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Is Your Brand Undergoing a Big Change? Take a Page from Shake Shack

Let me start with this. If you haven’t been to Shake Shack, do yourself a favor and try it out. The menu even has options for your four-legged friend; what’s not to love? A favorite of many was Shake Shack’s crinkle-cut fries. But recently, the fries have been replaced with their fresh-cut counterpart.

Since Shake Shack came onto the scene back in 2004, it has been serving crinkle-cut fries to accompany the many burger and hotdog options. Recently, restaurant goers said that the chain could “do better,” which inspired Shake Shack to try out a new take on its traditional fries. In efforts to move away from frozen options and towards more wholesome products, Shake Shack made the decision to sell exclusively fresh-cut fries at its 20 U.S. locations.

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Are You Boring Your Prospects with Incessant ‘Gabbing?’

shutterstock_131742977I can’t tell you how many times I have been on the trade show floor, migrating from booth to booth, searching for the one company that will really pull at my heart strings. The one that will stop gabbing for even one minute to figure out why I actually stopped by their booth. The one that understands that each prospective customer wants to be talked with, not at.

But it seems that so many exhibitors are all the same. Making a beeline for each and every booth visitor so they can give their 15-minute pitch, barely pausing to take a breath to see if they have lost totally lost the prospective customer. And, I can’t say that I entirely blame them. Continue reading “Are You Boring Your Prospects with Incessant ‘Gabbing?’”

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A Lesson on Composing the Perfect Tweet

twitter89By now you probably know the dos and don’ts of Twitter when it comes to your business account. Don’t tweet about politics, do make it fun, don’t abandon your followers and tweet often. But now that you’ve got the basics down, it’s time to take your tweets to the next level and really engage with your audience. After all, 36 percent of all marketers have found a customer via Twitter in 2013.

Today, the job of a social media marketer is no cake walk. There’s hashtags, penguins, hangouts, handles… you name it. Not only do you have to compile a compelling, out of this world campaign, but you have to do so in 140 characters or less.

All too often, marketers fall into the habit of firing random, uninspiring “me, me, me” tweets just for the sake of tweeting, which will undoubtedly get you labeled as a spammer, which let’s face it no one wants. Stop thinking like a salesman and think like a marketer.

To get you back on track—and thinking like the stellar marketer you are—here’s a lesson (or reminder) on how to compose the perfect tweet.

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Blogging without Social Media is Essentially Futile

social mediaI can’t tell you how many times a day I find some of my most favorite blog entries from Twitter. In fact, I keep Twitter up all day long—canvassing the stream every few hours to catch the latest content marketing news and determining who I would like to engage with in cyberspace today. It’s completely addicting. I no longer have to go out to try to find the latest information about something that piques my interest; rather, that news comes to me.

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Why Financial Advisors Need Content Marketing

financesIn a time of economic strife where financial security is being increasingly sought after, the financial advising market is a very alluring one. In fact, the broker ranks are positioned to increase by 30 percent through 2018 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics – a figure that blows previous estimations out of the water. This, of course, has seen the rise of many new players in a gradually competitive space.

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The Hidden Menu to Content Marketing

paneraNow I’m not big on fast food but I have to say that I have a complete weak spot for Chipotle. I just can’t resist stopping for a quick bite to eat anytime I drive by that Chipotle Mexican Grill sign. As a matter of fact, I’m a frequent customer. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I learned that my favorite fast food chain actually has a secret menu. At first I was confused, wondering how could I have not known about this? Then as I began to inform everyone else about my discovery, I learned I wasn’t the only one. I began to wonder what the point is of having a menu that you’re keeping your customers from seeing.  I realized that these restaurants may be getting somewhere with their marketing strategies. Continue reading “The Hidden Menu to Content Marketing”

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Why Every Brand Needs Instagram: As Told by a Newly Addicted Instagrammer

instagram picAs you read this, your competitors are Instagramming. They’re carefully filtering photos, sharing videos that are unique to their brand and garnering “likes” for the custom-tailored content they’re delivering to an audience of over 100 million users. For those of you who have aptly adapted to this online photo- and video-sharing/social networking service, you deserve a hearty pat on the back. However, for those of you who still linger outside of the Instagram universe, you’re unfortunately charging toward a very rude awakening. Continue reading “Why Every Brand Needs Instagram: As Told by a Newly Addicted Instagrammer”

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Follow Me Friday: Are You Following Your Industry’s Top Players?

followmeNot only has Twitter become a powerful tool for lead generation and brand awareness, but it’s also become a hub for valuable information. Where else could you read about the latest Anthony Weiner scandal, a cat video gone viral and the turmoil in Syria all in one place?

As content marketers we are always looking for fresh, new ideas and a lot of our inspiration comes from Twitter. But this tactic isn’t just for us content explorers; it’s also a great tool for businesses.

Following the right accounts on Twitter is almost as important as composing the perfect tweet. For businesses, connecting with other industry players, trendsetters and dare we say it, competitors, is a great way stay ahead of the game, keep an eye on your competitors and see what customers are saying about your brand. Not only does this establish your company as a thought leader, but it also helps promote your brand awareness.

However, with 150 million worldwide active users and over 400 million tweets per day, this “tweet-tastic” platform can be overwhelming, especially for newbie’s. Let us walk you through some helpful strategies…

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Can You Even Find Your Company’s Blog?

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it even make a sound?

The same could be said about your blogging platform. If you are creating the most compelling, awe-inspiring blog content—unquestionably putting your competitors to shame—but that copy is essentially hidden on your homepage, then does your blog even make a ripple in cyberspace? In short, the answer is no. Continue reading “Can You Even Find Your Company’s Blog?”