Take Your Audience Development Inbound

September 29, 2015 at 01:00PM

It’s getting harder—much harder—for media companies to acquire engaged audiences. There are two major reasons behind this trend: there’s a lot of content floating around the Internet, and readers’ attention spans are spread thin as a result. Not to mention, audiences will often find content through feed-style engines on Facebook and Twitter or through search engines when they’re looking for information, in-the-moment.

Publishers need a competitive edge in boosting circulation and cultivating new audiences, and sadly, there are no tricks or shortcuts—just good, old-fashioned engagement. You need to go back to the basics in building relationships at scale and bringing fleeting eyeballs back to your website. Here are 3 suggestions to guide you: 

Leverage Inbound Marketing to Build Relationships

Inbound marketing is a technique that B2B, finance, travel, and ecommerce companies have been using for years. The idea is simple: build an audience by creating great content, and nurture these audiences through channels that bring them back to your website, over and over. Example inbound techniques include email campaigns, targeted offers, and continuous engagement in social media. The bottom line is that you want every top-of-funnel interaction to spark a more in-depth relationship.

As a publisher, you have step 1 down: you’ve already built an audience. The challenge is that these individuals might be slipping through the cracks after their initial visit. They may not recognize the value in signing up for your email lists, liking your pages on social media, or downloading a piece of sponsored content. It’s up to you to make this relationship-building opportunity clear and to demonstrate the value that you and your advertisers provide.

Here are some steps that you can take to grow your audience base with inbound: 

Step 1) Keep Your Value Proposition Front-and-Center

Why should your audiences continue to visit your website, share your content, and sign up for your email lists? Chances are, you know the answer to this question better than anyone. Maybe your team creates the best type of content in a particular vertical, or maybe you have the funniest listicles on the web (yes you, BuzzFeed). Regardless of your answer, you need to spell it out for your viewers who may be learning about your company for the first time.

As an example, check out Curiosity, a site that curates bite-sized, inspirational learning content. Front and center on the website’s homepage is the site’s value proposition: “The top 5 things to learn on Curiosity, delivered every day.”

It’s a short, to the point message that encapsulates why audiences should stay engaged with and keep coming back to the site.

Step 2) Engage Audiences Like a Marketer

It’s time to stop relying on fleeting sources of web traffic. These short-term audience building opportunities aren’t a healthy monetization strategy: when people are discovering content on social media, for instance, they’re not necessarily looking to browse ads, or join a sponsored webinar. They want to catch a brain break, discover something new, or be entertained.

It’s this reason why publishers need to think like marketers. Rather than driving clicks to advertiser campaigns or other monetization sources like paywalls, know your advertisers and your own business’s full conversion funnel. Figure out what it takes to engage audiences over the long-term, and pinpoint the people who are most valuable to you and your advertisers. Figure out what steps your audiences are taking from discovery to conversion, and understand what counts as a conversion event. Make sure that your sales teams are on the same page so that they can translate this value to your advertisers.

Look for purchase intent in all of your content assets, from newsletters to webinars and articles on your website. In a publisher’s case, purchase intent means that someone is showing interest in a product, service, or even topic that a potential advertiser has to offer a solution around. These signals include visiting a certain area of a website multiple times, volunteering a piece of personal data, or downloading a product-centric guide.           

Laser-focus on search intent. Reach is important, but you should really be interested in your audiences who are actively searching for solutions that your advertisers can help with. That’s the money. That’s what you should really want to know. Because those needles in a haystack—those are the people that your advertisers are trying desperately to identify and reach.

Step 3) Educate Teams Internally 

An inbound strategy applies to more than your marketing team. You need to get your entire organization aligned around the common goal of engaging audiences over the long-haul: top-of-funnel visitors need nurturing to become high-value needs, and your organization needs to commit to the investment. 

This balance can be tough for publishers to reconcile—especially ones who have been relying on ad revenue for monetization. Inbound traffic takes time to convert and requires patience. Not to mention, you’ll need to have some level of marketing automation and analytics software in place, to get to know your website viewers on a personal level. 

