Googling “marketing tips” is like looking up a #MondayMotivation quote to post on Instagram … there are so many, and they all think they’re the very best.
If you think about it, though, finding the “best” marketing tip is relative — to your audience, resources, and marketing goals. What works for one business might not work for another. The same thing goes for #MondayMotivation quotes … and that’s why there are so many to choose from. We’re all different, and we’re all motivated by different things. And that’s a good thing.
But, how do you, as a marketer, consolidate those differences and find a new practice or process that works for you, your audience, and your product or service? Well, you experiment. You try new things. You learn from the experts and those who’ve come before us.
That’s why we’ve compiled this “ultimate list.”
We reached out to a bunch of INBOUND18 breakout speakers and asked them to share their very best marketing tip. Some responses have to do with their personal work, others are relevant to the company of which they’re apart, and a few are just really cool and new perspectives on tried and true marketing practices.
The best part about this list? It’s diverse — in terms of the answers and the people who gave them. There’s lots of great stuff in the responses below, so take your time combing through and take a few notes along the way. You never know what you’ll learn from your peers in the field.
The Ultimate List of Marketing Tips (From Marketers Just Like You)
On prioritizing your target audience …
“The best way to make sure things resonate is to put the audience at the center. The things we want to tell our audience, and the way we want to reach them, may not be the same as the things they need to know and the way they want to be reached. If we start with our audience’s needs, preferences and questions first, and build our marketing plans around that, we’ll likely be met with much greater success and we’ll see better results!”
-- Melanie Deziel, Keynote Speaker and Founder of StoryFuel
On personal branding on LinkedIn …
“Stop writing in the third person when it comes to your (or your business’s) LinkedIn summary. Your summary is not a boring bio; it's your introduction to the person viewing your profile, it's a handshake. Make it warm, personal, and don't be afraid to sprinkle your personality into it. It's your first impression — make it a lasting one!”
-- Michaela Alexis, Espresso-Fueled Expert on LinkedIn Personal Branding, Michaela Alexis
On the value of customer trust …
“I define sales as a meaningful transaction between two human beings, so before asking for anything, a customer’s trust must be earned. Brands need to build narratives that align with their organization’s values and then communicate those values to their customers. This leads to increased trust which then translates to brand advocates. Look at the passion of Beyoncé fans or Harley Davidson riders — those brands have created an identity that makes people feel like they’ve added value.”
-- Amanda Slavin, CEO & Founder of CatalystCreativ
On creating memorable marketing messages …
“Lots of marketers aspire to create memorable messages. Making something distinct increases the likelihood that it will be better remembered. If you have cereal in your kitchen on most mornings, pizza served in bed will be distinct. To create distinct, memorable messages, first detect pockets of similarity in your industry. You need some similarity in order for the brain to detect distinctiveness. Second, ensure that your distinct message fits within known mental models and then play off of them. Returning to the breakfast example, “having a snake for breakfast” would be too provocative and wouldn’t fit within existing mental models. Change the question of “How do I create a distinct message?” to “How do I twist an existing mental model?” to increase the chances of becoming memorable.”
-- Carmen Simon, Cognitive Neuroscientist, Author, and Founder of Memzy
On using events to set your business apart …
“In 2019, businesses will utilize event strategies more than ever before as human experiences will be how companies choose to differentiate themselves, especially those that can’t do so through technologies. The key to any great event strategy is very simple — identify the memory you want attendees to walk away with and work backwards. “
-- Kenny Nguyen, CEO of ThreeSixtyEight
On creating a dual content strategy …
“All content consumption is driven by two things: active search and passive discovery. Search takes place on channels like Google, YouTube, and voice. Discovery is driven by word-of-mouth, social algorithms, and media coverage. Consider splitting your content strategy into two — developing one strategy that optimizes for all search algorithms (not just Google) and one geared toward social algorithms and influence-driven channels. Youtube is a fascinating channel in that it is both the world’s second biggest search engine and a leader in passive discovery-mode viewing. When tackling YouTube, consider crafting your content to solve for one of those roles. Create highly findable, how-to content for your area of expertise or a truly engaging editorial series of videos, perhaps on two separate channels.”
