Category Archives: E-mail Marketing

Creating an automated email campaign can seem daunting. You have to consider multiple factors that can make or break your conversions. At the same time, you have to do this while balancing your customers’ needs. Then there’s the need to ensure your automated email series addresses every stage of the buyer’s journey.

To make the process easier, we’ve put together this guide. Follow these email automation workflow best practices for optimal results.:

6 email automation best practices to follow

Ready to jump on the email automation bandwagon? Follow these six email automation best practices to reach your subscribers with the right emails at the right time:

1. Set goals and map your automated workflow 

Setting up an automated email workflow is pointless if you don’t know what you want to achieve. Think about it. How else will you gauge the effectiveness of your automated email sequences without marketing goals?

Your goals determine the type of automation workflows you set up. For example, an email sequence whose goal is to drive sales will look different when compared to one that exists to onboard new customers.

Here are other automated email workflow goals you might have:

To inform or educate

To reduce cart abandonment 

To promote an event

To win back subscribers

To ensure the best results, your automated workflows and goals should align with every stage of the customer journey. That’s why creating a customer journey map helps. Think of the customer journey map as a visual representation of the stages your customer goes through when interacting with your brand. Essentially, it allows you to visualize your customer’s specific points of interaction with your brand at every stage.

The main benefit of this email automation strategy is that it can boost your customer retention rates. When you combine goals with a customer journey map, you can deliver timely messages that resonate with your customers. 

Additionally, when you analyze your automation workflows against goals, you can identify the factors that impede desirable user behavior. This can help you finetune your email workflows and help customers progress through their journeys.

2. Trigger emails on customer behavior

When creating a sequence of emails, automate them to send based on specific customer actions and inactions. 

Behavioral triggers refer to email sequences that activate in response to the recipient’s actions. Common behaviors that can fire off such email workflows include:

form submissions and sign-ups

abandoned ecommerce carts

website visits

In the image below, Sony sends a trigger email in response to an abandoned cart from its Playstation Store:

Meanwhile, time-based triggers occur in response to inaction. For example, you can set up an email sequence that triggers after a user has been inactive for a specified period. The content, calls to action, and aim of each of the individual emails in the sequence will be to win back the customer.

Triggered emails are essential because they let you speak to the customer at specific points in their journey. That helps enhance the customer experience. 

Additionally, trigger emails target specific customer journey stages. So, they essentially lead customers toward taking a desired action. 

3. Incorporate follow-ups in the automated campaigns

Unfortunately, emailing your target audience once won’t be enough to get them to take your desired action. It doesn’t even matter whether they’ve expressed a strong interest in your products or services. Life’s distractions could still steal their focus away and hurt your chances of making a sale or nurturing a lead.

So, incorporate follow-ups into your automated campaigns.

This entails contacting a customer who has stopped progressing through their customer journey. For instance, the customer may have abandoned their shopping cart at checkout or registered for a webinar but failed to attend. Whatever the case, your follow-up email serves to give them a gentle nudge so that they re-engage with your brand. 

In the context of automated emails, your follow-up emails should trigger in response to your email recipient’s behavior. Abandoned carts, lead magnet downloads, newsletter subscriptions, free trial signups, and more are all fair game for follow-up emails.

Regarding how often you should follow up with your customers, there’s no clear-cut answer. As a rule of thumb, aim to automatically send follow-up emails a few days after your initial confirmation email. For example, if a customer abandons their shopping cart, you can wait between three days and a week before following up with them.

Meanwhile, if a customer’s behavior reveals that they need time to mull over whether to do business with you, play the long game. Program a longer series of emails with informative content like blog posts and case studies to nurture them until they come around. You can use ready-made AI templates like the one above to speed up the content creation process.

4. Implement hyper-personalization

Hyper-personalization refers to email marketing that leverages insights from historical and real-time customer data and use them to deliver relevant and personalized content. For instance, in hyper-personalization, you’d send a male subscriber this email on the left. A female subscriber would receive the email on the right:

To leverage hyper-personalization in your automated email workflows, gather as much customer data. Collect their demographic information, previous purchases, interests, and browsing trends. For this, use tools such as surveys, preference centers, heat maps, and recording sessions.

Your email marketing efforts can benefit from hyper-personalization in numerous ways. For one, it helps you create email content and personalized messages that resonate with your audience segments. When used with email segmentation, you can create dynamic content based on factors like your audience’s behavior and location.

Also, hyper-personalization is great for customer engagement. It can help you tailor your communications in a manner that’s optimal for higher conversion rates. Thanks to AI-powered automation, you can speak directly to your customer’s needs and pain points at scale.

Finally, hyper-personalization gives you a deeper understanding of your customers. This benefit is significant because it improves your email marketing chances in numerous ways. 

Not only will you get better at targeting customers, but you’ll also have the data needed to create a pleasant customer experience. Your customers will deem your emails as a source of valuable content. 

5. Maintain consistent branding

When your email subscribers open your automated emails, they should instantly know that the email came from you. Brand recognition is key to business success. Half of consumers say they’d buy from a brand they easily recognize. 

To foster this familiarity, maintain consistent branding across your email and web properties.

There are several ways to do it. The easiest method is to place your company logo in the profile picture section of your email account and the email’s header. As the image below shows, SaaS company ClickUp adheres to this best practice:

This email design technique ensures that your logo will be the first visual element your email contacts see when they open your emails. It’s also the lowest-cost method for building brand recognition with your email campaigns.

Another effective method for maintaining brand consistency is to use the same design elements in your email as you do on your website. Incorporate the same fonts and color scheme in your email newsletters. This will prevent your potential customers from being confused when they visit your email and other web properties.

6. Continuously track performance

It’s good practice to continuously track how your automated marketing emails are performing. Tracking performance provides a treasure trove of data you can rely on when planning future campaigns. 

One way to track performance is to run A/B tests on the various elements of your emails regularly. Send two sets of emails with different subject lines, layout designs, and call-to-action copy to two sets of audiences. Then, note down which version produces higher email engagement rates.

While doing A/B tests, keeping track of success metrics will help you gauge your campaign’s performance. The key metrics to track include open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. 

You can analyze the results in your chosen email marketing automation software. Use the metrics to make data-driven decisions related to your workflows as part of your B2C or B2B strategies.

You can also track campaign performance using email funnel conversion analysis.

mail funnel conversion analysis tracks how customers move through your conversion funnel. With it, you can identify bottlenecks that cause subscribers to churn or impede their progress along their journeys. The data you get from this analysis will help you optimize your funnel for conversions.

FAQs

What is an automated email workflow?

An automated email workflow is a series of emails that are automatically triggered and sent based on a subscriber’s specific action. That action can be everything from a link click to a form submission. 

Automated workflows can be a powerful tool in your overall email marketing strategy. Not only do they save you precious time. They also help you reach your business goals with minimal intervention.

What are the benefits of email automation?

Email automation workflows provide several benefits. For one, they help you respond to customer behavior appropriately. Also, email automation saves you time. It automates mundane and repetitive workflows (for example, welcoming new customers). Finally, automated workflows drive conversions. They help you personalize email communications and send them to audiences that find them relevant.

What is the best email automation tool?

There are several excellent options on the market, but we can confidently say that AWeber is among the top options. It offers all the features needed for automating email workflows. These include an email builder for design and behavioral automation features. Other great automation tools include HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, and GetResponse.

How do I automate my email?

Automating email campaigns is a five-step process. Step one involves choosing email automation software. The second step has to do with determining the goals for your automated campaigns. Your third step is to target and segment your audience. Step four involves deciding on email triggers. The final step involves creating email campaigns and activating them.

In closing

The email automation best practices discussed should get your campaigns off to a flying start. Your email campaigns must incorporate follow-ups to bring disengaged customers back into the fold. Without goals, creating automated workflows will be a pointless endeavor. For best results, make sure to map them to the customer journey during the goal-setting phase.

Meanwhile, hyper-personalization can help you gain actionable insights into your audience and drive customer engagement. Maintain consistent branding across your email, social media accounts, and website. This will ensure brand recognition. Automate trigger emails to ensure content gets sent at the right time and based on pre-specified user actions. Finally, consistently track your campaign performance. It will help you iron out any issues in your future campaigns.

Good luck with your email automation journey!

The post Email automation best practices for highly engaging campaigns appeared first on AWeber.

Creating a digital business card can be a game-changer for your networking and marketing efforts. With AWeber, you can easily design and share a professional-looking virtual business card. Here’s how:

Step 1: Choose a Digital Business Card App

Start by selecting a digital business card app. AWeber offers a free, user-friendly virtual business card template that you can customize directly in your AWeber account.

Step 2: Customize Your Digital Business Card

Once you’ve chosen a platform, fill in your card with essential details:

Upload a photo: Add a personal touch with your image.

Company logo: Insert your brand’s logo.

Job title and summary: Clearly state your role and a brief description.

Contact information: Include phone number, email, and other key details.

Social media links: Connect your audience with your Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and other relevant profiles.

Step 3: Add a QR Code

A QR code is essential for easy sharing. You can generate a QR code with Canva. Best of all, AWeber has a direct integration with Canva, so you can even add a custom QR code to your card with a simple drag and drop.

Step 4: Include Key Information

Part of the beauty of digital business cards is that you can include as much (or as little) information as you’d like. 

Here’s the most commonly included information:

Name and preferred pronouns

Job title and contact information

Social media accounts

Photo

Website URL

Elevator pitch

Company logo

QR code for easy access

Step 5: Share Your Digital Business Card

Now that you have a digital business card, it’s time to start sharing it. Here are some of the best ways to get your new virtual card into your potential clients’ hands.

QR code: In-person or on your Zoom virtual background.

