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Born in the digital age, “Inbound Marketing” is nearing its 20th birthday. HubSpot Co-founder Brian Halligan coined the term in 2005 because the internet has forever changed buyers’ journeys.

As recently as 2008, influential marketers were using inbound marketing to describe drawing in customers instead of outbound mass marketing.

In his article “Dawn of the Inbound Marketing Agency,” Paul Roetzer explained how wired PR firms, digital PR firms, and Internet PR firms will redefine the industry and give birth to a new category of agency — the inbound marketing agency.

While every inbound marketing agency is slightly different, they have one thing in common: a focus on helping businesses attract customers by creating helpful content.

So, what do today’s best inbound marketing agencies look like? Let’s explore!

What do inbound marketing agencies do?

16 Top Inbound Marketing Agencies

Inbound marketing agencies help businesses position themselves as experts with helpful content that makes it easy for customers to find them.

By tailoring content to buyer needs, companies using inbound strategies can harness the power of the know-like-trust factor to generate sales over time.

Most inbound strategies fall under three main categories: attract, engage, and delight.

So, what strategies do inbound marketing agencies perform? It depends largely on the agency, as each has its niche, but here’s an outline of some top strategies.

PPC Ads

While PPC ads may sound like an outbound strategy because they are hyper-targeted and typically based on specific search patterns or behaviors, they are an inbound strategy.

Many inbound marketing agencies recommend using them to drive traffic to free or low-cost resources and generate leads.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is a cornerstone of inbound marketing strategies.

It refers to creating a wide variety of content — video, audio, blog, and social media — that isn’t super promotional but delivers valuable information to attract potential customers and create interest in your products or services.

Some inbound marketing agencies also put other types of content — like case studies, use cases, and one-pagers — under the content marketing umbrella.

Web Design and Development

HubSpot’s CMS Hub makes it easy to build websites. However, top inbound marketing agencies also have design and development skills to push your new site over the top.

Since your site is an important part of your inbound funnel, optimizing it for conversion is essential.

Case Studies and Use Cases

These types of content show results and illustrate the potential outcome or transformation your prospects may experience working with you.

Where case studies refer to specific client projects, use cases speak to possible client outcomes.

Both goals are to build trust with potential customers so they speak up, saying, “I want that, too!”

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing isn’t just about pushing content out to customers. It’s also about engaging with them.

Top digital marketing and inbound agencies help with strategies for generating leads through social media content, boosting conversions, and creating an excellent customer experience.

Persona Development

Because so many inbound marketing strategies rely on delivering the right message to the right audience at the right time, audience research and persona development are critical.

By getting granular about who your audience is, their problems, and how they view your solution, you can get insights into the type of content and messaging that will help them make buying decisions.

Podcast and Video Production

While audio and video content also fall under content marketing, many inbound marketing agencies consider them a separate service because they require different types of production than written content.

Due to their very nature, podcasts and videos help prospects build the know, like, and trust factor faster than written content alone, even if you’re repurposing your content.

Email Marketing

Your email list is a potential goldmine for your business. While you don’t have 100% control over who opens or clicks, people have asked to be on your list, which means they want to hear from you.

By using this opportunity to deliver helpful, relevant content to them, email marketing makes it easier to convert lookers into buyers.

Marketing Automation

Marketing automation is all about automating repetitive tasks and using audience segmentation to deliver highly personalized content to your audience.

Many inbound marketing agencies, including HubSpot partners, specialize in helping businesses with marketing automation, including email marketing, email drip sequences, lead scoring, SMS messaging, and CRM updates.

With dozens of tools available, it’s all about finding the right software for your needs.

Online Events

Virtual events that deliver value to clients or prospects remain one of the most effective strategies for growing your email list and customer base in 2023.

Inbound marketing agencies can help you develop an event and nurture strategy to convert prospects.

Influencer Marketing

People have always bought things that other people like. After all, you’re more likely to buy something a friend recommends than a random product you get a flyer for in the mail. It’s why Oprah’s favorite things always sell out.

With the rise of Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms, influencer marketing is big business.

Some digital marketing agencies today focus exclusively on helping clients place products with influencers who can create demand.

Chatbots

Chatbots are smart programs used by websites, social platforms, and even SMS to communicate with customers.

You often see them on Facebook Messenger, but as AI and ML become increasingly accessible, you’ll likely see them crop up everywhere with varying levels of complexity.

Now that you know what inbound marketing looks like, you’re probably wondering about the best inbound marketing agencies. Here are the best inbound marketing agencies today.

1. Ready North

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Initially founded in 2005 as PR 20/20, this inbound marketing agency was HubSpot’s first agency partner and the first to introduce Point Pricing.

Founder Paul Roetzer, whose article we referenced above, recently launched a sister company, the Marketing AI Institute, with a mission of helping marketers use AI to gain a competitive advantage in their fields.

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What we like: Besides being a long-time HubSpot Partner, they’ve always pushed the envelope on what is possible. And with the new Marketing AI Institute, Roetzer and his team are clearly thought leaders in marketing.

2. 11outof11

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11outof11 is an award-winning agency out of Philadelphia that is also a HubSpot Platinum Partner.

With Angela Pointon at the helm, they strive for an 11 out of 11 every time—also the agency’s name. It’s not just that they’re really good at marketing.

“What sets us apart is our insane project management capabilities. It’s one of those things clients don’t know to ask about, but if they’ve ever worked with an agency who is not focused on project management, they know it! Our clients appreciate our ability to plan ahead,” says Angela Pointon, president of 11outof11.

What we like: Their name is brilliant, as is their approach to client management.

3. SmartBug Media

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SmartBug is a growing agency named to the Inc. 5000 list seven years in a row. A HubSpot Elite Partner with dozens of case studies highlighting the massive results they help their clients get, SmartBug is on the rise for a reason.

What we like: Their whole vibe is fun, and they’ve been remote since before remote was cool.

4. Media Junction

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A HubSpot Elite Partner with an impressive client roster, Media Junction is best known for building gorgeous, highly functional sites for companies in the midmarket sector using HubSpot’s CMS Hub.

However, they’ve also worked with small businesses and enterprise organizations, building anything people need in HubSpot.

Most importantly, everything they do, they do well, with incredible design and development capabilities, as shown on their recent website re-launch, as well as their portfolio.

“What sets Media Junction apart from the rest of the HubSpot Partners is our technical capabilities in HubSpot and our unrelenting dedication to being darn good humans,” says Dylan Wickliffe, vice president of growth at Media Junction.

What we like: Everything about Media Junction screams competent, creative, and professional — and their website is at the next level.

5. Impulse Creative

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Impulse Creative’s team calls itself wayfinders, helping companies prepare for their next growth phase. As a HubSpot Elite Partner, their focus is on inbound results.

Beyond that, they lean heavily into operations to help clients generate growth.

“As a services organization, we look at all the factors when helping our clients be successful. It’s never just a website, just a lead gen strategy, just a customer portal, or just a HubSpot implementation,” says Juli Durante, vice president of operations at the agency.

“We want to know how each of these pieces fits within the strategic, operational whole,” she says.

What we like: Impulse’s operational focus sets them apart from their competition.

However, we also love their thought leadership on generative AI, especially their pillars of disclosing, verifying, and informing so everyone can be successful.

6. Lean Labs

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Their homepage makes a big promise — “Growth and profit, guaranteed.” At Lean Labs, it’s more than a promise. They have the stats and results to back it up, with case studies and testimonials that show how the magic happens.

What’s more, as the creators of Sprocket Rocket, Lean Labs is leading the charge to help companies build HubSpot websites without significant website design know-how.

What we like: Lean Labs is bold and results-focused, and that stands out.

7. 9Clouds

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Businesses turn to HubSpot Partner 9 Clouds for help generating leads online while saving time and making the most of marketing dollars. What sets 9 Clouds apart is their focus on being a marketing ally, working with their clients’ teams.

They help clients take advantage of upcoming trends, including voice search optimization, video growth, and a push toward quality content over high quantities.

“With so much content published every day, I think brands will focus on quality content published less often using more authentic storytelling and emphasizing who they are as a brand,” says Brittany Reith, marketing manager at 9 Clouds.

What we like: Their focus on partnership and being an ally in their clients’ success.

8. Stream Creative

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Based in Milwaukee, WI, Stream Creative has made a name for itself as a top inbound marketing agency for industrial and fire service manufacturing and cybersecurity.

Driven by data, processes, and growth while adding a dose of midwestern friendliness, Stream Creative is a HubSpot Certified Platinum partner specializing in all aspects of inbound marketing.

“We are real people who value a hard day‘s work and collaborative relationships. We’re from the Midwest — it’s kind of our thing. Heck, even our shirts have blue collars. More than that, we’re creative thinkers and problem-solvers who make mixtapes about process, strategic writing, technology, and design trends,” says Jeff Coon, partner at Stream Creative.

What we like: Yes, Stream Creative is no-nonsense and focuses on creating tailored strategies for customer needs, but they’re also real humans who are always looking ahead to upcoming trends.

9. Hive Strategy

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A Diamond Hubspot Solutions Partner, the Colorado-based Hive Strategy is about flawless execution in marketing to humans.

They have an easy-to-use pricing calculator based on factors unique to each business, including size, goals, and priorities, so prospects can get an idea of what their retainer or marketing plan might cost and include.

With plenty of case studies available, it’s easy to see how their skillset translates into results. Plus, their branding is on point.

What we like: In marketing, so many focus on the numbers (which is important), but we like Hive’s focus on helping organizations become more human.

10. New Breed

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As an agency serving over 200 businesses with over 400 5-star customer reviews, New Breed is an Elite HubSpot Partner focused on inbound marketing for technology, consulting, and business services.

What we love: New Breed brings operations, sales, and marketing together under a single roof.

11. Growgetter

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HubSpot Partner Growgetter primarily focuses on helping clients turn up the heat with an eye to experience management, consumer insights, and customer experience.

With an eye to the future, Growgetter is paying close attention to the way the business world sees attribution modeling, especially as data privacy and cookie policies evolve.

This makes it more critical for marketers to think out of the box in how they measure digital campaign success.

“We believe in using a data-driven approach to building efficient marketing engines that drive repeatable and measurable growth. This reliance on data allows us to experiment more and constantly unlock new growth opportunities,” says Jenn Mancusi, CEO and co-founder of Growgetter.io.

12. Pixated

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Pixated, a UK-based HubSpot Partner, prides itself on being a performance marketing and web design specialist without all the agency fluff.

Working with B2B and B2C companies, they serve diverse and eclectic clients, delivering high-quality digital experiences to enhance their brands and boost their ROIs from online channels.

“We are utterly performance-driven — with no time whatsoever for vanity metrics. We only take on clients we genuinely believe we can help and are in it for the long haul. And this philosophy works—because our clients trust us to deliver in the long term,” says Arham Khan, co-founder of Pixated.

What we like: Pixated’s bold performance-driven approach and pricing means they have skin in the game.

13. Origin 63

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Origin 63 is a Diamond HubSpot Partner focusing on HubSpot implementation and change management, primarily serving SaaS and manufacturing teams ready to consolidate their tech stack.

