SEO

20 Awesome Examples Of Social Media Marketing

Published

2 months ago

March 15, 2024

20 Awesome Examples Of Social Media Marketing

Technology makes the world seem a lot smaller.

Keeping up with friends and family on the other side of the country or across the globe no longer requires an expensive telephone call or slow, one-way snail mail.

Instead, thanks to the power of social media, we can bridge distances in the blink of an eye. In just seconds, you can share updates about your life or check in with anyone with internet access.

Social media has changed how we communicate and how we consume information and entertainment.

These platforms unlock a treasure trove of opportunities for savvy marketers, transforming how brands engage with their audience and share their stories on a global stage.

Why Is Social Media Marketing Important For Brands?

Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, X (Twitter), and Facebook – among others – present businesses with an opportunity to engage with a massive audience.

They are not just digital spaces for socializing; they are vibrant marketplaces.

As of 2024, the global social media user base had soared to over 4.8 billion people, representing an ever-expanding audience for brands – and a whole lot of potential customers.

Social media provides the opportunity for marketers to humanize their brand through compelling storytelling that showcases their identity and values.

With social media marketing, brands can weave their narratives, engage vast audiences without hefty budgets, and raise awareness and consideration for their company with a broader audience.

It’s also a powerful tool for building authentic relationships with your target consumer.

You can conduct real-time customer service, gather feedback (both positive and negative), and build brand trust over time by interacting and engaging with your social community across specific platforms.

In addition:

68% of consumers follow brands on social media to stay updated about products and services.
The average time spent on social media daily is 2 hours and 24 minutes.

The landscape of social media marketing is also shifting towards more engaging content formats such as short videos, live streams, and interactive stories.

From viral organic posts to paid display ads that allow you to target a highly specific demographic, social media presents an unrivaled opportunity to boost your brand visibility and find new customers.

That said, these platforms are not just about placing ads in front of consumers; they’re about creating conversations, building communities, and driving genuine brand engagement through content that resonates with audiences.

So, what separates the companies who are killing it on social media from the thousands of others who never quite seem to gain any traction?

In this piece, we’ll look at some outstanding ways brands have leveraged popular social platforms to inspire your campaigns.

How To Measure Social Media Marketing Effectiveness

Before we dive into the fun stuff, let’s take a moment to discuss how you can gauge the impact of your social media marketing efforts.

The key to assessing the effectiveness of your social media activities lies in measuring your key performance indicators (KPIs).

Some KPIs you might want to consider tracking include:

Reach: The number of unique users who see your content. This helps you understand the overall scale of content distribution.
Impressions: How many times your content was viewed (regardless of clicks or engagements). This can help you gauge how frequently people are looking at your content.
Engagements: Interactions with your content (e.g., how many likes, shares, comments, saves, etc., it received). This helps you understand how engaging users are finding your content.
Conversions: How effective your content is at driving actions (e.g., link clicks, follows, form fills, sales, sign-ups, etc.) This helps you understand whether your content is driving towards your goal-related activity.

The KPIs you choose should closely align with your strategic goals.

If you’re looking to boost awareness, reach, impressions, and engagement, offer valuable insights into how widely your message is seen and whether it’s resonating with users.

If you’re focused on lead generation or direct sales, focusing on conversion rates will provide a clearer measure of success.

Each brand is different, which means they will not only measure success differently but will also vary in which platforms are most effective for their social media marketing efforts.

With this in mind, we’ve broken down our examples and inspiration by platform. So, with no further ado, let’s jump in.

YouTube

1. Dove: Project #ShowUs

When: 2019

Campaign Outline:

To highlight that beauty comes in many forms, Dove launched Project #ShowUs, a campaign intended to challenge stereotypes of what is and isn’t considered beautiful.

In collaboration with Getty Images and Girlgaze Photographers, Project #ShowUs created the largest stock photo library in the world created by women – featuring all female-identifying and non-binary individuals.

The library featured over 5,000 photographs of women from around the globe. Dove took to social media to introduce it to the world, creating video content for YouTube and partnering with influencers to gain traction.

The Numbers:

The YouTube video has generated over 33.5 million views.
More than 100,000 women pledged to create a more inclusive vision of beauty.
900+ companies in 40 countries downloaded 7,500+ images from the collection
The hashtag #ShowUs saw thousands of engagements across YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook.

Why Did It Work?

For generations, media and advertising have presented an image of what beauty is. However, this has left so many women feeling like they are not represented by media and advertising.

Dove spoke directly to the feelings of its target audience, engaging with them about the brand’s value and encouraging them to take pride in being themselves.

Strategic delivery helped reach women worldwide.

2. BuzzFeed x Friskies: Dear Kitten

When: 2016

Campaign Outline:

If there’s one thing the internet loves, it’s cat videos.

Buzzfeed and Friskies tapped into this sentiment with their “Dear Kitten” videos, in which an older house cat teaches a kitten how to be a cat.

The Numbers:

The launch video has been viewed on YouTube more than 34 million times.
Twelve follow-up videos have been viewed millions of times each.
The campaign led to viral TikTok parodies, with the hashtag #DearKitten receiving more than 3.6 million views.

Why Did It Work?

You don’t have to have genius-level insight into the human psyche to understand why this campaign was so successful.

It has cute cats and a funny script.

3. Apple: “Study With Me”

Screenshot from YouTube, Study With Me feat. Storm Reid x Apple, Apple, February 2024

When: 2023

Campaign Outline:

Apple tried its hand at the popular “Study With Me” video trend in 2023 by creating a 90-minute feature starring actress and college junior Storm Reid.

In the video, Reid uses the Pomodoro Technique – which focuses on 25-minute study sessions followed by 5-minute breaks – to showcase a productive study routine.

The video serves as a virtual study companion for viewers who are looking for that type of content while also highlighting the capabilities of Apple’s MacBook Air product.

The Numbers:

The video has generated over 18 million views on YouTube.

Why Did It Work:

Apple did what great social media marketing often does: It tapped into a trending format to reach its ideal audience.

By tapping into a burgeoning trend among students seeking virtual companionship and motivation – and pairing that with Storm Reid, a recognizable figure who is also relatable for the target audience – the campaign struck a chord of being both authentic and helpful to viewers.

On top of that, incorporating a tried-and-true study technique gave the audience a practical takeaway to enhance their own study habits.

4. eBay: Modathon

When: 2023

Campaign Outline:

eBay wanted to shift perceptions of its brand and drive excitement with an audience of auto enthusiasts.

So, the brand created a social media campaign to tap into the subculture of offroading by leveraging the huge inventory of eBay Motors.

In a YouTube series called “Modathon,” the company partnered with YouTube creators on a mission to transform a 1979 Bronco into an offroading powerhouse using only parts and accessories from eBay Motors.

