Content Marketing

07/29/2013

Three Effective Content Marketing Lessons from Your Favorite Scary Movie

I love scary movies.

Of all the summer blockbusters in theaters this summer, the one I most early anticipated was The Conjuring. When I finally got to the movie theatre – five minutes late and forced to sit in the neck-craning third row – I spent half the movie curled in a ball; heart racing, palms sweating and uncomfortably squirming as I peeked through my fingers ready to cover my eyes at a moment’s notice. Yet as soon as the credits rolled, I was grinning ear-to-ear, laughing at my own ridiculousness and confidently claiming I knew what would happen the whole time. It was only later that night in the solitude of my own room that visions of the movie had me clutching my comforter over my head for protection… And still, I love scary movies.

Why do we do this to ourselves?

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07/25/2013

5 Content Marketing Statistics That Your Boss Can’t Ignore

Last week we gave you three reasons your boss would say ‘yes’ to content marketing to help you work up the nerve to march down to the corner office and propose a content marketing initiative.

Hopefully your boss saw the light and you’re busy developing a killer content marketing plan with his or her full support.

But if not, and your boss still needs convincing, read on for five content marketing statistics that simply can’t be ignored: Continue reading “5 Content Marketing Statistics That Your Boss Can’t Ignore”

07/24/2013

The Healthcare Industry is Ripe for Content Marketing

No matter what industry you’re in, you need content marketing. It increases your visibility and gives you a wider reach in which to share your message and let people know what your company is all about. Furthermore, it increases the overall effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. In a recent survey, 63 percent of respondents affirmed that posting content on social media channels increased marketing success.

One industry that stands to benefit a great deal from content marketing—though they might not realize it yet—is the healthcare sector, which is in the same spot it was two years ago, according to Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute. While the industry’s remained relatively stagnant in terms of content marketing adoption—and Pulizzi attributes that behavior to the fact the industry’s heavily regulated and heavily scrutinized—there’s enormous room for growth. Continue reading “The Healthcare Industry is Ripe for Content Marketing”

07/23/2013

Three Reasons Your Boss Will Say ‘Yes’ to Content Marketing

We feel for you, we do. It can be incredibly daunting to walk down the hall to the office to ask your boss to trust you when you say that your company needs to start a new initiative, head down another path, or launch a new product. You will undoubtedly be asked countless questions to figure out if your “gamble” is worth the bet and you will unequivocally be second guessing your proposal as the questions get fired.

But, if your idea is content marketing, hold your ground because here are three reasons your boss will say yes:

1. Your competitors are already doing it.

There is nothing worse than playing catch up… especially when it comes to business. But facts are facts and the content marketing ones don’t lie. Here’s an impressive one: 91 percent of B2B marketers are already leveraging content marketing to bolster their corporate identities. Continue reading “Three Reasons Your Boss Will Say ‘Yes’ to Content Marketing”

07/19/2013

Don’t Dig a Grave for Your Email Marketing Strategies Just Yet

How many times have you provided a clerk or a kiosk with a false email account to avoid being bombarded with messages about newly released products or surveys? Hey, we are all guilty of it and I don’t blame you; the last thing anyone wants is an inbox full of spam.

To avoid seeming “old school”—or irritating for that matter—many companies have abandoned email marketing all together, instead turning to social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to reach customers and promote their products. While taking to social media is a must, it certainly begs the question. Is email marketing dead? Actually, no.

Continue reading “Don’t Dig a Grave for Your Email Marketing Strategies Just Yet”

07/16/2013

Why Your Vacation Resort Needs Content Marketing

Full disclosure: I am a bit of a vacation snob.

I wish I could be like my free-spirited, “I-go-where-the-wind-takes-me” friends; those who are able to practically spend petty cash for their beach vacation by looking up the cheapest motel (sans bed bugs, hopefully) within walking distance to the main beach. I wish I could be like them and overlook busted air conditioners and hostile-like conditions when it comes to lodging.

But I can’t. That’s because when I go on vacation, my enjoyment comes from the combination of my hotel, the activities, the ambiance and the culture. And I ALWAYS do what I can to ensure that the hefty price tag on my credit card matches the experience.

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07/15/2013

Longform Journalism – Forget About the Price Tag

When I started researching stories and statistics for this blog post, I didn’t know much about longform journalism. So, I got comfy in my swivel chair and, of course, implemented my first course of action – Googling the term. The search engine brought me first to Esquire magazine’s recent foray into pay-per-article longform, then to a review of the website Narrative.ly. And just like that, this form of reporting of which I had never heard had captured my heart.

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07/11/2013

Are Your Customers as Loyal as You Think?

This might sound odd to say as a writer, but I absolutely love television. While I can certainly spend hours poring through the next great best-seller—particularly when it comes from Jodi Picoult—there is nothing quite like plopping down on the couch after a hellacious work day and enjoying a guilty pleasure on TV.

And when someone messes with this part of my day, simply put… I don’t do well.

Let me paint you a picture of last Wednesday. While many were out celebrating the 3^rd of July—apparently that is becoming an even bigger holiday than the 4^th of July—I was very much looking forward to catching up on my DVR and explaining to my fiancé why “The Bachelorette” is not, in fact, scripted. Yup; I’m one of those.

But instead of showing me Desiree’s romantic date with Drew, all I saw was a bright blue screen. No cable. No DVR. No way to escape. My patience had been pushed, especially since this was the umpteenth time in the past few weeks that our cable box wouldn’t turn on. So I did what any normal person does on the 3^rd of July; I spent my night with my cable provider’s call center.

Continue reading “Are Your Customers as Loyal as You Think?”