Best Banner Ads: Examples of Remarkable Display Advertising

The best banner ads are a combination of many different elements. They can feature impactful imagery, unique interactivity, brilliant copy, or highlight the very best in advertising technology.

Great online advertising not only needs to capture a viewer’s attention but fulfil a clear purpose. From brand awareness, to a single ad part of a large personalised campaign with thousands of banners.

Yet, without further ado, here are examples of the best display advertising campaigns around:

Meliá Hotels International

 

Meliá Hotels International personalised Autumn display campaign features a variety of rich media interactive elements. What’s more, each design element works together perfectly to drive the viewer to engage and click to a specific landing page.

This best display ad from Meliá really highlights the benefits of combining rich media and data feeds. Just look at the the drop-down selection of different locations, which changes the imagery in the ad. Not only does it allow the display campaign to highlight multiple destinations but it serves as a beautiful branding campaign. Plus, the use of personalisation enables them to shorten the sales funnel, getting the user to select where they want to go.

Bluestep Bank

 

One brand experimenting with video and interactive campaigns is Swedish bank, Bluestep Bank. This best banner ad uses Bannerflow’s drag and drop HTML5 widgets. Plus, is emotive, both working with and enhancing the colours of the brand in its design.

Its design team has added eye-catching playfulness and engagement to the ad. This enables the campaign to to stand out in what can be a saturated digital landscape. The result? An ad that is super engaging and simple for any viewers to interact with. In fact, the paintbrush effect is a number of drag and drop Rich Media widgets combined to present the effect of painting the wall.

Hallon

Next on our best banner ad list is this striking display ad by Hallon of Sweden. Hallon are a relatively young mobile phone brand and have a history of using elements of “fun” in their branding. Whether through the use of their bubble-like logo, or as in this banner through the act of celebrating.

The looping semi-transparent background video makes it seem as if the viewer is looking through the window of a happy Hallon customer. The big bold copy for “REA!” (sale in Swedish), helps explain why the woman in the video is so excited. While the copy, graphical elements, and colours of the deal graphic, are all appealing and on-message.

Ladbrokes

With a striking palette of black, red, and white, Ladbrokes Belgium’s HTML5 banner ad for the Mayweather Vs. McGregor is a knockout. With copy that is simple and to-the-point, the message is clear. The pacing of the frames is good. Plus, the addition of the flash just before the appearance of Mayweather is similar to that of a flash bulb going off.

The last frame’s call to action stands out in fluorescent green. The contrast grabbing the viewers’ attention.

MSC Cruises

So how do you convey the luxury of a warm and relaxing cruise? Well, MSC Cruises have done just that with the above ad! Bannerflow’s very own Product Specialist, Jamal Morris, sums it up nicely. “The combination of video and static works together to create a campaign that’s bigger than the sum of each part”. It’s an excellent example of how to use static elements with in-banner video.

What makes this one of our best banner ads is how MSC Cruises have taken their video advertising from other channels and used it in-banner. Rather than force it, the short video merges with the ocean colours of the rest of the banner. It also helps to rotate the viewer’s eye to the sand-like CTA.

Three

Another ad on the best banner ad list is this one produced by Three in Sweden. Like the majority of the ads featured on this list it’s designed in an ad creator which automates the production of digital ads. This removes tasks like coding individual banners, and fiddly image optimisations. Essentially, the Three design team benefits from A.I. to automatically optimise and scale a master design to hundreds of different sizes and formats. Thus designers spend more time being creative (and less time being bored).

What we like about this ad is the optimising of the video, space, and CTA position for the leaderboard style of the banner. In fact, the Three campaign uses the same video and copy across the entire campaign. Variations were automatically created for different devices thanks to production automation using the Bannerflow platform. This display ad by Three is just one of many different sizes published for its campaign.

CM.com

 

CM.com’s best display ad is a great example of a strong message and animation being used together to make something even more powerful. The modern design immediately catches your attention, and works perfectly going from anonymous to personalised ad.

CM.com’s display campaign was designed to help launch its latest mobile marketing platform. And its concept of turning an anonymous profile into a person with preferences and habits using HTML5 animation is a great way of showcasing the idea of how its personalisation offering works.

bwin

The beauty of combining display advertising with data feeds is the sheer number of opportunities this hook-up provides. Take this bwin banner for the German football league. It’s utterly clear and works a treat.

Incorporating the colours of the bwin brand, it simply offers punters the latest odds for the games that are currently playing in the league, live. Not only that but if offers viewers the chance to fill-out a betting slip too.

According to Bannerflow Product Specialist, Travis Isaacson, “the simplicity is being able to bet directly on a match – in-banner. This shortens the time spent placing the bet, and more time focusing on the match. For the consumer, knowing that this banner is live, equates to also getting the best odds.” There’s no messing around. Viewers convert quicker and banner content is kept up-to-date and relevant.

ATG

 

ATG’s emotive and sleek display advertising iGaming campaign uses video to show a different angle to the world of horse racing. It’s also a great example of how to be clever and creative with existing resources. Using simplicity and sincerity the video display ad grabs your attention without begging for it.

In fact, the ATG in-house team reused b-reel footage from an earlier campaign to create something new and fresh. Indeed, during 2020 repurposing of older content would become a creative and cost effective trend for many other brands.

Saxo Bank

 

This 300×600 “half page” banner ad from Saxo Bank is a good example of how to build a message using rich media and video. It uses a combination of good editing, video, and well-timed copy to grab the viewer’s attention.

It’s worth nothing that according to AdSense the 300×600 banner is considered visually impactful and preferred by more and more brand advertisers. It’s also one of the fastest growing sizes by impressions. Read the case study about how Saxo Bank transformed its display campaigns.

Color Line

This banner by Norwegian ferry company Color Line is beautiful. It is an excellent example of how HTML5 animation and design is easily creates something simple, yet eye catching. The different design elements work in harmony with one another, creating a typical summer postcard-like feel – instantly recognisable to the intended viewer.

Georg Jensen

Video is an incredibly effective tool no matter what the channel. Georg Jensen’s business relies heavily on sales over the festive period, accounting for roughly 35% of their annual sales, so creating exceptional banner adverts are a necessity.

For Art Director, Kasper Sierslev, premium elements are incredibly important for banner design. “We see our video banners performing 3 to 6 times better than those without. What’s more, by connecting the video with dynamic content, we are able to tailor product offerings to different audiences.”

Shutterstock

Shutterstock has access to millions of high-quality images which it uses to captivating effect in the design of its display advertising. Its always on campaigns use high quality imagery and bright colours to effect.

Yet, for this particular HTML5 display ad, simplicity is key. The ad copy, animation, and imagery work together to take the viewer on a journey around the world before ending with the copy: “see global cultures through local eyes”. It’s straightforward, engaging, and showcases their product to great effect.

Nova

Iceland Telecom brand, Nova, produced an outstanding winter campaign in 2018. Using a HTML5 Spotify widget, video, and animation they designed this creative and impactful campaign.

Starting as a concept series, it promotes both the Nova brand and a musical event featuring an up and coming Icelandic artist. By adding the Spotify campaign widget they were able to highlight the music. Then by slotting in a video widget too they were further able to grab the attention of the audience.

As the designer of the banner commented: “We just wanted to make something fun”.

Elko

 

Engagement and impact are two of the biggest drivers of success in display advertising! And this is exactly what what another Icelandic brand, Elko achieves with its unique HTML5 banner.

Elko’s unique ad campaign uses a Rich Media slider to to showcase the capabilities and placement of a Samsung Frame TV in the real world. This simple interactive feature not only got viewers to engage with the ad but increased click-through rates for Elko too.

Nextory

 

 

 

 

 

Originally made for Instagram, Nextory’s campaign is simple and effective. Over 50 different titles are rapidly displayed in the ad and viewers are invited to press print screen to select their next title to read or listen to. This fun and interactive campaign was developed for Valentine’s Day, and featured across its display and social channels. It was designed and built using Creative Studio.

Best banner ads: final thoughts

So there you have it, some of the best banner ads around.

Whether it’s innovative use of video, embracing HTML5, or using data feeds well, each banner shows the flexibility of display advertising.

See more banner examples and other ad formats here.

One last thing…

All of these banners and display campaigns were built using Bannerflow’s latest ad creator, Creative Studio.

What’s that you ask? It’s a one-stop-shop for all your display advertising production needs. From display ad production to optimisation, to translating and dynamic creative optimisation (DCO).

Furthermore, it’s just one product in the Bannerflow Platform for digital advertising, which when combined is a Creative Management Platform, or CMP. Get the complete package to transform your display advertising campaigns and become even more effective! Apply for a demo today!

The post Best Banner Ads: Examples of Remarkable Display Advertising appeared first on Bannerflow.

Best Banner Ads: Examples of Remarkable Display Advertising was originally posted by Local Sign Company Irvine, Ca. https://goo.gl/4NmUQV https://goo.gl/bQ1zHR http://www.pearltrees.com/anaheimsigns

The 201 Best Instagram Captions for Every Type of Post

If you're anything like me, you take about four minutes choosing a filter for your Instagram photo, and about four hours deciding on a caption.

