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Take a break and enjoy this wonderful, inspiring photography with your coffee...We all love Bokeh, don’t we. Bokeh simply means Blur in Japanese language, they are normally in shape of number of lens blades causing wonderful round patterns all over the frame. A Bokeh can be good as well as bad caused by chromatic aberrations or the Len’s Aperture shapes. It is very pleasing for any photographer, which just makes them but fast prime lenses suiting for wonderful low light photography as well as pleasing bokeh....
While social media has contributed many great things to marketers, all of the good stuff doesn’t come without its own baggage. We have talked about the good side of social media for marketing a lot on this blog, but we have under-reported on the negative aspects that social media has brought to the marketing industry. Stepping back to think about it, these seven negatives are clearly consequences of the growth of social media as a marketing discipline.Here are 7 Reasons Social Media Is Bad for Marketing...
With the recent emphasis on measurement and content marketing, traditional media relations is getting a bum rap. But it is measurable, and we have proof....Today I am here to argue the case for media relations.Amid the ever-present search for better measurement tools, and recent emphasis on the importance of content marketing in PR, I feel this old friend has started to get a bum rap.While it’s true traditional media can be an excellent tool for increasing awareness, my stance is it can also be a valuable, measurable way to increase leads and sales....
Really smart tips to get you started right on Pinterest... With 25 million members and growing, Pinterest has grown from a niche curation platform to a formidable presence among major social media networks. It may not have the massive membership of Facebook, but the network’s engagement rate is staggering: users spend more time on Pinterest than Google+, LinkedIn, or Twitter combined. It’s a referral traffic powerhouse, and many Pinterest users view the network as a tool for discovering products to purchase.However, is the network a viable tool to promote content in the B2B realm? Sure, but it’s a bit harder. Your company can stand out on the visually-driven network where pins of products with prices reign supreme, but it requires some ingenuity and effort. We’ve curated some of the brightest ideas on how you can develop a Pinterest for business presence to be reckoned with....
...Brands are answering the call to create more value for customers by publishing news and content marketing. In fact, 86% of BtoC and 91% of BtoB organizations are now using content marketing tactics. As companies adopt a publisher model of content and media creation, many are beginning to rival the reach and influence of the publications in their industry.
Amex OPEN Forum and General Mills’ Tablespoon are great examples of this. What do these changes mean for Public Relations and Communications professionals? How is PR competitively positioned compared to marketing and advertising in a content centric web? Read on for answers to these questions and more.
By providing news content that traditional sources are not, brands are creating new connections with their communities and customers. While much of content marketing falls under the realm of corporate marketing, the expertise in messaging, content creation and media relations that many Public Relations professionals bring to the table can offer a competitive advantage in 3 key areas...
The perennial cry from CEOs around the globe is that they are focused on their customers. It’s their A-#1 mission. Everything emanates from understanding what customers need and want, and then delivering on it.
However, without up-to-date information trending profitable versus non-profitable customers and the issues driving the best customers away, CEOs and their businesses are unable to manage customers as assets. Guerrilla metrics give leadership five questions for commanding customer accountability inside their organizations. - Create a cultural shift to make customers the asset of the business. - Supply leaders with a platform to stand behind and reinforce. - Establish a language for CEOs in how they ask about customers; placing the customer front and center on their agenda. - Are a potent first step to kick-start or reenergize a faltering customer ‘focus.’...
... Knowing the value of advocates versus influencers is key to making the right decisions when it comes to your marketing strategy. But most importantly, you need to be honest with yourself about the true purpose behind your marketing efforts. “Do I invest my limited budget into a one-time burst and get a lot of short-term buzz? Or do I build a bespoke network of advocates and engage, direct, and activate them long-term, which may require commitment beyond a three-month campaign?”
We see our customers struggle with this question every day. You need to be clear from the outset what your goals are before deciding whether to harness the passion of your existing fans or to turn to the broader--but arguably less committed--reach of an influencer. Both can be a hugely important part of a marketing campaign, but only if their capacities are used effectively.
