Our guest under the Content Hacker Spotlight this week isn’t just a content hacker.
She’s a Twitter content hacker, and is the ultimate guru on how to grow and optimize your Twitter presence for amazing results.
Madalyn Sklar is her name, and Twitter marketing is her game. ✅
Does that name sound familiar? It should. Madalyn hosts the weekly #TwitterSmarter chat, to which hundreds of people flock to discuss all things Twitter strategy.
She also hosts the eponymous #Twitter Smarter podcast, where she grills guest marketers on their best Twitter tips (previous guests include Pat Flynn, Mark Schaefer, and Kim Garst, to name a few).
Madalyn Sklar is a veteran social media marketer (since its inception, basically!), and has been a digital marketing trailblazer for over 20 years. She even started one of the first and largest online communities for female musicians in the ‘90s.
Read about all that and more in our short-but-sweet interview with Madalyn.
Twitter Content Hacker Spotlight Interview: with Madalyn Sklar
Q: When did you get started in marketing, and why?
A: I got my start in marketing all the way back in 1996 when I launched two companies, Orbit Web Design and GoGirlsMusic. I was in love with this new thing called the World Wide Web, or what we know today as the internet. I was fascinated with the ability to connect with people all over the world without having to leave my desk. I had a real knack for marketing. It came very naturally for me.
Q: What’s your favorite part of what you do today?
A: Helping people. It’s always my motivation and driving force. I love learning and then educating, taking what I know and sharing it with others.
Q: What’s one of the biggest challenges you have overcome in your work as a marketer?
A: My biggest challenge was learning that it’s okay to fail. Things don’t have to be perfect. It’s better to try and fail than not try at all. I learned this very early on and it’s served me well. I’m not afraid to take risks and try things because the worst thing that could happen is actually not a big deal. Life goes on.
Q: How has the industry landscape changed since you started?
A: The internet and marketing were so different back in 1996. Things moved slowly. There was no social media yet. But I somehow had the foresight to start an online music community in the ‘90s. I started a social media platform before we even knew what that was and what it could be.
Q: What does the future of marketing look like to you?
A: The future of marketing is always bright due to rapid advances in technology. I love that my phone is a high-quality production studio allowing me to share my world in an instant with anyone who will listen. In the ‘90s and 2000s you needed expensive, heavy-duty equipment. Now it’s a small device. I think tech will keep improving, making marketing even simpler.
6. What key traits or skills does it take to be a marketing leader?
A: A good leader is smart, kind, interesting, willing to listen, open to new ideas, not afraid to experiment to see what works, and has a “Just Do It” attitude.
7. What are some of your favorite tools or hacks for marketers?
A: I love tools that allow me to “work smarter not harder” like Trello for organizing, Buffer and SocialJukebox for scheduling content, Hootsuite for social listening, and Zest for content curation by fellow marketers.
8. Do you have any daily habits, hobbies, or rituals you couldn’t survive without?
A: I do three things every morning before I dive into my workday:
1) Check my email.
2) Check my Twitter notifications.
3) Go through my RSS feed in Buffer so I’m caught up on all that’s happening in the social media marketing world.
9. Coffee or tea?
A: Neither! I’m a water drinker.
10. What are some great blogs we should be reading or people we should be following on social media?
A: Social Media Examiner, Social Media Today, Hootsuite, Agorapulse, Smart Passive Income, Hubspot and follow Julia McCoy of course!!
Follow Madalyn Sklar for More Twitter Content Hacking at Its Finest
Thank you, Madalyn, for your kind and prompt responses to our interview!
To see more from Madalyn in your social media feeds, follow her on Twitter @MadalynSklar and check out the #TwitterSmarter chat on Thursdays at 1 p.m. ET!
Check out old and new episodes of the #TwitterSmarter podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast source.
Finally, don’t forget to take a peek at our other Content Hacker Spotlights with guests like Mark Schaefer, Joshua Hardwick of Ahrefs, and many more of your favorite marketers.