This investment is worth it, but it can take time for a chief financial officer or chief revenue officer to fully grasp and get comfortable with. It’s a scary transition for almost any media company but one that will pay off in the long-run. 

Final thoughts

The dynamics of the media ecosystem may have changed, but the same basic principles hold true: loyalty is your most valuable audience-building asset. Stop relying on fleeting attention spans. Use inbound techniques, keep your value proposition front and center, and think like a marketer instead.                            

http://bit.ly/1VoeIdW

The Beginner's Guide to Retargeting Campaigns [Free Ebook]

September 29, 2015 at 12:00PM

For those of you who have heard of retargeting and think it's something you want to try, you're in good company. According to a study by Chango and Digiday, one in five marketers now have a dedicated budget for retargeting. 

Though it's a popular tactic for marketers, retargeting can be tough to get started with.

To help, we've teamed up with Perfect Audience to bring you a free ebook called The Beginner's Guide to Retargeting. With retargeting, businesses of any size have the opportunity to get in front of their target audience, drive awareness, and increase conversions. 

In this ebook, you'll learn:

• How retargeting can help you generate more leads
• Best practices for implementing retargeting campaigns
• How to get started and run a successful campaign
• Measuring and optimizing campaign performance

Ready to dive in? Download your free guide here.

http://bit.ly/1iHsNXw

The 7 Excel Tricks Every Office Worker Should Know [Infographic]

September 28, 2015 at 06:00PM

Computer technology moves fast -- which is why it's so hard to believe that a computer program that's been around for 30 years is still one of the most popular programs in the world. And yet, I'm willing to bet every single one of you has had to use Microsoft Excel at some point in your life.

Nowadays, most office workers are simply expected to know basic Excel functions -- so much so that many recruiters suggest you shouldn't even bother listing it on your resume. "I swap 'Proficient in Word, Excel and PowerPoint' for 'Proficient in Breathing Oxygen,'" quipped the founder of Mergers & Inquisitions.

Beyond creating basic charts and graphs, there are a few other Excel tricks that everyone working in an office should know. For instance, it's really helpful to at least have a basic understanding of how to create pivot tables and VLOOKUPs. (Don't worry -- it's easier than it sounds.)

From charting to conditional formatting to pivot tables, check out the infographic below from Microsoft Training to learn the top seven most useful Excel tricks everyone working in an office environment should be familiar with. (And read this blog post to learn these tricks and others in more detail.)

What other Excel tricks do you find handy? Share with us in the comments.

http://bit.ly/1WtwzTh

From HBR to Mashable: How to Be a Guest Writer on 11 Popular Sites

September 28, 2015 at 02:00PM

Guest blogging is a wonderful and mutually beneficial relationship between writer and publication.

It's great for the writer, of course, who might be looking to get her name out there as a thought leader and industry expert while also helping grow her own readership.

At the same time, it's great for the folks at media outlets. It's a good look for them to publish a diversity of voices and opinions on their site -- not to mention more articles means more indexed pages, which can be a boon for a site's SEO.

Most media outlets allow people to submit authentic, original articles on topics that are relevant to their readership. But each one has different requirements and submission instructions. While some require you to submit full articles, others accept topic pitches and are willing to work with you on an outline. Some will get back to you in a few days if they like your post, while for others, it could be a good few weeks if at all.

When you're trying to submit a guest post, it can be confusing to sort through all these different requirements. That's why we've scoured the websites of top media outlets for their submission guidelines and instructions. From HBR.org to The New York Times to Business Insider and more, check out the list below of top media outlets and their guest blogging guidelines.

Before you submit anything, remember to spend time reading through the site to get a good idea of the topics and formats they like to publish. (For more tips, read about the 12 essential elements of a guest blog post.)

Guest Blogging Instructions & Guidelines for 11 Top Media Outlets

1) Entrepreneur.com

Entrepreneur.com is geared toward business owners who are starting and/or growing their own businesses. Their writers cover "actionable information and practical inspiration for business owners."

