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Business writing isn’t quite the same as academic writing or blogging. When in a business setting, you want to make your point as efficiently as possible. For example, if you publish a blog, your audience likely expects you to write casually. However, when starting a business , your colleagues and partners expect you to skirt the familiarity and write more formally. Here, we’ll discuss different business writing types for small business owners , give you some common format examples, and share some best practices to improve your own skills. The best place to practice your business writing? Your own business website . Start one today and start growing online. What is business writing: a definition Companies use business writing when communicating both internally to colleagues, and externally to partners and clients. With business writing, purpose drives the content, whether an email, internal memo, report, or business proposal. The author writes concepts with a specific audience in mind, emphasizing its purpose or goal clearly and directly. Types of business writing Before we exemplify what business writing looks like, we need to understand the different categories business writing can fall under. Since purpose drives business writing, a writer’s goals break down into four types, each representing a specific professional goal. Instructional Informational Persuasive Transactional 01. Instructional Instructional business writing aims to help readers successfully complete an intended task, through outlined directions. For example, a user manual would qualify as instructional business writing, as would an email directing employees how to clock in for a shift. 02. Informational Informational writing clearly educates readers about an aspect of a business. This writing type might comprise documents that contain plans for the business, financial statements, or reports about the company. 03. Persuasive Rather than informing or instructing a reader, persuasive writing aims to make the reader feel or act a certain way. Marketers commonly use this business writing in their copywriting content , but others use it when drafting business proposals. 04. Transactional Most day-to-day business communications fall under transactional writing. This might include emailing a client or colleague to discuss a project, sending official business letters, and sending or receiving invoices and receipts. 8 business writing examples Each of these business writing examples could fall into different categories based on the four above, but each one still serves its own purpose. While the tone might change slightly in one business writing type over another, you can apply best practices to all forms to help your message come across as clear and professional as possible. Business proposal Business letter Email Business plan Resume and cover letter Business reports Memos Press release 01. Business proposal A company uses a business proposal to convince a potential client to buy their product or use their services. By nature, this document uses persuasive business writing to sway a client or potential partner’s thoughts and emotions in a company’s favor. If just starting a new business, you’ll find a well-written proposal can persuade a client to sign on or convince a partner to invest in your business growth . 02. Business letter You may need to write several types of business letters in different scenarios, and each one serves a different purpose. Some business letters include: A recommendation letter A resignation letter A thank you letter after an interview An apology from customer service A letter to offer a candidate a position Business letters can be external or internal, but in both cases, the writing style should be the same as a professional document. They can also be transactional and meant to raise awareness, or persuasive, like a recommendation letter. Business letters send a formal message. In most cases, it should follow the format of a traditional letter, so it should include elements like a date, the person or persons you’re addressing, the body text, and a signature. 03. Email One of the most frequently used communications in the business world, emails can take on many forms. Some may skew formal and ”‘by the book,” while others may take a more casual tone. Still, emails are business writing and one should treat them as such—especially when reaching out to clients, partners, or other people with whom you don’t have a personal rapport yet. Always make sure to write a relevant subject line, and use proper punctuation, spelling, formal greetings and salutations. 04. Business plan A business plan outlines a company’s overall goals for business development and states how it plans to achieve them. You might include similar elements to a business proposal, but internal employees usually refer to this plan when making important company decisions. Write out your business’s objectives and strategies clearly and precisely. Leave no room for interpretation when you need to refer back to them in the future. 05. Resume and cover letter Your resume and cover letter give your potential employer their first impression of you, so use the appropriate tone and demonstrate your business writing skills to stand out. Even with the right experience, potential employers will likely reject a cover letter with the wrong tone and grammar mistakes. In fact, according to a survey, recruiters share the following common pet peeves : Typos and grammar mistakes (59%) Casual tone (50%) Use of clichés and jargon (47%) Brush up on your business writing skills to avoid making these mistakes on your resume and cover letter. 06. Business reports A business report is an informational type of business writing that describes a project, investigation or performance summary happening within the company. With reports, the writer must remain objective and solely provide information on the subject, such as data, statistics, and background. 07. Memos A memo, or memoranda, is an informational piece of internal communication on a topic. They’re typically briefer than other business writing types, like letters, and often provide instructional information, such as a department notifying employees of a procedure change. Memos’ internal can be slightly less formal than a letter or other external communications, but should still reflect professional language and formatting. 08. Press release When a company needs to formally announce a new product, event, or company update, they’ll send out a press release. This document informs the public of important information related to your company. News and media publications often publish press releases on- and offline, and they play a large part in your company’s online reputation management. Since press releases are public, you need to ensure accuracy and that you convey your intended message. For example, if you publish a press release to respond to small businesses challenges you’re facing, you must write professionally, empathetically and concisely. Using a too casual tone can turn a bad situation even worse. Best business writing practices Regardless of format, apply these best practices in your business writing. Know your audience You first want to identify your audience when writing for business. An internal email to a colleague will likely use a different tone than a business report prepared for investors. Remember the five Cs Always ensure you write: Clearly : Be forward and precise in your message. Don’t talk around the subject—get straight to it. Concisely : Time is precious, so don’t use a lot to say a little. Keep it brief and to the point. Compellingly : Your writing should drive the reader to act. To do this, emphasize your core message and trim away the excess. Completely : Ensure your message provides all the information a reader needs, when they need it. Consistently : Keep your language, tone, voice, and format the same throughout all communications to avoid confusing or misleading the reader. Edit and proofread Always go over your text with fresh eyes to pick up on any typos or grammar mistakes and ensure you’ve addressed the five C’s (especially if using AI tools for business ). Don’t rely on spell checkers and grammar tools too heavily, as they don’t know your audience or intention. Steer clear of jargon Don’t use too many abbreviations or industry-specific terms that the average reader won’t understand. Unless you’re writing for experts who will have no issues understanding industry terminology, you should keep the language eye-level. Keep a scannable format Most times, readers will scan the headline and headers rather than read an entire piece of content. Use a format that allows your audience to grasp your intended message, even with just a glance at a document. Tips to improve your business writing You can’t master business writing overnight, but you can improve your skills right away with these helpful tips: Make a plan : Before writing your message, make an outline or jot down notes. You might also want to write one or more drafts before the final version to test different messaging. Practice : Even if you don’t have any projects on your tasks list, prioritize trying out different forms and writing for different audiences. Like anything else, business writing is a skill you learn with continued practice. Find resources : Use online templates for anything from letters to business proposals, consult writing guides, and download third-party spell-checkers and grammar tools. Take a course : Many digital learning centers like Coursera or Udemy offer business writing classes, allowing you to improve your skills at your own pace.

Most successful businesses start with a good idea. In 1976, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak had the idea to make computers small enough to fit into people's homes and offices. Enter Apple, now the largest tech company in the world.  But good ideas alone aren’t the catalyst to success—behind the scenes, a business strategy is at work. And a business strategy is something you need in order to complete the big picture and define how you plan to grow, operate and thrive. In this post, we’ll define what we mean by business strategy, outline why it’s important and provide some tangible business strategy examples. Set yourself up for success with a free business website  from Wix. What is a business strategy? A business strategy is a plan of action that keeps you focused on several things. Different from a business plan—which dictates how your business will be run from day to day—a business strategy tends to focus more on how, exactly, you will reach certain goals, milestones or achievements in running your business.  You need a strategy when you want to start a business , as well as when you’re planning to grow or change an existing business. Your strategy defines your business goals and provides a framework for all of the moving pieces your venture needs to operate successfully.   A business strategy typically includes the following elements: Core product or service : What you're selling, your business idea or your service. Target customer : A clear profile of who your business serves, including the problem that your product or service solves for them. Competitive assessment : A summary of the competitive landscape including strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT analysis).  Financial plan : A financial projection that includes planned revenue, expenses and cash flow.  Pricing approach : Your preliminary pricing for products and services offered, or your pricing approach (e.g., flat fee, hourly, fee-for-service, etc.). Marketing and sales plan : An outline of how you plan to market your products and business, including a rough budget for paid media, details on how to make a website  and anything related to business promotion. It should also define some sales strategies focused on language meant to promote and differentiate your brand. Staffing and hiring : An org chart that defines roles and hiring needs. Include any resources and personnel you have on hand (e.g. Is it just you? Is it a partnership?). Growth objectives : A business growth  plan that incorporates your current goals, plus where you'd like the business to be in the next one, two or five years (e.g., markets, number of customers, revenue projections, etc.). Pro tip : A business strategy and business plan go hand in hand in shaping the goals, objectives and achievements of your business. Looking for a business plan  instead? Check out our simple, customizable and free-to-download template. 3 types of business strategies Any successful business starts with a roadmap that outlines how goals will be achieved. However, not all strategies are created equal. Let's take a look at three types of business strategies that can drive your business toward sustainable growth: Corporate-level business strategy : This high-level strategy includes the company's vision, mission and key decisions. This might involve business choices, acquisitions or divestments, and resource allocation, for example. Business-level strategy : A business-level strategy determines how a company competes in a market, considering product mix, customer segments, pricing, marketing and distribution. It aims to deliver value to customers and outperform competitors. Function-level business strategy : A functional strategy focuses on the operational aspects of a business, like production, marketing, finance and human resources (HR). It supports corporate and business-level strategies by maximizing resource productivity. Why a business strategy is important Starting any type of business isn't for the faint of heart. There are many predictable and unpredictable factors to prepare for at every stage of growth. That’s why you need a business strategy to keep you on track. As far as benefits go, a business strategy: Helps you navigate market complexities : It provides a roadmap for staying ahead of the competition, plus external factors like supply chain issues and global events that may impact the market. Provides insight into your customers' needs : When you know their pain points, you can align your strategy with real-world preferences and demands.  Helps you anticipate small business challenges : Knowing about potential opportunities and issues will help you adapt to market changes—and be more resilient overall.  Makes long-term success much more likely : A thoughtful plan takes the guesswork out of things like hiring, investing, growth and innovation. 9 business strategy examples So, what does a business strategy look like? We’ve outlined nine examples below to inspire you as you iron out the blueprint for your business’s success. Customer experience  Cross-selling and upselling Customer retention programs Cost leadership Innovation Differentiation Acquisition Social responsibility Value 01. Customer experience  Companies like Zappos, Starbucks and Amazon are known for their exceptional customer experiences. They prioritize customer satisfaction, make doing business with them easy and (in the case of Starbucks) turn something as simple as grabbing a cup of coffee on your way to work into an immersive and satisfying sensory experience.  Customer experience, as a business strategy, is beneficial for any small business owner . It creates loyal repeat customers who tend to become brand advocates, recommending your business, products and brand to their network of friends and family.  02. Cross-selling and upselling Focusing on selling more products to existing and new customers is a strategy that, if successful, has a direct and immediate impact on your cash flow, revenue and profitability. There are many ways to do this, including cross-selling and upselling to shoppers as they browse your website, bundling similar products and using loyalty programs to entice past customers to return.  Old Navy is a master of motivating return sales. Their Super Cash program awards shoppers $10 for every $25 spent on their website or in stores. The coupons become active at a later date, which encourages shoppers to hang onto them and return to shop again in the future. Your rewards program doesn’t have to be elaborate, either. Wix merchant Jule Dancewear  offers customers five reward points for every $1 spent in the shop, with bonus points awarded for following the brand on Instagram or celebrating a birthday. Customers can then redeem their points for a certain dollar amount or percentage off a future purchase.  03. Customer retention programs Creating more customer loyalty is a viable and lucrative business strategy. It’s often more cost-effective to focus on retaining customers than constantly finding new ones. In fact, most brands have a 60-70% chance  of selling to an existing customer, but only a 5-20% chance of closing a sale with a new one. Loyalty comes in many forms—e.g., retail loyalty programs that reward shoppers with coupons and discounts, or points systems like airline miles on credit cards. You build loyalty by being trustworthy, communicating clearly and creating high-quality products. Consistency is also key to building ongoing relationships.  Perhaps no one does this better than Amazon with their Amazon Prime program. Customers buy into the program for a monthly or annual fee and are guaranteed fast, free shipping from Amazon sellers who opt into the program. Returns are also easy and Prime members get lots of other benefits, including a huge catalog of movie and TV shows, exclusive sales events and unlimited photo storage. 04. Cost leadership Cost leadership is a strategy where a company offers the lowest prices in a niche or market. Companies like Walmart and IKEA are famous examples. They've mastered this strategy by offering products at prices lower than their competitors, while still maintaining profitability.  This strategy isn't for everyone. Walmart's size gives it more leverage over suppliers (and wholesale pricing) versus a local mom-and-pop store. But even if you manage a smaller business, you can make a cost leadership strategy work by keeping costs low, creating your own products and being (incredibly) vigilant about your business costs. This is a strategy that takes a lot of planning and monitoring, so it’s important to do your research before jumping in. 05. Innovation Innovation tends to be connected to categories like technology, pharmaceutical and business services industries. It's a business strategy that focuses on creating cutting-edge products or services that are either brand new (e.g., in 2007, Apple’s iPhone was the first smartphone introduced to a huge market of people who didn’t know they needed it) or best-in-class products or services in an existing market.  Innovation, as a business strategy, isn’t limited to products or services. It can apply to a business approach—in other words, the way you offer your product or service. A perfect example of this is the rise of meal kit delivery services like Hello Fresh and Blue Apron. These companies provide “meal kits'' with fresh ingredients delivered as a subscription service to their customers (e.g., three meals per week). Or, take a look at Wix merchant Napa Wild , which offers weekly subscription shipments of fresh produce to areas surrounding Napa County, California. Their produce boxes are available in three different sizes to suit different households. Some companies, like Tovala, include technology with their delivery service. Tovala’s smart oven works by scanning a barcode on the pre-made meal so that the cooking time and temperature are automatically set in the oven. When the meal is complete, the customer is notified via the Tovala app. 06. Differentiation Differentiation is about making your business stand out compared with your competitors. You do this by providing something uniquely special about your product design, features or quality. You can also differentiate yourself by creating a unique and meaningful brand story. When done well, differentiation gives you a lot of flexibility around pricing and approach—including the types of products and services you offer. An effective differentiation strategy helps your customers identify with your brand. They are either Coke drinkers or Pepsi drinkers, for example. Or, take Starbucks as an example. Lots of places sell coffee, but Starbucks has taken coffee to an entirely new level with uniquely crafted (and premium-priced) drinks that are as much about lifestyle and identity as they are about getting your daily caffeine fix.  07. Acquisition Acquisition is a business strategy that involves purchasing another company (or companies) to fuel growth, expand market share or be more competitive. Acquisition can be a game-changer for your business, allowing you to quickly tap into new markets, acquire valuable assets and eliminate competition.  Companies like Meta (formerly named Facebook) have effectively used acquisition as a strategy to maintain their dominance in the social media space. By acquiring platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp, Meta expanded its user base. It also diversified its offerings, ensuring it remains relevant even when other platforms like MySpace and Friendster have flamed out over time. Acquisition as a primary strategy isn’t for the faint of heart. You need a deep understanding of each of your target company's operations, culture, financial health and customer base. Integrating two companies can also be complex and stressful. There are often issues with merging technologies, company cultures and aligning operations. Thus, conduct thorough due diligence before making an acquisition or you could end up turning a beloved global brand into a classic example of what not to do when acquiring a legacy company. 08. Social responsibility Social responsibility is important to all consumers, but particularly Millennial and Gen Z consumers  who often evaluate companies and products based on environmental impact and sustainability. Social responsibility helps businesses differentiate themselves because it fosters community, protects the environment and ensures you’re prioritizing ethical practices throughout your operations. In fact, according to a Deloitte survey, a quarter of consumers  are willing to pay more  for sustainable products and packaging, or for products or services from suppliers that respect human rights and ethical working conditions. Two examples stand out here—Patagonia and TOMS Shoes. Both companies built their brands around social responsibility. Patagonia pledges 1% of its sales to environmental causes and is well-known by its loyal customers for being sustainable and supporting the lifestyle it promotes (loving the outdoors). Meanwhile, TOMS Shoes has a "One for One" model, donating a pair of shoes for every pair sold. 09. Value Value is subjective, but it can be a guiding light that helps new customers find you and inspires existing customers to return time after time. With a value-based strategy, the goal is to present something that is not just different but also has significant worth or meaning (or both) to your target audience.  Apple doesn't just sell technology; they sell an entire ecosystem. Apple products resonate with customers because Apple is as much about a lifestyle as it is about a device or feature. Their products, while technologically advanced, are aesthetically pleasing, easy to use and integrate seamlessly with each other.  Remember, offering unique value isn't about being different just for the sake of it. It's about understanding what your customers truly desire and creating something that fills that need in a way that no one else can. This could manifest as unparalleled quality. It could be a novel feature, or it can focus on exceptional customer service. Think about the companies you love that do this well—Disney, Trader Joe’s, Lululemon, Ben & Jerry’s and Ikea. A company that promises value and then delivers on it attracts new customers. It fosters loyalty and even advocacy.  Dig deeper : Want more information on how to start or grow your business? Check out our essential guide on how to run a business , which includes 10 steps for business success.

