Hooray for Friday!

In this week’s roundup, we’re bringing you some serious inspiration. Our Favorite Headlines this week include some ideas for turning your customers into superfans, a checklist for finding your brand voice, and a look at some great (and not-so-great) campaigns from big brands. Last but not least, we’re sharing an excellent article with life advice we all can learn from, from some of this year’s best commencement speeches.

Check out Our Favorite Headines below. And most importantly, have a WONDERFUL weekend!
 

The Takeaway: This next sentence is a bit painful for us to say, but here it goes… The best marketers for your brand probably aren’t even marketers. *Shivers* They might work in IT, nursing, or construction. They might be Baby Boomers, Millennials, or even Gen Y. That’s right: the best marketers for your brand are your customers.

Your customers are the people who are most likely to drive action when they tell others about your business since, even in the age of digital, word-of-mouth still reigns supreme. That’s why if you’re spending money on marketing, you should also be thinking about how you can turn your new and existing customers into brand advocates. As Chewy.com shows us, it may be as simple as remembering small details or delighting customers with a surprise every so often. So here’s some food for thought: As you think about your business, what extra steps can you take to deliver an exceptional experience and set your brand above the rest? That kind of thinking will help turn every customer into your number one fan.

The Takeaway: Speaking of setting your brand apart… Voice is a critical part of the personality of your brand. It helps define to customers what your brand represents, ensures that messaging is consistent from channel to channel (and employee to employee), and makes your business easier to identify out in the wild. Having a clear brand voice is equally as important as having brand standards for graphic design, whether you create blog posts, social media content, video, or email marketing. If you can’t identify your own brand voice, this article has a great audit and development process to walk you through.

The Takeaway: We couldn’t let this week pass without talking about the royal wedding, right? At least, that is the sentiment shared by many brands who have created entire campaigns dedicated to tomorrow’s big day. But, as we’ve learned from many a marketing flop, not all current-event-focused campaigns are effective. This is a fun look at some examples of the best and worst ways that brands are celebrating the royal wedding, plus an analysis on why they do or don’t work.

The Takeaway: Call me crazy, but I love a good commencement speech. Especially now that, thanks to YouTube, we can listen to them without having to sit through the other four hours of the commencement ceremony. The best thing about truly good commencement speeches, like those referenced in this article, is that the advice the speakers give is universally applicable. Even long after graduation, people at every stage of life can learn from and be reminded about what it takes to contribute to a better world.