Thursday, March 31, 2016

Introducing HubSpot's P.E.T. Program: Taking 'Office Dogs' to a Whole New Level

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Here at HubSpot, there’s one thing we love above all else: Dogs.

A smush-faced pug? Instant heart warmer. Majestic golden retriever? More like new best friend. It’s no wonder our “bring your dog to work” policy at our Cambridge headquarters is an employee favorite.

Beyond being popular, this program also gets big results: Our research revealed a 278% uptick in productivity when HubSpotters were within a 10-foot radius of a dog. What’s more, data from a third-party, double-blind study showed that not only were these results true for dogs, but they also held true for all animals.

We’ve taken these insights and rolled them into our latest, groundbreaking employee perk: Productive Employee Things – better known as the P.E.T. Program.

 

We believe in healthy, productive, and happy employees. And we’re committed to this – even if that means anteaters roaming the halls, parrots nesting in the kitchen, or awkward turtles in our marketing meetings. In short, HubSpotters won’t need to leave behind the fuzzy, furry, or scaly companions that inspire them. We’ve decided to let HubSpotters around the globe bring their pets to work.

Let freedom ring … or squawk … or meow … or growl.

But that’s not all. With this announcement, we’ve put together a list of our top workplace pets. How would you rank these cuddly office companions? 

  1. Chicken

    Two words that brighten up any employee’s morning: fresh omelettes.chicken-office-pet.png

  2. Sheep

    Office temps give you an occasional case of the chills? Warm up alongside nature’s sweater.
    Sheep-office-pet.png

  3. Goat

    Your own personal, on-demand paper shredder (and facial hair consultant).Goat-office-pet.png

  4. Kangaroo

    The utility vehicle of office pets. Carry around laptops, pens, and notebooks – all while keeping your lunch warm.
    Kangaroo-office-pet.png

  5. Anaconda

    Monday vibes give you the blues? Nothing a nice, strong hug can’t fix.Snake-office-pet.png

  6. Octopus

    Manage all your daily tasks and more with a helping hand. Bonus: Fresh ink for the quill.Octopus-office-pets.png

  7. Alpaca

    Ever spill coffee during the morning hustle? Clean it up with a real alpaca-spit shine.Alpaca-office-pet.png

  8. Elephant

    How long before the joke, “I want to address the elephant in the room,” gets old? Time to find out.
    Elephant-office-pet.png

  9. Pig

    Stay-the-course on any diet. This office pet will eat every tasty treat in sight before you can.
    Blog_Listicle_v1_7.png

Do you and your pet want to work at HubSpot? We’re hiring.

learn about HubSpot jobs



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How to Motivate Yourself When You're Absolutely Exhausted

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Off days. We all have them from time to time.

Maybe you didn’t sleep well the night before, or perhaps you’re working on a project that isn’t particularly exciting. Or maybe there’s no viable explanation at all, and you’re just straight up not feelin’ it that day.

First of all, that’s OK. We can’t be on all the time. Motivation is an ebb and flow: We all have periods of high energy where productivity comes easily, as well as periods of low energy where your work doesn’t come so easily.

But alas … unless we’re physically ill, we’re all expected to show up at work and get our work done regardless of how tired we are or how “meh” we’re feeling.

It’s times like these when we need to find that motivation within ourselves. The next time you’re feeling exhausted, unmotivated, or lethargic at work, try one or a few of these 10 ways to get motivated again.

10 Ways to Get Motivated When You’re Exhausted

1) Just get started.

Have you ever found yourself faced with a deadline or a looming task, only to realize that was the perfect time to clean your house or start a new season of 24? Turns out, that’s your brain playing tricks on you.

A study by Dr. John Bargh, an award-winning psychology researcher, showed that, before we start on a big project, our brain attempts to simulate real, productive work by focusing on small, mindless tasks. The result? We don’t get started on the tasks that are most meaningful. And the longer we procrastinate, the more anxious we feel.

Thankfully, once you get over that hump of just starting already, you’re more likely to work ‘til it’s done. That’s a phenomenon called the Zeigarnik Effect, which is best defined as "the tendency to experience intrusive thoughts about an objective that was once pursued and left incomplete.“

That’s why, sometimes, we don’t need a particular thing to motivate us – we just need to get started, and a more focused and productive mental state will follow.

