This week’s roundup covers the gamut. We’ve got infographics. We’ve got how-tos. We’ve got a reflection on how to do business ethically that will make you go, “hm.” Last week I worried that I needed a theme so each of these five posts would cover one topic from different perspectives. This week I’m thrilled that I’ve opted for variety because these posts are all unique and are sure to leave you with something to think about or something to take action on. Enjoy!
Do Ads Add Up?
Written by Lena West
I had the pleasure of interviewing Lena a few months ago about influence, success and “being the best” at what you do (it’s a long interview but I guarantee you’ll enjoy every word. Lena is a gem.) I also got to meet her at a Triberr event where she lived up to her awesomeness. Her latest post is an infographic with some interesting stats about the effectiveness of ads and our general perception of them. Would it surprise you to learn that only 3% of people think ads are completely accurate? Maybe it surprises you that anyone thinks ads are completely accurate! There are some interesting tidbits about the effectiveness of social ads and the differences between men and women so take a look before you spend on advertising for your business.
In Business, An Apology Without A Solution Is No Solution At All
Written by Kaarina Dillabough
Tell me if you can relate: you have an issue with a company, maybe a product isn’t what you expected or a service isn’t up to par. Maybe you’re having a horrible time trying to check out or log in on their website so you call/email/tweet/hop onto live chat to discuss the matter only to get a complete runaround or lack of response. Everyone you speak with is quite contrite, all politeness and apologies. But nobody actually does anything to help you. I think we’ve all been there, and in this post Kaarina writes about a similar experience that ended in no resolution. Her takeaway? Well, the title of this post says it all. Customer service without the actual service is no kind of service at all. I’d be curious to know what you would have done if you were in her shoes. (I know what I would’ve done… )
Hate Writing Headlines? 28 Fill-In-The-Blank Headlines
Written by Carla Young
I’ve featured Carla’s blog here before but I couldn’t resist this one. I struggle with headlines as much as anyone. Should I be direct? Funny? Should I have a hook? Should I just “say what it is?” Is it too long, too short, too boring, too generic… sometimes writing that title can take as long as writing the blog and other times I change it midstream, which always throws me off because then I lose my focus… so if you’ve ever had one of those “what should I call this” or even “what should I write about” moments, this list does double duty for you. Carla gives you ideas for how to sculpt your headlines and as a side bonus it will start your gears spinning on topics you could write about. I’ve bookmarked, copied, highlighted and read this post about four times this week. The only problem is that you’ll probably wind up with so many ideas and won’t know what to write first!
4 Mistakes Marketers Make With Audience Research
Written by Eric Wittlake
If you pay attention to surveys and studies, you may have noticed that you can massage the numbers to mean just about anything sometimes. One study will tell you how Facebook ads don’t work and another will prove they’re a raging success. And even when we come across a study that really holds water, our own biases and expectations can affect what we take away. As marketers we need to understand data and use it wisely. In this post, Eric talks about how our interpretations (or misinterpretations) of data – even solid data – can lead us astray. I love his format. He gets right to the point with the mistake, the problem and the solution. Check your own analysis against these common mistakes, before you make them.
8 Reasons You’re Not Connecting On LinkedIn
Written by Mandy Edwards
We’re doing a little repeat business today because I’ve also featured Mandy here before. What can I say, when you find good stuff, it’s good stuff! Since I just published a review of a LinkedIn book this week, Mandy’s post comes at a perfect time. We tend to talk a lot about other social networks and why you’re not getting Facebook likes, Twitter followers, YouTube subscribers… but for business people, LinkedIn can be a treasure trove of profitable connections if we’re smart about how we use it. These are some of the ways you could be sabotaging your efforts and the good news is that you can fix them pretty simply if you just pay a little bit of attention.
Did any of these make you click? What topics do you like best?
Wow: thanks so much for including me. I really appreciated your comment over on that post, and agree completely with your well-taken points. I ascribe to the “if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem” axiom, but in this particular instance…well, I chose a different reaction than what I normally would. Thanks so much for including me here. Cheers! Kaarina
I love a good dilemma, Kaarina! That company is lucky you didn’t call them out. But it’s something that should make us all think about how we treat our visitors, prospects and customers. Great post!
Hi Carol Lynn,
I absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED those articles.
My favorite was the one by Kaarina, I can relate to that so well! Thanks for putting these articles together in one place 😉 they all had something I could take to heart.
Thanks much!
~Dakota,
Pianolessongirl
Hi Dakota, I’m really glad you found these useful and that you liked Kaarina’s article, too. It’s the kind of thing that really makes you think.
Hi Carol, such useful posts as always 🙂 I find the headlines come with practice, I’ve practiced 6 years so far, and next year will be the year I master them 😉
I suppose I have a few years to catch up with you then 🙂 Glad you enjoyed these!
Thanks for the shout out, Carol Lynn! And, thanks for the kind words.Keep up the great writing!
Thanks, I enjoyed those stats (and your take on them as always!)
Wow Carol Lynn! What an Alladin’s cave of information! I don’t know where to start! It all looks so very useful! – Thanks!
Thanks Robin, glad to hear it! I hope you find something you really like 🙂
Carol, you’re doing an awesome thing here. We enjoy reading these articles every week. So much good content! How do we get the honor of being featured?
Really glad to hear that! Every week I pick out 5 blogs I’ve read that I think are worth sharing and of course that’s limited to the blogs I know of and read! Will add yours to my list of “reads” and be happy to share any that are relevant and interesting 🙂 PS: Love your site. Great design.
Thanks for the kind words and for adding us to your list of “reads.” We look forward to reading more of your articles.