Category: Writing

What’s the most helpful writer tip you’ve uncovered from this post?

What’s the most helpful writer tip you’ve uncovered from this post?

Published by Brad Johnson on 12/31/2019

https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/614164196/0/convinceandconvertconsulting/

Jay Baer started the Convince & Convert blog back in 2008, and every year we post a top 10 list of our most popular posts of the year. But for 2020, we’re bringing you our favorite posts of the decade. Some are visitor favorites. Others are team member favorites.

Dive in now as we celebrate 10+ years of marketing content:

My Biggest Mistakes in 10 Years as an Entrepreneur

To celebrate Convince & Convert’s 10 year anniversary in 2018, founder Jay Baer reveled the 10 biggest lessons he learned while leading the company. While this post doesn’t receive many organic visits these days (it was tricky to optimize for SEO), it did get a ton of feedback, shares and engagement when we originally posted it. It’s worth a read — for sure!

Originally Published: June 1, 2018

How to Build a Content Calendar (Plus a Free Template)

A fan favorite, we recently refreshed this popular post in early 2019 with a video, new downloadable template and updated advice—and it jumped in the rankings and receives thousands of visitors each month. And for good reason — the advice is useful and actionable.

Originally Published: January 6, 2014

Updated: February 2, 2019

The Time I Spent the World Series in Handcuffs

We take the ability to get real-time answers, real-time help and real-time apologies for granted, because they are the norm today. But it wasn’t the norm in 2001 – the year the Diamondbacks won it all, and Jay spent 4 innings in handcuffs. Our very own Kelly Santina suggested this post be added to the list, and I suggest you read it too.

Originally Published: October 26, 2014

How to Create a Social Media Strategy in 7 Steps

In terms of page views since January 2010, this post is #1, generating more than 600,000 page views since it was first published in 2013. We’ve updated it and added a downloadable template, and it’s still going strong — the post is one of our top 10 most popular.

Originally Published: January 27, 2013

Updated: March 27, 2019

Don’t Be Scared, Be Prepared: How to Manage a Social Media Crisis

Jay originally wrote this post based on a presentation back in 2014, and our very own Lauren Teague updated it in November 2018. Lauren is an expert in social media crisis preparation and management, and this post continues to inform visitors and clients. Keep this one handy as you update your social media crisis plan for 2020.

Originally Published: April 13, 2014

Updated: November 4, 2019

How to Fight Back Against Negative Customer Ratings and Reviews

Before Jay published Hug Your Haters, he published this post on handling negative reviews. Solid advice that’s still relevant today.

Originally Published: November 4, 2015

How to Create a Content Marketing Strategy in 7 Easy Steps

Another classic, evergreen post, Jay wrote the original in 2014, and C&C content strategy experts Anna Hrach and Jenny Magic updated the post in 2019. Still going strong over 4 years later, this post is popular with Google visitors and our email readers. It includes a handy, downloadable template too.

Originally Published: October 12, 2014

Updated: June 24, 2019

Why Done Is Better Than Perfect Is Now a Broken and Unworkable Philosophy

This post killed it in our weekly newsletter — some of our highest opens and CTRs ever! The subject line was “Sheryl Sandberg Is Totally Wrong About This”. People must really love to hate Sheryl Sandberg or they just really love our weekly newsletter. I’d like to think it’s the latter. But really, this is a fantastic post from Jay that explains when you follow the “done is better than perfect” philosophy, you sacrifice customer experience for speed.

Originally Published: February 27, 2019

5 Ways to Develop a Unique Selling Proposition

It’s always good to go back to the basics. This post on unique selling propositions has been a fan favorite since 2013.

Originally Published: December 3, 2013

The 5 Types of Talk Triggers [Infographic]

In conjunction with the release of the book, Talk Triggers, Jay created this nifty infographic on the 5 types of talk triggers. It includes stats, research and the five ways you can get your customers talking about you with a talk trigger.

Originally Published: October 3, 2018

The post Our Top 10 Favorite Posts of the Decade appeared first on Convince and Convert: Social Media Consulting and Content Marketing Consulting.

How will you apply the tips from this post?