Across several longform episodes, creators customized the Bronco with parts for challenging trails.

The Numbers:

The series generated:

35,000 new YouTube channel subscribers.
Over 8.4 million views on YouTube to date.
More than 100 million minutes watched.
6:28 minute average episode watch time.

Why Did It Work:

The Modathon challenge succeeded by tapping into what drives the offroading community: a passion for adventure, customization, and modification.

By partnering with YouTube creators who embody the spirit and enthusiasm of its target audience, eBay positioned itself as not just a marketplace but a hub for inspiration and community.

The narrative series format catered to the audience’s preference for immersive, detailed content, which then helped foster a stronger connection with the brand.

Instagram

5. Apple: The Shot on iPhone Challenge

When: Ongoing (Launched in 2015)

Campaign Outline:

The world’s most popular smartphone manufacturer, Apple, takes great pride in the quality of images that can be captured on its devices.

To highlight the great photos that it can take, it launched a competition in 2015 that asked iPhone users to “capture the little things in a big way.”

Photographers were then invited to share their images on Instagram and other social media sites using the hashtag #ShotOniPhone.

A panel of judges then selected 10 winners from tens of thousands of entries, which were then featured on Apple’s website, the company’s Instagram, and on 10,000+ billboards in 25 countries.

It has since become an annual campaign for the brand.

The Numbers:

The first round of the campaign had more than 6.5 billion impressions.
It was mentioned by 24,000 influencers, with a 95% positive comment rating.

Why Did It Work?

User-generated content (UGC) is a low-investment way for companies to promote their brand on social media, but this isn’t the reason for this campaign’s success.

Instead, Shot on iPhone encourages people to discuss the campaign, which closely aligns with Apple’s reputation for creativity, lifestyle, and innovation.

It encouraged existing users to participate in product launches and builds a sense of excitement about being part of the iPhone community.

Additionally, it gives iPhone users a sense of being part of something cool, which everyone likes.

6. Spotify: Spotify Wrapped

Screenshot from newsroom.spotify.com, February 2024

When: Ongoing (Launched in 2019)

Campaign Outline:

In 2019, Spotify launched a campaign where users received a year-end round-up of their listening habits on the platform.

Using personalized in-app data, Spotify Wrapped gives you access to an exclusive, interactive story (or, in the past, a webpage) that shows you details like:

Your most listened to artists, genres, and songs.
Your top podcasts.
The total time you spent listening for the year.
New artists you discovered.
And more.

The data is presented in a visually appealing way that is formatted specifically for sharing to Instagram Stories (and elsewhere) – and Spotify encourages users to share far and wide.

Now, several years later, Spotify Wrapped has become an event that users anticipate and talk about even ahead of time.

It has evolved to serve users with new tidbits of information – such as what international city you’re aligned with based on your listening habits – and has succeeded at creating a tentpole social media marketing moment.

The Numbers:

In 2022, 156 million users engaged with Wrapped.
In 2021, that number was reportedly 120 million.
There were 425 million Tweets about Spotify Wrapped in the first three days after its launch in 2022.

Why Did It Work?

Spotify combines two big psychological triggers in this campaign: personalization and fear of missing out (FOMO).

The app provides a personalized story for each user. You can see how your music taste developed through the years and what songs accompanied you in your life. The visualizations and gamification make it super engaging and capture people’s attention.

By enabling and encouraging sharing on social media, Spotify amplifies the campaign’s reach. It creates a sense of community in which users want to share their results with others – and see where they differ from their friends.

People naturally wanted to show off their highlights to their friends, thus making more people eager to try this experience.

7. Freeform: Cruel Summer Influencer Nostalgia Campaign

When: 2023

Campaign Outline:

After record-breaking viewership of season one of “Cruel Summer,” Freeform needed to reignite interest in the show’s second season.

So, the brand put together a social media campaign built around a classic tactic: nostalgia.

Collaborating with six popular Instagram meme accounts and throwback influencers like Lance Bass and Mario Lopez, the network leveraged ’90s nostalgia to create buzz around the new anthology format of Cruel Summer.

The Numbers:

The campaign garnered a total reach of over 22 million and 3.7 million organic impressions.
A top post by ThirtyAF achieved a 6.5% engagement rate.
The brand saw a unanimously positive sentiment from fans who expressed excitement for the new season.

Why Did It Work?

Nostalgia has proven itself to be an extremely powerful marketing tactic – and that’s especially true on social media.

Freeform’s campaign leveraged the power of nostalgia marketing – and its audience’s love for the ’90s – to drive impressive social media engagement.

Additionally, partnering with trusted social media influencers further amplified the impact of the campaign.

This innovative approach – combined with the excitement for new stories – led to a universally positive reception, proving that a well-curated throwback theme can effectively drum up anticipation and broaden viewer interest.

8. Hulu Originals: Only Murders In The Building

When: 2021

Campaign Outline:

In a strategic move to captivate audiences and announce the first season of “Only Murders in the Building,” Hulu partnered with Home Brew Agency to craft an Instagram campaign that reflected the mysterious tones of the show itself.

The strategy centered around transforming the Instagram feed into an extension of the show’s universe, complete with a detailed mosaic of the fictional Arconia building.

The campaign also highlighted the star-studded cast of Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez through character spotlights that introduced and teased the evolving dynamics between the main characters to interactively immerse followers in the series’ murder mystery.

Original videos and games were designed to spark curiosity and speculation among fans without revealing too much, maintaining the suspense that is the lifeblood of any whodunit.

The Numbers:

The @onlymurdershulu Instagram account quickly grew to 116,000 followers.
As a result, the show launched as Hulu’s “Most-Watched Comedy Premiere in Hulu History” and the most-watched Hulu Original comedy on premiere day.

Why Did It Work?

Hulu Originals did a number of things right here.

Firstly, it leveraged Instagram to extend the story world of the series and engage fans on a platform where they’re already active and invested.

The brand made use of the show’s considerable star power to activate a broad fan base across different demographics and generate excitement and curiosity.

By introducing an immersive social media experience that focused on mystery and teasing elements of the show piece-by-piece, Hulu Originals expanded the show’s narrative beyond the screen, heightened anticipation, and invited social media fans to join in on the fun.

This holistic approach not only solidified the show’s online presence but also played a crucial role in driving its record-breaking viewership on Hulu, demonstrating the power of social media in amplifying television narratives

9. Bobbie: @Bobbie Instagram Handle

When: 2023

Campaign Outline:

Bobbie, a baby formula brand, is on a mission to reshape societal perceptions around infant nutrition.

In 2023, the brand set out with an objective to leverage Instagram to cultivate a supportive, diverse community for modern parents.

Central to the brand’s mission was to make the tumultuous first year of parenting less daunting by using Instagram to bond over shared experiences within the first year of parenthood and help parents feel less alone.

