user story without considering the benefits to your customers? Start by considering your audience’s pain points. What do they care most about? What emotions drive their concerns? For the pajamas example, fear of a child getting hurt or being uncomfortable might drive their buying behavior and use of the product. Someone with a child with sensory needs might care about the material used or if it is soft enough. 

Once you have an idea of the pain points, it’s much easier to hone in on the benefits your product currently provides or should provide. You may need to add some features if you aren’t meeting user needs.

3. What Is a User Story Without a Script?

Many companies save time by following a general prompt to write their user stories. It goes something like this:

As a [fill in who your user is/type], I want to [add an action] so [the benefit they get from the product or feature].

So, in practice, one of your user stories might go like this:

As the parent of an autistic child, I want to put pajamas on them so they aren’t uncomfortable while sleeping.

You can get as specific or general as you want, but the more you can hone in on the benefits and needs, the better your user story will be. 

4. Collaborate With Stakeholders

The user story only works if it aligns with the values of all the stakeholders involved with the product. Get feedback from leaders in the company, customers and any investors. The user story applies to more than just the person buying the item. 

What is a user story without input from all these people? You must gather details from everyone via surveys and by paying attention to the ways various factions use the item. You may need to tweak your story to include more than one user type. 

5. Focus on the Unique Value Proposition (UVP)

When building your user story, consider how the customer’s needs align with the UVP of your product. Going back to the pajamas example, let’s look at how this might work for product development and marketing. 

Research shows your target audience wants a soft material in children’s pajamas. You also know that a percentage of your audience is conscious of the environmental impact of producing new textiles.

You might choose bamboo materials because they are more sustainable, renewable and the result is butter soft material. Your user story would change the material you use for your pajamas but you’d also focus on the benefits of bamboo pajamas in your marketing materials. 

6. Rinse & Repeat

Once you have some user stories in place and you’ve applied them to product development and marketing, you should look at outliers. What customer base have you not yet served but is a possible demographic? Spend time creating a story for each type of client and seeing how well your service or product fits their needs and narrative. 

What Is a User Story’s Worth to Your Business?

User stories help build your company over time. Your messaging will become clearer and you’ll know which things to focus on and what you should develop next to keep your audience happy and coming back for more. 

The post What Is a User Story & How to Create One appeared first on Designerly.