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
SEO changes every year, and determining where you should be taking your business depends on many different factors. Being up to date on the changes in the industry, however, like the fact that keywords aren’t the end all be all anymore, and that ranking correlates with bounce rate and pages per session, mean that you can optimize and identify issues with your site more effectively. Get more details on the changes that are happening here.
PPC
Wondering who put that sponsored tweet in your feed? Twitter is breaking down barriers and making it clear who exactly pays for the sponsored posts you see. Like Facebook, making it clear who has a vested interest in what you’re seeing is one of the ways that social media sites are making their ads more transparent. Read more about how they’ll be keeping advertisers honest here.
Design
We’ve been chatting about UX a lot in our office as we refine our services that aid clients with their user experience. We loved this piece on the importance of including context in design to help with conversions. It all comes back to imagining a user flow and understanding from the perspective of the individual’s experience, and going through these steps can help you avoid common errors. Learn more about the process here.
Social Media
Have you ever broken up with a social platform? From MySpace to Vine (RIP) we have all said goodbye to platforms that previously took up our time and helped us forge connections. However, some are giving up other platforms for more profound reasons. We loved this piece about how losing Facebook helped them connect with others in their lives, and appreciated the frankness about the type of advertising they’d been seeing. In a time when the world is changing so quickly, it’s important as brands and individuals, to be honest and frank in our social presences to help our users understand who we are, what we stand for, and why they should care. Read more about their experience here.
Content Marketing
Rent attention or own your audience? When brands are trying to reach a specific group, they often target content that they believe would be interesting. One isn’t necessarily better than the other, but as Steve Bryant says, “Renting an audience is when you do something to get attention, owning an audience is when people pay attention because of what you do.” Set your companies and brands expectations, know what you need from your audience, and understand that the value of your audience is not just their potential to convert. Read more here.
Culture
Ready to be true to yourself and own it? Building a work culture that attracts people and a business that can stand the test of time requires you to look beyond disruptions and startups to the actual value you bring those around you—whether they’re using your service or product they will rely on you for a positive experience. Learn more about building movements, not startups, here.
Productivity
Have you heard the term deep work? Flow? These words are used to explain the way that your brain can get in the zone and finish tasks, brainstorm, and execute at a faster rate than normal without being distracted by that open office. While many believe in work hard play hard, using effectiveness and results-oriented metrics to measure success may show you that working less is better for you and produces better results. Whether you’re studying for an exam, practicing a big pitch, or about to launch your company, make sure you’re paying attention to your output (what you’re accomplishing) over your input (hours working) and figure out what works best for you for optimal performance. Read more about nailing it without the 80-hour work week here.
