28 August 23 Super8: Eight intriguing articles from August.

  • Mike McCusker
  • Published in Super8

The end of August marks a time of change.

For those of us in the southern hemisphere, the gloomy depths of winter are largely in the rear-view mirror and the first signs of spring are in the air. Above the equator, the last rays of summer begin to disappear over the horizon for another year.

This month’s Super8 equally encapsulates the idea of transition. Mike McCusker’s selection covers how AI will impact SEO, how your right-brain will keep you ahead of the machines, the importance of percolating for creativity, and much more. It’s Super8 in August!

1. The Future Of Seo In A Post-Chatgpt World.

ChatGPT is triggering an evolution in the SEO landscape. So, what does the future look like? In this piece, Ryan Law offers up a potential vision. Generative AI prompts a surge in content, heightening competition. Keywords multiply, because AI simplifies writing and challenges traditional strategies. Concurrently, AI assumes diverse roles, from content creation to programmatic SEO. As machines take on more of the production work, authors’ expertise and original insights become crucial. What does this mean for you? And how can you best prepare? Read on to find out.

2. These Thought Exercises Can Help You Stay Ahead Of Ai.

Get ready to outsmart AI with a dash of right-brain flair. As machines get smarter, the anxiety around this technology is rising: 36% of people believe AI will impact their work by replacing their job, while 86% believe the technology will trigger a requirement to upskill. There are, however, some innate uniquely human powers and abilities that AI simply cannot replicate. That’s where the right-brain comes in. What’s the difference between our left-and right-brain? Why is it important in the growing prevalence of AI? And how can you use it to your advantage? Read this piece to find out.

3. The tyranny of collaborative ideation.

Collaborative ideation, often seen as the holy grail of creativity, is under scrutiny. Research dating back to the 1950s suggests that group brainstorming might not be the creative powerhouse we think it is. Studies show that individuals often outshine groups in generating both quantity and quality of ideas. The ‘tyranny of collaborative ideation’ arises from, among other things, what Lars refers to as a ‘lacking sense of mustness’ in group settings. He argues, solo thinking, akin to lightning strikes in the brain, is more effective for ideation and therefore, brainstorms are meant for idea generation individually, with group judgement and selection coming after.

4. 5 Mistakes To Avoid For Successful Branding And Recognition.

Creating a well-crafted and impactful brand can be challenging. It’s helpful to be aware of the potential pitfalls if you’re on the cusp of a new branding project. In this piece, Alex Socoloff lists five of the most common mistakes you can make. From focusing too much on the logo—and only developing a single version of that logo—to designing for yourself instead of your audience, learn the common challenges you may face and how to overcome them.

5. Marketing When Budgets Are Down.

For Ewan McIntyre, the general rule of enterprise finance is that marketing budgets drop like a stone at the first sign of trouble and rise like a feather once the environment is more settled. Mid-2023 strikes as being far from a settled state. Based on interviews with Chief Marketing Officers, this fascinating piece offers an in-depth analysis of marketing spending, projected budgets, and the key behaviours required to deliver results and fuel growth in a time of less.

6. Thinking Fast and Slopes.

This article explores the limitations of prospect theory and examines how it may not be entirely applicable to the current economic landscape. Prospect theory is a psychological explanation for how people make decisions in relation to risk and uncertainty, first introduced by Daniel Kahneman in his book “Thinking, Fast and Slow”. Throughout the piece, Dror Poleg highlights that in today’s world of rapid change and interconnectedness, it is important to prepare for extreme outcomes and navigate uncertainty by embracing a blend of caution and boldness.

7. Obsessing Over Your Productivity? Try Percolating Instead.

If you’re concerned about productivity, you might make a coffee to help provide a burst of impetus. Instead, you may be better to make like a coffee, and percolate. This piece suggests percolation as a method to stimulate creativity and idea generation. It involves giving yourself time and space to think without the pressure of obsessively tracking performance. It emphasises reflection, exploration, and idea generation outside of the constraints of productivity. So, take some time to pause, put the kettle on, and discover the many benefits of percolation.

8. Rapid Learning for Professionals.

  • Watch the video here.
  • Created by: Justin Sung.
  • Contributed by: Daniel Banik.

For certain professions, there’s massive value in learning how to learn. In this video, Justin Sung explores the importance of metacognition, or thinking about thinking, and different techniques to help you process, encode, and categorise volumes of information far more effectively. Drawing parallels between learning and mechanics, Justin covers pattern recognition, efficient information filtering and retrieval methods to help you tune up the way you process information.

Mike McCusker

With a penchant for finding the truth in numbers, Mike’s work at August is imperative in improving efficacy within search and analytics. He works with our clients to develop a better understanding of their audiences—including who they are, what they do online and how that information can be used to influence thinking and behaviour. When he isn’t whipping up a new report or spreadsheet, you can find him tending plants with an office dog by his side.

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