by Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links on this website. There is no expense to you.

As the term suggests, autoresponders automate your email marketing which saves you time.

If you set up your autoresponders correctly, subscribers receive the right messages from you at the right time without you having to send them manually.

There are a lot of powerful, free autoresponder tools online to help you grow your email list and nurture leads.



Why do you need an autoresponder email service?

As a marketer, you can use autoresponders to set up a series of emails and then send those messages automatically based on certain rules, conditions, and user actions.

For example:

Lots of bloggers use an autoresponder sequence to notify existing subscribers of new posts on their blog or to welcome new subscribers.

There are various types including stand-alone autoresponders specifically designed to automate the sending of pre-written email sequences based on triggers, such as a customer signing up for a newsletter.

With the correct autoresponder, you can create advanced workflows that automatically send the right email to the right person, at the correct time.

Automated emails can re-engage disinterested buyers and keep them engaged, drive more people to your website,  get you more sales, and more.


So, should you stop manually sending out autoresponder messages?

The answer is no, since email automation isn’t always the best way to go.

There will be lots of times when it will make more sense to send them manually.

For instance, sales announcements and general news updates, messages celebrating festive occasions and seasonal promotions.



What are the best free autoresponders?


You can get autoresponders from most top email marketing companies, however, when you’re just starting out, paying for email marketing can add a lot of expense to your website-building costs.

Following are some of the best free autoresponder tools to help you get started no matter what size budget you have.

1. Constant Contact


According to research, Constant Contact is the best email marketing software in the world.


Pros


Some of the pros include:

~ You can sign up for a free trial without entering your credit card details. You’re charged only if you actively choose to continue using it.

~ It’s fast and easy to create an account. Just click a few options and Constant Contact will display some helpful resources based on your answers.

~ If you have a WordPress website, enter your website’s URL and get a unique branded email template with the colors, images, and logos from your site.

~ Choose from a hundred plus ready-made email templates.

~ The drag-and-drop functionality is very easy to use, even for beginners, which is especially helpful if you are new to email marketing.

~ The Constant Contact support team is easy to reach via live chat software, phone, and email.

~ There’s also a library of resources and online training. In the United States, you can even go to their in-person live seminars.


Cons


A couple of cons:

~ Constant Contact doesn’t offer a free-forever plan. After the 60-day free trial, you’ll need to pay in order to keep using your email list. If you want to continue, you can get 20% off using the Constant Contact coupon.

~ After the free trial period, to keep using the automated features, you’ll need to pay for the Email Plus plan.


Pricing

Constant Contact’s Lite plan starts at $12 per month. However, if you want to use the email automation templates, you’ll need the Standard plan, which starts at $35 per month. For custom automations, the Premium plan starts at $80 per month.


2. Brevo, formerly known as Sendinblue, is a marketing automation platform that combines both email and SMS marketing, so you can send SMS text messages to your WordPress users.

They’re one of the fastest-growing email autoresponder platforms in Europe.

Pros

~ Brevo has a generous free-forever plan that allows you to store as many email contacts as you want. You’re just limited by how many emails you can send each day.

~ The majority of Brevo’s tools are available on their free plan including the digital marketing automation tools.

~ On the free plan, you get access to email support, so you can contact the support team if you’re having problems.

Brevo’s marketing automation tool has a user-friendly drag-and-drop Workflow Editor that allows you to create powerful automations without having to write any code or learn complex tools.

~ You can track the actions that each contact takes on your website, like purchasing a product, and send transactional emails based on their behavior.

~ Brevo has a fully customizable sign-up form so you can add email subscriptions to your WordPress blog or website.

~ There are over 40 responsive email templates that look just as good on mobile and smartphones, as on mobile devices. With the intuitive drag-and-drop editor you can also create your own templates.

~ If you are creating an email marketing campaign for a client, then they may have provided some ready-made HTML assets. To save time, you can upload these HTML templates to Brevo, and then use them as the basis for your campaign.


Cons

~ All emails sent from a free plan have Brevo’s branding, which can make your campaigns look non-professional. The paid Starter plan also has the Brevo branding, which can be removed by purchasing a $10.80 per month addon.

~ Although the marketing automation tools are included in the free plan, these tools are limited to 2000 contacts on both the free and Starter plans which can make it hard to grow your email list.

~ The free plan has a 300 emails per day limit which can seem like a lot when you are just starting out, but you can hit this limit very quickly. With that in mind, you shouldn’t choose Brevo simply because they offer a free-forever plan.

Pricing

Unlike some other email providers, Brevo’s free plan is completely free, forever, with no limit on how many contacts you can create.

If you need to send more than 300 emails a day, you’ll have to upgrade to one of their paid plans, which start at $8.08 per month.

But, be aware that Brevo’s plans are always based on how many emails you send each month, and not on the size of your email list.


3. HubSpot is a popular marketing automation platform and one of the best CMRs for small businesses. They have a free plan that’s a perfect introduction to HubSpot’s all-in-one marketing platform.


