#listen spacey is a 1% chance mark

[retardeddyke]

Tried to explain to my friend why she should be impressed by my shiny zorua with a spacey mark caught in a heavy ball and she just called me autistic fml

[themelbournetone]

Top 7 Performances of Laneway 2020!

Written by Ryley Clarke

Marking its 14th return to its hometown of Melbourne, Laneway Festival 2020 presented its most versatile line up yet, composed of Australia’s most loved bands and some of the world’s most renown international artists; not to mention the many unique and niche acts which Laneway festival has had a rep for showcasing since day 1. The day was full of so many amazing moments and sound-satisfying performances from every artist, but there were some performances which truly stood out. So, let’s recap some of the best performances of Laneway’s biggest and boldest year yet.

1. The 1975

After a somewhat frightening situation for frontman Matt Healy of The 1975, who was not able to perform at Brisbane’s Laneway Festival (due to last minute illness), many wondered if The 1975 would be able to perform the rest of their Laneways shows. Somehow, Healy somehow managed to super-humanly heal himself, and return to the lineup in no time.

Barely wasting a second, The 1975 jumped on stage, bringing with them a deafening sound of anticipation. I turned around and saw a whole new level of enthusiasm from the crowd, their cries of excitement surrounding the festival. Launching a brand-new set (full of their trademark energetic and captivating pop hits), they started the with a bang, Healy screaming their loud punk-pop rocking melodies into microphone.

Having never properly listened to The 1975 before, I was amazed by how much more louder, punchier, and vibrant their live-shows are compared to their recordings (which feel slightly quiet, but still full of passion). The charismatic energy from the crowd continued to fuel The 1975, as they played the hits that defined their name, ‘Love It If We Made It’, ‘It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)’ and ‘Chocolate’.

My favourite part of their show was when Matt calmed things down and played a pre-recorded piece  from their upcoming album, a sample starring Greta Thunberg, talking about the earth’s current state and what the future may hold for us. The 1975 proved that political bands and moments like this still hold a big part in what makes Laneway’s Festival. What matters most is holding attention to the worlds current problems, we can sing and dance and party all we like, but at the end of the day climate change is a reality Australia has faced this summer, and this moment was a perfect reminder of why we have to continue to fight climate change. 

2. Charli XCX

Returning to Australia for her very first festival headlining slot, Charli didn’t stop for one moment, keeping the energy and the enthusiasm going throughout the entirety of her set.

Charli was nothing but fun and confident, performing her heart out to one of the biggest crowds of the day. I never knew that Charli XCX co-wrote ‘I Love It’ in collaboration with Icona Pop and was definitely the surprise of the day for me. Hands went flying in the air with screams of joy, for all of her hit songs, including ‘I Got It’, ‘Boys’, and ‘1999’.

Her heart-warming performance ended what felt too soon, with Charli XCX performing her final song and exiting the stage, leaving the crowd in the midst of the final hours of the evening, and in eager anticipation for The 1975…

3. Hockey Dad

Kicking off with a new track (’In This State’), Hockey Dad showed off their catchy pop lyrics, while still staying true to the pulsing and spirit driven surf sound the rock legends are known for. Hockey Dad smashed out a brilliant hard-rocking set, comprised of all of their greatest achievements from Boronia, Dreamin’, and their latest album, Blend Inn.

Seeing Hockey Dad shred their newest hit ‘I Missed Out’, which took out the 60th spot in the Hottest 100 (should’ve been higher, like seriously Triple J, what the hell), was bloody awesome, absolutely nailing the epic, surfy solo.

Joining their new live roster was bassist Steven from Step Panther, who was asked to fill in the backline so Zac could shred a few more solo’s here and there. I have to say, this was a bloody good choice, it worked really well. Adding a bassist to their lineup further improved their sound, not to say that their live setup hasn’t always interested fans (including myself), but it provided a much needed punchier and harder sound.

Finishing their set with ‘Seaweed’, Hockey Dad have seriously began to make an impression, I’ve always thought they were headliner worthy, and I think if they are given the chance I think they will absolutely own it.

4. Ocean Alley

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Sydney legends Ocean Alley perform a bad set. They kicked off the evening with a surf psychedelic rhythm that was contagious, perfect, and nicely placed to chill out and enjoy the evening breeze that began to cool down the festival punters.

The rhythmic six-piece band captured the attention of every punter, snagging one of the biggest audiences of the day, with everyone wanting to get a piece of Ocean Alley. Punters were on each other’s shoulders, as the band grooved through a perfectly flowing set. Kicking off with ‘Knees’, ‘The Comedown’, and ‘Yellow Mellow’, Ocean Alley also played some newly released tracks, marking their live debut. ‘Stained Glass’ and ‘Tombstone’ had the crowd freshly tuned and focused in anticipation for their new album, which will hopefully be released sometime this year.

Ocean Alley’s transitions between songs are always exceptional, so much so that it’s always my favourite component of their set. The build up between Lemonworld and into Confidence had people crowdsurfing in absolute excitement, they knew exactly what was coming, singing and dancing, it’s always a special moment to see in person. 

5. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

Known to be Australia’s favourite multi-faceted musicians, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard comfortably rocked their way through a bloody awesome and diverse set. The shred-lords went through some of their most hard hitting and thrashing songs to their most versatile, soft, indie rocking sounds. You would think these dynamics wouldn’t fit within their setlist, but being the magician wizards they are, King Gizzard somehow pulled it off with ease.

The moshpit kicked dust into the sky as some of the band’s punchier rock songs got the crowd going. As their set progressed and changed altitudes, the crowds vibe changed with them, nonetheless, the crowd enjoyed every song they performed. 

6. BENEE

New Zealand’s brightest star, BENEE, truly shined like glitter, charming the crowds hearts and minds, and without a doubt winning the future of contemporary pop music.

She kicked off her performance with ‘Tough Guy’, setting the pace and mood for her set, picking things up with ‘Supalonely’ and ‘Find an Island’. Continuing to humorously charm the crowd as she pulled faces and laughed along to her melodic pop, getting everyone dancing and singing no matter how popular the song.

7. Spacey Jane

I was super excited to see Spacey Jane live for the first time, and they didn’t disappoint one bit. Fast paced, hair flying everywhere, nothing better than a crowd jumping up and down, in-awe is the best way to describe their set. Spacey Jane have played numerous gigs in the past couple of years, and their hard work and determination is finally paying off.

Gaining popularity by the minute, the garage-indie rockers had an electrifying sound to their set, their spirited fuzzy guitar and their strong, bold bass and drum-beat characteristically brought the best out of their uncommon but deeply loved songs. They shredded their way through some of my favourites, ‘Feeding the Family’, ‘Neoprene’, ‘HeadCold’, ‘Thrills’, as well as their #triplejhottest100 hit ‘Good for You’ marking its place, as fans patiently await their debut album coming out sometime towards the end of the year. 

[thegoodcraicguide-blog]

5 Cheap Concerts every student needs to attend this March in Dublin!

A blog for students who love all things music.

Are you a student looking to discover some new Irish music? Or maybe you’re fed up with going to Copper’s every week and listening to Despacito played on repeat. Do you want to find out about some concert’s happening this month in Dublin that won’t break the bank?

This is The Good Craic Music Guide, a blog for students who love all things music. I’ll be providing you with my 5 must go to concerts this March, whether you’re an Erasmus student looking for the best nights out or you’re from this Emerald Isle and are searching for a concert that’s in your price range. 

1. TOUCAN

@toucanband

Type: Concert

Date: Saturday, 23rd March

Price: €18.95

Location: The Grand Social, Dublin

Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.ie/toucan-dublin-23-03-2019/event/1800562EAD2A2FF9

First up is TOUCAN, an Irish funk and disco inspired 10-piece ensemble that are definitely one’s to watch in 2019. Their unique bright funk-pop sound is an evenly weighted pendulum of big-brass slices and soulful guitar licks, while Conor Clancy, the lead vocalist of the band provides some beautifully delivered melodies that are guaranteed to get you humming. They play at The Grand Social on Saturday, the 23rd of March for the reasonable price of €18.95, a venue that is the definition of intimate gig. The venue is at the steps of the Ha’Penny Bridge and there is no need to go anywhere after the gig is wrapped up, as the bar downstairs is the perfect place to have a few nightcaps before you get that Nightlink home. The gig marks the one-year anniversary of their debut single “We Fell for Miles”, a summery track which reached as high as the number 4 spot on the iTunes singles charts. Check it out below and make sure to comment.

Check out TOUCAN here

2. The Riptide Movement

@theriptidemovement​

Type: Concert

Date: Saturday, 16th March

Price: €25

Location: Whelans, Dublin

Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.ie/the-riptide-movement-dublin-16-03-2019/event/18005641BC8E907F

Next up is The Riptide Movement, the critically acclaimed band from the capital. They formed ten years ago and have seen worldwide success with tracks like “All Works Out”, “Elephant in the Room” and “Changeling”. Their indie-rock sound draws comparisons to The Killers and Franz Ferdinand, but their live performances definitely stand alone. The group even care about the environment (even more reason to like them), as they aired a four-part documentary about the impact of plastic pollution on the environment that was coupled with the track “Plastic Oceans”. The gig itself is on the eve of St. Patrick’s Day and Whelan’s are celebrating 30 years of establishment, an amazing achievement. The band are set to release their fourth studio album and their gig in Dublin’s best intimate concert venue is guaranteed to be a good one.

Check out The Riptide Movement here:

3. Irish Trad Session

Type: Irish Traditional Music Session

Date: Sunday, 17th March, St. Patrick’s Day

Price: Free!

Location: The Bleeding Horse, Dublin

St. Patrick’s Day is a date that many of us have marked on the calendar. It is celebrated across the world and this is very much the case in Dublin. So, where can you go and see a true Irish Trad Session that won’t break the bank? The Bleeding Horse, located on the top of Camden street is hosting a Trad session from 2pm to 4pm on Paddy’s Day and the cost of entry is free. A pint of Guinness will set you back €4.60 and the toe tapping is free. They are featuring some local musicians who are guaranteed to play a few jigs and reals that will surely please the crowd. But be warned, it is guaranteed to be busy so get down early to get a seat and take it all in. And remember, always drink responsibly. (Note: If that get’s too busy, head down to the International Bar where there is live music all day)

Check out some Irish Trad here: 

4. Gus Dapperton

@gusdapperton

Type: Concert

Date: Tuesday, 5th March

Price: €20.83

Location: The Button Factory, Dublin

Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.ie/gus-dapperton-dublin-05-03-2019/event/1800557AE16076BF

Our first non Irish artist of the list, but too good to pass up, it’s Gus Dapperton. He’s an American singer/ songwriter who draws his inspirations from cinema and heartbreak. And he’s playing two nights in one of my favourite Dublin venues the Button Factory. He cuts his own bowl cut and his sound is completely his own. He goes against the norm of the modern day Popstar as his new wave, pop synths are paired with airy rhythm guitar that produce an 80’s inspired psychedelic dream. The intimate venue of the Button Factory is going to be the perfect backdrop for an artist that is slowly but surely making a name for himself in Ireland. 

​Check out Gus Dapperton below:

Honey Dijon & Luke Solomon

@honeydijon

Type: Club night

Date: Saturday, 30th March

Price: €20

Location: Pygmalion, Dublin

Tickets: At the door on the night @10pm (Get there early!)

Pygmalion is hosting a special party with the London electronic music label Classic Music Company. The head of the operation Luke Solomon will be performing, as well as Honey Dijon, the American electronic music artist. She stays strong to her Chicago house music roots, but she does not put herself in a musical box, as she draws influences from all over the globe. She curates breath-taking cross genre sets and the opportunity to see her in Dublin’s Pygmalion really can’t be missed. Top tip, get down there early, door @10pm!

Check out Honey Dijon here:

Someone to Check Out: FOZSA

Luke O’Brien, a new Irish producer, songwriter and artist goes by FOZSA, and his fresh sound is truly exciting. He’s been dropping single after single and his electronic indie music is as dreamy as it is impressive. The sensual textures and spacey vocals create a buttery sound that is as smooth as it is catchy. And not to mention he creates all of his music from his bedroom. Keep an eye on FOZSA and check him out below!

Comment Below!

Make sure to comment your own recommendations and experiences and use the #goodcraicmusic to be in with a chance to be featured on next months blog post!

[artificialqueens]

Cupid’s Blind Arrow Chapter 4 (Group Fic) - Ginger Nut

Everyone was back in English class. 