To do so, the brand focused on showing the real, parent-driven team behind the scenes at Bobbie, telling the powerful stories of challenges real Bobbie parents face (such as infertility and systemic injustices in maternal care). It even responded with real-time support, such as Uber-delivered formula to Instagram followers experiencing emergencies.

The Numbers:

Total engagements increased to 307,000 – a 338% jump from the previous year.
Increased total impressions to 162 million – a 334% jump from the previous year.
Followers grew to 113,000 – a 37% rise from the year beforehand.

Why Did It Work?

Bobbie’s strategy resonated deeply with its audience by focusing on authenticity.

By openly addressing the complexities of parenting, offering tangible support, and spotlighting real stories, Bobbie not only fostered a community but also positioned itself as a brand that truly understands and advocates for its customers’ needs.

In addition to enhancing its social metrics, the hands-on approach and commitment to addressing systemic challenges in parenthood – coupled with strategic storytelling and community engagement – also solidified the brand as a leader in championing the well-being of parents and children alike.

Facebook

10. BuzzFeed: Tasty

When: 2016

Campaign Outline:

You’ve probably seen these quick and easy recipe videos popping up all over your Facebook news feed.

BuzzFeed’s Tasty videos are essentially cooking shows for the social media generation.

These videos, typically lasting less than two minutes, deliver on-trend recipes to a highly engaged audience.

The Numbers:

Nearly 15 months after launching, Tasty published 2,000 recipe videos, giving the brand a steady stream of new content.
Videos reached around 500 million users monthly.
The brand has over 105 million Facebook fans.

Why Did It Work?

For starters, there’s the content.

Tasty tapped into the inherent shareability of food content and the fact that almost everyone can relate to food – it has a place in all of our lives.

But more importantly, Tasty and Proper Tasty have exploded on Facebook because the content is tailor-made for that platform.

The team at BuzzFeed clearly observed video trends on Facebook and jumped while the time was ripe.

By producing high-quality, visually appealing videos that users could easily replicate at home, Tasty not only entertained but also provided value, making it a go-to resource for culinary inspiration.

The videos are optimized for Facebook’s autoplay feature, which starts playing videos without the sound on.

You don’t need sound to see, for example, a 45-second guide to making a cheese-stuffed pizza pretzel.

11. Planet Fitness: Home Work-Ins

When: 2020

Campaign Outline:

In 2020, with the world grappling with lockdowns and gym closures, Planet Fitness set out to leverage Facebook to revolutionize home fitness.

As many of us scaled back our physical activity in order to shelter in place, Planet Fitness launched “The Home Work-In” series.

This innovative campaign transformed Facebook Live into a virtual gym, offering free, daily live workouts to motivate people globally.

To make it happen, the company equipped trainers across the country with the necessary tech to broadcast from their homes. These sessions featured professional trainers, celebrities, and athletes, ensuring variety and broad appeal.

The Numbers:

Over 373 million total campaign impressions.
Viewed by over 208 million people across 37 countries.
Increase the average watch time of Planet Fitness video content by 200%.
Drove over 4.3 million new Facebook followers.

Why Did It Work?

Planet Fitness’s Home Work-In campaign brilliantly tapped into the needs of a global audience confined to their homes, craving movement and community.

By leveraging Facebook Live, it provided real-time, interactive fitness solutions that were accessible and free, breaking down barriers to exercise.

The strategic use of celebrities and athletes added star power, while the quick launch just days after widespread closures highlighted the brand’s agility and commitment to its members.

X (Formerly Twitter)

12. Nickelodeon: A Message From Steve – Blue’s Clues 25th Anniversary

Screenshot from X (Twitter), February 2024

When: 2021

Campaign Outline:

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of “Blue’s Clues,” Nickelodeon decided to use X (Twitter) to reconnect with the now-adult audience who had cherished the show as children.

The strategy was to evoke nostalgia and warmth by reminding them of the timeless bond they shared with the show, using a special message from the original host, Steve.

The centerpiece of the celebration was a “Message From Steve,” a video where Steve directly addressed the audience after decades.

The script, developed in close collaboration with Steve, touched on universal themes of adulthood, such as jobs, families, and student loans, while also acknowledging the growth and journeys of the audience since they last met Steve.

By using X (Twitter) as the distribution platform, Nickelodeon strategically featured Steve’s message in an area where it knew the conversation would flourish.

The Numbers:

Steve’s messaging became a viral sensation, garnering:
- Over 40 million views.
- Close to 800,000 retweets.
- 2 million likes.
- Over 222 million impressions and 18 million engagements.
It was the most engaging tweet of all time for any ViacomCBS account.
Blue’s Clues and Steve were a trending topic on social media for several days, with fans sharing their emotional reactions, memories, and more.
Celebrities, such as Seth Rogen and Blake Lively, and brands like XBOX and JCPenney engaged with the tweet.

Why Did It Work?

Steve’s return tapped into a deep well of nostalgia, which (as we’ve discussed above) is a powerful tool for engaging social media content.

It encouraged and allowed people to reconnect with childhood memories, and the sincerity of the message resonated with social media audiences all over the world.

By addressing the shared experiences of growing up and acknowledging the challenges of adulthood, the campaign fostered a powerful sense of community among viewers.

13. Busch: #PassMeABusch

When: 2022

Campaign Outline:

Busch Light had an ambitious goal: to dominate social media conversations on National Beer Day by making Busch Light the most talked-about beer brand.

In order to do that, it mobilized its passionate fanbase on X (Twitter) by turning April 7, 2022 into a celebration of beer, which was fueled by generous beer money giveaways.

The brand asked fans to share why they deserved to celebrate National Beer Day with Busch Light, promising $10,000 in beer money via CashApp for the most compelling reasons.

Throughout the day, it offered various giveaway amounts and “power hours” to maintain excitement and participation.

This led to fans sharing their unique, humorous, and sometimes poignant reasons for deserving a share of the beer money, generating widespread buzz and engagement.

The Numbers:

Bush Light became the No. 1 topic on X (Twitter) for National Beer Day.
The brand achieved:
- Over 40,000 social mentions.
- 1.7 million impressions.
- Nearly 3,000 new followers.
The #PassMeABusch hashtag gained the company thousands of new followers.
One of the biggest growth days Anheuser-Busch ever saw on Twitter.

Why Did It Work?

The campaign’s genius lay in its simplicity and direct appeal to the audience’s love for beer and the brand.

By offering tangible rewards to fans, Busch Light created a sense of excitement that resonated across X (Twitter), and provided strong incentive for engagement.

After all, people are much more likely to engage if they believe they might get something out of it!

The mix of humor, relatability, and the thrill of potentially winning beer money incentivized people to celebrate and engage, propelling Busch Light to unprecedented social media prominence on National Beer Day.

