Writing blogs and download pieces, attending campaign meetings or even beating the rest of the...
Trying to keep up with digital marketing trends can seem like a walking nightmare for marketers. You take in one amazing learning to boost your marketing strategy, yet three new algorithms are rolled out. Automation tools, new products, software - the list goes on.
Thankfully, there are so many ways you can keep up in real-time without methods getting outdated relatively quickly. If you want to stay ahead of your competition amidst this constantly-evolving landscape by being on the lookout for new trends and sources, here’s how you can do it.
- The books you should read
- The podcasts you should subscribe and listen to
- The events and conferences you should attend
- The social media accounts you should follow
The books you should read
As the scope of marketing widens, so does the number of books that are released. That doesn’t mean you should ditch blogs and videos entirely. Sometimes, it’s good to sink into the thoughts an industry leader has provided in a useful book which they might not have shared elsewhere.
More often than not, you’ll read through the trial and error the experts went through, tips, advice and more. Here are some you should check out in 2019.
Inbound Marketing: Attract, Engage and Delight Customers Online
If you have an inbound strategy or you want to improve your existing one, this needs to be on your bookshelf. You’ll find out more about each stage of the inbound methodology and tips on how you can attract, convert, close and delight customers.
Oh, and it’s written by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah, the frontrunners of inbound marketing and founders of HubSpot. So it’s definitely worth a read.
Marketing: A Love Story, How to Matter to Your Customers
This book is perfect if you’ve ever been unsure about how to introduce emotion into your marketing communication. You’ll get plenty more insight, inspiration and ideas than pretty much any other book out there. The key message from the book? You’re not selling a product, you’re selling a story.
So, you need both facts and feelings. Check it out and see why Bernadette Jiwa’s book comes so highly recommended.
This is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn to See
Marketing leader Seth Godin condenses the core elements of his expertise into one digestible volume. This book will teach you how you’re able to build trust with consumers as a marketer through strategic positioning and storytelling.
It doesn’t matter if you’re familiar with Godin’s work or a newbie, there’s a lot you can learn from it.
The podcasts you should subscribe and listen to
If you don’t fancy reading, there are loads of marketing podcasts out there you can subscribe and listen to. Whether it’s on SoundCloud, Spotify or even a video podcast on YouTube, you have plenty of options. Here are some of our favourites you should check out in 2019.
Call to Action
Call to Action is a weekly podcast which covers the fundamentals of digital marketing. You’ll hear from experts on tips and tricks about conversion rate optimisation (CRO), PPC marketing, A/B testing, social media marketing and more.
Copyblogger FM
Every week, Sonia Simone and her team analyse content marketing trends and downfalls on Copyblogger FM. It’s useful if you want to stay up-to-date with content marketing practices, copywriting, email marketing and so much more.
Inbound After Hours
Revamped and better than ever. Our very own podcast at Digital 22 - Inbound After Hours - is a weekly video and audio podcast where we talk about all things inbound marketing. You’ll find everything from interviews with industry leaders like Brian Halligan, Luke Summerfield and Rand Fishkin, to inbound marketing tips from our in-house experts plus so much more.
The social media accounts you should follow
Disclaimer: we definitely don’t have the room to include all of the marketing folks, companies and entities we gain knowledge from. There’s a lot you can learn by liking their page on Facebook, connecting with them on LinkedIn or following them on Twitter. It’s an effortless way to gain inside knowledge that guarantees plenty of value.
Content Marketing Institute
An old favourite amongst plenty of marketers, and rightfully so. By following CMI on Twitter, you’ll instantly see plenty of tweets regarding best mobile marketing practices, how you can develop your social strategies, tips for creating valuable content and a whole lot more.
Econsultancy
The Econsultancy account is more of a bridge between marketers. It helps us all learn from each other. You’ll get an array of marketing resources from blog posts to thought pieces from industry leaders. All in all, it’s an account worth following for marketing professionals to bounce ideas off each other.
Dharmesh Shah
Shah - as we’ve mentioned - is a co-founder of HubSpot and currently its CTO. Away from that, he’s published plenty of books, invested in businesses and more. Amongst the many other influencers you can follow, Shah’s LinkedIn posts refer to internet marketing, SEO, software development and more.
Digital 22
Diamond HubSpot Partner Agency and 2018 EMEA Partner of the Year. If you’re looking for regular inbound marketing updates and knowledge from genuine experts, then this is a good place to start. Our social team scours the web for the most reliable marketing updates that you’ll actually find relevant, as well as sharing our own content which we create in-house.
It ranges from blogs to videos, download pieces to behind-the-scenes content. There’s something for marketers at every level. We’ve also got a private Facebook group that you can request to join. It’s the best place to connect with like-minded people to learn and grow together.
The events and conferences you should attend
Regardless of the level of your expertise, there’s a marketing event for everyone. Thousands of digital marketing events and conferences are held all over the world each year and that’s no different in 2019. Here are three which we recommend, all at different scales. Although, double-check which ones are free to attend and which ones you may need to pay for.
INBOUND
There’s no denying it, this is THE go-to conference for inbound marketing. If you’re looking to splurge a little then make sure you attend the INBOUND event hosted by HubSpot. Here, you’ll find a community of people that are passionate about marketing, selling and delighting customers using the inbound methodology.
It takes place in Boston each year. You’ll witness some great keynote speakers, get hands-on with new products and software and it’s perfect to network with other marketers.
HYPERGROWTH
HYPERGROWTH is one of the most popular modern business events around. It brings together the next generation of leaders to share their strategies for building, selling and marketing products in a customer-centric world. This part tech conference, part leadership summit and part motivational talk is hosted by Drift who specialises in marketing and sales software.
If you want to accelerate your learning, you may want to grab yourself a ticket to the remaining 2019 events in Boston and San Francisco.
LOVE INBOUND
While this is free to attend, you get just as much marketing value to help your business. If you have a passion for marketing and are looking to get to grips with the latest thinking and techniques in inbound, then this is the event for you. Hosted by us in Holmes Mill, Clitheroe, you’ll get plenty of unbeatable value.
Networking opportunities, Q&A sessions and some of the biggest industry leaders around. In 2019 - at our first LOVE INBOUND event - we managed to secure three speakers from HubSpot as well as AdRoll and Vidyard. Not bad for the inaugural event - just think what the plans will be for 2020 and beyond…😏
MozCon
MozCon (hosted by Moz, obviously) is a three-day, one-track conference. It’s full of forward-thinking, tactical sessions in SEO, growth marketing, analytics, content - you name it.
You’ll get the chance to connect with a community of industry leaders, speakers, Moz staff and - according to their website - you’ll get some ‘cool swag.’ These are just three of the many events out there. Each event might be located in a different country, their core topics might be different and every one of them will suit different budgets.
Just check which suits your needs the best and don’t waste time thinking about if you should book a ticket. A good place to start is by securing your free ticket to LOVE INBOUND 2020.
Register your interest today
Following on from our amazing feedback for LOVE INBOUND 2019, the team at Digital 22 have wasted little time in starting preparations for the 2020 event. Still taking place in Holmes Mill, Clitheroe, expect next year’s event to be bigger and better.
Currently, we’ve pencilled in 26th February 2020 as the official date. While we’re busy making the preparations, go ahead and reserve your seat. This year, we had HubSpot, Vidyard and AdRoll on stage - next year you should expect even more big names.