2) Make or rework your to-do list. (The right way.)

When your energy is low, it can be hard to get in that get-stuff-done mindset. So when you feel yourself dragging, stop what you’re doing and take a few minutes to either make a new to-do list or rework the one you already have.

After all, studies show that when we write down our goals, we’re more likely to achieve them. This small step can not only help your productivity, but it can also help get rid of that uncomfortable, anxious feeling you get when you procrastinate.

There are a lot of different ways to make a to-do list – and what works for you may not work for your neighbor. But it turns out there is one similarity to how most of us write our to-do lists: We tend to start with the easier tasks first, and save the daunting tasks for last. That way, we can cross items off the list faster … and feel good about it.

But according to Charles Duhiggsaving the harder stuff for last increases stress and other negative emotions. To more effectively motivate yourself with a to-do list, Duhigg suggests:

  1. Thinking of your stretch goal for the day.
  2. Writing down this goal at the top of your piece of paper or worksheet.
  3. Breaking down your goal into actionable, measurable, and manageable steps.

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To get started, think about what part of that broken-down task you can accomplish right now or today, and begin working on it with the more manageable and achievable goal in mind.

3) Commit publicly.

Accountability works. None of us likes to look bad in front of others. Chances are, if you’ve promised to do something publicly, you’ll be more likely to achieve it. That’s why so many people do things like create public blogs or Instagram accounts to hold themselves accountable for fitness and weight loss goals.

You don’t have to go public with your goals to reap the benefits of accountability. You can do it with coworkers, or with friends and family.

For example, here at HubSpot, the blogging team holds a daily standup meeting where we come together in the morning to list out what we plan to get done that day. If we find ourselves repeating the same task over a series of consecutive days, it becomes clear to ourselves and our colleagues that we either need to prioritize that task to get it done, or reevaluate whether it really needs doing in the first place. (You can also use collaborative to-do list apps like Trello or Wunderlist to share tasks with others digitally.)

Simply recruiting a reliable friend to become your accountability buddy can help, too. Psychology professor Dr. Gala Matthews conducted a study on goal achievement in the workplace worldwide. She found that more than 70% of the participants who sent weekly updates to a friend either completely accomplished their goal or were more than halfway there. Compare that with 35% of those who kept their goals to themselves without even writing them down.

4) Change up your location.

According to Duhigg’s research, your physical environment is one of the most powerful drivers of our habits and behaviors.

Take the six-month study published in The American Journal of Public Health, for example. The scientists that ran the study found that by changing the environment and the way food and drinks were displayed in a large hospital cafeteria, they could get people to eat and drink healthier – without even thinking about it. Just by moving bottled water closer to the cashier and moving soft drinks away from it, the number of soda sales dropped by 11.4%, while bottled water sales increased by 25.8%. 

Similarly, where you work can affect your motivation levels. Duhigg says this might be because we mentally assign behaviors, habits, and routines to particular locations, like bed for sleeping, desk for working, couch for relaxing. (Another reason taking your lunch break away from your desk can do wonders for your productivity.)

Need to really focus? Step away from your desk, move to a workspace with no distractions, and hone in on whatever it is you need to do. That’s what Amanda Sibley, a demand generation manager at HubSpot, told me works for her: "If there is something I must get done in a day – a deck due to our CMO, for example – then I turn off email and shut myself in a room for an hour or so until it’s done.”

5) Listen to pump-up music.

Music motivates us. Think about it: Why do people listen to music when they go to the gym? Because it gives us energy.

We don’t just have an emotional reaction when we listen to music; we also have a physical reaction. Music engages our bodies’ sympathetic nervous systems. Our airway opens, our heart accelerates, and our muscles become primed for movement. When the speed, intensity, or volume of the music rises, our pulse quickens and our breathing accelerates.

This is great for physical exercise, of course. But it’s also great for reenergizing you when you’re feeling tired or bored. Not only will it help refocus you, but studies have shown that music can help draw our attention away from the negative aspects of whatever task we’re doing.

