10 Great Copywriting Examples (+ Takeaways for Copywriters)

How useful would it be to have a handy list of great copywriting examples bookmarked for inspiration?

A swipe copy of high-quality examples that inspire you to write engaging website copy, perky popups, and emails that zing with persuasion.

Best of all, how wonderful would it be to understand why those copywriting examples are so effective and what techniques you can steal to improve your own writing?

That’s what you’ll find here. Hot tips, tangible advice, and resources to take your adverts, taglines and other sales copy from meh to mind-blowing.

Let’s dive in.

What Makes These Copywriting Examples Good Enough for Our Swipe File?

You know those ads on Google and Facebook? What about all that stuff in your mailbox you forgot you subscribed to? Those are examples of copywriting.

But are they great copywriting examples? Probably not.

Great copywriting is when the words compel you to sit up, take notice, and do something.

You see, killer copywriting triggers an emotional reaction so deeply rooted in our psychology, we’re unable to control it. Emotions like greed, compassion, envy, the need to belong, or the fear of missing out.

Good copywriting says, ‘trust me, I have the solution. You can stop looking.’ And that’s what our examples do.

It can be as simple as writing copy that tempts us with something free. Or convincing us to spend up big because it increases our self-esteem and social worth.

Like this 1958 classic from the “Father of Advertising”, David Ogilvy:

Ogilvy knew what made his target audience tick. His headline put them in the driver’s seat. They could smell the plush leather and hear the purring of the engine under the assured ticking of the clock.

Best of all, they could feel the envious stares of other drivers, clattering past in their clunkers and rattletraps, wishing they too could join the exclusive Rolls-Royce owners club.

It was the longest running and most successful Rolls-Royce ad, resulting in a 50% increase in sales in its first year, and it formed the go-to template used by many copywriters. No list of great copywriting examples would be complete without it.

Now let’s look at 10 more copywriting examples that target a range of psychological triggers and compel us to say, ‘Yes please! Where’s the Buy Now button?’

Copywriting Example #1: The Empathetic Homepage

One second. Maybe two. That’s all the time you’ve got to persuade people to keep reading your web copy.

So, you have to draw them in immediately. Like this homepage from Marie Forleo:

Marie provides online training and resources, and her purpose is to inspire you to build your dreams.

Why It’s Effective

You need to visit the site to get the full effect, but here’s why it’s a great piece of copywriting:

Firstly, the focus is on you. Her opening statement is warm, encouraging, and empathetic. Like a big hug from your Mom.

Scroll down and the empathy continues with phrases like, “You don’t have to get it perfect, you just have to get it going.”

There’s no hard sell, no credit card required. She draws you in with free resources and big, bold call-to-action (CTA) buttons.

Then she convinces you with testimonials from happy customers and impressive endorsements from Oprah Winfrey and Richard Branson.

Copywriting Techniques You Can Steal

• Empathy: Picture your audience. What are their pain points? Use ‘you’ rather than ‘me’ or ‘I’. Tell them a story that creates a bond to make them feel understood and valued.
• Social proof and authority: This is a trust building technique. Use customer testimonials, and showcase relevant experience, skills, or qualifications.
• Call to Action: Move visitors through the site with helpful CTA buttons like Maria’s: ‘Download’, ‘Watch Now’, and ‘Get Inspired’.

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Copywriting Example #2: The Shock-Effect Billboard

Billboards are usually targeted at motorists. They need to grab attention and leave a lasting impression, as the cars whizz by.

This is a perfect example:

Why It’s Effective

This billboard sells a serious message with great impact. Literally.

The message is instant. It slams into our brain using 4 words and 1 image. And it’s even more powerful because they crumpled the actual billboard at the point of impact.

Great copy isn’t just about words. The context, layout, and relationship of the words and images are just as important.

Copywriting Techniques You Can Steal

• Triggering shock: Negative emotions like shock and fear work as well as positive ones. What emotions can you associate with the product you’re writing about? What power words might trigger those emotions?
• Tone: Always use an appropriate tone of voice for the audience and message. This billboard is perfect — serious, but simple.
• Brevity. If you can say it in 4 words, don’t use more. One of the best ways to achieve brevity is to cut out unnecessary adjectives and superlatives like ‘very’.

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Copywriting Example #3: The Funny Popup

Popups. We all hate them, but everyone uses them.

But sometimes a perky little popup begs forgiveness. Like this one from Really Good Emails:

Why It’s Effective

It’s apologetic. It knows it’s annoying, so it uses cheeky charm to win you over.

This whimsy continues in the ‘name’ field where it uses a silly name to show where you need to enter your details.

Just think: if Really Good Emails can make its popup worth reading, the rest of the site must be great.

Copywriting Techniques You Can Steal

• Good headline: Make it funny, cheeky, controversial — anything but boring.
• Humor: If you can raise a smile, you’re halfway to a conversion. Here’s how you do it well.
• Honesty: Popups are like flies. You just want to swat them out of your way, so be honest about it and you may win a few hearts (and addresses for your email list).

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Copywriting Example #4: The Engaging Email

How many emails do you delete without opening? And what makes you open the others?

Usually it’s because:

1. You trust the sender and want to hear what they have to say, or
2. You can’t resist the subject line.

No one knows this better than Laura Belgray from Talking Shrimp, the queen of email marketing whose conversion rates are through the roof.

Here’s a typical email from Laura, the second in her welcome sequence to new subscribers:

Why It’s Effective

Laura has one of the strongest voices in the world of copywriting. She writes like your best friend would. She’s funny, irreverent, ballsy, and honest.

Her language is full intimacy and humor, but above all, she’s a skilled salesperson. She’s like a heat-seeking missile, on a mission to get you to click through (while charming the socks off you).

Email Copywriting Techniques You Can Steal

• Subject line: If it sucks, it doesn’t get opened. Make it intriguing, arouse their curiosity, and avoid anything too salesy (unless it’s irresistible, like ‘free’ or ‘only 2 hours remaining’).
• Know your audience: Write as though you know them — that the email is intended for their eyes only. Visualize the reader, know their needs, and make it conversational.
• Tight Copy: Keep your writing tight and deliberate. Use active verbs, cut the flab, and make every word count.
• Call to Action: Always include a call to action (CTA) and at least one PS — did you know people often skim down to the PS first?

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Copywriting Example #5: The Irresistible Landing Page

When you click a CTA link, it often takes you to a landing page, which has a very specific task — to convert potential customers into buyers or subscribers.

Here’s a landing page from MasterClass, a website that streams video lessons from the world’s leading experts in their niche, like Gordon Ramsey.

Why It’s Effective

MasterClass is like an online university where the professors are celebrities. Imagine Samuel L. Jackson teaching you about acting, or Anna Wintour tutoring you on leadership!

