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Our view at Stack - Semrush is a power-packed toolkit for digital marketing. Covers SEO, digital ads, market research, content, and social media. Keyword intel, real-time data, and 500+ integrations.
Use our free SEO audit template and follow our in-depth guide to get your site in shape.
If Semrush is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.
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Our view at Stack - LearnWorlds is a market leading platform for online training. It stands out with native SCORM support, allowing seamless integration of e-learning content. It offers an intuitive course builder, interactive video player with transcripts, and EU-specific payment gateways.
As an educator who got to experience both the traditional classroom and the world of online learning, I realized quite early (luckily) that teaching online is more than just the content you provide. Much like in-person, offline learning, it’s more about how you can combine content with an experience that will engage, inspire, and empower …
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The post LMS vs CMS: What are the differences and which one do you need? appeared first on LearnWorlds.
If Learnworlds is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.
Credit: Original article published here.
Our view at Stack - Semrush is a power-packed toolkit for digital marketing. Covers SEO, digital ads, market research, content, and social media. Keyword intel, real-time data, and 500+ integrations.
Discover the competition and reveal strategies and tactics of any industry player with these top 14 competitive intelligence tools, including Semrush Market Explorer and Semrush Traffic Analytics.
If Semrush is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.
Credit: Original article published here.
Our view at Stack - Capsule CRM simplifies customer relationship management, streamlines sales processes, and saves time. Features include contact management, customisable sales pipelines, email integration, analytics, and workflow automation. It doesn't provide full email marketing functionality but it does allow you to connect to other tools.
National Small Business Week 2025 runs from May 4–10, and for entrepreneurs everywhere, it’s a weeklong celebration of the people building businesses with grit, heart, and late-night Google Sheets.
Whether you’re still working from your kitchen table or already scaling your operations, this week is a rare chance to step back and say: ‘Look what I’ve built.’
And then ask: ‘How can I make it even stronger?’
That’s what this guide is about.
Instead of just observing the moment, we’ll show you how to actively prepare for it — with practical ways to participate, build awareness, reconnect with your customers, and set your business up for smoother growth going forward.
We’ll walk you through:
Even if you’re not planning a huge campaign, there’s still a lot you can do to make this week meaningful for you, your community, and your business.
National Small Business Week is a yearly celebration that shines a spotlight on the impact of small businesses across the U.S. It’s a time to recognize the people behind them — the shop owners, consultants, makers, freelancers, and family-run teams who keep communities running and bring fresh ideas to life.
Each May, the week includes events, workshops, and awards that highlight the hard work and resilience of small business owners. It’s a chance for small businesses to get noticed, connect with their audience, and take pride in what they’re building.
National Small Business Week is celebrated during the first week of May and takes place from May 4 to May 10, 2025.
National Small Business Week is the perfect time to tell the story behind your business — to show what you do, but also why you started in the first place.
Use your socials, your website, or a quick email to explain how it all began.
What was the spark? What kept you going? What do you believe in?
Take inspiration from Burt’s Bees — what began as a beekeeper and an artist making candles grew into a natural skincare brand with a global following. But their story is still front and center: love for nature, handcrafted roots, and a mission that’s never changed.
They share it through product packaging, campaigns like #Helpsavethebees, and storytelling that connects:
You don’t need a big campaign — just an honest post. Try: ‘Here’s why I started [your business name] — and what still drives me today.‘ Let people see the human behind the brand.
National Small Business Week is the perfect excuse to clean up your contact list — not just for tidiness, but to unlock new opportunities. The right message, sent to the right person, can bring back a lapsed customer or spark a new referral. And it starts with getting your data in order.
Here’s how to give your contact list a refresh:
Don’t just update — reconnect. A short message is all it takes:
You’d be surprised at how a simple subject line can spark so much interest and get those clicks coming in. GoDaddy warmly recognized the efforts of their audience, which includes other businesses, for all their hard work:
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You never know who might be ready to buy, book, or recommend — they just need a nudge.
Capsule CRM makes this part easy. You can import contacts from spreadsheets or email tools, organize them with custom tags, and schedule reminders to follow up. No matter if you’re running solo or managing a small team of employees – having everything in one place always gives you clarity and control.
As the Small Business Administration says, small businesses create more than half of all U.S. jobs — and staying connected is key to continuing those critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs. Why not start now?
National Small Business Week is a moment to celebrate the work you’ve put in — but it’s also the perfect time to thank the people who made that work possible. Your customers, clients, or supporters are the reason your business exists today.
Acknowledge that and give something back, even in a small way.
You don’t need a big budget or a major campaign to show appreciation. A thoughtful gesture can be just as powerful when it feels personal and genuine.
Ideas you can try:
Capsule CRM can help you identify who’s been with you the longest or who regularly engages with your business. Use filters to quickly build that list and tailor your outreach.
Saying thank you is a simple way to show that you remember who’s been part of your story.
Social media gets busy during National Small Business Week — but if you prepare a few posts ahead of time, you can show up consistently without scrambling for ideas each day. Show the people behind the product, share what you’ve learned, and join a national conversation that celebrates small business ownership!
Here’s an example of a simple 5-day content plan:
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Use the hashtag #SmallBusinessWeek to join the wider conversation. Prepping now means less stress later — and better engagement when it matters.
Small businesses thrive on connection — and during National Small Business Week, collaboration is completely on-brand!
The week exists to recognize entrepreneurs and small business owners for their impact on the country’s economy, employment, and innovation. So why not use it to build something together?
When you collaborate with other business owners, you create way more than a campaign — you create momentum. Shared projects can lead to success stories, new leads, and fresh energy in your community.
Need inspiration? In Almonte, Ontario, a group of small shops — including Cheerfully Made Goods — realized they couldn’t afford traditional advertising alone. So they teamed up. Ten merchants now split a shared ad in a regional magazine, paying just $80 each per month. Beyond ads, they mention each other in newsletters, cross-promote events, and even co-host craft fairs. Their mindset is simple: when the town is busy, everyone benefits.
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Here’s how you can collaborate:
Use this week not just to celebrate your own wins, but to lift up those building alongside you. The connections you make now may become the most valuable part of your business going forward.
As a small business owner, you’re often deep in the day-to-day — handling orders, replying to emails, doing the work. But during National Small Business Week, take a step back and walk through your business like a first-time customer.
What do they see?
What do they feel?
Is it clear who you are and what you offer?
Does the experience reflect your values and attention to detail?
Here’s a practical checklist to help you check in — with a bit of reflection built in:
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If you’re managing contacts in Capsule, this is a good time to check your timelines. Are there leads you meant to follow up with but didn’t? Anyone going quiet who might just need a quick check-in?
You can use tags to group your best customers or most engaged contacts — then set gentle reminders to reach out during the week. Sometimes all it takes is a ‘Hey, how’s everything going?’ to bring someone back into the fold.
National Small Business Week is also a reminder: running a business is a long game.
After the spotlight fades, what really matters is how well your systems support you every single day.
Now’s the time to look ahead.
What’s slowing you down? Where are things slipping through the cracks?
Use this moment to make one upgrade that’ll make life easier after the buzz of May — even if it’s just organizing your contacts better or cleaning up how you track leads.
If you’re ready to bring a bit more order into the chaos, Capsule CRM can be your steady partner. It helps you:
Rated 4.7 on G2, Capsule offers flexible pricing, integrations with your favorite tools, and a setup that’s actually easy to stick with.
Celebrate Small Business Week by building something that lasts.
Learn how to make the most of the trial:
https://capsulecrm.com/blog/how-to-make-the-most-of-your-capsule-trial/
Because growth is easier when you’re not doing everything from scratch.
National Small Business Week is your chance to lay the groundwork for what’s next.
Every action counts.
Use the week to reflect, show up with purpose, and reconnect with the people who’ve supported your journey so far. And when you’re ready to grow beyond the moment, tools like Capsule CRM can help you keep that momentum going — with fewer distractions and more clarity.
Small businesses power the economy, create jobs, and bring innovation to life.
So take the week. Make it count. Good luck!
If Capsule CRM is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.
Credit: Original article published here.
Our view at Stack - Capsule CRM simplifies customer relationship management, streamlines sales processes, and saves time. Features include contact management, customisable sales pipelines, email integration, analytics, and workflow automation. It doesn't provide full email marketing functionality but it does allow you to connect to other tools.
Feel like you’re always busy but never caught up?
You’re not alone. Most of us move from task to task without a clear picture of how our time gets spent. The result? Days blur together, important work doesn’t get done.
A simple timesheet could help you change that — if you use the right one.
In this guide, you’ll learn how time management sheets work, the different types you can try, and how to pick (or customize) one that fits your routine. There’s a printable weekly sheet included too, along with step-by-step tips to help you stay on track.
Let’s find a way to make your time work for you — one sheet at a time.
A time management sheet is a simple tool for logging how you spend your day — hour by hour or task by task. It can be a printed planner, a spreadsheet, or a scribbled list. The goal is the same: to help you see where your time goes.
Time management sheets help you with:
Some studies even show that people who track their time feel more in control. Makes sense. Once you know where the hours go, it’s easier to take charge of them.
A time management “sheet” doesn’t have to be a sheet at all. It can be a list on a sticky note, a color-coded calendar, or even a scribble in your notebook during your morning coffee. What matters is that it helps you see your day clearly and make better decisions with your time.
Here are a few formats worth trying. Pick the one that fits your routine — or mix and match as your week unfolds.
This one’s for those who like to see their week before it starts. It’s structured like a calendar, with time slots for each day, so you can block out client calls, focus hours, team check-ins, or even your lunch break. It’s ideal if your brain works best with structure and your schedule changes often.
Unlike a time log or task list, this sheet helps you shape the day before it begins. It’s proactive, not reactive — perfect for avoiding last-minute chaos.
