Creative Strategy

11/02/201503/26/2018

A Recap of Content Boost’s Latest Content Marketing Crash Course

It was an exciting day at Content Boost last Thursday, Oct. 29, as our content marketing Crash Course—our ongoing seminar aimed at offering tips and tricks for organizations to enhance their content marketing effectiveness —was a great success.

Attendees made their way into the conference room for the first set of presentations, presented by our in-house team of content marketing experts.

In case you missed it, here are some major takeaways from the day’s activities:

Plan, plan and plan some more: The vast majority of B2B companies already realize the benefits of content marketing, as 88 percent are currently using it. So if your business is one of the 22 percent of companies that aren’t using content marketing, your direct report may need some convincing as to why he or she should invest in such a strategy. This was the focus of the first presentation given by our Director of Brand Strategy, Allison Boccamazzo.

So, how do you get your boss to say yes to content marketing? You need a plan, the focus of which should be centered on four crucial steps outlined by Boccamazzo:

Continue reading “A Recap of Content Boost’s Latest Content Marketing Crash Course”

10/27/201503/26/2018

Three Types of Engaging Content You Can Begin Producing Today

According to the Content Marketing Institute’s (CMI) “2016 Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends—North America” report, B2B marketers continue to be heavily focused on creating engaging content. In fact, 72 percent of marketers surveyed by CMI claimed it’s their top priority for 2016.

So, what exactly is engaging content?
That is, what kind of content should teams be producing to attract and, more importantly, retain readers? And how can content then convert those readers into repeat customers and loyal brand advocates?

Continue reading “Three Types of Engaging Content You Can Begin Producing Today”

10/22/201503/26/2018

Let’s Talk About That Blog of Yours

At this point, you’re already sold on the idea of starting a blog for your business, and using it to move forward with content marketing like 81 percent of B2B organizations are currently doing.

So what’s holding you back from getting started?

You have questions. Lots of them. And so you’re dragging your feet about moving forward with the project, as you don’t want to rush into the process and risk painting your organization in the wrong light. Meanwhile, your competitors are pumping out multiple blog posts per week.

If this describes your situation, I understand what you’re going through. After all, there are a lot of things to consider when starting a blog, such as:

Tone and style: Should your blog be loose and creative, or strictly business? A blog is a direct reflection of your corporate brand, and so it’s vital that your messaging aligns with the image you are trying to create for your company. Continue reading “Let’s Talk About That Blog of Yours”

08/31/201503/26/2018

New England Weather As A Lesson To Content Marketers

Mark Twain said it best, “If you don’t like the weather in New England now, just wait a few minutes.”

As a New England native, I can attest to the claim that the weather in this region is some of the most unpredictable and continuously changing weather in the country. From blizzards, to heat waves, to tornadoes, New Englanders are prepared to handle any type of weather that is thrown their way.

Sure, it’s not particularly thrilling to hear that there’ll be a snow storm on Halloween when only the leaves should be covering our lawns, but the weather sure keeps residents on their toes. It also teaches us to savor every season for what it’s worth—the dew covered grass of springtime, the humid days of summer, the classic crisp autumn mornings when the foliage is at its peak, or the first sign of powdery flakes once December arrives.

Continue reading “New England Weather As A Lesson To Content Marketers”

08/28/201503/26/2018

3 Unexpected Benefits From Outsourcing Content Production

You’re still trying to decide whether a content strategy vendor is right for your business. After all, partnering with any vendor is a big decision and one that requires a lot of trust.

By outsourcing either some or all of your content needs, you can spend less money on the resources required to obtain professional, compelling copy. There are also several hidden benefits to outsourcing content production that you may not be aware of.

Here are three unexpected perks of working with a content strategy vendor:

Fresh perspective about your brand: As a marketer, it’s easy to spend so much time thinking and talking about your products and services that you become bored with them.

What winds up happening is you lose the spark of interest that is needed to make your brand exciting to consumers. Continue reading “3 Unexpected Benefits From Outsourcing Content Production”

08/17/201503/26/2018

How to Find Multiple Moments of Marketing Genius

It’s time to stroll down memory lane—it’s a short stroll, I promise, and I’ll have you back at work quickly.

How often do you take the time to revisit your past marketing projects? Like that blog entry you wrote a few years ago that achieved third-party validation in the form of an accolade. Or the email drip campaign you conceptualized just three months ago that’s already resulting in a record-breaking number of email opens.

Continue reading “How to Find Multiple Moments of Marketing Genius”

08/04/201503/26/2018

The Gut-Check Questions We Need to Ask Ourselves as Marketers

I have long argued that the minute our job as marketers starts to feel easy, we are not doing enough as professionals. And I stand by that claim. After all, being a marketer—especially in this day and age—is anything but easy.

We have to build integrated marketing plans; craft buyer personas to target our prospective customers more meaningfully; write A LOT of content that incites emotion and drives behavior; and understand how data and metrics fuel marketing decisions. It’s no wonder that the average tenure for a CMO is 48 months, according to executive-search firm Spencer Stuart.

Continue reading “The Gut-Check Questions We Need to Ask Ourselves as Marketers”

07/27/201503/26/2018

Should Your Content Be Inclusive?

Not one to follow reality TV or tabloid gossip, I did happen upon the E! channel’s new series, “I Am Cait,” in which Caitlyn Jenner leads viewers through the early stages of her recent gender transition. I only watched the first 20 minutes of the show, but what I found most interesting was not in the show at all, but an ad for Airbnb, the community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book accommodations around the world, which aired twice while I watched.

Continue reading “Should Your Content Be Inclusive?”

07/17/201503/26/2018

Friday Reflections: There’s Always Time for Collaboration

I admit that I haven’t been able to keep up with this series at my desired biweekly pace (unexpected to-do’s and time crunching can get the best of every marketer!) but I’m happy to be back with the second edition of my ongoing “Friday Reflections” blog. Today I want to talk about collaboration.

As marketers we’re all more than familiar with the importance of collaboration; we need to collaborate with our clients on their campaigns and content deliverables, with our co-workers on internal projects, with partners on upcoming initiatives and more. But, as we also all know, time is not always on our side.

Continue reading “Friday Reflections: There’s Always Time for Collaboration”