#i must plan purchases ahead and budget accordingly

[rhysnolastname]

i want to buy things

[shannondell5t]

You may want to Buy Your Retirement Home Prior to deciding to Retire

55+ living Pennsylvania

Should you be considering retiring over the following 8-10 years then you might want to get thinking about to get your retirement home! If you opt for it early there can be significant financial benefits. This is especially valid if you're considering getting a mortgage.

senior living Pennsylvania

By doing so early you will be using the actual low-interest rates at the same time! 30 yr fixed mortgages have dropped to approximately 3.4% currently. Not only are there some appealing saving options but there is considerable financial profit to putting money towards your retirement home as long as you're still employed. Let's quickly dive into one of the most important reasons you should look at buying your retirement home thus far in advance.

Getting approved for the mortgage

As soon as your loan application has evaluated your debt-income ratio might be a very important part of that evaluation. This ratio will obviously be in an improved position while you're employed. Meaning, you will have little difficulty obtaining your mortgage whilst you have a trusted income.

In case you waited to try to get the mortgage until you retired, it will be possible that you're going to minimize the size of the money you could potentially sign up for. Also, you can start chipping away at that mortgage in advance and take a reduced amount of your allotted retirement income from your pockets. Essentially, you're getting well prior to the overall financial impact a home financing might have.

Renovations

Itrrrs likely that when you finally pick your retirement home you will be trying to make some improvements. Should you be buying a newly built home or building your house in the beginning however, you can ignore it.

It's definitely a smart idea to set your afford the renovations you might have in your mind when thinking about buying your retirement home. Referring back to the 1st point made about securing your mortgage early. It is also extremely helpful to experience a steady income from working full-time during the renovation process also. It's always possible to uncover an arbitrary setback this also steady income may help you take care of it accordingly.

Chipping away as well mortgage

Like I said earlier, starting to pay back your mortgage early will get you well before game after you purchase retirement home. The optimal goal is always to obviously be free of debt during retirement. For that very reason, some might decide to rent whenever they retire. However, if you are choosing to turned into a homeowner, the earlier you can start paying off that mortgage the greater!

Not merely are you getting ahead of the game initially when you buy your retirement home, however, you might make additional payments as well. Getting ahead 8-10 years on that mortgage is one area but being capable of possibly afford additional payments while you are employed? You may reduce your mortgage to a 15-year mortgage when you need to move around in.

Long term plans

Budgeting your bills for retirement and to get your retirement home, may be rather unpredictable. However, if you already have your retirement home put aside you can aquire a very good thought of what it really will cost from month to month to call home there. So owning your house in advance provides you with many years of planning with regards to financial allocation.

Your portfolio

Finances willing, if you're able to carry two mortgages simultaneously as soon as you get your retirement home, there is a chance to rent the home those 8-10 years before you decide to genuinely wish to move in. Essentially allowing tenants to pay the price of the mortgage if you are waiting to retire. Or you could allow you to ultimately retire early through the use of the additional income from the potential tenants.

Additionally, you must investigate the potential tax important things about so that it is accommodations property. There are a number of advantages to renting from the additional property as soon as you get your retirement home, prior to deciding to actually choose to move around in.

In case you have any longer questions regarding buying your retirement home, feel free to ask! Your retirement ought to be helped by careful planning. Residing in comfort financially must be a very manageable task for that you accomplish.

[55livingaudubon3-blog]

You may want to Get your Retirement Home Prior to deciding to Retire

55+ living Audubon

Should you be considering retiring over the following 8-10 years you very well may desire to start thinking about to purchase your retirement home! If you opt for it early there might be significant financial benefits. This runs specifically true if you intend on receiving a mortgage.

By doing this early you'll be taking advantage of the actual low-interest rates at the same time! 30 year fixed mortgages have dropped to approximately 3.4% currently. Not only are there some appealing saving options however, there is considerable financial profit to putting money towards your retirement home if you are still employed. Let's quickly dive into many of the most important reasons you should consider buying your retirement home thus far beforehand.

senior living Pennsylvania

Getting approved for the mortgage

Whenever your loan application is being evaluated your debt-income ratio would have been a essential part of that evaluation. This ratio will obviously have a much better position if you are employed. Which suggests, you have an easier time trying to get your mortgage while you still need a reliable income.

Should you waited to get the mortgage before you retired, it is possible that you will minimize how big is the borrowed funds you might apply for. Also, you could start chipping away during this mortgage in advance and take a reduced amount of your allotted retirement income out of your pockets. Essentially, you're getting well in front of the overall financial impact home financing may have.

Renovations

Itrrrs likely that when you finally pick your retirement home you will end up seeking to have improvements. If you're investing in a newly built home or building your home from your ground up however, you are able to ignore this section.

It's definitely recommended that you set your cover the renovations you might have planned when planning to buy your retirement home. Referring returning to the initial point made about securing your mortgage early. It is also very helpful to possess a steady income from working full-time in the renovation process also. It is usually simple to uncover an arbitrary setback and also this steady income can assist you handle it accordingly.

Chipping away at this mortgage

Like I said earlier, starting to pay back your mortgage early will placed you well ahead of the game after you get your retirement home. The ideal goal would be to obviously be out of debt during retirement. For that very reason, some might elect to rent whenever they retire. However, in case you are opting to be a homeowner, the sooner you can start reducing that mortgage better!

Not simply are you getting ahead of the game initially when you buy your retirement home, however you may make additional payments also. Getting ahead 8-10 years with that mortgage is a thing being capable of possibly afford additional payments if you are employed? You can cut your mortgage into a 15-year mortgage once you're ready move around in.

Long-term plans

Budgeting your living expenses for retirement and to buy your retirement home, may be rather unpredictable. However, should you currently have your retirement home reserve you can get a very good idea of what it really will set you back monthly to call home there. So owning your own home ahead of time gives you numerous years of planning in terms of financial allocation.

Your portfolio

Finances willing, when you can carry two mortgages at once as soon as you get your retirement home, there is an opportunity to book your home those 8-10 years before you really need to move around in. Essentially allowing tenants to hide the price of the mortgage while you are waiting to retire. Or you'll allow yourself to retire early by making use of any additional income out of your potential tenants.

Additionally, you must research the potential tax important things about rendering it accommodations property. There are numerous of benefits to renting from the additional property after you buy your retirement home, prior to deciding to actually plan to move around in.

If you have any longer questions regarding buying your retirement home, don't hesitate to ask! Your retirement needs to be treated with careful planning. Moving into comfort financially needs to be an extremely manageable job for you to definitely accomplish.

[arquiteto21-blog]

How To Select A Contractor For Your Architectural Project And What NOT To Do

I'm sure you've heard the age-old conflict of the architect and contractor not getting along. Today's society is moving towards interdisciplinary occupations, and people are getting increasingly better at working together, gradually alleviating this conflict. More design/build companies (where the contractors and architects are both working for the same company) have begun to emerge, but not all of the perceived benefits are actually beneficial. One common claim made by design build companies is that architects don't know how to build, and having in-house contractors alleviates the many issues that arise as a result. First, we have the very obvious rebuttal that you can't paint the entire profession with a broad brush stroke. Do I need to remind you to select an architect with actual experience? No? Good. Second, if you were to momentarily entertain that all architects don't know how things go together, the claim that contractors are coming to the rescue would be the case, regardless of whether the two occupations are part of one company or separate companies. I've known both architects and contractors who've owned design/build companies that went back to their respective corners. WHY? They couldn't do both the architecture and construction well, AND be profitable at the same time. Key point here: paying attention? The fact is, in our rapidly changing world, it is difficult enough to be good at one type of business, let alone two. When you have the added burden of concerning yourself with both occupations AND being profitable, the client will always lose. It is an inherent conflict of interest. Part of our duty as your architect is to protect your interests. We are your advocate and produce a contract set of documents (your construction drawings are actually appropriately called "contract documents") to depict your wishes, with which you agree on a price with a contractor. If the person writing your contract and the person executing it are under one roof, it would be like allowing your insurance company to determine which medicine you take... Oh wait... they do. I love that. Don't you?

A good contractor is worth his or her weight in gold. It takes years of experience and a creative, yet pragmatic thinker, to foresee challenges coming down the pipeline, and act accordingly amongst the many trades and details involved. I have the utmost respect for good contractors and enjoy working with them. When selecting a contractor, you should call around and chat briefly with as many as you can to get a feel for their personality and the world in which you are about to embark. I'm sure you've found some random articles online like, "The 5 questions you need to ask contractors", or "The 3 things you need to look out for when selecting a contractor". If not, you should go find some, as there are millions of them, and most of them are helpful. I want to focus on something else here. his explanation Projetos de Arquitetura

There are a wide range of contractors who will provide you with a lovely array of estimates for the same amount of work, and you need to know how to make sense of it all. Take a step back and look at the big picture. You have your low, medium and high contractors to choose from. You need to begin by asking yourself what level of service you are expecting. If you want super creative, unique, custom details, built with the highest level of craftsmanship, don't expect the low to medium priced contractors to do it. I'm guessing many of them could, if given unlimited time and budget, but their low or medium priced estimate indicates that isn't what they are planning for your project. If you are just looking for a straightforward and comfortable home requiring less specialized talents, then maybe you do want to work with a contractor who costs less, but consider the following. Most contractors purchase their materials from the same places and use similar sub-contractors that, in order to be competitive, need to charge competitive (i.e. similar) rates. As a result, many times the reason Contractor A's estimate is so much lower than Contractor B's and C's isn't because they have the inside track on super cheap labor and materials, right? And even if they did, my guess is they would still charge you the going rate and keep the profit for themselves. Granted, I'm sure some people are better at working at a more rapid pace than others, but most likely it will take the same amount of time to frame your kitchen regardless of who does it. Taking all of that into consideration, it becomes clear that your project is going to cost a certain price regardless of who does it. The differences is whether you will know about the additional costs ahead of time (in a detailed estimate) or after the fact (via change orders). I am not implying that low-cost contractors are being dishonest. They are human. Everyone likes to tell people what they want to hear, and everyone likes to make a profit.

However, if you are a numbers kind of person, one of the only black and white figures you can easily compare is how much each contractor marks up his or her products and services. I've seen percentages ranging from 10-20%, and you can typically find this in a lump sum clearly spelled out at the end of the estimate. Outside of that, the demo still needs to be hauled away, the finishes still need to be added, and the building still needs to be enclosed. If one bid includes demo but doesn't include the hauling and dump fees, creating a visibly cheaper estimate, do you think that the contractor is just going to flip the bill for that out of his or her own good will? No, you will. Surprise! Don't select your contractor based on who has the lowest bid, as many times all it means is that it is lacking things the other contractors have included.

Contemplate these ideas instead.

• Ask him or her the "5 questions" that you found online and make sure your personalities match.

• Ask yourself if you felt like your concerns were being heard during your meeting.

• How responsive are they?

• CHECK REFERENCES! I hope I don't have to beat this key point to death for you to understand how incredibly important it is.

• Was the estimate provided in a timely manner? 2 weeks is average, 3 is the max unless it is a really complicated project.

• Is the estimate easy to read? Why is this important? This is what your invoices are going to look like. Is it organized? Can you understand it?

• You must, without exception, sign off in writing on all changes to the contract documents PRIOR to the work being done. Ask if this is standard practice for them, and if it isn't, let them know this is a deal breaker for you.

• Although I recommend initially chatting with many contractors, I would only ask 2 or 3 for estimates. Any good contractor will take a lot of time to put together a detailed estimate, and any more than 3, in my opinion, isn't necessary to get an accurate feel for the cost of your project. Respect their time, and give them a fair shot at being awarded the contract.

[preventmoneycoupon-blog]

Save More with Discount Promo Codes And Coupon Codes For UK

Coupon Codes US Also helps in building branding customer and image loyalty, though Coupons have already become sophisticated marketing tools, which not only drives sales. Coupon campaigns are also a source of tracking data for CRM used to build and continuously improve the marketing efforts in general, by using a modern infrastructure.

Do you really need them? The answer then is lower than your small business model, market branch, and even your scale. Coupons can help almost every business size and type, if only a strategy is well thought through and planned accordingly to the current budget and clear marketing goals. How we run coupon campaigns should be similar to the way your marketing department works.

I need Coupons. How Do i need to Start?

After selecting a coupon provider, you have to plan your strategy ahead. In the beginning, run small campaigns with diversified parameters, including discount value and typeduration and type, discounted products, etc. Essential to succeed and advance is tracking the performance of the single campaign and coupon you launch. You must be patient and conscious that it will take time and numerous experiments to find out the things that work perfect for your company.

Quick Tip: Start from choosing one product and run 3-4 coupon campaigns from time to time with different discount types and values if you run a small business. Results will disclose which in the discounts perform best.

How to Create Coupons That really work.

Design: find using eyes, so coupon design needs to catch attention. Coupon Codes UK There isn't any place for spelling mistakes or poor graphics. If you don’t have an idea or resources, consider employing a professional who can design a coupon project for you that you can later modify for future campaigns.

Expiration Date: always provide Coupons with an expiration date to shield your financial budget and the offer attractive. It is already proven that consumers find promotions far more appealing if they are offered within a short time frame.