Worst of all, after much creative effort and advice from friends, I'm usually barely able to write a caption that goes beyond, "Had a fun day with friends!"

And I'm a writer — go figure.

Next time you're contemplating a witty line of text to go with your Instagram photo, take a look at our complete list of captions that suit any mood or occasion you’ll be sharing with the world. You can also customize these captions to make them perfect for your feed.

Want more inspiration? Check out our Instagram page to see how we incorporate fun, witty, and engaging captions into our social media content. 

You can incorporate many of these captions into an Instagram business strategy (just make sure your audience would find your caption funny, clever, or the right amount of sassy.) 

Click one of the following links to jump to a section:

• Funny Instagram Captions
• Clever Instagram Captions
• Sassy Instagram Captions
• Song Lyrics for Instagram Captions
• Business Instagram Captions
• Holiday Instagram Captions
• Seasonal Instagram Captions
• Selfie Instagram Captions
• Vacation Instagram Captions

 

Funny Instagram Captions

1. [Employee]'s favorite exercise is a cross between a lunge and a crunch ... S/he calls it lunch.
2. I need a six-month holiday, twice a year.
3. We tried to be normal once. Worst two minutes of our lives!
4. There are 16-year-olds competing at the Olympics and some of us still push on "pull" doors.
5. That awkward moment when you're wearing Nike's and you can't do it.
6. I'm just a girl, standing in front of a salad, asking it to be a cupcake.
7. What if we told you ... you can eat without posting it on Instagram?
8. We know the voices in our heads aren't real, but sometimes their ideas are just too good to ignore.
9. We don't know what's tighter: Our jeans or our company culture.
10. Friday ... Our second-favorite F word. 
11. We don't care what people think of us. Unless they're our customers. We definitely care what customers think of us.
12. All you need is love ... and investors. All you need is love and investors.
13. Hi, we're [company name]. We build amazing apps and eat amazing apps.
14. They say "Do what you love and money will come to you." Let’s see what happens, I just ordered tamales.

Clever Instagram Captions

1. Patience — what you have when there are too many witnesses.
2. Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's the Clarendon filter.
3. "Life is short." False — it's the longest thing you do.
4. Happy Sunday! There may be no excuse for laziness, but [I'm/we're] still looking.
5. Rejection is just redirection.
6. Better an "oops" than a "what if."
7. You have stolen a pizza our hearts.
8. The world is changed by your example, not your opinion.
9. Seven billion smiles and these are our favorite.
10. Stop working hard and start working smart.
11. When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. When [company name] gives you [type of product], you make money.
12. Imposter complex is just a byproduct of success.
13. Life is simple. It's just not easy.
14. The best times begin at the end of your comfort zone.
15. When nothing goes right, go left.
16. “Success is making those who believed in you look brilliant.” — Dharmesh Shah
17. “If you can’t convince them, confuse them.” — Harry Truman
18. The world changes by your example, not your opinion.
19. It’s always a good idea to be on the right side of history.
20. When you learn, teach. When you get, give.
21. Don’t quit your daydream.
22. Legend has it that if you look hard enough you’ll see the weekend approaching!

Sassy Instagram Captions

1. What's a queen without her king? Historically speaking, more powerful.
2. Be a little more you, and a lot less them.
3. We're an acquired taste. If you don't like us, acquire some taste.
4. Well-behaved people don't make it into history books.
5. Be sunshine mixed with a little hurricane.
6. We got 99 problems, but an awesome marketing team ain't one.
7. Sometimes you just need to do a thing called "what you want."
8. You can't do epic stuff with lame people. And we got the best in the biz.
9. It's not called being bossy, it's called having leadership skills.
10. You did not wake up today to be mediocre.
11. A bad attitude is like a flat tire. You can’t go anywhere until you change it.
12. We’re entrepreneurs. They call us dreamers, but we’re the ones who never sleep.

Song Lyrics for Instagram Captions

1. "I'm gonna live like tomorrow doesn't exist." — Sia, "Chandelier"
2. "I live for the nights that I can't remember, with the people that I won't forget." — Drake, "Show Me a Good Time"
3. "I hope you never lose your sense of wonder." — Lee Ann Womack, "I Hope You Dance"
4. "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." — John Lennon, "Imagine"
5. "If you give, you begin to live." -Dave Matthews Band, “you Might Die Trying”
6. "Outlining my findings, using life as a stencil." — Kero One, "In All the Wrong Places"
7. "Feeling good living better." — Drake, "Over My Dead Body"
8. "Say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight, like this city is on fire tonight." — OneRepublic, "Good Life"
9. "Time makes you bolder." — Fleetwood Mac, "Landslide"
10. "If I fail, if I succeed, at least I'll live as I believe." — Whitney Houston, "The Greatest Love of All"
11. "The rest of the world was in black and white, but we were in screaming color." — Taylor Swift, "Out of the Woods"
12. "Lightning strikes every time she moves." — Calvin Harris, "This Is What You Came For"
13. "We aren't ever getting older." — Chainsmokers, "Closer"
14. "Sing with me, sing for the years, sing for the laughter, sing for the tears." — Aerosmith, "Dream On"
15. “Life is good.” — Future & Drake, “Life is Good”
16. “Life without dreaming is a life without meaning.” – Wale, “Aston Martin Music”
17. “But like the sun, know you know I find my way back ‘round.” — J. Cole, “Crooked Smile”
18. “I will overcome any hurdle or obstacle that’s in my path." — OutKast, “Knowing”

Business Instagram Captions

1. Good evening, [city]! We're in town for [event] at Booth [#]. Stop by and say hi!
2. "If you're offered a seat on a rocket ship, don't ask what seat. Just get on." -Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook
3. Our [#]-person squad completed the [road race name]! And we did it all for the post-run sneaker selfie. 👟
4. We got product in the pipeline ... check back for an exciting announcement on [date]!
5. Diversity isn't a recruitment metric — it's an ingredient for success. At [company], we thrive on the unique backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of our people.
6. Spot the CEO. 😉
7. At [company name], our best asset is our people.
8. We had a great time with our customers at [meeting/event]! @[client/partner], you guys rock.
9. Thrilled to have [customer] at our office today! Come back any time. 😊
10. [Company name] is off for [holiday]! We hope you all have a safe long weekend.
11. Big things have small beginnings. [Company]'s HQ began right here.
12. "It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation." -Herman Melville
13. How many [company name] employees does it take to spell "TEAM"?
14. Want to work with these awesome people, working on a lot of awesome things? We're hiring! Click the link in our bio to see our current openings.
15. Check, check, one, two ... is this thing on? [Company name] is now on Instagram! Follow us to learn about our culture, product, and (awesome) people. 

Holiday Instagram Captions

New Year's

1. "Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other." — Abraham Lincoln
2. Didn't make it to midnight.
3. Resolutions are made to be broken.
4. Ringing in the new year — like a bell.
5. "Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one." — Brad Paisley
6. New year, same me.
7. Time to show off my bubbly personality.
8. Any excuse to wear glitter.
9. Starting off the year on the right foot.
10. There are 12 months ahead of us to make a difference.
11. Day 1 of 365
12. Sip, sip, hooray!

Valentine's Day

1. Roses are red. Violets are blue. Consider this post my Valentine to you.
2. Don't tell me you love me. Tell me you're outside with pizza.
3. All I need is you. (And maybe wine + chocolate too.)
4. "You can't blame gravity for falling in love." — Albert Einstein
5. 99% of my socks are single, and you don't see them crying about it.
6. I will do anything for love. Except that. And that. Or that. Or...
7. Sorry, I'm in a relationship with tacos.
8. "All the single ladies…" — Beyonce, "Single Ladies"
9. In love with my best friend.
10. I’m better when I’m with you.

Halloween

1. Creepin’ it real.
2. I brake for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
3. "When the spooks have a midnight jamboree, they break it up with fiendish glee..." — The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949)
4. You're just my (blood) type.
5. How to eat candy corn: don't.
6. #squadghouls
7. Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
8. Driving me batty.
9. “Scary hours” — Drake

Thankgiving

1. I'm wearing my elastic pants.
2. "For those of you who cannot be with family this Thanksgiving, please resist the urge to brag." — Andy Borowitz
3. On a veggie diet this Thanksgiving: Carrot cake and pumpkin pie.
4. "Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough." — Oprah Winfrey
5. I think, therefore I cran.
6. Bad day to be a turkey.
7. Need fuel for Black Friday.
8. "Okay, guys. I have exactly 28 minutes before I have to baste again." — Monica
9. Grateful. Thankful. Blessed.
10. Who made the potato salad?
11. There’s always something to be thankful for.

