Not only are marketing experts full of knowledge, but they have a wonderful way with words. Here are some great quotes from industry leaders that simplify big ideas, point to the future of marketing, and inspire us to implement more effective strategies.
“Innovation should be massively disruptive now—today.” Kirk Perry | President of Global Client and Agency Solutions at Google Tweet This!
Innovation is fueled by a bigger vision just beyond the horizon, and it starts by pushing for more than you have right now. Even if it sounds impossible, great ideas will simply stay ideas without action. Unless you have a legit crystal ball, all you can do is make educated predictions about the future of digital marketing—and start transforming your ideas into outcomes. The time is now. (Source)
“You are competing with every piece of content ever made for every person’s attention. You need to be entertaining. Don’t outsmart. Out entertain.” Dolf van den Brink | President and CEO of Heineken USA Tweet This!
Ever hear of “The Most Interesting Man in the World?” Owned by Heineken, the Dos Equis brand has out-entertained the competition by creating a cultural icon. He only drinks beer occasionally, but he can definitely sell it. With shareable content featuring hilarious scenarios and words of wisdom—”Stay Thirsty My Friends”—this marketing campaign is funny, memorable, and definitely entertaining. (Source)
“Measurement is like laundry. It piles up the longer you wait to do it!” Amber Naslund | SVP Marketing at Sysomos Tweet This!
Data measurement is critical for evaluating online marketing campaigns. If you don’t know what’s working, you can’t replicate success. And if you aren’t sure of a marketing campaigns’ impact overall, you are wasting time and money. Waiting to collect and interpret data makes it that much harder to sift through, decipher, and implement in a useful way. Review the numbers early and often. (Source: Amber Naslund @AmberCadabra)
“Customer service is not the same as being customer-centric.” Danny Brown | Co-author of Influence Marketing and voted Social Media Examiner‘s Top 10 Social Media Blogs in 2011, 2013, and 2014 Tweet This!
“Knowing how to treat customers is the biggest, most organic method of marketing and you can use them to build advocacy,” says Brown. He’s absolutely right. The content you create to get people to engage with your marketing is only one part of the process. Make sure you give them the right information to make a purchase decision, then build processes and use tools that allow your brand to provide customer-centric support and content that turn customers into advocates, not angry users. (Source)
“Community is much more than belonging to something; it’s about doing something that makes belonging matter.” Brain Solis | Principal at the Altimeter Group and author of What’s the Future for Business: Changing the Way Businesses Create Experiences Tweet This!
It starts with attracting the right community, but then you need to give them a reason to stick around. When it comes to social media in particular, brands need to be listening, not pushing what they think will sell. If your audience feels like you’re hosting a space to build community with like minds and hearts, it’s worth their while to engage with you and other members. Make it clear what you stand for—and make it easy for people to connect around those values. (Source)
“If you don’t think companies should become verbs…you should Google it.” Anita Newton | Vice President at AdKnowledge and writer for Inc.com Tweet This!
Clever and right to the point. The action behind the company is what people remember. Customers want an easy way to connect with what you offer and how it helps them, so make that connection as easy with your marketing and branding. (Source)
“Don’t try and break through the noise…just engage.” Pam Moore | Specialist in conversion optimization and social branding, and named a Forbes‘ Top 5 Women in Social Media Influencer Tweet This!
Social media is a fast-moving train that’s picking up speed. Instead of trying to be everywhere, find one platform to develop a strong presence and start connecting with the people who care about what you are doing. Fostering one-on-one conversations and relationships means your message will be heard AND digested, not skimmed in between all the other noise. (Source)
“Great Marketing = leveraging customer data to deliver random acts of kindness surrounding your brand.” Matt Fleckstein | VP of Marketing Automation at Salesforce Tweet This!
The data you collect through marketing and social media campaigns isn’t just about improving the bottom line—it’s a clear, honest peek into what customers really value about your brand. When you use marketing to get closer to customer needs and desires, you can give them what they want before they even ask. (Source)
“Good content strives to explain, to make things a bit clearer, to make sense of our world.” Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs and author of Everybody Writes Tweet This!
Ummm, what she said. If your marketing message is muddled or un-helpful, it won’t foster trust or draw the important connection between your products and the value they provide. Clear, relatable content makes it easy to say “yes” and helps customers understand your offerings in the context of their lives. (Source)
“Going viral is not an outcome; it’s a happening. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t. Just remember, fans are vanity and sales are sanity.” Lori R. Taylor | Owner of Social Caffeine Tweet This!
This quote is not only apt, it pinpoints where many marketing efforts fall off track. If marketing and social media are focused on going viral instead of the deeper message, you are completely missing out on creating quality content and the right type of customer service needed to build one-on-one connections that lead to sales. (Source)
There you have it—words of wisdom from marketing experts and practitioners, helping you focus your marketing efforts and build better connections with customers. The future of marketing is looking bright!