Today's Guide to the Marketing Jungle from Social Media Examiner... | Presented by |  |
It's Rounds Resounding Day, Alluser. Everybody sing! Row, row, row your boat…
In today's edition:
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Today's 👉 Tip of the Day is for voice-activated content ideation
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🦋 Becoming more than 'just' a marketing person
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✍🏿 🎙️ ▶️ Create strong content with less effort
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🔥 Messaging that persuades through beliefs
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OpenAI tests SearchGPT
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Google releases Gemini 1.5 Flash model
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Instagram deletes some users' Stories
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🗞️ Additional industry news from OpenIAI, Meta, Instagram, X, and more
Ever get a good content idea when you're out and about? Looking for a way to capture and work on ideas when inspiration hits that doesn't involve paper and a pen?
To get started, you'll need a ChatGPT Plus account.
Use ChatGPT's Voice Feature for Hands-Free Content Development
Download and open the app, then tap on the headphones icon in the bottom right corner of the screen. Now, you can talk to ChatGPT like you're speaking to a person.
I'm a content strategist specializing in Instagram content. My target audience is X. I have an idea for content based on X. Please help me create a listicle based on this concept. Ask me any additional questions you need answers to.
ChatGPT will give you an initial response by speaking aloud through your phone's speaker. You can then continue the conversation by asking follow-up questions or requesting further clarification.
When you're satisfied with the output, tell ChatGPT to summarize the key points of your conversation. Idea captured!
Today's advice is provided with insights from Nicky Saunders, a featured guest on the AI Explored podcast.
Could This Help You Too, Alluser?
Things I didn't have before attending Social Media Marketing World 2024:
❌ A clue on how to build an actual agency
❌ A network of people for advice or ideas
❌ New tools that could help myself and my clients
Things I have now:
✅ Mentors to help me create a framework to build and sustain
✅ A small family of people championing one another to succeed
✅ A new plan that will drastically help my current and future clients due to ALL the workshops and amazing tidbits of info I learned at the conference
✅ An extremely sore voice and sore feet 🗣️ 👟
I highly recommend skipping the Virtual ticket and diving right in with All-Access.
It's SO WORTH IT!
See y'all next year (obviously 💁🏻♂️).
-Brandon LaVorgna, Social Media Marketing World 2024 attendee
Get your ticket today to join Brandon and thousands of other marketers.
How to Become an Indispensable Marketing Partner
Whether you're a marketing consultant or an agency owner, you may think of yourself as just a vendor providing services. But what if you could become an indispensable partner instead of a person filling a narrow role?
Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, you can become a trusted advisor and connector that helps your clients find the right professionals to fill their needs for core services you don't offer. This approach allows you to solve challenges without developing every capability in-house.
For example, suppose the business you work for or a client needs campaign managers but isn't sure about hiring full-time employees. In that case, you can step in to find and contract campaign managers, handle time tracking and invoicing, and even manage potential culture clashes. This solution allows the client to test the waters before committing to full-time hires, and you've helped them do that.
By positioning your agency as a connector and resource hub, you can provide more value to clients while growing your own business. This approach allows you to go beyond your core services and build stronger, more resilient client partnerships. It's a strategy to help your agency thrive, even in uncertain economic times.
How to Make the Transition
First, make a list of your professional networks and industry groups. This could include LinkedIn connections, professional associations, and local business groups.
Now, think about what types of marketing professionals you know best (writers, designers, strategists, etc.). You should also listen carefully to client challenges, even those unrelated to your services. Pay attention to recurring themes or pain points where you might know someone who can resolve or alleviate them.
When you're ready to help a client fill an open role, start with the areas where you're most comfortable and have the strongest connections. This might be creative professionals if you're a content-focused agency or data analysts if you specialize in marketing analytics.
Finally, speak up and tell clients about your ability to connect them with other resources. Be transparent during this process. While it was acceptable for agencies to white-label services without disclosing it, today's approach involves being open about partnerships and connections.
Working with Contract Solutions Partners
First, it's important to be clear about when you're simply making a referral vs when you're offering ongoing management and support.
When you are ready to hire a contractor for a client, be sure to have the contractor sign a non-disclosure agreement to protect your pricing. This ensures they don't discuss rates directly with clients.
To make it worthwhile for clients to continue working through your agency, instead of hiring the talent you bring on to help them, offer additional value by managing the back-end work like payroll and reporting.
Finally, charge a markup or placement fee for your connection services. Be transparent about this fee and ensure it reflects the value you're providing.
