| April 2, 2012 | | CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF |  |  | | | News for SmartBrief prospective partners | |
| What's Happening |  |  | | - News content is a big draw for Twitter users
Marketers could benefit from providing news content within their social mix to build audience, as indicated by data from AYTM Market Research showing that news organizations are among the most followed accounts on Twitter. Separately, AYTM also found that many Twitter users much prefer reading to tweeting, suggesting that actively seeking feedback in campaigns may help pull in these more-passive users. Brafton.com (3/26)      - Top tweets: Association leadership changes, events and mergers
- Free, cheap and innovative tech tools
ASAE hosted a round-table discussion in early March where participants shared their favorite free or cheap new tools and technologies that are helpful for association, nonprofit and marketing professionals. We put together an overview of the top 40 tools, websites and applications. Contact Jessica Strelitz if you'd like a copy.
| Leadership Focus | | | | - These bosses turned ideas into action
Good innovation depends not just on bright ideas, but also on execution, John Byrne writes. The best bosses -- think Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Howard Schultz and Sam Walton -- built their empires through a combination of bright ideas, luck, determination and a willingness to seek out and embrace dissenting views in the name of progress. CNNMoney/Fortune (3/22) - 14 ways to lead like Steve Jobs: Steve Jobs wasn't just a technological visionary -- he was also astonishingly good at disrupting leadership itself, writes Walter Isaacson. Jobs' strategic approach, like his approach to product development, was founded on a belief in "deep" simplicity and the need to understand processes intimately, then eliminate unnecessary clutter. "Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do," Jobs told Isaacson. "That's true for companies, and it's true for products." Harvard Business Review (4/2012)
- Win over your workers by canceling meetings
Too many meetings are useful only to the bosses who called them, writes Bill Tolany. Workers should already be sharing and discussing their ideas with one another, making most meetings a waste of time. "Go through your calendar. If you find a group meeting that is solely for your benefit, cancel it," Tolany advises. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership (3/27) | About SmartBrief | | | | - What we do
SmartBrief publishes industry-specific e-mail newsletters in partnership with prominent associations, professional societies, corporations and nonprofits. More than 4.7 million executives and professionals rely on SmartBrief every day to stay informed and save them time. Visit here to view our partners, see samples and subscribe. For updates, follow us on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook. Want to explore partnering? Let's talk. | Media 2.0 | | | | - Improving your social media content: 5 tips to try
SmartBrief on Social Media poll respondents indicated that improving their content strategy was the one thing they'd most like to change about their social media presence. That's good news, because improving content is an easy problem to solve, Jeremy Victor writes. The key is to understand your audience and deliver targeted messages that speak to their needs, he writes. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Social Media (3/20) - Content marketing shows returns for B2B marketers
 Almost half of B2B companies have brought in new business from Facebook, according to a Sagefrog Marketing Group study. Technorati research shows, however, that corporate blogs still are the most popular form of content marketing and companies with blogs draw more Web traffic than those without. Social content marketing can help make B2B brands more human and can improve a brand's standing in its field, Dragan Mestrovic writes. inBlurbs (3/23) - With video boost, custom content marketing surges online
Spending for custom content online increased in 2011 to a record $16.6 billion, with a majority of marketers making use of video, according an industry study. Digital platforms were used by 82% of custom content marketers last year, while print was used by 87%. Online-video usage, meanwhile, climbed from 37% to 52%. FolioMag.com (3/22), BtoB Magazine (3/22) | SmartNugget | | | |  | | - Eat like an octopus, age like a despairing lion
The ancient Roman Aelian devised some amusing myths masquerading as immutable laws of nature, writes Maria Popova. The octopus was said to be so voracious it would eat its own tentacles, while elephants can be seduced by beautiful women. Aging lions go into a funk and let their offspring do all the hunting -- but they're tenderly grateful at meal time. Brain Pickings (3/29) | |  |
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