Apart from being beautifully designed, with high-quality images and videos, this landing page pulls out every sales and conversion trick in the book, such as:

• A call to action button above the fold.
• Minimal navigation distractions. It wants you to focus on Gordon Ramsay’s class.
• In the video, Gordon promises, “Everything I’ve learned is laid bare in this MasterClass”. It’s a compelling value proposition.
• Teasers, trailers, and samples so you can try-before-you-buy.
• A sign-up form to join their email list.
• A pricing breakdown of what you get for your money to reinforce the value proposition.
• FAQs designed to erase the last trace of doubt.

Copywriting Techniques You Can Steal

• Social proof: You may not have Gordon Ramsey as social proof, but use what you can, like customer testimonials, or your client’s awards and achievements.
• Call to action: There are 3 subscription buttons on this page, plus one for a gift subscription, which is genius. Would this work for the online business you’re writing about?
• Creating desire: The body copy reads, “You’re not just learning recipes, you’re learning how to take your cooking to the next level.” Irresistible benefits for a home-cook enthusiast. What would your audience find irresistible? Show them how the product can change their life for the better. Win their hearts and minds with a story. And don’t think this only applies to consumer products. Buyers of high-tech SaaS products also respond to emotional triggers in a landing page, case study, or any sales copy.

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Copywriting Example #6: The Trustworthy FAQ Page

If you thought FAQs were created to answer questions, think again. Here are some of the reasons organizations include an FAQ page on their site:

• It showcases your expertise, trustworthiness, and authority.
• Draws people to your site by responding to their search criteria, which gives you lots of SEO opportunities.
• It helps to overcome objections and move people towards a purchasing decision.
• It’s a great way to tell people what you want them to know about your products without making it sound like a sales pitch.

And that takes some copywriting know-how. Just ask McDonalds:

Why It’s Effective

McDonalds is a content marketing juggernaut, as this FAQ page demonstrates.

Firstly, the questions are highly optimized to respond to keywords and phrases used in Google such as ‘Do any of the McDonald’s stores sell curly fries?’ As it happens, they don’t, but why miss the opportunity to capture the attention of people who ask.

McDonalds is cheap and convenient, but its food isn’t famous for its health benefits. Rather than avoid the elephant in the room, the FAQ page asks, and then side-steps the stickier questions, like this:

Most of the links in the answers direct people to other pages and content in the site, which helps retain visitors and boost their SEO. And with a highly visible search function at the top of the page, it’s like a directory for the whole site.

Copywriting Techniques You Can Steal

• Building trust: With every answer McDonalds is saying: You can trust us to listen to you, and deliver what you want. It uses phrases like “it’s something we know our customers want” and “It’s time for All Day Breakfast. Why? Because of you!” Think about the ways you can respond to customers’ concerns and feedback to build trust in the FAQs you’re writing.
• Conversational tone: Use a friendly, conversational tone, but make sure it suits the audience you’re writing for. McDonalds uses phrases like “Great question,” and “Makes you wish you had one right now, doesn’t it?”

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Copywriting Example #7: The Persuasive Social Media Ads

We all know that classic line from Ernest Hemingway:

For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn.

It’s possibly the greatest ad copy of all time because it conjures up an entire story in just 6 words, each one dripping with emotion.

There’s no Tweet, LinkedIn, or Facebook post that quite matches Hemmingway’s flair, but the principles of writing social media ads are the same. You need to be brief and relevant, while packing a persuasive punch.

L’Oréal Paris comes close with this ad:

The ad — a 6-second video featuring actress, Eva Longoria — is targeted at women who want to get rid of their grey roots instantly.

Why It’s Effective

The text above the video gets right to the point: “Instant coverage for gray roots?” It conjures up the problem and the target market in 5 words.

In the video, Eva Longoria demonstrates the product, squeals in delight, and says “I don’t know what it’s made of but it’s magic.”

Who cares what it’s made of! If it works for Eva Longoria, it’s going to work for every other woman who wants to look like Eva Longoria.

And that’s why the ad is so effective.

Copywriting Techniques You Can Steal

• Relevancy: The advantage of social media is that you can select your target audience by gender, age, interests, or down to a pin-prick on a map. Make sure your message is just as targeted and relevant to their needs, delivering a message they will understand, instantly.
• Benefits over features: Forget the features, focus on the benefits. How is your product going to solve their problem or improve their life?
• Product demonstration: If you can demonstrate how your product or service works, do it. It’s one of the most effective sales techniques.

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Copywriting Example #8: The ‘Buy Me Now’ Product Descriptions

How many times have you clicked through to product details on an ecommerce site, only to find a lackluster description that leaves you cold?

But if you’ve ever visited Method’s website and read the dreamy descriptions of their cleaning products, you’ll know how hard it is to resist hitting the ‘buy now’ button.

Why It’s Effective

Let’s face it, dish soap and gel hand wash are not the sexiest products. But Method uses dynamic language and metaphors to conjure up images of fashionistas (“on-trend colors”)… international travel (“a sun-drenched hillside in Tuscany”)… and enviable lifestyles (“a relaxing hour in a spa”).

Why would you want to buy any other brand of soap?

Copywriting Techniques You Can Steal

• Benefits over features: Method tells you their dish soap will whisk you away to Tuscany. What are the benefits of the product for your audience?
• Sensory Language: Every one of Method’s descriptions is a mini experience, sparking the reader’s imagination, like “the crisp scent of freshly cut basil wafting in the breeze”. What story can you weave about your products that will capture a mood or an emotion? What luscious language can you use to make them feel, taste, smell, or experience the benefits of the product?
• Humor: Method’s products descriptions are whimsical and funny. They brighten up a drab day and make you happy to be buying mundane soap. Can you add the same sense of fantasy and fun to your ecommerce product descriptions?

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Copywriting Example #9: The Awe-Inspiring Topical Ad

A topical ad is when the advertiser takes something that’s in the news and spins it to their advantage. Like this advert by international money transfer service, TransferWise:

The ad appeared in the Australian Financial Review newspaper following a government enquiry into the banking sector. The Deputy Chair of the enquiry criticized the four major Australian retail banks for their hidden currency exchange fees and said:

“It’s very, very simple. TransferWise does it… They just tell you how much you pay to transfer money. This isn’t complicated… You just need to come clean with people.”

Why It’s Effective

TransferWise was handed a silver bullet on a golden platter, and they didn’t let it go to waste:

• They acted immediately, while the topic was newsworthy, and the public was interested.
• They capitalized on the issue while staying true to their own messaging: Be radically transparent. Charge as little as possible. As a brand awareness ad, it couldn’t have been stronger.
• They ran the full-page ad in Australia’s most elite newspaper aimed at a business audience. But they used the language of their customers — individuals who live and work around the world — to emphasize the snootiness and arrogance of the banks.
• They brazenly took on their major competitors (‘Dear Banks’), pitching themselves as the little guy in a David and Goliath saga, and won.