To Contribute:

Here's their "Become an Entrepreneur Contributor" page.

• To become a contributor, go to their "Become an Entrepreneur Contributor" page and fill out the form.
• Along with your basic information, it'll ask for links to your LinkedIn and Twitter profiles, themes or story ideas you'd cover, why you're an expert on the topic, and links to samples of your work.

Do you create video content? If so, they also offer the opportunity to apply to become a part of their growing video network. Read more about that here.

2) HBR.org

HBR.org is Harvard Business Review's online publication, which covers a wide range of topics including strategy, leadership, organizational change, negotiations, operations, innovation, decision making, marketing, finance, work-life balance, and managing teams.

The content is original and sometimes even disruptive -- if it's about a well-worn topic, they'll be looking for a unique argument or insight. ""HBR readers are smart and skeptical and busy," they write. "If you don’t capture their interest right away, they will move on to something else."

They publish articles written by subject matter experts. Ideas and arguements should be backed up by evidence, whether it's in the form of supporting research, relevant examples, or interesting data.

To Contribute:

Here's their "Guidelines for Contributors" page.

• Send a short pitch to web submissions@HBR.org.
• They prefer you send them a short pitch instead of a full article so they can give early feedback. However, they do need to see a full draft before officially accepting your piece, even if they've asked you to write it.
• You may be asked to do multiple rounds of revisions, as they have a very thorough editorial process.
• If they’ve passed on something you’ve submitted, they encourage you to try again with another idea. If their editors have said no multiple times, it may mean your work isn’t a good fit for their audience.
• Article length can vary. They also publish graphics, podcasts, videos, slide presentations, and just about any other media that might help us share an idea effectively.
• They retain final decision rights over headlines.
• The piece must be original and exclusive to HBR.org. They don't publish pieces that have appeared elsewhere, that come across as promotional, or that do not include rigorous citations (though these may not appear in the finished piece).

3) The New York Times' Op-Ed Section

The folks over at The New York Times allow submissions to their Op-Ed section only. What does that cover? Op-Ed and Sunday Review Editor Trish Hall explains: "Anything can be an Op-Ed. We're not only interested in policy, politics or government. We're interested in everything, if it's opinionated and we believe our readers will find it worth reading."

In particular, Hall says they're partiucularly interested in publishing points of view different from those expressed in Times editorials, which tend to be pretty liberal. They're interested in presenting the points of view that are to the left or right of those positions.

To Contribute:

Here's their "How to Submit an Op-Ed Article" page.

• Submit a finished op-ed article to opinion@nytimes.com. 
• Alternatively, you can fax it to +1(212) 556-4100 or send it by mail to the following address:

The Op-Ed Page
620 Eighth Avenue
New York, NY 10018

• Articles tend to be 400–1,200 words long, but they'll consider submissions of any length.
• The piece must be original and exclusive to The Times. They won't consider articles that have already been published either in print or online.
• They like writing that's in "conversational English that pulls us along. That means that if an article is written with lots of jargon, we probably won’t like it."
• You can also submit an opinion video. Read more about that here.

4) Inc.com

Inc.com is an online publication that publishes articles with advice, tools, and services to help small businesses grow. You'll find their contribution guidelines are fairly short.

To Contribute:

Here's their "Contact Us" page.

• Pitch your story idea to pitches@inc.com. 
• If you'd like to become a regular columnist for Inc.com, submit your request to contributors@inc.com. 

We recommend keeping your email pitch as simple and straightforward as possible.

5) Business Insider

Business Insider is an American business, celebrity, and technology news website. Most of their contributors are experts on one or more of the wide range of topics they cover. Contributors include professors, investors, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, executives, attorneys, consultants, authors, professional service providers, journalists, technologists, and engineers.

To Contribute:

Here's their "How to contribute to Business Insider" page.

• Send the final draft of your piece, a proposed headline, brief bio, and links to any other pieces you've published to contributors@businessinsider.com.
• Their syndication team will review your submission and get back to you if it's something they're interested in posting. They can't make publishing guarantees.

