Content Marketing

5 Marketing Cliches You Shouldn’t Roll Your Eyes At (Much)

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times, but that doesn’t always mean the marketing mud you throw against the wall is sticking. The only thing we’re bombarded with more than advertising in our media saturated world is the clichés that guide the teams that create them. And both, for better or […]

Goodbye, Voice of God (in Journalism)

voice of god is dead in journalism, picture of speakers

For political junkies, there was no more bizarre and fascinating news night than the 2000 election returns. Among the embarrassing moments that night—and there were quite a few—was when anchorman Dan Rather announced that Al Gore had won Florida, and then proclaimed, “If [CBS News] says someone carried a state, you can take that to […]

You’re a Human, Act Like It. Unless You’re OK with Being a Digital Marketing Failure

human digital marketing superior to robot digital marketing

Audiences are made of people, they aren’t made of logos. And when building an audience, you must connect with other people as a person, not as a logo. There are very few that can succeed while ignoring this basic mantra. According to the law of averages, you are not one of them.

5 Things a Troll Taught Me About Content Marketing

When I wrote my first blog post, I was proud and excited. I posted it and anxiously awaited the comments that might follow. (What would the Internet have to say?) Then, I got a notification for that long awaited response from a thoughtful reader. It was not quite what I had anticipated. Instead of oohs […]

5 Reasons the Intern Shouldn’t Run Your Social Media Campaign

carrying the load alone as a social media intern

Your intern has more Twitter followers than you do. That is great. But what happens when she gets offered that gig with the agency across town? Will your corporate blog survive? How about that snarky Twitter account or well-maintained Facebook page? Though much of management is wearing the “social media strategy” hat in the board […]

Fighting Words: Marketing Lessons From the UFC

Your organization can learn a lot from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Yes, I’m serious. No, I don’t mean you can learn flying knees or triangle chokes, although those might come in handy when meetings get heated.

Why It’s OK For You to Hate This Blog Post

We spend a lot of time wooing people to like us. “Follow us on Twitter!” “Like us on Facebook!” “Get our email updates!” “Share us with your friends!” “Please hang out with us Friday night!” (OK, so that’s from my personal life, but you get the drift.) And it makes sense that we do, kind […]

The Boy Scout Handbook of Social Media

The lessons the Boy Scouts taught me about being a good citizen are the same lessons that can be directly applied to your organization’s social media strategy.

That Website Ain’t Gonna Visit Itself

If you build it, they will, well, probably go somewhere else. Your target audience probably doesn’t share the same level of enthusiasm that you have toward your new website/redesign/mobile app/digital venture. More than likely, they won’t even notice. They’ll go about visiting their normal destinations online; checking Facebook, maybe Twitter, and dipping into their pool of […]

What the Presidents of the USA Would Have Blogged About on the 4th of July

Declaring independence (and keeping it) is a difficult endeavor. It takes wisdom, fearlessness, consistency, persistence, and dedication. In a much humbler realm – content marketing – the same virtues apply to success. In honor of the 4th of July, here are what some of the commanders in chief have said about content marketing. Sort of.

Are You a Real Expert or Do You Just Play One on the Internet?

There’s a lot of advice being given out these days. People are publishing pointers, tips, and suggestions on every topic under the sun. But how valid are the viewpoints expressed therein? Is the everyman author as credible as we seem to be giving him credit for? Data suggests that what our “friends” are saying online […]

The Only 5 Content Marketing Metrics that Matter

“What gets measured gets done.” This adage steers every hand writing a to-do list in every profession. In other words, we prioritize our daily lives based on what we’ll ultimately be measured on by our boss, our client, or ourselves. But what if what we’re being measured on is unclear, misguided, or just plain worthless?

Is That Your Blog Talking to Itself in the Corner?

We talk to ourselves a lot in the world of content marketing. It’s pretty awkward. We do this any time our content doesn’t have a direct target – when it’s aimless. And aimless content, whether it’s an email, a billboard, a Tweet or a shout is the content that most likely to be ignored and […]

5 Reasons You Won’t Read This Blog Post

Whether I’m writing for print, online, or in cuneiform, my job as a content producer is to serve you, the reader. You are investing precious time with me, and I better not disappoint you. There are, after all, at least a few other sources you could visit instead. So why do I ignore this?

4 Boardroom-Approved Reasons for Content Marketing

The CEO of your organization doesn’t give a damn about your Klout score. She’s not interested in the achievements you’ve unlocked or what your social media “style” is. It’s not that she’s cold-hearted or mean-spirited. It’s just that none of that contributes to the bottom line. And that’s what she’s got her eye on. So, […]

How to Avoid Awkward Silence in Your Comment Section

avoiding awkward silence in your blog comment section

There are a lot of lurkers on the web. You know, those people who visit websites, consume content, and move along. We’ve all done it. (You’re probably doing it right now!)

4 Ways to Kill Distractions and Get Things Done

I have been wanting to write this post for a while. But I haven’t had time. I figured I’d do it eventually. But project deliverables got in the way. So did happy hours. And so did sleep. Don’t get me wrong: I kept writing it on my to-do lists. I definitely wrote it down more […]

How to Enter the Circle of Trust With Your Audience

Building trust is hard enough to do in the real world (remember trying to convince your girlfriend’s parents you were worthy of their daughter?), but building trust online is even more difficult. Fortunately, social media affords organizations the opportunity to build trust with consumers online, but only when done correctly.

Want Your Message to Resonate? Say it Again. Want Your Message to Resonate? Say it Again.

Growing up, my mom had to constantly remind me to do the things she needed me to do. After the fifth or so reminder, I’d reluctantly get up and put my clothes in the hamper (or complete whichever menial task she’d requested of me). On my way back to couch potato land, I’d let her […]

Don’t Propose Marriage on the First Marketing Encounter

It’s pretty easy to get carried away when you’re excited about the possibilities of a potential relationship. You feel the connection. They’re just your type. And they even seem mildly interested in what you have to say. So then, of course, you pop the question. You ask them to marry you. And then they get […]

The Importance of Branding

Branding has come a long way from its cattle-marking origins. What used to be a way for ranchers to label what belonged to them (in case it wandered away) now means so much more. Brands are the reason caffeine fanatics pay more for coffee. Brands are the reason hungry road-trippers get excited when they see […]

Getting Tested: What to Test in Email Marketing

Every day, people from all over the world participate in risky behavior. We all know the dangers, we’re aware of what can happen, but we still don’t put an emphasis on getting tested before we engage in what is a daily activity for many. Of course, I’m talking about sending emails.

The Difference Between a Crowd and an Audience

In a former life, I was the lead singer of a band. Believe it or not, I used to get on stage, play guitar and sing, and not everyone booed. We had a demo CD, T-shirts, and a handful of people who would show up to our gigs who weren’t blood-related.

Award to the Wise: Readers Are the Real Judge

At the custom publisher where I spend my waking hours, the halls are adorned with praise for well-written articles and smartly designed feature spreads—a triumphant redesign of a moribund business school magazine, a celebrity cover for a prominent medical title with a circulation that seemingly knows no way but up. The list goes on.

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