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Welcome to Press This, a podcast that delivers valuable insights and actionable tips for navigating the ever-evolving world of WordPress. In this episode, host Brian Gardner and Automattic Product Lead Rich Tabor, unpack WordPress’s design potential, highlighting its evolving features and the power it offers website builders. Powered by RedCircle Brian Gardner: Hey everybody, welcome…
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Hi All,
I have a dedicated server with a company with poor technical support.
Can anyone suggest a server company?
Thanks,
Jim
Experimentation is central to making evidence-based decisions, and this is where A/B testing has always shined.
But with the advent of AI, we now have tools for AI A/B testing, making experimentation smarter, faster, and infinitely more manageable.
AI A/B testing gets you real-time reports and lets you test multiple hypotheses in a few clicks. To explore the magic that AI brings to A/B testing, I spoke with CRO experts who shared their unique insights.
On top of that, I’ll also take you through the benefits, limitations, and best practices for integrating AI into your A/B testing process.
In this article:
A/B testing is a research method used to analyze landing pages, user interfaces, or other marketing prototypes to determine the best version before full rollout.
You split your audience into two groups or more. One sees the control (A; original version), while the other interacts with the variant (B; modified version). Tracking interactions, analyzing results, and refining content follows.
With AI, you automate much of this heavy lifting. You get clear, actionable insights without the usual headaches because AI takes the guesswork out of the following:
Artificial intelligence can help you sidestep the usual pitfalls of human-led A/B testing. Here’s how AI and traditional methods stack up against each other.
With AI handling everything from setup to analysis, you can ditch the old-school grind for clearer, faster insights. Let’s explore how these efficiencies benefit your A/B testing strategy and set you up for success.
AI streamlines your workflow and generates more accurate insights faster. Here are the top benefits that make AI indispensable for A/B testing.
Humans take days or even weeks to gather and analyze data. Meanwhile, AI processes heaps of variables — think hundreds of web pages or app feature versions — at lightning speed.
Jon MacDonald, CEO of The Good, has reaped the benefits of this well-oiled efficiency:
“Since we build rapid prototypes quite often, using AI has helped us code A/B tests faster and without bugs. We’re able to produce rapid prototypes quickly, increasing our testing volume and rapidly validating hypotheses.”
AI distinguishes subtle correlations within large datasets, helping you prioritize and evaluate the right variants. Thus, you get results faster and make smarter decisions without getting bogged down by lengthy analysis.
Manual error and cognitive biases can skew the results and interpretation of A/B tests. This study on advertising A/B testing demonstrates how AI improves accuracy in these four dimensions:
1. Targeting. Machine learning lets you create detailed audience segments. Some AI tools even allow for real-time, targeted adjustments based on live data.
2. Personalization. Using Recommendation System and Virtual Assistant technology, AI tailors content to individual preferences. Each A/B test variation only shows up for users with similar interests.
3. Content creation. Generative AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP) enhance ad content quality and diversity. You can leverage it to generate consistent, high-quality ad variations.
4. Ad optimization. Deep Learning and Reinforcement Learning adjust advertising strategies dynamically. It optimizes factors like ad placement, timing, and frequency based on live performance data.
AI improves accuracy at every stage of A/B testing. It fine-tunes your test parameters, ensures optimal testing for all variants, and provides deeper insights into user interactions.
AI doesn’t stop at analyzing past data. It also predicts future trends to forecast how users respond to changes and make proactive adjustments.
Advanced tools such as Kameleoon use historical data and predictive analytics to anticipate visitor behavior. Kameleoon achieves this with its Kameleoon Conversion Score (KCS™).
If KCS™ predicts visitors browsing high-end products are more likely to convert with Layout A, it ensures they see this layout. Those who are more interested in budget-friendly options may often encounter Layout B.
Your A/B tests aren’t static with AI. You’re not waiting to tweak your tests for next time. Instead, you’re optimizing and delivering the best possible experience instantaneously.
Intelligent systems track each visitor’s browsing patterns, purchase history, and preferences. AI leverages this data to tailor variations specifically for different user segments, making A/B tests more relevant and accurate.
Ashley Furniture achieved these outcomes with AB Tasty’s AI-powered platform. According to Matt Sparks, the eCommerce Optimization Manager, their UX teams used it to better understand customer experiences, solve problems, and design new functionalities.
AB Tasty helped cut out Ashley Furniture’s redundant checkout procedures. They tested a variation, prompting shoppers to enter their delivery information right after logging in. This tweak increased conversion rates by 15% and cut bounce rates by 4%.
AI-optimized test results drive tangible benefits — no doubt — but they’re not a cure-all. There are inherent limitations to consider, and we’ll go over them in the next section.
AI can’t solve every problem or guarantee 100% perfect results. Recognizing the human-focused aspects it doesn’t cover allows you to be more prudent in your testing and avoid over-reliance.
AI setup involves using advanced algorithms, specialized software, and a skilled technical team. This complexity is challenging for smaller organizations or those without a dedicated data science team.
Start with no-code platforms like Userpilot and VWO if coding isn’t your strong suit. Or, opt for out-of-the-box solutions with multi-channel support like HubSpot if you test across various platforms.
Managing and optimizing A/B tests is much easier with the right tool. So, take the time to assess your needs and select a solution that aligns with your goals.
A 2024 report by Deep Instinct shows that 97% of organizations worry they’ll suffer from AI-generated zero-day attacks.
A zero-day attack exploits a software or hardware vulnerability developers don’t yet know about, leaving no immediate fix.
If such attacks compromise your testing tools, hackers may gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. They may manipulate test results to mislead your strategy or, worse, steal users’ personal information.
Set up real-time monitoring to catch suspicious activities and implement a data breach response plan. Don’t forget to train your team on data security best practices to keep everyone vigilant.
AI has no empathy and intuitive understanding. It can tell you what’s happening, but it can’t always explain why.
Tracy Laranjo, a CRO Strategist quoted in this Convert piece on AI, mentioned that AI doesn't comprehend emotions and context as humans do. She advised:
“The key is to use AI responsibly; I use it to process data more efficiently, automate repetitive tasks, and be a more concise communicator. I embrace it for the doing aspects of my job but never for the thinking aspects.”
Pro tip: Combine A/B testing with other data analysis methods or run multiple tests to gather more insights if need be. However, continue applying sound judgment when interpreting results and making decisions.
Below are seven ways AI can transform your A/B testing efforts.
AI-powered A/B testing platforms can process extensive real-time data insights. They identify complex trends, patterns, and other variables, facilitating more precise tests.