Pros

~ The free plan includes a CRM that creates a contact record for each subscriber. You can use this information to create personalized email campaigns that feature the most relevant subject lines, links, attachments, and content.

~ HubSpot’s free plan includes many tools that can complement your email marketing. This includes a popup form builder, live chat, ad management, and more.

~ The email editor has an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that lets you easily create a call to action, add images, and customize the email to match your own branding.

~ You can schedule emails to arrive in the subscriber’s inbox at the best time, regardless of time zone differences.


~ Optimize your emails for different devices.

~ HubSpot has a selection of goal-based templates that you can choose from, or you can build your emails entirely from scratch.

~ You can use HubSpot’s email analytics tool to analyze your campaigns.

~ Integrates with Uncanny Automator, which is one of the best marketing automation tools for small businesses. You can use Uncanny Automator to automatically add visitors, customers, and event attendees to your HubSpot mailing lists.


Cons

~ You cannot remove the HubSpot branding on the free plan, which can make your business seem less professional.


~ You’re limited to 2,000 emails per month and 1,000,000 contacts with the free plan.

~ Advanced features like A/B split testing and email segmentation are only included in HubSpot’s higher-tiered paid plans. When your business starts growing, you may need to upgrade to a paid plan to get the most out of your email list.


Pricing

The free plan allows 2,000 emails per month and a generous 1,000,000 contacts. It also comes with all of HubSpot’s free tools, including a CRM, forms, landing pages, live chat, and more.

Paid plans start at $15/month per 1,000 subscribers.


4. GetResponse is an all-in-one email marketing platform.

~ It’s built to help you grow your audience, engage with customers, and make more money online without having to hire huge team to manage it all. And more than 100,000+ businesses trust them to help them do just that. 

~ Additionally, they’re GDPR compliant and offer award-winning 24/7 customer support in eight different languages.

~ With GetResponse’s autoresponder, you can connect and build relationships with new subscribers without lifting a finger.

~ Plus, you can recycle old content, sell your products, celebrate milestones, etc.

~ GetResponse offers special tiers for mid-sized and larger companies.

~ They have a 30-day free trial.

You’ll have to upgrade to a higher plan if you need more than one user or sales funnel. Plus, you get an automation builder with five workflows on the Plus plan.


5. AWeber, founded in 1998, is one of the most established autoresponder tools. This popular email marketing service has powerful autoresponder features and also offers a free plan that lets you send 3,000 emails per month to 500 subscribers.


Pros

~ AWeber’s free plan contains all the elements you’d expect from a premium plan, including a drag-and-drop editor, hundreds of templates, and access to thousands of professional stock images.

~ Easily add AWeber to your WordPress website using the.

~ Ready-made landing page templates so you can create high-converting landing pages for your email campaigns.

~ AWeber has powerful automation and segmentation tools that allow you to create some very detailed autoresponder series.

~ Integrates with lots of other services, including OptinMonster, Unbounce, Elegant Themes. Etc.

~ If you’re selling online, AWeber integrates with all the top eCommerce solutions, including Easy Digital Downloads, WooCommerce, Etsy, Shopify, and others.

~ On the free plan, you can access all the support materials, including master class sessions and live webinars.

~ AWeber regularly brings out new features that all customers can access, including those on the free plan.

~ It allows subscribers to fill out forms, purchase products, book meetings, and more without leaving their inboxes with the AMP interactive email feature.

~ You can web push notifications to people who’ve opted into receiving them.

~ They offer 24/7 customer support.

Cons

~ AWeber’s free plan limits you to 3,000 emails per month and 500 subscribers.

~ You’re limited to 1 landing page and 1 email automation.

~ The free version has the AWeber branding, with no way to remove it.
~ If you do upgrade, then AWeber definitely isn’t the cheapest option out there. It has more features than some other email autoresponders, but they are pricey.

Pricing You can send 3,000 emails per month to 500 subscribers using the free AWeber plan. If you want to add more contacts or send unlimited emails, you’ll need to upgrade to one of the pro plans, which start at $12.50 per month when billed annually.


This list only covers 5 autoresponders. According to research these are the best out there.

If you want to start or grow an email list, make more sales as an ecommerce store or service provider, or nurture visitor relationships, you need an email autoresponder.

Just carefully do your research and choose the best one for your purpose, because you may not be able to change things later.

So, are you using autoresponders to follow up with your lists?



Try this viral mailer that pays

by Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links on this website. There is no expense to you.

SMART is an acronym for the 5 essential features every significant goal should have. It should be: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

SMART goals are a way of setting intentions that are clear, trackable, and achievable.

These goals have to be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.

Writing SMART goals is about breaking your objectives into smaller, more manageable sections that are easy to track and achieve.



What are SMART goals?


When you’re considering the meaning of SMART goals, think of them as a tool to change grand resolutions into a tangible roadmap. The SMART goals acronym can help you build a plan for personal and professional success.