6) Fast Company

Fast Company is an online business publication that covers topics in technology, business, and design. They publish leadership-related topics like productivity, creativity, career development, culture, strategy, and innovation.

What type of articles do they like? Ones that "introduce new ideas and advance conversation around topics and trends that engage our readers -- think op-ed rather than marketing," they write. "We appreciate lively, polished writing that balances research or news with fun and memorable anecdotes or examples that help illustrate your point of view."

To get a better idea of the types of pieces Fast Company likes to publish, read their post, "How To Write Thought-Leadership Pieces That Get Published And Don't Make Editors Want To Die." 

To Contribute:

Here's their Guidelines for Submission page.

• Send completed articles to Leadership Editor Kathleen Davis at kdavis@fastcompany.com.
• If you think your article would be better suited for one of Fast Company's sub-publication Co.Design, Co.Exist, Co.Create, or Co.Labs, then consult their masthead and send your idea or completed article to the appropriate editor for consideration.
• Article length is typically 1,000 words or fewer.
• They request that guest posts are exclusive to Fast Company's site for 24 hours, after which time they can be reprinted in part or full on other sites, with a link back to the original article on Fast Company. (They'll syndicate articles that have already run on another website occasionally, but typically would rather print original and exclusive content.)
• If they like your article, they'll likely get back to you within a few days. They review submissions about once a week and aren't able to respond to all submissions. They're cool with you sending one follow-up email to check in, but after that, you can assume it wasn't a fit.
• Contributed articles run online only. The print magazine is almost exclusively written by staff or by professional journalists who contribute regularly to the magazine.

7) Mashable

Mashable is a social networking and web news blog. While they do write a lot about technology, it's not their core focus -- so they're not necessarily interested in online tools, software, and similar topics.

To get a better idea of what the folks at Mashable are looking to publish, read their posts "12 Tips for Getting Your Startup Featured on Mashable" and "12 Things Not to Do When Pitching a Story to Mashable."

To Contribute:

Here's their "Submit News" page.

• Submit a pitch, tip, or full article by filling out the form on their "Submit News" page.
• The form asks for the topic of submission, asks "What's the scoop?", allows you to attach up to two files, and asks you to check off whether it's an exclusive story, a news update, a hot tip, an editorial suggestion, or something else.

Want them to write about your startup or business? You can also submit to their Startup Review series by sending an email to news@mashable.com.

8) Forbes' Opinion Section

Forbes publishes content on business and financial news, covering topics like business, technology, stock markets, personal finance, and lifestyle. They allow guest contributions to their opinion section on any topic related to public policy, politics, arts, and culture.

To Contribute:

Here's their "Submitting an Article to Forbes Opinion" page.

• Submit your completed article to opinion@forbes.com.
• The article can be any length.
• The piece must be original and exclusive to Forbes. They won't consider articles that have already been published either in print or online.
• They ask that you allow five business days (i.e. excluding weekends and holidays) for them to review your article. If you haven't heard from them after five business days, you can submit your article elsewhere.
• No follow-up emails.

Want to become a regular contributor to Forbes?

• To become a contributor, fill out this Google Form.
• It'll ask you for links to your LinkedIn and Twitter profiles, the concept for your Forbes page (an overall theme and a few story ideas), why you're an expert on the topic, and links to samples of your work.

9) TechCrunch

TechCrunch is an online publication that covers the current and future state of technology, entrepreneurialism, and investment. Any of these topics are great for guest submissions -- they say they're "always willing to give every good piece a read, so no matter the topic, keep the words coming."

If you're looking for ideas, they explore a different, specific theme each month -- everything from health and religion to robotics and education. Here's the full list by month.

To Contribute:

Here's their "Got a Tip?" page.

• Send a tip, pitch, or full article by visiting their "Got a Tip?" page and filling out the form.
• The form asks for your name, headline, and the tip or pitch.

Want to become a regular contributor to TechCrunch? 

• Submit your headline and article text by visiting their "Join the TechCrunch Network" page and filling out the form.
• Pro tip: They don't like when people put two spaces after a period.

