Why Anecdotes Are So Powerful

Hey Everyone,

Hope you're having a great week. Here are a few things I've been reading, writing and pondering lately. Enjoy!

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1. Treat Yourself to an Alex Honnold Binge

Alex Honnold is the American rock climber who climbed the 3,000-foot face of El Capitan without ropes. Thankfully, a film crew was there to document it all. That film, Free Solo, is out in theaters now, but if you want to learn more about this absolutely incredible feat, here are a few things to check out:

Alex's TED talk: How I climbed a 3,000-foot vertical cliff -- without ropes
A NYT video on the ethics of making a film where someone risks death: What if He Falls?
Alex on the Joe Rogan podcast

2. The Disproportional Power of Anecdotes

Marketers should be equally wary and excited about the power of anecdotes. The narratives that drive our behavior and our customers' behavior can be used for good and evil.

Why does this matter? It matters because generalization is a widespread human bias, which means a lot of our understanding of the world actually is based on extrapolations made from relatively small sample sizes. Consequently, our individual behavior is shaped by potentially incomplete or inadequate facts that we use to make the decisions that are meant to lead us to success.

3. Does Content Marketing Work?

I'm biased, so let's let ProfitWell CEO Patrick Campbell answer this question.

4. Tweet of the Week

This will almost certainly trigger anxiety. Still worth watching.

1 new message pic.twitter.com/H09WcuYYoJ
— Alex Novemberg (@aengelbro) October 31, 2018

5. Random Links

Here's a list of things that Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg carries in his backpack.
Just for fun: 100 Amazing Bass Lines
I think runners will appreciate this: We Slow as We Age, but May Not Need to Slow Too Much
How to Schedule Meetings when Traveling to a New City
The Gladiator podcast explores the life of Aaron Hernandez. So far, it's very, very good.
One of my favorite Animalz posts: 50 Things We’ve Learned About Content Marketing

Have a great weekend!

Jimmy

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