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Marketing News July 2023 | Part 2 Table of Contents
Table of Contents(TOC): In part 2 of our Marketing News July 2023 update, we delve into How is the Role of the B2B CMO Changing, 8 Types of Bad Links to Avoid, How the Threads Hype Slammed Into Reality, One Data Point at a Time, and 4 Key Elements of Focus for Social Media Marketers in the Second Half of 2023
How is the Role of the B2B CMO Changing?
Date: July 19, 2023 | Source: Marketing Charts | Type: Infographic/Chart
Brief Summary
The article discusses the evolving role of B2B CMOs, based on research from LinkedIn and Ipsos. It highlights how the importance of the CMO has grown in the eyes of the C-suite over the past couple of years, with CMOs taking on more responsibility for revenue growth and becoming more accountable for marketing's impact.
Key Findings
Almost two-thirds of B2B leaders believe the CMO's role has grown in importance in the C-suite.
CMOs are now expected to demonstrate marketing impact to the bottom line and take a more direct role in driving revenue and growth.
The top concern for CMOs continues to be ROI, with 4 in 10 B2B leaders saying CMOs are under more pressure to prove ROI in less time.
84% of B2B CMOs have strengthened their skills to demonstrate B2B marketing impact to help the CFO/CEO understand the value of brand marketing.
67% of B2B CMOs agreed that their relationship with their CFO is stronger than ever before.
Implications
The changing role of the CMO indicates a shift in business strategy, with a greater emphasis on demonstrating the financial impact of marketing efforts.
The pressure on CMOs to prove ROI in less time could lead to short-term thinking and potentially compromise long-term strategic goals.
The strengthening of relationships between CMOs and CFOs could lead to better alignment between marketing and financial strategies, potentially benefiting overall business performance.
Commentary
When discussing the role of the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), whether in a B2B or B2C context, it's important to remember that we're typically referring to a senior executive position within a mid to large-sized company with a substantial marketing department.
Over the years, I've observed a pendulum-like trend regarding the strategic role of the CMO. At times, the role is elevated and seen as crucial, while at other times, it's diminished, often due to performance-related circumstances. Therefore, it's prudent to approach such trends with a degree of skepticism.
The key takeaway, in my view, is that the essence of marketing needs to be deeply embedded and integrated within any company's operations. This includes generating awareness, creating demand, acquiring and retaining customers, and driving sales. Regardless of the prominence of the CMO role at any given time, these fundamental marketing functions remain critical to a company's success.
8 Types of Bad Links to Avoid
Date: July 18, 2023 | Source: ahrefs | Type: Article
Brief Summary
The article provides an in-depth look at eight types of bad links that can harm a website's SEO. These links violate Google's spam policies and can result in penalties, including significant drops in rankings and organic traffic. The article also provides advice on how to identify and avoid these harmful links.
Key Findings
Bad links are those that violate Google's spam policies and are intended to manipulate rankings in Google Search results.
Bad links can trigger a Google penalty, leading to a significant drop in rankings and organic traffic.
Google's disavow tool allows you to discount links to avoid link-based penalties, but it should be used carefully.
The eight types of bad links to avoid are: Private Blog Networks (PBNs), paid links, hacked links, hidden links, link exchanges, automated link building, forum and comment spam, and low-quality directories.
Each type of bad link has its own characteristics and methods of detection.
Implications
The presence of bad links can harm a website's SEO performance and even lead to penalties from Google.
Website owners and SEO professionals need to be aware of these types of links and take proactive measures to avoid them.
It's important to focus on building a healthy backlink profile with high-quality links using white-hat link building techniques.
Commentary
Increasingly, business owners and senior executives who aren't directly responsible for marketing need to become more cognizant of the pivotal role their website plays in generating awareness and demand for new customers, as well as retaining existing ones.
A key understanding is that the primary channel driving visitors and traffic to a website is often organic search. These are individuals seeking information or solutions to problems, and an optimized website can provide the answers they're looking for.
A critical aspect of search engine optimization is the acquisition of backlinks. While these can be challenging to obtain, their quality is of utmost importance. If a backlink is not of high quality, it's essential to take steps to disassociate or disavow it from your website. This article provides a good initial overview of how to manage this process.
How the Threads Hype Slammed Into Reality, One Data Point at a Time
Date: July 20, 2023 | Source: Digiday (3 free articles per month) | Type: Article
Brief Summary
The article discusses the initial hype and subsequent decline in user engagement and sign-ups for Threads, a new text-based app by Meta. Initially, Threads experienced rapid growth, becoming the fastest-growing app in history with over 100 million users in the first five days. However, since then, sign-ups and engagement have significantly slowed down.
