Back in the good old days, you could advertise in the daily paper, an outdoor board, on one of the local radio stations or one of three TV channels—a media mix. Today, of course, we don’t have the luxury of that simplicity. Instead of three TV channels, there are over 300. Radio and print have […]
Drew McLellan
Low Tech But Effective
Looking for new customers? In today’s 24/7 plugged-in world, we tend to focus on the digital marketing tactics that are all the rage. Social media, SEO, and content marketing seem to get top billing of late but don’t let all the hype distract you from some of the simpler, low tech tactics that have worked […]
Planting Your Brand’s Seeds
Branding. What is it and how do you define it? In most cases, people mistake the word branding to mean one of two things. A logo or a tagline. Both are tools you use to communicate your brand but neither is your actual brand. Brand has been described in many ways. Advertising icon David Ogilvy […]
What Audiences Want
It’s official: Physical and digital engagement is paramount for effective customer engagement. No matter what age, gender or location, consumers around the world agree that when it comes to brand interactions, personal, trusted and reliable omnichannel engagement is THE preferred option and choice. Over 85 percent of 2,000 global consumers surveyed by the Chief Marketing […]
The Name of the Game
A new business opened up around the corner and I couldn’t help but notice the name. It is A-1 Iowa Plumbing and they’ve hung a big banner announcing that they’re open and ready for new customers. The name is a good reminder of several common naming mistakes that I thought were worth sharing. Whether you […]
Community Building
Most recently, we looked at the idea that content marketing efforts often stop short of actually building a community and by doing so, brands miss out on the incredible benefits of that strategy. The phrase “build a community” is nebulous so I wanted to give you a concrete example to spark ideas as you look […]
Content Marketing: A 2-Way Connection
When you hear the phrase content marketing what does it mean to you? If you’re like most B2B marketers, you may be associating that term with a combination of email campaigns and educational content. Most brands use gated (you have to trade your email address to access the content) content to build their email list […]
Stop Selling, Start Helping
A while back, we explored some of the key takeaways from a content marketing trends report produced by the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), and I identified some trends worthy of more in-depth exploration. They included: Well-researched personas can help teams create successful content; however, too few content marketers (42%) are actually talking with customers to […]
The Power of Personas
Previously, we noted that content marketing is hardly a new methodology. Its origins trace back to the late 1800s, but it certainly has evolved as technology and access have made it possible for just about anyone to claim and prove authority and expertise. But it takes well-researched personas to create successful content. In looking at […]
Trends in Content Marketing
Content marketing is not new. It has its origins back in the late 1800s, but for most of us, it became apparent during the infomercial era. There have always been trends in content marketing. If you’re 40+, you might remember the Tony Robbins infomercials. They were thirty minutes of TV programming that was a blend […]