Text or email: Send the link directly to new contacts.

Email signature: Embed the link or a screenshot of your card.

Direct link: Share it on social media or via messaging apps.

Benefits of Using Digital Business Cards

These new cards are quickly becoming “the norm” in the business world, and for good reason. There are many benefits to creating a virtual business card for yourself.

Convenient: Easily accessible on your device, no need for physical cards.

Cost-effective: Free or inexpensive to create and update.

Eco-friendly: Reduces paper waste.

Seamless follow-up: Integrate with your mailing list for automatic follow-ups.

Trendy: Stay up to date with modern networking practices.

Get Started Today!

Create your digital business card with AWeber’s virtual business card template and start sharing it effortlessly. Watch this video to see how easy it is to get started!

Frequently asked questions

What is a digital business card?

A digital business card (also known as a virtual business card) is a simple webpage with your contact information —including your name, email, website, socials, calendar link, contact form, and other information pertinent to you and your business.

Like a traditional business card, you use it to share your contact information. However, a digital business card can contain an unlimited amount of information. Plus, it can be interactive and up-to-date on your most recent info.

How Does a Digital Business Card Work?

A digital business card functions as an interactive and easily shareable version of a traditional business card. It can be accessed via a link, QR code, or app and includes comprehensive information like contact info, social media links, and more. Users can quickly and easily share and update their card, so they always present up-to-date information to contacts.

How to Create a Digital Business Card in Canva?

To create a digital business card in Canva, start by signing in to your Canva account and searching for “business card” templates. Choose a template that matches your style and customize it by adding your personal information, logo, and other details. You can also include a QR code. Once that’s done, download your card as a digital file, like a PDF or image.

How to Add a Digital Business Card to an Apple Wallet?

To add a digital business card to Apple Wallet, first create your digital card using a compatible platform or app. Export your card in a format supported by Apple Wallet, usually a PKPass file. Then, open the file on your iPhone, and choose “Add to Wallet.” Your digital business card will now be available in the Apple Wallet app for easy sharing and retrieval.

The post 5 Steps to create a digital business card for easy follow up appeared first on AWeber.

Developing a strong unique selling proposition (USP) is one of the best ways to elevate your marketing efforts. Not only does it help define your overall strategy, but it also makes all your marketing endeavors more effective.

What is a Unique Selling Proposition?

A USP answers two critical questions:

What makes you better or different than your competition?

Why should people buy from you?

Your USP should be a concise sentence or phrase that clearly explains why your business stands out. It’s the essence of what makes your business unique.

Characteristics of a strong USP

1. Authentic to your business

Your USP must be rooted in what your business genuinely excels at. It’s not enough to simply claim superiority; your USP should reflect a true strength or focus of your business. 

For instance, if you run a pizza place, claiming “We’re the best” isn’t enough. However, if your pizza place is renowned for using organic, locally sourced ingredients, your USP could be “Farm-fresh ingredients in every slice.”

This authenticity builds trust with your customers. They need to know that what you promise in your USP is what they will experience. A genuine USP is more sustainable because it aligns with your company’s mission and values.

2. Customer-focused promise

A USP should address your customers’ needs and highlight a key benefit. Whether it’s your exceptional product quality or world-class customer service, your USP should communicate what sets you apart in a way that resonates with your ideal customers. 

For example, if your business prides itself on fast delivery, your USP could be “Hot pizza at your door in 30 minutes or less.”

It’s important to understand your customers’ pain points and how your business addresses them. A good USP is less about the product and more about the solution it provides. If your unique offering is an exceptional customer experience, make sure that’s evident in your USP.

3. Distinct from competitors

A good USP leverages the principle of positioning, clearly articulating how your business is different from competitors. It highlights your competitive advantage and helps position your company in the minds of potential customers. 

For example, if you own a coffee shop in a crowded market, your USP might be “The original craft coffee experience since 1966.”

This distinctiveness is crucial because it helps your business stand out in a crowded marketplace. Your USP should succinctly convey why a customer should choose you over your competitors, emphasizing your unique value proposition.

4. Memorable and concise

Your USP should be short and memorable. It should be a statement that encapsulates your company’s identity and can be reflected in all your marketing and communications. A concise USP is easier for customers to remember and recall, which is essential for brand recognition. 

For instance, Apple’s “Think different” is a succinct and memorable USP that encapsulates the brand’s innovative spirit.

Finding your USP

To uncover an effective USP, consider the following questions:

What product or service are you selling? 

Clearly define what you offer. If you’re an affiliate, what businesses or products are you promoting? Knowing exactly what you are selling helps in identifying your unique angle.

What unique features and benefits does it offer? 

List out the features and benefits that set your product or service apart. This could include quality, speed, customer service, or unique ingredients.

Who is your target audience? 

Define your ideal customer. Who are they? What are their demographics and psychographics? Knowing your audience helps tailor your USP to their specific needs and desires.

What are their key pain points? 

Identify the main problems your target customers face. Understanding these pain points is crucial as your USP should address how your product or service solves these issues.

How does your product or service address these pain points? 

Explain how your offering specifically alleviates the pain points of your customers. This is where the core of your USP will come from.

Who are your competitors and what are their USPs? 

Research your competitors. What are they claiming as their unique selling points? This knowledge helps you position yourself distinctively.

What do you do better than your competitors? 

Highlight what you excel at compared to others in your industry. This could be better quality, faster service, more personalized attention, etc.

How do you run your business differently? 

Describe any unique processes or methodologies your business employs. This could include sustainable practices, unique supply chains, or innovative technologies.

How do you treat your customers differently? 

Emphasize your customer service approach. Do you offer 24/7 support, personalized follow-ups, or a satisfaction guarantee?

How would you answer a customer who asks, “Why should I buy from you?” 

Craft a direct response to this question. This will help you distill your thoughts into a clear and compelling USP.

Crafting and using your USP

Once you have your answers, distill them into a brief statement that captures what makes you different. This is your USP. Here’s how to implement it effectively:

Make It visible

Don’t just leave your USP in your notebook. Put it everywhere so it stays top of mind. Make it your computer and cellphone background. Frame it on your desk. Sign it at the bottom of your emails. Ensure it’s visible on your website, marketing materials, and even your office space. This constant visibility reinforces your brand’s unique position in the minds of your team and customers.

Live it daily

Even more importantly, live it. Breathe it. Make everything you do and how you do everything embody that USP. Make it as much a focus of your daily work as your mission statement or your business’s financial goals. Your actions should consistently reflect the promises made in your USP, creating a cohesive and authentic brand experience.

Examples of effective USPs

1. Canva: Online Design Made Easy

Canva simplifies design, making it accessible to everyone. Their USP is evident in their user-friendly interface and comprehensive design tools. Canva’s promise of ease is reflected in every aspect of their service, from their intuitive drag-and-drop features to their extensive library of templates.

2. Buffer: All-You-Need Social Media Toolkit for Small Businesses

Buffer addresses the pain point of tool overload by providing an all-in-one solution for small businesses. By consolidating multiple functions into one platform, Buffer simplifies social media management, making it more efficient for small business owners. 

Their USP clearly targets a specific audience, ensuring they attract the right customers.

3. Product Hunt: The Best New Products in Tech

Product Hunt’s platform surfaces the best new tools through community voting. Their USP is rooted in their mission to highlight innovation in tech. By allowing users to vote on new products, Product Hunt leverages social proof to validate their selections, making their USP both unique and credible.

4. Nike: Just Do It

Nike’s USP centers on the themes of motivation, inspiration, and empowerment. The brand’s marketing and product design emphasize the idea that with the right gear, anyone can surpass their goals and unlock their full potential. 

This approach not only highlights the functional benefits of Nike’s offerings but also connects with customers on an emotional level, making them feel empowered and inspired to strive for excellence in their athletic endeavors.

5. REI: A Life Outdoors is a Life Well Lived

REI’s USP encapsulates its commitment to the outdoor lifestyle, beyond just selling products. They offer trips, classes, and a vast library of articles about outdoor life. REI’s USP resonates with their audience’s passion for the outdoors, positioning them as more than just a retailer but as a lifestyle brand.

6. Peet’s Coffee: The Original Craft Coffee

Peet’s emphasizes its long history and authenticity in the craft coffee movement. Their USP, “The Original Craft Coffee,” speaks to their pioneering role in the industry. This not only differentiates them from newer competitors but also appeals to customers who value tradition and quality.

Your turn

A well-defined USP can set your business apart and attract your ideal customers. By answering the right questions and staying true to what makes your business unique, you can craft a USP that not only differentiates you from competitors but also resonates deeply with your target audience. Once crafted, make your USP a central part of your business strategy and daily operations to maximize its impact.

By understanding your strengths, focusing on your customers’ needs, and clearly differentiating yourself from competitors, you can create a USP that drives your marketing success and solidifies your brand’s position in the market. Embrace your uniqueness, communicate it effectively, and let your USP guide your path to business growth and customer loyalty.

The post 6 Examples of a unique selling proposition and how to write your own appeared first on AWeber.

The creator economy is a growing sector where individuals use digital platforms to create and share content, build communities, and, ultimately, make money. In 2024, the creator economy is valued at a whopping $250 BILLION and is expected to nearly double by 2027. 

This booming sector offers unprecedented opportunities for creators who know how to navigate this dynamic and evolving market.

But how do you know you’re doing it right? Things change fast, and staying informed of the industry’s latest best practices can be a full-time job. 