-- Meghan Anderson, VP of Marketing at HubSpot
On investing in paid social …
“Everything has gone paid on social media. Gone are the days of brands organically growing audiences. Facebook and Google want your money, so give it to them. Never before has data and targeting been so deep and effective. Brands that nail paid social take control of their future.”
-- Travis Chambers, Chief Media Hacker and Founder of Chamber Media
On customer experience before the purchase …
“In 2019, customer experience initiatives will become inseparable from marketing strategy. Today’s customer wants a consistent, multichannel experience with a brand, and as marketers, we have to make sure we’re meeting customers where they are. By making valuable connections throughout the buyer’s journey, we build a positive long-term relationship. Customer experience is no longer something that happens after the sale: it’s an integral part of the buyer’s journey.”
-- Patrika Alis, Customer Experience Marketing Manager at Hanzo
On the importance of consistency …
“SELF is a nearly 40-year-old brand competing in the buzzy and crowded health and wellness space. In order to stand out, we had to lean in to what really makes us special. That meant clearly honing our mission and values: We help people make the best choices for their personal health and wellbeing. And we do that by adhering to the values of inclusivity, accuracy, empathy, and autonomy. From there, it's all about making sure that everything we do ladders up to that greater vision. That consistency is key to our success.”
-- Carolyn Kylstra, Editor in Chief at SELF
On repurposing content …
“As both content marketing as a standard practice and your own content marketing program mature, it becomes more and more detrimental to ignore your old content. Having tons of old, outdated, and unoptimized content on your site is like forgetting to untag the most embarrassing pictures from college on your Facebook profile. Even though may not think about them anymore, they're still there, and people can find them and use them in creating their first impression of you. The more content you have, the more time you need to be spending monitoring, updating, and repurposing old content instead of creating new stuff.”
-- Brittany Berger, B2B Content Marketing Strategist at BrittanyBerger.com
On using data to connect the dots …
“Identifying, precipitating and connecting metrics that have a real business impact are arguably the most important things a data-driven marketer can do. It's critical to step back and ask, "Are we closing the loop between marketing activities and actual sales data?" What further separates the great marketers from the good ones is the ability to connect the dots in time to maximize customer impact. If you take too long to apply what your data is telling you, your customer will likely move on to a competitor. As marketers, we're lucky to be swimming in a sea of data and technology solutions, but make sure that your technology solutions allow you to quickly link your marketing efforts with results you can take to the bank!”
-- Sahil Jain, Co-founder & CEO of Adstage
On building a story around your product …
“As a product marketer, stories have become a crucial part of my day-to-day. Twenty years ago, a company could launch a product with simple messaging, and advertising. Over time, buyers have been exposed to so many messages they now filter out overly promotional ones. So, as you consider launching a new product, or an update to an existing product think about these two tips. First, it's not about your company. Your team built that product for a reason that matters to consumers, so ensure your messaging is squarely focused on them. Second, look at changes happening in the broader world. Tie your product message into a story with that overall narrative and show them how they can lean-in to that change to find success. It's a formula we've used at HubSpot, and our team continues to use for product launches.”
-- Jeffery Vocell, Senior Product Marketing Manager at HubSpot
On how to properly analyze events …
“Treat your live event portfolio just like you would any other marketing channel, rather than just something you manage for your sales team. Events need to be assessed with hard metrics, rather than just 'gut-feel' opinions and feedback forms to rate the coffee. Measure attendee engagement, rather than simply counting who registered and who showed up, as this is a great proxy for the effectiveness the event. Finally, integrate this data into your CRM, so marketing is driving event follow up (and keeping those sales teams happy at the same time!)”
-- Mike Piddock, Founder of Glisser
On telling visual brand stories …
“Attention is at the heart of marketing — getting it and keeping it. Arresting, powerful visuals are your key to capturing people’s attention, and storytelling is going to keep and help you turn that attention into something you can use. There isn’t a brand flourishing now without beautiful visual language and a compelling story. Google, Apple, Dropbox, Slack, Nike … you name it. As for Prezi, we wouldn't even exist without both of these factors being absolutely vital in any brand’s success.”
-- David Hooker, Head of Creative Services and Evangelism at Prezi
Over to You
Did you learn something new from our ultimate list? How about a new perspective on an old methodology? We compiled such a diverse list in hopes of providing a piece of advice for everyone. Now, go forth and use these marketing tips to grow your business in 2019 and beyond.
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