Danielle N. - Express Writers

40+ Digital Marketing Experts to Follow on Twitter: Keep Your Marketing Skills Up to Date

June 19, 2024May 16, 2019 by Danielle N.

Digital marketing is constantly evolving. SEO trends and content marketing strategies that worked six months ago might not produce the same results today. So, what can you do as a marketer, entrepreneur, or website owner? How can you keep up with the latest marketing strategies, the algorithms, and analytics? The answer? Follow the right people on Twitter. There’s no better way to stay up-to-date than to follow the right people on Twitter and scroll through their feeds filled with great advice. Twitter is one of our favorite social media platforms, but we all know there are over 500 million tweets sent out each day. No one has the time to check each account and verify the real pros from the self-proclaimed “experts.” So, to help you sift through the non-relevant stuff and get straight to the information that really matters, we’ve compiled this list of the leading digital marketing experts and publications to follow on Twitter. Each of these experts seems to have cracked the code with not only understanding the complexities of digital marketing but also putting them into practice. They are moving the industry forward with their innovative strategies. The best part? They’re constantly sharing their knowledge — all for free. What are you waiting for? Scroll down to see the list, add the experts you’d love to follow, add value to your Twitter feed, and keep your content marketing skills in top shape. Read, learn, share, and enjoy! Did we miss anyone? Let us know in the comments! [bctt tweet=”NEW: Our top 40+ recommended #marketing experts to follow on Twitter, a list curated by @daninofuente and @JuliaEMcCoy ✨ Is your digital marketing hero on the list?” username=”ExpWriters”] How We Hand-Curated Our List of 40+ Digital Marketing Experts There were a number of factors that helped us decide on which experts to recommend for following. Our CEO, Julia McCoy, was heavily involved in the creation of this roundup. She reviewed and approved each of the people we recommend below. Secondly, two of us writers were included in the formulation: one of our copywriters, and me, Danielle, Express Writer’s Content Specialist (and everything else behind the scenes). We think that humanly created lists are some of the best lists! Next, here’s what we looked at when determining who to recommend to our Write Blog readers. First, we looked at experts in content marketing, social media, and SEO. Then, we considered digital marketing experts who are regularly invited to share their knowledge by speaking at leading conferences all around the world, and writing for consistent columns or their own blog. Instead of tenure (years in the field), we looked at recent accomplishments and studied to find people that are the most current in the marketing space. We believe that matters more than tenure. If you’ve been a marketer for 30 years and you haven’t written a single blog on marketing trends for the past six or even three months, are you even current? We also researched the pioneers and thought-leaders. What did they share on Twitter that was noteworthy, original, and outstanding? Finally, experts who’ve mastered current industry trends and are influencing future trends were also considered. [bctt tweet=”See our top 40+ recommended #marketing experts to follow on Twitter! Is your digital marketing hero on the list? ” username=”ExpWriters”] 40+ Digital Marketing Experts to Follow on Twitter After taking into consideration the above points, we decided on the following names that every digital marketer needs to follow. These are the people who are moving the industry forward with their innovation and following them will allow you to stay on top of your digital marketing. 1. Ai Addyson-Zhang, Ph.D Ai Addyson-Zhang, Ph.D. is a long-time college professor who is now an entrepreneur changing the space, taking the stage and teaching authentic, real practices for social media. Her passion for social media pedagogy only started in 2015 after the surprise that one of her students didn’t know what Pinterest is! She realized that not all her students were familiar with all social media platforms, and as an educator, she needed to level up and practice what she preached. These realizations inspired her to create Classroom Without Walls, a weekly Facebook Live show where she interviews experts in modern marketing to provide real, authentic insights on the industry. Julia has been a guest 3x! Catch a recap of Ai and Julia on Ai’s Medium page. Ai also built the Social Media Pedagogy Online Training course and helps her fellow educators and professors transform traditional learning by applying social media practices. This fearless and industry-changing woman has grown into a consultant and speaker, keynoting on stages and training academic and industry leaders how to apply storytelling in digital marketing. Follow @aiaddysonzhang on Twitter. 2. Chris Strub When you check out Chris Strub’s YouTube channel, you’ll notice his impressive accomplishment: He’s the first (and only) man to live stream and Snapchat in all 50 US States. This accomplishment is documented in one of his books, 50 States, 100 Days. His roadtrip-slash-social media success is only a part of his bigger achievement: helping nonprofit organizations around the US. Besides being an author and famous mobile storyteller, he’s going around the world as a millennial keynote speaker in social media conferences, and an educator offering online courses on using social media to build relationships — whether you’re a nonprofit or not. Follow @ChrisStrub on Twitter 3. Madalyn Sklar If you’re wondering how to use the most out of your social media platforms — especially Twitter — in your marketing strategy, Madalyn Sklar is your go-to person. She’s had already figured out how to live tweet in 2008 before everyone else, and now, she offers her own #TwitterSmarter Masterclass online. Madalyn also offers coaching, consulting, and speaking services for those who want “rockstar results” with their social media. She’s pretty much very active on Twitter as she’s hosting two Twitter chats #TwitterSmarter and #SocialROI every Tuesday and Thursday. Follow @MadalynSklar on Twitter 4. Brian Fanzo Brian Fanzo describes himself as a “pager-wearing millennial keynote speaker.” What is a digital marketing expert doing with a pager? What is a pager? (I … Read more