Copywriting Techniques You Can Steal

• Humor: With their tongue firmly in their cheek, TransferWise used satirical humor to put the knife into their competitors and give it a good twist. Warning: Be very cautious when using this form of humor as it can backfire.
• Controversy: If you’re going to do something controversial like naming and shaming your competitors, you need to take a stand and believe in your own convictions. This is a perfect, awe-inspiring example.
• Tone of Voice: The ad remained true to TransferWise’s down-to-earth tone of voice, even throwing in a bit of Aussie slang (‘fair dinkum’) in an otherwise high-brow setting. Think about the audience you’re writing for and the tone of voice that would best resonate with them.

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Copywriting Example #10: The Timeless Tagline

The job of a tagline is to sum up a key value proposition in a few succinct words. A great tagline is memorable (Nike: Just do it) and sets a brand apart from its competitors (Apple: Think different).

It can be heart-warming (Disneyland: The Happiest Place on Earth), or self-effacing (Volkswagen: Think Small).

A tagline is usually the last thing people see or hear at the end of any marketing copy, and its job is to keep the brand top of mind for future buying decisions.

Here’s arguably the all-time best copywriting example of a tagline:

Why It’s Effective

Ad copywriter, Frances Gerety, came up with the famous tagline for De Beers in the 1940s, when only the rich and famous bought diamonds.

It’s effective because it directly connected diamonds with eternal love (instead of wealth) and — virtually overnight — diamond engagement rings became the symbol of that sentiment. By 1951, 80% of brides in the United States wore a diamond ring, a tradition which continues to this day.

So great was the tagline, it has been used in every De Beers ads for engagement rings since 1948. In 1956, it inspired the title of a James Bond novel, and in 1971 the Shirley Bassey song of the same name.

In 1999, it was named ‘The Slogan of the Century’ by Advertising Age.

Copywriting Techniques You Can Steal

• Value proposition: De Beers value proposition is: if you buy this ring, your love will never end. What is the core value proposition of the brand you are writing about? Will it make people smarter, faster, happier, richer?
• Brevity: The best taglines are short sentences that only a few words long, yet still pack a punch. Write the core value proposition as succinctly and clearly as possible, then start trimming back the words and adding pizzazz.

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Which of These Great Copywriting Examples is Your Favorite?

Becoming a great copywriter isn’t about being a creative genius.

It’s about borrowing the very best ideas from the creative geniuses who came before you, studying their techniques, and applying them to your own writing — whether that be for SEO, a case study, or blogging.

That’s why you need to bookmark these copywriting examples and continue to build your own swipe file as you build your skills.

But in the meantime, we’d love to hear from you.

Which of these copywriting examples is your favorite? Is there a great example we missed?

Let us know in a comment below.

The post 10 Great Copywriting Examples (+ Takeaways for Copywriters) appeared first on Smart Blogger.

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350+ Onomatopoeia Examples for Writers (& Kids at Heart)

Looking for onomatopoeia examples so you can give your writing some extra oomph? You’ve come to the right place.

Flip to any random Batman comic page. Instantly, you’re an earwitness to a fantastical wham-bam-ka-powerful superhero fight scene, made possible by onomatopoeia!

It’s a proven literary gem that draws readers in like buzzing bees to honey.

And in this post, you’ll learn everything you need to know about onomatopoeia, including:

• Examples of onomatopoeia in classical and modern day writing (not just comics);
• Definitions and differences between onomatopoeia and other sound-based literary devices;
• Benefits of adding onomatopoeia’s sensory element to your words;
• 350+ sound words that’ll immediately power-up your own writing.

Let’s get crackin’!

What Onomatopoeia Is (and Isn’t)

At first glance, the word ‘onomatopoeia’ is slightly intimidating:

• How do you pronounce onomatopoeia?
• What is onomatopoeia and how is it different from other literary devices?

So, a little groundwork:

What’s the Definition of Onomatopoeia?

Onomatopoeia is the creation of and rhetorical use of words that phonetically imitate or suggest the actual sound that they describe.

Pronounced [aa – nuh – maa – tuh – pee – uh], onomatopoeia’s etymology traces back to two words in the Greek language, which suggest its meaning:

• ‘onoma’, meaning ‘name’, and
• ‘poiein’, meaning ‘to make’ (poem and poet have the same origin).

As our language evolves, sometimes we create words to specifically imitate the sound they represent. It’s no surprise that onomatopoeic words are comparable across different languages, conveying similar sounds. For instance, the Spanish word for a turkey sound is ‘gluglú gluglú’, which sounds very similar to the English language interpretation of ‘gobble gobble’.

Most words that demonstrate onomatopoeia can be categorized into five groups of sounds:

• Animal sounds (bow-wow, oink, cock-a-doodle-doo)
• Collision or explosive sounds (boom, crash, clang)
• Musical sounds (toot, clang, pluck)
• Movement of water, air, or objects (puff, vroom, rustle)
• Human sounds (sneeze, belch, cough)

There are also many animals, insects, birds, and objects onomatopoeically named for the sound they make. Here’s a short list:

• Bobwhite
• Chickadee
• Cuckoo
• Owl
• Killdeer
• Whippoorwill
• Bumblebee
• Katydid
• Cricket
• Zyzzyx (an insect!)
• Flip-flops

As young children, we were first introduced to animal sounds through onomatopoeia. Words to describe animal sounds, like a dog’s bark, a cat’s meow, or cow’s moo are phonetically similar to the actual sound that the animal makes.

Animal sounds are fun sound words, but onomatopoeia rules get a little tricky when we refer to sounds made by humans.

What’s the Difference Between Onomatopoeia and Interjections?

Human words of expression like ‘wow’ and ‘oops’ are often incorrectly labeled as onomatopoeia words. The distinction here is that these one- or two-word interjections are the actual words uttered instead of an onomatopoeic word that suggests the sound of the utterance.

To illustrate, let’s compare some human interjections (typically emotionally-packed) with with their phonetically descriptive onomatopoeia counterparts:

Interjections	Onomatopoeic words
ugh	grunt
he he he	snicker
eeek	scream
hey	shout

What’s the Difference Between Onomatopoeia and Other Sound-Based Literary Devices?

Alliteration, assonance, and consonance are stylistic literary devices that repeat words with similar beginning sounds, vowel sounds or consonant sounds to set a tone or create a mood.

Like your 87-year-old grandma at the Thanksgiving table, onomatopoeia is more direct. Used correctly, onomatopoeia is the most straightforward and efficient literary device to convey sounds that you want readers to “hear”.

Benefits of Using Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia engages your readers’ senses by drawing attention to sounds through the use of phonetically similar words. When you leverage literary devices and inject sensory words like onomatopoeia in your work, your words become more powerful, memorable and influential.

