At the beginning of 2016, everybody was talking about how big video will be and how important it will become for every small, medium business or even enterprise. And as we can see, the video has become a big challenge for many brands out there that try to get some results with their content marketing strategy. But what the specialist didn’t say is what type of video will rise. We can have documentary videos, movie videos, ad videos, presentation videos, review videos or vlogs. Social media cannot be compared to the television or radio. People use social media because they want something different from this platform. They are tired of prepared shows and videos. They are tired of directed shows that they can’t pause whenever they want. The consumer wants to have the power of getting into the conversation and wants to be part of the experience. This is […]
9 (More) Lessons From the World’s Best Content Marketing Brands
I write for CMI regularly, and each year the post that garners the most interest shows content marketing examples from brands who are killing it from around the web (you can also see the posts from 2015 and 2016 ). Of course, brands are continually impressing me with lessons both big and small. Combined with an advanced knowledge of content marketing , these nine inspiring brands will help to skyrocket your own content marketing campaign. 1. Surprise your audience like GE GE’s tagline of “Imagination at Work” couldn’t possibly ring more true. The 125-year-old brand consistently comes up with new ways of employing content marketing and is known for successful strategies on every medium imaginable. Consider the company’s foray into science-fiction comic books. In the mid-1950s, GE began publishing a series of comic books to get children interested in science. In 2015, it partnered with Wattpad to reimagine the […]
1 Simple Content Fix: Talk to Your Audience, More News
PHOTO: Freedom II Andres Marketers may plan to focus on quality over quantity when it comes to content this year. Raise your hand if your goal includes creating content that resonates. No sales pitches — just some bleeding edge thought leadership. All fine intentions. But have those same marketers talked to customers to figure out what "value" means to them ? If not, they’re already starting down the wrong path. Read more . Here are some more of our favorites from the past week: A Sample of Our Stories Customer Experience Digital Workplace Information Management Featured Events Featured Research
9 Digital Marketing Trends to Invest in This Year
As content marketing—and specifically video marketing—continues to shape the B2B marketing landscape, marketers are beginning to loosen their purse strings to make more room for the new year. A report from PulsePoint and Digiday found that by next year, content marketing, as an industry, will grow by 59 percent from last year. This kind of authentic, real-time marketing is positioning content marketing to outpace search and social budget . Take a look at a few must-haves in our digital marketing budget. Each of these trends are helping us to bolster reporting, close the loop between marketing and sales, prove ROI, and bring human-to-human marketing to the forefront . 1. Video and Live Streams It doesn’t take Chewbacca Mom to show us how important visual storytelling has become. Consumers like to watch video—as many as four times as many consumers prefer to watch a video over reading text . But […]
Debunked: What Tech Do You Really Need to Run an Online Business?
online business tech If you want to start a restaurant or a hair salon you’re going to need tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars worth of equipment before you can even open your doors. But online businesses aren’t quite the same – especially if you work from home and start small. Sure, there are some larger tech startups that needed millions of dollars of capital before they get up and running, but for most of us the barriers-to-entry are a lot lower. Seeing as I regularly get asked about the technology/equipment that I use to run my blogging company, I thought I’d do a post highlighting what I think are the essentials, and what you can leave behind. Let’s take a look. NOTE: None of the links in this post are affiliate links as I didn’t think it would fit with the “feel” of the subject. Essential tech: […]
65 Million Articles Are Published Each Month – Can Yours Stand Out?
Actually, it’s a lot more than 65 million articles – that’s just the number published on the WordPress platform! There are a lot of blogs out there. So, in a world where everyone wants to start a blog and everyone else is publishing their opinions on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, how do we make ours stand out? Is it even possible? In today’s post I’m going to look at a few strategies I’ve used over the years to help my blogs and online businesses get noticed and stand out from the crowd. I hope it helps a few people out there who are trying to make a bit of extra income for their families, or create happier careers. Let’s go. But what about all that competition? When you look at the sheer number of blogs and blog posts created each month it can seem a little overwhelming. How on […]
Why Comedy Central Is Replacing Commercials With Branded Content
Your eyes are glued to the screen as you watch your favorite TV show. The writers are about to reveal a huge secret about your favorite character. Then, just as you’re about to find out the details, commercials come on. You immediately mute the screen and start scrolling through Instagram. Even photos of your friend’s latte are more interesting than a 30-second spot for wrinkle cream. Anyone who watches television knows how frustrating that process can be. For networks and advertisers, the frustration is starting to impact them as well. That’s why Comedy Central has decided enough is enough—it wants to keep viewers hooked, even during its commercial breaks. Now, instead of a series of short spots, the network has started airing a custom two-and-half minute “ linear commercial pod ” once per month. In other words, Comedy Central is experimenting with the televised version of branded content. While […]
Refurbishing Top Content – Whiteboard Friday
You’ve got top-performing content on your site that does really well. Maybe it’s highly converting, maybe it garners the most qualified traffic — but it’s just sitting there gathering dust. Isn’t there something else you can do with content that’s clearly proven its worth? As it turns out, there is! In today’s Whiteboard Friday, Moz’s resident SEO and Content Architect, Britney Muller, shares three easy steps for identifying, repurposing, and republishing your top content to juice every drop of goodness out of it. Click on the whiteboard image above to open a high-resolution version in a new tab! Video Transcription Hey, Moz fans, welcome to another edition of Whiteboard Friday. I’m Britney Muller, Moz’s SEO and Content Architect, and I’m so excited to talk to you today about refurbishing your top content. Any of you watching likely have top content, either on your site or a client’s site, that […]
How to Build a Better Lead Form
Say you’re walking on the sidewalk, minding your own business on the way back from lunch, when you lock eyes with a street canvasser. The canvasser, dressed in some ill-fitting mesh vest and a visor, gets ready to sell you on a good cause. You want to support the cause, but you also hate the intrusion of the hard sell and don’t want to give away your personal information. She opens her mouth to initiate small talk, but you walk right by, avoiding eye contact and trying to stifle the guilt. Lead forms are the canvassers of the marketing world. In any exchange of value, both sides need to evaluate whether they’re getting something useful in return. On the street, it’s not worth it for most people to take out a credit card and hand over sensitive information to donate to a charity when they can just do so […]
What Would Steve Jobs Do? and 5 Other Stories You Should Read
Here’s what you missed while taking solace in the fact that you aren’t as dumb as these two people … The New Yorker: Doomsday Prep For The Super-Rich Selected by Dillon Baker, tech editor As the Doomsday Clock ticks closest to midnight since 1953 , the elite of American society are preparing their apocalyptic retreats, and no expense is being spared. Fears of AI, technological job displacement, wealth inequality, climate change, and failing institutions have all led to an extravagant prepper movement among tech executives and hedge fund managers. The rub here is that most of these Doomsday preppers have made their massive wealth from the very industries that helped spur the changes they fear, which some of the preppers readily admit. As Evan Osnos writes: “Faced with evidence of frailty in the American project, in the institutions and norms from which they have benefitted, some are permitting themselves […]