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Articles by Maddy Leslie
The ultimate guide for using behavioural analytics and A/B testing to optimise website conversions
Content may be king, but data sits behind the throne and has the king’s ear. You want to be informed by data before you make changes to your marketing strategies. This is never truer than in the case of your website, which is a rich source of behavioural analytics and, therefore, a valuable insight into your audience’s interests. One of the best starting points for iterative conversion rate optimisation is to trigger experiments based on user behaviour.
10 must-have B2B marketing channels beyond your website
If your CRM platform is the back-end of your tech stack, then marketing channels are the front-end. They are the (primarily) digital platforms where your audience sees the content you produce and learns about your company and services. Every business has to work out for itself where its audience is spending time, and so where it should maintain an active presence. The bigger the presence, the more likely your audience will notice you and buy from you.
5 ways to get your business blog in front of a rapt audience
From search engines to marketing channels, there are many ways to get your business blog in front of your audience. You don’t need to do everything on this list, but it may be helpful to prioritise your methods and test what is most effective for your own business. Let’s start with organic traffic.
7 expert tips for producing high-quality marketing content for business
Good writing is grounded in what E.B. White referred to as 'the eloquence of facts'. Writing marketing content for businesses is easy, but achieving a high standard of quality is much more difficult. There are plenty of pitfalls. Not enough research. Careless editing. You need form and function working together to engage your audience. These tips will help you elevate your marketing content to this end.
Articulate Marketing is HubSpot’s DEI&B Global HEART Award winner!
HubSpot’s Global HEART Award acknowledges one partner yearly who is actively making a difference in their company around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Articulate Marketing is pleased to announce that we are this year’s winner! What winning the HEART Award means for us ‘This is a really welcome validation of our efforts to put diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging first.
How to write about health technology: 9 tips from B2B tech marketers
Fun fact. The majority of HealthTechs found that, after increasing the marketing budget, their return on investment grew by 10 or more percent. So says this 2021 McKinsey survey. They got more back than they put in, in other words. If that’s not reason to invest in your marketing, then what is? We suggest focusing on content marketing if you want to to establish yourself as a thought leader in the health sector.
How to write an award submission - and win
2022 was an award bonanza for our company. Small Employer of the Year (Investors in People), Best for the World Honouree for Governance (B Corp), three HubSpot Impact Awards... And just last week our Chief Happiness Officer won the Positive Leadership Awards. Our award wins are no accident. We’ve put a lot of effort into showcasing our work in a way that appeals to judges and puts us in the best light. Now, we’re sharing our thoughts so you can do the same.
Why is differentiation important for modern IT service providers?
We have eight seconds. You’re here to find out why differentiation is so important for IT service providers. Let’s get into it. Why IT service providers need to differentiate The human attention span is now shorter than that of ‘notoriously ill-focused goldfish’ thanks to the increased digitisation of our world (TIME Magazine). Eight seconds. Even the fish get nine. When it comes to marketing your business, this means you must catch people’s attention, fast. You need to stand out. Be interesting.
What is a Difference Engine? The power of differentiation
— Joy Fitzgerald, author and DEI advocate At Articulate, we work on one founding principle: that differentiation is the key to success. Just as a successful leader will fearlessly make the most of their ambitions, differences and talents, so can your business. Only one business in any given market can be the cheapest, all the others compete based on their differentiation and positioning.
100+ B2B Lead Generation tips for inbound marketing [2023]
Marketers are like dragons. We have a penchant for princesses, poetry and press releases. And, we hoard leads like a precious pile of pennies. Lead generation is, essentially, the name of the game. The whole idea of inbound content marketing is to attract potential leads to a business website and get them to give up a bit of information, like their name and an email address, to access some delicious morsel of content.
How good is your marketing? The High-Performance Marketing Scorecard
How good is your marketing? Articulate has recently launched The High-Performance Marketing Scorecard to help businesses answer that very question. You can access the scorecard here or readallabouddit, here: Gaining perspective The hair you had in the 90s really was that bad. From space, the Earth is decidedly round. Brangelina was never going to last. And, from the outside looking in, it’s much easier to tell what steps a business needs to take to optimise their marketing. It’s called perspective.
What is marketing automation and why do you need it?
A variant on Doc Brown’s Flux Capacitor, marketing automation doesn’t make time travel possible, it makes time. When you automate your marketing activities, you make time to focus on your marketing strategy. You make time for research and development. You make time for data, analysis and reporting on marketing metrics. You make time for your customers. You make time for a proper lunch break. With more time, you can build the momentum you need to propel your business into the future. Roads?