📌 Use it to: avoid double-booking yourself, protect time for deep work, and stop meetings from eating your day alive.
You sit down for the day, blink a few times, and somehow it’s 5 p.m. Sounds familiar? A time log helps you trace your steps — not in your head, but on paper. You log what you did and when you did it during the day.
It’s the most revealing type of planner because it actually shows reality and not your intentions. Perfect if you’re trying to get a handle on distractions and time sinks.
📌 Use it to: track tasks in real time, compare planned vs. actual hours, and spot invisible time drains before they become habits.
Ever write a to-do list that looks feasible, and then realize you only had time for completing half of it? The task list format helps you gut-check your expectations. You jot down your tasks for the day, assign a time estimate to each one, and (optionally) track how long they really take.
It shifts your focus from just starting tasks to actually finishing them — without stacking your day like a game of calendar Tetris.
📌 Use it to: juggle multiple projects and avoid overcommitment
Staring at a long list of tasks and thinking, “Where do I even start?” That’s exactly what the priority matrix helps you fix. Also known as the Eisenhower Matrix, it’s a four-box grid that helps you sort your tasks by urgency and importance — so you spend less time reacting and more time deciding.
Here’s how it works:
You won’t block out time like with a planner, but this format gives you clarity before your day begins. It’s ideal when everything feels important, but your hours are limited.
📌 Use it to: make faster decisions, focus on what truly moves the needle, and stop letting urgent-but-meaningless tasks hijack your day.
You don’t need a perfect system — just something simple you’ll actually use. With the right sheet and a few small habits, time tracking becomes less of a chore and more of a cheat code. Here’s how to make it a part of your workflow:
Some people plan each day the night before. Others map out their whole week in one go. There’s no right way — just what works for your brain and your schedule.
If you’re new to this, start small: plan your day each morning or right before logging off. Once it feels natural, you can start blocking time by the week or even month.
Practical examples:
Here’s where your sheet stops being a blank page and starts pulling its weight.
Block time for what actually fills your day — calls, deep work, admin, even breaks. Use a planner with hourly slots or a task list with time estimates. Either way, break big tasks into bite-sized pieces so you can see progress (and avoid overwhelm).
Practical examples:
The goal: a flow that feels natural and leaves you with something to show at the end of the day.
Don’t let your day get hijacked by busywork. Before anything else, pick your top three tasks: the ones that actually move the needle. Highlight them, number them, star them… whatever makes them stand out.
You shouldn’t just do everything. You must ensure that the right things get done.
Practical examples:
When everything feels urgent, this step helps you remember what’s actually important.
You planned to spend the afternoon writing, but then a call ran over, your laptop needed a restart, and suddenly it’s 3 p.m. That’s life — and your time sheet should flex with it.
Treat your plan like a roadmap, not a contract. Shift things around, leave buffer zones, and don’t be afraid to bump a task to tomorrow on purpose.
Practical examples:
If it’s buried in a notebook or a closed browser tab, you won’t use it. Keep your planner where you’ll see it all day — on your desk, pinned to your wall, or open in a browser tab you never close.
Tip: If you’re printing your sheets, date them and keep a copy. It’ll make reviewing your progress easier later.
Also: build in breathing room. Back-to-back blocks might look productive, but they’ll collapse after one overrun meeting. Leave 15–30 minute buffers to reset or shift things around.
Practical examples:
No system is perfect the first time around. Review your sheet weekly to catch patterns: which tasks took longer? What always gets postponed? Adjust your plan accordingly — move tricky tasks to a better time or drop what’s not working.
And when you do follow through? Give yourself a win: a walk, a snack, or even just writing down “finished everything by 4:30.” It builds momentum.
Practical examples:
Here’s a simple example of a weekly planner sheet template you can use right away. This one covers a full week, from Sunday to Saturday.
Grab the printable version here:👉 Capsule CRM | Time Management Sheet Template
Use this file if you want to:
This sheet is built to help you plan your week and stay focused during work hours. It runs from Sunday to Saturday, with 30-minute time blocks from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
At the top of the sheet, next to “From” and “To,” write the start and end dates for the week you’re planning.
✏️ Example: From: April 8 – To: April 14
Start by filling in anything that won’t move – meetings, calls, appointments, or classes. Add them under the correct day and time.
✏️ Example: Monday, 10:00–11:00 = Client call
Pick a few quiet hours for tasks that need focus. Add one task per time block, and try not to overload each day.
✏️ Example: Tuesday, 9:00–10:30 = Marketing report
Fill in regular things like email, follow-ups, admin work, or daily reviews. These are easy to forget but eat up time.
✏️ Example: Wednesday, 1:30–2:00 = Inbox clean-up
Schedule short breaks like you would any task. A 30-minute break mid-morning or around lunch helps you reset and stay on track.
✏️ Example: Thursday, 12:30–1:00 = Lunch
Leave some open space each day for tasks that run over or things that pop up. This buffer keeps your schedule from falling apart.
✏️ Example: Friday, 3:00–3:30 = Buffer
If things shift, that’s fine. Cross out or update time blocks as needed. You need to stay honest with how you’re using your time.
Want to make your own version? It’s easy. Open Google Sheets or Excel, create a table with time blocks on the left and days across the top. You can add space to track planned vs actual time or split it by task category.
Such a planner template can help you focus better and stop second-guessing what’s next. It also makes it easier to enjoy your free time without feeling behind.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer — but there is a big difference between planning your day on a screen and planning it on paper.
Digital tools are great if you:
Paper or printable planners are better if you:
You can go as minimal as a notebook or as structured as a printed weekly template. Bonus: it never runs out of battery.
The hybrid option? Even better.
Plan your week on paper to get clear, then drop the key tasks into your digital calendar. Or log time digitally, but keep priorities visible on your desk. The format doesn’t matter as much as the habit: seeing your time clearly — and sticking to the plan.
Want a final nudge toward something new?
If you’ve tried the apps and notebooks and still feel stuck, it might not be the format — it might be the system. Capsule’s built-in project boards help you stay on top of tasks and deadlines while keeping your entire team in sync.
A time management sheet can be a small change that transforms your entire workflow. With the right structure, your days feel less chaotic and more intentional. Capsule gives you the tools to turn plans into progress — from solo tasks to full team projects. Try it out and build a routine that sticks!
If Capsule CRM is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.
Credit: Original article published here.
Our view at Stack - Capsule CRM simplifies customer relationship management, streamlines sales processes, and saves time. Features include contact management, customisable sales pipelines, email integration, analytics, and workflow automation. It doesn't provide full email marketing functionality but it does allow you to connect to other tools.
For many small business owners, the idea of valuing their business feels distant – something only big corporations do. But knowing what your business is worth?
Maybe you’re thinking of selling. Maybe you’re eyeing a loan or bringing in investors. Or maybe you just want to know if all your hard work is paying off.
The great news is that you don’t need an accounting degree to figure it out.
In this guide, we’ll break down the most common valuation methods, explain the key terms, and show you simple formulas you can run yourself – with examples that make the math less intimidating.
Most small business owners wait too long to ask, ‘What’s my business worth?’ They only start thinking about it when they’re ready to sell, seek funding, or negotiate with investors. By then, it’s often reactive – and limits your options.
But knowing your business’s value before you need it gives you leverage. It helps you:
Precise business valuation shows you where you stand, so you can make smarter decisions while you’re still in the driver’s seat.
Before jumping into calculations, take time to set the foundation. A good valuation depends on accurate, well-prepared data. These steps help ensure your numbers reflect reality.
Valuation methods rely on certain metrics. Understanding these terms helps you use the formulas correctly:
Before you can value your business, you need to know what’s under the hood. These are the documents and figures that show how your company’s been performing and what it owns. Don’t worry, you don’t need an accountant’s eye – just a clear snapshot of where you stand.
Having these details in order makes the rest of the valuation process faster and more accurate. It helps you avoid undervaluing (or overhyping) your business.
Need help getting the numbers straight?Check out:
If you’re valuing your business for a sale – or even just preparing to pitch to investors – your financials must tell the real story of what the business earns. That means scrubbing out anything that could confuse or mislead.
Here’s what to do:
Clean, honest financials increase your credibility and can bump up your valuation.
Buyers and investors need to trust your numbers. If they don’t, they’ll either walk away—or lowball.
Tip: If your books have been a bit unorganized, this is a good moment to work with a bookkeeper. Even one clean year of records can make a big difference in how your business is valued.
You can run a rough valuation on your own – we’ll walk you through that. But if you’re gearing up for a major decision, like negotiating a sale, bringing on investors, or splitting equity with a partner, it pays to get a second opinion.
A professional appraiser or accountant can:
It’s like selling your house – you can estimate its worth, but it’s often a real estate agent that knows the market and gets you the best price.
#1 – Income approach: what your future earnings say about your business value
The income approach is all about what your business could earn in the future.
If someone were buying your company, they wouldn’t just care about today. They’d want to know how much profit it can bring in tomorrow. This method helps put a price on that potential.
Two ways to approach future income:
For steady income, this method is a solid place to start. Take your yearly earnings and multiply them by a number (called a multiple) based on your industry.
The multiple depends on growth potential and industry demand.
Example:
Liam runs a digital agency, providing marketing services to tech startups. He calculates his SDE (Seller’s Discretionary Earnings) at $130,000 after adding back his salary and personal expenses like a leased vehicle. In his region, digital agencies typically sell for around 2.8× SDE.
Or, if a buyer prefers to use a capitalization rate of 18% (reflecting the moderate risk level):
The choice between multiplier and cap rate depends on buyer preferences – both methods give insight into how much Liam’s agency might be worth.
If your business is growing or you have solid future plans, discounted cash flow (DCF) digs deeper.