In their experience, a successful HubSpot migration is 50% implementation and 50% adoption, so they’re on a mission to enable team adoption of their tailored HubSpot solutions.

“We are all talking about AI — HubSpot released half a dozen AI tools. But what agency owners need to be thinking about is not how their clients are going to use these tools, but how AI will help them to gain a competitive advantage,” says Samantha Anderson, CEO of Origin 63.

“Moving forward, those who embrace AI in unique and innovative ways are going to build the space for their organization to do higher-level strategic work,” she says.

What we like: Origin 63’s devotion to ensuring operational excellence and adoption is critical for inbound marketing success.

14. Highbrid Media

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A Gold Certified HubSpot Partner, Highbrid Media is a self-styled inbound marketing agency with a grassroots soul.

With a focus on helping Highbrid climate change NGOs, higher education, and Goldman Sachs, 10,000 Small Business Graduates grow bigger and better businesses through a blend of CRM implementation, sales enablement, and customer training.

“We believe time is perhaps the most valuable resource on the planet, and our goal is to help HubSpot users preserve it. What sets us apart is we reclaim 30 minutes of time for each of our client’s users every week,” says Juan C. Perez, CEO of Highbrid Media.

What we like: Highbrid Media is process-driven, focusing on helping people recover their most valuable resource — time.

15. Gravity Global

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Formerly known as Mojo Media Labs — Gravity Global, a HubSpot Diamond Partner, calls itself the world’s most awarded brand to demand marketing consultancy, having won 401 awards in 2022.

With a client list that reads as a who’s who of the Fortune 500, Gravity Global continues in Mojo Media’s impressive footsteps, with the ability to deliver fast setups and implementations, all while delivering results to clients.

What we like: Gravity Global is doing big things for big companies, and we’re excited for their future.

16. Aptitude 8

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Aptitude 8 is a technical consulting firm that focuses on optimizing CRM operations with HubSpot and AI.

Even though they adamantly state they’re not an inbound marketing agency, their focus on the tech (not creative or inbound marketing services) makes them an integral part of any discussion on the best inbound companies.

The Best Inbound Marketing Agencies Drive Growth

The bottom line is that inbound marketing agencies are essential for driving long-term growth, helping businesses create demand and inbound leads that make it easier to close sales.

If you’re interested in exploring beyond the basics of inbound marketing, check out our guide to learn more.

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In recent years, there’s been a common misconception that Gen Z and millennials are essentially the same.

When companies discuss reaching younger audiences, many often lump Gen Z and millennials into the same group and create one campaign strategy that they believe fits both groups.

Sure, many millennials and Gen Zers are considered “young adults.” Both generations are highly connected to technology and the internet. It might seem effective to run one campaign aimed at both generations, but is this really the right move?

To investigate, I decided to start by letting consumers weigh in on whether or not the same marketing strategies will engage both age groups.

In a Lucid poll, I asked 350 people to tell me if, “The same marketing tactics that persuade millennials also work on Gen Z,” was a true or false statement. And if you think consumers — the people who are being marketed to by brands — would sway one way or another, you’ll be slightly surprised by the results below:

Data Source: Lucid Software

Although 56% of those polled thought the two generations could be marketed to the same way, nearly half disagreed.

As a marketer specializing in audience growth, I sway with the 44% of people who think the same tactics won’t work on both groups — at least not forever.

But is either group of consumers right about their perceptions? In this blog post, I’ll share the cold, hard facts researchers have discovered about generational similarities and differences between millennials and Gen Zers, while occasionally weighing the raw data against the way everyday consumers perceive the two generations. And if you’re in a pinch, jump straight to the info you need:

• Factors that Differentiate Millennials and Gen Z
• How to Market to Millennials
• How to Market to Gen Z
• How to Market to Both
• Tips for Knowing Your Audience

When you think about the generational differences on the largest possible scale, the oldest millennials are in their early 40s, might be settled down, and could be making larger purchases like cars or homes. The youngest members of Gen Z are 11 years old, might love children’s shows, and won’t be directly making purchasing decisions any time soon.

Aside from the obvious age differences above, here are six more factors that make these two generations fundamentally different.

Factors That Differentiate Millennials and Gen Z

1. They have different attitudes about technology and money.

Understanding the era an age group grows up in can help you identify generational commonalities like motivations, spending or saving habits, or pain points that they all share.

Two things that differentiated each generation’s childhood era included technology and the economy:

Technology

The most obvious difference between the eras each generation was raised in is the presence of technology. Millennials grew up using DVD players, giant personal computers, cell phones with tiny screens, and dial-up internet. At that time, we thought these technologies were groundbreaking.

Now, most children and teens within Gen Z have access to iPads, smartphones, endless Wi-Fi, or streaming services that put our prized DVD players to shame. Many members of this generation might have also grown up in households with early smart home technology.

While millennials watched innovation begin, Gen Z was immersed in it from day one.

But although Gen Z never had to know a time where they didn’t have a cool gadget to solve basic problems, the impact of technology, the internet, and social media has still taken a toll on the group.

Research shows that Gen Z — which has been called the “socially-conscious generation — deals with far more body image, mental health, and cyberbullying issues than any other age group has in the past. Experts have also called Gen Z the loneliest generation despite all of their digital connectivity options.

Economy

Millennials and Gen Z also have different attitudes around money. While they both care about their finances and invest in things that can improve their careers — like higher education.

Both generations are known for improving on financial habits of past generations, however, millennials put their money into buying more products or services that will give them a positive experience, while Gen Z is more focused on savings and practical products.

Millennials in the U.S. built up their own finances shortly after the Recession, which ended in 2009. For many years up until 2019, despite financial woes caused by the poor economy, rising home costs, and high unemployment levels, millennials remained optimistic about their future and finances. However, some studies state that millennials’ financial optimism is dwindling due to post-pandemic inflation, recession, and market slump prevalent in 2023.

Gen Z was born at the beginning of the economic downturn. As the oldest members of Gen Z have entered adulthood, research shows that their past experience of living in the Recession are leading them to make more practical spending decisions.

If you’re marketing to these generations, you’ll want to remember these attitudes about money.

For example, if you want millennials to buy your product, you’ll want to focus on building a brand that offers a pleasant or entertaining customer experience, as well as marketing products or services that give instant gratification. If you’re marketing to Gen Z, you’ll want your campaigns to clearly demonstrate how or why your product will be valuable or practical to them in their daily lives.

2. Gen Z is more likely to make mobile purchases.

By now, you might know that both of these generations are heavily connected to the internet and social media, While millennials watched the internet develop, Gen Z has used it since a very young age.

Each day, millennials spend around 7.5 hours online while Gen Z surfs for nearly 10 hours.

Both millennials and Gen Z also go online primarily with mobile devices, but a big difference between these generations is that Gen Z was practically raised with smartphones. According to YPULSE, 12 is the average age Gen-Z received their first smartphone, five years younger (on average) than millennials.

Source: YPULSE

Gen Z’s mobile-first mindset also impacts how they shop. Members of the generation are twice as likely to make a mobile online purchase than millennials. However, millennials still do shop a lot on mobile devices. In fact, 71% say they do most of their online shopping with a mobile device.

Regarding online content consumption, millennials and Gen Z spend most of their time watching videos and visiting social media sites.

According to a recent study, millennials watch online videos for 1.5 hours per day while Gen Z averages over three hours. Meanwhile, both generations are thought to spend hours daily on social media.

While you might have already known that mobile optimization and video marketing are a key digital strategies, these stats prove that it can help you zone in on young adult generations. If you really want to attract attention from both Gen Z or millennials, you’ll want to create mobile videos, mobile ecommerce sites, or other phone-based experiences that cater to them. You should also be sure to market yourself on platforms that’re already mobile, such as major social media apps.

3. Both spend a lot of time on social media, but the platforms they use are quite different.

To understand how people perceived each generation’s social media usage, I asked the same group of 350 people noted in the Lucid poll above to weigh in on which group they thought spent more time on social media. Here’s what they said:

Data Source: Lucid Software

The poll results above were fairly split between millennials and Gen Z. However, 27% of participants say both generations are “always logged on.”

So, who’s actually the most tuned in to social media? Let’s see what studies on these groups reveal.

The World Economic Forum reports that millennials are logged on to social media for an average of two hours and 38 minutes daily while Gen Z logs on for more than four hours each day.

Aside from the time spent on social media per day, the platforms each generation uses are also slightly different.

While my generation thrived on MySpace and Tumblr and now enjoys platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter, Gen Z has zoned in on video-based platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and — more recently — TikTok.

A recent Business Insider survey that polled the oldest half of Gen Z found that participants used Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat most often.

Although TikTok seemed less popular in the Business Insider survey, this one-year-old platform is one of the fastest-growing social media apps due to booming global Gen Z users.

Gen Z and millennials do have a few social platform preferences in common. One, for example, is Instagram. While Instagram is older and more established than apps like TikTok or Snapchat, it’s also pulled in millennials and video-loving Gen Z members.

YouTube is also a social network that both generations are prominently using. While YouTube was launched when most millennials were children, 96% of Gen Z users have accounts on the video-sharing platform. The video platform is also the second-most used search engine and a platform where many in Gen Z and millennial generations go for product research, as 57% of YouTube’s audience consists solely of the two generations.

4. Millennials pay attention to ads for a longer amount of time.

Each generation’s habits align well with its average attention span when it comes to content consumption.

While millennials will pay attention to content for 12 seconds, Gen Z will only focus on it for eight seconds. Furthermore, Gen Z enjoys quick or short-form video content, like that of Snapchat or Instagram Stories, while millennials value long-form content, such as detailed videos or podcasts.

This means that those advertising or marketing to millennials can get away with slightly longer or more in-depth content while those marketing to Gen Z will want to get their value proposition out as quickly and seamlessly as possible in their campaigns.

As I’ve mentioned above, most of today’s social and online platforms are becoming more video-driven. This mirrors the fact that video usage is growing quickly amongst both generations.

Whether you’re creating long-form content for millennials or short-form clips for Gen Z, you’ll want to embrace mobile-optimized video when promoting your brand to either audience.

Branded Content

When it comes to learning about brands or products on social media, each generation also has its own unique preferences. For example, Gen Z prefers to learn about products through social media-based videos and influencer marketing, while millennials will respond to a variety of promotional strategies including more traditional online ads, social media marketing, and branded podcasts.

Additionally, a recent survey shows that 87% of Gen Z prefers ads or marketing content that shows actual people discussing products. When it comes to millennials, only 37% prefer to see people discussing products in ads or marketing content.

Aside from embracing video and mobile optimization, if you’re marketing to Gen Z, you’ll also want to focus on content that feels more informative and less like an ad. This generation has actively rejected traditional advertising tactics. For example, 84% of Gen Z will skip video ads as quickly as possible, while 65% have downloaded some type of ad-blocker on their mobile devices or computers.

5. Both generations purchase less than past generations.

A common myth about millennials and Gen Z is that both generations are financially illiterate. Because this seems to be a hot topic online and throughout pop culture, I conducted one more Lucid poll, asking the same group noted above to choose which generation they thought spent more money on products.