Published by Brad Johnson on 12/31/2019

https://www.rohitbhargava.com/2019/12/5-non-obvious-megatrends-changing-our-world-in-2020.html

For the past ten years I have gone through an annual ritual of publishing a book about trends that describe our shifting culture and business environment. Over the past decade, my team and I have identified and written about well over 100 trends covering everything from the rise of the #metoo movement (a trend we called Fierce Femininity back in 2017) to the growing ability for immersive technology to help us better connect with one another (which we described as Virtual Empathy).

On January 14th, I am publishing the LAST of this long running series – the tenth anniversary edition of Non-Obvious called Non-Obvious Megatrends. In this new edition, we took an expansive look back at the past reports and combined this with all of the feedback, insights and discussions from more than a million smart readers who have bought, shared and debated this trend report over the years in order to arrive at ten big megatrend predictions.

I am so excited to share all of them when the book comes out in January, but as a sneak preview, here are five of the ten – along with a short backstory for each one.

Non-Obvious Megatrend #1 – Revivalism

Resurgence of analog activities such as board games, vinyl music and playing classic video games.

What is Revivalism?

Overwhelmed by technology and a sense that life is too complex, people seek out simpler experiences that offer nostalgia and remind them of a more trustworthy time.

The Backstory:

Like most of the other megatrends, this one encompassed many ideas from past trends in other reports – and since writing the chapter about it, I keep seeing stories of how the past is coming back to be appealing for us today … which is a good sign!

Non-Obvious Megatrend #2 – Flux Commerce

Capital One co-working space and coffee shop alongside a branch location.

What is Flux Commerce?

The lines between industries erode, leading to a continual disruption of business models, distribution channels, and consumer expectations.

The Backstory:

If there is one megatrend that really demonstrates the power of intersection thinking and finding inspiration across industries, it is this one. With stories from banks, food, retail and tech – the impact and expanse of this trend made it very satisfying to research and write.

Non-Obvious Megatrend #3 – Purposeful Profit

Patagonia Worn Wear initiative to repair and resell used clothing.

What is Purposeful Profit?

As consumers and employees demand more sustainable and ethical practices, companies respond by adapting products and taking public stands on issues.

The Backstory:

There were plenty of big stories this year that offered even more ammunition for this big idea that purpose is becoming more and more of a core necessity for all type of organizations. While this in itself may not be all that new, what was surprising was just how vocal those organizations are now willing to be.

Non-Obvious Megatrend #4 – Attention Wealth

What is Attention Wealth?

In the information economy, our attention holds greater value; leading us to be more skeptical of those who rely on spectacles to manipulate us.

The Backstory:

The idea of our attention as a form of wealth felt like a perfect way to underscore and start to describe the battle that is happening right now for our attention on every level. The positive upside? If we can better understand how wealthy we all are, we can start to find better ways to monetize and prioritize our own attention.

Non-Obvious Megatrend #5 – Protective Tech

Savoike robotic butler, an example of technology offering convenience.

What is Protective Tech?

As we rely on predictive technology to keep us and our world safe and make life more convenient, we must contend with the privacy trade-offs required to make it work.

The Backstory:

We’re just a few weeks away from CES and the stories of how technology will proactively serve us will likely come about again, but what was interesting about this megatrend was the idea that even as technology can be built to offer us protection or convenience, a question some are increasingly asking is whether we want tech to take this step (and whether we are willing to accept those corresponding compromises to privacy).

Want more trends?

These are just half of the total trends presented in the book. If you enjoyed these, you’ll probably enjoy reading the full book too! Here are a few ways to get the full book:

Join my launch team – get a FREE early reader copy before the book comes out!
Preorder the book on Amazon – get it when it comes out.
Order in bulk – get signed copies early as a gift for your team/colleagues!

How are these trends curated?

The method and process behind the research for these trends is heavily based on observation, analysis, discussion and curation. In the book, the method is described by the term the Haystack Method – which essentially is a model which can be used by anyone to become a collector of interesting ideas which are utilized over time to develop bigger ideas and insights. Here is a video of how this process looks in real life:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jkn9hsnqdk?feature=oembed&w=620&h=349]

About the Trend Series:

For the past 10 years, the Non- Obvious Trend Report has been one of the most widely read collections of future insights in the world, reaching over 1 million readers. This 10th Edition features ten new megatrends curated from stories, interviews and more than 100 past trend predictions.