Here’s the simple idea:
Example:
Liam expects the agency to generate $150,000 in annual cash flow for the next 5 years. Using a discount rate of 15% (reflecting market risk for small agencies), the calculation looks like this:
If Liam projects a terminal value of $250,000 (based on a final sale or exit strategy):
Adding it all up:
DCF valuation = ~$627,068
Tip: You can use benchmarks from platforms like BizBuySell Insight Reports, which track small company sales by industry.
The market approach helps estimate the value of your business based on real sales of similar companies. Instead of focusing on earnings or assets, it looks at what buyers have actually paid for comparable businesses.
In 2024, small businesses typically sold for about 0.67× annual revenue or 2.57× annual profit. But those numbers are just broad averages. Digital agencies or consulting firms may have different benchmarks than, say, a retail store or manufacturer.
That’s why industry-specific research is so important.
Market approach formula:
Value = Revenue × Industry Multiple or % Benchmark
Example:
Liam checks recent sales of small digital agencies in his region. He finds that similar firms typically sell for 60% of annual revenue.
Last year, his digital agency brought in $400,000 in revenue:
That’s Liam’s market-based valuation – grounded in what similar agencies are fetching.
This method anchors your expectations in the real world. It reflects what buyers are actually paying today, not theoretical value based on future growth or assets alone.
But be cautious. The right benchmark depends on:
So, always compare apples to apples – not a boutique agency to a global consultancy.
The asset-based approach values your business by adding up what you own and subtracting what you owe. It’s straightforward – and works best if your company holds valuable assets like equipment, property, or intellectual property.
For service-based firms like Liam’s agency, where physical assets are minimal, this method often acts as a baseline valuation: useful, but not the full story.
Asset-based formula:
Value = Total Business Assets – Liabilities
Example:
Liam lists what his digital agency owns and owes:
Calculation:$30,000 + $15,000 – $10,000 = $35,000 asset-based value
A few things to know:
For agencies like Liam’s, intangible assets – like long-term client relationships or proprietary workflows – carry weight, even if they don’t show up neatly on a balance sheet. Some buyers will even pay more for these intangibles if you can prove their value (think: client retention rates or proprietary tools that give you an edge).
Liquidation value is what you’d get if you had to sell your business assets fast — think closing the doors and clearing out everything. It’s often lower than asset value because you’re selling under pressure, not at market rates.
For service-based businesses like Liam’s agency, this number is usually modest. Physical assets – laptops, software licenses, office furniture – don’t hold high resale value, especially in a hurry.
If Liam ever had to liquidate his digital agency, he might recover only 60–70% of the estimated asset value. So if his adjusted asset value was $35,000, his liquidation value might fall between $21,000 and $24,500.
For Liam, there’s no single right answer. Each valuation method tells a different story about his agency’s worth:
So, what should Liam do?
Pick two or three methods. Combining them gives Liam a rounded view of his agency’s value. For example:
Let’s say one method values Brightside at $180,000 and another at $400,000.
That’s normal.
Instead of worrying, Liam should:
This gives Liam confidence in the numbers he’ll share with investors, buyers, or lenders.
Liam’s next step? Think about the buyer.
Knowing who’s across the table helps Liam lean into the right valuation story – whether that’s highlighting predictable revenue or showcasing his agency’s stellar client list.
Valuing his agency helps Liam show up ready in talks with lenders, investors, or anyone interested in his business. And while the formulas help, there’s one more thing he can do: raise that value over time.
Even if you’re not planning to sell right now, growing your business’s value makes it easier to:
Here’s where Liam’s focusing his efforts – and where you can too:
It might feel like a lot – but start small. Even one tweak can make a noticeable dent in your business’s value.
After all, the goal isn’t to look valuable. It’s to be valuable.
Getting to know your business value takes effort – but knowing it feels like clarity.
Running a small business means making decisions all the time. Some easy, some tough. Knowing what your business is worth makes those decisions easier.
You’ve put in the work. Now you’ve got the numbers to back it up. Good luck!
One of the most common is:
Value = Seller’s Discretionary Earnings (SDE) × Industry Multiple.
Depending on your setup, you might also lean on methods like Discounted Cash Flow or Asset-Based valuations.
Start simple: take your annual SDE and multiply it by an industry average (usually between 2× and 4× for most small businesses). It won’t be exact, but it gives you a working estimate. To sharpen it, check recent sales of similar businesses in your industry.
EBITDA multiples usually land between 3× and 6×, depending on your industry, size, and growth potential. Tech firms or high-growth companies may sit above 6×. Smaller service-based businesses might use SDE instead of EBITDA – it’s often more accurate for owner-led operations.
They’re helpful for a ballpark figure. Add your profit, assets, and industry, and they’ll spit out an estimate. Just remember: they work off standard assumptions. It’s smart to pair the results with your own calculations or check with a pro.
Revenue multiples are another quick way to estimate. Industries set their own benchmarks – salons, for instance, might sell for 0.4× annual revenue, while a SaaS company could pull 3×. Always check what’s happening in your specific niche before running the numbers.
If Capsule CRM is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.
Credit: Original article published here.
Our view at Stack - LearnWorlds is a market leading platform for online training. It stands out with native SCORM support, allowing seamless integration of e-learning content. It offers an intuitive course builder, interactive video player with transcripts, and EU-specific payment gateways.
If you’re building a course business, you already know it’s not just about publishing content. It’s about selling it—reliably, smoothly, and in a way that scales with you. Most learning management systems do an okay job at hosting content. But when it comes to growing course sales, offering flexible pricing, or handling payments securely, too …
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The post Best ecommerce LMS platforms to scale and sell online courses appeared first on LearnWorlds.
If Learnworlds is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.
Credit: Original article published here.
Our view at Stack - LearnWorlds is a market leading platform for online training. It stands out with native SCORM support, allowing seamless integration of e-learning content. It offers an intuitive course builder, interactive video player with transcripts, and EU-specific payment gateways.
From new hire onboarding to ongoing employee training, employers need to deploy all kinds of training programs to offer their employees the opportunity to grow professionally and perform better in the workplace. And let’s not forget that training often extends beyond the walls of your organization: other common use cases include customer education and partner …
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The post Choosing the best LMS for training companies: 9 top options appeared first on LearnWorlds.
If Learnworlds is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.
Credit: Original article published here.
Our view at Stack - GoCardless is a payment services provider - highlights include low processing rates, no monthly fee for the basic account, month-to-month billing without early termination fees, and extensive support for international payments. It’s optimized for direct bank payments, offering security and flexibility
LONDON 16 May, 2025 – GoCardless has deepened its relationship with iplicit as it helps the cloud accounting fintech introduce a new update to its product.
iplicit, which is purpose-built for the UK and Ireland’s mid-market, will bring GoCardless’ Direct Debit capabilities to customers using its cloud accounting platform.
The arrival of GoCardless’ Direct Debit features follows the successful roll-out of its open banking-powered Instant Bank Pay (IBP) to iplicit customers in the first quarter of 2025.
Organisations using iplicit will now benefit from a simple in-app interface for managing and automating their Direct Debit payments, powered by GoCardless, with features such as:
Automated payment collection and reconciliation, reducing time-consuming financial admin thanks to connections with via connection to over 350 GoCardless partners integrations, reducing time-consuming financial admin
GoCardless Direct Debit payments are pull based, meaning that iplicit users, as merchants, initiate the payment once given a mandate by their customer. Direct Debit payments are also bank-to-bank, with no card networks — and the associated high fees — involved.
By adding GoCardless’ Direct Debit capabilities to Instant Bank Pay, iplicit can now offer busy businesses one place to manage recurring and one-off payments, helping them streamline their operations to save time and money. saving time and money.
iplicit announced the extension of its partnership with GoCardless at Accountex in London’s ExCel.
Having collected its own payments via GoCardless since 2019, the award-winning accounting software provider is confident that the partnership will answer the Direct Debit needs of its midmarket customer base.
This includes customers across a variety of verticals, such as non-profit, recruitment, education, fintech, SaaS, and multi-academy trusts.
Tom Metcalfe, Director, UK&I Partnerships at GoCardless, said: “We’re excited to follow our successful introduction of Instant Bank Pay with this Direct Debit integration. iplicit customers now have an all-in-one solution for recurring and one-off payments, directly within a platform they know and trust. This will help them get paid on time, save time and money, and win and retain more customers.”
Paul Sparkes, Chief Product Officer at iplicit adds: “At iplicit, we prioritise listening to the needs of our midmarket customers to continually refine our product and identify ways of improving their day-to-day financial admin and cashflow.”
“Our ongoing partnership with GoCardless, a leader in the payments space, allows us to offer exactly what these customers need, which is a straightforward, seamless, and reliable solution for automating and collecting Direct Debit payments. This eliminates the inefficiencies and errors common with manual payment collection and chasing of failed or missed payments. Merchants using iplicit can now enjoy reliable cashflow and added confidence when managing their recurring payments.”
Born in the cloud, iplicit’s state-of-the-art platform is specifically tailored for businesses that have outgrown basic entry-level systems or grown frustrated with legacy on-premises vendors. It delivers the advanced functionality and performance of upmarket systems at a fraction of the cost and complexity.
Press contact
press@gocardless.com
About GoCardless
GoCardless is a global bank payment company. Nearly 100,000 businesses, from start-ups to household names, use GoCardless to collect and send payments through direct debit, real-time payments and open banking.
GoCardless processes US$130bn+ of payments annually across 30+ countries; helping customers collect and send both recurring and one-off payments, without the chasing, stress or expensive fees. We use data and insights to improve payment success, reduce fraud and, with open banking connectivity to over 2,500 banks, help our customers make faster, more informed decisions.