As previously stated, SMART goals are an outline for setting clear and attainable objectives by making them Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.


S: Specific

Remember you’re setting your SMART goals to accomplish a particular, limited objective—not a broad one. To be sure you can achieve them, make them specific to what you’re working on.


M: Measurable

To help you evaluate the success or failure of your project and know whether you’ve achieved your goals, there should be some kind of objective way to measure them, such as a deadline, percent change, a number, or some other measurable component.


A: Achievable

Although you want to be sure you’re setting goals that you could possibly hit, you don’t want them to be too easy to achieve. Achievable means your goals shouldn’t be completely outside the realm of possibility.


R: Relevant

A relevant goal aligns with your wide-ranging, broader life objective.

It’s one that you’re willing to work very hard for, because you know it impacts your long-term success.

If it doesn’t ultimately matter, you’re not going to stick to it.


T: Time-bound

A time-bound goal needs a deadline—a time frame that creates a sense of urgency.

If you have plenty of time to get something done, you’ll seldom get anything accomplished.

So, you need time constraints when it comes to significant goals. They’ll help you stay focused on the broader objective and your ultimate goal while ensuring the best prioritization.


Here are some SMART GOALS examples.


1. Time Management

Vague:  I want to better manage my time.

SMART:

To improve my time management, I’ll use a management planner to organize tasks, assign specific time blocks, and finish one thing at a time before starting another.


2. Lose weight:

Vague: I want to lose weight.

SMART:

I’ll lose 15 pounds in the next 15 weeks while following a balanced diet and exercising three times a week, tracking my weekly progress with a scale and a food diary app.


3. Travel

Vague: I want to do more traveling.

SMART:

Within the next 6 months, I’ll plan and book a 7-day cruise to the Bahamas by saving $200 per month and researching reasonably priced hotel choices.


4. Organization:

Vague: I want to be organized.

SMART:

Within the next 3 months, I’ll declutter and organize my home office by devoting 2 hours every weekend to decluttering my desk.



Are SMART goals the only way to go?


There’s another opinion on SMART goals.

Is it really true that goals have to be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely?

Instead of the usual SMART goal lists that have been around for the past decade, hear what Emmanuel Acho has to say. It’s something new about setting goals.


For Gen Z, the More / Less List is the perfect goal-setting tool. It’s almost the precise opposite of SMART goals, but it performs where SMART goals fall short.

It was created by artist Julia Rothman as a low-pressure alternative to traditional New Year’s resolutions, where you list things you want to increase (“More”) and things you want to decrease (“Less”) in your life.

It’s a simple, action-based exercise to obtain clarity on your desires and intentions for the year. It frequently uses drawings or simple icons to represent what’s on the list.


It was popularized in short TikTok videos. The premise is easy:

Keep the list extremely simple
List MORE of what you want in your life/job/team/process
List LESS of what you don’t want


Using More / Less lists doesn’t mean you have to stop using SMART goals. You just want a flexible context for setting goals in the ever-changing tech workspace.


In this article, I’ve covered the SMART goals acronym, examples, and an alternative. It is by no means comprehensive, just an overview.

Try this viral mailer that pays

By Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links on this website. There is no expense to you.

The first three exercises were covered in part 1. The rest are covered here.


4. Product Descriptions

In this exercise, you’ll be writing product descriptions with different goals.

Just pick a product or service for which you’re the ideal customer. Be sure it’s something you’re really familiar with and that you can easily describe. Now write a short 100 to 300-word description for it.

You’ll write five versions of this, with each one focusing on a different aspect.


~ Feature-based: Describe the main features of the product or service (color, material, dimensions, what it does).

~ Benefit-based: Focus on how the product will improve the customer’s life (“This canvas shopping bag has eight inside pockets of various widths to hold bottles, tall cans, wine…)

~ Urgency-based: Use time-sensitive language like “last chance” or “limited offer.”

~ Scarcity-based: Create a feel of scarcity. (“Only 3 left in stock!”)

~ Emotion-based: Arouse a strong emotional response. (“Feel more secure when you use this lock.”)


Remember, you’re not putting all of these aspects into one description; but 5 different descriptions.

When you’ve finished, read each description and ask yourself:

Which one expresses the most value and persuades you to buy? Why? How does changing the focus between emotion vs features alter the feel of the copy?

Emotion and desire drive customers to act. Both are necessary for good copy and you need to know how to balance them—to move beyond boring dry facts.

This exercise sharpens your ability to move beyond dry, boring facts and focus on what truly drives customers to act—emotion and desire.


5. CTA Variations

Review your emails and find one that promotes an offer. Check the CTA that’s used.

Practice different variations of this CTA. You’re going to write 10 variations.

Don’t just change out a word or two.

Test different tones, swap out the action verb, try out different urgency levels, etc.

Remember, the focus is on simplicity and getting the reader to take fast action.

