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Expanding Monument Park: What Marketers Can Learn From the Yankees

Yankee_Stadium_Monument_Park_2008For many players and fans, the Hall of Fame is baseball’s most sacred ground. Being inducted is the highest honor a ballplayer or someone involved with the game can achieve.

But the second highest honor? That’s probably being inducted into Monument Park, the New York Yankees’ version of the hallowed halls of Cooperstown. Sitting behind the center field wall of Yankee Stadium, Monument Park currently pays homage to 30 men.

When the 2014 season started, that number stood at 28. When it ends, it’ll stand at 32.

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Something Needs to Be Done about MLB’s Instagram Strategy

When I first started following Major League Baseball on Instagram, I’ll admit I was pretty excited. At my age, you can’t exactly pull out a pack of baseball cards and browse through them leisurely. But for some reason you can do it on a smartphone without drawing any strange stares.

BabeRuthGoudeycard3Unfortunately, what I’ve seen so far from MLB on Instagram has been surprising. First of all, it’s posting way too much. Yesterday for instance MLB posted 35 pictures in one day. And 18 of them were of Clayton Kershaw. Granted, he did throw one of the greatest games of all time on Wednesday, a no-hitter with 15 strikeouts. But the smart thing to do would be to post a few pictures and offer a link to a gallery with more of them. After all, the Instagram news feed can only feature one photo at a time. I haven’t seen pictures of my friends in days due to the constant flood of images from MLB. Continue reading “Something Needs to Be Done about MLB’s Instagram Strategy”

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Real Estate Agencies Sold on Content Marketing

for_sale_signLet’s face it; the real estate industry isn’t what it used to be—it’s more cutthroat and competitive than ever before. One year you’re at the top, while the next you’re on the bottom. Sure, the economy has played a major factor in this, but so has the Internet.

In the past, buyers would find a realtor through a friend or relative, or maybe even the yellow pages. But times have changed as buyers are increasingly turning to Google when beginning their search for a new home. In fact, 90 percent of all real estate buyers use the Internet to search for homes, which means if you don’t have a strong online presence chances are you’re missing valuable opportunities. Continue reading “Real Estate Agencies Sold on Content Marketing”

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Unconventional Tradeshow Tips and Tricks for Increasing Leads

tradeshowI love a good tradeshow. Perhaps that is because I am by nature a people-person, but I also believe that there is something for everyone at such an event. That’s because conferences, when leveraged correctly, can serve as a powerful content marketing vehicle for garnering leads—something that every business leader, regardless of personality type, enjoys. I spent some time yesterday at The Small Business Expo 2014 in New York City where I was reminded of some simple, yet often forgotten, tips and tricks for maximizing leads and making the most out of every tradeshow experience: Continue reading “Unconventional Tradeshow Tips and Tricks for Increasing Leads”

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All Content Marketers Need To See ‘The Lego Movie’

I’m not sure they actually  exist, but it’s entirely possible there are individuals out there who don’t like Legos. Still, Legos are awesome, and most people I would imagine agree.Lego_Color_Bricks

If you’ve not seen The Lego Movie, you’re missing out. In fact, it’s my humble opinion that the film should be required viewing for all content marketers.

Don’t worry, I won’t spoil the movie for you. Suffice it to say that it’s fantastic, it involves lots of Lego-related animation—from fight scenes to Batman to explosions—and it’s appropriate for viewers of all ages.

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Does Your Blog Stand Out from the Rest?

Imagine your blog were to walk into a crowded networking event. Would it be the center of attention and walk away with 50 new business contacts? Or would it hang out by the cookies trying to blend into the scenery?

silhouettes-76784_640In the overcrowded world of online content, it takes a lot to stand out and become known as a go-to source for educational and industry information. Consider the fact that WordPress users publish 347 new blog posts every minute. In that same amount of time, Google users enter over 2 million search queries. And Facebook users share about 684, 478 pieces of content. Continue reading “Does Your Blog Stand Out from the Rest?”

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Three Ways to Stay Current with Content Marketing

shutterstock_171929309There are specific moments in time in which it’s evident that we are on the brink of a massive transformation—and that the best is really yet to come. It came over a century ago when the Wright brothers developed the first flying machine, a fundamental breakthrough that made overseas travel a reality. It came again late in the 20th century with the unveiling of the IBM 5100, the first commercially available portable computer that gave way to the surge of laptops, tablets and smart devices. And it is happening now with the proliferation of content marketing: traditional marketing practices are becoming obsolete as avant-garde content marketing strategies become ubiquitous.

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Are You Ready for the New Era of Digital Storytelling?

Books, shows and movies all have one thing in common: They start, and they end. Just when you really start to get into a particular story or series, you are always left with the realization that it is not going to last forever.

But now, this is changing thanks to the power of the Internet and real-time communication.

book-97709_640The art of storytelling is evolving to meet the public’s insatiable demand for content. The latest example can be seen from the UK’s Mills and Boon, a Harlequin-owned book publisher that specializes in the genre of “saucy women’s fiction.” The company, which has been in business since 1908, needed a new way of interacting with and attracting unique readers. To accomplish this, it created a virtual hotel for its new show “The Chatsfield” where fans can “check in,” engage directly with characters and follow the non-linear stories as they unfold in real-time. Fans can also snoop around rooms and read private messages, or create their own stories and share them with other fans.

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Hidden Tricks Industry-Leading Content Marketers Keep Close to the Vest

shutterstock_131728910We’ve all been in the company of that individual—you know, the marketer who seems to be able to come up with witty slogans, awe-inspiring website copy and evocative white paper concepts on the fly. That individual who never seems scared or intimidated by behemoth marketing tasks.

He or she seems like a marketing superhero—even a magician—and, in truth, makes you feel wholly inadequate when it comes to your own marketing prowess.

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The Beauty of Content Marketing? Everybody has a Story to Tell

Before I entered the wonderful world of content marketing, I worked for Golf Digest Magazine, perhaps the most prestigious golf publication in the world. As a golf-lover, it was a job I enjoyed thoroughly and it was a job that was also highly educational.

Story

Perhaps the most surprising and significant lesson I learned during that time was how important it is for amateur players to play with equipment custom fitted to their swing specifications. Many weekend hackers mistakenly believe that custom clubs are only beneficial for professionals when, in fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

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