Managing options

Managing this combination artfully is the essence of marketing. Today, brands live in such a fluid digital ecosystem that these pixels are constantly being refreshed in real-time to keep the story of the brand alive and relevant. New platforms and technologies allow marketers to manage each of their "pixels" in sophisticated transmedia storytelling. Three growing trends that are improving multi-platform marketing include deeper storytelling, sophisticated curation, and using artificial intelligence to improve the contextual relevance of ambient marketing.

 

This is a thoughtful article that I enjoyed because it highlights the notion of 'subtlety' in marketing/branding activities. What does the author, Victoria Young, mean by subtlety?

 

She uses Kate Spade as an example -- where the company uses different platforms to post different content that in its entirety tells a story.

 

The activity is call curation and as the author says, "This is an effective, graceful, and non-intrusive way to continue to reinforce the Kate Spade story. Furthermore, this allows consumers to identify with aspects of the brand that are not so directly commercial, and therefore more relatable."

 

Curating content in a variety of ways across different social mediums (this is a take on transmedia storytelling) which can lead to deeper story sharing experiences between companies and their customers without hitting people over the head with repetitive messages. That is a good thing!

 

So how subtle are you in your marketing efforts and is this a quality you want to bring into your branding? Definitely food for thought!

 

This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it ;

Via Karen Dietz

Beth Kanter wrote a very complete and interesting piece in NTEN's latest edition of their quarterly journal for non-profit leaders. You have to download the journal but it's worth it and it's free (you just need to register). 

 

Jan Gordon: I agree with Guillaume, Beth Kanter knows what she's talking about and her article is definitely worth reading.

 

Guillaume Decugis wrote this commentary:

 

"It's been fascinating for me to see how non-profits seem to embrace Social Media in general and Content Curation in particular - Beth of course being a key advocate in that move.

 

The broader take-away that I see for those of us in all sorts of organizations, as independant professionals or SMB-owners is the validation it brings to the model. When tightly-budgeted NPO's embrace a practice as a group, you can bet they're not wasting their scarce resources on a hype. They have to be efficient and as Beth puts it in the article: "Putting content curation into practice is part art form, part science, but mostly about daily practice. You don’t need to do it for hours, but 20 minutes every day will help you develop and hone the skills."

 

This is precisely where we see the opportunity with curation for professionals: building up a good practice that fits with one's daily routine and that -as Beth puts it - brings great "unexpected benefits".

 

Selected by gdecugis and Jan Gordon covering "Content Curation, Social Business and Beyond"

 

Read full article here: [http://tinyurl.com/75ucphe]

Via gdecugis, janlgordon

I curated and posted this a few months ago but feel it's relevant and timely today. (What brought this to mind was another important article written by Axel Schultze, which I have commented on below.

 

Here's what I said about Gideon Rosenblatt's post.

 

This is one of those gems that I love to share. It was written by Gideon Rosenblatt in response to an earlier article written by Eli Pariser, "The Filter Bubble", which is about the way algorithms (based on our personal searches) affect the results that are returned to us, as a result, we're not seeing the whole picture.

 

"Computer algorithms aren't the only thing contributing to the 'Internet Filter Bubble."

 

**In the world of the information networker, curating content is only half the game. The other half is curating the curators.

 

**In that power to choose our connections, rests our ultimate power to reshape our information filter bubbles and radically improve our perception of reality.

 

**Who we choose to connect with in our social networks deeply affects our ability to see a diversity of information.  

 

My takeaway from this is that whereas technology may restrict the results returned to us by search engines, the other, and perhaps more important half of the equation is controlled by us!  It is well documented that we are more likely to influenced by our circle of friends and associates than by anything else that we may find (or that may find us!). 

 

By effectively curating our circles of influence, we increase the value of this ever important means of discovery and therefore of our entire online experience. 

 

**This in turn can make us far more effective and informative consumers as well as curators, when we widen our own circles.

 

Great article by Axel Schultze CEO of xee.me

 

"Why SEO will Be Gone in 5 to 10 Years" as he talks about "Relationships and Recommendations Soon More Valuable Than SEO" (Robin Good)

 

Jan Gordon: "Here's what caught my attention:

 

Axel: As long as people search for a product not knowing their name or a technology, not knowing its source or a solution not knowing who is a potential supplier SEO is an important part of the marketing mix...

 

However, this is slowly and steadily changing.

 

**Today 60 – 80% of the so called educated purchase decision is based on recommendations by trusted individuals or groups that have no or no significant interest in the sale but helpful and experienced people using or knowing the product or service in need.

 

And the number of recommendation based purchases is steadily growing. I'm sure it will hit the 80 – 90% range in the next 5 to 10 years.

 

Now – what does that mean to SEO?

 

Why should a business invest in search engine optimization if most of the purchase decisions are based on recommendations?

 

Wouldn't it be smarter to invest into the "recommendation chain" instead in SEO?

 

Wouldn't it be more effective and successful to make sure people recommend a product than hoping to come up higher in the list of search results?"

 

Curated by Jan Gordon covering "Content Curation, Social Business and Beyond"

 

Read the full article: http://bit.ly/AxRrEr

 

Via janlgordon

 

Curated by Jan Gordon covering "Content Curation, Social Business and Beyond"

 

Image by Istockphoto  from an article by Social Media Examiner

 

Read the full article: [http://bit.ly/AxRrEr]

Via janlgordon, k3hamilton, juandoming, Ilya Levin