Weekly Roundup, January 16, 2012
It's Monday morning, which means of course we've pulled together our top 5 stories uncovered last week in the world of branding, design and marketing. Surefire tips to improve user experience, best practices for nonprofit content, news on Google's personalized search, and Twitter tips for your brand? Read on for more. Want a stream-of-consciousness look at what's got our attention? Follow us daily: @msdsbranding on Twitter.
1. 20 Things You Can Do to Improve Your User's Experience in 2012
Why it’s important: Too many websites fail to deliver on a brand's promise from poor user experience planning. And these problems only get worse as sites grow organically over time. Usability consultancy, User Focus kicked off the New Year by offering up 20 core UX strategies and tactics that individually will improve your site's user experience, and in concert are sure to strengthen your brand.
2. Google Integrates Personalized Search With Web Search
Why it’s important: Google is leveraging its power as the market leader in online search to crack social media world wide open. This convergence disrupts traditional content walls, empowers the user, and has enormous potential when it comes to marketing and commerce. For organizations that rely on social networks, such as grassroots-driven nonprofit organizations, the benefits could be tremendous.
3. Twitter Works, but Is It Working for Your Brand?
Why it's important: Countless companies struggle to find meaningful ways to put Twitter to work for their brand. Douglas O'Donnel, Associate Director of Measurement & Analytics at Possible Worldwide cuts to the chase and points out where Twitter is most likely fail your brand, and where it's most likely to add new value. Stay human, stay humble, and build trust—good advice for anyone.
4. Greenpeace Turns Chopsticks into Trees
Why it’s important: Chinese consumers used 57 billion pairs of disposable wooden chopsticks in 2009, equal to over 3.8 million trees. With an art-meets-activism-meets-brand message public installation, Greenpeace challenged us to ask, at what point do we conserve trees instead of cutting them down for a one-time-use products? Turning 80,000 disposable wooden chopsticks into 4 full-sized trees gets the message out with impact, changing behavior, and showing us all how brand initiatives can turn creativity into impact.
5. 20 Favorite Formats for Nonprofit Content
Why it's important: A survey by nonprofit marketing expert Nancy Schwartz found that 84% of nonprofit communicators admit that their messages fail to connect. The result is missed opportunities to properly engage donors, supporters…and ultimately, a failure to effectively carry out the mission. Kivi Leroux Miller provides 20 formats that can help turn boring copy into compelling content, all with an eye towards audience engagement.