Christmas & Hannukah

1. You sleigh me.
2. Fa la la la llama.
3. "O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, your ornaments are history." — The Cat
4. "It's not what's under the Christmas tree that matters. It's who's around it." — Charles M. Schulz
5. Dear Santa, let's not talk about this.
6. Rebel Without a Claus
7. Doesn't Santa have anything better to do than watch us while we're sleeping?
8. All I want for Christmas is you (and wine would be nice).
9. To all you cotton-headed ninny-mugginses out there.
10. Drop it like a top.
11. Wishing you a latke love this Hanukkah.
12. I want to eat 8 latkes for the calories of one.
13. One little candle can light up an entire room.
14. Keep calm and spin that dreidel.
15. Deck the halls with matzo balls!
16. It’s Christmas time and I’m the gift.
17. The best gift is to be present with the ones you love.

Seasonal Instagram Captions

Spring

1. Hello, spring!
2. "And I think to myself, what a wonderful world." — Louis Armstrong
3. April showers bring May flowers.
4. I think I just experienced all the seasons in a single day.
5. I love allergy season, said no one ever.
6. Currently soaking up the sun and smelling the roses. Please leave a message after the beep.
7. I owe a lot to the inventor of flip-flops.
8. "Here comes the sun, and I say... It's all right." — The Beatles
9. “Warm winds in the springtime” — SZA, “Warm Winds”
10. Springing into the new season.

Summer

1. "Live in the sunshine. Swim in the sea. Drink in the wild air." — Ralph Waldo Emerson
2. Life's a beach.
3. School's out, sun's out, guns out.
4. "A little bit of summer is what the whole year is all about." — John Mayer
5. 90% happy, 10% burnt.
6. Girls just want to have sun.
7. "Summer lovin' had me a blast, summer lovin' happened so fast." — Grease
8. Happiness is a cold popsicle.
9. Life is better by the pool.
10. “Summertime and the livin' is easy.” — Ella Fitzgerald, “Summertime”
11. "Here comes the sun, and I say... It's all right." — The Beatles, "Here Comes the Sun"

Fall

1. My favorite color is October.
2. "Wild is the music of autumnal winds amongst the faded woods." — William Wordsworth
3. Sweater weather.
4. It's never too early for pumpkin spice.
5. Meet me in the corn maze.
6. Crisp air. Apple cider. Flaming foliage.
7. Pumpkin spice and everything nice.
8. "Anyone who thinks fallen leaves are dead has never watched them dancing on a windy day." — Shira Tamir
9. Leaves are falling, and autumn is calling.
10. “Days in the sun and nights in the rain. Summer is over, simple and plain.” — Drake & Majid Jordan, "Summer’s Over"
11. Falling never felt so good.

Winter

1. "In the depths of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer." — Albert Camus
2. If it's snowing, I'm not going.
3. Cozy nights. Good books. Hot chocolate.
4. Do you want to build a snowman?
5. Running on caffeine and holiday cheer.
6. "Winter is not a season; it's a celebration." — Anamika Mishra
7. Merry and brrrrrrright.
8. Having snow much fun.
9. ‘Tis the season to be freezin’.
10. “Timb' laces get tighter and parka hoods flip up.” — Drake, “Come Winter”

Selfie Instagram Captions

1. Me, myself, and I.
2. Be yourself, there’s no one better.
3. It’s the happiness for me.
4. Smile! The happiness is right under your nose.
5. My favorite filter is reality.
6. Self-care selfie!
   Conquer the world one smile at a time.
7. It’s a great day to have a great day.
8. The greatest gift you can give someone is a smile.
9. Self-love is the best love.

Vacation Instagram Captions

1. A chance to get away from the everyday.
2. Work. Save. Travel. Repeat.
3. Staycation loading…
4. Collect the moments, not the materials.
5. Another destination off the bucket list.
6. An adventure to fill the soul.
7. The scenic route is always better.
8. I need a six-month vacation, twice a year.
9. Be back never.
10. Catch flights, not feelings.

Capture the Feeling with an Instagram Caption

Even though an image is worth 1,000 words, a well-written caption couldn’t hurt. These days, the caption can make just as much of a statement as the image! For all of the occasions that are worthy of a post to your feed, use one of the quotes from this list and customize it to make it your own.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in June 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in June 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

 

The 201 Best Instagram Captions for Every Type of Post was originally posted by Local Sign Company Irvine, Ca. https://goo.gl/4NmUQV https://goo.gl/bQ1zHR http://www.pearltrees.com/anaheimsigns

Definitions for 44 Twitter Terms You Were Too Embarrassed to Ask About

This morning, when I scanned my Twitter feed, I did a few MTs and PRTs, asked a follower to TMB, and left SMH at some trolls I found, so I said BFN to Twitter.

Didn't understand what I just said? Don’t worry — that used to be gobbledygook to me, too.

Twitter has become a social network with its own unique language — and rightfully so. After all, when you only have 280 characters to say what you mean, every word counts.

And don’t just take our word for it. For the best engagement results, Twitter recommends keeping tweets short and conversational, too.

This, my friends, is why marketers need to be well-versed in the language of Twitter.

When I found myself heading for Google every time I checked out my Twitter feed, I knew it was time to start writing some definitions down so I could learn the language myself, so that's exactly what I did. And what kind of inbound marketer would I be if I didn’t share this great content with you too?

Here are some of the most popular Twitter slang terms you should know. As you find a few to sprinkle into your next batch of scheduled Tweets for your Twitter marketing campaign, try to avoid the temptation to use them all at once — a little goes a long way.

@mention

When you want to “tag” someone in a tweet or direct message on Twitter, you can do so by mentioning them using their Twitter username. Add this mention in and they’ll get a notification that you’ve done so in the “Mentions” section of their account. Essentially, this is used to have conversations with people on Twitter.

#

While known as the pound key on your phone, on Twitter, this symbol is a hashtag, and it’s used in front of other words in a tweet to provide context or to make it easy for users to search for specific topics on Twitter. But be careful not to over-hashtag your tweets — one or two is probably enough.

Bots

Forbes defines bots as “a social networking account powered by artificial intelligence.” Bots are different from trolls because they aren’t people — they’re scripts written by people, waiting to pounce. But every once in a while, you’ll stumble across bots that are created to do some pretty cool stuff.

DM

A "DM," or "direct message," is a private message between two Twitter users. It’s different from a public @mention because, in order to send a DM, the recipient must follow you.

Feed

Your Twitter “feed” (HubSpot customers know it as their “Timeline”) is any list of tweets that constantly updates when new tweets that fit the specified criteria pop up. Your home feed updates every time someone you follow tweets.

FF or #FF

#FollowFriday started as a way to recommend other Twitter users to your followers. It happens on Fridays, and you can search Twitter for the hashtag on Fridays to watch the kudos pour in.

Follower

A “follower” is someone who follows you on Twitter and sees your updates on their home feed. Just because someone follows you doesn't mean you have to follow them back, the way some other social networks work. But if you want to find some insightful marketers to follow, here’s a helpful list to get you going.

Period before @mention

This is the one mistake almost everyone makes on Twitter. If you tweet @username without a period, only your mutual followers (in other words, people who follow both you and @username) and the person your tweeting to

will see it in their streams. Add a period before @username, though, and all of your followers will see your tweet in their streams.

PRT

A "partial retweet" is similar to a modified tweet, but it lets the reader know you’ve taken out some of the original ideas of the tweet, either to save space or to add your own two cents.

Reply

When you reply on Twitter, you’re responding to a particular tweet someone has tagged you in with a @mention. Unless it’s a direct message (DM), a reply can be seen by anyone and everyone, regardless of whether they follow you or not.

RT

A retweet is the basic form of currency on Twitter. When you see “RT” in front of a tweet, it means the person found the content valuable enough to share with their followers. If the original tweet is yours, way to go!

Trolls

Beware! Trolls are people on Twitter who abuse the service by spamming users with off-topic tweets and other erratic behavior. Trolling is a form of internet harassment, so if you think someone is trolling you on Twitter, you can learn how to take action here.

Tweeps

Tweeps are Twitter folks that follow each other from one social network to another. It's not uncommon for the people you're friends with on Facebook to also follow you on Twitter — they would be your Tweep. It's a Twitter-ized version of "peeps."

Tweet

Arguably the most common Twitter term. Every update you post to your followers on Twitter is called a tweet. Every tweet has a 140-character limit, and remember: Your tweets are public and searchable by anyone on Twitter, even if they don’t follow you. Heck, even CEOs may be listening to your tweets.

Trends or Trending Topic

Any person, place, thing, or idea that a lot of people are tweeting about at once is considered a trend. You can find trends on the left side of your Twitter homepage, and you can even tailor what trends you see based on your location and who you follow.

Tip: Are you a local business? Connecting with users who are in your same geographic location is a great way to get more business value out of Twitter.

Tweeple, Twerson, and Twitterverse

Literally, the people (or person, in the singular) that make up the vast Twitterverse (universe!) of Twitter users.

Unfollow

Just like someone can unfriend you on Facebook, people can choose to unfollow you on Twitter so your tweets stop showing up in their feed. Be careful about aggressively following or unfollowing users, though — it's a great way to get yourself banned from Twitter.