10) Moz

The Moz blog publishes content from the SEO and online marketing industry's "top wizards, doctors, and other experts." They look for content with in-depth and actionable information.

What's a good fit? "Actionable, detailed content with references tends to do the best on YouMoz, and case studies or examples are particularly popular," they write. "Think about the readers of this post, and try to make it so this is something that the reader could take to their boss and say, 'Let's give this a try. Here's a post where this person tried it, they got good results, and they explain how to implement it.'"

For a much more detailed description of what they're looking for, read their "How to Guest Blog for Moz" post.

To Contribute:

Here's their "YouMoz Guidelines" page.

• Read all the information on the YouMoz Guidelines page. Then, scroll to the bottom, check the box to accept their terms, and press the "Submit a YouMoz Post" button. You'll have to log in or create a Moz account if you don't have one already. From there, you'll be taken to a form where you can submit your full article text.
• Must be original and exclusive to Moz. They won't consider content that's been published elsewhere.
• Article length is generally 1,000–3,000 words, but they don't have a minimum or maximum word count.
• Relevant links are encouraged, but affiliate links aren't allowed.
• It can take up to several weeks to review your post. They'll contact you at the email listed on your profile. You can check the status of your post at http://bit.ly/1YK1g8G.
• They ask that you resize images to a maximum of 738 pixels wide. Observe any copyright or usage restrictions regarding images, obtain permission for use, and cite the source of your image.
• Send any questions to editor@moz.com.

11) Medium

Unlike the first ten media outlets in this post, Medium is a blogging platform where anyone can create an account and publish a blog post without having to submit it for approval. It was created so people could publish their thoughts, tips, and learnings and then share them with a built-in audience.

Through a combination of algorithmic and editorial curation, posts on Medium get spread around based on interest and engagement. You can learn more about posting on Medium here.

To Contribute:

• First, sign in to Medium or create an account. Once you're signed in, click "Write a Story" on the top righthand side of the homepage.
• Consult their Help Center page for writing for tips on titles, formatting, images, publishing, and more.
• If you want, you can request notes from other Medium users before you publish. Any collaborators or editors you invite to add notes can do so throughout the article, kind of like a collaborative document in Google Drive.
• Article length can be whatever you want, but some of the best advice on length, timing, etc. with Medium posts comes from Medium's data team. They've reported there's a direct correlation for how long people spend on their posts and how well the posts perform.
• You're free to repost content from your blog or website on Medium to expose it to a new audience.
• You can add any links you want back to your own website, or add any type of call-to-action you want, whether it's to a piece of long-form content, a subscribe page, or something else.

Want to contribute to HubSpot's blog? Check out our Guest Blogging Guidelines.

http://bit.ly/1LX8kp2

16 Call-to-Action Formulas That Make People Want to Click

September 28, 2015 at 12:00PM

Good things happen when you create killer calls-to-action. I would even argue that your website can’t be successful unless you produce great calls-to-action.

The ideal CTA, however, isn’t always easy to think of. Sometimes, you need a little nudge in the right direction.

If you’re sick of “click now” CTAs that aren’t working, improve your game with these surefire call-to-action formulas.

1) Try it free for [TIME].

The word “try” is a soft term. It implies little risk. For this reason, it can be extremely effective, especially for downloadable products or apps.

Many SaaS products use this CTA. Here’s an example from Freshbooks:

Microsoft has the same CTA on one of their ads:

2) Get started now.

This phrase is a simple and short CTA. If you have limited space in your CTA button but want something that makes an impact, this is a great choice.

A user can get started on a signup process, a download, or something similar. Be sure to set the context in the remainder of your CTA so a user knows what they’re starting.

Here’s CreditKarma’s CTA as an example:

3) Order your [PRODUCT] today.

The word “today” is similar to the word “now.” Remember, instant gratification is a universal appeal for just about any CTA. If you are promising something today, it’s much more likely to produce action.

4) Learn more.

This classic CTA is short and direct. It appeals to one of the most fundamental of users' needs: the desire for information.

