My “picks” went on vacation over the holidays, and then got off to a slow start in the new year. So, this edition is a big catch-up on my own content from here, Forbes, and my podcasts at RogerDooley.com, along with a few tasty morsels from around the web.
This is a good time to ask you a question: do you find my selection of content written by others useful? I do get some positive feedback when folks find stuff I share useful, but those numbers are small. Please leave a comment and let me know if you find my selected shares useful!
My Stuff
We think of print as mainly a visual medium. Print can use our sense of touch, too, but usually that approach is straightforward: heavy stock, a textured or varnished surface, and other factors can convey quality or gravitas. In my recent speaking engagement in Moscow, though, I encountered an unusual use of sensory marketing. Read about my surprising experience in Sensory Marketing in a Business Card.
At a buffet, if you could choose between expensive lobster and cheap shrimp, you’d likely fill up on the more costly crustacean, even if you didn’t greatly prefer the flavor. Our simian cousins can teach us a lesson in rational thinking, as John Carvalho describes in Why Monkeys Are Smarter Shoppers Than Humans.
What do you get when you blend neuroscience, psychology, and computers? One possible (but rare) outcome is a user experience expert. The latest Brainfluence Podcast, Ep #41: The Psychology of Design with Joe Leech (@mrjoe), proves it. Joe tells us how to dig into our users’ brains to design web experiences that really work.
In today’s digital marketing world, the clever wordplay of print headlines has given way to an emphasis on what is clickable or viral. There’s another way to view headlines, though, both in print and digital media. Learn what researchers found about the power of a headline in Beyond Clicks: Headlines That Persuade.
At the end of every year, we look back at our traffic logs and social stats and see which posts were our reader favorites. See if your fave made the grade in Best of Neuromarketing – 2014, and see what your peers found most interesting.
When I was in Stockholm speaking at Conversion Jam, I met a dynamic speaker, Bart Schutz (@BartS), and knew we had to get him on The Brainfluence Podcast. Bart has a great way of translating important brain science into simple terms and actionable advice, as you’ll find in Ep #38: Conversion Psychology with Bart Schutz.
Most of us are trying to start 2015 right and increase our productivity. So, we kicked off the new year with Dr. Andrew Hill (@AndrewHillPhD), an expert in making your brain work more efficiently. In Ep #39: Make Your Brain More Productive with Andrew Hill, we cover a wide range of topics, including his EEG studies, brain training games, nootropics, cognitive enhancement, and more.
I first met Peep Laja (@peeplaja) at the Conversion Summit in Frankfurt, but found he was on his way to Austin. We finally connected to record a chat, and Peep helps us understand content marketing, cutting through internet noise, common errors in website redesign, and how to increase conversion. Ep #40: Smarter Conversions with Peep Laja offers great tips from a conversion pro.
Every brand wants loyal customers, and the world of coffee is driven by efforts to boost loyalty. Status cards, reward programs, proprietary brewing schemes, are all designed to keep customers loyal. In my latest Forbes article, Three Customer Loyalty Lessons From Coffee Companies. Only One Is Good, I look at one hit and a couple of misses from Starbucks, Keurig, and Nespresso.
Before the holidays, we did a “normal” picks post. If you’ve been away for a long time, it’s not too late to read Blueprint to Explode Your Niche Site’s Traffic, More – Roger’s Picks.
Around the Web
Do you enjoy consuming what others create or are you a creator yourself? Are you an Replication Creator or a Skilled Creator? What’s the difference? Anthony Richardson (@WebFugitive) shares his thoughts on How the Internet, Dopamine and your Brain are Working Together to Screw Your Potential. (And what you can do about it).
Is a poker face necessary in sports? When things get a little too intense, one of the indicators of such intensity is the reaction that players exhibit. Kevin Randall (@KevinBrandall) helps us understand how teams use these expressions to gain an edge against competitors in his article, Teams Turn to a Face Reader, Looking for That Winning Smile.
So you got those emails sent to your subscribers. What do you do next? Some marketers sadly just sit back and await results. Other marketers though, have already considered the way they present their emails to make sure their subscribers would do what they wish to do. How does that happen? Alexis Rodrigo (@lexirodrigo) shares 4 Tips for Killer Calls to Action in Your Emails.
If you are a speaker, being credible is, well, incredibly important. One way to achieve credibility is to have passion. Dr. Nick Morgan (@DrNickMorgan) explains in Why Is Passion Important In Public Speaking?
Admit it, you check your Facebook profile more than once a day. You may also find yourself searching for your phone and then tweaking those candies in Candy Crush. These activities seem very friendly but then you realize you spend more time in your Facebook feed and get too eager to advance to the next level in Candy Crush. Sounds familiar? Ted Greenwald (@tedgreenwald) shares How Facebook and Candy Crush Got You Hooked.
Here’s sound advice to kick off the new year. Neil Patel (@neilpatel) gives us 6 Things Coming In 2015 That Marketers Are Really Scared Of (But Shouldn’t Be). Don’t be scared, be prepared!
There’s always room for a little neuro-alarmism, not to mention a scary headline. In Leo Lutero’s PSFK (@PSFK) article, Tech Paving the Way for Mind Reading and Control, we get his view of where marketing is going. Who doesn’t want mind control?
Share your own find in a comment. And, let me know if you find my “curated” content links interesting enough to bother with!