The Lucid poll below demonstrates this myth and perception as many participants said that they believed both generation spend a lot of money:

Data Source: Lucid Software

Additionally, 36% of survey respondents said millennials spent the most on products, while the same percentage said both generations spend a lot of money. However, less than 20% pointed to Gen Z.

According to various studies, both generations actually spend less than past generations while the oldest Gen Z members are focused on responsible spending.

Most of Gen Z doesn’t even have much buying power yet. But research from multiple sources, including Vice, Insider, and Adobe say that Gen Z aims to spend money pragmatically as compared to other generations. Some analysts suggest that Gen Z’s saving approach is routed in budgeting lessons that the generation learned from the U.S. Recession.

When it comes to the Gen Z members who are old enough to make purchases, research shows that they do less online shopping than millennials. A recent study from Ernst & Young noted that 74% of millennials and only 49% of Gen Z buy products online more than once a month.

But, while Gen Z buys less online, they expect more added service from a brand when they make purchases. The same E&Y study found that 80% of Gen Z valued free delivery. The study also found that 74% of Gen Z values brands that give out discounts or coupons over other businesses.

While millennials are slightly less frugal than Gen Z, the idea that the older generation is more frivolous is also a huge misconception. While many millennials buy their fair share of products, they also earn more annually than most older generations, are the most educated age group, and are notably optimistic about their futures.

6. They have different career motivations.

Both generations have in common that they have placed importance on investing in school or skills training.

While older generations could afford both homes and education, millennials find housing out of financial reach and have mainly focused on paying high costs of tuition.

Despite increasing educational costs, the trend of investing in education isn’t expected to change for either generation. While 10% of Gen Z teens are saving for college, millennial parents are putting more into their children’s college funds than past generations.

Looking at each generation’s work habits can give you a sneak peek into what their finances and daily motivations might be in the future.

While both millennials and Gen Z are driven by higher education and career growth, they still have a few slight differences that you might want to know about, especially if you’re a marketer in academic or B2B fields.

Today, many millennials are working or are enrolled in higher education. For the entire decade between 2020 and 2030, millennials will comprise the largest share of the workforce, representing 40% of the global working-age population by 2030.

But, although most of Gen Z is still in school, they are also very career-minded.

When it comes to looking for jobs, Gen Z adults are more financially motivated than the millennial generation. In fact, 65% of Gen Z employees value salary over other job perks as 74% 2023 US graduates surveyed said they prioritize stability and salary from employers, outweighing factors including a known employer brand, a fast-growing field, or overall benefits. Those in the age group also say they’ll invest in skill training if it means they make more money.

Gen Z also applies for jobs more aggressively than past generations. Only 10% of the generation starts their job search after college while most Gen Z students begin scouting out job options between freshman and sophomore year.

So, what does this mean for your marketing strategy? Both of these generations are hard workers, highly educated, and might earn more than past generations.

However, Gen Z is more driven to make and save money. This means that to persuade Gen Z, you might need to take extra time to brainstorm campaigns that show how your product will help them and why it is worth their money. Odds are, they will be more persuaded by the practicality of a product than the “trendiness” of it.

How to Market to Each Generation

Yes, both generations have a lot of things in common.

And while there are opportunities to market to both generations at once, it might be more beneficial to brainstorm creative campaigns that zone in on one generation or the other. To help you develop a strategy that gains attention from the appropriate audience, here are a few takeaways related to each generation:

Marketing Campaign for Millennials

By now, you might be most familiar with marketing to millennials. Luckily, they’re also a great generation to market to. They’re on the most prominent social media networks today and prefer to consume multiple different styles of multimedia content, from videos to podcasts. They’re also old enough to make purchasing decisions, are more educated than previous generations, and spend considerable time in the research stage before buying a product.

Essentially, many different formats of marketing content will engage millennials because they are regularly looking to be enticed by a new product that will help them in their daily lives.

Because millennials have a slightly longer attention span than Gen Z, you can also get a bit more creative by testing out longer-form content like longer marketing videos or branded podcasts.

The best types of marketing campaigns will inform millennials about how your product can make their lives easier or how it can solve their day-to-day problems. Focusing your strategy on social media or online platforms like Facebook, YouTube or Instagram, where many adults go to research products can also be beneficial to your strategy,

Marketing Campaign for Gen Z

To successfully persuade Gen Z to buy your product, you’ll want to make content that quickly cuts to the chase and explains why your product will provide value to them.

As mentioned above, Gen Z loves to use video to learn about products and spends most of their online time on mobile phones. So be sure to leverage short-form video formatting and mobile-optimized content in your campaigns.

You’ll also want to zone in on the niche social media platforms that they commonly use, such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok on Snapchat. If you’re not on one of these platforms, but still want to gain brand awareness there, consider sponsoring an influencer who knows the audience and create content that discusses your product.

Marketing Campaign for Gen Z and Millennials

If you absolutely can’t budget pinpointed campaigns for millennials and Gen Z, but know you want to market to young adults, focus on the cusp of both generations by creating a campaign for 18 to 34-year-olds. This will allow you to zone in on young and slightly older adults that can actually make purchasing decisions.

While a campaign with this age target might be slightly more favorable to millennials between 27 and 42, there’s still a chance you could grab attention from older teenagers who will soon be able to make more purchases if they can’t already.

Despite the differences between these two generations, there are also two big similarities: both love social media and instant gratification. Be sure that your campaign clearly explains why your product will be valuable to the age group you’re pitching it too, and leverage the social media networks that the age group you’re targeting has in common.

For example, if you’re focused on promoting your product to people in the 18 to 34 range, you’ll want to be on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, because most members of this age group are using all three of them on a regular basis.

If you can create a campaign that leverages key social networks accordingly while highlighting why your product is so instantly gratifying and useful, you might attract interest from both groups fairly quickly.

Tips for Knowing Your Audience

As you create campaigns around a specific audience or age group, it’s important to do digging to learn what motivates this group of people, what their purchasing habits are, where they spend the most time, and what they’re looking for in a product. Here are a few tips that can help you in this research:

• Identify specific demographics: Try not to be too specific or too broad. Pick an audience you can learn a lot about quickly that well aligns with your product and start researching that demographic.
• Learn about their work and education backgrounds: This will give you insight on what motivates them and how much they’re able to spend on a product.
• Find out which social platforms they use: Once you do this, you can research each platform and leverage it appropriately during your campaign.
• Consider writing a buyer persona: A buyer persona is a fictional character that has a very similar lifestyle to your ideal buyer. Having a persona in mind can help you quickly think about campaigns and strategies that they’ll engage most with. It’s also a handy place to organize all of your detailed research findings into one simple place.

Want to learn more about Gen Z or millennials specifically? Check out this blog post on marketing to Gen Z or this piece on millennial marketing.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in December 2019 and has since been updated for comprehensiveness.

The post Millennials vs. Gen Z: Why Marketers Need to Know the Difference [New Data] appeared first on ProdSens.live.

We all know the frustrating feeling — you’ve collected all the images you need for your next campaign, but when you go to press “Send” you’re told, “Sorry. File too large.”

Figuring out how to send large files on the fly is a pain. Unfortunately, our email accounts can’t carry as much storage as you might think. Gmail, for instance, can only hold files up to 25 MB.

Additionally, large files can eat at your storage space, even if it’s just sitting in your Sent folder. If you’ve got a file you can’t send the traditional way, don’t worry — we’ve got several alternatives (some free), to ensure the largest of files can be sent to whoever, within minutes.

Skip to:

• How to Send Large Files in Email
• How to Send Large Files Over the Internet
• How to Send Large Files via File Sharing Service

How to Send Large Files in Email

1. Upload your files to a cloud storage space, and share them or email them to others.

Pros

• Easy to use
• Great for internal company sharing

Cons

• Limited to your service provider

Using a cloud storage space like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive is one of the easiest and most popular methods for sending large files. Depending on your email provider, you’ll likely be able to use corresponding cloud storage — like Google Drive for Gmail, or OneDrive for Outlook.com.

If you’re sending an attachment within a provider like Gmail, you’ll see the Google Drive button already integrated. Simply press it, choose your file, and then send it like a regular attachment.

Alternatively, Dropbox allows you to upload large files and then send a web link via email or text to your recipient. With Dropbox’s free tier, you’ll receive 2 GB of storage space. For $9.99 per month, you can increase your storage to 1 TB.

Best for: Ease-of-use when sending attachments through your email provider. Most likely to use when sharing files internally with colleagues.

2. Use WeTransfer, a free online service.

Pros

• Free
• No download required
• No install required

Cons

• Limited file size for free version (2 GB)

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WeTransfer is one of the simplest ways to share files online with the added bonus of not having to register to use the service. Once on the website, all you need to do is upload your file (up to 2 GB), enter a destination email, enter your email, a title, and a message and you’re all set. 

Best for: Emailing large files without having to sign up or download anything.

How to Send Large Files Over the Internet

3. Use a VPN.

Pros

• Sends files securely
• Keeps sender’s location private

Cons

• Could slow connection
• Requires tech savvy to install

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a service that protects your data and provides you with more privacy when you’re online by routing your internet connection through a server. A VPN can protect you from hackers, or even online ads, and is a secure option, particularly if you’re often using public wi-fi.

Some internet service providers (ISP) use broadband traffic management to moderate upload bandwidth — if this is the case for your ISP, you can use a VPN, which will prevent your ISP from recognizing how large your files are, enabling you to send them.

However, this isn’t the best option in our list for two reasons — one, the large file could slow down your VPN connection, and two, your files aren’t guaranteed to be intact upon delivery. To ensure a high-quality delivery, you might want to try an alternative option, like a Zip compression.

Best for: If you’re using public wifi and you’re sending private documents, this is a good option for increasing security measures. However, this may not be the best option if you need to ensure high-quality delivery.

4. Use FTP via FileZilla

Pros

• Fast transfers
• Simple to use

Cons

• Unencrypted

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FTP, or File Transfer Protocol, is an option for transferring files online by uploading a file to your hosting server. FileZilla is a free FTP tool you can use to transfer files.

Once installed, users can easily select the files to be transferred with FileZilla’s two-pane display by clicking and dragging them into place. It’s great for sending files greater than four gigabytes. The software is frequently updated so if you encounter any bugs, changes will be resolved quickly.

The few downsides to using FTP is that files are not encrypted and with FileZilla, the free version also includes adware but upgrading to the paid version will eliminate this issue.

Best for: Using FTP software is best for transferring large, non confidential files that don’t need to be encrypted.

5. Transfer files using SFTP.

Pros

• More secure than FTP
• Speedy file transfers

Cons

• Requires tech savvy to install

FTP, or File Transfer Protocol, is an option for transferring files online by uploading a file to your hosting server. However, the disadvantage of FTP is that it isn’t that secure — which is where SFTP comes in.

SFTP — or Secure File Transfer Protocol — is a protocol that works in a similar way to FTP, except it uses secure shell for encryption. This is a good option for limiting accessibility to those outside your recipient list. Some of the other options in this list, including file transfer options that rely on email, are likely less secure than an SFTP.

Best for: A more secure option than traditional online file-sharing, to be used when sending highly classified files to colleagues or clients.

