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Content Marketing Scores in the 2014 FIFA World Cup

displaymedia (2)The 2014 FIFA World Cup is well underway. Thousands have flocked to San Paulo, Brazil to cheer on their home team. From memorable upsets to unforgettable goals, the world’s largest sporting event has not disappointed fans or corporate sponsors. This year’s World Cup is expected to generate four billion dollars in total revenue for FIFA—66 percent more than the 2010’s tournament in South Africa.

The majority of the revenue will come from—yep, you guessed it—television (1.7 billion dollars) and marketing rights (1.35 billion dollars) from corporate partners such as Coca-Cola, Sony, Visa, and Hyundai. For these companies, it’s money well spent as the tournament draws a massive, passionate following from all over the globe. Successful campaigns have picked up on the emotional appeal that viewers have come to love. Continue reading “Content Marketing Scores in the 2014 FIFA World Cup”

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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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Marketing ‘Without Walls’: Using Social Media to Engage Customers

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On average, people check their smartphone over 150 times each day. Just think about how often you refresh your email at work or glance at your Twitter feed for the latest news. How can your brand use this to its advantage? Simple: by getting users to advertise for you.

The clothing brand, Without Walls, is a great example of how social media can be used to spread brand awareness and increase consumer engagement. The trendy athletic wear website has launched a social media crusade to get its customers up and active in its clothing. Continue reading “Marketing ‘Without Walls’: Using Social Media to Engage Customers”

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Need Content Marketing Inspiration? Look Around You

shutterstock_161159720As a marketer, we search for inspiration any place we can find it—at our daughter’s dance recital, on the train commuting to work, in line at CVS waiting to check out… the world is full of marketing inspiration. And it often comes when we least expect it.

We are officially at the halfway point of the year, meaning exhaustion and creative blockages are at an all-time high. You may be out of ideas for your blogging platform; you may be struggling with the motivation to finish that white paper; and you may be fearful that your innovation engine is starting to run on empty. So what’s a marketer to do? It’s time to learn from your surroundings. And here’s how to do it:

Continue reading “Need Content Marketing Inspiration? Look Around You”

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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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Saying Goodbye to My All-Time Favorite Branding

This week, the best golfers in the world take aim at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina for the 114th U.S. Open. The event features a lot of juicy storylines, from Tiger Woods’ absence to the recent redesign of the hallowed venue.

One storyline has fallen largely through the cracks, however, with the notable exception of my golf buddy Alex Myers at Golf Digest. With the tournament telecast switching from NBC to FOX next year, what I consider to be the greatest theme music ever written will no longer be part of the broadcast.

And that is a bummer.

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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.

Continue reading “All Content Marketers Need To See ‘The Lego Movie’”