14. Planters: The Death Of Mr. Peanut – #RIPPeanut

When: 2020

Campaign Outline:

Perhaps one of the most bizarre social media campaigns: the beloved mascot of Planters snack food company died at the beginning of January 2020.

His death was announced with a tweet and later explained in a video ad posted to YouTube. The brand explained that Mr. Peanut had sacrificed his life to save his commercial co-stars, Matt Walsh and Wesley Snipes.

Planters invited fans to mourn the loss using the #RIPPeanut hashtag (which could also win them snacks).

The brands and regular social media users alike played along with the campaign, and it even got a mention on SNL.

The campaign was inspired by the reaction to celebrity deaths on social media. It aimed to repeat the same level of engagement that Tony Stark’s death caused in “Avengers: Endgame.”

Later, Mr. Peanut was reborn as a Baby Nut and now happily tweets from the Peanut Jr. account.

The Numbers:

The tweet announcing the death of Mr. Peanut has gathered 42,000 retweets.
It generated an increase of 24,000 followers for the @MrPeanut Twitter account.

Why Did It Work?

The campaign’s success hinged on its sheer audacity and the playful engagement with a topic as somber as death, presented in a way that was both humorous and captivating.

The premise was so unexpected and so wild that it immediately piqued the interest of users across X (Twitter) and quickly became a meme.

By tapping into meme culture and encouraging the participation of other users and brands, Planters created a viral phenomenon that transcended traditional marketing campaigns.

Many comedians and funny Twitter personalities jumped into the conversation, making jokes about Mr Peanut’s death – and other brands like Snickers, Crocs, and more joined in.

Planters did an exceptional job of taking the strange humor of the platform at the time, and putting that to use in an interactive and emotional rollercoaster that demonstrated the power of creative storytelling and community engagement.

TikTok

15. P&G: #DistanceDance

When: 2020

Campaign Outline:

Created during the pandemic (seeing a trend here?), Proctor and Gamble took to TikTok with a campaign designed to encourage social distancing.

Under the hashtag #DistanceDance, the company teamed up with social media and former competitive dancer Charli D’Amelio to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.

For the first 3 million videos posted to the short-form video apps, P&G donated to Feeding America and Matthew 25 Ministries.

The Numbers:

The hashtag has inspired more than 2.3 million posts to date.
Charli D’Amelio’s video received almost 7 million likes and had more than 135,000 comments.

Why Did It Work?

Recognizing that to reach a younger audience, it needed to reach them on their platform of choice, P&G jumped fully into this TikTok campaign.

Partnering with an established influencer helped the company reach an audience it would otherwise have struggled to connect with.

The give-back component also created a feel-good reason to participate in the hashtag challenge.

16. Chipotle Mexican Grill: Chipotle x Corn Kid

When: 2023

Campaign Outline:

When an interview featuring 7-year-old Tariq (a.k.a. Corn Kid) expressing his love for corn captured TikTok’s heart and went viral, Chipotle saw an opportunity to jump into the conversation – and highlight its roasted chili-corn salsa.

Seemingly overnight, Chipotle jumped on the trend and orchestrated a collaboration with Corn Kid, creating a video of him enjoying his favorite corn salsa burrito bowl at Chipotle.

The Numbers:

The TikTok generated:
- Over 59.6 million views.
- Over 266,500 shares.
- Over 9.3 million likes.
Nearly 13 million engagements across platforms.
Over 110 million video views across platforms.
Over 1.1 billion PR impressions from 768 stories.

Why Did It Work?

The partnership allowed Chipotle to enter a cultural TikTok conversation as it was unfolding in a way that felt authentic and memorable.

By being the first brand to partner with Corn Kid, Chipotle set itself apart from the competition and found a unique way to highlight its product.

The campaign’s success also stemmed from its rapid response to a fleeting cultural moment, showcasing Chipotle’s agility in content creation and ability to authentically engage with Gen Z.

The clever use of real-time culture mixed with Chipotle’s narrative around fresh ingredients resonated well with audiences, as it showed the brand really walks the walk.

17. State Farm: Jake Gets Social

When: 2022

Campaign Outline:

In order to reach the next generation of consumers, State Farm launched a TikTok campaign around its iconic “Jake from State Farm” character.

To do so, it made Jake a content creator on TikTok, having him participate in popular challenges and trends, and partner with recognizable influencers and celebrities on the platform.

The Numbers:

Grew the Jake from State Farm TikTok page to 640,000 followers in 2022.
The profile generated 1.75 million likes and 11.7 million organic views.
Achieved a 14.5% average engagement rate on owned videos.

Why Did It Work?

State Farm successfully integrated Jake into the TikTok environment in an authentic way by creating engaging, community-driven content.

By focusing on creative challenges, partnerships with popular TikTok creators and celebrities, and genuine interactions with other TikTok users, State Farm went beyond the typical corporate presence on social and built real connections with people.

On a platform that values novelty and authenticity, State Farm’s adaptability and attention to trends enabled it to lay a solid foundation for future engagement with Gen Z consumers.

18. FOX Entertainment: Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test TikTok Challenge

When: 2022

Campaign Outline:

Here’s a fun one.

In this example, FOX Entertainment introduced a brand new augmented reality (AR) obstacle course challenge on TikTok to promote the upcoming season of “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.”

Designed to reflect the show’s focus on overcoming physical and mental barriers, users participated in the challenge by trying to complete a 2-minute AR course using push-ups and planks.

The Numbers:

The AR experience collected over half a billion views.
It also generated 42 million likes and 2 million shares, putting FOX Entertainment in the top 1% of effect creators on TikTok.

Why Did It Work?

The AR challenge leveraged a unique capability of the TikTok platform to create something that was both interactive and immersive for users.

It also made sense for the brand to produce, as it aligned closely with the show’s themes.

Whether or not you knew about the show beforehand, you could enjoy the exciting AR challenge – and develop an awareness of the show in the meantime.

The success of this campaign underscores the power of creative content strategies that leverage emerging technologies to connect with audiences in meaningful and memorable ways.

19. Harvard Business Review: Special Coverage: Coronavirus

When: 2020

Campaign Outline:

Because it’s so commonly used as a professional networking site, it’s easy to forget that LinkedIn is a social media platform just like Facebook or YouTube.

Harvard Business Review recognized it could fill a valuable role during the height of the pandemic by offering resources about the coronavirus.

Gathering many resources in one convenient place, it provided a credible source of information at a time when misinformation was running rampant.

The special coverage included information about developing work-from-home policies, responding to new variants, and helping find a new normal.

The Numbers

The HBR has over 14 million followers, many of whom benefited from this information.

Why Did It Work?

From fears of microchipping to governmental conspiracies, the sheer amount of outright false information about COVID-19 was staggering.