We Interviewed 4 Successful Content Marketers For Their Content Marketing Process: Lessons from the Best in the Biz

June 19, 2024February 26, 2019 by Danielle N.

Ideas are free and unlimited. But, it doesn’t really matter what the next brilliant idea is. What matters most is how we execute it. How can we define a good execution? Here’s a short but straight to the point definition from Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan’s book, “Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done:” “Execution is a systematic way of exposing reality and acting on it.” To execute, you don’t just act — you act according to plan. If not, expect everything to turn into a mess. The same goes for making great content online. Before content marketers transform ideas into high-quality posts that bring in actual ROI, everything should go through a unique content marketing process. There are also content marketing tools used to save time and improve productivity, and standards to follow in identifying effective content. However, despite content marketing teams following workflows, some still face challenges: Based on CMI’s 2018 B2B Content Marketing Study, 32% of content marketers think their workflow is fair or poor. Furthermore, 27% are having a hard time producing creative content which can be tough to achieve especially when everyone is worried about not having enough time. Since we’re all curious about how the best ones out there create great content, here we’ve interviewed four of the best content marketers today: Kim Moutsos, VP of Editorial at the Content Marketing Institute; Susan Moeller, Senior Marketing Manager at BuzzSumo; Amanda Todorovich, Senior Director of Content Marketing at Cleveland Clinic; and Michael Pozdnev, Founder of I Wanna Be a Blogger. So, how do they do it? Read on to find out. [bctt tweet=”.@DaniNofuente interviewed four #contentmarketers for the Write Blog, and they shared amazing tips with us. Featuring @MPozdnev @kmoutsos from @CMIContent @amandatodo and @SusanCMoeller from @BuzzSumo ” username=”ExpWriters”] We Interviewed 4 Successful Content Marketers For Their Content Marketing Process: Lessons from the Best in the Biz Kim Moutsos, VP of Editorial at the Content Marketing Institute Tell us about your team’s content marketing process. What happens in each process? “We always start with the audience in mind: What new topics do our readers need to know more about? What evergreen topics are they always hungry for information about? We review what we’ve already published on those topics to see if there’s anything we can refresh or expand or whether we need a new piece. Finally, we consider what’s going on in our own organization, whether that’s the release of new research or an upcoming conference that we might want to create awareness about. But our audience’s information needs are a priority.” In this entire process, what’s the most important step/detail for you that’s often overlooked by other content marketers? “Checking for existing content that can be refreshed or repurposed. Starting from a proven foundation means a good chunk of the work is already done. For us, this means anything from updating an existing article, turning a great conference session into a blog post, combining examples from many different posts into a roundup or ebook, to turning research stats into an infographic, and so on.” What are your most recommended content marketing tools? “Every team has to pick the tools that make the most sense for their strategy, team, and needs. Since we’re a small but distributed team, we rely on our editorial tracker/calendar, which is a shared Google spreadsheet that’s evolved over several years, plus shared storage for files. And, of course, everyone needs analytics tools.” Share your secrets with us. How do you come up with the most brilliant content ideas? “I work with really creative people, so collaborating with them generally helps the seed of any idea blossom. Stepping away from the computer and venturing out into the real world, whether for a work-related event or just a walk in the fresh air, almost always opens my thinking to new possibilities.” What makes high-quality content truly high-quality for you? “Of course, high-quality content is well written, researched, and meets an information need. But those are just the basics. If it’s really a quality piece, it provokes a response in the reader. It drives them to do some action, whether that’s to try a tip or suggestion in their own work, to challenge or agree with us in the comments, to share an article with colleagues, to subscribe to one of our newsletters, or consider coming to one of our events.” [bctt tweet=”‘If it’s really a quality piece, it provokes a response in the reader. It drives them to do some action, whether that’s to try a tip or suggestion in their own work…’ – @kmoutsos on #highqualitycontent” username=”ExpWriters”] Kim Moutsos is Content Marketing Institute’s vice president of editorial. She is a 20-year veteran of online and print publishing, specializing in creating business and technology content. Follow Kim on Twitter @kmoutsos. Susan Moeller, Senior Marketing Manager at BuzzSumo In this entire process, what’s the most important step/detail for you that’s often overlooked by other content marketers? “Collaborating with others. Our content performs best when we have a partner involved from the beginning. It can be time-consuming to create something with a partner, but the benefits in distribution are significant.” What are your most recommended content marketing tools? “I use BuzzSumo for ideation, and I use SEMRush for keyword analysis. I also rely heavily on Google Analytics.” Share your secrets with us. How do you come up with the most brilliant content ideas? “Thinking and talking! Content ideation is a bit like making soup. I have a lot of things simmering away somewhere at the back of my mind. Then, I’ll have a conversation with someone who serves as a prompt to reach into the pot and pull out a tidbit or two. Further discussion will help me to decide if the idea is a juicy bit of chicken or just stringy celery.” What makes high-quality content truly high-quality for you? “Trusting the source. As a content consumer, I am very aware of the source of the content I consume. If I don’t … Read more