One test design that exemplifies AI real-time analysis is Multi-Armed Bandit (MAB) algorithms. It allocates traffic to better-performing variations up-to-the-minute—think ad placement optimization and content recommendation.
MAB allocates ad impressions in real-time, prioritizing ads that show better performance as user data accumulates. It can also adjust content recommendations based on recent viewer interactions.
Amma, a pregnancy tracker app, used nGrow’s MAB algorithm to reduce user turnover. MAB automated and optimized push notifications in real-time, increasing retention by 12% across iOS and Android users.
The team also gained a better understanding of their user base. They can now better plan for new regions and optimize user engagement.
AI predictions prevent you from having misguided hypotheses and testing ineffective variants.
Alun Lucas, Zuko’s analytics managing director, told me how he does it. He used AI tools like ChatGPT to analyze Zuko’s form analytics data and identify the answers to the following questions:
Predictive analytics identify issues in your data forms or user flows before they become major headaches.
AI lets you break down your audience into different segments based on behavior, demographics, and preferences.
For instance, if you plan to recommend fashion products, you can tailor your A/B tests to different customer segments. Think the patrons, bargain hunters, and eco-conscious shoppers.
Ellie Hughes, consulting head at Eclipse Group, found this approach to be valuable for validating prototypes before implementing them on a larger scale.
She tested different algorithms like personalized search ranking and photo-based recommendations. The outcome? It enhanced her clients’ experience and made it a compelling case for further AI investment.
As Hughes notes, “The value wasn’t in the production of an algorithm as an output. It was about the clever framing of an experiment to prove the monetary value of using AI within experiments.”
A/B testing can scale from only A and B to a full A-Z spectrum of possibilities. In her talk, Ellie Hughes debunked the myth that A/B testing is limited to comparing two versions, saying:
“A/B testing can involve multiple variants and more complex experimental designs, such as multivariate testing [...] to optimize various elements simultaneously.”
Here are some real-world instances where you can implement multivariate testing.
Simultaneous evaluation of multiple variables offers a more nuanced approach to experimentation. It provides richer insights and better overall results than basic A/B testing.
Ever had A/B test results that seemed too good (or bad) to be true?
That happens.
Good thing is, AI tools can monitor test data 24/7 and flag any unexpected deviations from the norm. Whether it is a system glitch or a shift in user behavior, AI tools can help you diagnose these issues.
Valentin Radu, Omniconvert CEO, explained how his team used AI to understand what frustrated his clients’ customers.
They monitored NPS survey responses pre- and post-delivery. The analysis allowed his team to run more effective tests and make targeted improvements.
Radu said, “You can’t come up with strong hypotheses for your A/B tests without blending qualitative data in your insights. So, we are already using NLP to crunch the data and identify the main issues by analyzing customer feedback or survey responses.”
To formulate stronger hypotheses, cross-check quantitative data with qualitative insights. It’ll help ensure the observed anomalies aren’t due to data errors or temporary glitches.
AI A/B testing allows for precise measurement of how different factors (e.g., algorithm changes, user interface elements, or content) impact search engine results.
Ronny Kohavi, a world-leading AI A/B testing expert, has extensively mastered online controlled experiments. His work shows how AI and machine learning have been employed for years to fine-tune search results rankings.
These rankings span major websites like Airbnb, Amazon, Facebook, and Netflix.
He informed me that Airbnb’s relevance team delivered over 6% improvements in booking conversions. That’s after 20 successful product changes out of over 250 A/B test ideas.
Kahavi says that “it's important to notice not only the positive increase to conversion or revenue but also the fact that 230 out of 250 ideas — that is, 92% — failed to deliver on ideas we thought would be useful and implemented them.”
You tested a bold red “Buy Now” button and saw a high conversion rate last year.
Now, you notice its performance slipping. Without continuous optimization, you might not discover that users now respond better to interactive elements like hover effects or animated buttons.
Of course, these are all hypothetical scenarios, but the bottom line is clear: Continuous AI monitoring can keep your A/B tests relevant and effective.
As described in this case study, [24]7.ai continuously refined its customer service strategies through A/B testing. They tested AI-driven chat solution versions to see which improved customer interactions and resolved inquiries better.
The results? A 35% containment rate, an 8.9% bot conversion rate, and over $1.3 million saved from enhanced efficiency.
A/B test results plateau or even decline as user preferences evolve. Adjust your test parameters to keep up with changing trends and drive ongoing improvements.
AI is here. Companies and industry experts who’ve embraced AI-driven A/B testing have found it nothing short of transformative.
To get started with AI-focused A/B testing, I highly recommend checking out HubSpot’s complete A/B testing kit. It offers a comprehensive checklist to help you run the perfect split test, from initial planning to final analysis.
Now, experience the future of testing.
I remember first starting my business. At that time, I knew the basics of marketing and a little about sales.
![Download Now: 10 Competitive Analysis Templates [Free Templates]](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/53/b3ec18aa-f4b2-45e9-851f-6d359263e671.png)
What I didn’t know was the depth of my competitive business landscape. The outcome of this knowledge gap wasn’t pretty, as many competitors quickly surpassed me.
Turns out I am not alone — because if you’re reading this post, you want to beat your competition. One tactical way to do this is by creating a competitive matrix.
How?
You run a competitive analysis and document your findings using a competitive analysis template.
A competitive matrix helps to identify competitors and lay out their products, sales, and marketing strategies in a visual format. When I did this, I learned about my market position, how to differentiate myself, and how to improve my processes so they outshined competitors.
Below, I’ll walk you through what a competitive matrix is and then review some templates and examples.
In this article:
Before I dive into the world of competitive matrices, it's important to understand that there are different types you can use.
![competitive matrix template]](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/hubfs/competitive-matrix-2-20240828-2566056.webp)
The competitive advantage matrix is over a decade old, but it’s still relevant today. With this matrix, I can analyze my company’s competitive advantage by assessing based on volume production and differentiation.
This matrix has two axes — vertical and horizontal. The vertical axis evaluates the number of opportunities available for achieving a competitive advantage, while the horizontal axis measures the potential size of the competitive advantage.
Using this information, the competitive advantage matrix is segmented into four quadrants:
Below is how different businesses you know might fit into the four quadrants of the competitive advantage matrix.
Stalemate (Few advantages with small potential)
A small and local retail store that sell everyday products like groceries might be in this category.
Since this store operates in a highly competitive market and sells similar products to others, there is little differentiation and that reduces the competitive advantage.
Growth potential is also limited because of the low profit margin of the business.
Volume (Few advantages with great potential)
Walmart economies of scale and vast distribution network are competitive advantages with huge profit potential. The ability to offer low prices also attracts a high volume of customers.