To help you navigate your way to the top of the creator economy, we reached out to eight experts. Each one of them knows the ins and outs of the creator economy, so we asked what they think the best moves are for content creators in the next 6 – 12 months. Specifically, we asked them four major questions:

1. How concerned are you about the economy in the next 6 – 12 months, especially for creators?
2. Could you rate that concern on a scale of one to ten, with one being the lowest?
3. What are you doing to adjust your business to adapt to this new environment?
4. What do you recommend other creators do right now to survive and even thrive through the next year or so?

How worried are they?

Surprisingly, the experts we talked to aren’t losing any sleep over fears of the creator economy tanking any time soon. 

Five of our eight experts weren’t concerned at all (1-2 rating)

Three of our experts feel things could go either way (5-6 rating)

The average score of everyone’s rating for how concerned they are? Just 2.9 out of 10. Just check out this word cloud of their answers:

What stands out? Creators, sure. Content, yep. What else?

Community. Help. Support. Audience. People. 

Across the board, every one of our experts gave pretty much the same advice: build a community.

Find a group of people who genuinely appreciate and value your work. Get to know that community really, really well. 

Solve their problems.

Connect to them.Then – and only then – offer them paid solutions and support for those problems.

Why “focus on building a community” is great advice 

People who are well-connected, visible, and contribute to communities tend to have more opportunities. The people they are connected to “know, like, and trust” them, so they’re aligned with that golden rule of sales and marketing. They get more work, even in downturns. And they’re well-enough connected to know when and how to pivot if that becomes necessary.

Those are the key takeaways from the answers we got: Most of these creators/advisors aren’t very worried about how creators will fare in 2022, and they recommend every creator focus on building a specific audience/community.

But a lot of other issues came up. For that, it’s best to let these eight experts speak for themselves.

1. Juan Galán Politi

How concerned are you about the economy in the next 6-12 months, especially for creators? Could you rate that concern for me on a scale of one to ten, with one being the lowest?

I don’t think there is anything to be concerned about. The creator economy is a thriving economy. More and more people are finding they can turn their passion or hobby into a full-time career and build successful online businesses with little or even 0 investment. People are consuming more content than ever, whether it is through social media, blogs, etc. Content creators that are smart about it can easily start monetizing their online audiences and their content. I’d rate my concern for this question as 1.

What are you doing to adjust your business to adapt to this new environment?

It’s been a crazy year for business growth and it’s grown to levels I would have never imagined. What did I do? I built an online community around a specific topic, addressed my community problems with my content, and offered solutions. I’m more adjusting myself to this rapid business growth, rather than adjusting my business to a new environment. Very excited to continue seeing it grow.

What do you recommend other creators do right now to survive and even thrive through the next year or so?

Honestly, the best thing any creator looking to succeed can do is to build a strong online community. Choose one platform (ideally one in social media) and start creating consistent content and building relationships. Once you have a decent community (not saying you need thousands and thousands of people) but a decent, engaged community, they can start thinking about how to offer “paid solutions” to the main problems anyone in their community has.

2. Shawn Fink

How concerned are you about the economy in the next 6-12 months, especially for creators? Could you rate that concern for me on a scale of one to ten, with one being lowest?

I am holding steady around a 6 right now. In many of my circles, the pinch is definitely already under way and it’s hard to say which way it will go at this point. I would like to have trust that we’ll be able to steer clear of it but it’s definitely a worry.

What are you doing to adjust your business to adapt to this new environment?

I have been reducing my expenses for a few months now and trying to run a lean business machine. I am also planning to talk to my bank about a line of credit to use if things take a downturn. I am also adding in a few other revenue streams that might be more recession proof. 

The biggest thing I did when the pandemic seemed to slow things down was take on a more consistent client that I know will be good for a while. I call it my side hustle but it’s a higher paying and more consistent remote client for me to work for around the edges of my coaching business. 

What do you recommend other creators do right now to survive and even thrive through the next year or so?

First, you always have to do what you need to do to feel safe and secure. So if that means look for a part-time job, so be it. Family comes first in my world. As does the mortgage. The great thing about being a creator is that it can always happen in the margins of our lives — get up early, stay up later. Being a creator doesn’t stop in a recession. But paying your bills should always be a primary focus. There’s no shame if you have to work at Starbucks to make ends meet. Your financial wellbeing is such a huge piece of your overall well being. So tend to it like it’s a priority not an afterthought. 

Second, start creating safety nets — like a line of credit from your bank or through another lender — and perhaps a bit of a cash infusion right now before the bottom drops out. If it doesn’t, you’ll be in good shape. If it does, it will buy you a few months. 

Diversify. What else can you do in the meantime to ensure you have some income coming in? Can you target a different but stable industry right now to get you shored up for upcoming months? 

Finally, ask for help. You’d be so surprised who is willing to help you when times are hard. We forget that resilience evaporates in solitude. We need to help each other. We’re meant to help each other. So reach out and share your story and what you need. 

3. Paula Rizzo

How concerned are you about the economy for the next 6-12 months, especially for creators? Could you rate that concern for me on a scale of one to ten, with one being lowest?

It’s always important to keep your eye open for what’s happening in the world and how it might affect your business. I’m about a 5 on a scale of one to 10. It’s definitely concerning and something to keep an eye on but I won’t be doing anything drastic. 

What are you doing to adjust your business, your marketing, or your content to adapt to this new environment?

I was a network television news producer during the 2008 recession. We found creative and authentic ways to tell stories that would really resonate with our audience. I’m always thinking of the audience first. What are they going through and how can my expertise best serve them? 

What do you recommend other creators do right now to adapt and maybe even thrive through the next year or so?

Slow and steady wins the race. Stay true to that. Stick with the good stuff that you know works and don’t try to reinvent the wheel now.

4. Andrea Fox (Dre Fox)

How concerned are you about the economy in the next 6-12 months, especially for creators? Could you rate that concern for me on a scale of one to ten, with one being lowest?

As a creator since 2018, I’ve seen many changes over the past 4 years – some exciting, some troubling. But right now? Creators now have a unique opportunity to feast or famine inside of this ever-changing industry. Between new platforms, the recession and the move to video content, it’s time to realize actions that worked in 2020 aren’t going to work in the future and pivots need to be made. 

For those that step up to the plate to learn new skill sets, to tap into the true “business” of content creation I think there is more than enough space for people to get ahead in this industry. I am 5/10 nervous for creators.

What are you doing to adjust your business to adapt to this new environment?

Personally I’m refining my skills and becoming much more proficient in editing, video content and creating my own trends for others to follow. But behind the scenes I am networking like my business depends on it, because it does. This looks like taking a proactive role in the opportunities I’m given and the rooms my name will be brought up in. All it takes is you to ask to be part of a collaboration, to get a shout out or to partner with a brand to change the entire future of your creator business.

What do you recommend other creators do right now to survive and even thrive through the next year or so?

Externally, it’s time to become innovative and take bigger risks with your content and the online space that you’re taking up. Make noise, make waves and stop clinging to the past. Those that will win aren’t worrying about “what used to work,” they’re onto the next thing. Let that be you! Improve your skills especially if it’s holding you back from video – Youtube, masterclasses and more can help you get the basics down so you can add more services to  your roster. 

Move into burgeoning markets like UGC content creation – this is my client’s main focus because it’s not saturated right now and allows you to get paid without the rat race of likes and comments. 

Internally, if you want social to be your job, treat it like a business with the same dedication, business acumen and seriousness that you’d expect. Shake hands, get networking and ask for the things that you want – you never know when someone might just say yes.

5. Pranav Mutatkar

How concerned are you about the economy in the next 6-12 months, especially for creators? Could you rate that concern for me on a scale of one to ten, with one being lowest?

My concern depends on the creator. Since”creator” is a broad word. If you are a creator who has lasered in and is solving real problems for your perfect customers. You’ll be okay. I’d rate that as a 2. 

But the average creator was already living an unsustainable life before the downturn. Many creators are slaves to content creation, are facing burnout, and are barely making ends meet. For these creators, I’d rate it at an 8. 

This may not be a horrible thing for most of these creators. It’ll help them understand who they should serve and how they can serve them with their personal gifts. 

What are you doing to adjust your business to adapt to this new environment?

Identifying what my rare and valuable skill is. Finding customers who love what I do. Talking to real customers to figure out how to grow my business instead of making an “educated” guess.  

Prioritizing ruthlessly by choosing only a couple things to pursue. Deciding to eliminate everything that isn’t good for my business, healthy for me, or play. Creating anti-fragile support systems so I can survive even if things don’t work out. 

Surrounding myself with smart mentors who can point me in the right direction. Make sure my network knows my calling card. Trying to help and be useful to whoever comes my way irrespective of if I’ll get something in return. 

What do you recommend other creators do right now to survive and even thrive through the next year or so?

Talk to the people who love your content. Talk to people who you solve real problems for. Who does (or would be willing to) pay a bunch of money for your work?

Understand these people at a deep level. Figure out where they hang out, what messaging appeals to them, and what real problems you solve for them.

Then use what you learned. Go to the places they hang out and become useful. Help your dream customers solve their most difficult problems. Solve problems for others that are difficult for them and easy for you.

And most important of all… still do what’s best for your mental & physical health. Stay connected with friends. Go for walks in the park. If you put too much pressure on yourself, it’ll be harder to succeed and it’ll be less fun. 

When you get lost, ask yourself: Why am I doing this? Keep asking why until you get to the real deep reason. 

Focus on that deep why. Not on the vanity metrics. Don’t worry, you’ll make it through.

6. Paul Thomson

How concerned are you about the economy in the next 6-12 months, especially for creators? Could you rate that concern for me on a scale of one to ten, with one being lowest?

I’m not at all concerned about the economy over the next 6-12 months as it relates to creators. I’m pretty confident in rating my concern a 2/10. I believe the economy for creators has never been stronger. Just look at the number of people leaving traditional 9-5s either by choice or by force, it’s a really telling sign that the market for creators is thriving.