How becoming a B Corp has transformed our business relationships
B Corp is our badge of honour. Like Fair Trade to chocolate, having that B Corp badge tells the world that our marketing agency doesn’t just care about profit margins. We care about our relationships with people and with the planet. It means we’re a for-profit business that is also a force for good. We’re part of a rapidly growing community of organisations that believe it is possible to be both.
Carbon neutral websites? 8 ways for marketing to help get to Net Zero
If you’re committed to Net Zero by 2050, 2030 or even 2025 (like Articulate Marketing), then that’s one heck of a big goal. Lionel Messi 2007 big. A goal like Net Zero can leave you unsure where to start. How do you prioritise your efforts? How can you measure progress? How can individuals in your business contribute? One way to approach it is department by department. Take Marketing. Your trusty marketeers are best placed to identify opportunities to reduce waste and make marketing more sustainable.
Level up: Articulate Marketing is a HubSpot Diamond Solutions Partner
‘Diamonds are a marketing agency’s best friend’, to paraphrase Marilyn Monroe, a marketing queen in her own right. In other words, we’re now a HubSpot Diamond Solutions Partner! For the Microsoft vendors in the audience, it’s sort of like being a Microsoft Gold Partner. Yeah, it’s that big a deal. It puts us in a whole new league.
What is Net Zero? (And what Articulate Marketing is doing about it)
CEOs today: Net Zero by 2050 (but we’ll leave all the work to 2049, long after I’ve retired). It’s not good enough, is it? — Matthew Stibbe, CEO, Articulate Marketing Not to toot our own horn, but that’s a bit better, right? Today, Articulate Marketing is committing to Net Zero by 2025. Or sooner. The sooner the better. What is Net Zero? Net Zero is the internationally-agreed goal to mitigate global warming, a major contributor to climate change.
(Re)Introducing our new Editor in Chief: Clare Dodd!
Drumroll please... we have a brand-new Editor in Chief (sort of)! The team at Articulate Marketing is very pleased to announce Clare Dodd is stepping into this new and important role. If that name sounds familiar, Clare was with us for several years right at the beginning of our journey as an agency. She is returning, the conquering hero, to take up this new mantle.
3 FAQs about Corporate Social Responsibility and ethical branding
From the #humblebrag to the greenwashed masses, ethical branding has taken off in a big way. Critics say it’s not enough to slap a rainbow logo on your Twitter and call it allyship. As much as Articulate Marketing is a work in progress — and without wanting to throw too many rocks from within this glass house — we’re inclined to agree.
What is HubSpot? Read this quick CRM guide
Batman has shark-repellent spray. Marketers have HubSpot. You don't need superpowers if you have the right tool for the job. (Cue the 'it also helps if you're a billionaire' backchat. We'll get to pricing in a bit.) As an award-winning HubSpot partner agency, we speak to plenty of businesses who have heard of HubSpot, but don't really know what it is or how it works. Or they've never heard of it, but their marketing goals happen to align with what HubSpot can provide, and they want to learn more.
How to run the ideal meeting: 10 essential steps
The ideal meeting is rare, like cake-only diets or honest politicians. We’ve talked previously about how meetings are rubbish and counter-productive, but how do you actually have a good meeting when you can’t avoid one? Clients, bosses and colleagues all ask for them at some point. And you’ve stood firm before. But sooner or later, you’ll be swindled into the meeting room with promises of efficiency, collaboration and progress. Happy families, happy company.
Is free always better? Wix template website vs a custom HubSpot site
We've talked before about how HubSpot is better than WordPress. But what about those page-builder sites that seem to pop up on every YouTube influencer's 'Today's video is sponsored by' segment? Wix, Squarespace. Those guys. For example, how does a Wix template website compare to a custom HubSpot CMS website? Is Wix a serious platform for businesses, or is it free... for a reason? Free... except you still have to pay for everything Let's talk numbers. CMS Hub Starter is $25 per month, so less than £20.
What would you gain if you had a week of calm?
What would you do if you could clear the decks for a week - no meetings, no interruptions? Would you focus on one big project? Optimise some processes? Tame that backlog that's gotten out of control? At Articulate, we decided to slow our roll for a stress-free 'Week of Calm'. Here's what we did, and how it went. What we did in our Week of Calm An independent working group in the business took the lead in organising activities for the week.
Do you need a HubSpot CMS website, HubSpot CRM, or both?
Acronyms. As marketers, we have a love-hate relationship with acronyms. HubSpot CMS, CRM, see you next Tuesday, BRB, LOL. What do these terms actually mean; how are they relevant to your business, and why - actually - do they represent a powerful combination for your website and digital marketing? Here's how HubSpot unpacks it: That's a good start, but it doesn't really tell you why you should care. Let's dig into the details. What is HubSpot CMS?