To grow your business effectively, you need a clear business plan  that sets goals and guides your next steps. Starting a business  is exciting but taking it to the next level requires more than just a great idea. With the right growth plan, you can increase your market presence, boost sales and scale operations with ease. Your plan should focus on key areas like creating strong marketing strategies , building a website  that works as your online hub and staying flexible based on customer feedback. Whether you're just starting out or ready to expand, having a structured approach to growth is key to long-term success. Learn more about how to build a website . What is business growth? Business growth happens when a company gets bigger and more successful over time, leading to scalability  and sometimes reinvention. This can mean increasing sales, gaining more customers, expanding to new locations or offering new products or services. Simply put, it’s about moving forward and improving in size, revenue or influence. Growth can be fast or slow depending on how well a company adapts to changes, plans strategies and makes smart decisions. For instance, a business might start with one store and later open more locations or build a stronger eCommerce presence. The goal is to create a more profitable business that meets the needs of more customers and stands out in the market. As your business grows you need to identify which metrics best reflect your progress. Here are some ways to measure growth: Hiring employees Opening new branch locations Gaining more clients Increasing product sales Steady revenue growth Accumulating social followers Seeing positive cash flow Bringing in new investors Mergers and acquisitions Some milestones might take longer to achieve, especially if your company is in the early stages. Setting the right pace for your business goals starts with being honest about where you’re starting from. Are clients asking for products that are always out of stock? It might be time to invest in faster delivery. Read also: how to spring clean your small business How to write a business growth plan A business growth plan is your blueprint for scaling and expanding your company. It’s your map for success, guiding you through every stage of growth. Whether you’re boosting sales, improving customer retention or entering new markets, a solid growth plan keeps you focused and helps you make smart decisions. Here’s how to create one that sets you up for long-term success. 01. Define your vision and mission Before scaling, know where you're going. Create a clear, compelling vision for your business. What does success look like in 1, 3 or 5 years? Be specific—whether it’s hitting a revenue goal, becoming a market leader or expanding globally, your vision should guide every decision. Pair this with a mission statement that captures your company’s purpose. Why does your business matter to your customers? What impact do you want to make? Your mission is the reason your business exists. 02. Set SMART goals Once you have a clear vision, break it down into actionable steps. Try using SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. For example, instead of saying “I want to grow my customer base,” go with “Increase my customer base by 20% in six months through targeted online ads.” SMART goals keep things clear, align your efforts and make tracking progress simple. 03. Understand your target market Understanding your customers is essential for growth. Knowing your target market lets you tailor products, marketing and messaging to meet their needs. Take a close look at your current customer base to figure out who fits your business best. Are they millennial professionals? Health-conscious shoppers? Once you identify your audience, explore new market opportunities that align with your core offerings. 04. Build a marketing strategy Marketing drives growth. A solid strategy boosts your efforts and connects with the right people. Blend digital and traditional tactics. For digital, focus on SEO for organic traffic, pay-per-click ads for quick visibility and social media to engage your audience. Content marketing like blogs, videos and email campaigns builds trust and awareness. Offline, partner with other businesses, sponsor events or host your own to create real-world connections. 05. Budget and allocate resources wisely Scaling takes resources, so it’s important to budget strategically. This might mean investing in new tech, hiring staff or kicking off marketing campaigns. Look for ways to streamline processes like using automation or tools that boost efficiency. By managing resources wisely, you’ll be ready to handle the demands of growth. 06. Monitor and optimize A growth plan isn’t a one-and-done task—it’s an ongoing process. Track progress regularly to see what’s working and where changes are needed. Use metrics like revenue growth, customer acquisition and website traffic to measure success. If something isn’t delivering results, adjust your strategy. Optimization is key, whether it’s refining campaigns, improving your product or boosting customer engagement. Tips for writing a strong growth plan Know your why : Understand what’s driving your growth—more sales, a bigger customer base or expanding product offerings Break it down : Set smaller short-term goals that build toward your big-picture vision Focus on ROI : Prioritize efforts that bring clear results Research competitors : See what they’re doing to grow and find ways to stand out Stay flexible : Markets change, so adjust your plan when needed Track everything : Measure results to see what works and improve where you can Why is business growth important? It’s easy to become complacent when business feels good and safe. However, you might not be able to afford taking a “business as usual” attitude as your industry grows. Some of the fastest growing industries in the United States are in food and beverage, real estate and health care. If your market is poised for growth, you need to capitalize on relevant small business trends and shifts to stay competitive. You can also achieve growth through practices like investing in customer acquisition, rewarding your staff with raises, and adding more value to current client relations. Essentially, business growth lets you accomplish more for your team, customers and yourself. Pro tip: Wix Enterprise is a platform that provides businesses with an all-in-one solution for all types of growth. Create high performing websites for your business using business software and run them from the Wix mobile app , all of which is backed by enterprise-grade security as well as expert support to help you manage and scale online. Decided to take the next step in your growth plan? Here’s an overview of the most common types of business growth strategies to implement: Types of business growth 01. Market development Market development is a common business growth plan designed to identify new market segments for current products. Small businesses owners can attract unaddressed markets within targeted segments. For example, new markets can be defined through geographic segmentation, or splitting up a market based on location. People from a certain place will share similar needs, wants or cultural considerations. In turn, businesses and brands can target an area with more relevant messaging. Another way to segment a market is using demographics, with subgroups formed by age, gender, occupation and even marital status. 02. Market penetration Unlike market development, this business growth plan is not about breaking into a new market but instead digging deeper into an existing market, and avoiding opportunity costs . Let’s say you run an online store for pet food. While customers may already go crazy for your inventory, the following strategies will not only improve customer loyalty, but they could also increase website traffic: Offering discounts Free one-day shipping Subscriptions and auto-renew deliveries That said, offering higher-quality products or services at higher prices could also help you penetrate a more valuable client segment. 03. Product development As a business owner looking inwards for business growth, product or service expansion may elevate your company to new heights. You can approach this growth strategy in a number of ways, including: Creating new products as demand grows for them Tweaking existing products with the help of user feedback Discontinuing underperforming products At this point of your business growth plan, you may need to take cues from your customers and adjust accordingly. If you can provide them with everything they want, and it makes sense for your business, they won’t look for another provider to fulfill the rest. Effective product development can help you reach hypergrowth and scale your business even quicker. Pro tip : If you’re developing a new product that’s in high demand, you can advertise it for pre-sale and start raising money for it before the product’s ready. 04. Mergers and acquisitions You can look at this growth strategy in two ways: First, a larger company acquires yours. You make a huge profit and can walk away to start a business again. Or you acquire a company with a competing or compatible product that helps you enter a new market or eliminate your competition. While freelancers or service providers don’t usually acquire companies, it might make sense for a vendor or a software company. On the other hand, you can also merge with another company and expand your market share. It could be a risky move to combine two companies into a new entity, but not if you research the company and the market opportunity it presents. 05. Partnerships For small business owners, freelancers and service providers without a ton of capital, forming a mutually beneficial relationship with another company can be a viable growth opportunity. As well as a crucial part of your business development plans. Furthermore, it won’t just boost your profits. The partnership will also improve your offering’s value, so your customers or clients walk away winners, too. As for who you partner with, it’s up to you. Just make sure it makes good business sense. For example, a freelance web designer could partner with a copywriter to offer clients beautiful websites with professional messaging. When you partner with another business, it’s also a great way to earn more clients at lower customer acquisition costs, such as through referrals. 06. Diversification Diversification is about expanding into a completely new market. Companies consider this growth strategy (as well as other business strategy examples ) as a way to reinvigorate business by developing new products or adding services to existing ones. It's also a good way to hedge against potential economic disruptions, such as the ways inflation can affect small businesses . Joy Cho, founder and creative director of the successful lifestyle brand Oh Joy! spoke with Now What ? about her company’s own business growth through diversification. Her business growth is a result of “two-thirds” selling licensed products at Target (home decor, baby and nursery, and furniture collections), plus another portion from her writing (adult books, kids books and her blog). 07. Alternative channels More businesses explore alternative channels such as progressive web apps (PWAs), mobile apps, Facebook Business pages, Google My Business pages and Instagram Shop to grow their business. Alternative channels have proven useful in reaching new customers, staying in touch with existing ones and engaging with your target audience. Many online businesses have also begun to offer a mobile app when they create a website to sell products . With Wix, you can operate and grow your business with the Wix app, a multi-functional app for marketing, managing bookings and live chatting with customers throughout the buyer journey. Download a business growth questionnaire

With 330 million monthly active users, Twitter is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. But while you may think of it as more news and commentary-focused than a rock-solid investment towards your marketing strategy, Twitter is on the verge of reinvention. Elon Musk bid $44 billion to buy the social media site and intends to, among other ideas, introduce an edit button and open-source algorithm to push Twitter towards becoming , “the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated.” Additionally, the Washington Post shared that Twitter is cultivating a hyper-engaged user base of teenagers to compete with TikTok and create even more influence with the platform. If you haven't gotten on Twitter yet as a self-creator, entrepreneur, or small business owner, these new changes will likely bring a wave of new opportunities. After you create a website , try using Twitter to promote your business. It provides a terrific venue to connect with your target audience and bring them tailored content to convert them into customers. Not sure where to start? This article will cover how to use Twitter effectively from start to finish. 10 steps to use Twitter 1. Set up your profile 2. Follow relevant accounts 3. Understand the Twitter lingo 4. Decide what content to Tweet 5. Choose your Twitter voice 6. Write your first Tweet 7. Join trending hashtags 8. Maintain your channel 9. User Twitter tools and features Step 1: Set up your profile Choose your profile name (also known as handle): This is how you'll be seen on Twitter, so make it meaningful. We suggest keeping it short, so it's memorable and doesn't eat up too many characters. Wix's Twitter handle is @Wix – but yours might look more like @cupcakecrazy or @JimDoe. Feel free to use capital letters for visual emphasis, but know that people can use all lower case letters and still be able to find you (and that's a good thing). Upload a profile image: There's nothing worse than seeing an account without a profile pic. Upload a photo of yourself, or use your logo for your profile photo. As for your cover photo (banner icon), it's a great big space to show what you or your business are all about. Tip : Use our free logo maker and free image resizer to create your images. Complete your bio: This is the area on your profile that lets you tell other people a bit about yourself. And when we say a bit, we mean it–you only get 280 characters to do so. Make every character count by only including the most important and interesting details in this spot. Once you’re done with that, feel free to fill out your birthday. Wix user, The New Denim Project, successfully summarized what they do in their Twitter bio , “Manufacturing # sustainable textiles | Upcycled denim & cotton. Shifting the textile industry into a circular and collaborative economy, like the earth itself.” Add your website. Twitter gives you a great place to showcase your site – so don’t miss this chance to drive traffic to your website . Don’t have one yet? Create a website or landing page you’ll want everyone on Twitter to know about. Tip: Using a link in bio tool like Hopp by Wix will help you create shortened URLs that link to your website, social media and other online assets all from one dedicated space. Choose your privacy settings: Make your account public if you want anyone to be able to see your Tweets and find your page. Alternatively, if you choose to make it private, only accounts who request to follow you and you’ve approved will see your content. If you're a brand or a person who wants to increase their exposure, we highly recommend making a public account. Just remember to be meaningful in what you say, as the whole world will be able to see it for better or worse. Set your notification preferences: Choose if you’d like to be notified with push notifications every time someone mentions you, follows you or takes any notable action. Step 2: Follow relevant accounts Following other Twitter accounts is vital for two reasons. One, you can learn a lot from other accounts that are similar to yours. Two, in order to get followed, you need to follow others. You will likely get followed back by some of the accounts you showed interest in. You don't only need to follow people in your industry. You can follow political figures, journalists, artists or even the brands you love. Wix user and artist Briony Douglas follows all types of accounts, even those outside her industry, such as sports reporter Kayla Grey . Tip : Take a look at this guide on how to increase your social media engagement. Step 3: Understand the Twitter lingo This particular social network has some key elements you’ll want to familiarize yourself with. Hashtags Hashtags begin with the pound symbol and are followed by a keyword. Hashtags are a great way to tap into conversations happening on Twitter. You can use them in your bio, in your Tweets and even type in hashtags to search in the discovery page to find relevant accounts and threads. Handles We covered this one up top, but here’s a reminder: it’s your profile name. Retweets Much like a share on Facebook, Retweets are gold for your content. You can Retweet content you see on Twitter by simply clicking the button below the text. It will then show on your profile. You can Retweet by adding a message, which is referred to as a Quote Tweet. Adding a quote can be helpful if you want to further express your opinion in relation to the Tweet you're sharing. Sol Cacao, which sells its chocolate bars on its Wix Website, Retweeted Buffer’s post about them. Sol Cacao successfully took their existing publicity and content that’s been generated to share on their own Twitter feed. Once you start Tweeting, you'll soon be hoping that people will Retweet your content. Mentions When someone talks to you or about you on Twitter and tags your account, it's called a mention. It's something you'll want to check for when you're maintaining your channel. It's highly recommended to respond to mentions to increase your social media presence on the platform. Threads A thread is a series of connected Tweets that allows you to provide additional information about the same Tweet. Likes To indicate you agree or support another Tweet, you can like it by pressing the heart icon. Private messages Directly message other accounts using private messages and your inbox. Avoid spamming others with mass messages and use this tool to build relationships. Twitter Spaces This tool allows you to have live audio conversations, much like Instagram Rooms. Twitter Spaces enables you to start meaningful discussions where your fans and followers can tune in and get exposure to your brand. Moments Moments are crafted stories based on Tweets that showcase what's going on around the globe. Super Follows Offer a monthly membership that will help you generate cash while also allowing you to engage with your Twitter followers in a more personal way. Step 4: Decide what content to Tweet What will your brand be saying on Twitter? Are you most interested in running Twitter marketing campaigns, or will you be using it to provide commentary on things that involve your industry news? Perhaps all of the above? This may evolve over time, but deciding what you will be sharing on this social channel is one of the important first steps. It'll take some trial and error until you figure out what works best, but coming up with some preliminary content ideas will be very helpful. Here are