Tips to Build Your Professional Talent Network Strategically
To build a valuable network, spend 20 minutes each day engaging on LinkedIn. This could involve commenting on your peers' and colleagues' posts, sharing insights, or reaching out to new connections. Look for secondary and tertiary connections—people recommended by those you already know. These can often lead to worthwhile relationships.
To connect with a wider circle of people who can help your clients, consider joining professional associations and groups related to your industry. Attend industry events and conferences to make in-person connections with people you are considering as recommended solutions partners.
Pro Tip: Keep a spreadsheet of freelancers and contractors you can call on for various projects so you can quickly assemble teams for client needs.
Today's advice is provided with insights from Beth Newton, a featured guest on the Marketing Agency Show.
How AI Can Help You Be a Better Content Creator
Content creation can be time-consuming and challenging. But with the help of AI, you can streamline your process and enhance your creativity.
For example, the AI tool Notion can maximize your content creation potential.
Set up Your Content Workspace
Click on the "+" icon next to "Workspace" in the sidebar and name your workspace.
In your new workspace, click the "+" button in the sidebar to create a new page. Name this page "Content Ideas" or something similar.
Repeat these steps to create additional pages for different content you produce. For example:
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Video Scripts
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Blog Posts
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Social Media Content
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Newsletters
Create Templates Quickly to Produce Different Content Types
To create a template, navigate to one of your pages and click the "+" button to add a new block.
Type "/template" in the new block and select "Create template" from the options.
Now, you can design your template to include relevant sections. For example, a content idea template might include:
Video script templates should feature sections for your intro, main points, and call to action, while blog post templates should include placeholders for the title, subheadings, and key points.
Save your template, and it's ready for use whenever you create new content in that section.
Store Content Ideas for Easy Recall
To ensure you don't lose any content ideas, create a database to house them.
Open your Notion workspace and click the "+ Add a page" button in the sidebar.
From the options that appear, select "Table" under the "Database" section and name your database something like "Content Ideas Database."
In the table view, you'll see default columns like "Name." Use this column to indicate the title of each content idea.
To make it easy to categorize and track your ideas, add a property for:
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Content Type (Select: Blog, Video, Social Post, etc.)
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Status (Select: Idea, In Progress, Completed, etc.)
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Target Platform (Multi-select: Instagram, YouTube, Website, etc.)
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Tags (Multi-select: for themes or topics)
Simply click the "+" button next to the existing column headers to add a property. Choose the type of property you want to add (e.g., Select, Multi-select, Date, etc.) and name your new property.
To add a new idea to your database, click on a new row and fill in the details.
Find Connections Between Content Ideas to Inspire New Content
Open your Notion workspace and navigate to your content ideas database.
In the database view, select multiple items (ideas) between which you want to find connections. You can do this by holding down the Ctrl key (or Cmd on Mac) and clicking on individual items, or by using the checkbox on the left side of each row to select multiple items.
Once you've selected the items, look for the AI button in the top menu bar of your Notion page. If you don't see it, you can use the "/" command to bring up the AI options.
Click on the AI button or type "/ai" to bring up the AI command prompt. In the AI prompt box, type a request like:
Find connections between these selected ideas.
or
Identify common themes or patterns in these content ideas.
Then, press Enter or click "Ask AI" to generate the response.
If you want more specific information, you can ask follow-up questions using the AI prompt. For example:
How could these ideas be combined into a content series? How could these ideas be combined into a content series?
or
What are the unique angles each idea brings to the common theme?
Now you can move on to creating your blog post, video, or social media posts.
Today's advice is provided with insights from Nicky Saunders, a featured guest on the AI Explored podcast.
Want to Understand How to Use AI?
A few months ago, we launched a new show called AI Explored. It's a podcast for marketers, creators, and business owners who want to know how to use AI. Each week, you'll discover how to apply AI in your work and life.
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To listen, simply follow the show on your favorite podcast app.
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How to Unlock the Power of Beliefs to Improve Marketing Results
If you're struggling to engage and convert customers, you may mistakenly assume that your customers already possess certain beliefs or knowledge about your products.
Consumers' beliefs act as filters, influencing how they interpret your marketing messages. If prospects don't believe they need your solution, even the most attractive discounts or impressive features won't persuade them to buy.
But when customers hold the right beliefs, they're more likely to recognize the value of your offering and make a purchase.
Marketers can create more persuasive campaigns and streamline sales by focusing on shaping beliefs.
Identify the 3 Ms
Begin by compiling a comprehensive list of your potential customers' current beliefs about your product, service, or industry. This inventory should include both accurate beliefs and misconceptions. A team brainstorming session involving customer-facing staff like sales representatives and customer service agents can be extremely helpful at this stage because they are most often faced with overcoming objections.
