Smart Targeting: The Better Way to Reach Audiences & Customers

Have you ever visited a website you frequent and found that the text interacts with you?

For instance, when I log onto Mailchimp, my dashboard says, "Welcome back, Kayla" -- this is because my account with the site has my first name in its system and uses smart targeting to make my interaction with the website more delightful.

Smart targeting provides a more individual experience for webpage visitors.

For example, if I visit a web page that's not in my first language, in some cases, I'll receive an option to translate that web page into my first language based on my location. That's smart targeting at work.

Targeted content is an opportunity to reach audiences with a custom experience that's personalized to their interests. A common form of this is the targeted ad you saw on Facebook for PetCo after browsing Target for new dog food.

Alternatively, if you visit an e-commerce store you frequently shop at, you may notice an option to "Order it again." This shopping experience, making re-ordering a quick and painless process, is another example of smart targeting.

For instance, this is an example of smart targeting on Amazon:

Because I've recently searched for pink office supplies, Amazon picked out suggestions for me based on my browsing history on the subject. The website changed based on my past behavior.

Businesses might incorporate smart targeting into their websites to make customers feel like their experience is tailored to their interests.

Here, we're going to go over what smart targeting is, and how businesses are using it to connect and grow their audiences.

What is Smart Targeting?

Smart Targeting predicts the interests of internet browsers using artificial intelligence (AI). This technology then uses those predictions to provide relevant content offers. Using smart targeting gives your audience a more personalized experience and allows you to grow your reach.

Smart content displays different versions of content based on previous criteria you set for your contacts. In general, smart content is setting targeted content rules -- for instance, you might create a smart form so your website visitors don't have to answer the same question twice.

When you set smart content rules and assign them to contacts, they'll qualify for the first rule you set. And, for each of the rules you set, you can preview your text before publishing.

For example, if you want a contact to view specific content you've set up based on their country, you can assign the "Country" smart rule to their contact display. Other smart rules you might find in a CRM include:

• Device Type: This smart rule lets you set the medium your content is viewed in -- mobile, tablet, or desktop. You can always preview this medium after creating this smart rule.
• Referral source: Based on how visitors on your site found it. This will formulate your content based on whichever site they came from.
• Preferred language: With this rule, the user can view web page content based on the language set in their browser.
• Contact list membership: By setting this smart rule, a contact in your database will be shown content based on the list they're in. For example, if you set a smart rule that only visitors who are in your "Marketing Qualified Lead" list can see, contacts in that list will be able to see it.
• Lifecycle stage: This will display relevant content based on the lifecycle stage of the contact.

Next, let's explore some examples of smart targeting. 

Examples of Smart Targeting

1. Monarch Music Hall

I am an avid concert-goer. Oftentimes, when I purchase tickets from certain music venues, I begin to receive targeted emails for shows of the same genre of the artists I see.

For instance, check out this email I got from Monarch Music Hall:

I've seen the group X Ambassadors before, so because they're making their way back to Chicago, I was notified of their show due to my previous purchase.

This is a great example of smart targeting analyzing my purchase history, spotting a trend, and using AI to make a more streamlined ticket-buying process for me.

2. Thrive Market

When the weather gets nippy, sometimes I order my groceries online instead of braving the cold. I use a website called Thrive Market because I love their smart targeting. Because I'm a person of routine, its so easy to visit the website and pick which items to purchase again, like here:

The targeting here is working by pulling up my past purchases and displaying them on the homepage. That way, I could easily add them to my cart if I wanted to. Not only does this improve customer experience, but it also gives me, the consumer, more time to browse other products on Thrive.

3. Vineyard Vines

Social media is a huge culprit of smart targeting. The ads some platforms show you look at your browsing history and use that data to suggest actionable websites for you to browse.

This ad from Instagram is a perfect example:

Making a recent purchase is a great indicator for smart targeting to choose ads from websites that will give you a more streamlined process of visitation or ordering products in the future. Here, Vineyard Vines is attracting its customers with a sale, and spending less money on the ad by ensuring it only reaches past visitors to its site.