Other Ways to Send Large Files

6. Use file compression software, like 7-Zip.

Pros

• Eliminates storage obstacles
• Quick transfer time

Cons

• You have to manually compress files
• Recipient must know how to decompress files

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If you have multiple files, you might consider using a free compression software like 7-Zip, which can compress an entire folder of files at once. Zip files in general support lossless data compression, and are good for saving time and space while ensuring your files remain intact. Most operating systems can extract Zip files easily, without additional software.

7-Zip is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. You can also provide a password for your files with 7-Zip, to ensure they’re safe to send online.

Best for: Sending a folder full of files at once to a recipient.

7. Purchase a USB flash drive.

Pros

• Simplest way to transfer files
• Portable

Cons

• Data is gone if you lose it
• Not ideal for time-sensitive deadlines

If you want to collaborate on a project or video with a large storage size, you might consider uploading it to a USB flash drive, which can range in size from 2 GB to 1 TB. This might allow you to pass your files more easily between coworkers, or back your files up for additional protection.

Best of all, if you use a USB you can take some strain off your computer, extending its data storage.

Best for: If you’re interacting with your team in person, a USB flash drive is a good option for physically handing files to team members, and takes some of the storage strain off your devices. Alternatively, a USB flash drive is safe to use as a back-up, so if your computer crashes you don’t lose access to your files or folders.

8. Use Jumpshare, a free online service.

Pros

• Free
• Get up to 2 GB of storage space

Cons

• No client side encryption

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There are plenty of free online services that make uploading and sending large files both easy and incredibly quick. Jumpshare, for instance, lets you send up to 250 MB worth of files with a free account — simply upload a file or folder, and Jumpshare provides you with a link to share the files.

Plus, you can download the Jumpshare icon to your desktop. When you drag-and-drop files onto it, a link will be copied to your clipboard, which you can send to anyone, even if they don’t have their own Jumpshare account.

Best for: Easily, and quickly, sending files via links to colleagues. Best used for files or folders for which there aren’t too many privacy concerns, since the link is shareable with anyone.

9. Try Rakuten Drive Pro.

Pros

• Secure password protected
• Send files up to (50GB)

Cons

• Free version has ads

Rakuten Drive, formerly Sendy, provides 1 TB of cloud storage and unlimited Cloud storage to transfer large files. What sets this tool apart from the rest is the ability to send your files using a password with recipients, so you can share files without needing access to everyone’s email addresses. Alternatively, you can send a link through email or a company messenger, like Slack, when you don’t need to transfer the files in real time.

Rakuten Drive enables you to attach big files using Chrome Extension, Outlook add-ins, and Send Anywhere’s website. It’s $7.99/month for the PRO version — or you can try the free version if you don’t need the PRO features.

Best for: The password enables you to quickly message or send files to anyone, without needing an email address. This might be good for quickly Slacking files to colleagues, or texting a file to a friend.

10. Upload the file and generate a link to share via MyAirBridge.

Pros

• Free version
• Share up to 20 GB

Cons

• Password protection only for the Enterprise version

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MyAirBridge is a free tool that enables you to upload and share up to 20 GB through an email, shared link, or downloaded to your own storage space. You can use your own mobile device to upload files. For larger files the uploading takes a while, and it may not be the cleanest interface on the receiving end (the link your recipient receives takes them to direct download), but it gets the job done for personal or small team use.

MyAirBridge also offers plans ranging from Basic ($2.99/month) to Enterprise ($65.99/month). With the Enterprise option, users have access to 15 TB of storage, unlimited uploads of up to 100 GB, and the option to password-protect files for extra security.

MyAirBridge is a good option if you want to download various files (including music or video files, game applications, or documents) to your own storage space. For instance, you might use the tool to download music from your mobile device to your computer.

Best for: Downloading files to your own storage device, or use when downloading music, gaming, or video files.

11. Share a collection of assets to your team via Brandfolder.

Pros

• Stores all files in one place
• Sets user-level permissions

Cons

• No free version

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Consider sharing brand assets, or a collection of assets, with your team, partners, or customers using Brandfolder. Brandfolder lets you use tiered access to share files with intended individuals, and even measure performance of each asset using Brandfolder’s Brand Intelligence feature.

Used by major brands including Slack, Bumble, and Hotels.com, Brandfolder enables you to store all brand-related assets in one place. Brandfolder is cloud-based, and uses user-level permissions to ensure employees and clients only have access to the appropriate files and folders.

Brandfolder offers Premium and Enterprise options. Request a quote to learn how much it would cost for your team to implement.

Best for: A more professional-looking option when sharing brand-related assets with clients or agencies, and a good long-term solution for storing all major files in one place for your team to access easily.

How to Send Large Files via Email Attachment

While you can’t send large files via email attachment the traditional way, there is a workaround using a cloud storage device. Start by storing your files in a cloud storage provider like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive.

When you want to send the file, simply share the file with someone, and then notify them via email that you have done so. For example, if you’re using Google Drive, simply click share in the top right corner of the document you’d like to send. From there you’ll be prompted to enter the recipient’s email information and select whether or not they should have editing permissions. Google Drive will automatically send them an email notification or you can choose to send them a link instead.

Another way is to utilize built-in integrations with Gmail or Outlook. If you use Gmail or Outlook.com, you’ll find a Google Drive or OneDrive integration. When attaching your file to an email, you can click the Google Drive or OneDrive button to share the file.

When the recipient receives your email, they can download your file to their computer, or open it online through the cloud storage service you used to send it.

Sending Large Files Made Simple

Sending large files doesn’t have to be an obstacle in your workday. By using the methods above, you’ll be able to share large files with ease and collaborate with your team seamlessly.

Editor’s note: this article was originally published in June 2021 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

The post The 11 Best Ways to Send Large Files appeared first on ProdSens.live.

If you regularly send PDF files over the internet, knowing how to edit PDF files quickly will make your life a lot easier.

PDF, short for portable document format, is a type of digital file that allows you to send content that is readable by other users regardless of what software they use to view the file. And in order for PDFs to adapt to various viewing platforms, the file’s text and images can’t easily be modified once packaged into a PDF.

But it’s not impossible.

Whether you use a Mac or Windows computer, there are tools available to you for editing the text and graphics within a document that has already been converted into a PDF. You can even do this online, as well as convert PDFs back into Microsoft Word documents to edit your content in its original, editable format.

Here are a few ways to edit a PDF using Adobe Acrobat, or one of several online editing tools available to you today, on a Mac or Windows computer.

Skip to:

• How to Edit a PDF
• How to Edit a PDF Online
• How to Edit a PDF for Free
• How to Edit a PDF on a Mac
• How to Edit a PDF With Windows
• How to Edit a PDF in Word

Note: These instructions apply to Acrobat X and Acrobat XI, Adobe’s 10th and 11th editions. Earlier Acrobat products require you to select “Edit Text & Images” under the “Tools” option on the far right of your top navigation. See Acrobat’s current editing pane below, with “Edit PDF” on the right:

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As you can see from the instructions above, you need to install the program, Adobe Acrobat. Don’t worry, it’s compatible with both Mac and Windows computers. However, not every version of Acrobat allows you to edit existing text once you open your document in this program.

Adobe categorizes its software under Acrobat Standard and Acrobat Pro. The company offers the following three editions in both product lines: Acrobat X, Acrobat XI, and Acrobat DC.

According to Adobe, the editions below allow for basic text and content editing, as well as the ability to export your document into Microsoft Word:

• Acrobat XI Standard
• Acrobat Standard DC
• Acrobat XI Pro
• Acrobat Pro DC

Acrobat Pro DC and Acrobat Standard DC offer a host of other editing capabilities that Acrobat XI does not offer — such as automatic spell-check, advanced photo editing, and editing from an iPad.

Although Acrobat is one of the most popular ways to edit PDF files, it’s not the only method. Read on to learn how to edit PDFs using other hardware and software beyond Adobe’s suite of products.

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The hassle of needing an expensive program like Adobe to edit such a common file type hasn’t gone unnoticed, and there are numerous online tools you can now use for free to edit your PDF. But that also means there isn’t one universal set of directions to edit on each website available to you.

Step 6 in the above instructions is literally based on a tool called Sejda, one of the few free websites (more on that later) out there that lets you edit existing text — as well as add new content on top of the original.

Another paid tool option is Smallpdf. With this tool, you can add new content as well as save PDFs to platforms like Google Drive, Dropbox, and even Microsoft Word.

Most PDF editing websites equip you with a manual content eraser and new text/image boxes you can drag and drop anywhere on the page.

How to Edit a PDF for Free

Buying software simply for PDF editing may not be practical if you don’t need to use it regularly, so we’ve rounded up a few tools that will allow you to edit PDFs for free.

1. Sejeda

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Most other PDF editing websites equip you with just a manual content eraser and new text/image boxes you can drag and drop anywhere on the page.

Sejeda’s online pdf editor lets users fill out PDF forms, edit, and sign PDFs for free. You can even edit existing PDF text. Simply drag and drop them from your desktop or upload them from your computer or Google Docs files.

Sejeda offers encryption for safety and your files are permanently deleted once completed. Should you not want to use their online version, they have a desktop option.

2. PDFescape

PDFescape lets you add new content and start a new PDF from scratch. Edit PDFs, add annotations, create and edit basic forms, and share documents in one simple tool. You can even set up password-protected documents to limit who has access.

Like Sejeda, PDF escape also has a desktop version if you’d rather not edit online.

3. FormSwift

In addition to PDF editing, FormSwift allows users to edit Word documents and images. If you choose, you can also convert your PDF to a word document. Have a paper document you’d like to convert? They’ve got that covered too. Take a photo of the document on your mobile device and upload it to FormSwift to be converted to a PDF in seconds.

4.DocFly

With DocFly, you can edit three PDF files per month for free. Like the other tools on this list, you can opt to drag and drop your files into the online editor or upload them from your computer. With it, you can add custom text, change background colors, add images, or edit forms. Although the free feature is limited, it’s perfect for those who only occasionally need to edit PDFs.

How to Edit PDF Forms

All of the tools listed above allow users to edit PDF forms or create them from scratch. Simply upload your document from your computer, and use the chosen tool’s editing features to replace information, or fill out the form as needed.

The tool that suits your PDF will depend on what specifically you’re looking to edit and the file size of your document. For example, because Sejda can’t accept PDFs larger than 50 megabytes (MB), check the size of your document and identify an editing tool that is compatible with your PDF.

If you want to edit a PDF using just the features that come natively on a Mac computer, follow the steps above. Just be sure to repeat Steps 3 and 4 for each image you want to extract from your original PDF — this is a unique function to Mac computers, and each extraction will take a screenshot of your image, saved to your desktop.

Do you plan on editing PDFs regularly? The above steps might be a bit time-consuming. Behold, PDF Expert:

PDF Expert is a free downloadable program built for Macs that allows you to open and edit PDF content right from the original PDF. You don’t have to migrate your text to a new document and take image screenshots the way you would in the 10 steps above.

As with editing PDFs online, the option that’s best for you depends on how much editing you plan on doing.

How to Edit a PDF With Windows

Windows computers can’t extract images as easily as Mac computers can, so you might be more dependent on third-party software to edit PDFs with Windows.

