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A clip from a joint webinar with Heidi from Minx Media where Ben goes through how to review and optimise your Google My Business profile.

👋 If you found this podcast interesting you might like my Marketing Club. Join to receive regular tips and advice on marketing, video and the web and Pro Members get access to my live marketing webinars every month, exclusive discounts and other perks. Find out more here ratherinventive.com/club/

Another example why making the effort to personalise your marketing can help make you stand out against your competitors.

Boasting a growing loyalty membership and subscription base, Pets at Home is investing significantly in personalisation in a bid to boost its marketing effectiveness.

During the past six months, Pets at Home has launched over 300 targeted marketing campaigns and claims to have experienced a threefold increase in “supplier-driven communications”, improving response rates and marketing efficacy.

Manny Pham, Marketing Week

Linked in the ICO newsletter yesterday was a marketing checklist PDF. It’s worth reviewing particularly if you use bought in email lists.

In this post, you’ll learn how find actionable advice on video SEO best practices in order to give you a step-by-step guide to optimising your videos.

Here are some tips for optimizing your videos for YouTube’s Home Screen:

Upload new videos on a consistent basis to give your audience an expectation of when they can see more new content.

Keep viewers engaged for longer and encourage them to come back for more. Whether it’s with a long video or several short ones, the longer you keep people watching, the more your content is likely to get surfaced.

Keep doing what works. When you create something that’s working for your audience, do it again. YouTube surfaces more content that your viewers like. Don’t be afraid to experiment, but do so mindfully. Observe feedback from your audience and give them time to adjust.

George Jarboe, Search Engine Journal

YouTube announced last week that it is removing its ‘dislike’ counts on videos for public across its platform

In the instance of YouTube removing the dislike counts publicly, it’s good for all 3 stakeholders because it limits mass trolls that often videos can get, it allows creators to be more experimental with their content while not being afraid of backlash. For users the like button still serves as a way for them to know if a video has been appreciated while letting them form their own opinions.

At the same time, creators can still opt to view their dislikes privately so they can receive needed data driven feedback to know what’s working for them.

Karuna Sharma, Advertising & Media Insider

With YouTube disabling public dislike and Instagram testing time-outs, these influencers and agencies suggest more steps to building a safer space on the internet.

How to improve your websites usability to appeal to the widest possible audience.

Notes

Related content

• Every design has the potential to include and exclude customers
• Dieter Ram’s 10 Commandments of Good Design

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Ben & Clare discuss why every business should be gathering video customer testimonials.

👋 If you found this podcast interesting you might like my Marketing Club. Join to receive regular tips and advice on marketing, video and the web and Pro Members get access to my live marketing webinars every month, exclusive discounts and other perks. Find out more here ratherinventive.com/club/

An interesting approach to help funnel your consumer’s decisions into getting a sale.

A study from Goldsmiths, University of London, says the psychology used by magicians to deceive audiences can also be used to influence consumer choices in other areas. The study, published in Trends in Cognitive Science, identifies different psychological tools used by magicians. In the same way that someone might be directed to choose the “right” card in a magic trick, so, too, we can be “nudged” towards buying products in the supermarket.

BBC News, Magicians’ tactics found in politics and marketing

By understanding a magicians’ technique in sculpting their audience’s decisions you too maybe able to encourage more consumers to chose your products.

Definitely worth a watch. Can also be found on iPlayer.

The story of the phenomenon of Air Jordan sneakers, showing their social, cultural and racial significance and how groundbreaking marketing strategies created a multi-billion-dollar business.

It is also a story with a dark side – manufacturer Nike’s high price tag and genius marketing strategy has fuelled a demand so high that since 1989, young people have killed and been killed for a pair of the famous sports shoes. Nike has turned a blind eye. This film is a parable of America’s dark love affair with consumer capitalism and celebrity culture.

BBC News, One man and his shoes

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Ben shares his method for developing a blog content strategy and the best ways to get your website found online.

👋 If you found this podcast interesting you might like my Marketing Club. Join to receive regular tips and advice on marketing, video and the web and Pro Members get access to my live marketing webinars every month, exclusive discounts and other perks. Find out more here ratherinventive.com/club/

Focusing on several important aspects of Leadership, The Gloucestershire Growth Hub has organised a free two day workshop series featuring an outstanding line up of speakers, all experts in their field and they want to pass on what they know to you. 

Come along and learn from the best in the business. For Free.

The event, takes place on November 23-24 and will look specifically at the Four Cornerstones of Leadership, giving you practical tools and techniques to get your growth strategy on track for 2022 and beyond.

We’ll be digging deep with expert speakers and collaborative working to uncover successful leadership strategies on key themes:

• Resilience – Peter Milligan
• People – Elaine Warwicker
• Innovation – Dr David Dawson
• Marketing Strategy – Ben Kinnaird

Places are free, but limited. You can come in person and they’ll even treat you to lunch, or you can join online from the comfort of your office or kitchen table.

This post, on the Bromsgrove Speakers Club website, has some useful advice when presenting in public but they can also be used when presenting on video. Via David Wike.

Before we start, we need to acknowledge that there are barriers to effective verbal communication. A downbeat voice, not engaging with the audience and not appearing to be sincere in what we say, will prevent us from being an effective and persuasive presenter.

From logging in to editing a page and posting a blog article Ben takes you step by step through setting up your WordPress website.

Notes

Related content

• #25 WooCommerce walkthrough – Inventive Marketing Club (GROUP) for Members
• #9 Blogging & Content Strategy – Inventive Marketing Club (GROUP) for Members

Why WordPress?

