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Growth Hack #1 – Increase Signups +26% with Gradual Engagement That Proves Value:
Instead of asking visitors to sign up immediately, why not ask them to first perform a task through which something of value is demonstrated?
During such initial interactions the product can show off its benefits. AND this process can lend itself to personalization.
GoodUI tried this and found a 26% increase in signups.
Once users begin to see your product’s value and see how they can make it their own, they will then be more open to sharing additional information with you.
Gradual engagement is really a way to postpone the signup process as much as possible and still allow users to use and customize your application or product.
Growth Hack #3 – The Magic Button Color That Yields a 6.19% Higher CTR:
3Q Digital queried their database for ads that contained rectangles that made up less than 33 percent of the canvas (buttons, basically). They ran a query on the typical color of buttons created and posed the question:
“Which button color works best?”
The answer?
It’ blue.
When blue buttons are compared to others, the blue button color yields an average CTR increase of 6.19%. No other color had a common trend of increased CTR.
In these times of social distancing and isolation, it’s only natural that people are turning to digital ways of staying connected.
And, considering 76% of people in countries with advanced economies own a smartphone, keeping in touch is easier than ever.
With the spotlight on these social media platforms, the companies behind them are taking strides to address the COVID-19 outbreak and adapt to these immense changes.
For digital marketers, staying informed about these responses is essential for more than one reason.
First, you can make sure you stay on the right side of online regulations when it comes to what you can and cannot say in ads.
Second, you may discover that there are tools, grants, loans, etc. provided that you can use or are eligible for in order to help you succeed during these difficult times.
Lastly, digital marketers are people, too.
Understanding how these social media platforms are trying to make a positive impact and assist those in need can bring a little brightness amid dark days.
Image source: https://cheezburger.com/2593674752
Whatever your reasons, take a look at what each major platform has done so far.
Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp
Provide Accurate Information
Many of the initiatives started by social media companies during the coronavirus pandemic have centered around providing the most up-to-date and accurate information, practices, and resources.
And Facebook is no exception.
This page holds all of the measures the platform has taken in the face of COVID-19.
And on it, there are many strategies that specifically address how Facebook is providing accurate information across its suite of apps.
This and the WhatsApp Coronavirus Information Hub give users access to official information, alerts, and resources directly from the WHO, UNICEF, and UNDP.
These are just a few of the measures taken, with more added to the list almost daily.
Removing False Claims & Misinformation
Just as important as giving people access to accurate resources and information is ensuring that all false claims about COVID-19 are removed.
To this end, Facebook has also launched a variety of initiatives.
One of the most prominent examples of this is their banning of certain ads.
These include those advertising surgical face masks, hand sanitizers, disinfecting wipes, and COVID-19 test kits.
Using fact-checkers, blocking hashtags that seem to spread misinformation, and showing leading health agencies at the top of coronavirus and related search results are all examples of measures being taken on the app.
On WhatsApp, Facebook is making a concentrated effort to shut down spam accounts spreading misinformation.
Using machine learning, they’re identifying accounts that are sending bulk or automated messages.
Supporting the Community & Economy
Beyond focusing on coronavirus itself, Facebook is also taking part in efforts that support local businesses and communities impacted by the pandemic.
Additionally, they’re giving $1 million in grants to U.S. and Canadian news organizations covering coronavirus.
Beyond these grant programs, Facebook continues to make a concerted effort to keep their apps stable.
Additionally, they are working to provide training to parties utilizing local alerts, and keep users safe.
The Business Resource Hub is a great example of this.
This objective of this collection of resources, tips, and tools is to help see businesses through the crisis.
Additionally, it helps connect visitors with other business owners.
Across Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Facebook, the organization is rolling out new initiatives regularly.
These are intended to touch all 3 pain points of the coronavirus:
Getting access to the most up-to-date information and resources
Removing and preventing the spread of misinformation and harmful content
Supporting communities, businesses, and local health agencies
Twitter
Using Machine Learning to Prevent Harmful Content
Like Facebook and its collection of apps, Twitter’s main focus in its coronavirus response has been to provide accurate information to its users and dispel any false claims.
And, like Facebook, the company is keeping a running blog page with all of their initiatives.
To do this, the company expanded their safety policies to ban any tweets that could be harmful when it came to the spread of content related to COVID-19.
