Here are the stories that grabbed our attention this week. We hope you find some inspiration before you head out to enjoy the weekend.
- What Will Google Stamp Mean for Content Marketing?: It could be the most useful word mash-up since “brunch;” Google is abbreviated “story” and “accelerated mobile pages technology” (thank goodness) as it shapes Google Stamp, a publishing platform aimed at mobile users. It’s supposed to function much like Snapchat Discover, allowing users to swipe among text, video and image content. But unlike the social network that inspired it, the new platform is being conceived as a new avenue to discover products and services. Or, as content marketers will see it, as a way to engage consumers at the top of the sales funnel. There’s no hard release date yet, and the launch is likely to include only large enterprises. But it’s worth noticing the direction things are headed: further blurring of the lines between search, advertising and content. We’ll keep an eye on this new consumer-centric platform.
- The Ultimate Guide to the 33 Best Content Marketing Podcasts: The average podcast fan listens to five shows a week, according to Entrepreneur. (Only five? Maybe I need to rein in my listening habits!) The numbers keep climbing. Content marketers have flocked to the format, which means you can already find a breathtaking array of options geared toward your favorite content marketing topics. If you haven’t found your favorite yet, browse this Curata post for great summaries and key benefits of the top 33 content marketing podcasts. Even if you’re already a die-hard listener, you’re likely to find a couple new shows to add to your playlist.
- Forget the 9 to 5 – Research Suggests There’s a Case for the 3-Hour Workday: Recent research is calling us out on our work habits. It seems that the average employee only spends about 2 hours and 53 minutes of the workday actually working. The rest of the time is most often spent Web surfing, eating and drinking, socializing and even job hunting. The 2016 study of nearly 2,000 office workers in the U.K. has inspired some creative solutions, including an Amazon experiment in which a ew dozen employees are working a 30-hour work week for 75% of their normal salary. Check out the post on Business Insider for some interesting insights on why this might be a great idea.
- 2018 Content Marketing Research Reveals What Top B2B Performers Are Doing Better: Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and MaarketingProfs’ newly released “B2B Content Marketing 2018: Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends—North America” report, sponsored by Brightcove, is chock full of details on what the best and brightest minds in B2B are up to. And sure, the top performers are better at aligning their marketing goals with metrics and more likely to have a documented strategy, but they also value creativity and craft in content creation and production. Read the full post for insights from MarketingProfs CCO Ann Handley, a video with quick analysis and a folder with research charts, quotes and research highlights.
As we leave summer in our rearview mirrors, what are you looking forward to this fall? Do you have a marketing-related Halloween costume idea? Are you reveling in the success of a summer marketing campaign? We’d love to hear from you; drop us a line in the comments section below.