A “learn more” CTA works best if you have an information product, or a multi-step funnel that informs users before asking for the sale.

5) Sign up for a free [TRIAL, MEMBERSHIP, ETC.].

This isn’t quite as strong as the immediate benefits promised by the other CTAs, but it is a great technique nonetheless.

The power of the CTA is in that single word free.

Here’s Insightly’s use of this method:

6) Start your free trial now.

This variation on the CTA above adds the word now to put sizzle in the action.

It’s a great option for SaaS organizations that provide free trials.

I prefer the “start...now” approach, because it appeals to the desire for instant gratification. Although a concept like “sign up for a free trial” works, it’s not nearly as direct. The phrase “sign up” sounds like there might be a period of delay. 

7) Send me the [PRODUCT/SERVICE] right now.

Notice the word "me." First-person CTAs use words like “me,” “my,” and “I.” They are powerful, because the user feels a sense of connection to the concept.

This CTA is heavily first-person oriented, and comes with a dose of the instant. “Right now” reinforces this concept.

8) Get [BENEFIT of SERVICE] today only.

This CTA is really strong because of the “today only” phrase. When you use that phrase, it causes the user to feel that the product might be scarce.

Don’t gloss over the benefit of service. When you explain the direct and positive result that your product can have, people are more likely to respond favorably.

9) Get your free [SOMETHING].

The "free" adjective is on full display in this short-and-sweet CTA. Obviously, you’ll need to offer something free, but it shouldn’t be hard to come up with an ebook, webinar, trial, or some other benefit that encourages users to convert.

HubSpot offers complimentary assessments to marketing professionals. Here’s the CTA:

10) Subscribe now.

It’s common, but still effective.

Some of the best CTAs are just like that -- short, sweet, and to the point. You don’t need to say a lot in order to get the user to do a lot.

Ideally, most of your persuasion has happened on in your accompanying copy, rather than in your CTA button. With the stage set, you’re free to set the user loose with a two-word CTA.

11) See how it works.

A discovery-oriented approach can be very effective. The term helps promote curiosity and reduces much of the risk associated with CTAs like “buy” or “subscribe.”

“See how it works” is like taking a car for a test drive. It’s easy, fun, and risk-free.

This CTA works best for SaaS. Check out the example below to see what I mean:

12) Talk to us.

This is slightly more compelling than “contact us.” You can see an example of this on Contently's homepage:

13) Experience the [BENEFIT OF PRODUCT OR SERVICE]

"Experience" is a sensory word. When you use this term in conjunction with an emotional benefit, then you’ve got a powerful CTA on your hands. This is an example from IMRCorp.com:

Make sure that you provide a highly-desirable the benefit of the product or service. This CTA is only as effective as the benefit that you attach to it.  

14) Get [DISCOUNT] while supplies last!

Increasing urgency is a proven tactic for increasing the likelihood of a user’s action. If you can boost the user’s sense of time or supply -- limited, running out, etc. -- then you will increase their desire and need to click the CTA.

Print ads use this phrase in mailers and newspapers.

It works equally well as a standalone CTA button.

15) Get [PRODUCT OR SERVICE] today, and get [ADDED BENEFIT OR FREE PRODUCT].

Throw in a free something, and your conversion rates are sure to rise. Adding an additional benefit on top of the CTA allows you to increase the motivation.

16) Only [NUMBER OF AVAILABLE PRODUCTS OR SPOTS] available. Lock in your order now!

Limiting anything is the best way to increase its potential power.

I place limits on my webinars in order to maximize the value and impact that it makes.

There’s a psychological impact to this technique. When you limit availability you raise the perceived value of the product or service.

Conclusion

There are endless options for creating an ultra-compelling CTA. How do you pick the right one?

The solution to finding the perfect CTA is not to randomly try everything on this list. The solution is to sequentially test the CTAs that are most likely to produce an impact on your conversions.