The Future Is (Still) Email: Experts Share Their Email Marketing Tips to Increase Conversion

June 19, 2024January 29, 2019 by Danielle N.

The Future Is (Still) Email: 12 Experts Share Their Email Marketing Tips to Increase Conversion in 2019

It’s the beginning of a new year — the best time to ditch outdated practices and hop into future marketing trends. While it’s obvious that social media marketing will continue to evolve as algorithms and user habits change, what about email marketing? In 2012, a Pew Study revealed that text messaging is the most preferred form of daily communication among teenagers — 63% of them say so. For email? Only 6%, taking the bottom spot under landline calls and instant messaging. The future of email in 2018 didn’t even seem to be brighter for some professionals because of Gen-Z workers who prefer to communicate through messaging apps or collaboration software like Slack. Email was “one-dimensional and simply outdated.” So, are the days of email marketing almost over for this year? It doesn’t seem like it. We’re actually seeing the opposite. Here are some of the recent email marketing data that may surprise you: According to Forrester’s Email Marketing Forecast, email adoption among 12-17-year-olds grew from 69% to 82% in 2017. In Adobe’s Consumer Email Survey Report 2017, around 61% of 1,000 white-collar respondents who own a smartphone want brands to contact them through email. In the 2018 version of Adobe’s report, employees are spending more time checking their personal emails in 2018. There were 3.7 billion global email users in 2017 — and this is set to grow up to 4.3 billion users in 2022. The good news about the continuous rise of email use goes on and on. Email marketing is certainly evolving as well — a sign that marketers should keep track of the best email marketing practices for this year and beyond. [bctt tweet=”The future is still email! There will be 4.3 billion GLOBAL email users by 2022. Read #emailmarketing tips from 12 experts by @DaniNofuente on @ExpWriters” username=”ExpWriters”] The Future Is (Still) Email: 12 Experts Share Their Email Marketing Tips to Increase Conversion in 2019 Clueless about the changes you need to do in your usual email marketing practices? Let’s ask the experts for some help. Check out these email marketing tips from the marketing pros that you should do right away. 1. Jordie van Rijn “Review where you make ‘the split.’ The split is the point between the email and what is beyond the email. That exact point is marked by a click. Which information do you put in the email and which do you sort out on the landing page. Is your email effective with juuuuust enough to grab attention & foster curiosity, or does more info or repeated persuasion points work better? You need to frame the experience on the landing page in order for them to convert. With all the possible email marketing A/B test you can do, you’d be surprised how often ‘the split’ is totally overlooked in optimizing conversion. Find the point which gives enough to take the next step, not more, not less. And then make sure that the next step is super clear.” Jordie van Rijn is the email marketing consultant behind emailmonday where he helps clients improve their email marketing strategy and select the right email marketing software. He has worked with top brands like AEGON, Unilever, Roche, KLM, and Heineken. He is also the founder of the platform for email marketing software selection. 