“During my training and races it became obvious that even in really horrible weather conditions, or when I was physically suffering, that I could use music (and my imagination) to create a parallel universe that had little to do with reality,” said Jacob Jolij, an athlete and researcher from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. "I used music to stay optimistic and see the glass as perpetually half-full while doing ultra-endurance races. You can use music as a tool when you work out or in your daily life the same way. “

So the next time you’re tackling something that doesn’t quite thrill you, consider putting on some happy tunes. If you need some music ideas, try one of these science-backed productivity playlists.

6) Meditate.

Listening to pump-up jams not your cup of tea? Perhaps meditating is.

It’s funny: We rest our aching muscles after a tough workout without a second thought, and yet we expect our brain to work hour after hour, day in and day out. It just doesn’t make sense. Burnout is real, folks.

Taking ten or twenty minutes out of your workday to meditate is a great way to use a break time – especially when you find your attention and motivation wavering. According to one study, intensive meditation can help you focus and sustain your attention – even during the most boring of tasks. It also helps boost your mood: A 2012 study found that people who mediated "stayed on tasks longer and made fewer task switches, as well as reporting less negative feedback after task performance." 

Never meditated before? You don’t need any experience to enjoy the benefits of meditation – especially with the many apps out there that offer guided meditations. Next time you feel disconnected or unmotivated at work, try using one of these free apps:

  • Headspace: This app gives you 10 free guided meditation sessions. If you end up getting hooked, you can sign up for a monthly subscription.
  • Calm: This app offers over two-dozen guided meditation session for you to choose from that range from a few minutes long to about 30 minutes long.

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7) Talk to a coworker. (Or talk to yourself.)

Sometimes, taking a short break to talk with a colleague can be enough to reenergize you for several more hours. In a study of call center workers, those who talked to more coworkers in between calls actually got through calls faster and felt less stressed – all while having the same approval ratings as their peers.

If you just need a break from the task at hand, grab a coworker and talk a short walk. If you need some inspiration, choose that coworker wisely, and use the time to bounce ideas off of them. If you’re really struggling, try asking them for advice on how to refocus or reprioritize.

If you’re working from home or no one’s available, leave your current workspace (see tip #4: change up your location) and interact with someone – anyone. "Go outside and find a human to interact with – ordering your coffee, running an errand, whatever,” suggests my colleague Corey Wainwright. 

Or, give yourself a pep talk. Giving yourself advice and encouragement in the second-person voice actually works, according to a study on self-motivation from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

“People are used to receiving and giving advice in the second-person, and they seem to prefer using the second-person pronoun to psych themselves up before engaging in action,” study coauthor Dr. Sanda Dolcos told The Huffington Post. “Self-advice expressed using ‘You’ probably enables people to adopt a broader perspective, considering how a significant other might view the event, and to reproduce the kind of encouragements previously received from others.”

8) Eat an energy-boosting snack.

Food is fuel for our brains and our bodies. What we eat – and when we eat it – has a direct impact on our performance at work. Recent studies show that willpower is a limited resource and depletes throughout the day, but may be strengthened by the food we eat.

To function at its best, your brain needs a constant supply of glucose and fat that come from the right nutritional sources – i.e., not junk food. Our brains work best with about 25 grams of glucose circulating in our blood stream, which is about the amount found in a banana. So when we’re feeling sluggish, snacking on a banana between meals can actually help us reenergize our brainpower.

On the other hand, if we were to snack on something high in sugar, like a handful of M&Ms, then we risk a much higher blood sugar spike followed by a crash. While we may feel energized for a short period of time, we’ll ultimately enter into a slump. The result? Low energy and low productivity.

The same is true for coffee, which only gives us short caffeine bursts. (If you love coffee, though, try bulletproof coffee, which has a longer-lasting, positive effect on your energy levels.)

Healthy snacks that’ll supercharge your brainpower and help you gain energy when you’re tired include bananas, yogurt, blueberries, avocados, olive oil, salmon, broccoli, eggplant, and dark, leafy greens. (Check out our infographic on “the productivity diet” to learn why these foods help you focus.)

9) Move your body.