Sharon came back today looking spacey and like she hadn’t brushed her hair in days. Violet sat down pulling out a compact and viewed all angles of her face, checking for any imperfections. Satisfied, she put the compact away and flipped her hair behind her shoulder as Pearl walked by, giving the girl a waft of Violets expensive and sweet perfume. Willam sauntered in with Alaska who stopped in her tracks seeing Sharon. Willam grabbed her forearm and whispered in her ear. “Let it go. She’s not even here Alaska, her minds in some trippy fairy world. She’s not here.” Alaska decided this true — Sharon’s eyes were fixed on her pen where she was engraving something on her desk, not even acknowledging Alaska’s entrance. Clenching her jaw Alaska made her way over to Trixie, who had been chatting to Katya. “New friend?” Trixie blushed as she pulled out her folder from her backpack. “Kind of.” Willam clicked her fingers for Katya to stop swinging back on her chair to allow Willam a pathway to her seat. “Sup Katya” she said, smacking her chewing gum. “The sky” Katya answered, pointing up. “Well that’s a ceiling moron.” Noticing her mistake Katya leaned back again on her chair after Willam scooched past and sat down. Miss Raja’s heels could be heard from a couple of doors away and everyone prepared for class. Pearl brought out a pen and sighed, I really can’t be bothered today. She dropped her notebook heavily onto the desk, creating a loud crash that caused a few heads to turn her way. “Be careful Pearly.” Pearl looked up to find Violets back still turned to the front, but she was talking to her in a firm voice. “Okay class-okay-quiet down-guys” Miss raja spoke while rummaging through papers on her disorganised desk. “What you looking for, teach?” Willam offered from the back corner. “A will to live” Raja replied sarcastically, to which half of the class “same.” Raja’s head popped up and she furrowed her brow. “Jeez I was kidding, what’s with all you millennials being such buzz kills?” Sharon rolled her eyes only half listening. the past couple of days for her had become a blur. She wasn’t sure half the time what actually happened and what she imagined. Curious, she inched closer to Adore and whispered with a hand stray in front of her face. “Hey uh last class,” she began, her voice coming out quieter than she anticipated at first. She tried again, “Did Alaska and I…” “Argue like you were an old married Southern couple where the husband had cheated on his wife when they already had three kids and a dog?” Adore sniggered, looking directly at Sharon. Sharons face contorted as she faced the facts; I did that, I fucking did that. Shit. Pearl noticed the face-palm Sharon did and looked at Adore. What the hell? she asked with her eyes. Adore mouthed back a paragraph to Pearl, keeping a straight face the entire time. All pearl could make out was ‘Alaska’ and ‘off her face’, giving her a vague enough idea of what was going on. She decided not to press further and replied to the register on cue.

“Okay dokay, who did the homework?” Miss raja’s eyes scanned for hands that had been raised. None of them were. Raja sat on the edge of Alaska’s desk and sighed, forcing Sharons eyes to the beautiful blonde girl. Man I really messed this up she kept thinking. “Miss you didn’t give homework” Katya offered breaking her view from the window momentarily. The class nodded subtly in agreement, “Don’t try that one, it’s all I need today my honours playing the old ‘Miss you never gave any’.” This time Trixie piped up. “No seriously miss, you did not give homework.” Starting to second guess herself, Raja moved from the table to her desk skimming past the papers to her binder. She felt herself wince as she realised that she really didn’t give the homework. Fuck. “Ok my bad, we’ll just do it this period instead,” The teacher announced, sitting back into her swivel chair. She started spinning around in circles. “You’re going to look through the play and find quotes to support the themes of love, family and conflict. Understood?” After receiving only grunts and silence in response she sighed and threw her hands up, “God you guys are so depressing, lighten up!” “Can we work in groups miss?” Adore asked, obviously not feeling up for the work. “Fine, no phones” Miss Raja complied, pulling out her own phone to check a text. “Hey B,” Bianca turned around to find Adore smiling sweetly at her. “Why don’t you and Chachki turn your chairs around and we can all work together” she motioned all down the line and Bianca scoffed. “What help could you offer me, chola?” Adore leaned forward and spoke quieter than before, “you have no idea B,” she kissed her teeth; “you have no idea.” Bianca leaned closer playing along with the act, inching closer to Adore, Violet felt her eyes widen and Sharon’s heart twisted. “BALONI!” Bianca aggressively yelled. Everyone in the group — even Sharon — laughed, attracting the attention of the other groups, and Miss Raja. “Ok, I forgot you have to, uh, sit in the love and hate groups” she declared, earning protests from all of the class. “No buts, the only butts are yours. WHICH SHOULD BE MOVING, COME ON!” After seeing the result she wanted, Miss Raja stuck a pair of earphones into her computer and started to catch up on a tv series. Violet moved to the other side of the room where her fellow love-lovers were, but tripped over one of the stray bags on the floor. “Be careful Vi,” came a sly voice from behind her. Glancing over her shoulder Violet found Pearl leant back in her chair flicking through pages of Romeo and Juliet ever so nonchalant. Adore and Sharon trailed behind Violet and crossed paths with Alaska and Katya. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Around 40 minutes had passed and the groups were working surprisingly well, both around halfway through the play and had a bank of quotes. “I might start using these insults, these people were smart” Willam commented, her finger scanning the lines. “A wretched pulling fool, a whining mammet” Willam laughed to herself, “or you could just go in for the like: “Hang! Beg! Starve! Die in the streets!” Alaska let out a laugh, killing it as soon as it started. “What’s up with you, misery guts?” Bianca questioned, looking at the slumped over soul sitting next to her. Willam kicked her under the desk and raised her eyebrows at the girl in disapproval, Alaska looked at Willam and nodded, “Nah Wills just tell them, I really don’t care anymore.” Willam looked at Alaska for a moment as if for reassurance. “Today’s the first day Alaska’s seen Sharon since the big blow out.” An awkward silence followed; no one really knew how to react, especially given that they didn’t know why the big blowout happened in the first place. “Oh…Alaska…..I’m uh…I’m sorry” moped Phi Phi, somehow understanding Alaska’s pain. Katya touched the girl’s forearm empathetically, “Are you alright lask?” Alaska sighed and silently gave a thumbs up, her sad eyes contradicting her gesture. Katya continued, “Just know that if you are comfortable in bearing your soul, I’ll open my listening holes just for you.” Everyone forgot about the gloom atmosphere for a minute and instead looked at Katya with utter confusion, “Girl what the literal fuck goes on in your head?” Willam commented, chuckling a little at the end. “Oh, you don’t say that in America?” “No bitch, now gimme a good quote” all of a sudden the lifeless and solemn atmosphere had transformed into one of cheer and despite being the group who ‘didn’t believe in love’ it didn’t seem like they needed it right now. That was all apart from one. “Pearl!” Katya nudged the subdued girl on her right who had been staring across the room. Breaking her gaze the starry eyed blonde shuffled in her seat; “What?!” She exclaimed flicking to the next page in the play, “It seems like you’re more involved in the other group than ours. Come on, we’ve been trying to analyse this stupid fucking quote for what feels like 60 years ” Taking one last glance at the opposite side Pearl saw the beauty with jet black hair and an hourglass figure before prying her eyes away to help her group. The other group were getting through the play at quite a pace, they decided to split the acts between them and then copy each others’ quotes in afterwards. “I seriously don’t get why we have to read some guys stuff from like four hundred years ago” Adore mumbled scribbling words onto paper, her writing was messy and all different sizes. She had got an ink mark all down her hand from leaning on the notebook and unsuccessfully tried to wipe it off with saliva. She glanced over at Sharon who was generally quite quiet, her eyes unable to peel away from the text. “This is actually pretty sweet” Adore looked at the girl who sat in a black denim skirt and black sweatshirt, now enamoured with Shakespeare. “Did you not read it with us in class?” Adore asked. Sharon looked up “I did, well kinda, I just guess I forgot.” A quietness fell over the group as they continued to study their acts, trixie was doing act 1, Violet and Sharon were working on act 2, adore was on act 3, ivy and jinkx took act 4 and laganja and Miss fame analysed act 5. Violet heard the laughter coming from the other table, half annoyed at the distraction but half happy because it gave her a chance to look over at Pearl. she sat slumped in the corner as always. Her hair was wavy and she wore a sweatshirt and jeans, but violet always saw her in her sparkling knight dress. So pretty she thought. “Hey, goo-goo eyes” Violet turned back round to see all of her groups eyes on her. “What?!” She exclaimed, twirling her ponytail “Don’t tell us you’re switching sides, you look more engaged in what they’re doing!” Said Laganja, “Yeah who’s side you on?” Sharon smirked “Juliet.” Violet rolled her eyes, “If I ever turn out like that bitch, shoot me”

Raja had been scrolling through emails, documents and the class register as it now had pictures from photo day attached. Oh my god she thought some of these people do not know how to take a picture. A notification popped up in her mailbox and she opened up the email: New assignments for English honours classes Raja groaned to herself at the thought. Can Miss Visage give it a rest already?!Racking through her brain she thought about all of the work the class still had to do, frustrated and exhausted she stood up and walked to the middle of the classroom. “Alright class, listen up” everyone turned their heads and listened, for once. “I’m giving you an assignment that’ll be due in 2 weeks. It’s called…wait a minute…” she ran back over to her computer, “opposite pairs assignment. Gee, how original. Wonder how they came up with that one. Anyway I’ll be putting you guys in pairs with someone that has an opposite view to yours, and you have to meet out with class and write a paired essay giving arguments on whether the play is about love or stupidity.” Everyone’s eyes darted to the other side, each person rating who they’d want to who they really didn’t want. “To do this fairly I’m matching yous up by how similar your test scores from last years exam.” This made the guessing game more challenging. “Ok, first two; Jinkx and Ivy” Ivy? Thought Willam, the girl bombed geography so hard last year, guess it just wasn’t her style “Next; Violet and Pearl” the two locked eyes and Violet raised her arched brow, Pearl smirked in return trying to hide the now growing shade of pink on her face. “Alaska and Max” Alaska internally sighed, could’ve been worse she thought as she smiled at max across the room “Bianca and Adore” Adore smirked, this is going to be fun she thought “Trixie and Katya” Trixie felt her insides swirl as she heard her name next to Katyas “Laganja and Fame, Phi Phi and Vivienne, Willam and Sharon-“ This gonna be awkward Willam thought immediately as she looked over to find Sharon’s no lip smile agreeing with Willams thoughts. Why isn’t Courtney here? Why did she have to go back? I need her right now. “Lastly Alyssa and Gia” At that the bell rang and everyone got moving, cluttering chairs and forcing papers into their already full handbags. Bianca had hole punched her papers and was slotting them into her binder as Adore walked up to her, crumpled papers in her hand. “So, study buddy, when do you want to meet up?” Bianca started walking as she talked exiting the classroom. Both she and Adore were going to the science labs, so their conversation continued. “Well If where you live is anything like the way you dress, I can’t say I want to go to your place.” Adore blinked, batting her insanely long eyelashes; “Wow you really don’t beat around the bush, do you?” Bianca chuckled, turning a corner. “I’m joking chola, no seriously you can come over to mine. My parents are hardly ever home.” “Really? How come?” “My Dad works out of state and my mom does night shifts, so i don’t really have that much company” Adore playfully threw her arm over Bianca’s shoulder, earning her a stern yet confused look, “I’ll keep you company.” Adore promised. Bianca couldn’t tell any more if the girl was joking or not. She could only smile, actually quite thankful that for the next week or so she’d have somebody to eat meals and watch tv with.

[davidmann95]

May I please ask how you would rank the various Live Action Lex Luthors? (also, if you were assembling a "Luthorstein" out of these performers then which bits of them would you stitch in before applying the vivifying shock?).

As usual with these I have to recuse myself from a couple of the takes in question since I’m not familiar with say, Lyle Talbot. But I do have to give the most honorable of mentions to Superboy’s Luthor actors, Scott Wells:

…and Sherman Howard:

Shine on, you beautiful loons.

5. Jessie Eisenberg

For the first two acts of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Eisenberg is actually a really good Lex Luthor. A radical new take, no question, but that whole bit where he’s slowly turning up the intensity on a politician to get control of Kryptonian tech, culminating in literally shoving a jolly rancher in his mouth as a low-grade but unmistakable show of utter dominance? That is Lex Luthor as all get-out, and while not every choice Eisenberg, Snyder and company made with him totally hit the mark, it all at least made some kind of sense in the context of revamping him as a Zuckerberg-y 21st century Evil Businessman (not knowing just how much the 80′s corporate tycoon was about to come back into fashion as a horror story for America), with just enough darkness peeking out from underneath to stoke the appetite for seeing him laid bare. 

The problem is when the mask comes off, and it turns out his true nature is being very possibly the worst big-screen supervillain of all time; a tittering, spasmodic caricature of mental illness, squeaking and barking about circles and Alice In Wonderland in heartbreakingly pathetic attempts at faux-profundity between half-explanations for hating Superman because of his daddy proving God doesn’t exist. There’s a lot about the DCEU that gets ragged on that at least doesn’t deserve the intensity of the criticism, even some of the truly awful bits I can at least kind of conceive of someone getting stimulation or satisfaction out of, but the Luthor we’re presented with here is genuinely, inarguably unforgivable by any but the most pathologically dedicated of contrarians. Not that he’s necessarily unsalvageable - Eisenberg himself remains an inspired choice, and the worst bits could be written off in the future as a product of Darkseid’s influence - but given the establishment of a Lex Luthor Sr. to potentially return from the dead and take his son’s place, I suspect the creators themselves at least suspected this could turn out as horribly as it did.

4. Gene Hackman

His low ranking here isn’t meant as a knock on Hackman’s performance - if nothing else, “We all have our little faults. Mine’s in California” is stone-cold one of the best supervillain lines of all time. But while he’s fantastic as an enemy for Reeve’s Superman, unapologetically blown up on his own intellect and ambition, he’s only Luthor in the most technical sense as a selfish follically-challenged genius who needs Superman out of the way and has the narcissism to think he can get the job done. He works spectacularly in his context, but it’s ultimately a different character.

3. Kevin Spacey

If it weren’t for Eisenberg, Spacey would be the definition of wrong place, wrong time when it comes to Lex Luthor. He brings so much that works to the table - the quiet confidence, the callous disdain for humanity, the raw genius, and the venomous hate just waiting for a chance to claw its way to the surface - but Superman Returns was trying to have its cake and eat it too, playing up some more traditional Luthor attributes while keeping him in the mold of Hackman’s version with more wigs, goofy stage-left exits and another genocidal real-estate scheme, and while it doesn’t quite tear him apart, it critically undercuts what could have been a classic take on the character.

