Agency

Your brand identity should feel like you — here’s how to get there

Jenny Romacnhuk — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Your brand identity isn’t just how things look. It's how they feel, sound, and show up in the world. It’s the gut feeling people get when they see your name.

B2B vs. B2C Marketing: My Key Takeaways as a Marketer

Ankit Vora — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 12:00:00 GMT

When I began my career as a B2B marketer, I quickly realized that B2B and B2C marketing are two sides of the same coin. The two approaches are connected but vary on many fronts.

10 Usability Testing Tools to Level Up Your Site

Doug Bonderud — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Usability testing tools help improve your website by identifying user pain points. They let you take action to enhance the experience.

27 Best PR Tools for Monitoring & Managing Media Relations

joetting@hubspot.com (Jami Oetting) — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 11:00:00 GMT

One of the best ways to grab your audience’s and investors’ attention is by getting your brand featured in a reputable article, news report, journal, or blog post.

How to Integrate Your Online and Offline Efforts with Call Tracking

Marisa Timko — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 11:00:00 GMT

What if you didn’t have to guess which marketing tactics bring in your best customers?

Improve Your User Experience: 12 Tried-and-True Ways

ebrudner@hubspot.com (Emma Brudner) — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 11:00:00 GMT

A business's website or app has the ability to leave a lasting impression on a customer -- and whether that impression is good or bad can depend on a lot of factors.

Because of web and mobile's potential impact, entrepreneurs have started to spend time and resources on improving user experience (UX). So how can you improve the UX of your website or mobile app?

13 Futuristic Website Design Examples We Love [+ 5 Website Templates]

Jenny Romanchuk — Tue, 30 May 2023 11:00:00 GMT

Once upon a time in the digital world, websites were plain and unexciting. Fast forward to 2024, and the game has changed entirely. Companies now recognize the power of a futuristic website design to stand out from the competition and attract customers.

The State of Data-Driven Marketing [+Expert Insights]

adecker@hubspot.com (Allie Decker) — Tue, 23 May 2023 11:00:00 GMT

To compete in today's constantly changing world (and macroeconomic environment), the most effective businesses generate, analyze, and apply data to their marketing campaigns.

23 Best WordPress Themes for Magazines

Colin Newcomer — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Searching for the best magazine WordPress themes? If you're launching a publication that creates a lot of content, using a magazine theme can help you share all of that content with your readers.

How to Create a Profitable Annual Business Plan [+Free Template]

jody@thesuttercompany.com (Jody Sutter) — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 12:00:00 GMT

The beginning of a new quarter is the perfect time to start planning the next year for your business. Start the next year or quarter off on the right foot by creating an annual business plan for your company.

Website Redesign Survey Questions: 119 Questions to Ask Before Web Development

mvettorino@hubspot.com (Madison Zoey Vettorino) — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 12:00:00 GMT

When it comes to meeting with clients about a website redesign, there’s no such thing as too many questions. By bringing a list of the best website redesign survey questions to your conversations with clients, you’ll gain insight into what’s causing their visitors the most difficulty and, therefore, what you need to reimagine. Additionally, you’ll learn more about what’s currently working on their site — if anything.

What is a Marketing Proposal, and How Can You Create One? [Template Included]

joetting@hubspot.com (Jami Oetting) — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 11:00:00 GMT

Wouldn't it be great if you could provide a number for your marketing budget and the key stakeholders would just say yes or no? Even better if it was approved without asking any questions or looking at minute details.

Unfortunately, it just doesn't work that way.

Word of Mouth Marketing: What It Is and How to Make It Work

Alana Chinn — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 23:00:00 GMT

Some standout businesses seem like they grew with little to no effort. But usually, one of their big secrets is word-of-mouth marketing.

The RFP Response Formula That Gets an 80% Close Rate

joetting@hubspot.com (Jami Oetting) — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 11:00:00 GMT

The opportunity to send a proposal can be exciting. Maybe you're exploring more work with an existing client. Or, perhaps you're responding to a request for proposal (RFP).

The 15 Best Interactive Content Tools Your Agency Should Explore

cstec@hubspot.com (Carly Williams) — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 11:00:00 GMT

This is the role of interactive content tools. Instead of compelling customers to simply consume the content you produce — from advertisements to newsletters to social media posts — these tools make it possible to create back-and-forth interactions that help customers feel like part of the conversation.

7 B2C Marketing Examples to Learn From

mbretous@hubspot.com (Martina Bretous) — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 11:00:00 GMT

Historically, people have looked at B2B marketing as the serious, traditional cousin to the fun and creative B2C marketing.