We are headquartered in the UK, with additional offices in Australia, France, Ireland, Latvia and the United States. For more information, please visit www.gocardless.com and follow us on LinkedIn @GoCardless.
About iplicit
iplicit is intelligent, powerful and intuitive true cloud accounting software for frustrated users of old legacy on-premises and fake cloud systems. Its user base, consisting of medium-sized businesses and nonprofit organisations, is expanding rapidly.
Launched in January 2019, iplicit now has more than 38,000 daily users in 103 countries. The software integrates with other cloud applications and provides users with real-time reporting capabilities, automated data migration, rapid implementation and a public API to break down data silos.
iplicit was rated 18th among UK businesses on the FT1000 list of Europe’s fastest-growing companies and achieved 40th place in the Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50. In February 2022, iplicit was voted AccountingWEB’s best Enterprise Accounting/ERP 2021 (beating six other finalists into runner-up position). In 2021, iplicit was named Accounting Excellence Mid-Market & Enterprise Accounting Software of the Year 2020.
With over 150 employees, iplicit has three offices in London EC1, Poole and Dublin.
For more information about iplicit, visit the website (www.iplicit.com), and follow the company on LinkedIn and X.
If GoCardless is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.
Credit: Original article published here.
Our view at Stack - Teachable’s is an online training platform and it's key features include an intuitive course builder, rich multimedia lectures, and powerful sales and marketing tools. It offers flexible pricing options, advanced analytics, and student management capabilities. Additionally, it provides great customer support and mobile accessibility
The average business-focused creator is part strategist, part production crew, part accountant and more, and it shows. In a 2024 survey, 79 percent of YouTube creators said they’d grappled with burnout according to Tasty Edits.
If you’ve felt the same strain, the solution isn’t “work harder.” It’s choosing work that multiplies itself AND accomplishes your goals. The seven plays below build compounding reach and preserve the energy that makes your work magnetic while also helping you live the life you desired when you started this, with more ease.
Chasing every platform feels productive until the analytics tell another story. Instagram’s average reach rate fell 18 percent year-over-year between January 2023 and August 2024 according to the Social Insider, which means spreading yourself thin often delivers shrinking returns.
Pick the single channel where your audience already converts best, YouTube for tutorials, LinkedIn for B2B, a niche newsletter for deep dives, and double your creative hours there. You’ll gain data clarity (what works, what doesn’t) and reclaim time you can reinvest in products that scale.
Instead of ideating from scratch, think “one masterpiece, many miniatures.” Ninety percent of marketers repurpose content across multiple platforms, and 67 percent say turning high-performing posts into new formats lifts results.
Try the waterfall: record a flagship lesson → clip short reels → pull quote cards → rewrite the core insight as a LinkedIn post. For Teachable creators, the one video can live as a course module, an email teaser, and a gated digital download.
The message: squeeze every drop from your best ideas before chasing new ones.
Creative momentum stalls when invoicing or tax paperwork hijacks your calendar. Marketers who embrace automation save an average of 25 hours every week.
Teachable bakes those gains in: native sales-tax handling, automated collaborator payouts, and an AI course starter that can spin up an outline, lesson copy, and sales page in minutes.
Layer Zapier or Make on top to auto-tag new students in your CRM or drop purchase data straight into your P&L. Every hour you reclaim is an hour you can spend refining product or taking a genuine break, both grow reach faster than wrestling spreadsheets.
Algorithms wobble; subscribers stick. Email still returns a median $36 for every $1 invested Pair that with a private community, and you control the experience end-to-end.
Teachable’s Community product lives inside the same dashboard as your courses, so a student can move from lesson to discussion thread without ever bouncing to another app.
Start simple with a weekly newsletter, monthly live Q&A, and a members-only forum where wins are celebrated. As engagement compounds, you’ll see course referrals rise organically.
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When the content market crowds (and half of businesses plan to increase content-marketing budgets this year, according to Enterprise Apps Today. A partnership can become your shortcut to fresh eyes.
Host a guest expert workshop inside your Teachable school, bundle your course with a peer’s complementary template, or swap newsletters for a week. Because each creator promotes to their own list, both sides tap audiences who already trust a human, much warmer than an ad click.
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Growth at the cost of wellness eventually reverses itself. Choose one simple metric, hours worked per subscriber gained, or content pieces published per revenue dollar, and track it weekly. When the ratio slips, schedule a “no-post” day, block vacation into your calendar, or rotate off a channel that isn’t delivering.
A creator who rests will statistically outlast competitors who don’t. Your fans feel the difference in voice and velocity, and the algorithm rewards consistency over sporadic flame-outs.
Creating fresh content on demand is exhausting; letting your best ideas sell themselves is freedom. When you convert a proven live workshop, consulting framework, or coaching curriculum into an evergreen course or digital download, you build a 24-hour lead-gen engine that works while you rest.
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Being in business doesn’t have to equal burnout. Avoiding burnout is really a systems game. Build the right systems, and every new student and business opportunity becomes an advocate while you preserve the creative spark they signed up for in the first place.
Transparency is key. If you’ve built a genuine connection with your audience, they will likely understand your need for a break. Communicate in advance if possible, explaining that you’re taking some time off to recharge and when they can expect you back. You can also schedule some content in advance to maintain a presence while you’re away. Prioritizing your well-being ultimately allows you to create better content in the long run, which benefits your audience too.
Early signs can include persistent fatigue, lack of motivation or enthusiasm for topics you usually enjoy, decreased creativity, feeling overwhelmed by your content schedule, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and noticing a decline in the quality of your work. Physically, it might manifest as headaches or changes in sleep patterns. Recognizing these signs early allows you to adjust your workload, take breaks, and implement self-care strategies before it becomes severe.
There’s no magic number. Consistency is more important than frequency. Focus on a schedule you can realistically maintain long-term, whether it’s daily, weekly, or bi-weekly. Prioritize quality over quantity. It’s better to post one high-value piece of content per week consistently than to post mediocre content daily and burn out. Use analytics to see when your audience is most engaged and experiment to find a rhythm that works for both you and them. Batching content can help maintain consistency without daily pressure.
For sustainable growth, start by mastering one or two platforms where your target audience spends the most time. Trying to be active everywhere can quickly lead to burnout. Once you have a strong footing and efficient workflow, you can strategically expand to other platforms. When diversifying, repurpose content effectively rather than creating unique material for every channel from scratch. The key is strategic presence, not ubiquitous presence.
Owned channels like email and community offer stable, algorithm-proof engagement. They also drive better conversions and deeper relationships than social platforms alone.
If Teachable is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.
Credit: Original article published here.
Our view at Stack - Shopify has just about everything you need if you're looking to sell online. It excels with unlimited products, user-friendly setup, and 24/7 support. It offers 6,000+ app integrations, abandoned cart recovery, and shipping discounts up to 88%. Plus, it allows selling both online and in-person, scaling as your business grows.
If you ship products to customers, you know how hard it can be to reduce shipping costs, especially for merchants selling bulky items like suitcases, body pillows, or furniture.
Since shipping carriers consider the size of packages as well as their weight, you might be paying for the volume of the box rather than the actual weight of the contents, leading to surprisingly steep shipping costs. For businesses trying to maintain competitive prices and healthy profit margins, understanding and mitigating the dimensional weight pricing structure is absolutely critical.
Learn how dimensional weight differs from physical weight, how to calculate it, and how you can reduce dimensional weight to lower your shipping costs.
Dimensional weight, also known as DIM weight or volumetric weight, is a pricing technique that shipping carriers use to determine billable weight based on size in relation to the package’s actual weight.
Shipping carriers calculate DIM weight by multiplying a package’s length, width, and height and dividing that by a dimensional factor (DIM factor) chosen by a shipping carrier.
The DIM factor is used by shipping carriers to convert a package’s volume into a chargeable weight. By using this method, carriers like UPS and FedEx can assess how much space large packages take up in delivery vehicles—even if they’re lightweight—and charge for them accordingly.
Dimensional weight derives from the size of a package, while physical weight refers to the actual weight of the package (typically in pounds or ounces).
Shipping companies use DIM weight pricing for large shipments that take up a lot of space and use actual package weight pricing for small or heavy shipments.
Shipping carriers including FedEx, UPS, and the United States Postal Service (USPS) pick the pricing structure based on which one is greater. So an ecommerce merchant selling large art prints online will likely pay for dimensional weight, especially if the prints are lightweight. Meanwhile, a merchant shipping small and heavy items like dumbbells or laptops will likely incur shipping costs based on physical weight.
To calculate dimensional weight, find the cubic size of your package by multiplying its length, width, and height. Divide that product by your shipping carrier’s DIM factor. Here’s the calculation as a formula:
(Package length x width x height) / DIM factor = DIM weight
Since each shipping carrier chooses their own DIM factor, dimensional weight calculations can vary between carriers. Here’s how three of the largest shipping carriers in the US handle DIM weight calculations:
Fedex uses a DIM factor of 139 for most shipping services. The shipping carrier picks whichever number is higher between physical weight and DIM weight, rounding up to the nearest whole number. So let’s say you have a package with the dimensions 24 by 18 by 5 inches that weighs three pounds.
The dimensional weight will be:
(24 x 18 x 5) / 139 = 15.54
Since this is more than the physical weight of three pounds, FedEx will charge for the dimensional weight. You can use FedEx’s dimensional weight calculator to estimate prices for specific shipments.
UPS applies a DIM factor of 166 for retail rates and packages that weigh less than one cubic foot. Retail rates apply to individual, non-contract customers.
For UPS retail rates the calculation will be:
(24 x 18 x 5) / 166 = 13.012
For packages over one foot from business accounts, UPS applies a DIM weight of 139 (known as daily rates), which means the same package would have a weight of 15.4 with the daily rate.