Concise and clear Message: less is more here. Too complicated promotion rules or a lot of text to see will instantly discourage potential consumers from utilizing the coupon.

What's equally important to make a coupon deal relevant is always to know what sort of products/services your customer purchased. By way of example, there is absolutely no part of offering another winter coat to a customer immediately after she purchased one. You can find things you can get daily, along with other goods that are simply needed every so often. Third ,, your coupon marketing must operate with more sophisticated algorithms and personalize offers in diversified ways.

Check out   -  http://preventmoney.com/

[zeencox-blog]

10 Social Media Marketing Trends to Watch Out for in 2019

Never before was a generation so virtually active than the one thriving at present. According to Statistics report, the estimated headcount of social media users around the globe is expected to rise up to 2.77 billion this very year. What does this fact show you? That the future is all about increased interactivity and co-creation.

The world of social media is constantly evolving. It may have started off on a small footing, but it has grown to become a gargantuan entity. So much so, that people now prefer consuming content by scrolling through their newsfeeds and engaging with their friends over social media channels—rather than spending their time watching TV or playing video games, as figured by Stoubos. Just observe the general lifestyle and you will find truth in this assertion.

 Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and other forums have become household names. This shows the power and influence that social media continues to have over the consumer circles. If the businesses and brands of today wish to expand their outreach and bring in more profits, then they need to plan their marketing strategies around this rising sun of social media. In other words, if you, as a digital marketer, wish to divert more traffic to your online domain, then you must dive deep within the pool of social media and catch your audience there.

However, with each passing year, social media incorporates new and exciting trends into its makeup, with the purpose of increasing the user involvement and refining the user experience. If you want to stay ahead of your social media game in 2019, then I suggest that you take note of these expert-predicted changes, and mold your marketing strategies accordingly. Some of them are quite subtle, while others can be termed as downright uproarious. In this post, I will be listing the top social media marketing trends which you need to watch out for in this dawning year. Check them out below.

1.  Live Video Content

You cannot exist in two places at one time, can you? No. However, with Facebook Live, you can. Yes, this ground-breaking video-push feature allows you to enjoy a rock concert while attending a business meeting simultaneously. All you have to do is gain access to a “going live” feed and you will be able to experience an ongoing performance in all its rawness, and be a part of ‘the moment’. According to Social Media Today, around 3.5 billion live videos have been broadcasted on Facebook up till now, and the trend is not about to stop in this present year. You will be seeing many brand awareness campaigns meted out through this “going live” feature, primarily due to its authentic and personalized appeal for the audiences. So, do include this marketing technique in your 2019 plan.

2.  AI-Driven Service

Artificial Intelligence or AI is the beacon of a technologically-rich future. It has already made quite an impact in the form of facial-recognition, voice-control or some such wonders across different spheres of society. Nevertheless, 2019 promises to show an even brighter picture of this advanced tech, especially in the domain of social media. Yes, this year, you can be sure to find an enhanced customer personalization, creative ad optimization and an efficient AI chatbot utilization meted out by businesses and brands on social media channels. This integration of AI into Facebook, Instagram, and alike platforms is expected to refine the way marketers meet their consumers’ expectations. Some of the most famous experts have predicted that by 2020, more than 80% of customer service queries and other commercial interactions will be sustained via powerful AI bots.

3.  Mega-Influencers

As per Jordan French, 2019 will be the year in which we will get to see an exponential rise in the presence of mega-influencers. You might have already heard of the term ‘micro-influencers’ in your digital marketing circles. These are the individuals with 5000+ user following on a social media channel, who manage to obtain a relative authority over a particular niche. In other words, their say molds the say of the general audience as regards a certain topic. Now, however, you will find people, who’ve been deemed too important for social media marketing, making headway as major or mega-influencers, like the Obama-Netflix collab in 2018. Digital marketers can get a hold of these high-profile celebrities and get a word out about their brand through them.

4.  User-Generated Content

The buying process has changed significantly since the days of brick and mortar. Nowadays, people do not simply pick up a product and purchase it right away. No, they carry out elaborate research before reaching a buying decision. This research primarily includes looking up secret discounts, comparing product prices across brands, and reading up testimonials that other customers have left after trial-and-error. These user-generated reviews and referrals really contribute to the creation of a brand’s image in the eyes of the general audience. You will experience advancement in this testimonial trend in 2019, especially over the social media channels. From a digital marketing perspective, I’d suggest you to use this UG content to promote your brand, via sharing contests and hashtag shout-outs.

5.  LinkedIn Business Profiles

Having 590 million active users as of last year, LinkedIn is considered as an ideal digital platform for entrepreneurs. Why? Because it offers easy access to serious professional circles across various domains. However, it is not as popular as those colorful, trendy and entertainment-filled channels like Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook etc. 2019 seeks to change that. Yes, if you have a proper LinkedIn business profile this year, you can be sure to see a new dimension of traffic headed your way. According to Stoubos, these profiles will emulate some of the top features of Facebook landing pages, like prominent payment getaways and links to mini sites etc. and improve them too. So, if you don’t have a LinkedIn business page, it’s the perfect time to make one over your amazing Charter Spectrum internet connection.

6.  Smtv and Vertical Video

According to comScore, an average internet user spends about 69% of his/her total media time on his/her smartphone. In addition, this parentage is only expected to elevate in the coming years with the introduction of social media television. Digital marketers need to cater to this smtv trend, which brings ‘vertical video’ to the horizon of 2019. You might have already come across IGTV (Instagram TV)—user-friendly, mobile-first and wildly popular among the current generations. Keeping this in mind, I would recommend you to allocate some budget for making promotional video content flexible enough to fit different formats across multiple platforms.

7.  Ephemeral/In the Moment Content

Although the ‘stories’ culture became popular with Snapchat, it has since then left the primary channel to spread across other social media forums, like Instagram and more recently, Facebook. Now, users, especially late Millennial and Generation Z-ers, are more interested in engaging with short-lived, in-the-moment and mobile-captured content that is relatable and easily-shareable. According to Entrepreneur, around 200 million Instagrammers use Stories each month. Digital marketers should definitely take this ‘stories’ trend into account in 2019, and create personalized promotional narratives which reel the audience in.

8.  Real-Time Response

Every business entrepreneur knows that customer satisfaction is the key to monetary success. If your clientele is not pleased with you, you cannot possibly hope to retain a place in the competitive market of the future. One of the ways you can reach the core of customer concerns is by establishing a link with them on the social media platform of your choice. 2019 is expected to bring ‘real value’ to producer-consumer relationship via a more ready inculcation of real-time response (RTR) in social media. In short, you will see brand managers giving instantaneous replies to people’s queries or grievances, left in the form of comments or private messages on Facebook and Twitter etc. This trend is hoped to aid in better brand perception, increase customer service, and promote the personalization.

9.  Transparency of Social Data

Some of the most sinister data breaches came to the surface only last year. These security compromises have significantly shaken the trust of people in social media. According to Edelman’s Barometer, more than 60% of its respondents were found to lose faith in social media enterprises in 2018. In addition, as per Ponemon’s research, Facebook got the hardest-hit out of all. However, 2019 comes with a data transparency promise unlike you’ve ever seen before. In other words, this year you will be able to experience quality engagement on social media platforms which is based on increased consumer involvement and co-creation. People will finally see how their private and confidential data is being handled by these social enterprises. This trend will do away with much of mistrust that built up last year.

10.   Music-Curation

If anything is more viral these days on social media platforms, it is those Tik-Tok videos. The well-received app hosts a whole library of curated music, which the users enact in their mobile-shot videos. This content is then shared like wildfire on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, promoting the integration of social media and the world of music. You, as a digital marketer, can use this trend to your advantage, especially if you mean to target the younger demographic. Use this music app-social media collaboration to raise brand awareness.

In conclusion, if you want to supersede and outlast the tough commercial competition in the market, then do pay heed to the aforementioned social media marketing trends that are expected to surface in 2019.

[christmasassistancehelp]

Tree of Happiness: How to get the most out of your holiday season without breaking the bank

December is the month of love and light, but it can be expensive to get all the things you want for your loved ones. You may be thinking, “I don’t have time for this! I need to hit the mall and buy everything!” But if you follow these tips, you can turn your holiday season into a beautiful tree of happiness without breaking the bank.

How to Enjoy the Season without Spending a fortune.

One of the benefits of spending no money on your holiday season is that you can enjoy the season without breaking the bank. Here are three ways to achieve this:

1. Go with a group and buy tickets in advance. This will save you money on transportation, as well asuddle up in a warm bed at night together.

2. Use a travel agent to get pre-booked flights and hotels ahead of time. This will save you money on both the flight and hotel costs, as well as any added extras like meals or luggage fees.

3. Enjoy the season without spending any money at all! There are many great ways to enjoy the holidays without spending a dime, so find what works best for you and go for it!

How to Get the Most out of Your Holiday Season.

There are a number of places to enjoy the holiday season, but it’s important to find the right one for you. Factors to consider include what kind of holiday you’d like to experience (Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc.), where you would like to stay during the season, and your budget.

Know What to Expect When You're in the Season

When you're in the holiday season, it's important to be prepared for everything from traffic congestion and long lines at busy tourist destinations to extreme cold and heavy snow. Be aware of what to expect and plan accordingly.

Make the Most of Your Holiday Season

By taking advantage of all the opportunities that holidays provide, you can make the most of your vacation by enjoying all that New England has to offer. From exploringurdenoads National Historic Site—a must-do if you're in Boston—to dining out at top restaurants like The Ritz-Carlton or The Benares, there are plenty of choices available without breaking the bank.

Find the Right Holiday Gifts

If you want to give your loved ones a gift that will make them happy this year, think about gifting something special like tickets or lodging vouchers for an event or tour they'll love. Alternatively, some people prefer purchasing items directly rather than giving them away as a gift; this can be done through online stores or even phone app platforms like Airbnb or TripAdvisor."

Tips for Enjoying the Season without Spending a fortune.

One of the best ways to enjoy the holiday season without breaking the bank is by using the right tools. If you have a budget, consider using common sense and using gifts that are specific to your interests or needs. For example, if you’re looking for a new book to read during the holidays, buy one specifically for the season. Or if you want to decorate your home withholiday-themed items, purchase them before the holiday season even begins!

Live in the Now and Enjoy the Season

Another great way to spend less while enjoying the holidays is by living in the now. Don’t plan too much in advance and instead focus on enjoying each moment as it comes. By living in the present, you won’t be pulled away from your vacation plan or distracted by thoughts of money worries. Instead, let go of all worries and enjoy each day as it comes.

Have Fun and Enjoy the Season

Last but not least, try to have fun while on vacation! This means don’t overdo it on activities or work yourself into exhaustion – just relax and enjoy yourself!By staying active and having some fun during your vacation days, you can help reduce stress and make sure you have a great time – without breakingthe bank!

Conclusion

Enjoying the holidays without spending a fortune is possible. By knowing what to expect and making the most of your holiday season, you can have a great time without breaking the bank. Stay safe during the holiday season and enjoy yourself!

[xpressairporttransfer]

Get The Travel Info From The Pros That Will Help You

When you take time to create a good travel plan, it really does pay off. You have saved a lot of money by planning out things like transportation, so that you can enjoy your vacation with a little extra cash in your pocket. Like with any plan, you can always add and improve. Below are some tips to help airport transfer heathrow

If you have the time, travel by car instead of flying. Driving through the states is a wonderful way to see the country. You will pass by quaint towns and attractions that are often overlooked by tourists. Traveling by car offers you more flexibility in case you need to change your itinerary at the last minute.

Go to the online visitors bureau of the city you are planning to visit during your trip. They will have lots of information on where to stay, eat, and what kind of entertainment options you will have, as well as special events that may be going on while you will be in town.

If you will be out of town for a few days or more, consider having someone you know drive by your house occasionally to make sure that everything looks okay. You may also want them to go inside and turn lights on at night. This will let anyone watching know that the house is being cared for.

If you are traveling with a group, be sure to book in advance. Booking in advance will make it more likely that your group will be seated together. If you are traveling with children, you certainly do not want to leave seating arrangements to chance. Book early and confirm your seating arrangement.

To plan the best trip possible, select your accommodations well ahead of time. Make price comparisons for several of your chosen type of lodgings and budget enough money to pay for your favorite. Then if your first choice is not available, you'll have at least two alternatives from which to choose.

One of the must haves that I would suggest anyone take on a trip is baby wipes. They can be used to a variety of different ways and are perfect for on the go. You can purchase them in little packs so they can easily slip into a backpack.

Try using a racing belt to thwart pickpockets. Getting robbed can ruin your entire vacation. To lessen the chances of this happening, consider investing in the storage belts racers use to store their keys, money, and such. This will keep your valuables close to your body where they are less likely to be stolen.

Lost luggage is common when traveling, so prepare beforehand by packing some essentials in your carry-on luggage. A change of underclothes, one outfit and a bathing suit enable you to carry on with most of your plans while you wait for your luggage to be located. To cover all bases, buy travel insurance that covers your luggage whether it is lost, stolen or damaged.

Prebook your parking at the airport if you plan to leave your car there. It is typically more expensive to just ride into the lot and park. If you live near the airport, you are probably better off calling a cab than putting your car in airport storage.