It’s goal is to direct users to national health organizations when they search for terms relating to COVID-19.
Across the globe, the platform has partnered with local healthcare agencies.
This ensures the most accurate, localized information appears to users.
Ad Credits and Grants
While Twitter went ahead and banned similarly exploitative ads as Facebook, they also introduced an Ads for Good credit program.
Essentially, the platform is giving nonprofit organizations ad credits so they can build fact-checking campaigns.
This includes partnerships with reputable agencies like the Taiwan Fact Checking Center and International Fact-Checking Network that support organizations which debunk false claims.
In addition, Twitter announced it’s donating $1 million to two separate journalism organizations, the Committee to Protect Journalists and the International Women’s Media Foundation.
In the platform’s recent blog post, Vijaya Gadde describes the reason behind the donations:
“Right now, every journalist is a COVID-19 journalist. From the stories of healthcare workers on the frontlines, to analysis of the real human and economic cost of the pandemic, reporters around the world are still writing, still exposing themselves to harm, still giving us the facts. Journalism is core to our service and we have a deep and enduring responsibility to protect that work. This week we’re contributing to two critical organizations that are working tirelessly to uphold the fundamental values of a free press during this pandemic.”
Reddit
While not usually making a list of top social media platforms, Reddit earns a spot here because of its coronavirus subreddit.
Well, those officials did an AMA, too, in the form of a Johns Hopkins public health expert and chief medical writer for the Associated Press.
Snapchat
For a social media platform without a newsfeed and that’s heavily visual, Snapchat has actually done quite a lot when it comes to their COVID-19 response.
Their blog post outlines their major efforts, along with some interesting insights into user trends relating to coronavirus on their app.
The closely moderated, closed nature of Snapchat has enabled them to quickly dispel misinformation and ban exploitative advertisements.
Their efforts with official health organizations are outlined as such:
“We’re also working closely with the World Health Organization and US Centers for Disease Control to ensure Snapchatters have all the latest information from the experts themselves. WHO publishes regular updates from their Official Account, and we’ve worked with their team to develop custom content to answer questions from the Snapchat community.“
Leveraging Platform-Specific Features
Snapchat also took advantage of some of its native features to present accurate information in an engaging, user-friendly way.
This included leveraging their AR filter, stickers, and new search tool.
When they partnered with the WHO, the app created an AR filter that highlighted helpful tips and information for users.
The tool was originally intended to provide users with safety resources from mental health experts when they searched certain topics like “anxiety” or “depression”, providing more resources beyond mental health blogs.
Then, the platform introduced a coronavirus-specific section within the feature.
So, now when users search, content specifically around coronavirus-related anxieties appears.
And to ensure this information is accurate, Snpachat partnered with official health organizations including the CDC, NHS, Crisis Text Line.
Pinterest
Going After Misinformation With AI
Having already had a steadfast policy in place to combat anti-vaxx propaganda in 2017, Pinterest had a solid foundation for dispelling harmful content relating to coronavirus.
As outlined in its extensive community guidelines, the platform removes any content it deems is spreading misinformation.
Regarding medical claims, specifically, the guidelines are focused on removing content that involves:
“Medically unsupported health claims that risk public health and safety, including the promotion of false cures, anti-vaccination advice, or misinformation about public health or safety emergencies”
Using AI, Pinterest is finding Pins that violate these guidelines by targeting certain keywords or text that have been associated with misinformation.
Not Just a Banner Ad
Pinterest outshines the other guys when it comes to their approach to coronavirus-related search terms.
Instead of just having a banner appear at the top of search results, the platform created an entire “custom search experience”.
So, when users type in a COVID-19 term, they are taken to a curated landing page.
On this page are a few key features.
The first is a callout at the top that encourages users to contact a healthcare provider directly for medical advice.
Then there is the selection of curated Pins from the WHO with resources, information, and tips to slow the spread of coronavirus.
It also encourages people to follow WHO’s verified Pinterest account.
A New “Today” Tab Highlights the Most Current Information and Tips
The latest tool out of Pinterest is a “Today” tab that appears on the home screen.
Pulling from trending searches, the tab provides timely recommendations curated by the Pinterest team.
Soon it’ll offer the most up-to-date tips and information from official health organizations like the CDC and WHO.