2. Shane Phair “Personalization goes beyond adding someone’s first name in the subject line. Marketers should be using the information they know about their customers to provide them with emails filled with relevant content. By increasing the use of personalization — such as a publisher offering curated content in their newsletter based on a subscriber’s interests — businesses will see an increase in open and click-through rates, as well as a direct impact on ROI.” [bctt tweet=”‘Marketers should be using the information they know about their customers to provide them with emails filled with relevant content.’ @shanephair on #emailmarketingtips ” username=”ExpWriters”] Shane Phair is the Chief Marketing Officer of Campaign Monitor, a company providing an easy-to-use email marketing and automation platform. Before Campaign Monitor, he led marketing and demand generation teams as VP of Demand Generation at Cleo and held senior sales positions with Brainshark, Ipswitch, and Motorola. 3. Sujan Patel “Maintain a clean and healthy email list. Ensure your emails actually reach your intended target by using an email verifying tool. Voila Norbert’s verifying tool improves your deliverability and ensures your emails aren’t trapped by spam filters and eventually blacklisted.” [bctt tweet=”‘Ensure your emails actually reach your intended target by using an email verifying tool.’ @sujanpatel on #emailmarketingtips ” username=”ExpWriters”] Sujan Patel is the co-founder of WebProfits, a growth marketing agency, and Mailshake, a cold email outreach tool for sales and marketing. He writes for top publications such as Forbes, Inc., and Entrepreneur and talks at different growth marketing conferences around the world. Listen to his content marketing productivity tips in this The Write Podcast episode. 4. Michal Leszczynski “Email marketing has changed over the years, but the developments in the technology aren’t as dynamic as it’s the case with other digital marketing channels. We still have some time before more advanced things like interactive emails, or proper video embedding becomes a standard. The future looks very promising, though. Just check out AMP for email – this thing can completely change how we interact with email messages. So, before that happens – what tactics should marketers focus on to generate the highest engagement rates? As the data from the GetResponse study suggests, what subscribers are looking for in their email communication is personalization. They value emails that are sent at the right time and contain information that’s both interesting and relevant to them. Privacy’s also becoming more critical. Countries, where the regulations are more strict (e.g., require double opt-in), continue to observe the highest open and click-through rates. And finally, videos – even though their support is still limited. They generate very high engagement too. The lesson here: subscribers don’t want to waste time on emails that are just generic or uninteresting. Instead, try offering them valuable content, one that’s tailored to their preferences. Your results will soar.” Michal Leszczynski is … Read more

Work-Life Balance Strategies: What 24 Marketing Experts Say About Work-Life Balance

June 19, 2024December 18, 2018 by Danielle N.