2. John Shea

Not many seem to hold any particular fondness for Shea’s performance on Lois and Clark, but I’ve always thought of his take on Lex as inspired. Certainly he was the smoothest Lex Luthor, the take on the character from any medium I could most easily believe conning Metropolis into seeing him as their savior, while just as plausibly cackling as he tortures Superman in a basement on his wedding day. But it was his overall air of amused but only vaguely self-aware superiority that won me over, quoting Shakespeare at the drop of a hat in a transparent attempt at proving his intellectual boda-fides even as he genuinely manipulates and destroys everything in his way, articulating the pettiness and ego that drives Luthor in a fashion unlike anyone else. And most importantly, we see in the first episode that he has his servant occasionally try to kill him to keep him on his toes - ala Cato in The Pink Panther - and when he sets a cobra on his master, Lex just stares at it with all the intensity he can muster until it backs off and slithers away, at which point Luthor sheds a single, perfect tear. It is the most metal moment of all time.

1. Michael Rosenbaum

His performance would have been iconic in any context, but on Smallville his every scene was the living embodiment of “listen up 5s, a 10 is speaking”. I’ve discussed his work as Lex before, and while certain aspects of this take only really suit the character in the show’s particular soap opera context - the focus on his business acumen over his genius, his relationship with his father (John Glover being the 11 in the previous metaphor), precisely how his rivalry with the man who would be Superman is born - Rosenbaum brought a scale of intensity, cold intellect, charisma, desperation and vulnerability to the role that defined Lex Luthor in the eyes of a generation and saw him easily bypass any competition as the greatest live-action Lex Luthor to date, likely for decades to come.

As for the Frankenstein, Rosenbaum as the base (or at least his passion and vulnerability), Shea’s charm, Hackman’s wit, Spacey’s cold cruelty, and Eisenberg’s attempt at delving into the more philosophical underpinings of his war with Superman, if hopefully dragged upwards by the residual quality of the others.

[scratchybeardsweetmouth]

'Game of Thrones': Iain Glen Talks Targaryen Army's Devastating Loss Plus, the Jorah Mormont actor reflects on that grisly greyscale scene from earlier this season. Photo (x)

My favorite bit:

Jorah and Jon Snow enjoy some time along together, in which Jorah rejects Jon when he offers back Longclaw. He mentions how he hopes to see Longclaw passed down to Jon's children. Does he know Jon and Daenerys are becoming close in that way, and is this his way of offering his approval? I think so. I don't know, but I do think in some way, emotionally, Jorah has moved on from hoping, really, for any physical reciprocation. His love for her and his adoration of her and her abilities and capabilities remain undiminished entirely. But I think having gone through the nightmare of her rejection, and then having gotten very dangerously ill, for her to offer her forgiveness and plead with him to find a cure for himself so he could be back by her side, I think having gone through that whole traumatic emotional revolution, he's at a point where he's just glad to be in the fold and back where he feels he belongs: beside her. I think there's an element of him feeling, "You're the man to be guiding us forward. You're going to be a part of the plan." But I think it's also a family thing. He was rejected by his father because of what he had done, and why he was exiled right at the beginning of the story. Fundamentally, he's a very honest man. He doesn't feel it's right, that he should be gifted this back by Jon, who was gifted it by Jorah's father who he had lost favor with. He's being very honest about it. He's tacitly showing his appreciation of Jon, that he believes he's a leader. He's admired him. They're getting to know each other. I think there are many things happening, but I do think it's at least connected to a physical acquiescence.

For the rest, see source link or Read More. 

...The Hollywood Reporter spoke with Glen, who gave his thoughts on what was involved in bringing the ice lake battle to life, Jorah's growing admiration for Jon Snow (Kit Harington), coming to terms with the reality of his relationship with Daenerys, what was involved in the greyscale operation scene earlier this season, and more. How 'Game of Thrones' Delivered the Season's Mother of Dragon Moments Jorah Mormont was there for the birth of these dragons. What's going through his mind as he witnesses the death of one of the dragons? Probably the scale of what they're up against. I think for Jorah, the dragons have always been to some degree indestructible, having seen them grow from these baby newts around the naked body of his adored queen, into these vast killing machines. It turns out, they're vulnerable. There's a question mark there. I think he's feeling a fear of the consequences. I think he's also very sensitive to how they're her children in her mind. She has a very profound connection with these dragons, which goes right to the center of her soul. He's very aware of the consequences for her. Is it difficult at all, to embody Jorah's feelings in the moment of watching a dragon die, when there's no actual dragons to react to? It's definitely been a constant element of the Thrones world that I've occupied. Over the course of the 80-odd hours, there have been many sorts of things, of course. But one central thing...we spoke about the birth of the dragons, and they arrived at the end of the very first season. Of course, I wasn't looking at that. You become accustomed to it as an actor. If you have a director who can bring it to life for you, and they're much more able to do that by showing you previz of fairly developed material, so you're not just looking at a green or orange ball. You talk through it. Usually, these sequences, you have time to work into it a bit. It's not ideal, but it's definitely part of the larger-than-life and beyond-our-ken aspect of filming Game of Thrones.  Jorah and Jon Snow enjoy some time along together, in which Jorah rejects Jon when he offers back Longclaw. He mentions how he hopes to see Longclaw passed down to Jon's children. Does he know Jon and Daenerys are becoming close in that way, and is this his way of offering his approval? I think so. I don't know, but I do think in some way, emotionally, Jorah has moved on from hoping, really, for any physical reciprocation. His love for her and his adoration of her and her abilities and capabilities remain undiminished entirely. But I think having gone through the nightmare of her rejection, and then having gotten very dangerously ill, for her to offer her forgiveness and plead with him to find a cure for himself so he could be back by her side, I think having gone through that whole traumatic emotional revolution, he's at a point where he's just glad to be in the fold and back where he feels he belongs: beside her. I think there's an element of him feeling, "You're the man to be guiding us forward. You're going to be a part of the plan." But I think it's also a family thing. He was rejected by his father because of what he had done, and why he was exiled right at the beginning of the story. Fundamentally, he's a very honest man. He doesn't feel it's right, that he should be gifted this back by Jon, who was gifted it by Jorah's father who he had lost favor with. He's being very honest about it. He's tacitly showing his appreciation of Jon, that he believes he's a leader. He's admired him. They're getting to know each other. I think there are many things happening, but I do think it's at least connected to a physical acquiescence.  Can you talk through your side of wearing the greyscale makeup, and filming the scene where the infected skin was removed? I won't forget the howling pain of Jorah Mormont anytime soon, and I'm sure you won't either. Yeah, it was a hard scene to do. There was a pragmatic reason for that. For that full-body makeup, it took about three filming days where we were in the operation, or post-operation, where that upper body was revealed. That's a long process. It takes about seven hours. You're getting up at 1 o'clock in the morning, or something like that, for seven-hour makeup. You're a bit spaced. When everyone comes in to start turning over at 8 o'clock, you're already well through your day. But there's a marriage between what you need to do in your scene and what's required to get you there. You're a bit spacey, you're a bit trippy. I suppose it's always easier to access those things as an actor, or at least as I've found them, if you're tired, if you're exhausted, if you're spent. Sometimes, I'll do it deliberately. If I have an emotional scene, I'll deliberately not sleep the night before. Just little things you pick up along the way. Then there's the actual prosthetic itself. I thought they exceeded themselves. It was a prosthetic on the prosthetic, where they had to create layers they could lift, and all of that disgusting, oozy substance was placed in specific places where they knew they were going to have to have camera angles, and they would know where they needed to show it. We had two days of filming that. You just have to go there. You offer different things up for the director and you hope they like the possibilities. It's been a long journey that's got Jorah to that point, and it's what we all have as actors on Thrones: there are moments where your character lands, and then there are areas where you're floating for a bit before your storyline lands again. You just want to nail those areas in the story where it's zoning in on your storyline. I loved performing those scenes.  And John [Bradley, who plays Sam] is a lovely guy. One of the huge pleasures of this season, for me and I think for a lot of us, is that we're finally getting to act with each other. All of these characters in very different storylines, we're finally overlapping, as you saw in that scene and as you're seeing in the scene from this week. That was lovely. It was a chance to work with a whole bunch of actors I hadn't worked with before, and we had a ball in Iceland for many months.  Turning back to this episode, and the matter of the death of the dragon...if Jorah is considering the scale of what they're up against when he watches Viserion die, should we expect him to be terrified when he sees Viserion's new form?  Absolutely. Absolutely. Listen, I'm awed, really. I'm like a fan when it comes to what Game of Thrones pulls off. I kid you not: when I read these episodes, way back when, I immediately wrote to Dan and David and said I thought they were the best episodes they've written as a group for a season. Everything just accelerates forward. There's no sense of treading water, no sense of milking this. I really admired the speed with which they propelled this story forward, everyone's stories. One aspect of what's extraordinary about the scripts, generally for Thrones but this year in particular, I'll read the words on the page and think it's completely unfilmable. I don't know how we can manifest that. And it's taken a few years of confidence coursing through the body of Thrones to make all aspects of the production feel they can pull it off. If we have dragons nosediving into an ice lake, and then come out? Then we'll realize that. In this episode, the vast majority of [the battle scenes] were shot on a concreted quarry that was redesigned to look like a vast ice lake. We were there over the course of many weeks. The body of the dragon was brought onto the lake that we eventually flew off on. And I'm like a fan in how awed I am about how they pull that off. Every department has to be completely on their mettle. I've done many things over the course of too long a career, and it's one of the few things I do watch from beginning to end, every single episode. I haven't seen this one yet, because of the difference in American and British time and [we're speaking] very recently [to the episode's airing], but I can't wait to watch. I love being able to say to the entire team the next time you see them, "That was really amazing work." I'm constantly surprised and delighted with what every department can do. That doesn't really answer your question. (Laughs.) But episode six in particular, on paper, looked like the most unfilmable of the lot.

[moleofmetal]

Sonic Reign - Raw Dark Pure

Going in tune to a frightful degree with all the black metal vibes of the metal been I’ve been listening to of late. I chanced upon another relic from the past. This time it is not from the hell of the internet past, but a past review none the less. This one is unseen by the eyes of the web-based lurkers. And its a review I never officially published. Its actually was a college exercise for my literature /communications module. In that dark time when I studied Art and achieved little. But just because the aim of this is different than normal, it doesn't make the criticism less valid, so up this goes with a bit of additional fluff at the bottom from me. 

Sonic Reign - Raw Dark Pure 

Is this future sound of Black metal? Well going from the astonishing sound of this German band Sonic Reign, maybe just maybe.

Hailing from Mellrichstadt, Bavaria and formed in 1997 under the name of Migiddo, this two-piece (Consisting of Benjamin Borucki doing Vocals and Guitar work & Sebastian Schneider on Drums) have been waiting some time for this their first full length since forming.  

Pure Dark Raw is the bands first full length to be released through Metal Blade Records and offers just over 40 minutes of pure black metal music. Packed full of punch and brilliance in this starling release.

The cover of this masterpiece is industrial-esk.This deceptive cover is why I think that some people come to label this band as “Industrial Black Metal”. I disagree, as there is little in the way of industrial metal here. The only industrial elements I see in this album are the occasional vocal effects on a few interludes. This band relies on more melodic hooks than other bands of the same style. Genre such as Zyklon and Anaal Nathrakh. Where Zyklon has a tendency to blow you away with a wall noise and constant assault of blasts. This band hit the middle ground of being heavy and seductive. Modern Black Metal is a better way to describe this bands material.

The Vocals are screaming and have a raspy quality that lies between Abbath of Immortal and Nocturno Culto of Darkthrone. While the lyrics in this album revolve around the themes of society and the flaws of humanity than the traditional clichéd Christian baiting satanic lyrics of so many other bands of the genre.

The Guitar work is heavily influenced by bands such as Emperor and Satyricon. Drum provide a solid backbone to this piece, keeping the music flowing. Its Production is crisp and clear and provide an atmosphere that could either be a frostbitten forest or represent the emptiness of space. At only around 40 minutes long this album is just about the correct length to keep the listener occupied and interested if not craving more. So let me break it down for you track by track.

1. Deceit Doctrine   So beginning quietly, only the rumble of martial style drums that quickly builds as the guitar comes in into full view. This is a short but very sweet track that serves as a good introduction to the icy atmospheric sound this band gives, especially during the interlude. The hook of this song is the damn catchy chorus which will have you chanting “Descent into the void” in little time or few repetitions.

2. Fucked up but glorious This track starts with a shower of blast beats, then an Emperor-like riff and growling vocals. In the middle the music breaks down to a clean guitar interlude. Then a punky groove-full section in the vein of later Darkthrone or Satyricon. Then back into the cracking main riff. This is one of the best tracks on the Album.

3. Reminiscence of imperial wrath Rumbling bass drum from the outset, carry this track. On this one the Abbath style vocals are more prominent. Set easily as one of the heaviest tracks this album has to offer. It is also one of the most Emperor influenced tracks. With its spacey clean interludes, and Prominent sliding riff reminiscent of Emperors. Although with prominent lyrics such as “the Emperor returns” might be a clue to the influence.

4. The martyr urge Kicking off with a flare of rumbling drums, once again full of energetic and fast catchy riffs. An Interlude riff that would fit in well in a Satyricon album. Short but another excellent track.