Determine What Customers Need to Believe in Order to Convert
Ask yourself, "What does my customer need to believe to buy this product?" or "What needs to be true for my offer to be a complete no-brainer?"
This step involves creating an exhaustive list of these essential beliefs. For instance, Tiago Forte's team identified over 100 beliefs crucial for potential customers to have before they would be ready to invest in his productivity system.
Ideate Content to Build New Beliefs
This is where your marketing efforts come into play, utilizing various channels and formats to educate and persuade your target market. By aligning beliefs with stages of the customer journey, you can create more targeted content that addresses customers' evolving needs at every step.
At the awareness phase, focus on beliefs related to problem recognition. Your content should help customers identify and acknowledge the issue your product or service addresses.
As customers explore potential solutions in the consideration stage, address beliefs about different approaches. This stage may involve comparing your solution to alternatives and explaining why your method is superior.
In the decision stage, concentrate on beliefs about your specific offering. These often revolve around your credibility, track record, and ability to deliver results.
3 Types of Content That Builds Belief by Substantiating Your Claims
Educational content is one of the best ways to prove your claims. If you think that's a tall order, Aristotle's modes of persuasion offer a guide to creating the three types of proof you need to build the necessary beliefs within your customers.
Pathos (emotional proof): Employ storytelling to forge connections with customers. Compelling narratives can illustrate the transformative power of your product or service.
Logos (logical proof): Utilize data, studies, and rational arguments to support your claims. This could involve presenting relevant statistics, case studies, or scientific research related to your offering.
Ethos (proof of character): Establish your credibility and expertise. Share your background, qualifications, and testimonials from satisfied customers to build trust and authority.
Finally, don't underestimate the power of demonstration in building beliefs. By offering customers a small taste of success with your product, you can overcome skepticism and showcase the potential for larger results with a trial or limited experience.
Avoid the Curse of Knowledge
The curse of knowledge is a common pitfall in marketing where experts in a field lose touch with the beginner's perspective. This cognitive bias leads to using jargon and making assumptions about customer understanding, potentially alienating potential buyers.
To overcome this challenge, marketers must consciously step back and view their product or service through the eyes of a newcomer. This shift in perspective allows for clearer, more accessible communication that resonates with a broader audience.
For example, if you're promoting a productivity system that is fueled by note-taking, don't assume your audience understands its importance. You'll likely need to convince potential customers of the value of note-taking itself before introducing your system as a valuable solution.
Today's advice is provided with insights from Billy Broas, a featured guest on the Social Media Marketing Podcast.
Google Upgrades Gemini: Google has upgraded its Gemini AI chatbot with the 1.5 Flash model, promising faster responses and improved content processing. The update enhances quality, latency, reasoning, and image understanding while quadrupling the context window to 32K tokens. Available now on no-cost web and mobile versions, Gemini also adds related content links for fact-seeking prompts. Source: The Verge
OpenAI Tests SearchGPT: OpenAI has unveiled SearchGPT, an AI-powered search engine prototype that summarizes and organizes web information. Initially available to 10K testers, it allows follow-up questions and provides clear source attribution. Developed in collaboration with news partners, SearchGPT aims to eventually integrate with ChatGPT. The prototype addresses concerns about content usage by allowing publishers to manage their appearance in search results. Source: OpenAI
Facebook's 'Pin Comments' for Reels: Facebook users can now pin comments to Facebook Reels. This feature is currently only available on iOS devices. Source: Radu Oncescu via Threads
Meta to be Fined by the EU: The European Commission is set to impose its first antitrust fine on Meta in the coming weeks. The fine relates to Meta linking Facebook Marketplace with its main social network, which the European Union watchdog claims gives Marketplace an unfair advantage. The company also faces separate charges for allegedly violating new EU tech rules with its advertising model. Source: Reuters
Reddit Blocks Bing Search: Reddit has updated its robots.txt file, blocking Bing and other search engines from crawling its site. Microsoft confirmed that Bing has stopped indexing Reddit content as a result. Google remains unaffected, but most other crawlers and AI tools are now blocked. Reddit is using IP detection to display different robots.txt versions to search engines versus human users, significantly impacting the visibility of Reddit content on non-Google search platforms. Source: Search Engine Land
Reddit's New Lead Gen Ads: Reddit has launched Lead Generation Ads, now in public beta globally. This new format, integrated with Zapier, allows advertisers to collect leads directly on Reddit without users leaving the platform. The Zapier integration enables direct lead transfer to CRMs and automates lead management processes. Source: Reddit Business
Apple Intelligence in Beta for Developers: Apple has launched the first preview of Apple Intelligence, its new AI suite, in the iOS 18.1 developer beta. The public release is planned for later this year. Source: CNBC
