CXL - Gray matter needs a break

Your host today is Merritt Aho, CEO at CXL

An immutable law of speed in execution is focus.

I've read 4 books so far this year about fast execution and each one has emphasized the importance of focus.

I can't divide my attention. You can't either, Mr. Proud Multitasker. And the less concentrated your energies, the more total time a task or project will require.

For one, context switching slows everything down. The more times you have to circle back to something, the more time you'll spend figuring out where you left off.

Then there's the fact that not all energies are equal in potency. You only get your peak productivity for so many hours during the day. (Personally, I'd trade the remaining hours for pennies on the dollar.)

True, you can't always brute force your brain to focus on something. Gray matter needs a break here and there.

In my lived experience, ruthless prioritization, saying no to as much as possible, is the greatest obstacle to progress in any single project.

I don't say that from a place of mastery. More like in conceding to a defeat. Clearing the plate of all but one thing is incredibly difficult.

Connect with Merritt on LinkedIn.

Your weekly dose of marketing updates

1. Advanced LinkedIn Ads course

One of the biggest mistakes that LinkedIn advertisers make is paying too much for traffic, due to not understanding LI's bidding and budgeting.

Still, LinkedIn provides incredible targeting for B2B marketers, and that's the biggest reason we pay such a premium for advertising on the network.

If you master the bidding and budgeting strategies, and understand which CTAs are effectives and how to target the right people, you will get access to your absolute ideal audience.

Our Advanced LinkedIn Ads course helps you exactly with that.

It teaches you the pitfalls to avoid and the most effective strategies to get optimal performance at the best costs from your campaigns.

Check out the course.

2. CXL Community

Your website is live, conversions are low, you need to optimize, but you don't know what. Determining what to optimize next is the big question.

It's normal to get overwhelmed and try to research and optimize as many things as possible. But you can't implement all the optimization hacks in your arsenal.

You don't have the time to test all the tactics, copy all the market leaders, or follow all the design trends.

Actual optimization work should be a process; a systematic way of finding opportunities for growth through research and testing. Those will be your best tools to develop data-based ideas and optimize your website for higher conversions.

Get the notes on the Research and Testing course.

3. 8 data visualization examples: turning data into engaging visuals

According to Dell, data is the new crude oil of modern society. It’s mined, it’s processed, and it’s valuable—when you know what to do with it.

Data visualization turns raw data into accessible charts, graphs, and maps to help you share it, learn from it, and make data-driven decisions. But game-changing campaigns are only possible if visuals present information in the right way. Get it wrong, and the message is lost.

In this article, you’ll see eight of the best data visualization examples to inspire your internal and external marketing efforts. 

You’ll learn when to use them, what to avoid so you don’t overwhelm or confuse your audience, and five tips for creating these visualizations yourself. 

Read the full article.

4. CXL Talent Program

US candidates are getting more expensive and harder to attract.

At the same time, there are thousand of affordable, talented marketers with the same skills and experience abroad, struggling to enter the US market. With our Talent Program, we'll help you hire them.

We'll source and train marketing talent from lower-cost-of-living areas eager to work with remote teams. Cutting your time-to-hire and hiring costs in half.

Here’s how it works:

• We find and vet candidates from our talent pool.
• All candidates have 2-5 years of experience and are fully proficient in English.
• They go through a 12-week-long CXL certification program at no cost to you.
• We pick the best ones for you to pick from and interview.
• You find the right candidate within 100 days.

Learn more about CXL Talent Program here.

If you're a marketer from LatAm, Eastern Europe, or Africa, you can get trained by CXL and hired by a US company. Doors are open to you via the link above.

5. Goal tree map

A goal tree is a logical and hierarchical visual representation of your goals, critical success factors, and necessary conditions.

It’s a tool you can leverage to understand how your goals are connected and ensure everyone works towards the same overall purpose.

Using a Goal Tree Map, you can easily visualize the metrics that matter to your business and identify sub-goals that must be achieved first.

Use Cases:

• Define the strategic KPIs that fuel optimization efforts.
• Identify metrics that are crucial to the company's success.
• Break down KPIs into smaller metrics where we can see improvements faster.

Get your blueprint.

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Ognjen Bošković
Growth Lead at CXL

Let's connect on LinkedIn.

Our address: 901 S Mo Pac Expy, Suite 150, Barton Oaks Plaza One, Austin TX 78746

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