Via

This term is sometimes used in place of “RT” as a way to let people know where your content is from and to give credit to the original content creator.

Twitter terms are helpful for anyone who’s new to the platform or building a profile for their business. Twitter slang, however, is helpful to be aware of so that you can connect with your audience better. By knowing some common slang terms used in tweets, you can join the conversation with your followers without sounding out of place.

atm

Giving status updates is a common reason for many of the tweets we see on our timelines. As a result, you may have seen the acronym “atm” used in the context of something other than money. This stands for “at the moment” and shouldn’t be confused with an automated teller machine.

atp

Some Twitter users enjoy telling stories on their timelines and a transitional phrase used in those narratives is “at this point”. Of course, with just a limited number of characters per Tweet, users abbreviate words anywhere they can, so “atp” might take the place of that phrase.

BFN

If you're having a Twitter conversation, one polite way to sign off is to say this, which stands for “bye for now.” It lets the other person know you're signing off and that any further tweets may go unanswered for a period of time.

BR

Just like in email, there’s something to be said for social media etiquette, and “best regards” is another nice, commonly used sign-off when leaving a conversation on Twitter.

Canceled

Cancel culture has been around for nearly half a decade and it’s very popular on Twitter. It’s usually reserved for high-profile members of society like celebrities, politicians, and influencers. If these individuals behave in a way that disturbs expectations (whether reasonable or unreasonable) they can be canceled by “cancel culture twitter.” There are varying opinions about cancel culture.

Crank Tweet

Remember when you used to make prank phone calls? (C’mon, don’t be shy — everyone's done so at one point or another.) Well, crank tweets are the new prank calls, except in written form. They’re misleading tweets, tweeted on purpose.

EM

This one's simple enough: It's short for “email me.”

FTW

When someone comes in to save the day on Twitter, they might get praised with tweets that mention them directly followed by “FTW!” This stands for “for the win” and is derived from sports games where the commentator announces the name of a player who scored the game-winning point.

Fub free

Fub free means “follow, unfollow, block” free. Some Twitter users add this phrase in their Twitter bio to let followers know that they won’t be upset or retaliate if a follower unfollows or blocks their account. This is commonly used for Twitter accounts that tend to post spoilers to movies or temporarily post content their followers may otherwise not want to see. These followers might block or unfollow the account for a period of time and return later when the undesirable content has ceased.

HAND

You should smile if you see this tweeted at you. Why? Because someone on Twitter is telling you to "have a nice day!"

HT

A “hat tip” is usually followed by someone’s Twitter username. Using HT means you aren’t quoting or retweeting them directly, but instead acknowledging that the user gave you the idea for the content you’re tweeting.

ICYMI

This acronym for “in case you missed it” can be used when someone is tweeting about big news or a trending topic a few days after the fact, or they’ve already tweeted about it. Searching “ICYMI” on Twitter is a great way to catch up on what you’ve missed if you’ve been off the Twitter radar for a few days.

IDK

When 280 characters is your limit, shortening words is a must. Thus, typing “I don’t know” is sometimes too long to include in a tweet, believe it or not.

IFYKYK

“If you know, you know” is a term used by people who want to maintain some exclusivity to their Tweet. An underground artist, a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, or even another acronym may all be adorned with a tweet that reads “IFYKYK”. And if you didn’t know, well now you know.

IJS

“I’m just saying” might seem redundant, but the acronym gives some tone and context to a tweet. Perhaps the user wants to introduce a difference of opinion to the conversation, or maybe they don’t want to be held responsible for the consequences of what they just said. Regardless, you might see “ijs” pop up on your timeline every once in a while from an opinionated Twitter user.

IMO or IMHO

You’ll usually see “in my opinion” or “in my humble opinion” when someone wants to agree or disagree with a piece of content they’re sharing. That way, the reader knows it's opinion, not fact.

MT

This means “modified tweet,” which is a retweet that you had to clip to save space. However, it should still hold the meaning of the original tweet.

NTS

“Note to self” is a good way to mark tweets that you want to go back to later. It’s also used when someone is trying to be sarcastic or funny. For instance, I might tweet: "NTS: Pizza is way better cold — especially when it's for breakfast." (Which we all know is true, of course.)

OOMF

If you don’t want to mention one of your followers directly, but you want to say something about them, you might use the acronym OOMF which means “One of my followers.” This term can be used in a neutral way or in a passive-aggressive tone if you’re subtweeting your follower.

SMH

“Shaking my head” usually accompanies a tweet when someone can’t believe or doesn’t understand the content they’re sharing. It’s a total mimic of real-life body language.

Stan

If you’re familiar with fans of celebrities, you’ll catch on quickly to Twitter stans. These are overzealous and slightly obsessed fans of celebrities or influencers. The term is a combination of “stalker” and “fan.” There are mixed opinions about whether stan culture is healthy for the stan or the celebrity.

Subtweet

Occasionally, people Tweet about other Twitter users without mentioning them using the @ symbol. This can be done passive-aggressively or even in a flirtatious manner. There are two types of subtweets: overt and covert. An overt subtweet may still mention the person by name but without mentioning their Twitter with the @ symbol so that it is tied directly to them. A covert subtweet won’t mention names at all, but will instead give subtle hints about who the subject of the tweet might be.

TBH or TBQH

This is shorthand for “to be honest.” You may see a “Q” pop in there, for “to be quite honest.” (Fancy, we know.)

TFTF

You always want to say thank you, so “thanks for the follow” is a nice way to recognize that someone has decided to add you to their Twitter feed.

TMB

If you see “tweet me back” when someone mentions you on Twitter, they want you to literally tweet them back with an answer to or your opinion of their tweet.

Twitterati

The “Twitterati” is a group of A-list Twitter users that have a big number of followers and are famous in Twitter circles (and sometimes outside too).

Should your business use Twitter slang?

Twitter slang isn’t a good fit for every tweet, but just about every business can benefit from shortening a word or phrase to meet the character limit. Before you rule out Twitter terms and slang altogether, take a look at this list to see how you can make your statement short and sweet. After all, people want to hear from people, not brands, so speak like your followers do and start a genuine conversation on Twitter ASAP.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in October 2013 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Definitions for 44 Twitter Terms You Were Too Embarrassed to Ask About was originally posted by Local Sign Company Irvine, Ca. https://goo.gl/4NmUQV https://goo.gl/bQ1zHR http://www.pearltrees.com/anaheimsigns

18 Funny Out-of-Office Messages to Inspire Your Own [+ Templates]

When it comes to the final days before vacation, people tend to fall into one of two camps: 1) those who watch the clock incessantly, and 2) those who are so busy before they leave, they might even forget to put up an out-of-office (OOO) email message.

If you're anything like I am, you probably fall into team two. That doesn't leave a lot of time to get creative. But if you plan ahead, you might be able to craft some hilarity.

In this post, I’ll go over what an OOO message is and share some of the best examples I’ve found on Google, as well as a few from my coworkers).

Also known as "autoresponder emails," out-of-office messages run the gamut. From funny, to clever, to snarky, this message can both show your personality and let senders know that, well, you’re out of office.

While you can keep it simple, you can also have some fun with it.

What should I put on my out-of-office message?

First things first: let’s go over the basics of an OOO email. In your away message, you typically include the following:

• A quick “I’m out of the office” phrase.
• The date or time range you’ll be out.
• Who to reach out to in case the sender needs immediate attention.
• A sign-off.

Putting it all together, your autoresponder would read something like:

“Hi there,

Thanks for your email. I’m currently out of office until mm/dd/yyyy. If you need help, email my colleague at colleague@example.com.

Best,

[Name]”

But that sounds boring, right? Luckily, there are ways to spice up your OOO message by adding humor in just the right places.

If you’re feeling stuck, try our free OOO email generator to draft a message that perfectly captures who you are and where you're going.

Featured Resource: OOO Email Generator

Create your OOO email by clicking here.

Out-of-Office Messages for Vacation

1. “I’ll email you back once I’ve defrosted.”

Most times, when people go on vacation, they travel to a warm, tropical place…

But some of us just aren’t as lucky. Or if we’re traveling during the winter and heading up north — well, we’re going to run into some snow, aren’t we?

While this may not prove so fortunate for us, we can use the poor weather for comedic relief. You can even include a screenshot of the weather forecast for a sense of realism. Not only will it give senders a chuckle, but it’ll also generate a certain amount of empathy — which is often the key to good content.

Example

Thanks for your message! I’m currently buried in snow and will get back to you once I’ve defrosted on January 2nd.

And if you think I’m lying...

Image Source

Gotta go, my fingers are frostbitten. If you really need me, either get a shovel and dig me out of here, or reach out to my colleague Anna — who’s not frozen under snow with frostbitten fingers — at anna@example.com

2. “If found, contact someone other than me.”

If your email client allows it, you could always just use an image to express your out-office sentiment, like this one. After all, they say that a picture is worth a thousand words — and visual content is still essential to successful marketing.