We often glorify the idea of non-stop hustling. We see these images of influencers on social media who all seem to have it all put together, at the peak of their success while grinding 24/7. And we, too, try to find ways to become productive every single day, hoping to reach that point where we become satisfyingly successful. No wonder that the average productivity rate for every American worker has gone all the way up to 400% since 1950. It’s not even a surprise that the average American works for 44 hours per week — that’s more than eight hours per day. Crazy, isn’t it? You may already know this, but then again, overworking isn’t the key to success. And continuing to do so means damaging your health, relationships, and your self-worth. So, why not ditch the hustle and focus on achieving a better work-life balance? We know. It sounds easy, but hard to do especially when you love your job. That’s why we’ve asked the marketing experts about their own work-life balance strategies. We hope these points will inspire you to find your own balance. Work-Life Balance Strategies: What 24 Marketing Experts Say About Work-Life Balance Thinking work-life balance is impossible to do? Read what the marketing pros do, and you’ll find the best tips that may work for you. 1. Mark Schaefer “I’m probably at a different stage in my life than other readers. I’m in my 50s. At this point, I do what I love. There really is not much difference between work and home because I choose to do things that bring me joy, so there really is no struggle. Of course, you always run into bumps in the road. But you just have to recognize that as a normal part of life and keep moving ahead.” Mark Schaefer is a globally recognized social media expert, speaker, executive branding coach, marketing strategist, podcaster and writer. He’s the Executive Director of Schaefer Marketing Solutions, blogger of {grow}, and author of six marketing books including the best-selling “The Content Code” and “The Tao of Twitter.” Listen to his appearance on The Write Podcast. 2. Andy Crestodina “Go to bed. It sounds simple. But it’s very powerful. If you can get to bed and fall asleep 90 minutes sooner, you can wake up that much earlier and use that time for something far more important than whatever you were going to watch on Netflix at 10:30 PM. Imagine what would happen to your content, your brand, your knowledge, your network. Here’s a quick list of things you could do with that time over the next year: Write a book Launch a video series Write 50 guest posts Becoming a columnist for a major publication Or even crush a non-marketing goal… Have six-pack abs Learn to speak Italian What are the main differences between high and low performers? It’s not knowledge. Most people know HOW to do the things on that list. The difference is willpower, persistence and focus. So, get to bed! Then get up at 4:30 AM every day for two months no matter what. Then you will have formed the habit and it will come automatically. Use the time to invest in yourself. 99% of you will not take this advice. The other 1% will be so successful, I almost feel bad for their competitors.” Andy Crestodina is the co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Orbit Media, an award-winning 38-person web design and development firm in Chicago. He’s also a top-rated marketing speaker and the author of “Content Chemistry.” 3. Glen Gilmore “For the last two years, I’ve spent more time out of the country than in the country on consultations, speaking engagements, and brand ambassadorships. Whether I’m at home or on the road, I always do my best to work in a moment for meditation, a healthy breakfast, and a half-hour walk. Even a few pages of a good book a night helps. And though I always work on long flights, I do indulge in a movie or two. And when it’s time with family, it’s time away from looking at a phone for anything that’s non-emergent. And, just as I always have a long list of work-related projects to complete, I keep an equally long list of personal projects and goals to accomplish. I work at advancing them both.” Glen Gilmore is a Forbes Top 20 “Social Media Influencer” who provides Digital Marketing strategy and training to some of the Fortune 500 companies like Amazon, Huawei, and Verizon. He’s also a practicing lawyer and author of “Social Media Law for Business.” 4. Ryan Robinson “For me, work-life balance is a constant game of course correction. I’m rarely in perfect sync between work and personal life for long intervals of time. However, over the years I’ve pushed myself to regularly zoom out and take a look at whether work or fun are getting too much of my attention – and identify which one needs more attention. Some weeks, I force myself to only work 20 to 30 hours and enjoy going on a mid-week hike to clear my head and reset my priorities when things are getting a little stressful. Yet during other weeks if I’m preparing for a course launch or recording a lot of interviews for my podcast, it can easily turn into 50 to 60 hours of staring at a screen. That’s draining and unsustainable for me. So, what I’ve really come to learn, is that work-life balance (at least for me) is more about being hyper-aware of my mental state, and feeling empowered to take corrective action to avoid burning out when I need to. My advice is to always thoughtfully plan your week out ahead of time, so that you first schedule blocks of time for the most important activities – like getting physical activity every day, going on date nights with your significant other, or putting the kids to bed. Work should fit in around the greater purpose of your life, … Read more

Break the Internet: Learn What It Takes to Create Viral Content From 5 Of the Hottest Pieces On the Web

June 19, 2024June 23, 2016 by Danielle N.