4 Ways to Create Powerful Branded Content [+ Examples]

annarodriguez021@gmail.com (Anna Rodriguez) — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 12:00:00 GMT

In an increasingly saturated market, the stakes are higher than ever to capture audience attention, and it can be difficult for brands to stand out from the crowd. Enter branded content.

8 Best Tips for Business Proposal Presentations [+Examples]

John Hall — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 12:00:00 GMT

Business proposal presentations are the culmination of a long sales process between you and your clients. If you don’t structure it correctly or take the time to craft one with care, you risk losing the client’s buy-in for your solution. So getting it right is essential.

17 Proposal Software Tools for Proposal Creation and Management

joetting@hubspot.com (Jami Oetting) — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 12:00:00 GMT

You spend hours and hours drafting proposals by emailing different departments for assets, curating images, outlining the scope, creating timelines, inputting estimates — only to do it all over again for the next prospect.

What Is Customer Experience Transformation?

Sheryl Green — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 12:15:00 GMT

No matter what product you sell or what service you offer, your primary concern as a business owner or operator must be making it easy for customers to work with you.

11 Press Page Examples [+ How to Build One]

cstec@hubspot.com (Carly Williams) — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 11:00:00 GMT

The truth is, your marketing department won't always get a heads up to provide quotes and recommendations to pieces written by the press. And in the instance that they do receive notice, the turnaround time might be tight.

Oh, The Traffic You'll Grow: Your Guide to a Career in SEO

Jill Caren — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 11:00:00 GMT

"SEO is dead" — Maybe you've heard that line before and thought a career in SEO is a bad idea.

12 Traditional Marketing Tactics With Surprisingly High ROIs

lindsey@theyec.org (Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC)) — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 11:00:00 GMT

When it comes to marketing tools, the rise of technology continues to inundate us with more options than we can keep up with.

But sometimes, effective marketing means going back to the basics. Let's look at 12 traditional marketing channels and strategies that still have surprisingly high ROI today.

Programmatic Ads: The Plain-English Playbook to Programmatic Advertising

irodriguez@hubspot.com (Ivelisse Rodriguez) — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 11:00:00 GMT

I’m watching Kids Halloween Baking Championship on Hulu. There is a commercial break and I learn that I can get a low $199/mo lease on the newest Nissan Altima — all thanks to programmatic advertising.

What Is Brand Loyalty and How To Build It

mbretous@hubspot.com (Martina Bretous) — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 11:00:00 GMT

Publix is my favorite supermarket.

What Exactly Is Geotargeting & Should You Advertise This Way?

Rebecca Riserbato — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 11:00:00 GMT

It happens to the best of us.

10 Cause-Related Marketing Campaign Examples That Inspire Us

Kayla Carmicheal — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 20:00:00 GMT

On select Fridays, I reward myself for completing another week by ordering coffee from my neighborhood's local Starbucks. Today, as usual, I went to the website to peruse the menu for something new to try.

Smart Content by Language vs. Multi-language Content

Emma Ogg — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 15:00:00 GMT

For businesses to grow better, they need to be able to reach their network. If your business is global, this means reaching not only a number of regions, but a number of languages, too.

As ��ϳԹ�� helps businesses grow better, having an arsenal of multi-lingual communication tools is a necessity to market to different regions. At INBOUND 2016, ��ϳԹ�� introduced Multi-Language Content Management, and we’ve only been expanding since.

21 Skills Every Business Development Pro Should Have (or Work on)

joetting@hubspot.com (Jami Oetting) — Fri, 24 May 2019 20:30:00 GMT

The role of the agency business development executive has been called the "most dangerous job in an agency," due to the short lifespan, stress, and confusion surrounding the responsibilities of the role.

Yet, it is one of the most important positions in the agency. The success of the business development person directly influences future growth and stability.

See the Key Moments in Advertising History in This Timeline

joetting@hubspot.com (Jami Oetting) — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 13:00:00 GMT

Many people believe that marketing and advertising has changed so much that looking toward the past is futile. Innovation, new technology and tools, and disrupting ideas are the focus of both headlines and boardroom conversations.

What can we even learn from history that would be relevant for today?

How to Follow Up With a Client Without Being Annoying [Free Email Templates]

joetting@hubspot.com (Jami Oetting) — Mon, 06 Jun 2016 13:00:00 GMT

Good communication is the foundation of any good agency-client relationship. But as with any kind of relationship, certain types of communications are more challenging than others. Sending an email to let a client know that a recently launched landing page has a conversion rate that's through the roof -- that's easy. Having to send (another) email asking the client to give her approval on the latest design comp -- less easy.