What are you doing to adjust your business to adapt to this new environment?
We’ve worked hard over the years to build robust systems to support our clients. I hear from creators all the time how overwhelming it can feel especially if you’re being told how unstable and volatile your market is. In turbulent times, creators need someone to lean on, so being able to have the right support, community, and mentorship is critical to stability and growth.

What do you recommend other creators do right now to survive and even thrive through the next year or so?

In my experience, the creators who are thriving are the ones focusing on a specific audience – they’re not trying to go broad with their content, products or services. Find the people that you enjoy connecting with, who you can impact the most, in the shortest amount of time. They will become your super fans if you stay consistent with your content.

7. Faiz Imran   

On a scale 1 – 10 , a 1. I think the current state of the economy presents a massive opportunity for creators and freelancers that are able to provide value online to their audiences and customers. 

We are removing the barrier for creators to set up online communities so they are able to take control of their income and audience, we’re doing this by allowing creators to manage the whole community building, monetizing, and the process for running that community all within the backspace platform for free.

We recommend all creators keep their focus on creating amazing content that adds value to their audiences. During hard times people often come to their communities for support, so be sure to start building out and engaging more with your communities. 

Overall I really think many creators are going to be able to build extremely tight-knit communities of people experiencing the same things.

Having a sense of community is going to be crucial,  creators that are able to curate these groups and communities will have lifelong support from their audiences.

8.  Gary Henderson

As far as the economy goes I’m not concerned at all as a creator. I’d give it a 1 or a 2. For me, people always want to grow and make money. I help creators make money and as long as we have people in the world that want to make money I’ll survive.  

I’m all in on web3. I help creators from all over the globe and decided to lean into the crypto space heavily. I’ve created my own currency, $GARY coin, and helped 30+ other creators do the same. This has allowed me to build a strong community of loyal supporters that continually show up. I have a group of 70+ creators that meet daily at 5:00 AM EST in discord to mastermind and collaborate.  

Decentralize and build your community. The world is changing fast and focusing on your personal brand and growing your community of super fans is the best advice I can give anyone.  When I did that last year. It changed my life!  

So, where is the creator economy going next?

The future of the creator economy is bright. In fact, economists are projecting that this market could be worth half a trillion dollars in just the next 3 years. 

This growth is being fueled by new technologies that are making it easier to create content. New platforms like TikTok alongside established platforms like YouTube and Facebook, are also driving increased digital media consumption.

For creators, that means that the path forward involves leveraging these platforms and tools to continuously engage with their communities. Creators who build and nurture strong connections with their communities will be best positioned to succeed. Stay engaged, be proactive, and keep creating!

The post The creator economy in 2025: 8 experts on how to survive and thrive appeared first on AWeber.

You sit down at your desk fired up and ready to create a killer landing page. No doubt, this page is the thing that will make your email list sprout faster than flowers in May.

You stare at a blank canvas, willing the words flow through your keyboard.

But all you see is a blank screen.

You know a landing page can be a powerful marketing tool, but getting started from scratch can feel daunting. 

Thankfully, having some tried-and-true landing page best practices to follow will help you overcome the blank screen to create a landing page that converts visitors to subscribers without hesitation.

Read on for 15 tips, tricks and landing page best practices to help you create a high-converting landing page.

1 – Write a benefit-focused headline 

A headline is the first thing a visitor sees, so you need to make sure it grabs their attention immediately. Your headline should clearly communicate the value you offer; visitors need to know what’s in it for them if they’re going to sign up or buy from you. 

Did you know that about 80% of your visitors will read your headline, but only 20% will read the rest? 

How do you get all those visitors to read on? 

Easy: spend more time writing your headline than any other part of your page. Test different headlines to see which works best.

Check out the example below from JB Fit – “The Ultimate Pain-Free Back Program.” See how she uses a benefit-driven headline to draw people in.

2 – Ask your visitor to do one thing

The old adage “Jack of all trades, master of none” applies to landing pages. Don’t overwhelm your readers by asking them to take multiple actions.

The ultimate goal of your landing page is to get people to take one desired action. Whether it’s selling an ebook, signing up for an event, or capturing an email address, keep your main goal in mind. 

Check out this landing page from The Weight Loss Academy. The goal of the page is obvious: to sell a mini course for $49.99. There’s very minimal navigation, and the social media buttons at the bottom of the page are there to provide validation. 

3 – Use images that match your messaging

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so it follows that pictures evoke emotions easier than words alone. 

Include images that showcase your fantastic product or illustrate the feeling you want your audience to experience.

If you can show the transformation a customer will experience with your product or service, they’ll be more likely to purchase.

The Intrepid Guide does a great job showcasing how users will experience their Italian menu ebook through the images on their landing page.

4 – Create a strong call to action button that stands out

Your call to action (CTA) button is one of the most important  elements of your landing page. The headline gets them in the door. The CTA closes the sale. 

Your CTA button needs to stand out and clearly communicate the value of your offer.

See the powerful call to action on this landing page. “Grab the cheat sheet now!” is a clever way to differentiate the call to action from standard language like “sign up” or “download”.

5 – Keep the most important information above the fold

 2.7 seconds. That’s all the time you have to grab a visitor’s attention. 

With such limited time to convince someone to continue reading, you need to put your best foot forward and put the most crucial information at the top of the page where it’s immediately visible. 

“Above the fold” is the portion of your landing page that can be seen without having to scroll. If the information you include above the fold isn’t captivating, readers won’t continue scrolling down your page.

Dirk Ereken Images puts the most important information he wants readers to see strategically at the top of his page.

6 – Do not include top navigation

Unlike a website, a landing page should have a singular focus, and including a top navigation bar can be distracting. 

By removing the top navigation, you simplify the path to conversion and keep your visit’s attention on your CTA.

Check out how Dreams Travel Consulting limited the top navigation and focused instead on driving visitors to sign up for a guide. 

7 – Optimize your page for every device

This is really best practice for any website or landing page you create: make sure your page is optimized for mobile, desktop, and tablet use.

We’ve all had this experience: you open a web page on your phone, and you have to zoom in just to read some text. Poor mobile experiences like this turn potential customers away; most users browse and make decisions on the go. A responsive landing page with elements that adapt to different screens and devices is crucial. 

Check out how Dodo Art Online uses a mobile-responsive landing page to ensure visitors have a great experience on their site, no matter the device they’re using.

8 – Direct the readers’ eyes 

Understanding the visual hierarchy and how visitors view your landing pages makes creating effective pages that boost conversion rates much easier.

Studies on eye-tracking have shown that visitors follow specific patterns like the Z-pattern, where the eyes start from the top left, move their way across the page, down to bottom left then across again — forming a Z-pattern. 

Keeping this in mind, Key elements like the headline, images, and CTA should be strategically positioned to guide the viewer’s eyes naturally through the page.

Also, you can use directional cues like arrows or images of people looking at your CTA to guide their attention to where you want it. Strategic use of white space can also help draw attention to certain elements.

Here’s a great example from Dynamic Property Partners. They positioned the page with the Z-pattern in mind so readers view the headline first. 

9 – Include social proof

Building trust and credibility with your visitors by showing them testimonials, reviews, and user-generated content can help visitors feel more comfortable with your brand. Showcasing real names and photos adds authenticity and relatability to your social proof. 

Check out how 4Life uses quotes and photos of real customers to reinforce their value:

10 – Leverage A/B testing

If you’ve ever been torn between a design decision about your landing page, take it as an opportunity for testing! If you’re not sure which headline to run or which image to use, that’s where A/B testing, or split testing, comes in. 

By creating two versions of your landing page with slight differences, you can see which one does better. Testing different headlines, images, or CTAs helps you hone in on strategies that work best.

Check out these two versions of the same landing page from Neathome. See the difference? By collecting data on which version performs better, the one with the woman and the books or the one without the person in the kitchen, they can recreate their most successful elements in the future.

11 – Incorporate trust signals

Incorporating trust signals like security badges, certifications, and privacy policies helps reassure your visitors that their information is safe. This is especially important if your landing page asks for sensitive information like their credit card info. 

Adding a simple security badge from Norton or McAfee shows them that their data is safe. In the example below, Sales Force requests quite a bit of personal information from their viewers, but reassures them that their information is secure through the Norton and TRUSTe badges at the bottom.

12 – Reduce page load speed

How annoying is it when a page takes forever to load? A slow-loading page can turn visitors away. 

Make sure your landing page loads fast by optimizing images, minimizing code, and using browser caching. Ideally, you should have a load time under three seconds.

Not sure how fast your landing page loads. Use a tool like PageSpeed Insights to test your page load time.

Leaning into minimalist designs like Sundae does on this landing page is a great way to ensure fast load times.

13 – Personalize your content

Personalization can really make your landing page stand out. Personalized content makes visitors feel special and more connected to your offer and brand. You can use dynamic text replacement to personalize headlines and copy. 

For example, your landing page could greet returning visitors with a message like “Welcome back!” or “Continue your journey today!” See how HubSpot uses dynamic text to insert the viewer’s name into the content of the landing page?

14 – Use interactive elements

Fun, interactive elements like quizzes, surveys, and calculators can help keep visitors on your page longer. 

When they’re designed well, they can be both engaging and also offer valuable insights and information about your offerings.

Axway does a great job integrating a quiz into this landing page. They ask an intriguing question that naturally draws you into taking their short quiz. 

15 – Create urgency and scarcity

Want to motivate visitors to act now? Limited-time offers, countdown timers, and low-stock alerts can push visitors to take action before it’s too late.

Language that emphasizes urgency, like “Limited Time Offer,” “Only a Few Spots Left,” or “Register Now Before It’s Too Late,” results in faster conversions.