5. Salt This track sees the band slow down a notch, to begin with. With a stop/starting bases, but this slowly builds into a wonderfully infectious riff. Once again a rumbling bass drums by the end.

6. Tyrant blessed This track sees the band step back again! Back to just being heavy as fuck, with blasts from the outset. Another excellent furious track.  

7. To rebel to fail At a little over 7 minutes, it is the longest on this album although it feels much shorter. In-between showers of blasts, vocals and energetic display of music makes this track seem much shorter

8. Raw Dark Pure The Title of this album. Follows the same pattern as the rest while being just as furious as the rest.

Although this band is not without flaw: Problem with this band is the fact they are a studio-only project, as in they do not play live, robbing us of a great experience. I would recommend this band to any fan of extreme metal or any black metal elitist as this a fine example of a band captures the spirit of black metal while fusing old with new.  There is enough old school influence to keep the older fans occupied while keeping it fresh/modern enough to keep up with the pack. Wither this is the sound of future black metal to come; only time can tell, but we could only hope it does and it sounds this good!

Best Tracks: Fucked up but glorious, Reminiscence of imperial wrath, Salt

[8/10]

(December 2010)

So there it is, I passed the module with this, but it seems I had to stretch my word count a little with the track by track breakdown. Which I’m not a fan of but I got my points across and won the pass mark. 

Having once again dusted off my copy of this album and gave it another spin, I find that the impact of this has only slightly diminished. This might be because of my changing tastes for black metal. Or the direction the wind is blowing me towards harsher sounds from the black metal cult. It's still a grand piece of work from the black metal forge, as there are many great moments in the riffs and plenty to like in all the elements added to make any church burner happy. I think? So my recommendation still stands, if not as bold.  

However, I do see some flaws that I negated to mention the review. The vocals are strong but come across as complacent in places, also the Satyricon worship of some the tracks can be a little distracting.  Overall though this is well worth a spin for the melodic black metal fan in us all.  [8/10]

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SEO 2018: Will This be the Year of the Story Brand?

email marketing getting started

Certain people always seem to know what’s going on in digital marketing. They are able to predict the “Hot Topic” months in advance.

For as many years as I’ve been in this business, I have been flabbergasted by the knowledge of others, and how they give that knowledge away, seemingly for free. Of course, they monetize their voice. We all try to do that for ourselves or for our clients.

But, as I was writing this article, I was lucky enough to get insight, yet again, from industry leaders I don’t really know because of other people willing to help me.

Without getting into specifics about “hyper-local” and “geo-social” (hot new buzzwords for 2018), my research and discussions centered on common themes around the Story Brand:

Create a story around your brand, and stay consistent with that

Develop a brand that demonstrates transparency, authenticity, emotions, and facets of that story

Leverage content generation and syndication, link building, social media, and publisher influence to promote your story

Recently, a friend of mine told me: “Publishers are going to continue to outrank businesses more and more in 2018. Look at Houzz.com… Where did they come from?!?! I keep telling clients to ‘become a publisher.’ Why? Because they rank, and they rank because they aren’t trying to sell a product. They are telling stories.”

In other words, if people hear about you, and they like what you do when they get there, they’ll convert. You don’t need to sell them on a product. You need to sell them on you.

And, so, as 2018 begins, I hope this article will provide you with the best resource of all – knowledge. Without further ado, here is my short list of four “Thought Leaders” and what they think about the year of the Story Brand.

1. Mark Jackson of Vizion Interactive

Mark Jackson has been a regular contributor at SearchEngineWatch for nearly 7 years now and has been in search and/or marketing for well over a decade. He’s been at big brands, including AOL in the early days, and he understands “brand messaging” better than most.

I got the chance to connect with him here recently, and this is what he had to say:

“While many will talk about the importance of the more recent ‘P Updates’ (Panda, Penguin, and Pigeon), I am more inclined to fall back on an update of yore – Google’s Vince Update.

“Known as the ‘brand’ update, I believe that this set the stage for what was to follow of the now ubiquitous P Updates. Google believes that ‘Brands are the solution, not the problem’ in delivering a more positive set of organic results for its users. (See this AdAge article from 2008.) Since that time, Google has made tremendous strides in ridding its results of spam. It has also shaped what SEO is today.

“You must create a brand to be relevant to Google.

“How do you create a brand? As I referenced in my Search Engine Watch post way back in 2012, reach and frequency are key. So many talk about ‘content marketing’ being vital to organic search today (and it is), but what may be lost is the importance of amplifying your message so that it reaches your intended audience.

“Influencer outreach / PR efforts are one thing, but other forms of promotion are also vital to the effort. Sometimes your organic search endeavors may require a paid component (and, no, I’m not talking about buying links). I’m talking about advertising your message to your audiences, so that you can gain share-of-voice and gain the reach and frequency to have your content efforts ‘mean something’ (to Google, and to your target audience).

“The more folks who see your message and are exposed to your brand, the better chance your content will be shared and, yes, linked to.”

2. Troy Ireland of Digital Current

When I contacted Troy Ireland, Managing Partner at Digital Current, he responded to my question with excellent insight into how brands need to focus on showing their human side to consumers in order to be successful in 2018 and beyond. I listen closely to what Ireland has to say since he is one of the few marketers I know who has had success with thousands of SEO clients over the past thirteen years. This is his response:

“It may sound like a stretch, and biologists would argue otherwise, but any company adept at turning everyday customers into engaged communities knows this: brands are human. “Not convinced? Stay with me. Humans dream up brands and bring them to life. Other humans – living, breathing consumers – keep them alive by doing business with them. We’re social beings, after all. And, while that has always been true, in my experience, success in the digital marketplace increasingly depends on how authentically a brand is able to convey its humanity to consumers.

“How? At a minimum it requires a willingness to express emotion, a clear sense of purpose, and, perhaps above all else, meaningful communication. With so many communication channels available, it’s imperative that a brand’s digital, social media, and content marketing efforts alike share a voice.

“In today’s current landscape, search engine optimization experts are beginning to realize the value of having a voice as they attract increasingly humanized Google search results. We see this clearly in the transition that SEO experts are making from concentrating on search rankings for keywords to focusing on answering audience questions.

“And, in fact, the key to Google search has always been its humanity. We’re so used to thinking of the Google algorithm as our robotic librarian that we often forget that humans designed this storied algorithm to mimic human intelligence and to anticipate human needs, desires, and thought patterns. What Google is searching for, in other words, is humanity.

“This is important to keep in mind across all digital marketing, not just search. For most brands, the key to staying competitive isn’t technology, but applying time-tested marketing methods to new media, in new ways. Intrigue, humor, empathy, or beauty conveyed through evocative images, and dramatic storytelling, colorful video, a well-told narrative, or compelling social media engagement, can resonate deeply in ways a search engine text box alone just can’t.

“Build deep relationships with your audience. They will open up and voice their questions. Knowing what they need for content, aligning the intent behind those needs to your sales funnel, and guiding them properly through the process will lead to a stronger ROI. Once you have your content marketing plan in place, deploy your SEO, link building, social promotion, and influencer outreach strategies to get your story in front of your audience.

“Companies that lose sight of the fact that brands are human (and that customers need to connect with them on an emotional level) do so at their own peril.”

3. Kevin Spacey of Trigger Street

Yes, you read that right. Our third thought leader is the Academy Award winning actor, Kevin Spacey. You may think he is an odd choice to discuss online marketing, but you’d be wrong. In fact, Spacey recently gave the keynote speech at Content Marketing World 2014, an event sponsored by the Content Marketing Institute.

Spacey didn’t talk about his wealth of knowledge on SEO or his marketing strategies, because he doesn’t have any. Instead, he talked about what he knows best – telling a story. And, not just any story, but YOUR story.

During his speech, he said: “The story is everything, which means it is our job to tell better stories.” He went on to say that, “Building a story comes down to three things: conflict, authenticity, and audience.”

Conflict, according to Spacey, is what builds engagement with a story. People like to hear a story in which the characters take risks. In the advertising world, you can create conflict by “going against the settled order of things.”

Authenticity is the next important ingredient. When people feel they are being deceived, or that you are not being true to them, they are turned off. Stay true to who you are and what your brand stands for. Don’t try to do what another company is doing simply because it is working for them. Be authentic with your audience, and they will respond to you.

Audience may be the hardest part of all. In order to gather an audience, you need to do something that is unique and that other people want to share. This is becoming harder and harder to do as more companies attempt the same, but if you can find an idea that works, you will be rewarded.

What was the main point of Spacey’s speech? Simply this: If you want to reach a wider audience, you have to apply a personal touch. Audiences want a story, something they can connect to. If you can make your audience feel a part of the story, you will be able to engage with them like never before.

4. Pam Didner of GlobalContent.Marketing

Pam Didner is a voice I had not heard of before, but recently found out about from Lee Odden’s TopRank blog post.

These are among her predictions:

“Digital marketing will continue to morph and promotion channels will be further fragmented. The major change is NOT about digital marketing. The major change will come from Marketers by going Back to Basics: reevaluate the target audience, determine what works and what doesn’t.”

In other words, don’t worry about your search engine rankings. Go back to the essentials of marketing, but apply them to the new technologies. Focus on connecting with your audience and building up your brand.

This is from Chapter 1 of Didner’s book:

“I am part of the 75 percent, the 44 percent, and the 110 club! About 75 percent of Americans bring phones to the bathroom. Approximately 44 percent of cell phone users sleep with their cell phone by their side. And according to figures collected by a screen lock app, the average user actually checks his phone around 110 times a day.

“I’ve concluded that our phone is the adult version of a security blanket or our favorite stuffed animal. Marvelously, this little device does much more than act as a security blanket or substitute for a stuffed animal. It lets us consume content anytime and anywhere. Studies have shown that the typical social media user consumes 285 pieces of content daily, which equates to an eye-opening 54,000 words and, for the truly active, as many as 1,000 clickable links.”

After reading this, I think: produce GREAT content, fairly regularly, promote it through influence, optimize it for local and mobile, and then, finally, if it’s getting traction, the “numbers are there” to justify throwing some dollars at it to promote the piece.

But, behind it all, create a great story, and brand it through the human element of what companies do. We have an unprecedented amount of access to our potential customers, so we need to use it to our full advantage by giving them what they want – authenticity and great content.

What about My Thoughts for 2018?

My thoughts on 2018 are essentially this: I feel it’s just “more of the same.” Some people will be able to market their brand well, while others will not. And, Google will continue to try and refine their algorithm, while also making it harder for people to figure out what it is. So, instead of trying to “game the system,” we should be looking for a better alternative.

Specifically, don’t worry about what Google is doing with its rankings algorithm, just worry about how you are spreading the message of your company and marketing your brand (or, as the case may be, your clients’ stories).

You don’t have any control over how search engines will rank you. The only thing you can control is how you interact with and widen your audience. In 2018, the best way to do this comes down to storytelling.

Link building, content, promotion, PR, social… These strategies really are starting to become one, in my opinion. While they are important, they must be focused around the central story of your company. In order to be at the top of your game, you need to know all the strategies. But, if you are not properly telling your story, how you use them won’t matter.

Take the time to get on the same page with your clients and their consumers, so that you know what the story is you want to tell. Once you have it figured out, you can use all the other tools you have to the best effect.

So, for 2018, make a resolution to focus on storytelling. Figure out what your own voice is, or the voice of your clients. Only YOU can tell YOUR story, so make sure it is being told in the way that you want.

Happy New Year (albeit belated), everyone, and I truly hope this helps build a prosperous 2018 for all of you!

About the Author: Asher Elran is a practical software engineer and a marketing specialist. He is the CEO at Dynamic Search and the founder of Web Ethics.

Google

[alissaselezneva]

SEO 2018: Will This be the Year of the Story Brand?

Certain people always seem to know what’s going on in digital marketing. They are able to predict the “Hot Topic” months in advance.

For as many years as I’ve been in this business, I have been flabbergasted by the knowledge of others, and how they give that knowledge away, seemingly for free. Of course, they monetize their voice. We all try to do that for ourselves or for our clients.

But, as I was writing this article, I was lucky enough to get insight, yet again, from industry leaders I don’t really know because of other people willing to help me.

Without getting into specifics about “hyper-local” and “geo-social” (hot new buzzwords for 2018), my research and discussions centered on common themes around the Story Brand:

Create a story around your brand, and stay consistent with that

Develop a brand that demonstrates transparency, authenticity, emotions, and facets of that story

Leverage content generation and syndication, link building, social media, and publisher influence to promote your story

Recently, a friend of mine told me: “Publishers are going to continue to outrank businesses more and more in 2018. Look at Houzz.com… Where did they come from?!?! I keep telling clients to ‘become a publisher.’ Why? Because they rank, and they rank because they aren’t trying to sell a product. They are telling stories.”

In other words, if people hear about you, and they like what you do when they get there, they’ll convert. You don’t need to sell them on a product. You need to sell them on you.

And, so, as 2018 begins, I hope this article will provide you with the best resource of all – knowledge. Without further ado, here is my short list of four “Thought Leaders” and what they think about the year of the Story Brand.

1. Mark Jackson of Vizion Interactive

Mark Jackson has been a regular contributor at SearchEngineWatch for nearly 7 years now and has been in search and/or marketing for well over a decade. He’s been at big brands, including AOL in the early days, and he understands “brand messaging” better than most.

I got the chance to connect with him here recently, and this is what he had to say:

“While many will talk about the importance of the more recent ‘P Updates’ (Panda, Penguin, and Pigeon), I am more inclined to fall back on an update of yore – Google’s Vince Update.