Some can be more urgent while others are more subtle and benefit-focused.


For example:

Urgency – “Claim your spot before they’re all gone.”

benefits  – “Buy now and unlock two free bonuses.”

When you’ve completed the CTA variations, analyze what you’ve come up with.

Which one do you think would work better in that email, and why?

Remember, simplicity and clarity are key with all CTAs.


6. Turn boring features into benefits

Of course, features are important when it comes to selling anything, but it’s not the matter-of-fact plain ones that make the sale. It’s the EMOTIONAL reaction a person has to these features.

You need to make those features sound appealing.

For example:

Instead of cotton dishcloths for your kitchen, “12-inch multi-colored dishcloths to match your kitchen.”

Open something like Amazon in your browser and pick one of the top 5 products that pop up.

It doesn’t matter what it is – shoes, coat, water pitcher, or whatever.

Write out ten features about that product.



Take these features and turn them into a BENEFIT while asking yourself:

 “What does the customer gain?”

For example:

~ Feature: “Has a detachable lining”

~ Benefit: “Remove lining whenever you want”

To help you spice up your copy, ask yourself why the customer would care.
A trick to use for help in answering this question and for making your copy more relatable and persuasive is to finish your sentence with “so you can…”

The above coat example now becomes:

“Has a detachable lining that you can remove for those warmer days and NOT have to spend MONEY for another coat.


7. Write for different times of the customer journey

This exercise, for customers at different stages of their journey, is a little more advanced.

Choose a product to write about, but don’t overthink it.

Picture a customer at three different stages of the purchasing process.

Write for each of these stages. Your copy will be DIFFERENT because at each stage the goal is different.


First stage:

In the first stage, the customer realizes there’s a problem.

Write an Ad or headline that addresses the difficulty and introduces your product or service as a possible solution.

This copy will be the customer’s FIRST contact.

In the Second stage, the customers are seeking solutions.

They’re comparing options and deciding which one is best for them.

Compose an email that educates the reader about how your product or service UNIQUELY solves their problem. Detail WHY you’re the right person/product/service and the reason they should choose you.

The email SHOULD NOT be SELLING but delivering information and value.


In the third stage, the customer is ready to buy. Write a landing page or a sales page encouraging them to take the next step and buy the product.

Although this exercise takes some time, it will help you to understand how to “meet” your customers where they are in the buying process. This is essential in all great marketing.

These are not all the levels of customer awareness, but they are more than enough for this exercise.

Effective copywriting is tailored to resonate with a particular target audience.

Understanding who you’re trying to reach is vital when creating copy that grabs attention and encourages further engagement.

It’s not all or nothing when it comes to great copy.

Now you have a variety of exercises on how to get better at copywriting, from which to choose and to reference again and again.

Try this viral mailer that pays

By Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links on this website. There is no expense to you.

Are you tired of the same old advice about how to get better at copywriting, like writing out great ads or emails you find online word for word?

Doing so will not help! You have to learn how to structure copy; learn how to get inside the minds of your customers and appeal to their emotions, fears and deepest desires.

Following are some easy exercises you can practice instead.

Anyone can use them – beginners or seasoned copywriters. You can always improve your writing skills with experience, practice, and repetition.


1. Create Different Headlines

To create headlines for different audiences you should get a deeper understanding of how to construct them for various viewers and customer avatars.

Start by choosing a product/service you already know and love.

If you can’t come up with anything, check Facebook or Instagram and scroll for a few seconds until you find an ad.

Once you’ve decided on a product, create five different targeted audiences that might have an interest in the product along with their main objection or challenge.

These could be:

~ Demographic-based audiences based on measurable characteristics such as gender, age, family status, education, income, location, occupation, and ethnicity…

~ Geographic-based audiences determined by segmentation which takes into account the location of prospects to help determine marketing strategies…

~ New parents at home who don’t have extra time in their day…

~ Retirees who are not looking to be fit and buff necessarily, but want to keep their muscle & mobility as they age…

~ College students looking for fitness on a tight budget…


Now write 5 headlines to each audience promoting the product/service you selected.

Focus on speaking directly to the specific interests, pain points, or desires of each group.

For example: Discover simple ways to maintain muscle mass and improve mobility as you age.

The focus is on the main problem, which is muscle mass for mobility.


2. Weak Copy

Now you’re going to rewrite weak copy. This can be an email, sales page, ad, or anything that seems not quite right or has something missing.

Analyze each section while making notes on what you think is missing or could be better written.

Is the offer clear? Are benefits clear? Is there a weak CTA (call to action) or no call to action at all? Is the offer strong and does it have the correct tone?

When doing this exercise, be sure to find something that actually has a flaw.

Now, rewrite the copy and fix the flaws you noted.

Look for:

Clarity: Simplify jargon or confusing phrases.

Benefit-driven language: Change the copy to place emphasis on how the product solves a particular problem for the purchaser.

