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The Essential 5: helpful, accessible resources that will save you time and money Welcome to the first feature in a new series called The Essential 5. Each month I’ll share a curated list of five resources that will provide an insightful overview of a specific topic. It’ll be comprised of a combination of books, podcasts, websites, videos, blogs, social media sites, and/or apps. I’ve chosen resources that I’ve personally found extremely useful.
Unlike our ancestors who had limited access to daily information, our lives today are overrun with facts, figures and stories. In a 2011 article published in The Telegraph titled “Welcome to the information age 174 newspapers a day” author Richard Alleyne explores the unprecedented amount of information coming at us every day, with all signs pointing to an increase over time. In addition to the endless supply of TV programming and access to all that the internet has to offer, the rise of social media and the documenting of each step of our lives has greatly added to the seemingly endless ‘heap’ of content. And although my great-great-uncle George would be fascinated by what we can access at negligible cost, it can be downright overwhelming for many. And, the true cost is seen in the decline of our collective mental wellness.
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Therefore, The Essential 5 series has been designed with your most valuable assets at the forefront: time and money. Each carefully recommended resource can be accessed either for free or for a very small cost. I won’t be recommending expensive conferences in far-off lands (although, kudos, if you can make that happen) or suggest you enroll in a graduate-degree course. Most of us don’t have the time or money to attend these types of learning opportunities, so I’ll be sharing outlets to achieve deep learning through more accessible means. Furthermore, each month’s topic will start with a resource to help you wade into the proverbial ‘pool of learning,’ and it will act as an overview. Each subsequent resource will help you swim out a little further and dive a little deeper. So let’s jump in!
because, although I’d grown up using the internet, using it to help me connect a service to potential customers was a whole new skillset. Specifically, I found their exploration of ‘inbound marketing’ incredibly helpful, which is the idea of providing great content to potential customers, to ‘pull’ them into you (versus traditional ‘push’ marketing). HubSpot practices what they preach, and by exploring their website you’ll gain an understanding of why and how inbound marketing is so powerful. Additionally, if you’re looking for specific strategies for effective social-media marketing, this is the place to start. Even if you have some understanding of digital marketing, I suggest getting back to basics by heading to this URL first: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/what-is-digital-marketing.
Part 1: Digital marketing Digital marketing has become a popular and critical component of the marketing landscape over the last 25 years. According to HubSpot, marketing techniques that have been used for hundreds of years are about connecting people to a product or service, and digital marketing is classified as “any form of marketing that exists online.” This includes email, search engines, websites and social media. 1. HubSpot.com [website]. The team at HubSpot does a phenomenal job helping guide a novice through the complex world of marketing through a series of articles, videos and free webinars. When I was in the early stages of starting a small business, I regularly referred to HubSpot
2. Jenna Kutcher [email list]. Jenna Kutcher is a self-made business powerhouse, having started her entrepreneurial journey as a wedding photographer.
GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE | March 2020 | 11