Keep in mind Acrobat — as well as the online tools mentioned earlier — all work for Windows, so by now, you’ve already learned how to edit PDFs on a Windows operating system.

Want a free tool tailored specifically to Windows? May your thirst for exclusivity be quenched: You can also download PDF Viewer Plus, a program offered only in the Microsoft store. The app is free to download and works just as easily as PDF Expert does on Macs.

Based on the various approaches to editing a PDF throughout this guide, you can predict by now that there’s probably more than one way to edit your PDF in Microsoft Word. And you’re right.

The first way brings you back into Adobe Acrobat, where instead of editing your PDF within Acrobat, you’ll export the file into Word (make sure you have Word installed on your computer). Remember, as stated earlier in this article, you can only do this in Acrobat XI and Acrobat DC — using either Adobe’s Standard or Pro edition.

Another way is to explore an online PDF editor. One editor that also allows you to edit in Word we already mentioned: Smallpdf. In this version of Smallpdf, you’ll upload your document and follow the prompts on the website to convert into and save your PDF as a Word document. See an image of this process below:

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Then, you can open your file in Microsoft Word, make your desired edits, and save as a new PDF the same way you would in Steps 7 and 8 outlined above.

Editing PDF Documents Is Easy

Editing PDF documents shouldn’t slow down your workflow. With the variety of both paid and free versions of PDF editing tools, it’s now easier than ever to edit and share PDFs. Go now, and amend your PDF, no matter what your platform and editing needs might be.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in April 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

The post How to Edit a PDF [Easy Guide] appeared first on ProdSens.live.

There are a host of bad habits many of us do every day, and research shows these habits really hurt our productivity, especially at work. The more aware we are of how these things are affecting our productivity, the more proactive we can be at taking responsibility for our choices.

In this list, I’ll break down some of the most common examples of bad habits that stifle productivity and some ways you can break them.

Table of Contents

Bad Habits Examples List

How to Break a Bad Habit

Bad Habits That Are Making You Less Productive

1. Rushing in the morning.

When the morning rush becomes a habit, there can be negative consequences to your sense of well-being and your overall productivity.

Why this habit is bad:

When you start off your day in a frenzied state of mind, you’re not giving your brain any time to decompress, reset, and prepare for the day. Instead, you’re pumping it with adrenaline first thing in the morning, which can cause you to crash later on.

How to break this bad habit:

If your mornings lack time and space to breathe, try waking up 10–30 minutes earlier and starting off with a quick meditation session.

Try the free app Headspace to start: It gives you 10 free guided meditation sessions, with the option of signing up for a monthly subscription.

2. Skipping breakfast.

Whether you blame it on being too rushed (see #1) or just not feeling hungry, eating a well-rounded breakfast just isn’t a priority for a lot of people.

Why this habit is bad:

When you’re sleeping, you’re fasting — meaning you wake up with low blood sugar. That low blood sugar is exactly why many of us feel tired, apathetic, and even a little irritable first thing in the morning. It’s not you; it’s your inherent need for the sustenance that, you know, keeps you up and running as a human.

How to break this bad habit:

What about replacing food with coffee? Sure, the caffeine rush from your morning coffee can help hide the symptoms of low blood sugar — but it won’t satisfy your need for food. In fact, it’ll likely cause you to crash later in the day, which can really harm your productivity.

Prioritizing a healthy breakfast is a key to boosting productivity for the rest of your day.

Try healthy breakfast foods that have the fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals that’ll give you energy. Avoid breakfast foods with added sugar like sugary cereal and pastries.

3. Tackling the easy stuff first.

It can be very tempting to get all the easy tasks out of the way first before tackling the tough stuff. This is especially true when you’re dreading that challenging task.

Why this habit is bad:

Tackling the most difficult tasks on your to-do list early on in the day is actually better for your overall productivity. Researchers have found that willpower is a finite resource that steadily decreases throughout the day, according to the book The Willpower Instinct. So your brain is much better at handling the hardest tasks at the beginning of the day when you’re more focused.

How to break this bad habit:

Mornings also tend to lend fewer distractions, making it easier for you to get things done. My colleague James Gilbert suggests that folks “take advantage of morning hours to crank through meaty projects without distractions, and save any calls or virtual meetings for the afternoon.”

Creating a to-do list is the easiest way to prioritize tasks effectively. Everyone has their own to-do list style, so check out this list of the best to-do list tools and apps out there and see which ones work best for you.

4. Checking and responding to emails as they come in.

Email is supposed to help us do our work, not distract us from our work. So why does it always feel like a productivity suck?

Why this habit is bad:

In an effort to stay on top of a constantly overflowing inbox, it can be tempting to check and respond to every email as soon as it comes in. Receiving email notifications in real time certainly doesn’t help. But constantly switching tasks between work and email can really hurt your productivity.

How to break this bad habit:

To help you focus in chunks of time, turn off those pesky email alerts and limit checking your email to specified breaks.

If you’re worried about missing an important email, try selecting “Important mail notifications on” and Gmail will notify you for emails it thinks are important to you based on past activity.

To turn off alerts in Outlook: On the “Tools” menu, click “Options.” Open the “Preferences” tab and click “E-mail Options,” then “Advanced E-mail Options.” Under “When new items arrive in my Inbox,” clear the “Display a New Mail Desktop Alert (default Inbox only) check box.

5. Checking social feeds.

The whole “easily distracted” thing goes for social media notifications, too. The urge to check for social media notifications makes it hard to check our News Feeds “just this once” — and usually ends up in a lot of mindless browsing.

Why this habit is bad:

As my colleague Scott Tousley says, “We are madly in love with distracting ourselves.”

My colleague Alec Biedrzycki solves this problem by removing all social networks from his toolbar bookmarks. “Even if I don’t mean to browse them, some uncontrollable impulse subconsciously clicks on them when I experience downtime,” he says. “You can get sucked in without knowing it (or even intending to), so eliminating the gateway to those networks keeps me on track.”

How to break this bad habit:

To turn off notifications for social media so that you’re in control of when you check those apps. You can do this in the apps themselves or in the settings of your smartphone.

6. Keeping your phone with you at work.

Raise your hand if you panic when you realize you don’t have your phone with you—whether you’re sitting at your desk, attending a meeting, grabbing coffee, or heck—even going to the bathroom. (I’m guilty of this, too.)

Why this habit is bad:

Smartphones are one of the most prominent distractions on the planet. And when you keep your phone with you at work, you’re putting your productivity levels at risk.

A study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance found that when people who were performing a task that required intense focus received a text or call on their phone, they had more incorrect answers and were more likely to make quick guesses. People who received notification of a call — even if they didn’t pick it up — were 3X more likely to make mistakes. In fact, error rates were about the same whether or not people answered that call or text.

Why does receiving that text or call hurt our productivity so much? Researchers from that study say that, although the actual moment of interruption is short-lived, our thoughts are disrupted for a considerably longer period, making it tough to refocus.

How to break this bad habit:

There are a lot of different ways to curb your phone addiction. The simplest is to turn your phone on silent and put it away while you’re at work. If that isn’t cutting it, try an app like Forest. This app will prompt you to plant a virtual tree when you start working, which “grows” over the course of 30 minutes. The more 30-minute periods you don’t use your phone, the larger your forest will grow; but if you leave the app, you’ll have to start all over again.

7. Black hole browsing.

You know the feeling when you search for something work-related, then click on a related video, and before you know it, you’re knee-deep into TikToks about building a tiny house in the middle of a remote forest?

Why this habit is bad:

It’s a dangerous side effect of having a job that requires internet research. It’s one thing to mindlessly browse the web outside of work or when you’re on a break. (In fact, I have a great list of the best sites and apps for wasting time on the internet for times like those.) But it’s another entirely when you’re supposed to be doing actual work.

That’s what Tousley likes to call “black hole browsing,” and it’s become one of the most productivity-sucking psychological addictions out there.

How to break this bad habit:

You might feel like getting lost in the black hole is inevitable, but there are tools out there that can help you prevent it from happening. For example, StayFocusd is a Google Chrome extension that breaks the black hole browsing cycle by blocking distracting websites after a set amount of time.

8. Working through your lunch break.

Eating at your desk doesn’t just make you antisocial. According to HBR, it’s also “bad for thinking, bad for creativity, bad for productivity, [and] bad for your body.”

Why this habit is bad:

To be fair, if you’re among those people who take lunch at your desk instead of taking a break, it may not be your fault. Perhaps it’s not built into your office culture, or maybe you have a deadline that’s pressuring you to squeeze every waking moment out of your day.

But taking the midday break can be mentally rejuvenating — and, in many ways, more productive than plugging away at your desk between mouthfuls.

How to break this bad habit:

The best way to take a lunch break is to remove yourself from your desk or workspace and eat somewhere else — like a cafeteria, restaurant, or public park. Better yet, build your network at work by eating with a colleague. (Here are some more ideas for what to do during your lunch break.

9. Not active listening.

One of the sad consequences of being constantly distracted is the epidemic of only half paying attention — and thinking that’s OK. You might think that any time someone else is talking and you’re not, that means you’re listening. But, as my colleague Andrew Quinn wrote in his post on bad conversational habits, it doesn’t. “The real question is who are you listening to when [someone else] is talking,” he wrote. “I’m willing to bet a good portion of the time, you’re actually listening to the voice in your head.”

That, or you’re reading that email that just came in. Or checking to see why your phone buzzed. When you’re in a meeting, how much can you really be paying attention when your laptop is open?

Why this habit is bad:

Not only can not listening carefully cost you relationships, it can also cost you in the time it takes to make up for whatever information you missed.

How to break this bad habit:

Becoming an active listener is a critical part of becoming more emotionally intelligent. This means really, truly paying attention to what people are saying — and it’s a skill that’ll set you apart in both your professional and personal life.

10. Saying “yes” to every meeting.

Being “in the zone” is when you lose yourself in whatever you’re doing — so much so that you lose track of time. It’s one of the keys to both happiness and productivity at work.

Why this habit is bad:

Nothing disrupts that flow like a meeting. Especially an unnecessary one. It turns out that the average person wastes 31 hours in unproductive meetings per month. These unnecessary meetings are ones where you or the organizer isn’t prepared, you didn’t really need to be there, and so on.

How to break this bad habit:

Want to get those 31 hours back? Here are a few suggestions:

• Be sure you’re only attending meetings you actually need to attend. If you don’t see yourself actively contributing to the group, politely let the meeting requester know that you won’t be able to attend.
• If you’re the one calling the meeting, send invitees a note, description, or some sort of heads up along with your calendar invitations. This’ll give them an idea of why they were invited or need to be there. Try an app like Do or Solid to help keep your meetings organized and actionable.
• Schedule meetings in bulk if you can. This is a strategic way to ensure the time you do have outside of meetings is spent as productively as possible, since it takes people an average of 23 minutes to refocus after switching tasks.

Speaking of which …

11. Multitasking.

Multitasking can seem inevitable in our modern, ever-connected lifestyles. But it can make us less productive and increase mistakes and stress.

Why this habit is bad:

Remember that bad habit of not listening? People do that a lot during meetings when they try to multitask — whether it’s reading and responding to emails and messages, scrolling through their Twitter feeds, or something else.