How to migrate your site from WordPress to HubSpot (a quick overview)
First of all, congratulations on deciding to make the move from WordPress to HubSpot (and if you haven't made that decision yet, here's 11 good reasons why you should.) We can't promise it'll be stress-free, but we can say it's the best move you'll ever make... unless you're planning on upping sticks to Fiji or something. This blog is inspired by our webinar.
3 out-of-the-box marketing techniques from Fintechs like 'Dead Happy'
Sadly, our petition to rename 'disruptive marketing' as 'Marmite marketing' is held up in the courts. You either love it or you... Oh, we can't say that either? Look. We know FinTechs aren't afraid of a little controversy. There's enough news about them disrupting the banks with their cryptocurrencies and their financial services innovations and their skinny jeans, after all. Deloitte predicts the FinTech industry will double in size over five years, with a global worth of 188 billion euros by 2024.
How to use website optimisation to make the best first impression [2021]
How long do you think it takes visitors to decide whether they want to stay on your B2B site? 10 seconds? It's more like 50 milliseconds… you need to make a good impression, fast, putting continuous effort into website optimisation. What we’re saying here is - folks, tidy your room. If your bounce rate is high, too many of your website visitors are landing on your website, taking a look and going elsewhere. What does that say? Nothing good.
8 clever ways to get more leads from your website
Let's talk about how to get more leads through your website. That is, how to get those vital contact details from your site visitors so you can turn them into customers. More on that in a minute. This blog is based on our popular webinar on the same subject, which took place in July 2021. You can watch the recording here and download the slides below: Unless your website is a functional engine that attracts traffic and converts leads, then all you've got there is a brochure. Sorry.
300+ best tools and resources for working from home [2020]
Working from home is becoming more and more common. Whether you’re a student studying from afar, a nomadic marketer (hi) hopping in and out of coffee shops, or someone who needs flexible working options to fit around your life, remote work is both possible and productive. It doesn’t have to be disruptive and can in fact open up new opportunities for better collaboration – take it from a business that’s been doing it for over 15 years.
101 B2B Lead Generation tips for inbound marketing (2021)
Marketers are like dragons. We have a penchant for princesses, poetry and press releases. And, we hoard leads like a precious pile of pennies. Lead generation is, essentially, the name of the game. The whole idea of inbound content marketing is to attract potential leads to a business website and get them to give up a bit of information, like their name and an email address, to access some delicious morsel of content.
Why you should use illustration art for your B2B website [infographic]
Trends die, but art is forever. Be honest now. Is your B2B website a work of art or something you wouldn’t even pin to the fridge? To our unending relief, companies – especially tech start-ups – are turning away from cheesy stock imagery (see our rant about ‘man smiling with laptop’) and blue logos. They’re following the latest fashion for illustration art, white space and bold colours. And we love it. Do illustrations represent yet another fad, or are they something else?
Love logic? The logic behind marketing email workflows
What’s logic got to do with marketing emails? (Who, in their right mind, even clicks on those, anyway?) Well, having worked with one too many IT providers, we confess: we’ve gone rogue. We analysed and updated our marketing emails and automated workflows. To use a dated term, we’ve ‘hacked’ our emails. #sorrynotsorry As marketers, we pride ourselves on explaining complex technology services in a way that makes business decision-makers understand, value and want to buy them.
A CTA is not a call to action. It’s a call to advance.
‘Have you followed up on that lead, yet? The one that clicked on our new call-to-action?’ Said the long-suffering marketing manager, painfully aware of a pile of leads gathering dust in the database. ‘Yeah, I’ll action that tomorrow.’ Said the sales rep, painfully unaware that he’s forgotten how to speak like a normal human being. (Really? Has anyone EVER ‘actioned’ anything?) CTAs lead the way Marketing and sales teams are often found bickering about the quality of leads.
Benchmark your blog: How to use marketing data to grow your traffic
Disclaimer first. Blogs don’t come with a formula. No matter how finely you crunch the data, you will not find this secret prize buried in the dust at the bottom of the cereal box. Content is fickle like that. But, we’ve learned that with a few data-informed decisions, you CAN increase your chances of having a successful blog. Here’s how we did it. Benchmarking our own HubSpot blog With the help of our in-house analytics team, we analysed the data for our own HubSpot-hosted blog.
Benchmark your blog: how data analysis helped us increase traffic by 47% in 30 days
Disclaimer first. Blogs don’t come with a formula. No matter how finely you crunch the data, you will not find this secret prize buried in the dust at the bottom of the cereal box. Content is fickle like that. But, we’ve learned that with a few data-informed decisions, you CAN increase your chances of having a successful blog. Here’s how we did it. Benchmarking our own HubSpot blog With the help of our in-house analytics team, we analysed the data for our own HubSpot-hosted blog.
