A new study by Forrester Research shows that 67 percent of consumers use Web self-service knowledge to find answers to their questions. This information is very useful for those interested in getting involved with content marketing, which moves beyond the traditional ways that marketing has been used in the past, allowing businesses to create a wealth of great content that showcases not just what is new within their company, but what’s happening within their industry at large.
Content Marketing: The Power of a Compelling Story
It is hard to believe that just a few days ago I was in beautiful Miami, Fla., attending TMC’s biannual ITEXPO event, the technology event of the year. It’s especially hard to believe considering the fact that Sunday night I left a city that was a balmy 80 degrees—sporting shorts and a tank top—for a city that hours later was pummeled by inches of snow.
But our week in sunny Miami was truly awe-inspiring. For five days our team had the chance to meet with countless companies, to hear the tales of their company, and to witness marketing and branding at its best. From the impressive trade show booth displays to the must-have swag (thanks CallTower for my awesome lip balm!), ITEXPO was buzzing with best-in-class marketing tactics. And we all took notice.
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Budweiser’s ‘Puppy Love’ Super Bowl Commercial Proves that Cute Animals Win Customers
I’ll say it: Super Bowl XLVIII was arguably the most boring championship game I’ve seen (although Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS was awful as well). But the good thing about the Super Bowl, no matter how disappointing the sport theatrics are, is the fact that we’re treated to the biggest marketing extravaganza of the year. In 2014, marketers spent $4 million for 30-second commercials.
And that’s just to buy the slots. It doesn’t include hiring talent like Scarlett Johannson, Bob Dylan and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQB7QRyF4p4]
Cumulatively, marketers might spend as much as $10 million on Super Bowl commercials. With that much cash on stake, it’s imperative that they invest the money wisely, creating as good an ad as possible in order to attract as many new prospective customers as they can. Continue reading “Budweiser’s ‘Puppy Love’ Super Bowl Commercial Proves that Cute Animals Win Customers”
This Winter, Grow Your Farm’s Brand Image with Content Marketing
Right now, farmers across the country are holed up inside preparing tillage equipment, sprayers and planters for the spring growing season. But with the downtime of winter, it’s the perfect time for farm managers to sit back and think about another topic that will be vital to success once it’s time to get back outside in the soil: brand image.
According to owner of Innovus Agra LLC Brett Oelke, brand image will have a direct impact on one of the most important factors of running a successful farm operation: your bottom line.
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Pharmaceutical Industry Learns about Social Media the Hard Way
The rollout of the Affordable Care Act has kept all eyes on just the U.S. government, but the healthcare industry as well. In addition to having trouble with the Affordable Care Act website, many be reaching out to the government and healthcare providers through social media. For the most part, healthcare providers are viewed as having a good presence across Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. One healthcare sector that has struggled to maintain a strong social media presence, however, has been the pharmaceutical industry.
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Content Marketing to Take Center Stage at ITEXPO East 2014
If you’ve been keeping up with the blog here at Content Boost, then you know just how much companies stand to benefit from content marketing, or creating and sharing relevant, customized, insightful copy with the end goal of helping a company bolster brand awareness and drive profitability.
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ITEXPO 2014 Editor’s Day: Brand Strategy at its Best
We are just a few hours into ITEXPO 2014 in sunny Miami Beach and the energy and electricity here at the convention center is truly palpable. Attendees are starting to pour in for a number of conference events; TMC staffers are running around putting the finishing touches in place for what will be another bleeding-edge technology event; and dozens upon dozens of C-suite officials and leading company executives are making their way to the convention center to participate in Editor’s Day.
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Happy Birthday Vine! See How the Internet Celebrates
It’s been one whole year since Twitter officially introduced the world to Vine on January 24, 2013. The mobile app—acquired by Twitter some months before its roll out in October 2012—has been doing exponentially well, having acquired millions of users in only 12 months. Vine was one of many social concepts to take rise over the past 12 months; however, it was only one of few to make a real impact on the social and marketing scene.
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The Job of a Marketer: Always be Awake
You know how accountants and financial planners see the world in numbers, formulas and percentages? Well, as a marketer, do you feel like you see the world in terms of strategy, brand tactics and messaging? You are not alone.
I have slowly started to come to the realization that the more I immerse myself in the marketing realm, the harder it is for me to turn off that marketing lens. For example, a simple TV commercial is no longer just a commercial. Rather, it’s a window for me to assess the company’s branding efforts and marketing strategy. Similarly, even a simple flyer that I receive in my mailbox or that I pass on the street cannot escape my marketing lens. I am evaluating the flyer on its font type, its verbiage and its originality. Simply put, the job of a marketer is to always be awake. To always be discerning. And to always be searching for the best campaign.
What’s the Secret to Instagram’s Success?
There’s no disputing the fact that Instagram has become one of the world’s most popular apps. With over 150 million users across the globe, the photo-sharing app has become the marketing engine of some of today’s hottest brands from Nike to Ben and Jerry’s to Red Bull. But how did the brainchild of two graduates from Stanford University rise to billion dollar success in just under three years? One word: demographics. Continue reading “What’s the Secret to Instagram’s Success?”