https://www.marketingupgrade.pro Interim CMO practice of Joris van Huet. Marketing systems, MarTech and AI native go to market. en-NL Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:53:07 GMT https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-activecampaign https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-activecampaign Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Score leads in ActiveCampaign with rules sales agrees to: consent-aware site tracking, a contact score, repeating points and an alert or deal when a lead crosses the line. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-all-in-one-seo https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-all-in-one-seo Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Run the All in One SEO setup wizard, set the site live, connect Search Console, clear the high-priority checklist, submit the sitemap and set titles on the pages that sell. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-aweber https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-aweber Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Turn a blog feed into a newsletter with AWeber: a domain-based sender, confirmed opt-in, a sign up form, a short welcome series and an RSS workflow on the right starter. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-beehiiv https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-beehiiv Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Grow a beehiiv newsletter with referrals: custom domain and Smart Warming first, double opt-in, a welcome automation, reward milestones, the referral block and recommendations. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-benchmark-email https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-benchmark-email Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Send a monthly customer newsletter on Benchmark Email's rebuilt platform: a verified subdomain, consented imports, a form with consent text, AI drafting and a test send. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-brevo https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-brevo Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Put order emails and newsletters on one authenticated domain with Brevo: automatic DNS setup, Brevo SMTP with an SMTP key, transactional logs, and campaigns within plan limits. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/mailshake-vs-instantly https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/mailshake-vs-instantly Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Mailshake bills per user and ties mailboxes to seats; Instantly bills volume and connects unlimited mailboxes. The mailbox count decides it, plus the dialer and the trial. Tool comparisons https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/reply-io-vs-instantly https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/reply-io-vs-instantly Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Reply.io sells an AI SDR plan and multichannel steps billed by people reached; Instantly is a sending engine billed by emails. Fair use, agents and trials compared. Tool comparisons https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/reply-io-vs-lemlist https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/reply-io-vs-lemlist Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Multichannel seats cost within $40 a month for a team of four, so the AI SDR plan, the email-only plans and how hard each pushes a mailbox decide between Reply.io and lemlist. Tool comparisons https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/saleshandy-vs-instantly https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/saleshandy-vs-instantly Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Saleshandy bundles verified-contact credits and seats into each plan; Instantly sells data as a second subscription. One bill built both ways, plus volume, channels and an n8n step. Tool comparisons https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/smartlead-vs-instantly https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/smartlead-vs-instantly Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT For agencies the client workspace decides it: $29 each on Smartlead, a full subscription each on Instantly. Tier ladder, data, API gates, trials and an MCP check. Tool comparisons https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/smartlead-vs-lemlist https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/smartlead-vs-lemlist Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT lemlist automates LinkedIn in the sequence; Smartlead leaves it to manual tasks and bundles verified data at volume. Email-only tiers, data costs, ceilings and the French B2B rule. Tool comparisons https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-constant-contact https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-constant-contact Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Run a paid event in Constant Contact: tickets and promo codes, a registration form with a marketing opt-in, Stripe or PayPal fees worked out, invitations and follow-ups. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-emailoctopus https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-emailoctopus Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Move a newsletter into EmailOctopus with a clean consent trail: verify the domain, import consented readers, switch on double opt-in, add a welcome email and schedule issue one. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-encharge https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-encharge Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Use Stripe billing data in Encharge to convert more trials: a restricted-key connection, a role-based onboarding template, a guarded trial-ending email and a Goal step. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-flodesk https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-flodesk Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Deliver a freebie with Flodesk: authenticate the domain, give the lead magnet its own segment and form, set double opt-in, and publish the delivery workflow before sharing. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-frase https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-frase Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Take one query through Frase: research, pin keywords and evidence, approve the brief's facts and sources, work the scores, and push the article to your CMS as a draft. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-getresponse https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-getresponse Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Run one webinar properly in GetResponse: registration with separate consent fields, an invitation, reminders, a recording, and a saved segment of no-shows for the follow-up. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-keysearch https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-keysearch Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Find keywords a small or young site can win with KeySearch: filter, bulk-check difficulty, match scores to your site's authority, mine competitors and track the shortlist. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-keywords-everywhere https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-keywords-everywhere Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Size demand for a list of page ideas with Keywords Everywhere: cut wasted credits, bulk-check volumes, compare with your Search Console queries and decide before briefing. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-kit https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-kit Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Route product signups into Kit with its v4 API: an API key or OAuth, tags and fields set up once, upserts, tags and sequences per signup, purchases, webhooks and an MCP draft. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-mailchimp https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-mailchimp Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Build Mailchimp's abandoned cart flow on a supported store: trigger, wait time, cart email, a second touch and a holdout split, plus who the first email reaches in the EU. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-mailerlite https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-mailerlite Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Sell a paid newsletter with MailerLite and Stripe: a recurring product, a landing page that moves buyers into a paid group, and a welcome automation an AI assistant can draft. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-mangools https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-mangools Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Score keywords against your own page in KWFinder, filter to what a young site can win, read each SERP, then track the shortlist in SERPWatcher, using the free plan to start. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-moosend https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-moosend Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Find the subscribers who stopped opening, give them one win-back email in Moosend, unsubscribe the rest and move to a smaller plan, since Moosend bills on active subscribers. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-morningscore https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-morningscore Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Add competitors in Morningscore, pull the keywords they rank for, track them daily and turn each into a mission with a rank target, then fix the page that should win it. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-neuronwriter https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-neuronwriter Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Import a slipping article with NEURONwriter's Optimize option, check the competitor pages behind it, work the NLP terms without over-optimising, and send it back to WordPress. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-nightwatch https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-nightwatch Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google rankings and AI answers in one Nightwatch account: import Search Console keywords, add competitors and prompts, then ask the MCP server the Monday question and check by hand. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-omnisend https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-omnisend Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Cart recovery in Omnisend from its help centre: connect Shopify, identify shoppers with a form, run both abandonment presets, switch off Shopify's reminder and test with a real cart. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-rank-math https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-rank-math Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Add schema with Rank Math: enable the module, set a default type per post type, edit each key page, test it in Google's Rich Results Test, and drop types Google retired. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-ranktracker https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-ranktracker Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT One page's keywords in Ranktracker: find and vet them in Keyword Finder and the SERP Checker, track them where you sell, tag, report, and let an MCP agent draft the weekly note. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-scalenut https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-scalenut Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Plan a keyword cluster in Scalenut, pick one by intent and difficulty, draft its first article in Cruise Mode, polish it with Fix It and send it to WordPress as a draft. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-se-ranking https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-se-ranking Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Build an SE Ranking project with Google desktop, add up to 20 competitors and Search Console, and read Share of Voice on a fixed keyword set, exporting history in the first 30 days. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-search-atlas https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-search-atlas Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Let Search Atlas OTTO deploy on-page fixes under your control: verify the pixel, switch on approval, exclude sensitive pages, roll back mistakes and measure after indexing. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-semrush https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-semrush Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Build a quarter's keyword plan in Semrush from competitor gaps: Organic Research, Keyword Gap, Keyword Magic, a tagged Position Tracking campaign and a monthly check. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-sender https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-sender Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Moving a list to Sender without losing its history: authenticate the domain, import active contacts and suppressions separately, add a double opt-in form, then send. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-sendpulse https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-sendpulse Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Turn Instagram DMs into email leads with SendPulse: connect the chatbot, ask for an address in the flow, let it fill the bot's mailing list and send a welcome email automatically. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-seo-powersuite https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-seo-powersuite Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT A site audit in SEO PowerSuite's WebSite Auditor: size the crawl against the free 500-URL cap, triage errors first, audit key pages, rebuild after fixes and schedule the re-check. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-seobility https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-seobility Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Set up a Seobility crawl, work its prioritised problem list one report at a time, recrawl to see the score move, and avoid the settings that stop a crawl from finishing. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-sitechecker https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-sitechecker Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Set up Sitechecker for a portfolio of client sites: one project each, Google connected, crawler tuned, alerts that reach a person, tracked keywords and branded reports. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-surfer https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-surfer Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Refresh slipping articles with Surfer: Content Audit picks the pages, Content Editor fixes them against the right competitors, and Search Console clicks judge the result. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-wincher https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-wincher Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT A local business in Wincher: one tracking profile per city, keywords from AI and Search Console, competitors, a map grid around the Business Profile, and a weekly summary of both. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-writerzen https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-writerzen Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT One seed keyword to a briefed content plan in WriterZen: map the topic, filter with the Golden Filter, cluster by shared Google results, then brief and hand off each article. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-saleshandy https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-saleshandy Fri, 23 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Saleshandy set up in eight steps from its own docs: mailboxes, DNS records, warm-up and sending limits, then a sequence with follow-ups, prospects and launch. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/saleshandy-vs-smartlead https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/saleshandy-vs-smartlead Fri, 23 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Saleshandy bundles lead credits and seats into flat plans; Smartlead leans towards agency workspaces and dedicated servers. Prices, trials and API access compared. Tool comparisons https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-smartlead https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-smartlead Fri, 23 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Smartlead from secondary domains to launch: mailbox connection, DNS and tracking, warm-up settings, lead import filters, sequence, accounts and safeguards. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/smartlead-vs-woodpecker https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/smartlead-vs-woodpecker Fri, 23 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Smartlead meters contacts and sends; Woodpecker meters emails sent and adds LinkedIn. What each model costs at low and high volume, and for agencies. Tool comparisons https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-woodpecker https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-woodpecker Fri, 23 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Woodpecker set up from its help centre: connect and warm a mailbox, add a tracking domain, build steps and YES/NO conditions, set daily enroll and run. Tool how-to https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/woodpecker-vs-instantly https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/woodpecker-vs-instantly Fri, 23 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Woodpecker stores unlimited contacts and adds LinkedIn steps; Instantly caps contacts per tier and sells lead data separately. Where each one is cheaper. Tool comparisons https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-instantly https://www.marketingupgrade.pro/blog/how-to-use-instantly Fri, 23 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Instantly from connection to launch: test DNS, warm up until the account is ready, build leads and a short sequence, and set limits of about 30 a day per account. Tool how-to