As a type of figurative language, onomatopoeia uses imitation to name things or describe sounds, producing a dramatic and more engaging effect on your readers.

Think of onomatopoeia as a ‘twofer’ sound descriptor. Onomatopoeia words simultaneously describe and imitate sounds with the help of their verbal pronunciation.

For example, when pronounced out loud, words like ‘beep’, ‘clack’, and ‘hiccup’ instantly suggest specific sounds – sounds you’re familiar with and related to specific actions.

Let’s observe the sound effects of onomatopoeia at work by comparing these two sentences:

• He silenced his phone alarm as he jumped out of bed, eager to start his first day on the job.
• He jabbed at his squawking phone as he whooshed out of bed, eager to start his first day on the job.

Onomatopoeia enables readers to better connect with the scene: to “hear” the obnoxious alarm and the young man’s finger rapidly tapping at his phone, and sense a quick flip of blankets as he hops out of bed. As a writer, onomatopoeia gives you the tools to compose an elaborate symphony of sounds that’ll stimulate your reader’s imagination.

Onomatopoeia earns bonus points too because sensory words like these make it easier for readers to remember what they’ve read. Memories start with our senses, so artfully select onomatopoeic sound words (and other sensory words) that’ll captivate your readers and make your message unforgettable.

Let’s take a look at onomatopoeia in action with some classic examples.

Examples of Onomatopoeia

Time-honored works of literary greats and poets swarm our senses with onomatopoeia.

Onomatopoeia in Literature & Poetry

In Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Caliban’s observations about the sounds on his island includes two onomatopoeia words:

“Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises
Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears; and sometimes voices…”

In his famous poem, The Bells, American poet Edgar Allan Poe used sound words to represent diminishing tones of bells to signify the four stages of life (childhood, youth, middle-age, and death).

Onomatopoeia is prevalent throughout, but as the poem progresses the final lines of each stanza contain symbolic onomatopoeic sound words harmonious with the life stages described.

The light sound of bells in this excerpt from the first stanza signifies a carefree childhood:

“…From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.”

The second stanza continues with the joyous wedding bells of youth:

“…To the rhyming and chiming of the bells!”

Moving on, the third stanza suggests a more daunting awareness of the end of life:

“…In the clamor and clangor of the bells!”

Finally, death is represented in the fourth stanza by the sounds of somber funeral bells:

“…To the moaning and the groaning of the bells.”

Coincidentally, Mr. Poe coined the onomatopoeic word tintinnabulation in the first stanza of this poem, which suggests a familiar tinkling of bells.

But, if there’s an award for the longest onomatopoeia word, James Joyce gets the prize!

Irish novelist, James Joyce introduced ten 100+ character onomatopoeic words to describe thunder in his last book, Finnegan’s Wake.  His most famous word is a hybrid of thunder-related words from many languages and represents the thunderous fall of Adam and Eve. (In this instance, the word ‘clap’ just wouldn’t have the same effect!)

“The fall (bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonner-
ronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthur-
nuk!) of a once wallstrait oldparr is retaled early in bed and later on
life down through all Christian minstrelsy.”

This JoyceGeek YouTube video explores origins and clarifies the pronunciation of this thunder word:

Moving into more relatable works, Robert Frost’s nostalgic admiration of the Birches uses onomatopoeia to fill our senses with the sounds of the trees as air moves through them:

“…After a rain. They click upon themselves
As the breeze rises, and turn many-colored
As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel…”

In children’s poetry, Jack Prelutsky’s onomatopoeically entitled poem, Boing! Boing! Squeak! captivates young listeners and parents alike with his tale of his clamorous little visitor:

“Boing! Boing! Squeak!
Boing! Boing! Squeak!
A bouncing mouse is in my house,
it’s been here for a week…

…that mouse continues bouncing
every minute of the day,
it bounces bounces bounces
but it doesn’t bounce away…”

Another adorable Prelutsky children’s poem uses sound words to activate the young listener’s sense of taste. His onomatopoeic name for delicious little morsels that beg to be eaten is Yubbazubbies:

“Yubbazubbies, you are yummy,
you are succulent and sweet,
you are splendidly delicious,
quite delectable to eat,
how I smack my lips with relish
when you bump against my knees,
then nuzzle up beside me,
chirping, ‘Eat us if you please!’…”

As we shift into other genres, we’ll discover that the use of onomatopoeia is a reliable and prevalent marketing tool.

Onomatopoeia in Pop Culture

Onomatopoeia is used in all aspects of pop culture to influence and attract the senses of consumers.

Snappy Brands and Slogans

Due to its sensory appeal, onomatopoeia is often used in branding and advertising. Faced with the challenge of conveying taste to consumers, food marketing gurus carefully choose sound words to appeal to their consumers’ taste buds. Non-food marketing projects use onomatopoeia to appeal to consumers’ needs or desires (like to drive fast)!

This vintage Rice Krispies commercial is a classic example of their “Snap! Crackle! Pop!” slogan and onomatopoeically-named mascots:

You’re likely familiar with these onomatopoeic brands and slogans:

• Google
• Tweeting on Twitter
• Krispy Kreme
• Ziploc
• Cap’n Crunch
• Schweppes
• Pop Tarts
• Pop Rocks
• Slurpee
• Tic Tacs
• Wham-O Toys
• Kaboom Energy Drink
• Zoom Video Communications
• Alka-Seltzer’s “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz (oh what a relief it is)”
• Mazda’s “Zoom, Zoom”

Of course, onomatopoeia is extremely influential in other popular culture media like music and other forms of entertainment.

Pop-ular Music, Film and TV Shows (and Comics)

Remember the lyrics of Ylvis’ “The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)” playing on repeat in your head in 2013? A big thanks goes in part to the onomatopoeia animal sounds woven into the lyrics. (Apologies for the earworm!)

Back in the 70’s, Todd Rundgren refreshed listeners on the concept of onomatopoeia with his song of the same name. The sound words in the lyrics help describe the “feeling in (his) heart”:

“…It’s sort of lub, dub, lub, dub
A sound in my head that I can’t describe
It’s sort of zoom, zip, hiccup, drip
Ding, dong, crunch, crack, bark, meow, whinnie, quack…”

Contemporary artist Charli XCX sings about a different sound to her heart in the her 2014 hit, “Boom Clap” (the beat goes on and on…):

Onomatopoeia gave moviegoers clues to the sounds made by the automobile in the movie based on Ian Fleming’s 1960’s story entitled “Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang”.

The classic ‘60’s Batman TV series flashed onomatopoeia words like “Wham!”, “Pow!” and “Clunk!” during fight scenes, which paralleled the experience of reading a printed comic book.

Before we move on to onomatopoeia examples in content marketing, here’s a special onomatopoeia video for all the Batman die-hards:

Booming Communications & Content Marketing

We’ve seen how the use of onomatopoeia engages fans and consumers by engaging their senses. Content marketers connect with readers’ senses by sprinkling sound words into email subject lines to keep them interested.