While it seems that the daily rate for businesses leads to a higher shipping cost than for individual customers, businesses often have access to discounts through their ecommerce platform or logistics partner. For example, you can opt into a program that offers exclusive discounted shipping rates like Shopify Shipping—Shopify’s built-in shipping software.
The United States Postal Service (USPS) uses a DIM factor of 166 to calculate dimensional weight, though DIM weight applies only to packages that exceed one cubic foot in size. This means a package of 24 by 18 by 5 inches, will have a dimensional weight of 13.02.
The USPS dimensional weight model applies to Priority Mail, Priority Express, Parcel Select, and USPS Ground Advantage. DIM weight does not impact packages shipped in USPS-provided flat-rate boxes or envelopes.
You can use the USPS Retail Postage Price Calculator to estimate the potential costs of your shipments.
Following these shipping best practices can help you reduce the dimensional weight of your package:
Determine how much room your products require and choose boxes in which your products will sit comfortably but snugly. Minimizing empty space reduces DIM weight and costs.
Keep boxes in a variety of sizes to go with your product offerings and bundles. For example, if you sell dinnerware products online, you could keep different sizes of boxes based on your top sellers, like large plates, bowls, or cutting boards, and if your bestselling bundle is six soup bowls and six soup spoons, have a box size (or combination of boxes) that can accommodate both without too much empty space.
Research thin, lightweight packing material to protect products within packages. Thicker packing material like corrugated cardboard, packing peanuts, or plastic sheets can take up unnecessary space. By contrast, thinner material like thin foam sheets or a small amount of bubble wrap can protect non-fragile items without expanding DIM weight.
If you’re handling your own order fulfillment process, try different product packaging arrangements to reduce the size of your packages. For example, you can disassemble products like furniture to make them fit into smaller boxes, or package each piece separately.
If you’re shipping non-fragile items like books or clothes, consider using an alternative lightweight packing option like poly mailers to minimize the empty space.
Third-party logistics (3PL) companies can help bring down the shipping cost of packages using DIM weight since they have their own shipping infrastructure and materials. 3PL companies negotiate lower rates with major carriers through high-volume contracts. They can also optimize packaging with the right-sized boxes and advanced software, minimizing wasted space. Some 3PLs also use their own regional networks, bypassing standard carriers for certain deliveries. These actions collectively lower shipping costs for their clients.
Similarly, programs like Shopify Shipping can help you get pre-negotiated discounted rates. It allows Shopify merchants to manage order fulfillment from one dashboard and get access to pre-negotiated discounted shipping rates from major carriers like FedEx and UPS.
Yes, the United States Postal Service (USPS) uses dimensional weight as well as actual weight to find the billable weight for the packages they deliver, typically choosing whichever is greater. However, the USPS dimensional weight pricing model applies only to packages that exceed one cubic foot in size.
Dimensional weight relates to the size of your shipment, whereas actual weight comes from the physical weight of a package (in pounds or ounces, for instance).
To lower dimensional weight charges, choose appropriately sized boxes, arrange items well, opt for thin packing material, and work with a good 3PL or shipping program to optimize your order fulfillment process.
An example of dimensional weight would be a merchant shipping lightweight bedding material in a large box with a length of 24 inches, a height of 12 inches, and a width of 16 inches. Using FedEx for this shipment, the merchant could calculate their dimensional weight like this: (24 x 12 x 16 = 4608 cubic inches) / 139 DIM factor = 33.15 (rounded up to a DIM weight of 34).
If Shopify is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.
Credit: Original article published here.
Our view at Stack - we've been using WP Engine in our business for 12 years so that should say it all! WP Engine offers optimized performance, enterprise-grade security, award-winning support, unique WordPress features, scalability, and developer trust. So what makes wp engine hosting different? If you want the best hosting then WP Engine is the answer 🚀🌟
At WP Engine, we understand that our success is tied directly to the successes of our customers—when they win, we win. That dedication to customer success has been recognized with a best-in-class award for the second time this year.
WP Engine’s Customer Experience (CX) team has been named a 2025 TITAN Business Award winner for Customer Service Department/Team of the Year!
Earning a TITAN Award is a prestigious achievement—and one that speaks directly to the outstanding service our CX team provides every single day.
“Our customers rely on us to deliver fast, knowledgeable support and advice, and this recognition validates the passion and expertise our service team brings to each and every interaction,” said Slade Cozart, WP Engine VP of Customer Experience.
“I’m beyond proud of this team and grateful for the incredible work they do to put our core value of being Customer Inspired into action every time they engage with our customers.”
Read on to learn more about the TITAN Business Awards and WP Engine’s long history of CX excellence.
The TITAN Business Awards honor the world’s best across industries, spotlighting the entrepreneurs and organizations that are shaping the future of business through innovation, leadership, and impact.
Administered by the International Awards Association (IAA), TITAN Business Awards submissions go through a blind judging process conducted by a panel of distinguished senior-level executives, business professionals, and entrepreneurs to ensure every award is earned based on merit alone.
This recognition from the TITAN Business Awards is one of several major accolades our CX team has received in recent years. As evidenced by our multiple Stevie® Awards for Customer Service, WP Engine continually raises the bar in managed hosting support for WordPress.
WP Engine’s CX department, with over 200 service and WordPress specialists across eight countries and specialized teams, created a compelling submission that solidified our spot as the Service Team of the Year for 2025.
Highlights from WP Engine’s submission include:
This honor, which was chosen from more than 5,000 entries from over 60 countries, places WP Engine among global industry leaders like HP, Microsoft, and eBay.
Whether through one-on-one troubleshooting, around-the-clock availability, or proactive guidance that helps our customers grow, our CX team brings expertise and empathy to every customer interaction. This latest award underscores the powerful impact of their work.
Winning a TITAN Award is a proud moment—but it’s not a finish line. WP Engine’s CX team remains committed to elevating the customer experience, exploring new ways to support our users, and ensuring that every customer receives world-class service.
To our customers: Thank you for choosing WP Engine and trusting us with your digital experiences. To our CX team: Congratulations on yet another well-deserved recognition!
Want to work with an award-winning team? Explore our careers page for open roles and join us in delivering exceptional experiences every day!
Hopefully you've now see what makes wp engine hosting different. If WP Engine is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.
Credit: Original article published here.
Our view at Stack - Semrush is a power-packed toolkit for digital marketing. Covers SEO, digital ads, market research, content, and social media. Keyword intel, real-time data, and 500+ integrations.
Get better insights into your industry, competitors, and target audience with these market research tools.
If Semrush is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.
Credit: Original article published here.
Our view at Stack - Pipedrive is a robust CRM platform, offering automation, contact data collection, webhooks, AI-powered sales assistant, email communications, email marketing, and customisable sales pipeline workflows.
In a saturated market, young companies frequently face daunting challenges. Understanding the blue ocean strategy – creating uncontested market space by ignoring the competition – offers a way out of this predicament.
In this article, we’ll explore blue ocean strategy examples, its benefits and the companies that have successfully implemented it.
Definition: Blue ocean strategy is a business strategy in which companies enter new, competition-free markets by developing an innovative concept.
Business professors and strategists W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne presented the concept in their book Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant.
The professors developed the strategy using the metaphors of “blue oceans” and “red oceans” to represent the presence of market competition.
The blue ocean strategy is a metaphor for businesses carving out a segment of an unknown market space.
The authors use the metaphor of a red ocean as a contrast to help clarify the blue ocean strategy’s meaning.
The red ocean represents a known market universe with fierce competition. It’s harder for businesses to stand out and reach profitability here, where cutthroat competition leads to a “red” environment.
In contrast, the blue ocean represents uncontested market spaces where competition is limited or non-existent and businesses that align with customer needs can thrive and grow.
Many predators (competitors) fight each other in the red oceans, while the fish in the blue oceans swim peacefully without affecting each other’s growth.
Key differences between the blue ocean and red ocean strategies include:
|
Blue ocean strategy |
Red ocean strategy |
|
Companies enter a new market space with (almost) no competition |
Companies must prove themselves against numerous competitors in the existing market boundaries |
|
Innovation is the key differentiator |
Competitors are differentiated mainly by the cost-benefit ratio of existing products |
|
Prices remain relatively stable due to uniqueness |
Low costs determine competitiveness in a known market space |
|
The target audience customer acquisition requires a fresh start |
New customers must be won over from competitors |
|
There is little to no competition |
Cutthroat competition is crucial for companies’ survival |
|
There’s potential for higher profits because there’s less competition |
There’s risk of a shrinking profit pool due to increased competition |
The blue ocean strategy has unique benefits and, if done right, can reward businesses with profitable growth.
Blue ocean strategy aims to carve out new sections within the market.
Taught at INSEAD Business School, this strategy is part of strategic management, advocating that companies shouldn’t compete against each other but instead forge their own path.
To find a new path, companies need to meet two key goals:
To generate new demand for a problem that customers may not know needs solving
The simultaneous pursuit of differentiation and low cost (known as value innovation) to make their offering available to a wider audience
To make competition irrelevant, companies must create unique and innovative products. This business development strategy allows them to avoid the pressures of pricing strategies.
While imitators are inevitable, Mauborgne and Kim demonstrated in their Harvard Business Review article that companies could maintain their unique selling proposition for 10 to 15 years using the blue ocean strategy.
Suppose a new business identifies the right customer needs and makes its solution accessible. It can reach profitability sooner and achieve a greater market share than if it stayed in a more competitive space.
The major benefits of the blue ocean strategy include:
Virtually no competition
Creation of new demand, thereby attracting a new customer group
Cost structures are not subjected to competitive pricing, allowing for optimization
Significant innovation leads to high sales volumes without competitive struggles.
Recommended reading
How to set sales goals that improve team performance (with examples)
Companies must distance themselves from conventional strategic planning methods to create a new product that withstands competition.