In this example, 1 Body hits you with a big countdown timer for free shipping. It’s a not-too-subtle but highly effective way of encouraging quick actions.

Put your knowledge of landing page best practices to work

Now that you’ve got these 15 proven landing page best practices up your sleeve, it’s time to put them into action. Remember, creating a high-converting landing page doesn’t have to be scary, time-consuming, or expensive.

Need a starting point? Use a custom-built template and start optimizing today!

The post 15 Landing page best practices to get more conversions appeared first on AWeber.

There are over 1 billion websites on the world wide web. 

Did your jaw just hit the floor?

That’s a staggering amount of competition for web traffic. 

Driving web traffic is hard enough. But when you consider returning website visitors converted more than 73% more than first time visitors, it can feel even more overwhelming. 

How on earth can you convince people to visit your website twice? 

The secret is with web push notifications.

Want to make web push notifications a part of your marketing strategy? Read on to learn how to create push notifications that make it easy to drive traffic back to your website and make more sales.

Moreover, combining email marketing with web push notifications creates a powerful, multi-channel campaign that boosts engagement and revenue. 

What are web push notifications?

Imagine having a tool that sends friendly nudges directly to your visitors’ desktops or laptops. These are web push notifications—short, clickable messages that pop up when your visitors have their browser open, even if they’re not currently on your website.

Once someone opts in, they don’t need to be on your site to get these notifications. You’ve probably seen these notifications yourself; they’re those small notices asking if you want to stay updated with new content or offers from a site you visited.

They typically show up in the corner of the screen and act as alerts for exclusive deals, offers, promotions, or freebies. The goal is simple: to bring your audience back to your website or landing page and encourage them to take action.

Here’s an example of an opt-in message:

Once they opt-in, they’ll begin receiving web push notifications. Here’s what they’ll look like when someone is online.

Benefits of web push notifications

1. Easy to opt-in

Opting in is super simple—just the click of a button. When visitors click “allow,” they’ll start getting your notifications right away. 

2. Instant communication

We all know promoting content can be tough with so many platforms and competitors out there. Web push notifications cut through the noise, instantly showing up directly on your subscribers’ browsers. 

3. Owned communication channel

Unlike social media, where algorithms decide who sees your posts, you own your web push notifications audience. You reach 100% of your opted-in subscribers directly. It’s your audience, your rules.

4. Drive traffic without advertising costs

Want to drive traffic back to your site without spending money on ads? Web push notifications are the answer. You can let your subscribers know about limited-time sales or exclusive offers for much less than paid ads.

5. Build deeper connections

Web push notifications empower you to treat your subscribers like VIPs by sending them exclusive content and updates. Building these deeper connections can turn casual website visitors into loyal brand advocates. 

6. Grow your email list

You can use your existing email subscribers to grow your web push notification list and vice versa. By driving traffic to your sign-up pages, you can increase both your email and notification subscribers, creating a multi-channel communication network.

7. Complement your email marketing

Web push notifications are a great complement to any email marketing campaign. They don’t replace emails but, instead, complement them. With this multi-channel approach, you get more touchpoints to connect with your audience, making your strategy even stronger.

8. Save time

Creating web push notifications is quick and easy. These tight little messages take less time to make than other marketing techniques, which allows you to effectively communicate more quickly.

9. Communicate limited-time offers instantly

Keep your subscribers in the loop about limited-time offers as soon as they launch. This instant communication ensures they don’t miss out on great opportunities, keeping them engaged and, moreover, happy and appreciative of the deal you gave them.

Real-world examples of web push notifications

Motivate customers with daily tips

Donna Partow, a content creator and motivational speaker, uses web push notifications to deliver daily reminders and content for her challenges. 

“I’m really excited about using web push notifications for limited-time challenges. Each day, I send a reminder with a link to keep them moving forward on their goal. My audience appreciates receiving these notifications because they are beneficial.”

– Donna Partow

Notify followers instantly when you create new content

Jennifer Reinhard, a cloth diaper educator, uses web push notifications to share new and evergreen content with her audience. This method ensures her educational material reaches readers exactly when they need it.

“Web push notifications are another method to reach my readers. They may not read the email or see Facebook posts, but they will see the web push notification because it pops up on their desktop when they’re online — exactly when they need it.”

– Jennifer Reinhard

Drive traffic to specific articles

Jamila Bannister, a personal branding strategist, uses web push notifications to drive traffic to her online magazine and specific articles. This helps maintain a steady flow of readers to her content.

“I use web push notifications to drive traffic back to my online magazine and specific articles. This keeps my audience engaged with my most up-to-date content.”

– Jamila Bannister

Increase sales with limited-time offers

John Grubb, owner of Keystone Computer Concepts, uses web push notifications to send time-sensitive security alerts and special offers. This strategy helps him maintain customer engagement without overwhelming them with emails.

“Web push notifications are really important because I can send out time-sensitive offers without additional emails. This keeps my customers informed and engaged.”

– John Grubb

Components of a web push notification

A: Logo

Including a brand logo or image on a web push notification provides instant recognition from a user. It’s a highly visual way for a subscriber to recognize that the message is coming from your brand and can drive them to read the notification and take action. 

B: Title

The title of the web push notification is also called the header text. This is the piece of text that will catch the attention of a subscriber and encourage them to read on.

C: Message

This vital section is where you can elaborate on your message. This is your opportunity to concisely explain the value a subscriber receives from clicking on your push notification and visiting your site. Answer questions like: what will your subscribers receive by visiting your site? How long will the offer last? 

Keep in mind, however, that web push notifications are meant to be short and sweet. Avoid jargon and use simple and direct language.

D: Domain

This is the URL that the user subscribed to. Including the source link in your message can’t be changed. It not only serves to remind the subscriber of your website, but aids in recognition and awareness of your online presence. 

Best practices for web push notifications

Follow the best practices below to create web push notifications your audience will no doubt appreciate.

1 – Copy is king

The content of your web push notifications should be compelling and concise. Every word counts when you’re dealing with restrictive character limits, so make sure your message is clear and impactful.

2 – One topic per push

It’s best to stick to just one message per notification. Clear and focused messages end up with higher click-through rates, so don’t dilute your messages by pushing two things at once.

3 – Create urgency

Being specific about time sensitivity and urgency is a great way to drive action. Instead of saying “Flash Sale Today,” try “Only a few hours left to save 25%.” This very specific urgency encourages clicks right now.

4 – Include social proof

You should include testimonials, reviews, and social proof to gain the trust of your audience. Pointing things out like “500 people have already registered today” or “This post has over 10,000 shares” reassures subscribers of your legitimacy and encourages them to act.

5 – Value first

Always provide value before asking for anything in return. Wouldn’t you want that when you’re buying from a brand? By offering value first, your audience is more likely to engage with and trust you.

6 – Use power words

Power words like “now,” “you,” “new,” and “free” can evoke emotion and drive action. These types of words make your notifications more compelling, urgent, and clickable. We put together 8 power words for you to use in your emails, but they also have an impact on any marketing copy you write.

7 – Create a sense of FOMO

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is a powerful motivator. Use it to create urgency and drive clicks. Limited-time offers or exclusive deals make subscribers more likely to act quickly.

8 – Exclusivity

Make your subscribers feel special with exclusive deals and promotions. Try highlighting the benefits of being part of a members-only program to boost their sense of belonging and value.

9 – Keep it short & sweet

Web push notifications have strict character limits. Aim for around 120 characters for the message, 50 for the title, 15 for the call to action, and one image. Communicate your message effectively within these constraints.

10 – Use emotion

Incorporate emotion into your notifications through humor, empathy, and references to trends or pop culture. Ensure your references are understandable and align with your brand voice. Genuine emotion resonates best when it serves your audience.

Get web push notifications

If you’re finding it challenging to reach more people and keep them engaged, web push notifications might be the solution you’ve been looking for. This powerful tool allows you to send direct messages straight to your visitors’ browsers, helping you expand your online reach and connect with your audience in real-time. 

With just a simple click, your visitors can opt-in to receive notifications, ensuring they stay updated with your latest content, offers, and announcements.

And the best part? AWeber’s web push notifications are included at no additional cost with AWeber Free, AWeber Lite, and Plus plans. This means you can start with this powerful tool without any extra cost, making it easier than ever to boost your marketing strategy and achieve your business goals.Start using web push notifications today and experience the difference they can make.

Sign up for AWeber and explore how web push notifications can transform your approach to connecting with your audience.

The post Web push notifications: The key to boosting engagement appeared first on AWeber.

Ever feel like potential clients are slipping through the cracks? Imagine never losing track of a new lead again. Well, guess what? With our brand new direct integration with Calendly, that dream can be your reality!

No more juggling spreadsheets or forgetting to follow up. This integration is here to save you time and keep you connected with your audience effortlessly. Whether you’re promoting events, nurturing leads, or managing cancellations, we’ve got your back.

Curious to see how it can make your life easier? Keep reading to find out all the awesome ways you can use Calendly with AWeber to grow your business and stay on top of your game.

Ready to level up? Let’s dive in!

Why Calendly + AWeber Matters to You

Save Time: No more manual data entry. When a new potential client or customer schedules an appointment with you via Calendly, they are automatically added to your AWeber list.

Stay Connected: Keep the conversation going with your prospects and customers without missing a beat.

How You Can Use Calendly + AWeber

Event Promotion and Lead Nurturing: Promote an event with a link to your Calendly. When someone schedules an appointment, they’re instantly added to your AWeber list. This way, you can nurture that lead with targeted follow-ups.

Segmenting Your Leads: Tag those who booked a discovery call. Using the tag, you can segment them and tailor your nurturing strategies for better engagement.