Here are some clever examples that created a buzz just this month:

Headers and subheads are easy onomatopoeia targets as well. The following examples were found in Smart Blogger posts:

• Create a Writing Portfolio That Kicks Butt
• Pound the Pavement: 16 Hacks for Finding Under-the-Radar Writing Opportunities
• 14 Writing Job Boards: The Low-Hanging Fruit (Packed with Writing Opportunities)
• Tell Your Best Friends Why They Suck
• 3 Writing Exercises That’ll Make You Pack a More Persuasive Punch
• Write a Super-Slick Sales Page for a Dinner Plate

As a writer of consumable content, it’s your mission to make it easy for your readers to cling onto your words.

And strategically using onomatopoeia words is a great way to make it happen.

The Definitive List of Onomatopoeic Words: 366 Examples of Onomatopoeia That’ll Give Your Writing Some Extra Oomph

We’ve gone over quite a few examples of onomatopoeia in this post, but we’ve merely scratched the surface.

Below, you’ll find the web’s largest list of onomatopoeia examples. Bookmark and reference them, as needed.

Animal Sounds

Arf

Baa

Bark

Bleat

Bow-wow

Cackle

Caw

Cheep

Chirp

Chirrup

Chitter

Chitter-chatter/ Chit-chat

Chitty

Cluck

Cock-a-doodle-doo

Coo

Croak

Crow

Cuckoo

Flutter

Gaggle

Gallop

Gibber

Growl

Grumble

Hee-haw

Hiss

Honk

Hoo

Hoot

Howl

Jabber

Lap

Meow

Mew

Moo

Neigh

Nicker

Oink

Peep

Pip

Purr

Quack

Ribbit

Roar

Scrabble

Screech

Snarl

Squawk

Squeak

Squeal

Tweet

Twitter

Warble

Whinny

Woof

Yap

Yelp

Yip

Collision / Explosion Sounds

Bam

Bang

Bash

Blast

Boink

Bonk

Boom

Boop

Bop

Bump

Burst

Clack

Clamor

Clangor

Clank

Clash

Clatter

Click

Clickety-clack

Clink

Crash

Crush

Explode

Kaboom

Kapow

Klunk

Knock

Pop

Pow

Punch

Shatter

Slam

Smack

Snap

Sock

Spank

Spark

Thud

Thump

Thwack

Whale

Wham

Whomp

Whump

Human Sounds

Babble

Barf

Bawl

Belch

Bellow

Blab / Blabber

Blub / Blubber

Blurt

Boohoo

Burp

Bwahaha

Chant

Chat

Chatter

Chomp

Chortle

Clap

Cough

Cringe

Croup

Crunch

Cry

Drone

Echo

Fart

Foofaraw

Garble

Gargle

Gasp

Giggle

Gnash

Gnaw

Gobble

Groan

Grump

Grunt

Guffaw

Gulp

Hack

Hiccup

Holler

Hoopla

Huff

Hum

Humph

Hush

Lisp

Mewl

Moan

Mumble

Munch

Murmur

Mutter

Nibble

Pad

Pat

Poop

Puke

Retch

Scratch

Scream

Shout

Shriek

Shush

Slap

Slobber

Smooch

Sneak

Sneer

Sneeze

Snicker

Sniff

Sniffle

Snore

Snort

Sob

Spit

Sputter

Stomp

Tap

Tattle

Tiptoe

Utter

Wail

Wallop

Whack

Wheeze

Whimper

Whine

Whisper

Whistle

Whoop

Wimper

Yack

Yadda Yadda

Yank

Yell

Zonk

Musical Sounds

Beep

Blare

Bleep

Bloop

Bong

Buzz

Chime

Clang

Ding

Ding-a-ling

Ding-dong

Dong

Drum

Gong

Jingle

Ka-ching

Knell

Oompah

Pick

Ping

Plink

Pluck

Plunk

Pong

Rat-a-tat

Ring

Throb

Ting

Tinkle

Tintinnabulation

Toot

Trill

Twang

Zing

Sounds of Movement

Blaze

Blimp

Bling

Blip

Blow

Boing

Bounce

Brouhaha

Bumble

Burble

Cha-cha

Cha-ching

Choo-choo

Chug

Clonk

Clunk

Crack

Crackle

Creak

Crinkle

Dab

Dribble

Drip

Drizzle

Fizz

Fizzle

Flap

Flash

Flick

Fling

Flip

Flip Flop

Flog

Flop

Flush

Gloop

Glug

Grind

Gurgle

Gush

Jab

Jangle

Jar

Kerplink

Kerplunk

Mash

Nuzzle

Oomph

Ooze

Paddle

Patter

Pitter

Plash

Plop

Puff

Pump

Quiver

Racket

Rap

Rattle

Rev

Rip

Rumble

Rustle

Scour

Scramble

Scrape

Scrub

Scrunch

Scuffle

Shiver

Shred

Shudder

Shuffle

Sizzle

Skip

Slash

Slick

Slither

Slop

Slosh

Slurp

Slush

Snip

Sparkle

Splash

Splat

Splatter

Sploosh

Splosh

Splutter

Sprinkle

Squelch

Squirt

Squish

Strum

Suck

Swarm

Swat

Swell

Swish

Swoop

Swoosh

Tear

Thrash

Tick

Tick Tock

Tock

Trickle

Trudge

Tug

Twinkle

Twist

Vroom

Waft

Whip

Whirl

Whirr

Whiz

Whoosh

Zap

Zigzag

Zip

Zipper

Zoom

Crush It with Onomatopoeia!

Here’s the hard truth:

Lifeless, boring content loses readers.

Boom! They’re gone in an instant.

The use of onomatopoeia and other literary devices in your writing create the captivating sensory links that your readers cling to. Of course, practice improves the effect!

And with this mega-list of onomatopoeia sound words in hand, you’re ready to bang out some sound-packed passages.

You’re gonna crush this!

The post 350+ Onomatopoeia Examples for Writers (& Kids at Heart) appeared first on Smart Blogger.

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Your B2B Influencer Strategy: How to Get it Right

We're all familiar with the way influencing plays out in sponsored posts on YouTube and Instagram and various other social platforms, but it can also be a valuable strategy in the B2B world. Here's how to get it right for your company. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

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How to Launch Your First Online Course with Marisa Murgatroyd [PODCAST]

Launching your first online course can be intimidating.

I’ll be straight with you — they can be profitable, but getting started is hard! So, today, I’ve brought in the big guns to talk to you.

Marisa Murgatroyd has helped beginners launch over 800 online courses, and she’s who I would go to if I were starting today.

Let’s dive in.

Listen

Where to Subscribe

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Google Podcasts
• RadioPublic
• Podbay

How You Can Support the Podcast

Leave us a Review

The more reviews we receive on Apple Podcasts and iTunes, the more listeners we’ll get to reach (thanks to Apple’s fancy algorithm).

