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Trick-or-Treat? Addressing the Scary and Sweet Sides of Social Media

halloween picThe Halloween season is upon us once again and visions of candy corns are dancing in our heads…

But marketers don’t get to trick-or-treat for candy. Instead, we’re collecting and sorting the tricks and treats of the social media realm, also known as consumer feedback—and believe me some of it can be downright frightening.

So how can you appropriately address the influx of both negative and positive feedback which emerge on your Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts day-in and day-out? Well, besides throwing salt over your shoulder or avoiding black cats at all costs, try heeding these quick tips.

Continue reading “Trick-or-Treat? Addressing the Scary and Sweet Sides of Social Media”

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Three Quick Insights From CMI’s Latest B2B Benchmark Study

In the content marketing industry, there is no greater treasure trove of information than the Content Marketing Institute (CMI). That’s why content marketers all over the country were anxiously awaiting to dig into the 2016 benchmark studies from CMI as we head into the final quarter of 2015. As of this week, the wait is over as CMI has officially released their “B2B Content Marketing 2016 Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends – North America” study.

Via Shutterstock
Via Shutterstock

So, without further delay, we wanted to dive headfirst into this compilation of marketing statistics and give our readers three quick insights:

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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:

shutterstock_194954891Fresh 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”

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In Case You Missed It: Highlights From Today’s Content Boost Crash Course in NYC

Today the Content Boost team stormed NYU’s Kimmel Center ready to convince business leaders to say “yes” to content marketing at the third Content Boost Crash Course.

shutterstock_133099646What they found, however, was that the packed room was one step ahead of the game. In fact, the audience members were ready to jump into content marketing right away.

Their enthusiasm echoed the sentiments from our Director Carrie Majewski about how popular content marketing has become. As Majewski explained during her kickoff presentation, 78 percent of CMOs think custom content is the future of marketing. Further, 86 percent of B2B and 77 percent of B2C companies now use content marketing.

“Our NYC-based Cont Continue reading “In Case You Missed It: Highlights From Today’s Content Boost Crash Course in NYC”

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Is Your Marketing Department About To Take Flight?

Now that we’re about to turn the corner into July, many of your employees could be taking time off from work for various reasons—like for vacations, conferences, weddings, you name it. July and August are prime months for being out of the office and sometimes, paid time off requests can pop up out of nowhere and when you least expect them. It’s important, therefore, that you look ahead and figure out whether you have the manpower to see your editorial department through this time of limited resources.

Gone FishinAfter all, while your employees can always take time off from work, your blog and social content need to keep rolling. Otherwise, if you pause your calendar and focus on other tasks while your main writers are out of town, you could risk losing readers who may forget to come back. Continue reading “Is Your Marketing Department About To Take Flight?”

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Are You Suffocating Your Brand’s Content Without Even Realizing It?

It’s time we had an important talk: Your editorial process is killing your beautiful content. Here’s why.

shutterstock_282923051First, one of your staff writers creates a witty, thought-provoking article for your website. Next, the piece must go to an editor—or two—for quality inspection before landing back on your writer’s desk. It may go back and forth multiple times. After that, the post may go to a high-ranking executive for messaging approval before being passed along to a board of directors. Finally, it must pass through your legal team. Several weeks—or sometimes months—later, the post winds up on your website—a tired, bland, and likely outdated version of its former self.

And you wonder why nobody is sharing your content on social media! Continue reading “Are You Suffocating Your Brand’s Content Without Even Realizing It?”

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Key Takeaways from Market New York Expo

Content Boost Director Carrie Majewski and I had a blast last Thursday, May 12, at Market New York Expo. We learned so much about how to keep improving our marketing strategy from some of our peers in the industry. If you didn’t get a chance to get out to the show yourself, stay right here; I’ll fill you in on the top marketing takeaways of the day.

With a variety of sessions and advice from innovative speakers, suffice it to say I left the conference with a mind full of ideas and insights. However, the biggest takeaway of the day was the emphasis that was placed on the importance of target marketing.

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Top Takeaways From the Content Boost Crash Course, Part 2: Afternoon Sessions

Looking back on the second half of yesterday’s Content Boost Crash Course, the word that comes immediately to mind is “action.” While the first half of the day was focused on educating attendees about the basics of content marketing—the ins and outs of blogging and the need to engage with customers via social media, for example—the afternoon was all about how to put those strategies into motion and move forward with an integrated, revenue-driven content marketing strategy.

shutterstock_134665622What is the best way to get started with content marketing in your organization? As Content Boost Director Carrie Majewski intimated during a presentation titled “Getting the Boss to Say Yes to Content Marketing,” approaching the boss about investing in content marketing may be intimidating. She advised participants to lay such fears aside, however, as, in truth, most decision makers are ready to move forward with content marketing. Majewski backed up her claim with a study from DNN which shows that the top three priorities for marketing executives are to acquire new customers (87 percent), increase customer retention (86 percent) and increase brand awareness (80 percent).
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Top Takeaways From the Content Boost Crash Course Part One: Morning Sessions

The morning flew by here at Content Boost, as we’re now halfway through our second content marketing Crash Course; that is, our all-day integrated marketing seminar offering the latest tips and tricks for growing your brand online.

Before we head into this afternoon’s additional seminars and group discussions, it’s a great time to reflect on some of the top takeaways from the morning sessions, led by our in-house team of integrated marketing experts.

Here are three key tips that were discussed:

20150421_112544Be bold with your content: After opening remarks from our CEO, Rich Tehrani, our Director Carrie Majewksi kicked things off with a presentation on the basics of content marketing. One of the most important things she spoke about was the need to be bold and take chances with your content. As she explained, you are already disruptive with your product offerings so it’s critical to be innovative with your multimedia. According to Majewski, content marketing is your opportunity to drive emotion, tell stories and create a “WOW” experience that will resonate strongly with your customers. Continue reading “Top Takeaways From the Content Boost Crash Course Part One: Morning Sessions”