While traveling, request peppermint tea or bring some along for your own use. Pack along some peppermint lozenges or candies. Peppermint is soothing and can help settle an upset stomach due to new culinary delights or motion sickness. In a pinch, it can also act as a breath freshener if you are caught out in the wild without a toothbrush or run out of toothpaste britannia cars taxi

No matter where you travel, weather watching is key. Take time when planning your trip to examine the normal weather conditions for the time you are visiting. Knowing this allows you to pack properly and plan accordingly. Checking constantly will allow you to alter your plans, if necessary, due to sudden changes in forecast.

If you are traveling with small children, plan breaks every couple hours. You can go to the bathroom and get some exercise for a few minutes. Letting small kids get out once in a while will help stave off motion sickness. This will help everyone to stay happy on your trip.

Look into restaurants in the area that you are going to be vacationing in. You can gather very useful information about the different places to eat through online travel sites where others who have dined there leave very helpful reviews that can save you time and money by avoiding the places with bad reviews.

When traveling abroad, keep your medications in their original bottles. Carry copies of prescriptions as well for verification. Ask your doctor for notes pertaining to any narcotics your medicines may have to show your particular need for them. It is also wise to carry a list of generic names for your medications in case the standard is not available at your destination.

When you decide to travel and want to make the most out of your time away from home, spend time now doing your research. Get a feel for what you are going to want to do at your destination. Make your reservations and dinner plans ahead of time to minimize hassle.

Pack a collapsible cooler to use on your travels. Inexpensive but incredibly useful, collapsible coolers take up very little room in your suitcase and are ideal for allowing you to have a picnic on your vacation. Not only do they save you money, but they can also be used to hold your dirty clothes when you are ready to return home.

Tip generously to those who deserve it. When you get on the ship, give your steward $20. For the time you are on the ship, it's likely you'll continue having the same crew. By being generous, they should take good care of you.

You have the research, the plan, and are now ready to apply them all to a great and well-thought out trip. Fabulous! The above tips were constructed to add to your personal travel plan, as you are never done improving it. You may have even found something new to experience on your next trip.

[mariamackayxjok]

Home Gym Equipment For Your Fitness Room

Working out of residence allows them to do fitness exercises whenever their schedule enables, instead of having to function around the gym hrs. An additional benefit of having your very own physical fitness tools is the truth that it sets you back much less contrasted to visit the health club, enrolling in fitness courses while or hiring physical instructors and fitness trainers. It is essential to make a decision on the appropriate tools to buy before anything else. There are different types of house workout. Some may select to have lots of cardio workouts. Individuals that favor to have more cardio workouts in their exercise program can considerably profit from treadmills, stationery bike, and cross-trainers. In instances in which the objective of the exercise is to construct and tone muscular tissues, exercising weights or weightlifting devices are suggested. Before choosing to get health and fitness equipments, it is necessary that the individual understands the value of being dedicated to the work out program. Having previous experience with the type of health club equipment can be of wonderful assistance given that being interested as well as dedicated to a certain task may assist one accomplish the desired results. Setting a budget ought to belong to the preparation when choosing to have house health and fitness equipment. It must be born in mind that tools need not to be that pricey. Nonetheless, the top quality of the materials need to not be compromised in terms of its price. There are great deals of gym tools alternatives that are not that expensive however been available in top quality as well as longevity. Medicine ball, resistance bands, and also a few collections of dumbbells are suggested for beginners that desire to exercise in your home. Exactly how much space you contend house should also be considered prior to picking what residence physical fitness tools to acquire. An additional vital thing to keep in mind when choosing health club devices is to assess one's very own passions first. House exercises need to be something that a specific delights in doing so that he or she can constantly locate time to do the exercises planned. Being healthy and also preserving desirable weight can be healthy and enjoyable at the very same time. Adhering to a fitness-training program rises work out consistency and raises your chances of reaching your desired results. By consisting of sensible objectives right into your program, you permit on your own to have realistic assumptions on what you can attain, stopping you from getting averted and also unmotivated by too expensive expectations. Stopping working to achieve commitment generally goes in hand with absence of inspirations as well as castle in the airs. Dedication is a mental task. Keep advising yourself about your goals and also act accordingly, the outcomes will comply with. 2. Get a training friend. The hardest component following a training program is keeping to the exercise timetable. It is really easy ahead up with excuses to avoid the daily regimen. By obtaining a training friend you can inspire each other in various means. It is specifically valuable as a support group. When one is really feeling uninspired the various other will certainly press the various other as well as maintain both committed to the program. The fundamental part is discovering a training pal that is equally motivated. Until! Up until what? Till they achieve the job or until they die! Begin today welcoming the ant concept throughout your own trip. Remain to execute these day-to-day routines "until" you succeed! Failure is not an option! This behavior will certainly do more for your top body stamina than any type of various other workout. Your whole top body will certainly be stimulated during this motion. Currently make a decision when you are going to press the floor. It does not matter as long you are constant with this task. Begin by doing as numerous as you can and afterwards add a few even more repetitions as often as you can. Keep your arms near your body and your back right. Touch your breast to the floor and also push your body back to the starting position. Pretty simple ... I began doing power sprints a couple of years ago with wonderful results. Essentially ... I was taking a stroll one morning and also chose I would certainly do some added sprints after the stroll. This is because the equipments vary in their factors of impacts on the body. Aerobics for example will certainly extend the body parts while others will help in bodybuilding. One ought to never most likely to make a purchase if they are uncertain of it is almost all of effect on the body. Space is equally vital. If a person wishes to buy a device to be made use of in your home, take into consideration schedule of space to maintain it. These gadgets can be found in a range of sizes. As a result, it depends on you to decide a proper size for you. Do deny a big gadget yet there is no adequate room to shop or maintain it. An additional essential consideration is your budget. Do not go for really costly gizmos due to the fact that one may not be in a setting to pay for them. Therefore, allow your budget plan estimates overview an individual in this procedure. However, do not jeopardized on top quality by acquiring reduced high quality for inexpensive items. In order to lose that pound of excess fats from the body, or to achieve that wonderful body that a person has constantly preferred requires workout. Comfortable workout is the main factor. If one does exercise in a worried condition, it can not potentially work. One need to for that reason get the right equipment by depending on health and fitness tools repair work UK has and exercise just right to accomplish their goal. Because the customers still have personal fitness needs to be satisfied - and health and wellness objectives to get to. So, it's very most likely they will intend to hire another trainer when their primary fitness instructor goes on the road for an extensive quantity of time. This not likely scenario would certainly extremely seldom exercise in the real life. So, exists even such thing as a taking a trip individual trainer? Is it feasible to find a real health and fitness pro to hit the trail for special assignments? There sure is. You simply need to know where to try to find after that as well as what to anticipate in terms of having the ability to work with an excellent quality pro who can deliver the products while when driving with you. ONE: Try to contact an up and coming health and fitness writer. 2: Approach a training center proprietor who might have the ability to be opted for a number of weeks each time. THREE: Get in touch with a fitness DVD personality that may have enough schedule versatility to go on the road for extensive physical fitness jobs. Nowadays, many individuals, specifically those that have particular sort of illness, start working out for the sole objective of slimming down. When the extra pounds do not go down as quickly or as completely as they would such as, they get inhibited as well as surrender. If you take away any message regarding exercise and also particular health problems, allow it be this: Even if you do not drop weight, your investment in exercise is still paying off in reduced heart illness danger as well as better blood glucose control.Moreover, workout just makes you feel much better, both physically and also psychologically. Your energy level will increase and the endorphins launched by your brain throughout exercise will certainly improve your sense of well-being. The inspiring variables here is that you should never ever give up prior to you actually start. You owe it to yourself to maintain going.Hence, lots of people have actually already understood the significance of employing physical health and fitness for the body. Additionally, with the arrival of the Web, info pertaining to these gym is progressively dominating the Web. Take for example LA fitness.

[mollydowdqpcf]

Home Gym Equipment For Your Fitness Room

Functioning out of home enables them to do fitness workouts whenever their timetable permits, rather than needing to function around the gym hrs. One more advantage of having your own physical fitness tools is the fact that it sets you back less compared to going to the health club, enlisting in fitness courses while or working with physical instructors and also physical fitness instructors. It is essential to select the best devices to buy prior to anything else. There are various kinds of residence exercise. Some may select to have plenty of cardio workouts. Individuals that prefer to have even more cardio exercises in their exercise program can substantially take advantage of treadmills, stationery bike, and also cross-trainers. In situations in which the goal of the exercise is to build and also tone muscles, cost-free weights or weightlifting makers are recommended. Prior to choosing to get health and fitness devices, it is important that the individual understands the worth of being dedicated to the exercise program. Having previous experience with the sort of fitness center devices can be of terrific aid because being interested and devoted to a particular activity might aid one attain the preferred outcomes. Establishing a spending plan needs to belong to the preparation when deciding to have home health and fitness equipment. It ought to be remembered that devices need not to be that costly. Nevertheless, the high quality of the products must not be jeopardized in regards to its affordability. There are whole lots of fitness center tools choices that are not that expensive yet come in high top quality and sturdiness. Exercise balls, resistance bands, and a few collections of pinheads are advised for newbies that want to function out in the house. Just how much space you contend house must also be taken into consideration before choosing what home physical fitness devices to acquire. One more crucial point to keep in mind when selecting fitness center equipment is to evaluate one's very own passions first. Residence workouts must be something that a specific takes pleasure in doing so that he or she can constantly discover time to do the exercises planned. Being healthy and maintaining preferable weight can be healthy and balanced as well as fun at the same time. Following a fitness-training program rises work out uniformity and increases your opportunities of reaching your preferred results. By consisting of sensible objectives right into your program, you permit yourself to have practical assumptions on what you can achieve, preventing you from getting averted and also unmotivated by expensive expectations. Falling short to achieve commitment typically goes in hand with absence of inspirations as well as unrealistic objectives. Dedication is a mental job. Keep advising on your own regarding your goals and also act accordingly, the results will certainly adhere to. 2. Obtain a training friend. The hardest part adhering to a training program is maintaining to the workout timetable. It is really simple ahead up with excuses to skip the day-to-day regimen. By getting a training friend you can inspire each other in different means. It is especially beneficial as an assistance system. When one is really feeling uninspired the other will push the various other and also maintain both dedicated to the program. The essential part is locating a training buddy that is equally motivated. Till! Up until what? Until they complete the job or till they die! Start today accepting the ant concept throughout your own trip. Continue to carry out these daily practices "up until" you succeed! Failing is not an option! This routine will certainly do even more for your upper body strength than any type of other workout. Your entire top body will be stimulated throughout this motion. Currently choose when you are mosting likely to push the flooring. It matters not as long you are regular with this activity. Begin by doing as many as you can as well as then include a few more repetitions as commonly as you can. Maintain your arms near your body and your back straight. Touch your breast to the floor and also push your body back to the beginning position. Pretty easy ... I began doing power sprints a couple of years ago with terrific results. Generally ... I was taking a stroll one morning and determined I would do some additional sprints after the stroll. This is due to the fact that the devices differ in their factors of effects on the body. Aerobics for circumstances will stretch the body components while others will certainly assist in bodybuilding. One should never go to purchase if they are unsure of it is major component of impact on the body. Room is equally vital. If a person desires to buy a machine to be utilized in the house, take into consideration availability of space to keep it. These tools come in a selection of sizes. For that reason, it depends on you to decide a suitable size for you. Do deny a huge tool yet there is no sufficient space to store or maintain it. An additional important consideration is your budget. Do not go for extremely costly gadgets due to the fact that one might not be in a placement to pay for them. Therefore, let your spending plan estimates guide a person in this procedure. Nonetheless, do not compromised on high quality by purchasing reduced high quality for low-cost products. In order to lose that extra pound of excess fats from the body, or to accomplish that terrific body that a person has actually always wanted needs workout. Comfortable workout is the main element. If one does workout in a worried problem, it can not possibly work. One must as a result obtain the best tools by relying upon physical fitness equipment fixing UK has as well as workout perfect to attain their objective. Due to the fact that the clients still have personal fitness needs to be met - as well as wellness objectives to reach. So, it's highly likely they will certainly intend to employ another teacher when their main fitness instructor goes on the road for a prolonged amount of time. This unlikely scenario would very rarely exercise in the real globe. So, exists also such point as a traveling individual fitness instructor? Is it feasible to locate a true fitness pro to hit the trail for special assignments? There certain is. You just need to recognize where to try to find then and also what to expect in terms of having the ability to hire an excellent quality pro that can perform while when traveling with you. ONE: Try to contact an up and also coming fitness writer. TWO: Come close to a training center owner that may be able to be gone for a number of weeks each time. 3: Obtain in touch with a fitness DVD individuality that might have sufficient timetable versatility to go on the roadway for prolonged health and fitness tasks. Nowadays, many individuals, specifically those that have particular type of illness, start exercising for the sole objective of reducing weight. When the pounds do not go down as promptly or as entirely as they would certainly such as, they obtain discouraged and offer up. If you remove any kind of message about workout and also certain health problems, let it be this: Also if you do not drop weight, your financial investment in workout is still settling in minimized heart problem threat and far better blood glucose control.Moreover, exercise merely makes you feel much better, both literally as well as psychologically. Your power level will increase and also the endorphins released by your mind throughout workout will improve your sense of wellness. The inspiring aspects here is that you should never surrender before you really start. You owe it to yourself to maintain going.Hence, many people have actually already recognized the value of using physical fitness for the body. Moreover, with the advent of the Net, details concerning these fitness centers is slowly controling the Web. Take for instance LA physical fitness.

