Almost Timely News, 1 May 2022: Minimums, Changes in Content Marketing (5/1) :: View in Browser
Take my new course on Google Search Console and how to use it for your marketing »
Watch This Newsletter On YouTube
Click here for the video version of this newsletter on YouTube »
Click here for an MP3 audio only version »
What’s On My Mind: Minimums
As I was packing for a short trip to my folks, I looked at the motley assortment of electronics and other things I brought along. What stood out for me was what I considered the bare minimum I needed to get my job done while mobile. My laptop and my phone are the bare minimums I need to get things done. Take away any one of those, and I’d be in a boatload of trouble. (it goes without saying that reliable Internet access and reliable electricity are part of this, but I don’t pack those)
That’s not to say those are the tools I need to be optimal, to get the most done. Those are the bare basics, the essentials, the showstoppers. Certainly, things like a desk, a good mouse, a large external monitor, a solid keyboard, etc. are all tools that help me to get stuff done faster and better. But if I had to go without, I could go without all those things and still be mostly effective.
You probably have a similar list. You’ve got things that you MUST have to do your work, and things that are nice-to-haves.
So here’s the thought exercise, the question: when it comes to your marketing, what are the essentials you cannot do without, and what are the nice-to-haves?
For me, it’s you via this email list. Without my email marketing, I’d be in a world of hurt. I couldn’t have even started Trust Insights a few years ago without your assistance, without you being part of my email community.
Certainly, things like organic search and social media are nice and deliver some results, but email is the name of the game for me. If I were starting over, growing a loyal email audience would be my first, highest priority. Nothing else comes close in terms of effectiveness, both short and long term.
My second choice, and a relatively new entrant to the field for me, is my private social media community. If you haven’t already joined, join the free Slack group over at Analytics for Marketers. Private social media communities are incredibly impactful – a chance to get to know your favorite people and your biggest fans without being moderated or mediated by big tech social media algorithms. Services like Slack, Discord, and Mattermost would be the technologies which enable these sorts of communities; the conversations that occur in them are largely invisible to search engines and other ways for people to programmatically monitor them.
While private social media communities may not have hundreds of thousands or millions of followers to offer that mainstream social networks do, they offer a level of interconnectedness not found in those networks. It’s easier to develop real friendships, real professional and personal relationships in private social media communities. Of all the different technology options facing marketers now, private social media communities are one of the best choices for building a strong, loyal audience.
Those are my marketing must-haves, the minimums that I would consider doing marketing with. Without them, my ability to execute well on marketing would be severely constrained.
So, what are your minimums? Want to share?
Pop on over to Analytics for Marketers and let me know.
Share With a Friend or Colleague
If you enjoy this newsletter and want to share it with a friend/colleague, please do. Send this URL to your friend/colleague:
https://www.christopherspenn.com/newsletter
ICYMI: In Case You Missed it
Besides the new Search Console course I’m relentlessly promoting (sorry not sorry), I would recommend reading the piece I did on how content marketing has changed over the years since I created my first commercial website in 1994.
- You Ask, I Answer: Changes in Content Marketing?
- You Ask, I Answer: Impact of AI on Content Marketing?
- You Ask, I Answer: Measuring Lifetime Value of Content?
- You Ask, I Answer: Most Important Content Marketing KPIs?
- You Ask, I Answer: Moving to GA4 Daunting?
- You Ask, I Answer: Optimizing for Social Search?
- The Value of Brand Awareness »
- Almost Timely News, 24 April 2022: Set up for Success, Incrementality, Talkwalker Interview
Skill Up With Classes
These are just a few of the classes I have available over at the Trust Insights website that you can take.
Premium
Free
- How to Prove Social Media ROI (new!)
- Fundamentals of Marketing Analytics
- How to Think About Google Analytics 4
- Proving Social Media ROI
- Paradise by the Analytics Dashboard Light: How to Create Impactful Dashboards and Reports
- How to Deliver More Value as an Agency
Get Back to Work!
Folks who post jobs in the free Analytics for Marketers Slack community may have those jobs shared here, too. If you’re looking for work, check out these five most recent open positions, and check out the Slack group for the comprehensive list.
- Content Manager at Rock Content
- Senior Account Manager at WebMechanix
- Content Marketing Project Manager at Masthead Media
Advertisement: Google Search Console for Marketers
Of the many tools in the Google Marketing Platform, none is more overlooked than Google Search Console. Marketers assume it’s just for SEO, but the information contained within benefits search, social media, public relations, advertising, and so much more. In my new Google Search Console for Marketers course, you’ll learn what Google Search Console is, why it matters to all marketers, and then dig deep into each of the features of the platform.