Fragmented (Many advantages with small potential)
Etsy is a niched online marketplace for handmade, vintage, and unique goods.
Its diverse product range, large number of independent sellers, and thriving community of users give it a competitive edge.
However, this advantage has limited potential since products appeal to specific and smaller customer segments rather than a mass market.
Specialized (Many advantages with great potential)
Apple’s innovative products, user experience, strong brand loyalty, and ecosystem of superior devices and services give it enormous competitive advantages.
These advantages have significant potential, allowing Apple to command premium prices and maintain a strong market share across multiple product categories, from smartphones to laptops and wearables.
See that?
With the competitive advantage matrix, I can quickly determine if I am operating in a saturated market and assess my profit potential.
A SWOT analysis is one of my go-to techniques for assessing how my business compares to competitors. The acronym stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. I like the SWOT framework because it is simple but incredibly powerful when you dig into it.
SWOT lets me evaluate the internal and external factors that can affect the current and future potential of my business. By identifying these elements, I create a space to capitalize on my strengths, improve my weaknesses, take advantage of opportunities, and eliminate threats.
For example, if my company has an excellent profit record, this is a strength. If my company offers a small variety of products to its customers, this could be a weakness.
But how do I determine what information goes into my SWOT analysis?
Below are some questions I consider.
The following questions help me discover where my company excels. This information will help me attract and draw in new customers as well as maintain existing ones.
It’s difficult for my business or any organization to improve if there’s no system to determine its weaknesses. To remain competitive, I must discover the cracks in my business and find a way around them.
Monitoring my competition is necessary; however, watching for opportunities will give my business a competitive advantage. These opportunities can come from both monitoring my competitors and industry trends.
Threats can come up within a business at any time. These can be internal or external factors that might harm my company and its operations. Identifying these threats will help my business run efficiently.
As shown by these questions, a SWOT analysis matrix can help your company identify elements that are often overlooked.
A competitive profile matrix is a tool that any company can use to compare its strengths and weaknesses to industry competitors. To use this matrix, I’ll need four elements: critical success factor, weight, rating, and score.
Critical success factors are areas that will determine my success. Examples are brand reputation, range of products, and customer retention.
After selecting these factors, I will assign a weight to each one. The weight measures the importance of each factor, ranging from 0.0 (low importance) to 1.0 (high importance). I recommend that you avoid assigning a weight of 0.3 or more, as most industries thrive based on many factors.
This high value can decrease the number of factors you’re able to list in your matrix. When assigning weight, I need to ensure the sum of all weights equals 1.0.
The third step is to rate my company and its competitors from 1 to 4 in each critical success factor where:
The last step is to calculate the score.
First, I’ll multiply the weight of each critical success factor by the rating. After this step, I’ll add each company’s score to get the total score.
This, when compared to my competitors, will show if I’m behind the curve, ahead of the curve, or on par with competitors in my industry.
A sales matrix is a tool for gauging the urgency and viability of sales opportunities. It evaluates potential customers’ interest in my business against their fit for my services.
For instance, when I send out cold emails to potential customers, I am not 100% concerned about the open rate. What I am concerned with is the reply rate. Of course, if anyone on my list doesn’t respond, I follow up.
After getting a response, I want my prospect to fall into any of these categories within the sales matrix.
With this simple matrix, I get enormous benefits, such as:
The best part? I can now use my energy and resources to pursue prospects who are a good fit and interested, making selling easier.
The product feature and benefits matrix evaluates how my offer matches customer needs. It’s weighted by its importance versus its perceived distinction or advantage. When using this matrix, features will fall into the following categories:
If I am building a product, this information tells me what features to keep, what features to get rid of, and where I might save money.
Consider an iPad. Say Apple spends much of the manufacturing budget to produce a high-quality camera, only to find out that most users don’t even use it.
The camera has a high perceived distinction, yet it’s of low importance to iPad users. This information would tell Apple that they overinvested in this feature and could potentially reduce it to save costs in the future.
The price matrix is useful for deciding any business' pricing strategy. Often, this is based on its product innovativeness and the availability of competitors.
This matrix is like the competitive advantage matrix because companies can only price their product based on the edge they have.
In the price matrix, there are four quadrants:
Skimming. Skimming is best for new and innovative products with little to no competition, where customers will pay a premium. Apple uses this strategy when it launches new products like the iPhone at a high price point.
When Apple makes a more recent product, it lowers the price of the previous product to create a demand for its new product.
I found that HubSpot once used this strategy when it had far less competition in the CRM space. However, HubSpot has now slightly shifted to include the Economy model.
Premium. This works for luxury products where unique benefits or exclusivity appealing to customers. An excellent example is Rolex.
Economy. Ideal for price-sensitive customers. This also works for markets with low production costs and little differentiation. Think Walmart.
Penetration. Used to enter a competitive market with the aim of gaining market share quickly. This is popular in the software industry where I operate.
Now, when creating a pricing matrix, I’d recommend you go from:
To improve on it further, check what your competitors did and see if you can do the same or better.
Note: Unlike the other matrices on this list, a price matrix is a customer-facing competitive matrix type. You are creating it for your potential customer. So after deciding on your pricing strategy, go further with pricing tiers.
It’s common to have two or three levels. Once you’ve named them, create a short description. Depending on the industry, you might find it easier to include a few features associated with the category.
Once you do, list the prices. If not, create a call-to-action (CTA) for your potential customer to contact you for a quote.
Remember, as you build your tiers, the price will increase with each one. To stay on par with the perceived value, offer additional features or benefits to justify the cost.
Competitive matrices are great because I can use them to compare any characteristics of my company with those of a competitor.
Sometimes these matrices will be more visual (like a competitive analysis graph), and sometimes it's just an Excel document with the information listed in columns.
The goal of the competitive matrix is to see at a glance the competitive landscape and my position in the marketplace. This will help me see gaps and hone in on my unique value proposition.
A competitive matrix can also be a great way to brainstorm new service ideas or, if you sell a product, get new ideas for tools or features you hadn't considered before.
You might even come out of it with ideas for improving your content marketing strategy. You can use a competitive matrix for a lot of reasons.
Then, after figuring out what to do with the information, document your ideas, develop KPIs, and regularly conduct this analysis to stay current with your strategy.
The internet has democratized access to information. As such, you can easily find information about your competitors if you look at the right places online.
Here are some places I check when researching my competitors:
The process will be different for every business. But generally, I find these online and physical outlets will be helpful for gleaning information about your competitors:
During my time at a B2B content marketing agency, we always presented data to clients. It was always “here is what your competitors are doing” and “here is what we recommend.”