If you don’t know how, click here for detailed, step-by-step instructions that’ll show you how to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and iTunes.

Tell Your Friends & Family

Have friends or followers you believe would enjoy the podcast? Here are a couple quick and easy ways to share it with them:

Tweet This Episode:

In this episode of the 'Break Through the Noise' #podcast, Jon Morrow talks to Marisa Murgatroyd, who has helped beginners launch over 800 online courses (& who Jon would go to if he was starting today).Click To Tweet

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15 Top Social Media Sites & Platforms (A Handy 2020 Guide)

Wondering which social media sites your business, brand, or blog should be on in 2020?

You’ve come to the right place.

Because social media platforms are always jockeying for dominance, it can be surprisingly difficult to find articles with the most up-to-date information on Google.

The good news is we’ve done the legwork for you. Below, you’ll find the freshest data from sites like Statista to help you get the lowdown on the top social media platforms around the world.

We’ll look at cool features for each social network, go over who should (and should not) use them, and provide insights that’ll help you determine which ones are best for your business, brand, or blog.

Let’s dig in.

The 15 Most Popular Social Media Sites in 2020

1. Facebook

Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world.

But just because more than 90% of its daily active users live outside North America doesn’t mean this social platform isn’t popular in the U.S.

Seven in ten U.S. adults use Facebook, and more than half of Americans check multiple times daily, sharing posts composed of text, photos, videos, and GIFs that other users comment on, share, and react to.

Quick Snapshot

• Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, USA
• Founded: 2004
• Monthly Active Users: 2.603 Billion

Standout Features & Functionality

• Audience Insights gives small businesses the power to leverage Facebook’s massive pool of aggregated data to help them reach their ideal audience.
• Facebook 360 allows businesses to upload panoramic style photos from a smartphone, creating immersive, interactive experiences for their followers.
• Facebook Live gives influencers an interactive medium for connecting with their audience.

Who Should Use Facebook?

Just about every audience is on Facebook, and it is the most popular social media network for seniors — a rapidly growing demographic on the site.

Who Shouldn’t Use Facebook?

If you’re in an industry that elicits unhappy or angry feelings, then your message may not be well received on Facebook.

Final Word on Facebook

Facebook’s massive reach and powerful social media marketing capabilities make it a no-brainer for most businesses (just make sure you set up a business page, if you haven’t already).

And if you’re a content creator (whether it’s a blog post, infographic, or an article for a client), Facebook is one of the best social media platforms to share content.

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2. YouTube

When it comes to social networks, YouTube dominates video content sharing.

This massive video-sharing platform lets users post, comment on, and upvote or downvote music videos, TV shows, vlogs, educational content, live streams, movie trailers, and more.

They can also subscribe to other users’ channels and add videos to playlists.

YouTube functions as a massive search engine (2nd only to Google), making SEO an important consideration for content creators.

Quick Snapshot

• Headquarters: San Bruno, California, USA
• Founded: 2005
• Monthly Active Users: 2 Billion

Standout Features

• YouTube Cards visually enhance links to other videos and playlists, making your content more interactive. They can appear at any specified time during your video.
• YouTube Live allows you to stand out by creating an engaging experience with your audience.
• After reaching 1,000 followers, channels can post text, images, GIFs, live videos, and more within the Community tab to further connect with their audience.

Who Should Use YouTube?

Tons of businesses have leveraged this top social media site successfully. Here are 50 content ideas to get any business started.

Who Shouldn’t Use YouTube?

An astounding 500+ hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every minute. If you’re not committed to producing high-quality content, you won’t gain traction.

Final Word on YouTube

Chances are your audience is regularly tuning-in to this massively popular social media site to be entertained, educated, and informed. Will they find you there?

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3. WhatsApp

In a crowded messaging app market (QQ, Telegram, Snapchat, etc.) WhatsApp stands as the most popular, with more monthly active users than Facebook Messenger (both are owned by Facebook).

Users can send text and voice messages or make voice and video calls for free with this mobile app. However, unlike the app Viber, users cannot call non-app users’ numbers.

WhatsApp Business is a standalone app available on desktop, and many business owners use it as a handy customer service solution.

Quick Snapshot

• Headquarters: Mountain View, California, USA
• Founded: 2009
• Monthly Active Users: 2 Billion

Standout Features

• Free international text, voice, and video messaging (video chat with up to 4 people).
• WhatsApp Business provides messaging tools for connecting with customers, including automated greeting and away messages, the ability to reuse messages for quick replies, labels for organizing contacts and chats, catalogs to show off your products and services, and a profile page with your basic business info.
• Document sharing allows for easily sharing spreadsheets, slideshows, and other documents up to 100 MB (also free!).

Who Should Use WhatsApp?

Businesses that want to offer quickly accessible customer service, including local businesses offering delivery.

Who Shouldn’t Use WhatsApp?

If your customers aren’t likely to use the app, then it won’t work because both parties must have it to connect.

Final Word on WhatsApp

It’s easy to see why WhatsApp has become such a popular social networking app with small businesses. Check out this hubspot article for WhatsApp marketing ideas.

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4. Facebook Messenger

Messenger, originally Facebook Chat, is a standalone messaging app and platform.

No Facebook account is necessary to use this social networking site to communicate via text messages, voice, or video chat.

More than an instant messaging app, users can also share photos, videos, stickers, and other file formats.

Messenger was recently redesigned to be lightweight and fast — deprioritizing a number of features, including chat bots that had become integral to many business’s customer communication strategy.

Quick Snapshot

• Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, USA
• Founded: 2011
• Monthly Active Users: 1.3 Billion

Standout Features

• US users can send and receive money through Messenger by connecting it to their debit card or PayPal account.
• Location sharing (remember Foursquare and its check-ins?) makes it easy for your friends or customers to find you.
• Messenger Rooms is a video chat feature similar to Zoom that allows up to 50 participants at a time.
• Business solutions, like purchase tracking, notifications, and connecting customers with your customer service representatives make it easy to serve your customers.

Who Should Use Facebook Messenger?

Businesses whose customers are already on Facebook (and probably on Messenger), that want to offer their customers an easy and convenient way to reach them.

Who Shouldn’t Use Facebook Messenger?

Those not able or willing to respond to customer inquiries within Messenger’s allotted 24 hour window (prevents spamming), may want to consider another solution.

Final Word on Facebook Messenger

For a time, chatbots were a big marketing strategy on Messenger. Those days are over, with a shift toward user satisfaction. Respect your customers’ inbox.

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5. WeChat

WeChat (Weixin) is one of the most popular social media sites to come out of China.

Owned by Tencent, the parent company of QQ and QZone, this app does a little bit of everything.

