Bob’s Weekly Reading Picks
2019.3.31 volume 12
Content
1.How to Find Publishers for Merchants Starting Affiliate Programs
2.How Much Martech Should PPC Marketers Actually Use
3.Performance Partnerships 101: Technology
4.An Unpopular List of Marketing Trends for 2019
5.How to Write a Press Release That Journalists Won’t Ignore
6.Pop-Up Shops 101: Everything You Need to Know to Try Temporary Retail
7.BrandZ Top 50 Chinese Brands
1.How to Find Publishers for Merchants Starting Affiliate Programs
- Choosing an affiliate network
- Incentives you are offering
- Provide creatives (logo, banners, coupons)
- Finding Influencers on Instagram/ Youtube…
- Recruitment Tools and Services
- Conferences and Trade Shows (e.g. Affiliate Summit, Affiliate World)
Affiliate Marketing Conferences 2019 - Consider an OPM or Agency
2.How Much Martech Should PPC Marketers Actually Use
A. Technology is only as good as the user. So people first.
B. Technology should help you get things done (faster, better, cheaper) or solve a pain point. So process second.
a.How much should we spend on technology?
The 10 / 90 rule, by Avinash Kaushik
You should invest 10 percent in technology and 90 percent in the people that extract value from that technology.
b.How many tools should we be using?
It depends on how specialized you are.
If you’re a PPC or SEO professional, you’re very likely to use 10 to 20 different tools regularly.
c.Which tools should we be using?
Analyze (partial) Martech landscapes that have been published, such as the Martech 5000, Smart Insight’s Essential Digital Marketing Tools, the LUMAscapes, and my own modest contribution like the PPC StackScapes.
d.Should we build our own technology?
If building software isn’t your core business, you should probably just pay third parties for the technology you need to get your core business done.
3.Performance Partnerships 101: Technology
Affiliate Network (Full Service & Self-service) VS SaaS
Companies want to know about strategy, innovation, incrementality, attribution and account management, whereas previously they were more interested in tracking and payment details.
4.An Unpopular List of Marketing Trends for 2019
Things RAND FISHKIN Doesn’t Think Deserve to Be Web Marketing Trend
- AI
- Voice Search
- Chatbots
- Beacons
- Virtual and/or Augmented Reality
- Blockchain
- Native ads, video, emphemeral content, micro-influencers,mobilefirst indexing, mobile payments
5.How to Write a Press Release That Journalists Won’t Ignore
Definition
A press release is a document that announces a newsworthy story about your brand that the media might want to cover and provides all of the pertinent information a reporter or editor would need.
Announcements include
- Launching a new business, product, or service
- Holding a large contest or competition
- Partnering with a charity, community organization, or celebrity
- Hosting an event
- Winning an award
- Sharing a customer success story
- Announcing a merger or acquisition
- Rebranding your business
- Promoting or hiring a new executive
7 steps to write an effective press release
- Find a newsworthy angle
- Craft an appealing headline
- Summarize your story in your subtitle
- Introduce essential information
- Provide supporting information and context
- Lead into the reader’s next steps
- End with your boilerplate
Template
[Headline that announces story and captures attention]
[Subtitle that quickly summarizes story].
[CITY, Month Day, Year]—[Company Name, Company Description], announced today [The who, what, when, where, and, why of your story].
[Share past milestones, events, stats, research, and additional context a journalist might want. Use multiple paragraphs and bullet points if you need to].
[Incorporate quotes from the main subjects/experts involved in your story].
[Emphasize once more what makes this story newsworthy].
[End with boilerplate that includes more general information about your company, how to learn more, and get in touch for more information].
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Examples
- Leesa Sleep Launches Sleek Adjustable Base for the Ultimate Rest and Relaxation Experience
- Allbirds Launches Today, Introduces the Wool Runners
- Shopify Merchants Achieve Record-Breaking Black Friday Sales
PR Service Providers
6.Pop-Up Shops 101: Everything You Need to Know to Try Temporary Retail
Definition
A pop-up shop is a short-term, temporary retail space where brands—usually ones without a physical presence—can interact in person with current customers and communicate their message to potential new ones.
Why run a pop-up shop?
- Create an in-person connection with customers
- Build buzz and awareness
- Test offline selling as a sales channel
- Drive more sales during busy seasons
- Test new markets and gain traction in existing ones
- Unload older inventory
How to pick the perfect pop-up shop location?
- Vacant storefront
- Shopping center or mall
- Pop-ins
- Gallery/event space
- Mobile
Legal Documents
- Lease
- Licenses
- Permits
- Insurance
How to market your pop-up shop
- Getting PR for your event
- Leveraging influencer marketing
- Pitching your pop-up to local bloggers
- Pre-During-Post pop-up