CTAs are the powerhouse of your website's conversions. Weak, ineffective, and cliché CTAs will give you low conversion rates. Pick one or two from this list, test them out, and watch your conversions rise.

http://bit.ly/1O4AlkI

Pleased to Beat You: The Stories Behind 5 Epic Brand Rivalries

September 27, 2015 at 02:00PM

This post originally appeared on HubSpot's Agency Post. To read more content like this, subscribe to Agency Post.

A few weeks ago, Burger King propositioned McDonald's in an effort to press pause on what it called the "burger wars" and support the International Day of Peace on September 21. 

Its grand idea for bringing together the two chains fighting for market share? The creation of the McWhopper.

But unfortunately for those who face the struggle of choosing between a Big Mac and a Whopper, McDonald's response was less than ideal. 

"We love the intention but think our two brands could do something bigger to make a difference. We commit to raise awareness worldwide, perhaps you’ll join us in a meaningful global effort? And every day, let's acknowledge that between us there is simply a friendly business competition and certainly not the unequaled circumstances of the real pain and suffering of war."

While McDonald's didn't wind up participating in Burger King's "burger mashup" with fellow chain restaurants Denny's, KrystalGiraffas, and Wayback Burgers, it did announce that it would be supporting the U.N. World Food Programme’s response to the migrant crisis in Europe and the Middle East.

While we support both brand's initiatives, this failed attempt to "squash the beef" between the two chains got us thinking about what other brand rivalries exist. Will they ever reconcile their differences? Or is their shot-for-shot approach simply baked into their strategies?

We took a look at five infamous brand battles to learn more about how they came to fruition and where they stand today. 

1) Apple vs. Samsung

If I'm being totally honest, I'm an Apple person. I'm like the way it balances familiarity with innovation ... and I seem to tap and swipe in confusion when faced with anything other than an Apple product. 

That said, my affinity for the brand doesn't change the way I feel about Samsung's witty commercials mocking Apple launches. At the end of the day, they're actually pretty entertaining.

Haven't caught one? Take a look at some of Samsung's most noteworthy digs:

Over the years, these snarky advertisements have poked fun at the Apple brand and its cult-like following by highlighting the strides Samsung has made to deliver a comparable -- if not more advanced -- product. However, we'd argue that competitiveness got the best of them when they released this ad mocking a quote from the late Steve Jobs:

As for Apple's retaliation, well, there hasn't been much. Confident in its brand and loyal following, Apple has taken a less explicit approach in defending the brand by taking steps such as launching a campaign around its iPhone, which employed this website headline:

The brand has also committed to creating compelling website content around why its products -- such as the iPhone -- should be the obvious choice for consumers, like this page.

Considering everyone knows it's no fun to pick a one-way fight, it will be interesting to see how long Samsung continues to use this beef to fuel its strategy. 

2) Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi

Dating back to the early 1900s, this soft drink rivalry is still alive and on today. 

Between then and now, we've seen a lot of "shots fired" in both directions, as each brand has taken to advertising to defend its spot on top or vie for a better position. Here are some of the most memorable competitive campaigns they've launched:

The Pepsi Challenge (1975) 

Source: ABC News via CNW Group/PepsiCo Canada 

Max Headroom & Coca-Cola: Don't Say the "P" Word (1985)

The Joy of Pepsi (2007)

Source: Coloribus

Pepsi Halloween (2013)

Source: AOTW

Pepsi's "Larry" Ad (2015)

Similar to the Apple versus Samsung feud, it seems that Pepsi has been a little more heavy-handed in its competitive approach over the years. But has the brand's haste been enough to help them win over more business than Coca-Cola? 

According to Beverage Digest's annual industry report, Coca-Cola continues to hold the No. 1 spot. Although Pepsi finally managed to knock Diet Coke from its No. 2 spot in 2014.

For now, it seems this soft drink war will continue to carry on.

3) Dunkin' Donuts vs. Starbucks

The competition between these two major beverage companies has been brewing for quite some time. While Starbucks has yet to step up to the plate, Dunkin' Donuts has made its fair share of attempts to diss its competition -- both directly and indirectly. 