Instagram Tests Notes Filter in Reels Tab: Instagram is testing a new Notes filter in the Reels tab, which will display only Reels with attached Notes. Notes allow mutual followers to leave comments on Reels and posts, and they will be visible for three days. Source: Social Media Today
Meta Launches AI Studio: Meta is launching AI Studio, a platform allowing users to create and share custom AI characters without technical skills. Built on Llama 3.1, it enables the creation of AIs for various purposes through ai.meta.com/ai-studio or Instagram. Users can customize AI personalities and share them publicly or privately. Creators can use AI Studio to build AI extensions of themselves, answering common questions and reaching more fans. The platform includes customization options, safety measures, and is available in the United States. Source: Meta
Pinterest's Publisher Partnerships: Pinterest is testing a new program allowing news outlets and publishers to sell ads on its platform through an auction system. The program includes a revenue-sharing model between Pinterest and publishers. Source: Search Engine Land
TikTok's New App Center for Advertisers: TikTok has introduced its App Center, a platform offering third-party tools to enhance advertising for businesses of all sizes. The center provides apps across various categories, including eCommerce, creative tools, campaign management, and analytics. With flexible pricing and no-cost trials, TikTok is making these tools accessible to all advertisers, particularly small and medium-sized businesses. Source: TikTok for Business
Google Tests Removal of X Branding on Search: Google is testing a change in its search results that may replace the "X (Twitter)" heading with "Latest Posts From" when displaying recent posts from the platform. This update would further reduce X branding on Google's search pages. Source: Search Engine Roundtable
X's Data Sharing: X has introduced a new setting allowing users to opt out of sharing their data to train its AI chatbot, Grok. The setting is enabled by default and permits X to use posts and interactions to improve Grok, potentially sharing data with xAI. Source: Social Media Today
YouTube's Crack Down on Ad Blockers: YouTube has escalated its fight against ad blockers by implementing unskippable blank or black screens in place of ads. Users with ad-blocking extensions now face waiting periods equivalent to standard ad lengths before their desired content plays. The platform is testing server-side ad injection, which makes ads harder to block by integrating them directly into video streams. While some ad blockers can still hide ad content, they can't bypass the wait times. Source: Mashable
OpenAI's ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode: OpenAI is rolling out ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode to select ChatGPT Plus users, with full Plus access planned for fall 2024. This feature uses GPT-4o, a multimodal model that processes voice and text tasks with lower latency and can detect emotional intonations. OpenAI has limited the feature to four preset voices and implemented measures to prevent impersonation and copyright issues. Source: @OpenAI via X
Instagram Permanently Deletes Some Users' Stories: Instagram has experienced a technical issue that has permanently deleted some users' Stories from their archives and highlights. Instagram's parent company, Meta, has acknowledged and fixed the bug but cannot recover the lost content. Affected users are being notified in-app. Source: CNN
Instagram's New API With Instagram Login: Meta has launched Instagram API with Instagram Login, streamlining the API onboarding process for developers and businesses. The update removes Facebook login requirements for Instagram business onboarding, optimizes developer onboarding with clearer guidance, and simplifies app review by requiring only Instagram permissions. While the previous version with Facebook Login remains supported, Meta recommends using the new Instagram Login to access these improvements. Source: Meta
Threads' New Features: Threads is introducing new topic discovery features to improve engagement, including a blue label for trending topics and a "Now" alert for major discussions. Users can now sort topic listings by "Recent" and search for posts by date. Source: Social Media Today
X's Ads Academy: X has launched X Ads Academy, an e-learning platform for creating effective ad campaigns on X. The academy offers 31 courses and 4 certifications in English, catering to both beginners and experienced marketers. It provides step-by-step tutorials, best practices, and certification options. Users can enroll at xadsacademy.com to enhance their X advertising skills. Source: X Business
YouTube Updates: YouTube is implementing several changes to its platform. Starting July 31, they will introduce a feature allowing creators to appeal suspensions from the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) 7 days before the suspension takes effect. If an appeal is rejected during this 7-day period, the channel will be suspended and cannot appeal again, but can reapply to YPP after 90 days. Creators who don't appeal within 7 days will be suspended but have 21 days to appeal afterward. Users can find the appeal deadline in the YouTube Studio's Earn Hub. Additionally, YouTube is simplifying the channel page layout. They will remove the Home tab for creators who haven't modified it, have fewer than 10 public videos, and haven't published more than one content type. Creators can manually enable the Home tab when ready to curate their content. YouTube is also merging the Branding and Basic Info pages in Studio into a single "Profile" tab and renaming the Layout tab to "Home" tab. Source: YouTube
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