• Can get started for free on WordPress.com
• Completely flexible when self managed
• Plugins give it flexibility
• Best control over SEO
• Powers over 40% of the worlds websites
• Used by global brands
• Active community

Increased consumer protection poses a unique set of challenges for marketers.

Brands and marketers must look beyond typical third-party data, like general demographics or the time users spend on a page, and understand the specific interests and objectives of their customers. The next generation of marketing will run on an intentional brand-to-consumer relationship where collaboration—likely in the form of sharing data and incentives between parties—will drive purchasing power. Consumers want relationships with the brands they prefer, but many companies don’t focus on building this type of loyalty. If marketers strategise and embrace these changes in data privacy, they can cultivate better customer relationships and brand loyalty.

By MarketingTech

The cookie is on the way out, and no, I don’t mean the dessert. Third-party data collection— “cookies” to most— lost their allure because consumers are skeptical and privacy laws are increasing.

The ICO recorded an average of 13,925 reports of nuisance calls, texts and emails received each month across the UK.

“This is not to say that all reports of nuisance contact have malicious undertones, but it is certainly something that end-users and business decision-makers must be aware of, particularly as the remote working climate has increased the cyber threat facing businesses.”

By MarketingTech

Make sure your marketing doesn’t fall into this category and that there is value in the contact you make to your customers.

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Martin Dugan from Double Tap Marketing shares his approach with Ben on how he manages outbound marketing, cold calling through to nurting the outcomes.

👋 If you found this podcast interesting you might like my Marketing Club. Join to receive regular tips and advice on marketing, video and the web and Pro Members get access to my live marketing webinars every month, exclusive discounts and other perks. Find out more here ratherinventive.com/club/

Find a way to personalise the consumer journey without the need for unauthenticated device and browser IDs

It’s time to rebuild the modern-day ecosystem to transact on people-based identity and to move away from the third-party cookie. It’s time to build an ecosystem that is rooted in consumer trust and puts the consumer first. And, in a trusted ecosystem, this trust is expressed through a privacy-focused, transparent authentication experience.

By MarketingTech

Provide authentic value by offering a clear and fair exchange of information.

A new code of practice aimed at raising standards, smoothing relationships between industry participants, and delivering transparency for consumers.

Jill Dougan, ISBA executive committee chair and customer director, British Gas Energy said: “As marketing continues to evolve, it is vital we keep pace with new marketing channels and ensure they are being used honestly and authentically. Influencer marketing is a great way to reach and engage with customers but until now there has not been a common code that everyone involved adheres to.

By Asa Hiken

A valuable tool to anyone involved in influencer marketing.

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Ben speaks with Jonathan Mahan on how to be authentic on video and the benefits of engaging your customers with candid videography.

👋 If you found this podcast interesting you might like my Marketing Club. Join to receive regular tips and advice on marketing, video and the web and Pro Members get access to my live marketing webinars every month, exclusive discounts and other perks. Find out more here ratherinventive.com/club/

Coca-Cola is inviting the world to celebrate the real magic of humanity in its first new global re-brand platform.

“Coca-Cola is refreshing the brand platform for its Coke trademark, as well as altering its logo design and launching a global campaign to support the revamp, according to a company blog post. This is the first brand refresh for Coke in five years.”

By Asa Hiken

It’s important to make a personal connection between your product and consumer.

After Christmas was effectively cancelled for many people last year, it’s predicted that consumers are planning to make up for it in 2021.

“This Christmas is set to be very different from the last, so to execute effective advertising campaigns brands must plan to peak at the right times, when consumers are most engaged with relevant content.

By Steve Hemsley

It’s never too early to get your festive marketing strategy in place.

A creative idea one NYC restaurant owner had to benefit from the capacity restrictions earlier this year.

‘The 35 percent capacity rule only applies to actual people. There are no stipulations at all about wax people, which is why, according to a press release, the “iconic steakhouse” has partnered with Madame Tussauds to “fill empty seats” with wax replicas of celebrities. “Diners are invited to toast with Jon Hamm at the bar, enjoy a moment of elegance with Audrey Hepburn, or share a laugh with Jimmy Fallon,” explains the press release, promising an “an unforgettable dining experience.” I believe this. I would never forget this dining experience, not in my waking life or in my dreams.’

Creative thinking at its best and a great opportunity for some PR.

Wise words from Seth’s article on How (not) to miss a deadline

‘Don’t rely on false deadlines as a form of incentive. It won’t work the same on everyone, which means that some people will take you at your word and actually deliver on time, while others will assume that it was simply a guideline. It’s more efficient to be clear and to help people understand from the outset what you mean by a deadline. The boy cried wolf but the villagers didn’t come.’

I am guilty of placing a project deadline in the sand to help motivate me (and the client). It can work well to muster effort to get the website live. But I’ve given up doing this for small tasks. Assigning due dates to everything leads to not trusting if the deadline is real or just a guide, as well as additional stress and constant badgering from our to-do app. I’ve come to add deadlines only to the tasks that NEED to be completed on a certain date as well as blocking ourt time in my calendar to do them.

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Ben speaks with Ben Everard on his approach to problem solving and the steps he uses to overcome them.

👋 If you found this podcast interesting you might like my Marketing Club. Join to receive regular tips and advice on marketing, video and the web and Pro Members get access to my live marketing webinars every month, exclusive discounts and other perks. Find out more here ratherinventive.com/club/