Emotional appeal: To make the customer feel understood, add urgency, empathy, or desire.

Stronger call-to-action (CTA): Be sure the CTA is clear, specific, action-oriented, and that it creates urgency.

“Grab your free trial now” vs. “Learn more.”

Compare your new version to the original.

Is your version easier to read and understand? Is it more compelling? Does it create a stronger desire for the product?

Be absolutely honest with yourself! If what you wrote isn’t better, improve it.

Use this exercise to help you learn how to critically analyze copy and make MEANINGFUL improvements that actually increase engagement & conversion.

When you’re satisfied with the revision, send it on its way.

Here’s the third step to take for getting better at copywriting.


3. Reverse Engineering

If you’re one who loves rewriting winning or “proven” copy, you can use this reverse engineering technique instead of just rewriting it word for word.

Break the copy into its core components.

Then isolate the hook, the problem, the solution, and the CTA.

Now go back and rewrite each section of the copy using different phrasing or structure while sticking to the main persuasion principles.

As you proceed, ask yourself this:

How does the hook grab attention in the first few seconds or words?

What problem does it address, and how is the copy relatable to your target audience?

How does the product/service solve the problem?

What emotions are you trying to evoke (e.g., fear, excitement, curiosity, or relief)?

What’s the next step for the audience to take and is that step clear and compelling?

Lastly, what made the original copy so effective? What elements worked well and how can you incorporate them into your copy?

This exercise does MUCH MORE than simply rewriting the copy word for word ever could.

It shows you how to identify the strategic elements of winning copy and then how to apply those strategies to your own writing.

Part 2 will be covered in the next article.

Try this viral mailer that pays

by Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links on this website. There is no expense to you.

What is MLM?

MLM (multi-level marketing) is a business model for selling products directly to consumers using independent sales representatives.

The origin of multi-level marketing is often disputed, but multi-level marketing style businesses existed in the 1920s and the 1930s, such as the California Vitamin Company (later named Nutrilite) and the California Perfume Company (renamed ” Avon Products”). – Wikipedia


What’s the difference between MLM and a pyramid scheme?

A MLM business always has an actual product or service to sell, along with the option of building your own sales force or global network.

In an illegal pyramid scheme, no one is selling or buying any products, and the emphasis is on recruiting new members.

MLM is a legitimate business model if done correctly.

On the other hand, pyramid schemes are totally illegal.

Since both involve recruiting, MLM critics have often referred to network marketing as ‘legal pyramid schemes,’ which explains why this myth continues to be kept alive.


Although most MLMs are not illegal pyramid schemes, the one thing that separates them from regular non-MLM companies, recruiting.

In case you didn’t know, you have to recruit new members to be super-successful in network marketing.

It doesn’t matter how good your MLM product lines are or what country you’re in.

You know already that success means consistently recruiting new distributors.

Generally speaking, there’s nothing wrong with MLMs or building a team of like-minded entrepreneurs.

But if there’s too much emphasis placed on recruiting and not enough on product sales, an MLM can get into serious trouble FTC.

The FTC states that a pyramid scheme is clearly defined as a company that specifically offers payouts for recruiting purposes only.

Just know that there are two sides to the network marketing coin.

If you hear somebody say that all MLMs are pyramid schemes, don’t fritter away your time arguing with them.

Do your own research and check out companies for yourself if you’re seriously interested in an MLM business.

It might be a good fit for you or maybe not. But you’ll at least now be informed.



What does it take to be successful in MLM?

You must have many qualities and skills to succeed in MLM. You need a lot of patience, determination, a strong work ethic, and excellent communication skills, among other factors.

You need to be a relentless, iron-willed sales and recruiting machine.
If that idea is distasteful to you, even the best network marketing companies are definitely not for you, because it’s ALL about selling.

Selling is an essential part of any MLMer’s overall marketing strategy.

Don’t be fooled by anyone who might try to ease your discomfort by telling you there’s “no selling involved”. There are no exceptions.

The success of any home-based business ultimately depends on how well you sell your products/services.

Nevertheless, recruiting is a skill set that can be learned by anyone from a stay-at-home mom to a broke college student with maxed-out credit cards.

But, there’s always going to be a learning curve to go through to become successful, no matter what type of business you decide to go into. So, be willing to get uncomfortable at the start.

As far as recruiting goes, if you’d rather fight a bear than try to recruit and sell the dream to your friends and family, stay away from network marketing.

‘Sometimes you shouldn’t mix business with pleasure.’

If you’re going to pursue network marketing, be careful who you approach to join your team. Is it worth potentially damaging your relationship with that person? If your answer is no, you might want to cross them off your warm market list.

I hope this overview cleared up some of the MLM Controversy.

So, MLM, as with any business, isn’t for the faint of heart. There are over 1,000 MLM companies in the United States. Do your due diligence before selecting one as your home business endeavor.


Try this viral mailer that pays

by Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links on this website. There is no expense to you.

At times, social media marketing barely seems worth the risk.