To do this, we always included set elements to present our data so it told a story that stuck:
Now that you know what a competitive matrix is and how to use one, let's review some templates you can use for your own strategy.
Ultimately, a competitive matrix is an industry-analysis tool with many benefits. To make the process even easier, use the following competitive matrix templates.
One type of competitive matrix you can do is a simple comparison of features. You can use this information to plot where your company is compared to competitors.
The features could be something like price or customization potential. Then, you'd place the logos of each company (including yours) on the competitive analysis graph, depending on how well a company executes a certain feature.
The point of this matrix is to visualize who does what better, so you can see what you have to work on and how to differentiate yourself against the competition.
As a content marketer, this is my favorite template. With this, I can compare social media followers, blog strategy, email strategy, SEO, etc.
This will help me decide where I need to focus my content strategy. If you download this template, it also includes a graph and more strategies to analyze.
A basic competitive matrix is the SWOT analysis. Conducting a SWOT analysis will help you identify areas where you could improve.
You should conduct a SWOT analysis for yourself and your competition. Knowing your competition's weaknesses will help your sales reps and help you improve in those areas.
A review tracker matrix will help you see at a glance the reviews you get versus your competitors. It's important not to forget about reviews because they can have a significant impact on a business.
With this template, you can also use a scoring system to normalize the averages.
After reviewing those templates, it's time to see what a competitive matrix looks like in action. Here are some examples below.
This is a public HubSpot competitive matrix comparing the overall pricing of our CRM versus Salesforce. It’s a standard matrix meant to help people see the difference between the CRMs at a glance.
This is a great example of what a feature matrix might look like. SugarSync compares its feature offerings against the competition in an easy-to-understand visualization.
In this example, 360iResearch reports on survey management software. This is a competitor grid showing which companies have the best product satisfaction and business strategy.
Innately, competition feels unpleasant; however, that’s not all it has to be. It can lead to growth, make us look deeper into our business, and improve.
Competitive matrices are great tools to help you uncover how you’re different from your competitors. Three that I really like are the competitive advantage matrix, SWOT (for its simplicity), and the sales matrix.
These — and the other matrices — show areas of improvement and where we can excel. If you’re having trouble evaluating your company’s position in your industry, use this article and the above tools to help.
Editor's note: This post was originally published in January 2021 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
If you’ve ever read a blog post, you’ve consumed content from a thought leader that is an expert in their industry. And if the post was well written, chances are you came away with helpful knowledge and a positive opinion about the brand.
Anyone can connect with their audience through blogging and enjoy the benefits. If you’ve heard about blogging but don’t know where to start, the time is now.
I’ll cover how you can write and manage an SEO-friendly blog with templates to help you along the way.
Blog posts allow you and your business to publish insights, thoughts, and stories on your website about any topic. They can help you boost brand awareness, credibility, conversions, and revenue.
And most importantly, they can help you drive traffic to your website.
Before you start writing your blog post, make sure you have a clear understanding of your target audience.
To do so, take the following steps:
I’ll share a little more on buyer personas with an example (because they’re that important).
Let’s say your readers are Millennials looking to start a business. You probably don't need to provide them with information about getting started on social media — most of them already have that down.
You might, however, want to give them information about how to adjust their social media approach (e.g., — from casual to more business-savvy). That kind of tweak is what helps you publish content about the topics your audience really wants and needs.
Don't have buyer personas in place for your business? Here are a few resources to help you get started:
What better way to draw inspiration than to look at your well-established competition?
It’s worth taking a look at popular, highly reviewed blogs because their strategy and execution is what got them to grow in credibility.
The purpose of doing this isn’t to copy these elements, but to gain better insight into what readers appreciate in a quality blog.
When you find a competitor’s blog, take the following steps:
Before you write anything, pick a topic you’d like to write about. The topic can be pretty general to start as you find your desired niche in blogging.
Here are some ways to choose topics to cover:
Pro tip: If you need help brainstorming ideas or lack inspiration, you can use HubSpot’s blog topic generator. It can generate title ideas and even outlines based on a brief description of what you want to write about or a specific keyword.
What perspective do you bring that makes you stand out from the crowd? This is key to determining the trajectory of your blog’s future, and there are many avenues to choose in the process.
Here’s how you can find your unique selling proposition in crowded blogging niches:
This is your opportunity to get creative and make a name that gives readers an idea of what to expect from your blog.
Some tips on how to choose your blog name include:
Pro tip: If you help choosing a blog name, try using a blog name generator. And make sure the name you come up with isn’t already taken, as it could lessen your visibility and confuse readers looking for your content.
A domain is a part of the web address nomenclature someone would use to find your website or a page of your website online.
Your blog‘s domain will look like this: www.yourblog.com. The name between the two periods is up to you, as long as this domain name doesn’t yet exist on the internet.
Want to create a subdomain for your blog? If you already own a cooking business at www.yourcompany.com, you might create a blog that looks like this: blog.yourcompany.com. In other words, your blog's subdomain will live in its own section of yourcompany.com.
Some CMS platforms offer subdomains as a free service, where your blog lives on the CMS, rather than your business's website. For example, it might look like this: yourblog.contentmanagementsystem.com.
However, to create a subdomain that belongs to your company website, register the subdomain with a website host.
Most website hosting services charge very little to host an original domain — in fact, website costs can be as inexpensive as $3 per month when you commit to a 36-month term.
Pro tip: You can connect your custom domain to free hosting with HubSpot’s free CMS or in premium editions of Content Hub. This includes access to built-in security features and a content delivery network.
Here are five other popular web hosting services to choose from:
A CMS (content management system) is a software application that allows users to build and maintain a website without having to code it from scratch.
CMS platforms can manage the following:
HubSpot customers host web content via Content Hub. Another popular option is a self-hosted WordPress website on a hosting site such as WP Engine.
Whether you create a domain or a subdomain to start your blog, you'll need to choose a web hosting service after you pick a CMS.
Pro tip: You can get started for free with HubSpot’s free blog maker. Our free CMS offers everything you need to get started– including hosting, a visual editor, and hundreds of free and paid themes to choose from.
Start using HubSpot's Free Blog Making tool to publish blog posts.
Once you have your domain name set up, customize the appearance of your blog to reflect the theme of the content you plan on creating and your brand.
For example, if you're writing about sustainability and the environment, green might be a color to keep in mind while designing your blog.
If you already manage a website and are writing the first post for that existing website, ensure the article is consistent with the website in appearance and subject matter.
Two ways to do this are by including your:
Once you have your blog set up, the only thing missing is the content.