Part of the customer experience is feeling separate from "Just another consumer." Though on the surface, it seems hard to do in a more digital-facing world, things like smart targeting are making that transition an easy one.

Just like your favorite local coffee shop will greet you by name and ask if you want your regular, your Starbucks app can now do that, as well.

Smart targeting is also a great way to keep customers coming back to your website. For more ways to drive traffic to your website, check out our article here.

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Back to basics: Understanding your paid search metrics

Learn how to interpret what’s happening in your paid search account with your traffic, conversions and sales data.

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Persistence Arises from Gratitude

If you ask virtually any working artist how they developed a creative career, they’ll mention a dedication to their craft...

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How One Social Media Consultant Builds Her Clients' Brand Influence on Twitter

As a social media consultant, I help entrepreneurs and businesses unlock the power of social media marketing.

With over eight years experience spanning across both B2B and B2C industries, I'm passionate about everything involving social media -- especially Twitter.

Twitter is exceptionally exciting to me because it's a fantastic tool for building a brand and brand influence. It's easy to find and take part in conversations, stay on top of news (stories usually break on Twitter before anywhere else), find content, connect with people, and actually be social on social media.

Additionally, it's a fast-paced network, which allows you to continuously drive traffic and share information without the content fatigue you find on other social media networks.

Here, let's explore the nine strategies I've used to help myself, and my clients, build brand influence on the platform.

9 Effective Strategies to Build Brand Influence on Twitter

1. Optimize your profile.

The first thing you can do to start building brand influence on Twitter is to fill in your biography, choose a profile image, and create a header image for your profile.

Building influence begins with the basics of your profile because that's what your potential followers will look at (aside from your content) to decide if they want to follow you. Your profile will also help you come up in searches, so it's important to have it be optimized for your success.

Be sure to make your profile more searchable by using keywords in your biography and use the link in your bio to promote specific posts or landing pages.

Twitter gives you one link space and you can always sneak one more link into your bio, so use these to your advantage! When you have a new product, blog post, or landing page to promote, pop your link in your bio with a call-to-action. If you have folks clicking around your profile, this can be a great way to generate a little more traffic.

2. Tweet consistently.

Tweeting and showing up consistently is essential in building a following on Twitter. Ultimately, social media marketing is a commitment. Post consistently to stay in front of your audience's eyes and keep growth going.

Try starting at three tweets per day and go up from there. There are so many subjects you can tweet about, including quotes or industry statistics, quick tips related to your industry, or new blog posts you've published.

Here are a few additional ideas to get you started:

• Ask questions
• Run Twitter Polls (with the built-in Twitter Polls tool)
• Tweet a series of blog posts as a list
• Use GIFS
• Try Live Videos
• Use Twitter Moments to recap an event or compile a few tweets around tips or tools
• Use Twitter Events in the analytics dashboard to know what events are coming up that may be relevant for your brand to tweet about

Remember that not all your tweets need to be original. Include shares from other sources and retweet others, as well. I love using the "Retweet with comment" feature to add my own ideas to a re-tweet.

Lastly, it's important to note -- there are so many ways to tweet with 280 characters. You can create multi-link posts like lists or mini round-ups, have fun with emojis, and much more.

Twitter really lets you get creative with how you tweet.

3. Engage with others.

The most effective way to build a following on Twitter (and on every social network) is to engage with others.

There are many opportunities for engagement on Twitter -- for instance, you might consider joining a Twitter chat, looking up and following event hashtags, or keeping an eye out for trending topics related to your brand.

Interact with other's tweets by liking, retweeting and responding to posts.

4. Pin posts to your profile.

Pinning posts to the top of your profile is an effective strategy for getting more eyes on your content.

You can create a newsletter sign-up, a tweet linking to your new blog post, or any piece of content that could be compelling to your Twitter followers. Pinned tweets remain at the top of your profile until you take them down. Try pinning tweets to your latest download, newsletter, or company website.

5. Participate in Twitter chats.

Participating in Twitter chats is an effective strategy that helps you engage with your target audience and build brand influence on Twitter.