Managing Cancellations: If a scheduled appointment is canceled, that subscriber can automatically be unsubscribed from your list, or you can tag them for a win-back campaign. This ensures you’re only focusing on the most promising leads.

We’re excited to see how this new integration will help you grow your business. If you have any questions, drop them in the comments below or reach out to our support team any time.

The post Introducing our new Calendly + AWeber integration appeared first on AWeber.

Gain a competitive advantage and kick-start your affiliate marketing strategy with the latest, most advanced tools to improve your efficiency and save you (loads of) time.

If you sell affiliate products or services, you probably know the “overwhelm” feeling that happens when you realize there’s a lot of work (and sometimes money) involved in marketing.

The right affiliate tools can save time and money by helping you manage campaigns, write content, track ads, and find the perfect brand partners.

No more overwhelm.

In this guide, we review 17 of the best high-performing tools for affiliate marketers.

We’ve also included 3 bonus sections:

A list of the best affiliate marketing tools for beginners

A list of free affiliate marketing tools

A list of the best courses for affiliate marketers

Affiliate marketing tools for all experience levels and budgets

What is Affiliate marketing and how does it work?

17 Affiliate marketing tools for all levels of experience 

6 Best affiliate marketing tools for beginners

6 Best free affiliate marketing tools

Best affiliate marketing courses for beginners

What is affiliate marketing?

As an affiliate marketer, you earn passive income by promoting the products and services of companies you partner with.

Imagine you own a lemonade stand. 

It’s a hot summer day and you spend half of it flagging down cars in hopes they’ll buy a $1 cup of your special recipe.

Just as a line begins to form, you run out of lemonade.

You hang a “Back soon” sign on your stand and rush to the grocery store for more ingredients. 

Then back home to mix up a giant batch of the messy liquid, only to realize your hard-won line of thirsty customers has vanished.

There’s got to be a better way.

Monday comes and you try to negotiate a deal with your next-door neighbor. 

She’ll make lemonade – as much as you need – and you’ll sell her drinks instead of making your own from scratch. 

It was a good deal, but…

Setting up the stand, pouring the drinks, providing paper cups, and cleaning up afterward would still be a lot of work.

Why should you be doing all those other things when your superpower is getting customers?

Eventually, you both agree that she will also  sell the drinks from her own lemonade stand, without your help.

All you have to do is bring her customers, and you will earn 40 cents for every $1 in business you send her way.

This is affiliate marketing.

You form partnerships with online companies and agree to promote their products or services. 

They take on the hard work of creating the product and conducting sales transactions. 

All you need to do is go sell that lemonade.

How much commission do affiliate marketers earn?

Commission payments differ (a lot) from one partner to the next.

Most pay a percent-based commission. This may be as low as 1% or as high as 50% of the sale price.

Some pay a flat rate (fixed) commission.

Others pay a combination of percent and fixed commissions.

The size of your commissions depends on factors like: 

Your arrangement with the merchant

The type of affiliate program you join

The brand and product

The volume of business you send their way

How much money do affiliate marketers earn?

Here’s how much marketers earn from affiliate sales, according to a survey survey by Influencer Marketing Hub:

3.78% earn more than $150k per year.

7.94% earn $100k – $150K per year.

5.15% earn $50k – $100k per year.

The majority (57.55%) earn less than $10k per  year.

How much should you expect to earn from affiliate marketing? 

The same survey indicates that experienced marketers earn more:

Beginner marketers: $0 – $1,000 per month

Intermediate marketers: $1000 to $10,000 per month

Advanced marketers: $10k – $100K per month

Elite affiliates: $100k and up per month

At first, you may earn very little with affiliate marketing. But as you learn more about digital marketing (and your audience), your income begins to rise.

How does affiliate marketing work?

Earning income through affiliate sales is a 5-step process.

Choose your affiliate program(s) and products from networks or direct partnerships.

Receive your coded affiliate product links, which track your referrals and sales.

Promote your affiliate products or services on one or more of the following: website, blogs, social media, email marketing, and paid ads.

Visitors click on your links and are directed to the merchant’s website. Every time one of your visitors makes a purchase (within the defined cookie 🍪 period), you earn a commission.

You get paid. Merchants or affiliate networks handle all the calculations and pay you according to the terms of your agreement.

Sometimes there is a minimum account balance or waiting period required before your payment is issued.

In time, commissions can turn into lucrative income streams that require very little effort to maintain.

What are affiliate marketing tools?

Affiliate marketing tools are apps, software programs, and platforms that help you become more successful, more quickly, with affiliate marketing.

17 best affiliate marketing tools for all levels of experience

Affiliate marketing networks
Keyword research tools
Content creation tools
Landing page builder tools
Social media management tools
Email marketing & automation tools
Campaign builder tools
Ad tracking tools

Affiliate marketing networks

#1 – Shareasale: Affiliate marketing platform

ShareASale affiliate marketing platform connects you with more than 30,000 brands across all sectors and countless niches. 

It’s a marketplace where affiliates go to find products and services to sell. The network also tracks sales and helps you manage commissions. 

ShareASale supports large and small publishers, including:

Content creators

Influencers

Loyalty and incentive sites

Media Partners

Technology solutions

The service has a good reputation and offers excellent support resources that make it easy for you to partner with established brands. 

Its user-friendly interface and reliable payment tracking make it a good choice for beginner and advanced marketers.

ShareASale Pricing: Free to join as an affiliate

#2 – Amazon Associates: Affiliate marketing program

Amazon Associates is Amazon’s affiliate marketing program. It gives you access to millions of products with recognizable brand names and is an easy, accessible program, even for beginners. 

The affiliate program provides unique links, banners, and widgets that make it simple to promote Amazon products. 

Amazon associates also gain access to basic reporting tools that track clicks and commissions.

Affiliates can earn up to 10% commission and in some cases, also collect earnings from customer actions such as free trials. 

The Amazon Associates affiliate program is open to bloggers, content creators, and publishers who have a qualifying website. 

Amazon Associates pricing: Free to join as an affiliate

Keyword research tools for affiliate marketers

Keyword research tools help you create blog and social media content that drives more traffic from search engine results pages (SERPS).

#3 – Google Keyword Planner: Keyword research tool

Google Keyword Planner is a free tool aimed at people who run paid search campaigns.  

However, it’s also a valuable resource for affiliate marketers looking for basic insights on keyword search volume, trends, and related keywords. 

The tool’s easy accessibility and direct connection to Google search data make it attractive to people wanting to do keyword research without paying large fees.

Some of Google Keyword Planner’s best features include:

Keyword discovery

Search volume data and trends

Historical data and forecasting

Google Keyword Planner is a good option if you’re searching for a free keyword research tool that provides basic insights for choosing the best keywords for your content and audience.

Google Keyword Planner Pricing: Free

#4 – Semrush: Keyword research tool

Semrush is an all-in-one digital marketing tool that helps you optimize your online presence for search engines, social media platforms, and paid advertising channels.

The comprehensive (and sometimes complex) program includes a sophisticated, yet easy-to-use, keyword research tool. 

Semrush provides all the information you need for successful SEO keyword research, including: 

Search volume

Keyword difficulty by score

Search intent match

Competitive research

Keyword gaps

Keyword ideas

Beyond keyword research, Semrush offers a wide selection of optimization tools, including competitive analysis, local SEO, and rank tracking.

If you’re looking for a powerful tool that supports both content creation and paid search campaigns, SEMrush may be a good choice.

Semrush pricing: Free one-month trial; paid plans from $129/month

#5 Backlinko keyword tool: Keyword research tool

Backlinko Keyword Research Tool is designed with a refreshing focus on simplicity and actionable keyword data.

It’s a perfect keyword research tool for affiliate marketers wanting a streamlined experience that doesn’t overwhelm you with complex metrics or complicated navigation.

Backlinko’s keyword research tool includes metrics such as:

Search volume

Keyword difficulty

Cost per click

Number of results

Search trend graph

If you visit Backlinko, don’t miss the chance to browse its blog. It’s packed with well-written, easy-to-understand optimization tips from SEO powerhouse Brian Dean. 

While it might lack some advanced features, Backlinko’s streamlined approach is ideal for beginners or those who value speed and actionable insights.

Backlinko keyword research tool pricing: Free

Content creation tools for affiliate marketers

Content creation tools help you create and publish blog, social media, and email marketing content.

#6 – Grammarly: Content creation tool

Grammarly is an AI-powered writing tool that helps improve the quality of your writing.

The free version of Grammarly is a popular grammar-checker tool that catches spelling and grammar mistakes. It highlights any errors in your content and suggests how to fix them.

If you write a lot of blog and email content, the paid version of Grammarly is gold. 

Grammarly’s paid version includes an in-depth plagiarism checker, which is far more thorough than similar tools such as Copyscape.

The premium version also provides feedback and recommendations on:

Clarity

Engagement

Delivery

Style

Tone detection

You can use Grammarly on the web, within its app, or by integrating it into your web browsers and writing programs.

Grammarly pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans from $12/month

#7 – Hemingway: Content Creation Tool

Hemingway helps make your content more “readable” for online publishing.

College textbooks are written with perfect spelling and grammar. But your online audience doesn’t want to read college textbooks. They’re drawn to writing that’s clear, skimmable, and easy to read. 

That’s where Hemingways readability tool comes in.

Hemingway guides you toward more effective writing without replacing your creative voice. 

Affiliate marketers can use Hemingway to ensure that their content is reader-friendly in ways that both audiences and Google search engines appreciate. 

Hemingway pricing: Free

Landing page builder tool for affiliate marketers

A landing page builder tool helps affiliate marketers create high-converting campaigns and lead generation content.