4 reasons taking breaks make your brain work
Time off work is crucial for everyone. Even the special effects artists and fortune-cookie writers of this world need a break once in a while. Your dream job will become a nightmare if you don’t make time for yourself and spend time with loved ones. And, your productivity will take a major hit. The top ten percent of productive employees tend to take a 17 minute break for every 52 minutes spent working. Even a little time off can make a big difference.
The ultimate guide to automating business processes
Contents Introduction Communications automation The basics of automating communications Progress reports A few rules for good measure Marketing automation Switching from analogue to digital Following customer footsteps Marketing automation tools Doing better business HR and administration automation Is it worth automating such little tasks? Every second counts The cherry on top of admin automation You can’t make more time, but you can increase its value What about my job?
Business training: why fish can’t climb trees (and shouldn’t have to)
You’ve heard the old adages. Fish and trees. One-size fits all. Education is the cookie-cutter and you’re the dough. We all have our own learning styles, and to dismiss that fact when setting up or revising your business training process is to be part of the problem. We’ve talked about why this matters before, but here are some examples and tactics to guide you. Firstly, visual learners are holistic thinkers, so a traditional systematic approach to training won’t be as effective.
10 quick to-do list tips for better time management
To-do lists. Some people swear by them. Some write them down just to ignore them. Others are so far out to sea that the shore of an organised, civilised, sane to-do list is a speck on the horizon. It’s okay. Have a paddle. Let’s get your feet on dry land. Here are 10 quick to-do list tips for better time management. 1. Schedule for tomorrow at the end of today The last thing you need at the end of the day is to be thinking about work on the way home.
What business paperwork do you need to keep a record of?
What you have: Crumpled receipts found two months too late down the back of the radiator. A forest-worth of business paperwork in the basement. An over-burdened binder of miscellaneous business paperwork, too heavy to lift from the top shelf. Your in-tray full of buried mysteries. What you need: That one piece of paper. There were 5.7 million businesses in the UK in 2017. That’s a lot of paperwork. Keeping track of it can be the difference between a business surviving and, well, the other thing.
What business paperwork do you need to keep a record of? - Turbine
What business paperwork do you need to keep a record of? There’s a lot of business paperwork you don’t need. But, there’s also a lot you need to keep track of. Here’s what you should be holding on to and what you can put through the shredder. What you have: Crumpled receipts found two months too late down the back of the radiator. A forest-worth of business paperwork in the basement. An over-burdened binder of miscellaneous business paperwork, too heavy to lift from the top shelf.
How we work: get to know our sugar-free Chief Happiness Officer
Yes, we have a Chief Happiness Officer at Articulate. And no, she doesn't appear in a flurry of grinning emoticons to brighten our days with nauseating emails full of exclamation points and fluff. I think we'd worry if she did, honestly. As she puts it: 'No more sugary shite.' Her name is Liz, and Liz is dead serious about happiness. A bit of background 'It started off as a little funny thing but now it is a serious part of Articulate's company culture.
24 things I wish I'd known when I started my first business
An interview with serial entrepreneur and geek boss, Matthew Stibbe. Perhaps you’ve just started your first business, or are thinking about it. Perhaps you’re smarting from an attempt gone wrong. We’re here to help. I interviewed my boss in a fit of nosiness to find out what lessons he learned from his first company, Intelligent Games, and how he does things now at Turbine, Articulate and Vincarta. Or at least, how he tries to do them.
24 things I wish I'd known when I started my first business
I interviewed my boss in a fit of nosiness to find out what lessons he learned from his first company, Intelligent Games, and how he does things now at Turbine, Articulate and Vincarta. Or at least, how he tries to do them. This is what he had to say (some bits paraphrased, all approved): This is usually a futile exercise. Of course, I want to help, but as a business owner and entrepreneur my time is precious. I’m not paid by the hour.
7 tips for building a super-effective B2B content marketing strategy
You want to build a B2B content marketing strategy that is future-proof. Author of How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life, Alan Lakein, knows a thing or two about plans and time-travel, apparently. And so do we. Here are seven for starters. Remember, it’s a moving target You've heard 'write for your audience', but it's just as important to plan for your audience. Buyer personas – your ideal clients – are not static 2D cut-outs. They are real people, with schedules and ever-changing needs.
How to edit: constructive vs. non-constructive feedback
How to edit. Everyone has their own views on this topic. Do you tell it straight? ‘Sandwich’ criticism between two compliments? When is a piece of writing actually finished? At Articulate, we edit one another’s copy all the time, and we also receive edits from our clients (who might not be writers). Often, this constructive criticism is motivating. It makes the work better. Sometimes, though, a comment on a Word document can ruin your afternoon. Or, at least, it leads to an aggressively made cup of tea.
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