Tactics

7 Tips for Developing Your Webinar Strategy

As a content marketing strategy, webinars can be highly effective – positioning your organization as a thought leader or the go-to resource of valuable information. According to a recent B2B content marketing survey, nine out of ten B2B marketers are using content marketing, and of the ten content marketing tactics rated for effectiveness, webinars rated […]

A Letter from Mark Zuckerberg*

Editor’s note: OK, so this is not a real letter from Mark Zuckerberg, but it’s a real satire of what could be in a letter from Mark Zuckerberg, hypothetically speaking, of course. Hey there! It’s Mark Zuckerberg, everyone’s favorite socially awkward billionaire! I am here to walk you through our latest exciting changes at Facebook. […]

5 Future-proof Ideas For Your Website

Predicting the future of the web is nearly impossible. Ever-changing technology provides fodder for our imagination to run wild. And it typically does. Imagination outpaces invention. And invention outpaces convention. Which is why we should focus less on technology, and more on human nature when we’re future-proofing our websites. If we bet on technology, we […]

3 Unrealistic Promises Made About Social Media

It’s easy to get overly ambitious when making the case for social media. When the board room is finally ready to listen, we breathlessly explain the social media sea change and how our organization can ride the wave. And in our excitement, we sometimes make the case too well. We make it seem too easy. […]

4 Tips for Developing a Blog Comment Policy

If you’ve spent much in social media, you’ve probably been warned not to “feed the trolls.” Trolls, as Wikipedia will tell you, are defined as “someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Quit Daydreaming and Focus on Your Website

That one big idea—the one that will bring the masses to your website overnight and lead to more Twitter followers than Lady Gaga sees is not worth waiting for. I’m all for brainstorming and trying big new ideas, but if you really want to improve your pageviews and build community online you should place your […]

Free Your Content, and the Rest Will Follow

A social media presence is a good start, but a presence alone is a lot like having a storefront on a quiet street and waiting for people to come in your door. Sure, they may find out about you eventually – if you’ve invested in advertising, have great word of mouth, dominate search engine rankings, […]

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 Lifespan of Social Media Content (Or, the Fish, the Stream, and the Shore)

There are a lot of analogies being passed around when it comes to where to publish social media content: “Fish where the fish are.” (You should focus efforts predominately on Facebook and Twitter.) “Don’t get lost in the stream.” (You should build your own presence, so you avoid getting lost on Facebook and Twitter.) “Rent, […]

Why I’m Deleting Your Press Release

Get a group of people from Match.com together and ask them: Ever gone on a bad date? Now get a group of editors together and ask them: Ever cringed at a press release? Chances are, (un)scientifically speaking, every single person answered with a resounding “YES” followed by their painful stories. That’s because mismatches and awkward […]

How to Avoid Trolls, Landmines, and Time-Sucks in Social Media

The social media landscape can be a Labyrinth for even the most seasoned marketing professionals. Unexpected landmines, spiteful trolls, and productivity black holes are commonly spotted – that is if you’ve got the foresight to see them. And if you don’t? Well, you’re not totally out of luck as long as you have access to […]

Content Marketing: Forget About the Glamour, Focus on the Grindstone

A kindergartner came home excited after his first day of school. Talking a mile a minute, he began telling his mom about all the fun things he did: finger painting, arts and crafts, alphabet games. The list went on and on as he breathlessly detailed each moment, the story goes. Bright-eyed and encouraged, his mom […]

Branded Content: Examples of Getting it Right

There’s no question that there’s been an upswing in the trend of brands publishing content to win over consumers. Bypassing traditional avenues of promotion, smart organizations are tapping their internal expertise to create content that entertains, educates, and engages their current and potential customers. Consider the following data from the Veronis Suhler Stevenson Communications Industry […]

Why SEO Would Matter Even If Search Engines Stopped Running

“Isn’t SEO just the practice of gaming the search engines?” If you’ve ever had to make the case for SEO, this Molotov cocktail of cynicism has likely been lobbed your way. “But good content doesn’t need an SEO strategy.” Right. It doesn’t. And horses don’t need saddles. But things go a heck of a lot […]

Capital Improvements: Using Initial Caps to Improve Your Designs

It’s been said that history is our best teacher. It’s hard to believe that whoever first uttered those words had custom media on the brain. But they might as well have. One of the most effective and time-honored tools in a designer’s repertoire is the drop or initial cap. First used in ancient, illuminated manuscripts, […]

What If We Treated Every Page Like Our Homepage?

I get it. You’re not going to stop obsessing over your homepage. And you shouldn’t. Sure, only a percentage of your overall site traffic probably views your homepage in reality, but it doesn’t matter. It means too much. It’s symbolic. It’s political. It’s your brand. It’s the first thing people see when they check out […]

6 Steps to a Better Media Kit

So, you did your job as a marketer and you got a nibble: someone wants to learn more about your organization. Maybe your company got some great press and reporters are hounding you for more info. Or maybe a potential advertiser finally admits they are, in fact, interested in advertising with you, and they want […]

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