The greatest challenge of the blue ocean strategy is thinking in a completely new direction. The ERRC grid (Eliminate, Reduce, Raise, Create) can help:
Eliminate. What can you remove that the industry takes for granted?
Reduce. What can you reduce below the industry standard?
Raise. What could you raise above the industry standard?
Create. What new factors could you create?
Here’s a deeper look at each part of the grid:
The grid helps you scrutinize the market competition to pursue differentiation and low cost.
Once you’ve addressed each section, a value curve can help you measure business success by planning individual product features according to their intensity (more on this below).
Recommended reading
How to use customer demographics and segmentation in business
Implementing a blue ocean strategy to create new market spaces and make competition irrelevant can feel overwhelming if you don’t know where to start.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to implementing the blue ocean strategy :
Talk to your current and potential customers to better understand the competitive market, existing market conditions and industry norms. Use customer surveys or outreach interviews to learn about customers’ pain points.
For example, ask about experience with and feelings around:
Cost
Complexity
Performance
Integration
Support
You can also read industry reviews, forums and case studies for further insights.
Once you understand what your current market is lacking, determine which pain points you could improve.
Visualize your current competitive positioning to refine a value proposition that sets you apart. This is where the EERC grid comes in.
List the key factors your industry competes on, such as features, speed, scalability or price. Do some competitor analysis to plot your values against those of competing companies and identify where you’re similar. Finally, find ways to eliminate, reduce, raise or create new elements.
Find opportunities to create a new market where there is no competition by looking at noncustomers who:
Examine why they don’t buy from anyone in the current market and consider how to attract them to your business.
Reframe how you deliver value. For example, a SaaS business might offer an API-first design or no-code interfaces to differentiate itself cost-effectively.
Make your offer more accessible, even to smaller or underserved audiences.
For example, the cloud platform Amazon Web Services made enterprise-level infrastructure affordable and scalable with its pay-as-you-go model (more on that below).
Test your blue ocean idea with your target audience and gather feedback so you can refine your strategy. Use minimal viable products (MVPs) and iterative feedback tracking to validate your new offering with users. Focus on sales metrics like:
Using these measurements, you can see how effective your blue ocean strategy is, whether it appeals to your target audience and find ways to improve your offering.
Develop marketing campaigns that communicate the new value proposition. The messaging should be memorable and emotionally resonate with your ideal customer, and it should explain your offering clearly.
For example, rideshare app Uber’s original tagline was “everyone’s private driver”. It then transitioned to “move the way you want” to encompass its expansion into areas such as bike rentals.
Once you’ve validated your differentiator and pinned down your messaging, it’s time to grow your business. Build partnerships, IP and network effects to protect your market space.
Keep innovating, too. Blue oceans don’t last forever – companies must continue to evolve and innovate to keep expanding. Innovation is the key to maintaining greater shares of their respective markets.
Recommended reading
The essential guide to marketing research
You don’t always need to invent new industries to benefit from the blue ocean strategy.
Perhaps the most famous example of the blue ocean model is Cirque du Soleil. This renowned circus had to get creative during a period of crisis in the fiercely competitive circus industry.
Many attributes that had long defined the circus were simply no longer trendy. Cirque du Soleil developed a new concept that eliminated animals from the show and focused on high-quality dance and live performances. This new direction allowed the company to expand its audience and increase ticket prices.
Other successful examples of the Blue Ocean shift include:
Instead of competing directly with existing IT infrastructure providers, AWS revolutionized the industry by providing on-demand, scalable cloud services that allowed businesses to avoid significant upfront hardware investments.
AWS offered a unique value proposition by providing on-demand, scalable cloud services. This framework allowed businesses to avoid large upfront hardware investments and pay only for what they used. Its strategy meant that startups could now afford agile, enterprise-grade infrastructure, which allowed SaaS industries to thrive.
Now a staple part of many people’s lives, Zoom was a lesser-known tool a decade ago, carving its way into the mainstream.
Zoom aimed to capture an underserved market segment by making its solution widely available. Rather than competing by adding more features to the existing model, it made its solution simpler to use, offered free and low-cost plans and improved call quality.
Zoom’s focus on making video conferencing more accessible, affordable and user-friendly separated it from existing complex and costly video calling solutions.
Uber’s new approach to taxi services upended the beliefs of industry players that their market was beyond disruption. Rather than competing with existing taxi companies on their terms, Uber carved out a new market space by leveraging mobile technology to address customers’ pain points around booking a taxi.
Offering a convenient and often cheaper alternative helped Uber generate demand for a previously unavailable service. Its cashless payment option made taxis more convenient. Uber also incentivized high-quality customer service with its rating system, which traditional taxi services lacked.
Recommended reading
Everything you need to know about customer sentiment
Companies, startups and entrepreneurs that adopt the blue ocean strategy consciously make strategic moves to venture into uncharted waters alone instead of swimming with the current.
Here, they discover less competition but must create demand within a new target audience to establish a unique selling proposition and achieve long-term success.
This strategy highlights the value of innovating beyond the crowded marketplace, offering new solutions that differentiate from the competition and redefine the playing field to secure a sustainable competitive advantage and greater market share.
In this handbook, we’ll walk you through what your sales strategy needs, plus there’s a free strategy template to get you started!
If Pipedrive is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.
Credit: Original article published here.
Our view at Stack - Semrush is a power-packed toolkit for digital marketing. Covers SEO, digital ads, market research, content, and social media. Keyword intel, real-time data, and 500+ integrations.
Competitive intelligence is actionable information about your competitors, target customers, and market.
If Semrush is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.
Credit: Original article published here.
Our view at Stack - Semrush is a power-packed toolkit for digital marketing. Covers SEO, digital ads, market research, content, and social media. Keyword intel, real-time data, and 500+ integrations.
![What Are Website Demographics? [Explained]](https://static.semrush.com/blog/uploads/media/a8/91/a891055c82c1f7601b3aed7dc7d542b2/website-demographics_(2).svg)
Website demographics describe the characteristics of the people who visit your website.
If Semrush is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.
Credit: Original article published here.
Our view at Stack - Simplify growth with an all-in-one platform. Powerful marketing, sales, and support automation. Integrated CMS. Scalable software. Crafted for customer experience.
When I first started managing social media for my first brand, I felt like I was constantly throwing spaghetti at the wall. Every day was a scramble to come up with something — anything — to post. Some days it was a motivational quote; other days, it was a rushed product promo. Engagement was inconsistent, my team was frustrated, and honestly, so was I.
It wasn’t until a bit later down the line when I learned about content pillars for social media that things started to click. Instead of guessing what to post, I had a clear roadmap. My posts became more consistent, engagement rates improved, and planning for socials became a lot less stressful.
So, if your social media planning feels a bit chaotic, you‘re definitely not alone. I’ve been there myself and I know just how overwhelming it can be. Content pillars helped me bring some much-needed structure and focus to the process, and they still do today. With that said, let’s get into what content pillars actually are and how they can help you, too.
Table of Contents
Without content pillars, posting can feel pretty random and disconnected. But when you have a few strong pillars in place, holding up your overall strategy, everything gets a lot easier.
Pillars give you a structure to work from without boxing you in. I like to think of it like building a house; the pillars are what keep everything standing, but you still have plenty of room to decorate it however you want.
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When you’re thinking about content pillars for social media marketing, there are a few common categories that tend to work for most brands:
You don’t have to stick to these exactly, but having a few go-to categories like this can make it so much easier (and less stressful) to plan your social content. I’ll dive into how to actually build yours a little later on.
When I first started experimenting with content pillars, I didn’t realize just how much they would transform not just my planning process, but also the way my audience connected with our brand. Once I saw the difference firsthand, it was hard to imagine going back to posting without a plan.
Here are a few reasons why having clear content pillars can make such a big impact
Sitting down to plan a month’s worth of posts usually ended with me staring at a blank calendar, feeling stuck and overwhelmed. I’d sit there staring at the screen for way too long, struggling to come up with ideas that actually made sense together.
Once I had a few solid pillars to work with, everything started to fall into place. Brainstorming got faster, scheduling felt less hectic, and I wasn’t second-guessing every post. It was a simple shift, but it made a huge difference.
Turns out a lot of people feel the same. Having a documented strategy is one of the habits that sets successful marketers apart. In fact, 80% of very successful content marketers have a documented content strategy — and content pillars are often a big part of making that possible.
Another big shift I noticed? Our messaging became way more consistent.
When you’re jumping between unrelated topics, it’s easy for your brand voice to get lost. I noticed a huge difference once our posts tied back to a few key themes. It felt more cohesive, and over time, it helped reinforce what we wanted our brand to stand for. Our audience knew what to expect from us, and trust started to build.
If you’re aiming for stronger brand recognition, staying consistent really matters. In fact, 68% of organizations say that brand consistency has contributed at least 10% to their revenue growth.
Pro tip: One thing that helped me was doing a quick “pillar check” before posting. I’d ask myself, “Which pillar does this support?” If I couldn’t answer clearly, it was a sign to rethink or refine the post.
One of the biggest benefits I noticed after building out our content pillars was how much better our posts connected with our audience. When you’re posting about topics your followers genuinely care about (and expect from you), engagement almost always goes up.
I’ve definitely seen this firsthand — posts tied to our content pillars consistently outperformed random one-off content in likes, comments, and shares.
Plus, it’s not just about the short-term boost. Showing up consistently around core topics makes it easier to build a community, and it’s great for staying visible in social media algorithms, which tend to favor steady engagement over sporadic viral hits.
But I’ll let the numbers speak for themselve: Did you know that brands that posted consistently at least five times per week grew their audience 2-3x faster than those that posted inconsistently, according to recent research by Buffer?