You meet a lot of challenges whether you have a strong social presence or just enough to exist.

Nevertheless few consider quitting social media completely. So, how do you proceed to take full advantage of its benefits and minimize its stumbling blocks?

Going forward, you should adjust your social media strategy beginning now.

1. Since any given platform could disappear, change its algorithm, or be banned at any moment, you should put more energy into your message and cultivate an audience that will subscribe to your emails or newsletter so that no matter what happens to any platform, you’ll still have your audience.

You must be ready for a social media platform to become unavailable or worthless at a moment’s notice.

2. Think about how you can best own your own community. Having control over an area that’s explicitly dedicated to your community can give you more insights into your customers and also help you wrestle control of your audience from the big social media giants, whose algorithms we are all obligated to.

3. You can’t afford a set-it-and-forget-it attitude toward social.

Strategies must be agile, principled, and people-first. They must be capable of navigating not just the algorithm but the social and political effects of being present online.

You should double down on social listening and responsiveness. Use social listening tools to detect sentiment shifts early and be able to engage empathetically and promptly with your audience, especially during crises.

4. When your audience stops trusting platforms, they’ll die away, and you can’t build your entire audience in rented spaces anymore. We’ve already seen instability across platforms, and it’s getting worse. There’s more fragmentation, more distrust, and more noise.

In the future, you should invest in:

Owned audience growth (email, community, exclusive content hubs)

Selective omnipresence (trusted third-party spaces matter more than ever)

Direct value exchanges (content-for-access models)

With the last ten-year slide in search traffic (made worse by AI-powered answers and zero-click search features) and the “for you” trend in social media feeds, now you should distribute your content in as many places as your target audience spends time and basically change the overall strategy of your owned media (your blog, website, email newsletters, etc.).

Although big follower counts sound impressive, they are unimportant if your social media content doesn’t deliver value. So, rethink what you publish in the future.

5. Social media is just media now, no longer social. They’re broadcast networks with opaque algorithms and no loyalty.

So, you need to stop chasing followers and start extending your brand footprint through zero-click content. Every post is an ad for your thinking, not a teaser for your blog posts. The win isn’t the click — it’s when someone chooses to seek you out because you didn’t include one.

That means every touchpoint must deliver standalone value. No fluff, no read more. And it raises the bar on your owned media: If someone lands there, it better be worth the trip. In the future, success on social won’t be about conversation. It’ll be about creating curiosity, the kind that compels people to leave the scroll and find you.

6. Going forward, the winners will not just chase followers but will focus on trading value for attention, using data for data for personalization, and time for transformation. These very small interactions build trust outside any platform. Although the social landscape will remain ever-changing, meaningful audience relationships are yours forever.

7. You should lean into user-generated content and word-of-mouth marketing. Audiences don’t trust organizations, but they trust their peers. Avoid talking about yourself and magnify content from others. Social should be a place to add merit to your customers and not sell to them.

8. Be more natural with your social media engagement. More and more people are using platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit to start their search journey. They want first-hand perspectives and genuine conversations.

Prioritize genuine engagement, user-generated content, and creator collaborations. It’s essential to diversify your platform presence to meet users where they start their information gathering. In this evolving landscape, monitoring platform governance and adapting to policy changes will be essential.

9. As with any channel, the best content strategy includes a combination of post types, including those for brand awareness and emotional awareness,  authority-building posts (focused on education), conversational posts based on an offer, and sometimes a promotional post for products/services. The fundamentals of a good content strategy haven’t changed, just the how.

Social media has always been an active marketing method. Change is expected and will continue.

If you adjust your social media strategy now, with these 9 Social Media Marketing Trends You should Know About, in mind, you’ll be ready to survive the changes.

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By Rahimah Sultan

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An autoresponder is an automated system that sends a reply to a customer using certain rules. It can contain from one to a series of emails that go to subscribers’ inboxes after they sign up online for something of yours. The goal of the email is to engage people, as soon as they take an action, through a series of follow-up messages.

You can read this article for more information about using autoresponders in your marketing.

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There are three things you should do before starting to write a blog article. They are vital steps to writing the kind of article/blog posts your readers want to read and engage with, and for them to start seeing you as an authority and love your content.


1. Choose the correct topic for your article


Figuring out what your audience wants is key. To do this, you can:

Draw on your own experience. What topics were challenging for you when you were new to online content blogging?

Check out what another blogger who is a bit ahead of you writes about, using platforms like SpyFu, Semrush, or UberSuggest and Google Keyword Planner.

Whatever topic you pick to write about must be something your audience will benefit from and one that you’ll also benefit from writing.


2. Research your article topic

Even though you may feel confident and already know a lot about the topic you choose, still, earnestly take this step. You might find a few tips that you can add to your blog article.

To ensure that you stand out from the crowd—which is the objective—you have to know what others are saying. This is one way to get readers who bookmark your blog, to sign up for your email list, follow you on social, and finally buy from you.