four brands that Tweet different types of social media content to engage with their audience: Wix: We’ve run polls on Twitter to engage and better understand our audience, as seen here . Polychrome : This Wix user utilizes seasonal holiday content to promote its print business. Here you can see a Valentine's Day Tweet with a heart print and CTA to visit the site. Helga Wear Inc: This Wix user celebrates her small business success with a big milestone by sharing her award on Twitter. Izzy Wheels : Wix user, Izzy Wheels showcases its beautiful product using user-generated content in the form of video. Step 5: Choose your Twitter voice Will your brand voice on Twitter be serious and professional or fun and playful? Brands have taken different approaches and there is no right and wrong, as long as it feels authentic to you. 42% of Twitter users currently use the platform for entertainment, and therefore taking a playful approach, like Dopple Press, may be a good move. The Wix Awards competition winner, Dopple Press, exemplifies a more informal tone in its Tweets, as seen in their light-hearted lingo, all caps opening and use of slang. In contrast, BitPay (one of Wix’s payment providers) uses a more professional tone without any all caps text or exclamation marks. Step 6: Write your first Tweet Now that you know what you want to share and the tone you want to use, you can fill out the Tweet creation box. You have 280 characters, including spaces, in a single Tweet. A counter on the bottom right of the Tweet box shows you how much room you have left. Remember, you can create a thread with multiple Tweets for a longer message you'd like to share. Amos Zimmerman, social media manager at Wix says, “Since Tweets aren't (yet) editable, make sure you proofread your copy several times. Consider showing it to a friend for feedback, or even publishing it first on a test Twitter handle that's set to private.” You can embed the following into the Tweet: Link Image Video GIF Poll Emoji Next, we'll talk about hashtags, which you'll also want to include before publishing your Tweet. Tip: Use a social media post maker to elevate the visuals in your Tweets. Step 7: Join trending hashtags One of the best things about Twitter is that you don’t have to spend money to join the conversation and potentially go viral. Every day, every hour, people are joining in on trending topics – and you can, too. Depending on your business, you may want to play with your location settings or use Twitter Advanced Search to see what hashtags have the most engagement based on where you live. Include the hashtags in your Tweets and follow relevant hashtags. For instance, # MarketingTwitter is a popular hashtag that ties together the marketing community on the platform with helpful tips to advance the industry. Tip: You can also consider creating a branded hashtag tied to your brand. It can help build buzz around you and find discussion about you. For example, we use # WixRead on our Tweets that share blog articles. Step 8: Maintain your channel Coming up with a Tweeting schedule will get you off to the right start. If people visit your profile and see that the last time you Tweeted was eight months ago, they'll likely decide to move on or unfollow you. To avoid this, you don't necessarily need to Tweet 20x a day – the frequency can be as little as once a week, just make sure you stick to it. For best results? We suggest Tweeting at the very least once every couple of days and varying your content. Step 9: Use Twitter tools and features Before you venture off to launch your Twitter strategy, keep these features and tools in mind: 01. Pin a Tweet: Once you've started Tweeting, utilize the Pinned Tweet option. A pinned post lets you decide which Tweet you want people to see at the top of your page. 02. Get Twitter verified : If you’re eligible, get your account Twitter Verified to gain the blue badge next to your handle name. Your account must be “authentic, notable, and active” to be qualified for the badge. 03. Create Twitter Bookmarks and Lists: Save Tweets you don't want to lose by bookmarking them to revisit later. You can also create and follow Lists to customize and organize Tweets, such as this B2B SAAS Writers List. 04. Dabble with Twitter Ads: People spend 26% more time viewing ads on Twitter than on other leading platforms. Therefore, you can consider Twitter advertising to promote your content to reach more people in your target audience. 05. Support a cause or holiday: Balance your Twitter content by showcasing your users, Retweeting other industry leaders and not just self-promoting. One good way to do this is by doing holiday marketing and recognizing national events to show your support for a cause. LinkedIn Retweeted Yelitsa Jean-Charles' post about partnering. The Tweet displayed an authentic message and showed LinkedIn’s support towards Black History Month. 06. Incorporate video: 32% of Twitter users cited “watching video” as one of their primary activities on the platform. You can use a free video maker tool to help you create quality video content. 07. Tap into your analytics: Try to test different types of content and use your Twitter analytics to see what’s performing best. We highly encourage you to take risks and fine-tune your learnings to design a winning Twitter strategy for your business. 08. Share blog posts: After you’ve created a blog , Twitter can be a phenomenal place to share such content. Since the community is a lot about sharing knowledge, you can use Twitter to get more readers to your site. 09. Use a scheduler: Take off some tedious manual work of regularly publishing new Tweets by using a post scheduler. If you're using Wix, we have a built-in post scheduler available. 10. Remember customer care: To avoid an overload of customer service responses to your Tweets, consider opening a dedicated support page on Twitter. Then you can direct them there to get the help they need. We’ve followed this advice ourselves by creating the Wix Help Twitter account and even pinned a link to it from our original account. How to use Twitter FAQ What is Twitter and how does it work? Twitter is a social networking service where users post and interact with 280-character messages known as "tweets." Tweets can be about anything, from news and current events to personal thoughts and experiences. Users can follow other users to see their tweets in their timeline, and they can also retweet, like and reply to tweets. Twitter is a great way to stay up-to-date on current events, connect with friends and family and learn about new things. What are the key features of Twitter? Here are some of the key features of Twitter: Timeline: The timeline is where you see tweets from the people you follow. Home: The Home tab shows you a mix of tweets from the people you follow, as well as trending topics and suggested tweets. Explore: The Explore tab shows you a variety of tweets, including trending topics, moments and news. Notifications: The Notifications tab shows you notifications about things like mentions, retweets and likes. Messages: The Messages tab is where you can send and receive direct messages from other users. Twitter is a free service that is available on the web, as well as on iOS and Android devices. How do you use Twitter properly? Here are some tips for using Twitter properly: Be respectful: Don't post anything that is hateful, harassing or abusive. Be mindful of what you share: Think carefully about what you share on Twitter. Once it's out there, it's hard to take back. Be aware of privacy settings: Make sure you understand Twitter's privacy settings and choose the settings that are right for you. Be responsible with your account: Don't give your password to anyone else and be careful about what third-party apps you connect to your Twitter account. Take breaks: It's important to take breaks from social media, including Twitter. How do beginners use Twitter? Here are some additional tips for beginners: Don't overthink it: Just start tweeting and see what happens. You'll learn as you go. Be yourself: Let your personality shine through in your tweets. Use relevant hashtags: Use hashtags that are relevant to your interests and the topics you're tweeting about. Don't be afraid to experiment: Try different things and see what works best for you.

Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t just for tech gurus and cyber geeks. It’s becoming a game-changer for time-crunched small business owners who wear many hats, including customer support superstars. While great customer service starts with a well-constructed business website , it's reinforced by other on-site features, like a chatbot. And once your website is launched, AI can help you manage just about every customer service-related task by automating, managing and streamlining how you deal with customer inquiries and issues. Here are the 10 key benefits of using AI in customer service. 10 ways AI is improving customer service Offers 24/7 support Reduces handle and wait times Handles multilingual queries Improves customer retention Analyzes customer data Reduces overhead costs Anticipates customer needs Helps upsell premium products Provides personalized recommendations Streamlines your workflow 01. Offers 24/7 support AI-enabled chatbots are designed to interact with your customers using natural language processing (NLP), which is a type of artificial intelligence that allows machines to understand human language. Chatbots are always on, so they can respond to customer questions 24/7. For example, Wix's AI site-chat feature enables you to answer customer questions as people browse your site. The AI can help site visitors find the products they're looking for, understand product details (like sizing) and even make a purchase, right on the spot. Or, if you offer a service, the AI can answer question around pricing, scheduling, packages and more. The AI site-chat uses live data from your website, including your support pages, to deliver accurate information. It's also designed to detect the intent of each user query and reflect your brand voice according to custom guidelines. Chatbots like the Wix AI site-chat are especially useful if you’ve just launched or are about to start a business . You don't need a large team to start offering around-the-clock support. Plus, you can quickly glean information about what people are looking for when they enter your site—then refine your content to answer their questions sooner. Explore all of Wix's AI tools . 02. Reduces handle and wait times As a small business owner , you may struggle with keeping customers on hold for too long or getting back to people quickly. Conversational AI tools can significantly reduce the time your customers spend waiting for help, resulting in immediate response times. They can play a crucial role in resolving disputes or queries since they give customers real-time answers to natural-language queries. This helps improve “case deflection” which is when a customer can resolve a case on their own, deflecting it away from a human service rep (or from you, the business owner). It's like having an extra pair of hands to manage customer queries effectively and promptly. Chatbots can also help you streamline your customer service approach—the process of resolving disputes or queries. Integrating chatbots into your workflow helps you provide better service overall. It’s not a replacement for human-driven service, but it’s a way to augment the processes you already have in place. 03. Handles multilingual queries Multilingual AI-powered customer service tools can chat with customers in multiple languages. They work by using sophisticated NLP engines to identify the language or automatically detecting a customer's default browser language. Apps are easy to connect to small business apps like MailChimp and Slack, or directly to your website. Having multilingual capabilities helps you expand into new territories and support various languages without hiring a large, multilingual support team. Keep in mind that language is just one aspect of culture. Multilingual chatbots are a good stop-gap when you need to support customers who speak different languages, but if you truly want to serve a global audience, then cultural alignment is crucial. Some chatbot platforms like Engati consider things like dialects, currencies and text direction when trained. Related reading: Top AI myths , debunked 04. Improves customer retention Customer retention is closely linked to good customer service. According to Statista, 70% of U.S. consumers expect a same-day response for customer service issues and 62% say a response within one to three days is acceptable. AI can help foster higher customer retention rates because it responds immediately with accurate information. This is particularly important when something goes wrong. According to a Zendesk survey, 77% of customers surveyed said they’re more loyal to businesses that provide a good experience after they experience an issue. Resolving issues quickly is a key ingredient of good customer experience. This can be challenging if you’re figuring out how to run a business on a tight budget. Incorporating chatbots into your customer service approach is a cost-effective way to improve both customer experience and retention. 05. Analyzes customer data AI customer service tools have the ability to collect a treasure trove of customer data. They chat with customers, learning about their likes, dislikes and problems, so they can help you solve small business challenges and make smarter decisions. If a bunch of customers are asking the same question, or frequently expressing anger, confusion or frustration, it could be a sign that something's not clear and needs fixing. Since chatbots can give you a peek into what customers really want, they have the potential to help you customize your offerings and business approach based on what your customers are saying. For example, if you’re a clothing retailer frequently seeing the query “Do you have plus sizes?” you can gather that there is demand for additional sizing in your target market. Related reading: Where are we in the AI revolution? 06. Reduces overhead costs We’ve already touched on how AI customer service tools can save you money by providing multilingual chat support and improving customer retention. But there are a few other ways that they can contribute to reducing overhead costs. The main one is that they eliminate the need for a full-time customer support team. Chatbots are always at the ready when a customer has an issue. They can defer the need for a human agent to instantly respond and can redirect customers to content on your website that answers their question. Common questions about return policies, shipping speed and product availability can all be answered by AI. To this end, it’s important to have the answers to common questions available on your website as a frequently asked questions (FAQs) page, in detailed blog posts and as easy-to-find information on product and service pages. And, again, unlike human agents, chatbots can provide consistent support around the clock. 07. Anticipates customer needs Since chatbots can process and retain customer data, it can use predictive analytics to anticipate customer needs and provide faster solutions. Predictive analytics use historical data combined with machine learning algorithms to forecast outcomes and trends. Using predictive analytics might, for example, proactively provide information about a product feature that comes up frequently in customer inquiries. Analyzing common issues allows your customer service tool or chatbot to offer pre-emptive solutions. They can also help you better understand the customer journey, including what’s working and where customers might be hitting roadblocks that stop them from converting. 08. Helps upsell premium products Chatbots aren’t just for customer service issues—they can be used to help you upsell and cross sell products and services. Chatbots can be programmed to interact with customers, understand their buying patterns and make appropriate recommendations for higher-tier products. For example, let’s say that you sell sweaters for dogs and have a line of matching sweaters for humans. The chatbot can suggest a bundle of the matching human/dog sweater set if the customer reaches out with a question. Chatbots can also suggest a premium product when a customer reaches out with a question (i.e., “Do you have rose gold hoop earrings?”) 09. Provides personalized recommendations AI offers a unique position to give customers personalized recommendations based on in-session activity. It’s a similar scenario to upselling in that chatbots can tailor a conversation to provide relevant results based on a conversation they’re having with the customer. This includes suggesting products, providing direction about sizing and guiding customers as they move through the process of shopping. This is a hands-on approach to customer service that turns the chatbot into a kind of concierge, providing one-to-one assistance to each customer. 10. Streamlines your workflow AI-powered customer service is changing how small businesses operate. As we touched on above, it can answer common customer queries and route more complex issues to the right department or person. This gets customers the answers they need more quickly while reducing the strain on you and your employees. Chatbots can help you improve your business workflow by: Automating customer service tasks: Since they can handle multiple customer queries and issues simultaneously, chatbots provide automated triage for issues and questions. They also provide instant responses to customers even if the issue itself isn’t resolved with the first interaction. Making internal processes more efficient: With AI, you can automate repetitive or time-consuming tasks like appointment scheduling and lead follow up. This kind of repetitive work is also prone to errors and best delegated to robot brains. Think of AI as your super-efficient administrative assistant. It can be integrated into your operational processes as a way to free up employee time and allow you to focus on more strategic, value-driven activities. Providing 24/7 service: At the end of the day, AI is machine-based. It doesn’t need to eat, sleep or take breaks. One of its biggest advantages is that it can provide support around the clock, ensuring customers in all time zones receive instant assistance. Saving you money: From handling a higher volume of queries to upselling high-end products, customer service chatbots can double as sales associates. These AI tools for sales help you sell more and personalize offers which drives customer loyalty. Using data intelligently: AI can gather user data including purchase behavior, customer needs, pain points and insights. It can then turn this data into valuable predictions about trends and roadblocks, helping you improve the customer experience. Automating all the things: Automation is the key to streamlining workflows, allowing small business owners to focus on high-value activities. As AI-enabled technology evolves, chatbots and other customer service tools will evolve with it. The future of AI-enabled customer service is bright and it’s filled with robots. Check out how to build a website with AI with the Wix AI website creator.

