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What’s in a Name? What’s in a Brand?

shutterstock_112457309Confession… I am having a bit of an identity crisis. Let me backtrack.

I have just come off of what can only be described as the best two weeks of my life. On October 26, in front of our beloved family and friends, a beautiful sunset and a birch wood, fall-colored altar, my husband and I (still so strange to say that!) said, “I do.” It was the beautiful culmination of five incredible years of dating, one long year of planning and countless well wishes over the last few months. And it truly was, as everyone predicted, the best day of my life.

That Saturday evening was electrifying—from the reading of our personal vows to our first dance to the cake cutting to the throwing of my bouquet. It was a whirlwind of emotions and one of those defining life events. Continue reading “What’s in a Name? What’s in a Brand?”

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Getting a Handle on Your Pumpkin Pie, Apple Cider and Content Marketing Ingredients

pumpkin pieCan I just say fall is my most absolute favorite season? For all you beach-going, BBQ-obsessed people out there, this may come as a shock, but honestly, if I lived in a land that was 68 degrees and sunny every day, I would be as happy as a clam. From the beautiful foliage to the bumpy hay rides to the autumn sweaters, fall is my nirvana.

Continue reading “Getting a Handle on Your Pumpkin Pie, Apple Cider and Content Marketing Ingredients”

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How to Build Your Content Marketing A-Team

blog pictureAssembling a department of workhorses who bring out the best in each other—and possess an uncanny ability to work cohesively as well as independently—is certainly no small feat. But those are exactly the ingredients you need to create your content marketing A-Team because anything less will be of grave disservice to your brand and its messaging. So how do you even begin putting together your industry-leading content marketing team? By making sure you have the following team members on board:

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What’s in a Blog?

shutterstock_101774389It is oftentimes the hardest place to start when it comes to your content marketing strategy, but at the same time, the most important—your blogging platform. From deciding on appropriate blog topics to fine-tuning your tagging strategy to cementing your posting schedule, maintaining a blog can feel a lot like a three ring circus; there are so many moving parts that need be accounted for and, as marketers, we are oftentimes left throwing our hands in the air and with a massive headache.

So what’s in a blog? Before diving into the blogosphere, try to remember these three tips and tricks for each and every entry.

Continue reading “What’s in a Blog?”

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Can You Handle the 21st Century Customer?

customer serviceSpend just a few minutes with your existing and prospective customers—or just two minutes scanning your Twitter news stream—and one sentiment resounds loud and clear: we are in the Age of the Consumer, one characterized by a customer who is more informed, demanding and expectant than perhaps we have ever seen. Just consider the following statistics aggregated in a great LinkedIn post:

  • For every customer complaint there are 26 other unhappy customers who have remained silent.
  • 96 percent of unhappy customers don’t complain, however 91 percent of those will simply leave and never come back.
  • 70 percent of buying experiences are based on how customers feel they are being treated.

Continue reading “Can You Handle the 21st Century Customer?”

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Why This Bride Thinks Your Venue Needs a Content Marketing Strategy

weddingI’m going to be really candid; after all, isn’t that what blogging is all about? If you are in the hospitality industry—I’m talking hotels, resorts, restaurants or event planning—you need to have a blog. And, more importantly, you need to make sure it works.

Though you already know this, it is important to always remember that you are in perhaps one of the most competitive industries out there. From hosting conference parties to networking events to catered dinners, there is no end to the service you provide an ever-growing base. And I haven’t even touched upon the wedding facet of your business yet.

Let me paint you a picture… I am getting married four weeks from Saturday (yes, I am both beaming and bopping in my seat a bit as I write this). These past few months of engagement bliss have unquestionably been the best time of my life, as mom, grandma, coworkers, wedding photographer, hair dresser, accountant, stranger on the street, [insert anyone really] has told me. And they are right. Continue reading “Why This Bride Thinks Your Venue Needs a Content Marketing Strategy”

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Are the Right People in the Room for Your Content Marketing Pitch?

blog picIt might have just been minutes before Content Marketing World keynoter William Shatner took the stage to round out the three-day event, but one overarching message that Cisco’s Senior Marketing Manager Tim Washer shared with a packed room during his breakout really stuck. He advised marketers to make sure you have the right people in the room during creative meetings—and to keep naysayers out of initial brainstorming sessions. Continue reading “Are the Right People in the Room for Your Content Marketing Pitch?”

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Content Marketing World Keynoter Warns, ‘Brands are in Trouble’

2013-09-11_09-11-13_914It’s no small feat to deliver the keynote presentation at a convention at 8:30 am, especially when participants have attended a bopping House of Blues party just hours before. But Don E. Schultz, professor emeritus-in-service at Northwestern University, certainly knew what he was up against when he took the microphone at Content Marketing World this morning.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time, and one of the things I’ve learned is that if you are the speaker on day two, there are three things you have to be careful of: talk softly as many people have some kind of chemical imbalance in their system; avoid any loud noises; and don’t wake them up. If you accomplish this then they will think you have done a hell of a job,” he explained, eliciting a round of laughter from the packed room.

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Are You the Best in Your Field at Content Marketing?

It might have been one of the last breakout sessions of the day at Content Marketing World, but Vice President of Strategy and Marketing for Edison Research Tom Webster certainly knew how to get a crowd going—even with a cocktail-laden happy hour just minutes away.

That’s because Webster started his session, titled “What’s Wrong with My Content Creation Strategy” by asking a really simple question to audience members.

“Is your content audience focused?”

Continue reading “Are You the Best in Your Field at Content Marketing?”

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See You at Content Marketing World!

I’ve definitely caught the Content Marketing World bug. 10,000 miles above ground on the way to Cleveland for the content marketing event of the year, I can’t help but smile and think about all the awe-inspiring speeches I will hear later today—from actor and author William Shatner to Coca-Cola’s Global Creative Vision Manager Jonathan Mildenhall (you all know how I feel about Coke!) to the Hershey Company’s Senior Manager Martin Baker.

Continue reading “See You at Content Marketing World!”