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Content Marketing Quickly Emerging as the Heavy Weight Champion

In the right corner, coming in at 500 pounds and easily bench pressing Social Media, Blogging and eNewsletters, is Content Marketing. In the left corner, coming in at a measly 100 pounds with only Traditional Marketing and Print Publications in his corner, is Traditional Advertising.

Too harsh? Feeling bad for Traditional Advertising? You should. He doesn’t have a chance against Content Marketing, at least according to a recent infographic released by Marketo.

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Still Think Content Marketing is Just a Phase? Read This

If you do a quick Web scan or ask a random handful of people, you’ll receive multiple conflicting answers as to whether content marketing – an integrated marketing strategy involving creating and sharing relevant, customized and insightful copy – is all that it’s cracked up to be. As if existing statistics (such as the fact that 91 percent of B2B marketers currently leverage content marketing strategies and 66 percent of brands say that branded content marketing has become “very important”) weren’t enough, a brand new infographic brings us a slew of statistics that are hot out of the oven. All of them point to the fact that content marketing is a must-have for any business’ customer engagement strategy.

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The Hidden Menu to Content Marketing

paneraNow I’m not big on fast food but I have to say that I have a complete weak spot for Chipotle. I just can’t resist stopping for a quick bite to eat anytime I drive by that Chipotle Mexican Grill sign. As a matter of fact, I’m a frequent customer. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I learned that my favorite fast food chain actually has a secret menu. At first I was confused, wondering how could I have not known about this? Then as I began to inform everyone else about my discovery, I learned I wasn’t the only one. I began to wonder what the point is of having a menu that you’re keeping your customers from seeing.  I realized that these restaurants may be getting somewhere with their marketing strategies. Continue reading “The Hidden Menu to Content Marketing”

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Did You Miss us On Yesterday’s Webinar?

Yesterday, TMC CEO Rich Tehrani and I had the pleasure of spending our afternoon with marketing directors, CMOs, social media managers and a group of dedicated content producers for a Content Boost webinar titled “9 out of 10 Companies Leverage Content Marketing. Be in the 10% who do it Right.” If you were able to take the time out of your busy work day to listen in, we sincerely hope it was worth the pause from your normal work flow! And if you missed us yesterday we wanted to give you a quick recap of what we covered.

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Thursday’s webinar pulled back the curtain on the new marketing landscape that is content marketing. We started with the basics, enlightening everyone about what exactly content marketing is—a comprehensive marketing strategy that involves creating and sharing relevant, customized, insightful copy, with the end goal of helping a company bolster brand awareness and drive profitability.

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Hey Coca-Cola, Will You Go With Me to Prom?

Ah prom season. That beloved time of year when the smell of newly pressed tuxedos, overly-sequined dresses and high school desperation fills the air. That time of year in which moms and dads fork over large wads of cash for ostentatious limos and after parties. And, most importantly, that time marketers clamor for all year long.

That’s because prom season is a marketer’s dream. From the dress boutiques to the limousine companies to the airbrush tanners and makeup artists, marketers in almost every industry are trying to capitalize on the centuries-long tradition that is prom.

And why shouldn’t they? Teenagers are such a powerful group, influencing spending habits and store preferences. In fact, a recent survey from TRU Insights revealed that the purchasing power of teens—ages 12 to 19 years old—has reached $819 billion globally. Moreover, 81 percent of teenage girls recently reported that they are more likely to purchase something if their friend already has.

Prom season can be a marketer’s best date or worst nightmare; it all depends on how you try to capitalize on this iconic time of year.

shutterstock_85907128One company that has taken a wonderfully subtle approach to prom marketing is Coca-Cola. On May 29, the soft drink vendor posted a photo from an ‘80s prom. The caption—”Fun fact: in 20 years that Coke is the only thing that won’t look outdated in your prom picture.” Take a look by clicking here.

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What Inspires You? Memorial Day Traffic Lines?

shutterstock_118633888There’s nothing worse than hitting traffic on your way home, following a chaotic, nightmarish-type of day.  After all, you are tired and hungry, debating whether you have any sort of energy left to head to the gym and all you can do is stare at the bumper in front of you.

Well yesterday, the traffic got to me. I may only live 6.1 miles from work but even I had had enough of staring at “Baby on Board” and “If You Can Read This, You are Following Too Close” stickers. So I did what any true New Yorker does and made friends with the shoulder lane until I found the exit.

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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”