On top of this, this was uncharted territory for businesses of all types.

Leveraging the credibility of its parent institution, HBR provided quality, factual advice for dealing with a wide variety of pandemic-related issues.

20. Verizon: #NotDone

Screenshot from YouTube, #NotDone, Verizon, February 2024

When: 2020

Campaign Outline:

In 2020, we saw the 100th anniversary of women winning the right to vote.

To mark the occasion, Verizon launched the Future Fund, dedicating $5 million to nurture emerging female talent in technology and entertainment.

Then, the brand leveraged LinkedIn to creatively start a conversation about the historical underrepresentation of women and the roots of gender bias by creating posthumous LinkedIn profiles for pioneering women from history – such as Ada Lovelace, Dorothy Lavinia Brown, Chien-Shiung Wu, and more.

The campaign was designed to remind others that – until there are more women in tech and entertainment – we are #NotDone.

The Numbers:

Created posthumous LinkedIn profiles for the first time ever.
Engaged over 7 million users without any paid promotion.

Why Did It Work?

By leveraging LinkedIn to reintroduce historical figures to the modern job market, Verizon not only paid homage to their contributions but also starkly highlighted the brand’s messaging and values around the ongoing struggle for gender equality.

The platform was an effective choice for reaching professionals in decision-making roles within tech and entertainment, and the format Verizon chose was inherently buzzy, engaging, and never seen before.

Key Takeaway

Reflecting on the examples we’ve covered here, it’s worth noting how different they all are; they run the gamut of platforms, audiences, tactics, and messaging.

But one thing that does tie these brands together is this: They all found innovative ways to appeal to their targets and provide real value to people.

From Instagram to TikTok, these campaigns demonstrate the power of connecting with audiences in meaningful and unexpected ways.

The lesson for brands is to keep pushing the boundaries of engagement by offering value and relevance that resonates with their audience.

Embrace the challenge, and perhaps your campaign will be the next to inspire and captivate – and next year, you might even be featured on this list.

More Resources:

Featured Image: metamorworks/Shutterstock

Related Topics:Awesome Examples Marketing Media seo Social

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Working in SEO leads to interesting challenges that I’m sure you’ve all faced at one point.

You’re a master of flexibility and managing tedious tasks. I’ve recently found myself dealing with 100+ top-tier sites.

Working with global companies, it’s quite the puzzle to:

Wrangle data for 100+ sites.
Keep tabs on every site’s performance.

And, since some of these sites compete against each other on the first page of Google, it’s quite possible that Site 1’s traffic drops but Site 2 captures the loss.

Checking one site’s Google Search Console (GSC) is easy, but it’s intense with hundreds of sites at a global scale.

What Can You Do?

I devised a Google Sheets Apps Script that connects to GSC’s API to transform global reporting from an arduous task that can take days – or weeks – into one that takes a few minutes.

After creating the script, I can easily put in a date range and pull each site’s:

Clicks and impressions.
Keywords.
Average rankings.
Etc.

Since we manage hundreds of sites, it’s not uncommon for users to end up on one of our sites to make their purchase, as mentioned above.

In the grand scheme of things, the bigger picture is more important than an individual site’s performance.

What I’m going to show you is my 10-step process to create a script that pulls clicks and impressions and then compares it all year over year (YoY).

10-Step Process To Create A Google Sheets Apps Script For Reporting On Hundreds Of Sites

Step 1: Creating Your Google Sheets

Screenshot from author, April 2024

Your first step is to create your original Google Sheets file. You can do this by following these steps:

Go to Google Drive.
Navigate to the folder where you want to place the files.
Right-click on the background
Select > Google Sheets > Blank Spreadsheet.

You’ll want to rename the file. I called mine “Global Search Console Reporting.”

Screenshot from author, April 2024

Your file is now set up, and you’re ready for the next step.

Step 2: Setting Up Your Google Sheet

A blank sheet isn’t useful and won’t make sense to users until you add some headers in Row 1. Headers that I recommend adding, in this order and bolding, are:

Website.
Niche.
Clicks.
Impressions.
YoY Clicks.
YoY Impressions.
Clicks % Difference.
Impressions % Difference.

Your file should now look something like this:

Screenshot from author, April 2024

Your next step is to create a Google Cloud Project, which is also fairly simple and straightforward.

Step 3: Create A Google Cloud Console Data Project

Creating your project should be free because Google provides a $300 credit to try out its platform. If you haven’t used Google Cloud, you can find it at https://console.cloud.google.com/.

You can now follow these steps:

Tap Select Project > New Project.
Enter Project Name (example: “My GSC Data Project”).
Tap Create.

Screenshot from author, April 2024

Click Select Project.
Select your Project.

step 3 select project

Click the top Search bar.
Type “Google Search Console API.”
Select “Google Search Console API.”
Click Enable.

step 3 search console api

Step 4: Create Apps Scripts In Google Sheets

In this step, we will work on integrating the Apps Script into the Google Sheet that you created previously. You’ll need to open the Sheet and follow these steps:

Tap Extensions > Apps Script.

step 4 create apps script

I’m not going to go into the details on how the script works, but you can copy this code:

function onOpen() {
  var ui = SpreadsheetApp.getUi();
  // Or DocumentApp or FormApp.
  ui.createMenu('Search Console')
    .addItem('Fetch Data', 'menuItem1')
    .addToUi();
}

function menuItem1() {
  var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getActiveSheet();
  var lastRow = sheet.getLastRow(); // Find the last row with data in column A

  // Clear cells C2:F151 before processing data
  sheet.getRange("C2:F151").clearContent();

  for (var i = 2; i <= lastRow; i++) { var siteProperty = sheet.getRange(i, 1).getValue(); var startDateValue = sheet.getRange('M1').getValue(); var endDateValue = sheet.getRange('M2').getValue(); var timeZone = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getSpreadsheetTimeZone(); var format = "yyyy-MM-dd"; // Calculate dates for last year var lastYearStartDate = new Date(startDateValue); lastYearStartDate.setFullYear(lastYearStartDate.getFullYear() - 1); var lastYearEndDate = new Date(endDateValue); lastYearEndDate.setFullYear(lastYearEndDate.getFullYear() - 1); var startDate = Utilities.formatDate(lastYearStartDate, timeZone, format); var endDate = Utilities.formatDate(lastYearEndDate, timeZone, format); // Fetch data for the previous year var previousYearResponse = requestSearchConsoleAPI(siteProperty, startDate, endDate); // Fetch data for the current year (unchanged) startDate = Utilities.formatDate(new Date(startDateValue), timeZone, format); endDate = Utilities.formatDate(new Date(endDateValue), timeZone, format); var currentYearResponse = requestSearchConsoleAPI(siteProperty, startDate, endDate); // Process and write data for both years processAndWriteData(sheet, i, previousYearResponse, currentYearResponse); } } function processAndWriteData(sheet, row, previousYearResponse, currentYearResponse) { // Check if response is not defined or null and has at least one row if (previousYearResponse && previousYearResponse.length > 0) {
    var previousYearClicks = 0;
    var previousYearImpressions = 0;

    previousYearResponse.forEach(function(row) {
      previousYearClicks += row.clicks;
      previousYearImpressions += row.impressions;
    });

    sheet.getRange(row, 5).setValue(previousYearClicks); // Write to column D (index 5)
    sheet.getRange(row, 6).setValue(previousYearImpressions); // Write to column E (index 6)
  } else {
    Logger.log('No data found for previous year in row: ' + row);
  }