Numbers. They’re all around us. The building blocks of calculation are used in several different ways, whether in their numerical form or symbolized by a number of specific objects. Like colors, numbers have their own meaning to them. We gravitate to some and shy away from others. However, knowing the psychology of numbers will help you to apply them effectively on your website and in your marketing strategies as you develop and grow your brand. Below, you can find some of the common numbers in marketing and an explanation of how people tend to perceive them. However, since the meanings behind numbers are influenced by numerous factors, it’s best to research your target market before implementing them. Numbers in marketing One, Uno, Eins Even and odd numbers 7: A hands-down favorite 10: the most practical 11 & the extra 1 13 and “unlucky” numbers One, Uno, Eins The number 1 is often associated with the beginning. It has many associations with being the number of the divine, and aptly so; the divine being the creators of everything. The number 1 also resembles high achievement. Winners of a contest or race come in first place, and if you weren’t number one, then you were the first loser. One is also considered to be a number that represents strength and independence. It may be the loneliest, but it does just fine. One Medical Group, Leeds-based primary care provider, is a fine example of this. Not only does using this number convey an “above the rest” feel to the company name, but it also reads as if they put their customers first. Even and odd numbers Odd and even numbers have different psychological associations: Odd numbers are often associated with creativity, individuality and uniqueness. They are also seen as being more memorable and attention-grabbing than even numbers. This is why odd numbers are often used in marketing and advertising, as they can help to make a product or service stand out from the competition. Even numbers , on the other hand, are usually linked to stability, balance and security. They are seen as being more predictable and reliable than odd numbers. This is why even numbers are often used in contexts where order and predictability are important, such as in mathematics and finance. But the psychological effect of odd and even numbers doesn’t end there. When deciding on pricing, odd and even numbers can make a bigger difference than you might imagine. In fact, this phenomenon is so well-known that it has a name: odd-even pricing. When a product is priced with an odd number, it can subconsciously signal to consumers that it is a special offer or a good deal. For example, a dress that is priced at $19.99 is more likely to be perceived as a sale item than a dress that is priced at $20. In contrast, even numbers are often associated with quality and luxury in the psychology of selling. When a product is priced with an even number, it can subconsciously signal to consumers that it is a high-quality item. Imagine two cars, one priced at $35,000 and the other priced at $34,999. Which one are you more likely to think is the luxury car? This is the importance of the right price ending. 7: A hands-down favorite Our love for the number seven is a profound one. From religious connections dating back to classical Greece to being the ultimate “lucky” number, 7 is a number that most people seem to gravitate towards. Some of the numbers mentioned below are bound to cultural beliefs and superstitions, but seven safely seems to be a worldwide favorite. The number could be our favorite due to its constant presence in our world and religion. Here are just a few: Earth: Seven colors in the rainbow, seven continents, seven wonders of the world. Religion: Seven deadly sins, the union of the physical (number 4) with the spiritual. From a marketing perspective, the number 7 is a people pleaser that should be easy to implement. 10: the most practical The number 10 is officially the end of the journey. It’s the first number that uses a combination of preceding numbers for it to form. It offers a sense of completion or full-circle effect, but it may only be useful in specific instances. 10 is seen as a rational, ordered number. If 10 was a color, it would most likely be blue to signify its dependability and trustworthiness. It’s straightforward and to the point, which doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Its cut and dry nature isn’t terribly inspiring, so it may not be the most engaging set of digits to use. One of the best implementations of the number can be seen in lists. From the click-bait articles you see online: “Top 10 life hacks you HAVE to try right now!” to the never-ending top ten list videos on YouTube. The number allows you to set your expectations, as 10 is “just enough.” 11 & the extra 1 If 10 is the number of completion, then 11 offsets it, almost completely. The number 11 goes “beyond” completion and beyond what we can count on our own hands, so it’s not terribly surprising to find that it is associated with mystery. Eleven isn’t just an odd number, it’s actually a rather odd number . It stands out and just isn’t practical. For some, this could be exactly what is needed. The unconventional, “out there,” and out-of-the-box type brands may find the number suitable to stand out from the crowd and exude allure. The offsetting, extra 1 isn’t limited to the number eleven and its “stand out” vibe. Adding the extra digit to an otherwise clean-looking number can achieve the same effect. Take Levi’s 501 Jeans, for example. Adding the extra one helps the brand of jeans to stand out, allowing to it become more memorable instead of easily dismissible.   13 and “unlucky” numbers The superstition that the number 13 is unlucky resonates in many places in the world and in marketing trends , and it still rings true today. Hotels and some apartment buildings still ignore the 13th floor, skipping straight to 14. So, how could one implement this into their own marketing to produce a positive effect? Well, for starters, carefully. If you want to add an edgy element or give off an alternative feel, 13 may be the number for you. Think of a tattoo shop or bar named “ Lucky 13 .” The type of business has a distinct vibe unto itself, so the use of the number is suitable. On the other hand, if your business is a flower shop, it may not be the best number to use. Regardless of your personal opinion on superstition, you’ll need to make sure to research your audience and market to make sure that you know the full story behind any number you want to implement, especially if it will be in the name of your business. As you probably know, 13 is widely considered to be an unlucky number in Western cultures, so you might need to make some adjustments in order to properly reach your market if you go this route. Likewise, number 4 is considered unlucky in many Asian cultures, as its pronunciation is similar to that of the word for "death". For example, in Mandarin Chinese, the number 4 is pronounced "sì", which sounds similar to the word "shi", which means "death". As a result, many people in these cultures avoid using this number in any context where it could be seen as bad luck. This includes floor numbers, room numbers, phone numbers, and license plate numbers. If this is your target market, make sure you stay far away from any mention of the number 4. Psychology of numbers FAQ What numbers are best to use in marketing? There are a few numbers that are commonly used in marketing because they’re considered to be more effective than others. The numbers 1 and 7 are particularly good at conveying positive marketing messages. The number 1 represents high achievement, strength and independence; the number 7 seems to be a worldwide favorite, possibly due to its constant presence in our world and major religions. Of course, not all numbers are created equal. The effectiveness of a number in marketing will depend on the specific product or service being advertised, the target audience, and the overall marketing strategy. However, the numbers listed above are a good starting point for any marketer looking to use numbers to their advantage. What are some tips for using numbers in marketing? Make sure you don’t experience a marketing fail when you use numbers in your branding. Here are some tips for using numbers in marketing: Use numbers sparingly: Too many numbers can be overwhelming and confusing. Use numbers only when they are necessary to convey your message or to support your claims. Use numbers that are easy to remember: People are more likely to remember numbers that are short and easy to pronounce. For example, "99% customer satisfaction" is easier to remember than "98.7% customer satisfaction." Use numbers that are relevant to your target audience: The numbers you use should be relevant to the interests and needs of your target audience. For example, if you are marketing a product to millennials, you might use numbers that are associated with technology or social media. Use numbers that are credible: Make sure the numbers you use are accurate and from a reputable source. You can find credible sources of statistics on websites like Statista, the Pew Research Center, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By following these tips, you can use numbers to create effective marketing campaigns that reach and persuade your target audience.

Every small business owner needs to have a good handle on product sourcing to succeed when starting their business . One thing online storefronts and brick-and-mortar businesses have in common: there’s no store without products. That’s true whether you’re a home decor website, a fashion business or an artisanal coffee roaster. That's why we've put together these vital tips for defining the right product sourcing strategy for your eCommerce business . Learn the ins and outs of finding the right suppliers and maintaining a well-oiled product sourcing machine. Product sourcing isn’t just about selecting cool products, either. You must be able to accurately assess the efficiency, flexibility and cost of your sourcing model in order to safeguard your business. Need a better system for your ecommerce management ? See how Wix eCommerce  can help you streamline your business, from managing suppliers to monitoring performance. What is product sourcing? Product sourcing is the process of acquiring stock that you plan to sell online or in your brick and mortar store, if you have one. It involves working with suppliers who can provide you with the proper levels of inventory to satisfy customer demand. It’s a critical part of any eCommerce business plan . And while new business owners may be focused on getting their first units built, established ones may be reevaluating their product sourcing methods to help expand their catalog and shave costs. Why product sourcing is so important The wrong product sourcing strategy can take a toll on your profits and productivity, and affect the overall success of your business. More specifically, product sourcing is important because: You need to have the right inventory at the right time Most eCommerce shoppers expect to receive their products within days. If your suppliers are out of inventory  and orders start backing up, customers are likely to ditch your store and shop elsewhere. We saw this happen often as pandemic-era shortages crippled the global supply chain. Out-of-stock messages rose by 250% in October 2021 compared to a pre-pandemic period (January 2020), according to Adobe . Electronics, jewelry, apparel, pet products, and home and garden were among the most affected categories. As the supply chain crunch continues, having a strong product sourcing strategy with multiple suppliers will help you weather port closures, shipping delays, and other disruptions so that you can keep your customers satisfied and reduce the risk of them going to a competitor’s site. Product quality is crucial Few things will erode your store’s reputation faster than inferior products that let customers down. Not only will poor product quality lead to a spike in returns, but you run the risk of receiving negative customer reviews and damaging your reputation online. Today’s eCommerce  shoppers are also ever-sensitive to both poor-quality products and perceived (and actual) counterfeits. Flexibility is required for your business to scale The right product sourcing strategy should help you achieve your growth goals. Spending too much upfront cost on supplies, or taking too long to produce handmade products are two challenges that tend to fetter growth. Each of these should therefore be taken into account when identifying the right suppliers and processes for product sourcing. Read Also: 10 ways to grow your eCommerce business How to source products for your business There’s no one-size-fits-all approach for product sourcing. Rather, you should choose the most appropriate strategy for your store based on your overall goals, your products, your target audience and your budget. To get you started, here are the four most common ways to source products: Dropshipping   Wholesaler   Manufacturer   Handmade   01. Dropshipping If you’re interested in starting a business  but don’t actually want to design, manufacture—or even ship—the products yourself, consider  starting a dropshipping business . With both dropshipping  and reverse dropshipping , you never actually need to touch the products. Instead, rely on suppliers then take care of everything from manufacturing to order fulfillment. Here’s how it works: connect with dropshipping suppliers  through a platform like Modalyst  or Spocket and select which of their products you want to sell on your website. You can choose to dropship all the items in your catalog, or only dropship a portion of your catalog. When a customer makes a purchase on your store, the order will get sent to your supplier, who’s then responsible for delivering the product straight to your buyer’s doorstep. Create a dropshipping website  to get started. Merchants like Cruising Aviation  have relied on dropshipping to get up and running quickly. Founded by a student pilot, Cruising Aviation offers more than 300 aviation-themed products, ranging from wall art to clothing that’s all delivered within two to four days. Pros of dropshipping and product sourcing Low upfront costs.  Because you don’t create, design, store or send products, you can start dropshipping with modest financial investment. No excess inventory.  If no one buys your products, you’re not stuck with shelves of paid-for products—in fact, you don’t have to worry about the bulk of inventory management  tasks. This gives you more time to focus on marketing your products and elevating your store. Quick to scale . You can easily add a wide and diverse range of products to your store. For example, if you sell dog sweaters, you can expand into leashes, water bowls, and toys from a variety of different vendors. Cons of dropshipping and product sourcing Limited quality control . Since you aren’t making your own products, the quality of the products and the service level of fulfillment will be based on your vendor’s abilities. Lack of competitive differentiation . When you work with dropshippers, it’s possible that shoppers will be able to find the same product that you sell on another site (and potentially for a lower price). Lower profit margins . While dropshipping doesn’t bring high upfront costs, it can mean smaller profits depending on how much you’re paying your vendors and how competitive your products are. 02. Wholesaler When you choose a wholesaler for product sourcing, you get the opportunity to buy products in bulk. Partnering with a wholesaler is a good choice if you don’t want to create products from scratch and want to fill up your catalog quickly. Alibaba  and AliExpress  are two of the most popular wholesale marketplaces. Some well-known marketplaces, like Etsy , also offer a place for buying wholesale . Wholesales suppliers typically keep an eye on trending products  in order to provide the best, most relevant selection of products for their retailers. But once obtaining inventory from your suppliers, you’re responsible for warehousing those products and fulfilling orders. Pros of wholesale product sourcing Low cost per unit.  