[THE LATEST] Give me something to do ⚠️

Here's THE LATEST from the marketing, business, and tech world...

7 Must-Have Content Apps, What Happens When a Leader Reads 52+ Books in a Year, & Bandersnatch Is a Glimpse at the Future of Content ...This is THE LATEST! Guess who's back? Back again? Liz is back. Tell a friend! 🎶 There's a 90% chance I'll be whining like a petulant child at the size of my to-do list and begging for relief by this Friday at 5 p.m. -- but for right now, I am basking in the productive glow of my first day being back in the saddle at work after more than a week on holiday vacation.  Don't get me wrong, I love being on vacation.  However, during prolonged periods of rest and relaxation, I tend to become antsy, anxious for something productive to do. (My husband, Patrick, noted repeatedly that I could cure this by doing the dishes for once, but pfft. What does he know?) That is why my mission today is to give you loads of stuff to do, in the form of new tools, a hefty dose of inspiration, and more than a few opportunities for you to be more productive and focused, as we dive headfirst into the start of 2019. 💕 I Would Go on Strike If I Had to Do My Job Without These 7 Content Marketing Tools & Apps I know, it's another technology round-up post you didn't ask for. But I wouldn't be sharing this if I didn't genuinely believe that one, some, or all of these tools have the potential to radically transform how you manage and execute your content strategies. (For more than a few of these tools, I didn't realize how much needless suffering I was subjecting myself to until I tried them.) So, without further ado -- and in no particular order -- here are my absolute favorite content marketing apps that I couldn't live without. 📚 Chris Challenged Himself as a Leader to Read 52+ Books in a Year & Here's What Happened...  Before the start of 2018, IMPACT COO Chris Duprey asked himself a question: "I know growing as an inbound leader means I must be a proactive student of leadership -- always hungry for knowledge -- but what tough learning goal do I set for myself to make sure I am the inbound leadership student I need to be?" Given his lifelong love of reading, Chris decided in that moment that he would commit to reading 52 books in a single year. Read what he learned about leadership (and himself) during this journey, and what all inbound leaders should take away from his experience. 📺 Interactive Netflix Movie Bandersnatch Is a Case Study About the Future of Content  The immersive, interactive experience presented by Bandersnatch on Netflix took social media by storm over the holidays. As the viewer, you follow Stefan, a young computer game programmer in 1984. Periodically, you are prompted to select between two different options that will change how the plot unfolds, "Choose Your Own Adventure" style. When IMPACT Head of Editorial Content Ramona Sukhraj test-drove Bandersnatch for herself, she quickly realized what may have seemed like a gimmick at first is actually a sign for marketers of what the future holds for content creation. ⌛️ Throwback Thursday Take a dip in our very own virtual hot tub time machine with some amazing content goodness from our archives that you may have missed:  Last year at IMPACT Live, IMPACT Facebook Strategist Ali Parmelee captivated a room of more than 500 marketers and business leaders with her talk on how to create high-performing, revenue-driving Facebook ad campaigns, which also included a behind-the-scenes look at the most successful Facebook advertising campaigns.  If you want a crash course on building scalable Facebook ad strategies that will yield substantial returns on your investment, you need to set aside 15 minutes sometime today to watch this video. 👀 ...When You're All Ears (& Eyes)  "How Divvy Gets 95% of Its Leads from Inbound" (Inbound Success, Ep. 71) "18 Lessons We Learned in 2018" (Creator's Block, Ep. 97) "Increase Qualified Leads with Affiliate Marketing" (Inbound Success, 70) 📆 Save the Date As a marketer, you want to create customers that are loyal to your brand, but how do you do it? On Thursday, January 24, Will Harris of Real Thread will show you. During this interactive webinar, you'll learn how to retain your customers and what you need to do from first-touch to signed contract (and beyond) to transform those customers into lifelong brand loyalists. Register for this webinar today. 🌎 IMPACTers on the Move  IMPACT Client Success Specialist Myriah Anderson will be a featured speaker for Sales Hacker's Accelerating Sales with Video: Lessons Learned from Those Seeing Success live web event on January 17. Limited spots are available, so snag yours today. 🚨Finally, I Need Your Help... Chris' article about his 2018 reading challenge and the importance of making learning a priority through goal-setting has inspired me, so... If you could recommend a single book for me to read this year, what would it be? It can be about marketing, content, leadership, or business.  In next Thursday's edition, I'll share with you all the recommended books I'll be reading for my own 2019 challenge, which will include your recommendations.  (Yes, Chris. You're also allowed to reply with your own recommendation for me. But you're limited to only one!) By the way, if you got this from a friend and haven't subscribed yet, join the fun here. Ta-ta for now! Liz Murphy Director of Web & Interactive Content @naptownpint Share the Awesomeness.    I'm not interested at this time Sent by IMPACT, 470 James Street, Suite 10, New Haven, CT