content marketing

12/03/2014

Passive vs. Active Marketers: Which Are You?

We’ve all heard the phrase “passive communication.” It may describe someone who lacks conviction, direction and, sometimes, respect. As such, this type of communication has given rise to the term “passive-aggressive,” or someone who tends to express negative feelings in an indirect manner rather than state their disapproval directly to the person concerned.

We’ve all dealt with the passive-aggressive individual in the business world—we may even be that person. But have we encountered the passive-aggressive marketer? Are you a passive marketer?

Continue reading “Passive vs. Active Marketers: Which Are You?”

11/26/2014

Content Marketing: Teach, Don’t Preach

I get asked the question all the time, even by my wife and parents: What is content marketing? If you’re hearing the term for the first time, the best place to start is a basic definition: Content marketing is a marketing strategy centered on creating and distributing valuable, relevant content designed to attract and acquire consumers. But to understand this hot term further, it’s critical to understand how content marketing differs from traditional marketing in the way it actually attracts and acquires those customers. Continue reading “Content Marketing: Teach, Don’t Preach”

11/25/2014

Why Your C-Suite Should Be Blogging (and Tweeting)

There are few better representatives for your brand than your CEO and other members of your C-suite. And since 60 percent of a company’s market value is attributable to its reputation, according to surveys of executives conducted by Weber Shandwick, corporate leaders should be making their voices heard by writing and sharing valuable and unique branded content on their company websites and across social media. Continue reading “Why Your C-Suite Should Be Blogging (and Tweeting)”

11/21/2014

Are You New to Content Marketing? Stop By Our Content Marketing Crash Course, Dec. 4th

Chances are you’ve heard or read about the term “content marketing.” After all, almost every major news publication from Forbes to The Huffington Post has written about it and companies are increasingly investing in it. According to research from the Content Marketing Institute, 46 percent of businesses plan to increase their spend on content marketing, while 32 percent have already made a commitment to keep their budgets the same.

But what exactly is content marketing and how does it work? Continue reading “Are You New to Content Marketing? Stop By Our Content Marketing Crash Course, Dec. 4th”

11/13/2014

Overarching Theme at Inbound Marketing Summit 2014: Content is the Future

When I first heard of the Inbound Marketing Summit, designed for content marketing visionaries and evangelists like myself who love to convene, share, collaborate and learn, I was all in. As the Boston-hosted event neared and the agenda was posted, I was particularly intrigued with how intimate the event appeared to be.

As someone who attends a fair amount of trade shows, I am used to darting feverishly between track sessions, networking on massive trade show floors and finding the most comfortable pair of flats I can locate to survive the miles of walking. So you can imagine my curiosity when I discovered this show had zero tracks and was being held in a historic castle. But, I have to say, it was a nice change of pace.

Continue reading “Overarching Theme at Inbound Marketing Summit 2014: Content is the Future”

11/12/2014

Hungry Yet? What Chef Jamie Oliver Can Teach You About Content Marketing

Businesses across all industries have gradually accepted the fact that in order to be successful, they really don’t have much of a choice other than to begin forging their content marketing strategies. But there’s a catch: A vast majority of them admit they’re not really good at it.

Marketers exist to promote their products and ultimately generate new revenue streams. To do this, they’ll place ads in newspapers and on websites, pay for radio and television commercials and write pertinent blog posts, among many other things.

The mistake, it appears, is that many marketers approach digital mediums the same way they approach traditional ones. As a result, their blogs—the cornerstones of their content marketing efforts—often end up more like really long ads than engaging, beneficial content. Continue reading “Hungry Yet? What Chef Jamie Oliver Can Teach You About Content Marketing”

11/10/2014

Will We See You at Our Dec. Content Marketing Crash Course?

From our content marketing keynote panel at ITEXPO in August

Right around the time Content Boost started holding content marketing breakouts, keynotes and panels at various trade shows—including our very own ITEXPO events—we got asked the same question by many attendees: do we ever hold seminars or training courses throughout the year? The short answer was no, but the long answer was… not yet.

Quickly, we started to pick up on a very common trend in the industry: people did not want to have to wait until conferences or trade shows to receive best-in-class content marketing training. Perhaps more importantly, they didn’t want to have to pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars for one-off seminars. Instead, they wanted a way to stay current with the latest industry trends and strategies for improving upon their existing marketing efforts.

Continue reading “Will We See You at Our Dec. Content Marketing Crash Course?”

11/03/2014

Content Marketers: Stop What You’re Doing and Go Eat a Sandwich

Once again, Halloween has come and gone. Are you feeling down about having to wait a whole year to dress up as a zombie or Walter White? I don’t blame you. But here’s a consolation: Today is National Sandwich Day in America. In my opinion, this is the most underrated holiday in the world and it’s a cause for celebration.

Here’s what I love about sandwiches, perhaps more than any other food, and how it relates to content marketing:

They’re practical: You can eat a sandwich whether you’re on-the-go or at home. Everything you need can be placed neatly in between two pieces of bread (or in a wrap, if you prefer).

Your content should work the same way. Remember that you’re not trying to serve your readers a multi-course “meal” of content. Craft articles that are long enough to keep your readers satisfied, yet concise enough to be read on a mobile device. Your goal is to inform and entertain your readers, above all else. Continue reading “Content Marketers: Stop What You’re Doing and Go Eat a Sandwich”