Because you order in larger quantities, you’ll pay a wholesaler a relatively low per-unit cost for each item. That may lend to larger profit margins. Fast to start up. Wholesalers typically work with many retailers. That means they know which products will sell, giving you a better chance of driving sales starting on day one. Access to a wide variety of products.  The right wholesalers can help you assemble an impressive array of products and accessories to sell on your online store. Cons of wholesale product sourcing Inventory and fulfillment is on you.  A wholesaler will ship their product to you, not your customer. That means you’ll need a warehouse or another facility to store inventory, and you’ll have to either fulfill orders yourself or hire a vendor to do the work for you. Lack of product differentiation. Other retailers may use the same wholesaler as you and offer the same products. Larger upfront costs.  You’ll need to anticipate paying for all items upfront prior to selling them online, which can put your business in a pinch if you don’t have enough capital or don’t wind up selling as many units as you anticipated. Wholesale discounts will also depend on how much inventory you’re able to buy in bulk, so you may not snag as good of a deal as a larger retailer who has more cash on hand. 03. Manufacturer Let’s say you have a great product design. You’re just looking for someone to bring it to life. How do you source products then? The answer may lie in manufacturing . This product sourcing strategy allows you to design private-label  products and potentially select the raw materials yourself, while your vendor will do the actual product creation. The manufacturer will then ship their products to you so that you can store and sell them. Wix merchant Forge to Table  manufactures its own hand-crafted knives. When they experienced a shortage of their signature product during pandemic-related lockdowns in early 2020, they found another local manufacturer to produce and sell a different item—branded aprons—to help weather the storm. Then, once their knife manufacturer got back up and running, Forge to Table reaped the benefits, achieving a YoY sales increase of 345% in Q4. Pros of manufacturing Create unique products.  Working with a manufacturer allows your store to offer one-of-a-kind, branded items. High level of quality control.  Even though you don’t make the products yourself, you can examine the products before you sell them. You also get to control branding and price. More flexible than other methods. Working with a manufacturer can offer more flexibility in how you build your products, optimize them over time, and how much of them to produce in a given timeframe. Cons of manufacturing High upfront costs. A manufacturer will typically enforce an MOQ, which could require a significant upfront investment. Longer product development cycle.  It could take many months for a manufacturer to create a prototype, refine it, get it to your specifications, and then produce enough finished product to get you started. Finding a quality manufacturer isn’t easy. Identifying the perfect manufacturer can be a long process. There are various factors to keep in mind—including price, reliability, and time to product items—when searching for a partner. (View this guide on how to find a manufacturer  to get started.)     Manufacturer success tips Choose a manufacturer that meets your current and future needs. Ask yourself, will the manufacturer be able to keep up with growth or fluctuations in demand month over month? Ask thorough questions. Ask prospective manufacturers about their processes and timelines so that you don’t face any surprising delays. Also, check reviews, consult third-party sources like the Better Business Bureau , or chat with other users (if that’s an option) about what it’s like working with the manufacturer. Factor manufacturing costs into your product cost.  Make sure you account for the extra expenses that will arise from working with a manufacturer when creating your pricing strategy. 04. Handmade A homemade or do-it-yourself (DIY) approach to product sourcing tends to work best for jewelers, carpenters and other artisans. It’s also embraced by some cosmetic merchants. With a handmade approach, you can retain complete control over the design and manufacturing of your products. Little Giraffe Bath & Body Co.  prides itself on offering natural, handmade products. Little Giraffe uses high-quality ingredients, including pure essential oils, to ensure that its one-of-a-kind products are kind to the planet. Pros of handmade products Full creative and quality control. Because you make the products, you can ensure each item you create meets your quality standards. Competitive advantage. Your products will be truly unique to your brand; customers won’t be able find them on any other online store. Freedom to work with whomever you want.  You choose the raw materials. You choose the hands that make the products. You choose how to handle all aspects of the supply chain for your products. Cons of handmade products Raw material scarcity. Current supply chain challenges may make it more difficult for DIYers to source the raw materials they need to create their products. Difficult to scale. Every time you need to meet increased demand for your product, you may need to increase your staff. Major investments in upfront costs and time.  In addition to choosing and buying all the raw materials, you’ll need to hire the people to do the work or make the products yourself. You’ll still need to cover the other costs (and responsibilities) of business, too, like costs related to inventory, packaging, shipping, and marketing. Handmade success tips Choose the right raw material suppliers.  Whether you need diamonds for jewelry or wood for homemade furniture, you’ll need to develop strong relationships with your vendors. Consider the potential impact of supply chain delays. Plant shutdowns and other pandemic-era concerns can slow the delivery of your raw materials. Develop backup plans in case one of your main vendors experiences disruptions. Plan for more storage space.  In addition to potentially maintaining your own inventory of finished products, a DIY approach means you’ll need space to store your raw materials and products in development. Plan for this ahead of time, and understand how your workspace (plus processes) needs to evolve as your business grows. Product sourcing FAQ Can I choose more than one product sourcing method? Yes. It’s common for merchants to use multiple methods of product sourcing. Let’s say you sell camping and caravanning gear. You could work with a manufacturer to create custom-designed tents at scale but then tap a dropshipper or wholesaler to provide sleeping bags and other accessories.Generally, the more options you create for your business, the better in terms of reducing over-reliance on one supplier or method to maintain and scale production. However, this could potentially add complexity to your business. You’ll have to be able to manage all of your various sourcing methods. How do I pick the right vendors? There are a few factors that you’ll want to keep in mind. Take a long-term view. Consider your online store’s immediate and future needs. Ask suppliers things like “How much stock do you have on hand?” or “What are your turnaround times, and are you available during business hours in our time zone?” If you sell seasonal merchandise, consider those needs and ask prospective vendors if they can meet your timelines. Check the vendor’s reputation.  Check third-party sources like the Better Business Bureau . Ask your suppliers for references, then call those references to get their take on the supplier’s reputation. Talk to other merchants about their suppliers. Ask the right questions , e.g., do you have experience in my product segment? How long have you been in business? What is your delivery and lead time? What are your MOQs? How frequently will you update me on inventory or production changes? How will you handle shipping, inventory, and returns (if applicable)? Can I put my own custom labels on the products that I sell? Request samples. Make sure that you have the chance to review all products yourself and test them for defects. Try running through the whole order fulfillment process too by simulating a customer order. Which KPIs should I track with suppliers? These metrics can help you make sure that your suppliers are giving your business the care and attention it deserves: On-time product arrivals Product quality Customer satisfaction and reception Quality of communication Costs billed as quoted Quality of products upon arrival How do I find trending products? Browsing “best seller” recommendations on global marketplaces like Amazon can help you keep up with consumer trends, as well as third-party tools like Google Trends , Trend Hunter , or TrendWatching . You can additionally poll people on social media, or survey existing customers about the items they find most useful or desirable.

Many entrepreneurs approach their elevator pitch thinking they have to woo and verbally sway their audience enough to pull out their checkbooks. The truth is a good pitch is more than that. Yes, an elevator pitch can successfully bring in investors when starting a business , but effective pitches can also help you capture new clients and begin valuable conversations and collaborations. This article will go over the best practices for creating an elevator pitch, with examples to guide crafting your own. How to create an elevator pitch From networking events, job interviews and professional gatherings to an actual elevator ride , you may use your elevator speech to clearly and concisely introduce yourself and market your skills. An infamous study in 2015 made waves around the world for comparing human attention span to a goldfish’s, an average of 9 seconds—so a clear, concise elevator pitch can help you communicate the most during that time frame. To create an effective elevator speech—no matter to whom and where you’re pitching—follow these four general rules. For better understanding, I’ve used a time management app as a pitch example throughout the steps. Clearly state your goals Grab their attention with a great hook Emphasize your value proposition Practice your elevator pitch 01. Clearly state your goals Think about the real goal of your elevator pitch. You need to clearly express to your audience who you are and what you do. In turn, they should also walk away with an understanding of what you want from them. Go back to your company’s mission statement for the right wording of your vision and values. For instance, as the creator of a time management software, you might want to say, “I started a time management app to help others around the world thrive by working more efficiently together.” Your goal is clear—to increase productivity—but more importantly broad enough in your elevator pitch to use with investors and referrals alike. 02. Grab their attention with a great hook An engaging opener will help your elevator pitch really stand out. Try to think of a juicy detail, a question, a funny story or a memorable client to share in the opening moment. A personal touch can transform an awkward or mundane exchange into the beginning of a lifelong connection. A good hook will also pique your audience’s interest, signaling for others to listen to you. It should spotlight what sets you, your business and your leadership apart. For example, if you’re pitching a product based upon your career experience, your hook might sound something like this: “At my first job in content marketing, I did not know how to manage my time.” If you don’t have a personal story to share, you can also start with a statistic that inspired your business. For example, if you’re pitching a time management software you might start with: “ 1 in 8 people never feel under control at work .” 03. Emphasize your value proposition In your elevator pitch, you’ll need to emphasize your value proposition . Prepare a brief statement or business proposal that describes how your products or services set you apart from the rest. Focus on details that will help others outside the company understand not only the benefits or features of your offering, but also how you solve problems better than your competitors. A strong value proposition should be clear, concise, genuine and customer-specific. To help create an effective value proposition, you can use any market research you’ve conducted thus far. For example, the project manager of a time management software surveys a segment of their target market, asking them, “What features are missing in time management apps?” With the answers they’ve collected they can demonstrate the company’s added value. 04. Practice your elevator pitch Now that you’ve written your pitch, it’s time to make it perfect. The first few times you read and practice your elevator pitch, you want to time yourself. Ideally, your pitch should be well under a minute . Make sure to practice the pitch with people who will give you honest feedback. Additionally, record yourself and listen back to catch any weak parts or stumbles. Avoid using filler words such as “um,” “ah” and “you know” to sound concise and confident. With enough practice, your speech will sound natural and convincing. Don’t be afraid to let your emotions and your true self shine through. Showing genuine passion for your work can often cause others to empathize and connect with you. Elevator pitch examples Use our examples to help guide you through crafting your own 30-second elevator speech. You’ll want to consider the four points for creating an elevator pitch mentioned above, including emphasizing your goals, hooking listeners with an attention grabbing statement or question, adding value and presenting a polished speech. 01. Local bakery “According to a McKinsey report , 55% of Americans are extremely or very concerned about the environmental impact of product packing. We are too—and that’s why our bakery uses sustainable packaging and locally-sourced ingredients to minimize our environmental impact and provide the best takeaway options for our environmentally-conscious customers. We aspire to expand our reach and make a positive impact with the opening of a new branch. Your contribution toward our crowdfunding campaign will help us set up shop in the next town over and share our mission with more of our community members.” 02. Self-employed freelance artist "My name is Ashley Garcia and I am a freelance artist based in Chicago. Since graduating from the School of the Art Institute with honors, I’ve wanted to share my illustrations with the world. Today, I am looking for corporate funding to help grow my budding art business into a boutique illustration agency and secure my future in the field." 03. FemTech startup "In 2021, the FemTech world surpassed $1 billion in investment from global venture capital firms , meaning that more attention is being paid to women’s health than ever. Our company has created a mobile app for breast health monitoring at home, receiving reliable feedback from testers in the beta phase. We are searching for an angel investor who will not only help us get this important product to the global marketplace, but will bring their expertise to foster business growth thereafter. " 04. Instagram influencer "As a fashion influencer, with over 20K followers, I’ve engaged directly with more people through my Instagram than some marketing departments in my industry. I want to take my content from social media onto the big screen. My goal is to create a reality show based around my success in fashion." 05. Education consultant "With decades of experience in the education field and having helped hundreds of clients, I am ready to assist other parents who are struggling with navigating through choosing the right school for their children. While my consulting website is my strongest marketing tool, I am asking for referrals from past clients to create direct bonds with new clients who can benefit from my services."