# 8 – AWeber: Landing page builder tool 

AWeber is a great tool for busy affiliate marketers because it provides a simple, user-friendly way to create professional landing pages in minutes. Its drag-and-drop interface and wide selection of prebuilt landing page templates ensure that even beginners can market their affiliate products with style.

AWeber landing pages integrate seamlessly with your email marketing campaigns.

AWeber’s landing page features include:

Over 100 landing page templates

Drag-and-drop interface

Already integrated with AWeber’s email marketing tool

Advanced marketing automation features

Built-in Canva designer (lets you create eye-catching designs!).

Landing page and email analytics

AWeber landing page builder is a great choice for affiliate marketers seeking a simple path to professional results. 

AWeber pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans from $12.50/month

Social media management tools for affiliate marketers

Social media management tools help you create, preview, publish, and track the performance of your social media content.

#9 – Buffer: social media management platform

Buffer is a user-friendly social media management platform that helps affiliate marketers streamline social media content scheduling across multiple platforms. 

It’s a great option if you’re wanting to maintain a consistent social media presence without spending hours of every day on social media.

Here’s how Buffer can simplify your social media efforts:

Customize posts for different social platforms.

Automatically publish pre-scheduled posts.

Track engagement metrics and identify top-performing content.

Buffer also includes a visual content calendar tool to help keep your content organized and on schedule.

Buffer pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans from $6/month

Email marketing and automation tools for affiliate marketers

Email marketing and automation tools let you build and execute personalized email marketing campaigns.

#10 – AWeber: Email marketing & automation platform

AWeber is a great tool for affiliate marketers who want a user-friendly email marketing platform that:

Allows you to include affiliate links in your marketing emails.

Easily highlight the product you’re recommending by simply pasting a link in your email.

Includes a built-in AI writing assistant.

Lets you easily create personalized campaigns with behavioral segmentation.

Allows you to create custom signup forms.

Provides advanced automation features (put it all on autopilot!).

Offers pre-written email campaign templates.

AWeber’s automated behavioral segmentation makes personalization simple. It can automatically track clicks and engagement in your emails, on your landing pages, and on your website — then use that data to send personalized messages and campaigns to your subscribers.

If you’re looking for an email marketing platform that provides you with the latest automation features, AI writing tools, and marketing personalization features, AWeber is a great choice.

AWeber pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans from $12.50/month

Campaign builder tools for affiliate marketers

Campaign builder tools for affiliate marketers help you design, execute, and track the performance of your promotional campaigns across various channels.

#11 – ClickFunnels: Campaign Builder Tool (Advanced)

ClickFunnels is a sales funnel platform that focuses on high-converting landing pages. 

While a powerful tool for creating sales funnels, it’s geared toward advanced marketers who don’t mind the higher pricing and semi-steep learning curve.

ClickFunnels makes a good option for marketers looking for a high degree of control over the entire customer journey and are comfortable with its comprehensive feature set.

Here’s what ClickFunnels offers:

Funnel builder: Allows you to design multi-step funnels.

Pre-designed templates: Includes landing pages, sales pages, and webinar funnels.

A/B testing: Allows you to compare page variations and optimize conversions.

Email marketing integrations: Lets you easily connect with email providers for lead nurturing.

Membership sites: Provides the option to create restricted content areas.

Its wide range of features makes the learning curve steeper. But if you’re looking for a program that can help you build membership areas and complex affiliate campaigns, it’s a great option.

ClickFunnels pricing: From $127/month. 14-day free trial available.

#12- AdRoll: Campaign builder tool

AdRoll is an advertising platform that provides affiliate marketers with helpful tools to manage their ad campaigns.

It’s a good fit for experienced affiliate marketers looking for advanced audience segmentation, cross-platform retargeting, and in-depth reporting.

AdRoll’s affiliate marketing features include:

Cross-platform campaigns

Dynamic ads

A/B testing

The ad campaign tool integrates with major e-commerce platforms and other marketing tools. If you have an established affiliate website or online store, the integrations are an important feature.

If you’re wanting to take your affiliate campaigns to the next level, AdRoll is worth considering.  However, while it’s a powerful campaign management tool, AdRoll also has a steeper learning curve than many of its competitors.

AdRoll pricing: Pay-as-you-go pricing for ads. More plans available.

If you’re looking for a more streamlined and beginner-friendly approach to campaign building, AWeber email marketing and landing page tools make an excellent all-in-one campaign management tool.

Ad tracking tools for affiliate marketers

Ad tracking tools provide in-depth monitoring of your ad performance across many different channels

#13 – Google Analytics: Ad tracking tool

Google Analytics is a comprehensive website analytics platform that provides in-depth metrics and insights for affiliate marketers. 

If you’re an affiliate marketer looking for a tool that provides an in-depth understanding of your traffic sources and campaign performances, check out Google Analytics. It’s a great tool for helping you make more data-driven optimization decisions.

Google Analytics pricing: Free version available. Contact for paid pricing plans.

#14 – Voluum Affiliate Tracker: Ad tracking tool

Voluum affiliate ad tracker is a comprehensive ad tracking platform for experienced affiliate marketers and people who manage large-scale paid campaigns. 

It offers in-depth analytics, granular tracking across various platforms, and advanced features for optimizing ad performance.

Voluum ad tracking features include:

Detailed reporting: Provides extensive data on clicks, conversions, costs, and ROI.

Traffic distribution: Allows you to split-test landing pages and direct traffic for optimization.

Anti-fraud tools: Helps identify and block bot traffic.

Integrations: Connects with major ad networks and traffic sources.

API access: Offers flexibility for custom integrations.

If you’re looking for a tool that provides sophisticated tracking, robust reporting, and a high degree of control over your campaigns, Voluum is an excellent option.

Voluum pricing: From $199/month

Bitly: Ad Tracking Tool 

Bitly offers a beginner-level ad tracking tool for people who aren’t ready to take on comprehensive analytics tracking.

The company is mostly known for its link-shortening tool, but it also provides simple ad tracking features. 

Bitly is a great beginner alternative to comprehensive ad-tracking tools that come with a steep learning curve. 

Its simple approach doesn’t provide in-depth analytics. But the tool is very user-friendly and easy to learn.  

Here’s what Bitly offers:

Link shortening: Creates short, branded links for easy sharing.

Click tracking: Provides basic data on clicks and traffic sources.

Simple dashboard: Includes an easy-to-understand overview of link performance.

Integrations: Connects with some popular social media platforms.

Bitly pricing: Free

6 Best affiliate marketing tools for beginners

Looking for affiliate marketing tools that allow you to learn as you go? 

Here’s a list of beginner-friendly affiliate marketing tools that don’t have a steep learning curve. 

Best affiliate network for beginners: Amazon Associates

Best keyword research tool for beginners: Backlinko keyword research tool

Best content creation tool for beginners: Grammarly

Best email marketing and landing page tool for beginners: AWeber

Best social media management tool for beginners: Buffer

Best ad tracking tool for beginners: Bitly

Scroll up to the review section of this guide for more information on any of the beginner-friendly affiliate marketing tools above. 

6 Best free affiliate marketing tools

Not up for shelling out $$$ on yet another paid subscription service? We’ve got you covered. 

Below is a list of FREE affiliate marketing tools to help you get started building a successful affiliate business. 

Best FREE affiliate marketing tools for beginners

Free ad tracking tool: Bitly 

Free affiliate network: ShareASale

Free landing page tool: AWeber

Free content creation tool: Grammarly free version

Free email marketing tools: AWeber free version

Free keyword research tool: Backlinko keyword research tool

Free social media management tools: Buffer free version

Scroll up to the review section of this guide for more information on any of the free affiliate marketing tools above. 

7 marketing courses & classes for affiliate marketers

Want to make more informed decisions, develop stronger campaigns, and grow your affiliate business more quickly?

Fill in your knowledge gaps with one or more of the following courses related to affiliate marketing.  

You don’t need to drop hundreds or thousands of dollars to get high-quality training. Some of the best courses are free or very affordable.

Free Affiliate Marketing Course for Beginners: by ahrefs on YouTube YouTube series.

Free PPC (pay-per-click) certification course: by Semrush on Semrush Academy. 100% free training, testing, and certification. 

Beginner Affiliate Marketing to Start in 1 Day by Alex Genadinik on Udemy (usually less than $20 – watch for sales and promo codes).

Free Google Marketing Platform course: by Google on Google Skillshop. 100% free. Skillshop also offers a variety of training modules on Google ads, analytics, marketing, and more.

Free Meta Blueprint: Beginner-level training to help you improve your marketing campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger.

Meta Social Media Marketing certificate course: by Meta through Coursera Plus (from $59/month after a 7-day free trial).

Concepts, Strategies, and Analytics in Performance Marketing and Digital Advertising Specialization: By the University of Colorado Boulder on Coursera (from $59/month after a 7-day free trial).

Everything you need for affiliate marketing success

We’ve covered quite a bit of ground in this guide, including the best tools, free tools, beginner tools, and reputable courses for affiliate marketers.

When you’re ready to start selling affiliate products drop by AWeber. We’ll  help you get up and running in minutes, not days, 

You’ll love our seamless integrations, advanced automations, AI assistance, and  library of prebuilt templates.

Ready to begin earning money with affiliate marketing? Sign up for AWeber and start selling today!

The post 17 Best affiliate marketing tools to earn more commissions appeared first on AWeber.

Building trust with your audience is crucial for business success, and it all begins with effective marketing for your small business. If you’re already running a few marketing campaigns, you likely have an edge over your competition. In fact, almost half of small businesses spend less than two hours per week on marketing. But of those, 46% are unsure whether their marketing strategies are even working.