Combined with this expert health information, this tab will provide users with daily inspiration that is tailored to current life under coronavirus restrictions.
This can include everything from ideas for work-from-home workspaces to kid-friendly baking ideas.
Stay In the Know
As the novel coronavirus continues to impact the globe, social media platforms are updating and shifting their responses.
It is every marketer’s responsibility to stay informed and up to date about these changes.
Understanding the state of the online world and how these platforms are responding is all part of what comprises a successful digital marketer.
And like we said at the beginning of this article: The world is a stressful place right now.
Seeing the efforts these social media leaders are making can help inspire you to stay positive and visualize the brighter days to come.
Growth Hack #3 – 127% More Clicks By Using Buttons in Emails:
Research shows that most people scan email campaigns rather than reading them word-for-word. So, text links will often go overlooked. Instead, using buttons for your call to action means they will stand out to skimmers.
Campaign Monitor tested this theory, running a campaign where one version had a button to get the click, and another version had text.
The result?
127% more clicks from the version using a button CTA!
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Growth Hack #1 – Leverage Your Competitor’s User Testing:
The company Uber Testers offers a chance for real people to test your website or product. Then, you can get feedback on what they liked and didn’t like. Its the focus group for the 21st century.
But why stop there?
Use Uber Testers on your RIVALS.
Find out what they’re doing right and wrong, get inspired, and find opportunities.
Growth Hack #3 – Send Push Notifications in the Evening for Maximum Impact:
Leanplum, a mobile marketing automation tool, broke down 671 million pushes to uncover some interesting trends on time-of day targeting for push notifications.
Here’s what they discovered:
– Pushes sent and opened trends upward throughout the day, with a small peak around noon, a slightly larger one around 3pm, and the largest in the evening.
The post-evening trend is interesting: after 6pm, on a relative basis, Pushes Opened starts to trend higher, relative to previous hours, and Pushes Sent is lower.
This indicates that while mobile apps are delivering a ton of pushes leading up to evening, it might be more effective to time them post-evening, when engagement seems high.
In general, bullet points are ideal for listing out key features and benefits.
For example, compare the following:
“Bullets make your copy more readable, easier to understand, and more convincing.”
vs.
“Bullets make your copy:
more readable
easier to understand
more convincing”
Which looks better to you?
During an A/B test by Swedish Company Unionen (pictured above), switching from a wall of text to bullets generated a 5.3% conversion rate. This was a 15.9% improvement over the version without bullets.
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Growth Hack #1 – Recommend What to Buy for +25% Customers:
When showing multiple offers, an emphasized product suggestion might be a good idea as some people need a little nudge.
There are some psychology studies out there which suggest that the more choice there is, then the lower the chances of a decision actually being made and acted upon.
In order to combat such analysis paralysis, try emphasizing and highlighting certain options above others.
When businesses tried this, they saw a 25% boost in purchases.
Ever since the early days of SEO, H1 tags have been believed to be extremely important for ranking the content in SERPs. But are H1 tags really necessary?
Here’s how Google likes to answer it:
“You can use H1 tags as often as you want on a page. There’s no limit, neither upper nor lower bound.
H1 elements are a great way to give more structure to a page. But, your site can do perfectly fine with no H1 tags or with five H1 tags.”
But you don’t always have to take Google at face value.
So, Moz decided to test it out. They used H2s and H3s for headlines instead of H1s and monitored the results.
They devised a 50/50 split test of their titles using SearchPilot.
Results 8 weeks later?
Changing the H2s to H1s made no statistically significant difference.
The results of this test were inconclusive in terms of organic traffic, so they reverted it back.
PS: While this experiment doesn’t definitively prove that H1s aren’t a ranking factor, it does show that they couldn’t find a statistically significant difference between using H1s and H2s.
That being said, there are some reasons you should still use H1:
– H1s help accessibility.
– Google sometimes uses H1s in place of title tags.
– Heading use is often correlated with better rankings.
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Growth Hack #3 – Replace Stock Photos With Real Ones for 45.45% More Conversions:
Stock photos are high-quality, but they look staged. They are irritatingly perfect.
Harrington Movers decided to replace their high-quality stock photo with a real crew image.
The A/B test has been running for three months.
As a result, the version with the crew image showed a conversion increase of 45.45%!