Whether it’s spending some quality time at the gym or simply going for a short walk between meetings, regular exercise can do wonders for your health, your happiness, and your productivity and energy levels at work. In fact, researchers have found that people who exercise during normal working hours are actually more productive at work, even if they technically log fewer hours.

Another study out of the University of Georgia examined whether exercise can be used to treat fatigue. It showed that even low-intensity exercise can significantly help feelings of fatigue.

“A lot of people are overworked and not sleeping enough,” said Patrick O’Connor, co-director of the university’s exercise psychology laboratory. “Exercise is a way for people to feel more energetic. There’s a scientific basis for it, and there are advantages to it compared to things like caffeine and energy drinks.”

Here are 10 ideas for sneaking in exercise at work without looking silly, from taking short “active breaks” to replacing your desk chair with a stability ball.

10) Take a power nap.

Another way to unleash your brain’s natural energy? Take a power nap. Researchers have found there are clear benefits to napping, including increased alertness after your nap. The key is doing it right. In other words, napping for the right amount of time, and at the right time of day.

According to Sleep Expert Dr. Phyllis Zee of Northwestern University, the best naps are between 1 p.m. 3 p.m. and last between 20 and 40 minutes.

That afternoon timing is best for your body clock, whereas napping later in the day can affect how well you sleep that night. Taking a nap longer than 40 minutes can cause your brain to slow-wave (deeper) sleep, which’ll leave you waking up in a state of confusion – the opposite of what you were trying to solve for.

Then, once you’re up from your nap, get back to it.

What if it doesn’t work?

If you’ve tried some of these tactics and none of them are helping you refocus and reenergize, be careful: You might be burned out.

Burnout is defined as a state of chronic stress that leads to physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism and detachment, and feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment. Although people experience burnout differently, a telltale sign is when you’re experiencing the trifecta of exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy all at once. 

Remember: It’s OK to take your foot off the gas pedal every once in a while and to adjust your work output to your current motivation level.

But if you’re feeling the symptoms of burnout, take care to dedicate specific time for unplugging and relaxing – and even take a vacation if you can. It’s good for you, and even your boss would agree: 91% of business leaders believe their employees return from vacations recharged and ready to work more effectively.

How do you get motivated when you’re tired? Share with us in the comments.

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Increasing Audience ROI with Personalization

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Traditional monetization channels are getting tougher and tougher for publishers to tap into. The reason? Consumer behavior is fundamentally changing, and now more than ever before, attention spans are scatterbrained.

With every moment spent on smartphones, tablets, or computers at work, readers find themselves exposed to more content options that they have time to process. That’s why it’s critical that media companies invest in quality vs. quantity: if you want to attract a high-value audience, your content needs to be high-value too.

This perspective is the ‘smoking gun’ that publishers need to build new, high value revenue channels. Just as much as you don’t like fighting against noise for your audience’s attention, your audiences don’t like to deal with media brands that are clamoring for their time.

That’s where personalization enters the picture. When your content is tailored and relevant to the audiences you’re trying to reach, you’ll see a strong lift to your media brand–and you’ll be well-positioned to provide value to your advertisers too. Here’s how personalization can help media companies carve out new, lasting monetization channels.

>> Download our latest Media Ebook - Personalize or Perish >> 

More Engaged Email Lists

Personalization will open doors to a wealth of email marketing and monetization opportunities 

When audiences like what you have to offer, they’ll find a way to keep your company on their radars. They’ll ‘like’ your content on Facebook, follow your account on Twitter, or subscribe to at least one of your targeted newsletters. 

But many newsletters are irrelevant to audiences, which is why subscribe rates for companies are often low. The best way to change this behavior? It’s to change yours—create email campaigns that are tailored to what your audience wants to read about and learn. 

The chain of events is clear: personalization of a strong value proposition will yield higher sign-up rates to your newsletters. And with higher sign-up rates for your newsletters, you’ll have more engaged lists of subscribers. In turn, you’ll be able to deliver more value to your advertisers.

Invest in your email marketing strategy, and your value as a media brand will grow, overall. You can send more targeted email campaigns, on behalf of your advertisers, to your readers, for instance—the possibilities are truly limitless.

Personalized Calls to Action (CTAs)

Want your readers to take action on the ads and offers that you’re sharing with them?