[billehrman]

Sorry Warren: Active Management Is The Way To Go

If anything was proven this week it was that outperforming the markets is all about stock selection. Warren Buffett, the sage of Omaha, has decided that when he passes he wants his fortune managed by index funds. He has stated time and again that indexing will outperform active management over any reasonable time frame. To back up his beliefs, he has placed numerous bets along these lines and won. Well, why doesn’t he do it himself? The answer is that he and his team at Berkshire Hathaway can outperform the indices and he has been doing so successfully over his lifetime.

We returned to managing money a few years ago when the hedge fund sector was under tremendous pressure for having under-performed for so many years. We did so to make a point. We were out to show that a well-managed global hedge fund could still outperform all indices as we have successfully done over our 40-year career - much like Warren who I know and deeply respect.

Paix et Prospérité has outperformed all indices by a mile and the hedge fund index by many, many times.  It all comes down to management! Not all managers are alike. In fact, the first decision that I have to make when considering an investment in a company is the caliber of the management. I have said many times that bad management can screw up a great business and good management can succeed at all times when most can’t.

AI (artificial intelligence) cannot replace people as investing requires that we look through that proverbial windshield rather than the rear view mirror. AI has history and predictive algorithms. Good managers have history, evidence-based principles that inform forward-looking strategy, and a healthy dose of intuition which never hurts.

If you did not notice, the OTC market significantly outperformed the S&P and DJIA last week as several of the big tech names, GOOG, INTC and MSFT as well as AMZN, reported great numbers and took off on Friday. The mundane traditional sectors like box retailers on the NYSE got killed as JCP came out with an announcement of horrible earnings. Most of the disruptors with a great future are on the OTC while the more traditional companies are on the NYSE.

What if CVS and Aetna merge? Do you know why this is potentially happening? It is their fear that Amazon will enter the drug distribution business. Disruptors are everywhere causing well-established old-line businesses to turn upside down, inside out and potentially out of business. Just ask Sears! And why do you think that the broadcasters/newspapers are having difficulty? Netflix and Facebook, and other disruptors, are besieging their advertising business where they make the bulk of their profit. Can passive management and AI forecast the demise of these businesses while simultaneously anointing the new winners? That is what a successful active global hedge fund manager can do as these new trends emerge globally.

The backdrop for the global stock markets remains excellent: global economic growth is clearly accelerating without inflationary pressures; monetary authorities remain very accommodative although some plan to reduce, but not eliminate, their stimulus down the road; interest rates remain ridiculously low for this stage in an economic recovery but the global yield curve is steepening which is good for financials; and earnings growth is better than expected in the aggregate as unit volume growth is improving while costs stay controlled. And to top it all off, the prospects for tax reform occurring this year or the beginning of next is getting more likely by the day which will boost S&P reported earnings up by around 11% overnight.

Let’s review what was reported last week to see if it supported or detracted from our economic and investment view:

1.) The United States is growing in importance in our overall global view, as it becomes the engine for accelerating growth continuing next year. We expect tax reform will be passed creating some certainty for both businesses and individuals to plan and move ahead. We were pleasantly surprised that third-quarter GNP growth grew by an above-forecast 3% as consumer spending increased by 2.4%, penalized by the hurricanes; business fixed investment rose by a robust 3.9%, net exports grew by 2.3%, government spending fell by 0.1% and core prices, excluding food and energy, increased by 1.3%. Consumer sentiment was reported on Friday and remains at a very high index at 100.7 with the index of future expectations increasing to 90.5 from 84.4 last month.

The key event of the week was the House passing the 2018 budget last Thursday. Both the House and Senate Republican leaders are aiming to pass tax reform legislation by Thanksgiving and a final bill on the President’s desk to sign by the end of the year or early 2018. Our fingers are crossed but we definitely see progress on Trump’s pro-growth, pro-business agenda. “What if” really appears to be “what will be.”

2.) I continue to believe that China offers tremendous long-term opportunities to profitably invest as long as you invest in those sectors with the wind to their back with the support of the government emphasizing the consumer and technology sectors. President Xi said that the government would focus less on the speed of economic growth and more on the quality of growth. That means that he will move to increase the standard of living for all. Excessive pollution and speculation will be reduced and financial capital ratios and liquidity will be increased so that the foundation for the future is strengthened. China issued its first U.S. dollar-denominated debt sale in 13 years priced with a yield of 2.678% or just 0.25% above comparable Treasury yields.

The next important event to monitor will be Trump’s trip to China next month. I expect many positive things to come out of their meeting especially trade-related to avoid future trade conflicts down the road.

3.) The ECB met last week and announced that its overly accommodative policy will ebb over time but not too much and not too fast. Under its new plan, the ECB will reduce its purchases to 30 billion Euros per month down from its current rate of 60 billion, keep its rates constant for now, and extend its buying to the end of 2018. “This is not tapering; it’s downsizing” Draghi said, which says it all!

The OECD raised its forecast to 2.1% growth this year slowing to 1.9% next year, which we find conservative. It’s more important to note that business investment is likely to increase by more than 7% this year, a new record, and indicative of a new spirit in the Eurozone who tend to be very conservative.

4.) It is clear that the Saudis’ want to prop up the price of crude before capitalizing and selling a piece of Aramco so it is no surprise that Saudi Arabia and Russia, a country in dire need of funds, is willing to limit oil output thru 2018. Expect the price of crude to remain artificially supported until then but as long as the price of crude stays above $50 per barrel, U.S. shale production will continue to rise.

Let’s wrap this up.

The wind remains to your back investing in global stock markets as long as the monetary authorities are creating more capital than are needed for the real economy. But neither all markets nor all industries or stocks will benefit. A successful investor must be able to fully understand what is happening in each region, both economically and politically, and how it will impact not only its own country and its people but also all others. There are clear winners and losers here and also as you need to drill down amongst industry groups and finally amongst companies. There is no way that passive or artificial intelligence can adjust to change quick enough to adjust their capital allocation, regional emphasis and industry selection to reflect such rapid change as is occurring now.

The bottom line is that wind remains at our backs so the path of least resistance for most stock markets, especially the U.S. where tax reform is on the horizon, remains up.

I was asked to comment on the emerging markets, which have outperformed this year as they have underperformed for so many years before. Most emerging market countries emphasize production over consumption so acceleration in global growth is welcome and tremendously beneficial to their companies’ earnings. It will only get stronger in 2018 but we emphasize only stocks that we can follow and monitor closely ourselves so we do not dabble in these markets. It’s tough enough following Alibaba and others, which we have owned for years.

We continue to emphasize the large money center banks like BAC, C and JPM; global industrials like EMR, GE, HON, IR, FTV, and UTX; low cost industrial commodity stocks such as BHP and RIO including U.S. low cost aluminum and steel companies such as AA and NUE; technology at a fair price such as CSCO, MSFT, NVDA and ORCL special situations such as DWDP, FMC, HUN and PX and others.

Do as Buffet does and not what he says!

So remember to review all the facts; pause, reflect and consider mindset shifts; review you capital allocation and risk controls; do independent research on each idea and...

Invest Accordingly!

Bill Ehrman Paix et Prospérité LLC

[annaxkeating]

Four SaaS Marketing Techniques (That You Might Have Overlooked)

The Software as a Service (SaaS) industry is growing at a rapid rate. According to Statista, this year its value is predicted to reach around $124.53 billion worldwide.

While growth is excellent news, it also means that your competition is getting stronger. SaaS companies need to keep up if they want to stand out, and one of the best ways to stay ahead is to tap into marketing practices that are sometimes overlooked by your competition.

Surprisingly, content marketing is one of the most popular marketing strategies in the wider world, but it often gets disregarded or—worse—is done haphazardly in the SaaS space. This shouldn’t be the case.

Given its efficiency at attracting new leads and nurturing existing ones, content marketing is a perfect opportunity for you to respond to your prospects’ needs in a unique way.

In this article, I’ll suggest a few types of content that are efficient in different stages of the customer journey, starting with interactive content. We’ll also focus on one SaaS marketing technique that has been somewhat forgotten in the digital sphere: direct sales.

Let’s dive in.

1. Use Interactive Content to Offer Personalized Solutions

Creating interactive content (like quizzes, surveys, polls, and calculators) is one of the best ways to attract new customers and engage them in a conversation. According to Kapost, interactive content generates twice as many conversions as passive content. And around 88% of marketers who use it say that interactive content helps them stand out from competitors.

Why? Interactive content is solution-oriented. It taps into the primary need of an average SaaS customer.

And this, in turn, enables you to learn more about your customers (about, for instance, any problems and issues they might be facing or goals they’re looking to achieve). Then you can offer them a personalized solution that will cater to their specific individual needs. After all, your software already solves a particular problem—be it organizing employees, setting up an accounting system, or helping someone lose weight.

Put simply, when you start off creating interactive content, you’ll want to think about the following questions:

Who is my customer?

What problem am I trying to solve?

Which solutions and features do I offer?

An Example of Interactive SaaS Marketing

LeadQuizzes is marketing automation software that started off as a marketing agency. After repeated success with using quizzes to build our clients’ email lists, we decided to turn quizzes into a business in its own right. And what better way to advertise quiz software than to use it to reach potential customers among the target group of professional marketers and small business owners.

With this in mind, we created a quiz that sought to address one of the most common challenges in the digital marketing world: generating leads and sales. The quiz targeted marketers and small business owners in the form of the Facebook quiz ad.

This interactive quiz offered personalized solutions for digital marketers based on their answers to a few questions.

The questions we asked focused on the potential client’s existing website traffic, budget, and marketing objectives. Here are a few examples:

How much website traffic do you receive per month?

0 – 5,000 visitors per month

5,001 – 10,000 visitors per month

10,001+ visitors per month

How many leads are you getting each month?

0 – 500 leads per month

501 – 1,000 leads per month

1,001+ leads per month

Do you offer a discount as an opt-in on your website?

Yes

No

Before they got the answers, they had to fill out an opt-in form asking for their name, email, and number. And based on the respondent’s answers, we offered personalized solutions in the form of the quiz results.

In the first quiz, results led to a Calendly page where a potential customer could schedule a consultation because the goal was to acquire as many early adopters as possible. (Today, a similar quiz on the website leads customers to the landing page that includes useful marketing tips, an industry leader’s testimonial, and an offer to sign up.)  

This is what worked for us, but if you feel that personalized results aren’t enough of an incentive for people to share their contact info, you can always use a lead magnet, such as a free ebook or discount, in combination with the quiz.

What’s the lesson here?

Based on the buyer’s needs and readiness, as well as your ultimate goal, the results can differ greatly. That’s why your landing page is a crucial detail that can make or break your user’s interactive experience. This is where your goal and their need should ideally meet.

Median conversion rates for classic PPC ads are between 3-6%, according to Unbounce’s Conversion Benchmark Report. Interactive content can double this percentage, while an effective landing page can boost it to 27%.

Using interactive content along with optimized landing pages, LeadQuizzes went on to close 189 clients in 2 years and generate $720,000 in annual revenue. But the road to that number took more than two steps.

Inevitably, however, some people who engage with your interactive content and landing page simply won’t sign up for your software. That’s life. The reasons may vary: they don’t need it at the moment, or it doesn’t entirely meet their requirements. So how do you keep them coming back?

Build and launch campaigns quickly. As Jeremy says, using landing pages in combination with interactive content can produce remarkable results. Unbounce’s drag-and-drop builder lets you create high-converting landing pages without developer bottlenecks. Read more about how we power your SaaS marketing here.

2. Use “Passive” Content to Nurture Leads

Around 70% of people who leave your website will never come back. Collecting their email addresses using interactive content is an insurance policy against this problem—and a way to stay in touch. If they’re not interested in your product, of course, they’re likely to unsubscribe. As long as they remain on your list, though, you keep the opportunity to offer them the right answer at the right time.

Having access to your potential and existing customer’s inbox is a perfect opportunity to build and nurture a good relationship. High-quality, personalized blog content enables you to assert yourself as an industry authority and a friendly partner to your customers.

But what does make a high-quality blog content? According to Single Grain, some of the most important lead nurturing content practices include:

Adjusting content to your sales funnel

Personalizing your content

Using marketing automation

Doing follow-ups

Let’s look at how each one of these practices builds upon the data you can gather using interactive content.

Adjusting content to your sales funnel

Using interactive content allows you to understand the level of customer’s buyer readiness, which dictates how “sales-y” your content should be. For example, if you sparked a customer’s interest but they didn’t purchase your product yet, you may want to use content to educate them. You can start with basic guides and 101-themed posts, and slowly build up their knowledge to more specific topics.

For example, this is the welcome email I got after I subscribed for the lead generation tool. In it, the Oxyleads team outlines our future communication:

Mia’s email here sets expectations (and reassures the recipient that they won’t get hit with spam).