It’s a messaging, social media, and mobile payment app rolled into one, and users also play games, shop, and access government services through the platform.

Like other social media apps, users can also share photos, make video calls, and text.

Advertisers on WeChat benefit from Facebook-esque customer data collection.

Quick Snapshot

• Headquarters: Shenzhen, China
• Founded: 2011
• Monthly Active Users: 1.203 Billion

Standout Features

• WeChat Pay allows users to shop and make money transfers.
• Automated replies create a smooth customer service experience.
• A customer history chat log is available for easy reference when corresponding with clients.
• WeChat Shop platforms allow businesses to set up online stores that leverage features like WeChat Pay, phone number and address collection, retargeting, and customer service capabilities.

Who Should Use WeChat?

If your audience is in or from China — including tourists, students, and expats — then this all-in-one social media service is worth a look.

Who Shouldn’t Use WeChat?

Foreign businesses must go through a 3rd party agency to advertise on WeChat, which is a lot of hassle unless you’re serious about reaching Chinese audiences.

Final Word on WeChat

WeChat is a huge platform with tons of organic and paid marketing options for brands and businesses.

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6. Instagram

Instagram is a video and photo sharing social platform where users upload photos and short videos, often adding filters and other effects before sharing them with family and friends.

It’s owned by Facebook, which provides robust marketing data for reaching your audience.

Instagram is the perfect place to show off products and tell visually centered stories about your business. Whether that’s e-commerce or personal training, you’ll find that users on this platform are ready to buy.

Quick Snapshot

• Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, USA
• Founded: 2010
• Monthly Active Users: 1.082 Billion

Standout Features

• Shoppable Tags allow users to click on products in images and go directly to a product page to make purchases.
• Instagram Stories are short user-generated videos with various added enhancements and effects that disappear after 24 hours.
• Instagram Live is a great way to engage your audience and interact with them in real time.

Who Should Use Instagram?

A variety of brands thrive on Instagram, especially those in travel, beauty, and fashion — the largest demographic is under 35, urban females with above average income.

Who Shouldn’t Use Instagram?

If you’re not prepared to consistently post unique, high-quality images and videos, then you won’t capture much attention.

Final Word on Instagram

Instagram is growing every day. With increasingly sophisticated and powerful tools for marketers, it’s a great platform for growing your business.

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7. TikTok

TikTok is a massively popular social network coming out of China that bills itself as the “leading destination for short-from mobile video.”

Users create various types of short (up to 15 seconds) looping videos to share, including comedy, talent, lip synching, dancing, stunts, and more.

Like other social networking platforms, its algorithm will learn what you like and show you similar content over time.

Quick Snapshot

• Headquarters: Beijing, China
• Founded: 2016
• Monthly Active Users: 800 Million

Standout Features

• In-app video editing allows users to customize background music, video effects, speed, filters, sounds, and more.
• With the React feature, users can film their reactions to videos, showing up in a small window alongside the original content.
• The Duet feature allows users to film themselves trying to sing the same song, perform the same dance, or do a parody as a joke alongside a piece of original content.

Who Should Use TikTok?

If your audience is young adults, and you can demonstrate a creative or visually appealing side to your brand, then go for it.

Who Shouldn’t Use TikTok?

If your audience is older professionals, or if you’re a B2B company, then this probably isn’t the right place for you.

Also: The United States potentially banning TikTok due to data concerns has been a popular topic throughout 2020, so if privacy is a chief concern of yours, keep this in mind.

Final Word on TikTok

TikTok is a fun space to show your brand’s human side. If your audience is on this platform, it’s a great place to cultivate awareness.

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8. QQ

QQ is another Chinese instant messaging platform.

Users can participate in group chats and send texts and audio messages — comparable to Facebook Messenger.

Although it’s primarily a desktop app, a lightweight and less functional mobile app is available.

Quick Snapshot

• Headquarters: Shenzhen, China
• Founded: 1999
• Monthly Active Users: 694 Million

Standout Features

• A live translation feature for up to 50 languages makes it possible to connect internationally.
• QQ Coin is a virtual currency used to purchase items for the user’s avatar or blog. Coins are accepted by some vendors for real goods.
• Users can transfer files for free, with no limit on file size.

Who Should Use QQ?

The platform is especially popular with Gen Z, and you’ll need an account to use QQ’s blogging sub-platform QZone.

Who Shouldn’t Use QQ?

If your audience is not in China, or they’re older and have a higher income, then you’re better off with WeChat.

Final Word on QQ

If you’re doing business in China, then look into QQ further to see if it’s a good fit for your brand. Here is a more in-depth article on the platform.

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9. Sina Weibo

Sina Weibo, simply called Weibo in China, is a microblogging social network.

Similar to Twitter, you can find journalists, celebrities and other public figures on the platform.

In addition to publishing text based updates (up to 2,000 characters), users can share music, videos, and images. They can also comment, follow, private message, search, and use @Usernames to tag others.

And, like Instagram, users can post images (9 max per post) and create Stories.

Quick Snapshot

• Headquarters: Shanghai, China
• Founded: 2009
• Monthly Active Users: 550 Million

Standout Features

• Weibo Polls show up in users’ timelines like a regular post, and are a great way to engage with and learn about your audience.
• Businesses can claim their own hashtag, which can be used to increase brand awareness.
• Weibo Fit tracks calories, walking distance, and other health data.

Who Should Use Sina Weibo?

If your brand can benefit from showing up in the larger social conversation of Chinese web users, then this could be a good fit.

Who Shouldn’t Use Sina Weibo?

Foriegn companies pay up to $2,000 USD registering for an official account. Probably not worth it if you’re not sure if Weibo is for you.

Final Word on Sina Weibo

Weibo offers a number of ways to reach your audience, whether that’s through advertising, content marketing, or via influencers.

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10. QZone

With QZone, a bonded service to QQ, users share photos, watch videos, listen to music, keep diaries, play online games, shop, date, and blog.

Think of it like a mix of a social networking site and blogging platform. It’s similar to Facebook, and users can like, share, comment on posts.

They can also customize their profile backgrounds with accessories (mostly paid) and a song that plays in the background (like Myspace).

Quick Snapshot

• Headquarters: Shenzhen, China
• Founded: 2005
• Monthly Active Users: 517 Million

Standout Features

• Brands can create customized “microsites” and other interactive marketing applications that function within the platform.
• Users can have up to 1,000 QZone Albums, each with up to 10,000 photos.
• A QZone Certified Space gives businesses extra features to help them stay connected with their audience.

Who Should Use QZone?

QZone’s user base leans heavily toward youth living in the smaller, less sophisticated cities and towns of China. Brands with mass market appeal do well with this audience.

Who Shouldn’t Use QZone?

If you’re going after university students or working professionals, then consider WeChat or Sina Weibo.

Final Word on QZone

If your audience is Chinese citizens, either in China or living and traveling abroad, this could be a great place to run a marketing campaign.