Understanding the marketing funnel, the path your customers take from awareness, consideration, conversion, loyalty, and, finally, advocacy, can help you see why developing and investing in a strategic marketing plan is more than just a good idea; it’s a necessity for brands looking to stay competitive. 

Even without a large budget, extensive marketing experience, or much time, you can still effectively market your business with these inexpensive marketing ideas for small businesses. These strategies will help you build trust, increase visibility, and drive growth without breaking the bank.

1 – Create online business directories

An online business listing is the digital equivalent of the Yellow Pages phone book (remember those). It’s where people can find information about your business and leave reviews. Setting up or claiming your business listings on directories like the Google Business Profile, Yelp, Facebook Pages, and LinkedIn for B2B business is a great way to make your business easier for people to find.

There are hundreds of these kinds of directories. Don’t overlook the industry-specific ones like Zillow (Real Estate), TripAdvisor (Travel), and AutoTrader (Automotive).

And keep in mind that even if you don’t claim your listing in a directory, it’s still possible for you to have a presence there, even without knowing it. 

Taking the time to claim your listings across all the relevant directories is an easy, free way for you to market your business.

2 – Leverage email marketing 

Email marketing remains the most effective marketing channel, outperforming social media and search engine marketing — making it one of the best ways to build strong relationships with your customers. Platforms like AWeber offer affordable plans tailored for small business marketing.

3 – Use social media to promote your business

Social media can be a powerful tool to increase awareness, create customer loyalty, drive sales, and find influencers for your business.

The first step is understanding your customer demographics and which social media platforms they’re using.  Are you targeting businesses? If so, you may want to consider being active on LinkedIn. If you’re targeting consumers, you will have more work deciding which platform(s) are best suited for your audience.

Once you’ve determined your target social media platform, be active and encourage customers to like or follow you. Post regularly and make your content interesting and interactive. The more people who interact with your post through likes, comments, or shares, the more visibility your posts will gain both within your network of followers and beyond.

Keep in mind people are following you because they had a good experience with your brand and want to learn more about you. Social media isn’t a place for hard sells; it’s a place to share and engage with your audience.

Tips on what to post:

Creative pictures of your products

Announcements of new products or services

Any interesting news about your business

Special offerings or coupons

You can even use specific social media platforms, like Facebook, to increase your email subscriber list. You can create a sign-up form for your page, allowing your Facebook followers to subscribe to your email list. Then you can email them newsletters, advice, and offers.  

4 – Use the press to help spread the word

A well-written press release is a great way to give your company media exposure through news outlets (TV, print, and radio), influential bloggers, industry-specific publications, and more. A press release can bring you instant exposure, grow your sales potential, increase your brand awareness, improve your search engine results, and expand your target audience.

Writing a press release isn’t difficult. Once you find a structure that works for you, use that same format with every release. The most time-consuming part of issuing a press release is finding journalists who might be interested. To build this list, research and find a journalist who has previously written about your industry or topic. 

Tips for writing a press release:

Start with an interesting, attention-grabbing headline.

Include essential details like who, what, where, when, and why in the first paragraph.

Add quotes from key players in your business.

Provide background information and context about your business.

Include your contact information for follow-up.

5 – Build landing pages to collect new leads

One of the most effective and inexpensive marketing strategies for small businesses to generate new leads is through dedicated landing pages. 

A landing page is a standalone web page specifically designed to capture visitor information. Its main purpose is to convert visitors into leads by focusing on a single call to action without the distractions of a full website. More leads can ultimately result in more sales.

Landing page tools

The AWeber landing page creator allows you to develop highly converting landing pages to drive more potential clients to your brand. Our landing page tools enable you to build visually stunning landing pages.  A few of those landing page features include:

Pre-stocked image library

Professionally designed templates

Powerfully simple design flexibility with our drag-and-drop editor

Automatically tag subscribers to manage and segment your list easily

The best part? You don’t even need a website to start.

6 – Utilize an effective search engine optimization strategy

One of the best things about search engine optimization (SEO) strategies is that even small businesses with limited budgets can still get the #1 spot in search results. By optimizing your web pages to increase visibility in search engines like Google and Bing, you can get more organic traffic without a huge budget.

5 Simple steps to improve your SEO

Keyword research

Determine what keywords will be the focus of our webpage or blog post. There are a few free keyword research tools you can use to help.

Target long-tail keywords as they tend to be less competitive, giving your small business a better chance to rank.

Think about the keywords your customers might use in a search bar to find the information that you provide.

Consider additional keyword suggestions that make sense for your blog.

Optimize your content for SEO

Write content focused on your chosen keywords. 

Mention your main keyword in the first paragraph

Structure your page URL

Your page URL extensions should have your focus keyword.  For example, if your main or focus keyword is “How to paint a house”, your URL extension could be /how-to-paint-a-house/

Add your title tag

A title tag is your display title that appears on a search engine results page.

Structure your title tag to include the page title, a separator like a dash or a line, and your company name for brand recognition. 

The optimal length is 50 – 60 characters.

Add your meta description

A meta description is the brief information shown below the title tag on a search engine results page.

Ensure your meta description accurately describes the content of your page.

The optimal length is between 150 and 160 characters.

These simple steps are just the beginning. Continuously improving your SEO strategy can indefinitely boost your chances of ranking higher in search results, driving more traffic to your site.

7 – Let influencers do the work for you

Influencer marketing involves leveraging individuals who are passionate about your company and can actively promote your product or service to their network. Influencers have the power to affect the buying decisions (influence) potential customers due to the trust and relationships they have built with their audience.

Brands are increasingly seeking out these influencers because of their potential impact. Influencer marketing is when a business actively collaborates with influencers to promote their brand. 

A great place to find your influencers is through social media. Identify who is already promoting your products and services to their friends, family, and colleagues. Reach out to these individuals and consider offering incentives or to attract more popular influencers who have greater reach.

8 – Check your local chamber of commerce

Joining your local Chamber of Commerce can be a great way to increase your brand awareness within your community. Becoming a member has several advantages, including being listed in their newsletter and on their website. Some Chambers of Commerce also offer free advertising opportunities for their members.

A Chamber member also comes with a certain level of credibility. Studies have shown customers are 80% more likely to purchase from a business that is a Chamber member.

Additionally, you will have the opportunity to meet with other business leaders who can provide valuable business advice or potentially develop partnerships with other businesses.

9 – Grow your email list with sign-up forms

You can use sign-up forms to expand your email list by adding them to your landing page, website, blog, or Facebook page to collect subscriber information. With an AWeber, you get access to unlimited sign-up forms, making this an inexpensive yet effective marketing tool. 

A sign-up form is designed to collect subscriber’s information through input fields so you can communicate with them through email.

You can use a sign-up form to get subscribers for your email newsletter, webinar or event registrants, students for your online course, ebook or guide downloads, customers for your products or services, or just general lead generation.

You can effortlessly grow your email list with hundreds of ready-to-use sign-up form templates. It’s easy for even amateurs to create professional-looking sign-up forms in just a few minutes. And if you don’t have a company website, AWeber has you covered there, too. You can add a sign-up form to your landing page builder, and AWeber will also host the sign-up form for you, allowing you to use it on your Facebook page.

10 – Set up a business partnership

Do you have an opportunity to partner with a complementary business? A business partnership can be as simple as a collaboration between a local restaurant and a movie theater offering a dinner-and-a-movie package, or it can be more complex, such as strategic alliances between Fortune 500 companies.

Regardless of the scale, business partnerships are an excellent way to tap into a new audience and create mutually beneficial opportunities. Look for businesses that offer products or services that complement your own and explore ways to collaborate on joint marketing efforts, special promotions, or bundled offers.

11 – Collect customer feedback

Collecting feedback from your customers is a cost-effective way to update your products and refine your brand’s marketing strategies. By understanding what your customers think and feel about your offerings, you can make better, more informed decisions which will, in turn, boost your customer experience and drive brand loyalty.

There are lots of simple survey tools you can incorporate like Google Forms and SurveyMonkey. And, yes, AWeber also has tools to easily create and distribute surveys. 

Also, by encouraging customers to leave reviews on platforms like Google My Business and  Yelp, you can further get the word out about your business and attract new customers. 

Finally, including feedback forms on your website or in your emails gives your customers a direct line of communication to share their thoughts and suggestions.

12 – Run competitions or donate a prize

Organizing contests is another inexpensive and fun marketing strategy. Encourage participants to like, share, and comment on your posts. This spreads the word not only within your network of followers but reaches their followers too, getting your name in front of new potential customers who may not have ever heard of you.

Besides social media contests, donating a prize for community events or charitable causes like auctions is another great and cheap way to get a better reputation in your community. 

13 – Create a referral program

Encourage your existing customers to refer friends and family by offering incentives like discounts, free products, or exclusive access to new products. This tactic rewards your loyal customers and also encourages them to advocate for your business. 

It’s important to make sure you track and manage your referrals well. Wouldn’t you be annoyed if you sent your friends and family to some company website, expecting a gift or a discount in return, and got ignored? That’s how you lose customers! 

Use a simple referral tracking program like ReferralCandy or LoyaltyLion. These even automate the process, ensuring your customers get the rewards you promised without you having to micromanage the process.

Ready to start marketing your business?

As you can see, you don’t need a bottomless budget and hours of time to effectively market your business. With these inexpensive marketing ideas for small businesses, you can begin to make a splash right away.

The great news is you don’t have to do it alone. Get started with AWeber Free and get access to

Email marketing  

Landing page 

Sign up forms

Our award-winning customer service team

24/7 support

Free migration services

And more

The post Grow Your Business with these 10 Free Marketing Ideas appeared first on AWeber.