// Process and write data for the current year
  if (currentYearResponse && currentYearResponse.length > 0) {
    var currentYearClicks = 0;
    var currentYearImpressions = 0;

    currentYearResponse.forEach(function(row) {
      currentYearClicks += row.clicks;
      currentYearImpressions += row.impressions;
    });

    sheet.getRange(row, 3).setValue(currentYearClicks); // Write to column C (index 3)
    sheet.getRange(row, 4).setValue(currentYearImpressions); // Write to column D (index 4)
  } else {
    Logger.log('No data found for current year in row: ' + row);
  }
}



function requestSearchConsoleAPI(siteProperty, startDate, endDate) {

  try {
    const oauthToken = ScriptApp.getOAuthToken(); // Correctly call the method
    const siteUrl = siteProperty;
    const url="https://www.googleapis.com/webmasters/v3/sites/" + encodeURIComponent(siteUrl) + '/searchAnalytics/query';
    const payload = {
      startDate: startDate,
      endDate: endDate,
      type: 'web'
    };

    const headers = {
      'Authorization': 'Bearer ' + oauthToken,
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    };
    const options = {
      'method': 'post',
      'contentType': 'application/json', // Consistent content type
      'headers': headers,
      'payload': JSON.stringify(payload),
      'muteHttpExceptions': true
    };

    const response = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url, options);
    const responseCode = response.getResponseCode();
    const contentText = response.getContentText(); // Get response text for logging

  Logger.log('Response Code: ${responseCode}'); // Use backticks
  Logger.log('Response Content: ${contentText}'); // Use backticks


  if (responseCode === 200) {
    const json = JSON.parse(contentText);
    Logger.log(json); // This will log the actual JSON response
    return json.rows; // Adjust this line based on the actual structure of your API response
  } else {
    // Correctly use backticks here for template literals
    const errorMessage="Error fetching data: ${responseCode} - ${contentText}";
    Logger.log(errorMessage);
    throw new Error(errorMessage);
  }

  } catch (e) {
    Logger.log('Error: ${e.toString()}');
    return null;
  }
}

And then go back to your Apps Script project and do the following:

Press CTRL + A to select all.
Press CTRL + V to paste in the code you copied.
Tap OK.
Click Save project.
Tap Run.

*Note: If you are receiving a Bad Request error from Google with too many redirects, this is because you have multiple accounts logged in. Try in a browser with only one Google account logged in.

Screenshot from author, April 2024

You’ll be requested to Review permissions and will need to select the Google Account associated with your Google Search Console.

Google will give you a warning because the app isn’t verified, so simply tap on the “Advanced” setting and then “Go to Untitled project (unsafe).”

Screenshot from author, April 2024

Finally, you can complete this step by tapping or clicking on the Allow button.

Step 5: Set Up The Access Credentials

I know there’s a lot of back-and-forth going on between Sheets and Google Cloud Console, but it’s an unfortunate necessity at this point. Now, we will be setting up Access Credentials, which will require you to go back to the Google Cloud Console.

Note: You must have enabled the Google Search Console API from the previous step.

Your screen should look something like this:

Screenshot from author, April 2024

You’ll need to:

Tap Credentials > Create Credentials.
Tap OAuth client ID > Configure Consent Screen.

step 5 create credentials oauth

Click External.
Tap Create.
Enter “My GSC Data” as the App name.
Add your Support email (your email used for GSC).
Add your Developer contact information (the email you used for GSC).
Tap Save and continue.
Tap ADD OR REMOVE SCOPES.
Check 2 of the Google Search Console API scopes (might be on page 2).

step 5 add gsc api scope

Click Update.
Click Save and Continue.
Now click Add Users.

step 5 add users

You can add multiple users, preferably those that have access to GSC.
Save and Continue.

Step 6: Set Up Google Cloud Project For GSC Data

While we’re still on the Google Cloud Project, you’ll want to click the hamburger icon and go to Cloud overview > Dashboard:

Screenshot from author, April 2024

You’ll notice that it says “Project number,” which you should select and Copy by pressing CTRL + C.

Switch back to your Apps Script tab and tap Project Settings:

Screenshot from author, April 2024

Go to the section titled Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Project, paste the project number (CTRL + V) into the text box, and click Set project.

Step 7: Rename Your Google Apps Script

You’ll now want to rename your Apps Script by going to Project History like this:

step 7 project name

You’ll then:

Click Untitled project at the top of the screen.
Enter “My GSC Data Project Script.”
Click on Rename.

Step 8: Edit Google Apps Manifest File For Code.gs Script

You’re still staying inside of your script, and we’re going to go back to Project Settings just as we did before.

This time, you’ll want to click Show “appsscript.json” manifest file in editor to make sure there’s a checkmark next to it.

Next, click on Editor and navigate to the appsscript.json, which you can see below:

Screenshot from author, April 2024

You’ll want to delete everything in the appsscript.json file and paste in the following script:

{
  "timeZone": "America/New_York",
  "dependencies": {
  },
  "exceptionLogging": "STACKDRIVER",
  "oauthScopes": [
    "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/webmasters",
    "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/script.external_request",
    "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/spreadsheets",
    "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/spreadsheets.currentonly"
  ]
}

Once you’ve added the code, you can click on your Code.gs file and tap Save, and then Run. You’ll be prompted to review permissions, and you’ll need to select your appropriate account to continue using.

After a few prompts, you’ll be asked to allow your app “My GSC Data,” and execution will begin.

Step 9: Adjust The Dates For Website Data Analysis

In the Google Sheets file, you’ll want to add the following under:

L1: Start Date.
L2: End Date.

Note: The start and end dates should be specified in M1 and M2. For example, you can input:

Note: The date format may differ based on your system settings and location.

Step 10: Set Conditional Formatting For Non-Empty Cells Less Than Zero

Everything is set up, but you should add some conditional formatting to make it look better. We’re going to focus on the “Clicks % Difference” and “Impressions % Difference” columns:

Screenshot from author, April 2024

Select the rows under the headers “Clicks % Difference” and “Impressions % Difference” and click on Format > Conditional formatting. Under Format rules, you’ll want to select Less than.

