The Marketer's Guide to LinkedIn Newsletters

In this issue:

• Are you using LinkedIn's newsletter product? In our new guide, we take you step-by-step through the process of creating a LinkedIn newsletter. It's different from posting to LinkedIn, and a powerful distribution channel.
• Steve Jobs is widely considered as a marketing genius for what he accomplished in creating the Apple brand. Today we unpack his 1997 "Think Different" speech and how it breathed new life into Apple.

Let's dive in!

How to Start a LinkedIn Newsletter: A Step-by-Step Guide

At Media Shower, we've sent out hundreds of LinkedIn newsletters for clients (and ourselves!). It's a powerful distribution channel that can greatly extend the reach of your existing blog or newsletter content.

We've compiled all our best practices on how to start a LinkedIn newsletter -- including content, design, and layout -- as well as how to boost your audience reach.

Note: LinkedIn newsletters are different from posting to LinkedIn. Because the company wants you to use its newsletter product, it will promote your newsletter far beyond your current followers, helping you quickly build your audience.

Learn how to start a LinkedIn newsletter this week >>

How Steve Jobs' "Think Different" Speech Saved Apple

TL;DR: Steve Jobs’ 1997 “Think Different” speech marked the beginning of Apple’s greatest comeback story of all time. From a net loss of $1.05 billion in 1997, the company registered a profit of $309 million in 1998. With this speech, Steve Jobs brought back clarity and focus to Apple’s product line, distribution, and marketing communication.?

So What: The keynote is packed with lessons for marketers and communicators. Jobs had discovered the effectiveness of brand-value-based advertising over the traditional product-focused approach. And “Think Different” became one of history’s great advertising campaigns. Here’s where it started.

Read the article (and watch the actual speech) on Media Shower >>

Marketing Mixtape

One of the earliest - and most successful - viral marketing campaigns was the innovative promotion for the 1999 film The Blair Witch Project.

By creating online rumors and a website to track "what was known" about the fictional documentary project, the campaign bloomed into a viral web of intrigue, where the lines between fiction and reality became blurred, and consumers were drawn into the story before they even saw the movie.

Since then, many other movie projects have tried to recreate this sensation, but none have come close -- until now.

The movie in question is the recently released Longlegs, starring Nicolas Cage. Like The Blair Witch Project, Longlegs uses a 90s style website to document the supposed victims of a fictional serial killer. Neon, the production company behind the film, also released trailers in the months before the movie's premiere. And in Los Angeles, billboards were plastered with a phone number that delivers whispered threats from Longlegs himself.

Why It Went Viral

Neon’s marketing campaign for Longlegs captured attention with its mysterious and chilling approach. Their teasers and hints created an aura of intrigue and fear. The cryptic trailers and a true crime-like website detailing fictional murders added layers of suspense, leaving audiences eager to learn more. This method of withholding information generated a powerful curiosity gap, compelling people to seek out and share the story.

Marketing Takeaways

Neon’s campaign for Longlegs demonstrates the power of creative, emotionally resonant marketing. Here are the key takeaways:

1. Mystery Sells: Withholding information can pique curiosity and drive engagement.
2. Emotionally Engaging Content: Tap into the audience’s emotions to create a memorable and impactful experience.
3. Integrated Storytelling: Extend the narrative beyond traditional channels (who uses phone numbers to promote a movie?).
4. Tailored Strategies: Understand the genre and target audience to design promotions that get them talking.
5. Viral Potential: Bold, unconventional approaches can break through the advertising clutter and generate organic buzz.

You don't need to scare your customers. Just try to engage them with this same type of storytelling and emotionally-powerful marketing. See the trailer here.

Courtesy Wishpond