Our Writer’s Favorite Articles: 2021 in Review

Our Writer’s Favorite Articles: 2021 in Review

What the Heck is Headless CMS?
By Karen Tizer

headless horseman for headless CMS?

You know what makes an article about martech great? When the author distills a complicated topic so it’s easy to understand. That’s exactly what Karen does in my favorite article from 2021.

I’m not too proud to admit that I had a hard time understanding where headless CMS fits in the market, or even what the difference was between it and a traditional CMS. At times, when reading other articles about it, headless seemed like a step back because of the reliance on developers to manage the front end.

I mean, didn’t we JUST finish fighting the battle for flexible templates in the CMS so marketers can build pages with (semi) reckless abandon? But after reading Karen’s list of use cases, I finally get it.

The ability to manage content from one place and have it syndicate across my sites and apps does seem like a pretty great solution. I, personally, am going to keep my head on straight and stick with my traditional CMS for now (that dad joke was for you, Karen!), but I’ll keep an eye on this one…maybe the future is headless.

Read it now.

Article picked by Meghan Cintorino


Hey, Marketing Ops, Can’t You Just [Fill in the Blank]
-by Irene Mason

man yelling at phone

As a marketer, do you ever feel like you get unreasonable requests from people who clearly think your job involves pressing buttons and pulling levers and BOOM, out comes a [kick-ass multitouch campaign / easy fix for why the CRM is misfiring leads / complete brand refresh]?

Well, when I read “Hey, Marketing Ops, Can’t You Just [Fill in the Blank]?”, I almost jumped off the bed and fist-pumped myself in the mirror. (I was sprawled on my daughter’s bed at the time because it’s 2021 and why not work in the ten- and six-year-olds’ bedroom for reasons that are a topic for another day?)

Anywho, Dear Reader, this post from seasoned marketing spitfire Irene Mason gives you talking points for a no-bull&*%# approach to handling such requests, from setting expectations to negotiating to just saying no. While focused on Marketing Ops, I’m pretty sure Irene’s advice would resonate with marketers in just about any role.

I only wish Past Marketing Specialist Me had had this info…

Read it now.

Article picked by Karen Tizer


Couples Therapy: In-house Marketer and Agency
-by Irene Mason

couple's hands making a heart shape

The tension between agencies and in-house marketing teams is real. Anyone that has worked on either side of the great marketing divide would agree. Reading through this article, it was cathartic to know that I was not the only person who struggled with these common issues when partnering with an agency as an in-house marketer.

This was my favorite article on MTS this year because there was a ton of great advice on how to mitigate that tension and set up the relationship to be a productive and positive one.

Read it now.

Article picked by Tyler Haire


Hey, SEO Is Really a Content Strategy
-by Karen Tizer

seo is really a content strategy

In my early days as a marketing intern, SEO seemed like a distant realm of knowledge involving technical wizardry. It also seemed like a cool skill to add to my resume. But, how could I gain the secret wisdom?

“Hey, SEO Is Really a Content Strategy” brings SEO down to earth. It reminds me that the whole “wizardry” aspect of SEO isn’t the most important part. The core of SEO is valuable content that speaks to an audience.

“Growing SEO is like, well, growing pretty much anything – it takes time and effort to see results,” Karen writes. Patience can be difficult amid expectant vibes from management. This article addresses that challenge, too. And, don’t worry, it still includes some technical wizardry.

Read it now.

Article picked by Spencer Pereira


Data Privacy & Martech: Protecting Your Visitors (And Your Brand)
-by Spencer Pereira

data privacy

Privacy is so important these days. I feel it all the time as a consumer. But I also feel the challenges of delivering data privacy as a marketer in a constantly-changing landscape. Keeping up with evolving laws, understanding all the acronyms, well…it can really feel like a lot.

Even marketers with the best intentions can slip up when it comes to data privacy. This article by Spencer does a great job of breaking down a pretty complex topic and giving some real-world examples of tech features available to help you protect your followers, and your brand’s integrity.

Read it now.

Article picked by Stephanie Stocker


Demystifying Multi-touch Attribution
-by Tyler Haire

woman's hand holding tarot cardsI loved this article by Tyler. For a marketer, being able to deliver multi-touch attribution is both critical and not easy to do. I don’t know how many times in my life I’ve been asked to answer what really works best for driving revenue…and I’ve been forced to make educated guesses.

Understanding how multi-touch attribution works – right down to the different models available – was so useful. Tyler, I stand with you in throwing out the false assumption we’ve all lived under for years!

Read it now.

Article picked by Irene Mason

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