Key Findings
Threads experienced a rapid growth in the first five days, reaching over 100 million users.
The initial growth was attributed to the app's slick onboarding process from Instagram.
However, sign-ups and engagement have significantly slowed down since the initial hype.
Threads' daily active users (DAUs) peaked at around 49 million but dropped to about 18.9 million within a week.
Average app engagement on Threads in the U.S. on Android devices dropped from about 15.9 minutes to just over five minutes within a week.
Threads is currently banned in the EU, which is a significant audience base for all of Meta's apps.
Implications
The decline in user engagement and sign-ups indicates that initial hype does not guarantee long-term success.
The lack of key features like hashtags and search functionality may be contributing to the decline in user engagement.
The ban in the EU presents a significant challenge for Threads' growth.
The future of Threads will depend on its ability to improve its features and resolve the ban issue in the EU.
Commentary
Threads, a new platform that's seen as a Twitter copy, appears to be Facebook's attempt to capitalize on the current turmoil at Twitter, including the exodus of advertisers and users. However, it's important to note that there are other platforms also trying to fill the gap left by Twitter, largely due to what some perceive as Elon Musk's poor management of the company.
In my view, Twitter was poorly managed even before Musk's takeover. It's the only social media company I know that does not actively engage with people on their platform, whether through direct messaging support or in general. I've personally experienced numerous issues with Twitter, particularly concerning my personal information, and have found their response lacking. In contrast, I've received human responses from platforms like Google and LinkedIn.
If Threads aims to outperform and replace Twitter, it needs to be more than just the newest shiny object. It needs to tap into the potential that Twitter still represents as a communication and engagement platform.
4 Key Elements of Focus for Social Media Marketers in the Second Half of 2023
Date: July 26, 2023 | Source: Social Media Today | Type: Article
Brief Summary
The article outlines four key areas that social media marketers should focus on for the second half of 2023: social marketing fundamentals, new trends, the generation of generative AI, and the video push. It emphasizes the importance of understanding platform-specific best practices, adapting to new usage shifts, leveraging AI tools, and focusing on video content.
Key Findings
Social media platforms are evolving, with users shifting from public posting to more private sharing via enclosed messaging groups.
Generative AI is becoming a significant trend, with platforms integrating these tools to automate ad creation and targeting processes.
Video content remains a key focus for all platforms, driven by the shift towards entertainment.
Platforms like Instagram and Facebook have seen increased usage due to the implementation of AI-based content matching and the launch of features like Reels.
Implications
Marketers need to adapt to the changing social media landscape, focusing on private messaging, AI tools, and video content.
The shift towards private sharing and entertainment-focused content requires a change in marketing strategies.
The use of generative AI can automate and optimize ad creation and targeting, but marketers need to understand how to effectively use these tools.
With the increased focus on video content, marketers should consider creating entertainment-focused video content to improve brand awareness.
Commentary
Senior marketers, CMOs, and business owners need to understand that their most crucial digital platform is their own website. It's not Facebook, Threads, LinkedIn, Telegram Twitter, TikTok, or Instagram..... All digital marketing efforts should ultimately lead back to your website.
While social media is an important digital channel, it's essential to remember that these platforms are not under your control. If Facebook or LinkedIn decide to change their policies or algorithms, it can significantly impact your presence on these platforms.
Regardless of new trends in content, whether it's short or long-form content, the first consideration should be whether you have the capacity and capability to produce this content. This could be done internally or through an agency.
Once you have a strategy for content development and publishing, you can then consider the different digital channels to use. This should be forward-thinking, taking into account where your audience is and which platforms they use, including private messaging applications like WhatsApp. However, the overarching goal should always be to drive traffic to your website. This is the digital presence you have the most control over and should be the central focus of your digital marketing efforts.
About This Content Series
The Marketing Industry News, from Mi6, serves as a valuable resource for professionals in the marketing field. It provides a comprehensive overview of the latest trends, updates, and insights from the marketing industry, sourced from various reputable platforms. The post includes summaries of articles, videos, and other types of content, each with key findings and implications. This format allows readers to quickly grasp the essence of each piece of news and understand its potential impact on their work. By staying informed about industry developments, marketing professionals can make more informed decisions, anticipate changes, and stay ahead in their field.
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