A podcast can serve as a creative outlet, a platform to discuss a niche interest or a marketing tool for a business. Because there are so many opportunities to monetize a podcast, it can also serve as a source of income. Whether you have an established audience or have yet to start a podcast , this article will teach you how to monetize a podcast using strategies such as sponsorships, advertising and event hosting. Tip : No matter what podcast monetization strategy you decide to use, create a website dedicated to your podcast that will come in handy to your current and new listeners. Starting a podcast? Use this podcast name generator to name it. How to monetize a podcast Here are nine strategies that can help you turn your podcast into a lucrative side hustle or even a full-time career: Get sponsorships Run advertisements Host an event Offer subscribers premium content Accept donations Sell products or services Promote affiliate content Publish episodes on YouTube Produce online courses 01. Get sponsorships A podcast sponsorship is an agreement between a podcast and a brand in which the brand agrees to support the podcast in exchange for promotional mentions within the podcast. Since these mentions are typically only 15 to 60 seconds long, listeners won’t be bothered by them—they might even trust you more if you have the support of a brand they know and trust. Sponsorships can take many forms, such as providing funding for the production of the podcast or offering products or services as giveaways to listeners. Sponsorships can be especially useful for smaller podcasts that may not have a large enough audience to attract advertisers, as sponsors may be more interested in the quality of the content and the alignment with their brand rather than the number of listeners. 02. Publish episodes on YouTube Syndicating your podcast recordings on YouTube is a simple way to further monetize your podcast. You can simply use an image as a placeholder for the visual element and have your podcast audio play in the background. That said, it’s worth taking the extra step of making video recordings of your podcast tapings—better visuals means increased engagement and increased engagement means more ad revenue. To maximize the potential of your YouTube channel, be sure to follow best practices for YouTube SEO to help your videos rank higher and attract more views, which can ultimately help you monetize your channel. You can also use a Podcast SEO strategy that will help you generate traffic and users to your recordings, and from there you can develop ways to encourage them to convert on your channel in someway. 03. Run advertisements There are pre-roll, mid-roll, or post-roll podcast advertisements, which means they are played at the beginning, middle or end of an episode, respectively. The ad might be an endorsement from the host, a script from the brand or a more traditional commercial that the brand produced. Once you’ve grown your listeners to a few thousand listeners, you can start to work with podcast advertising networks such as Midroll , AdvertiseCast and Authentic . Some podcast hosting sites even have their own built-in advertising networks. The advantage of working through a network rather than directly with brands is that there’s less administrative work involved. You’ll use the network to find advertisers, negotiate rates, and get the ad script so that you don’t need to do the leg work and can focus on creating great podcast content instead. Because advertisers often pay at a cost per mille (CPM) rate , podcasts with larger audiences tend to make more money. Newbies should still consider podcast advertising because, even if you don’t make much in the short run, you can use your experience to demonstrate your worth to larger brands once your audience is more substantial. Don't forget to get on board with podcast analytics , in order to understand the success of ads on your platform. 04. Host an event When you have a more dedicated following, you can start to promote in-person events that you charge admission for. These events can be anything from live podcast recording, a public speaking appearance, a workshop, or even just a meetup for your avid listeners. 05. Offer subscribers premium content Create exclusivity with your podcast by offering a subscription model. Whether you want to put all your podcast content behind a paywall or not is up to you, but with this method, your dedicated listeners will pay a monthly fee to listen to your podcast. A good way to have a bit of both free and paid content is to offer premium content for subscribers only. This means that the majority of your podcast episodes will be available to all listeners, and you’ll release some exclusive episodes that are only available to listeners who subscribe. For this type of premium content, you want to make sure the added fee is worth it to your audience. So, you might release a free episode with a partial interview with someone relevant to your niche, and to hear the full interview the listener will need to subscribe. Recently, Spotify has made it possible for podcasters to set up paid subscriptions for their followers, with Apple following suit not long after. 06. Accept donations It might seem strange for podcasters to ask for donations from their listeners at first, however, once you take into consideration all the time and hard work you put into creating content for your listeners, asking for donations makes more sense. It’s become more commonplace for content creators in all fields to request donations to help them continue to create the same great content for their audience. There are a few different ways you can go about asking for donations: Set up a PayPal or Stripe button on your podcast’s website Create a GoFundMe page to fund a specific project, episode, or season Open a Patreon account and remind listeners about it every episode The key to asking for donations as a podcaster is to be upfront about what it’s for. If you need extra funding to buy new gear or create new episodes, say so. Your fans are more likely to donate if they know where their money is going. 07. Sell products or services Is your podcast linked to a product or service you offer? You might be an expert in your niche, offer consulting services or even just create merch surrounding your podcast. Selling to your listeners in your podcast, if done right, can generate a decent amount of income. In Wix’s own podcast, Now What? , we invite industry leaders to our show to discuss changes in business and technology. We use that platform to tell listeners about Wix products, such as Wix eCommerce . Since our podcast covers similar topics, we know it’s a good opportunity to promote our own products and services. Try and apply the same strategy to your podcast. If you have a business podcast , remind listeners you’re available as a consultant for small businesses. If you have a motivational podcast , offer your listeners online coaching services or online workshops. You could also sell podcast merchandise such as T-shirts with your podcast’s name or mugs bearing a catchphrase you use often. Whatever it is you’re selling, make sure you remind listeners in a natural way during your episodes and frame it as an added-value product. Tip : Wix has a print-on-demand feature that’ll make it easy to produce, sell and ship your podcast merch. 08. Promote affiliate content If you don’t have your own products and services to sell, you can always promote those from another brand. Affiliate marketing is a great monetization strategy for new and emerging podcasts since you don’t need to have any specific number of listeners to start. Every time a listener uses the affiliate link you share on your site or in the episode notes to buy the product, you’ll earn a percentage in commission. Rakuten has a sprawling affiliate network that is easy to use. You can also use big-box partners programs such as Amazon’s , which enables you to earn commission rates up to 10%. 09. Produce online courses By selling online courses on your podcast's topics , you can not only monetize your podcast but also build a deeper relationship with your audience and showcase your expertise. Whenever the topic comes up in a podcast episode, you can share the course and frame it as an opportunity to get a deeper understanding. It takes quite a bit of time and effort to write and produce an online course, but tools like Coursera or Wix’s video maker can make it easier. Once you’ve built the course, you can sell it for years, generating passive income. Plus, you can attract more listeners to your podcast by regularly promoting the course on social media. How much do podcasters earn? You’re probably wondering now how much you can expect to earn while using one or more of these strategies for making money podcasting. The sky's the limit, considering that Spotify made a $100-million licensing deal with podcaster Joe Rogan to license his podcast on Spotify. That is, of course, an extreme example, but it shows you just how lucrative podcasting can be. The amount you make depends on how many listeners you have and how many monetization strategies you use. For example, let’s assume the following about a relatively new podcast: The podcast has 2,000 monthly listeners The podcast isn’t running ads Around 1% of listeners donate $5/month on Patreon Around 1% of listeners make purchases through the podcast’s affiliate links Around five listeners purchase the podcast’s online course every month for $79. Based on the above assumptions, the breakdown of what the podcaster would earn: $100 per month in Patreon donations $400 per month in affiliate sales (assuming 1% of your audience makes a purchase of $20) $395 per month in e-course sales Therefore, the podcaster would generate around $845 per month. Once the audience grows and the podcaster pursues other monetization efforts, that amount would increase significantly.

Every day, the world watches 1 billion hours of YouTube videos. The platform’s immense popularity has transformed it from an entertainment channel to a powerful monetization tool for businesses and personal brands. So, if you’re interested in making money on YouTube, now is a great time to get started. We suggest beginning by using a website builder to host your videos and to have a home for your brand, and then sharing your content on YouTube. Not only will this expand your reach, but it will also help you make money from your fans. In this article, we’ll take a look at the seven most effective ways to monetize your YouTube video ideas. How to make money on YouTube: Become a YouTube Partner Turn on ads for your videos Sell merchandise Work with brands as an influencer Crowdfund Use fan funding License to the media Create sponsored content Become an affiliate marketer 01. Become a YouTube Partner Once you start a YouTube channel , you can join the YouTube Partner Program to get access to special monetization features, including the ability to serve ads, display merchandise and more. While joining is completely optional, it does give you access to a variety of channels for making money, including Premium subscription fees and a merchandise shelf. Here’s how to become a YouTube Partner: Step 1: Stay compliant with the guidelines When you first apply to the Partner Program, YouTube will review your channel for compliance. For this reason, you should get acquainted with the platform’s monetization policies , and make sure your content abides by the rules every time you upload a YouTube video . Your content will be under continual review, even as you grow your channel and start to make money from it. If you do get accepted as a Partner, keep tabs on the latest compliance policies to make sure you’re up-to-date. Step 2: Meet the YouTube Partner Program requirements In order to join the program, you’ll need to become a successful YouTuber . The criteria for joining are that your channel has reached 4,000 watch hours and 1,000 subscribers within the past 12 months, or 1,000 subscribers with 10 million valid public Shorts views within the past 90 days. Only once you’ve met or surpassed these numbers can you apply to become a YouTube Partner. Step 3: Apply to join the program Provided you meet the necessary requirements, you can submit an application to join the program following these steps: Go to the top right of the YouTube homepage. Click your account icon and select Creator Studio. On the left-hand side, click Channel. Then, select Status and Features. Under the box that says Monetization, click Enable. Agree to the YouTube Partner Program Terms. Step 4: Set up AdSense As part of the application process, you’ll need to set up an AdSense account associated with your profile to ensure you’ll earn money from your videos and get paid. Keep in mind that you can only have one such account, and that multiple channels can be linked to the same account. Step 5: Get reviewed Once you’ve applied to be a YouTube Partner and set up an AdSense account, your channel will be put in a queue for review. At this point, both automated systems and humans will check your channel for full compliance with the guidelines. Step 6: Explore your monetization options If you’re accepted by YPP, congratulations! It’s time to set up your ad preferences and enable monetization. You can choose from a wide range of YouTube monetization options , but keep in mind that they each have different eligibility requirements: Advertising revenue: Earn money by including display, overlay or video ads next to your content. To do this, you must be at least 18 years old or have a legal guardian who agrees to handle your payments. Your content must also meet the advertiser-friendly content guidelines . Channel memberships: Offer special perks to Channel members who make recurring monthly payments. This requires that you’re at least 18 years old and have more than 30,000 subscribers. Merchandise shelf: Showcase official branded merchandise on your watch pages for your fans to browse and buy. For this option, you must be at least 18 years old and have more than 10,000 subscribers. Super Chat and Super Stickers: Make money from fans who pay to get their messages highlighted in chat streams. You must be at least 18 years old and live in a country where Super Chat is available. YouTube Premium revenue: Get part of a YouTube Premium subscriber’s membership fee when they watch your videos. 02. Turn on ads for your videos Running ads on your YouTube videos is one of the easiest ways to earn passive income, and it’s a no-brainer once you’re accepted into the YouTube Partner Program. Here’s your step-by-step guide. Step 1: Enable monetization Before ads start running, you’ll need to turn on monetization in YouTube Studio. Once inside, find the specific videos you want to monetize and allow ads. For videos over eight minutes, you can also add mid-roll ads, which are shown during your video, increasing your earning potential. Step 2: Choose your ad preferences YouTube offers different types of ads, like pre-roll (before videos), mid-roll (during videos) and post-roll (after videos). While YouTube automatically decides which ads to show your audience, you can select the types of ads best suited to your channel. Step 3: Earn revenue Every time someone watches or clicks an ad, you earn a cut of the revenue. Keep in mind that YouTube keeps a portion, so combining ads with other strategies can grow your overall earnings. Step 4: Analyze your performance Stay on top of how ads are performing with YouTube Studio’s revenue analytics. You’ll be able to see metrics like views, revenue per 1,000 views (RPM) and your total earnings. Use these insights to adjust your content strategy and optimize future videos. 03. Sell merchandise Another way to make money on YouTube is by selling merchandise. You can offer products you’re already selling on other platforms, or you can create a new collection based on your channel’s content. Keep in mind that you’re far more likely to make sales if your videos already have a fan following, so focus on building your popularity before you start producing such products. Step 1: Design your products Your merchandise should represent your brand, appeal to your target audience and build a community around your channel. As you dream up your products, think of something relevant to your niche that your viewers would be interested in. Note that you can check your YouTube analytics to get a better understanding of the kinds of people interested in your content. For instance, if your channel is about makeup or beauty, you might want to sell branded cosmetics or makeup bags. On the other hand, if you’re a YouTube fitness instructor you might consider selling branded fitness equipment and energy bars. You can also poll your audience to ask about which kinds of products interest them the most. Step 2: Source and build your products Now, it’s time to make your product ideas come to life. You’ll likely need a manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer to produce and deliver your products to you. You can also try dropshipping, a method by which the manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer ships the products to customers directly. Whichever method you choose, be careful not to overstock at the beginning. Instead, start with just 1-2 products and produce them in small amounts. That way, you’ll have time to gauge their popularity and estimate how many people will buy. Step 3: Start an online store To handle transactions, you’ll need to create an online store . This will allow you to manage end-to-end fulfillment, accept secure online payments and more. Having your own professional eCommerce site will also boost your brand’s credibility while providing a dedicated platform for your audience to browse through your merchandise. Step 4: Enable your merchandise shelf If you’re a YouTube Partner, you can also take advantage of YouTube’s inbuilt merchandise shelf . This lets you display up to 12 official branded products on the video page of your channel so that you can showcase the items to your viewers. Step 5: Promote the products in your YouTube videos Once you’ve created your products and set up a website, spread the word by promoting them in your videos. Think of creative ways to present the merchandise to viewers, such as wearing or using it or featuring customers with your products. Conclude your videos by reminding users to like, subscribe, and check out your website. You should also add a link to your online store in the description section so that users can navigate seamlessly to your website and make a purchase. 