My advice? Build movements, not campaigns! Don’t just stimulate buzz, ignite passions through engaging the true believers who “get” who you are and are fanatical about your brand. Identify them, listen to them, engage them. It is worth the effort.
There are compelling reasons to blog and while it’s sometimes a slow ramp, data shows that bloggers who are persistent and increase their blog frequency can yield leads and sales from their efforts. The chart above is proof that bloggers shouldn’t lose faith – in fact they should have a little patience and be persistent in their blogging effort. More evidence is the progress that the team at PrimePay , a national provider of payroll, tax and HR services, has made over the last year using HubSpot to blog consistently. Because they appeal to a very specific target market, Nancy and her team didn’t set out with a goal of extensive readership – rather, they wanted to share valuable content that would enable them to become thought leaders in the payroll services space....
...The power of storytelling is something so many businesses fail to realise in marketing their brand and products. When information is communicated in story form, studies show people better relate and remember it. Stories have the ability to spark emotions, whether it’s happiness, empathy, trust or anger. When listening to them not only are the language-processing parts of our brain activated, experiential parts of our brain come alive too. Stories about food activate our sensory cortex, motion stories activate the motor cortex – fundamentally our brains are more engaged when listening to stories.
Brand storytelling isn’t new; companies have used advertising to evoke emotions through storytelling for years. However the landscape has changed, the digital revolution spurred new platforms, channels and devices through which to share and tell stories, opening up greater opportunities, but simultaneously greater challenges. How do you cut through the noise, get your stories heard and resonate with the consumer? Here are my top tips for the art of storytelling in business...
..I was inspired to write about transcription for SEO (and more) after talking to a client at one of my previous agency roles. A few staff members at the top of the company are well known in their industry, and we wanted to leverage their popularity and standing by encouraging them to guest blog.
For one of them (who's practically a celebrity in his industry sector!), we were told this:
Client: "Well, he doesn't want to write content on a regular basis. You see, he has enough on his plate as it is with his popular, weekly, hour-long podcast."
Then the light-bulb moment happened...
Me: "Do you transcribe the podcasts into text and publish them on the site along with the audio?"
Client: "No. Why?"...
...An unintended consequence of businesses developing more of an online presence is that customers can feel as though the selling process is done entirely through robots. While researching products and services and making purchases online is convenient for the customer, it does not replace the value of having a face-to-face, informative conversation with you.
This is where content comes in.Y ou, of course, want potential customers to visit your website and to learn about your company, but it is important to add to their experience and make it more personable. Content does this by creating a conversation with the customer that develops trust with your business. It alters the way the buying and selling process works (in a good way) by establishing you as an expert in your field and allowing you to have a conversation with your prospect.Below you will find highlights from expert articles on a few of the ways you can use content in your business....
...Higher ranking in the search engines directly correlates to more traffic flowing to a website. If that traffic is targeted correctly, then more traffic typically means more leads and more customers. It’s human nature that if you solve a problem for somebody, they will remember you and reciprocate.
This applies directly to blogging as the more visitors that get helped; the more they will value helping company’s brand.In a recent study, the 2012 State of Inbound Marketing by HubSpot, it was discovered that 92% of companies that responded acquired a customer through their blog if they posted multiple times per day. The numbers are still impressive for those that post daily at 78%, 2-3 times per week at 70%, and weekly at 66%. This data along with some other metrics in their report shows a direct correlation between blogging and customer acquisition. Blogging was recorded as the most effective lead generation category as being “Below Average Cost Per Lead."...
...Content Marketing is an important element of a company’s Marketing strategy and it is a good way to raise awareness of your brand and gain new followers, but for small businesses they need to tread carefully. Posting industry articles, sharing content and writing a blog require sweat equity and time-starved small businesses often cannot afford to dedicate their time to content Marketing.