How to break this bad habit:

Getting out of the habit of multitasking is difficult, but certainly doable. Removing notifications from your work computer (see #5) and putting away your cell phone (see #6) are two great ways to start. Other ideas include establishing a no-laptop rule for meetings, using the Pomodoro Technique (where you work in sprints in a way that complements the body’s natural ultradian rhythm), and planning your day in blocks that include built-in breaks.

12. Playing with your phone before bed.

Have you ever lay in bed with the lights off and spent a few minutes scrolling through your phone to respond to last-minute texts and emails, check Instagram, or scroll through TikTok? Now, raise your hand if those few minutes have ever turned into half an hour, forty-five minutes, or even an hour.

Imagine how much more sleep you could’ve gotten that night if you’d simply gone to bed when you first turned the lights off.

Why this habit is bad:

But it’s not just about the amount of sleep — it’s also about the quality of sleep. Studies have shown that people who gaze at a backlit screen right before bed actually report having lower-quality sleep — even when they get just as much sleep as someone who didn’t look at their electronics before bed. This is because presence and absence of light tell our brains whether or not they should release the sleep hormone melatonin that makes you tired. Because the LED lighting emitted by the screens on our electronic devices is so similar to daylight, it can trick our brains into thinking it’s daytime, causing us to stay awake for longer.

How to break this bad habit:

The best way to break this habit? Buy an alarm clock that’s not your phone, and charge your phone in a separate room so you avoid the temptation of checking it altogether. If you’re worried about missing an emergency call, then try sending those last-minute texts 30-60 minutes before you hit the hay. It’ll mean you get more sleep and higher quality sleep, leading you to operate at peak productivity the following day. (Read this blog post for tips on getting the most out of your sleep.)

13. Moral Licensing

Moral licensing is a common indicator of lower productivity at best and a fast track to a performance improvement plan at worst. Using a good deed to cover up a bad one is morally wrong and can become a bad habit before you know it.

Why this habit is bad:

Once developed, this type of bad habit can cause you to procrastinate on your work, take shortcuts, miss deadlines, and leave your team in a lurch. It might seem far-fetched in the beginning to cut corners when nobody is watching, but after it’s become a habit, it can wreak havoc on your productivity and work life balance.

How to break this bad habit:

Instead of banking good actions to compensate for a poor action every once in a while, commit to doing what you say you will and following the rules set out by your workplace. If you feel as though the guidelines go against your own morals, bring this up with your manager or consider looking for a new opportunity.

14. Sitting down too often.

If you work a sedentary job, it may be difficult to remember to stand up from time to time. This is especially true if you participate in a lot of meetings and calls

Why this habit is bad:

Sitting for too long is related to several health issues like high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and other metabolic issues. All of this can not only lead to a lower quality of life, but potentially death.

How to break this bad habit:

Standing up for a few minutes each hour can do wonders for your mental and physical health during the workday. For one, you engage more muscles when you stand which is great for maintaining proper posture and mobility. In addition to that, you’ll circulate blood flow which can help you think more clearly.

Use a tool like a fitness watch to remind you to stand throughout the day. Or, use a free timer on your desktop or cellphone to alert you when it’s time to stand up for a moment.

15. Poor prioritization.

Have you ever woken up and immediately felt like tasks, events, and requests were happening to you rather than you choosing to participate in them? This can be the result of poor prioritization.

Why this habit is bad:

When you’re not in control of your priorities each day, it’s not likely that you’ll get to the tasks and activities that you wanted to. You’ll be in reaction mode—prioritizing everything for everyone else.

How to break this bad habit:

To improve your prioritization, there are a few techniques you can try. Creating a list is a popular way to focus on what you plan to get done each day. Some people schedule each hour of their day in a digital calendar—equipped with reminders and alarms to keep them on schedule. Whether you go the manual or digital route, prioritizing your day first thing in the morning can break the bad habit of poor prioritization.

16. Over-planning

Just as we mentioned above, prioritizing your day is a great habit to start doing to become more productive. But over-planning can lead to some bad habits as well.

Why this habit is bad:

Planning every second of your day without room for personal matters, urgent tasks, travel time, and a moment for reflection can lead to burnout—especially if you’re mindlessly following a script you’ve created for yourself.

How to break this bad habit:

Instead, get comfortable with the idea of flexibility in your day. Aim for no more than five to seven must-do tasks per day and leave a few hours open. That way, you’ll feel good about prioritizing what you need to do while still having time (and a clear mind) to help others, or simply rest and recharge for the next day.

17. Being late.

Better late than never, but never late is better. Punctuality is a skill that is not innate in most people, it is something we all have to learn as children and practice constantly as adults. The key to not developing the bad habit of being late in the first place is to value your own time and the time of others.

Why this habit is bad:

When you’re late, you indirectly tell the other person that your time is more valuable than theirs. And I get it—sometimes things come up and being late is unavoidable. That’s where prompt communication comes into play to rectify the situation. But if you’re always running out of time, rushing through the door, or joining a meeting a minute or two behind schedule, this could be a bad habit in the making.

How to break this bad habit:

Time management best practices are prevalent, and just about anyone you ask will have a tip or trick for you to try. One tip in particular that works well to increase productivity is adding buffers to your digital calendar. For example, if you have a meeting from 2:00 to 3:00 and another from 3:00 to 3:30, add a 5 minute buffer between the two by either scheduling the first meeting to end five minutes early or start the second meeting five minutes late. Doing this in advance when sending your meeting invitations is key—everyone will understand what time the meeting begins and ends, even if it’s an unconventional scheduling practice.

18. Gossipping.

Gossipping is a bad habit that many of us disguise as venting, but there is a difference between the two. Venting is conversation with a beginning and end—usually done in a safe space— that is typically outside of work with people who could offer help or advice. Gossipping, on the other hand, is a toxic bad habit with the purpose of being distracting and unkind.

Why this habit is bad:

Gossipping is known to tank the productivity of everyone who engages with it. Even if you’re only listening, you’re spending time and energy consuming unhelpful information when you could be focused on work.

How to break this bad habit:

If you’re the deliverer of the gossip, take a moment to reflect on your priorities. Are you happy with your career? Are there areas of your life where you’d like to see change? If yes, then talk to a trusted mentor, friend, or advisor rather than gossip about others. If you’re surrounded by gossip but want to stay productive, remove yourself from the environment by taking a walk, moving your lunch break to a different time, or meeting new people during the lulls in the day.

19. Not reflecting on goals for the week.

Going from week to week with no time in between for reflection and goal setting is a sure way to see a productivity dip at some point.

Why this habit is bad:

Without reflection, it can be difficult to see where your growth opportunities are, predict roadblocks, and be proactive in your work. If you’ve ever heard of people feeling as though they are on a hamster wheel, not reflecting on their goals each week is a contributing factor.

How to break this bad habit:

A simple 15-minute check-in at the end of the work week can be all you need to develop a healthy habit of reflection and goal setting. Here are a few things to consider during this weekly assessment:

• Did I achieve my goals for the week?
• What made me happy?
• What went wrong?
• Who did I help/who helped me?
• What am I grateful for this week?
• What are my goals for next week?

20. Poor Communication

When we communicate clearly and timely, productivity improves as a result. But poor communication can become a bad habit for many reasons which not only impacts you and your work but those you interact with, too.

Why this habit is bad:

Poor communication as a bad habit is pretty clear: sending last-minute emails or Slack messages, asking unclear questions, or leaving stakeholders out of the loop are all examples of poor communication that when done frequently or in conjunction with one another, can become a bad habit.

How to break this bad habit:

To break the habit of poor communication, keep two words in mind: be proactive.

If you’re estimating that a project will be later than expected, even by just a few days, communicate it as early as you realize. Your team will appreciate you taking accountability, but they appreciate the fact that they can plan around this inconvenience well in advance.

1. Research the bad habit.

Before you can begin breaking a bad habit, you have to understand why the habit exists to begin with. Almost all habits serve a need and have a trigger. But those two things may be difficult to uncover on the surface level.

For instance, if you have a bad habit of being late, the need is not that you have more time in your day. It’s likely that you need to prioritize your day better. With a little more planning, you’ll be able to see your time-bound commitments approaching and give yourself enough time to meet them.

2. Set a realistic goal.

Once you understand the need your bad habit serves, you can set a realistic goal around breaking the habit. Breaking bad habits does not happen overnight, and it may not even happen in the first week of the strictest habit management practices. The key here is the word “realistic.”

A common goal for people who want to break bad habits is to do it within three weeks. But once those three weeks are up, you’ll need a sustained sense of motivation to keep up the good habit. So set a goal around how you’d like to feel once you drop the bad habit. Sustaining this feeling will help you stay the course and kick the bad habit for good.

3. Change your routine.

Routine is one of the biggest influences of a bad habit. This alone can make or break your chances of success in kicking a bad habit.

If you know your mind goes on autopilot around 3pm at work, you’ll want to interrupt that routine before it begins. You can do this by setting an alarm, scheduling a coffee chat with a coworker, or taking a walk to redirect your mind away from the bad habit.

Although changing your routine alone won’t stop the habit in its tracks, it will make it harder for you to maintain the habit which gives you the space to replace those negative actions with positive ones.

4. Limit opportunities to attempt bad habits.

The environments we spend the most time in can influence both good and bad habits. To mitigate ad habits, it’s important to limit the opportunities where we could engage in them. This may mean changing your surroundings more often or limiting contact with people who encourage bad habits.

And this tip goes for both remote workers and in-office folks. Bad habits can develop in both environments, so it’s your responsibility to be honest with yourself about when and where bad habits typically occur in order to improve your productivity.

5. Ask for support.

Nipping bad habits in the bud is hard enough, but going through it alone can make it much more difficult. Teaming up with a support network or an accountability partner can help you ease into the change without judgment or grand expectations.

Rather than relying on your own willpower, you can lean on your network for support as you get used to the changes you’re making in your worklife to be more productive. And while we all strive to be on our A-game, everyone has a bad habit or two to break, so be sure to return the favor to them when the time comes.

6. Implement a rewards system.

Breaking bad habits doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be rewarded for our progress. In fact, using rewards can help you stay on the good habit wagon much longer than if you relied on sheer willpower alone.

Make note of small niceties that you enjoy (and that are appropriate in relation to the habit you’re breaking) to treat yourself when you surpass a milestone. Just make certain that you don’t develop new bad habits in the process of breaking an old one, like spending outside of your budget, developing unhealthy wellness habits, or imposing on your friends and family to help you celebrate too-frequent milestones.

7. Be patient.

Last but not least, be patient with yourself. Since bad habits can affect productivity, it makes sense that productivity may not increase right away or even after you’ve hit your first milestones toward developing good habits. Improved productivity comes with time, repetition, and incorporating several good habits consistently at scale.

When it comes to ending ad habits and beginning good ones, enjoy the journey. You’ll likely learn a lot about yourself, your work ethic, and the environment around you so that you can prevent bad habits before they form in the future.

This post was originally published in March 2016 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

The post 20 Bad Habits That Are Making You Less Productive appeared first on ProdSens.live.

With a recession looming, many brands are tightening up their budgets, and often, marketing is one of the first ones to go.

