Execute Content Marketing With A Small Budget

How To Execute A Content Marketing Plan With A Small BudgetStiles Says: If you’re not, or can’t resource content, you better find the most creative thinker alive to make what little you will have.

The Bullets:
*First, realize your competitors might be making the investment in content
*A blog post or infographic can last for years.
*Identify goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time based.
*Leverage something that’s already top of mind and put a unique marketing spin on it.
*Leverage relationships with others who do content; partners, vendors, customers, bloggers, anyone who’s “making stuff.”
*Money helps but success in marketing is via creativity and strategic thinking.
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The Makings of an Effective Content Marketing Team

The Makings of an Effective Content Marketing Team: Experts Weigh In - Business 2 CommunityStiles Says: The people you need are not “typical” corporate types. So don’t be scared, turn ‘em loose to do their thing.

The Bullets:
*Think mobile first. Write bite-sized, with attention-grabbing photos
*Determine the goal, then resource accordingly
*Pace the effort to match what you’re ready for
*Hire journalists/storytellers who can write stories that transcend your business
*Reach beyond marketing inside the org
*Team members should be genuine, organic fans of the brand
*Get and use the right marketing technology
*Help the whole org understand the “why” of content marketing
*Determine how you’ll measure success
*Take risks. Innovate
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Top 5 Forms Of Advanced Content Marketing For Lead Gen

Top 5 Forms Of Advanced Content Marketing For Lead Generation - Business 2 CommunityStiles Says: same kinds of assets, but value and targeting have to be job 1 now.

The Bullets:
*B2B content marketing success requires a continuous stream of fresh, valuable content focused on specific buyers.
*Case studies put prospect minds at ease about you.
*Prospects will give you contact info for a whitepaper on a TIMELY topic, but it better provide real value.
*Don’t issue press releases unless you are breaking some real news.
*Webinars work well, but keep them short and to the point.
*Video has become the fastest growing application for B2B content marketing. Don’t “wing it.”

 

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Research: Most Effective Content for Lead Generation

2013 Content Marketing Research: Most Effective Content for Lead Generation |  TechValidate BlogStiles Says: Great, B2B won’t resource content, then calls it a pain point and says it isn’t effective even though they aren’t making it.  

The Bullets:
*Social proof from customers is the most effective in lead generation.
*64% of B2B marketers say customer testimonials and case studies are very effective or better.
*Microsites and blog posts trailed in effectiveness for lead gen.
*Videos and Microsites had high numbers in the “not used” category, reflecting the time and cost needed to produce this type of content.
*Creating enough content to feed lead gen campaigns remains a key pain point.

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What Makes Content Sharing Go Viral?

What Makes Content Sharing Go Viral? - Business 2 CommunityStiles Says: Share this and it will make you look smart and helpful, which is one of the keys to viral.

The Bullets:
*Generating emotional energy makes content go viral
*Headlines – often it’s the only thing people read, and they share based on it
*Easy to consume – like oh say, Brand Content Bugle’s bullet points
*About the reader, if not literally, then about their situation
*Develop a personality readers can attach to
*You’ll get shared if you’re a respected hot shot, because sharers want to be associated with you
*Consistency – that way reading and sharing your stuff is never a risk
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The Power of Being Second: How Red Bull is Winning the (Content) Marketing Wars

The Power of Being Second: How Red Bull is Winning the (Content) Marketing WarsStiles Says: Red Bull is truly showing us the way, but most brands don’t have the gonads to stop breathlessly hocking their stuff.

The Bullets:
*What separates Red Bull is the product is secondary to what the customer cherishes.
*Red Bull’s customers are savvy and turned off by ads.
*Over 40m fans on Facebook, and the product is almost never promoted or mentioned.
*Find things your customers love, and enable those activities.
*Sponsorships show the brand loves these activities as much as customers.
*Red Bull’s content inspires customers to pursue their passions.
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Genuine Brand Publishing Needs to Trump Generic Content Marketing

Genuine Brand Publishing Needs to Trump Generic Content MarketingStiles Says: Bad, pointless, cheap content by people who suck at it just for the sake of doing it is worse than no content at all.

The Bullets:
*If the cliché is true and content is king, then nascent and unchecked content marketing risks being the joker
*Switch the language, change the content marketing moniker to brand publishing
*Content marketing insinuates content exists to sell a product, when in reality great content exists to tell a story
*Brands need to forget about being marketers and worry about being publishers
*Give the user something compelling and of value they can associate with the brand
*Cutting corners creates cheap brand publishing and makes for the perception of a brand that doesn’t care

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Just In: The State of Content Marketing in 2014

Just In: The State of Content Marketing in 2014Stiles Says: Way to go small companies, showing large companies who’s getting it faster and positioning better for a content future.

The Bullets:

*B2B companies are increasing content marketing budgets
*Marketers used infographics more than ever this year, 51%
*86% of the most effective content marketers have someone overseeing content marketing strategy
*Small companies much more likely to have someone overseeing content than large
*Writing is the most frequently outsourced marketing function, 64% do it
*The best marketers have the most confidence in blogs (79%) 
*95% of B2B marketers are segmenting their content
*The top content challenge for marketers is time, producing enough content, and creating engaging content in that order

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Top 7 Content Marketing Trends That Will Dominate 2014

The Top 7 Content Marketing Trends That Will Dominate 2014Stiles Says: I agree the role of Director of Content will be red hot, but I doubt hirers will even know what to look for in that person.

The Bullets:
*Businesses will be able to explain what content marketing is & how it aligns with larger business goals
*The top new marketing job will be “Director of Content”
*Content optimized for mobile consumption will be critical
*SaaS companies will scramble to calculate content marketing ROI
*Efforts to automate will fail, mostly due to low quality content
*Google+ and Slideshare will be key for B2B
*Location based content will pay big dividends for brick and mortars.

The full scoop is here
Follow @brandcontentst if you’re all about content

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Crafting the Perfect Call to Action for Effective Content Marketing

Crafting the Perfect Call to Action for Effective Content MarketingStiles Says: Don’t beg me to do what you want me to do, motivate me to really want to do it.

The Bullets:

*Including a phone number or social icon isn’t enough.
*A call to action should inspire them
*People who are just browsing don’t want a sales pitch
*Use calls to action with an incentive
*A call that’s above the fold has a better chance than one at the bottom
*Don’t make calls to action wordy
*Us only one clear call to action, avoid “and” and “or”

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