Routine can be so inviting and comfortable. It can also be one of the most dangerous pitfalls for a marketer.
When we fall into the same habits and patterns, creativity and innovation suffer. It is entirely too easy to become so set in our ways we eventually start feeling like weatherman Phil Connors in Groundhog Day, reliving the same series of events over and over again until it drains us of our liveliness.
I realize there is no small amount of irony in bringing this up here in our “What’s Trending” column, being that it’s a space where we do the same thing every week: round up the latest popular marketing content from around the web to share with our audience. So in the spirit of shakeups, we’re going to take a different angle this time around.
Instead of listing top trending articles from the past week, we decided to dig into the archives in search of our favorite posts from last year that encouraged us to think outside the box and escape the dreaded recurring loop.
Read on, and open your mind to new (and perhaps counterintuitive) tactics and techniques that buck the norm. Just make sure you watch out for that first step. It’s a doozy.
What Marketers Have Been Doing to Escape the Recurring Loop:
1. 7 Ways to Write Better Opening Paragraphs for Your Blog Posts
In the movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray’s character would awaken to the same Sonny & Cher song every morning — a painful reminder that he remained stuck in his indefinite loop. For marketers, figuring out a unique and compelling way to introduce a piece is often one of the most vexing challenges. These suggestions from the great Barry Feldman might help you kick off your next entry to a different tune.
2. How to Decide What to Blog About: 6 Data-Driven Tactics for Choosing Blog Topics
In many cases, we hit a wall before even beginning to compose a new post. Writing about the same subjects repeatedly yields little value for the writer or the audience. If you’re struggling to find inspiration for fresh ground to cover, these tips via HubSpot columnist Clifford Chi could provide the spark you need.
3. How to Start Guest Blogging When You Are Completely Unknown
Perhaps it is not a lack of compelling intros or interesting topics holding you back, but a lack of exposure. Guest blogging can be an excellent method for tapping into outside networks and gaining visibility with unfamiliar readers. Rob Powell offers a crash course for the uninitiated.
4. 3 SEO Experiments You Should Try This Year
“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” Heed the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson and try out these three experimental SEO tactics, courtesy of Adam Heitzman, to see if they can boost your search rankings.
5. The Art and Science of Changing People's Behavior
As marketers, it is not only important that we continually alter our own mindsets and behaviors, but also those of the people we are trying to reach. Status quo is the enemy. “Marketing is the art of change,” argues this enlightening SlideShare from The Sound:
Experiencing déjà vu when you run an ad campaign and achieve the same disappointing results? It may be time to fundamentally rethink the creation process. David Rodnitzkydelivers guidance on crafting ads that more closely resemble editorial content.
7. Six Powerful B2B Marketing Tactics You May Be Missing
If you feel like your B2B strategy is running in place, it might be because you’re missing out on one or more of these critical tactics via Ruth Stevens.
8. How to Identify Your Highest Impact Growth Opportunities
Getting unstuck and embarking on a path to growth sometimes requires new perspective. These slides from Kissmetrics will help you identify potentially hidden opportunities:
9. Why Every B2B Business Should Do LinkedIn Remarketing
It should be noted that repetition is not always a bad thing. Data firmly indicates that web users are more receptive to ads and marketing content when they have some level of familiarity with the brand, helping to explain why remarketing is such a powerful tactic. John Lincoln explains how you can apply it on the LinkedIn platform with Matched Audiences.
10. 3 Aha Moments to Improve Your Content Marketing in 2018
All it takes to break free from a creative rut is one flicker of the light bulb upstairs. Find out if one of these revelations from Michelle Linn can give your content a jolt.
Whether or not Punxsutawney Phil pokes his head from the ground and sees his shadow, we’ll continue to serve up insightful marketing content to keep you moving forward. Subscribe to the LinkedIn Marketing blog to ensure you find something new each morning.
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