How can business-to-business make their content marketing more effective? George shares his thoughts on creating better, more valuable, relevant and consistent content in his guest post 10 Tips for Doing it Better (Content Marketing, That Is) on the One North blog. ...
Continue ReadingSocial news feeds have become a highly competitive space over the last few years, as platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and most recently, Instagram, have opened their self-service advertising models to all businesses. In order to get the maximum results and ROI desired from their content, brands and organizations are finding they have to “pay-to-play” in the social media game. Achieving stellar results organically is more difficult than ever as competition for eyeballs continues to increase, and various marketing research supports the notion that organic reach will be next to zero in the next few years. Social media advertising, when planned, executed, optimized and measured correctly, is an effective way to: • Increase brand awareness • Extend content reach and help ensure content is served in the right place, at the right time • Promote thought leadership • Create engagement and dialogue among influencers and audiences • Drive targeted website traffic • Enhance SEO and build...
Continue Reading
Tell Your Story Founder George Rafeedie gave a recent breakfast seminar with the Chicago Business Marketing Association where he taught a group of B2B marketers how to develop and share stories on any budget. In his dynamic presentation, George explained how every organization (big, small, start up, non-profit, division) has a story. And our job as marketers is to find it. Then develop it. Tell it. Measure it. And lastly, improve it. The story should be unique and tied to an organization’s purpose, the difference they make in the world, says George. He shared the following 8-step process that marketers can use, right now, to develop and share their story/purpose. 1) Executive download & brainstorm. This is where executive buy-in happens. It is where you go to your boss/CMO/President/whomever and explain the process and why your organization needs it. This step is crucial as it ensures your stakeholders feel like they are part...
Continue ReadingTell Your Story Founder George Rafeedie shares his thoughts on how identifying and communicating a brand's purpose is essential for marketing success on the Cranium Studio blog, Brand Musings. Read what George had to say and see examples of purpose-driven branding here: Brand Purpose, Key to Content Marketing Success...
Continue Reading
[caption id="attachment_3187" align="aligncenter" width="675"] The #BMA15 tweet wall on Day 2[/caption] There were some really strong presentations at BMA15 Thursday. I like the cadence of this conference, with most sessions half an hour or 45 minutes long—enough time to delve into a topic without getting slow. There were many remarkable speakers today; heavy hitters from companies like Forrester Research, Pinterest, Dow and Daimler Trucks. Here are some of my favorites and some of the memorable sound bites from the day. 1. Joe Pulizzi. Just the guy to jump-start our brains after a night of staying out way too late. He talked about some of the characteristics of great content marketers, and gave examples of companies that do it right. Those who succeed document and write down their content strategy. It’s not enough to think about it, or have it in your head. And, they work to build an audience, a key component...
Continue Reading
I recently had the opportunity to attend the Legal Marketing Association (LMA) Annual Conference on behalf of client One North Interactive, a digital marketing and technology agency that has historically worked with some of the world’s largest and most prominent law firms. [caption id="attachment_3110" align="alignleft" width="383"] One North Interactive's booth[/caption] Maybe it was due to the event backdrop, which was set on the glorious San Diego Bay, or maybe it was the stellar lineup of keynote speakers and session leaders (including One North!), but more than 1,300 legal marketers attended the trade show, setting a record for the international conference. Although this event was specific to the legal industry, many of the insights and conversations shared apply to all business marketers and professional services organizations. Here are a handful of the ones I noted during my time there. Relationships don’t build themselves [caption id="attachment_3109" align="alignright" width="403"] LMA Welcome Session[/caption] Even though building and maintaining business...
Continue ReadingWe love our clients, but not this much. See how this agency based in France communicated its new French Kiss promotion with staffers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YJ-8r40ruv0...
Continue ReadingThe closer we get to February 14, the harder it becomes to avoid the Valentine’s Day restaurant guides, Tinder-themed events and Red Velvet Oreos (although nobody really wants to avoid Oreos). While B2C marketing steals so much of the spotlight, all this attention only reaffirms my love for one thing: the B2B industry. I know I’m not alone in this thinking. All the B2B marketers I know are filled with passion, admiration and respect for the work we do. You may not know it, but B2B is hot. Here are 14 reasons why B2B marketing is the ONE for so many of us. 1) “It’s where the business is! And because we can.” – Jeffrey W. Hayzlett, Primetime TV & Radio Host, Chairman of the C-Suite Network 2) 3) Understanding B2B is to understand the world around you; how businesses operate, how purchase decisions are made, how the global and digital economy works. 4) B2B...
Continue Reading[caption id="attachment_3011" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Jim Carey talks "Dancing With Big Data"[/caption] What do marketing, sales, finance, and IT professionals have in common? Apparently, we’re all really confused about big data. More specifically, how to use the vast amounts of data we have at our fingertips. By (Wikipedia) definition, big data is “any collection of data sets so large or complex that it becomes difficult to process them using traditional data processing applications.” I had trouble processing that sentence. Undoubtedly, big data is a pain point for most professionals; many have made it their personal mission to wrangle the beast. Jim Carey, adjunct professor at Northwestern University Medill IMC, is one marketer with such an attempt. Carey, who specializes in data mining for B2B and B2C companies, led recent BMA Breakfast Seminar “Dancing With Big Data,” where he shared his insights and findings on what makes big data so…big, based on interviews with leading marketers and industry pros. Here’s...
Continue ReadingDid you ever have a lemonade stand as a kid? As it turns out, that early business experience can help you succeed in your career as a communications professional. As I learned at yesterday’s BMA Chicago luncheon with DePaul professors Ron Culp and Matt Ragas, having business acumen is one of the top criteria needed to be a successful marketing/communications pro. Ron and Matt discussed how in order to earn—and keep—a seat at the table and maximize your full value, communicators need to be able to speak the language and understand business goals, issues and trends. The problem is that most communicators don't hold an MBA and didn't study business in college. Ron and Matt offered the following tips to help you develop greater business acumen: Understand Your Company’s Business Model. Transparency is key here. Make sure everyone on your team understands what drives your business. How does your company and clients make...
Continue Reading