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As 2016 comes to a close, it is nice to look back on some of the most important marketing articles that have been released in 2016. Many of them hold incredibly valuable information which can help you successfully launch into 2017, in terms of SEO, email, and social marketing efforts especially. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest and best marketing articles of 2016, and see how they can help marketers look forward, onto the horizon, in 2017.
Entrepreneur put out an incredible article covering 37 free marketing and social media classes that are available online. This is the marketers best-guide to online courses (at least in this marketer’s option), and certainly one of the best lists released in 2016. What I really like about this article is not only is it a BIG list, and as such can be kind of an all-inclusive stop, but their numbering breaks down the class categories in a relatable way. Numbers 1-8 are on social media marketing classes, numbers 9-17 are digital marketing classes, numbers 18-24 are marketing data and analytics classes, 25-31 are content and blogging classes, and numbers 32-37 are marketing design and imagery classes.
Yes, another list of 37 (kind of a random number, but hey, these two make the top of the list)! Visuals are becoming increasingly important in marketing, and this article covers the most important figures and statistics that we have learned about visual marketing in 2016. For example, colored visuals increase the chance that people will read a piece of content by 80% or infographics are the most significantly increased marketing tactic over the past year (51% to 62%). In any case, this article makes a significant case for knowing about what works with visual content marketing, and implementing strategy into your own practice.
Search Engine Journal came out with an awesome article just a few days ago that makes this list, in terms of being “the best” of 2016. As every informed marketer knows, Google is launching it’s mobile-first platform, considering mobile pages over desktop pages in organic search rankings. This is going to be a really important change in terms of site design and user experience. SEJ’s article alleviates anxiety about this by covering everything from examples of great mobile pages to WHY Google is going mobile-first, indexing information, and SEO tips. If you are loosing sleep know that Google is going mobile-first, you definitely need to check out Crowe’s piece on SEJ!
Keyword research is one of the most important things that marketers do, to stay on top of content development and design in the search engine landscape as well as in their specific industry. While their have been shifts in how keywords function, Stoney deGeyter wrote a piece this year on why keyword research is still an incredibly important part of the SEO process. deGeyter covers 13 reasons as to why keyword research can keep you on the top of your game as a marketer.
Sometimes the “best” doesn’t have to be “big.” In this article on PPC Ads and increasing CTR, Higher Visibility nailed it—and they did it in a fairly concise article highlighting only the most important things for marketers to know. Many marketers, especially in-house markers look for short, sweet, and concise advice on PPC ads, and this was certainly now of my favorites for 2016!
Social Media Today gave me a little of everythingI wanted in this post. Social media is constantly changing as a marketing landscape, and it is important to stay on top of the best tips from the experts. Video content, going mobile, focusing efforts, and analysis (among other topics) are covered, and experts contributed to this list of the best social media marketing efforts in 2016—making it one of the best articles of the year on social media tips!
Recent, big, and fabulous—eCommerce Platform’s article on 50 ecommerce marketing tips really does cover it all. They really took into account all of the marketing trends of 2016 and developed a comprehensive list of everything an ecommerce marketer really needs to know. As a list of 50, it does not necessarily go in to depth about each, but it is a fantastic starting point for researching and learning more about ecommerce marketing.
I love HubSpot because they always seem to be on top of the blogging game! I was recently looking into some research on email marketing and stumbled across this post on the 15 best email campaigns “you’ve ever seen.” What I like is that they don’t just give you examples but specific reasons that it works. Reading though this article will not only give you some examples in terms of the “best” formats and designs, but also the embedded email marketing strategy that allowed these to be successful. Well written and supported well visually, and most importantly using smaller-more relatable businesses that have been successful, this is one of the best email marketing articles of 2016.
Case studies add a unique dimension to a website. New clients can understand your process better and see the results of others who have been successful. If your business is established enough, it is fairly easy to conceptualize 6 or so clients that would make for a good case study. Case studies can also serve as additional keyword infused content on your website, making them fantastic for SEO. The problem is, getting started and actually writing them. Shopify wrote a fantastic blog article on how to standardize the process and write these, in a simplified and understandable way!
The Takeaway
There is no way to cover all of the awesome marketing articles that came out in 2016, but this covers a little of everything—and what we consider as the best of the best. All of these articles cover foundational and expert advice for marketers and can be a great starting point for both new and experienced marketers to consider as they develop their strategy for 2017.
What were some of your favorite marketing articles for 2016? Let us know in the comments section below! We would love to hear from you!