For example, back in 2006, Dunkin' Donuts launched its "Fritalian" commercial, which lent itself to the confusion people felt when tasked with ordering from confusing, more fancy coffee menus:

While there was no direct mention of Starbucks in the commercial, most viewers were able to extract the competitive dig. And to further exemplify its commitment to the everyday coffee drinker, Dunkin' Donuts followed the "Fritalian" advertisement with one:

While the term "dieci" was used in place of "venti," it's obvious that Starbucks was the object of Dunkin' Donuts' remarks when crafting the clever script for this commercial. 

After a few attempts at "subtlety," the folks at Dunkin' Donuts decided it was time to kick things up a notch. Following an independent taste test -- in which 54.2% of respondents preferred Dunkin' Donuts coffee compared to 39.3% who chose Starbucks (6.3% expressed no preference) -- Dunkin' Donuts wasn't shy about spreading the word of its success. 

In fact, the brand went as far as introducing this shirt for sale in its online store:

With Dunkin' Donuts continuing to stir the pot, it seems that Starbucks hasn't suffered from its rival's mockery. But will the brand ever retaliate? Only time will tell.

4) Campbell's Soup vs. Progresso

Back in 2008, the competition between these two soup companies was just heating up. In an effort to gain a leg up on the competition, Campbell's Soup attacked Progresso with an ad that accused them of selling soup that contained MSG.

Source: Branding Value Now

Progresso quickly retaliated by turning the tables on Campbell's with this advertisement:

Source: Business Insider

Unwilling to accept the brand's accusation, Campbell's countered Progresso's advertisement with this revised variation:

Source: Branding Value Now

Outside of print ads, the two soup brands have also gone blow for blow in a series of commercials, such as this one from Progresso:

And this one from Campbell's:

While it seems that today both brands have invested in marketing strategies that don't involve name-calling, this heated debate does aim to re-teach marketers and advertisers a good lesson: Don't throw stones if you live in a glass house.

5) Apple vs. Microsoft

We named it once, and we'll name it again: Apple has earned themselves both the opening and closing spot on this roundup, and it's not unintentional. When you have a company as successful as Apple, you're practically inviting other brands to pick a fight with you. Haters gonna hate, right?

Serving as perhaps one of the most iconic brand rivalries of all time, the great Apple versus Microsoft debate boils down more specifically to Mac versus PC. (And if you say you don't have a preference, you're lying.)

The brand beef all started with the "Get a Mac" campaign from Apple that ran from 2006 to 2009 that went on to be declared the best advertising campaign of the first decade of the new century by Adweek.

In an effort to challenge the campaign, Microsoft -- with the help of ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky -- launched the "I'm a PC" campaign in 2008:

This technological power struggle was fueled by years and years of previous competition, which has never really gone away. 

Although, there is something to be said about the fact that a Microsoft executive, Kirk Koenigsbauer, made an appearance at Apple's latest event. Could it be? The beef is over?

Not so fast. According to an article from Fortune, it seems likely that Apple invited a Microsoft employee to demonstrate the company's popular Office software on the new iPad in an effort to make the Apple brand seem more business-friendly. 

So while we're not convinced the beef is settled between the two companies, we are interested in seeing who throws the next "punch."

What brands would you like to see make peace? Let us know in the comments section below.

Featured Image via Burger King McWhopper Proposal Video

http://bit.ly/1MxZ7X2

12 Secret Facebook Features Every Marketer Should Be Using [Infographic]

September 26, 2015 at 02:00PM

This post originally appeared on HubSpot's Agency Post. To read more content like this, subscribe to Agency Post.

Using Facebook is easy enough -- most of the 1.49 billion monthly active users on the site would agree. But the social media platform is constantly being updated with new features and tools that make using the platform as a marketing and business tool easier and more effective. 

The problem is that these new features don't always make a splash in the press, so many of the improvements for users aren't well know. 

If you want to up your Facebook skills, check out this infographic from Post Planner. You'll learn how to track the activity of your competitors, use post attribution settings, and even save content for future use.  

http://bit.ly/1LdcAq8