When you’re done, you’ll have working knowledge of the entire platform and what it can do – and you’ll be ready to start making the most of this valuable marketing tool.
Click/tap here to register – and use discount code ALMOSTTIMELY for $50 off the registration »
Thank You Notes
These are the places you’ve had or mentioned me – on your podcast, on your blog, in your newsletter. Thank you!
- Interview with Christopher Penn – Onalytica
- Everything is Measurable in Marketing – MarTech.org
- Why You Need Data In Your PR Strategy – Veracity
- Making Sense of Data Quality Amongst Current Seasonality & Uncertainty
What I’m Reading: Your Stuff
Let’s look at the most interesting content from around the web on topics you care about, some of which you might have even written.
Social Media Marketing
- New Study: TikTok Industry Engagement Benchmarks for 2022 via ReadWrite
- Can you remove TikTok filters? via Metro News
- How to Conduct a Social Media Audit in Just Three Steps via C&C
Media and Content
- How to Create a Content Map: Traditional Way & Ahrefs‘ Way
- How AI Will Power the Future of Successful Content Marketing
- 3 tips for using data to improve content marketing via Agility PR Solutions
SEO, Google, and Paid Media
- Google Will Now Enable Users to Request Removals for Search Results That Contain Personal Information via Social Media Today
- How to estimate your organic traffic potential for SEO
- Baseline analysis for your SEO strategy
Advertisement: Ukraine Humanitarian Fund
If you’d like to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, the National Bank of Ukraine has set up a fund specifically for relief efforts. You can donate using a Visa/Mastercard or Google Pay.
Donate today to the Ukraine Humanitarian Relief Fund »
Tools, Machine Learning, and AI
- Deep learning is bridging the gap between the digital and the real world via VentureBeat
- How AI Will Power the Future of Successful Content Marketing
- Artificial Intelligence Can Help Businesses Manage Their Online Profiles
Analytics, Stats, and Data Science
- So What? Using Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) to understand your marketing
- Why You Need To Learn Python In 2022 via KDnuggets
- 15 Python Coding Interview Questions You Must Know For Data Science via KDnuggets
All Things IBM
Advertisement: Inbox Insights Newsletter
If you enjoy this newsletter, you’ll also enjoy Inbox Insights, the Trust Insights newsletter. Every Wednesday, get new perspectives, fresh data you won’t find anywhere else, plus a roundup of content we’ve made for the week, like our podcast and our livestream.
Events I’ll Be At
Here’s where I’m speaking and attending. Say hi if you’re at an event also:
- Spark.me Social Media, June 2022, Montenegro
- MarTech Conference, June 2022, virtual
- MAICON, August 2022, Cleveland, OH – use code PENN150 for $150 off any conference ticket
- MarketingProfs B2B Forum, October 2022, Boston
Events marked with a physical location may become virtual if conditions and safety warrant it.
If you’re an event organizer, let me help your event shine. Visit my speaking page for more details.
Can’t be at an event? Stop by my private Slack group instead, Analytics for Marketers.
How to Stay in Touch
Let’s make sure we’re connected in the places it suits you best. Here’s where you can find different content:
- My blog – daily videos, blog posts, and podcast episodes
- My YouTube channel – daily videos, conference talks, and all things video
- My company, Trust Insights – marketing analytics help
- My podcast, Marketing over Coffee – weekly episodes of what’s worth noting in marketing
- My second podcast, In-Ear Insights – the Trust Insights weekly podcast focused on data and analytics
- On Twitter – multiple daily updates of marketing news
- On LinkedIn – daily videos and news
- On Instagram – personal photos and travels
- My free Slack discussion forum, Analytics for Marketers – open conversations about marketing and analytics
Required Disclosures
Events with links have purchased sponsorships in this newsletter and as a result, I receive direct financial compensation for promoting them.
Advertisements in this newsletter have paid to be promoted, and as a result, I receive direct financial compensation for promoting them.
My company, Trust Insights, maintains business partnerships with companies including, but not limited to, IBM, Cisco Systems, Amazon, Talkwalker, MarketingProfs, MarketMuse, Agorapulse, Hubspot, Informa, Demandbase, The Marketing AI Institute, and others. While links shared from partners are not explicit endorsements, nor do they directly financially benefit Trust Insights, a commercial relationship exists for which Trust Insights may receive indirect financial benefit, and thus I may receive indirect financial benefit from them as well.
Thank You!
Thanks for subscribing and reading this far. I appreciate it. As always, thank you for your support, your attention, and your kindness.
See you next week,
Christopher S. Penn
Leave a Reply