It’s a good example because they’re setting the expectations in terms of the follow-up emails that are to come (so they won’t seem too spammy), while the content of those emails is expected to educate you about the tool and convince you it’s valuable enough to make a purchase.

Personalizing content

Personalization comes in different forms. It starts with basic things, like using a personalized subject line that addresses the person by name. This small detail increases your open rate by as much as 50%. It’s also important to email your leads according to their time zone and location.

But personalization also means crafting content that responds to the person’s specific needs. A small business owner and manager in a large corporation may use your software. But they probably use it differently, face separate challenges, and have different goals and benchmarks.

Here’s an example of an email I got from a content aggregation platform Zest. One of their projects is creating an algorithm that will display super personalized content for each user inside the browser. This is one part of the experiment.

Social Media Lab (from social media management software Agorapulse) provides another good example of SaaS marketing at work. They seek to educate their customers through engaging experiments. While this email is fairly rudimentary (and lacks a simple personalization tweak: my name!) its content manages to be straightforward while arousing curiosity.

Finally, here’s an amazing example from Grammarly of personalizing content in a less formal way. Every week, they inform me about my writing stats:

But apart from inspiring a sense of accomplishment with personalized insights, this email also sneaks in a call to action to upgrade my plan:

The great thing about generating leads using interactive content is that it allows you to take the guesswork out of this personalization. By asking the right questions, you can understand your target customer’s varying needs and problems, and write content accordingly.

Know a SaaS marketer who’d benefit from this advice? Share this post with your followers on Twitter.

Using marketing automation

Once your email list grows to a certain point, using automation becomes a must. Marketing automation allows you to analyze your leads’ interaction with emails and your content, and optimize them for maximum effect.

Most importantly, automation enables you to forward the right messages to the right people at the desired time, without having to waste a lot of time doing everything manually. There’s a wide variety of available marketing automation tools that can help you scale your lead qualification and nurturing efforts.

Doing follow-ups

How often you’re going to follow-up depends on your customer’s current position in the sales funnel. The “hotter” the lead, the more information they need.

For example, here’s the follow-up email I got from Oxyleads a few days after I spent my free credits:

This follow-up email from Oxyleads reminds the lead about the features they’ll gain from choosing a Professional or Premium plan.

3. Gain Credibility with White Papers and Case Studies

While white papers and case studies are one type of classical passive content, they deserve special attention in SaaS marketing. In B2B SaaS, in particular, you’re going to engage with people who are professionals in their industry. And wowing them takes more than a good ad copy or engaging blog post. They want to see credibility and authority.

White papers

White papers are used in numerous fields, but the general definition is an authoritative report that addresses certain issues and offers solutions for them. In terms of SaaS marketing, a white paper represents a theory behind your product or technology. Just like with blog posts, its main purpose is to educate customers and help them make a decision. 

A high-quality white paper typically includes:

Structure and length. While a white paper is longer than a blog post, it’s still shorter than an ebook. It has at least six pages and can take between a few weeks and a few months to write. 

Format and style. A white paper is formal, detailed, and informative, often written in an “academic” style (i.e., it shouldn’t sound like marketing, even if it is).

Good design. Even though the tone might be academic, that doesn’t mean your white paper should look like a college essay. Compelling design is a must!

The white paper’s main purpose is to assert yourself as a credible, authoritative solution and source of guidance. More than half of business-to-business marketers consider white papers effective marketing tools, and we agree. (Check out this sample of Google’s white paper for a little inspiration.)

Case studies

Case studies can also take a long time, although they are easier to assemble than a white paper. While they can be written in an informal style, and require only essential information, they still demand serious research. 

But it’s worth the hard work: case studies help convert and accelerate leads, according to Marketing Charts. A case study can give a huge boost to your credibility—people automatically feel more confident about your software if they see you are working with big brands they already know and trust.

The case study requires your client or customer to be ready to reveal their specific, detailed business strategy, show you and the rest of the world their numbers, and prove that it was your software that helped them reach great results.

But how can you produce case studies if you’re just a beginner in the industry? Apart from approaching your existing customers, it’s also possible to approach the industry leaders with fine-tuned cold outreach. But these users have to be incentivized to share their business secrets with you—whether it’s going to be a discount, free subscription, mutual marketing arrangement, etc.

Editor’s note. Seeing is believing. Here are some examples of how Unbounce uses customer stories and case studies to highlight the effectiveness of landing pages, popups, and sticky bars.

4. Use Traditional Sales (No, Really)

It’s all too easy to forget the power of 1-on-1 conversation in the world of digital solutions. But sales are a marketing technique in their own right and doing them like in “the good old days” may be just what makes your SaaS business stand out.

Of course, we’re not talking about the annoying telemarketer calls. We are talking about reaching out to the customers who are ready and highly likely to buy your product. Engaging them with each type of content we’ve mentioned so far will give you a fairly clear picture of their readiness over time.

Remember that we mentioned in the first section that LeadQuizzes led some quiz takers directly to a Calendly page? Alternatively, some were contacted after a lead nurturing email sequence. But in both cases, the phone calls were incredibly successful and the investment paid off.

Why are traditional sales so effective in SaaS?

They help you close a mutually satisfying deal. Sure, you can list all of your software’s features on the landing page. But presenting them to a client personally, explaining how each feature plays into their specific goals, is much more effective. It enables you to improve retention and reduce churn early on because you are making sure the customers get everything they need in their subscription plan.

Don’t worry that this technique will come across as aggressive—remember, this is the sales part reserved for leads who are genuinely interested in your software.

Conclusion

Making your name in the crowded SaaS world isn’t easy, but it becomes easier when you realize that your marketing strategy stems from the specific nature of your product. As you’re building software, build it with the user in mind. You want to make things simpler and more effective for them. SaaS marketing is all about communicating these thoughts to the customers.

Content marketing and direct sales are a fantastic way to truly empathize and connect with your customer. Once that happens, you build a mutually beneficial relationship in which enables you to develop your product and stay ahead.

from Digital https://unbounce.com/content-marketing/saas-marketing-techniques/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[itsjessicaisreal]

Four SaaS Marketing Techniques (That You Might Have Overlooked)

The Software as a Service (SaaS) industry is growing at a rapid rate. According to Statista, this year its value is predicted to reach around $124.53 billion worldwide.

While growth is excellent news, it also means that your competition is getting stronger. SaaS companies need to keep up if they want to stand out, and one of the best ways to stay ahead is to tap into marketing practices that are sometimes overlooked by your competition.

Surprisingly, content marketing is one of the most popular marketing strategies in the wider world, but it often gets disregarded or—worse—is done haphazardly in the SaaS space. This shouldn’t be the case.

Given its efficiency at attracting new leads and nurturing existing ones, content marketing is a perfect opportunity for you to respond to your prospects’ needs in a unique way.

In this article, I’ll suggest a few types of content that are efficient in different stages of the customer journey, starting with interactive content. We’ll also focus on one SaaS marketing technique that has been somewhat forgotten in the digital sphere: direct sales.

Let’s dive in.

1. Use Interactive Content to Offer Personalized Solutions

Creating interactive content (like quizzes, surveys, polls, and calculators) is one of the best ways to attract new customers and engage them in a conversation. According to Kapost, interactive content generates twice as many conversions as passive content. And around 88% of marketers who use it say that interactive content helps them stand out from competitors.

Why? Interactive content is solution-oriented. It taps into the primary need of an average SaaS customer.

And this, in turn, enables you to learn more about your customers (about, for instance, any problems and issues they might be facing or goals they’re looking to achieve). Then you can offer them a personalized solution that will cater to their specific individual needs. After all, your software already solves a particular problem—be it organizing employees, setting up an accounting system, or helping someone lose weight.

Put simply, when you start off creating interactive content, you’ll want to think about the following questions:

Who is my customer?

What problem am I trying to solve?

Which solutions and features do I offer?

An Example of Interactive SaaS Marketing

LeadQuizzes is marketing automation software that started off as a marketing agency. After repeated success with using quizzes to build our clients’ email lists, we decided to turn quizzes into a business in its own right. And what better way to advertise quiz software than to use it to reach potential customers among the target group of professional marketers and small business owners.

With this in mind, we created a quiz that sought to address one of the most common challenges in the digital marketing world: generating leads and sales. The quiz targeted marketers and small business owners in the form of the Facebook quiz ad.

This interactive quiz offered personalized solutions for digital marketers based on their answers to a few questions.

The questions we asked focused on the potential client’s existing website traffic, budget, and marketing objectives. Here are a few examples:

How much website traffic do you receive per month?

0 – 5,000 visitors per month

5,001 – 10,000 visitors per month

10,001+ visitors per month

How many leads are you getting each month?

0 – 500 leads per month

501 – 1,000 leads per month

1,001+ leads per month

Do you offer a discount as an opt-in on your website?

Yes

No

Before they got the answers, they had to fill out an opt-in form asking for their name, email, and number. And based on the respondent’s answers, we offered personalized solutions in the form of the quiz results.

In the first quiz, results led to a Calendly page where a potential customer could schedule a consultation because the goal was to acquire as many early adopters as possible. (Today, a similar quiz on the website leads customers to the landing page that includes useful marketing tips, an industry leader’s testimonial, and an offer to sign up.)  

This is what worked for us, but if you feel that personalized results aren’t enough of an incentive for people to share their contact info, you can always use a lead magnet, such as a free ebook or discount, in combination with the quiz.

What’s the lesson here?

Based on the buyer’s needs and readiness, as well as your ultimate goal, the results can differ greatly. That’s why your landing page is a crucial detail that can make or break your user’s interactive experience. This is where your goal and their need should ideally meet.

Median conversion rates for classic PPC ads are between 3-6%, according to Unbounce’s Conversion Benchmark Report. Interactive content can double this percentage, while an effective landing page can boost it to 27%.

Using interactive content along with optimized landing pages, LeadQuizzes went on to close 189 clients in 2 years and generate $720,000 in annual revenue. But the road to that number took more than two steps.

Inevitably, however, some people who engage with your interactive content and landing page simply won’t sign up for your software. That’s life. The reasons may vary: they don’t need it at the moment, or it doesn’t entirely meet their requirements. So how do you keep them coming back?

Build and launch campaigns quickly. As Jeremy says, using landing pages in combination with interactive content can produce remarkable results. Unbounce’s drag-and-drop builder lets you create high-converting landing pages without developer bottlenecks. Read more about how we power your SaaS marketing here.

2. Use “Passive” Content to Nurture Leads

Around 70% of people who leave your website will never come back. Collecting their email addresses using interactive content is an insurance policy against this problem—and a way to stay in touch. If they’re not interested in your product, of course, they’re likely to unsubscribe. As long as they remain on your list, though, you keep the opportunity to offer them the right answer at the right time.

Having access to your potential and existing customer’s inbox is a perfect opportunity to build and nurture a good relationship. High-quality, personalized blog content enables you to assert yourself as an industry authority and a friendly partner to your customers.

But what does make a high-quality blog content? According to Single Grain, some of the most important lead nurturing content practices include:

Adjusting content to your sales funnel

Personalizing your content

Using marketing automation

Doing follow-ups

Let’s look at how each one of these practices builds upon the data you can gather using interactive content.

Adjusting content to your sales funnel

Using interactive content allows you to understand the level of customer’s buyer readiness, which dictates how “sales-y” your content should be. For example, if you sparked a customer’s interest but they didn’t purchase your product yet, you may want to use content to educate them. You can start with basic guides and 101-themed posts, and slowly build up their knowledge to more specific topics.

For example, this is the welcome email I got after I subscribed for the lead generation tool. In it, the Oxyleads team outlines our future communication:

Mia’s email here sets expectations (and reassures the recipient that they won’t get hit with spam).

It’s a good example because they’re setting the expectations in terms of the follow-up emails that are to come (so they won’t seem too spammy), while the content of those emails is expected to educate you about the tool and convince you it’s valuable enough to make a purchase.

Personalizing content

Personalization comes in different forms. It starts with basic things, like using a personalized subject line that addresses the person by name. This small detail increases your open rate by as much as 50%. It’s also important to email your leads according to their time zone and location.

But personalization also means crafting content that responds to the person’s specific needs. A small business owner and manager in a large corporation may use your software. But they probably use it differently, face separate challenges, and have different goals and benchmarks.

Here’s an example of an email I got from a content aggregation platform Zest. One of their projects is creating an algorithm that will display super personalized content for each user inside the browser. This is one part of the experiment.

Social Media Lab (from social media management software Agorapulse) provides another good example of SaaS marketing at work. They seek to educate their customers through engaging experiments. While this email is fairly rudimentary (and lacks a simple personalization tweak: my name!) its content manages to be straightforward while arousing curiosity.

Finally, here’s an amazing example from Grammarly of personalizing content in a less formal way. Every week, they inform me about my writing stats:

But apart from inspiring a sense of accomplishment with personalized insights, this email also sneaks in a call to action to upgrade my plan:

The great thing about generating leads using interactive content is that it allows you to take the guesswork out of this personalization. By asking the right questions, you can understand your target customer’s varying needs and problems, and write content accordingly.

Know a SaaS marketer who’d benefit from this advice? Share this post with your followers on Twitter.