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One of the best parts about working with content pillars is how much easier it is to repurpose. Instead of starting from scratch for every post, you can take one strong idea and spin it into different formats — whether that’s a blog post, a short video, a carousel, or a handful of social posts.
In my experience, having a clear set of pillars easily doubled the amount of usable content I could create from just one brainstorming session. Plus, it kept our messaging tight and made it easier to stay consistent across platforms without feeling repetitive.
According to a recent report, 48% of B2B marketers say a lack of content repurposing is one of their biggest challenges when it comes to scaling content production. It’s easy to see why. Without a clear framework, turning one idea into different formats can feel like a lot.
I’ll give you a real example:
Based on the educational content pillar — which was one of the main pillars for a recent B2B sales tech company I worked with — I had the idea to create a survey to gather our own original data.
After analyzing the results, I wrote a comprehensive report to highlight the biggest insights. But I didn’t stop there. I broke down key statistics from the report into bite-sized pieces and shared them across social media over several weeks. I also turned major insights into short videos, carousels, and infographics, all carefully mapped back to the educational pillar.
This approach helped us extend the life of the research and reach different segments of our audience without overdoing it.
At the end of the day, social media isn’t just about showing up — it’s about supporting your bigger goals. After I first started organizing my strategy around content pillars, one of my clients saw a 25% increase in traffic from social media to their website over the first six months. Not too shabby.
Content pillars gave me a way to stay focused, create posts that actually mattered to our audience, and get way more mileage out of every idea. I’ve been using content pillars ever since — and honestly, I can’t imagine building a strategy without them now.
Still not convinced? Stick with me.
Back when we first talked about what content pillars are, I mentioned five common categories that most brands lean on. Now, let’s dig a little deeper. Each type of pillar plays a different role in your strategy, and understanding how they work can make it easier to plan your social content.
Educational content is all about teaching your audience something new or helping them solve a problem. This pillar focuses on giving value first — whether it’s through tips, tutorials, how-to guides, or breaking down complex topics into something easy to understand.
Personally, educational content has been a major pillar for almost every brand I’ve worked with. It’s one of the easiest ways to build trust because when you consistently show up with advice or insights that genuinely help people, they start seeing you as a go-to resource — not just another brand trying to sell something.
Pro tip: One of my favorite ways to approach educational content is by breaking bigger ideas into small, actionable takeaways. For example, instead of just saying “Create a content strategy,” I might share a simple five-step checklist to help someone actually get started.
While educational content teaches, inspirational content connects. It’s about sparking emotion — making your audience feel motivated, connected, or just a little bit more hopeful. It could be anything from a customer success story to a powerful quote or a personal lesson learned along the way.
In my experience, inspirational posts often work best when they’re authentic. It’s not just about throwing up a generic quote graphic — it’s about sharing moments that feel real and meaningful to your brand or community.
For one health brand I worked with, we highlighted customer milestones and weight loss transformation stories, and those posts consistently sparked some of our highest engagement. People love cheering others on — and when your brand is the one inspiring them, it builds a deeper, more emotional connection over time.
As its name gives away, promotional content is your brand’s way of saying, “Hey, we made something great — come check it out.” It’s about giving your audience a clear, helpful invitation to engage with what you’re offering, whether that’s signing up, booking a demo, making a purchase, or downloading a guide.
Over the years, I‘ve learned that the key to good promotional content is balance. If every post you publish is a sales pitch, people will most definitely tune you out. But when promotional posts are thoughtfully sprinkled into a broader mix of valuable content, they’ll feel natural — not pushy.
Pro tip: One approach that’s worked well for me is framing promotions around the value they deliver. Instead of just saying “Check out our new feature,” I would highlight how the feature solves a real problem for the audience, connecting it back to the educational or inspirational pillars we’ve already built up trust with.
If you really think about it, the brands you connect with most are most likely the ones that actually talk with you — not at you. That’s the power of community-building. It’s not just about broadcasting updates; it’s about starting conversations, listening, and making your audience feel like they’re part of something bigger.
Community-building content doesn’t have to be complicated. Some of the strongest connections I’ve seen started with the simplest questions — asking for opinions, highlighting a customer story, or just celebrating a small win together.
Pro tip: One thing I’ve learned is that it’s not enough to post a question and disappear. True community-building means sticking around, answering comments, spotlighting thoughtful replies, and genuinely showing people their voice matters.
There‘s something about seeing the messy whiteboard sketches, the 5 PM coffee runs, or the team celebrating a small win that makes a brand feel real. That’s the magic of behind-the-scenes content — it reminds your audience there are actual people behind the polished posts and campaigns.
I’ve found that behind-the-scenes moments are some of the easiest ways to build trust without even trying. It could be a casual office snapshot, a sneak peek of a work-in-progress, or a quick video showing how a product comes together. None of it has to be fancy — in fact, the more human and raw it feels, the better.
Pro tip: If you’re not sure what to share, start by thinking about what your audience doesn’t normally see. A little peek behind the curtain can go a long way toward making your brand feel relatable — not just another logo on their feed.
Choosing the right content pillars isn‘t just about picking topics that sound good — it’s about truly understanding who you‘re talking to and how you can show up in a way that’s helpful, relevant, and true to your brand.
When your pillars meet your audience where they are and reflect what your brand genuinely stands for, planning content stops feeling random and starts feeling purposeful, and a whole lot more rewarding. Here’s my tried-and-true process for identifying yours.
Start by digging into what your audience actually wants to see. Look at your comments, DMs, survey responses, and analytics. What questions come up again and again? What types of posts get the most saves, shares, or clicks?
The better you understand your audience’s interests and challenges, the easier it is to choose pillars that actually resonate.
Pro tip: Tools like Instagram Insights, LinkedIn Analytics, or even a quick poll can give you direct clues about what types of content your audience actually wants.
You probably already have hints about what’s working (and more importantly, what’s not). Go back through your top-performing posts from the past few months and look for patterns. Are your tutorials always getting saved? Are behind-the-scenes reels getting the most comments? Those trends can point you toward natural pillar ideas.
Your pillars should reflect what your brand actually stands for — not just what’s trendy. Ask yourself:
The sweet spot is where your audience’s interests overlap with your brand’s strengths.
Once you know who you’re trying to reach and what your brand stands for, focus on picking a few core pillars that feel like the most natural fit. Think about the topics you can genuinely show up for — the ones that spark ideas and conversations, not just fill up your calendar.
You can start by pulling from the examples we covered earlier — or mix in your own based on what fits your brand best. The goal is to have enough variety to keep your content fresh, but enough focus that your messaging stays consistent and recognizable.
Pro tip: Think about balancing emotional pillars (like inspirational or community-building content) with practical pillars (like educational or promotional content).
Content pillars aren’t carved in stone. As your audience grows or your brand evolves, you might find yourself adjusting or refining your pillars, and that’s a good thing. Pay attention to what’s resonating and don’t be afraid to tweak your strategy as you learn.
Even starting with a few basic pillars puts you ahead of the curve. Many brands still post randomly, so with a little strategy, you’re already building something stronger.
Knowing your content pillars is one thing, but building a system that actually uses them is another. Over the years, I’ve helped brands turn loose ideas into full strategies that keep their posting organized, consistent, and surprisingly flexible.
Here’s the process I’ve used (and refined) to help teams bring their pillars to life without losing their creativity along the way.
Start by connecting each pillar to a bigger-picture goal. Are you trying to build brand awareness? Drive website traffic? Increase engagement? Assigning a purpose to each pillar helps ensure your content is working toward something meaningful.
Pro tip: Not every pillar has to serve the same goal. Your educational content might drive traffic, while your community-building pillar is focused on boosting engagement.
Once your pillars are aligned with specific goals, it’s time to get creative. For each one, brainstorm a mix of formats that support the theme — think carousels, short videos, stories, infographics, or even live Q&As. The key is to generate ideas that stay true to the pillar’s purpose while keeping your content mix fresh.
One trick I use is asking myself, “What does this look like as a how-to? As a story? As a visual post?” That mindset helps me unlock more diverse and engaging ideas without getting off-topic.
Now it’s time to organize those ideas into something you can actually use. You don’t need a complicated system — just a way to make sure you’re covering your pillars consistently. That might mean assigning each pillar a day of the week, planning monthly themes, or using a content calendar to map everything out.
Pro tip: Keep it flexible. The goal isn’t to force content into a rigid structure — it’s to give yourself a clear rhythm so you’re never starting from scratch.
Once you know what kinds of posts you want to create for each pillar, make it easier on yourself by building a few ready-made templates. That could mean a weekly Q&A format for community-building, a recurring tip carousel for education, or a product spotlight layout for promotions.
Templates give you a repeatable way to show up without reinventing the wheel every week.
Pro tip: Keep a swipe file of posts you love (from your brand or others) to inspire new formats and frameworks you can test.
If you need a little extra help getting started, HubSpot’s free Content Marketing Workbook is packed with templates and exercises to help you map out your pillars and build a strategy you can actually stick to.
Once your system is up and running, the real magic happens in the refinement. Pay attention to which posts are getting saved, shared, or sparking conversations — and like I said before, which ones are falling flat. Over time, those signals will help you double down on what works and adjust the rest.
Pro tip: I like to review pillar performance monthly and jot down what felt good (and what didn’t). Sometimes the best content insights come from your own gut check.
It’s easiest to understand how content pillars work by seeing them in action, so I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite examples.
These brands have done an amazing job of building their social strategies around clear pillars — and it shows. Some have been doing it for years, while others are jumping on new trends in ways that feel fresh, smart, and intentional.
Let’s break down a few of my personal favorites to see how different pillar types show up across industries.
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I know it might seem biased to mention HubSpot here (given where you’re reading this), but honestly, I’ve been obsessed with HubSpot’s content for years — long before working with them.
