What’s Trending: New Tactics for Time-Tested Principles
March 3, 2017
New methodology alert: These posts were selected from what marketers were engaging with and sharing most this week on LinkedIn Elevate.
A true classic never goes out of style. The iconic VW Bus, for example, is just as distinctive and, well, groovy as it was in the 60’s. While you might want to add a few things on—shoulder seatbelts and a front bumper, maybe?—the appeal of the design is undeniable.
We talk a lot about how marketing is changing. In one sense, that’s true. We’re continually developing new tactics to reach and engage our audience. On the other hand, the purpose of good marketing hasn’t changed. It’s about making a connection, providing value, and opening a dialog. The tactics change, but the underlying principals are the same as they’ve ever been.
This week’s trending content features thoughtful commentary on both halves of the equation: You’ll learn new ways to reach your audience, but also get useful reminders of why you’re reaching out in the first place.
What Marketers Were Reading and Sharing Most This Week:
1. Why the Future of Marketing Is ‘Business to Human’
It may seem like marketing automation is set to eliminate the last traces of human interaction with your audience. Hyde Park Venture Partners’ Tim Kopp argues the opposite: The brands that successfully communicate on a human level are more likely to thrive in the future.
2. How Micro-Influencers Are Becoming Essential to Marketers
Learn how to go beyond follower counts and find the right influencers for your brand with this guide from ZipfWorks CEO Michael Quoc.
3. 5 Services Your Agency Shouldn’t Offer in 2017
Which trends can your digital marketing agency afford to sit out? First Site Guide’s Anja Skrba has some surprising recommendations.
4. The Paradox of “Great Content”
Wizard of Moz Rand Fishkin drills into the data to see what makes “10X” content—content that outperforms it peers by a factor of 10—so successful.
5. How Digital Connectivity Impacts Marketing Teams
Brand Strategist Nina Brakel-Schutt uses Widen's 2017 Connectivity Report to evaluate whether communicating online provides the same advantages to marketing teams as regular in-person meetings.
6. The New B2B Sales Imperative
Today’s best suppliers help customers consider not just what to buy but how. They avoid focusing on getting customers to buy from them and instead concentrate on how customers make purchase decisions. Read on to gain more insights from this new research featured on Harvard Business Review.
7. How to Write a Marketing Plan
Digital Marketing Agency Vital Design presents this step-by-step plan for creating a marketing strategy, from defining goals to measurement.
8. 7 Tips to Consider When Marketing to Millennials
There’s definitely no shortage of articles about what makes millennials tick. SlideGenius, Inc. CEO Rick Enrico rises above the noise by pointing out what makes millennials diverse and difficult to categorize, while still offering useful tips for connecting with them.
9. Six Female Execs on The Early Career Advice They Wished They'd Gotten
“Always know your value and never settle for less.” - Suzanne DiBianca, EVP of corporate relations and chief philanthropy officer at Salesforce
This Fast Company article reveals what leaders at GM, PayPal, SoulCycle, and Twitter wish they had known much sooner.
10. Is New Advertising Really New?
Robosoft’s Lakshmipathy Bhat offers a timely reminder that while tactics may change at a dizzying rate, the basic principles underlying good marketing remain the same.
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