Start off your week strong with our curated list of tips and inspiration around every aspect of the digital marketing world. This is the Mad Fish Catch of the Week.
SEO
AI, automation, machine learning. These buzzwords have been making the rounds in marketing for a couple years now, but really utilizing them and being able to make actionable changes based on evolutions in the industry can feel overwhelming. You can get into the dirty details here, but we’re going to keep it simple for you. Don’t get overwhelmed by gaming the system – content farms of web sites past, gaming links, and more are going to officially not work anymore. What will work? Thinking like a human being. Stop taking the personal out of your job, and really examine the psychology of search. People want easy, simple answers. They want them fast. They want them succinct. Create content that answers the question the way you’d want it answered and, in time, you’ll see results.
PPC
Change, like we’ve just mentioned, tends to freak people out. It’s human nature to want to stay in homeostasis and not switch up your processes. With improved bidding automation, scripts, and (again, that phrase again) machine learning, PPC specialists may feel that they are being replaced. However, someone must keep the wheels on, write the best scripts, analyze quantitative and qualitative data, and more. If you’re staying educated and up to date, there’s still plenty of room for you to own your market… just don’t fall behind.
Design
If you design landing pages, websites, or other web content, the way browsers changes can really mess with your process – or provide new ways for you to present your content. This week, we’re getting the lowdown on what’s happening with every browser in March. Our personal favorite news? Google Chrome will be supporting virtual reality. Immersive websites, augmented experiences, and giving your audience a more well-rounded experience? Sign us up.
Social Media
Evolving platforms, IPOs, and pay-to-play are all hot topics in social media this week, but we want to get back to the basics: why people are on the networks, and how you can engage with them. With emerging trends and increased AI, community managers must battle the pull between customized responses and time. How do you give users the personal experience they crave when you’re managing multiple busy channels? Chat bots can help answer questions efficiently, machine learning systems can send personalized responses, and AI systems can filter through audience listening to not allow emerging concerns to spiral out of control. However, the human element of social media is still important. Sassy individualized responses, whether it be a clap back (go Wendy’s) or a brand getting weird (we still see you, Denny’s) tend to get brands noticed and increase affinity. So far, machine learning hasn’t managed that. Long story short? Keep those community managers.
Content Marketing
When you think content marketing, you probably think blogs, infographics, and strategic promotion. While these are all aspects of success, video marketing, specifically live video, is making strides towards being the primary tool for disseminating brand messaging. The raw, authentic (at least seemingly) content tends to reach users who might be wary of products or company’s otherwise. While live video may not be right for all brands, we’d wager incorporating this lower touch content into your strategy could bring major results and improve the sentiment about your company.
Culture
Poor workplace culture can almost always be tied back to poor management. To avoid this, ensuring all your managers are engaged and excited about the opportunity to lead a team is essential. This career coach breaks down the six questions every prospective leader should ask themselves as they either create or revamp a team. From core values to how you’re helping your employees reach their personal goals, these tips can help any leader improve and shape a formidable team.
Productivity
In a dream world, we’d all rise at 5 AM, workout, read, eat a healthy breakfast and conquer the day. The reality is, life gets in the way of our picture-perfect productivity. Focusing on long-term goals, dreams, and your future whether it be a business or personal endeavor can fall by the wayside when you have to drop your kids off at school, take care of errands or you’re stuck trying to get out of the weeds of your job. We’re loving this piece that talks about how to prioritize and move forward if your goals and plans are being eclipsed by survival mode.