Hit the like button if you like this info!

Hit the like button if you like this info!

Published by Brad Johnson on 12/31/2019

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OnlineMarketingSEOBlog/~3/Ou_20dqaJ2M/

Search marketing has matured in many ways throughout 2019. At each twist and turn along the journey, we’ve done our best to not only cover each change thoroughly, but to also offer insight and research-based strategy to help savvy digital marketers along the way.

We’re fortunate to have a stellar group of digital marketing professionals contributing to the TopRank Marketing Blog, with our CEO Lee Odden, Associate Director of Search & Analytics Tiffani Allen, Vice President of Client Accounts Alexis Hall, Content Strategist Anne Leuman, and others, each contributing valuable and actionable search marketing insights, tips, and tactics this past year.

To help our blog community grow its search marketing knowledge, we’re thrilled to offer this list of our most popular search marketing posts of 2019.

Our Most Popular Search Marketing Posts in 2019:

1. 5 SEO Mistakes Killing Your Content Performance and a Fix for Each — Tiffani Allen

Our talented Associate Director of Search & Analytics Tiffani Allen wrote our most popular search marketing post of 2019, taking an important look at five SEO mistakes killing your content performance, and offering up an actionable fix for each. Tiffani explored how to avoid and fix keywords based solely on volume, using too much targeting, and the perils of ignoring internal link structures. Check out all of Tiffani’s posts here, and follow her on Twitter.

[bctt tweet="“Following SEO best practices as a content marketer can reduce performance-related headaches and set you up for long-term success.” @Tiffani_Allen" username="toprank"]

2. The Relationship Between SEO and Social Media: It’s Complicated … and Complementary — Nick Nelson

The second most popular search marketing post of the year is by our Senior Content Strategist Nick Nelson, who deftly explores the complicated yet complimentary relationship between SEO and social media, and shows how to maximize both in unison with your marketing efforts. Check out all of Nick’s posts here, and follow him on Twitter.

[bctt tweet="“In a sea of competing ephemeral content, you’ve really got to stand out to capture someone’s attention and compel a click.” @NickNelsonMN" username="toprank"]

3. What the Future of Google Search Means for B2B Marketers — Lane R. Ellis

In the number three spot on our top search marketing posts of 2019 list, I explored what the future of Google search mean for B2B marketers, looking at how touch-free Motion Sense gestural search and other changes will affect the course of B2B marketing in 2020 and beyond. Check out all of my posts here, and follow me on Twitter.

[bctt tweet="“Innovations at Google will alter how people search, learn, and lead their professional and personal lives.” — Lane R. Ellis @lanerellis" username="toprank"]

4. How A Best Answer Content Strategy Drives B2B Marketing Results — Lee Odden

Our CEO Lee Odden wrote the fourth most popular search marketing post on our blog in 2019, exploring how a best-answer content strategy can drive impressive B2B marketing results, showing its value and offering up strong examples of what it takes to be the best answer. Lee shows that being the best answer is hard, but that it’s the price for being in the winner’s circle of consistent top visibility. Check out all of Lee’s 2,600+ posts here, and follow him on Twitter.

[bctt tweet="“If buyers don’t see consistent, credible and engaging 'best answer' content across channels from your brand, they’ll begin to trust competitors who are.” @LeeOdden" username="toprank"]

5. The Intersection of SEO & Influencer Marketing: What B2B Marketers Need to Know — Caitlin Burgess

Our Senior Content Marketing Manager Caitlin Burgess earned the number five spot on our top search marketing posts of the year list, showing how B2B marketers benefit when SEO and influence collide, becoming a powerful keyword and topical research tool to create best-answer content that audiences and search engines crave. Check out all of Caitlin’s posts here, and follow her on Twitter.

[bctt tweet="“Integration is absolutely essential for driving digital and content marketing success in the crowded, competitive B2B landscape.” @CaitlinMBurgess" username="toprank"]

6. How B2B Marketers Can Win at Search with Best Answer Content — Nick Nelson

Nick also penned the sixth most popular search marketing post of 2019, with a detailed look at how you can modernize search marketing to fit with a fully customer-centric strategy, with insight from our guide to identifying “best answer” opportunities. Nick shows how multiple disciplines — from technical SEO to creative content — can be leveraged to win the search marketing game.