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11. Reddit

The “front page of the internet,” Reddit is a forum where users can participate in thousands of communities called “subreddits,” covering any topic imaginable (and many more).

Content is user-generated and includes written posts, discussions, photos, videos, and links to articles.

Users often pose questions to the community (similar to Quora), or just browse for random stories like you would see on StumbleUpon back in the day.

Quick Snapshot

• Headquarters: San Francisco, California, USA
• Founded: 2005
• Monthly Active Users: 430 Million

Standout Features

• Ask Me Anything (AMAs) allow users to have live conversations with well known public figures like politicians, authors, actors, or people with interesting jobs.
• Activities on reddit generate Karma, a point system that shows how much you participate and generate goodwill from other users.

Who Should Use Reddit?

If you want to gain insights into an audience’s thought process and communication style, then follow any subreddits they hang out in.

Who Shouldn’t Use Reddit?

Reddit users bristle at overt marketing attempts and will shut down anyone not observing group norms (“Reddiquette”). Ease in and add value, or just be a fly on the wall and gain intel.

Final Word on Reddit

Reddit is an awesome resource for learning about topics and people. To learn more about marketing on Reddit, check out this article.

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12. Kuaishou

Kuaishou, called Kwai outside of China, is a short-video sharing and live-streaming app.

Users share clips of stunts and pranks and live streams of video game play.

Kuaishou’s algorithm is designed for inclusivity, ensuring more visibility for a wider range of content.

This has opened the way for people from China’s rural regions to share their lifeways while generating extra income, which they do by promoting their businesses or linking out to ecommerce platforms.

Quick Snapshot

• Headquarters: Beijing, China
• Founded: 2011
• Monthly Active Users: 400 Million

Standout Features

• Kwai’s simple, easy to use interface allows anyone to quickly learn and use the app.
• Live-streaming allows users to provide a variety of entertaining and educational experience.
• Users can link out to e-commerce platforms.

Who Should Use Kuaishou?

E-commerce businesses (conversions are higher on this platform) selling to the Gen Z demographic in China’s smaller cities and rural regions.

Who Shouldn’t Use Kuaishou?

If your Chinese speaking audience is more mature and sophisticated, you may have better luck with WeChat.

Final Word on Kuaishou

Kuaishou’s algorithm is designed to be more equitable in providing exposure. That could be an opportunity to “break in” and be seen.

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13. Snapchat

Snapchat is “a camera and messaging app that connects people with their friends,” specializing in ephemeral content — media that is only accessible for a short time (kind of like Tumblr’s ephemeral chat rooms).

Users share image and video massages called “snaps” can be modified with stickers, text, filters, and other effects.

There are also private and public stories that show the last 24 hours of a user’s content.

Quick Snapshot

• Headquarters: Santa Monica, California, USA
• Founded: 2011
• Monthly Active Users: 397 Million

Standout Features

• Creators can add links to snaps, allowing them to send viewers to external websites.
• Businesses can create a Sponsored Geofilter, a location specific image overlay that is only available at a specific physical location that “proves” the user was there.
• The “Swipe Up to Call” and “Swipe Up to Text” features make it even easier for your audience to contact your business.

Who Should Use Snapchat?

If your audience is Millennials or Gen Z, and your brand aligns with the fun,  laid back vibe of this platform, then go for it.

Who Shouldn’t Use Snapchat?

Brands targeting older audiences won’t have as much success here.

Final Word on Snapchat

Snapchat users are always looking for interesting content. This is a great opportunity to tap into your creative side and engage younger audiences.

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14. Pinterest

People visit Pinterest for inspiration and to find and share new ideas.

This “productivity tool for planning your dreams” has virtual boards that users (called Pinners) fill with image-based “pins,” bookmarking them for future viewing.

Pins typically link to an external website and can be repinned from one user’s board to another.

Pinners view pins from all the other users and topics they’re following on their home feed.

Quick Snapshot

• Headquarters: San Francisco, California, USA
• Founded: 2009
• Monthly Active Users: 367 Million

Standout Features

• “Lens” allows users to perform a visual search for objects they’ve captured on their phones.
• “Catalogs” allows brands to upload their catalog into Pinterest and turn products into Product Pins.
• “Rich Pins” come in 4 formats: Product Pins, Recipe pins, Article pins, App pins. Each with its own dynamic function.
• “Shop the Look” pins allow Pinners to click on items and go to a product page to purchase.

Who Should Use Pinterest?

If your audience is made up of women, and especially Millennial moms, then Pinterest could be perfect for you.

Who Shouldn’t Use Pinterest?

Content must be visually amazing on this platform. If you’re not willing or able to invest in great images, then you’ll be wasting your time.

Final Word on Pinterest

Pinterest users have proven to be ready to buy. The great thing is that Pinterest gives marketers plenty of tools to channel that buying intent.

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15. Twitter

Twitter is a microblogging platform where users primarily share short posts called tweets (280 character maximum) with their followers.

Users can then like, comment on, or retweet these posts to their followers. It’s like having a massive conversation with people all over the world.

Twitter is full of businesses and brands communicating with their audiences, and “40% of Twitter users reported purchasing something after seeing it on Twitter.”

Quick Snapshot

• Headquarters: San Francisco, California, USA
• Founded: 2006
• Monthly Active Users: 326 Million

Standout Features

• Users can see and subscribe to the curated feeds, called “Lists” of people they follow.
• Twitter Polls allow users to ask their followers a question with 4 answers to choose from. This is an easy way to engage your audience and get feedback on ideas.
• Hashtags were started on Twitter, and you can create branded hashtags to generate brand awareness and drive engagement.

Who Should Use Twitter?

Probably anyone, but B2B companies targeting millennial males, living in urban areas, with above average income do well.

Who Shouldn’t Use Twitter?

Twitter is a politically charged space. Be mindful about stepping into social and political conversations, because there are often consequences for brands and businesses.

Final Word on Twitter

Twitter is a great place to have a conversation with your audience. Show up and be ready to have a conversation with your people.

Editor’s Note: Surprised LinkedIn didn’t make the top 15? Us too. But with “only” 310 million monthly active users (as of October 2019), it’s on the outside looking in. That doesn’t mean LinkedIn isn’t a great social media platform if you’re a business owner or freelancer, of course. If it’s a good fit for what you do, don’t dismiss it.

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Social Media Sites for Every Type of Business

You don’t need 15 social media accounts to get in front of your audience.

In fact, that would be a terrible idea.

You’re better off focusing on one or two platforms where your target audience is most engaged.

Each of the social networks we covered has its pros and cons. Pick one or two that you think could be a good fit for your brand, download their app from the Apple or Android store, and follow our links to learn more.

Now is a great time to start showing up in front of your audience. Study them, engage, add value, and before you know it they’ll become loyal fans and customers.

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