“Known as the ‘brand’ update, I believe that this set the stage for what was to follow of the now ubiquitous P Updates. Google believes that ‘Brands are the solution, not the problem’ in delivering a more positive set of organic results for its users. (See this AdAge article from 2008.) Since that time, Google has made tremendous strides in ridding its results of spam. It has also shaped what SEO is today.

“You must create a brand to be relevant to Google.

“How do you create a brand? As I referenced in my Search Engine Watch post way back in 2012, reach and frequency are key. So many talk about ‘content marketing’ being vital to organic search today (and it is), but what may be lost is the importance of amplifying your message so that it reaches your intended audience.

“Influencer outreach / PR efforts are one thing, but other forms of promotion are also vital to the effort. Sometimes your organic search endeavors may require a paid component (and, no, I’m not talking about buying links). I’m talking about advertising your message to your audiences, so that you can gain share-of-voice and gain the reach and frequency to have your content efforts ‘mean something’ (to Google, and to your target audience).

“The more folks who see your message and are exposed to your brand, the better chance your content will be shared and, yes, linked to.”

2. Troy Ireland of Digital Current

When I contacted Troy Ireland, Managing Partner at Digital Current, he responded to my question with excellent insight into how brands need to focus on showing their human side to consumers in order to be successful in 2018 and beyond. I listen closely to what Ireland has to say since he is one of the few marketers I know who has had success with thousands of SEO clients over the past thirteen years. This is his response:

“It may sound like a stretch, and biologists would argue otherwise, but any company adept at turning everyday customers into engaged communities knows this: brands are human. “Not convinced? Stay with me. Humans dream up brands and bring them to life. Other humans – living, breathing consumers – keep them alive by doing business with them. We’re social beings, after all. And, while that has always been true, in my experience, success in the digital marketplace increasingly depends on how authentically a brand is able to convey its humanity to consumers.

“How? At a minimum it requires a willingness to express emotion, a clear sense of purpose, and, perhaps above all else, meaningful communication. With so many communication channels available, it’s imperative that a brand’s digital, social media, and content marketing efforts alike share a voice.

“In today’s current landscape, search engine optimization experts are beginning to realize the value of having a voice as they attract increasingly humanized Google search results. We see this clearly in the transition that SEO experts are making from concentrating on search rankings for keywords to focusing on answering audience questions.

“And, in fact, the key to Google search has always been its humanity. We’re so used to thinking of the Google algorithm as our robotic librarian that we often forget that humans designed this storied algorithm to mimic human intelligence and to anticipate human needs, desires, and thought patterns. What Google is searching for, in other words, is humanity.

“This is important to keep in mind across all digital marketing, not just search. For most brands, the key to staying competitive isn’t technology, but applying time-tested marketing methods to new media, in new ways. Intrigue, humor, empathy, or beauty conveyed through evocative images, and dramatic storytelling, colorful video, a well-told narrative, or compelling social media engagement, can resonate deeply in ways a search engine text box alone just can’t.

“Build deep relationships with your audience. They will open up and voice their questions. Knowing what they need for content, aligning the intent behind those needs to your sales funnel, and guiding them properly through the process will lead to a stronger ROI. Once you have your content marketing plan in place, deploy your SEO, link building, social promotion, and influencer outreach strategies to get your story in front of your audience.

“Companies that lose sight of the fact that brands are human (and that customers need to connect with them on an emotional level) do so at their own peril.”

3. Kevin Spacey of Trigger Street

Yes, you read that right. Our third thought leader is the Academy Award winning actor, Kevin Spacey. You may think he is an odd choice to discuss online marketing, but you’d be wrong. In fact, Spacey recently gave the keynote speech at Content Marketing World 2014, an event sponsored by the Content Marketing Institute.

Spacey didn’t talk about his wealth of knowledge on SEO or his marketing strategies, because he doesn’t have any. Instead, he talked about what he knows best – telling a story. And, not just any story, but YOUR story.

During his speech, he said: “The story is everything, which means it is our job to tell better stories.” He went on to say that, “Building a story comes down to three things: conflict, authenticity, and audience.”

Conflict, according to Spacey, is what builds engagement with a story. People like to hear a story in which the characters take risks. In the advertising world, you can create conflict by “going against the settled order of things.”

Authenticity is the next important ingredient. When people feel they are being deceived, or that you are not being true to them, they are turned off. Stay true to who you are and what your brand stands for. Don’t try to do what another company is doing simply because it is working for them. Be authentic with your audience, and they will respond to you.

Audience may be the hardest part of all. In order to gather an audience, you need to do something that is unique and that other people want to share. This is becoming harder and harder to do as more companies attempt the same, but if you can find an idea that works, you will be rewarded.

What was the main point of Spacey’s speech? Simply this: If you want to reach a wider audience, you have to apply a personal touch. Audiences want a story, something they can connect to. If you can make your audience feel a part of the story, you will be able to engage with them like never before.

4. Pam Didner of GlobalContent.Marketing

Pam Didner is a voice I had not heard of before, but recently found out about from Lee Odden’s TopRank blog post.

These are among her predictions:

“Digital marketing will continue to morph and promotion channels will be further fragmented. The major change is NOT about digital marketing. The major change will come from Marketers by going Back to Basics: reevaluate the target audience, determine what works and what doesn’t.”

In other words, don’t worry about your search engine rankings. Go back to the essentials of marketing, but apply them to the new technologies. Focus on connecting with your audience and building up your brand.

This is from Chapter 1 of Didner’s book:

“I am part of the 75 percent, the 44 percent, and the 110 club! About 75 percent of Americans bring phones to the bathroom. Approximately 44 percent of cell phone users sleep with their cell phone by their side. And according to figures collected by a screen lock app, the average user actually checks his phone around 110 times a day.

“I’ve concluded that our phone is the adult version of a security blanket or our favorite stuffed animal. Marvelously, this little device does much more than act as a security blanket or substitute for a stuffed animal. It lets us consume content anytime and anywhere. Studies have shown that the typical social media user consumes 285 pieces of content daily, which equates to an eye-opening 54,000 words and, for the truly active, as many as 1,000 clickable links.”

After reading this, I think: produce GREAT content, fairly regularly, promote it through influence, optimize it for local and mobile, and then, finally, if it’s getting traction, the “numbers are there” to justify throwing some dollars at it to promote the piece.

But, behind it all, create a great story, and brand it through the human element of what companies do. We have an unprecedented amount of access to our potential customers, so we need to use it to our full advantage by giving them what they want – authenticity and great content.

What about My Thoughts for 2018?

My thoughts on 2018 are essentially this: I feel it’s just “more of the same.” Some people will be able to market their brand well, while others will not. And, Google will continue to try and refine their algorithm, while also making it harder for people to figure out what it is. So, instead of trying to “game the system,” we should be looking for a better alternative.

Specifically, don’t worry about what Google is doing with its rankings algorithm, just worry about how you are spreading the message of your company and marketing your brand (or, as the case may be, your clients’ stories).

You don’t have any control over how search engines will rank you. The only thing you can control is how you interact with and widen your audience. In 2018, the best way to do this comes down to storytelling.

Link building, content, promotion, PR, social… These strategies really are starting to become one, in my opinion. While they are important, they must be focused around the central story of your company. In order to be at the top of your game, you need to know all the strategies. But, if you are not properly telling your story, how you use them won’t matter.

Take the time to get on the same page with your clients and their consumers, so that you know what the story is you want to tell. Once you have it figured out, you can use all the other tools you have to the best effect.

So, for 2018, make a resolution to focus on storytelling. Figure out what your own voice is, or the voice of your clients. Only YOU can tell YOUR story, so make sure it is being told in the way that you want.

Happy New Year (albeit belated), everyone, and I truly hope this helps build a prosperous 2018 for all of you!

About the Author: Asher Elran is a practical software engineer and a marketing specialist. He is the CEO at Dynamic Search and the founder of Web Ethics.

from WordPress https://reviewandbonuss.wordpress.com/2018/03/15/seo-2018-will-this-be-the-year-of-the-story-brand-2/

[filipeteimuraz]

SEO 2018: Will This be the Year of the Story Brand?

Certain people always seem to know what’s going on in digital marketing. They are able to predict the “Hot Topic” months in advance.

For as many years as I’ve been in this business, I have been flabbergasted by the knowledge of others, and how they give that knowledge away, seemingly for free. Of course, they monetize their voice. We all try to do that for ourselves or for our clients.

But, as I was writing this article, I was lucky enough to get insight, yet again, from industry leaders I don’t really know because of other people willing to help me.

Without getting into specifics about “hyper-local” and “geo-social” (hot new buzzwords for 2018), my research and discussions centered on common themes around the Story Brand:

Create a story around your brand, and stay consistent with that

Develop a brand that demonstrates transparency, authenticity, emotions, and facets of that story

Leverage content generation and syndication, link building, social media, and publisher influence to promote your story

Recently, a friend of mine told me: “Publishers are going to continue to outrank businesses more and more in 2018. Look at Houzz.com… Where did they come from?!?! I keep telling clients to ‘become a publisher.’ Why? Because they rank, and they rank because they aren’t trying to sell a product. They are telling stories.”

In other words, if people hear about you, and they like what you do when they get there, they’ll convert. You don’t need to sell them on a product. You need to sell them on you.

And, so, as 2018 begins, I hope this article will provide you with the best resource of all – knowledge. Without further ado, here is my short list of four “Thought Leaders” and what they think about the year of the Story Brand.

1. Mark Jackson of Vizion Interactive

Mark Jackson has been a regular contributor at SearchEngineWatch for nearly 7 years now and has been in search and/or marketing for well over a decade. He’s been at big brands, including AOL in the early days, and he understands “brand messaging” better than most.

I got the chance to connect with him here recently, and this is what he had to say:

“While many will talk about the importance of the more recent ‘P Updates’ (Panda, Penguin, and Pigeon), I am more inclined to fall back on an update of yore – Google’s Vince Update.

“Known as the ‘brand’ update, I believe that this set the stage for what was to follow of the now ubiquitous P Updates. Google believes that ‘Brands are the solution, not the problem’ in delivering a more positive set of organic results for its users. (See this AdAge article from 2008.) Since that time, Google has made tremendous strides in ridding its results of spam. It has also shaped what SEO is today.

“You must create a brand to be relevant to Google.

“How do you create a brand? As I referenced in my Search Engine Watch post way back in 2012, reach and frequency are key. So many talk about ‘content marketing’ being vital to organic search today (and it is), but what may be lost is the importance of amplifying your message so that it reaches your intended audience.

“Influencer outreach / PR efforts are one thing, but other forms of promotion are also vital to the effort. Sometimes your organic search endeavors may require a paid component (and, no, I’m not talking about buying links). I’m talking about advertising your message to your audiences, so that you can gain share-of-voice and gain the reach and frequency to have your content efforts ‘mean something’ (to Google, and to your target audience).

“The more folks who see your message and are exposed to your brand, the better chance your content will be shared and, yes, linked to.”

2. Troy Ireland of Digital Current

When I contacted Troy Ireland, Managing Partner at Digital Current, he responded to my question with excellent insight into how brands need to focus on showing their human side to consumers in order to be successful in 2018 and beyond. I listen closely to what Ireland has to say since he is one of the few marketers I know who has had success with thousands of SEO clients over the past thirteen years. This is his response:

“It may sound like a stretch, and biologists would argue otherwise, but any company adept at turning everyday customers into engaged communities knows this: brands are human. “Not convinced? Stay with me. Humans dream up brands and bring them to life. Other humans – living, breathing consumers – keep them alive by doing business with them. We’re social beings, after all. And, while that has always been true, in my experience, success in the digital marketplace increasingly depends on how authentically a brand is able to convey its humanity to consumers.

“How? At a minimum it requires a willingness to express emotion, a clear sense of purpose, and, perhaps above all else, meaningful communication. With so many communication channels available, it’s imperative that a brand’s digital, social media, and content marketing efforts alike share a voice.

“In today’s current landscape, search engine optimization experts are beginning to realize the value of having a voice as they attract increasingly humanized Google search results. We see this clearly in the transition that SEO experts are making from concentrating on search rankings for keywords to focusing on answering audience questions.

“And, in fact, the key to Google search has always been its humanity. We’re so used to thinking of the Google algorithm as our robotic librarian that we often forget that humans designed this storied algorithm to mimic human intelligence and to anticipate human needs, desires, and thought patterns. What Google is searching for, in other words, is humanity.

“This is important to keep in mind across all digital marketing, not just search. For most brands, the key to staying competitive isn’t technology, but applying time-tested marketing methods to new media, in new ways. Intrigue, humor, empathy, or beauty conveyed through evocative images, and dramatic storytelling, colorful video, a well-told narrative, or compelling social media engagement, can resonate deeply in ways a search engine text box alone just can’t.

“Build deep relationships with your audience. They will open up and voice their questions. Knowing what they need for content, aligning the intent behind those needs to your sales funnel, and guiding them properly through the process will lead to a stronger ROI. Once you have your content marketing plan in place, deploy your SEO, link building, social promotion, and influencer outreach strategies to get your story in front of your audience.

“Companies that lose sight of the fact that brands are human (and that customers need to connect with them on an emotional level) do so at their own peril.”