After you’re certain about the topic, open a browser, search for that topic, and extensively research it. Do a Google search.

The result page will show you the top-performing pages. Check out the first five or ten or so posts on the SERP (Search Engine Result Page).

Just check out the main points:

Post/page title or headline – Can you write a better one?
Main points – Can you increase the value?

Length – Can you make your article longer while adding something of value?


3. Decide what you want to accomplish with your article

You must define a goal for your article.

As you plan and write your article, continually ask yourself if what you’re writing is doing what it needs to persuade your audience of the objectives.

For example: The title of this post/article is How to Write Great Blog Articles.

My objective is in the title. The process will be laid out as I proceed. I will discuss eight main steps to use when writing an article/post.



What are the steps to writing an article?


1. Outline

Now that you’ve chosen and researched your topic, you need to make an outline. An outline is an overall view of things you want to include in your article, something like a checklist of all your talking points.

2. Title

The title of your article should be 6-12 words or between 50-60 characters to be fully visible in search engine results and not be cut off.

You can use starting phrases like:

How to _ _ _ (How to create, How to start, or How to Make, etc.)

11 ways to _ _ _ (11 Reasons to, 11 Reasons why, etc.)

These are arbitrary numbers.

This is _ _ _ (This is why you should, This is why you need to, etc.)

You can use modifiers in between like easily, simple, amazingly, etc.


3. Introduction

Write an introduction that hooks readers. A great one:

Introduces the article topic

Explains what the reader will be able to do/accomplish/learn from the article

Establishes the reason the reader should trust the author/blogger (establishes the author’s authority)


4. Body

Whether you’re writing a how-to guide or a list post, the body is where you’ll give the real value.

Depending on your topic, consider the following:

Break your content into sections using headers and sub-headers.

Try to touch on more points than your competitors, but only if they’re applicable. Don’t just use filler content. Readers will see through that.

Where applicable, use visuals as some people are visual learners.

Use definitions when you’re using a term that is not common knowledge. Write a short definition to introduce the term to your readers before you write about it.

Lists are great for search engines, so incorporate them when it makes sense and when it will be useful to your readers.

Use references and links. If you have another blog article/post that will help with the current blog post, link it (an internal link). And if you don’t have supporting material, but someone else does, link to that (also called an external link).

Use short paragraphs and also vary the length to avoid monotony.

Use minimal jargon and esoteric speech.

Minimize adverbs, qualifiers, and passive sentences as much as possible.

When using numbers, spell them out for numbers 0 – 9 (three, not 3). Spell out any number over 9 (17, not seventeen).
Italicize the names of books and websites.

Write as you would speak in conversation, using contractions (don’t instead of do not), and reduce grammar expletives.

Add visual breaks like headers and subheadings, and break up long stretches of text within a header or subheader into shorter paragraphs.

Be sure that the body follows a structure and form that helps readers understand and fully comprehend the content.

5. CTA

Conclude your article with a call to action (CTA), which is asking your readers to do something. You can ask them to leave a comment, sign up for your email list, or make a purchase.

6. Optimization

Optimize your article for search engines (SEO) by using seed keywords. These
are your article’s main topic or some variation of it.

Make sure a version of it is:

In your article title

In your blog’s URL slug (the extension to the blog post’s URL after the forward-slash, which you can edit on WordPress using a plugin

In variations throughout your article (about 1-2% of the total word count). This is known as “keyword density.”

7. Edit

You can use Grammarly to edit some of the common errors, such as spelling, punctuation, etc.

When editing your post, be sure that you’ve done everything I’ve stated above.


If you want to learn how to write a great blog article/post that engages your readers and that sets you apart from the competition, focus on providing value to your audience using visual elements to make your post more engaging, and including a clear call-to-action that encourages readers to take the next step.

Although writing an amazing blog article/post takes time and effort, it’s worth it in the end.
You can learn how to write great blog articles by following the tips and strategies outlined in this article, and you can create content that resonates with your readers.


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You can attract customers by creating valuable content and experiences rather than  reaching out to them. This digital inbound content marketing approach attracts users to your brand when you provide useful or entertaining information and experiences, usually in the form of text, video, or audio and makes it easier for prospects to find you.

Content marketing is valuable because it builds relationships and trust with your potential and existing customers.

So, it’s easier to sell your products faster.

Those who use content marketing, to build a following, see higher returns for each additional piece of content they publish.

This article is an overview of content marketing moving forward.



How does content marketing work?

Informative content marketing draws people to your brand.

If you publish a video, podcast episode, or a blog post and interested people use it they become acquainted with your brand.

Once you have their attention you can build a relationship and later sell them your products and/or services.


Content marketing can help your business by:

1. Reducing customer acquisition costs

Although quality content creation isn’t cheap, you’ll see a stronger ROI (return on investment) from each piece you produce because your audience will increase.