Using marketing automation

Once your email list grows to a certain point, using automation becomes a must. Marketing automation allows you to analyze your leads’ interaction with emails and your content, and optimize them for maximum effect.

Most importantly, automation enables you to forward the right messages to the right people at the desired time, without having to waste a lot of time doing everything manually. There’s a wide variety of available marketing automation tools that can help you scale your lead qualification and nurturing efforts.

Doing follow-ups

How often you’re going to follow-up depends on your customer’s current position in the sales funnel. The “hotter” the lead, the more information they need.

For example, here’s the follow-up email I got from Oxyleads a few days after I spent my free credits:

This follow-up email from Oxyleads reminds the lead about the features they’ll gain from choosing a Professional or Premium plan.

3. Gain Credibility with White Papers and Case Studies

While white papers and case studies are one type of classical passive content, they deserve special attention in SaaS marketing. In B2B SaaS, in particular, you’re going to engage with people who are professionals in their industry. And wowing them takes more than a good ad copy or engaging blog post. They want to see credibility and authority.

White papers

White papers are used in numerous fields, but the general definition is an authoritative report that addresses certain issues and offers solutions for them. In terms of SaaS marketing, a white paper represents a theory behind your product or technology. Just like with blog posts, its main purpose is to educate customers and help them make a decision. 

A high-quality white paper typically includes:

Structure and length. While a white paper is longer than a blog post, it’s still shorter than an ebook. It has at least six pages and can take between a few weeks and a few months to write. 

Format and style. A white paper is formal, detailed, and informative, often written in an “academic” style (i.e., it shouldn’t sound like marketing, even if it is).

Good design. Even though the tone might be academic, that doesn’t mean your white paper should look like a college essay. Compelling design is a must!

The white paper’s main purpose is to assert yourself as a credible, authoritative solution and source of guidance. More than half of business-to-business marketers consider white papers effective marketing tools, and we agree. (Check out this sample of Google’s white paper for a little inspiration.)

Case studies

Case studies can also take a long time, although they are easier to assemble than a white paper. While they can be written in an informal style, and require only essential information, they still demand serious research. 

But it’s worth the hard work: case studies help convert and accelerate leads, according to Marketing Charts. A case study can give a huge boost to your credibility—people automatically feel more confident about your software if they see you are working with big brands they already know and trust.

The case study requires your client or customer to be ready to reveal their specific, detailed business strategy, show you and the rest of the world their numbers, and prove that it was your software that helped them reach great results.

But how can you produce case studies if you’re just a beginner in the industry? Apart from approaching your existing customers, it’s also possible to approach the industry leaders with fine-tuned cold outreach. But these users have to be incentivized to share their business secrets with you—whether it’s going to be a discount, free subscription, mutual marketing arrangement, etc.

Editor’s note. Seeing is believing. Here are some examples of how Unbounce uses customer stories and case studies to highlight the effectiveness of landing pages, popups, and sticky bars.

4. Use Traditional Sales (No, Really)

It’s all too easy to forget the power of 1-on-1 conversation in the world of digital solutions. But sales are a marketing technique in their own right and doing them like in “the good old days” may be just what makes your SaaS business stand out.

Of course, we’re not talking about the annoying telemarketer calls. We are talking about reaching out to the customers who are ready and highly likely to buy your product. Engaging them with each type of content we’ve mentioned so far will give you a fairly clear picture of their readiness over time.

Remember that we mentioned in the first section that LeadQuizzes led some quiz takers directly to a Calendly page? Alternatively, some were contacted after a lead nurturing email sequence. But in both cases, the phone calls were incredibly successful and the investment paid off.

Why are traditional sales so effective in SaaS?

They help you close a mutually satisfying deal. Sure, you can list all of your software’s features on the landing page. But presenting them to a client personally, explaining how each feature plays into their specific goals, is much more effective. It enables you to improve retention and reduce churn early on because you are making sure the customers get everything they need in their subscription plan.

Don’t worry that this technique will come across as aggressive—remember, this is the sales part reserved for leads who are genuinely interested in your software.

Conclusion

Making your name in the crowded SaaS world isn’t easy, but it becomes easier when you realize that your marketing strategy stems from the specific nature of your product. As you’re building software, build it with the user in mind. You want to make things simpler and more effective for them. SaaS marketing is all about communicating these thoughts to the customers.

Content marketing and direct sales are a fantastic way to truly empathize and connect with your customer. Once that happens, you build a mutually beneficial relationship in which enables you to develop your product and stay ahead.

from Marketing https://unbounce.com/content-marketing/saas-marketing-techniques/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[josephkchoi]

Four SaaS Marketing Techniques (That You Might Have Overlooked)

The Software as a Service (SaaS) industry is growing at a rapid rate. According to Statista, this year its value is predicted to reach around $124.53 billion worldwide.

While growth is excellent news, it also means that your competition is getting stronger. SaaS companies need to keep up if they want to stand out, and one of the best ways to stay ahead is to tap into marketing practices that are sometimes overlooked by your competition.

Surprisingly, content marketing is one of the most popular marketing strategies in the wider world, but it often gets disregarded or—worse—is done haphazardly in the SaaS space. This shouldn’t be the case.

Given its efficiency at attracting new leads and nurturing existing ones, content marketing is a perfect opportunity for you to respond to your prospects’ needs in a unique way.

In this article, I’ll suggest a few types of content that are efficient in different stages of the customer journey, starting with interactive content. We’ll also focus on one SaaS marketing technique that has been somewhat forgotten in the digital sphere: direct sales.

Let’s dive in.

1. Use Interactive Content to Offer Personalized Solutions

Creating interactive content (like quizzes, surveys, polls, and calculators) is one of the best ways to attract new customers and engage them in a conversation. According to Kapost, interactive content generates twice as many conversions as passive content. And around 88% of marketers who use it say that interactive content helps them stand out from competitors.

Why? Interactive content is solution-oriented. It taps into the primary need of an average SaaS customer.

And this, in turn, enables you to learn more about your customers (about, for instance, any problems and issues they might be facing or goals they’re looking to achieve). Then you can offer them a personalized solution that will cater to their specific individual needs. After all, your software already solves a particular problem—be it organizing employees, setting up an accounting system, or helping someone lose weight.

Put simply, when you start off creating interactive content, you’ll want to think about the following questions:

Who is my customer?

What problem am I trying to solve?

Which solutions and features do I offer?

An Example of Interactive SaaS Marketing

LeadQuizzes is marketing automation software that started off as a marketing agency. After repeated success with using quizzes to build our clients’ email lists, we decided to turn quizzes into a business in its own right. And what better way to advertise quiz software than to use it to reach potential customers among the target group of professional marketers and small business owners.

With this in mind, we created a quiz that sought to address one of the most common challenges in the digital marketing world: generating leads and sales. The quiz targeted marketers and small business owners in the form of the Facebook quiz ad.

This interactive quiz offered personalized solutions for digital marketers based on their answers to a few questions.

The questions we asked focused on the potential client’s existing website traffic, budget, and marketing objectives. Here are a few examples:

How much website traffic do you receive per month?

0 – 5,000 visitors per month

5,001 – 10,000 visitors per month

10,001+ visitors per month

How many leads are you getting each month?

0 – 500 leads per month

501 – 1,000 leads per month

1,001+ leads per month

Do you offer a discount as an opt-in on your website?

Yes

No

Before they got the answers, they had to fill out an opt-in form asking for their name, email, and number. And based on the respondent’s answers, we offered personalized solutions in the form of the quiz results.

In the first quiz, results led to a Calendly page where a potential customer could schedule a consultation because the goal was to acquire as many early adopters as possible. (Today, a similar quiz on the website leads customers to the landing page that includes useful marketing tips, an industry leader’s testimonial, and an offer to sign up.)  

This is what worked for us, but if you feel that personalized results aren’t enough of an incentive for people to share their contact info, you can always use a lead magnet, such as a free ebook or discount, in combination with the quiz.

What’s the lesson here?

Based on the buyer’s needs and readiness, as well as your ultimate goal, the results can differ greatly. That’s why your landing page is a crucial detail that can make or break your user’s interactive experience. This is where your goal and their need should ideally meet.

Median conversion rates for classic PPC ads are between 3-6%, according to Unbounce’s Conversion Benchmark Report. Interactive content can double this percentage, while an effective landing page can boost it to 27%.

Using interactive content along with optimized landing pages, LeadQuizzes went on to close 189 clients in 2 years and generate $720,000 in annual revenue. But the road to that number took more than two steps.

Inevitably, however, some people who engage with your interactive content and landing page simply won’t sign up for your software. That’s life. The reasons may vary: they don’t need it at the moment, or it doesn’t entirely meet their requirements. So how do you keep them coming back?

Build and launch campaigns quickly. As Jeremy says, using landing pages in combination with interactive content can produce remarkable results. Unbounce’s drag-and-drop builder lets you create high-converting landing pages without developer bottlenecks. Read more about how we power your SaaS marketing here.

2. Use “Passive” Content to Nurture Leads

Around 70% of people who leave your website will never come back. Collecting their email addresses using interactive content is an insurance policy against this problem—and a way to stay in touch. If they’re not interested in your product, of course, they’re likely to unsubscribe. As long as they remain on your list, though, you keep the opportunity to offer them the right answer at the right time.

Having access to your potential and existing customer’s inbox is a perfect opportunity to build and nurture a good relationship. High-quality, personalized blog content enables you to assert yourself as an industry authority and a friendly partner to your customers.

But what does make a high-quality blog content? According to Single Grain, some of the most important lead nurturing content practices include:

Adjusting content to your sales funnel

Personalizing your content

Using marketing automation

Doing follow-ups

Let’s look at how each one of these practices builds upon the data you can gather using interactive content.

Adjusting content to your sales funnel

Using interactive content allows you to understand the level of customer’s buyer readiness, which dictates how “sales-y” your content should be. For example, if you sparked a customer’s interest but they didn’t purchase your product yet, you may want to use content to educate them. You can start with basic guides and 101-themed posts, and slowly build up their knowledge to more specific topics.

For example, this is the welcome email I got after I subscribed for the lead generation tool. In it, the Oxyleads team outlines our future communication:

Mia’s email here sets expectations (and reassures the recipient that they won’t get hit with spam).

It’s a good example because they’re setting the expectations in terms of the follow-up emails that are to come (so they won’t seem too spammy), while the content of those emails is expected to educate you about the tool and convince you it’s valuable enough to make a purchase.

Personalizing content

Personalization comes in different forms. It starts with basic things, like using a personalized subject line that addresses the person by name. This small detail increases your open rate by as much as 50%. It’s also important to email your leads according to their time zone and location.

But personalization also means crafting content that responds to the person’s specific needs. A small business owner and manager in a large corporation may use your software. But they probably use it differently, face separate challenges, and have different goals and benchmarks.

Here’s an example of an email I got from a content aggregation platform Zest. One of their projects is creating an algorithm that will display super personalized content for each user inside the browser. This is one part of the experiment.

Social Media Lab (from social media management software Agorapulse) provides another good example of SaaS marketing at work. They seek to educate their customers through engaging experiments. While this email is fairly rudimentary (and lacks a simple personalization tweak: my name!) its content manages to be straightforward while arousing curiosity.

Finally, here’s an amazing example from Grammarly of personalizing content in a less formal way. Every week, they inform me about my writing stats:

But apart from inspiring a sense of accomplishment with personalized insights, this email also sneaks in a call to action to upgrade my plan:

The great thing about generating leads using interactive content is that it allows you to take the guesswork out of this personalization. By asking the right questions, you can understand your target customer’s varying needs and problems, and write content accordingly.

Know a SaaS marketer who’d benefit from this advice? Share this post with your followers on Twitter.

Using marketing automation

Once your email list grows to a certain point, using automation becomes a must. Marketing automation allows you to analyze your leads’ interaction with emails and your content, and optimize them for maximum effect.

Most importantly, automation enables you to forward the right messages to the right people at the desired time, without having to waste a lot of time doing everything manually. There’s a wide variety of available marketing automation tools that can help you scale your lead qualification and nurturing efforts.

Doing follow-ups

How often you’re going to follow-up depends on your customer’s current position in the sales funnel. The “hotter” the lead, the more information they need.

For example, here’s the follow-up email I got from Oxyleads a few days after I spent my free credits:

This follow-up email from Oxyleads reminds the lead about the features they’ll gain from choosing a Professional or Premium plan.

3. Gain Credibility with White Papers and Case Studies

While white papers and case studies are one type of classical passive content, they deserve special attention in SaaS marketing. In B2B SaaS, in particular, you’re going to engage with people who are professionals in their industry. And wowing them takes more than a good ad copy or engaging blog post. They want to see credibility and authority.

White papers

White papers are used in numerous fields, but the general definition is an authoritative report that addresses certain issues and offers solutions for them. In terms of SaaS marketing, a white paper represents a theory behind your product or technology. Just like with blog posts, its main purpose is to educate customers and help them make a decision. 

A high-quality white paper typically includes:

Structure and length. While a white paper is longer than a blog post, it’s still shorter than an ebook. It has at least six pages and can take between a few weeks and a few months to write. 

Format and style. A white paper is formal, detailed, and informative, often written in an “academic” style (i.e., it shouldn’t sound like marketing, even if it is).