While the design and layout are fun and functionally necessary, it's the content that will draw your readers in and keep them coming back.
We’ll go into full detail on this later.
Before you write your first blog post, make sure you know the answers to questions like, “Why would someone keep reading this entire blog post?” and “What makes our audience come back for more?”
To start, a good blog post is interesting and educational. Blogs should answer questions and help readers resolve a challenge they're experiencing — and you have to do so in an interesting way.
It‘s not enough just to answer someone’s questions — you also have to provide actionable steps while being engaging.
For example, your introduction should hook the reader and make them want to continue reading your post. Then, use examples to keep your readers interested in what you have to say.
Remember, a good blog post is interesting to read and provides educational content to audience members.
Want to learn how to apply blogging and other forms of content marketing to your business?
Check out HubSpot Academy's free content marketing course.
You’ve got the technical and practical tidbits down — now it’s time to prepare to write your very first blog post.
My advice? Start with “low-hanging fruit.” Write about a highly specific topic that serves a small segment of your target audience.
That seems unintuitive, right? If more people are searching for a term or a topic, shouldn’t that mean more readers for you?
That’s not necessarily true. If you choose a general and highly searched topic that’s been covered by major competitors or more established brands, it’s unlikely that your post will rank on the first page of search engine results pages (SERPs).
Give your newly born blog a chance by choosing a topic that few bloggers have written about.
If you need help, you can also use AI tools, like ChatGPT, for inspiration.
Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty. Here are my top 20 steps for writing a blog post.
There are several types of blog posts you can create, and they each have different formats to follow.
Six of the most common formats include:
Save time and download six blog post templates for free.
Before you write anything, you gotta pick a topic for your blog post.
The topic can be pretty general to start. If you're a company that sells a CRM for small-to-enterprise businesses, your post might be about the importance of using a single software to keep your marketing, sales, and service teams aligned.
Pro tip: You may not want to jump into a “how-to” article for your first blog post. Why? Your credibility hasn’t been established yet. Before teaching others how to do something, you’ll first want to show that you’re a leader in your field and an authoritative source.
For example, if you‘re a plumber writing your first post, you won’t yet write a post titled “How to Replace the Piping System in your Bathroom.” First, you’d write about modern faucet setups, or tell a particular success story you had rescuing a faucet before it flooded a customer's house.
Here are four other types of blog posts you could start with:
If you're having trouble coming up with topic ideas, a good topic brainstorming session should help. In the post I’ve linked, my colleague walks you through a helpful process for turning one idea into many.
This can be done by:
And if you’re still stuck, take a look at the image below for some first blog post idea examples.
Again, make sure you have a clear understanding of your target audience.
Consider what you know about your buyer personas and their interests while you're coming up with a topic for your blog post.
If you already have a pre-existing portfolio to look back on, it would benefit you to pull from those brainstormed post ideas or previous content strategy.
One thing that’s been helpful for me is specifically looking at content performance data when brainstorming ideas.
In doing this, I’ve discovered which topics tend to resonate with my audience (and which ones don’t) and created content around them.
By focusing on your core blog topics, or clusters, you can establish yourself as a thought leader, gain the trust of your audience, rank better on search engines, and attract new readers.
Find a keyword with low searches in Google (I recommend sticking to about 10 to 150 monthly searches). These topics offer less competition and should therefore allow your new blog post to rank more easily.
To choose a topic, you can either do a traditional brainstorming session or carry out keyword research. I suggest the latter because you can actually see how many people are looking for that topic.
Now, don’t be intimidated by the term “keyword research.” It’s not just for marketers, but for new bloggers, too. And it’s really easy to do.
To jumpstart your keyword research, first begin by identifying the general topic of your blog.
Say you’re a plumber. Your general, high-level topic might be “plumbing” (67K monthly searches).
Next, put this term into a keyword research tool such as:
When you run this term through the tool, a list of related keywords will appear. Scan the list and choose one with a lower search volume. For this example, we’ll use “under sink plumbing” (1.4K monthly searches).
Run that keyword in the keyword research tool again. Look at the related keywords. Find one with a lower search volume. Do that again.
For this example, we’ll settle on “plumbing problems under kitchen sink” (10 monthly searches). That’s the topic for our first post.
TL;DR — Choose a low-volume, low-competition keyword that will ensure your first post ranks.
For more help on keyword research, here are more resources you can use:
You’ve got your topic and primary keyword. Now, you need to check that the user’s search intent would be fulfilled by a blog post.
What does that mean?
If someone is looking for “plumbing problems under a kitchen sink,” they might be looking for a tutorial, a diagram, an article, or a product that can fix the issue.
If they’re looking for the first three, you’re good — that can be covered in a blog post. A product, however, is different, and your blog post won’t rank.
How do you double-check search intent?
Google the term and look at the results. If other articles and blog posts rank for that term, you’re good to go. If you only find product pages or listicles from major publications, then find a new topic to cover in your first post.
Consider the term “under sink plumbing bathroom” (30 monthly searches). It seemed like a perfect fit because it had low monthly searches.
Upon Googling the term, I found product carousels, product pages from Home Depot and Lowes, and guides written by major publications. (You’ll also want to avoid topics that have been covered by major publications, at least for now.)
TL;DR — Before writing your first blog post about a low-volume topic, double-check the user intent by Googling the keyword. Also, don’t forget to take a look at who’s written about that topic so far. If you see a major brand, consider writing about another topic.
It’s time to flesh out your topic by covering related or adjacent topics.
Use the following tools:
You can also use these keyword research tools we mentioned above in step one.
You should also identify opportunities to fill in the gaps of the existing discourse on the topic of your choosing.
You want to meet a need that hasn’t already been met in your topic cluster. Otherwise, you run the risk of writing content for topics that are already over-saturated.
It’s hard to beat saturated search queries when you’re trying to rank against high authority publications — but not impossible if your content is answering the queries the competition hasn’t.
To discover what’s missing within a topic, I conduct a competitive analysis to see what my competitors offer in their content and how I can make my blog post better.
Here are some things to look out for:
If your competitors are lacking in any of these areas, you can use that to your advantage and focus on them when writing your blog post.
Another way to differentiate your blog is by offering original data, quotes, or perspectives. Some of my best performing posts have come from getting a unique quote from an industry expert.
Your blog title should tell readers what to expect, yet it should leave them wanting to know more — confusing, right?
This is why you should brainstorm a few working titles instead of just one. I find it helpful to share these titles with a couple coworkers to get their feedback and see which one is most engaging to them.
Let's take a real post as an example: "How to Choose a Solid Topic for Your Next Blog Post."