[bctt tweet="“When marketers make the effort to see every side of the questions their customers are asking, we can see the bigger picture and craft content to fully satisfy the extent of a searcher’s interest.” @NickNelsonMN" username="toprank"]

7. 6 Cannes Revelations About B2B Marketing in 2020 — Lane R. Ellis

Another of my posts made the year’s top 10 search marketing post lists, exploring a number of B2B search revelations from the 2019 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, with six take-aways including diversity KPIs, real-time branding, micro-storytelling, and the rise of customer-driven search journeys.

[bctt tweet="“Search taking place from smart speakers and other connected voice-assisted is poised to boom in the coming years, and podcasting is expanding to offer new ways to integrate brand messaging.” @LaneREllis" username="toprank"]

8. 10 Smart Question Research Tools for B2B Marketers — Lane R. Ellis

In our eighth most popular search marketing post of 2019, a share 10 smart question research tools and an array of savvy tactics to help B2B marketers uncover the questions your audience is asking, and provide best-answer solutions.

[bctt tweet="“How can you be the best answer for your audience if you don’t understand what questions they’re asking or what problems they’re trying to solve?” — Lane R. Ellis @lanerellis" username="toprank"]

9. Hey Alexa: How Do I Bake Voice Search Into My B2B Marketing Strategy? — Nick Nelson

With his third appearance on our search marketing top 10 list, Nick shows how B2B brands can ensure that their content strategy is aligned with the rise of voice search, and helps you find your B2B marketing voice.

[bctt tweet="“B2B companies need to be less robotic, and more human. The rise of voice search is simply another trend feeding the urgency.” @NickNelsonMN" username="toprank"]

10. Optimize Your B2B Content Performance with an SEO Audit — Tiffani Allen

Tiffani makes another appearance on our top 10 list of search marketing posts for the year, exploring how can you optimize your B2B content performance using a thoughtful and strategic SEO audit to help you understand your landscape by analyzing technical, on-page and off-page factors, and more.

[bctt tweet="“A strategic and thoughtful SEO audit will result in a clear, prioritized and actionable plan to improve your search visibility in the ways it matters most to your business.” @Tiffani_Allen" username="toprank"]

We can’t thank Tiffani, Nick, Lee, and Caitlin enough for these top 10 search marketing posts of 2019 — congratulations on making the list!

Thanks TopRank Marketing Writers & Readers

We published dozens of posts this year specifically about search marketing, and plan to bring you even more in 2020, so stay tuned for a new year of the latest helpful search industry research and insight.

Please let us know which search marketing topics and ideas you’d like to see us focus on for 2020 — we’d love to hear your suggestions. Feel free to leave those thoughts in the comments section below.

Many thanks to each of you who read our blog regularly, and to all of you who comment on and share our posts on the TopRank Marketing social media channels at Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

The post Our Top 10 Search Marketing Posts of 2019 appeared first on Online Marketing Blog – TopRank®.

How will you apply the strategy from this post?

How will you apply the strategy from this post?

Published by Brad Johnson on 12/31/2019

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OnlineMarketingSEOBlog/~3/IMae9fLkyjs/

In recent years headlines like ‘Men twice as likely to be CMOs than women’ were pretty common.

If you’ve worked in marketing for any length of time, you know that the role of CMO is already associated with high demands and turnover.

Some might argue that women in CMO roles face an even greater challenge given their underrepresentation in marketing leadership despite the marketing industry being overwhelmingly female.

While women are underrepresented as CMOs, there’s research that shows women in CMO roles are paid better (on average) than their male peers. Even more promising is that “Nearly half the marketing leadership hires in the first six months of 2019 were women“.

You might be wondering why am I writing about women marketing? For the past 10 years I have been tracking rising stars in the marketing world and recognizing social influencers in the marketing space with an annual list: Women Who Rock in Marketing.

That list started in 2010 when I was recognized on a list of social media rockstars with few if any women on it. That seemed strange.

So, I made a list of 25 women I knew in marketing that were rocking social media. Every year since, a list has been published recognizing women in marketing, inspiring many reactions, conversations and hopefully, even change.