Brannon Powers is a Content Specialist at Express Writers. Ever wanted to see a piece of your content go viral (aka, break the internet)? It’s a dream of many of us as marketers, but in order for a piece of content to “break the internet,” it needs to go viral in a big, big way: and it takes a special mix of things in order for content to be able to do that. In addition to being interesting, it also needs to have that special “something” that gives it an edge over the competition. In this post, we’re going to break down some of our favorite viral pieces and help you understand why and how they got that way. Keep reading. What Makes Viral Content… Viral? Viral content doesn’t just happen by accident. Instead, it’s a highly strategized and intentional form of content that draws upon a few proven, essential things to become popular. There have been multiple studies conducted on the topic of what it takes for content to go viral and every study finds the same things: great content has a series of traits that help it stand out to audiences. We’ll breakdown the 7 trademarks we think all viral content has in a moment: but first, we need to take a look at a few content pieces online that deserve everyone’s attention, so you can be inspired on what they did right. Drumroll please. Here are a few of the hottest content pieces on the web in our beloved industry, content marketing and SEO. 5 Content Pieces that Went Viral 1. “Google is Hiring an SEO Manager to Improve its Rankings in Google” – Search Engine Land One of the most-shared articles on Buzzsumo under the keyword “SEO,” this sucker earned more than 21,000 shares across Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google+. The reason for this is clear: the headline is shocking. Anyone who knows anything about SEO would know that Google is a company that does SEO, so the fact that the king of the castle would have to hire a king to teach it to be king is shocking. To provide extra value for readers, this piece of content also includes a screenshot of Google’s own job listing and excerpts about the requirements and experience needed to qualify. 2. ”7 Social Media Experiments That Grew our Traffic by 241%”– Buffer With more than 12.7 thousand total shares, this piece is a fantastic example of content gone viral. This article was shared on Twitter by HubSpot, SEMrush, and the Mayo Clinic’s Social Media Network department, to name a few. So what makes it notable? Well, to start with, it promises great things. The article is apparently aimed at marketers, and the implication that Buffer grew its traffic by 241% (a number so large it’s almost hard to comprehend) means, of course, that the people who read the article can, as well. It’s a confident statement, but since Buffer has already done it with their own content, they’re sending the clear message that their readers can, as well. When you visit the article, the writer also does an excellent job of getting right inside your head. The opening line is, “If you’ve asked this before…’How do we get more visitors to our website?’…you’re certainly not alone…” By making the content relatable for readers, the writer inspires trust as well and a relieving feeling of “oh yeah, he gets me.” Finally, the article uses a handful of really well-done images to demonstrate its point, break up the text, and provide proof of the headline’s claim. 3. “The Nit-Picking Glory of the New Yorker’s Comma Queen” – Ted Pop quiz: what made this headline go viral? Interest, authority, and visuals? Right, you are. This article is actually a video published by Ted. It has more than 11.7 thousand total shares, with more than 9 thousand shares on Facebook alone. But why? There are a couple of reasons. First of all, it’s a video, which makes it perfect for social media and quick sharing. Second of all, the title is quirky, entertaining, and authoritative. “A comma queen?” the reader thinks, “What’s that? I must know!” Once the interest has been piqued, the reader absorbs the reference to The New Yorker, which is one of the most authoritative literary journals in the world right now, so the article immediately establishes credibility. Finally, the word “glory” promises that this will be entertaining, funny, or both. Oh, also, who cares about the Oxford comma? She does. 4. “3 Unusual Hacks to Dramatically Up Your LinkedIn Game” – Moz With more than 17 thousand shares, this Moz article by Larry Kim went viral in a big way. Can you guess why? First of all, it’s the first how-to article in this list, which makes it appealing to readers right off the bat. Secondly, it offers three points, and while longer lists do tend to rank well, this one communicates to readers that it’s immediately actionable, and absorbable now. As in: they can be using these tips on their LinkedIn accounts today. This piece does a few things right. First, it’s beautifully laid out, with plenty of white space to give the reader space to navigate through the content. Additionally, it makes use of graphics that make the reader feel like they’re wandering through a great story, like this one: Thanks to the mix of helpful text and unique graphics that give the piece a distinctly festive and fairytale-esque feel that stands out, this piece manages to be exciting to readers while also being useful, relevant, and actionable. It’s also a long piece of content, which dives into the reader’s questions, answers them thoroughly, and offers plenty of evidence, screenshots, information, and proof to back the material in the content up. 5. “Why it’s Impossible for you not to Read this Sentence” –The Independent Why did this piece go viral? If you guessed the headline, you’re right. With upwards of 5,400 total shares, this article on brainwashing and the written word reached audiences across the … Read more