6 Ways Agencies Can Generate More Leads

joetting@hubspot.com (Jami Oetting) — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 13:00:00 GMT

How do you find new clients?

This is a common question agency execs ask. But it's not the right question.

Instead, you should be asking: How do new clients find my agency?

8 Tips for Mastering the Art of Email

dfreund@advision.co (David Freund) — Fri, 20 May 2016 11:00:00 GMT

I absolutely despise email.

Perhaps I’m being a bit dramatic here, but the truth is that for most of us, this obligatory form of communication is a necessary evil for survival in business. But there's too much of it -- more 205 billion (that's with a capital B) emails are sent per day -- and it's too easy to lose track of communication, notes, attachments, and reminders.

How to Follow Up With a Prospective Client After the Initial Meeting [Free Email Template]

joetting@hubspot.com (Jami Oetting) — Mon, 09 May 2016 13:00:00 GMT

A client your agency really, really wants to work with finally agreed to meet with you after months of back-and-forth emails.

Why You're Losing Clients

joetting@hubspot.com (Jami Oetting) — Tue, 03 May 2016 13:00:00 GMT

Client relationships end. There’s no way you can completely avoid it.

And according to a recent report from Agency Management Institute, it’s common: 50% of respondents said they had fired an agency in the past two years.

The 30 Best and Worst Rebrands of All Time [Infographic]

joetting@hubspot.com (Jami Oetting) — Mon, 02 May 2016 11:00:00 GMT

In 2010, Gap proudly released its new logo -- the result of months of work and $100 million.

The reaction to the company's new look was shocking to executives: Designers, fans of the brand, the media, and pretty much anyone with a social media account or blog lambasted the company for not only the horrible design of the new logo but also the brand's next move -- to then crowdsource logo ideas from the public.

28 Brands That Go By Different Names in Different Countries [Infographic]

joetting@hubspot.com (Jami Oetting) — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 11:00:00 GMT

In the U.K., you'd grab a Hungry Jack's Whopper. In India, you'd ask for Galaxy if you wanted some Dove chocolate. And if you wanted to bring home a bucket of KFC chicken, you'd have to find the nearest PFK.

9 Tips for Making a Great First Impression

jacquelinezenn@gmail.com (Jacqueline Zenn) — Sat, 23 Apr 2016 13:00:00 GMT

Did you know that it only takes a tenth of a second to make a first impression?

In other words, when you meet someone for the first time, you need to be on your game from the very beginning. This includes being aware of everything from the words you choose to the body language you convey.

The 6 Key Traits of Highly Effective Account Managers

joetting@hubspot.com (Jami Oetting) — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 13:00:00 GMT

Why working as an account manager is no easy task

An account manager focuses on maintaining the agency-client relationship by working with the client to develop a business strategy that will fulfill their needs. Everybody wants something from them -- now. Some account managers are analytical geniuses. Others are charming extroverts. Regardless of style, there are effective skills account managers should possess. The most effective account managers possess a wide variety of skills.

What’s a Good Clickthrough Rate? New Benchmark Data for Google AdWords

kvolovich@hubspot.com (Kristina Volovich) — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 11:00:00 GMT

As marketers, we're always thinking about the most optimal way to target our potential customers. According to the Marketing Agency Growth Report 2018, 37% of survey respondents are not confident in their agency's ability to attract the ideal client and 33% are not confident their agency can generate enough leads at all. Trouble is, mastering Google AdWords is really tricky. With so many metrics to keep tabs on, figuring out whether or not you're getting it right is often easier said than done.

The Cheat Sheet of Social Media Advertising Sizes on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn & YouTube [Infographic]

joetting@hubspot.com (Jami Oetting) — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 11:00:00 GMT

People retain more of what they see than what they read -- visuals transmit information more quickly and improve overall comprehension.

That means creating highly engaging and attractive images are essential for social media success, but this is even more important when you are running paid campaigns. Your clients are counting every dollar.

17 Key Traits That Separate Managers From Leaders [Infographic]

ebrudner@hubspot.com (Emma Brudner) — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 11:00:00 GMT

"You manage things. You lead people." - Grace Hopper

The difference between managing and leading might seem fuzzy to managers, but it's crystal clear to their direct reports. Think about it: Would you rather be told what to do, or sold on a vision?

