I’ve been on a number of calls recently with companies that want to break into a new market. They think that content marketing may be the key, but are uncertain if they’re right, as well as how to approach this new direction. Content Marketing is definitely a key strategy. In fact, I’m not quite sure... More »Use Content Strategy to Break Into a New Market
If you ask 10 marketers for a definition of “native advertising,” you are likely to get 10 different answers. While the concept is as old as advertising itself, what’s old is new again online and it seems everyone is rushing to redefine what it means to be native. As the river of venture capital dollars... More »The Natives Are Getting Restless
Content marketing is indisputably hot. Budgets are up. Business awareness is up. Demand for information and services is up. Look no further than the Google Trends charts below, comparing search interest for social media marketing and content marketing. Right now, content marketing is where social media marketing was in 2010—at the beginning of a long,... More »Outsourcing Your Content Marketing: Homework Required
When creating content, it pays to think big. Publishing online gives us access to a readership that’s almost too large to imagine. Do it right and your words could be read by people in places you might never even have heard of. While a global readership might seem like something most of us dream of,... More »5 Tips for Content that Crosses Cultural and Linguistic Borders
According to the 2013 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends annual report, the majority of companies say that they will increase their content marketing spending in the next 12 months. Additionally, only 44% of companies outsource their content creation, down from 58% in 2011. Companies are not only seeing the value of content marketing,... More »Insourcing Your Content Marketing: Should You Take on the Challenge?
I don’t spend a lot of time using Twitter, but when I do, I am searching for content that will either educate, entertain, or maybe even inspire me. My situation mimics that of most business decision makers – I have limited time to explore, and I want to be productive during that time. Low quality... More »Quality Over Quantity: Why Weak Content Is Killing Your Brand
Influence marketing is at a crossroads. As we know it today, influence marketing is primarily defined by social scoring platforms like Klout, Kred and PeerIndex. However, while these platforms are decent starting points for brands looking to identify influencers, they don’t really go deep enough into contextual and situational human relationships to offer a true... More »The Crossroads of Influence Marketing
“Think like your customer” “Put yourself in your customer’s shoes” and so on. These are some of the most repeated phrases of a business and like all other most cited words/phrases very few attention is paid to them. Every business owner/marketer agrees that you need to get an idea of your customer’s choices, his needs... More »What are Buyer Personas and Why Are They Important for Your Business?
I average about three speeches a week revolving around the topic of content marketing. At every one of those events I ask, “How many of you have a documented content marketing strategy?” That answer has never been more than 20 percent, and usually just a few hands are raised. Think about that for a minute.... More »The 3 Building Blocks to Content Marketing Strategy
A big part of content marketing is coming up with great content on a regular basis. In fact this remains one of the biggest obstacles faced by content marketing professionals — producing enough content [source]. This problem isn’t just faced by content managers and marketers, even individual bloggers who want to make money off their... More »How to Use the Concept of Agile Development in Content Marketing
There’s a phrase in sales that refers to opportunities that fortuitously seem to land in your lap as “a bluebird.” Bluebirds got their name as they appear to “come out of the sky,” a stroke of luck that leads to a sale from out of nowhere. On the surface, bluebirds would seem to be a... More »Why Bluebirds Are for Lazy Marketers
For some of us, “All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” still rings true. Play nice, share with others, don’t interrupt, work hard; the list goes on. For me, a lot of the advice I call upon in my adult life revolves around what my parents taught me. I use their... More »Lessons From Mom: They Work in PR Careers Too
The key to Inbound success when you’re selling a product that’s a considered purchase – essentially, any product that’s purchased over a long lead time – is not just related to the process of nurturing, but to what you offer these prospects through your nurturing campaign. Here are some examples of the types of products... More »Inbound Marketing for Considered Purchase Products
There are many factors that influence a customer’s experience when they interact with a contact center agent, and most of them fall directly under the agent’s control. An agent’s attitude, knowledge of the product or service, their conveyed understanding of the customer’s issue, and their ability to respond to and resolve the customers’ inquiries during... More »How Agent Performance Influences the Customer Experience
So you have an idea for a social media campaign, and you’re thinking of all the millions of people you’re going to attract using Twitter, a blog or Facebook – it’s so exciting! But hold on one second, you have to ask yourself the easy questions first to be guarantee long-term success. Product vs. store... More »Product vs. Store Brands: Marketing for your Online Presence
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