There are Twitter chats for just about everything (and if there isn't one in your niche, why not try starting one?). Get to know your audience, and figure out which chats they might be hanging out in, then go ahead and participate in the chat.

Don't sell or push your links using the chat hashtag, however, since that can come across as insincere. Instead, actually take the time to be part of the conversation and focus on adding value.

6. Use Twitter lists.

Twitter lists are used for grouping Twitter users. They are a simple way to "curate your own timelines", cutting through general timeline chatter. Twitter lists can help you organize the people you follow, and are a great tool to build your Twitter following and social media relationships, as well.

You can create private or public Twitter lists based on whatever topic you want, add people or brands (even ones that you don't follow), and look at only the tweets from users you have added to your list. You also have the ability to subscribe to other users' lists, and others can subscribe to yours.

Besides helping you keep you up-to-date with tweets from your favorite accounts, there are many benefits for growing your following, building relationships, and creating more value for your followers.

Here are a few Twitter list methods to build your following:

• Curate lists by topic: Create lists of employees, event attendees, etc. They will get a notification that they've been added to your list, which informs them of your brand while making them feel special. You can add someone to your list without actually following them, which is ideal if you're concerned with your following-to-follower ratio.
• Never miss a tweet: Because Twitter lists only show you the tweets from the members you've added to it, it's easier to find content in your feed that you care about, making it easier to share high-quality and relevant content with your network.
• Create resource lists: Have a favorite brand-related blog, or influencers you admire? Resource lists can help you provide your followers with more value, while also enabling you to capture the attention of influencers if you include them in your list.
• Thank you lists: Yet another way to engage with customers -- if someone mentions you, checks into your restaurant or event, or shares your content, you can add them to a list and let them know you appreciate them.

Each Twitter list has a unique link -- which gives you some versatility when it comes to sharing the list with others. Again, lists are all about adding value.

7. Use visuals.

Visual content is important on Twitter. Be sure your images are sized correctly and create a signature look and feel for your account. This is great for engagement and attracting eyes to your posts in a cluttered feed.

Additionally, decide how you want your account to come across visually. This means choosing the right colors, specific filters, and giving photos a consistent look.

8. Use relevant hashtags.

Hashtags are such a major part of Twitter -- in fact, they were even invented on this network.

Hashtags are used for searching, which means an opportunity to get in front of new eyes. When you choose hashtags for your next post, think about how people are searching for your content topic.

You'll also want to consider how saturated a hashtag might be -- targeting is the name of the game. The Twitter rule of thumb is to use no more than two hashtags per tweet, so using them strategically for growth is essential.

9. Leverage videos and live videos.

Videos have such amazing reach on social media, and the same goes for Twitter. Link your YouTube videos and create shorter videos specifically for Twitter.

I also suggest sharing Twitter videos in the same way you'd share Instagram Stories -- go behind the scenes, share different parts of your day, etc.

10. Analyze your account.

My last tip, and one I feel is incredibly critical to your success on Twitter, is staying on top of your Twitter analytics. Keep track of followers, engagement rates, retweets, and more with Twitter's very own analytics dashboards.

Keeping up with your analytics will help you build your audience by repeating what's working and getting rid of what isn't.

Twitter offers deep analytics via analytics.twitter.com. The Twitter analytics home page gives you a nice overall snapshot of your account, including your top tweets, mentions, tweet impressions, and profile visits in one-month increments.

The dashboard also lets you know if activity is up or down for a 28 day period. You can click on "view tweet activity" to dive further into analytics for individual tweets.

Make it a habit to check your analytics on a regular basis to see what days you garnered the most impressions and what you tweeted, so you can repeat the magic.

Ultimately, there is really no "hack" to building influence and growing your followers on Twitter.

Using a combination of the things we covered in this post, you will see growth and increased engagement on your Twitter account. My goal for 2020 is to leverage Twitter Videos more often -- so I'll hopefully be seeing more of you by going live from my Twitter account, as well.

