Creativity Published ~ No. 045

What do you think of when you hear the word “marketing?” Do you think about advertising? Creating and promoting content? Or, are you thinking about making connections with people? Helping them. Nurturing relationships. The fact is that marketing isn’t just creating and sharing content — it’s all about building meaningful relationships with people so that they’ll want to work with us!

I’ve had the privilege of working with people from all walks of life over many years, and one thing has become clear. As content marketers, we create and promote content to help people. But if you lose sight of the real purpose behind your efforts, then it becomes about just that—content marketing. And when that happens, success can feel like a fleeting thing. So instead dedicate yourself to building connections and nurturing relationships through every aspect of what you do as a marketer (and person). This will not only lead to more meaningful experiences for both parties but also bring much-deserved satisfaction into your life too.

The best marketing is not about what you say, but how you make people feel. We’ve recently had some truly amazing and unexpected experiences and opportunities here at Content Creators Planner which you can read more about in this week’s blog:

Happy creating!
Jodi & Kim

PS What are some of the most remarkable experiences that you’ve had and why did they stand out as remarkable to you?

Really, comment below and tell me – I really would like to hear from you!

Derek Sivers: Innovation Versus Imitation
[The Knowledge Project Ep. #88]
Musician, speaker, writer and entrepreneur, Derek Sivers chats about creating and running CD Baby, reading, mental models, living a meaningful life and that biggest mistake he’s ever made.
RELATED: The Surprising Secret to Innovation

An Emotional Connection Matters More than Customer Satisfaction
[Harvard Business Review]
Research across hundreds of brands in dozens of categories shows that the most effective way to maximize customer value is to move beyond mere customer satisfaction and connect with customers at an emotional level – tapping into their fundamental motivations and fulfilling their deep, often unspoken emotional need.
RELATED: The Ultimate Guide to Emotional Marketing

75 Customer Service Facts, Quotes & Statistics
[Help Scout]
This is a great roundup of customer service stats and insights that will help your business deliver outstanding customer service. We work so hard to attract visitors, attention, customers, opportunities — shouldn’t we work equally hard to delivery an exceptional experience with sharing?
RELATED: Warm Fuzzies: The Best Kept Secret of Customer Service

• Clipboard History Pro
  This is one of the handiest Chrome extensions out there. It saves everything you copy into a digital clipboard, giving you quick access to recent and favorite clippings. It even syncs between devices (mobile, too) and also supports tagging for keeping you organized!
• Campaigns of the Titans
  This is an amazing free resource assembled by the folks at PlusThis. The latest version, Volume 3, includes over 400 pages of campaign ideas, strategies, and walkthroughs for use in ActiveCampaign (which is what we use), Keap and more.

“Behind every tweet, share and purchase, there is a person. Care more about the person and less about the share.”

– Shafqat Islam

Until next time!

Happy Creating,

This Issue of Creativity Published brought to you by