Two timely reminders and a thought provocation
THE CURATED ISSUE: Should core values play a role in your marketing and communications? Is it time for a LinkedIn reset? And are we nearing the end of peak newsletter?
Hiya …
No in-depth essay today - just a couple of timely reminders regarding how we communicate our business and personal brand, plus a shift in vibe for LinkedIn: Can we fall back in love with the platform?
And for added spice, are we seeing a shakeout of email newsletters?
Let’s get into it!
1. Connect quickly with core values
It was great to be reminded by Brian Clark in his latest newsletter article (‘The Movement: Here’s How Successful Thought Leadership Happens’ - paywalled, but you can read a chunk of it here) about the role of core values in business.
But first, why do business owners often fall flat when it comes to marketing and communications?
Brian writes:
“Whether you call it content marketing or thought leadership, you have people who wrongly believe they’re changing people’s minds with their messages. Put another way, they think they’re in the business of convincing people to do business with them.
“Some try straight, logical arguments designed to persuade, only to come up empty. Others resort to an emotional appeal, only to be surprised when it doesn’t connect or shocked when it backfires.”
But, by taking a values-based approach in your communications - that is, leading with the beliefs (core values) you share with your audience - you have a stronger chance of connecting with people and resonating with your message.
Brian gives the example of Apple’s Steve Jobs, who began with his own core values, then worked with his ad agency to properly express those attitudes that resonated with like-minded people.
Leading with your own core values will get you off to a great start, but it’s only part of the story when it comes to the customer journey.
But, as we know, cutting through the noise online, capturing people’s attention in a respectful way and deepening the level of connection you have with them - this is a perennial challenge for marketers and business owners.
It’s a massive first step in the process of bringing people into your universe so that over time, they become pre-disposed to your promotional message, or pitch.
Brian Clark is one of the genuine experts when it comes to content and marketing - I highly recommend checking out his newsletter, Further.
KEY TAKEAWAYS - Identifying, understanding and articulating your core values as a person and a professional - and aligning them with your business and personal brand communications - is one of the most powerful things entrepreneurs can do.
(a) Your values will provide you with direction, not only in how you run your business, but also how you go about your marketing communications.
(b) They will also help you attract those who share your principles and beliefs, and repel those who aren’t a right fit for your business.
N.B. We touched on the topic of values and developing your own philosophy in the previous article - ‘All the tactics in the world won’t save you without these two things’ (CLICK HERE TO READ IT)
2. Getting back into the LinkedIn vibe
If you’re like me, you may have become a bit disheartened with LinkedIn of late.
Certainly, I’m seeing a lot of disenchantment online about the platform, specifically the recent algorithm changes and reduced organic reach people are experiencing with their posts.
There is no shortage of LinkedIn ‘boosters’ out there who are bleating such platitudes along the lines of: “Stop hating on the algorithm, fix your content instead”.
Now, of course they’ll say things like this - they make their money from people who want to up their LinkedIn game, but if they’re losing interest in the platform, the sell becomes harder.
One LinkedIn coach and trainer who is the real deal (and there are plenty who are not) is Michelle J. Raymond.
Yes, Michelle makes her money helping people succeed on LinkedIn, but she’s also a realist and will make her feelings known (on LinkedIn, no less) when she feels aggrieved.
“Lately, the vibe on LinkedIn has been…a bit off. Feels a little doom and gloom, right? Even for someone like me, who’s been riding the LinkedIn rollercoaster for a decade, I’ve found myself logging on less.” - Michelle J. Raymond
In this article, Michelle contends that, rather than sit in negative energy, it’s “time for a vibe shift”.
I’m up for a good reframe, how about you?
Michelle likens the old LinkedIn algorithm to a street directory, while the new algorithm is more like a GPS.
She writes:
“If you’re a Gen X like me (or older), you’ll remember the old days of road maps. Sitting in the car, tracing the route with your finger, committing it to memory and hoping you didn’t miss your turn.
That was the old LinkedIn algorithm: static, predictable, updated infrequently, and relatively speaking not very personalised.
Now? It’s like having a GPS. You tell it where you want to go, and it constantly recalculates based on your every move. Miss a turn? It redirects. Traffic ahead? It adjusts. Want to avoid tolls? Done.
That’s how the new LinkedIn algorithm behaves. It adapts in real-time to your actions (or inactions) on the platform.
Most of the so-called LinkedIn ‘experts’ miss the point when they explain how to '“beat the algorithm”. It’s the language they use for one - it’s very ‘us vs them’, and it’s about playing the LinkedIn game. NOTE TO SELF: LinkedIn is not a game!
Michelle, however, is more holistic and recommends becoming proactive, versus passive, on LinkedIn.
Proactive users intentionally shape their LinkedIn experience by teaching the algorithm more about who they are. The more proactive you are, Michelle says, the better the algorithm can amplify your visibility and connect you with the right people.
Michelle’s article lists a number of things people can do to become more intentional on LinkedIn. It’s worth a look if LinkedIn is, ahem, kicking your arse at the moment.
KEY TAKEAWAY - If we’re crapped off with LinkedIn and want to get the most out of the platform, then we need to reframe how we use it.
We can do this by proactively sending out the right signals which, in effect, is helping to train the algorithm to provide us with the best experience.
Are we nearing the end of peak newsletter?
In her article ‘The newsletter shakeout: Surviving the end of the golden age’ (Source: PR Daily), media lead for the World Economic Forum, Alem Tedeneke, suggests the golden age of newsletters is peaking and may already be on the decline.
Her reasoning is pretty straightforward:
“There are too many of them. Inboxes are crowded, attention spans are stretched and AI co-pilots like Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini are changing how people consume information. Instead of opening your carefully crafted email, more readers will rely on AI digests to summarise it for them.”
That doesn’t make newsletters irrelevant, Alem contends, but it does mean the rules have changed.
While Alem says the old newsletter playbook won’t work anymore, not all is lost:
“The newsletters that will survive the shakeout share three qualities AI can’t replicate: voice, authenticity and trust.”
Alem lists five ways to future-proof your newsletter (read her article for more detail):
Build audiences beyond the inbox
Write for humans and AI
Give readers choice
Invite interaction
Be intentional about platforms
Why does this matter now?
Generative AI is shifting habits quickly. Meanwhile, “Substack grows in one direction, Beehiiv in another. LinkedIn offers reach but not ownership. Media outlets are optimising for AI visibility”.
KEY TAKEAWAY - Let’s not put our head in the sand: competition within the email newsletter sector generally is pretty intense. Throw AI into the mix, and things are only going to get more challenging.
But I’ll leave the last word to Alem (and I agree with her 100 per cent here!) - “Formats will change. Trust won’t. And trust will always be the metric that matters most.”
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SUMMING UP: Each of these trends - the importance of values, LinkedIn fatigue, and newsletter overload - circles back to three things that we talk about often here: trust, intention and authenticity.
Food for thought!
TY
In case we haven’t met yet …
Hi, I’m Trevor. I’m a battle-hardened PR, content and digital communications strategist, guide and thought partner, specialising in authority branding . I help proven founders, leaders and experts become credible, influential voices in their industry.
If you think we might be a good fit, let’s get together for a chat! CLICK HERE TO BOOK A NO-OBLIGATION 20-MINUTE ZOOM CALL