In the “Value or formula” text area, you can add 0.

What this does is that if it’s less than 0, we’ll be changing the color to red since it’s in the negative and traffic has been lost. You can do this by clicking on the paint can and changing it to red before clicking done.

If you want to change a positive increase in traffic to green, you’ll add another rule for Greater than and add the 0 value.

Here are the formulas to use in G2 and H2 (you can replicate them for each row; just click and drag down for the other rows):

=IFERROR(IF(AND(C2<>"",E2<>""), (C2-E2)/E2, ""),"")

=IFERROR(IF(AND(D2<>"",F2<>""), (D2-F2)/F2, ""),"")

Now, you have an easy way to run reports on multiple sites at once.

That’s It, You Have Your Global Report

In column A, input your Google Search Console properties; if it is a domain property, add it as sc-domain:example.com or a URL property as https://example.com

To run or refresh the report, use the special menu Search Console > Fetch Data:

final step run

*Note: This script supports about 150 domains, but if you need more, you can adjust the row #14 in your AppScripts file:

sheet.getRange("C2:F151").clearContent();

Using this very tutorial, you’ll have an easy time turning days of gathering data and running reports into a few minutes. You can even expand the scripts to perform other calculations or gather more data for your report.

Check out my other tutorial on Integrating ChatGPT With Google Sheets.

Automating your reports is a great way to streamline tedious tasks, and I hope it makes your job a little easier.

More resources:

Featured Image: 200dgr /Shutterstock

SEO

Blog Post Checklist: Check All Prior to Hitting “Publish”

Published

23 hours ago

May 7, 2024

Entireweb News Bot

Check All Prior to Hitting “Publish” – SEO Consulting

One thing I have clearly realized while being a full-time blogger and editor is that most writers (no matter how much we love them) are terrible at formatting.

I mean, I get it.

Writing is a creative process, and things like formatting, interlinking and proofreading may keep you from letting your creativity flourish.

One workaround is hiring a VA but if you have control issues (like I do) and still want to do everything on your own, here’s a free blog checklist that’s easy to follow and help you publish a perfectly formatted article each time!

A good formatting checklist should be:

As short as possible (The longer it is, the more chances there are that none of your contributors will follow all the steps);
As concise as possible (Avoid explaining the reason why you want it to be formatted that way. The more you explain, the less obvious your point becomes. Just list your requirements)
As easy to understand as possible (Add a few screenshots, bold most important points, etc).

Feel free to make yourself a copy of this checklist, edit minor details (like the preferred width of images) and use it to edit your blog. It will be suitable and (hopefully) useful for.

A single-author blog for consistency
A (business) blog with multiple co-authors;
A business managing multiple paid contributors;
A business owner outsourcing content to ghost writers, etc.

Attention: This guide requires that your blog contributor has a wp-admin (Contributor) access to your blog. Otherwise, you may ask to send you the articles in HTML.

*Make a free copy of the checklist here. Read some explanations below*

Blog Post Checklist: Check All Prior to Hitting "Publish"

Structuring Standards

We know that breaking the article into sections is very important: blog readers tend to scan through the articles jumping from a subheading to a subheading (and probably reading the sections that seem most relevant to them).

One of the most efficient ways to capture your readers’ attention is to provide catchy subheadings that would summarize your article content nicely. Ideally, the reader of the article should understand what it is about by just scanning through the subheadings which should effectively summarize the article content while still encouraging the reader to go more indepth.

Other important guidelines that (may) go in this section:

Make your sentences and paragraphs short (that makes the whole article easier to read)
Introduce your article effectively in the opening paragraphs and encourage a discussion in the conclusion (by asking some questions)

Adding Links

Links are always great (unless links are brutally self-serving and anchor-text-dirty). I always encourage all my authors include links to any app, business or person they are mentioning. Links are user-friendly, so in my guidelines I always prompt contributors to:

Link to relevant articles on my blog;
Link to others relevant articles elsewhere (as well as sources of information, apps, etc)
Normally link words (not image files or subheadings)
Always make sure they are using the full URL and the original “clean” link (now a shortened version, stripping all tracking parameters, etc).

Lists

Including lists is also highly appreciated. A well-formatted list is likely to draw readers’ attention and make them stay.

Sadly, contributors tend to format lists in all possible ways using -, *, or any other inappropriate symbols instead proper <ul><li> coding. Therefore it’s a good idea to remind them of proper formatting here.

Images

Another very important element of any blog post. Images will never be added unless you clearly ask for them.

Here I specify the proper style and size of the images as well as encourage authors to include a relevant, catchy and properly attributed Creative Commons image.

Here are more checklists you may find useful for blogging:

FAQ: Blog Post Checklist: Check All Prior to Hitting “Publish”

What is the purpose of the blog post checklist?

The blog post checklist is designed to help bloggers and editors publish well-formatted articles consistently, without having to compromise on the creativity of the writing process.

Who can benefit from using this checklist?

The checklist can be beneficial for a range of people including single-author blogs, multi-author business blogs, business owners outsourcing content to ghost writers, and businesses managing multiple paid contributors.

What are the key components of the checklist?

The blog post checklist focuses on:

Structuring standards (including catchy subheadings and succinct paragraphs)
Proper linking to relevant articles and sources
Creating well-formatted lists
Adding appropriately styled and attributed images.

How should the article checklist be crafted?

The checklist should be as short, concise, and easy to understand as possible, with important points highlighted, possibly with the use of screenshots.

How can readers access the checklist?

Make a free copy of the checklist from the link and modify it according to their preferences and needs.

If you find the guidelines useful or have any improvements to suggest, please comment below!

I am Ann Smarty, owner of SEOsmarty.com. I’ve been in the SEO industry for two decades. I am the former Editor-in-Chief of Search Engine Journal and a contributor to Mashable. These days I am running Viral Content Bee and writing for Moz, Buzzsumo, Wix and many others!

SEO

How To Cultivate Focus And Execute Better

Published

1 day ago

May 7, 2024

Max

Focus is mission-critical, but most companies don’t lower the gravitational forces pulling on attention.

As a result, large companies with too much mass have a hard time navigating and adapting to the quickly changing organic growth landscape:

Google’s algorithm updates have struck hard and left casualties.
Even small rank changes in top positions have an outsized impact.
Consumer behavior on the internet is messy and hard to track
Teams are shrinking: 80,000 tech workers have been laid off in 2024 so far.

Marketing budgets were slashed on average by 10 to 20% over the last two years and only slowly started to recover.

Tech workers spend two out of five days per week on meetings and email. Only 43% of the time is spent on actual tasks.

No platform has as many changes of requirements. Over the last 3 years, Google launched 8 Core, 19 major and 75-150 minor updates. The company mentions thousands of improvements every year.

