content marketing

07/23/2013

Three Reasons Your Boss Will Say ‘Yes’ to Content Marketing

We feel for you, we do. It can be incredibly daunting to walk down the hall to the office to ask your boss to trust you when you say that your company needs to start a new initiative, head down another path, or launch a new product. You will undoubtedly be asked countless questions to figure out if your “gamble” is worth the bet and you will unequivocally be second guessing your proposal as the questions get fired.

But, if your idea is content marketing, hold your ground because here are three reasons your boss will say yes:

1. Your competitors are already doing it.

There is nothing worse than playing catch up… especially when it comes to business. But facts are facts and the content marketing ones don’t lie. Here’s an impressive one: 91 percent of B2B marketers are already leveraging content marketing to bolster their corporate identities. Continue reading “Three Reasons Your Boss Will Say ‘Yes’ to Content Marketing”

07/19/2013

Don’t Dig a Grave for Your Email Marketing Strategies Just Yet

How many times have you provided a clerk or a kiosk with a false email account to avoid being bombarded with messages about newly released products or surveys? Hey, we are all guilty of it and I don’t blame you; the last thing anyone wants is an inbox full of spam.

To avoid seeming “old school”—or irritating for that matter—many companies have abandoned email marketing all together, instead turning to social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to reach customers and promote their products. While taking to social media is a must, it certainly begs the question. Is email marketing dead? Actually, no.

Continue reading “Don’t Dig a Grave for Your Email Marketing Strategies Just Yet”

07/17/2013

The (Unofficial) Ten Social Media Commandments for Content Marketers

We all have some set of rules that we abide by. For example, I would consider mine to be treating others kindly, being slow to speak and being quick to listen, among others. But before I get too philosophical, let’s take a look at ten lessons every content marketer should be zeroing in on, inspired by this recent post from Buffer (props!). I now present to you the (unofficial) ten social media commandments that every content marketer should be heeding:

Continue reading “The (Unofficial) Ten Social Media Commandments for Content Marketers”

07/16/2013

Why Your Vacation Resort Needs Content Marketing

Full disclosure: I am a bit of a vacation snob.

I wish I could be like my free-spirited, “I-go-where-the-wind-takes-me” friends; those who are able to practically spend petty cash for their beach vacation by looking up the cheapest motel (sans bed bugs, hopefully) within walking distance to the main beach. I wish I could be like them and overlook busted air conditioners and hostile-like conditions when it comes to lodging.

But I can’t. That’s because when I go on vacation, my enjoyment comes from the combination of my hotel, the activities, the ambiance and the culture. And I ALWAYS do what I can to ensure that the hefty price tag on my credit card matches the experience.

Continue reading “Why Your Vacation Resort Needs Content Marketing”

07/11/2013

Are Your Customers as Loyal as You Think?

This might sound odd to say as a writer, but I absolutely love television. While I can certainly spend hours poring through the next great best-seller—particularly when it comes from Jodi Picoult—there is nothing quite like plopping down on the couch after a hellacious work day and enjoying a guilty pleasure on TV.

And when someone messes with this part of my day, simply put… I don’t do well.

Let me paint you a picture of last Wednesday. While many were out celebrating the 3^rd of July—apparently that is becoming an even bigger holiday than the 4^th of July—I was very much looking forward to catching up on my DVR and explaining to my fiancé why “The Bachelorette” is not, in fact, scripted. Yup; I’m one of those.

But instead of showing me Desiree’s romantic date with Drew, all I saw was a bright blue screen. No cable. No DVR. No way to escape. My patience had been pushed, especially since this was the umpteenth time in the past few weeks that our cable box wouldn’t turn on. So I did what any normal person does on the 3^rd of July; I spent my night with my cable provider’s call center.

Continue reading “Are Your Customers as Loyal as You Think?”

07/09/2013

Content Marketing: Your Biggest No-Brainer this Month

Oftentimes, the best decisions we make are those that we don’t over-think but, rather, those that just feel innately right to us.

Maybe for you it was affirming to not come to work on a Monday and instead setting out on a six-month European adventure—a journey about discovery, reflection and passion.

Or perhaps it was when you chose to uproot your life and move to San Francisco, one of the hottest technology areas, saying goodbye to your decades-long career as legal counsel at a massive retail company and hello to your new CTO position at the technology company of your dreams. Continue reading “Content Marketing: Your Biggest No-Brainer this Month”

07/08/2013

HBO’s ‘Girls’ as Content Marketers: Who Would You Be?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m a proud HBO addict. Every single Sunday night of the year is strictly set aside for curling up on the couch and watching one of my favorite HBO series, one of which is Girls. A relatively young series, Girls follows the life of four 20-something Brooklynites – Hannah, Jessa, Marnie and Shoshanna – as they confusingly navigate through life. Each character has chief characteristics that make her stand out and seem relatable to all of us – whether you have a bad case of the mid-20’s or are old enough to be these girls’ parent. This got me thinking…what would the foursome of Girls look like if they were all content marketers?

Continue reading “HBO’s ‘Girls’ as Content Marketers: Who Would You Be?”