In this image, you're letting people know you're OOO with a "Missing" notice on a milk carton. Genius. Just be careful — this sort of autoresponder is best for internal emails, not for autoresponders that get sent to prospects and clients.

3. “I’ll get back to you when I return to civilization.”

If you’re traveling to a remote, mountainous area, why not jab some fun at your lack of WiFi in your autoresponder? Plus, that makes it less likely that people will expect an immediate response or continue to email you after the first try.

Example

Hi there,

Sorry I missed you — I’m unable to get to my email right this second. Why? I’m on a backpacking trip, surviving on Spam, really good water, and trail mix. You should see the stars out here.

I’ll get back to you when I return to civilization. Or to an area with WiFi. Or to the office on May 10th. Whichever comes first.

If you need help right now, email my team at team@example.com.

4. “If you need to reach me, travel to my homeland of Florida.”

When one of my colleagues went on vacation, he sent an out-of-office message that was both clever and smart. First, he sent the recipient on an imaginary scavenger hunt to "the highest peak of the tallest mountain." He used humorous absurdity to make it clear that he would not be checking email while he was away.

Plus, he incorporated a delightful technique to let people know that if they really wanted him to read their emails, they should probably send them again after his return. Not only does that keep the sender accountable by saying, "If this is really important, you know when to reach me," but it also helps him truly vacate his work while he's away. And that's hard to do.

Below is an example you can use for yourself.

Example

Hey!

I’m on vacation until July 18th. If you need to reach me, here’s what you’ll need to do:

• First, travel to my homeland of Florida.
• Climb to the highest peak of the tallest mountain.
• Find a rare flower (no specifics, of course... It’d be cheating).
• Put the flower back, because as the old hiking rule goes, “Leave everything as you found it.”

When you understand that flower, you’ll know to reach me. Trust me. You’ll know.

If your message requires a response faster than that, please email my manager at manager@example.com.

If you want to make sure your message gets a response ASAP when I return, please send it on July 18th. I recommend using one of our sales automation tools to schedule it now, while you’re thinking about it.

5. “I know I’m supposed to say that I’ll have limited access to email, but...”

Josh Kopelman’s vacation email is a classic example of taking a blunt approach at OOO messages.

Not only did Kopelman manage to turn his out-of-office message into an epic poem of sorts, but also, he actually went through the trouble of creating a delightfully snarky, vacation-specific email address for his recipients.

Giving the option to contact an email address containing "interruptyourvacation" provides two things — 1) A dose of humor, and 2) discouragement from actually doing what the name suggests. Plus, he prefaces it with a request for empathy, by explaining that he promised quality time to his family.

Sure, Kopelman is truthful about the fact that he's on vacation, but he also lets the recipient know that he or she would be interrupting important family time if the first option is chosen. It states a point simply and uses humor to avoid making it sound like he wants the reader to feel guilty.

Below is an example you can use for yourself.

Example

Hi there,

You got this email immediately (classic autoresponder behavior), which means I’m out of office on vacation.

While I hypothetically could reach my email, while I hypothetically do have my phone on hand, and while I hypothetically do have access to WiFi, I’d rather enjoy time with my family. My kids are growing up at the speed of a supersonic jet, and if I blink one more time, they’ll be 35. And I’ll be 73. And I don’t want that.

If you still need to reach me, you can email interruptingfamilytime@example.com. Or you can email my assistant at assistant@example.com. They can point you in the right direction.

Looking forward to reconnecting once I’m back.

6. “Hi, I’m Troy McClure.”

When one of my colleagues is out of the office, he doesn't mess around. In fact, he's turned his auto-responses into a running series of commentary from fictional cartoon character Troy McClure.

Each time McClure makes an appearance in these out-of-office messages, he "speaks" on behalf of my colleague and alludes to the previous auto-responses in which he starred. It's a mild form of self-deprecating humor — as if to say, "I know, I'm out of the office again" — made only funnier by the made-up teaser title included in the last line.

Don't be afraid to use a pop cultural reference that the audience would recognize. Instead of bemoaning your absence, they'll have something fun and familiar to laugh at.

Example

Image Source

Hi, I’m Troy McClure. You might remember me from such out-of-office messages as Avenge My Death if I Don’t Return from DMEXCO and Bye Now, I’m on an Absurdly Long Cycling Trip.

I’m here to talk to you about someone you know. Catalina Wong is out of office until September 27. She wanted me to let you know that she’ll get back to you after her return.

That’s all for now. Watch for me in the upcoming out-of-office message, It’s Not a Hangover, It’s Food Poisoning — I Swear! And be safe out there.

7. “The bad news is that I’m out of office. The good news is that I’m out of office.”

You can show just how thrilled you are about your vacation while still providing an apology (of sorts... not really).

Example

Hey there — I’ve got good and bad news for you. Let’s go with the bad first.

The bad news is that I’m out of office. The good news is that I’m out of office and enjoying elotes in Cancún.

If you can’t wait for a response, my colleague will be happy to take care of you. Just email them at someone@example.com.

I’ll be back on February 7th.

8. "I am currently out of the office and probably chilling on the beach. Enjoy your work week."

That’s it. That’s all. Simple and to the point, this message will let people know that you can’t respond to messages.

That said, be careful with messages that are this curt. Make sure you're familiar enough with your audience — and your boss, for that matter — to know that this sort of out-of-office message will be met with a snicker, and not with annoyance.

9. “Can you guess where I am?”

There's a term that we like to use around here called "snowbirds," which is used to describe those who once resided in the northern part of the U.S., only to flee to warmer parts of the country during the winter.

And although my colleague had mixed feelings about her own parents joining that population in Florida, she couldn't be too upset when her dad suggested flying down from Boston for a Red Sox spring training game.

Naturally, she had to take the day off — and couldn't let folks know with any old generic auto-response. Instead, she made a guessing game of it in her out-of-office email, which you can use for yourself, below.

Example

Hello there,

I’m currently out of the office, enjoying some peanuts and Cracker Jacks with my family. Can you guess where I am? That’s okay, you’re busy.

If your message is urgent, fear not — we’ll get it addressed. Try doing one of two things:

1. Send me an email at TheresNoCryingInBaseball@example.com.
   1. Just kidding. That’s not a real email address.
2. Reach out to my manager at manager@example.com in my absence.

I’ll be back in the office on 7/19 and will happily respond then. Have a great weekend!

Holiday Out-of-Office Messages

10. “Holiday revelry and debauchery ahead. Proceed with caution (if you dare).”

When you’re out for the holidays, how can you express your thrill for the season without sounding, well, cheesy?

How about warning people of what’s to come? Take a look at an example you can use below.

Example

Hey there,

Careful. Holiday revelry and debauchery ahead. Proceed with caution (if you dare).

By which I mean to say: I’m on holiday, I’m definitely sunburnt, and I’m sorry I missed your email.

Don’t you worry: while I pretend to be Santa in front of my kids, my colleague, Hannah, will cover for me. Just email her at hannah@example.com if you need urgent assistance.

Take care, and don’t get too carried away with the sunbathing!

11. “Thank you so much for your email. I love it already.”

This holiday out-of-office email is definitely on theme, if not a little passive aggressive. If you're getting emails during the holidays, why not treat everything you receive that season like the present it is, and send a thank you note?

My snarky colleague sure did in his out-of-office message below. We send thank-you letters in response to holiday gifts, so it's only natural to expect the same gesture in our work inboxes …

Example

Hey there,

Thank you so much for your email. I love it already. It’s wrapped so nicely in its charming subject line that I just knew this message was going to be something special. Gifts like these just don’t come around every day.

Unfortunately, I’m going to have to return your message. As it’s the holiday season, I’m currently away from the office. When I return, I’ll give your email a good solid read and find that your request is exactly what I needed after all! But until then, I’m going to keep it in the inbox so it doesn’t get damaged and revisit it after the holidays are over.

Happy holidays!

12. “Die Hard Quiz.”

Check out this message from a HubSpot employee that certainly turns the tables on the email sender. Right when you thought you were the one requesting action, the recipient sent back an assignment — a fun one, at least.

While the sender waits for your response to their email, take the sting out of your absence by involving them in a holiday survey, like the one below.

Example

Sorry I missed you. I’ll be out of the office and slow to respond until after the break. While I have you, though, help settle an argument among my colleagues and me:

Die Hard Quiz

What was the best Die Hard movie?

• Die Hard 1: The Office Christmas Party Gone Wrong.
• Die Hard 2: Airport Conspiracy.
• Die Hard 3: Samuel L. Jackson. Enough said.
• Die Hard 4: Cyberthreat.
• Die Hard 5: You should probably not pick this one.
• Impossible! It’s like choosing a favorite child!

Submit

13. “Here are 10 things I’m thankful for.”

This email comes from another one of my colleagues. The purpose of this email is to intercept messages during Thanksgiving, and the way in which it does so is, well, with thankfulness.

