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Three Ways to Stay Current with Content Marketing

shutterstock_171929309There are specific moments in time in which it’s evident that we are on the brink of a massive transformation—and that the best is really yet to come. It came over a century ago when the Wright brothers developed the first flying machine, a fundamental breakthrough that made overseas travel a reality. It came again late in the 20th century with the unveiling of the IBM 5100, the first commercially available portable computer that gave way to the surge of laptops, tablets and smart devices. And it is happening now with the proliferation of content marketing: traditional marketing practices are becoming obsolete as avant-garde content marketing strategies become ubiquitous.

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5-Step Guide to Creating a Killer eNewsletter

zeimusu_Thumbtack_note_emailIs your eNewsletter in desperate need of a face lift? Are your open and click through rates plummeting? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. While email newsletters are considered one of the most popular marketing tactics, they are often the hardest to get right. Below is a quick five-step guide to creating a killer eNewsletter that engages, nurtures, and converts—as well as some tips that we at Content Boost use when crafting our very own. Continue reading “5-Step Guide to Creating a Killer eNewsletter”

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Three Signs you’re in a Writing Slump

shutterstock_171929309We’ve all been there—staring helplessly at the computer screen, resting your fingers limply on the keyboard and willing words to start magically appearing on the screen. It is writer’s block at its best and it is the evil of all evil for marketers. That’s because our job depends on our ability to put pen to paper, redefine originality and string together a series of nouns, verbs and adjectives in such a way that harmony is struck.

So what do you do when your brain starts to enter the “nothing box?” And, even worse, how do you avoid falling into a writer’s slump without noticing it? Let’s take a look at three tell tale signs that you might be slacking when it comes to your copy creation:

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Is Content Marketing Fashionable?

fashIt’s not every day that you see the words “content marketing” and “fashion” together— but as we all know, stranger things have happened (Lady Gaga’s SXSW performance anyone?). The fashion industry has embraced content marketing with open arms. After all, designers are natural storytellers. From Burberry to ShopBop to Anthropologie, familiar names in the fashion world are using this avant-garde marketing strategy to engage with readers and boost brand loyalty. So is content marketing fashionable? The answer: Yes!

Don’t believe me? Below are three famously fashionable brands that have perfected the art of content marketing. (Take notes!)

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Let the Madness Begin: Have You Put Together Your Marketing Bracket?

shutterstock_178064603With a regular season record of 27-4—not to mention an undefeated streak of 25-0, despite a number of near upsets during that reign—there was no disputing what my husband and I (Syracuse alumni) would be doing at 6 pm this past Sunday night. Tuning into CBS to assess see how the Cuse’s recent spate of losses (don’t get me started on Friday night’s North Carolina State game) would affect Selection Sunday.

Sadly, our pitiful performance these past few games undoubtedly cost us a No. 1 seed. But since we will never stop bleeding Orange, bring it on Broncos.

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Why Shorter Is Better When it Comes to Your Blog Copy

shutterstock_115785298Let’s face it… you are swamped. From logging the 9 to 5 grind (uh… more like 9 to 7) to squeezing in parent-teacher meetings to trying to plan something special for the weekend with a loved one, there are simply not enough hours in the day. Well, guess what? Your consumers feel the same way.

In fact, your target market is so inundated with daily tasks that they are in search of pointed, succinct marketing pitches. Just to give you some perspective on the information overload you are currently experiencing, consider the following:

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Can You Handle the 21st Century Customer?

customer serviceSpend just a few minutes with your existing and prospective customers—or just two minutes scanning your Twitter news stream—and one sentiment resounds loud and clear: we are in the Age of the Consumer, one characterized by a customer who is more informed, demanding and expectant than perhaps we have ever seen. Just consider the following statistics aggregated in a great LinkedIn post:

  • For every customer complaint there are 26 other unhappy customers who have remained silent.
  • 96 percent of unhappy customers don’t complain, however 91 percent of those will simply leave and never come back.
  • 70 percent of buying experiences are based on how customers feel they are being treated.

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Think You Can Avoid Optimizing Your Email Marketing Campaigns for Mobile? Think Again.

mobile emailI have to admit, I am an eNewsletter junkie. From marketing to fashion to hard news to sports, by morning my inbox is jam-packed with tantalizing content that I can’t wait to get my hands on. However, nothing is more frustrating than opening one of my favorite eNewsletters on my iPhone and seeing a bunch of jumbled words, dead links and distorted photos. And I’m not alone. Continue reading “Think You Can Avoid Optimizing Your Email Marketing Campaigns for Mobile? Think Again.”

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When it Comes to Posting, Timing is Everything

time You’ve spent all afternoon hunched over your laptop creating “the greatest blog ever written,” but suddenly you realize that it’s 5 pm. Your eager to post your blog, but you’re not sure whether or not it’s the right time. Will it get lost in the cyber shuffle overnight? Can it wait till morning?

Maintaining an accurate posting schedule and learning when your audience is tuned in is the key to engagement success. After all, what good does it do if your audience never reads your emails, tweets, posts, or blogs?

With 347 new blogs posts, 684,478 Facebook shares, 100,000 tweets, 204,166,667 emails and 3,600 Instagram photos posted every minute, it’s not easy to get noticed. However, research shows that there is a right time and a wrong time to post.

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

emailHow 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.

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