Good design. Even though the tone might be academic, that doesn’t mean your white paper should look like a college essay. Compelling design is a must!

The white paper’s main purpose is to assert yourself as a credible, authoritative solution and source of guidance. More than half of business-to-business marketers consider white papers effective marketing tools, and we agree. (Check out this sample of Google’s white paper for a little inspiration.)

Case studies

Case studies can also take a long time, although they are easier to assemble than a white paper. While they can be written in an informal style, and require only essential information, they still demand serious research. 

But it’s worth the hard work: case studies help convert and accelerate leads, according to Marketing Charts. A case study can give a huge boost to your credibility—people automatically feel more confident about your software if they see you are working with big brands they already know and trust.

The case study requires your client or customer to be ready to reveal their specific, detailed business strategy, show you and the rest of the world their numbers, and prove that it was your software that helped them reach great results.

But how can you produce case studies if you’re just a beginner in the industry? Apart from approaching your existing customers, it’s also possible to approach the industry leaders with fine-tuned cold outreach. But these users have to be incentivized to share their business secrets with you—whether it’s going to be a discount, free subscription, mutual marketing arrangement, etc.

Editor’s note. Seeing is believing. Here are some examples of how Unbounce uses customer stories and case studies to highlight the effectiveness of landing pages, popups, and sticky bars.

4. Use Traditional Sales (No, Really)

It’s all too easy to forget the power of 1-on-1 conversation in the world of digital solutions. But sales are a marketing technique in their own right and doing them like in “the good old days” may be just what makes your SaaS business stand out.

Of course, we’re not talking about the annoying telemarketer calls. We are talking about reaching out to the customers who are ready and highly likely to buy your product. Engaging them with each type of content we’ve mentioned so far will give you a fairly clear picture of their readiness over time.

Remember that we mentioned in the first section that LeadQuizzes led some quiz takers directly to a Calendly page? Alternatively, some were contacted after a lead nurturing email sequence. But in both cases, the phone calls were incredibly successful and the investment paid off.

Why are traditional sales so effective in SaaS?

They help you close a mutually satisfying deal. Sure, you can list all of your software’s features on the landing page. But presenting them to a client personally, explaining how each feature plays into their specific goals, is much more effective. It enables you to improve retention and reduce churn early on because you are making sure the customers get everything they need in their subscription plan.

Don’t worry that this technique will come across as aggressive—remember, this is the sales part reserved for leads who are genuinely interested in your software.

Conclusion

Making your name in the crowded SaaS world isn’t easy, but it becomes easier when you realize that your marketing strategy stems from the specific nature of your product. As you’re building software, build it with the user in mind. You want to make things simpler and more effective for them. SaaS marketing is all about communicating these thoughts to the customers.

Content marketing and direct sales are a fantastic way to truly empathize and connect with your customer. Once that happens, you build a mutually beneficial relationship in which enables you to develop your product and stay ahead.

Four SaaS Marketing Techniques (That You Might Have Overlooked) published first on https://nickpontemrktg.wordpress.com/

[jjonassevilla]

Four SaaS Marketing Techniques (That You Might Have Overlooked)

The Software as a Service (SaaS) industry is growing at a rapid rate. According to Statista, this year its value is predicted to reach around $124.53 billion worldwide.

While growth is excellent news, it also means that your competition is getting stronger. SaaS companies need to keep up if they want to stand out, and one of the best ways to stay ahead is to tap into marketing practices that are sometimes overlooked by your competition.

Surprisingly, content marketing is one of the most popular marketing strategies in the wider world, but it often gets disregarded or—worse—is done haphazardly in the SaaS space. This shouldn’t be the case.

Given its efficiency at attracting new leads and nurturing existing ones, content marketing is a perfect opportunity for you to respond to your prospects’ needs in a unique way.

In this article, I’ll suggest a few types of content that are efficient in different stages of the customer journey, starting with interactive content. We’ll also focus on one SaaS marketing technique that has been somewhat forgotten in the digital sphere: direct sales.

Let’s dive in.

1. Use Interactive Content to Offer Personalized Solutions

Creating interactive content (like quizzes, surveys, polls, and calculators) is one of the best ways to attract new customers and engage them in a conversation. According to Kapost, interactive content generates twice as many conversions as passive content. And around 88% of marketers who use it say that interactive content helps them stand out from competitors.

Why? Interactive content is solution-oriented. It taps into the primary need of an average SaaS customer.

And this, in turn, enables you to learn more about your customers (about, for instance, any problems and issues they might be facing or goals they’re looking to achieve). Then you can offer them a personalized solution that will cater to their specific individual needs. After all, your software already solves a particular problem—be it organizing employees, setting up an accounting system, or helping someone lose weight.

Put simply, when you start off creating interactive content, you’ll want to think about the following questions:

Who is my customer?

What problem am I trying to solve?

Which solutions and features do I offer?

An Example of Interactive SaaS Marketing

LeadQuizzes is marketing automation software that started off as a marketing agency. After repeated success with using quizzes to build our clients’ email lists, we decided to turn quizzes into a business in its own right. And what better way to advertise quiz software than to use it to reach potential customers among the target group of professional marketers and small business owners.

With this in mind, we created a quiz that sought to address one of the most common challenges in the digital marketing world: generating leads and sales. The quiz targeted marketers and small business owners in the form of the Facebook quiz ad.

This interactive quiz offered personalized solutions for digital marketers based on their answers to a few questions.

The questions we asked focused on the potential client’s existing website traffic, budget, and marketing objectives. Here are a few examples:

How much website traffic do you receive per month?

0 – 5,000 visitors per month

5,001 – 10,000 visitors per month

10,001+ visitors per month

How many leads are you getting each month?

0 – 500 leads per month

501 – 1,000 leads per month

1,001+ leads per month

Do you offer a discount as an opt-in on your website?

Yes

No

Before they got the answers, they had to fill out an opt-in form asking for their name, email, and number. And based on the respondent’s answers, we offered personalized solutions in the form of the quiz results.

In the first quiz, results led to a Calendly page where a potential customer could schedule a consultation because the goal was to acquire as many early adopters as possible. (Today, a similar quiz on the website leads customers to the landing page that includes useful marketing tips, an industry leader’s testimonial, and an offer to sign up.)  

This is what worked for us, but if you feel that personalized results aren’t enough of an incentive for people to share their contact info, you can always use a lead magnet, such as a free ebook or discount, in combination with the quiz.

What’s the lesson here?

Based on the buyer’s needs and readiness, as well as your ultimate goal, the results can differ greatly. That’s why your landing page is a crucial detail that can make or break your user’s interactive experience. This is where your goal and their need should ideally meet.

Median conversion rates for classic PPC ads are between 3-6%, according to Unbounce’s Conversion Benchmark Report. Interactive content can double this percentage, while an effective landing page can boost it to 27%.

Using interactive content along with optimized landing pages, LeadQuizzes went on to close 189 clients in 2 years and generate $720,000 in annual revenue. But the road to that number took more than two steps.

Inevitably, however, some people who engage with your interactive content and landing page simply won’t sign up for your software. That’s life. The reasons may vary: they don’t need it at the moment, or it doesn’t entirely meet their requirements. So how do you keep them coming back?

Build and launch campaigns quickly. As Jeremy says, using landing pages in combination with interactive content can produce remarkable results. Unbounce’s drag-and-drop builder lets you create high-converting landing pages without developer bottlenecks. Read more about how we power your SaaS marketing here.

2. Use “Passive” Content to Nurture Leads

Around 70% of people who leave your website will never come back. Collecting their email addresses using interactive content is an insurance policy against this problem—and a way to stay in touch. If they’re not interested in your product, of course, they’re likely to unsubscribe. As long as they remain on your list, though, you keep the opportunity to offer them the right answer at the right time.

Having access to your potential and existing customer’s inbox is a perfect opportunity to build and nurture a good relationship. High-quality, personalized blog content enables you to assert yourself as an industry authority and a friendly partner to your customers.

But what does make a high-quality blog content? According to Single Grain, some of the most important lead nurturing content practices include:

Adjusting content to your sales funnel

Personalizing your content

Using marketing automation

Doing follow-ups

Let’s look at how each one of these practices builds upon the data you can gather using interactive content.

Adjusting content to your sales funnel

Using interactive content allows you to understand the level of customer’s buyer readiness, which dictates how “sales-y” your content should be. For example, if you sparked a customer’s interest but they didn’t purchase your product yet, you may want to use content to educate them. You can start with basic guides and 101-themed posts, and slowly build up their knowledge to more specific topics.

For example, this is the welcome email I got after I subscribed for the lead generation tool. In it, the Oxyleads team outlines our future communication:

Mia’s email here sets expectations (and reassures the recipient that they won’t get hit with spam).

It’s a good example because they’re setting the expectations in terms of the follow-up emails that are to come (so they won’t seem too spammy), while the content of those emails is expected to educate you about the tool and convince you it’s valuable enough to make a purchase.

Personalizing content

Personalization comes in different forms. It starts with basic things, like using a personalized subject line that addresses the person by name. This small detail increases your open rate by as much as 50%. It’s also important to email your leads according to their time zone and location.

But personalization also means crafting content that responds to the person’s specific needs. A small business owner and manager in a large corporation may use your software. But they probably use it differently, face separate challenges, and have different goals and benchmarks.

Here’s an example of an email I got from a content aggregation platform Zest. One of their projects is creating an algorithm that will display super personalized content for each user inside the browser. This is one part of the experiment.

Social Media Lab (from social media management software Agorapulse) provides another good example of SaaS marketing at work. They seek to educate their customers through engaging experiments. While this email is fairly rudimentary (and lacks a simple personalization tweak: my name!) its content manages to be straightforward while arousing curiosity.

Finally, here’s an amazing example from Grammarly of personalizing content in a less formal way. Every week, they inform me about my writing stats:

But apart from inspiring a sense of accomplishment with personalized insights, this email also sneaks in a call to action to upgrade my plan:

The great thing about generating leads using interactive content is that it allows you to take the guesswork out of this personalization. By asking the right questions, you can understand your target customer’s varying needs and problems, and write content accordingly.

Know a SaaS marketer who’d benefit from this advice? Share this post with your followers on Twitter.

Using marketing automation

Once your email list grows to a certain point, using automation becomes a must. Marketing automation allows you to analyze your leads’ interaction with emails and your content, and optimize them for maximum effect.

Most importantly, automation enables you to forward the right messages to the right people at the desired time, without having to waste a lot of time doing everything manually. There’s a wide variety of available marketing automation tools that can help you scale your lead qualification and nurturing efforts.

Doing follow-ups

How often you’re going to follow-up depends on your customer’s current position in the sales funnel. The “hotter” the lead, the more information they need.

For example, here’s the follow-up email I got from Oxyleads a few days after I spent my free credits:

This follow-up email from Oxyleads reminds the lead about the features they’ll gain from choosing a Professional or Premium plan.

3. Gain Credibility with White Papers and Case Studies

While white papers and case studies are one type of classical passive content, they deserve special attention in SaaS marketing. In B2B SaaS, in particular, you’re going to engage with people who are professionals in their industry. And wowing them takes more than a good ad copy or engaging blog post. They want to see credibility and authority.

White papers

White papers are used in numerous fields, but the general definition is an authoritative report that addresses certain issues and offers solutions for them. In terms of SaaS marketing, a white paper represents a theory behind your product or technology. Just like with blog posts, its main purpose is to educate customers and help them make a decision. 

A high-quality white paper typically includes:

Structure and length. While a white paper is longer than a blog post, it’s still shorter than an ebook. It has at least six pages and can take between a few weeks and a few months to write. 

Format and style. A white paper is formal, detailed, and informative, often written in an “academic” style (i.e., it shouldn’t sound like marketing, even if it is).

Good design. Even though the tone might be academic, that doesn’t mean your white paper should look like a college essay. Compelling design is a must!

The white paper’s main purpose is to assert yourself as a credible, authoritative solution and source of guidance. More than half of business-to-business marketers consider white papers effective marketing tools, and we agree. (Check out this sample of Google’s white paper for a little inspiration.)

Case studies

Case studies can also take a long time, although they are easier to assemble than a white paper. While they can be written in an informal style, and require only essential information, they still demand serious research. 

But it’s worth the hard work: case studies help convert and accelerate leads, according to Marketing Charts. A case study can give a huge boost to your credibility—people automatically feel more confident about your software if they see you are working with big brands they already know and trust.

The case study requires your client or customer to be ready to reveal their specific, detailed business strategy, show you and the rest of the world their numbers, and prove that it was your software that helped them reach great results.

But how can you produce case studies if you’re just a beginner in the industry? Apart from approaching your existing customers, it’s also possible to approach the industry leaders with fine-tuned cold outreach. But these users have to be incentivized to share their business secrets with you—whether it’s going to be a discount, free subscription, mutual marketing arrangement, etc.

Editor’s note. Seeing is believing. Here are some examples of how Unbounce uses customer stories and case studies to highlight the effectiveness of landing pages, popups, and sticky bars.

4. Use Traditional Sales (No, Really)

It’s all too easy to forget the power of 1-on-1 conversation in the world of digital solutions. But sales are a marketing technique in their own right and doing them like in “the good old days” may be just what makes your SaaS business stand out.

