"Custom Video Studios, Working on the Weekend, Google Ad Blocking and More" The IMPACT Show Ep. 39 [Show Notes]

This isn't your mother's IMPACT Show with Bob and Nick. No, this week it's The IMPACT Show with Stephanie and George B Thomas!

In this week's episode of The IMPACT Show, George and I discussed what's going on in IMPACT Elite, working on the weekends, Google ad blocking, and much more. 

Just in case you missed us live (or if you want to relive the magic), you’ll find the episode’s show notes below as well as the recording.

Enjoy and make sure to share! 

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Have feedback or questions? We’d love to hear it. Comment on this blog or email us at show@impactplus.com

IMPACT Updates

This week we had a Visionary Advisory Council meeting at IMPACT.

The Visionary Advisory Council (VAC) is a quarterly forum where a group of IMPACT various team members and Bob discuss the direction of the organization. 

Some of the things we focused on this week included:

• What’s changing in the marketplace?
• What we’re doing well and what we can do better.
• Who else is doing something special for our audience that we should pay attention to?
• What might we need to stop doing?

George and I had such a great time at the meeting talking about the future of IMPACT, of inbound, and of business in general. 

IMPACT Live 2018 new sponsor announced!

Sigstr is the newest sponsor of IMPACT Live 2018. If you haven't already, be sure to register for IMPACT Live! 

What Marketers Be Talkin' 'Bout

Where we go over what you're saying in IMPACT Elite.

IMPACT Elite is a community of over 2,000 passionate inbounders looking to help other marketers (and sales and customer success people) succeed. We’d love for you to join us! We’d love for you to join us! Go to impactplus.com/elite or just search the IMPACT Elite Group on Facebook and request to join. 

Note: we have an exclusive IMPACT Elite AMA with Ryan Hawk of the Learning Leader Show podcast on Tuesday, February 21st at 11:00 AM ET. Be sure to join us and start asking questions in Elite now!

So what's happening in Elite?

1. Franco Valentino posted: "Interesting perspective on the future of the web...." with a link to this TechCrunch post titled "The sudden death of the website."
   
   • Amanda Goforth: "This may ring true for eCommerce sites, but the sole purpose of a website is not always to sell products. Websites will still be valuable sources of information for users looking for a service (like roofing or attorneys) or people who need help (like food banks and other charities). Those entities WANT people to call them from their sites."
   • I weighed in and said there is a HUGE difference between loving what you see and wanting to call to get started right away and being so confused and frustrated you just give up and call.
   • George's Take: George shared some really great thoughts about the fact that the article eventually says one of the problems with the web "is Google." Be sure to check out the show recording to hear George's take and check out the discussion in Elite.
2. Bobby Vickers shared: "Hello, marketing rockstars. I just wanted to share our recent studio build. Cheers to everyone on their marketing journey!" Check out the discussion to see Bobby's setup. 
   1. Stephanie Payne commented: "Awesome! Have you done this before or is this a new adventure? I'm currently working on an inhouse studio as well - it's a new adventure for me."
   2. Andrea Funk asked: "what was that build with? It very cool!"
   3. George's Thoughts: George weighed in first on how cool of a setup this is! Then, we went on to discuss how, while this is awesome, you don't necessarily need something this intense to get started with video marketing! You can easily get started with as little as your phone or computer. So don't let this amazing setup intimidate you too much! 
3. Marcus Sheridan asked: "Question for the group: Do you do "work" stuff on weekends? Personally, I find Saturday mornings are my most productive in terms of inbox zero, brainstorming, planning, etc. I'm sure there isn't a right/wrong approach to weekend work, but I am curious to see what my fellow Elite peeps do, and why it works for you."

There were tons of comments on this thread! Be sure to check out the discussion in Elite! George and I agreed that you have to do whatever works best for you in your circumstances. There's definitely no hard and fast rule on this one.

Digital Marketing News

Where each week, we share one thing from the world of digital marketing that caught our eye.

TechCrunch: Facebook Pushes for More Personal Updates with Launch of New Lists Feature

HubSpot's Article: Facebook Continues to Emphasize Personal Content with New Feature

• George commented on a few things about this post:
  
  • First, he noted how HubSpot tried to have 2 separate conversations in this post about Facebook.
  • Second, George commented on the fact that the new lists feature implies that users can share their personal lists with their friends. Which begs the question "do people really need to know I need to buy more underwear?"
  • We asked the viewers to comment with list ideas they might use this new Facebook feature for. Some comments included
    • Books to read
    • Favorite podcasts
    • Things not to talk about during dinner

Marketing Land: Google Chrome ad blocking is here. Everything you need to know

• The goal is to block ads that create an obnoxious experience for users.
• Some examples include:
  • Videos that auto play at full volume
  • Flashing display ads
  • Popups with difficult to find exit buttons
  • And my least favorite: prestitial and interstitial ads

You've probably seen this type of ad whenever you go to read an article on Forbes. You have to click past this entire screen to get to where you intended.

I was also reading an article about WHY Google (and users) specifically dislike this kind of ad and this giant interstitial ad popped up! Oh, the irony.

Anyway, pages will be given a passing, warning, or failing grades over the next 2-4 months. Publishers can see if they’ve received any warning or failing assessments in the Google Ad Experience Report in the Google Search Console. Chrome will begin blocking ads after 30 days of non-compliance after notification. So don't expect to see those annoying pop up ads disappear just yet. Do focus on creating great content and great user experiences and you won't have to worry about this for your organization! 

Next Steps:

We would love your comments! Feel free to send us an email or comment on the Facebook thread. 

If you really liked it, please give us a 5-star review on iTunes. 

We're going to IMPACT Elite to ask what you want us to talk about, so jump in on the post there.

Join Us Next Week! 

We'll be back again next Thursday, February 22nd at 1:00 PM ET. 

Until next time... get out there and make it happen.