May 2014 Summaries

As a marketer, having the right Chrome setup can make all the difference in efficiency and productivity. By syncing bookmarks, tabs history, and preferences across devices, using multiple profiles for work and personal life, taking advantage of Incognito Mode to check search rankings, and setting up a password manager like LastPass or Dashlane, users can streamline their workflow. Customizing the Omnibox with custom search engines and filters can also save time. Adding extensions such as Buffer, Instapaper, and Screencastify for quick sharing and saving, and using tools like Boomerang, Rapportive, and Canned Responses in Gmail can enhance email management. The Google Analytics URL Builder and PageRank Status extensions provide valuable insights into marketing campaign effectiveness. Handy design tools like WhatFont, EyeDropper, Project Naptha, and Window Resizer can aid in content creation and website testing. Cutting down on tabs with Session Buddy or OneTab, and increasing productivity with Momentum, RescueTime, Limitless, StayFocusd, and Time Warp extensions can further boost efficiency. By implementing these Chrome settings and extensions, marketers can optimize their workflow and achieve more in less time.

RelateIQ has developed a framework called the "Product Hierarchy of Needs" to guide its product development decisions. The hierarchy has five levels: Site Up (ensuring the site is up and running), Bug-Free, Functionally Correct, Feature Correct, and User Delight. This framework helps prioritize features based on their impact on users, with the goal of delivering a positive user experience while also ensuring the site's foundation is solid. By focusing on these levels, RelateIQ aims to balance speed and agility with quality and reliability, achieving "user delight" by solving major problems for its users. The company has implemented this framework in its daily standups, decision-making process, and even in its design strategy, resulting in a more streamlined and efficient workflow.

Receiving feedback can be challenging, even when we know it's good for us. Researchers Doug Stone and Sheila Heen argue that feedback is a skill that can be taught and refined to improve personal advancement. However, most companies only focus on teaching employees how to give good feedback, rather than receiving and applying it effectively. To receive feedback well, one must understand their own biases and triggers, such as truth, relationship, and identity triggers. It's essential to ask questions like "What do you see?" and "How would I do it differently?" to dig under the label of the feedback and understand its meaning. Additionally, understanding one's baseline, swing, and sustain/recovery values can help individuals better receive feedback. The duo also suggest that asking for straightforward and clear feedback, acting sooner rather than later, and being open to constructive comments can improve personal growth and development.

The thinking behind design is shifting from focusing solely on aesthetics to creating experiences that solve real problems for users, as argued by Aral Balkan in his talk "Superheroes and Villains in Design". This shift requires a holistic approach, where the whole team thinks about the user's experience, rather than just individual components. Balkan emphasizes the importance of focus, assumptions, testing, and humanity in design, citing examples from various industries such as transportation and software development. He also highlights the dangers of evil design and the need for designers to take responsibility for creating experiences that are respectful of users' lives and limited time on this earth. Ultimately, great design is a business plan, and success comes from understanding user needs and delivering an experience that makes people feel like superheroes.

The conference, organized by UserVoice and CoSupport, brought together 15 speakers who shared their experiences on how process informed their decisions, enabled them to handle tough situations, and navigated internal politics. The common thread was the importance of having a well-defined process in place, whether it was for aggregating knowledge, handling crises, team dynamics, or empowering teams. Speakers from various companies, including Campaign Monitor, Coursera, Expedia, Buffer, Wunderlist, Instacart, Olark, Kixeye, HubSpot, FreshBooks, Atlassian, Squarespace, and Basecamp, shared their stories on how process helped them achieve success in supporting customers and driving business growth. The conference also fostered a strong community among attendees, who were able to share ideas and learn from each other's experiences.

Staying in touch with journalists after a published story is crucial to maintain a positive relationship and potentially secure future coverage. It's essential to treat journalists like real people, not just a means to an end. A simple "thank you" email or note expressing appreciation for their work can go a long way. Sharing the article on social media can also help increase page views and is not an ego-driven act. Offering honest feedback on the accuracy of the story is appreciated, but tactful and constructive criticism is key. Sending news tips that are relevant to the journalist's coverage area can be a great way to show appreciation and build trust. Most importantly, never give a gift to a journalist as it can compromise objectivity and create an awkward situation.

The written case study remains a tried and true practice to attract new customers, with 56% of enterprise-level purchasers and 23% of small business owners saying it influenced a technology purchase in the past six months. Buyers overwhelmingly prefer traditional written case studies over audio, video, or PowerPoint presentations. A library of over a dozen Zapier case studies was launched recently, following months of work gathering customer stories and editing them down to make them scannable. The format of a case study is crucial, with length being a key factor - some marketers recommend 500 words as a reasonable word count, while others suggest longer content for better results. A story-like approach is also essential, with the "hero's journey" format being particularly effective. The customer's experience and pain points should be highlighted, followed by the solution and benefits. To make case studies skimmable, marketers can use headlines, subheads, pull quotes, and sidebar summaries. Offering incentives and providing a "leave-behind doc" can help secure customer participation. It's also essential to present an approval form upfront and avoid "blind" customer case studies. Customer quotes are vital, but should be used carefully to avoid sounding generic. Case studies can be repurposed into various formats, such as videos, infographics, or SlideShare presentations, and can be marketed through social media and email campaigns. Ultimately, the goal of a case study is to build credibility and trust with potential customers.

Chris Bailey, a recent college graduate, embarked on a year-long experiment in productivity, conducting rigorous tests on himself to optimize efficiency. He limited his smartphone usage to one hour per day for three months, found that meditation strengthened his attention muscle, and discovered the importance of building new habits in small pieces. His experiments also revealed that taking breaks from work and being kind to oneself are crucial for achieving peak productivity. By focusing on three core elements - Attention, Energy, and Time - Bailey was able to reach a state of optimal productivity, which he shared through his blog and interviews with experts.