Facebook Report Shows Rise of C-commerce, Live Chat Best Practices, & How 'The Golden Circle' Applies to B2B ...This Is THE LATEST! 

💯 Jump Right into the Good Stuff!

• New Facebook Research Report: What Is Conversational Commerce ("C-commerce") & Why Do Your Consumers Prefer It?
• Live Chat Bootcamp: Here Are 7 Essential HubSpot Conversations Best Practices to Create Genuine Connections
• Simon Sinek's TED Talk Turns 10: How 'The Golden Circle' Is  More Relevant Than Ever to the B2B Market

🚨 AUDIENCE POLL: What is one thing we can do to make THE LATEST more valuable? Every time I sit down to write this email newsletter, I do so with the goal of making sure it's as helpful, valuable, and actionable as possible. So, whether you have feedback on what we could be doing differently, an idea for a new feature, or general thoughts you wish to share, I would love to hear from you. 

I'm a little obsessed with vintage ads. It's one of the reasons why I am an avid collector of LIFE magazines. (In addition to the incredible photography and feature stories from around the world, the ads are a spectacular snapshot in time.)

Why vintage ads? Aside from laughing at what used to be considered delicious, tasty food, there's a whimsical, romantic part of me that just adores the care and detail paid to the art of copywriting.

To show you what I mean, here's an example from 1929:

Source

In the digital age, it's all about instant gratification for consumers. We have no patience anymore — and, for years, some have questioned if Google is making us stupid. 

But when I look at these ads, I find comfort in them.

They're measured. They're patient. They tell a story. The word choice is always purposeful, evoking powerful emotions and triggering aspirations of achieving something greater. The cheese tray isn't just a cheese tray — it's a "vogue" European custom you can easily bring to your own table.

So yes, the products and gender norms in these ads are almost always woefully outdated, as we look at them in retrospect. But there is a lot we can learn from the copywriters of yesteryear, as they were masters of selling you an experience, not just a product. 

💬 According to a New Facebook Research Report, Conversational Commerce Is the Future for Brands

Messaging apps aren't just another tool for promoting your latest products and sales to consumers. They represent an important group of platforms where large markets of consumers spend their time, gather information, and make their purchasing decisions. According to a new Facebook research report, this has given way to a new type of commerce — conversational commerce, or "c-commerce." In this article from IMPACT Editorial Associate John Becker, learn exactly what conversational commerce is, and how you need to reimagine how you connect with your potential buyers.

⭐ RELATED CONTENT:

• Instagram News: Businesses Can Now Schedule Instagram Posts in Advance Through Facebook
• Facebook News: Facebook Users Can Now Block Brands from Using Browsing Activity for Ad Targeting

⚠️ If You Use Live Chat, Here Are the 7 Essential HubSpot Conversations Best Practices You Need to Know

To connect with your consumers, you need to be mirroring the way they connect with each other — and, according to recent polling and data, texting is the preferred method of communication for most of your buyers. This trend has paved the way for conversational marketing tools like Drift and HubSpot Conversations. But getting conversational isn't as simple as flipping the live chat switch on, on your website. In this article, IMPACT HubSpot Consultant Jessica Palmieri sheds light on the seven most important live chat best practices every company must know to be successful with HubSpot Conversations.

⭐ RELATED CONTENT:

• Expert Interview: Chatbots vs. Live Chat, Which One Is Right for Your Website?
• Product Review: An Honest Review of HubSpot Conversations (Pros & Cons)

⭕ Simon Sinek's Legendary 'The Golden Circle' TED Talk Is 10 Years Old & It's More Relevant Than Ever for the B2B Market

Simon Sinek's 2009 TED Talk turns 10 years old this month. Over the past decade, "starting with why" has changed the status quo of marketing, reframing the way that businesses position themselves... at least for B2C companies. In the B2B world of group purchasing decisions focused on solving complex business issues, can Sinek’s principles still apply? In this analysis, IMPACT Content Marketing Consultant Brian Casey explains how "The Golden Circle" can be applied to B2B purchasing decisions, with examples of B2B organizations that have seen success by "starting with why."

⭐ RELATED CONTENT:

• Advanced Tutorial: How to Create a Brand Messaging Strategy for Your Brand (Ungated Guide)
• TED Talk: The Underrated Power of Introverts

🎧  Our Latest Shows & Podcasts

• Happy Times in Orange-Town, Dope Integrators, & 2 Awesome Updates (Hubcast) NEW✨
• How to Get Your Team Comfortable on Camera (Film School for Marketers) 
• How Rocket Dollar Is Achieving Remarkable Growth in a Highly Competitive Industry (Inbound Success)  
• Are Designers Ruining the World? (Creator's Block)

📆  Upcoming Digital Sales & Marketing Events

• Heads up, Chicago! The next HubSpot User Group event is on October 8! It will include a recap of the most critical updates from INBOUND19, and then Stephanie and Sarah (your fearless HUG leaders) will lead a discussion on how to plan inclusive holiday campaigns. You'll walk away with important e-commerce holiday dates to remember, key things to keep in mind when planning a holiday campaign, how to manage campaigns and reporting in HubSpot, and more. Reserve your seat for this event today, as Chicago HUGs fill up fast! 

🐧 Weekend Nonsense

Apparently, the National Aquarium of  New Zealand features a naughty penguin and a good penguin every month... 

Honestly, I wouldn't have pegged a penguin named "Draco" as the good one...

✌️ One Last Thing

Oh, how time flies. Two years ago today, I gave my first-ever big talk as a speaker at #INBOUND17. I had made a bet the year prior with my boss that I wouldn't attend INBOUND at all the following year unless I was a speaker. Of course, immediately after saying that out loud, I felt incredibly stupid.

Why on earth would I make a bet like that? What if I didn't get selected? Or worse, what if I did and then totally bombed?

Well, lucky for me, the bet paid off... my pitch was accepted, and the talk itself went pretty well! 

For those who are curious, my talk was on how to create a content style guide for your brand — which you can now learn how to do from this completely ungated, advanced tutorial. 

Have a great weekend! 😎