A balance needs to be reached to ensure a mixture of quality content and sales-related material is implemented into any Marketing strategy. Just don’t overuse and abuse the now cliché “Content is King” – that’s nonsense, the customer is King. LISTEN! As marketers we should be listening to what consumers want and what form of Marketing actually works rather than what we perceive to work!
A recent article entitled The Digital Gap between Consumer and Marketer by Jacey Gulden on Social Media Today highlighted the gap in perceptions of consumers and Marketers. Jacey writes about the benefits that smaller businesses have when personalizing communications with consumers, which I agree with when targeting the correct target market....
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Tired of toiling in the blogging trenches? Finally, a guide that is guaranteed to propel you to fame and fortune by Mars Dorian....I am a self-proclaimed social media rockstar, without any credentials, so I feel more than qualified to present you with the Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Blogging Superstar.Warning: The following blog post will help you gain instant money & fame. This is guaranteed, or your money back, which you didn’t pay, so there’s no conflict of interest here....Nice send up on gurus...
This is a superb overview of Instagram and tips to make it work in your content marketing program....Brands of all sizes are becoming keenly aware of the large marketing opportunity with Instagram’s massive audience.You already know that brands can leverage user-generated photos from Instagram to engage consumers. Today we will measure that engagement and connect it to ecommerce sales....
Public Relations - Despite its current popularity, brand reputation management is not a new concept, but today it's about actively managing the references, conversations, and feedback that typically occur online....So, what course of action should you take? Basically, having a good defense as well as attack strategy is required. Here are seven key areas you should address:- Search engine dominance- Brand monitoring- Social media PR- Reviews and recommendations- Customer service and culture- Negative-PR management- Brand advocacy...
Content, content, content. Yes, the word ‘content’ is being banded about like some kind of must-have fashion accessory in the world of digital marketing....
...Peppered throughout the pages of Google’s Webmaster Guidelines and blog pages you’ll see frequent references to ‘high-quality content’ which the search behemoth claims will help your site rank better. We all know by now that if Google says something, we should listen!
The question is, what kind of ‘quality’ content do you need for your site? Which of the many, many types is the most user-friendly, which provides the most SEO value and how much time do you have to dedicate to your overall content marketing strategy for each one?...
... You can’t force anyone to pay attention to you online. All you can do is entice. Permission Marketing was an expanded observation of that fact, and an exploration of an alternative. Instead of trying to gain attention by being increasingly obnoxious, we can earn a prospect’s permission to deliver a message to them.
This calls for a whole new tool kit. If people are going to ask you to communicate with them, you have to come up with a form of marketing that’s too valuable to throw away. Advertising copy gives way to content — informative, interesting material that speaks to a highly informed customer....
... Scribble’s traction is international; its ScribbleLive real-time content creation and distribution platform is available in 14 languages and used by the biggest media brands, including the Associated Press, Reuters, CNN and ESPN to name a few. I spoke with Scribble CEO and co-founder Michael De Monte about the raise, and his vision for the company.
He pointed out that Scribble recently launched ScribbleMarket, a way for brands to easily syndicate their live content, and to find said content from other sources for use on their own site. Licensing can be free or paid, and this lets news agencies quickly leverage their reporting resources for additional income streams, by providing not just static articles for syndication as has been the case, but full-featured, interactive real-time content that’s being dynamically updated from a single backend.
quiet“The marketplace for us is the exciting component of what we’re building,” De Monte said. “This opportunity to share content in real time, becoming like the iTunes of real-time content has a lot of potential to change the face of media.”...
Much has been written in these columns about the use of online video and how it is becoming essential for any serious brand online. It's used in promotion, video ads, "how to" and explainer videos, user-generated videos, contests, live event streaming and much more.But if you know little or nothing about video production, where do you start and how difficult is it likely to be?
