Managing and Monitoring Your Social Connections

Many small businesses understand the importance of social media for their marketing efforts. Their owners or managers may be active on a variety of platforms — from Facebook and LinkedIn to Twitter and Instagram — and many run blogs with information relevant to their target markets. At the same time, many small business owners are close socially with their employees. They may play on common recreational league teams, go out together for happy hours, etc.

Just as there should be boundaries in your social interactions with employees, there should be certain ground rules for engaging with employees on social media. Here are some key considerations. Continue reading “Managing and Monitoring Your Social Connections”

Blending Old and New Media for Advertising Success

Native advertisingNative ads—ads that reside seamlessly within content, giving the appearance of editorial material—have become increasingly prevalent as consumer adoption of mobile technology has skyrocketed. These ads can take many forms, and marketers are always in search of the next new thing that will enable them to cut through the clutter to deliver an experience that not only will be different, but also will resonate with their audiences and, ultimately, drive sales. At least that’s the goal. Continue reading “Blending Old and New Media for Advertising Success”

Being (Appropriately) Social Online: The Etiquette of Social Media Engagement

As the name suggests, social media is often a very informal means of conveying information. It’s familiar, colloquial and often has a personal touch – it’s social. So, when you’re using social media to support your business’ marketing needs, how should you behave? What’s the appropriate etiquette? Continue reading “Being (Appropriately) Social Online: The Etiquette of Social Media Engagement”

How to Build Thought Leadership Through Blogging

Keyboard - smallBlogs are so ubiquitous in the online world that it may seem like it’s not worth the effort to maintain your own. After all, blogs can take a lot of effort to maintain. You need to be current, consistent and relevant. Is it worth all that time and energy with so many blogs out there? Continue reading “How to Build Thought Leadership Through Blogging”

Putting the “Strategic” Into Strategic Content Marketing

The Content Marketing Institute’s (CMI) 2015 reports on B2B and B2C (business-to-consumer) content marketing trends reveal some important disconnects among demand, effectiveness, and satisfaction with results. For instance, while 86% of B2B respondents indicate that they are using content marketing, only 38% say that their efforts are effective. While 83% say they have a content marketing strategy, only 35% have a documented strategy. That’s a problem. Continue reading “Putting the “Strategic” Into Strategic Content Marketing”

In Search of Viral Content: Is It Worth the Effort?

Online marketing is a crowded arena. Just check out Internet Live Stats to get an idea of the massive amounts of blog posts, websites, tweets, etc. It’s hard to stand out in the crowd, but every once in a while, some gem emerges that catches the attention of the masses and forms part of the collective consciousness. In other words, something goes viral. But how does that happen? Continue reading “In Search of Viral Content: Is It Worth the Effort?”