3. Kevin Spacey of Trigger Street

Yes, you read that right. Our third thought leader is the Academy Award winning actor, Kevin Spacey. You may think he is an odd choice to discuss online marketing, but you’d be wrong. In fact, Spacey recently gave the keynote speech at Content Marketing World 2014, an event sponsored by the Content Marketing Institute.

Spacey didn’t talk about his wealth of knowledge on SEO or his marketing strategies, because he doesn’t have any. Instead, he talked about what he knows best – telling a story. And, not just any story, but YOUR story.

During his speech, he said: “The story is everything, which means it is our job to tell better stories.” He went on to say that, “Building a story comes down to three things: conflict, authenticity, and audience.”

Conflict, according to Spacey, is what builds engagement with a story. People like to hear a story in which the characters take risks. In the advertising world, you can create conflict by “going against the settled order of things.”

Authenticity is the next important ingredient. When people feel they are being deceived, or that you are not being true to them, they are turned off. Stay true to who you are and what your brand stands for. Don’t try to do what another company is doing simply because it is working for them. Be authentic with your audience, and they will respond to you.

Audience may be the hardest part of all. In order to gather an audience, you need to do something that is unique and that other people want to share. This is becoming harder and harder to do as more companies attempt the same, but if you can find an idea that works, you will be rewarded.

What was the main point of Spacey’s speech? Simply this: If you want to reach a wider audience, you have to apply a personal touch. Audiences want a story, something they can connect to. If you can make your audience feel a part of the story, you will be able to engage with them like never before.

4. Pam Didner of GlobalContent.Marketing

Pam Didner is a voice I had not heard of before, but recently found out about from Lee Odden’s TopRank blog post.

These are among her predictions:

“Digital marketing will continue to morph and promotion channels will be further fragmented. The major change is NOT about digital marketing. The major change will come from Marketers by going Back to Basics: reevaluate the target audience, determine what works and what doesn’t.”

In other words, don’t worry about your search engine rankings. Go back to the essentials of marketing, but apply them to the new technologies. Focus on connecting with your audience and building up your brand.

This is from Chapter 1 of Didner’s book:

“I am part of the 75 percent, the 44 percent, and the 110 club! About 75 percent of Americans bring phones to the bathroom. Approximately 44 percent of cell phone users sleep with their cell phone by their side. And according to figures collected by a screen lock app, the average user actually checks his phone around 110 times a day.

“I’ve concluded that our phone is the adult version of a security blanket or our favorite stuffed animal. Marvelously, this little device does much more than act as a security blanket or substitute for a stuffed animal. It lets us consume content anytime and anywhere. Studies have shown that the typical social media user consumes 285 pieces of content daily, which equates to an eye-opening 54,000 words and, for the truly active, as many as 1,000 clickable links.”

After reading this, I think: produce GREAT content, fairly regularly, promote it through influence, optimize it for local and mobile, and then, finally, if it’s getting traction, the “numbers are there” to justify throwing some dollars at it to promote the piece.

But, behind it all, create a great story, and brand it through the human element of what companies do. We have an unprecedented amount of access to our potential customers, so we need to use it to our full advantage by giving them what they want – authenticity and great content.

What about My Thoughts for 2018?

My thoughts on 2018 are essentially this: I feel it’s just “more of the same.” Some people will be able to market their brand well, while others will not. And, Google will continue to try and refine their algorithm, while also making it harder for people to figure out what it is. So, instead of trying to “game the system,” we should be looking for a better alternative.

Specifically, don’t worry about what Google is doing with its rankings algorithm, just worry about how you are spreading the message of your company and marketing your brand (or, as the case may be, your clients’ stories).

You don’t have any control over how search engines will rank you. The only thing you can control is how you interact with and widen your audience. In 2018, the best way to do this comes down to storytelling.

Link building, content, promotion, PR, social… These strategies really are starting to become one, in my opinion. While they are important, they must be focused around the central story of your company. In order to be at the top of your game, you need to know all the strategies. But, if you are not properly telling your story, how you use them won’t matter.

Take the time to get on the same page with your clients and their consumers, so that you know what the story is you want to tell. Once you have it figured out, you can use all the other tools you have to the best effect.

So, for 2018, make a resolution to focus on storytelling. Figure out what your own voice is, or the voice of your clients. Only YOU can tell YOUR story, so make sure it is being told in the way that you want.

Happy New Year (albeit belated), everyone, and I truly hope this helps build a prosperous 2018 for all of you!

About the Author: Asher Elran is a practical software engineer and a marketing specialist. He is the CEO at Dynamic Search and the founder of Web Ethics.

Read more here - http://review-and-bonuss.blogspot.com/2018/03/seo-2018-will-this-be-year-of-story.html

[adolphkwinter]

SEO 2018: Will This be the Year of the Story Brand?

Certain people always seem to know what’s going on in digital marketing. They are able to predict the “Hot Topic” months in advance.

For as many years as I’ve been in this business, I have been flabbergasted by the knowledge of others, and how they give that knowledge away, seemingly for free. Of course, they monetize their voice. We all try to do that for ourselves or for our clients.

But, as I was writing this article, I was lucky enough to get insight, yet again, from industry leaders I don’t really know because of other people willing to help me.

Without getting into specifics about “hyper-local” and “geo-social” (hot new buzzwords for 2018), my research and discussions centered on common themes around the Story Brand:

Create a story around your brand, and stay consistent with that

Develop a brand that demonstrates transparency, authenticity, emotions, and facets of that story

Leverage content generation and syndication, link building, social media, and publisher influence to promote your story

Recently, a friend of mine told me: “Publishers are going to continue to outrank businesses more and more in 2018. Look at Houzz.com… Where did they come from?!?! I keep telling clients to ‘become a publisher.’ Why? Because they rank, and they rank because they aren’t trying to sell a product. They are telling stories.”

In other words, if people hear about you, and they like what you do when they get there, they’ll convert. You don’t need to sell them on a product. You need to sell them on you.

And, so, as 2018 begins, I hope this article will provide you with the best resource of all – knowledge. Without further ado, here is my short list of four “Thought Leaders” and what they think about the year of the Story Brand.

1. Mark Jackson of Vizion Interactive

Mark Jackson has been a regular contributor at SearchEngineWatch for nearly 7 years now and has been in search and/or marketing for well over a decade. He’s been at big brands, including AOL in the early days, and he understands “brand messaging” better than most.

I got the chance to connect with him here recently, and this is what he had to say:

“While many will talk about the importance of the more recent ‘P Updates’ (Panda, Penguin, and Pigeon), I am more inclined to fall back on an update of yore – Google’s Vince Update.

“Known as the ‘brand’ update, I believe that this set the stage for what was to follow of the now ubiquitous P Updates. Google believes that ‘Brands are the solution, not the problem’ in delivering a more positive set of organic results for its users. (See this AdAge article from 2008.) Since that time, Google has made tremendous strides in ridding its results of spam. It has also shaped what SEO is today.

“You must create a brand to be relevant to Google.

“How do you create a brand? As I referenced in my Search Engine Watch post way back in 2012, reach and frequency are key. So many talk about ‘content marketing’ being vital to organic search today (and it is), but what may be lost is the importance of amplifying your message so that it reaches your intended audience.

“Influencer outreach / PR efforts are one thing, but other forms of promotion are also vital to the effort. Sometimes your organic search endeavors may require a paid component (and, no, I’m not talking about buying links). I’m talking about advertising your message to your audiences, so that you can gain share-of-voice and gain the reach and frequency to have your content efforts ‘mean something’ (to Google, and to your target audience).

“The more folks who see your message and are exposed to your brand, the better chance your content will be shared and, yes, linked to.”

2. Troy Ireland of Digital Current

When I contacted Troy Ireland, Managing Partner at Digital Current, he responded to my question with excellent insight into how brands need to focus on showing their human side to consumers in order to be successful in 2018 and beyond. I listen closely to what Ireland has to say since he is one of the few marketers I know who has had success with thousands of SEO clients over the past thirteen years. This is his response:

“It may sound like a stretch, and biologists would argue otherwise, but any company adept at turning everyday customers into engaged communities knows this: brands are human. “Not convinced? Stay with me. Humans dream up brands and bring them to life. Other humans – living, breathing consumers – keep them alive by doing business with them. We’re social beings, after all. And, while that has always been true, in my experience, success in the digital marketplace increasingly depends on how authentically a brand is able to convey its humanity to consumers.

“How? At a minimum it requires a willingness to express emotion, a clear sense of purpose, and, perhaps above all else, meaningful communication. With so many communication channels available, it’s imperative that a brand’s digital, social media, and content marketing efforts alike share a voice.

“In today’s current landscape, search engine optimization experts are beginning to realize the value of having a voice as they attract increasingly humanized Google search results. We see this clearly in the transition that SEO experts are making from concentrating on search rankings for keywords to focusing on answering audience questions.

“And, in fact, the key to Google search has always been its humanity. We’re so used to thinking of the Google algorithm as our robotic librarian that we often forget that humans designed this storied algorithm to mimic human intelligence and to anticipate human needs, desires, and thought patterns. What Google is searching for, in other words, is humanity.

“This is important to keep in mind across all digital marketing, not just search. For most brands, the key to staying competitive isn’t technology, but applying time-tested marketing methods to new media, in new ways. Intrigue, humor, empathy, or beauty conveyed through evocative images, and dramatic storytelling, colorful video, a well-told narrative, or compelling social media engagement, can resonate deeply in ways a search engine text box alone just can’t.

“Build deep relationships with your audience. They will open up and voice their questions. Knowing what they need for content, aligning the intent behind those needs to your sales funnel, and guiding them properly through the process will lead to a stronger ROI. Once you have your content marketing plan in place, deploy your SEO, link building, social promotion, and influencer outreach strategies to get your story in front of your audience.

“Companies that lose sight of the fact that brands are human (and that customers need to connect with them on an emotional level) do so at their own peril.”

3. Kevin Spacey of Trigger Street

Yes, you read that right. Our third thought leader is the Academy Award winning actor, Kevin Spacey. You may think he is an odd choice to discuss online marketing, but you’d be wrong. In fact, Spacey recently gave the keynote speech at Content Marketing World 2014, an event sponsored by the Content Marketing Institute.

Spacey didn’t talk about his wealth of knowledge on SEO or his marketing strategies, because he doesn’t have any. Instead, he talked about what he knows best – telling a story. And, not just any story, but YOUR story.

During his speech, he said: “The story is everything, which means it is our job to tell better stories.” He went on to say that, “Building a story comes down to three things: conflict, authenticity, and audience.”

Conflict, according to Spacey, is what builds engagement with a story. People like to hear a story in which the characters take risks. In the advertising world, you can create conflict by “going against the settled order of things.”

Authenticity is the next important ingredient. When people feel they are being deceived, or that you are not being true to them, they are turned off. Stay true to who you are and what your brand stands for. Don’t try to do what another company is doing simply because it is working for them. Be authentic with your audience, and they will respond to you.

Audience may be the hardest part of all. In order to gather an audience, you need to do something that is unique and that other people want to share. This is becoming harder and harder to do as more companies attempt the same, but if you can find an idea that works, you will be rewarded.

What was the main point of Spacey’s speech? Simply this: If you want to reach a wider audience, you have to apply a personal touch. Audiences want a story, something they can connect to. If you can make your audience feel a part of the story, you will be able to engage with them like never before.

4. Pam Didner of GlobalContent.Marketing

Pam Didner is a voice I had not heard of before, but recently found out about from Lee Odden’s TopRank blog post.

These are among her predictions:

“Digital marketing will continue to morph and promotion channels will be further fragmented. The major change is NOT about digital marketing. The major change will come from Marketers by going Back to Basics: reevaluate the target audience, determine what works and what doesn’t.”

In other words, don’t worry about your search engine rankings. Go back to the essentials of marketing, but apply them to the new technologies. Focus on connecting with your audience and building up your brand.

This is from Chapter 1 of Didner’s book:

“I am part of the 75 percent, the 44 percent, and the 110 club! About 75 percent of Americans bring phones to the bathroom. Approximately 44 percent of cell phone users sleep with their cell phone by their side. And according to figures collected by a screen lock app, the average user actually checks his phone around 110 times a day.

“I’ve concluded that our phone is the adult version of a security blanket or our favorite stuffed animal. Marvelously, this little device does much more than act as a security blanket or substitute for a stuffed animal. It lets us consume content anytime and anywhere. Studies have shown that the typical social media user consumes 285 pieces of content daily, which equates to an eye-opening 54,000 words and, for the truly active, as many as 1,000 clickable links.”

After reading this, I think: produce GREAT content, fairly regularly, promote it through influence, optimize it for local and mobile, and then, finally, if it’s getting traction, the “numbers are there” to justify throwing some dollars at it to promote the piece.

But, behind it all, create a great story, and brand it through the human element of what companies do. We have an unprecedented amount of access to our potential customers, so we need to use it to our full advantage by giving them what they want – authenticity and great content.

What about My Thoughts for 2018?

My thoughts on 2018 are essentially this: I feel it’s just “more of the same.” Some people will be able to market their brand well, while others will not. And, Google will continue to try and refine their algorithm, while also making it harder for people to figure out what it is. So, instead of trying to “game the system,” we should be looking for a better alternative.

Specifically, don’t worry about what Google is doing with its rankings algorithm, just worry about how you are spreading the message of your company and marketing your brand (or, as the case may be, your clients’ stories).

You don’t have any control over how search engines will rank you. The only thing you can control is how you interact with and widen your audience. In 2018, the best way to do this comes down to storytelling.