How Targeted Ads Change the Way We Think About Ourselves & Our Purchasing Decisions [New Research]

joetting@hubspot.com (Jami Oetting) — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 13:00:00 GMT

Behavioral marketing has been called creepy and an invasion of privacy, but new research is finding that it can actually change how people perceive themselves.

A study recently published in the Journal of Consumer Research by Rebecca Walker Reczek, Christopher Summers, and Robert Smith found that consumers adjust their self-perception when they view an ad that they believe has been targeted to them. The ad is seen as a type of flattery -- as long as it close to matching up with the consumer’s idea of himself -- causing purchasing intent to increase as he wants to “live up” to the brand's perception.

Stop Saying Synergize: 50 Most Annoying and Overused Corporate Jargon Phrases to Avoid in the Office [Infographic]

joetting@hubspot.com (Jami Oetting) — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 11:00:00 GMT

"Let's go ahead and address the elephant in the room."

"I need to get my ducks in a row."

"We need to dive deeper on this issue."

How to Create an Ideal Client Profile

joetting@hubspot.com (Jami Oetting) — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 13:00:00 GMT

What is a client? Who is an ideal client?

There are a seemingly endless number of marketing and advertising agencies for clients to choose from. And because most of these offer similar services, it's easy for clients to quickly switch from one firm to another.

One way to escape this "sea of sameness" is with strong positioning and branding of your agency. But defining your differentiating factors is just the first step; creating an ideal client profile should be the second. According to the Marketing Agency Growth Report 2018, acquiring new clients has been one of the big pain points for almost 60% of the agencies and 16% of them face client retention problems.

Adapting to the client’s pricing preference is another layer of complexity demanded by clients that an agency owner must deal with in today’s market. While 79% of agency owners are confident about closing new deals and clients, 23% of them fail to meet client goals and expectations. In order to drive clients to your agency, considering to offer incentives in the form of discounts, bonus work, faster turnarounds have worked out well for agencies.

Benefits of Defining an Ideal Client Profile

What is the Purpose of a Client Profile?

A client profile is a focused sales strategy that tells you which potential clients are actually good prospects -- and which ones aren't. With this information you can build marketing materials that are relevant to only your best types of clients, and learn to go after and sell to these valuable brands, which will save your agency time, money, and effort. The benefits of defining an ideal client profile are: Personalization, Content Creation & Mapping, Segmentation, Keyword Research, Sales Process.

30 Famous Brand Names You're Probably Pronouncing Wrong [Infographic]

joetting@hubspot.com (Jami Oetting) — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 11:00:00 GMT

Can having a difficult-to-pronounce brand name actually put a company at a disadvantage?

It might.

According Daniel M. Oppenheimer, a psychology professor at UCLA Anderson School of Management, harder-to-pronounce names made people less likely to purchase stocks, and politicians with difficult names had more trouble in polls.

How to Write Better Emails That Get the Attention of Busy Clients

Ryan Robinson — Sat, 26 Mar 2016 13:00:00 GMT

When you work in marketing, establishing partnerships and building meaningful relationships with influencers comes with the territory.

At CreativeLive, I'm constantly seeking out new business leaders to introduce to our audience. For me, this translates into a high volume of emails to people who are extremely busy.

From Dr. Pepper to GoPro: 8 Brilliant Examples of Co-Branding Campaigns

lkolowich@hubspot.com (Lindsay Kolowich Cox) — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 13:00:00 GMT

Anyone remember Dr. Pepper-flavored lip gloss from Lip Smackers?

I'd venture a guess that many of you do, whether it was a staple of your own childhood or that of a loved one's.

There's something brilliant and memorable about that co-branded product: It's fun, unexpected, and involves a classic and timeless brand that's helped the flavor remain popular all the way from 1975 to present day.

The 9 Traits of Highly Effective Copywriters

mkane@hubspot.com (Matthew Kane) — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 13:00:00 GMT

A lot of the oft-cited characteristics of a quality a copywriter are so obvious that one can’t help but wonder if they were written by writers at all. How many must begin with some variant of “strong writing skills,” “a knowledge of the English language,” or the ever-ambiguous “creativity.”

Any professional copywriter, without expectation, possesses all of them.

7 of the Best Creative Partnerships of All Time

mkane@hubspot.com (Matthew Kane) — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 14:00:00 GMT

In a 2013 article in Forbes, contributor Ruth Blatt wrote about why “supergroups” -- bands comprised of independently successful artists -- so rarely work out when such an assemblage of talent should otherwise predicate success.