The most efficient path forward is to optimize your CTAs: choose value propositions that speak to their unique interests, needs, and goals. The answer is personalization.

As a media company, you’re in a unique position to become a true innovator in the personalization space. You’re likely already collecting a wealth of audience data in terms of the content they’re reading and taking action upon.

Why not align your CTAs to this data that you’ve been generating?

The B2B, corporate world has been creating what it calls ‘smart CTAs’ for years. The idea is simple: rather than communicating a one-size-fits all cue, craft value propositions for the specific audiences that you’re reaching. Speak to their needs and pain points. You’ll see higher conversion rates and position your media brand to provide higher value to advertisers, too. 

For a step-by-step guide to creating personalized CTAs, check out this guide from 2013.

Getting Started 

The first step to getting started is to organize your database: you need to make sure that your customers’ information is in the right place (so you can take action upon it). As you build your lists, give careful thought to the data you’re collecting and whether you have the right form fields in place to keep this information organized. This unified data perspective will help you shortcut the process of and increase the impact you make when you target your audiences on an individual level. Here’s how to collect information for personalization:

  • Define what exactly you should be collecting and how this information aligns to your overall campaign goals
  • Understand what information will be available on a personal level and what may remain anonymized
  • Figure out how you’re going to collect information (through lead gen landing pages, for instance)

Once you have your ducks in order and you start gathering data, start fueling your personalization engine:

  • Create audience segments based on areas of interest, subscription type, or geographic location, so you can personalize reader experiences at different levels
  • Build out content and conversion paths to match each customer segment. Use a blend of qualitative and quantitative research to guide your early decisions (Don’t worry about being perfect, as your strategy will likely continue to change over time)
  • Test out your ideas with the expectation that you’ll refine and iterate upon your results
  • Iterate on your personalization strategy by reinvesting your learnings into new campaign ideas.

Any media company, of any size, can get started. Just start doing some research into the systems that already exist, so that you can develop a strong sense of your company’s assets. Use this platform as a starting point to explore the world of opportunity that awaits. Instead of seeing personalization as a daunting, far-fetched task for your team to accomplish, take smaller steps instead.

Think about your best friendships: they’ve been strong because you’ve learned about one another over time. A relationship with your best readers should be no different. The more you learn about them, the more effective your marketing programs will be.

Personalize or Perish



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How to Customize Your Facebook Page: 7 Tips and Tricks

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As the hub of your business presence on a (nearly) 1.6 billion-person social network, your Facebook Page has the potential to be a valuable marketing asset. From educating prospective customers to sharing company updates and educational resources with your existing customers, you can use your Facebook Page to target nearly every stage of your marketing funnel.

But in a world where 40 million+ small businesses have Facebook Pages, simply creating a Page won’t guarantee you much in the way of results.

In order to attract and engage your target audience, you need your Facebook Page to stand out from the sea of sameness.

Download our free guide here to learn more about how you can customize your Facebook Page.

To help you get started, we put together this list of seven tips and tricks you can use for customizing your company’s Facebook Page.

7 Ways to Create a Custom Facebook Business Page

1) Claim Your Custom URL

First things first: If you haven’t already, head to the URL http://ift.tt/nkGzdY and create a custom URL for your Facebook Page that’s short and easy to remember. HubSpot’s, for example, is facebook.com/hubspot. Not very imaginative, but the goal is to create alignment between your brand and the Page.

As you can see in the screenshots below, you first need to choose your Page from a dropdown menu, then you’ll be able to see if the URL you want is available.

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Keep in mind that you’re only allowed to change your Facebook Page URL once. So if you’re going to update it, choose your new URL wisely.

2) Control Who Gets to See Your Page

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Head to the Settings menu (via the link on the right side of your Page’s top nav), and you’ll be able to unlock a host of customization options. Perhaps the most important: The ability to restrict the visibility of your Page, which you can control under the “General” settings tab.

Are there certain countries your company doesn’t sell to? You can prevent your Facebook Page from appearing there. Sell a product (e.g., alcohol) that has legal restrictions and/or that is otherwise geared toward an adult audience? You can restrict the visibility of your Facebook Page according to age.

