This week’s top conversational marketing stories:

Different Futures for Marketing Technology – on Chief Marketing Technologist

This Chief Marketing Technologist post, with over 104 social likes, peers into the future of marketing technology. “As illustrated in the graphic above, we consider three possible futures for marketing technology: Diversified with no real center of gravity (kind of what we have today), on the left. Consolidated into a handful of all-in-one marketing suites, in the upper right. A few consolidated platforms with highly diversified ecosystems of specialized apps, in the lower right. I call the second one the "ERP vision" of marketing technology consolidation, while the third is the "iOS vision" as an alternative.” Which of the three different futures do you see coming to fruition?

Five Story Telling Tips to Capture and Keep Your Audience - on MarketingProfs

“Within seconds your killer headline and content have hooked your audience. But how do you reel them in? That is, how can you keep their attention after they start to read your article, watch your video, or listen to your podcast? Inspired by Andrea Phillips's Fast Company article titled "Five Lessons for Storytellers From the Transmedia World," the following tips can help you engage audiences no matter what type of content you serve up.” This MarketingProfs piece with more than 393 likes hands out these pointers as well, be real, thread the needle, keep your requests simple, deliver on promises, and take risks. Which piece of advice will you follow closest?

The Brand Personality Test - by John Jantsch on Ducttapemarketing    

This Jon Jantsch post, which garnered over 191 social likes, focuses on brand personality. “Consumers often seek out brands they like, know, and most importantly, trust. A brand’s functionality is crucial, but the emotional benefit attached is equally important. Marketers help cultivate this consumer-brand relationship by aligning their brand’s identity with what consumers aspire to be. This job is not always easy and must be nurtured over time.” Does you brand pass the test? Jantsch also offers several pieces of advice and a personality test. Check out the points and then take the test. We want to know how you do!

Let's keep the conversation moving forward! How do you feel about the three different futures for marketing technologies? What do you think about them? How well have you been focusing on your storytelling capabilities? Did you glean anything from this? And what about your brand’s personality? Did it pass the test?