Appropriate, right? The topic, in this case, was probably “blogging.” Then the working title may have been something like, “The Process for Selecting a Blog Post Topic.” And the final title ended up being “How to Choose a Solid Topic for Your Next Blog Post.”
See that evolution from topic, to working title, to final title?
Even though the working title may not end up being the final title (more on that in a moment), it still provides enough information so you can focus your blog post on something more specific than a generic, overwhelming topic.
Pro tip: I’ve also enlisted the help of ChatGPT to generate sample blog post titles by inputting a prompt like, “Write a list of blog titles about [topic].” Even if it doesn’t give you exactly what you want, it can still get ideas flowing.
Sometimes, blog posts can have an overwhelming amount of information — for the reader and the writer.
The trick is to organize the info in a way so readers aren‘t intimidated by length or amount of content. This organization can take multiple forms (e.g., sections, lists, tips), but it must be organized.
Download These Templates for Free
When outlining, you need to center your main ideas with keyword-rich H2s and H3s. These are going to be your headers and subheaders that readers typically search for, and the information that Google crawls when indexing and ranking content.
I use keyword research tools, like Ahrefs and Semrush, to find the best words for my blog post.
To find the right keywords, I focus on the following elements:
Let's take a look at "How to Use Snapchat: A Detailed Look Into HubSpot’s Snapchat Strategy" as an example.
There‘s a lot of content in the piece, so it’s broken up into a few sections using descriptive headers. The major sections are separated into subsections that go into more detail, making the content easier to read.
Remember, your outline should serve as a guide to make writing your blog post easier, so make sure you include all the important points you want to discuss and organize them in a logical flow.
And to make things even easier, you can download and use our free blog post templates, which are pre-organized for six of the most common blogs. Just fill in the blanks!
We've written more specifically about writing captivating introductions in the post "How to Write an Introduction," but let's review, shall we?
Here‘s an example of an intro I think does a good job of attracting a reader’s attention right away:
“Blink. Blink. Blink. It's the dreaded cursor-on-a-blank-screen experience that all writers — amateur or professional, aspiring or experienced — know and dread. And of all times for it to occur, it seems to plague us the most when trying to write an introduction.”
You‘ve already done the work on the frame, so now’s the time to add the body. The next step — but not the last — is actually writing the content. We can't forget about that, of course.
Now that you have a detailed outline and solid intro, you're ready to fill in the blanks. Use your outline as a guide and expand on all points as needed. Write about what you already know, and if necessary, conduct additional research to gather more information.
Use examples and data to back up your points, while providing proper attribution when incorporating external sources. And when you do, always try to find accurate and compelling data to use in your post.
This is also your opportunity to show personality in your writing. Blog posts don‘t have to be strictly informational, they can be filled with interesting anecdotes and even humor if it serves a purpose in expressing your ideas.
It also factors into creating and maintaining your blog’s brand voice.
Oh, and if you‘re having trouble stringing sentences together, you’re not alone. Finding your “flow” can be challenging for a lot of folks. Luckily, there are a ton of tools you can lean on to help you improve your writing.
Here are a few to get you started:
You can also refer to our complete list of tools for improving your writing skills.
And for even more direction, check out the following resources:
The editing process is an important part of blogging — don't overlook it. I tend to self-edit while I write, but it’s essential to get a second pair of eyes on your post before publishing.
Consider enlisting the help of The Ultimate Editing Checklist and ask a grammar-conscious co-worker to copy-edit your post.
I also really enjoy free grammar checkers, like Grammarly, to help proofread while I’m writing.
Here are some more tips to help you brush up on your self-editing skills:
When you're finished checking for grammar, shift your focus to adding other elements to the blog post than text. There’s much more to making a good blog post than copy, here’s some following elements to add in support of your ideas:
Choose a visually appealing and relevant image for your post. As social networks treat content with images more prominently, visuals are more responsible than ever for the success of your blog content.
![screenshot of HubSpot blog post, Social Media Calendar Template: The 10 Best for Marketers [Free Templates]](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/hubfs/how-to-write-a-blog-post-6-20240828-282471.webp)
For help selecting an image for your post, read "How to Select the Perfect Image for Your Next Blog Post" and pay close attention to the section about copyright law.
No one likes an unattractive blog post. And it‘s not just pictures that make a post visually appealing — it’s the formatting and organization of the post, too.
In a well-formatted and visually-appealing blog post, you'll notice that header and sub-headers are used to break up large blocks of text. And those headers are styled consistently.
Here's an example of what that looks like:
Screenshots should always have a similar, defined border so they don‘t appear as if they’re floating in space. That style should stay consistent from post to post.
Tags are specific, public-facing keywords that describe a post. They also allow readers to browse for more content in the same category on your blog.
Refrain from adding a laundry list of tags to each post. Instead, put some thought into a blog tagging strategy.
Think of tags as “topics” or “categories,” and choose 10-20 tags that represent all the main topics you want to cover on your blog. Then stick to those.
You’ve filled out your blog post with all the optimized content you can, so now’s the time to publish it in your CMS (content management system).
I also use this step as an opportunity to double check my post for any errors that were potentially missed during the proofreading process.
It’s especially important to preview your post before publishing to make sure there aren’t any formatting issues.
You can opt to post your content immediately, save it as a draft, or schedule when you want it to be posted live in case you adhere to a posting schedule.
A conversion path is a process by which an anonymous website visitor becomes a known lead.
It sounds simple enough, but creating an effective conversion path requires a clear understanding of your target audience and their needs.
Having a conversion path is important because when you share your content on the web, you should have an idea of what your audience should do next, or in other words, provide them with a path forward.
The HubSpot Flywheel model is a great example of this as it shows how our organization gains and maintains leads.
Call to action (CTA) are a part of a webpage, advertisement, or piece of content that encourages the audience to do something. You can add them to your blog post to guide your reader with “next steps” or a conversion path.
Different types of call to actions include asking readers to:
To get a better idea of how to make a CTA that readers want to click, we have a whole list of effective call to action examples for you to check out.
When you’re completing your blog post, you should link relevant content throughout it. An effective way to do this is to link within the same content cluster.
One thing I do to make finding relevant links easier is going to my search browser and typing “site:website.com: keyword.” By doing this, you can find all the posts you have published on that topic.
Keeping relevant content throughout your post can provide your readers with more helpful information, and potentially boost search engine rankings with corresponding longtail keywords.
But we’ll talk more about how to improve your ranking in the next step.
After you finish writing, go back and optimize the on-page elements of your post.