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By fine-tuning these visibility settings, you can help make sure your Page is reaching the right audience.

3) Control What Content Appears on Your Page

While you’re in the General Settings menu customizing your Facebook Page’s visibility settings, you might also want to consider customizing what content will be allowed to appear on your Page. Specifically, you can control who’s allowed to post content to your Page, as well as what types of content (e.g., videos and/or photos) people are – or aren’t – allowed to post.

Worried about bad language or inappropriate topics popping up in posts and replies on your Page? Adjust your Page Moderation settings to block the use of specific words, and turn on (or increase) your Page’s Profanity Filter. FYI: There are three Profanity Filter settings, “Off,” “Medium,” and “Strong,” which are based on the words and phrases that Facebook users have most frequently deemed offensive.

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4) Add a Call-to-Action Button

It’s a little tweak that can make a big impact: Setting up a call-to-action (CTA) button on your Facebook Page. The best part is that it only takes a few seconds to do.

If you haven’t already created a CTA for your Page, you’ll see an “Add Action Button” button where your future CTA will appear. (And yes, I realize how meta it is to be clicking on a CTA that’s telling you to create a CTA. Welcome to the weird world of online marketing.)

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Once you click that button, you’ll be taken to a menu where you can select the CTA you want and preview it across different devices.

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The CTA you choose should depend on the specific goals you’re trying to accomplish. Facebook gives you 11 different options:

  • “Contact Us”
  • “Book Now”
  • “Call Now”
  • “Send Message”
  • “Use App”
  • “Play Game”
  • “Shop Now”
  • “Sign Up”
  • “Watch Video”
  • “Send Email”
  • “Learn More”

In addition to having your Page CTA redirect to a webpage, you can specify that it sends mobile visitors to your app or a mobile version of your site. Sure, it’s a minor adjustment, but the end result is a better experience for your visitors.

mobile-visitors-facebook-page

However you end up configuring your CTA, remember to use tracking links when redirecting people to one of your other properties. That way you can monitor how successful your CTA has been at generating traffic and leads.

5) Customize Your Page’s Tabs

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You can customize your Facebook Page’s tabs at a basic level by navigating to the “More” tab and selecting “Manage Tabs” from the dropdown menu. From there, you’ll be able to re-position the order in which your Page’s tabs appear.

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Clicking that “Add or Remove Tabs” link at the bottom of the Manage Tabs menu will take you to Facebook’s Apps menu, where you can install new apps. Once you install the app – like the Notes app, for example – you’ll be able to feature it as a tab on your Page.

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To create an entirely unique, non-Facebook-app-related tab for your Page, there’s a bit of a development rabbit hole you’ll need to go down. While it’s not impossible to do, it’s definitely tricky.

The good news: A coworker wrote a post that walks you through steps in excruciating detail: “How to Create Custom Tabs for Your Facebook Business Page." 

6) Use Custom Images

Facebook recommends "adding big, beautiful photos and images” to your Facebook Page. In a perfect world, this would entail having a photographer take some high-quality shots – or having a graphic designer create some custom images – that highlight your company’s products, services, branding, culture, and so on.

You could also go the Patagonia Facebook Page route and combine photos with design work, like you see in the examples below.

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If resources are limited, you can always turn to our collection of free stock photos to find the perfect visual.

Regardless of the types of images you end up using, make sure you stick to Facebook’s recommended image dimensions. Here they are:

  • Profile picture: 180 x 180 pixels (at least)
  • Cover photo: 851 pixels wide x 315 pixels tall (JPG file format / less than 100KB file size)

(Check out this post for more recommended social media image dimensions.)

7) Add Ratings & Reviews to Your Page

Know how some Facebook Pages have those little rating and review widgets with the stars?

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Those will only appear if you’ve designated your Page as a local business during setup and have entered your full business address. If you’re creating a new Page, don’t worry: this option is hard to miss.

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If you already have a Facebook Page and want to make the switch to the local business setting, head to the About tab, choose Page Info, and then hover over the Category section. Click on the little pencil icon that appears and you’ll be able to switch your page to the “Local Businesses” category.