Your first blog post, video, or social media posting might not be seen by many people. As more prospects find your content and become followers, each addition al piece of content you publish will be seen by more people and produce a stronger ROI.

Unlike paid ads, where you and your competitors can earn roughly the same ROI for each dollar spent, your brand with a strong content marketing strategy and a larger following can earn much more for each piece of published content.

2. Improving the quality of leads

With content marketing you can categorize the kind of customers you attract based on your content production.

For example, if your target audience is exclusively gardeners, you can discuss only topics that a gardener would be interested in, like soil preparation or garden layouts. You might also offer access to exclusive reports on industry benchmarks that would interest them.

Contrast this with using paid ads where you have to depend on platforms to accurately identify your target audience. As privacy concerns are on the increase and there is less accurate audience targeting, paid ads are producing lower returns.

3. Building a stable lead pipeline

If you produce evergreen content (content that’s relevant for years) you get higher returns over time, because you can continue to generate returns from it for years after it’s published.

You’ll still probably have a steady pipeline of leads, due to your evergreen content, even if you stop producing content for a while.

4. Increasing customer loyalty and retention

Essentially, content marketing is a cheat protocol to build trust with your potential customers at scale.

The more familiar your potential customers become with your brand, viewpoints, and identity, the easier it is for them to trust your brand and the more likely they are to continue to buy from you.



How do you create a content marketing strategy?

You have to attract the right customers in order for content marketing to work.

1. Your Ideal Customer

Your first step is defining your ideal target customer. To do that, ask yourself these questions:

a) What’s the position of the person who buys your product or service?

b) What is the person’s job?

c) What pain points does the person need resolved?

What is the person’s knowledge of the subject? (This is important to know to avoid beginner-level keywords when you’re targeting advanced customers)

Answering these questions will give you an excellent sense of your ideal buyer persona, and that will make the rest of your content strategy clear.


2. Your Marketing Funnel and Choice of Content

Customers don’t generally buy the first time they visit your website, and that’s okay.

The aim of content marketing is building relationships and leading prospects to make a purchase.

This happens in several stages from awareness of a problem to be solved to learning about solutions, and then to a decision to purchase a product or service.

3. Content Ideas and Brand Voice

Next, you should generate content ideas and establish your brand.

An effective marketing content strategy requires more than just mapping out the types of content you will need to produce. In order to get prospects to pay attention, you need must to have something unique and interesting to say to get people to pay attention to your content.

So the next step is determining how to consistently generate content ideas that are unique and interesting to your ideal audience.


4. Content Calander and Work Flow

If you publish new content consistently your content marketing strategy will scale.

The formula for a great content marketing strategy is:

An outstanding content idea, plus
A high volume of content publishing, and
Consistency for a long time period


5. Measure Results

The final step is to test and measure your results.

Since content marketing is a long-term play, and you probably won’t see any immediate returns on your investment, this is tricky.

But, here are some content marketing metrics you can track to make sure your strategy is going in the right direction:

Your generating higher quality leads that close faster

Your general brand awareness has increased (more social media mentions, backlinks, brand queries, etc.)

Your website is driving more traffic

Your existing customers are staying longer and are generally happier


Some of the many benefits of having a digital marketing strategy include:

Improved efficiency

Insights

Boosted productivity

Knowing your audience

Increased ROI


You can use an action plan to set up goals, budgets, tactics, timelines, etc. With a strategy in place, you’ll have a great basis to work from and you can adapt your plans if things change. Use your strategy as a blueprint you can return to for guidance.

Following are some useful resources to stay on top of trends and developments in the area of digital marketing.



1. Newsletters

As consumers are being more vigilant about cookies for tracking, being able to connect with and influence your customer base via email marketing is vital. Here are a few popular ones.

The Daily Carnage

Neil Patel

Google Think

Search Engine Land

The Rundown AI


2. Online publications and blogs

Here are a few from the host of great online publications and blogs that offer a variety of content, from podcasts, articles, guides, and handy toolkits.

Econsultancy

Adweek

HubSpot

Search Engine Watch

CoSchedule


3. Social Media

Social media is an effective way for marketers to communicate, influence consumers, and engage. You can monitor conversations and trends, and keep an eye on your competitors.


Social media platforms are inclined to change. It could be the name or the look of the platform or the replacement of a feature.

Generally, these changes have little effect or impact on how you use them in your day-to-day activities as a social media marketer.


4. Google Trends

Google Trends and Alerts is a valuable free tool for you, as a marketer, to stay on top of the news and industry announcements. It allows you to check the web and notifies you through email when a new result matching your search query appears.


5. Podcasts and webinars

Podcasts about digital marketing and technology can be an outstanding source of news and information.


These are some thoughts and an overview of content marketing moving forward.

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By Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links on this website. There is no expense to you.

In the future, marketers could face unique challenges that will change how they approach digital marketing.

The top content marketing strategies are still personalized marketing, extended use of multimedia, and exploring new…

Read the article here


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