At a time when businesses need more creativity and emotion to stand out and make meaningful connections with consumers, it's critical not to become too dependent on technology. Today's insights drive that home in a big way.

Find out about a severe flaw of ChatGPT, the most significant opportunities for B2B marketers today, what marketers need to stop using as a crutch and research from USC about creativity and emotion in advertising. ​

Shari Berg on ChatGPT's plagiarism problem
Stacey Danheiser on the big opportunities for B2B marketers
Marcus Sheridan on the crutch that doesn't help marketers today
The USC Master of Science in Applied Psychology on The Psychology of Advertising 

According to McKinsey's 2021 Personalization Report, "companies who excel at demonstrating customer intimacy generate faster rates of revenue growth than their peers. And the closer organizations get to the consumer, the bigger the gains."

Personalization can fit into different marketing strategies, but they can also take different forms depending on the content. Dr. Morissa Schwartz joins us to discuss some of the ways personalization can be effective in email, direct messaging and other content strategies.

Along with being named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 in Media, she is also the owner of Dr. Rissy's Writing and Marketing and proprietor of GenZ publishing. With a master’s in communications and a doctorate in literature, she focuses her work on integrated writing, marketing, and editing. 

Dr. Rissy's Writing and Marketing
GenZ publishing
4 Personalization Trends in Marketing [2022 Data]
WCEC - The Power of the E-Newsletter in ECommerce

Marketing advice for 2023 continues to roll in, and an increasingly common theme is you don't have to blast out high volumes of content to be successful.
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In fact, as the internet is overwhelmed with content written by services, sellers and AI bots, you should spend more time creating quality that stands out.

Today's insights discuss avoiding the urge to copy content, leading your consumers to think critically about your solution, recognizing the in and out trends of 2023, considering the risks of ChatGPT and including emotional context in leadership.
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Drew Brucker on marketers who focus on what "works" for others
Allen Fennewald on changing your a buyer's mind
Adweek's In and Out for Marketing in 2023
Mark Evans on the content risk of ChatCPT
Jody N. Holland on Three Leadership Changes for 2023

Imagine inviting consumers and customers to be part of your company in ways that create a deep connection while empowering them to become advocates of your product, service or mission. That's what community-focused marketing creates, and Mark Schaefer's new book - Belonging to the Brand: Why Community is the Last Great Marketing Strategy explains how it all works.

Join us as we discuss the critical elements that lead to a community marketing initiative's success (or failure), including company culture, community managers, brand evolution, success measurement and more.

The Book - Belonging to the Brand
Mark's Website - Business Grow
Mark's Masterclasss - Personal Branding

McKinsey - A Better Way to Build a Brand: The Community Flywheel

If your marketing is focused on connecting with human beings (and not Vulcans), you must incorporate emotional response into your strategy. It's one critical element of consumer behavior that translates into someone taking action. I share a great new book that explains this and more.

It's also a lot harder to generate that emotion if you don't know your audience or you create content that humans ignore. I'll share some insight on how short-form content can help you learn more about the long-form content your audience might want. Plus, I'll share why you can't hope your humans beam themselves to your blog and website and hope to win the day like Captain Kirk.

One thing that could inspire your audience to explore your world is zero-click content. If that sounds strange, I'll share an engaging breakdown with you on today's show.

Justin Simon on a new content marketing game plan
Nancy Harhut's new book - Using Behavioral Science in Marketing
Alberto Cabas Vidani on boosting long-form content with short-form content
Amanda Natividad explains zero-click content

Dr. Angela Mulrooney built a referral-based, niche dental practice that allowed her to serve her clients in many rewarding ways - then she lost it all overnight. So, she pivoted, took her knowledge of branding and niche marketing, and turned it into a personal brand.

Now she works with clients as "The Arsonist" - helping them burn down what holds them back from experiencing success as a personal brand. She joins us today to discuss how you can unleash your brand in today's crowded and competitive world.

Angela's website - Unleashing Influence
Find Angela on LinkedIn
Join the Unleashing Influence LinkedIn Group

In today's episode of Message Points, you'll find out more about what it means to "personalize" your content. Also, you might be shocked, but your attribution software is probably misleading you - and your consumers are proving it. We all like a good meme in our social media feeds, but can they fit into a company's social media content? Finally, you'll get some advice on what to do (and not do) in response to Google's Helpful Content Updates.

Gali Soudak on what "personalization" can mean
Chris Walker on attribution vs. real people results
Todd Clouser on using memes in marketing
Jim Yu on Google Helpful Content dos and don'ts 

As consumers demand more human connections with businesses, they also want a sense of belonging. An impactful way you can achieve that meaningful connection with your audience is through community.

But how can you build a community through marketing and content?

Kristin Quiroz Bayona has 15 years of experience in marketing communications, filled with career success. However, when she launched her podcast, she learned that a new approach to audience connection was needed. The successful strategy was rooted in focusing on curating, growing and enriching a community.

We'll discuss how the principles of community-centered marketing can apply to a podcasting strategy and a marketing strategy.

Learn more about Kristin's Podcast - Podcast & Amplify
​Connect with Kristin on LinkedIn

Today's points center around leadership communication, non-profit transparency and thought leadership. Psychologists have identified projection bias in the workplace, which can impact leadership effectiveness. Many non-profits talk about donation transparency, but Marcus Sheridan explains what it means to show it. Finally, companies may talk about including thought leadership as part of their marketing strategy, but how can you make it SEO-friendly?

Alain Hunkins on a key obstacle in communication
Marcus Sheridan explains real non-profit transparency
Andy Crestodina share five ways thought leadership can drive rankings

If you've been hearing more marketing advice telling you to engage in conversations with consumers but wondered what it means or where to start - this episode if for you.

​Brooke B. Sellas is joining us to discuss how you can connect with your audience on social media and share examples from her new book, Conversations That Connect.

You can:

Find Conversations That Connect on Amazon
Connect Brooke on LinkedIn
Connect with Brooke on Twitter 
Lean more about B Squared Media
Coordinated Management of Meaning - CMM: A Brief Overview