Link building, content, promotion, PR, social… These strategies really are starting to become one, in my opinion. While they are important, they must be focused around the central story of your company. In order to be at the top of your game, you need to know all the strategies. But, if you are not properly telling your story, how you use them won’t matter.

Take the time to get on the same page with your clients and their consumers, so that you know what the story is you want to tell. Once you have it figured out, you can use all the other tools you have to the best effect.

So, for 2018, make a resolution to focus on storytelling. Figure out what your own voice is, or the voice of your clients. Only YOU can tell YOUR story, so make sure it is being told in the way that you want.

Happy New Year (albeit belated), everyone, and I truly hope this helps build a prosperous 2018 for all of you!

About the Author: Asher Elran is a practical software engineer and a marketing specialist. He is the CEO at Dynamic Search and the founder of Web Ethics.

from Online Marketing Tips https://blog.kissmetrics.com/seo-story-brand/

[reviewandbonuss]

SEO 2018: Will This be the Year of the Story Brand?

Certain people always seem to know what’s going on in digital marketing. They are able to predict the “Hot Topic” months in advance.

For as many years as I’ve been in this business, I have been flabbergasted by the knowledge of others, and how they give that knowledge away, seemingly for free. Of course, they monetize their voice. We all try to do that for ourselves or for our clients.

But, as I was writing this article, I was lucky enough to get insight, yet again, from industry leaders I don’t really know because of other people willing to help me.

Without getting into specifics about “hyper-local” and “geo-social” (hot new buzzwords for 2018), my research and discussions centered on common themes around the Story Brand:

Create a story around your brand, and stay consistent with that

Develop a brand that demonstrates transparency, authenticity, emotions, and facets of that story

Leverage content generation and syndication, link building, social media, and publisher influence to promote your story

Recently, a friend of mine told me: “Publishers are going to continue to outrank businesses more and more in 2018. Look at Houzz.com… Where did they come from?!?! I keep telling clients to ‘become a publisher.’ Why? Because they rank, and they rank because they aren’t trying to sell a product. They are telling stories.”

In other words, if people hear about you, and they like what you do when they get there, they’ll convert. You don’t need to sell them on a product. You need to sell them on you.

And, so, as 2018 begins, I hope this article will provide you with the best resource of all – knowledge. Without further ado, here is my short list of four “Thought Leaders” and what they think about the year of the Story Brand.

1. Mark Jackson of Vizion Interactive

Mark Jackson has been a regular contributor at SearchEngineWatch for nearly 7 years now and has been in search and/or marketing for well over a decade. He’s been at big brands, including AOL in the early days, and he understands “brand messaging” better than most.

I got the chance to connect with him here recently, and this is what he had to say:

“While many will talk about the importance of the more recent ‘P Updates’ (Panda, Penguin, and Pigeon), I am more inclined to fall back on an update of yore – Google’s Vince Update.

“Known as the ‘brand’ update, I believe that this set the stage for what was to follow of the now ubiquitous P Updates. Google believes that ‘Brands are the solution, not the problem’ in delivering a more positive set of organic results for its users. (See this AdAge article from 2008.) Since that time, Google has made tremendous strides in ridding its results of spam. It has also shaped what SEO is today.

“You must create a brand to be relevant to Google.

“How do you create a brand? As I referenced in my Search Engine Watch post way back in 2012, reach and frequency are key. So many talk about ‘content marketing’ being vital to organic search today (and it is), but what may be lost is the importance of amplifying your message so that it reaches your intended audience.

“Influencer outreach / PR efforts are one thing, but other forms of promotion are also vital to the effort. Sometimes your organic search endeavors may require a paid component (and, no, I’m not talking about buying links). I’m talking about advertising your message to your audiences, so that you can gain share-of-voice and gain the reach and frequency to have your content efforts ‘mean something’ (to Google, and to your target audience).

“The more folks who see your message and are exposed to your brand, the better chance your content will be shared and, yes, linked to.”

2. Troy Ireland of Digital Current

When I contacted Troy Ireland, Managing Partner at Digital Current, he responded to my question with excellent insight into how brands need to focus on showing their human side to consumers in order to be successful in 2018 and beyond. I listen closely to what Ireland has to say since he is one of the few marketers I know who has had success with thousands of SEO clients over the past thirteen years. This is his response:

“It may sound like a stretch, and biologists would argue otherwise, but any company adept at turning everyday customers into engaged communities knows this: brands are human. “Not convinced? Stay with me. Humans dream up brands and bring them to life. Other humans – living, breathing consumers – keep them alive by doing business with them. We’re social beings, after all. And, while that has always been true, in my experience, success in the digital marketplace increasingly depends on how authentically a brand is able to convey its humanity to consumers.

“How? At a minimum it requires a willingness to express emotion, a clear sense of purpose, and, perhaps above all else, meaningful communication. With so many communication channels available, it’s imperative that a brand’s digital, social media, and content marketing efforts alike share a voice.

“In today’s current landscape, search engine optimization experts are beginning to realize the value of having a voice as they attract increasingly humanized Google search results. We see this clearly in the transition that SEO experts are making from concentrating on search rankings for keywords to focusing on answering audience questions.

“And, in fact, the key to Google search has always been its humanity. We’re so used to thinking of the Google algorithm as our robotic librarian that we often forget that humans designed this storied algorithm to mimic human intelligence and to anticipate human needs, desires, and thought patterns. What Google is searching for, in other words, is humanity.

“This is important to keep in mind across all digital marketing, not just search. For most brands, the key to staying competitive isn’t technology, but applying time-tested marketing methods to new media, in new ways. Intrigue, humor, empathy, or beauty conveyed through evocative images, and dramatic storytelling, colorful video, a well-told narrative, or compelling social media engagement, can resonate deeply in ways a search engine text box alone just can’t.

“Build deep relationships with your audience. They will open up and voice their questions. Knowing what they need for content, aligning the intent behind those needs to your sales funnel, and guiding them properly through the process will lead to a stronger ROI. Once you have your content marketing plan in place, deploy your SEO, link building, social promotion, and influencer outreach strategies to get your story in front of your audience.

“Companies that lose sight of the fact that brands are human (and that customers need to connect with them on an emotional level) do so at their own peril.”

3. Kevin Spacey of Trigger Street

Yes, you read that right. Our third thought leader is the Academy Award winning actor, Kevin Spacey. You may think he is an odd choice to discuss online marketing, but you’d be wrong. In fact, Spacey recently gave the keynote speech at Content Marketing World 2014, an event sponsored by the Content Marketing Institute.

Spacey didn’t talk about his wealth of knowledge on SEO or his marketing strategies, because he doesn’t have any. Instead, he talked about what he knows best – telling a story. And, not just any story, but YOUR story.

During his speech, he said: “The story is everything, which means it is our job to tell better stories.” He went on to say that, “Building a story comes down to three things: conflict, authenticity, and audience.”

Conflict, according to Spacey, is what builds engagement with a story. People like to hear a story in which the characters take risks. In the advertising world, you can create conflict by “going against the settled order of things.”

Authenticity is the next important ingredient. When people feel they are being deceived, or that you are not being true to them, they are turned off. Stay true to who you are and what your brand stands for. Don’t try to do what another company is doing simply because it is working for them. Be authentic with your audience, and they will respond to you.

Audience may be the hardest part of all. In order to gather an audience, you need to do something that is unique and that other people want to share. This is becoming harder and harder to do as more companies attempt the same, but if you can find an idea that works, you will be rewarded.

What was the main point of Spacey’s speech? Simply this: If you want to reach a wider audience, you have to apply a personal touch. Audiences want a story, something they can connect to. If you can make your audience feel a part of the story, you will be able to engage with them like never before.

4. Pam Didner of GlobalContent.Marketing

Pam Didner is a voice I had not heard of before, but recently found out about from Lee Odden’s TopRank blog post.

These are among her predictions:

“Digital marketing will continue to morph and promotion channels will be further fragmented. The major change is NOT about digital marketing. The major change will come from Marketers by going Back to Basics: reevaluate the target audience, determine what works and what doesn’t.”

In other words, don’t worry about your search engine rankings. Go back to the essentials of marketing, but apply them to the new technologies. Focus on connecting with your audience and building up your brand.

This is from Chapter 1 of Didner’s book:

“I am part of the 75 percent, the 44 percent, and the 110 club! About 75 percent of Americans bring phones to the bathroom. Approximately 44 percent of cell phone users sleep with their cell phone by their side. And according to figures collected by a screen lock app, the average user actually checks his phone around 110 times a day.

“I’ve concluded that our phone is the adult version of a security blanket or our favorite stuffed animal. Marvelously, this little device does much more than act as a security blanket or substitute for a stuffed animal. It lets us consume content anytime and anywhere. Studies have shown that the typical social media user consumes 285 pieces of content daily, which equates to an eye-opening 54,000 words and, for the truly active, as many as 1,000 clickable links.”

After reading this, I think: produce GREAT content, fairly regularly, promote it through influence, optimize it for local and mobile, and then, finally, if it’s getting traction, the “numbers are there” to justify throwing some dollars at it to promote the piece.

But, behind it all, create a great story, and brand it through the human element of what companies do. We have an unprecedented amount of access to our potential customers, so we need to use it to our full advantage by giving them what they want – authenticity and great content.

What about My Thoughts for 2018?

My thoughts on 2018 are essentially this: I feel it’s just “more of the same.” Some people will be able to market their brand well, while others will not. And, Google will continue to try and refine their algorithm, while also making it harder for people to figure out what it is. So, instead of trying to “game the system,” we should be looking for a better alternative.

Specifically, don’t worry about what Google is doing with its rankings algorithm, just worry about how you are spreading the message of your company and marketing your brand (or, as the case may be, your clients’ stories).

You don’t have any control over how search engines will rank you. The only thing you can control is how you interact with and widen your audience. In 2018, the best way to do this comes down to storytelling.

Link building, content, promotion, PR, social… These strategies really are starting to become one, in my opinion. While they are important, they must be focused around the central story of your company. In order to be at the top of your game, you need to know all the strategies. But, if you are not properly telling your story, how you use them won’t matter.

Take the time to get on the same page with your clients and their consumers, so that you know what the story is you want to tell. Once you have it figured out, you can use all the other tools you have to the best effect.

So, for 2018, make a resolution to focus on storytelling. Figure out what your own voice is, or the voice of your clients. Only YOU can tell YOUR story, so make sure it is being told in the way that you want.

Happy New Year (albeit belated), everyone, and I truly hope this helps build a prosperous 2018 for all of you!

About the Author: Asher Elran is a practical software engineer and a marketing specialist. He is the CEO at Dynamic Search and the founder of Web Ethics.

[themarsupials]

100 Best Songs 2017

It’s that time of year again! Time for my annual recap of the 100 greatest songs I’ve discovered this year. 2017 was perhaps most notably marked by the return of pretty much every North American indie rock band imaginable, the global conquest of a certain New Zealander, the unprecedented prolificness of a certain Melbourne band, and a plethora of welcome rising stars from across the LGBTIQ spectrum. Another decent crop of tunes, then.

This year, I’m doing away with my thesaurus, and letting the professionals speak for the songs. Here we go, part 1:

100. Saba – There You Go

“The warm production is gorgeous and lush, almost enveloping. The intro alone cushions softening trumpet blurts with watercolor synths. Surrounded by keyboard chords and clomping drums, Saba maneuvers joyfully through springing verses, celebrating his ascent from yearbook lame to “independent young black man.””

99. Nilufer Yanya – Baby Luv

“Enchanting in its plaintive simplicity… Yanya’s phrasing is muddy but absolute; the two phrases that linger throughout — “Do you like pain?” and “Call me sometime” — are wanting and self-punishing, the sort of sticky resignation that comes with falling into a new love.” 

 98. Oddisee – Rights and Wrongs

“…Ends the album on an incredible note with Louis’ soulful singing and the funked-out grooves that permeate the track. It’s almost like a trip back to the ‘70s, perhaps the trek Oddisee intended to take us on.”

 97. The Bombay Royale – Ballygunge

“Fuelled by vibrancy, a distinctly 80’s vibe and all of that brash confidence that The Bombay Royale have become known for… vocals are delivered in Hindi, Bengali and English and are likely to be in your head long after that percussion and horn section fades at the end of the song.”

96. Shamir – Straight Boys

“Crack through its surface and you’ll find a center that roils with the frustration of someone who’s trying to work out why things like “whitewashing and queer baiting in media” happen.”

 95. Kelela – Frontline

“Kelela uses those newly sharpened sonics toward an expanded compositional ambition… it’s all forward propulsion–appropriate for a song about hopping in your car and driving away from a stagnant relationship.”

 94. NAO – Nostalgia

“She sings with her usual grace that, in both its fairy-like highs and booming lows, charms a listener away from their real-life work and places them in a vibrant, soul-warming world.”

93. Priests – JJ

“Over surfy, shimmying guitars and a twinkling piano, Greer and her elastic growl reflect on bygone self-assurance, days when cigarette brands could work like masks.”

92. Empress Of – Go To Hell

“A light, tropical beat and a rhythmic flurry of handclaps serve as a backdrop to Empress Of’s breezy vocals, which confronts anybody that’d pretend they know what’s best for her.” 

91. Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile – Over Everything

“A conversation between the two about songwriting set to gently meandering guitar that gradually builds momentum and is as insightful as it’s lovely.” 

90. Holiday Party – I’m Still Here

“This is a breath of fresh air isn't it? Bright and full of colour, the Holiday Party are living up to their moniker with ease. Love the way you flirt with sounds rather than engaging Everything All The Time.”