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What is Double Opt-In in Email Marketing?

Are you thinking about the quality of your email list? Or do you want to make sure your subscribers are intending to read the email marketing you send out?

You may have found your answer in double opt-in, which is a process that ensures the best experience for your subscribers. Rather than single opt-in, double opt-in offers an extra step in the verification process.

To ensure the best results from your email marketing campaigns, keep reading to learn what double opt-in is, and how to set it up.

Double Opt-in vs. Single Opt-in

In one step, users can subscribe to emails that use single opt-in. This means that the only thing users have to do to subscribe is type their email address into the required field. Single opt-in is helpful for marketing teams that want the process of signing up for automated emails to be as quick as possible. 

A great benefit of single opt-in is the opportunity to grow your email list faster. The simplicity of automatically subscribing users is helpful if you want an expansive contact list.

On the other hand, double opt-in offers an extra confirmation step to verify each email address added to your contact database. When this setting is enabled, contacts who are created will receive a follow-up email with a link to confirm their email subscription.

This extra step could be useful for generating higher-quality leads for your email campaigns. Someone who has inputted their email in a text box might not realize they've subscribed to your email newsletter, and feel frustrated when they begin receiving emails. By using double opt-in, you're ensuring each site visitor wants to subscribe to your newsletters. 

Another great asset to double opt-in emails? You can create them right in your HubSpot CRM, no matter which version you have. After creating them in HubSpot, you can send them to your contacts that are created in HubSpot.

If you're a HubSpot customer, keep reading to learn how you can enact double opt-in for your emails today. 

HubSpot users can configure both single and double opt-in by creating an email campaign and setting it up within HubSpot's CRM. This feature is available for free marketing tools, Marketing Hub Starter, Basic, Professional, and Enterprise.

It's important to note that in HubSpot, double opt-in forms are specific to the email account that confirmed the subscription, so if contacts update their emails, they will have to re-subscribe.

Now, let's walk through how to set up double opt-in.

How to Set Up Double Opt-In

For this walkthrough, all you'll need is your HubSpot dashboard and copy for the double opt-in. The entire process should only take around 20 minutes.

1. Access email options

In the upper right-hand corner of the HubSpot toolbar, access your email options by clicking the "Settings" graphic. The picture below illustrates what you should see when you open Settings.

On the left side of the toolbar, you want to click "Marketing," > "Email," > "Subscriptions." If you scroll to the bottom of the page, you will see double opt-in features and customization tools. From here, you will create and publish the email.

2. Create an opt-in email

Before enabling double opt-in, you will have to create an email that contains the subscription option. To do this, click "Publish opt-in email." I provided an example of this below and noted three important factors that should be in the email.

First, clicking "Edit details" lets you customize the subject line and preview text. Second, ensure the "Confirm your subscription" option is in the body of your email. Third, click "Next" > "Update" to ensure that your email has been published and saved.

3. Customize the feature

Back in the "Subscriptions" tab, (I just clicked the "Back" button), enable the opt-in switch by toggling it to "On." From there, you can customize the ways your email is seen by filling in a few fields, pictured below.

Under "Enable options," you can choose how customers will see your email.

• Enable for some pages only: Choosing this will ensure certain HubSpot pages you have are enabled for double opt-in.
• Disable for some pages only: This will enable double opt-in on all HubSpot pages. New contacts created through an API or import will have to confirm their subscription type using their email link.

If you choose, you can also create a new page in the dropdown menu fields and publish a follow-up email that subscribers will receive once they confirm their subscription.

And from there, you have double opt-in fully set up to send to your contacts. On the contacts controls, you'll see an option to send them the double opt-in email. Remember, in order for a subscriber to sign-up for your marketing emails, they'll have to open your double opt-in to confirm their intent manually.

Double opt-in is an excellent way to get a feel of the contacts who are most interested in your content. This can make your metrics more accurate when reporting email marketing ROI. Further, you'd be able to tailor the emails based on the response rate, making them even more targeted towards your audience.

For more information on email marketing, check out our ultimate guide here.

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