The funny and charming email template below keeps the confidence of your colleagues with a list of things anyone who works in an office is thankful for. Of course, feel free to customize this list according to the quirks of your own workplace. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to reveal them.

Example

Since I’m out of the office for the Thanksgiving weekend, I’ll respond to your email with a list of 10 things I’m thankful for:

1. Copiers that collate
2. Co-workers that brew more coffee when they empty the pot
3. Donuts on Mondays AND Fridays
4. When IT surprised me with a new laptop AND remembered to transfer my files
5. When You-Know-Who died at the end of book 7
6. Dry-erase boards that actually erase
7. The brave soul who cleaned out the refrigerator
8. When I’m early to an all-staff meeting and score a table near the door
9. HR finally sent a memo telling people to STOP clipping their nails at their desk
10. OOO autoresponders

Have a great Thanksgiving, and I’ll get back to you Monday.

14. “I’m busy watching Christmas movies. Catch ya later.”

There's no shame in using Christmas to indulge in your childhood movie tastes, but there is shame in not sharing that adorable side of yourself when people are trying to reach you during the holidays.

So, take a lesson from @courtwhip, editor at PEDESTRIAN.TV, who wrote the above hilarious out-of-office email, fully stocked with mentions of the best movies from the 1990s. (By the way, "Splinter" is from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and as we all know, he loves pizza.)

Below is an example you could use for yourself. Well, it’s the same email.

Example

Oh hey, it’s Christmas, what are you doing emailing me?

I’m extremely busy watching Home Alone, Die Hard, and the 1994 Ninja Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Christmas Special on repeat until the new year.

I might stop for food and toilet breaks, I also might not.

Regardless of my general health and hygiene over the silly season, I’ll be back in the office on January 2.

Catch ya then, don’t forget to buy a pepperoni pizza for Splinter.

15. “Thank you for your consideration during this festive or not-festive time.”

Scared of offending a coworker who may or may not celebrate the holidays? Worry not — I’ve got the perfect email for you. If this OOO message does anything particularly well, it's that it respects the differing views, religions, traditions, and opinions of your coworkers — while amusing so many others.

It’s also a great impersonation of a robot. So if that’s up your alley...

Example

Hello,

You’ve reached Michael Abioye’s inbox. This is a general notice informing you of Michael Abioye’s absence until January 2nd, 20XX. He is currently partaking in the traditions of a certain holiday, which may or may not be denominational or non-denominational. Example Company is in no way endorsing or not endorsing said holiday, nor encouraging or discouraging employees of all demographics to engage in celebratory activities. Thank you for your consideration during this festive or not-festive time.

Sincerely,

Management

Out-of-Office Messages When Working from Home

Working from home? Try these OOO messages to let people know you’re taking a break.

16. “I’ll get back to you once I’m back from my long-awaited trip to the fridge.”

If you’re taking a vacation and staying home, your clients or coworkers may still expect you to pop into the office and answer their email. Use this autoresponder to let them know you’re really not available — even if you’re bumming around on the couch.

Example

Hey,

Thanks for your email. I’m on vacation. On the couch. Eating chips. And bingeing Stranger Things for the eighth time (don’t tell anyone).

Unfortunately, I can’t answer your email (even though my office is three feet away). I’ll get back to you once I’m back from my long-awaited trip to the fridge. Bought tickets on TripAdvisor and everything.

I’ll be back in the office on the third and will get back to you then.

17. “Alexa, play Vacation by Dirty Heads.”

Do you own an Alexa? This might be the email for you.

Example

“Alexa, play Vacation by Dirty Heads.”

And… it’s playing in the background as I write this email. Guess what? I’m on vacation! And I do love my occupation.

Your email has been received and I’ll get back to you as soon as I get back to my home office. Now, how do I turn off this Alexa thing?

18. “The doorbell just rang. It’s the UPS driver. He’s loading me onto the truck.”

In this email, you’re a UPS package getting delivered to your vacation destination. Ah, I wish UPS offered this service.

Example

Hey — you’ve reached my inbox, but hold on, the doorbell just rang. It’s the UPS driver. He’s loading me onto the truck. Dang, it’s stuffy in this truck with all these boxes. He’s taking me down to… Oh! Florida! And now I’m on the beach. Thanks, UPS driver!

The UPS driver is scheduled to pick me back up on the eighth. He should deliver me back to the office by the ninth (assuming he’s not late like he was this time).

Don’t worry — I’ll wrap myself in bubble wrap so nothing breaks.

Funny OOO Messages Never Fail

Are you fully inspired by the creative out-of-office messages above? It's time to write your own — your upcoming vacation depends on it. Try HubSpot's OOO Email Generator if you’re feeling stuck, and remember, an out-of-office email doesn’t need to be boring. On the contrary, it should inform and entertain. You don’t want people hating on you because you took a much-needed break.

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

18 Funny Out-of-Office Messages to Inspire Your Own [+ Templates] was originally posted by Local Sign Company Irvine, Ca. https://goo.gl/4NmUQV https://goo.gl/bQ1zHR http://www.pearltrees.com/anaheimsigns

Build a Better B2B Website in 3 Steps

Today’s B2B buyers rely on digital channels through every stage of their journeys -- even long after in-person sales interactions with reps.

As a result, commercial organizations’ efforts to identify, nurture, and pursue opportunities “serially” -- first through digital engagement via marketing, followed by a hand-off to sales for in-person interaction -- is failing to support the way customers actually buy.

Instead, the best companies must evolve a “parallel” commercial engine, where digital and in-person strategies complement each other at every stage of the buyer's multi-channel journey.

In other words: We have all worked hard to create for our organization a “seamless view of the customer.” Now, it’s time to build a seamless view of our organizations for customers.

To get there, most suppliers will have to re-think -- and ultimately, re-design -- their websites, as customers aren’t just buying digitally. They’re relying heavily on suppliers’ websites to do so.

In fact, we found suppliers’ websites to be the most frequently-consulted digital channel for customers at every stage of the purchase process.

And yet, the vast majority of B2B websites aren’t designed to support that kind of buying behavior. Instead, they’re primarily designed to “broadcast.”

Specifically, we’re all seeking to tell the world three things: (1) who we are, (2) what we do, and (3) how we help.

To help buyers buy, however, B2B websites will have to meet three critical -- and very different -- design principles moving forward.

For inspiration on how the best B2B websites are built to impress, check out this video.

Build a Better B2B Website in 3 Steps

1. Give customers an entry point on their terms.
2. Signal your solutions in customers’ language.
3. Help customers do what they are on your site to do.

1. Give customers an entry point on their terms.

After reviewing hundreds of B2B websites across every major industry, we found only a handful that purposefully invite customers into a conversation. To do that, suppliers need to stop talking so much about themselves.

Rather, they should provide customers with an opportunity to share something about who they are, and what they’re looking to do -- on their terms.

Really, it’s no different than common courtesy at a cocktail party. No one wants to be stuck talking to the person droning on about who they are and what they do. Yet that’s precisely what the vast majority of B2B websites do.

Not only is that kind of self-centered approach disengaging, but it also leaves the buyer wondering, “Do they even know who I am? Or what I actually do?” Or worse, “Do they even care?” It’s impersonal at best, and off-putting at worst -- fostering questions rather than connections, and distance rather than assistance.

That said, we found a handful of websites that do, in fact, actively invite customers to engage on their terms. Square, for example, asks customers to identify their business sizes and types as a first step to entering the site. It’s the first -- and nearly only -- thing a visitor encounters upon landing on the home page. That information allows Square to offer customers what feels like a much more customized web experience.

Another example is vAuto.com. A division of Cox Automotive, vAuto sells enterprise software to auto dealers around world. Among those dealers are both used and new car sellers, along with wholesalers -- some franchise-based, and some independent.

Those distinctions matter -- not only for finding the appropriate vAuto solution, but they help to identify how that customer thinks about themselves.

vAuto has designed the front page of its website to allow buyers to self-identify along the dimensions most important to them, prior to going any deeper. The customer’s first choice upon landing at vauto.com is declaring, “I’m New Car,” “I’m Used Car,” or “I’m Wholesale.”

Notice that even the pronouns are specifically chosen to position the website as a learning and buying tool for customers, rather than a broadcasting tool for the supplier.

Questions to ask yourself:

1. How do our customers define themselves?
2. In their minds, which aspects of their identity most affect the way they look at suppliers like us?

2. Signal your solutions in customers’ language.

Just as the best websites invite customers into a conversation, they also guide buyers to supplier solutions using the language of customer outcomes -- rather than supplier capabilities.

The best companies take the time to understand the specific business objectives customers are seeking to achieve, then organize their sites using language immediately recognizable to customers along those particular outcomes. That way, customers don’t have to translate.

Here's another place where vAuto excels. The company employs actual customer-articulated business problems as the organizing framework for diving deeper into their broad solution set. It organizaes this information around headings like, “No one’s buying my inventory,” and, “The internet is killing my profits.”