04. Work with brands as an influencer Brands are constantly on the lookout for creators who can help them connect with their audience. Partnering with brands as an influencer is not just a great way to make money, it’s also a chance to build lasting connections with businesses you believe in. Step 1: Find the right brands Start by identifying brands aligned with your channel’s focus. If your content focuses on gaming, fitness or beauty, for example, look for brands in those niches. Step 2: Create an irresistible pitch When reaching out to brands, share your channel’s story and why you’re a good fit for their product. Highlight your analytics, like average video views, audience demographics or engagement rates. Show the value you bring and keep your pitch concise and professional. Step 3: Nail your sponsorships Once you’ve landed a brand deal, it’s time to create sponsored content that feels natural and genuine. Whether it’s a dedicated video, product review or brief mention, integrate the brand into your videos in a way your viewers will enjoy. Above all, only promote products you truly believe in to keep trust levels high with your audience. Step 4: Track your partnership’s success Use performance metrics like clicks, conversions and viewer engagement to gauge how well your sponsorship went. These numbers not only impress your brand partners but also help you secure long-term collaborations in the future. Pro tip: Transparency matters. Always disclose when a video is sponsored to stay compliant with guidelines and maintain your audience’s trust. 05. Crowdfund Crowdfunding is the practice of raising money from a large number of people, whether it’s friends, family or third parties interested in your project. This is a viable option for making money on YouTube if you’re looking for monthly revenue or a one-time donation to jumpstart your efforts. Step 1: Join a crowdfunding site First, you’ll need to join a crowdfunding platform. Take a look at YouTube’s list of approved crowdfunding sites for different options. Some of the most well-known ones include: Kickstarter Indiegogo GoFundMe Angel.me Crowdfunder Note that some platforms are best for raising money for one-off projects, while others help you run a long-term fundraise. Whichever your preference, make sure to choose a platform that aligns with your needs. Step 2: Promote your crowdfunding efforts After you create an account, you’ll need to raise awareness of your campaign. This is where your YouTube channel comes into play. You can use your videos to tell the story behind your project or brand. Build interest, excitement and suspense by keeping your fans up-to-date on your fundraising progress. In addition, draw in donors by offering rewards - such as shout-outs, exclusive content or free merchandise - depending on the amount they contribute. To raise further awareness, couple your YouTube videos with other social media marketing strategies. Post about your campaign on your Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts, and include links to both your YouTube videos and crowdfunding page. At the same time, you can increase your content’s visibility on Google by optimizing your YouTube SEO . 06. Use fan funding Another option for making money on YouTube is fan funding. While crowdfunding platforms target a general crowd for donations, fan funding specifically sources funds from your audience. Step 1: Join a fan funding platform You can get started with fan funding by joining a dedicated platform. One of the most popular is Patreon , which provides tools for content creators to get recurring, long-term support from their fans. Another option is to fan fund through YouTube directly using YouTube’s built-in features. For this, you first need to become a YouTube Partner. As a Partner, you can raise money by offering channel memberships , which take the form of a Join button directly beneath your YouTube videos. By clicking this button, fans will get the option to provide regular support in exchange for perks like custom badges, custom emojis and exclusive content. Additional YouTube features that are built into the Partner program include Super Chat and Super Stickers , which let fans pay you in exchange for pinned comments and animated graphics, respectively. Step 2: Promote your fan funding efforts In order to run a successful fan funding campaign, you’ll need to spread the word to your audience so they have the opportunity to contribute. Conclude your videos by politely inviting viewers to support your work. 07. License to the media Most content doesn’t go viral. When it does, however, many news outlets want copies so that they can replay it to their audience. In this case, you can make money by licensing it to the media and charging them a license fee for permission to use it. Step 1: Put your contact information front and center There’s no real formula for creating viral content. It’s often just a matter of strong marketing strategies and chance. If you do happen to create a viral video, the first thing you should do is make your contact information easy to find. This will improve the chances that news outlets will reach out and offer payment in exchange for a licensed copy. Create an email account containing your YouTube channel name and place it on your website and in the description section of your YouTube channel. Explain what this email address is for with a clear and direct statement, such as: For business inquiries, please reach out at [email address]. Step 2: Join a video rights marketplace You can also pay to have your videos listed in a video rights marketplace. This makes it easier for media professionals to find and purchase your content. Jukin Media , for example, is a video rights marketplace that saves your files in their content library and sends it to news channels, advertising agencies and other organizations. You’ll then make money if these organizations decide to use your content. 08. Create sponsored content If your channel gains traction, you can become an influencer and make money on YouTube with sponsored content. Once you have a large and engaged following, you may be able to profit by endorsing branded products. Step 1: Find a brand to sponsor As you grow your number of YouTube subscribers , brands might start to reach out for a collaboration. When this happens, it’s a good idea to research the brands and their products before promoting them on your channel. Endorse products that you can sincerely recommend to fans so that you avoid compromising the quality of your content. If you have a particular brand in mind you’d like to sponsor, you can reach out to them yourself and explain how they would benefit from working with you. For example, you might tell them why your target audience is relevant, how many people are subscribed to your channel, and how much engagement your videos receive. You can also find brands by joining influencer marketplaces such as Grapevine Logic , Famebit , Channel Pages and CrowdTap . Some companies on these influencer marketplaces will gift free products in exchange for sponsorship, while others offer payment. Step 2: Create branded content Once you partner with a brand, there are several ways you can promote them on your channel in order to bring in revenue. For example, you can create entire videos focused on the brand or include the products in other video content. Many beauty influencers, for instance, sponsor beauty products as part of a broader makeup tutorial. 09. Become an affiliate marketer Another option is to sponsor products and brands with affiliate marketing . As an affiliate marketer, you’ll get a special link to a company website that tracks back to your page. When people buy from the company using that link, you’ll get commissions from the sales. Since the brand pays you only when you make sales - rather than paying you to simply recommend their brand - you don’t need a large fanbase to get started. Here’s how to do it: Step 1: Join an affiliate program There are several affiliate programs that you can join. A popular option is Amazon Associates , which is a good choice for those new to affiliate marketing and offers a commission of up to 10%. Other big brands, like Target and BestBuy , have affiliate programs as well. For even more options, take a look at affiliate marketing platforms such as: CJ Affiliate Rakuten Advertising ShareASale Impact Using these platforms, you’ll be able to connect with a variety of brands and get affiliate links that you can use to make sales. Step 2: Reach out to brands While joining one of these platforms is the easiest way to connect with brands, you can also reach out to companies that you’re interested in promoting and that you think would be valuable for your audience. When you contact them, be sure to explain how they’ll benefit from the collaboration and why your fans would be a good audience for their brand. Step 3: Feature the products in your content Once you connect with a brand and obtain an affiliate link, incorporate the products into your videos. Be sure to integrate them seamlessly into your content so that you don’t come across as overly promotional, as this may put off some of your fans. Instead, recommend products in a way that offers genuine value to your audience. An online fitness instructor, for instance, might promote a pair of good-quality athletic shoes. An outdoors enthusiast, on the other hand, might recommend a particular brand of camping gear. The more relevant the products and brands are to your fans, the more they’ll enjoy your content and the more likely they are to buy. Step 4: Add an affiliate link Finally, place the affiliate link in the description of the relevant videos. At the end of your video, remind users of the products you recommended, and tell them they can buy them using the link below. How many views do you need on YouTube to make money? The number of views you need on YouTube to make money isn't as straightforward as you might think. While views are ultimately how you reach viewers and expose them to potential money-making avenues, there's no magic number of views that guarantees earnings. Here's why: YouTube Partner Program: To start earning money directly from YouTube ads, you need to meet the eligibility criteria for the YouTube Partner Program. This requires 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the past year, or 1,000 subscribers and 10 million Shorts views in the past 90 days. Revenue per Mille (RPM):  This is the average amount you earn per 1,000 views. Your RPM can vary greatly depending on factors like your niche, viewer location, ad engagement and video type. Typical RPMs range from $1 to $30 per 1,000 views, but some niches can go even higher. Monetization methods:  Ads aren't the only way to make money on YouTube. You can also explore brand deals, sponsorships, merchandise, affiliate marketing and channel memberships. These can bring in significant revenue regardless of your view count. How much money can you make on YouTube? Now that you know how to make money on YouTube, you’re probably wondering whether you can earn enough for it to be a full-time job. These stats provide some insights into how much YouTubers make : Google pays 68% of their AdSense revenue to the video creator. That means that for every $100 an advertiser pays, Google will pay you $68. YouTube advertisers pay an average of $0.18 per view of their ads. This means a YouTube channel can receive $3-5 per 1000 video views, on average. The amount you make from other YouTube monetization strategies - whether it’s selling merchandise or creating affiliate content - depends on your marketing efforts and the number of fans you have. As with many things, the answer isn’t black-and-white. You might start out making some extra cash on the side - and later, with enough hard work and persistence, make a comfortable living out of it. We recommend experimenting with different monetization options to find the choice that’s best for you and will make you the most money. How much money do YouTubers make per year? Top YouTubers with tens of millions of subscribers can make astronomical amounts of money. Accounts including Mr. Beast, PewDiePie, and Markiplier all make upwards of $25 million per year through their channels alone, and that isn't taking other income streams into account. However, the average YouTuber isn't earning that kind of money. According to ZipRecruiter , the average YouTuber in the United States makes around $1,269 per week, or $66,999 yearly. The top 10% of YouTubers make over $25,000 per month, and the top 1% make over $1 million per year. It's important to note that these are just estimates, and the actual amount of money that a YouTuber makes can vary greatly. However, these numbers give you a general idea of how much money some of the most popular YouTubers make. Tips for succeeding on YouTube You know how to make money on YouTube now, but there are some extra tips to make sure you succeed on YouTube: Create high-quality videos that people will want to watch. This is the most important thing you can do to make money on YouTube. If your videos are not good, people won't watch them, and you won't earn any money. Make sure to do your research, plan your videos in advance, use the best equipment you can afford and to edit your videos carefully. These details matter and will help you stand out on YouTube. Build a large audience. The more people watch your videos, the more money you will earn from ads. This is why it's important to build a large audience for your channel. One of the best ways to build your audience is to find your niche. What are you passionate about? What do you know a lot about? Find a topic that you are interested in and that you can talk about knowledgeably. This will help you attract viewers who are interested in the same things as you. Be consistent. Upload new videos regularly, whether it's daily, weekly, or monthly. This will help keep your viewers engaged and coming back for more, and it signals to YouTube that you take your channel seriously and that you are committed to creating content on a regular basis. Promote your channel. Share your videos on social media and other platforms. Make sure to spread the word so you can get as many views as possible from the start. This will help you reach a wider audience in time. On top of that, spend time interacting with your subscribers. Responding to comments and questions will help you build relationships with your viewers and make them feel that they are part of your community. Be patient. It takes time to make money on YouTube; don't expect to become a millionaire overnight. Just keep creating great content and building your audience, and eventually you will start to see results. YouTube monetization basics Now that we have reviewed the best ways to make money on YouTube, we wanted to cover some information about how YouTube works and some overarching tactics that will be relevant no matter which monetization method you choose. To get started on YouTube, you’ll need to create a channel to host your videos. Uploading video content will not automatically make you money, however. So, be sure that you enable monetization in your settings as you’re configuring your account. This will give you the possibility of making money from your YouTube videos down the line. At that point you can decide which monetization tactics to work with. Another important item to note is that you can make money from your YouTube channel even without millions of subscribers. One of the best ways to do that is by understanding your audience and then targeting them with relevant content. Try to step into the shoes of your subscribers, or who you want to follow you in the future. Once you have a strong understanding of your audience, your next goal should be engagement. Think deeply about what type of content they would be interested in, what would be most useful to them, and how you can prompt viewers to click, comment or subscribe. Only then can you create videos that are sure to succeed with one of the monetization methods. How to make money on YouTube FAQ How do beginners make money on YouTube? Beginners can make money on YouTube through affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and the YouTube Partner Program. To be eligible for the Partner Program, you must have at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the past year, or 1,000 subscribers with 10 million valid public Shorts views within the past 90 days. Once you are in the Partner Program, you can earn money from ads that are displayed on your videos. How much will YouTube pay me for 1,000 views? The amount of money that YouTube pays you for 1,000 views depends on a number of factors, including the following: The type of ad that is displayed on your video The country where your viewers are located The overall demand for ads A YouTube channel usually receives $3-5 per 1,000 video views on average. Do you get paid for uploading videos on YouTube? No, you don't get paid for uploading videos on YouTube. You only get paid if your videos are monetized through the YouTube Partner Program and viewers watch ads on them. How can you make money on YouTube without making videos? While creating videos is the traditional way to build a YouTube audience, there are alternative methods for monetization even without directly uploading your own content: 1. Post work from other creators: You can curate and showcase high-quality content from other creators under their permission. This requires good taste and understanding your audience's interests. 2. Alternative content: Explore audio-based formats like podcasts, guided meditations or even curated music compilations. You can also host live streams with Q&As, interviews or gaming sessions, building a community through voice alone. Viewers can show their love with virtual gifts or paid memberships. 3. Business-oriented approaches: Offer consulting services to help other YouTubers grow their channels, become a YouTube Ads Specialist or sell branded merchandise like t-shirts, mugs or other items related to your niche or channel theme.