Of course, we’re not talking about the annoying telemarketer calls. We are talking about reaching out to the customers who are ready and highly likely to buy your product. Engaging them with each type of content we’ve mentioned so far will give you a fairly clear picture of their readiness over time.

Remember that we mentioned in the first section that LeadQuizzes led some quiz takers directly to a Calendly page? Alternatively, some were contacted after a lead nurturing email sequence. But in both cases, the phone calls were incredibly successful and the investment paid off.

Why are traditional sales so effective in SaaS?

They help you close a mutually satisfying deal. Sure, you can list all of your software’s features on the landing page. But presenting them to a client personally, explaining how each feature plays into their specific goals, is much more effective. It enables you to improve retention and reduce churn early on because you are making sure the customers get everything they need in their subscription plan.

Don’t worry that this technique will come across as aggressive—remember, this is the sales part reserved for leads who are genuinely interested in your software.

Conclusion

Making your name in the crowded SaaS world isn’t easy, but it becomes easier when you realize that your marketing strategy stems from the specific nature of your product. As you’re building software, build it with the user in mind. You want to make things simpler and more effective for them. SaaS marketing is all about communicating these thoughts to the customers.

Content marketing and direct sales are a fantastic way to truly empathize and connect with your customer. Once that happens, you build a mutually beneficial relationship in which enables you to develop your product and stay ahead.

from Marketing https://unbounce.com/content-marketing/saas-marketing-techniques/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[samanthasmeyers]

Four SaaS Marketing Techniques (That You Might Have Overlooked)

The Software as a Service (SaaS) industry is growing at a rapid rate. According to Statista, this year its value is predicted to reach around $124.53 billion worldwide.

While growth is excellent news, it also means that your competition is getting stronger. SaaS companies need to keep up if they want to stand out, and one of the best ways to stay ahead is to tap into marketing practices that are sometimes overlooked by your competition.

Surprisingly, content marketing is one of the most popular marketing strategies in the wider world, but it often gets disregarded or—worse—is done haphazardly in the SaaS space. This shouldn’t be the case.

Given its efficiency at attracting new leads and nurturing existing ones, content marketing is a perfect opportunity for you to respond to your prospects’ needs in a unique way.

In this article, I’ll suggest a few types of content that are efficient in different stages of the customer journey, starting with interactive content. We’ll also focus on one SaaS marketing technique that has been somewhat forgotten in the digital sphere: direct sales.

Let’s dive in.

1. Use Interactive Content to Offer Personalized Solutions

Creating interactive content (like quizzes, surveys, polls, and calculators) is one of the best ways to attract new customers and engage them in a conversation. According to Kapost, interactive content generates twice as many conversions as passive content. And around 88% of marketers who use it say that interactive content helps them stand out from competitors.

Why? Interactive content is solution-oriented. It taps into the primary need of an average SaaS customer.

And this, in turn, enables you to learn more about your customers (about, for instance, any problems and issues they might be facing or goals they’re looking to achieve). Then you can offer them a personalized solution that will cater to their specific individual needs. After all, your software already solves a particular problem—be it organizing employees, setting up an accounting system, or helping someone lose weight.

Put simply, when you start off creating interactive content, you’ll want to think about the following questions:

Who is my customer?

What problem am I trying to solve?

Which solutions and features do I offer?

An Example of Interactive SaaS Marketing

LeadQuizzes is marketing automation software that started off as a marketing agency. After repeated success with using quizzes to build our clients’ email lists, we decided to turn quizzes into a business in its own right. And what better way to advertise quiz software than to use it to reach potential customers among the target group of professional marketers and small business owners.

With this in mind, we created a quiz that sought to address one of the most common challenges in the digital marketing world: generating leads and sales. The quiz targeted marketers and small business owners in the form of the Facebook quiz ad.

This interactive quiz offered personalized solutions for digital marketers based on their answers to a few questions.

The questions we asked focused on the potential client’s existing website traffic, budget, and marketing objectives. Here are a few examples:

How much website traffic do you receive per month?

0 – 5,000 visitors per month

5,001 – 10,000 visitors per month

10,001+ visitors per month

How many leads are you getting each month?

0 – 500 leads per month

501 – 1,000 leads per month

1,001+ leads per month

Do you offer a discount as an opt-in on your website?

Yes

No

Before they got the answers, they had to fill out an opt-in form asking for their name, email, and number. And based on the respondent’s answers, we offered personalized solutions in the form of the quiz results.

In the first quiz, results led to a Calendly page where a potential customer could schedule a consultation because the goal was to acquire as many early adopters as possible. (Today, a similar quiz on the website leads customers to the landing page that includes useful marketing tips, an industry leader’s testimonial, and an offer to sign up.)  

This is what worked for us, but if you feel that personalized results aren’t enough of an incentive for people to share their contact info, you can always use a lead magnet, such as a free ebook or discount, in combination with the quiz.

What’s the lesson here?

Based on the buyer’s needs and readiness, as well as your ultimate goal, the results can differ greatly. That’s why your landing page is a crucial detail that can make or break your user’s interactive experience. This is where your goal and their need should ideally meet.

Median conversion rates for classic PPC ads are between 3-6%, according to Unbounce’s Conversion Benchmark Report. Interactive content can double this percentage, while an effective landing page can boost it to 27%.

Using interactive content along with optimized landing pages, LeadQuizzes went on to close 189 clients in 2 years and generate $720,000 in annual revenue. But the road to that number took more than two steps.

Inevitably, however, some people who engage with your interactive content and landing page simply won’t sign up for your software. That’s life. The reasons may vary: they don’t need it at the moment, or it doesn’t entirely meet their requirements. So how do you keep them coming back?

Build and launch campaigns quickly. As Jeremy says, using landing pages in combination with interactive content can produce remarkable results. Unbounce’s drag-and-drop builder lets you create high-converting landing pages without developer bottlenecks. Read more about how we power your SaaS marketing here.

2. Use “Passive” Content to Nurture Leads

Around 70% of people who leave your website will never come back. Collecting their email addresses using interactive content is an insurance policy against this problem—and a way to stay in touch. If they’re not interested in your product, of course, they’re likely to unsubscribe. As long as they remain on your list, though, you keep the opportunity to offer them the right answer at the right time.

Having access to your potential and existing customer’s inbox is a perfect opportunity to build and nurture a good relationship. High-quality, personalized blog content enables you to assert yourself as an industry authority and a friendly partner to your customers.

But what does make a high-quality blog content? According to Single Grain, some of the most important lead nurturing content practices include:

Adjusting content to your sales funnel

Personalizing your content

Using marketing automation

Doing follow-ups

Let’s look at how each one of these practices builds upon the data you can gather using interactive content.

Adjusting content to your sales funnel

Using interactive content allows you to understand the level of customer’s buyer readiness, which dictates how “sales-y” your content should be. For example, if you sparked a customer’s interest but they didn’t purchase your product yet, you may want to use content to educate them. You can start with basic guides and 101-themed posts, and slowly build up their knowledge to more specific topics.

For example, this is the welcome email I got after I subscribed for the lead generation tool. In it, the Oxyleads team outlines our future communication:

Mia’s email here sets expectations (and reassures the recipient that they won’t get hit with spam).

It’s a good example because they’re setting the expectations in terms of the follow-up emails that are to come (so they won’t seem too spammy), while the content of those emails is expected to educate you about the tool and convince you it’s valuable enough to make a purchase.

Personalizing content

Personalization comes in different forms. It starts with basic things, like using a personalized subject line that addresses the person by name. This small detail increases your open rate by as much as 50%. It’s also important to email your leads according to their time zone and location.

But personalization also means crafting content that responds to the person’s specific needs. A small business owner and manager in a large corporation may use your software. But they probably use it differently, face separate challenges, and have different goals and benchmarks.

Here’s an example of an email I got from a content aggregation platform Zest. One of their projects is creating an algorithm that will display super personalized content for each user inside the browser. This is one part of the experiment.

Social Media Lab (from social media management software Agorapulse) provides another good example of SaaS marketing at work. They seek to educate their customers through engaging experiments. While this email is fairly rudimentary (and lacks a simple personalization tweak: my name!) its content manages to be straightforward while arousing curiosity.

Finally, here’s an amazing example from Grammarly of personalizing content in a less formal way. Every week, they inform me about my writing stats:

But apart from inspiring a sense of accomplishment with personalized insights, this email also sneaks in a call to action to upgrade my plan:

The great thing about generating leads using interactive content is that it allows you to take the guesswork out of this personalization. By asking the right questions, you can understand your target customer’s varying needs and problems, and write content accordingly.

Know a SaaS marketer who’d benefit from this advice? Share this post with your followers on Twitter.

Using marketing automation

Once your email list grows to a certain point, using automation becomes a must. Marketing automation allows you to analyze your leads’ interaction with emails and your content, and optimize them for maximum effect.

Most importantly, automation enables you to forward the right messages to the right people at the desired time, without having to waste a lot of time doing everything manually. There’s a wide variety of available marketing automation tools that can help you scale your lead qualification and nurturing efforts.

Doing follow-ups

How often you’re going to follow-up depends on your customer’s current position in the sales funnel. The “hotter” the lead, the more information they need.

For example, here’s the follow-up email I got from Oxyleads a few days after I spent my free credits:

This follow-up email from Oxyleads reminds the lead about the features they’ll gain from choosing a Professional or Premium plan.

3. Gain Credibility with White Papers and Case Studies

While white papers and case studies are one type of classical passive content, they deserve special attention in SaaS marketing. In B2B SaaS, in particular, you’re going to engage with people who are professionals in their industry. And wowing them takes more than a good ad copy or engaging blog post. They want to see credibility and authority.

White papers

White papers are used in numerous fields, but the general definition is an authoritative report that addresses certain issues and offers solutions for them. In terms of SaaS marketing, a white paper represents a theory behind your product or technology. Just like with blog posts, its main purpose is to educate customers and help them make a decision. 

A high-quality white paper typically includes:

Structure and length. While a white paper is longer than a blog post, it’s still shorter than an ebook. It has at least six pages and can take between a few weeks and a few months to write. 

Format and style. A white paper is formal, detailed, and informative, often written in an “academic” style (i.e., it shouldn’t sound like marketing, even if it is).

Good design. Even though the tone might be academic, that doesn’t mean your white paper should look like a college essay. Compelling design is a must!

The white paper’s main purpose is to assert yourself as a credible, authoritative solution and source of guidance. More than half of business-to-business marketers consider white papers effective marketing tools, and we agree. (Check out this sample of Google’s white paper for a little inspiration.)

Case studies

Case studies can also take a long time, although they are easier to assemble than a white paper. While they can be written in an informal style, and require only essential information, they still demand serious research. 

But it’s worth the hard work: case studies help convert and accelerate leads, according to Marketing Charts. A case study can give a huge boost to your credibility—people automatically feel more confident about your software if they see you are working with big brands they already know and trust.

The case study requires your client or customer to be ready to reveal their specific, detailed business strategy, show you and the rest of the world their numbers, and prove that it was your software that helped them reach great results.

But how can you produce case studies if you’re just a beginner in the industry? Apart from approaching your existing customers, it’s also possible to approach the industry leaders with fine-tuned cold outreach. But these users have to be incentivized to share their business secrets with you—whether it’s going to be a discount, free subscription, mutual marketing arrangement, etc.

Editor’s note. Seeing is believing. Here are some examples of how Unbounce uses customer stories and case studies to highlight the effectiveness of landing pages, popups, and sticky bars.

4. Use Traditional Sales (No, Really)

It’s all too easy to forget the power of 1-on-1 conversation in the world of digital solutions. But sales are a marketing technique in their own right and doing them like in “the good old days” may be just what makes your SaaS business stand out.

Of course, we’re not talking about the annoying telemarketer calls. We are talking about reaching out to the customers who are ready and highly likely to buy your product. Engaging them with each type of content we’ve mentioned so far will give you a fairly clear picture of their readiness over time.

Remember that we mentioned in the first section that LeadQuizzes led some quiz takers directly to a Calendly page? Alternatively, some were contacted after a lead nurturing email sequence. But in both cases, the phone calls were incredibly successful and the investment paid off.

Why are traditional sales so effective in SaaS?

They help you close a mutually satisfying deal. Sure, you can list all of your software’s features on the landing page. But presenting them to a client personally, explaining how each feature plays into their specific goals, is much more effective. It enables you to improve retention and reduce churn early on because you are making sure the customers get everything they need in their subscription plan.

Don’t worry that this technique will come across as aggressive—remember, this is the sales part reserved for leads who are genuinely interested in your software.

Conclusion

Making your name in the crowded SaaS world isn’t easy, but it becomes easier when you realize that your marketing strategy stems from the specific nature of your product. As you’re building software, build it with the user in mind. You want to make things simpler and more effective for them. SaaS marketing is all about communicating these thoughts to the customers.

Content marketing and direct sales are a fantastic way to truly empathize and connect with your customer. Once that happens, you build a mutually beneficial relationship in which enables you to develop your product and stay ahead.

from Marketing https://unbounce.com/content-marketing/saas-marketing-techniques/ via http://www.rssmix.com/