At every step, the goal is to make online learning and buying as easy and as resonant as possible -- all through an easy-to-follow path of breadcrumbs leading directly to vAuto’s unique solutions.

Questions to ask yourself:

1. What help are customers seeking from a supplier in your category?
2. What specific language would best resonate with your customers to describe that help?

3. Help customers do what they are on your site to do.

Finally, the best websites identify and then facilitate the specific tasks that customers come to your website to complete.

Take something like a cost calculator embedded directly into a website. A tool like that enables customers to independently calculate the costs of (in)action, rather than relying on sales reps to make the case for change. It’s a simple, practical idea, but it’s deployed with single-minded purpose: to allow the buyer to easily progress along the journey, while remaining in her preferred channel of choice.

Questions to ask yourself:

1. What specific buying tasks are your customers coming to your website to complete?
2. How easy is it to find support for those tasks on your site right now?

There’s a great deal to be learned from the handful of world-class websites we found as part of our work. For a more detailed discussion, check out this video, where you'll also find examples and a practical worksheet to plan next steps. 

Build a Better B2B Website in 3 Steps was originally posted by Local Sign Company Irvine, Ca. https://goo.gl/4NmUQV https://goo.gl/bQ1zHR http://www.pearltrees.com/anaheimsigns

Clubhouse vs. Podcasts: Which Should Marketers Use? [Data + Expert Tips]

Ah, Clubhouse versus podcasts — an age-old debate.

Just kidding. But, while both of these audio tools are relatively new to the business world (in fact, Clubhouse is less than two years old), they've both attracted large, engaged audiences.

And, even though each audio tool is vastly different, they serve similar purposes.

Hear me out: Podcasts, at their core, are meant to inspire and provoke interesting conversations around a variety of topics, including crime shows, celebrity interviews, health and fitness, or business and entrepreneurship (to name a few).

Clubhouse operates on a similar principle: to encourage lively conversations and debates around a variety of niche topics. As Clubhouse Founders Paul Davison and Rohan Seth have said, "The thing we love most is how voice can bring people together."

That message — of the importance of voice to bring people together — is just as true for podcasts as it is for Clubhouse.

Which leaves many marketers wondering: Which one is more worth my time?

Here, we'll explore the pros and cons of investing your time and resources into podcasts vs. audio chat rooms like Clubhouse, and which is ultimately a better long-term decision for your brand.

Since I'm no podcast or Clubhouse expert, I've collected the wisdom of various experts on both sides to paint the full picture.

Let's dive in.

Clubhouse vs. Podcasts: Which Should Marketers Use?

To start, let's explore a recent survey I conducted on which audio activities people prefer — listening to podcasts, listening and participating in conversations on Clubhouse, or neither:

Data Source

As you can see, the majority of those polled — 75% — prefer listening to podcasts, or doing neither. That leaves Clubhouse as a preference for only one quarter of respondents.

To be fair, podcasts have been around longer than Clubhouse. In fact, the first podcast was created back in 2004, and as of April 2021, there are now over two million podcasts available.

Additionally, one of the major benefits to listening to a podcast is that the content is available on-demand, meaning I can choose when to download and listen — it isn't live, like Clubhouse. This enables listeners to have complete control over what topics they consume, and when.

A listener might pick-and-choose one pre-recorded crime show episode on her drive to work, for instance, and another episode about parenting on her drive home.

There are a few major benefits to using podcast as a brand awareness or lead generation strategy. Let's dive into a few of those, now:

• Podcasts enable you to reach a younger audience. 49% of U.S. citizens between 12 and 34 listened to a podcast in the previous month — followed by 40% of people ages 35 to 54, and 22% of people ages 55 and above.
• Podcast advertisements are powerful. A Nielsen report found podcast ads generate 4.4X better brand recall than display ads, and 61% of consumers who heard a podcast ad were more likely to purchase the featured product.
• Podcast provides you with a major reach. 55% (155 million) of the U.S. population has listened to a podcast – up from 51% in 2019.
• Podcast is long-form content. Some of the most popular podcasts are well over an hour long — Morbid: A True Crime Podcast (currently #8 on Apple's Top Charts) episodes range between one hour and one hour, 45 minutes; Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard (currently #18 on Apple's Top Charts) episodes are roughly one hour, 30 minutes each. This provides you with a ton of opportunity for increasing brand loyalty and, ultimately, conversions.

While these statistics help demonstrate the power of podcast, I wanted to ask a few podcast experts to hear more qualitative insights regarding the "Clubhouse vs. podcast" debate.

Let's dive into that, now.

Podcast Experts Weigh In: Why is Podcast Better?

To start, I spoke with Matthew Brown, HubSpot's Senior Podcast Producer.

Brown told me, "One of the key differences between live audio and podcasts are listener behaviors. Live audio is typically a passive engagement, while podcasts are more of an active engagement."

"On Clubhouse, something might happen at any moment. On a podcast, something should happen at every moment."

Of course, there's something tantilizing about listening to live audio — perhaps it's the authenticity, or the sense that you're a fly-on-the-wall for a private conversation happening between two people in real time, without the option to edit out any uncomfortableness. But, similar to watching a long, unedited scene of The Real World, it can also get boring. Quickly.

Brown adds, "Clubhouse, and other live audio platforms, just cannot equate to highly-produced and edited podcasts. They're too dissimilar in almost every way. You know ... aside from the whole both involving audio thing."

Ultimately, if you're interested in testing out Clubhouse as its own potentially powerful marketing channel, Brown encourages you to consider the needs of that platform as entirely separate from podcasting: "Clubhouse is to podcasts as Twitch is to YouTube. A Twitch streamer takes the best moments of their live stream and packages it up for their YouTube channel."

"There's serious benefits in repurposing content. But each channel — and the expectations of creators and audience alike — is fundamentally different. So you need to understand those limitations, and make the best content you can for that given platform."

There are also some long-term revenue benefits to podcasting. For instance, I asked Zachary Ballenger, CRO at Casted, whether podcasts can ultimately impact a company's bottom line.

He told me, "Podcasts have the ability to drive real results in terms of leads and revenue. [But] podcasts need to be fully incorporated into your marketing campaigns and amplified across every channel to be effective — including blog posts, social media, landing pages, and ad retargeting."

Jacob Penn, a Corporate Analytics Manager at iHeartMedia, agrees that podcasting is a more proven strategy for long-term ROI. He says, "Being trustworthy has allowed podcast hosts to build long-term connections with listeners and turn host-read ads into a very native experience. That's why 53% of podcast listeners actually enjoy hearing ads."

"Businesses can use podcasts as a vehicle to reach listeners who are in a mindset to new messaging."

Penn adds, "As of today, Clubhouse is still in their infancy phase and we don’t know how users will interact with this platform in the long term. With podcasts, they have been around for over 20 years and brands are beginning to realize their potential as an advertising platform. That is why over $1 billion in ad revenue is expected in podcasts in 2021."

Simply put: Podcasts have a proven track record of success for business growth, but only when done effectively. (Interested in starting your own? Take a look at Everything You Need to Know About Starting a Podcast in 2021.)

Holly Shannon, Producer & Host of the Culture Factor 2.0 and author of the book Zero To Podcast, says that podcasting is a fantastic opportunity for businesses to reach new audiences. She told me, "The question I ask leaders is, Are you your industry's best-kept secret? If the answer is yes, then podcasting could be a way to create content that serves your business in many ways."

"For one," She says, "It can highlight you and your team as thought leaders. This allows you to speak authentically and bring your value to the table for all to hear globally, which can result in other keynote speaking opportunities and lead generation."

Shannon is also a fan of podcasting as an opportunity for content repurposing. She suggests using the podcast transcripts as SEO-optimized blog posts on your website after-the-fact, as well as using pieces of that audio for subsequent social media posts.

A podcast is also a good opportunity to create a sense of community — and you can engage with that community offline, as well. As Shannon suggests, "Podcasting enables you to create a community of listeners, subscribers, and followers. This community can be served later with virtual or live conferences — thus creating a pathway to monetization."

Can the same be said for Clubhouse? Let's dive into that perspective, next.

Clubhouse Experts Weigh In: Why Is Clubhouse Better?

HubSpot's Marketing Manager Chris Eberhardt is in charge of HubSpot's Clubhouse programming for the HubSpot Marketing Club, so he's seen first-hand the power of Clubhouse for business.

Eberhardt told me, "Clubhouse can be a good option for a company that wants to create a presence in audio but wants to avoid the saturation and production quality involved in podcasts."

He adds, "But it's important to understand that the use case for Clubhouse is actually different than the use case for podcasts. Podcasts are on-demand, whereas Clubhouse is live social audio. It's an important difference: Podcasts can be scripted and highly-produced, whereas Clubhouse is closer to a live radio show."

Eberhardt would recommend using Clubhouse for the following reasons:

• You don't have enough bandwidth/resources to create a high-quality podcast.
• You want to more easily differentiate your brand on Clubhouse (since the podcast marketplace is more heavily saturated).
• You want to form a space to connect with your audience directly, and open up the rooms for audience questions and engagement.
• You want one of your leaders to build their brand in the space.

