Category: Content Marketing

Feeding the Beast: Where Will Content Come From to Meet Your Market’s Needs?

Content management and content marketing are big buzzwords these days–at least in the circles where we travel! As a writer for a number of years this is great news to me, and to the communication students I work with. The demand for quality content is arguably greater than it has ever been before–and growing exponentially.

The State of the Media Report from the Pew Research Journalism Project for 2014 reported that BIA/Kelsey estimated that native advertising revenues reached $2.3 billion in 2013, up from $1.6 billion in 2012—and projected that revenues would reach Continue reading “Feeding the Beast: Where Will Content Come From to Meet Your Market’s Needs?”

Communicating Efficiently Online

Expanding communication opportunities bring both benefits and challenges to marketers today. While the availability of a wide range of communication options can be empowering, it can also be overwhelming. Which to use? When? How? How can you ensure that you’re not just wasting your time?

Marketing staff at both large and small organizations are finding themselves faced with significant opportunities today, but these opportunities can translate into a significant amount of work. What can they do to ensure that their time is being spent most effectively? Continue reading “Communicating Efficiently Online”

Landing Clients Can Take Time! The Value of Ongoing Communication

I was recently contacted by a potential client who told me he had been receiving and reading my monthly eletter for a few years. I didn’t know him and neither of us could think of how he might have come to be on the list, but when I took a look at my email list I found that he had joined the  list on July 29, 2009–more than four years ago!

This experience highlights the long-tail sales cycle that consultants–and others–often experience. Landing clients can take time. Consequently, it pays to be patient. It also Continue reading “Landing Clients Can Take Time! The Value of Ongoing Communication”

How Should You Measure Your Social Media Activity?

We work with clients regularly to help them evaluate or establish various channels of online communication with their key audiences. Social media is obviously often part of the process we use in helping them connect with these audiences. Often, but not always. When it is, just as with any other form of communication, one thing we want to establish right up front is a means of measuring the value of this activity.  Continue reading “How Should You Measure Your Social Media Activity?”

Contributing Content: Big Opportunities in Content Marketing!

There are big opportunities these days in content marketing. All kinds of organizations, from traditional publishers and media outlets to businesses hoping to gain online traction through organic search are looking for quality content. That means big opportunities for content creators of all kinds. It also means big opportunities for businesses and individuals hoping to get media coverage for themselves and their products and services.

Why?  Continue reading “Contributing Content: Big Opportunities in Content Marketing!”

Creating an “Integrated Marketing Plan”

I was asked recently to provide some information for an article on how to create an “integrated marketing plan.” That phrase has become quite popular and is, I would agree, more precise terminology to convey what a marketing plan actually does. In truth, I would think that every marketing plan would, by definition, be Continue reading “Creating an “Integrated Marketing Plan””

Is It Time to Update Your Web Site?

Web sites have become a “must have” for businesses of any size, in any industry or geographic location. In fact, to a large degree, if you don’t have a web site, you don’t exist. When potential customers are looking for products or services they are very likely these days to turn to the Internet and do a search. If your business doesn’t come up in their search efforts, you’re not likely to be part of their consideration set. Continue reading “Is It Time to Update Your Web Site?”

How to Use Social Media to Grow and Market Your Business

The wide proliferation of social media sites–from Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to Pinterest, Google+ and Instagram–provide a myriad of opportunities for businesses of any size to connect with their target audiences. That can be good news and not-so-good news for marketers. Why? Because while the out-of-pocket costs for using most of these tools is low to none, the time investment can be significant. Add to that Continue reading “How to Use Social Media to Grow and Market Your Business”

The Myths of Email Marketing

A few years ago, driven by my curiosity about the state of traditional direct mail marketing vs. online, or email, marketing I proposed an update to a book I had written on direct marketing a number of years ago. My publisher agreed and I had the opportunity to do some research on Direct Mail in the Digital Age. As I suspected when I proposed the project Continue reading “The Myths of Email Marketing”

Using Social Media to Grow Your Business

We use social media for our own business and also work with clients to help them use various social media channels effectively to meet their business objectives. Many of our clients are in service (e.g. healthcare) organizations or are independent consultants hoping to establish themselves as thought leaders. All are hoping that social media can help to raise awareness of their services and, ultimately, drive business. We’ve successfully used Continue reading “Using Social Media to Grow Your Business”