 89. Everything is Recorded (feat. Sampha) – Close But Not Quite

“A duet of sorts, as Sampha’s delicate tone and Mayfield’s soaring voice accentuates Russell’s piano-driven instrumental. Amid well-placed strings and light drums, the music encases Sampha, creating a natural synergy between he and Mayfield.”

88. The Mountain Goats – Andrew Eldritch is Moving Back to Leeds

“Singing calmly atop glimmery keys and woodwinds, Darnielle sounds right at home, describing a half-glorious homecoming that may or may not have actually taken place.”

 87. Cold Beat – 62 Moons

“A synth-pop song that swims in crystalline guitars a la Modern English, with a Brill Building romanticism; in its final minute, a wistful, whistling monosynth lead launches the track from Earth, as Lew exhales her "fade to black."”

 86. Smerz – No Harm

“Norwegian duo Smerz have always found a way to make us dance with repetitive, high-edged beats… with their complete DIY way of composing music, they manage to keep us interested thanks to their understanding of how to captivate the audience with loops of random vocals.”

85. Baker Boy – Marryuna

“That you've backed up Cloud 9 with something this strong and confident gives me this feeling that we're all listening to the start of someone really special.”

 84. Messy Mammals – Wish I’d Said

“Wish I’d Said  brings in a spacey, glitchy soul sound from Messy Mammals. Think Lauryn Hill in a rocket ship, sipping’ on champagne and caressing a synth while gliding past Mars.”

83. BOSCO – Castles

“Mixes airy vocals, grounded instrumentals, and images of crumbling crowns to describe a relationship given two (or three) too many chances. It captures the mixed emotions felt after a breakup, when you're walking away but still turning around to look behind you — or trying to fight the urge to.”

82. Todd Terje – Maskindans

“The track locks in its messy synths and punchy bassline, stacking sounds with a density never present on the original track. As it builds to its bridge, the track pulls back to reveal a striking tonal tension, slapping together stabs of synth-drenched noise and a monotone voice chanting what, in true Kraftwerk-fashion, roughly translates to “machine dance.””

81. Fleet Foxes – If You Need To, Keep Time on Me

“A patient ballad, with Pecknold’s lyrics compacted into stark, lingering couplets, tying each word together like one mournful exhale.”

 80. Haiku Hands – Not About You

“Attempting to represent this song as a graph of attitude against time would be impossible as soon as the lyrics come in... It would immediately track upwards off the chart to unmeasurable quantities. Success.”

79. The Go! Team – Semicircle Song

“An ecstatic marching band romp in which, at one point, all of the band members rattle off their astrological signs… the sort of mishmash of warmth and discordance that this group has always been great at.”

78. Lorde - Sober

“It’s exciting to hear Lorde return to the kind of sparse and considered arrangement she navigates so deftly. More than a simple retread of Pure Heroine, “Sober” instead uses Lorde’s new resources as a bona-fide pop star to electrify her old aesthetic.”

77. Dirty Projectors – Cool Your Heart

“Upbeat as it is, there’s nothing easy listening about “Cool Your Heart”… the production on this track shows painstaking attention to detail, each tropical beat and horn blast placed with care and consideration to balance out shining keys and the vocalists.”

 76. Songhoy Blues – Voter

“A driving shuffle about political corruption, equal parts party and protest… the chorus crackles with garage rock intensity, just one notch shy of the psychedelic fervor of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, while the verse showcases the nimble Afrobeat fretwork of guitarist Garba Touré.”

75. Siamese – Scatterbrain

“Melodic and heavy, the tune thuds with guitar and vocal. It’s muddy, but in the best way. Best turned up loud, “Scatterbrain” is one for the hazy nights where you want to get nostalgic.”

[adolphkwinter]

SEO 2018: Will This be the Year of the Story Brand?

Certain people always seem to know what’s going on in digital marketing. They are able to predict the “Hot Topic” months in advance.

For as many years as I’ve been in this business, I have been flabbergasted by the knowledge of others, and how they give that knowledge away, seemingly for free. Of course, they monetize their voice. We all try to do that for ourselves or for our clients.

But, as I was writing this article, I was lucky enough to get insight, yet again, from industry leaders I don’t really know because of other people willing to help me.

Without getting into specifics about “hyper-local” and “geo-social” (hot new buzzwords for 2018), my research and discussions centered on common themes around the Story Brand:

Create a story around your brand, and stay consistent with that

Develop a brand that demonstrates transparency, authenticity, emotions, and facets of that story

Leverage content generation and syndication, link building, social media, and publisher influence to promote your story

Recently, a friend of mine told me: “Publishers are going to continue to outrank businesses more and more in 2018. Look at Houzz.com… Where did they come from?!?! I keep telling clients to ‘become a publisher.’ Why? Because they rank, and they rank because they aren’t trying to sell a product. They are telling stories.”

In other words, if people hear about you, and they like what you do when they get there, they’ll convert. You don’t need to sell them on a product. You need to sell them on you.

And, so, as 2018 begins, I hope this article will provide you with the best resource of all – knowledge. Without further ado, here is my short list of four “Thought Leaders” and what they think about the year of the Story Brand.

1. Mark Jackson of Vizion Interactive

Mark Jackson has been a regular contributor at SearchEngineWatch for nearly 7 years now and has been in search and/or marketing for well over a decade. He’s been at big brands, including AOL in the early days, and he understands “brand messaging” better than most.

I got the chance to connect with him here recently, and this is what he had to say:

“While many will talk about the importance of the more recent ‘P Updates’ (Panda, Penguin, and Pigeon), I am more inclined to fall back on an update of yore – Google’s Vince Update.

“Known as the ‘brand’ update, I believe that this set the stage for what was to follow of the now ubiquitous P Updates. Google believes that ‘Brands are the solution, not the problem’ in delivering a more positive set of organic results for its users. (See this AdAge article from 2008.) Since that time, Google has made tremendous strides in ridding its results of spam. It has also shaped what SEO is today.

“You must create a brand to be relevant to Google.

“How do you create a brand? As I referenced in my Search Engine Watch post way back in 2012, reach and frequency are key. So many talk about ‘content marketing’ being vital to organic search today (and it is), but what may be lost is the importance of amplifying your message so that it reaches your intended audience.

“Influencer outreach / PR efforts are one thing, but other forms of promotion are also vital to the effort. Sometimes your organic search endeavors may require a paid component (and, no, I’m not talking about buying links). I’m talking about advertising your message to your audiences, so that you can gain share-of-voice and gain the reach and frequency to have your content efforts ‘mean something’ (to Google, and to your target audience).

“The more folks who see your message and are exposed to your brand, the better chance your content will be shared and, yes, linked to.”

2. Troy Ireland of Digital Current

When I contacted Troy Ireland, Managing Partner at Digital Current, he responded to my question with excellent insight into how brands need to focus on showing their human side to consumers in order to be successful in 2018 and beyond. I listen closely to what Ireland has to say since he is one of the few marketers I know who has had success with thousands of SEO clients over the past thirteen years. This is his response:

“It may sound like a stretch, and biologists would argue otherwise, but any company adept at turning everyday customers into engaged communities knows this: brands are human. “Not convinced? Stay with me. Humans dream up brands and bring them to life. Other humans – living, breathing consumers – keep them alive by doing business with them. We’re social beings, after all. And, while that has always been true, in my experience, success in the digital marketplace increasingly depends on how authentically a brand is able to convey its humanity to consumers.

“How? At a minimum it requires a willingness to express emotion, a clear sense of purpose, and, perhaps above all else, meaningful communication. With so many communication channels available, it’s imperative that a brand’s digital, social media, and content marketing efforts alike share a voice.

“In today’s current landscape, search engine optimization experts are beginning to realize the value of having a voice as they attract increasingly humanized Google search results. We see this clearly in the transition that SEO experts are making from concentrating on search rankings for keywords to focusing on answering audience questions.

“And, in fact, the key to Google search has always been its humanity. We’re so used to thinking of the Google algorithm as our robotic librarian that we often forget that humans designed this storied algorithm to mimic human intelligence and to anticipate human needs, desires, and thought patterns. What Google is searching for, in other words, is humanity.

“This is important to keep in mind across all digital marketing, not just search. For most brands, the key to staying competitive isn’t technology, but applying time-tested marketing methods to new media, in new ways. Intrigue, humor, empathy, or beauty conveyed through evocative images, and dramatic storytelling, colorful video, a well-told narrative, or compelling social media engagement, can resonate deeply in ways a search engine text box alone just can’t.

“Build deep relationships with your audience. They will open up and voice their questions. Knowing what they need for content, aligning the intent behind those needs to your sales funnel, and guiding them properly through the process will lead to a stronger ROI. Once you have your content marketing plan in place, deploy your SEO, link building, social promotion, and influencer outreach strategies to get your story in front of your audience.

“Companies that lose sight of the fact that brands are human (and that customers need to connect with them on an emotional level) do so at their own peril.”

3. Kevin Spacey of Trigger Street

Yes, you read that right. Our third thought leader is the Academy Award winning actor, Kevin Spacey. You may think he is an odd choice to discuss online marketing, but you’d be wrong. In fact, Spacey recently gave the keynote speech at Content Marketing World 2014, an event sponsored by the Content Marketing Institute.

Spacey didn’t talk about his wealth of knowledge on SEO or his marketing strategies, because he doesn’t have any. Instead, he talked about what he knows best – telling a story. And, not just any story, but YOUR story.

During his speech, he said: “The story is everything, which means it is our job to tell better stories.” He went on to say that, “Building a story comes down to three things: conflict, authenticity, and audience.”

Conflict, according to Spacey, is what builds engagement with a story. People like to hear a story in which the characters take risks. In the advertising world, you can create conflict by “going against the settled order of things.”

Authenticity is the next important ingredient. When people feel they are being deceived, or that you are not being true to them, they are turned off. Stay true to who you are and what your brand stands for. Don’t try to do what another company is doing simply because it is working for them. Be authentic with your audience, and they will respond to you.

Audience may be the hardest part of all. In order to gather an audience, you need to do something that is unique and that other people want to share. This is becoming harder and harder to do as more companies attempt the same, but if you can find an idea that works, you will be rewarded.

What was the main point of Spacey’s speech? Simply this: If you want to reach a wider audience, you have to apply a personal touch. Audiences want a story, something they can connect to. If you can make your audience feel a part of the story, you will be able to engage with them like never before.

4. Pam Didner of GlobalContent.Marketing

Pam Didner is a voice I had not heard of before, but recently found out about from Lee Odden’s TopRank blog post.

These are among her predictions:

“Digital marketing will continue to morph and promotion channels will be further fragmented. The major change is NOT about digital marketing. The major change will come from Marketers by going Back to Basics: reevaluate the target audience, determine what works and what doesn’t.”

In other words, don’t worry about your search engine rankings. Go back to the essentials of marketing, but apply them to the new technologies. Focus on connecting with your audience and building up your brand.

This is from Chapter 1 of Didner’s book:

“I am part of the 75 percent, the 44 percent, and the 110 club! About 75 percent of Americans bring phones to the bathroom. Approximately 44 percent of cell phone users sleep with their cell phone by their side. And according to figures collected by a screen lock app, the average user actually checks his phone around 110 times a day.

“I’ve concluded that our phone is the adult version of a security blanket or our favorite stuffed animal. Marvelously, this little device does much more than act as a security blanket or substitute for a stuffed animal. It lets us consume content anytime and anywhere. Studies have shown that the typical social media user consumes 285 pieces of content daily, which equates to an eye-opening 54,000 words and, for the truly active, as many as 1,000 clickable links.”

After reading this, I think: produce GREAT content, fairly regularly, promote it through influence, optimize it for local and mobile, and then, finally, if it’s getting traction, the “numbers are there” to justify throwing some dollars at it to promote the piece.

But, behind it all, create a great story, and brand it through the human element of what companies do. We have an unprecedented amount of access to our potential customers, so we need to use it to our full advantage by giving them what they want – authenticity and great content.

What about My Thoughts for 2018?

My thoughts on 2018 are essentially this: I feel it’s just “more of the same.” Some people will be able to market their brand well, while others will not. And, Google will continue to try and refine their algorithm, while also making it harder for people to figure out what it is. So, instead of trying to “game the system,” we should be looking for a better alternative.

Specifically, don’t worry about what Google is doing with its rankings algorithm, just worry about how you are spreading the message of your company and marketing your brand (or, as the case may be, your clients’ stories).

You don’t have any control over how search engines will rank you. The only thing you can control is how you interact with and widen your audience. In 2018, the best way to do this comes down to storytelling.

Link building, content, promotion, PR, social… These strategies really are starting to become one, in my opinion. While they are important, they must be focused around the central story of your company. In order to be at the top of your game, you need to know all the strategies. But, if you are not properly telling your story, how you use them won’t matter.

Take the time to get on the same page with your clients and their consumers, so that you know what the story is you want to tell. Once you have it figured out, you can use all the other tools you have to the best effect.

So, for 2018, make a resolution to focus on storytelling. Figure out what your own voice is, or the voice of your clients. Only YOU can tell YOUR story, so make sure it is being told in the way that you want.

Happy New Year (albeit belated), everyone, and I truly hope this helps build a prosperous 2018 for all of you!

About the Author: Asher Elran is a practical software engineer and a marketing specialist. He is the CEO at Dynamic Search and the founder of Web Ethics.

from Online Marketing Tips https://kissmetrics.wpengine.com/seo-story-brand/