Interesting Reading: Questions and Clichés in Marketing

We're almost at the end of February now and all of the marketing managers among us should be well into another year of strategising, planning and optimising. You might've been too busy to see this month's content, so we've rounded up the most interesting and useful articles, infographics and podcasts from this month to give marketing managers something to think about.

Social Stats

This month, HubSpot presents 34 stats to help you plan your social media strategy on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. We all know how important these social channels are to any campaign, but another look at the numbers couldn't hurt. Here are a few of the best stats:

• Facebook Page videos generate 16% more engagement per post than images.
• Twitter clickthrough rate is highest on Wednesdays.
• 20 posts per month on LinkedIn can help you reach 60% of your unique audience.
• People miss 70% of their Instagram feeds on average.

Be sure to check out the rest of the stats. There are some interesting insights in there that could help you master your strategy across social channels.

Content & Appeal

From Social Media Examiner, the latest episode of the Social Media Marketing podcast discusses creating quality content just by addressing the questions and concerns of your audience and prospective customers. This makes perfect sense and more companies should be employing this method of content creation. If your viewers aren't converting, maybe they have some concerns. Address these concerns in an informed, helpful way, and you might just have some new customers.

AdWeek has another idea to make content and offers pop. "Detailed stories connect with consumers" - Just as website visitors or blog readers find value in personalisation, prospective customers can find value in personal stories, making them more inclined to believe in the product or service you are offering. Check out the cool infographic on this page for more details on how you can implement this.

Email

I hope you've got a cup of coffee because this one is long: LinkedIn lists 197 common clichés that could be killing your email marketing results. Clichés do not working in marketing. Your audience is not stupid, and they will get bored quickly if they see you are using clichéd money-grabbing techniques in your content offers, blog posts and emails. So, get to know the phrases in this list and never use them. If you've seen any of these in your own email Inbox, there's a 99% chance you rolled your eyes. Here's a few of my personal favourites:

• "The best kept secret..."
• "Don't miss out!"
• "Keep calm and [insert anything here]."

Old Marketer, New Tricks

2017 should be the year of skilling up for marketers, no matter how long you've been doing the job. Things are changing and it's essential to success that all marketing managers, start-ups and employees get the latest information. Entreprenuer's infographic shows 10 free online marketing courses to up your marketing performance. If you've got a few free weekends, why not use them to learn some new skills?

If you've got a website, go to it now and navigate to your About page. Have a really good look. Is the design intuitive? Would visitors find it appealing and with easy usability? Now look at the About page examples on HubSpot's list of About page examples that are probably better than yours. There's a lot to learn from these sites, and a little redesign never hurt anybody.

Inbound Spotlight

All of the articles and sources mentioned in this post were featured on our Facebook, Twitter or Google+ feeds this month, so make sure to check those out for more interesting and helpful marketing posts. Watch out for a new Interesting Reading from XEN Systems at the end of each month.