The Seven Deadly Social Media Sins of Content Marketing

If you’ve just joined the content marketing club, you’ll soon be flying high in the social media stratosphere. Social media is world full of unlimited content marketing possibilities. In fact, the networking strategy produces almost double the marketing leads compared to trade shows, telemarketing, direct mail or pay-per-click (PPC), according to research this year from HubSpot.

But before you get ready to take off, you must first beware of the seven deadly sins of using social media when it comes to marketing your content.  

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Marketing Lessons from Buffalo Bill’s Wild West

What do blazing guns, bucking horses and covered wagons have to do with your website? A lot.

In fact, one could argue that cyberspace offers much of what our young country did just before the turn of the 20th century—new opportunity, innovation and excitement. Just like miners used to examine mountain shafts and riverbeds for nuggets of gold, today people comb through social media to find new bands or artists. Likewise, finding new ways to edge out your competition online is like striking oil. The rugged, unknown path to glory on the Internet is free for anyone to traverse down just like the journey out West.

The thing is, it took a lot for people to pack up and leave home—which is where people like William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody came in. Cody was a master marketer, whose traveling caravan of “Rough Riders of the World” catered to the imagination of settlers to be. The show would rope people into buying a carefully constructed image of the great American West through his circus-like exhibitions. It was a place where citizens could come face to face with danger, without getting killed. And as it turns out, May 19th marks the 130th anniversary of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West.

 
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How Do You Talk to an Audience Who Can’t Talk Back?

It’s not enough to just talk to your customers anymore. You have to really see them for who they are. You have to truly understand them and understand your connection to them (or the connection you hope to one day establish with them). What have they experienced in life? What may they be facing now? This is the pinnacle of targeting your audience regardless of the objective – whether it’s raising awareness of a greater cause or generating sales.

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Facebook vs. Twitter: Who Can Deliver the Content Marketing Punch?

Rivalries…we all love them. Coke vs. Pepsi, Leno vs. Letterman, Droid vs. iPhone, Eagles vs. Giants; we all have our favorites. Personally, I’m a coke guzzling-Letterman/ iPhone/Giants-kind-of-girl, but we won’t get into that. Oftentimes, rivalries make for some extra funny family dinners or corporate atmospheres (March Madness anyone?).

But friendly enemies aren’t just made on the field or on late night TV. In fact, a battle has ensued in the social media world and there is no shortage of opinions on whose packing the biggest punch. In corner one coming in at 1 billion users we have Facebook. And in corner two coming in at 500 million users we have Twitter.  

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Your Content Marketing Mantra for Today – ‘Let it Be’

let it beOver time, we have shifted from traditional marketing campaigns (i.e. mail-ins, door-to-door and print advertisement) to a world filled with competitive online strategies. It’s no surprise this move to the digital realm has shaken up the brand strategies of many. In fact, when recently asked what their current biggest marketing challenge was, 43 percent of marketers noted that they struggle with differentiating themselves in the marketplace and 29 percent reported that they experience difficulty defining target audiences.

Today marks the 43rd anniversary of the Beatles’ final album release, “Let it Be.” So, if you’re facing some corporate branding roadblocks, consider these words of wisdom for getting your name in the minds of your online audience. When it comes to content marketing strategy, let it be…

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Don’t be Afraid of the Digital Marketing Monster

I’ve never known a child who did not have at least one kind of irrational fear, perhaps one of the biggest being nighttime monsters in the closet.  This very common fear has cracked open the bedroom door for many children, but as adults, we know these once terrifying tales are just age-old myths.  So…why do we have similar content marketing fears?

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Perhaps the biggest reason seems to be from marketers’ collective fear – or general uncertainty – of taking their campaigns to the digital realm. A quick scan on the Web reveals that many individuals are searching for countless articles ranging from “fears that keep digital marketers up at night” to “why marketers should fear digital marketing.” It cannot be disputed that we are indeed amidst a great marketing revolution. In fact, 22 percent of online adults in the U.S. are connecting everywhere, and frequently, according to Research Director and Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, Melissa Parrish. This is a huge need that marketers should be aiming to meet, yet some are not.

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Debunking Content Marketing Falsehoods – Part Two

Don’t you love when someone is positive about a fact and you prove them wrong? Like when someone swears that the capital of North Carolina is Charlotte when you know it is Raleigh. Or when your friend is confident that Tobey Maguire played Kevin in “Sin City.” He didn’t. It was Elijah Wood.

Well, we at Content Boost love dispelling content marketing myths– including two of the most egregious ones: that if you haven’t started content marketing yet it is too late to get in the game and that social media is not for your business. Don’t believe us? Have a look at part one of this series.

Today, we debunk two more misconceptions.

Fallacy: If you flood your blog or newsfeed with content, the search engine spiders will come for you and rank you.

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Debunking Content Marketing Falsehoods – Part One

Some of my favorite articles are those that expose commonly circulated fallacies and pull back the curtain to reveal the truth. For example…

The lie: Artificial sweeteners are safe sugar replacements. The truth: Studies have actually found that those who use artificial sweeteners are more likely to gain weight then those who consumer caloric sweeteners.

The lie: You should stretch before you exercise to avoid injury. The truth: Conversely, researchers have found that stretching before exercising can actually slow your body down, resulting in a five percent reduction of efficiency.

When ubiquitous “truths” are circulated and then subsequently debunked,  you are oftentimes left flabbergasted and befuddled—but then you realize that a world of possibilities opens up. After all, maybe you can start traipsing around in the cold with a wet head and not get sick. Perhaps your dog is not really as old as you think he is, as dogs do not age at seven years per one human year. And, maybe, just maybe,you can in fact have that ice cream sundae minutes before jumping into the pool.

content marketing strategyPerhaps no space has more misconceptions flying, however, than the content marketing one.  Marketers claim to know all the statistics and best practices for crafting a competitive content marketing strategy—numbers that often belie the potential of this new-age marketing technique and preconceived notions that often hamper success. Below, we unveil some of the biggest content marketing falsehoods. Continue reading “Debunking Content Marketing Falsehoods – Part One”

Avoiding the Riptide of Brand Strategy

The sun is shining, the weather is warming and before you know it, we’ll be in flip flops and bathing suits. But it’s not all fun in the sun for some businesses when it comes to brand strategy. Some seem to be instead swamped in a sea of questions, from ‘How do we maintain brand integrity?’ to ‘How do we sharpen our corporate identity?’ For businesses looking to avoid this, Twitter is an excellent way to boost brand.

According to a recent infographic by Mediabistro, in 2012, Twitter was declared the world’s fastest-growing social platform, adding 40 percent more active users between Q2 and Q4 of last year. Twitter is teeming with ways to inspire, create and expand your business to strengthen brand loyalty.

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Just Jump!

The palms of both of my hands are sweaty, my heart is pumping 200 liters of blood through my veins per minute, my blood shot eyes are getting teary and my left toe is twitching.  I suddenly have that panic moment. But it is too late the plane has taken off… literally.

Some people say they will never go through with it. Others opt out after watching too many freak accidents. There are those who just don’t have the time for it or interest. Then there are the few who welcome jumping out of a shaky, musty, fear-inducing plane flying 15,000 feet in the air.

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