Let's take a quick look at seven sites that can really help – and even have you making animated videos in hours. - ReelSEO
- New York Video School
- VideoScribe from Sparkol
- IzzyVideo
- Skype Video Recorder
- Vimeo Video School
- Coursera.org...
Keyword research is anything but exciting. In fact, trying to do it after a satisfying dinner and glass of wine is more likely to end with your forehead on your keyboard than a list of low-competition, high-value phrases.Unfortunately, the research has to be done. Without knowing which keywords people are searching for, it’s difficult to target the phrases that will draw search traffic to your site. That traffic is the lifeblood of your business.
Whether you’re running a blog, operating an ecommerce site, or trying to position yourself as a thought leader in your niche, it begins with targeted traffic.And for that, you need the right keywords.There are lots of ways to perform keyword research. On one extreme, you can devote months to the task, drilling down into every iteration of every phrase you can imagine. Or you can do some “quick and dirty” research, using a few tools available online. There’s definitely a place for both approaches. But today, we’ll focus on the latter one. Read on for 3 quick ways to find out what type of content your audience is searching for....
Sometimes, the typical landing page strategies just aren't enough. What happens when you take a step outside the box? If you want attention, you have to break expectations. For as many ways you can optimize a landing page, the truth of the matter is, your visitors expect a certain amount of “sameness” from sites like yours.
That’s a problem. Because when you blend in with others in your category, your messages aren’t fully heard. Fortunately for you, I’ve rounded up 5 unique landing page strategies that will help you break your visitor’s guessing machines, and open them up to what matters most – the content....
...Purported measurement services like Klout, PeerIndex and Kred quickly sprang up to fill this gap, but they only served to add to the confusion when they tried to lead marketers into believing that popularity meant influence. Brands soon found out that this approach was far too simplistic because it had no feel for the real nuances of influence marketing, and subsequently began to look for more definitive answers. Online Media Daily reinforced this thought process with its recent post, "Social Scoring Is An Industry, But Marketers Are Skeptical," by Gavin O'Malley. O'Malley pointed to a research study which suggests that marketers remain skeptical about the value of these online social scoring platforms.A February online survey of about 1,300 marketing professionals, PR consultants, and business executives was conducted around the topic of influence by Sensei Marketing and the consultants at ArCompany. Results showed that 55% of the respondents do not find these services useful for finding influencers. Other key findings included...
.... Fortunately there are ways to dramatically cut down on the time spent trying to grow your social communities and spreading your brand awareness throughout the numerous social networks.
In this post I will cover four smart ways you can automate the growth of your communities and drive fresh, qualified traffic to your store so you can spend more time on other areas of your business.Implementing the tactics covered in this post will result in more traffic driven to your site, more sales and faster growing social communities....
What do The Walt Disney Company and the WWE have in common (other than lucrative merchandising revenue and a cast of memorable characters? If you followed the Dachis Group’s Social Business Index, which “analyzes the effectiveness of strategies and tactics organizations employ to engage the market through social channels,” you’d know that Disney and the WWE are two of the most socially savvy brands out there. Apparently, people are still gaga for staged fighting and Donald Duck.
Did these corporate giants reach such great social heights by pursuing the exact same social media goals? Of course not. Disney and the WWE are vastly different companies with vastly different business objectives. You don’t market sweaty, hulking wrestlers the same way you do talking mice.These two very different companies achieved social media success by applying specific social media tactics to achieve specific business objectives.
You may not be a multibillion dollar business with a killer mascot (at least not yet), but you can still do social like the best of them, so long as you connect your business objectives to an effective social media marketing strategy....
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Embrace Social Media Or DIP
This post reminds me of The Great Social Customer Service Race Study. We guest posted the Software Advice study, a Twitter based study where virtually every major brand (save one) FAILED to respond.
Think this post about favorability being down and Software Advice's study results are related? I do to, the study is on Atlantic BT's blog:
http://www.atlanticbt.com/blog/social-service-how-social-media-is-changing-customer-service/