Marketing News Digest: May 2017

If you're anything like us, you try to consume as much marketing news as possible every month... and you probably fall short just as often as you meet the mark. No problem! We have you covered with our usual roundup of what made the headlines last month. From branding to broadcast ads and social media to sales, we cover the most relevant articles to get you all caught up. marketing news may 2017

Marketing News Digest: May 2017

Here are some of the marketing news and views that you might have missed during May:
  • Should Your Ads Be Assertive or Aggressive? - People don't like to be ordered around, that much is obvious. But where is the line? Research by UCF suggests that "assertive advertising" can be a double-edged sword; consumers need a call to action, but they prefer one that is suggestive rather than aggressive. How well does your advertising walk that line?
  • Sponsored Content Can Be the Bridge - With ad blockers in use by roughly one-quarter of  consumers, brands are eager to bolster their formal advertising with more creative approaches. Sponsored content such as brand driven articles and video productions can provide that bridge. Research from Collective Bias suggesting that 1-in-3 consumers have bought something based on this kind of targeted content.
  • Facebook Beats Linkedin for Some B2B Purposes - Facebook's drive towards one network rule them all does not stop at personal social networking, it seems. The 2017 State of Inbound from Hubspot reveals that almost as many professionals prefer Facebook to LinkedIn. Almost three-quarters - 74% - of B2B respondents opted for Facebook as their primary choice for professional connections online, compared to 78% for LinkedIn. Dare we call it the Microsoft effect?!
  • Phone Calls Connect As Well As Ever - That same status update included an important reminder (below), that it's still phone calls that rule the roost for sales reps. Social media and online communication have been transformative for marketers, but it's important to note that calls dominate all other channels when it comes to closing a sale.
best ways to connect with sales prospects survey
  • Businesses Should Spend More Time Listening Online - A new study from Clutch suggests that too few companies realize the brand value of listening to social media chatter. Sure, there's a lot of noise out there, but this survey shows the value of cutting through the clutter, with 42% of businesses saying they improve customer relationships online and a massive 86% responding to customer questions and concerns.
  • Know Your Meme - If you don't have enough time to take in the news, what's the likelihood that you can keep track of the latest memes on social media? James McCrae at Blue Fountain Media explores the various forms of meme marketing last month, most of which can be used by brands of any size. It's what everyone - well, one person writing at AdAge - is calling your covfefe strategy.
  • Instagram is King of the Influencers - If you're interested in influencer marketing, it's the Facebook-owned visual smorgasbord of Instagram where you should be spending most time. According to Hashoff, more than 99% of the 300 influencers surveyed use the platform and 92% of them consider it their most important channel to reach an engaged audience.
That's all for another month. If you'd prefer to keep up with the industry news every day, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to keep track of what matters! [search-tag]  

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