Don‘t obsess over how many keywords to include. If there are opportunities to incorporate keywords you’re targeting, and it won‘t impact reader experience, do it. If you can make your URL shorter and more keyword-friendly, go for it.
But don’t cram keywords or shoot for some arbitrary keyword density — Google's smarter than that.
Here's a little blog SEO reminder about what you should review and optimize:
Share your post across all the marketing channels in your repertoire. The further the reach, the more of a possibility that readers will find it.
Start by building out a promotion strategy. This is your master plan for how you create, post, and engage with your social media content. One quick but effective way to build up your online presence is by simply repurposing your blog posts.
You can turn a blog post into bite-sized snippets of engaging information to share on socials, or into an audio file perfect for audio streaming services.
HubSpot’s content marketing tools let you do just that, as well as handle SEO and even record videos and podcasts.
Having a solid promotional strategy offers your audience from different marketing channels more ways to find your blog posts.
Speaking of channels, here are some you can use to expand your blog post promotion strategy:
As a new blogger, you likely don’t have a social media following yet. Thankfully, you don’t need a huge following before you can create a promotion strategy.
Here are more blog post promotion resources:
Blog promotion and monetization can go hand-in-hand, but monetizing your blog is no small feat. The good news is there are still ways you can monetize your blog even if you’re just starting out.
Here are my top three tips to monetize your blog:
For more, check out these other money makin’ blog posts:
Your post is published for the world to see, make sure you’re keeping an eye on its performance over time so you can see if your blog post strategy is working well enough for your goals.
Keyword research, informative content, and having a promotion strategy in place won’t get you anywhere if you don’t know whether you’re doing it right. Analytics should play a key role in your overall content strategy.
Here are some blog KPIs I like to keep track of:
There are many website traffic analysis tools that you can take advantage of to better understand your audience’s behavior on your blog posts.
For example, you can track a page’s total views and average session duration with HubSpot’s marketing analytics software to gauge whether your target audience found the blog post engaging or informative while monitoring your traffic sources.
When you begin typing your blog content, it’s important that you divide paragraphs into sections that make it easier for the reader to find what they need.
If you’re just starting out, then focus on the overarching H2s you want to talk about, and you’ll be able to branch off into subheaders and more naturally as you continue.
This is a simple practice that can help your content look more professional with little effort. Centering your images keeps the reader’s attention drawn to the subject — not searching for elsewhere.
Centering also looks better when translating from PC to mobile devices. As formatting transitions to small screens or windows, a centered image will remain the focal point.
So those images you centered earlier, make sure you have descriptive alt text for them, too.
Image alt text allows search engines, like Google, to crawl and rank your blog post better than pages lacking the element. It also leads readers to your blog post if the keywords included are what they searched for in the first place.
Besides SERP features, image alt text is beneficial to readers by providing more accessibility. It allows people to better visualize images when they can’t see them, and with assistive technology, can be auditorily read aloud for people to enjoy.
When you begin working on the body of your blog post, make sure readers can clearly understand what you’re trying to accomplish.
You shouldn’t feel pressure to elongate your post with unnecessary details, and chances are that if you keep it concise, readers will derive more value from your work.
Break up the monotony of your blog post with some multimedia content where seen fit.
Your reader will enjoy visiting a blog page with images, videos, polls, audio or slideshows as opposed to a page of black and white text.
It also makes it more interactive and improves your on-page search engine optimization (SEO).
Now, do you want some real examples of blog posts? See what your first blog post can look like based on the topic you choose and the audience you're targeting.
List-based posts are sometimes called “listicles,” a mix of the words “list” and “article.” These are articles that deliver information in the form of a list.
A listicle uses sub-headers to break down the blog post into individual pieces, helping readers skim and digest your content more easily.
As you can see in the example from our blog, listicles can offer various tips and methods for solving a problem.
Thought leadership posts allow you to share your expertise on a particular subject matter and share firsthand knowledge with your readers.
These pieces — which can be written in the first person, like the post shown above — help you build trust with your audience so people take your blog seriously as you continue to write for it.
Curated collections are a special type of listicle blog post. Rather than sharing tips or methods for doing something, this type of blog post shares a list of real examples that all have something in common in order to prove a larger point.
In the example post above, Listverse shares eight real examples of evolution in action among eight different animals — starting with the peppered moth.
HubSpot Slides is a presentation tool that helps publishers package a lot of information into easily shareable slides.
Think of it like a PowerPoint, but for the web. With this in mind, presentation-style blog posts help you promote your slides so that it can generate a steady stream of visitors.
Unlike blogs, slide decks don't often rank well on search engines, so they need a platform for getting their message out there to the people who are looking for it.
By embedding and summarizing your slides on a blog post, you can share a great deal of information and give it a chance to rank on Google at the same time.
Need some presentation ideas? In the example above, we turned our company's “Culture Code” into a slides presentation that anyone can look through and take lessons from, and then promoted it in a blog post.
“Newsjacking” is a nickname for “hijacking” your blog to break important news related to your industry.
Therefore, the newsjack post is a type of article whose sole purpose is to garner consumers' attention, offer them timeless professional advice, and prove your blog is a trusted resource for learning about the big industry trends.
![infographic blog post example, HubSpot blog, Your Bookmarkable Guide to Social Media Image Sizes in 2021 [Infographic]](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/hubfs/how-to-write-a-blog-post-15-20240828-206733.webp)
The infographic post serves a similar purpose as the SlideShare post — the fourth example, explained above — in that it conveys information for which plain blog copy might not be the best format.
For example, when you're looking to share a lot of statistical information (without boring or confusing your readers), building this data into a well-designed, even engaging infographic can keep your readers engaged with your content.
It also helps readers remember the information long after they leave your website.
For this example, you need not look any further than this very blog post. How-to guides like this one help solve a problem for your readers.
They’re like a cookbook for your industry, walking your audience through a project step by step to improve their literacy on the subject.
The more posts like this you create, the more equipped your readers will be to work with you and invest in the services you offer.
Guest posts are a type of blog post that you can use to include other voices on your blog. For example, if you want to get an outside expert's opinion on a topic, a guest post is perfect for that.
Additionally, these posts give your blog variety in topic and viewpoint. If your customer has a problem you can't solve, a guest post is a great solution.
If you begin accepting guest posts, set up editorial guidelines to ensure they're up to the same standards as your posts.
If you’re feeling stuck as a new writer, don’t give up. It gets easier with practice.
Whether you’re struggling with writer's block or wanting some ways to add depth to your content, here are some quick tips I compiled to help take your blog writing to the next level:
When you’re facing writer’s block, start with what you know. Not only will sharing personal anecdotes help you get ideas flowing, but it can also keep your readers engaged with what you’re saying.