Their blog, templates, and free resources are a masterclass in educational content done right. Every guide, checklist, and how-to post ties back to their broader mission of helping businesses grow better, while also gently reinforcing the value of their platform.
And while education is clearly one of their biggest strengths, they keep their content feeling fresh by mixing in lighter, more entertaining moments, too. It’s a reminder that even with a strong pillar, variety still matters.
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I think Nike is one of the best examples out there when it comes to using inspiration as a core pillar. They don’t just sell shoes or workout gear — they sell ambition, perseverance, and self-belief.
From short motivational videos to powerful athlete stories, nearly everything Nike shares feels like a rallying cry. It’s not about the product as much as it is about making you feel something, and then tying that emotion back to their brand.
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Poppi is a great example of how to do promotional content right. They don’t just post about their gut health sodas: They build an entire lifestyle around feeling good from the inside out.
Their product features are playful, colorful, and tied to moments their audience cares about, like wellness routines, beauty trends, and everyday self-care. It never feels like a hard sell — it feels like an invitation to join a movement. Pop off, Poppi!
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If you’ve spent any time on TikTok or Instagram, or honestly the internet, you’ve probably seen Duolingo’s mascot, Duo, causing chaos — in the best way possible.
Duolingo has mastered the art of community-building by leaning into humor, trends, and audience interaction. Whether it’s jumping on viral challenges, replying to comments with inside jokes, or staging hilarious “dramas” involving their owl mascot (yes, I’m heavily invested), their content invites users to be part of the story.
It’s a perfect example of how showing personality and engaging back with your audience can turn followers into a real community. ‘Til death Duo us part.
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Rhode, aka Hailey Bieber’s skincare brand, does an amazing job of pulling back the curtain without losing their polished, or should I say “glazed,” feel.
They regularly share glimpses into product development, photoshoots, and everyday brand-building moments. You’ll see behind-the-scenes looks at brainstorming sessions, lab work, packaging decisions, and team wins — all through a lens that feels aspirational but still relatable.
It’s a perfect example of how behind-the-scenes content can make a brand feel more human, even when it’s operating at a luxury level.
If there’s one thing I hope you take away from this article, it’s that content pillars aren’t about adding more rules to your strategy — they’re about making everything simpler, clearer, and a whole lot more sustainable.
Looking back, the biggest shift I felt after building my first real pillar strategy wasn’t just better engagement rates or easier planning (although those definitely happened). It was confidence. I stopped treating every post like a shot in the dark and started showing up with a sense of purpose.
Remember, your pillars don’t have to be perfect or set in stone. They just have to be real. Start small, stay flexible, and trust yourself to figure it out as you go.
Because when you build your strategy on clarity and connection, everything else gets a lot easier — and a lot more fun, too.
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Bigger, stronger, faster: Today, companies must focus on growth to stay ahead of the competition and keep profits high. For this reason, growth hacking is often a top priority for marketing managers and entrepreneurs.
In this article, you’ll learn growth hacking strategies, techniques and examples to strengthen business growth.
Growth hacking is a type of growth marketing focused on rapid success. It uses low-cost strategies and experimental, data-driven processes to increase conversions, customer acquisition and customer retention.
Marketing strategy expert Sean Ellis introduced the concept of growth hacking in his book of the same name. According to Ellis, the central tasks that a growth hacker undertakes within an organization are:
Acquisition of new customers (onboarding process)
Activation of prospects
Retention of existing customers
Monetization through active sales
Advancing brand awareness and recommendations
Growth hacking techniques often start with digital marketing but don’t end there. These fast-moving testing and iteration cycles affect the whole company, including sales, product management, human resources and customer service.
Ideally, this data-driven decision-making process helps all departments innovate while saving money. Moreover, growth hacking suits companies of all sizes (corporations, medium-sized companies and startups) and industries (from SaaS to consumer).
Growth hacking requires an agile, customer-oriented approach. However, you must gather the right information to ensure you’re adding value to the customer journey. These methods can get you started:
Target group analysis – Create a precise, in-depth definition of the buyer persona so you know how to attract your target audience
Data collection – Know which key performance indicators (KPIs) you’re going to track to keep your approach data-driven
Product-market fit – Offer added value to the target group to ensure customer satisfaction
Recommendation systems – Solicit feedback from customers and offer incentives to customers who make good suggestions (e.g., a gift card or special pricing options)
Personnel – Motivate employees to share their thoughts and drive the strategy forward
Use what you learn from this process to build out step-by-step strategies.
Recommended reading
Buyers personas: A complete guide to how to create and use them
Once you’ve gathered information, choose which strategies make the most sense. These tried-and-true marketing tactics help you drive rapid growth with low time and resource investment:
1. Content marketing: Blog posts and articles that speak to buyer challenges improve visibility, increase audience engagement and enhance brand reputation. Relevant content also ranks higher on search engine results pages (SERPs), bringing more traffic to your website.
2. Referral marketing: Offer rewards to existing customers when they recommend products or services to their family or friends. Incentivizing buyers with discounts or free products turns them into brand advocates and attracts new customers.
3. Social media marketing: Promote your brand or service on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, allowing potential customers to connect with you and discover your products.
4. A/B testing: Compare two versions of a marketing asset (e.g., an email, ad or homepage) to see which performs better. Experimenting this way helps you see which language and formatting get the most engagement.
5. Search engine optimization (SEO): Make your website more attractive to search engines like Google by targeting specific keywords and optimizing your site. High-quality, product-led content that addresses customer pain points will set you apart.
6. Newsletter marketing: Send relevant content and promotions to subscribers regularly. These personalized offers help you build trust and brand awareness with your audience while generating leads.
7. Influencer marketing: Collaborate with bloggers, journalists and other credible sources with sizable followings in your field. Cultivate relationships with them to promote word-of-mouth marketing.
8. Email marketing: Engage with leads who opt in to receive your promotions to create a new customer base. Run email campaigns with your list with offers and calls to action (CTA) to help them move through the customer journey.
These cold email templates sourced from Pipedrive sales experts will help you scale your prospecting, drive more replies and stay out of those trash folders.
9. Podcasts: Appearing on a podcast is a great way to introduce people to your brand and stand out from competitors by carving out a niche. Help listeners become leads by explaining why your product is the right solution for them.
Each of these tools can be used as a short-term experiment to get quick results and learn what works best for growing your business. Let’s look at real-world examples to see how companies apply these strategies.
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The 6 best strategies to boost sales in 2025
These examples of strategies in action offer insights into best practices for helping your B2B company grow using traditional marketing channels:
A search engine-optimized blog can increase page views and conversions while strengthening your position as an industry thought leader. This method is equally suitable for B2C and B2B companies.
For example, Salesloft’s (formerly Drift’s) blog frequently covers topics like lead generation, sales chatbots and aligning marketing with sales teams. Other recent content includes case studies and explainers on sales enablement.
Each content marketing post discusses something relevant to Salesloft’s audience and attracts readers who would benefit from its product. Your company’s blog can do the same.
White papers, webinars, tutorials, e-books and case studies are all opportunities to offer customers and clients free added value and accompany them further along the customer journey.
Unbounce, for instance, uses e-books to advance lead generation and growth. Its e-book on attention-driven design shows users how to design more persuasive landing pages.
While your company’s tone may differ, the value of an attention-grabbing content hook is universal.
Attractive referral programs that offer customers a benefit for making a recommendation are an ideal growth hacking method.
This strategy works for both B2C and B2B companies. For example, Airbnb has a simple but effective referral program that gives the referrer and the new user travel credit.
Similarly, Dropbox offers free storage for two when a user refers family, friends, coworkers or clients.
Referral programs are an easy growth hacking strategy for turning existing clients into ambassadors and getting more exposure quickly.
Collaborating with other companies allows you to pool expertise, generate greater interest among the target audience and benefit from the more extensive combined reach.
For example, Red Bull and GoPro have collaborated on marketing campaigns and event sponsorships since 2016. The partnership increases brand awareness, elevates content and reinforces both brands as leaders in the action sports and adventure lifestyle market.
Look for partner companies that can help with your growth marketing efforts. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box – Red Bull and GoPro prove disparate companies can work well together.
Influencer marketing helps expand reach rapidly in both the B2B and B2C sectors.
Gymshark, for example, focuses on influencer marketing within the fitness industry. It partners with athletes and fitness enthusiasts, from mega-influencers to micro-influencers, to promote its apparel. This strategy has played a significant role in the company’s rapid growth.
Connect with popular figures in your industry and collaborate on projects like sponsored content.
Developing and communicating your unique selling proposition (USP) is vital to growth hacking. Many companies adopt a USP while creating their marketing strategy, but don’t push it forward enough to differentiate themselves from the competition.
For instance, Apple’s closed software system sets it apart from other hardware providers. This distinctive user experience is central to Apple’s USP.
Your company might not have the reach of one of the biggest tech brands in the world, but you can still set yourself apart. Once you determine what separates you from other companies in your sector, take that difference and run with it.
Automation processes make work easier for companies and users. Simplifying tedious manual tasks saves people time, which is always welcome.
Calendly, for example, is a scheduling automation software that helps eliminate back-and-forth emails when finding meeting times. The tool lets marketing teams, recruiters, customer service reps and individuals book appointments independently.
Note your target audience’s needs (no matter how niche) and see how you can address them or streamline solutions with automations.
Recommended reading
8 tips to help you grow your business
Teams of any size can apply growth hacking tactics to boost metrics and improve conversion rates.
Leveraging these strategies will help you grow quickly while meeting customer needs and strengthening your market position.
Growth hacking provides a rapid and sustainable business model. Use the ideas in this piece to get started today.
Grow your business with our step-by-step guide (and template) for a combined sales and marketing strategy.
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A meta description is what you‘re reading right now—a page description that can appear in search results.
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