These days, people are finding creative ways to digitally connect with others from within their homes - whether they video chat with family and friends, play music from their balconies, or create a website to spread the word about their business. Live streaming may sound complex and technical, but it's actually a simple and highly accessible process for anyone. It's also a highly beneficial marketing strategy for engaging with new audiences and customers. Thanks to a wide variety of easy-to-use online platforms, you can produce your own live videos in a matter of minutes. In this article, we’ll go over everything from the equipment you need to live stream to the best live streaming platforms. Then, we’ll dive into how to live stream on your website, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Live streaming equipment Learning how to live stream isn’t difficult, but it does require a bit of hardware and software. Obtaining these various tools is sometimes a barrier to those interested in live streaming, simply because there are so many options and they don’t know where to begin. Here’s a very clear overview of the equipment you’ll need to get started: Strong Internet connection . Be sure that the place you’re filming - whether it’s your home garden, exercise studio, or place of worship - has reliable internet connectivity. Quality microphone . Rather than use the microphone on your laptop or mobile phone, you’ll need to get a professional microphone for clear sound and minimal background noise. Good video camera . To improve the visual quality of your videos while staying within budget, opt for an HD webcam you can attach to your computer. You can also use the camera on your mobile phone, as long as you won’t require zoom. Alternatively, you can invest in a professional camera. Look into the types of cameras t hat are best for casual filming, such as handheld video cameras, or mirrorless and DSLR cameras. Tripod . If you’re filming using a camera or your phone, you’re going to need a tripod to hold the device and keep the video steady. Encoder . An encoder is a tool that takes your content and converts it into a streamable format for the web. Not every live stream platform requires an encoder, but it’s worth having to keep your options open. Streamlabs OBS is an encoding software that is easy to download and use. Live streaming platforms After you choose your equipment, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the different live streaming platforms. You may want to upload to just one, but you can also upload to all of them to maximize your reach. Popular live streaming sites include: Your own website YouTube Facebook Instagram Your choice of platforms depends largely on your audience and goals. Using your own professional website as your live streaming platform allows you complete control over the way you display your content and shape your story. At the same time, you can use live video as a social media marketing tactic. This is particularly useful if you’re a social media influencer and you want to promote your brand on Facebook or Instagram. Pro Tip: You can use a link in bio tool such as Hopp by Wix in order to direct your audience towards all of your live streaming platforms as well as your website from one designated URL. Let’s go over the steps for how to live stream on each of these different platforms: How to live stream on your website If you choose to broadcast your live video on your website, you can do so using Wix Video . This is an effective tool for sharing all types of video content, including live streaming fitness classes, religious services, online courses , Q&A sessions, concerts, and more. By streaming directly onto your site, you can connect with users in real time. This is especially helpful if you're teaching online or if you want to give your audience feedback or answer their questions throughout your video. Here are the steps for how to live stream from your desktop directly to your Wix website: Download the live stream encoder from Streamlabs OBS. Go to your Video Library, and click “Live Stream.” Under “Go Live Now,” click “Desktop.” Choose “I Have an Encoder.” Select a Wix Video Channel for your live stream. Add details about your video. Under “Video Info,” you’ll see options to add the title, cover image, description, and more. Under “Video Pricing,” you can choose whether to offer it for free or enable rental or purchasing. Then, click “Next.” On the Connect Stream tab, copy the Server URL and Stream Key. Paste them both into the encoder. On your computer, open the OBS Studio Encoder and click “Settings.” Then, click the “Stream” tab on the left. Select “Custom Streaming Server” from the drop-down menu, and paste both your Server URL and Stream Key in the appropriate fields. Click “OK.” You should see a feed from your camera in the encoder. Now is the time you’ve been waiting for: Select “Start Streaming” When you’re finished, be sure to click “Stop Streaming” on the encoder. If you’d prefer, you can also live stream from mobile using iOS. Regardless of which device you use, your video will be automatically saved on your website, so you won’t have to worry about uploading it later. Also keep in mind that even if you don’t want to live stream at this very instant, you can schedule your live streaming event by setting your start date and time in advance. How to live stream on YouTube For those interested in video marketing or vlogging, getting on YouTube is a must. While most of your videos probably won’t need to be broadcasted in real time, live streaming does come in handy for when you want to interact with your audience directly. You can live stream on YouTube using your mobile phone, a webcam, or a separate camera. However, it’s important to note that you already need to be a successful YouTuber with at least 1,000 subscribers to be able to live stream from your phone. If you’re using a camera, you’ll need to use an encoder to live stream on YouTube. Here’s how: Start a YouTube channel . Enable your channel for live streaming by going to Creator Studio tools, then clicking the “Live Streaming” tab. Download an encoder (if not using a webcam). Click the upload icon - which looks like a grey video camera - in the upper right corner. Click “Go Live.” This will take you to the Live Control Room. Select “Live Stream” at the top of the page. Add details about your video. You’ll have the option to enter a title and description, select a privacy setting, schedule your live stream, add a custom thumbnail, and more. Start your encoder, then go back to the live dashboard. Click “Go Live” on the right. To end the stream, click “End Stream.” Keep in mind that if you’re using a webcam rather than a separate camera, you don’t need to use an encoder to live stream on YouTube. Instead, you can simply click the grey video camera icon in the upper right corner, select “Go Live,” and then select “Webcam.” How to live stream on Facebook Another option is to broadcast from your Facebook account . Facebook calls its live streaming feature Facebook Live , a term you may have heard before. While YouTube restricts mobile video to channels with a high follower count, Facebook makes it easy for anyone to broadcast from their phones. Facebook Live has exploded in popularity since its launch in 2016. Research has shown that the time people spend watching Facebook Live has quadrupled in the past year, with live videos generating higher engagement rates and performing better with Facebook’s algorithm. Here’s how to live stream on Facebook directly from your phone: In the Facebook app, tap the camera icon to the left of the search bar. Give Facebook access to your camera and microphone when prompted. Switch to “Live” at the bottom of your screen. Select your privacy and posting settings. Now, add some details: Write a description, choose a location, tag your friends, and more. Add lenses, filters, and drawings to your upcoming video by tapping the magic wand icon. Click “Start Live Video,” and start broadcasting! Note that you can broadcast for a maximum of 90 minutes. To end the broadcast, click “Finish.” If you wish, click “Post your video replay” so that your video gets published on either your personal wall or Facebook Business page. If you’re broadcasting from your webcam, the process is quite similar. Just go to Facebook, click the “Write something” box, and tap the “See All” option in the menu. From there, you can click “Start a Live Video.” How to live stream on Instagram Now for our final live streaming platform: Instagram. You can think of live streaming as a longer ver sion of Instagram Stories. Instagram live videos are meant to be light, casual, and fun, rather than professional. They show your audience what you are doing right now, and in doing so gives them a behind-the-scenes glimpse into your life. Not only is this an effective way to promote your videos, but it’s also an important strategy to build authentic relationships with your viewers so that they can get to know the individual behind the personal brand, or everything that makes your company unique. As with everything else on Instagram, you take live video directly from your mobile phone. This is how to do it: Tap the camera icon in the top left of the feed. Alternatively, you can swipe right from anywhere in the feed. Scroll to “Live” at the bottom of the screen. Tap the circular recording button. You’re now broadcasting live! When you’re finished, tap “End” in the top right. If you wish to share a replay of your live vide o, you can post it on your story by tapping “Share to Story.” You can even add hashtags and location stickers to your story to make it discoverable. Keep in mind that like all Instagram Stories, it will disappear in 24 hours. That’s all there is to it! Live streaming best practices While each of these platforms operates a little differently, they do require similar techniques for maximizing your success. Regardless of the platform you choose, you should keep the following strategies in mind: Know your audience . From the platform you choose to the time you stream your video, every aspect of your broadcast should reflect the interests and preferences of your audience. Be sure to stream your video at a time that’s convenient for your users, and on a platform that’s easy and intuitive for them to use. You should also make sure that the style and tone of your video reflects your brand identity. Whether you opt to keep it casual, professional, or inspirational, speak to your audience in a way that resonates with them. Promote your event . Schedule your event ahead of time, and promote it so that your audience knows when and where to show up. Be sure to announce your event on a variety of channels, such as your website, social media pages, email newsletters, p rinted flyers, and more. Practice beforehand . While your live video shouldn’t sound scripted, you should make a mental note of what you’re going to say. Before you hit that stream button, jot down some bullet points and rehearse your presentation. You should also double check to make sure your internet connection is strong, your equipment is working smoothly, and your environment is free of distractions. Even if you’re shooting a casual Instagram video, scoping out your surroundings can help you avoid any mistakes or awkward moments. Interact with viewers . What makes live streaming such a popular and effective tool is that it allows you to engage with your audience real-time. In other words, your viewers can leave comments during your video, and you can respond right away. This is the primary benefit of live streaming a video, rather than simply posting it. Be sure to do this, as it fosters a sense of community and brings viewers closer to your brand. Follow up . Even as your video draws to a close, you’ll want to maintain the connecti on you’ve just built with your audience. Keep the momentum going by telling your viewers where they can get more information, providing them with additional resources, and sharing your contact details. If your goal is to promote a specific offer or service, you can also provide them with a link to a relevant landing page. If you’re planning to live stream again, be sure to announce that, too. Edit and manage your content . Once you’ve stopped filming, you may be perfectly fine posting your video as is. However, if you want your content to appear more professional, you’ll probably need to make some minor edits. Save your video to your computer, and us e a video editing software - such as the Wix Video Maker - to trim off any glitches, add titles and video captions, and more. You can also try these simple video tips to enhance your content even further. Then, upload your edited video to your website and other platforms of your choice. Congratulations! You now know how to live stream. Remember to gather the right equipment, choose the platform that’s best for your organization and your audience, and captivate your viewers with real-time interaction. By methodically following these steps, you’ll be able to hit the ground running in no time.

If you want to get your message heard, it needs to make it to the right people at the right place and time. As a business owner, getting your products or services to resonate with your target audience is at the core of marketing. But before you embark on marketing your business, it’s crucial to determine precisely who it is you’ll be targeting. Market segmentation is the first move you’ll want to make in order to define who your brand should address and appeal to. Segmenting your market will allow your business efforts - from finding the perfect website maker for building your online presence to the launch of your service or product - to be perfectly aligned with what your audience is looking for. This complete guide will explain more about this vital business practice and dive into the different types of market segmentation strategies, plus provide tips on how to conduct your own. What is market segmentation? Market segmentation is the process of dividing a targeted audience into subgroups based on commonalities, ranging from age, gender or location to priorities, values and behavior. This is a critical part of building a marketing plan , as it allows you to effectively determine consumers’ purchasing habits. Segmenting your market can help you understand what personal, cultural, economic or social factors may influence clients’ dealings with your offerings. Segmenting your customers will give you better insight into their wants and needs. It shows how specific groups of consumers are more likely to seek or buy a product over others, as not every customer is alike. By grouping your audience into niches, you’ll be able to market in a more cost effective manner rather than focusing your resources either on an individual level, or on a level that’s too broad. Benefits of market segmentation The best business websites share a deep understanding of their target audience. Whether your industry is food or retail, your small business can benefit from conducting in-depth market segmentation. Having a clear understanding of your audience increases conversion rates and revenue, and makes it easier to expand your reach down the line. Cost effective marketing: Market segmentation can help you get the most out of your marketing strategies , as it allows you to direct your resources at the right audience with the right message. Segmenting your target audience correctly is also the most efficient way to increase your revenue. Better conversion rate: The more specific you are in addressing the needs of your prospects, the more likely they are to convert. You will have a better sense of what motivates your audience, which can help you make more informed decisions, such as writing effective calls-to-action on your site. As a result, you could increase your conversion rate . Customer retention: Segmentation is a good way of keeping customers satisfied and retention rates high. With the data you’ve captured from your market segmentation, you’ll know how to tailor your customers’ experience to meet their individual needs. One way to do so is to employ different marketing automation methods to ensure you’re targeting them at each strategic milestone of their customer journey. Expand your business: Segmentation can reveal new areas where you can expand. It can help businesses, who are now armed with a plethora of information about their prospects, find new audiences they may not be currently tapping. Improve product development: With your target audience segmented, you are more likely to identify new interests your customers have. This can lead to development of new products or services that will better cater to their needs. Types of market segmentation Demographic segmentation As one of the most common types of segmentation, demographic segmentation refers to splitting up an audience into subgroups based on variables like age, gender, occupation, income level, marital status, nationality and more. It is perhaps the most obvious and simplified type of segmentation. Statistical data about people is relatively easy to obtain using various market research methods, like a demographic survey. This takes the form of a questionnaire or an online form , allowing you to extract specific data about your audience. When writing your demographic survey you can choose between open-ended and closed-ended questions. You can keep your intention narrow in a question like “How old are you?” or broaden your results with the query “What’s your favorite hobby,” depending on how much you’d like to know about your clientele. Some businesses or products cater to certain demographics based on at least one trait. A personal care store, for example, may sell one shampoo for men and another for women. Alternatively, some brands are designed with a narrow demographic in mind - such as grooming products brand targeting stylish young males. Behavioral segmentation This type of segmentation is about knowing your customer’s attitude and actions toward your brand. It allows you to divide audiences by behavior and decision-making patterns. Types of customer behavior to consider include: Shopping habits: What they are purchasing Brand loyalty: How often are they returning to your brand Usage rate: Are they using your service a lot or not at all Benefits sought: What needs are being met by the product or service Readiness to convert: Where are they in the marketing funnel ; do they have awareness, interest, consideration or intent to convert Behavioral data gives you insight into the customer experience, allowing you to adjust or change elements of your business accordingly for better results. If you know the benefits that users are seeking from your product, it will help you highlight that part of experience for them. For example, a yoga studio could offer a loyalty program toward more sessions as a way to enforce engagement with the brand. Alternatively, if most consumers only have time to read over the weekend, bookstores could incentivize their purchases with special weekend sales. Behavioral segmentation variables are often collected from a person’s digital footprint. This is information that is gathered while visitors browse a website, consisting of their online actions and the way they interact with the site. This sort of insight can be accessed using different tools, such as Google Analytics . Geographic segmentation This type of segmentation splits up your market based on location. Identifying users due to their geographical settings, such as by country, state or zipcode, enables you to tailor your message around regional interests, languages, climate or cultural norms. If you’re targeting customers who live in colder climates, for example, they are more likely to show interest in ads featuring warmer clothes than those living on a tropical island. Depending on the area you’re targeting, you may need to build a multilingual website or localize your visual content. Images carry different meanings for different cultures so make sure that you’re sending the right message. Psychographic segmentation Less tangible than demographic or geographic segmentation, this category deals with characteristics that are more emotional. They give you insight into how consumers decide to buy a product or book a service, what are the motives behind those purchases and which preferences they may have toward a brand. Psychographic characteristics consist of personality traits, beliefs, opinions and lifestyles. Taking into account a customer’s values, and not just their demographics and geographical location, can lead to a better understanding of their needs and behavior. For example, someone who leads a healthy lifestyle may not have the same values as their work colleague who doesn’t. Though these two individuals share at least one demographic trait - occupation - they will ultimately make dissimilar purchasing decisions and therefore must be approached differently. There are several methods you can use in order to obtain this level of insight of your target audience. These include focus groups, surveys, interviews and tests you can run among your market. One common methodology is A/B testing , which compares similar versions of an interface design with only one variant between the two, to measure which of the versions performs better. How to conduct your own market segmentation 01. Analyze your customers The first step in creating your own market segmentation is to analyze your existing customer base. This process will help you create your segments of consumers who share similar traits and responses. There are several ways to perform your customer analysis: Interview your users: Building products around the needs of your users is at the heart of your business, so why not go straight to the source? Conducting user interviews gives you a deep understanding of how customers feel in relation to your brand. Asking the right questions will give you the information necessary to set up all four types of market segmentation. Use your own business data: You may have already gathered some useful details about customers as part of your day-to-day interactions, from your mailing list to your clients’ invoices. Using this data, you’ll be able to find patterns that indicate what customers are buying time and again, where they are coming from, and more. Check in with website analytics: Your website is a great source of data about users who’ve navigated through your pages. This can be turned into powerful knowledge for your business, with the help of website analytics . These platforms are a great way to gather insights about visitors’ online actions, from the number of users on each page, to the average time one has spent on your site and so on. 02. Create a buyer persona The next step is to put a face on the data you’ve gathered. Creating a buyer persona, or a fictional character that serves as the mold of your ideal customer, allows you to visualize your target market. This in turn will help you maximize your marketing efforts since you already know precisely who you want to attract. When writing down your buyer persona, try to create a fictitious name for your persona to give them a realistic depth. Add demographic details, like age and gender, and give them an image for visual context. 03. Segment your data At this stage, you can begin to sort the data into segments. A good practice is to ask yourself questions such as “Is the segment attainable to me?” or “Will this segment be around long enough to want to invest in?” These initial questions can also help you extract additional market segment opportunities, as well. A good practice is to think back to how you built your brand in order to pin down what sets you apart from your competitors, or what segment is currently not being served. 04. Understand your potential segment You might want to check that you’re on the right track before kicking off a marketing campaign. Verify whether your segmented market will be interested in your offerings by doing a little research. By looking at how your audiences search for the terms you’re targeting, you will be able to measure whether your business efforts line up with their needs. 05. Trial and error It’s now time to test your market segmentation. Here are a couple of targeted campaign methods that will allow you to track performance and see your results: Facebook campaign ad: Customize your Facebook ads to fit your objective and match your target market. Displayed prominently on users’ feed, Facebook ads are highly visible to your desired market. The ads appear in various media formats, including video, image text and slideshows. At the end of your campaign, you can track your ad’s performance and see if it's impacted sales using Facebook Pixel, a tool which can be easily integrated to your Wix website. Email blast: An email blast is a marketing tool to promote your brand and a fun way to spread the word. At the core of email marketing , it may come in the form of newsletters, promotions, product updates, eBooks and more. Email blasts are sent to subscribers on your mailing list, which you can segment by demographics, geographics and behavior. You can track and optimize your performance using various email metrics, from the delivery rate to the click through rate. You can view your email marketing statistics on your Wix dashboard to analyze and understand the fruits of your labor.