Eberhardt says, "It's important you use Clubhouse as a live space for authentic conversation and connection — not to lecture. For instance, perhaps you start a reaction room for a big announcement or product launch, develop a format for a live show that you run on a consistent basis, bring on guests with large followers early to build a presence, or start a club that your brand hosts."

Benjamin Shapiro, host of the Martech Podcast, agrees that Clubhouse is a potentially powerful option for brand growth.

He adds, "While the interactive social features are unique to the times, my belief is that live-streaming audio services will settle into a medium of content distribution that is most relevant during real-world events."

Additionally, Krystal Wu, HubSpot's Social Community Marketing Manager, is a fan of audio spaces as the host of a weekly Twitter Space, and she does see plenty of benefits to audio spaces over podcasts.

Wu told me, "I host weekly Twitter Spaces to connect with marketers. I love it because it's more of a feature to an enhance a product, versus a product in itself. I've found I can have short, random discussions or longer, more in-depth discussions."

"Either way, it's real, in-the-moment content that podcasts otherwise can't offer."

Wu adds, "I think podcasts is more of an opportunity to educate and listen to other people's stories while multitasking on other things. Looking to clean my house for 30 minutes? Great — I'll play a podcast for that 30-minute timeframe so I can match it up … Spaces, on the other hand, is more in-the-moment communication — you don't exactly know what you'll get, and that's what's neat about it."

If you're interested in testing out Clubhouse for your own business, take a look at How to Use Clubhouse: A Step-by-Step Guide.

Why not both?

Of course, there's one other option we haven't yet considered: Should you try both?

Any good marketer knows the importance of testing out various channels and iterating on a marketing strategy over time based on those results. So, if you're unsure whether your audience prefers Clubhouse or podcasts, you might want to test both.

You might even find that both tools work well together to create a more cohesive, powerful marketing strategy. 

For instance, Asad Zulfahri, a Principal Marketing Manager at HubSpot, told me: "I run a weekly room on Clubhouse, and then that session gets recorded to form a podcast. Those who attend live can also participate in the Q&A at the end. I then summarize the Clubhouse content into a blog post as well, for an additional distribution option."

"Clubhouse can be an easy entry-point to those who are thinking about podcasting. You can practice speaking publicly and then record the session (with permission, of course)."

For instance, take a look at Asad's Clubhouse live room:

… And then, Asad's post-Clubhouse podcast episodes:

You might try this for a few weeks, and then iterate if you feel the majority of your audience prefers one channel over the other.

Shannon agrees, saying, "Clubhouse to me does not have to be a zero sum game. I believe it's highly complementary."

For instance, she suggests trying to record your podcast interview live on Clubhouse, which enables you to host a Q&A post-interview and engage with your community. (Plus, if you're not happy with the Q&A portion, you can always cut it post-production.) Alternatively, she says you might do a pre-show where you speak with your audience to crowdsource questions for your podcast guest.

Shannon told me, "Today, you need to be open to where you can find your audiences. Algorithms within each platform fluctuate, and thus change when your followers see your posts. So if you can jump onto new platforms as an early adopter, you get traction. I'm a big advocate of cross-pollinating audiences, and diversifying where your brand shows up."

Ultimately, Clubhouse and podcasts serve different purposes and meet the needs of vastly different audiences.

As Shapiro asserts, "There will be scenarios where live broadcasts are going to be the most relevant way to engage a community (i.e. interact with a MarTech conference live from your desk). There are also scenarios when on-demand content will be the more relevant medium (i.e. learn about MarTech by listening to a podcast on your morning commute)."

"There is going to be a place in the world for both live and on-demand content in audio, just like with text (blogs versus Twitter) and video (TV versus Netflix)."

If you're unsure which is best-suited for your brand, consider a few important factors — including your team goals and priorities, the amount of resources you have available for audio recording, and whether you can test Clubhouse or podcasting on a small scale before going all-in on your audio tool of choice.

Listen, learn, and grow with the HubSpot Podcast Network. HubSpot Podcast Network is the audio destination for business professionals who seek the best education and inspiration on how to grow a business.

Clubhouse vs. Podcasts: Which Should Marketers Use? [Data + Expert Tips] was originally posted by Local Sign Company Irvine, Ca. https://goo.gl/4NmUQV https://goo.gl/bQ1zHR http://www.pearltrees.com/anaheimsigns

Why HubSpot is Launching a Podcast Network

We've built HubSpot on the belief that you earn attention by being of value. That belief is at the very heart of HubSpot's success; creating remarkable content is what makes a remarkable brand.

We've spent the past decade investing in educational content to help all kinds of business builders be successful. Marketing, sales, customer support, customer success, product, engineering, entrepreneurs are all helping to build and grow businesses. And, we've provided free education through our blogs, YouTube, Academy, and podcasts to help.

With nearly 114,000 customers now using HubSpot to scale their companies, our ambitions around content have only gotten bigger.

It's why we're excited to announce the launch of HubSpot's Podcast Network, a new audio destination that is home to six great shows that represent a wide range of business topics and backgrounds. Together, this collection covers the scope and mastery every company needs to find success. The inaugural members of the network are:

• Entrepreneurs on Fire, which delivers the inspiration and strategies you need to fire up your entrepreneurial journey and create the life you've always dreamed of.
• Business Infrastructure, which provides solutions and real-life stories to owners and operators of fast-growing small businesses seeking practical tips for creating the operations and business infrastructure needed to grow a company.
• Being Boss, an exploration of not only what it means, but what it takes to be boss as a creative business owner, freelancer, or side-hustler.
• The MarTech Podcast, which tells stories of marketers who use technology to generate growth and achieve success by unearthing the successes and pitfalls of industry experts and the tools and tips that they've learned along the way.
• The Salesman Podcast, which helps sales professionals learn how to find buyers and win business in a modern, effective, and ethical way.
• My First Million, where the hosts brainstorm new business ideas based on trends and opportunities in the market, and share the stories of how companies made their first million.

Why a Podcast Network?

We believe the popularity of audio will continue to grow. It's a media format that is continuing to evolve and get better.

Companies like Apple and Spotify are investing more in podcasts, and companies like Clubhouse are innovating in how we consume and connect around audio.

More and more people are listening to podcasts. In fact, more than 116 million people in the USA listen to podcasts monthly — that's over 61% growth in under three years. Each week more Americans listen to a podcast than have Netflix accounts.

But, one common challenge for people is how to discover great podcasts, ones that can help them unlock their problems and provide them with the inspiration to do better. As the number of podcasts grows, how do you find the ones that are best for you?

HubSpot's Podcast Network brings together the best-in-class business shows that educate and inspire — all in one place. It will help introduce people to new shows, episodes, and creators who can help unlock their next phase of growth.

The Podcast Network will help us to reach and serve millions of business builders, and we're excited to keep adding new creators and shows so our audience can get the best content from whoever can serve them best.

What's Next

We want to continue to be the premier source of education for business builders, but we also want to pair that education with stories that inspire.

We want to shine a light on the experts, brands, and leaders who've overcome their obstacles, disrupted their markets, and have remarkable things to say. We want to make sure our audience has the latest trends that matter to them and help them understand what those trends mean for their careers and businesses.

We want to ensure all business builders have the content they need in whatever medium they choose to consume it, whether it's a blog post, newsletter, podcast, or video.

With the acquisition of the Hustle back in February, and by launching our podcast network, we're working to ensure our audience gets the best content from HubSpot's media team, and the creators who can educate and inspire them.

Learn more about the HubSpot Podcast Network here.

Why HubSpot is Launching a Podcast Network was originally posted by Local Sign Company Irvine, Ca. https://goo.gl/4NmUQV https://goo.gl/bQ1zHR http://www.pearltrees.com/anaheimsigns

How to Stop Procrastinating and Become a Joyful Writer [Infographic]

Whether you're a full-time blogger or a social media marketer who's occasionally tasked with writing social media copy, I'm willing to bet you've experienced the temptation to procrastinate in the middle of your writing process.

Maybe you type your introductory sentence and then open Pinterest. Perhaps you finish a section of your post and then, losing steam, decide to wash your dishes, instead.

Whatever it is, we've all been there. Writing is a tough and tedious process, and there are plenty of moments where procrastination is much more tempting than writing one more sentence.

But if you're on a tight deadline, it's critical you're able to stay focused. Here, Henneke Duistermaat, founder of Enchanting Marketing, dives into strategies writers can use to avoid procrastination the next time they're on a tight deadline and can't afford to spend any more time refreshing their Pinterest feeds.

Let's dive into the strategies you can use to stop procrastinating during your writing process — and how to become a more joyful writer, instead.

How to Stop Procrastinating and Become a Joyful Writer [Infographic] was originally posted by Local Sign Company Irvine, Ca. https://goo.gl/4NmUQV https://goo.gl/bQ1zHR http://www.pearltrees.com/anaheimsigns