If you’re marketing without a budget, find below some free marketing strategies with high ROI. Plus, get some advice from HubSpot marketers who specialize in working with startups.

Below, let’s review the top tactics to implement when you’re marketing without a budget.

• Develop a content marketing strategy.
• Seek out co-marketing opportunities.
• Invest in your social media presence.
• Increase community engagement.
• Offer free trials or free resources.
• Arrange giveaways.
• Encourage user-generated content.
• Host a webinar.
• Invest in SEO.
• List your company on business directories.

1. Develop a content marketing strategy.

Looking for sustainable growth at a low cost? Content marketing is the way to go, according to Janelle Apaydin, head of marketing at HubSpot for Startups.

“A strong content marketing strategy allows you to educate your customers and keep your business top of mind while increasing organic search volume over time,” she says.

Don’t know where to start? Consider videos – specifically short-form videos.

Short-form video is currently used by roughly 33% of marketers surveyed in our 2023 Marketing Trends report, making it the most popular trend among marketers. What’s more, respondents also say it’s the most effective and has the highest ROI.

Next up, blogs – they’re a great way to reach your audience, generate organic traffic on your site, and gain leads.

“Identify your target audience and their pain points. Write blogs that address their pain points with at least one key takeaway,” said Vana Korrapati, a digital marketing strategist. “This helps you build a list of leads that could turn into sales.”

HubSpot owes a lot of its success to blogging, as it became a go-to source for marketers, customer service specialists, and sales leaders to get valuable industry insights.

Another one to consider is podcasting. This one might cost a few bucks to set up but the cost to get up and running is low. If you already have a blog, you can repurpose that same content into exciting podcast episodes that take your storytelling to the next level.

One key thing to remember in all of this: quality over quantity.

“It’s not about pumping out 60 blog posts out there or YouTube videos with low quality and hoping that you’re going to get traffic,” says Mina Behrooz, Head of GTM Partnerships at HubSpot for Startups Canada. “All you need is maybe 3 to 5 really high-quality blog posts or a YouTube video that you know is going to stand the test of time.”

From there, Behrooz says, promote them as much as possible and be patient.

To help you get started, marketing software like HubSpot’s Marketing Hub can make this a seamless process.

2. Seek out co-marketing opportunities.

Co-marketing involves partnering with another brand that overlaps with your target audience. Senior marketing manager on the HubSpot for Startups team, Tricia O’Brien, says it’s a great way to pool resources when budgets are tight.

“Together, you can create content that adds value to your prospects and highlights your products or services,” she says. “Through the partnership, each company is able to tap into a new audience of prospective customers while sharing the cost.”

Want inspiration, read this article on a co-marketing campaign HubSpot ran a few years ago.

3. Invest in your social media presence.

Social media has continued to be a prevalent marketing tactic for any company. In fact, it’s one of the main ways that Gen Z discovers new brands and products.

As long as you have a phone and a camera, you can dominate on social media by focusing on community building and engagement, and storytelling.

@qmdsuite We try our best not to keep our patients waiting and we love when our patients extend the same courtesy!
#blackdentist
#blackdentistsmatter
#blackdentistswhitecoats
#dentalhumor
#queensdentist
#smile
♬ original sound – A Bored Human

With that said, don’t assume you have to be everywhere.

“I always tell startups, ‘Choose your top three.’ You don’t need to be everywhere, work with what’s free and build your authority there,” says Behrooz.

To decide, figure out where your audience lives. Are you targeting Gen-Z? Then, TikTok should be a priority. Focusing on Millennials? Maybe your top three could be Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Looking for gamers? Go on Twitch or Discord.

To get started, consider using social media software like HubSpot’s Social Media Management Tools.

4. Increase community engagement.

According to our 2023 Social Media Trends report, social media marketers are seeing now more than ever the importance of building an active social community. 90% of those surveyed say building an active online community is crucial to a successful social media strategy in 2023.

This is reflected by data we collected in our Consumer Trends survey, in which 20% of social media users said they joined an online community within the last three months and 22% reported actively participating in one.

Image Source

All this is to say that building a successful brand doesn’t happen without building a community. Doing so doesn’t have to cost money.

With limited funds, you can start online through Facebook Groups, email lists, and Discord channels.

It all depends on where your audience lives online. If you have a budget to work with, you can host or sponsor community events that bring you closer to your target audience.

5. Offer free trials or free resources.

While this might seem like a corporate or financial decision, offering a free trial period is actually a great marketing tactic.

“Free trials are a great way to prove value to your customers while on a budget,” says Apaydin. “If you believe in your product’s ability to sell itself to its customer, offering a free trial allows you to show them how you are solving their problem before they fully commit.”

Apaydin shares that by using free trials as an incentive to share their information with you, you can capture the lead and continue to nurture them until they are ready to purchase.

“You should let the customer have one foot into your product to experience how amazing it is. You’ll pamper them so much they’ll never want to leave,” Korrapati said.

Even if some don’t buy into your premium product, Korrapati adds, you’ll gain valuable feedback. Plus, you’ll discover pain points you didn’t know before – without spending additional money on market research.

A trial isn’t the only thing you can offer, you can also give information through ebooks, guides, white pages, case studies, and reports. Those are fantastic value-adds that build trust with your prospects and gain you leads – otherwise known as lead magnets.

6. Arrange giveaways.

According to O’Brien, giveaways are a powerful tool to sweeten the deal and incentivize prospects to convert or purchase. The best part? They don’t have to cost you anything.

“A common misconception is that you need a big budget to run giveaways. If cash is tight, companies can run giveaways with goods or services already in their possession,” she says. “For example, one hour of your time to provide consulting services in your area of expertise or a free trial of your services.”

Katey Gold, senior partner marketing manager at HubSpot, echoes this and adds that it all comes down to how you package it.

“If you’re asking your customer to take action to receive something, look at how you’re asking,” says Gold. “You need to make sure the customer believes they’re getting a sweet deal and not simply filling in another form to receive a gift that is available to all.”

7. Encourage user-generated content.

UGC is one of the best gifts a brand can get. Why? It serves as social proof, it’s reusable, and it can require little effort on your part.

UGC can look like:

• A video testimonial from a customer
• A social media post from a customer
• A feature on a blogger’s or influencer’s website

With everyone having a phone with a camera and a microphone at their fingertips, user-generated content like customer testimonials no longer require a budget, says O’Brien.

“Adding testimonials from real customers can add credibility to your marketing and provide social proof that customers are happy with your offering,” she adds.

Gold recommends thinking about how to incentivize your customers to create this content that will serve your company.

“While offering gift cards or swag usually does the trick, it’s worth thinking long-term,” she says. “How can you incentivize customers without having to spend money? It may be as simple as sharing a customer’s review on social media while tagging them in the post – you get UGC, while the customer gets recognition from your followers.”

You can also leverage user-generated content as part of a larger campaign.

For example, Lay’s has done a “Do Us a Flavor” campaign for years, where its audience submits new chip flavor ideas. It’s fun, engaging, and builds more visibility for the brand.

8. Host a webinar.

Inbound marketing is all about using helpful tactics to solve your audience’s problems and attract leads to your company. One way to do this is through webinars.

“Webinars are a great (and cheap) way to educate your customers across various stages of the funnel,” says Apaydin. “They require little to no financial investment and can often be hosted by your team as subject matter experts”

However, Behrooz says there’s one thing you should keep in mind when hosting one.

“You don’t want your webinar to be a sales pitch, you want your webinar to be something that’s educational,” says Behrooz. “[Otherwise], your audience will lose engagement.”

Apaydin echoes this sentiment and recommends starting with a problem your customers are facing.

“Panel discussions featuring your customers and/or partners help drive more interest in the event and also make it more engaging,” she says.

Additionally, you can use webinars to gather leads and build your email list. It’s a win all around.

9. Invest in SEO.

Want your audience to find you organically without paying for ads? Then you need to invest in your SEO strategy.

Building an SEO strategy can seem daunting but one way to simplify it is by focusing on two things: Your audience and Google.

The former because you’ll need to know which keywords to target to make sure you’re showing up when your audience is searching for you. And the latter is to make sure your website is formatted in a way that Google can read it.

A few pillars of SEO are:

• Keyword research and analysis
• Link building
• Site architecture

Learn more about SEO here.

10. List your company on business directories.

Online directories like Yelp, Google My Business, and Facebook are where many consumers discover companies and it’s imperative that you maintain your listing.

Consumers not only find your company information, like name, address, and website but will also read reviews about your business.

Updating these directories is a free and quick way to optimize your online presence and make sure your audience finds you when they’re looking.

Ultimately, marketing doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. You can use several tactics with a tighter budget. In fact, most of the strategies above only require the staff it takes to produce the content.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in May 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness. 

The post Marketing Without a Budget? Use These 10 Tactics [Expert Tips] appeared first on ProdSens.live.

Instagram isn’t for everybody. If the latest changes to Instagram aren’t what you’re looking for, this step-by-step process for how to delete your Instagram account is for you.

Once you click that button, your profile, photos, videos, comments, likes, and followers will all be permanently removed from the app.

Before you go ahead, keep in mind that deleting your account can’t be undone. Be sure to back up your account data, write personal notes to engaged followers, and update your analytics. If you’re deleting a business Instagram account, you may want to make an archive for the SEC or FINRA, just in case.

Now, if you’re ready, start following these simple instructions, or jump to the section you’re looking for below:

• How to Delete Your Instagram on an iPhone
• How to Delete Instagram Permanently on Android
• How to Delete Your Instagram Profile on a Desktop Computer
• How to Deactivate Your Instagram

1. Log on to your Instagram app on your iPhone.

2. Go to your account, then tap the menu in the upper left-hand corner of your profile.

3. Head to ‘Settings’ > ‘Account.’

4. Scroll down the list of options, and select ‘Delete account.’

5. This section includes two choices from Instagram. First, you can deactivate your account. If you deactivate, Instagram will hide your account but you can reactivate it whenever you wish. More on this below.

If you still want to delete your Instagram account, scroll past the ‘Deactivate account’ button and click ‘Delete account.’

6. A pop-up will appear, giving you a deadline for how long you have to reactivate your account if you change your mind after deletion. Click ‘Continue deleting account.’

7. This section starts with a drop-down menu for ‘Why do you want to delete your account?’ Select the best option.

Once you choose, Instagram will offer other recommendations related to your choice. For example, if your choice is ‘Too busy/too distracting,’ instructions to temporarily remove the app from your phone will appear.

8. Keep scrolling, then re-enter your password.

9. Click the ‘Delete’ button.

Once you complete this step, your account will no longer be available on Instagram. You have 30 days to reactivate it if you change your mind. After that, your account is permanently deleted.

How to Delete Instagram Permanently on Android

The Instagram app on Android doesn’t give you a way to delete your account from the app on your mobile phone. But you can open Instagram on your browser and delete your account that way instead.

1. Log on to Instagram.com from a web or mobile browser.

2. Enter https://instagram.com/accounts/remove/request/permanent/ into your browser’s address bar. There is no way to navigate to this page from Instagram.com, so you’ll need to enter this URL directly once you’re logged in.

