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How to Keep Your Blog From Being Forgotten

Editors note: This blog post originally appeared on the Mad Marketer website and was re-posted here with the permission of the author and Mad Marketer team.

The modern blog has come a long way since its use as a digitized personal diary in the early ‘90s. Today, blogs have become a necessary corporate tool for disseminating pertinent brand and industry information to target markets.

One catalyst in this evolution was a demand for higher quality content from modern consumers who increasingly began to ignore advertisements in favor of online content. In fact, recent research finds that 75 percent of today’s consumers don’t believe companies tell the truth in advertisements and would rather turn to online sources and reviews to guide the purchasing decision.  This, of course, makes your company blog an essential resource for leads and customer retention.

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Key Takeaways from Market New York Expo

Content Boost Director Carrie Majewski and I had a blast last Thursday, May 12, at Market New York Expo. We learned so much about how to keep improving our marketing strategy from some of our peers in the industry. If you didn’t get a chance to get out to the show yourself, stay right here; I’ll fill you in on the top marketing takeaways of the day.

With a variety of sessions and advice from innovative speakers, suffice it to say I left the conference with a mind full of ideas and insights. However, the biggest takeaway of the day was the emphasis that was placed on the importance of target marketing.

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It’s Time For Your 6 Month Content Marketing Checkup

Now that we’re about halfway through 2015, it’s an ideal time to take a step back and make sure you are on track to meet the content marketing goals you outlined for your business back in January (like creating brand awareness, or increasing engagement with your customers).

shutterstock_159748715After all, while your brand may appear to be perfectly healthy on the surface, there are countless factors that go into a successful content marketing strategy, all of which need to be closely monitored.

Here are some questions to ask during your mid-year content marketing checkup:

Are you posting regularly? Posting content is a bit like exercising; you have to do it on a consistent basis if you want to maintain a healthy digital brand. If you go for long periods of time between posts, you will have a much harder time building a steady readership.   Continue reading “It’s Time For Your 6 Month Content Marketing Checkup”

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Don’t Be Another Face(book) in the Crowd

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The continued expansion of marketing in all its forms has driven most companies to rush into social media promotion without a clear strategy or projected outcome. It certainly pays to be at the party, but if you’re just another guest without anything interesting to add to the conversation, you’re better off staying home.

Like the truth in the X-Files, the data is out there. Web marketing needs to speak directly to its audience, and knowing who that is, is fundamental. More than 1.44 billion people are on Facebook and 936 million visit their page daily. Given that Facebook ads allow you to target people based on location, age, interests and more, your advertising can determine your marketing strategy. In other words, find your fans through advertising, follow-up with effective marketing and let social media work its magic. Continue reading “Don’t Be Another Face(book) in the Crowd”

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Employee Spotlight: Five Minutes with Content Producer, Mark Lugris

IMG_4687It’s hard to believe we at Content Boost were able to get our hands on this globetrotter. After working as journalist and editor in Connecticut, in 2000, Content Boost Content Producer Mark Lugris moved to Spain to start his own communications company, which published a travel magazine for German and English speaking tourists (impressive right!?).

His company also developed communication, marketing and translation projects with multinational corporations such as IBM, Coca-Cola, MSC, Loewe and Allianz Insurance.

“My time in Spain and Switzerland presented an incredible opportunity to work with major multinational companies in order to fulfill their marketing and communications objectives,” Mark said. “One of the most important lessons I learned from this experience was how language elicits a singular response in different cultures. Being aware of the cultural and linguistic perspectives of each client is vital to developing an effective and affecting campaign strategy.”

When he returned to the States a few months ago, we knew we had to reel in this seasoned marketer. Learn more about Mark in our five minute catch-up… Continue reading “Employee Spotlight: Five Minutes with Content Producer, Mark Lugris”

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Close Your Eyes and Picture Your Customer

Last week, the Content Boost editorial team completed an experiential based exercise in which we each interviewed another member of our team and created buyer personas for our teammates based on a product or service they might be looking to buy. The buyer persona task served a few purposes: sure it was great for team-building, but more importantly it forced us to put on our strategic thinking caps (it was also a great way to break up the work week).

shutterstock_277742822 Continue reading “Close Your Eyes and Picture Your Customer”

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Get the Boss to Say ‘Yes’ to Content Marketing

IMG_1431In April, we held the second iteration of our Content Boost Content Marketing Crash Course, a one-day educational seminar providing marketers with the opportunity to learn about content marketing best practices. We led a series of breakout sessions covering everything from the definition of content marketing (hint: using custom content to drive awareness and profitability around your brand) to the key ingredients of a robust blogging and lead-generation strategy.

We rounded out the day with a session titled “Getting the Boss to Say ‘Yes’ to Content Marketing,” designed to equip participants with the ammo needed to walk into their boss’s office and get the green light. Whether you are just starting out on your content marketing journey—or looking to get the “yes” for a new project—let’s take a look at how to get your boss on your side.

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Why Don’t I See Any Case Studies On Your Website?

I’ve visited your Web page. I’ve read your products and service descriptions, analyzed your “About” section and scanned your blog.  Unfortunately, there’s something missing. There are no case studies detailing clear-cut examples of how your company has directly helped any of your customers.

shutterstock_137423564As a result of this shortcoming, I’m left scratching my head wondering why this is (as I head to Google and start searching for competitors who can show me clear-cut evidence their products and services can produce the strong results they claim).

The good news is that your business is not alone in its lack of case studies. This is a problem I see all of the time on both B2B and B2C websites. It’s puzzling, too, considering that customer case studies and success stories are the third most influential type of asset in the purchasing process for customers in both large enterprises and small businesses. Case studies communicate that other businesses trust your company, and they also pique interest from similar prospects who could benefit from your company. Continue reading “Why Don’t I See Any Case Studies On Your Website?”

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With Fans On Twitter, Who Needs Enemies?

avengers

In what is arguably the biggest social media story of the week, Joss Whedon, the screenwriter and director of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “The Avengers” films, stormed off Twitter after fans turned against him for what they perceived to be sexism and misogyny in the latest Avengers film, “Age of Ultron.”

Whedon deleted his account after Tweeters objected to his depiction of Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, in the film. Here’s a look at his seemingly ironic farewell message…

joss whedon farewell

Continue reading “With Fans On Twitter, Who Needs Enemies?”