As individuals, we live in a distracted world, where one of the most important skills is managing attention. How did we think teams are any different?

Image Credit: Lyna ™

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No Win Without Focus

Sir Isaac Newton realized that the sun’s gravity causes planets to orbit it in an elliptical path. Gravity in the workplace is a distraction from the focus of individuals and teams:

Meetings.
Fire drills.
Red tape.
Strategy pivots.
Too many goals.
Alignment overhead.
Too many cooks in the kitchen.
Procurement and legal rabbit holes.
Non-critical emails and Slack messages.

The larger a company gets, the stronger its gravity.

Taken to an extreme, it takes companies forever to launch even a single feature, and they fall behind the competition.

For individuals, gravity is even more consequential: Scattered attention means getting nothing done, having no impact, and likely being fired. Worse, people get exhausted and burned out in the process.

“Tranquility comes from doing less,” (Ryan Holiday), but a lot of teams execute scatter-brained like a teenager multitasking between Netflix, TikTok, and texting.

Individual and team focus are connected at the hip. When a team is distracted, it transfers to individuals. Two-thirds of people struggle to find the energy to do their job.

Whenever I get overwhelmed, my brain tells me to open my email inbox and look for a quick dopamine hit. But finding quick tasks and busy work is no achievement.

Real impact comes from working through tedious, complex problems.

We cannot erase gravity, but we can do five things better:

Communication.
Prioritization.
Strategy.
Red Tape.
Meetings.

Better Communication

Unclear communication is one of the biggest attention drainers. We waste a lot of time deciphering what other people mean.

At Shopify, we had a very high bar for what internal communications went out to the Growth org and how they would be framed.

It’s easy to @ your whole team on Slack, but what people really need is key information:

What’s going on?
How is it relevant to me?
What do I need to know/do?

Lazy communication has massive speed cost. In the book “Smart Brevity,” the authors provide a simple framework for writing clear statements:

Start with a muscular tease that grabs attention with six or fewer strong words.
Explain what recipients need to know in the first sentence.
Explain why it matters.
Offer a choice to go deeper by providing more optional context.

Most important: Think about one thing you want people to remember – not more. Nobody has time to read a Slack novel.

Better Prioritization

At PayPal, Peter Thiel established a culture of hardcore focus. He would only discuss their No. 1 priority with managers and hold them accountable for just their one main contribution to the company.

Focus is a forcing function to separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to what to spend time on.

No one could be a better example of hardcore prioritization than engineers. If you want to get something on the ENG roadmap, something else has to give.

An effective roadmap operating system has only a few lines of code:

What’s the goal?
What are the top 3 things that get us there?
For those three things, what do we need in terms of people, assets, time, support from other teams, and tools?
For those three things, who does what, by when?
Defend yourself and your team as much as possible from anything else.

You never look back at your time at a company and say, “Man, my fourth, fifth, and sixth priority back then really hit home,” but you might remember the impact of priorities one, two, and three.

Cal Newport’s new book, “Slow Productivity,” mentions doing less as one of the top ways to do better work.

But the advice I like the most is doubling the time you think a project takes.

Doubling automatically trims your roadmap by probably 50% but makes it more likely that you deliver on time and deliver well.

A big part of moving ourselves into an overcommitment corner is underestimating how long projects take (I think I wrote the last sentence at least as much for myself as for you).

Better Strategies

Poor strategies are hard to follow and confuse the team.

In my experience, managers want to get fancy, but they miss the most important point: A good strategy means doing something different from the competition.

Instead of outworking contenders, you want to do something that’s unique and leans to your competitive advantage.

Pairing differentiation with prioritization, your three most important projects should underline how you achieve the same goal in a different way as your competitors.

For example, instead of writing 100 blog articles, can you build a programmatic play or a list of tools? Or can you leverage contributors who write the content instead of a large in-house team?

I also found that most strategies simply aren’t clear. A simple test for clarity is to up or downsize the surface you have to explain it: Can you express your strategy in one paragraph (TL;DR), one page (high-level), and one doc (in-depth)?

Less Red Tape

Red tape in the form of excessive bureaucracy kills execution. I’ve seen many companies that take many weeks and endless alignment meetings before being able to sign up for a simple SaaS tool.

Procurement and legal teams can slow companies down and frustrate teams beyond means.

The key to having speed and a good evaluation process is clear guidelines when legal or procurement steps in.

With one of my former clients, the fastest-growing fintech startup in history, we sat down with the legal team and got a full download on guardrails. What can we say and what not? When do we have to get legal approval, and when can we move forward without it?

This is a task for the team manager or org leader. While tedious, the good news is that once the borders have been established, teams can move forward faster and focus on execution.

Fewer Meetings

Tobi Lütke, founder and CEO of Shopify, called meetings a “bug.” The leadership team regularly deployed the “Chaos Monkey,” a script that deletes all recurring meetings with more than two participants. Other companies set guardrails around time. Calendly restricts meetings to noon until 5 p.m.

Most meetings are poorly run, unnecessary, or simply a way for people to socialize.

Besides an agenda, every meeting should have a clear purpose. There really are only three types of meetings: socializing, information sharing, and decision-making.

Building relationships in the workplace is important, and there is nothing wrong with socializing. It’s important to be explicit and avoid meeting to “talk about Project X” while really wanting to socialize.

Information-sharing meetings are best done async. Instead of getting a large group of people together, record your message in a video or write a memo.

Decision-making meetings should be led by the decision maker and come with a pre-read.

The problem with many large organizations is that decisions are poorly framed; it’s unclear who makes the decision, and the decision-maker doesn’t have explicit criteria for how to make the decision.

Outlook: Can AI Help Us Regain Focus?

Show me how focused your team is, and I’ll show you a team that will win.

High gravity in large organizations, on the other hand, is an ask to be disrupted by a smaller, more agile player. The good news is that technology is working against gravity – at least in the workplace.

AI has the potential to help us find fragmented information, force clarity, and take over bland admin tasks that drain time so we can focus on things that matter.

Microsoft’s Future of Work report concludes:

“Organizational knowledge is fragmented across documents, conversations, apps and devices, but LLMs hold the potential to gather and synthesize this information in ways that were previously impossible”.

In the future, we’ll be able to ask LLMs questions about any internal process, like “What are our top goals?” or “Does this need legal review?” The freed-up time allows us to refine our strategies and get work done.

That future still seems a few years away. Until then, we can do a lot to improve our attention.

Layoffs.fyi

Marketing spending shows signs of growth, but AI adoption is slow: report; Beyond belt-tightening: How marketing can drive resiliency during uncertain times

Will AI Fix Work?

Workers Now Spend Two Full Days a Week on Email and in Meetings

Microsoft New Future of Work Report 2023

Featured Image: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Journal