Stories can simplify complex concepts and make your content more relatable. Plus, they add a human touch and help set the tone for the rest of your blog post.
When you back up your ideas with unique, expert quotes or share facts from reliable sources, it shows that your blog post is well-researched and trustworthy.
If you don’t know where to start with finding quotes, think about the people you know and their expertise.
For example, I’m lucky enough to have incredibly knowledgeable coworkers here at HubSpot that I can reach out to if I need a quote.
I’ve also reached out to connections on LinkedIn to see if they can provide a quote or know someone who can. HARO can also be a great resource if you need a quote in a pinch.
There’s nothing that turns readers off more than opening an article and seeing a large wall of text. Think about it: most internet users have a short attention span and tend to skim through content rather than reading every word.
That’s why I recommend breaking up your blog post into smaller chunks to make it more digestible. You can do this by utilizing subheadings (H2s, H3s, H4s, etc.), bullet points, and short paragraphs.
Not only does breaking up your content make your blog post more visually appealing, it also helps readers quickly find the information they’re looking for without getting lost in a sea of text.
Aside from aesthetic appeal, visuals can help convey complex ideas in an easier way and help readers remember the information you share.
I recommend reading through your blog post and putting yourself in your reader’s shoes. Is there anything you wrote about that would be better explained with the support of an image or graphic?
For instance, whenever I write about the pros and cons of something, I like to create a graphic that shows those pros and cons in a side-by-side comparison.
I also look at search engines results when determining what images to add to my post. Does the SERP for the keyword you’re targeting have an image pack?
See if you can add in images and optimize them with alt text to increase the chances of appearing in those results.
Keep it simple.
There’s no reason to write overly complex sentences that confuse your readers. Instead, opt to convey your message in a simple and accessible manner.
At the end of the day, readers just want to find the answers they’re looking for, and writing in a straightforward manner can effectively meet this need.
I like to use the Hemingway App to make sure that my writing doesn’t get too dense.
Although your writing should captivate the reader, you should avoid overwhelming them with fluff. Using active voice can help keep your writing clear, concise, and energetic while still getting your point across.
For example, instead of saying something like “the product was loved by customers,” write “customers loved the product.”
Blogging can help you build brand awareness, become a thought-leader and expert in your industry, attract qualified leads, and boost conversions.
Follow the steps and tips we covered above to begin publishing and enhancing your blog today.
Editor's note: This post was originally published in October 2013 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
As AI reshapes marketing, the next generation of decision-makers is placing more trust in creators than in brands. Here’s how to use creator marketing strategies to keep your business relevant.
![Download Now: Free Marketing Plan Template [Get Your Copy]](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/53/aacfe6c7-71e6-4f49-979f-76099062afa0.png)
Marketing strategies evolve with the technological shifts of each era, continuously redefining how businesses connect with consumers.
In the early days of the internet, outbound marketing tactics like billboards and direct mail were the go-to approach. Then came Google and social media, giving rise to inbound marketing platforms like HubSpot.
Now, we’re entering a new and highly disruptive cycle, this time driven by AI.
This early ‘discovery’ phase — which Kieran and I anticipate will last 5-7 years before stabilizing — is marked by rapid innovation and an overwhelming influx of fragmented AI tools.
But the real challenge isn’t just about keeping pace with AI; it’s about understanding how to connect with a new generation of decision-makers — particularly Gen X and Gen Z — while everything else is changing. But how?
As discussed in a recent episode of Marketing Against the Grain, we believe that the answer lies in creator-led marketing. Here’s why — and how you can get started today.
As new generations step into key decision-making roles within companies, their approach to purchasing decisions is significantly different from that of their predecessors.
“Data shows that the new, younger generations rely primarily on social media and human-to-human connections when evaluating software, solutions, and other business needs,” Kieran explains.
They’re not interested in traditional brand pitches or product specs alone; instead, they seek raw insights, authentic voices, and a sense of community.
This shift underscores the need for brands to prioritize creator-centric content to connect with these new decision-makers online — especially as AI, despite its advancements, isn’t yet capable of delivering the nuanced, human-centered content that creators offer.
“It used to be that people trusted brands. Now creators have become the most trusted brands in our society.” So how do you pivot your marketing strategy?
Learn how to revamp your marketing plan by incorporating these three creator-led approaches, along with resources from HubSpot’s Free Marketing Plan Template.
One of the most underutilized, strategic content assets within companies is the deep industry knowledge of their employees. These individuals not only understand the challenges that customers face but also the intricacies of the product — insights that external agencies or third-party influencers may not have.
Identifying who these experts are within your business, and then putting them in front of a camera, is a high-impact way to turn critical knowledge into compelling, relevant video content. (Plus, video is harder to replicate with AI.)
Especially for audiences that are skeptical of overly-polished brand messaging and AI-generated content, showcasing real, human expertise elevates your brand’s authority and trustworthiness. It also adds a nice personal touch by showing the ‘faces’ behind the business.
Beyond using existing in-house knowledge, a second approach is to hire new employees solely dedicated to content creation. What’s key here, however, is that these new hires are given the autonomy to focus exclusively on creating content, free from the distractions of daily operational tasks.
"Allow them to experiment at scale and function entirely like independent creators,” says Kieran. “This way, they can really learn what works — and what doesn’t — for your company by experimenting, testing, and iterating.”
By giving in-house creators the space to innovate and refine their ideas, you ensure that your content stays fresh and relevant. This strategy also enables you to harness the agility that defines successful independent creators, while still benefiting from their understanding of your business goals and brand ethos.
As social media shifts toward ‘walled gardens,’ platforms are increasingly restricting the ability to share external links, reducing your capacity to direct traffic outside the platform.
“LinkedIn posts with external links are five to six times less effective,” says Kieran.
And X (formerly Twitter) has introduced features like private likes, hinting at a broader strategy to keep users and their interactions confined within the platform.
Partnering with external influencers offers a strategic way to maintain — or even grow — your presence on these increasingly closed platforms. Influencers have already built trust and credibility within their communities, allowing them to organically integrate your product into their content.
This enables your brand to connect with a targeted, engaged audience and increase awareness where direct marketing efforts are otherwise limited.
To watch our entire discussion about creator-led marketing, check out the full episode of Marketing Against the Grain below:
This blog series is in partnership with Marketing Against the Grain, the video podcast. It digs deeper into ideas shared by marketing leaders Kipp Bodnar (HubSpot’s CMO) and Kieran Flanagan (SVP, Marketing at HubSpot) as they unpack growth strategies and learn from standout founders and peers.