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Assuming you have your business’s full address already entered in, Facebook’s Ratings & Reviews functionality should soon become available on your Page.

Know of any other Facebook Page customization tips and tricks? Share them in the comments section below.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in September 2011 and has been updated and for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

download free facebook guide


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Why Your Ecommerce Promotions Fail

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When planning giveaways, discounts, coupons, promotional events, and any other special pricing for your ecommerce company, you’re probably already counting your profits in your head. Then, you run across a blog like this one that says ecommerce promotions just don’t work. What are you supposed to believe?

Well, let’s first consider what you want to get out of your latest promotion. If you’re just looking for a high number of sales conversions, then you’re set. If you’re looking for loyal customers who will come back time and again, then you’re setting yourself up to fail. Why? Let’s consider a few facts.

Lowering the Perceived Value

When you can lower the price of a product just to get it out the door, your customers start to wonder just how valuable that item is. For instance, if you can slash your prices to 50% on a particular handbag design, only to jack the prices back up two days later, anyone who encountered the lower price will forever more believe that’s what your product is worth. 

If you can’t show that your products are worth the price tag, then you haven’t done your job. Discounting just to get those items out the door will only confirm to consumers that your products were never as valuable as you said they were.

Bad First Impression

Once you’ve tanked your own prices, there’s no going back. You may not lose all those customers who made a purchase at the lower price, but they won’t buy again until you have another sale. Anyone who wasn’t swayed by your lower prices the first time may keep an eye out for special deals, but they certainly won’t be fool enough to pay full price once the specials are over.

If no one’s buying until you lower your prices, then you might as well set the prices lower to begin with. But if you start with lower prices, what will you do when it’s time to run promotional deals?

Poor Substitute for Service

If you’re counting on lower prices or discounts on future purchases to keep your customers happy, then you’re missing a big piece of the ecommerce puzzle. Service after the sale is what makes a buyer loyal to your brand. The problem with running promotions all the time is that you’re too busy counting conversions to worry about who needs your help.

Instead of constantly slashing your prices, spend some time with your buyers. Provide the information they need to make their choices, and guide them toward smart purchasing decisions. They’ll return next time, full price in hand, and ready to make their next purchase. 

Breeding Mistrust

So, yeah, you’ve gotten quite a few new customers through the door with your big price cut. Those buyers may hang around for the next time you lower your prices, so you’re cool there. Maybe you’ll catch a few more people after you raise the prices again—you know, the ones who didn’t know you offered a discount yesterday. Everything sounds great, right? 

Well, what about those customers who bought your product at full price just before you bottomed the price out? Are you willing to go back to everyone who bought at full price and offer them a refund on the difference? If you’re not, then you’re going to have some pretty angry people on your hands. No one wants to feel like a fool after buying into your full-price items, only to discover later that you don’t really think they’re worth that much after all. And that’s what you tell them when you slash your prices.

No Place for Sales and Discounting in Your Marketing?

No. But you should think wisely about how you’re using these types of promotions. If you’re only trying to get the conversion, you should be hesitant. You’ll be undercutting yourself and risk running to the bottom on discounting if you aren’t careful. If you’re hoping to build lasting relationships with your buyers, to build a brand that invokes trust and fuzzy feelings, then be careful with those promotions. There’s are smarter ways to build loyalty

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A Simple Guide to Writing a Memorable Speech [Infographic]

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You know what an “average” speech looks like. You’ve seen tens, maybe hundreds of them in your lifetime. Chances are, you’ve given a few of them yourself. They’re good, and they’re useful, but they’re not awe-inspiring.

You might also know what an amazing speech looks like – one that’s engrossing, captivating, and inspires action. These speeches grab your attention from the very beginning and imprint us with something memorable by the end. Sometimes, they feel like magic.

While a lot of credit should go to a person’s oratory skills, there are elements of great, memorable speeches we can bring into our own practice.

Want to create a truly memorable, persuasive speech of your own? Check out the infographic below from PapersMaster to learn the elements of a great topic, how to structure your speech to achieve the best response, how to construct the body to support your claim, how to prepare to give your speech, and tips for a successful delivery. (For more detailed public speaking tips, read this blog post on the science of a great TED talk.)

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