While there have been a few variations on selection, sorting and author, (Ashley Zeckman published the list for 2 years), for the most part every year I’ve asked the previous year’s honorees to nominate a peer. Nominees were reviewed, sorted and the list published.

My goal for these lists is to shine a light on talent and create awareness amongst marketers.

It has been incredibly satisfying to learn about the impressive capabilities and accomplishments of these marketing leaders. Last year we had a CMO who was also an opera singer, a social media executive who once worked with Mother Theresa and an Olympic athlete who created a program to inspire thousands of young people.

It has been great to see that many of the women have been recognized by their companies and industry with several having advanced over the years to take on senior marketing roles like Chief Marketing Officer.

To honor women in senior marketing roles for this 10th anniversary of Women Who Rock in Marketing, the following list features 50 women in CMO roles making a difference and creating impact. They are leaders who represent the future of marketing and I highly recommend you follow them. (Note: This is not a comprehensive list and the list is alphabetical)

Before we get to the list, some special recognition: One woman that has been instrumental in the past few years at creating one of the most robust CMO communities and collections of content for senior marketing executives is Nadine Dietz @NadineDietz. Her company CMO Moves and podcast were acquired by Adweek and represents a cornucopia of knowledge for CMOs and inspiring CMOs alike. Thank you Nadine for your tremendous contribution and community building!

50 Top Women CMOs to Follow

Alicia Tillman @aliciatillman
Global CMO at SAP
/in/altillman/

Alison Wagonfeld @awagonfeld
CMO, VP, Marketing at Google Cloud
/in/alisonwagonfeld/

Allison Dew @alliedewsays
CMO, EVP at Dell
/in/allison-dew-45875035/

Alyson Griffin @alyson_griffin
Vice President Global Marketing at Intel
/in/alyson-griffin-2820514/

Amanda Jobbins @amandajobbins
CMO for EMEA, APAC and Japan at Oracle
/in/amandastljobbins/

Andrea Zahumensky @Andreazahumensk
CMO at KFC US
/in/andrea-zahumensky-aa70b65/

Ann Lewnes @alewnes
CMO, EVP at Adobe
/in/annlewnes/

Bozoma Saint John @badassboz
CMO at ENDEAVOR
/in/bozoma-saint-john-0305441/

Carolyn Everson @ceverson
VP, Global Marketing Solutions at Facebook
/in/carolyn-everson-8633479/

Danna Vetter @dannavetter
Chief Marketer at Milliken & Company
/in/danna-vetter-4065254/

Dara J Treseder @daratreseder
CMO at Carbon
/in/daratreseder/

Dawn T Keller @dawntv94
VP, Head of Digital at Krispy Kreme
/in/dawntevekeliankeller/

Dawna Olsen @DawnaOlsen
CMO at SYSPRO USA
/in/dawnaolsen/

Deborah Wahl @DeborahWahl
CMO, Global at Cadillac
/in/deborahlwahl/

Dee Mc Laughlin @deemclaughlin
SVP, Global Brand & Creative at Capital Group / American Funds
/in/deemclaughlin/

Deirdre Bigley @DeirdreBigley
CMO at Bloomberg LP
/in/deirdrebigley/

Denise Karkos @dckarkos
CMO at SiriusXM
/in/denise-karkos-b2ab973/

Diana O’Brien @DianaMOBrien
CMO, Global at Deloitte
/in/dianaobrien/

Ellie Mirman @ellieeille
CMO at Crayon
/in/elliemirman/

Jacqui Murphy @jacquimurphy
CMO at Auvik Networks Inc.
/in/jacquimurphy/

Jeanine Liburd @JeanineLiburd
CMO, Chief Commuications Officer at BET Networks (a subsidiary of Viacom Inc.)
/in/jeanine-liburd-7b654a156/

Jeanne Hopkins @jeannehopkins
CMO at Lola
/in/jeannehopkins/

Jeanniey Mullen @jeanniey_
Chief Innovation and Marketing Officer at DailyPay
/in/jeanniey/

Jenn Steele @jennsteele
CMO at Madison Logic
/in/jennsteele/

Jennifer Johnson @jj_cmo
CMO at Tenable
/in/jjcmo/

Jennifer Sey @JenniferSey
CMO, Global Brands at Levi Strauss & Co.
/in/jennifer-sey-6516731/