3. Once you land on the page, select an answer from the drop-down menu for ‘Why do you want to delete your account?’

4. After you’ve chosen an answer, you’ll be prompted to re-enter your password.

5. The prompt to permanently delete your account will appear.

1. Log on to Instagram.com from a web or mobile browser. You can also disable your account on your iPhone. You won’t be able to disable your account from within the Instagram app on Android.

2. Click the person icon in the upper right-hand corner to navigate to your profile.

3. Click ‘Edit Profile’ on your profile.

4. Scroll down until you see an option for ‘Temporarily deactivate my account’.

5. Once you land on the page, select an answer from the drop-down menu for ‘Why are you deactivating your account?’

6. After you’ve selected an answer, you’ll be prompted to re-enter your password.

7. The prompt to temporarily deactivate your account will appear.

Why Delete Instagram?

There are many reasons that Instagram is one of the most popular apps in the world. But if it isn’t right for you, it’s simple to delete your profile.

Maybe you’ve found that it’s not a fit for your audience or growth goals. Or you’re streamlining your professional accounts to reduce duplicate messaging or management overwhelm.

No matter why you’ve decided to cut back on Instagram, you have the resources you need. Review these instructions, delete or deactivate your account, and keep moving forward.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in March 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

The post How to Delete Your Instagram [Easy Guide] appeared first on ProdSens.live.

Whether you’re teaching a new hire how to use a tool, explaining a complex project when an email just won’t do, or recording a personalized product demo, you need to know how to record your computer screen.

Fortunately, we’ve put together a quick and easy guide for recording your computer screen on a Mac, Windows PC, iPhone, iPad, and Android. Use the links below for quick navigation to each section.

• How to Screen Record on Mac
• How to Screen Record on Windows PC
• How to Screen Record on Android
• How to Screen Record on iPhone and iPad
• Best Free Screen Recording Tools

How to Screen Record on Mac

Apple pre-installed QuickTime Player, an app that lets you record, edit, play, and share audio and video files onto every Mac. You can use it to record your computer screen.

Step 1: Navigate to Launchpad > Quicktime Player.

Step 2: Go to File > New Screen Recording.

Step 3: Choose your screen preferences and click Record.

• Microphone: Choose None to record your screen with no sound. Choose Built-in Microphone to record your screen with sound.
• Options: Choose Show Mouse Clicks in Recording if you want your clicks to appear as a circle during your screen recording.
  • Click your screen to record your entire computer screen.
  • Drag a section of your screen that you want to record.

Image Source

Step 4: To stop recording, click the stop button on the screen or touch stop on the touch bar.

Step 5: To save your recording, go to File > Save, and name your recording.

How to Record Your Screen on Windows 11

On Windows 11, Microsoft pre-installed the Xbox App, which has a built-in screen recorder that’s designed for recording video games on your computer. You can still use it to record your screen for marketing purposes, though.

Step 1: Type “Xbox” into the search box, and open the app.

Step 2: To open the Game Bar, which lets you record your screen, hold the Windows+G keys on your keyboard.

Step 3: Click the gear icon at the far right of the top widgets toolbar.

This will open Settings, then click Capture in the pop-up menu to view options in the Xbox app. Here, you get to choose your screen recording’s quality setting, determine whether or not you want to record audio, or set a maximum clip length,

Step 4: Click the Record button or hold the Windows+Alt+R keys on your keyboard to start recording your computer screen.

Step 5: Click the Stop button when you’re finished recording.

Step 6: Go to Settings > Gaming > Captures to find your recorded video.

How to Screen Record on Android

Step 1: Swipe down from the top of the screen to view the settings.

Step 2: Tap the Screen Record button.

Step 3: When you’re ready to record, tap Start.

Step 4: To stop recording, swipe down again and tap Screen Record.

How to Screen Record on iPhone and iPad

Step 1: Swipe down from the top of the screen to view the settings.

Step 2: Tap the Screen Record button.

A three-second countdown will begin, and then the screen recording will start.

Step 4: To stop recording, tap the red flashing button in the top left corner of the screen.

Best Free Screen Recorders for Mac and Windows

If you’d like to record your screen with more advanced tools, check out our list of the best free screen recording tools.

1. Loom

Loom helps you quickly record your screen (with optional video or audio) and share your video with others. Your share link can also include a password for extra privacy and security. Loom also offers easy editing capabilities, allowing you to trim the video or add a call-to-action (CTA) and custom thumbnail. Loom’s easy-to-use platform and privacy features make it an excellent choice for workplace communication.

2. OBS Studio

OBS Studio is an open-source software for video recording and live streaming. Designed for gamers to record and stream themselves playing video games, OBS Studio offers advanced post-production tools, like customizable transitions, muting or turning on audio sources, and editing, which allows you to tinker on almost every aspect of your recording or broadcast.

3. Zoom

You may know Zoom for being one of the most popular virtual meeting softwares on the market, but you can use the free version of Zoom to record your screen for up to 40 minutes. You can simply start a new meeting by yourself, click “share screen” and start recording. You’ll get a high-quality MP4 file after you’re done that you can edit, stylize, and more.

4. Google Meet

Not just for meetings, Google Meet can be used to grab quick recordings of your screen when you’re not in the mood to install a new software program or create a new account. Simply open your Chrome browser, click the nine dots in the top right corner, and choose Google Meet. From there, you can start a new meeting and record your screen with ease.

5. Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder

Apowersoft is a web-based screen recorder, so you don’t have to download it. By just visiting their website, you can record your screen for however long you want, pick a certain part of your screen to record, insert your webcam into your screen to talk about what exactly you’re doing, capture video and audio at the same time, and make annotations while recording.

6. Icecream Screen Recorder

With support for over 50 languages, Icecream Screen Recorder is one of the best screen recorders for global teams. You can also add your own watermark to your recordings, choose your recordings’ video quality, trim recordings, and set timers for each task you want to complete during your screen recordings.

7. TinyTake

TinyTake is a more basic screen recorder, but you can still record your screen for up to two hours, email your screen recording to colleagues, and even create a shareable link.

Screen Record on Your Computer, Phone, or Tablet

The use cases for recording your screen are endless. Use this simple guide on how to record your screen across different devices to add more context to your video content.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in [Month Year] and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

The post How to Screen Record on Mac, Windows 11, and Other Devices appeared first on ProdSens.live.

If you’re anything like me, a solid portion of your day is sifting through your inbox, sending emails to junk, and responding to time-sensitive emails.

Need some help managing it? We’ve got free email hacks that will help you better manage your inbox so you can focus on the important stuff.

11 Free Email Hacks to Step Up Your Productivity

1. Turn off your notifications or pause emails.

Other than social media, email is where most people get flooded with notifications. This can be one of the biggest blockers to productivity since your attention is being pulled elsewhere.

Solution? Simply turn off email notifications to focus on your more pressing tasks. Better yet, you can pause incoming emails from even showing up in your inbox – if your email provider allows it.

Image Source

Outlook users can pause notifications through the Boomerang app and unpause when they’re ready to tackle them.

2. Block out times for batch email review.

Emails can come at all hours of the day and if you’re working with a team asynchronous, there are no off-hours.

So, instead of constantly checking your emails and responding to each one as it comes, set aside blocks of time during your day to review them.

This can be early morning, late afternoon, or whenever when you expect to have some downtime.

Pro-tip: Once you decide on this time block, add it to your calendar to avoid conflicts with other work activities.

3. Create templates.

You know how websites have FAQ sections? In our professional careers, we often communicate the same thing over and over to our clients, colleagues, and stakeholders.

To make this a bit easier, create templates to avoid starting from scratch every time you draft an email.

Your templates will be based on the questions you get most often, the phrases you use the most, and the messages you share the most. Things like:

• Cold emails
• Redirections to other teams
• Weekly team notifications
• OOO message

To set this up in Gmail, navigate to your settings, click on the Advanced tab, and click on “Enable” next to the Templates section.

4. Create folders.

Organization is the ultimate key to productivity and emails often fall on the back burner. The irony is they tend to hold some of the most important information we use in our day-to-day.

Creating folders within your email will not only make things easier to find but also more manageable when prioritizing your emails.

For instance, you can create categories by:

• Priority (e.g. Action required, informational)
• Function (e.g. HR, Finance, Insurance)
• Teams (e.g. Leadership, direct reports, colleagues, etc)

5. Filter your incoming emails.

Why sort through emails when you can have your email provider do it for you automatically?

The filter feature – available through most email providers – allows you to sort, delete, flag, and forward emails.

You can do so using the following information:

• Email addresses
• Words and/or phrases
• Subject line
• Attachment

Once you create the filter, you designate the automated follow-up action.

Use cases include adding emails from leadership to a specific folder, deleting junk mail, marking reminders as read.

6. Use an email scheduler.

Gone are the days of waking up at 6 a.m. just to send an email you couldn’t send at 10 p.m. last night when you drafted it.

Some email providers allow you to schedule a date and time to send your email so you can set it and forget it – worry-free.

If your provider doesn’t have this feature, consider an extension like Boomerang, which you can integrate with your email to schedule emails.

7. Enable the “unsend” feature.

We all do it: Send an email then do the obligatory re-read of the email you already re-read five times before sending JUST in case – even though you can’t do anything about it. Until now.

Gmail and other email providers now allow you to unsend an email for a few seconds after you’ve clicked “Send,” just in case you spotted a mistake or simply changed your mind.

Pro-tip: Only add the recipients once your email is ready to go – this way, you’ll never send an unfinished email again.

8. Learn shortcuts.

Shortcuts allow you to complete your email tasks quickly without skipping a beat.

With email shortcuts, you can:

• Compose new emails.
• Add cc and bcc recipients.
• Insert links.
• Open spelling suggestions.
• Format text with bold, italic, underline, indents, and alignments.
• Archive emails

And that’s just to name a few. If there’s a feature you use often, there’s likely a shortcut to get you there with just one click or keystroke.

Of course, shortcuts will vary by provider and device. So before you start using them, make sure you’re using the right ones.

9. Unsubscribe.

If your inbox is anything like mine, there are a few thousand emails from brands you never interact with.

While deleting these emails is time-consuming, you can start decluttering your inbox by unsubscribing from emails you never read. Unfortunately, not all brands have disengagement workflows that will automatically remove you from a reading list.

In this case, you’ll have to manually unsubscribe yourself. Trust me, your future self will thank you.

10. Get a grammar browser extension.

Most of us draft emails directly from the “New Draft” box. However, that strategy comes with some risks – namely misspelling or awkward phrasing.

Apps like Grammarly will serve as proofreader, catching your mistakes as soon as you make them. Grammarly also has neat features that will tell you the tone of your message and suggest alternative phrases.

With this tool, you never have to worry about how you sound or if there’s a hidden typo. It takes all of the guesswork out so you can just focus on pressing “Send.”

11. Prioritize your emails.

If you’re still struggling with managing the large volume of emails you’re receiving, try following this popular rule: If the email requires a response that will take two minutes or fewer, respond immediately.

If it will take longer, save it for later. This strategy is designed to help you get rid of the clutter without getting overwhelmed.

There you have it – free email hacks that will help you get your inbox under control and maximize your productivity.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in Aug. 2016 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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