Start off your week strong with our curated list of tips and inspiration around every aspect of the digital marketing world. This is the Mad Fish Catch of the Week.

SEO

Make your 2018 easier up front by ensuring you’ve handled your SEO tasks. Gain an edge over competitors with these three tasks: improve page speed to improve your rankings, leverage your personal branding and build relationships to get links back and form valuable connections, and, finally, incorporate video into your SEO efforts that support your core services and success. Want to learn more? Check this piece out.

PPC

Whether it’s statistical learning methods or new AdWords scripts, being able to leverage new data and technology for PPC is only just getting started. Throughout the years, PPC has become a less methodical mundane set of tasks into a vibrant strategic branch of digital strategy. With new tech down the road and a changing industry, making sure you’re planning and have the best PPC team in place to handle the shifts in the coming months and years.  Learn more about how the industry is changing here.

Design

Last week, our design team brought ghost buttons to our attention. If you haven’t heard of them, you’ve probably seem them. A trend in the minimalist design sector, they are just outlines over the button text using the background image or color that’s already there instead of a contrasting pop. They have an elegance and simplicity and learning about the pros and cons may be helpful for finding the right fit for your business and brand. Find the full article here.

Social Media

The more algorithms change, the more they stay the same. We explored how the shift in the Facebook algorithm will impact businesses in our latest social media blog post. Learn what you should be watching out for, why the change is occurring, and how you can take action immediately to mitigate the effects on your business in our piece around the evolution of Facebook’s 2018 shift.

Content Marketing

It’s not all about video. Spotify is doubling down on their commitment to great storytelling through their platform with connections to major content partners like BuzzFeed, Gimlet Media, and Lenny Letter. The new content will go under the name of Spotlight, and reflects Spotify’s understanding that people who are going to an audio platform don’t need another YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram. Learn more about the move here.

Culture

Working remotely is a great perk for many and a daily reality for others. Whether you love the trend or want to stick to your office, understanding how to navigate remote work relationships is an essential skill for those of us in tech, marketing, and content. Beyond getting things done, understanding how to work with others effectively in a remote space is more than half the battle. Making sure you’re working together is all about communication. Check-ins, ground rules, and starting with great communicators is the first step. Read more about making virtual teams succeed here.

Productivity

Gary Vaynerchuk has a lot of great advice about making your mark on the world. We’ve used his articles here in the past, and many of his theories are time tested and impactful. Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks to the productivity myth he’s selling. With quotes like “If you work a full-time job, you have plenty of time between 7PM and 2AM,” one may not just be put off, but horrified. Having a leader in the industry give the impression that working this way is sustainable, healthy, or even worth it feels dangerous. There is danger in the hustle, and forgetting to let your mind and body be quiet occasionally will have detrimental effects… and fast. Need a pep talk to remind you that you’re going to be okay, even if you’re not working on your side gig at 3AM? This piece has got you.