Jill Gregory @jillgregory6
CMO, EVP at NASCAR
/in/jill-gregory-b32581a/

Karen Walker @KarMWalker
CMO at Cisco
/in/karenmwalker/

Kathy Button Bell @Emerson_KathyBB
Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer at Emerson
/in/kathybuttonbell/

Kellyn Smith Kenny @KellynKenny
CMO at Hilton
/in/kellyn/

Kim Salem-Jackson @ksalem09
Global VP, Marketing at Akamai Technologies
/in/kimsalem/

Kristin Lemkau @klemkau
CMO at JPMorgan Chase
/in/kristin-lemkau-ab8b4b88/

Lauren Mead @LaurLeMe
CMO at TimeTrade
/in/laurenmead/

Lauren Wagner Boyman @lboymanms
CMO at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
/in/laurenboyman/

Leslie Berland @leslieberland
CMO, Head of People at Twitter
/in/leslie-berland-1741781/

Linda Boff @lindaboff
CMO at GE
/in/lindaboff/

Lorraine Twohill @LorraineTwohill
CMO at Google
/in/lorraine-twohill-ba3a56185/

Lynne Biggar @LynneBiggar
CMO, Chief Communications Officer at Visa
/in/lynnebiggar/

Lynne Jarman-Johnson @MoJoCMO
CMO at Consumers Credit Union
/in/lynnejjohnson/

Maria Winans @MariaWinans
CMO, North America Marketing at IBM
/in/maria-bartolome-winans-41008014/

Marisa Thalberg @executivemoms
Global Chief Brand Officer at Taco Bell
/in/marisathalberg/

Mary Beech @MaryBeech1
EVP and CMO at Kate Spade New York
/in/maryrennerbeech/

Meg Goldthwaite @MegZGold
CMO at National Public Radio
/in/meg-galloway-goldthwaite-she-her-87a80b3/

Monique Bonner @mobonner
CMO at Akamai Technologies
/in/mobonner/

Morgan Flatley @morgsf
CMO, US at McDonald’s
/in/morgan-flatley-a36b273a/

Paige ONeill @paige_oneill
CMO at Sitecore
/in/paigeoneill/

Penny Baldwin @pennyrbaldwin
CMO, SVP at Qualcomm
/in/pennybaldwin/

Sarah Kennedy Ellis @saykay
CMO at Marketo, An Adobe Company
/in/saykay/

Shannon Sullivan Duffy @sullytoduffy
SVP, Product Marketing at Salesforce
/in/shannonduffy/

Tifenn Dano Kwan @danokwan
CMO at SAP Ariba
/in/tifenndano/

Thank you to Lane Ellis for providing some research help with this list.

We can do better. Despite gains in hiring and compensation of women in senior marketing roles, the ANA CMO scorecard reports that “companies remain woefully behind when it comes to promoting people of color to top marketing jobs. Only 13 percent of the top jobs are held by people of color, including 5 percent Asian, 5 percent Hispanic/Latin and 3 percent black.”

There is some progress but much more to be made. Whatever companies can do to remove barriers to marketing talent rising into leadership positions is an investment in the success of the business.

I am thankful for the incredible contributions this group of marketing leaders has made to move our industry forward and am optimistic about continued momentum into the new year.

Who would you add to this list for 2020?

To see the past 9 years of Women Who Rock in Marketing lists, visit the posts below:

25 Women That Rock Social Media – 2010
25 Women Who Rock Social Media – 2011
25 Women Who Rock Social Media – 2012
25 Women That Rocked Social Media – 2013
25 Women Who Rock Social Media – 2014
50 Influential Women in Digital Marketing – 2015
50 Influential Women in Digital Marketing: North Stars & Rising Stars – 2016
25 Women Who Rock at Digital Marketing – 2017
25 Influential Women in Digital Marketing Who Rocked and Inspired – 2018

Thank you to all who have inspired us to be better as marketers and a better marketing industry!

The post 10 Years of Women Who Rock in Marketing – CMO Edition 2019 appeared first on Online Marketing Blog – TopRank®.

Drop a site below if you’ve discovered anything cool for authors!

Drop a site below if you’ve discovered anything cool for authors!

Published by Brad Johnson on 12/31/2019

https://econsultancy.com/a-day-in-the-life-of-pierre-loic-assayag-ceo-co-founder-traackr/

Pierre-Loic Assayag is CEO & Co-founder at Traackr, an influencer marketing platform.

We caught up with him to find out why he calls himself a “recovering marketer” and what advice he would give to those starting out.

Please describe your job: What do you do?

As a self-professed “recovering marketer”, I consider it my passion and job to help marketing evolve from an automated, programmatic model to one that acknowledges the voice of the consumer based on cultivating valuable relationships and that willingly trades control of the creative process for business impact.

My job today is to continue building Traackr to be the strategic partners to brands who are investing strategically in influencer marketing and need technology and expertise to realize their ambitions.

Whereabouts do you sit within the organisation? Who do you report to?

As CEO, my remit is to ensure our employees, customers and investors thrive.

What kind of skills do you need to be effective in your role?

As the CEO of a growing technology company in an emerging category, I need to be half philosopher, half navy seal: find the presence of mind to anticipate and affect the evolution of the market to make sure our business is prepared to lead the way, meanwhile, be decisive on key levers for Traackr to push or pull.

Tell us about a typical working day…

There is a typical day on-the-road and a typical day at our San Francisco office where I am based. When I am in California, my days start at 5AM and I spend the first five hours maximizing my time with our customers and team based in Europe. Late mornings are for NYC. I’m an advocate for walking meetings, so a great day includes getting in 10,000 steps while brainstorming with my team.

What do you love about your job? What sucks?

One of our hiring principles is to “hire up”, to always find people that raise the bar and make us smarter. The best part of my job is when I see people on my team bringing an idea to life or enhancing something we do and thinking that they did a better job than I ever could at it.

I have an unusual ability to simplify complex situations and problems to focus on their essence. The worst part of my job (and life in general) is when I have to spend time and energy dealing with issues that shouldn’t exist to begin with.

What kind of goals do you have? What are the most useful metrics and KPIs for measuring success?

This is an interesting question given that we are all in the midst of 2020 planning… My goal is to make Traackr the indispensable platform to companies embracing the notion of people-powered marketing whether they were born in it or have migrated to it. The way I measure success is our market share within the segment described above.

What are your favourite tools to help you to get the job done?

I’ve learned a lot from the software engineering industry, including how to run effective meetings and manage complex projects. For example, we’ve adopted the concept of “retrospectives” for managing our Leadership Team initiatives.

I’m also a huge fan of Trello, which I discovered from our product team. Today, we use it across the organization and I personally organize my priorities with it. It’s the one “to-do management” system that I’ve stuck with over the years.

How did you end up founding Traackr, and where might you go from here?

I started my career in marketing for Procter & Gamble and Peugeot in Europe, before immigrating to the United States from France, by way of the UK and Spain. Today, I refer to myself as a “recovering marketer” because when I started out in marketing it was during the time of traditional marketing, referred to as the “art of persuasion,” which never made sense to me. It always felt that the one-way marketing success was due to a lack of alternatives.

When my cofounder, David Chancogne and I set out to build Traackr 10 years ago, we saw an opportunity to organize the web, not by pages, but by people. That premise is what created the foundation for Traackr, which today powers influencer marketing for top brands around the world who are passionate about staying relevant to their consumers.

After Traackr, I want to solve the problem of fake news.

Which campaigns have impressed you lately?

I’m very impressed by companies who are living their brand values and striving to be as authentic as possible. Notable examples of this include Nike’s work with Colin Kaepernick and Calvin Klein’s support of the LGBTQ community. These are two cases where the brands have connected a sense of purpose to their business in a way that meaningfully impacts their community.

What advice would you give a marketer starting out today?

The brands that are winning and will continue to win are the ones who put people at the heart of their marketing. The age of persuasion is over. To succeed as a marketer today you need to cultivate your sense of empathy and learn how to translate brand purpose into meaningful programs.

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The post A day in the life of… Pierre-Loic Assayag, CEO & Co-founder, Traackr appeared first on Econsultancy.

How will you use the strategy from this post?

How will you use the strategy from this post?

Published by Brad Johnson on 12/30/2019